Peter Groenwald Plays The Bluebird Cafe!

By: Abby Coleman

The Bluebird Cafe is one of Nashville’s most well-known and well-loved venues for live music. It is known for hosting some of the biggest names in music and giving songwriters a spotlight. Garth Brooks, Dirks Bentley, and Keith Urban are just a few of the stars that have taken stage at the Bluebird. Taylor Swift is one of the biggest names to play at the Bluebird Cafe, which resulted in her record deal. 

The Bluebird is always packed, and landing a gig there is nearly impossible, but we are so proud to say that our very own Peter Groenwald played a round there last Friday. The lineup was amazing and the show sold out in 10 minutes. He played alongside Mary Bragg, Kyshona, and Femke. Peter played some new songs as well as “Wake Up” by Hush Kids. We are always proud of Peter, but especially after this weekend. He did a phenomenal job and got the chance to showcase his talent at one of the biggest venues in Nashville. 

To listen to Peter’s music click here…. We promise you won’t regret it!

Featured Merch: Alex Blue Spring Selection

by Maddy Hicks

In March, our artist Alex Blue launched a merch line with all new items! Alex spent time designing these pieces to make sure she would actually want to wear them herself. We might be biased, but everyone here at the office is in love with these items. They’re so aesthetically pleasing, and they really feel like Alex! From t-shirts to tote bags, hoodies to hats, there’s something for everyone.

My personal favorite is the “Remind Me of the Magic” t-shirt. It’s soft and sweet and reminds me of one of my all-time favorite Alex songs.

Check out Alex’s merch here to find your favorite!

Talent All Around

by Bri Cummings

Olivia Management has been the home of many talented artists, but you might not know how talented the people behind the scenes are! I gathered a few of my favorite songs from our employees and former interns below. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Grace Carey-Hill: Current Tour and Marketing Assistant at OM!

Maddy Hicks: Current intern

Kate Cosentino: Former intern, current badass

Madeleine Kelson: Former intern

Americanafest Must-See Performances

Americanafest is finally here!

There are so many amazing artists performing this year, and it can be daunting trying to decide which events to go see. I’ve put together a list of the performances I’m the most excited for. You’re not going to want to miss seeing these artists!

Olivia Management Presents Live from Historic Eastland

Wednesday, September 22 - 10pm

If you’re looking to see several incredible artists all at one event, this show is the perfect opportunity. Presented by Olivia Management and hosted by Mr. Steve, the performance features Hush Kids, Jill Andrews, Derek Webb, Ruthie Collins, Peter Groenwald, Smooth Hound Smith, and Madeleine Kelson. Tone Tree Music is sponsoring this event, and it will be free to attend. I’m so excited for this show!

Jill Andrews at The Basement East

Thursday, September 23 - 10pm

You never want to miss a chance to see Jill Andrews live. She’ll be performing an official Americanafest show at The Basement East on the 23rd at 10pm. Jill’s performance will be a great way to end your Thursday night!

Smooth Hound Smith at Tin Roof on Broadway

Friday, September 24 - 6pm

Make your way over to Tin Roof on Broadway on the 24th for a chance to see Smooth Hound Smith perform at 6pm! Grab some dinner and watch these amazing artists do their thing.

Ruthie Collins at The Basement

Friday, September 24 - 7pm

Ruthie Collins is in town and you don’t want to miss out on seeing her perform live! Swing by The Basement at 7pm on the 24th to hear some of her incredible songs.

Power to the Music: The Songs of 1971 - Fall

Friday, September 24 - 11pm

To round out this fantastic festival, you should definitely check out this event featuring Ruthie Collins and Jill Andrews alongside many other great artists. The performances will all be tributes to the iconic music of 1971. Make sure to stop by this amazing event!

Super Cool Hush Kids Covers!

by Madison Moll

We love Hush Kids and we love to see fans share their love of their tracks by creating and performing their own spins on them! Here are some of our favorite Hush Kids covers from some super awesome fans. Check it out!

“Goodbye Rain” Cover by Jacob McCoy feat. Langley Burton

Nashville Singer-songwriter Jacob McCoy invites his friend, Langley Burton, to cover this amazing Hush Kids tune!

“Morning is Made” Cover by The Huixqui Sisters

Acoustic vocal duo “The Huixqui Sisters” giving us beautiful harmonies in their rendition of “Morning Is Made” by Hush Kids!

“All My Love” Hush Kids Cover by Kyle Simmons

Charlotte vocalist Kyle Simmons and his wonderfully colorful cover of “All My Love” by Hush Kids!

“Wake Up” Hush Kids Cover by Sahana and Ranjani Naresh

These sisters covered the Hush Kids tune “Wake Up” and provided such a beautiful performance!

“Oasis” Drum Cover By Max Sansalone

Rounding us out on our favorite Hush Kids cover is drummer Max adding a “simple groove” to the Hush Kids track “Oasis”!

Thank you to these wonderful musicians and fans for their beautiful takes on some popular Hush Kids melodies! Be sure to check them out and also listen to Hush Kids newest single “Weatherman” out everywhere now!

Olivia Management's Spring Playlist: Nashville in Bloom

Nashville in the springtime is something to celebrate! Spring brings new life through blossoming flowers, trees re-growing their leaves, and the sun making a soft reappearance.

This spring, we’re bringing you new music to listen to! Drive around the city with your windows down and let all of your worries float out as you vibe out to Nashville in Bloom!

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Happy springtime!!

A Playlist for Your Nashville Valentine

by Kylie Rose

Valentine’s Day, but Nashville edition. No matter your relationship status this Sunday, we’re bringing you stellar music to celebrate this holiday.

Check out our playlist, “Nashville’s Valentine,” for a perfect date night or an evening exploring new tunes!

Nashville based artists and their tales of love, for your Valentine's Day listening.

Happy Valentines Day <3

What Our Artists Have Been Up To

by Cynthia Birkett

Our artist’s work so hard each and every week. Let’s take a peak at what they’re up to these days.

Jill Andrews

Jill is continuing her Outdoor Spaces and Covered Faces Tour and will be in Erwin, TN on Friday, September 18, Asheville, NC the very next night on Saturday and finishing up the weekend in Greenville, SC this Sunday the 20th. There are still some shows left in her tour, so be sure to grab your tickets. They’re going fast! 

Derek Webb

For Derek Webb, the people have spoken. Derek will be recording his third completely fan-picked covers album, named Democracy Vol. 3. Want to see if your fan-picked song made it on the album, go check out his Instagram! We’re so excited to hear how this one turns out, it’s bound to be great.

Have you ever wanted to host a Derek Webb Show? Here’s your chance! Click here to find out more information! 

Ruthie Collins

If we’re being honest, we’ve been watching Ruthie Collins new “Joshua Tree” music video on the daily since she released it back in January. Recently, the video has been getting lots of deserving love from DittyTV. If you have yet to see it, go check it out here! It’s absolute magic through and through.

Smooth Hound Smith

Smooth Hound Smith’s new single, "Little Rock N Roll Clubs" has the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) in mind as artists and venues all over the world have been impacted these past several months. Be sure to watch the official music video, shot at local Nashville venue Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge. If you’re looking to support our independent musicians and venues even further, check out the Save Our Stages Act here. 

Exciting News!

Have you heard?! We are happy to announce that we are now managing Peter Groenwald! Peter Groenwald moved to Nashville after high school to follow his dreams! He works in the genres of Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Folk, and Americana. He has sung background vocals, played keys, and toured behind acts like John Mayer and O.A.R.. Peter Groenwald has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brian and has performed at venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheater, Radio City Music Hall and the famous Ryman Auditorium. Peter Groenwald found that the heart of his music was in his writing and producing so he joined forces with Jill Andrews in 2016 and formed the band Hush Kids. We are so happy to welcome Peter Groenwald to our team!

My Favorite Songs by Smooth Hound Smith

by Kaila Divak

When I was first researching Olivia Management, before I applied to intern here, I looked through all of their artists’ catalogs. I was really into everything that they put out, but I was particularly drawn towards one duo, and that was Smooth Hound Smith. I was obsessed with their harmonies, a mix of country and blues. Honestly, it was hard for me to even make that comparison because I think that they have so many different genres of music stitched into their three albums that it’s almost impossible to pin them within one.

But my all-time favorite song by them came out after I had discovered them. I would have to say that their newest single, “Little Rock N Roll Clubs”, is by far my favorite song that they’ve ever released. I had the privilege of listening to it to create social media content prior to the release, and I found myself walking around my house, doing something mundane like cooking or cleaning, and singing the song. I wanted to play it on Spotify so badly that I even looked it up a few times, remembering mid-search that the single wasn’t out until August 28th. “Little Rock N Roll Clubs” is a tribute to independent music venues across the world that have been getting hit hard due to concerts and other events being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This song was written with Save Our Stages, the National Independent Venue Association, and the National Independent Talent Organization in mind. So not only is it an amazing song, it also has some purpose behind it, which makes you feel good.

My second favorite song by Smooth Hound Smith is for sure “Steal Your Crown” off of their 2013 record, Smooth Hound Smith. This song has such a real rockabilly feel, like they were playing homage to The Black Keys and Thickfreakness. Every last detail down to the harmonica, tambourine, fuzzy guitar, and the steady drumbeat compliment Zack’s growly vocals and Caitlin’s harmonies perfectly. This song makes you want to get up and sing a karaoke song at a dive bar. I love to play this one while driving on the highway, with all of my windows down. And I’m sure you’d feel the same way.

My third and final favorite song would definitely be “Stopgap Woman Blues” off of their sophomore album, Sweet Tennessee Honey. For some reason, whenever I listen to this song, I think of “Black Country Woman” by Led Zeppelin. I don’t know if it’s the way the drums enter later on in the song, or the gritty guitar melody, but it gets me every time. The music video for this song also makes me laugh, but it’s true.

And I’ve missed so many amazing songs that Smooth Hound Smith has recorded, because if I listed all of the songs that I loved by them, this post be way too long long. They really do blend so many genres together to make an extremely unique genre of their own.

Nashville: Community Relief Resources

by Jackie Minton

Monday, March 2nd was a typical day for middle Tennessee, but when the sun rose on Tuesday morning the destruction that happened overnight became visible. We are utterly heart broken with the victims of this incredible storm. Below we have compiled a few resources for those affected, as well as information on how to get involved with the city’s recovery efforts. The Olivia Team is proud to be apart of this community and truly believes we are #NashvilleStrong.

Image by Brett Carlsen / Getty Images / The Basement East after the storm.

MusiCares

MusiCares is an organization within the Grammy Foundation that grants personal and financial assistance to industry professionals that suffer from critical circumstances. See their website to find the Nashville office’s contact information and to learn more about their charitable work. 

Airbnb Open Homes

Airbnb has mobilized a site to help those seeking shelter find a free place to stay, available through March, 24th. Hosts willing to open their homes to those in need, have listed their spaces for free. Learn more about their Open Homes Program here. 

Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition

Tennessee’s Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition offers a list of shelter and storage options by county, in a variety of languages. 

The Donelson Fellowship

A local church is accepting donations for its Disaster Relief Fund and encourages individuals personally affected by the storm to contact them. Their email is office@donelson.org

If you would like to help in Nashville’s recovery efforts, consider giving to the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund or to the Salvation Army Nashville Relief Fund.

For those who live locally and would like to serve, you can volunteer with Hands On Nashville to assist in clean up and recovery efforts.

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”

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Top 5 Indie Venues in Nashville

By Jackie Minton

As a new Nashville native, many of my friends ask me where they can hear good live music. Now if you’re looking for a night of classic country covers, Broadway is your best bet. But off Music Row, where do the locals go to get their music fill? Now that you are here, search no further. I have compiled a list of the best independent music venues in the Nashville and I am ready to get you listening like a local. 

1. The Basement East

Located at 917 Woodland St., The Basement East has been home to a number of budding and established acts. Noted for hosting quirky shows such as singer-songwriter Charlie Worsham’s annual John Mayerathon and world-renowned acts such as Avi Kapplan, former member of the Pentatonix, a bad night at Basement East is slim to none. Last time I went to a show here, I turned around to see Leon Bridges listening in the midst of the crowd behind me. If that isn’t enough of a seal of approval— I don’t know what is. 

Derek Webb plays to an attentive crowd at The Basement East. Photo by Maggie Adams

2. Mercy Lounge

This cozy venue features acts from across the board of the independent music. This upstairs brick hall is surprisingly cozy when filled with strangers. The packed atmosphere is balanced by sweeping, silent fans hung above the crowd— making for a notably pleasing (and less sweaty) listening experience. May be TMI, but you’ll thank me later! Performers range from pop-rock to folk-americana, but the air is always filled with an excitement from the crowd. Pictured below, Nashville-based artist Jill Andrews performs as a part of the city’s annual Americana Fest. Jill is set to return to Mercy Lounge on April 2nd (4/2/20) to celebrate the release of her upcoming album Thirties. This is an anticipated night you won’t want to miss! (Get your tickets here!)

Jill Andrews performs for Nashville’s annual Americana Fest on Mercy’s Stage. Photo by Erin Anderson.

3. 3rd & Lindsley

The slogan of this warehouse is “Good music. Good food. Good friends.” Fittingly, 3rd & Lindsley hosts both artists and songwriters, featuring a breadth of the music local and traveling through music city. Ranging from a table-and-chairs listening room experience to a standing-room-only concert hall, this indie venue is versatile and compatible with all kinds of audiences. Shown below the folk-rock duo Smooth Hound Smith steals the stage of this prominent Nashville venue. 

Americana-Rock Band Smooth Hound Smith takes the stage at 3rd & Lindsley. Photo by Maggie Adams.

4. The 5 Spot

On the East side of Nashville, The 5 Spot occupies the cozy and cool corner of the city. They feature everything from throwback dance parties reminiscent of the 70s and rising country acts, such as Ruthie Collins. Their unexpected mix of shows blend well into the host of bars and restaurants popping all over East Nashville. This 21 & up club is noted for their relaxed vibes and spunky entertainment!

Ruthie Collins pulls her audience close during this intimate show at The 5 Spot. Photo by Madeline Heiskell.

5. The Bluebird Cafe

Known best for spotlighting artists like Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift early in their careers, the Bluebird Cafe is often filled with listeners from all over the world. Even still, this landmark is a resting place for some of Nashville’s local jewels. It may be last in this list, but it is certainly not least! The venue’s popularity has only garnered with their common feature on the previous hit show Nashville and the late release of the documentary film, Bluebird. Nestled between Whole Foods and a Tuesday Morning, this whole in the wall is not one you want to miss. Pictured below the Americana duo Smooth Hound Smith performs at this neighborhood icon.

Indie Americana duo, Smooth Hound Smith performs below the neon bluebird. Photo by Madeline Heiskell.