How a Rising Star Learned to Shine in Music City

Berklee Now's Keyed In series features Berklee artists and experts sounding off on the latest news and trends from the music world and beyond.

Autumn Knight ’03 is a singer-songwriter and electropop artist based in Nashville, Tennessee. A former professional music major, she's been composing original music since she was 13, including a song, “Don’t Ask Why,” that earned her a partial scholarship to attend Berklee. Knight has headlined at such prestigious Los Angeles venues as the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard and the Troubadour in West Hollywood.

Knight’s single “Outline,” a contemporary pop song about her transition to Nashville, received Best Song of the Month honors from Songwriter Universe in February. Knight says that "Outline" is an emotional story about “rebirth and healing,” and she is moved to see its message resonating with listeners.

Berklee’s Media Relations team recently chatted with Knight as she prepares to release new music and embark on her first tour of in-person shows since the beginning of the pandemic. The interview has been edited for clarity.

Your song “Outline” centers on your move from L.A. to Nashville and the promise of a new beginning in a different city, but in the context of your narrative it carries a more complex meaning. What are your feelings about being recognized for a song like that is so deeply personal?

“Outline” is a song that I hold incredibly close to my heart, and the fact that it has touched others, to me, represents what music is about. It was the first song that I wrote after moving to Nashville six years ago. Unfortunately, I lost both of my parents in my 20s when I was living in California, and I had to process an enormous amount of grief at a young age. Arriving in Nashville was an opportunity for me to not only heal and transition into a new chapter, but to immerse myself in a vibrant community and make new memories. “Outline” reflects how moving to Nashville has been a kind of rebirth for me, both personally and professionally, as it also launched my music into the direction of electronic pop.

It’s amazing how Berklee alumni stay connected and to see so many members of the community having success both in L.A. and in Nashville.

Autumn Knight ’03

Nashville is known internationally for its rich cultural history and its massive contributions to the world of modern music, especially country. Why has Music City had such a transformative impact on your career?

Nashville will always be the music capital of the world for country music, and I think a lot of people associate it with just that genre. But the scene in Nashville now is about so much more than country. You have artists doing pop, soul, blues, rock, hip-hop, electronic, and blending all these different styles. When you’re around musicians experimenting with sounds and creating unique forms of expression, it challenges you to push the limits of your own art. The musicianship here is next-level, and yet the people here are humble, collaborative, and supportive—the community really cares and nurtures you as an individual, not just a musician.

How has your time at Berklee and the relationships you forged at the school shaped your personal and artistic development?

My time at Berklee was incredible, and it’s a special place to me for many reasons. I am grateful to have learned from outstanding professors and musicians, and to have met people who changed my life. I was fortunate enough to perform with the Joni Mitchell Ensemble with Abigail Aronson and to learn from Livingston Taylor in his Stage Performance class. One of the most unbelievable experiences I had was with the Reverence Gospel Ensemble with Dennis Montgomery, and that is also where I met my partner of 10 years, Curt Hovland, who plays bass and keys in my band and cowrites music with me. My whole band is in fact Berklee graduates! Cain Daniel, our touring drummer, has performed with us for years. It’s amazing how Berklee alumni stay connected and to see so many members of the community having success both in L.A. and in Nashville.

You mentioned “Outline” is your first step into the electropop genre and that you’ll be taking your music in this direction. What can your followers expect from you in the coming months?

We are excited to have new music coming out this month and are finalizing plans for our first in-person tour since the pandemic. I’ve always loved electronic and dance music, and my goal was always to incorporate those elements into my songs. Berklee helped push my abilities forward as a guitarist, a vocalist, and a student of the songwriting craft, and after finding my producer, Austin Shawn, in Nashville, I found my artistic voice in this electropop sound. My childhood years were spent in musical theater, and I’m at my happiest when I’m in the middle of a lively performance, energizing the crowd with something fresh and upbeat. We are ecstatic to finally get back in front of audiences again and hopefully inspiring them to feel as good as we do when performing.

You’ve made it a point to work with community organizations to help those in need. Why has giving back remained such a focal point for you throughout your career?

Giving back was ingrained in me from a very young age. After graduating Berklee, I mentored homeless teens in San Diego through the Doors of Change program, teaching them about piano and songwriting. I saw firsthand the healing power of music on these kids who had been through so much. When the pandemic hit, I participated in a virtual concert with Doors of Change that raised a good deal of money for the program. I will also be performing in the Greater Impact Live virtual event to raise money for the Detroit-based nonprofit. I’ve lived in Nashville throughout the pandemic, a city that was ravaged by a tornado two weeks prior to the first serious COVID outbreaks. It’s such a resilient city, and as artists and musicians, we have a big role to play in helping people make their way through difficult times.