Where the pines meet the water

Lane Wells Drive began the way most good things in Hope, Arkansas do — on a porch, with the sun going down behind the pines and neighbors keeping time with their foot. Band leader Autry Lee Hatfield Jr writes all of the band's material, and his songs sound like where he's from: lake water and red dirt, tent revivals and county fairs, and the long drive between small towns.

The sound is roots with pop sensibilities — warm, melodic, and built for singing along. The family tree snakes back along the Red River, where the Hatfields learned harmony the old way, voice to voice. The polish runs through Nashville, where Autry sharpened his craft on writing music that feels like home even if you've never been there.

And underneath all of it runs a steady current of faith. These are songs about the God who doesn't give up on people — sung without pretense, for anyone who's ever needed a second chance. The group releases new material as singles, one song at a time, the way seeds get planted.