Saturday night in Nashville is always special if you want to take a walk on the wild side. Last night began at the radio release party for Acklen Park’s “Lost” that is going to Country Radio in August. The song co-written by Shantell Ogden, Bill DiLuigi and Scott Jarman, will be Shantell’s first Nashville cut to go to radio.

“Acklen Park is a hard-working band that is going places, and I’m so excited they are taking a song I co-wrote with them!  This is definitely a  moment to celebrate,” said Shantell.

 

L to R: Rob Ray, Casper Resik, Shantell Ogden, Dave Bobrow, Andrea Villareal, Bill DiLuigi and Marcum Stewart

The event started at 7PM in Shantell’s backyard with friends and fans of Acklen Park stopping in for a rare all acoustic set featuring songs off their Otter Rapids Music release with a set ending version of “Lost” which should fit in with Country cross- genre material similar to The Zac Brown Band.

Shantell with Hit Songwriter/Artist Rhett Akins

Shantell had prepared some great Mexican Food including the secret family recipe of sweet pork (anything from pig goes well in Tennessee) with a kind of Pan Pacific-Asian twist,to enjoy in the 88 degree night time heat.  This seems to be one of the hottest summers ever in Nashville.  

Acklen Park represents some of the best of the developing Country Indie scene that is taking root over the last few years in Nashville.

As one fan wrote in their review on Amazon. Com, “Acklen Park has a phenomenal sound and great original songs. They are absolutely hot!!! Keep an eye on them because they are going right to the top!!! I predicted Brad Paisley’s success to friends 7 years ago, and I predict the same for this group. They are headed for the Grand Ole Opry and beyond… and I want front row tickets in advance!!!” (JMR in West Palm Beach, Florida)

Acklen Park under deck lights

The party was still going when I made my second stop, 9PM, at The Rutledge for Hello Kelly’s CD Release Party of (Easy For You To Say), it was excited mayhem as Hello Kelly got ready to take the stage, after a few months on the road, the band is tighter than ever.

Francie / Hello Kelly/ The Rutledge-courtesy Jenni George

Francois “Francie” Goudrealt’s vision when he left Toronto to see what could happen in Music City is beginning to take shape. The record is getting local support at 102.9 The Buzz and is getting airplay as far away as New Zealand.

New Zealand would make sense with the record sitting somewhere between The Ataris, Yellowcard and Midnight Oil. There were some Music City luminaries such as Bekka Bramlett, Stephen McCord (The Service Station, former MCA records) as well as up and coming singer/songwriter Tommy Dalton in attendance.

 

Travis / Hello Kelly / The Rutgledge photo courtesy Jenni George

The place lit up into full sing-along with the radio ready “Better Now Together”, “Ladder” and what could be Francie’s theme song, (not to be mixed up with Led Zep’s “Communication Breakdown”) “The Communication Breakdown”. Hello Kelly will be heading up to the Kingdom Bound Festival in Buffalo, New York.

It’s just one of the first stops in conquering the world. There are already comparisons to being the next Kings of Leon in terms of possibilities. How about an opening slot with Paramore? Hello Kelly’s (Easy For You To Say) is infectious, sweet and relentless all at the same time.

I guess that is what you get when you combine songs written to your significant other and then play them through Mesa Boogie and Matchless Amps with a four piece firing squad.

Up The Arms!

Photo courtesy Jenni George

 – Brad Hardisty, Nashville,TN     thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com