Sterling Miller - Mountain Side River Dream (2020)

Growing up in a quaint North Florida town just a stone's throw from the coast, I was surrounded by the enchanting beauty of swamps, rivers, creeks, and the vast expanse of a national forest—home to one of America’s largest natural springs, Wakulla Springs.

From an early age, music wove its way into my life, especially during car rides with my parents, where I often commandeered the radio dial. While country music filled the airwaves of my youth, my musical palate expanded as I grew older, gravitating toward the electrifying sounds of rock ‘n’ roll. Bands like The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Doobie Brothers fueled my passion, while the lyrical storytelling of solo artists such as Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Tom Petty, Townes Van Zandt, and Bob Seger ignited the poet within me.

In 2017, I took a leap of faith and moved to Nashville, TN, with dreams of landing a publishing deal. However, I quickly discovered that crafting songs solely for others to sing wasn’t my true calling. My deep-rooted love for bands simmered beneath the surface, leading me to co-found Highway Natives. Through this journey, I’ve had the privilege of performing on countless stages across the Southeast, including three unforgettable shows at Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Café. My work has been recognized in publications like American Songwriter and Medium, and together, we’ve released two EPs and two full-length albums that reflect our musical evolution.

In 2021, I built a studio as a creative sanctuary, a place to explore ideas and collaborate with friends. Fast forward to 2024, I opened the doors to the public, naming it Southern Echoes Studio. This venture awakened a passion for helping others breathe life into their musical visions, and I’ve relished my role on the “other side of the glass,” producing incredible music alongside talented artists.