ARLINGTON – For Arlington singer-songwriter Kern West, who is on the brink of a breakthrough career in country music, she has her daddy’s old guitar to thank.

Not the actual guitar – although the namesake vintage 1968 Sunburst Gibson J-200 acoustic model has helped shape careers the likes of Emmylou Harris, Elvis and Neil Young.

Rather, it’s her own song, “Daddy’s Old Guitar,” on the Nashville recording artist’s 2017 debut album, “Too Late For Regrets,” co-written with her father, Jim, that caught the ear of a legendary producer when she sent it to Music City, U.S.A. in 2016.

West got a reply back almost immediately – from Hall of Fame producer Brian Ahern at Easter Island Surround studio.

“Brian said, ‘let’s record.’ He really loved the lyrical content to the song,” West said.

Ahern went on to record and produce her album over a year’s time. This was the same man who recorded the likes of Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Robbins, George Jones and Emmylou, arranging and playing guitar on nearly all of her records.

If you’re starting to note a theme here, it’s because most all of these artists’ musical style hails from from the purist, golden age of country-western music. West puts herself in that same company.

The 10 songs on “Too Late For Regrets” available online were co-written by West and her father.

“In the comfort of my childhood home, my dad and I began collaborating on a few new songs that set in motion a whirlwind of events that eventually developed into a full album,” said West, an accomplished piano and guitar player.

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kern grew up in a family deeply rooted in the arts. She was surrounded by musicians and artists who influenced her development. She draws inspiration from artists including Harris, who she deeply admires, Cash, Jones, Anne Murray, K.D. Lang and others.

But Kern’s greatest influence remains her father.

Her album’s title track was great fun because it was a song he wrote and recorded in the late ’70s working with musicians in Los Angeles, including the Hot Band. The song was never released, but it got endless play as best song around the house.

“When I was 4 or 5, I always remember loving that song and wanting to sing it,” West said. “That’s when we started collaborating together.”

They also resurrected “Hollywood Cowboy,” another one of dad’s song rescued from the ’70s. The rest they wrote together.

“Sharing and collaborating with my dad now has been really cool,” she said. “I mostly do demo and rehearsal work at his house, and with my brother, who is also a musician.”

West said most of her lyrics are based on wherever she is at a given time.

“I think it’s the zone I tend to fall into in the moment, and I get to the piano or guitar and start writing,” she said. “There’s a song for everybody on my album here that somebody can relate to.”

West’s voice has been described as “velvety.” There’s a unique tonality that separates her voice from others that can deliver haunting heartbreak in a tune like the opening song, “No Place to Hide,” and in personal tunes like “Mama’s Note,” that are moving and “emotionally tough to get through.”

When some have heard the latter song, they often ask: “’Did you lose your mom?’ I say, no I have not. She’s still very much alive.”

West returned from Scottsdale, Ariz., last month for a magazine photo shoot. She will be in Las Vegas in December at the Cowboy Christmas NFR 2017 in the Convention Center to showcase her music.

Then it’s back to Nashville to record new material with Ahern, some originals, and some to support other artists. West wants perform locally, but needs to put together her own band in Arlington because her musicians are busy in Nashville.

For more about West go to kernwest.com.