11th Annual Texas Independence Day Celebration in NYC

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Country music fans from all over packed Terminal 5 Saturday night, and the majority of them sported Texas gear to celebrate the 11th Annual Salute to Texas Independence Day featuring Texas artists Kyle Park, Aaron Watson, Eli Young Band, and Pat Green.

11th annual Texas Independence Day celebration

It was a jam-packed evening filled with 5 hours of Texas country music that was kicked off by Kyle Park. Aaron Watson continued the celebration singing crowd favorites such as “That Look”, “Kiss That Girl Goodbye”, and “Run Wild Horses.”

Watson paid tribute the heroes in the room and said: “I’ll tell ya, I’ve been around the world making music and we are blessed to live in the greatest nation in the whole wide world. We need to take time to give credit where credit is due, so all the veterans, the act of duty service men and woman, raise your hands. All the law enforcement officers and firemen get your hands up!” Over the cheers of the crowd, he sang “Raise Your Bottle”.

Another special moment was when Watson told the crowd, “Of all the songs that I’ve written this one means the most to me, this was the first song after my wife and I lost our little girl.” He continued, “There might be somebody out there tonight who is just hanging on by a thread, somebody who is having a hard time like I was and just want you to know, I know how you feel, I love you, God bless you, hang in there,” and he sang the beautifully written and moving song, “July In Cheyenne”.

Watson told everyone after he met Pat Green in the ’90s at a 150 person show, it was then he realized “I want to play Texas music for the rest of my life.” He played an ode to Texas with “Bluebonnets”, and “They Don’t Make Em’ Like They Used To” before closing out his set with the hit song, “Outta Style.” Watson said, “Thank you for helping to show country music that cowboys are never going “Outta Style!”

11th annual Texas Independence Day celebration

Next up were the multi-platinum selling artists straight from North Texas: Eli Young Band. A few days prior to the show, they announced they are releasing This Is Eli Young Band (Greatest Hits) album on March 29th. Fans were lucky enough to hear many of the cuts from their upcoming record, and they kept the energy level high as they sang hit after hit with “Always the Love Songs”, “Where Were You”, “Saltwater Gospel”, and “Love Ain’t”.

Young took a moment to dedicate “Skin and Bones” to his wife that was there in the audience, and sang another longtime fan favorite “Guinevere.” Young said, “Still to this day, it is absolutely positively one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written and been a part of writing, it is a song we wrote about a girl named Guinevere.” The crowd loved every minute of their set especially during “Drunk Last Night”, and they sang every word to “Crazy Girl”, and “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”.

11th annual Texas Independence Day celebration

Closing out the night, Pat Green took the stage and said: “If you didn’t know how badass New York City was, you wouldn’t be here at all – NYC is bad to the bone!” The chants for “Pat Green” rang loud throughout his set as he sang favorites like “Take Me Out to A Dancehall”, “Baby Doll”, “Songs About Texas”, and “Texas On My Mind.” Green even treated the crowd with a Springsteen cover of “Atlantic City.” Everyone sang along to his biggest hits “Feels Just Like It Should” and the final song of the night “Wave on Wave.”

Everything may be “bigger” in Texas, but the fans in the Big Apple sure did prove they can throw a huge Texas party alongside Kyle Park, Aaron Watson, Eli Young Band, and Pat Green. Green closed out the show by saying, “Thank you for having us, this is an amazing place, and we are lucky to be here.” All of the artists joined Green on stage and held a big Texas flag for a final goodbye and the crowd loved every second of it!

 

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Tyler Hilton Sells Out City Winery in New York City

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Tyler Hilton

This past Saturday night (Mar. 2), singer-songwriter and former One Tree Hill star Tyler Hilton brought his ‘City on Fire’ tour to a sold-out New York City crowd at The Loft at City Winery. Hilton was accompanied by special guest Alex2e, who warmed fans up with a 30-minute acoustic set.

With every seat filled in the dimly lit room, Hilton energetically entered the stage with a guitar in hand while the audience cheered. Going straight into “Overtime” from his newly released record, City on Fire, the singer-songwriter told the crowd, “You guys are fun already!” Playing two of the more upbeat tracks from City on Fire, “How Long ‘Til I Lose You” and “The Way That She Loves,” the crowd sang both tracks back to Hilton in which he whispered into his microphone, “New York, you guys are my favorite. You guys were a lot of the people I had in mind when I was making this record, nervous to play you guys the new stuff so it’s nice to finally be here with you guys.” Cracking jokes with his two bandmates in between songs and telling the audience hilarious stories from being on the road, Hilton made fans laugh hysterically all night long.

After playing one of his older jams, “Jenny,” Hilton decided to let the audience choose the remainder of his setlist. Asking the crowd if there were any One Tree Hill fans in attendance, everyone went wild, with Hilton replying, “Oh goodness, there’s a lot of Hulu subscriptions in the house tonight…This song goes out to you guys.” He played his prominent rendition of “Missing You,” which was made popular on the hit television series.
Taking suggestions from fans, Hilton played his very first single, “When It Comes,” which he filmed the music video for right there in New York City. “Prince of Nothing Charming” was up next, which he wrote for his wife, actress Megan Park, “I wanna dedicate this song to my amazing wife back home, she’s lending me out to the rest of the country for a couple of months and I’ll send this out to her, if you guys could tag her to prove that I’m thinking about her on the road that would be dope.” Everyone chuckled and sang along.

Tyler Hilton

City on Fire’s title track was up next, followed by the one cover that is featured on the new record, “Stay” originally performed by Rihanna, “This is such a beautiful song that the first time I heard it, I thought ‘man, I wish I had written that’ and I wanted to make it my own so I took it and ran with it.”  Before ending his set, Hilton played the love song duet on City on Fire, which features his former castmate Kate Voegele, “When The Night Moves.”

“Usually we end with that song, but I’m gonna sneak one more in […] thank you guys for coming out, I really appreciate it. I’m gonna send you guys out on a little tune from One Tree Hill.” The California native completely rocked out with “Loaded Gun” which he originally performed as Chris Keller in the series finale of One Tree Hill.
Hilton portrayed his personable demeanor, passion for music and true artistry throughout his hour-long set. He ended the night meeting every fan in the room, thanking each person for coming out and supporting him and this record.

Lucky for us New Yorkers, Hilton will be coming back around this summer on July 19th at Rockwood Music Hall. Tickets are available here.

 

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NYCS Swag Spotlight: Stephanie Quayle

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Stephanie Quayle

Ahead of our Babes Booze & Brunch event this Sunday we are excited to share with you our Swag Spotlight with Stephanie Quayle who will be performing a live set at the event. Born and raised in Bozeman, Montana Quayle truly lived the life of a country kid.  She lived on her family’s farm, her stepfather was a veterinarian and she grew up around tons of animals, especially on horses since she was a very young girl. Her grandmother who taught piano taught her how to play when she was only four years old, and she recalls music always being a part of her life.  “In our barn, we had this little silver AM radio that would always play country music, and for me, there was no place I would rather be that in that barn with my horse listening to country music,” she tells us. She explains that growing up her mother would listen to Joni Mitchell as well as the country greats, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, and George Strait while her father brought out the rock n roll influences with Led Zeppelin.

She recalls writing poetry and nourishing her creative side by writing music when she was twelve years old but picked up a guitar when she was fifteen.  After a rough 9th grade dealing with bullying and hazing, Quayle took part in an exchange program in Switzerland and her after-school program included being the lead singer of a band and touring the country. “It was such an exciting time, it was all brand new and getting up on stage, that is when I knew this would be my life,” she explains.  “I didn’t know how, or what the next steps would be but this is where I make the most sense, so whatever I had to do to so this could be my career was what I was going to figure out.”

She ultimately made the move to Nashville eight years ago and has been throwing her self into her music since that first opportunity in Switzerland. She is now making music that she loves, with people who she adores and loves being able to connect with her fans. “How do I create more soundtracks to their moments, we all have those songs that tie us to a moment, a place, a feeling an emotion there is so much that music provides and I love being the landscape,” she says is her goal with her career.

Stephanie Quayle

Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT

Not only was she one of the artists named by Karen Fairchild at last year’s CMT Artist of the Year, but she was also inducted into CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2019. “Ever since I learned of the program when they started it, I always wanted to earn my spot and earn the respect of my peers and know that I am worthy of that title and continue to pay it forward to other artists and shed light on extraordinary women,” she says. Quayle tells us that every time she has an opportunity like this or when she made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage, she feels a responsibility to push herself and to exceed her expectations. “I have earned every step and I take it very seriously, there are so many people that work tirelessly to make sure that my voice is heard, it’s not just about me, it is my job, it employees people, we have the coolest job in the world, we get to live our lives through music but it’s also a business.”

Her latest single which was released last month, “If I Was A Cowboy” was written by what Quayle calls the “trifecta of super awesome”, Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman, and Nicolle Gaylon. “I am a Western kid from Montana, I’ve been on the back of a horse since I was a teeny tiny human,” she laughs. “I have always wanted to be a cowboy, I grew up with cowboys with that cowboy strength, when I heard this song, I knew it was made for me and I don’t mean that arrogantly, it is just so honest to who I am, where I’ve been and what I’ve felt.”  She wanted the production to really honor her roots and reflect on the times when she stayed in a situation too long, knowing it was wrong or when she let her emotions linger in a bad place, wishing she was a cowboy and having the strength to move on faster.

She looks ahead to the new year, she will be joining us in New York City for our ‘Babes, Booze & Brunch’ event on March 10th and is going to be touring a lot this year, promoting her new single. She also told us that they have a ton of music and she hopes to release her next album later this year. Grab your tickets to see Stephanie Quayle this Sunday at Refinery Rooftop here and follow her on Instagram to keep up with all of her new announcements.

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Thomas Rhett Premieres A New Song on Saturday Night Live

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Thomas Rhett SNL

Will Heath for NBC

It was an eventful weekend for Thomas Rhett as the two-time iHeartRadio Country Artist of the Year released two new songs, announced his new, upcoming album and appeared as the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Rhett performed his new single “Look What God Gave Her” and premiered a new tune, “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time”, marking the first live performances of both songs.

Rhett, in his ripped up, forest green t-shirt was introduced by SNL host, John Mulaney to perform his new pop-infused single, “Look What God Gave Her”. In this song, Rhett sings about how beautiful his wife, Lauren Akins is.

Rhett had a lot of fun ending the show with a brand new song, “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time”. Rhett performed with two backup singers and a horn section that danced along to the beat. The singer-songwriter was running around and dancing all over the stage singing this funky, upbeat track. This song reminded us of Rhett’s “I Feel Good” from his album Tangled Up and “Country Gold” from the deluxe version of Life Changes because it makes you want to get up and dance along.

“Pour a little liquor, make this living room twirl / Watch me set this night on fire / Baby, you know I love a party / Don’t threaten me with a good time”

Blending genres is what makes Rhett so successful in this industry. We’ve seen the singer-songwriter go full country with songs like “All-American Middle Class White Boy”, but then veer towards pop and even EDM with songs like “Leave Right Now”. “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” combines country with a little pop and R&B; sounding like a track from an Earth, Wind and Fire album. Watch the live performance below!

Rhett released a studio version on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms immediately after the show which features Little Big Town. This song will be the second track on his new album Center Point Road which comes out May 31st.

We hope to see these hits on Rhett’s Very Hot Summer Tour setlist which begins in Washington on May 17th. Rhett is bringing along special guests, Dustin Lynch, Russell Dickerson and his father, Rhett Atkins. New Yorkers can catch him at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on August 3rd and/or at Madison Square Garden on September 20th. For more tour information, click here.

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Rodney Atkins Delivers Entertaining Night of Country Music at Mulcahy’s

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Rodney Atkins at Long Island's Mulcahy's Pub

Rodney Atkins at Long Island’s Mulcahy’s Pub

Singer-songwriter, Rodney Atkins kicked off the weekend by playing to a packed house at Long Island’s Mulcahy’s Pub on Friday night (Mar 1). The country superstar delivered a nearly 75-minute set that was filled with his classic chart-topping hits along with brand new music that kept fans singing and dancing all night long.

Opening the show was Fairground Saints, a California-bred and Nashville-based trio. Tasked with warming up the crowd for the 2006 ACM Top New Male Vocalist, the group sang songs from their self-titled debut album along with their latest release “California”.

Just before 10:30 PM, as fans eagerly chanted “Rodney, Rodney!”, Atkins hit the stage to deliver an entertaining night of country music for the New York audience. Pumping up the crowd right from the get-go, Atkins opened with his current hit “Caught Up in the Country”, which is the lead single from his forthcoming album of the same name. Atkins kept the party going by performing “America”, “About the South” and “Farmer’s Daughter”.

Taking a break from the energetic set to introduce his bandmates, Atkins then left the stage while his band stole the show. Playing instrumental solos of familiar rock hits like Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”, the musicians shined on their own.

Rodney Atkins at Long Island's Mulcahy's Pub

Rodney Atkins at Long Island’s Mulcahy’s Pub

“We’re gonna play you a real country song”, Atkins announced as he returned center stage just before playing “Friends with Tractors”. After a stellar performance of Buffalo Springfield’s “Stop Children What’s That Sound”, Atkins played an unreleased song from his new album titled “Figure Out You”; a slow, love song that will feature his wife, Rose Falcon. He followed that with his one of his multiple number one singles, “These Are My People”.

The crowd-favorite “Watching You” was a memorable performance of the night as just when fans thought the song was over, Atkins began playing the chords one more time, pointing the microphone to the audience as the rowdy crowd yelled back every word of the popular chorus as loud as they could one last time.

Atkins thanked the audience and left the stage after performing his 2011 hit song, “Take a Back Road”. Returning minutes later, Atkins closed the show with “Cleaning This Gun” and “If You’re Going Through Hell”. Adding an intimate feel, Atkins handed off the microphone to several people in the crowd as they sang the chorus. A very cool ending to a very cool show.

Back in June 2018, NYCountry Swag caught up with Rodney Atkins at Taste of Country Music Festival on Hunter Mountain. “I learned a long time ago that this is actually the most authentic country fans of anywhere you go…” Atkins tell us as he discusses his love for New York country music fans which was evident in his show last night. Check out the full interview in the video above.

Atkins’ much anticipated new album Caught Up in the Country comes out on May 10th and is available for pre-order today. Atkins last album, Take a Back Road was released over six years ago. Based on the three songs we have already heard from the album, we think Caught Up in the Country will be worth the almost seven-year wait.

Atkins will continue his tour tonight in New Hampshire, but will return to the NY area March 8th in Poughkeepsie at the Chance Theater and on April 13th in Morristown, NJ at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. For tickets and more information, visit: rodneyatkins.com.

 

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NYCS First Impression: Chase Rice ‘Lambs & Lions (Worldwide Deluxe)’

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Chase Rice Lambs & Lions World Wide Deluxe

A little over two years after the release of his third studio album, Lambs & Lions, singer-songwriter Chase Rice is celebrating the success of the record with a deluxe version. The platinum-selling singer has garnered international support and success, selling out shows and tours both overseas and in the United States. Rice’s remastered album, Lambs & Lions (Worldwide Deluxe) is available now, featuring two brand new songs and new versions of his hits “Eyes on You” and “On Tonight.”

The deluxe album has a total of fourteen tracks, including the ten original songs, such as Top 20 lead single, “Three Chords & The Truth,” as well as, remastered versions of “Eyes on You” and “On Tonight.” Each remastered and new track add to the singer’s already impressive collection of songs.

Rice’s ‘UK Edition’ of “On Tonight” is the first reimagined track added to the record. The singer was so blown away by his fanbase in the United Kingdom that he decided to create a special UK version of the song, sharing in a press release, “We spent the end of 2018 in London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Birmingham- and they sang every word to our album cuts, especially ‘On Tonight’ off Lambs and Lions. That reaction is what inspired us to create a special U.K. version of the song, and then we asked ourselves ‘why stop there.?’” This marked the start of his deluxe project. The U.K. version of “On Tonight,” features a softer sound and a more stripped-down vocal, but still has the same appeal as the original fan-favorite track.

Continuing to find inspiration from his time and fanbase in Europe, one of Rice’s new songs is entitled “25 Wexford St,” named after the address of a pub in Ireland. The track begins with an EDM-like beat drop that immediately gets your attention. Rice’s vocals are undeniably true to him; however, the song is a slight departure from his typical sound, channeling some English/Irish influences, such as pop superstar Ed Sheeran. The clever love song tells the story about meeting a girl in an Irish bar, “dancing streets to sheets,” and what “a beautiful blur” it was. The song, co-written by the singer with Chris DeStefano and Jim Beavers, definitely has radio potential.

Arguably one of Rice’s biggest hits to date, “Eyes on You” was also reimagined. The ballad was recorded acoustically for the deluxe version of Lambs & Lions. The singer changed up the lyrics to the track to commemorate his time in the U.K. In the opening verse, Rice changes the lyrics to “Drivin’ up and down the coast a few times / London, Paris, Paradise.” The heartfelt lyrics are just as impressive in the acoustic version.

Finally, the newest addition to the record is “Love Me Like You Don’t,” penned by Greg Bates, Shelley Skidmore, and Michael White.” The song fits Rice’s striking vocals effortlessly and easily seems like a story he has lived. The lyrics paint the picture of a girl choosing to love a guy; despite, his flaws. It is heartfelt, relatable, and catchy. The song will appeal to fans of the singer’s “Three Chords & The Truth.” “You knew the ride I was on / But you love me like you don’t / You don’t worry about the things I’ve done / Where I’ve been or who I was / You only see the guy I’m trying to be / You know you could have had anyone else / Made it easier on yourself / You know my crazy episode / But you love me like you don’t.”

Overall, Lambs & Lions (Worldwide Deluxe) is a solid compilation of songs that show Rice’s range and development as an artist and a songwriter. It’s clear he appreciates his fans’ support. The album is available across all platforms.

Next up, Rice will continue to play in shows in the U.K., including The O2 festival with fellow country artists, Keith Urban, Brett Eldredge, and Cam, as well as, SE Hydro in Glasgow, later this month. Rice returns to the states on March 14th, playing his first show in Seattle, Washington with newcomer, Cale Dodds. For more information and tour dates head to https://www.chaserice.com/

 

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It’s Here! Thomas Rhett’s Next Single “Look What God Gave Her”

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Look What God Gave Her

Multi-platinum selling performer, Thomas Rhett dropped his new romantic but groovy single “Look What God Gave Her” today. Fans can expect to hear this song, as well as some more highly anticipated music from Rhett this weekend on Saturday Night Live.

“Look What God Gave Her” is the perfect example of Rhett’s take on fusing other genres with country, which is described in a recent press release as “electro-country”. “I think I played this song 2,000 times in a month after we first wrote it,” he said in a recent press release. “It makes me want to dance. It makes me want to move.”

Rhett blows us away with another song inspired by his wife Lauren but this time with a more up-tempo vibe. “My wife is so beautiful, but at the same time she’s inwardly beautiful, she’s funny, she’s kind, she’s the best mom I know…and she’s hilarious. It’s really just about thanking God for the human being he made, and singing it in a fun way.”

The single is also a perfect first taste of what’s to come from Rhett. He describes the new upbeat tune as “the perfect song to take fans into summer.” The song was co-written by Rhett, alongside his talented, hit-making father Rhett Akins, as well as Julian Bunetta, John Ryan, and J Cash.

Fans also got the news today that we can expect a fourth album titled Center Point Road from the singer in May and it is available for pre-order here.

More info is expected to be revealed soon about the forthcoming studio album. The title Center Point Road was inspired by the street in his Tennessee hometown that shaped and influenced much of his life experiences. The singer-songwriter also stated in the press release that he finds himself “getting back to his roots.”

Once Rhett wraps up his current Life Changes tour in Canada, the Very Hot Summer Tour will begin. New Yorkers can catch Rhett, along with openers Dustin Lynch, Russell Dickerson, and Rhett Akins in Holmdel, New Jersey at PNC Banks Art Center, and New York at Madison Square Garden. For tickets and more info click here.

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[Listen] David Ray Releases New Single “Here For The Weekend”

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David Ray Here for the Weekend

Several years ago, country artist, David Ray won Kenny Chesney’s ‘Next Big Star’ singing competition and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. The singer-songwriter often plays at some of the most popular bars on Broadway in Nashville, including Tootsies and Honkey Tonk Central. After debuting his first radio single, “Light It Up,” back in 2016 and finding success as a songwriter on Jake Owen’s smash hit “I was Jack (You Were Diane),” Ray is back with music of his own, releasing a new song, “Here for the Weekend” today.

The up-tempo track features ‘90s country and ‘90s to early 2000’s rock influences, fusing the two genres together in the catchy song. “Here for the Weekend” relies heavily on Ray’s gritty vocals, head-banging drums, and guitar instrumentals. The song has potential to be a summer anthem, making it the perfect tailgate song that is sure to get stuck in your head in no time with the catchy chorus, “They’re only here for the weekend / they’re only here for the weekend / they’re only here for the drinking.”

It’s clear that for his newly released song that Ray wanted to deliver a party song with his own vibe and flavor. As he mentions in the song the goal is to, “get lost in the music and lose track of time.” With the singer’s unique sound and vocal ability, as well as, his creative songwriting skills, it will be interesting to see where he takes his career next.

After promoting the song for the last few weeks, “Here for The Weekend” is available across all streaming platforms. Take a listen below, and make sure to follow us on our  New Country Music Spotify playlist for your new song fix. Don’t forget to keep up with Ray via social media on both Instagram and Twitter, as well as, his website at davidray.com. Also, look out for a music video to accompany the song in the near future.

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Tenille Townes Releases Her Twist on a Love Song Titled “White Horse”

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Tenille Townes White Horse

One of our 2019 Artists to Watch, Tenille Townes has released her second single today and “White Horse” is not only relatable but shows a different side to the “Somebody’s Daughter” singer-songwriter.  The track, penned by Townes along with Jeremy Spillman and Daniel Tashian is a twist on love songs and managing expectations that we are taught as a child. Although it may not turn out as the fairytales do, the song is uplifting and the female is thankful that she is not looked at as a prize, rather a mystery, proving her self worth.

“I’d been waiting on a white horse, to take me away on a sunset ride /  But you showed up on a dark horse / At the Cinderella midnight—just in time  / Maybe, not the way I was dreaming of  / But you rode in and won my love  / And now I’m finally on the right course / Who needs a white horse?”

“White Horse” is a song about how love can look a little bit differently than we might expect it to. I think we grow up in our society completely surrounded by that fairy tale idea of what love should be, but maybe love is even bigger than that,” Townes says of the song. “I think it’s important to be open hearted and to push the boundaries of what society might build up in our expectations. I love that this song stands strongly in the idea that love isn’t always about the ivory towers and the roses.”

Townes is currently traveling the country as support on Dierks Bentley’s ‘Burning Man Tour’ which most recently made its stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and will head to the New York City area on August 2nd, at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Amphitheater. Tickets and more information about Tenille Townes available at https://tenilletownes.com/

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NYCS First Impression: Smithfield ‘We Make Our Own’ EP

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Smithfield EP

While country duo Smithfield may be best known for their dark 2018 single, “Hey Whiskey,” the rising stars are back with a much sunnier EP, We Make Our Own. The EP, released today (March 1), is the first project the duo has released in three years, reflecting a more mature and polished pair. The seven-track collection is a feelgood mix of songs, highlighting the special and harmonic bond between childhood friends Jennifer Fielder and Trey Smith.

While releasing music without a major record label may possess its challenges, Smithfield embraced it with their new EP, revealing, “Achieving what we have without a major record label is something we (and our team) are very proud of, and is why we named the EP: We Make Our Own. We wanted to make a project that moved and had hooky melodies, but still stayed true who we are as artists. It’s also been 3 years since we released an EP, so we wanted to do this for the fans, as much as ourselves.”

When it came to creating the EP, the duo worked diligently to craft a varied and diverse project, reflected through various tempos, themes, messages, and emotions over the course of the tracks. There’s the declarative and uptempo title track, “We Make Our Own,” the nostalgic “Still A Few,” and the wistful if “If You Were Mine.” Of the collection, Smithfield reveals to us in a recent interview, “Our criteria for choosing songs is first always: do WE love this song as a listener? Then we have to look at the project as a whole and say, ‘Have we said everything we wanted to?” We also feel like you need to have a good mix of emotions and feeling throughout the journey as you’re listening to an EP. For instance: you don’t want all slow sad songs, but you also don’t want all upbeat party songs. It’s a long process of listening to what you’ve recorded over and over to visualize the body of work as a whole.”

While listening to the EP, an immediate standout track is “Still A Few,” which Smith lists as his favorite. “It reminds me of my grandpa, and just truly moves me when we sing it.” The song is a melodic blast from the past, celebrating nostalgia and the things that are still around today, albeit few and far between. While Smith veers to the sentimental, Fielder points to “Me No You” as her favorite track, saying, “I just love how the chorus hits you; it was one that actually surprised me when we were done with the project, and listening back. It’s such a jam!”

Other highlights of the album include the title track and the closing track, “Our World,” which shows Smithfield trading off vocals and celebrating the unique ways in which they grew up. They shine on the nostalgic midtempo, harmonizing as they sing, “We knew it all back when we didn’t have a clue” and “Everyone else was just living in our world.” The duo also shines on “If You Were Mine,” which celebrates the glory of the chase. The duo trades off lead here, starting with the guy pursuing the girl before Fielder sings, “If you were my best friend, you’d be the kind with benefits, If you were my radio, I’d turn you on and on and on.”

As for what’s next for Smithfield? The duo revealed to NYCountrySwag that they have some big shows coming up this year, including Stagecoach, CMA Fest, and the Grand Ole Opry. They also revealed that they’ll be touring all over this summer as well, and hope to have some exciting Fall tour announcements coming soon!

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