Posts Tagged ‘songwriting competition’

Congratulations to Natalie Price, 2023 NewSong Music Grand Prize Winner

Tuesday, November 21st, 2023

NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is thrilled to announce that Natalie Price from Nashville, Tennessee, is the 2023 Grand Prize Winner. (Photos by Aaron Stone.)

During the Saturday, November 18, finals, Price showcased five songs with infectious hooks that felt like instant hits. Her grand prize package includes a fully funded six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Citizen Studios, plus 500 vinyl records pressed at Citizen Vinyl.

“Natalie’s storytelling within her singing and songwriting held the audience in her grasp,” said LEAF Performing Arts Coordinator and NewSong judge Otto Vazquez. “Like puppets on a string, she had us either crying or chuckling, qualities of a truly masterful artist. Looking forward to seeing her soar.”

Learn more about Natalie Price’s self-described “Ameri-kinda” music here.“I really enjoyed visiting Asheville, seeing Citizen Studios, and getting to know the other finalists. We had a great time together exploring the city and talking about music and life, “ said Price. “The contest itself was a great experience — the seats were full and everyone seemed engaged with what we were doing. Thank you to NewSong for hosting the event and having me out this year!” 

The internationally recognized NewSong Music event, now in its 22nd year, is one of North America’s premier showcases of emerging performers and songwriters today. The Saturday, November 18, finale concert brought seven finalists — selected from nearly 500 entries, and from across the U.S. 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 country roots to Portuguese-infused melodies.

The 2023 runners up were: MaisCéu (Jimmie Griffith; Lenoir, NC) and Reece Sullivan (Lafayette, LA).

The full finalist lineup included: Beth // James (Mikaela and Jordan Burchill; Austin, TX); Cloudbelly (Corey Laitman, Turners Falls, MA); Senobia (Midway, GA); and Stacy Antonel (Nashville, TN).

Judges for the event, which took place at Citizen Vinyl in downtown Asheville, included Garret K. Woodward, Otto Vazquez, Jamie Beck, and Gar Ragland. Learn more about the judges here.

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

 

Meet NewSong Finalist Beth // James

Saturday, October 28th, 2023

Beth // James is an indie-Americana duo from Austin, Texas, made up of award-winning singer-songwriters Mikaela and Jordan Burchill. After two dazzling EPs, and their original song “Lion Eyes” in Spike Lee’s Academy Award-winning feature film BlacKkKlansman, the duo is back with their debut album “Get Together,” recorded and produced by James Petralli of White Denim.

The duo will be performing as finalists at the 22nd annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, held on Saturday, November 18, at Citizen Vinyl in downtown Asheville, N.C. Learn more and purchase tickets HERE.

NewSong Music: What sort of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?
 
JORDAN: Both my parents were musicians, so growing up so we had a lot of music playing in the house. My dad was a jazz band director at a local college and I was lucky enough to be around a lot of jazz. All the big band stuff — Basie and Ellington — and great guitar players like Bill Frissel and Pat Metheny. I also got really into Al Green as a kid. I loved basketball and the NBA had a commercial with the song “Love and Happiness” I was hooked. The first album I bought was Al Greens greatest hits. 
 
MIKAELA: My dad was a big music lover and was always playing music in the house. Some of his favorites were Emmylou Harris, The Beatles, and anything bluegrass. I definitely got my eclectic music taste from him. Some of my favorite records as a kid were Paula Cole’s This Fire and Sheryl Crow’s Tuesday Night Music Club, but as I got a little older I got very into soul and r&b. I really listened to everything.
 
What was your journey to music?
 
JORDAN: Both my parents are really great musicians. My dad is a great jazz guitar player and my mom is a fantastic singer and piano player. I went to college for music at University of North Texas. I graduated with a Jazz Studies degree on guitar. My dad was my teacher growing up. He’s truly a world-class teacher. His students have gone on to play with Snarky Puppy, Leon Bridges, Snoop Dogg, and the Lumineers and have won multiple Grammys. I feel eterally blessed to have gotten to learn from him when I was a kid. 
 
MIKAELA: I always loved singing and music. My parents noticed when I was young. I started taking piano lessons at 7 and grew up singing in choirs from age 8-18. Through choir, I learned how to harmonize, perform, and got exposed to tons of different music — classical, Broadway, and basically every famous pop song of the last 70 years. 
 
I’ve studied many different vocal styles with many different amazing teachers and got my degree in vocal jazz from the University of North Texas — where Jordan and I met! 
 
What is the first song you wrote that you were proud of, and why?
 
JORDAN: I think the first song that I wrote with Mikaela. We wrote a song called “Lion Eyes” (which later got placed in the Spike Lee movie BlacKkKlansman). I remember after writing that together I was like, “Damn, we are a good team, this is a pretty good song.” I definitely haven’t written “the one,” though, yet. It’s the ultimate goal to write a song that you have no critiques about. I don’t think I’ve written that one yet.
 
MIKAELA: Probably a song I wrote when I was like 20 called “Fall With You.” I entered it in a bunch of songwriting competitions and got to play at Kerrville and Telluride. I really didn’t know at all what I was doing back then but I think that was the first time I really got recognition for a song I wrote and thought, “OK, maybe I’m good at this, I should keep writing.” Like Jordan said, though, definitely still trying to write “the one”! 
What is your writing process like?
 
JORDAN: Lately it’s been changing. I have a ton of voice memos with chord progression ideas and I have a ton of notes with lyric ideas. I like to go to those to start ideas. We’ve also been sitting down and just writing a song based of a specific idea/topic lately and I really have been enjoying having the parameters of having that.
 
MIKAELA: My best songs start in the car usually. For some reason inspiration tends to hit when I’m driving alone, so I just take out my phone and leave a little voice memo with melody and usually a few lyric ideas. Then I’ll take it to the piano annd home to Jordan to piece together. I’m trying to be better about writing when I don’t feel inspired, though.
 
Share a musical adventure from this summer with us.
 
JORDAN: This summer we got asked to play an Americana Festival in Germany called Static Roots Festival. It was probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time playing music. The fest was amazing with a really great line up of artists and the attendees just loved music. They wanted to hear the songs we’ve written, wanted to talk to us, and they had specific records they wanted to buy. It felt really good. Hopefully we’ll make it back over to Germany and the UK again next summer. 
 
MIKAELA: We toured out of the country for the first time this summer and it was amazing! Definitely agree with everything Jordan said, and another favorite moment from that tour was a show we played at a tiny town in the UK. It seemed like everyone from the whole town came out to the show and were so attentive and excited to listen to music! They really listened to the lyrics and were so kind. A group even invited us to tea after to show and told us all about the town’s history. It was magical and I can’t wait to go back! 

Meet the MC

Monday, November 28th, 2022

Now in its 21st year, the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is one of North America’s premier showcases of emerging performers and songwriters today. This crowd-sourced effort seeks to identify the truly exceptional artists within our communities and to work closely with them to develop their careers and introduce their music to a broader, international audience while building a supportive community of performers and songwriters across all genres of music and levels of skill.

The MC for this year’s event is Cass Herrington. Cass manages PR for Explore Asheville, the convention and visitor’s bureau, where she helps amplify stories about the city’s diverse community of artists and creatives. She previously worked at Citizen Vinyl, developing the company’s voice and storytelling strategy. Cass spent the first decade of her career reporting for public radio stations across the South and the Midwest, including Blue Ridge Public Radio. She’s the recipient of a national Edward R Murrow award and several AP Broadcast awards for her coverage, primarily focused on equity and immigration.

A woman wearing a green shirt speaks into a microphone at an event.

Cass Herrington hosting the 2021 NewSong Music Competition at Citizen Vinyl

We are offering a limited number of $25 Community tickets for Asheville’s creative community: Musicians, artists, and others who would like to attend the show but can’t afford the General Admission price point. Use the code COMMUNITY at check out.

Tickets are $50 General Admissions and $125 VIP.
Purchase tickets here:  https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/6736939

VIP PACKAGE: Join us as a patron of the arts for a pre-concert gathering. Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, an exclusive meet & greet with this year’s finalists, preferred seating for the evening and a digital recording of the night’s performances mixed by our own Gar Ragland, Co-Founder and Director of NewSong Music and Founder and CEO of Citizen Vinyl. Doors at 5:30PM.

GENERAL ADMISSION: General admission seating will include concert style and cafe tables as well as some bar stools. Seating is first come first serve. Doors at 6PM / Show at 7PM.

Meet the 2022 Finalists: Mikalyn

Friday, November 18th, 2022

Mikalyn is a teen singer-songwriter from Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Her singer-songwriter 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, according to her bio. “These collaborations introduced new listeners to her original indie-pop songs.”

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

Mikalyn: There was always music being played around my house growing up – a wide variety! There was a lot of older music – ABBA, Tears for Fears, Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell, U2, The Smiths, The Police, the list goes on and on! There was also a good mix of genres – we had pop, rock, alternative, or dinner jazz. 

What inspired you to become a songwriter? 

I always had a very active imagination as a kid and would tell stories to my friends on the bus. I also loved to sing, so I figured out songwriting was a way to combine writing and music!  

A woman with long hair and a black shirts sits with her arms crossed looking away from the camera.What is the first song you wrote that you were really proud of? 

The first song I wrote that I was proud of was one called “Avery’s Song.” I wrote it when I was 9, for my best friend’s 10th birthday. It was the first song I ever got to record and have an mp3 of, my first song with a true structure and story, and first song that I wrote multiple drafts of and really put time into. I think it taught me a lot about how to write, and I could take what I learned through it and apply it over and over as I continued to write.  

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

I would love to collaborate with Marina Diamandis. She was the most instrumental artist when I was developing my style, and I look up to her a lot, not only as a songwriter and artist, but as a person.  

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

A friend of mine forwarded me the competition and I looked into it, and researched Asheville and saw what a cool place it was, and I knew I had to take my shot and submit! I’m so excited with how everything turned out.  

Besides performing at the NewSong Competition, what else would you like to do or see while in Asheville? 

I’ve never been to Asheville, or North Carolina for that matter! I’m excited to explore the city, and just sight see! I’m going to try to pack as much in as I can while I’m here, I can’t wait to see the downtown and maybe go check out an art gallery.  

Do you have any recent or forthcoming projects to tell us about? 

I’m currently working on my next EP and writing a lot. I have a bunch of unreleased songs that I really want to put out soon! It’s filled with harmonies and synths, and I think it’ll be important in establishing my sound other than the EDM stuff I’ve been doing lately!  

Meet the 2022 Finalists: Lua Flora

Thursday, November 17th, 2022

Lua Flora is an Asheville, N.C.-based group fronted by singer-songwriter Evan Button. The sun-kissed melodies, according to the group, are rooted in the harmonies of Appalachia, rhythms of the West Indies, and lyricism of American folk. 

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

Evan Button: James Taylor, Blues Traveler, Lucky Dube, Bob Marley

Four men in t-shirts face the camera.

Lua Flora as a full band

What inspired you to become a songwriter?

I wrote my first song nearly 16 years ago, in second grade. I think it was about being kind? Or something like that, haha. After that song, I didn’t write again until middle school. I had an amazing guitar teacher and mentor, Vasili Simmons. He started making it a weekly assignment to write. He taught me that music was the most beautiful when you allowed yourself to be vulnerable — something I had become embarrassed of previously. Since then, songwriting has guided me through both my best and worst moments. 

What is the first song you wrote that you were really proud of?

Honestly, not until recently. In the moment, of course I’ve loved what I wrote, but that kinda wore off as I grew. The past two to three years though, and more specifically the past eight to ten months, I’ve really felt my songwriting grow into a place I’ve always wanted it to be. 

Person with long hair and glasses sitting a stool and looking at the camera.If you could partner with another living songwriter to co-write a song, who would it be?

JP Saxe or Brett Dennen. 

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

I think I’ve been submitting for four years. I almost didn’t submit this year and was feeling a bit discouraged. But said, “Ya know what, maybe this could be the year.” 

Do you have any recent or forthcoming projects to tell us about?

My project, Lua Flora, just released its debut album on 11/11. 2023 tour dates coming soon all over the east coast.

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! 
 

Meet the 2022 Finalists: Indus Adams

Monday, November 7th, 2022

Indus Adams, aka Devin Castleton, is a singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. He used Covid quarantine to take a deep dive into songwriting and recording. He is currently at work on his debut album.

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

Indus Adams: My dad loved the Beatles and Chicago and The Beach Boys, so there was a lot of that from the beginning. Then, as my older brothers got into high school, I got all the stuff they were into, like Depeche Mode, REM, U2, New Order, The Cure, etc. When I got into junior high and high school and started developing my own tastes, I was big into ’90s and grunge — Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket, etc.   

A father plays guitar while his son plays piano.

What inspired you to become a songwriter?

More than anything I always wanted to write songs. But I never could. I always had a million tunes in my head, but I could never figure out how to write lyrics that were any good. I would hear a song on the radio and be moved by it and just wish I could do that. When covid happened, I forced myself to finish some songs, just to go through the exercise. “Find Me” was the first song that kind of came out of that, and when I wrote it I actually felt like it was right and it kind of did what it was supposed to do. I just didn’t know how I did it. But I have always been most moved and inspired by a good song and I always wanted to be able to do it and express myself in that way.  

What is the first song you wrote that you were really proud of?

“Find Me” was kind of the first one that started the whole thing. As that started coming together, I felt like I was having some kind of a breakthrough. I was really proud of it and I wanted to try and do it again. A few months later, I wrote “Spiritual Confirmation” and felt at the time like that was the one that really best expressed what I was feeling. It has a lot of meaning to me and it was incredibly rewarding on a personal level to have finished it and felt good about it.  

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

Oh, man. I have thought about this a million times. I’ll give some honorable mentions and then I’ll try to narrow it to one. I’m a huge James Taylor fan and his music is so iconic for me and such a fixture in my life. Bon Iver (Justin Vernon) blows my mind and always makes me feel like he takes everything he does to such a unique place and I’d love to know what a hybrid of that and one of my songs would feel like. But I think I would say Pete Yorn. Lesser known, but his music speaks to me clearer than just about anyone else. It would be a true life moment if I could even tune his guitars, much less write a song with him.  

Aman in a plaid jacket, blue shirt, and dark tie smiles for the camera.

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

I have largely kept these songs to myself for over a year now. When I first resolved to write songs in the first place, it was purely for myself and to have that experience and to try to create something relevant and meaningful for myself. Outside a small handful of friends and family, I just never imagined anyone would ever want to hear them. But after a while I started to wonder if they were any good, frankly. I figured a song contest might give me some kind of feedback and/or validation. But I really had no idea what to expect. To be here now is pretty surreal. But incredibly rewarding and meaningful.  

Besides performing at the NewSong Competition, what else would you like to do or see while in Asheville?

I want to see Citizen Vinyl and I want to explore the city. Restaurants, bars, all the haunts. I love discovering a new city and I was coincidentally just in North Carolina for the first time ever (Raleigh) last week and I’m so excited to go back and see more. Fell in love immediately.

Do you have any recent or forthcoming projects to tell us about?

I am working on completing this first album … I’m hoping to be finished by first quarter of 2023. It’s being produced by R. Walt Vincent (Pete Yorn, Liz Phair, Tommy Keene, The Format, etc). I’m not on a label or anything so there’s really no hoopla or campaign around it, it will just be done. Which will be a pretty huge deal for me.  

Meet the 2022 finalists: The Singer and the Songwriter

Thursday, November 3rd, 2022

California-based duo The Singer and The Songwriter, aka Rachel Garcia and Thu Tran, met and began writing and performing music together in 2006. Together Rachel and Thu 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.

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

The Singer and the Songwriter: For Rachel, it was Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Smokey Robinson, and Disney soundtracks. For Thu, when it wasn’t his parents’ Vietnamese music, he was listening to his sisters’ CD collection of ’80s music — which included George Michael, Madonna, ABBA’s Greatest Hits, and Culture Club. 

Two people stand in a river. One wears an orange and white dress. The other is dressed in black and holds a guitar.What inspired you to become a songwriter?

Rachel: I found my way into songwriting through poetry in college. I have kept up a poetry practice ever since. When I hear a really great song that moves me, I have always been interested in how the mechanics of the lyric and melody create that emotional reaction, and that pursuit has inspired me to pursue this craft.

Thu: The first memory I have of “songwriting” was when I was in 2nd grade: the class learned to sing “Down by the Bay” by Raffi. At recess, I remember trying to think of different animals and rhymes for the part that went, “Did you ever see a….?”, usually ones that rhymed with bad words to try and make my friends laugh. Songwriting has always felt like solving little word puzzles to me, and while the intent and type of songs have changed a lot for me over the years, there’s still a part of me as a songwriter that’s still that puzzle-solver. 

What is the first song you wrote that you were really proud of?

This is such an interesting question! For us, it was our song “Drowsy Driver.” The process of writing this song unlocked a new dynamic between us as writers that had not been there before. The germ of the idea started with Rachel while we were on tour. While she was driving, she would collect images and phrases that she kept in a note on her phone. Over the course of a year or two, she just kept adding to this note. Separately, Thu had come up with the guitar line. It took another year before the song came together, but it felt so hard-won when we finally finished it. Sometimes it’s wonderful when a song comes together quickly, but it can be even more rewarding when a song has a long gestation period.

Two people shown from the chest up. Both have dark hair and gray t-shirts.

The Singer and The Songwriter

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

Gillian Welch has always been a huge songwriting inspiration for both of us, so that would be an absolute dream of a co-write! 

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

We’ve been following the NewSong Competition since Max Hatt/Edda Glass won in 2014. We’ve been so inspired by all of the finalists and winners in all the years since and have always thought of this competition as a North Star of sorts for our writing.

Do you have any recent or forthcoming projects to tell us about?

We have an upcoming LP titled Dreams! The Dead! Ghost! Future that we’re hoping to release in 2023! Release date is TBD.

Meet the 2022 finalists: Cozi Anda Flounder

Monday, October 31st, 2022

Cozi Anda Flounder is a self-described cosmic country / Americana-ish outfit. The father (Ezra) and daughter (Cozi) songwriting duo surround themselves with a group of lifelong music friends.

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

Cozi: Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Gordon Lightfoot, Lenard Cohen, Norah Jones etc. A lot of ’60s -’70s folk/Americana 

Ezra: Basically the same artists. That was my parent’s music that became my music, then Cozi’s … minus Norah 

What inspired you to become a songwriter?

Cozi: I had grown up watching my dad write songs. I would often wake up to him excited to show me and my mom a new song he had written that morning. I didn’t put much thought into becoming a songwriter it just came naturally. 

Ezra: The same, my Mom and Dad (Cozi’s grandparents) are also songwriters, so I grew up listening to them behind the walls as I went to sleep. They wrestled with songs late into the night. And when I woke up, they would play them all morning. The process was mesmerizing; like some kind of magic. I wanted to be that kind of magician. two musicians playing guitars in a pink room with purple lights.What is the first song you wrote that you were really proud of?

Cozi: I wrote my first real song when I was 11 years old on the ukulele. I was going through some troubles so I decided to play around on my ukulele, and the melody and words just came. My dad helped me finish it. I was so proud and wanted to show everyone. 

Ezra: I was grim in early songwriting. I pretty much hated all my songs until I got much older and kinder to myself. They never turned out the way I imagined they could. So, my first song I was proud of was much later in life. The first one that I remember thinking, “You finally wrote a real damn song,” was in my late 30s. It was called “Song Before I Go,” and oddly, I never officially released it. I’m just happy it exists. It’s somewhere on YouTube. 

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

Cozi: Most definitely Bob Dylan! He is the greatest songwriter that has ever walked the earth in my opinion. He is one of my biggest musical idols next to Dad.

Ezra: This is a total cop out, but true. At this time, I wouldn’t want to write with anyone but Cozi. We now have a mountain of songs we’re trying to finish and I’m starting to sound like a Dad, I guess.

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

Ezra: I don’t submit to many contests, but NewSong music seemed like something very different than the ones we have been part of. It felt, from what I have seen over the years in newsletters, that it could be a more intimate musical experience that we would remember for years to come.

Do you have any recent or forthcoming projects to tell us about?

Ezra: We do. We have a new EP that is almost complete with the same producer, Aaron Thomas. The debut EP, The Place, was recorded almost live in a few weekends, whereas on this new recording, we got to sit in our studio and play with the ideas, so it’s a little bit of an experiment for us. An exploration.

Early Bird entries to NewSong Competition end July 24

Saturday, July 23rd, 2022

The ‘Early Bird’ discounted entry fee to enter this year’s NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition ends at 11:59 PM EDT this Sunday, July 24. Prices are currently 1 song: $40; 2 songs: $70; additional songs: $25 each.

The final deadline to enter the competition is Sunday, Sept. 18, but submission fees increase after July 24.

From the early entries, we will select one ‘Early Bird’ finalist, who will advance to this year’s live performance showcase and competition finals, which will take place on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at Citizen Vinyl in downtown Asheville.

All entrants will remain in the running for the remaining finalist spots, which will be announced later in the year. To enter, you need an MP3 of each of your songs you’d like to submit, and a non-mobile device to upload your work. Production quality of the recording is not a determining factor for consideration in the contest so don’t be shy to go full DIY.

There is no limit to how many songs you may submit, so enter often and early to become a finalist and win the 2021 Grand Prize!

More about the competition: NewSong Music’s curated showcases have been a fixture in the national music scene since 2001. The competition finals, formerly staged in New York City at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, relocated to Asheville, N.C. in 2017.

Eight finalists, selected from online submissions from across North America and beyond, will bring their musical magic to Asheville where they will perform, compete, and connect with one another. A panel of music industry judges will select one grand prize winner to 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.

Past NewSong winners and standouts include Ingrid Michaelson, Meghan Trainor, Max Hatt/Edda Glass, Grace Potter, and Crys Matthews.