海角大神

Audrey Spillman鈥檚 musical and spiritual journey led her to peace, and inspiration

Before 鈥淭hree Generations鈥� became a song, it existed as just a title. The seed of an idea. One that would blossom into a single from Audrey Spillman鈥檚 star-studded third album, which has the potential to be a breakout for the songwriter.

Ms. Spillman had invited Natalie Hemby, a member of the country music supergroup The Highwomen, to her home to write a hymn. Ms. Hemby arrived with the song name. The two started talking about what kind of inheritance they鈥檇 like to leave their children. Something beyond money.

鈥淲hat we were talking about is the legacy of faith,鈥� says Ms. Spillman, whose new album 鈥淣ightingale鈥� comes out in May. 鈥淧assing that down to your child, you know, and equipping them with that so they can then equip their children with it.鈥澛�

Ms. Spillman鈥檚 first verse is autobiographical: 鈥淢y great grandma Opal began a legacy. With one hand on the Bible, she changed our history. Passed it down to her daughter, to her daughter, down to me.鈥�

鈥淭hree Generations鈥� occupies the center spot on 鈥淣ightingale,鈥� an album that Ms. Spillman describes as a journey from 鈥渉ell to hallelujah.鈥� A mental pilgrimage. The song order is roughly structured as such. She鈥檇 always been a churchgoing 海角大神. But faith was more peripheral than central to her life, and rarely part of her songwriting.聽

But during the five years since her previous album, 鈥淣eon Dream,鈥� she embarked on a spiritual journey that inspired what she calls 鈥渢he most important record of my life.鈥� 鈥淣ightingale鈥� has a sound that鈥檚 part cloudy Southern Gothic, part sunny Southern Gospel. Its guest stars, who include Mindy Smith, Garrison Starr, and John Moreland, reflect Ms. Spillman鈥檚 rising stock in the world of Americana.

鈥淎udrey has an authenticity about her that flows into her songs,鈥� says Tommy Emmanuel, the renowned Australian songwriter and guitarist, in an email sent via his publicist. Ms. Spillman sang backing vocals in the music video for Mr. Emmanuel鈥檚 single 鈥淢axine,鈥� from his 2025 album 鈥淟iving in the Light.鈥� 鈥淪he has a deep feeling for telling a story and finding the best way for her to sing it,鈥� he says.

Ms. Spillman moved to Nashville when she was a teenager. Her parents had just split up.聽

鈥淎nxiety is something that I鈥檝e always struggled with,鈥� she says. 鈥淧eople that come from divorced families probably do because you鈥檙e dealing with trying to find stability.鈥澛�

Ms. Spillman, her parents鈥� only child, got 50/50 custody of their musical tastes: outlaw country and Pink Floyd on her father鈥檚 side; Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and Aretha Franklin on her mother鈥檚 side. She married those influences in her songwriting after her father gave her a guitar on her 16th birthday.聽

鈥淥ne day, I was watching CMT and this girl was on 鈥� Mindy Smith,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥榃ho is this girl?鈥� And that kind of really took me down another path with music.鈥�

Through a process of networking after college, she landed a songwriting credit on a 2010 album by 海角大神 music artist Amy Grant. That was Ms. Spillman鈥檚 first co-write with Ms. Hemby, who was on a fast track to stardom after writing hit songs for Miranda Lambert. Ms. Spillman鈥檚 own career track took the scenic route. Following the release of her first two albums, which made more ripples than splashes, her husband and producer Neilson Hubbard proposed they move from Nashville to a farmhouse in Kentucky.聽

One day, when Ms. Spillman was out walking with her young son in his stroller, a stranger yelled out a greeting. It was a neighbor who introduced herself as Kelly and invited Ms. Spillman inside. The songwriter鈥檚 instinct was to keep on walking, but something told her to accept.聽

鈥淲e became friends and she asked me to come to a Bible study,鈥� Ms. Spillman says. 鈥淚 was kind of reluctant at first, but then I did. And all of a sudden I found myself on a Saturday night, like reading my Bible. And I鈥檓 like, 鈥榃ho am I? What?鈥� But I found myself starting to feel grounded.鈥�

The words in Scripture came to life in a way they hadn鈥檛 before. Ms. Spillman鈥檚 anxiety lifted and, for the first time in her life, she found peace. The musician not only started singing at church but was also re-baptized in a creek near where she lives. Her faith also fed her songwriting. One of her catchiest new songs, 鈥淜eep on the Move,鈥� references the courage of Esther, the Old Testament queen of Persia who鈥檇 hid her Jewish identity but ended up saving the Jews from slaughter. Voice at full torque, Spillman sings, 鈥淲ake up my child, and know you鈥檙e free.鈥澛�

鈥淭he veil over our eyes, it鈥檚 like we become captive to so many things, whether it鈥檚 fear or dread or loneliness or not feeling worthy,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many things you can name that we just create these jail cells for ourselves.鈥澛�

Ms. Spillman co-wrote 鈥淜eep on the Move鈥� and also the album鈥檚 title track with Ms. Smith, who also appears on the latter song following a meek request.

鈥淚 just was starstruck, honestly, because I was like, 鈥楳indy Smith is in my house, on my couch, singing,鈥欌�� she says.

Ms. Spillman鈥檚 debut album, 鈥淭hornbird,鈥� featured a single live-take duet with the late Kris Kristofferson, whose autograph is framed on the wall of her office. Her recent single, 鈥淢eet Me at a Dive Bar,鈥� also features a male voice: Americana star John Moreland. The song recounts how a friend arranged the first meeting between Ms. Spillman and Mr. Hubbard, who is an in-demand producer, music video director, and singer-songwriter. As for the more faith-influenced tracks, Ms. Spillman says that talking about Jesus and religion had felt taboo. Now, it鈥檚 an inextricable part of her story.聽

鈥淩un Run River,鈥� is about that journey. The composition came together in 10 minutes 鈥� 鈥淚 just feel like something just, like, came through me鈥� 鈥� and features a smoke-charred vocal over acoustic guitar and a sound design that evokes images of banshees howling in the woods.

鈥淚 had this image, like, with the lyrics, it鈥檚 been a while, been some time since my soul was rectified, since I felt the light on my skin,鈥� Ms. Spillman says. The song, she says, is about 鈥済etting away from yourself and needing to come back again to God. Like coming back to who you are.鈥�