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Who is Dasha? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Dasha
Birthdate – 2/27/2000
Hometown – San Luis Obispo, CA
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Kacey Musgraves, SZA, Medium Build, Noah Kahan, Tyler Childers
Label – Version iii
Current Single – “Austin” (as of date of article: 11/20/23)

who-is-dasha

Dasha // Photo credit: Adam Budd

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on a promising entertainer has been an artist and a performer her whole life. California native, Dasha has always had a knack for songwriting and a love for music. While, she started her career creating pop music, the songstress decided to head back to her roots to create country music. We chatted with her all about the switch and her story.

“I grew up in San Luis Obispo, California. It’s a small town on the coast, and I was super influenced by my community, because they are so big on live music and songwriting. There were always writer’s rounds happening, and a very big songwriting presence in my small town,” began Dasha. While her town was not known for anything musical, the songwriting community was something that spoke to the songstress at an early age.

“I first got into the whole world of entertainment when I got into musical theater around age five. I became obsessed with performing and storytelling on stage, basically just putting on a show,” she shared. Adding, “By age eight, I picked up piano and guitar. I had always been really into poetry as a kid, too. I was a really dramatic child, so the idea of writing all of these poems about the boys I liked in class, I loved it, and it was really exciting for me. I was already songwriting without knowing what songwriting was.”

At just ten years old, Dasha found herself performing at coffee shoppes with a local songwriter, who took her under her wing. “I just kept writing and writing. I released my first song at thirteen. It was my birthday present to get a song professionally recorded.” Dasha recalls finding inspiration in powerful female artists like Dolly Parton, Kacey Musgraves, and Avril Lavigne. She knew she wanted to be an artist.

Through high school, the singer-songwriter worked with her brother, who was into the production side of music. She spent time at her family’s studio writing as much music as she possibly could. Eventually, she headed off to Belmont University in Nashville to progress her knowledge and artistry.

The Turning Point:

With eyes only for Belmont, Dasha was on her way to chase her dream. “I got in early acceptance, and got into the songwriting program. I went out there fall of 2018 and absolutely loved it. I learned so much in my two years there. I already had a good grasp on what makes a good song, but it’s really interesting learning the names for the tools or the names for the techniques that these huge songwriters use. […] I got my songs torn apart in the best way.”

While in college, Dasha primarily wrote and recorded pop music. Eventually, during the pandemic, the singer trusted her gut, and decided to quit school in favor of moving to Los Angeles to further her budding pop career. “COVID hit in 2020, and we all got sent home. Around that time is when I decided I was going to dropout, and move to L.A. because during 2020, I had started posting my songs to TikTok and I had a few viral videos, which was awesome. It got me my management. It just felt right at the time,” she shared. She even dropped her debut album, Dirty Blonde, which consists of seventeen songs.

However, despite still loving music, she was no longer feeling drawn to pop music. “I had this epiphany and was like ‘I have to go back to my roots and start making country music again’, so in the last nine months to a year, I’ve really dove into that […] I have never had such an amazing time making music before. Music has never come so effortlessly to me before as it has with this music. It’s the beginning of this new country era.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Dasha has spent the last nine plus months falling back in love with country music, the music she would write and create as a little girl. After two years in L.A., the songstress made the move back to Nashville yet again. “I really try to incorporate the love of rhyming and poetry and storytelling into my songs because that’s what I love about it,” she shared.

Earlier this year, Dasha shared her first country single, “Even Cowboys Cry,” which showcases her incredible talent and knack for honest storytelling. She recently followed up that single with an anthemic and haunting song called, “Austin.”

“‘Austin’ is one of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written. The story behind writing the song is really cool,” she began. “We were all writing this song called “Play Dumb.” It was like this cheating song about knowing someone’s cheating on you, but playing dumb, so you can hold on a little bit longer, and I didn’t relate to the song, so I was having trouble writing it.”

Dasha went on to add, “We were trying to get the chorus, and I was like we need to country-fy this, and Adam started playing the chords for “Austin” exactly how you hear them, and I was like that’s good, even though it wasn’t in the same key or the same chords. I started freestyling over it, and I started the chorus for “Austin”… exactly how you hear it.”

Dasha and her fellow collaborators went on to ditch the song that they were originally working on in favor of creating “Austin.” The song was done in a matter of an hour. “We started creating this whole story about this guy who kind of screws you over and you leave him at this bar, and I love how angry it is. […] It crawls under your skin, because it’s not that you’re mad – mad, it’s like you’re hurt – mad, and I feel like that emotion really comes through in that song. We wrote it in an hour, which is crazy fast for a song.”

“Even Cowboys Cry” and “Austin” are the first of four singles for Dasha, as she expands into the country must genre. With a promise of a full-length album in the works for early 2024, fans can expect a lot more of the singer coming soon. Keep her 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 Dasha releases.

To keep up with Dasha, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Dasha’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 Mike Gossin? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-mike-gossin

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Mike Gossin
Birthday – 11/26/1984
Hometown – Marcy, New York
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Tom Petty, Keith Urban, James Taylor
Current Single – “Let’s Ride” ft. Cheyenne Kimball (as of date of article 11/13/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist has been in the music industry for over a decade; however, for the first time, Mike Gossin is stepping into his artistry as a solo artist. We caught up with the singer-songwriter to chat about his story, his Gloriana days, and where he is headed.

“I grew up with two older brothers, in upstate New York in the Adirondack mountain region. I was raised on an 1800s farmhouse on some acreage,” began the singer. “It was a cool way to grow up as a kid, being outdoors a lot, and helping my dad maintain the land, bonfires, four-wheeling, and all that stuff.” As a young child, Gossin recalls having a love for music, even starting his first band in middle school.

“The rule in our house was that you had to play one instrument and one sport, as long as you were under mom or dad’s roof. You got to pick which one you wanted, but you had to do it, so I started on the piano, I was like four years old, taking lessons, and then that turned into drum set lessons when I was like seven. When I was about eleven, my older brother taught me how to play my first guitar chords, and the rest was history,” shared the singer.

Throughout his upbringing, Gossin was a fan of both country and rock music, drawing inspiration from both genres in creation of his own sound. “There’s a country station in my hometown called Big Frog 104. […] I grew up listening to that station. It’s a small town, so the DJs are friends with my mom. My dad was actually a truck driver and a college radio DJ, so he always had music playing in our house growing up. There was always a soundtrack going,” he stated. Adding, “I remember in high school when Keith Urban’s ‘Golden Road’ came out, that did it for me. I’ve always kind of been a fan of country and rock, and I thought Keith Urban just mastered that lane.” Gossin also shares a love for artists like Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson.

The Turning Point:

Gossin’s love for music was a mainstay in his life, as he graduated a year early from high school to pursue music. “I had my own high school band, and we were getting some momentum going. It started kind of locally, then I ended up moving down to North Carolina. My brothers were going to college there, so I stayed and performed in North Carolina five nights a week for like ten years,” shared the artist.

Eventually that led to Gossin and his brother forming a band with Cheyenne Kimball and Rachel Reinert called Gloriana. For several years, Gloriana graced the stages and won hearts of country music lovers everywhere. “That led into Gloriana which was crazy, and I went to Nashville, and it was such a cool journey going through all of that.”

When Gloriana played their last show in 2016, Gossin found himself at a crossroads. “I had a publishing deal at that time with one of the majors, and I finished that deal out for about a year, and that deal was up. My brother was moving back to North Carolina with his wife and I think I just needed to kind of step away for a minute,” he shared. “It was such a crazy rollercoaster, almost a decade on the bus, living our dreams, amazing fans, and country radio, and awards, and getting to see the world, it was just a lot.”

Gossin headed back to North Carolina where he got reacquainted with his musical roots. “I started playing solo acoustic shows. I wanted to go back to the beginning and kind of start over really, like how did this all start, where was my heart at the beginning of all of this. […] I wanted to rediscover the magic and the passion that I had in the beginning,” he shared.

After playing again in North Carolina, Gossin eventually found the inspiration to begin writing music again. “It came naturally, it wasn’t forced. There was a good bit of time between playing those gigs and being ready to sit down and write some songs.” With the support and encouragement of his good friends and fellow industry connections, Gossin was finally ready to pursue a bucket-list goal and create a solo-project.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Gossin’s first solo-project is officially here. His record, Coming Home is an impressive body of work that the singer created through hard work and determination. “In this process for this new stuff, I really wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to try new stuff, and write, sing, produce, and play almost all the instruments on my own solo project. I set out as a goal of mine to try to make that happen.”

Each of the eight songs on the project speak to Gossin’s signature sound and growth as an artist. All created in a home studio, the project is a special gem. “It was just a homegrown, authentic test, and fun project about what has been going on in my life through these songs,” shared Gossin, adding, “I wanted to stay true to myself and the Gloriana fans and the country music fans that have supported us over the years, and I wanted to shape the sound to pay tribute to those songs, but also where I’m at now, a kind of new and evolved sound.”

Coming Home is just the start for Gossin as he embarks on his solo career. The record is a true coming home for the established artist, and fans can look forward to the singer continuing to crank out new music. Gossin is also hopefully about playing the songs live sometime soon. Stay tuned!

Connect:

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

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

Mike Gossin’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 Troy Cartwright? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music (2023)

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

who-is-troy-cartwright

Troy Cartwright | Photo credit: Erika Rock

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Troy Cartwright Dixon
Birthday – 04/03/1990
Hometown – Dallas, Texas
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffett, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton
Current Single – “Girl I Loved Before” (Out 10/30/23)

The Beginning:

Back in 2021, we introduced you to singer-songwriter Troy Cartwright. At the time Cartwright had just released his project called, Halfway To Houston. Much of Cartwright’s career has evolved since, but for the singer, it is all good things! We caught up with the artist and chatted about the last two years and what fans can expect moving forward.

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, he recalls always loving music. “I’ve always been into music. I always joke that writing songs is the only thing that nobody told me to do.”

At just twelve years old, Cartwright started playing guitar. “Once I could play, I just kind of stopped practicing, and just started writing songs,” shared Cartwright. “I always sort of had a knack for that part of it.” Despite loving music, interestingly he tried to avoid the country genre at first because it was his older sister’s favorite.

“When I was kid, it was just sort of whatever was popular at the time like Simple Plan and New Found Glory and stuff like that […] There was some singer-songwriter stuff that I fell in love with like Pete Yorn.” On the contrary, now, Cartwright also draws inspirations from artists that his parents listened to when he was younger like, Tom Petty.

“I find that I’m doing even more and more digging into the stuff that has stood the test of time. I have probably listened to more Tom Petty in the last two years, then I have my whole life,” he shared. Adding, “At a certain point, like an artist that is a legend like that, it’s something that your parents listened to and then it changes over to something you choose to listen to. I guess for me, I don’t why, but it’s hitting different these days.”

The Turning Point:

Cartwright loved music so much that he took a leap of faith. He headed to Boston for college to pursue a degree in music business. Little did he know, this move would soon change the trajectory of his life.

During his junior year of college, Cartwright participated in an internship that became a major turning point for him. “I realized that was not the path that I wanted to go down,” shared the singer about the business-oriented job. “I realized through that process like ‘hey if you’re going to be an artist’ you just got to go for it.”

Upon graduating college, Cartwright headed back to Dallas to pursue his career as an artist.“ I was able to pretty quickly string together enough shows to pay the bills. […] That was kind of my start in country music, just playing the honky tonks and the bars that would have me.”

“After I came to Nashville for the first time and got to co-write, I knew I was going to move to Nashville no matter what… I just had to figure out how to get there,” Cartwright explains. Eventually, he caught the ear of a publisher in town who offered him the opportunity to write. He also landed a record deal with Warner Music Nashville; however, now, the singer is happily an independent artist.

“I’ve since gone independent, and that happened pretty soon after we put out that record. That’s been pretty life-changing for me. I think at the time it was pretty scary, but it’s actually been great. The results have hopefully spoke for themselves, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to forge my own path in my career and with the music and get to release whatever is inspiring me at the time,” shared the singer.

In the last two years, since we last spoke, Cartwright has reinvented himself, drawing on new inspirations both as a songwriter and as an artist. “It’s interesting like I write so often, I’m probably writing 3 or 4 days a week that like you actually oddly listen to less music, which seems counterintuitive, but from a songwriting perspective, I think I’ve been spending a lot more time trying to source interesting topics. […] I’ve been reading a lot more books and trying to watch more film and TV to get different ideas, and for all my melodies and stuff, I’m constantly trying to switch it up.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Cartwright is cranking out new music. “It’s been a really wild two years. If you would have told me the ride it was going to be, I wouldn’t have believed you, but it’s been fun. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been a lot of rewarding work,” he shared.

Most recently, Cartwright released two songs called, “Girl I Loved Before” and “Can’t Stop Falling Apart.” The former was inspired by the crossroads between possibly breaking-up and falling in love.

“Well “Girl I Loved Before” more or less I was just kind of chasing this idea of there’s a lot of songs about break-ups and about being in love, but there’s not a lot of songs about trying to accept where a relationship might be at, if it’s going to workout or now,” he shared. Adding, “To me in the song, the person is deciding that we’re going to do this thing and make it work, and there’s a spark in that, a rekindling of a frame that’s an exciting concept to tackle as a writer and an as artist for me.”

On the other hand, “Can’t Stop Falling Apart” is an introspective song that uncovers the messy truth of being human in today’s day and age. “Then “Can’t Stop Falling Apart” is one of the most honest songs I’ve written,” began Cartwright. “It was really just a day where the advantages of the new music landscape with TikTok and Instagram reels are so amazing, but it’s also really exhausting because you feel like you never have any rest period. It’s always I have to create today, and you can choose to say I have to or I get too, and most days I say “I get to,” but some days it gets to me, and that day I was coming from this place of ‘man, I’m super burnt out right now’.”

Both songs really speak to Cartwright’s growth as both a vocalist and as a songwriter. According to the singer, more new music is coming down the pipeline soon. Fans can get excited for more authenticity and honesty showcased throughout the singer’s music.

“I’m really excited about the future and some of the music that I’m making. I think one of the things that I love about being independent is getting to try different things, and I really look forward to getting to continue that and trying some different angles, and experimenting with releasing stuff not just as singles but a whole project or something like that.”

Connect:

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

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

Troy Cartwright’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 Tiera Kennedy? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music (2023)

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

who-is-tiera-kennedy

Tiera Kennedy | Photo credit: Alexa Campbell

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Tiera Kennedy
Hometown – Birmingham, Alabama
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood
Current Single – “Jesus, My Mama, My Therapist” (as of date of article 10/23/23)

The Beginning:

A little over three years ago, back in 2020, we introduced you to a new artist, who was making waves on social media: Tiera. Flash forward to today, Tiera, who now goes by her full name, Tiera Kennedy has landed herself both a publishing deal and a record deal. We caught up with the singer-songwriter to learn about how she got to where she is today and to talk all about her new music. Keep reading to find out more.

“I’m from Birmingham, Alabama, and I’ve always loved music for as long as I can remember,” she began. “I guess it kind of like blossomed when I was in middle school. I started writing songs and fell in love with country music.” Throughout her upbringing, Kennedy recalls listening to a ton of country music and writing songs at a young age.

“I grew up in the age of Taylor Swift, the beginning of her career, and I just fell in love with all of her songs, like so many of us did,” shared the songstress. “She was writing a lot of songs about boys, and that’s where I was in my life. I started to do the same, I would perform those songs around my school, and just like the response from that made me actually believe I could do it for my career. I was definitely in to do it for the long haul.”

Kennedy credits influences from 90s country and artists like Swift and Carrie Underwood for her early love for music and songwriting. These influences stayed with her throughout her career while she built upon even more musical influences too. “I listen to just about everything. I love 90s country, that’s my ultimate jam,” shared Kennedy. Adding, “I’m super random with what I listen to. I listen to Scottish music and Irish music sometimes, and R&B stuff. I really gravitate towards things that make me feel good. When I get into the writer’s room, those are the kind of songs I like to write. I feel like everybody has a bunch of different influences, nobody listens to one thing.”

The Turning Point:

After writing her first song in high school and teaching herself how to play guitar, Kennedy had her heart set on attending Nashville’s Belmont University. However, as plans changed, she ended up attending the University of Northern Alabama for one year on a full-ride scholarship instead before changing trajectories. “Eventually, after a year in college, my parents let me drop out and move to Nashville, and I’ve been here about 7 years.”

Throughout her seven years in town, Kennedy networked with as many people as she possibly could to get her name and her music out there. “I just hit the ground running as soon as I got here. I had a show my first night there, at the Listening Room, and I was really just trying to get a foot in everywhere I could. I would write with anybody and everybody. I would take every single meeting.”

In the early stages of her career, Kennedy did whatever it took to advance her career and dream. “Those first couple of years, I played at a couple of restaurants and hotel lobbies. I was just making tips from there, and looking back, I feel like it really taught me how to hold a crowd and how to entertain people.”

After a few years, Kennedy finally landed her publishing deal as the flagship songwriter for Nicolle Galyon’s Songs & Daughters. “They signed me to my deal with Big Loud’s Songs & Daughters and Warner Chappell, so I finally got my publishing deal.”

At around the same time, Kennedy’s music started taking off on social media. Her song, “Found It In You” became her first viral hit. “Record labels started to take notice and I started taking those meetings, and I wasn’t really planning to sign a deal at the moment, I just thought it would be fun because I really loved being an independent artist, so I was kind of going back and forth, but then I had a meeting with Big Machine, and I just fell in love with them. They were everything that I wanted in a label.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Kennedy is a signed artist who is ready to take the world by storm. “I really hope when people hear this music they think I’m a friend,” she shared. Her current single, “Jesus, My Mama, My Therapist” is growing in popularity, as the song really speaks to the singer’s talent as a vocalist and as a storyteller.

““Jesus, My Mama, My Therapist” is this new era of music for me,” she begins. Adding, “I wrote this song on a writer’s retreat with some of my favorite co-writers. […] It was one of the last songs we wrote for the retreat, so we really got to just have fun, and write a fun song, and not think too much about it. […] It’s a story about being from a small town and how words spread fast, but I like to say that even people who aren’t from a small town can relate to this, because not everyone can keep secrets to themselves.”

According to Kennedy, the song is meant to be a relatable, fun song with heart. “The three people I can depend on are Jesus, my mama, and my therapist. It was really cool to have fun with this song, and not be too serious. It’s a little different, sound-wise, from anything I’ve put out, and it’s really shaped the next music we’re going to put out, too. It’s a lot more country, which I love and I think the fans will love it too.”

Fans can look forward to more new music from Kennedy coming down the pipeline soon. “I have pretty much finished the album, so we’ve got all the songs together, and I’ve been teasing some of them, but there’s definitely songs people haven’t heard. People can expect to get to know me better.” 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 Tiera Kennedy releases.

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

Tiera Kennedy’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 Peytan Porter? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music (2023)

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

who-is-peytan-porter

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Peytan Porter
Birthdate – 1/14/1998
Hometown – Dawnsonville, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Elvis Presley, Fleetwood Mac, Linda Rondstat, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton
Current Single – “Speaking of Georgia” (as of date of article 10/16/23)

The Beginning:

A little over a year ago, we introduced you to singer-songwriter, Peytan Porter. In just that short amount of time, that once pop-country artist has reinvented her sound and come into a style of music that feels more true to who she is right now. While part of her story has stayed the same, much of it has also evolved, and her new music is even better than ever.

Porter grew up in North Georgia with a family who loved basketball, a sport that she also played. “I’m the only person in even my extended family that ever picked up an instrument. I am definitely the weird, artsy one of the sports family,” she shared. “I started playing guitar and getting really into music probably in middle school.”

As the middle child of her family, she found herself often yearning to express herself, using music as an outlet for that self-expression. “I started writing songs when I was twelve-ish, and I tribute that to seeing Taylor Swift opening up for Rascal Flatts at my first concert, and her talking about how she wrote songs about the boys in her school,” she began. Adding, “Once I started singing, my parents moved me to the basement bedroom because there was plenty of noise on the main floor, and me learning to sing was not a needed addition to the sounds that were happening in the house […] I spent a lot of time by myself trying to communicate my feelings and find a way to present them to people where I could really articulate them and get their attention. For me, that was songwriting.”

Despite loving music, Porter found herself not loving the ‘bro country’ music that was popular in mainstream country music at the time. Instead, she dove into female musicians like Carrie Underwood, Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves, and Dolly Parton. “I really dug into female artists and what they were saying and what they weren’t saying, and tried to figure out the parts that I could take with me and where the holes were.”

The Turning Point:

In 2016, Porter made the move to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Lipscomb University. Empowered by records like Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park  and Maren Morris’ HERO, the singer knew that her voice was important, despite thinking she was going to become a worship leader at first.

While many artists paved the way for Porter, those two albums helped to define her path.“It was a big permission slip for me to question the norm of the world I was growing up in and poke holes in the reality of the small town that I was growing up in. Also to be able to just think differently and it be okay. It was a concept I didn’t really know was an option,” she shared. Adding, “It changed the soundscape of the format, and I always knew that I wanted to do something that would do that to country music, because I’m such a fan of the history and the family that is country music that I think my worst fear is not doing something to push it forward in some ways. To change things you have to disrupt things, and I was working my way into to understanding that I can’t do what everyone else is doing.”

The summer after her Sophomore year at college, the singer-songwriter interned at a publishing company which continued to broaden her love and passion for country music. “I started writing and co-writing, the summer after my sophomore year of college. That’s also when I started an internship at a publishing company, and that’s when I really got to learn what songwriting is. I got to dig into catalogs of people like Chris Stapleton, and Lee Thomas Miller, and Chris DuBois, and all of these amazing people. I really learned what the bar was for what songs needed to be.”

Eventually, Porter graduated college in 2020, with one goal in mind: to be a country music artist. After turning down one publishing deal, in December of 2020, she finally found a home with with Jody Williams Songs, in partnership with Warner Chappell Music and signed her publishing deal.

Today:

Flash forward to present day, Porter is creating music that speaks to where she is at in her life currently. Heavily influenced by the females of her past, as well as, Laurel Canyon country music from the likes of artists like The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt, Porter’s sound has evolved into a more folk-inspired country sound. “Part of my journey over the last year and a half was accepting that, and being honest about that in my music, and not continuing to do pop-country music.”

Her latest single, “Speaking of Georgia” is one of her best to date. The song was inspired by the bittersweet moments of the past that have a way of coming back up. “Around the same time my high school sweetheart had just gotten engaged, and it was definitely a nod of agreement that we were both where we needed to be and that was not together. It was kind of bittersweet, as it is when anyone’s first love moves on officially like that,” she shared about the writing experience. “I think that the win of writing “Speaking Of Georgia,” was keeping it as an open thought of ‘you’ve been on my mind, but I’m not going to do anything about it, and I don’t want to change anything about my life.’”

More songs like “Speaking of Georgia” are coming sooner rather than later. Porter shared that she has a project in the work titled Grown, which is slated for release in Spring of 2024. “It is all around these themes of coming of age and self-acceptance, and empowerment, and the freedom that comes along with figuring out more of who you are and not apologizing for it. And wanting to be loved authentically and understanding that that means that you have to give people the chance to actually know who you are for them to accept you for who you are.”

As we all wait patiently for music, make sure to catch Porter on the road. Head to her website for a full list of 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 Peytan Porter releases.

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

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

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Who Is Ryan Larkins? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-ryan-larkins

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Ryan Larkins
Birthday – October 5th
Hometown – Nashville, Tennessee
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Label – Red Street Records
Current Single – “King Of Country Music” (Out 10/13/23)

The Beginning:

Country music is a true art form, and this week’s spotlight artist abides by that. Ryan Larkins is a true student of country music. Beginning his career as a songwriter, and now venturing out on his own as an artist, his journey is an incredible display of talent and drive.

“I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, which is Music City, and we’re known for country music,” began the singer.” Despite growing up in Nashville, Larkins was not introduced to the country music genre in his youth. “My dad was a Pentecostal pastor, so it was a very strict childhood. I didn’t listen to anything except gospel music.”

Even though country music was not on his radar back in the day, Larkins did fall in love with music. “I started playing guitar when I was twelve years old, and I started singing in church.” He even began songwriting at the tender age, just for fun. Although Larkins did not grow up learning about country music, he did understand the power of music.

Eventually, he would go on to discover country music and fall in love with the storytelling aspect that the genre is known for. “I love Willie Nelson and the reason I love him is not only is he a great artist, he is a great songwriter, and he has written songs for other people, and he’s so unique. […] I love Randy Travis, I think he has one of the coolest, most unique voices in music history. George Strait, he’s another one who’s up there for me. […] I love Dolly Parton. She’s a great songwriter, a great artist,” he shared, adding, “And then with new people, I love Cody Johnson. He’s staying true to that authentic country sound. Lainey Wilson is another one. I think she’s incredible. Tim McGraw, I love all of those artists.”

The Turning Point:

When Larkins was 21 years old, his friend convinced him to audition for a singing competition show called ‘Can You Duet?’ on CMT. “A friend of mine from church was like ‘man we need to go try out for this show, and we’ll be the next Brooks & Dunn.’ I was like “That sounds great! Who’s Brooks & Dunn?.”

After finishing in third place, Larkins began to write songs for a living, discovering more and more music along the way. “I love those classic country artists like Randy Travis, George Strait, Merle Haggard, and I just remember thinking, there were preachers that came through our church when I was a kid and they would tell these stories that I would be on the edge of my seat wanting to hear, and then I heard “Three Wooden Crosses” by Randy Travis, and I thought it was so similar. The storytelling is really what I fell in love with.” He added, “I really had no clue about the history, but I got a record player and I started learning about the history, and I put myself through school listening to some of those old albums.”

Eventually, with the support and encouragement of his wife, Larkins earned his first publishing deal and then later, a record deal. “Five years ago I signed my first publishing deal. […] and then last year I met with Red Street Records, and I loved the people over there, and I feel so thankful to be able to release my own music. I’m living the dream.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Larkins is releasing his debut EP, Meet Ryan Larkins this Friday (10/13) under Red Street Records. “I’ve been writing songs for a long time, and these five songs are like my favorite songs that I have ever written,” he shared about the record. “When I signed my record deal with Red Street Records, I knew it was the right home because of Jay DeMarcus, he just got me from day one. He knew exactly what to do with these songs, and he produced this EP, and I’m so excited that these songs are going to be out in the world.”

Each of the five songs showcase different sides of Larkins and his talent as an artist, which is exactly what he has set out to do. “I think it’s a great representation of who I am an artist, and I’m just so thankful to have that opportunity. Hopefully when people hear that song that feels like they have been introduced to me not only as a songwriter and as an artist, but to me as a person.”

Fans can look forward to songs like “Dream Baby” that has some tempo, as well as, “Paid For It” which is a great example of a storytelling song. However, one of the best off the project is a song called, “King Of Country Music.”

““King Of Country Music” is probably my favorite song that I’ve ever written,” shared Larkins. “I got that idea just sitting in my car, driving around, listening to some classic country music. My oldest boy, he looked up and asked “Dad, who is the king of country music? Who is the greatest singer in the history of country music?” And he kind of caught me off guard, ya know, there’s so many great singers […] And that idea just hit me. I knew exactly who the king of country music is. [the song].”

It is safe to say that the rest of this year is going to be a big step in Larkins career. Check back on Friday for our full review of Meet Ryan Larkins, and keep your eyes and ears pealed for live shows, coming soon too!

Connect:

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

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

Ryan Larkin’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-anne-wilson

Who is Anne Wilson? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-anne-wilson

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Anne Wilson
Birthdate – 2/21/2002
Hometown – Lexington, Kentucky
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Morgan Wallen, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash
Label – Capitol Christian Music Group / UMG Nashville
Current Single – “Rain in the Rearview”  (Impacting country radio) // as of date of article: 10/2/23

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist that is seemingly an incredible human and artist. Anne Wilson may be best known for her Christian music; however, she is blazing her own path, adding country music to her impressive repertoire. Anyone who appreciates an artist who is unapologetically themselves no matter what genre they are slated in will fall in love with Wilson.

The singer-songwriter hails from Lexington, Kentucky. “I grew up going to my family’s farm on the weekends. We have 700 acres in Kentucky, it’s absolutely beautiful. I’m so grateful and blessed to have that land,” she began. “I have two siblings, my brother Jacob and my sister, Elizabeth. We grew up as a really tight-knit family, always together.”

Wilson credits her family for introducing her to a wide variety of music at an early age. “I had actually been listening to quite a bit of music growing up. My parents would always play Christian radio and my brother would always play country music in the car. I felt like I got a really big dose of both of those genres. My brother would also play classic rock, and super old country songs, so that was always something that I loved,” she shared.

Despite being a music fan and playing classical piano for her entire childhood, at her mother’s request, Wilson never dreamed of being an artist. “I took piano lessons from six years old until graduating high school, like classical piano, and that was pretty much all the music I had. I didn’t do any other instruments. I didn’t sing in the choir. I didn’t sing in the car. I didn’t sing in the church. I really didn’t sing anywhere,” Wilson said.

Instead, Wilson focused on her dream of becoming an astronaut, finding herself more attracted to science and math. However, at age fifteen, when tragedy struck her family, her life and its path flipped on its axis.

The Turning Point:

The summer before her sophomore year of high school, Wilson learned that her older brother was killed in a tragic car accident. In order to cope with the tremendous loss, the songstress found comfort in the piano.

“I was singing at the piano one day, just a couple of days after he passed away, and I was really just worshiping God and having a moment to myself. I was processing all those things that had happened with my brother and my mom overheard me singing, and she came into the room, and said, “Anne I had no clue you could sing,” she shared. Adding, “I was super embarrassed and frustrated [at the time], but she asked me to sing at the funeral for my brother, because we couldn’t find anyone to sing, and I just decided to do it. I couldn’t help but do it, I wanted to honor my brother in that way, I sang publicly for the first time ever at my brother’s funeral.”

From that point on, Wilson started to fall in love with music and singing. “This whole thing kind of came out of nowhere for me, which makes it really cool,” she shared. “It started in 2017. Six months after my brother passed away, I got a call from a manager in Nashville. […] They had heard my voice because I posted one video of me singing on Youtube, and it went viral.”

After working with her manager for four years, Wilson was ready to introduce herself to the world through music. “In 2021, I released my very first single to Christian Radio. It was called, “My Jesus.” I was not expecting a thing out of it, I thought maybe it would land on the radio somewhere, and within 24 hours, it had nine million views on Facebook, and was just a viral song over night,” she shared. Adding, “My career took off immediately. I was nineteen at a time, and just moved out to Nashville the year prior all by myself. My life just changed over night.”

God moment after God moment, doors continued to open for Wilson. At the top of 2023, Wilson got a call from the head of UMG Nashville, who pitched her a joint record deal with her current label. “She wanted to work with me and do a co-record deal with my current record label. They said, “we want to take Anne to country radio, and we don’t want to change who she is. We don’t want her to do anything different. We just want her to put a song to country radio and give Anne an opportunity to really broaden her horizon and her audience.” That led into me writing songs and really figuring out if it was something I wanted to do and what I was passionate about, and it was such an immediate yes.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Wilson is a duel artist, creating music that appeals to her Christian and country fanbase. With a record completed and finished, and coming out sooner rather than later, the songstress is showcasing how she has evolved as an artist over the years.

“I wrote the entire record in two months. […] All of the record was really birthed out of the place of being a “rebel,” which is the title to the record,” she shared. “To me [my music is] more of an extension of who I am as an artist, and now being 21 writing this record, it’s just a different chapter of who I am as an artist.”

Wilson doubles down adding that it is important for her to remain true to herself. “I’m not going to water down my message for country radio, and I’m not going to water down my country production for Christian radio, but I’m going to be authentically who I am as an artist.”

Wilson just released three brand new songs under the title, REBEL (The Beginning), including, “REBEL,” “Strong,” and “Rain in the Rearview.” The latter is the first song to go to country radio, while “Strong” will head to Christian radio later next month. “Every single song was written with rebel in mind for the record,” she shared. “What does it mean to be a rebel in today’s day and age? And it means to not back down from your faith, to be a leader, to not follow the crowds, to do your own thing, and to be who you are.”

Fans can anticipate more new music coming down the pipeline from Wilson. For now, she is embarking on her first headlining tour. Find tickets 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 Anne Wilson releases.

To keep up with Anne Wilson follow her on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X / Twitter.

Anne Wilson’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-brent-cobb

Who Is Brent Cobb? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-brent-cobb

Brent Cobb // Photo Credit: Jace Kartye

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Brent Cobb
Birthday – 08/01/1986
Hometown – Americus, Georgia
Current City – Americus, Georgia
Musical Influences – Bobbie Gentry, Otis Redding, Lee Dorsey, Allen Toussaint, Ronnie VanZant
Label – Ol’ Buddy Records/Thirty Tigers
Current Album – “When Country Came Back to Town” (As of article date – 9/25/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist, who has firmly planted his feet into the country music genre. Brent Cobb has been a musician all of his life and has experienced so many great things throughout his blossoming career.

Growing up in small-town Georgia, Cobb was born into a musical household. “We ain’t ever had no money,” began the singer, “but there is a lot of music that comes from here, plus my dad still plays in a band every weekend and opened for a lot of people, when I was growing up.”

During his childhood, the singer-songwriter recalls being infatuated with many artists, who happened to grow up near his hometown in Georgia in neighboring small towns like Macon, Albany, and more. Heavily influenced by his father, as well as artists like The Allman Brothers, Otis Redding, and Dolly Parton, Cobb was a true music fan throughout his life.

“Where I’m from you have Macon, where’s there is so much musical influences. The first thing people usually think of when they hear Macon is The Allman Brothers, but Otis Redding was also from Macon,” shared the singer. “Then right down the road you have Ray Charles from Albany, which is 30 minutes down the road from where I’m from. Then you go over a little bit, you have James Charles. So you have the founding fathers of all music really.”

In a family who championed a love for music, Cobb thought of music as a “heart-led” thing rather than a career move. “I was always a songwriter, even when I was a kid. When I was six, seven years old, I would write songs about everything […] I didn’t think of it as a career, it was always just something fun to do, that I enjoyed doing.”

The Turning Point:

Interestingly enough, Cobb began to consider a career in music when he was around eighteen years old. After creating a six song acoustic demo for fun, a sequence of events led that dream to become a reality.

“When I was eighteen, I had a great aunt that passed away, and I had to be a pole bearer at her funeral in Richmond, Georgia, which is where my Cobb side of the family is from,” began the singer. “At this funeral, I met a distant cousin of mine and because we are all a musical family, word had gotten around that this cousin was a big L.A. producer, and I that had been writing songs and I had recorded a little six song demo. I shamelessly offered to give him that little demo, and I did.”

Eventually, that same cousin actually listened to his demo, and invited him to come make a record in L.A. with him. Cobb began going back and forth to L.A. for about a year and half, all while playing in a cover band in his hometown.

In 2007, the singer was invited to open up for Luke Bryan, where his bassist gave the little demo to Bryan himself. Subsequently, Bryan invited Cobb to Nashville, and introduced him to different people around town including the people at Carnival Music Publishing.

Deciding to remain loyal to his blossoming career in L.A., Cobb decided to go that route. After a four month stint in L.A., he decided it wasn’t for him. Eventually, that led him to move to Nashville, where he worked at Walgreens for a year before calling his connections at Carnival Music Publishing. “I’ve been with Carnival Music Publishing ever since,” shared the singer.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Cobb has several records to his name. Most recently, the singer-songwriter released his first self-produced record called Southern Star. The ten song project is a true love letter to Cobb’s home state of Georgia. “I was not the person that grew up in a small town that wanted to escape one day, I just never really had any aspirations to leave where I’m from, but I knew I could probably. I think the reason I felt that way is because my dad didn’t do that.”

While Southern Star is about Georgia and all of the great musicians that hail from the start, the record was inspired by Cobb’s late friend Jason Cope, who went by Rowdy. An outlaw hero, a guitarist, a producer, and a pioneer for independent country music, Rowdy was a true inspiration and friend to Cobb.

“I was coming to a place where I needed to make an album for my soul. Rowdy hung out at a bar called the ‘Southern Star.’ […] We’d go hang out there, and I remembered that place and then Rowdy passed away in 2021, and I think that started the inspiration maybe,” he shared. Adding, “I always felt like he didn’t get enough credit for being someone who helped springboard some of this rise to independent country music, because he was in the background writing, and playing guitar, but he influenced a lot of artists.”

This led Cobb to create a record called Southern Star that embodies all of the stars that may or may not be superstars, but sure are Southern stars. “I was thinking about that and the history of music from where I’m from, and I knew that I had to make the album,” shared the singer. “I wrote “Southern Star” pretty much right at that moment and then the rest of the songs just fell out.”

Fans can listen to the record now, and make sure to checkout Cobb’s website to head to a show near you!

Connect:

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

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

Brent Cobb’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-erin-kirby-2023

Who Is Erin Kirby? The Story Behind Her Journey to Music (2023)

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

who-is-erin-kirby-2023

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Erin Kirby
Birthdate – 11/04/2003
Hometown – Jasper, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Luke Combs, Larry Fleet, HARDY
Current Single – “Redneck Rich”

The Beginning:

Back in 2021, we highlighted a young singer-songwriter, by the name of Erin Kirby. Back then Kirby was just seventeen years old, and growing into her artistry. Today, at almost 20 years old, the songstress has found her place in the country music landscape. We are excited to continue to share more of her story in this week’s spotlight.

The Jasper, Georgia native has always had a love of music. The small-town girl grew up always being outside and hanging out with her friends. Despite her self-proclaimed “tom-boy edge,” she became interested in pageants early on which ultimately led her to music. “I jumped into a local pageant,” she began. “I competed in talent and that moment was incredible and I knew that music was what I wanted to do forever.

Kirby had found her passion at just eight years old. Still feeling too young to pursue anything in music professionally, the songstress competed nationally in various pageants. During one of the competitions in Orlando, Florida, she was noticed by a family member of Justin Timberlake’s manager. “[The family member] sent a video of my talent performance to him and he came off tour to come and meet me which kind of gave me the confidence to jump into music.”

Kirby credits her early love for music to her parents for introducing her to a wide variety of genres that she finds inspiration in today. “So I listened to every single genre because my parents loved music so so much. […] I listen to 80s rock bands, I listen to Motown music. I would listen to hip-hop, pop, country, whatever it was, we were always listening to something new.”

While she still maintains a love for these influences, Kirby has also reignited a love for country music as a whole.“When it comes to listening to music, definitely Luke Combs is a favorite, but when it comes to older country music, Hank Jr. is one of my favorites […] Rascal Flatts and Keith Whitley [too],” she shared. In the songwriting realm, the songstress also appreciates artists that write with no barriers. “I also look at a lot of pop songwriters like Ed Sheeran and people who write songs that are just good songs, and they are not focused on the fact that they are writing a song for themselves. For me, I just want to write a great song and what means the most to me.”

The Turning Point:

Kirby began to record music in Nashville and eventually began writing at age thirteen. “I recorded a couple of songs and kind of just told my story as an artist.” At the same age, the popular talent show, American Idol also reached out to her. Since she was not yet fifteen, Kirby could not participate.

At age fifteen, American Idol called her again. “I really didn’t know if I wanted to or not,” shared the singer. “They wanted me to come to L.A. because they only had two audition spots left.” Eventually, Kirby did fly out to L.A. to audition. She received some incredible feedback from the judges, which added to her confidence as an artist. “I went into the celebrity judge audition and it was incredible. The judges were super kind […] Lionel Richie said he wanted backstage passes for my tour.”

Since American Idol, Kirby has continued to hit the ground running, furthering her artistry and really finding her voice as a singer-songwriter. Post Idol, Kirby was considered a Pop artist, but now she has firmly planted her feet into the country music landscape.

“I started writing country music early last year, when I moved up here, and we started off leaning more towards pop-country and more emotional songs, and towards the end of the year, we started writing songs that really felt like me as an artist and music that I want to promote and put out,” she shared.

In March of 2022, Kirby officially moved to Nashville. “It’s been amazing. I’ve made great friends. I’m constantly writing, and we have started playing shows and releasing music. That has been one of the biggest changes, finally releasing what we have been creating.”

Today:

Flash forward to present-day, Kirby is releasing music in the country music market called “Kirby Country.” Her music is her own unique flair on country music and its premiere storytelling. Most recently the singer shared a new song called, “Redneck Rich.”

We wrote that in November, and it was a total mind flip for me. I was like “this is it, this is how I grew up. This is what I am.” We started releasing all those fun songs, and we just cut five more songs, so we are going to be releasing more,” she shared. Adding, “This is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. I had this title and I think everyone has had this moment in their life, where they are like, “I’m going to grow up, and I’m going to have a lot of money and live in a mansion.” For me, it was like, “I’m going to grow up and have a truck that’s so big that it’s basically going to be a mansion.” And that’s how “Redneck Rich” looks from the money side I guess. Also, it’s like you can be rich in these country, redneck ways like having this dirt road you can go to, to talk to God or clear your head.”

“Redneck Rich” is one of those songs that really make you recognize an artist for their true authenticity. The song showcases Kirby’s undeniable talent, as well as, her ability to create music that speaks to her story and remains relatable to her growing fanbase.

Fans can anticipate more new music coming down the pipeline soon! “For the rest of this year, it will most likely be one or two more singles, and then potentially an EP for the beginning of next year, but we’ll see. I’m continuing to write every week.” Kirby is definitely one to look out for!

Connect:

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

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

Erin Kirby’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-jenna-davis

Who is Jenna Davis? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-jenna-davis

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Jenna Davis
Birthdate – 5/05/2004
Hometown – Born in Plano, TX // lived in Chaska, MN and moved to LA at 11 years old
Current City – splits time between Nashville (Franklin) and Los Angeles
Musical Influences – LeeAnn Rimes, Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton and Carrie Underwood
Label – SMACKRecords
Current Single – “DiCaprio”

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist has been in the limelight for most of her life. While you may know her from her impressive social media presence, Jenna Davis has been a lover of music and an entertainer her whole life. As a newly signed recording artist, she is reemerging as one of country music’s brightest new stars.

“I was born in Plano, Texas. My mom was a piano and voice teacher, so my entire life I’ve been surrounded by music. I think her and I have shared that bond my entire life. I’ve been pretty much singing since I could speak,” began Davis.

Ever since she was young, the singer-songwriter recalls listening to country music and falling in love with the genre. “My biggest influences are probably Miley Cyrus, Carrie Underwood, and LeAnn Rimes,” she shared. Adding later, “My mom also introduced me to Dolly Parton and LeAnn Rimes at a really young age, so country music has been in my life because of her. She introduced me to these icons and legends when I was really, really young.”

At just four years old, Davis and her family moved to Minnesota, where she discovered musical theater. “I started doing musical theatre when I lived there. I did community theater and then I did professional theater. That was I guess what gave my love of acting, music, and performing, and that’s when I realized that’s what I wanted to do with my life.”

Because her star power was so evident, Davis began making trips out to LA with her mom to pursue her multi-faceted dreams. “We started branching out into acting a bit more, so when I was eleven years we started coming out to LA a lot more. I present myself as a three-legged stool, where I have an acting, music, and social media leg, and whatever I’m not working on, I’m working on the other.”

The Turning Point:

At around eleven years old, Davis made the move to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. With the help of her mom, the singer started to record and post covers of her singing on her Instagram. “We started doing parking garage covers in my apartment building. […] We would sing three or four covers a week, and that’s how we grew my instagram following.”

In order to feel a closer connection to her growing fanbase, Davis decided to showcase more of her life on social media, aside from her singing aspirations and talents. “As that grew, I decided not only to show my singing side, but also who Jenna is as a person, because I think if you are relatable with your audience and your audience can understand not only you as an artist but you as a person, it just gives them a sense of that you are actually a person and a personal connection.”

However, at just fifteen years old, Davis started to write her own songs. “I started songwriting when I was fifteen after my first love and my first heartbreak,” she shared. “It became kind of my outlet, and I started releasing music, and getting into the country space. I’ve been going out to Nashville for about, running on three years now.”

While visiting Nashville, Davis cultivated connections with industry people and fellow songwriters, including SMACK. Despite the fact that they were interested in her at seventeen years old, she did not become SMACKRecords flagship artist until two years later, when she officially signed her record deal.

“I remember the day that the article came out, I was crying happy tears. […] I knew they were the right team for me since I was seventeen years old, but I didn’t think I was ready then yet. […] I just feel very blessed because it feels like the exact right place that I need to me.”

Today:

Now as a nineteen year old, Davis is a budding new artist. “I’m leaning into country as much as I can because it’s where I want to be and where I see myself,” she shared. Upon signing her record deal with SMACK, the singer released her debut single, “DiCaprio.”

For Davis, it was important to choose a song for her debut that spoke to her as a person and as an artist. After, going through many songs with her team, she knew “DiCaprio” was the winner.“My team and I were just listening to a few songs,” she began. “When I got back to my apartment my manager texted me and said “I forgot to send you this one,” and it was “DiCaprio” and she told me it was written by Walker Hayes, Kelsea Ballerini, and Ross Copperman, and when I heard those three names, I turned to my mom and I was like I think I’m going to love this one already.”

After the first listen, it was clear to Davis that “DiCaprio” would be her first single under SMACKRecords. “It’s so lyrically clever and it has such a fun beat,” shared the songstress. “Ironically, it mentions about LA, and me being out in LA for sometime, it felt right. I loved the sass to it, and the ability to move around. I imagine singing it live with perhaps dancers, and playing it live.” “DiCaprio” is one of those songs that is catchy and upbeat, yet has a message to it, which is sometimes hard to find. This is something that Davis knew off the bat, adding to her decision to release the track first.

Looking ahead, Davis is working on readying her debut EP. “I’m very excited to dive into a forthcoming EP, and putting that together, and getting more and more into the country space.” More music is certainly underway, 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 Jenna Davis releases.

To keep up with Jenna Davis, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Jenna Davis’ 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.