Laura Fedor ROCKS and Tonight Was AWESOME!

Just got back from watching Laura Fedor perform at 3rd & Lindsley for the Tin Pan South event and it was awesome!

First, I have to talk about Minnie Murphy – HOLY SMOKES!  I’ve always been a fan of Minnie and tonight just reinforced why that is.

I’ve never met her in person before.   A long, long time ago (prior to her getting a record deal) I happened across her Myspace page and wrote to her about being on NashvilleHype!.  Like she was then, she’s a complete sweetheart.  Musically she’s just unbelievable and she’s the perfect example of what artist find when they naively come to Nashville thinking they are great and the world owes them something.  She’s a world class talent with a vocal style that’ll leave you with hairs standing up on your arms.  She has a soulfulness in her style that takes the best of Nikka Costa, crosses it with Nora Jones, and slides in a little early Shelby Lynn southern charm (esp. the “Temptation” album) – the outcome is just sheer awesomeness.

It simply amazes me that her former label, Montage, couldn’t do what they needed to do with her – which is show her to the world.  But thankfully, her career hasn’t ended as a result of them closing down.  I am confident that she’s going to land on another label very soon.

Minnie’s sister Jamie O’Neal is in perfect form – and she was nice enough to play a couple of songs from her brand new 1720 Records release “Like a Woman” – and WOW, were they great (click over to watch the video! – and Buy it!).  She had the crowd completely silent during “Like a Woman” and revved up during what’s sure to always be a crowd pleaser, “John Deere Letter” (though I leaned over to the guy I was sitting next to during one part and said, “that ain’t right” to which he completely agreed, “that’s just wrong!”).  Jamie also did several of her hit songs like “Arizona”.   Nashville is never an easy town for artist and Jamie has been on several labels (why again did those chumps drop her?) but thankfully she’s now with 1720 and unlike some label personnel I’ve more or less always been against, I’ve always been for Terry Johnson – who, despite never really meeting, has always struck me as having good business sense – after all, he signed Rissi Palmer, as you know an early NashvilleHype! featured artist - and he has become good friends with another NashvilleHype! artist, Rachel Farley.  Not only, he’s worked with our good friend Glenn Sweitzer.  Rissi, Rachel, Glenn – starting to see a pattern here?  And now Jamie?  I’m thrilled for her to be on a good label.  Her single is climbing the charts and radio is loving it.

That brings me to Laura.  It was so much fun finally getting to meet Laura and see her perform live – after months and months of talking on the phone and through email.  It’s not a secret around here that I’m a huge fan of hers as well – and I just can’t help but believe that she’s going to do great things in her career.  I’ve argued that point over and over here on site and to anyone who will listen.

As I told you, thanks to Jamie’s generous friendship, Laura was able to come to town and record with Jamie in her studio.  They did four songs together and once the songs are completely done (I’m told that it won’t be long now) she’s going to really start shopping.  Laura is like a Phoenix – I’m telling you – just when you thought you wouldn’t hear another sound from her she’s rising to never before seen heights.  I hate to say that I told you so – but if there’s one thing I know like the back of my hand, it’s talent and opportunity.  I know how to pick talent.  From Rissi Palmer, to Lady Antebellum, to Jesse Lee, to Jaida Dreyer, to Rachel Farley, Kelly Ray Davis (he’ll be in town this weekend to write with Anthony Smith) and Kelsey Skaggs (and on and on)- I just know what I know.  And what I know about Laura is, you better watch out!  She’s going to have a great career.  That still might surprise some people but remember, there were 5,000,000 (that’s Million) people that watched NS, and think they know who she is — but everywhere she goes and performs on her own, she’s shattering the misconception and turning critics into fans.

Tonight it seemed to be no different.  People in the crowd seemed to have a ‘I know this girl from somewhere’ hesitation when she was first asked to come up – in fact, there was a silent anticipation from the crowd, wondering what they were going to hear.  But then she sang – and by the end of her song it was wild applause!  That’s how it’s been.  She just wins ‘em over everywhere she goes. (God bless Stephanie Bentley – a fantastic hit songwriter – but even she had kind-of a ‘ummmm’ look on her face – but when it was over she looked at Jamie and said, “that was awesome”).

Here’s a picture of Laura and her mom Sandi at the event — wish you could’ve been there.

Laura and Sandi Fedor