Nashville clubs and concert halls overflow every week with homegrown talent — and, no, it isn’t just country music.
From a bona fide “RapGirl” on her way to hip-hop stardom to a heart-wrenching roots storyteller, an untangled indie rock band and an electrifying brass ensemble, music fans eager for summer concert season should keep eyes and ears on these six can’t-miss artists making waves in Music City.
Daisha ‘The RapGirl’ McBride
McBride, a Knoxville-born rapper, may supersede western shirt-wearing favorites as Music City’s fastest-rising export.
In a city best known for country music, 2020 saw the 23-year old featured by Forbes and NPR. One year later, she was feted by Red Bull.
This year, she’s headlined a show at 1st and Broadway’s Acme Feed and Seed and been a featured onstage guest at the Ryman Auditorium during Allison Russell’s opening set for Yola. If you’re anywhere in town where notable things are happening — including a recent Nashville Grammy chapter event at the Analog — she’s likely on the lineup.
Her latest release is November 2021’s “Let Me Get This Off My Chest.” It’s a rawer and more honest “RapGirl” here; one who, as she told WNXP, is finally “letting people know [her] business.” This includes diving deep into a failed romance with a prospective partner on a single, “Walk Away.”
It has proved that letting people into her business via a confident, verbose, boom-bap, friendly flow is not only creative, but smart.
Twen
The fall of 2019 seemed to usher in an imminent breakthrough for Boston-born, Nashville-based indie rockers Twen. They signed with venerable label Frenchkiss Records and released a promising debut, “Awestruck.”
But the impending pandemic brought momentum to a halt. Or so it seemed.
In recent months, Twen has re-emerged with three self-released singles that – to our ears – move leaps and bounds beyond what we’d heard previously.
A razor-sharp sense of melody ties together a litany of influences, from “HaHaHome’s” psychedelic swirl to the tense Talking Heads funk of “Bore U” and jangly slacker rock gem “Dignitary Life.”
Led by vocalist Jane Fitzsimmons and guitarist Ian Jones, Twen’s creativity finds a canvas everywhere. From the show posters laid out like a vintage music magazine to the touring van they’ve literally made a home out of, complete with a kitchen. It’s hard to predict what sound they’ll put their spin on next, but if you have a soft spot for off-kilter pop, we sure you’ll be nodding along.
Jeverson
Much ado gets made about country and folk music’s intersectionality with soul and reggae being a key reason why the two genres should be able to supersede their racial and cultural differences.
However, it’s not until hearing the power of the lyrics and depth of the sonic pocket in ballyhooed performer Jeverson’s “Something In The Water” that the space between these genres can be as smooth as they are easily understood.
Jeverson is a native of Grenada, now sitting in Nashville, writing songs and recording EPs like his just-released latest; the just-mentioned track is the title single. Typically, mentioning that an artist sits at the intersection of Silk Sonic and Chris Stapleton — with a dash of soca superstar Machel Montano thrown in for good measure — would seem absurd.
But that’s not the case here.
Just like when Chris Stapleton sings that woman’s love is as sweet as strawberry wine, when Jeverson sings “Take It Slow,“ trust him and enjoy the ride.
Gabe Lee
Two years ago, this Nashville native released “Honky Tonk Hell,” a can’t-miss — yet arguably underappreciated — album that takes listeners to a confluence of country tradition, heartland rock energy and folk storytelling. In a city where guitar-strumming clichés can run as wild as Lower Broadway bachelorette parties, Lee’s warm voice and clear-eyed perspective could propel him to new heights as he eyes 2022 for a new album release.
Catalina
Catalina’s standout 2021 single “Distance” is the rare breakup anthem that will put an immediate smile on your face – thanks to its unabashed reverence for the soaring saxophones, swooning synths and hard rock licks found in the guiltiest pleasures of ’80s pop.
It’s an immediate hook, but the singular voice of the Santiago, Chile, native is what keeps you reeled in. In a commanding low register (with a hint of influence from Nashville rock titans Paramore), she playfully proclaims, “You’re a stranger in my past/ Knew it wouldn’t last/ I told ya so.”
Catalina clearly had a blast filming an ‘80s aerobic-themed video clip for the song, released late last year. Meanwhile, she has far more to offer than a catchy pop throwback – her 2019 album “Multifacética” is well worth seeking out.
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Brassville
Music City’s must-see upcoming act isn’t a fast-rising country crooner or buzz-worthy rock ‘n’ roll band. Instead, book it to the next stage that hosts Brassville — an eight-piece collective upholding old school Southern brass band traditions with a modern spark.
Formed by musicians who cut their teeth at Tennessee State and Howard University, Brassville grew from a one-night busking session on Lower Broadway in 2019 to headlining club gigs and playing the Ryman Auditorium with Music City’s beloved Fisk Jubilee Singers.
And while a Brassville performance can be a mood-booster unlike any in a city crawling with live entertainment, the show doesn’t come without a message. As trumpet player Larry Jenkins told Nashville station WNXP earlier this year, “I think we hold a firm place as ambassadors for the city and for the sound of Nashville, the new sound of Nashville, because what we bring to the table wasn’t necessarily here.”
