BMI Returns to Zilker Park for 2021 Austin City Limits Music Festival
The curated lineup will feature 22 acts, including performances from HARDY, David Ramirez, Leyla Blue, and Zella Day Read more...
Resilient Vinyl 2.0 Industry Keeps Pressing Despite Challenges
For a format that many at the start of the 21st century would have written off, vinyl’s astounding resurgence as music lovers’ favorite deluxe format won’t let a run of bad luck in the past six months interfere with its standing as the most improbable home entertainment comeback of the industrial… Read more...
Lolla Indie Spotlight: Illiterate Light
Rock duo, Illiterate Light, have an eclectic background that is reflected in their music. Floating between postmodern confusion and vibrant, life-affirming optimism, Illiterate Light’s Jeff Gorman and Jake Cochran allow their pasts—which includes running an organic farm, touring the mid-Atlantic by bicycle, and living in small communities while pursing alternative education—to… Read more...
Tips for Writing Songs About Anything…But Love
At my BMI Nashville Songwriters’ Workshops, I screen and critique songs from each attendee. When I find songs that I believe are competitive with those being written by today’s top hitmakers, I forward them to ten music publishers who have agreed to listen. After the last BMI Workshop, I forwarded two… Read more...
SXSW Indie Spotlight: Illiterate Light
Railing against the perceived limitations of being a duo, Harrisonburg, VA’s Illiterate Light makes sure to produce a huge sound despite their small numbers. Between Jeff Gorman’s gritty guitar melodies, Jake Chochran’s spartan drum set-up and their combined, soaring harmonies, the duo’s distinctive blend of incendiary indie rock is building an… Read more...
BMI Entertains and Educates Licensing Executives
The National Association of Licensing Compliance Professionals (NALCP) held their annual conference (10/2-10/4) in Nashville recently and BMI was there to provide the musical entertainment and participate on a music licensing panel. BMI songwriter Jason White performed in front of more than 100 licensing executives representing national chains such as Starbucks,… Read more...
Tips for Recording a Compelling Demo
Many of the world’s best-sounding records required only a handful of recording tracks—and such minimalism can still work wonders for today’s demo makers Read more...
Indie Spotlight: Lillie Mae
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Lillie Mae has been performing since she was three years old. Her father, Forrest Carter Rische, fronted the traveling Forrest Carter Family Band, a country, gospel and bluegrass group that included Lillie Mae and her four siblings. Later, the Rische kids would form Jypsi, scoring a 2008 Top 40… Read more...
BMI Writers Take Major GRAMMY Nominations
After another prolific year of incredible music, BMI songwriters made a strong showing in the nominations for the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards, slated to be presented Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Earning multiple nods across the prestigious Recording Academy accolade’s 84 separate categories, the 2016… Read more...
Industry Spotlight: Coachella
The 2015 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival took place over two jam-packed weekends at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA, April 10-12 and April 17-19. Featuring a fierce lineup of BMI bands including Jack White, Interpol, Porter Robinson, Vic Mensa, Hozier, Cashmere Cat, Bad Suns, Bixel Boys, Ryn Weaver,… Read more...