Hey, everyone! Gerard here. I’m up in Bethlehem, PA (the cradle of UMC’s very existence) for Musikfest, the nation’s largest free, non-gated music festival. I’m throwing it back with my northern work family and pitching in with this year’s festival, which means you’re going to see some guest contributions here over the next week and a half.
That includes next week’s UMC20, curated by our very own UMC Contributor Jenna Rose! But… before we get there, Jenna is popping in to give you all a little preview with this week’s Songs You Should Hear.
Get ready for a whole lot more where this came from next week. In the meantime, I’ll let Jenna take it from here with her picks!
Hear What You Should
It’s been quite a month around these parts!
We enjoyed lots of live performances. We welcomed new submissions from all over the world. We had fun in the process.
Can’t ask for much more than that, right?
We feel good about where this summer is headed, and we’re here for wherever the adventure takes us. Today, it brings us to celebrate the UMC20 Best of May. Hear a sample of what the past month had to offer below!
Listen to UMC20
Jenna’s taking the reigns on this week’s Songs You Should Hear once again, and it’s another exciting volume full of bops.
As the headline suggests, there’s plenty of love to go around here (whether from another, or from oneself). There’s also a lament snuck in about the lack of community… but at least we’re able to muse over it while having fun!
Hear What You Should
We — as in, NashLive! — are teaming up with #PopRocks founder Jon Pattie to bring you a night of community, musicianship, and storytelling. It takes place on Saturday, February 26, and will be the first NashLive! event ever to take place at Springwater Supper Club (115 27th Ave. N., Nashville).
As for the lineup? Jon will be opening the night once again. We’re also thrilled to be re-joined by two NashLive! alums in Natasha Blaine and TROY.
When we last checked in with Natasha Blaine, we were at The East Room back in July. Since then, she has released her latest single, “Paris Again,” and has continued to light up Nashville with her soulful live performances.
And! Speaking of soul, TROY brought his captivating pop rock storytelling and showmanship to The East Room back in October, as part of the first-ever 615Fest. Since then, he’s released a couple of acoustic singles, with more fun sure to come throughout 2022.
Tickets for this NashLive! and #PopRocks collaboration are on sale now for just $10, and will also be available at the door. Music starts at 8 p.m., and you need to be 21 or older to come part
Given the time of year, we shouldn’t be surprised that we’ve received a bunch of Valentine’s Day — and anti-Valentine’s Day — submissions recently.
You’ll find a lot of those below. You’ll also find a nice multi-genre cross-section of where things stand in the world of independent music, as we journey from hip hop, to soul, to Americana, to rock throughout the course of this 20-song volume.
This is, without question, one of those “something for everyone” weeks of UMC20. Get after it!
Listen to UMC20
