Elizabeth Cook didn’t quite know what she was doing. But she knew there were songs, and they had to get out. Six even years since her critically acclaimed "Welder," as well as much personal tumult, there were songs that needed to be born. “I’m slow, and getting slower,” laughs the lanky blonde, unapologetically. “I’m taking my time, really drilling down. There were nine versions of ‘Methadone Blues.’ I’ve never done that before. I love that entrenchment and dedication—and I wasn’t going to do any less than what needed to be done.” For fans of the Florida-born-and-raised Cook, a Grand Ole Opry regular, SiriusXM Outlaw Country hostess, David Letterman favorite, and opener for John Prine at The Michigan Theater a few years ago, "Exodus of Venus" may be something of a shock. “There hasn’t been a lot to laugh about,” confesses the effervescent songwriter who once penned “It Takes Balls To Be A Woman” with equal parts Dolly Parton pluck and Loretta Lynn brio. What hasn't changed is the honesty and emotional depth of one of Nashville's most serious artists.