Brad Cole is a New York City-based folk musician who pens songs about the human condition with wit and raw insight. Hints of roots, old school bossa and rhythm and blues set this singer-songwriter apart, and his soulful lyricism thoroughly impressed NewSong judges.
Cole is a musician poised to take off: in the last eighteen months, he has played over one hundred shows and has shared the stage with artists including Chris Stapleton, Shovels and Rope, Ingrid Michaelson, and more.
We asked Cole about his songwriting process, as well as his hopes and expectations for the NewSong finalist showcase at Lincoln Center. To learn more about this exciting musician and to listen to his latest album, Lay it Down, visit his website at bradcolemusic.com.
What is your songwriting process like, and where do you find inspiration?
I look at the world around me for inspiration, and I guess most of that lyrical inspiration comes from those who have fallen and attempted to pull themselves up to a better place. I probably have a new melody idea every day, so it’s usually a matter of putting those inspirations together with a musical expression that is cool and feels good. Then I give myself time to write and finish. Probably the last songwriting muse to inspire me is Patty Griffin.
What made you decide to submit to NewSong, and what does it mean to you to be a finalist in this year’s competition?
I was in the crowd last year, and the show was inspiring. I loved it. Of course I feel honored that this special tune has been recognized by such a well respected group. As far as music curators go, NewSong is the real deal, so I know I’ll be with a great mix of players in a room full of listeners, so that’s huge. Beyond that, just want to be able to share what I do with a new audience.
What is going on your career that readers should know about?
I released Lay It Down in 2016, and the reception has been amazing. So I’ll be touring the US in 2017, primarily east coast, mid south, midwest, southwest and California. I have an April residency planned for Chicago at The Hideout every Wednesday night, and I’m putting the final plans together for a NYC residency this spring 2017.
We have spent the last few weeks carefully listening to all of this year’s song submissions, to identify the remaining finalists for the 15th Annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. This year’s program attracted singers and songwriters from all over the world, who represent a broad array of genres and styles.
We are honored by the opportunity to listen to so much new original music, and we’re once again reminded of and humbled by the breadth and depth of contemporary songcraft.
OCEAN OF BIRDS, THE DEBUT ALBUM FROM AMERICANA DUO MAX HATT/EDDA GLASS IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR GRAMMY CONSIDERATION
Free Ocean of Birds Album Download & Stream Until November 4
The grand prize album Ocean of Birds (NewSong Recordings) from 2014 NewSong Music Competition winners Max Hatt / Edda Glass is eligible for nomination in three (3) Grammy categories this year:
“Crossing Over” – Best American Roots Performance
“Crossing Over” – Best American Roots Song
Ocean of Birds – Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Produced and mixed by Pat Sansone (Wilco, Autumn Defense) and Josh Shapera and recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios, Ocean of Birds released May 20 this year on NewSong Recordings, and is now available for free download and stream for a limited time. The album features ethereal guitar, an unmistakeable voice, and the duo’s award-winning Jazz Americana compositions. “We want to write about a world both intimate and vast, about little people on great plains,” says Glass.
“Beautiful music that is subtly poignant, elegantly funky, and haunting without trying to be. Their songs are direct yet often take unexpected and colorful harmonic twists and turns, delighting the ear.”~ Nels Cline (Wilco, Nels Cline Singers)
“I was mesmerized from the first moment I heard them. They have the ability to create a deep sonic landscape with only voice and guitar, with songs that possess a mysterious and soulful magic.” ~ Pat Sansone (Wilco, Autumn Defense)
NewSong Music is proud to announce that the grand prize winner of this year’s competition will perform at the upcoming 2017 Sundance Film Festival, as part of the highly coveted ASCAP Music Café showcase.
Past NewSong winner Joe Shirley of the indie rock band Cardinal Sons calls the prize “amazing” — both in terms of the performance opportunity and simply being able to attend the renowned festival. “We played our set, and realized Pat Sansone and John Stirratt of Wilco and The Autumn Defense (heroes of ours) were standing at the back of the venue and listening to our show,” recalls Shirley. “What a trip!”
“Apart from playing the set to a packed room of festival-goers, just being at Sundance was also a great experience with everything it offers,” says Shirley. “It gave us an opportunity to play in front of a community of people who appreciate good art and are looking to be moved by something.”
Past grand prize winners Rachel Kilgour (2015) and Max Hatt of the jazz-americana duo Max Hatt/Edda Glass (2014) agreed on how attentive and receptive the audience was. “There was such respect for filmmaking as an artform in that setting,” says Kilgour. “It was very encouraging.” Kilgour performed at the Music Café in 2016.
“The ASCAP Music Café puts music at the center of a premier movie festival,” adds Hatt.. “It’s a listening room with a hip audience including major players in both the film and music industry.”
Erik Philbrook, ASCAP Vice President and Creative Director recognizes how important this opportunity can be to a musician — whether they are established touring musicians or just starting out. “As an integral program of the Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance ASCAP Music Café is one of the country’s premier showcases for established and emerging singer-songwriters,” says Philbrook. “It celebrates the marriage of music and film and offers filmmakers an excellent opportunity for music discovery.”
Philbrook goes on to count recent NewSong winners among the Music Cafe’s most memorable performers. “We’re excited to discover the next great artist to perform at the 2017 festival,” he says.
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.
Win the 2016 NewSong Music Competition and YOU will get to perform at the Sundance Film Festival’s prestigious ASCAP Music Café
JUST ANNOUNCED: The grand prize winner of this year’s 15th Annual NewSong Music Showcase & Competition will now be featured at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival’s prestigious ASCAP Music Café, following in the tradition of previous #NewSongMusic grand prize winners Max Hatt/Edda Glass, Rachael Kilgour and The Cardinal Sons. Learn More.
“The ASCAP and NewSong Music collaboration continues to deliver some of the Music Cafe’s most memorable performances. We’re excited to discover the next great artist to perform at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.” – Erik Philbrook, ASCAP VP & Creative Director
We are giving you an extra 48 hours to submit your music!
We’re extending the deadline 48 hours for you to get those new songs submitted into this year’s program over the weekend. The new deadline is now this Monday, October 17 at 11:59 PM EDT.
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.
Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your music into the 2016 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. The final deadline for this year’s competition is October 15, 2016 at 11:59pm EST.
KORBY LENKER DISCUSSES CAREER AND LASTING FRIENDSHIPS MADE AT NEWSONG MUSIC COMPETITION
Korby Lenker, performing in the 2014 NewSong finals at New York’s Lincoln Center
Korby Lenker is an accomplished Nashville-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and past NewSong finalist. His music features sounds ranging from folksy, indie-pop songs to hard rock funk tunes, and his albums have garnered him praise from SPIN Magazine and the BBC’s Bob Harris. READ MORE
Watch Videos From Some Of The 2016 NewSong Finalists
Korby Lenker, performing in the 2014 NewSong finals at New York’s Lincoln Center
Korby Lenker is an accomplished Nashville-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and past NewSong finalist who is no stranger to songwriting competitions. His music features sounds ranging from folksy, indie-pop songs to hard rock funk tunes, and his albums have garnered him praise from SPIN Magazine, the BBC’s Bob Harris, as well as opening slots for acts ranging from Willie Nelson to Ray LaMontagne, and Nickel Creek to Keith Urban. Most recently, in September 2016, Lenker took home the first place prize in the esteemed Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter’s Showcase.
Lenker’s undeniable talent as a songwriter, paired with his successes as a short story writer and even filmmaker, assure us that this NewSong finalist is on the road to even bigger and better things. We took some time to talk with Lenker about his experience with NewSong Music, and how the connections he made during the competition impacted his career.
What inspired you to submit your work to NewSong Music Competition?
As a professional touring singer-songwriter, I’m always looking for ways to get my music out there and have it be recognized. I had heard of the NewSong competition from a friend who had entered the year before, so I went for it.
What are some of the networking opportunities that you encountered through NewSong?
The best part of NewSong was the dinner the night before. It was only a couple hours, so we didn’t have a lot of time, but somehow I was able to make several new friends who I have since both toured with and have included on recordings. There were artists like me from all over the country, not just people who were doing it, but people who were GOOD. The dinner the night before made it easy to get to know each other.
Would you recommend that other artists submit to NewSong? Why?
I would recommend any singer songwriter serious about their career to submit to NewSong. It’s fun to play Lincoln Center, and the contest and concert itself was run very efficiently and professionally. It was a few years ago for me, but I still carry fond memories, and have relationships to this day that were forged that weekend in NYC.
Lenker is currently recording his latest album titled, Thousand Springs. To learn more about the upcoming album, as well as keep up to date on performances, visit korbylenker.com.
