Posts Tagged ‘Don’t Apologize’

Weekly roundup: NewSong Artist News 10/8-10/15

Monday, October 8th, 2018

We love to keep up with our past NewSong Music Contest finalists and winners, and, over the years, we have amassed a busy and hardworking group of musicians we admire. 

NewSong songwriters live and perform across the continent and beyond, their work spans multiple genres, and these artists are always putting out new material. To keep track of all their news and upcoming shows, we will be highlighting NewSong artists in our weekly roundup. 

We’ve put together a list of five shows, publications and recordings we think you should be paying attention to this week. 

 

1. David Robert King – #WeARENEWSONG video out today

David Robert King — a finalist in last year’s NewSong Music Competition whose striking songwriting has been compared to Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits — is featured in our video series, #WeAreNewSong. In the short video, King discusses his experience with the NewSong competition, as well as his musical inspirations and songwriting process. 

King was the runner up in last year’s NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition in New York City. Since then, he has released a new record, Idaho. This past summer, King recorded a single “Have Mercy” with NewSong Grand Prize Winner Crys Matthews and producer Gar Ragland.

David performs at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville on Wednesday Oct. 10. Buy tickets here. Listen to David Robert King on Spotify

 

 

2. Beth Snapp – Oct. Tour Dates

Beth Snapp is keeping busy after the release of her 2018 album, Don’t Apologize. This week, you will find the songwriter with her band at the Music on the Laurel Creek series Tuesday Oct. 9 in Damascus, VA and the Annual Harvest Boogie hosted by Jump TN on Friday Oct. 12.

Meanwhile, Don’t Apologize, recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios with producer Gar Ragland, continues to gather positive critical acclaim. Listen to the new album on Spotify

 

 

3. Farewell Milwaukee – Flannel Roots Music & Beer festival 

Farewell Milwaukee is a mainstay of the Minneapolis music scene since 2008. The band embraces the role that their Midwestern towns have played in shaping them artistically, garnering them fans through their authentic lyrics, lush vocal harmonies, and an honest sincerity at live shows. Farewell Milwaukee released their fourth full-length album, FM, in September 2018.

The band will perform at the the Flannel Roots Music & Beer Festival in Minnetonka, Minnesota Saturday Oct. 13. Listen to Farewell Milkwaukee on Spotify

 

4. NEwsong Recordings spotlight: Rachael Kilgour “Rabbit in the Road”

After a successful crowdfunding campaign, Rachael Kilgour is gearing up to release her next album, Game Changer, early next year. This week, we suggest revisiting Rachael’s first release with NewSong Recordings, Rabbit in the Road.

Billboard calls it “A heartfelt slice of master crafted indie folk, brimming with the battle-tested capacity to endure the worst in others. There’s a steadfast confidence to her voice, which lingers around the guitar and keystrokes like smoke above a dying fire.”

Listen to Rabbit in the Road on Spotify. Purchase the album on bandcamp.

 

 

5. JBird Shogren – Wild west songwriters festival

Shogren is a 2016 NewSong Music Competition finalist and has performed at Lincoln Center in NYC, as well as the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as part of the NewSong Music Series. He was also in the studio earlier this year at Echo Mountain Recording with producer Gar Ragland, tracking material for his new solo project Horse Machine (stay tuned for more on that in future roundups).

Shogren will perform at the Wild West Songwriters Festival in Deadwood, SD, Oct. 12 and 13. For more information on the festival, visit the website

6. SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2018 NEWSONG MUSIC PERFORMANCE & SONGWRITING COMPETITION 


Now in its 17th year, the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is one of North America’s premier showcases of emerging performers and songwriters across an array of genres.The final deadline to enter this year’s competition is Sunday, November 4.

To learn more and submit, click here.

Beth Snapp releases new video for single “Don’t Apologize”

Friday, July 13th, 2018

Beth Snapp and NewSong Music are proud to announce the video release for Snapp’s latest single “Don’t Apologize.” 

“’Don’t Apologize” is the title track [of the new EP]; however, it really became the overarching theme of both this project as well as my current place in life,” says Snapp.

Beth Snapp – “Don’t Apologize” (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

“We get insecure, we listen to the voices in our head (or sometimes the voices around us) and suddenly we aren’t just ashamed of our character flaws – we become ashamed of our character. We become ashamed of trying new things, putting ourselves out there, being vulnerable…and that has to stop. SO. Don’t apologize – ever — for loving yourself, loving your neighbors, and trying to pour some of that love into this broken world.” 

The video was written by Snapp and produced by Jeb Johnson. “Don’t Apologize,” is the first single released from Snapp’s new EP of the same name, which was produced and mixed by Gar Ragland of NewSong Recordings. 

“Don’t Apologize” is available for purchase on Spotify, Bandcamp andd iTunes. Pre-order the full EP on iTunes, and receive the single as an instant gratification download.

Learn more about Beth and stay up to date with her performance schedule at bethsnapp.com.

Beth Snapp’s single “Don’t Apologize” available now

Monday, June 25th, 2018

Beth Snapp’s new single “Don’t Apologize” is available June 25 from NewSong Recordings.

Beth Snapp, a sharp-witted and soulful songwriter from Kingsport, TN, is releasing her new EP, Don’t Apologize, on NewSong Recordings August 31. The first single and title track of the EP is out today on Spotify and iTunes. Pre-order the full EP on iTunes, and receive the single as an instant gratification download. Don’t Apologize is a collection of soothing and supple melodies, underscored by a bracing backing band. The songwriting strikes deep, as the musician shares universal messages of love and acceptance from a well of personal experience.

 

Snapp was a semifinalist in the NewSong songwriting competition in 2017. That experience led her to meet NewSong founder Gar Ragland and eventually record her forthcoming EP with NewSong Recordings. The EP was produced and mixed by Ragland, engineered by Grammy winner Julian Dreyer, and recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, North Carolina.

“I feel like my career is just beginning,” says Snapp. “I’ve laid some groundwork, but now I’m at a jumping off point, and it’s time to jump.”

We asked Snapp some questions about her forthcoming EP, Don’t Apologize

 

I’d love it if you could speak to the EP name, “Don’t Apologize.” What does it mean to you, and what was the inspiration behind it?

“Don’t Apologize” is the name of the title track; however, it really became the overarching theme of both this project as well as my current place in life. I think thanks to certain millennial stereotypes, there is plenty of coverage regarding the entitled, and yes that is an issue. However, I think far on the other side of that spectrum, is a place we often find ourselves in where we begin apologizing for things we have no business apologizing for. We get insecure, we listen to the voices in our head (or sometimes the voices around us) and suddenly we aren’t just ashamed of our character flaws – we become ashamed of our character. We become ashamed of trying new things, putting ourselves out there, being vulnerable…and that has to stop. SO. Don’t apologize – ever — for loving yourself, loving your neighbors, and trying to pour some of that love into this broken world. 

What was your songwriting process like for the album? 

Relatively quick, actually! All the songs were written at a time when I was sort of on the other side of a storm. I was really starting to enjoy life again, and I was finding new purpose. This new chapter for me was also coinciding with a period of time when our country and its people were stressed, fearful, and at times attacking one another. It’s silly, not only to let fear grip your entire life, but to also risk relationships with one heated moment in time. That time will pass, but the friendship gap might not. So, as I was waking up, I just wanted other people to wake up as well! I wanted to send a message that we are all OK. I think I wanted it so badly the theme for the EP, the content, and the lyrics just poured out. And within no time at all, I was ready to record!

What was your experience recording at Echo Mountain Studios?

Gar’s production was vital to this project – his patience, ease of communication, and direction led the EP down the road it needed to be on.  He understood the message, and how to portray that message in the style and arrangement of the music. Also, being able to record at Echo Mountain Studios was basically a dream come true. The equipment, aesthetics, and staff were incomparable.

Are there any songs in particular you are excited about?

I suppose my favorite song is “the Princess Dream.” It’s a personal story – how I grew into myself, and learned to accept and love myself despite growing pains.  What I love the most is the more we played the song live, the more women who have come to me to tell me it’s their story too. It feels connected, and if the song was as healing for them as it was me, I’ve done something worthwhile.

If there is one thing your fans should know about this album, what is it? 

It’s the message. Don’t Apologize! This is a reminder – be kind to yourself, love yourself, love the folks around you.  If we all spread that love, one soul at a time, think what we could do for this hurting world! We often feel so powerless, but this is a small but important way to gain the power and help our communities.  Whatever that means to you is fine because we all have different ideas of what that means. It doesn’t matter. Just do it. And remember it all starts with accepting and loving yourself as the perfectly imperfect soul that you are. 

Do you feel this work is a departure or continuation of your previous work? How so? 

It’s a departure in that the content is a bit more uplifting than past projects – BUT – it’s a continuation of my personal journey, and therein lies the connection. Life is a little different, my perspective has shifted, I’ve got a few more miles under my belt, and I want to share that.  

Learn more about Beth and stay up to date with her performance schedule at bethsnapp.com.