New York Country Swag Artist to Watch, Cale Dodds, has already established his talent behind the scenes as a songwriter, having co-written tracks like A Thousand Horses’, “(This Ain’t No) Drunk Dial”.Now, the Georgia-native, putting his own voice to the songs he’s penned, is paving his way to what is sure to be chart-topping music.
Kicking off the new year on his first national radio tour, we caught up with Dodds on stop number one, New York City. Joining us under the glow of the iconic Empire State Building at Refinery Rooftop, Dodds performed for one of our LIVE Swag Sessions. Tune in below…
Part 1: “People Watching” – Cale Dodds
Part 2: “Out Of My System” + Interview – Cale Dodds
This Friday, January 12th, we can look forward to more new music from Dodds with the release of his latest single, “Take You Back.” Visit us on Instagram Friday for an exclusive look of the new track!
If you like what you hear, make sure to share this on your socials and let us know what you think! Follow Cale Dodds on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook. Plus listen to more music by the rising star 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
https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Cale_Swag_Cover.jpg288480Stephanie Wagnerhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngStephanie Wagner2018-01-10 22:24:112018-05-23 11:51:35Swag Sessions: Featuring Cale Dodds…
“New York Country Swag Presents:” – With two full years under our belt, New York Country Swag spent 2017 expanding our brand and working towards bringing more country music to New York City fans. This brings us to favorite moment #9: “New York Country Swag Presents:”, a series of unique live events we coordinated throughout the year, showcasing country music’s hottest new rising stars in different settings. Check out the events here.
Vending at Taste of Country Music Festival – Early June, we headed to Hunter Mountain in upstate New York for the Annual Taste of Country Music Festival. This three-day festival features incredible country music and is the perfect place for country fans to gather and enjoy some great music. Although we have attended the festival in the past as fans, 2017 marked the first year we would attend as a vendor, setting up our swag shop on the mountain. Read more about the experience here.
The Hero Collection – One of our proudest moments of 2017 was rolling out a brand new line of merchandise called The Hero Collection, a line of merchandise inspired by the men and women of the Military, Fire & Police Departments across the country. Each month we donate a portion of all sales to different foundations that support our Heroes to spotlight and share their stories. Shop the collection and learn more here.
“The Day of Four Shows” – Typically when people think of New York City, they do not necessarily think of country music. However, NYC and its surrounding areas are home to at least one country show a week, if not more! 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. Read More here…
Luke Bryan Album Release Week – Our founder credits attending her 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 the New York Country Swag team had the privilege of covering Luke Bryan’s Album Release Week, bringing us to Favorite Moment Number 2. Learn More about this special moment for the NYCS Team here…
YOU – 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. Check out some of our favorite fan moments here…
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!
Growing up on a cattle ranch in rural Flat Lake, Alberta Canada, our very first New Artist Feature, Brett Kissel learned a lot about country living. It all started when Kissel was merely seven years old, receiving his first guitar from his grandmother for Christmas. During our interview, Kissel explained the gift of that guitar was similar to the first time a child gets a football or a hockey stick then goes on to play professionally, that was the moment for him when he realized his dreams. “As a little kid, I didn’t know it was a career path, all I knew I wanted to do was play guitar and sing,” he explained, “It didn’t take long for me to really gravitate towards the true entertainers and the live show performers, that was my biggest passion.”
He lets us know about his influences growing up, listening to Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, and George Jones, but explains that everything changed for him when he saw Brooks and Dunn perform live. Then he saw a DVD of Garth Brooks and that sealed the deal. “A lot of people who you might talk to will tell you they found a love for songwriting or the studio, for me it was a love for the stage.”
Fast forward twenty years, Kissel is the only Canadian to tour with Garth Brooks, acting as his opener for over twenty concerts on his world tour. He recalls the first night on the tour, being nervous to take the stage when “Garth knocks on the door and says “We are actually going to push back the show a little bit, I know you are supposed to play at 7:30 but we don’t have a full crowd yet so we are going to put you on at 8:00 and give them an extra 30 minutes of anticipation and make sure you have the full 19k people.” The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year is an inspiration to the rising star to work as hard as he can to achieve his dreams of being an artist in the country music genre.
Already on his way, Kissel has had a ton of success in Canada and is currently the reigning Male Artist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards. He was the youngest artist ever to be nominated and currently has 10 CCMAs. He built up an incredible fan base in Canada and decided it was time to move to Music City. Pulling the trigger after marrying his wife in 2011, they moved to Nashville in 2012 and his goal was to harness the momentum and energy from his Canadian success and bring it to the American market. “We love the city and the creative atmosphere that is here and we love our friends that have turned into family. If we can we will stay here for the rest of our lives,” he explains.
His latest single, and the title track off of his new full-length album, “We Were That Song” is being spun on Sirius XM The Highway. Kissel explains that although he did write the majority of the songs on the new record, “We Were That Song” was written by one of his favorite writers on Music Row, Jonathan Singleton and when he heard it he knew he had to record it. “The record has 13 tracks and it is an extremely diverse project, we have a lot of everything. Country music is the only genre, in my opinion, that lets other genres kind of seep in,” he tells us about his latest project “My record was designed to disarm what anybody thought country music could be.”
If you are looking for diversity, We Were That Song is chock full of it. From a duet with Dave Mustaine, the founder, and lead of the heavy metal band Mega Death, to a touching song written specifically about becoming a dad to daughters (Kissel has two) each country fan will find something to love. “I wanted to create a record that was like everybody’s playlist on their phone. If people listen to classic country then Rihanna and then Bieber, then Aldean then FGL then they circle back around to me, I wanted to make sure my record was chaotic and random so that everybody found something that they liked on it,” he proudly tells us.
Explaining that he understood the risks of releasing an album that is sonically all over the map, he tells us, “I think we need to risk some things to get noticed in Nashville, which is just filled with so many great songwriters and artists, I just wanted to do something that was different and something that spoke to me.” Looking forward to the new year, Kissel says he is so happy about the way the first single is performing organically and he looks forward to promoting the new album and playing his music for his fans.
Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!
– Team NYCountry Swag
https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/BRETT_COVER.jpg288480Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2018-01-08 13:28:302018-01-08 13:48:01NYCS New Artist Feature: Brett Kissel
This month marks two years since Brothers Osborne released their debut LP, Pawn Shop. After two Grammy nominations, the reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Duo of the Year are gearing up to release their sophomore project and fans were treated to the first single today. Clocking in just under seven minutes long, “Shoot Me Straight” is everything the country genre needs to kick off the new year. TJ’s husky baritone vocals singing about whiskey drinking and the subtle art of honesty along with John taking over with an electrifying guitar solo that takes you through until the end of the song, “Shoot Me Straight” will stimulate your senses and excite you for whats to come. Check out our review from when the duo played The Paramount on Long Island just a few short months ago here.
Key Lyrics:
“Make it burn the whole way down / Lay my six foot, four-inch ass out on the ground / Tomorrow I’ll have a hard hangover and one hell of a heartache / So pour it on like a shot of whiskey and shoot me straight / Don’t give me that salt shaker and lime / Don’t give me that comeback chaser this time / Don’t muddle it up, don’t water it down / Give me everything you got right here, right now,”
Switching gears, Warner Music Nashville recording artist Devin Dawson released another track off of his forthcoming album Dark Horse, slated for release in two weeks (January 19th). “Symptoms” is a slow burn, just another example of how Dawson blends R&B and country to create his own personal brand. The groove runs off a list of evidence and warning signs of falling hard for someone. Dawson’s falsetto at the end of the track provides a whole new dynamic to the already sensual song. Check back for our First Impression of Dark Horse on January 19th and click here for our review from when Dawson played an intimate show at Rockwood Music Hall.
Key Lyrics:
“I’ve been craving more and more / Since I started losin’ sleep couldn’t catch a wink / High fever in the sheets, knees getting weak / My heart was skipping beats, she was runnin’ deep / Like a toxin that’s all in my system / I’ve got symptoms”
Listen to these jams plus more new music on our New Country Music Playlist below.
Be sure to follow the playlist for new tunes every Friday.
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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
https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/new-music.jpg288480Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2018-01-05 16:37:592018-01-05 16:48:31New Year, New Music: Brothers Osborne & Devin Dawson, First Singles of 2018
Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!
– Team NYCountry Swag
https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Spotify_Cover.jpg288480Stephanie Wagnerhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngStephanie Wagner2018-01-04 22:22:042018-05-23 11:59:02Are You Following NYCountry Swag on Spotify?
Just two days before Christmas, Tyler and Hayley Hubbard welcomed a beautiful bundle of joy, Olivia Rose. One half of Florida Georgia Line told People.com in their exclusive coverage of the new family, “I think it’s something that God doesn’t let men do for a reason — I don’t know if we could get through it,” Tyler says with a laugh, adding that he “100 percent” has a new respect for both Hayley “and all women who have babies.”
Click here for the full article and more pictures of the country superstar and his new baby girl… Join us on Instagram in wishing a Congratulations to the new parents!
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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!
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. —
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Danielle Bradbery – Reinviting herself in 2017, Danielle Bradbery released her sophomore album, I Don’t Believe We’ve Metwhich 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.
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.
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.
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
https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2018ArtistsToWatch.jpg288480Stephanie Wagner and Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngStephanie Wagner and Christina Bosch2018-01-02 20:03:372019-01-03 17:13:47NYCountry Swag’s 2018 Artists to Watch
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.
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.
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.
Photo Credit: @Laur_Akins via Instagram
Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany brought a baby boy into the world, 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.
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
https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Baby_Cover.jpg288480Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2018-01-02 16:57:052018-01-02 17:57:482017: The Year of Country Babies
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.
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!
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
https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/1_Cover.jpg288480Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2017-12-31 14:45:252018-05-23 12:06:02Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #1: YOU
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
https://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/LB_COVER.jpg288480Christina Boschhttps://countryswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/logo-new-cs-white.pngChristina Bosch2017-12-30 18:01:032018-05-23 12:12:40Top 10 NYCountry Swag Moments of 2017 – #2: Luke Bryan Album Release Week…
(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Pandora)