Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on red carpet

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Photo: John Lamparski/Getty Images

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David Rawlings To Hit The Road On Headlining Tour

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GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter puts his 'Poor David's Almanack' to the test with 33-date U.S. tour
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Sep 22, 2017 - 6:09 pm

Americana superhero David Rawlings returns with his trusty sidekick Gillian Welch for a new tour in support of Rawlings' recently released solo album, Poor David's Almanack. The duo and their band skip town to kick off a tour in late November that will make its way west in the months that follow, wrapping up on the west coast in March 2018.

Known for their masterful vocal harmonies and intrinsic chemistry, Rawlings and Welch have a storied musical partnership.  Since they founded a Acony Records together in 2001, the duo has collaborated on eight studio albums in various iterations, now including both their solo work and together as Dave Rawlings Machine.

No strangers to critical acclaim, Rawlings and Welch received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting in 2015 from Americana Music Association and the American Masters Award from Berklee College Of Music, Rawlings' alma mater, in 2016. Welch is a GRAMMY winner for her work on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, which took home Album Of The Year for the 44th GRAMMY Awards in 2001, and Rawlings is a GRAMMY nominee for his part in Welch's 2011 album, The Harrow & The Harvest.

Accolades aside, it's quite evident that Rawlings and Welch love to play. Fans can look forward to two full sets each night of the tour from Rawlings, Welch and their band, according to Rolling Stone. Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 29. A full list of dates and additional information can be found on Rawlings' website.

Read More: Americana Honors & Awards Recognize The Genre's Finest In Nashville

New Year's 2018
Poll

What's Your New Year's Music Resolution?

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The New Year means a new you — how will you let music deeper into your life in 2018?
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 1, 2018 - 12:05 am

Each new year, millions of people make resolutions to be their best selves, put their past bad habits behind them and improve their lives. But why not make your resolution a musical one?

When the holiday parties are over, the confetti is swept up, and school and work resume, it's time to get back to work and make the most of 2018. The good news? Music can help!

From mastering an instrument to learning more about the craft and history of music, to supporting musicians through live shows, we want to know: What's your New Year's music resolution for 2018?

Polls

What's your New Year's music resolution for 2018?

Adele holding GRAMMY Awards

Adele

Photo: Robyn Beck/Getty Images

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What's The Difference? GRAMMY Record Of The Year Vs. Song Of The Year

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Ever wondered what distinguishes these two GRAMMY categories? Find out once and for all here
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Dec 26, 2017 - 10:41 am

Since the dawn of time, or at least since the 1st Annual GRAMMY Awards, casual music fans and uninitiated industry professionals alike have seemingly pondered the same GRAMMY question: What is the difference between Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year categories?

Adele wins Record Of The Year GRAMMY

If you've wondered this yourself, fear not, for you have arrived at the answer.

Simply put, Record Of The Year deals with a specific recording of a song and recognizes the artists, producers and engineers who contribute to that recording, while Song Of The Year deals with the composition of a song and recognizes the songwriters who wrote the song. That's it in a nutshell!

To dig a little deeper, let's look at the definition of each category, who it includes, and some recent examples.

Record Of The Year, Explained

The Record Of The Year GRAMMY goes to the artist(s), producer(s), and engineer(s) involved in crafting the specific recording (hence "record") of a song. For example, the winner at the 57th GRAMMY Awards for Record Of The Year was "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)" by Sam Smith. As the primary artist, Sam Smith received a GRAMMY, as did the three producers (including Rodney Jerkins a.k.a. "Darkchild) and the four engineers who worked on the recording, including those properly credited for recording, mixing, and mastering the record.

Sam Smith Wins Record Of The Year

Song Of The Year, Explained

The Song Of The Year award, on the other hand, goes to the songwriter(s) (hence "song) of new material (not including sampled or interpolated material) of a song. For example, at the 44th GRAMMY Awards, the winner of Song Of The Year was "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys, and as the sole writer of the song, Keys received the GRAMMY. For this reason, Song Of The Year is referred to as a songwriter's award, one of several across the 84 categories that recognize the songwriter.

"Fallin'" Wins Song Of The Year

Does that clear things up a bit? Hopefully, it does.

The Recording Academy strives to award excellence in many facets of the music creation process, thus necessitating the distinction between the year's best recording and its best song composition.

For bonus points, let's look at one more example from the 59th GRAMMY Awards. The GRAMMY for Record Of The Year went to "Hello" by Adele, earning GRAMMY gold for Adele as the artist as well as producer Greg Kurstin and the eight engineers who worked on the record. The GRAMMY for Song Of The Year also went to "Hello" — however, only the songwriters, Adele and Greg Kurstin, received the Song Of The Year GRAMMY.

So now, when you're watching the 60th GRAMMY Awards live on CBS Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, you'll be able to dazzle your friends with your insider knowledge. For a rundown of this year's nominees in both of these major categories, check out our Record Of The Year and Song Of The Year roundups.

Songwriting

Songwriting

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Songwriting Prompts: Help Yourself Write Better And Faster

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While there's no substitute for pure inspiration, prompts can help sharpen your songwriting skills so you're ready when it strikes
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 3, 2017 - 6:33 pm

The phenomenon of songwriting has been called many things: a miracle, a muscle, a mystery, a calling, a challenge, and even a science. While honing your command of the craft is a lifelong pursuit, there are some exercises that can advance you down the path toward being as ready as possible when inspirations strikes.

One tack toward improvement is the use of songwriting prompts, as Nashville, Tenn.-based songwriter Sarah Spencer points out in her recent SongFancy blog post. The process involves taking a topic, concept or phrase and building a song around it. Many songwriters rely on this approach to force themselves out of a creative rut, try something new or even (gulp) write for fun.

Contrived as it may seem to contaminate pure inspiration with a forced prompt, Spencer points out the many benefits of the process, focusing on the departure it provides from your rote habits and patterns.

"When you've been writing for a while, you'll find yourself using some of the same old words or techniques over and over again," Spencer says. "You'll have a collection of go-to metaphors, phrases you use when it's convenient, etc. … When you write from a songwriting prompt, it encourages new ways of thinking and gets you out of old habits and overused material."

Additionally, songwriting prompts can help you write quicker and be more prepared for the dynamic and often demanding situation of co-writing. By providing some distance between the writer and the material, creative decisions can — and often have to — be made using a cool combination of gut, poise and wit.

Joining a songwriting group that meets regularly with new prompts each time can springboard your creative output, build your confidence and even surprise yourself. Spencer even hosts a "5 in 5 Song Challenge," giving songwriters everywhere a chance to jump into the world of songwriting prompts head first.

In a perfect world, songwriters can allow the natural forces and instincts that visit them to shape their creative output, as this is where much of the magic truly comes from for the greatest artists of our time. But for the working songwriter focused on building their command of the craft and broadening their arsenal of techniques, the effort of writing to prompts can pay back in spades.

Home Studio Slip-Ups: 10 Common Mistakes And How To Fix Them

Chistone "Kingfish" Ingram

Chistone "Kingfish" Ingram

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Today At The Crossroads: How Clarksdale, Miss., Keeps Blues Alive

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With rich history, fresh talent and growing tourism, the Delta blues mecca is alive and well
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 30, 2017 - 11:54 am

More than eight decades after Robert Johnson allegedly went down to the crossroads to sell his soul to the devil so he could play guitar, Clarksdale, Miss., continues to be the epicenter of the blues.

Bobby Rush: Best Traditional Blues Album speech

While the legend of Johnson's deal with the devil is memorialized by a roadside monument on the edge of town, today's booming blues scene is the real reason to travel down Highway 61 to visit Clarksdale.

Clarksdale is keeping the blues alive with live music seven nights a week at the one-and-only Juke Joint Festival, while also honoring it's storied past with the Delta Blues Museum. Considering Clarksdale is just a 45-minute drive from the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi in Cleveland, Miss., true music aficionados should put the Mississippi Delta at the top of their travel list.

A recent episode of NPR's Jazz Night In America travels to Clarksdale to explore the key players in today's revitalized blues scene, including Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Anthony "Big A" Sherrod and 18-year-old blues prodigy Chistone "Kingfish" Ingram. Fueled by a blend of talent and tourism, and with the support of Clarksdale mayor Bill Luckett and Juke Joint Blues Festival Founder Roger Stolle, Clarksdale is finally beginning to enjoy the benefits of its rich history and bright future.

GRAMMY Category Split Helps Blues Legends And Newcomers Alike