Posts Tagged ‘LEAF Global Arts Retreat’

Q&A with LEAF Finalist Jay Brown

Thursday, April 24th, 2025

Jay Brown is a roots music one-man-band from Black Mountain, North Carolina, who has been playing guitar and piano since the age of 7. A prolific songwriter, Jay’s performances draw from a couple hundred original songs, as well as countless covers from the roots of Americana and beyond. Jay has spent years traveling and playing around the U.S., absorbing our rich musical heritage and performing with artists such as Doc Watson, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Etta Baker. Jay has also taken multiple trips to Ghana, West Africa, where he studied and performed traditional African music with the Ghanaians.

His eclectic musical tastes found expression in 1996, when he became a founding member of Lazybirds, a band that blends a wide variety of musical styles, including jazz and blues, country and rock ‘n roll, to create a fresh and soul stirring sound. Lazybirds have been a mainstay of the North Carolina roots music scene for nearly 30 years.

Jay also formed the Indian folk fusion band Shantavaani with his wife Aditi, which put out 3 classic albums during its 2 year period. Jay continues to perform with Aditi, blending Aditi’s Indian folk and classical influences with his own folk and original music. Aditi and Jay perform as a duo, and also with Joel Karabo Elliot in Roots Grown Deep. Aditi and Jay also recorded 2 critically acclaimed records with their friends Angie and Cas in The Appalucians

Jay 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?


Jay Brown: The short answer would be “roots and original music.” Heavily influenced by Doc Watson, American folk, blues, jazz, Indian, and African music.  

What is the first album you bought, and why?


Muddy Waters Folk Blues. As soon as I got my driver’s license I went to Charlemagne Records in Birmingham, a very cool record shop that’s since closed down, and asked the very groovy and knowledgeable owner what might be a good record to get me started in the world of the blues, and he directed my attention to Muddy Waters, and also Lightnin Hopkins. I took those records home and put them on and fell under their spell, and the depth and feeling of that music has probably been my biggest inspiration as a musician.

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


Billie Holiday, particularly with Lester Young playing behind her on sax. The sound of her voice, and the way Prez would dance around her with that mellow tone of pure jazz, and Billie clearly getting a kick out of it. The way they inspired each other is something I feel very deeply, and those two together have an eternal residence in my heart and mind.

What projects are you currently working on?

There are a few wrapping up just now. A solo album of original songs (with a few Dylan covers) that’ll be called In the Wake which will feature a few songs I wrote shortly after Helene, is just about ready. An album Aditi and I recorded (Aditi and Jay) is being mixed. We’re still pondering on a name for the album. Half of the album will be kirtan, and half will be American folk, but the overriding feel of the album is contemplative. Aditi and I also show up on the new album by the amazing world musician Joel Karabo Elliot. The Appalucians have a new album out as well which is yet to be released, called Skygazer. And Lazybirds have just gotten started recording an album of travelin songs, called Goin Places. So it appears our basement is soon to be taken over by boxes of CDs.

Q&A with LEAF Finalist Jackson Grimm

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025

Jackson Grimm is an accomplished and respected multi-instrumentalist and teacher in the Asheville music community. His songs marry folk pop melodies with the lonesome sound of traditional Appalachian music. It is no surprise that Jackson’s songwriting is representative of his musical birthplace, Western North Carolina, where Grimm studied Traditional Music at Warren Wilson College.

Jackson 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?


Jackson Grimm: I write songs influenced by the mountains of Appalachia. Folk and bluegrass arrangements inspired by pop melodies and poetic lyrics.

What is the first album you bought, and why?


I thiiiiink the first album I bought on my own was American Idiot by Greenday. Epic.

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


I’m heavily influenced by old ballads from the Celtic Isles.

What projects are you currently working on?

My main projects right now are with Holler Choir and Susto Stringband.

 

Q&A with LEAF Finalist Finn O’Sullivan

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025

Finn O’Sullivan is an indie folk/pop singer-songwriter based in Longmont, CO. She explores love and heartbreak, patriarchal privilege, the worlds of her favorite fictional characters, and the endless what ifs that keep her up at night. Finn writes and performs with equal parts depth of feeling and serious badassery. She has shared the stage with Langhorne Slim, Carsie Blanton, Rainbow Girls, and a host of local Colorado talent. The title song of her first LP, When the Power Comes Back On (2020), won the Song of the Year award in the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Contest. 

Finn 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?


Finn O’Sullivan: I would say that my music is along the lines of indie folk/pop, the sort of thing you might get if you combined Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers into one musician.

What is the first album you bought, and why?


I think the first (or one of the first) albums I bought was Transangelic Exodus by Ezra Furman. She’s one of my all time favorite musicians and that album is one of my all time favorite albums, so as soon as I saw it I knew I had to get my hands on it. It’s a perfect example of a concept album that tells a story the whole way through, which I love. In a world that’s so focused on singles rather than whole albums, it’s really important to me to support artists who are still putting their heart and soul into conceptualizing and bringing to life a full project. It’s an album full of songs that felt so important to me at the time — love songs, protest songs, songs about belonging and not belonging, songs about wanting to bring down the man but still be able to keep the things and people you love safe, songs about queerness and finding your home and being weird and accepting that part of yourself with open arms. It’s perfect! 

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


I do this very niche and very nerdy thing where I write songs based on fictional characters. I’ve always been a big reader and a big TV show person, so sometimes those stories and characters stick in my head and I basically have no choice but to write a song about them! It’s a fun way to step out of my own head and put myself in the shoes of someone else. I feel like those are the songs where I surprise myself the most and learn the most about myself, which is funny because they initially start off not being about me or my life at all. 

What projects are you currently working on?

I’ve been getting more into self producing and home recording over the past year. I took a class in my last year of college last year that really helped open my eyes to the world of production a little more and I’ve been having so much fun experimenting with that. I’m currently working on a 5-song EP that will be completely self-recorded and produced. I’m hoping to have that out this summer! 

Q&A with LEAF finalist Jackson Harden

Thursday, April 17th, 2025

Jackson Harden is a singer-songwriter from Utah, currently based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Combining elements of traditional folk, alt-country, and chamber pop, his music has a timeless quality that creates an airy, open atmosphere tinged with imagery of the vast desert landscapes and towering mountains of the western United States. His gentle vocal style, intimate songwriting, and intricate guitar picking are often compared to the likes of Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. His debut EP Dakota Blue Moon was released in November of 2023.

Jackson 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?

Jackson Harden: I’d say it’s a blend of traditional folk and ’60s pop with a modern twist. 

What is the first album you bought, and why?
American Idiot by Green Day. I was 8 years old and up to that point I mostly just heard church music and whatever was on pop radio. A kid on my block showed me some CDs from his collection including Green Day, Weezer, Nirvana, etc., and it rocked my world. I became obsessed with Green Day and had to get the CD.

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

I had a major pop-punk phase for most of my adolescence that has informed my songwriting, playing, and sensibilities to some degree, even today.
 
What projects are you currently working on?
I am currently working on my first full length album!

 

Submissions now open to the 11th annual LEAF / NewSong Singer-Songwriter Competition

Monday, February 24th, 2025

The annual LEAF Singer-Songwriter Showcase and Competition, now in its eleventh year, will take place at LEAF Global Arts Retreat, in Black Mountain, N.C., on Saturday, May 10, 2025.

Submit your original songs HERE

The performance showcase and competition is a collaborative effort between NewSong Music and LEAF Global Arts. It aims to identify and recognize exceptional performers and songwriters from across the country. Eight finalists will be invited to perform, network, and compete at the LEAF Retreat (a more intimate iteration of LEAF’s annual fall festival) in May.

The winner of the LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition, selected from a panel of music industry judges, will earn a spot as one of only eight finalists at the annual International NewSong Competition, held in Asheville, N.C., in the fall. The winner will also return to the LEAF Global Arts Festival, held October 16-19, 2025, as a featured, paid performer.

Past winners include Admiral Radio, Jimmie Griffith, Noan Partly, and Moon Bride.

The deadline for Early Bird submissions is Sunday, March 2 (at which point submission prices increase). One early bird entrant will be selected as a finalist for the LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition. (All other early bird entries will remain in consideration.) The final deadline to submit entries is Sunday, March 23, at 11:59 PM PST. This year’s eight finalists are scheduled to be announced on Facebook, Instagram, our website blog and newsletter on Wednesday, April 2.

Submit your original songs HERE

Q+A with LEAF Songwriter Competition Finalist Admiral Radio

Sunday, April 21st, 2024

Q+A with LEAF Songwriter Competition Finalist Nathan Storey

Friday, April 19th, 2024
Nathan Storey is a seasoned singer-songwriter from North Carolina. “He puts lush emotion and sincerity into each note making any listener sit up and take notice…his melodies and chord changes become hook laden delights,” as described by John Fonvielle, The Beat Magazine. In his songwriting, “Storey weaves intimate tunes, filled with emotion and powerful metaphor,” as detailed by Hunter Gardner of Charleston Grit. Storey toured the east coast at notable venues including Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC and the River Arts Festival in Jacksonville, Fl.
 
Nathan is one of eight finalists selected to showcase and compete in the LEAF Singer Songwriter Competition, Presented by NewSong Music, at LEAF Retreat on May 11.
 
NewSong Music: What is the most recent song you wrote and what inspired it? 
Nathan Storey: I recently wrote a song about time called “Time is a Liar.” I began thinking about how we often think we have enough or not enough of it and I thought that was really interesting idea to explore.
 
What was your journey to becoming a musician — are you classically trained or self-taught? 
I took guitar lessons when I was very young and started with simple chord progressions. I haven’t stopped playing since!
 
What music was playing in your house while you were growing up?
I grew up listening to a lot of church music as well as things like ’60s folk. Mom and Dad liked a lot of different things! 
 
If you could co-write a song with anyone, who would it be, and why?
I admire a lot of songwriters from across the pond so I would be over the moon to write with guys like Foy Vance or Glen Hansard. Their raw lyrics and performances have always been really inspiring to me.
 
What has most surprised you about being a singer-song-writer? 
I think that I’m not tired of it yet. For many many years now I’ve trusted myself to have something to say and with as interested I am in different things, I find that kind of surprising.

Introducing the 2024 LEAF Competition Finalists

Tuesday, April 9th, 2024

CONGRATULATIONS to the 2024 finalists of the LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition, presented by NewSong Music:

Admiral Radio – Columbia, SC
Andy Sydow – Hendersonville, TN
Charlie John – Covington, KY
Dustin Dale Gaspard – Abbeville, LA
Erin Williams Banks – Boone, NC*
Hannah Lee Thompson – Baltimore, MD
Nathan Storey – Charlotte, NC
Ollella – Seattle, WA

* Early Bird finalist

They’ll be joining us here in Asheville next month to network, showcase and compete at LEAF Retreat, on May 11, 2024 in Black Mountain, NC (right outside of Asheville).

On behalf of everyone at LEAF Global Arts and NewSong Music, a DEEP thanks to all of the fantastic artists who submitted. The pool of talent was outstanding again this year, making our job all the more difficult and the finalists’ recognition all the more impressive.

To everyone who entered, your creative work inspires us. Thanks for sharing it, and PLEASE keep on writing, singing and recording your art … the world’s a better place for it, and we need your songs now more than ever.

Q+A with LEAF Songwriter Competition Earlybird Finalist Erin Williams Banks

Friday, April 5th, 2024
 
Congratulations to our LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition’s “Earlybird” Finalist, Erin Williams Banks.

 Erin grew up in Lyons, Georgia. She has been writing music for over 30 years. In the beginning, she would sing on dirt roads from the back of a horse. Now she sings with the rivers that wind through the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. Her newest album, Coyote Mother, came out in September, 2023.
 
Erin and seven other finalists will showcase at the 10th annual LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition, presented by NewSong Music, at LEAF Global Arts Retreat on Saturday, May 11. 
 
NewSong Music: You’ve talked on your social media about the experience of having professional photos taken after age 40 — how about the experience of putting out an album after 40? Were there any surprises or insights that age brought to that process?
 
Erin Williams Banks: I was so grateful to turn 40. I have always had a strong sense of self and have been comfortable being me but it was the perfect storm. I moved from my South Georgia homeland and uprooted. I started over in Boone, N.C., and left so many things behind. I became a phoenix and when 40 hit, I welcomed it with fiery arms. Parts of me burned up in that transition, but I feel like whatever was left was my true form. As I was writing songs and moving towards a new decade, I felt stronger than ever and I knew I wanted to document what was going on in and around me. Recording the music I wanted to record was a dream come true and I felt like it was a gift to myself and my family and friends that they could have forever. 
 
Coyote Mother just came out last fall. Can you share a bit about the animal inspirations on the album?
 
My muse is the river. The river is the ancient pathway that so many take refuge in. I used to go to church but now I go to the river. The Ohoopee River is one black water river that winds around old Cypress trees till it finally meets the Altamaha River, which is full of prehistoric creatures like gar and alligators and sturgeon that swim up to breed in the swirling muddy waters. How many interactions with coyotes and deer swimming across the river have you had? How many different kinds of herons have you seen? How many endangered plant and bird species have you noticed hiding along the river’s edge? I think if you are willing to leave early in the morning and go paddle you will feel a need to write about it, too. It is like you have seen a ghost and for the rest of your days it’s one of your stories that you’re telling the kids at bedtime: Remember that time I saw a pair of yellow-crowned night herons? Or the time I was riding my horse on a full moon and saw a cougar cross the dirt road? 
 
You worked on the album remotely — you in Boone and your producer in Asheville. Why did you choose to work remotely rather than in the studio together? And how do you feel that served the album?
 
My friend Everett Hardin had recorded and produced several of my closest friends’ albums. What they said about him was “he will take his time with you” and “he will get your voice to sound exactly how you want it to” and “he isn’t like other male producers — he’s not an egotistical asshole.” I was a little worried at first because the only experiences I’d had were super-quick weekends to track it all. I didn’t mind it that way because that energy is like a driving force. I thought that was how I worked. So, when Everett said “No rush, it could take six months or a year,” I was kind of disappointed. I thought rushed was better but it turns out that I actually loved to be pushed. I love writing five versions of one song and getting to the gold. I thrive in an atmosphere where we are having honest critiques and, because we are now good friends, I know he loved my songs and voice so I could handle the heat and the push back if something wasn’t working. I write so much … probably a song or two a week. A lot of those are trash, so I needed someone to tell me what I should record and what I needed to leave in the diary. 
 

We set his rig up in my attic, which was also my husband’s office at the time. It was freezing and I couldn’t run a space heater. Everett was a little square on the computer screen. I have such limited technology skills I wasn’t sure this was going to work, but it turned out that all I had to do was turn the power on. He controlled everything from his computer in his basement in Asheville. The only part we had to go over a few times was when the motorcycle gangs would rev it up at the light down from my house and it would bleed into the vocal track. That was fun. 
 
For weeks, we would squeeze in vocals here and there. Everett was the voice inside my head. It was kind of awesome. It was like we were in the same space. And you know, the producer is always in the next room so it wasn’t that crazy. It felt like we were together. I just got to record in the comfort of my house and he got to engineer and produce in his house. Pajama party!
Also he played almost all the music! He and his wife wrote and played all the string arrangements. He’s the total package. He will never be able to find some of those weird tunings he did on some of those songs. He’s a wizard for sure. 
 
Can you share a little bit about why it’s important to have a songwriting group, and how you found your songwriting group?
 
The songwriting group was the biggest selling point for me to move to Boone! That first week I was here I was invited by my dear friend Sarah Deshields to join her little group. I was so nervous and I never get nervous! I guess it was because it was so small and intimate. I played a song I wrote called “Goodbye South Georgia” (about which I’ve written so many goodbye songs and I’m sure I’ll write a dozen more). Everyone loved me from then on. That group contains some of the best human beings I have found on the planet. They are my family. I wrote several songs from the album from prompts the group gave. They have been so supportive and we always ask each other to sing or play on our records. Sarah Deshields, John Lucas, Cayla Fralick, Kevin Deshields, and Amanda Opelt are all on my record and members of my songwriting group. 

Announcing the 10th annual LEAF Singer-Songwriter Showcase and Competition

Monday, February 26th, 2024

The annual LEAF Singer-Songwriter Showcase and Competition, now in its tenth year, will take place at LEAF Global Arts Retreat, in Black Mountain, N.C., on Saturday, May 11, 2024.

The performance showcase and competition is a collaborative effort between NewSong Music and LEAF Global Arts. It aims to identify and recognize exceptional performers and songwriters from across the country. Eight finalists will be invited to perform, network, and compete at the LEAF Retreat (a more intimate iteration of LEAF’s annual fall festival) in May.

The winner of the LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition, selected from a panel of music industry judges, will earn a spot as one of only eight finalists at the annual International NewSong Competition, held in Asheville, N.C., in the fall. The winner will also return to the LEAF Global Arts Festival, held October 17-20, 2024, as a featured, paid performer.

Past winners include Jimmie Griffith, Noan Partly, Parker Ainsworth, and Moon Bride.

SUBMIT SONGS HERE

While the event is a contest, it’s decidedly not a cutthroat competition. Instead, the focus is on building a community among songwriters and sharing the magic of songcraft. “It’s a celebration of one of humanity’s oldest art forms, something that helps us all process and understand the world around us,” says NewSong Music founder Gar Ragland. This is an “opportunity to recognize talented musicians and bring new voices to a bigger stage.”

The deadline for Early Bird submissions is Friday, March 8. One early bird entrant will be selected as a finalist for the LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition. (All other early bird entries will remain in consideration.) The final deadline to submit entries is Sunday, March 31. Finalists are expected to be announced by Sunday, April 7. 

SUBMIT SONGS HERE

“NewSong has been an extraordinary LEAF partner, creating the opportunity for many amazing songwriters and singers to perform at LEAF Festival. For many artists, this was their first big step onto a national and international stage, and the teamwork with the organizations creates ease and support. In a nod to history, these artists are walking in the footsteps of historic Black Mountain College moments and LEAF Global artists from over 100 countries.” ~ Jennifer Pickering, LEAF Global Arts Co-Executive Director & Founder

About LEAF Global Arts

LEAF Global Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to connect cultures and create community through music and arts. LEAF is composed of two key cultural arts education programs, LEAF Schools & Streets and LEAF International, as well as two signature events, LEAF Global Arts Retreat (May) and LEAF Global Arts Festival (October). Since 1995, LEAF has served more than 200,000 youths with programs in more than 15 community locations and in 10 countries worldwide. Learn more at www.theLEAF.org.