Fox and Locke in Leiper’s Fork sold out for their songwriter’s round on March 19th, filling the room with locals and a few visitors listening to a night of storytelling through both new and well-known songs.
Josiah Siska, SJ McDonald and Wil Nance played in the round on the 19th. Each artist played with their own unique style and storytelling.
Wil Nance was the senior of the group, having had songs cut by artists like George Strait and Tim McGraw. His songs are raw and real, telling stories that have meaning. Nance moved to Nashville in 1987, and he’s got good banter on stage as he tells the audience tales of ex-wives, divorce and remarrying.
SJ McDonald had grit and grace as she played her music with her gorgeous vocals and songwriting. She’s played cover songs on Broadway in Nashville for seven years, but she also studied songwriting at Belmont in college. Her quirky and bubbly personality lit up the stage as she sang her heart out.
Josiah Siska, born and raised in Gwinnett County, Ga. moved to Nashville when he was 18 years old. An American Idol veteran who earned a golden ticket, he started his set with a gorgeous hook, singing “she don’t know what she’s missing, but I know it isn’t me.” His lyricism was entrancing, keeping the audience hooked with his stories.
“When I write songs, it’s different every time. Sometimes we have the hook and build around that, but it’s different every time,” Siska said. “A lot of the time, it starts with a conversation. Those are my best ideas, when I’m just having a conversation with someone and we just start writing.”
He’s been playing at Fox and Locke since he moved to the area and is a well-loved member of the community. Siska has helped with booking other writers to the writers’ rounds, often pairing up with and bringing in writers that have been in the game for a while. Fox and Locke CEO and general manager Alexis Arnold says she values the community the venue strives to create.
“Josiah, he’s been here since he was a kid. I think I served him his first beer,” Arnold said. “All of his songs have been really special to us. We’ve watched him grow. We’ve watched him develop as an artist and he’s been signed a couple of times. He’s gone on his own recently, but watching him grow and bring different artists and be a part of the community – this is his third time playing and booking artists, and they’ve sold out every time.”
Arnold says her job is to ensure that there are enough employees, perfect the menu recipes and book musicians for the shows.
“We look for first, local artists, because it’s difficult for us to sell out if someone’s playing from out of town. We also look at if the local people are following them,” Arnold told the Williamson Scene. “We also listen to what style of music they play, and if they’re playing at any venues around town. We try to stay competitive.”
The venue is part of the Americana Music Triangle, a nonprofit that Fox and Locke started. When booking, Arnold mostly books artists that fall into the Americana genre. They attempt to stay true to the genres that make Americana music – rock, jazz, country and blues. Arnold focuses on getting people excited about the small town through music.
“We stay on brand with different styles of Americiana music and different styles of jazz music. A lot of people think that we’re a honky tonk, and that we only have country music, but we’ve got a lot of other genres,” Arnold said.
The venue and restaurant acts as almost a welcoming center for Leiper’s Fork and Franklin in several ways. Many people stop there before they go anywhere else, and Fox and Locke works to build community as well as building the economy by adding jobs. Fox and Locke’s motto is “build people, build community, build change.”
