Jarrad Lister Photography » The sessions, the stories, and the details.

I recently had the pleasure to photograph a young new recording artist, Daisy Mallory.  I was hired to shoot a collection of photographs to be used for her marketing and upcoming CD.  I met up with the crew in Nashville, TN at one of the iconic recording studios, Ronnie’s Place.  Original owner Roy Orbison purchased the studio back in 1972 and then later sold it to Ronnie Milsap in 1978.  Needless to say, a classic studio full of history where great music was born.  In scouting for ideas, I came across this incredible location just outside of Nashville that had tons of wild flowers growing in a natural setting.  I wanted something fresh but also something that was very natural and unique.  I was lucky to have all of the daisies growing in the background so that was a no brainer.  Later we moved downtown to capture more of a city feel.  Special thanks to her parents Bob and Gigi and Daisy’s manager, Henry Neuman for hiring me.  You guys are great to work with!

Below is an excerpt taken from Today’s Country Magazine.com

“The 16-year old, Arizona native is a discovery of renowned veteran manager Henry Neuman who has worked with the likes of Rod Stewart, Prince, and Hootie & the Blowfish. Prior to making a splash in Nashville, Mallory gained recognition around her home state of Arizona playing multiple times on Arizona’s Channel 3, winning 1st place for a songwriting competition for the Cave Creek Film and Arts Festival, and representing Fender as the winner of Junior AZ idol.

Upon her initial arrival in Nashville in 2008, Mallory auditioned for the famed Bluebird Café, landing a gig there, and she recently completed her new EP in March of 2009 working with Nashville’s top players, all leading to her industry showcase on this night at The Rutledge.

Her 6-piece band stood on stage and began to play the opening notes of the show and without any real fan fare, Daisy Mallory was quickly introduced and bounced up the steps onto the stage and blasted into the up-tempo opener “Posin.” Near the end of the song she strapped on her guitar and dove quickly into the set with “I Know You Don’t.”

For the first time in the evening Mallory paused to address the crowd when she said, “I like to vent on paper and I am sure that we’ve all been through at least one heartbreak,” she finished and played her first slower paced song of the night with “You Can’t Stay.”

Rolling through her set and back to the upbeat songs, Mallory continued with “Didn’t I” after quickly announcing “this next song is one about staying true to yourself.”

Slowing down once again with “Come To Me” allowed for Mallory’s voice to take center stage as her band stood back and the only instrumentation surrounding her voice was just her strumming the acoustic and a piano. The crowd loved her voice and let her know with a huge round of applause, as the final notes were sung bringing a smile to Mallory’s face.

After thanking everyone for coming out to the show and letting them know they were a wonderful audience, Mallory continued, “I am gonna leave you with this one. It’s a song I wrote about my dad,” and closed her set with the up-tempo “Daddy’s Boots,” and quickly exited the stage as the final notes were sung and her band played her off the stage.

Though only 16 years old, Mallory showed Nashville a few things with her performance. Besides the obvious things like being able to sing, having a look and image, etc… she also showed that she knows how to balance a short set list perfectly when she altered between fun and upbeat songs, mixing in the ballads that showcased her voice at the perfect moments. She handled the show like a veteran to some degree because where most new artists fail to mention the names of the songs Mallory made it a point to. The packed crowd seemed to take to this young lady quickly and if she sticks with it, honing in on her live performance and just getting stronger and stronger, I think it is just a matter of time before the rest of the country music world takes to her too. “ 

Best of luck to you Daisy!  I know you will do great.  Here is a sample of Daisy’s music: You Can’t Stay

Here are a few shots I captured of Daisy in one of Nashville’s historical recording studios,  Ronnie’s place.  Original owner Roy Orbison purchased the studio back in 1972 and then later sold it to Ronnie Millsap in 1978.  Needless to say, a classic studio full of history where great music was born.

Here are a few shots from the latest session that I shot with JB Rocket from CMT’s show, “Can You Duet”. They are currently on tour so be sure to check them out when they come to your town!