Posts Tagged ‘newsong’

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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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Meet 2018 NewSong Competition Finalist: Liz Frame

Tuesday, December 4th, 2018

(From the artist’s bio): Boston-based singer/songwriter Liz Frame has been performing her own brand of Americana music since her early teens. She is backed live by her band, the Kickers — John Webb on lead guitars, Sean Hennessy on bass and Pete Whitehead on drums — a group of talented friends whose raw sound and sweet harmonies help to deliver her material with distinction. A prodigious writer, Ms. Frame released her first full-length recording, “Sooner,” in 2011 that drew strong praise and consistent airplay, followed by the EP, Justine. She and the band have spent the last five years on the road and are out there again this year, in support of their brand new full-length record, Sparrow in a Shoebox.

Her voice bears likeness to Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt, and her writing is influenced by veterans like Dolly Parton and Lucinda Williams, among others.

We asked Liz some questions about her songwriting process and what it means to be a NewSong finalist. To purchase tickets for the Dec. 15 event at Isis Music Hall, visit our ticketing page. 

What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? 

Being chosen as a finalist is such an honor! It means I get to meet other like-minded artists who take the craft of songwriting as seriously as I do. And it validates my own efforts, which is always nice. So many of us practice our craft in complete anonymity, so to be recognized like this is very special and much appreciated!
 

What is your songwriting process like?

I make time to write whenever I can, and go into my living room to do so. I sit with my guitar, and I just start strumming. Sometimes I work with a preexisting idea, sometimes not. Oftentimes I’ll have a word or two to work with, usually the title of the song, that gets me going. That was the case with “Sparrow in a Shoebox.” I started with the word “shoebox” and went from there! Songwriting is such a mysterious and satisfying process. I love it!
 

What important news about your music do you have coming up? 

We are busy promoting our new album, Sparrow in a Shoebox, and that it’s getting airplay around the country!

 

Listen to Liz Frame on Soundcloud and Spotify. Watch on YouTube. 
Follow Liz Frame on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  
 

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Meet 2018 NewSong Competition finalist: Carly Taich

Monday, December 3rd, 2018

Photo credit: Shonie Joy Kuykendall

 

(From the artist’s bio): North Carolina-based musician, Carly Taich, is tough to pin down. Just when you think you’ve got her figured out, she takes off in a new direction with her hand out-stretched, waving for you to follow. She may be quick but she’d never leave you behind. This patient yet resolute nature has been revealed, like most innovative things, to be a strength for the seraphic songwriter. She holds a magnifying glass to her own soul before turning it on others. She has an unexpected, laissez-faire way of tackling the human experience, then holding it with humor and grace as if to always be secretly saying to her audience, “You are not alone.” 

Inspired by alternative-pop egos from the Andrew Sisters to Andrew Bird, Taich has coined her music “fearless folk-pop” to no one’s opposition. Since planting herself in Asheville three short years ago, she has won multiple songwriting awards and in 2018 performed in some of the area’s favorite music festivals and one of the nation’s biggest and best, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Her recent album, Reverie, was regarded by Blurt Magazine as “a start-to-finish, no-filler/all-killer gem—a veritable calling card to greatness if enough ears find it.” 

We asked Carly some questions about her songwriting process and what it means to be a NewSong finalist. To purchase tickets for the Dec. 15 event at Isis Music Hall, visit our ticketing page. 

 

What is your songwriting process like?

My process is always changing and is hard to nail down. When I’m writing, I often feel like two parts of my brain are fighting. One part wants to solve the song like a puzzle, while the other part wants to be totally abstract. I’m just standing in the middle trying to get them to compromise. Lately I’ve been inspired by some good advice to keep working that muscle and write every single day. My number one priority is to always have fun doing it.
 

What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to get out of the experience? 

It’s an honor. I hope to be inspired by all the talent and make some lasting connections with the other songwriters.
 

What important news about your music do you have coming up? 

I have two new singles I am very excited to release. Release date TBA! 

 

Listen to Carly Taich on SoundCloud and Spotify.
Watch Carly Taich on YouTube.  Follow her on Facebook and Instagram. 

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Meet 2018 NewSong Competition Finalist: Suzie Brown

Friday, November 30th, 2018

NewSong finalist Suzie Brown is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, who is also an Advanced Heart Failure/Heart Transplant cardiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After years of working hard for success in the medical field, Brown discovered a relentless pull towards music that has now yielded five albums, a succession of songwriting awards, featured placement of her music at retailers like Starbucks and the Gap, and invitations to TEDMED and other conferences around the country to speak about finding a vulnerability through music that makes her a better doctor.

Her latest album, Sometimes Your Dreams Find You, was born in that space of uncertain transition followed by confident calm–she no longer feels the need to choose one part of herself over another. “For the first time in my life, I don’t feel like I’m working towards something else,” she says. “When someone asks me what I want to do in five years, I kind of just want to keep doing this.”

We asked Suzie some questions about her songwriting process and what it means to be a NewSong finalist. To purchase tickets for the Dec. 15 event at Isis Music Hall, visit our ticketing page. 

What does it mean to you to be selected as a NewSong finalist, and what do you hope to gain from the experience?

I took a pretty big step back from performing and music in general when my daughters were born a few years ago.  I don’t regret that for a minute — they’re only young and snuggly for a short time and I didn’t want to miss it. I wanted to be around as much as possible when they needed me most.  And I’ve been so damn tired. Over the last year or so, I’ve felt myself slowly emerging from the sleep-deprived fog. I’ve been writing more (actually writing a ton). Playing more. I went back in the studio for three glorious days and recorded my sixth studio album.

It was some of the songs from this album that I submitted to the NewSong contest.  I had to dig deeper than ever to write these songs; they are some of the most meaningful I’ve ever written, so it means so much that they resonated with the judges. I am looking forward to making new connections with new artists, planning new collaborations and having FUN.

 

What is your songwriting process like?

Song ideas are everywhere! The best ones for me pop up in every day life — while driving to work, running, putting my kids to bed — and I tend to jot them down in my phone. When I have a moment with my guitar, I start strumming and put the idea to music, and let the rest of the song evolve. I’ve been doing a lot more co-writing since moving to Nashville as well. It used to terrify me, but I’ve come to love it. Songwriting muses include Ron Sexsmith, Patty Griffin, Kacey Musgraves, Sarah Siskind, and Jason Isbell.

 

Listen to Suzie Brown on Spotify and Soundcloud. 
Watch Suzie Brown on YouTube.
Follow Suzie Brown on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

 

 

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Announcing the 2018 NewSong Music Contest Finalists!

Wednesday, November 21st, 2018

Congratulations to our finalists in the 17th annual NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition!

The following eight songwriters will perform, network and compete on Saturday, December 15 at Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC. 

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! In the meantime, we hope you will check out their music below. 

We’ve created a playlist for you to enjoy all of this year’s finalists here. 

 

 

 

Alex Wong — Nashville, TN

Alex Wong // Nashville, TN

 

Alice Howe — Chestnut Hill, MA

Alice Howe // Chestnut Hill, MA

 

Carly Taich — Asheville, NC (2018 LEAF Festival Contest Winner)

Carly Taich // Asheville, NC

 

Kaiti Jones — Cambridge, MA

Kaiti Jones // Cambridge, MA

 

Liz Frame and the Kickers — Boston, MA

Liz Frame // Boston, MA

 

Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers — Nashville, TN

Mel Bryant & The Mercy Makers // Nashville, TN

 

Suzie Brown — Nashville, TN

Suzie Brown // Nashville, TN

 

 

Tobias the Owl — Seattle, WA

Tobias the Owl // Seattle, WA

 

YouTube Playlist: 2018 NewSong Music Competition finalist playlist:

 

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NewSong Music to bring its 17th annual songwriting competition finals to Asheville this Dec. 15

Friday, November 16th, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

NEWSONG MUSIC TO BRING ITS 17TH ANNUAL, INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE & SONGWRITING COMPETITION FINALS TO ASHEVILLE THIS DECEMBER

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, DEC. 15

November 16, 2018 (Asheville, NC) – For the first time in its seventeen year history, the live performance finals of the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition will be held this December in Asheville, where NewSong Music has been headquartered since 2012. The move marks a new direction for the program, relocating from its longstanding host venue, New York City’s venerable Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

“We’re delighted to bring the competition finals to Asheville for the first time this year,” says NewSong co-founder and director Gar Ragland, a North Carolina native (Winston-Salem) who relocated the organization to Asheville from New York City just over six years ago. “The NewSong Competition attracts and features exceptionally talented emerging artists from across the continent, and bringing the program here to Asheville where we’re based is long overdue.”

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 December 15. “Isis Music Hall is the perfect venue for this event,” states Ragland. It’s one of the best sounding listening rooms in the southeast, and the intimacy of the space is very well suited to the music we’ll be presenting.”

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 ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival (January 24 – February 3, 2019) in Park City, Utah and a featured performance in the 2019 Arts Brookfield ‘Summer Plaza’ series in New York City. All finalists will receive a Shure MOTIV microphone, and 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: Dec. 15, 2018 // 8 pm

TICKETS: $12/$15 https://public.ticketbiscuit.com/IsisAsheville/Ticketing/357131

 

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/

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Weekly Roundup: NewSong Artist News 11/12-11/18

Monday, November 12th, 2018

We love to keep up with our past NewSong Music Contest finalists and winners, and, over the years, we have amassed a busy and hardworking group of musicians we admire. 

NewSong songwriters live and perform across the continent and beyond, their work spans multiple genres, and these artists are always putting out new material. To keep track of all their news and upcoming shows, we will be highlighting NewSong artists in our weekly roundup. 

We’ve put together a list of five shows, publications and recordings we think you should be paying attention to this week.

We are very excited to announce the NewSong Music Songwriting & Performance Competition will be held at Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC on Dec. 15. Stay tuned for finalist announcements, coming soon. 

1. Rachael Kilgour — “Holy Are We” single release out this Friday

Rachael Kilgour will release her single “Holy Are We,” off her forthcoming record Game Changer, this Friday. 

Recorded in Asheville, NC at Echo Mountain Studios and produced by Gar Ragland, the EP will be released on NewSong Recordings and features captivating string arrangements by violinist Sara Pajunen.

Pre-order your digital copy here. 

2. Jeffrey Martin — UK TOur

Past NewSong finalist Jeffrey Martin will embark on a tour in the UK this November, with his first show on Nov. 30 in Coggeshall, UK. If you won’t be across the pond for his tour dates, we highly recommend seeking out his music and giving the Portland, OR-based songwriter a listen. 

Praise from Portland Mercury: “Jeffrey Martin’s music is not widely known, which is a shame, because he might be the best songwriter in Portland. With lyrics that read like Raymond Carver stories and a voice that’s one breath away from breaking completely apart, Martin’s songs are beautiful, sparse, and utterly devastating.” 

Listen to Jeffrey Martin on Spotify. 

3. Ana Egge — ListeN: White tiger

Ana Egge, a NewSong finalist from 2007, is another artist we have in our rotation this week, and we think you should, too. Her tenth studio album album, White Tiger, is an ethereal, emotional treat, not to be missed. Folk Alley has this to say about the artist: “Ana Egge has one of those voices—full of breath and breeze one minute, grounded like a boot in a puddle the next—that just feels free.”

Listen to Ana Egge’s latest, White Tiger, on Spotify. 

 

4. Amber Rubarth — European tour + Listen: “A Common case of Disappearing”

Amber Rubarth was NewSong Music’s 2010 grand prize winner. She has spent her fall performing on stages across Europe, with her next show taking place on Nov. 13 in Barcelona, Spain.

For those not in Spain, we recommend listening to the artist’s Grand Prize album, A Common Case of Disappearing, produced and mixed by Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon). 

Listen to Amber Rubarth on Spotify.

Purchase A Common Case of Disappearing. 

5. NewSong Music Finals to take place in asheville, NC, dec. 15

 

Thank you to all who submitted their songs to this year’s NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition this year. The exciting process of selecting eight finalists is underway. Stay tuned for the results, coming soon! This year, the finals competition will be held December 15 in beautiful Asheville, NC at Isis Music Hall.

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Weekly roundup: NewSong Artist News 10/29-11/4

Monday, October 29th, 2018

We love to keep up with our past NewSong Music Contest finalists and winners, and, over the years, we have amassed a busy and hardworking group of musicians we admire. 

NewSong songwriters live and perform across the continent and beyond, their work spans multiple genres, and these artists are always putting out new material. To keep track of all their news and upcoming shows, we will be highlighting NewSong artists in our weekly roundup. 

We’ve put together a list of five shows, publications and recordings we think you should be paying attention to this week. The deadline for the 2018 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is in less than a week! You have until Sunday, Nov. 4 to submit your original music.

 

1. 11/4 deadline approaching for NEWSONG MUSIC PERFORMANCE & SONGWRITING COMPETITION 


We’re including our Nov. 4 submission deadline first in the lineup because you have less than a week (!) to submit. Now in its 17th year, the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is one of North America’s premier showcases of emerging performers and songwriters across an array of genres.The final deadline to enter this year’s competition is Sunday, November 4.

To learn more and submit, click here.

2. Beth Snapp – Model City 11/3

Beth Snapp continues to perform in support of her recent EP release, Don’t Apologize. This week, you can catch her at Model City Tap House in Kingsport, TN on Saturday, Nov. 3. “To me, this EP is a continuation of a journey,” says Snapp. “My second project was largely an account of just coming out of a storm. I had survived, I knew things were going to get better, but there was some healing and processing to be done. As time passed, and I did the work to heal, I emerged into a new place. I realized that surviving the storm wasn’t enough. I realized I was put on this Earth to do more than survive.”

For more information about the show, visit the Facebook event page. Listen to Beth Snapp on Spotify. 

3. Max Hatt / Edda Glass – Album spotlight

In honor of Max Hatt / Edda Glass recording a new album in Seattle this month, we would like to spotlight the Jazz-Americana duo’s previous album, Ocean of Birds. As grand prize winners of the international NewSong performance and songwriting competition, the duo’s prize included the recording of this album in April 2015 at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios. 

”I was mesmerized from the first moment I heard them,” says album producer Pat Sansone (Wilco, The Autumn Defense) of their cinematic sound. “They have the ability to create a deep sonic landscape with only voice and guitar, with songs that posses a mysterious and soulful magic.” 

Purchase Ocean of Birds on Bandcamp. Listen to the album on Spotify. 

4. Chris velan – “Amateur HOUr” launch show in Montreal

Chris Velan will play a show at Petit Campus in Montreal on Thursday Nov. 1 for the launch of his latest album, Amateur Hour. A single off the album, “All Time Record” charted on CBC Radio’s top 30 songs of the week in September, and the record has been met with praise from critics. A reviewer from Exclaim! writes, “Amateur Hour gleams with thoughtful and crisp writing and explorative musical shifts.”

Buy tickets here. Listen to Amateur Hour on Spotify. 

 

 

 

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Weekly roundup: NewSong Artist News 10/22-10/28

Monday, October 22nd, 2018

We love to keep up with our past NewSong Music Contest finalists and winners, and, over the years, we have amassed a busy and hardworking group of musicians we admire. 

NewSong songwriters live and perform across the continent and beyond, their work spans multiple genres, and these artists are always putting out new material. To keep track of all their news and upcoming shows, we will be highlighting NewSong artists in our weekly roundup. 

We’ve put together a list of five shows, publications and recordings we think you should be paying attention to this week. The deadline for the 2018 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is coming up! You have until Sunday, Nov. 4 to submit your original music.

 

1. David Robert King & Crys Matthews – “Have Mercy” video Release

 

David Robert King and Crys Matthews have officially released the video for their first song collaboration, “Have Mercy.” The song is a heartfelt and powerful response to family separation along the U.S. southern border. All proceeds from “Have Mercy” will benefit RAICES.org, a nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees in Texas. The song was recorded with producer Gar Ragland at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC. 

Watch “Have Mercy” on YouTube. Listen to David Robert King and Crys Matthews on Spotify. 

 

2. Kelly English records sophomore album at Echo Mountain Recording Studios

Kelly English will return to Asheville to record her sophomore album with producer Gar Ragland. Kelly was a finalist in the NewSong Music Contest and traveled to Asheville to compete at the Lake Eden Arts Festival in 2015. There, she found a home at Echo Mountain Recording Studios and eventually recorded her 2017 album, City Limits. A year later, she is returning with a host of new songs to record, and we can’t wait to see what is next for this talented artist.

Listen to Kelly English on Bandcamp and stay tuned for new music, coming soon.

3. Max Hatt / edda glass – Recording new album in seattle

Max Hatt / Edda Glass are recording a new album at David Lange Studios outside Seattle. The duo’s last album, Ocean of Birds, was recorded in 2016 with NewSong Recordings and has garnered praise from critics across the country. The band has been featured by NPR Mountain Stage, Sundance Film Festival, NYC’s Lincoln Center, & Daytrotter. This fall they’ve made a sweep of the highly competitive official juried showcases at Arts Midwest, South Arts PAE, and Arts Northwest, three top-tier booking conferences attended by major performing arts centers, presenters, agents, and artists. 

We look forward to their highly anticipated next album. In the meantime, listen to Max Hatt / Edda Glass on Spotify. 

4. Crys matthews – upcoming shows

Crys Matthews, Grand Prize Winner of the 2017 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition, has some exciting shows coming up this week. You can find Crys at the Cellar Stage in Timonium, MD on Oct. 26 and The Living Room in Ardmore, PA on Oct. 27. This hardworking and eclectic songwriting is on tour through the fall, so check out her tour schedule to see if she’s stopping in a city near you. 

Listen to Crys Matthews on Spotify. 

5. 11/4 deadline approaching for NEWSONG MUSIC PERFORMANCE & SONGWRITING COMPETITION 


Now in its 17th year, the NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition is one of North America’s premier showcases of emerging performers and songwriters across an array of genres.The final deadline to enter this year’s competition is Sunday, November 4.

To learn more and submit, click here.

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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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