Small independent music venues in Nashville are disappearing at a rapid rate quickly eroding the music culture that once made the city famous.

What’s the blame for the quick demise? The government handling of the pandemic which left venues struggling and the soaring cost of real estate.

The local government finally took notice and too steps to stabilize and preserve some of Nashville’s most iconic independent live music venues.

According to The Tennessean: The council voted to approve $260,000 in American Rescue Plan funds toward a study of preservation strategies, support for efforts to revive Nashville’s Music City Music Council and a $50,000 grant toward the restoration of Elks Lodge, formerly Club Baron.

The best music cities in the U.S.?

Nashville, Tenn is the clear the winner according to recent data. It’s the music capital of the U.S., ranking No. 1. Nashville also tops the charts as the best city for working musicians. Career performers can expect to earn an average of $28.81 hourly. Cities following Nashville include Indianapolis, Portland, Austin, Louisville, and Texas.

The worse cities? Miami and Las Vegas

The metrics used for the study were working musicians, affordable shows, and the amount of shows booked. The top 15 cities have an average of 39 professional musicians per capita. The top 15 cities have an average of 3.86 small concert venues per capita versus 2.90 venues per capita in the average city. The top 15 cities consistently come out on top for Google Trends and music searches for all genres and rank 11% higher across every genre than the average city

Nashville electro pop artist Stef released two new songs Jane Doe and Allison Wonderland. Many artists are walking down the lonely road and writing melancholic songs but Stef is vibrant and writing and releasing up-tempo energetic songs. To be honest, listening to the 20 year old singer-songwriter is a nice break from hearing the hundreds of artists writing songs about social distancing and live-streaming with face masks. Stream the track on Indie Invaders Playlist and you can stream Jane Doe on Spotify’s Fresh Finds.

I Love You I’m Sorry by Mel Bryant & the Mercy Makers got stuck in my head. The track would be a favorite on your local alternative station in the 90’s. Maybe it would reach the top 5, sandwiched between Ben Folds Five ‘Brick’ and Cracker’s ‘Low’. I have to give props to those acts who are steadfast in resurrecting the nineties. Who doesn’t have a soft spot for the alternative rock of that era? The 4 piece indie act resides in Nashville. The band moved from Philly and New York to settle in East Nashville where they run their own recording studio. They are working on their debut album.

Electro pop artist Adara releases Alien. Pulling influences from Lady Gaga, Sia, and Ellie Goulding, the Nashville based singer’s 2017 single “Oasis” clocked 700,000 spins on Spotify. She has an extensive background from collaborating with well known DJ’s to writing with popular Kpop artists. In fact, her first cut became the theme song for the EDM festival Station. Give the latest track listen.
doneil@itkmanagement.com