You’ve undoubtedly heard the line that country music is three chords and the truth. It goes deeper than that, though. It’s not just the truth, but more often than not it’s self-truth. Opening up about one’s own foibles and self-doubts adds an integrity to the twang that you just don’t get observing from a distance. […]
Search Results for: music with a purpose
Introducing Parker Twomey – A Twangville Premiere
Releasing a new single is always an exciting time for an artist. Releasing the debut single from your debut album, however, is truly a special moment. And Parker Twomey’s moment has arrived. Although he’s only a couple years removed from high school, Twomey is already a seasoned musical veteran. He has spent the past several […]
Ward Hayden & the Outliers Have “Nothing To Do” – a Twangville Premiere
Though the title lends itself to our Covid lives, certainly these days as Omicron wreaks havoc around the world, “Nothing To Do (For Real This Time)” is about something entirely different. The song, from Ward Hayden & the Outliers‘ outstanding 2021 release Free Country, considers the experience of returning to one’s hometown after time spent […]
Americana 2021: Mayer’s Picks (Part 2)
AHI One of my AMA highlights was hearing AHI preview his forthcoming album Prospect. The setting was his producer Paul Mabury’s home studio, nestled in the mountains south of Nashville. A handful of us sat in the studio with AHI, Mabury, and several of the musicians who appeared on the album. In between listening to […]
Mayer’s Picks – Best of 2020, the Albums
What a year it has been! Thankfully there’s been some great music to help sustain us. Here are my picks for the best albums of 2020. 11. Consider the Speed by Terra Lightfoot Another rock and roll tour de force from Terra Lightfoot. Consider the Speed is brimming with fervent guitars and musical bravado, not […]
Folk Alliance International 2020 Conference
One of the things I look forward to coming out of the holidays is the annual Folk Alliance conference. It’s equal parts business conference and music festival: so work and play together. This year it was held in New Orleans, where the food added a third segment that was a big part of many conversations. […]
The House Of Songs
The creative process of writing good music has been compared to catching lightning in a bottle. The implication is that it’s random good luck. Yet time and time again you hear of artists who have a process they follow and a string of great songs that came out of it. Similarly, musicians frequently get together […]
A Premiere From Matthew Ryan
One of an artist’s most meaningful – and noble – purposes is to reflect on the times in which they live. Sometimes it’s a deliberation on things personal, a relationship or individual struggles; other times it’s a consideration of the larger social and economic forces shaping the world. Matthew Ryan has long followed this artistic […]
Introducing the “Why It Matters” Interview Series
Several years ago Twangville had a cousin blog that ran an artist interview series called “Why It Mattersâ€. The interview questions were somewhat light-hearted but served a real purpose: to shine a light on the investments and sacrifices that artists make to build sustainable careers and why fan support matters. More than 80 artists participated […]
Americana 2018: Shawn’s Picks
Every fall, The Americana Music Association gathers members, artists and music fans together in Nashville for its annual conference. Starting with the annual Americana Music Awards and continuing through several days of showcases and panel discussions, it is a tremendous celebration of Americana music. Here are but a few of my favorite performers and performances […]