Tag Archives: indie music blog Nashville

NASHVILLE: ‘Building Your Authentic Artist Brand’ Returns October 1!

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We’re gearing up for an action-packed October, with events happening all over the Southeastern U.S. — including our debut at Confluence Carolinas, and an exciting, expanded collaboration with NOLA MusiCon.

(More details on NOLA are coming soon, we promise — and they’ll definitely be worth the wait!)

Of course, it all starts from a solid foundation at home. That’s why we’re kicking off the month by bringing our popular Building Your Authentic Artist Brand workshop back to Nashville!

Join us at Helping Our Music Evolve (615 Main St., Suite G1, Nashville) on Wednesday, October 1 from 7-9 p.m. This interactive workshop — as experienced during SXSW 2025 — guides musicians (and other creatives) through the steps of developing a purpose-driven, values-based creative ecosystem. Building Your Authentic Artist Brand is designed to help artists identify the unique “why” behind their work; learn best practices for attracting their true audience across three key segments (fans, collaborators, and business partners); and build a sustainable, profitable creative business on their own terms.

Building Your Authentic Artist Brand is free to attend, and it’s all part of the work we do to educate and connect artistpreneurs through the UMC Academy. You can learn more about what we offer here!

UMC, NOLA MusiCon Partner on 2025 Music Showcases

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Our return to the Big Easy this October’s NOLA MusiCon just got a whole lot sweeter!

We’re proud to announce that we are partnering with NOLA MusiCon alongside our friends at DAWn Audio and Tunetrax to present this year’s official showcases. The team is currently putting the finishing touches on two spectacular lineups — one set for Tuesday, October 28 at Cafe Istanbul, and another on Wednesday, October 29 at The Rabbit Hole — which will showcase talent from across the musical spectrum and geographic borders.

We’ll be announcing full lineup and event details shortly. In the meantime, we’re looking for a few good partners to support us in making this year’s NOLA MusiCon one to remember! Your organization can sponsor these incredible showcase events, and we’ve provided a few informational slides below.

For individuals, you can always support our UnderDogs Across Borders campaign — and we’ll be putting every penny raised between now and the conference toward these two extraordinary showcases!

Oh, and one more thing: you can get 25% off your NOLA MusiCon passes by using the code UMC25 at checkout. Register now!

ALBUM REVIEW: With ‘A Small Notion,’ High Tea Showcases a Knack for Big Hooks

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Based in the beautiful state of Massachusetts, High Tea consists of Isabella DeHerdt and Issac Eliot. Combining thoughtful songwriting with world class musicianship, Isabella and Issac have gone above and beyond with their new album, A Small Notion. The album provides songs that are gentle, alongside selections that bring a noticeable rebellious punk energy filtered through folkier sensibilities. 

A Small Notion has emotional weight drawn from their personal experiences of loss and change, with stories created to guide the listener through the journey. Starting with the title track – a folk rock offering with pop hooks – we are led into “A Stray in Lee County,” which is a true bluesy romp rock song, complete with strings and excellent vocals. 

“Paper Mache” is lighter and sweet, showing a softer side of the band, while “Ouch, Oh Shit” highlights the band’s ability to write a big chorus. I loved the layers of vocals on “Bittersweet Evenings,” a song which also includes a feature from Corey Latiman. 

“Heartbreak Kid” and “The Metaphysical and Technicolor End” both highlight the band’s musicianship, while “Scuba Diving” – a full band version of High Tea’s 2023 single – fits the album well. 

With another big chorus on “There Goes My Old Soul” – and, truthfully, nearly every song on A Small Notion – High Tea solidifies its knack for writing a hook. Then, to close out the album with a bang, we have “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” (featuring Chris Freeman) and “Shadows and Shadows” (featuring Heather Maloney). 
A Small Notion is a polished album created by experienced musicians. High Tea has successfully blended folk music with rock and punk, and made an album unlike any I’ve heard before. When listening, it’s impossible not to be impressed with the band’s songwriting abilities. Each song has its own distinct hook and identity.

LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT: UnderDogs Across Borders Vol. 3 on September 16

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As we recently teased on social media, our next installment of UnderDogs Across Borders: The Concert Series will take place live from Helping Our Music Evolve in Nashville on Tuesday, September 16 from 7-9 p.m.

WATCH OUR JULY CONCERT | WATCH OUR AUGUST CONCERT

Co-hosted by Nicolas Soul (with an assist from the guy writing this post), our next UnderDogs Across Borders concert is perhaps our most genre-diverse offering to date, featuring performances from across the musical spectrum and beyond.

Our September 16 lineup includes:

  • Impactful spoken word artist Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess
  • Nashville hip hop legend E.T.
  • Revolutionary hip hop artist T.R.A.N.E. Spitta
  • Dynamic ‘ROCK&B’ artist Tony Carpenter
  • Multi-genre, multi-instrumental wizard Brother Dusty

If you’re in Nashville, join us at H.O.M.E. (615 Main St., Suite G1, Nashville). If you’re not, join us from absolutely anywhere in the world with internet on our YouTube channel. As always, we kindly ask you to make a $10 suggested donation to our UnderDogs Across Borders campaign, which you can do anytime by clicking on…

THIS BUTTON RIGHT HERE!

ARTISTS WANTED: Oct. 11 Alabama Shakes Tribute in Nashville

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Earlier this summer, we told you about the Alabama Shakes tribute show that our friends Mandy Moon and Chelcie Jette are putting together. It will take place Saturday, October 11 at Acme Feed & Seed, right at the corner of 1st Ave. and Broadway in Nashville.

While the house band lineup is complete, they’re still on the hunt for a few good artists who love Alabama Shakes, and who can sing and even play a little guitar (or keys). Through this Monday, September 8, you can submit for the opportunity to perform a couple songs during this all-star event.

All you need to do is head over to this form, answer a few questions, select your favorite Alabama Shakes songs from the official show playlist, and wait to see if your number is called to join the band this fall. Best of luck!

Gussapolooza 2025 Countdown: Visit the UMC Media Booth!

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The excitement is building toward this weekend, as we get set to make the trip up to Cookstown, Ontario for our return to Gussapolooza!

Of course, you can tune into our YouTube and Instagram channels for updates throughout the weekend, and you can expect recap galleries to make their way onto The Blog the following week. However, we felt this year was a perfect time to kick things up a notch…

Enter the UMC Media Booth!

We’ll be onsite all weekend, welcoming artists, organizers, vendors, and guests to join us at the UMC Media Booth. There, we’ll have our 12-channel mixer at the ready to record short interviews and acoustic performances our Official Podcast, The Quinn Spinn. Swing by throughout the weekend and schedule a time to chat with us!

In addition, we’ll have information available on UMC and our UnderDogs Across Borders campaign, and a couple of special, this-weekend-only deals on select UMC merch and fall BRANDCAMP enrollment. It’s an opportunity for all those in attendance to tap in with us, as we develop a creator-centric music industry throughout the rest of 2025 and beyond!

Still need your weekend passes for Gussapolooza? Find ’em here!

Getting Ready for Gussapolooza? Here’s the Official Playlist!

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Pictured: “Sorry” from The Manic Boys and Girls Club

We are counting down the days — it’s four, as of this post — until the start of Gussapolooza 2025, all the way up in Cookstown, Ontario, Canada! We’re super excited to rejoin the Gussapolooza family this year, and they’ve just released something to get us even more pumped…

The Official Gussapolooza 2025 Playlist is here!

Below, you’ll find nearly 30 videos from this year’s lineup of Gussapolooza artists, giving you just a small taste of what’s in store when things kick off North of the Border later this week. From returning favorites to new friends, we know you’ll find something you love.

The best part? Later this week, we all get to enjoy these songs together! For now, your mission is to make sure you know them by heart in time for this weekend!

Keeping Tabs: Electric Lemonade Releases ‘You’re Watching Me’

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Electric Lemonade fascinates me. Based in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, the trio made of Sarah Murphy, Hannah Mazurek, and Rob Jones prove the fact you don’t need to be in large, oversaturated music markets like New York or L.A. to be worthy of coverage. Electric Lemonade proves that musicians who focus on their own communities and stories tend to be among the most authentic, interesting artists. 

From the very first drum beat, their song “You’re Watching Me” pulls you into this organic spacious jam which highlights the band’s excellent musicianship – while reminding us that rock is far from dead. Lyrically, “You’re Watching Me” is the story of the end of a relationship, and the decision to move forward through the pain, choose yourself, and embrace who you are.

“You’re watching me, I see you in the list of viewers
On my Instagram story, you know that I can see you.
I believe that mistakes lead us to places that we’re bound for.
Can you let me go? Can you let me go?”

Those are my favorite lyrics from this song, as they highlight an absolutely modern phenomenon of the online interactions and algorithms we share with people. Personally, I haven’t had the experience of breaking up with someone and have them still watch my Instagram stories. How awkward that must be… 

On the song, the band states: “We wrote this one in the studio when we were working on our upcoming EP. It started out with a version of the lyrics and some musical ideas we had floating around for a while. We came up with a rough version to play for our producer (Jordy Walker) and tweaked it a bunch, but really, the bulk of the song was written over one jam session.”

I hope to find myself walking the streets of Whitehorse one day. It’s an amazing city nestled in brilliant mountain wilderness, and judging from what I’ve heard from Electric Lemonade, I bet its music scene is mature. I imagine hiking around the area, getting some food, and then heading to a show. Hopefully, that would mean I would be lucky enough to catch Electric Lemonade play their music. For now, I’ll be listening on repeat moving forward.

TONIGHT, 7 ET: The Fourth Annual Musikfest Exordium

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Tonight, our friends at Your Next Favorite Band will host the fourth annual Musikfest Exordium — a live broadcast in preparation of Musikfest, the nation’s largest free non-gated music festival in our hometown of Bethlehem, PA.

Join the broadcast live from The Flying V Poutinerie for a stacked program of interviews and live performances:

  • ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan gives us his “must see” bands and Best Day of the Fest.
  • EPAWA Founder & Chief Meteorologist Bobby Martrich will provide early weather prognostication.
  • Lehigh Valley News Director John Moser will share his thoughts and reminisce about prior years.
  • Founder of Underground Music Collective and Musikfest North Side Sheriff Gerard Longo will catch us up in his latest and how things are progressing for the festival
  • Flying V Poutinerie owner Matt Vymazal will let us know about their delicious spuds and if we have any potato famines to worry about.
  • Lehigh Valley Girls Rock Board President and Compliance Advisor Jennifer Alpha will share the latest of from LVGR and preview their Musikfest set.
  • Live performances by Kendal Conrad and The Tribe.

WATCH: Da’ Healerz Circle featuring… Da’ Healerz!

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For the season finale of Da’ Healerz Circle, we decided to do something special: invite Da’ Healerz themselves to share about the depth of their individual healing journeys.

And so, I volunteered to put my interviewer hat on to sit down with each Lord Goldie and Foundation Mecca, as they shared the details of their individual upbringings, the evolution of their healing journeys, and the changing narrative of hip hop.

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