Posts Tagged ‘AC Sapphire’

NewSong Winners perform in Arts Brookfields ‘Notes of Pride’ Concert Series this summer in New York City

Friday, May 19th, 2023

Arts Brookfield is pleased to announce ‘Notes of Pride,’ a New York City-based concert series celebrating Pride Month and the ​​LGBTQIA+ community The series will take place throughout June. Performances will be held during lunchtime, 12:30-1:30 p.m., at Zuccotti Park (One Liberty Plaza) each Wednesday and at Grace Plaza in midtown Manhattan(1114 Avenue of the Americas) each Thursday. All performances are free to attend.

NewSong Music is proud to present 2019 NewSong Grand Prize Winner Jobi Riccio and 2022 NewSong Grand Prize Winner AC Sapphire as part of this series.

 

SCHEDULE:

AC SAPPHIRE + CALIKO

  • Wed, June 7, 12:30 – 1:30PM @Zuccotti Park
  • Thurs, June 8, 12:30 – 1:30PM @Grace Plaza

JOBI RICCIO

  • Wed, June 28, 12:30 – 1:30PM @Zuccotti Park
  • Thurs, June 29, 12:30 – 1:30PM @Grace Plaza

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

AC Sapphire + Caliko — Regularly championing other women and non-binary folks in the music industry, AC Sapphire attracts instant fans with her powerful voice and songwriting chops. Her music offers stunning, shimmering collections of electric rock songs, served as nostalgic souvenirs. Always in motion, AC also has a duo project called Caliko with long-time singing partner Kendall Lujan.

Jobi Riccio — An active member of the burgeoning queer country scene, Nashville-based Jobi Riccio writes songs that meld classic country sounds with modern sensibilities, aiming to turn classic tropes of genre on their head.

 

ABOUT NEWSONG MUSIC

Now in its 22nd year, NewSong Music is an independent artist development organization and independent record label. Its mission is to identify and celebrate truly exceptional artists, and to build and support a community of performers and songwriters across all genres of music.

ABOUT ARTS BROOKFIELD

Arts Brookfield supports innovation in music, dance, theater, film, and visual art by pushing boundaries to create unique works of art and cultural experiences presented for free. Thriving for over three decades, the program gathers communities around creativity by animating Brookfield Properties’ public spaces.

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AC Sapphire is the 2022 NewSong Music Grand Prize Winner

Tuesday, December 6th, 2022

NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is thrilled to announce that AC Sapphire from Portland, Oregon, is the 2022 Grand Prize Winner.

During the Saturday, Dec. 3 finals, AC Sapphire impressed with her innovative song craft, intricate melodies, lush harmonies (with accompanist Kendall Lujan, seen below holding a vintage camera), and rockstar delivery. AC’s grand prize package includes a fully funded six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Citizen STwo women, Kendall Lujan and AC Sapphire, sit on a couch in front of a yellow lamp. Kendall holds a vintage camera.tudios, a vinyl package of the EP pressed at Citizen Vinyl, and a featured, paid performance at Arts Brookfield’s Summer Concert Series in New York City in the summer of 2023.

“Once again, this year’s accomplished finalists delivered a magical evening of live music to a full house at Citizen Vinyl, while tasking our team of music industry judges with the difficult work of awarding top honors,” says Gar Ragland, founder of NewSong Music. “In the end, AC Sapphire’s distinctive style, lyricism, engaging stage presence, musicianship and virtuosic vocal harmonies put her in a league of her own amidst a very talented group of artists.”

Learn more about AC Sapphire’s punk-infused indie-folk (and her band The Shoulder Pads) here.

The internationally recognized NewSong Music event, now in its 21st year, is one of North America’s premier showcases of emerging performers and songwriters today. The Saturday, Dec. 3 finale concert brought eight finalists — selected from nearly 500 entries, and from across the US and Canada — to Asheville, NC, for an evening of songs and connection. The magical evening of singer-songwriter performances ran the gamut from soulful Americana to indie-pop and from cosmic country to ethereal.

The 2022 runners up were: The Singer and the Songwriter (Rachel Garcia and Thu Tran; Oakland, CA) and Justin Cross (Birmingham, AL).

The full finalist lineup included: Cozi Anda Flounder (Cozi and Ezra Vancil; Dallas, TX); Indus Adams (San Antonio, TX); Mikalyn (Guelph, Ontario); Lua Flora (Evan Button; Weaverville, NC); Kristian Phillip Valentino (Asheville, NC).

A group of 14 people who competed in the NewSong Music Competition stand behind and sit on a green couch.

2022 NewSong Music finalists (with NewSong founder Gar Ragland, center back). Image by Aaron Stone Photo

Judges for the event, which took place at Citizen Vinyl in downtown Asheville, included Claude Coleman Jr., André Cholmondeley, Ariana Hellerman, Matt Hendrickson, and Gar Ragland. Learn more about the judges here.

As this year’s Grand Prize Winner, AC Sapphire joins NewSong Music’s impressive roster of artists such as Crys Matthews, Rachael Kilgour, Michael Flynn, Jobi Riccio, Mel Bryant, and others.

 

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Listen to NewSong Finalists on Spotify and YouTube

Tuesday, November 15th, 2022

Leading up to the 2022 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition finals, we’re showcasing tracks from our finalists.

The 2022 Finalists are:

The Singer and the Songwriter (Rachel Garcia and Thu Tran; Oakland, CA ) — Rachel and Thu met and began writing and performing music together in 2006. This year they were named as a finalist in the prestigious Grassy Hill New Folk Song Competition for Emerging Folk Artists at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Cozi Anda Flounder (Cozi and Ezra Vancil; Dallas, TX) — Father-daughter Americana-ish country duo. This self-described cosmic country / Americana-ish outfit sounds itself with a group of lifelong music friends.

AC Sapphire (Portland, OR)— Ethereal folk-rock. Her cosmic sound blends disparate elements into an ethereal folk rock while her strong voice shakes listeners awake as she spins her passionate, dust-blasted tales.

Indus Adams (San Antonio, TX) — Indie-pop. Indus Adams, aka Devin Castleton, used Covid quarantine to take a deep dive into songwriting and recording. He is currently at work on his debut album.

Mikalyn (Guelph, Ontario) — Alt-pop. As an established singer-songwriter her journey had a significant boost when a Brazilian record label discovered her original, piano-driven songs on Soundcloud and offered to transform them into EDM hits, resulting in millions of streams.

Justin Cross (Pelham, AL) — Americana. Justin Cross is a singer-songwriter and self-described “noise-maker.” Though his songs are based in American tradition, he hopes they can connect with a global audience.

Lua Flora (Evan Button; Weaverville, NC) — Beach-pop. The Asheville, NC-based group’s sun-kissed melodies are rooted in the harmonies of Appalachia, rhythms of the West Indies, and lyricism of American folk.

Kristian Phillip Valentino (Asheville, NC) — Indie-folk. KPV’s musical palette falls between the lines of indie folk, singer-songwriter and Americana. His lyrics are a healing balm from the daily struggle as they wash over you with a deep reverence. Kristian was also a finalist at the 2022 LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition, a collaboration between NewSong Music and LEAF Global Arts.

The finalists, selected from advance online submissions from across North America and beyond, will bring their musical chops to Asheville to perform, compete, and connect with one another. The concert takes place at Citizen Vinyl on Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 PM.

Tickets are $50 General Admissions and $125 VIP.

A panel of music industry judges will select one grand prize winner who will receive a fully funded six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Citizen Studios, plus 300 vinyl records pressed at Citizen Vinyl, and a featured, paid performance at Arts Brookfield’s Summer Concert Series in New York City in the summer of 2023.

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Meet the 2022 Finalists: AC Sapphire

Monday, November 14th, 2022

AC Sapphire currently based in Portland, Oregon, creates ethereal folk-rock. Her cosmic sound blends disparate elements into an ethereal folk rock while her strong voice shakes listeners awake as she spins her passionate, dust-blasted tales.

A woman in a black dress holds a guitar in front of a blue evening sky.

NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?
 
AC Sapphire: Our father constantly played doo-wop and R&B music [when I was] growing up, like The Ravens, The Harptones, The Chantels, The Drifters, The Platters, The Flamingos. and many more! He was a record collector. 
 
What inspired you to become a songwriter?
 
I was home-schooled, and as part of that we did a Shakespeare play once a year. I fell in love with language and poetry. I think I was inspired because it felt like a way to express something to the world, to get out of my body and to sing and express my thoughts. It was powerful [to me] as a teenager. It still is powerful. Image of a woman in a red dress, seen from chest up, looking off to her right.
 
If you could partner with another living songwriter to co-write a song, who would it be?
 
Michael Hurley 
 
Do you have any recent or forthcoming projects to tell us about?
 
I recently formed a support band for my music: AC Sapphire & The Shoulderpads. We won the Relix Magazine Sonic Showdown Contest. We are hoping to record an album as a band this winter/spring! 
 

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Announcing the 2022 NewSong Competition Finalists

Thursday, October 20th, 2022

We are thrilled to announce the finalists for this year’s NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition!

• AC Sapphire — (Portland, Ore.) Her cosmic sound blends disparate elements into an ethereal folk rock while her strong voice shakes listeners awake as she spins her passionate, dust-blasted tales.

• Ash & Eric — (Worcester, Mass.) Ash & Eric are two dreamers forever committed to making music for their listeners that is honest, intentional, and beautiful. The pair continues to say “YES” to the power of vulnerability, simplicity, and new starts.

• Brittany Ann Tranbaugh — (Philadelphia, Penn.) In ‘Quarter Life Crisis Haircut.’ she tackles a wide range of topics including her sixth grade queer awakening, an awkward run-in with an old acquaintance, and the impossibility of true folk music authenticity in this day and age.

• Indus Adams — (San Antonio, Tex.) An entrepreneur by day, Indus turned two years of Covid quarantine into an intensive woodshedding period where he worked on music and songwriting. Music is his great love and the chance to pursue it is a once in a lifetime opportunity, he says.

• Cozi anda Flounder — (Dallas, Tex.) This Cosmic Country duo centers on a father (Ezra) and daughter (Cosi) songwriting team. “It’s like a conversation between generations, put to music,” says Ezra.

• Mikalyn — (Guelph, Ontario) Mikalyn’s signature alt-pop stylings boldly blur lines between genres and eras. As an established singer-songwriter her journey had a significant boost when a Brazilian record label discovered her original, piano-driven songs on Soundcloud and offered to transform them into EDM hits

• Justin Cross — (Birmingham, Ala.) Writing songs has always been a means of expression for Cross, but becoming a father brought a new dimension to his lyrical, musical and creative direction. “A lot of the songs have become expressions of what I want to say to my sons and leave behind for them,” he says.

They will be joined by our Earl-Bird Finalist, The Singer and The Songwriter, a California-based duo who met and began writing and performing music together in 2006. Together, Rachel Garcia and Thu Tran — a queer mixed-race-Mexican-American and first-generation-Vietnamese-American, respectively — won the West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest, were nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Song at the 16th Annual Independent Music Awards and, this year, were named as a finalist in the prestigious Grassy Hill New Folk Song Competition for Emerging Folk Artists at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Thanks so much to everyone who submitted songs to this year’s NewSong Music Competition!

Entries to the 21st annual NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition closed at 11:59 PM on Sunday, Sept 18. We are overwhelmed by the talent of the singer-songwriters who entered their original work to this year’s competition.

This year’s eight finalists will convene in Asheville, N.C. on Saturday, Dec. 3 to network, celebrate, showcase and compete in this very special 21st annual live event, hosted by our presenting sponsor, Citizen Vinyl.

Tickets will be available soon.

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