Regardless of the outcome of this season's 'American Idol,' Skylar Laine says she's heading to Nashville. The 17-year-old has been fine-tuning her sound in recent years and learning from seasoned songwriting partners, including one with over almost a dozen Top 10 hits.

According to her biography at Reverb Nation, the Brandon, Miss. teenager is currently working toward a degree in nursing. After she completes that coursework, she plans to move to Nashville.

"I get writer's block really easy so if y'all have any good stories to tell me that I could turn into a song, then have at it!" she writes.

Miranda Lambert is an obvious influence -- Laine sang the Pistol Annies song 'Hell on Heels flawlessly during her audition -- but so are Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins. Laine also has a theatre background, having toured nationally with a production of 'Annie' and 'Les Miserables.' In 'Les Miserables,' she played the young Eponine, the same character Taylor Swift is said to be playing in the upcoming film adaptation of the musical.

Those experiences were over 10 years ago, however. These days she's been working toward a music career with her name on the marquee. At her MySpace page, fans can find six songs, including 'Wrong Side of Me,' a song she wrote with Deborah Allen in 2010. Allen was popular in the '80s, but has also written chart-toppers for Janie Fricke and John Conlee, in addition to others for Patty Loveless and Tanya Tucker.

As is the case with most contestants on 'American Idol,' there is clearly plenty more to Laine's story than what viewers saw in a three-minute video package. There's little doubt she's the rooted, camouflage wearing country girl judges fell in love with, but she seems more polished than we were led to believe.

Watch Skyler Laine Sing 'Hell on Heels' at Her 'American Idol' Audition

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