FAIRHOPE, Ala. — It’s difficult to stand out from the crowd on the independent music scene these days, but one singer/songwriter has proven he’s more than a mere blip on the radar. Nick Gill of Fairhope, a multi-talented Bayside Academy junior, recently released his sophomore album, “Through the Straight & Narrow,” which has already done well in industry polls.

Three tracks on the CD have been well received so far. Ourstage.com indicates “Dawn,” is ranked 50th out of 471 and “Restoration” is 12th out of 543 in the indie rock category. Another tune, “New World” is slotted 9th out of 435 tracks.

Gill recorded his first album, “‘Cause It’s True Love,” in a small guest bedroom his parents, Nick Sr. and Kathie Gill, converted into a sound studio. It was released in July 2006.

Like his initial effort, Gill is the sole performer on the new release, but this time the bulk of the album was recorded in Barry Little’s Nomad Productions studio in Daphne.

“The recording quality is much better,” Gill said. “And the songs are a lot more indepth and personal. It’s acoustic rock, but some is a little more heavy.”

He said “Dawn” is most representative of his personal story

“I’m a really outgoing person, and I sometimes overdo it and cross the line,” Gill said. “That happens a lot in school, and I hope people will forgive me.”

The outspoken teen, who turned 17 on Sept. 2, pours his heart into his art. He said, “I tend to be more honest when I’m writing music than in real life. I try to make up for my sins in life through music.”

His goal as a musician is to bring back sincerity, innocence and honesty to mainstream music.

One track on the new album, “Follow Everyone,” was written as he watched a friend who was hanging out with a bad crowd spiral deeper and deeper into a life of despair. In the lyrics, he tells her he will be there when she needs him, while reminding her there’s only so much his soul can take.

Another, “One Last Goodbye” was written after the death of his paternal grandmother. Gill’s dad was traveling to see her one last time, but didn’t make it before she drew her last breath. He was in the Washington, D.C. airport when she slipped away after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. The song is the only one on the current album recorded in his own eight-track studio.

“I’m watching people, and I take from what they experience and write about it, or I take from what I experience and write about it,” Gill said.

That was the case in “The New World,” a song written after watching a sister go off to college. He said, “It was kind of a farewell song — a wish her luck song.”

“Five Shots To Live” sprung from Alabama State Sen. Trip Pittman’s near-death experience in a plane crash almost two years ago. Pittman is a friend of the Gill family, and the musician wrote the song for him.

Gill plans to perform the new material soon at Barnes & Noble in Spanish Fort, where he was asked to perform an acoustic set. He also plans to hit the road to Stapleton, where he will play at Picker’s Paradise. The dates have not yet been set.

His next recording will likely contain fewer songs, but will probably carry as much of an impact. Gill said, “It will be a little more upbeat in terms of the lyrics. It’s going to be acoustic — just me and my guitar.”

The rising artist has plans to continue writing and performing, and will also pursue an education in the music field. He acknowledged he needs to focus more on his studies now so he will be accepted into a music college.

In the meantime, Gill said, “I’ll keep gigging, plugging away, shooting out albums. I’ll do everything but give up.”

“Through the Straight & Narrow” is available online at iTunes as well as CDbaby.com. It can also be purchased at The Coffee Loft, Jubilee Music, Picker’s Paradise, Laura Vendetti Hair, Classic Pools and Patio and Dr. Music.

For more information on Nick Gill’s music, visit www.nickgillmusic.com, or his MySpace page, www.myspace.com/throughthestraightandnarrow.