As if it has not been said before, here it is again: do not judge a book by its cover. People often assume Skyelor Anderson is an R&B singer when they see him, but this Southaven native is a country boy at heart. “[Country music] is a life story. It’s real; it hits you hard. It’s all about true passion to me,” says Anderson. 

 

He began his affair with music at a young age, but really fell in love with it when he came in first place during Southaven Idol his freshman year of high school. If his name sounds familiar, when he was 16 he auditioned for the first season of the X Factor and made it through to round three at the judges’ houses. “The X Factor taught me a lot music wise, where to be professionally. It taught me how to not be stuck in just one place in music, not just country. Taught me how to take something from all parts of music. That was the good part about it,” says Anderson.

 

Anderson has a voice beyond his years that has come a long way since his time on the X Factor. It is like whiskey in that the more it ages, the smoother it gets. Now, he is 20 and working on his second EP entitled Somewhere, scheduled for release later this year. The name comes from the title track and the idea is that no matter what happens in life, we all end up somewhere. Maybe plans don’t go as, well, planned, but it all works itself out in the end. 

 

For Anderson, like most songwriters, inspiration comes from life and his observations. He will listen to stories from and watch his friends and say, “I have got to write about that,” or see somebody doing something and find a song title in it. He says this new EP is different in that it will feature a lot of his own life, the good, fun parts. “It’s about everyday life; that’s where true country music should be today,” says Anderson. 

 

True to country style, Anderson’s songs are straight forward, getting to the heart of the matter. But that doesn’t make them any less interesting. “Where I’m From” is an older song of Anderson’s that paints a picture of his hometown including parties on the state line, and “I Would” explains some things he regrets and wishes he could do over differently. Each is personal and made more so by their simplicity, which spotlights Anderson’s voice.

 

The first single off the new EP is “Wherever You Are,” which you can find on YouTube, and is set to release this month. It was written with and inspired by Anderson’s girlfriend. As one might expect, he wants to be where she is, but he says it much more poetically with lyrics like “we can just talk to each other, kiss one another and make our own love songs.” 

 

Besides working on the EP, Anderson has been opening for acts such as Sister Hazel and traveling to put his self out there. He says he is not looking forward to moving to Nashville because he knows that everybody there wants to do what he does, but he does spend a few weeks there to work on occasion. Right now, he is happy at home in Mississippi and traveling. “This is where I’m from and I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and hope somebody notices me,” says Anderson. 

 

The Skye Is

The Limit

 

Skyelor Anderson set to release second EP,

Somewhere

 

Story by  Mary Eckersley