Riley Green Releases Emotional Track “I Wish Grandpas Never Died”

Riley Green I Wish Grandpas Never Died

Before its official release, Riley Green’s “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” made its rounds touching the hearts of country music fans. Within days of the penned ballad making its debut on YouTube, it miraculously collected a mere 1.8 million views. It has been a staple in Green’s intimate sets over the last few months, leaving the Jacksonville, Alabama native exposing his sensitive side each and every time he’s nurturing his guitar.

This emotive, personal ballad pays homage to both of the Green’s late grandfathers, Buford and Lyndon who passed in 2010 and 2018, but also runs deeper than missing the presence of a loved one. Green sings: “I wish even cars had truck beds / And every road was named Copperhead / I wish cookers never ran out of cold Bud Light / I wish high school home teams never lost / And backroad drinking kids never got caught / I wish the price of gas was low and cotton was high// I wish honky tonks never had no closing time / And I wish Grandpa’s never died.”

The “There Was This Girl” singer often mentions the impact his grandfathers had on him. Without those relationships, Green may not be at this point in his career. His grandpa Buford ran Golden State Music Hall in Jacksonville, AL and allowed his grandson to step on stage and play some songs. Grandpa Buford acquainted Green to the likes of Merle Haggard and Hank Williams and instilled those traditional roots in his him when he was a child. Conceivably the inspiration behind his line: “I wish country music still got played on country radio”

Regardless of your background or your taste in music, “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” hits close to home and pays homage to the purpose of the country genre.

To keep up with Riley Green follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“I Wish Grandpas Never Died” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Hannah Ellis Releases Another New Track “Friends Like These”

Hannah Ellis Friends LIke These

One of our favorite independent artists, Hannah Ellis never lets us down with her music. She released her deeply personal track “Your Woman,” a few months ago, and today, she’s back with a fresh sound in her new song “Friends Like These.” Fans, who have attended her live shows might recognize it as she often closes out her sets with the jam.

Ellis’ new song is an anthemic track dedicated to her friends. She sings about only having “nights like this with friends like these” referring to memorable moments with true friends. She reminisces about carefree nights with her people. The song is a breath of fresh air, focusing on the intricacies of relationships between friends rather than lovers or exes. It’s completely relatable, catchy, and upbeat, and is sure to garner her more fans and much deserved attention.

“Yeah we’re all about the weekday with the weekend vibes / it’s just our style / and never have a plan / but that don’t mean that we can’t / keep looking for an excuse to celebrate every little thing / like a birthday / or three weeks straight / yeah y’all bring out the side of me / I can’t help but wanna be / the life of the party.”

Catch Ellis in the opening spot on tour with Gavin DeGraw on August 6th at The Paramount in Huntington, New York. We caught the Swag Sessions alum, last year when she performed at our first ever Babes, Booze, and Brunch event and earlier this year alongside fellow CMT Next Women of Country songstresses Cassadee Pope and Clare Dunn at the Gramercy Theatre. For tickets and more information for the NYC show head to hannahellismusic.com.

To keep up with Ellis, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“Friends Like These” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

 

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New Country Music Friday – The Playlist 8/2/19

It’s our favorite part of the week, New Music Friday!

This weekend we’ve got new music from Hannah Ellis, Riley Green, Tyler Childers and so much more.

Check out all the new music and more on our Spotify New Country Music Playlist below and be sure to follow for updates each and every Friday:

 

 

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Justin Moore Pops Up In the New York City Subway {Without His Cowboy Hat}

In celebration of his brand new album Late Nights and Longnecks, Justin Moore joined Subway Creatures to perform in a New York City subway station at 30 Rock. The country crooner took off his iconic cowboy hat and stood where so many artists make a buck in The Big Apple, performing for commuters in a subway station.

It doesn’t get much more New York meets Nashville than Moore’s twangy voice over the rumbling of the underground transportation system that is crucial to our beautiful city.  He sang “You Look Like I Need A Drink”, “Why We Drink”, and “Point At You”. Probably the most poignant moment came when Moore sang his current single “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” which celebrates those who have lost their lives protecting others. New Yorkers are particularly proud of our NYPD, FDNY, and all other emergency workers so this one was perfect for our city.

Watch the full songs from the Subway Creatures Pop-Up on YouTube and head to our Instagram Stories for a few exclusive videos from the performance.

To keep up with Justin Moore follow him on InstagramTwitter, and Facebook.

Late Nights and Longnecks is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

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The Highwomen Perform & Chat With Sirius XM The Highway in NYC

The Highwomen, the newly debuted female-fronted crusade composed of Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, and Natalie Hemby, graced SiriusXM Studios, NYC with an afternoon of music and stories yesterday (July 31).  “It’s a movement. And it’s a humble movement. It’s one that we’re inviting everyone to be apart of; you’re all Highwomen. Even you guys,” Carlile said with a wink, establishing a lighthearted, welcoming vibe in the room.

Upon introduction, the girls reset history and honed in on their beginnings. “It started with Amanda Shires coming up to me backstage at the Basement East with a drink and saying, “You know, I want to start a band with you called The Highwomen,” Carlile tells. Shortly after, Morris received a phone call from Carlile. “I was doing Jimmy Fallon performing “Girl” because it was my album release week back in March, and Brandi Carlile called me and was like, “Do you want to be a Highwomen?” And I was like, “I’m releasing a record tomorrow but yeah! Sure,” I didn’t skip a beat.”  Hemby adds, “We got married first and then got to know each other.”

The all-female country supergroup synchronically blended their bona fide, harmonious vocals in “Redesigning Women” to kick off their performance. They sang about the expectations and double standards placed on women by society. When asked how many clichés did not make it into the song, Hemby responded with, “A lot. There’s thousands of them. I just wanted to pick the best universal ones, anything that has to do with shoes.”

“Redesigning Women” was then followed up by the powerhouses second debuted single from the highly anticipated self-titled album out on September 6th. “Crowded Table,” described by Hemby is a “song I wrote before I actually made the band, and I wrote it with my dear friend Lori McKenna. We wrote the song in about 30 minutes, and then I took the song to Brandi and she changed and made some things better. We wanted to write a song about women supporting women; people supporting people really.”

The girls continued their performance with other songs off of their up-and-coming album such as “Highwomen” which pays homage to The HighwayMen; an outlaw country supergroup of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. “Their band was a concept, it was more than just a combination of men. They were ghosts, if you will, reincarnated. They had died over the course of history and had met together on the astral plane, so that was very mystical and I loved that about them. But also, they’re the pillars of our community, they’re tireless activists, amazing fathers, husbands, and leaders, and we’re proud to be associated with them in any way,” Carlile confesses.  The performance finished up with “If She Ever Leaves Me” as Jason Isbell, a member of the backing band stated, “an openly gay song where the writer admits it’s a gay song,” and “My Only Child” a sentimental letter to a child who will forever be an only child.

Country music has been struck by a force of nature; The Highwomen and this is a movement that will make history.

To keep up with The Highwomen on InstagramTwitter, and Facebook.

“Redesigning Women” and “Crowded Table” are now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Dierks Bentley Brings NYC to the Beach on The Today Show

Dierks Bentley Today Show

Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag

Dierks Bentley heated things up on the TODAY Show’s Citi Concert Series in Rockefeller Center in New York City this morning (Aug 1). Bringing some country to the heart of NYC, Bentley was accompanied by a band featuring various bluegrass rooted instruments. The country star ignited the crowd singing his hit “Women, Amen.” Next, he went on to show his more vulnerable side singing his 2013 hit “I Hold On.” Bringing out his old guitar, “…just an old beat up box/ It’s rusty strings across the top”, allowed fans to get a glimpse of how much it meant to him and the obstacles it got him through.

Even though he is bringing his ‘Burning Man Tour’ to the actual beach tomorrow, August 2nd when he headlines at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater, he took the TODAY Show crowd “Somewhere on a Beach” with his 2016 classic. Bentley also sang “Living” and “Burning Man” both singles off his 2018 number one album The Mountain.

Dierks Bentley Today Show

Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag

During the interview portion, he stressed the importance that mountains carry for him in his life. He noted how mountains, “recharge him and make for great music.” Following his love for climbing and the outdoors, lucky country fans can win his giveaway via his Facebook which includes hiking with the country artist and concert tickets to one of his shows. He also adds how his kids are the reason he stays mindful and present because watching them grow and staying in the moment is precious.

Dierks Bentley Today Show

Concluding his visit to the TODAY show he decided to not leave empty-handed. The Bentley family has a new four legged addition to their household named Goose! After meeting and connecting with a few shelter dogs on the show Bentley adopted Goose a Border Collie mix as an addition to his family and posted this adorable video on Instagram.

If you don’t have your tickets to catch The Burning Man Tour at Northwell Health at Jones Beach click here and be sure to check out 10 Dierks Bentley lyrics to use as Instagram captions this weekend.

To keep up with Dierks Bentley follow him on Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook.

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

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5 Reasons to Join Our ‘New York Country Music Fans’ Facebook Group

We have created a closed Facebook group for country music fans in the New York area and beyond for passionate country music fans to communicate about all things country genre as a community. We hope that members will use this group to connect with like-minded individuals in the area.

Facebook Group

1. Be a part of our country loving community. As fans of the genre, we feel that we all have something in common and that is our love for music. Find friends to attend shows with, plan tailgates and meetups before shows and if you want to head to a concert alone, you can find out who else will be there.

2. The perfect place to buy or sell spare tickets to a show. We’ve all been there, that one person in our group drops out last minute and you are stuck with an extra ticket, OR your entire group of friends decided to head to a country show and you are the only one without a ticket. We are a great place to connect with others looking to buy or sell their tickets.

3. Be the first to hear about our events or exclusive New York City events. Each time we announce a new event like our Babes, Booze & Brunch or our Manhattan By Sail Country Edition you will be the very first to access tickets.

4. Find out about our ticket giveaways, special presale codes and meet and greet opportunities. We partner with artist’s labels and team to provide great experiences for our followers including giving away tickets to the hottest tours, giving our followers a chance to access presale tickets before the general public and even winning meet and greets with your favorite country acts.

5. Ask questions, discuss country music happenings and new music news. Is there an album that you can’t turn off or a new artist you discovered and want to share with other country music fans? We’ve provided the perfect place to talk about your favorite moments at a concert or all about new music that was just released.

Facebook Group

Joining is easy! Follow us on Instagram and answer a few country music-related questions and YOU’RE IN! To join our ‘New York Country Music Fans’ Facebook Group click here.

 

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
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Country Artists That Have Performed on ABC’s Bachelor/Bachelorette

Luke Bryan Performing on The Bachelorette, 2012 [Photo via ABC]

Whether you’re a fan of Bachelor Nation or not, everyone knows about the shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette on ABC.  Although we can’t rely on the same ending each season, we can rely on great musical performances throughout seasons of the series. Check out our list of all the country artists that have made an appearance on the hit television franchise!

1. Chris Lane
Country music entertainer, Chris Young has quite the connection to the franchise. He recently proposed to former Bachelor contestant Lauren Bushnell with a heartfelt love song, but he has also performed on Season 21 of The Bachelor Back in 2017, Lane sang his heartwarming tune “For Her,” on stage, as Nick Viall and his date danced and sang along to the hit. The singer definitely added some romance to the date! See for yourself below.

 

2. Brett Young
On the most recent season of The Bachelor, country heartthrob, Brett Young serenaded Colton Underwood and Caelynn on their magical date. The performance took place in Colorado at the stunning Red Rocks Amphitheater. Young sang his beautiful song, “Here Tonight,” while the couple slow danced under the stars in the empty venue. Check out the full performance below in a deleted scene from the episode.

 

3. Tenille Arts
Country music continued to take precedent throughout Colton’s season of The Bachelor. During a date with Elyse, the duo were treated to an epic performance by country newcomer, Tenille Arts. Arts is an incredibly talented vocalist, who performed an original song entitled, “I Hate This” for the couple on stage at a stunning theatre in Los Angeles. This marked her second appearance on the show, as she made her national television debut on The Bachelor in the beginning of 2018, only to come back a year later to do it again. Check out her most recent stint on the popular show below.

 

4. Dolly Parton
Way back, during season 8 of The Bachelorette, country royalty, Dolly Parton performed on the show. Parton sang “Love Will Find A Way,” a song she wrote specifically for the show and for Emily Maynard and Arie Luyendyk’s date. Talk about a spectacular moment in both their lives; despite the fact that they don’t end up together! Watch the beautiful moments below.

 

5. LANCO
Since Arie didn’t end up with Emily, he was given a chance to be The Bachelor. On his season, he took his date, Sienne to a LANCO concert. LANCO sang their smash hit, “The Greatest Love Story” for the pair. The couple looked smitten in this moment, but how could they not! See for yourself below.

 

6. Granger Smith
On Becca’s season of The Bachelorette, she and her now fiance, Garrett were serenaded by singer-songwriter Granger Smith. The pair attended his show together and were escorted to center stage to dance and sing along. The silly couple were clearly fans of the performer! Listen to Smith sing his hit, “Happens Like That” below.

 

7. Russell Dickerson
One of our favorite artists, Russell Dickerson also made an appearance on the show. The entertainer sang his epic love song, “Yours” on Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette. As always, Dickerson brought the energy and made the performance a special one for the couple. Of course, he went the extra miles shouting out the duo as they danced and sang along to the hit track. Take a look for yourself by clicking the link here.

 

8. Luke Bryan
Another superstar on our list is Luke Bryan! Did you know that Bryan performed on The Bachelorette back in 2012 before he reached his current level of stardom? The singer-songwriter performed “Do I” and “Drunk On You” for Emily Maynard and a contestant, during an unforgettable date for the pair. Check out a fan recorded clip of the night below.

9. Matt Stell 

Most recently Matt Stell made his appearance serenading a Christopher and Krystal on Bachelor in Paradise right before they tied the knot. Stell’s top 15 hit “Prayed For You” was the perfect song for the show that embodies looking for your forever love. Watch the full performance by clicking here.

What country artist do you hope makes an appearance on the franchise next?!

 

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

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Abby Anderson Opens for Rob Thomas in New York City

Rob Thomas Abby Anderson

The incredibly talented singer-songwriter Abby Anderson took the stage last night in the Big Apple to open up for Rob Thomas at the Beacon Theatre for the second night in a row. The firey Texas native was recently named Music Row’s “Next Big Thing for 2019” and her infectious personality lit up the stage.

Wearing a pair of badass tied up black high heel boots and a colorful, stylish ensemble, she said, “Thank you so much for coming to the show on a Tuesday, and thank you to Mr. Rob Thomas for letting us open for him on this tour.” Anderson has a loyal following that sang and danced to all of her songs. She has an incredible way of connecting with the audience, and in between getting everyone energized for Thomas, she gave insight into how she became an artist.

Abby Anderson Rob Thomas

 

Anderson shared her musical influences saying, “I grew up listening to all kinds of music, whether it was R&B, rap, and lots of country, and jokingly said, “I don’t know if you could tell by my accent.” She explained it was her Dad’s love for country music and growing up hearing it played in his truck that really influenced her. For more on her backstory check out our Swag Spotlight from last year.

Anderson sang her catchy single “Good Lord” that she recently performed at our LIVE Swag Session as well as on The Today Show. And before singing one of her newest songs, she said, “This one goes out to anyone out there with a special someone, tell them how much you love them and she sang the fun love song “Guy Like You.” Watch the Swag Session below.

The rising artist told the crowd, “I’m just a young woman myself growing up right now- the more I learn, the more I know my worth.” She continued, “All my ladies tonight, I hope you know you’re a queen, and I hope you’re getting treated like one, this song is called ‘Make Him Wait.'” Anderson also impressed the audience with songs “Dance Away My Broken Heart,” “Naked Truth,” and “I’m Good.”

She said “New York City, I am the luckiest girl,” and Anderson is definitely that. The sassy, talented young woman is making a name for herself in country music and has a bright future ahead of her. She wowed the crowd with her gentle voice, fearless energy, and unique artistry and proved herself to be one heck of an entertainer last night at The Beacon Theatre.

Rob Thomas Beacon

Next up was none other than the headliner, Matchbox 20’s frontman Rob Thomas. Although still a part of the most popular pop-rock band in all the history of music, Thomas has blurred genres over the years as a solo singer-songwriter. Even with a rocker’s edge, some of Thomas’ songs have a little bit of country flare. Thomas told the crowd, “You guys are here for us as much as we are here for you. This is not about us coming up here and playing music and you guys listening, this about a shared experience, this is about what music is about. It’s about celebrating life, it’s about celebrating being human with other humans, it’s about having a very good time and doing it together. And if you do it right, we all walk out of here into the streets of New York City and we feel like we shared a moment tonight together.” And what a moment everyone had. Thomas kept the crowd on their feet the entire show singing fan favorites such as, “3 A.M., the infamous Santana duet, “Smooth”,  “Lonely No More,” “Unwell”, “Ever The Same,” and his newest single “Can’t Help Me Now.”

You can catch Anderson opening up for Thomas’ Chip Tooth Tour throughout August. For dates and more information go to www.abbyandersonmusic.com.

To keep up with Abby Anderson, follow her on InstagramTwitter, and Facebook.

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Swag Sessions Featuring Abby Anderson

Full of light and spunk, our next Swag Session is the talented singer-songwriter, Abby Anderson. Her bubbly personality and infectious lyrics make her one of our favorite rising artists and certainly one that will make you pay attention to females in the format. During our time with Anderson, she performed her single “Good Lord” as well as an unreleased track titled “Not In The Picture Anymore”. Both songs did a great job of showcasing her versatility and remarkable songwriting.

After her performance, we talked about her Today Show performance which you can find above as well as her opening slot on the Rob Thomas’ Chip Tooth Tour. Watch the full Swag Session with Abby Anderson below.

For more music from artists we’ve featured during our LIVE Swag Sessions, check out our Sessions Playlist below and give it a follow for updates.

To keep up with Abby Anderson, follow her on InstagramTwitter, and Facebook.

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
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and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

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