Feek’s music, self-described as “the swoon of Patsy Cline, the vibe of ChrisIsaak, and the balls of Neko Case,” isn’t necessarily what you would expect fromthe daughter of country music visioneers Joey+Rory, but then again, it is. Stayingtrue to her roots, the melodies of The Only are anchored in a timelesssongwriting style evocative of the days when Roy Orbison ruled the Nashvillesound, yet Feek’s raw and unbridled vocal stylings coupled with the edgy,youthful execution of the album’s instrumentation, effortlessly bring this record tothe forefront of contemporary nostalgia artistry.

Brought to life in Nashville’s Welcome to 1979 studio (Keane, JEFF TheBrotherhood), the warmth of the analog methods used to record the albumprovide the perfect setting for showcasing Feek’s innate storytelling sensibilitiesthrough her songwriting. “I always love a good story,” she admits. “Whether it's ina song, book, movie, or poem... I soak it all up.” And it’s her love for narrativethat shines throughout the entirety of The Only. Each track on the 11-songalbum offers up its own compelling storyline, creating individual moments frozenin time. Tunes like the Sun-Studio-reminiscent “’57 Bel Air” send you flying downthe highway with all the windows rolled down, while the Tarantino-esque “OneNight With You” puts you straight in the middle of a racy love triangle in SpanishHarlem.

For The Only, Feek’s penchant for spinning stories is highlighted by a band ofsome of Nashville’s strongest music industry vets and up-and-coming musicians.Grammy-nominated songwriter James Slater (Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson)along with strat-man Jeremy Fetzer (Caitlin Rose) and rhythm kings MichaelRinne (Jack White) and Evan Hutchings (Escondido) make the tracks jumpstraight off of the 2” tape they were recorded on.

“I’m passionate about good music,” Feek explains. “By ‘good,’ I mean lyrically,musically, and artistically... the whole package.” And it’s clear from herseemingly effortless personal sensibilities and artistry that she holds her ownwork to that measure of quality. Her musical dexterity and seasoned on-stagepresence give her the aura of an experienced musical veteran wise beyond heryears, a direct reflection of her upbringing in the music business.

Growing up around Nashville’s top tunesmiths (the likes of Waylon Jennings andHarlan Howard), a young Heidi used to tag along Music Row with her father,falling asleep in his guitar case while he made the rounds as a songwriter in the90’s. “Dad used to play the bars trying to make it in town,” she recalls. “I havemany, many memories of sitting at honky-tonks until very late at night, eatingcherries with my sister and singing along to Dwight Yoakam songs he would

play. I actually got my start as a performer getting up during those gigs andsinging an old Bobby Bare song called 'Daddy What If.’”

Inspired by her environment, she soon began teaching herself how to play guitarand writing her own music. “My dad was always one of my biggest musicalinspirations in that regard,” she confesses. “He instilled an attention to detail inme, lyrically, that I’m very thankful for. He would always play me his new songsand ask for my opinions on them. Then he would smile at me like I wasn’t 9 yearsold and knew what I was talking about. He always indulged my thought process,even as a child. It taught me a lot.”

Alongside her parents, Feek garnered musical credits on multiple top-sellingalbums, toured overseas, and even performed on the Opry stage on more thanone occasion, but it didn’t take long before she felt the need to break out andforge her own musical path.

In 2010, she released her first EP, Eden, to local critical acclaim. The folk-meets-Americana-meets-pop record featured an eclectic blend of musical styles thatshowcased Feek’s natural songwriting capabilities through angsty lyrics, mellowgrooves, and an authentic vocal sound. Renowned music critic Jewly Hightproclaimed that Feek’s voice was a “fine, supple instrument, sometimesapproaching Patsy Cline’s velveteen glides,” while The Deli Magazine touted theEP as “an impressively strong first release for the Nashville singer/songwriter,”declaring it a “simply lovely” album.

Two years later, however, when the time came to create her first full-lengthrecord, Feek felt the desire to hone in on a livelier sound, more reminiscent of thegreats that inspired her youth. “I found myself being drawn back to the music mydad would play for me growing up: a mixture of Elvis, Steve Earle, Chris Isaak,and Dwight Yoakam,” she says. “That’s when I stumbled upon Chris Isaak’sForever Blue and it really rocked my world. After listening to that, it was like amusical light bulb turned on in my head... My new album just feels more personalin that way,” she continues, “like an homage to everything that inspired me as akid and still inspires me as an adult.”

It was Feek’s quest to pay tribute to the sounds of her youth that inspired therecord’s minor-re-envisioned cover of Elvis Presley’s classic “Heartbreak Hotel.”It’s also the unspoken anecdotes of her country music heritage sprinkledthroughout the The Only that add an air of authenticity and vulnerability to thealbum, particularly on songs like “There Lives A Fool.” “My Dad wrote that songwith (country music artist) Sara Evans in '96 or '97,” Feek explains. “He would getme up to sing it in his writers-in-the-rounds, so I've been performing it for about16 years now. It's a really special song for me, and it means so much to be ableto put it on this record.”