Blog Archives

NYCountry Swag Team Heading to Nashville for CRS Week

January 30, 2018/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

Next Week, the New York Country Swag team heads to Nashville to take part in Country Radio Seminar (CRS). CRS is an annual three-day convention where country music and the radio industry gather to exchange ideas, set trends, introduce brands, launch artists and make decisions that affect every aspect of the genre’s future. The seminar includes new music from rising artists as well as some of the most established artists in the business.

This year Dierks Bentley, CRS 2018 Artist Humanitarian of the Year will be a featured speaker as well as a Q&A session with Brad Paisley during the “Art and the Artist Conversation”. The Amazon Music & CRS Monday Night Showcase will feature Jimmie Allen, Jordan Davis, and Jason Aldean.

Just announced, the UMG Lunch, taking place at The Ryman, will feature Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Kip Moore, Maddie & Tae, Brothers Osborne, Darius Rucker Jon Pardi and more.

The New Faces Show which takes place Wednesday night to close out the seminar will include Lauren Alaina, Midland, Carly Pearce, Luke Combs and Michael Ray. The show is sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Hospital and will include performances by each of the five artists.

Be sure to follow us on all of our social channels to see exclusive content from the seminar (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.)

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– Team NYCountry Swag

Luke Bryan Major Tour Announcement

January 30, 2018/in Blog /by Stephanie Wagner

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Pandora)

Luke Bryan‘s “What Makes You Country” Tour just went from Large to EXTRA LARGE. The superstar is adding stadium dates to his already major tour. Joining him for the run on select dates will be Sam Hunt, Carly Pearce, Jon Pardi, Morgan Wallen & DJ Rock.

The announcement came during a Nashville press conference in which Luke broke the exciting news alongside his future tour-mates. In addition to the exciting news, Bryan performed his latest single, “What Makes You Country”. Jon Pardi & Sam Hunt also treated the crowd to a performance.

We can look forward to the show hitting our area on Saturday, June 2nd for Luke Bryan’s first-ever MetLife Stadium stop! For more dates visit LukeBryan.com.

Make sure to join our Weekly Round-Up to stay up-to-date on tour announcements, giveaways and more.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
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– Team NYCountry Swag

“Under the Covers” NYC Songwriter Night ft. Lee Brice & Morgan Evans with Victoria Shaw…

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

Award-winning singer-songwriter, Victoria Shaw hosted her “Under the Covers” concert series last night at Birdland, bringing a little bit of Nashville to New York City. The venue was the perfect setting for a night full of stories behind the songs, as candles flickered on the tables and fans of music nestled into their seats.

Shaw took the stage and kicked off the night by singing Lady Antebellum’s 2008 single, “I Was Here”, a song she co-wrote with Hilary Scott. After a rousing applause, Shaw introduced her two guests, rising star Morgan Evans and award-winning singer-songwriter Lee Brice. The three took turns singing the songs they have written and recorded, all the while bantering back and forth with each other.

Shaw sang a medley of hits she wrote for Garth Brooks including, “Baby Let’s Lay Down and Dance” and one of Brooks’ most critically acclaimed songs, “The River”. She closed out the night with a meaningful version of “Never Alone” a song that was recorded by both Sara Evans and Lady Antebellum and written with Sarah Buxton and Gary Burr.

Newcomer, Morgan Evans performed his first single to hit country radio, “Kiss Somebody” as well as a song he had written for his now wife, Kelsea Ballerini when they were only just dating, “I Do”. He also got the crowd clapping along to “Day Drunk” and a rowdy version of a song he wrote, “We Will Never Be This Young Again”.

Lee Brice, who has also written songs for plenty of talented country artists, sang songs off his new album including “Songs in the Kitchen” and “Boy” which was written by Nicolle Gaylon and Jon Nite. Brice told the audience, “This song is perfect, and I love to be able to say that, because I didn’t write it,” before singing his latest single “Boy” which he dedicated to his two sons Takoda and Ryker. For his last song, Brice chose to sing “I Don’t Dance” the first song that was a major hit that he had written. He explained how happy he was that his wife was there to hear him sing it and she watched lovingly from the bar.

At one point in the evening, Shaw asked legendary songwriter and producer Mark Hudson to come up and sing a song. After telling some hilarious stories, he sat down to detail his writing session with Aerosmith and the Grammy awarding-winning song that was written that day, “Livin’ On the Edge”.

Overall, bringing a little bit of a Nashville songwriting round to New York City had the audience howling, wishing the night wouldn’t end. All three performers stayed to chat and take pictures with the crowd after the show. For more information on Birdland and the events they host head to birdlandjazz.com and make sure to follow us on instagram and check out our IG Stories as we post snippets from these fun NYC shows.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Nash FM Stage 17: Midland

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

Kicking off their epic Grammy weekend, Nash FM Hackensack Meridian Health Stage 17 hosted two-time nominees, Midland. The band made up of Mark, Cameron and Jess took the stage in their signature outfits to play songs from their debut album On The Rocks.

“We’re going to put you right in the middle of a west Texas honky tonk,” the lead singer says before they kicked off their set with “Check Cashin’ Country”. The trio sang “Burn Out” as well as their current single, “Make A Little” and talked about what an honor it is to be nominated for not one, but two Grammy awards. “We take great pride in being able to write, record, and perform our songs live and to be recognized and validated by our heroes, it’s really surreal.”

Commenting on their “ten-year-overnight success” story, they proudly played their debut single and first number one song, “Drinkin’ Problem” to close out the set. “Follow your heart, put one boot in front of the other and some pretty amazing things can end up happening,” Mark said about their determination in this business.

Listen to Midland’s debut album On The Rocks below. Be sure to Like Hackensack Meridian Health Stage 17 on Facebook to get a notification everytime they go live and listen to Nash FM 94.7 daily for. your chance to win a seat at these intimate shows.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Nash FM Stage 17: Lauren Alaina

January 29, 2018/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Christina Bosch

Lauren Alaina dropped by Nash FM’s Hackensack Merdian Stage 17 to perform a few of her songs and chat about her biggest news announced earlier this month. Throwing it back to one of her very first singles, Alaina kicked off the intimate set with, “Georgia Peaches”. Following up with cuts from her latest album, including her current single “Doin’ Fine”, and “Next Boyfriend”, Alaina had the entire room’s undivided attention.

“I’ve had this dream since I was three years old and it is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” she told the live studio audience before singing “Three”, a song that Alaina says is her favorite song shes ever penned. Amongst the struggles that young artists have to endure while trying to make their way in this business, the song mainly focuses on missing home, events, family and friends, while chasing the dream.

A highlight of her set was when she asked a young boy to join her on stage for “Next Boyfriend” and although at first, he said he didn’t really dance, he showed us his moves grooving next to the country star. Discussing her journey in this industry as well as some very big news, Alaina took time to chat with Nash FM DJ Katie Neal about touring with Jason Aldean. The epic tour stops at Madison Square Garden on August 11th. Alaina explained how excited she was to play the iconic stage with her band for the first time.

She finished her set with her very first number one single, “Road Less Traveled” and was sure to thank country radio and Nash FM for playing it and making her dreams a reality. “I wanted to write a song to make people feel good and to make them forget about their insecurities,” she told the crowd. For ticket sale information and more tour dates head to www.LaurenAlainaofficial.com

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Swag Spotlight: Lauren Davidson

January 29, 2018/in Blog, Swag Spotlight /by Christina Bosch

Lauren Davidson

Highlighting the first of our local New York country artists, our Swag Spotlight this week is Lauren Davidson. Growing up in Freehold, NJ (where Bruce Springsteen is from), Davidson was always surrounded by music. Her father was a singer-songwriter and frequently played piano and guitar around the house. He would sing her to sleep as a child, she recalls. Country music, however, was not an early influence that Davidson remembers. “Growing up we listened to a lot of Billy Joel, Carol King, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac (I’m a huge fan of them and Stevie Nicks) and a lot of singer-songwriter music which I think has really influenced my songwriting style as well,” she explains. That all changed after being cast in a show at Hershey Park her last year in college. Having spent her time performing on stage in theater productions all through high school and college, this country music review she was cast in would be a change for her.

“The production company was from Nashville and the first day of rehearsal instead of being all theatrical and learning your show they sat us in a circle and played a country music playlist and gave us the history of country music and ever since then I loved country music,” Davidson explains. Thinking back, she can remember the exact moment when she fell in love with the genre. “The last song that they played was Dolly Parton’s original version of ‘I Will Always Love You’ and I will never forget the entire cast sitting there in tears. We were all just so moved by the emotion of the song,” she tells us. “The original intention and arrangement made me connect to songwriters and that Nashville scene.”

After college, she moved to New York City, connected with musicians, and decided it was time to start writing her own music and performing. “It’s not necessarily the traditional southern roots and dirt roads, but my music tells my story,” she says of her lyrics. She writes from an honest place, realizing how the country music genre is changing and how all different genres are now blending, pushing boundaries, and are still being considered under the country music umbrella. “The fans are so accepting and loyal, it is such a great community to be a part of,” she tells us.

A huge decision for Davidson when choosing to pursue country music was whether to stay in New York or to move to Nashville. She has always dreamed of living in Manhattan. Being in New York allows her to live that dream and be a big fish in a small pond. “I have a lot of opportunities here that I wouldn’t necessarily have if I was in Nashville and I get to open for a lot of artists that come through town and meet a lot of people,” she says on her decision.

In the past, she has opened for artists such as LoCash, Justin Moore and Craig Campbell. Next month, Davidson has an opening slot for Tyler Farr’s New Jersey stop at Starland Ballroom. “It is like having a master class in performing or storytelling or whatever the experience is. It is really great to see some of these artists so close up and then be able to connect with their fans. It is one of my favorite things,” she says. Specifically, Davidson has opened for several artists that have played for our New York Country Swag including Russell Dickerson, Brandon Ray, and Mo Pitney.

She tries to get down to Nashville as often as she can to take meetings, play shows around town and arrange cowrites but for now New York is her home. The country scene is growing by the day in New York, Davidson explains she has seen an immense difference since Nash FM 94.7 came to the metro area.

Looking to the future and the new year, she hopes to play shows in new places and definitely get into the studio to record more of her music releasing a new single in March. Be sure to follow Lauren on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Classic Country Grammy Moments

January 25, 2018/in #TBT, Blog /by Christina Bosch

This weekend the Grammy Awards, deemed “Music’s Biggest Night” will take place live from New York’s famed arena, Madison Square Garden. With the event just days away, let’s take a look back at some incredible Grammy moments featuring some of our favorite country artists…

Known for their spectacular collaborations, this duet featuring Lady Gaga and Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland singing “You and I” is definitely a moment to remember.

Maren Morris, after a great year, took home the award for Best Solo Country Performance at the 2016 Grammys. Morris is nominated again this year for the same category for “I Could Use A Love Song”. Ironically, Thomas Rhett is the presenter here and is also nominated for his own Grammy for Best Country Album, Life Changes.

Another classic collaboration, Kelsea Ballerini and Lukas Graham mashed up their songs about never growing up, “Seven Years Old” and “Peter Pan” at least year’s award show.

Let’s not forget 2007’s Best New Artist, Carrie Underwood. Taking home the award, Underwood proudly exclaims, “I love Country Music, first of all!” A grateful Underwood thanks God first and foremost, then her parents and then anyone who had a hand in making her album.

Catch The Grammys Live on CBS this Sunday night January 28th at 8 PM ET.
Follow Us on Twitter while we live tweet the show!

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Country Music is Dominating Talk Show Television…

January 24, 2018/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

Over the past 24 hours, country music has dominated our televisions with four major acts singing their latest hits on leading talk shows. Filmed live in NYC, check out the spectacular performances below…

Midland performed their most recent single, “Make A Little” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The trio is nominated for two Grammys this Sunday night airing live from New York City’s, Madison Square Garden on CBS.

Rising star, Ashley McBryde, made her late night television debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers. She sang her lead single, “Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” from her forthcoming LP, Girl Going Nowhere.

Pop singer, Bebe Rexha teamed up with country superstars, Florida Georgia Line, to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The three hit the stage to perform their hit single, “Meant to Be”. The song is currently celebrating it’s eight week at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and #17 on the all-genre Hot 100.

Earlier this morning, Devin Dawson made his Today Show debut to sing his breakout hit, “All on Me” as well as another track, “Asking for a Friend”. The songs come off his debut album, Dark Horse, which released last week.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Swag Spotlight: Jillian Jacqueline

January 22, 2018/in Blog, Swag Spotlight /by Christina Bosch

New York Country Swag 2018 Artist to Watch and our next Swag Spotlight, Jillian Jacqueline, grew up in Pennslyvania where she found herself the odd one out, listening to country music. Her mother who was from South Carolina only listened to country music and CMT was the only television station they would watch, she recalled during our recent interview.

From a young age, music was important to Jacqueline and her entire family. Her sisters were in a family band that sang at weddings and festivals. They covered everything from The Beatles and Carol King to James Taylor and The Eagles, rounding out her childhood influences. Moving to New York City with her family when she was thirteen, her musical palette expanded. Throughout her teenage years she was a fan of punk rock bands such as Third Eye Blind and All American Rejects. “That heavily shaped my melodic sense on top of the country music that I grew up on. Now what I do is sort of a melting pot of all of those different influences. As it is with a lot of artists, I feel like it is the roots of what you grew up on and then the music you got into in your teen college years, that all meshes together.” she tells us.

Jillian Jacqueline was signed to Big Loud Records in March of 2017, she released her first project for the record label, Side A back in September. The project as a whole is in one word, vulnerable. Showcasing her songwriting skills and unique take on the country genre, Side A has a little something for all fans and is completely relatable. The lead single from the EP is “Reasons” and has racked up over 12 million spins on Spotify since it was released. The song was written after Jacqueline decided to tap into her emotions and use her songwriting sessions as therapy after a tough breakup. “It turned out to be some of the most honest stuff I have ever written,” she explained. Just a week ago, she made her late night TV debut on Seth Meyers to sing “Reasons.” Check out the video below.

Each song highlights a personal detail of her life, which has prompted fans to reach out and explain how the songs have helped them. “I like to say it was sort of like jumping off a cliff naked, releasing these songs, it was so true to life,” she laughed. Proud of the human connection she has created, she says, “That’s why we are here”. When she recorded the songs for Side A, she explained she had seven more songs that she recorded as well, so hopefully, in 2018 she will release her first full-length album.

Jacqueline hits the road this summer with opening slots on two of the hottest tours this year, Thomas Rhett’s Life Changes Tour and Brett Eldredge’s The Long Way Tour. She will also be joined by another one of our NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch, Jordan Davis on The White Wine and Whiskey Tour.

For more about Jillian Jacqueline be sure to be following her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here for her full list of tour dates for the new year.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

Granger Smith and Smithfield Entertain Fans at Irving Plaza

January 19, 2018/in Blog, Concert Reviews /by Christina Bosch

Last night, Granger Smith fans came out in droves to support the singer at Irving Plaza. Plaid-wearing country fans packed out both floors of the famed NYC venue to catch Granger Smith, his alter-ego Earl Dibbles, Jr., and opening act, Smithfield on the first night of the “Don’t Tread On Me” Tour.

Rising country duo, Smithfield, took the stage to warm up the eager crowd. Singing songs from their 2015 self-titled EP including the first song that Sirius XM The Highway played “Nothing But the Night”. Mid-set, they hyped up the crowd with their medley of cover songs including Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River”, Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much”, and even the classic Goo Goo Dolls song, “Iris”. Closing out the 45 minute set with their latest single (slated to head to country radio this week) “Hey Whiskey”, Smithfield’s harmonies and incredible on-stage chemistry was the perfect way to kick off the night. Check out an exclusive acoustic performance of the song during our New York Country Swag Session.

With this being both the first show of the tour and of 2018, Granger Smith was primed for an energetic night. Opening his set with “Gimme Something”, it was instantly apparent how equally happy he was to be on that stage and his fans were to hear him sing. He spent the entire night fist bumping and high fiving the lucky fans who waited online in the bitter cold to be front row. Throughout the set, he alternated between songs from his latest album When the Good Guys Win and from his earlier albums such as Remington.

Taking a moment to slow things down, he grabbed a stool and sat on the edge of the stage to chat with his audience. “This is my first full band show in New York City and it’s an honor that we get to play here and that you guys come out to see us,” he says. “We get to see a lot of cool places but it comes at a price, we miss birthdays, weddings, funerals, being a dad and a husband it’s hard and sometimes I have to ask myself if it’s worth it? Then I come out here on a Thursday night in New York City and I see your faces and see you reacting emotionally to these songs and that tells me it is definitely worth it.” He then sang one of the most powerful songs on his newest LP, “Everybody Lives”.

The night wouldn’t be complete without Smith transforming into his alter ego, Earl Dibbles, Jr. “NYC is officially Yee Yee nation tonight,” Smith yelled as he appeared on stage dressed in his signature overalls, boots, tank top and trucker cap. He rolled a cooler out on to the stage and cranked the end of the party up a notch. Singing “Don’t Tread On Me” and “If The Boot Fits” to close out the night, Smith proved he is a mega entertainer. Fans that will catch this tour in the future are in for a fun, high-energy filled set. Click here for the rest of the tour dates and ticket information.

Days before the show, New York Country Swag hosted a special Meet & Greet contest for our followers. We gave one lucky winner a pair of Meet & Greets for Granger Smith before the show. Congrats to our winner & thank you for supporting New York Country Swag! Make sure you’re following us on instagram for contests, ticket giveaway & more!

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag