Nashville Deep Cuts
Beyond The Algorithm #06: A Love Letter to the Nashville House Show Underground
*Full Disclosure: I've never personally been to Nashville. At this point, I might be the only person I know of who hasn’t. But, I’m a diligent researcher and received some much-needed assistance from a well-informed, frequent visitor of Nashville for this installment of Beyond The Algorithm. Thanks to my friend, Dan!*
Nashville has often been called “Music City,” due to its long-recognized and foundational role in the history of country music, blues, and rock-and-roll. Home to several of the world’s most famous country music venues, including The Grand Ole Opry & The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville is more or less the Mecca of Music in the United States. For many aspiring singer-songwriters and musicians looking to be the next Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, or dare I say it, Taylor Swift, moving to Nashville seems par for the course these days.
Despite the well-documented and varied local music scenes present in New York, LA, DC, Portland, and Chicago, something about Nashville screams “This city is all about good, live music! F*** the elitist bullshit.” Compared to New York’s special brand of hipster, highbrow intellect and LA’s strict diet of gluten-free glitz & glam, Nashville seems like a more down-to-Earth place to base oneself. (For the record, I’m a gluten-free Southerner living in NYC, so I say this with all the love in my heart.)
I first became aware of Nashville when I was a little kid living in Southwestern Virginia. I remember listening to Nashville born-and-bred country and blues on the radio when my family would drive the four hours to Knoxville from Marion, VA to visit my grandparents. My dad, despite being the son of a staunch New Jersey Democrat, loved old-school country and bluegrass music. The intros and lyrics to both “Rocky Top” and “My Tennessee Mountain Home” are forever branded into my memories of that time because of just how often he played them.
My dad’s family lived and breathed music in all its forms. Both of my uncles studied music in college and took us to regional marching band competitions where high school band kids battled it out to be named champions of…walking synchronously and playing instruments at the same time…I guess!
The point is: as a long-time fan of the music of Dolly Parton, Chet Akins, and Miley Cyrus, Nashville’s music scene has always been on my radar (and for good reason!) But, as I grew up and my music taste evolved into new genres, new scenes, and new interests, I let my appreciation for Nashville country fade into the background of my typical listening habits.
That is, until I heard Stephen Day for the very first time on a late night in November of 2016. I’ve been chasing that high ever since.
This issue of Beyond The Algorithm is dedicated to Stephen Day, Rusty Clanton, and every other Nashville Nobody who’s played every venue they can, from the tiniest of house shows and chair-less bars, to the Bowery Ballroom and the Troubadour. All of them deserve every ounce of success one can possibly reach in this crazy business. They are some of my favorite artists, period, and more people should know about them!
Stephen Day is easily one of my favorite artists of all time. I’ve seen him evolve so spectacularly over the last nine(!) years. From hearing his first stripped down debut album in my tiny freshman dorm room, to sharing his newest single with coworkers who’ve never heard of him, I like to say I grew up with Steve. I’ve seen him live five times, all in different cities across the East Coast. (I’m seeing him play the Bowery Ballroom tonight, and yes, I will probably cry.) I’ve met him too, and he’s as kind, talented, and bubbly as you might expect a well-mannered boy from Georgia to be. From writing bluesy acoustic numbers at Belmont University, to releasing one of the grooviest albums of 2024, Steve keeps the bangers coming. On a personal note, Steve has written some of the sweetest love songs closest to my heart. I highly recommend “Autumn Song” and “Is There Anywhere It Ain’t Coming Down?”
Rusty Clanton is arguably the best songwriter of his peer group, possibly his generation. Don’t believe me? Take a listen to his EP, Big Bear, Little Bear. You will hear the magic soon enough. Rusty was my first, real taste of the singer/songwriter genre on my own terms. I discovered him on YouTube in 2013, when being a YouTuber was still something boomers thought wasn’t a real job. Rusty’s brand—scratch that. Rusty didn’t need to brand himself. He oozes authenticity and vulnerability. His songwriting spoke to me in a way few had up until that point. It was late one night when I found his song “Novels.” That first music video was just Rusty playing guitar on the side of the highway in New Mexico. It’s stunning in its unassuming subtlety. To this day, it is one of my favorite love songs. I cannot recommend it enough.
Despite being based in Nashville, Kaley Rutledge —or De Joie— created one of the most vulnerable and touching four-song EPs about her month-long trip to Western Europe. With August, Rutledge seamlessly blends her personal story with her travels abroad. Each song, named for a famous European city, somehow captures its namesake’s spirit. “Paris” is a revelatory love song; “Amsterdam” is a wistful letter home to a lost lover. “Oslo” rejoices; it speaks to the healing freedom one can find after heartbreak. “Bern (River Lament)” stands apart from the other three in its unabashed sadness and self-awareness. The pairing of orchestral strings and auto-tuned vocals make for a slow, underwater trip into one’s own depressive episode. In all, it’s one of the most cohesive EPs I’ve ever heard. It stands apart from so many others in my mind. Kaley’s other work is just as artistically and musically fulfilling, especially her sophomore EP, Winter, which features a sweet cover of “All I Have To Do Is Dream” with the one and only, Rusty Clanton!
Adia Victoria is one of the only reasons I’m willing to tell people I’m from the South. Her Southern gothic, indie blues sound always brings me to a singular place as a Southern transplant living in a Northern city. Her work is the perfect blend of Angela Davis and Flannery O’Connor, punctuated by a deep appreciation for the sounds and culture of bluegrass. As a massive plus, she’s collaborated with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The National, and Margo Price. I highly recommend checking out “Magnolia Blues” and “South’s Gotta Change”
Olivia Barton, of TikTok fame, deserves more credit for her mastery of expressing all parts of the human condition. Her lyrics speak to a lived experience I can’t help but empathize with—which is what good art should do. Olivia’s Spotify bio identifies her songwriting style as “stream of consciousness journal entries,” and I have to agree. I really believe William Faulkner and Elliott Smith would equally enjoy and laud Barton’s quiet, tearful meandering. It’s honest, it’s real, and it makes me cry every time I listen. I highly recommend new listeners try “Baby Pictures.” The haunting lyrics in tandem with the understated piano chords and rolling guitar make for a crushing self-reflection on family dynamics and artistic expression. (Olivia, I forgive you for making the move to LA while I finished writing this piece 😅)
But wait! There’s more!
Looking for some Nashville-based punk, metal, and alternative recommendations? Check out the rest of these incredible artists below!
‘Till next time!
One of these days, I’m going to get myself down to Nashville and see all of these folks in their natural habitat. I’d probably die of happiness if Stephen Day, Rusty Clanton, and Kaley Rutledge formed a super group. This is my direct appeal: Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, I need you three to collaborate. I need to be invited! Music gods, smile kindly on me!
Thanks for reading, and if you have any recommendations, thoughts, or queries, send ‘em my way! I’d love to hear from you!
I was in Nashville for the first time last year. There is, _lots_ of live music. Every hotel I walked in (I was at a conference) there was a live band in the lobby. Then another live band in the upstairs bar. You walk outside and there's a live band in the park. This was all downtown.
But everything I saw was "americana" vibes. Singer on acoustic guitar kinda thing. I was only there for a weekend so not a fair shake perhaps.