Natalie Hemby may be best known for writing songs for Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town (among others), but come January, the Nashville songwriter will release a set of tunes under her own name. On Jan. 13, Hemby will debut her first album, Puxico, an ode to hometowns, homecomings and the roots that make us who we are.

On Puxico, inspired by yearly homecoming celebrations in her grandfather's hometown of Puxico, Mo., Hemby explores the foundation of her music, crediting the town for introducing her to the roots-oriented music that has influenced her own sound. In fact, she's so enamored by the small town that Hemby also created a feature-length documentary paying homage to the music-filled homecoming event that brings her back to Puxico every year. Both the film and her forthcoming album are a strong tribute to small-town living and the people who connect you to a sense of home.

"When you put out your first record, it spells out who you are, both as an artist and as a person," says Hemby in a press release. "Puxico isn't my hometown, but it feels like it is. I've gone there every year since I was a kid. Musically, my roots are from that place. Puxico is roots-oriented music, from bluegrass to Southern gothic to soul to old-school country."

Puxico may be about her grandfather's hometown, but the album was created in Hemby's own native Nashville -- and the production process was as much of a family affair as the inspiration process. Hemby co-wrote many of the tracks on Puxico with close friends and collaborators around Music City, and the album will be released by GetWrucke Productions, a joint venture between Hemby and her husband, Mike Wrucke, who is an award-winning producer.

"I want people to hear the record and get nostalgic about how they grew up," Hemby says. "I wrote this album about my life, and when people hear these songs, I want them to return to where they grew up. I want them to think about how they grew up and who they grew up with. It's very family-oriented."

Puxico will be Hemby's first album after nearly 10 years of songwriting in Nashville.

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