Holly Williams photo by Autumn de Wilde, courtesy of Mercury Nashville.

"My parents' friends had that situation going on where the wives would be on some tours, and the girlfriend would be on others. Sometimes these people were the ones giving me advice to stay true to myself, and they were living this life. I'm not putting them down, because I've never been there. I just didn't understand how they could deal with that personally and look so happy on the outside."

On another one of Here With Me's stand out tracks, "Three Days In Bed", Holly's measured choice of words and haunting vocal performance paints a startling visual in the listener's mind recounting the story of a love affair in Paris. "This song speaks for itself, inspired by truth and fantasy," explains Holly. "It's the only track on the record that is a live performance with me and my guitar, completely raw, which was very important to me to have on this record."

"My whole thing with writing is I love to tell a story," Holly says. "When I listen to songs, I play the movie in my head. There are certain songs in my head I see the colors and the visuals. Tom Waits is a genius at doing this. I've always hoped some of my songs inspire vivid pictures."

"A song that was a departure for me from what I'm used to writing, but is an absolute blast to play live is 'Love I Think Will Last'," Holly admits. A song which follows in the light-hearted vein of Johnny and June Carter Cash's "Jackson", Holly continues, "People laugh at it. They love the story of it."

While Holly has clearly forged her own musical path, shades of the Williams family musical history pop up here and there throughout Here With Me. "Alone" finds Holly tapping into the lonesome simplicity of Hank, Sr.'s lyrics with a tune about her own fear of commitment, while Hank, Sr.'s actual name appears in the lyrics for "Without Jesus Here With Me".

In addition to making music, Holly has another outlet for her boundless creative energy. Building on her lifelong love affair with fashion and design, Holly opened the high-end clothing and accessories boutique H. Audrey in 2007, and H. Audrey Home in 2008, introducing new designers and brands to Nashville's retail scene.

"I've always had this business side that I've needed to fulfill. I actually get to travel to Paris twice a year for work which is crazy to me, and dress friends of mine and stylish musicians. Sheryl Crow, Patty Griffin and Faith Hill all have a great eye for fashion. I love seeing who wears what to award shows and concerts!"

Holly's stores have quickly become one of Nashville's hottest retail spots, but just one listen to Here With Me makes it clear that Holly's first love is and will always be making music.

She says, "When it's in the blood, you can't help it."