Caroline Spence

1. Nikki Lane
2. Caitlin Rose
3. Shovels and Rope
4. Cale Tyson
5. Andrew Combs
6. Kelsey Waldon
7. JP Harris and The Tough Choices
8. Sturgill Simpson
9. Caroline Spence - This gal was awarded the 2013 Best Lyrics Award from American Songwriter for the lyrics to her beautiful single "Mint Condition." Caroline Spence then spent a session collaborating with Grammy-nominated artist Lee Brice. Not a bad day for a 24-year-old.

Spence writes with an authority beyond her years, crafting indelible phrases of heartbreak and longing. She has a rugged, sweet soprano and a heart-tugging delivery. She's the kind of act who'll make you nostalgic, even if you aren't sure for what. That's because she sounds timeless. - Policy Mic

t’s a pretty good day to be Caroline Spence: this morning she got to sit down for a “Dream Co-Write” with Grammy-nominated country artist Lee Brice. Her song “Mint Condition” won 1st place in the July/August 2013 Lyric Contest and was chosen as the best overall for 2013, which awarded her a writing session with the Curb Records artist behind “I Drive Your Truck.” Spence also won a professional demo session, a Gibson guitar, and a legendary Shure SM58 microphone. - American Songwriter

ARTIST: Caroline Spence

SONG: “That Necklace”

BIRTHDATE: August 18, 1989

HOMETOWN: Charlottesville, VA

CURRENT LOCATION: Nashville, TN

AMBITIONS: to be satisfied.

TURN-OFFS: arrogance, waxed eyebrows, flip flops, saying Bob Dylan “can’t sing” or that the Beatles are “overrated.”

TURN-ONS: humility, puns and/or dad-jokes, great sweaters, late-night country-western sing-a-longs.

DREAM GIG: The Ryman Auditorium.

FAVORITE LYRIC: “There’s one lesson I have learned / There ain’t no ash will burn.” – Walt Aldridge

CRAZIEST PERSON I KNOW: the crossing guard on the corner of Fairfax and 24th. She makes no sense and is so angry.

SONG I WISH I WROTE: “Landslide,” written by Stevie Nicks.

5 PEOPLE I’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH: Mary Oliver, Tina Fey, Bill Cosby, Jim from The Office (single), and Patty Griffin.

MY FAVORITE CONCERT EXPERIENCE: My dad took me to go see Pat Benatar at The House of Blues. We were in California on a vacation to Disneyland and I, somehow, came across an ad for the show and begged him to take me. I think this was the very first time I asked to go to a concert. I’d seen plenty of concerts but they’d never been my discovery. I remember feeling the most intense combination of delight and anticipation at the thought of seeing “Love is a Battlefield,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” or “We Belong” performed live. I was the only kid in the whole place and people were giving my Dad a hard time about bringing a kid to a bar. He would just laugh and say “she brought me!” I don’t think I’ve ever felt cooler.

I WROTE THIS SONG: about the relics of relationships that we hold onto for lonesome reasons. More specifically, a silver necklace with a tree on it. - Songspace via AmericanSongwriter.com

Today (Aug. 16) Caroline Spence ’11 will take the stage at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, Colo., as one of 10 finalists in the Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase. There’s no doubt she’ll perform the song that got her there, “Whiskey Watered Down.”

You think you’re a big deal with that guitar in your hand,
but you’ll never be Parsons, Earle, or Van Zandt.
There’s one like you on every corner of this town.
Your songs all feel like whiskey watered down.

We can’t say the same of Spence’s work. Seems she is making a real name for herself in a town inundated with hopeful musicians: Nashville.

“A lot of people have one impression of Nashville, but there are so many sides to the scene,” says Spence. “There’s a lot of integrity in this town—besides all the beer and truck songs, which are an art form of their own. There are a lot of word-minded and idea-minded songwriters and not just one way to write a song. I like to think that I fit into more than one niche.”

The up-and-coming singer/songwriter is receiving some well-deserved attention as of late. Her recently released EP, You Know the Feeling, is getting some serious traction; she’s already taken home top prize in an American Songwriter Magazine’s lyric contest for her song, “Mint Condition”; and she also was interviewed recently for the publication, which, she happily notes on her Facebook page, also included stories on two of her idols, Patty Griffin and Guy Clark.

Spence already had made a name for herself on campus during her college days. Whether she was leading the a capella group Ladies Night Out, jamming with the Denison Bluegrass Ensemble, or performing her own material at the Bandersnatch, rarely did a few weeks go by when you couldn’t find her on a stage somewhere.

Now, just two years after she graduated with a degree in English, she continues to seek the stage. And those stages keep getting bigger.

You can find more of Spence’s work at CD Baby and iTunes.

UPDATE (Aug. 17, 2013): Spence took first place yesterday in the Songwriter Showcase. That means she’s won $300, a Taylor 414-CE grand auditorium cutaway acoustic-electric guitar, and a set on the main stage during next year’s Rocky Mountain Folks Festival!

- See more at: http://www.denison.edu/theden/2013/08/the-road-to-nashville/#sthash.FCJQDiXy.dpuf - TheDen (Denison University)

Written by: Haley Adkins, Tuesday July 16 2013

It is a shame for me to say that today was the first time I picked up and read the latest volume of the American Songwriter magazine. I have a handful of untouched copies displayed on my coffee table. After flipping and scanning page after page, my attention was caught by the American Songwriter Lyric Contest Q&A article, which is an interview with the 1st place winner of the lyric contest. The judges are some of the most influential hit-makers in Nashville including Christian artist, Dave Barnes, to Editor-in-Chief of American Songwriter magazine, Caine O’Rear, to Vice President of A&R at Warner-Chappell Music, Lee Dannay.
Months ago, I thought about entering in myself, but never dwelled upon the idea afterwards. For my personal sake, I was curious to see who won 1st place and what kind of lyrics astounded the judges so much to give the winning award to this particular songwriter.
“I felt like every word needed to be in the right place,” says Caroline Spence – the quote placed beside the picture of her in the article. “Sounds just like me,” I thought to myself. I am very particular and hard-on-myself kind of person when it comes to writing.
Turning back a page, I slowly began to read the lyrics for “Mint Condition” – a song about two people who’s love will never fade and always be kept in “mint condition.”
The whole time I was reading the ever-so-simple words out loud, it all became more clear of how imaginative and beautiful these lyrics really are. I would bet on any reader to feel and understand the emotions of this song. The love described is simply what every individual yearns for: everlasting.
Not only do the lyrics reel in emotions for the reader, but they are simple with a hint of originality. Most songwriters and music publishers will tell you that some of the biggest hit songs are the ones that contain the most simple, honest lyrics. If a songwriter tries to put too much uniqueness into his or her lyrics, then the reader or listener might get lost in the song. “Mint Condition” contains such direct and honest lyrics, as to why readers can relate to the song’s emotions.
I wanted to know more about the songwriter, Caroline Spence, so I researched her music on Reverbnation. Folk, Pop singer/songwriter, as it read at the top of her band page. Although I am mostly a country-music lovin’ gal, I am intrigued by different genres, especially folk music. Anyone who lives in Nashville knows about the rising, underground indie-folk scene. Even the most country of country artist and songwriters dig it.
The first song I pressed play for was “Everything I Need.” In my opinion, this is probably my favorite song on Caroline’s page. The song really showcases her folky, Mindy Smith and Patty Griffin style of music and soft, sweet vocals to go with it. Everything about this song – harmonies and melody included – really drew me in.
I caught myself bobbing my head when playing the next song, “When the Road Runs Out.” Maybe because it is more upbeat than “Everything I Need,” or maybe because I really like it and can vision it on the radio some day.
Whatever the case may be, I can officially say that I am no longer ashamed of picking up this month’s volume of the American Songwriter magazine, after weeks of neglecting my stash. Because of it, I have now found a new, talented singer/songwriter who I think has the momentum and ability to stand within the music industry.
To hear more of Caroline Spence’s music, go check out her new EP called You Know The Feeling available on iTunes. You can also check out her other music on www.reverbnation.com/carolinespencemusic or www.facebook.com/carolinespencemusic - RisingOutlaws.com

1st Place
“Mint Condition”
Written by Caroline Spence
Interview with Caine O'Rear, editor-in-cheif of "American Songwriter Magazine."


When did you write “Mint Condition”?

I wrote the chorus in January and went back and found it on my voice memos on my iPhone, which is where all my ideas are, really. And it spoke to me again in February, and I wrote two of the verses, but it didn’t feel done. And then, right before the contest, I wrote my third verse. I actually changed the last two lines right before I pressed “send.” For some reason, with that song, I felt like every word needed to be in the right place.

What inspired the song?

I’ve been trying to think of really great phrases, and building off of that, and it really came with the idea of “mint condition,” and thinking about old things that last, and how they do that. And how we all love the vintage and the old, but we really love it because it’s been kept fresh for us. The things and people that we love the most are the things that we don’t want to fade through time.

How long have you been writing songs?

I’ve been writing good songs [laughs] for the last five years, I’d say. But, I actually have cassette tapes from when I was six years old, and I would just sit in my room and say “I’m going to write a song about this!” and then make it up off the top of my head. So it’s always something I’ve been inclined to do, but I’ve only tried to make a craft of it in the last six or seven years.

Did you move to Nashville for your music?

I did. I was up at school in Ohio, and right after I graduated college I moved here. Nashville is where you can live every day in a musical way. I needed to live in a town where there was always an opportunity to make music, and I feel like there is that opportunity here.

How often do you write songs?

I really try to make it a daily endeavor. I can’t say I always succeed, but I think that if you only write when you feel like you’re inspired, then you sell yourself short. Because there have been times when I’ve said, “I’m just going to pick up my guitar and maybe practice a little bit.” And then that will be the moment when all the sudden a couple of pages that I wrote a month ago will speak to me, and I’ll accidentally write a song. I try and pick up my guitar and play a few unfinished verses every day.

Who are your songwriting heroes?

I heard Patty Griffin when I was in high school, I think that she is for me, what kind of changed things. I love and adore Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell – I think they are so great at those concise, clear images. And then people like Lori McKenna who are very much folk-minded writers.

If you could co-write with anyone living or dead, who would it be?

Gillian Welch, David Rawlings or George Harrison.

What do you consider to be the perfect song?

There’s this song by Jason Isbell called “Dress Blues.” I think it’s just really careful and well crafted. And it tells a story, and it toes the line between being religious and political, but also just being really human.

Where can people go to hear your music?

I just put out an EP called You Know The Feeling, and that will be available on iTunes, CD Baby and Spotify. You can also check out my music at www.facebook.com/carolinespencemusic
- American Songwriter Magazine