See || Stella Jame Band

the band perry//lady antebellum//dixie chicks

If you're a fan of the above mentioned trios, you need to go ahead and add Stella James to the list as well. 

All photos courtesy of Stella James Facebook page. I was squished in the back and only got one good one.

There are a lot of new acts emerging from Nashville that are defining the next generation of country music right now. Stella James is definitely a fresh breath of air amidst the bro country driven hits on the radio right now.

The trio is made up of three individuals who on their own could make a name for themselves. Sarah Davidson released an EP early in 2014. Rachel Bradshaw co-wrote the hit "What Do You Want From Me" with Jerrod Niemann and even sang back up vocals on the track. Ty Graham is the third member and solo male voice of Stella James. 

Following the footsteps of recent country mega breakout artist, Sam Hunt, they released a mixtape type demo of three songs--for free. You can download it for free here. On Tuesday night they made their debut performance at the Basement in Nashville, TN. I was fortunate enough to learn about the trio at the beginning of the year and am so glad that I was in Nashville to catch their show. They played all three of the demo songs and two others. The melodies and harmonies of the three are articulated so beautifully that it's hard to tell the voices apart. It's a sound that is definitely unlike anything I've heard before and it is mesmerizing. I downloaded the demo Monday on my way to Nashville and literally listened to it on repeat the 220 mile ride there.

The demo has three tracks-- "Stella," "Songbird," and "Red Flag." These three tracks are enough for the trio to set a tempo for what's to come--with just three songs. Gracefully written and charmingly delivered lyrics make this a must hear demo for country music fans. I even would venture to say non country fans should give it a listen.

It's hard to pick a favorite of the three but I think I've listened to Red Flag at least 100 times. If this is just a sample of what is to come from Stella James, I think we all need to hold on for the ride--it's going to be a fast paced one. 

 Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter!