Lindsay Ell with Walker McGuire

Lindsay Ell

For rising star Lindsay Ell, her debut album on Stoney Creek Records has been a long time coming … but you can’t rush personal discovery. Sent on a mission to unleash the vibrant, soul-bearing country artist long predicted by fans and critics alike, Ell’s journey is now complete – and she calls the result simply, The Project. Comprised of 12 gripping, heart-on-her-sleeve tracks and produced by Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, The Project is the musical calling card Ell’s been working toward her whole life – from her childhood in Calgary, Alberta; through her time opening shows for blues legend Buddy Guy; and even with attention-grabbing country singles “Trippin’ On Us” and “By the Way.” “I feel like I’ve finally found myself,” Ell beams about The Project. “I’m a better guitar player, I’m a better singer, I’m a better songwriter. I’m just a different artist, and I’ve never felt about music the way I do now.” Grooving, diverse, and emotionally charged, it’s easy to hear what Ell means. The Project reveals every aspect of her abundant talent – from her fiery guitar prowess to her crisp, inviting vocals … and even her new knack for vulnerable song craft.

Walker McGuire

There are brothers in blood, and then there are brothers in spirit. Jordan Walker and Johnny McGuire may not look like family or share a last name, but you wouldn’t know it by hearing them sing. Signed to BBR Music Group’s Wheelhouse Records as the new duo Walker McGuire, Jordan and Johnny take an opposites-attract approach to their music, fusing electrifying “brotherly” harmonies with a fresh new take on modern country. After meeting onstage at a writers round just days after moving to Nashville, Jordan – the “super country” guy, raised in Texas with a love for classics like Keith Whitley and Dan Seals – and Johnny – the quintessential “rootsy” guy, a Kansas City native schooled by left-of-center icons like Tom Petty and John Prine – discovered a yin-and-yang musical connection that simply shouldn’t have worked, but there was no doubt that it did. “If you put us in a room with 100 people and everybody listed the kind of music they grew up on, there’s no way you would put us together,” Jordan explains with a laugh. “It was one of those written-in-the-stars things you just can’t deny.”