“This feels like a dream. The first album that moved me in a way I couldn’t shake was Tom Waits’ Mule Variations – not only his songwriting but the sound of the piano and the fullness of the recording, which I later found out Jacquire King engineered and mixed. People tour non-stop for years and years and never get the opportunity to work with such a master, so I feel extremely fortunate that NewSong created this and that I am lucky enough to be a part of it.
I loved that the day felt more like a group gathering than a cut-throat competition. Everyone was great and NewSong really created a wonderful weekend out of it so everyone got a lot out of it. I’m keeping my touring plans light for the next few months so I can write, write, write.”
“The NewSong Contest is such an amazing opportunity to unearth and showcase deserving talent. I thought this year was especially great to be involved in because I was so impressed with all of the twelve finalists.
The contest winner Amber Rubarth is an artist of real depth and character. She possesses a wonderful creative intelligence and the joy Amber finds in her own music is totally evident when she performs. I’m looking forward to the recording process with her.”
