Photo Credits
Derek Webb’s Photo - Emily Tingley
Mary Gauthier’s Photo - Barbra Fg
Ruthie Collins’ Photo - Alexa King
Alex Blue’s Photo - Destiny Keller
Patreon - a fantastic platform for Artists and Fans!!
By Lexi Staebler
Have you ever wondered how to build a bigger community with your fans? Well, artists (and fans!) this one platform is perfect for you! “Patreon” is a platform where artists have the opportunity to connect closer with their biggest fans and have complete creative control of their space. The platform acts as a direct line for artists to communicate with their fans in an intimate space, through options such as group chats, comments, DMs, or email to make the experience special and individual. Artist's platforms also have several membership options you can select to be a part of as a fan, spanning different monthly fees.
Each artists’ space is uniquely designed to fit them—their music, personality and passions! Things such as videos, podcasts, writing, art, music, recipes, passions, and hobbies are commonly shared on artists' patreon platforms for fans to access and enjoy. These exclusive works shared to the platform are a great way for artists to grow and turn something they enjoy, a talent, or a passion into a creative business to further connect with their fans. These communities act like a “VIP experience” for fans from their favorite artist to get a sneak peak into their artistry and/or personal life more than the average listener.
Independent Artists We Love With Awesome Patreons:
Marr Bue patreon homepage
Mary Bue
Mary loves to share her thoughts about her passion, yoga, on her Patreon. She also enjoys sharing postcards, handwritten notes and artworks with her fans. You can also download a song a week with its stories and get to hear Mary’s spiritual, emotional and mental thoughts.
Jaimee Harris
Jamiee shares a behind the scenes sneak peak with her fans, showing them what day-to-day artist life can look like. She also posts cover songs, first clips of new music, and cover art for her superfans to see before the general public. Jamiee also does Q and A’s, private live streams, polls, and shout-outs to specific fans!
Jamiee Harris patreon homepage
Ordinary Elephant patreon homepage
Ordinary Elephant
This duo utilizes their Patreon as a safe space to connect with their listeners. The duo expresses themselves as one voice made of poetry and music, and on their Patreon, you can hear lovely poetry read by Crystal in her calming and soothing voice. They also share new songs they’re working on, or their version of someone else’s song to the platform as well.
Sara Milonovich
Sara gives her Patreon fans a fiddle tune a week and loves to sprinkle in chicken puns as well! Additionally, once a month she hosts a booze-themed livestream where a featured drink is picked and she dives into the history, chemistry, and other fun facts. Sara then sings performs a song or two on the livestream highlighting the chosen drink!
Sara Milonovich patreon homepage
Olivia Management artists, Alex Blue, Derek Webb and Ruthie Collins all have Patreon platforms which you can join to become a part of their personalized community space! Be sure to check them out for an inside look and closer artist/fan relationship!
*disclaimer: we do not full-time manage any of the artists listed above.
Olivia Management's Small Business Saturday Gift Guide
We put together a Small Business Saturday gift guide so you can support great music and great people. Scroll to see our favorite products from our artists and more!
Hush Kids Weatherman Vinyl
The Hush Kids Weatherman vinyls are hot off the presses and they arrived at our office just last week. They look and sound absolutely beautiful, as we knew they would. Get yourself or your loved ones a Weatherman vinyl today to bring a little magic to your record player.
Mary Gauthier’s Debut Book Saved by a Song
Saved by a Song by Mary Gauthier is a must-read for writers of all kinds. Check out her website for deals where you can bundle Mary’s book with a “Saved by a Song T-Shirt” or a CD of one of Mary’s legendary albums.
“Keep Jill Andrews Sad” T-Shirt
Let’s keep Jill writing sad songs! You can contribute to the cause by buying a “Keep Jill Andrews Sad” t-shirt. Grab one of these tees for the Jill Andrews fan in your life.
Street Corner Symphony Jukebox CD
Looking for a gift for the kids in your life? Look no further than Street Corner Symphony’s new kids album, Jukebox. This CD is jam packed with songs that are fun for the whole family.
Ruthie Collins Wish You Were Here Bandana
The Wish You Were Here Bandana is one of our absolute favorite merch items by Ruthie Collins. The design is just gorgeous, and the material is so soft. Get one for the stylish Ruthie fan in your life.
Alex Blue Organic Ribbed Beanie
Keep your loved ones warm this winter by buying them an Alex Blue organic ribbed beanie. This hat is ridiculously comfortable. Trust us on this one.
The Sewing Club Green “Trying” Poster
The “Trying” Poster by the Sewing Club is perfect for any poster wall. The art and the colors are so charming. Show some support for TSC today by buying one for yourself!
Backslide Vintage
Head on over to Backslide Vintage in East Nashville this Small Business Saturday to shop for some cool finds! You never know what vintage awesomeness you could uncover at Backslide.
Friendly Arctic Tennessee State Parks Collection
For your Tennessee loved ones, check out Friendly Arctic’s Tennessee State Parks Collection. The art on these items is stunning, and it’s all designed by the Friendly Arctic team!
My Favorite Music in TV & Movies
by Kaila Divak
1. “Tiny Dancer” – Elton John – Almost Famous
I honestly think this song has to be at the top of my list, because it is tattooed on my wrist for the rest of my life. When “Tiny Dancer” plays in Almost Famous, the whole band is singing together on the bus. Sir Elton John himself said that this song became as famous as it is today because of this movie. It came at such a pivotal part of the film, right after a huge fight, where nobody was speaking. One of the men in the band begins to sing along with the song, playing on the radio, and everyone else just follows suit.
2. “Epilogue” – Justin Hurwitz – La La Land
This one really pulls at the heart strings for me. I think I’ve always loved this song, but the idea that it was in the most frustrating part of the movie for me really made me overlook it for a long time. Once I watched La La Land a few times and understood that not every movie needs to end on a happy note, I realized how amazing this song was. It brings you along on a seven-and-a-half-minute story, and you don’t even need the video to picture what is going on, in my opinion. I also love how the end of the song is so simple, yet so heartbreaking. If you really listen to the end of the song, Sebastian doesn’t play the last note on the piano. I always thought that that was symbolism for him not wanting him and Mia’s relationship to end.
3. “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” – Jim Croce – Stranger Things
This one was awesome to me. I remember watching this part of the episode in season three of Stranger Things and immediately wanting to be a music supervisor. It obviously fit perfectly because the title is “Don’t Mess Around with Jim” and the scene was focused on Jim Hopper. He just successfully managed to get his step-daughter and her boyfriend to break up, and he is over the moon about it. It cuts from his initial satisfaction about the breakup to him screaming along to the song in his Bronco truck. The transition to this was unbelievable and could not have been placed better.
4. “Joshua Tree” – Ruthie Collins – The Ranch
I love the way this Ruthie Collins song was placed in the Netflix series, The Ranch. The song has a pretty melancholy sound to it, and in this case, it is playing in the background at the bar where Mary meets Heather and Luke to pick up the things that they saved for her when she was evicted from her house while in jail. It is a very powerful scene, as she refuses all help from them. “Joshua Tree” is super powerful in this part of the show, and I think that the music supervisors did a great job at placing Ruthie’s song here.
(This one’s on Netflix… Part 7, Episode 5 of The Ranch)
5. “Between the Bars” – Elliott Smith – Stuck in Love
I love the music in this movie. This song is played as Louis and Samantha sit in his car and share their favorite songs. Louis asks Samantha to close her eyes and listen, and she starts to cry because she’s scared of committing to having feelings for someone. I think that this song was a very indie choice, and it fits so well. It became sort of mainstream because of this moment in the movie. And I will always think of this moment in this movie when I hear this song.
Chill Songs from Olivia Management
by Madeleine Kelson
Hey there friends and fans of Olivia Management! The world can be a pretty stressful place these days. With so many things to worry about, we all deserve a moment to just slow down and relax. With that in mind, I decided it was time to update my OM Chill Songs playlist from last summer. The new and improved playlist is longer and chiller than ever before. It is the perfect soundtrack to your walk around the neighborhood, the aimless drive you take to kill time, or even as a musical interlude for the time between dinner and your nightly Netflix binge. Whatever the occasion, turn on some of your favorite OM songs, and chill.
How to Find New Music
by Chelsea Hallman
Ultimately, my favorite way to find new music is to hear it live. Going to a show with four artists, only knowing one of them, and coming out on the other side with a playlist full of new music is my ideal Friday night. Right now, since that option is not currently in the picture, we must go digging ourselves.
I find myself digging up the most music when going for drives alone. Spotify really helps me out with this one. I put on my Discover Weekly playlist and just cruise. I often find a single by a small artist that Spotify matches up with my taste. I then add that to a playlist and later will look into more of their music. More often than not, I end up with a new favorite! This is how you find stellar smaller artists like Derek Webb or Ruthie Collins. Another cool thing about my Discover Weekly is I will sometimes land on a single that came out years ago that I would have never listened to otherwise. Tell That Devil by Jill Andrews came out four years ago and every day still is rocks on. With songs like that I’ll listen to one old single and find a whole artist's discography. It’s one of the many tools we’re lucky enough to have these days.
Another way I find music is through my friends. I find they have pretty good tastes in music, too! I’ll follow my friends on Spotify and look at their playlists, or just ask them what they’ve been listening to. I can assume that at least one of your friends gets a little too excited when you like their music taste. We all have that friend (or friends) (or friend groups!) that prides themselves in their playlists, I know I do!
It can also be fun to find music from another generation than you. Ask your parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, coworkers! I know my Uncle Jim is a music fanatic. He will give me hours of playlists of underground oldies. It’s a totally unique and fun listen. It’s also something cool to show off to your friends when you find something great.
Social Media is a great place to find music too. Instagram and Facebook have live shows going on the daily. A new one for me is finding artists on Tiktok. All the dance videos can lead me to some good music that I probably wouldn’t have heard otherwise. Keep on dancing!
Also, I recently found the Music Map. You search one artist you love and it comes up with a whole map of artists around that it recommends you check out. You can get down a hole in this one and find all kinds of new artists. I know for me, I searched for one artist I liked, Billie Eilish, and Harry Styles, Lorde, Lana Del Ray, Ruel, Bea Miller, Lady Gaga, King Princess, and many more of my favorites showed up along with about 40 artists that I hadn’t heard of. I’m a little obsessed with this tool now. Check it out here!
Happy music hunting, and let us know of any solid finds in the music world below in the comments!
Rethinking Routine
by Mackenzie Fey
If you’ve been following along in the last couple of blog posts, you might’ve seen me fish out some tips for working at home and making yourself a pro at this. These tips included starting your days with intentionality, spacing things out mentally and physically, and the importance of taking breaks. All of these things emphasize keeping things as normally as possible within the confines of an abnormal time. There’s nothing wrong with this! For people like me, I need to maintain that mindset to continue being productive and get the responsibilities I have taken care of. But this came to a realization that during these abnormal times, it’s okay to have things be just that. Abnormal.
Don’t get me wrong! There is so much value in routine! Right now, however, times are evolving and changing. Nothing is how it was a year ago. I mean, not even a month ago! What’s the harm in evolving your own routine? Doing things a little differently and reminding yourself it’s okay to be imperfect and skip out on getting into normal people clothes on Tuesday morning and just staying in your pajamas. It’s actually kinda fun! This can even look like finally picking up that brush and paints you got forever ago and never actually used it. It could be listening to an artist or genre you haven’t taken the time to listen to during your work hours (see below!). Go ahead and eat cereal and a donut for dinner. Try a new tv show on a Monday night at 11pm. Now’s the time!
Having a hard time deciding what your new non-routine could look like? I can help with that:
Today, Ruthie Collins released her sophomore album Cold Comfort featuring singles like “Dang Dallas” and “Bad Woman”. It has everything you’d want in an album: truth, heartbreak, enchanting melodies, storytelling, incredible production, and a song that can relate to any one of us. Check it out at this link here and give it a listen! Try it out, you won’t regret it.
To further break up the “normal”, tune in tonight at 7pm central to hear the new album live from Ruthie’s couch in New York! Join us on her YouTube channel tonight at YouTube.com/RuthieCollinsMusic.
A Playlist of Music I'm Digging
by Emma Martin
If you ever see me walking around Nashville or on-campus, my headphones are most likely in and on. Sometimes I just drive around and listen to music because I love it so much. Listening to multiple genres which is fun because one minute I could be listening to a slow acoustic song by Jill Andrews and the next song up is “Like a Girl” by Lizzo. There is an infinite variety of music out there. Check out this playlist I made of some of the songs that I just can’t stop listening to.
Great Songs from Artists at Olivia Management
Jill Andrews - “River Swimming”
Smooth Hound Smith - “Second Hand News”
Ruthie Collins - “Dang Dallas”
Derek Webb - “Wedding Dress”
New(ish) Songs on the Block: A Playlist
by Mackenzie Fey
If you’re like me, you tend to listen to the same three playlists with the same songs curated for any possible mood. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with this—it’s encouraged, actually. But sometimes it’s fun to get a little crazy and listen to songs we haven’t heard before. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of will power to go and seek music that you may find somewhat enjoyable (I know I can’t be alone in this). Lucky for you I’ve done the work necessary. All you have to do is press play!
Some newer Olivia Management playlist highlights:
“Good Grief” by Derek Webb
“Dang Dallas” by Ruthie Collins
“Dog in a Manger” by Smooth Hound Smith
“Back Together” by Jill Andrews
My Favorite Covers By Our Artists
by Helena Cook
Every now and again I love looking up covers of random songs I love. Covers are a great way to hear old favorites re-imagined by other artists and help you re-discover the messages of these songs in a new way. They give us both comfort and familiarity, but also excitement from hearing something new. This week I looked up my favorite covers by our artists at Olivia Management, so check them out below.
SHS - “All I Have To Do Is Dream” by The Everly Brothers
Even though Caitlin and Zack are usually known for their uptempo Americana and Rock sound, the harmonies on this cover are heavenly!
Lydia Luce (ft. Casey Breves) - “Rain and Snow” by Pentangle
I love this folk side of Lydia and love love love her sound and voice on this cover.
Ruthie Collins - “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
Her. Voice. Gives. Me. Chills.
Derek Webb - “Every Grain of Sand” by Bob Dylan
I have to admit, I’ve never been a huge fan of Dylan but I do love his songwriting, and this song was perfect for Derek to cover.
Jill Andrews - “Bermuda Highway” by My Morning Jacket
Jill’s voice is so soothing and everything I needed to hear this afternoon.
What are some of your favorite covers by our artists?
Autumn’s Favorite OM Artist Songs
This summer, I have had the pleasure of getting to know a handful of new artists, in a genre that I don’t find myself listening to as often. Nonetheless, I have still enjoyed this adventure, and I wanted to the share the songs that have stuck out to me during my time here. It’s always hard to pick a favorite song from an artist, so really, a more accurate title would be “the ones I’m digging right now”.
“Dog in a Manger” - Smooth Hound Smith
Whenever I fall into one of those “roots rock” or folk moods, I will definitely be going back to this song and the rest of Smooth Hound Smith’s discography. Seriously, this is so good.
“S.H.a.M.E.” - Matthew Mayfield
As someone who tends more towards rock music than any other genre, I really appreciate Matthew Mayfield’s style. His whole album Gun Shy is fantastic, but I definitely love his song “S.H.a.M.E.” for its depth, relatability, and its message of hope. I’m also a big fan of using strings in guitar heavy songs. (Also, sidenote: I LOVE Matthew’s cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on YouTube)
“Tell That Devil” - Jill Andrews
My true favorite Jill Andrews song is one that has yet to be released (shhh), but since I can’t tell you about that, my other favorite is “Tell That Devil”. I love it’s upbeat vibe and it’s eerie sensibilities.
“Good As New” - Jenn Grinels
I absolutely love the bouncy, jazzy vibe of this song. I wish there were more artists who brought this kind of vibe to their music, no matter the genre. This song reminds me of an artist I used to listen to a lot when I was younger, Francesca Battistelli.
“The Spirit vs. The Kick Drum” - Derek Webb
This song has a nice groove with an important message. In this song Derek draws a distinction between authentic faith and a faith built on feelings that ultimately don’t last. If you’re a little confused, that’s totally okay. If you want to know more, you can check this blog post which breaks down the song.
“Talking to Myself” - Hush Kids
As someone who prefers uptempo songs, this Hush Kids tune is especially enjoyable for me. I love the background vocals in this song, and how they help make it memorable for me.
“Me and Emmylou” - Ruthie Collins
Who doesn’t love a good song of confidence and empowerment? “She thinks she’s the queen of some Mexican desert”. What a lyric!
“Azalea” - Lydia Luce
Last but certainly not least, “Azalea” by Lydia Luce is an excellent track. I love the combination of the heavy, distorted guitar and the strings. Lydia’s thick, strong vocals also fit the whole vibe of this song. Catch her live in the next few Wednesdays at The 5 Spot in Nashville, TN. (BTW, Lydia looks exquisite in this video)
I hope this list helps you find your new favorite artist! These are my personal picks, and I’m sure others in the office have different songs they like best. Be on the lookout for new music from each of our artist. First up: Smooth Hound Smith’s new album coming August 9th!