Ellington

Owen Beverly has spent years crafting the 10 alt/country songs going onto his new album, which he'll begin recording in Atlanta on Sept. 10. "I really want to write songs in the tradition of all the great people we've known and loved," Beverly says. His musical inspirations include Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, Wilco and Ryan Adams.

The Jackson native also finds material for songs in popular culture and in his everyday life. "I pretty much just walk around waiting for anything I can grab to write about," Beverly says. He is always chasing a southern vibe, a rustic angle, because he grew up steeped in Mississippi's rich brew of blues, folk and country. "This is either going to make me or break me," Beverly says of the CD, which he is financing without the help of a record label. But he is proud of his body of work. "I think it will do well … I'd listen to it."

This fall, Beverly plans to tour the Southeast as much as possible to promote the CD, which will be available for purchase at BeBop or on iTunes. He hopes that this record will open the door to a recording contract and a life of writing and performing, and allow him to leave his day job of freelance painting and small home repairs behind. "The only thing that ever really makes me happy is writing," Beverly says.

To hear Beverly's music or find out about upcoming Jackson performances, visit his Myspace.