Spotify has announced Hometown, a new live music format designed to celebrate the places that shaped artists and the fans who supported them from the start.
The series will kick off this September as three UK artists – Jorja Smith (Walsall), Nemzzz (Manchester) and Beabadoobee (London) – return to their roots for intimate, one-night-only performances.
Spotify will invite the top listeners of each artist to experience the shows in person. The streaming platform is also working with each artist on community-led initiatives in their hometowns, including donations to local youth groups.
Smith, whose new album What Are The Odds drops on August 21, will perform in Walsall on September 6.
“Walsall is where I first started writing and recording music as a teenager," she said. "It's where my love of music began and the people, experiences and sense of community there continue to influence my creativity today. It’s home, home is where my heart is and home is where I found my voice! I hope it's a moment that inspires the next generation to believe that big things really can come from Walsall.”
I’ve always made a point of celebrating Manchester and representing where I’m from, so getting to do Hometown with Spotify feels like a natural extension of that
Nemzzz
Former Music Week cover star Nemzzz, who releases his new LP Locked In on September 4, will star in Manchester on September 12.
“I’ve always made a point of celebrating Manchester and representing where I’m from, so getting to do Hometown with Spotify feels like a natural extension of that," he said. "There’s a pride that comes with doing it at home, around the people and places that have been there from the beginning. No matter where this takes me, I’ll always find a way to bring it back home.”
Finally, Beabadoobee will headline in London on September 17, the day before her latest album, Pylon, comes out.
“London has always felt like home to me, it’s where I started finding my people, making music, playing tiny shows and figuring out what I wanted to do, so Hometown feels really special," she said. "It’s also really cool that we’re also able to give something back to the community with The Avenues and support young people locally, that part feels really important to me.”
Concert films from each Hometown performance will premiere exclusively on Spotify in the weeks following the live shows. The venues are yet to be announced.
With a growing portfolio of live performances and concert films, the platform says the initiative reflects its ambition to bring its online and offline worlds closer together.
