who-is-chapel-hart

Who Is Chapel Hart? The Story Behind Their Journey to Country Music

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Who is Chapel Hart? The trio joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the all-female, familial trio here…

who-is-chapel-hart

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Chapel Hart (Danica Hart, Devynn Hart, Trea Swindle)
Hometown – Poplarville, Mississippi
Current City – New Orleans, Louisiana
Label – JT3D
Latest Release – “Glory Days” (*as of date of article: 03/20/2023)

The Beginning:

Today we are excited to share the story behind the incredible all-female trio, Chapel Hart. The exciting country band is comprised of three family members, sisters Danica and Devynn Hart, and their cousin Trea Swindle. Together the ladies have created a beautiful legacy through music.

The women grew up in Poplarville, Mississippi, where music was at the forefront of each of their childhoods. “While we do have different stories, they all kind of intersect because Des is my sister and Tre’s our first cousin. We all come from the same family and we all have a very similar background,” they began. “We grew up in a very musical family. We had a huge family. My grandparents had 17 children and there are 108 cousins, and everything was surrounded by music.”

The women behind Chapel Hart even shared that in retrospect it feels like they grew up in a musical. “Anything you can name… birthdays, weddings, divorces, graduations, you name it, at some point, there was bound to be a piano to fly out of there or bucket drums, and then there was music.”

Despite listening to a bit of everything, due to their Mississippi roots, country music was the most prominent genre and influence. “We always say that there’s like a timeframe. Anywhere from 1913 to like 1980 or 90 is going to be Tre’s specialty and then all things 90s, early 2000s is me, and then Dev keeps up with all the newer stuff in country music, so we’ve got it all covered.”

The Turning Point:

While it was clear that music was each of their callings, Chapel Hart did not become what it is now until much later. “Growing up in Poplarville, Mississippi really prepared us for country music. If you were on the bus in the morning time, it was country music, if you were in school, it was country music, if you got a job and worked, it was country music,” shared the songstresses. Adding later, “We also lived those experiences.”

Chapel Hart started out in New Orleans as a duo. “It started out with just Danica and Trea kind of busking on the streets of New Orleans, so they kind of made their way around New Orleans and the music scene there,” began Devynn,  “And then in 2018, I lost my job, so I didn’t really know what I was going to do, so I moved down to New Orleans and started singing with them.”

While grinding both in New Orleans and Nashville, Tennessee, doors started opening for the women. They secured a spot in CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2021 and ultimately found themselves auditioning for the popular talent show, America’s Got Talent (AGT). “We almost didn’t even audition for AGT because it has a bit of a negative stigma in the music community […] We were supposed to be traveling with the Indigo Girls, and then their camp got closed down for Covid, so we were like why not?,” explained Danica. She later added, “I always say ‘thank god that we did’ because I feel like it was the audition heard around the world.”

According to Chapel Hart, “AGT was the moment that all the grinding had led up to, it was the moment that everything exploded, and it’s starting to pay off for all the years we played the shows with 25 people there.”

Of course, America fell in love with their audition song, an original called “You Can Have Him, Jolene.” “People refer to it as a part 2 of “Jolene,” so it feels like we’re a part of country music history.”

Today:

Flash forward to the present day, Chapel Hart continues to build on the momentum that their hard work and AGT helped them build. With an album coming out soon and a tour happening now, the singer-songwriters are showing no signs of slowing down.

In order to continue to give music to fans, the women even released the tour’s namesake song, “Glory Days.” The single is a fun and relatable song that is hard not to fall in love with. “We couldn’t kick off the Glory Days Tour without at least giving the people the song that inspired it all,” shared Chapel Hart. “The song is literally about the good old days, where you sit around and talk with your friends about things 30 years from now, but more so it just kind of shines the light on the fact that most of us are living through our glory days now, and it’s a reminder to seize the moment.”

Like all of Chapel Hart’s music thus far, “Glory Days” is an introspective and honest portrayal of the women’s experiences thus far. “We fell in love with country music because of the story and how you can just find yourself right smack dab in the middle of the story,” and that sentiment truly embodies the single and their philosophy on music.

As we anticipate the next album, fans can look forward to a lot more from the singers. As they put it themselves, “Fans should be expecting more Chapel Hart. We are diving deeper, we’re putting together this album that is another collection of life experiences. What our goal was is to show fans a glimpse into this journey.”

Connect:

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

To keep up with Chapel Hart, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Chapel 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.

who-is-reid-haughton

Who Is Reid Haughton? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-reid-haughton

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Christopher Reid Haughton
Birthdate – September 8th, 1998
Hometown – Haleyville, Alabama
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Whiskey Myers, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Label – River House Artists
Current Single – “She Is” (As of article date – 3/13/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s artist is an incredible singer-songwriter from Alabama. Reid Haughton is the type of artist who is ready to unveil his true artistry as he cultivates more and more fans. His inspiration stems from his supportive childhood.

“I grew up in Northern Alabama in a small town called Haleyville,” he began. “I just started playing guitar and taking lessons at church when I was 8 or so. My neighbor growing up, my best friend, his dad got us interested in playing guitar and kind of planted the seed of music in us.”

Haughton recalls drawing inspiration from the 70s rock music that his father listened to and more contemporary country music that his mom shared with him. “My dad would be playing Lynyrd Skynyrd on the boom box when he was working, so a lot of Southern Rock. […] He was into 70s rock kind of stuff, and my mom, I would ride to school with her every day, and she would listen to whatever was current on The Highway or a Sugarland CD,” shared the singer.

Throughout his childhood and all the way through high school, Haughton quietly cultivated his own sound and played music at church. “When I was probably seven or eight, I knew I wanted to do this. […] I just kind of didn’t say anything about it I guess, until midway through college, but yeah that was my secret plan all along,” he shared. Admitting that this has been the dream all along, he later added, “all I ever used to pray for is to be a professional musician.”

The Turning Point:

After high school, Haughton attended Auburn University. “I went to Auburn for college and that’s where I started playing the bars,” began the singer. “I played a ton of bar shows for years starting with the backhand of my freshman year and ended up meeting the people I work with now at River House by playing a bunch of bar shows.”

During college, the singer connected with people in the industry, including his now team at River House Publishing. “I met my manager at River House at a show I was invited to,” shared Haughton. “I sent him some songs and one thing led to another, and I came out here for a summer during Covid. […] After that summer, I was an intern, but I was really just writing, and they were like if you move back up here, we’ll give you a pub deal.”

Haughton went from solo writing to co-writing in Nashville, which felt like a God moment for the artist. “For me, it was kind of right place, right time,” he declared.

Today:

Currently, Haughton is beginning a new chapter of music. He even referred to it as a “new book.” So far this year, the singer-songwriter released two songs that really speak to his newfound confidence. Both “Day You Don’t and “She Is” showcase his country-rock and soul style.

“These songs are a whole new thing for me. It’s going to be the start of a whole new sound, I guess you can say. It was a pretty clear moment for me […] It kind of opened up my mind about this world and where I want to go as an artist.” When asked about “Day You Don’t,” Haughton shared, “It’s one of the coolest songs I’ve been a part of, personally. It doesn’t sound like anything I’ve ever heard. It’s just going to change the game for me.”

Both of these releases mark his first singles as a River House artist and with a team supporting him. They showcase his growth and his trajectory as a new artist in country music. It is only just the beginning for the singer, who has a lot of my new music coming down the pipeline. “We have a lot of stuff coming out. We have seven songs that are finished that are for sure coming, and by December there should be a lot of music to listen to.”

Connect:

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

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

Reid Haughton’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-vincent-mason

Who Is Vincent Mason? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-vincent-mason

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Vincent Mason
Birthdate – November 10th, 2000
Hometown – Roswell, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Parker McCollum, John Mayer, Morgan Wallen, Eric Church, Ernest
Current Single – “A Little Too Good” (As of article date – 3/6/23)

The Beginning:

Today our spotlight shines on an artist that is truly made for this industry. Vincent Mason grew up loving sports; however, when he realized his knack for music, everything changed. Learn more about his story here.

“I grew up right outside of Atlanta and I wasn’t doing music much. I was really playing football and basketball, but I liked it a lot,” he began. “When I was a kid, I would always kind of be singing, but I never thought it was anything like that, and then I didn’t get a guitar until my sophomore year of high school. I didn’t start playing and singing until senior year.”

A music fan at first, Mason found himself listening to a variety of music during his upbringing. “I was listening to a lot of genres. I didn’t really listen to country music until 8th grade or freshman year, but my dad loved whatever was new, so whatever the hit was with pop music, was what I was listening to. Around 5th or 6th grade, I started listening to rap, too” he shared. “Then in 8th grade/freshman year, when country radio kind of had a new moment with Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, those guys, I definitely had an ear for country hits.” He also shared that he became a huge fan of John Mayer later on in high school. Mayer is an artist that continues to be a huge inspiration to him.

After high school, Mason left home to attend school at Ole Miss, where on a whim, he decided to bring his guitar with him. A few months later, he found himself dabbling with writing songs. “Around Christmas break at Ole Miss I had written my first song and that was about two years ago, so ever since I wrote the first one I knew that was what I wanted to do, but I was kind of late to it. It wasn’t really a childhood kind of thing for me.”

 

The Turning Point:

Mason returned to college for his second semester, only to get sent home in March due to the looming pandemic. While home, the singer-songwriter began to hone his craft at country songwriting, drawing inspiration from artists like Mayer and Parker McCollum.

“I was listening to country hits and John Mayer, leading up to the first song that’s really always been the balance of what I’m doing in my songwriting. Parker McCollum’s doing a really good job […] As soon as I heard him, I thought I could write a song,” he shared, adding, “The balance [McCollum] struck is kind of what I’m after.” This enticed Mason to write songs that had vibes similar to Mayer, but with a country flair.

With just a few weeks before he was slated to go back to school, Mason took a leap of faith. “I kept writing through that summer (2020), and I remember coming down one day, 2 or 3 weeks before I was supposed to go back to Ole Miss, and I told my parents I’ve been writing songs and I really just think I need to go to Nashville.”

Mason added, “I immediately tried to backtrack and my mom was like ‘no you said it and you meant it, so we’ll figure out a way to get you there.’” Shortly thereafter, the singer was armed with a dream and a spot at Lipscomb University in Nashville.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Mason has a handful of songs already out, with many more coming down the pipeline and an EP in the works. Most recently, the singer released a song called, ” A Little Too Good.” Interestingly, Mason wrote the song as an assignment for his songwriting class.

“That was the first song I wrote when I moved here,” he began. “It was September or October of 2020, and I was in a songwriting class at Lipscomb, and the assignment was to take 2 songs and elements from 2 different songs and make something new out of it.” Drawing inspiration from unreleased songs at the time by Morgan Wallen and Parker McCollum, “A Little Too Good” was created.

“I thought it was a cool way to kind of get at something going wrong […] It felt like an interesting way to say something was going wrong to start out by saying it was too good. That was the first time I had to finish something on a deadline, so I sat up all night trying to finish it for class the next day.”

“A Little Too Good” is a song that perfectly describes Mason’s artistry. It also gives fans a window into what the upcoming EP, slated for an April release will entail. According to the singer, “I will be releasing hopefully as much music as we can get out.” Keep your eyes and ears peeled!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Vincent Mason, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.

Vincent Mason’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-tayler-holder

Who Is Tayler Holder? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-tayler-holder

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Tayler Holder
Birthday – 08/19/1997
Hometown – Alvarado, Texas
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Morgan Wallen, Parker McCollum, Jordan Davis
Current Single – “Marry You” (As of article date – 2/27/23)

The Beginning:

Today’s artist is an artist you will probably be familiar with if you frequent TikTok. Tayler Holder gained notoriety on the app during the pandemic; however, he is reinventing himself as a country artist. Holder is the real deal, and we urge you to give him a chance if you have not already jumped on the bandwagon.

Growing up in a small town in Texas, Holder recalls loving sports growing up, but also having a passion for music. “I did the whole thing – sports, doing that fun stuff, and I was originally racing motocross […] I was always singing and I loved music, but I didn’t know much about it. My hometown has a population of 3000, no one really made music where I was from, it was just a fun thing around the house.” He later added, “I’m listening to country music or worship music in the car, that’s literally all I listen to, to be honest,” sharing that some of his current favorites are Jordan Davis, Morgan Wallen, and Luke Combs.

Despite really enjoying music, Holder did not really see it as a future career. However, when he found himself in the social media world, he started to think that there maybe was a place for him in the industry. “As I got more into the social media space after I moved out and moved to LA,  and all that stuff, I met a lot of producers and awesome songwriters,” he began. “That helped me meet a lot of individuals and really started the music process, and seeing how I felt actually doing it, and I fell in love with it even more.”

The Turning Point:

For a few years now, Holder has been quietly delving into the music scene, honing his talent, and showcasing how serious he is about country music. Despite his deception, it has not been an easy journey so far.

“Every day we’re still going through the transition,” he shared. “I grew up as this quote-unquote, ‘hot guy on the internet’ and I was making kind of like cringey videos. It’s fun to look back out now, but it does complicate some things and it makes it harder to be taken seriously not only as an artist, but as a country artist because country fans are very serious about country music.” He added, “I want people to believe that I’m serious and really listen to my music and love it, but it definitely is a process, coming from being this TikTok kid.”

Despite the obstacles, Holder has received love for his music from the get-go from his loyal fans. “It was kind of crazy, the first thing I think I did […] I finally posted a video of me doing a cover of a Tate McRae song on TikTok, and I posted it maybe 2 years ago and it blew up. I was so nervous to post it and it actually blew up and got a lot of great feedback on it.”

This moment and several others helped to give Holder the confidence to pursue his dream, including writing his own music as a country artist. “I’ve always loved the idea of songwriting, and I’ve always sat around and put my input in here and there, but I was always pretty nervous, I actually have really bad stage fright,” he told us. “Over the last three years of sitting in and watching a bunch of people and how they work and figuring out the process, I learned a lot and I started to do a lot of my own writing, and I still to this day, write all of my own songs. I usually just have me and a buddy with me and we bounce off one another.”

Today:

Now, Holder is ready to take it up to the next level, promising more and more music to come this year. “Every time I write I’m getting better and every new song that I write is my new favorite song,” he shared. “The music that I have coming out is 10x better than anything I’ve released already.”

As Holder grows and evolves, so does his music. Most recently the singer-songwriter put out a love song called, “Marry You.” Written by Holder with Ben Williams, Christian, and Brody Clementi (CB30), the song expresses what it is like to fall head over heels for someone. “It’s a wedding song, it’s a first dance song. It’s meeting that individual,” shared Holder. “At the time I wrote the song, I had this really awesome person that I met, it’s like whenever you meet them, it’s love at first sight. […] It’s like basically saying one day I’m going to get on one knee and marry this girl.”

While “Marry You” may be the beginning of new music for Holder, fans can expect the evolution to continue. According to the singer, “This year, I’m looking to put out 2 to 3 times the amount of music that I put out last year, and I’m planning on doing a couple of shows this year too.”

Whether you are already a fan or a skeptic, we encourage you to give Holder the benefit of the doubt because his passion sure lies in the country music world.

Connect:

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

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

Tayler Holder’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-griffen-palmer

Who Is Griffen Palmer? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-griffen-palmer

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Griffen C. Palmer
Birthday – 09/25/1995
Hometown – Pickering, Ontario
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Dan + Shay, Charlie Worsham, John Mayer, Chris Stapleton
Label – Big Loud Records
Current Single – “Second Guessing” (As of article date – 2/20)

The Beginning:

This week we are highlighting an artist that you may or may not know already, Griffen Palmer. The singer-songwriter made waves on the hit show, Songland and now is a signed artist at Big Loud Records. Learn his story below!

“I grew up in Pickering, Ontario,” begins Palmer. “My dad was always in bands when I was a kid, and he was always super supportive of me learning instruments, and jamming with him, and singing with him and stuff.”

The singer shared that he owes his early love for music to his father, who introduced him to artists like Journey and Def Leppard. “I was always listening to whatever my dad was listening to for the most part which was Top 40s, 80s vibes,” adding later, “It was all about those big, power anthem kind of music when I was really young.” He also recalls his sisters listening to powerful, female country artists like Shania Twain, which was his early introduction to the genre.

However, it was not until later that Palmer began to fall in love with the genre organically. “I got into country music when I was like fourteen or fifteen, in high school, I was a little late to the game, but it’s kind of fun being late to the game, because there’s so much stuff to dive into and discover all on your own.”

Like many artists, Palmer was captivated by the s lyricism in country music. “I think it’s just the storytelling and the songwriting of it that really gets you on the human level. There’s so much country music that’s more than just about where you grew up, it’s really human. […] I was super inspired by it.”

 

The Turning Point:

Despite a love for music, Palmer went to college in Ohio to play rugby. “I was always in cover bands in high school for fun, but when I moved to Ohio to play Rugby for college, I kind of started using music as a way to pay for my school, so I started booking gigs,” he shared. “By the time I moved to Ohio, it was like the perfect place to be, when you’re playing these shows, every request you get or every person you meet wants to hear country music.”

While college gave him a platform to play music, Palmer still did not have a plan once his visa expired. “I moved home from school when my visa expired […] I was trying to figure out how I could get back to Nashville to really chase this dream of mine, and I met this songwriter named Geoff Warburton at a house party.”

Palmer and Warburton, who penned hits for artists like Shawn Mendes, hit it off instantly, so much so that they began writing together. Warburton even connected Palmer to the Nashville music scene, ultimately helping him to land a publishing deal with Big Loud Records.

“Signing with Big Loud Publishing came at the end of 2018/beginning of 2019, and Songland wasn’t too far after that, maybe a year later, so I was still pretty new to the whole thing. I had just moved to Nashville and was figuring out my crew, and who I like to write with and stuff,” explained the singer.

Shortly after that, Palmer signed his record deal with Big Loud Records too.

Today:

Presently, Palmer is a newcomer in the country music scene, eager to get his music out there and to impress his growing fanbase. “I feel like when you’re an artist whose dreaming of releasing music, your whole dream is to have music out in the world to have people listen to it,” shared the singer.

As a thank you to fans and the perfect song to kick off his artist story, Palmer released the song he shared on Songland called “Second Guessing” as his major-label debut single.

“We kind of just had a sit down as a team and we were kind of just coming across what is the story we’re trying to tell here, what is the story of you and how you got here, and I felt like this song is so important,” he shared. “The initial following of people that started listening to my music was because of that song, and I had so many people every single week from when the show aired to now, people reaching out saying it’s going to be my first dance song or I really wish I had a full version of yours from the show. […] I kept telling people, maybe one day, so it was kind of a no-brainer to dream it up for how we would do it as a first dance song.”

Palmer has much more music coming down the pipeline soon, as well as, his first tour with label-mate, Lily Rose. He is certainly going to be one to look out for!

Connect:

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

To keep up with Griffen Palmer, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Griffen Palmer’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.

dalton-dover-debut-song

Who Is Dalton Dover? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

dalton-dover

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Dalton Dover
Birthday – 11/29/1997
Hometown – Rome, Georgia
Current City – Aragon, Georgia
Musical Influences – Keith Whitley, Luke Combs, Vince Gill
Label – UMG Nashville
Current Single – “Giving Up On That” (Coming out Friday, 2/17)

The Beginning:

Earlier this year we named Dalton Dover as one of our 2023 Artists To Watch. Today, we are sharing exactly why he made our exclusive list.

The Georgia native grew up with country music in his soul. “I’m from a small town in Georgia, I sang beside my grandpa in church my whole childhood,” he began. “I just found really early influences. I loved singing for people and entertaining people. My grandpa introduced me early on to Keith Whitley, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, and a lot of the traditional country music.”

While his early influence certainly came from the long-established legends of the genre, Dover also loves artists like Luke Combs, Blake Shelton, and Chris Young. “I try to find influence everywhere. They are some people that I love listening to today and look up to,” shared the singer-songwriter.

At seventeen, Dover’s love for music expanded even more. “I just fell in love with country music. My grandpa bought me a guitar when I was seventeen. […] I learned “Don’t Close Your Eyes” by Keith Whitley and it was the first song I ever learned how to play on guitar,” he shared.

The Whitley song continued to be an important song for Dover as he grew into his artistry. “I’ll never forget the first time I heard that song, [“Don’t Close Your Eyes”] I remember getting chills on my arms and thinking that’s what I want to do right there. There’s no other option. Country music has always been country music, and I fell in love with it.”

The Turning Point:

As soon as Dover realized that music was his calling, there truly was no turning back. “Music has always been a part of me and my family and my friends were always like ‘one day you’re going to make it,'” shared the singer. Adding later, “I don’t feel like I made it yet to where I want to be, but so far where everything’s at, it’s been a long road from playing many shows at home and playing wherever anyone would let me play shows, I was always on a stage somewhere.”

In 2019, Dover tried out for the show, The Voice, where he auditioned for the judges with none other than the song, “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” Being on Team Blake [Shelton] helped the singer grow his confidence and artistry. “When I was on the show, I found myself. I found the artist that Dalton Dover wanted to be, I found my voice, and I came home with a different mindset. I wanted to write songs, I wanted to put songs out, I wanted to pursue this completely, ya know.”

Shortly after the show, Dover started coming to Nashville, writing songs, and truly grinding his way to his current record deal. “I wrote a few songs and then TikTok came along not too long after that, and everything just kind of fell into place, and I got to Nashville,” shared the major-label artist.

Today:

Although Dover is already a superstar according to his impressive TikTok following and fanbase, his career truly is just getting started to takeoff. The singer-songwriter makes his major-label debut with his brand new single, “Giving Up On That,” out this Friday. Check back here for our full review of the track!

In order to get fans excited for the song, the singer shared with us what we can all expect from the debut, which was written during his first-ever writer’s retreat.

“I didn’t know what to expect. I was so nervous. My buddy had told me just start getting ideas. […] This was when I was learning how to find inspiration everywhere,” began Dover. “[My buddy said] I’m never going to give up on that love, and I was like ‘oh shit, I guess I’ll just write that then.’ And so that song comes from a real place and a real-time, and it’s a very special song.”

Dover adds, “This song is going to kind of bridge the gap. It’s going to be a new era of Dalton Dover and I’m so excited for what it’s going to bring.” He also hinted that the single will be his first at country radio. “I feel like maybe you might hear me on the radio a lot. Maybe you’ll see a lot more of me everywhere […] In a business that’s so unknown, I’m so excited about the future and what it will bring.”

Connect:

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

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

Dalton Dover’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-mackenzie-carpenter

Who Is Mackenzie Carpenter? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

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

who-is-mackenzie-carpenter

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Mackenzie Carpenter
Birthday – 06/04/1999
Hometown – Hull, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley
Label – Big Machine Label Group – Valory Music Co.
Latest Release – “Jesus I’m Jealous” (*as of date of article: 02/09/2023)

The Beginning:

This week our spotlight shines on 2023 Country Swag Artist to Watch: Mackenzie Carpenter. The talented singer-songwriter always knew that music was her calling. While she would call her journey so far a “blessed one,” it is not without hard work and dedication.

Growing up in Georgia, Carpenter was always surrounded by music and of course, her supportive family. “I grew up singing in church,” she began. “[My brothers and I] all started taking an instrument at different times, and my brothers started teaching me how to play and I started singing.” She recalls listening to a variety of different genres, but that 2k country music was always her favorite mixed with some 90s country. Artists like Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert, and Trace Atkins were mainstays on her FM radio.

While listening to music was a hobby, her Dad encouraged her to start writing. “My dad knew enough to tell me that I had to start writing songs if I wanted to pursue music for real,” she shared. Thanks to the support of her family, the songstress began songwriting in high school. “I started writing music and that’s kind of when I started finding my own voice,” adding later, “Once I started writing my own songs, I was like this is fun, I can tell my own stories.”

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high school, the singer-songwriter made the move to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Belmont University. “My parents and my family really are my biggest cheerleaders,” she shared again. “My Dad actually found Belmont, and I got here and I just started writing songs, and I didn’t release my first song until last year.”

While at Belmont, Carpenter honed her songwriting skills and began networking around town. “I went through all of college, but I didn’t start introducing myself as an artist right away.” She recalled focusing on the songwriting side of things for the first little bit.

“I started writing, writing, writing, every single day. I didn’t have a producer, I didn’t have a team. I didn’t know how to be an artist, but I could show up and write a song. I had ideas, I had melodies, so just networking, writing,” recalls Carpenter.

One day things began to change after she wrote a special track with a friend. “I wrote a song with my friend Lily Rose that she released called “Villain” and it was one of the first big, viral, TikTok moments.” This piqued her own interest in the TikTok platform and Carpenter began sharing her own songs and growing her fanbase one follower and ‘like’ at a time. “People were really, really connecting to my songwriting.”

Her notoriety on TikTok led her to get noticed by Nashville’s Sirius XM The Highway. “I got linked with ‘The Highway’ and they were like we want to be involved, and so then, I got connected to Scott Borchetta, and he literally texted me and was like “hey, I heard this clip of your song and I want to know if you wanted to meet with me” and I literally thought I was being pranked.”

Eventually, she signed her record deal with Big Machine Label Group thanks to her artistry. “I really am thankful that songwriting is what started my journey. […] It all starts with a song, and I feel really thankful that that was my foundation.”

Today:

Now, as a major label artist, Carpenter is super excited for what is in store for her future. While this past year has been monumental both personally and professionally she exclaimed that, “this year is about continuing to build a connection with people that connect with my music.”

Most recently her single, “Jesus, I’m Jealous” enticed fans across the genre. “I grew up a pastor’s daughter, so I always had faith, it’s been really important to me my whole life, and I literally just heard someone say that phrase in talking, and as a songwriter, you’re always writing things down, so I had written it down,” she shared about how the song was created.

“We wanted to make sure it was said in the right way, and we wanted it to literally be a prayer,” added Carpenter. “Whether people love it or hate it, they’ll want to know what we’re talking about.”

Continuing to talk about the message conveyed in “Jesus, I’m Jealous,” the songstress shared, “There was a time in my life, where I feel like you can look around and be like I should be where that person is by now or why hasn’t this happened to me […] I was so inspired by that time, and it’s okay to let yourself feel all those feelings like ‘I really want that right now, but also wrapping it up with, I know  it’s going to be okay.’” The song is one of the most relatable songs in the genre currently.

Moving ahead, Carpenter promises more new music and a project coming in April. 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 Mackenzie Carpenter releases.

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

Mackenzie Carpenter’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 Ernest? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

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

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Photo Credit: Delaney Royer

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Ernest Keith Smith
Hometown – Nashville, Tennessee
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Label – Big Loud Records
Current Single – “This Fire”  (*as of date of article: 2/10/2023)

The Beginning:

Our spotlight artist this week truly needs no introduction. Ernest Keith Smith or ERNEST as you probably know him is a singer-songwriter who is on the brink of stardom. A consistent collaborator with Morgan Wallen and HARDY, Ernest is as talented as they come. We chatted with the Nashville native all about his rise in the country music industry and what’s next for the budding star.

“Music of all kinds has been the soundtrack to all of my summers,” began Ernest. ” I listened to all kinds of traditional country music in my dad’s car growing up, if it wasn’t country it was sports talk radio. And my mom was listening to Oldies 96.3 […].” With music (and baseball) being his main focus, Ernest found himself flocking to so many different genres from an early age.

He added later, “I was even getting hand-me-down burnt CDs from my friend’s older brothers. I would be in first or second grade listening to burnt CDs with my little walkman from a kid whose brother was a sophomore in high school, so I was listening to Eminem and a bunch of stuff I shouldn’t have been consuming, but I fell in love with it all.”

At just eight years old, Ernest knew that entertainment was in his future.“The Space Jam soundtrack was a third grade Christmas present, as well as a banjo, and the rest was history. Music is just always something I gravitated to,” he explained.

While he did not quite know just what he was going to do for a living, he had an idea that music would be in the cards. “I never dreamed of having a normal job, job,” shared the singer. “The older I got, the more I got the bug for music. I did one year of college and spent most of my time making up songs, so I decided I’m going to try to do this for real. I always wanted to entertain or something, I just never saw myself having to do a 9-5, but jokes on me, because it’s an 8AM-8AM job and on top of that being dad, so we’re always working,” laughed Ernest.

The Turning Point:

Eventually, Ernest began to pursue music and making a name for himself in Music City, his hometown. “Choosing country music feels the most organic for me to choose, but I would say a lot of my 20’s were struggling with that because of me being influenced by so many different things, and wanting to experiment with those sounds from John Mayer to Drake or Kendrick or Yellowcard, everything in between,” shared the singer, as he reflected on his journey. “Doing what I’m doing now, nodding my hat towards the traditional sound, I’m super happy.”

For Ernest, the goal was always to be his own artist; however, songwriting has been a great gateway into country music. “Songwriting was a good, and still is a good, lily pad into my artistry. Developing a reputation in town as a songwriter definitely doesn’t hurt,” he shared. “All of that hard work and sleepless nights, and getting let down, all that and throwing in a little bit of luck then here we are.”

The hitmaker is surely making a name for himself in the industry and it is only a matter of time until everyone knows his music and artistry.

Today:

Last year, Ernest released his debut record, Flower Shops: The Album, and in just a few days, the deluxe version, Flower Shops (The Album): Two Dozen Roses will be released on Friday, February 10th. While both projects can be listened to independently, the story is connective and impressive.

“The whole album and the deluxe is basically the continuation of the story, part two, are all songs that I enjoy listening to. If someone else put out those batches of songs, I would probably be listening to it a lot. It’s nostalgic and it’s fun, sad, there’s a little bit of everything in there. When I’m writing for myself, especially for these projects,” shared Ernest.

While he loves all the songs on the upcoming record, Ernest shared about a few that really tug at him in the best way. “I think overall, the album is really fun to listen down top to bottom. […] You’re still going to get a story and as for my favorite song? It’s tough to choose. There are a few different moods on there. “This Fire” is one of my favorites. “Nothin’ To Lose” is one of my favorites too.”

Fans also have the upcoming tour dates with Morgan Wallen and HARDY to look forward to. “We get to make country music with our best friends and we are good friends in real life and cheerleaders for each other […] tour and getting to be on the road together will be special.” He also mentions that he’s sure another project will “put itself together” sooner rather than later. Keep your eyes and ears open for Ernest this 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 Ernest releases.

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

Ernest’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 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.

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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…

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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.