JENN BOSTIC HOMETOWN: Waconia, Minn. INFLUENCES: Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder ALBUM: Missin’ a Man EP, out September WEBSITE: jennbostic.com AT THE AGE OF 10, JENN BOSTIC SURVIVED A HORRIFIC CAR accident that took the life of her father, a musician who taught her to play piano. To cope with the loss, she began writing songs. “The first time I sat at the piano after the accident, I shut my eyes and honestly felt my dad’s presence next to me,” she says. “I poured my heart into those first few songs. The only way I could connect with him was when I played music.” Bostic eventually earned a degree from Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Now living in Nashville, she recently earned five Independent Country Music Association Awards and completed a sold-out ISSUE #29headlining tour of Ireland and the U.K. But for Bostic, music will MMUSICMAG.COM always be rooted in humanity. “When I started to focus on touching lives, that’s when things started happening,” she says, “and that’s what makes me happy.” havez, Lee Dewyze C LEE DEWYZE rnst/Bostic Jenn Bostic; Marina Photography, E HOMETOWN: Chicago, Ill. INFLUENCES: Cat Stevens, Kris Kristofferson, itter; Michael itter; Michael R arly Simon and Garfunkel C ALBUM: Frames, out now asano, F WEBSITE: leedewyzeofficial.com Jeff LEE DEWYZE, WINNER Of 2010’s AMERICAN IDOL, recorded his new album, Frames, with one goal in mind. “I wanted to take it back to what I’m really about, which is writing emotionally charged, meaningful songs,” he says. “It feels really good to get back to the grass roots of what I’m about.” Building off his reality-show success, DeWyze, 27, has been able to establish himself as a writer and multi-instrumentalist who has no interest following trends. “It’s like that lane is open now,” he says. “I’m finally in the lane I belong in, and I feel like I can just go.” In fact, DeWyze played piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin and drums during the recording sessions. “I’ve never felt a connection with my music more than I do right now,” he says. “I’m excited for people to hear it because I know what I’m doing is honest and authentic. There may be pressure, but there are definitely no regrets.” 15 M mag 29.indd 15 8/26/13 4:40 PM ISSUE #29 M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE MARCH/APRIL 2011 M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE.