Pictured are (from left) Jillian Bartlett, Katie Comer and Jaeleigh Clark.
MATT CHAPMAN
Staff Writer
Three young ladies have a second chance at the opportunity of a lifetime and they’re determined not to let it slip through their grasp once again.
Jaeleigh Clark of Lincolnton, Jillian Bartlett of Gastonia and Katie Comer of Dallas make up the country singing trio better know as Luck of the Drawl. Through hard work and perseverance, the group has advanced to the semifinals of the “Nash Next” singing competition, but their mission is not yet complete.
The girls, formerly a group of five, made a run through the third season of the television music competition “X Factor” in 2012. Their live audition garnered unanimous approval from the show’s four judges and they ultimately advanced to the bootcamp portion of the competition before being eliminated.
“It was humbling, but heartbreaking, but we took a lot from it because that feeling of being so close has sparked a fire behind us,” Comer said.
“We’ve used it as our motivation,” Clark added. “I think maybe that just wasn’t our path and X Factor wasn’t what we were supposed to do. God is leading us in another direction.”
The disappointment took its toll on the girls as the group of five split up after the show and went their separate ways. Clark, Bartlett and Comer came back together about a year ago following the hiatus and formed Luck of the Drawl, hoping to rekindle some that magic that had them on the brink of a breakthrough in the music industry.
“We were all best friends, but we went our separate ways for a while,” Comer said.
“At times we really were discouraged and Jillian and I cried the whole way home from Los Angeles,” Clark added. “Looking back, X Factor gave us experience being on a stage and we got to see behind the scenes how the industry works. We got to experience a lot of things that you wouldn’t experience on an everyday basis.”
The girls, along with guitarist Cameron Long, hit the ground running and have been practicing nonstop in preparation for this moment since forming their new group. They recently took a trip to Nashville where they were able to collaborate with producers and songwriters to work on some original music. Luck of the Drawl performs “rebel-based” country music with much of their influence coming from Miranda Lambert’s group, the Pistol Annies.
“We’ve got kind of that rough-girl, country edge,” Comer said.
“I think our strong point is our harmonies,” Bartlett added. “We can take a song that was originally by a solo artist and turn it into a three-part harmony.”
“Nash Next” is billed as the road to becoming America’s newest country music star. Cumulus Media, the second largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, launched the competition in 2015.
Luck of the Drawl emerged from a pool of 96 hopeful acts following their submission of an original song and an adaptation of a popular song. They have now reached the national stage of the competition and their fate is in the hands of their fans, who must vote for their live performance video showcasing their best original song in the virtual battle of the bands. Only the top 10 artists will move on to the final round and perform live, on stage, in Nashville in front of a panel of celebrity judges.
The 2016 winner will be determined by Scott Borchetta, founder, president and CEO of Big Machine Label Group, Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn and Jay Demarcus of Rascal Flatts. The winner will be announced by Reba McEntire, and will receive a major label record deal with Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group as well as substantial radio play on Cumulus radio stations nationwide. Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and the Zac Brown Band are just a few of the artists signed to Big Machine Label Group.
“We’re just so blessed and thankful for all the love and support we’ve received because without those votes we wouldn’t be where we are,” Comer said.
“We put our trust in God and whatever his plan is, we’ll go with it,” Clark added. “Whether it be we do music or whether it not be we do music. Even if we weren’t supposed to do music, I wouldn’t trade these girls for anybody else. I’ll always take this whole life experience with me.”
Fans can vote for Luck of the Drawl from September 12-18 by visiting http://nashcountrydaily.com/2016/07/07/nash-next.
Image courtesy of Contributed
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