Kimberly Schlapman on Teacakes, Why Aprons are a Family Tradition, and Her Upcoming Children’s Book

About Biscuits & Jam:  In the South, talking about food is personal. It’s a way of sharing your history, your family, your culture, and yourself. Each week Sid Evans, Editor in Chief of Southern Living, will sit down with celebrity musicians to hear stories of how they grew up, what inspired them, and how they’ve been shaped by Southern culture. Sid will take us back to some of their most cherished memories and traditions, the family meals they still think about, and their favorite places to eat on the road.

Episode 2: June 9, 2020

Download and listen to Kimberly Schlapman on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or everywhere podcasts are available

In early March, Kimberly Schlapman was in the middle of a tour with her Grammy-winning band, Little Big Town, to promote their new album Nightfall, when the coronavirus changed their plans. Since then, she’s been quarantined at home like everyone else, trying to make the most of these challenging times.

But that doesn’t mean this singer hasn’t been busy. In an interview from her home in Nashville on our new podcast Biscuits & Jam, Kimberly talks about teaching her daughter to cook, spending quality time with family, and why food has the power to heal.

On Her Favorite Dish Back Home

Mama made chicken and dumplings a lot and she still does. That's my favorite thing she makes. When we're coming home and she says, what do you want me to cook for you? I'm always like, "chicken and dumplings, please."

On Family Time in Quarantine

I told Daisy, my 12 year old, a couple of days ago. I don't think this will ever happen again in your lifetime, that we will have this much close family time together. And so I feel like in this really scary time, there are still blessings. And the greatest, in my opinion, is time with the people that we love.

On Food and Grief

I remember when my first husband died. Right after his service, we were in the kitchen and I said to my bandmate, Karen, as I cried to her, I said, "Who am I going to cook for now?" And as soon as those words came out of my mouth… she put her hands on my shoulders and she said, "Me." And that, oh, that gives me chills right now to think about because she knew how important it was for me to cook for people.

On Her Nickname

Growing up, "Oh Gussie" was just a saying that we said all the time. It, it could mean, "Oh Gussie! This is delicious!" Or, "Oh, Gussie! I dropped a pan in the floor." You know, it could mean so many different things. It's kind of a universal, just little phrase. And so. Especially when I moved to Nashville, I think people started noticing that I said that a lot.

On the Little Big Town Hit, “The Daughters”

[My parents] told me all the time, ‘You can do whatever you want to do. You can be whatever you want to be.’ So many girls in the world don't hear that message. They hear the opposite of that message. To me, I want my girls to know that they can do anything they set their minds to and if they dream it, they have everything inside them to make it happen.

On Life After Quarantine

When the quarantine is over, I'm so looking forward to hugging people. I'm a hugger. I just always have been. When I greet people, that's just what I do. And so I'm physically, I'm looking forward to that. Just embracing people.

Visit our Podcast Primer for information on how to download and listen to a podcast.