Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Logan Magness singing at The Tap House
Singer-songwriter stops at The Tap House in support of new album
Logan Magness was raised in Memphis, a town steeped in musical heritage and home to some of the most famous recording studios in the world. But it wasn’t until moving to San Francisco after college that Magness became serious about songwriting.
After five years in California, Magness returned to his hometown at the end of 2017. But not before recording his debut album, “Memphis on My Mind,” a love letter to the City by the Bay.
Magness will stop in Chattanooga on Saturday night, April 14, for a performance at The Tap House in St. Elmo in support of “Memphis on My Mind,” which was just released four weeks ago.
The album is an introspective look at his life in San Francisco, falling in and out of love with the people and city around him. Recorded at Prairie Sun Studios in California before he moved back to Memphis, the album utilizes a number of celebrated bay area musicians to back his vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica work.
“Everything was tracked in f ive days,” Magness says in a news release. “I couldn’t afford downtime in the studio anyway. I knew I wanted things to have a live feel, so it was just dialing in the tones and trying to capture the performance. It was a no-frills approach, the last thing I wanted to do was lose sight of the songs,” he adds.
The s i nger s ays it wasn’t until moving to San Francisco after college that he became serious about songwriting. A self-taught singer and guitarist with a smooth tenor, Magness found comfort in the solitude of his tiny studio apartment.
“It just happened, like I was struck by something and became obsessed with songs,” he recalls. “I couldn’t stop writing and I fell in love with the craft, how personal it could be. I haven’t listened to music the same since. It’s a blessing and a curse.”
His relocation back to Memphis at the end of 2017 has opened the next chapter of his life.
“My priorities changed and with that so did my needs,” he summarizes. “I came to the realization that I wouldn’t be happy in l i fe doing anything but music. San Francisco taught me to be myself and I love it for that, but it was time to come home.”
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