This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #wheregreatartistsarediscovered #newsongmusic
BIO Jaime Garamella has been accused of “combining the quirky song craft of Elvis Costello and Ben Folds with the stylistic vigor of Ryan Adams or Fountains Of Wayne“, and it’s said he “resembles The Spin Doctors, but keeps things fresh with a unique sound and a clear knack for writing lyrics and hooks that are far from boilerplate.” The NYC-based songwriter has a Jekyll-and-Hyde approach — on one hand, writing timeless acoustic tunes steeped in American soul, country, folk, and blues; on the other, jumping off the top of the Marshall stack with his alt-rock band, The Spanish Channel, who have drawn comparisons to Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, and Stone Temple Pilots.
A Regional Finalist in the 2014 NewSong/Mountain Stage Contest, Jaime has recorded two albums and several EPs of his songs. He has also written music for other artists, indie films, documentaries, TV commercials, radio jingles, and even the theme song for a pro hockey team. As a singer, he has appeared at Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall as well as in TV commercials, radio jingles, and even a PBS Kids album. He’s played guitar with bluesman Roy Roberts and rapper Big Daddy Kane. He’s toured nationally both solo and with his band, The Spanish Channel, supporting national acts including Tim Reynolds (of Dave Matthews Band) & TR3 and Alex Skolnick of Testament. It’s live shows where Jaime’s high energy, charisma, and ability to connect with an audience really bring the music to life.
Raised in Connecticut, Jaime has lived in North Carolina, Tokyo, and Boston, and now calls New York City home. When he’s not performing, he teaches voice, guitar, and bass and runs the Vocal program at NYC Guitar School.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #wheregreatartistsarediscovered #newsongmusic
BIO Recently named the Grand Prize Lyric Winner for American Songwriter Magazine, Blair Bodine brings a compelling mix of lyrical mastery and soul-stirring melodies to her music. Accompanied by rich acoustic guitar, Blair’s songs uplift and unravel with themes of love, loss, and spirituality. Blair’s debut album was produced by four-time Grammy award-winner Glenn Barrett at Morningstar Studios in Ambler, PA, the town where she was born and raised. After a guitar-slinging stint in Nashville, Tennessee, Blair moved back to the Northeast in 2014 and now calls New York City home.
In addition to writing and touring, Blair is committed to music education. “I was very fortunate when I was younger. My Mom gave me a guitar for my 13th birthday and nurtured my love of music. She herself is a beautiful songwriter and knew what a positive impact that guitar would have on my life. These days, schools are cutting their music programs at an alarming rate. We need to make sure that we don’t lose the next generation of songwriters.” Committed to fostering a love of music, Blair currently works for Steven Van Zandt’s Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, where she writes curriculum for middle and high school teachers about the history of American popular music.
Since her album release in 2009, Blair has received multiple awards that recognize both her songwriting and performing abilities. She is thrilled to be named a finalist for the 2015 NewSong contest.
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: For me, the process of songwriting is best described as, “Building the plane as you fly it.” I love stepping into a song and not being quite sure of where you will land when the process is through. When you begin a song, anything’s game: from the rhythm, to the chords, to the song structure; it’s a total puzzle. I try not to get too locked into my first idea and to always be open to change. The most important part of the process, for me, is showing up. So I guess songwriting is a lot like life that way!
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: Total shock. I was really surprised and honored simultaneously. Is there a word for that? Suponored.
I am really excited to meet the other finalists later this week! And, of course, having the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center is incredible. Even though I am a relatively new New Yorker, the importance of Lincoln Center as a cultural institution stands out to me. I can’t wait to be there.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I think I first applied back in 2010, inspired by the artists I admire who have won this contest in the past. In 2011, I was fortunate to be selected as a regional semifinalist in the Southeast. I had a really wonderful experience connecting with a few of the semifinalists based in Nashville at that time. We spontaneously decided to get together and perform a concert in-the-round. That pretty much defines the NewSong Contest for me. A positive and collaborative contest where the true prize is connecting with other artists.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I’m hoping to release an album of new material in 2016. The more I say it, the more it becomes true. So yes. A new album in 2016 is definitely, probably, totally, maybe happening. It will be an album of tracks I wrote and recorded in Nashville over the years, along with a handful of songs that I’ve written since I’ve moved back to the Northeast.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #wheregreatartistsarediscovered #newsongmusic
BIO I am a Japanese Gypsy Rockstar!
My songwriting reflects my life as an immigrant with some musical influences from different cultures which I have absorbed while living in cosmopolitan cities like London and New York City…
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: It’s about trying to give a shape to something that doesn’t have a shape. And there is always a gap between that indescribable something and what you created. The smaller the gap is the better you feel. I’m a 99% melody guy. I’m come up with melodies first then lyrics. So often, I go “does this need lyrics?”. So I’m open to write in any languages as long as I pick the right sound for the melody. But the most exciting part of songwriting is when you first grab it out of nowhere, then you put it down on a piece of paper or on tape. That moment, nothing else really matters…
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: What? Really? Wow!
It means a lot that one of my latest songs made it into the top 10 after many years of songwriting. That means my songwriting is still improving and contemporary and I’m happy to be able to contribute something to this celebration of new American music, from which I hope I will get even more inspirations.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I entered the contest back in 2008 and I’ve known it ever since.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: Playing at Lincoln Center is the biggest news from me for the coming new year so far.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy!
BIO Adam Bonomo is the lead vocalist and composer for the group BONOMO.
Adam Bonomo’s background as a performing artist includes working extensively as a pianist, organist and vocalist.
He has traveled throughout the U.S along the east coast, and in Europe. The group is now performing at a host of NY venues regularly.
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: My writing process is very sporadic. My music usually comes to me as fluently as my emotions. Sometimes I catch them, sometimes I can’t quite hold on to it. As a working pianist/organist, I am constantly discovering and learning new music. My major influences come from Classical, Gospel, and Jazz music. Through in depth study and practice of these styles of music, I’ve worked to ingrain them in my playing so that when I have an emotion or a thought I can express musically how I’m feeling emotionally or physically. As for my muses, LIFE is my muse. I try to see and understand as much of it as I can.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: It was a great surprise! It always feels good when the work that you pour your being into gets validated.
It’s a great honor to have my work selected. Beyond meeting and sharing with other artists of my craft, I would hope to gain the support and platform needed to fully realize this music and bring it to the world.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I was searching online for outlets to show my music.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: Last November we recorded four songs at “Strange Weather” In Brooklyn that we will release individually starting in 2016. We also have a date with the San Francisco Orchestra, “One Found Sound” that will be announced sometime in August, we will have my music arranged and perform a live recorded concert featuring both groups. We also have a show coming up on January 24 at “Bowery Arts+Sciences”
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy!
BIO Within month’s of the release of her soulful fiery debut, ‘Wildfire’ – Megan Wilde was chosen as winner of an LA Music Critic Award, a string of international songwriting contests, a few coveted Tv/Film Music Licensing Deals, a National college radio promotion deal, and she’s received glowing national and international press for her bold, sultry, and heartfelt singing. With a scorching voice that knows no boundaries, a fiery on stage presence, and a robust and bodacious soul for crafting music – Megan Wilde’s music has been compared to the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Black Keys, Beyonce, Adele and The White Stripes. While Seattle Music Insider has declared Megan Wilde a “soul powerhouse” and the Examiner exclaimed, ‘”Wilde could very well become a musical force with which to be reckoned” – Who is the woman behind the music?
Megan B. Wilde was a school yard nickname given to her for her talent for climbing trees, getting in fights with boys, and running around covered in dirt with wild untamed lioness hair. You could say she’s always been a bit rough around the edges. Growing up in a small town outside of Chicago never suited her style, and at 15 she found her ticket out. She was accepted into one of the world’s finest performing arts schools – Interlochen Academy of The Fine Arts. Day in and day out she studied music and art from the masters. Her teachers quickly learned that while she was talented – ball gowns, opera, and being neat as a button was not her thang. Once you’ve been seduced by the brash, rusty, soulful voices – there is no turning back.
Look out for Megans debut EP release -Wildfire- on May 19th, 2015. When recording Wildfire at one of Seattle’s top studios, London Bridge, the artist brought in mastering wizard – Howie Wineberg. Howie is a 4 time Grammy nominee with an estimated quarter of a billion records sold. Producing, composing and arranging the material on the record (with the exception of “Spoonful”), Wilde also takes the helm on Wurlitzer, piano, and of course, the powerhouse vocals. Wildfire combines elements of indie-rock, blues, soul and R & B. Her debut album has been showered with early praise from critics around the nation and is just a ‘spoonful’ of things to come.
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: When I get that first spark, I stop everything I’m doing and ride the wave of inspiration. Sometimes it’s like lightening when it strikes – rare and intense. I’ve had song’s come to me when in my dreams, and I’ve had songs come to me when I’m wasted at the bar with my girls. My newest song is a new process in that it’s coming to me in pieces month’s apart. I store everything on my phone, and looking back through my recordings I realized the last 3 month’s inspirations have been in the same key. It’s like it’s slowly releasing itself to me.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: It means I can be proud of the work that I created from the bottom of my soul.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: The Internet. I also know The Banner days from Seattle, they were finalists last year.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I just released my EP ‘Wildfire’ and have signed some licensing deals with TV/Film. I also won a college radio campaign for spring.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to 14th Annual NewSong Music Showcase & Competition Finals – Lincoln Center (Jan 7th) for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #NewSongMusic #WhereGreatArtistsAreDiscovered
BIO Based out of Duluth, MN, singer-songwriter Rachael Kilgour has built a devoted following over the last ten years, captivating audiences with a balance of provocative, topical lyrics, passionate musical delivery, and a charmingly witty stage presence. Kilgour began writing and performing her own songs in 2005. She was invited to join recording artist Catie Curtis on a tour of the Midwest as an opener and backup musician in 2006 and again the following year. Her original music was received well enough that she decided to break from the pursuit of a Music Education degree in order to focus on a career as a performer.
In 2007, Kilgour married and enthusiastically took on the role of step-parent to her wife’s young daughter. She released her long-awaited debut album in December 2008 and a second release, “Will You Marry Me?” in January 2011. Both albums give an earnest glimpse into the life and politics of a young woman turned wife, mother and advocate for a generation of dissatisfied global citizens. In February 2013, Kilgour released “Whistleblower’s Manifesto,” a three-song EP that focuses on issues of social injustice and showcases her innate ability to challenge and inspire listeners.
Kilgour has performed across the country in coffeehouses, concert series and radio studios as well as protests and picket lines and has shared the stage with such folk luminaries as Greg Brown and Cheryl Wheeler. In 2015 Kilgour took fifth place in the Telluride Troubadour Competition and was named the winner of the LEAF Newsong Contest in North Carolina. Following her 2014 divorce, Kilgour has written a collection of new, powerfully intimate material. She plans to release a full-length, studio album of the work in the spring of 2016. The album is being produced by Catie Curtis.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: I was thrilled! As an artist, it’s always heartening to hear that your work resonates with people. It is an honor to be given the opportunity to perform in such a beautiful space alongside such talented artists.
I am most looking forward to meeting the other finalists! I love coming together with folks who live the same kind of life, share the same kind of passion and yet express it in such individualistic ways. I am also looking forward to meeting the judges and the rest of the Newsong team! I am excited to challenge myself to perform to the best of my ability at the showcase and I hope to connect with some new listeners as a result of this experience.
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: I don’t exactly have a process. It’s taken me some time to settle into a trusting kind of relationship with my writing. I don’t practice, I don’t force myself to write when I don’t have something to say, I don’t panic when I have dry spells or if I get stuck writing about one topic excessively. Songs seem to come to me like little gifts, I just need to make time to receive them. For me, songs are almost always born out of a repetitive thought. Sometimes it is a problem or injustice I am trying to resolve – either on a personal level or a world-wide one. Sometimes it is an intense emotion (eg: love for a child) that I am trying to communicate. I think we all write with the hope of being understood, whatever the topic. Songwriting allows me to sort the mess inside my head, but the magic lives in the sharing of the complete work. That moment of mutual understanding between the performer and listener is something I live for.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I am currently working on a new album – produced by Catie Curtis and recorded in the Boston area by Crit Harmon. I am very excited to release it, hopefully in the early spring! The album consists of the work I’ve written in the last year and a half since my divorce – it is raw and emotional and people have been connecting with it in a big way since I began sharing the tunes on stage. I’m very proud of the work we are doing in the studio and can’t wait to share it!
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy!
BIO Singer-songwriter Sarah Morris has a way of captivating her audiences with songs about the highs and lows of love. With a voice both cozy and commanding, Sarah allows us to feel every note. Her lyrics resonate with a combination of unflinching honesty and tenderness: portraits of love, loss, gratitude and regret.
Morris’ love for music grew from her parents record collection, with David Bowie, The Beatles, and Frank Sinatra songs helping to shape her musical DNA. She laid the groundwork for her career at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, followed by a post-graduation move to Nashville, TN. Now firmly planted in the Twin Cities music scene, Morris has been building a solid reputation with authentic songwriting and powerful performances. In recent years, Morris has settled into life as a wife and mother, both of which give a unique voice to her craft.
In September of 2015, Sarah released her 3rd album, “Ordinary Things” – a collection of songs that looks at little things that surround all of us; the daily ups and downs, love and loss, joy and anger, the desire for more, and the beauty that can be found in the smallest moments. Recorded at RiverRock Studios in Minneapolis with her band, “Ordinary Things” has received critical acclaim, with Chris Riemenschneider of the Star Tribune saying, ““Rootsy singer Sarah Morris offers a Norah Jones-like approach to Americana/alt-country, smoothing over its rough edges with a butter-velvety voice and an intimate songwriting style.”.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: I was thrilled – I AM thrilled! I love that NewSong aims to create a community of performing songwriters. It is such an honor to be included among such talented artists!
Well, one of my primary goals for 2016 is to get my music ‘out there’ more – as in, physically get myself out of my home state and play for new people, and meet new artists to collaborate with. So being selected as a NewSong finalist allows me to start my new year off in the best way – by keeping my promise to myself! Also, it means so much to me to know that someone listened to my songs and was moved by them in some way. I can’t wait to meet the other finalists, and see their performances. I am ready to be inspired!
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I’ve been lucky enough to share two shows with Rachael Kilgour in the last year – in following her social media I saw her mentions of the LEAF Festival, and it brought me to the NewSong Music website.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I released my new album, “Ordinary Things”, in September 2015. I am sending it out to the Americana Music Association reporting stations in late January, and will be releasing a music video for my song, “Sway Me”. Goals for 2016 include two small tours, participating in 2 online weekly songwriting challenges, continuing my local performances, and working towards my next album (always!).
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: I am a stay at home mother of two little ones. It’s taken me a while to figure out how to get the writing done while all-day parenting…because my kids are absolutely NOT interested in playing by themselves while I sit down with my guitar and a blank notebook 😉 I do most of my writing while on walks with the kids and my dog – I’ll get an idea, usually lyrics and melody together, and I just work through it on the walk. As soon as I get home I record anything I like on my phone. I begin every day by writing ‘morning pages’ (3 pages of free-form journaling before anyone else is up and sharing their thoughts with me!), and I process through my song ideas there. I usually don’t sit down with my guitar until the song is just about completed. Then, as soon as I have a completed song, I record a video of me performing the song in it’s super-raw state and I share it on facebook. I started this routine as part of an online weekly songwriting challenge, where we receive a writing prompt and have a week to compose a song around that prompt, and I’ve kept it up on my own – after I’ve lived with a song for a while it’s always fun to go back and see how it started out.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy!
BIO Born and Raised in London, Ontario, Ken Yates moved to Boston to study songwriting at Berklee College of Music. It was there that he developed his skills as a songwriter, releasing his first album, “The Backseat EP”. Yates’ songwriting ability started getting notice right away, including attention from John Mayer, who posted a full page blog about Yates’ ability as a writer stating, “Ken Yates wrote a song called ‘I Don’t Wanna Fall In Love’… this song moved me when I first heard it and still does today”.
In 2013, he released his first full length album “twenty-three” with US record label Mishara Music. He has toured with many notable names including veteran singer/songwriter and mentor, Livingston Taylor, Sister Hazel, Peter Katz, and Liz Longley and has songs in heavy rotation on Sirius XM’s The Coffee House where he was nominated for The Coffee House Songwriter Discovery of the Year. He was recently chosen as The 2014 Colleen Peterson Award winner by the Ontario Arts Council for his song “The One That Got Away”.
Yates is currently working on his new album “Huntsville”, produced by Jim Bryson and set for release in 2016.
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: Thrilled! It really means a lot to be selected knowing there were so many entries and a ton of great songs out there. I’m looking forward to getting to know the other 9 finalists and sharing the experience with them. Being a songwriter can be a lonely road sometimes, and I love that the NewSong contest creates an environment that allows artist to connect with each other and hopefully create lasting relationships.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I heard about it from a few past finalists who speak very highly of the NewSong Contest being a great community for artists.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I have a new album called “Huntsville” coming out in 2016. I don’t have a release date yet, but the song I submitted for the NewSong Contest will be the title track.
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: Songs come to life in different ways, but I typically start with a guitar part that outlines a melody. Sometimes I’ll go for weeks singing that melody over and over until I have lyrical idea. Some lyrics come quicker than others, but I won’t start writing words until I think I have a good lyrical idea. When I first started writing, I mostly made up stories, but a lot of my newer songs either stem from my own experiences, or they come from real life stories I’ve heard about. Most importantly, I try to write every day. That kind of repetition is essential to coming up with good ideas.
