Tag: spotify

MIXTAPE: An Indigo Takeover by Spotify’s Laura Ohls

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“Our Nashville-based team had been having ongoing conversations since early 2019 regarding just how diverse the taste of our country music audience was. It was clear to us that there were many modern songs in the genre, touching on Americana, rock, roots, and bluegrass, that had sonic and thematic throughlines. We were also seeing many of these artists on the road together (Marcus King Band joined Chris Stapleton, Yola toured with Kacey Musgraves), talking to each other on socials, echoing the strong community within the scene. With this in mind, the goal was to create a playlist brand that reflected these intersections and the audience appetite for a playlist of this nature. With the success of the playlist since its launch in March, Indigo has continued to be a priority for us, which is reflected by enthusiastic listening from users. We’re celebrating the playlist this month with a sizzle video, new video playlist formats, artist sharecards, billboards, and more, in hopes of bringing more fans aboard the Indigo train.” — Laura Ohls, Senior Editor, Folk & AAA, Spotify

 (Editor’s note: Listen to Laura Ohls’ Indigo Takeover Mixtape below.)

Zach Bryan – “Heading South”

Twenty-three years old and on active duty in the US Navy, Zach Bryan might not be what one would expect from a country act on the rise. The Oklahoma native’s self-released material from the fall of 2019 is gaining traction on Spotify, creating buzz throughout the Nashville music industry. At the time of its initial release he had no publicist, no manager, no team to speak of whatsoever, yet his live videos sparked the interest of an audience on social media — which ultimately led to the flood of activity on streaming we are seeing today. His biggest song to date, “Heading South,” has been included in our Indigo playlist since its launch in March and remains a consistent tentpole track. Though he hasn’t had the opportunity to tour as a result of deployments and the pandemic, expect crowds of fans when the time comes.

Caylee Hammack – “Small Town Hypocrite”

One of country’s most notable rising stars, Caylee’s powerful and vulnerable ballad proves how strongly personal songwriting still resonates in the genre. A vocal standout in the playlist, you’ll feel her heartbreak and strength throughout the song.

Flatland Cavalry – “War With My Mind”

While the song was not written during the pandemic and this time of quarantine, the Texas band’s newest song lyrics grapple with internal battles we all face due to lack of stability, isolation, or just general disruption, which certainly resonates with listeners today.

Brent Cobb – “Keep ‘Em on They Toes”

A real toe-tapper, this track encourages the listener to follow your own path versus one that has perhaps been laid out for you. The song also suggests taking higher ground when being tested by others, some sage advice we could all use during these stressful times. Cobb’s classic, warm tone shines through this cut.

Hailey Whitters – “Heartland”

The Iowa-native-turned-rising-country-star pays homage to her roots in this nostalgic song about the place she was born and raised. As the saying goes, you can take the girl out of the Heartland…

Cut Worms – “Sold My Soul”

A hint of Neil Young, a splash of Guy Clark, a shake of Gram Parsons, and you get this great tune from Cut Worms, AKA Max Clarke, embodying country-folk storytelling at its finest.

Jonathan Terrell – “Never Makes a Sound”

I have seen Jonathan Terrell’s music described as “Springsteen in a Honky Tonk,” and no song better reflects said description on Terrell’s new record than this one. Passionate and driving, it’s a real rocker on Indigo.

Aubrie Sellers – “Far From Home”

A little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, Aubrie makes the kind of gritty Americana that a playlist like Indigo was made for. The title track and opener off her newest album is a more subtle take on her “garage country,” but is exemplary of how dynamic she is as an artist.

The War & Treaty – “Five More Minutes”

The husband-and-wife duo have always written songs that strike a chord and can often bring the listener (me) to tears, but they’ve managed to accomplish this with a song that feels upbeat and… happy? The roots of the song, however, are quite dark. Michael Trotter Jr, after years of mental and financial struggles, contemplated leaving this world. In response his wife, Tanya, pleaded to him, “Just give me five more minutes. Stay with me. Just five more minutes to love you.”

Charley Crockett – “Welcome to Hard Times”

Is there really another song title on this playlist that is more appropriate for our day and age? Following his 2019 album, The Valley, and a severe health scare, Charley’s newest album (and title track) touches on failures and a system that’s rigged for said failures. Crockett is one of those artists that embodies all subgenres and eras under the American roots umbrella, and it’s songs like these that showcase how his art feels old and familiar while simultaneously being new and exciting.

Images and artwork courtesy of Spotify

Songwriter Bruce Robison Reimagines the Music Industry with the Next Waltz

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It's no secret that the music industry has suffered something of an identity crisis over the last decade and change, with news just this week that album sales have hit an all-time low while streaming has never been hotter. The current climate is especially hard on new artists, who are forced to seek alternative sources of revenue to supplement the depressingly low figures they earn on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

The frustration of navigating the industry has led some artists to venture away from the traditional model. Songwriter Bruce Robison — known for writing number one songs for George Strait ("Wrapped"), the Dixie Chicks ("Travelin' Soldier"), and Tim McGraw ("Angry All the Time") — is the latest artist to do just that with his new project, The Next Waltz. 

The Next Waltz, which derives its name from the famed Band concert The Last Waltz, is a video web-series and multi-platform music delivery service that brings music fans into the writing and recording process with some of their favorite country artists. Each installment of the series sees an artist — like the recently featured Jerry Jeff Walker — recording, performing, and discussing a new song, all from Robison's rural studio outside of Austin, Texas.

"I knew I wanted to start moving toward a singles approach," Robison says of the concept. "I knew that it had to have video content along with it, and also I thought we needed a new way of funding the music. So all of those things felt like they had to come together, and I’ve been working on that for a few years. There’s a lot of different moving parts that we’ve been putting together — from the right producers to tell the stories to how we were going to release the music to what the content was going to look and feel like."

Robison's desire to find an alternative means for creating and distributing music was fueled by years spent toiling away as a staff songwriter in Nashville. "I think I mourned the old music business about 10 years," he says. "I really did. I was very, very dissatisfied with my job as a staff songwriter at the time. I knew that that wasn’t what I wanted to do with the next part of my life at all. So this other thing started taking shape and it just continued to evolve. I think, in a broader sense, that even when I started writing music and writing songs and calling myself a songwriter, at the base of it, I was really hopeful to try and make great music," he says. "I’m just obsessive about music. When I was still spending a lot of time in Nashville and writing songs as a staff songwriter, I didn’t feel like that was what I was doing. This, I believe, is my very best opportunity to try and make some great music."

As someone who intimately knows the difficulties of funding a musical project, Robison found an alternative to the traditional record label model: brand sponsorship via Austin's own Real Ale Brewing Company. "They defray it," he says of the brewery. "I think this is going to be the new model. That was part of it, too. My wife [songwriter Kelly Willis] and I made a couple of records and, even when they’re pretty successful these days, they’re not successful by old standards. They’re such money-losing propositions. It was really just a way to say, ‘How do we do this and make it fun?’ And come up with an outcome that will be exciting, where we have a chance for something to really get out there and get legs."

With funding taken care of, Robison is free to focus on what really matters to him: creating great music and giving it the spotlight it deserves. In the short time since launching The Next Waltz, Robison and his team have developed a process that is as enjoyable as it is productive.

"I reach out to somebody and get an idea of when we’re going to go in and record the song, and then we start a process — like back to the ‘50s or ‘60s, where you’re looking for a single that’s really gonna catch somebody’s ear, that’s a great song, that might show a different side of an artist," he explains. "It’s really letting the music show the way, which, honestly, I think was happening back in the decades of that music that we still all listen to all the time. Then, after we pick the song, they come in and we just spend a day shooting the stuff and recording the song. It’s so freaking fun because we aren’t trying to get four songs in a day, so we set up in the morning and kick the song around and really arrange it and get a good vibe on it and take a break for lunch and then we come back and record it. Then we go to mixing it and editing the video and putting together all of the content that we’ll release over the three-week period of time. It’s very dignified and it’s a lot of fun."

While Robison may be having the time of his life, writing and recording with some of his favorite artists, he's also hoping to change the lives of other musicians and, eventually, the music industry itself.

"The secret plan is to replace how people release music, and to have a viable way of releasing singles that are very ambitious, both in how accessible they are and the quality of the music," he says. "It’s no less than being the new way that people can release music and find new fans all over the world, and be putting out the part of their story that’s going to tell people more about them."

Watch Jerry Jeff Walker and Bruce Robison discuss Walker's tune "Mr. Bojangles":

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Spotify Playlist Creator Enters Witness Protection

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New York, NY — Ducking into the black, unmarked car and spending the next 24 hours memorizing her new identity, Molly Blackwell paused only to wonder how a job as seemingly innocuous as Spotify Playlist Creator could land her in federal witness protection. For years, Blackwell led a normal life and seemed to have the magic touch at the online streaming service: Most of her playlists reached over 20 million listeners resulting in dozens and dozens of dollars for the artists.

Though aggressively sought-out by managers, publicists, promoters, booking agents, and artists themselves, Blackwell’s identity was kept under wraps for several years until a member of the hacktivist group Anonymous exposed her information as a favor to his folk singer girlfriend.

“It was unreal,” recalls Blackwell. “I’d read about people being doxxed, but the reality of your phone ringing and receiving text messages constantly from numbers all over the world? Crazy. Inbound emails on my account alone caused the global Spotify servers to crash.”

The Anonymous member admitted he didn’t think making Blackwell’s contact details public would get out of hand. “It took me about 10 minutes, including a break to walk my dog,” he said. “I was like, who gives a shit about someone who makes digital mix tapes? Apparently everyone.”

A line of high-ranking music industry executives went on for miles at the Brooklyn brownstone where Blackwell’s address was listed and some had even set up tents on neighboring lawns. Tour bus and van congestion in the neighborhood caused the fire department to be called in to assist with traffic flow.

“We thought police escorts would only be needed for a few days,” said Blackwell. “But after two weeks, the harassment was so bad that the NYPD referred the case to federal law enforcement for witness protection. They said I’m the first, but several other Spotify employees are being considered.”

Blocking two lanes of Atlantic Avenue, touring band I’ll Have the Lobster said they wanted to swing through to try to get their new record into Blackwell’s hands. “It’s worth a shot,” shrugged lead guitarist Joey Frazier. “Getting on a Molly playlist is better than a year’s worth of touring money. I saw on Reddit that she gets home about eight o’clock, so we’ll hang here for a while.”

Unbeknownst to the swelling crowd, Blackwell had been escorted out of the city two nights prior.

The above is a work of satire. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental … although entirely likely.

Photo credit: downloadsource.fr