Clarence Bucaro performs in Asheville, NC at Isis Music Hall Wednesday June 20.
Our NewSong Songwriting Competition finalists go on to do incredible things, and 2013 finalist Clarence Bucaro is no exception.
In May 2018, Clarence Bucaro released his powerful new studio album, Passionate Kind, on indie 2020 Records. Rolling Stone said of the album; “Buoyant, sometimes playful folk songwriting with a deep well of social consciousness,” and named him one of “10 Artists to Watch.”
Clarence is currently playing shows around the country to promote the album. The artist performs at Isis Music Hall in Asheville, NC on Wednesday, June 20. In advance of the show, we asked Bucaro about his new release, as well as his songwriting process.
For details on the June 20 show in Asheville, visit the Facebook event page. For ticket giveaway info, check out NewSong Music’s Facebook and Instagram accounts @NewSongMusic.
Can you tell us about your latest release, Passionate Kind? What was the inspiration behind it?
Passionate Kind is a collection of songs that engages in the current moment. It’s a plea for direction in confusing times and asking for answers of today’s social ills. It ruminates over social issues and attempts to find answers.
What is your songwriting process like?
Songwriting to me is a deeply personal thing. I take intimate ideas or images and turn them into tunes. Typically, I start with a lyric or image and spend time (days sometimes years) creating melodies. I try to connect to human feelings and imagine them thru different prisms. All the while asking myself, is it honest and is it real. My intent is to innovate on lyrics yet keep them completely relatable.
Is thereanything that you would like fans to know (upcoming news, tour dates, etc)?
Check out my website for tour dates this summer. I will be hitting up most major markets.
Maya de Vitry will perform Saturday June 16 as part of the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ series, a benefit for Blue Ridge Public Radio.
NewSong welcomes Maya de Vitry to the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ stage. She has spent the last six years touring the United States, Canada, and Europe with her Americana band The Stray Birds. In her solo work, her lone, dynamic voice, as well as her muses and meditations, explore a striking new landscape.
The Nashville, TN based songwriter will perform as part of the Sanctuary Sessions series Saturday, June 16th at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville. Doors at 7 pm. Acclaimed Canadian songwriter Rose Cousins headlines the show. All proceeds from the event benefit Blue Ridge Public Radio.
“It’s so cool to be coming to Asheville,” says de Vitry. “I’ve actually lived in Asheville twice before. The traditional fiddle music scene was like a magnet to me when I first came to the Swannanoa Gathering in 2008.”
de Vitry eventually left Asheville in 2011 and moved to Boston to study music. “Rather than finish unpacking in my new apartment [in Boston] I remember rushing off to the legendary Club Passim in Harvard Square to catch the end of a songwriter show, and Rose Cousins was performing when I arrived,” says de Vitry of her fellow ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ performer. “Her voice and her songs and her delivery — it was all very stunning to me. She was a catalyst, and now she is also a friend. I’m honored to support her in Asheville.”
de Vitry says the transition to playing solo has been an exciting one. “I have been writing and touring exclusively with The Stray Birds since 2012, so to be out here right now playing these new songs just feels like a celebration and a release to me,” she says. “It’s not an album release tour yet, but it’s a release of something else. It feels like such a celebration to grow and explore new directions as a human, and to find a more and more focused voice as an artist. Sometimes the process itself is a highlight!”
Stay up-to-date with Maya de Vitry’s news and show calendar on her website, mayadevitry.com.
Rose Cousins will perform Saturday June 16 as part of the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ series, a benefit for Blue Ridge Public Radio.
This week, NewSong welcomes Canadian songwriter Rose Cousins to the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ stage. Rooted in authenticity and conviction of voice, Cousins forges a personal connection with her listeners through song. Cousins’ album We Have Made a Spark took home a Canadian Juno Award along with many other awards, including a spot on NPR’s Top 10 Americana & Folk Albums list. Her latest album, Natural Conclusion, was called “easily one of the most distinguished Americana releases of 2017” by the Los Angeles Times.
Cousins will perform as part of the Sanctuary Sessions series Saturday, June 16th at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville. Doors at 7 pm. Songwriter Maya de Vitry shares the bill.
All proceeds from the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ concert series benefit Blue Ridge Public Radio, a cause that resonates with Cousins. “Public radio is how my career started in Canada by being supported by the CBC,” she says. “Listener supported radio has committed community members who care about what’s happening in the world but also what people are making. I have a deep gratitude for public radio and feel lucky be supported by it.”
Cousins shares the stage with her friend and fellow songwriter Maya de Vitry, who has spent the last six years touring with celebrated Americana band, The Stray Birds. “I’m excited to play the Sanctuary Sessions in the beautiful church with my good friend Maya who is an amazing writer and an incredible new batch of songs,” says Cousins. “Looking forward to playing in the church as well.”
Cousins has a busy summer ahead of her, full of festival slots and even some shows performing with acclaimed folk artist Patty Griffin. “I’m hoping to have a very creative year with writing and looking forward to sharing the stage with one of my heroes, Patty Griffin, for a few shows this summer!” says Cousins. You can stay up-to-date with her concert calendar on her website, rosecousins.com.
Scotchie will perform with his band, Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats. Revered for their high energy live shows, dynamic musicianship and Scotchie’s larger than life stage presence, the Asheville, NC based band is dedicated to building their musical family. Scotchie is, of course, a big fan of Petty. “Tom loved so many things about this world, and it showed in his lyrics,” says Scotchie. “So many of his albums taught me the power of simplicity, band dynamics and raw emotion. I think his hooks and melodies taught me the power of a song at a very early age.”
We asked Scotchie three questions in advance of his ‘Southern Accents’ performances Tuesday, June 12 at One New York Plaza and Wednesday June 13 at Grace Plaza. Both shows take place 12:30-1:30 pm and are free and open to the public.
1. How does Tom Petty influence your own music?
Petty’s energy and his songwriting are simply infectious. I’ve always been inspired by how so much of Petty’s lyrics were romantic, and not just romantic in the sense of a love song — romantic with life.
Many of his songs are driven by a guitar melody or chorus, and I think that is a technique I have always favored. His stage presence has made a huge impact on me as well. I’ve always admired his story and how he had to fight the record industry in the 80s. Tom never sacrificed his artistic integrity for money and always kept his music honest. Tom was a great frontman that knew how to connect people. I think he was one of the best entertainers of all time.
2. What is your own songwriting process like?
Most of the time I have a lyrical hook, rhythmic idea or a guitar melody that I start with. I try to let at least one of those aspects be the foundation. I’m very much so a “feel” oriented player and writer. I don’t want things to ever sound fabricated, so I try to capture song ideas in the raw stage and keep them as uncaged as possible. I almost use songwriting as a problem solving tool. That is my ultimate goal in songwriting: making people (and myself) feel a bit lighter after a song or having the music serve as some kind of release. Music is a very primal thing for people. Just like the human spirit, it should be intense but not overcomplicated. People relate to real, raw and simple before they relate to how many notes you can play.
I’ve noticed that I get a lot of song inspiration by simply listening to conversations and just observing, not saying a word. I find it fascinating the way some people phrase different situations or struggles, and it can offer a new perspective on the world. The the title of our new album, Family Dynamo, for example, came from my cousin Tyler. He described my father Tom as the “Family Dynamo.” Those words resonated with me and gave me the foundation. From there, I wrote the verses, picked out the main melody and tried to just let it be a vehicle for a song encouraging the power of family and community love.
3. What’s coming up for you and your band that you would like readers to know about?
Well, for our hometown readers, we are bringing the new album, Family Dynamo, back home June 29th for a free CD release show at the Highland Brewing Meadow. This outdoor show is going to be one for the books.
From July onward we will be mainly taking the new CD to cities up and down the east coast such as Charlotte, NC; Floyd, VA (Floyd Fest); Savannah, GA; Jacksonville, FL; Brevard, NC; Johnson City, TN; and more. We are very very proud of the new record and believe its our most eclectic work yet.
It’s also exciting the new songs have made their way into the sets already. I feel Keith (bass), Eliza (drums) and I are working really well together and putting together some dynamic songs that can push the envelope of our brand.
Oh — and I can’t forget this — for any fans out there wanting to help us get a new Ratmobile, my van recently blew a head gasket (kiss of death for most cars), and we will be launching a GoFundMe and hosting a benefit show to help us get a new van. Stay tuned for info on that in the coming weeks.
2016 NewSong Music grand prize winner Wilder Adkins’ 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. He’s a true theosophical spirit, arrestingly taciturn, but possessed of startling guitar skills, a wit as dry as October leaves, and a tremulous, dented voice that’s frankly mesmerizing.
His courtly-but-witty lyrics evoke a Deep South Shelley or Yeats, riding a joyful guitar dexterity. 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.
“By turns haunting, spectral, tender and tenacious, Adkins is a master when it comes to conveying uncommon emotion, relying on minimal arrangements that sometimes seem suspended in the ether” – Elmore Magazine
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 Adkins 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.
Introducing the 2016 NewSong Grand Prize Winner: Wilder Adkins
Congratulations to Wilder Adkins, this year’s grand prize winner of the 15th Annual NewSong Music Showcase and Competition. Adkins took top honors on Saturday night at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium in New York City.
Adkin’s songwriting is steeped in earthy poetry and is imbued with a theosophical spirit. Thematically, his songs frequently touch upon faith, doubt and the natural world. He counts poets Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver among his influences, as well as Neil Young and Van Morrison. His aptly titled latest album, Hope and Sorrow, is a characteristic marrying of poetry and musicality.
“Getting to meet and hang out with the other NewSong Music finalists totally affirmed for me that this is a supportive community of artists serious about their craft. Playing at Lincoln Center in New York at the Holidays was a dream come true. Being named the winner of such a talented pool of songwriters is an incredible honor and one of my proudest moments!” – Wilder Adkins, 2016 NewSong Grand Prize Winner
“The NewSong Music Competition is one of the country’s strongest platforms for discovering and showcasing some of the today’s most talented, emerging and most deserving singer-songwriters. It has a rich legacy of shining a spotlight on true artists who are serious about their craft. While all of this year’s finalists were compelling in their own way, this year’s winner, Wilder Adkins is an extraordinarily gifted lyricist, vocalist and guitarist from Birmingham, Alabama, who mesmerized everyone in the room at Lincoln Center. He’s the real deal and I’m thrilled to play a part in exposing him to a wider audience.” – Erik Philbrook, NewSong Music judge and ASCAP VP and Creative Director
“We had another outstanding group of finalists this year, which made our job as judges all the more challenging. But after the first two rounds, Wilder’s deeply poetic songcraft – paired with a passionate and at times comical performance – led him directly to this year’s top honor. We look forward to working with him over the next year and beyond, and to help him and the rest of his fellow finalists take their music to the broader audience they richly deserve.” – Gar Ragland, NewSong Music Producer and Co-founder
Erik Philbrook serves as ASCAP’s VP and Creative Director. In addition to writing editorial, producing video and managing content for ASCAP’s various media channels, he has interviewed and written about many of today’s leading songwriters and composers from across the musical spectrum, from legendary icons to today’s emerging artists. He has helped lead ASCAP’s advocacy efforts in protecting songwriter rights in the digital age. And he has played an essential role in the success of high-profile ASCAP events such as the Sundance ASCAP Music Café and the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, where he has interviewed on stage many top music creators, including Tom Petty, John Mayer, Bon Jovi, ELO’s Jeff Lynne, Ingrid Michaelson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Steve Lillywhite and many others. In addition, Philbrook is a songwriter and musician himself, having recorded three acclaimed albums with his band NYC-based band The Brilliant Mistakes.
2016 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition
Elysa Marden is a curator and producer based in NYC. She is currently the Co-Director of Art Brookfield, a national public arts program that produces, commissions, and presents music, dance, film, visual art and spoken word year-round and free to the public. She has had the pleasure of working with NewSong Music to present NewSong artists in Brookfield spaces in NYC and Denver for 8 years.
2016 NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition
Meera Dugalis the Programming Manager for the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center. The Atrium is home to over 100 free, extremely eclectic performances a year that are curated with the aim to reflect the diversity present in New York City. Originally from Charleston, Meera has a Bachelor of Arts from New York University’s Gallatin School where she studied ethnomusicology. Before coming to Lincoln Center, Meera worked with globalFEST, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, The Jazz Gallery, and Iraqi-American musician Amir ElSaffar. She is the manager for the New York-based traditional Moroccan Gnawa sextet Innov Gnawa and a member of Women of Color in the Arts.
