who-is-josh-kiser

Who Is Josh Kiser? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Josh Kiser? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-josh-kiser
The Beginning:

Today our spotlight shines on a Tennessee-born artist, Josh Kiser. Growing up just outside of Chattanooga, Kiser’s path to music is an interesting and heartwarming one. Always inspired by music, it is clear that the singer-songwriter is living in his passion.

“What really inspired me to get into music was my uncle, he played bass in Nashville and stuff like that,” Kiser shares. “He gave me my first record, which was ‘The Eagles: Greatest Hits,’ and I just started kind of dove right in to all of that stuff, and I really stuck with the 80s, 90s, music and stuff like that.”

Music was something that his whole family was interested in. From a young age, Kiser recalls trying to get his hands on as much music as he could. “Music was a real hobby. I would sit there and listen to a record,” begins Kiser. “I really didn’t listen to any current music whatsoever, it was always like Ray Charles, Otis Redding, and The Eagles, and Travis Tritt, and things like that.”

That rhythmic, throwback sound followed him throughout his life and even into his career; however, he did not know that at the time. “I never actually thought music was going to be in the cards. I always loved it, but I never thought I’d be doing it for a living now.”

The Turning Point:

Growing up, Kiser never sang in front of anyone, but he credits the church for helping him craft his vocals and his guitar skills. “I grew up in the buckle of the Bible Belt, so naturally the youth group heard that I was playing guitar and stuff, so I ended up doing that whole thing,” shared the singer.

Despite a love for music, it was a friend of his, who really believed in his talent. Kiser recalls a funny story that truly started it all for him.

“I was doing engineering through the road department [as a job],” begins Kiser. “I was actually doing that and a buddy of mine, I was working out at the gym one day, he was like ‘hey man I heard you sing this song, will you sing it for my birthday party?!’.” Kiser agreed.

This led to the singer being recognized by producer, Nathan Chapman, after his friend’s wife posted him singing online. He was subsequently invited to take a meeting in Nashville and earned himself a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music.

“I moved to Nashville and quit my job. I went down on Broadway and I knocked on every single door that I could to try to take every opportunity I could […] It’s one of the biggest blessings I have had in my entire life.”

Today:

With a little over two years under his belt, Kiser continues to make a name for himself in country music. Staying true to himself, the artist creates music that is both meaningful and captivating. “I want to write songs that mean something,” shared Kisser, adding, “When I started the songwriting thing, I started studying really really hard, songwriters like Dean Dillon and people like that who paved the way of striking a chord of a melody to a memory.”

Currently, Kiser has released a few songs with “Whiskey Wins” being the most recent. According To Kiser, “That was the first song that I ever really got to be honest and vulnerable with myself in my songwriting.” Written by Kiser with Trent Fisher, “Whiskey Wins” is a true standout, honest, and gritty song.

“I wrote that song to try to touch people’s hearts and for somebody who has an issue with drinking or it could be any vice, I just wanted to speak directly to that and say ‘hey you are not alone and you are able to overcome that kinda stuff.’”

Fans can look forward to more honest and raw music coming from Kiser real soon. The singer-songwriter has an EP in the words, perfectly titled, When Kountry Was, as well as, more new music on the horizon.

The upcoming EP is truly just the start for the singer. “These songs that we’re putting out are the first songs that I ever wrote in Nashville. And kind of just paving the way and building the blocks of the foundation that we’re trying to build a house up on. I’m just really looking forward to that.”

Keep your eyes and ears pealed for the singer. He is the real deal!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Josh Kiser releases.

To keep up with Josh Kiser, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

Josh Kiser’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-rachel-bradshaw

Who Is Rachel Bradshaw? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Rachel Bradshaw? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

The Beginning:

Today our spotlight shines on an artist you may know, Rachel Bradshaw. Bradshaw is an award-winning singer-songwriter, entertainment personality, daughter of NFL Legend Terry Bradshaw, and star of E! Network’s The Bradshaw Bunch. With a long history in the country music world, Bradshaw has recently reinvented herself and taken her power back through her music. We enjoyed our conversation with her, and we think you will too.

The songstress grew up just outside of Dallas, Texas, where she was captivated by music at a young age. “I was introduced to music early on. My dad would play guitar and he would always sing Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” and that was the song we would sing together,” she recalls.

Although she played sports too, eventually Bradshaw’s parents asked her and her siblings to pick one thing to focus on. She picked music. “I wanted to be the biggest superstar and I had these big dreams, but I didn’t really know how to go about it,” she shared, adding later, “I grew up singing at all the Texas Opry’s.”

Drawing inspiration from incredible talents like LeAnn Rimes, George Strait, and The Chicks, Bradshaw chased her dreams to Nashville. “Nashville was the place to go. You have to be in Nashville,” she declared.

The Turning Point:

At eighteen years old, Bradshaw made the move to Music City to attend Belmont University. It was upon moving, where the singer discovered a different side to music and the music industry. “When I got to Nashville, I was like I have to learn to write songs,” she begins. “I started to become friends with people like Dallas Davidson and Jamey Johnson, and all these huge songwriters, and they were great friends because they taught me how to write. That’s kind of where I started.”

With a newfound passion for the artist side of country music, Bradshaw was hellbent on making it her career. She drew inspiration from artists like Johnny Cash and Patty Griffin, as she crafted her own talent as both a singer and a songwriter. “I started to be a fan more of the art part, more than being a big star on stage.”

Throughout her journey, Bradshaw experienced both publishing deals and a record deal, as well as, songwriting success on the country charts, but when her label went under, her desire and path in country music shifted.

“After the label went under, I had been in Nashville for like fifteen years and I was pretty exhausted, and I was just kind of like tired of the industry, so I moved back home, and our family got our TV show and I was working with my family filming.” It was during this time that music also came back into her life.

Today:

When the pandemic first began, Bradshaw found herself turning back towards music. “The coronavirus hit and I was by myself, at home, and single. […] I literally just got on the piano one day, and I just started writing.”

What started as an emotional escape for Bradshaw became her debut self-titled EP release. “When I wrote this EP, it was fun, and this was the only album I ever released, and I’ve made a few records. I’m kind of proud of that,” shared the songstress. “I think it was good that I was in a little room in Texas by myself […] I think that really helped to just be creative.”

The record features six songs, with five of them penned by the singer. All inspired by romantic relationships, Bradshaw’s vocals and songwriting are equally as impressive. One of our favorite songs off the EP, “Wild Horse” was inspired by the hope for love in the future. “And then you have “Wild Horse,” where I was like can I write a song about the ultimate love that I want to feel- that’s going to be “Wild Horse,” explained the singer.

The EP also features an incredible collaboration with Jamey Johnson, “If I Needed You,” the only cover on the project. “I wanted it to be pretty acapella […] And I just wanted it to sound haunted, like so beautiful, where it’s like super dark.” Bradshaw also shared that a music video for the song is slated to be released soon.

Fans can look forward to more new, and authentic music created by Bradshaw this year. Soon she will be releasing her long-awaited fan-favorite song “Everything A Daddy Won’t Say.” It is safe to say that this is a time in Bradshaw’s career, where she has truly found her sound.

“It’s so much fun to have complete control of my artistry”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Rachel Bradshaw announcements and releases.

To keep up with Rachel Bradshaw, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Rachel Bradshaw’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Who Is Conner Smith? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Conner Smith? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

The Beginning:

It is always exciting for us when a brand new artist is a star in the making! Conner Smith, one of our easiest picks for our 2022 Artists to Watch list, fits the bill. A Nashville native, Smith’s story is one that makes it easy to root for him.

“Growing up in Nashville is such a big part of my story,” begins Smith, during our interview. “I look at my story as this amazing combination of having a desire and a drive to do something and a gift and being in the perfect environment to sculpt that. Being in Nashville gave me an advantage on every front.”

As a child, Smith was all about music and baseball. At as young as six years old, he was writing music in music city, whenever he was not playing baseball with his team. “People say Nashville is a ten year town. I started writing songs in Nashville, when I was six, and I signed my first publishing deal when I was a sixteen,” shared the singer-songwriter.

For Smith, country music was his first love. “I’ve always gravitated towards the lyric of song, so for me that was always country music,” shared Smith, adding, “My mom is a big country music fan, so we grew up with George Strait and the Judds, Montgomery Gentry, and then my big guy growing up was Kenny Chesney.” Interestingly enough, the first song Smith ever learned was “Big Star” by Chesney. Smith’s mom even surprised him with his first concert at seven years old, which was also Chesney.

The Turning Point:

Clearly, the trajectory of Smith’s life moved fast, as it was evident from a young age, that the singer was made for stardom. Despite that, it was important for Smith to graduate high school before he firmly planted his feet in country music.

Smith honed his craft as a songwriter first. “I gained respect in writing rooms and proved myself going to these writes, and in the writing community.  I was more than this young kid, who could sing,” shared the artist. “I’ve always been a lyric guy and telling stories, so it’s always been country.”

Upon graduating high school, Smith began taking meetings to secure a record deal. Ultimately signing with Big Machine Label Group in the summer of 2019, Smith’s career has catapulted since. He put out his first two songs, “Learned From It,” and “Tennessee” in July 2021, and fans have flocked to the budding star by the thousands.

A huge turning point in Smith’s blossoming career was when he put out the viral hit, “I Hate Alabama.” “We didn’t have a plan for that song to come out,” he began. “It was sent to me by my buddy who wrote it, Hunter Phelps, knowing I’m a Tennessee fan and me and my producer fell in love with it. […] We were just like we have to do something with it.” This led Smith to create a music video for it and put it out on Instagram. Moments later, the CEO of his label, Scott Borchetta, called Smith to let him know that the song would be released in eight days.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Smith’s debut EP Didn’t Go Too Far is due out this Friday, January 14th. The six-song project will feature the aforementioned songs, “I Hate Alabama” and “Learned From It,” as well as, “Take It Slow.” The EP also boasts three brand new songs.

The first song is a solo write called “College Towns,” which Smith wrote on a plane. The project also includes one of our personal favorites, the title track, “Didn’t Go Too Far.” “”Didn’t Go Too Far” is one of my favorite songs that I have written, so I just needed to get that one out, and definitely a real personal song to me,” shared Smith.

Finally, Conner Smith also included the song he often opens his shows with called “Somewhere In A Small Town.” Although it was difficult to choose the songs that would finish out this collection, Smith really tried to give fans a balanced taste of his artistry. He shared that he asked himself, “What three songs in this collection of six to build the best foundation of ‘who is Conner Smith’ and what am I going to do in the future.”

After the EP comes out, the sky is truly the limit for Smith. Fans can expect more new music throughout the year and more tour dates on the horizon!

Check back this Friday, for our full review of the upcoming EP.

Conner Smith music

Conner Smith’s debut EP “Gone Too Far” is due out Friday, January 14th

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Conner Smith releases.

To keep up with Conner Smith, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

Conner Smith’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

* Interview Conducted by: Stephanie Wagner // Written by: Erica Zisman for Country Swag

who-is-erin-kinsey

Who Is Erin Kinsey? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Erin Kinsey? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-erin-kinsey

Photo by Sara Kauss

The Beginning:

This week, we bring you our interview with the incredibly talented country music newcomer, Erin Kinsey. The singer-songwriter is one to look out for! Growing up in a small town outside of Dallas, Texas, Kinsey was born to be a star.

“When I was growing up, I tried a lot of different things, but I didn’t really fall in love with music as a passion or a career option until I was like 12,” she begins. Like many of us, Kinsey dabbled in different interests, until she really found her love in music.

“I got a guitar for Christmas one year and it just spiraled into me learning how to sing and play at the same time and learn to write my own stuff,” shared the songstress. “It was the one thing that I set my eyes on that I just could not get enough of. I was just obsessed with it.”

Honing in on her love for country musicians like Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert, Kinsey took her craft seriously and worked to better herself in her teen years.“I started coming up to Nashville, when I was about 15 pretty consistently and by my senior year of high school, I graduated a year early, I was coming up almost once a month,” shared the singer.

When Kinsey finally graduated high school, her path to Nashville was clearly inevitable.

The Turning Point:

At just seventeen years old, and with her parents blessings upon her, Kinsey hightailed it to Music City. “I moved up to Nashville immediately after I graduated in 2018. I packed the U-haul all day, walked the stage at night and then drove off at 6AM. the next day,” she declared.

For her first few years in Nashville, it was really important to Kinsey to work on her craft. Armed with a desire to learn from the industry, she worked with everyone she could to grow her talent.

“For the first year and half to two years that I was here, I really just kept my head down and I wanted to get better at everything,” shared Kinsey. Adding, “Whether is was getting better in the writing room, getting better at guitar, or getting better at singing. I took the time to really grow and develop in a place where there was so many resources and every one knew what they were doing, and I did not.”

When the pandemic hit, Kinsey switched gears and began to focus on social media.“I really dove into more social media things at that time and tried to develop an audience,” stated the singer-songwriter. She found mild success pretty soon there after, and eventually her music went viral.

Today:

Kinsey got the courage to release her own music thanks to her fans on social media. First up, the singer teased debut single, “Drunk Too.” The song quickly gained over half a million views and likes on social media, adding to the singer’s growing confidence.

“At the root of the song, it’s really about embarrassment […] We went in the room and I had come up with the idea and the melody in the car on the way there,” she shared about the song. “It was the first song that I wrote that no matter how much time went by, I was really excited about it and that excitement never really went away.” The ballad was an incredible accomplish for the newcomer.

What followed was her song, “Just Drive,” a song that went unmistakably viral on social media. The upbeat, romantic song was inspired by Kinsey’s relationship with her longtime boyfriend and her desire to just be with him and drive around, listening to music. Recalling a past date in high school with him, going to a fancy restaurant for the first time, Kinsey remembers the feeling vividly.

“He made a playlist and we were listening to it together,” she began, “I remember about halfway there, a thought came into my mind of just like I wish it was further away because I’m having so much fun with him driving around.”

Most recently, Kinsey released her third song, the sassiest of them all, “Better On Me.” The new single was written with the same group of writers as the the former. It is already gaining traction on social media, and the singer is so proud of it, as she should be.

The sky is the limit for Kinsey going forward! Fans can expect more new music coming in 2022 and more music video content coming on her YouTube channel. “I’m going to be releasing more new music soon and I’m really excited to put that out into the world.”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Erin Kinsey announcements and releases.

To keep up with Erin Kinsey, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Erin Kinsey’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-warren-zeiders

Who Is Warren Zeiders? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Warren Zeiders? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-warren-zeiders

Photo Credit: Chris Phelps

The Beginning:

Country artists have many different career paths and stories, which makes the industry so interesting and exciting at the same time. This week we spotlight a new artist who found his start recently thanks to social media and loyal fans.

Warren Zeiders hails from Pennsylvania, where he shares that his supportive family is everything to him.”It really started in church for me,” Zieders explains, regarding his introduction to music. “I come from a family that grew up in church,” he continues, “I just found a love for singing old hymns and singing in church.”

The 22-year-old spent his childhood enamored with music; despite, never considering it as a career.“Being raised in church and realizing that I loved to sing, music was always my outlet, but it was never a career path in my eyes or my family’s eyes,” he shared.

Regardless, that did not stop Zeiders from collecting a large variety of influences and, of course, learning to play guitar in 6th grade.“The first concert I ever went to was with my father. It was a Jeremy Camp, TobyMac concert and those are two Christian artists. […] It was something that really left an impact on my life and my love for music.”

Zeiders also shared with us a love for southern rock, country music, and rock music. “I have a lot of different influences when it comes to where I take inspiration from, so my music really has hints of southern rock in it. I like to incorporate my Christian side into my music with my lyrics and certain messages that I spread to my fans and what I believe in.”

The Turning Point:

Things really started to shift for the singer-songwriter during his sophomore year of college. Up until that point, Zeiders focus was on playing Lacrosse and getting a degree in marketing. However, quarantine stopped him in his tracks, and really changed the course his life was on.

“The whole music thing did not really start until after quarantine,” begins Zeiders. “So after I gave up lacrosse my sophomore year and moved back home and had a change of pace in my life, I had some things to think through and figure out what I wanted to do in my life as a young adult.”

With some encouragement from a friend, the singer starting posting himself singing covers on social media apps like TikTok. “As a person who always loved to sing and probably sang more than he spoke, quarantine kind of came out of nowhere and I had a friend tell me you should make a TikTok and post on TikTok and Instagram and make it solely for music.”

Quite quickly, Zeiders found success and a fanbase on social media; garnering over 1.5 million fans on TikTok today alone. He eventually found the ears of a manager in the country music industry, who truly believed in his talent, leading the singer to release his own original music, as well as, a project of fan-favorite covers.

“I started recording music in my bedroom and starting putting it on social media […] Fans were consuming it at such a large rate where I never would have expected that. With that being said, that’s kinda where it all started to open my eyes to I might have an opportunity to pursue this.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Zeiders is definitely pursuing a career in the music industry. In his young career, he continues to show off his undeniable talent, charisma, and ability to craft music. Earlier this year, the singer released his first project of original music on what he calls the 717 Tapes. The EP features five original songs all co-penned by the newcomer, including fan-favorite “Ride the Lighting.”

Zeiders shared with us the interesting story behind the lead single, “‘Ride the Lighting,’ my most popular song right now, was actually the first song I ever wrote. It was the first song I ever wrote in Nashville during my first time in Nashville.” The singer wrote the song over Zoom, sitting in his manager’s guest bedroom.

Of course, Zeiders’ covers are just as popular as his own music. The recently released Acoustic Covers (Deluxe) album features some of his most incredible renditions that fans have fallen in love with on social media, including “Outskirts of Heaven.” Zeiders’ rendition features none-other than Craig Campbell on the track as well.

It is safe to say that Zeiders is the real deal. He will continue to release original songs and covers that speak to the diehard fanbase he has organically built, as well as, speak to his own journey as as a country music singer-songwriter. Keep your eyes peeled for more from the singer coming in 2022!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Warren Zeiders releases.

To keep up with Warren Zeiders, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Warren Zeiders’ music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Who Is Abbey Cone? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Abbey Cone? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

 
The Beginning:

Country Swag is big on championing women in the industry, and we were lucky enough to get to chat with the lovely Abbey Cone. She is an incredibly talented singer-songwriter, and if you don’t know her yet, you will soon.

Cone is from Texas, so it wasn’t like she ever discovered country – it was all she knew. “Country music wasn’t even really a choice. It was just what I grew up on and what made the most sense for me to sing… country chose me.”

Cone didn’t have a traditional childhood, though. She loved music so much that starting at age 12 she traveled to Nashville from her hometown of Texas to start pursuing a career. “It was so fun. I feel like I was really fortunate to meet some really good people early on that I trusted…back then, it felt like a big little town. So I really got to experience just the magic of the Nashville songwriting community”, she shared with us. “It was hard sometimes, just to be a young girl and basically begging people to take me seriously and try to maintain and find my voice. It helped me grow a lot.”

While her commitment to the genre has served her well when it comes to her artistry, and she is grateful for her opportunities, she notes that there is a lot of sacrifice involved with these decisions. “I didn’t really have a normal high school experience. I left high school when I was 15 after my freshman year and have been in Nashville full time pretty much since then. It was a unique thing to experience, but it just feels like my story.”

The Turning Point:

Cone earned her first publishing deal when she was 16, but when she started collaborating with her producer-turned-love Nathan Spicer, she found her sonic home within country music. This led to her signing a recording contract with Valory Music Company and the release of her debut single, “Rhinestone Ring”.

“I met Nathan in 2018. We got set up on a write together and we immediately hit it off as humans and co-writers. I was at the phase where I was wanting to find a producer… someone who was equally as hungry as I was. And that ended up being Nathan”, she explains to us.

“I cut 6 songs with Nathan and those are the 6 songs I shopped when I got my record deal. It feels like a bit of a blur… we found out that we wrote really well together, that we produced really well together, and that we got along really well… we started dating three years ago now.”

Today:

Flash-forward to now, Cone is a CMT Next Women of Country, releasing music, and set to head out on her first tour in support of Brittney Spencer. On the topic of her song “Rhinestone Ring”, she shares, “Rhinestone Ring’ is about these big plans about a wedding and then meeting the person you feel like you could marry and realizing you don’t need any of that. It paralleled the pandemic and I think a lot of people learned or maybe feel like they don’t need as much as they thought to feel peaceful.”

“This is my first official tour that I’m doing – 8 days with Brittney in January and February. My booking agent called me and told me there’s this opening you’d have to submit for, and I said ‘please submit me!’ I called Mickey Guyton and was like, ‘I love her, I have to do these shows!’ and they ended up going with me. I’m just so excited.”

In terms of what’s next, look out for more tour dates and more new music in the upcoming future from Cone. She is poised to be an absolute superstar with incredible lyricism and a clear vision as an artist.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Abbey Cone announcements and releases.

To keep up with Abbey Cone, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Abbey Cone’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-nessa-lea

Who Is Nessa Lea? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Nessa Lea? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-nessa-lea
The Beginning:

We love bringing you new artists, and today we get to do just that. Our spotlight shines on newly signed Curb Records artist, Nessa Lea. Her story is unlike anyone else’s, and we chatted with her about where she started and where she is now.

Born and raised in Tennessee, just south of Nashville, Lea recalls her childhood being very special. “I grew up playing in creeks and catching lightning bugs and all that. I have a very musical family, so music has always been in my life that way,” she shared.” Her family dabbled with different instruments and connections to music throughout her early life.

Finally, when she was in middle school, Lea got the urge to play music too. “I didn’t start really playing myself until I was eleven years old,” she begins, “I was inspired by Taylor Swift, so I started playing guitar and writing my own songs at eleven, I wanted to be like her.” Despite a true love for music, like many of us, the singer was unsure of the path. She added later, “As I grew up I figured music probably wasn’t going to work for me, but I enjoyed it as a hobby, so that’s kind of where I kept it.”

She decided to put music on the back burner, until her boss and mentor encouraged her to go for it.

The Turning Point:

While working at Nashville’s infamous Chaffin’s Barn, a local dinner-theater restaurant, Lea caught the attention of the restaurant’s owner. “The owner there, she found out I could sing and wrote songs and she asked me to play something for her.” After hearing her sing, the owner offered her a chance to play dinner music at the barn before the show every night. Lea obliged, and was happy to have music in her life even more.

Eventually, the owner offered to pay for recording time for Lea, truly showing her how much she believed in her undeniable talent. “We started recording and Don Cusic ended up sending my songs over to Mike Curb unbeknownst to me and Mike ended up offering me a record deal a couple of weeks in,” she shared of the whirlwind experience. “So I signed with them early January of this year and I cannot be more thankful and excited to have an opportunity like this.”

Having all these people in her corner truly inspired Lea to go for her dreams. “I’ve always had this love for music and it’s been my safe place with writing and playing. It was something I enjoyed by myself and kind of being in Nashville and having so many friends that were trying to pursue a musical career, ya know sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t, and I never really had the confidence,” she shared. “Now I have people telling me “I can,” so I’m trying to believe them!”

Today:

Flash forward almost a year later, Lea is living her dream! She made her debut with her single “Bad Boy” in October, and it is truly just the beginning. Taking her love for her artists like Loretta Lynn, Lana Del Ray, and Queen, the singer was able to craft music that speaks to her both as an artist and as a songwriter.

“’Bad Boy’ is my first single and actually on the note of confidence, that song really is about having the confidence to tell someone in a relationship that I can be what you want but if you want me, you have to treat me right.” Lea also added, “Singing “Bad Boy” actually gives me some confidence in myself and I really hope it does that for other girls, […] I hope that other people will listen to it and it will give them the little kick that they need, that little kick of confidence.”

If her single is anything like what’s to come, fans are in for a real treat! Lea lets us know that she has several other songs recorded and more music coming out in 2022. Her goal though is to make meaningful connections with fans. “Now I just really want to give music my all and not disappoint the people that helped me to get here. I’m just really thankful and excited to share my music and hope that it can reach people the way it has me.”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Nessa Lea announcements and releases.

To keep up with Nessa Lea, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Nessa Lea’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-chase-wright

Who Is Chase Wright? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Chase Wright? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Photo Credit: Jason Myers

The Beginning:

This week we are highlighting an Indiana-born artist that we are loving lately! Chase Wright is an up and coming singer-songwriter, who will captivate any country music lover. We chatted with the Nashville-transplant about his story, his brand new record, and much more.

“Music was always present growing up,” begins Wright. “My mom was a music education major and her mom sang professionally back in the 40s or 50s.” The singer recalls singing at a 9/11 memorial, when he was five years old and picking up the trumpet in 6th grade. Besides that though, the artist admits that his musical journey did not really take off until college, besides being an avid fan throughout his life.

“Growing up, when I was younger, it was definitely a lot of different things,” shared Wright. “I was listening to 3 Doors Down, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox Twenty, Usher.” The singer adds later, “There were so many different things growing up that I was listening to, but when I got to college, it was pretty much only country.”

College was really, when Wright started to chase the music dream. “I went to college at a small school in Indiana called DePauw University and studied economics,” shared the singer. “I mentioned to my dad how I wanted to learn how to play guitar, so he brought me a guitar he bought at garage sale. […] He said if you learn how to play on this and you really want to do it, we can get you one nicer.”

The Turning Point:

Following the footsteps of a new artist at the time, Sam Hunt, the singer started dabbling in playing shows and learning guitar. During his junior year of college, the singer worked in the corporate world, and quickly realized that corporate life was not for him.

“I didn’t really see my life going in that direction, so I really dove into music in 2017, which was my junior year in college.”

Upon graduating college, Wright set his sights on playing gigs and developing a social media presence. The singer recalls posting everyday and playing covers of songs both in person and online. “After about 5-6 months in doing that, that was when my now manager reached out and he wanted to get me to come to Nashville to do this songwriting workshop for ASCAP.” Taking a leap of faith, Wright went to the workshop and the rest was history.

Now a Nashville resident, Wright dedicates his time to his artistry. Over the years, the singer has crafted his talent as a songwriter and learned to infuse his eclectic influences throughout his music.“Country music has changed sonically so much, but what has held through, through all of those changes is really the meaningful lyrics.”

Today:

Fans can rejoice in Wright’s growth, as his debut record Interwined was just released in early November. The record features ten enticing songs that all showcase the incredible talent the singer has, truly laying the groundwork for what’s to come next.

“I just want to make music that I love and I genuinely love it and will listen to it on repeat,” shared Wright, talking about the album. “I really hope that fans and people listening will feel the same about it.”

Despite the fact that the singer would cut songs by other songwriters, all, but one song on the record were co-written by Wright. When discussing the song he did not write, the singer shared, “‘Missing You’ was exactly the song I was looking for and what I wanted to say.”

Similarly, one of his favorite songs off the project, “Wish You’d Miss Me,” was just as vulnerable.“The one that I have the most emotional attachment to is probably “Wish You’d Miss Me,” for a number of reasons. “One, it was just the first time I felt like I was truly honest when I was writing something where I needed to say something and I said it the way I wanted to say it,” shared Wright.

When asked about the title track collaboration with Canadian-Pop artist, Delaney Jane, Wright cannot say enough good things about the process.“We wrote half of it in January and then came back a couple of months later and I was like guys, what if this was a duet,” shared Wright, adding later, how extremely talented Jane truly is.

As fans immerse themselves into Intertwined, Wright predicts more music and more shows on the horizon in 2022. He makes no promises, but one thing is for certain, the singer is here to stay!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Chase Wright releases.

To keep up with Chase Wright, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Chase Wright’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Who Is Troy Cartwright? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Troy Cartwright? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-troy-cartwright
The Beginning:

This week, our spotlight is shining on an artist that was born to be a musician. Warner Music Nashville recording artist, Troy Cartwright is one to look out for. Growing up in Dallas, Texas, he recalls always loving music. “I’ve always been into music. I always joke that writing songs is the only thing that nobody told me to do.”

At just twelve years old, Cartwright started playing guitar and writing songs.”Once I could play, I just kind of stopped practicing, and just started writing songs,” shared Cartwright. “I always sort of had a knack for that part of it.” Despite loving music, interestingly he tried to avoid the country genre at first because it was his older sister’s favorite.

“When I was kid, it was just sort of whatever was popular at the time like Simple Plan and New Found Glory and stuff like that […] There was some singer-songwriter stuff that I fell in love with like Pete Yorn.”

Cartwright loved music so much that he took a leap of faith. He headed to Boston for college to pursue a degree in music business. Little did he know, this move would soon change the trajectory of his life.

The Turning Point:

In college, Cartwright rediscovered country music, after missing home and its familiarity. Artists like Eric Church and Chris Stapleton became his “North Star” later in life, as an artist.”I started missing home and that kind of was the start of it to country music and now it’s my career.”

During his junior year of college, Cartwright participated in an internship that became a major turning point for him. “I realized that was not the path that I wanted to go down,” shared the singer about the business-oriented job. “I realized through that process like ‘hey if you’re going to be an artist’ you just got to go for it.”

Upon graduating college, Cartwright headed back to Dallas to pursue his career as an artist.“ I was able to pretty quickly string together enough shows to pay the bills. […] That was kind of my start in country music, just playing the honky tonks and the bars that would have me.”

Eventually, Cartwright caught the ear of a publisher in Nashville.“I had a publisher here in Nashville say ‘hey why don’t you come write some songs here.’,” adding later, “After I came to Nashville for the first time and got to co-write, I was going to move to Nashville no matter what, I just had to figure out how to get there.”

Today:

Now, Cartwright is living his dream, as a signed recording artist. Most recently, the singer-songwriter released his debut major-label EP, Halfway To Houston. The five tracks all portray the rock influence from the singer’s childhood mixed with his love for the storytelling that country music does best.

“Most of these songs were written during the pandemic,” begins Cartwright. “I had a lot of time to think about what I really, really wanted to say as an artist.” Later, the singer shared, “I kind of had it in two buckets. It was what’s the real stuff that I want to say and then what’s the rock n roll part I want to get out.”

His songs “Hammer” and “Halfway To Houston” bring out the rock side of the collection, while “Break Every Heart In Texas” is one of the most emotive songs on the project. According to Cartwright, “It’s a song that I’ve always loved and I love the story and the picture that it paints about this guy watching the love of his life basically marry someone else. I think it’s a pretty powerful emotion.”

This is only the beginning for Cartwright. Fans can expect more music coming in 2022, as well as a tour with LANCO coming even sooner. Stay tuned and make sure to keep the singer on your radar!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Troy Cartwright releases.

To keep up with Troy Cartwright, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Troy Cartwright’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Who Is Brenna Bone? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Brenna Bone? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-brenna-bone
The Beginning:

Today we get to highlight an East Coast born songstress, Brenna Bone. Growing up in Eaton, Pennsylvania, the singer-songwriter grew up a competitor. “I grew up competitively dancing and cheerleading, so I feel like I owe a lot of the performance side of me to those years of my life.”

Bone connected to music throughout her childhood, finding inspiration in pop stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. “I just knew from a very young age that I wanted to be on a stage.” In high school, the songstress discovered that she could carry a tune and fell in love with music. “Eventually, I taught myself how to record at home and I would release cover songs and I was just doing everything,” she shared.

Despite the fact that Bone knew she wanted to become a musician, her supportive family wanted her to go to college. “I started college and it was about half way through my freshman year of college, and I remember calling my mom and being like “hey I think I’m going to quit school. I want to play music full time.””

The singer-songwriter began gigging, playing shows three or four nights a week. “I really honestly made a name for myself back home,” shared Bone, adding later, “I owe a lot to my hometown, the support they’ve given me, the artist that they have helped me become. I owe a lot to where I come from.”

The Turning Point:

After making connections in the music industry and visiting Nashville once a month, Bone finally took the leap. Four years ago, she made the move to Nashville to pursue her dream career. “I just fell in love with country music and how it evolved over the years. I put my own rock influences in my own type of country music,” shared the singer about her signature sound.

Although she credits her parents for her taste in Rock music, like AC/DC and Bon Jovi, she discovered country music on her own. She credits artists like Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert as some of her favorites in the country genre.

“I love the storytelling aspect of country music and I love to rock out,” she shared. “I write like a country artist and love the story-telling aspect of it and I put in my own little rock side to that.” Bone’s unique blend of country and rock music has garnered her both success and recognition in the genre; however, this is still just the beginning for the artist.

Today:

So far in her young career, the entertainer has released three singles and done some collaborative projects. Most recently, she released her killer song “Break This Habit.” “The song was the first Zoom write that I had over quarantine. We wrote it last June, so June of 2020,” shared Bone.

Drawing inspiration from personal experience, the singer-songwriter shared the writing process for the song. “I remember I was going through a break-up at the time, but it was one of those situations where it was just a bad relationship to even be in,” she began. “I remember talking to my friend over Zoom, and I was like I don’t even know what I’m going through right now, he feels like a bad habit that I keep going to.”

The more Bone and her co-writer discussed the idea, the more the song just flowed out naturally. “We wrote that song in an hour and a half,” declared the singer. Written by the entertainer with Matt Mulhare, the tune is a heartbreaking song about not wanting to quit a relationship. The tune is one that anyone can relate to.

According to Bone, she has another new single coming in early January and a collaborative project with fellow country songstresses coming before year end. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the budding star!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Brenna Bone announcements and releases.

To keep up with Brenna Bone, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Brenna Bone’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.