Nashville hitmaker returns to Australia to curate sessions for 10 Victorian songwriters.
The sessions will travel to Nashville later in 2024.
Applications open to Victorian APRA AMCOS members.
Ten Victorian songwriters will be selected by award-winning, Australian-born, Nashville-based songwriter and producer Lindsay Rimes to collaborate on new songs at the first leg of the ‘Melbourne to Nashville’ SongHubs sessions.
The sessions will take place from 19-21 March 2024 at an idyllic farm setting on the Mornington Peninsula. Rimes will invite four international and homegrown country music guests to join him along with the 10 local songwriters, who will be selected through an application process. Over three days in the studio, small groups will collaborate and produce new songs ready for commercial release.
Five of the Victorian participants will then have the opportunity to continue the sessions in Nashville, with flights and accommodation provided as part of the program. Rimes will also curate these sessions, featuring a roster of Nashville hitmakers.
The initiative is presented by music rights management organisation APRA AMCOS and backed by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria’s Music Works program.
Rimes’ credits include the 7x US Platinum hit and Billions Award-winning ‘Heaven’ by Kane Brown, which saw him become the first country music songwriter to join the 1,000,000,000 List. The 2023 hit ‘Whiskey on You’ propelled Nate Smith to the top spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists charts, took out #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, and saw co-writer Rimes honoured for one the Most Performed Songs at the BMI Country Awards in Nashville.
Other high-profile releases include songs by country artists Lo Cash, Luke Bryan, Tyler Rich and more. Rimes won an Overseas Recognition Award at the 2019 APRA Music Awards for his international success.
In addition to Rimes’ country music chart-toppers, the songwriter has penned hits for local artists including the title track from Kylie Minogue's album 'Golden', Troye Sivan's 'Fun' and Busby Marou's 2016 APRA Music Award-winner 'Days of Gold'.
“I've attended several APRA AMCOS SongHubs over the years. When I participated in the inaugural SongHubs in Nashville, I co-wrote ‘Hooked’, which became a Top 5, platinum-certified hit in the USA for Dylan Scott.
“Now as curator, I have the opportunity to invite some of the best talent Victoria has to offer and see the same magic happen! It's incredibly exciting!” said Rimes.
Dean Ormston, CEO, APRA AMCOS, said: “Lindsay Rimes is arguably one of the most respected songwriters in Nashville and is part of a community of Australian and Kiwi APRA AMCOS members making a name for themselves in the competitive, talent-rich market.”
“We are grateful to have him return to Australia for the first part of the 'Melbourne to Nashville' SongHubs sessions and to continue the journey to Nashville. Thank you to Creative Victoria for making this opportunity possible and for their vision to support songwriting as an export.”
We've added three brilliant special guests to Lindsay Rimes' curated Melbourne to Nashville SongHubs:
- Grammy-nominated, CMA and ACM award-winning singer/songwriter Jon Nite
- In-demand songwriter and producer Danielle Blakey
- Gritty powerhouse vocalist, Tyler Braden
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks, said: “Australia’s country music scene is growing at a rapid rate, and we're proud to support our rising country music stars. This program will see local artists team up with some of the world’s best industry mentors to take their careers to the next level.”
APRA AMCOS members in VICTORIA:
Applications are now open. Please read SongHubs' eligibility criteria before applying.