The first chilly spell of winter had just hit New York City when Lucy Hale met up with Taste of Country to talk about her upcoming album. Undeterred by the cold, the country newcomer was warm and energetic -- and couldn't have been more excited to discuss the project.

Although she's often recognized for her role as Aria Montgomery in the show 'Pretty Little Liars,' the Tennessee native originally moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. It turns out that the timing was perfect when it came to writing her album. Hale reveals that the past year was a transitional one for her -- and perfectly captures a snapshot of her life.

ToC: What do you like to sing and write about?

Lucy Hale: The whole idea of this album -- you know, it's my first album. It's the first time people are being introduced to Lucy, because a lot of people know me from 'Pretty Little Liars' or other acting work that I've done, but a lot of people don't know me and the things that I've been through so far. We just wanted it to be a snapshot of where I'm at in life right now, and I think that we captured that. That's the cool thing about music. You can literally write about anything. There is no right or wrong answer.

It was actually the perfect time to make the album because originally I moved to L.A. for music and I was 15 at the time. A lot of people don't know that I actually moved for music and not for acting. I'm so thankful that we got to record this album this past year, because I felt like it was the perfect moment in my life. It was a transitional year for me, and I feel like I grew up a lot and figured out a lot of things and, lucky enough, it was when we were writing and recording.

Are you more likely to write about: an ex-boyfriend, a current boyfriend or a future boyfriend?

I'm probably more likely to write about an ex-boyfriend because I've had some not-so-great ones. Yeah, probably an ex.

Do you currently have, or have you ever had, a country crush?

I do, but I can't say it out loud because there's something taboo about it, because it will never happen if I say it out loud. This is actually really funny. Remember Billy Gilman? He was like my first country crush. Of course, I was like 11 or 12 years old, and one time my choir sang backup for him somewhere in Washington and and I stole his Snapple bottle. (Editor's note: Lucy tells us she still has the bottle saved somewhere.)

If you could interview any country superstar, who would you choose and what would you ask?

Probably Shania Twain. I love her. Or Dixie Chicks. Just advice, I think. Shania Twain, to me, is everything. I love her. So probably what her advice would be for me.

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