The new single from the album, All I'm Gunna Get, was written with Golden Guitar winner Drew McAlister.

"I had been lucky enough to write Pay it Forward with him, and he agreed to do it all again. We were throwing different ideas about and we heard about this couple hit by a car while they were holding hands. The wife got killed and we started talking about how precious life is. It was a reminder to let go of the little things. Everything can change so quickly," the expectant mum says.

Dykes says a lot of her songs sound like they come dark from a dark place, but it's because she is a sensitive person. "I just want to encourage people to live the best version of themselves."

A former rural emergency nurse, Dykes has been confronted with a lot of life and death situations in a lot of different places. "Being around people in hospital you hear a lot of stories of what people learn about life."

She says first album Pay It Forward was definitely a success in her eyes. "I was so brand new at the music thing. I really recorded it for myself and my family. But it ticked a lot of boxes."

Born in Port Macquarie and raised in Laurieton, she grew up with her mum playing country artists at home. "Most people at school didn't know who I was talking about."

In 2016, she attended the Academy of Country Music in Tamworth for the two week intensive course . "We had a tutor, instrumental students formed our band, and we had lessons on everything from singing to production, stage craft and presentation." The graduates perform a concert at Blazes in the West Tamworth Leagues Club, leading into the Australian Country Music Festival and then took part it.

In 2017, she was the performing artist on a 4500km off-road 4WD fundraiser for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter called The Drovers Run. While on that tour, she and fellow musician Matt O'Leary penned The Drovers.

She lived in Inverell for a while where she continued to hone her musical skills. In 2018, she was invited to go on a three week tour of Germany supporting Joeys Oz Band. "They wanted someone to perform original Australian songs."

This album has taken three years to put together. "Partly due to the cost and being an independent artist. Plus the writing took time. I was still working as a clinical educator at uni, and planning the trips to Nashville to record the album, which is something I never thought I would do."

Meanwhile, last year she got married to Aaron Pisani, and the couple's baby is due in May. "We've had four overseas trips and a wedding. It's been definitely crazy."

She says she was really impressed with the fact the album debuted at No.7 on the iTunes Country Album Charts. "I didn't know who would want to listen to it or if if anyone would want to buy it."

Dykes believes people have a more of an open minded about country music these days. "Country music is open to more genres. The sound of country music isn't as important as what you write about."

As to the actual riddle of life, she says she is still trying to work the answers out. "When Ric was diagnosed with cancer, I didn't know how to say what I wanted to her. She was playing a big part in my emotions. I wrote [single] Riddle of Life in response to that. So I chose it as the title track because it's a special song to me. It touches on a lot of things in life."

Dykes has dedicated The Riddle of Life album to fellow nurse and dear friend Ric, who lost her battle with a brain tumour in 2019. She was instrumental in a huge fundraising effort for the family.

This Saturday's performance at Laurieton United Services Club from 3pm-7pm, is a fundraiser for Relay for Life, Torchbearers for Legacy and RSL Auxiliary. Joining her on stage will be Jan Smith as Patsy Cline, Chainsaw Duo, The Broadways, Vic Price, Georgia Hudson. Tickets at the club - adult $20, child $10.

She says a couple more singles from the album will be released this year and after the baby is born and things have settled down, she might do a short tour up the coast. The singles will be available on all platforms, and the album is in sanity stores and JB HI FI from March 6. You can also grab a copy at Phil Dykes Automotive in Kendall.