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Aaron Watson: ‘Cover Girl’ – Album Review

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Aaron Watson shares his new album, Cover Girl, out now, October 27th, on all streaming platforms. Listen to the new music below.

Born out of sharing iconic songs with his young daughter, Jolee Kate, Aaron Watson’s Cover Girl, out now, is a passion project of epic proportions. In addition to re-recording a wide range of classic songs, the Texas native enlisted a host of rising independent female country stars to join him, including Jenna Paulette, Kimberly Kelly, Bri Bagwell, Morgan Myrles, Kylie Frey, and more.

“I’ve gotten the chance to share the stage with a number of incredibly talented female artists who are hustling the independent game just like I am,” Watson shared. “When I decided to do the Cover Girl record, I knew I wanted to find females that I believed in and knew would be an asset to the song.”

The LP opens with Watson and Paulette joining forces on a classy cover of the Rosanne Cash classic, “Seven Year Ache.” Melodically, it stays true to the original but the duo still manages to modernize a song that’s over 30 years old. That theme works its way throughout the LP, as Watson and his duet partners consistently add a new flair to tried and true classics.

“9 To 5” features 2023 America’s Got Talent Semi-Finalist Frey and stays true to the original, in a good way. While it’s musically very similar to the original, it’s unique to hear a male voice on the classic, which adds a new element in a way that doesn’t sound like karaoke. Likewise, Kimberly Kelly lends her voice to the classic “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” while Courtney Patton shines on The Judds’ “Grandpa (Tell Me About the Good Old Days).”

Watson manages to put a new Texan spin on Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons,” alongside Morgan Myles. The Gaga cover allows the pair to harmonize beautifully, their voices blending on the building crescendos of the powerful song which truly allow Myles to shine for a special moment on the LP.

UK export Twinnie joins Watson on “Back on the Train Gang,” adding a bit of twang to the Pretenders classic, a song written after the band’s guitarist died from a drug overdose. The pair manage to make the familiar track sound like it was always meant to be a country tune. Likewise, Jamie Lin Wilson sounds right at home on the stirring “Love at the Five and Dime,” while Bri Bagwell breathes different life into Sheryl Crow’s “Can’t Cry Anymore.” Alyssa Micaela’s raspy rock-leaning voice also adds an unexpected layer to the Emmylou Harris classic, “Two More Bottles of Wine.”

“All Through the Night” is another clear highlight, beautifully pairing Watson with Leigh Nash, best known for her days with Sixpence None the Richer. On the Cyndi Lauper classic, Nash’s voice is the star, shining in a haunting yet powerful way, her rich yet airy tone perfectly complimenting Watson.

Watson’s cover of Taylor Swift’s “Never Grow Up” is especially poignant, as it features vocals from the singer’s young daughter, who inspired the whole project. “If you’re going to sing someone else’s song, it has to be a song that you believe in,” He shared. “I was listening to (‘Never Grow Up’), and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, you could totally sing this to your kids from a dad’s perspective to his daughter.’” 

“My daughter, like most teenage girls and women on the face of the earth, is obsessed with Taylor Swift. She was insistent that I did a Taylor Swift song on this project and who can argue with that?,” Watson revealed in a recent interview. “I told her that if I covered Taylor she would have to sing with me on it! Then we had to choose the right song, right? …We did think about covering one of Tayor’s upbeat, popular songs but then we found ‘Never Grow Up’ and it made for a perfect daddy/daughter moment. It’s such a sweet song and a song that I can listen to years in the future and hear Jolee at 13 on too.”

On Cover Girl, Aaron Watson and his eleven unique duet partners take classic songs and reimagine them in new and different ways. From Taylor Swift to Rosanne Cash to the Pretenders, there’s something for every music fan here.

Cover Girl Tracklist:

  1. Seven Year Ache ft. Jenna Paulette
  2. Million Reasons ft. Morgan Myles
  3. Back on the Chain Gang ft. Twinnie
  4. Love At The Five And Dime ft. Jamie Lin Wilson
  5. Can’t Cry Anymore ft. Bri Bagwell
  6. All Through The Night ft. Leigh Nash
  7. 9 to 5 ft. Kylie Frey
  8. You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma ft. Kimberly Kelly
  9. Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days) ft. Courtney Patton
  10. Two More Bottles Of Wine ft. Alyssa Micaela
  11. Never Grow Up ft. Joel Kate Watson

Country Swag Picks:

  1. Million Reasons
  2. Never Grow Up
  3. All Through the Night
  4. Seven Year Ache
Aaron-watson-cover-girl-album

Aaron Watson shares new album, ‘Cover Girl,’ out now on all streaming platforms.

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

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

Cover Girl 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.

NYCS First Impression: Aaron Watson ‘Red Bandana’

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Aaron Watson Red Bandana

Aaron Watson is celebrating a huge milestone year, being in the music industry for 20 years, with a new album, Red Bandana. In the days leading up to Watson’s latest album, he took to Instagram to describe each track and how it came about. Red Bandana is not the traditional 10-12 track album and Watson doesn’t play by the rules of the industry as an independent artist. One thing to notice about him compared to any other artists is his ability to tell a story. Whether it is his own personal journey, loss, or success, a moment with a fan turned into a song, or a meaningful conversation, Watson is able to pull great songs out of anything.

The album’s cover is a simple red bandana just like the name although it’s meaning is much bigger. Watson shared on Instagram earlier this year, “To me there’s nothing more classic, more country, or more cowboy than an old red bandana. It signifies hard work, grit, and determination… I needed a cover that would reflect the meaning behind the music. I needed something with more substance than just another cover with my picture on it. The title track is a cowboy poem, so I decided, why not just photograph my Dad’s old red bandana. We tilted the square red bandana 45 degrees and there it was, like a diamond in the rough!”

Watson is right. Upon first listen, “Ghost of Guy Clark” has is such a cowboy tone to it, just like a Chris Ledoux classic. A clear ode to staying true to yourself, something the singer-songwriter clearly represents. Fading into “El Comienzo Del Viaje,” you will notice that there are no words in the minute and a half song. The sounds of an abandoned Texas town and fiddles quickly turns into sounds of a victory, like any triumphant story.

The latest single off the record “Kiss That Girl Goodbye” is based on an encounter Watson had with a fan. He shared earlier this year on his Instagram that a girl came up to meet him after a concert and told him that she was supposed to come here with her boyfriend but after she dumped him she still came to celebrate by herself. What better way to celebrate than to have Watson write such an upbeat song! Other hits include “Trying Like the Devil,” “Old Friend,” and “Riding With Red” with new music videos for each.

Out of all the songs on the album, the last one “58” is arguably the most powerful. It’s a tribute to the 58 men and women that lost their lives at the Route 91 tragedy. A few months after the shooting in Vegas, Watson played there for National Finals Rodeo where he met a sweet woman who had lost a close friend during the tragedy. She suggested that someday he should write a song for all the victims and their families. “58” is an ode to those who passed and lost loved ones during the tragedy last year. Watson once again makes a point to pay tribute to his hero, draw awareness to issues, write heart-melting love songs, and more all into one beautiful and cohesive album.

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

Red Bandana is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here 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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11th Annual Texas Independence Day Celebration in NYC

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Country music fans from all over packed Terminal 5 Saturday night, and the majority of them sported Texas gear to celebrate the 11th Annual Salute to Texas Independence Day featuring Texas artists Kyle Park, Aaron Watson, Eli Young Band, and Pat Green.

11th annual Texas Independence Day celebration

It was a jam-packed evening filled with 5 hours of Texas country music that was kicked off by Kyle Park. Aaron Watson continued the celebration singing crowd favorites such as “That Look”, “Kiss That Girl Goodbye”, and “Run Wild Horses.”

Watson paid tribute the heroes in the room and said: “I’ll tell ya, I’ve been around the world making music and we are blessed to live in the greatest nation in the whole wide world. We need to take time to give credit where credit is due, so all the veterans, the act of duty service men and woman, raise your hands. All the law enforcement officers and firemen get your hands up!” Over the cheers of the crowd, he sang “Raise Your Bottle”.

Another special moment was when Watson told the crowd, “Of all the songs that I’ve written this one means the most to me, this was the first song after my wife and I lost our little girl.” He continued, “There might be somebody out there tonight who is just hanging on by a thread, somebody who is having a hard time like I was and just want you to know, I know how you feel, I love you, God bless you, hang in there,” and he sang the beautifully written and moving song, “July In Cheyenne”.

Watson told everyone after he met Pat Green in the ’90s at a 150 person show, it was then he realized “I want to play Texas music for the rest of my life.” He played an ode to Texas with “Bluebonnets”, and “They Don’t Make Em’ Like They Used To” before closing out his set with the hit song, “Outta Style.” Watson said, “Thank you for helping to show country music that cowboys are never going “Outta Style!”

11th annual Texas Independence Day celebration

Next up were the multi-platinum selling artists straight from North Texas: Eli Young Band. A few days prior to the show, they announced they are releasing This Is Eli Young Band (Greatest Hits) album on March 29th. Fans were lucky enough to hear many of the cuts from their upcoming record, and they kept the energy level high as they sang hit after hit with “Always the Love Songs”, “Where Were You”, “Saltwater Gospel”, and “Love Ain’t”.

Young took a moment to dedicate “Skin and Bones” to his wife that was there in the audience, and sang another longtime fan favorite “Guinevere.” Young said, “Still to this day, it is absolutely positively one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written and been a part of writing, it is a song we wrote about a girl named Guinevere.” The crowd loved every minute of their set especially during “Drunk Last Night”, and they sang every word to “Crazy Girl”, and “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”.

11th annual Texas Independence Day celebration

Closing out the night, Pat Green took the stage and said: “If you didn’t know how badass New York City was, you wouldn’t be here at all – NYC is bad to the bone!” The chants for “Pat Green” rang loud throughout his set as he sang favorites like “Take Me Out to A Dancehall”, “Baby Doll”, “Songs About Texas”, and “Texas On My Mind.” Green even treated the crowd with a Springsteen cover of “Atlantic City.” Everyone sang along to his biggest hits “Feels Just Like It Should” and the final song of the night “Wave on Wave.”

Everything may be “bigger” in Texas, but the fans in the Big Apple sure did prove they can throw a huge Texas party alongside Kyle Park, Aaron Watson, Eli Young Band, and Pat Green. Green closed out the show by saying, “Thank you for having us, this is an amazing place, and we are lucky to be here.” All of the artists joined Green on stage and held a big Texas flag for a final goodbye and the crowd loved every second of it!

 

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Aaron Watson Releases Fun New Single “Kiss That Girl Goodbye”

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Kiss That Girl Goodbye

 

Independent country artist Aaron Watson is kicking off the new year with a brand new feel-good, boot-stomping song entitled “Kiss That Girl Goodbye.” It is the lead single and one of twenty songs the vocalist wrote for his upcoming studio album Red Bandana, which is slated for release later this year.

The self-penned, uptempo tune has Watson preaching about leaving a previous relationship in the past and moving onto better things. He sings in the chorus, “That boy can kiss that girl goodbye / Just like a red-eyed flight / Two tail lights in the night / You’re gonna spread your wings and fly / That boy can kiss that girl goodbye / Just like a westbound train / You’re drinking cheap champagne / You got no more tears to cry / And you’re long gone like a whisper in the wind / That boy can kiss that girl goodbye”

In a recent press release, Watson shared the writing process behind the sure to be hit, “I wanted to come out of the gates with a fast, fun, boot-stomper that sounds great on radio and gets the fans dancing. I actually wrote it late one night after meeting a girl at my show who was in tears after being stood up on a date. My little girl Jolee Kate loves it and says it has GIRL POWER! Thanks to all of you for supporting me, my music, and my family.”

The Texas native will head out on the first leg of his 2019 headlining tour this month which will through the spring and hit New York City on March 2nd at Terminal 5. The show includes sets from Watson, Eli Young Band, Pat Green, and Kyle Park, and tickets are available here. Visit https://www.aaronwatson.com for a full list of dates and additional information.

“Kiss That Girl Goodbye” is now available everywhere you stream or purchase music. Take a listen below.

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

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Aaron Watson LIVE from Opry City Stage with NYCountry Swag

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Before playing New York City’s Texas Independence Day at Gramercy Theatre, Aaron Watson visited Opry City Stage to play some songs and chat with New York Country Swag.  Catch the full video below.

 

 

Keep up with Watson on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and for tour dates head to his website.

 

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