Pop Life — Nashville Scene – Lance Conzett Photography

A Look at Nashville’s Rising Tide of Pop Music

I wrote the cover story for the October 4, 2018 issue of Nashville Scene, in which I reported on the surprising rise of a local independent pop music scene.

On a warm summer night, cars stream into the makeshift parking lot behind a graffiti-adorned warehouse in an otherwise residential neighborhood. Passing through the entrance’s ID checkpoint and down a shadowy hallway, you emerge through a door into a new world — covered by fog, lit by lasers and thumping with four-on-the-floor dance jams.

You’d be forgiven if you thought this was a scene from Los Angeles, New York or Chicago. But it isn’t. It’s Nashville, and this is just one of the dance parties at the center of Music City’s emerging pop music scene. This particular event is the Aug. 18 installment of a recurring dance party called CLØVER, featuring performances from Whissell, Remmi and Bryant Taylorr. But it’s just one of many such events that celebrate the burgeoning local pop scene.

In addition to writing this cover story, I also shot photos of pop events around the city, including release shows, rooftop showcases, warehouse dance parties, and more, which were included as part of the cover story package.