Mind, we’re not talking about a record 10 years in the making. But it has been about a decade since nelo (rhymes with “hello”) founder and principal songwriter Matt Ragland first picked up an acoustic guitar in high school and started writing songs and occasionally jamming with school friends and fellow Dallas natives Stephen Goodson (electric guitar), Chris Hill (drums) and David Long (saxophone). A couple of years later, while in college, Ragland was refining his songwriting and performing around Austin with singer Reid Umstattd while Goodson, Hill and Long were perfecting their own chops studying jazz at the University of North Texas in Denton. By 2002, they all reconvened — along with another UNT alum, bassist Mike St. Clair — and nelo was born.

Well, unofficially, at least. According to Ragland, nelo didn’t officially take off until August of ’05 — the month he and the rest of the band left Texas for Athens, Ga. “That was really the defining moment,” he says, “when I called everyone and said, ‘OK, I’m ready to really do this. If you want to do it, too, come and join me.’

“I’d been to Athens a number of times already, and I just felt like it was a great place to start a band,” he continues. “It’s a relatively small town, but there’s so much respect in that part of the country for the music that goes on there. I’d heard the music there and thought we would really fit in. And, I really wanted to get out of Austin at the time, because I’d been playing with these guys for so long that I wanted there to be that unifying moment where we all packed our bags and moved somewhere with one goal in mind. It was time to get serious.”

The fact that it was Ragland, who opted to major in philosophy and psychology while most of his band mates went to a music school, who issued that fateful “time to get serious” call to arms underscores just how much nelo owes its existence to his own clear vision. But Ragland is quick to credit everyone else in the band for helping him bring that vision to life, and one other musician of note for awakening his vision in the first place: Dave Matthews.

“Without going too long on it, it’s just one of those situations where I feel like I owe the guy something, because without Dave Matthews, I don’t think I would have this inspiration to write like I do now and put a band together” he explains. “I was just a kid in high school when I first heard his music, but there was something about it that really helped me understand me a little bit. I know that sounds kind of clichéd, but it’s true. That was the first time I was exposed to the idea that music and lyrics and songs can really help you figure out what you’re about … and what you want out of life.”

Along with Matthews, Ragland also cites Stevie Wonder and Sting as major songwriting heroes. Clearly, in order to do those influences — and his own melodic instincts — justice, Ragland knew his songs were going to require a degree of musicianship beyond both his own self-taught chops and your everyday garage band. Luckily, the first guys he started playing with (Goodson, Long and Hill) all came with similarly demanding influences, ranging from John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Steve Jordan to Bill Frisell, Jimmy Page and Duane Allman. Bassist St. Clair, the last of the instrumentalists to join the fold, came with a Master’s degree in jazz studies and formidable real world experience: prior to joining nelo, he toured with the Glen Miller Orchestra and played trombone in Dallas’ acclaimed The Polyphonic Spree.

Even before St. Clair joined the band, Ragland knew he had the makings of the perfect ensemble in place. All he lacked was a proper singer. Enter Umstattd — the proverbial “X” factor. The funny thing is, Ragland had known him longer than anyone else in the band. He just didn’t know that Reid — soon to become his best friend — could sing. “Reid and I had been going to camp together for many, many years — from third grade all the way up to college,” he says. The summer before their senior year of high school, they were back at the same camp in Colorado, training to be counselors, when somebody pulled out a guitar and started to strum the opening chords to Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles.”

“I open my mouth to sing the first verse to myself,” recalls Ragland, “and I am literally frozen by another voice coming from directly behind me.” He spun around and saw it was Umstattd. “There was something about Reid’s voice that completely blew me away. I knew this was the real thing immediately. There was some kind of organic or spiritual connection between Reid’s voice and my dream. Only it wasn’t just a dream anymore — I knew I had what I needed.”

Fast forward a few years, and nelo was well on its way toward firmly establishing itself on the Athens music scene. But an early, homemade demo was stirring up quite a buzz back home in Texas, too — so much so that nelo was soon playing shows to crowds of up to 400 fans in both states. Among those drawn to the buzz on the Texas side was producer and studio owner Freddy Fletcher, who took in a nelo show at Austin’s Momo’s last December and became an instant convert.

“That was the first time I ever saw them live,” says Fletcher. “I kept hearing, ‘You really need to hear this band!’ And when I got down to Momo’s, there were people lined up around the door to get in and see them. I thought, ‘Hmm, this is interesting.’ So I just started watching them, and I really liked what I heard.” Fletcher and nelo hit it off right off the bat, striking the deal that quickly led to Ragland and Co. moving back to Austin and heading straight into the studio to begin work on their Fletcher-produced debut. The album will be released on Pedernales Records, the label owned by Fletcher and his uncle — none other than the legendary Willie Nelson.

“It may be their first record,” says Fletcher, “but these guys in the studio — they’re so damn good. They’re all accomplished musicians, the songs are really well written and I love the arrangements. And Reid, the singer, is just phenomenal. Their style is definitely not something you hear every day — it’s new to me. But I like what they’re doing, and I like everyone in the band, too.”

Ragland makes it clear that the feeling of admiration is mutual. “Freddy, for whatever reason, seems to really understand the music as I was hoping that it would be received,” he says. “The thing I love about a good album is when you get a general vibe from the entire record — almost like the whole album is one tone, one feeling. And listening to the roughs we have so far, I think that’s starting to develop. I can’t describe it or give it an adjective yet, but I will say that we’re getting there.”

Come February, nelo will have fully arrived.

www.nelomusic.com www.myspace.com/nelomusic

Lisa: Tell me about the publishing deal that motivated you to move from Michigan to Nashville. How were you discovered?

Ford: A graduate school colleague had heard some of my music and put me in touch with a publisher she knew in Nashville, Jerry Smith. I was on my way to Nashville for another project anyway, so I gave him a call and we decided to meet up. I had my guitar and played him some songs in his living room. He asked me right then if I wanted to work together. Then we went out for sushi. I was living in Michigan at the time, so I made the move down here 8 months after our meeting. I was writing a lot, but It wasn't until I met my friend Reid Scelza that things really started to take shape.

Lisa: How did you become acquainted with Reid Scelza?

Ford: He was producing out of a studio he built at his house. He heard I was a songwriter and wanted to hear some stuff. We started recording rough guitar-vocals at his studio. Through that summer we would get together just to play music for each other, and record new material I had written. We would talk about sounds we liked and songs we liked. If he was going to produce we needed to find a common musical vocabulary, and that's what we worked on, finding a common language. We ended up getting focused on early and mid 70's stuff, like all the Van Morrison records during that period, especially Veedon Fleece. And also Derek and the Dominos. That Fall (2006) we recorded an EP with a full band in his studio. That drew some attention from some radio and industry folks. So, we decided we should do a record. I wrote for the next four months or so and we recorded the new record in May 07.

Lisa: You say you recorded all of your recent album live. What was that recording experience like?

Ford: We went into the studio on a Friday in May to start the tracking. It was decided before that however that we wanted to find a room to record in where everyone could be in the same room, or at least have line of sight. For me, one thing that is important about a musical composition involving multiple players is the energy that those players can get from one another by being in the same room. The goal that Reid and I had going in was really to capture the spirit and energy of the songs by capturing the spirit and energy of the players. What is so great is that the band was hearing the song for the first time five minutes or so before the first take... and we usually ended up keeping one of the first two or three takes. So actually what we ended up capturing by doing the live recording of all the instruments and the vocals was a one-time performance/interpretation of the songs... as everyone was hearing it coming from everyone else. There were no parts already ironed-out, as if the band had been rehearsing for weeks, no one was stuck in a certain mode of playing the songs, everyone's parts... and the whole presentation really... ended up being a sort of spontaneous instrumental dialogue between everyone who was in that room. I think the quality of the final product is really a testament to just how amazing all of the players on this record are. The idea to record this way came out of listening to a lot of records, like Veedon Fleece, where there's definitely an air of spontaneity in every note. My hope is that to some degree, even a little bit, that we achieved that.

Lisa: Do you play live with the same folks you recorded the album with?

Ford: I haven't played out with them since we finished the record. I've been playing just solo acoustic shows. But I'm really hoping to do something with the band in 2008. If we do it will most likely be some of the same great musicians. I can't wait to get out there with them. The songs on this record are going to be so fun to play live with the band.

Lisa: What do you love most about playing for a live audience?

Ford: It's so cliché but there's definitely an energy exchange there. Records seem to be a much more delayed feedback experience, while playing live is in your face, instant feedback, a free-exchange, without expectation.

Lisa: What's your favorite Springsteen album?

Ford: Darkness on the Edge of Town. Amazing songs, amazing presentation. I was honestly thinking about that record a lot when we were sequencing Ford Turrell. Darkness really reads front to back...book-like... the first half mostly portrays a certain hardness to life... bad decisions, bad luck, heartbreak, hopelessness, etc. And of course side one ends with a song that describes all of those things so beautifully, "Racing in The Street." Then you get out of your chair, go over to the record player, turn the record over, and get drop-kicked into "The Promised Land." And the back half really speaks to something different than the first half. It might be speaking about some sense of redemption, or maybe it's just about learning to live with the hardness of life described on side one. Either way, the feeling side two generates is really more uplifting in some way than side one. Somehow I knew I wanted to try to do that with the sequencing of this record. I wanted there to be a turn half-way through so it goes from “Ghost of Goodbye” to “Listen To Your Heartbeat”, ... on into the second half. It was important to me that somehow there be a sense of movement from front to back, and that people could sit down and listen to the whole record as a chronology of sorts. Not a chronology of stories, but more of a chronology of emotion. And so far that's the kind of feedback I've been getting about it... people just put it in and let it play all the way through. The idea to do this really came out of Darkness on the Edge of Town.

Lisa: What's your favorite T.S. Eliot poem?

Ford: "Journey of the Magi." My reasons are similar to my thoughts on Darkness on the Edge of Town. Recognizing the hardness of life, and our powerlessness in a changed/changing world, trying to seek out a singular salvific moment, then realizing that maybe there's something about this powerlessness that's redemptive. The power of the powerless. That's my interpretation at least. This dynamic is something I really try to illuminate in my writing and presentation. Lisa: "Ghost of Goodbye" is such a pretty song. Can you use this song as an example to explain your songwriting process? How does the arrangement of lyrics and melody happen for you? Ford: I think everyone has their own little tricks. But over the years my writing process has become really spontaneous and unplanned. I usually just start playing the guitar, or guitar and harmonica, or a few notes on the piano. Then I'll sing spontaneously over that, usually whatever harmony and words appear in the moment. It's generally guided by some feeling or emotion coming from somewhere, either conscious or subconscious, and if a series of words or the melody strikes me as worth keeping I'll put it down on a little recorder. Then I can revisit it later, to remind myself of the idea when it was fresh, before my thoughts got a hold of it and started trying to manipulate and master it. Sometimes I'll work off that lyrical idea, sometimes something new will take its place. There have been songs that I've edited and re-edited to a fault, this is more my tendency I think. But then there are other songs like, "Till I See You Once Again," that just happen. That song came about because I knew the next day we were going to be working with Glenn Worf (bass) and William Ellis (drums). I really wanted to write a song that had a great moving bass-line and just a hi-hat or something on drums. So, I started playing that guitar part in 3/6... again, very similar to the musical vocabulary we had developed of early Van, et al. The words just came out in like 15 minutes. I took the song with me into the studio the next day and we decided to record it. At the end of the first take I started ad-libbing some parts of the end bit, and by the third take I had the whole outro ad-libbed. We kept that third take for the record. I like it when songs come like that, but again my tendency is to start spontaneously then grind over them.

Lisa: What are your current goals and aspirations as an artist?

Ford: To write good songs. That's always been my main goal.

This year’s showcases have seen some exceptional talent grace the stage, including incredible performances by buzz acts Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong, Maps, Ben's Brother, Eugene McGuiness and Ross Copperman. Club Fandango, founded by Simon Williams and Andy McLeod, continues to work with BMI London executives in providing the acts and putting on the night.

“We've had an incredible four years at The Borderline that helped us launch the careers of Hard-Fi, The Feeling, Guillemots, Hot Chip and many more,” said Nick Robinson, Senior Executive, Writer/Publisher Relations at BMI in London. “Moving this showcase to 229 will give us a greater focus on new talent and aid in nurturing more acts destined to break through over the coming months.”

“These showcase gigs are just one way in which BMI helps develop and promote new artists and songwriters that we believe have the potential to achieve success on both sides of the Atlantic. Our first gig of 2008 is a perfect example of the diverse range of exciting music that we feel is about to burst through,” Robinson added.

Headlining the first BMI Sessions (in association with Club Fandango) are Olympian Fall whose haunting acoustic compositions will help take the chill off in January. Grand Central, looking to increase their industry buzz, will rock the house with their big melodic songs. Skulls (formerly Fleeing New York) will be bringing their scuzzy garage/electronic rock to the evening. Opening the BMI Sessions will be Skeletons (formerly Drowned in Sound and Fierce Panda), adding a pop element to the night.

myspace.com/olympianfall

myspace.com/grandcentralofficial

myspace.com/fleeingnewyork

myspace.com/salvationandtheskeletons

Lily Allen	Corinne Bailey Rae	Snow Patrol

Newcomer Lily Allen leads the BMI nominees with a total of four, including British Female Solo Artist, MasterCard British Album, British Single Shortlist and British Breakthrough Act. She will compete against another new voice, three-time nominee Corinne Bailey Rae, in all but the album category.

Also taking home three nods were rock outfit Snow Patrol, whose smash "Chasing Cars" made the single shortlist, and neo-soul duo Gnarls Barkley, who is up for a trio of international awards.

Gnarls Barkley	Amy Winehouse	Kasabian

Double mentions went to 22-year-old singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse, Brit-pop quartet Kasabian and post-punk rockers Razorlight. Former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker is looking to win the British Male Solo Artist trophy, while BMI "Pick of the Month" featured artists The Feeling will vie for the British Single Brit Award with their hit "Fill My Little World."

Razorlight	Jarvis Cocker	The Feeling

Established in 1977, the Brit Awards is a charity event that donates all proceeds to the British Record Industry Trust, better known as the Brit Trust, an organization that encourages the exploration and pursuit of the educational, cultural and therapeutic benefits of music. The Brit Awards is one of the U.K.'s most exciting, most talked about and most successful music events, and is considered the equivalent of the Grammys.

BMI's 2007 Brit Awards Nominees:

British Male Solo Artist
Jarvis Cocker (PRS)

British Female Solo Artist
Amy Winehouse (PRS)
Corinne Bailey Rae (PRS)
Lily Allen (PRS)
Nerina Pallot (PRS)

British Group
Kasabian (PRS)
Razorlight (PRS)
Snow Patrol (PRS)

MasterCard British Album
Amy Winehouse (PRS)
Back to Black

Lily Allen (PRS)
Alright, Still

Snow Patrol (PRS)
Eyes Open

British Single Shortlist
"Put Your Records On"
Corrine Bailey Rae (PRS)

"Fill My Little World"
The Feeling (PRS)

"A Moment Like This"
Written by Jorgen Elofsson and John Reid

"Smile"
Lily Allen (PRS)

"America"
Razorlight (PRS)

"I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker"
Sandi Thom (PRS)

"Chasing Cars"
Snow Patrol (PRS)

"All Time Love"
Written by Jamie Hartman (PRS)

British Breakthrough Act
Corrine Bailey Rae (PRS)
The Fratellis (PRS)
Lily Allen (PRS)

British Live Act
Guillemots (PRS)
Kasabian (PRS)

International Female Solo Artist
Cat Power
Christina Aguilera
Pink

International Group
The Flaming Lips
Gnarls Barkley
Red Hot Chili Peppers

International Album
Gnarls Barkley
St Elsewhere

International Breakthrough Act
Gnarls Barkley
Orson
The Raconteurs
Wolfmother (APRA)

Outstanding Contribution to Music
Oasis (PRS)

Pictured after BMI's October Pick of the Month are (top row) The Feeling's Kevin Jeremiah (guitar) and Paul Stewart (drums), BMI's Ray Yee, and The Feeling's Richard Jones (bass); (bottom row) BMI's Tracie Verlinde, Myles Lewis and Barbara Cane; The Feeling's Ciaran Jeremiah (keyboards) and Dan Gillespie Sells (vocals & guitar); BMI's Anne Cecere; Key Club's Andrea Egger; BMI's Joe Maggini; and EMI Music Publishing's Tami Lester.

BMI's "Pick of the Month" is a live, monthly showcase series focusing on a musically impacting band or artist whose talent is worthy of attention. The series is meant to help expose these artists to the music industry and public through a show held at a quality venue with discounted admission.]]> 2006-10-19T05:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/events/entry/533593 Artists, Feeling, The, Songwriter / Industry, Showcase, Showcase Templated The Feeling Monthly BMI showcase series that helps expose bands and artists to the industry and public through a top quality venue and discount admission. Admission is $10.]]> 2006-10-12T23:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/events/entry/3325 Artists, Brinkman, Captain, Envy & Other Sins, Feeling, The, Musical Styles, Rock, Regions, London The Feeling, Captain, Envy & Other Sins and Brinkman at The Borderline (Orange Yard near Manette Street, London W1D 4JB). For industry list, email: andy@pointyrecords.co.uk.]]> 2005-12-08T14:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/events/entry/533288 Artists, Brinkman, Captain, Envy & Other Sins, Feeling, The, Awards, Regions, London, Showcase, Showcase Templated For £5 industry list, email: andy@pointyrecords.co.uk]]> 2005-12-08T02:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/events/entry/533295 Artists, Brinkman, Captain, Envy & Other Sins, Feeling, The, Awards, Regions, London, Showcase, Showcase Templated 2005-12-08T02:00:00-05:00