Life In the Moment, Emily Singleton's sophomore release and first on Bell Buckle Records, continues the ground-breaking exploration of bluegrass, folk and blues she began on her well received 2000 debut disc, "From Within". Emily sings with grace, sensitivity and honesty on this beguiling collection of tunes which features everything from a bluesy reading of the old-time chestnut, "Reuben," a rockabilly take on Bill Monroe's classic "Walls of Time," a hard-driving version of the old spiritual, "Wade In the Water" and a moody look at Gershwin's "Summertime." Emily also contributes three mesmerizing originals, "Right Now" (a song about living in and for the moment), "How Many Times" (a thought-provoking gospel tune) and "Follow the Long Journey Home" (a tragic story of the Oregon Trail). But it's Emily's soaring and angelic voice that steals the show, whether she's got the "Cat Gone Blues" or is wistfully remembering "Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore."

The project was recorded in Ridgetop, TN and Murphysboro, IL with members of Emily's band "The Cumberland Plateau," Dave Higgs on guitar, octave mandolin and banjo; Ross Sermons on the bass; and Teressa Parker on harmony vocals. This core sound is augmented by some of the finest area musicians including co-producer and engineer Tim Carter (mandolin and banjo), Danny Carter (vocals), Casey Driessen (fiddle), Gary Gordon (dobro), Jim Hurst (mandolin), Chris Joslin (banjo and dobro), Andy Leftwich (fiddle and mandolin), Kenny Malone (percussion), Mila Maring (vocals), Wil Maring (vocals), Kraig Smith (accordion), Mark Stoffel (mandolin) and Garry West (bodhran).

Emily was born and raised in Middle Tennessee and, thanks to her parents, has been immersed in traditional music from an early age. She and her sister Teressa have that close-knit, tight harmony that only siblings who have sung together all their lives can produce.

Dave Higgs has been actively involved in the world of bluegrass for the last twenty-five years as the host of the syndicated radio program Bluegrass Breakdown, though his musical tastes and abilities reach into the broader world of acoustic music. Co-producing with Emily on both their cd's, Dave brings his exceptional musical skills on octave mandolin, flat-pick and finger-style guitar as well as his ear for creative arrangements to the collaborative effort.

In recent years, Emily met and married Dave and the two realized they share the same musical vision; a fusion of many different traditional styles to create a contemporary sound. The collaboration creates the unique sound of Emily Singleton and the Cumberland Plateau.

Emily's familiarity with a wide number of musical styles and collaboration with Dave has given her a unique perspective not only in her ability to know a good tune when she hears it, but the creativity to arrange the song in a fresh and exciting way. Her takes on such standards as "Calling My Children Home" and "House of the Rising Sun" sparkle with a breath-taking cross pollination of styles and a far-reaching musical vision.