Music Archives - Inspired Southerner

Nashville’s Elliott Park collaborates with daughters on new album

September 28, 2020 By Kara Kennedy

Nashville Elliott Park — Elliott Park and his daughters collaborate on a new album

Nashville-based singer-songwriter and musician Elliott Park has a flair for storytelling. His songs have been sung onstage at the Ryman Opry Theatre and on Late Night With David Letterman. The main body of his work leans towards the unconventional telling of truths and healing messages. In his latest album, Songs With My Daughters coming in October provides comfort and healing the world needs.

Elliott Park and daughters — Songs With My Daughters out Oct. 16

Harmonizing Drive

In March, Park like others in this world faced extended time at home due to the pandemic. One day on a drive he and his daughters began harmonizing. The result is a creative musical collaboration with his three teenage daughters, Anna 18, Autumn, 16 and April 14.

“This is an acoustic 12 song collection was created as a response to the current times which have called for compassion and calming reassurances,” said Elliott Park. “Our album is compiled of unique songs that provide comfort and warmth to all of those who listen to it.”

Park’s unique songs couldn’t be more perfect for this moment in time. They provide comfort and warmth with a touch of whimsy. His songs can go from delightfully playful and imaginative, to dreamy and introspective. Guitar, piano, strings and sweet soulful vocals that features Park’s quintessential weathered, soothing and soulful vocals.

Blue Skies of the Rainbow Mashup

Therapeutic songs

The album provides reassuring messages of understanding and empathy. His lyrics are vulnerable, honest and passionate with a touch of quirkiness and comedic fevor. Park often gives a wink to his audience to exude his southern charm and soft fatherly way. Listening to his songs are therapeutic.

The album kicks off with To The Moon and Back, a catchy uptempo duet featuring daughter Anna that’s chock full of cheeky cuteness. The song Follow is a lighthearted encouragement to take a break from the bright lights of popular culture and to search within for one’s own talents and interests. In addition, Park encourages young adults to listen with their own heart instead of following influencers. He will donate proceeds from the sale of the song Follow to teen suicide and prevention.

Road Trips

Park’s Memories of growing up in west Texas and favorite road trips with his father brought forth Three Bottles In The Wind. The song is a rebirthing of his love for that area and its wonderfully slow culture. The emotional song Beautiful is for older kids who are just starting to see the complications of a bigger world. The song Set Me Free is a song where the instrumental leads allow the music and melody to serve as a vehicle to lift the listener to a higher place. Songs like Bloom, which is a song of encouragement and Crickets’ Ball, with its poppy harmonies and lyrics you cannot help but visualize them. Similarly, Orange Jello and The Flute Song bring more delightful vocal play from the girls and their dad.

“This album is an ear to the door of my home. My girls have grown up singing and harmonizing on their own. It’s a joy to bring that to a larger audience,” added Park.

Ellott Park Songs with My Daughters — Nashville’s Elliott Park and his daughters make memories as they perform

Songs that heal

Park’s career in music and songwriting continues on a refreshingly honest course, writing chapters of courage and healing for family and fans alike. His song I Loved Her First hit number one on Billboard and R&R in 2006.

Songs With My Daughters will be available for digital download on Oct. 16. Follow Park: Spotify, iTunes, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Jessie Powell is healing the world through her music

June 19, 2020 By Kara Kennedy

Jessie Powell Inspired Southerner — Jessie fell in love with music at an early age

Jessie Laine Powell began her music career at an early age. At 14, she was singing on the weekends at weddings, festivals, and churches with her high school teachers whom she considered her mentors. The Lexington, Kentucky singer, songwriter soon found that music was her calling. Her goal is to heal the world through her music.

“We lived in the very small town of Winchester, Kentucky and I would travel all over the place singing,” said Jessie Laine Powell, owner of JLPMusic. “I was making good money, for a 14-year-old and I soon realized that I could make music my professional career.”

Inspired Southerner Jessie Powell — Jessie grew up singing gospel music

Jazz Standards and Gospel Music

Jessie fell in love with jazz music in her early 20s. Her dad was a minister, she grew up singing gospel music. In fact, she and her sisters traveled with their father when he preached, and they would be his choir. Traveling and singing inspired her to compose music and she released her first gospel album, “On the Edge,” in 2004.

Transitioning to Soul R&B

During the last three years, Jessie has been undergoing a transformation and delving into Soul R&B. She says as an artist you are should be constantly growing and evolving, especially with your music. For her R&B was the next step for her to enter into naturally which allows her to reach a totally new audience of listeners.

Jessie Powell heals the world with her music — Jessie is transitioning from jazz to soul R&B

“ Soul R&B allows me freedom and simplicity as a vocalist, It is a very intriguing style. It is a genre I particularly enjoy singing. It also allows me to tell a story musically and strategically. The flow is much smoother, and I am learning and growing in a completely different genre,” she added.

Over the years, Jessie has found inspiration from the sounds of such musicians as Anita Baker, Patti Austin, Phyllis Hyman as well as others. Jessie has teamed up with music producer and manager Baron Harris, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was instrumental in helping Jessie release her first Soul R&B single in the U.K.

“We released her single April 17 and it has been in rotation since with over 8.5 million listeners around the world,” said Baron Harris, president of Baron Harris Music. “DJs and radio executives from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Italy and Germany have given us great feedback on her new single.”

Helping others Heal

Jessie released her single “Like No Other Love” in the U.S. earlier this month and she hopes to put smiles on people’s faces. For Jessie, her music is a way for her to give hope, healing and happiness to the world. Through her music, she hopes that people learn to live their lives with compassion, joy. She added that before COVID-19 we all were living life at a fever pitch and at a speed in which we could not sustain. “Many lives have been lost and it breaks my heart. We’ve been forced to re-examine our priorities,” stated Jessie.

The state of the world also, as she puts it, has made humanity stop and take a look at our priorities. Families are shifting and getting back to the basics of spending time with each other, having compassion for one another, and connecting with each other in a deeper way.

“I am creating music for people so they can relax and exhale and put into perspective what God has given to us,” she said. “My purpose is huge, but I am ready to bring joy to peoples’ lives.”

Nashville singer-songwriter, Mark Elliott releases The Sons of Starmount a book about childhood innocence and adventure

July 17, 2019 By Kara Kennedy

Inspired Southerner Mark Elliott — Elliott is an award-winning singer-songwriter in Nashville

We sat down with Nashville singer-songwriter Mark Elliott to interview him about his new book The Sons of Starmount, which is about childhood innocence and adventure, to see what the response has been since he released it back in February. The audiobook will come out in the fall. There also is a companion EP Sons of Starmount now available.

Inspired Southerner Sons of Starmount — The Sons of Starmount

The book was born from Elliott’s love of songwriting, blogging and telling stories about his childhood. We found the book intriguing, quirky, funny and reminiscent of what life was like growing up in the South in the late 70s. Most who grew up in that era had a pack of friends who were adventurous, who dared us to do things, who we got in trouble with and who helped us shape who we are today. Elliott’s book takes you back to days when kids let their imaginations captivated them, and before children lost their innocence to screens and instant notoriety.

Where did you get the idea for your book?

Mark Elliott: I’ve been a singer/songwriter for the past three decades, and have written for many of Nashville’s music publishers. With the music business changing by the day, and sometimes not for the better, I thought I’d search out the one creative industry uglier and more poverty-producing than music. I found it in being an author.

Mark Elliott: In all seriousness though, starting a blog a few years ago, and having the room (500-1,000 words a week) to write, intrigued me and sparked a new interest in writing. I enjoyed having room to develop thoughts beyond a two-and-a-half-minute song. As I began thinking beyond the blog, a book seemed the next step for me.

“The memories of friends, the outdoors, and all the adventures I had on Starmount, in 1977 have stayed with me throughout my life I wasn’t necessarily looking to start my author career with a memoir, but you tell the story begging to be told,” said Elliott.

**What is the Sons of Starmount from your perspective?**

Mark Elliott: We all have a place and time in our childhoods that help define the adults we eventually become. Seeds are planted, and habits are formed. The experiences and relationships we share when the world is still wild, and our hearts are still open to it all – sculpt a life like the forces of wind and water do upon canyon walls and ancient river beds. This is the story of how an era as free as the seventies, with its parental permissiveness and music, coupled with a one-in-a-million neighborhood filled with friends, swamps, creeks, woods and tree forts, set in motion a creative and adventurous life rarely devoid of either.

Inspired Southerner Mark Ellott — Singer-Songwriter Mark Elliot releases his first book, *The Sons of Starmount*

What did your friends think of The Sons of Starmount?

Mark Elliott: Two or three of the old friends seemed interested and enthusiastic and helped to fill in my 40-year-old memories. And others were either care-a-less about me telling our story or outright uncooperative. It had been 40 years since I had seen all of them and nearly 20 since I had seen some of them. I thought that the dilution of time and circumstance was the main problem.

Mark Elliott: But in writing the book and having some of the conversations, it became clear that I left Starmount at the perfect time. I left the neighborhood while the waters were still wild and the trees were still tall. I left before the bull dossiers pushed through the dead end and the woods, all the way to the mall parking lot. The rest of my friends, those who stayed on Starmount through their teen years, witnessed the slow undoing of Neverland, to the point where it was just another street in any town USA.

What do you hope people take away from the book?

Mark Elliott: The stories in the book are, I hope, funny and poignant, and filled with an Americana zeitgeist that most will relate to. My earnest hope for the reader is that they find their own Starmount, no matter what generation or geography it may lie in. The experience of finding those straight lines between the man or woman you’ve become and the boy or girl you once were, is a unique one. The journey is not always easy or obvious, but I believe it to be for all of us, a journey well worth the taking. I hope my Starmount points the way to the reader’s Starmount.

Mark Elliott and Runaway Home

We first met Mark Elliott and his band Runaway Home six years ago in Alabama at the Black Creek Arts Festival. The band was the headliner for the festival. He continues to tour with the band. He also has received accolades for his songwriting. The song he wrote for Neal McCoy, Everyman for Himself, hit the top 40 Billboard Chart. Billboard called the song, “a song with rare lyrical and musical edge and the best cut on the album.” He also has written other award-winning songs. Elliott is currently working on Rippers, a novel with co-author Joe Johnston. Click to purchase The Sons of Starmount and companion EP.

Songwriter Alvin Garrett releases ‘This Hill’; Gives electrifying musical performance

June 24, 2019 By Rebekah Ledbetter

Inspired Southerner Alvin Garrett — Songwriter Garrett gives an electrifying musical performance

Inspired Southerner sat down with singer-songwriter Alvin Garrett at Workplay in Birmingham, Alabama, hours before his CD release party for his new album This Hill. After the interview, Alvin gave the audience an electrifying musical performance.

Favorite Song on This Hill

Q: What is your favorite track on your new album?

A: The one that means the most to me is the title cut, This Hill, because of what it means. It stands for hope, inspiration, love and loss. Because of hope, I have the inspiration to pursue what I love at the risk of loss. You can’t live on the hill if you’re afraid to take a loss. The imagery I am trying to get fans to visualize is to keep climbing, don’t give up and you can get up that hill.

The song itself represents my mentality, my life mantra; just let your hope inspire you to pursue what you love at the risk of loss. You can’t predict the challenges you’re going to face when you’re chasing your dreams. But you gotta face them or else it never happens for you. So, that song because of what it means, is my favorite.

Inspiring Lyrics

Q: What is one thing you’re hoping people get from this album?

A: Inspiration. Absolutely, because I feel the state of music, outside of the Christian genre, has become music with lyrics where you have to cover your kid’s ears. I wanted to write and perform music that my kids can listen to. At some point, I believe we lost the poetry of music. Parents need to be able to enjoy music around their children.

My music is not pop or kiddie music, but it’s just good old-fashion music that is in the spirit of the Motown and the Stax Records era. It’s good lyrics and instruments that can be played around children. Garrett has little girls and wants them to be able to listen and sing along to all of the songs on my album.

Q: Favorite part of your job?

A: OOoohh! I have many jobs that I am literally”all in.” I’ve been full-time in the music industry since 2002 after leaving corporate America. When I started out I did everything, from being in the mailroom to the boardroom. I am at the point now, where I can focus more on strategic planning and moving the company forward because I now have a team. I even have a publicist now, and it’s pretty exciting.

Ask me again ‘cause I feel like I got off on a tangent.

Doing less. My favorite part now is delegating. I find that I get so much more done. I have had to learn to trust people and empower them to do what they do and be great at it.

The Music Industry

Q: What’s the hardest part of your job?

A: Handing things off! *Lots of laughter*. It is. Well, I can’t turn off my eyes and ears. When you work for yourself, you have to do everything. I’ve done everything from writing songs to being the sound engineer.

Garret also states that he has had to learn to not to get involved with what his team is doing. He still gives them feedback, but he has to trust that they will do their jobs. He does this because he can’t be in five places at one time.

Recording Music

Q: Who has been your favorite artist you’ve worked with?

A: You know, I can’t say that I have a favorite artist that I’ve actually worked with because I value them all the same. But I will say that there is a favorite artist I have that has sung my music. R&B artist named Joe. Growing up, I was a big fan, and in my early songwriting days, I would always imagine his voice singing my songs. I would hear him in my mind, so when he started singing my music, I literally cried. I was like, “Oh my God, Joe is singing my songs.”

It’s an amazing experience to hear an artist that I’ve looked up to sing my songs the way you wrote them. Oh, he sounds amazing. WOW! That’s been my favorite experience as a songwriter.

Working with Other Musicians

Q: Dream artist to work with?

A: Not really, because of the experiences I’ve personally had in the music industry. I’ve grown to the place where I just want to do good business. I’m more about what I give to people through my business and my art than I am about who I want to work with. I was on the stage with Luke Bryan, I know he’s a big huge star, but he’s just a guy, he came on stage like “Hey, y’all know some Lionel Richie?” Luke Bryan coming on stage with my band saying, “hey guys let’s jam to some Lionel Richie!” It’s freaking Luke Bryan, he’s just a guy who loves Lionel Richie.

I have realized that I am sort of a celebrity figure to other people, I just feel like a regular guy, but to them, I’m somebody special. However, when it’s peer-to-peer, other musicians, they are regular people just like me. When we work together they all say adamantly “don’t bring that star stuff here.” We just want to work together.

Q: Any interesting fan or fellow artist stories?

A: I won’t say a name, all right, but there was this famous, famous, famous, producer-songwriter. I mean you can’t even count all the awards he has. The immense number of songs he’s written for people. I had the chance to be in the studio with him, not as a writer, but just the chance to be in the studio in his presence. Before we went into the studio, he made us wait about three hours in the lobby, but when we got in the room, you knew you were in the presence of greatness.

You just felt it and to hear him talk about his process and types of songs he writes, you’re like oh my god, I’m in the room with this guy.

Music History

Q: How important is the history of Stax Records to musicians in Birmingham?

A: Through my personal experience, Al Bell, who was the president of Stax Records actually reached out to me when he heard my song, Wait and wanted to meet me. Some mutual acquaintances told me that Al Bell wanted to meet me. I was like “WHO ME? Little Old Me??” We’re actually like brothers now. He heard the connection in my music to the types of songs he wrote during his era. So he’s excited that there is somebody out here carrying on that legacy of quality soul music.

Being in Alabama, and for someone of his stature and legacy to hear my sound and say “I want to find the guy who made that song,” it was just mind-blowing.
Purchase: This Hill

Alabama singer-songwriter Alvin Garrett celebrates the release of his new album ‘This Hill’ on June 7

June 3, 2019 By Kara Kennedy