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For singer/songwriter Erin Enderlin, it only took two years before she had two major publishing companies and an artist development representative embracing her after her move to Nashville.
She's 20 years old and already has monthly meetings with Chris Oglesby at BMG publishing and Scott Gunter at Almo/Irving publishing.
"I wish I wrote that," says Reese Faw, artist development representative for Hamstein Productions (Travis Tritt, Roxie Dean). "I want you to meet my boss."
Enderlin is a calm, collected rationalist with an active spirit and soul that speaks through her lyrics and her voice, which has been described as a cross between Melissa Etheridge and Reba McEntire.
Since her arrival in Nashville, she has dazzled and provoked emotions of the patrons at places such as the world-famous Bluebird Café and the French Quarter in Louisiana. She first caught the attention of BMG and Almo/Irving playing in a showcase at the Hall of Fame Lounge.
She soon began writing with two of Nashville's most recognized songwriters, Rick and Janis Carnes, who are known for hits such as "When It All Goes South" for Alabama and "Longneck Bottle" for Garth Brooks.
Today, Enderlin has approximately 160 songs to her credit, all of which are managed through her own company, Blue Slate Publishing, which began with childhood visits to her grandparents' house, where she was first introduced to country music.
Erin began writing songs at age 10 in her hometown of Conway, Ark., just outside of Little Rock. When Erin witnessed Reba McEntire's and Tina Turner's stage performances, she was infectiously influenced to perform in addition to writing. At 16, she performed solo in front of her first crowd, 700 strong.
"Getting the feedback from the audience when you're up there – it's a rush," Enderlin says. "I think it definitely is addictive to be on stage, at least for me. A stage performance is a way for me to just let loose."
Enderlin let loose playing the singer/songwriter circuit around Little Rock and subsequently, her name started to pop up in the papers, including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock.
"People will shake their heads in amazement when they hear the talent of Erin Enderlin," said Gary Roberts, manager of the Advents Arts and Acoustics Café, in the Log Cabin Democrat.
Erin finished high school and moved to Nashville to escalate her music career and acquire a four-year degree in the recording industry from MTSU.
She has actively donated her time to causes dear to her heart since high school, when she volunteered time with at-risk teens. Lately, she has performed at a benefit show at the Advents Arts and Acoustics Café back home for a local shelter that cares for battered women and children. On the MTSU campus, she performed at a Breast Cancer Awareness show.
All this compassion and she has never kept a diary.
Instead, her experiences are documented metaphorically in her music. She often writes about feelings that require vivid imagery to properly bring the subject matter to the emotional level it demands.
From break-ups to death and from severed relationships to suicide, "Erin takes risk in her music," Faw says.
"I don't write downer songs because I want to bring people down," Enderlin explains. "I write those songs because I want to be able to connect with people who have lost somebody or have gone through a hard time, so they can feel like they're not alone.
"To me, suicide is a very real issue. It should be out in the open so people are encouraged to talk about it and let those feelings out."
Enderlin's song, "In My Blood," is a story told from the spirit of a girl who lost a loved one and could not stand to live with the memories. It's explicit for country, but Erin knows there are people out there who have felt pushed to that extreme or known people who actually took their lives.
Another sensitive song, "Monday Morning Church," is told by a heartbroken woman whose husband has passed. This song will choke up a room simply because it demands that you understand this woman's loss and her anger with God for letting it happen.
Enderlin is also an advocate of keeping things in perspective. She's seen many people sacrifice what's important to them without thinking about it. "Should Have Been Lovin You" is a hindsight recollection of someone who worked so much to get it all, that she forgot to love the most important person in her life – her husband.
"A balance between career and personal relationships – don't let it happen," she says. "Decide what's important in your life and make time for it."
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