Artist:A Tale of Two Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “The Letter” Album:A Tale of Two EP Release Date: September 17, 2021
In Their Words: “‘The Letter’ is a very important song for us. We wanted to capture the romanticism behind writing a letter to someone and it feels as though the song took on a whole new meaning during the pandemic. The main essence of A Tale of Two is focused on live performance. We want to bring a record to life on the stage every time we perform. This video was special to us, as we were lucky to have Nashville fiddler Kyle Pudenz on board, who is a spectacular musician and person.” — Stephanie Adlington and Aaron Lessard, A Tale of Two
Artist:Birdtalker Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Better Days” Album:Birdtalker Release Date: October 8, 2021 Label: AntiFragile Music
In Their Words: “This song captures a sober moment of realization and the choice to grasp at hope rather than drown in the breakdown. Musically, it’s lush and flowing, as if you’re floating through the experience in a dream state, lulled into acceptance and moving forward but not grounded. This atmosphere is created by the lilting, at times questioning, bass line and the fluttering and tactile percussion which both give the song an intimate feeling of humanity, as if they represent the wanderings of a questioning heart and its fluttering uncertainty. The flesh surrounding the song’s heart is the regular thrum of the acoustic guitars and the layered harmonies that build throughout. We went through a bit of a journey in the studio figuring out the instrumentation and tone of the song. It began with a more straightforward and confident presentation which we eventually scaled back to this more organic approach, leaning into the song’s uncertainty and delicacy.” — Birdtalker
Artist:Jaelee Roberts Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Think Again” Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “I heard ‘Think Again’ for the first time a couple of years ago and I knew immediately that I had to record it! I love how the songwriters (Marla Cannon-Goodman and Shane Stockton) told such a vivid story… songs that you can ‘see’ and ‘feel’ are my favorite! I had so much fun during the filming (I really loved driving the convertible and the drone was awesome) and I am SO excited to be able to bring this song to life in my very first music video. There are a couple of lines in the lyrics where the video and the song really connected: ‘If you’re standin’ at the screen door, heart laid open out in your hand’ and ‘I’m gonna find a spot to pull off on the shoulder’ — watch for those scenes in the video. I’m just really thankful I got to record ‘Think Again’ and I sure hope everyone enjoys the video for it!” — Jaelee Roberts
Artist:Sara Trunzo Hometown: Unity, Maine Song: “Nashville Time” Album:Cabin Fever Dream EP Release Date: September 24, 2021
In Their Words: “One reason I was excited to have this song show up for me was that it encapsulates my most recent chapter of orbiting the axes of Nashville and coastal Maine. At first edit, I worried the song mixed too many different images and place-based metaphors, but that’s actually a good reflection of my voice and life. I’m a northerner who loves the south, a flip-flopper between music and community organizing, a New England veggie farmer with visions of sequin dresses and high-end Nashville recording studios dancing through her head. I’m not a purist. I often wish I was, because it’d be handy to be able to say, ‘I’m a teacher and I live in Bangor,’ but being a seasonal, migratory, hybrid creature seems to be more in the cards for me.
“Because I had lived in Maine for most of my adult life, coastal life and the water have shown up in many songs. I have REALLY missed the ocean during the seasons I lived in Nashville. ‘Nashville Time’ surprised me with the amount of nautical references that stuck, as I didn’t have much firsthand experience with sailing at the time of writing. But since coming back to Maine after the start of COVID, I have fallen in love with sailing to the extent that I’m now living aboard a 30ft sloop on Penobscot Bay.” — Sara Trunzo
Photo credit: Chip Dillon / Blue Horse Photography
Artist:Adrian + Meredith Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Valley View” Album:Bad for Business Release Date: August 20, 2021
In Their Words: “‘Valley View’ was fully inspired by a tour we took of Ellis Island a few years ago. Both of us are descendants of early 1900s immigrants from Eastern Europe and our great-grandparents made the journey through Ellis Island from Poland. We looked up their registration info beforehand, but were not prepared for the gravity of emotion we would feel after finding the Krygowski and Stefko family names written in the book, ages 16 years old.
“The building is beautiful and you can’t help but wonder what it felt like back then, immigrating to the USA. We spent the day there and it felt like somewhere we’ve been before. It reminded us a lot of European architecture. Meredith especially was inspired by what she saw and wrote her first song from the experience. To us, the biggest takeaway from visiting Ellis Island was to remember that it wasn’t as much what immigrants were coming for, but what they had to leave behind due to drought, famine, religious persecution, etc., and what they were willing to offer to their new country. In today’s political climate, this song serves as a needed reminder that we are all immigrants on this land.” — Adrian + Meredith
Artist:Bill Filipiak Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Conesus Lake” Album:Medicine I Need Release Date: October 1, 2021
In Their Words: “I don’t think it’s any secret that our lives can quickly become overwhelming. The blues are all around us and can hit us at any time for a multitude of reasons. The past year in particular has been hard on everyone. We’ve all had to deal with unprecedented stress. It’s left so many of us mentally and physically spent. When life becomes overwhelming like that, we all need a place we can go that soothes our soul. For some it’s the beach, for some it’s the mountains, for me it’s Conesus Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.
“Conesus Lake has been an oasis for me for 12 years now, and when I’m struggling with something, that’s where I go to recharge and clear my head. It’s like a baptism, a rebirth, a natural state of solitude that serves as a medicine. In the song, I’m singing about a specific place, but really Conesus Lake is a state of mind — that place you go when you need to look inward, put things behind you and start with a fresh perspective. And when you find that place, it becomes possible to take a piece of it with you, to help you cope with life’s pitfalls until the next time you can return to your own Conesus Lake.” — Bill Filipiak
In Their Words: “As a married duo it’s easy to write songs about the pleasures of love and romance, but in ‘Devastating’ we explore the depth of love that at its best, isn’t just sweet, but, if all goes right, will be touched by some level of tragedy and hardship. This ‘ring on my finger and a tag on my toe’ kind of love is the soul of the song. Love can be pretty, but if you’re lucky, it’s devastating too.” — Abner Ramirez, Johnnyswim
Artist:Mike Younger Hometown: Halifax, Canada/Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Killing Time” Album:Burning the Bigtop Down Release Date: August 27, 2021
In Their Words: “‘Killing Time’ is a sideways glance at another time and the dreams and people of that time. I had survived the Hall Of Horrors which was the street/squatter experience in New York City in 1992/1993 — and I’d lost more than a few pals along the way. The lyrics take comfort in the remembrance of past friendships forged in the fire of struggle, but swept apart like grains of sand. … I’ve always been deeply affected by the struggles faced by our disenfranchised communities. I greatly admire those writers and creative people in general, who, through their work, have lent their voices to the struggle for equity in our society, like John Lennon, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, and others. Artists have nothing to lose by speaking their truth, and doing so unapologetically, especially these days. That’s what I strive for in my work. There are enough great songs about pickup trucks already.” — Mike Younger
Artist:The Grascals Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee Song: “Maybelle” Album:Up All Night Release Date: August 27, 2021 Label: Mountain Home Music Company
In Their Words: “It’s very rare when looking for a song that you find exactly what you’re looking for. This was the case with ‘Maybelle!’ The song sounds like it came from deep within the mountains. From the haunting words to the clawhammer banjo and fiddle, this song will grab your attention.” — John Bryan, The Grascals
It’s not from being on stage, but this one time, my tour manager Josh and I broke down an hour outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, on the way to opening for Robert Earl Keen. The van just up and died. We were on the side of the highway wondering what to do when we called AAA. It turned out that we were just below the amount of miles that AAA would tow — making our arrival to open for Robert Earl Keen, pulling up right behind the tour bus in a tow truck, jumping out of said tow truck, running on stage, plugging in and playing.
How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?
Unfortunately, I find that often characters hide behind me, making me speak for them as they cower behind me, quite frankly it’s exhausting. I wish they’d just speak for themselves, I just keep collecting them, as voices in my head.
What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show
Before every show I’m usually pretty antsy. Offstage I’m fairly introverted. One of my best friends from back in New York wrote this song about a decade ago on a road trip we were on through the Midwest called “Moon in the Blue Sky.” I always find a quiet spot to sing it to myself.
What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?
Abstract expressionism, gestural painting, de Kooning, Pollock, Picasso, as well as authors Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Bukowski, John Fante. I also dance when no one’s looking.
What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?
Every song is the toughest, roughest, most pain in the ass, shit kicker, tooth knocker, sock rocker, and you don’t always win.
Photo credit: Weston Heflin
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