Music – Nashville
Known for his crisp, soulful music and mysteriously suspenseful voice, Bentley Caldwell is returning music fans to their roots. His captivating lyrics and honest sound are commanding attention from the folk-soul world, which has been desperately lacking an artist of his caliber for too long. Raised in Paducah, Kentucky, he starting singing in both youth and men’s choir in his hometown Baptist church. Bentley's mother, a major impact on his life and music aspirations, passed away suddenly in 2013, which kindled a dark, but introspective time for him. Working through the pain from the loss of his mother, Bentley channeled his energy into recording his first EP, titled A Place To Be, and released it on her birthday that following March. Bentley’s soulful catalog seems as though it would be more at home in a dusty old record shop, but is characterized by his thrilling lyrics, which soothe the ear of the 21st century. Influenced by artists such as Ray Charles and Teddy Pendergrass, his sincere tone resonates similarly with the singing style of John Legend or Amos Lee. Caldwell is currently writing music for his next EP, which will be released in 2016.