Who Is Mae Estes? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Mae Estes
Birthday – November 15th
Hometown – Hope, AR
Current City – Nashville, TN
Musical Influences – Keith Whitley, The Judds, Lee Ann Womack
Label – Maeniac Records
Current Project – “Run” (*as of date of article: 2/6/23)

The Beginning:

As we kick off 2023, we are excited to introduce you to an artist who you are going to love, Mae Estes. A Nashville transplant, the singer-songwriter’s songs are all heart and honesty. She knows a thing or two about crafting a song that is relatable and innovative.

Growing up in a small town in Arkansas, Estes got the bug for music early. “I grew up rodeoing and started singing at the age of 7 when I told my mom I could out sing LeAnn Rimes on the national anthem,” she shared adding, “I started singing in a rodeo arena and did not even hold a candle to LeAnn.”

Despite only being seven years old, the singer had charisma and a voice for days. “I caught the bug then and I fell in love with country music.” Throughout her childhood, Estes recalls playing around town, as well as, singing at the local classic country music radio station every week. She even wrote her first song at just twelve years old. “I would turn my poetry and my journals into something with some melody,” she shared.

Estes recalls appreciating old-school country music but preferred to listen to powerful female musicians in the genre. She shared a love for artists like Martina McBride and Patty Loveless. “I was heavily influenced by the ladies of the 90s,” she shared, “but Keith Whitley and Lee Ann Womack have always been my biggest influences.”

The Turning Point:

Although she dreamt of moving to Nashville and attending Belmont University, Estes took the sensible route and stayed in Arkansas to pursue her degree armed with scholarships to help her through. Shortly after achieving her degree in Mass Media Communications, the singer hightailed it to Nashville. “In 2015, I made the move to what has been my dream city since I was probably in middle school. The plan has always been to get to Music City.”

While living in Nashville, Estes worked as hard as she could to make a name for herself in music. “I worked a lot of jobs at a time, just trying to pay my rent, writing a lot of songs, playing any shows for people who would listened, and just built the most incredible network,” shared the songstress. ” I truly feel like I have built a team and a family over all this time and now we’re excited to put a stamp on it by releasing that EP coming out next month.”

Estes joins the likes of country artists she’s once admired. “It’s been a crazy journey of learning myself too. I truly feel like I know myself better than I ever have.”

Today:

The singer-songwriter has slowly been releasing music lately, gearing up for her brand new EP, out February 16th, which will feature a new song, amongst songs like, “Die In A Bar.”

“I’m super excited to keep growing and to keep releasing music,” shared Estes. “I felt like I have to create. It was just an outlet for me. Honestly, a form of therapy, I didn’t know what to do with all the feelings I had […] So I had to start getting those out. Nothing is more reassuring that you are exactly in the place you are supposed to be than people relating to the super specific stories [in my music].”

While fans await the upcoming project, they can rejoice in the singer’s new single, “Run,” which comes out at the end of this month. “We decided to do an instant gratification track with “Run” before you get the unheard track with the EP on February 16th,” explained the entertainer. “I wrote [Run] at a time where I was still dating my husband and so there’s a couple of songs on the project that are at different stages in my relationship […] It’s kind of cool to look back song by song and reflect.”

Fans can also anticipate new visuals to go along with the single, “Run.” Estes even got back on a horse for the first time in seven years for the video. “The first thought was let’s go get on a horse because nothing feels as free as getting on the back of the horse and feeling like you can run for miles […] I have had some serious flight or fight characteristics to me and I just think a lot of people struggle with commitment if they take it as seriously as I do.”

2023 is gearing up to be a huge year for the newcomer. Keep your eyes and ears open!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Mae Estes, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Mae Estes’ 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-meg-mcree

Who Is Meg McRee? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-meg-mcree

Meg McRee

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Meg McRee
Birthday – 04/02/1996
Hometown – Sugar Hill, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – The Beatles, Bobbie Gentry, Grateful Dead
Current Single – “Tried & True” (*as of date of article: 01/30/2023)

The Beginning:

Meg McRee is an artist you are going to want to pay attention to! She is currently on tour with Lainey Wilson and Ben Chapman, and is poised for success with her upcoming album, slated for release later this year. We caught up with her to learn all about her story so far. Keep reading!

Growing up in Sugar Hill, Georgia, McRee always had a natural pull towards music. “When I was five, my mom had all of The Chicks’ CDs in the car and she played this song called “There’s Your Trouble” all the time. I kept asking her what’s the instrument in that song, and she said that’s a fiddle or violin. […] For my birthday, they put me in lessons.”

Throughout her youth, all the way through high school, McRee played and competed with the violin. “I ended up sticking with it pretty much my whole life. I was in lessons, competitions, and orchestra until I was eighteen. On the side, I also picked up the guitar.”

All along, she was quietly building an arsenal of music knowledge, while listening to artists from both the county genre and the classic rock genre. “I listened to a wide variety of music. I was a music-head,” she recalls, later naming artists like Guy Clark, Steve Miller Band, The Eagles, and Bobbie Gentry as some of her earliest influences.

While, she was not exactly sure if she would pursue music for a living, despite wanting to, McRee fell in love with Nashville. “When I was fourteen, I visited Nashville for the first time, and I kind of became obsessed.” A few years later, she moved to Music City to pursue her college degree at Vanderbilt University.

The Turning Point:

During college, McRee knew how much she wanted to pursue music, but like many of us, practicality often seeped in. “I kind of told myself that it’s not really realistic for you to do music full time, you’re going to go to Vanderbilt to get a degree. However, in my heart, I was like I want to at least work around the business if I can’t be a musician,” she shared, adding later, “I got a bunch of music internships while I was at Vandy. […] I thought it was so rad to get to be around it.”

In her last year at college, a series of events brought her to a crossroads. “I was interning for a company called SMACKSONGS, and I asked my boss, I showed him a few songs, and I said be honest do you think I should go for this and he was like ‘honestly, yes.’”

With a push from her boss, McRee began waitressing and nannying and writing every spare minute she could. “The week after I graduated, I got a job waiting tables and started writing songs every day, and now I’m here.”

McRee also made sure to find her crew in Nashville. “There’s a lot of cool ways that my story has kind of woven into people around me. I think that’s why I always go back to the Nashville community. It has been so good to me in a lot of ways.”

While working at The Listening Room in Nashville, McRee would perform often at writer’s rounds. By happenstance, she signed a publishing deal because of one of her performances and a write with Hillary Lindsey.“Right before COVID, I got the opportunity to write with Hillary Lindsay who is my hero of heroes. […] She owns the publishing company I’m signed at.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Meg McRee is on tour with Lainey Wilson, heading out with Morgan Wade later in the year, and has her debut album coming out this March. One of the singles off the record, “Tried & True” speaks to the project as a whole.

“‘Tried & True’ I wrote with Lainey [Wilson] and Harper [O’Neil] […] I had been writing this record and my manager was like why don’t you just write for one more week […] We ended up adding four of the songs on the album that we wrote in one week, and that was one of them,” she began.

“If I’m going to be honest about where I am right now, I’m in a committed relationship with another musical, and I had this idea on my phone, ‘Tried & True’ and what the song is exactly about, the more time you spend together, the more you know it’s real […] That’s what real love is.”

When it comes to the album, McRee spent a full year getting it to where she wanted it with her producer and team. “It was a long process [over a year] of finding my sound, and I feel really proud and excited about my debut record, and I feel it shows who I am and I’m really looking forward to everyone hearing it.”

Fans can expect to hear a lot more from McRee coming soon and can definitely expect to see her out on the road in 2023. For New York country fans, catch her on tour with Lainey Wilson at New York City’s Irving Plaza this Friday, February 3rd!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Meg McRee, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Meg McRee’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-ben-chapman

Who Is Ben Chapman? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Ben Chapman

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Ben Chapman
Birthdate – 12/20/1997
Hometown – Lafayette, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Allman Brothers, Guy Clark, Little Feat
Current Single – “Georgia Dreamin'” (*as of date of article: 1/30/2023)

The Beginning:

Today, we are introducing you to a country artist that we believe is going to continue to garner more and more fans this year. Ben Chapman is a talented singer-songwriter, who knows how to create songs that entice the listener, while still remaining true to himself and his artistry.

“I’m from a really small town in Georgia, there are about 2000 people there,” began Chapman. ” I started playing when I was like 12 and I really got that country bug from riding around with my grandfather. We would just listen to country records.” He recalls falling in love with classic country artists from a young age.

“I never listened to any new music growing up, so I was just listening to classic country, classic rock, just trying to find all these songwriters and stuff, and then I started playing guitar when I was 12.” Chapman’s parents introduced him to rock and roll and artists like the Allman Brothers.

“Country-rock is kind of what I do naturally. […] If I’m going to be honest and genuine, this is the music that I have to do. […] I just fell in love with it.”

Although he did not know it yet, these early influences would help him to fine-tune his own country-rock sound as a Nashville artist. “I started writing when I was 14 or 15, and ever since then I started playing at some little bars and honky tonks,” shared the singer.

After spending two years at community college, Chapman’s mom recognized that this was not his calling. “My mom sat me down one day and said ‘hey you don’t have to do this.’ […] I was going to class and I would go play gigs at night. I never really had a plan B for sure, music was always plan A,” he shared.

He continued to play around regionally and locally, until 21 years of age, when he finally made the move to Nashville.

The Turning Point:

After some encouragement from his mom and a buddy in the industry, Chapman drove the few hours to Music City, sharing that he did not have any nerves because “It felt like home anyways.” When he got to Nashville, his priority was to find his people. “When I first moved, I was just trying to find a community of songwriters […] I was trying to find a group of writers that really wanted to dive into the type of music that I was doing.”

Chapman hit it off with a few different writers including his now girlfriend and tourmate on Lainey Wilson’s ‘Country With A Flare Tour’, Meg McRee.

“Meg and I hit it off, and we have written a lot of songs together. We were playing at The Listening Room,” began Chapman, “and this guy was there, [who started] his own company with Hillary Lindsay and he was like, ‘hey,’ and we just started a conversation that night and it grew into this relationship, so Meg and I were some of the first people they signed.” This encounter led to Chapman signing a publishing deal with Hang Your Hat Music.

The publishing deal led to meeting Lainey Wilson’s manager, which helped him land an opening spot on her current headlining tour.

Today:

Currently, Chapman is not only touring with Lainey Wilson and Meg McCree, but he is also hard at work, getting music out to fans. Last week, the singer-songwriter released his brand new song, “Georgia Dreamin’.”

“Meg and I wrote it in Dallas, Texas with Bo Bedford. […] We were on our way back to Nashville, and we stopped in at his place and wrote “Georgia Dreamin’,” explained Chapman. “It is a song about being a drifter and a dreamer and being from the small towns that Meg and I are both from, everybody grows up and they leave and come back, and they leave again and come back. We were like, ‘we have to write a song for the drifters who don’t know what they want to do, but they always find it when they come back home.’”

Simply put, Chapman calls the new song, “a song for the small-town people.” Anyone who could not wait to escape their hometown, but ultimately missed it when they were gone can definitely relate to this transcendent song.

If news of the new single is not exciting enough, Chapman also has a seven-song project called Amber Sound Vol. 1 slated for release at the end of February. Volume 2 is going to come out later this year too. Fans can catch Chapman on tour with Lainey Wilson and on the festival circuit this year. The tour hits New York City’s Irving Plaza this Friday, February 3rd!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Ben Chapman, follow him on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter. 

Ben Chapman’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-shane-profitt

Who Is Shane Profitt? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-shane-profitt

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Shane Profitt
Birthdate – 01/17/2000
Hometown – Columbia, Tennessee
Current City – Columbia, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Jamey Johnson, Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, Keith Whitley, Merle Haggard
Label – Big Machine Label Group – BMLG Records
Current Single – “Country Boys” (*as of date of article: 1/23/2023)

The Beginning:

Today we are introducing you to a singer-songwriter that we believe is on the verge of a breakout year in country music! Shane Profitt is a Tennessee native with talent that rivals anyone in the industry. His story is one of hard work and divine intervention, and of course, Chris Janson.

Growing up in Columbia, Tennessee, Profitt always loved music. He found inspiration in old-school artists like Hank Williams Jr., Waylon Jennings, and Keith Whitley that spoke to his blue-collar upbringing. Despite an early love for music, Profitt still believed in hard work and staying humble.

Regardless, a few years ago for Christmas, his grandfather asked what he wanted, and Profitt shared that he wanted to learn how to play guitar like some of his favorite artists. His grandfather gave him the gift of music, and the singer was off to races.

“My grandad asked me what I wanted for Christmas and as you get a little bit older, you start realizing that Christmas isn’t really about presents,” began Profitt. “I just told him straight up, I’m always the one that gets an extra piece of pie and just watches everyone enjoy playing an instrument, so I’d like to learn how to play guitar.”

Just a few months later, the singer began to play shows. “Probably within six months of me picking up the guitar is when I started playing my first paid gig. I only knew like eight full songs. […] After I got done playing those eight songs, I just restarted my whole set from the start,” he shared reminiscing about one of his first gigs.

Shortly after that, Profitt began to write songs of his own. “I started writing songs as much as I possibly could. I found I really enjoyed it,” adding later, “I leaned on songwriting to express my feelings.”

With the support of his family, Profitt began pursuing his dream and working full-time. After he would get done with his job, Profitt would reach out to anyone he could via social media to sit down and write with them. On the weekends, he would play any gig he could to better hone his skills as a musician.

The Turning Point:

Despite taking every opportunity he could in Nashville and writing with as many people as possible, divine intervention also played a part. Profitt called it a “God moment.”

Aside from the fact that he did not actually like sushi, the singer-songwriter took his date to a sushi restaurant at her request. While sitting there, Profitt noticed that Chris Janson, accompanied by his wife, Kelly, and his family were also eating at the restaurant. This started Profitt’s inner dialogue, as he racked his brain to try to figure out how he was going to introduce himself to Janson.

“I had all this time to think about how I was going to go up and talk to Chris Janson. […] I had it in mind that whenever I saw Chris Janson get up to pay, I would get in line right behind him because I didn’t want to interrupt his dinner with his family,” shared Profitt.

After waiting patiently, it was finally his time to chat with Janson. “So I see Chris stand up and the girl that I was with wasn’t even done eating all the way, and I see Chris stand up and I grab our ticket, and I start walking over to Chris and we get about halfway there and he sits right back down in his booth.”

While he could have given up and retreated back to his seat, Profitt decided that it was now or never. “I was like I’m halfway committed at this point, and I walked up to the table and kneeled down […] I introduce myself and told him what a fan I was and that it would mean the world to me if he would listen to some of the songs I’ve been writing.”

Before Janson could respond, his wife Kelly, his manager and music publisher offered to write her information down, so that Profitt could send her some songs. Being the humble and respectful guy that he is, Profitt responded with,”‘Yes mam,’ and Chris looked at me and said did you just say “yes mam?” I said “Yes sir,” and he said I like that a lot.”

Ultimately his kind and polite attitude impressed Janson, so much so that he invited him to pull up a chair and talk with him and his family throughout the rest of the dinner, talking about everything from songwriting to hunting.

Two weeks after that divine meeting, Janson offered Profitt a publishing deal and asked if he wanted to open up for him on his ‘Halfway To Crazy’ tour. Of course, Profitt said yes.

Today:

Flash forward a year later, and Profitt can not believe where he is now, pursuing his music career full-time. The recording artist not only went on tour with one of his idols, but also has a single, “How It Oughta Be”, sitting in the top 25 on the country radio charts right now.

Profitt also made waves with his debut EP, Better Off Fishin’. The title track, one of our favorites off the project is based on a true story, where the singer ditched a girl he was seeing in favor of going fishing with his buddies. Despite the true nature of the song, the track is as relatable as it comes, and of course, fun to listen to.

When it comes to Profitt’s current single, “Country Boys,” the rising artist leans on his fun and personable side for the absolute smash. According to the singer, the song was a bit of luck mixed with a great idea.

“I remember this particular day, I wasn’t even supposed, to be writing, but I had the idea of “Country Boys,” and all these different ideas going with this song, and I called up two of my buddies and they actually had writes cancel that day. […] We sat down with the idea. […] I had in my mind of what would I want to listen to if it was 75 degrees and I was riding down a backroad and “Country Boys” is that for me.”

He later added, “There’s a lot of different lifestyle lines in that song and when you hear that and you might hear something that’s relatable and you might hear that and be like that’s me […] That’s what is really cool about that song.”

The sky’s the limit for Profitt. In such a short time, he has accomplished so much, and it is only just the beginning. This year fans can catch the singer on the festival circuit. Stay tuned for more exciting news 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 Shane Profitt releases.

To keep up with Shane Profitt, follow him on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, or Twitter. 

Shane Profitt’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.

Jessica-Willis-fisher

Who Is Jessica Willis Fisher? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

Jessica-Willis-fisher

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Jessica Willis Fisher
Birthday – April 13th
Hometown – Chicago, Illinois
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Alis0n Krauss, Nickel Creek, The Corrs, Enya, Solas
Label – Bard Craft Records
Current Project- “Tennessee Christmas” (*as of date of article: 12/12/22)

The Beginning:

In our weekly spotlight series, we carefully choose artists for this segment that we believe have all the talent and a story to tell. Today’s artist, Jessica Willis Fisher definitely has both. While you may recognize her name by her television notoriety, Fisher is more than meets the eye. The talented singer-songwriter and author opened up to us about her journey thus far and where she is headed.

“Music was a huge part of my childhood. I was born in Chicago, the Southside of Chicago and first music was introduced through church,” began the songstress. “I was about 7, 8, 9, when my parents got me into Irish dance […] We were home-schooled, so we were looking for something that was artistic. […] We fell in love with that, and as an extension of that, we found music.”

As the oldest of twelve kids, Fisher always looked for ways to connect through music. “I started playing the fiddle when I was about eight,” she shared, adding later, “Music was a therapy and a way to connect with others and the things I was going through.”

After a tragedy in her life, her family moved to Nashville; however, it was not necessarily to perform music. “We moved to the Nashville area, and because we were homeschooled, a lot of our dreaming and hoping came off the radar of music city.” The city helped transform her love of Irish music into a love for Bluegrass music too. She recalls loving artists like The Corrs and Alis0n Krauss.

The Turning Point:

Despite what the media might have presented, Fisher grew up in an abusive home, which she later wrote about in her book, Unspeakable: Surviving My Childhood and Finding My Voice.

“It was some of the best times in my life and also the hardest. I was 24 years old when I tried to get out of the only environment I had ever known. I walked away from music, from my family, all of those things.”

In 2019, Fisher began to take her life back, one piece at a time. According to the artist “Starting in 2019, but really this year [2022], I started reclaiming my voice and asserting my story.”

Back in April 2022, Fisher released her debut album called Brand New Day. The ten song project marked the first time that the singer-songwriter had stepped out into the limelight as her own artist. Writing all but two songs on the record, it was important to Fisher that she share her truth with the world, no matter who heard it.

“‘Brand New Day’ is the name of my album and my understanding of that is that every day gets to be a brand new day. […] We get to navigate life through hope and possibility, the energy that can be in every day while navigating sometimes, quite a complex road.”

Similarly, her memoir was the first time she truly got to shed her trauma and let the world see her for who she really is. “I feel both the music and the book if no one ever heard them, it is still a victory for me […] These are songs that I needed to hear and/or write. The book was born directly out of doing the actual work of trying to make sense as a human being of what I went through,” she shared.

Today:

While her book and debut album are recent accomplishments, Fisher shows no signs of slowing down. The singer-songwriter has released a few Christmas songs to celebrate the holidays with fans. Most recently, her cover of “Tennessee Christmas” showcases her beautiful vocals.

“‘Tennessee Christmas’ is a very special meaning, loving this as my home state. […] I’ve explored so much of Tennessee with my husband and we went to a Christmas Tree farm and we took some pictures, which was so fun.”

She added later, “I’m returning to music […] I’m doing Christmas music differently than I would have growing up. […] I have always loved “Don’t’ Save It All For Christmas Day,” and if you’re going to put a song out this far ahead of Christmas, it felt like the right one.”

For Fisher, there is so much more to come and clarity is also coming. She hopes to write more books, but she knows that there will be more music. “I feel like I’m only an artist and a performer because I write […] I want to be saying something with my music.” She ended our interview eloquently sharing, “clarity is coming from what my next endeavors may be,” hinting that we will be hearing much more from Fisher 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 Jessica Willis Fisher releases.

To keep up with Jessica Willis Fisher, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Jessica Willis Fisher’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-john-morgan

Who Is John Morgan? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-john-morgan

John Morgan // Photo by Justin Mrusek

Quick Facts:

Full Name – John Morgan
Birthdate – 08/08/1995
Hometown – Sylva, North Carolina
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Keith Whitley, Ronnie Milsap, John Mayer
Current Single – “Friends Like That” (*as of date of article: 12/5/2022)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight is shining on an artist that is the full package. John Morgan is a singer, songwriter, and artist in his own right. We predict that 2023 is going to be a huge year for the entertainer; however, you can start becoming a huge fan now. We know we are!

Morgan grew up in western North Carolina surrounded by music, with his roots firmly planted in bluegrass. “I grew up playing bluegrass and that’s how I learned how to play guitar and learned how to sing, and do all that,” began the singer. “I started doing that when I was ten years old, and we would travel around and play bluegrass festivals all over the country.”

At eighteen years old, the entertainer quit the bluegrass circuit in favor of working outside of music, while simultaneously focusing on growing his songwriting skills. “I started writing my own songs […] It was kind of an easy transition for me to switch over to country music.” Morgan likens the trajectory of his switch from bluegrass to country music to one of his favorite artists, Keith Whitley. “Keith Whitley is one of my biggest influences even to this day.”

“I love my hometown where I grew up. I’ve never really envisioned myself leaving there, which is why when I quit playing bluegrass there, for two years, I didn’t do anything, I was focused on my job at the time. At that moment, I didn’t think that I would pursue music full-time.” Eventually, through trips to Nashville, Morgan caught the bug again.

“When I started making trips down here to Nashville, I really learned how much I loved songwriting and so that’s kind of where I cut my teeth and was digging into that aspect of music really trying to better myself as a songwriter first. I knew I could hold my own on guitar and sing good enough at the time, but I was just missing that triple threat.”

The Turning Point:

Just a few years ago, Morgan made the decision to move to Nashville to pursue songwriting and his dream full-time. “I moved to Nashville a little over three years ago now […] I got in with Jason Aldean’s camp through an Uber driver, which is a weird crazy story. I started writing songs with those guys and that’s kind of where I’m at currently.”

While Morgan feels fortunate to have had cuts on Aldean’s latest album, eight in fact, including the number one hits – “Trouble with a Heartbreak” and “If I Didn’t Love You” ft. Carrie Underwood, Morgan believes that his work ethic has helped him throughout his journey thus far. “When I finally moved to Nashville, and got to town and realized there were a million other people trying to do the same thing I’m doing, it makes you kind of level up.” Adding later, “Songwriting gave me enough confidence to drop everything that I was doing to pursue it full-time.”

Morgan continued to grind, getting into as many writers’ rooms as he could. “Even as an unsigned writer, I was writing with people who were also writing with people who have written hit songs and at least knew the layout of this is what a hit song requires formula-wise.”

Despite his early success as a songwriter, Morgan yearned to be an artist in his own right. His friend and fellow producer Will Bundy encouraged him to hone his skills as a songwriter and as a producer while working towards his dream.

“He just encouraged me and was like “dude I know you want to be an artist, I know you want to write songs, but this is working for me, and I feel like you have a good enough ear to do this too, at least get an ear with a publishing company”,” adding later, “I shadowed him for a couple of weeks to learn how to build a simple demo for a song after you write it. That in itself allowed me to get into bigger rooms.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Morgan is a signed artist with new music coming down the pipeline early next year. Already, the singer’s newest song, “Friends Like That” is making waves amongst country music fans and the industry. According to the singer, “‘Friends Like That’ was a song we wrote almost a year ago, it was one of those songs that was such a feel-good song. Will Bundy produced the demo for it. All of the elements came together for this song.”

While Morgan is attracted to and loves to write more sentimental songs, “Friends Like That” showcases a side of his artistry that fans get to see and hear for the first time. “It was just a cool idea from the beginning and we just kind of ran with it. It was really a song that I needed for me as an artist. I tend to write more nostalgic, more serious heartbreak songs I guess, and this was more of a feel-good, fun, I’m getting over you the way you want to kind of song. […] It kind of gives you a different side of who I am as an artist too.”

As a songwriter, Morgan will continue to pull from his own experiences, while relying on his supportive team in the process. Next year is already shaping up to be the year of John Morgan – new songs are currently being recorded and at least one new single is sure to come out in January. Make sure you pay attention and keep Morgan 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 John Morgan releases.

To keep up with John Morgan, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. 

John Morgan’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 Madeline Edwards? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Madeline Edwards
Hometown – California
Current City – Nashville, TennesseeMusical Influences – Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson, Shania Twain, and Keith Urban
Label – Warner Music Nashville
Current Project- Crashlanded (*as of date of article: 11/28/22)

The Beginning:

We are excited to introduce you to a singer-songwriter that we are loving lately. Newly signed recording artist, Madeline Edwards might not be on your radar yet, but she should be. Learn more about her story and her new music below.

“I was born in California and I moved to Texas as I was entering high school, so that’s kind of how the west-coast jazz and the southern influences have been combined,” Edwards began. For the songstress, singing and writing was a lifelong dream. “I really wanted to be a singer and a songwriter since I was a kid” adding later, “The thing that I wanted to be when I was four years old is exactly what I ended up doing with my life.”

According to Edwards, she was writing for just as long as she was singing. “I wrote my first song when I was five or six, and then when I was ten, I wrote another song, that was actually a jazzy song called “All I Need,” and it was actually pretty decent for a ten-year-old.”

She credits her musical family and the breadth of music available to her for her wide variety of musical influences. Edwards enjoys artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson, Shania Twain, and Keith Urban to name a few. “I love people who are kind of on the fringe of what popular music is, but they found their way into the popular music scene.”

The Turning Point:

At just fourteen years old, Edwards began playing music for a living. “I started working in piano bars when I was fourteen because I was helping my parents with bills,” she shared. “It ended up being one of the best things I have ever, done because up until I moved to Nashville, I was singing four for five hours a night in bars, five or six nights a week.”

Later, Edwards also credits her mother for helping her see the perspective that she getting to practice, while also getting paid. “I put in well over 10-20,000 hours, just singing every song, and every genre; I would sing everything from Lady Gaga to Blake Shelton to Nat King Cole. […] I was just stretching my voice and it became better, and better, and better.”

With several years of experience under her belt, the singer-songwriter and her husband found themselves moving to Nashville. “Nashville ended up being where we decided to take the leap.” For Edwards, putting in the work prior to moving to Nashville allowed her to meet the right people, create, and had the confidence to do so while in the buzzing country music scene.

“If you don’t come ready to work and with the 10k hours already put in, it doesn’t really help you if you put yourself in front of the right people,” she explained. “My advice is to play as often as you, anywhere you can, and as much as you can.”

Although she has only been in Nashville for just under two years, Edwards was ready to take the country music world by storm. She landed her record deal shortly after moving, proving that persistence, hard work, and 10,000+ hours pays off.

Today:

Now, as a signed recording artist, Edwards recently got to put out her debut album, Crashlanded. “I always knew I wanted to combine those sounds [jazz and country], I just didn’t know how to do it. It’s kind of taken me almost a lifetime to come to the sound that I’ve accomplished with the music I’m writing today and with the record, ‘Crashlanded.’”

The twelve-song project is a cool, pop-jazz-country record, featuring songs for everyone. “It was quite a process picking the songs for a record and even picking the order for the record. […] I wanted it to sonically sound really good,” shared the singer.

Songs like the title track, “Crashlanded” will have you rooting for Edwards from the get-go! Other songs like, “Why I’m Calling” and “Too Much Of A Good Thing” give you a new perspective on the songstress and her undeniable talent. According to Edwards, the record is both personal and relatable.

“It’s just kind of this full life cycle on the record of this is my story. I wanted it to be really relatable to the listener too,” adding, “At the end of the day, it’s still my story and every song is very telling of what that story is.”

Edwards is primed for success. Fans can catch her on the festival circuit next year, and we are sure that there is much more to come!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Madeline Edwards, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.

Madeline Edwards’ 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-huntergirl

Who Is HunterGirl? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

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HunterGirl // Photo Credit: Mike Rodway

Quick Facts:

Full Name – HunterGirl
Birthday – 05/24/1998
Hometown – Winchester, Tennessee
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Music Influences – Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Julia Michaels
Label – BBR Music Group
Current project- “Hometown Out Of Me” (*as of date of article: 11/21/22)

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight is shining on a budding artist that you may already know and love: HunterGirl. She blew people away on American Idol, but the singer-songwriter has been cutting her teeth in the music industry since she was a little girl. Learn about how her story has unfolded in our conversation below.

Growing up in East Tennessee, HunterGirl always loved music. “I grew up 5 minutes from my grandparents growing up, so I would go to their house all the time. I would hear Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash. I grew up loving – I wanted to be exactly like Dolly growing up,” shared the songstress. She recalls singing at church, at county fairs, and at talent shows for as long as she could remember, drawing inspiration from some of her favorite artists.

“Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire were the two women in country music that I was like, “oh my gosh, I love their music and their songwriting, but I really just love who they are as people.” […] I wanted to be an artist like that,” shared HunterGirl, adding later, “I listened to everything growing up. My mom loved P!NK, so I loved the tough, gritty songs, and my dad listened to rock music, so I had a lot of influence growing up from all sorts of genres, and the first band I ever sang in was a blues band.”

When she was barely in high school, HunterGirl joined her first band. “Whenever I turned fourteen, I joined a band and started traveling around everywhere, my parents brought me everywhere.” Then, at eighteen, she immediately moved to Nashville.

The Turning Point:

While attending college, HunterGirl started making a name for herself in Nashville, playing shows on Broadway, seven days a week. “I would have 8AM classes, and I would play 6-2AM, and get ready for my morning classes. I would sleep for a few hours and write songs, and do anything I could to try to get better and make it in music one day,” shared the songstress.

While in Nashville, HunterGirl worked hard to hone her craft as both a singer and as a songwriter. “I always had that dream and my family was super supportive. They were like if you want to do this, you’re going to have to work really, really hard for it.” She added later, “I love the songwriting community here in Nashville […] A songwriter and artist that I really look up to is Julia Michaels. I also love Ashley McBryde [and] Brantley Gilbert.”

By happenstance, after auditioning in her youth, HunterGirl received an email to audition for American Idol. Despite that, it was not until being approached at one of her shows later in the week that she actually decided to take the plunge. “A girl came up to me at the end of the show and was like ‘hey I used to be a producer on Idol, and I really think you should audition this year.’ And I was like Oh my gosh, twice in two days. Okay, God I get your sign, I’m going to go for it and see what happens,” shared the singer.

Of course, American Idol ended up being a great experience for the singer-songwriter. She achieved the runner-up spot in her season.

Today:

Flash forward to today, now as a signed artist, HunterGirl is living her dream. She gets to create music that touches fans all over the world, something she has always desired. “Songwriting is the place where I get everything out of my head. It’s my therapy with a guitar, she began. “I want to write songs that help people and get them through those rough singles, like my first single, “Red Bird.” It was a heart song.”

Her most recent single, “Hometown Out Of Me” is also a heart song. “‘Hometown Out Of Me’ was a big thank you to my hometown.” HunterGirl added later, “I always wanted to write a song for my hometown […] My hometown supported me ever since I was a little girl playing in the town square […] And then would have watch parties every Sunday, whenever I was on the show, cheering me on.”

This is only just the beginning for the rising artist. She will continue to play shows and write new music as we head into the new year. “I wake up every day, and I”m like “oh my gosh is this real?!” Because I wanted to do this ever since I was a little girl.” It is not lost on HunterGirl how incredible her journey has been and will continue to be!

Connect:

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

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

HunterGirl’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-noah-thompson

Who Is Noah Thompson? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-noah-thompson

Photo by David McClister

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Noah Thompson
Birthdate – 04/18/2002
Hometown – Blaine, Kentucky
Current City – Louisa, Kentucky (*Nashville, Tennessee in January 2023)
Musical Influences – Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Kameron Marlowe, Morgan Wallen
Current Single – “Make You Rich” (*as of date of article: 11/14/22)

The Beginning:

Today, we are shining our spotlight on an artist that is as humble as he is talented. Noah Thompson, Season 2020 American Idol’s winner chatted with us about his journey thus far, new music, and everything in between.

“I’m just a small-town kid that basically came from the middle of nowhere,” began Thompson. “I grew up with a dad that was constantly embedding music into my brain from the time I came out of the womb, there was a guitar in my face.” The singer recalls gravitating towards rock and southern rock music growing up. “I loved Neil Young growing up. […] I listened to a lot of older artists, I listened to a mix.”

Despite loving music, Thompson never imagined he would become a recording artist. “It was always a dream for me to do this.” Interestingly though, it was not until after high school that he started really loving country music. “I didn’t really start getting into country music until right around the time I started to work with the boys I worked with straight out of high school,” adding later, “[It was] Keith Whitley, Eric Church […], These are the guys that got me into country.”

One of his co-workers and friends, Arthur Johnson even signed him up for American Idol, the show he went on to win.

The Turning Point:

“[Arthur Johnson] signed me up for a show called American Idol and I just kind of went into it out of the blue just to see what would happen, not knowing that I would end up winning it. […] It completely changed my life forever,” shared Thompson. “In my mind, I just wasn’t good enough and I would tell myself that […] But then along came Arthur and we were just sitting at work and he was like I’m going to sign you up and literally tricked me to coming down to audition for the producers over a phone call.”

Singing Kameron Marlowe’s “Giving You Up” at his judge’s audition, Thompson absolutely blew the judges away. Johnson even got to be there to cheer his buddy on. The experience was surreal for the singer-songwriter. “I freaking got a golden ticket and it went from there. The whole show was really just such a big learning experience for me,” he shared.

Of course, American Idol opened up doors for Thompson that he could only dream about. “I think about it every day. […] I get to play music now, hopefully for the rest of my life, and take care of my family this way. It’s pretty neat if you ask me,” shared the singer, adding, “I didn’t quite know what a record deal was, but I knew I always wanted one […] That was a very cool moment for me.”

Today:

Now, as a signed recording artist, Thompson is putting his stamp on the Nashville country music scene. Most recently, the singer released a song called, “Make You Rich,” the perfect song to encompass his journey thus far, despite being an outside cut.

Thompson recalls being pitched tons of songs, while on American Idol. “I was listening to so many songs, and we came across that song, “Make You Rich.” […] I really listened to the meaning of the words because I wanted something real and something I related to.” He found himself stuck between this song and “One Day Tonight.” While he originally went with the latter, post-show, his team encouraged him to record “Make You Rich” too.

The songs perfectly personify appreciating the little things and choosing to be a better person, a sentiment that Thompson spoke even during the interview. “I want to appreciate every little thing. I don’t want to ever feel like I need to change when it comes to that either.”

This is only just the beginning for the rising artist. As he finishes up his tour with fellow American Idol contestant, HunterGirl, Thompson is looking forward to sharing more music and officially moving to Nashville in the new year.

Connect:

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

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

Noah Thompson’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-clayton-anderson

Who Is Clayton Anderson? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-clayton-anderson

Clayton Anderson // Photo by Hannah Fink

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Clayton Anderson
Birthdate – July 6th
Hometown – Bedford, Indiana
Current City – Nashville, Tennesee
Musical Influences – John Mellencamp, Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Cash
Label – Visionary Media Group
Current Single – “Let Me Go” (*as of date of article: 11/7/22)

The Beginning:

Today we are highlighting an incredible singer-songwriter, Clayton Anderson. While we often share new artists in this segment, Anderson is a name you might already recognize. The talented singer-songwriter has been hustling in the country music genre for years, and it is well-deserved.

Anderson grew up in Bedford, Indiana, a blue-collar town that instilled in him the value of hard work. While he had dreams of becoming a basketball player, the singer admits that music was a mainstay. “I discovered music through my parents, though they didn’t play instruments, but music was always on in our house,” began the singer. “Whether it was my mom listening to Elvis Presley or my dad listening to KISS and Aerosmith, and my grandma listening to Conway Twitty, music was always around growing up.”

Anderson especially loved country music. “I listened to everything growing up. […] We had all different kinds of radio stations in our areas, but I always loved Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, all those older guys,” shared the singer. “I also loved Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, and Garth Brooks just as much and loved John Mellencamp, he was always the God of music to us growing up.”

Despite early access to all different types of music, Anderson did not show interest in learning an instrument until he was a little bit older. “I didn’t really even pick up a guitar until my senior year of high school and I just fell in love with it. I was hooked,” shared the artist. “I caught the bug for it, and after that, there was no looking back.”

The Turning Point:

With a love of music in tow, Anderson headed off to college. “I kept doing worse in school and staying up late playing music,” the singer shared with a laugh. While he recalls playing music with his roommate, it was always just for fun, until one night, in particular, changed things for him.

“One thing led to another and someone ended up canceling a gig in our town and they had no one else to call. […] It was the busiest bar night of the year and they got stuck with me and I played the same seven songs over and over, but that first live performance was when I was truly hooked,” shared Anderson.

This was the moment that the singer started to consider making music for a living. While playing covers at bars were fun, he knew he wanted to be an artist, so he began writing songs on his own, little by little cultivating a new muscle.

“I really was like I need to be an artist, I need to write my own songs, I need to be my own thing. […] I want to give people something to believe in, to want to follow me, so instead of studying, I started writing down silly songs,” shared Anderson, adding later, “The more you put into your craft, the more you get out of it. I look back at some of those first songs and I chuckle and laugh, but a couple of them are still some of my favorites. […] To see the progression to now is still pretty cool.”

In 2011, the singer finally took the plunge and headed to Music City. “I finally just said I have to go to Nashville and see if I could make it.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Anderson has three full-length albums to his name. “I’ve been working on it for a long time. It’s not some overnight success and it’s been a total grind, and I’ve had so many no’s that I just kept fighting through because luckily I’ve built such a fanbase, that was my yes. When I go play somewhere, and people are singing the words back to me, that’s what I needed to keep pushing on,” shared the singer-songwriter.

Most recently, Anderson released his album Made In The USA. The twelve-song project is the most personal project to date for the singer, featuring songs about heartbreak, love, our country, and his journey over the last several years. “The songs just seem to fit together. When you’re putting an album together, I still like to have a common thread between all the songs,” shared the singer. Adding, “to me, this is the deepest I’ve ever gone in my songwriting.”

On “Is It Too Late,” Anderson grapples with the fears and struggles associated with chasing a dream, while the title track is a true love letter to the American Flag and its people. “We can rally around each other. Rally around our flag. We’re all Americans. No matter where we come from and I just have so much respect for the men and women who serve our country here and overseas, and I just wanted to have a more positive light about it.”

Fans can catch Anderson playing these songs and many more at his next live show. Check-out his full schedule 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  Clayton Anderson releases.

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

Clayton Anderson’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.