The Singer-Songwriter On Her Emotional Performance in Fort Worth and the Inspiration Behind It All

Growing up in Austin, Annabel Dwyer still fondly remembers summers at Camp Waldemar and time spent along the Guadalupe River and in the company of beautiful hills.

“It was such a healing place,” she recalls. “You are completely in the moment and not thinking about tomorrow.”

Now 23 and an active singer-songwriter in Nashville, Dwyer says news of the devastating and deadly floods in the Hill Country last month left her in shock. Early July 4 headlines reported that dozens of girls and counselors were missing from Camp Mystic, located just a short drive away from where Dwyer spent her summers camping and counseling. As phone calls and texts brought news of friends and loved ones who had family members missing, she cried in the comfort of two Texas friends who were visiting.

“I was finally alone that Monday and could process what had happened,” she says. “I wasn’t working that day. I needed to talk with God. The song I wrote came through me. It was one of the easier things I’ve written and took maybe an hour. I remember a feeling of a profound sense of the Holy Spirit.”

Colored by her childhood memories in the Hill Country, “Heaven in the Hills” richly evokes the beauty of cypress trees and flowing rivers with comforting messages like “Once a child of the hills and a child you’ll stay.” Her Instagram post, recorded soon after she wrote the song, has received over 200,000 views.

Eight days ago, Dwyer was invited to perform “Heaven in the Hills” at the Loud for Love benefit concert hosted by CBS Texas at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall in Fort Worth, an event that ultimately raised more than $100,000 for Hill Country flood relief. The event featured a silent auction of local art pieces and performances by Amanda Shires, Coffey Anderson, Grady Spencer & the Work, David Tribble, and others.

Finding Faith and Inspiration in “Heaven in the Hills”

A central theme of “Heaven in the Hills” is the sacred beauty of the Hill Country, where Dwyer spent her childhood summers.

“I can feel the hills,” she says of her connection and that of many others to the land. “I can breathe it in. That is a place that will for so long be my comfort place, where nothing is bad. As sad as it is that there was all this devastation, I think when it is all said and done, these souls are untouched and being taken care of by that land. There is a spiritual connection there.”

Nothing can take away the pain of losing a child, she continues, adding that she has personally found comfort in her belief that we are all part of something bigger. That profound awareness is something she learned from her time camping along the Guadalupe River. The song’s line about listening to your angel choir touches on that belief.

“Maybe when you are sitting outside and you hear water moving by, they are all around us,” she says. “I wanted to honor them and their lives and how they will continue to live through the land and the beauty that is all around us.”

Having grown up in the same communities that are now beginning the slow process of recovering from the devastating flood and its aftermath, Dwyer shared many of the same experiences as youths in that region: wearing white on Sundays, running around in the sun and water.

“These were children in the truest forms,” she says. “They are going to remain angels. We can all learn something from that, to enjoy life as it comes, and to see the beauty around us. That’s what the camp taught me: to make friends with the people around me.”

Annabel Dwyer spends her summers, including her 2018 visit, where she is shown here, in the company of the Guadalupe River and friends. (Courtesy)

An Unexpected Outpouring of Love and Gratitude

Soon after releasing “Heaven in the Hills,” Dwyer began receiving personal messages from people who were directly impacted by the devastating floods, including mothers and grandmothers who lost daughters and granddaughters. Many asked to play Dwyer’s song at the funeral ceremonies. With the help of her bandmate and independent producer TJ Fink, Dwyer re-recorded the song, which is available on major streaming platforms.

Early on, Dwyer, not wanting to overstep during a tragedy, was unsure about whether to release any songs related to the floods. Now she sees the healing role “Heaven in the Hills” has played in the lives of so many people. The singer-songwriter says last week’s fundraiser, which reached several hundred thousand viewers, was one of the most emotional days of her life.

“I was feeling grateful for the opportunity to help and sad for the occasion,” she says. “It was special being in my home state and given that platform. I was holding back tears. My camp friends were watching. I was just so grateful for all those years that I had and the connections, despite the pain. I was so shocked that my song had touched these people so directly. I just want this to be out there for whoever needs it.”