*For your convenience, here is the link to vote for Gavin M. https://www.chartyourcourse.com/
Gavin M. and three other national finalists in the Lincoln Chart Your Course songwriting contest will board flights Thursday morning bound for Los Angeles. Destination: Staples Center, home to the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.
I had the chance to chat with Gavin just before he bounced out of town.
The road to this day has been all but smooth for Gavin. Typically, an artist’s life is filled with tumultuous relationships, adverse life experiences, and a spectrum of hardships. It is common for these life experiences to manifest into the makings of some of the most beautiful and iconic works of art and music for which we have benefited. Gavin is no exception.
At the age of 32, Gavin has experienced the devastation of divorce, the confusion of the essence of himself being synonymous with a stranger, the sense of urgency to flee in search of his essence, yet coming full circle and overcoming the grief from the loss, dissolving the shadow of the stranger, and returning to his home with his newfound essence.
During our conversation, Gavin referred to the heartbreak, post-divorce, and credited a woman with showing him how to let go of his inhibitions. This led him to his (near) month-long, solo trek across Europe. Throughout our lives, we are fortunate to welcome these figures. More over, we are victorious over a larger battle when we allow ourselves to let go of self-limiting thoughts and negative self-talk. Gavin let it all go during his trek, allowing for the awakening that yielded the forthcoming album, Goodbye, Mississippi.
Gavin’s album is being carefully constructed by some of the most talented and established artists in the Midwest. When he shared with me ‘who’ was doing ‘what’ on the album, my response to him was, “Man. You really scored the dream team with them.”
With that information, the Danya and Gavin Venn Diagram started to merge. Having known Chris Moder, Brian Krumm, Brian Hunt, and Brian Leach for a handful of years and sharing the same hometown with all but Leach, I was certain that Gavin was not only in good hands, but that he would be guided with graceful wisdom while encouraging his individual artistic expression.
Christian Moder (The Great Crusades – drums, hometown, Collinsville, IL), produced Gavin’s album and laid down all of the drum tracks. Gavin credits Moder with being the one who believed in him and that is exactly what he needed to get through that time and this album.
Brian Krumm (The Great Crusades – lead vox/guitar, hometown, Collinsville, IL), assisted in coordinating much of the European and UK treks that which proved to be Gavin’s respite, eventually leading to his upcoming album.
Brian Leach (The Great Crusades – vox/keys/guitar, Grammy winner), engineered Goodbye, Mississippi.
Out of more than 1,600 entries, Gavin is one of four finalists in the running for top honors provided by a campaign presented by Lincoln Chart Your Course. The finalists were chosen by an esteemed panel of judges including Jon Batiste, one of the most creative and accomplished musicians of this generation, and representatives from Universal Music Group and Revel.
Lincoln Chart Your Course wants to find an artist and then help take their career to the next level by providing resources like recording studio time at the renowned Capitol Studios, access to industry mentors, being the voice and face of the next Corsair campaign, and of course, having the all-new Corsair, Lincoln’s new small luxury SUV as a partner on their journey.
Here are the other 3 finalists in the competition.
-Anna Field, from Atlanta, GA, the yogi who touches souls through her sound.
-Cas Haley, from Paris, TX, the family man who grows folk songs on his little farm.
-Edem Garro from Omaha, NE, the quirky harpist who’s making her mark as a music teacher.
Voting began on January 6 and will continue through January 26th (11:59 ET), where consumers will be able to visit www.chartyourcourse.com to learn more about the finalists and vote for who they’d like to see and hear in the next Lincoln campaign. Lincoln is engaging audiences on social media and traditional broadcast platforms – using the shared passion of music and celebrating the craftsmanship of songwriting. Music is a big part of the overall Lincoln experience, and the Corsair offers a sanctuary-like experience to listen to, and indulge in, the music that accompanies you everyday.
On behalf of the Arch City team, we wish Gavin M. all of the best. And in good ‘ol St. Louis fashion, Gavin, bring home a winner.
Vote for Gavin M. https://www.chartyourcourse.com/
Danya is a music junkie and an accomplished producer and writer. With over 20 years in the music and media industry, she worked in St. Louis radio as an on-air talent for 16 years, in television as a writer/producer/assignment editor at KMOV-TV, and started her own podcast at Radiodanya.com showcasing St. Louis’ local music scene, is currently the host of
Arch City Live and is an on-air talent on 105.7 The Point. She received her Bachelor Degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and her Masters Degree from Saint Louis University. In addition to contributing to Arch City Media, she is a writer/editor/photographer for an online publication dedicated to documenting live shows throughout the U.S.: The Spectatour: We Spectate, We Tour. Aside from music’s spectrum of genres, she is also an avid hockey, baseball, and soccer fan.
