who-is-willie-jones-music

Who Is Willie Jones? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

willie-jones-music
The Beginning:

One of the coolest things going on in country music right now is the genre blending and the diversity in the industry. Singer-songwriter, Willie Jones is at the forefront of this movement. A new artist to most, the rising artist has been grinding for over a decade. We chatted with him about his journey to where he is now and everything in between.

Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, Jones recalls how important music was to him. “I grew up with my mom, my dad, and my sisters,” he began. “Music in my life was always something that I loved. Earliest I can remember was being 4 years old and wanting to sing.” The singer sang in church, in choir, and was involved in school plays throughout his youth.

“I listened to a lot of different stuff. I was inspired by so many,” shared Jones. “I’m talking Gospel [music], I’m talking Soulja Boy to musical theatre, freaking Beyonce, T-Pain, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves. Just all over man. I just like music that I like.” It is clear that the singer has learned to fuse his love for hiphop with soulful country music, since his childhood.

“Growing up we had so much, I mean our generation had just a different form of access to different kinds of music. Everybody just grew up around different things.” Jones shared later, “music today everybody is kind of all over the place and that’s a great thing. […] “If it sounds good to me, I’ll listen to it.”

The Turning Point:

Jones has been making a name for himself basically his whole life. However, back in 2012, the singer competed on the popular show, X factor. At just eighteen years old, the judges and America knew Jones was a star in the making. “That was my first kind of splash on the scene. Of course, so much work goes in to really getting a career after you do one of those shows. That was almost 10 years ago and there’s been a lot of freaking ups and downs. […] The goal was always to make great music.”

Since then, Jones has garnered over a million followers across his social media following. The singer even signed a record deal with Sony Music Nashville earlier this year. Jones is proud to represent Louisiana, his country roots, and is amongst the growing powerful group of black entertainers in country music right now.

Jones connected to storytelling in the genre, and it is clear he fits right in.“That’s one thing that definitely drew me to country music was the stories that were told and the instruments that were used. It’s really cool to see where country music is now and see it just expand and grow into people telling stories in a country format in a way that’s personal and individual to them.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, 2021 has been quite the year for the singer. Jones has a handful of songs out so far, including “Down By The Riverside”, and most recently “Get Low, Get High.” The singer-songwriter shared the story behind the later during our conversation. “It was like one of the first songs that I wrote during the quarantine. This was when the music industry was figuring out how to do things,” he began.

“I was back home in Louisiana and it was a crazy storm the night before that I had this write and the next day it was the most beautiful day when I had this write. It was just crazy to see how wild and horrible, tree limbs falling down, lighting, and the next day the sun out and some breeze,” shared Jones. “We wrote the song in my backyard, but I was telling my co-writers about the weather the night before. […] We just got into this conversation about how life has ups and downs and we have to really learn from the lows and appreciate the lows to really celebrate the highs in life.”

The anthemic song has become a fan-favorite, and one we can all use during the crazy last few years. Jones shared, “I’m excited for people to add this song to their playlist and to their life because I know it’s one that just lifts the vibration.” We tend to agree!

Lucky for fans, Jones promises more music coming at the top of the new year. “I will say this, there is definitely going to be more music. There’s going to be more visuals and there’s going to be more life, more love, more growth. We got some big stuff coming. I’m just really excited to keep growing.”

 

Connect:

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

To keep up with Willie Jones, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Willie Jones’ 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 Tenille Arts? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-tenille-arts
The Beginning:

We have been following Tenille Arts’ career for a few years now. Today, we are excited to finally get to spotlight her journey in the country music industry. We chatted with the singer-songwriter about her Canadian upbringing, her move to Nashville, her new music, and more.

Growing up in a small town in Canada, Arts does not recall a time where music was not pertinent in her life. “I loved country music. Growing up that was all that was played on the radio,” she shared. At just eight years old, Arts was mesmerized by artists like Martina McBride, The Chicks, and Faith Hill. “That was the music that was always playing in my home,” she adds. The singer also remembers loving artists like The Beatles and Paul Simon.

As a young girl, Arts’ talent was recognized by one of her neighbors, which set her off on this musical trajectory unbeknownst to her. “I started singing and just making up songs as early as eight years old. I was actually just always singing everywhere I went and my neighbor […] heard me singing and came over and told my mom that she thought I had a good voice and that maybe I should do something with that.”

This propelled the songstress’ mom to put her in vocal lessons. Arts ended up training classically for ten years. Still, she loved country music the most, so she taught herself guitar at around thirteen years old. “I picked up the guitar and started writing my own songs and made my first trip to Nashville at fifteen years old, back in 2009. I just fell in love with Nashville and kept going back and forth until I graduated high-school and started looking for a publishing deal,” adding later, “I signed a publishing deal when I was 21 and moved to Nashville and it just kind of all spiraled from there.”

The Turning Point:

With her dream of going to Nashville on her heart, Arts declined a Canadian record deal before landing her Nashville publishing deal. “I was like ‘I would rather go to Nashville and really take on the entire the country music scene and see what happens, rather than maybe get stuck up there.'” She added,  “I didn’t want to only be in Canada. I wanted to possibly have a career worldwide.”

For Arts, Nashville was the place to be to really hone her craft. “Nashville was where all the songwriters were and I wanted to be in that world and write with those people. Because that’s where the best songwriters in the world are.” Inspired by artists, who wrote their own music like Taylor Swift, Arts worked endlessly to write and cut her own music.

According to the singer, she feels like she is in the perfect place getting to be in country music right now. “It is so, so exciting to be a part of this change where women are taking over again. It’s so incredible and I feel so grateful to be an artist at this time.”

In her career, Arts has developed a reputation of being a team player. She supports other country artists and continues to be inspired by the amazing class of women in the genre right now.

Today:

Arts’ newest record, Girl to Girl was just released. The record is a full on love letter to her younger self and other girls, who could use the songs. “This album honestly was not planned at all. I was stuck at home and had a bunch of Zoom writing sessions set-up because that was the only thing I could do, so I started writing without a direction,” shared Arts.

“I was a little discouraged at first, because I was like ‘I don’t have anything to write about. I’m not living life. I’m sitting at home.’” And the more I thought about it the more I realized that there was a lot of things that I hadn’t written about yet that I had been through in my life that I had just sorta brushed over.”

The record became an ode to her younger self and the songs started to pour out of Arts. She yearned to support other female artists, so she decided to collaborate with Callista Clark on her song “Breakup Songs. “I kind of just wanted to be a big sister and share these things,” shared Arts. “I wanted to spotlight another new female artist. First of all, she’s incredible […] I wanted to put my arm around a young artist and say I love you and I want to support you and be here for you throughout your entire journey.”

Of course, the record features Arts’ first number one single “Somebody Like You,” which found its way to the top during the pandemic. “For me, the first time I played a show was months after it went number one. […] It went from zero to one hundred, people were singing the song back to me and I could put my microphone out to the crowd […] It was just such an incredible moment.”

If Girl to Girl is any inclination of how Arts’ career is going to progress, fans are in for a real treat. The singer will be re-releasing her Christmas song soon, and will be focusing on shows at the top of 2022. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more soon!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Tenille Arts, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Tenille Arts’ 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 Harper Grae? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-harper-grae
The Beginning:

Today we shine our light on another singer-songwriter and badass female country artist in the industry. Harper Grae is an incredible entertainer, who has spent years honing her craft and finding her voice. We chatted with her about her upbringing, her journey to country music, and where she is now.

Hailing from a small town in Alabama, Grae was raised by her grandparents. “They were so full of music and love,” shared the singer as she reminisced about her childhood. According to Grae, both of her grandparents were musical. Her grandfather played guitar and her grandmother sang in church. Similarly, the songstress got her start in church.

“The first song I ever learned was ‘Amazing Grace’ and I sang that in church before I even went to Kindergarten,” she shared. Grae was that little girl who was constantly singing and putting on shows for her family members. Despite her love of music, she never dreamed that she could do this as a career, until she headed to college.

“When you’re from such a small town you really don’t know that there’s so much more out there, unless you’re influenced by it or you get the opportunity to go somewhere,” she began. “So when I was in college, I really had a ton of opportunities to really just culture myself and understand that I can do music for a living.”

During her time at Auburn University, Grae studied musical theatre. As fate would have it, the singer got cast on a show called “The Glee Project” her senior year of college, marking her first ‘big break’ and the first time she had been West of the Mississippi River. The journey led her to Hollywood, where she learned important lessons that she would not have learned otherwise.

The Turning Point:

Despite how incredible the show was, Grae knew she wanted something different. Deciding against going to New York City to try out for Broadway, Grae hightailed it to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue her heart’s desire. Growing up, she recalls country music being a staple of her youth. Artists like Martina McBride and Reba were her inspirations.

“I actually wanted to go back to my roots in country music and move to Nashville,” she recalled, when discussing this time in her life,” adding later, “I moved to Nashville right after that show. I’ve been here now writing and releasing music, touring, just really doing it from grassroots.”

Now a Nashville transplant for over a decade, Grae realizes how influential country music has been throughout her whole life. “I was listening to a lot of country music and realized I was that little girl singing ‘Concrete Angel’ in Kindergarten. […] I related so deeply to the lyrics.”

Grae continued to find her people and hone her craft through her years in Nashville. She has become a positive role model and a light for many, who are fans of her music. “I feel honored to walk the walk that I am in country music, being a lesbian country music singer. There’s still a lot of work to be done. […] For me personally, I just want to be that encouraging voice to anyone who is in a small town, who is in a conservative time […] if I could help a child not have to undo something because of my music, then it’s priceless.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Grae is at the point in her career where she is confident and truly herself. “There’s so many supportive voices and there’s so many minorities being lifted up right now by the industry,” she shared. Adding, “I’m not chasing anything anymore other than writing great music and making art.”

That sentiment describes Grae’s music beautifully. We chatted with the songstress about two of her poignant songs, including “Still Your Mother.” The track resonated with people everywhere for its vulnerable lyrics and somber honesty about miscarrying before giving birth to her rainbow baby girl. “I had never put pen to paper about the experience of my miscarriage before,” she began, “I finally felt like I was ready to talk about this and sing about this.” She went on to add, “When I wrote “Still Your Mother” I just wanted to honor the life that was lost and for that little boy to have his own legacy and song.”

On the flip side, Grae has the ability to showcase multiple facets of her personality through her music. Most recently, the singer-songwriter released “I Think About You.” The song was inspired by all the exes that came out of the woodwork, once Grae went public with her now, wife. “There was this thru-line of like ‘I don’t understand how you don’t think about me,'” shared the singer, when thinking about what all her exes would say when they reached out to her.

Grae even let Country Swag followers in on a little secret about the song and its lyrics. “When you’re listening to “I Think About You” you’re probably going to think it’s about one person. […] But really, what this song is about, every single lyric is about a different ex of mine.”

It is safe to say that this is only just the start for the songstress. She has more music in the works for the top of next year, as well as, tour dates on the books. Hopefully, Grae will even get to go out on tour with her fellow class of 2021 CMT Next Women of Country comrades too!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Harper Grae, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Harper Grae’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.

Exclusive Interview with MacKenzie Porter Talking All Things Music & More

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Country Swag recently chatted with MacKenzie Porter, almost exactly a year after we first introduced her in our Artist Spotlight Series. Read our exclusive interview as we caught up with the songstress below!

Mackenzie Porter

Mackenzie Porter, Photo Credit: Bree Marie Fish

MacKenzie Porter has had quite the year, so far. Between new music, receiving multiple nominations for a slew of awards, and joining a national tour with Jordan Davis, the budding star has showed no signs of slowing down. 

On the topic of tour, Porter shares, “My favorite part of tour so far is hearing people get excited and sing back every single lyric of Thinking ‘Bout You!” She adds, “So many people know that song, and it’s such a cool feeling.”

Earlier this year, Porter collaborated with Dustin Lynch on “Thinking ‘Bout You,” which is currently sitting in the Top 15 at Country Radio. The duet has already completely changed her career – it’s one of the biggest hits of the year – and it has also given Porter a new music friend to celebrate wins with. “Dustin is such a good guy,” she begins. “He is truly a beautiful human being. He’s been taking me out on the road with him and he’s included me in so much stuff. It’s been really cool,” Porter adds.

 

“Dustin & I were talking earlier today about getting to celebrate those wins together. Normally, as an artist, it’s just yourself and you’re like, ‘go me!’. But, when you have another person, you can kind of feed off of each other. Him and I go back and forth texting like, ‘it’s 16 this week, it’s 15 this week!'”

The incredibly infectious track is not the first big hit under Porter’s belt. Her Drinkin’ Songs project includes multiple singles that went #1 and top 5 in Canada. The project also includes deeper cuts that fans still really gravitate towards, like the cleverly catchy “Drive Thru”.

 

Porter shared the story behind that song with us during our conversation. “I wrote that with Natalie Hemby and Tommy English. We were in Tommy’s basement studio and Natalie, who’s one of my favorite writers, came in with the title,” she says. “’Drive-Thru what you’re talking about.’ Like how could we make this like a country, like a sassy, Lizzo thing? We were just thinking about what is that for girls? being like, ‘oh, hell no, you’re not going to call me whenever you want.’ It was a really fun day writing that.”

As for what’s next, Porter is currently working on her next project slated for release early next year. Hinting at what’s to come, Porter tells us, “It’s a whole new project, and one song ‘Unlonely Me’ is out now.” She added,  “I cut a new one yesterday called “Pickup” and I’m really, really excited for it. I just feel like it could be a special one.” 

 

It is safe to say that Porter is on her way to taking over country music in the United States. She already is back home in Canada and it’s only a matter of time before she makes her name a mainstay here too. To catch MacKenzie Porter on tour with Jordan Davis, visit her website here. 

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

To keep up with MacKenzie Porter follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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

 

who-is-britney-spencer

Who Is Brittney Spencer? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-britney-spencer

Brittney Spencer // Photo Credit: Nicki Fletcher

The Beginning:

There is nothing we love more than supporting female country artists in the industry. Today, we get to highlight a rising female artist that we have been loving, Brittney Spencer. Spencer is an incredible vocalist, songwriter, and overall entertainer, with an interesting journey to the genre.

Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, the singer-songwriter did not have a typical southern upbringing that you see so often with country artists. Despite that, music was a defining pillar in her childhood. “Music was everywhere,” she tells us. “I was singing in the choir when I was three or four years old.”

Both Spencer’s father and late uncle sang, but it was her Dad who really was captivated by music the most. “My family always had a high appreciation for music, and they were always open to hearing different styles as well, so that was always really cool about my family,” she shared.  Spencer later added, “My dad blasts music all around the house all the time, ever since I was a kid. And now I find myself blasting music too.”

As a child, Spencer was exposed to Pop, Hip-hop, R&B, and eventually country music. “I was the first person in my family really to dive into country music and they got on board with that as well. It’s so fun watching my family always expanding their repertoire.”

Spencer recalls listening to the alternative rock radio station on the bus on the way to school each morning. Unbeknownst to her, the radio station would play all different artists, including country musicians. Because of this Spencer became fans of artists like The Chicks, Taylor Swift, and Shania Twain. Of course, the songstress also names John Mayer, Norah Jones, Beyonce, Britney Spears, and India Arie, as some of her inspirations as well.

The Turning Point:

Spencer had a few moments in her life that became turning points to lead her to pursuing country music for a living. “When I heard The Chicks, they made me love country music and I went on this entire escapade of finding every country radio station that I could and I started watching CMT,” she tells us. “I got deep in to it and I loved it […] and a few years later, I found Taylor Swift and there was something about her that made me feel like I could do country music.”

Between the poetry and the storytelling of country music, and finally realizing what the genre was, Spencer became infatuated with the genre. In love with the stories, the singer began to watch documentaries on artists as well. After watching two documentaries, one on Reba, and one on Taylor Swift, Spencer discovered the common thread between the two: Nashville.

She thought to herself, “I don’t know how far I can go, but I should go to Nashville and give this thing a shot, and I did.”

In Nashville, Spencer worked to hone her craft as an artist and as as songwriter. “For me country music is my songwriting and the storytelling that really grounds me in this space.” Spencer later added, “To be able to come to Nashville and bring all of those influences and these melting pot of sounds, that I’ve just been engaged in heavily since I was a kid. It’s an honor, I’ve been meeting so many people like that.”

Today:

Flash forward to present day, Spencer has been named a CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2021 and is on an exciting trajectory with her career. As a self-proclaimed “country-alternative artist,” the songstress has as sound and a vibe all her own. It is clearly resonated across fanbases, as Spencer is currently on the road with Jason Isbell and Brett Eldredge on their respective tours.

Most recently, the singer even put out a song called “Sober and Skinny.” The acoustic and lyrically-focused tune is both a vibe and a heartbreaker. The song came to fruition during a Zoom write, where Spencer came to her co-writers with the idea and a chorus.

“It’s not exactly autobiographical, but I was able to draw on several of my experiences. It was really cool and it challenged me creatively to write about something that wasn’t directly how I felt, but something that was inspired by my thoughts, my experiences.”

According to Spencer, the song has become one of her favorites and set her off on a new level in her artistry as well. “Sober and Skinny was a huge turning point from me creatively. My Compassion EP was so personal, so writing this song was an opportunity to step outside of myself a bit. It really put me on the trajectory that I am which is writing stories.”

Spencer promises that there are more stories and songs on the horizon, coming most likely at the top of 2022. Until then, fans can continue to stream her previously released music and catch her on the road during her upcoming tour dates.

who-is-brittney-spencer

Connect:

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

To keep up with Brittney Spencer, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Brittney Spencer’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-john-king

Who Is John King? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-john-king
The Beginning:

This week our spotlight shines on John King, an incredible singer-songwriter in country music. King grew up in a little town in Northeast Georgia, where he honed his craft as a songwriter and fell in love with music.

“There isn’t a whole lot to do there,” began King. “It was pretty much sports or music as your entertainment options.” Although he was an athlete, the artist recalls always singing in church and loving music. “My mom bought me my first guitar, when I was ten or eleven and I learned some chords.”

Growing up, King was exposed to many genres of music. “My dad was a big classic rock, hard rock guy and my mom was a country fan and the singer-songwriter fan, so it was a good blend of both worlds,” adding later, “They both always inspired me to chase after that and become so much better.” King names artists like Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Steve Earl, and The Allman Brothers as some early inspiration.

He continued to pursue music throughout his elementary and teen years. “I always loved music and was a lover of music first, and just a fan. I just started studying the way songs were written, the way chords worked, and the way melodies and lyrics made me feel.” King recalls seriously writing music in middle school, filling up pages and pages in his notebook. “I wrote 100s of songs when I was a kid.”

The Turning Point:

Eventually, King headed off to the University of Georgia, where he learned even more about the music industry. “I think it really clicked for me when I went off to college at the University of Georgia,” he shared. “I was taking some classes there in songwriting, I was a music business minor. […] That’s kind of where I discovered I needed to go to Nashville.”

After college, King made the move to Nashville, where he was quickly met with opportunity and a whole lot of talent.  “When I came here, I couldn’t believe the amount of talent,” shared the singer. “I was like I have to get way better, way faster,” he joked.

Since coming to Nashville, King has found his own artistry, while finding inspiration in the singer-songwriters of the world. “Those are the people I grew up heavily influenced by. You know the Eric Church’s, the Johnny Cash’s and all these people that were artists, but they were writers too.” His sound is now a fusion of all the genres he has grown to love, such as rock and country.

Today:

Flash forward to today, King just released his debut album, Always Gonna Be You. A dream come true, the record is the singer’s re-introduction to who he is as a human and as an artist. As someone who writes a lot of songs, the ten that made the cut were hand-selected and meticulously selected by the singer and his team.

“I remember that feeling of listening to album from top down, first song to last song. And for me, I wanted it to feel like that for my fans and I wanted it to flow and have a purpose and a message.” Later King added, “It really is an autobiographical record, my story. Starting in small town, Georgia, meeting my wife there in my hometown […] and now to our life with as a married couple with our baby girl. […] It really is the story of me.”

One of the songs that stands out on the brand new project is the lead single, “Try Saying Goodbye.” According to King, “That song was just one of those gifts. We knew what we wanted to say that day. It just kind of just poured out.” The song, though heartbreaking, is one that has resonated with fans from all walks of life.

“It really started the trajectory for this album,” began King. “It kind of made me like re-tune a little bit, about what I wanted to say. When I saw the way fans reacted to the song, I needed to make sure that every song that I put on this record is just full of truth and really speaks honestly.”

The record is definitely honest, vulnerable, and deep, all reasons why fans will continue to fall in love with King. There is so much more in store for the artist. Be on the lookout for more music and shows in the near future!

Connect:

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

To keep up with John King, follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Always Gonna Be You 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 Lily Rose? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

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Lily Rose // Photo Credit: John Shearer

The Beginning:

This week’s Swag Spotlight artist is someone you may already know and if you don’t, you will. Lily Rose is an absolute force in the country music industry right now. She first burst on to the scene just a year ago, and has already won the hearts of millions of country fans everywhere. Learn more about her artistry, her new EP Stronger Than I Am, and her journey below.

A Georgia-native, Rose grew up with a supportive and music loving family. “I grew up in a household where music was always playing,” she shared. “My parents did not play instruments, but there was always music playing.” Although she did not grow up around musicians, her parents noticed a knack for music and rhythm in Rose at just nine years old. Her parents bought her a drum set and subsequently a guitar, which she taught herself. 

She credits her parents for her early musical influences, as well as their unconditional support in her and her interests. “My parents would take me to concerts when I was just eleven years old. And they let me stay and watch the guys in Mexican restaurants sing ‘one more song’,” she laughs. “They always fed into whatever my passions were and I think it’s really important for parents to do that outside of sports and academics.”

More specifically, Rose’s father introduced her to the likes of artists like Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys. According to the singer, “My biggest songwriting and country influence is really Bruce Springsteen. […] I think he’s the best songwriter of all time.” The songstress also found inspiration in Taylor Swift, when she was a freshman in high school, due to her relatable storytelling.

“She really was the encouragement and the push over the edge to start writing songs. How do I write something that my friends feel relatable with,” shared Rose of Swift. “ I kind of just explored that without any seriousness all through high school.”

At fifteen years old, Rose started songwriting and cultivating her own musical interests. “I’m really thankful that I didn’t try to hone in to one genre. I’m super influenced by different artists like NEEDTOBREATHE, Ben Rector, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift, while also loving country music. I just continue to make music even through my move to Nashville that just felt like me,” exclaimed the singer-songwriter.

The Turning Point:

Although some would say that moving to Nashville and joining TikTok was the biggest turning point in her career, Rose reflects on a specific turning point much earlier on. The songstress discovered country music for herself when she turned sixteen and had her own radio. “It was “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Dirt Road Anthem”. I never turned back. Country is what I was listening to the most,” shared the singer of truly falling for the genre. With that being said, Rose’s music is still heavily influenced by the likes of John Mayer, Maroon Five, the pop-rock scene, and of course, rappers like Kendrick Lamar and J Cole. 

After beginning to play open mic nights in college, Rose realized that music was exactly what she wanted to do for a living. She found herself moving to Nashville soon after. When she arrived and started to co-write with other artists on the scene, Rose recalls thinking, “This is the music I’ve been trying to make over the last eight years.”

Soon after in October 2020, Rose downloaded TikTok, and the era of “Villain,”, her viral hit was born. “To put it into perspective, 365 days ago I did not have TikTok,” she declares. “It’s insane what’s happened in the last 9.5 months, let alone, the last year.”

Today:

Today, the singer gets to officially celebrate all the success culminating with the release of her new EP Stronger Than Me. The seven-song project was crafted thoughtfully over the last several months by Rose and her team. “The project as a whole has one theme that I look at on all seven of these songs, it’s what made “Villain,” which is relatability.” Adding later, “All of them have a really cool way of saying ‘I’m heartbroken’ or ‘I need to get over you’ or ‘I haven’t gotten over you,’ just so many ways in country music that this is topic is done over and over again. We found titles and hooks or we wrote titles and hooks in ways that have never been done before in country music.”

The EP is a unique collection of songs that Rose has penned, as well as songs that she selected in order to fill out her setlist. Interestingly, the singer has gotten to sing all these songs at her live shows over the past few months. “It’s really special that all of these songs I’ve been playing live and if you’ve been to a show, people have heard these already. So what I’m excited about is to see the growth of the song and see people sing them back.”

Every song is special in its own right, but the title track is the song that speaks to Rose the most. “I feel like the “Villain” chapter of the last ten months is turning into the “Stronger Than I Am” chapter,” she begins, “There’s a reason that, that song is the title track, that song stands above the others. I think it’s really one of the best written country songs that I’ve heard in a long time.”

Fans can catch Rose on tour with Chris Lane this concert season. Find tickets for the show at lilyrosemusic.net. Also make sure you give the EP a listen to below!

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Lily Rose’s debut project, ‘Stronger Than I Am’ is out now

Connect:

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

To keep up with Lily Rose, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Lily Rose’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 Brooke Moriber? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

Brooke-moriber

Brooke Moriber

The Beginning:

We love introducing our community to up and coming artists in the country music world. Today we get to introduce you to a New York native, Brooke Moriber. The songstress is both a stellar songwriter and a powerhouse vocalist. Her story is one of resilience, strength, and perseverance. 

“I grew up in Greenwich Village, a super artsy neighborhood in Manhattan,” shared Moriber. Due to her Manhattan upbringing, the singer was able to fall in love with all sorts of musical genres. “I was exposed to every kind of music under the sun and I always wanted to be a performer, since before I could remember,” she tells us.

Growing up, both of her parents were formerly involved in the arts. Because of that, they were hesitant about Moriber getting involved in the industry. “I actually got my first professional gig at eight years old. I begged my parents to bring me to the audition,” she recalls. As a child, Moriber landed the coveted role of the child Cosette on the popular Broadway Show Les Miserables. “I feel very very blessed that, that was my first intro to performing at any capacity.”

This started the songstress on the trajectory to perform for a living; despite, always having a desire to share her own story. She found inspiration in artists like Linda Ronstadt and Billy Joel, but truly loved many genres. “It ranged from 90s hiphop, to grunge to people like Sheryl Crow, Sara McLachlan, and Shania Twain,” shared Moriber. “I guess that’s where some of the country comes out of me, but I was listening to everything,” she adds.

Unfortunately, when the singer was a teenager, she was diagnosed with a rare eye disease that left her blind for four years. After a painful and tough road, to the doctor’s surprise, her disease went into remission, allowing her to fulfill her dreams once again. “When I went into remission, I realized that I really felt the power of music had helped me heal through it and I got to the point where I didn’t want to tell other people’s stories anymore, I wanted to tell mine.”

The Turning Point:

Moriber continued to perform on Broadway and played gigs with her band as much as she could in New York City. However, it was after many people kept telling her to try out Nashville that she fell in love with another city. “Everyone kept telling me that the type of music you write and the subjects that you write, you should go to Nashville.”

Eventually, Moriber went out to Nashville to do some co-writes. Although hesitant at first, she ended up falling in love with the city. “I’m a very, very proud native New Yorker, and I never thought I’d fall in love with another place,” she begins, “But Nashville has become my second home,” she tells us.

Moriber later adedd, “After my first writing session, I just knew this was home. A lightbulb just went off, and I formed a family out there of friends and musicians, and I felt like they welcomed me with open arms.” It was then that she began to travel back and forth from New York to Nashville for work.

Later the true turning point came when the singer chatted with her agent. “I walked into my agent’s office at a certain point and I said don’t send me on auditions anymore, I’m going to Nashville. I need to pursue my recording career.” Moriber added, “I knew that if I didn’t take the opportunity now, I would never have the guts to do that again and this was always what I truly dreamed of in my heart of hearts.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Moriber is a signed artist with Reviver Entertainment Group. Her debut song, “The Town Made Us” is due out October 8th. We got an early listen to the song and we can attest to how good it is.

According to the singer, “I wrote it for my two hometowns. The two places that shape me and got me to this moment. All the things I’ve ever written about; resilient, strength, and overcoming challenge, those were the qualities that those two towns were showing during a really difficult time.”

If you are dying to listen to Moriber’s music now and cannot wait, then we encourage you to check out “In It Together” and “Better Days,” two songs that came out of Zoom writes during the Pandemic. On the latter, Moriber shares, “We were writing about being hopeful for the future, saying there’s going to be better days, I can feel it in my bones.” It is truly the anthem we need.

Fans can look forward to the release of her upcoming single, as well as the lyric video for “The Town That Made Us.” Moriber also promises more new music coming a the top of 2022. Be on the look out!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Brooke Moriber, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Brooke Moriber’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 Belles? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

The Beginning:

Country music touches fans all across the United States. Our Swag Spotlight artist this week, Belles is a shining example of that. Growing up in the middle of the country in Omaha, Nebraska, Belles fell in love with country music at an early age. She spent her childhood watching her mom on tour and falling in love one song at a time.

“I always wanted to do music, ever since I was a little kid. I wanted to be just like my mom and my aunts, and my grandma,” she begins. “My grandma was actually a Jazz singer in Chicago and then my mom was in a Pop band with her three sisters.” Despite the fact that her mom was in a Pop band, Belles credits her mother for introducing her to country music.

“I grew up listening to The Judds and Brooks & Dunn, and 90s country like Shania [Twain] and then Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, the [Dixie] Chicks were a huge influence,” shared the songstress. Belles also mentioned a love for artists like Dolly Parton, John Mayer, The Civil Wars, and Kacey Musgraves.

Although her grandmother had taught her to sing at an early age, it was not until she was fourteen that she started to perform. “When I was about 14, my mom was kind of playing coffee shops around Omaha and writing her own songs, and I asked to be her backup singer. It took a little bit of convincing,” she shares. Adding later, “Eventually she said yes and that kind of slowly turned into us becoming a duo.”

The Turning Point:

Belles took a short hiatus from music, when she followed the more traditional route after high school. She went to college for two years to pursue a degree in Chemistry with the hopes of becoming a doctor. “I ended up not really loving Chemistry,” she laughs. “I really just loved music and so after two years of that, I ended up moving to Nashville and started to write songs and meet as many people as I could.”

At nineteen years old, Belles made the move to Music City. Since being in the country music capital, the songstress worked to craft her songwriting and cultivate her artistry. She did not originally set out to pursue country music, but the organic nature of the genre captivated her. “I run the gamut of genres, but ultimately though, I just love country music,” declared Belles.

During her time in Nashville, Belles got a call from her friend and entertainer JoJo Siwa asking her to audition as an opener for Siwa’s tour. The songstress nailed the audition and Belles and her mother opened at arenas across the world for Siwa for an 82-city arena tour.

Although not used to the down time, the singer-songwriter continued to write songs even during quarantine, writing with anyone who wanted to write with her. “My goal was to write at least one song during every work day […] Through that, I grew so much as songwriter and as an artist.” She lated added, “I will always look back at it as a very pivotal time in my career.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Belles is making the transition to become her own artist, rather than a band with her mother and brother. She has already released her EP entitled All Hat No Cowboy. The record both introduces fans to her talent, as well as, showcases her personality.

“I like to write songs from a really strong female point of view, so when I was crafting this EP, I was really picking out songs that I felt like encapsulated my journey, a little bit of coming of age during the pandemic, and being this strong female figure that is really important to me,” she shared.

Belles also let us know that the EP was only supposed to be four tracks, but after a couple of songs went viral on TikTok, she knew she had to include them. “So I chose most of the songs and the people chose some of them as well.”

One song in particular, “Human Kindness”, was written during the pandemic and truly captures the emotive side of Belles. On the other hand, the title track, “All Hat No Cowboy” was one of the singer’s favorite tunes, but it almost did not make the project. Belles ultimately included the song because fans fell in love with it on social media.

Clearly this is only the beginning for Belles! After another stint out on the road for January through March with her mother and Siwa, the songstress promises there is more coming! “For the rest of the year, I’m going to be writing and playing a bunch of writer’s rounds here in Nashville and definitely playing shows next summer.” Another EP is likely on the horizon!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Belles, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Belles’ 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 Trey Lewis? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Trey Lewis? 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:

This week our spotlight shines on Birmingham, Alabama native, Trey Lewis. Lewis has been grinding in the music industry for over a decade. Although his viral song “Dicked Down In Dallas” might have introduced you to him, there is so much more to the singer-songwriter’s story. 

Despite the fact that Lewis did not start playing music until he was nineteen, he grew up loving music. “I remember looking at him and thinking man I might want to something like that someday. That’s pretty cool- being a songwriter,” he tell us, sharing about a family friend. As a child, the singer recalls listening to the music his mom and sister were into.

“I’ve always been a fan of country music […] In the 90s, back then we had a ton of female country singers. We had Jo Dee Messina, Lorrie Morgan, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, The Chicks, all these great female country artists.” Lewis also credits artists like Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and Jason Aldean as some of his early influences.

Over the years, his music taste began to widen. “When my sister went off to college and it was just me in the house, that’s where I started to find the music that I liked,” he shared. “I went through a rap phase and a hardcore metal phase, but like, I feel like country music was always a part of that.”

Unfortunately, Lewis hit a rough patch in his adolescence. He found himself in and out of jail and addicted to drugs. However, when he was nineteen he went to rehab and has been sober for the last fourteen years and counting. “Part of me getting sober, I was working at a smoothie shop and took half my paycheck and my grandfather gave me the other half and I went and bought a guitar and I taught myself how to play it.”

Lewis candidly added later, “Music totally saved my life. I don’t know where I would be without it.”

The Turning Point:

Though getting sober is what allowed him to pursue his dream of playing music for a living, Lewis’ endless drive and determination is what propelled his career forward. Three years ago, the singer-songwriter made the move to Nashville to pursue a music career.

Lewis spent time playing countless shows across the southeast of the United States. He played cover songs and some unreleased originals, garnering fan after fan. He continues to grow his organic fanbase, even to this day both in person and on social media.

The singer felt blessed to be making a living playing music, but yearned for some more success as his own artist. “I’ll never forget, that one day I’m driving around in my van and I was like,” he begins. “God if all you want me to do is play cover songs for a living, that’s fine, but wouldn’t it be cool for me to have a little success and show people to never give up.” Soon after that his song, “Dicked Down In Dallas” went viral.

His success on social media led him to share more and more original songs on TikTok, ultimately leading to his most recent EP, Shut the Door. “I’ve been sharing songs on TikTok and people were like ‘when is this song coming out?’ ‘when is this song coming out!?’” he tell us.  “I just said screw it, instead of doing a single, let’s just put five songs out.”

Today:

Lewis’ EP is a collection of five songs that really give the listener an inside look into what he is all about as a person and as an artist. Whether he wrote the song or chose to cut it, every song was hand-selected by Lewis. “My life is so different now where I’m at today. I’m finally making a decent living and things are great in my life. I feel like I’m turning the corner on a lot of stuff,” he shared, as he discussed the meaning behind the title track.

On the record, Lewis has more cheerful songs like “Backup Man” and more nostalgic songs like “Whatever Happened To That.” On one of our favorite songs off the project, “Anybody Other,” fans get a taste on the unapologetically authentic side of the singer. “I just am who I am and that’s all there is to it,” shares Lewis.

Ultimately, the project is solid. According to Lewis, “I do think all the songs do go together, sonically and lyrically. […] I feel like there’s a song on the EP for everybody even though every song is not for everybody.”

Fans can expect even more music coming soon too! “We’re going to keep coming at you all with more music and the best music we can.” There is truly no stopping Lewis!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Trey Lewis, follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Shut the Dooris 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.