Logan Brill is making her mark in the world of country music. The 25-year-old Tennessee native released her sophomore album Shuteye last month and it’s already garnering critical acclaim. The down-to-earth artist known for her soulful ballads and rootsy sound has been compared to a young Bonnie Raitt – not too shabby for a rookie in the industry.
READ MORE: OWL CITY EXPLORES FAITH ON NEW ALBUM ‘MOBILE ORCHESTRA’
Even with some memorable tracks on her new album – “Shuteye,” “Don’t Pick It Up” and “I Wish You Loved Me” showcase the singer’s impressive vocal range and ability to craft a catchy tune – you probably won’t hear her on the radio, and she’s completely okay with that. For Brill, her Americana-esque take on the genre isn’t focused on singing about tailgating and cowboy boots that gets most of the mainstream play but rather about telling a story — her story.
“Country music to me, especially the kind that I grew up listening to, always meant storytelling,” Brill told Guideposts.org. “I think there are so many amazing stories that just aren’t told. What I love about country music is just being able to take those everyday things and make them beautiful.”
Brill’s latest record Shuteye is a testament to that love. She sings about relationships, heartbreak and finding her true self with catchy lyrics and an upbeat tempo, a marked departure from her ballad-heavy earlier release Walking Wires.
“I feel like an artist should always be evolving and changing,” Brill said of the new style and tone on her latest record. “I was really conscious about choosing songs that were speaking to me [through the lyrics] but that also had a vibe, an upbeat tempo, something that made me want to move.”
Brill got the idea to change up her sound after spending a year and a half touring, hitting festivals like Stagecoach and playing at historic venues like the Grand Ole Opry where she’d often engage the crowd by playing energizing music that wasn’t her normal fare. Playing at the iconic stage in Nashville is a rite of passage for most country singers, and for Brill, it was one many in her family got to experience with her.
“I had 94 family members who came from all over the country. That was amazing to me to be able to have my family there on top of just being able to play on that stage. It was so overwhelming.”
READ MORE: MATT REDMAN ON FATHERHOOD, FAITH AND ‘UNBROKEN PRAISE’
Besides crossing off items on her musical bucket list and opening for everyone from Merle Haggard to Josh Turner, Brill has also been inspired to use her music to give back. The country singer has partnered with the Montachusetts Veteran’s Outreach Center to help them build a new facility helping women veterans. It’s a program that means a lot to Brill and one she feels lucky to be involved in.
“It’s been amazing. I was able to go and see the new center they’re building for female veterans and be a part of what’s going on. What I can give the most effectively is a song. That’s what I create, so I was able to record a song that became the theme for the new female veteran’s outreach center that they’re opening right now. All the proceeds from all the downloads on iTunes will go straight back into helping them build this center and it was really cool to be a part of that.”
“I really believe in what they’re doing,” Brill said. “They’re such kind, warm people who are just trying to do everything they can to be a resource for veterans who just need help getting back on their feet. It’s rewarding to be a part of.”
For Brill, being able to use her music to change lives is just one reason why she’s grateful to be a part of the music industry.
“Being in the limelight in a lot of ways gives you the opportunity to reach a wider audience and that’s such an important thing to use for good. It’s important to me to take what I do and plug it back into these really great organizations that are able to make a difference in the world. It’s my duty as a musician and as a person able to reach wider audiences, to share stories about people doing amazing things. “
There’s still plenty Brill wants to accomplish in her career – teaming up with Little Big Town and her childhood idol Emmy Lou Harris are at the top of the list – but right now, she’s just happy to be making music her way and having people respond to it.
“That for me is the ultimate,” Brill said of getting to meet and interact with fans of her music. “It’s why I do what I do. I’ve had tough experiences in my life where music has really been the thing to help me get through it so it’s really cool to have the tables turned on me and feel like, for some reason, someone was inclined to think that I was helping them [too].”
Shuteye is available in stores and on iTunes now.
For more information on how you can help our military, head here.
