Guy Clark

The Belcourt Theatre will host the Nashville debut of award-winning documentary feature film Without Getting Killed or Caught, the story of revered songwriter Guy Clark on Aug. 6. There will be a Filmmaker Q&A with director and producer team Tamara Saviano and Paul Whitfield after the screenings on Aug. 6 and 7, with screenings at the Belcourt running through Aug. 12.

Premiering at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival where it was lauded with the Louis Black Lone Star award, Without Getting Killed or Caught will tour theaters throughout the U.S. this summer and fall.

Clark, who died in 2016, wrote and recorded unforgettable songs (“L.A. Freeway,” “Desperados Waiting for a Train”) for more than forty years. The 95-minute documentary is based on his wife Susanna Clark’s personal diaries and follows the Clarks and close friend and songwriter Townes Van Zandt as they rise from obscurity to reverence. It is narrated by Academy Award-winner Sissy Spacek and features interviews with acclaimed artists Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Verlon Thompson, and Terry & Jo Harvey Allen.

The film opened in Austin, TX on Friday, July 23 and will premiere in five additional cities in Texas followed by dates across the country. For a complete listing of participating theaters and dates visit www.withoutgettingkilledorcaught.com.

Hardy moves into the top five this week, sliding up to No. 4 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. He is a co-writer on “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “Single Saturday Night” (Cole Swindell), “That Ain’t Me No More” (Matt Stell), “The Worst Country Song Of All Time” (Brantley Gilbert, Hardy, Toby Keith) and “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy).

Ashley Gorley remains in the No. 1 position this week, as a co-writer on “Country Again” (Thomas Rhett), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “Single Saturday Night” (Cole Swindell), and “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton).

Corey Crowder remains at No. 2, Hunter Phelps moves up one to No. 3. Zach Crowell rounds out the top five.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has added new programming featuring a mix of established and rising songwriters including Victoria Shaw, Ray Fulcher, Hannah Dasher and JT Harding. They are set to perform as part of the Songwriter Sessions series, held Saturdays at noon in the Hall’s Ford Theater. Songwriter Sessions are included with museum admission and free to members.

Below is a list of upcoming sessions:

Saturday, Aug. 7—Victoria Shaw co-wrote the No. 1 songs “I Love the Way You Love Me” (John Michael Montgomery); “She’s Every Woman” and “The River” (both for Garth Brooks) and “Too Busy Being in Love” (Doug Stone). Her credits include songs recorded by Christina Aguilera, Sarah Buxton, Eric Church, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lorrie Morgan, LeAnn Rimes, Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood.

Saturday, Aug. 14—Ray Fulcher co-wrote sixteen songs on Luke Combs’s albums This One’s for You and What You See Is What You Get, including the hits ”Does to Me” (featuring Eric Church), ”Even Though I’m Leavin’,” “Lovin’ on You” and “When It Rains It Pours.” This year, Fulcher made his Grand Ole Opry debut and signed a record deal with Black River Entertainment, releasing singles “Bucket List Beers,” “Girl in It” and ”Way Out,” in advance of his debut album.

Saturday, Aug. 28—Songwriter and recording artist Hannah Dasher recently released her debut EP, The Half Record, which includes the singles “Girls Call the Shots” and ”Left Right.” Dasher is a member of CMT’s Next Women of Country, class of 2021.

Saturday, Sept. 18—J.T. Harding wrote “Alone with You” (Jake Owen), ”Beers and Sunshine” (Darius Rucker), ”Different for Girls” (Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King), “Sangria” (Blake Shelton), “Smile” (Uncle Kracker), “Somewhere in My Car” (Keith Urban) and “Somewhere with You” (Kenny Chesney).

Ingrid Andress is launching her The Feeling Things headlining tour this fall and will visit 12 cities across the U.S., before traveling to Ireland, Scotland, London, Paris, Denmark and more and wrapping the tour in Oslo, Norway. Georgia Webster will join as the opener for the U.S. leg of the tour.

Andress will perform in Nashville on Nov. 18 at the Brooklyn Bowl as part of the new dates. The Feeling Things Tour marks the first headlining tour for the rising Nashville star since 2019, and will give Andress the opportunity to bring her debut album Lady Like to life. Tickets for the trek go on sale July 29, and in between headlining shows, Andress will rejoin Dan + Shay on The (Arena) Tour opening alongside The Band Camino.

“I’m so excited to bring my debut album, Lady Like, to the stage and perform these songs that have been such a huge part of my life for the past few years,” said Andress. “More importantly, I can’t wait to see all the fans that I’ve been missing for the last 18 months. As a songwriter, the human connection is one of my favorite parts of the whole experience of touring, so I’m really looking forward to that.”

Alyssa Bonagura. Photo: Kacie Q

As the daughter of Michael Bonagura and Kathie Bailie of Bailie & The Boys, Alyssa Bonagura is no stranger to the life of an artist. Growing up playing and writing with her parents as musical inspirations, she quickly began writing and producing for artists such as Jessie James Decker, Jana Kramer, and Steven Tyler (“I Make My Own Sunshine”).

In 2015, Bonagura and Ruby Stewart, daughter of Rod Stewart, joined forces to become The Sisterhood Band. Soon after signing with Sony Music Nashville in 2017, the duo made their Grand Ole Opry debut and released the Summer Setlist EP.

However, after spending five years as The Sisterhood Band, the pair decided to part ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the physical distance between them, the girls saw creative differences and the opportunity to explore new territories for themselves.

“I was actually grateful that the pandemic happened because it gave Ruby and I time to chill out. We didn’t really need to make a statement because we didn’t really know what was happening,” explains Bonagura. “Five years is a long time, and I guess it was just time for it to change. Sometimes change doesn’t happen when you’re really expecting it. I think that those are the most uprooting times in our lives, and it was really hard for me.”

With a combination of being forced into lockdown, moving in with her parents in Franklin, Tenn., and her significant career change, Bonagura was able to use the thick of COVID as a time to heal, reassess, and figure out her new direction. Included in that period of rediscovery was an outpouring of new and resurrected songs.

“That time during lockdown turned into this really healing, inward time for me. It started out really bad, but then it became amazing to have that connection again with myself, my family, and my music,” Bonagura says. “I’m actually grateful for it all, looking at the other side of it now. I’m really glad I went through all of that because otherwise it wouldn’t have brought me here with all this new music.”

On Friday, July 2, Bonagura put out her first solo single, “New Wings,” which she co-wrote with Tawgs Salter over Zoom amidst quarantine. While the two had never met prior to the call, the culmination of feelings and experiences from the previous year quickly came together.

“Meeting someone for the first time over Zoom is cool because there’s no ego since you’re not in person. I think you’re able to really be yourself, which is cool,” she shares. “I started writing a bunch on Zoom and one of the writes was with Tawgs. He had brought this track to the session and we started talking about life and what both of us had been through and that transformation. The music he brought was so inspiring and I found a really special poem that made it all came together so perfectly.”

The poem that inspired the new track, entitled The Lesson of the Butterfly by Paulo Coelho, describes the importance of the growing process and of life’s challenges.

“The poem talks about how this man was walking past this branch and he saw that a butterfly was struggling to emerge out of its cocoon. After watching it struggle for a while, the guy felt bad for it and wanted to make the process easier, so he cut open the cocoon to let the butterfly fly out. He cuts open the cocoon and the butterfly falls out but isn’t able to fly because its wings are underdeveloped,” Bonagura explains. “The whole point of the story is that these struggles that we go through are really what make us stronger. We can’t cut those processes down because they’re all necessary for our growth. We don’t think about it but the process that it takes to get from a worm to a butterfly is not easy, but you have to get your wings strong so that you can fly.”

As far as future plans for her music go, Bonagura has plenty in store for the coming months. In addition to a handful of singles that will be peppered throughout the remainder of the year, she also has plans to release her first solo album in 2022. Though she’s doing it independently and without the backing of a label, Bonagura is excited for what lies ahead and using her new wings.

“I just want to play and share this music, so I’m doing things independently and creating art. I’m hoping that it’s helping people in some way get through this weird time and maybe bring them some kind of hope.” Bringing it full-circle, she shares, “That kind of goes to the sentiment of this whole song: when you get a pair of wings, you want to fly so just go for it. That’s what I’m doing, and I was scared shitless the whole time doing it. I’m so grateful that I did it, though. I’m grateful that the song is out, and now it gives me a little bit more confidence to keep putting songs out and doing it myself.”