According to a recent survey, 90% of independent music venues are at risk of permanently closing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fortunately, taking action is easy — thanks to the National Independent Venue Association.

Music lovers based in the US — click on the link above to tell your legislators to save independent music venues. It only takes 30 seconds. Your voice matters.

You can also pick up merch to support the cause, or donate directly to venues if you’re able.

Head here to see which venues in your area are at risk, and check out recent reporting on the fight for live music venues from Pitchfork and Consequence of Sound.

Thanks in advance for your support, and take care.

Independent music venues need your help! was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A letter for people in the music industry.

As I wake up on the morning of Black Out Tuesday, I can’t help but feel anxious, nervous, and slightly hopeful to see what this day might bring. There is this confusing balance black people have had to deal with recently: on the one hand, staying informed and on top of what’s going on, while on the other hand, having to step away as the disturbing, painful and heavy footage from across the globe takes a toll on our mental health and emotional well-being. And yet personally, there is still (always) a constant feeling to do more, to do better. So I decided to write.

I’ve always been a writer, I’ve realised — I feel more comfortable typing than speaking in general. But seeing all these amazing articles, posters, quotes and more only made me think ‘What can I add? What more can I do? How else can I inspire people?’.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said, again and again? And then I realised; there’s no perfect way to talk about this. No perfect speech that says everything that needs to be said (although I have heard a few lately that come very close). All I can do is tell a story to educate, inspire, and hopefully put others into action. So here it goes.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work in big music companies and to have been surrounded by inspiring execs in the music industry. Stepping into the UK music industry as a Ghanaian woman born and raised in the Netherlands, I was in awe; there were black people everywhere — well, at least when you look at junior-level jobs (although that’s a discussion for another time). It made me think I had a chance, a place to potentially succeed. It still does.

There was one thing, however, that never changed; no matter what social gathering I was in — in the cafeteria, in company-wide meetings, at conferences, parties, you name it — black people were always sitting together. Just like in high school. And why is that? How come I felt more comfortable being surrounded by black people, people I had never even spoken to, than with colleagues I talked to every day? What was and is the disconnect between black and (non-black or) white colleagues?

I Wanna Line Up the Pieces, Yours and Mine

The answer, I feel, is quite simple: they often just can’t relate. And when you can’t relate, it’s easier to not understand. To not understand experiences, jokes and references. To not understand microaggressions, or feeling like a token; feeling like you don’t belong, not really. To not understand that even if you are a black person, thriving in a predominantly white space, you still feel like there is a gap you just can’t get across to feel equal — one that seems invisible to white people.

See, black people have had to adapt. They’ve had to work extremely hard to force themselves to be present in these white spaces, simply to be heard. To be part of the conversation. White people have the luxury, the privilege to just be, and get the same results.

Not being able to relate, however, shouldn’t give you an excuse to not understand. Just because you don’t know what it feels like, doesn’t mean you can’t understand that it’s wrong. Just because you haven’t experienced racism, doesn’t mean you can’t call it out amongst your friends, family members, and colleagues.

Nothing that I said above is or should be news to you, especially with what’s been happening over last week. I’m positive you all see and feel the pain, rage, discomfort and injustice. I’m glad our industry is stepping up publicly and taking a day to focus on it, to focus on how we can be better. But what happens on Wednesday, or next week? What happens when the four officers finally get charged based on their disgusting actions that led to the murder of an innocent man? What happens when (and dear God not if) justice finally gets served?

It’s so easy to fall back into a routine, so how do we continue, as an industry so very dependent on black creators and black culture, to work on having justice served and making black people feel equally important, every single day?

I might not have the answers, but there are dozens and dozens of ways to search for these answers yourself. These ways or resources can help you educate and inspire others. They can give you insight on actions you can take to make black people feel equal, and feel like they matter. I might not have the answers, but I’ve still given it a try down below.

Educate.

The number of documentaries, books, TV series, podcasts, and blogs about the history of racism, how it manifests and how it’s prominent in our day-to-day lives are countless. So please, buy a book. Watch that 50-minute documentary. Read that article, and then read another one next week. Keep informing yourself, so that it becomes so apparent and obvious in your eyes, you no longer have to ask others “But why is that?”; so that you will no longer apathetically look away.

Also, note that it’s not your black friend’s job to directly educate you on what is going on or how you can be better. Although well-intended, I’m sure, it is frankly exhausting and frustrating. We all have access to the same internet.

Speak up.

It’s essential, essential to influence your circles. It is crucial to call out your friends on the slightly off-hand comments they make, to call out the stereotypical jokes your uncles laugh about at parties or the appropriation your teammates do at events. This doesn’t only go for white people; there is a lot of anti-blackness rooted in Asian and Latin culture, too. Be actively aware and speak out, every single time. We as black people have tried, for years we have tried. But we cannot do this alone.

Change the game.

To everyone with even a little bit of power: do something to level the playing ground. To HR and hiring agencies — enforce policies to make sure black people grow within your system; to not have them get stuck at mid-level positions until they get too tired of fighting to get to the top.

To A&Rs (records and publishing) interconnected with black artists or black-influenced music — look for those songwriters that tell you those experiences in their own words. To managers building teams around your artists, make sure the lawyers, booking agents, record labels and publishers understand them, look like them, listen to them, fight for them.

To the people working in marketing, brands, sponsorships — be actively aware of each message you send out. Each decision you make in that meeting room should not only be representative of the black artist you represent or the black audience you cater to, but should be made with consciousness — especially in relation to the partners you’re working with. Are the brands you work with active in social justice? Have your media partners worked hard in levelling the playing field in their sector? Would they fight for your artists?

The above are just examples, there are so many other divisions in the industry that can make a difference. And as said before, there are tons of different ways to get involved, and especially now, the internet is pouring over in hundreds of ways to change your own little world.

Now is the time to act; to reinforce those ideas of ‘community’ we’ve been declaring in our mission statements and visions. Now is the time to actively incorporate social and racial justice activities on a monthly, quarterly, yearly basis, not just during Black History Month. To raise awareness in how to change your local community, how to raise future music industry execs of colour, how to work together with your local politicians to make sure your black employees’ voices are heard.

We thankfully aren’t where we were before, but we can always, always, strive to do better.

Vivian.

Songkicker, music enthusiast at heart — but before anything else, a Black woman.

To whom it may concern (which is, to all) was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

On Friday, Feburary 28th, after 10 long years, Celine Dion finally returned to the great state of New York. After leaving Vegas, Celine decided it was time to get back on the road. The superstar is currently on her 120 date “Courage Tour” until the middle of September, so you have plenty of time to catch the singer in action.

With 19,000 people in attendance at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Celine took the stage performing her famous hit ‘That’s The Way It Is’ to get the night started. She later followed with some covers of ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘All By Myself,’ & a montage of ‘Another One Bits The Dust,’ ‘Lady Marmalade’ and more.

Track Celine Dion on Songkick to be notified when she announces new shows near you.

Gig Highlight: Celine Dion was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

After selling out the show ten days earlier in under 2 minutes, All Time Low packed New York’s Bowery Ballroom on a Thursday night with super fans who had no idea what to expect from this surprise show.

All Time Low has been teasing fans with new music since releasing ‘Birthday’ and ‘Everything Is Fine’ in 2018. After ‘Some Kind of Disaster’ dropped on January 20th, fans knew this was a start of a new era for the band.

The surprise show at Bowery Ballroom treated fans to an energetic setlist of crowd favorites such as ‘Damned If I Do Ya,’ ‘Weightless,’ and ‘Something’s Gotta Give,’ but also included deep cuts like ‘Canals’ and ‘Cinderblock Garden.’ Fans went crazy — and already knew every word — for the band’s new track ‘Some Kind of Disaster’ and a yet to be released track that we can’t wait to hear the studio version of.

Of course the night ended with ‘Dear Maria’ and the crowd singing along to every word. This show reminded everyone there why we anxiously await every new release and tour announcement. Whether you’ve been around since Put Up or Shut Up or ‘Last Young Renegade’ was the first ATL song you heard, All Time Low welcomes their fans new and old to every show and makes you feel like you’re a part of something amazing.

Photos by Smo Ostrowski
Words by Erika Olsen

Gig Highlight: All Time Low was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Hunter Hayes has been one of the biggest names in country music since his self-titled debut in 2011. Almost 4 years after his last release, Hunter burst back onto the scene with his most recent project, Wild Blue. After teasing fans with singles ‘Heartbreak’ and ‘Dear God’, Hunter announced that the album we were all waiting for would be arriving in just 2 short days.

Thanks to our friends at Bai, we welcomed excited fans to our NYC headquarters will cold beverages and custom cocktails. Hunter opened up the night with the new project’s title track ‘Wild Blue’. Throughout the night, we got treated to incredible performances of ‘Night And Day,’ ‘My Song Too,’ ‘Dear God,’ and of course Hunter’s first hit ‘Wanted.’

Between each song, Hunter stopped to tell us about the album and the background behind each song. Hunter called this album a reset — where he went back to the beginning and created an album that spoke his own truth. Rather than focusing on the reception of the music, Hunter wanted to explore everything that’s happened to him over the last few years and follow his own intuition — hoping the fans would respond well.

Of course, the fans loved the new tracks and we laughed and cried along to Hunter’s stories. While we didn’t have time for a full Q&A this time around, Hunter didn’t let fans down and made sure everyone went home with a signed Songkick Live poster.

Hunter just released the music video for ‘Night And Day’ — make sure to check it out here! Keep an eye out for Wild Blue (Part 2) — we know we can’t wait!

Make sure to track Hunter Hayes on Songkick to be the first to know when he announces new shows near you.

Hunter Hayes

Songkick Live: Hunter Hayes was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In the midst of your yearly wrapped and replay summaries, Songkick is back with our annual live music round-up! We are reflecting on 2019’s incredible performers; artists who’ve been out more than they’ve been in, performing more than they’ve been sleeping and entertaining the masses in one or more of the 829,030(!) shows we have listed in 2019.

Digging even further into our data, we can reveal that 6,473,954 shows have been played across the globe this decade!

Thanks to our exhaustive database, we’re able to crunch the number of live shows artists have played this year to bring you our pick of the hardest working bands of 2019 — check them out below!

It’s no surprise to us that Lewis Capaldi made his way to the top of our chart. With 126 shows played over twelve months, the self-proclaimed Scottish Beyoncé has definitely left a mark in 2019’s live scene. Despite voice troubles and a few cancelled shows, Lewis Capaldi has had an amazing year — with a #1 UK debut album and Grammy nomination for his hit single Someone You Loved, we’re positive he’ll be hovering around the top of our chart for time to come. We’ll be watching!

HARDEST WORKING BAND — The past decade and a half have been a wild ride for Buckcherry. Forming in 1995 then reforming in 2005, they showed no sign of slowing down touring in 2019, alongside an eighth studio album. With 151 shows under their belts this year, lead singer Josh Todd and the rest of his band have been entertaining devoted rock-fans across America, Europe, Australia and Japan.

HONOURABLE MENTION — Who else to make a home in our chart than this year’s queen of self-love? Lizzo, who is TIME magazine’s ‘Entertainer of the Year’, has been making and breaking records left and right. From reigning the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 weeks with Truth Hurts to being the most-nominated (8!) artist at the 2020 Grammy’s with nominations in each of the big four categories, Lizzo shows us she’s truly unstoppable — and her 120 live shows prove it!

Staying closer to home has also been a theme for superstars and rising stars alike. Proud Northeasterner, Sam Fender has marked special 2019 moments with shows across the area, including an intimate album release show in North Sheilds and the coveted task of turning on Newcastle’s Christmas lights. Selling out a date at Newcastle Arena next year in under 8 minutes, and treating his Geordie fans to a may bank holiday treat in 2020, he has no plan to leave his homeland behind as we enter a new decade.

Ed Sheeran also stayed close to home, with 4 epic shows at Ipswich’s Chantry Park. The Perfect singer, who’s been crowned ‘UK’s Artist of the Decade’ by the Official Charts Company has had a ‘quiet’ year, only playing about 50 shows this year — 7 of which based were in the UK. Well, 8 to be more specific, as Ed did a surprise appearance last month at a Snow Patrol gig in — you guessed it, Ipswich!

Celebrating the artists that travelled the farthest, cumulatively lapping the globe, has been a long-standing tradition here at Songkick. However, this year artists are taking a stand.

The spotlight has now been placed on the environmental impact of touring, with bands including Coldplay and Massive Attack searching for carbon-neutral options in the face of our current climate and ecological crisis. Whilst bringing the magic of live music to fan everywhere is our mission, Coldplay’s recent live-streamed Sunrise and Sunset gigs show new and exciting ways artists can connect their live music with fans globally.

This year we give Chris Martin and his band an honourable mention. From 67 dates in 2016 and 58 dates in 2017 and travelling over 1,017,155 miles in their touring career, Coldplay’s only date of 2019 was a special performance at the Natural History Museum.

Some of the biggest trends we’ve seen this year have come from newer artists that have left a huge impact on music. Indie-pop sensation Billie Eilish — who is now the youngest person ever to be nominated in the big four categories of the Grammy’s — has seen her live shows change from primarily US shows in 2018 to a massive, sold-out tour across the globe.

Post Malone, whose amount of trackers on Songkick grew to nearly 1.5 million has had an equally exciting year. The Sunflower rapper has played 84 shows, ranging from North American, European and Australian shows to a summer filled with festivals.

Although Korean band BTS might not have made the top of our chart with the 31 shows they’ve played this year, the band is by all means working hard. As the first Korean act ever to headline two shows at Wembley Stadium, selling over 975,000 tickets across 20 shows, and grossing a little over 116 million dollars for their stadium tours, these stats show that the band is a force to be reckoned with. We can’t wait to see how far they’ll go in 2020!

Check out Songkick’s pick of 2019’s Hardest Working Bands below!

The Hardest Working Bands of 2019 was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Staff picks: Gigs of 2019, a playlist by Songkick on Spotify

Gender Roles at Boston Music Room by Alex Dodd, Software Developer

For fans of PUP, Pixies, Fangclub

Am I a sucker for distorted guitar? Yes. Do I think there are few things in life better than ear-crunching punk gigs? Also yes. Did I start writing this ‘best of 2019’ review in October after seeing these 3 lads from Brighton, because I knew that they wouldn’t be topped in the months that followed? Also yes (and apologies to The Skints!).

But enough about me, you wanna hear about Gender Roles. If you like your bands shouty, fuzzy and hairy, you’re going to enjoy a Gender Roles gig. Their perfect mix of slow grunge, fast punk and intense vocals was what made these guys the standout show for me this year. Definitely catch them while they’re still playing these smaller rooms and while you can still chat with them at the merch stand!

Gender Roles

Clairo at Electric Ballroom by Chris Williams, Community & Partnerships

For fans of Beabadoobee, Gus Dapperton, Brad Stank

2019 was a colossal year for bedroom-pop star Clairo, and in a very different way too to her viral YouTube successes of 2017 with tracks Pretty Girl and Flaming Hot Cheetos. 2019 saw Clairo release her debut record, Immunity, thereby laying down a marker for the type of pop star that she wants to be. This was laid bare for all to see at her Electric Ballroom show in Camden this December.

Rather than making a grand entrance soundtracked by one of her hits, Clairo kicked off the show with album-opener, Alewife’, a track entrenched in struggles with mental health. She is clearly super focussed on her craft and this really showed in the way that she was able to engage a playful crowd with the more delicate moments of her set. Clairo clearly cares about her fans deeply, but she cares about them seeing her in the right light — as an artist, not just as a pop star.

Immunity is an incredibly mature record that Clairo has brilliantly translated to the live stage. I for one can’t wait to see what’s to come from such an immensely talented artist who is still in her formative years.

Clairo

BTS at Wembley Stadium by Vivian Larbi, Community & Partnerships

For fans of Little Mix, Justin Bieber, One Direction

For many European K-Pop fans, it was the start of an amazing summer when Wembley Stadium opened its doors on June 1, 2019. It was only the second time K-pop sensation BTS visited the UK, but the seven-member band managed to sell 90.000 seats at Wembley Stadium — twice! Surrounded by die-hard fans in a sea full of lightsticks, I felt truly at home singing along to songs from their latest album, as well as a variation of songs from their six-year catalogue. For every lover of pop music with a soft spot for girl and boy bands, I would recommend giving this trailblazing group at least one try live — if you can get tickets, that is!

BTS

Hozier at Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom by Erika Olsen, Content Coordinator

For fans of George Ezra, Vance Joy, The Head and the Heart

Last month, Hozier played 5 nights at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom. The prolific singer-songwriter packed the historic space each night, bringing fans an eclectic mix of old and new tracks, gorgeous visuals, and of course the powerful vocals he’s renowned for. On the third night, the set included everything from As It Was to Take Me To Church, alongside his new track Jackboot Jump. Hozier gave us a science lesson behind the song No Plan and raised every rainbow flag brought up to the stage. Seeing Hozier live was more than just going to a concert for this fan — it was a spiritual experience.

Hozier

Khruangbin at O2 Academy Brixton by Josh Nickson, Software Developer

For fans of Kikagaku Moyo, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Menahan Street Band

Yes, Khruangbin is the coolest band ever. They ooze style and substance abundantly in equal measure. Their uniquely century-spanning presence evokes both 1960s psychedelia and space-age futurism, whilst their virtuosic music blends influence from a buffet of Thai, Iranian, and Spanish sources, to name a few. I couldn’t wait to see them in the flesh.

I joined the flock of eager London fans on this chilly Tuesday evening, wrestling my way to the front to bask in the warm, laid-back grooves from the magical trio: nonchalant drummer DJ, jelly-kneed bassist Laura Lee, and guitar wizard Mark Speer. And boy did they put on a show. Light from twelve disco balls glistened behind unmistakable silhouettes as they rolled out tune after tune. The crowd went wild for synchronised knee melts to the twangy riffs of Dern Kala as well as when Laura spoke robotic tones into a green telephone for Evan Finds the Third Room. Yes, they even squeezed in an impossibly seamless medley of tracks spanning from Dr Dre, to Spandau Ballet. What a band.

Khruangbin

Matt Corby at Bushstock Festival by Felix Harrison, Software Developer

For fans of Boy & Bear, San Cisco, Lime Cordiale

They say that “Every cloud has a silver lining’ and at Bushstock in the summer this was proven to be true. In this instance, the cloud was the fact that I had seriously sprained my ankle the week before attending Bushstock (a festival held in London’s Shepherd’s Bush) so I was hobbling from venue to venue on crutches while on some pretty strong pain killers. The silver lining came in the form of people allowing me to get to the front of the crowd at Bush Hall to watch Matt Corby. Matt, my artist of the decade according to Spotify, lit up the stage with his beautifully crafted songs and amazing vocals. Being close enough to almost reach out and touch him was an amazing experience. With a mix of singing, piano playing, guitar, and flute, the man can do it all. He finished with Miracle Love as the whole crowd sang the words back to him. Great song. Great voice. Great hair.

Matt Corby

Tame Impala at The O2 by Sam Gray, Product Manager

For fans of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Pond, Glass Animals

Tame Impala are undoubtedly my favourite band of all time — Kevin Parker’s gentle voice and psychedelic-rock wizardry have accompanied me through my highest and lowest moments, so I was immensely excited to see his Coachella headline show come to the O2 in London. The arena was packed and the crowd electric with excitement — selling out such a big venue a testament to how newer “poppier” tunes have massively increased his fanbase — and the roof was nearly ripped off as a trippy pre-festival video marked the start of the gig.

Kevin Parker had promised a huge show packed with visual effects, and a monumental confetti explosion during the opening Let It Happen set a precedent for the rest of the gig. Unprecedented lazers followed during Elephant, and a huge Kevin Parker visual with a *third* eye accompanied New Person, Same Old Mistakes. Allowing this special group to bathe you in bright lights and huge chords is pure euphoria, and with new music on the horizon, there’s no act on the planet I could recommend seeing more!

Tame Impala

Imogen Heap at The Roundhouse by Chloe Verity, Software Developer

For fans of Ingrid Michaelson, The Bird and the Bee, Kimbra, Jason Derulo (only joking)

I had assumed that being a fan of Imogen Heap’s for possibly half of my existence would have sufficiently readied me for the performance I would witness on this frosty November evening — how naive! I’d never seen a live performance of hers, which ultimately empowered me to enter The Roundhouse that night guided by little more than curiosity; in hindsight, a blessing.

When the honourable Ms Heap took to the stage (adorned in, what anybody not afforded her cartoonish charm, would have looked like a bedazzled bin-bag) and gave us a whirlwind tour of her entire discography. This of course included the infamous Hide and Seek, re-optimized for its involvement in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — a great way to involve those who haven’t sold one of their kidneys for a ticket yet. The reunification of Imogen and her longtime creative partner, Guy Sigsworth, was just the icing on the cake. The highlight? A live tutorial of her music-making gloves: wearable tech, which permitted her to theatrically augment and toy with the performance, while us mere mortals could do nothing but watch, oohing and aahing throughout in a display almost too wholesome to have occurred in North London.

Imogen Heap

Sam Fender at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club by Alice Hamer, Community & Partnerships

For fans of rousing lyrics, powerful vocals, and great guitar music

Rapidly ascending his way up the venue scale, it was a special treat to see Sam Fender play a small east-end Working Men’s Club as part of Annie Mac’s AMP gig series. Soon after making a splash at SXSW in Austin with a packed schedule of showcases, the Brit award winner showed off his Geordie tan and jet-lagged eyes to a captive, adoring army of fans. Packing a punch with upbeat tunes like Hypersonic Missiles and White Privilege, he balanced powerful lyricism and hard topics with playful charm, whilst melancholy Leave Fast made his voice the spectacle. In the intimate space under the twinkly disco-ball lights, you could feel the love from the crowd as well as Fender’s undeniable connection with his band. With Brixton Academy and Alexandra Palace on the horizon, 2019 was his year.

Sam Fender

Staff picks: Gigs of 2019 was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

On Monday, November 18th, we headed downtown to Webster Hall to catch the NYC stop of Charlotte Lawrence’s Navy Blue Tour. The rising pop-star emerged to a screaming crowd with her hit ‘Why Do You Love Me’ and kept the energy going with ‘Just The Same,’ ‘Stole Your Car’ and more — keeping the crowd singing and dancing the whole time.

Slowing it down for a minute, Charlotte showed off her guitar and piano skills with the emotional tracks ‘Sin X Secret’ and ‘Keep Me Up’. After getting past all the feels, we jumped back into the bangers with ‘Psychopath’ and ‘Lie To Me.’ Charlotte treated us to an amazing performance of ‘Cowboys’ before breaking into the tour’s namesake ‘Navy Blue’.

Wrapping up the show, Charlotte gave a rousing performance her latest single ‘God Must Be Doing Cocaine’ and her breakout hit ‘Sleep Talking.’ The crowd was ready and sang every word back.

Charlotte Lawrence showed the crowd that night that she’s more than just her hits. She’s a talented songwriter with gripping and clever lyrics. She’s a true musician inspired by some of the greatest talents of our time. And we’ll definitely be seeing a lot more from her.

Charlotte is wrapping up the US leg of her ‘Navy Blue’ tour now and is heading to Europe in 2020. You can track her on Songkick to be notified when she announces new shows near you!

Check out Charlotte’s latest single ‘God Must Be Doing Cocaine’ below!

Gig Highlight: Charlotte Lawrence was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Growing up outside of Derry in Northern Ireland, JC Stewart abandoned his dreams of professional rugby for music at 15 — and we’re so glad he did. JC treated us to an incredible performance of his tracks ‘Have You Had Enough Wine?’ and ‘Bones’ at Songkick Live Milan and we’re thrilled to share this rising star’s set with you.

While he may be best known for his track ‘Hollywood’ on Lewis Capaldi’s debut album, JC Stewart has been climbing the ladder with successful songs of his own. His 2018 single ‘Like I Did’ has 4.6 million streams on Spotify, and his more recent ‘Bones’ isn’t far behind with 4.3 million streams between the original and acoustic versions.

Speaking to Music Week in October, JC says writing songs can be as easy as pulling a line from a conversation — or a text from an ex, which inspired ‘I Think We Both Know.’ For his collaboration with Lewis Capaldi, it was as easy as a few hours in the studio with laughs and beers. The track now has more than 21 million streams on Spotify.

JC Stewart will be hitting the road again in May 2020. For now, you can track him on Songkick to be notified when he announces new shows near you.

JC Stewart

Songkick Live Introduces: JC Stewart was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Carlie Hanson was a huge Justin Bieber fan and was inspired by him to start posting covers on YouTube. In May 2016, Carlie decided to enter a contest to win tickets to see Zayn Malick by submitting a cover of his song ‘Pillowtalk’. The video drew a lot of attention and by November 2017, her second single ‘Only One’ was featured on Taylor Swift’s personal playlist.

Since then, she’s gone on to sign with Warner Records and travel the world opening for Troye Sivan and Yungblud. After joining Bad suns on tour earlier this year, she released her debut EP Junk in June and has toured across Europe and the UK on the WYA Tour.

Overall, Carlie’s lyrics deal with everything from romance and relationships to anxiety in a generation raised on the internet. The pop star says what’s most important to her is connecting with her fans and helping them feel like there are others going through the same things they are.

Carlie will be heading out on tour with Lauv in Australia and New Zealand later this month. You can track her on Songkick to be notified when she announces new dates near you.

Carlie Hanson

Songkick Live Introduces: Carlie Hanson was originally published in Songkick on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.