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Photo courtesy of Alli Leighann Carruth, by Payton Costa
Singer/songwriter Alli Leighann Carruth
Singer/songwriter Alli Leighann Carruth performs on stage.
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Photo courtesy of Alli Leighann Carruth, by Payton Costa.
Singer/songwriter Alli Leighann Carruth
Singer/songwriter Alli Leighann Carruth
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Photo courtesy of Alli Leighann Carruth, by Trey Bonner and Braden Walker.
Singer/songwriter Alli Leighann Carruth
Carruth started playing shows all across the Birmingham area and driving back and forth to Nashville at 13. Now 22, she is living in Nashville chasing down her dream in the music industry.
Alli Leighann Carruth’s music career began riding shotgun in her grandfather’s Lincoln. Those endless summers now feel like a fever dream, Carruth said. She began to appreciate her grandfather, Paul Ott Sr., and his taste in music at a very young age. Every summer, she would accompany him to Mississippi, singing along to his own CDs he recorded in his studio.
“I would go visit him in Mississippi and I would drive with him to his studio, which was about an hour away from his house. I remember seeing his CDs and being like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I remember he always used to tell me, ‘Songwriting is the ticket.’ This was a huge part of my journey, and seeing him sing and do what he loved made me want to pursue songwriting and eventually singing,” Carruth said.
Born and raised in Trussville, 24-year-old Carruth made the decision to pursue her music career by moving to Nashville after her sophomore year in college, when COVID hit. She made the move soon after and enrolled as a songwriting major at Middle Tennessee State University, after transferring from the University of North Alabama.
“It was a weird time to move to Nashville, honestly, and a lot of it was me figuring out how the business side of music works. I already knew how to write a song and I knew I could sing. I was analyzing how other people have made it work and I learned really quickly that nobody’s path is the same. I knew I had to trust God’s plan. I also didn’t know anyone in Nashville but luckily, Nashville isn’t too far away and I was able to have my parents come. It was like being a fish out of water, trying to figure out how it all works,” Carruth said.
Although surrounded by a deep pool of musical talent in Nashville, she learned to stand her ground and gain valuable skills both as an artist and young adult. She recalls those early years of living alone and exploring Nashville on her own.
“Being in the music scene and moving from Trussville to Nashville made me realize that there’s no set timeline. I feel like when you grow up in a small town, it’s easier to plan. In Nashville, I quickly realized that you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow you could meet someone that’s going to sign you or you could meet Taylor Swift. It’s so crazy how things can change in a day,” Carruth said.
One thing that will always remain in Carruth’s life is her supportive family in Trussville. Her Southern roots run deep and have played a major role in who she is today. Carruth comes from a notable family, with her grandfather, Paul Ott Sr., headlining small country music gigs. Her father, Bert Ott, played football for Ole Miss, while her uncle, Paul Ott Jr., played for the University of Alabama. Her little brother, Cade Ott is on the Alabama football team.
“What really got my social media going was when my little brother decided to go play football at Alabama, and country artist Connor Smith has a song called ‘I Hate Alabama,’ and so I did a TikTok video and maybe had a few hundred followers on both platforms. I redid the ‘I Hate Alabama’ to ‘I Love Alabama,’ and that was my first semi-viral video that got everyone in Alabama knowing my name and it helped me in Nashville as well because the songwriters of that song had to get my version approved, and that sparked a buzz,” Carruth said.
For Carruth, Trussville will always have a special place in her heart. The city’s music scene and welcoming presence heavily inspired her to follow her dreams and gave her the confidence to take a chance on Nashville.
“Trussville has had a huge impact on me as a person, as an artist and my family. Trussville really encourages kids and teens to dream big. People from Trussville are in the NFL, they’re in the MLB, they’re in Nashville writing songs. There was never a ceiling on how far you can go. There were people from Trussville on Disney Channel and I used to think ‘Ok, if they can do it, then I can do it too.’ My family and friends have also been a huge support for me, and I used to play at the local pizza place every Tuesday night and people would come and support.”
Carruth continues to grow her career in Nashville and is lined up with gigs. She is on her “College Tour,” where she visits local college towns around the states and performs at local venues. You can find her work on Instagram @allileighann.
