Contact music editor Stephen Trageser (strageser@nashvillescene.com). Please keep your pitches to 200 words or less.
Our music coverage includes artist profiles and Q&As, concert reviews, news coverage and other pieces that help tell the ongoing story of the wildly rich and diverse music scene in Nashville.
Each week’s print music section typically includes two to four feature stories of varying length. Usually (but not exclusively) there will be a timely component — a story based on an interview with an artist about a record they’re releasing the week that’s covered by the print issue, or ahead of a show they’ll be playing. The focus is on musicians who live in Nashville and around Middle Tennessee, but touring artists who are playing here (in non-pandemic times) are also considered. Stories about broader trends affecting the local music industry are also key to our coverage, though these are often handled in-house. Features are typically assigned four weeks ahead of the publication date.
Concert reviews have a much shorter turnaround. We typically assign those the week of the show, and deadline is 10 a.m. the next business day after a show. While our review column The Spin focuses on performance and audience interaction, putting the performance in the context of local-music culture is important, too.
Our music blog, Nashville Cream, often features short pieces on new releases (including music videos) from local musicians. These items often have a very quick turnaround — in most cases an hour or two.
