Linda Dunnavant is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter originally from Moultrie, GA. She calls her genre “dream folk Americana” and her songs are inspired by daydreams, delusions, second chances, old hurts, getting stuck, getting free, and the natural world. She released an EP in 2023 called Tiny Towns followed by an album in 2024 titled Hidden Lake.

Linda and seven other finalists will perform, network, and compete at the 11th annual LEAF Performance & Songwriter Competition, presented by NewSong Music, at LEAF Global Arts Retreat on Saturday, May 10.

NewSong Music: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?


Linda Dunnavant: I’d say somewhere between indie folk and Americana with a meditative, dreamlike quality. 

What is the first album you bought, and why?


I remember getting my dad to buy me Wynonna’s first solo album on cassette at Walmart when I was 8. I had heard one of the songs on the radio and I wanted to be able to listen to it whenever I wanted. I saw Wynonna a few years ago when The Judds reunion tour came to Nashville and my inner child was in heaven.

What is one influence on your music that might surprise us?


I was a huge choir nerd in high school. I was in 6 choirs at once my senior year, including a handbell choir. To this day, playing handbells is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m releasing a single called “Cicadas” inspired by the cicada-apocalypse we experienced in Nashville last May. I’m also in a songwriting group that forces me to write a new song every week. I’m so grateful to have the community and accountability to keep my creativity flowing.