Posts Tagged ‘singer songwriter’

« Older Entries

Q&A with Early Bird Finalist Logan Vath

Monday, August 31st, 2026
This year’s Early Bird Finalist is Logan Vath — a 2026 Kerrville New Folk Winner, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Finalist; Rocky Mountain Singer Songwriter Festival Finalist, and winner of CF Martin’s “Lifespan” songwriting competition. Logan lives in Norfolk, Virginia with his wife and two boys. He is actively working on a forthcoming release of songs and enjoying select performances both regionally and nationally.

Logan will join seven other yet-to-be-selected finalists at the NewSong Performance and Songwriting Competition finals, presented by Citizen Vinyl, in Asheville, NC, on Sunday, October 25, at The Grey Eagle.

Singer-songwriter Logan Vath performs with a guitar.

NewSong Music: What attracted you to submit your song(s) to the NewSong Competition?

Logan Vath: NewSong has come up a number of times in talks with fellow songwriters, especially at some of the other “competitions” I’ve been at in the last year. I’m familiar with some of the past winners’ music and hold it in high regard, so it seemed like a good one to try and submit to. When you have a family and a straight job, things like this can be excellent ways to meet new folks and keep moving the needle forward. Plus, who doesn’t want to be in Asheville in late October?

What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?

At my dad’s house: Neil Diamond, ’90s Radio Country.

At my mom’s house: The Bodyguard soundtrack, Shania Twain, Springsteen. 

In my bedroom: I was heavily influenced by my sister’s taste which was everything from nu metal to hip-hop to grunge to punk. I spent a lot of time hiding most of my tapes from my parents so they weren’t confiscated. 

What inspired you to become a songwriter?

I’d been drawn to writing as a form of expression most of my life. After playing in a few bands in my youth, I began listening to more music that led me down the songwriting path. Being from Nebraska, everything that was happening on Saddle Creek was very impactful to me as a young person. 

If you could partner with another living songwriter to co-write a song, who would it be?

If it wasn’t one of my many musical peers that I admire, listen to, and actually have access to, I would probably say Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. I’d enjoy that a lot. 

Share a musical adventure from this summer!

Being a Kerrville winner this year was a very neat experience, but cooler than winning was just the general hang with other writers. Learning about everyone’s walks of life, their art, their families, etc. I maintain that the reason I continue to do this is because I’m so intrigued by all the other people doing it. Separate from my own work, my wife and I attend Newport Folk Fest annually and it’s always one of my favorite places to reconnect sans children and experience new sets. Wednesday was a highlight this year!

Do you have any forthcoming projects to tell us about? 

I am continuing to record in my home space as we speak and plan to have these songs released later this year or early next year. I’ll head back to Texas for a run with the other Kerrville winners in November and I’m SO excited to make an overdue trip to Asheville to be part of NewSong. 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Contest | No Comments »

Q&A with 2025 NewSong Finalist Susan Anderson

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025

Susan Anderson is a singer, songwriter, and violin player. She has performed across the country as a classical, jazz, punk, bluegrass, children’s-music, sacred-ritual, folk and country artist. Equally at home in a concert hall as an intimate jazz club or DIY basement space, Susan has always embraced the expansive creativity and endless possibilities that music has allowed her to explore.

Susan and seven other finalists will gather in Asheville on Thursday, December 11, to connect and perform at the 24th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, held at The Grey Eagle. Tickets are on sale HERE.

NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?

Susan: My mom is a piano player, so the foundation of my musical DNA are the songs that she was playing while I was growing up. There were songs that I knew really well like Fats Waller’s “Honeysuckle Rose,” or Kurt Weill’s “Speak Low,” or practically Carole King’s entire catalog that I had never heard a recording of. I just learned them all from her playing. Later, when I learned to read music I would play out of her music books and make my own arrangements of the songs, still, without ever hearing a real recording of any of the songs. As a family, we listened to a lot of Oldies, Country and Classical music. You were just as likely to hear George Strait as you were Dvorak 9 cranked to 11 on our family stereo. Driving to violin lessons, my mom, sister, and I were singing along to The Commitments soundtrack, or the Oldies or Country stations. That’s also how I learned how to sing harmony.

What was your journey to music — were you classically trained? From a family of musicians? Self-taught?
 
We had a lot of instruments in the house when I was growing up. When I was 3, I found a full size violin and wouldn’t leave it alone. It was way too big for me, so I would haul it into the kitchen, pull out the silverware drawer, balance the neck of the violin on the drawer, then go to town on the open strings.  My mom would wheel our upright piano into the kitchen to accompany me as I sawed away on the open strings. Our biggest hit was a rousing rendition of “Hey Diddle Diddle the Cat and the Fiddle.” After a few months of this, my parents saw that I was genuinely interested in learning how to play and got me lessons. Since then, I just never stopped. Classical violin lessons were consistent throughout my schooling, but I also studied jazz violin, took piano lessons, and started playing in bands when I was in college. I kept looking for any opportunity to play. I actually didn’t start writing music until I was out of college and performing my own music is the newest part of my musical journey.

What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why?

 
I’m not sure if there’s a specific song that I can pinpoint that I was first proud of, but something that really makes me feel good is when people comment on my lyrics. I feel really accomplished when I find a good turn of phrase, or can get a metaphor to span a couple verses, or find that one line that turns everything in a direction you weren’t expecting. It might be because I considered myself an instrumentalist for decades before I considered myself a songwriter, but I feel a special sense of pride when I really nail a lyric that speaks to someone.

What is your writing process like? 

 
Lyrics almost always come to me first, and it’s almost always a chorus. I always joke that I could never teach someone how to write a song, because my method is to just think a lot. All of the time. Occasionally, I’ll get a general idea or theme for a song and go from there, but usually it’s one line that is part of a chorus that gets everything started. I’m really fortunate that I’m able to write in my head, without an instrument. I worked as a preschool teacher for a long time, and there are a lot of my songs that were written while I was walking around the playground watching the kids. Then, when I’d have the chance, I could sit down at the piano and get everything out of my head. Now that I have more time, I don’t have to do as much mental writing, but I do get all of my best ideas when I’m driving when there’s nary an instrument in sight. I’ve always been a night owl and can usually be found playing and writing music until the wee small hours of the morning. 

Share a musical adventure from this summer with us.

 
This actually happened in the early fall, but I had a really great opportunity to perform solo fiddle and vocal on Phillip Rhodes’ “Concerto for Bluegrass Band and Orchestra” with the Blue Ridge Orchestra. The concerto is a fantastic piece written for bluegrass band and full symphony orchestra that mixes traditional bluegrass tunes with themes from Beethoven and a little bit of everything else in between! I’ve played violin concertos with orchestras before, but never imagined that I would have the opportunity to play fiddle in that setting. The piece was played as the finale of a concert programmed around remembering, rebuilding and reimagining after hurricane Helene. The entire experience was really special and I feel really fortunate that I was able to have that opportunity. 

Tags: , ,
Posted in NewSong Music | 4 Comments »

Q&A with 2025 NewSong Finalist Emily Johnson-Erday

Friday, October 31st, 2025

Emily Johnson-Erday is an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and theater maker whose work explores the nuance of life – silver linings and beautiful tragedies alike. Raised in the mountains of North Carolina playing old-time music with her family, she now lives in Brooklyn, NY, using her musical roots to tell stories that examine tradition as it evolves.

Emily and seven other finalists will gather in Asheville on Thursday, December 11, to connect and perform at the 24th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, held at The Grey Eagle. Tickets are on sale here.

NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?

Emily Johnson-Erday: Mostly old-time and folk music! I grew up going to folk festivals, listening to family friends’ CDs, and singing at jams with my family. My dad is a fiddler, and we moved to western NC to be closer to the old-time community in the Asheville area before I can remember. It’s both a formative part of my musical life and the heart of my social ties.

What was your journey to music?

I learned music mostly from jamming and singing with the old-time community, piecemeal-ing lessons from my dad and his friends. I learned guitar to back myself up as I sang, then I tried the banjo as a fluke right after college and something clicked for the first time. I didn’t start writing songs until all those ingredients were there.

What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why?

It might have been “The Roses” — after the heartbeat bill passed in Texas in 2021, I spent three weeks researching abortive herbs and working them into a song. To me it represents the first time I saw something that happened in the world and responded artistically in real time.

What is your writing process like?

It really depends on the song! Most of my folk songs come from a feeling of “I have to write a song about THIS,” or I’ll learn a science or history fact that feels like it’s useful for a song and I’ll write it down to compost into a song. Those songs tend to come lyric first, but I generally know how it wants to feel musically as I go, and which instrument it wants to be written on.

Share a musical adventure from this summer with us — an experience that really stood out for you.

I released my first EP this summer, and I was dead set on releasing on the summer solstice. So when the release party came around, it happened to line up with a heat wave in NYC — and the untimely demise of the air conditioner at the venue. It was a joyful night full of sweaty hugs and the flapflapflapflapflap of handheld fans.

 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in NewSong Music | 5 Comments »

Q&A with 2025 NewSong Finalist Katie Boeck

Thursday, October 30th, 2025

A 2023 Kerrville New Folk winner and two-time Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase finalist, Katie Boeck is gaining recognition as one of the standout voices in today’s independent folk scene. Her 2023 album Calico was named Best Singer-Songwriter Album of the Year by the Indie Acoustic Project and has garnered praise from outlets like Atwood Magazine, Folk N Rock, and Music Mecca, who called her work  both “timeless” and “transcendent.”

Katie and seven other finalists will gather in Asheville on Thursday, December 11, to connect and perform at the 24th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, held at The Grey Eagle. Tickets are on sale here.

NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?

Katie Boeck: It was a pretty eclectic mix. Fleetwood Mac, Petty, Bruce Hornsby, Natalie Merchant, Peter, Paul and Mary, Jim Croce, Janis Ian, Joni Mitchell, Mariah, Celine. And then ’90s country radio during summers with my Dad.
What was your journey to music?

I always enjoyed singing and started taking voice lessons when I was 4. My dad enjoyed songwriting and always encouraged writing my own songs. Many nights were spent in family sing-alongs with my mom and step-dad in the “music room” playing guitar and piano and then listening to great records on loud speakers. 
What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why?
 
I started writing songs when I was about 15. I remember writing a song called “Average Jane” — it felt honest, raw, and so cathartic. 
 
What is your writing process like?
 
I typically start with a melody over a chord progression on piano or guitar and find a word or a phrase that feels really good to sing over the melody. This will lead me to a broader idea and I’ll flesh out the song from there. For me it feels sort of like a puzzle where once I get a general idea of what the song is about or the overall arc of it, I just start filling it in piece by piece, making refinements and edits along the way.
 
Share a musical adventure from this summer with us — an experience that really stood out for you.
 
I released a song called “Dust” that I got to record live to tape with Shane Leonard at his studio in Eau Claire, WI. 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in NewSong Music | 3 Comments »

Q&A with 2025 NewSong Finalist Alex Sheh

Wednesday, October 29th, 2025
Alex Sheh is a singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. His music blends elements of jazz, blues, folk, and pop. His soulful vocals and expressive guitar playing create a warm and inviting atmosphere for listeners. Whether playing original music or timeless classics, Alex brings passion and depth to every performance. He believes in the power of music to share our stories and uplift each other.
 
Alex and and 7 other finalists will gather in Asheville on December 11 to perform at the 24th annual NewSong Competition.
 
 
NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?
 
Alex Sheh: My parents love music and singing. Mandarin pop music would be playing in the house and they often hosted karaoke parties with their friends. My older sister, an actress and a big fan of musical theater, introduced me to Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and others. I remember listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Jobim, the Oldies station, and Top 40.
 
What was your journey to music? 
 
My music journey started with classical piano and violin lessons as a child. Then I started learning guitar in seventh grade and everything changed – I became very focused on music and started writing songs shortly after. I sang in choirs through high school and participated in the Madrigal choir, which deepened my love for songs. I received my Bachelor’s in music composition from U.C. San Diego, where I studied classical guitar and piano. After graduating, I took private lessons in voice and jazz guitar. Later, I would study jazz piano, bass, and drums.
 
What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why?
 
My first song that I was proud of is called “So Easy.” It was the first song that I wrote, at 13 years old, when my technique was limited. Everything about music felt new and exciting, and it was written instinctively, in a flash of inspiration. It was a song that my friends and family loved, and I loved seeing them connect with the music. This was when I caught the songwriting bug.
 
 
What is your writing process like?
 
My writing process is to improvise the vocal melody while accompanying myself on guitar or piano. Sometimes a specific guitar or piano part will appear first and influence the melody, but they are developed together. I compose by singing and playing into a DAW, so that I can let the ideas flow freely and then listen back and review the material. I sing improvised lyrics when writing, sometimes gibberish, but often these improvised lyrics reveal where the song should go. The music is completed first, and then the lyrics are finalized after. Song ideas can come from many places — my own experiences and learnings, stories that my friends and family share about their lives, music that I love, movies, etc. When I feel emotionally connected to a subject, then I search for the song and try to stay true to its emotional center.
 
Share a musical adventure from this summer with us — tell us about an experience that really stood out for you.
 
My biggest musical adventure this summer was initiated by my piano teacher, Julie Bonk, who is also a great songwriter. She suggested that I participate in the RealPeopleRealSongs Challenge, a 12-week songwriting challenge led by Cary Cooper, an accomplished songwriter who gives back to the songwriting community through her mentorship. Every Sunday we received a one-word prompt that we would use to write and record a song that week. I learned so much through this challenge. The weekly deadline helped me push through limiting beliefs and awaken the songwriter within me.  I met many talented songwriters through this group, and learned from them by observing how they approached each prompt both musically and lyrically.
 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in NewSong Music | 4 Comments »

Q&A with 2025 NewSong Finalist Annie Stokes

Tuesday, October 28th, 2025

A childhood spent alternately in dance studios, buried in books, or outside on the easternmost seam of the Blue Ridge Mountains shaped Annie Stokes’s childhood and teen years, before college allowed her to pursue the study of history and gender (two themes that come up frequently in Annie’s work). After giving a ‘real’ job the (literal) old college try, it became evident to her that her life’s calling was in music and performance. Annie teamed up with producer Austin Bello for her 2023 EP Wild Rose and a forthcoming full length LP. 

Annie and seven other finalists will gather in Asheville on Thursday, December 11, to connect and perform at the 24th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, held at The Grey Eagle. Tickets are on sale here.


NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?

Annie Stokes: My mom was really into ’90s country and bluegrass — we were always listening to Trisha Yearwood and Alison Krauss. My grandmother introduced me to musicals, so I listened to a lot of Stephen Sondheim as a young kid. These two very different genres gave me my love of ballads and theatrical musical and lyrical choices while also keeping me rooted in folk instrumentation.

What was your journey to music? 

I grew up doing musical theatre, so I had a lot of vocal training and was adjacent to instruments my whole life. I taught myself guitar when I was in college, and proceeded to teach myself a handful of other instruments. But I’ve certainly learned from other musicians, and wouldn’t be half as decent as I am now without mentorship.

What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why?

The first song I wrote that didn’t suck was called “Wrecker,” and to this day, I’m proud of it because it was when I realized that I possessed the ability to write songs. It wasn’t some mystery that I was locked out of.

What is your writing process like? 

I generally start with a lyrical idea or theme and then write the melody. Every now and then, a riff will come to me first, but I consider myself to be a writer and lyricist at heart, so generally I’ll start with lyrics. I write almost exclusively on guitar. In terms of when and where, I’m trying to be a little bit more structured with how I write. An artist I opened for a while ago told me that “the muse honors people who honor her,” which means that you have to be intentional with the time and space you make in your schedule to be creative. You can’t just wait for a good song to pour out. With two young kids and a handful of jobs, that can be tough, though.

Share a musical adventure from this summer with us. 

We played the main stage at Steppin’ Out Fest in Downtown Blacksburg this summer, and that was incredibly special. I played the acoustic stage at the same festival a few years ago, and it was a “pinch me” moment to be able to look at the massive mainstage that we were able to play on. 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in NewSong Music | 4 Comments »

Q+A with Early Bird Finalist Dominique Bianco

Tuesday, September 16th, 2025
Dominique Bianco is a DC-based Italian-American jazz vocalist who adds her own distinctive touch to jazz standards, with awe-inspiring improvisational skills, and unique melodic original compositions. (Check out her new single “Heartstrings” with Fulton Lee.)
 
At age 21, she released her debut record I’m All Smiles, which features Benny Benack III & Elijah Jamal Balbed. She was the first-place runner-up in the 2023 Billie Holiday Vocal Competition, a top 3 finalist in the 2022 International Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Competition, and was a 2023 Strathmore Artist in Residence. She has shared the stage with many renowned jazz musicians, including Julius Rodriguez, Joe Farnsworth, Mark Whitfield, Peter Washington, Clarence Ward III, and others.
 
NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?


Dominique: As an Italian American, it was only right for us to be consistently playing vocal jazz — not only in the house but also whenever I would travel in the car with my parents and grandparents. Dean Martin, Ella, and Frank Sinatra were the standard. My father, who sings and plays guitar, would also play songs from the Doobie Brothers, “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers, and classics like “At Last” by Etta James. His musical palette was diverse, and he played the hits and performed in restaurants while I was growing up.

What was your journey to music — were you classically trained? From a family of musicians? Self-taught?

 As a vocalist, I started lessons with my father and had several vocal coaches growing up. From classical to musical theatre to jazz and cabaret, I’ve learned a lot of different techniques and combined them to create my vocal chops and approach different styles and songs differently.

As a guitarist, I’ve only been playing for a little over a year. I’ve been mostly self-taught, with training and guidance from my boyfriend, who currently holds a bachelor’s and master’s in jazz guitar.

What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why?

 I wrote a song called “Unsure and Unclear” while in college, and it was a gut-wrenching ballad about feeling unseen in a relationship. When I wrote it, I was still in that relationship, and it exposed a lot of truths to me. Especially as someone who is usually very goofy and lighthearted, the song carried a lot of weight and brought some harsh realities to the surface. I find that a lot of my songs do that, and more recently, I’ve been able to show a softer side in my writing.

What is your writing process like — do you write lyrics first, or music? Do you compose on a particular instrument? Do you need to write in a particular space or do song ideas come to you at random times?

 I usually start with a concept — something that inspires me out in the world, in a book, movie, or podcast. Someone could say a quote or interesting phrase, and it’ll jump out at me, and in my mind, I’ll think, “I should write a song about that.” From there, I’ll usually write the melody of a hook or pre-chorus and then find the chords, doing the same for the verses. Over time, I’ll play the tune and adjust the arrangement depending on what works best.

Share a musical adventure from this summer with us — could be a show you played, a tour you took, a recording you made, a concert you attended, etc. Tell us about an experience that really stood out for you.

 This summer, I had a stroke of luck and stumbled across a creator, Fulton Lee, who often finds singers in local parks. He just so happened to be in Northern VA. Singers sit down at a table that has a sign saying, “Sit here if you can sing,” and so I did. I ended up winning a collaboration with him after he was blown away by the fact that I could scat sing.

I remember that day — I was walking around the park and saw a handful of people sit down with him just before I walked by. I was really curious as to what it was. Afterward, I was told he picked me for the song he created, and the final track for streaming was actually from the take we did in the park. He posted the collaboration, and it got over 1.6 million views on Instagram and TikTok. I gained over 10k Instagram followers, 4k on TikTok, and a couple of hundred on my YouTube. I’ve been doing social media for most of my career and had never received this kind of sudden positive feedback. It was overwhelming, and I’m truly grateful for all the new people supporting my journey.

 

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in NewSong Music | 1 Comment »

Q&A with LEAF Finalist Babe Club

Thursday, May 1st, 2025

Charleston-based Babe Club crafts cool-toned synth-pop with an emotive edge. The band is the brainchild of Jenna Desmond and Corey Campbell, who met at the College of Charleston and quickly became creative collaborators. After graduating, they joined the Americana act Susto, touring nationally and performing at major festivals. While playing on big stages, they began developing their own sound—dreamy, remote, and melancholic. In 2018, they left Susto to forge their own path. Babe Club’s debut album, Ruin My Life, is set for release in August 2025.

Jenna and seven other finalists will perform, network, and compete at the 11th annual LEAF Performance & Songwriter Competition, presented by NewSong Music, at LEAF Global Arts Retreat on Saturday, May 10.

NewSong Music: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?


Jenna Desmond: Sassy, sad-girlish, melancholy pop songs. It’s emotional, authentic and empowering. The production is very cinematic, soundscape-y, and modern.

What is the first album you bought, and why?


Dreamboat Annie by Heart. It wasn’t my first album, ever because that would be Oops I did it again!. I bought Dreamboat Annie when I first got my license and drove to FYE after seeing the movie The Virgin Suicides. It made me feel alive and free, I guess. It could have been that or songs on iTunes from the “Grey’s Anatomy” soundtrack.

What is one influence on your music that might surprise us?


Podcasts and conversations — I definitely get inspired when I’m listening to conversations about life or stories about other people’s lives inspired me.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m releasing my first album this year in August called Ruin My Life. I’m also starting a songwriting collective in Charleston. I’ve written with a few other artists — Local Nomad, Georgia VanNewkirk and Slow Funeral — and I’m excited for that material to come out as well.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Contest, NewSong Music | 7 Comments »

Q&A with LEAF Finalist Andy Shaw

Tuesday, April 29th, 2025

Andy Shaw is a singer songwriter based out of Columbus, Ohio, since 2004. Andy writes and performs music from a real place, conveying themes of love, heartache, social and political justice, and a curiosity about life and its meaning. His band the Andy Shaw Band, and duo the Shaw Brothers, have been staples in the region for more than twelve years, and perform reggae, American roots, folk, rock, and pop genres, often blending multiple elements. Andy has nine albums to his name, and is currently working on releasing multiple singles for his band. His groups have performed all over the country at SXSW in Austin, Musikfest in Pennsylvania, Bunbury in Cincinnati, Hookahville in Ohio, Nashville, NYC, multiple Florida tours, and all points between.

Andy and seven other finalists will perform, network, and compete at the 11th annual LEAF Performance & Songwriter Competition, presented by NewSong Music, at LEAF Global Arts Retreat on Saturday, May 10.

NewSong Music: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?


Andy Shaw: My music is a mix of emotionally driven themes, such as love, loss, and past trauma, while I ask questions about the world. I love melody and harmony and always want to write something catchy that evokes an empathetic response. I’m trying to get the listener to feel something deeper through my music, and hopefully connect with some part of their own experience. 

What is the first album you bought, and why?


Probably something by Michael Jackson, Weird Al, or the Stone Temple Pilots. It’s kind of a weird mix, but I grew up listening to Michael, and wore his tapes out. When Weird Al released “Eat It,” I was sold. I think I liked it better than “Beat It.” But I’m a kid of the 90s, and Scott Weiland connected with me on “Interstate Love Song.” It was kind of grunge, but also had great melodies. I also loved all of the early Lenny Kravitz albums.

What is one influence on your music that might surprise us?


There’s probably quite a few. I grew up playing jazz and classical trumpet, so I loved those genres. Frédéric Chopin is a favorite. Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis are inspirations. But when it comes to influencing what I do now I’d say Bon Iver, Ray Lamontagne, and Dispatch still ring pretty true to me. 

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on some tunes for my reggae, rock, American roots project Andy Shaw Band. We have been getting our road legs back for the first time since Covid, and have put out some of our best material, I think. I also just released Blood Harmony in 2024 with my brother and frequent collaborator Chris Shaw. We go by the Shaw Brothers, and have more of a folk, Americana feel. And my newest project is called Shore Power, which I’m writing for and fronting. It’s a rock/groove rock project that is a little different from my other bands. 

Tags: , ,
Posted in Contest, NewSong Music | 5 Comments »

Q&A with LEAF Finalist Jay Brown

Thursday, April 24th, 2025

Jay Brown is a roots music one-man-band from Black Mountain, North Carolina, who has been playing guitar and piano since the age of 7. A prolific songwriter, Jay’s performances draw from a couple hundred original songs, as well as countless covers from the roots of Americana and beyond. Jay has spent years traveling and playing around the U.S., absorbing our rich musical heritage and performing with artists such as Doc Watson, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Etta Baker. Jay has also taken multiple trips to Ghana, West Africa, where he studied and performed traditional African music with the Ghanaians.

His eclectic musical tastes found expression in 1996, when he became a founding member of Lazybirds, a band that blends a wide variety of musical styles, including jazz and blues, country and rock ‘n roll, to create a fresh and soul stirring sound. Lazybirds have been a mainstay of the North Carolina roots music scene for nearly 30 years.

Jay also formed the Indian folk fusion band Shantavaani with his wife Aditi, which put out 3 classic albums during its 2 year period. Jay continues to perform with Aditi, blending Aditi’s Indian folk and classical influences with his own folk and original music. Aditi and Jay perform as a duo, and also with Joel Karabo Elliot in Roots Grown Deep. Aditi and Jay also recorded 2 critically acclaimed records with their friends Angie and Cas in The Appalucians. 

Jay and seven other finalists will perform, network, and compete at the 11th annual LEAF Performance & Songwriter Competition, presented by NewSong Music, at LEAF Global Arts Retreat on Saturday, May 10.

NewSong Music: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?


Jay Brown: The short answer would be “roots and original music.” Heavily influenced by Doc Watson, American folk, blues, jazz, Indian, and African music.  

What is the first album you bought, and why?


Muddy Waters Folk Blues. As soon as I got my driver’s license I went to Charlemagne Records in Birmingham, a very cool record shop that’s since closed down, and asked the very groovy and knowledgeable owner what might be a good record to get me started in the world of the blues, and he directed my attention to Muddy Waters, and also Lightnin Hopkins. I took those records home and put them on and fell under their spell, and the depth and feeling of that music has probably been my biggest inspiration as a musician.

What is one influence on your music that might surprise us?


Billie Holiday, particularly with Lester Young playing behind her on sax. The sound of her voice, and the way Prez would dance around her with that mellow tone of pure jazz, and Billie clearly getting a kick out of it. The way they inspired each other is something I feel very deeply, and those two together have an eternal residence in my heart and mind.

What projects are you currently working on?

There are a few wrapping up just now. A solo album of original songs (with a few Dylan covers) that’ll be called In the Wake which will feature a few songs I wrote shortly after Helene, is just about ready. An album Aditi and I recorded (Aditi and Jay) is being mixed. We’re still pondering on a name for the album. Half of the album will be kirtan, and half will be American folk, but the overriding feel of the album is contemplative. Aditi and I also show up on the new album by the amazing world musician Joel Karabo Elliot. The Appalucians have a new album out as well which is yet to be released, called Skygazer. And Lazybirds have just gotten started recording an album of travelin songs, called Goin Places. So it appears our basement is soon to be taken over by boxes of CDs.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Contest, NewSong Music | 1 Comment »

« Older Entries