The Jewel Machine

THE JEWEL MACHINE

In the Heart of Tennessee Ashlie Jewel and Terry McClain met; right there at a popular night spot, just a stone’s throw from the obelisk pinpointing the geographical center of the state. That meeting began the musical collaboration that resulted in The Jewel Machine.

Terry “The Machine” McClain was born north of Boston, Massachusetts. But his family soon moved to Middle Tennessee, not far from the childhood home of Ashlie Jewel. So close but yet so far from their destiny. Terry grew up listening to his dad’s record collection. Everything from George Jones to Queen, from Abba to The Eagles. By the time the early 90’s came along, Terry started writing and recording. Attending classes at Middle Tennessee State University for a major in Journalism only fueled this drive to write and perform. This drive earned him the nickname “Machine” as in 2014 Terry wrote and recorded one album per month ending in a Christmas Rock Opera in December of that year. He’s a multi-instrumentalist; guitar, piano, drums and recently mandolin and the banjo. It’s the latter along with Ashlie that spurred on the music of The Jewel Machine. Ashlie was visiting a family in a Cannon County Tennessee hollow when she first heard the melodies and harmonies of the front porch Appalachian music that shaped her musical soul. A self-trained folk artist, she molded her music around the influences of Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading and Crosby, Stills and Nash along with her love for Appalachian roots music of The Carter Family. Her father was the choir director at their family church, and from that the gospel upbringing rings through her songs. They began performing together almost immediately, as if the two last pieces of a puzzle were finally placed to form a complete picture.

From There To Infinity shows us the roots of Appalachia and Ireland with a modern pop and country twist from two talented people with a chemistry that has brought them brilliantly together for everyone.