Hardly Strictly Bluegrass confirmed the initial lineup for its Let The Music Play On virtual festival taking place the first weekend in October. The online event will feature performances from Alison Brown, John Doe, Yola, Aaron Lee Tasjan and more.

Sierra Ferrell will also make her Hardly Strictly debut. To capture Let The Music Play On performances, Hardly Strictly sent its production team to Nashville where Yola, Tasjan, Brown and Ferrell filmed their sets at iconic Music City locales like the Ryman Auditorium and the studio of legendary singer-songwriter Buddy Miller. The team also trekked to Austin where they captured John Doe’s performance at Austin’s famed Continental Club.

Read the full announcement on Jambase.com

You can also help #SweetSupporters Hardly Strictly Bluegrass celebrate 20 years with 2020 Official Commemorative Merchandise including curated Home Kits, & more! All net proceeds from this year's merch sales will go to Sweet Relief’s Rex Roadie Fund, to help crew facing economic hardship.

Our friends at The Continuance Foundation are doing great work to arm and provide the full-time touring & studio musician community with the necessary tools, education, funds, direction, and guidance to properly prioritize & invest in their mental health.

​Funds donated to The Continuance Foundation are applied to help create a mentally healthier music community.

Costs are used for: 

-Proper Mental Health Care for individuals enrolled in the program.
-The Continuance Foundation Community Meet Ups and Social Events
-Providing educated workbook and reading materials for individuals seeking help
-Event related costs for general fundraising

Learn more by clicking below!

We are so excited and grateful to be a part of this wonderful event! Three Sticks Wines and Arrington Vineyards have partnered up to create Three Sticks Together, a virtual concert put on by musicians for musicians. Hosted by Bill Price, Laurence Hobgood, and Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn, this free concert will be an evening of dancing, philanthropy, and of course wine that is not to be missed!

Register for the concert, shop special wines, and donate (if you can!) below-

FUNDING FOR BAY AREA MUSICIANS: Apply now for COVID-19 relief funding through the Hardly Strictly Music Relief Fund! Eligible applicants in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Sonoma counties can apply for unrestricted grants up to $2,000 to address urgent financial needs resulting from the impact of COVID-19.
 
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in partnership with the Alliance for California Traditional Arts and Center for Cultural Innovation encourages musicians of traditional forms from all cultures to apply for support! Applications are due September 14 at 5 pm PST. Learn more: https://actaonline.org/hardlystrictly  ​

TONIGHT! Join The FAM as they continue to discuss how artists/their teams can pivot and optimize their goals for long-term success in the music industry. For the August Edition, they will be joined by Ariana White of Atlantic Records and Mike Torres of Position Music. Register below!

While this event is completely FREE, they will be taking this opportunity to raise money for Sweet Relief. They are accepting donations through GiveButter with a goal of raising $500 this summer!

The FAM is an open and positive community for aspiring music professionals to connect, collaborate, and create. As an art form built around conversation and expression, music suffers when that conversation is competitive as opposed to collaborative. Collaboration pushes people to do their best, learn from and teach their peers, and develop their individuality.

A very special THANK YOU to The Way Down Wanderers for raising $1,200 for our COVID-19 Fund through the sales of their new single, ‘Quarantine Dream,’ & art print bundle. Donations like this allow us to continue our work and help so many musicians and music industry workers who have been affected by this terrible time. Check them out below!

We've partnered with Flogging Molly to bring you this limited edition Flogging Molly t-shirt, designed by famed Tattoo Artist Tokyo Hiro. Along with the t-shirt, you may also purchase a hand built and custom printed frame made by FM's very own Matt Hensley (quantities are extremely limited). A portion of all proceeds will go directly to the Sweet Relief's COVID-19 Fund to help musicians and music industry workers who have been affected by the pandemic, as well as FM's very own crew. Pre-order your tee and frame for a limited time below!

Accusonus announces a charity beat-making sale in collaboration with Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, where 50% of all profits will be used for musicians and music industry workers affected by the Coronavirus. More specifically, funds raised will go towards medical expenses, lodging, clothing, food and other vital living expenses to those impacted due to sickness or loss of work. Sale ends on the 25th August 2020 .

Accusonus’ beat-making plugin arsenal offers creators a fresh and exciting approach to beat-making. Drop a loop into Regroover and convert it into stems. Isolate, remove or manipulate its individual elements and completely re-arrange your beat. Add colour and polish the sound of your beats effortlessly using Beatformer ’s simple and intuitive interface. Turn your tracks into a performance and jam with your beats using Rhythmiq .

This September, Paul Redding, CEO of the Beggars Group (home to the independent record
labels 4AD, Matador, R ough Trade, XL, and Young Turks), will take on the huge challenge
of swimming across the English Channel for charity.
 
The Channel challenge is the ultimate sponsored swim. At a minimum 21 miles between the shores of England and France (the distance can be longer depending on the current), it is a feat few have attempted and even fewer have been able to complete. To put it in perspective, more people have successfully climbed Mount Everest than swam the English Channel. As it is such a test of physical endurance, Redding has set a fundraising target of
£200,000 which will be split evenly and donated to two music charities, the PRS Foundation (UK) and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund (US).

David Henrie and Selena Gomez have announced a first-ever virtual premiere for their upcoming movie 'This Is The Year'! $1 from every ticket will go towards Plus 1's COVID-19 Relief Fund to support Sweet Relief and World Central Kitchen. Watch the trailer and get your tickets below!

About the film:
In a last ditch effort to win over the girl of his dreams, a nerdy high school senior (Lorenzo Henrie) and his best friends embark on a road trip to see their favorite band at the biggest music festival of the year. On their journey, they realize that elaborate plans never go off without a hitch, and that you can find true love in the most unexpected places.

Directed by David Henrie, This Is The Year is a contemporary spin on many of the classic 80’s movies – focusing on good times and a killer soundtrack. Hop on board for the digital premiere and join a cast of next-generation stars along with a few surprise cameos!

OUT NOW Check out the latest single from Inara George, featuring Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl! Click below to listen to the new version of 'Sex in Cars,' proceeds will benefit Sweet Relief's COVID-19 Fund.

“Having been such a massive fan of Inara for years, it’s always such an incredible honor to work with her, whether on Foo Fighters music or for the Bird and the Bee,” Grohl said in a statement. “Her voice is timeless, so pure and real. So I jumped at the chance to duet with her on this song. It was a dream come true! And for a great cause: Musicians coming together to support each other in difficult times, working to keep the music alive.”

Read the exclusive announcement on Rolling Stone. 

"RiseUp Quarantine" is a TV show coming to ROKU September 20, 2020 featuring artists from around the world, and YOU can be on the show too! Prizes include a spot on an episode of RiseUp TV on ROKU and more. Enter the contest on Orbiiit and once voting starts collect as many votes as you can from your friends, family and new fans from around the world. You are not only going to get lots of exposure to new fans, but you have the chance to win great prizes and appearances on TV! Keep your video clip to between 1 and 2 minutes and be sure to include 3 things....

1) Your name, city and genre of music

2) How has the lockdown affected you, your music and your family. Try to include both positive and negative aspects

3) Do you think that the lockdown was necessary and will it come back or do we need as a society, to just learn ways of dealing with it.

​Portion of the proceeds go to Sweet Relief 🙏

Jack Daniel's Presents: CRASH THE COUCH! Brittany Howard, Nathaniel Rateliff and Cold War Kids will headline the two-day online concert, August 14+15, in support of Sweet Relief's COVID-19 Fund. Presented by Jack Daniel’s, the Crash the Couch virtual music festival will stream for free on their YouTube channel on Friday, August 14th, and Saturday, the 15th. Very excited to be a part of such a great virtual event! 

Check out the full announcement via Rolling Stone below!