Musician Michael Flynn, the 2021 grand-prize winner of the NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition, is the artist in residence at Citizen Vinyl throughout July 2022. Performance dates are Fridays, July 1st, 8th, 15th, and 29th.
“Citizen Vinyl has such an intoxicating atmosphere of history and progressive art; just being in that building is deeply inspiring,” he says, “I can’t wait to play music in it every week for a month.”
On Friday, July 22nd, Flynn will perform a special in-the-round style session with 2021 NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition finalists Olivia Lloyd and Jay Filson, also at Citizen Vinyl. All concerts begin at 5pm and are free to attend.
As part of his grand prize package, Flynn was awarded the opportunity to record at Citizen Studios. The modern analog mixing and tracking room was originally the live performance studio for WWNC radio broadcasts. Flynn’s album-in-process is “a collection of songs that indulge in a lot of my favorite musical ideas—80s synths, folk instruments, woodwinds, etc.—like an Americana band that got their boarding gate confused and accidentally ended up on a flight to outer space,” he says. “Lyrically it was mostly written at the bedside of a loved one succumbing to pancreatic cancer, so it’s a harrowing exploration of life and death and love and grace. 
Flynn calls Saluda, N.C. home. His songs have been featured on shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Shameless and his most recent EP is Endlings. On Monday, July 25, he’ll release the single “Wishing Tree (Stolen Spoons Remix).” The original track, says Flynn, was a “sparse banjo meditation on frustrations with the music industry.” It was remixed by Los Angeles-based producer Stolen Spoons.
Flynn’s residency coincides with acceptance of submissions for the 2022 NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition, sponsored by Citizen Vinyl. Eight finalists, selected from advance 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. 
The NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition finale will take place on Saturday, December 2, 2022 at Citizen Vinyl in downtown Asheville.
Discounted ‘Early Bird’ entries are now open (1 song: $40; 2 songs: $70; additional songs: $25 each). Entry prices increase after Sunday, July 24, with the final deadline for submissions on Sunday, September 18, 2022. To submit your original music, visit newsong-music.com/contest.
Learn more about Michael Flynn at michaelflynn.com. For up-to-date information on the 2022 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, visit newsong-music.com. To learn more about Citizen Vinyl, visit citizenvinyl.com.
