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Meet 2019 NewSong finalist Kelly Hoppenjans

Wednesday, November 6th, 2019

NewSong is proud to introduce 2019 finalist Kelly Hoppenjans! The Nashville-based singer-songwriter will join our other finalists onstage at Isis Music Hall on Saturday Nov. 23 for the final competition.

Kelly creates empowering rock, combining the spirit of riot grrrl tinged with folky introspection. Her debut album, OK, I Feel Better Now, has garnered praise from NPR who has this to say about the new release: “Band-Aid Girl’ [off album OK, I Feel Better Now]… is an exhausted, exquisitely solitary dirge about settling into a romance that doesn’t quite work with a partner who isn’t quite emotionally available. The torch in Hoppenjans’ heart is reduced to a mere wisp, and she conveys its final embers with her lovely, plaintive alto.”

We asked Kelly about her musical inspirations, songwriting process and what news she has coming up in the Q&A below. 

 

Connect with Kelly on her website, Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter. For more information on attending this event, please visit our Facebook event page. Buy tickets here. 

 

What are your most significant musical/artistic inspirations?

My biggest musical inspirations of all time are PJ Harvey, Bjork, Radiohead, and Joni Mitchell. Lately, I’ve been into Phoebe Bridgers, Angel Olsen, and Sleater-Kinney. 
 

What is your songwriting process like?

It depends! Sometimes I get a hook that comes to me and gets me started. Other times, an idea, or sometimes a rhyme that I like, inspires a song. But when I sit down to write, I usually grab a guitar and start playing around with chords and singing over them.
 

What was your reaction to being named a NewSong finalist?

I was so floored! It’s such an honor to be able to participate, and I’m excited to get to perform with all the other finalists!
 

What music news would you like to share with readers?

I just released my debut full-length album, OK, I Feel Better Now, on Oct 18 and am going to be touring a lot this year to promote it.
 
For more information on attending this event, please visit our Facebook event page. Buy tickets here. 

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Four questions with 2019 NewSong Competition host, Alli Marshall

Tuesday, November 5th, 2019

NewSong is proud to have Alli Marshall as our host at the 18th Annual NewSong Competition on Saturday Nov. 23 at Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC. Marshall is the longtime Arts editor for Asheville’s local alt-weekly newspaper, the Mountain Xpress. 

We asked Marshall about her favorite songwriters, advice for this year’s batch of finalists and her personal relationship with the growing Asheville music scene. 

 

NewSong: Name three of your all-time favorite songwriters. What do you think it is about their songwriting that grabs your attention?

Alli Marshall: I really don’t have any all-time favorites — I tend to go in phases and am always looking for for new songwriters to be moved and inspired by. That said, those who come quickly to mind are:

• Brittany Howard, who I think is such an important contemporary soul musician. Her writing is deeply poetic and true, but there’s also her sense of musicality and performance — not just what she says but how she says it.
• Taj Mahal has written some of my favorite songs, and whenever I go back to his catalog I’m never disappointed. He exudes deep joy within the idiom of the blues.
• Jeff Markham, who was an Asheville-based singer-songwriter. He was always reconfiguring his band and sound, and he eventually left music to be a full-time chef somewhere in the southwest. But I’m fortunate to have a stash of his records, including some unreleased songs, and I feel them deeply. I wanted to mention Jeff because a musician doesn’t have to “make it” to be connect to a listener.

 

How would you describe your relationship with Asheville music scene? (I’m of course thinking of your role as Arts editor at the Mountain Xpress but also of your personal experience as a music lover living in this ever-changing city.)

One thing I’ve said about Asheville for years is that we, as listeners, are fortunate to be in community with and to have relationships with the folks whose bands we support. Not to downplay the magic of a major show with lights and costumes and whatever, but some of the most special and memorable experience I’ve had with music were when I knew the band and was in a small room and witnessed the moment when the performers and audiences synched up. That gorgeous, golden flow, or giving and receiving. That exchange of energy and co-creation of art … I live for that.

You were also involved in the LEAF NewSong contest this spring. Any advice for this new batch of contestants based off that experience?

Be authentic. Be well-rehearsed, have a plan and play your best songs, but also really be grounded in the room. Take a moment onstage to exhale and get super present. And then remember to introduce your songs! That’s a nice way to connect with the audience, but it also shows professionalism and care for craft.

What is the last album you listened to? 

This week I’ve been going back and forth between Son Little’s new EP, “invisible,” and “It Rains Love” by Lee Fields & The Expressions.

 
In addition to serving as Arts editor at the Mountain Xpress, Alli Marshall is a writer and artist in her own right. Check out Alli’s work on her website. 

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Announcing the 2019 NewSong Music Finalists.

Thursday, October 24th, 2019

Congratulations to the finalists in the 18th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. These eight finalists will network, showcase and compete in the live performance finals in Asheville, North Carolina at Isis Music Hall on Saturday November 23. 

YouTube Playlist of the 2019 NewSong Music Finalists:

 

For more information on attending this event, please visit our Facebook event page. Buy tickets here. 

 

 

Thank you to all who submitted their music this year, and we look forward to meeting our finalists next month! Learn more about each finalist and his or her music in the links below. 

 

Danielle Ponder — Rochester, NY

Danielle Ponder – Rochester, NY

 

 

Grant Maloy Smith — Kingston, RI

Grant Maloy Smith – Kingston, RI

 

Jae Jin — Wolftown, VA

Jae Jin – Wolftown, VA

 

Jobi Riccio — Brookline, MA

Jobi Riccio – Brookline, MA

 

Kelly Hoppenjans — Nashville, TN

Kelly Hoppenjans – Nashville, TN

 

Kyshona — Madison, TN

Kyshona – Madison, TN

 

Nathaniel Bellows — New York, NY

Nathaniel Bellows – New York, NY

 

Parker Ainsworth — Los Angeles, CA

Parker Ainsworth – Joshua Tree, CA 2019 LEAF Festival Competition Winner)

 

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LEAF Winner Parker Ainsworth returns to festival for grand prize performances

Friday, October 11th, 2019

Parker Ainsworth — the LA-based singer-songwriter who took the Grand Prize at NewSong’s 6th Annual LEAF Competition — will return to LEAF Saturday Oct. 19 for two intimate performances.

LEAF-goers can attend Ainsworth’s two sets on Saturday, Oct. 19 at The Barn at 3:15PM and the Jam Tavern at 8:45PM.

“Playing the Barn was such a magical experience,” says Ainsworth of the competition back in May 2019. “An open space full of music-loving folk, braving the elements to hear songs in their rawness. The event felt like it expanded me with the presence of genuine care … it pretty much blasted my heart wide open.”

He adds, “Talking with my fellow contestants reminded me that though this musical life can feel quite lonely at times, ultimately we’re never really alone. In fact, we’re unavoidably all in this together.”

Ainsworth was chosen from over 400 applicants to the LEAF competition and five other finalists. For the full LEAF schedule and lineup, click here. Those without LEAF tickets this year can catch Ainsworth at Isis Music Hall in West Asheville on Thursday Oct. 17. Tickets available here. 

In addition to the paid, featured performances at LEAF, Ainsworth also advances as a finalist in the 18th annual, international NewSong Showcase and Competition, held November 23 at Isis Music Hall in Asheville. The grand-prize winner of that contest will be awarded the opportunity to make a six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville and released on the NewSong Recordings label; and a performance showcase at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival’s coveted ASCAP Music Café.

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Crys Matthews releases new album, “These Old Hands” Oct. 11

Tuesday, October 1st, 2019

NEWSONG MUSIC COMPETITION GRAND PRIZE WINNER CRYS MATTHEWS RELEASES NEW ALBUM ON “NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY,” OCT. 11

 

“THESE OLD HANDS” RECORDED AT ECHO MOUNTAIN STUDIOS WITH NEWSONG RECORDINGS PRODUCER GAR RAGLAND AND RELEASED ON NEWSONG RECORDINGS

 

Pre-order These Old Hands on Bandcamp

Oct 1, 2019 (Asheville, NC) – Virginia-based singer-songwriter Crys Matthews is proud to announce the release of her new album, These Old Hands. The six-track record is slated for release Friday, October 11, 2019, on National Coming Out Day. The date is significant for the queer activist artist whose songwriting frequently draws from social justice themes and love in all its forms.

“This album is a sort of coming out of sorts for me,” explains Matthews. “I’ve been out as a lesbian since I was 18, but this album is one of the few times in my life I’ve actually felt vulnerable. Certainly, it’s the first time I’ve felt so vulnerable with regards to my music. It’s not love songs and hopeful protest songs — there are a lot of hard truths contained in between the lyrics of these songs.”

 

These Old Hands was recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC and produced and mixed by Gar Ragland of NewSong Recordings. Matthews recorded the album as part of her 2017 NewSong Singer Songwriter Competition Grand Prize win. Matthews’s career has continued to thrive since that time, with performances at Sundance Film Festival, The Kennedy Center, and the songwriter’s first national tour in 2019.

Matthews describes her new collection of songs as a breakup album, featuring the songwriter’s signature blend of Americana, folk, jazz and funk punctuated by bold, honest lyrics. “Breakups are like any other type of loss; they’re grief-inducing, and so you can hear that cycle from heart-broken to healing,” she says. “Finding love and losing love are some of the most universally human things that we do.”

Pre-order These Old Hands on Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/These-Old-Hands

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/

For media requests, contact lea@newsong-music.com.

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18th NewSong Music Competition returns to Asheville, NC this November

Wednesday, September 11th, 2019

 

 

NEWSONG MUSIC PRESENTS 18TH ANNUAL, INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE & SONGWRITING COMPETITION IN ASHEVILLE THIS NOVEMBER

 

EIGHT EMERGING ARTISTS FROM ACROSS NORTH AMERICA TO SHOWCASE & COMPETE
 
GRAND PRIZE WINNER RECEIVES AN EP RECORDING PROJECT AT ECHO MOUNTAIN RECORDING STUDIOS, RELEASED ON THE NEWSONG RECORDINGS LABEL
 
COMPETITION HELD AT ISIS MUSIC HALL IN ASHEVILLE, NC, SATURDAY, NOV. 23

 

Aug. 23, 2019 (Asheville, NC) – For the second year in a row, the live performance finals of the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition will be held in Asheville, North Carolina at Isis Music Hall. NewSong Music has been headquartered in Asheville since 2012, but for most of its 18 years, the competition was held at the prestigious Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. After a phenomenal, sold out event last year, NewSong founder, Gar Ragland, has elected to host the competition finals in Asheville indefinitely. 

“The success and reception we received in bringing the competition finals to Asheville for the first time last year truly exceeded our expectations,” says Ragland. “The support we received from the community here for last year’s finals – as evidenced by the sellout event and its deeply appreciative and engaging audience – affirmed for us that our hometown has indeed become one of the country’s best music towns. We’re excited to build upon last year’s momentum, and to continue to contribute to Asheville’s music scene in this way.”

Eight finalists – selected from advance online submissions from across North America and beyond – will come to Asheville to perform, compete and network with one another in the live showcase and competition finals at Isis Music Hall in Asheville on Saturday, November 23. Located in the city’s hip West Asheville neighborhood, Isis Music Hall is one of Asheville’s best sounding and most intimate music venues.

A panel of national music industry judges will select the overall winner of the competition. This year’s grand prize winner will receive a fully funded six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Asheville own Echo Mountain Recording Studios and released on the NewSong Recordings label. The grand prize winner will also receive a performance showcase at the esteemed 2019 Sundance ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival (January 23 – February 2, 2020) in Park City, Utah and a featured performance in the 2020 Arts Brookfield ‘Summer Plaza’ series in New York City. All finalists will be strongly considered for future ‘NewSong Presents’ paid performances across the United States.

NewSong Music is an independent music organization that aims to build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across various genres of music and skill levels, while identifying truly exceptional artists and introducing their music to a broader international audience.

WHAT: NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition Finals

WHERE: Isis Music Hall // 743 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC

WHEN: Saturday Nov. 23, 2019 // 8 pm

TICKETS: $15/$18 

 

2019 NewSong Competition Finalists ANNOUNCED

YouTube Playlist of the 2019 NewSong Music Finalists:

Danielle Ponder — Rochester, NY

Grant Maloy Smith — Kingston, RI

Jae Jin — Wolftown, VA

Jobi Riccio — Brookline, MA

Kelly Hoppenjans — Nashville, TN

Kyshona — Madison, TN

Nathaniel Bellows — New York, NY

 

Spotify Playlist of the 2019 NewSong Music Finalists:

 

About NewSong Music

NewSong Music is an independent artist development company headquartered in Asheville, NC. NewSong’s mission is to build and support a community of performers and songwriters across all genres and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists to introduce their music to a broader, international audience. Its programs include a boutique record label (NewSong Recordings), artist management services, concert production and the annual, international NewSong performance and songwriting competition. Its presenting partners include Arts Brookfield and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, the ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival.

 

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

For media requests, contact Lea McLellan at leamclellan@newsong-music.com.

 

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Maureen Andary puts on her ‘Big Girl Pants’ for new album

Friday, September 6th, 2019

Eleven years after her debut solo album, Washington, D.C.-based songwriter Maureen Andary returned to the studio to record “Big Girl Pants.” Andary is a multi-instrumentalist, blending her stellar vocal harmonies with guitar, ukulele and flute on the recordings. Her new songs range from lighthearted tunes about marriage to heavier subjects, like loss and grief.  

Maureen took a break from recording at Echo Mountain Recording Studios to chat with us about the album, the inspiration behind the name, and her longtime connection with NewSong, which started when she was a finalist in 2008. “Gar has always helped me out,” says Andary. “And the whole contest kind of shaped who I was. So I thought, it’s been 11 years — time to get back to my solo roots. I thought it was perfect to collaborate with Gar to do that.”

 

So tell us about the new album, the inspiration behind it and the story you’re trying to tell. 

Well, the last time I came out with a record was 11 years ago in 2008, and I was 25. All of the songs on that album were about romance, and falling in love, and breaking up because that was what was going on in my life. But now, I’m 36, I’m married, and I have twin daughters that are 14 months. My father also passed away in 2015, which was a really challenging loss.

Losing a parent, getting married, giving birth to twin daughters — it was a lot of change. Now the things that have inspired me in the last six years are the things I’m working on to grow up. 

 

What is it about the name Big Girl Pants that appealed to you? 

It’s called Big Girl Pants because I feel like that’s a kind of brusque euphemism for “grow up,” … Like, “it’s time for me to put on my big girl pants.”  

Every day I have new challenges, and I have to pause and think: what is the adult way to deal with this, rather than just reacting. It’s really about pausing, being intentional, and grappling with challenges like mortality, parenting, marriage. It’s about putting on your big girl pants and moving forward. It’s also about being able to be happy and confident through it all. 

 

How would you describe the songs on the album?

There are songs in here about loss and grief, but there are also songs about choosing to laugh, choosing to move away from fear and towards acceptance. The song “My Intention” is about that. Some of them are silly, like I have a song about marriage called “You Fix Broken Stuff,” and it’s really a trivial look into what our lives are like and the balance that we strike. 

There’s this song “Good Luck,” that I thought was really important for this album because I’m in recovery, and I’ve been sober for 11 years. I have a really great life right now in large part because of [my recovery], but I really can’t take credit. … I just had good luck. Luck is a big factor in people’s lives because it’s scary and you can’t control it, but it’s important to recognize that and have some humility.

 

Gar Ragland is the producer on the album, and you’re recording at Echo Mountain Studios. How did that collaboration come about?

When I was newly sober as a 24 year old, I got a grant from the DC government to finish this album I was working on. … Once I was finished with album, I didn’t know what to do with it. … My mom actually took the album and submitted it to various contests. … She submitted it to NewSong, and I got an email and a phone call from Gar saying that I was an Early Bird Finalist. It was super validating, and most importantly, the contest had a live performance component in Charleston, WV where Mountain Stage is located, and so the plan was to go there and perform.

…

… [My accompanist Sara and I] loved all the other finalists, we jammed with them, and we had a blast. We didn’t win, but we just had a great time, and Gar kept in touch with us. We started a band after that, and we called it Sweater Set … It’s been an amazing project, but what really sparked it all was that weekend getaway at the NewSong contest. 

Over the years, Gar has given us various performance opportunities. I’ve performed at Lincoln Center with NewSong. I’ve performed at Bryant Park, the Performing Arts Center of North Carolina. … Gar has always helped me out, and the whole contest kind of shaped who I was. So I thought, it’s been 11 years — time to get back to my solo roots. I thought it was perfect to collaborate with Gar to do that. 

Learn more about Maureen Andary on her website. 

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NEWSONG ARTIST ROUNDUP: Alexa Rose, Parker Ainsworth & more

Tuesday, August 13th, 2019

There are so many talented artists who are part of the NewSong family — it can sometimes be difficult to keep up! That’s why each week, we compile a list of new releases, shows, and videos from past NewSong artists who we think deserve your attention. 

 

Parker Ainsworth— “Running for So Long (House A Home)” ft. in indie film The Peanut Butter Falcon

2018 LEAF winner, Parker Ainsworth, performs the lead single from the motion picture The Peanut Butter Falcon, starring Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson and Zack Gottsagen. In theaters this August. 

From producer Butch Walker: ““When my good friend Tyler Nilson told me about The Peanut Butter Falcon, and played me the song his friend Parker Ainsworth co-wrote for the film, ‘Running For So Long (House a Home)’, I was very excited and couldn’t wait to start recording. I suggested to bring Paris Jackson on board for some accompaniment – she has been a family friend for many years and she had just recently done some backing vocals on a record of my own. Everyone involved thought that she was perfect for the song and her vocals gave it a very special note, just like I feel the movie is.”

 

Wilder Adkins— “Forever Yours” from new album, In This Pilgrim Way

Wilder Adkins, 2016 NewSong Grand Prize Winner, recently released a lovely new album titled, In This Pilgrim Way. We love the video, and we hope you give the album a listen on your preferred music platform. Vinyl records are available via the artist’s bandcamp page. 

From Adkins: “I actually started working on this album after losing my job right before getting married. I was feeling pretty down and frustrated, made all the worse by being in a time of transition and stress. I began making plans to record some of these old three-quarter hymns of comfort as a way of ministering to myself, but also sharing it with other who might need comforting. I’m already looking ahead to so many projects, but I’m glad to finally be able to put this album out into the world. Hopefully it will be a comfort to those who need it.” 

 

Alexa Rose— Title track for album Medicine for Living out now

From Alexa Rose via Wide Open Country: “This song is about a love that is failing and that moment when something is about to come to an end. That moment should still be appreciated and enjoyed because it’s still part of love,” Rose says in a press release. “I was trying to reason with myself about something that I had no control over. Medicine for Living is about realizing that all we can do is be loving and reach for love and that in itself can be healing.”

The artist has a show with fellow NewSong LEAF alum My One & Only at Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC Sunday Aug. 18. 

 

Alex Wong— forthcoming solo album to be released on Tone Tree music label

Alex Wong, a 2018 NewSong Competition finalist, recently announced plans to release his next solo album with the Nashville-based label, Tone Tree. The first single from the album, “Show Yourself,” comes out this Friday, August 16. Find it on your favorite music platform and follow Alex Wong on Instagram (@alexwongsounds) for updates. 

 

Submissions for 2019 NewSong Singer Songwriting Competition are open! 

 

This year’s grand prize winner will receive an all-expense paid six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios and released on the NewSong Recordings label. 

The grand prize winner will also receive a performance showcase at the esteemed 2019 ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival (January 23 – February 3, 2020) in Park City, Utah, and a be booked for a paid, featured main stage performance at this summer’s Arts Brookfield Summer Plaza Series in New York City.

Submit your music here.

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NewSong Artist Roundup: Mel Bryant, My One & Only, and more

Tuesday, July 16th, 2019

There are so many talented artists who are part of the NewSong family — it can sometimes be difficult to keep up! That’s why each week, we compile a list of new releases, shows, and videos from past NewSong artists who we think deserve your attention. 

Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers— FREE shows in NYC

2018 NewSong Grand Prize Winner, Mel Bryant, is returning to her New York City roots with a four-show run this summer. Mel and her Nashville-based, indie rock band will play at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse on July 27; Grace Plaza on July 31, a SoFar Sounds show on July 31; and Brookfield Place on August 1. All performances are free to the public. Learn more about Mel Bryant and the Mercy Makers on the band’s website. 

 

Suzie Brown — ‘Under the Surface’ Tour

Suzie Brown, Nashville-based songwriter and finalist in our 2018 competition, will be on tour this summer supporting her new album, Under the Surface. Parade Magazine calls the album an “honest record that finds her fronting a full-sized band, with layers of Telecaster twang, Southern soul and swirling keyboards.” For full list of tour dates and locations, check out Suzie’s website. 

 

Slowpacker — Summer Tour

Slowpacker — the stage name of Asheville, NC-based musician Jack Victor — will be touring this summer across the Southeast, plus two shows in New York City. His Aug. 15 show in NYC at Brookfield Place is part of NewSong Music’s free summer concert series.

“Songs are made from starts and stops, periods of fullness followed by periods of emptiness,” says Victor. “I’ve been around this cycle many times in the last few years. Each time, there is one song that is the inspiration for many others to come. This initial song becomes like a mission statement – a set of ideals and values – to expand upon.” Learn more about Slowpacker at slowpacker.bandcamp.com

 

My One & Only — August Shows

Americana duo and past NewSong LEAF finalists My One & Only are on the road this August. The Nashville-based band will team up with fellow LEAF finalist Alexa Rose for a show in Asheville, NC on August 18. Kassie and Benjamin meld old-school country, singer-songwriter, and alternative folk-rock into a sound that can only be described as “Southern-Soul and Curious-Grit.” Learn more about the band on My One & Only’s website. 

 

Submissions for 2019 NewSong Singer Songwriting Competition are open! 

This year’s grand prize winner will receive an all-expense paid six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios and released on the NewSong Recordings label. 

The grand prize winner will also receive a performance showcase at the esteemed 2019 ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival (January 23 – February 3, 2020) in Park City, Utah, and a be booked for a paid, featured main stage performance at this summer’s Arts Brookfield Summer Plaza Series in New York City.

Submit your music here.

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‘Come Together’ Summer Concert Series begins July 10

Tuesday, July 9th, 2019

NewSong Music & Arts Brookfield present

‘Come Together’ Summer Concert Series

Arts Brookfield and NewSong Music are proud to announce the New York City summer outdoor concert series ‘Come Together: New original music inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ last studio album, Abbey Road.’ The series is presented by Arts Brookfield and curated by NewSong Music.

‘Come Together’ features four free outdoor lunchtime concerts taking place every Wednesday, July 10-31 in and select Thursdays in July and August at Brookfield Place. Each Wednesday concert begins at 12:30 PM at One New York Plaza, located at 1 New York Plaza in New York City’s Financial District. Each Thursday night concert takes place 7-8:30 PM at Brookfield Place in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Manhattan. The lineup features some of North America’s most talented performing songwriters, and represents an eclectic array of styles and genres.

Come Together: Summer Music Series 

July 10: Kaiti Jones @ 1 NY Plaza
July 17: Crys Matthews @ 1 NY Plaza
July 18: Crys Matthews @ Brookfield Place 
July 24: Suzie Brown @ 1 NY Plaza
July 31: Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers @ 1 NY Plaza
Aug. 1: Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers @ Brookfield Place
Aug. 15: Slow Packer & For Def @ Brookfield Place 

All of the performers featured in the ‘Come Together’ series are members of the NewSong artist community:

Kaiti Jones (7/10 @ 1 NY Plaza)
(2018 NewSong Music Finalist)

A native of Portland, Maine, Kaiti Jones spent four years in Nashville, forming her sound in the backyard of Bob Dylan’s ballads and Flannery O’Connor’s southern gothic storytelling before returning north. Jones’ voice is simultaneously earthy and ethereal, carrying the listener a few feet off the ground on a cloud of rich, sophisticated melodies while whispering truth and contemplating the human condition through good old-fashioned storytelling.
kaitijonesmusic.com

 

Crys Matthews  (7/17 @ 1 NY Plaza & 7/18 at Brookfield Place)
(2017 NewSong Music Grand Prize Winner)

A southeastern North Carolina native who now calls Herndon, Virginia home, Crys Matthews blends Americana, folk, jazz, blues, bluegrass and funk into a bold, complex performance steeped in traditional melodies and punctuated by honest, original lyrics. Having been compared to everyone from Toshi Reagon to Tracy Chapman to Ruthie Foster, Matthews’ eclectic infusion of genres won her the grand prize in 2017 of the international NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition finals at New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
www.crysmatthews.com

Suzie Brown  (7/24 @ 1 NY Plaza)
(2018 NewSong Finalist)

A 1970s-inspired folk-pop songwriter, Suzie Brown has chased her unique muse for a decade, making modern-day roots music that nods to the soul singers, heartland rockers, and blues artists who came before her. Gluing the sound together is the unforced voice and honest, autobiographical songwriting of a Renaissance woman who’s not only an acclaimed musician, but also a part-time cardiologist and full-time mother. She dives into her personal life and subjects such as mortality, money, and motherhood on her sixth album, Under the Surface, which includes songs that have been named as finalists in the NewSong Music Competition, the Great American Songwriting Competition, and the International Acoustic Music Awards. www.suziebrownsongs.com.
 

Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers  (7/31 @ 1 NY Plaza & 8/1 @ Brookfield Place)
(2018 NewSong Music Grand Prize Winner)

Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers are a Nashville based indie rock band comprised of lovers and friends. Led by bassist and songwriter Mel Bryant, their screaming guitars are met with a unique feminine energy that is equal parts powerful and sensitive, groovy and grungy, memorable and true. Mel uses the gift of rock music to promote thoughtfulness, respect, justice and love throughout the human community. 
www.melbryantmusic.com

Slow Packer & For Def  (8/15 @ Brookfield Place)

Slow Packer is a musical project formed by songwriter and producer, Jack Victor. The project also includes collaborations with several other singers and instrumentalists. After the break-up of his band Midnight Snack in 2017, Victor continued to write songs and make recordings. In 2019 he decided to adopt the moniker Slow Packer to release this new music. A quote from Slow Packer: “Songs are made from starts and stops, periods of fullness followed by periods of emptiness. I’ve been around this cycle many times in the last few years. Each time, there is one song that is the inspiration for many others to come. This initial song becomes like a mission statement – a set of ideals and values – to expand upon.”

For Def is the “for fun” band of Jack, Maddie, and Mike of Slow Packer. It started as a weekly jam and has turned into a “real band” because they are working on a tape now. So far, a lot of the music has been improvised live but For Def is currently working towards through-composed tunes that are low-key contemplative and emotional and only go high-key a few times. Overall, you will probably think “nice, this is actually pretty chill. I could listen to this on a pleasant drive, maybe on the way to a hike or something like that.” There is electric guitar (Maddie), bass (Mike), drum set (Jack), and sometimes – on the demos they are working on – there is a lush synth pad in there too.

slowpacker.bandcamp.com.

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About Arts Brookfield

Arts Brookfield presents exciting, world-class cultural experiences to thousands of people for free each year in both indoor and outdoor public spaces at Brookfield’s premier buildings in Denver, New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Toronto, Perth and Sydney. From concerts, theater and dance to film screenings and art exhibitions, Arts Brookfield brings public spaces to life through art.
ArtsBrookfield.com

 

About NewSong Music

NewSong Music is an independent artist development and music production company headquartered at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios. NewSong’s mission is to build and support a community of performers and songwriters across all genres and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists to introduce their music to a broader, international audience. Its programs include a record label (NewSong Recordings), artist management services, concert production and the annual, international NewSong performance and songwriting competition.
newsong-music.com

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