2016 NewSong grand prize winner Wilder Adkins releases peace anthem “Side By Side” on MLK Jr. Day
“This is a song about the city of Birmingham, Alabama and the struggles of the civil rights movement in the 1960s,” says Adkins, a Birmingham resident himself. “It is also an anthem for peace and a call to keep hoping and never give up fighting darkness with the power of light.”
ABOUT WILDER ADKINS Wilder Adkins songwriting gleans as much from the earthy poetry of Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver as it does from the works of folk luminaries Richard Thompson and Bruce Cockburn. His courtly-but-witty lyrics evoke a Deep South Shelley or Yeats, riding a joyful guitar dexterity.
Adkins hails from Marietta, GA, but now lives and writes in Birmingham, AL. He grew up listening to his dad play renditions of Neil Young and Van Morrison songs on an old Guild Jumbo Acoustic. Adkins’ songs, steeped in natural imagery, frequently touch upon the subjects of faith, doubt, and as the title of his new album would indicate, hope and sorrow.
GOT SONGS? TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY TO SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC!
The deadline to enter the 15th Annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is TONIGHT (Monday, October 17) at 11:59pm PST. Ten finalists will be selected to compete at the prestigious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City this December for the grand prize, which includes featured prize performances in 2017 back at Lincoln Center AND the ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The winner will also receive a multi-day professional recording session at the award winning Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC.
As an entrant in the 2016 competition, you are also eligible for exclusive discounts on future recording sessions at Echo Mountain Recording Studios, and you and your music will be considered for additional recording and performance opportunities across the U.S.
Three questions with Early Bird Finalist: Middle Child
NewSong Music is proud to count the band Middle Child among our Early Bird Finalists. While each of these three musicians has immense talent — and two have established solo careers — the bandmates discovered that they were better together. And we are so glad they did.
Austin Max and Danny Silberstein began writing songs together after meeting at Berklee College of Music in 2013. Terrell Hines soon joined the band, filling in harmonies and playing drums. Together, the trio boasts a psychedelic R&B sound that is inspired by the likes of The Wrecking Crew, Frank Ocean, Paul Simon, and Al Green. Middle Child will release its first official single in the fall of 2016, and we can’t wait for the world to hear it.
We took the time to ask Danny some questions about the band. To learn more about Middle Child, visit middlechildofficialband.com.
What are your biggest inspirations as songwriters?
I think basic human emotions are really the common thread between each of our songs. When we write, we try to take a snapshot of way we are feeling at that point in time. Different harmonies and arrangements tend to evoke a variety of feelings and emotions, so we like to approach writing songs with an opening mind, both instrumentally and stylistically.
Why did you submit to the NewSong Music Competition?
We were inspired to submit after seeing that the Cardinal Sons had won the competition a while back. We’re fans of their Echo Choir EP, so we wanted to be involved with the people who helped create it.
What’s the one thing you would like people to know about Middle Child?
We are independent artists who came together to make something bigger than the three of us. We love music so much, and would love people to feel that in our music.
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.
A special offer from Echo Mountain Recording Studios to ALL 2016 NewSong entrants… Enter and receive FREE studio lodging and discounted studio rates with our exclusive NewSong recording packages!
We’re very excited to once again offer ALL of this year’s NewSong Contest entrants a fantastic opportunity to record at one of the world’s finest destination recording facilities, located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC.
* Includes studio engineer and complimentary housing at the nearby studio house. 8-hour days. Longer days and analog recording are an additional fee. You must be an entrant to the 2016 NewSong Competition in order to receive these discounted packages. The final deadline to submit is Monday, October 17, 2016 at 11:59 PM PST. Click here to learn more and enter.
Need a producer? No problem. We’re happy to help connect you with the right team to make your project sound amazing.
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.
Ahead of the NewSong Music Showcase & Competition Finals, we wanted to introduce the judges of this year’s event. We are honored to have Erik Philbrook (ASCAP), Michael Selverne, Jordana Phokompe (Lincoln Center), and Gar Ragland (NewSong Music) as the judges of this year’s event. Learn more about each judge below:
ERIK PHILBROOK, ASCAP
Erik Philbrook serves as ASCAP’s AVP of Marketing and Communications and Editor in Chief of its Playback magazine. In addition to writing editorial, producing video and managing content for ASCAP’s various media channels, he has interviewed and written about many of today’s leading songwriters and composers from across the musical spectrum, from legendary icons to today’s emerging artists. He has helped lead ASCAP’s advocacy efforts in protecting songwriter rights in the digital age. And he has played an essential role in the success of high-profile ASCAP events such as the Sundance ASCAP Music Café and the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, where he has interviewed on stage many top music creators, including Tom Petty, John Mayer, Bon Jovi, ELO’s Jeff Lynne, Ingrid Michaelson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Steve Lillywhite and many others. In addition, Philbrook is a songwriter and musician himself, having recorded three acclaimed albums with his band The Brilliant Mistakes.
MICHAEL SELVERNE
Michael Selverne is a 35 year veteran of the music business. A trained musician, Mr. Selverne has a diverse career as a musician, producer, publisher, manager, attorney and executive. Currently, Mr. Selverne is producing a record for the Asheville NC Symphony Orchestra featuring artists such as the Steep Canyon Rangers and Rising Appalachia. Among the many gold and platinum artists with whom Mr. Selverne has worked are: Motley Crue, India.Arie, Hootie and the Blowfish, Guns and Roses, Live, the Wu-Tang Clan, the Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, La Toya Jackson, Donald Fagen/Steely Dan, Hanson.
JORDANA PHOKOMPE, LINCOLN CENTER
Jordana Phokompe is the Director of the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center and is responsible for programing its free weekly performance series. Since joining Lincoln Center in 2009, Jordana has developed new programs for the Atrium including Poet-Linc, LCDJ, and AtriumFlix. Previously, she was a consultant for artists and festivals in the U.S., Europe, and Africa and served as the Associate Producer for MAPP International Productions from 2001-2008. During her tenure at MAPP she co-created the Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium. Jordana received her BA from the New School for Social Research and her MFA from Brooklyn College.
GAR RAGLAND, NEWSONG MUSIC
Gar Ragland is a music producer, composer, manager and the president and co-founder of NewSong Music. A native North Carolinian (Winston-Salem), Gar began his music career while an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia, sharing bills with acts that include the Dave Matthews Band, Gov’t Mule and the Aquarium Rescue Unit. After working several years in Washington, DC as an environmental economist for the policy think tank Resources for the Future, Ragland relocated to Boston to study composition and improvisation at the New England Conservatory with MacArthur ‘Genius’ Award winning pianist, composer and educator Ran Blake. He then moved to New York City to open NewSong’s Brooklyn studio and office, and eight years later moved to Asheville, NC with his family in 2012 to set up shop at Echo Mountain Recording Studios. He is a voting member of the Recording Academy (Grammys), and is the current board chair of the Asheville Area Arts Council.
Sarah Kervin has taken over the @newsongmusic Instagram account for the next 48 hours. She is going to give all of you a BTS peek into the NewSong Music Showcase & Competition Finals, meeting the other finalists, and hanging around her Brooklyn music scene. Follow along here and make sure your follow her Instagram at @skervinofficial!
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #wheregreatartistsarediscovered #newsongmusic
BIO Jaime Garamella has been accused of “combining the quirky song craft of Elvis Costello and Ben Folds with the stylistic vigor of Ryan Adams or Fountains Of Wayne“, and it’s said he “resembles The Spin Doctors, but keeps things fresh with a unique sound and a clear knack for writing lyrics and hooks that are far from boilerplate.” The NYC-based songwriter has a Jekyll-and-Hyde approach — on one hand, writing timeless acoustic tunes steeped in American soul, country, folk, and blues; on the other, jumping off the top of the Marshall stack with his alt-rock band, The Spanish Channel, who have drawn comparisons to Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, and Stone Temple Pilots.
A Regional Finalist in the 2014 NewSong/Mountain Stage Contest, Jaime has recorded two albums and several EPs of his songs. He has also written music for other artists, indie films, documentaries, TV commercials, radio jingles, and even the theme song for a pro hockey team. As a singer, he has appeared at Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall as well as in TV commercials, radio jingles, and even a PBS Kids album. He’s played guitar with bluesman Roy Roberts and rapper Big Daddy Kane. He’s toured nationally both solo and with his band, The Spanish Channel, supporting national acts including Tim Reynolds (of Dave Matthews Band) & TR3 and Alex Skolnick of Testament. It’s live shows where Jaime’s high energy, charisma, and ability to connect with an audience really bring the music to life.
Raised in Connecticut, Jaime has lived in North Carolina, Tokyo, and Boston, and now calls New York City home. When he’s not performing, he teaches voice, guitar, and bass and runs the Vocal program at NYC Guitar School.
This series of features highlights the 2015 NewSong Music finalists. Each artist is invited to Lincoln Center on January 7th for the opportunity to win the #NSM Grand Prize. We sat down with each finalist to learn more about their music and background. Hope you enjoy! #wheregreatartistsarediscovered #newsongmusic
BIO Recently named the Grand Prize Lyric Winner for American Songwriter Magazine, Blair Bodine brings a compelling mix of lyrical mastery and soul-stirring melodies to her music. Accompanied by rich acoustic guitar, Blair’s songs uplift and unravel with themes of love, loss, and spirituality. Blair’s debut album was produced by four-time Grammy award-winner Glenn Barrett at Morningstar Studios in Ambler, PA, the town where she was born and raised. After a guitar-slinging stint in Nashville, Tennessee, Blair moved back to the Northeast in 2014 and now calls New York City home.
In addition to writing and touring, Blair is committed to music education. “I was very fortunate when I was younger. My Mom gave me a guitar for my 13th birthday and nurtured my love of music. She herself is a beautiful songwriter and knew what a positive impact that guitar would have on my life. These days, schools are cutting their music programs at an alarming rate. We need to make sure that we don’t lose the next generation of songwriters.” Committed to fostering a love of music, Blair currently works for Steven Van Zandt’s Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, where she writes curriculum for middle and high school teachers about the history of American popular music.
Since her album release in 2009, Blair has received multiple awards that recognize both her songwriting and performing abilities. She is thrilled to be named a finalist for the 2015 NewSong contest.
Q: What is your songwriting process? A: For me, the process of songwriting is best described as, “Building the plane as you fly it.” I love stepping into a song and not being quite sure of where you will land when the process is through. When you begin a song, anything’s game: from the rhythm, to the chords, to the song structure; it’s a total puzzle. I try not to get too locked into my first idea and to always be open to change. The most important part of the process, for me, is showing up. So I guess songwriting is a lot like life that way!
Q:What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? A: Total shock. I was really surprised and honored simultaneously. Is there a word for that? Suponored.
I am really excited to meet the other finalists later this week! And, of course, having the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center is incredible. Even though I am a relatively new New Yorker, the importance of Lincoln Center as a cultural institution stands out to me. I can’t wait to be there.
Q: How did you hear about New Song Music? A: I think I first applied back in 2010, inspired by the artists I admire who have won this contest in the past. In 2011, I was fortunate to be selected as a regional semifinalist in the Southeast. I had a really wonderful experience connecting with a few of the semifinalists based in Nashville at that time. We spontaneously decided to get together and perform a concert in-the-round. That pretty much defines the NewSong Contest for me. A positive and collaborative contest where the true prize is connecting with other artists.
Q: What is currently happening with your music? A: I’m hoping to release an album of new material in 2016. The more I say it, the more it becomes true. So yes. A new album in 2016 is definitely, probably, totally, maybe happening. It will be an album of tracks I wrote and recorded in Nashville over the years, along with a handful of songs that I’ve written since I’ve moved back to the Northeast.
songwriting gleans as much from the earthy poetry of Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver as it does from the works of folk luminaries Richard Thompson and Bruce Cockburn. His courtly-but-witty lyrics evoke a Deep South Shelley or Yeats, riding a joyful guitar dexterity.
