Clare Dunn says that when she first started out as an up-and-coming performer, she put in long hours -- and lots of miles on her pickup truck -- in order to get her music out into the world. All that hard work paid off, however, the first time she ever heard her song on the radio. Below, Dunn explains where she was during that momentous first time, and why she still never changes the station when her song comes on today.

When I started up, I hustled hard. I was out visiting what they call secondary radio stations, which aren't, like, the big, reporting radio stations, but I didn't care. I was just excited for anyone to potentially play my music. And I can't remember for the life of me which one it was -- it might have been my hometown station I heard it on first, or near my hometown, Lamar, Colo.

I went through about six months of driving my pickup truck around, Loretta Lynn-style. Anytime I heard my song, when they played it, I'd just be driving and be like, "Aaaah!"

Oh yeah, [I sing along when I hear my song on the radio]. Well, or I just listen, too. It depends on the mood. Sometimes I just observe, just soak it in, you know? Because it's a big deal. So it just depends. [But I never turn it off], even today. I'll listen to it the whole time, any time I can hear it.

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