who-is-matt-koziol

Who Is Matt Koziol? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-matt-koziol

The Beginning:

Today we are introducing you to a singer-songwriter that hails from the tristate area. Matt Koziol is a true-blue country-rock artist that you are going to want to keep on your radar. We chatted with the entertainer about his love for music, his move to Nashville, and everything in between.

Growing up in New Jersey, Koziol was surrounded by hardworking blue-collar people. Although most of his family was not musical, the singer knew at just two years old that he was born to do music for a living. “I had to be two or three, and someone put on a video tape of Elvis and I was like “that’s what I want… and it still hasn’t changed,” shared the singer.

Growing up, Koziol went on to sing in talent shows, choirs, and wherever he could. “Probably since the age of 7, I was singing,” he shared. “I was singing in choirs and doing all that, and then at 12, playing in bands.”

Finding inspiration in all kinds of genres, such as Motown, rock, and bluegrass music, Koziol chased his dream to perform and sing. “I played New York a ton. I played Philly a ton. The whole northeast was my wheelhouse,” shared the singer.

After a stint in Los Angeles, a town where he started songwriting, Koziol found himself moving to Nashville to continue to pursue his dream. Armed with influences like Bruce Springsteen and James Taylor, the young twenty-something year old at the time was ready for more.

The Turning Point:

After moving to Nashville, Koziol kicked his songwriting into high-gear, even signing a publishing deal with RX Songs. “I was brought on to be their country writer,” shared the singer-songwriter. Koziol added later, “When I moved here, I always called it the greatest masterclass in songwriting.” Later, the singer also signed on as an artist to RED Creative Group.

While in Nashville, the singer continued to study different artists and songwriters in the genre. Koziol shared a love for modern-day artists like Cody Johnson and HARDY, as well as, old-school country pros, like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. “When you go down the rabbit hole of the older generation like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, it really makes you think. Willie Nelson was a really prolific writer to me,” shared Koziol.

Most recently, the singer also expressed an admiration for Kacey Musgraves, even covering her song “Rainbow” on social media. “When you look at the caliber of the three people who wrote that song, that’s what got me to want to sing it,” shared Koziol. “When I have a melody that I don’t have to work out and it just feels like, I go “okay, this is it.” It’s such a beautiful song.”

Today:

Of course, Koziol is also releasing music of his own. With a ten song album in the works and slated for release sometime in the spring, the singer is excited to be sharing his own music with the world. Most recently, the artist released his song “Slow Burn.” Written by Koziol with Wes Harllee, the song is enticing and emotive.

“We talked about past relationships […] and they ended in kind of similar ways,” shares the singer, when asked about the inspiration for the new track. “Being the people that we are, we didn’t take a lot of the anger that we had, we kind of tucked it back.” The song is a true personification of the grieving process that we all go through after a break-up.

Koziol shares, “It’s such a slow burn to get over something that took so much of our energy,” adding later, “We tried to write things that were visually honest and somewhat visceral.” It is safe to say that the singer-songwriter accomplished that!

If “Slow Burn” is any inclination of what fans can expect from the forthcoming full-length project than we are in for a great record. Fans can look forward to more new music and more touring by the singer in the months to come.

Connect:

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

To keep up with Matt Koziol, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Matt Koziol’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-breland

Who Is Breland? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-breland

The Beginning:

It is quite evident that the recording artist, Breland is a star in the making! Breland is indisputably an artist to pay attention to. The Jersey native has quite the collection of collaborations that serve as a testament to the music community’s appreciation for his undeniable talent. We chatted with the singer-songwriter to learn more about his journey so far.

“My parents are both ministers and they lead worship at church and they met in a gospel choir, so growing up there was a lot of gospel music around the house,” begins Breland. “They are probably the most talented married couple vocally that I’ve ever come across,” shares the singer. Later, the entertainer paid more homage to his parents. “I definitely credit them for some of the things I am doing now vocally, in terms of arrangement and even melodies as a songwriter.”

Despite his family’s obvious talent and inspiration, Breland honed his artistry during his time away at boarding high school. “Being able to establish my own identity away at high school was really pivotal. I just started telling people on campus that I was an artist,” shared the singer.

The Turning Point:

After high school, Breland continues his education by heading to business school at Georgetown University. While in college, the singer-songwriter decided he wanted to keep grinding in the music industry.

“I kind of decided I wanted to kick things up a notch with music, so I started looking for mentors that could give me meaningful feedback with what I was doing,” shared the singer, adding, “I just started cold reaching out to different producers […] Eventually, some people listened and they were down in Atlanta, which motivated me move there after college.”

Breland truly embodies a passion for the industry. “You can only control your effort. You can only control how you treat people and you can only control your mastery of the craft. I think for me it was a combination of all three of those things,” shared the artist.

While in Atlanta, Breland added more genres to his catalog of music interests. “I kind of developed an appreciation for country music around that time because it was my first time truly living in the south. I was like man these people in country music have figured something out, there’s a formula that they have that I would like to figure out, I want to tap in.”

The singer also credits artists like Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, Drake, Nelly, and Justin Bieber as some of his inspirations. When it comes to songwriting, Breland shared,”it’s a lot of Motown music like 60s and 70s, the evolution of pop.”

Today:

Breland burst on to the scene with his cross-genre hit, “My Truck,” According to the singer, “’My Truck’” was kind of a demo I had made after living in Atlanta for a few years and there was enough of me in it that I wanted to put it out independently.” This song was the starting point of Breland’s desire to explore the crossroads between the country and hip-hop genres.

“I was really interested in the intersection between country and hip hop, giving that they are both the preeminent genres in the south and recognizing that there’s not really a whole lot that separates the listener base if you look at every factor, other than race.”

Breland also credits the collaborations in hip hop music as his inspiration for his own collaborations. So far in his young career, the singer has already dropped music with Nelly, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Mickey Guyton, and more. “I don’t really go into any of these things thinking I have to be on this song as an artist, I just want to create something and whatever is meant to happen will happen,” shared Breland.

Just this week, Breland premiered his latest collab, a brand new song “Praise The Lord” featuring Thomas Rhett, which the two performed together Monday Night (March 7th) on the ACM Awards. “I know that it’s a song that’s sticky, it definitely gets into people’s heads, and it’s kind of different and adds something cool to the country algorithm. And to have Thomas Rhett on it, I think will really surprise a lot of people and make perfect sense.”

Breland also revealed his debut album, CROSS COUNTRY will be out early this summer.

Connect:

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

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

Breland’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-are-nashvillains

Who Are the Nashvillains? The Story Behind Their Journey to Country Music

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Who Are the Nashvillains? The country-rock trio joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the rising stars here…

who-are-nashvillains

Nashvillains // Photo credit: Annie Noelker

The Beginning:

Today our spotlight shines on one of the most unique acts in country music right now. The Nashvillains, comprised of three incredible musicians, Troy Johnson, Brett Boyett, and Scott Lindsey are a band you are going to want to know about ASAP. The trio is a true gift to music fans.

Johnson, Boyett, and Scott were all primed for success in the music industry at an early age. They all lived full and prosperous lives, prior to forming their band. Nashvillains’ lead singer, Johnson has been playing music all his life. “I have always done it since the age of 5, I kind of woke up singing and I just haven’t stopped. Music has always been the trajectory of my life.” The singer headed to Belmont University in Nashville for college and has been cutting his teeth in the industry since.

Scott also attended Belmont University around the same time. “I’m originally from a place called Beaver Dam, Kentucky, in the heart of bluegrass music,” shared the band member. “I was raised on music and I thought everyone played music, baseball, and basketball growing up.” Scott grew up heading to writes in Nashville with his father, as well as, playing gigs at honky-tonks in music city at as early as sixteen.

Nashvillains’ guitar player and record producer, Boyett got his start in his home state of Colorado. The artist even studied classical guitar, when he attended college in Texas. “I was playing the country circuit in Texas and I was writing songs and he encouraged me to move to Nashville,” shared Boyett about the encouragement he got from George Jones’ bass player. The artist also played in a rock band in New York City, but it was in Los Angeles, where he really honed his skills as a composer and as a songwriter.

Boyett’s faithful move to LA, where he worked on shows like Reba and wrote and produced, the highly-acclaimed feature ‘Forever My Girl’, was the start of the Nashvillains. He just did not know it yet!

The Turning Point:

While working on Forever My Girl, Boyett hired Johnson to sing the demos and background vocals. The two immediately bonded and formed a working friendship. Boyett also was introduced to Scott, during the same time in his life. “We hit it off and I started talking about how I was moving back to Nashville and I wanted to work with this singer I had been using for demos, Troy Johnson, and he was like, ‘oh yeah, I know Troy. We write for the same publishing company.'”

As it turned out, both Scott and Johnson had offices across the hall from one another at the publishing company and knew each other well. After the trio all became friends, Boyett finally pitched his idea of the Nashvillains to the men. “I had this idea of the Nashvillains, this kind of dark, country, cinematic country thing and we all got together,” shared Boyett.

After some convincing, both Scott and Johnson were on board, and the trio that is Nashvillains was born.

Today:

Fans can look forward to the Nashvillains debut album Tumbling Down coming out this Friday, March 4th. “I think that our uniqueness comes from the fact that we actually did draw from each other’s unique backgrounds,” shared the trio. “There’s a lot of different influences in this band. We all three have such diverse backgrounds with where we are from and the music we grew up on.”

The record is a complete concept album that is a unique conglomerate of everything that makes the trio mesh together effortlessly.“We’re all kinda musicologists in a sense that we get all the genres, but we each have a different proclivity to play. And I think because of that a push and pull that’s what creates the [Nashvillains.]”

Tumbling Down is both unique and relatable, begging listeners to listen to the project from start to finish. “One of the coolest things about this is that people should listen to the album from start to finish. It’s a concept album, so there’s an overall story and an arc to the entire album, so each song relates to the next one,” begins the band. “We hadn’t heard of anyone else doing that in country music, so we thought that might be a really cool approach to take with this and we had a pretty good story that we thought would work and we kind of wrote around that.”

Fans can also anticipate unique instrumentation to go along with the rock-country vibes of the upcoming project.“I think we’ve really embodied the name ‘Nashvillains.’ We’re definitely country and we’re definitely based in Nashville, but we sort of have a skewed view of what the Nashvillains sound is and we can kinda explore.”

Country music fans can look forward to the trio supporting the record with tour dates in the upcoming months. Until then, make sure you check back this Friday for our full review of the record!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Nashvillains, follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“Tumbling Down” 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.

minnie-murphy

Who Is Minnie Murphy? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-minnie-murphy

The Beginning:

Some people are just born to be in the industry, and Minnie Murphy is one of those artists. A singer-songwriter with music in her veins, Murphy knows how to craft a lyric and a good song. She shares with Country Swag all about her journey thus far.

“I was born in California but we moved to Washington state when I was a baby,” begins the songstress. At an early age, Murphy recalls her parents playing music professionally. “I just kind of grew up around it and my parents played four nights a week. […] That whole lifestyle is what I’ve always known.”

She credits her parents as early influences on her musical interests. Murphy’s musical inspirations run the gamut of genres. She loves classic rock, country, and even Jazz music. “I’ve just kind of soaked it all in. I love R&B and Jazz singers, that probably might be my first love,” she shared. “The vocalists, the real Jazzy singers that do a lot of improv and scatting, but country music has always been a part of me. I love the values instilled in it and I love Nashville.”

At ten years old, Murphy learned how to play piano, which eventually led to her songwriting too.“Once I learned that basic theory, I started writing songs,” she shared, adding later, “In high school, my dad and I would come to Nashville and do co-writing with other writers in town. We put together a 5 song demo and pitched it to some labels.” This led to a series of adventures in Nashville for the singer.

The Turning Point:

Fresh out of high school, Murphy landed a record deal with SONY. Unfortunately, the singer never released music, under the label, due to a merger that left her without a label. Not one to give up, Murphy cut her teeth at the Nashville bars and restaurants, and eventually landed herself another record deal.

When that deal fell through too, the songstress still did not quit! Murphy utilized her connections to land herself a publishing deal at Johnny Morris’ company. “I put my apron down and I walked in there by myself and I asked if I could be a writer. And I’ve been there for the past eight years,” declared the artist.

After several years working as a writer, something began to shift in Murphy. She credits having a son and really honing her skills as a songwriter for giving her the courage and the desire to work as an artist again.“Working at this publishing company and getting better as a songwriter and then having a son, that’s what kind of  made me want to put music out again.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, fans can rejoice in Murphy’s newest single, “Get Over It.” Written by the singer with Don Bedell and Trafton Harvey, the song feels like an old-school country song. “We were like how should we write this and we kicked around some different angles, but we usually resort to a drinking song if we get stuck, and I just thought that the title fit.”

Murphy took that retro-country inspiration to turn the song into one of her favorite tracks that she has ever been a part of. The single is the first of many singles off the songstress’ upcoming debut album. “I just thought, I should make an album and build off this vibe,” shared Murphy. “We’re going to release some singles off of the LP. It’s seven songs and then we’ll put the whole thing out.”

Fans can look forward to this next chapter for Murphy. She will continue to be cutting songs and crafting songs over the next year. Keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Minnie Murphy follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Minnie Murphy’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-noah-guthrie

Who Is Noah Guthrie? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-noah-guthrie

The Beginning:

Today our spotlight shines on an artist you may know! Noah Guthrie is a rising singer-songwriter and actor from South Carolina. A fixture on the last season of the popular show ‘Glee’ and a semi-finalist on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ Guthrie’s journey is one for the storybooks.

“I’m from upstate, South Carolina. I’ve been around music my whole life. I kind of grew up watching my dad and my stepmom do a lot of studio singing,” begins the entertainer during our interview. According to Guthrie, singing was something he loved from an early age. He credits his parents for always being supportive of his dreams throughout his childhood and even now.

“When I got to high school, me and my brother started playing in a band together,” shares the singer. The blues band helped transform Guthrie from a shy kid to a bonafide entertainer. “Once I got on stage and realized that the stage was where I could really show this other side of me – I was a pretty shy kid growing up […] But when I got on stage, I got to be this frontman of this band and that was a fun thing.”

Guthrie always knew he was interested in music. During high school he utilized his talents, posting cover songs on YouTube and practicing writing lyrics. Some of his videos went viral, pushing the trajectory of his career to new heights.

The Turning Point:

With a love for rock music, such as Led Zeppelin and The Killers, Guthrie garnered fans across the country.“I got lucky when I was posting these cover songs to get my name out there when I was in my teens. I had some luck with that,” shared Guthrie, adding, “People wanted me to come play for them. Me and my and my dad hit the road for a bunch of shows in the early days.”

It was not until later on in life that the singer-songwriter discovered country music. “One artist that had a huge impact on me and my style would be Ray LaMontagne,” shared the singer.

Guthrie took his love for music and his early found success and catapulted it to a stint on Glee and later,  America’s Got Talent. “They brought me on the show for the last season and it was killer and I gained a lot of fans from that,” shared the singer about Glee.

“I just kind of picked up fans from all different areas along the way.”

Today:

Flash forward to now, Guthrie has three albums under his belt. Most recently, the rising artist released Blue Wall. Interestingly, the record has a handful of solo writes on the tracklist, showcasing the singer’s incredible songwriting prowess.

“I think the album is probably 50/50 solo and co-writes. These are songs that I’ve been playing for a while,” shared Guthrie, “They’re songs that me and my band have been touring and people have reacted well to [them].”

According to the singer, one of his all-time favorites off the new record is the title track – a true love letter to his hometown. “My favorite, favorite, is probably the title track “Blue Wall.” It’s a song about my home,” shared the singer, letting us know the ‘blue wall’ refers to the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Guthrie plans to continue to champion this record throughout the year, as he works on getting some shows on the books. As always though, the singer will definitely get started on new projects and music before the year is up. Fans can also look forward to more livestreams and just more of Guthrie in general!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Noah Guthrie, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Noah Guthrie’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.

nate-smith-number-one

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

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

who-is-nate-smith

Nate Smith // Photo by Robby Klein

The Beginning:

Today we share with you the humbling story about Nate Smith’s success in the industry. The newly signed SONY music artist is both an incredible vocalist and talented songwriter. Although it has not always been easy for Smith, he shared his story with us in a way that shows faith, humility, and empathy. It is hard not to love him!

Growing up in a small California town called Paradise, Smith always gravitated towards music. “I would play guitar and stuff, and always bother my brother with my singing,” he shared, recalling sharing a bunk bed with his sibling. Music was always on his mind “I just loved singing. It felt as natural as breathing. […] Eventually, when I started playing guitar and stuff, I was like I’m going to play on stage,” shared Smith.

The singer recalls watching Garth Brooks perform on television, and credits both Brooks and Elvis for his early love of singing. “There’s so many artists, a lot of rock, and pop, and some country as well that I love.” Smith also credits his father for his love of Classic Rock and reflects on his own love of bands like Blink 182 and Creed.

The melting pot of musical influences helped Smith curate his own unique sound and voice. At just 23 years old, the singer made the move to Nashville, and got himself a publishing deal. After a tragedy struck, Smith made the difficult decision to go back home to California, leaving music behind for what he thought would be for good.

The Turning Point:

If it was not for another tragic event in 2018 and the love and belief from his friends and family, Smith may have not found his way back to music. “In 2018, in Paradise, my hometown where I grew up, we had a wildfire happen,” shared the singer. “I lost everything that I ever had and a friend of mine sent me a guitar, and I began writing songs just about that experience” he added.

The hardship really inspired Smith to start writing music again. He credits his friends for convincing him to move back to Nashville to pursue his dream. After playing at a few festivals thanks to Melissa Carbone, Smith was able to secure himself a management deal. Through pure heart, and hustle, the singer made connections that led him to his SONY Music Nashville record deal. “They offered me a deal and I could not believe it […] When I signed with SONY, I had $14 left in my account.”

For Smith, this whole experience was truly something out of a storybook. “I definitely look at it as a second chance at life.”

Today:

Now, as a signed artist, Smith is connecting with fans across genres. His newest single, “I Don’t Want To Go To Heaven” is a true masterpiece. Its haunting, innovative, and incredible in every way. Written by Smith with Dan Fernandez, the song was inspired by the way the singer tries to live his life each day.

This whole concept just started happening organically, it was one of the easiest writes ever for both of us,” begins Smith. “It’s just about not taking anything for granted and the people and the things you have right now.”

The song resonated so much with Smith and his fans that the singer just released another version of the mesmerizing track. The new version features a choir. Smith got the idea after listening to a song called “I Found” by Amber Run. “The choir just gave us chills, they brought something so special to that song, that would never have happened without them.” Smith goes on to add, “I honestly probably love it more than the original because it has the extra thing about it.”

Smith also shared with us that there is going to be a third version of “I Don’t Want To Go To Heaven” released soon. The new rendition will feature another artist on the tune. Until then, fans can anticipate more new music coming down the pipeline by the artist, as he shares that he is writing every day and cutting new tracks as we speak. This is sure to be a big year for Smith!

Connect:

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

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

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

who-is-elizabeth-lyons

Who Is Elizabeth Lyons? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-elizabeth-lyons

The Beginning:

A couple of years ago we introduced you to a talented singer-songwriter and one-woman show, Elizabeth Lyons. We caught up with Lyons again to touch base on how her career has blossomed since we last spoke!

Lyons is a Midwestern girl who has had music in her soul since she was a kid. “Since a young age, I’ve always loved music. I basically learned my letters, so that I could learn to play piano,” she tells us, adding, “I joined church choir […]. I auditioned for musical theatre until I made the music theatre production and I ended up being in 18 musicals. So I always performed.”

Fresh out of high school, the songstress embarked on a new journey south to Nashville, Tennessee, where she simultaneously was a student at Vanderbilt University and an intern at a music publishing company. For her, everything shifted when she saw Florida Georgia Line’s song “Cruise” take off, despite the fact that they were newcomers on the music scene.

“[They] inspired me to use word of mouth marketing to do what I needed to do to follow my dreams because I wasn’t super confident when I moved down to Nashville, being an artist.” By the time she reached her senior year of college, Lyons released her debut EP which garnered accolades on iTunes. The singer credits both Florida Georgie Line and Taylor Swift as two artists, who inspired her on her path. “I attribute Taylor for helping me move down to Nashville and Florida Georgia Line for making me pursue my dream.” Of course, Lyons shared that she also loves artists like The Chicks, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and the Spice Girls.

The Turning Point:

Lyons really took her education at Vanderbilt University and in the Nashville community to heart. She worked endlessly to create a career that made the most sense for her, all while garnering a dedicated fanbase.

As an independent artist, Lyons is finding success in country music, especially in regards to the festival circuit. Most recently, the singer-songwriter played with artists like Jordan Davis and Jimmie Allen. In the past, Lyons has shared the stage with the likes of Sam Hunt and Luke Bryan, as well as, played shows at many festivals across the United States.

The trajectory of her career continues to change and blossom throughout the years. Most recently, the pandemic deepened her connection to music.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Lyons has her first-ever full-length album in the works. “During COVID, I basically jumped into writing and recording, all for this upcoming album,” she begins. “It’s my first full-length album. It’s nine songs broken up into the evolution of my love life over the last ten years. There’s three chapters. There’s three songs about finding love, three songs about falling in love, and then three songs about being in love.”

The upcoming record is slated for release on March 11th. Fans can expect stories, beautiful instrumentals, and exquisite vocals on the new project. “It’s kind of like tales of young heartache, and the nervous/excitement about beginning something special to then the joy of spending time and marrying my lifetime partner,” shared Lyons.

One of the songs off the new album “Edge” even went viral on TikTok. “We got over a million views on TikTok, which is crazy awesome,” shared Lyons. “It was really cool to see how people interpreted the song.”

Listeners have also fallen in love with another song on the project called “Always.” “Always is such a feel-good song about basically always wanting to spend everyday with your lover, just making it forever,” said the singer. The track was inspired by New Oreleans, Lyons’ love for the saxophone, and Kacey Musgraves’ song “High Horse.” “We kind of created this kinda Motown-disco-country,” shared Lyons.

Fans can look forward to the album release date, as well as, the new music video for “Always,” coming around Valentine’s Day. Additionally, Lyons is heading back out on the road as much as possible, so stay tuned for more dates to catch her live set.

Connect:

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

To keep up with Elizabeth Lyons follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Elizabeth Lyons’ 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-josh-kiser

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

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

who-is-josh-kiser
The Beginning:

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

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

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

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

The Turning Point:

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

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

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

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

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

Today:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connect:

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

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

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

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

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

The Beginning:

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

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

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

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

The Turning Point:

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

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

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

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

Today:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connect:

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

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

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

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

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

The Beginning:

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

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

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

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

The Turning Point:

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

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

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

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

Today:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connect:

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

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

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

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