Rock, soul, blues, folk, country and indie music combined in Chapel Hill through the outlet of Lizzy Ross, lead singer and bandleader of the Lizzy Ross Band.

The band consists of Ross, Jock Pyle, Brett Hart and Drew Daniel. Together, the group released its first album, "Traces," in June 2010. The second album, "Read Me Out Loud," will be released this October.

The band pieced itself together over time.

"Drew and I met when I needed a temporary drummer," Ross said. "Our drummer was out of town, so we put up a Craigslist (ad) and won the lottery. Drew played roughly 16 bars before I knew he was the drummer for me."

Hart joined the band after a friend suggested him to Ross. With only a week until the band's first big show at the Shakori Hill Grassroots Festival, he learned all the songs in time to perform.

Pyle and Daniel played together for years, so when the band was looking for a new guitarist, the choice was easy.

"It's a joy to play with this band," Ross said. "I feel incredibly lucky to have them on the team and to have their company on stage."

With a mix of musicians from different backgrounds, the band's genre is not easily defined.

"A friend of mine jokingly quipped that I should be known as the 'Queen of rock-soul-blues-folk-country-Americana,'" Ross said. "The genre description, at least, is fitting."

The band's first album gave Ross a lot of insight in to what it means to create a record, she said. The process was hard and came with many challenges. There was a constant tug between perfection and quality and how to express what she intended for her music.

"The first record was a great learning experience for me, and the experience gained is the foundation for this second record, 'Read Me Out Loud,'" Ross said.

The release of "Read Me Out Loud" represents a lot for Ross. She said she is much more confident with what she has produced in relation to her first album "Traces."

"I feel more formed as a musician, songwriter and person," Ross said. "I'm more comfortable with the process of recording. I understand what I want to say and how to say it."

Ross said she is already looking forward beyond this album to a third.

"I want our band to continue to grow and make music," she said. "And I imagine that soon our tour base will be expanding and we'll be working on our next record."

A CD release party to celebrate the debut of "Read me Out Loud" will be held Sept. 30 at the Haw River Ballroom.

"We will be having a pig pickin' with local, pasture raised pork from Cane Creek Farm," Ross said.

That night there will be a concert, with many guest performers including Birds and Arrows, Andrew Magill, Justin Powell of the Mantras, Casey Cranford of Big Something and more.

In the future, Ross plans to tour along the East Coast and in Europe. She also intends to book an agent for the band, as she believes it will give her more time to write.

"I've had unfinished songs bumping around in my head for months now," Ross said.