Songbird Angela Easterling Performs Friday at Mauldin Cultural Center

Angela Easterling is from these parts. The Greer native has moved around during her career as a professional musician, but calls the Upstate home.

“Living here makes it possible for me to make my living,” Easterling said.

The self-described indie musician released her fourth full-length studio album, “Mon Secret” on Tuesday. The album is a departure of sorts for Easterling, who fits into that broadly defined genre known as Americana, as it’s in French.

“I love the French language,” Easterling said. “(Recording in French) is something I just wanted to try and I just put it out there for fun. But it’s a challenge because it’s so different.”

Since her debut album “Earning Her Wings” in 2007, Easterling believes she has grown as an artist, but not because of hour upon hour spent in a recording studio. She credits her time on the road for the growth. “All the shows and tours I have under my belt have helped me get better from album to album,” Easterling said.

The recording process is much like performing for Easterling. “It’s organic. It’s real people playing real instruments,” she said. “The better you get as a performer the better the albums are.”

Now that her album is out, Easterling will soon hit the road, embarking on an extensive touring schedule in March that will take her up and down the East Coast throughout the Spring.

Life on the road is something to which Easterling has grown accustomed. In an age of single song downloads, musicians earn their keep by playing live. While some musicians might shy away from the business side of things, Easterling embraces it.

“You can’t wait around to be discovered, you have to put your nose to the grindstone,” she said. “But there are also so much more opportunities to reach an audience than there used to be. There are so many resources for someone like me to make a living as a musician, whether it’s on Facebook or Twitter or YouTube.”

Between recording, touring and working social media, Easterling still finds time to write songs that are both topical and tuneful. “I try to get my point across in a story without being self-righteous or trite,” she said.

Her approach to songwriting was inspired by the Indigo Girls and, like many female singers of her generation, by Emmylou Harris. “(Harris) has definitely influenced my style,” Easterling said.

After her debut, Easterling’s subsequent albums were produced by the noted Southern musician Will Kimbrough, who has also produced the likes of Rodney Crowell and Adrienne Young. Kimbrough had high praise for Easterling, calling her songs, “literate, modern Southern music for the ages.”

Kimbrough also sat in with Easterling’s regular band, The Beguilers, on occasion. Though he won’t be joining Easterling for Friday’s performance, The Beguilers will.

Note: Angela Easterling is the second performer in the Railroad Concert Series at the Mauldin Cutlural Center. Tickets can be acquired here. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., 6:50 for Early Entry Ticketholders.

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