inger-songwriter Jewel certainly knows how to make an impression. After recording the first album of her career specifically for the country market, she introduced herself to the genre with a radio tour in which she played for influential broadcasters around the country.

Many artists undertake that kind of promotional tour with a few supporting musicians, but Jewel hit the road with just her acoustic guitar, intentionally achieving a stripped-down sound.

"I became a writer because I believe words really saved my life," she says. "With my own music, my whole mission has been to just be honest, and I feel like the power of music is really about being able to feel less alone. When you hear a great song come on the radio and you feel like it is speaking about your life, you feel less isolated. So for me, my preference is to sing solo acoustic, where I can really feel the heartbeat of the people and they can feel me."

That approach helped Jewel win over radio execs, and her current single, "Stronger Woman," is now in the Top 20 on the national country charts. A full album, titled Perfectly Clear, appears June 3, and she'll go back out on the road after that with public concert appearances on the Brad Paisley Tour. She won't be alone on that run: She'll bring a full band to back her.