Bob Boilen discovers Jilian Linklater at DIY Musician Conference

DIY Musician Conference attendees get a chance to have their music heard by music supervisors, producers, and music journalists.

At 2017’s DIY Musician Conference, Bob Boilen (of All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk notoriety) was really moved by the music of AHI, a soulful singer-songwriter who’d traveled to Nashville from Canada to attend the event. Shortly after, AHI was invited to perform a Tiny Desk Concert and one of his songs appeared on All Songs Considered.

This year, Bob was charmed by the music of Jilian Linklater, a Nashville-based artist whose music combines intimate acoustic singer-songwriter styles with larger pop production. Like AHI the year before, Jilian’s new single was critiqued in front of a live audience at Bob’s Pitch Session. (See the video above). By “critiqued” I mean the panel of industry experts loved it. Then it debuted on All Songs Considered, which is really exciting.

Congrats to Jilian, and thanks to Bob for consistently bringing an open mind and generous ears to the DIY Musician Conference. We’re really proud that this is an event where indie artists year after year can connect with the right people and find new opportunities for their music.

Photo by Marissa Roberts/courtesy of the artist.