Husband and wife duo Thompson Square took a few years to raise their son Cooper who is now three, write a children’s book, ‘Time To Get Dressed’ and spend time as a family. They are now back, promoting their latest album and the title track single “Masterpiece”.
In our Swag Session with the duo, they performed the single as well as their mega-hit “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”. Our Managing Editor Christina asked them about raising their son, writing “Masterpiece” as well as their upcoming tour overseas. Check out the full video 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.
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Fans from all over New York City showed up to Good Morning America’s Summer Stage for a party in Central Park with none other than Keith Urban. It was a beautiful morning for the concert series to showcase the hit songs of the four-time Grammy winner and reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year.
Michael Strahan and Cecilia Vega introduced him shouting, “What a great crowd for our party in the park, who is ready for Keith Urban?” Urban brought his undeniable energy to the stage singing his hit “Wasted Time.” He showed off his ridiculous guitar skills and rocked out with his insanely talented band. The crowd joined Urban in singing the chorus, “When I think about those summer nights, singing out the window, on the back roads, “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” sipping on the locos spark of light, ain’t it funny how the best days of my life, was all that wasted time.”
After his performance, Vega said, “We’re so happy to have you here, congratulations are in order! You have been named CMA and ACM entertainer of the year and that is so cool, that’s gotta feel pretty good.” Urban humbly replied, “It’s amazing, yeah it’s a huge honor, thank you very much.”
Strahan took the opportunity to ask Urban about new music he has been working on, and what fans can expect to hear. Urban said, ¨I don’t know until it’s done. I just get in there and start recording, and it comes out as it comes out, so I never know myself.¨ Looks as though Urban will keep fans guessing and anticipating what is to come!
Now that Urban has finished up his Graffiti U World Tour and is spending time in the studio, Vega reflected on the tour saying, ¨You saw more than a million fans, and 7 countries, you gotta be tired from the travel!” Urban enthusiastically said, “I’m ready to hit the road again, cause of them, it was amazing!” When asked what his favorite spot to perform was, Urban admits he does not have a favorite place to perform saying, “We’ve gotten to the point where they’re so consistent because everyone knows all the songs, it’s an incredible feeling .”
Strahan talked a little bit about Urban’s newest song, “We Were”. The song was written by country star Eric Church and Urban said it hit home, reminding him of his wife Nicole Kidman. Urban performed a romantic stripped-down acoustic version of “We Were” for the crowd, and finished out the set by taking everyone into the weekend with another long-time fan favorite, “Somewhere In My Car.” All in all, watching Urban on perform on Good Morning America was definitely not a bad way to start your weekend!
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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/keith-urban-gma-1.jpg6301200Shanna Vitalianohttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngShanna Vitaliano2019-08-10 15:37:272019-08-10 15:43:01Keith Urban Performs His Big Hits on Good Morning America
Award-winning country trio, Lady Antebellum debuted their newest song, “Pictures” earlier this morning and it comes at a time where picture-perfect lives broadcasted on social media are usually quite different from reality.
The “Need You Now” singers sculpt a couple who advertise a flawless relationship through the lens of a camera, and the eyes of everyone around them, but disguise their complications experienced behind closed doors well. The relationship has since ended, but this couple looks back at the pictures and realizes how happy they look in them, but that wasn’t always the case. This bluesy, breezy slow jam projects vulnerability but leaves fans swaying while Scott sings lead and Kelley harmonizes:
“Yeah, we sure looked happy in pictures / The camera doesn’t show the way it hurt / No, that ain’t the way I remember it happening / In between the flashes it was sad, it was tragic / Yeah, we sure looked happy in pictures,” they sing in the chorus. The song details specific photographed events then painfully recalling the feelings endured off-screen. “There’s one on my phone that I can’t erase / But you’d never know by the smile on my face / That inside I was dying, later that night I’d be crying / The last one before ‘goodbye’, they sing. “No photo evidence, not a single proof / Of all the hell we went through.”
This slow jam comes shortly after the release of “What If I Never Get Over You” and it is the second song released from a forthcoming album, details unannounced.
“Pictures” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more 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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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/lady-antebellum-sing-pictures.jpg6301200Brianna Vaccahttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngBrianna Vacca2019-08-09 13:06:362019-08-09 13:06:36Lady Antebellum Depict A Not So Perfect Relationship in “Pictures”
Multi-platinum country artist Kip Moore debuted a new single “She’s Mine” off of his forthcoming next studio album. “She’s Mine” follows Moore’s third studio album Slowheart which captured the hearts of many gaining praise from NPR, Rolling Stone, Bobby Bones Show, and Entertainment Weekly as well as Room To Spare: The Acoustic Sessions EP. This rockin’ guitar influenced tune has never been released as a studio recording but has appeared in the Georgia natives live set from time to time. Moore states in a recent press release, “This one always felt like a hit record.”
“She’s Mine,” written by Moore, Scott Stepakoff and Dan Couch nearly ten years ago, chases the singer-songwriter stepping into the role of a soul-searching journeyman on a coast to coast expedition seeking love everywhere he goes. No matter the place, “Last Shot” singer is not throwing in the towel. He sings: “Yeah maybe she’s in Dallas, cheering for the cowboys / Maybe laying low down in Mexico, I know she loves the sunshine / Yeah maybe she’s in Vegas, at a table dealing blackjack / Hey if you wouldn’t mind, if you see her out tonight, Tell her she’s mine.”
“I wrote this song at a time in my life when I realized that my life was flipped upside down and I didn’t know which way was up,” shared Moore. “Every experience from there forward, I felt like everything was going to be a surprise. I didn’t know where I was going to end up, who I was going to meet or who I was going to be with. I’m fired up to be getting new music out there, and this song is just the beginning. I know the fans are ready and so am I.”
“She’s Mine” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more 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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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/kip-moore-cover.jpg6301200Brianna Vaccahttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngBrianna Vacca2019-08-09 12:41:332019-08-09 12:43:00Kip Moore Releases First Track From Forthcoming Album, “She’s Mine”
It’s our favorite part of the week, New Music Friday!
This weekend we’ve got new music from Kip Moore, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band 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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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/NEW-MUSIC-FRIDAY.jpg6301200Stephanie Wagnerhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngStephanie Wagner2019-08-09 00:13:502019-08-09 00:13:50New Country Music Friday – The Playlist 8/9/19
This morning our favorite country boy band, King Calaway performed a stirring rendition of The Beatles’ anthem “Let It Be” in honor of the dark times facing our world after three mass shootings in the past week. The legendary song was written in the 1970s by Paul McCartney and he says it was inspired by a dream he had about his mother.
Nearly five decades later, the poignancy of “Let It Be” remains the same as the six members of King Calaway strip down the song with two guitars and their incredible harmonies on The Ty Bentli Show. The Cumulus Media morning show is syndicated exclusively by Westwood One and can be heard in markets across the U.S and U.K..
As the members trade off taking the lead on each verse, the band as a whole shine on the chorus when their tranquil voices soar over the tender lyrics. Watch the full video above. For more about King Calaway check out our very first event with the band from back in January here and take a listen to their debut self-titled EP.
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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/king-calaway-let-it-be-beatles.jpg6301200Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2019-08-08 14:04:062019-08-08 14:07:49King Calaway Perform An Inspiring Cover of “Let It Be”
Fans of Luke Combs will be delighted to hear the news that after a series of cryptic messages, Combs has officially announced that his highly anticipated sophomore album is set for release on November 8th.
Fans first began speculation just last week when Combs took to social media to post a countdown with two simple words “1 Week.”. Followers immediately took to Twitter to tweet their guesses, assuming that the messages could mean either new music or more tour dates. However, upon closer look at Combs’ social activity, even more clues could soon be found. As the days led up to the week-long countdown, Combs began to release mini-episodes on YouTube of outtakes from making the video of his latest single “Beer Never Broke My Heart”. In the very beginning of each episode, a countdown begins. In episode 2, the number 11 flashes at the end of the countdown and in episode 3, the number 11 then 8 flashes, a major clue to the November 8th release date!
Combs’ announcement comes on the heels of quite the upward spiral of success. Recently, the 29-year-old singer-songwriter became the Grand Ole Opry’s newest inductee, a monumental feat for any artist in the country music world. His fall tour is already sold out in major cities and his latest single officially became his sixth consecutive #1 song. The milestone makes Combs the first country music artist in history to have his first six singles reach the top spot.
Back in 2017, NYCountry Swag caught Combs just before his debut single “Hurricane” would top the charts, naming him one of our 2017 Artists to Watch. Months later, seeing him perform at his first New York City show ever sealed the deal and we knew we were in front of a superstar in the making. Take a look back at that show here.
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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/luke-combs-sophomore-album.jpg6301200Stephanie Wagnerhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngStephanie Wagner2019-08-08 09:01:472019-08-09 01:17:28Luke Combs Reveals Sophomore Album in Clues Before Announcement
Runaway June’s “Buy My Own Drinks” has secured historical status by being the first radio single by a female country music trio in 14 years to break into the Top 10 on the Country charts. The last track was SHeDaisy’s “Don’t Worry About A Thing back in February of 2005. The single, written by Josh Kear, Hillary Lindsey, and the trio, is the lead single from their first LP, Blue Roses, released June 28th on Wheelhouse Records. In our most recent interview with the ladies last month, we discussed the track sitting in the top 15 and how incredible it is to watch it climb. Watch the full performance and interview below.
Hannah Mulholland, Naomi Cook and Jennifer Wayne formed Runaway June roughly four years ago and have since acquired CMT and ACM nominations, scored opening slots of major tours including Carrie Underwood and Garth Brooks, have been named CMT’s “Next Women of Country,” appeared in Billboard’s Chartbreakers, and have given show-stopping performances on the CMA Awards, CMT Awards and the ACM Awards.
Back in December of 2018, Billboard’s Country Airplay tally depicted that not one female artist or female group occupied the Top 20 for the first time since the survey lofted in January 1990. Runaway June is the first all-female group to obtain a spot in the Top 20 on the Country Airplay chart, there have been a few other females to do the same such as the Dixie Chicks, Maddie & Tae, Kelsea Ballerini, and Maren Morris but the lack of women on country radio has still not become a thing of the past. Read more about why Maren Morris taking the top spot on the charts just last week was so important.
A plethora of female country artists including Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Carrie Underwood, Ashley McBryde, and more have released critically-acclaimed records but have minimal radio play. You may hear these females, but most definitely not one after another. Blake Shelton will be played immediately after Luke Bryan, but not Kacey Musgraves following Miranda Lambert. It’s nearly impossible for females to reach that top spot on the charts without constant radio airplay.
Women in country music need to continue to lift each other up and show endless support. If you love “Buy My Own Drinks” here are six other female artists that we think are helping to turn the tides and make radio programmers pay attention. Congrats to Runaway June on their Top 10 single!
Blue Roses 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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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/runaway-june-top-10.jpg6301200Brianna Vaccahttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngBrianna Vacca2019-08-07 23:11:442019-08-07 23:15:45Runaway June First Female Band or Trio To Enter the Top 10 in 14 Years
One of our favorite independent artists and Swag Sessions alum, Hannah Ellis opened for Gavin DeGraw last night at The Paramount on Long Island, New York. She brought her charming and sassy personality and killer vocals to the stage, warming up the crowd for DeGraw, all while garnering many new fans.
Accompanied by her talented guitarist, Ellis performed for a sold-out crowd of over 1000 people. She exploded onto the stage with, “ILYSoWhat,” a catchy song about admitting your feelings to a loved one. Following the upbeat jam, the singer-songwriter shared that she was “so excited to be here,” with the crowd, before introducing her next song, “Your Woman”, which she released back when she was on the CMT Next Women of Country Tour.
The songstress gave the intimate details behind the story of the next song she played, entitled “Never in Love”. Ellis shared, “I love that someone decided to pay me to go in a room and talk about my feelings. That’s really nice. One day I walked in the room with my boyfriend and one of our best friends to write a song. My friend was going through a really bad break up at the time and even though I wasn’t, I still remembered that feeling of when the bottom drops out. Will I ever be happy again? Will I ever feel love again? And this song was born. It’s one of my favorites to perform.” The song was definitely a special moment for Ellis.
Continuing to shake things up, the Kentucky native performed a cover of the popular R&B song “No Diggity.” Of course, fans sang and danced along the whole time to the infectious tune. Her country twang really gave the song a new, but enticing feel – proving that she can sing just about anything.
With her set quickly coming to a close, Ellis had time for two more songs. First she sang her incredible ballad, “Home And A Hometown”, adding “It’s a song that kind of created its own life. It’s one that constantly reminds me that I if go in a room and write my truth, somebody’s going to find theirs in this.” The track reached Top 100 on the mediabase country radio charts, which the songstress proudly shared with the audience. Ellis finished her entertaining set with her most recently released song, “Friends Like These”.
Ellis truly gave her all to her performance and it was clear that by the end everyone in the room was in awe of her talent.
Shortly after Ellis’ impressive set, headliner Gavin DeGraw hit the stage, accompanied by applause and screaming fans. DeGraw sang songs spanning his entire career, and even mentioned that this was the 8th time he has played at this venue. Throughout his long-standing career, this singer-songwriter has released many hits, including “Chariot,” “Not Over You,” and “I Don’t Want to Be,” the One Tree Hill theme song. The former he played for the crowd in the middle of his set, while the other two he saved to close out his show.
DeGraw kept the crowd entertained the whole night, mashing his songs together like with “You Make My Heart Sing Louder” and “In Love With a Girl,” as well as, delivering impactful slower songs, such as “Soldier” and “Free.” The singer-songwriter took the audience on a ride through every emotion, which made for a unique, innovative, and impressive musical experience.
Although DeGraw may not be considered a country artist, his talent blurs genre lines effortlessly and his voice lends itself well to the genre. Most recently, the singer collaborated with Brett Young on his song “Chapters” off his sophomore album, Ticket to L.A. The entertainer also performed at CMA Fest this year, which makes us wonder what he has in the works.
You can catch Ellis on tour with DeGraw through August. For tickets and more information, head to hannahellismusic.com
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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/hannah-ellis-gavin-degraw.jpg6301200Erica Zismanhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngErica Zisman2019-08-07 19:34:132019-08-07 19:38:58Hannah Ellis Opens Up for Gavin DeGraw at the Paramount
You know the feeling: It’s the middle of summer and you’re ready for sunrise, sunset, sunburn, repeat. However, sometimes the weather has other ideas and the skies are gray. While you’d like to believe that “rain is a good thing,” it’s not always the easiest mindset when your pool parties and barbecues are getting rained out. Thankfully, country music has a song for everything, including those rainy days.
Here are some of our favorite songs about rain…
1. Gary Allan: “Songs About Rain”
On Gary Allan’s 2013 single, he drowns his sorrows over a lost love in a sad playlist featuring none other than songs about rain. “Today I heard you got a new last name,” He sings mournfully. “Sure didn’t know it was gonna hit me this way/ And the radio just keeps on playing all these songs about rain.” Allan is in a bad mood here and the radio is just matching his disposition as he reflects on losing the woman he loves. He names a few specific songs in the lyrics, including “Rainy Night in Georgia” and “Kentucky Rain” as he deals with his sadness. “I hope it’s sunny wherever you are/ But that sure ain’t the picture tonight in my car.” Ouch.
2. Luke Bryan: “Rain Is a Good Thing”
While for some of us, rain is a bad thing, Luke Bryan somehow manages to take positive position on condensation. On the 2009 track from Doin’ My Thing, Bryan is ready to look at rain from a scientific standpoint, singing about how rain is simply a necessary part of life. According to Bryan’s “country science,” without rain, we wouldn’t have corn or whiskey or women who feel just a bit frisky. In what has become one of Bryan’s most iconic lyrics, he sings. “Rain makes corn/ Corn makes whiskey / Whiskey makes my baby / Feel a little frisky.”
3. Jo Dee Messina: “Bring On the Rain”
With one of the most powerfully underrated voices and catalogs in all of country music, Jo Dee Messina really gets us in the feels with her 2000 single, “Bring On the Rain.” Featuring Tim McGraw on background vocals, the song is about looking forward to tomorrow. Today may have been terrible, but there’s always another day to turn things around. “Another day has almost come and gone/ Can’t imagine what else could go wrong/ Sometimes I’d like to hideaway/ Somewhere and lock the door/ A single battle lost but not the war/ ‘Cause tomorrow’s another day/ And I’m thirsty anyway/ So bring on the rain.” On the ballad, Messina is ready for what life throws at her, and the message is one we could all stand to hear from time. “I’m not gonna let it get me down/ I’m not gonna cry/ And I’m not gonna lose any sleep tonight/ ‘Cause tomorrow’s another day/ And I am not afraid/ So bring on the rain.”
4. David Nail: “Let It Rain”
Speaking of underrated artists, it would be impossible not to mention David Nail. With his powerful voice and clever turn of phrase, he brings the story of a regretful cheater to life on “Let It Rain.” Inspired by the Zach Braff movie,The Last Kiss, “Let It Rain,” tells the story of a man who cheats on his girlfriend, who then throws him out in a storm. The song boasts the powerful lyric that truly encapsulates the story of the song, “No seven years of good/ can’t hide the one night I forgot to wear that ring.”
As for the rain, it’s abundant here as Nail proclaims, “So let it rain, let it pour, if she don’t love me anymore/ Just let it come down on me, let it come down on me, Every word, let it hurt, even more than I deserve/ Let it come down on me, let it come down on me, let it rain”
5. Keith Urban: “Raining on Sunday”
For Keith Urban, a rainy Sunday is the perfect excuse to do nothing but stay in bed with someone special. In “Raining on Sunday,” Urban prays for a chance to take a day off from real lift to just hide out and enjoy a day indoors. “Love could use a day of rest/ Before we both start falling apart,” He sings here, and we’re picking up what he’s putting down. This relationship needs a timeout and rainy day is just the thing to allow it to happen. “Let the water wash our bodies clean/ And love wash our souls.”
6. Tim McGraw: “She’s My Kind of Rain”
On “She’s My Kind of Rain,” Tim McGraw celebrates all that can be beautiful about rain, comparing the woman he loves to it. It’s a simple yet beautiful message, and with McGraw comparing someone to rain, what’s there to hate? Frankly, he could be singing “She’s My Kind of Mold,” and it would be oddly endearing. Here, however, it’s a little more refreshing and a little more poetic, as he sings, “She’s my kind of rain/ Like love from a drunken sky / Confetti falling down all night / She’s my kind of rain.”
Bonus – Luke Combs: “When It Rains It Pours”
In most cases, the old adage of “when it rains it pours” applies to negative situations. However, Luke Combs puts a clever and humorous take on the saying here, revealing all of the good things that happened to him once he was dumped. While the song may not technically be about rain, we couldn’t leave it off, because it’s a great song with rain in the title.
“Then I won a hundred bucks on a scratch off ticket,” Combs reveals before announcing, “I was caller number five on a radio station, won a four-day, three-night, beach vacation/ Deep sea, senorita, fishing down in Panama/ And I ain’t gotta see my ex future mother-in-law anymore/ Oh lord, when it rains it pours.” Combs also goes on to win a round of golf and get a number from the Hooter’s waitress, all which he credits to his ex walking out. Now, this is the kind of “rain” we can get behind.
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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/country-songs-about-rain.jpg6301200Nicole Pieringhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngNicole Piering2019-08-07 17:14:232019-08-07 17:39:44Country Songs for a Rainy Day
