Traditional country music and Jack Daniel’s…name me a better duo.
For decades, Jack’s iconic black label has served as the drink of choice for country artists, both in their songs and in their cups. But we’ve never had a country album actually recorded AT the Jack Daniel’s distillery…until now.
Shelby Lee Lowe is an up-and-coming artist from Tennessee, and if you’re not yet familiar with his music, you should be. The guy makes real-deal, traditional country music, pulling from the sounds of his influences like Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and even Eric Church.
I’ve had Shelby on my radar ever since he released his debut album all the way back in 2016, and since then he’s released a consistent stream of neo-traditional country music infused with some of that Bakersfield sound and even a little rock. But recently, the Tennessee native had yet another honor to add to his growing resume: He became the first artist to ever record an entire EP at the historic Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee.
The Jack Daniel’s Sessions, Live from Lynchburg was recorded entirely at Motlow Cave, a cave and natural spring that you’re probably familiar with if you’ve ever taken a tour of the distillery.
The cave has previously hosted performances from country artists like Eric Church and Jake Owen, but it was some inspiration from a fellow songwriter that gave him the idea to record a full EP at the distillery:
“Last time I was at Sturgis hanging out, I think it was Josh Phillips who said, ‘Jake Owen has played in that cave, Adam Hood’s played in there, Eric Church has been in there.’ He said nobody’s ever recorded in there.
And I thought, ‘Well, don’t tempt me with a good time, man.’ So I had this light bulb moment, and I’ve been pestering all of my friends at Jack Daniel’s ever since. This year, we made it happen, and it turned out really cool.”
The live EP, which dropped everywhere today, features four original songs including the flirty “Whiskey’s Looking Lonely,” an incredible love song called “Miss Tennessee,” a tribute to his roots with “History,” and the steamy “Be That Fire,” as well as, appropriately, a cover of Eric Church’s hit “Jack Daniels.”
The cave provides some incredible acoustics and a killer sound for the project, while really allowing Shelby to showcase his powerful voice. And the fiddle on “Be That Fire” whining inside the cave…inject it into my veins.
Like I said, if Shelby’s not already on your radar, it’s long past time for you to check him out. And if you’re in Nashville, you can catch him performing at Eric Church’s downtown bar, Chief’s, every weekday from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and of course one of the great things about Chief’s is that you get to hear an artist perform their own music and not just the same covers and over.
If you’re in Music City and able to catch Shelby, it’s worth the trip to Chief’s. Because it won’t be long before he’s a household name.
And if you haven’t heard his single “Night Me,” I’ve had it on repeat for a while now so make sure you check that one out too.