If you’re like us, you prefer your music home grown, and not manufactured.

Well, musicians don’t get much more home grown than Heather Luttrell, who grew up traveling the country with her father’s band. Music began as a vital part of her childhood; it eventually became an integral part of her soul.

For nearly a decade now, Heather has dedicated her life to sowing her music among the masses, cultivating a dedicated following from the ground up. In 2002, she released the live solo album, Drive Like You Stole It, and in 2005 she followed Drive… up with the full length studio album, Grits n’ Pulp. She toured extensively to support both releases, surrounding herself with a host of award-winning musicians (her rhythm section won the International Blues Challenge in 2003) and opening for the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, The GA Satellites, The Zach Brown Band, Dave Mason, Johnette Napolitano, Shawn Mullins, Alana Davis, Tift Merrit, Jakob Dylan, Over the Rhine, Angie Aparo, Amos Lee, Ryan Adams, Elton John, The Jon Butler Trio, Delbert McClinton, Richard Thompson, Brandi Carlille, Bain Mattox, Melissa Ferrick, and Eyes Adrift.

In 2005, Heather became a contestant on Rock Star: INXS, an international reality show in which a variety of singers vied to become frontman (or frontwoman) for the seminal Australian-based rock and pop band. Heather made it to the top 15, but was eliminated in the middle rounds of the televised contest. While INXS’s music didn’t reflect the sentiment and sensibility of Heather’s own music, she chalks the it up as a life-changing learning experience. The show also exposed Heather to an even broader fan base – it was like fertilizer on an already fertile field.

Most recently, Heather has thrown herself headlong into touring in support of her studio EP, Pomegranate, and another full length live recording, Live From the Kirkwood Public House. Some of the highlights of Heather’s latest flurry of touring has been her spots on the Lynyrd Skynyrd Cruise, the Kid Rock Cruise, and the Cayamo Cruise, where she played the same stage as Lyle Lovett, Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott, Buddy Miller, and The Indigo Girls.