Olivia Management Artist Throwbacks!

by Sam Van Arsdale

We work with so many artists whose talents have been impacting people from the very start. Take a trip down memory lane and revisit some anniversaries of debuts and early releases!

As mentioned last week, Aaron Lee Tasjan is headed out on his In The Blazes: 10 Year Anniversary Solo Tour! In fact, this week actually marks the 10th anniversary of Tasjan’s genre-bending album. To celebrate, he’s not only going on his solo tour, but is also releasing a special edition vinyl!

Mary Gauthier kicks off the UK leg of her tour next week, performing songs that span her entire career. Hard to believe it’s already been 20 years since the release of her most-streamed album, Mercy Now!

If you didn’t already know, Street Corner Symphony made their debut on the second season of the NBC show The Sing-Off, where they finished in 2nd place! Check out this YouTube playlist of their performances from almost 15 years ago!

Just 5 years ago, Alex Blue’s first EP, Good Company, set the tone for her artistry. An article by Marvin Twiggs wrote that it was, “a deeply-felt experience that beautifully covers rustic gems from the past…” and we have to agree!

Last year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary debut of the Ruthie Collins EP! It still stands as such a beautiful album!

Last but not least, Derek Webb’s album, Mockingbird, celebrates its 20th anniversary in December! Around the same time, Derek Webb will be finishing up his house show tour for his most recent album, Survival Songs!

These throwbacks are just a glimpse into where our managed artists came from and how much they’ve grown! We can’t wait to see more growth, new music, and all of the fun moments ahead!

Kicking Off the In The Blazes: 10th Anniversary Solo Tour!

By: Sydney Barton

Hitting the road to perform music for eager ears is such a special way for artists to connect with their supporters. For Nashville-based folk and Americana artist, Aaron Lee Tasjan, this weekend brought that connection as he kicked off his “In The Blazes: 10th Anniversary Solo Tour.” Starting in Austin, TX at the Continental Gallery, he had a 4-day sprint all around the state of Texas.  

Aaron Lee Tasjan’s “In The Blazes: 10th Anniversary Solo Tour Dates

This tour is special for Tasjan as it celebrates the release of his debut album, In The Blazes. He says that “it's been an amazing and wild ride ever since [the release]” which deserves to be celebrated in the best way he knows how: playing it live. Here at Olivia Management, we are so excited for Tasjan to get back to the stage and for the fans to hear these songs live, as they’ve grown over the past 10 years—just like all of us! In the next few weeks, “In the Blazes” will be traveling along the East Coast from Atlanta, GA (10/3), to Lynchburg, VA (10/12). After a brief break, the tour will continue to the West Coast, ending in Petaluma, CA at the start of next year (1/25/26). If you get the chance to catch Aaron Lee Tasjan along the road, you won’t be disappointed as he uniquely blends genres such as indie folk, rock, and Americana, to create an eclectic and raw performance for everyone to enjoy.  

This album covers all the possible emotions over 10-tracks and will have you immediately hitting the “repeat” button. Don’t just take it from me, though, take it from other industry professionals:

  • “The songwriter’s ability to add humor and light to something that very obviously troubles him and hits a lot of folks pretty hard is uncanny. He is one in a million when it comes to spinning stories in this fashion. This, my friends, is brilliance.” (Carroll, Red Line Roots)

  • “[His] debut LP In the Blazes, established him as a left-of-center scribe in the Americana culture, one more interested in tickling the intellect than stabbing at the heart” (Moss, Rolling Stones)

Don’t miss your chance to see Tasjan performing this beautiful and meaningful record live. Grab your tickets here. We can’t wait to see you there!

A Preview of OM at AMERICANAFEST 2025

by Sam Van Arsdale

We had such a blast kicking off our AMERICANAFEST week with our official OM showcase, we were so blessed to have such kind and talented artists both play and attend this show! Many of our consulting clients and OM artists can also be found throughout the week at venues across town with their own performances!

So you don’t have to, we’ve compiled a short list of performances you do not want to miss.

Consulting Clients:

The Imaginaries

Wednesday 9/10 - 11:30 AM - The Oklahoma Stage: Live from AMERICANAFEST ACME Feed and Seed

Wednesday 9/10 - 2:00 PM - GPTX Live: Where Texas Talent Meets Americana Soul Analog at Hutton Hotel

Abbie Gardner & Sara Milonovich

Thursday 9/11 - 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM - East Coast Social Brown’s Diner

These are all events you don’t want to miss! AMERICANAFEST is such a special week, we hope you enjoy it to its fullest potential! There is so much going on and you wont want to miss a single thing!

Merch You Don’t Want to Miss: Summer Deals + Limited Drops

by Jameson MacNamee

Summer’s in full swing, and so is the merch from our artists. Whether you’re looking to freshen up your closet or get some new vinyl, our artists have you covered. Here is what we have right now:

Aaron Lee Tasjan: 

Brand new summer tees and tanks just dropped! Cool, comfy, and full of Aaron’s amazing vibe. These rainbow star designs are perfect for any occasion. Also on Aaron’s website are some limited-stock merch on its final run. Get them here before they sell out! 

Josh Radnor: 

After concluding his amazing tour, we have some Eulogy, Vol. II tour tees and CDs still hanging around. Available only in XS and S, make sure to get them here before they’re gone!

Street Corner Symphony:

Help us celebrate Christmas in July with 50% off tees. Plus a freebie - your choice of a magnet or kazoo! Check out this amazing deal here before it ends on August 1st.

Alex Blue: 

After celebrating one year of Kin, the Kin vinyl is still here and ready for a spot on your record player! In addition to the vinyl, Alex still has the Kin CD, black tee, and the Woodlands tee and sticker. Get them here while you can!

Derek Webb:

Grab the Survival Songs CD and vinyl still in Derek's store, or check out some of his past merch, including vinyl, posters, stickers, and so much more. Get your Derek merch here today! 

Mary Gauthier:

Keep it classic with a Mercy Now bandana now on sale or take a look at some of Mary’s past merch, including vinyl, towels, posters, and so much more. Check it out here. 

Ruthie Collins:

Help celebrate the five-year anniversary of Cold Comfort with a special edition CD. Also make sure to check out her past merch, including bandanas, tees, and sweatshirts. Get them here!

The Power of Music: Examining Our Country Through Song with the Artists at Olivia Management

By: Jo MacKenzie

Folk and Americana music has a long tradition of using songs as a form of protest, from Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” to Neil Young’s “Ohio.” With the 4th of July being this past weekend, we’d like to take a minute to spotlight some of our artists’ current and past musical contributions to the conversations about the state of our nation. 

Off of Aaron Lee Tasjan’s most recent record Stellar Evolution, Tasjan delivers the protest song “I Love America Better Than You.” In an interview with NPR, he describes this song as his examination of his “country’s complexities, contradictions, and hard truths in a way that’s conversational” (Timmons). The matter-of-fact, accessible lyricism strikes a careful balance between the benign and malignant, mentioning America’s hotdogs and soda pop but also its dirty water, wealth disparity, and insurrectionists. Listen here.

In the title track of Mary Gauthier’s 2005 release Mercy Now, Gauthier writes about the importance of forgiveness in all aspects of life: forgiving oneself, one’s church, and one’s country. In the album’s title track, she sings “My church and my country could use a little mercy now / as they sink into a poisoned pit, it’s going to take forever to climb out.” Although the lyrics cast a tone of despair, they come from a place of love and hope. Gauthier adds later in the song that, “Only the hand of grace can end the race towards another mushroom cloud…I love life and life itself could use some mercy now.” In times of hardship, love, community, and forgiveness can make all the difference. Listen here.

Inspired by the folk legends of the past, Josh Radnor took up his pen to write “Don’t Get Sick This Is America”—the first song off of his most recent record Eulogy, Vol II. In a video on Radnor’s YouTube channel that breaks down the song, he calls it “an old-fashioned Woody Guthrie-esque protest song on the guitar” (Radnor). Radnor takes a satirical approach to this song as a way to highlight the issues he sees: “Quit your whining this is America / You can get by on the minimum wage / Just make sure it’s essential / Do you really need three meals a day?” Listen here.

Music has the incredible power to take complex topics and examine them in infinite ways. Folk and Americana music can shed light on issues as complicated as our country’s history and current state, and we are so proud of our artists for continuing the conversations. We hope you had a safe and fun 4th of July with your family and friends! 

Newsletter Necessity: Sign Up Now and Never Miss an Update

By: Jo MacKenzie

In this digital day and age, it’s difficult to keep up with everything—from work emails to funny TikToks to 10% Uber Eats coupons. Inevitably, some things fall through the cracks. As such, there are nights when I wake up in a cold sweat after having a nightmare where my favorite artist plays in my city without my knowledge. However, I am immediately comforted when I remember that I’m on my favorite artist’s email list and therefore will never miss a show in my city due to the advanced targeting systems. Without this reassurance, I don’t know if I’d ever get a full night’s sleep! 

We here at Olivia Management, a Nashville-based folk and Americana artist management company, are all in favor of a good night’s rest and a great night of live music with one of our artists. To ensure this, you can sign up for our artists Aaron Lee Tasjan, Alex Blue, Derek Webb, Josh Radnor, and Mary Gauthier’s email lists to receive newsletters that update you on all the important happenings! 

Not only will these newsletters keep you informed of tour dates, they also give you a front-row seat to hear about new music, special exclusives, and sneak peeks into our artists lives. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for the newsletter of your favorite artist(s) at the link below to stay up to date on everything!

To give you a little taste of what we’re talking about, here are some snippets from our artists latest newsletters!

From Alex’s May Newsletter - What I’m Loving Lately…

  • No joke, streaming on Twitch. Current obsession.

  • Painting my nails different colors on each finger.

  • Dandelions.

  • Singing my song “Neil Young Song” on the guitar, just me in my room. It’s been making me very emotional in a good way.

  • Writing pop music…. (I share one unreleased pop song I write for Meta a month for my Lavender Patrons)

From Aaron Lee Tasjan’s May Newsletter - Record of the Month

Released May 22nd, the latest single from the forthcoming James McMurtry album is titled, "Sailing Away." The song is that perfect McMurtry emotional punch in the face that stings as it grabs you by the shirt and reveals eternal truths, one after the next. To say I am eagerly anticipating his next album would be an understatement. James is one of America's finest songwriters and based on the quality of "Sailing Away," I'd say we're all in for yet another special record from James. Adding to the excitement around this one for me, is James's collaboration here with one of my favorite producers, the great Don Dixon. Check out this gem of a tune and get ready for the full shebang coming our way on June 20th via our dear friends at New West Records.

From Derek’s Newsletter - Announcing Survival Songs

“i’ve always considered it my job description to ‘look at the world and describe it’, which has taken my songs and albums to some very unexpected places over the years. as an artist, citizen, and dad of teens, let me tell you what i see when i look at the world today: queer people, especially queer kids, are in imminent danger and desperately need a soundtrack to comfort, encourage, and empower them.

over the past month, i’ve actually written and recorded an entire album that seeks to do just that.”

From Josh’s Latest Museletter - On “How We Made Your Mother”

“Three years ago I met my wife, Jordana. She had never seen HIMYM, which was a great relief. It’s hard to make a true first impression when people have already spent hours with you, even in a fictional context. She and I have talked a lot over the years about some of the strange challenges of being associated so deeply with a character, both professionally and personally. And given that she’s a psychologist and an all-around wise being, her insights into this have been immense and immeasurably helpful.

At some point she told me she’d like to watch the show, to fill in the blanks on this major chapter in her husband’s life that she missed. It felt like enough time had passed and that I might be able to watch it along with her, older and wiser and (hopefully) more forgiving of my younger self and how hard I was on the guy who played Ted. I no longer wished to put police tape around this huge swath of my life.”

From Mary’s June Newsletter - On Writing a New Book

“My week has gone like this: I wake up early, and spend six to eight hours writing, get about 2000 words, doing my best to shape them into something that makes sense. At the end of the day, I send my work to my friend Beth who is my editor in first reader. We talk the next morning, and she inevitably proceeds to tell me to remove 1500 of the 2000 words because they’re not working.

So, I do.

Then, I get back to work.

Wash, rinse, repeat, and just like that, a week of writing is behind me.

There’s still time to walk the town in late afternoons, go to the gym, share great meals with friends. But the weeks down here go quickly.

I wake up grateful to watch the sun rise on the water. I never want to leave. But leave I must!”

Then vs Now: The Journeys of Our Multi-Talented Artists

By Jameson MacNamee

There is something amazing and magical about watching an artist grow in real time. From evolving lyrics, braver choices, or the rise in confidence that sparks from life experiences, these changes are unique and powerful. At Olivia Management, as a Nashville-based folk and Americana artist management company, we help our artists’ voices stay true while encouraging them to embrace their individuality.

Let's take a look at some of the incredible journeys where our artists started, and who they have become. 

Alex Blue

From Youtube Covers to Indie Intimacy

Once known as Alex G, she entered the industry with heartfelt covers back in 2011. Her takes on songs like “Marry You” by Bruno Mars,  “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, and “Mean” by Taylor Swift only added to her growing platform. Her inspiring and unique covers, still up on YouTube, were just the beginning for her. Soon after, she was touring internationally with full-length pop albums. 

Fast forward to today: Alex has fully stepped into herself. Longing for an identity, she has now found it as a proud mother, wife, and bisexual Hispanic Jew with her music reflecting her authenticity. Her latest release “You Wont Miss Me” showcases her vocal confidence, and the depth of her journey. This is a major change from her early songs like “Noise” now showing her depth as a human and telling her truth in every way possible. 

Derek Webb

From Church Roots to Queer Anthems

If you were raised on Christian rock music, you have probably heard of Caedmon’s Call. Derek Webb was one of the founding members, with hits like “Faith My Eyes”. His early solo work, such as “She Must and Shall Go Free”, leaned heavily into faith and his upbringing with his band. 

But 30+ years into his career, Webb has now turned a corner. His latest album, Survival Songs, is a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community, with songs like “Queer Kid” and “Nail Polish” inspired by real stories from his friends in the community. He wrote and recorded this album in just one month, showcasing vulnerability and authenticity. Now, Derek Webb can be found on tour, sharing his new album with people all around.

Josh Radnor

From a TV Career to Making Music

Yes, this is Josh Radnor, from HappyThankYouMorePlease, Liberal Arts, How I Met Your Mother, Hunters and All Happy Families. But beyond the screen, Radnor is a theater-trained, Ohio native with a passion for writing songs. His artistic roots go all the way back to high school, and later to Kenyon College, NYU Tisch, and Broadway, where he got his first breakthrough role as Benjamin Braddock in the 2002 production of Graduate. 

After personal hardships occurred in 2022, Radnor left L.A. He started diving into his passion for storytelling through a new form of art, music, and he headed to Nashville to make his debut double LP. The second installment from that project, Eulogy, Vol II really narrows down on his life, with each song feeling like a funeral for a different version of himself he is letting go of. Now on tour, he is bringing his authenticity and storytelling to every stage he steps on. 

Mary Gauthier

A Struggling Beginning to a Life of Hope

Mary Gauthier did not release her debut album Dixie Kitchen until she was 35. Before this, she faced many hardships. From being raised in orphanages to addictions, Mary Gauthier had to overcome her struggles and she moved on from her life as a chef. She chronicles her fascinating life journey in her bestselling book, Saved By a Song. This brought her to music, where she poured her life into her lyrics, creating songs that are filled with truth and stories. 

Her most recent album, Dark Enough to See the Stars, proves how her voice only grows stronger with time, and her stories are what help her persevere. She is currently on tour, sharing her story of resilience and her passion for music with people all over. 

Ruthie Collins

From Pop Country to Honest Americana

Raised on a farm in Fredonia, NY, Ruthie always had a passion for music. In 2007, she competed in the reality show “Can You Duet”. Following this, Collins launched her solo career with her self-titled 2014 EP “Ruthie Collins”. With songs like “Get Drunk and Cry” and “Trainwreckin'” Ruthie Collins’ early career showed promise and relatability. 

Today, she has a new glow. Her most recent single “Barefoot No Fences” showcases a mature voice, and a mindset that focuses on her goals and happiness. This song reflects the love and fulfillment she has found as a wife and a new mother. Between opening for Sam Outlaw in the UK and her “Wish You Were Here” tour, Collins is proving that growth and change are beautiful. 

Street Corner Symphony

Competition to Career

This group made its first mark on NBC’s The Sing-Off in 2010. Their inspiring and intriguing a cappella performance followed them to the end of the competition, where they were named runners-up. This competition was only the start, as they continued to share their vocal talents with their fans, adding a strong presence in the a cappella world. 

Today, they continue to bring their wide range of vocals to the stage. From pop, rock, gospel, and almost any genre imaginable, they shine with every song and harmony. Their 2022 release Jukebox really showcases their drive and passion for music. Street Corner Symphony just finished up a tour through rural America, bringing live music to small towns and spreading joy through song.

Aaron Lee Tasjan

From Rock Band to Storyteller

Back in the early 2000s, Aaron Lee Tasjan played guitar for rock band Semi Precious Weapons, while still attending Berklee. As the youngest member of the band, he was still trying to find his story, which led him to his solo career. 

Now, Tasjan is creating one of the most unique sounds in indie music. With a mix of folk and honesty, Tasjan thrives on telling stories of personal experiences, sexuality, and mental health. His latest album Stellar Evolution shows his raw and honest style that blends humor with vulnerability. You can now find him on tour, where he is traveling the country sharing his lyrics and unique style with everyone.  

New OM Artist - Aaron Lee Tasjan!

By Lillian Creasy

We are thrilled to welcome Aaron Lee Tasjan to the Olivia Management family. With a creative blend of indie, folk, and blues sounds, we know you’ll love him just as much as we do. Visit aaronleetasjan.com to find tour dates and venues near you - you won’t want to miss him coming your way!

Stay connected with Aaron and keep up with all his latest music, updates, and tour announcements by following him on social media! Check out the links below:

New Album 'Stellar Evolution'


“Aaron Lee Tasjan’s Stellar Evolution is a record with songwriting beholden to nothing — no expectations, and certainly no genre. Just the pure sense of wonder and discovery that had made him fall in love with music as a kid in Orange County, devouring it all with no understanding or care for what was ‘cool.’