Past Live Shows
From performing at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café and Puckett’s to taking the stage at festivals throughout Kansas, Ohio, and Kentucky, Ava Rowland is a talent worth keeping an eye on. The contemporary country music artist cites an eclectic list of artistic inspirations ranging from Carrie Underwood to Lauren Daigle to Selena Quintanilla to Elvis Presley.
Ava is a 2019 CMA Fest Artist. She has opened for several well known artist such as Montgomery Gentry, John Michael Montgomery, Drake White, Emily Hackett, Allie Colleen and Neal McCoy.
Her songwriting is in full evidence all over California Gypsies, her new release.
A great example is the heart-wrenching “My Last Words,” a song that was inspired by the tragic events that unfolded at Parkland High – and the family members left behind.
“I was watching a vigil for the Parkland shooting victims. A father of victim Jamie Guttenberg was saying how he can remember the busyness of the morning and what she was wearing, but he can’t remember if he told her that he loved her. Such a strong statement made me realize that we never know when it’ll be the last time we see someone.”
The EP also contains the title track - Ava’s very first radio single - the upbeat “Polaroid Picture,” of which she says, “It’s about having someone special in your life who is just an original, a classic…just like a Polaroid Picture.”
Ava is currently promoting her EP, which is produced by well-known Nashville songwriter, Britton Cameron (toured with Toby Keith, Hootie and the Blowfish, Leann Rimes). She says it was a thrill being in the studio with him. “He taught me a lot during recording. It was a truly educational experience, and I feel I am the better for it.” The instrumentation for the album was recorded at Nashville’s Keystone Studio, while the vocals were all tracked at Cameron’s home studio.
The EP is available for streaming and purchase on all major platforms, including iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.
When she isn’t working on music, Ava can be found advocating “Rachel’s Challenge,” a program about anti-bullying, looking for the best in others and treating them with compassion. The organization was founded in the memory of Columbine High School shooting victim Rachel Scott. Her story is one that struck an emotional chord within her.
“I read about Rachel Scott, and found myself so much into her story, how she was compassionate to others, and how she basically died for her faith in God. It’s a program about anti-bullying, looking for the best in others and treating them with compassion. She wrote a paper and it was called, ‘My Ethics, My Codes of Life.’ She challenges the reader to go out of their way to show compassion because if one person goes out of their way, then they start a chain reaction of the same - about being kind to others.” The foundation creates programs which promote positive climates in schools, including Ohio’s Wellington School District, for which Ava raised $5,500 to bring in “Rachel’s Challenge.”
Ava enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at her church. When at home, Ava can be found watching TV, or movies such as 8 Seconds and The Notebook. However, she’s hoping to be quite busy promoting her new music. What are her goals? She has set the bar high. “I want to be on tour and on the CMA Awards. That would be nice,” she says with boundless enthusiasm. Whatever her career path, Ava stresses she will never forget where her gifts come from. “All my blessings come from my savior Jesus Christ. I would be nothing without him.”
He’s shared album credits with Garth Brooks and Tom Petty and his songs have been heard everywhere from the Tony Kornheiser Show to the Bluebird Café. Nashville native Randy Finchum is an award-winning songwriter and radio personality who has had over sixty songs recorded by various artists, among them country music great multi-platinum artist Sammy Kershaw. In the Christian Country genre, Randy has been blessed with four #1 songs as a writer and an artist, among them “Jesus Was a Rebel”, which was named 95.5 WTVY’s SON Country Countdown “Song Of The Year” for 2014. In May of 2016 Irish country music star Mary Duff released her CD “Changing Lanes” (ISG/Sony Music Australia) which included two of Randy’s songs, including her single and video for “What Heart Can Do”, which currently has over 350,000 views. In 2018 Irish band Hurricane Highway's cut of Randy's song "I Learned From You" was considered for a Grammy nomination.
On the radio side, Randy hosts the weekly “New Music Showcase” segment on the syndicated radio show “The HLE Christian Country Countdown with Steve Roberson” and previously hosted the "Music City Magic" segment on 106.5 WOCY as well as the “Nashville Night” radio show on the Nashville Songwriters Radio Network. Randy also has written theme songs for the nationally syndicated radio talk show “The Long Version with Fletcher Long” and the HLE Radio morning show, and has recently performed on the “Nashville Today” show and “The Music Row Show” on Nashville’s legendary radio station 650 WSM.
Randy has given his testimony of how God saved him in churches from Michigan to Alabama. His mission in music and in testimony is to let others know no matter where they are or what they’ve done, God is waiting for them to call on Him. “He is a great God, and I never knew just how great He was until He pulled me out of the darkness and into His light,” says Randy. “God’s got a miracle waiting on you!
EPK: Relative Harmony! Keeping it all in the family, Credenda consists of two siblings and their mom, all contributing to the songwriting.
Their music is reminiscent of a time when lyrics impacted a generation, bringing healing and hope for the future.
Genre defying, Credenda's signature sound of unique sibling harmonies is showcased in their original and compelling songs.
Currently based in Nashville.*Their debut EP is scheduled for release 27 February 2019
It started with Barbara who began songwriting as a young adult. She was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, Larry Norman, and some jazz artists like Cleo Lane. She grew up being exposed to multiple genres, particularly jazz and rock n’ roll. After nursing school, she worked for a while in the UK and then applied for a job in California where she met her husband Joe Bruton. They had a family and out of that family musicians began to develop! Soon, members of the family were writing and jamming together. Barb plays keyboard for the band and is one of the primary song writers.
Daniel started playing the guitar while living in England from 2003-2008. Dad worked on the streets with homeless folks and runaways. His parents bought him an electric guitar and small portable amp for his eleventh birthday, and he practiced literally four to five hours a day for five years. He admires artists such as Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, BB King, and more modern artists such as Ed Sheeran. He loves to play electric and acoustic and bass guitar as well as the cajon.He is always looking for ways to incorporate a Celtic sound. This may be after having lived in the Northeast of England where Celtic influences are very strong. He often co-writes with Barb Bruton, as well as writing his own songs.
Anna is our lead female vocalist. She started singing with Credenda when she was sixteen. Now 23 years old, she is a pro. She loves big band jazz artists such as Cleo Lane, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. She’s also a big fan of singer songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, as well as blues artists such as Mavis Staples. She is an accomplished song writer and is currently expanding her skills on the keyboard and guitar. Anna often co-writes with other members of the band and helps with the arrangements.