Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Meet NewSong finalist Aaron John

Wednesday, November 20th, 2019

NewSong is proud to introduce 2019 finalist Aaron John! The Nashville-based singer-songwriter will join his fellow finalists onstage at Isis Music Hall on Saturday Nov. 23 for the 18th annual NewSong Final Competition. 

We asked Aaron about his musical inspiration, songwriting process and what music news he has coming up in the Q&A below. 

Connect with Aaron on his bandcampFacebook page, and Instagram. For more information on attending this event, please visit our Facebook event page. Purchase tickets to the NewSong finals at Isis Music Hall on Nov. 23 here

What are your most significant musical/artistic inspirations?

The Hotelier, Pinegrove, Blake Mills, Big Thief, Neil Young, and Sun Kil Moon.
 

What is your songwriting process like?

For me, it’s pretty essential that the melody and rhythm guitar part materialize together. Just about everything I write starts off with a tidbit of a melody/guitar part that gets stuck in my head, followed respectively by a guitar part/melody that flows into place most naturally. After the initial idea is established, I turn off the objective and analytical side of my brain and let lyrics out until I find a phonetic current that folds into the guitar and melody. From there, I ride that current out until more direction has been uncovered and change most all of the words (because everything i’ve let out up to this point in the process is likely grammatical gibberish). And then on it’s just a slog of a pursuit for maintaining purpose and cohesion.

 

What was your reaction to being named a NewSong finalist?

Excitement, easily! I was lucky enough to play backup guitar in last year’s New Song finals for the eventual winner, Mel Bryant, so I was able to see firsthand how wonderfully supportive, talented, and encouraging the entire New Song community is. Because of how rare it is to find a contest environment like that, choosing to apply for myself the following year was an easy decision.
 

What music news would you like to share with readers?

I have my debut EP “Coming Clean” releasing in early 2020!
 
 
For more information on attending the NewSong Competition event, please visit our Facebook event page. Buy tickets here

Meet NewSong finalist Jobi Riccio

Wednesday, November 13th, 2019

NewSong is proud to introduce 2019 finalist Jobi Riccio! The Boston-based singer-songwriter from Denver, CO will join her fellow finalists onstage at Isis Music Hall on Saturday Nov. 23 for the 18th annual NewSong Final Competition. 

Inspired by artists ranging from Buck Owens to Joni Mitchell, and the bluegrass community she came of age in, Jobi writes songs that meld classic country sounds with modern sensibilities. Her Debut EP “Strawberry Wine” is an ode to the women of country music she grew up singing along to in her bedroom, and is streaming everywhere now.  

We asked Jobi about her musical inspiration, songwriting process and what music news she has coming up in the Q&A below. 

Connect with Jobi on her websiteFacebook page, Twitter and Instagram. For more information on attending this event, please visit our Facebook event page. Purchase tickets to the NewSong finals at Isis Music Hall on Nov. 23 here

What are your most significant musical/artistic inspirations?

My greatest musical influences draw from classic country and Americana music. I’m specifically drawn to female artists and songwriters like Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, as well as their contemporaries, such as Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, and Kacey Musgraves. I am also very inspired by songwriters and artists who heavily draw from roots genres, such as Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell.
 

What is your songwriting process like?

I am primarily lyrically driven. I suppose that comes as a result of steady diet of Americana, country, and singer-songwriters all throughout my childhood. In general, I try to shape the melody and chords around the lyrical or emotional idea I have and really try to channel just what that experience or feeling sounds like. However, I feel every song has its own way it wants or needs to be written, and I and am always seeking out and discovering new ways of songwriting.
 

What was your reaction to being named a NewSong finalist?

I was super surprised and, of course, excited! It’s a real talented crop this year, and I think I’m one of the youngest — if not the youngest — artist to be selected so I’m extra honored and excited to cultivate new friendships with writers of all ages from all over the country.
 

What music news would you like to share with readers?

I released my debut EP “Strawberry Wine” last winter, and am planning on releasing some new singles this spring. I’ll be preforming at Swallow Hill Music on December 21st, where I grew up taking mandolin and guitar as a teenager in addition to several Boston area shows earlier in December and early 2020.
 
 
For more information on attending the NewSong Competition event, please visit our Facebook event page. Buy tickets here

Mel Bryant returns as guest performer for 2019 NewSong Finals

Monday, November 4th, 2019

NewSong is proud to announce that Mel Bryant — winner of the 2018 NewSong Competition — will return to Asheville this November as a guest performer for this year’s final competition. 

The 18th NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition final event takes place at Isis Music Hall on Saturday, November 23. Tickets available here

We are thrilled to have Bryant return to the Isis stage. We recently asked the artist about her music career post-win, as well as her advice for the new group of finalists.  

“Focus less on yourself and more on who you’re surrounded by,” says Bryant. “The best thing about the NewSong Competition, aside from the amazing prizes and the beautiful show that’s put on for the finale, is the community created by all the wonderful musicians that have come through this program.” 

 

NewSong: It’s been a year since you won the 2018 NewSong competition! Could you give us the highlight reel of what you have been up to? 

 
Mel Bryant: Since winning the 2018 NewSong Competition, there’s been a great many amazing opportunities provided by NewSong, and truthfully most, if not all, of the highlights for the year have been thanks to NewSong. Performing at Sundance Film Festival in January was both musically inspiring and environmentally thrilling, from the beautiful snow kissed slopes and the exhilarating movie screenings to the magnificent people that we met and performed for along the way. Over the summer, we were able to build not one but TWO full tours from Nashville to New York City, with Arts Brookfield shows at the center of both, providing incredible stages, amazing sound, and wonderful audiences that often returned for multiple dates of our tours! Because of those NYC shows, I’ve been hearing from international fans asking about new music and when they’ll hear from us again.
 
That being said, we’ve made serious strides in our own studio in Nashville for our debut album as a band, and we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We hope to have the album set for release in January, with a single coming out very soon. We’ve had dozens of successful shows and lots of wonderful times making new music and meeting new collaborators, and we are especially excited to meet and hear the finalists this year. I’m sure it’ll be another highlight to add to the reel!
 

How did winning the NewSong competition affect you personally? How has it affected your career?

 
Winning the NewSong competition was an immensely needed confidence boost in a time when I can personally get mired in self criticism of my music and the value of my art. It feels so wonderful to know there are really amazing people in the NewSong family that are rooting for me and helping to bolster my belief in myself. It has given me so much freedom and power to carry on making more music and consistently improving and honing my craft in order to present the best version of my music when we go to record the NewSong EP. we’ve been looking forward to it all year and we cannot wait to get into Echo Mountain and lay down our newest, best songs.
 

What advice do you have for this year’s finalists? 

 
My advice to this year’s finalists is to focus less on yourself and more on who you’re surrounded by. The best thing about the NewSong Competition, aside from the amazing prizes and the beautiful show that’s put on for the finale, is the community created by all the wonderful musicians that have come through this program. Collaboration is the heart of the greatest music I know, and even if it’s just a source of inspiration or a new cowriter, the friendships we make like this are what keeps the world of music turning.

 

Anything else you would like to share?

 
I just wanted to send a big huge thank you to the NewSong folks and an equally big congratulations to this year’s finalists! I’m so excited for this show and I’m honored to be a part of it once again!
 
Learn more about Mel Bryant on her website. Listen to her music on Spotify

Announcing the 2019 NewSong Music Finalists.

Thursday, October 24th, 2019

Congratulations to the finalists in the 18th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. These eight finalists will network, showcase and compete in the live performance finals in Asheville, North Carolina at Isis Music Hall on Saturday November 23. 

YouTube Playlist of the 2019 NewSong Music Finalists:

 

For more information on attending this event, please visit our Facebook event page. Buy tickets here

 

 

Thank you to all who submitted their music this year, and we look forward to meeting our finalists next month! Learn more about each finalist and his or her music in the links below. 

 


Danielle Ponder — Rochester, NY

Danielle Ponder – Rochester, NY

 

 

Grant Maloy Smith — Kingston, RI

Grant Maloy Smith – Kingston, RI

 

Jae Jin — Wolftown, VA

Jae Jin – Wolftown, VA

 

Jobi Riccio — Brookline, MA

Jobi Riccio – Brookline, MA

 

Kelly Hoppenjans — Nashville, TN

Kelly Hoppenjans – Nashville, TN

 

Kyshona — Madison, TN

Kyshona – Madison, TN

 

Nathaniel Bellows — New York, NY

Nathaniel Bellows – New York, NY

 

Parker Ainsworth — Los Angeles, CA

Parker Ainsworth – Joshua Tree, CA 2019 LEAF Festival Competition Winner)

 

LEAF Winner Parker Ainsworth returns to festival for grand prize performances

Friday, October 11th, 2019

Parker Ainsworth — the LA-based singer-songwriter who took the Grand Prize at NewSong’s 6th Annual LEAF Competition — will return to LEAF Saturday Oct. 19 for two intimate performances.

LEAF-goers can attend Ainsworth’s two sets on Saturday, Oct. 19 at The Barn at 3:15PM and the Jam Tavern at 8:45PM.

“Playing the Barn was such a magical experience,” says Ainsworth of the competition back in May 2019. “An open space full of music-loving folk, braving the elements to hear songs in their rawness. The event felt like it expanded me with the presence of genuine care … it pretty much blasted my heart wide open.”

He adds, “Talking with my fellow contestants reminded me that though this musical life can feel quite lonely at times, ultimately we’re never really alone. In fact, we’re unavoidably all in this together.”

Ainsworth was chosen from over 400 applicants to the LEAF competition and five other finalists. For the full LEAF schedule and lineup, click here. Those without LEAF tickets this year can catch Ainsworth at Isis Music Hall in West Asheville on Thursday Oct. 17. Tickets available here

In addition to the paid, featured performances at LEAF, Ainsworth also advances as a finalist in the 18th annual, international NewSong Showcase and Competition, held November 23 at Isis Music Hall in Asheville. The grand-prize winner of that contest will be awarded the opportunity to make a six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville and released on the NewSong Recordings label; and a performance showcase at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival’s coveted ASCAP Music Café.

Crys Matthews releases new album, “These Old Hands” Oct. 11

Tuesday, October 1st, 2019

NEWSONG MUSIC COMPETITION GRAND PRIZE WINNER CRYS MATTHEWS RELEASES NEW ALBUM ON “NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY,” OCT. 11

 

“THESE OLD HANDS” RECORDED AT ECHO MOUNTAIN STUDIOS WITH NEWSONG RECORDINGS PRODUCER GAR RAGLAND AND RELEASED ON NEWSONG RECORDINGS

 

Pre-order These Old Hands on Bandcamp

Oct 1, 2019 (Asheville, NC) – Virginia-based singer-songwriter Crys Matthews is proud to announce the release of her new album, These Old Hands. The six-track record is slated for release Friday, October 11, 2019, on National Coming Out Day. The date is significant for the queer activist artist whose songwriting frequently draws from social justice themes and love in all its forms.

“This album is a sort of coming out of sorts for me,” explains Matthews. “I’ve been out as a lesbian since I was 18, but this album is one of the few times in my life I’ve actually felt vulnerable. Certainly, it’s the first time I’ve felt so vulnerable with regards to my music. It’s not love songs and hopeful protest songs — there are a lot of hard truths contained in between the lyrics of these songs.”

 

These Old Hands was recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC and produced and mixed by Gar Ragland of NewSong Recordings. Matthews recorded the album as part of her 2017 NewSong Singer Songwriter Competition Grand Prize win. Matthews’s career has continued to thrive since that time, with performances at Sundance Film Festival, The Kennedy Center, and the songwriter’s first national tour in 2019.

Matthews describes her new collection of songs as a breakup album, featuring the songwriter’s signature blend of Americana, folk, jazz and funk punctuated by bold, honest lyrics. “Breakups are like any other type of loss; they’re grief-inducing, and so you can hear that cycle from heart-broken to healing,” she says. “Finding love and losing love are some of the most universally human things that we do.”

Pre-order These Old Hands on Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/These-Old-Hands

For up-to-date information on Crys Matthews, visit crysmatthews.com/ 

For more information about NewSong Recordings and the NewSong Music Competition, visit newsong-music.com/

For media requests, contact lea@newsong-music.com.

18th NewSong Music Competition returns to Asheville, NC this November

Wednesday, September 11th, 2019

 

 

NEWSONG MUSIC PRESENTS 18TH ANNUAL, INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE & SONGWRITING COMPETITION IN ASHEVILLE THIS NOVEMBER

 

EIGHT EMERGING ARTISTS FROM ACROSS NORTH AMERICA TO SHOWCASE & COMPETE
 
GRAND PRIZE WINNER RECEIVES AN EP RECORDING PROJECT AT ECHO MOUNTAIN RECORDING STUDIOS, RELEASED ON THE NEWSONG RECORDINGS LABEL
 
COMPETITION HELD AT ISIS MUSIC HALL IN ASHEVILLE, NC, SATURDAY, NOV. 23

 

Aug. 23, 2019 (Asheville, NC) – For the second year in a row, the live performance finals of the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition will be held in Asheville, North Carolina at Isis Music Hall. NewSong Music has been headquartered in Asheville since 2012, but for most of its 18 years, the competition was held at the prestigious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. After a phenomenal, sold out event last year, NewSong founder, Gar Ragland, has elected to host the competition finals in Asheville indefinitely. 

“The success and reception we received in bringing the competition finals to Asheville for the first time last year truly exceeded our expectations,” says Ragland. “The support we received from the community here for last year’s finals – as evidenced by the sellout event and its deeply appreciative and engaging audience – affirmed for us that our hometown has indeed become one of the country’s best music towns. We’re excited to build upon last year’s momentum, and to continue to contribute to Asheville’s music scene in this way.”

Eight finalists – selected from advance online submissions from across North America and beyond – will come to Asheville to perform, compete and network with one another in the live showcase and competition finals at Isis Music Hall in Asheville on Saturday, November 23. Located in the city’s hip West Asheville neighborhood, Isis Music Hall is one of Asheville’s best sounding and most intimate music venues.

A panel of national music industry judges will select the overall winner of the competition. This year’s grand prize winner will receive a fully funded six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Asheville own Echo Mountain Recording Studios and released on the NewSong Recordings label. The grand prize winner will also receive a performance showcase at the esteemed 2019 Sundance ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival (January 23 – February 2, 2020) in Park City, Utah and a featured performance in the 2020 Arts Brookfield ‘Summer Plaza’ series in New York City. All finalists will be strongly considered for future ‘NewSong Presents’ paid performances across the United States.

NewSong Music is an independent music organization that aims to build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across various genres of music and skill levels, while identifying truly exceptional artists and introducing their music to a broader international audience.

WHAT: NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition Finals

WHERE: Isis Music Hall // 743 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC

WHEN: Saturday Nov. 23, 2019 // 8 pm

TICKETS: $15/$18 

 

2019 NewSong Competition Finalists ANNOUNCED

YouTube Playlist of the 2019 NewSong Music Finalists:

Danielle Ponder — Rochester, NY

Grant Maloy Smith — Kingston, RI

Jae Jin — Wolftown, VA

Jobi Riccio — Brookline, MA

Kelly Hoppenjans — Nashville, TN

Kyshona — Madison, TN

Nathaniel Bellows — New York, NY

 

Spotify Playlist of the 2019 NewSong Music Finalists:

 

About NewSong Music

NewSong Music is an independent artist development company headquartered in Asheville, NC. NewSong’s mission is to build and support a community of performers and songwriters across all genres and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists to introduce their music to a broader, international audience. Its programs include a boutique record label (NewSong Recordings), artist management services, concert production and the annual, international NewSong performance and songwriting competition. Its presenting partners include Arts Brookfield and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, the ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival.

 

For more information about NewSong Recordings and the NewSong Music Competition, visit newsong-music.com/

For media requests, contact Lea McLellan at leamclellan@newsong-music.com.

 

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Maureen Andary puts on her ‘Big Girl Pants’ for new album

Friday, September 6th, 2019

Eleven years after her debut solo album, Washington, D.C.-based songwriter Maureen Andary returned to the studio to record “Big Girl Pants.” Andary is a multi-instrumentalist, blending her stellar vocal harmonies with guitar, ukulele and flute on the recordings. Her new songs range from lighthearted tunes about marriage to heavier subjects, like loss and grief.  

Maureen took a break from recording at Echo Mountain Recording Studios to chat with us about the album, the inspiration behind the name, and her longtime connection with NewSong, which started when she was a finalist in 2008. “Gar has always helped me out,” says Andary. “And the whole contest kind of shaped who I was. So I thought, it’s been 11 years — time to get back to my solo roots. I thought it was perfect to collaborate with Gar to do that.”

 

So tell us about the new album, the inspiration behind it and the story you’re trying to tell. 

Well, the last time I came out with a record was 11 years ago in 2008, and I was 25. All of the songs on that album were about romance, and falling in love, and breaking up because that was what was going on in my life. But now, I’m 36, I’m married, and I have twin daughters that are 14 months. My father also passed away in 2015, which was a really challenging loss.

Losing a parent, getting married, giving birth to twin daughters — it was a lot of change. Now the things that have inspired me in the last six years are the things I’m working on to grow up. 

 

What is it about the name Big Girl Pants that appealed to you

It’s called Big Girl Pants because I feel like that’s a kind of brusque euphemism for “grow up,” … Like, “it’s time for me to put on my big girl pants.”  

Every day I have new challenges, and I have to pause and think: what is the adult way to deal with this, rather than just reacting. It’s really about pausing, being intentional, and grappling with challenges like mortality, parenting, marriage. It’s about putting on your big girl pants and moving forward. It’s also about being able to be happy and confident through it all. 

 

How would you describe the songs on the album?

There are songs in here about loss and grief, but there are also songs about choosing to laugh, choosing to move away from fear and towards acceptance. The song “My Intention” is about that. Some of them are silly, like I have a song about marriage called “You Fix Broken Stuff,” and it’s really a trivial look into what our lives are like and the balance that we strike. 

There’s this song “Good Luck,” that I thought was really important for this album because I’m in recovery, and I’ve been sober for 11 years. I have a really great life right now in large part because of [my recovery], but I really can’t take credit. … I just had good luck. Luck is a big factor in people’s lives because it’s scary and you can’t control it, but it’s important to recognize that and have some humility.

 

Gar Ragland is the producer on the album, and you’re recording at Echo Mountain Studios. How did that collaboration come about?

When I was newly sober as a 24 year old, I got a grant from the DC government to finish this album I was working on. … Once I was finished with album, I didn’t know what to do with it. … My mom actually took the album and submitted it to various contests. … She submitted it to NewSong, and I got an email and a phone call from Gar saying that I was an Early Bird Finalist. It was super validating, and most importantly, the contest had a live performance component in Charleston, WV where Mountain Stage is located, and so the plan was to go there and perform.

… [My accompanist Sara and I] loved all the other finalists, we jammed with them, and we had a blast. We didn’t win, but we just had a great time, and Gar kept in touch with us. We started a band after that, and we called it Sweater Set … It’s been an amazing project, but what really sparked it all was that weekend getaway at the NewSong contest. 

Over the years, Gar has given us various performance opportunities. I’ve performed at Lincoln Center with NewSong. I’ve performed at Bryant Park, the Performing Arts Center of North Carolina. … Gar has always helped me out, and the whole contest kind of shaped who I was. So I thought, it’s been 11 years — time to get back to my solo roots. I thought it was perfect to collaborate with Gar to do that. 

Learn more about Maureen Andary on her website

‘Come Together’ Summer Concert Series begins July 10

Tuesday, July 9th, 2019

NewSong Music & Arts Brookfield present

‘Come Together’ Summer Concert Series

Arts Brookfield and NewSong Music are proud to announce the New York City summer outdoor concert series ‘Come Together: New original music inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ last studio album, Abbey Road.’ The series is presented by Arts Brookfield and curated by NewSong Music.

‘Come Together’ features four free outdoor lunchtime concerts taking place every Wednesday, July 10-31 in and select Thursdays in July and August at Brookfield Place. Each Wednesday concert begins at 12:30 PM at One New York Plaza, located at 1 New York Plaza in New York City’s Financial District. Each Thursday night concert takes place 7-8:30 PM at Brookfield Place in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Manhattan. The lineup features some of North America’s most talented performing songwriters, and represents an eclectic array of styles and genres.

Come Together: Summer Music Series 

July 10: Kaiti Jones @ 1 NY Plaza
July 17: Crys Matthews @ 1 NY Plaza
July 18: Crys Matthews @ Brookfield Place 
July 24: Suzie Brown @ 1 NY Plaza
July 31: Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers @ 1 NY Plaza
Aug. 1: Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers @ Brookfield Place
Aug. 15: Slow Packer & For Def @ Brookfield Place 

All of the performers featured in the ‘Come Together’ series are members of the NewSong artist community:

Kaiti Jones (7/10 @ 1 NY Plaza)
(2018 NewSong Music Finalist)

A native of Portland, Maine, Kaiti Jones spent four years in Nashville, forming her sound in the backyard of Bob Dylan’s ballads and Flannery O’Connor’s southern gothic storytelling before returning north. Jones’ voice is simultaneously earthy and ethereal, carrying the listener a few feet off the ground on a cloud of rich, sophisticated melodies while whispering truth and contemplating the human condition through good old-fashioned storytelling.
kaitijonesmusic.com

 

Crys Matthews  (7/17 @ 1 NY Plaza & 7/18 at Brookfield Place)
(2017 NewSong Music Grand Prize Winner)

A southeastern North Carolina native who now calls Herndon, Virginia home, Crys Matthews blends Americana, folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass and funk into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies and punctuated by honest, original lyrics. Having been compared to everyone from Toshi Reagon to Tracy Chapman to Ruthie Foster, Matthews’ eclectic infusion of genres won her the grand prize in 2017 of the international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition finals at New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
www.crysmatthews.com

Suzie Brown  (7/24 @ 1 NY Plaza)
(2018 NewSong Finalist)

A 1970s-inspired folk-pop songwriter, Suzie Brown has chased her unique muse for a decade, making modern-day roots music that nods to the soul singers, heartland rockers, and blues artists who came before her. Gluing the sound together is the unforced voice and honest, autobiographical songwriting of a Renaissance woman who’s not only an acclaimed musician, but also a part-time cardiologist and full-time mother. She dives into her personal life and subjects such as mortality, money, and motherhood on her sixth album, Under the Surface, which includes songs that have been named as finalists in the NewSong Music Competition, the Great American Songwriting Competition, and the International Acoustic Music Awards. www.suziebrownsongs.com.
 

Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers  (7/31 @ 1 NY Plaza & 8/1 @ Brookfield Place)
(2018 NewSong Music Grand Prize Winner)

Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers are a Nashville based indie rock band comprised of lovers and friends. Led by bassist and songwriter Mel Bryant, their screaming guitars are met with a unique feminine energy that is equal parts powerful and sensitive, groovy and grungy, memorable and true. Mel uses the gift of rock music to promote thoughtfulness, respect, justice and love throughout the human community. 
www.melbryantmusic.com

Slow Packer & For Def  (8/15 @ Brookfield Place)

Slow Packer is a musical project formed by songwriter and producer, Jack Victor. The project also includes collaborations with several other singers and instrumentalists. After the break-up of his band Midnight Snack in 2017, Victor continued to write songs and make recordings. In 2019 he decided to adopt the moniker Slow Packer to release this new music. A quote from Slow Packer: “Songs are made from starts and stops, periods of fullness followed by periods of emptiness. I’ve been around this cycle many times in the last few years. Each time, there is one song that is the inspiration for many others to come. This initial song becomes like a mission statement – a set of ideals and values – to expand upon.”

For Def is the “for fun” band of Jack, Maddie, and Mike of Slow Packer. It started as a weekly jam and has turned into a “real band” because they are working on a tape now. So far, a lot of the music has been improvised live but For Def is currently working towards through-composed tunes that are low-key contemplative and emotional and only go high-key a few times. Overall, you will probably think “nice, this is actually pretty chill. I could listen to this on a pleasant drive, maybe on the way to a hike or something like that.” There is electric guitar (Maddie), bass (Mike), drum set (Jack), and sometimes – on the demos they are working on – there is a lush synth pad in there too.

slowpacker.bandcamp.com.

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About Arts Brookfield

Arts Brookfield presents exciting, world-class cultural experiences to thousands of people for free each year in both indoor and outdoor public spaces at Brookfield’s premier buildings in Denver, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Toronto, Perth and Sydney. From concerts, theater and dance to film screenings and art exhibitions, Arts Brookfield brings public spaces to life through art.
ArtsBrookfield.com

 

About NewSong Music

NewSong Music is an independent artist development and music production company headquartered at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios. NewSong’s mission is to build and support a community of performers and songwriters across all genres and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists to introduce their music to a broader, international audience. Its programs include a record label (NewSong Recordings), artist management services, concert production and the annual, international NewSong performance and songwriting competition.
newsong-music.com

NewSong Artist Roundup: Alice Howe, Ben Lubeck, & More

Monday, July 1st, 2019

There are so many talented artists who are part of the NewSong family — it can sometimes be difficult to keep up! That’s why each week, we compile a list of new releases, shows, and videos from past NewSong artists who we think deserve your attention. 

Thinking about submitting to this year’s NewSong Music Singer Songwriter Competition? The Early Bird Deadline is July 15th. Submit your music here

 

Alice Howe — Visions

 

2018 NewSong finalist Alice Howe released a new album, Visions, this spring, and it’s a beautiful collection that deserves a spot in your summer rotation.

Via alicehowe.com: “Vistas and the faces and emotions they summon unfurl with compelling grace on Visions, Howe’s anticipated debut album. A modern love letter to 60s and 70s folk and timeless blues, Visions pays homage without succumbing to imitation, and offers an intimate snapshot of a young artist discovering her own power.”

 

Ben Lubeck (Farewell Milwaukee) — “For You Again”

 

We met Ben Lubeck, frontman of the band Farewell Milwaukee, in 2010 when he was a finalist in the NewSong competition. He recently released a series of singles, one of which is the lovely “For You Again.”  This song, explains Ben, “explores the many emotional ups and downs of a couple’s relationship as they add members to their family and the daily practice of cultivating each other’s hearts through the complex and mundane parts of life.” Check out this song as well as his other singles, “Mrs. Bluebird” and “The Show,” on the artist’s website.

Ana Egge — “Cocaine Cowboys”

 

Ana Egge recently released a dreamy new single, “Cocaine Cowboys,” which premiered on PopMatters

Via PopMatters: “This one started out as a song in tribute to life on the road and the camaraderie and friendship of bandmates and it quickly crossed into territory of honky-tonk life on the road,” says Ana Egge, reflecting on her new single, ‘Cocaine Cowboys.’ Hailing from her upcoming album, Is It the KissEgge’s latest is a mellow, sweetly ruminant folk tune that explores the romantic haze surrounding the stories of old-school country stars.”

Is It the Kiss is due for release in early September via StorySound Records. It is now available to pre-order.

‘Come Together’ series in NYC continues in July, August

Enjoy new original music inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Beatle’s Abbey Road album on Wednesdays, July 10, 17, 24 and 31, from 12:30 – 1:30 PM at One New York Plaza and Thursdays July 18, August 1 and August 15 at Brookfield Place. Performers include past NewSong finalists Kaiti Jones, Crys Matthews, Suzie Brown and Mel Bryant, as well as Asheville, NC-based bands Slow Packer and For Def. For event info, visit our Facebook page

 

Early Bird Deadline is July 15 for NewSong Music Competition 

We are proud of our ever-growing NewSong community and the support, camaraderie and networking that goes on among finalists stretching back through the competition’s 18 years.

Will this be the year you will submit your original music? The Early Bird Deadline is July 15! Visit our submissions page here