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Songwriter Spotlight: Nicolle Galyon
In 2012, Nicolle Galyon was one of the fresh faces (and voices) on NBC’s mega-series The Voice, where she honed her performance chops on Team Adam [Levine]. Just three years later –after her marriage to songwriter Rodney Clawson and the birth of their two children– Nicolle is one of Nashville’s most sought after new talents. The talented songbird has already earned two number one singles with Keith Urban‘s “We Were Us” and Miranda Lambert‘s “Automatic,” which also scored the songwriter her first Grammy Award nomination and a win for Song of the Year at the 2014 Country Music Awards (CMA’s). With a catalog packed full of current and future hits, Galyon is one of the unstoppable forces in…
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Q&A: Bandit Heart
For fans of the CW series Reign, last night’s ending may have struck a chord. A song that set the tone for a pivotal ending, leading the series to its weekly conclusion. The song acting as the backdrop? “Don’t Let Me Go,” new single from Bandit Heart, the latest project from Nashville’s song-maker Troy Akers. No stranger to the music scene, Akers has spent a good portion of the last year working on honing his songwriting talent, which led to a cut on Amy Stroup‘s record called “Dark Runs Out” and the title track of Neulore‘s new album. Most recognizably though, Akers is one-third of the pop act The CO, who delivered their last full length album…
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Introducing: Gary Bradshaw
I was flipping through a local alternative newspaper while waiting to share coffee with a friend in Nashville a couple of months ago. Half-glancing at the pages as I flipped, I stopped on an article about, or what I thought was about, the popular dating app for gay men I’d heard of, Grindr. What I discovered was the recounting of an anonymous writer’s decision to plunge into the online dating scene after failed attempts at meeting people “the old fashioned way.” To keep his identity veiled from the small Nashville community, he’s known in town only as Gary Bradshaw (a clever play on the iconic Sex & the City character). Having briefly tried online…
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Best Burgers: Nashville
When you’re in search of the best burgers in Nashville, V for Vetrano comes to your rescue. As a self-appointed burger aficionado, and after many visits to the best (and worst) dining in Music City, I often get asked about where to eat. A tough question when you’re dealing with picky eaters with tons of dietary or preferential restrictions. But there is one thing that never fails: burger places. So long as the menu offers a vegetarian (typically a black bean) burger option, you can always turn to the American classic. As Nashville grows and new dining options pop up on each block corner, it might be tough to decide which ones are…
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Nashville Notables: Leslie Fram
In Nashville, hit songs fill the streets like water on a rainy day and stars are easy to find in the city’s top establishments, but there’s more to Music City than might initially meet the eye. A leader in America’s professional landscape, Nashville is home to many start-ups, large corporations and crucial industries. And while it’s fun to learn more about our favorite celebrities; those that spend most of their time in front of cameras or behind microphones sharing their voices, it’s the people behind them that are making the difference. In an effort to give readers a well-rounded view of the city I call home, I am launching “Nashville Notables,” an interview series with…
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Introducing: Amanda Valentine
Last week, I announced the roll out of contributing writers to expand the the ‘LIV‘ brand with the inclusion of Feys Design Founder, Joe Feys (if you missed Joe’s first contribution to his “Feys Lift” column, check out “Tasteful Spaces” here). Today, I am thrilled to announce the second contributing writer for Listen! It’s Vetrano, Amanda Valentine, who will dole out her unique prescription of advice to help readers sort out their daily woes in the new column “#AskAmanda.” Amanda is the founder of VALENTINE VALENTINE, a Nashville-based clothing and accessory collection, and celebrity stylist. In 2013, Valentine was selected as a designer to compete on the eleventh season of Lifetime’s hit series Project Runway. Following the success…
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Trent Dabbs Makes Us Believe
Trent Dabbs is a Nashville treasure. A singer-songwriter that released his first solo record in 2005; the same year he co-founded the musical collective Ten Out of Tenn. Since then, he has released nine albums, including his latest labor Believer, written songs for artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Mat Kearney, Ashley Monroe and The Civil Wars vocalist Joy Williams, and created the successful duo Sugar & the Hi-Lows with fellow singer-songwriter Amy Stroup. With a new album recently released, a second Sugar & the Hi-Lows album on the way and the 10th Anniversary of Ten Out Of Tenn, this may be Dabbs’ busiest year yet. In a brief moment of downtime, I got…
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Introducing: Joe Feys
Today marks the launch of a new chapter of the Listen! It’s Vetrano brand. Over the next few months, I’ll be rolling out some exciting new features, content pieces and platforms to deliver you more V for Vetrano than ever. And I am thrilled to kick things off with the announcement and addition of contributing writers, who will be introduced over the next few weeks and will round out the LIV content. First up, Joe Feys, who will be charming readers with his hilarious and educational take on design, architecture, food and beauty regularly in his column “Feys Lift.” Besides being one of my favorite people to talk about music and food with, Joe Feys is one of Nashville’s most prominent…
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Hollywood With A Touch of Twang Pt. 2
When I moved to Nashville almost five years ago, I was a bright-eyed, celebrity obsessed music lover that was anxious to explore all that Music City had to offer. After the first year of settling into my new home, I broke from my music-related blogging (on my music blog Tragic Kingdom) to provide readers with some of my favorite Nashville hot spots and places to add to their itinerary if bumping into country music royalty was on their list of things to do. In fact, it may have been that very post that led to the creation of Listen! It’s Vetrano and the more Lifestyle, Nashville-focused blog you’re reading (and loving, no doubt) today.…
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Butchertown Hall: Welcome To The Neighborhood
When Butchertown Hall previewed their menu last Spring at a neighborhood gathering, I was thrilled at the thought of a beer garden that served up delicious pork tacos — the option they were serving at the event — joining me in the growing Germantown area. So I anxiously awaited Butchertown Hall’s September arrival, but due to building delays and permit issues, the restaurant’s opening was delayed several times. Finally, on Valentine’s Day, the restaurant and beer garden opened its doors. A labor of love, no doubt. Having to put the stamp of approval on my new neighborhood haunt, I made my way in last Saturday for dinner. The beautifully designed interior was packed full of…
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Take 5: Hailey Steele
We all love to know what inspires our favorite stars and we want to know what – or who– is behind our favorite lyrics. But why so serious all the time? Take 5 was a regular feature on my music blog Tragic Kingdom that shed some light on the questions that you really want to know, but might never ask. To kickstart the feature on Listen! It’s Vetrano, Nashville’s new darling Hailey Steele. In November, Chris sat down with the singer on the release of her debut EP to talk life in Nashville, her time on ‘The Voice’ and getting drunk with Christina Aguilera. As if that wasn’t fun enough, let’s Take 5 with Hailey Steele.…
