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Who is Waylon Wyatt? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Waylon Wyatt

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Waylon Wyatt Potter
Birthdate – 10/16/2006
Hometown – Hackett, Arkansas
Current City – Hackett, Arkansas
Musical Influences – Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton, Turnpike Troubadours, Waylon Jennings
Current Single – “Stranger To Me” (as of date of article 6/3/24)

The Beginning:

The country music industry is buzzing with new talent. Today, we’re spotlighting the young and promising newcomer, Waylon Wyatt. While only 17 years old, Wyatt has already proved to have star power with a sound that fans of artists like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers will flock to.

“I started writing songs when I was six years old. I wrote this one song called, “How To Be a Man” and it sounds just like how you think a six year old would write a song,” began Wyatt. “I honestly didn’t start taking it seriously until I was about fifteen, and that’s when I started listening to Tyler Childers after seeing him on YouTube, it was “Feathered Indians” and I just fell in love with the sound, so I kind of went off of his sound.”

Despite drawing inspiration from artists like Childers and the Turnpike Troubadours, Wyatt recalls being exposed to every genre of music throughout his upbringing. “I’ve been influenced by music my whole life. My parents have always been big music fans. My mom’s big into bluegrass and metal. Our musical taste is not limited to anything even though I’m known to write mostly a folky, country sound and everything. I can listen to anything as long as it’s catchy.”

While he gravitates more towards the sounds of red dirt contemporary,  the lyrics are what matters most to him. “I love the idea of writing songs and singing them on your own. It feels like a lot more emotion can be put into songs that you write yourself.”

The Turning Point:

Even though Wyatt has been writing and enjoying music since he was young, it was not until a little later on that he really started to take his talent seriously. “When I was sixteen years old I started trying to write my own songs. That’s when I came up with the idea for “Everything Under the Sun.” His single drew in many fans and followers to his social media and the song has amassed almost 7 million streams on Spotify alone.

“The very first known video proof of me actually putting music out was on TikTok, and it’s my song “Everything Under The Sun.” I had just got that song finished, and that was the very first time I had performed it all the way through, it was that TikTok,” shared the singer. Who added, “Basically that was my first video that I put out and it was all because of a friend of mine told me I should put it out because he loved it so much, and he thought other people should hear it.”

Despite some trepidation, Wyatt decided to share the song, which would go on to attract the eager ears of a record label in California. “I had just finished getting off work with my dad, and I was still wearing that hat that had the company name on it, and a record label from California reached out to me because of the phone number that was on the hat.” he shared. “They contacted my dad’s business on Facebook and that’s how we scheduled everything. We scheduled a phone call with them, and then not even a week later, their team was down here and not even two weeks later I was signed with them.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, and Wyatt’s star power is shining even brighter! While the singer still only has a few songs out, he has been teasing many songs on TikTok and social media. Including songs like, “Out of The Blue” and “Leave it Where it Lies.” The singer also shared that he wrote a song called, “Pretty Little Liar,” which he is eager to share with fans.

As of right now, Wyatt’s newest song is a track called, “Stranger To Me.” “A lot of people think it’s a love song, but it’s actually based off a friend I had that we had to go our separate ways even though I still appreciate him and love him to death. We had to go our separate ways because he fell into a bad crowd, and I didn’t want to have the guilt by association of still being affiliated with him. Now that I’m making a name for myself, I didn’t want to have that looking bad on myself, and I know it may seem a little selfish, but it’s reasonable.”

For Wyatt, the song is deeply personal. “The idea came to me because I was going through it in the moment. That’s one of the very few songs that I wrote and can actually relate to to be honest, and that song is a lot more powerful to me in a lot of ways because I relate to it.”

This is just the beginning for the newcomer, but it is safe to say that he has already garnered a loyal fanbase. Fans can catch the singer out on the road with Drayton Farley at two of his live shows, as well as in Nashville this week for a Spotify event during CMA Fest. Stay tuned for more!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Waylon Wyatt, follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Waylon Wyatt’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 Tiffany Woys? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

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Tiffany Woys | Photo credit: Robert Chavers

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Tiffany Woys
Birthdate – July 28th
Hometown – Sacramento, California
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion
Current Single – “Took Back”  // as of date of article: 5/27/2024

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist shares a story of evolution that many people can relate to in one way or another. We first introduced you to singer, Tiffany Woys back in 2019, when she was a champion for bringing life to songs written by other people. Today, after some major life changes and a new-found love for songwriting, Woys updates us on her life and her new music.

“I was born and raised in Sacramento, California,” she begins. “In Northern California, there is a lot of country music, but there isn’t a lot of opportunity […] I always knew I wanted to do music.” Woys recalls falling in love with big voices at an early age, thanks to an early introduction to Celine Dion from her mom.

“My mom listened to Celine Dion a lot with me growing up, and I knew I wanted to sing. That was always a big deal to me, I wanted to sing. We didn’t have any songwriting communities in Sacramento, so that I didn’t do, I just wanted to hold a microphone and sing. Then when I heard LeAnn Rimes for the first time, that was really what sparked county music for me,” she shared.

Woys also credits powerhouse vocalists in the county genre like Jo Dee Messina, Faith Hill, and Martina McBride as some of her early influences. “I really fell in love with the vocalist. I love when you can hear someone and know instinctively who they are,” she shared, adding that presently, she also draws inspiration from artists like Lauren Alaina and Carrie Underwood.

Despite loving music, neither Woys nor her parents knew how to pursue a career in country music, so the singer followed her parents wishes and went off to college to pursue her degree. “Everyday I would commute home from my college, and I would visit a vocal coach, and I was like, “I’m not giving this up, there’s absolutely no way.” 

The Turning Point:

Armed with a desire to pursue country music, upon graduating college, Woys did just that. “I ended up coming home from college after I graduated, putting together a band, and toured the entire west coast, basically performing three to four hours a night, two to three days a week for five years, just building a team and trying to figure out how to do this,” she shared.

Around the same time, the songstress started making trips to Nashville, Tennessee to build out a team. “I knew it was always going to be country, and I commuted back and forth to Nashville for five years, building a team, kind of slowly… getting a publicist, an entertainment attorney, and the last thing I got was a manager. My manager was the one that was like, ‘Listen, you have to be in Nashville.’ I was waiting for somebody to say that to me.”

In 2017, Woys packed up her apartment and booked a one-way ticket to Nashville. Upon getting to Music City, the singer became a true advocate for the songwriting aspects and cutting music that she related to that was written by other artists. “I was really unapologetic about how I wanted to be a vehicle for songwriters. […] I’m a huge support of the songwriter. I don’t consider myself a songwriter yet, I consider myself a co-writer,” she shared, while discussing her journey.

Eventually, Woys realized the healing-power of songwriting, which led to her next endeavor.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Woys is about to release her newest project, I’m Your Woman (out 5/31/24). The record is the first project that the singer co-wrote on, and her most personal project to date. “I think I needed more life experience. […] I don’t think I had something so ground-shaking that had happened in my life to push me into the direction of where I felt like I had to say something, I felt really good about relating to other people’s words and putting them out there.”

I’m Your Woman features eight songs, with six of them co-written by the singer, including a deeply personal song called, “Took Back.” “Took Back” is my favorite. It’s really the one that catapulted this whole project. It’s also probably the most vulnerable I’ve ever been in music. […] This song was kind of about the idea of the ring being taken back, and it was kind of like the last gut punch you can get at the end of that story. […] It symbolized a future and a promise that ultimately will never happen. I also wrote this song from the perspective of me having a conversation with him, a conversation I never got to have.”

The record as a whole was born out of Woys trying to make sense of her broken engagement.“I had to experience things. I moved across the United States alone, getting engaged, having it fall apart, losing friends, losing loved ones, I think all of that had to happen for me to have something more meaningful to say,” she shard. Adding, “Love will never go out of style, so that’s what I prefer to sing about, so this record absolutely shares the story of me falling in love here in Nashville, spending five years getting to know somebody, getting engaged, and then it falling apart, and then it starting over again. That’s the journey that this record takes you on.”

Fans can look forward to the record releasing on Friday, as well as, catch Woys on her podcast, ‘what’s mine is yours.’ 

Connect:

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

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

Tiffany Woys’ 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 Hueston? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Hueston | Photo credit: Angelo Martinez

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Cory Hueston
Birthdate – 12/11/1992
Hometown – Lantana, Florida
Current City – Lake Worth, Florida
Musical Influences – Keith Whitley, George Jones, Ray Charles
Label – Silver Wings Records
Current Single – “Every Time Is The Last Time” (as of date of article 5/21/24)

The Beginning:

The reasons why artists like Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll have garnered millions of fans is not only because of their talent, but because of their authentic nature. Today’s spotlight artist laces that authenticity throughout his music. Cory Hueston, who goes by Hueston has lived and breathed music since an early age, and it is evident in the trajectory of his career thus far that he is as honest as they come.

“I was originally born in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. I moved to Florida when I was about seven, eight years old,” began the singer. “My mom really worked so many jobs to keep a roof over our heads that me and my brothers were just kind of running around the streets, being little hoodlums, and got into some bad things, had a lot of pain, had a lot of struggle, but when I found guitar, it was just one of those things that I picked it up and the pain went away. I was just happy.”

Hueston recalls having to grow up fast, but that music was always there for him. “The second I picked up that guitar I just knew that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life, and I’ve been doing it,” shared the singer, who found inspiration in so many different music genres throughout his upbringing. “I found a freedom in music. I found a home.”

Hueston is influenced by true artists. “I’m so into so many different things,” he shared. “I’m a huge hip-hop fan, I’m a huge R&B fan, I’m really into classic artists like Ray Charles, Etta James. I love the whole 60s, 70s rock era. I love Janis Joplin, I love The Doors, Hendricks. There’s so many different classic artists that I love, but also when it comes to country, I’m a huge George Jones fan and I’m a big Keith Whitly fan.” The singer also credits the music genius of Kanye West as a big inspiration. “You just get a paintbrush out and there’s no walls, you just paint a picture and you’re free. [Kanye] has been such an inspiration in that way.”

The Turning Point:

Since picking up the guitar, Hueston has been crafting music. “That spiraled into playing in bands and then that spiraled into becoming a singer. I was always writing music, but I didn’t know I was a singer that just kind of happened naturally,” he shared.

“I lived in Florida for many years. I started building and playing in bands and built out kind of like my musical talent here, and then ended up moving to New York City to chase the dream around eighteen. I lived there for a few years. Around 21, 22, ended up making connections in LA, and moved out there, did the whole music thing, and then eventually came back to Florida. Now, my hub is Nashville. I live in Florida, but I’m always in Nashville.”

While Hueston resided in New York City, he saw his dreams come to fruition. “ I started a band called The Broncos in New York City. We were supposed to be the next big thing,” he shared. Adding, “We got signed, and we ended up imploding because we were young and had big egos. Label dropped us. My dreams were crushed. Then I just made the decision, literally the day after, I was like I’m going to do the solo thing that I’ve really been wanting to do, and I dropped my song “Tidal Wave.” 

Spoiler alert – the single did not advance his career, but it did set fire to his tenacity. “I loved it. I’m one that really thrives in chaos and uncomfortabiliity. I just find that there’s true growth in it. […] I just stayed consistent and for about five years I build the Hueston brand and just dropped music, and I had a couple of viral moments and all of a sudden every label in Nashville is blowing me up.”

Eventually, Hueston took a meeting with Cindy Mabe at UMG Nashville. “I chose her, because I just know that she knows what this is,” he shared about signing his record deal with UMG’s Silver Wings Records.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Hueston is cranking out new music, as fans await his record. Most recently, the singer-songwriter dropped his single, “Every Time Is The Last Time.” It is the perfect blend of some of his rock and hip-hop influences with a country lyric. “When it comes to the rock and soul stuff that’s the feeling, that’s emotions, that’s the pain, that’s the bleeding on the record. And when it comes to hip-hop, that’s the swag and the vibe,” he shared.

The song came together quickly, according to the singer. “Me and my producer B Sims, we work on most of my music together. […] He’s also a fantastic writer too and always has great ideas. We were in an uber, and I can’t remember if he said it or I said it, but one of us said, “yeah, every time is the last time.” Some dumb shit about nothing, and we looked at each other and we were like write that down real quick, that could be a title,” he shared. Adding, “I just saw an image of you have this love interest or this kind of romantic situation, but you know it’s not going to work, it’s not the thing you should be doing, and every time you’re like this is the last time I’m doing this, and then you find yourself back in it.”

“Every Time Is The Last Time” is just the beginning for Hueston. He teased even more music to come. “Theres’s so much music. I’m going to be dropping so many singles, but there is an album. The album is finished. It’s incredible. Can’t give you the date yet, but that will be on the way this year at some point.”

In the meantime, fans can catch Hueston at various shows this summer, including opening dates for artists like Jelly Roll. Check out his list of shows here!

Connect:

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

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

Hueston’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 Lily Rose? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music (2024)

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

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Quick Facts:

Full Names – Lily Rose Williamson
Birthdates – 09/11/1993
Hometown – Atlanta, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Keith Urban
Label – Big Loud Records / Back Blocks Music / Republic Records
Current Single – “Back Pew”  // as of date of article: 5/13/24

The Beginning:

Back in 2021, we introduced you to viral, country newcomer, Lily Rose. In the past three years, Rose has garnered millions of fans and has become much more than her viral sensation, “Villain.” We reconnected with the singer-songwriter and chatted about her journey thus far and her new music that came out last week (5/10).

“I’m from Atlanta, Georgia, and my parents always had music playing in the house and took the plunge of letting me get a drum set and a guitar when I was a kid. They always just let me chase my dreams,” shared Rose, reminding us exactly how essential music was to her upbringing. Rose spent her childhood cultivating her sound and really delving into the music that she loved. According to the singer, she grew up listening to many different genres of music, taking inspiration along the way.

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

The Turning Point:

After graduating high school, Rose attended school in Athens, Georgia, where her love of music really hit its peak. “That’s where I started playing music and being on stage, and really tried to do the Lily Rose thing and not just write songs in my bedroom anymore,” shared the singer.

Despite wanting to move to Los Angeles to pursue music, Rose made the move to Nashville, after realizing that country music could be her future, thanks to Sam Hunt. “He’s kind of my North Star, and always has been when it comes to country music,” she shared. Adding, “When I was about to move up to town, I always wanted to move to LA and come and write country, but I just didn’t see myself being a country artist, until Sam came on the scene in 2014 and changed my whole perception of country music.”

Around the same time that Rose started to cut her teeth in Nashville, she download TikTok, which went on to change her life. “I moved up to Nashville, and I was here working every part-time job I could think of just trying to get a deal, and then I posted “Villain” on TikTok at the end of 2020, and everything changed, and here we are.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Rose just released her best music to date. Her new EP, Runnin’ Outta Time speaks to her journey thus far, as well as, her true, authentic nature that is evident across her catalog of music. “I think everyday is different. There are some days where I’m like “hey I’m proposing to my girlfriend in a week, let’s write a song about it,” and then this next chapter of music, I kind of had to recenter myself a bit, and truly figure out who I am in the amidst of really crazy partying culture and trying to be the best me I can be at the same time. It just depends on the day, but I always try to be the most authentic that I can.”

The new project features six songs that all tell a unique story, while still feeling relatable to the listener. “‘Parking Lot’ is the oldest of them all. We wrote that in 2021, and I’ve always loved it. It never was really moving the needle in the A&R meetings in what we were going to cut, so I just started to play it out with Sam Hunt, and it kind of convinced everybody. But the other five songs, we’ve written in the last ten months,” shared the singer.

According to the entertainer, she really found her Nashville crew in songwriting, which allowed her to create this body of work. “We can attack [writing songs] whole-heartedly, and these six songs are kind of an example of where I’m at in my life right now. The crossroads of one street being I’m going balls to the wall partying, we are touring and I’ve been married for a year, and we’ve been celebrating and just having the time of our lives, and the other street of always trying to be the best version of myself that I can, always trying to be the pest person, sister, wife daughter, friend, while also trying to make sure I’m doing it all, while working on my relationship with God. So it’s all this really cool layout of what my life has looked like these last ten months, and we put it into songs.”

While this EP may be the best body of work Rose has put out thus far, in the words of the stellar singer,“I feel like we’re just getting started.” Fans can catch the singer on the road with Luke Bryan this season. Checkout all of her tour dates here and stay tuned for even more new music!

Connect:

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

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

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

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Who is Walker County? The Story Behind Their Journey to Country Music

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Who is Walker County? The singer-songwriting duo joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the rising stars here…

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Walker County // Photo credit: Trea Allen

Quick Facts:

Full Names – Ivy Dene Potter & Sophie Dawn Walker
Birthdates – April 10 (Ivy Dene)  & March 19 (Sophie Dawn)
Hometown – Sulphur Springs, IN
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Dolly Parton, The Chicks, Miranda Lambert, John Prine
Current Single – “The Thing About Fences”  // as of date of article: 5/6/2024

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on incredible sister-duo, Walker County. Walker County, comprised of Ivey Dene Potter and Sophie Dawn Walker are a force to be reckoned with in country music right now. We chatted with the songstresses’ about their path towards music, their new independent project, and everything in between.

“We grew up in a town of 390 people, and we only had each other to write with,” began the Indiana natives. “We started playing music together when we were 9 and 12, and we started to play music with our dad, Billy Walker. He was a big influence. He played bluegrass all our childhood and played for a church band.”

As soon as their father realized they could sing, he invited them to pursue their gifts. “We just learned a love for all music really early on, so when it was time for us to do our own thing, we loved our bluegrass. […] I remember the first song that we got to cover that we chose was “Red High Heels” by Kellie Pickler. We definitely looked up to those female artists,” shared the singers who found inspiration in many different genres of music. “Our dad grew up playing bluegrass, but he also would play every genre of music in the house. We listened to anything and everything.”

Armed with a passion, the duo took a trip with their family to Nashville in 2007. “We opened up the guitar case, and street performed for a little bit,” shared Walker County. Adding, “We went back down and played for like an hour and a half, and made $200 bucks, and I thought we were rich of course, and we went to the mall after […]. We ended up going back to Indiana, and started to play wherever we could, fairs and festivals, and that really took over our lives. We started playing every weekend, all through 2014, until we made the move to Nashville, and we’ve been in town ever since.”

The Turning Point:

Walker County continued to hone their talents and their storytelling through their upbringing. Eventually, at just nineteen and sixteen years old, the singer-songwriters made the move to Nashville, Tennessee to further their careers.

“We moved to Nashville with a record deal at nineteen and sixteen. We moved to town with the idea that in the next two years we would have music, and that just didn’t happen. That season of our lives, we had a lot of growing to do and learning the ins and outs of the music industry, some of it heartbreaking and some of it exciting,” shared the singers, as they reflected on their journey.

While in Nashville, they spent years writing and cultivating their sound. “Nashville was definitely a writer’s bootcamp for the first two years we lived here.” Despite continuing to write music almost daily, Walker County was not getting the opportunity they wanted to put out all the music they were creating.

This led to the women finally deciding to bet on themselves. “It was just a season in our lives that needed to happen, but we had been there for nine years, and last year at Sophie’s birthday dinner, we were sitting with a friend of ours, a singer-songwriter named Paul Sikes, and we were just sitting there pouring out our frustration of not being able to release the music we want and having this catalog of songs that we’ve been dying to put out to the world, and just not getting the opportunity to, and that’s when Paul was like “girls, let me produce this record. Let’s put out every song that we always wanted to put out. We don’t need the record label to do this, we can do this on our own.”

Walker County went on to do just that and took a leap of faith.

Today:

That leap of faith culminated in Walker County finally releasing their debut album, Painted Ponies. The eleven song project features songs like “The Thing About Fences,” “Handwritten,” and the title track. Each of the songs speak to their incredible songwriting prowess, their knack for crafting a relatable song, and of course, their journey thus far as they navigate the windy road that is the music industry.

“I think there’s a song on this album from every year we’ve been in town. It’s really cool, because it definitely tells our journey and our story in the music industry,” shared the singers. “We really didn’t have any rules while picking this album, which was so freeing. […] We really wanted this album to be one that you listen to from start to finish, and for it really to tell a story. It’s evident that we had a good time making this album.”

The record is a true embodiment of what happens in music when there are no boundaries. “We just sat and listened through the songs, and we wanted the record to make sense, but we didn’t want to be held back by how many tempos we had on it, how many ballads, what this song meant, we just wanted it to live with the songs in it. No rules, no fences. We just wrote down our favorites, and I think the songs that stuck out were the songs we knew the day we wrote them that they were going to special songs.”

Fans can look forward to even more music from Walker County coming out hopefully this year. The ladies will also be playing at fairs and festivals this season, as well as, heading back to CMA Fest. For a full list of shows, head to their website here.

Connect:

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

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

Walker County’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 Eli Winders? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-eli-winders

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Eli Winders
Birthdate – 05/29/2004
Hometown – Pikeville, North Carolina
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Sturgill Simpson, Eric Church, ERNEST, Keith Whitley
Label – Atlantic Records/Bad Realm Records
Current Single – “Two Wheel Drive Cowboy” // as of date of article: 4/29/2024

The Beginning:

The country music genre is buzzing with so many incredible artists including newcomers on the scene. Singer-songwriter, Eli Winders, a newcomer in country music, is an artist we are excited about! We chatted with the singer about his music, his record deal, and how he continues to grow his fanbase. Keep reading to learn more about his story and to say you were a day one fan!

“I’m from North Carolina in a little town called Pikeville. I grew up within five miles of every bit of my family,” began Winders. “We lived out in the country and we didn’t have cable growing up or an Xbox or any of that until I was like fourteen, fifteen, so we spent a lot of time playing outside with my cousins and friends. Life was just a lot of time doing stuff like that. I think that definitely played a role in playing music. I didn’t have a phone either when I started playing guitar, and I started learning guitar when I was about fourteen.”

As a teenager, Winders fell in love with music. He recalls listening to classic rock and bluegrass music throughout his upbringing, thanks to his parents. He showed off his love of music first through guitar “Once I started playing guitar, I didn’t know I could sing, so I just wanted to play lead guitar and play rock riffs, and join a band at some point. Then eventually, I started trying to sing a bit, and I stuck with that. Then I found my way getting into country music a little bit,” he shared. Adding, “It was going back to the Avett Brothers, Luke Combs, and Thomas Rhett, and then I found out about Tyler Childers and deep dove into that whole world of country music, and I absolutely fell in love with it. Around that same time, I wrote my first song and it was super cheesy, but I fell in love with it, and just kept going.”

The Turning Point:

Throughout high school, Winders kept playing music. Upon graduating, he began working at a feed-mill, while simultaneously taking night classes and starting to post original songs on social media. “After night classes, I would go home, and go online and post a video every single day [on social media],” shared the singer. “Then that took off a little bit, and started to get some attention from people in the music industry. That led to a record deal with Atlantic Records, and I started to work with management over at C3, and eventually left the feed mill. I moved out here to Nashville, and I’ve been writing songs since.”

While in class one day, Winders received a DM on Instagram from his now A&R representative at Atlantic Records, and his life shifted on its axis. After meeting with his now team in New York City, he eventually went to Los Angeles to sign his record deal with Atlantic Records and made the move to Nashville in May of 2023.

“I had no idea that [my social media videos] would reach people in the music industry. My intention was to post videos and post original songs to kind of grow a fanbase, and go play shows,” humbly shared Winders. “I’m so thankful for the opportunity I was given to just write songs everyday and to go play shows out on the road. It’s truly a dream come true being able to do this.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Winders is cranking out music that fans are falling in love with. His songs, “Pack My Hometown” and “Carolina Blue” already caught the attention of tons of country music fans for their honest and relatable lyrics. Now, the singer is gearing up to release even more music.

Most recently, Winders released a stage-ready song called, “Two Wheel Drive Cowboy.” “When I moved to town, I started hanging out with some people, and a guy who’s not a songwriter was like “hey I have this cool idea. I think it would be a good song title.” I immediately thought it was awesome, and I threw it out in a few co-writes, and nobody took it, and then eventually I found some people that wanted to write it with me, and it came out exactly how I imagined it,” shared the singer when asked about the song.

“Two Wheel Drive Cowboy” is the type of song that is made to be played live. It is fun, energetic, and still has the heart and grit that Winders’ previous releases have. “It’s just a super fun one to play with the band. With all the shows we’re starting to do, I wanted to move more in that direction of a more fun song that’s going to get the crowd moving a bit more than “Pack My Hometown” and “Carolina Blue.” I thought it was a good one to just try out first in that sound space.”

As 2024 continues, fans can expect more music from Winders, as he continues to tease incredible songs on his social media. For tickets to live shows, head to his website here! “I’m hoping this year to play as many shows as possible and to just say yes to everything I can. We have so much more music coming out. I spent all of May to December just writing, so we have so much music to put out.”

Connect:

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

To keep up with Eli Winders, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

Eli Winders’ 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 MacKenzie Porter? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music 2024

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

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MacKenzie Porter // Photo credit: Bree Marie Fish

Quick Facts:

Full Name – MacKenzie Lea Porter
Birthdate – 01/29/1990
Hometown – Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – The Chicks, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks
Label – Big Loud Records
Current Single – “Easy To Miss”  // as of date of article: 4/22/2024

The Beginning:

This week’s spotlight artist is one that we have loved for a few years, ever since she came on to the American country music scene. Canadian country artist and Nashville transplant, MacKenzie Porter has had music in her blood since she was a young kid. We chatted with the singer-songwriter about her childhood, her move to Nashville, record deal with Big Loud Records, and her debut album slated for release this Friday (4/26).

Growing up on a ranch outside of Alberta, Canada, Porter found herself gravitating to music when she was only four years old. “We lived on a ranch. There was nothing else to do other than play music,” she shared. “Country music was just what my parents listened to, what my grandparents listed to. It was all that filled the car and the house as far as music, so I fell in love with it when I was super young because of the lifestyle and where I grew up.”

Porter recalls singing and playing the fiddle at an early age, always drawing inspiration from the iconic 90s country artists she listened to on the radio. “I grew up in the 90s, so it was the radio. Anything 90s country was kind of like how I was raised. The Chicks was my first concert,” she shared. Adding, “I feel like I can pull inspiration from anyone like Kacey Musgraves, even my friends who are songwriters that are making music. I’m just inspired by different songs that they write, and even their work ethic too.”

With artists like Shania Twain, Martina McBride, The Chicks, and Deana Carter on her radio airwaves, Porter aspired to move to Nashville and fulfill her dreams. She started writing songs and eventually began making trips back and forth to Music City.

The Turning Point:

Almost ten years ago, Porter made the big move to Nashville to pursue her dreams. “I started making trips to Nashville almost 10 years ago [before moving] just trying to write with whoever I could write with and weasel my way into parties and rooms just to get to know people,” shared the songstress.

Eventually, Porter met her now producer, Joey Moi, who changed the trajectory of her career. “Over the course of ten years, I met some really pivotal people. I met Joey Moi. He’s my producer to this day, and he signed me to my record deal. […] He’s kind of been my champion from the beginning,” she shared. “We’ve been working on music together since 2016, and we were finally at the place, where my team and I felt it was finally the time to put out my debut record.”

As a Big Loud Records recording artist, Porter has been working on her craft for years. She has written hundreds of songs a year, since moving to Nashville, as well as, continues to entice fans with her one-of-a-kind talent. “It’s so worth it to see people feel something about your music.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Porter is on the brink of releasing her major-label debut album, Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart, out this Friday, April 26th. The record boasts 19 songs that all speak to the songstress’ growth as an artist and her hardworking over the last several years.

“There’s been so much love and tears and everything that has gone into this record. […] We’ve been cutting it for over a year, but I’ve been writing songs for years, trying to get the right ones for this body of work. I’m excited to because now I get to be on this schedule where they’ll never be this long of a gap between records again,” shared the singer.

While there are fun, anthemic songs on the record like her newly released single, “Have Your Beer,” most of the record showcases the more introspective side of Porter in the hopes that fans will feel heard and understood through her music.

“The theme for the record is centered around heartbreak, and not just relationship heartbreak. There’s heartbreak like in the song “Nightingale,” that’s a little bit more about my career. “Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart” is kind of like a lifestyle struggle from my whole life,” shared the singer. “I wanted it to be like we all start off so innocent and pure and life throws shit at us, and we have to be hit by it or dodge it or get scraped by it, and at the end we are this hot mess, but it’s really beautiful because it shows you loved people and went through things and took chances. I feel like each of these songs are these little scrapes that I’ve endured along the way.”

Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart will open new doors for Porter, as she embarks on the biggest year in her carer. Catch Porter at one of her live shows this year, and make sure to stream the album when it comes out!

Connect:

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

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

MacKenzie Porter’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released 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 Skip Ewing? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Quick Facts:

Full Name – Donald Ralph “Skip” Ewing
Birthdate – March 6th
Hometown – Redlands, California
Current City – Dubois, Wyoming
Musical Influences – James Taylor, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson
Current Single – “Windmill” // as of date of article: 4/17/2024

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist who has lived many lifetimes. Skip Ewing is an award-winning singer-songwriter, who has boasted multiple number ones as a songwriter. He decided to step away from the music industry, only to find himself back in it currently. We chatted with the artist about his incredible and windy path, new music, and everything in between.

“I don’t remember a time where I didn’t play guitar. I was told I asked for a guitar when I was like four,” began the California native. “I just played it incessantly, I just loved it. The joke was that I could play guitar before I could read.” At an early age, Ewing was engulfed in music. “There was so many different musical influences like classical and country. […] Country influences would have been like Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and then there were people like James Taylor, and I was totally into The Police, and Sting, and The Beatles.”

Throughout his upbringing, the singer-songwriter would craft music and play different instruments during every waking moment. “I couldn’t really get very many guitar lessons, so I would stay up late at night and I would put a foam curler under my strings, all the way up the saddle of my guitar, so I could play and I wouldn’t get caught. I would just make stuff up,” he shared. Adding,“I started playing five-string mandolin, and I played bass, and piano. I just played everything that I possibly could. I sang in choir, I did musical theatre, and I didn’t know I would be a country music artist [at the time].”

While the singer did not necessarily dream of a career in country music, he always yearned to continue to express himself through music. “I just wanted to express myself artistically in the most authentic way I could,” shared the artist, who found himself landing in Nashville shortly upon graduating high school.

The Turning Point:

Once he was offered a job in Nashville, Tennessee, Ewing took it and there was no turning back. “I was an ensemble singer there. Some people heard some songs I was working on and they liked it, and I got signed to publishing deal.” Shortly thereafter he landed cuts and hits for artists like George Jones, Randy Travis, and Trisha Yearwood.

He also landed himself a record deal. Despite the fact that Ewing was seemingly “living the dream,” he was losing touch with the self-expression that he always loved in music. “What happened was that the songs I wanted to record as an artist, I was told were terrible. Some of the songs I wanted to record were number one hits. […] I tried to make people happy, and maybe I tried to make the wrong people happy, but my heart wasn’t happy. I kept trying to please everyone else, but it got to a place where it felt like my artistic soul was eroding a bit.”

He decided to leave it all behind and sell everything in favor of studying horsemanship, something he had begun to love. “On my own spiritual journey, I had fallen in love with horses. The more I worked with horses, the more I learned about myself, and the more I learned about myself, the more I realized I could be a better human if I studied that,” he shared. Adding,“The more that went along, the more powerful the journey became. I met my wife in Texas at a clinic down there, and that just led itself all the way up to us moving to Wyoming. […] We moved there on faith and we just said let’s be here because it’s gorgeous, and I feel like I’m planting my roots in the right kind of soil.”

Eventually, while his wife was away working as a videographer and photographer, Ewing began to pick up the guitar again. “She came home after I had written a few songs, and I played them for her. She said, ‘honey, I think the journeys have to come together. I think you’re in a place, where the world needs to hear what you are doing.’”

Ewing and his wife took another leap of faith, and the singer-songwriter began to write and release music again.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Ewing is as relevant today as he was many years ago. Still crafting songs that speak to his artistry, the singer is at his absolute best. “It was like being a brand new artist. What I did was I wrote a few songs, and then somehow I just knew in my heart who should produce it with me. It was someone I hadn’t done anything with for over twenty years. The very first song I ever played guitar on for someone else, that I wrote was a song for, was Randy Travis called “If I Didn’t Have You,” the number one single from his greatest hits album. I went to play guitar in the studio and the proper, his name was Kyle Lehning, and his presence in the studio struck me and I never forgot it.”

With a Christmas record and one album, Wyoming already under his belt, Ewing is about to release another new record called, Road To California. Recently, the singer released a song off the project called, “Windmill,” which truly speaks to the poetic nature of his songwriting.

“That song really describes the singer who is the windmill, who speaks to his own efforts of being still deeply in love with someone that they lost, and he experiences that person as the wind. A windmill doesn’t really have a choice, it spins towards the wind, if there’s wind, it spins. And in its own way the power of love that exists in its own way takes a small breath of a memory or anything like that to just spin us around and have us right back in it,” he shared.

While we await Ewing’s next studio album, fans can checkout “Windmill,” as well as, the songwriter’s cut on Ernest’s new duet with Lainey Wilson called “Would If I Could.” To keep up with the singer and to catch him on the road, head to his website here.

Connect:

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

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

Skip Ewing’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-shelby-darrall

Who is Shelby Darrall? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

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Shelby Darrall // Photo credit: Anna Schaeffer

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Shelby Darrall
Birthdate – 04/28/1995
Hometown – Calistoga, California
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Eric Church, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Eagles, Etta James
Current Single – “When I Don’t Love You”  // as of date of article: 4/8/2024

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on a songstress that knows exactly who she is in this industry. Shelby Darrall is an incredible singer-songwriter, who creates music that has heart, grit, and a whole lot of relatability. We chatted with the singer about her music, her journey thus far, and everything in between.

“With growing up in California, I feel like every time I’m trying to explain where I’m from to people, I just reference ‘The Parent Trap’, because that’s what it felt like growing up there. I’m really lucky to be from Napa,” shared the budding artist.  “It’s a lot of land, and time, and space, and I think country music just filled all of that there. It’s all we ever grew up listening to.”

Darrall recalls loving country music her whole life, finding inspiration in many country artists of her youth including Eric Church. The singer also comes from a musical family, with her dad playing music too. “My dad was in a country band, so I was basically surrounded by country music at all times and I loved it,” she shared. Adding, “I just kind of watched my dad and I wanted to be like him. Eventually, I learned to play myself a little bit and started to play songs. I tried to get gigs wherever I could, but Napa’s small, so it was mostly wineries.”

At just thirteen years old, the songstress taught herself to play guitar and started to write songs whenever she could. “I think it’s just the most natural thing that’s ever come to me I think, and I also love it, so it just made sense right away, but probably because I watched my dad do it so effortlessly that I was like ‘it must run in my blood somewhere’,” she shared. Adding, “I had little songbooks hidden all over my house and under my mattress, and I just practiced, practiced, and practiced.”

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high school, Darrall knew she wanted to pursue music for a living, but she headed to school in Arizona first to get her degree and then eventually finished her education at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I was trying to understand how people have careers in this business […] So I was like ‘where can I go in this business’, and Nashville felt like the most comfortable, like the most similar of where I’m from. I just kind of knew that, remembered that, I went to school in Arizona and then transferred to Belmont to finish.”

Once in Nashville, Darrall hit the ground running. “I don’t think there’s a straight path for anyone in the business, so I think I just tried things until something kind of stuck, I remember when my career started moving in a way that felt kind of real is when I met my now manager, Autumn. […] I was playing the Key West Songwriters Festival, and I met her there. I think she was the first person to kind of grab the reigns of my career and help me know what I’m doing,” she shared.

As she progressed, her team grew bigger, and Darrall was able to put her focus on her art. “We started creating an EP and releasing music, and started meeting people in town more. It was the first time I felt like I had a team behind me. It’s gotten even bigger since,” she shared. Adding, “I always knew that my talent belonged to me, and I wanted to make sure it was constantly sharp. It’s always been what I worked the hardest on.”

Today:

Presently, Darrall is making waves in the industry and is truly at the top of her game. With many festival dates lined up, her first headlining show in Napa on the books, and opening spots on tour with Elle King, the singer is having an incredible year.

Additionally, Darrall’s newest song, “When I Don’t Love You” is impressing both fans and industry members alike. “My writing style comes from real experiences for me, at least the best ones, and my favorite ones do,” she shared when asked about her new single. “The day before, that exact experience in that song happened. I ran into an ex and I kind of just realized all of those thoughts, and I went into co-write the next day, and I was just explaining that. I was like, ‘I think I just don’t love him anymore.’ […] The song just kind of naturally fell out and it’s very honest and very real.”

From the time Darrall recored the demo, she knew the song was something special. “I played it at shows, and I always had a good response with that one, so we decided to release it,” she shared. “Sad songs are easier for me to write. I have a harder time with happy songs, probably because that’s my preference and that’s what I like listening to, but this song felt sad. However, it’s actually has an empowering message, too.”

Fans can catch Darrall singing “When I Don’t Love You” and many others at her various gigs this year. Stay tuned for more new music coming down the pipeline soon!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Shelby Darrall, follow her on Instagram, TikTok,  Twitter, and Facebook.

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

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Who is Brooke Eden? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

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Quick Facts:

Full Name – Brooke Eden Hoover
Birthdate – 13/20/1988
Hometown – West Palm Beach, Florida
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Patsy Cline, The Chicks, LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood, Shania Twain
Current Single – “Outlaw Love (Dave Audé Remix)”  // as of date of article: XX

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist that is a true inspiration to many people. After years in the industry, Brooke Eden has finally emerged as the truest version of herself, and that is evident in her music. We chatted with the songstress all about her journey, music, and everything in between.

“I grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida,” began the singer-songwriter. “My dad was a drummer in a country band, still is, and so he played every weekend. When I was five years old, I started singing. I started hearing Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill on the radio and I started singing all of the songs, and my dad was like “oh wow, she can stay on key” […] About a year into singing, my dad was like “do you want to go play with my band not he weekend,” and I said yeah, and I thought it would be so much fun.”

While her friends were all at sleepovers, Eden was performing at honky-tonks with her dad and his band. “I feel like my hometown kinda took me under its wing. You don’t think of West Palm Beach, Florida as being a big country music town, but oh my god, it is. […] It took me under its wing as the town’s country music artist at twelve years old. […] At twelve, they asked me to open for Alan Jackson when he was coming through to play at the theatre, and then it was Brooks & Dunn, and it just kind of went from there.”

Throughout her upbringing, Eden always felt called to country music. “As a kid, I didn’t even realize there was another genre of music,” she shared. “I always wanted to move to Nashville, but as a family, we did not have the means to do that.”

The Turning Point:

Despite knowing that she belonged in Nashville, Eden’s dad asked her head to college first. The singer obliged “So I went to the University of Florida, graduated with a business degree, and actually came back to my hometown, and  started playing four or five nights a week to save up money to move to Nashville.”

About ten months after graduating college, Eden was ready to make the move to Music City. “I just jumped in. I got to Nashville, and the very first night we were there, we had driven 12 hours from West Palm Beach to Nashville, we had a blow-up mattress on the floor, and my dad was like “let’s go down to honky-tonks.” Ended up getting on stage at Tootsie’s and they were like, “do you want a job here?”

She went to auditions that Saturday and the band leader had some wise words for her. He said, “honey this is honky-tonk school, and I have a feeling, you’ve already been through honky-tonk school, what else do you want to do in Nashville,” and I was like “I really want to learn how to write a song, like a real country song.” And he was like “What are you doing on Tuesday?.” Eden went on to write her first song with him, he helped connect her to others in the industry, and eventually she landed her first record deal and publishing deal a year and a half after moving.

As soon as she was signed, Eden started to feel the pressure of not being allowed to be her full self. “Actually my very first week of radio tour is when I meant my now wife, but at the time, I was told we had to keep our relationship a secret,” she shared, adding, “I had my record deal, and I was touring as kind of a shell of myself. I knew what I was suppose to say, I knew what I was supposed to look like, sound like, and I knew what they wanted me to turn in song-wise. […] It was a very controlling situation as far as a record label went, and then, once the label found out that I was in a relationship with a woman, they pretty much stopped putting music out on me.”

Eventually in 2020, Eden had an epiphany that she was done hiding who she was from the world. As fate would have it, her record label was bought at my Big Machine Label Group, and she finally had a supportive team around her. “In 2021, I came out with my full story, and came out with three songs, and two of them was about my love story, and we had music video that my wife was in with me, and it finally felt like I was able to be the artist that I was always  supposed to be,” she shared, adding, “I wanted to release my new music as me, knowing that I’m being fully me. They completed supported me.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Eden is at her absolute best professionally. Back in June of 2023, she released an EP titled, Outlaw Love which featured some of her most honest and vulnerable songs to date. The EP chronicled her love-story, and showcased that it was more than okay to be your true self in country music.

“Outlaw Love, the EP was definitely the most personal thing I’ve ever put out. It was definitely an unfolding of chapters It started off with “Whispering,” where we were kind of the topic of conversation at a lot of parties. […] That song was kind of about taking your power back. […] Then it goes into “Chills,” which is this really romantic part of our relationship, where we are just allowed to be in our own space and really fall in love with each other, and then it goes to “Outlaw Love” which is a very empowering, kind of self-realization and self-acceptance of this is who we are, this is who I am, and I’m not afraid to say it or talk about it, and then it ends with “All My LIfe,” which was our first dance song at our wedding,” shared the songstress.

Eden also shared “There’s so much you can say in music that you couldn’t speak. […] Sometimes it has to come in music for people to accept it in a way. It’s been really cool to see how music has changed people’s hearts.” Most recently, the singer had empowered people even more with the remix of song, “Outlaw Love.”

“It is kind of a serious subject, but it’s also this rebel yell. […] I”m going to be in my full authenticity, and to me that is a celebration, and it should be celebrated, and I think the remix brings that […] It’s a celebratory song about being yourself and being about to dance to that, so I was so excited about the remix.”

Fans can expect even more new music coming down the pipeline soon. Stay tuned!

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Connect:

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

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

Brooke Eden’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.