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Who is Redferrin? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Redferrin // Photo credit: Sean Hagwell

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Blake Redferrin
Birthdate – 11/25/1992
Hometown – White House, Tennessee
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Ozzy Osbourne, John Anderson, Alan Jackson, Nelly, Post Malone
Label – Warner Music Nashville
Current Single – “Jack and Diet Coke”

The Beginning:

Todays’s spotlight artist is one we are really excited about. Tennessee native, Blake Redferrin, who goes by Redferrin is one of those artists that has the ‘it factor.’ We chatted with the singer-songwriter about his journey to country music and where he is headed.

“I grew up in a little town called White House, Tennessee,” he began. “As a kid, my dad worked at Gibson Guitar for fifteen – twenty years, so we always had guitars at our house. I was always really into it, but I was also really into my dirt bike.” Redferrin recalls being exposed to many different genres of music throughout his upbringing.

“We used to have this bluegrass festival that I went to every year […] My dad was listening to a lot of ZZ Top, Metallica, and Ozzy Osbourne. My mom was listening to Alan Jackson […] and my sister was listening to Three 6 Mafia and Nelly, so growing up I was listening to a range of stuff and I picked my favorites out of it all,” he shared. Adding, “I think I kind of came by it all so honest, because I was surrounded by bluegrass in my hometown, my dad listening to rock, why mom listening to radio country, and my sister’s doing whatever she can to drive them crazy, so I grew up around so much different music, which is probably why my stuff is so blended.”

Despite loving music, Redferrin also loved motocross, so that became his focus because music did not seem like something he could do professionally at first. “I grew up racing motocross for most of my life and music was kind of a hobby. I was pretty shy growing up, so I just never saw the music thing working out for me.”

The Turning Point:

While racing as a professional motocross rider, Redferrin started connecting with people in the industry like Florida Georgia Line. “I think what piqued my interest to get back into music was when I was racing. The really good races would have a DJ or an artist, but the ones that weren’t that fun, didn’t have any kind of entertainment. At the time, I would write songs just as a hobby, but I remember a couple of my friends found out that I did music, and they were like ‘you should play at the races.’”

Redferrin started asking if he could play at smaller races, and soon enough he was making more money performing than he would have if he actually won the race. “I got to know Florida Georgia Line through some great motocross guys, and they were like ‘buddy you’re never going to go to a title, but you should be a songwriter.’” I waited my whole life to get into the stadiums racing, and I was like ‘I can’t give up yet’.”

Soon thereafter, Redferrin got offered a publishing deal anyway, but he declined it. “I remember I got offered a publishing deal, and I turned it down because the condition was I had to quit racing. I turned it down and then that very next weekend I broke my arm and knocked myself out in the Georgia dome. I remember calling, “hey is that publishing deal still there?” And they were like “Nope.” So I had to write for a year to kind of work my way back in, but I think God just really forced my hand and showed me what I should be doing.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Redferrin officially got rid of all plan Bs and is pursuing music for a living. “The transition was good for me as a human more than anything because I got to find who I was through this process I reckon,” shared the Warner Music Nashville rising star.

For the first time in his career, Redferrin is officially releasing a new EP called Old No. 7 (due out February 16th) featuring seven songs, including fan-favorite, “Jack and Diet Coke.” “I’ve been stacking songs for a while. I feel like I’ve had five or ten versions of an EP just waiting to release it. However, I was glad that “Jack and Diet Coke” is the one that caught a spark for me, because that’s my favorite kind of music. Happy, sad, kinda dark, but kinda moving and stuff. Once I got the green light to write one of that, it was on. We kind of just dove in, and it’s a lot of real stories, it’s a lot of stuff that means something to me. I wrote a good bit of it this year,” shared the artist reflecting on the forthcoming EP.

Fans can expect the record to blend sounds and showcase authentic stories throughout all the songs. “I just realized that there was a lot of stories that I hadn’t told the right way or haven’t really tapped into. I got to take a lot more ownership on this project cause I produced it myself with a couple of buddies, and I just got to be really hands-on and make it what I wanted.”

Be on the lookout for Redferrin’s record coming out this Friday, February 16th, and make sure to catch him on the road this year too! Checkout his tour dates 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 Redferrin releases.

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

Redferrin’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-charles-esten- kristen-balanij

Who is Charles Esten? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Charles Esten // Photo credit: Kristen Balanij

QUICK FACTS: 

Full Name – Charles Esten
Birthdate – 9/9
Hometown – Alexandria, Virginia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – (please name 3-5). Waylon Jennings, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles
New album – Love Ain’t Pretty

 

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist is already a household name to many. Charles Esten is an incredible actor, singer, and songwriter. While Esten might be most known for his roles on hit shows, Nashville and Outer Banks, he is also a beloved member of the country music community. We chatted with Esten about his journey to where he is now, his new record, and everything in between.

Esten was born in Pennsylvania, but spent most of his formative years in Northern Virginia. He recalls even at a young age that music was an important part of his upbringing. “I remember my mom said I was sitting in the shopping cart singing Simon & Garfunkel at the top of my lungs,” he shared. Adding, “In those times, I can remember writing little [songs] and Little Rock songs, and my friends and I were huge Beatles fans.”

Throughout his childhood, Esten wrote songs and learned to play both guitar and piano. “In third grade, there was a contest to write a song using a Disney song, to change up the words, and I won that,” he shared. “I remember the feeling of having the whole school sing a song I wrote, and looking back, it was probably pretty life-changing.”

Esten found inspiration in many genres of music from rock to country to soul, and later in college, artists like U2 and Bruce Springsteen caught his attention too. “Country was having its moment, one of its many moments, when I was a kid, and then as I got older, my father got really heavily into Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson and a lot of other country. He and I would go on long roadtrips listen to this CD called ’50 Golden Years of Country Music,’ and it played all these hits from the really early past.”

The Turning Point:

Things started to turn for Esten in his college years. “During my second year of college, I met all the guys that would form my college band. […] That was a huge thing for me because I majored in economics, but what I really majored in was that band. I got to write songs and bring them to that basement and the band would bring them alive. We started touring and we did well enough that I stayed an extra year to continue the band.”

While his college band was a huge turning point for him, the other members all dispersed after college leaving Esten to figure out his next move. “After that year, I’m pretty much certain that if they wanted to stay in the band, we would have gone on, and that would have been my career […] I was on my own without a band, and at that time, Nashville wasn’t really an option or an idea then. I guess New York would have been possible, but I had no connections there at all, but I had a couple of friends that were acting in LA, so I thought I could try that, and maybe meet another band.”

Esten moved to L.A. to pursue acting, and almost immediately landed himself a role playing Buddy Holly on stage in London that combined his love for music with acting. “I did that for almost 2.5 years. And while I was there I got on this show called ‘Whose Line Was It Anyway,’ and part of my job was to improvise songs off the top of my head, so more of that music-making.”

All along, Esten was still writing music and playing guitar, and as he grew older, his music and his songwriting became more and more country. “Eventually, I started writing music with some Nashville songwriters. It was about 6 or 7 years after that happened, in a moment that I was certain I had waited too long and thought maybe I could be a songwriter […] but God had a trick up his sleeve and sent me a script called Nashville. This role and this character not only popped and came alive for so many people, but it reawakened the original dream of mine.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Esten’s role as Deacon in Nashville allowed him to pursue his dream both as his character and as himself. Today, the singer-songwriter is releasing his own original music. After releasing a song a week for 54 weeks, Esten finally put together a brand-new project called, Love Ain’t Pretty filled with fourteen songs that the singer had a hand in penning.

“‘Deacon played the Bluebird before I did, but when I finally got to play it I’ll never forget sitting in the round with these other folks. Wouldn’t you know it the guy from Los Angeles, is playing the most country music here, so by the time I got here, my country music was sounding a little older country already,” he shared.

Love Ain’t Pretty is an incredible conglomerate of Esten’s musical taste and talent. Each song speaks to his originality and his authenticity as an artist and as a person. “That’s what is cool about this album to me because it encompasses all of it. It can rock, and it has all of the soulful blues that I love so much, but underneath it all is the country stories,” he shared. Adding, “One of the best examples of that is “When Love Ain’t Love,” which is literally three chords, and as much as I can do it, the truth in that song. That song is very sparse and very literal of how love falls apart and how strange and heartbreaking it is, but on top of it is, is this shimmery, beautiful pop thing that feels upbeat and lifting, and I love this contradiction of this sad country song buried in this beautiful dance beat.”

Esten may not be the artist that you see currently climbing the country charts, but he is an artist you should pay attention to. His music spans the country music fanbase, and is truly as good as it gets!

Connect:

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

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

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

who-is-belles-2023

Who Is Belles? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music (2024)

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

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Quick Facts:

Full Name – Kelli Rachel Belles
Birthdate – 06/09/99
Hometown – Omaha, Nebraska
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Selena
Label – Independent
Current Single – “I Hate Trucks” (out /1/26) // as of date of article: 01/15/2024

The Beginning:

Back in 2021, we introduced you to a singer-songwriter who was just starting her solo career after years of singing with her mom and brother. Belles has accomplished so much in the last few years, and we chatted with her all about her new music, her career, and everything in between.

Kelli Belles, who goes by Belles, grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. “I was born into a pretty musical family,” she began. “My grandma was a big band singer, and my mom and my aunts were a pop group called Mulberry Lane. So I actually grew up touring with them and backstage at fairs and festivals, watching them sing, in the van with them while they were warming up, and that’s really what sparked my interest in music.”

Throughout her entire childhood, Belles recalls being enamored with music, but specifically with powerful women in country music. “I’ve always loved country music. It was my favorite thing growing up, listening to Shania Twain, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, and Linda Rondstadt, and that was the music I was trying to write back then and still trying to write now.”

She spent her youth honing her skills in dance, musical theatre, and singing, as well as, started writing songs in high school. “When I was about 14, my mom was kind of playing coffee shops around Omaha and writing her own songs, and I asked to be her backup singer. It took a little bit of convincing,” she shares. Adding later, “Eventually she said yes and that kind of slowly turned into us becoming a duo.”

The Turning Point:

After taking a traditional path for a few years, Belles was reminded of her love of music, and moved to Nashville at just nineteen years old. Since being in the country music capital, the songstress worked to craft her songwriting and cultivate her artistry. “Since 2021, I’ve officially launched my solo career […] I’ve written more songs in the past two years than I think I ever have.”

Still inspired by powerful country artists, the singer is determined to share real stories through her storytelling. “Seeing Lainey Wilson’s rise has been really, really inspiring […] She has some of the best songwriting and really unique stories, and is so true to herself. I’m so excited for the future of females in country music. There’s more of a place for everyone’s stories and all different kinds of female artists.”

Belles continues to blend her country music songwriting with other genres, since finding her own voice and style in Nashville. “Stylistically, I’ve kind of been experimenting with mixing traditional elements and more modern elements. My producer, Ned Cameron was actually a rap producer in LA before moving to Nashville. […] He’s brought a lot of different elements to my music that I think are pretty unique.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Belles is on her first ever headlining tour thanks to the fanbase she has been able to grow via social media. “My social media has grown so much too. That’s what really sparked the tour idea. I really wanted to meet these people in real life that I’ve connected with, so I decided to book this club tour and it’s 20 shows, and it’s my first ever headlining tour, and a lot of venues that have been on my bucket list for years.”

The tour has been a place where Belles could finally connect face to face with her fans. Throughout the tour, the songstress is sure to play both released and unreleased music. In just a couple of weeks (January 26th), Belles will release a new song called, “I Hate Trucks.”

According to the singer, “‘I Hate Trucks’ is a fun one. Obviously in Nebraska, everyone drives trucks […] I have never really been a huge fan of trucks, I don’t really understand why you leave the back of this truck empty all the time, so I brought this idea into a writing session because I don’t really like trucks, but I always end up dating guys that drive these big, huge trucks. […] The hook is “I hate trucks, but I love the boys who drive them.” It’s kind of tongue in cheek.”

2024 is slated to be the biggest year yet for the rising artist, who is planning to release a song every six weeks for the new year. Stay tuned and be on the look out!

Connect:

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

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

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

who-is-hannah-ellis

Who is Hannah Ellis? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music (2024)

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

who-is-hannah-ellis

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Hannah Ellis
Birthdate – 8/14/1990
Hometown – Campbellsville, KY
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Martina McBride, Taylor Swift, JoDee Messina
Label – Curb Records
Current Single – “Wine Country” // as of date of article: 01/08/2024

The Beginning:

Back in 2019, we first introduced you to one of our favorite rising artists, Hannah Ellis. Over the years, Ellis has continued to put out new music, building her catalog and audience one song at a time. Now, nearly five years since our first interview, Ellis has grown tremendously in her artistry and continuously proves her staying power in the genre. Recently, we caught up with Ellis to chat about her path thus far and, of course, her debut album, That Girl coming out this Friday, January 12th.

“I’m from a small town in Kentucky,” began the entertainer. “My parents were both singers, so I saw them singing at weddings on the weekends all the time, and they constantly had me and my sister singing together all the time.” At such a young age, Ellis recalls having a passion for music and singing. She specifically loved country music and was inspired by the powerful female country artists of her youth.

“When you’re eleven, twelve, thirteen, you kind of have this idea that anyone can be famous, and anyone can be found at the local county fair. I mean, I had this huge passion for singing. I was always singing and specifically singing country music,” she shared. Adding, “I grew up in the 90s, and it was an incredible time for country music, specifically women in country music.”

Ellis found inspiration in artists like  Martina McBride and JoDee Messina, but also loved Taylor Swift too. “When Taylor Swift came on the scene, that was the first time I felt really connected to someone because her and I are the same age, and it made me feel that someone was finally speaking my language, speaking to me.”

With a supportive family and a desire to be a country music singer-songwriter known, Ellis had a drive to pursue her dream.“As I got older, I started singing in church and singing in the local contests, and stuff, but it wasn’t until I was eighteen, that I really realized that I wanted to pursue music as my life and as my job and career.”

The Turning Point:

Despite knowing ultimately the music was her calling, Ellis had secured a full-ride to the University of Kentucky for college. “I went on to college and just started making trips to Nashville, and kind of got my feet wet in that way. It was a really awesome experience to do the back and forth.” Within two months of graduating from college, the singer made the move to Music City. “As soon as I knew I wanted to pursue country music, I knew that I needed to be in Nashville.”

The second Ellis got to town, she was out networking and meeting as many people as she could in the industry. She wrote with artists around Nashville, connected with industry leaders, and went to every event she could to get her name and talent out there. “I am a person that kind of jumps in with both feet. I would just go to every event, every show, everything that I knew that people who were in the industry would be at. And I just started making connections that way.”

Eventually she landed her first publishing deal in 2015, which later turned into a record deal in 2020 with Curb Records, her current home base.“Being in the same building as a record label, they started to hear my music and go ‘“who is this girl?”’So it was a super organic kind of path into getting a record deal with Curb Records.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Ellis is finally on the brink of releasing her debut album. Her project, That Girl comes out on Friday, January 12th. It is a true conglomerate of her experiences over her incredible career and of course, her own personal experiences too.

“I always knew that this first record was kind of my introduction, my “nice to meet you,” and I really wanted to choose songs that told all the different parts of my story, not just where I am at right now, but how I got here,” she shared. Adding, “It covers a lot of ground. It covers the stories I was writing when I first moved to town and when I got here and when I met my now-husband, Nick and our relationship growing together, and also my growth as a person myself, my struggles, and also the things that I’m super confident and secure in.”

The record features incredibly introspective songs like “Someone Else’s Heartbreak” and “Too Much & Not Enough,” as well as, fun songs like “Wine Country” and “Karma On The Rocks.” It was important to Ellis to not get too precious about the songs sounding the same musically; it was more important to have the stories speak for themselves.

“We didn’t get too hung up on ‘does this go with that?’ or ‘is this sound identical?’ because I think just like my personality, there’s a lot of different facets to the music that I love and there’s a lot of music that was a part of my musical rising if you will, and we just leaned into all the different aspects of me as an artist and me as a person.”

While all the released songs are incredible in their own right, fans can look froward to even more songs off the record including a stand-out called “Still.” According to Ellis, this song was written for a friend. “I wrote it from the perspective of one friend to another, and I wrote it for my friend, whenever she kept kind of going back to the same guy every time he would apologize. […] It’s kind of a song of ‘hey loving someone is not always enough to constitute that person being right for you’, and I think it’s a unique song to me, because I am the person that my friends go to for advice. […] I don’t think there’s a ton of songs out there of one friend talking to another.”

Fans can anticipate that Ellis will be touring the album this year. Checkout her website here for all the information!

Connect:

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

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

Hannah Ellis 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 George Birge? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is George Birge? 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 – George Birge
Birthdate – November 28th
Hometown – Austin, Texas
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Gary Allan, George Strait, Jason Aldean, Eli Young Band
Label – RECORDS Nashville
Current Single – “Mind On You” // as of date of article: 01/02/2024

The Beginning:

In our first spotlight of the 2024, we are highlighting the incredible career of singer-songwriter, George Birge. Birge has been a Nashville-transplant for about nine years, and his career is one of determination, grit, and integrity.

“I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and country music is kind of in your blood down there,” shared the singer. “I fell in love with it literally listening to the radio in my dad’s truck. It was the genre to me that told stories and made you feel something, and was like real life.” At a young age, Birge recalls appreciating country music and its knack for storytelling.

“I grew up idolizing George Strait and Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and all the classic guys,” he shared. Adding, “For more modern, Eli Young Band were a huge influence on me. They were the first guys I saw make it out of Texas on a National scene.”

Birge took his love of country music to heart, even learning to pen lyrics at an early age and playing live gigs just a few years later. “I started writing songs in middle school, started playing guitar by high school, and then started a band at 14,” he shared.

“I started playing live music on 6th street at 14 or 15 years old. We would play downtown Austin with x’s on our hands. We always played original music, which I felt like was different than any other city. […] They were terrible songs, but it was a really cool way to learn how to write music, learn how to connect with other people, and learn what resonated with people. I was instantly hooked to the collaborative culture.”

The Turning Point:

After graduating high school, Birge played music through college. “I played music through college. I went to University of Texas, played golf there briefly. Then I ended up chasing the music thing. By the time I graduated, I had a job, but I was playing every night and weekend in little bars around Austin.”

Because of his hard work and dedication to his craft, the singer grew a following in the Texas music scene. “I never toured before, but we started to get a pretty big following to where we were selling out every Friday and Saturday night, little 300-400 people club. We started to make some noise, which was something I always dreamed about but never thought I could do it professionally.”

This led to Birge catching the ear of some people in Nashville, who came out to see him play, and ultimately offered him his first record deal in 2015. The singer and his new wife moved to Music City upon landing his first deal. Birge started a duo called Waterloo Revival, who achieved a moderate amount of success including touring and radio songs.

Despite the early success, the singer started to feel burnt out on the path he was heading down. “In 2020, when the world shut down, I had kind of run out of steam, and honestly had given up on the artist thing. I asked out of my record deal. I had decided for about an 8-month window there that I was just going to be a songwriter.”

With a plan to just be a songwriter moving forward, Birge began writing songs and getting cuts by bigger artists in town, which would eventually lead him to a new record deal with RECORDS Nashville. “I had written some songs for some bigger artists in town and had some folks start believing in me, supporting my songs, and started putting them on the radio, and then just through the motivation of some family and friends, I got talked into sneaking some of my solo stuff into social media that ended up blowing up and getting me my own record deal.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Birge is finally making music the way he always dreamed of. “This iteration as a solo artist, I promised myself that if I was going to do this again, I was going to do it this my way and I was going to write and record songs that I believed in, and I was going to pick producers, players, and direction, and I was lucky enough to find a label that believed in that with me. It’s taken off faster than anything I’ve done in my career and I think that’s probably because I was able to really believe in myself, be authentic, and write music that’s honest and comes from a real place for me. It’s the most exciting time in my life right now, and  it has definitely been a long journey to get here.”

His current radio single, “Mind On You” has been a huge success both according to fans and radio. It is hard to believe that the song almost went to another artist. “I wrote it at the end of 2020, when I was kind of between the artist thing. At the time, I was under the influence that I was just going to be a songwriter. […] I knew it was special, but I had no intentions of putting it out because I wasn’t doing the artist thing, so we originally pitched it to Jason Aldean and 24 hours later, I get an email back from Aldean’s team, saying don’t play this for anybody, Jason loved it and he wants it for his new record and that was the biggest thing to ever happen to me.”

Eventually after a call from his label head, who said “That song that you’re going to give away to Aldean, I think it was a mistake, you need to call and ask for it back because it’s going to be your first single, and it’s going to change your life,” and some prayer and guts, Birge decided to ask for it back.

“Mind On You” is the first of many incredible songs to come from Birge. He is already working on his album and more new music is slated to come out early this year. “Making and writing music is my favorite thing in the world to do, so we are going to put out as much music as we can next year, and I’m really excited about that.”

Connect:

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

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

George Birge’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-colin-stough

Who is Colin Stough? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Colin Stough? 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 – Colin Stough
Birthdate – 07/28/2004
Hometown – Gattman, Mississippi
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Lynyrd Skynyrd, Chris Stapleton, The Allman Brothers, Marcus King, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Label – 19 Recordings/BMG
Current Single – “Til the Day One Does” // as of date of article: 12/26/2023

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist that has already won the hearts of America. Colin Stough graced our television screens on the hit show American Idol, earning third place during his season. Today, he is continuing to build his fanbase with brand new music. We caught up with the singer about what he is doing, where he’s been, and where he’s going.

“I come from a small town in Mississippi,” began Stough. “I grew up living the life – raising hell, hanging out, just a regular guy around there, and I picked up music at a young age. I started doing it for fun, and it turned into a way to cope, so I just kind of rolled with it that way.”

Throughout his childhood, Stough believed in working hard and remembering your roots. These notions are evident today in his music too. He recalls loving music and listening to artists that span different music genres.

“I was listening to everything from Tupac to George Jones and people like that,” shared the singer. Adding, “I definitely have a lot of country influences. My mains were probably like Hendricks, Skynyrd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and definitely people like that. In today’s world, I jam out to a little bit of everything like Marcus King and Luke Combs.”

Despite loving music, he never in a million years thought it would be a reality for him. “It was always a dream of mine, but I never thought it would come through where I’m from.”

The Turning Point:

At just eighteen years old, Stough’s mother convinced him to audition for American Idol. “My mom signed me up for Idol, and I went on to do that. Stough impressed all three judges, during his audition, singing an emotive cover of the Lynyrd Skynryd song, “Simple Man.” His incredible vocal tone and heart proved his staying power from day one.

The singer-songwriter ended up earning third place on the competitive show. “It was definitely a good experience. After auditions, I was a little on edge, having to live in Los Angeles for a little bit,” he shared. Adding, “It took a lot of getting used to, but all and all, I can’t be more blessed with the support and the platform, and what that network has given me.”

Right after the show ended, Stough made the move to Nashville. “I got off the show, moved to Nashville, signed some deals, and am just living the dream now.” However, it was important for him to start releasing music as soon as possible, and to not get lost in the sea of talent in Music City.

“I told my team, I’m a worker, I’m a workhorse that’s what I was raised to do, that’s what I was born to do, work my ass off […]. My team put it together and they’re a huge inspiration, but I really think me stepping up kind of kept the ball rolling and kept my career moving in a fast pace.”

Today:

Flash toward to today, Stough wasted no time cranking out new music. American Idol wrapped in May of 2023, and by October, the singer released his brand new, debut EP, Promiseland. With six incredible songs, the singer showcases his talent both as a singer and as a songwriter across the entire record.

“I’m in a writing session a lot of the time. If I’m not on the road, I’m in sessions and stuff in Nashville. […] My thing as an artist and stuff is that I want to tell my story. That’s kind of always been the look at it that I had,” shared Stough, when asked about his writing prowess on the project.

While all of the songs are true hits, our personal favorite on the record is a song called, “Lonely Hour.” “When the idea first came about, I had made it to like top 12 on the show,” shared Stough. ” I was sitting there, and I was with a buddy, and he left and whatnot, and I was sitting there, and I was like “man this hotel is lonely.” […] It was probably like 2 in the morning and I grabbed my guitar and starting playing a few chords. I kept hearing that “I’m in a lonely hour.” I kept hearing that melody. I put the chorus together and a little bit of the verses, Then, when we got to Nashville and we were talking ideas and whatnot, we finished ironing it out and writing it, and bam it was on the EP.”

Other standouts on the project are “‘Til The Day One Does” and “If Not For Me.” Both songs evoke meaning, story, and honesty. Stough is the real deal, and we are excited to see what he has coming down the pipeline next for 2024. “We just announced some tour dates with one of my good buddies, Chase Matthew, and we’ve got some more new songs rolling, so keep your ears open and stay tuned.”

Connect:

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

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

Colin Stough’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 Bryce Leatherwood? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Bryce Leatherwood? 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 – Bryce Leatherwood
Birthdate – 2/3/2000
Hometown – Woodstock, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Conway Twitty, The Allman Brothers, Tim McGraw
Label – Republic Records
Current Single – “The Finger” // as of date of article: 12/18/2023

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight sines on an artist that you may recognize! Bryce Leatherwood, recent winner of the hit show, The Voice chatted with us all about his upbringing, his time on The Voice, and what fans can expect coming into 2024.

“I’m from Woodstock, Georgia. I grew up in a small little town and got to experience the best of country and the outdoors, and country music through my grandfather, who lived in Macon, Georgia,” began the singer-songwriter. “He had a farm down there, and I worked the summers there with him. He was my biggest hero and I got to learn the best of Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, George Jones, and that’s where I grew up. It really shaped me and made me a respectful southern gentleman.”

Leatherwood took a liking to traditional greats of country music at an early age, but he also appreciated country and rock artists that his father introduced him to. My father was a big country music fan,” shared the singer, “I was raised on Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, artists like that, and besides country music, Southern Rock & Roll. My father’s a big Lynyrd Skynyrd  fan. […] I found southern rock to be as much of a love for me as country music.” Additionally, the singer recalls falling in love with Chris Stapleton’s Traveller album, mentioning Stapleton as one of his influences as well.

The rising artist still finds ways to infuse the country and southern rock sound into the music he loves and creates today. “I think country music and Rock & Roll share very similar qualities, and it was a great time to grow up as a kid and have an old soul.”

The Turning Point:

Despite loving music at an early age, Leatherwood did not see it as a potential future until college. “I always saw music as an escape from the real world. Growing up, I never really showed my talent. In high school, I thought I had to be a tough nose guy, and didn’t do any music,” he shared.  “When I moved to college at Georgia Southern University, I figured out quickly that I could drink for free and get paid to sing, so I decided to pick it back up, and I made a little career out of it down there and earned my stripes.”

As he garnered fans and honed in on his talent, Leatherwood knew that country music was in his future. After auditioning for the 22nd season of the hit show, The Voice, the singer appeared to be living in his purpose. He went on to win the show, and secured himself a record deal.

“I went out there and I stuck out pretty well, ya know the redneck with an accent […] It was a long, tough experience, it was hard being away from home and what you know for so long,” he shared. Adding, “Getting to perform for millions of people every Monday, Tuesday night, it was a very, very cool experience, getting to inspire so many people. […] It was truly a life-changing experience and thanks to that show, I get to do what I do professionally.”

Immediately after the show, Leatherwood made the move to Nashville, Tennessee. “After leaving the show, I moved directly up here to Nashville after Christmas and slept on a couch for five months. I finally got a room up here in July. […] I was writing songs Monday to Friday over here at SONY,” shared the singer. “I’ve just been making waves here. I’ve gotten some songs that I have written. I’ve written over 75 songs this year and kept busy writing and growing my catalog. I’ve also gotten the opportunity to pitch songs for artists who are even bigger than me.”

Today:

Now, Leatherwood is emerging a recording artist and entertainer. In just one year, the singer has garnered praise from both country music fans and the industry. Earlier this year, the singer shared his major-label debut song, “The Finger.” “For how much I’ve written, there’s sometimes songs that you hear that you’re given the opportunity to cut that just say ‘that’s me, that’s exactly who I am.’ I’m always going to put music out there that’s me. I’m never going to shy away from that.”

While Leatherwood didn’t pen the song, the track is the perfect example of the type of music that the singer wants to share and showcase with his growing fanbase. “I was like ‘that’s my song’,” shared the singer upon hearing the song for the first time.

For Leatherwood, it is important that his music speaks to his experiences, as well as, cultivates a feeling in his listeners. While 2023 was a monumental year for Leatherwood in a lot of ways behind the scenes, 2024 is slating to be a year to remember for the singer, who promises that there is much more coming down the pipeline next year. “2024 is going to be a big year for me. We’ve got some things in the works.”

Stay tuned and keep your eyes and ears open for more from Leatherwood!

Connect:

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

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

Bryce Leatherwood’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 Tanner Usrey? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Tanner Usrey? 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 – Tanner Usrey
Birthdate – March 11th
Hometown – Prosper, Texas
Current City – Texas
Musical Influences – Whiskey Myers, Faces, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Wade Bowen
Label – Atlantic Records
Current Project – Crossing Lines (as of date of article: 12/11/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on country artist and entertainer, Tanner Usrey. The Texas native has had music in his bones since day one and it is evident across both his journey and his music catalog.

“I grew up in a small town in Prosper, Texas. From early on, I was always singing,” began Usrey. “They used to tell me to shut up all the time,” he laughed. “I was the kid in class that was always singing and I kept doing that until my senior year of high school. Then I saw a Wade Bowen concert.”

Usrey recalls being enamored by artists and the country music genre throughout his upbringing. “Me and my buddy would just roll around, playing and listening to music like Whiskey Meyers, Wade Bowen, and old-school Alan Jackson, stuff like that.” He also credits his brothers for introducing him to Texas country. Nowadays, Usrey still appreciates the music of his youth, but tends to lean more towards the old school stuff in the genre like Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Clearly inspired by music and the Bowen concert he attended, Usrey began taking music more seriously, playing gigs wherever he could. “Two months after I started playing guitar, I started playing more actual shows, acoustic shows, after I graduated.”

The Turning Point:

Usrey became a staple on the Texas country music circuit. He played gigs around Texas and nearby states for years, while simultaneously holding down odd jobs. “I did that for five, six years, maybe longer,” he shared. After growing his fanbase and honing his craft, Usrey finally took the leap of faith and focused only on music.

“In 2019, I quit my job and went full time playing music and touring,” he shared. Adding, “COVID hit right after I quit my job, so I was like I guess this is do or die. […] We would just play wherever we could for however much we could.”

This led to Usrey finding new pockets of places to play his music at. “That’s how we got started playing in Oklahoma and the midwest, and then Nashville was next up. […] That’s how we broke out of Texas, I think because we had to.”

Despite the fact that Usrey still resides in Texas, his music has transcended the Texas country scene as he continues to play show after show, while creating music that country music fans love. “We played 180 dates last year and 180 dates this year.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, while maintaining a rigorous tour schedule, Usrey was able to create a 15-song debut album called Crossing Lines. “Finding time to do the studio in between that was pretty difficult, so we would get off the road, and we would go straight to the studio and just do one song at a time. Usually, I would have a song idea, and I would have it halfway written, and I would take it to my producer and we’d finish it. Then the band would come in and we would just figure it out, which I kind of liked. It was kind of letting the song be what the song was meant to be.”

The record features confessional-style lyrics and music that expresses vulnerability and reliability. With a soulful voice and confessional lyrical style, the country newcomer shows off his undeniable talent, charm, and charisma throughout each and every song off the project. “The writing is just stories that I have written, my own personal stories about being on the road,” shared Usrey. Adding, “Lyrics started coming to me and I’ve lived a lot of life in 29 years, so I just wanted to write about what was real to me, my experiences, and hope that people would resonate with it.”

While each of the songs are an important component of the project, the collaboration with Ella Langley, “Beautiful Lies,” is a true standout. “The “Beautiful Lies” thing wasn’t really my idea, I didn’t even necessarily want it to be on the record, but I think my booking agent had an idea to get Ella on there, and I was like “you know what that’s kind of a a good idea.” We decided to make a full production of it,” he shared. “I think it turned out really well. Ella’s amazing at what she does. She’s the full package.”

Crossing Lines is just the beginning for Usrey as he paves his way throughout the more mainstream country music scene. Next year will bring a lot more shows and possibly a new project for the rising artist. Stay tuned!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Tanner Usrey, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Tanner Usrey’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 Wyatt Flores? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-wyatt-flores

Wyatt Flores // Photo credit: Matt Paskert

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Wyatt Ryan Flores
Birthdate – 6/29/2001
Hometown – Stillwater, Oklahoma
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isabel, Turnpike Troubadours, The Great Divide
Label – Island Records
Current Single – “Life Lessons” // as of date of article: 12/4/2023

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight is shining on an artist that we think is about to have a huge 2024. Wyatt Flores is one to lookout for. The Oklahoma-native quietly and steadily continues to impress both fans and industry alike with each and every song.

“I was always surrounded by music. My dad was a drummer and my uncle was a guitar player and they were in plenty of bands together,” began the singer-songwriter. “My entire family is just submerged in music constantly. There was always music playing inside the house.” Flores recalls being exposed to many different genres of music that influence his musical preferences today.

“That’s why my taste is so different. My dad loved blues and classic rock, and my mom loved 90s country and Alan Jackson and George Strait. My sister was all over the place with rap and pop, and red dirt.” The singer also took a like to Sturgill Simpson. “I love his voice and I love his entire idea of what music is. It’s not about genre, it’s about creating good music.”

At a young age, Flores recalls sitting around the campfire making music with his family and friends. “My goal was just to be a guitar player. I wasn’t good at singing until 18, 19,” he shared, when asked about his hopes and dreams. “I started singing, and I was like ‘screw it, I’ll play for anyone who will listen.’”

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high school, Flores headed to college, but found himself still fixated on music. “One thing led to another, and then the next thing I know, I’m playing in bars Then I quit school, because I was way too focused on music at that point, and I just went for it.”

In June of 2022, the entertainer headed to Music City to hone in on his craft. “When I moved to Nashville, I didn’t have too many strings in Nashville because I didn’t go out to network like many people do in Nashville. I moved there to get away from my hometown and remove any distractions,” he shared. Adding, “I just sat in my apartment with my now manager and my guitar player. We shared one room on air mattresses, and every single night, we’d either be making content or writing more songs or we’d be learning new music, just to study. That’s all I did. It was honestly a school for music.”

Throughout that first year in town, Flores focused on building his music catalog, writing more than he ever had in his life. “I was just trying to hone in on my craft and get better at songwriting,” he shared. “I had only written maybe 15 songs at most before I moved there.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Flores is emerging as an artist to lookout for. Most recently, the singer-songwriter shared his brand new project called Life Lessons, featuring seven unique songs. Flores’ creation is a collection of great music that do not necessarily fit into one genre or another, exactly what the singer intended.

“That’s kind of why this project, and everything I’ve done, the songs aren’t similar to one another. We’re in a different age where music is consumed so fast, that I don’t want to cut myself off to one sound. I don’t want to be labeled as one thing, so anything I love, I want to go after, and all the different styles of music.”

For Flores, it was important that his music related and spoke to other people in a way that fostered connection. “It’s the coolest thing ever when you can relate to someone else, and that’s the best part of all of this. I’ve been told that I’m super easy to relate to. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I want people to know that they’re not alone in this world, and that someone else is going through what they are going through.”

While all the songs speak to the singer’s life experience, many of the songs are still universal. On “Life Lessons,” Flores speaks to all the feelings that life’s windy road brings. “Everyone is on a life adventure, and I am just hoping that these songs help them go out and do something and try to go towards the pursuit of happiness. That’s why “Life Lessons,” the song itself is so innocent and in a space of happy, go-lucky, like here we go it’s freedom. Let’s go chase something down. Let’s go live life. Then you go on and chase the dream, there’s a lot of upset that comes with it.”

Flores’ project is just a taste of what’s to come for the singer in 2024. Be on the lookout for more new music and even bigger shows!

Connect:

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

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

Wyatt Flores’ 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 Lauren Watkins? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-lauren-wakins

Lauren Watkins // Photo credit: Brayln Kelly

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Lauren Watkins
Birthdate – 08/25/1999
Hometown – Nashville, Tennessee
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert
Label – Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters
Current Single – “The Table” as of date of article: 11/27/23

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist is a Nashville local that we truly believe is about to have the biggest 2024. Lauren Watkins, Songs & Daughters and Big Loud Records recording artist shared with us all about her upbringing, her journey to music, and everything in between.

“I grew up in Nashville, which I know is pretty rare. Nobody believes me anymore when I tell them that,” began the songstress, “I grew up with three sisters and my older sister, who is two years older than me, she’s super into music too. She’s a songwriter in Nashville, and I guess just growing up around country, we were around it all the time. My parents are not musical, but they are music lovers. So the two of us got into singing and playing guitar really young.”

At an early age, Watkins recalls always being captivated by the country music genre. “Honestly, country has always been at the top for me. It’s always been my favorite,” she shared. Adding, ” I was born in ’99, so I grew up in the Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Zac Brown Band era. That was sort of my middle school.” Watkins also credits artists like Miranda Lambert and Eric Church as some of her biggest music icons.

Additionally, the singer learned to appreciate older country artists, like Alan Jackson and George Jones, from her dad. While her mom brought a different flavor of music to her catalog. She loved entertainers like Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson,” shared Watkins. “I actually have so much of that piano pop influence in my songwriting and even Colbie Caillat, like the early 2000s girls that were killing it.”

With that love of music intact prior to college, Watkins and her sister, Caroline, would play the Nashville music scene as often as they could. “I try not to take it for granted, so we’d play little bars, all the Pucketts locations in Nashville, and then when we got old enough, we’d play the Broadway bars.”

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating from high school, Watkins headed to Ole Miss for college and decided to put music on the back-burner. “When it was time for me to go to college, I don’t know if it was out of fear or what, I was like ‘I don’t think I’m going to do music for a career.’” However, while in school, Watkins never stopped loving music.

“About two years in, I was having the time of my life in school, I realized that I had to go home to Nashville, when it was over. It was in my soul. I couldn’t get rid of this pull that kept saying ‘You gotta do music.'” Still, Watkins decided to finish out her degree, but began posting some clips of her singing and playing guitar on her Instagram. “I would just sit all night in my room and play my guitar, and I would take little videos, and post them on Instagram.”

Serendipitously, Rodney Clawson, famed songwriter saw one of her Instagram posts. At the exact time, Clawson’s wife, Nicolle Galyon just started her venture as the label-head at her record label imprint, Songs & Daughters. “He showed it to Nicolle, who had just started Songs & Daughters, and she reached out to me,” shared Watkins. Adding, “I went home for a weekend, and I met with her, we had breakfast, and she basically introduced me to the team at Big Loud and introduced me to a ton of songwriters, and set me up with a bunch of writes.”

For six months, Galyon and Watkins stayed in touch before Watkins landed her publishing deal and later,  her record deal. “I had a lot of developing to do as a songwriter and an artist, and eventually it led to a publishing deal. Then for another year, they just kind of let me work. I just hustled and wrote a bunch, and played shows when I could. I was just sorta booking my own shows, and just tried to play to whoever would listen. And then that turned into a record deal.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Watkins is quickly becoming one of the most buzzed about newcomers on the block. With only two EPs to her name, she already boasts opening spots on Conner Smith’s headlining tour, as well as, Morgan Wallen’s record-breaking stadium tour this spring. We also anticipate more new music coming down the pipeline soon.

For Watkins’ current EPs, while they are different, they each tell a story that connects. Her debut EP, Introducing: Lauren Watkins came first and was followed by her latest EP, Introducing: The Heartbreak. “Accidentally, all the writing turned into ‘Introducing: Lauren Watkins’. […] Those seven songs that we put out felt like the perfect fit for ‘Introducing: Lauren Watkins,’ because it’s about where I went to school, things I have gone through, and the way I think about things. It was just the perfect little touch of what’s to come next.”

After writing some more, her second EP fell out. “I kept writing, and that’s where ‘Introducing: The Heartbreak’ came in, and without saying too much, I kind of feel like this one is going to be the middle ground for what’s to come next, because I wanted to introduce me and introduce what I’ve gone through, and I feel like that’s the perfect set-up for whatever else comes next.”

Watkins’ catalog of music continues to impress both fans and the industry, and it is only a matter of time before everyone knows her name!

Connect:

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

For tour dates and more, visit the singer-songwriter’s website here.

To keep up with Lauren Watkins, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Lauren Watkins’ 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.