His recent solo country performance debut at the 2012 CMA Music Festival in Nashville resulted in a host of media and fan accolades. Of his song, "One Mississippi," USA Today's Lucas Hendrickson writes, "Note to country radio programmers: keep an ear out for 'One Mississippi.' And keep a spoon handy, for you will be eating this song up with it."

"I grew up listening to country music," Powell tells Billboard. "It was a big part of shaping me musically and I think that's pretty evident in Third Day music. There's always been little tinge of it."

To help further shape the sound he was looking for, Powell worked with producer Jason Hoard who has been touring with Third Day since 2010. Hoard, a multi-instrumentalist, played banjo and mandolin on the album and also contributed to the songwriting credits along with famed tunesmith Brett James ("Jesus Take the Wheel," "Love You Out Loud," "Out Last Night," "When the Sun Goes Down").

"I started writing with Brett. He was really the first step," says Powell in his Billboard interview. "We just hit it off really well and came up with a lot of ideas in a short amount of time, and then Jason worked on a few of those ideas as well. We started recording them and it just started feeling great.

"There have been so many times in the past that I had song ideas that didn't really fit lyrically or musically with Third Day," Powell wrote on his personal Tumblr site, announcing the project. "I filed those songs away to the 'maybe sometime' category. Well, that time is now."

Powell is already booked for over two dozen shows this summer and fall to introduce fans to his new music. He's back by a seasoned group of country musicians, affectionately named The Backsliders, and although it's a bit of a change for an artist whose primary outlet puts him in front of thousands of fans a night, it's a change he clearly feels led to follow. "It's different to think about getting in a van with a trailer and driving five to eight hours a night," Powell told USATODAY.com. "It's something I never thought I would do again, but when you're driven to get this music out, you'll do it."

Powell also stresses that his work with Third Day continues, with the band putting the finishing touches on a new album - helmed by veteran rock producer Brendan O'Brien - that's due for release this fall with a Spring 2013 tour to follow.

Long known as Christian music's premier live band, Third Day has played for audiences reaching into the millions all around the world. They have been featured by top media outlets including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (NBC), "The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson," (CBS), "60 Minutes" (CBS), ABC's "Nightline," USA Today, the New York Times, and even graced the cover of Billboard magazine which dubbed them "one of the best rock bands."

About Mac Powell:
As front man for Third Day, Powell has contributed to the Atlanta-based, multi- Platinum act's 27 No. 1 radio singles and more than seven million album sales, including two RIAA Platinum as well as eight Gold certifications. A Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee (2009), Third Day has garnered 24 career GMA Dove Awards from 42 nominations, four GRAMMY Awards (with 11 career nominations), an American Music Award (with three American Music Award nominations) and multiple ASCAP honors, including its coveted Vanguard Award, for songwriting.

For more information on Mac Powell, please visit www.macpowell.com and www.facebook.com/macpowell and www.twitter.com/macpowell.

For more info on Mac Powell visit the JFH Artists Database.

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