June 13th, 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.
2017 Grand Prize Winner, Crys Matthews, may be coming to a city near you this month for the The Singing OUT Tour 2.0 — a social justice-centered LGBTQ-supergroup composed of me, Heather Mae, Joe Stevens (formerly of Coyote Grace) and JJ Jones (formerly of Girlyman).
Mae, a powerhouse performer and earthshaking vocalist, has turned her personal struggle with mental health and body image into an empowering message of self-love, a universal light force that shines for every audience member. Matthews is a powerful lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster-child for intersectionality.” This group of immensely talented artists is on the road to celebrate Pride month, so show them some love!
We got to know Alex Wong as a finalist in the 2018 NewSong competition, and we are thrilled to see his work recognized on The Bluegrass Situation this week.
In The Artist’s Words: “When we set out to tell this story, we wanted people who listened to the album from beginning to end to feel like they were watching a movie… and we wanted ‘Landfall’ to feel like our establishing shot… As a song, it’s a birds eye view of our own introduction to the story of the village of Kivalina and how climate change was affecting so many in their situation. The chorus came out of our own ignorance of the scope of the issue… who would believe such a crazy thing could be happening right now?” — Alex Wong
You may already know about the record-breaking Broadway musical Hadestown taking home eight Tonys, including Best Musical. But did you know that the show’s playwright, Anais Mitchell, was one of the earliest performers in the NewSong competition? So exciting to see this artist get the attention and feedback she deserves. If you can’t make it to Broadway, we suggest checking out the Hadestown playlist on Spotify. Read more about Hadestown and how its eight Tonys represented unprecedented victories for woman via Slate.
We’re big Rose Cousins fans, and we think you should be too. Rose will perform June 28 at the Indian River Festival on Prince Edward Island. For those who haven’t yet heard of Rose and her powerful music, we suggest giving her 2017 album, Natural Conclusion, a listen. Learn more about the artist on her website.
This year’s grand prize winner will receive an all-expense paid six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Asheville, NC’s 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 ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival (January 23 – February 3, 2020) in Park City, Utah, and a be booked for a paid, featured main stage performance at this summer’s Arts Brookfield Summer Plaza Series in New York City.
Submit your music here.
