Each year the board of the Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards, named for the internationally renowned and prolific Athens musician, works to amplify the diverse voices of the local music community. It shines a spotlight on songwriters who exemplify skillful and thoughtful storytelling in their music. On Thursday, May 2, the Classic City Rotary will present the eighth annual awards show at the 40 Watt Club with doors at 7 p.m.
Over the years nominees have represented a variety of musical genres, styles and backgrounds. Past winners have included Trevor “Trvy” Wiggins (2023), Elijah Johnston (2022), Cassie Chantel and WesdaRuler featuring Louie Larceny (2021), Jim Willingham (2020), and Lydian Brambila (2019). Each year nominations are made by the community based on a recorded work released in the prior year. After reviewing the pool of nominations, a panel of judges determines the finalists. This year’s judges included musical artist and event curator Matt Arnett, member of the Dead End Hip Hop crew Myke C-Town, Cracker bassist Bryan Howard, Elephant 6 producer and musician Robert Schneider, and indie rock singer-songwriter Megan Slankard.
The 2024 finalists are Amandagrace Schiano (Clover County), Ethan and Sam Caspary (Little Mae), Garrett Boyd (Goodie), Gracie Huffman (lighthearted) and Spencer Paul (Mannequin Party). Building on themes of modern love, Schiano’s sound mixes witty lyrics and a soft vocal style with playful chord structures, played on her white Gretsch electric guitar she calls her “Cadillac.” The Casparys are a sibling indie music duo with a light, delicate style rich with emotion and careful arrangement. Lead singer of the local alt-rock band Hollowbody, Boyd blends genres on his solo album that blends satisfying melodies with hard-hitting lyrics. Huffman is deeply embedded within the local indie music scene, having collaborated with artists like Elijah Johnston and Cannon Rogers, and writes expressive music under lighthearted. Paul describes his music as a funky fingerstyle amalgamation of folk, indie rock, Americana and jazz with unusual chord progressions paired with hypnotic melodies.
Each finalist will receive $250, while the top winner earns $1,500 plus studio recording time from Amplify at Nuçi’s Space, a photo shoot from Jason Thrasher and a Team Clermont publicity and radio promotion package valued at $5,000.
Featured performances for the night include special guest Abe Partridge, 2023 winner Trvy and all five finalists. Partridge is an Alabama-based musician, singer-songwriter, visual artist and podcaster. Since his 2018 debut album Cotton Fields and Blood For Days, he’s completed several tours of the Netherlands and U.K. in addition to performing at national songwriter festivals. Beyond the music, Partridge is an acclaimed visual artist in the Southeast, working primarily with acrylic on tarred board and watercolors.
Below, finalists share the inspiration behind their nominated track:
Ethan and Sam Caspary (Little Mae), ‘Magnolia’
“‘Magnolia’ is a pretty classic Little Mae arrangement: Sam plays chords on the bass and Ethan plays sparkles on the guitar. It’s also our first release and one of the first originals we played together. The song is a lyrical collage of some of Sam’s memories. She links the song to the melancholy feelings of her childhood passing.”
Garrett Boyd (Goodie), ‘Floating Away’
“’Floating Away’ is a song that is so very special to me. It’s literally the first song on my first ever album, and it’s the song that sets the tone for everything I plan to create as an artist in the future. A lot of my music revolves around somewhat morbid topics. I’ve made songs about coping with abandonment, struggling with faith and managing grief after loss, but ‘Floating Away’ is the song that makes me feel like I can conquer all of those issues. I love the song because it’s happy and sad. It’s humble and arrogant. I don’t know, maybe it’s good and bad.”
Gracie Huffman (lighthearted), ‘riverside’
“The central message grapples with the desire to know someone deeply while recognizing how vulnerability can make them feel exposed or unworthy of love. The chorus line, ‘I’ll dirty the water so you don’t have to come clean,’ represents a posture of changing the environment. When I imagine ‘coming clean’ I see a body of pure, untouched water. When anyone steps into it, the grime is unmistakably theirs. If I have already shed the layers of my filth, that leaves space for someone else’s dirt to blend right in. True love means accepting the other person and wanting the best for them, no matter the cost.”
Spencer Paul (Mannequin Party), ‘Little Metal Lunch Box’
“One night while I awaited sleep, some part of my brain offered this quirky song about a lunch box as a substitute. I tried to refuse for a while, but it insisted, so I turned the lights on and this song poured out of me. Funny enough, I’ve never had a lunchbox of any significance, and yet, this song is really special to me. As for what exactly it means, I’ll let you decide that.”
WHO: Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards
WHEN: Thursday, May 2, 7 p.m.
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
HOW MUCH: $15
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