NYCountry Swag’s 2019 Artists to Watch
The New York Country Swag team loves to support rising artists and introduce our followers to the best new music in the genre. Since our inception three years ago we have named rising stars like Russell Dickerson, Luke Combs, Brett Young, Jordan Davis, and Jimmie Allen as our Artists to Watch. Check out our picks in 2017 and 2018 before checking out the 10 artists we picked to have a huge 2019 below.
10. Austin Burke – This Arizona native moved to Nashville when he was 19 years old and has been working towards putting independent music out ever since. His single “Whole Lot In Love” has garnered over 46 million streams on Spotify, making him one of the most successful independent artists on the platform. His latest single “Slower” is a smooth, love song written for his longtime girlfriend. Fans of Brett Young will love this rising singer-songwriter.
Listen: “Slower”
Stay Connected: @AustinBurkeMusic
9. Abby Anderson – One of our Swag Spotlights in 2018, Abby Anderson released her debut EP, “I’m Good” back in September with Black River Records and packed a whole lot of sass her five-song project. The first single released, “Make Him Wait” however teaches women of every age about the respect they deserve in a relationship. Her bubbly personality and powerful vocal ability made her a standout to our team right from the beginning.
Listen: “Make Him Wait”
Stay Connected: @abbyandersonmusic
8. Riley Green – During our Live Swag Session with Riley Green he sang his debut single “There Was a Girl” and explained how his life has changed over the past year. Signing with Big Machine Label Group and releasing his single along with a music video has gained him a huge fanbase. He released a four-song EP back in June keeping the traditional country sound while appealing to modern country fans as well.
Listen: “There Was This Girl”
Stay Connected: @rileyduckman
7. Brandon Ratcliff – Closing out 2018 with a huge announcement, Brandon Ratcliff will be touring with Brett Young and Kelsea Ballerini on the Miss Me More Tour. If you haven’t listened to his song “Rules of Breaking Up” (produced by Shane McAnally) you will love his blend of R&B and new wave country. Fans of Thomas Rhett and Kane Brown, Brandon Ratcliff is your next favorite artist.
Listen: “Rules of Breaking Up”
Stay Connected: @brandonratcliff
6. Seaforth – Mitch Thompson and Tom Jordan make up the new duo Seaforth and are the latest Australian transplants to Nashville. Their friendship spans over the past two decades and these singer-songwriters just released two tracks that are already causing quite a buzz in the country music world. We featured “Talk To Me” as one of our December Picks and are loving their vibe. Time will tell if they can garner the same success as Keith Urban and more recently fellow Australian, Morgan Evans. If you love Dan + Shay you will certainly love Seaforth.
Listen: “Love That”
Stay Connected: @weareseaforth
5. Kassi Ashton – One of our most unique picks this year is Kassi Ashton, small-town native who busted out and is making huge waves not only in the country community but on music in general. Her distinct style, personality, and songwriting set her apart from the glitz and glam female country artists as she sings about her real-life experiences and doesn’t sugarcoat anything. As we anxiously await her debut project, take a listen to “Taxidermy” a hilarious threat to anyone who does her wrong.
Listen: “California, Missouri”
Stay Connected: @kassiashton
4. Teddy Robb – One of the artists we are most excited about in 2019 is our Swag Spotlight Teddy Robb. Just recently signed to Monument Records, Robb is working with some of Nashville’s best songwriters to create his first project. Be on the lookout for a brand new song tomorrow but in the meantime check out “Lead Me On” which has been streamed over 4 million times and recaps from songwriter nights the rising star hosted in Nashville.
Listen: “Lead Me On”
Stay Connected: @teddyrobb
3. Filmore – At the end of 2018, Filmore released a brand new single “Heart’s Having a Hard Time”, a follow up to his biggest hit yet, “Slower”. Another Missouri native with undeniable swagger, Filmore has often been compared to Sam Hunt as he combines cool R&B vibes with country songwriting. He has been on the Nashville scene for a few years and we think 2019 will be his year to really break out.
Listen: “Love That About You”
Stay Connected: @filmoremusic
2. Tenille Townes – Straight from her small hometown in Canada, Tenille Townes has already experienced a ton of success since her move to Nashville. The thought-provoking singer-songwriter joined Little Big Town and Miranda Lambert on one of the best tours this past year (The Bandwagon Tour) and her unique voice is recognizable in the genre. In our Swag Spotlight interview back in April, Townes told us about Big Hearts for Big Kids, an organization she is involved with that has raised over 1.5 million dollars since its inception just under a decade ago. Between her love for philanthropy and her rare ability to convey stories, Townes is in for another successful year.
Listen: “Somebody’s Daughter”
Stay Connected: @tenilletownes
Mitchell Tenpenny – If you have been following NYCountry Swag you know our love for Mitchell Tenpenny. From the moment we recorded a Live Swag Session with him in Times Square back in 2017, we have been fans of his songwriting as well as his powerhouse voice. To close out 2018, Tenpenny released his debut album, Telling All My Secrets and hit the number one spot on the country charts with “Drunk Me”. We attended his very first sold-out NYC headlining show in August and it was incredible to hear the entire audience sing along to every song. We are looking forward to seeing even more success from the recording artist in 2019.
Listen: “Somebody’s Got Me”
Stay Connected: @m10penny
Let us know what other artists you think will have a big year and which new music you are looking forward to in the new year!
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