Steve Wariner reflected on a long country music career in an interview with American Songwriter, recalling close encounters with figures such as Dottie West, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and George Jones. He described an earlier Nashville that felt smaller and more accessible, where artists could easily meet and observe one another at work. The article matters largely as a portrait of how Wariner views both his own legacy and changes in the country music world, while also introducing a new chapter in his creative life.

Alongside looking back on his musical achievements, Wariner discussed his long-running interest in painting, which he says has existed almost as long as his music career. A four-time Grammy winner with 14 US number one hits, he is now staging his first one-man art exhibition, The Flip Side, at the Monthaven Arts & Cultural Center in Hendersonville, Tennessee, through 26 July. The show includes oils on linen and cotton, around 15 to 17 watercolours, and large abstract works, which Wariner says reflect the same creative instinct and emotional aim that shape his songwriting.