Joshua Tree, the high desert community outside Los Angeles, has become a mecca for the emergence of exciting new musical voices. How the particularities of this place-its history and traditions, its isolation from urban centers-have contributed to this phenomenon is the subject of the film, told by stirring interviews and live performances. Each writer-performer has his or her unique story, but all have had to face the conflict between maintaining their identity as performers and the struggle to survive in the music industry. The interviews in this film highlight that conflict. And the performers' flourishing in this community is thrillingly depicted in the film's live performances staged at festivals, coffee houses and private homes, or developing from the interviews themselves. These stories and voices tie into a deep tradition of singing and storytelling as oral history. Nowhere Now examines how this tradition is affected by the power of success and failure in the industry.