Risa Binder has a cosmopolitan-yet-country, funny-yet-sultry, and homey-yet-celebrity vibe to her. It makes sense, because while the Maryland native originally took her talent to New York City to make it big, she landed in Nashville, Tennessee, and fell for the city so hard that she named her latest EP after Music City.

And the pretty-yet-kooky schtick that Dolly Parton was so successful at may be Binder’s path to the top as well; she produces the hilarious web series "Check Please!,"  where she retells terrible first date encounters. Binder, who is currently touring as the opening act for country legend Ronnie Milsap ("It's been super fun meeting new friends and fans on the road!") talks to Myspace about her committed fans, writing her first songs about crushes, and,  uh, being bad at shaving her legs.

Hometown: Columbia, Maryland

Current residence: Nashville, Tennessee and Brooklyn, New York

When did you first realize you were a singer and wanted to perform for an audience?

I grew up doing community theatre with my family starting when I was 6 and got to be Molly in Annie. It was such an incredible experience I knew I wanted to perform from that moment on.

Your debut is called Nashville. Why is that?

I feel super connected to that town. There is a music community there unlike any other I've experienced.

How would you describe your songwriting?

I love cowriting. For me a concept, chorus or melody line will come to me while I'm driving or in the shower. I will record it, write the idea down and then share it in a cowriting session and work on bringing the song to life from there.

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?

I would always write songs about boys I had crushes on and my parents would come sit in the living room and listen to me play piano and ask, "Who is that about?"

Who did you listen to as a kid?

My childhood heroes are all over the map. I grew up listening to Barbara Streisand, James Taylor, Celine Dion,Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Broadway Show tunes, Martina McBride, Reba, and Shania Twain.

What about now? Who inspires you?

Now I love Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Ryan Adams, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Brett Eldridge, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Emily West, Lucie Silvas, Mickey Guyton ... the list goes on and on.

Do your fans do crazy things for you? What’s been the craziest?

I would say the sweetest thing was drive from Chicago to Nashville to come to my show. That's commitment! I slow-danced for a bit with him during one of my songs.

How do you describe your music to people who haven't heard it before?

Pop-country, heartfelt, feel-good music.

You produce "Check Please!" ... why did you decide to channel bad experiences from first dates into a web series instead of your songs?

My bad/awkward dates I knew needed to be re-enacted because I felt like I wasn't the only one experiencing the awkwardness of a first date. Sometimes seeing the actual event visually is funnier than hearing about it in a song.

What's one thing you'd like people to know about you?
I've never been that great at shaving my legs. I always miss spots ...drives me nuts!