TIDAL Releases Docu-Series for Inaugural Grant Program, TIDAL Unplugged

Today, TIDAL, in conjunction with five rising artists from Detroit, are releasing a docu-series highlighting their journey as winners of the inaugural TIDAL Unplugged grant program. The TIDAL Unplugged docu-series provides an in-depth look at the artists' creative process, while working with TIDAL to evolve and craft their sounds. The episodes shed light on each finalist's life-long passion and commitment to pursue dreams of becoming a successful musician. All episodes are available pre-paywall for TIDAL members and non-members alike on TIDAL.com/Unplugged.

The pilot grant program launched in February 2019 with venture capitalists and philanthropists Mark Lampert & Robert Nelsen to support up-and-coming musicians and nurture the launch of their careers. Throughout the program, the finalists worked with industry experts and received access to resources tailored to their individual needs such as studio time, content development, marketing and PR support, and more.

As the program concludes, the winners - Emma Guzman, Laurie Love, Olivia Dear, Raye Williams and Sam Austins - will premiere their music exclusively on TIDAL followed by a wide release. Each will retain full ownership of his or her masters. The complete TIDAL Unplugged artist schedule rollout can be found here.

"We started this journey with an incredible group of talented rising artists and they've truly taken it to a new level," said Jason Kpana, TIDAL SVP of Artist Relations. "We're grateful for the opportunity to help each one of these artists explore their creativity and are excited for the world to see the results of their hard work."

TIDAL will celebrate the winners by hosting a TIDAL Unplugged showcase in Detroit, where the grant recipients will perform their final tracks on April 30, 2020.

More information about the artists, their submission videos, inspirations and more can be found on TIDAL.com/Unplugged.

About the winners:

• Emma Guzman: Described by the Detroit Metro Times as a "songwriting prodigy," and one of their top 15 artists to watch in 2016, the singer/songwriter has quietly amassed a substantial catalog of songs.
• Laurie Love: Born and raised in Detroit, Love has a fresh and modern R&B sound which, combined with her songwriting, embodies the spirit of the city, all while exhibiting a uniqueness.
• Olivia Dear: As a multi-instrumentalist, Olivia plays the ukulele, piano and guitar to enhance her folk and modern pop songwriting. As a member of National Association for Campus Activities (NACA), Olivia travels across the country to play countless shows on college campuses.
• Raye Williams: Mixing the nostalgia of Motown-inspired grooves with Nashville's songwriting sensibility, this powerhouse vocalist effortlessly weaves a sound and tells a story that not only stirs the soul but moves the feet.
• Sam Austins: Sam never fit between boundaries, so it's not surprising he's breaking all of them. His debut EP, 'ANGST,' was dubbed "project of the year" by Alt Weekly and he's previously shared stages with Post Malone, 21 Savage, Pusha T, Vince Staples, and Black Milk.