Jackson Free Press

Want to make it big in the music industry, but discouraged because you're from a small city like Jackson? Don't despair; here are six who are breaking out.

Charlie Mars — This Jackson native and Oxford resident has been gigging around the Southeast for almost a decade now. After three small releases that never translated into anything more than slight regional success, the rough-edged college rocker hooked up with in-demand Atlanta pop/rock producer Rick Beato. Those sessions fashioned a set of demos that got Mars inked to V2 Records, home of Moby, The White Stripes and Grandaddy. Mars is currently logging a tour through the South, including a stop at the buzzworthy South by Southwest Festival in Austin. Look for his debut album to be released later this year. www.charliemars.com

Owen Beverly — Coco Foundation—mainstays at the old Hal and Mal's Depot—has long since entered the abyss of forgotten high school cover bands, but the group's frontman, Owen Evans, has forged a new identity entirely. Relocating to Charleston for college in 2000, Evans acquired the stage name Owen Beverly and began garnering slots for rockers Jump, Little Children. Earning a degree in music—specifically jazz guitar—in just three years, Evans then gained the blessing of his parents to pursue a career in rock music. Enlisting Mars' producer, Rick Beato, Evans recorded his debut "The Drunk Lover EP" and released it independently. With a very friendly alternative radio rock sound and following the success of like-minded artists John Mayer and Howie Day, Beverly stands a good chance of being swallowed up by a major label. www.owenbeverly.com

Josh Byrd — Whatever your feelings on the contemporary Christian music industry, its position as a viable force cannot be denied, for better or worse. Lauded by Christianity Today as one of "Ten Independent Musicians to Watch in 2004," Jackson native Josh Byrd is in position to leap to the forefront of the CCM sphere. Byrd recruited longtime friend Paul Moak to produce his debut album, "Beautiful," which he released independently in April. The album, a slick collection of straightforward worship tunes, has seen airplay on radio stations nationwide. Meanwhile, Byrd is preparing for his second album and string of spring tour dates. www.joshbyrd.com

Trent Dabbs — After the demise of the slow-core gem, Kelly Wingate, which Dabbs fronted, the Jackson native has been splitting duty between his pop/rock quartet, Always Sunday, and a solo career. Dabbs' solo work caught the ear of producer Dennis Herring through Herring's studio collaborator Clay Jones, who had worked with Kelly Wingate. Herring subsequently inked Dabbs to the Sweettea label. With Always Sunday on hold, Dabbs has made good on his commitment to a solo career, moving to Nashville and gigging regularly. After over a year of recording, Dabbs' debut album, a mix of dream-pop with straightforward singer-songwriter material—think Air meets Rhett Miller—will be released nationwide in June. www.trentdabbs.com

Neilson Hubbard — Longtime Jackson resident Hubbard has done production work for locals like Betsy Roo, Jeremy Lister and The Rockwells, in addition to maintaining an immaculate solo career. Hubbard recently relocated to more music-friendly East Nashville. Constantly at the helm of various production projects in his home studio, Hubbard has made time to form a band with celebrated singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan. The Strays debut album should be released this summer. Music from Hubbard's second release, "Why Men Fail," featured on the soundtrack to the forthcoming comedy "Dean Quixote," has been called by Billboard "a who's who of the independent rock scene." In the midst of all this, Hubbard, a master of delicate melancholy pop, is preparing to record his fourth album this spring. www.neilsonhubbard.com

Paul Moak — Moak, the son of a prominent Jackson car dealer, got his start after the then-Belmont student landed a road gig with alternative Christian titans, DC Talk in 1998. With plenty of action under his belt locally in Nashville, as well as on the road with other Christian artists like Plumb and Small Town Poets, Moak has burgeoned into a successful studio performer, touring musician and producer. Last year, he spent much of his time on tour with revered alt-pop songsmiths, Over the Rhine, where he handled virtuoso-like duties on pedal steel, vibes, sitar, background vocals, 6-string and 12-string guitar. As of late, Moak has maintained a steady stream of studio session work, in addition to gigging around Nashville with Dabbs.