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NYCS Attends 3rd Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2020 Recap

February 25, 2020/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

For the third year in a row, the NYCountry Swag team headed to Nashville to participate in Country Radio Seminar. CRS for short takes place each February creates memories and celebrates incredible musical moments. CRS is an annual three-day convention where country music and the radio industry gather to exchange ideas, set trends, introduce brands, launch artists and make decisions that affect every aspect of the genre’s future. The seminar includes new music from rising artists as well as some of the most established artists in the business. For some of the best moments and the most exclusive shots, check out our highlight reel on Instagram here.

We flew down to Nashville a day early to meet with our friends at UMG and EBMedia as well as attend an event hosted by CMT regarding Equal Play. Leslie Fram, Coleman Insights, Dr. Jada E. Watson, Cody Alan, Cris Lacy & Mike Molinar sat down in a panel setting to discuss research that was conducted about what fans want to hear on country radio and discuss ideas and brainstorm ways to give more equal representation to women on the radio.

Photo Credit is: Courtesy of CRS / Kayla Schoen Photography

After checking into our room at The Omni, where the seminar takes place, we headed to the first major event of the week, the Warner Luncheon where artists like Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Shy Carter, and one of our 2020 Artists to Watch Gabby Barrett. This event allows these artists to perform just one song for a room full of media and radio programmers from across the country. We were also in the presence of greatness on so many levels, Kenny Chesney. He was awarded the Artist Humanitarian Award for all of the incredible work he has done to change the world. After a humble and incredible acceptance speech, Chesney played some of his biggest hits including “Save It For A Rainy Day” and “Get Along”.

That evening we also headed to Sony Girls Night Out which featured an amazing group performance from The Sisterhood Band, Tenille Townes, and Rachel Wammack. We stopped by FGL House to catch up with our friends at Big Machine Label Group including Tyler Rich, and Avenue Beat. We then caught Brett Young in an intimate setting at the Country Music Hall of Fame and ended our night at the Warner Wednesday cocktail party.

Day two was jam-packed as well, kicking things off with one of the most epic events of the week, the UMG Luncheon at the Ryman. With an unprecedented amount of performers this year, CRS attendees were in awe of the caliber of talent presented that day including Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Brandon Lay, Caylee Hammack, Adam Hambrick, Kylie Morgan, Parker McCollum, Kip Moore, Brothers Osborne, and Travis Denning. Hot Country Knights, kicked things off with an electric performance of their debut single “Pick Her Up” Mickey Guyton took the stage to perform a brand new song, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her” which highlights the struggles women are facing in today’s society and the song, her emotion, and her performance elicited a standing ovation from the entire venue. Then he biggest surprise of the week so far was that legendary artist Reba was joining UMG once again and she performed her iconic hit “Fancy” for the crowd.

2020

Next up we celebrated the release of Luke Bryan’s new brand of beer Two Lane and then headed to the Sony Showcase with Niko Moon, Tenille Townes, and our very first Swag Session artist Adam Doleac.

After the showcase, we caught Hardy’s first-ever headlining Nashville show thanks to our friends at Big Loud and Sweet Talk PR. It was an honor to catch the tour not only when it came to New York City but now in Nashville, as one of our 2020 Artists to Watch and favorite rising stars impressed the crowd. He brought Hunter Phelps, Jameson Rodgers out to perform “My Kinda Livin”, as well as a guest appearance from Devin Dawson on his current single, “One Beer”.

Photo Credit is: Courtesy of CRS / Kayla Schoen Photography

The final day of CRS brought the Big Machine Label Group luncheon where Florida Georgia Line kicked things off by performing not only their debut breakout hit “Cruise” but their current single “Blessings” and thanked country radio for their support over the years. We also heard new music from vocal powerhouse Danielle Bradbery, saw newcomer Payton Smith and many more. The ladies of Avenue Beat performed for the crowd and Lady Antebellum closed out the event. It was also announced with a special appearance that Tim McGraw would be returning to Big Machine Label, a place that he celebrated a ton of success with earlier on in his career.

Photo Credit is: Courtesy of CRS / Kayla Schoen Photography

One of our favorite events each year, CRS New Faces closes out the 3-day seminar. This sit-down dinner encourages attendees to dress to the nines, experience a cocktail reception and full dinner before being entertained by 5 of the genre’s most promising rising artists, all who had an incredible year. This year, Riley Green, Ingrid Andress, Morgan Evans, Runaway June, and Mitchell Tenpenny were being honored. All of these artists have been named NYCountry Swag Artists to Watch in the past few years. Performing their biggest hits to date, we watched these inspiring acts win over the entire room.

Another memorable trip to Nashville for our company. We already can’t wait for CRS 2021.

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The Hero Collection by NYCountry Swag is inspired by the men and women of the Fire, Police and Military Departments across the country. A portion of sales from each purchase is donated to different foundations that support our heroes. We are dedicated to honoring their service and remembering their sacrifice.

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Nominees for CRS 2020 New Faces of Country Music Announced

November 11, 2019/in Blog /by Erica Zisman

For two years in a row, our team has had the pleasure of attending Country Radio Seminar (CRS), where country music and radio industry gather to exchange ideas, check out new talent, and celebrate the country music genre.

The CRS New Faces of Country Music is one of the most coveted showcases of the weekend that spotlights five emerging artists that have achieved significant success at Country Radio. This year, nine deserving artists have been nominated for the honor, including Ingrid Andress, Morgan Evans, Riley Green, HARDY, Ryan Hurd, Tyler Rich, Runaway June, Matt Stell, and Mitchell Tenpenny.

Here at NYCountry Swag, we pride ourselves on being tastemakers and introducing our followers and country music fans to the freshest and newest talents in country music. We are proud to say that we have been able to interview most of the nominees, as well as, witness their talents in different capacities, and can honestly say that they all are deserving of the accolades.

Andress is one of the most creative and unique artists in town, while HARDY is a masterful songwriter, whose latest record Hixtape Vol. 1 was genius. Both Evans and Stell found success on the charts, hitting the number one spot on country airplay with their prospective singles. Of course, Hurd, and one of our favorites, Rich, have been staples at country music festivals all year!

The dynamic trio, Runaway June, has found success all year and even went on tour with Carrie Underwood! We have loved watching their careers blossom. Finally, Tenpenny has been one of our favorites, since before this record year. It’s incredible to see how he has grown as an artist over the years.

We look forward to seeing which five artists make up the New Faces of Country Class of 2020, and we cannot wait for the showcase. In the meantime, check out our recap from our experience at Country Radio Seminar last year and watch our exclusive interviews and performances with each of the artists nominated below.

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SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
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and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

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NYCS First Impression: Vince Gill ‘Okie’

August 23, 2019/in Blog, First Impression /by Brianna Vacca

Time and time again, twenty-one time Grammy Award-winning Country Artist Vince Gill unveils his truth by continuing to put his heart on his sleeve for all to see. With penned hits like “When I Call Your Name,” “Whenever You Come Around” and “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” the Country Music Hall of Fame member is no stranger in making hearts bleed. Three decades since Gill’s country music debut, he’s back stronger than ever with another remedial release.

Available everywhere you buy or stream music, Gill’s new album Okie cites a number of sensitive discussions; those that require care being one of Gill’s most personal and honest albums in years. A lot of the “Go Rest High on That Mountain” singer’s core truths are told, through life lessons, love, and spiritual values and even lessons learned from his musical idols. Musically, it’s as authentically minimized as possible and it really hones in on the depth of Gill’s songwriting abilities instead of the nature of production. Gill states in a press release: “I thought this was going to be a songwriter record, not a concept album. It wound up being more information than I’d envisioned. A friend sent me an email saying, ‘You could have only written this record after living a 60-year-plus life.’ He continues, ‘There’s no struggle in these songs, just truth, and your experience.”

In “Forever Changed,” the country singer-songwriter defies the consequential affair of sexual abuse. We were there when the Country Hall of Famer debuted this track over a year ago at a music industry’s Country Radio Seminar in Nashville where he received a standing ovation. Gill employes his own maturity looking back at his own experience as a seventh-grader being touched by his basketball coach and publicly scolds sexual abuse singing: “You put your hands where they don’t belong / And now her innocence is dead and gone / She feels dirty, she feels ashamed / Because of you, she’s forever changed”

The country music singer-songwriter refuses to remain hushed about controversial matters that are needed to be spoken about. “What Choice Will You Make” is written through the perspective of a woman who is deserted because of an unplanned pregnancy and the singer urges listeners to empathize with women’s reproductive rights. “The Price of Regret” battles the topic of race.

There are lighthearted songs as well included on Okie and a lot of tributes dedicated to the ones that make Gill who he is today. Gill writes about his mother in “A Letter To My Mama” originally titled “Love I Owe” and about his wife, Amy Grant in “When My Amy Prays,” where he confesses his relationship with God through his marriage to Amy. There are also tributes to his musical icons such as Merle Haggard in “A World Without Haggard’ and “Black and White.”

Still making music that matters, Gill proves on Okie that time, life experiences and growing older doesn’t always have to be a hindrance, rather a way to impart wisdom and reflect on a life well lived.

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

Okie is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more recently released music 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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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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CRS 2019 Recap – 3 Days Making Country Music Memories

February 19, 2019/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

For the second year in a row, the NYCountry Swag team packed up and headed to Nashville to participate in Country Radio Seminar. CRS for short takes place each February and this year the seminar celebrated 50 years of memories and incredible musical moments. CRS is an annual three-day convention where country music and the radio industry gather to exchange ideas, set trends, introduce brands, launch artists and make decisions that affect every aspect of the genre’s future. The seminar includes new music from rising artists as well as some of the most established artists in the business. For some of the best moments and the most exclusive shots, check out our highlight reel on Instagram here.

To kick off the week we flew to town a day before the seminar started to attend a show at the Grand Ole Opry, one of Nashville’s staple events. On this particular night, we caught Justin Moore, Travis Denning, Chris Janson and making their Opry debut, the Davisson Brothers. Each artist brought their unique brand of country music to the famed circle, as always respecting the incredible honor it is to play there. Big thanks to Jordan Pettit for allowing our team to explore backstage, and even catch Chris Janson’s set from the stage.

The next day officially kicked off the seminar which is held at the Omni Hotel. The first event was the Warner Luncheon which featured Morgan Evans, Devin Dawson, Cody Johnson, Cole Swindell, Chris Janson, Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay and Humanitarian of the Year, Blake Shelton. This event allows these artists to perform just one song for a room full of media and radio programmers from across the country. Highlights included Ashley McBryde telling the story of her teacher in grade school telling her that her dream of writing songs was stupid, she went on to sing “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” and you could hear a pin drop during her poignant song. Shelton accepted the Humanitarian of the Year award from last year’s recipient Dierks Bentley then after thanking everyone for the great honor sang “Austin” and “Ole Red” two of the songs that skyrocketed him to superstardom.

After the luncheon, we headed to a Happy Hour reception held by The Valory Music Company. Valory’s recording artists including Brantley Gilbert, Aaron Lewis, Thomas Rhett, Tyler Rich, Eli Young Band, and Justin Moore were all in attendance, sharing a drink with the invited guests. We had the chance to chat with Thomas Rhett and Tyler Rich about their upcoming plans for 2019 as well as Rhett’s headlining show at Madison Square Garden this fall. Thank you to Don Gosselin for having us out and for always being such a huge supporter of NYCountry Swag.

Next up was Amazon Music Country Heat, a showcase that featured King Calaway, Tenille Townes, Adam Hambrick, HARDY and Zac Brown Band. Highlights for us included seeing King Calaway, a band we are proud to support from the very beginning getting their shot to showcase their talent and charisma for a large audience of influential people in this business. Zac Brown Band premiered a brand new song as well as had everyone on their feet dancing along to their cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Next up was an exclusive once in a lifetime moment for CRS attendees, Garth Brooks closed down Bridgestone Arena for an intimate one-man show. Not only did Brooks answer questions about his career and give advice to the crowd but he played snippets of songs from artists that inspired him throughout his career including Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Keith Whitley and many more. The show concluded with a CRS sing-along of one of his biggest hits “Friends In Low Places”.

Closing out day one, we headed to Luke’s 32 Bridge on Broadway to catch Jon Langston and a performance from the man himself, Luke Bryan. Langston rocked the crowd as an opener for Bryan’s very first time performing in his own bar. He played current hits such as “What Makes You Country” and “Huntin’ Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday” as well as throwing it back to “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”. He invited Morgan Wallen to jump on stage, a total surprise for the crowd as well as Wallen himself, as the two sang to his number one hit “Up Down”.

Day two started with one of the most highly anticipated events of the seminar, the Team UMG Lunch at The Ryman Auditorium. The hallowed halls of the Ryman were the perfect setting for Kassi Ashton, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Travis Denning, Vince Gill, Adam Hambrick, Caylee Hammack, Brandon Lay, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Chris Stapleton, and Keith Urban. Little Big Town played a brand new song for attendees, a heartfelt ballad recognizing the importance of raising our girls to be strong women. As a surprise, Darius Rucker did not take the stage alone, Hootie and the Blowfish performed two of their biggest hits, “Let Her Cry” and “Hold My Hand” which had the entire auditorium on their feet singing along.

Next up was a 90’s Country Night event hosted by Monument Records featuring one of our 2019 Artists to Watch Brandon Ratcliff and Walker Hayes. Ratcliff sang his debut single “Rules of Breaking Up” as well as a cover of one of his favorite 90’s country hits, Shania Twain’s “Still The One”, showcasing his undeniable talent to the crowd. Walker Hayes was prepared to rock the beautiful theatre, giving the invited guests a sneak peek at his ‘Dream On It’ tour. He performed all of his hits and even gave the audience a taste at new music. Special shout out to Sarah DHilly and Casey Thomas from Monument and Olivia Hanceri from SMACK Songs for inviting us out to the event and always taking such good care of us. We were so happy to see you all!

We rushed over to The Bell Tower to catch Radio Disney’s event ‘Let The Girls Play’ hosted by Kalie Shorr and Savannah Keyes. We caught Runaway June play their girl power anthem “Buy My Own Drinks”, Cassadee Pope sing her new single “If My Heart Had a Heart” and “Raelynn” perform “Love Triangle”.

Finally, we headed to the presidential suite at the Omni where Warner Music Nashville hosted Tucker Beathard, their most recent signee. Beathard performed for the suite, playing music from his latest album, Nobody’s Everything and showcasing new songs that will be on the next installment of songs.

Beathard displays a unique and soulful way of storytelling. We are so grateful for our friends at Warner including Diane Monk and Tim Foisset for the invite to the exclusive performance and for the incredible conversations this past week and their continued support.

The final day of the seminar kicked off with the Big Machine Label Group luncheon which featured Rascal Flatts, Brantley Gilbert, Riley Green, Lauren Jenkins, and Noah Schnacky. The variety of acts, Gilbert with his raw rock n roll country blend, Jenkins with her soulful meaningful lyrics and Rascal Flatts with their giant, classic country hits made for the perfect afternoon of music.

One of the most anticipated events always closes out the seminar, New Faces which features the best new artists in the genre. In the past 50 years, almost every single huge country star has been honored at the New Faces showcase. To start out the night a video clip of Tim McGraw played on the giant screens, an interview with the superstar about his set at New Faces 25 years ago. It was the same night that McGraw met his future wife, Faith Hill. As attendees took their seats and ate their dinners, the interviewer mentions that they had a clip from that night and as the first notes of “Don’t Take The Girl” played on the screens the curtain rose to reveal the last big surprise of CRS, singing the song in person was Tim McGraw.

Prepped for a night of great music from rising artists, we were so proud that first up was Russell Dickerson, an artist we have been working with since our very first event in January 2016. Dickerson brought his high energy set to CRS, playing his first two number hits, “Blue Tacoma” and “Yours” as well as his next single “Everything Little Thing”. As he closed his set by jumping around on stage, the audience was eager to award him with a standing ovation, proving why he was in this class of New Faces.

Next up was Lindsey Ell who surprised her label by performing a brand new song and showing off her incredible guitar skills on “Criminal” and “Castle”. Another artist we have championed since 2017 to make the New Faces roster was Jimmie Allen. Allen’s cool delivery and swagger had the audience captivated from his first song “Best Shot” to his closing number, a song he wrote about being a black man in country music “All Tractors Ain’t Green”. One of the most epic moments of the night, he brought out several gospel singers to accompany him, showcasing his true artistry.

Next up, the boys of LANCO brought their live set to the stage, performing “Greatest Love Story” and “Born to Love You” and even took the opportunity to premiere brand new music for the radio seminar audience. Closing out the night with Dylan Scott’s energetic live set, the crooner performed his latest single “Nothing To Do Town” and even covered Keith Whitley He ended the night with his smash hit “My Girl”.

Bookending the trip with another stop at the famed Grand Ole Opry, we headed back to the historic venue Saturday night to catch Mitchell Tenpenny’s Opry debut. Since meeting Tenpenny back in 2017 and interviewing him first on our live session in the middle of Times Square, we have enjoyed championing this incredible musician and watching his career continue to flourish. We were lucky enough to watch him step into the infamous circle for the very first time from the side of the stage with the rest of his team. Check out an exclusive video of the magical moment on our Instagram below.

Overall the three day seminar gave NYCountry Swag the opportunity to connect with people our team had been emailing with over the past year, hear some incredible new music from rising artists as well as being in awe of some of country music’s biggest icons. We learned, connected and celebrated country music with the rest of the Nashville community and with people who live across the country. Thank you to Aristo PR for credentialing our team and we are already looking forward to CRS 2020! Don’t forget to visit our highlight reel on Instagram here to check out photos and videos from some of the best moments of the week.

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NYCountry Swag Team Heads to Country Radio Seminar in Nashville

February 5, 2019/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

Next Week, the New York Country Swag team heads to Nashville to take part in the 50th Annual Country Radio Seminar (CRS). CRS is an annual three-day convention where country music and the radio industry gather to exchange ideas, set trends, introduce brands, launch artists and make decisions that affect every aspect of the genre’s future. The seminar includes new music from rising artists as well as some of the most established artists in the business.

This year kicks off with an opening day luncheon hosted by Warner Music Nashville featuring performances from Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay, Devin Dawson, Chris Janson, Morgan Evans, Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde, and Cole Swindell. Wednesday evening is Amazon Music Presents: “Country Heat” at CRS, With Performances by Zac Brown Band, Tenille Townes, Adam Hambrick, HARDY, and King Calaway. Garth Brooks will bring his one-man show to the Bridgestone Arena as well as sit down for a Q&A during the seminar.

Just announced, the UMG Lunch, taking place at The Ryman, will feature Kassi Ashton, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Travis Denning, Vince Gill, Adam Hambrick, Caylee Hammack, Brandon Lay, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, and Keith Urban.

This year’s BLMG Luncheon will feature Rascal Flatts, Brantley Gilbert, Riley Green, Lauren Jenkins, and
Noah Schnacky. New Faces of Country Music which takes place Friday night to close out the seminar will include Russell Dickerson, Jimmie Allen, Lindsay Ell, Dylan Scott, and LANCO. The show is sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Hospital and will include performances by each of the five artists.

Besides these major events, the week promises to be filled with surprises and incredible new music from some of country’s biggest and best. For a full recap of CRS 2018 click here.

Be sure to follow us on all of our social channels to see exclusive content from the seminar (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.)

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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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NYCS Swag Spotlight: Trent Harmon

June 18, 2018/in Blog, Swag Spotlight /by Christina Bosch

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

Trent Harmon was catapulted into the spotlight after auditioning and winning the final season of American Idol on Fox. His charm, incredible skill to connect to songs, and ability to be a true storyteller are what gave him an edge over other finalists. Now, two years later he has honed his songwriting craft and with the guidance of a major label, Big Machine, has released his debut album, You Got ‘Em All.

Looking back at his childhood, Harmon tells New York Country Swag about growing up in rural Mississippi. “I wanted to be an artist, I wanted to do music, quite honestly, it’s a cliche story, but nobody from my neck of the woods really makes it out of that neck of the woods,” he says. “I was twelve when I bought my first guitar at a pawn shop. It took me several years before I could play it. Then, I started writing songs, too”

Harmon’s parents owned a small steakhouse near their home and growing up working there was a part of everyday life. When he realized his talents were better served entertaining the customers rather than cleaning up after them, he started singing and taking requests. “I didn’t realize it then, but I was getting my chops as a performer, those were my first gigs. I quit waiting and cleaning tables, I started playing songs and played for a crowd,” he recalls. Almost all of the songs that were requested were from the country music genre, but Harmon wasn’t only a fan of country music, he listened to southern rock and was a huge fan of Elvis Presley.

After playing gigs in Memphis, Nashville and Little Rock, he had all but exhausted his options during a six or seven year period. Running out of money, he decided to take a chance and audition for American Idol. During the toughest week of the contestants journey, Hollywood Week, Harmon suffered through mono to impress the judges and went on to win the entire competition.

He explains that although the industry sometimes regards the winners of national singing competitions as making it easy, he explained that he had to fight through those ceilings to get where he is now. “Idol showcased one of the main reasons I started doing this, I do consider it a job, it’s how I pay my bills, I take it very seriously,” he tells us. “There might be a weird stigma that you do win Idol and ‘Are they really a musician or are they a reality TV person.’ He took time off after his big win to really focus on writing music, writing a song a day for two years and deciding what he wanted to say with his music.

The title track from his debut album was written in less than an hour, Harmon tells us. After calling his girlfriend and giving her the great news that his label was ready to release his first single to radio, she gave him the news that she would be moving to Thailand to follow her dream of teaching. After that devastating phone call, he sat down in a co-write with Justin Ebach and Jordan Minton. He almost canceled that day but decided to keep the session, and luckily poured out his heart into one of his most personal songs yet. “It was a good day to not cancel,” he laughs, “Let that be the title of your piece.”

Back in February, New York Country Swag caught Harmon when he performed at the Big Machine Luncheon during Country Radio Seminar where he performed “You Got ‘Em All” for radio executives and people who work in the music industry. “I had one job that day and that was to solidify myself a slot for the next year as a relevant up-and-coming artist in the country format,” he recalls. He did just that, singing the next single from his forthcoming album and the full room of people, who are not easily impressed, stood up and cheered when he finished. “When they stood up and I got the standing ovation and everyone clapped, that was one of those moments, that was arguably as big for me as winning the show that night, it was a different kind of win. It’s validation that you are doing something right. It was the right song, the right time, and the right people to hear it at that moment.” He tells us, “It was like all of the stars aligned.”

Focusing his energy and songwriting into his debut album, Harmon explains that you never know as an artist if you will get a chance to put out a second album, so he wanted to fill the first full-length with songs and stories dedicated to the people who have helped him get where he is today. “I made a list of the people who were instrumental in getting me to this point and I tried to write a song to each of those people and if it was good enough it made the album,” Harmon tells us. It is a compilation of gratitude to his family, friends, and fans who have lifted him to this point in his career.

Heading out on tour this summer with Rascal Flatts and Dan + Shay, Harmon is looking forward to seeing a bunch of his fans who are nicknamed “The Harmonies” as well as making new fans. For his full tour schedule head to www.trentharmon.com and be sure to continue to follow his journey on social media Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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NYCountry Swag Takes Country Radio Seminar: A Full Recap

February 13, 2018/in Blog, NYCountry Swag Takes Nashville /by Christina Bosch

The 49th Country Radio Seminar (CRS) took place this past week in Nashville, Tennessee at The Omni Hotel in Downtown Nashville. CRS is an annual three-day convention where country music and the radio industry gather to exchange ideas, set trends, introduce brands, launch artists and make decisions that affect every aspect of the genre’s future. The seminar includes new music from rising artists as well as some of the most established artists in the business.

Here are some highlights of our week down in Nashville including photos of our favorite artists. Head to our Instagram to see more exclusive content and videos.

During the opening ceremonies, attendees gathered in one of the Omni’s ballrooms to honor their sponsors for the week as well as to award Dierks Bentley with the 2018 Artist Humanitarian Award. Humbled by this award, Bentley took the stage to thank the committee who chose him and explain that he is happy to use his platform for a greater good. He received recognition for his charity work with his Miles & Music for Kids concert and the accompanying motorcycle ride. Over the last 10 years, the organization raised over 4 million dollars.

Next up, our team headed to Broken Bow Records’ showcase which included the signing of a brand new act, Everette The Band as well as performances from each of their talented stars including Walker McGuire, Lindsey Ell, Dustin Lynch, Granger Smith and Jimmie Allen.

Closing out the night of incredible music, Jason Aldean took the stage to perform “Tattoos On This Town”, “Any Ol’ Barstool” and his brand new single “You Make It Easy” for the attendees.

Aldean and Allen then headed to the Amazon Music & CRS Monday Night Showcase where they performed and Garth Brooks joined Aldean on stage for an epic duet of “Friends in Low Places”.

Heading down to Broadway, we stopped by Dierks Bentley’s brand new Bar, Whiskey Row, for a performance from Hot Country Knights, Bentley’s parody 90’s cover band. Fellow Universal Music Group labelmates Jordan Davis, Kassi Ashton, Maddie and Tae, Jon Pardi, Travis Denning, took the stage to sing classic 90’s hits including “Boot-Scootin’ Boogie”, “Any Man of Mine”, “Sold” and “Lesson in Leavin'”.

Tuesday, Day 2 of the seminar was filled with 26 artists, performing their new music for the radio and media attendees. Every year the UMG Luncheon which takes place at the historic Ryman Auditorium is a highlight of the week and this year was certainly no different. After grabbing our boxed lunch, we headed inside to sit 4th row ready for some incredible music. Performers at the luncheon included newcomers, Jordan Davis, Kassi Ashton, Travis Denning, and Brandon Lay. Each of the rising artists that have just been signed to Universal Music Group were so grateful for the opportunity to play the on the historic stage for the most prestigious names in radio. Other acts to perform were Kip Moore, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Maddie & Tae, Jon Pardi and Luke Bryan. Highlights included Vince Gill singing a new song he wrote about sexual misconduct and the powerful movement happening in the world and keeping with the theme, Keith Urban singing his latest single “Female” with Nicolle Gaylon who co-wrote the song.

Next up we stopped by the NASH FM Nashville campus to visit our friends Ty, Kelly & Chuck and Elaina and Shawn from Nash Nights Live. Then we headed back to the Omni to catch the Sony Showcase. This guitar pull or acoustic round featured some of Sony’s biggest acts as well as newly signed artists. The first round included Chris Young, Walker Hayes, LANco, Luke Combs and Cam. Each took turns singing their radio singles and Cam even performed a haunting version of a song she wrote with pop singer Sam Smith called “Palace”. The second round featured Brad Paisley, Kane Brown, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Maren Morris. Morris sang her very first radio number one, “I Could Use a Love Song” as well as “Rich” which impacts country radio today.

We then headed to the Warner Suite to catch one of our favorite rising artists, Cale Dodds perform his latest singles “People Watching” and “Take You Back”.

Our final day of the seminar concluded with two shows at the theatre in the Omni hotel. The first was Big Machine’s Luncheon which featured a remarkable performance by the newest artists to join their label Trent Harmon and Tyler Rich. Thomas Rhett also performed his latest single “Marry Me” and Brett Young played his no. 1 hits. Making their official comeback as a duo, Sugarland sang their smash “Baby Girl”, “Stuck On You” and their new single “Still the Same”.

The culmination of three great days ended with New Faces, a critically acclaimed event which features the brightest rising country acts of the previous year. This year was no different, taking the stage with their full bands to each play three of their most popular hits was Carly Pearce, Michael Ray, Midland, Lauren Alaina and Luke Combs.

Overall, Country Radio Seminar was an incredible three days for New York Country Swag, being a small part of bringing new country music to listeners and followers in New York City and beyond. We are already looking forward to next years seminar!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram for more pictures and videos from the incredible events.

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag

NYCountry Swag Team Heading to Nashville for CRS Week

January 30, 2018/in Blog /by Christina Bosch

Next Week, the New York Country Swag team heads to Nashville to take part in Country Radio Seminar (CRS). CRS is an annual three-day convention where country music and the radio industry gather to exchange ideas, set trends, introduce brands, launch artists and make decisions that affect every aspect of the genre’s future. The seminar includes new music from rising artists as well as some of the most established artists in the business.

This year Dierks Bentley, CRS 2018 Artist Humanitarian of the Year will be a featured speaker as well as a Q&A session with Brad Paisley during the “Art and the Artist Conversation”. The Amazon Music & CRS Monday Night Showcase will feature Jimmie Allen, Jordan Davis, and Jason Aldean.

Just announced, the UMG Lunch, taking place at The Ryman, will feature Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Vince Gill, Kip Moore, Maddie & Tae, Brothers Osborne, Darius Rucker Jon Pardi and more.

The New Faces Show which takes place Wednesday night to close out the seminar will include Lauren Alaina, Midland, Carly Pearce, Luke Combs and Michael Ray. The show is sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Hospital and will include performances by each of the five artists.

Be sure to follow us on all of our social channels to see exclusive content from the seminar (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.)

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Thanks for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Click Here to learn more about NYCountry Swag
+ Follow our Country Music Adventures on Instagram, @NYCOUNTRYSWAG!

– Team NYCountry Swag