#TBT 5 Things We Know & Love About Eric Church

Eric Church is back with brand new music, let’s take a look back at five times we loved him for his artistry, his dedication to his fans, and his love for creating incredible music.

5. The First Number 1 –

It took Church three albums to finally have a number one single on the radio, but with his album Chief debuting at number one on both the Top Country Albums and the Billboard 200 charts, you knew this album was different.  Both “Drink In My Hand” and “Springsteen” hit the top spot on the charts and have gone on to be staples in his live shows.

 

4. That Time He Dropped A Surprise Album –

His latest album, Mr. Misunderstood, came as a complete surprise to fans back in 2015.  Members of his fan club, The Church Choir received a vinyl copy of the record on November 3rd, a day before it was available on digital outlets and in stores. With no promotion or advertisements surrounding the release, Church performed the title track during his performance on the CMA Awards the following evening, needless to say, the world was excited about Church’s surprise.

 

3. Why Not Me –

Just days after the country and the music industry were completely devastated by the mass shooting at Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, Church unwillingly took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry.  In the video below, he not only breaks down in tears describing those incredible fans that he had the pleasure of playing for just two nights before but also went on to state “Those were my people, those were my fans.” He dedicated his performance to Heather Melton, who’s husband Sonny was one of the victims, they were supposed to be at the show that night.  He goes on to explain that something broke in him that night and the only way he has ever fixed anything that was broken was through music, playing a song he had just written called “Why Not Me”.

 

2. Fans First – 

As more and more fans started wanting tickets to his shows, Church and his team realized that ticket scalping was a real problem for dedicated fans who were trying to buy tickets as soon as they went on sale.  Church told The Associated Press he’s going to do everything he can do to stop what he calls a criminal organization that’s making millions.  “They buy thousands of tickets across the U.S., not just mine, and they end up making a fortune,” Church said in an interview. “They use fake credit cards, fake IDs. All of this is fraud.”  So in order to do his part, he canceled over 25 thousand tickets that he believed were purchased by scalpers to make money and rereleased them to his true fans.

Eric Church

 

1. Church In New York –

The last time Eric Church played in New York, our team knew we had to do something big.  His “Holdin’ My Own” Tour hit the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on Friday, January 27th of 2017 and we decided to go all out.  We hosted a VIP Suite Experience for lucky winners and New York City country fans.  36 fans including our team got to experience the sold-out show from a private suite. The concert was one to remember, Church played 38 songs spanning over a three-hour set.

Eric Church

 

We are loving his brand new single “Desperate Man” and look forward to his new album October 5th. Sign up for our Weekly Round-Up newsletter to be informed first about new music and upcoming events and giveaways.

 

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NYCountry Swag Live Interview: Tyler Rich

 

What’s Tyler Rich’s idea of ‘The Difference’ between Love & Lust… Cupcakes & Muffins… Traditional & Modern Country? Check out our full interview with the rising country star below to find out and to hear about his TODAY show debut and his choice to make “The Difference” his first single.

 

 

 

 

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Adam Doleac Debuts “Bigger Than Us” Music Video on CMT

Bigger Than Us

Photo Credit: Alex Mertz

 

Adam Doleac’s latest single, “Bigger Than Us” highlights the ups and downs that occur during a relationship.  His music video, which premiered exclusively on CMT today (April 24th), reinforces the battles couples go through to maintain their love.

The video takes place in a boxing ring, where the lead characters battle it out and Doleac plays the referee. Check out our Swag Session with Adam Doleac here then to watch the full “Bigger Than Us” video head to www.cmt.com…>>

 

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Guess Who’s Back? Carrie Underwood Releases “Cry Pretty”

This morning Carrie Underwood joined iHeartRadio to premiere her brand new single “Cry Pretty”.  The song was written by Underwood along with the songwriting team, the Love Junkies, Liz Rose, Hilary Lindsey and Lori McKenna, also responsible for Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush”.  The ballad is heavy, but uplifting, proving that although you can fake smile and smile through a lie, crying is very real and it is hard to look beautiful when letting those emotions out.

Underwood has been out of the spotlight since taking a fall outside her Nashville home last fall, making her triumphant return with this epic anthem on Sunday night’s ACM Awards on CBS.  Be sure to be following @NYCountry Swag on Twitter as we LIVE Tweet the award show and let us know in the comments what you think about Underwood’s latest single.

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Ryan Hurd’s New Single “Diamonds or Twine” is the Quintessential Love Song

With his upcoming nuptials to country superstar Maren Morris looming, Ryan Hurd released a brand new love song today.  “Diamonds or Twine” is not only the perfect love song, but it also represents the day that the couple got engaged back in July of 2017.  “I played this song for Maren the night we got engaged,” says Ryan. “We were at the lake in Michigan, on the dock, and I will never forget that moment.”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s diamonds or twine / I’ll be wrapped around your finger / Girl, you got me ’til we run out of time / Rich or poor, rain or shine, / The wind’s gonna blow wherever it goes / And the road is gonna wind / Doesn’t it matter if it’s diamonds or twine / Forevermore, I’ll be yours, and you’ll be mine.”

The two who are slated to get married tomorrow, March 24th met back in 2013 when they were both just coming up in the industry as songwriters. Listen to the beautiful new song below.

 

 

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Walker Hayes Re-Releases 8Tracks Vol. 1 & 2 Digitally

Walker Hayes

Photo Credit: David McClister

We last caught up with Walker Hayes at his NYC album release show at American Beauty, back in October.  Now, the rising country star has decided to give back to his fans the music that made them first fall in love with his unique take on country music. Originally released almost two years ago in Summer of 2016, Hayes has re-released 16 tracks, some of which did not make his full-length album Boom.

Without a record deal, Hayes recorded these work tapes and released them on his website for free, garnering thousands of new fans. The music caught the eye of Monument Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment,  which offered him a record deal back in January of 2017.  Boom was released in October of last year as well.

“I have been so fortunate to get to do things in a unique way this time around. My team has let me take risks and create music that is authentic to me – even though it might not sound like anything else,” says Hayes in a recent press release. “Today, we’re putting out the music that got me here. I’ll never forget the way fans’ reactions made me feel when I first put these 8Tracks out. They are homemade and they are the foundation of who I am. This is my way of saying ‘thanks’ for everyone’s support. I hope old fans are excited to hear them again and I hope new fans love them just as much.”

Take a listen to Vol. 1 here and Vol. 2 here.

Hayes is now out on his own Good as Gold Tour as well as the opening act for Kelsea Ballerini’s Unapologetically tour, which hits NYC on April 5th. The full list of tour dates is listed below.

March 24 –  Saddlebags in Savannah, Georgia*
April 5 – PlayStation Theater in New York, New York~
April 6 – Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey~
April 7 – The National in Richmond, Virginia~
April 19 – Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon~
April 20 – Knitting Factory in Spokane, Washington~
April 21 – Showbox SoDo in Seattle, Washington~
April 25 – Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, California~
April 26 – Buck Owens Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California*
April 27– Clos LaChance Winery in San Martin, California*

*Good As Gold Tour dates
~Unapologetically Tour dates

Walker Hayes in New York City with New York Country Swag Managing Editor, Christina Bosch (Left) and New York Country Swag Founder, Stephanie Wagner (Right)

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Jake Owen New Music

[Listen] Jake Owen Releases Two New Songs “I Was Jack (You Were Diane)” & “Something To Ride To”

Jake Owen I was Jack

Just a few days after announcing his summer tour “Life’s Whatcha Make It,” with Chris Janson and Jordan Davis, Jake Owen has released two brand new songs, “I Was Jack (You Were Diane)” and “Something to Ride To”.  These singles are the first with his new record label, Big Loud Records after over a decade with RCA Nashville.

The first is an ode in every way to the classic Mellencamp song “Jack and Diane”, filled with nostalgic moments and familiar guitar riffs.

“Do you turn it up? / Do you sing along? / Every time you hear that song / Like we did then / Like we did when, / Do you close your eyes? / Does it make you laugh? / Do the memories take you back / To six-packs and a Chevy Cheyenne / Way back / When I was Jack / And you were Diane.”

It’s already apparent that this will be a great song for Owen to sing out on tour, and fans of his earlier singles like “Beachin” and “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” will fall in love with the approach to new music.

The second single released this morning, “Something to Ride To” is definitely a track you can turn up while driving around town.  Owen sings about wanting to get his mind off of heartbreak, looking for an escape from the love songs.

“Give me something to ride to and forget about life to /  the kind you want to get high too  / lay back in the night too, Yeah used to be dance songs, slow jams and romance songs / but now that she’s gone and the radios on yeah, I just want one that don’t sing about her, give me something to ride to”

If these two songs are any indication of what’s to come from Owen, fans can look forward to great songs with even better melodies. For tour dates, tickets and more info head to jakeowen.net/events.

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First Impression: New Music from Mitchell Tenpenny, Kacey Musgraves, Brandon Ray, & More

Some of our favorite artists released new music this Friday including Mitchell Tenpenny, Kacey Musgraves, Brandon Ray, The Swon Brothers, Cole Swindell and more.  Check out our playlist here and while you are at it give us a follow.

 

Kacey Musgraves Butterflies New Music

First up: Kacey Musgraves released two brand new songs from her next album, Golden Hour, which she announced will be released March 3oth.  “Space Cowboy” is a slow burn, written with Luke Laird and Shane McAnally.  The breakup tune highlights Musgraves’ delicate vocals and her ability to deliver a heartbreaking lyric.  “Butterflies” is quite the opposite from “Space Cowboy” in that it focuses on those first love feelings. As a new bride, Musgraves flits and floats through the enchanting song.

 

Mitchell Tenpenny New Music

New York Country Swag followers are no stranger to Mitchell Tenpenny who has a killer new song out today.  “Drunk Me” is from his self-titled EP and features Tenpenny’s strong gritty voice, where his desperation rings clear that remaining sober is his only option since “…drunk me can’t get over you”.  While cliched country songs are about indulging yourself in alcohol to get over an ex, Tenpenny flips that on its head, proving his versatile songwriting and deliverance is fast-tracking him to stardom.

 

Cole Swindell New Music

It’s been a little while since Cole Swindell released a new song and “Break Up in the End” is a total heart-wrencher. The song puts a twist on the sentiment that it is better to love and lost than never love at all.  The single is the first from his next album.  Written by Jon Nite, Chase McGill, and Jessie Jo Dillion,  Swindell wrote on Twitter, “This is one of those songs from the first time I heard it I knew it was special. So many people can relate to the lyrics. Even though I didn’t write it, I’m amazed the best writers in town are bringing me songs like this.”

 

Brandon Ray New Music

Brandon Ray released “Small Talkin’ today, a new single which was produced by Ross Copperman and Keith Urban. The mid-tempo groove will have you snapping your fingers or tapping your foot at your desk on this dreary Friday. The track was co-written with Jon Mabe and Jessica Mitchell, an idea Ray wrote on Instagram that he has had in his phone for months.

 

Swon Brothers New music

The Swon Brothers released a nostalgia-filled tune, reminiscent of those great 80’s tunes complete with catchy guitar riffs and questions like “what ever happened to the good old days?“. Head to their Instagram to see some classic throwback photos of the brothers, highlighting those good old days as a promo leading up to today’s release.

 

Follow us on Spotify to keep up with our favorite new tunes each Friday.

 

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Dierks Bentley Gives Sneak Peak into New Album with Latest Single, “Woman, Amen”…

If “Woman, Amen” is any indication of what’s to come from Dierks Bentley‘s new album The Mountain, fans should look forward to heading back to Bentley’s roots. The uptempo anthem was written with Bentley’s frequent cowriters Ross Copperman and Josh Kear.  It is a passionate love song dedicated to his wife Cassidy and is deeply personal for the singer.

“I feel like it all starts at home with my wife,” he told Billboard. “She is who grounds me, she is also the one who has helped me to grow as a person over all these years, so I feel if I’m going to tell these stories (on this album) right, I need to start with her.”

The accompanying video above shows the rustic cabin where the song was recorded as well as incredible shots of forests, steep hills and wheat blowing in the wind. Bentley is not only expressing appreciation for the love and devotion from his wife but also taking the time to soak in all that mother nature and this world have to offer. The Mountain is slated for release this Spring.

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Zac Brown/Sir Rosevelt’s, “It Goes On” Featured in New War Movie, ’12 Strong’…

Sir Roosevelt - 12 Strong

 

In addition to recently releasing their debut album, Sir Rosevelt, (the newly formed southern pop group consisting of Zac Brown, Niko Moon and Ben Simonetti), have a new song that will be featured in the upcoming movie, ’12 Strong.’

The war drama, starring Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon, is a story of heroism based on true events that unfolded in the aftermath of 9/11.  Zac Brown’s familiar voice lends itself to a song about the resilience of love in the face of adversity, fear, and doubt, over a chilling acoustic arrangement.

Take a listen to the new track below available everywhere today and ’12 Strong’ will be in theaters everywhere this Friday, January 19th.

 

 

Want more of Zac Brown? Don’t miss Zac Brown Band’s return to New York on the ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’ Tour hitting Citifield on July 28th & 29th. Check out tour info & more dates here.

 

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