who-is-Jillian-Cardarelli

Who Is Jillian Cardarelli? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-Jillian-Cardarelli
The Beginning:

This week we shine our spotlight on Jillian Cardarelli. The northeast native shares her inspiring story from a girl with a dream to a rising country music artist.

Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, Cardarelli fell in love with country music at an early age. “My grandfather is the one who kind of got me into country music,” begins the songstress. “He was stationed in Georgia during World War II and brought his newfound love of country music back home with him. […] That’s kind of how I fell in love with the storytelling of country music.”

Cardarelli began voice lessons in elementary school, sharing that she knew she wanted to be a country music singer at the early age of five years old. “I started taking voice lessons at a young age, but it wasn’t until high school that I realized the business around it and realized it could be a real thing.” During high school, she found herself performing as much as possible.

“I had a band in high school, and we would play all the fairs up in the northeast. […] Any opportunity, I had to play, I played it,” adding later, “I fell in love with performing.”

The songstress recalls falling in love with the strong female country singers on the radio, such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and Reba. Cardarelli also shared a love for artists like Johnny Cash and George Strait. “The females back in the 90s and early 2000s really influenced my artistry. Also, Elvis Presley was probably my biggest influence as a performer,” she later added.

The Turning Point:

After a two-year stint at Providence College in Rhode Island, Cardarelli transferred to Belmont University in Nashville “I fell in love with Nashville, and knew that was where I needed to be to make music happen full time,” shared the singer-songwriter.

“My major was communications and PR. I interned down here for a lot of music companies, and I got to be hands-on in the business. It really let me immerse myself in the music industry.” This experience allowed Cardarelli to really make a name for herself in music city, all while networking the entire time.

During college and thereafter, the singer continued to make music. She has been blazing her own path ever since.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Cardarelli released her self-titled EP in April of this year. The six-song project is full of music for the country music lover. With roots firm in her love for the traditional country music sound, the songstress adds her own confident stamp to each of the songs on the record. “All of the songs have a confidence about them. […] Even the heartbreak songs.”

“We had to listen through all these songs to figure out what will make the most cohesive story […] I tried to pick six songs that really represented me as an artist, and told the story I wanted to tell,” shared the singer.

One of the standout songs on the record is a duet with Charles Esten called “Strong.” “Strong was a song I never thought I would release. I wrote it with Charles Esten,” began Cardarelli. “We met at a St. Jude’s charity golf tournament. […] We were just sitting and talking and I started talking about my mom, and said she’s so strong, she’s been battling cancer for years.”

The song was so personal to the singer that she thought about always keeping it for herself. “It was so personal. It was so vulnerable for me to get to that place,” shared the singer. Eventually, she came to the realization, “Music is so healing. If it can help one person, I think it needs to go on the project.”

As if the EP is not exciting enough, Cardarelli let us know that more new music is on the horizon, most likely coming this fall. Until then, fans can catch the songstress on the road!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Jillian Cardarelli, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Jillian Cardarelli’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-canaan-cox

Who Is Canaan Cox? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-canaan-cox

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Canaan Cox

Birthday – November 20, 1989

Hometown – Henderson, North Carolina

Musical influences – Michael Jackson, Hanson, Gavin DeGraw

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on a talented and energetic artist, Canaan Cox. The singer-songwriter is a force to be reckoned with. He’s an actor, singer, dancer, writer, and even goes as far as producing, directing, and editing for his music videos.

Growing up in Henderson, North Carolina, Cox was born into a fairly musical family. “I was kind of surrounded by music. My mom and dad, they both play and write,” began the singer. “My grandma played piano in church and I would always sing, and my degree is in musical theater.”

According to Cox, he grew up listening to all different sorts of musical genres. “I remember the first CD I ever bought was a Michael Jackson CD, which is completely odd, like we were playing bluegrass,” shared the singer. “It was a huge different melting pot of music because there was so many of us,” added Cox, when talking about his big family of siblings.

Cox credits his parents for introducing him to artists like Conway Twitty and Lynyrd Skynyrd. “I grew up in country music and in the Carolinas and in the mountains, I don’t think you ever get over that being in your roots.”

Despite that, he gravitated towards pop himself. “Hanson is still to this day one of my favorite bands. Me personally, I was latching on to the more high-energy pop kind of stuff. Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Whitney [Houston].”

The Turning Point:

Cox took his love for music, and made a career out of it. After going to college for musical theater and writing while there, the singer pursed both acting and singing in new ways “After college, I got a job at theme parks, performing at Six Flags out in Texas. It was kind of a mix of acting and singing. I always knew I wanted to move to Nashville even then.”

Still, Cox did not make the move to music city. “There was always this love and desire to get to Nashville, but it was kind of  like I’ll get there when I’m ready.” While working on cruise ships, early on, Cox met someone who encouraged him to continue to pursue his dreams.

“I met a very, very famous person’s manager on one of the cruise ships. […] We became friends and he was like my only advice to you right now is, ‘you gotta move to Nashville,” shared the singer. “That always stuck with me.”

Flash forward three years after performing on cruise ships, Cox finally made the move to Music City.

Today:

Now, Cox takes his talent and knowledge of musical theatre to create music that is all his own. His pop-country sound is laced throughout his entire catalog of music. The singer recently started sharing songs off his self-titled EP. So far, fans can listen to, “As You Leave,” “J.O.Y.,” and “Wish.”

The latter two are both high-energy and fun songs that any music lover will fall in love with. Cox shared with us how “J.O.Y.,” came about during our conversation. “The acronym happened by accident. I had the idea of “Jokes On You,” began the singer. “I was dating a girl for a long time and she left me for another dude, and the next girl I started dating after her, is now my wife.”

Cox continued,“I started just writing this whole thing about ‘ wow I’m great, what a perfect situation that happened.’ If I hadn’t gone through that, I wouldn’t be where I am, not with my wife and my child.” The acronym worked out as a happy accident as well. Similarly, “Wish” is another optimistic song, a type of song we need during today’s day and age.

Fans can anticipate the final song dropping soon and even more music after that. Stay tuned!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Canaan Cox, follow him on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or Twitter.

Canaan Cox’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 David J? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

Quick Facts:

Full Name – David J

Birthday – October 2nd, 2003

Hometown – Rotterdam, New York

Musical influences – Justin Bieber, HARDY, Chris Brown

The Beginning:

Today we get to introduce you to a fresh new country artist, who is a New York native! David J is a Nashville-transplant, who is already making waves in the music industry at just eighteen years old. We chatted with the singer all about his journey thus far.

The Rotterdam native became attracted to music at the tender age of thirteen. “I started doing music when I was like 13, after watching the Justin Bieber movie one day,” shared David J, adding later, that he still loves that movie and Bieber. “I thought it would be cool to do what he was doing, so that whole summer when I was thirteen, I taught myself to sing and play guitar.”

What started at first as a hobby, music soon became a passion for the young entertainer. “I fell in love with music, while trying to do what he was doing. It was a big inspiration for me,” stated David J.

With access to so many different musical genres, the singer-songwriter found inspiration that runs the gamut. “I was listening to country for sure that was definitely thrown in there, but like, from my mom, I would get like rock music and pop and kind of like rap from my friends and stuff. It was kind of just like one big ball of music I guess, like not just one genre,” shared David J. Currently, the singer shares a liking to artists like HARDY, Lewis Capaldi, Morgan Wallen, and old Chris Brown.

Soon thereafter, the artist started to post videos on social media, blossoming into the artist he is now.

The Turning Point:

“As I started going with it and just started posting videos and stuff on YouTube, and Instagram, and TikTok, they started blowing up a little bit. Then I got my one video that got 10 million views, and that started to snowball a bit.”

While David J was hard at work growing his social media presence, he yearned for a record deal to continue to pursue his dream. “It was New Year’s Eve, two years ago, I think, and I was like it would be really nice to just get signed this year,” began the singer. “And then New Year’s Day, one of my fans sent a video to my now managers, and I was on a plane to Nashville two days later, and I got signed by them.”

David J continued to grow his talent, while in Nashville. “Once I started learning guitar, I just started writing and stuff. […] I worked really hard at it, and stayed up late nights to get good at it.” The singer later shared, “I just like making stuff that I think is good content and people seem to enjoy it. I always want to make people laugh at my stuff or make them feel a certain way.”

Today:

As his career continues to blossom, David J recently released his debut EP, Lost My Heartbreak. The six-song project showcases the best of the singer-songwriter’s talent, featuring songs that fans have been begging for on social media too. “It’s got three new songs on it. I wrote one of them, a song called “First Kiss,” it was the first song I ever wrote after getting signed,” shared the artist.

“Because Of You” is another standout track on the record. It is the perfect love song for anyone who is looking to swoon from a country song. Similarly, David J’s song “U or Nothing” is another heartfelt bop. “That song I wrote with one of my best friends, Dylan Brady, and we were just messing around, listening to one direction on the way to the session. And we were inspired to write a One Direction country song,” shared the singer, about the track.

Fans can anticipate even more music coming out soon. The sky is the limit for the rising artist!

Connect:

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

To keep up with David J, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

David J’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-seth-ennis

Who Is Seth Ennis? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-seth-ennis

Seth Ennis

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Seth Ennis

Birthday – November 30th, 1992

Hometown – Valdosta, Georgia

Musical influences – Eric Church, Vince Gill, Taylor Swift

The Beginning:

Ever since he burst onto the country music scene with “Woke Up In Nashville,” we have been huge fans of today’s spotlight artist. Seth Ennis is an absolute force in the pop-country world and will continue to rise to greater heights. We chatted with the singer-songwriter all about his story thus far.

Growing up, Ennis’ father was in the military, which allowed him to live all over the world. “I kind of call Valdosta my hometown because that’s where I lived the longest,” began the singer. Despite living in different parts of the world, the south always felt like home. “My parents are both from the south, so I kind of grew up on country music.” Adding, “My mom’s dad, my Papa, was super huge into bluegrass,” explained Ennis.

Music was such a staple in the singer’s life. At the age of five, Ennis’ dad encouraged him to get into piano lessons. Later on, he learned to play guitar too. When he was old enough to choose his own music, the singer gravitated towards the likes of Eric Church, Vince Gill, and even Taylor Swift.

“As far as country music influences, Eric Church is kind of like my number one. He’s one of my heroes. Vince Gill has also always been a hero of mine.” Ennis even admits to respecting Swift for her songwriting talent. “As far as other stuff, I feel like it’s always changing to me, but a big one growing up for me is Taylor Swift. I was super into her songwriting. I just love songwriting so much.”

After college, Ennis decided to pursue music more seriously. The artist moved to North Carolina with some of his friends to further his talent. “[We] just kind of locked ourselves in the house and learned how to co-write songs.”

The Turning Point:

Shortly after, Ennis and his friends made the move to Music City, which jumpstarted his career. “After a year, we felt like we all had a better grip on [co-writing], so we moved to Nashville. We all lived in bunk beds in a one-bedroom apartment behind Exit-In and we just figured it out,” shared the singer.

While living in Nashville, Ennis and his friends tried to meet as many people as they could. “We would go out to Whiskey Jam every Monday night and Tin Roof Revival on Tuesday nights, and a writer’s round on Wednesday, and then I was on the road from Thursday to Sunday,” shared the singer, reflecting on his experience.

He added later, “I would try to meet people and get in the circles that we felt like they liked what we did and we liked what they did.” Armed with a bunch of new friends and connections, Ennis made a goal to play at CMA Fest.

“I didn’t have an agent or manager or anything, so I saw that Budlight was putting on this like battle of the bands thing, and I entered.” Interestingly enough, Ennis did not originally get accepted to the competition, but later was asked to play, when someone dropped out.

Some of the judges ended up being – his first producer in town, Corey Crowder and his now, publisher, Scott. “It was one of those right place, right time things, and they ended up signing me,” shared the singer, adding, “The record deal with SONY came soon after that, and we were off and running.”

Today:

Nowadays, Ennis is feeling like a permanent fixture in the music industry. He plans to release as much new music as possible this year to keep fans on their toes. “I’m not trying to be so precious about a plan with everything as I used to be,” shared the singer. “I’m just trying to like put out music as soon as I get it now, which I am super stoked about.”

Most recently, Ennis released his new song, “Hair Ties (I Dont’ Wanna).” The pop-country song is all about trying to move on without constant reminders of your ex. The singer wrote the track with Geoff Warburton, and Matt Mcvaney a few years ago in a co-write. “It was just kinda a title I had and an idea, and we got in a room, and honesty we weren’t even trying to write for me that day- we were just trying to write a song for pitch,” shared Ennis.

The song ended up not getting cut, but it fit perfectly with the singer’s catalog of music. It was a true blessing in disguise. Fans can anticipate Ennis singing the song on the road on tour dates real soon!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Seth Ennis, follow him on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Seth Ennis’ 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-joshua-dylan-balis

Who Is Joshua Dylan Balis? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-joshua-dylan-balis

The Beginning:

Today, our spotlight shines on a rising artist hailing from Texas. Joshua Dylan Balis is an incredible musician, who won us over with his unique country-folk-rock sound. The singer-songwriter is a true-blue artist, and we are excited to champion his music.

“I grew up in Dallas, Texas, where I was born and raised,” began Balis. “Music was always there. My dad played bass in a band for most of my life. He’s been in bands all of my life. From an early age, the singer was hooked on music. “I started playing guitar probably about 5th grade. I would just noodle along in my room finding melodies, and I guess I never really looked back.”

Balis recalls being inspired by his father and his love for music. He knew that this was what he was put on earth to do. “[My father] was the one who had strict standards for not listening to pop radio, and he would burn me CDs of classics or whatever he liked.” According to the artist, he took a liking to artists like Tom Petty, Coldplay, and The Strokes. Later on, in high school, Balis found more inspiration in artists like The White Stripes, Bob Dylan, and Townes Van Zandt.

His love of music transported him into different iterations of his musical career. “I made an EP a few years ago that I didn’t promote called ‘Modern Gospel.’ […] I put that out and then instead of promoting it, I started this band, and we immediately went into the studio and made this record. We made the record and then immediately broke up,” shared the singer. After the record was shelved, Balis found himself wanting to make a major change in life: enter Nashville.

The Turning Point:

“I needed a clean start, ” shared the singer, when asked about what prompted his move to Nashville. With a desire to just record in Music City, and to see what happens, Balis set his sights on just that. After a heart-to-heart with his uncle, a fellow musician, the singer connected with Omni Studios. Interestingly enough, the studio that he ended up connecting with was actually not the one he was originally recommended to.

“Come to find out three months later that the studio we had been recommended was in Austin, and we had just called the wrong one [in Nashville], shared Balis. “It was serendipitous and we flew out and we recorded three songs, and we loved the way they sounded, and decided to go all the way.”

Shortly after that, Balis made the move to Nashville, and his record We’re On Fire was born. “I need to make a change, something has to happen now,” shared the singer, just prior to committing to the project. “That was truly the impetus behind this songwriting on this record.”

Today:

After spending 2019 crafting the album, Balis was forced to wait a few years before its release, due to the pandemic. Finally, we can say that We’re On Fire will officially be out this Friday, May 13th. The album is a true record of faith, integrity, and a whole lot of talent.

According to Balis, “The process for most of these songs is me alone in the room with an acoustic guitar, early in the morning. Usually, I’ll pour a cup of coffee, and starting at 7AM., I just write and whatever comes, comes. Nine times out of ten I don’t have an objective, I don’t have something I want to write about, I just like to follow the muse and see where it goes.”

When asked about the title track, the singer-songwriter further shared his inspiration for the mesmerizing song. “‘We’re On Fire’ started out kinda as a rift, it was a little melody that I was messing with. I had all the verses and the bridge written, most of it but the hook, began Balis.
“[Then] There was an apartment fire in my building, scared the hell out of me […] It shook me a little bit, got me thinking about time and its passing, and then it ended up being sort of a driver for the hook.”

As fans wait for the record to officially come out, they can anticipate hearing the record performed live at one of Balis’ upcoming shows. Click here for a full list of tour dates.

Connect:

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

To keep up with Joshua Dylan Balis follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

Joshua Dylan Balis’ 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.

Taryn-papa

Who Is Taryn Papa? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

Taryn-papa
The Beginning:
Today our spotlight shines on east coast native, Taryn Papa. The budding star is a natural born singer from as long as she can remember, always fixating on entertaining and making the audience feel something. We chatted with the rising artist about her journey thus far.

“I was born and raised in Connecticut,” began Papa. “I was introduced to country music at a young age. It was something my mom played in the car when we would run errands or take road trips.” Despite an early introduction to country music, it was not until age thirteen, where the singer became mesmerized by Martina McBride. “I didn’t truly dive in to a lot of the artists and a lot of the stories behind country music, until I was thirteen years old, until a Martina McBride CD.”

From then on, music became a fixture in Papa’s life. She recalls both performing in a band with her uncle and singing and playing piano with her grandfather. “My family did music as hobbies. My grandfather played piano, and when he got Alzheimer’s it was something I would play for him and he would remember songs,” she shared. “It was something that let me know the impact or how important a melody can be and how it can have a time and place and it can transport you.”

During her college years, Papa had another ‘aha moment,’ when she was volunteering at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. “There was a room with this girl, her name was Jocelyn and she had [cancer],” started the singer, adding later, “I went home and the only way I could kind of pour out what I saw, I wrote a song. It was the first one I ever wrote.”

The Turning Point:

Taking her love for music and inspiring others with songs, Papa made the move to Nashville at just 23 years old. She started a band and became one of the few female-fronted bands on Broadway. “It was really cool to know how powerful music is, and from there on I decided I wanted to create other experiences for other people.”

Papa took her love for strong, female women in music to become the artist she is today.” My mom loved to listen to Pat Benatar, so naturally she became one that I needed to know every song on every record.” The songstress also professed her love for Kelly Clarkson, Martina McBride, and Shania Twain, as well as, The Eagles.“I love the stories that they share. I love how honest and genuine and raw and real it all was.”

“They are singing about truth and experiences and hoping others can jump on board with their story and that’s always been so inspiring to me. That’s where I formed a foundation for my music. I want it to be 1000% authentic.”

Eventually, Papa signed on with Red Light Management, which has led her to finally begin releasing her own music and create her own experiences for her fanbase.

Today:

Papa is currently releasing new songs every six weeks in preparation for her EP. “I wrote this whole EP pretty much about my experiences with finding love for the first time and what it feels like to feel totally changed,” shared the singer. Most recently, the singer-songwriter dropped her songs “Changed” and “AWAKE.”

The latter was inspired by meeting a man, who positively changed her perspective on love and relationships.“I met a guy last year and he helped me see things in a totally different way. That’s what ‘Awake’ is about.”

Similarly, “Changed” is about realizing how much of life is actually romantic in a beautiful way. “I was so afraid of falling in love before because I didn’t want to break their heart or break my heart. […] Finding the wrong heart that wasn’t meant for you, I was so afraid of that, I kind of avoided that at all costs.”

Fans can look forward to more singles coming out soon, as well as, music videos to go with the incredible songs. Keep an eye out on Papa’s new music, and make sure to head to her website to snag tickets to her scheduled shows!

“Once you touch one, there’s a million you can empower or inspire, and that’s the goal to get people to feel something from what you’re doing.”

Connect:

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

To keep up with Taryn Papa, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Taryn Papa’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.

Ashley-cooke-ep

Who Is Ashley Cooke? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

Ashley-cooke-music
The Beginning:

This week we are sharing an artist with you that you should already know! Since the very beginning of her young career, we have proudly championed the talented singer-songwriter, Ashley Cooke. Today, we are sharing with you all about her journey, straight from Cooke herself!

“I grew up kind of all over the country, to be honest. I started playing music and writing songs when I was eleven years old,” began Cooke. “In moving around all the time, music was kind of the only constant I ever had.” Although she coins, Parkland, Florida as her ‘hometown,’ the singer’s childhood helped her find her way into music at an early age.

“I started writing songs kind of as a coping mechanism and I loved poetry even as a kid. […] I started writing poems down in journals and really was obsessed with lyrics, and poems, and rhyming and that kind of stuff,” shared Cooke.

Despite her parents not listening to country music when she was young, she knew it was the right fit for her when she discovered it. “Lyrics have always been my passion and my love for music, and honestly that’s kind of how I found myself in country too,” said the singer, adding, ” I really got to find country was, one, through Taylor [Swift], but also through the songwriting and the storytelling that came from that genre.”

Both Swift and Rascal Flatts were some of Cooke’s early influences in the country genre, both inspiring her to write music that made someone feel something.

At eighteen years old, instead of pursuing music, the singer headed to Nashville for a different reason. She attended Belmont University to study communications and marketing, a degree that would later help her in her blossoming career.

The Turning Point:

During her senior year at Belmont, Cooke entered a contest called ‘Country Showcase,’ on a whim. According to the singer, the contest was a huge deal for emerging artists. “It’s like the end of senior year milestone goal, where they choose 4 artists to play, and you play 2 originals and 1 cover song. […] People like Brad Paisley, and Florida Georgia Line, and Chris Young have won this competition.”

Cooke went on to win the competition, catapulting her to focus solely on music immediately upon graduation. Armed with a desire to cut her teeth in Nashville starting in 2019, she found herself without gigs to play, when the pandemic hit in 2020.

Like many of us, Cooke went home to Florida to quarantine with her family. It was then that she discovered a little app called TikTok. “I started posting on TikTok genuinely out of boredom during the pandemic,” shared the singer.

“The first video that I posted was called the ‘lay me down challenge.’ […] I was one of those weird anomalies where my very first video went viral. It got over 2.7 million views, seemingly overnight.”

She spent the rest of quarantine using her degree to really learn the platform and give her new fanbase the music they were all begging for. “For the first time in music history it feels like, labeled artists were on the same playing fields as unsigned artists because we all had the same ways of sharing our music and breaking new songs.”

At the end of the pandemic, as an independent artist, Cooke met her now manager, Rakiyah Marshall, and started releasing music and booking tours that all artists would dream of, including Cole Swindell tour and a Jimmie Allen feature.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Cooke is a newly signed Big Loud Records recording artist! “I only signed my record deal with Big Loud three weeks ago, ” the singer shared at the time of our interview. It is truly incredible how much Cooke has worked hard to accomplish in her young career.

Most recently though, the singer announced that she is going on tour with Brett Young, who is also featured on the new version of her hit, “Never Til Now.” “I wrote the song with my friend Matt Roy, who also has written a bunch of other stuff on my project,” shared Cooke, when asked about the song. “We wrote the song just me and him, powering it out in my living room. He pitched the idea originally, and I was going through a really tough break-up at the time. I was like, ‘honestly, all I want is the kind of love that you are talking about. It just catches you off guard, real, not cheesy, just someone that loves you and is there for you.’”

Originally, Cooke posted a TikTok video of her simply pointing to the romantic lyrics slide by slide. Little did she know, the song would soon go viral and fans everywhere were using the beautiful song as their first dance and wedding song.

Because she always heard a feature on it, Cooke asked her produced Jimmie Robbins, who would be a good fit. He suggested Brett Young, and the rest was history. “I felt like adding another voice to it would really elevate it.”

Cooke’s staying power is only going to increase over the next year and many more to come. She is here to stay and we are proud to have named her a 2022 Artist to Watch. Catch the songstress on tour with Young, as well as, at most major country music festivals this festival season. We also anticipate more new music coming soon!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Ashley Cooke, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Ashley Cooke’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 Austin Burke? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Austin Burke // Photo Credit: Raul Esparza

The Beginning:

For several years now we have championed rising artist, Austin Burke. Today, we get to finally spotlight his incredible talent and story with you all in this week’s feature. The Scottsdale, Arizona native was pretty much born with a mic in his hands. “I started singing really when I was 2 years old,” began Burke. “By the time I was 3, I was ready to hit it big, and I went to all the sporting events in Arizona,” shared the singer.

At the time, his father would share videos of him singing the national anthem at different events, which led him to being asked to be on The Rosie O’Donnell Show at just four years old. He was invited on to the show again just four years later. “She gave me a guitar. It was a cool moment in my life and a lot of things really sparked from that.”

Another standout experience was when Burke sang the national anthem at a baseball game, where Garth Brooks was playing for the Padres. “The first time I saw Garth, I actually sang for him,” laughed the singer. According to Burke, “Garth Brooks was my day one hero,” and he still loves him to this day.

Despite early success, the singer yearned to just be a kid, so by the age of ten, he “retired” from the music industry. “I just wanted to be a kid and play baseball and hang out with my friends.”

Shortly there after, Burke’s life took a turn. His parents lost a lot in the recession, so they moved to San Diego, while the singer was in high school. According to the singer, going to school in San Diego was tough and he got bullied a lot.“That’s when I started songwriting. It was my way of coping with everything,” shared the artist, “I started to sing again.”

Moments like these would continue to happen through college for the singer, who eventually found his way to Nashville, a place he belonged.

The Turning Point:

While playing baseball at Santa Barbara for college, Burke realized something was missing. “I picked up my guitar and I found so much joy in it and so much happiness. I didn’t know what I needed to do, but I knew I didn’t want to go to L.A.” Despite growing up on country music, Burke admits not knowing anything about Nashville. Still, he picked up everything and moved.

“I always knew, I just had this feeling that I had to be in Nashville. I didn’t even know what it was, I hadn’t even been to the south or anywhere near Nashville.” Later, he added, “I was just so excited to be here. I was like where do we start. And I worked at a restaurant for four years, but everyday I was just so happy to be in Nashville, it almost didn’t matter the work that I had to do.”

Throughout his nine years in music city, Burke cultivated a sound that is all his own. “My musical influences are so diverse, but I think that’s how it is for everyone, especially for our generation. We didn’t really grow up on one thing.” He draws inspiration from 90s country, reggae music,  rap, and even artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

While working on his craft and cultivating a following, Burke finally got the attention he deserved, and landed himself a publishing deal. “I signed my first publishing deal a few years ago with Thomas Rhett. I met him at the BMI awards and he was like ‘I just started a publishing company, come sign with me.’ It was literally like that.”

Today:

For the past couple of years, Burke has been quietly writing and working on his songwriting. “I stepped away from the road. I felt like I was getting too heavy into touring,” shared the singer,“I just wrote as much as I could, and obviously TR was huge in helping to pick the songs and be apart of the process.”

Burke’s hardworking is paying off. He recently released his EP, Changed Everything. The record features five high-quality songs that speak to the singer’s talent and work ethic. Through social media and working with his team, the singer was able to choose the songs for this project.

“It’s kind of a mixture of my small circle and then the fans. Definitely “Let It Burn” and “Changed Everything” came from the fans and the other three songs were songs that I wanted to put it out or my team thought were the best,” shared Burke.

Fans can expect even more music to come very soon from the singer-songwriter. According to Burke, “I am super excited about this year because I have so much music coming out. It’s probably the most amount of music I have ever put out.” The singer even let us know that his next single, “Take My Life” will be out next month. Get ready, it is only going to get bigger from here!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Austin Burke follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Austin Burke’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-grant-gilbert

Who Is Grant Gilbert? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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The Beginning:

In this week’s installment of our Spotlight Series, where we proudly introduce you to rising artists in country music right now, we shine our light on Grant Gilbert. The Texas native seems to be primed for success in the industry. He chatted with us about his blossoming career and his story so far.

Growing up in a small town of Santo, Texas, Gilbert’s focus was on family, sports, and music. “We have a family farm. I grew up working out there, playing sports, and grew up loving music,” shared the singer. He recalls, “Listening to my parent’s music is what made me fall in love with music.”

Gilbert gained an early appreciation for both Texas swing music, as well as, classic country. He also expressed a love for artists who blurred genre lines but leaned towards rock. “I really loved Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Petty,” shared the artist, adding later, “That’s what made me fall in love with that blue-collar country with the rock n roll guitars kind of feel.”

The self-taught guitarist continued to play both sports and music throughout his schooling “During high school, I played football on Fridays, and Saturdays I’d be playing some taco shop or any bar and grille that would let us play,” shared Gilbert.

The singer continued to play gigs in college while he attended Texas Tech in Lubbock.

The Turning Point:

Despite studying agriculture in college, music was a constant in Gilbert’s life. “I was just playing around down there on Wednesday nights,” recalled the singer, adding later that he would play at fraternity parties, bars, and anywhere that would have him. “I kind of got a little bit of following, signed on with a booking agent, and just kept playing for anyone that would let us.”

While still in college and playing at a popular club called the Blue Light, Gilbert was able to meet some of his heroes, like Josh Abbott of the Josh Abbott Band. “I met Josh Abbott, who has been a big role model and mentor to me,” began the rising artist. “He helped me out and got me set up with a management company, and I was coming up here to write, and do anything I could to open up the doors.”

Eventually, with some encouragement, Gilbert started making frequent trips to Nashville to work on his songwriting skills and network with others in the music industry. “I started writing songs when I realized […] I was just playing all these cover shows and I was like well if I want to actually think about playing music myself, I have to write, so I just kept writing songs and writing songs,” shared the singer when asked about the early stages as a songwriter.

During one of his trips to Nashville, Gilbert was introduced to River House Artists and was subsequently signed to a publishing deal before returning home to Texas. “I am just so thankful to have a team that works hard for me and believes in me,” he shared humbly.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Gilbert is cranking out new music for fans, while he continues to build a name for himself in the country music stratosphere. Most recently, the singer dropped his most popular song to date, “She Goes Home (Dirty Breakup Song).”

A song about a girl getting screwed over after a breakup turned out to be an exciting changing of the tides for the newcomer. “We wrote it. Me, Rivers Rutherford, and JoyBeth Taylor wrote it and we just sat down one day,” begins the singer. “We were like what are we going to write today and we were all kicking around some ideas, and I had this random idea for a song called “She Goes Home.”

The write turned into a huge success, with the trio even cutting an acoustic demo that same day. Eventually, River House Artists got wind of the song and decided Gilbert had to share it with fans. The song was shared on social media first as the “Dirty Breakup Song.” The track quickly picked up steam across social media platforms, and fans were begging for its release.

“It has been the most successful thing that I have ever put out to date,” shared the artist, as he continues to churn away at more and more music. “Every day we wake up and get on the phone and we say what can we do today to push the ball down the field.” Fans can expect a bunch of new music and some shows in the near future. Definitely keep Gilbert 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 Grant Gilbert releases.

To keep up with Grant Gilbert, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Grant Gilbert’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-karley-scott-collins

Who Is Karley Scott Collins? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

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The Beginning:

Today our spotlight shines on newly signed Sony Music Nashville recording artist, Karley Scott Collins. She is an incredible vocalist with a talent for crafting heartfelt and personal lyrics. We enjoyed getting to know her and her story in this week’s interview.

Growing up in a small-town in Florida, Collins was all about the arts from day one. “I got started in music because I was an actress when I was younger,” began the singer. “When I was nine, I had got this audition and they told me I needed to learn how to play guitar for it. So, that was when I picked up my first guitar ever, and I just kind of just really fell in love with it, and pretty much never put it down.”

She recalls music being a constant in her household. “My dad would play rock music on the way to school,” shared Collins, later adding, “My Nana was playing a lot of country music when I was growing up like Willie Nelson.” Collins drew early inspiration from artists like Stevie Nicks, Guns N’ Roses, Bob Dylan, and even, Brooks & Dunn. She was inspired by the way artists like Dylan crafted a song.

“The second I picked up a guitar, I think everything kind of clicked for me […] As soon as I started to figure out how to put chords together, I started to write my own songs,” shared Collins. “My life started really focusing and revolving around music soon after that.”

The Turning Point:

Fresh out of high school, Collins started making trips to music city.“I started traveling to Nashville probably when I was around 18 and just kind of started meeting people and writing with people around here,” shared the singer-songwriter.

During one of those writes, Collins’ career began to blossom unexpectedly. “I was writing at a publishing company with a friend of mine and I played them a song that I wrote and the publisher happened to be walking by and overheard the song. I was offered a publishing deal there.” After she landed her publishing deal, the songstress continued to make connections and friends in the Nashville music scene.

“People have been really, really open to me and my music. I’m really proud to be a woman in music, that’s for sure,” shared Collins. Eventually, her hardwork paid off, and she landed a place on Sony Music Nashville’s artist roster.

Today:

With just two songs released under her label, Collins is already proving to be a star in the making. Her first release, “Heavenly” showcased her stellar songwriting and vocal ability. “Everyone has had a relationship like at the beginning of the song that really brings out the worst in you, and “Heavenly” is something that I have been wanting and really wanting at that time in my life,” shared the singer when asked about her debut song.

She later added, “I just really fell in love with that song, that day. […] It really just felt like what I wanted to step out into the world with as my debut. It really sounded like me.”

Her second song, “Tattoos,” which was released on just this Friday (4/1), is just as emotive and personal as her first song. Inspired by bittersweet memories, Collins continues to prove her artistry on this incredible new song. “Tattoos is something that I really relate to. It’s about loving somebody and not having them be a part of your life anymore, but still being stuck with all the memories you made with them,” she shared. “It’s a song that really means a lot to me and it’s really close to my heart.”

Fans can look forward to more new music comng soon from the blossoming new artist.

Connect:

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

To keep up with Karley Scott Collins, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

Karley Scott Collins’ 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.