Mikael Rosman

Mikael Rosman came up in a small town near Nashville, where he started writing songs as a teenager. His debut album 'Heartbreaker' came out in 1999, and the title track got some play on country radio. That record established him as a songwriter who could work in straightforward country forms without sounding like a revival act.

In 2005 he released 'Tennessee Skyline,' which became his most recognizable work. The title track in particular stuck around, a lean ballad about a relationship falling apart.

Rosman has kept recording since then, putting out albums like 'The Road Less Traveled' in 2009 and 'Redemption' in 2013. He's worked with a rotating group of musicians, including guitarist Ryan Scott and backing vocalist Amy Harris. The music stays close to the kind of storytelling country he grew up with, less concerned with trends than with getting a feeling across plainly.