Hope Partlow may be young, but she is off to a great start. With a smashing debut album, WHO WE ARE, there’s no telling what the future holds for this rising star.

Shelia Goss: How long have you been singing?
Hope Partlow: I’ve been singing for a long time. I’m only 17. I was singing before I could talk I think. My dad was always playing the guitar. He introduced me to music very early. I became real serious about it when I was 13.

Shelia: How did it feel to hear one of your songs on the radio?
Hope: I had hot flashes. I was in Pennsylvania on a radio tour. The deejay played it right there. Someone called in and said how much she liked it. When I heard it back home for the first time, I was driving down the road, I heard it and hollered.

Shelia: Do you write your own lyrics?
Hope: I am a songwriter…I’m not as good as I would like to be….I have a while to go before I’m at that stage…. I didn’t want any of my songs on the first album…but I’m working on it….I handed over my diary to my main 2 songwriters…it turned out really well. The songs were from personal experiences.

Shelia: How long did it take you to record your album?
Hope: It only took about 6 months…preparing for the album is what took the longest.

Shelia: How was your first tour?
Hope: I am still on tour. My first tour was the radio tour. The second tour is with my band and on tour with Jessie McCartney. For the first tour, going around to arenas was amazing and fun…Then we did a WalMart tour in the parking lot, a radio/acoustic tour going around to high schools and middle schools.

Shelia: Who are some of your favorite singers?
Hope: I started listening to Patsy Cline, Reba McIntyre…moved to listening to Sheryl Crowe, Journey, The Muse, etc.

Shelia: Have you thought about acting?
Hope: I took acting and I fell I love with it but right now my priority is music.

Shelia: How has your life changed since your success?
Hope: A lot. I come from one hundred acres in Tennessee, now I live on a tour bus. Leaving school was hard…I left six weeks into my freshman year…it was a big transition, but I’m now in my senior year. I really found out who my true friends are. Living on a tour bus can be frustrating, but fun too. My family is back in Tennessee and I normally see them on the holidays or when I get to go home for a few days.

Shelia: What about prom?
Hope:In the beginning I thought about stuff like that but that’s not my top priority.

Shelia: What would your best friend say about you?
Hope:I am funny and silly. Obviously they like me and I like them.

Shelia: Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans.
Hope: I want to thank you. I hope they stick with me for a long time and like my music.

Hope Partlow's Who We Are is a great debut album. I would recommend it for your teenagers and it'll make good Christmas gifts. The lyrics are good and are not "too grown up" that you have to sit and monitor every song before allowing your child to listen to it. There's an equal balance of songs where the listener won't get bored. In fact, I look at this CD as an empowerment CD for teenagers, especially young women. Listening to the lyrics might even make you understand what some of your teenaged daughters are going through.

WHO WE ARE is in stores now.