A little more than two decades ago, Jamie Purnell began songwriting as an outlet for his emotions. This expressive type of songwriting became even more important to him in 1998, when he lost his mother to cancer. But ever since then, Jamie has slowly come to realize that songwriting is not just about what the music can do for the artist, but what the artist can do for others through music.

The key to a more connective type of writing is to tell a good story first, and use that as a framework to express one’s inner thoughts and feelings. Jamie began to evolve in this direction on his first release, TWO DIFFERENT TOWNS (2003). Eight years later, Jamie has honed his craft so that his audiences see themselves in his stories and come away with a deep connection to the material. Jamie's warm tenor and rich, soothing finger-style guitar riffs augment the emotional message of his songs.  Jamie’s latest release, WHIPPOORWILL, features songs that are loosely autobiographical. But this collection of story-songs, above all, is about everyday human experience -- sadness, love, loneliness, and making peace with your past.

“These songs have been a part of my journey of self-discovery. Now, I hope they become a part of yours.” -- JAMIE


ACOMPLISHMENTS 

• Song "The Right Time" choosen 'Honorable Mention' in American Songwriter Magazine's Lyric Contest for Nov./Dec. 2011 issue 
• Finalist, 13th Annual NC Songwriter’s Co-op Song Contest
• Co-wrote with well-known Nashville songwriter, L. Aschmann
• Co-wrote song “A New Day” and performed it with the UNC Loreleis, an all-female a capella group, for a marriage proposal, Valentine’s Day, 2011 
• Opened for nationally-touring artists such as Brendan James, Kristen Hall, and Martha’s Trouble
• Song “Anybody’s Guess” licensed for Uwharrie Vineyards website 2006-08
• Participated and sang in Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2010 & 2011
• Featured Musician, AT&T Raleigh Winterfest 2010 & 2011
• Played Regional festivals such as SparkCon, Festival in the Park (Charlotte, NC), Festival for the Eno, and Carrboro Music Festival
• Played many well-recognized venues such as Cat’s Cradle, Artscenter in Carrboro, Casbah, The Evening Muse (Charlotte, NC), The Cave, and Broad St. Café