Dusty Leigh Huston Releases Resilient Debut Album, ‘The Hell I Won’t’
I recently sat down with Justin Loretangeli at Pro Country to discuss the making of The Hell I Won’t and what the future holds. Check it out!
“If Dusty Leigh Huston had it her way, she wouldn’t currently be celebrating the release of her debut album.
If the Idaho native had a say, it would’ve long since been released. But a global pandemic and uprooting her life to move from The Gem State to Music City had other plans, so Huston shifted hers.
Now, though, the time is just right for Huston to release the album, aptly titled The Hell I Won’t. Opening with its anthemic title track, Huston weaves her way through songs of resiliency, growth and empowerment that has made it well worth the wait.
We chatted with Huston all about the album, its personal nature, staying busy on the road and more!”
Pro Country: 2025 marks six years since your debut release, “Like You Were Forbidden,” with Dave Nudo. The years that have followed have seen an EP release and several single releases. Why did you feel that 2025 was the right time to release your debut album, The Hell I Won’t?
Dusty Leigh Huston: To be honest, I thought I would have this album out so much sooner. The original plan was to release it within a year of my first album, however, navigating through the Covid-19 pandemic was all unchartered territory for me. But also, in the middle of the pandemic, we also decided to uproot our lives in Idaho and make the cross-country trek to relocate in Tennessee. Even still, I thought I would have it done sooner than this, but I guess they say that all good things come to those who wait.
PC: You’ve been steadily releasing singles over those six years that are a part of the album. How much are you looking forward to offering these songs as a collection and seeing the years of work pay off with an album?
DLH: Originally, I was only planning to release one, maybe two singles before the entire album was released, however, due to the string of events that derailed that plan, I wanted to continue releasing music to continue to remain relevant. This business is 1000% “out of sight, out of mind.” Finally having the album finished means I can finally share the stories of how these songs came to be and how much they mean to me!
PC: The album’s title track, “The Hell I Won’t” was released in 2023. What was it about the song you felt made it the right title track for the album?
DLH: “The Hell I Won’t” wasn’t just a song I wrote, but has been my anthem. When I first moved to Tennessee, I was introduced to Craig Wilson and Mary Kutter, two incredibly talented songwriters. Together we wrote three “smasharoooos” as Mary calls them, “The Hell I Won’t” being one of them. The entire songwriting session was magical, but I knew the moment we wrapped, “The Hell I Won’t” was going to be the album title. Writing it felt very cathartic. Unfortunately, Craig passed away unexpectedly in 2023 before its release, and I was devastated. So much talent, and I’ll always cherish the time I had with him.
PC: “Leaving Idaho” is a song you wrote with Craig Wilson and Mary Kutter, which talks about your leaving The Gem State in pursuit of your musical dreams. Can you take us in the room and talk about how the song came together and how important it is to you?
DLH: “Leaving Idaho” was a very emotional song to write, and during our session, I basically life vomited to both Craig and Mary in order to give them some perspective on where I was coming from with this song. I felt like they needed to have an understanding of the childhood traumas and experiences that had taken place in my life in order to fully understand where I was going with this song. I wanted them to understand the entire picture and why I had to leave Idaho, but also why it was an incredibly painful decision. I left that session with the perfect lyric, but was still searching for the perfect music to complete it. I didn’t have the melody in mind when we wrote it, but I did know that it needed to be dynamic, and I wanted it to give listeners goosebumps when they heard it. My first keys player, Sean Liles, took “Leaving Idaho” and created magic with my vision. At first listen, I couldn’t stop the tears, and I knew his magic was exactly what this song needed. My current keys player, Glenda Watts, and I went into the studio to lay down the track and left knowing it was finally the song I wanted it to be. I couldn’t be more proud of how it turned out.
PC: You close The Hell I Won’t with a cover of K.T. Oslin “80s Ladies.” What drew you to include the song on the album?
DLH: “80s Ladies” has been “my truth” and a song I have sang since I was a child. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I fully understood the magnitude of this song. First being, K.T. Oslin won her first Grammy for this song at the age of 40; something unheard of in the music business. Additionally, she was the sole writer of this song. As a female that has fought my way through this business, this song, its message, and the importance of friendship stuck with me. I always knew I would record a version of this song, but a few years ago, K.T. released Simply. an album of her hits stripped down, and the version of “80s Ladies” moved me through another dimension. I knew, in that moment, that was the tender version I wanted to record. I was fortunate to play this song live at an awards show last year with my keys player, Glenda Watts, so it only made sense for her and I to do it together in the studio! I had to give it a couple takes to make it through to the end, but it will always be one of my favorite songs I’ve ever recorded.
PC: What do you hope listeners take away from The Hell I Won’t after listening all the way through?
DLH: After listening to The Hell I Won’t, I hope listeners come away with a deeper understanding of resilience, self-reflection, and the power of personal growth. Each track on the album explores different facets of struggle, defiance, and transformation, and I want listeners to feel empowered to face their own challenges head-on. Through each song, I aim to remind listeners that setbacks and struggles are part of the process, but they don’t define us. Instead, it’s our determination to keep going, no matter the odds, that shapes our success. I hope the album serves as a reminder that if you keep believing in yourself and refuse to back down, there’s nothing that can stop you from reaching your dreams.
PC: With The Hell I Won’t now released, what do you have planned for the rest of 2025?
DLH: 2025 is all about live shows and performances! We are booked solid through the year, and I am so excited to finally share an album that I have poured my heart and soul into and watch it take flight. I have dreamed of being able to share these songs with everyone for a long time, and now that it’s finally here, I can’t wait to speak to people that feel compelled to share their own stories and dreams!
