Logan Murrell : Age Old Vocals & Young Heart

I had a bit of a Fleetwood Mac marathon last night. I've been fascinated with how the band has evolved over time and seems to morph, depending on who's in the band at the time. It's almost as if Peter Green set Fleetwood Mac up to become what it became. Although I have a preference for Green's guitar playing, in relation to all the other guitarists who have been in and out of Fleetwood Mac over the years, I really appreciate Lindsey Buckingham's tone and overall approach. Needless to say, I've played "Rhiannon" (Fleetwood Mac) numerous times over the years but never actually looked up covers of it until earlier today. And that's how I came across the wonderfully talented Logan Murrell.

A magical black and white video of Logan Murrell shows her covering "Rhiannon", and despite the beauty of the video, I still like to listen to it with my eyes closed. The guitar tone is stunning and smooth, and a sweet solo guitar can be heard in the intro. It matches up with her voice ever so neatly. Now, everyone knows what a fantastic vocalist Stevie Nicks is, and that can be quite intimidating when doing a cover. I know when I'm covering some supernatural singer or guitarist I find myself doing the very best I can to pay respect to the original artist, while maintaining a unique sound of my own. And Logan does just that. Her vocal style is quite different from Stevie Nicks, but her approach to the song  (written by Nicks) oozes with respect. Have a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zjg-eiuSNQ

Stunning cover, right? There's a certain depth to Logan's vocals that just gives the song everything it needs. It's the sort of depth Christina Aguilera demonstrates whenever she sings a song. The sort of depth you hear in all of Elvis' records and performance. I don't even know if she realises it but I guess Michelangelo thought he was third rate too. In any case, she's got a sound that she can do so much with. 

I'm looking through her covers as I write and was quite shocked to find a cover of Don Gibson's "Sweet Dreams" from a live performance of hers. I was even more shocked to hear what a strong accent she has. I would have never guessed, if I just listened to "Rhiannon". Well, some may not appreciate the song as much as I do but I'm happy to hear a great country cover. I believe she's doing it in the style of Patsy Cline, though I admit, my favourite version is by Emmylou Harris. Logan's version is killer too. Talk about covering a hard song. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D8yoGlYjxY

Incredible. Did I mention that she's only sixteen? I just love it when people get started out with music early and find some real deep music they love. For me that was ethnic music and the blues, for others it was...nothing. But, for Logan, it's quite obviously true country. I love it. It infuses her musical passion with a real deep background and some great influences. To me, being a part of musical creativity is like being a tree. If you have shallow roots, anyone can rip you out of the ground and you won't grow too much. But if you have deep, strong roots, there ain't nobody who is going to be able to knock you over, and you're definitely going somewhere with your music. I mean, look at Eric Clapton. Can you imagine Clapton without the blues? Anyways, enough with my rant on being a musician.

So, aside from Logan's great covers. she's a great singer/songwriter. An original of hers I came across on her youtube channel (which you should have subscribed to by now), is called "Gotta Pull Over". Caught up in the catchy melody enhanced by Logan's soft guitar line, I still can't concentrate on the lyrics, which are probably rich in personal stories. Until then, enjoy her song and make sure to check out her website and her Facebook! Check back tomorrow for another fantastic artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA8ut934LmI

Alex Hamel