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Old Dominion Raises $40K+ for Charity with Star-Studded Line-Up

September 19, 2018/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Molly Holmberg

Sam Hunt with Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey, Photo By Mason Allen

Last night (Sept. 18.), Old Dominion sold out and electrified the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for their special headline show: “An Evening With Friends.” The concert raised a total of $40K for charity, with half of the proceeds benefiting the Opry Trust Fund and the other half benefitting the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.

In a recent press release, Old Dominion frontman and 2017 ASCAP Artist Writer of the Year Matthew Ramsey said, “What an unforgettable night. The Nashville community has given so much to us. Our lives have changed in ways we could never have imagined – so we felt like this show at the Ryman was a great way to start giving back. There was so much love and music and history swirling around. We are beyond proud to be able to raise money and help those who need it – along with help from our friends!”

Kenny Chesney surprised Old Dominion and Fans, Photo By Mason Allen

By “our friends”, Ramsey is referring to the superstar lineup that joined them including Kenny Chesney, Kelsea Ballerini, Sam Hunt, and Michael Ray for show-stopping renditions of fan favorites. Chesney surprised the band on stage and had them play “Save It For A Rainy Day,” which was co-written by Old D’s Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi and hit #1 for three consecutive weeks. Kelsea Ballerini also joined the band to duet the band’s #1 single “Written In The Sand” and her single “I Hate Love Songs,” co-written by band member Trevor Rosen. Michael Ray then followed and performed his latest energetic single “The One That Got Away,” penned by Ramsey and Rosen. Lastly, Sam Hunt performed two songs with the band that included the #1 single “Make You Miss Me,” as well as “Ex To See,” both of which were co-written with Hunt by Ramsey.

Kelsea Ballerini (left) and Michael Ray (right) with Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey, Photo By Mason Allen

Old Dominion kept the party going and performed 19 additional songs during their 120 minute set covering all of their #1 hit singles and fan favorites including two brand new unreleased songs “Make It Sweet” and “Smooth Sailing.”

A place like Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium is hallowed ground. After selling out arenas across the U.S. and Canada on the winter leg of their “Happy Endings World Tour,” the band checked the iconic venue off their bucket list before they pick back up on the fall leg of their arena tour. The run is set to kick off on Oct. 4 in Knoxville, TN at the Knoxville Coliseum.

Check the list of dates below and get your tickets on sale now, HERE.

HAPPY ENDINGS WORLD TOUR FALL 2018 DATES:

Oct. 4 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Coliseum

Oct. 5 Glen Allen, VA Innsbrook After Hours

Oct. 6 Rochester, NY Main Street Armory

Oct. 11 Amarillo, TX Amarillo Civic Center

Oct. 12 Las Cruces, NM Pan American Center

Oct. 13 Albuquerque, NM Balloon Fiesta Park

Oct. 25 Atlantic City, NJ Hard Rock Atlantic City

Oct. 26 University Park, PA Bryce Jordan Center

Oct. 27 Roanoke, VA Berglund Center

Oct. 31 Dublin, IE Whelans

Nov. 1 Belfast, IE Empire Music Hall

Nov. 3 Liverpool, ENG O2 Academy 2

Nov. 4 London, ENG O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

Nov. 5 Bristol, ENG Trinity

Nov. 6 Manchester, ENG Academy 2

Nov. 8 Birmingham, ENG O2 Institute

Nov. 9 Glasglow, SCT Queen Maragaret Union

Nov. 10 Glasglow, SCT Queen Maragaret Union

Nov. 29 Estero, FL Germain Arena

Nov. 30 St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheatre

Dec. 1 Winston-Salem, NC Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Dec. 6 Toledo, OH Huntington Center

Dec. 7 Huntington , WV Big Sandy Superstore Arena

Dec. 8 Grand Rapids, MI DeltaPlex Arena

Dec. 13 Bismarck, ND Bismarck Event Center

Dec. 14 Fargo, ND Scheels Arena

Dec. 15 Duluth, MN AMSOIL Arena

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New Music From Billy Currington “Bring It On Over”

September 19, 2018/in Blog, New Music /by Erica Zisman

Mercury Records Nashville recording artist Billy Currington dropped a new song today, entitled “Bring It On Over”, three years after his last album Summer Forever was released. The track is slated to be what we can assume as the first single off of the singer-songwriter’s highly anticipated seventh studio album, although no formal announcement has been made.

“Bring It On Over,” is fun, upbeat and perfect for radio. Penned by gifted songwriters, Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Atkins and Jesse Frasure, the lyrics are intimate, sexy, and relatable. The track captures a story of a couple who cannot get enough of each other, seemingly wanting to be with each other all the time, even though they just saw each other.

Oh baby, just wait a minute / If you’re in the bed stay in it / I’m about to dive on in it / Got to got to get you closer / I’m about to bring you on over

The new single gives off trendy country music vibes, while keeping true to Currington’s traditional country roots. This song is sure to appeal to long-time Currington fans, as well as, fans of new-school country music, such as artists like Dustin Lynch or Chris Lane. With Currington’s ability to keep the crowd on their feet and singing to each and every song during his live performance, this new single is sure to fit right into his show.

“Bring It On Over” can be heard on our New Country Music Playlist and is available everywhere you buy/stream music today.

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Brett Young and Carly Pearce Play Opry City Stage for ‘Front and Center’ Taping

September 18, 2018/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Nicole Sellati

Brett Young & Carly Pearce at Opry City Stage for Front and Center

Photo by @nycountryswag via Instagram

Last night (Sept. 17), New York country fans kicked off the week with a special double episode taping of Front and Center at Opry City Stage. Front and Center is a commercial-free, all-music program that airs nationwide, on public television. Guests had about three days to purchase tickets before the hot event sold out, but NYCountry Swag followers had the opportunity to win their way in all weekend long through our exclusive giveaway contest.

Fans fortunate enough to attend had the privilege of experiencing two superstars in the making, Carly Pearce and Brett Young. The episode will air in spring of 2019, on PBS. The show will be cut down to a one-hour special, but we have your inside look of what you can expect next year.

To start the night, Nash FM 94.7’s Katie Neal and Jesse Addy took the stage to give the audience a run-down of how things were going to work. Since fans were a part of filming, Addy made sure the crowd knew one thing,“If you hear a song the second time, it’s the first time… and it’s amazing!” The dynamic duo got the sold out crowd fired up and ready for the first half of the night with CMT award-winning artist, Carly Pearce.

Photo by @nycountryswag via Instagram

Pearce kicked off her set with her high-energy song “Careless”, getting the crowd pumped for what’s to come. The singer got the chance to perform almost every song on her record including crowd favorites like “Color” and “If My Name Was Whiskey” along with her very first number one song and debut single, “Every Little Thing”. Throwing some 90’s Country into the mix, Pearce gave a flawless cover of Shania Twain’s, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” before bringing it back to her Dollywood days with Dolly Parton’s, “9 to 5”.

Throughout the taping she talked with the crowd showing off her fun-loving-sassy personality, giving her backstory, talking about her job with the one and only Dolly Parton and mentioning the fact that she has played the Grand Ole Opry over 50 times already, giving everyone the order to go experience the Opry themselves.

The rising country star slayed each song with her outstanding vocals, never missing a beat. Before leaving the stage she said, “I got one song left Y’all and I just want to say thank you ‘Front and Center’ for having me. Thank you, Grand Ole Opry for having me and thank all of you for showing up, New York City… I have one question left for you, Do I have any wine drinkers in New York City!?” Closing out her set with her current single, “Hide The Wine” as everyone in the audience sang the lyrics right back to her.

Next up was multi-platinum artist, Brett Young, kicking things off with his brand new single, “Here Tonight”. Young’s set was filled with songs from his debut album, from his list of number one singles to crowd-favorites like “Left Side Of Leavin'” and “Makin’ Me Say”.

Photo by @oprycitystage via Instagram

Adding fun covers to the mix, Young threw in his version of The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”, which he often performs while touring. With a New York City show, it was only fitting for the singer to cover Gavin DeGraw’s “Not Over You”, while the excited crowd sang along from beginning to end. Later, Young mashed up his fourth #1 single, “Mercy” with Marshmello and Khalid’s hit single “Silence”, putting a unique and tender twist on the EDM heavy song. Check out our exclusive video of the mash-up here.

Mid-set, Young’s band exited the stage, leaving only himself on acoustic and another guitarist. He told the audience, “Everybody covers this song, so in turn it’s pretty cliche that I’m about to cover this, but I just don’t care”, before singing a stunning cover of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. Young’s cover proved to be anything but cliche. His rendition was breathtaking, showing off his incredible talent.

As the night went on, he interacted with the crowd, at one point even jumping off the stage giving high-fives and hand shakes all around, while getting up close and personal to the front-row fans, taking pictures and videos, making sure everyone was having a good time.

Before ending the show, there was one thing Young asked of his audience, to sing his triple-platinum number one single “In Case You Didn’t Know” at the top of their lungs. One verse into the song he stopped and said, “This is going to be on television and I know you can sing louder than that, I’m gonna start the whole song over just to hear you guys louder!” When it played the second time around, every single person in the crowd put their heart and soul into screaming those lyrics back, making it the perfect sing-a-long. He thanked the crowd for supporting country music and making the song the wedding anthem of 2017. When it was time for his last song, the breakout artist brought it home with his debut single and first number one hit, “Sleep Without You”.

It was a night to never forget, both artists with such extraordinary talent, their vocals captivating the audience with every song they sang. Lucky for those who attended, we get to relive a part of the magic we experienced and for those who didn’t can get their chance to watch it next year when it airs on PBS! For New Yorkers, Brett Young will be back in New York City at the PlayStation Theater on December 9th with special guests Tyler Rich and Rachel Wammack. Grab your tickets here.

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Opry City Stage Hosts True “In The Round” Style Songwriters Night

September 18, 2018/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Erica Zisman

On Friday night (Sept. 14), New York City’s Opry City Stage held their first true songwriting round, as part of The Bluebird Cafe Songwriter Series at The Studio. Approximately 100 people were able to experience the iconic Nashville-originated “in the round” phenomenon, right in the heart of Times Square.

Songwriters, Tony Arata, J. Fred Knobloch, Don Schlitz, and gifted harmonica player Jelly Roll Johnson mesmerized the audience with their talents for a two-hour musical awakening. In true “in the round” fashion, each hitmaker took turns going around in a circle, sharing personal anecdotes, stories behind their penned lyrics, engaging with the audience, and of course, singing songs that they have written for famed country music artists.

For the first round, Arata started the night off singing “Here I Am,’ written for Patty Loveless, sharing the importance of the lyrics, focused on how addiction effects relationships. He would later sing some of the crowd’s favorites of the night, including Garth’s Brook’s number one single, “The Dance.”

“I’ll always remember writing this, and right after I did, I played this at The Bluebird Cafe [in Nashville]. Garth [Brooks] and I had just befriended each other, and he said if he ever got a record deal, he was gunna do it. And I was so thrilled, but at the time Garth was doing construction and selling boots, and I was loading trucks at UPS. So obviously we were right on the cusp of greatness.”

Photo: @jonbird via Instagram

On the other hand, Schlitz, who shared that it was his first time taking the trip to play here, stated “I’ll play you the first song I’ve ever had recorded. Up to that point, they just weren’t that good. A lot of songs about trucks. I was so far ahead of my time.”

Fans got a kick out of the writer’s humor and showcased their approval, singing along, as he began to sing “The Gambler,” written for Kenny Rogers. Schlitz played another Roger’s classic later on in the night, “The Greatest,” which the audience also seemed to enjoy.

Next, Knobloch entertained the room with his pop record written for none other than Faith Hill entitled “If My Heart Had Wings.” One of the more poignant moments of the night was the songwriter singing and sharing the background of a song, written for and with Don Williams that was never recorded. Knobloch explained “He became ill and never wound up going to the studio at all. This is the one that almost was,” before singing the lyrics “Everybody needs a rock that they can lean on / you’re mine / you’re mine.” The room was completely still and quit, during this beautiful tribute.

All along, Johnson showcased his skills, playing harmonica, while the writers sang and played acoustic guitar. The men of the night were inspiring to the listeners, as they truly played a full range of country songs, from songs that everyone loves to songs that were never recorded. Overall, the authentic Nashville-like “in the round” experiences a success, even in “the city that never sleeps.”

Head to www.oprycitystage.com for information and tickets for the next songwriting series slated for Friday, September 28th.

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Kelsea Ballerini Collaborates with The Chainsmokers on “This Feeling”

September 18, 2018/in Blog, New Music /by Danielle Tornatore

Grammy nominated country artist, Kelsea Ballerini has teamed up with EDM-pop diamond-selling duo The Chainsmokers for a brand new single titled “This Feeling”. This is not the first time The Chainsmokers have immersed into the country music world. Last year, the duo collaborated with Florida Georgia Line for a song on their album Memories…Do Not Open, titled “Last Day Alive.”

Back in 2016, a twitter exchange between Ballerini and The Chainsmokers sparked possibilities of this collaboration. The duo reached out to the singer-songwriter in a since-deleted tweet, saying they wanted to “hang” with her. Ballerini quoted their tweet responding, “It’s like you’re READING MY MIND. I’m in.”

Ballerini also hinted the collaboration on the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet, while talking to E! News, “As far as the next record, I want to do a collaboration with The Chainsmokers.” Ballerini and The Chainsmokers officially announced their new single nearly a week ago by posting the cover art to their social media accounts.

Written by Alex Pall, Andrew Taggart and Emily Warren, the record features vocals from Ballerini and the duo’s lead vocalist, Taggart. “This Feeling” tells the story of wanting someone but being told you’re wrong for wanting them by the people around you and feeling misunderstood because this feeling you have is indescribable.

“They tell me think with my head / Not that thing in my chest / They got their hands at my neck this time,” goes the chorus of “This Feeling.” “But you’re the one that I want / If that’s really so wrong, then they don’t know what this feeling is like.”

The sound is distinctive from Ballerini’s two previous albums, giving center-stage to the pop/EDM uptempo beat, but stays true to the similar lyrics of a country love story.

“This Feeling” is another sure to be charted single by The Chainsmokers. The single is available wherever you stream or buy music. Check out the full lyric video below.

Ballerini is currently on tour with Keith Urban for his Graffiti U World Tour, which will stop in New York City on October 27th at Barclays Center. Tickets are available here.

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Brett Eldredge Casts Edgar Boogie in New “Love Someone” Music Video

September 18, 2018/in Blog /by Danielle Tornatore

If you know anything about country superstar Brett Eldredge, you know about his utmost love for his two-year-old Weimaraner/Vizsla mix, Edgar Boogie. Eldredge adopted Edgar when he was just 8-weeks-old, driving six hours to Alabama just to get him. In July, Eldredge shared a photo of the two on Instagram of the night Edgar came into his life with a caption describing how that first night went and how they have been inseparable ever since, calling himself a dog dad.

Photo Via @BrettEldredge on Instagram

Edgar is constantly on the road with his dad. He even has his own segment during Eldredge’s live shows where he performs tricks and falls asleep while Eldredge sings “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” to him. Having already released an official music video for his current single from his self-titled fourth studio album “Love Someone” in August, Eldredge decided to give fans a treat yesterday with a new heartwarming video, featuring himself and his precious pup. Over the weekend, the singer-songwriter teased fans with an Instagram photo of the two sharing a pile of steaks over a candlelit dinner table, captioned “Coming soon 🐶.”

The adorable music video opens with the two looking out at a beautiful forest scenery while Edgar falls asleep and dreams up his perfect day. Eldredge and his partner-in-crime go on a motorcycle ride, share an ice cream cone, play fetch in the park, have a movie night and share a bowl of popcorn, as well as enjoy that candlelit dinner. Old clips of Edgar as a puppy, playing with and cuddling on Eldredge closeout the sweet video.

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NYCS Exclusive Video Premiere: Brett Sheroky “Better On Paper”

September 18, 2018/in Blog, Exclusive Premiere /by Christina Bosch

Nashville singer-songwriter, Brett Sheroky is premiering a video for his latest single “Better On Paper” exclusively with NYCountry Swag today. The lyrics are honest and raw, outlining a relationship that’s falling apart and the emotions one feels during that tragic time.

The video which is entirely in black and white is simple, no frills but allows for an uncomplicated listen to the lyric. Sheroky sits at a table, fumbling through a box of old keepsakes and reminiscing on when things were not as difficult. With each item he tosses into the garbage, a memory goes with them, as his left hand is prominently featured, still wearing his wedding band. Ultimately and reluctantly he signs the divorce papers, struggling with every pen stroke and leaves his wedding band on top. “Better On Paper” is also one of our September Picks: “What We are Listening To”.

The song and video are certainly not for tailgating at a concert, but something about the truth in the lyrics and the storytelling is what country music is based upon. Watch the video for “Better On Paper” below and follow Brett Sheroky on social media, on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Carrie Underwood Is a Part of The Tonight Show History

September 18, 2018/in Blog /by Nicole Sellati

Last week, The Tonight show host Jimmy Fallon swapped out his space at 30 Rock for Central Park, making this the first ever late night television to do so. Country superstar Carrie Underwood was a part of history appearing on the episode with Blake Lively, the New York Philharmonic and of the course The Roots. The late show took place at Rumsey Playfield, aka Summer Stage, to an audience of over 1,500 people, making this The Tonight show’s biggest audience yet. If you didn’t get a chance to catch the episode when it aired, here’s a recap!

Fallon kicked off the night with the special edition of the name that song challenge, where The Roots and the New York Philharmonic played one instrument at a time to create the beat of a song until someone guessed it. The teams were, Jimmy Fallon with Blake Lively and Carrie Underwood with special guest Henry Golding. Underwood being a musician herself had the advantage and guessed the majority of the songs right but somehow Fallon turned the game in his favor making his team the winner.

When it came time for the interview portion, Fallon introduced his next guest, “One of the biggest names in music and a 7-time Grammy winner, her album Cry Pretty is available right now! Welcome, Carrie Underwood!” Putting the country superstar in the hot seat before she took to the stage to perform. Underwood talked about her pregnancy and her 3 1⁄2-year-old son Isaiah, who she hopes one day will be a singer just like her. It was also mentioned that she co-produced the record with the incredible writer and producer, David Garcia. She described the experience as, “It’s really exciting cause you get to get in there, and you’re, you know, there for every step of the way and making the creative decisions…But it was just amazing to, like watch the musicians at work, and I gained such a bigger respect for what they do.” Taking on the role was a great experience for the singer and when asked which song is her favorite on the album she said, “Depends on the day”, which all of us can relate to.

Last but not least, it was the moment everyone was waiting for, “Here with the T.V. debut performance of her new single, “Love Wins” from her album Cry Pretty once again, Carrie Underwood!” She took the stage in a beautiful all black outfit, giving the audience a performance to never forget. As the camera panned out each person had a pink bracelet or a pink foam stick, making the crowd illuminate in a beautiful sea of waving pink lights. As always, her vocal range showed off her undeniable talent with her power ballad. Underwood gave her all while performing, leaving the crowd with goosebumps, wanting more.

The country superstar gave everyone a taste of what to expect from her at her concerts and luckily as New Yorkers, we can experience The Cry Pretty Tour 360 with special guests Maddie & Tae and Runaway June at the iconic Madison Square Garden on October 2, 2019. While we wait for the show to roll around, we can listen to her sixth studio album, Cry Pretty, that is out now!

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[Watch] Abby Anderson Releases “Make Him Wait” Video

September 17, 2018/in Blog /by Nicole Sellati

Country newcomer Abby Anderson premiered her first music video for her single, “Make Him Wait,” last week, first exclusively on CMT and now available everywhere. This comes after the release of her debut EP titled, I’m Good, on September 7th as a Black River recording artist. The video was filmed in Nashville and directed by Chris Hicky, who kept the concept simple, not taking away from the true essence of the song’s meaning.

“Make Him Wait” is Anderson’s powerful ballad inspired by dating advice her father gave her. In our most recent interview with the songstress explained the writing process, read the interview here. The song is a love story starting from waiting for the first phone call to walking down the aisle. It’s a song all parents can hope for their daughter, showing their self-worth before going too fast in a relationship. She looks absolutely breathtaking first appearing in a stunning red dress walking into a dark room with only a chair to then being shown dressed down at her piano, belting out the lyrics. She alternates between the chair and her piano featuring multiple different women of different ages alongside her, one of which is a fan of the singer. Each woman shown embodied the empowering message of self-importance, showcasing what every young girl should learn from the start, to “Make Him Wait”.

Abby Anderson is currently on the second leg of The Long Way Tour with headliner Brett Eldredge and special guest Devin Dawson. The tour won’t be making their way to New York this time around but will be in Atlantic City, New Jersey on October 12th at The Theater at Hard Rock.

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Exclusive Interview: Walker Hayes Chats About “90’s Country”

September 17, 2018/in Blog, Interviews /by Christina Bosch

Walker Hayes has released his newest single “90’s Country” which marries his progressive and modern twist on the genre with twenty-two classic songs that have influenced the singer-songwriter and most country fans from an era of music that will never grow old. In a recent chat with New York Country Swag, Hayes lets us in on the decision to drop “90’s Country” as well as the writing process that took place with critically acclaimed songwriter and producer Shane McAnally and LYRX.

The most interesting part of the idea behind “90’s Country” is the duality of meaning it brings to the fans across the country and specifically here in New York. On one hand, fans of country music who grew up listening to Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Joe Diffie, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain and all of the other artists referenced in the track, there is a wave of nostalgia that runs over you. For New Yorkers and fans who live in New York, country music hasn’t always been accessible to us. For seventeen years the New York and the metro area did not have a radio station playing current country music, so in order to keep up with what was popular in the country music world, prior to streaming and Spotify, you had to go out and buy CDs. For many fans especially the younger generation of New York country fans, they are hearing these references for the very first time, possibly now choosing to seek out the generation of country music that is so revered everywhere else around America.

Piecing together songs of the past while still creating an entirely new song is no easy task and Hayes explains it was written over months of texts and arguments back and forth. On his debut album boom. each track was authentic to his story, sometimes dark and always personal so when it came to “90’s Country” he was experimenting with a new side of songwriting. “It was such a unique song for me because most of my stuff, actually, 100% of my stuff is personal experience, I just dredge for feelings and emotions and thoughts and details from the emotion that is inside of me and that is the vocabulary I am allowed to use, otherwise I feel like if I select stuff outside of my experience the song begins to become too written,” he explains. But after releasing “Craig” which although it is an inspiring, real story, it is heavy, he felt he wanted to give his fans something lighter, something different. “I told my team I just want to put out something fun, infectious and when it’s over you have to press rewind and something you want to learn the words too.”

It wasn’t until 2004 when Hayes decided to pursue a music career and to make it his full-time job, therefore, he was able to grow up with music, soak it all in without dealing with the politics and business that come along with making the career choice. “I was able to be a teenager and experience all of those firsts with music constantly in my life, but not yet a business or a dream, because those 90’s country songs influenced me so much without me even knowing,” he tells us. “Looking back now as someone who writes every day for a living to provide for my family, it’s incredible to look back and realize I was in 7th grade listening to and experiencing deep lyrics like Tim McGraw’s “Don’t Take the Girl”, and I was just loving it, pressing repeat. Who knew 20 years down the road I would be hopefully writing songs that people would be doing the same thing to in the car.”

Although the process of writing this song took a long time he is thrilled with the finished product. “It maintains my musical perspective while at the same time, throwing it back to my favorite songs,” he explains. “I’ve been so happy with the reaction it was really tedious but also therapeutic, it was like we put a puzzle together. I feel like this was a good move for me, it sets up a new album and new music in general. We are really glad we spent all of the time we did on it.”

Hayes will join Old Dominion on their Happy Endings Fall Tour which heads overseas stopping in Dublin and the UK for several dates. “I am really looking forward to going back because they are such a unique listener over there, they are very attentive,” he tells us. “They listen to full-length albums they love the material, which is an artists dream.”

Hayes joined us for a Live Swag Session back in April. He returns to New York City this October and country fans can grab tickets to his headlining show at Mercury Lounge on October 9th before he heads overseas.

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