by Sam Van Arsdale

We work with so many artists whose talents have been impacting people from the very start. Take a trip down memory lane and revisit some anniversaries of debuts and early releases!

As mentioned last week, Aaron Lee Tasjan is headed out on his In The Blazes: 10 Year Anniversary Solo Tour! In fact, this week actually marks the 10th anniversary of Tasjan’s genre-bending album. To celebrate, he’s not only going on his solo tour, but is also releasing a special edition vinyl!

Mary Gauthier kicks off the UK leg of her tour next week, performing songs that span her entire career. Hard to believe it’s already been 20 years since the release of her most-streamed album, Mercy Now!

If you didn’t already know, Street Corner Symphony made their debut on the second season of the NBC show The Sing-Off, where they finished in 2nd place! Check out this YouTube playlist of their performances from almost 15 years ago!

Just 5 years ago, Alex Blue’s first EP, Good Company, set the tone for her artistry. An article by Marvin Twiggs wrote that it was, “a deeply-felt experience that beautifully covers rustic gems from the past…” and we have to agree!

Last year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary debut of the Ruthie Collins EP! It still stands as such a beautiful album!

Last but not least, Derek Webb’s album, Mockingbird, celebrates its 20th anniversary in December! Around the same time, Derek Webb will be finishing up his house show tour for his most recent album, Survival Songs!

These throwbacks are just a glimpse into where our managed artists came from and how much they’ve grown! We can’t wait to see more growth, new music, and all of the fun moments ahead!

By: Jo MacKenzie

In this digital day and age, it’s difficult to keep up with everything—from work emails to funny TikToks to 10% Uber Eats coupons. Inevitably, some things fall through the cracks. As such, there are nights when I wake up in a cold sweat after having a nightmare where my favorite artist plays in my city without my knowledge. However, I am immediately comforted when I remember that I’m on my favorite artist’s email list and therefore will never miss a show in my city due to the advanced targeting systems. Without this reassurance, I don’t know if I’d ever get a full night’s sleep!

We here at Olivia Management, a Nashville-based folk and Americana artist management company, are all in favor of a good night’s rest and a great night of live music with one of our artists. To ensure this, you can sign up for our artists Aaron Lee Tasjan, Alex Blue, Derek Webb, Josh Radnor, and Mary Gauthier’s email lists to receive newsletters that update you on all the important happenings!

Not only will these newsletters keep you informed of tour dates, they also give you a front-row seat to hear about new music, special exclusives, and sneak peeks into our artists lives. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for the newsletter of your favorite artist(s) at the link below to stay up to date on everything!

To give you a little taste of what we’re talking about, here are some snippets from our artists latest newsletters!

From Alex’s May Newsletter - What I’m Loving Lately…

No joke, streaming on Twitch. Current obsession.
Painting my nails different colors on each finger.
Dandelions.
Singing my song “Neil Young Song” on the guitar, just me in my room. It’s been making me very emotional in a good way.
Writing pop music…. (I share one unreleased pop song I write for Meta a month for my Lavender Patrons)

From Aaron Lee Tasjan’s May Newsletter - Record of the Month

Released May 22nd, the latest single from the forthcoming James McMurtry album is titled, "Sailing Away." The song is that perfect McMurtry emotional punch in the face that stings as it grabs you by the shirt and reveals eternal truths, one after the next. To say I am eagerly anticipating his next album would be an understatement. James is one of America's finest songwriters and based on the quality of "Sailing Away," I'd say we're all in for yet another special record from James. Adding to the excitement around this one for me, is James's collaboration here with one of my favorite producers, the great Don Dixon. Check out this gem of a tune and get ready for the full shebang coming our way on June 20th via our dear friends at New West Records.

From Derek’s Newsletter - Announcing Survival Songs

“i’ve always considered it my job description to ‘look at the world and describe it’, which has taken my songs and albums to some very unexpected places over the years. as an artist, citizen, and dad of teens, let me tell you what i see when i look at the world today: queer people, especially queer kids, are in imminent danger and desperately need a soundtrack to comfort, encourage, and empower them.

over the past month, i’ve actually written and recorded an entire album that seeks to do just that.”

From Josh’s Latest Museletter - On “How We Made Your Mother”

“Three years ago I met my wife, Jordana. She had never seen HIMYM, which was a great relief. It’s hard to make a true first impression when people have already spent hours with you, even in a fictional context. She and I have talked a lot over the years about some of the strange challenges of being associated so deeply with a character, both professionally and personally. And given that she’s a psychologist and an all-around wise being, her insights into this have been immense and immeasurably helpful.

At some point she told me she’d like to watch the show, to fill in the blanks on this major chapter in her husband’s life that she missed. It felt like enough time had passed and that I might be able to watch it along with her, older and wiser and (hopefully) more forgiving of my younger self and how hard I was on the guy who played Ted. I no longer wished to put police tape around this huge swath of my life.”

From Mary’s June Newsletter - On Writing a New Book

“My week has gone like this: I wake up early, and spend six to eight hours writing, get about 2000 words, doing my best to shape them into something that makes sense. At the end of the day, I send my work to my friend Beth who is my editor in first reader. We talk the next morning, and she inevitably proceeds to tell me to remove 1500 of the 2000 words because they’re not working.

So, I do.

Then, I get back to work.

Wash, rinse, repeat, and just like that, a week of writing is behind me.

There’s still time to walk the town in late afternoons, go to the gym, share great meals with friends. But the weeks down here go quickly.

I wake up grateful to watch the sun rise on the water. I never want to leave. But leave I must!”

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