NewSong Recordings artist Chris Velan’s performance at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium is available for download – for free right here! Chris was joined by his stellar band (Aaron Steele on drums, Malcolm Gold on bass and Teddy Kumpel on guitar) for this memorable set in front of a packed house.
In addition to the free download, you can also watch live video of the whole concert, song by song, on Chris’ YouTube page.
Since winning the Mountain Stage Newsong Contest, Arthur Alligood is back from Los Angeles currently awaiting the final mix of his upcoming record, “One Silver Needle,” produced by Mikal Blue who has worked with the likes of Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz, Five for Fighting, One Republic, Augustana, Jason Reeves, and current indie fave Lady Danville. In this interview, we talk about his experience with Mikal and company, the new record, and what this year looks like for him.
LUKE GODDARD: Arthur, we go way back. I’m a big fan. I believe there are millions who are truly deprived from not knowing your music. For the first time since knowing you, I truly feel like you’re on the brink of something very much larger than yourself. Thoughts?
ARTHUR ALLIGOOD: I do feel like I’m on the edge of something. Not really sure of what though. I’m keeping my expectations pretty low, but to say that I’m not hopeful would be a lie. I’m excited about 2012 and all the possibilities. Luke, you have been a big supporter of my music for quite some time. Honestly, it’s people like you that have kept me going.
TBI: You’ve been extremely busy of late. Flying back and forth to New York, Los Angeles, etc. You recently won a contest that landed you the prize of having Mikal Blue produce your new record. Tell us about him and who he’s worked with.
AA: To start with, Mikal is such a nice, genuine guy. There’s no sign of pretense on any level. He’s deeply committed to the music and the whole process of making a record. And he has produced some really successful records over the last couple of years. That first Colbie Calliat record he produced and co-wrote half of the songs. He’s also worked with major label acts such as Five For Fighting, Jason Mraz, Augustana, and Jason Mraz. The list goes on.
TBI: The upcoming new record, “One Silver Needle,” will be a major step forward for you, at least from what I can tell. How much of that is because of the folks you worked with? I mean, you worked with guys who played with John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and many more greats.
AA: It was such an honor to work with legends like drummer Jim Keltner and bassist Lee Sklar. I learned so much just being in the same room and hearing their input. They definitely put their individual stamp on the songs that were put before them. The thing I respect most is how they served each song. They didn’t try to push a song in the wrong direction. They heard very clearly what each song needed and played the part to perfection. It was such a validating thing to see these legends having fun playing my tunes. Keltner at one point turned to me and said, “Great song man, great song.” It doesn’t get more encouraging than that.
TBI: From this experience of working with Mikal Blue and company, what’s one thing you will take with you for the rest of your career?
AA: Having positive people around you is a must. Negativity can ruin everything. Everybody Mikal brought in was so nice and encouraging not to mention extremely talented.
TBI: I’ve really enjoyed hearing the organ on the new record. The organist in the house band of Jimmy Kimmel LIVE played on the record. What was it like working with him?
AA: Well, his name is Jeff Babko. The night before I flew back to Nashville we drove out to his place in L.A. He had been in the studio all day working on the new Jason Mraz record and had just come from taping the Jimmy Kimmel show. So, it was like 10 at night and we’re in his backyard studio recording b3 organ. Really, really nice fella and killer on the organ. He’d listen to the song a couple of times, making notes along the way. Then he’d lay down the part in one take and we’d move on to the next song. I’ve never seen anything like it. He commented several times on my songwriting, which made me feel pretty good. Oh, and his wife made us tea ad cookies. It was a good last night in L.A.
TBI: Is there anything that fans may be surprised about with the new record?
AA: I think people that have followed me at least since the last record will hear some new ground covered. I’m not sure if this record is the logical next step though. It does explore some of the territory I introduced on “I Have Not Seen the Wind.” It’s all just a hunch until the record comes out. People can decide for themselves. I will say that my southern roots show quite a bit. To me, this record is the most eclectic group of songs I’ve ever come up with.
TBI: Is there a consistent theme with the new record? What direction did you set out to take?
AA: For me, I write the songs first and then find(discover) the themes. I don’t know how to do it any other way. A lot of times I don’t know what I am saying until much later. Going through the process of recording a group of songs and hearing them over and over naturally brings the common themes to the surface. For this album expect songs about the broken nature of relationships, the fear that keeps us from real love, the regrets that haunt us, our persistent rebellion against what is good and right, etc…. I wasn’t setting out to write about these things it’s just what spilled out. My Momma says to me all the time, “How do you come up with this stuff?” I don’t ever know how to answer her. I just write. I don’t know how I do it, but I do know how to do it. I don’t need to know how. What’s the point in knowing how? I don’t think such knowledge would help me as a writer. I’ve always been pretty content with the craft and process of songwriting. I’m a songwriter/singer for sure.
TBI: Have you decided on what you’re gonna do in terms of artwork for the new record?
AA: Haven’t figured out artwork yet. My friend Perry is doing the layout and I’m interested to see what he comes up with. The title “One Silver Needle” conjures up different images for me.
TBI: Who’s an artist that you’d love to be the opener for on tour?
AA: My gut answer is Josh Ritter. Emmylou Harris would be more than fine too. Oh, and my dream is to open for Paul Simon.
TBI: Tell us what 2012 will look like for you?
AA: The record should come out this Spring. I’m going to tour this summer for sure and share this new batch of songs. 2012 is wide open for me. The way I see it, anything could happen.
SOCAN member Chris Velan is the only Canadian artist to be included in the 14th annual Sundance ASCAP Music Café showcase at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, which takes place Jan. 20-27.
Rising pop star and Montreal, native Velan, who boasts such CBC Radio 2 staples as “Oceans Ago” and “There Goes Sarah,” will play Jan. 25 at 3:20 p.m. at the Rich Haines Gallery (751 Main Street, Park City, Utah), the site of all performances at the café. Other featured performers include The All-American Rejects, David Gray, Garland Jeffreys and Jenny O.
The café is open to all festival credential holders. To view a complete schedule of performances and for more information, please visit www.ascap.com/sundance.
“Arthur is exactly the kind of artist I was hoping to meet through the NewSong Contest,” said Blue. “While remaining very true to his art, his lyrical and melodic sensibilities make his songs very accessible and his rich vocal tone captivates the listener. I can’t wait to see what we come up with in my studio.”
Arthur Alligood performing at the 2011 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest Finals in New York in October, 2011.
To record the EP, Blue has recruited an all-star cast of session players to accompany Alligood in the studio: drum legend Jim Keltner (John Lennon, George Harrison, Bob Dylan), bassist Leland Sklar (James Taylor, Lyle Lovett, Carole King, Jackson Browne) and guitarist Michael Ward (Ben Harper, The Wallflowers).
To chronicle the making of the EP, Arthur and NewSong Recordings have partnered with PledgeMusic to launch a ‘pre-order campaign on steroids,’ providing exclusive access to demos, videos, photos and blogs of the pre-production and recording process.
“To me, albums are stories,” says prize-winner Alligood. “The recording process is a story as well and many times this story is unknown to the listener. Our PledgeMusic campaign is a real way to let fans in on the story and even become a part of the narrative as it plays out.”
Founded in 2009, PledgeMusic is a hands-on direct to fan music making platform, where artists engage and grow their fan base, raise funding for their projects, and nominate a charity to benefit from the process. “Arthur is a first class talent and his dedication to his fans is precisely what a successful PledgeMusic project is built upon,” said Jayce Varden, PledgeMusic COO.“This is just the beginning of a long relationship between PledgeMusic and NewSong”.
For his pre-order campaign, Alligood has selected Nashville, TN based Blood:Water mission as the project’s charity partner. “I was introduced to Blood:Water Mission several years back by a friend,” said Alligood. It’s goal is to creatively and thoughtfully raise awareness and the necessary funds for the provision of clean blood and clean water in sub-Saharan Africa. “In 2010, Blood:Water’s original goal of “1,000 wells” was reached and they continue to work with communities in Africa to supply such basic needs. I strongly believe in the work of Blood:Water Mission and am thankful for how they’ve helped me see outside my own community.”
Now entering its eleventh year, the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest has quickly evolved to become one of the premier showcases of emerging performing songwriters in North America. It has helped launch the careers of such acclaimed artists as Ingrid Michaelson, Jeff Ellis, Diana Jones and last year’s winner Amber Rubarth, whose grand prize album ‘A Common Case of Disappearing’ was produced by Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Tom Waits) and recently ascended in the iTunes Singer-Songwriter chart to #13.
“Arthur Alligood came out on top of an extremely strong group of twelve finalists that were chosen from a field of over 2,000 contest entries this year,” said NPR’s Mountain Stage host Larry Groce. “His performances are subtle and powerful, his songs are original and he’s an artist who knows who he is and is not afraid to do things his own way. I look forward to having him as a guest on Mountain Stage.”
“Arthur’s songs are characterized by poetic lyrics and strong, memorable melodies, and he delivers them with an authenticity and connection that deeply engages the listener,” said Gar Ragland, director and co-founder of NewSong Music, which produces the competition. “This combination of strong performance and songwriting ultimately separated him from the rest of the finalists. We’re excited to head into the studio later this month with Mikal and Arthur and create something truly unique and memorable together.”
NewSong Music is an independent music organization based in Brooklyn, New York. Its twofold mission is (1) To build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across all genres of music and levels of skill, and (2) To identify the truly exceptional artists within this community and to work closely with them to develop their careers and introduce their music to a broader, international audience.
–To pledge, visit pledgemusic.com/projects/arthuralligood
–To learn more about Arthur Alligood, visit arthuralligood.com
–To learn more about Mikal Blue and Revolver Studios, visit revolverrecordings.com
–To learn more about NewSong Music, visit newsong-music.com
–To learn more about PledgeMusic, visit pledgemusic.com
–To learn more about NPR’s Mountain Stage show, visit mountainstage.org or npr.org/mountainstage
–To learn more about Blood:Water Mission, visit bloodwatermission.com
For media inquiries and interviews, contact Lauren Stockner:
lauren.stockner@newsong-music.com; 718-788-0323
Arthur Alligood
When ASCAP member Arthur Alligood sent in his submission for the 2011 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest earlier this year, he was in the same spot as countless other singer-songwriters who bravely struggle to make a living by making music. “For the last 10 years I have tried to make music my career,” Alligood explains via e-mail. “At some points I have been a full-on traveling songwriter. During other seasons I had all but quit touring to get a college degree, become a husband and father, etc…After taking many paths, I find myself having come full circle and working as a touring songwriter again. Entering the NewSong Contest was for me a way to extend myself as an artist.” (more…)
New York, NY. October 20, 2011. This evening, a panel of judges at New York’s Winter Garden in the World Financial Center chose Arthur Alligood as the overall grand prize winner of the tenth annual Mountain Stage NewSong Contest. Alligood, from the small town of White House, TN about 30 minutes outside Nashville, was chosen from over 2,000 entries and selected from 12 finalists who had been invited to compete in the live performance and songwriting competition here.
“Being a part of the contest this year was humbling,” said Alligood. “There were so many talented people involved and I feel fortunate to have won the grand prize. I’m really excited about working with Mikal on a new EP.”
Arthur Alligood, 2011 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest grand prize winner
As the grand prize winner, Alligood will go into the studio with producer, songwriter and hitmaker Mikal Blue (James Blunt, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat) to record an EP that will be released on Brooklyn’s NewSong Recordings label.
“Arthur is exactly the kind of artist I was hoping to meet thru the NewSong Contest,” stated Blue. “While remaining very true to his art, his lyrical and melodic sensibilities make his songs very accessible and his rich vocal tone captivates the listener. I can’t wait to see what we come up with in the studio!”
Additionally, Arthur will perform live on an internationally broadcast Mountain Stage show on NPR, hosted by Larry Groce who served as one of the contest’s judges.
“Arthur Alligood came out on top of an extremely strong group of five finalists that were chosen from a field of over 2,000 contest entries,” said Groce. “His performances are subtle and powerful, his songs are original and he’s an artist who knows who he is and is not afraid to do things his own way. I look forward to having him as a guest on Mountain Stage.”
Now in its tenth year, the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest has quickly evolved to become one of the premier showcases of emerging performing songwriters in North America. It has helped launch the careers of such acclaimed artists as Ingrid Michaelson, Jeff Ellis, Diana Jones and last year’s winner Amber Rubarth, whose grand prize album ‘A Common Case of Disappearing‘ was produced by Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Tom Waits) and is currently in the iTunes Singer-Songwriter chart Top15.
“Arthur’s songs are characterized by poetic lyrics and strong, memorable melodies, and he delivers them with a authenticity and connection that deeply engages the listener,” said Gar Ragland, director and co-founder of NewSong Music, which produces the competition. “This combination of strong performance and songwriting ultimately separated him from the rest of the finalists. We’re excited to head into the studio early next year with Mikal and Arthur and create something truly unique and memorable together.”
NewSong Music is an independent music organization based in Brooklyn, New York. It’s twofold mission is (1) To build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across all genres of music and levels of skill, and (2) To identify the truly exceptional artists within this community and to work closely with them to develop their careers and introduce their music to a broader, international audience.
– To learn more about NewSong Music, visit newsong-music.com or facebook.com/newsongmusic.
– To learn more about Arthur Alligood, visit arthuralligood.com
– To learn more about NPR’s Mountain Stage show, visit mountainstage.org or npr.org/mountainstage
For media inquiries and interviews, contact Lauren Stockner:
lauren.stockner@newsong-music.com; 718-788-0323
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Congratulations to Our Remaining 2011 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest Finalists The 2011 roster of finalists for the the 10th annual live performance finals is now complete. Congratulations to the remaining General Round finalists below and to Sinem Saniye – this year’s People’s Choice winner – for receiving the most votes among all of this year’s regional finalists in our separate People’s Choice voting platform.
As finalists, they’ll be joining these previously announced finalists in New York City on Thursday, October 20 for our live rounds of our performance and songwriting competition hosted by arts>World Financial Center at the Winter Garden in Lower Manhattan.
On behalf of everyone at NewSong Music and our contest partners, we thank all the artists and fans who have been a part of this year’s contest, and hope that you’ll continue to stay engaged as the contest’s final stages unfold later this month. We also hope you stay in touch with us throughout the year on Facebook, where you can find more information on our standout contestants – past and present – our label artists and our ever-growing concerts and concert series featuring the exceptional talent we identify through the contest. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email us at contest@newsong-music.com Best of luck to all of you in your music endeavors. . . and thanks again for being a part of this year’s contest. Sincerely, Gar Ragland
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This weekend, National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage is broadcasting its show featuring the 2010 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest Grand Prize Winner Amber Rubarth. Other guests on the show include John Oates, Blame Sally, Frontier Ruckus and Mooreland & Arbuckle. To learn more about Mountain Stage and check broadcast times and local affiliate stations, visit the Mountain Stage website.
To coincide with the broadcast, Amber’s new album ‘A Common Case of Disappearing’ – also a prize for her winning the contest – is now available on iTunes. The album, recorded by Grammy winning producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones, Tom Waits, Cold War Kids), was recorded in March of this year at Saint Claire Recording Company in Lexington, KY.
‘A Common Case of Disappearing’ – the Grand Prize album from 2010 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest Winner Amber Rubarth Releases on iTunes this Friday, September, 30.
New album produced by Grammy-winner Jacquire King and released on Brooklyn’s NewSong Recordings.
New York, NY. September 28, 2011. As the 2010 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest grand prize winner, Amber Rubarth won the opportunity to go into the studio earlier this year to record an EP with Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, Norah Jones).
“I met Amber last October in New York, at the NewSong Contest finals,” said Jacquire. “I was a judge on the panel, and Amber really stood out to me. She has a wonderful voice, and she is a very talented performer. I think that there are a lot of good things in store for her. I am really excited about what we recorded, and I look forward to watch it all unfold.”
The EP soon evolved into a nine song album entitled ‘A Common Case of Disappearing,’ and features an All-Star cast of musicians that includes bassist Frank Swart (Patty Griffin), drummer and percussionist Marco Giovino (Patty Griffin, Band of Joy) and guitarist Adam Levy (Norah Jones, Amos Lee). The album also features two duets, “Mirror” with Jason Mraz and “City Starts to Bloom” with Jason Reeves. It was recorded in the Spring of 2010 at Saint Claire Recording Recording Company in Lexington, KY.
“I feel extremely happy and grateful that it was originally supposed to be a five song EP,” explains Amber, “and now we’ve recorded and are releasing a nine song album!”
The album is being released by Brooklyn’s NewSong Recordings, the partner label of the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest. It will be released digitally on iTunes and other online retailers on Friday, September 30 to coincide with the international broadcast of her performance on National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage, an appearance she also won as last year’s NewSong Contest winner.
“This is a unique opportunity for talented artists like Amber to work with one of the top producers in the industry,” said Gar Ragland, NewSong Recordings president and the director and co-founder of NewSong Music, which produces the contest. “And, we’re also proud to continue our decade long relationship with NPR’s Mountain Stage. For 25 years, they’ve been showcasing some of the world’s best music performers and songwriters.”
Amber will be touring the US, Europe and Japan this Fall and in early 2012 in support of the album’s release.
To learn more about the album and stream selections from it, please visit acommoncaseofdisappearing.com.
To watch the video documentary of the making of the album, click here.
MEDIA: For more information, please contact Lauren Stockner at lauren.stockner@newsong-music.com; call (718) 788-0323.
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About NewSong Music
NewSong Music is an independent music organization with the following two-fold mission: to build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across all genres of music and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists within this community and to work closely with them to develop their careers and introduce their music to a broader, international audience. You can find out more about NewSong and NewSong Recordings at www.newsong-music.com.
About Mountain Stage
Mountain Stage is a two-hour live performance showcase distributed each week by NPR and Voice of America and featuring some of the world’s greatest singers, songwriters and musicians in a relaxed atmosphere. Guests are musical legends, well-known artists, and emerging performers. Each week week five acts perform on Mountain Stage, usually two or three who were not born when the show began in 1983.
Mountain Stage hosted the first national media performances of Lyle Lovett, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Sheryl Crow, Barenaked Ladies, Alison Krauss, Ani DiFranco, Phish, Counting Crows, Ben Harper, Ryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Keb’ Mo’, Lucinda Williams, David Gray and many others. Musical pioneers Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Pops Staples, Odetta and Brownie McGee graced the Mountain Stage.
A good cross section of what Mountain Stage does might be gleaned from a list of some of the guests on its anniversary shows (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700th shows and 20th and 25th anniversaries). They included: John Hiatt, John Stewart, NRBQ, John Renbourn, Bert Jansch, Bob Geldof, The Violent Femmes, Tony Trischka, The BoDeans, Sheryl Crow, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Henry, Ricky Skaggs, Charlie Louvin, Hazel Dickens, Iris Dement, Steve Earle, Bruce Cockburn, Jesse Winchester, The Holmes Brothers, Tim O’Brien, Robert Cray, The Low Anthem and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. www.mountainstage.org
