TOMMY PRIME
Tommy Prine's debut album "This Far South'' coming June 23, 2023 is not only a long awaited introduction but a testimony to Prine's 20's and the loss, love, and growth that has defined them. Co-produced by close friend and kindred musical spirit, Ruston Kelly, and beloved Nashville engineer and producer, Gena Johnson, the album is rich and dynamic from cathartic jams to nostalgic storytelling.
The son of late songwriting legend, John Prine, Tommy Prine grew up in Nashville surrounded by music, art and writing. As a child, he thought all parents were musicians, as his father "going to work" meant performing shows for adoring fans and writing songs. Tommy learned to play guitar by watching his father play, copying the ways his fingers moved and inadvertently developing his own singular style. Summers in Ireland lent their own inspiration, as did 10 straight years camping at Bonnaroo. Prine's musical tastes grew to become decidedly eclectic, spanning John Mayer, Outkast, Bon Iver, the Strokes and more.
It wasn't until Prine reached his mid-twenties, though, that he considered a career of his own in music and began to share with others the songs he wrote in private. His songs were quickly met with excitement and enthusiasm, which sonically brings together a colorful patchwork of musical influences and lyrically explores existential questions and emotional experiences.
The album's title track, "This Far South,'' marks a turning point in Prine's life as he found himself struggling to escape a dark, aimless period. He ultimately found the courage to act on choices that would see him to the other, brighter, side.
"There were several years where I felt without purpose, spent all my time partying, and just existing. I found myself at a fork in the road and chose the better path, and in that moment, I swore I would never be This Far South again."
Grief is a major throughline of Prine's current work. In 2017, Prine lost his best friend to an overdose.
"Since then, I have lost some more friends and have others who are still navigating the ups and downs of struggles with drug abuse."
His song, "Letter To My Brother," was written as a message to the friends he's lost, those in Recovery, and to friends who are still struggling.
He still grapples with the passing of his father in April of 2020. "The world lost one of the greatest songwriters of all time, but I lost my dad." Prine bears the loss of his father and the memories he carries for others on the track, "By The Way."
"The comment I get the most is how much I look like him, and sometimes it makes me feel like I'm a sad reminder to those who loved him."
While navigating that loss has been difficult, he's found solace in connecting through music with others who have lost loved ones.
"When I'm playing certain songs, I can literally look out in the crowd and tell who else has lost their dad," he says. "I can immediately tell which people have experienced, specifically, losing their father. They'll come up and tell me afterwards, and I'll be like, 'Yeah, like, I figured that this conversation was going to happen,' because I could see their reaction. It's been really powerful to see real-deal evidence that grief is a shared experience, and that suffering is a shared experience between humans."
Prine capped off 2022 with his first solo tour across the United States. He was heavily involved with You Got Gold, an event series in Nashville honoring the life and songs of John Prine, and performed at AmericanaFest as an official showcasing artist. He also debuted two original songs, "Ships in the Harbor" and "Turning Stones."
"Ships in the Harbor" is a tender meditation on impermanence and change, with Prine communicating the universal experience of loss through poetic observations of the seemingly mundane. The song found its way onto a series of editorial playlists including Spotify's Fresh Folk playlist and Amazon's Fresh Folk & Ameriana playlist. It was also praised by a number of outlets including Billboard, Garden & Gun, and Saving Country Music who wrote, "With one song, Tommy Prine has already accomplished what many musicians and songwriters work their entire careers to accomplish, which is to make such an indelible emotional connection with an audience."
This year, alongside his own runs of headline shows, Prine opened for Tyler Childers on his "Send In The Hounds Tour" in London. He was also named one of Amazon Music's 2023 Breakthrough Artists to Watch.
"I feel like I've learned more about myself in the last year and a half than I ever have in my life," Prine says. "And I think that speaks a lot to doing something that I'm passionate about. I love and respect the craft. Just hitting the road and doing what so many people before me have done and will continue to do, it's really resonated with me. I think it's transformed me into the person that I am meant to be."
Garden & Gun: Listen Now: Tommy Prine Makes His Debut
BrooklynVegan: 21 New Songs Out Today
USA Today: Tommy Prine isn't standing in the shadow of his dad, John Prine. He's 'walking next to it'
MAGGIE ANTONE
maggie antone is an old soul. she is virginia grown and she loves big! performing national anthems in large venues at the age of seven, she wowed crowds with her vocal power and emotion. her sophomore year of high school, she competed in and won the voice of rva with an original song about addiction called pawn shop 12 string. shortly thereafter, she began performing at local venues to raise money for charities that were close to her heart. originally focused on musical theatre, maggie shifted her interests toward singing and songwriting.
as a y'all-ternative singer-songwriter, her powerful voice, relatable lyrics and authentic disposition, amassed a sizable online following in a short period of time. in fall 2021, sharing her talent from a dorm room floor wearing sweats and a red hoodie, antone captivated social media audiences around the world covering tyler childers' lady may. a successful but reluctant student, antone's inherent non-linear thinking and severe adhd drove her to drop out of college to pursue music full time, a choice, in her heart she always knew she was meant to make. overwhelmed by the out-pouring of support for her talent, it had become clear that antone was finally on a path suited for her loving and artistic heart.
post pandemic, while the world slowly appeared to be coming back to life, antone spent the next year performing as much as she could always trying to share her shows via live stream and connect with her audience as much as possible. by the fall of 2022, antone debuted her voice on streaming platforms releasing her rendition of tyler childers' lady may. ciara bains of holler included antone on her list of new artists to watch in 2023 stating, "very few artists can cover tyler childers and do it justice. maggie antone is one of them." country central's, ryan lippe wrote, ."..the real takeaway is the emergence of a bold new voice in indie country in her own right."
in december 2022, antone followed with an ep, interpretations, covering a range of artists and genres including jolene by dolly parton, spanish pipe dream by john prine, feathered indians by tyler childers, daddy lessons by beyonce, this year's love by david gray and adam's song by blink-182.
on june 23, 2023 antone is dropping her first original release, if only you played football as well as you play girls, self-written, self-produced and under her own independent label — love big! summer 2023 plans include travels to festival of the red in slade, kentucky and peacemaker festival in fort smith, arkansas. a virginia girl at heart, antone also continues to perform in her hometown of richmond and the surrounding areas as much as possible.
she is excited for what the future holds as she finds her place in the world of music. live performance and songwriting have always been a source of healing for maggie, but relatable connections with fans, and the company of healing together has been magical.