Who Is Jackson Michelson? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

Jackson Michelson

Jackson Michelson

“That’s what I love about country music today, it all comes together around the story and we have such a wide array of sounds right now which I think is really good for our genre.”

Today we are highlighting an artist who we have been loving lately. Jackson Michelson, a Curb Records recording artist, is one of those people that is simply made to be a musician. During our conversation, we learned that the singer has been writing and singing since he was a young kid. We also got to talk to Michelson about his journey into country music and his current radio single, “Tip Jar.”

For Michelson, music was everything growing up. The Oregon native shared, “I grew up in the church playing music. My older brother was ten years older than me and he played guitar and wrote songs,” adding, “So I remember for my 10th or 11th birthday, I asked for a guitar, learned a couple of chords, and I just started writing songs right away.” The singer found himself gravitating towards the music that his parents liked, recalling that his mother was a big country fan (Collin Rae, Tim McGraw) and his father was a huge soul fan, introducing him to artists like Sam Cooke and Earth, Wind & Fire.

“It was kind of like living in two different worlds growing up” shared Michelson, as he opened up about his parents getting divorced when he was young, “but what’s really cool about country and soul is that there are gospel roots between both of them.” Interestingly enough, Christian music is where he would first experience being a working artist.

Michelson’s older brother got a record deal as a Christian artist, and he soon found himself selling merchandise for his sibling. It wasn’t until one day when the band’s bass player couldn’t make it that Michelson started gigging with his brother. This led to the singer playing bass for his brother more frequently and eventually starting another band right alongside him.

“I was like 18 years old on the road, seeing all these places, just loving it,” he shares, reminiscing about his time playing gigs across the West Coast with his band, “And this whole time, I was writing my own songs and they came out country because I grew up in the Grass Seeds capital of the world.”

Still not realizing that what he was writing and recording was country music, Michelson just aimed to make good music that people would love. “I always wrote songs and I never called myself a country artist. I just would write songs and they would come out as a story. […] my friends started saying you should go get this played on the local country station, like this is really cool country music. I wasn’t even calling it country,” he tells us.

Once one of his songs got picked up by Sirius XM The Highway, the singer unexpectedly had record labels and executives calling him from Nashville. He ultimately inked a deal with Curb Records, leaving his band with his brother to pursue his country music career.

Now the singer has a song at country radio and is creating music that he always wanted to create. Laced with his pop-rock influences from his high-school days of listening to bands like Maroon 5 and his knack for story-telling, “Tip Jar” was a no-brainer to release for the singer. “I love catchy melodies and bringing that to country music,” he shares, “I still want to write in complete integrity of a great story, but I love how catchy a song could be.”

“Tip Jar” is exactly that! The song has heart, but at the same time is an absolute jam. Michelson shared that the song came to fruition last year when he was waiting for his writing partner on Zoom one day. While he was waiting, he started thinking about the title tip jar that he had in his phone for what seems like forever. Ultimately, he started playing a melody on the guitar, and the rest started flowing together.

“I started thinking about Nashville and how you want to request a song on Broadway, you throw out a $20 and put in the tip jar, and the band will play it. […] It’s a story about a guy who had his heartbroken who needs to make new memories with all these songs cause his girl broke his heart.” Michelson eventually added a bridge with his writing partner and re-wrote the 2nd bridge with another songwriter before deciding with his team that this was the song he had to release.

We ended our interview by asking Michelson what he has in store for fans as the year goes on. The singer promises that he will have more and more music coming down the pipeline, sharing that he will be putting out music consistently until October. It is important to him to “let each song be their own hero for the moment.” Of course, we will be able to catch Michelson back on the road sooner rather than later too.

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

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

Jackson Michelson’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 Sacha? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

Sacha

“Music has been ever-present in my life from my earliest recollections.” – Sacha

This week we are excited to introduce a rising singer-songwriter, who hails all the way from a small town in Ontario, Canada. Sacha, our next Swag Spotlight artist, is a budding talent in the industry, who is making waves with her music. A CMT’s ‘Next Women of Country’ inductee, this is only the beginning for the songstress.

Born and raised in a musical family from Ontario, Sacha has always had music in her heart and in her soul. “The impact of country living and country music just had an effect on me,” she tell us, “I grew up in a household of musicians. Every instrument was available in my house.” With an ear for all music, her family introduced her to the likes of artists like Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and even Bob Marley.

“I didn’t even realize what kind of music I was falling in love with, it was just what I heard over the speakers that really struck a chord with me,” she shared, later adding that it was her mom’s Patsy Cline’s records that really stuck out to her. “I remember singing along and wishing I was the voice on the other side of the speaker.”

As she grew older, the idea of being a female singer-songwriter in the industry felt more possible after she discovered a brand new artist at the time, Taylor Swift. As a young girl, Swift was breaking records, writing music, and being portrayed in the best light by fans and the industry. “I just wanted to sing,” she recalls, “You just don’t know how you’re going to connect those dots from a small town to the stage, to the dream.”

Armed with a passion, but a need to pay the bills, Sacha juggled both the “typical” life, working and grinding away with playing gigs wherever she could. “I was playing the guitar for three hours a day, working on my guitar skills, writing, and then I started going down to the open mics,” shared Sacha, adding, “When I picked up my guitar to write a song, it was just natural to me to write a story, that’s just what was natural to me, it’s just what came out of me, country music.”

After entering and winning a singing competition called “Canada’s Next Country Music Star” in 2016, doors started to open for the budding entertainer. Her dream of being a country artist continued to become more real when she connected with the incredible Leslie Fram of CMT and eventually was inducted into the 2021 class of CMT’s ‘Next Women of Country.’

Around the same time, Sacha released her EP The Best Thing, featuring her current charted hit “Standards.” As an independent release, the song broke the top 50 on the Canadian charts and created more buzz about her in the country music world. The song also happens to be an incredible anthem for people everywhere.

“The second I heard it, it just hit me like a ton of bricks,” she shared when she first heard the pitch for the song, “I always loved making music for the love of it, but the main thing is having a good message to go along with. […] We have a lot of heartbreak songs on country radio, but not a lot of songs that might help you avoid one,” she laughs, adding later, “Stick to your standards!”

Sacha promises that more music is in the works and continues to write as much as she can. Of course, as soon as it’s safe to travel, she hopes to come back to Nashville to be surrounded by people that inspire her. It’s safe to say it is only just the beginning for the songstress and her blossoming career.

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

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

Sacha’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 Roman Alexander? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

Roman Alexander

Roman Alexander

We love championing up-and-coming artists in the country music industry. There is so much talent out there to look forward to. Roman Alexander is one of those singer-songwriters that we are currently excited about. We chatted with Alexander all about his blossoming career, his path to Nashville, and of course, his newest EP, “Between You & Me”.

Growing up outside of Kansas City in a town called Parkville, Alexander was one of those kids that loved music from an extremely early age. The singer recalls playing gigs at bars in a family band at the early age of just seven years old. “It was a big part of my childhood,” shared Alexander, “My mom hardly ever missed one [gig]” he added, laughing at the memories.

Alexander’s family also played a big role in the music he was introduced to. “My family always had a really wide variety of music playing around the house,” shared the singer, “My parents were both ‘80s kids. They loved ‘80s rock and ‘80s alternative.” He credits his mother for introducing him to country acts like Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, and Kenny Chesney, but Elvis Presley still remains the singer’s biggest musical influence to this day.

Shortly after high school, Alexander made the move to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career as a country artist. Filled with talent and a hunger to make it the industry, the singer worked odd jobs to meet and network with as many people as possible. He recalls working at an Audi dealership exactly for that reason. “When people would pull up, I would sometimes steal their business cards out or their cars or take a picture of it,” he laughs adding “I would email them to try to get a meeting, and 99.9% of the time I didn’t get a response.” This just lit a bigger fire under Alexander. Ultimately he ended up working as a merchandise guy for country music bands and then for Easton Corbin, which led him to sign his publishing deal.

Now Alexander is living his dream, writing and recording songs for a living. He recently released a killer duet with newcomer, Alana Springsteen called “Trying Not To.” “It was the first song we ever wrote together,” shared Alexander, “I wanted to have a duet of some sort but we didn’t want to do it like the norm […] We kinda wanted to make it unique and kinda intertwine things.” This resulted in a song that equally showcases the singers’ talents and vocals.

Alexander has another duet coming down the pipeline soon too. He collaborated with fellow songstress Ashley Cooke on a new version of his song “Between You & Me.” The new version will be out on April 24th. According to Alexander, the decision to drop a new version of the song with Cooke was an easy one. “My manager was like what if we got ya know a female on “Between You & Me” and just throw some fuel on the fire and keep things going […] and I said what about Ashley Cooke, it was a no brainer.”

Fans can check out Alexander’s EP, also called Between You & Me. The collection of songs gives music lovers a taste of everything that makes the singer who he is. “The first year of my publishing deal was me writing and just trying to figure out what I wanted to say […] And “Cocktail Conversations” was the first song we wrote on the EP that absolutely solidified this is the right direction. It had every bit of who I am in it […] It all flowed together really well,” shared the singer when asked about the record.

Although Alexander has given us a lot of new music to hold us over for a while, he promises fans that there will be new music coming in the near future. However, above all else, the singer cannot wait to get back on the road to groove and play for fans. We know we’re excited to see him live!

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

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

Roman Alexander’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 Mitch Rossell? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

Mitch Rossell

Mitch Rossell

Every now and then we get the opportunity to interview independent artists who we think have what it takes to become a superstar. Mitch Rossell is one of those artists. As a singer-songwriter, Rossell has truly found his calling. In our Swag Spotlight this week, our light shines Rossell and his journey to country music, his experience performing with the legendary Garth Brooks, and his brand new song “Ran into You” which features Trisha Yearwood.

Growing up in a small town in East Tennessee, Rossell knew what country living was all about. He recalls always being an avid music listener, “My dad was the one that, musically, I really connect with,” he tells us. “My dad was definitely the big country music listener. My mom was a bit too, but she was into all kinds of stuff, pop, alternative, a lot of great stuff that I feel was a big influence on me too, like Matchbox 20, stuff like that.”

Despite always loving his time listening to music with his family, Rossell indulged in other passions first. He played baseball before switching to golf, even winning three tournaments in the same year. Although he loved sports, he recalls getting burnt out and always wanting to pursue other passions. Still, he did not think to pursue music as a career.

This would later change as the summer before college Rossell’s father sadly passed away inevitably motivating him to do something his dad had always wanted him to do, play guitar. “When he passed away, I just vowed that I would learn one day. […] I just thought ‘hey’ this would be a good time to pick up a guitar.” Rather quickly, Rossell became obsessed with playing and writing music. “I just fell in love with it,” he tells us. After college, the artist quickly made the move to Nashville to pursue his dreams.

Flash forward to today, Rossell can be considered to be Garth Brooks’ protégé in country music by fans and critics alike. Writing songs for the legendary artist, Rossell is the sole writer on Brooks’ number one song “Ask Me How I Know” and a co-writer on his follow-up singles “All Day Long” and “Dive Bar”. When he got the opportunity to open up for Brooks on his sold-out world tour, and even performed with the singer during one of the shows, it was clear to Rossell that he was finally where he was meant to be. “It was a pretty remarkable experience,” he tells us, “It was all pretty surreal for me.” He later added that Brooks helped him to solidify his calling as an artist. “I went out there [and performed] and I couldn’t have been more sure.”

Most recently, the singer-songwriter released a beautiful and touching song with Trisha Yearwood called “Ran into You.” After working up the nerve to ask the superstar to be on the track with him, Rossell was over the moon excited about the song that he worked so hard on.  “I’ve known Trisha now for several years, and I am just a huge fan of not only here as a person, but her musically, and vocally, she’s just a freaking powerhouse,” adding “Her ability is just one of the purest things I’ve ever seen. There’s no doubt shewas  been born to do this”

The song itself is one of those songs that is relatable, yet deeply personal, a true country music story. It expresses how it feels to be scared of love and heartbreak, but finding your person amongst all the uncertainty.

Fans can anticipate more music coming at some point later this year from Mitch Rossell, when the time feels right. He also hopes to get back on the road as soon as possible. With that being said, we are certain that Rossell will continue to increase his staying power, as more and more people get to learn about this superstar talent.

“Overall there’s always something new to create, and you’re always evolving as a person, you’re going through different parts of your life, and you’re wanting to write new stuff that you didn’t want to write about 2-3 years ago,” shared the singer, “It’s always evolving, it’s always changing, it’s always growing, there’s always something to say.”

We agree! To keep up with Mitch Rossell, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Mitch Rossell’s new song, “Ran into You” featuring Trisha Yearwood is available now

Mitch Rossell’s new song, “Ran into You” featuring Trisha Yearwood is available now

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

Mitch Rossell’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 Callista Clark? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Callista Clark? The Big Machine Records singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

Callista Clark, Photo Credit: Ford Fairchild

Callista Clark, Photo Credit: Ford Fairchild

Our Swag Spotlight shines this week on an incredible singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, who is wise and talented beyond her years. Callista Clark is a seventeen-year-old Big Machine Records recording artist with big dreams and even bigger talent. We talked to the budding songstress about her journey in Nashville, her debut EP and radio single, and of course, all about where she’s headed.

Growing up in a small town in Georgia, Clark’s primary language was music. As soon as she could talk, she found herself singing with her siblings in her grandad’s church and traveling, playing for other worshippers in her community. Being from a musical family, Clark fit right in. “The moment I could talk I was there singing with my siblings and we would harmonize together,” she tells us, adding, “I have been singing my whole life. It is what feels most natural to me. It is probably more natural to me than talking at this point.”

Throughout her upbringing, Clark got the unique opportunity to learn and listen to many different types of music. She shares feeling inspired by different genres including gospel, Motown, country music, and classic rock as some of her favorites. Crediting artists across genres, it is clear how important music was to the singer even at such an early age. Growing up she listened to everyone from The Judds and Travis Tritt, to Aretha Franklin, but now she finds herself emulating fellow songstresses in country music and beyond like Tori Kelly, Maren Morris, and Jennifer Nettles.

“All those girls that just sing incredibly, write music phenomenally and play instruments; That’s a big goal of mine to be all three.”

After music manager Scooter Braun discovered a cover video on YouTube of Clark singing Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” the songstress’s life was changed forever. She was offered a record deal at fifteen years old by Big Machine Label Group, and began songwriting with some of the most prominent songwriters in Nashville, and ultimately creating her debut EP.

Blending her love of many genres, Clark was able to create a timeless and invigorating debut EP called Real to Me featuring her first radio single “It’s ‘Cause I Am.” “I have been writing with amazing songwriters here in Nashville for the past three years for this collection,” she shared with us, “ And most of the ones that we just put out were some of my first co-writes ever in Nashville, when I was trying to figure out myself as a person, and myself as an artist, and what could I bring to the table to be new, and different, and fresh.”

It is safe to say that is exactly what Clark did with her latest project. She shared with fans exactly who she is and the talent she brings. Her feisty anthemic single showcases one side of the fiery songstress and her experience being a young girl in Nashville. “I feel like “It’s ‘Cause I Am” is the perfect way to introduce myself because it shows the confident, bold, strong, more sassy, and sarcastic side of me” she says of the lead single on EP. Later sharing, “the other songs introduce different sides of me, and I feel like the whole collection does a great job of doing that.”

Clearly, Clark is an artist that is going to continue pouring her heart and soul into the music that she creates. Her sound inspires people everywhere to follow their dreams and even more so, encourages young women to stake their claim wherever they want. Wise beyond her years, Clark is showcasing her staying power in country music already! We look forward to her eventual debut full-length project.

Callista Clark's debut EP, 'Real To Me' is out now

Callista Clark’s debut EP, ‘Real To Me’ is out now

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

To keep up with Callista Clark, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Callista Clark’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 Nate Barnes? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Nate Barnes? The Quartz Hill Records newcomer, whose debut single “You Ain’t Pretty” is currently climbing the charts, joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

Nate Barnes, Quartz Hill Records

Nate Barnes, Photo Credit: Justin Mayotte

For our latest Swag Spotlight artist, it was a total “God moment,” as he says that landed him a career in country music. Nate Barnes is a talented new artist, who has a knack for story-telling and an incredible voice to match.

Despite growing up in South Haven, Michigan, home of power plants and blueberry farms, Barnes always had a desire to be a musician. “My heart was set on music since I was a little kid because of my grandad,” he begins to tell us, “He instilled this dream in me by telling his stories and talking about musicians […] I knew I wanted to be a storyteller. I knew I wanted to tell the truth. I knew I wanted to inspire people through music.”

Although Barnes knew he wanted to be a musician, he did not exactly know his path. As a child, he played drums in numerous bands, only discovering his voice when he reached his teenage years. Barnes shared that he played in all different types of bands, showcasing his wide variety of musical influences. “I grew up with all sorts of music. I just had such an amazing family that loved all music,” he shared, adding later that country music was not the only genre in his household. “One of the main things we listened to was Motown, it was blues, just anything you could think of, I grew up listening to.” Barnes also shared a love for artists like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

The singer credits the deepening of his love for country music though, to his friend and mentor Dennis Hartman, who reintroduced him to country music at 21 years old. “He reintroduced country music in a way that I never heard before and I knew at that moment, I wanted to be a part of country music,” shared Barnes, “It spoke the truth in a way that I’ve been wanting. It felt like home, and I knew I had to be a part of it somehow.”

Continuing to gig whenever he could, Barnes settled into life in Michigan, working a full-time job unrelated to music. It was not until a trip to Tennessee that his life would flip on a dime. By happenstance, the singer met hit songwriter Jason Sellers, who after some introductions to people in Nashville convinced Barnes to take the risk and move out to Music City.

Flash forward to today, the entertainer is a bonafide artist. His debut single “You Ain’t Pretty” impacted country radio just a little over a month ago, as the most added debut song by an artist. Blowing up on radio and on social media, it is clear that Barnes is building a fanbase that will continue to support him. Calling the song, “The right song at the right time that men needed to say and women needed to hear. That all people need to hear,” it is clear that Barnes has an ear for music.

The singer wrote the song with Jason Sellers and Jimmy Yeary. Crediting Yeary for the inspiration, it was the three of them that really took the song to the place it is now. Their goal was to create a song to remind people that they are wonderful just the way they are. “

“So after we got done writing it, it was just this thing, like this is such an amazing thing to say to people and to myself, I needed to hear it [too],” explained Barnes.

As “You Ain’t Pretty” continues to gain traction on the charts, fans can look forward to more new music coming from Barnes sometime this year. The singer is ready for this journey and looking forward to sharing his passion and talent with the world.

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

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

Nate Barnes’ 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 Jennifer Smestad? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who Is Jennifer Smestad? The talented singer-songwriter made waves with her breakout single “Half The Man” and is now gearing up for the release of her brand new song “Can’t Have Mine”, out everywhere Friday, March 26th. Check out our interview below where we learn more about the rising star and her journey to country music.

Jennifer Smestad // Photo Credit: Ryan Noble

Jennifer Smestad // Photo Credit: Ryan Noble

Jennifer Smestad is a Sony Music Nashville recording artist, who has grown by leaps and bounds this year due in part to her dedication, unmatched talent, and loyal fanbase that has supported her via social media since the very beginning. We talked to the songstress all about her journey to Nashville, her viral single “Half The Man,” and of course her soon-to-be-released song “Can’t Have Mine.”

Growing up in a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona, the singer knew almost immediately that she was destined to be a country music singer. “Pretty much ever since I was a kid, all I wanted to do was sing country music,” she tells us, “It’s pretty much in my blood and in my bones.”

Like many of us, her parents introduced her to country music, the genre she fell in love with upon first listen. 90’s country artists like Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Reba, and Shania Twain captured her heart at a young age, and she never looked back, even recalling her first concert, which happened to be one with country power couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

“I wrote my first song at 10 years old and I thought it was going to be the biggest Disney Channel hit,” she joked, reminiscing with us about her upbringing.

Despite knowing in her heart that she was going to pursue a career in music, Smestad also desired a college education. She completed that goal, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication, a degree that would go on to help her in the early stages of her career. Upon graduating, she finally took the leap and moved to Nashville to give her dream a real shot.

“If I have a backup plan, then to me that’s already setting myself up for failure,” she shared, adding that music was the only option. “I was just like ya know what, I’m just going to do music and I’m not going to have a backup plan and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll figure it out later.”

While in Nashville, the songstress was able to really discover her artistry and her knack as a songwriter. “Cowriting is where I have really grown as a songwriter, and I fell in love with the songwriting process,” she shared, admitting though that it took a while for her to get comfortable enough to bring her real-life experiences and emotions to a write.

“I’ve always been afraid to share my emotions, so the songwriting has been one of the most scariest, vulnerable things to me,” Smestad explained, “Finally, I was like this is scary, but I’m just going to try. I’m going to write something that’s so real to me.” This act of bravery culminated in the singer writing a song about her sister miscarrying twins and a secondary song for her father, called “Half The Man.” Although both of the songs ended up jumpstarting her career, it was the latter that went viral and became her debut single.

Realizing how much fans related to her authenticity and vulnerability, Smestad felt ready to continue sharing herself through her music. “I started writing these very personal songs that connected with me and those were the songs that performed the best online too, which totally makes sense because it comes from a genuine place,” she declared.

This Friday, her next single, “Can’t Have Mine” makes its debut. Although the song is about heartbreak, it has also emerged as an anthem for knowing your worth and what you deserve in a relationship. “Writing it, it just felt sad and it brought back a lot of sad, hopeless feelings, but after posting it on social media and the reaction that it got, I realized how empowering it is,” shared Smestad, “It brings out this raw, genuine emotion but that one line “you can’t have mine,” is actually really empowering.”

Check back here at NYCountry Swag on Friday, March 26th for our full review of the new song and the exclusive premiere of the lyric video!

Although the songstress is not quite sure what this year has in store for her, she promises that more music will come at some point, but for now, fans should continue to stream her current songs. Regardless it’s safe to say that Smestad is here to stay.

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

To keep up with Jennifer Smestad, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Jennifer Smestad’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 Robert Counts? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who Is Robert Counts? Talented new country Sony Nashville recording artist, whose debut single “What Do I Know” is working its way up the charts.

Robert Counts

Robert Counts – Photo Credit – Sean McGee

Sony Music Nashville is full of exciting new singer-songwriters for fans to fall in love with! This week’s Swag Spotlight artist, Robert Counts is no exception. He’s a true-blue country artist with a country-rock sound, a gritty vibe, and a powerful knack for songwriting. We got a chance to interview the rising artist and learn more about his path to country music.

Growing up in Franklin, Tennessee, a town just outside of Nashville, Counts recalls being introduced to music through his faith. “I first started playing music in my church. That’s kind of where I started taking guitar lessons,” he recalls, sharing his experience playing in his church’s contemporary band throughout his childhood.

At that point, music was just a hobby for the budding musician. “As a kid, I was a thinker,” he shared, adding, “I liked more contemporary music like John Mayer, Jason Isbell, stuff like indie-rock […] anything with a lyric was what I was drawn to.” Counts spent his younger years learning rifts on the guitar and being mesmerized by the story-telling aspect of country music, as well as, more contemporary artists.

Some of his most profound musical influences can be traced back to his parents. “My mom was a big fan of Travis Tritt and Alan Jackson,” he shared, “Coincidentally now, two of my favorite country artists of all times- they’re storytellers.” Counts also shared a liking of midwestern rock artists like Bob Segar and Bruce Springsteen. The connecting thread though was always about the ability to craft an exceptional lyric.

Despite obvious pure talent, Counts decided to pursue a different path, heading to college and obtaining a degree in biochemistry, with dreams of being a surgeon. After graduation, he decided to take a gap year to study for the MCATS; however, that was when the trajectory of his future was flipped on its axis.

“I entered a few songs that I thought were good,” he recalls, talking about a songwriting contest at Puckett’s, “…and I ended up winning the whole thing.” The contest led him to his first publishing deal. “I learned about the industry. I learned how publishing works. I honed my craft as far as songwriting a little bit. Got in, met some people, and I just fell in love with it, he shared.”

Since then, Counts has been dedicated to honing his craft. With some convincing from supportive people in his life, the songwriter pivoted again, deciding to focus on becoming an artist in his own right.

Now as a signed recording artist, Counts is garnering a fanbase that respects his love of country music, his knowledge of the industry, and of course his impressive vocals. His debut radio single, “What Do I Know,” written by the singer with HARDY and Jake Mitchell, is currently climbing the charts. “We got that idea and we were like what about southern advice, stuff your dad tells you growing up, things you hear,” Counts recalls, thinking about the co-write with HARDY and Mitchell from back in 2018.

Although Counts knew then that the song was good, it took two years for the singer to finally decide to release it as his debut single. “For my debut single to radio, I wanted to be something that really came out swinging and left nothing to question,” adding, You know who I am. I am a guy whose southern, works hard, I’m normal every day, every man, just living his life by honest truth. And I think that’s what that song says.” We couldn’t agree more!

As 2020 comes to a close, fans can anticipate more music heading down the pipeline early next year. Counts also promises to get back on the road to play live shows again as soon as it is safe. Stay tuned for more from the singer-songwriter!

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

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

“What Do I Know” is now 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.

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Who Is Hannah Dasher? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Hannah Dasher? Learn more about this fiery rising singer-songwriter in our Swag Spotlight interview below.

Hannah Dasher

Our Swag Spotlight shines on Georgia native, Hannah Dasher and all of her funny, charismatic glory. In our most recent chat, Dasher’s incredible personality was apparent as she told our Managing Editor all about growing up a child of ’90s country, even calling herself the youngest member of the Alan Jackson fan club. “I hated to read as a kid so instead of reading storybooks, I would read album covers front to back, who the producers were, songwriters, and of course the lyrics,” she explained. “Alan Jackson’s lyrics really spoke to me because he was from Georiga like me, and he talked like I did, so conversational, I thought he was a badass.”

After college, Dasher moved to Music City and couldn’t make a living with her music business degree so she took a job at Bass Pro Shops which just happened to be in the same parking lot as the Grand Ole Opry. “I lived in an attic on Belmont Blvd and slept on a mattress on the floor, ate bologna sandwiches and peanut butter jelly every day and I’m still carrying some of those carbs with me,” she laughed. Her honesty about the hard road to “making it” in the music industry is refreshing and her determination is evident. She got fired from her day job for writing songs on the job but it turns out, one of those songs ended up being her first cut as a songwriter, a song for Brad Paisley called “Go To Bed Early”.

Shortly after that, Dasher signed a publishing deal and starting working and writing with some incredible people in Nashville including Jaren Johnston of The Cadillac Three. Eventually, her fiesty personality, kickass lyrics and unique approach to traditional country music landed her a record deal with Sony Music Nashville. “I think the Lord makes you wait for something that you really want to have so that you’ll really appreciate it, I firmly believe that,” she tells us.

During the COVID19 pandemic, she lets us know that she took some much needed time to really allow for personal growth, putting her now in a place that she is mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and career-wise the best place she’s ever been. She loves cooking and decided during quarantine to use the popular app TikTok to spread some joy and some delicious comfort food recipes. Her ‘Stand By Your Pan’ series has garnered her over half a million followers and showcases her personality, her voice, and her knack for great southern cooking.

Her latest release, “Girls Call The Shots” is an outside cut written by Brad and Brett Warren, David Fraiser, and Lance Miller that she tells us she fell in love with the moment she heard it. “I always write my music but I have never been opposed to listening to outside music because I know that there are songwriters who are here solely to be songwriters and they live off the royalties of artists with major record deals cutting their songs.”

Her ability to blend vintage, traditional southern country with a modern twist is something fans are craving right now in the genre, and paired with her bubbly charisma, we just know you will love her.

To keep up with Hannah Dasher, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

For all your country music, tours, songwriters, news, and releases, fans can subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up newsletter here.

“Girls Call The Shots” is now 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 Andrew Jannakos? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who Is Andrew Jannakos? Talented new country SONY Nashville recording artist, whose debut song “Gone Too Soon” went viral.

Andrew Jannakos

This week’s Swag Spotlight artist, Andrew Jannakos is a newly signed recording artist that we are super excited about. Fans may recognize his name from NBC’s The Voice or from social media, especially TikTok, but we are positive that you are going to remember his name because of his incredible talent. We chatted with the singer-songwriter about his journey and his passion for music.

A Georgia-native, Jannakos expressed his gratitude for his upbringing and his supportive family throughout the entire interview. Growing up north of Atlanta, the singer found an interest in music through his parents and grandfather. “Music was always there. Music was always a part of my life. My grandfather was a musician and had a bluegrass band and my mom has a great voice,” he shared with us, even adding later that he would listen to The Carpenters and scores from musicals with his mother in the car.

However, growing up as a 90s kid, Jannakos was all about being outside. At as young as five years old, he would go hunting with his father, and of course, country music was the soundtrack to their adventures. “I was always raised on country music and raised on southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey, The Eagles, and all those southern rock bands. So country was always the forefront of what I did.”

Of course, Jannakos also credits more current artists, especially Brad Paisley for his passion for the craft. “Brad Paisley is a huge inspiration to my music and just the way that I look at country music. You know he writes- his older stuff, his 90s stuff growing up, just told such a great story, and it got me through a lot of dark times in my life,” adding, “I have a different level of respect just because it got me through so much stuff.”

 

 

When high school ended, the singer pursued a career in hospitality, working at restaurants and bartending, honing his craft as a chef as well. “I never thought that I would pursue music as a career, I never thought that that would be an option,” he shared with us, later coming to a different realization, “It took me a long time to figure out that music was the thing that I wanted, it was the thing that I wanted to do with the rest of my life”.

That notion changed when he met his now wife and her young son. “She’s my biggest supporter,” he declared, “She saw me before I was even me […] She believed in me the moment she heard me sing.” With the support of his wife and her son, Jannakos took the little bit of momentum he got from The Voice, and continued to use social media as a platform for his music.

With some doors opening, Jannakos headed to a writer’s retreat in Chattanooga, Tennesee to write with some talented songwriters at the beginning of this year. It was at that retreat that he wrote his breakout single “Gone Too Soon” with Jason Afable and Joshua Clements Bricker. “We wrote the song in January,” he began, “I held it for a while, thinking about pitching it to some people, and I was finally like ya know what, why don’t I just cut it, and my wife was like ‘I’ve been telling you that for 5 months.’”

Once the entertainer finally received the final master back for the track, his wife encouraged him to post a Tiktok of him singing along to the song while cooking. After some hesitation on his part, he agreed, and the song went viral overnight, which eventually led to his record deal with SONY Nashville.

The track depicts the story of a long-distance relationship for Jannakos, but he acknowledges that others may connect to the song differently. “I just love country music. I just love music,” shared the singer, “So many people can connect to a song just through lyrics and it’s really inspiring to just want to continue to make good music.”

Jannakos is sure to continue to make waves with his original music. He anticipates a lot of new music coming down the pipeline next year, and fans can even get glimpses of unreleased tunes on his social media now. Jannakos is definitely one of the first on our list to see live when he is able to head out on the road to celebrate his accomplishments and of course “Gone Too Soon!”

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

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

“Gone Too Soon” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. 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.