NYCountry Swag’s 2018 Artists to Watch

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The New York Country Swag team loves to discover new artists that are releasing great music and share our favorite songs with New York country fans. Here is a list of 10 rising country artists we think you should look our for in the new year. —

 

 

  1. Ryan Griffin – Releasing his debut EP, Sake of the Summer back in March, the first single “Back Seats & Burnt CDs” hits you with just the right amount of nostalgia.  Fans of Thomas Rhett and Dan & Shay will love this newcomer. P.S. he also co-wrote Kelsea Ballerini’s number 1 hit, “Dibs”.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Ryan Griffin

Listen: Back Seats & Burnt CDs
Stay Connected: @RyanGriffinLive

 

  1. Brandon Lay – Brandon Lay’s debut single packs a punch of small-town living and growing up.  Fans can look forward to a full-length EP in the new year and can catch him as an opening act for Kenny Chesney’s, “Trip Around the Sun” Tour in 2018.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Brandon Lay

Listen: Speakers, Bleachers & Preachers
Stay Connected: @BrandonLayMusic

 

  1. Jordan Davis – Fans of Thomas Rhett and for more of a contemporary country sound will love Jordan Davis.  Just wrapping up his opening slot on Kip Moore’s, “Plead the Fifth” Tour, Davis is currently working on his debut full-length album for Universal Music Group Nashville.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Jordan Davis

Listen: Singles You Up
Stay Connected: @JordanDavisOfficial

 

  1. Jillian Jacqueline – Continuing to change the game for women in the country genre, Jacqueline released her debut EP, Side A, featuring six new tracks along with three acoustic versions of her singles.  Fans of Maren Morris and Cam will relate to the singer’s honest approach to songwriting and compelling storytelling.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Jillian Jacqueline

Listen: God Bless This Mess
Stay Connected: @JillianJacqueline

 

  1. Adam Doleac – With a grit-filled, blues-inspired vocal, Doleac’s debut EP released earlier this year features all kinds of love songs.  The first single on the project “Whiskey’s Fine” earned him a spot on Sirius XM’s Highway Finds Tour and since then the nationwide stations have played “Some Girls” and “Everybody Needs Somebody”.  Doleac even stopped by Refinery Rooftop for Swag Sessions with us back in October.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Adam Doleac

Listen: Whiskey’s Fine
Stay Connected: @AdamDoleac

 

  1. Ryan Kinder – Blending R&B and country to make his own unique sound, Ryan Kinder released the powerful “Still Believe In Crazy Love” earlier this year which has racked up over 2 million streams on Spotify.  Read more about the artist in our review of his first NYC show here.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Ryan Kinder

Listen: Still Believe In Crazy Love
Stay Connected: @RyanKinder

 

  1. Jimmie Allen – With a larger than life personality and catchy songs, Broken Bow recording artist, Jimmie Allen is sure to have a big 2018. During a recent trip to NYC, Allen joined New York Country Swag for a Swag Session to tell us about the trials and tribulations he overcame to follow his dreams.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Jimmie Allen

Listen: Blue Jean Baby
Stay Connected: @JimmieAllen

 

  1. Danielle Bradbery – Reinviting herself in 2017, Danielle Bradbery released her sophomore album, I Don’t Believe We’ve Met which showcases the young singer’s beautiful vocals and songwriting skills. Check out her next single, “Worth It” which features a powerful message for women of all ages.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Danielle Bradbery

Listen: Worth It
Stay Connected: @DanielleBradbery

 

  1. Cale Dodds – Rising artist, Cale Dodds has racked up over 8 million streams with his break out single, “People Watching”. Fans of Dustin Lynch and Ryan Hurd will definitely dig Dodds’ vibes.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Cale Dodds

Listen: People Watching
Stay Connected: @CaleDodds

 

  1. Morgan Evans – Our final ‘Artist to Watch’ in 2018, Morgan Evans hails from Austraila, just married country superstar Kelsea Ballerini and has his first single on country radio.  “Kiss Somebody” is infectious and watching Evans’ live show will mesmerize fans, he uses a peddle loop to play each of the instruments and acts as his own backup band.

NYCS 2018 Artists to Watch: Morgan Evans

Listen: Kiss Somebody
Stay Connected: @MorganEvansMusic

 

Like what you hear? Give a follow to our 2018 Artists to Watch List here.

 

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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

 

2017: The Year of Country Babies

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Country artists released a ton of fantastic music in 2017, however, their biggest accomplishments just might have been bringing beautiful babies into this world.  Here’s a look at just a few of the adorable offspring….

 

Dan + Shay singer Shay Mooney and his wife Hannah welcomed Asher James back in January.

Asher Mooney

Photo Credit: @ShayMooney via Instagram

 

Cadillac Three’s frontman, Jaren Johnston welcomed Jude back in April, taking after his dad he is already one cool little dude.

Jude Johnston

Photo Credit: @TheJaren via Instagram

 

Probably one of the biggest and most exciting baby stories to come out of Nashville is the addition of not one but two babies to the Thomas Rhett Akins’ clan.  Adopting beautiful baby Willa Gray from Uganda in May, then Lauren gave birth to Ada James in August.

Willa Gray Ada James

Photo Credit: @Laur_Akins via Instagram

 

Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany brought a baby boy into the world, Memphis Aldean.

Memphis Aldean

Photo Credit: @BrittanyAldean via Instagram

 

And closing out the year, Hayley and Tyler Hubbard (Florida Georgia Line) welcomed daughter Olivia Rose, their first child yesterday, December 23rd.  “Olivia is the best Christmas gift we could have ever asked for,” the new dad told People.

Olivia Rose Hubbard

Photo Credit: @Hayley_Hubbard via Instagram

 

Oh Baby! What a year. Wishing all of the country music families peace, love and health in the new year. We are looking forward to seeing more adorable pictures of these little ones.

 

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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

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #1: YOU

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You Countdown NYCS

And finally, we reach our number one spot in our Top 10 New York Country Swag Favorite Moments of 2017 Countdown: YOU.  Our readers, followers, and friends take the cake when it comes to what we are most grateful for this year.  Every show we produce or cover we meet new friends and hug old ones, building our community of country lovers in NYC one person at a time.

If it were not for each one of you who shop our online store, attend our events, share our stories, ‘like’ our pictures, follow our social media accounts, read our Weekly Round-Up, and so much more we wouldn’t be able to continue to do our part in bringing country music to the big apple.  Our favorite part of our job is introducing New York fans to rising artists and new music.  One thing we notice is that you love it too; downloading the rising stars music after we feature them and following them on social media.

Brown and Gray

We consider our followers a part of our New York Country Swag family and we are thankful that we get to see so many of you throughout the year.  Thank you for tagging us in your pictures when you are rockin’ gear from our online store, or for coming up to us at events and to say Hi. We appreciate the support from every single one of you and can’t wait to see what the future holds.  Here’s to an exciting 2018 filled with more Swag Sessions and more of your favorite country music!

You NYCS Countdown

 

We’re looking forward to bringing you more great events and exclusive coverage in 2018.
Be sure to sign-up for our Weekly Round-Up so you don’t miss a thing!

Wishing you all a wonderful Happy & Healthy 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

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #2: Luke Bryan Album Release Week…

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The countdown continues as we give you our Top 10 New York Country Swag Moments of 2017. Bringing us to favorite moment #2: Luke Bryan Album Release Week.

 

 

Growing up in a small waterfront community in Queens, New York, our founder Stephanie wasn’t always a big country music fan.  Although a lover of music and live events in general, Stephanie enjoyed everything from Pop to R&B to EDM. It wasn’t until attending her first Luke Bryan concert a few years ago that Stephanie discovered her true love for country music.

“I think it was the live show and the energy in the room that really drew me in. Florida Georgia Line and Thompson Square were the opening acts that night. Although not knowing many songs, from beginning to end I found myself bopping along and enjoying the night. It’s safe to say I was completely hooked. From then, I started going to more and more shows and my love for country music grew,” Stephanie says.

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Pandora)

As an events manager for In Good Company Hospitality, Stephanie began curating “Country Night” events back in 2014. After the success of several country music themed events, Stephanie saw the audience she was tapping into and truly discovered her niche. This is where the idea of New York Country Swag would stem from.

Today, Stephanie credits that first Luke Bryan concert as where it all began for New York Country Swag. Fast forward nearly 5 years later to where things truly came full circle when Stephanie and the New York Country Swag team had the privilege of covering Luke Bryan’s Album Release Week. Bryan’s busy NYC week included a Close Up With Luke Bryan for Pandora, an intimate show at Nash FM’s Stage 17 and his early morning set live for Good Morning America at the brand new Opry City Stage.  For more about our Luke Bryan filled week click here.

 

For more of our favorite moments of 2017, make sure to be following us daily as the countdown continues!

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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

 

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #3: NYCountry Swag Takes Nashville…

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2017 has brought us so many new and memorable moments to be grateful for. As we countdown to 2018, we are reflecting on our Top 10 New York Country Swag Favorite Moments of the Year. Next up, #3: New York Country Swag Takes Nashville. 

Back in October, the New York Country Swag team took a trip to Nashville and filled it with meetings, concerts, special events and the best places to eat. Check out the full recap of our trip here and below are some of our favorite photos from the week. (click the photo to read more about each stop on our trip)

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more of our favorite moments of 2017, make sure to be following us daily as the countdown continues!

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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

 

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #4: “The Day of 4 Shows”…

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The countdown continues as we give you our Top 10 New York Country Swag Moments of 2017.

Typically when people think of New York City, they do not necessarily think of country music. However, we are here to change that perception.  NYC and its surrounding areas are the home to at least one country show a week, if not more! Don’t believe us? just subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up, which highlights all upcoming events in the area. We promise to always have something to look forward to for the country fan in NYC.

In addition to shows and special events, artists often travel from Nashville to New York daily to promote their new music.  This brings us to our Top 10 New York Country Swag Favorite Moment of 2017, #4: “The Day of Four Shows.” Back in September, we caught up with four different country performances all in the same day, proving that not only is country music here, but it is thriving.

Our first stop was to the NASH FM Studios for a Stage 17 show featuring Thomas Rhett in honor of his brand new album, Life Changes.  Rhett answered questions for the NASH FM DJs and played songs off the new album including “Craving You” and “Unforgettable”. For the full recap of the exclusive performance as well as our First Impression of Life Changes click here.

Thomas Rhett NASH Fm

 

Our second stop brought us to Times Square for one of our special Swag Sessions featuring Scooter Brown Band. The three men wearing cowboy hats played songs off their latest album, American Son and answered questions about their backstory and all about the new music.  Check out the video recap below.

 

As the sun began to set, we found ourselves back in Bryant Park for our third country show of the day, an Opry Circle Throwdown featuring Morgan Evans and Michael Ray. Both rising artists played on the Southwest Porch on a warm September night to fans and New Yorkers passing by in Bryant Park. Full recap and more pictures here.

MIchael Ray

 

Finally, we ended our ‘Day of 4 Shows’ as we headed to Dustin Lynch‘s iHeart album release show.  Lynch played songs off his album, Current Mood as well as some fan favorites. Click here for our full First Impression of his latest project.

Dustin Lynch

 

We’re looking forward to bringing you more great events and exclusive coverage in 2018.
Be sure to sign-up for our Weekly Round-Up so you don’t miss a thing!

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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

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #5: Swag Sessions…

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Next up on our Top 10 New York Country Swag Moments of 2017 Countdown, #5: Swag Sessions.

In 2017, New York Country Swag rolled out a new way of connecting New York Country fans with their favorite rising artists.  Utilizing some of New York City’s most iconic spaces, we started Swag Sessions.  A live way to showcase some incredible talent coming out of Nashville.

Our first segment took place back in July, right in the heart of Times Square.  Lucas Hoge, rockin’ our Camo Hero Collection Snapback,  played “Dirty South” and “Boom Boom” for our inaugural Swag Session, before taking the stage at The Cutting Room for his album release party.

 

For our next Swag Session, we invited Adam Doleac to stop by the Refinery Rooftop and sing some songs.  Doleac was out on Sirius XM’s Highway Finds Tour this summer and stopped by to play three songs off of his debut EP.  Singing “Some Girls”, “Everybody Needs Somebody” and his first single “Whiskey’s Fine”. Doleac showcased his storytelling and incredible vocals.  For the part two click here.

 

Winnie’s Jazz, inside the Refinery Hotel, was the perfect location for our Swag Sessions with singer-songwriter, Jo Smith.  In between songs, Smith talked about growing up in a small town and finding her sound.  She sang songs from her debut EP including “Dance Dirty” and “Old School Groove” Full recap video below.

 

Scooter Brown Band, clad in cowboy hats walked through the streets of NYC to find themselves in the middle of Times Square. The group took time before playing B.B. Kings to sing a few songs off their latest album, American Son including the title track, “Won’t Back Down” and a love song, “Pistols and Pearls”.  For more about our Swag Session with the band check out the video below and for our interview, click here.

 

Broken Bow Recording artist, Jimmie Allen while in New York City for promo stopped by the Refinery Rooftop to tell us how much he loves the word “swag” and to play songs from his debut EP.  Allen also told us all about the struggles he faced leading up to his recording deal and what he did to overcome them. Check out the full video below.

 

Before opening for Dustin Lynch at NYC’s Playstation Theater, country newcomer, Mitchell Tenpenny joined us in Times Square for an afternoon of music, laughs and.. jingle bells! Check out our Swag Session with the rising star here.

 

As the weather got colder, we moved our Swag Sessions inside the Refinery Rooftop to a cozy fireplace, adorned with Christmas decorations for our final segment of the year featuring Brown and Gray.  Kaci and Sam recently became a duo after their debut single “Top Down” was played on radio. They played the single and their beautiful original Christmas song, “It’s Not Christmas (‘Til You Come Around)”,  check out the full video below.

We’re looking forward to bringing you more great Swag Sessions in 2018.
Be sure to sign-up for our Weekly Round-Up so you don’t miss a thing!

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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

 

 

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #6: The Hero Collection Launch…

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Rolling through our Top 10 New York Country Swag Favorite Moments of 2017, we come to #6: The Hero Collection Launch. 

One of our proudest moments of 2017 was rolling out a brand new line of merchandise called, The Hero Collection. The Hero Collection by New York Country Swag is a line of merchandise inspired by the men and women of the Military, Fire & Police Departments across the country. We are dedicated to honoring their service and remembering their sacrifice.

The blue line supports our police departments, while the red supports fire departments. Our camo flag design supports the military. Various versions of the designs are available on different styles of hats including flexfits, ballcaps and snapbacks. As well as graphics printed on our pullover hoodies.

Each month, we donate 10% of each sale from this collection to different organizations and foundations affiliated with fire & police departments nationwide. After our launch in May 2017, we raised funds for several organizations like The FDNY Captain Timothy Stackpole Foundation, ANSWER THE CALL – New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund, Building Homes For Heroes and Team Rubicon. 

NYCS Frankie Ballard

Our favorite part of having our own country music inspired merchandise is seeing our followers rockin’ their swag and being tagged in pictures.  Knowing we had an impact by donating to these incredible charities while sporting American pride and supporting our Heroes makes this line even more special.  To grab your own New York Country Swag gear and pieces from our Hero Collection shop here. 

We are looking forward to adding new designs to this collection in 2018 and working with different foundations to help share the stories of our Heroes.

For more of our favorite moments of 2017, make sure to be following us daily as the countdown continues!

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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

 

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #7: Our First Hire…

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Continuing our Top 10 New York Country Swag Favorite Moments of 2017, we reach lucky #7: Our First Hire. 

Since the launch of New York Country Swag in December 2015, the company was solely ran and operated by Founder, Stephanie Wagner, with support from In Good Company Hospitality Group.

In September 2017, New York Country Swag proudly announced the hire of our very first Managing Editor, Christina Bosch.

In just 4 short months, Christina has become a vital part in the success and continued growth of New York Country Swag. Whether on camera or behind it, Christina thrives in her roll in creating content and engagement in the New York Country Swag social world.

We are grateful for her passion, drive and loyalty in sharing our vision and helping us to bring country music to New York City.

For more of our favorite moments of 2017, make sure to be following us daily as the countdown continues!

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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

 

Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #8: Taste of Country Music Festival…

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2017 has brought us so many new and memorable moments to be grateful for. As we countdown to 2018, we are reflecting on our Top 10 New York Country Swag Favorite Moments of the Year. Next up, #8: Taste of Country Music Festival. 

 

TOC

 

Early June, we headed to Hunter Mountain in upstate New York for the Annual Taste of Country Music Festival.  This three-day festival featured incredible country music including headlining acts, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and Kip Moore. Every year, the festival is the perfect place for country fans to gather and enjoy some great music.

 

TOC

 

In the past, our New York Country Swag Team has enjoyed the festival as fans, but 2017 marked our first year being there as a vendor and our first vending experience at a major music festival. Setting up shop on the mountain, we sold merchandise from our store and had the honor of meeting so many country fans who enjoyed getting to know more about our brand and walked away rockin’ our gear.

TOC

We are so thankful for our time on the mountain and look forward to returning in 2018!
We hope to see ya’ll there! For ticket information, visit: http://tasteofcountryfestival.com

For more of our favorite moments of 2017, make sure to be following us daily as the countdown continues!

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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