Ali Morgan

Artist Interview: Ali Morgan Chats About Her Big Dreams

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Ali Morgan

Ali Morgan, at just fourteen years old is pursuing a career in the music business, something she has dreamt of since she was a toddler.  The teenager took time to chat with New York Country Swag about her influences, her writing process, and her big dreams.  She explains that before she could remember her family was always playing music around the house including Bon Jovi and the Beastie Boys but country music always stuck out to her. “It was the lyrics, being a songwriter that means twice as much to me and I would always write these stories or songs and I  would put melodies to them,” she tells us.  She was in first grade when she wrote her first song, turning a simple story into music.  Taking the stage when she was seven years old for her school play she realized she knew that she wanted to be on stage entertaining for the rest of her life.  She learned how to play guitar and started creating her very own music.

Referencing Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, and Taylor Swift as her influences in the country genre, Morgan states she writes about what she knows just like her idols do. “I don’t know what it is like to be in love, I haven’t gone through a divorce but I do go through things at school, liking boys and having friends that stab you in the back stuff like that,” she tells us of her songwriting.  Originally from Chicago, her family made the move to Nashville last summer to allow her to follow her dreams and she explains how she is so grateful for her amazing support system.  Recently signed to Silverado Records she is currently writing her debut EP and has had the opportunity to open for Andy Grammar.

Starting so young and knowing exactly where she wants her career to go, Morgan lets us in on a few bucket list items she hopes for her career.  She looks forward to standing on a stage and having fans sing her songs back to her and she says, of course, playing the Grand Ole Opry would be a major dream come true.

Follow along on her social media channels: Twitter, Instagram,  and Facebook.

 

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Faren Rachels

Artist Interview: Faren Rachels Chats About Her Debut EP

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Faren Rachels NYCS

Faren Rachels, native of Sparta, Georgia is gearing up to hit the road with Luke Combs and promote her debut EP, available today. There is growing up in a small town and then there is growing up in Sparta, where Rachels graduated high school with 12 people.  “There wasn’t a whole lot to do, but I think that was one of the reasons I got so interested in music so early.”  When your town is so small, every person living there feels like family and she grew up to write songs that have to do with real-life experiences.

She recalls for her 18th birthday her grandparents took her to Nashville to experience The Grand Ole Opry and The Ryman for the very first time.  Growing up just an hour from Trisha Yearwood’s hometown, she remembers going to her high school gym and seeing the praise for the country mega-star and thinking “If she can do this from this little town, I can do it too.”

Growing up with her dad loving Lynryd Skynd and Allman Brothers as well as some blues including Stevie Ray Vaughan but also loving Yearwood’s incredible country vocals she credits several genres of music as her influences.  “If  I like it, I want to do it, I don’t want everything to sound the same,” she says of the diversity of her debut EP which is available today.  As for current day influences, she states that Miranda Lambert has a huge impact on the music she wants to create.  “That is the one thing I loved about every record shes put out, you would have a song that almost sounds like bluegrass then you would go to the next song and it sounds like a metal rock song, so I love the diversity.”

Her self-titled EP is diverse, featuring songs like “Free Drinks”, which is about knowing a man is wrong for you but going back anyway time and time again and “If I’m Honest” which Rachels says is the most personal song she’s ever written. “I call it my therapy song, I didn’t write that song meaning to even cut it, it was just how I was feeling that day and we’ve been playing it out live and people are really responding to it.”  Each of the five songs fit together and offer a cohesive sound and are a representation of who she is as a songwriter and an artist.
The perfect way to roll out her brand new music is opening for Luke Combs who’s tour dates are selling out.  “I am so excited and going to a bunch of places I’ve never been before and playing for people who have never heard of me, I think it is going to be a great opportunity,” she says about hitting the road.  Take a listen to the EP above and head to Faren Rachels’ official website for tour dates. Be sure to follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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Chris Lane Long Island

Interview & Review: Chris Lane and Morgan Wallen on the Take Back Home Tour

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The grand opening of Stereo Garden (formerly The Emporium) in Patchogue, NY took place last night with The Take Back Home Tour featuring Morgan Wallen and Chris Lane.  Long Island country fans showed up early to grab drinks and a bite to eat at the newly renovated venue. As one of the largest music venues on Long Island, Stereo Garden’s decor and overall feel is inviting, encouraging fans to come early and stay late to enjoy the atmosphere, the beer garden, and the dance floor.  Prior to his set, Wallen took time to chat with New York Country Swag about his latest single, tour antics with Florida Georgia Line and Nelly and when we can expect his debut album.

 

As the fans filed in, trio, Levon, took the stage to warm up the crowd before opening act Morgan Wallen.  Lane and Wallen just wrapped up touring with Florida Georgia Line, an experience they both told us in interviews was incredible.  Wallen also just released his latest single “Up Down” with the duo which has almost 3 million streams on Spotify.  The singer sang tracks off his debut EP, including the title track and his first single “The Way I Talk”.  Mashing up songs from different genres he covered Linkin Park’s “In the End”, The Eagles, “Life in the Fast Lane” and Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name”, which had the entire audience engaged and singing along.

 

Chris Lane NYCS

 

Two levels packed with fans, Chris Lane performed songs off his latest album Girl Problems including the title track, “Circles” and of course “For Her”.  “Thank you for spending your hard earned money to be with us tonight,” he said in between songs. “I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart”. Lane’s 75-minute set is high energy, features great sing-along covers like Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It”, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and even NSync’s “Bye Bye Bye” (complete with a band choreographed dance to the 90’s smash pop song).

 

Chris Lane NYCS

 

Slowing things down, Lane invited a fan who he noticed was singing every single word to his songs onto the stage to be serenaded.  He sang an album cut, “All About You” which made for a definite highlight of the night.  Taking the time to thank each of the members of his band and his team, including his merch guy (who came on stage rocking a very tiny, female, Chris Lane tank top) there wasn’t a dull moment to be found.  Closing out the night he sang his very first number one single, “Fix”.  Lane proved that being on tour with mega-stars Florida Georgia Line has taught him how to bring a dynamic show to his fans across the country.  The Take Back Home Tour continues through December, check out the full list of dates below.

Nov. 3 – Atlantic City, NJ
Nov. 4 – Uncasville, CT
Nov. 9 – Columbia, MO
Nov. 10 – Minneapolis, MN
Nov. 16 – Baton Rouge, LA
Nov. 17 – Tallahassee, FL
Nov. 25 – Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 30 – Lexington, KY
December 1 – Kansas City, MO
Dec. 2 – Rogers, AR
Dec. 7 – Columbus, OH
Dec. 8 – Rootstown, OH
Dec. 9 – Rosemont, IL
Dec. 15 – Wichita, KS

New York Country Swag’s, Stephanie Wagner & Christina Bosch with Morgan Wallen & Chris Lane

 

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Swag Sessions: Featuring Adam Doleac

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A warm sunny October morning calls for a Refinery Rooftop Pop-Up Set with rising country act Adam Doleac.  New York Country Swag went live on Facebook and Instagram to broadcast Doleac sing three songs and answer a few questions about his backstory, writing his single “Whiskey’s Fine” and about touring with Ashley McBryde and High Valley on the Highway Finds Tour.  Check out the video here:

 

 

Catch Adam Doleac and The Highway Finds Tour stopping at Gramercy tomorrow, Saturday October 21st.  Grab your tickets here.

 

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Jo Smith Entertains with Winnie’s Jazz Bar Pop-Up

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Georgia native, Jo Smith joined us at Winnie’s Jazz Bar inside Refinery Hotel last week for a New York Country Swag Pop-Up Set.  During her acoustic set, Smith performed tracks off her debut EP, Introducing Jo Smith and shared stories about how growing up in a small town helped to inspire her sound.  “I lived 30 minutes away from the nearest McDonalds so there was a lot of creativity to be had because there was nothing else to do,” she laughs explaining where she grew up.  The EP, produced by Shane McAnally and Jesse Frasure not only introduces the artist to the world but a new genre they coined, “Jo-Town”.  “I was just so grateful to have an idea of a sound that I feel like hadn’t really been done before and to find producers that didn’t say no, they just figured out a way to make it happen,” she tells us.

Taking a seat on the piano bench, New York City patrons were treated to a three-song, acoustic set featuring “Old School Groove”, “Dance Dirty” and a brand new song called “Marry You Tomorrow”.  The singer blends mo-town and country to create a unique sound that is reminiscent of all of her influences growing up including Bruce Springsteen, Patsy Cline and Aretha Franklin.

Be sure to follow Jo Smith on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

 

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NYCS Artist Interview: Meet Singer-Songwriter Sandra Lynn

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Sandra Lynn

California native Sandra Lynn started dancing when she was two and a half years old, acting when she was five, and singing when she was only seven.  As a performer from such an early age, she seemed to always gravitate towards country music. “I listened to a lot of different types of music growing up, but I remember as a kid hearing Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” come on the radio for the first time and I remember exactly where I was… in Encino, California with my mom at a stop light,”  she recalls.  From that moment forward, her understanding of the power of raw, vivid imagery as well as the way a song could pull you in had her inspired. It wasn’t until after college that she starting writing songs in LA and then in 2010 finally made her first trip to Nashville.

After releasing her debut EP back in 2014 which was produced by Rascal Flatts’ Jay Demarcus, and a few more singles that were picked up by CMT and GAC, Lynn decided to dive deeper into her songwriting.  We asked about her songwriting process, “I tell people it’s kind of like dating a little bit, you go into the room with different people and everyone has a different process,” she explains.  “It’s such a weird thing when you walk into a room and you are like “Hi, nice to meet you..ok let’s talk about the most personal thing that is going on in your life” it is such an interesting, cool process,” she laughs.

Spending the past two years writing for her debut record, Lynn tells us she really wants to speak to women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.  The first single off her new project “Hey California” is the perfect song to kick off the songstress’ debut album.  The upbeat track along with Lynn’s impeccable vocals makes for the perfect feel-good single. “when I was sitting down with my co-writer and producer Dave Brainard I told him 2 things, I want to write a country song that has a little bit of a Beach Boys vibe to it and I really wanted to give a nod to my southern California roots.”  Lynn recalls her parents playing the Beach Boys, Endless Summer album for her when she was younger and explains that she pulls from many different genres to influence her unique sound. “I feel like you pull all of those influences into your music and it sort of rounds you out to make you who you are as an artist,” she tells us.

Working to release the debut album and gearing up to release the next single, Lynn is taking the time to perfect her craft and put out a record she is proud of.  Be sure to follow along on her socials, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

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Ryan Kinder Chats After Circle in the City Set in Bryant Park

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Ryan Kinder - Circle In The City

As the summer comes to a close, Circle in the City presented by NASH FM 94.7 in partnership with Southwest Airlines held its final event of the season, Friday night featuring Ryan Kinder.  He took to the mini Opry circle to sing a few new songs and his latest single “Still Believe in Crazy Love”.  As the sun set, Kinder attracted a crowd around the Southwest Porch in the corner of Bryant Park with his powerful voice.  Kinder had two backup singers join him for the evening and the beauty of the three voices harmonizing made for an extremely special night.

Sitting down with the Alabama native, he recalled the first moment he heard “Still Believe in Crazy Love”.  “I had one night home and we flew in to play for XM in Nashville, I was so tired and Nick my manager asked me to come to this writing round. I was exhausted, but he said ‘just come with me,’ so I did,” he explains.  “The first song that Jerry Flowers came out to play was “Still Believe In Crazy Love” and I just woke up….I was so delirious I didn’t care, I walked up to the stage and said: “Don’t you let a single person hear this song, you send it to me, I’m cutting it.”

Kinder was once told, “Never ever cut an outside song unless you are really pissed off you didn’t write it.” With “Still Believe In Crazy Love,” he felt such a passion for this song that he knew he had to cut it himself.  Written by Jerry Flowers and the late great, Andrew Dorff, the lyrics are universal while still remain unique to each listener.  Dorff’s father makes an appearance in the emotional video for the song, which Billboard.com premiered today, along with the most important people in Kinder’s life.

Ryan Kinder - Circle In The City

‘Crazy Love’ is the first off his forthcoming debut album, which Kinder says is definitely in the works.  “We don’t have a date. I’m taking my time on it, because I want to get it right,” he explains.  He tells us the new project will be more southern and rootsy than his past endeavors.

When we asked about his opportunity to play as a part of the Circle in the City series, Kinder could not hide his smile.  “It was unbelievable, The Opry is so cool because they are some of the greatest people I’ve ever met, they are so kind and the Opry doesn’t really chain themselves to country even though it is the bedrock of everything that is country…” he tells us “The Opry understands the true meaning of a music lover and they don’t care if the radio plays them or not, they care about the genuine nature of music and that’s really all they care about.”

For reviews of other Circle in the City events check out Opry Circle in the City with Michael Ray and Morgan Evans.

 

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Scooter Brown Band Perform & Chat During Their NYCS Times Square Pop-Up…

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Scooter Brown Band with NYCountry Swag

It’s not often that three men in cowboy hats with guitars can be found standing in the middle of the hustle and bustle of New York City’s infamous Times Square plaza but last Thursday that is exactly what you would have found.  New York Country Swag hosted a pop-up show with Scooter Brown Band and three members of the band took center stage to play songs off their brand new album, American Son.

Just like many New Yorkers passing by that day, you might be wondering, who is Scooter Brown Band?  Hailing from Texas, the band led by Scott “Scooter” Brown are a southern rock band with a twist of country. After two tours overseas with one tour of combat in Iraq, the lead singer decided to swap out guns for a guitar and pursue a music career.  Gathering a group of guys from Texas and Nashville, he formed his band which has now had the opportunity to open for Travis Tritt, the Marshall Tucker Band and one of their biggest influences, Charlies Daniels Band.

“Songwriting, that’s one of the things I love….I write a lot from experience, I write a lot from the heart.” Brown tells us during our chat with him last week.  The band co-wrote 12 of the 13 tracks on their latest album, American Son.  “The coolest thing about it is, getting something that is in your head, go from pencil and paper to guitar and into a studio and perform it live, it’s like watching a kid grow up,” he says of his favorite part of the songwriting process.

During his time in the marines, Brown became good friends with “American Sniper” Chris Kyle. Looking back on a conversation Brown had with Kyle about buying a bar together and what they could name it, the idea for a song became rather clear.  “He looked at me seriously and said we should call it “Valor” to pay homage to all of our brothers and sisters that fought in combat to fight for our country and he said no matter if you’ve got a medal for it or not, we all fought with valor,” he told us. Sparking an idea in his head, Brown threw some song ideas to Kyle and “Valor” was given life.  “That is the kind of guy that Chris Kyle was, any light that shined on him he kind of hoped that it would reflect off him and shine on everyone else,” he said of his friend. Unfortunately, the song was not complete before Kyle’s death but Brown finished the last verse and performed it at the funeral at Cowboys Stadium for all of those who loved and cherished the fallen hero.

Writing from a personal place is something the band does well.  Each song off their new album feels authentic and fans of the country music genre will appreciate the story each song tells. To learn more and purchase their latest album check out scooterbrownband.com and be sure to follow them on their social media accounts, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 

Love our impromptu NYC pop-up performances? Check out our Lucas Hoge pop-up here!

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!
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– Team NYCountry Swag