Three questions with Early Bird Finalist: Market Junction
Market Junction is the name under which Matt Parish and Justin Lofton share their insightful brand of Americana, and NewSong Music is excited to welcome the Houston, Texas-based duo as Early Bird Finalists.
The two friends currently have a single called “All I Really Need” on the Texas Region Radio chart, and they have secured opening spots for artists including Charlie Pride, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Little Texas. We think it’s only a matter of time before we start hearing more about Market Junction, and we are only too happy to welcome them to the NewSong stage.
We asked Matt and Justin a few questions about their songwriting. To learn more about the band, visit mktjct.com.
How would you describe your sound to those who have never heard you before?
We are Americana to our core. If you listen to our record, you will hear elements of folk, country and rock, but the foundation lies in our quest to tell a good story.
What fuels your songwriting?
Justin and I have been best friends for a long time. Our experiences together, along with our families, find their way into our writing. We are suckers for sad stories and hard times. Artistically, our goal is to paint a picture without drawing the lines too clearly.
What inspired you to submit to NewSong?
We had not heard about NewSong before, but the contest intrigued us. We were looking for a way to showcase our songwriting abilities on a national level, and NewSong seemed to be a good avenue for that.
Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your music into the 2016 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. The final deadline for this year’s competition is October 15, 2016 at 11:59pm EST.
KORBY LENKER DISCUSSES CAREER AND LASTING FRIENDSHIPS MADE AT NEWSONG MUSIC COMPETITION
Korby Lenker, performing in the 2014 NewSong finals at New York’s Lincoln Center
Korby Lenker is an accomplished Nashville-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and past NewSong finalist. His music features sounds ranging from folksy, indie-pop songs to hard rock funk tunes, and his albums have garnered him praise from SPIN Magazine and the BBC’s Bob Harris. READ MORE
Watch Videos From Some Of The 2016 NewSong Finalists
2016 NewSong Music Finalist Ethan Crump Returns to LEAF on October 22
Ethan Crump is a Hartwell, Georgia-based musician who pens country-folk songs with a world weariness and wisdom beyond his nineteen years. The singer-songwriter’s straightforward yet poignant tunes caught the attention of judges at last year’s NewSong Music competition at the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) in Black Mountain, North Carolina. He won first place that day, which means festival-goers will have another chance to watch this promising young musician perform at LEAF on Saturday, October 22, 2016.
Crump released his debut EP, Hellfire and Amazing Grace, this summer. He counts John Prine and Guy Clark among his influences, but says his rural country upbringing — including afternoons spent with his grandmother — had more impact on his songwriting than anything else. The EP’s impressive title track is inspired by his grandparents, who were born into the Great Depression.
Crump says that he isn’t “competitively inclined,” but he submitted his songs to NewSong Music anyway, at the urging of a friend who had participated in past years. “Despite my preconceived notion that competitions are always intense and combative — I grew up in a football town — the overall atmosphere was relaxed,” says Crump. “The other finalists were very amiable and supportive.”
Not only did Crump secure himself slot in the 2016 LEAF lineup, but he also says the competition opened up other doors for him. “Aside from it being an excellent experience as a performer, [NewSong] introduces you to a network of great people involved in the music scene around Asheville,” he says. Crump will open for folk musician Jeff Black at Isis Music Hall in Asheville on Wednesday, October 5th.
LEAF-goers will not want to miss Crump’s Saturday, October 22nd performance at 12:15 pm at the barn stage. For more information on LEAF, visit theleaf.org. For more information on Ethan Crump, including his tour schedule, visit ethancrump.com.
Today is your last chance to save 20% on your song entries to the 2016 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. Use promo code – NSM2016 – at checkout to get an instant discount. Submit Today #WhereGreatArtistsAreDiscovered
Congratulations to this year’s ‘Early Bird’ finalists Middle Child and Market Junction.
We’re excited to announce the two ‘Early Bird’ finalists in this year’s 15th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, awarded to the bands Middle Child (Roxbury, MA) and Market Junction (Houston, TX). Learn more about each group below!
Middle Child was conceived by musicians and songwriters Austin Max (Nashville) and Danny Silberstein (Los Angeles), who met at Berklee College of Music in 2013 and were soon joined by fellow musician/songwriter Terrell Hines (Dublin, Georgia).
Market Junction is an Americana group founded in 2011 by singer-songwriters Matt Parrish and Justin Lofton.
They’ll be joining us on Saturday, December 10 to showcase and compete in the live performance finals at New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
NewSong finalist Blair Bodine will return to New York’s Lincoln Center on Thursday, September 8, opening for Rachael Kilgour
Blair Bodine is a New York City-based folk musician with an infectious energy and a true gift for storytelling through song. NewSong Music is excited to welcome this 2015 competition finalist back to the Lincoln Center stage as the opening act for Rachael Kilgour at Kilgour’s album release show on September 8th.
Bodine has a never-ending passion for songwriting that shows up in all areas of her life. In addition to writing and performing her original soul-stirring melodies, Bodine is passionate about music education. A Columbia University graduate, she wrote her thesis on Chinese Ethnomusicology. She currently works for Steven Van Zandt’s Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, writing curriculum for middle and high school teachers about the history of American popular music. In other words, Bodine isn’t your cookie cutter singer-songwriter — a fact that has earned the songwriter some much-deserved recognition in competitions and festivals across the country.
While Bodine didn’t take home the first place prize in last year’s competition, she’s still reaping the benefits of her experience with NewSong. She says the chance to perform at Lincoln Center (twice!) is the biggest perk. “Being a NewSong finalist can really help boost your confidence as a performer,” says Bodine. “You are given a great opportunity to play at an epic venue. As an artist, it is a true gift, and it helped propel me forward.”
The opportunity to make friends with fellow finalists and connect with other touring musicians is icing on the cake. “I am so excited to see Rachael Kilgour in September and hear songs from her new album,” says Bodine, who says she has stayed in touch with many of her fellow NewSong finalists. “They’re a great group of humans,” she adds.
To learn more about Blair Bodine, visit blairbodine.com. To learn more about her September 8th performance with Rachael Kilgour, visit lincolncenter.org.
DISCOUNTED ‘EARLY BIRD’ PRICING ENDS ON MONDAY, AUGUST 15
You have until this Monday night at midnight (EDT) to submit your music during the discounted ‘Early Bird’ stage of the 15th Annual NewSong Music Competition. Enter this weekend – before submission prices increase – for your chance to showcase and compete at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City this December!
Recent NewSong Music alums Rachael Kilgour and Blair Bodine to perform co-bill at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
With vulnerability, wit, and passion, Minnesota-based singer-songwriter Rachael Kilgour (pictured) effortlessly merges the personal and political. The 2015 NewSong Music grand prize winner releases her third full-length album, Rabbit in the Road, on September 30 on NewSong Recordings. The collection takes a vulnerable and intimate look at divorce, and the complexities of grief, resiliency, and transformation.
“Kilgour is the real deal—a modern troubadour confronting raw truths with a powerful voice and passionate, socially conscious songs that will move anyone who still believes that music can—and should—change the world.” —ASCAP Playback
To celebrate the release, Kilgour will be returning to Lincoln Center to perform on Thursday, September 8. Opening the performance is Blair Bodine, a Philadelphia native who has been racking up recent accolades for her lyrical mastery and soul-stirring melodies. Along with Kilgour, she was a finalist in 2015 NewSong Music Competition Finals.
Congratulations to Hartwell, GA’s Ethan Crump, the winner of this spring’s third annual NewSong Presents: LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition. As the LEAF winner, Ethan will advance to join us at Lincoln Center in New York City on Saturday, December 10 to showcase and compete in this year’s international NewSong Music finals there.
Submit your songs today for your chance to be selected as one of ten finalists to perform and compete at the esteemed Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City this December.
There, one grand prize winner will be chosen to receive recording and performance prizes, assembled to provide significant credibility and momentum to the winner’s music and music career. Now in its 15th year, the NewSong Music Award is one of North America’s most respected and prestigious performance and songwriting showcases and competitions.
Past NewSong winners and standouts include Ingrid Michaelson, Meghan Trainor, Max Hatt/Edda Glass and Grace Potter.
The 2016 NewSong Music Grand Prize Winner will receive:
A fully-funded recording session at the acclaimed Echo Mountain Recording Studios in beautiful Asheville, NC and released on the NewSong Recordings label
A featured, return performance at Lincoln Center in New York in 2017
A suite of other performance opportunities across the country
IMPORTANT DATES:
Early Bird Discounted Deadilne: August 15
End of Open Submission: October 15
Announce NSM Finalists: November 1
Live Performance Showcase & Competition at Lincoln Center (NYC): Saturday, December 10
*All entrants will be considered for future recording, management and performance opportunities through NewSong Music’s partnerships that include the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, ASCAP, Arts Brookfield, and ReverbNation.
2008 Mountain Stage NewSong Contest winners KAGERO launched Arts Brookfield‘s summer plaza series this week on Tuesday evening. Thanks to everyone who came out and enjoyed the great music and beautiful weather. The show was recorded live, and will be released on NewSong Recordings label later this year. Special thanks for Darial Sneed for these amazing photographs.
Here is a great moment captured during the performance!
Where: David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Frieda and Roy Furman Stage
About Lora-Faye:
Brooklyn-native Lora-Faye is a singer and multi-instrumentalist with a deep understanding of the power of the strange and the idiosyncratic in American rock and folk traditions. With songs that run completely on raw and untethered emotion while retaining an intellectual and political bent, Lora-Faye draws from such disparate sources as Gillian Welch and Jeff Buckley, Etta James and Anais Mitchell, Harry Smith and Andy Warhol.
In 2012 alone, Lora-Faye’s songwriting won her such accolades as the Grand Prize Award at The Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, Hudson Valley Songfest’s “Best New Artist,” and a winning slot at The New Jersey Folk Festival’s Songwriting Competition. Lora-Faye performs her energetic live show with a constantly evolving band of New Yorkers: a rotating cast of jazz musicians, untrained folkies, opera singers, and everything in between.
