ICYMI Jake Owen Performs “Down To The Honkytonk” on TODAY

/in /by
Jake Owen Today Show Down To The Honkytonk

Photo Courtesy of Today.com

Florida native and ACM nominated Jake Owen stopped by NBC’s TODAY to promote his newly released full-length album, Greetings from…Jake. Giving fans something fun and upbeat to wake up to, the Big Loud Records recording artist performed a stripped-down version of his single, “Down to the Honkytonk”, taking the stage in ‘The Artist’s Lounge.’

During the third hour of the broadcast, co-anchors, Sheinelle Jones, Dylan Dreyer, and Craig Melvin welcomed Owen to the stage. Spotlighting his talent, Melvin introduced the singer as, “Country superstar Jake Owen.” Jones went on to share, “He just released his sixth studio album, and he’s up for an ACM Single of the Year for “Down to the Honkytonk.””

The co-anchors took a moment to ask Owen about his newest record and how his life has inspired the tracks. The hitmaker gushed about his girlfriend, who is currently pregnant with his daughter. “I think it [the record] just reflects where I am in my life right now, where I’ve been, and where I want to go. I have a little girl on the way right now!” he excitedly shared, just before promising “some fun” with his performance.

With a guitar in hand and two supporting band members, Owen got right into it, showing off his distinct vocals in the acoustic version of his charted single. The singer had a permanent smile on his face throughout the entire performance. Even as a slower-paced version, “Down to the Honkytonk,” is still as infectious and catchy as ever- always giving off that good party song vibe.

Check out the full performance below.

Lucky New Yorkers can catch Owen’s sold out show and all his new music tonight at Manhattan’s Marquee. Follow NYCountry Swag on Instagram for exclusive videos from the show.

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

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Eli Young Band Live Performance of “Where Were You”

/in /by

On March, 29, Eli Young Band celebrated the 14th anniversary of their extremely successful career by releasing This Is Eli Young, a greatest hits album including 14 of their most popular songs. This album encompasses fan favorites and major hits alike and is the perfect album to blast through your speakers this summer. One of the songs featured on the tracklist is “Where Were You,” an upbeat song the band released as a single in 2018 which details what it is like to start a new relationship and learn about your new partner.

To honor the release of their new greatest hits album, the band took to YouTube, where they uploaded a live performance of “Where Were You.” Set in front of a plain white wall, the members of the band perform as passionately as ever. This live, acoustic version really allows the vocals and instruments being performed by the group to stand out, making the message of the song even more meaningful. The performance is beautifully done, but we would expect nothing less from a band who are well known to be great performers!

In the description of the “Where Were You” live performance video, there is a message that reads,

“You know how it is when you’re first falling in love – absorbing every minor detail of your sweetie’s past becomes an addictive sport. We all live our lives in tiny moments and, in the big picture, maybe none of ’em are actually insignificant. The Eli Young Band’s latest hit captures that process of learning about a new partner…and sharing plenty of personal details along the way. You probably know the story of this hit-making outfit. Texas boys Mike Eli and James Young met in college, started playing together, conquered a big chunk of the local live circuit, got noticed by industry bigwigs, began dropping great albums, made a big dent on the charts and awards shows, and earned themselves innumerable fans. It’s perfectly crafted songs like “Where Were You” that have helped them live their best life, so check this exclusive spin on their latest gem.”

It’s clear that the band is beyond thankful for their fans who have enabled them to do projects like this and release new albums and videos. Just from watching the “Where Were You” video, viewers can see the love and passion the band has for their craft. If you loved the live performance, be sure to check out Eli Young Band on tour this summer! For tour dates head to https://eliyoungband.com/.

To keep up with the Eli Young Band follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Third Grade Teacher Surprised by Students with Cole Swindell Tickets

/in /by

Sometime last week, New York City public school teacher, Ms. Courtney Gallagher of Rockaway Beach shared a story of a heartwarming surprise from her third graders. “My students are so thoughtful and amazing! For my birthday they got me tickets to see Cole Swindell!” the third grade teacher shared via Facebook. “How do they know I like Cole Swindell? Well, when I’m testing them or reading individually, I tell them, “Please do not interrupt me unless there’s a fire, someone is bleeding, or Cole Swindell walks through the door,” Gallagher continued, “I love my students and my job.” 

photo via Facebook

The humorous way of keeping the children’s attention while learning clearly left an impact on them. Approaching the beloved teacher’s birthday, the resourceful students took matters into their own hands and with the help of their parents, they came together to present Ms. Gallagher with Cole Swindell tickets to show their appreciation for their teacher. 

Educators change lives every day and it is so important to make sure that they know they are appreciated. The sweet gesture from her young students along with their parents is evidence of their love for the special teachers in their lives. 

Ms. Gallagher, thank you for inspiring the lives of these little individuals each and every day. On behalf of NYCountry Swag, we are hooking you up with a pair of Meet & Greets to meet Cole Swindell the day of the show. Enjoy the concert and thank you for everything you do!

Cole Swindell heads out on the road this summer with Luke Bryan on the “Sunset Repeat” Tour. The tour kicks off this May in Philadelphia and runs through October. The Sunset Repeat Tour will return to the New York Area on July 13th at Northwell Health Jones Beach Theatre.

Check out the full list of tour dates and more information here. To keep up with all things Cole Swindell, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 

Make sure you’re following @NYCOUNTRYSWAG on Instagram, so you don’t miss any upcoming announcements, ticket giveaways and more.

 

[Cover photo via @coleswindell on Instagram]

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

NYCS Swag Spotlight Lena Stone

/in , /by

Lena Stone

This week’s Swag Spotlight shines on Lena Stone, the Concord, Massachusets native that is one of the founding members of the Song Suffragettes in Nashville. Living about forty minutes outside of Boston, Stone recalls her childhood being filled with music, being the oldest of three sisters that all loved to sing. Her parents were also both music lovers, playing incredible singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and Carol King around the house. Continuing to love the great lyricists, Stone grew to love artists like Michelle Branch, Liz Phair, Sara Bareilles and of course, Taylor Swift. While visiting her grandparents in Florida when she was twelve years old, she was exposed to country music for the very first time when she heard Sugarland’s “Baby Girl” on the radio. “I just felt like this is me, this is my song, this is my story,” she tells us. “I then found Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts then right around then Carrie Underwood won American Idol so that new wave of country music started when I was starting to have my own taste in music.”

Loving story-telling and lyrics, she remembers making up stories and turning them into songs when she was in grade school, following in the footsteps of her grandmother who was a music therapist. “I just kind of grew up thinking that everyone wrote songs, I thought that was normal,” she laughs.  “I thought it was like people keeping a diary and that was how people dealt with their feelings, I just started making up melodies I just stuck with it.” After picking up a guitar and seeing Taylor Swift write and record all of her own music, Stone just knew that was what she wanted to do with her life.

She attended GRAMMY Camp which is a 5-day program in L.A for high school students who want to pursue a career in the music industry. “Just being included as a high school student was such a boost of confidence for me, the music industry can be really challenging, especially when you are a 17-year-old girl living in Massachusets where there really is no country music scene, it was amazing to be inspired by other people,” Stone told us. It was during that week that she met with Darrell Brown, a songwriter who had written “You’ll Think Of Me” for Keith Urban and “Why Don’t We Just Dance” for Josh Turner and he listened to some of her songs and told her that if she wanted to pursue songwriting, she better move to Nashville. And that she did, she attended Vanderbilt, and eventually teamed up with other rising female artists in Nashville including our Swag Session album Kalie Shorr, to create Song Suffragettes. Song Suffragettes is a collective of female singer-songwriters that performs on Monday nights at The Listening Room Café in Nashville.  She explains to us how proud she is to be a part of the first wave of people calling attention to the lack of females being played in country music. “We don’t want more time on the radio than men, we just want to be played on the radio and the same opportunities,” Stone explains. “I think it is such an important movement and any way I can be apart of standing up for women especially in the music industry, I am all about it.”

Stone is currently in the studio recording music that she has been writing for the past few years and tells us how excited she is for everyone to hear it. “I feel like I really got to establish myself with my first EP and I can take the next step and now I want to show you some deeper complicated, fun and interesting sides to me.”  Focusing less on relationships and more on the struggles and triumphs of figuring out how to be an adult, she wants her music to reflect exactly what she is going through as a young female in today’s society.

She just announced that she will be playing her very first show in New York City on April 16th at Berlin. Ticket info and more available at https://www.lenastone.com/

To keep up with Lena Stone follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

neonPPL Release Next Collaboration with Brett Young “ONElittleTOWN”

/in /by

neon PPL ONElittleTOWN

neonPPL, the mysterious and talented collective out of Nashville, just dropped their second song featuring the talented Brett Young. “ONElittleTOWN” is a message about unity and that despite our differences we are all similar in a lot of ways – “all the same kind of different”, “somebody’s sons and somebody’s daughters”. This is definitely a song you are going to have on repeat. The mystery female lead sounds amazing and pairs perfectly with Brett’s sultry voice with a catchy beat to boot. This was a great follow up to their first single “BeYoutiful”.

It seems this group is more out to spread a message with their music than be in the spotlight. In a recent press release, they were quoted as saying, “Through our music, our goal isn’t to tell you how to feel, but more so just to hope that the songs make you feel something. We want to give affirmation and a feeling of acceptance through them. We’re happy Brett joined us for this song and we hope it spreads the positive message we’re hoping to convey with this music. We are all neonPPL.” Having released two songs promoting positivity and collaboration, they’re clearly here to spread the love without gaining any recognition. This will allow people to really focus on the music and their message. There sure will be some curiosity on this talent though. Everybody loves a good mystery. We can’t wait to see who they collab with next!

To keep up with neonPPL follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

“ONElittleTOWN” 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

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Hannah Ellis Gets Personal With New Track “Your Woman”

/in /by

Hannah Ellis Your Woman

Here at NY Country Swag, we love to champion rising country artists throughout their careers. One of those talented artists, Hannah Ellis just released her first new song of 2019, “Your Woman.” The singer-songwriter and one of CMT’s Next Women of Country is a Swag Sessions alum, as well as, performed at our first ever ‘Babes, Booze, and Brunch’ last year.

Ellis’ new single “Your Woman,” is a sassy and clever track that is sure to encourage repeat spins. The lyrics describe the songstress’ personality, giving fans an inside scoop into who she is as a person. Ultimately a love song, the track is a unique take on feeling blessed to be in a good relationship. Written by Ellis along with Parker Welling and Casey Brown, it is an anthem for that good woman in your life.

“I’m a southern saying on a church marquee / I’m a little bit flirty with tequila in me / I’m level headed til I’m not / I can’t sleep when I’m hot / I’m an FM radio turned up loud / I live big city, but I talk small town / You could say that I’m a lot / Add it all up and you got / Your woman.”

Just prior to the release, she shared a sweet sentiment on her Instagram, stating “BABES! I’m so excited that my brand new song #YourWoman is out tomorrow! This song is so special to me and I can’t wait for you all to hear it.” Like her song, Ellis is completely relatable and humble, which makes us love her just as much as we love the new song.

New Yorkers can catch Ellis, alongside fellow CMT Next Women of Country songstresses Cassadee Pope and Clare Dunn at the Gramercy Theatre on Friday, April 26th. Find tickets for the show here. Head to hannahellismusic.com for more information.

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

“Your Woman” 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.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Midland Is Paying Homage to Their Honky Tonk Heroes in “Mr. Lonely”

/in , /by

Midland Mr. Lonely

Since bursting onto the scene with “Drinkin’ Problem” in 2016, Midland has been one of the best things to happen to country music. Their sound and style is distinct, somehow perfectly toeing the line between retro and modern. While their schtick could easily become hokey, the trio has managed to avoid that pitfall by continuously releasing good music.

That trend continues today (3/29) with the release of “Mr. Lonely.” According to the band, “This song pays homage to our honkytonk heroes. It’s balls to the wall country honkytonk rock ‘n’ roll. It’s about having fun and it’s not meant to be taken too seriously, except for on the dance floor.” Midland co-wrote the song with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. It’ll hit country radio on April 15.

“Mr. Lonely” is an ode to the man you call for a good time, and it’s a toe-tapping tune that is sure to be played in country bars forever. If you’ve got a broken heart, Mr. Lonely is there to pick up the pieces and show you a good time. The trio harmonizes about the character, singing, “So if you got a girl you better treat her right/ You better never tell a lie, you better never start a fight/ ‘Cause when she hangs up on you, guess who’s on the other line? / It’s never hard to find/ Mr. Lonely, Mr. Good time/ Mr. One you gonna want on a Saturday night.”

Midland Mr. Lonely

Photo Courtesy of @Midland Facebook

The video for “Mr. Lonely” was filmed on the set of The Ranch, at Netflix Studios. The track is the first single off their upcoming album, due out later this year.

You can learn more about Mr. Lonely at https://www.callmrlonely.com/. To keep up with Midland, follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

“Mr. Lonely” 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.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

LOCASH Perform “Feels Like A Party” on Good Morning America

/in /by
LOCASH GMA

Photo Courtesy of ABC

This morning, ACM Duo of the Year nominees and our recent Swag Session guests LOCASH performed their current Top 30 single “Feels Like a Party” from their new album Brothers, live on ABC’s Good Morning America.  Before taking the stage, GMA anchor Cecilia Vega and multimedia personality Bobby Bones came out to introduce the group. Bones who was on a segment earlier this morning to talk about his job as the in-house mentor on American Idol, stuck around to do the honors of introducing them saying, “These are my buddies, these are my friends, here’s LOCASH with their new single “Feels Like a Party!”

As the duo took the stage you can see that the studio was packed with audience members on and off the stage. Even though it was just before 9 am LOCASH brought the party to the New York City studio o their album release day. They had everyone up on their feet moving around, waving and clapping along to their upbeat sing-along song. The duo ended the morning show on a high note, giving everyone in the studio and watching at home an energized performance to wake up to.

Make sure to check out LOCASH’s brand new studio album Brothers, which is available everywhere you buy or stream music. The duo is currently playing shows and festivals around the US and will be joining Chris Young on his Raised On Country Tour, as well as Rascal Flatts Summer Playlist Tour on select dates. For more information go to www.locash.com.

To keep up with LOCASH follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Granger Smith and Earl Dibbles Jr. Get Rowdy with “Holler”

/in /by

Granger Smith Earl Dibble's Jr.

Texas country music superstar and singer of the No. 1 “Backroad Song,” Granger Smith released a new single called “Holler” with special guest Earl Dibbles Jr. Dibble’s Jr. is Smith’s infamous alter-ego who often comes out on stage, or in YouTube videos such as “The Country Boy Song” where he was made famous. Dibbles Jr. is quite the opposite of Smith’s low key, polished persona. Dibbles Jr. is a rowdy, dressed down, tattooed version of Smith, who sports overalls, boots, and a trucker hat.

“Holler” is an up-tempo song about a group of down-home country boys going out on a Friday night to “burn that barn down” as Smith says and to have a good time. With a crisp, dynamic guitar and a slow drum beat in the background, the catchy “Holler” will reel you in. Smith is all about a living it up with lyrics, “Raise em up to the sky, if you’re trying to throw down/get a little country faded/ take it way on out/park your truck in the line/ if you’re looking for a buzz and the girls in love with the boys in the blue collars – holler.” Dibbles Jr’s appearance comes in the last verse and he is ready to party, singing “I’m about to get the fuse lit, crack a can take a long sip,” and you better believe it – Dibbles Jr. sure knows how to make an impression shouting, “I don’t care what the city boys say, we where the party is, and that’s damn right! Yee yee”

Granger Smith Earl Dibbles Jr.

“Holler” is the perfect energizing track to play and get a little rowdy, written by Smith along with Andy Albert, Jordan Schmidt, and Justin Wilson. It is a light-hearted follow up to the title track of his compelling documentary honoring fallen soldiers with “They Were There.”

The official video for “Holler” is premiering tonight (3/29) at 7:00 PM on YouTube, click here to set a reminder.  Check out Smith and his comedic alter-ego Dibbles Jr. on tour now. For tour dates and more information go to www.grangersmith.com.

To keep up with Smith follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. “Holler” 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.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook:

Blake Shelton Releases Boot-Stompin’ “God’s Country”

/in , /by

God's Country Blake Shelton

It’s not uncommon for a country artist to sing about their roots and that is exactly what Blake Shelton did in his new single “God’s Country”. Written by Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt, and Devin Dawson, the lyrics discuss what it was like growing up in his town of Oklahoma.

“We pray for rain, thank him when it’s fallin’ / ‘Cause it brings a grain and a little bit of money / We put it back in a plate / I guess that’s why they call it God’s country.”

The town Shelton calls “God’s Country”, Tishomingo, is the town where he grew up and now owns a franchise of restaurants and entertainment complexes called Ole Red. However, he tells Billboard that God’s country is not a specific place; it’s a state of mind.“‘God’s Country’ is a song that has a strong and deep meaningful lyric, but at the same time it leaves it up to the listener’s interpretation,” Shelton said in a recent press release. “But no matter where you are from or where you’re standing it is my belief that you’re standing in God’s Country. It’s really about a state of mind. Wherever you’re from and how you feel about that place. For me, it’s about being from Oklahoma – where I was born, raised and still live today.”

Texoma Shore was released in November of 2017 and less than a year and a half later, we have the first single off his next album. “God’s Country” will have listeners across America stomping their boots, no matter which town they call home.

Shelton has had a lot of success in his 18-year career as a country artist and television personality. He has released eleven albums (including his Christmas album), charted 24 number one singles and won nine CMA Awards, five ACM Awards, and seven CMT awards. He is also a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

There are no New York tour dates available yet but you can catch him at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachutes with George Strait on August 17th.

To keep up with Blake Shelton follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

“God’s Country” 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.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook: