Jackson Free Press

Garrison Starr, country western singer-songwriter and Hernando, Miss., native, hasn't been to Jackson in a while. But she's excited to be heading back to her home state to play for OUToberfest Saturday, Oct. 14 at Hal & Mal's.

"I'm looking forward to it," she says. "Lots of my family live in Jackson. For whatever reason, my travels just haven't taken me down there."

While she's here, though, she'll be surrounded by an atmosphere that allows her to be open and grounded. This is what she says informs and inspires her music. "When I can really be open … to everything in life, little things like beauty, sadness, happiness and pain—all the aspects of being alive my music comes alive," she says.

Known for her astonishingly honest lyrics, some have speculated that her honesty might have hampered her effort to make it "big." But it's also the reason why her fans adore her music. Two of her favorite songs that she wrote are "Sing it Like a Victim" and "Let Me In." Both are a different style of song for her because their origins were stream-of-consciousness. They aren't, she says, well-crafted songs. They're very honest.

Even honesty has its drawbacks, though. When asked about prying from outsiders into her personal life, Starr admits that candor can be a bit of a double-edged sword. The artist says sometimes people expect her to be the gay champion, or icon, but for her, her sexuality really isn't an issue. "My sexuality is not my identity," she says.

Garrison Starr plays Hal & Mal's Saturday night, Oct. 14. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.