Some of the best people in your life may have been the ones that you didn't expect to find. For Paul McDonald and Emily Kinney, an unexpected setup and eventually music becoming part of the picture was all they needed to start The Sweetheart Deal (@thesweetheartdeal). Nicki Bluhm (@nickibluhm) sits down with the duo to figure them out. Just as one would do early in a relationship, and discovers the beauty behind the building blocks of partnerships while creating music.

Nicki Bluhm spent six years as the lead singer and front person of Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers, as well as recent high-profile collaborations and performances. To Rise You Gotta Fall is a chronicle of Bluhm's state of mind following both a divorce and a separation from the only band she had ever known. The album was recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Studio by Ross-Spang and is available now. Visit www.nickibluhm.com for tour dates and music.

Emily Kinney is one half of The Sweetheart Deal and also known for her work in The Walking Dead, Masters of Sex, The Flash, Arrow, and more.

Paul McDonald (American Idol, The Grand Magnolias, and his solo career) the other half of The Sweetheart Deal can be reached at www.thesweetheartdealband.com.