Georgia-born singer-songwriter Slater Nalley is a wordsmith blessed with a gravelly, soulful twang and a vision well beyond his years. At just 17, Slater channels real hardship into songs built to connect: "I want my music to spread happiness, but have room for tears, too," he says. "I'm going to work my hardest to put songs out there that say, hey, you're not alone." Raised just outside Atlanta, he found solace on weekends at his family's property in South Georgia — hunting, fishing, riding horses — and credits his close-knit family with carrying him through the tough times that now fuel his music.