- Ella Langley was part of an hour-long keynote conversation at Country Radio Seminar last week.
- She told a touching, but amusing anecdote about her grandmother.
- The story inspired a line in a reminiscent new song called “Loving Life Again.”
Ella Langley’s grandmother used to play a funny game of hide and seek without telling anyone they were playing.
“My grandma, anytime you’d go looking for her around the house, she’d never be like, ‘I’m in here!’” Ella explained during a keynote chat called ‘The Conversation’ at last week’s Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville. “You’d be like, ‘Grandma?’ and she’d go, ‘Yoo-hoo!’ and you’d have to find her wherever she was.”
This anecdote drew a hearty laugh from the audience of mostly radio programmers and deejays, but it’s actually a fond memory for the country star. It was special enough that she even included grandma’s signature phrase in a new song called “Loving Life Again.”
It’s a track about reminiscing about life’s sweeter, simpler times when things feel dark.
“See that red dirt? / Hear that front porch swing / Is that Grandma? / I think she's callin' me, yoo-hoo,” Ella sings, followed by, “When days are long, I drift away / I sing that sweet ‘Amazing Grace’ / And I'm right there where skies are always summertime blue.”
And just like that, she’s “back to loving life again.”
Grandma’s influence on the “Choosin’ Texas” hitmaker has been significant. Also in her CRS keynote, Ella opened up about an encounter with an Uber driver that felt like a message from God when she was going through a hard time, battling self-doubt and impostor syndrome. She was on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation, but was mid-panic attack when she got into the mystery woman’s car.
“She looks at me in the rearview mirror, has no idea the moment I’m having in the backseat,” Ella shares (quote via Parade). “Looks at me in the eyes and says, ‘God’s got you.’ What?” She says the driver even reached a hand out to her, telling her she felt called to deliver a message and began to sing a hymn. That’s something Ella’s grandma used to do, too. “I just cried like a little kid. For the first time in my life, I accepted that presence that has been there the whole time,” she admits, speaking of a strengthening relationship with her faith.
In addition to the CRS keynote session, Ella was part of the event’s 2026 New Faces of Country Music class, fresh off of an appearance at SXSW in Texas. She performed a short set as attendees — again, mostly country radio professionals — dined during the week’s closing ceremony. Other “New Faces” this year included Chase Matthew, John Morgan, Josh Ross, Kelsey Hart and Meghan Patrick.
The next task on Ella’s 2026 to-do list is a huge one: A new album. Her Dandelion project will release on April 10. The offering, her sophomore, will bring 18 new songs from the star, including “Loving Life Again” and a collaboration with one of her idols, Miranda Lambert.
Amanda Hensel Jermstad is a skilled writer based in Austin, Texas. She spent 14 years as Editor-in-Chief of Taste of Country, where she led coverage of the artists, stories and trends shaping country music. With a career deeply rooted in the genre, Amanda has built a reputation for sharp editorial insight and authentic storytelling. Outside of work, she’s a proud mom of three.
