Meet the new class of Music City musicians.
Despite winning accolades for its cocktail culture and superior dining scene, Nashville will never shake its reputation as Music City. While the city’s past is laden with stories of country stars to blues legends and lesser-known barbershop quartets, a host of artists is breathing new life into honky-tonk haunts, bridging the gap between Nashville’s culturally rich past and its eclectic present.
The intrinsic relationship between Nashville and music stretches far back in history and across genres and spaces: it was home to legendary trans pioneer and soul singer Jackie Shane; it launched Johnny Cash’s career; it served as the recording space for Etta James’s Rock the House album in the 1960s. Yet there is plenty of room for innovation in the ever-growing Southern metropolis: Dolly Parton’s influence can be heard in contemporary artists like Margo Price; Shannon Shaw of Shannon of the Clams recorded her phenomenal solo record here; and it’s no secret that DIY spaces and established venues alike support indie and experimental acts, or that the hip enclave of East Nashville is continually breeding new sounds.
To celebrate the staying power of Nashville’s cultural revolution, we’re highlighting notable members of the new class of Music City musicians, what makes them the real deal, and where you can hear them live in this summer in Nashville and beyond.
Soccer Mommy
See Them Live: Musicians Corner, a free concert series in Nashville’s Centennial Park on Friday and Saturdays May and June; and any of these U.S. cities during their tour.
Essential Track: “Blossom (demo) / Be Seeing You”
In true DIY spirit, Sophie Allison recorded songs on a Tascam recorder and released them for free on Bandcamp in 2015 under the Soccer Mommy moniker. The response was so encouraging that she dropped out of school and moved back to her hometown of Nashville to pursue music full time. Soccer Mommy has long been a favorite of followers of the Nashville music scene; Allison and the band graced the stage at Third Man Records and headlined Mercy Lounge last year, and she’s earned praise from the Fader and NPR for her dreamy, nostalgic pop. Her latest album Clean came out in 2018, and she recently put out a few previously unreleased demos.
