The daughter of a Texas music icon is releasing her fourth CD Friday night at the Saxon Pub.
Growing up in the shadow of Willie Nelson was not always easy for Paula Nelson, Willie’s fourth of eight children.
“I felt like I was playing a lot of places, beer joints, a lot of beer joints where they wanted to hear Willie Nelson, but they weren't getting the country (music) they were looking for. I felt like I was being pigeonholed into one category,” said Paula Nelson.
Paula Nelson’s brand new CD entitled “Little City” was mostly recorded in Austin with her band. All of the songs, except for a duet she sings with her famous dad, were written by her.
“I guess I didn't really know what I wanted to sound like exactly, and now I finally went, 'Okay, I want to do it my way,'” added Nelson.
Paula got her start about 15 years ago with the help of another Austin music man, Clifford Antone.
“Clifford taught me how to play guitar, make chords, blues chords and we share the same birthday, October 27," said Paula.
Nelson may be her toughest critic, but she was very pleased after running her new CD by her dad.
“I played it for my Dad before, you know, just when we had the rough copy of it, and he said, 'This is good, this is really good,' and I said, 'Thanks,'" exclaimed Paula.
“That's why this CD is so important. It's because I really put my actual sound, like found the sound. When I wrote a song, that's how it ended up on the CD. I showed myself that I could do it basically, so I'm really proud. My confidence is up and I have a really great product to show for it,” she added.
Paula Nelson and her band perform at her CD release party Friday, July 30 at the Saxon Pub on South Lamar from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door.
