Blog Archives

Florida Georgia Line & Bebe Rexha Make History on Billboard Charts

July 31, 2018/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

Photo By Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Country superstars Florida Georgia Line’s duet with Bebe Rexha “Meant to Be” has once again smashed records as it currently reigns for its 35th consecutive week at number one on the Hot Country Billboard Chart. The song has been certified platinum 3x over already and has surpassed one billion streams globally. It first debuted on the chart at number one back in December.

It should also be noted that out of the top 5 songs that have reigned on the Billboard charts, Florida Georgia Line holds 3 of those spots. Number 3 is “Cruise” and Number 5 is “H.O.L.Y.”.

Congratulations to both camps on this momentous record-breaking song! We can’t wait to hear more country-pop duets in the future!

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The Music Modernization Act & Why It Matters

July 31, 2018/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

You may have seen in the past few weeks your favorite artists and songwriters posting on social media about The Music Modernization Act or MMA for short. As fans first, we must take the time to understand why this change in government and push to support our songwriters is so important. The songwriters that create the songs that you danced to at your prom, listened to on your way to your first semester in college, fell in love to, tailgate to during the summer and ultimately dance your first dance at your wedding to, are finding it nearly impossible to make a living now that digital streaming has become so popular.

Outlets like Spotify and Pandora were not the first digital outlets, remember Napster or Limewire? The availability to download music for free has essentially taken away the livelihood of songwriters. While an artist can tour the country, make money from ticket sales and merchandise, the writers who sit in the rooms in Nashville, New York, L.A., and all over the country pouring out their souls for a good song are not reaping any of the benefits from touring. The Music Modernization Act is here to change that.

This act that songwriters have fought so hard to bring to the Senate will improve greatly how songwriters are paid by the streaming companies in this digital age. The music industry and community have been fighting for years to negotiate a new bill that will replace legislation that has been in place since 1908, we can safely say that things have changed and it’s time for an update. The act passed the US House of Representatives and is now up for vote in the Senate.

A big issue currently plaguing the act as it heads to its vote is an amendment that a performing rights organization or PRO, SESAC, owned by Blackstone Group is trying to infringe. Writers, artists, fans, publishers, and managers are all asking that they withdraw this amendment and pass the act as is. Let’s hope that The Music Modernization Act is passed and that songwriters can continue to make a living writing the soundtracks to our lives.

What can you do to help? As fans, head to our Instagram and repost this image with the caption: “I am a fan and I support the #musicmodernizationact as is! @sesac & @blackstone, withdraw your amendment!” Then send to your family and friends to help support our favorite musicians!

**UPDATE: As of 8/2 The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the Songwriters of North America (SONA), and SESAC have agreed to work together to support fully the Music Modernization Act. Now they together request that the Senate pass the MMA.**

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Apple Music’s New “Country Wide” Playlist Highlights Developing Artists Around The World

July 31, 2018/in Blog, New Music /by Stephanie Wagner

Apple Music is celebrating the country music genre with the unveiling of it’s new “Country Wide” hub along with a new playlist of the same name. The playlist highlights emerging artists far beyond Nashville, coming from all over the globe like Ireland, South Africa, Canada, Australia and more. With a heavy focus on the developing artists in particular, the playlist is programmed by Apple Music editors around the world with the common goal of raising awareness and facilitating the global progression of country music.

Currently being featured on the “Country Wide” playlist is Canada’s Tenille Townes who we recently highlighted in our Swag Spotlight Series. “I believe music is a connector all around the world and when we really listen to each other’s stories we realize we are all more alike than we think,” Townes said. Likewise, Ireland’s Catherine McGrath, South Africa’s Roan Ash and Australia’s Missy Lancaster all use familiar songwriting styles to make the world feel a little smaller.

The “Country Wide” playlist also includes familiar established artists such as Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Kacey Musgraves and will be updated regularly with new artists and music for fans to discover.

Visit Apple Music’s New Country Wide Hub Here and Check Out the Playlist below.

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Zac Brown Band Showcases True Artistry at CitiField

July 30, 2018/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Christina Bosch

As the sun set on CitiField on Saturday night, the outfield was transformed into a sea of country music fans, holding up their beer and swaying along to Zac Brown Band. One thing the audience can expect from the band is to never hear the same set twice, you can attend their show each night of the tour and hear a different set of cover songs every single night. As for their first of two shows at CitiField, the band covered Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, and Metallica, proving and showcasing their versatility and true musicianship. “I’m in a New York State of Mind,” Brown states before covering Billy Joel’s “For the Longest Time” acapella which his sensational band. Check out our exclusive video from the epic moment here.

Whether they were playing one of their smash hits like “Toes” or “Knee Deep” or slowing things down and performing “Sweet Annie” or “Free” Zac Brown Band knows that their loyal New York City fans look forward to their CitiField weekend each summer. The Down the Rabbit Hole Tour featured singer-songwriter Caroline Jones who played our sold-out Country Night with Jackie Lee last summer as an opener along with pop-rock sensations One Republic. Jones returned back to the stage and lent her beautiful voice to Zac Brown Band’s “Tomorrow Never Comes”.

Highlights from the night were violinist/fiddler Jimmy De Martini taking center stage to perform Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. Between the fast-paced song and the energy from the packed crowd clapping along, it was one of the best moments of the evening. Another epic moment was when the first notes of “Colder Weather” blared throughout the stadium, the lights dimmed to a starry blue and thousands of cell phone lights lit up CitiField. Zac Brown Band has proved that they are not only some of the best at creating radio-friendly hits but display pure magic when it comes to delivering the best live show. The cohesiveness of each of the instrumentalists blend perfectly with their harmonies, covering not only their greatest hits but hits from every other genre. The Down The Rabbit Hole tour continues throughout the summer, grab your tickets here.

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NYCS Swag Spotlight Featuring Mike Ryan

July 30, 2018/in Blog, Swag Spotlight /by Christina Bosch

Mike Ryan, San Antonio, Texas native is our Swag Spotlight this week. You may have heard his incredible song “New Hometown” on Spotify where it has over 7 million spins but what you didn’t know about the Texas singer is he is a co-writer on one of Brad Paisley’s newest smash hits “Last Time For Everything”. We learned about where Ryan grew up during our recent chat with the singer-songwriter.

Ryan learned to play the piano from a young age as well as singing in the church choir but during his high school years he learned to play guitar and started to really get interested in singing as well. “When I went to college I started writing, playing open mic nights and I put a band together. Sometime during college I started realizing this is what I wanted to do for a career,” Ryan explains. His grandfather was a band director for the Texas National Guard and his father was also a performer in different theater productions. He recalls loving watching his father on stage.

His musical influences growing up range anywhere from Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John to Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and George Strait. Although his parents mostly listened to classic rock when he was young, he discovered country music during the 90’s and he feels that all of the music he listened to comes out in his songwriting today. He currently resides both in Nashville and Texas, splitting his time between those two homes and being on the road promoting his new music. His latest EP, Blink You’ll Miss It, was released late last year and debuted at #6 on the iTunes charts, Ryan being a co-writer on five of the seven songs.

As a writer for Seagayle Music, just like last week’s Swag Spotlight CJ Solar, Ryan sat down with Smith Ahnquist, Brent Anderson, Chris DuBois and started writing “Last Time For Everything”. They did not complete the song in that one session, but the other writers brought the concept up the next day in a write with Brad Paisley. Ryan had left to join his band for a gig but got a call just a few short days later that Paisley had loved the song and the finished writing it together and right away he recorded it for his next album, Love and War. It was Ryan’s first outside cut and Paisley ended picking the nostalgic song as one of the singles from the record.

Paisley also brings his remarkable talent to Ryan’s current single “The Rewrite”, “He went ahead and burned down an incredible solo that I will never be able to duplicate live but it’s so cool that we have it on the record and so I am forever in debt to him,” he says. “It was one of the coolest things, just to have him play on a record of mine, it’s like a thumbs up from him, it’s a solid vote of confidence from a guy I’ve always looked up to and always been a fan of.” Take a listen to the song and the guitar solo in the above video.

This summer and into the fall season, Ryan is heading out to play gigs throughout Texas and eventually make his way across the country. “We’ve got some new music coming out, I’ve been writing a bunch and we are starting to play those songs out live, that’s the first place I try new music, I love to see the response from fans out on the road,” he explains. For full tour dates head to www.mikeryanband.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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NYCS First Impression: Kenny Chesney ‘Songs for the Saints’

July 27, 2018/in Blog, First Impression /by Christina Bosch

“Every color, every creed, together in good times, together in need, all of God’s love for love city…”

Kenny Chesney is known for his easy-going lifestyle, championing the phrase “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem” and the luxury of living life on a tropical island when he isn’t on the road selling out football stadiums. For his new record deal with Warner Music Nashville, Chesney released Songs for the Saints, available everywhere today. After catastrophe struck Chesney’s most beloved islands in the form of Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 Hurricane last year, wreaking havoc on the Caribbean, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, he decided to set up Love for Love City Foundation, a fund to channel relief to the people who reside on these islands. All of the proceeds from this album will go directly to the foundation.

The entire record was written and recorded in a three week period after the massive storm hit, Chesney channeled his anxiety and inner turmoil, which is heard throughout each track. “This album isn’t about the devastation, it isn’t about the destruction, it’s important to me that everyone knows that, but what it is about is the people and their heart and their spirit and the sense of community in these islands because those communities, these people make up the Caribbean and makes up everything I love about it. I love them and this record is for them,” Chesney stated in a recent Instagram post.

The first single from the project “Get Along” is a tribute to the community the people of the islands offer, hoping that in such a chaotic world we can all put our differences aside and realize how truly similar we all are. Chesney landed his 30th career No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Get Along” and became the artist with the most No. 1 hits in the history of the chart.

Chesney collaborates with three very different, yet impeccable guest voices on Songs for the Saints, Ziggy Marley on “Love for Love City”, Jimmy Buffet on “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season” and Mindy Smith on the closing track “Better Boat”. The album as a whole is an easy listen, most of the songs won’t become staples in his energetic live show, but the purpose and objectives are clear, write music that represents a lifestyle, a community and a family that you are proud to support.

Each track fills your heart with warmth and tropical vibes that will carry you through even the coldest winter months as Chesney finds inspiration and a muse in the hope and love the people of the islands showcased after the cataclysmic disaster.

Grab your copy of Songs for the Saints, keeping in mind the proceeds will directly benefit the people of the islands and the recovery efforts. Kenny Chesney hits Metlife Stadium on August 18th for his Trip Around the Sun tour. For tickets and additional tour dates head to https://www.kennychesney.com/events.

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Charles Esten Pays Homage to ‘Nashville’ in NYC

July 26, 2018/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Nicole Sellati

Photo Credit: Nicole Sellati

To no surprise, there was not an empty seat at City Winery NYC last night. The talented, Charles Esten sold out the show with all his beloved “Nashies” to sing the songs of his Nashville character, Deacon Claybourne along with some of his own original tracks. Being that we were in a winery, Esten started off the night with a drinking game. The rule was simple, every time he mentions Rayna James the audience drinks…which happened a lot. Leaving him joking in the end, “I should have had you slow down, because tomorrow you are going to be drinking even more than tonight!”

Esten started the night off talking about the first song he sang on Nashville, called “Side Show”. After the first song he brought out his friend Colin Linden, telling the audience, “There would be no Nashville without this guy, there certainly would be no Deacon without this guy. When you see Deacon Claybourne singing that is me singing, but when you hear the guitar playing that is the great Colin Linden.” Once Linden was on stage Esten began telling the audience about the next song being his very first performance on Nashville in the Bluebird Café called “Back Home”.

As the night went on, Esten continued to tell stories and joke around, even praising the crowd, “By the way, God Bless you guys, you are as quiet when you are listening as at The Bluebird. That is the kind of musical respect that does not happen everywhere,” He sang some of his favorite songs throughout the night like “No One Will Ever Love You”, “Hymn for Her”, “Like New” and “Sanctuary”.

Esten closed his set with “Good Rain or Jesus”, but came back out shortly after the audience started chanting his name. For the encore, he sang the fan favorite “He Ain’t Me” and of course the song everyone in the room was waiting for “A Life That’s Good”. This song became a part of the show Nashville and its true essence. Before leaving the stage Esten said, “Thank you not just for tonight but for all six years, for giving your hearts to this show.”

After six seasons the series finale of Nashville on CMT airs tonight at 9/8 c.

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Ty, Kelly & Chuck’s “Rally Around Radley” Diaper Drive

July 25, 2018/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

Ty, Kelly & Chuck’s, Ty Bentli with son, Radley

Our friends at the Ty, Kelly & Chuck morning show based out of Nashville and syndicated throughout the country are rallying around Ty Bentli’s son, Radley who is going to be a big brother very soon. Rad wants to help kids who don not have diapers… and decided on a pretty big number, wanting to collect 58,430 diapers. The diaper drive will run through Monday, August 13, 2018.

How can you help? Head to TyKellyandChuck.com or to donate online, visit their Amazon Wish List to purchase diapers and diapering supplies here.

To donate diapers that are new and in the package, or extras from an open package, send them to the studio at:

Ty, Kelly & Chuck’s Rally Around Radley Diaper Drive
506 2nd Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37210

Thank You in advance for your help!

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The Bandwagon Tour Rolls Into Jones Beach Theater

July 23, 2018/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Christina Bosch

“We’ve been wanting to tour with Miranda Lambert for a very long time and we’ve been planning this tour for years and years and thanks to you we are here!” Little Big Town said during their set on Thursday night at Long Island’s Northwell Health Jones Beach Theater. The Bandwagon Tour kicked off just last week and tourmates Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town along with openers Tenille Townes and the Turnpike Troubadours took the oceanfront stage to entertain a packed crowd.

It’s no secret that the New York Country Swag team are huge fans of Canada native, Tenille Townes and we were thrilled to catch her live set for the first time. Standing on the stage just her and her guitar, Townes filled the theater with her remarkable voice and haunting lyrics from her debut EP the Living Room Worktapes. She told the audience that this was a dream come true to be on The Bandwagon Tour with Lambert and Little Big Town. Next up were the Turnpike Troubadours who brought a different vibe to the venue during their 25-minute set. Their traditional country sound and fiddle-heavy songs had the crowd clapping along to their boot stompin’ hits.

Little Big Town were the first of the two headliners for the show, singing their biggest hits from the past two decades including “Pontoon”, “Front Porch”, “Happy People” and “Tornado”. “What a gorgeous place to spend the night,” Kimberly Schlapman exclaimed. “We’ve heard all about you but this is our first time here and we are so happy to finally be here.” The picturesque venue of the sun setting and the smell of the ocean breeze lent well to the bands current single “Summer Fever” and one of our favorite album cuts from The Breaker, “Lost in California”.

As the Bandwagon Tour continued, Lambert took the stage lighting a fire under the crowd by opening with one of her very first singles “Kerosene” then sliding right into songs from her latest album The Weight of These Wings including “Highway Vagabond”, “We Should Be Friends” and “Vice”. She didn’t leave out the classics, knowing her loyal fans would want to hear “Gunpowder and Lead” and of course “Mama’s Broken Heart”. “I’m making my goal every time I walk on this stage to make you feel something before you leave here,” she said to the audience. “Sometimes in country music, feeling something means feeling sad and I do, so I wrote about it. Sing along if you know it; This one’s called ‘Tin Man’.” Lambert sang the emotional ballad with help from her biggest fans.

As the venue went dark, fans heard familiar notes of “Hell on Heels” as The Pistol Annies logo appeared on the giant screen, and for the first time in a few years, Angeleena Presley and Ashley Monroe joined Lambert on stage for a full-fledged reunion. As the ladies clicked onto the stage in their high heels, the screams were deafening. “Surprise, Jones Beach” Lambert smiled and the trio sang their biggest hit as well as “Takin’ Pills”.

The highlight of the night was when Little Big Town came back to the stage to join Lambert for a full 40 minutes to sing some of their smash singles as well as country music’s most popular songs. The biggest audience sing-a-long happened during Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” where Lambert stood front and center to trade off lines with Karen Fairchild. The group also sang the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” and closed the show with Bill Wither’s “Lean On Me”. It was an epic night of incredible harmonies and some of country music’s best songs. Check out the remaining tour dates below and make sure to get in early to catch opening act, Tenille Townes!

Thursday, August 2 – The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach, Alabama
Friday, August 3 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, Florida
Saturday, August 4 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Florida
Friday, August 10 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, Texas
Saturday, August 11 – Dos Equis Pavilion, Dallas, Texas
Thursday, August 16 – Darien Lake Amphitheater, Darien Center, New York
Friday, August 17 – KeyBank Pavilion, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Saturday, August 18 – BB&T Pavilion, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Thursday, August 23 – Budweiser Stage, Toronto, Ontario
Friday, August 24 –DTE Energy Music Center, Clarkston, Michigan
Saturday, August 25 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois

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NYCS Swag Spotlight: CJ Solar

July 23, 2018/in Blog, Swag Spotlight /by Christina Bosch

Baton Rouge, Louisana native CJ Solar is partly responsible for your obsession with Morgan Wallen‘s summer jam “Up Down”, writing that song over three years ago with Michael Hardy and Brad Clawson. We caught up with the singer-songwriter recently about growing up in a musical family and his career leading up to his very first number one hit.

Solar started playing the guitar when he was eight years old, and his younger brothers followed in his footsteps, learning drums and bass. They all grew up listening to the music that their parents loved, southern rock. He recalls Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Allman Brothers, and Lynyrd Skynyrd being the first songs that they learned to play and really falling in love with those classic hits. Going on a family vacation to Nashville when he was still in middle school, Solar remembers catching a show at the Grand Ole Opry and three of the performers were Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and Dierks Bentley (back when Blake and Dierks still had mullets, he laughed). Watching Paisley shred on the guitar was an eye-opening experience for the young musician, and he quickly changed his thoughts about what country music was. “Before that, I only knew country music to be sad songs about your dog dying, that’s what I pictured country music as, but when I got up there I saw these guys really rocking and Brad was shredding, I really saw the new kind of country music,” he explains.

All throughout high school he started learning about songwriting, and made his way to Nashville for college, attending Belmont University to get a degree in songwriting with a minor in music business. He had the opportunity to intern at SeaGayle Music during his last semester and after showing them his original music, they signed him to a publishing deal before he even graduated college. Fast forward almost 5 years, Solar has been one of their writers and pumping out songs for artists like Jerrod Niemann and Mike Ryan as well as releasing two EPs filled with a blend of southern rock and country music.

Most recently, Solar had the opportunity to open for one of his all-time favorite bands, Lynyrd Skynyrd. He explains it was a dream come true and playing for those venues, packed with at least 20 thousand people each night was like magic, especially since their fans weren’t the typical country music fans he usually encounters. “A lot aren’t country music fans but they are music fans in general,” he says “People of all ages, it was great to see so many young fans come out too, then to see a surge in followers on social media, it takes a lot for them to look me up, follow me and comment how much they enjoyed my set,” he says.

When he writes, he blends the country lyric with a southern rock flair and says he is inspired by his influences and the music he loved growing up for that. His latest EP Get Away With It had its first single, “Airplane” hit number 15 on the Music Row charts, the highest an independent artist has charted within the last year. He looks forward to releasing the next single from the project “American Girls” and take his own music to the next level. Most recently, he enjoyed success with his very first number one cut, “Up Down” which was written with Michael Hardy and Brad Clawson and recorded by Morgan Wallen featuring Florida Georgia Line. The single shot up the charts and currently has over 47 million streams on Spotify. “Kudos to the whole Big Loud team, they fought for the number one because Blake [Shelton] was also going for number 1 that week. It’s a huge accomplishment and a testament to how hard they worked,” he tells us.

It’s pretty remarkable to think that while he was in middle school he attended a show at the Grand Ole Opry that changed his life forever, watching Blake Shelton on that coveted stage turned him on to country music and now a song he wrote was competing with one of Shelton’s songs for the top spot. “It’s so cool to play “Up Down” at our shows and it helps turn people on to the rest of my music, it’s really a blessing and I can’t believe it happened,” he humbling says.

For tour announcements and to keep up with CJ Solar be sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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