Posts Tagged ‘NewSong Recordings’

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NewSong Recordings Spotlight: Kelly English’s ‘City Limits’

Monday, June 24th, 2019
This week, we are checking in with up-and-coming songwriter Kelly English, who recorded her debut album, City Limits, with NewSong Recordings in 2017. We first met Kelly when she was a finalist in the NewSong competition in 2015, where she impressed judges with her strong vocals and intimate lyrics. NewSong Recordings is proud to release her sophomore album, The Savannah Theory, coming soon. 
 

 

What does your first album represent for you?

City Limits represents the passage from being a young songwriter, to finally finding my own original sound and sharing it with people. That album gave me confidence, as well as a renewed hunger to keep writing music. City Limits was also special to me because I got to work with Gar Ragland at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC. The process of working with Gar, and getting to release my album through NewSong Music, has been incredibly rewarding.
 

What can you tell us about the new album coming out?

My new upcoming album is called The Savanna Theory. I was lucky enough to get to work with Gar Ragland again on this project. The Savanna Theory takes a harder, darker look at the emotions associated with the aftermath of a relationship and the prospect of moving forward. The album has a dark, moody indie/folk sound. I used a lot of electric guitar on this album, which I was really excited to explore. I brought my Fender Jazzmaster down to Asheville, and Gar and I were able to create some really cool, new sounds for this record.
 

How do you feel like you have grown or changed as a musician since City Limits was released?

One way I have grown as a musician is in finding my own unique point of view and trusting it. City Limits is a really accurate snapshot of my life and my emotions at that time. I have continued to grow in that direction and draw from my own experiences. Releasing City Limits also gave me the confidence to be bold and original in my songwriting. It gave me the drive to continue refining and improving my songwriting craft.
 

What news do you have to share?

Since releasing City Limits, I have been performing around the CT tri-state area. I have been getting a great response to my original music, especially songs from the record. 
 
This past May, I competed as finalist in a songwriting contest based out of Cape Cod, MA called the Eventide Songwriting Competition, in which I took home first prize in the singer/songwriter category for my song “Selfish Like You.” It was a real honor to get to perform alongside other talented musicians, and to be recognized for my music. Meghan Trainor is a past winner of the competition.
 
I have some great festival gigs coming up this summer, including the Glastonbury Apple Harvest and Music Festival, as well as the Rose Arts Music Festival in Norwich, CT. I will also be performing at the free music event “Audio Feed” Live on Constitution Plaza in Hartford, CT this July.
 
To learn more about Kelly English and her music, visit the artist’s bandcamp page, and follow her Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. 

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NewSong artists featured in No Depression’s annual year-end readers poll

Saturday, December 8th, 2018

No Depression’s annual year-end readers poll is now open for voting, and this year’s list includes a handful of albums from some of our favorite NewSong artists, past and present, with two releases from our own NewSong Recordings label:

Rough & Ready Heart from BLUE YONDER: Acoustic Honky-Tonk Music (NSR 1801)

 

Don’t Apologize (EP) from Beth Snapp (NSR 1802)

 

Idaho from DAVID ROBERT KING (2017 NewSong Music Competition finalist)

 

White Tiger from Ana Egge (2007 NewSong Music Competition finalist)

Lots of great releases featured in this poll, so head over to nodepression.com and cast a vote for your favorites!

From No Depression: 

1) Select up to 10 albums from the list by clicking the checkboxes. (You don’t need to rank your picks.)
2) Choose carefully! Only one ballot per person is allowed.
3) When you’re finished, be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the ballot and click SUBMIT.

Please submit your ballot by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018. We’ll report the results at nodepression.com soon after the polling closes, so stay tuned!

*** Click here to take the 2018 No Depression Year-End Readers Poll ***

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Watch & Listen: Rachael Kilgour’s “Holy Are We” single out TODAY

Friday, November 16th, 2018

 

“Like all good storytellers, her words draw complete attention from its listener—making them eagerly grasp at lyrics to come, and hang on to and cherish what’s already past.” –WXPN The Key

 

Singer/Songwriter Rachael Kilgour To Release Game Changer Five-Song EP February 1 on NewSong Recordings

First Single/Video “Holy Are We” Out Today

Watch/Share: “Holy Are We”

Tour Dates Confirmed

Hailed as “a heartfelt slice of master crafted indie folk” (Billboard), Minnesota-born, Boston-based singer/songwriter Rachael Kilgour, will release Game Changer, a five-song EP February 1, 2019, on NewSong Recordings. Now available for pre-order, the first single and video, “Holy Are We” was released today.

Recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC, produced and mixed by Gar Ragland, engineered by Grammy winner Julian Dreyer, and featuring carefully woven string arrangements by Sara Pajunen, Game Changer charts common ground that Kilgour and her listeners have come to share.

Following the success of her 2017 release, Rabbit in the Road, the new EP examines the artist’s first tentative steps into a more hopeful, post-heartbreak existence. With a clear head, Kilgour touches on the complicated nature of romance and relationship, sets up a stunning defense of queer love, and reassesses her priorities as a citizen of a changing wider world.

“There’s a school of thought that songwriters should work to be more inclusive of the audience,” Kilgour muses. “But I’ve come to feel that the more detail I can bring into a song, the more personal aspects there are, the more listeners can find themselves inside of it. The universality is in the emotion beneath the detail.”

The 2015 grand prize winner of the international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition and winner of the 2017 Kerrville New Folk Contest, Kilgour has been featured at NYC’s Lincoln Center, at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and by the ASCAP Music Cafe at the Sundance Film Festival. She has released four previous recordings Self-Titled (2008), Will You Marry Me? (2011), Whistleblower’s Manifesto (2013) and Rabbit in the Road (2017).

 

RACHAEL KILGOUR TOUR DATES


Sat, Nov 17 @ 7:30PM Voices in the Heights

Rachael Kilgour, Belle-Skinner, Robinson Treacher

119 Pierrepont Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11201



Sat, Nov 24 @ 7:00PM Rockwood 3

Rachael Kilgour and Crys Matthews

185 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002



Sun, Nov 25 @ 6:30PM East Rock Concert Series

Rachael Kilgour and Crys Matthews

285 Nicoll St, New Haven, Connecticut 06511

 

Wed, Nov 28 @ 8:00PM Garnet Rogers at OLS w/Rachael Kilgour,

181 State St, Portland, ME 04101

 

Thu, Nov 29 @ 7:00PM Garnet Rogers at Red & Shorty’s w/Rachael Kilgour

4 Paul Street, Dover, NH 03820

 

Sat, Dec 1 @ 8:00PM Rachael Kilgour at Possum Hollow

BeJae Fleming opens

Saint Paris, OH

 

Fri, Dec 7 @ 8:00PM The Warming House

Rachael Kilgour and Scott Cook

4001 Bryant Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409

 

Sat, Jan 5, 2019 @ 7:00PM The Roots Cellar

1219 University Ave SE

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Crys Matthews, David Robert King release single inspired by family separation along U.S. southern border

Friday, October 19th, 2018

NEWSONG MUSIC COMPETITION GRAND PRIZE WINNER CRYS MATTHEWS AND RUNNER-UP DAVID ROBERT KING COLLABORATE TO WRITE AND RECORD NEW SINGLE.

“HAVE MERCY” INSPIRED BY FAMILY SEPARATION ALONG U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER.

 

PROCEEDS OF SALE TO BENEFIT RAICES, the largest immigration legal services provider in Texas.

 

October 19, 2018 (Asheville, NC) – Atlanta-based singer-songwriter and longstanding guitarist for Mary Gauthier, David Robert King, and Virginia-based singer-songwriter Crys Matthews are proud to announce a new collaboration, “Have Mercy.” The single is slated for release Friday, October 19.

“Have Mercy” was recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC and produced by Gar Ragland of NewSong Recordings. King and Matthews met as finalists last year in the esteemed NewSong Music Competition at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, where Matthews took the Grand Prize, and King was her runner-up. The songwriters kept in touch, and, less than a year later, they found themselves in Asheville, NC, recording the co-written single.

“I woke up one morning with the first verse running through my head,” says King, whose voice and songwriting style bears frequent comparisons to the likes of Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen. “I had been digesting the 24-hour news cycle for too many days in a row and was crushed, specifically by the separation of families along our southern border.”

King is coming off a successful year of making music. His 2017 album, Idaho, was produced by Darryl Neudorf (Neko Case, The New Pornographers, Sarah McLachlan). No Depression has praised the musician, calling Idaho “good for the soul,” full of “folk-drenched songs of the world class order.” King recently performed at the 30A Songwriters Festival, alongside Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Mary Gauthier, and others. He has collaborated with Emily Saliers of The Indigo Girls, Jonathan Brooke and others, which had led to a top 40 song on folk and roots radio, wide critical acclaim, and a featured spot at AMERICANAFEST 2017.

Earlier in the summer, King reached out Ragland, who also produces and co-founded the NewSong Competition, to tell him about the co-write. “David sent me a rough demo of the song,” says Ragland. “I was deeply moved … not just by the song but also the spirit of the collaboration that went into it. After just one listen, I insisted that the three of us get together here in Asheville to record it at Echo Mountain.”

The production is spare, relying on the power of the duo’s enchanting harmonies, acoustic guitar, and the emotional weight of their lyrics. While “Have Mercy” has elements of a classic protest song, is also contains a gentleness and optimism that transcends the merely political. King felt there was an “inherent hope” in the song and immediately thought of a collaboration with Matthews, whom he had met through the NewSong community. “I knew her voice and perspective would take the song where it needed to go,” he says.

Matthews’s career has taken a big step forward since winning last year’s NewSong Music Competition, with recent performances at the Sundance Film Festival and D.C.’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “My mom, who is a preacher, talks to me all the time about how hard she is praying for our country these days with all of the turmoil and despair that seems to be running rampant,” says Matthews. “The song to me just feels like that prayer.”

 

Watch the video “Have Mercy” 

For up-to-date information on David Robert King, visit davidrobertking.com/

For up-to-date information on Crys Matthews, visit crysmatthews.com/

For more information about NewSong Recordings and the NewSong Music Competition, visit newsong-music.com/

To learn more about RAICES, the largest immigration legal services provider in Texas, visit www.raicestexas.org.

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Crys Matthews records grand prize EP at Echo Mountain Recording Studios

Monday, July 30th, 2018
 

Crys Matthews was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2017 NewSong Music Competition. She spent time in Asheville this July recording her grand prize EP with producer Gar Ragland at Echo Mountain Recording Studios.

 

NewSong Music is delighted to have 2017 Grand Prize Winner Crys Matthews in the studio this week, recording her EP, These Old Hands. 

Matthews credits her NewSong win with launching her music career in the right direction. “Since that night, I’ve been on an incredible trajectory,” she says. “I have been able to play some of the most amazing venues in the country, meet some of the most amazing people, and rub elbows with some of the greats like Michael Franti and Keb Mo.”
 
Of her new EP with NewSong Recordings, These Old Hands, Matthews says, “It’s a complete departure from my last two projects and has more of an angsty Joan Armatrading feel to it. I’m so looking forward to sharing these songs — especially with my fans who always want to hear some sad songs.” 
 
“It’s such a pleasure to be working with Crys on this new collection of beautiful songs,” says Ragland, who is producing and mixing the project. “It’s a bit of a departure from her previous recorded work, and pushes the envelope in both exciting and musical ways. The whole team is excited for its upcoming release.”
 

More about Crys Matthews

Crys Matthews is nothing if not ambitious. In August 2017, she simultaneously released both a new full-length album, The Imagineers and an EP, Battle Hymn For An Army Of Lovers. These collections showcase two sides of Matthews’ dynamic songwriting; The Imagineers is a selection of thoughtful songs about love and life while Battle Hymn For An Army Of Lovers tackles social justice themes. Songs from both projects have already won her recognition and awards. She was one of ten finalists (from a pool of 5,000) in this year’s NewSong Music Competition and, after performing at Lincoln Center on November 30th, she was named grand-prize winner. Matthews also won the People Music Network’s Social Justice Songs contest at the 2017 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance.

We hope you will follow along with Crys Matthew’s growing music career and check out her releases on Spotify and iTunes! For updates and show schedule, visit her website. 

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Five Questions with Blue Yonder on the band’s new full-length album ‘Rough and Ready Heart’

Friday, June 8th, 2018

 

Blue Yonder’s ‘Rough and Ready Heart’ is out June 9, 2018.

 

Charleston, West Virginia-based trio Blue Yonder—John Lilly (vocals/songwriter, rhythm guitar), Robert Shafer (electric guitar), and Will Carter (acoustic bass, harmony vocals)—are set to release their second full-length album, Rough and Ready Heart, on NewSong Recordings June 8.

The album, which is comprised of 12 original songs, offers a range of Americana—honky-tonk to swing, rockabilly to bluegrass. Carter says the band strove to record songs that called on the “unifying power of country, folk, blues, and swing music, to speak honestly about many of the trials and triumphs that give life meaning.”

The West Virginia band has shows scheduled up and down the east coast, from Asheville, NC to Nova Scotia. “As a band that has honed it sound close to home, we’re looking forward to finally bringing our sound to new audiences over the next several months,” says Carter.

We spoke with bassist Will Carter to learn more about the band, the new album, and the inspiration behind it. 

1. How would you describe your sound on this new album? Is there a story behind the name, Rough and Ready Heart?

The recording tells a series of stories about living, losing, and loving along life’s back road highways, set to a broad array of Americana musical traditions — country, folk, blues, and swing. Though the most of the characters featured in these stories are dealing with more trials than triumphs, the toe-tapping music and thoughtful lyrics convey more of a sense of dignity than despair, and an openness to future positive possibilities. “Rough & Ready Heart” is the song that speaks most explicitly to that get-back-on-the-horse again spirit of engaging with whatever life throws at the characters featured in our songs.

2. Could you speak to your experience recording the album at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC?

Having a great team made it a wonderful experience. It all started with our producer Gar, who did everything from help us choose the songs to coordinate the studio sessions to arrange for lodging. And it was so helpful having Clay work the board — he had an great combination of technical proficiency and easy-going laid back, eager-to-please mood. Having Tony Creasman on drums in the studio, who has played with so many big names in Nashville over the years, was such a treat — a really nice guy, and probably the best drummer I will ever have the privilege to play with. And, of course, working with Russ Hicks is amazing — we cover a lot of stylistic ground on the recording and he nailed every piece. It’s easy to understand why he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame back in 2011.

 

Could you share a bit of the band’s history? How did you find one another? How long have you been playing together?

After decades playing and producing primarily instrumental music (bluegrass, old time, celtic, and jazz), I started appreciating great songwriting around the time John Lilly a touring singer-songwriter who had landed in the same town I did, won a couple of national songwriting awards. I noticed that John tended to play solo, so in 2012 offered to join John on bass for some shows.  When that went well, I suggested that we invite another national award-winning local musician, guitarist Robert Shafer, to join us for some gigs. When Mountain Stage host Larry Groce heard the group was playing together, he quickly booked the band for a Mountain Stage performance in early 2013 and was generous enough to offer a complimentary introduction featured on the band’s debut Bittersweet Road recording later that year — recorded in Robert’s living room. To prepare for that first Mountain Stage show, Blue Yonder hosted a couple months of weekly shows at Bluegrass Kitchen, a local Charleston restaurant. Five years later, Blue Yonder still plays every Tuesday night at Bluegrass Kitchen, and chose to dedicate their second recording to the people and scene that has become such an important part of the band’s life.

4. Are there any particular songs you are especially excited about?

We’re mostly excited about the whole package. It brings together a range of emotions, experiences, and musical sensibilities into a coherent whole that features the diverse but complimentary musical traditions of singer-songwriter John Lilly, hot-shot guitar player Robert Shafer, and a contra dance band bass player [Will Carter]. Based on early responses, it seems that “Rough & Ready Heart,” “Windswept,” “Jeannie,” and “You Can’t Get There From Here” are going to be especially appreciated by listeners, but “Standing by the Side of the Road” and “Lost In Yesterday” probably capture best the combination of road trip and heartache that informs so much of Americana music.

5. What do you want fans to know about this release?

That it shows how three middle age white guys with diverse backgrounds can combine to tell meaningful stories that people of all ages and backgrounds can relate to, thanks in part to the unifying power of country, folk, blues, and swing music, to speak honestly about many of the trials and triumphs that give life meaning.

 

BLUE YONDER TOUR DATES

July 6 – Isis Restaurant & Music Hall – Asheville, NC

July 13 – Red Wings Roots Festival – Mount Solon, VA

August 8 – Davis Park – Charleston, WV

August 11 – Myles Center for the Arts – Elkins, WV

August 16 – Queen’s Place Emera Centre – Liverpool, Nova Scotia

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Billboard premieres heartwrenching single ‘Deep Bruises’ from Rachael Kilgour’s forthcoming album Rabbit in the Road

Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

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Billboard premieres heartwrenching single ‘Deep Bruises’ from Rachael Kilgour’s forthcoming album Rabbit in the Road

“[the track is] a heartfelt slice of master crafted indie folk brimming with the battle-tested capacity to endure the worst in others.” – Billboard
 
ANNOUNCES UPCOMING WINTER & SPRING TOUR DATES

RABBIT IN THE ROAD OUT 3/3/2017 VIA NEWSONG RECORDINGS

 

AUDIO: “Deep Bruises”/Soundcloud + Billboard (available for posting)

Rachael Kilgour is a Minnesota-based songwriter and performing artist whose sincere, lyric-driven work has been called both brave and humane. The 2015 grand prize winner of the international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, Kilgour has been featured at NYC’s Lincoln Center and by the ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival. She was also a finalist in the 2015 Telluride Troubadour Contest. A versatile performer, Kilgour has shared stages with the likes of indie artists Haley Bonar & Jeremy Messersmith as well as folk legends Greg Brown, Cheryl Wheeler & Catie Curtis.

Kilgour married in her early twenties and devoted the rest of the decade to parenting her stepchild and building family and community. Her work from that time (Self-Titled 2008, Will You Marry Me? 2011, Whistleblower’s Manifesto 2013) chronicled her life as a young parent in a same-sex partnership and addressed sociopolitical issues from government corruption to income inequality to religious hypocrisy. Kilgour’s music career took a backseat during those years as she lived a slow, home-focused life.

In 2014, divorce brought an unwanted and excruciating end to her role as a member of her family. The sudden shift left her deep in grief. Kilgour spent many months processing with friends, family, and therapists and found solace in songwriting. Kilgour’s forthcoming album, Rabbit in the Road, was born out of that time: the love, loss, betrayal, disorientation and the profound sense of resilience that followed.

“While I have always felt a strong pull to address social injustices from the stage, this new collection of work requires something new of me,” Kilgour shared. “I feel called to use my platform to address emotion and grief and forgiveness in a way that is not often done in our culture.”

Though the album was instigated by a particular event in her life, each track explores a different aspect of Kilgour’s emotional journey. “I was taught from a young age that a person’s hurtful behavior is almost always a sign of inner pain and not a reflection of your self-worth. The second track on the album, ‘Deep Bruises’, was my attempt to put that belief into practice under the most difficult circumstances.”

Later, in “Ready Freddie”, Kilgour professes an unyielding confidence in her step-daughter as she steps into adolescence. In the title track, Kilgour examines the dualities of forgiveness. As is true of the album in its entirety, the detailed examination of Kilgour’s relationships and emotions is surprisingly universal:

“With your hands around his neck, You spared his misery, How swift you gave that rabbit, What you couldn’t give to me”

Rabbit in the Road, due out March 3rd, 2017 on NewSong Recordings, was co-produced by Catie Curtis, Gar Ragland and Crit Harmon, who engineered the album. The album was mixed by Gar Ragland at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC. The album takes an intimate and often painful look at the failed marriage and loss of family. Kilgour’s writing and delivery cut deep, with resolute simplicity. Sorrow, rage, resilience and compassion exist side by side within a series of honest and memorable melodies. The collection of work stands tall on a foundation of vulnerability and opens the door to moments of profound connection.

Today, the heartwrenching first track from the record, “Deep Bruises,” has premiered at Billboard, who say, “[the track is ] a heartfelt slice of master crafted indie folk brimming with the battle-tested capacity to endure the worst in others.. When Kilgour sings ‘No one’s predictable as you,’ there’s a steadfast confidence to her voice, which lingers around the guitar and keystrokes like smoke above a dying fire. There’s hints of Stevie Nicks and Neko Case in her pensive, almost rustic vocals, which do great justice to the song’s solemn mood.”

Rabbit in the Road is set for release 3/3/17 via NewSong Recordings, preorder available here.

***
Upcoming Rachael Kilgour dates:
2/4 @ Eat My Words Bookstore, Minneapolis, MN
2/10 @ House Concert, Hibbing, MN
2/11 @ Prairie Wind, Windom, MN
2/17 @ House Concert, Eagan, MN
2/18 @ House Concert, Minneapolis, MN
2/24 @ Uncommon Ground, Chicago, Ill.
2/25 @ The Broad Museum, Lansing, MI
2/25 @ The Pumphouse, Lansing, MI
3/3 @ The Park Theater, Hayward, WI.
3/4 @ Crescendo Madison, WI. with Josh Harty
3/11 @ House Concert, Cedar Rapids, IA
3/12 @ Des Moines Social Club, Des Monies, IA
3/22 @ Glensheen Mansion Unplugged Series, Duluth, MN
3/23 @ Root Note, La Crosse, WI
4/1 @ Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN with Lucy Kaplansky
4/23 @ Jubilee House Concert, Duluth, MN
May 6 @ Circle of Friends Coffee House, Franklin, MA. with Catie Curtis
May 11 @ Light Club Lamp Shop, Burlington, VT.
May 18 @ One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME w/ Connor Garvey and Caroline Spence
May 20 @ Burghsong Concert Series, Pittsburgh, PA

***

Rachael Kilgour
Rabbit in the Road
Out 3/3/2017 via NewSong Recordings

Tracklisting:
You’re Through
Deep Bruises
Ready Freddie
Up From Down
Still My Wife
Don’t Need Anyone
Rabbit in the Road
Mama
Hit by a Bus
I Pray
Break Wide Open

 

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Publicist: Amanda Dissinger, Terrorbird 
Radio: Shannon Kurlander, Terrorbird
Licensing: Scott Cresto, Music Alternatives

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2016 NewSong grand prize winner Wilder Adkins releases peace anthem “Side By Side” on MLK Jr. Day

Monday, January 16th, 2017

SideBySide-WilderAdkins-NewSongMusic.jpg

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 Adkins15698210_881465828570_6907624843770016758_n 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.

Adkins is the grand prize winner of the 2016 international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition.

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Three Questions with 2016 Finalist Brad Cole

Wednesday, November 9th, 2016

BradCole

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.

To learn more about Brad Cole, visit bradcolemusic.com and follow Brad Cole Music on Facebook and Instagram.

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For Your Grammy Consideration: “Ocean of Birds” by Max Hatt/Edda Glass

Tuesday, October 25th, 2016

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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)

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