Black Frets[/caption]Co-founders Colin Kendrick and Matt Ott officially launched Black Fret in early 2013as a member-only nonprofit that uses its dues to fund private live music performances from Austin-area artists.
The money is also used to fund grants for artists. The first Black Fret grant winners were announced Nov. 8 during a live show that included performances from nearly all of last year's nominees. All 20 nominees, including the 10 awarded $10,000 in grant money last year, were mentored by industry veterans.
The grants and possibly the number of awards could be increased this year, Ott said.
"Exactly how much larger and how many more [grants] is a function of how many people decide to join us," Ott said in a statement to Community Impact Newspaper. Black Fret already has more than 200 members so far, he said.
There will be two private events per month at various members' homes, music venues and recording studios. The Black Fret members-only shows are also open to all nominees and advisers.
"We love bringing some of the greatest music Austin has to offer to really intimate venues for our Black Fret community, " Ott said. "Anyone is welcome to join Black Fret and experience this with us."
This year's nominees include four holdovers from last year, including Gina Chavez and Mother Falcon, who won grants in 2014, as well as Danny Malone and East Cameron Folkcore.
Newcomers this year includeAaron Behrens, originally of Ghostland Observatory who now leads a project with his band The Midnight Stroll, and Riders Against the Storm, the two-time reigningAustin musicians of the year. Indie-pop singerMax Frost, who gained national notoriety for his 2014 song"White Lies," also is a first-time nominee.
Black Fret is sponsoring a stage during Art City Austin on April 25-26. The stage will host a number of past Black Fret grant recipients as well asnominees from the past two years, such as Elias Haslanger & Church on Monday, Elizabeth McQueen, Graham Wilkinson, Amy Cook, Jonny Gray, Lincoln Durham, Jitterbug Vipers, East Cameron Folkcore and Erin Ivey as well as other 2015 nominees.
For more information, visit the Black Fret website.
