Logan Brill's album, "Shuteye," released this week, should be a wake up call for a dormant Nashville.
In the meantime, Brill isn't getting much shuteye of her own these days. In fact, when the 25-year-old leggy blonde with a voice that has been compared to Bonnie Raitt does manage to catch a few hours of sleep, it's typically on a family member's or a friend of a friend's too-short couch.
"I'm tall and my legs usually hang over the sides," she said with a laugh during our chat backstage at MerleFest before she played the Cabin Stage between Hot Rize and Trampled By Turtles.
She's just fine with the lack of quality sleep. In fact, she wouldn't have it any other way. It's been a busy couple of months full of firsts. She made her way from coast to coast debuting first at MerleFest followed by Stagecoach and then the Grand Ole Opry, where she is set to play again on July 25. "It's a small price to pay. I'm very blessed."
When asked what it's like to spend most of her time traveling from gig to gig in a van full of guys, Brill says, she's used to it because she used to perform with her brothers' band. "I enjoy being with a group. I feel like one of the guys."
The Knoxville, Tennessee, native's sophomore album, "Shuteye," released today and has already caught the attention of The Daily Country, among others. Brill caught my attention because her music is everything that Nashville is pumping out today is not.
"The music I love to write and sing brings out a side of me I don't see a lot," she says. The combination is a mix of blues, country, roots, folk and something that is hard to define, but easy to listen to.
"Country, blues, and Americana really speak to me because the very nature of each of the genres is to sing about everyday things in a beautiful, expressive way," she says on her website.
Her debut album, "Walking Wires," released two years ago has been recognized by Southern Living, Country Weekly, CMT and Billboard, among others.
Her musical influences include the aforementioned Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, John Hiatt, the Eagles and Van Morrison, among others.
Despite being a relative Nashville newcomer, Brill has already opened for numerous country legends including Merle Haggard, Gary Allan, Dwight Yoakam, Josh Turner, Alabama and Leon Russell, among others. "I got to open for Steve Earle on my 23rd birthday. I've been really lucky."
Stand outs on her new album include the sultry "Don't Pick It Up," along with "Woman On Your Mind" with a guest appearance by David Nail. I found the ballad "I Wish You Loved Me" with a guest appearance by Charlie Worsham to be haunting along with 'The Bees."
"I been lookin' for a better way of life, somewhere I can call home," she croons on "The Bees."
Brill will find herself settling down someday. But if this new album is any indication, it's not going to be any time soon. And I predict you'll be hearing a lot more from her before it happens. Give her new album a listen. Would love to hear what you think.
Want to hear her live for yourself? Visit www.loganbrill.com for upcoming tour dates.