Music of America: Georgia

Hello hello, and welcome to our next stop on this American Musical Tour! Today, we're visiting the lovely state of Georgia. Nicknamed The Peach State and the Empire State of the South, Georgia was one of the original 13 Colonies and admitted to the Union in 1788 as America's 4th state. I've only briefly visited Atlanta and didn't get to sightsee, but I would love to go back and truly experience some of the things that make Georgia so special. Let's see what's here on our fact dump:

-Capital City: Atlanta

-Area: 59,424 square miles (America's 24th largest state)

-Population: 11,180,878 as of 2024 (America's 8th most populated state)

-Big 4 Major League Professional Sports Teams (Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey): 3/4 (Braves for baseball; Falcons for football; and Hawks for basketball)

-Named College: University of Georgia (est. 1785, Athens, GA)

-State Bird: Brown Thrasher

-State Flower: Cherokee Rose

-State Butterfly: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

-State Tree: Southern Live Oak

-State Gemstone: Quartz

-State Dog: The Adoptable Dog (love it)

-State Quarter: Released July 1999 (includes the ever present Georgia Peach, a Live Oak branch, and the state motto, "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation," over the state's outline)

Like in previous iterations, we'll be looking at artists that were born and bands that were established in Georgia. This is obviously not all of them, but it's a great group to explore and learn more about. Georgia, especially Atlanta, is a huge music scene for multiple genres, so here's some honorable mentions of a few other Georgian artists:

-Billy Currington (Savannah, GA)

-Chloe x Halle (Mableton, GA)

-Cody Carnes (Atlanta, GA)

-Cole Swindell (Glennville, GA)

-Khalid (Ft Stewart, GA)

-Kristian Stanfill (Marietta, GA)

-Lil Jon (Atlanta, GA)

-Luke Bryan (Leesburg, GA)

-Maverick City Music (Atlanta, GA)

-North Point Worship (Alpharetta, GA)

-Outkast (Atlanta, GA)

-Passion (Atlanta, GA)

-Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Jesup, GA)

-Teddy Swims (Conyers, GA)

-The B-52s (Athens, GA)

-Third Day (Marietta, GA)

-Thomas Rhett (Valdosta, GA)

-Zac Brown Band (Atlanta, GA)

Let's dive on in!

Everything Falls by Fee (written by E. Kirkland, S. Fee)

Fee was a Christian rock group formed in Alpharetta, Georgia in 2005. Named after frontman Steve Fee, they had multiple popular singles released before their breakup in 2010. The band's most recent lineup included Steve Fee (vocals, rhythm electric guitar, rhythm acoustic guitar, keys), Matt Adkins (lead guitar, vocals), Heath Balltzglier (bass guitar, vocals), and Brandon Coker (drums). They released four studio albums between 2005 and 2009, with their song Everything Falls originally featured on the 2009 album Hope Rising. Fee became my favorite worship group after seeing them live at Student Camp when I was 16, and I'm still so bummed that the band is not together anymore as well as for the alleged reasons they broke up. Both their We Shine and Hope Rising albums are forever favorites of mine, and I still highly recommend them for listening.

You said You’d never leave or forsake me/When You said this life is gonna shake me/And You said this world is gonna bring trouble on my soul/This I know/When everything falls apart, Your arms hold me together/When everything falls apart, You’re the only hope for this heart/When everything falls apart and my strength is gone, I find You mighty and strong/You keep holding on, You keep holding on

Build My Life by Housefires (written by P. Barrett, K. Martin, M. Redman, K. Kaple, B. Younker)

Housefires is a worship group formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2014. The group got their start at Grace Midtown Church and have gone on to be Dove Award nominees and release many wonderful worship songs over the last eleven years. The band's current lineup includes Tony Brown (vocals, guitar), Nate Moore (vocals, guitar), Kirby Kaple (vocals), Ryan Ellis (vocals, guitar), Davy Flowers (vocals), Ahjah Walls (vocals), Vicki Schmidt (violin), Jonathan Jay (keys), Zac Brooks (percussion), Harold Brown (drums), and Donald Hart (bass guitar). They have released ten live albums since 2014, with their song Build My Life originally featured on the 2016 album Housefires III. I love this song so much, and have loved getting to worship to it with my own team at church. Former member Pat Barrett has lead vocals on this one, and his voice and his heart for worship both really shine through here.

Worthy of every song we could ever sing/Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring/Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe/We live for You/Jesus, the name above every other name/Jesus, the only one who could ever save/Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe/We live for You, oh, we live for You/Holy, there is no one like You/There is none beside You, open up my eyes in wonder/And show me who You are and fill me with Your heart/And lead me in Your love to those around me

THATS WHAT I WANT by Lil Nas X (written by M. Hill, O. Fedi, B. Slatkin, R. Tedder, K. Bach)

Montero Hill, known professionally as Lil Nas X, was born in Atlanta, Georgia in April 1999. The Georgian rapper/singer/songwriter is best known for holding the current record of longest-running #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 (19 weeks with Old Town Road), and also for being the first artist to come out while having a #1 record. As a vocalist and rapper, he is known for genres like hip hop, pop rap, country rap, and trap rap. Over his ten year career, Hill has won 2 Grammys, is the youngest honoree of the Songwriters Hall of Fame's Hal David Starlight Award, and has released 2 studio albums. THATS WHAT I WANT was originally featured on the 2021 album Montero and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #8. I didn't enjoy this album overall when it released, but this song is honestly okay. It's much more pop than I'd really expect from him, but the vibe is fun.

Need a boy who can cuddle with me all night/Keep me warm, love me long, be my sunlight/Tell me lies, we can argue, we can fight/Yeah, we did it before, but we'll do it tonight/An afro, black boy with the gold teeth/With dark skin, looking at me like he know me/I wonder if he got the G or the B/Let me find out and see, coming over to me, yeah/These days, I'm way too lonely/I’m missing out, I know/These days, I'm way too alone/And I'm known for giving love away, but/I want someone to love me/I need someone who needs me/‘Cause it don't feel right when it's late at night/And it's just me in my dreams/So I want someone to love, that's what I fucking want

drive ME crazy! by Lil Yachty (written by B. Goldwater, J. Raisen, M. DeMarco, M. McCollum, T. Halm, D. Gordon, D. Teixeira, G. Romano)

Miles McCollum, known professionally as Lil Yachty, was born in Mableton, Georgia in August 1997. The Georgian rapper/singer/songwriter/record producer is known for both his solo projects and his features with other artists. A talented vocalist, he is known for his work in genres like Southern hip hop, trap, pop rap, and mumble rap. Over his ten year career, Lil Yachty has been nominated for 2 Grammys and released 5 studio albums, with drive ME crazy! originally featured on the 2023 album Let's Start Here. I wrote about this album about a year and a half ago, and am still pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy it. This song is good, but I say check out the album as a whole for the best experience with it.

Imagine life/Circling through life without a piece of you/Seven out of seven days, I’m needing you/You bring life to the party/Good love feels like butterflies suffocating your insides, oh/If it’s a late night, you know I’ll try/I can’t unpicture when you ride/I’ve mistaken thinking you were taken, knowing that you are always mine/And still I feel so surprised/You always gon’ be mine

Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles (written by S. Gorrell, H. Carmichael)

Georgia on My Mind has been the state anthem of Georgia since 1979. The song was originally written by lyricist Stuart Gorrell and composer Hoagy Carmichael in 1930 before being recorded most famously by Georgian musical legend Ray Charles (from Albany, GA) in 1960. Charles' version was adopted as state song 19 years later, and while many others like Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson, and Michael Bublé have covered it as well, the song is almost always associated with Ray. I believe this is our first state song that is known nationwide, as it's a standard of America's Songbook. It's a beautiful song anyway, but I agree that Ray truly does it best.

Georgia, Georgia/The whole day through/Just an old, sweet song/Keeps Georgia on my mind/I said Georgia, Georgia/A song of you/Comes as sweet and clear/As moonlight through the pines/Other arms reach out to me/Other eyes smile tenderly/Still, in peaceful dreams, I see/The road leads back to you

Harmonize by Rising Appalachia (written by C. Smith, L. Smith)

Rising Appalachia is an Appalachian folk/roots/world music/soul group formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2005. The group, formed by sisters Chloe Smith and Leah Song, is heavily influenced by music from their native Atlanta as well as New Orleans, LA and the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. The band's current lineup includes Leah Song (vocals, poetics, banjo, kalimba, bodhrán, percussion), Chloe Smith (vocals, fiddle, banjo, washboard, kalimba, percussion), Biko Casini (djembe, bara, ngoni, congas, percussion), David Brown (upright bass, baritone guitar, banjo), Arouna Diarra (ngoni, balafone, talking drum, percussion), and Duncan Wickel (cello, fiddle). Rising Appalachia have released ten studio albums since 2006, with their song Harmonize originally featured on the 2019 album Leylines. I found this group through their song Wider Circles and was instantly mesmerized. Their sound is so easy to listen to, and Chloe and Leah have some straight up blood harmonies (look it up, it's a cool phenomenon) that are just awesome to hear.

Tell me what makes you weary/Tell me what lights up your eyes/I’ll meet you there in the middle/We’ll lay down and harmonize/Tell me what makes you peaceful/Tell me what makes you fantasize/I’m taking notes in the moonlight/We’ll lay down and harmonize/We’ll lay down and harmonize/I’m awake for, I’m a, I’m awake for you/I’m awake for, I’m a, I’m awake for you/I’m awake for, I’m a, I’m awake for you/I’m awake for, I’m a, I’m awake for you

Stay by Sugarland (written by J. Nettles, K. Bush)

Sugarland is a country/country pop group formed in Douglas, Georgia in 2002. One of the most popular country acts of the '00s and '10s, the dynamic duo has found plenty of success together and also apart recording solo projects on hiatus over the last twenty-three years. The band's current lineup includes Jennifer Nettles (lead vocals, acoustic guitar) and Kristian Bush (rhythm guitar, mandolin, backing vocals). They have won 2 Grammy Awards and released six studio albums, with their song Stay originally featured on the 2006 album Enjoy the Ride. I have loved Sugarland pretty much from the beginning, back when they were still a trio. This song is a heart wrenching change of pace from the usual country music love triangle song, told from the taboo POV of the other woman, but it's one of their all time best.

I’ve been sitting here staring at the clock on the wall/And I’ve been laying here praying, praying she won’t call/It’s just another call from home/And you’ll get it and be gone and I’ll be crying/And I’ll be begging you, baby, beg you not to leave/But I’ll be left here waiting with my heart on my sleeve/Oh, for the next time we’ll be here/Seems like a million years and I think I’m dying/What do I have to do to make you see/She can’t love you like me/Why don’t you stay, I’m down on my knees/I’m so tired of being lonely, don’t I give you what you need/When she calls you to go, there is one thing you should know/We don’t have to live this way, baby, why don’t you stay

Don't Waste Your Time, Kid by Unlike Pluto (written by A. Arabshahi, V. Sobhani)

Armond Arabshahi, known professionally as Unlike Pluto, was born in Atlanta, Georgia in June 1991. The Georgian singer/songwriter/music producer/DJ is known for his Pluto Tapes project where he works to release a new song every week, and his other musical projects Why Mona (with Joanna Jones) and Like Saturn. Arabshahi is proficient on digital audio workstation, guitar, drums, piano, clarinet, and vocals and is known for his work in genres like electronic rock, indie rock, alt rock, rock, heavy metal, grunge, and EDM. Over his twelve year career, Unlike Pluto has released 11 studio albums, and Don't Waste Your Time, Kid was actually just released as a single on July 18th of this year. I found Unlike Pluto through a former student when we worked on his awesome collaboration with Mike Taylor, Everything Black. This song was okay, not my favorite, but I cannot recommend Everything Black enough.

They said, "Throw in the towel, raise the white flag"/Flag, flag, flag/You know you’re gonna give up, so don't waste your time, kid/Quit everything/Drown, drown, drown, drown the pieces of me that you didn’t believe/You’d like me to give up on my dreams/"Stay, stay in your lane, lane," they said/Stay in your lane, stay in your lane, stay in your lane, oh

I hope you found some great new music and artists from this corner of the country today. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!