Whether it’s wowing the audience at a sold out show or reminiscing about her hometown of Monkeys Eyebrow, Kentucky, Kelsey Waldon is accustomed to raising eyebrows and turning heads.

Waldon became involved with music at a young age. Her family had always been musically inclined, with her grandparents and many relatives on her mother’s side also being well-versed in music.

At 13 her parents divorced, leading Waldon to delve more than ever into songwriting as a method of making it through the trials and tribulations of being a teenager.

Upon graduating high school Waldon moved on a whim to Nashville, working over 40 hours a week at a minimum wage job between playing gigs. Waldon eventually wound up at Belmont University where she graduated in 2013 with a degree in songwriting and music business, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college after having no plans to do so before ascending on the music city.

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Waldon didn’t waste any time after graduation, releasing her debut record “The Goldmine” in 2014. After the record received rave reviews, Waldon opted to hop back in the studio to record her sophomore effort “I’ve Got a Way” which released in August. The record incorporates pop and soul influences with Waldon’s distinctive country sound which draws heavily upon music of the 1970s such as Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Bill Withers, and others.

“Some of my favorite Staple Singers and Ralph Stanley records – I drew a lot on the instrumentation of those records as far as space goes,” Waldon said. “It’s raw instrumentation, no layers. We hardly even did any overdubs on (my) latest record.”

Many of the tracks off of “I’ve Got a Way” feature the twangy steel pedal guitar which meshes with Waldon’s voice, which fits the mold of of Dolly Parton, one of country music’s most iconic artists.

“I had a pretty strict but open-minded vision about this record,” Waldon said. “I wanted to make a really raw record with a lot of space and produce something that shows my growth and progress. Sonically we achieved all the sounds that I wanted to get out of (the record).”

Waldon will perform on Monday, Oct. 17 at the Lyric Theatre during WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour along with Texan K Phillips. The trip to Lexington is Waldon’s first since a gig on Aug. 21 with The Wooks at Willie’s Locally Known. Aside from music, WoodSongs is unique for also showcasing brief artist interviews and discussion between songs.

What: Kelsey Waldon and K Phillips on WoodSongs

When: Monday, Oct. 17 at 6:45 p.m.

Where: Lyric Theatre – 300 E Third St.

Tickets: $10 public, $5 student