“These are some of the most authentic, country fans anywhere you go.” Rodney Atkins says during our interview about playing shows in New York. He also revealed some tidbits about his brand new album due out later this Fall. Watch the full video above and for more from our weekend at Taste of Country Music Festival, click here.
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The warm weather is back (finally!), so we filmed our next Swag Session right in the middle of Times Square with local New York City/New Jersey country artist Lauren Davidson. Davidson played “I’ll Drink To That” then premiered a brand new single which was released this Friday, June 22nd under Skyfall Sony. Watch the full Swag Session below and to learn more about Lauren Davidson in our Swag Spotlight Feature with her here.
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Some may call it an overnight success, but after going viral on the internet for yodeling in Walmart, 11-year old Mason Ramsey has had quite a few exciting months. He stopped by Nash FM 94.7’s Hackensack Meridian Health Stage 17 last week to charm the studio audience and DJ Jesse Addy with his quick wit, adorable smile and exceptional singing voice.
Ramsey, dressed in jeans, boots a slick button-down shirt and of course his giant cowboy hat took the stage and talked with Jesse Addy before playing his two singles “Lovesick Blues” and “Famous”. In typical 11-year old fashion, he was playing basketball out in the hallway and when Addy asked if he won he replied: “Well, I kept on dunking”. His innocent nature and a tip of the hat in gratitude after each song, he left the audience smiling and feeling great. Check out the full Facebook Live below.
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Although born in Long Island, NY singer-songwriter Haley Mae Campbell moved to South Carolina when she was just a few months old and explains in a recent phone conversation that she didn’t listen to country music until she was in her teen years. Starting her career in a non-singing role as Abu the Monkey in Aladdin when she was only 10 years old, Campbell was bitten by the performance bug. Her parents bought her a guitar when she was 13-years-old and she explains it all spiraled from there.
“I remember I heard this song, ‘Somewhere With You’ by Kenny Chesney and I just thought that was the most amazing song I’ve ever heard,” she recalls. Growing up, she listened to a variety of genres thanks to her dad, who was the family DJ, including The B-52’s, The Who, and a bunch of 80’s rock. She was also exposed to rockabilly early on, The Old 97’s being one of her favorite bands from a young age, she explains that she recently was on the bill on an outlaw country cruise where they were the headliner. “It was a childhood dream come true because I grew up idolizing them, because my parents did, so it was a pretty full circle moment to hang out with them as an artist.”
After graduating high school a year early and convincing her parents that she was going to pursue her music career, Campbell made the move to Nashville last August. At just 19-years-old she has already made amazing connections in the industry and has had incredible opportunities. Back in Charleston at the local radio station, she opened for artists such as Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne, Dan + Shay, Chris Janson, and Lauren Alaina, watching them and being able to learn from them. “It’s not only about being talented or original but at the end of the day, you have to be great to work with to be successful and stay grounded and appreciate the people that are around you,” she tells us of what she has taken away from those opening slots.
Her latest release, Lovers Lottery is a good representation of the music she has been inspired to create since her move to Nashville. Four of the songs are solo writes while she tried something different on two of them, co-writing. “It was scary at first, but now I love it. It’s kind of like going on a blind date when you are writing with someone new for the first time, it can be very awkward or it can be the best thing ever so you just have to take your chances most of the time,” she says. The band that plays her live gigs with her are also the musicians on the new project, giving the EP a very natural and authentic vibe. “I really felt like it was the best representation of the songs and the way we play them live which was my goal. I really think it shows people who I am as an artist.”
“I think it’s just persistence, I am very determined and when I really, really want something I’ll do anything to get it,” Campbell says. It’s a matter of being strong and positive and building those relationships and eventually, I was able to get those opportunities along the way.” Follow Haley Mae Campbell on her social media channels including Twitter,Instagram, and Facebook.
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Dan + Shay released their third studio album today on Warner Music Nashville, the self-titled project highlights the duo’s undeniable ability to use their outstanding harmonies to convey messages of love and sincerity. “Our first two albums helped us build an incredible, and super-loyal, fan base, so we knew it was our responsibility to them to put out the best music we could on this record,” Dan + Shay explains in a recent press release. “Most importantly, we wanted to deliver a project that would satisfy the people who got us where we are in the first place.”
The record evokes powerful images, an especially high point on the record is their duet with Kelly Clarkson “Keeping Score”, an ode to letting the small things go and just appreciating life. With both members getting married since their last album release, Obsessed in 2016, it is apparent that the affection from their wives has truly given the boys a new kind of love to sing about.
Either Dan Smyers or Shay Mooney had a hand in writing all but one track, they poured their hearts into this record, showcasing their songwriting skills as well as their vocal ability to deliver the music. Additionally, Smyers co-produced the project with Scott Hendricks.
The debut single from the project “Tequila” is currently sitting in the top 3 spot on the charts and was an instant hit for the duo, with fans singing the chorus back to them almost immediately after its release.
Dan + Shay will be hitting the area on Rascal Flatts 2018 Back to Us Tour where they will be joined by Carly Pearce on July 6th at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater. For tickets click here.
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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSCov.jpg288480Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2018-06-22 16:54:222018-06-22 16:56:24NYCS First Impression: Dan + Shay Release Self-Titled Album
The Rockwood Music Hall is an intimate venue, perfect for any artist’s very first show in New York City. Kentucky native Dillon Carmichael performed songs from his forthcoming debut album, due out later this summer to fans last night, bringing a little bit of Burgin, Kentucky to the Big Apple. “I ain’t ever seen TV’s that big, it’s like being in the future up here,” Carmichael tells us when he introduces himself before the show. “It’s been awesome, Y’all got a pretty cool place here, I even had a slice of pizza, best pizza I’ve ever had,” he laughed. We had the opportunity to chat over the phone last month for his Swag Spotlight Feature, where he explained he had never been to New York before.
His forty-five-minute, full band, showcase gave listeners a sneak peek into his debut album, filled with traditional country grit and a blend of soulful bluesy tones. The album which was produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Anderson East) features songs about growing up in a small town and loving the greats like Waylon and Haggard. He even performed a cover of the 1979 Jennings classic “Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line”.
He performed his current single “It’s Simple” towards the end of the evening, then closing out a night of country soul music with the title track to the album “Hell on an Angel” he explained that he is a huge Lynrd Skynrd fan and that he felt him in the room when they wrote that song that day. “This is my “Freebird”,” he said before playing the track to end his set.
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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DCcov2.jpg288480Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2018-06-19 13:03:262018-06-19 13:51:40Dillon Carmichael Plays His First NYC Show
JoJamie Hahr, Vice President of Marketing for BBR Music Group is our June Woman of the Month. She is a sparkling light in this world, always encouraging women to be true to themselves and proving that the hustle and always working hard pays off.
Growing up in a tiny town outside of Orlando, Hahr recalls music always being a part of her life in one aspect or another. She sang in chorus all throughout school, even singing in a band in high school, and somehow knew that she would end up working in the industry in some capacity. “I never thought I was going to be an artist, but I just knew I loved music. I was really just a huge country music fan, we weren’t allowed to change the station in my dad’s truck, it was always country,” she tells us.
Graduating high school early with college credits in tow, Hahr attended the University of Central Florida, jumping right into her major courses which included public relations and advertising. She started interning for a country music radio station in Orlando, K92 FM and learning that side of the business. “I didn’t realize at first there was a business behind the music. I just knew I was a fan and I loved the music and the artists,” Hahr says. “So from there I interned and went to school, I worked part-time at the radio station, 30 hours a week, and then worked two other jobs just to pay all of my bills and get through school.” Her hustle and determination were evident early on, proving she was going to do whatever it took to make her dreams come true.
Making the move to Nashville when she was twenty-three years old, with six years of marketing and promotions already under her belt, she worked for WSIX Big 98 running their promotions department. Jimmy Harnen, the Executive Vice President of Big Machine Label Group and President of Big Machine Records, became an important mentor to Hahr early on in her career giving her some crucial advice. “I had decided I wanted to work at a record label and I wanted to be a regional promotion rep, so he told me in your spare time, you need to think about what you would do if you were a regional for a specific label, come up with ideas as if you were already in the job and then send them to the labels,” she tells us. The fear of rejection and being told her ideas were not good enough did not stop her from sending a new idea for each major label every Friday for eight months. This eventually landed her a job as a promotion coordinator for MCA Records.
Working hard, networking, and making connections through the industry ultimately helped her reach her goal of working alongside artists and fans at Broken Bow Records as their Vice President of Marketing. Today, she manages marketing for the four imprints that are under Broken Bow Music Group including Red Bow Records, Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, and Wheelhouse Records. With twenty-four artists on those rosters, her days are filled with meetings and she travels quite a bit with the artists helping to promote their brand and their new music. The labels are home to stars such as Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Granger Smith, Chase Rice, Jimmie Allen, Lindsey Ell and more.
One of the most cherished parts of her job is watching an artists’ rise to fame, being there with them and their fans from the ground up. “I have become great friends with some of the loyal fans that have come out to all of our shows and knowing that the music has changed their lives,” she tells us. “I think something I love most about my job is I might be the closest a fan will get to an artist, maybe they’ll never get to meet an artist, I just love interacting with the fans, because if it wasn’t for the fans, I wouldn’t have a job. I wouldn’t get to do what I get to do.”
Photo Courtesy of @JoJamie on Instagram
Becoming close with the fans is an important part of the job for many reasons, learning to see what makes them tick, what they want to see and hear from an artist helps to make the job of marketing run smoother. When we discuss what a day in the life of JoJamie Hahr looks like she explains she splits her career into two aspects, being on the road or being in the office. Being on the road with an artist could mean taking them on a radio tour, or working an album release week. “I think it’s funny when people think our job is glamorous, that is not a word I would ever use to describe our job, I would say fun, inspiring, cool, but glamorous it is not,” she laughs. You can often find her relishing in her trips to New York City, a town that she loves almost as much as Nashville. When she is in the office, her door is almost never closed, working closely with the work-family she has at BBR to help the artists’ dreams come true. This year alone, her label will have sixteen brand new records being released, something that she will have a hand in every creative aspect of.
JoJamie Hahr with Shazam’s Debra Herman and NYCountry Swag’s Christina Bosch & Stephanie Wagner
When we discuss any lessons that she might have for young people just getting their start in this industry she imparts three exceptional pieces of advice. 1. Be Fearless. Don’t be afraid to be shot down, ignored or told you aren’t good enough, because those things will happen, but you must push passed the failure. 2. Outwork Everyone In The Room. Always be the person who is willing to stay late, you make yourself valuable with how hard you work. “If you want to be in this business you better love, sleep, eat and breathe it because there is no downtime, it’s constant,” she explains. 3. Be Yourself. Being authentic and putting yourself out there is so important. “It’s very hard in this business to feel like you can’t be yourself, because you are going to be judged harshly. I have found through my career especially with social media, people are going to love you or not and it’s okay if they don’t, they don’t have to like you, but the people that love you are going to stick around and they will love you for who you are.” Being able to express yourself and find a tribe of people that accept you for you is something Hahr cherishes in her life.
“I encourage girls growing up in this business to be able to express themselves however they want because what really matters is how hard you work, how kind you are to people, how honest you are and not about what you are wearing or how you portray yourself.”
Follow JoJamie’s adventures on her Instagram account, @JoJamie.
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Trent Harmon was catapulted into the spotlight after auditioning and winning the final season of American Idol on Fox. His charm, incredible skill to connect to songs, and ability to be a true storyteller are what gave him an edge over other finalists. Now, two years later he has honed his songwriting craft and with the guidance of a major label, Big Machine, has released his debut album, You Got ‘Em All.
Looking back at his childhood, Harmon tells New York Country Swag about growing up in rural Mississippi. “I wanted to be an artist, I wanted to do music, quite honestly, it’s a cliche story, but nobody from my neck of the woods really makes it out of that neck of the woods,” he says. “I was twelve when I bought my first guitar at a pawn shop. It took me several years before I could play it. Then, I started writing songs, too”
Harmon’s parents owned a small steakhouse near their home and growing up working there was a part of everyday life. When he realized his talents were better served entertaining the customers rather than cleaning up after them, he started singing and taking requests. “I didn’t realize it then, but I was getting my chops as a performer, those were my first gigs. I quit waiting and cleaning tables, I started playing songs and played for a crowd,” he recalls. Almost all of the songs that were requested were from the country music genre, but Harmon wasn’t only a fan of country music, he listened to southern rock and was a huge fan of Elvis Presley.
After playing gigs in Memphis, Nashville and Little Rock, he had all but exhausted his options during a six or seven year period. Running out of money, he decided to take a chance and audition for American Idol. During the toughest week of the contestants journey, Hollywood Week, Harmon suffered through mono to impress the judges and went on to win the entire competition.
He explains that although the industry sometimes regards the winners of national singing competitions as making it easy, he explained that he had to fight through those ceilings to get where he is now. “Idol showcased one of the main reasons I started doing this, I do consider it a job, it’s how I pay my bills, I take it very seriously,” he tells us. “There might be a weird stigma that you do win Idol and ‘Are they really a musician or are they a reality TV person.’ He took time off after his big win to really focus on writing music, writing a song a day for two years and deciding what he wanted to say with his music.
The title track from his debut album was written in less than an hour, Harmon tells us. After calling his girlfriend and giving her the great news that his label was ready to release his first single to radio, she gave him the news that she would be moving to Thailand to follow her dream of teaching. After that devastating phone call, he sat down in a co-write with Justin Ebach and Jordan Minton. He almost canceled that day but decided to keep the session, and luckily poured out his heart into one of his most personal songs yet. “It was a good day to not cancel,” he laughs, “Let that be the title of your piece.”
Back in February, New York Country Swag caught Harmon when he performed at the Big Machine Luncheon during Country Radio Seminar where he performed “You Got ‘Em All” for radio executives and people who work in the music industry. “I had one job that day and that was to solidify myself a slot for the next year as a relevant up-and-coming artist in the country format,” he recalls. He did just that, singing the next single from his forthcoming album and the full room of people, who are not easily impressed, stood up and cheered when he finished. “When they stood up and I got the standing ovation and everyone clapped, that was one of those moments, that was arguably as big for me as winning the show that night, it was a different kind of win. It’s validation that you are doing something right. It was the right song, the right time, and the right people to hear it at that moment.” He tells us, “It was like all of the stars aligned.”
Focusing his energy and songwriting into his debut album, Harmon explains that you never know as an artist if you will get a chance to put out a second album, so he wanted to fill the first full-length with songs and stories dedicated to the people who have helped him get where he is today. “I made a list of the people who were instrumental in getting me to this point and I tried to write a song to each of those people and if it was good enough it made the album,” Harmon tells us. It is a compilation of gratitude to his family, friends, and fans who have lifted him to this point in his career.
Heading out on tour this summer with Rascal Flatts and Dan + Shay, Harmon is looking forward to seeing a bunch of his fans who are nicknamed “The Harmonies” as well as making new fans. For his full tour schedule head to www.trentharmon.com and be sure to continue to follow his journey on social media Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Dierks Bentley released his latest album, The Mountain last Friday so naturally, he came to NYC to help promote the new music. Stopping at Good Morning America, Nash FM 94.7 Studios, Pandora, Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and many other outlets.
Photo courtesy of Nash FM 94.7 Facebook
The New York Country Swag Team headed first to his Nash FM 94.7 Stage 17 show yesterday, (Wednesday, June 13th) where Bentley chatted with Nash DJs Katie Neal and Jesse Addy about the new music. He was pridefully rocking an FDNY t-shirt during his set. He performed his 17th number one chart-topper “Woman, Amen” as well as his next single “Burning Man” which features Brothers Osborne on the album version. He couldn’t leave the studios without singing his biggest hits, “Drunk on a Plane” and “I Hold On”.
Bentley with NYCountry Swag Founder, Stephanie Wagner
Next up, we caught Bentley at his Pandora Up Close performance which took place at the beautiful Capitale in downtown Manhattan. The theme of Bentley’s album, The Mountain was prevalent throughout the space, his backdrop the outline of a mountain with tiny lights representing a night sky. He opened his hour-long set with an oldie but a goodie from his debut album, “What Was I Thinking” right after exclaiming to the crowd “What was I thinking? I was thinking that New York City has the best fans!”
Throughout the night he mixed new songs from his album including “Woman, Amen”, “Burning Man” and “Living” with hits that have gotten him to this point in his career like “Up On the Ridge” and “Somewhere on a Beach”. “We haven’t done this song in many, many years but we wanted to keep you guys on your toes tonight, I hope you remember it,” he told the audience before singing “Come A Little Closer” from his 2005 album Modern Day Drifter.
Bentley referenced several times how excited he is to bring his Mountain High Tour to Madison Square Garden this fall. “We’re playing the biggest honky-tonk in the world, MSG, that is right at the top of my bucket list, bigger than any dream I could ever dream.” For tickets to the September 8th show, head to www.dierks.com/tour “This song is for you guys, I certainly want to specifically thank all of our firefighters and police officers as well,” Bentley told the crowd before singing his emotional and uplifting hit “Riser”.
Before playing his final song of the night, Pandora hosts surprised Bentley on stage with a plaque that indicated he had reached over three billion spins on Pandora. Putting him in a class with the Rolling Stones, Snoop Dog, Lady Gaga and one of Bentley’s all-time heroes in country music, Alan Jackson. Bentley was honored and humbled by the surprise. He closed out the high energy set with “Drunk on a Plane”, leaving the packed room of fans in awe of his stage presence and commitment to making incredible music. Grab your copy ofThe Mountain here.
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For the second year in a row, New York Country Swag headed to Hunter Mountain to set up shop and cover the Taste of Country Music Festival. The weekend takes place on a mountain, with a huge stage at the base and fans packed onto its grassy hills to listen to their favorite country artists.
The lineup for the 2018 festival included huge stars like Florida Georgia Line, Dustin Lynch, Lee Ann Rimes, Justin Moore, Eric Church and Sam Hunt. This was the biggest year for the festival, having sold out the general admission tickets, fans were thrilled to be heading back for their favorite weekend.
The team headed to Hunter Moutain early on Thursday morning to set up our vending booth to sell items from our store as well as brand new merchandise that festival goers had the opportunity to shop first before it hits the site next week. Our signature line features hats, tank tops, t-shirts and sweatshirts that all help to cohesively explain our brand, clothing, and accessories that country music fans will love. In addition to our country music inspired items, our Hero Collection was expanded this summer with the addition of tank tops and t-shirts all showcasing the red and the blue line American flag. This turned out to be a huge seller at the festival, initiating awesome banter between those that support our firefighters and those that support our police department.
Fans also had the opportunity to take a boomerang photo in front of our step-and-repeat at our photobooth station set up within our vending booth. With props featuring their favorite country artists as well as cowboy hats and even a blow-up horse, this turned out to be a fantastic fun addition to our setup this year. Guests can view their photos boomerangs here and more photos here. We also included a giveaway which entered our shoppers into a raffle to win a signed Eric Church Jack Daniels guitar. The winner was announced right before Sam Hunt hit the stage and the lucky winner collected her prize before the festival ended.
Our managing editor, Christina also interviewed some of the festivals biggest names at our tent including Jimmie Allen and Rodney Atkins. They both talked about new music which they played during their respective sets. Allen and Atkins both revealed that their albums will be available later this fall.
We also had the opportunity to interview Dustin Lynch and find out what 3 essential camping items he would bring if he was attending Taste of Country Music Festival as a fan. Jimmie Allen took time to hang out with some of our shoppers and take pictures with each of them after his set.
The weekend was filled with meeting so many of our followers and making new friends that rocked our gear at the festival. Between the great music and the perfect weather, Taste of Country Music Festival 2018 was a huge success. We are already looking for next years event, for more information and tickets head to www.tasteofcountryfestival.com Our team wants to thank everyone who stopped by to say hello, purchased an item from our booth or just was friendly to us this weekend. We had the best time and look forward to seeing all of our followers at more events this summer.
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https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/TOCCOV.jpg288480Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2018-06-12 18:23:072018-06-12 18:56:25NYCountry Swag Takes on Taste of Country Festival
