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.
We are very excited to announce the NewSong Music Songwriting & Performance Competition will be held at Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC on Dec. 15. Stay tuned for finalist announcements, coming soon.
1. Rachael Kilgour — “Holy Are We” single release out this Friday
Rachael Kilgour will release her single “Holy Are We,” off her forthcoming record Game Changer, this Friday.
Recorded in Asheville, NC at Echo Mountain Studios and produced by Gar Ragland, the EP will be released on NewSong Recordings and features captivating string arrangements by violinist Sara Pajunen.
Pre-order your digital copy here.
2. Jeffrey Martin — UK TOur
Past NewSong finalist Jeffrey Martin will embark on a tour in the UK this November, with his first show on Nov. 30 in Coggeshall, UK. If you won’t be across the pond for his tour dates, we highly recommend seeking out his music and giving the Portland, OR-based songwriter a listen.
Praise from Portland Mercury: “Jeffrey Martin’s music is not widely known, which is a shame, because he might be the best songwriter in Portland. With lyrics that read like Raymond Carver stories and a voice that’s one breath away from breaking completely apart, Martin’s songs are beautiful, sparse, and utterly devastating.”
Listen to Jeffrey Martin on Spotify.
3. Ana Egge — ListeN: White tiger
Ana Egge, a NewSong finalist from 2007, is another artist we have in our rotation this week, and we think you should, too. Her tenth studio album album, White Tiger, is an ethereal, emotional treat, not to be missed. Folk Alley has this to say about the artist: “Ana Egge has one of those voices—full of breath and breeze one minute, grounded like a boot in a puddle the next—that just feels free.”
Listen to Ana Egge’s latest, White Tiger, on Spotify.
4. Amber Rubarth — European tour + Listen: “A Common case of Disappearing”
Amber Rubarth was NewSong Music’s 2010 grand prize winner. She has spent her fall performing on stages across Europe, with her next show taking place on Nov. 13 in Barcelona, Spain.
For those not in Spain, we recommend listening to the artist’s Grand Prize album, A Common Case of Disappearing, produced and mixed by Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon).
Listen to Amber Rubarth on Spotify.
Purchase A Common Case of Disappearing.
5. NewSong Music Finals to take place in asheville, NC, dec. 15
Thank you to all who submitted their songs to this year’s NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition this year. The exciting process of selecting eight finalists is underway. Stay tuned for the results, coming soon! This year, the finals competition will be held December 15 in beautiful Asheville, NC at Isis Music Hall.
