Alina for the catching lightning photoshoot, photo by Lucy Bates. Nearly a year after leaving Belmont University and signing a record deal with Columbia Records, Alina announced her first-ever official Nashville show at the Exit/In, promoting her latest EP, catching lightning. A couple hours prior to the show, I had the chance to chat with her over the phone. Right off the bat, I felt like I’d known the singer for years. Last year, I developed a deep attachment to her song “I

The energy at the Exit/In was magical as the crowd filed in on March 29 for Sisters in Song, a concert presented by River & Row Management. As the pre-show playlist cycled through songs by Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, Brandi Carlile, and other artists in the Americana realm, attendees got progressively more excited. Eloise Rixey performing, photo by Maggie Oradat. Eloise Rixey was the first artist onstage, joined by cellist Ethan Hill and special guest Jael Woolfolk on keyboar

The Sisters in Song poster, designed by Annie McNamara On Sunday, March 29, Sisters in Song, presented by River & Row Management, will be taking over the Exit/In. All performers are Belmont University students and alum, and I had the honor of talking to them. Here’s what to expect when you show up this weekend! First and foremost, a unifying sense of community. You’re never going to be bored; all the girls complement each other in terms of music, personality, and of course, h

When I approach Eloise Rixey at a Nashville coffee shop on an early March morning, the first thing I observe about the singer/songwriter is that she looks straight out of an indie-downtown-girl-cottagecore Pinterest board. This impression of her is quickly supported by the revelation that she’s a music business major with a legal studies emphasis and a philosophy minor. “I'm from St Augustine, Florida…. it's got one of the best music scenes, I would argue, in the world,” she

When Americana singer/songwriter Monica James picked up the phone on a spring break afternoon, the first question I asked her was not the typical “How are you?” but rather, “Where are you?” I could hear a soft, incessant noise in the background. As it turned out, she was on a Florida beach. “I figured if I’m going to be on the phone, I might as well be on the beach,” she laughed. This is Monica for you. Her primary goal as an artist, beyond wanting to make people feel seen by

Published at belmontvision.com on March 9, 2026. ALINA performing "Get A Grip." (Louise Geri) The crowd at the Exit/In was abuzz on Sunday night, as 150 people waited for Tripp Todd, Meadowglade and ALINA to come onstage. Two months after the release of ALINA’s sophomore EP, “Catching Lightning,” the singer and former Belmont student headlined the popular venue. Between original songs, opener Tripp Todd performed covers of “Wrist Watch” by MJ Lenderman and a rock-inspired ver