We have the exclusive premier for Brenda Cay's music video "I Fish." The song was written in way of honoring her younger brother Brian, who was killed in a tragic accident five years ago. Growing up her family would spend a lot of time boating and fishing, so Brenda chose to capture her fondest memories in the video. To produce the music video she worked with Brittany Danese.
"I Fish" was written with Kristin Smith and Skot Bradley. The instrumental tracks were produced at Sound Resources Recording Studio in Chattanooga, TN by Brian Brewer, Fred Schendel, and Steve Babb with steel guitar by Dave Summers. Kristin Smith did vocal production and Justine Blazer did background vocals. You can find Brenda on social media at @BrendaCayMusic and on her website here.
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For the UK’s Becky Lawrence, the music industry provides a space to collaborate and support other artists as they do her. Originally on the musical theatre path, Lawrence attended the prestigious London School of Musical Theatre where she felt overwhelmed by the competitive environment. Compelled to the storytelling aspect of country music and artists such as Dolly Parton, Reba, and Stevie Nicks; she chose country when asked to perform and instantly knew it was what she wanted to do. Taking control of her own life, she started song writing and released her debut EP “What It Takes” in 2017.
Using her time wisely in quarantine, Lawrence learned to play the guitar and released her single “You Say.” About her struggle with mental health and her partner’s support through it all, the song reminds us that there are a lot of good people out there. Lawrence tells us, “While practicing the guitar one night, I began thinking about my partner and the six wonderful years we have had together. After a string of short-term and failed relationships, I’m so grateful to have enjoyed his companionship for the past few years. I hope that he is the one I spend the rest of my life with.” You can find “You Say” here and on her social media pages at @BeckyLawrenceUK. Yesterday marked a historic American moment with the 100th Anniversary of the official ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted women the right to vote. It was also the end of a month-long celebration of the suffrage centennial by all-female singer-songwriter collective Song Suffragettes.
Song Suffragettes partnered with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC) on four live shows in August titled Live From Nashville: Song Suffragettes. Special Guests for those shows included Lindsay Ell (Aug. 3), Maddie & Tae (Aug. 10), Ashley McBryde (Aug. 17) and Runaway June (Aug. 24) joining a robust line-up of established Song Suffragettes including hosts Kalie Shorr, Erin Grand, Chloe Gilligan and Jenna Paulette along with Julie Williams, Carter Faith, Raquel Cole, Bree Doster, Stevie Woodward, Ava Suppelsa, Trannie Anderson, Mignon, Emily Landis, Mia Mantia, Kasey Tyndall, Mia Morris and bonus special guest Caylee Hammack. The four shows were livestreamed from the Song Suffragettes’ home stage at The Listening Room Café with “Votes For Women” buttons provided to all patrons courtesy of the WSCC. The August 17 show welcomed Melanie Curtis and Melissa Lowe from the all-female Highlight Pro Skydiving Team who presented Song Suffragettes with a “Votes for Women” flag the day before they and their team made a historic skydive into Nashville’s Centennial Park. The four livestreamed shows are available on the Song Suffragettes’ YouTube channel along with a new highlights video available here. Song Suffragettes participated in The Hermitage Hotel’s commemoration of the 19th Amendment wherein Kalie Shorr, Julie Williams, Erin Grand and Caroline Marquard performed three songs including a classic suffrage protest song titled “Let Us All Speak Our Minds”. A key destination for both pro- and anti-suffragists during the final battle in Tennessee to secure the 19th Amendment’s ratification, The Hermitage Hotel event featured dignitaries and speakers who recounted the story of how Tennessee was the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment. CBS Sunday Morning told that story here. Song Suffragettes also facilitated two U.S. National Anthem performances by Stoney Creek Records’ Lindsay Ell before Major League Baseball games on two historic dates. The first performance opened the Baltimore Orioles game on August 18th, the day Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment in 1920. The second performance happened last night before the Washington Nationals game on the day the 19th Amendment was officially certified into the U.S. Constitution 100 years ago. Ell’s performance before the Nationals game can be seen here. Song Suffragettes shows happen every Monday night at The Listening Room Café and all shows are live streamed on the Song Suffragettes’ YouTube page. Canadian pop-country singer Nicole Rayy returns for the summer with her latest anthem, "Broken Boys,” released on August 21st. Bringing a healthy dose of feminism into the country genre with her early 2020 powerhouse single “All Woman,” Rayy also recently announced her inaugural HarmoniaFest, an all-female country music drive-in festival. "I'm so excited to share Broken Boys because I think it is a song so many of us can relate to,” explains Rayy. “We have all fallen for that person that we think we can change. I've always been drawn to helping people and being able to fix things. But in a way this song reminds me that we are all a little broken and there is nothing wrong with helping someone carry their baggage, but never at the expense of yourself." Building on her #GirlTalk Sessions events, which saw Rayy sharing the stage with fellow female artists for performances and collaborations, Rayy will be hosting the first annual HarmoniaFest on August 29th. Featuring a lineup of fellow female-identifying artists including Bree Taylor, Alessia Cohle and Leah Daniels, the festival was created in hopes of elevating female voices in the often male dominated genre. "I was inspired to create HarmoniaFest back in November when the festival lineups for 2020 were being announced. I was so frustrated that lineup after lineup was full of males performers and headliners and there were barely any female names on the posters,” says Rayy. “There are so many talented women in this industry who work so hard and I just wanted to create another opportunity to showcase them. I've always believed that you can't wait around for an opportunity, you have to create it yourself!" The southern Ontario-born Rayy has been a force in creating her own opportunities. Writing her own songs since she was a teenager, her talent placed her on the country music radar in 2012 with the release of her debut EP “Only Everything”. But it was her second album, “Dig” that truly solidified her as a force to be reckoned with within the Canadian country scene. Soon after she found herself being a multiple Country Music Association of Ontario Award nominee, playing major festival stages such as the Calgary Stampede, Trackside, Howl at the Moon – and found herself opening up for country music powerhouses like Aaron Pritchett and Brett Kissel. Rayy has taken her music internationally, performing at the World Music Festival in Shanghai, China, for four years in a row (2015-2018), proving to be a hit among Shanghai’s enthusiastic crowds. Recently, she received a nomination for CMA Ontario’s Female Artist of the Year and her hit single “Fireproof” took her fans by storm, garnering over 160K streams. Nicole has been continuously pushing forward the limits of country music in Canada and abroad, all while empowering the women around her to join her as she rises. Amelia Presley opens up about the abuse she suffered as a child in her song “Harm Nobody Else.” About the flashbacks and confronting her abuser, Amelia wants to spread awareness and remind other victims it’s okay to speak up. In fact, she recalls performing for her abuser stating, “I actually performed the song live for the first time at the Mississippi Songwriters Festival. My abuser, the woman who legally adopted me at nine years old, was in the audience with her new husband showing the world how seemingly supportive she was. Before playing the song, I explained to the crowd that I wrote it to spread awareness against abuse. I didn’t reveal that the song was my own story. I couldn’t look her in the eyes as I explained the false truth of why I wrote “Harm Nobody Else,” but at a certain point in the song I looked her straight in the eyes and sang the words.”
In the music video, Amelia’s daughter portrays her as a child. Watching her daughter go through the abuse she did, although staged, was devastating and only made Amelia want to address the problem more. To reach a larger audience, Amelia set out on tour. Playing to a smaller audience, due to the pandemic, Amelia hopes she can interact with her fans more closely to send the message that “You didn’t ask for the cards you were dealt. It’s time to pass them back to the dealer. Your abuser will more than likely never accept the blame, but that does not mean that you have to hold onto it. The blame is not YOURS. The shame is not YOURS. THIS IS NOT YOUR SECRET.” You can listen to Amelia’s music on all streaming platforms and on her website here. Author: Nicole Marchesi |
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April 2024
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