Donna Beasley was born in East Tennessee in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains. Appalachia is in the timbre of her voice. Its dark hollers inform her pen. The dichotomy of an upbringing equal parts bible and bottle is discernible in her newest release, “Glorious”. Like some roadside Baptist church letter board, her eyes are on Jesus, but the devil is nipping at her heels.
Beasley, who began singing in church at the age of 13, took a circuitous route to Music City that involved earning a Master's degree in Psychology. Unfulfilled by the mere study of the human condition, she needed to write about it. Sing about it. She pawned an old wedding ring and bought her first guitar. She relocated in 2004, immersing herself in East Nashville's burgeoning music scene.
Beasley has three previous releases. Initial recording of her latest began in 2013. “It has been a long road to realization" Beasley muses. "For me, this is not merely an album. It's a time capsule.”
Glorious is vibey, Appalachian country-rock that draws from a variety of influences. It is Beasley’s most fully realized songwriting delivered with the wail and moan of a girl still singing to save sinners.
“In some ways it feels like a lifetime has passed since I conceived this music. I’m grateful to everyone who has been part of the process. Twelve years in the making, Glorious is the record I dreamed of having.”
