Atlanta based folk rock trio Collins Drive was born of a chance encounter that would change the lives of three musicians forever. After dishearteningly trying to put a band together, folksinger-songwriter Don de Leaumont figured his time in bands was over and was ready to continue on as a solo performer. Bassist Allison Shockley found de Leaumont’s nearly-expired Craig’s List ad and reached out. The two met for drinks and Shockley told de Leaumont that she had a great drummer in mind named Mike Satterlee. The three got together soon after to jam and the energy was nothing short of electrifying

Inspired by artists such as The Band, Whiskeytown, The Allman Brothers Band, Crosby Stills Nash & Young among others, the songs on their self-titled debut album tell stories and paint pictures of Southern living - the tale of a washed up bluesman that never got his time (“Drunk on Sunday”), a Chapel Hill woman waiting in the rain for her bus home (“Cemetery Angel”) and returning to the town where you grew up (“Ghost Town”) - little slices of life put into songs that are easy to grasp on to and make an easy connection. Here, the trio answer their Essential 8+ and talk about the album, their favorite venue, their "traveling fuel," and much more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Kevn Kinney of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ is definitely my muse.  I’ve been a fan of Kevn and Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ since 1989 and I just always loved that he had his own voice and didn’t try to be anyone else.  He uses his voice loudly and proudly and I decided to go that route myself.  We just had that chance to open for him in August and it was a dream come true and getting to watch him work inspires and influences me even more now.
 
With "Prison Story," what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
The song “Prison Story” is a song that I wrote many years ago but it just never seemed to click.  When this band formed back in 2013, this was one of the first ones we did and immediately it just fell into place.  Mike (Satterlee)’s subtle playing with brushes and Allison (Shockley)’s subtle bass playing and harmonies is what truly completed this song.  It’s a fan favorite now and we play it at nearly every show we play. 
 
What’s the story behind your album’s title?
Well, the story is that I kind of wanted to name have the artwork kind of confuse people.  Is it called Collins Drive?  Is it called Est. 2013?  I’ll never tell, haha.  The album artwork was inspired by a beer label that our bassist Allison saw while on vacation once.   

Formed at the University of Kentucky in 2010, Year of October is the passion-project of Phlecia and Josh Sullivan. Mixing their diverse influences of Led Zeppelin and The Beatles (Josh), and Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald (Phlecia), Year of October stands out due to their unique Nashville-rock edge, and soulful, swirling vocals. Previously, the band released their debut LP Stories and sophomore album Golden Days which found them touring throughout the South and building a loyal fan base. Their latest album, Trouble Comes, is a groovy, distortion-laced album that teeters between an aggressive and soulful rock sound. Here, Josh answers his Essential 8 including where he finds inspiration, how they pass the hours in the van, and much more.

With "Come & Get It," what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
We had an “a-ha” moment with our song “Come & Get It”. Phlecia and I had already written the verses and chorus but hadn’t played them with our drummer Kody yet so in practice it was the first time that he had heard the song.  I’d had the verse riff for a few years, so I already had a decent idea with what I wanted to do with it and when Phlecia started singing the verse we came up with the chorus very quickly.  The chorus just led right into the bridge and we didn’t really have to talk about anything.  I just had to help Phlecia come up with some of the bridge vocals and polish the melody here and there and we realized we had a new song. It was a great feeling and Kody and I came up with the ending very quickly as well.  It was very refreshing to write a song so quickly and it felt good to come up with it so naturally.  I wouldn’t say that the song is perfect by any means but it’s a fun one to play.  We are always tweaking our music and trying to improve upon it. 
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Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I draw inspiration from a lot of different places.  I read as much as I can, and I also watch a lot of films.  I love a good story whether is fiction or nonfiction a good story can be a great source for a new song.  Phlecia and I watch as many films as we can as well, and we draw a lot of inspiration from those stories. Phlecia is an amazing painter and artist and I get a lot of inspiration just from watching her draw or paint a picture.  Each song is totally different where I become inspired and it really comes down to what I’ve been doing and what I’ve been into.  We also listen to a lot of different kinds of music and we try not to limit ourselves when it comes to the music that we’re into.  I listen to a lot of folk music and music that doesn’t sound like the music that we play at all.  It’s important for me to always find new music to be inspired by.  

When/where do you do your best writing?
We do nearly all our writing in our living room on the couch or just upstairs in our band room.  We’ve written some songs on the road, but I’d say at least 90% is in either of those two places.  We write a lot of our songs on acoustic guitar to get the structure down and then work with the full band to flesh it out fully.

I do nearly all my writing at night. I’m a night owl and I tend to stay up late, so it really works for me to get a lot of writing down at night.  I also feel that the writing tends to come more naturally at night anyways. 

Hailing from Seattle, Kaitie Wade recognized her passion for music at any early age and has been moving toward it ever since. Since her move to Nashville in 2012, Wade graduated Belmont, released a single, "Tail Lights," and in April, released her first EP, Starts With a Song. With things looking bright for the singer-songwriter, Wade took some time to answer her Essential 8 and talk about the album's title, her dream venue and much more.
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What’s the story behind your album’s title?
“Starts With a Song” is the name of the last track on my album.
This song is about how I refuse to compromise my morals and values and I am going to get where I want to be by the only fool-proof and respectable way: straight up hard work and dedication. This song is an honest and slightly comical statement of who I am as an artist. I think people will get to know me quite well by listening to the lyrics, such as “I’m a wreck in high heels, ain’t about skipping meals, sleeping with CEOs or signing ten year deals”. I wanted to just be really real with everyone and be like “hey, this is who I am, and that’s that”. I hope it empowers others too. Starts With a Song was a perfect title to describe my EP. Since this is my debut album, I wanted to emphasise that this is only the beginning. That I have so much more coming in the future.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I believe the best kind of writers draw from their own life experiences - not trying to fit into a formula or sound like everyone else. I want my writing to describe me - I want my fans to feel like they know me after hearing my music. My writing is extremely honest, vulnerable, and  sometimes even witty.I don’t hold back at ALL. That’s one of the main things I have learned as a writer, to not let overthinking get in the way of saying what you need to say.

When/where do you do your best writing?
The place where almost all my songs have come from is my own car. Something about driving down the road gets me going. When I wrote my lead radio single, “Don’t Wanna Miss”, I was sitting in a Wal-Mart parking lot during finals week of my last semester of college. The inspiration literally popped out of NOWHERE. “Just Makes Sense” has a really funny story behind it as well. For a whole summer, I had to borrow my grandma’s 1985 Chevy Pickup truck. The radio didn’t work , so when I was stopped at a long light all I heard was the clicking of the blinker. At one particularly long light, a melody just popped out of me in the same rhythm as the blinker. Then, the song was born. ​

Recently nominated for Honky Tonk Female at the 2018 Ameripolitan Music Awards, Whitney Rose, who has earned accolades for her vintage pop-infused traditional country stylings, is winding down from an incredibly busy year. She released her EP South Texas Suite in January, followed that up with her full-length Rule 62 in October, and did her first major tour of Europe. A week before Thanksgiving, Rose kindly called to chat about talk about the album.

​This is your third full-length release, so for you, how have things changed in your approach to making a record from record one to now?
Up until this one, there really hasn’t been a change at all in terms of my approach. We basically go into the studio, I play the song acoustic, which is pretty much the first time the musicians hear it, we make some arrangement adjustments, and track it. But after making Rule 62 I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make the next one which will probably have some changes.

Well, what you have been doing is obviously working as the album has been very well-received. Once again you worked with Raul Malo; the two of you have a very strong working relationship.
I love working with Raul. He’s not only good at what he does, but he’s a good friend. We have so much fun in the studio - there’s this lightness to everything which is a really good thing to have because sometimes things can get heavy and tense and that’s not really the vibe I would want making any album.

Totally understand that.
You penned nine of the eleven tracks. Were they new, ones that were in your pocket, or a combination?
I had a couple in my pocket, but for the most part, the songs were ones that I started while on the road last year and finished up when I got home to Texas. I’m constantly writing, if not songs then ideas or narratives. It’ a thing I have to do. It keeps me sane.

South Texas Suite was a love letter to Texas, whereas this one seems to deal with the road and relationships. Is that pretty fair to say?
Sure. The album is a mixed bag of feelings I had to observations during my travels, things that were happening in the world and being a woman. And it’s funny you say that the songs are about relationships because I’ve been in a good, healthy one for over six years now and I noticed that I was writing all these breakup songs. At first, I had no idea where they came from, but it hit me one day that they were my reaction to not only being a woman in the industry, but being a woman in the world. I love being a woman, but I would say that sometimes it’s more difficult than being a man and this album is kind of representative of those feelings.

Singer-songwriter Aaron David Gleason's approach to creating music is nothing less than inspired -jazz-riddled rock with an occasional country tinge accompanied by a lyricism that makes it clear he has something to say. After releasing two albums (one self-titled and one with his then-band), Gleason had a nine-year hiatus (six of which found him working to overcome depression and an eye condition) from music, where he relocated from Los Angeles to New York City and started from scratch. Now 38, Gleason finally released a new album, Wry Observer in late October. 

Recorded over four days at Nashville’s Sputnik Sound, Wry Observer is filled with mystery and humor, taking inspiration from the great soul singers of yesterday, and offering insight on what Aaron has learned about life in the past 15 years. Here, in the Essential 8, Gleason talks about the album's title, songwriting, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Yes! My musical mentor is on the album-Mike Garson. He is totally open to anything as a musician. Never has anyone been able to govern his curiosity. I'll never be the player that he is, but yet, he doesn't mind playing with me. He's always learning, and he's happy to pass on that knowledge to his friends. I'm very grateful for him. 

What's the story behind your album's title?
I'm sure everyone feels that they are the only ones who see things. Everyone feels isolation at times. We have that inner monologue going, that no one else can access. Wry Observer is my attempt to tell people to listen to that voice. "Here is my story, you may find it interesting"; more than that, I want to hear yours -- your inner most observations. 

When/where do you do your best writing?
I need a deadline or it could be a long long while. But also, movement helps: trains, planes. I would love to have a guitar waiting for me wherever I go, but that's not always in the cards. I might start singing to myself as I walk down the street. It's impossible to write in a vacuum. I have a love/hate relationship with reality, but sitting still at home is not much of one-I need to jump in the deep end. 

Nashville Magic is the 5th release by Maynard & The Musties, yet it is their first to be recorded in Nashville, where Maynard spent much of his childhood before moving to New York City for art school. After 30+ years, Maynard began commuting back to Nashville to help his aging dad before finally moving back. Nashville Magic evokes that transition. While "Sell-By Date" represents the end of Maynard’s time in NYC, "I’ve Got Friends Everywhere" is based on visiting retirement homes with his dad, who walked into one declaring, “I’ve got friends everywhere!” The instrumentation is mostly Nashvillians, including Donnie Winters (dobro and Les Paul), Tim Jones (harmonica), Jon Estes (Steelism), Aaron Mortenson (Los Colognes) and Michael Randall (guitar). Here, Maynard answers his Essential 8 including his musical mentors, the story behind the album's title, and more.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
Growing up in Nashville in 2nd grade my parents split up and my mom was a night-shift nurse. We slept over at a baby-sitters’ often and one night she had a “hippie-party.” Kris Kristofferson apparently spent the night, and in the morning we had breakfast, discussing which was better: Sugar Pops, or Super Sugar Crisps. I believe this was my first bonafide aesthetic discussion with a bonafide artiste. My mom was super psyched that I met him, so I figured songwriting was something the ladies admired. 
When I was in my early teens, our youth pastor at church was an artist. He made me realize my fantasies, doodles, what-have-you could be taken past a “hobby” level and when someone asks you what you do, you can literally say, “I’m an artist.” 
I listen to everything from Free-Jazz to… well… Kris Kristofferson. My favorites for the past decade, songwriting how-to-wise, have centered in the territory of John Prine, Lefty Frizell, Willie, Waylon, etc. 
So many, not a single mentor. 

What was the a-ha moment when you knew a song was completed and perfect?
I write a lot. I tweak a lot. I add a verse six months later, or take one out.  But mostly, I rely on having fun performing a song with a band. I’m a band guy. If a new song sticks I play it over and over because it makes me feel good. If it doesn’t make an impact with my bandmates or has zero audience response, and especially, if I don’t respond, I tend to move on. Sometimes a song makes me feel good for a year or two, then I’m tired of playing it, and it goes to the back of the set list and I eventually forget about it. It’s more of a process than a moment.

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
It’s two-fold. First, the obvious thing is that Nashville has a mystique about it that is more than a mystique: There are simply an insane number of musicians and songwriters here, many of which are that guy from that town in say, Kansas, Indiana, Mississippi, that does those hot licks. They seem to be drawn to this town in droves and there is a wealth of talent that is uniquely “Nashville.” 

The second facet is what Nashville means to me personally, in my development, my childhood memories. Nashville was where my parents were last together and we were a “happy family.” Even immediately after their split, though serious problems emerged, my life was mostly happy, and Nashville has been a fun, warm place for me. When we moved north to Milwaukee then Michigan, things for us turned rather dark. So Nashville, ca. 1969 is my “happy place.”  

Nashville based husband and wife songwriting team Cloverdayle originally hail from the Pacific Northwest. After making the move to Nashville in 2014, Chad and Rachel spent their first year in Music City immersed in writing & recording.  By 2015, Cloverdayle joined forces with producer Steve Sundholm for their highly anticipated second full length album “Off The Grid”.
During their 2017 summer tour, the duo debuted their latest and quite possibly most personal song, “Scars," which they discuss, along with their love of the road, in the Essential 8.

With “Scars”, what was the “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?From the first time we played it live, there was such an emotional moment that happened in the room. It got really quiet and by the end of the song, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house… That continued to resonate throughout our 2017 summer tour and that’s when we knew that we needed to record it. 

What’s the story behind your song’s title?
The initial concept for the song started back in 2013, after I (Rachel) had an unexpected major surgery, waking up with both physical and emotional scars.  We discovered that I have stage 4 endometriosis and that, after years of trying, our chances of having kids naturally would probably never happen.  Writing this song has definitely been a part of the healing process.  It’s easy to get into a place where you’re feeling sorry for yourself, but what we wanted to convey in the lyric is the camaraderie of knowing that we all share the common threads of hurt and healing, and that at the end of the day, our scars are what make us the people we are.  With everything that’s happening in our world today, we feel the message of this song is so universally relatable.

When/where do you do your best writing?
We probably do our best writing on the road or at the beach.  When you’re driving it’s easy to get inspired by all of the scenery and humanity that you’re passing.  At our family beach house, the cell phones don’t work and there’s no wi-fi, so it’s great to be able to disconnect and get creative.  We do a lot of writing sessions in Nashville in pretty sterile environments, (publishing company writing rooms).  It’s great to bring ideas/lyrics/melodies/chords that we’ve written in moments & places that we were feeling inspired and creative, into a session that might not be as inspiring or creative.  

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
It’s all variations on the human experience:  the good times, the bad times and everything in between.  We’re very much “people people” and we want to be as relatable through our music as we are face-to-face in our everyday lives.

With their debut EP, Los Angeles-based band The Morning Yells are already drawing comparisons to Wilco and Fleetwood Mac. Siblings Laura and Phil Stancil are joined by Curran McDowell and Trevor Smith with all five contributing to songwriting and easily jumping from piano to guitar to bass. Their new EP Proper Wilted was recorded with Mark Rains and finds the quartet adeptly covering a variety of genres all highlighted by their heavenly harmonies. Here, the members talk about the album, weigh in on drinking at gigs, and much more in their Essential 8.

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
Our guitarist, Trevor Smith’s best friend Louis lives in England, and in England they have a saying for when you’re having a particularly good buzz… “Proper Wilted.” I don’t know, it made us laugh, and we thought it had a sort of ring to it. Especially pronounced in a British accent, which we tend to talk in anyways with each other, for some reason. ‐ Laura 2.

When/where do you do your best writing?
Usually when I’m driving in my car, snippets of songs or melodies pop into my head, or complete songs just the way they should be come to me on long drives. Also, about ten minutes after I try to lay down to sleep for the night, songs start to get real busy all the sudden in my head. ‐ Laura 

What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
​Write a lot, play a lot of shows, and try and connect with other musicians. Keep yourself busy, and not too far down the road you’ll no longer be just starting out. Also, make some goals and timelines for what you want to accomplish. And finally, put on a helmet and brace yourself, because music will kick your ass. 

Singer-songwriter Butch Parnell (born Dave Parnell) recently released his latest EP, The Fall, a 6-track collection of soulful, emotionally-driven, and slightly twangy tunes that Parnell says is "...a familiar story of love and loss that I've tried to tell as simply and without pretense, as I can." Recently, Parnell kindly took the time to talk about the album, its story, and more.
 
The Fall is your fourth EP as Butch Parnell. Did you approach the making of this project any differently and if so, how?
I was working on another EP for about eight months and was gearing up to complete that, but all of a sudden, I decided to go in a different direction. With this EP, I kept things moving and turned it around in about six weeks, which was the fastest I have ever worked on anything.

I used to be in a band with five other people and with that came five different opinions and trying to work things around five people’s schedules. It took so long to do anything - we put out two albums in five years – which drove me insane. So, with this one, I wanted to see if I could do it or if I was the one holding things back.

A lot of people have told me some of their best work comes the quickest. Do you find that?
I do because the more time you spend on something, the more the critic shows up and nothing kills creativity or puts doubt into something like second-guessing.
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I totally get that. There are six songs on the project, five originals, and a Beyonce cover. Were the five ones you had written recently, ones you had in your pocket, or a combination?
Some I had for a while and just didn’t know what to do with them. The last track, “The Break,” I wrote almost four years ago. It was a song I recorded, but there was just something not right with it, so I scrapped it. When it came time to put the songs together for this EP, I felt like it was missing this song, so I gave it one more go, coming at it from a different angle, and the song came to life. 

Jason Morton and The Chesapeake Sons owes their geographical roots to the Atlantic seaboard, but its sonic heritage connects the band firmly to The Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Marshall Tucker Band. With the new album,  Jason Morton and The Chesapeake Sons, the four-piece ensemble blends effusive melodies, fierce musicianship, convicted vocals, and smart lyrics in a diverse song stew that dips – in Southern-rock fashion – into rock, blues, country, gospel, and even psychedelia. Here, front man Morton answers his Essential 8.

When/where do you do your best writing?
In the recording studio at night. I've always really enjoyed writing in the studio because there are so many different instruments available. I can't tell you how many times I would be playing chords on the guitar, but could not figure out a vocal melody for the life of me. So, I would put the guitar down, walk across the room, play the same exact chords on a different instrument, and the change in sound inspired a fresh new melody that I never would have thought previously.

What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician?
The best advice I received was in regards to songwriting as an artist. They said, "As an artist, you're going to be out there touring and winning people over with your live show. If your live energy is what people love you for, then you need to keep that in mind when writing songs you plan on playing on the road. Are you writing for radio? Or are you writing for your fan base and your live show? It's always best, more fun, and less stressful to focus on writing songs that represent who you truly are as a live performer, as opposed to writing something "safe" that fits in with everything else that people are already doing."

What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
​Be true to yourself, your music, and your overall brand. Put out a product that YOU are happy with. Remember...as a musician, it's the MUSIC you create that defines you more than anything else. So, make sure it's something that you're proud of. When you are proud of something you create, you naturally believe in it's ability to do well. That also shows on the outside when you're performing those songs. People can feel that and it's infectious. Fans and viewers are smart. They know right away whether someone is faking it or not. Don't fake it. At the end of the day, you are the one that has to live with it.