Shawn Mullins - Light You Up (2010)

An Atlanta-based folksinger best known for his Top Ten hit "Lullaby," Shawn Mullins was serving as a member of the U.S. Army Airborne Infantry Division when he released his first self-titled cassette (issued on his own label, SM) in 1989. Following the release of 1991's Everchanging World, he left the military after eight years of service to pursue music on a full-time basis. After three years spent fruitlessly searching for a record deal, Mullins established a new label, SMG, and released the LPs Better Days and Big Blue Sky in the interim. Jeff's Last Dance, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (live companion discs recorded jointly with Matthew Kahler) arrived in 1995, and Mullins returned a year later with the solo effort Eggshells.

Soul's CoreReleased in 1998, Soul's Core marked his first album for a major label, Columbia Records; it also signaled his critical breakthrough, as the single "Lullaby" became a chart-topping, Grammy-nominated hit. The album eventually went platinum, paving the way for an anthology of the singer's early work with 1999's The First Ten Years. Toward the end of 2000, Mullins released the official follow-up to Soul's Core, Beneath the Velvet Sun. The Essential Shawn Mullins collection arrived in 2003, followed by 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor, his first release for Vanguard Records, in 2006. He remained with Vanguard for 2008's Honeydew, which was inspired by (and recorded in) his native Georgia. Mullins kept himself busy for the rest of the year, co-writing a number one hit for the Zac Brown Band ("Toes") and releasing Live at the Variety Playhouse, which captured one of his sold-out performances in Atlanta. Two years later, he released his 11th studio album, Light You Up, which continued the rustic, Americana-styled thread he'd been spinning since 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor. Five years later, he signed with Sugar Hill and released My Stupid Heart in October of 2015.

Soul's Core: RevivalMullins returned in 2018 with Soul's Core Revival, a double album which features two different takes on his 1998 breakthrough Soul's Core. The first disc was recorded with his touring band Soul Carnival, while the second disc is acoustic and featured spoken introductions by Mullins.

Georgia native Matthew Kahler left his small town roots in the late '80s and headed West to be a songwriter. The coffeehouses of Pasadena, CA, were the lucky recipients of his talent, though they didn't quite realize the potential of the gift they had received. So, after giving it his best effort, Kahler patted himself on the back and made his way back to Atlanta in 1991. It wasn't long before he made a friend in another struggling singer/songwriter, Shawn Mullins. The two shared a musical and personal camaraderie that led to a number of collaborations, both onstage and off. As a solo artist, Kahler released My Own Medicine in 1994 and This Here That There in 1996, all the while building a strong local following for his James Taylor-esque style. In 1995, Kahler and Mullins recorded their infamous dueling live show and issued Jeff's Last Dance on Mullins' SMG Records. The double-CD features the two energetic artists doing what they do best -- entertaining an audience at the legendary Eddie's Attic. Kahler was noticeably quiet for a while after that, battling a strong case of writer's block and, later, a pretty big heartbreak. Following the breakup of a long-term relationship in 1999, Kahler bounced around the idea of packing it in and moving to the wilderness of Alaska. Mullins, who was riding high on the success of his hit single "Lullaby," checked in with his old pal, encouraging him to write some songs and record another record. And that's just what Kahler did, with some not so little help from his friend. In fact, Mullins produced and played all over Out of the Blue. Released in October 2000 on SMG, Out of the Blue meanders, dashes, analyzes, and contemplates its way through the emotional life of Kahler, with musical inspirations drawn from James Taylor and Al Green with several stops in between. In the spirit of mutual collaborations, Kahler co-wrote a couple of songs on Mullins' Beneath the Velvet Sun, including the first two incredibly catchy singles, "Everwhere I Go" and "Up All Night."