During the 1970s, Owsley Manier and Brugh Reynolds joined forces to open the Exit/In music venue. At the start, the venue offered a capacity of 200 seats. Although the venue expanded over the decades, the Exit/In became a historic stop in Nashville, Tennessee. Throughout the years, the venue showcased genres like bluegrass, jazz, and country. The venue even welcomed comedians like Steve Martin. A part of the history of Nashville, the Exit/In seemed like the perfect place for singer Ella Langley to perform. And while there was no audience or even a band, Langley produced a powerful performance of “Could’ve Been Her.”
Videos by American Songwriter
In May 2023, Langley released her EP titled Excuse The Mess. The EP came packed with songs like “Hell Of A Man”, “That’s Why We Fight”, and “Could’ve Been Her.” With the song gaining praise from fans, Langley offered a simplistic version of the hit. But while not having a band or even a spotlight, the country singer let her voice light up the room.
[RELATED: Ella Langley’s Vulnerable George Strait Cover Should Make the King of Country Proud]
Ella Langley Shares What She Looks For When Collaborating
Looking at what fans had to say, comments included, “Dive bar feeling. Hearing this voice knowing I was witnessing the next Great Superstar first. Ella is the Best.” Another fan added, “GIRL!!! I haven’t been this obsessed over a new country artist since Shania. Your storytelling & tone are amazing!! Being gorgeous helps too! The total package.”
Outside of her performance, Langley also collaborated with singers like Riley Green. Always willing to share the studio, the country singer discussed what she looked for in a collaborator. She said, “I’ve done a few duets at this point and some feature stuff, and really, for me, it’s the relationship, the connection. It’s somebody I want to create with, you know? It’s fun. That’s the whole joy of living where we live, and getting to do what we get to do, we are surrounded by people who love to do the same thing.”
As for her connection with Green, Langley explained, “Riley being from Alabama, we grew up with a lot of the same musical influences. Our hometowns are two hours apart from each other. On ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’, he wrote that one by himself, and he just asked for me to come in the green room and see how a female sounded on it, just for fun. Then I think they loved it the way we did it – so they kept it on there!”
(Photo by Jason Kempin/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.