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Who Is Jay Allen? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Jay Allen? 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 – Jay Allen
Birthday – 6/6/1986
Hometown – Cedar Falls, Iowa
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Matchbox Twenty, Kylie Morgan, 3 Doors Down, Casting Crowns, Chris Daughtry
Label – ONErpm
Current Single – “Heart Ain’t Gonna Break Itself” (As of article date – 8/21/2023)

The Beginning:

Today we shine our spotlight on an artist who you may recognize from his stint on the popular show, ‘The Voice.’ Jay Allen is as humble and as talented as it gets. His career in country music has been full of winding roads that have led him to where he is now.

“I grew up in a small town in Iowa. I come from a very humble place,” began Allen. The singer-songwriter recalls growing up with music always in his grasp. Besides being introduced to music from the church, Allen credits his parents for introducing him to both the country and rock genres. “My mother was a diehard country radio listener. She’s the reason why I think country music found me,” shared Allen. Adding, “She couldn’t fall asleep without the country radio station on. I don’t think my dad slept their entire 30 years of marriage.”

On the other hand, Allen’s father introduced him to rock music. “My dad on the other hand is a hippie. He had a mullet back when mullets were cool the first time and is covered in tattoos. He came downstairs once when I was a kid, and I think I was ten years old, and he had a jean jacket on with his collar popped, and handed me a matching one and said, “it’s time to go to your first concert.” He took me to Kansas opening up for Styx, some old rock band.”

Allen fell in love with rock music for the energy and country music for the storytelling, both aspects he went on to include in his own music years later. He started writing and singing music at just eleven years old, when he got his first guitar. “The sound and the love for both genres is all of it together for me. If you come to one of my shows, that’s exactly what it is, almost like an alternative rock show with the storytelling that comes from country music.”

The Turning Point:

After spending some time working as a successful music director for churches across the country, Allen’s girlfriend at the time convinced him to test the waters in Nashville, Tennessee. “I never thought I’d go to Nashville […] I just never thought that I would do it. I was succeeding and very happy with what I was doing,” he shared. Eventually giving in and making the move.

“I moved to Nashville ten years ago with nothing to my name, just a suitcase full of clothes and one guitar,” shared the singer, who believes that God was with him every step of the way. “A friend of mine knew a couple that lived right outside of Nashville and they basically had a full-on apartment on the backside of their house. Without even meeting me, they agreed to let me stay there as long as I needed to get on my feet. I immediately got a full-time job and starting to try to get plugged into Nashville. […] For four months, at the top of every month, I would write a check and put it in their kitchen for rent, and the next day, it never failed, they would put it back in my apartment. They were absolute angels.”

Quite quickly, Allen formed a band and landed his first record deal in Nashville, only to have it all fall through nine months later. Because of the heartbreak, the singer wanted to move back home. “I had decided I was going to play one last show in Nashville, which is funny because I had only been in Nashville for a year. […] I remember I played at this venue called ‘3rd and Lindsley’ and there were five people at the bar, and they didn’t care that I was singing my heart out on stage,” he shared.

After the gig, Allen was approached by Billy Currington, who gave him advice that changed everything for him.”He said do me a favor and never leave. […] He said, “a little bit of wisdom, last men standing win.”” The singer decided to stay, and little by little, his dreams started to become a reality. He landed a publishing deal, which later turned in a management deal, and his recored deal.

One major highlight so far in his career though was raising 100 million dollars for Alzheimers research thanks to a beautiful song called, “Blank Stares,” which he wrote after his mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. “I got a call from the president of SONY, and he said, if you make a promise to me that every dime we make off this song will go towards raising awareness towards this disease or helping to fund research to find a cure or treatment, I will make sure to get it in front of the right people.”

Today:

Now, armed with a record deal and a beautiful outlook on life, Allen is ready to bring more music to his growing fanbase. After the success of “Blank Stares,” the singer’s new record label wanted him to get a chance to release something fun, that song was called “Jello Shot.” The track showed fans a new side to Allen and his talent.

The singer’s most recent song, “Heart Ain’t Gonna Break Itself” showcases his ability to pick songs that work for him and his voice. “I loved the song, so that’s why we cut it and released that,” he shared. “I remember I was like I played a show, and I was driving through the outskirts of Vegas, and I cranked it up, and I was already singing along by chorus one.”

Allen also shared, “I kept going back and forth because I didn’t write it, but I came up here in the songwriting community though, and it’s a grind, and I lived in these writer’s room […] I wanted to support the songwriting community and I plan to cut more songs that I didn’t write because of that. […] There’s so many songs that deserve to be heard.”

Allen is a true artist, and fans can anticipate more new music coming down the pipeline soon, including a duet with RaeLynn. Keep your eyes and ears open for Allen and he shares more and more of his talent!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Jay Allen, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Jay Allen’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 Kelsey Hart? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-kelsey-hart

Kelsey Hart // Photo Credit: Robby Klein

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Kelsey Hart
Birthday – 2/28/1991
Hometown – Greenville, Kentucky
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Blake Shelton, Brett Eldredge, Gold City Gospel Quartet
Label – Curb Records
Current Single – “Country In Business” (As of article date – 8/14/2023)

The Beginning:

Every artist has their own unique path to country music. Today’s spotlight artist, Kelsey Hart found his way to music organically and humbly. The Kentucky native grew up always loving music, but not exactly knowing that music was in the cards for him. Continue reading to learn more about his story.

“I grew up singing from the time I was really old enough to talk and grew up in church singing, and from that point started doing talent shows,” began Hart. The singer recalls listening to a lot of gospel music growing up, and later discovering country music on his own.

“I always liked Blake Shelton and Brett Eldredge. I always gravitated towards the big singers and enjoyed their vocals. Blake, and Brett, and I always loved Brooks & Dunn’s stuff. Before I knew who those guys were, growing up in church, I listened to a lot of gospel, like quartet kind of stuff,” he shared.

When high school came around, Hart found himself forgoing music and focusing more on sports. However, later, things started to shift back to music. “After high school, a couple of my buddies and I started a band and did a thing just in my hometown. We did that for a couple of years, and ended up winning a battle of the bands and got to come to Nashville to record our first EP.”

Hart recalls the electric feeling of playing to a crowd with his band for one of his first times. “When we started a band and the first time we ever played live, we played for a pretty big crowd in my hometown – that was the first moment that I even had an idea that it might be something. I was probably 19 or 20, and that was the first time that I ever thought “wow” I can get paid for doing this a little bit?!”

The Turning Point:

When his band won the battle of the bands and got to come out to Nashville to record four original songs, Hart realized how important songwriting was. “I never wrote a song before 20 or 21. […] We pretty much sat down and literally just came up with four songs that probably didn’t make a ton of sense, but for us at the time, it was a big deal and we got to go in and record them.”

Around that same time, Hart was connected to a woman named Laurel Kittleson. “She worked at Big Machine Label Group at the time and she pretty much found me and told me she thought I had a chance if I moved down here. She started setting me up with writes and putting me on the right path. I did that for a few years.” Eventually, Kittleson took at job at Curb Records, where Hart was offered a publishing deal.

“I remember these guys talking about publishing deals my first couple of weeks down here, and I remember not knowing what they were talking about. I finally asked one of my buddies after one of those writes,” he shared. Adding, “He explained to me the whole deal with how it worked, and I remember my mind being blown that people got paid to write a song. So fast forward, a couple of years and a ton of writing in between that time, and I did learn what a publishing deal was. It was one of those things that I kept being put in rooms with people that were a lot better than me and I finally learned how to craft a song together.”

After many songs and putting his vocals on demos, a year later, Hart was offered a record deal with Curb Records too.

Today:

Flash forward to present day, Hart is now a Curb Records recording artist, cranking out new music to feed his growing fanbase. Most recently the singer showcased a new side of his personality and talent with his newest release, “Country In Business.”

On the way to a writer’s retreat, Hart and his songwriting buddy had the title ‘Country In Business,’ and wanted to bring it up; however, they never did. “We were on our way back home and we didn’t bring up ‘Country In Business’ and neither one of us could understand how it flew over our head to bring it up at the writing retreat.”

It turned out to be all about timing, as the song came to fruition just a few days after the retreat ended. “It was one of those songs that happens when it’s supposed to happen […] The next week we’re writing with my producer and he plays some tracks and the first track that he played is pretty much the bare bones of [the song],” shared Hart.

Hart later added, “We just wanted to try to write the song without being so cliche and also we just wanted to paint the picture of all the things that country folks are still doing and have always done, and just tip our hats to guys and girls that are keeping country in business, literally.” The sentiment embodies the single, “Country In Business” perfectly.

Hart is showing no signs of slowing day. More new music is in the works, and a new song is slated for release this October. Keep your eyes and ears open for Hart and his music!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Kelsey Hart, follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Kelsey Hart’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 Tyler Halverson? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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Who is Tyler Halverson? 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 – Tyler Halverson
Birthday – 9/21/1994
Hometown – Canton, South Dakota
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Mac Miller, Merle Haggard, The Rolling Stones
Label – Atlantic Records
Current Single – “Run Wild” (As of article date – 7/31/2023)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist that expresses his unique gifts through music. Singer-songwriter, Tyler Halverson is the real deal. While reflecting on his childhood and where he is now, Halverson shared with us how important music has been all along and what fans can expect moving forward.

“I grew up in South Dakota in a small-town there, kind of grew up playing in church and different little festivals,” he began. “The radio was on a heck of a lot more than the TV was which I’ve very grateful and thankful for.” Halverson recalls growing his love of music thanks to his parents love of music and love for concerts.

During car rides with the radio on, the singer shares listening to 80s and 90s country, as well as, 2000s hip-hop with his parents. “I didn’t really have control over what was playing on the radio, it was whatever my mom or dad were feeling. […] It was all over the damn place [in the best way].”

Specifically, Halverson recalls garnering a liking for artists like George Strait and Garth Brooks from his dad. “My dad was a big fan of that, and then my first country concert was a Montgomery Gentry show and I think that that was a little moment of I think I might want to try this one day. That was a big influence on the songwriting too.” He later added, “Music was always associated with whatever we were doing.”

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high school, Halverson attended South Dakota State University for two years. “I’d be playing bar gigs and whatnot in the summertime in between school, and I think that’s what kept drawing me back to music more and more.” It is also what convinced him to finally make the move to Nashville.

“I don’t know if I ever really had a moment of [I’m going to do music for a living.] It was a lot of moments of ‘I’m in way too deep to do anything else.’ But as a child, I always loved going to shows,” he shared. Adding, “I moved to Nashville when I was 20 and I’ve been in and out of Nashville for the last 8 years, just playing a lot in Tennessee and Texas, and back and forth.”

While attending Belmont University in Nashville, Halverson cultivated a greater love for music and fine-tuned his craft, especially in songwriting. “The songwriting started getting more serious and started to weave its way in when I moved to Nashville, and I started to go to Belmont University. I got in on their songwriting program and then switched that to music business and kind of just learned and started writing around town.”

Belmont and his Nashville community helped him to develop into the artist he is now and find the people that are in his corner. “This last year, hopping on with Atlantic Records has really helped a lot, and getting some publishing and management, and just good people in my corner in Nashville has really helped a lot this last year or two.”

Today:

Currently, Halverson is making a name for himself in the country music landscape, which includes putting out music. According to the singer, the songs he has out now are special ones. “The whole first batch of songs we have were written a couple of years back. It’s been an interesting collection of digging up what we were and weren’t putting out.

Most recently, the singer-songwriter shared his newest song “Run Wild.” The track features all the elements of Halverson’s one-of-a-kind talent. “The song kind of snuck up on us,” he shared. “We decided to do it performance style with just acoustic and a harmonica, I really wanted to show that because that’s how I was playing live a lot. It’s really only been a year or two that I’ve been playing with a band.”

For Halverson, “Run Wild” truly gets to show him in all his glory. “That song was a little ‘show off song.’ It’s me in a one take performance, a one take deal, and a solo write all in one.” Adding later, “it was just a good display and representative of what I do and what I like.”

Moving ahead into the rest of the year, fans can expect more new music coming down the pipeline in the fall. Halverson is currently on the road, playing shows, and recording new music for a record as we speak. Checkout shows in your area here. “We’re just trying to build it one gig at a time, one show at at time.”

Connect:

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

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

Tyler Halverson’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 Tigirlily Gold? The Story Behind Their Journey to Country Music

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Who is Tigirlily Gold? The singer-songwriters joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the rising stars here…

who-is-tigirlily-gold

Tigirlily Gold // Credit: Jared Olson

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Tigirlily Gold (Kendra & Krista Slaubaugh)
Birthdate – Kendra – January 19th; Krista – April 26th
Hometown – Hazen, North Dakota
Current City – Nashville, TN
Musical Influences – Taylor Swift, The Chicks, Lady A, Carrie Underwood, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts
Label – Monument Records
Current Single – “Shoot Tequila” (as of date of article 7/19/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s rising artist is one you may recognize. Sister-duo, Tigirlily Gold, comprised of Kendra and Krista, are incredible singers and songwriters. Keep reading to learn more about their impressive story so far.

Growing up in North Dakota, the women of Tigirlily Gold have always loved music. “We’re sisters, so we grew up singing together, listening to music together, singing at church, and any local event that was going on they would ask us to sing at,” they shared. “Krista started writing songs at ten years old and playing guitar, and I had been in piano lessons, since 2nd grade,” shared Kendra.

At an early age, the singer-songwriters found inspiration in all of the music they listened to. “We grew up on 2000s country radio. So a lot of bands like Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, even Adele, Taylor Swift, Little Big Town. Anything with harmony we were always drawn to. We loved the song “We The Pieces” by The Wreckers,” they shared. “We also look up to our ladies in country music quite a bit. Miranda [Lambert], Carrie [Underwood], Shania [Twain], Faith Hill, and ultimately we saw them on their arena tours and we said “hey if we ever get a chance to create this kind of career and play shows for thousands of people, that is exactly what we want to do in the long run.”

As the  sisters started writing their own music, they learned that performing was part of their path. “Once Krista started writing songs was when we started to get the performing bug and maybe taking this more seriously. At 14 and 16, we officially started Tigirlily Gold, when we were in high school. We started touring around the midwest and surrounding states, and eventually started making trips back and forth to Nashville to see what it was all about.”

The Turning Point:

With a firm goal of making it to Nashville in mind, Tigirlily Gold set out to make that dream a reality. “After Krista graduated high school in 2016, we toured around the midwest for a year, saving up money to move to Nashville,” shared Kendra. “We knew we had to be in Nashville to take this somewhere bigger, so that was always the goal,” added Krista.

In 2017, Tigirlily Gold officially made the move to music city. “We moved down in 2017, and we kind of knew that we were going to be starting over in the sense that we knew we were going to be a small fish in a big pond, so we really put our heads down and worked really hard and got our music business degrees from Belmont University, and while we were doing that we would write with anyone who would write with us, and then we started playing down on Broadway. We started at Nudie’s Honky Tonk, and made our way down to Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row.”

Armed with talent and a strong work ethic, the singer-songwriters were determined to make it in the country music industry. “Growing up in North Dakota, we didn’t actually know you could do this for a living or as a career, but once we knew that and realized that it was like okay nope, this is what we’re doing, there’s no plan b.”

After grinding three days a week, playing at bars on Broadway, the ladies finally landed themselves a record deal with Monument Records. “Eventually the pandemic hit, and we didn’t necessarily know exactly what turn our career was going to take. We signed a record deal with Monument Records into the pandemic which was a huge blessing, and it’s been amazing to work with them.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Tigirlily Gold already released two EPs, including their most recent project, Blonde “The four song EP is basically a teaser of the full thing that’s coming,” they shared. “You have “Blonde” that’s a really fun, girl anthem. Then you have “Shoot Tequila,” which is honky-tonk inspired. We have “Move On” as well which is a little more flirty, sultry, vibes, but still super fun. Then we have “Hometown Song” which is definitely the most vulnerable song on the EP and almost like a letter to our hometown. But we really just wanted to start the year off with a bang and get people excited for this music and more to come. This EP really shows where we’re at in life right now, our sound, and what we’re all about, and we’re really excited that people have been gravitating towards it.”

While all the songs on the project are impressive, “Hometown Song” stands out for good reason. “Our kind of roadblock [in writing a song about our hometown ] was that we weren’t being completely honest about how we feel about our hometown. It’s not 100% love and it’s not 100% hate, and there’s not a lot of country songs that talk about the in-between, push and pull of being in the same town for 18, 19 years of your life.”

The EP marks the first half of an album that is slated for release sooner rather than later. The songstresses are already playing the unreleased songs out on the road. Fans can catch Tigirlily Gold playing shows and the festival circuit, and stay tuned for more new music, coming soon!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Tigirlily Gold, follow on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. 

Tigirlily Gold’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 Colby Acuff? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Colby Acuff // Photo credit: Matthew Berinato

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Colby Acuff
Birthday – 10/15/1996
Hometown – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences –Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Tyler Childers
Label – Sony Music Nashville
Current Single – “Out Law In Me” (As of article date – 7/10/2023)

The Beginning:

Last month we introduced you to Colby Acuff’s music. Today, we are sharing more about Acuff’s rising stardom and spotlighting his journey so far. Growing up in Northern Idaho, the singer-songwriter was always drawn to music. “I grew up in the outdoors, a lot of hunting, a lot of fishing out there. The community out there is great, and I started playing music pretty young. I got into piano when I was about five.”

Acuff shares that he was exposed to a wide breadth of music throughout his upbringing. “A lot of the stuff that I grew up on was solely country music, but when I was a kid, I really got into 50s/60s, rock and roll and then my dad showed me really old bluegrass music,” he shared, adding later, “My mom influenced me by showing me some of my favorite artists as well like Elton John and The Eagles, really contemporary, top 40 stuff from the 70s.”

At just eleven years old, Acuff found himself fronting his first band as lead singer and drummer. “I played my first bar when I was twelve and from there, I’ve just kind of always done it,” he shared. With a little encouragement from his mom, the singer also learned how to play guitar and started writing his own music just a few years later. “Once I finally learned to play guitar and starting writing, I ended up really loving it. That’s what kept me in music. I think I would have quit music a long time ago if it wasn’t for writing.”

With the exception of a few breaks here and there, music remained a constant. “The only thing I knew is music, so I tried to see if there were other things, but there was never anything else,” shared Acuff. “It’s the only thing I can do at 120%. 

The Turning Point:

After graduating high school, Acuff continued to work on his music, writing and playing gigs, while working other jobs too. “I worked four jobs when I was a teenager, and the last time I had four jobs was when I was 25 which was about a year ago, so I feel like now, the only thing I do is music, but I feel like I work fifteen jobs by just doing this one thing that I love.” He added, “It’s super fulfilling and I can do it to my fullest ability. I feel like that’s really the main thing.”

Acuff continued to hone his talent, drawing inspiration from other artists to create a sound that is distinctly his own. “I kind of put all that together, and that’s kind of the sound you get from me. It’s like Elton John melody with bluegrass sound and the writing is kind of somewhere between Hank Williams and Bob Dylan.”

While working independently on his music, Acuff and his band dropped an incredible record called ‘If I Were The Devil’ that would go on to change things for him. “I remember telling the guys in the control room at the time, when we were cutting down the mixes, “’Man if this record could do 1 million streams that would be incredible.’ And the record ended up doing 50 million streams. That was a life changing record for us.”

A little less than two years later, Acuff got the call from Nashville and ultimately went on to ink a record deal with Sony Music Nashville. “This band I have and everything, we have been ready for this for so long. It’s such a crushing band. I have a lot of pride for my band,” he shared. “We wanted to go and grind and do it, and here we are.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Acuff just released his major label debut album, Western White Pines, featuring ten incredible songs that speak to his artistry. “I had probably about 30 songs written for the record, and when we got the producer, Eddie Spear, me and him sat down for a week during pre-production for the record and we worked out all of these songs and arranged them how we wanted to, and then picked them from there,” shared the singer-songwriter.

Each and every song on the record reflects Acuff’s journey thus far and who he is proudly becoming. Drawing from both his bluegrass and rock influences, Western White Pines is a special, one-of-a-kind record. “I love them all, and I go through phases of which songs I like, but honestly out of all the records, this one’s my favorite. This one is just the closest to me.”

When asked about his current favorite song, Acuff settled on “Outlaw in Me” as one of his favorites off the album. “We picked it as a focus track for a reason,” he shared, adding, “I think it’s really true to who I am. I think it paints a good picture of me at 26.”

Acuff and his band will continue to promote the music throughout the rest of the year on tour, and there is definitely more exciting things in the works too. Stay tuned!

Connect:

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

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

Colby Acuff’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 Cody Hibbard? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-cody-hibbard

Cody Hibbard // Photo Credit: Brooke Stevens

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Cody Hibbard
Birthday – August 31st
Hometown – Adair, Oklahoma
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences –Kings of Leon, Dierks Bentley, Travis Tritt
Label – Droptine Music
Current Single – “We Speak Country” (As of article date – 7/3/2023)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight artist is an incredible singer-songwriter from Adair, Oklahoma. Cody Hibbard may not fit the mold that people have made around country singers, but he is as real and as a talented as they come. Keep reading to learn more about his story.

“I was adopted when I was 13 months old to a family in Adair, Oklahoma,” began the singer. ” I grew up on a 368 acre farm. Farm life and country life was pretty much all I knew, and pretty much still all I know.” Despite learning to play guitar and piano when he was young, Hibbard never considered that music could be in his future. “I was always musically-inclined, but it was never on my mind that I was ever going to pursue this.”

Instead, he listened to music while working hard on the family farm or on drives with his parents. “I listened to mostly country music growing up […] When I would ride with mom, she would listen to Christian, gospel, music 24/7. […] That’s where you get some of the soul behind the music that I write,” he shared, adding, “Then my dad also loved classic rock. […] That’s where you get a lot of the heavy guitar and more of the polished sound in my music, because I enjoyed listening to everything from Def Leppard to whatever was playing on our local rock station.”

Hibbard also recalls developing a liking for artists like Dierks Bentley and Joe Nichols after attending a local festival in Oklahoma. “I remember that sound. It had that classic country vibe, but kind of more in your face so to say that I really liked.”

The Turning Point:

Armed with talent that he was never planning on using, Hibbard joined the United States Naval Academy after graduating high school. Unfortunately, he got hurt, which led him to head to college for a semester. “A buddy of mine asked if I wanted to go pipelining over the summer and we’ll go back to school in the fall, and I said sure. Went pipelining, got my first paycheck, and called mom and said I’m not going back to school.”

After pursuing a hardworking career in pipelining, Hibbard went to visit his friends in Texas in May of 2019. While at a restaurant, he noticed that the waiter was acting strange to which the waiter replied, “I don’t want to offend you…” Hibbard shared, “I said ‘there’s nothing in this world that will every offend me.’ And he said ‘You don’t sound how you look.’”

The singer’s friend went on to add, “man if you think that’s weird, you gotta hear him sing.” This led him to the opportunity to sing at the restaurant with just the three songs he knew how to play. The manager liked him so much that he invited him to come back to play a gig, after he learned more songs.

“I went and learned some songs, came back, and a few weeks later I met my guitar player and his brother. They asked if I knew how to write music and when I said no, they told me to try it out, and that’s how it all started!”

That incredible event led Hibbard to slowly start pursuing singing and writing music, even though he did not know what to expect from the music industry. He just continued to work “harder than anyone else.” “I was just thrown into this thing,” shared Hibbard, who eventually connected with the right people, landing himself a publishing deal with  Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Droptine Music.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Hibbard is continuing to grow his artistry as he releases more and more music out into the world. Recently the singer released, “We Speak Country” and “Beer Problem.” While both songs speak to the singer’s talent and charisma, “We Speak Country” speaks to Hibbard’s character and inclusivity.

“The song came to me and I kind of laughed […] I started really diving into it a little bit more, and I was like man this is everything that we do. This is that small town feeling without saying small town. It’s exactly how I grew up and at the same time,” he shared. “I hate this whole [country music debate], it irritates me because where I grew up everyone was country. It didn’t matter if you were the emo kid, to the rock and roller, to the jock, to the band nerd, because I was all of those. I loved Paramore as much as I loved being the drum major, as much as I loved being baseball captain. I was all that, and no one thought anything of being country or not country. It wasn’t a debate.”

Hibbard is building a fanbase that is accepting and inviting, even if you do not sound how you look. “This song is me to a tee. It’s where I grew up, but it’s also an anthem for a lot of us.” Fans can continue to look forward to more new music coming down the pipeline soon, as well as, more shows being added to the books as we speak!

Connect:

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

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

Cody Hibbard’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 VAVO? The Story Behind Their Journey To ‘YEEDM’

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Who is VAVO? The DJ duo behind the ‘YEEDM’ movement joined us to chat about their journey so far. Get to know the rising stars here…

who-is-vavo

Quick Facts:

Full Name – VAVO (Jesse Fischer and Alden Martin)
Birthday – Jesse: 2/28; Alden: 11/13
Hometown – Jesse: Vancouver, Canada; Alden: Surrey, United Kingdom
Current City – Windsor, California
Musical Influences – Avicii, Diplo
Label – KESS Records
Current Single – “We Got History Remix” (As of article date – 6/26/2023)

The Beginning:

This week we are finally sharing the story behind the YEEDM experts, VAVO, comprised of the talented Jesse Fischer and Alden Martin. We hosted VAVO at Rockaway Beach last month for a sold-out event, so it is clear that both country and EDM fans alike are loving the DJ duo.

Both men gravitated towards music at different times in their lives. For Jesse, who grew up in Canada, his love for music grew over time. It culminated on a spring break trip that changed his life for the better. “I got into music about 2012,” he began. “I went to a spring break in Cancun, Mexico, and there were a bunch of big DJs playing at the nightclubs and stuff, and after that I was like, this is really cool, I want to do that. So after that, I came home, quit my job, bought a little DJ board and started DJing.”

On the other hand, Alden was introduced to Dance and EDM music at just ten years old, but gravitated more towards the production side of music. “For me, it was kind of the other side of it. It was more from the production side. My uncle sort of introduced me to dance and house music back when I was ten,” he shared. Adding “During school, I really wanted to learn how to make and build a beat in all the music and records, so I was looking online, and downloaded some music software and started doing it every day for a couple of years.”

Both men began creating and releasing music separately on their own before Alden came across Jesse on social media. “I think I messaged him back in 2015 because I had heard one of his songs, and I said ‘Hey we should collab together. It would be really cool to work together.’ So we did that.”

Soon there after, they became VAVO, combining their wide variety of influences from artists like Avicii, Diplo, and David Guetta into a new sound that was all their own. “We’re not limited to one genre, so we take inspiration from a multitude of people, whether it be Avicii, David Guetta, a bunch of smaller guys too. And now we’re more into the country-pop stuff.”

The Turning Point:

Upon connecting via social media, VAVO recalls speaking everyday for a year before even releasing music together. When their first release performed well on Soundcloud, it was evident that they had to move forward together with their music. “I think we have had the success we have had because we come from different backgrounds and different tastes in music. It’s just a good melting pot,” shared the duo.

In their blossoming career, VAVO scored a number one song on the Dance music charts, as well as, gained notoriety on social media. The transition to YEEDM music has also grown their fanbase. It all started with a remix of Morgan Wallen’s catchy song, “Last Night.”

“Alden was back in the UK visiting family and Morgan’s album was coming out. I was talking to our friend, Daniel, D’lay and I was like ‘I really like this song, “Last Night” with Morgan Wallen’, so we took a crack at it,” shared Jesse. While Alden added, “I’d never heard of Morgan Wallen before being from the UK, but I loved it. […] We finished it while I was on the plane coming back, and we posted that TikTok and it blew up.”

VAVO received an incredible response from the remix when they shared it on social media. “The response that we had from that remix and “YEEDM,” we have never seen it before with anything we have ever done. It was cool because we were getting country fans who were die-hard country fans and others who were die-hard EDM fans, and it was just this mixture of both.”

The duo went on to add that while they are not the first DJs to remix country music, they are one of the firsts to truly embrace the genre. “There were artists who had remixed country songs before, but nobody had really dove completely into it and taken on the kind of YEEDM image like we have,” they shared. Adding, “Fans could tell that we were really leaning into it […]. It’s the perfect timing to have that crossover stuff.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, the new genre has taken a league of it’s own. The combination of country music and EDM, dubbed ‘YeeDM’, has fans from all genres coming together to listen and dance to the country music lyrics over dance remixes. Fans are still bumping VAVO’s mix of Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night”, as well as, new remixes of artists like Luke Combs and Priscilla Block. Most recently VAVO with D’lay combined their talents to remix Mitchell Tenpenny’s killer song, “We Got History,” which was officially released to all streaming platforms.

“We got a notification that Mitchell Tenpenny duetted our remix on TikTok and we were like “no way”,” VAVO shared when asked how the collaboration came to be. “He loved the remix and he sent us the original demos and stuff and we worked to finish it, and it just happened like that.”

The song is already exceeding expectations, growing both VAVO and Tenpenny’s fanbases. “It’s honestly crazy. A lot of these country artists, the power of social media, that remix is doing crazy numbers already really just based on social push.”

While remixes have clearly been successful for VAVO, original music is on the horizon. “For us, it’s going to be working with artists on original music. We’re going to Nashville next week for a week of just writing with a whole bunch of singer-songwriters. It’s really just developing a lot of originals and really solidifying ourselves in this kind of new genre I guess,” they shared.

Fans can be on the look out for more new music and more shows. It is only just the beginning for the incredible duo, and they are definitely about to take it to the next level! Make sure you’re following @CountrySwag on Instagram to find out when we’ll be hosting the duo 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 VAVO releases.

To keep up with VAVO, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Twitter. Check out all of their remixes and original music on Soundcloud.

VAVO’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-harper-grace

Who is Harper Grace? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-harper-grace

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Harper Grace
Birthdate – 6/26/2001
Hometown – Dallas, TX
Current City – Nashville, TN
Musical Influences – Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, Joss Stone, Nora Jones and Taylor Swift
Label – Curb Records
Current Single – “Oh Say Can You See” – Listen here

The Beginning:

Today we shine our spotlight on a singer-songwriter that we have been loving lately, Harper Grace. Grace is a singer-songwriter who creates music that comes from the heart, all while drawing on her multitude of inspirations growing up. Continue reading to learn more about her story.

A Dallas, Texas native, Grace grew up with an incredibly supportive family. “My mom always tells this story that she would pray even before we were born that we would know what we wanted to do at a very young age, so that we’d have the time to work on that craft,” she shared.

At first, Grace and her family thought that gymnastics was going to be her thing. “I was actually in gymnastics first, when I was six years old, I was training for the olympics hopeful group, and my mom was an elite gymnast. I was bound to follow in her footsteps, but shortly after being in gymnastics for so long, I finally told her I wanted to quit and do music.”

Although nobody in her family was musically-inclined, her parents supported her desire to play music. “We got a piano donated to my family after a year of praying for one,” she began. “After that, I just fell head first into music, and I was homeschooled, so I wrote songs about shampoo, conditioner, and home schooling. And my grandma got me my first guitar at the age of seven. That’s when I really started listening to Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash and really trying to implement country more into the songs that I was writing as a kid.”

When she started hearing artists like Parton on her grandmother’s radio, something in her just clicked. “As a kid I could close my eyes and feel what she was feeling when she would sing and I could picture it all in my head. The whole realm of music to me painted pictures in my head and that’s fascinated me a lot, so knowing they were capable of putting that to music and putting stories in just a few lines in a 3 minute song was something that was really, really exciting to me.”

The Turning Point:

While singing gospel music at her church and studying incredible singers across genres, like Joss Stone, Norah Jones, and Taylor Swift, Grace quickly took interest in the storytelling side in songwriting. “I fell really in love with the songwriting process and what it did for me, listening to [singers] on the radio,” she shared.

She also shared that things really started to click for her when she heard Rascal Flatts for the first time on the radio. “They incorporated soul and country together and that was my hope in knowing that I could also do that one day.”

Despite being young, when she discovered her calling, Grace worked extremely hard to make her dream a reality. “I had a lot of drive and ambition as a kid, I saw what I wanted, and I chased it as fast as I could,” she shared. Adding, “I always knew that what I wanted to do was music, so I looked up wikipedia pages at the age of 13 and 14 of my favorite songs and who the writer’s were, and from that I just researched contacts and instagrams and emails and all the ways that I could contact some of my favorite people. […] I started doing that with my dream-list of writers, who I really hoped to collaborate with one day.”

Her incredible work-ethic and networking ability led her to eventually connect with the ‘right’ people, ultimately leading her to her deal with Curb Records at just 21 years old. “I had a dream so big and continued to update what the dream was. […] I put all the drive and passion into making it happen,” she shared. “If I’m going to dream it, I am going to do whatever is possible to make that dream come true.”

Today:

Most recently, Grace has released two new songs, including “Sparkle” and “Oh Say Can You See.” While the former is a song that speaks to Grace’s gritty, yet sparkly roots, “Oh Say Can You See” is a letter to her younger self to remember her worth no matter what. The songstress recalls going through bullying at a young age, and this song is a song that reflects what she would have told herself back then.

When asked about the writing process for the track, Grace shared, “The song was obviously a title on my song ideas for many years, probably ten years. […] It’s such a big story. […] I use my writing sessions as therapy.” She added later, “That was the fastest song that I have ever written out of the 490 songs I have written over the years and it was a really beautiful to process the story and getting to tell it.”

For Grace, this is only just the beginning of her career as a country music artist. She has true staying power, as her talent in songwriting and singing can match up to any artist in the industry right now. Fans should keep their eyes and ears open for more music coming from Grace sooner rather than later!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Harper Grace, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Harper Grace’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 Carter Faith? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-carter-faith

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Carter Faith
Birthdate – 06/14/2000
Hometown – Davidson, North Carolina
Current City – Nashville, Tennesee
Musical Influences – Taylor Swift, Lana Del Ray, Kacey Musgraves, Fleetwood Mac
Record Label – Suburban Heartbreak Records
Current Single – “Wild” (As of article date – 6/12/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist who is hard not to love. Nashville-transplant, Carter Faith is a singer-songwriter with talent to rival any artist at the top of their game in the country music industry today. We chatted with the songstress all about her love for country music and how she got to where she is now.

“I’m from North Carolina and I really just grew up loving music always,” began Faith. “I was always drawn to it, but not in anyway that I thought it would be what I was going to do.” Although she did not yet have the awareness that she would be a country music artist, Faith recalls being an avid country music listener. “My dad would listen to classic rock and country, and my grandfather would listen to Fleetwood Mac and a lot of these 70s artists that I am so obsessed with.” She shared a love for artists like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and Alison Kraus, thanks to her family.

Faith also loved artists like Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, and Kacey Musgraves. “One day, I saw Taylor Swift on the country countdown and I was like “I have to pick up a guitar.” I was like “I have to do what she’s doing. Honestly, from then on I just loved music,” she shared. Adding later, “I also loved Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves so much. I connected to their voices on the radio.”

Throughout her adolescence, Faith discovered songwriting. “I had this connection to music, and one day I wrote a song, and the rest is history. I really have not stopped writing songs since and I feel like I found my purpose when I learned how to write,” she shared. Despite not knowing songwriting could be a job as a child, once Faith discovered that career path, she knew it was her calling.

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating college, Faith left North Carolina to pursue her dream in Nashville. In Nashville, she attended Belmont University. While at Belmont, the songstress prided herself on both making connections across Music City and writing as much as she possibly could. “I just fell in love with music itself and when you’re deciding what you’re going to do for college or after college, that’s when I realized music and songwriting could be a possibility.” In Nashville, Faith discovered an appreciation for songwriters like Natalie Hemby, who became an idol to her as she worked on her craft. 

While in college, Faith connected with a woman named Margaret Valentine. “She was in the music industry a little bit in the 90s herself, and we kind of just found each other. […] When I would go to school, I would do all my classes and then I would go write with her after,” she shared. Adding, “I was also pushing myself to write in Nashville and writing with anyone. It really taught me how to approach situations. I guess that’s why songwriting means so much to me in another way, because it was so much a part of my journey into Nashville. It’s what has connected me to people.” 

Faith’s hard work paid off, as she ultimately landed herself a publishing deal. “I got a publishing deal, and I just have been living the dream. I just love country music, I love Nashville, I love getting to go on the road and just make music everyday.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Faith is stepping out as an artist in her own right. With a flair of songwriting and an enticing sound, the singer-songwriter is truly the real deal. Most recently she released her song, “Wild,” a single that helped land her publishing deal.

“This song has a long road. I wrote this song I think it was 2.5 years ago with Cameron Bedell and Melissa Fuller. It was the first time us three had written all together,” she shared. Faith went on to add, “We kind of just started talking about writing this song like how songs from the 70s make us feel. I just wanted to lead this listener to this highway on the water, so we started writing it. […] I remember leaving and listening to the demo a million times. As I began meeting with publishers, that song was the kind of song that they would latch on to and love.”

“Wild” was also almost cut by a different artist. “An artist that I really looked up to put it on hold and did their own version of it. And I think hearing that version, I literally cried because it was the first time I ever heard anyone else sing a song I wrote, and I was so happy,” shared Faith. 

However once the songstress started working towards her album, which will be out sooner rather than later, she knew the song had to stay hers. “When I started putting together songs for my record, I was like “I have to take this back.” I just love this song, and it’s been on this journey with me. I wanted it to be the opening to the album, so I took it back,” she shared.

While the record release date is unknown, Faith has a new song, “Smoke Too Soon,” slated for release this Friday, June 16th. This summer and fall are bound to be huge seasons for Faith, as she solidifies herself as a rising artist in country music. “I’ve been working on songs my whole life practically, and I can’t wait for them to come out.”

Connect:

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

To keep up with Carter Faith, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Carter Faith’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 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…

who-is-greylan-james

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.