Nashville country hit makers head to SongHubs Auckland

Three Nashville songwriters who’ve written for some of America’s biggest country stars and TV shows, are heading to Auckland this month to work with a group of Kiwi writers and producers.

SongHubs Auckland, an initiative of APRA AMCOS, is held at Roundhead Studios between April 16 to 21.

The three American writers are:

KATE YORK

York has penned music for a wide range of artists, from Little Big Town to Fall Out Boy.

She’s also written for TV shows and films including Grey’s Anatomy, The Fosters, New Year’s Day, One Tree Hill and Hart of Dixie.

She wrote countless songs for the show Nashville – one of which won her an Emmy for ‘Nothing In This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again’.

MARC BEESON

Born in Illinoiis but moving to Nashville 25 years ago, Beeson has had over 100 cuts including those by Reba McEntire, Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Martina McBride, Billy Currington, Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Ashley Monroe and Chicago.

He’s won 10 ASCAP awards including both Country and Pop Song of the Year for his #1, ‘When She Cries’.

As an artist, he’s recorded for Warner Bros., BNA and Curb Records.

HEATHER MORGAN

Morgan grew up in Richardson, Texas before moving to Nashville, where she signed her first publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.

Her songs have been featured on Nashville, recorded by Keith Urban, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Maren Morris, Cole Swindell, A Thousand Horses, The Eli Young Band, Dierks Bentley and Brett Eldredge

A staff songwriter for Sony ATV Music Publishing, she celebrated her first #1 in 2014 with Eldredge’s ‘Beat Of The Music’ which won her BMI’s 2015 Country Song Of The Year.

The three Americans will combine with different configurations of local songwriters and producers each day, to write a brand new song.

The aim is come to the end of the week with many new songs written and recorded, and new friendships forged.

“Having this calibre of international artists come together to share their talent, knowledge and experience with our songwriters is a huge opportunity” says APRA’s director of NZ member services Victoria Kelly.

“We’re incredibly excited about the music that will come from these collaborations, and the relationships they’ll build.”

SongHubs Auckland is curated by Greg Haver, award winning Welsh producer, engineer and musician, now resident in New Zealand.

He’s worked with Manic Street Preachers, Melanie C, INME, Catatonia, Super Furry Animals and Bullet For My Valentine.

His productions in New Zealand include Opshop, the Feelers, Kimbra, Junica,  Goodnight Nurse, Ciaran McMeeken, Jasper Hawkins and most recently The Chills and Ekko Park.

Haver says that Kiwi writers and musicians tend to write by themselves, while “many songs are now written collaboratively world-wide.

“That’s a skill set that New Zealanders need to learn, go into a room full of strangers and write.”

The NZ writers, performers, and producers chosen for this year’s SongHubs Auckland are:

Julia Deans

Alex Wildwood (producer)

Madeleine Bradley

Simon Gooding (producer)

Tom Healy (producer)

Jol Muholland (producer)

Tami Neilson

Jenny Mitchell

Woodes

Marley Sola

Seth Haapu

Taka Perry (producer)

Fraser Browne

Nick Dow

Jamie McDell

Kaylee Bell

Because APRA AMCOS received 150 applications for the limited 16 places—and deemed them high standard – it was decided to create a producer internship position this year, in order to give an up and coming producer the opportunity to be involved in the learning experience of SongHubs.

For this program, the producer intern will be Maude Morris.

SongHubs is an APRA AMCOS initiative, supported by the Federal Government of Australia.

In addition to APRA AMCOS, SongHubs Auckland has been made possible with the support of NZ On Air, Auckland Council, Recorded Music NZ and the New Zealand Music Commission.