On Oct. 7, it's down to Southwest corner of the state for the fourth concert in the ExploreGeorgia.org Songwriter Series at the Albany Museum of Art. The intimate in-the-round performance features three young Georgia-born singer/songwriters who are making a mark in country music. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. On display during the concert at the Albany Museum of Art's is Motion Forward: Street Style, the dynamic exhibition featuring the work of Brooklyn-based street artists and muralists JM Rizzi and Tony “Rubin” Sjöman.
The ExploreGeorgia.org Songwriter Series takes place in six cities across the state from July through December in support of Georgia Tourism's "Year of Georgia Music" campaign promoting the state as a destination for live music and music heritage. Other participating cities include Albany, Atlanta, Columbus, Dahlonega and Macon.
COLE TAYLOR: For Cuthbert, Georgia native Cole Taylor,
2015 was not a bad year. The 25-year-old had not only had his first #1 hit as
co-writer of Florida Georgia Line’s “Sippin’ on Fire,” but that milestone was
quickly followed up by another chart-topper he co-wrote, Luke Bryan’s “Home
Alone Tonight” featuring Karen Fairchild. Taylor has come a long way since
writing his first song at age 14, though he admits it was initially to impress
the girls back home in Randolph County. Taylor released two albums while
attending Valdosta State University before moving to Nashville in 2013 and
signing with Universal Publishing Group. He’s had cuts on albums by Cole
Swindell and Chase Rice and as a solo artist has released two EPs in the past
two year-and-a-half.
TRAVIS DENNING: Country singer/songwriter Travis Denning
grew up in musically rich Middle Georgia, a region that launched the careers of
Little Richard, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers Band and Jason Aldean. A
writer with RED Creative Group, Denning’s song, “All Out of Beer,” co-written
with Jeremy Bussey and Jordan Rager, was recorded by Aldean. He is a co-writer
on “Everybody We Know He Does,” the brand new single by Chase Race. He also has
two cuts, “Life in the Living” and “Pick Up Lines” on Justin Moore’s upcoming
album, Kinda Don’t Care. Denning
says, “I’ve grown up in the South my whole life and everything about it and the
things I love shine right through what I write and sing about.
TRAE LANDON: Few songwriters have
the good fortune of landing a deal in Nashville, much less landing one four
weeks after arriving in Nashville, but that’s exactly what happened to 21-year-old
Trea Landon last year. After seeing the Claxton, Georgia native at a showcase,
fellow Georgia-born singer/songwriter Dallas Davidson, who has amassed more
than 20 number one hits among his 250 cuts recorded by country superstars in
the past decade. After honing his chops leading a band in Statesboro while
attending Georgia Southern University, Landon is now collaborating regularly
with the other artists and being groomed to become one of Play It Again’s
premier artists.