Who Is Greylan James? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Greylan James // Credit: Trea Allen

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Greylan James
Birthday – 06/18/1996
Hometown – Knoxville, Tennessee
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Kenny Chesney, The Eagles, Brad Paisley, Waylon Jennings
Label – Big Machine Label Group
Current Single – “Undermine” (As of article date – 6/5/2023)

The Beginning:

The country music genre is full of rising talent that fans need to pay attention to. Singer-songwriter, Greylan James is definitely an artist, who should be on that list. The recording artist has dedicated his entire life to becoming a country music artist, and it truly shows in his songwriting and vocals.

“I’m from Knoxville, Tennessee,” began James. “You’ll find a bunch of country music artists going back hundreds of years, so growing up there it never felt like country music and moving to Nashville and doing the thing was a pipe dream. It felt something you could actually do like anything else.” According to the singer, he knew since he was five years old that country music was his calling.

“My Papaw got me a guitar when I was five, and I played that thing until my fingers bled the night that I got it,” he shared, adding later, “I never wavered with that all through school. I told everybody that ‘I was going to be a country music artist and when I graduate I’m going to move to Nashville.’ And that’s what I did.”

Armed with a dream to play music, James also listened to a ton of different artists and genres. “It was super diverse. I loved country music obviously and my brother who’s a year younger than me was a little bit more cultured growing up, as cultured as you can be, being from Knoxville. He was always listening to pop, top 40, and rap, so I’d hear that. […] For me it was always like Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, and Keith Urban.” The singer also credits his parents for introducing him to 70s and 80s rock and his grandfather for showing him classics like Johnny Cash.

James even drew inspiration from artists like Taylor Swift, who inspired him to start writing his own songs “When everyone talked about Taylor Swift and how she wrote all her songs, I was like alright, that’s what she’s doing and she’s crushing it, so that’s what I need to do too,” shared the singer, adding later, “I was always like I’m going to be a country music artist. Kenny Chesney is from Knoxville, Tennessee. […] I wanted to play stadiums like Kenny was and that’s just what I did even when I was playing at small, little restaurants patios, I acted as if I was playing in front of ten thousand people.”

The Turning Point:

After playing gigs across his hometown and the surrounding areas and a stint on The Voice, James found himself with a decision to make. “When I turned eighteen, I was kind of at a crossroads, ‘do I go to college now [or not.]’ I never thought I’d have to or ‘do I just keep doing it,’ and I chose Nashville. […] Luckily right in the nick of time, a publisher reached out and me and my dad drove to Nashville the next day, and I signed a publishing deal and started to write songs every single day with people I just met.”

The budding singer-songwriter worked as a professional songwriter for two years, until he was fired for “not having what it takes”. While some may have felt defeated, James took the let down as a sign to work even harder. “I started listening to a bunch of the new albums that were coming out and just studied them, trying to get better at songwriting,” he shared, crediting Old Dominion’s album Meat and Candy as a lightbulb moment for him.

“It kind of clicked for me what they were doing with writing songs. […] Since then, I started writing songs and became obsessed with it and songs kept getting better and people started to listen to them and Kenny Chesney cut my song and put it on the radio.” That song was Chesney’s smash hit “Happy Does”. James later had a hand in writing Jordan Davis’ current top ten hit, “Next Thing You Know” and several other notable tracks. Soon after, James went on to secure a record deal with a major label due to his new found confidence and incredible songs.

Today:

Flash forward to today, every song James has put out has been another notch in his belt. His most recent release, “Undermine” may be his best song to date.“It’s another one from the second I wrote it that I was like “I’m going to record this myself and put it out.” That was before I knew anything about a record label,” shared the singer-songwriter. “That was just a song from a cool title I had in my phone […] I felt like I could really try to flip the meaning of the word “undermine.”

“Undermine” is a creative song that truly speaks to James’ talent as a country music artist. It also is one of the songs that led the singer to ultimately sign his record deal. “I’m proud of it. I produced it in my bedroom, and it sounds bigger than that,” he shared.

This is just the beginning for James, who shared that more music is coming really soon. The singer is currently in studio working on his next batch of songs. We are hopeful that a record is in the works for later this year. Until then, fans can catch James on tour with Old Dominion, as well as, Jordan Davis and Cole Swindell in the fall. Get all the details 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 Greylan James releases.

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

Greylan James’ 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 Austin Snell? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Austin Snell? 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 – Scott Austin Snell
Birthday – 11/05/1997
Hometown – Dublin, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Nickelback, Creed, Alan Jackson
Label – Riverhouse // Warner Nashville
Current Single – “Pray All The Way Home” (As of article date – 5/29/2023)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist truly has found his sound as a singer-songwriter. Austin Snell always loved music, but did not recognize it as a career path until later on in life. Growing up in a small town in Georgia, Snell recalls living that typical “small-town” lifestyle.

“As you can imagine, small-town life is pretty cliche,” he shared. “We grew up outside, playing in the woods, and before I could drive, I had a little golf cart I would drive around the town.” While growing up, Snell recalls taking trips with his dad, where listening to music was a part of the experience.

“Back when I was a kid, my dad had four CDs in the truck, and we would alternate through the four,” he began. “He had a 3 Doors Down CD, a Nickelback CD, a Creed CD, and an Alan Jackson CD and I think we added a Journey CD somewhere along the ride.” These artists were not only the soundtrack for his life then, but eventually would inspire him to write his own music. “It’s mainly rock music from that influence and it’s got that country lyric. […] When I was starting to write music, I was listening to everything. I was listening to rap music too.”

Upon graduating high school, Snell served in the Air Force, which was when music started to really take shape. “I was in South Carolina, I’ve always been kind of a night owl, and I was up really late, and I was watching videos of Ed Sheeran playing his little, loop pedal live show, and I thought that was really cool,” shared the singer. “I went and spent my last $400 on a Martin guitar, and I taught myself how to play covers and was just kind of doing it for myself.”

The Turning Point:

During his enlistment in the Air Force, Snell spent most of his free time learning to play covers on guitar, which eventually led him to write his own music.

“I wasn’t really planning on doing anything professionally at all, but my mom convinced me to start posting some of my covers online,” he shared. “It slowly grew into my hobby outside of work and it grew into me writing my own songs.”

Around that same time, TikTok became a big platform, and Snell noticed that people were consuming his content. “I’m definitely not the kind of center of attention kind of guy, but that’s how I get my emotions out, through my songwriting,” he shared.

Despite knowing that he was going to move to Nashville after his enlistment, Snell moved back home to Georgia for a year to spend time with his family first. After about a year, the singer had finally saved up enough money to move to Nashville and secured two roommates and a lease. He was about to move to Nashville, when something unexpected happened.

“A week to the day after I signed my lease […] I went to the doctor and they found a tumor in my spine, and so obviously I wasn’t going to move to Nashville as soon as I thought I was because I had to have surgery. […] Totally thought they were going to kick me off the lease […] They instead told me they would cover my side of the rent until I could make it out there,” shared the singer.

Snell went on to have surgery in February, 2022, and moved in May that year, where he quickly fell in with a buzzing crowd of songwriters and friends. “I  wasn’t really planning on putting any kind of music out, I was just planning on being in Nashville to learn the ropes of the industry, write, and find my sound.”

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Today:

Flash forward to today, Snell’s song “Excuse The Mess” is one of the most popular songs on TikTok. It went viral and allowed him to truly live out his dream as an artist. “We took an idea into the room. […] We wrote “Excuse The Mess” that day, and like always, I took it out of the room, and posted it on TIkTok to see what people thought of it, and it blew up.” As fate would have it, Snell worked hard and earned both a publishing deal and then a record deal because of the risk he took with that song.

Most recently, Snell shared his song, “Pray All The Way Home” with fans. The country-rock song is lyrically-impressive, allowing listeners to truly feel what Snell is feeling. The song is also catchy and heartfelt.

“We didn’t really know what it meant, but we sat there a little while, and I think I sang the first voice pretty fluently, after sitting there for 30 or so minutes,” shared Snell when reflecting on the writing process for the single. “The song hits super close to home. All of us can relate to expecting things to change when you continue to make the same mistakes.”

It is safe to say that this is only the beginning for Snell and his growing artistry. The singer has more songs coming down the pipeline soon, and fans can catch him playing gigs and the festival circuit all season long!

Connect:

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

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

Austin Snell’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 Stephen Wilson Jr.? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Stephen Wilson Jr.? 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 – Stephen Wilson Jr.
Birthdate – July 11th
Hometown – Seymour, Indiana
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Willie Nelson as a guitar player and singer, Roy Orbison as a singer and songwriter, The National (the band), John Mellencamp, and George Jones.
Label – Big Loud Records
Current Single – “American Gothic” ft. Hailey Whitters (As of article date – 5/22/2023)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on the true definition of an artist. Stephen Wilson Jr. is the real deal. While his upbringing was not exactly easy, he came away with a great respect and love for music, inspiration from his late father, and passion like no other for the craft.

“I’m from Southern, Indiana […] The birthplace of John Mellencamp. He was a big influence on my town, and my culture, and the soundtrack of the town,” began Wilson. “I grew up with a lot of honest music.”

Wilson recalls loving both country music and classic rock music. “I grew up listening to music that whole time. My grandparents were really big into Johnny Cash and Hank Williams and my dad was big into classic rock and 90s country music at the time,” shared the singer-songwriter. Wilson Jr. also remembered riding on the bus for hours a day to school, listening to even more country music. “I spent a lot of time listening to Nashville songwriters [on the bus]. I just knew that the songwriters were incredible.”

While music was something he loved from an early age, Wilson inherited his father’s skill and love for boxing. “I spent a lot of time in boxing clubs and boxing gyms watching him fight […] By the time I was seven years old, I started boxing too,” he shared. Adding later, “My first stage was not a stage at all, it was a boxing ring.”

The Turning Point:

Wilson went on to box through college and his early 20s, all while continuing to perfect his guitar-playing skills, living in Nashville. “Music has always just made sense to me. I just always understood it and when I got a guitar, within six months I was just flying on that thing,” he shared.

During his senior year of college, Wilson began performing professionally for the first time. “I started an indie-rock band there during my senior year of college. […] We just kind of had a thing going and that’s where I learned to be a performer,” he stated. “Not in a million years did I ever believe I would be a lead singer or a frontman.”

Despite loving music and performing in the band as a guitarist and back-up vocalist, Wilson left the band to take a job as a scientist, something he pursued in college. Although he was no longer performing, songwriting was something that had become important to him. “I got put in one of those songwriting rooms in Nashville, and it was game over from there […] It never left my mind to be a songwriter and write songs.”

Eventually, after being rejected numerous times by different studios for publishing deals, Wilson was welcomed with open arms by BMG Nashville. He was offered a publishing deal on the spot. Years later, he would go on to secure a record deal with Big Loud Records.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Wilson is making his father proud, as he lives out his own dream and passion in honor of his memory. “He was like the sun to my solar system, and it was like the sun just got a bucket of water thrown on it. It really derailed me and rewired me and changed me,” he shared when speaking of his debut project, bon aqua. 

He credits those experiences for inspiring his project. “I hope to continue to be a good stenographer with a poetic edge,” he shared. Songs like “The Devil” and “Hometown” just poured out of him, when he decided to create something as an artist. “I went in and just recorded some songs just to see what would happen. […] I just knew it was something that I had to do.”

Bon Aqua is something special, and the full-length album is coming soon. “For me this EP and this album is a record of time and it’s me record keeping one of the worst times in my life and one of the most transformational times in my life and perhaps the best time in my life all at once.” Fans can be on the look out for more to come from Stephen Wilson Jr. in the near future.

Connect:

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

To keep up with Stephen Wilson Jr., follow him on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Stephen Wilson Jr.’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 Landon Parker? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Landon Parker? 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 – Landon Parker
Hometown – Yadkinville, North Carolina
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Blake Shelton, Brooks and Dunn, Tim McGraw
Label – Bad Ass Records
Current Single – “Your Baby Girl” (As of article date – 5/15/2023)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist who truly loves music. Talented, kind-hearted, and honest, Landon Parker  knew from a young age that music was in the cards for him. Growing up in a small town in North Carolina, Parker was exposed to many different kinds of music throughout his upbringing.

“I grew up hunting and fishing.” he began. “My parents were separated, so I lived with both my dad and my mom, and they both had different styles of music. When I was riding around with my mom, she was listening to The Chicks, Shania Twain, Jo Dee Messina, and my dad was listening to Black Hawk and Brooks & Dunn.”

Parker also recalls listening to country radio, crediting artists like Brooks & Dunn as a big inspiration. “I love singing about my little, small town, and how I grew up, and I think a lot of people can relate to where I came from.”

When he was a child, his family truly encouraged him to sing and play music, as an outlet. “I always sang, but I didn’t know if I was really good or not. My dad bought a karaoke machine and I started singing and my dad was like “you’re really good,” he shared. Adding later, “That was kind of the first start of music, but I didn’t know.”

After a series of unfortunate events, including the passing of his grandpa, Parker found himself feeling depressed and turning to music to cope. “My dad got me a guitar, and I pretty much just sat in my room and learned how to play guitar and took all those feelings and put it in to music.”

The Turning Point:

At sixteen years old, Parker’s friends and family continued to encourage him to pursue music; despite, the tragedies he had to endure. “I had a girlfriend at the time, when I was 16, and I called her on the phone one night, and told her I was playing music, and she was like, “why don’t you sing me something.” So I did, and she goes “I’m going to tell all my friends and I’m telling the whole school, and you’re going to post a video up on YouTube.” So we did, we posted some covers on YouTube, and everybody loved it,” he shared, recalling the moment that he began to realize that music could be a career for him.

Parker went on to pursue music professionally, starting as a solo artist, and eventually moving out to Nashville to be in a band. “I had my solo career in North Carolina, and a band called Chasin’ Crazy, reached out to me. […] Long story, short, I loved the band and I moved out here for that band.”

For five years, the singer performed and made music with his band, leaving him at a crossroads. “We basically went our separate ways after 5 years, and the guy who was managing the band reached out to me and my producer reached out to me and said that they wanted to sign me to a publishing and management deal, and in that moment, I didn’t know what I was going to do with my life.”

Eventually the singer chose to stay in Nashville and cut his teeth as a solo artist. Parker’s story proves that music has healing powers. “I think I found something really good in it, and just the power of music.”

Today:

Flash forward to present day, Parker is making waves in the music scene, creating music that relates to his story and his experiences.

“When I went solo, I kind of didn’t know what I wanted to be or what I wanted to sing about,” he began, “I actually had a dream that my grandpa was talking to me and I woke up and wrote down everything I could remember from that dream [which became an unreleased song called “She’ll Bite”.” He later added “That was kind of the start of my solo career. I think I want to write about my life experiences and who I am as a person. […]  I want that to translate to other people, so they can relate to my music too.”

Parker’s current single, “Your Baby Girl” is exactly that, a song that people can relate to. Inspired by his marriage to his wife, the single is a touching father-daughter song written from the perspective of the groom. “I was like I think I’m going to try to write you a father-daughter dance. […] Basically, I was like envisioning the entire wedding day. […] It was like the perfect day. […] Just kind of went through the wedding day and put it down on the computer, and I actually went back to the voice memos because a lot of songs change so much, but that song didn’t change much from the day that I wrote it.”

Moving ahead, Parker has more new music coming down the pipeline soon. His fan-favorite unreleased song, “Back At The Bar” will most likely be his next single. Definitely keep the entertainer on your radar!

Connect:

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

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

Landon Parker’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 Josiah Siska? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Josiah Siska? 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 – Josiah Siska
Birthdate – August 7th
Hometown – Dacula, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Keith Whitley, Johnny Cash, Jim Croce
Label – Black River
Current Single – “3 Tequila Floor” (As of article date – 5/8/2023)

The Beginning:

Some artists have dreams that evolve over time, but for today’s spotlight artist, Josiah Siska, music was always the goal and the dream. “I went into music without a plan B. […] It was like a calling,” shared the singer-songwriter.

Siska grew up in a small-town in Georgia, where he credits his family for his early love of music. “I grew up in the church. My dad was in the ministry. I played keys, my mother would sing, and my oldest brother would play guitar and sing,” he began. “That’s where I started performing and really learning music in church. From that, I started to want to write my own songs and tell my own stories, so as I got older, I started writing.”

Despite Christian music being the primary genre in his household, Siska itched to get his hands on all different kinds of music. “I listened to everything I could get my ears on because I loved music, but it was a lot of Christian music in the household growing up. I was just waiting to find a record that my parents wouldn’t let me listen to,” he shared. Adding, “I’ll never forget the first time I heard rock and roll or Queen or other classic rock bands and some outlaw country.”

Some of Siska’s biggest musical influences stem from both that rock and roll and traditional country genre.“I would say my biggest influences on my sound, when I listen to an artist and I dissect their music and try to analyze everything they are doing, the little mundane details that make it unique, I would say I listen to a lot of Keith Whitley and Don Williams, and I take notes from them. I love Johnny Cash too,” shared the singer, who also named Jim Croce as one of his all-time favorites.

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high school, Siska made the big move to Nashville. “When I was a little kid, I was chasing the mailman so to speak, which was the music dream. […] It’s a big dream to say that I’m going to move to Nashville and write songs, and try to get a record deal,” he reflected.

After a stint on the popular show American Idol, Siska knew that Music City was calling his name. “Right when I got done with high school, I packed my bags and started to head to Nashville,” he shared. “I did American Idol, when I was seventeen, and then when I got off the show, I came straight to Nashville, and went searching for a deal or someone to work with, and a way to get started.”

While American Idol was not Siska’s path to stardom, he credits the show for instilling a “no quit” attitude and a belief in himself. “What I think it’s really great at doing and what it did for me at a young age, it developed me in a way. […] That was probably the best situation for any young artist to just learn and grow, just because of all the pressure you’re put under right away. […] I still use some skills that I picked up from idol today.”

While in Nashville, the singer-songwriter played every gig he could. Eventually, he connected with Mark Miller, who would go on to introduce him to his team at his label, Black River. “Through some family friends, I got a meeting with Mark Miller. […] We hit it off real good and we’ve been working together and real close buddies ever since then. He brought me in to Black River and I met Doug Johnson, and we hit it off too, and he produces my record and writes them with me a little bit.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Siska is living out his dream. Last year, the artist released his debut EP, a seven song project called, Three Chords at a Time. The project is an incredible compilation of the singer’s one-of-a-kind talent as both a vocalist and as a songwriter.

“When I was writing some of the songs for the EP, especially the title track, I wanted to give people kind of a little peephole into my life. […] Look through the glass and see what my stories are, and the [title track] is really about what I feel and my relationship with country music and radio, and the way it has shaped me into who I am now. I love all the tracks on that record though. They’re all different,” he shared.

While the single, “3 Tequila Floor” is an obvious standout and a hit with fans, the final record on the EP, “Better Man” is also a special one.

One of the things that I think is cool about it though is the end of the record, the seventh song, a song called “Better Man” is a gospel song that I wrote,” he began, “My thought of it was, the old-school folks, the Johnny Cash’s and the George Jones’ folks, used to finish off their records with a gospel song, so I wanted to stick it in, in the sense of traditionalism with country and do the same thing with my first EP.”

Despite an incredible first outing, this is only just the beginning for Siska. The artist has shows on the books and more songs coming down the pipeline sooner rather than later. Keep your eyes and ears on the lookout!

Connect:

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

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

Josiah Siska’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 Megan Moroney? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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 Who is Megan Moroney? 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 – Megan Moroney
Birthdate – 10/09/1997
Hometown – Douglasville, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennesee
Musical Influences – Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift
Record Label – Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records
Current Single – “Tennessee Orange” (As of article date – 5/1/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist to watch out for, Megan Moroney. While Moroney may still be a young artist, she truly has star power, and it is just a matter of time before she becomes a superstar in her own right. The songstress chatted with us all about her journey to country music and of course, her upcoming album, Lucky, out this Friday (5/5).

Moroney grew up in Douglasville, Georgia. “My dad and my brother both play guitar. I have a very musical family, so I was always around music, but I didn’t think I could do it for a career,” began the singer-songwriter. “Throughout high school I did talent shows, and I was in chorus. I enjoyed singing and I enjoyed music.”

Despite loving music from an early age and feeling inspired by strong female artists in the industry, Moroney never considered a career in music. “I think my personal influences, where I discovered their music and became obsessed were Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, and Taylor Swift. […] Those three are the ones I discovered myself and my parents didn’t force me to listen to those artists. I was enamored with them.”

Upon graduating from high school, Moroney headed to The University of Georgia to pursue a degree in accounting. “It literally wasn’t a thing that I ever thought I would be a singer professionally, because I didn’t think you could do that professionally where I’m from,” she shared.

“I wasn’t like a journalist as a kid. It didn’t occur to me that I could write songs. I wrote my first song when I was nineteen, and then I got my heart broken pretty bad when I was a junior in college, and that’s when I started writing for therapy, and the rest is history.”

While in college, Moroney continued to pursue her degree, while singing for fun. “I went to college and a I joined a sorority […] and at this point too, I was posting covers with my dad and my brother singing covers on Instagram. They were all country songs because that’s all I listened to, so people were aware that I liked music.”

The Turning Point:

Although she was not pursuing music professionally at this point, a series of events changed Moroney’s mind.

“In the spring of my freshman year, we had an event where we hired Jon Langston to come to play and we used all our budget on him, and they were like, why doesn’t Megan just open, because she sings country songs on her Instagram, so I got to open for Jon technically. It was three cover songs. I didn’t even write at that point,” she shared.

“Then Chase Rice was there and his show at the Georgia Theater wasn’t sold out yet, and I guess he saw how many girls I could get to come from my sorority to his show, and he said, why don’t you open for me at the Georgia Theater next month, but you have to write an original song. And I wrote my first song in order to play that gig and after I played that show, a month later, I fell in love with performing.”

Immediately upon getting the taste for performing on stage, Moroney knew she wanted to move to Nashville to pursue her dream. “After I played that show, I told my parents I wanted to drop out and they were like yeah that’s not happening.” Instead, she switched her major to digital marketing and music business, and learned everything she could about the music business before she moved to Nashville upon graduating from college.

Beginning June of 2020, Moroney spent every waking moment writing and trying to find her people in Music City. “I was an influencer on Instagram, but then I spent the first year just writing. I would write every single day with strangers, and people like Ben Williams,” she shared. Adding, “by December, I had met Ben and I started getting on a roll with writing. I would post some of these songs that I wrote on social media, and that’s how I started to grow a following.”

Then in 2022, Moroney finally found her team and released her incredible debut EP. I had recorded my EP, and people had already found out about “Hair Salon,” she began. “After “Wonder,” “Hair Salon” blew up on TikTok, so my EP came out, and then “Tennessee Orange” blew up. […] My social media following kept growing and people kept connecting with different songs.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Moroney’s debut album, Lucky is about to be released. The thirteen song project is an incredible body of work that every country fan is going to fall in love with. The songstress put her heart and soul into the project, and it truly is one of the best of the year so far.

Moroney shared that really was meticulous in choosing songs for the project. “I just wrote for the last year in a half. When we picked these songs, I wanted my first full-length record to just represent me and everything I loved about country music, so there’s storytelling, there’s the heartbreak songs, but there’s also love songs. You just feel a lot when you listen to it,” she shared. Adding, “I could have added more for sure, but when we settled on these thirteen songs, there was none that I would be okay with taking off the album […] I just felt like these thirteen songs, there’s no skips when I listen to it, and none of them tell the same story or make you feel the same way. They feel very me, and I’m surprised I didn’t make it a self-titled album, but I was too excited about the idea of ‘Lucky.’”

While all the songs on the project like, “Tennessee Orange,” “I’m Not Pretty,” and “Girl In The Mirror,” have their own flavor, we personally love the unreleased song, “Georgia Girl.” “When we were writing “Georgia Girl,” we went into the room and we were talking about what was missing on the album, and I feel like I make being from Georgia my whole personality, and I was like “I don’t have a hometown song.” […] It’s a very confident song, so those are two things that I like to put in music, things about Georgia and confidence. And there’s a lot of ‘Gone With the Wind’ references in that one, and that is my mom’s favorite movie,” shared Moroney. The songstress also encourages fans to listen to her current favorite song on the project, “Why Johnny,” another stand out track on the upcoming album.

One thing is for sure, Moroney is definitely a star in the making. Catch her on tour through the winter, and definitely check back on Friday for our full review of Lucky!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Megan Moroney, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Megan Moroney’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 Matt Schuster? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Matt Schuster? 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 – Matt Schuster
Birthdate – March 2nd
Hometown – Charleston, Illinois
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Keith Urban, Noah Khan, Zach Bryan, HARDY
Current Single – “Wasted Prayers” (As of article date – 4/24/23)

The Beginning:

Today we are shining our spotlight on singer-songwriter Matt Schuster. The buzz-worthy artist has found success via social media, where he has grown both a loyal fanbase and praise by one of country music’s most talked about artists of late, Zach Bryan.

Schuster grew up in Charleston, Illinois, just five hours north of Nashville, Tennessee. “I’m a country boy at heart, I just always have been. The country lifestyle was just very appealing to me and I was really passionate about it,” despite not necessarily having the quintessential country upbringing.

“When I was young, young, I was like I’m either going to be a professional athlete or I’m going to be a country star… Music was just always something special.” Although he didn’t come from a musical family, Schuster knew he loved music, specifically country music. “My introduction to country music was not from a person, it was through the media. […] Country music was everywhere. […] When I was 8 or 9, I just started listening to it and fell in love with it.”

While Schuster enjoys the likes of many artists in the country genre today, Keith Urban was a game-changer for him in his youth. “I just started listening and then really, really quickly after that, Keith Urban came into my life. I realized at that time that you could fall in love with a song or you could fall in love with an artist, and I fell in love with an artist.”

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high school, the singer-songwriter headed to college for one year before dropping out and pursuing a different career. He quickly realized that he did not love being a cars salesmen, so I decided to re-enroll in school again, around the same time his music was starting to gain traction on social media.

“I always told myself that if music was something that would happen for me that it would happen through TikTok or some sort of online platform. I looked at people like Luke Combs and Shawn Mendes and how they kind of took off via social media platforms,” he began. “I just started doing Instagram in high school, and got to college, and TikTok started working out.”

During his second year of college, Schuster found his management team. I found management, and we came up with a game plan and were like ‘okay let’s get to Nashville’,” he shared, adding, “The game-plan when we came to Nashville was write. I’m just going to write, write, write. I know how to promote my music and I have people that are ready to consume it and are fans of me and my music.”

After coming to Nashville for weeks and months at at a time, Schuster finally decided to make the move to continue to advance in his growing career.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Schuster just released his biggest song to date. His track, “Wasted Prayers” is a heartfelt song that is full of charisma, emotion, and incredible lyrics. “I really think regardless of the numbers “Wasted Prayers” is my favorite song that I have out. I feel like I’m getting to a place that I can be so proud of every single song that has come and will come.”

Schuster wrote the song with two co-writers, drawing from his own inspiration in the writer’s room. “I love a good title, and typically, for some reason, the first thing that clicks for me is the title. […] I felt like I laid the concrete for that song with the title, and that title just stems from “Wasted Prayers,” and I thought that was a cool spin,” he began. “I remember being wasted at the end of a night, and I just kind of had this thought of like “I’m not in the best place mentally, but I’m here doing the thing.” We all cope sometimes in not the best ways in moments and seasons. […] Sometimes it’s just going out and forgetting about it. […] But often times, you end up having those thoughts at a bar and a club anyway. It definitely stemmed from those feelings.”

For fans of Schuster, the singer has more songs coming down the pipeline soon, and possibly his first project too. He also anticipates getting out on the road and playing more writer’s round to continue to cultivate his brand, spread his music, and connect with his ever-growing fanbase.

Connect:

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

To keep up with Matt Schuster, follow him on TikTok and Instagram.

Matt Schuster’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 Kinsey Rose? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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Who is Kinsey 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 Name – Kinsey Rose
Birthdate – May 8th
Hometown – Louisville, Kentucky
Current City – Nashville, Tennesee
Musical Influences – Loretta Lynn, Vince Gill, Chris Stapleton
Current Single – “Speed Of A Broken Heart” (As of article date – 4/17/23)

The Beginning:

Today we are highlighting incredible singer-songwriter, Kinsey Rose. Her story is full of grit, hard work, and an inspiring perseverance to make her dream a reality. Growing up in Kentucky, Rose always felt an undeniable connection to music. “I started playing music at a young age. First piano and then guitar, and I started writing little songs,” she began. “It was something that came naturally, and I always enjoyed creating music.”

She recalls crafting music and writing songs really early on. “I have tapes of me singing when I was young,” she shared. Adding, “I started writing songs in 5th or 6th grade.” During guitar lessons, she wrote her first song and was immediately hooked. “I was taking a guitar lesson and my homework was to write lyrics to a song to musical notes on the guitar. I remember putting the words together and I was like, ‘I really like this,’ and then right after that I started putting together choruses and writing songs.”

Throughout her childhood, the songstress recalls listening to contemporary Christian music, pop music, and later country music. “I grew up kind of singing in church and doing a lot of contemporary Christian and then pop. I loved Sheryl Crowe and Tom Petty, and all sorts of music like that,” she shared. “I found country music on my own. I started listening to these old vinyl records of people like Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, and I was like ‘wow, there’s a whole other world out there’.”

At the age of sixteen, Rose started diving headfirst into country music. “I fell in love with country music and started writing more country songs, and then I found out about Nashville, Tennessee. People were saying I should go to Nashville, so I started making trips regularly and writing with other writers when I was 18 or 19.”

The Turning Point:

As soon as she could, Rose packed up her car and made the solo move to Music City. “I moved to Nashville and played up and down Broadway, kind of hustling and saving up money.” For Rose, her dream was the only option – there was no plan b.

“I went all in. I started making the trips to Nashville and I would play, and I would audition a lot to play a lot. […] As soon as I was able, I literally packed up my car, and I was staying on couches and in hotels, all sorts of places, I had no backup plan.” She added, “I had just my drive and me wanting to make it happen. I just dove right in.”

After grinding in Nashville for years, Rose found herself auditioning for the popular show ‘The Voice.’ She auditioned with the song “Cowboy Take Me Away,” by a group she loved, The Chicks. “When ‘The Chicks’ came out, for me seeing the girls singing up there on stage and seeing people singing along, I was like ‘wow that’s what I want to do,’ so that’s kind of how I fell into the country music side of things.”

The Voice also connected her with fellow songwriter, Marcus Hummon, who she would go on to plan a write with soon enough.

Today:

Flash forward to today, that write with Marcus Hummon happened, and the two, along with Chris Robbins created her latest single, “Speed Of A Broken Heart.” “I was going through the emotions from the end of a long-term relationship,” she began, sharing about the new song. “In the chorus, it says ‘7 years gone that I ain’t getting back.’ So it’s a very truthful song. It has a lot of emotions. It feels like it’s kind of a thunderstorm of emotions that you feel in that breakup.”

The new song marks a new era of music for the rising artist. “Speed Of A Broken Heart” is a song that anyone can relate to and find inspiration in. “It’s also kind of got a positive spin on it, like ‘and I’m moving on’ I like that because I try to be a pretty positive person through hard times, and I hope people can connect with that,” added Rose.

Fans can look forward to more new music from the singer-songwriter as the year progresses. While she will be on the road all summer, fans can expect a new song to drop then too, as well as, more new singles throughout the year. “I’ll continue to release songs for the rest of the year. I hope this one is a great kickoff for what’s to come next.”

Connect:

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

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

Kinsey 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 Neon Union? The Story Behind Their Journey to Country Music

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Who is Neon Union? The incredible duo joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the rising artists here…

who-is-neon-union

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Andrew Millsaps & Leo Brooks aka: Neon Union
Birthdate – August 30th & January 10th
Hometown – Pilot Mountain, North Carolina & Roaatan, Honduras
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Alan Jackson, The Avett Brothers, George Jones, The Eagles
Label – Red Street Records
Current Single – “Bout Damn Time” (As of article date – 4/10/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on a country music act that we believe is going to be huge in just a matter of time. Neon Union, a duo comprised of Andrew Millsaps and Leo Brooks met each other and instantly knew that combining their talents would be something special. Despite their unique upbringings, Neon Union was destined to make music together.

“I’m from Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, a small town and I had moved to Nashville at one point and went to college for a year, wound up four colleges in five years, and graduated from NC State,” began Millsaps. “I was like I’m not done with Nashville, and I planned on moving back out here.”

On the other hand, Brooks was living a bit further south. “I’m from Miami. All my family is from Roatan, Honduras. That’s how I got into country music,” shared the singer-songwriter. “The main music on the island is classic country, reggae, and calypso. I grew up on a lot of classic country from my dad, he put the guitar on me too.”

While Millsaps was playing gigs at bars and cutting his teeth as a songwriter, Brooks was jumping on tour with artists like Lauryn Hill, straight out of high school, and later, Pitbull, whom he played bass and directed for. Together, the twosome boasts an interesting and eclectic group of musical influences.

“Growing up in North Carolina, a lot of classic country. […] For me another big one was The Avett Brothers, which was a folk, bluegrass band, which really got me diving into songwriting,” shared Millsaps. Brooks added, “For me, I’ve got a little bundle. I’ve got some George Jones, some Hank Williams Senior, some Willie, some rock, Jimmie Hendrix.” The men even shared a like for artists like Lil Wayne to round out their unique taste in music.

The Turning Point:

Despite both loving music and wanting to create as artists, the men decided that they were comfortable in the background until they each met country artist Jimmie Allen.

“When I was out here for a job interview, staying at a hotel, I met Jimmie Allen on an elevator,” shared Millsaps. “I didn’t really think anything of it, but about 6 months later, I was downtown playing a songwriter round called Whiskey Jam and I saw Jimmie there and I was like “Hey do you remember me from the elevator,” and he was like “yeah man, can’t wait to see you play.” After that, he got my number and then he called me two weeks later and asked if I ever thought of being in a duo and introduced me to Leo.”

For Brooks, Allen was also an integral part of his journey. “So Pitbull told Jimmie about me and we ended up meeting at the studio and I showed him a couple of my songs and we vibed out together […] He called me two weeks later and say “Hey you want to be in a duo.” And I was like I’ll try it if it makes sense.”

After a brief FaceTime call, the twosome finally met in person. “As soon as we met in person, Leo flew to town, and we met over at Jimmie’s house, and he was very clear about how this has to be something that you guys want to do, but you have a big opportunity here,” they shared. “We went out for beers that night and we just clicked right away. […] We were like let’s have fun and make music.”

Just a day later, the men were in the studio together, and Neon Union was formed. “We’re like the same person from two different places. We even say that there is no way that Jimmie could have known it would work out this good.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Neon Union is a true (and unstoppable) duo. “As far as the duo aspect goes, we want to keep it a true duo. A lot of duos in history have one voice and the other guy is just kind of singing backup or just playing guitar or something, but since the very start, we both wanted to take turns singing verses and flipping harmonies, things like that,” shared the entertainers.

Neon Union burst on to the music scene with their debut single “Bout Damn Time.” “It’s a party for us every time. We wanted to come out and kick the door down,” shared Neon Union about the single. “We had what we could call some safer options on songs that might have had a little bit broader audience or whatever, but that’s just us, we wanted to kick the door down and introduce us and be kind of rowdy, and be different. It’s all about different.”

Additionally, they shared, “That song was a really good introduction to us and to radio to say this is who we are and who we are is who we’ll always be. We’re not going to mold to anything.”

Neon Union also released a song called “American Dirt.” While the song is more vulnerable, it showcases the singers’ respective songwriting prowess, as well as their ability to craft a song that will get stuck in your head after the first listen. The songs will be a part of a bigger project, Neon Union’s first EP titled, Double Wide Castle Sessions, out this July.

Until then, be on the lookout for more new music from the duo, as well as, make sure to see them at select shows with artists and on the festival circuit! “We always say come to a show, that’s where we have the most fun with our fans.”

Connect:

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

To keep up with Neon Union, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.

Neon Union’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 Jake Worthington? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-jake-worthington

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Jake Denton Worthington
Birthdate – 3/01/1996
Hometown – La Porte, Texas
Current City – Durant, Oklahoma
Musical Influences – Merle Haggard, George Jones, Keith Whitley, Whitney Shaafer, Tommy Collins, Harley Allen, Wayne Kemp
Label – Big Loud Records
Current Single – “State You Left Me In” (As of article date – 4/03/23)

The Beginning:

Today we are sharing all about singer-songwriter, Jake Worthington’s story behind his journey to country music. The Texas native is a true lover of country music, and it shows in the way he talks about the genre, his songwriting, and of course, his own music.

“Growing up, country music was always around, but my grandpa was a big reason why I love the genre,” began Worthington. At a young age, the singer recalls being infatuated with traditional country artists like Merle Haggard George Jones, and Keith Whitley.

“I come from a background of traditional influence and I’ve always heard it. It was always important to hear these things and to know what comes before you,” he shared, adding later “There’s so many different decades of this stuff that I love. […] As a whole, I think that country music is very, very diverse, and it’s not as one dimensional.”

Barely a teenager, Worthington was already playing music in and around his hometown. “I played in a band there, when I was 13 or 14, that’s when I started at least trying to get into bars and wherever they’d let us make some noise at,” he shared.

“Music is the only thing that ever made sense to me. Nothing else did, and it was always there.”

The Turning Point:

Armed with a true love for country music, Worthington was given the opportunity of a lifetime when he auditioned for the sixth season of the hit show, ‘The Voice.’ “By the time I turned 17 or 18 years old, that was whenever the opportunity to do the TV show came along,” he shared. “That was a great experience and had I not done it, I can’t say I would have evolved into musicality the way I have over the years.”

Worthington auditioned with the iconic song, “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” He was the runner-up of his season, a huge accomplishment that catapulted his young career. “From that point, a lot of doors opened up for a guy,” he began. “I was fortunate enough to have the state of Texas and the independent music scene that we have down there. […] I was able to really get a start going and started writing songs more.”

Worthington spent years honing his craft and songwriting wherever he could, both in Nashville and in Oklahoma. Finally, in 2021, his hard work started to pay off monumentally, as he signed with his label, Big Loud Records.

Today:

Flash forward to present day, Worthington and his fans are awaiting his debut self-titled record, slated for release this Friday, April 7th. The record features 13 original songs, with all but one co-penned by the entertainer. “I’m over the moon, I can’t wait for it to come out. It’s been a long time coming, but right on time I feel like for me,” he shared.

Recently, the singer gave fans a taste of the record, releasing songs, “State You Left Me In” and “Next New Thing.” “We put out them two songs and there’s eleven more coming out on April 7th. We cut the record at Blackbird Studios with Joey Moi. I have not allowed myself to be prideful in a lot of things over the last long while, but I’m pretty dang proud of what we were able to accomplish and do.”

Worthington also shared an appreciation for a song called “Closing Time,” that is featured on the record. Co-written by the singer with Nick Walsh, the song is a true embodiment of the singer’s trajectory as an artist.

“Every song on there brings back a different memory. I can remember writing them, I think “Closing Time” is probably a song that stands out. I had written that song with a buddy of mine, and we been knowing each other for around four or five years. We never wrote together, we just drank whiskey a lot, and I’d always refer to him as my whiskey drinking buddy, and we knew we wanted to do this stuff,” he began. “Once this COVID stuff kind of happened, we wrote a lot over the phone, and that was one of the first songs, if not the first song that we wrote together. I remember that write and I remember how proud we were of that song.”

For Worthington, each and every song on the project speaks to who he is as a person and as an artist. It is a true testament to the last five years or so of his life. “I would hope that the listeners will get to the feeling of the record. This record is genuine to me over the last five years of my life,” he shared. “I think that’s what songs are meant for. I’m incredibly thankful that my kind of singing and my kind of thinking is getting the opportunity to be heard.”

Connect:

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

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

Jake Worthington’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.