We’re taught that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but Mackenzie Carpenter knew better.

The quickest path for a 24-year-old preacher’s daughter to get from Hull, Ga., to sharing a national spotlight in Cullman (she takes the stage at Rock the South on Friday afternoon at 4:50), with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Cody Johnson and Riley Green was never going to be as the crow flies.

That path required a detour — through Music City.

“I went by the way of Nashville, and TikTok, and signing a record deal to now doing a whole lineup of festivals this summer and getting to be on lineups with people I never dreamed my name would be beside,” Carpenter said during an interview in early July.

But dreams do come true, even if they require a lot of hard work. The “whole lineup of festivals” Carpenter is currently working through began with a mid-July weekend in Brooklyn, Mich., and a baker’s dozen of other stops after that, including an appearance in Cullman this weekend for Rock The South 2023.

But even if you miss Carpenter at Cullman’s biggest country-rock party, you’ll still be able to catch her through the summer and beyond at sites as far flung as Wisconsin; New Jersey; Calgary, Alberta; Texas; Florida; Nashville; North Carolina; and, finally, a year-ending show at Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta on Dec. 10.

That impressive tour began, she said, years before in Hull, when she “fell in love with music as a kid, writing alongside her brothers and singing in church.”

Building on those homegrown roots, her musical family supported her career choices, including her decision to move to Nashville to study songwriting and music business at Belmont University. Today, she said, that family support is stronger than ever.

With a recently released eponymous EP, Carpenter is growing a legion of fans — especially through TikTok with hit singles such as “Can’t Nobody” and “Huntin’ Season” — and promoters are paying attention.

Paying them and her fans back means a steady string of dates through the South and the guarantee of two things, Carpenter said.

“I always like to play the songs I have out and a couple of new songs that people can look forward to,” she said. “But for something a little unexpected, (at concerts such as Rock the South) you’ll probably get to meet my whole family.”

And when the young singer-songwriter means “meet” the family, she’s not limiting that to her fan base. Her musician brothers, Micah and Maclean, often join the band — as they did in June when Carpenter received an invitation to perform on country music’s most sought-after stage.

“I made my debut about a week ago and it was one of the most magical days,” Carpenter said. “It exceeded all of my expectations. I had both of my brothers play on the Grand Ole Opry stage with me — and almost my whole hometown cheering me on.”

Another aspiration achieved, she said.

“That was something I had always hoped would happen and that I had dreams for, but I didn’t know that it would happen quite so fast,” Carpenter said.

These days, fast seems to be the only speed the rising country artist operates in. In the space of less than a week in mid-May 2022, Carpenter got engaged (to Cole Neuber), signed an inaugural record deal (with Big Machine Label Group-Valory Music Co.) and launched a new single (“Can’t Nobody”).

The pace hasn’t slowed, and the EP, released April 14, has only broadened her reach and appeal.

“Releasing the EP has been an awesome experience,” she said. “It’s been, like, my first five years in town, in Nashville, put into song. and getting that body of work for everyone to hear has been so special. The reaction I’ve gotten, the connections that I’ve made with people on TikTok and social media. and now, through streaming partners — it’s just really cool to see what can happen once you actually take that step and put your music out.”

But, putting out your own music also means putting out some of your self, she said, and that’s something she’s not afraid to do with her writing.

“Some songs are more personal than others,” she said. “And just like every other artist, I’m inspired by things that I go through myself, and by things that I see my friends and family go through. I’m always looking to be inspired. I’m always looking for a hook. I write everything down as I go, and then you just never know what it could turn into.”

Such as the song she considers her most personal.

“The song I tend to relate to the most and feel really, really personally drawn to is, ‘Jesus, I’m Jealous’ (from the self-titled EP), which is so funny because I’m literally engaged and in love. But that’s a song that I feel like it doesn’t have to just apply to love. It also applies to just striving to get somewhere and trying to advance your life, your love life, whatever it is.”

Going forward, it appears that “whatever it is” is the plan under which Carpenter is building a career, and it’s working. Nashville Music Guide’s Artists to Watch 2023 includes her name — and she’s already got a list of things we should be watching for, including a few surprises that might get even more personal.

“There will be new music and more shows added to the lineup,” Carpenter said, “and we’re just watching for ways to figure out how to get out there. It’s a whole new world where you can try crazy things and throw paint on the wall and see what sticks.

“So, every chance I get to show my personality and let fans peek behind the curtain a little bit more, I’m going to do that.”