ASCAP shines its spotlight on several of its talented songwriters in a new online series, the ASCAP SPF (Summer Performance Festival). This week’s episode, the second of three, premieres today (Thursday August 13) and features three writers, Amy Wadge, EZI and ROE. Each have written for some of today’s top artists, including Ed Sheeran (Thinking Out Loud), Kacey Musgraves, Lady A., Kiana Ledé, Usher and more.
Videos by American Songwriter
The format has an informal writers-in-the-round vibe, with backstory tidbits, personal touches and three song performances from each artist. Performances can be accessed at https://www.ascap.com/spf.
Amy Wadge
Apart from writing songs for herself, Amy Wadge has been active in collaborating with new performers in Britain, most notably Ed Sheeran. The two collaborated on a number of songs, most notably the Grammy-winning Song of the Year, “Thinking Out Loud.”
Amy has also written songs with Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Camilla Cabello, Kacey Musgraves, Thomas Rhett, Brantley Gilbert, James Blunt, Noah Cyrus and Lady A. amywadge.com
EZI
Los Angeles-based artist EZI continues to tease her forthcoming
sophomore EP on “blooming,” a gorgeous new single and music video full of
intimate musings that officially arrived July 24. The track comes on the heels
of “not going down” which brought together celebrities, fans and friends alike
for a heartwarming DIY music video where items were passed from screen to
screen.
The debut artist on Steve Madden’s label 5Towns, EZI quickly emerged onto the
scene as a versatile talent. Praised by the likes of Refinery29 for
her “upbeat [and] powerful” sound, she’s allotted extensive editorial support
while taking her talents everywhere from SXSW as Spotify’s Artist to Watch to a
support slot on MAX’s 2018 tour as well as previously supporting Dennis Lloyd,
Bipolar Sunshine & Marian Hill. That all goes without mentioning her
appearances on Beats 1 Radio, featuring on a slew of Spotify and Apple Music
playlists that have amassed 25 million+ streams, and starring as the face of Steve Madden’s Madden
Girl Spring 2019 Campaign. Her music has also soundtracked an array of buzzing
shows and films including Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia,
CBS’s In the Dark, BBC’s Get Even, and the forthcoming
major motion picture After We Collided. eziofficial.com
ROE
Born and raised in Venice, California, ROE is a multi-talented artist and songwriter for Universal Music Publishing Group. The songstress boasts rich, mellifluous vocals and after years of working as a songwriter behind the scenes, she is ready to break out and step into her truest form. Her new music sees her blending rich, magnetic melodies reminiscent of classic R&B and the likes of Mariah Carey with bright, modern production that fits just right for the LA native. Her debut EP as a solo artist is set to come fall 2020.
ROE has written for top artists such as Mary J. Blige, Usher, Normani, Kiana Ledé, Teyana Taylor, Kash Doll and more. She has also written songs for hit TV shows Empire and Star and more recently, her collaboration with Sachi, “Sparking My Fire,” was featured in NBC’s hit reality TV competition show World of Dance. She has also lent her talents in collaborations with artists such as The Him, and most recently dance legend Tiësto, with even more big features to come. instagram.com/thatsroe
Here’s a sampler from last week’s SPF to get you primed:
Alyssa Bonagura- The Road Less Traveled
LIIV- Fool’s Gold
Sebastián Yatra – Un Año
The August 20 performers are Chris DeStefano, Gizzle and GALE.
“Music festivals are what we music lovers look forward to every summer — the chance to discover new artists and see some of our favorite music creators live,” said ASCAP Chief Creative Officer John Titta. “Right now the world is tuned in and listening to more music than ever before, so we wanted to bring that free-spirited, music-centric atmosphere to music fans at home by highlighting some of our favorite songwriters from the ASCAP family with these curated performance playlists.”
