All Eyes Media’s diverse roster of artists will be widely represented at this year’s 2015 Americana Music Festival and Conference, held September 15 – 20 in Nashville, TN. Americana icon Lucinda Williams ties for the lead of all nominations with three for Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year, and will be performing on the Americana Honors and Awards Show. Last year’s Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year Award winner Jason Isbell is once again nominated for Artist of the Year and will also be performing on the awards show. 2013 Emerging Artist of the Year and Song of the Year winner Shovels & Rope, whose most recent album is Swimmin’ Time, are back with a nomination for Duo/Group of the Year. Stuart Mathis, guitarist for Lucinda Williams (and The Wallflowers), garnered a nomination for Instrumentalist of the Year. Mary Gauthier, who is a previous Americana Music Award winner, will be performing multiple times during the week and also presenting on the awards show. Indie-folk quartet Darlingside will be releasing their album Birds Say during Americana week, kicking off with a showcase after the Awards Show on Wednesday, September 16th. Acclaimed Canadian duo Whitehorse, powerful Oklahoma songwriter John Moreland and 22-year-old captivating performer (and previous AMA nominee) Parker Millsap will all be performing throughout the week. Don’t miss your chance to catch some of these artists live and we look forward to seeing you out and about!
LUCINDA WILLIAMS
Performing at the Honors & Awards Show: Wednesday, September 16th
Ryman Auditorium @ 7:00 PM
“…In terms of pure expression, no singer in popular music can touch Williams
when she’s calling from the lonely outskirts of Despairville. She sounds like it’s
her permanent residence, that place down deep where the spirit
meets the bone.” – NPR Music
Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year (“East Side of Town”) nominee Lucinda Williams has been touring in support of her first-ever double studio album, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone (released on Williams’ new independent label Highway 20 Records / Thirty Tigers). The three-time Grammy Award-winner’s latest album garnered praise from Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, NPR First Listen, NPR All Songs Considered,Vogue, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, BUST, USA Today, Huffington Post,Paste magazine (cover), The Fader, Village Voice, Chicago Tribune, Brooklyn Vegan and many others. See highlights HERE. Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone features 20 new songs, with 18 written solely by Williams. Williams’ guitarist, Stuart Mathis, is nominated for Instrumentalist of the Year. For more information on Lucinda Williams, click HERE.
JASON ISBELL
Performing at the Honors & Awards Show: Wednesday, September 16th
Ryman Auditorium @ 7:00 PM
“With his honeysuckle drawl and unrivaled knack for lyrical detail, Jason Isbell is
arguably the most revered roots-rock singer-songwriter of his generation…It’s a
master class in songwriting…” 4 STARS – Rolling Stone
2014’s Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year winner Jason Isbell is again nominated for AMA Artist of the Year. His acclaimed new album Something More Than Free (Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers) debuted at #1 on the Rock, Country, and Folk charts, a major achievement for any artist, and has already sold over 90,000 copies to date. Something More Than Free features Isbell’s poetic lyrics filled with honesty and authenticity that run throughout his observational vignettes of working class characters that reflect on all of us. See highlights HERE. View Isbell’s recent performance on Conan HERE. For more information on Jason Isbell, click HERE.
SHOVELS & ROPE
“Hearst and Trent create such vivid characters and make such
opulently open-ended music.” – NPR Music
Duo/Group of the Year nominee Shovels & Rope’s sophomore album Swimmin’ Time received an incredible amount of support from the press following its release via Dualtone Music. Swimmin’ Time premiered on NPR Music’s First Listen followed by a feature segment on NPR Morning Edition. Shovels & Rope were the subject of major features in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Rolling Stone Country and Huffington Post. They appeared on the covers of American Songwriter and Paste while receiving positive reviews in Rolling Stone, Relix, Blurt, Relevant, Southern Living, BUST and many more. See highlights HERE. Swimmin’ Time debuted at #20 on the Billboard Top 200 Current chart, #5 on the Rock chart, #6 on the Independent chart and reached the #1 spot at Americana Radio. Shovels & Rope took home two of the top honors in Song of the Year (“Birmingham”) and Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2013 Americana Music Honors & Awards. For more information on Shovels & Rope, click HERE.
MARY GAUTHIER
Presenting at the Honors & Awards Show: Wednesday, September 16th
Official Showcases: Wednesday, September 16th
The Green Room at Tin Roof @ 5:00 PM
Thursday, September 17th The Listening Room @ 10:00 PM
Saturday, September 19th Country Music Hall Of Fame
Songwriter Session @ 11:30 AM
“…her razor-sharp eye for detail and her commitment to unsentimental
self-reflection puts her in a class with greats such as Kris Kristofferson,
John Prine and yes, Bob Dylan.” – Los Angeles Times
Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier has been touring in support of Trouble & Love, her first studio album in four years. With Trouble & Love, Gauthier was the feature subject of NPR’s Fresh Air and The Wall Street Journal. Gauthier garnered unanimous praise from the press, including USA Today, Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, American Songwriter and many more. NPR Music said, “To be affected by these songs, you don’t have to know anything of Gauthier’s backstory (Louisiana orphan addict chef turned sober troubadour), the respect she commands across gender lines in the Americana scene, or the heavyweight catalog she’s built out of unflinching introspection and Southern Gothic-shaded storytelling.” For more information on Mary Gauthier, click HERE.
WHITEHORSE
Official Showcase: Thursday, September 17th
Music City Roots (the Factory at Franklin, TN) @ 7:00 PM
“Musicians You’ll Tell Your Friends About In 2015: …Luke Doucet and
Melissa McClelland are poised for a major breakthrough.” – NPR Music
Eclectic Canadian duo Whitehorse has garnered critical acclaim with the band’s sophomore album, Leave No Bridge Unburned (Six Shooter Records), the follow up to their Polaris Prize nominated debut album, The Fate of the World Depends On This Kiss. Whitehorse was the subject of a feature segment on NPR Weekend Edition and named one of NPR Music’s “Musicians You’ll Tell Your Friends About In 2015.” Blurt and American Songwriter gave the album 4 stars while Noisey, Rolling Stone Country and Diffuser.FM responded with praise. See highlights HERE. A Whitehorse live performance is a mesmerizing musical ballet. Doucet and McClelland play multiple instruments, often simultaneously, while incorporating loops and layers of percussion to create dense soundscapes that compliment their captivating vocal harmonies. For more information on Whitehorse, click HERE.
JOHN MORELAND
Official Showcase: Friday, September 18th
The Mercy Lounge @ 10:00 PM
“It’s been a while since American folk music has seen the likes of a songwriter
that is able to cut as deep as John Moreland.” – Utne Reader
Oklahoma folk singer John Moreland released his critically acclaimed album High On Tulsa Heat earlier this year via Thirty Tigers. Self-produced and recorded at his parents’ house in Oklahoma, Moreland’s third studio album has received coverage via Pitchfork, Utne Reader, American Songwriter, PopMatters, The New York Times, and a full-length feature in The Wall Street Journal. Moreland’s poignant lyrics and honest sincere delivery have connected with listeners across the country, earning him a devoted and steadily growing fan-base. He’ll be showcasing at the AMA before hitting the road where he’ll be opening for the likes of Patty Griffin, Dawes, and Jason Isbell’s European tour. For more information on John Moreland, click HERE.
DARLINGSIDE
Official Showcase: Wednesday, September 16th
The Basement @ 11:00 PM
(NEW ALBUM BIRDS SAY BEING RELEASED DURING AMA)
“Darlingside are doing something new in pop music. Which is kind of astonishing
this late in the game (ground the Beach Boys, Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd,
David Bowie, Talking Heads, Prince, Phish and Radiohead didn’t
cover is hard to find).” – The Boston Herald
Indie-folk quartet Darlingside will release Birds Say, their second album on September 18th (AMA WEEK) via Thirty Tigers. Darlingside is a Massachusetts based ensemble, whose sound is an eclectic blend of 60’s folk, clever wry wit, classical arrangements, soaring harmonies and a modern indie-rock sensibility. What makes Darlingside’s sound stand out is the creative way they combine both traditional and modern sounds. In a sense, their harmonies and instrumentation are a throwback to traditional acoustic music, however on the new album they experiment with tape delays, splashy reverbs and other studio effects for a psychedelic twist on folk. For a taste of what Darlingside sounds like live, please check out this live performance of “Go Back” (from the upcoming album) HERE. Darlingside will be showcasing at AMA prior to hitting the road for a nationwide tour in support of Birds Say. For more information on Darlingside click HERE, and for tour dates click HERE.
PARKER MILLSAP
Official Showcase: Sunday, September 20th
3rd & Lindsley @ 8:00 PM – Opening for Jay Farrar
“Millsap…has a voice equally suited to Southern honky-tonk and Northern soul,
the looks of a movie star who doesn’t primp, and a songwriting pen that
seems to have passed through the hands of both Tom Waits and
John Prine.” – Ann Powers, NPR Music
22-year-old Parker Millsap has been quickly making a name for himself in the Americana music scene and beyond with his intensely captivating performances and original material. Click HERE to watch the video for “Truck Stop Gospel” via NPR Music and see what we’re talking about! Millsap released his self-titled debut album in 2014, which received coverage from a variety of outlets including USA Today, NPR’s Morning Edition, Southern Living, WNYC’s Soundcheck, Blurt, American Songwriter, Country Weekly and many more. Since moving from Oklahoma to Nashville in the last six months, Parker Millsap has been keeping busy touring and opening dates for artists including Old Crow Medicine Show, Shovels & Rope, and Jason Isbell as well as making his Grand Ole Opry Debut. He’ll be going on tour with JD McPherson this fall and will be releasing new music in early 2016. For more information on Parker Millsap click HERE.
For more press information, please contact
Jim Flammia Jim@alleyesmedia.com
Donica Christensen Donica@alleyesmedia.com
Lindsey Thompson Lindsey@alleyesmedia.com
All Eyes Media (615) 227-2770