Aubrie Sellers took to the small BMI stage with a fierce look in her eye. Ringed by a high-powered quintet, everyone clad in black, the Nashville songwriter launched low and bluesy with “Light of Day,” lead track from this year’s promising debut LP, New City Blues. The momentum didn’t last long.
The harmonica-chugging “Sit Here and Cry” and scorching guitars of “Living Is Killing Me” both displayed the power of Sellers’ firebrand country sound, but the slow down of “Humming Song,” biting “Liar Liar,” and dreamy love ballad “Something Special” began to thin the crowd, and the hourlong, late-afternoon set never quite got back on track.
Diving into covers did her no favors, either.
The Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night” throbbed a psych-riffed mess and “Money” struck largely lethargic. The Beach Boys’ “In My Room” simply fell flat. An original, “People Talking,” showed off Sellers’ songwriting prowess, and “Paper Doll” brought back the blister, but few fans were left by then to hear those or the hard rhythm closer of “Just to Be With You.”
Sellers is among several impressive new female songwriters making an impact on Nashville, and as the daughter of Lee Ann Womack, she likely understands the challenges of the industry. Saturday’s ACL set may not have been her best outing, but she proved she has something new to bring to country music, and a powerful voice and talent that will undoubtedly only get better.
This article appears in September 30 • 2016.
