Posts Tagged ‘Singer/Songwriter’

Wilder Adkins to perform at Sundance Film Festival’s ASCAP Music Café this Thursday and Friday afternoon

Wednesday, January 25th, 2017

Watch via Facebook Live on NewSong Music’s page

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2016 NewSong Music grand prize winner Wilder Adkins’ songwriting gleans as much from the earthy poetry of Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver as it does from the works of folk luminaries Richard Thompson and Bruce Cockburn. He’s a true theosophical spirit, arrestingly taciturn, but possessed of startling guitar skills, a wit as dry as October leaves, and a tremulous, dented voice that’s frankly mesmerizing.

His courtly-but-witty lyrics evoke a Deep South Shelley or Yeats, riding a joyful guitar dexterity. Adkins’ songs, steeped in natural imagery, frequently touch upon the subjects of faith, doubt, and as the title of his new album would indicate, hope and sorrow.

Wilder performs two sets at this year’s Sundance Film Festival’s ASCAP Music Café, and you can tune in to watch and listen via Facebook Live on NewSong Music’s Facebook page at 2:00 PM MST both this Thursday (1/26) and Friday (1/27).

“By turns haunting, spectral, tender and tenacious, Adkins is a master when it comes to conveying uncommon emotion, relying on minimal arrangements that sometimes seem suspended in the ether” – Elmore Magazine

WATCH THE LIVE STREAM ON FACEBOOK

Wilder Adkins on the web
Web: wilderadkins.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/WilderMusic/
Twitter: twitter.com/WilderMusic
Instagram: instagram.com/wildhare_radkins/

2016 NewSong grand prize winner Wilder Adkins releases peace anthem “Side By Side” on MLK Jr. Day

Monday, January 16th, 2017

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2016 NewSong grand prize winner Wilder Adkins releases peace anthem “Side By Side” on MLK Jr. Day

“This is a song about the city of Birmingham, Alabama and the struggles of the civil rights movement in the 1960s,” says Adkins, a Birmingham resident himself. “It is also an anthem for peace and a call to keep hoping and never give up fighting darkness with the power of light.”


ABOUT WILDER ADKINS
Wilder Adkins15698210_881465828570_6907624843770016758_n songwriting gleans as much from the earthy poetry of Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver as it does from the works of folk luminaries Richard Thompson and Bruce Cockburn. His courtly-but-witty lyrics evoke a Deep South Shelley or Yeats, riding a joyful guitar dexterity.

Adkins hails from Marietta, GA, but now lives and writes in Birmingham, AL. He grew up listening to his dad play renditions of Neil Young and Van Morrison songs on an old Guild Jumbo Acoustic. Adkins’ songs, steeped in natural imagery, frequently touch upon the subjects of faith, doubt, and as the title of his new album would indicate, hope and sorrow.

Adkins is the grand prize winner of the 2016 international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition.


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Congratulations to Wilder Adkins, the 2016 NewSong Grand Prize Winner

Tuesday, December 13th, 2016

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Introducing the 2016 NewSong Grand Prize Winner: Wilder Adkins

Congratulations to Wilder Adkins, this year’s grand prize winner of the 15th Annual NewSong Music Showcase and Competition. Adkins took top honors on Saturday night at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium in New York City.

Adkin’s songwriting is steeped in earthy poetry and is imbued with a theosophical spirit. Thematically, his songs frequently touch upon faith, doubt and the natural world. He counts poets Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver among his influences, as well as Neil Young and Van Morrison. His aptly titled latest album, Hope and Sorrow, is a characteristic marrying of poetry and musicality.

“Getting to meet and hang out with the other NewSong Music finalists totally affirmed for me that this is a supportive community of artists serious about their craft. Playing at Lincoln Center in New York at the Holidays was a dream come true. Being named the winner of such a talented pool of songwriters is an incredible honor and one of my proudest moments!” – Wilder Adkins, 2016 NewSong Grand Prize Winner

Click here for a photo gallery of the live performance finals.

“The NewSong Music Competition is one of the country’s strongest platforms for discovering and showcasing some of the today’s most talented, emerging and most deserving singer-songwriters. It has a rich legacy of shining a spotlight on true artists who are serious about their craft. While all of this year’s finalists were compelling in their own way, this year’s winner, Wilder Adkins is an extraordinarily gifted lyricist, vocalist and guitarist from Birmingham, Alabama, who mesmerized everyone in the room at Lincoln Center. He’s the real deal and I’m thrilled to play a part in exposing him to a wider audience.”  – Erik Philbrook, NewSong Music judge and ASCAP VP and Creative Director

“We had another outstanding group of finalists this year, which made our job as judges all the more challenging. But after the first two rounds, Wilder’s deeply poetic songcraft – paired with a passionate and at times comical performance – led him directly to this year’s top honor. We look forward to working with him over the next year and beyond, and to help him and the rest of his fellow finalists take their music to the broader audience they richly deserve.”  – Gar Ragland, NewSong Music Producer and Co-founder

#MeetTheJudges: Erik Philbrook, Vice President and Creative Director of ASCAP

Friday, December 9th, 2016

Erik Philbrook

ASCAP’s VP and Creative Director

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Erik Philbrook serves as ASCAP’s VP and Creative Director. In addition to writing editorial, producing video and managing content for ASCAP’s various media channels, he has interviewed and written about many of today’s leading songwriters and composers from across the musical spectrum, from legendary icons to today’s emerging artists. He has helped lead ASCAP’s advocacy efforts in protecting songwriter rights in the digital age. And he has played an essential role in the success of high-profile ASCAP events such as the Sundance ASCAP Music Café and the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, where he has interviewed on stage many top music creators, including Tom Petty, John Mayer, Bon Jovi, ELO’s Jeff Lynne, Ingrid Michaelson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Steve Lillywhite and many others. In addition, Philbrook is a songwriter and musician himself, having recorded three acclaimed albums with his band NYC-based band The Brilliant Mistakes.

#MeetTheJudges: Elysa Marden of Arts Brookfield

Friday, December 9th, 2016

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2016 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition

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Elysa Marden is a curator and producer based in NYC. She is currently the Co-Director of Art Brookfield, a national public arts program that produces, commissions, and presents music, dance, film, visual art and spoken word year-round and free to the public. She has had the pleasure of working with NewSong Music to present NewSong artists in Brookfield spaces in NYC and Denver for 8 years.

 

#MeetTheJudges: Meera Dugal (Lincoln Center)

Friday, December 9th, 2016

MEERA DUGAL

2016 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition

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Meera Dugal is the Programming Manager for the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. The Atrium is home to over 100 free, extremely eclectic performances a year that are curated with the aim to reflect the diversity present in New York City. Originally from Charleston, Meera has a Bachelor of Arts from New York University’s Gallatin School where she studied ethnomusicology. Before coming to Lincoln Center, Meera worked with globalFEST, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, The Jazz Gallery, and Iraqi-American musician Amir ElSaffar. She is the manager for the New York-based traditional Moroccan Gnawa sextet Innov Gnawa and a member of Women of Color in the Arts.

 

#InstagramTakeover with Wilder Adkins

Tuesday, December 6th, 2016

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Follow 2016 NewSong Music finalist Wilder Adkins as they take over the official NewSong Music Instagram account.

 

 

Good day, my name is Wilder Adkins and I’m a #NewSongMusic finalist from Birmingham, AL doing an Instagram takeover today. Thanks for joining me. Follow along for a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the life of a songwriter/janitor in the Deep South. #instagramtakeover #songwriterslife #singersongwriter #meditation #snoopy #joechristmas

A photo posted by NewSong Music (@newsongmusic) on

 

 

On the phone with a big-time music publisher! Part of the #WilderAdkinsTakeover today. #wilderadkins #carlyraejepsen #musicindustry #songwriter

A video posted by NewSong Music (@newsongmusic) on

 

 

#WilderAdkinsTakeover If you’re ever down in Birmingham, come check out the best little music shop in the land, Bob Tedrow’s Homewood Music. These guys are great luthiers and set up all my guitars for me. #musicbham #luthier #birminghamal #wilderadkins #alabama @wildhare_radkins

A photo posted by NewSong Music (@newsongmusic) on

#wilderadkinstakeover Everyday I'm hustlin'. #onemoreday #holdon #wilsonphillips #wilderadkins #inspiration

A video posted by NewSong Music (@newsongmusic) on

 

#wilderadkinstakeover Everyday I'm hustlin'. #onemoreday #holdon #wilsonphillips #wilderadkins #inspiration

A video posted by NewSong Music (@newsongmusic) on

Three Questions with 2016 Finalist Brad Cole

Wednesday, November 9th, 2016

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Brad Cole is a New York City-based folk musician who pens songs about the human condition with wit and raw insight. Hints of roots, old school bossa and rhythm and blues set this singer-songwriter apart, and his soulful lyricism thoroughly impressed NewSong judges.

Cole is a musician poised to take off: in the last eighteen months, he has played over one hundred shows and has shared the stage with artists including Chris Stapleton, Shovels and Rope, Ingrid Michaelson, and more.

We asked Cole about his songwriting process, as well as his hopes and expectations for the NewSong finalist showcase at Lincoln Center. To learn more about this exciting musician and to listen to his latest album, Lay it Down, visit his website at bradcolemusic.com.

What is your songwriting process like, and where do you find inspiration?

I look at the world around me for inspiration, and I guess most of that lyrical inspiration comes from those who have fallen and attempted to pull themselves up to a better place. I probably have a new melody idea every day, so it’s usually a matter of putting those inspirations together with a musical expression that is cool and feels good. Then I give myself time to write and finish. Probably the last songwriting muse to inspire me is Patty Griffin.

What made you decide to submit to NewSong, and what does it mean to you to be a finalist in this year’s competition?

I was in the crowd last year, and the show was inspiring. I loved it. Of course I feel honored that this special tune has been recognized by such a well respected group. As far as music curators go, NewSong is the real deal, so I know I’ll be with a great mix of players in a room full of listeners, so that’s huge. Beyond that, just want to be able to share what I do with a new audience.

What is going on your career that readers should know about?

I released Lay It Down in 2016, and the reception has been amazing. So I’ll be touring the US in 2017, primarily east coast, mid south, midwest, southwest and California. I have an April residency planned for Chicago at The Hideout every Wednesday night, and I’m putting the final plans together for a NYC residency this spring 2017.

To learn more about Brad Cole, visit bradcolemusic.com and follow Brad Cole Music on Facebook and Instagram.

Today Is THE Last Day to Submit Your Music

Monday, October 17th, 2016

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GOT SONGS? TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY TO SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC!

The deadline to enter the 15th Annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is TONIGHT (Monday, October 17) at 11:59pm PST. Ten finalists will be selected to compete at the prestigious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City this December for the grand prize, which includes featured prize performances in 2017 back at Lincoln Center AND the ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The winner will also receive a multi-day professional recording session at the award winning Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC.

As an entrant in the 2016 competition, you are also eligible for exclusive discounts on future recording sessions at Echo Mountain Recording Studios, and you and your music will be considered for additional recording and performance opportunities across the U.S.


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Three Questions With Early Bird Finalist: Middle Child

Friday, October 7th, 2016

Three questions with Early Bird Finalist: Middle Child

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NewSong Music is proud to count the band Middle Child among our Early Bird Finalists. While each of these three musicians has immense talent — and two have established solo careers — the bandmates discovered that they were better together. And we are so glad they did.

Austin Max and Danny Silberstein began writing songs together after meeting at Berklee College of Music in 2013. Terrell Hines soon joined the band, filling in harmonies and playing drums. Together, the trio boasts a psychedelic R&B sound that is inspired by the likes of The Wrecking Crew, Frank Ocean, Paul Simon, and Al Green. Middle Child will release its first official single in the fall of 2016, and we can’t wait for the world to hear it.

We took the time to ask Danny some questions about the band. To learn more about Middle Child, visit middlechildofficialband.com.

What are your biggest inspirations as songwriters?

I think basic human emotions are really the common thread between each of our songs. When we write, we try to take a snapshot of way we are feeling at that point in time. Different harmonies and arrangements tend to evoke a variety of feelings and emotions, so we like to  approach writing songs with an opening mind, both instrumentally and stylistically.

Why did you submit to the NewSong Music Competition?

We were inspired to submit after seeing that the Cardinal Sons had won the competition a while back. We’re fans of their Echo Choir EP, so we wanted to be involved with the people who helped create it.

What’s the one thing you would like people to know about Middle Child?

We are independent artists who came together to make something bigger than the three of us. We love music so much, and would love people to feel that in our music.