Growing up in a musical family in small Southern towns, Earl Brackin seemed destined for a career in music. The son of a marching band director and a multi-instrumentalist mother, it wasn’t long before he picked up a guitar and began to write his own songs. He was drawn to folk music and the way it was able to convey stories through melody.

After attending Auburn University in the late 1970’s, where he studied music education as an undergrad and later education as a master’s student, Brackin established deep ties to the area. He went on to become a music teacher in both the Auburn and Opelika public school systems.

Recently, Brackin released “Looking For A Story,” a CD’s worth of tunes centered around his Southern upbringing and inspired by his faith, personal experiences and humorous side stories. The album is a virtual gumbo of tunes, featuring a handful of love songs such as “Mystery of Your Smile,” which Brackin wrote for his wife, alongside funloving songs like “Grits on Her Lipstick” and the dirge-like tale of warning, “Train to Nowhere."

Brackin currently lives in his new adopted hometown of Dalton, Ga., where he is the music minister of a church in town. In his spare time, Brackin also plays with local bluegrass group Spatial Effects.

The CD release party for “Looking For A Story” was held on June 25 at The Church On The Hill in Dalton. The album is available on Amazon.com, cdbaby.com, and iTunes. Check out reverbnation.com/earlbrackinband to hear some of Brackin’s new songs.