I have never been fond of country music, seeing it through the stereotypical lens of being a mishmashed assortment of beer and trucks. It wasn’t until I found Americana artists like John Denver and Jim Croce that I grew fond of the genre. On Oct. 3, Eli Lev added his name to the list of my favorites.

Lev is a self-described “singer-songwriter of indie folk Americana music for the soul.” He grew up around music, with both of his parents inspiring him to pursue the art as something more than a passion project. With influences like the soulful guitar of John Denver, along with the angsty grunge of U2 and Nirvana, music played an integral part in his upbringing. 

In an interview with The Hustler before his show, Lev said his passion for songwriting started at 13 years old when he would write “random silly songs.” Despite this early start, he only became a professional under the name “Eli Lev” six years ago. 

Lev stated in our interview, “I’ve been writing silly songs for my whole life, but only for the last like six or seven years that I have been writing music full time.“ 

We were at the Nashville Songwriters Showcase, a long-standing tradition at the Commodore Bar and Grille on West End. The showcase is an opportunity for talented musicians to play with other up-and-coming Nashvillians in a multi-hour rotation. 

The beauty behind Lev’s songs is a mixture of his crisp guitar and happy-go-lucky demeanor — they remind me of a camp counselor singing by a crackling campfire. With his background as a teacher, Lev clearly understood how to keep a crowd captivated. His set evoked audience participation, with the attendees snapping their fingers to the beat.

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George Albu

Eli Lev hits the high note as he sings to the crowd, as captured on Oct. 3, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/George Albu)

The true magic of Lev’s performance was his kind treatment of his fans, who came from India, Brazil, Nashville and more. Lev showed thanks to every fan who crossed his path by offering free signed CDs after his concerts. 

Each Nashville Songwriters Showcase has a unique, often unplanned, theme that can define the entire night. The musicians from Oct. 3 had a theme of past and present relationships, singing through lines of emotional breakups and optimism for present loves. The night was a roller coaster of romantic nostalgia to which attendees tapped their feet.

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George Albu

Rachel Rivelle sings to the crowd as she strums the guitar, as captured on Oct. 3, 2023. (Hustler Multimedia/George Albu)

While closing out our interview, Lev expressed to The Hustler his hopes of touring in Europe in 2025 to expand his global reach. Lev mentioned Rio de Janeiro as topping his list of cities in which he hopes to play 

Lev said in our interview “I have a lot of fans in Rio, they are just huge folk and acoustic fans, so I would just love to tour Brazil.”

Perhaps one day, we will hear about Lev headlining concerts all over the world.