Magdalene in the studio
There’s virtually no institution that hasn’t had to adapt to persevere during the COVID-19 pandemic. Girls Write Nashville, the phenomenal nonprofit songwriting mentorship program for young women, has done it well.
The organization made a move to online meetings and even remote recording of its annual compilation of student songs. Girls Write’s fourth compilation, produced as always by the program’s students and aptly titled Sing Through the Quarantine, is set to be released Friday, March 26. On March 28, there’ll be a drive-in listening party to celebrate in the parking lot of United Way of Greater Nashville starting at 2:30 p.m. There won’t be live performances and you’ll need to stay in your car, but you’ll be able to listen along with everyone who attends; community radio station WXNA will be broadcasting the album in its entirety, so you can listen at home, too. You can RSVP right here and see the Girls Write website for all the details, including ways to donate.
Today, we’re very pleased to premiere “Never Know,” an elegiac, guitar-driven ballad by a high schooler who performs as Magdalene. In a note to the Scene, she explains that the song was inspired by the memory of people and things you aren’t able to see anymore, and being fixated on what you might have done differently while you had the chance.
“You really don't know when something's going to happen, so you should always care for that person,” Magdalene says. “And care for yourself, too — you don't know what can happen to yourself. I was really beating myself up for things I did like two years ago. [The song is] basically just looking toward the future and knowing you can start doing that anytime — just caring for them or doing something nice for someone, because you never know.”
Take a listen below, and follow Girls Write Nashville on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) for more.
