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Women Who Inspire Us: Nashville Edition

March is the month dedicated to women, and it’s a month with so much to celebrate within the country music community. Right now, two solo women occupy spots in the top 10 on radio, which is a rare feat in this genre; Kelsea Ballerini, Ingrid Andress, and more are set to release highly anticipated LPs in the coming weeks; and on March 8th, which is International Women’s Day, NYCountry Swag is hosting its Babes, Booze & Brunch event featuring Songs & Daughters’ Madison Kozak, an event for women celebrating women. In honor of all of the amazing women making waves in country music, we compiled a list of our favorite women who are ruling Nashville and beyond from center stage and backstage.

 

  1. Leslie Fram

Leslie Fram, senior VP of Music Strategy at CMT is one of the most influential and incredible women in country music. She has dedicated her career to promoting all artists, no matter their gender, race, or sexuality and help them to succeed in this genre. She has helped initiatives like CMT Next Women of Country, Change the Conversation and #EqualPlay launch and is continuing to introduce change so great music can be heard. Read more about Leslie Fram and her initiatives in our Woman of the Month feature and find her here on Instagram and Twitter.

 

  1. Mickey Guyton

Mickey Guyton is not only one of the best singer-songwriters to come out of Nashville, but she has also made it her mission to use her platform to help people. She is a woman of color and is actively helping country music become more diverse. She makes sure to post her #WCWs and incredible clips of songs written/sung by black women, using the hashtag #blackgirlsrock, every week. Her new single, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” is a stunning, gut-wrenching plea to society that all women can relate to, and it’s a song so good radio should be lined up ready to play it. Guyton is proving that it’s her time to shine and that 2020 is the year of women. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.

Kelly Ford Women

  1. Kelly Ford

Kelly Ford is one of the morning radio hosts at NY’s Country 94.7 and is not only so fun to listen to on-air, but she has used her platform to do incredible things. In February, she spearheaded a campaign to get Valentine’s Day Cards to the troops, helped host a radiothon for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, where they raised over $400,000 and has been vocal about increasing airplay for women on country radio. She is one of the voices of the tri-state area, but she uses it to help the world beyond New York. Read more about Kelly Ford and her journey into radio in our Woman of the Month feature, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter here.

 

  1. Savana Santos

Savana Santos is a part of the girl-trio Avenue Beat, and the three girls have created a fresh take on country-pop, using the lyrics to be relatable and the production to get the songs stuck in your head forever. Not only does Santos have a hand in writing all of their songs, but she is responsible for the production of all of them too. There are very few women who sit in the producer’s chair right now, and it’s inspiring to see that a new generation is taking charge. You can find Santos on Instagram, and you can find Avenue Beat here.

  1. Hailey Whitters

Hailey Whitters is one of Nashville’s brightest rising stars. She just finished touring with Maren Morris and is currently touring with Jordan Davis in support of her debut album The Dream, which she helped produce, and is making singer-songwriter leaning country in a genre that’s very pop-leaning currently. She does all of this while being unsigned, which is rare in a radio-driven genre. She is an incredible songwriter and has a beautiful voice, and it’s about time people start to remember her name. To keep up with Whitters, follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

 

  1. Laura Veltz

When you look at the CMA Triple Play award recipients this year, you will find that each winner has something in common: they are all men. It’s crazy to see that list, because there are so many amazing women making ground-breaking music, and one of them is Laura Veltz. She is the writer behind songs like “Speechless” (Dan + Shay) and “The Bones” (Maren Morris) to name a few and is quickly becoming one of the most sought-out songwriters in town. Next year without a doubt her name be up on that list where it belongs. You can find her here on Instagram.

 

  1. Kelsea Ballerini

Who has time to headline arenas, be a member of the Grand Ole Opry, write amazing songs and still make sure her voice is heard in country music? That would be Kelsea Ballerini, who is about to release her third album, kelsea, on March 20th. She has been one of the genre’s most prominent stars in the last few years, and she has been making history and great records while fighting for equal play and learning how to get involved with current issues that are important to her, like the fires in Australia or stricter gun laws in America. She’s using her voice for herself and those who feel silenced. Make sure you’re following Ballerini on Instagram and Twitter.

 

  1. Nicolle Galyon

Last but certainly not least on this list is Nicolle Galyon. She is an award-winning and chart-topping singer-songwriter, responsible for hits like “Tequila” (Dan + Shay) and “Automatic” (Miranda Lambert); she has a three-song EP, featuring songs like Lady Antebellum’s “It Ain’t Pretty”; and Galyon is also a label executive for her all-female record label Songs & Daughters. She discovered and signed Madison Kozak, who will be performing at NY Country Swag’s Babes, Booze & Brunch event this Sunday. She is soon launching her own podcast, and without a doubt holds the title for Instagram Mom of the Year. She is the definition of an inspiring woman ruling country music. Follow her on Instagram to keep up with all things songwriting and Songs & Daughters.

Tickets are still available for  Babes, Booze & Brunch and we’d love to celebrate International Women’s Day with you!

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SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

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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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!

+ Follow our country music adventures on InstagramTwitter & Facebook

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Miss Our Babes, Booze, and Brunch Event

Our annual Babes, Booze, and Brunch event is finally happening this Sunday, March 8th at Refinery Rooftop in Manhattan, and you don’t want to miss it! Still thinking about purchasing a ticket? Here are 5 reasons you don’t want to miss our brunch below!

1. We’re partnering with Nicolle Gaylon of Songs and Daughters/Big Loud Records.
If you know us, you know we love Nicolle Gaylon! She is an extraordinary and award-winning songwriter, as well as, the president of an all-female record later Songs and Daughters, which is an imprint of Big Loud Records. She is as humble as they come, and she will be at our event, supporting her artist and having a blast with all of you! To learn more about Nicolle, check our Woman of the Month feature here.

2. Madison Kozak is performing.
Madison Kozak is a name you are going to want to remember.  When she hits it big on the charts and starts playing to larger audiences, you can say you were one of the first New York fans to see her perform, up close, and personal at our brunch! Madison brings so much energy and love to the stage, and her set is full of heartfelt originals, like “Click” and “OMG ILY,” and fun-loving covers.

Babes Booze & Brunch

3. Sunshine and a rooftop, do we need to say more?!
Refinery Rooftop is one of the prettiest venues in Manhattan. The rooftop views are a perfect spot for your Instagram pictures, and of course, to take in the sun, on what is suppose to be a beautiful 60 degree day! Not to mention, the location is an easy walk from Penn Station, in case you are coming from the train station.

Brunch

4. Mimosas, mimosas, mimosas and bloody marys of course.
We will have a build-your-own mimosa and bloody mary station, as well as, a full bar available. Every ticket even comes with one free mimosa. The station was a hit last year at our event, and it is sure to be this year too!

Babes Booze & Brunch

5. Be part of a day celebrating and empowering women.
Most importantly, be a part of the movement in country music. Come to the brunch, and support a rising female country artist, a female-run business, and of course, each other! Take pictures with your friends in our photobooth or come solo, and make some new friends! Together, we can dance like no one’s watching to all different types of music, have fun, and celebrate the strength of being a woman!

Find tickets for our event here. We will see you there!

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SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

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.

—————————-

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!

+ Follow our country music adventures on InstagramTwitter & Facebook:

Women of the Month 2019 Advice Round-Up

In 2019 we have featured interviews with some of country music and Nashville’s biggest names in the industry in our “Woman of the Month” feature. Each month we chatted with another powerful woman in the business whether they worked in publishing, publicity, record labels or digital marketing. At the end of each interview, we were sure to ask if they had any advice for young girls who wanted to pursue their dreams in the music industry and the best practices to put in motion to make that dream a reality. Here are some of our favorite quotes from our Women of the Month in 2019.

 

Advice

“Don’t care too much about the name of the company you intern for or work for, it’s about where you will get the opportunity to work, learn and grow. If you are at a smaller company, you learn so much so quickly. If it wasn’t for my internship I would have fallen on my face when I got my first job. If you have an opportunity to work, get paid, do what you love and be around good people, take the opportunity.” – Kristen Ashley, Artist Manager & Founder of 11/10 Management

 

Leslie Fram Advice

“Follow your passion and find your champions!  You are offering a service that can help mentor artists and industry professionals, which is such important work.  Sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement!” – Leslie Fram, Senior VP of Music Strategy for CMT 

 

Ashley Eicher Advice

“Figure out who you are at your core and stay true to that, and certainly, don’t let this industry change who you are. Trust and know at this moment you are exactly where you are supposed to be and if you continue to work with integrity and honesty, stay true to who you are, stand up for yourself and be good to people – there is nothing you can’t do.” – Ashley Eicher, Creator, Host, and Producer

 

“Don’t fuck anybody, that’s the first thing I’ll say. Don’t get involved with anybody romantically or sexually that you are in business with, its a huge mistake.” She also is heartfelt when she says to not lose your love for the music, for the reason you are in this business in the first place. “No matter what else happens and keep listening and keep looking for new stars.” – Susan Nadler, Shady Ladies of Music City

 

“My feeling is, you almost have to carve out your own space which is one of the reasons I always had my own company. Just be strong, don’t take the shit from anybody. People always said they were afraid of me or intimated by me because I always told the truth, why is that so scary? I think you just have to stand up for what you believe and if you do that, that will change the conversation.” – Evelyn Shriver, Shady Ladies of Music City

 

Jessica Valiyi

“Our industry is so small, networking is huge. The more you are around and people can see you and see what you do, I feel like that goes a long way, every opportunity I’ve gotten in Nashville has come from someone I’ve networked with.” She also highlights the importance of accepting that you won’t know everything and not being afraid to ask questions or to learn from others around you. – Jessica Valiyi, Digital Strategy for Sony Music Nashville

 

“That’s what I would tell young female creatives. If there is something that you have a little bit of an ego about, don’t be ashamed of that. That might be your self’s way of telling you what you should be putting your time and effort into. Your ego, if handled responsibly, can be your compass to what you should be doing with your time and creativity.” – Nicolle Galyon, Songwriter & President of Songs & Daughters

 

“I have had a really beautiful career because I’ve always followed the music and not the money. I can’t stress that enough if you follow great music, I think the money will come…I have joy in my life, I love my job and I work with incredible talent and the people that I work with are going to be the ones that my kids read about in the country music history books and I am proud of that.”  – Brooke Antonakos VP of Red Creative Group

 

Cassie and Jade

“Doing what you do, me and Cassie are good examples of that because before entering the workforce we were fangirls, being able to take that passion and understand that we were not just fans but consumers. There were plenty of other people just like us, people who we could also turn into consumers, and taking that understanding of why we were purchasing things and making a company out of it, we continue to be fans and we utilize that in our understanding. Studying your own habits led us into this company essentially.” – Cassie Petrey & Jade Driver Owners of Crowd Surf

 

“Figuring out what your talents are and finding a way to do that for good, finding what your passions are, find a place where you can use your heart and bring good no matter where you end up working, I think that was key for finding my career path,” – Jessica Turri St. Jude Country Cares

 

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SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

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.

—————————-

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!

+ Follow our country music adventures on InstagramTwitter & Facebook:

 

 

NYCS Woman Of The Month: Nicolle Galyon, Songwriter & President of Songs & Daughters

We’re bringing you stories from women who are chasing their dreams and building a life that they love with New York Country Swag’s, “Woman of the Month”.

Each month, we highlight a different female pursuing her passions. Introducing you to women who are taking risks, working relentlessly and turning their dreams into reality. These are empowering women who serve as role models and should be celebrated.

Nicolle Galyon

Nicolle Galyon, small-town Sterling, Kansas native started off as a bonafide country superfan, driving 6 hours with her mother to catch The Dixie Chicks in concert and joining fan clubs in order to secure that coveted artist autograph. Today, she is not only a mega-hit songwriter, producer, and president of a brand new all-female label, Songs & Daughters, but she works day in and day out to remain authentic to and impress that little girl who used her fandom to follow her dreams.

Understanding how much time and dedication goes into being a superfan for a specific artist, or for a genre, really lit a fire under Galyon to make her way to Nashville for college. Attending Belmont University, she told family and friends back home that she wanted to work at a record label or manage an artist. In addition to majoring in Music Business, she gave piano lessons to kids, something she learned from an early age, which ultimately led her to work as an assistant. Before long, Galyon found herself sitting in the middle of Nashville guitar pulls filled with songwriters and artists who had publishing and record deals.

“I always knew who Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, and Craig Wiseman were, but it wasn’t until I sat in on a guitar pull that I really understood what that job was,” Galyon explains.

Once she started writing songs, she found herself terrified to perform them in front of anyone, something you must do in order to give your words any traction. After years of writing and honing in on her craft, she realized that writing something that she thought an artist would like or emulating what she heard on the radio was keeping her creativity in a box. It was three or four years into pursuing songwriting before she truly started writing songs for her, and those songs that showcased her honesty were some of the very first songs recorded by artists.

Since then, she’s written many hit songs including “Automatic” for Miranda Lambert, “Boy” for Lee Brice and “All The Pretty Girls” for Kenny Chesney. Most notably, Galyon contributed to co-writing the chart-topping song “Tequila” for Dan + Shay, which has gone on to win not only a Grammy award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, but also both Single and Song of the Year at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards.

 

 

Just last week, Galyon joined Dan + Shay on tour when they played in Chicago and for the very first time got to hear “Tequila” performed live by the duo. For the incredible highlights, and to see a glimpse of that fangirl moment, click here for her Instagram Stories.

Galyon tells us about that moment saying, “I am by no means too cool to be that superfan. When being a superfan is no longer fun for me, then I probably need to find another job because why go through all of this trouble, why endure all of the failure and all of the no’s if the yes isn’t going to be truly enjoyed as if you were still 17.” 

Looking back, we asked Galyon if she could go back to her first few days being a songwriter what would she tell herself and she poetically says: “To trust myself more. I think that’s exclusive for me, but there is a time to listen and learn and that never ends. Whoever I am writing with tomorrow, I will learn something from them, whether they are a veteran songwriter or they are 19-fresh-off-the-bus, if you quit learning from people you quit evolving and you take yourself out of the game because you have to change and evolve.”

We discuss how her roles are now changing as she steps into a new position as label head and president of Songs & Daughters, an all-female label in partnership with Big Loud Records. She says it’s a little like being a senior in high school again, in the best way, “I was the girl that would go play volleyball but right after the game I would grab my yearbook camera and take pictures of the football team, then I would go play saxophone in the pep band and I thrived when I had that much going on,” she laughs.

“Now that I am at this part in my career it’s very natural for me to be in a writing room, but then step out and approve a music video in a bathroom then jump back in, finish a song, then do an interview in the pick up line while I am getting my kids and to me that’s thriving, it makes me feel alive and always a little bit nervous and that makes me feel good.”

Her success as a songwriter has brought her to this next phase of her career, but one thing remains certain, she is a creative and will always be a songwriter first. Her flagship artist is Madison Kozak, a rising female singer-songwriter that we have loved for the past few months with her songs “Graduation Day” and her first single to radio, “First Last Name”.

Galyon explains that she is excited to help develop Kozak’s career, “I want to know what it feels like to stand back and really propel someone else because there is only so much of that gratification that I can get by bringing attention to my self and my own achievements. It really feels like there is a whole pool of goodness that I get to dive into when I extend it to other people.” She hopes to guide Kozak in wanting to push herself and bet on herself, always remaining true to the person and artist that she is.

Nicolle Galyon

One of the things Galyon claims has guided her through this career in the music business is her way of decision making. She has learned to ask herself what would she tell her daughter to do or ask for if she was brave enough to want something. Charlie, who is now six years old plays an active role in the music industry, attending number one parties and standing side stage taking it all in. She gets to see the glitz and glamour as well as the hard work that her mother puts in to create the life she always dreamed of.

“I feel like I always want all of the parts of my life, that I love, to feed into each other. It’s too hard to compartmentalize,” she explains. “It’s beautiful for Charlie to get to listen to new mixes in the backseat and her to tell me what her favorite song of Madison’s is. It’s really cool to be at a Madison show and Madison dancing in a corner with Charlie. I like it when the lines are blurred between personal life and work a little bit, because I can’t turn my heart on and off, that way I don’t have to, I just keep my heart on in every room I go in.”

As usual, we finish our conversation by asking what advice our Woman of the Month would give to any young people looking to pursue a career in the music industry and boy did she deliver some prolific enlightenment. “My advice is to trust yourself and trust your taste, I think that’s really what creativity is. One thing that I would tell Charlie is that, if there is something you have a little bit of an ego or an opinion about, follow that, that’s how I got here as a songwriter. I always had an opinion about what song I wanted to come out as the next single. I always had an opinion about what the cover of a record should look like, even at a very young age,” Galyon says.

“That’s what I would tell young female creatives. If there is something that you have a little bit of an ego about, don’t be ashamed of that. That might be your self’s way of telling you what you should be putting your time and effort into. Your ego, if handled responsibly, can be your compass to what you should be doing with your time and creativity.”

To keep up with Nicolle Galyon follow her on Instagram. For everything about her new record label follow ‘Songs & Daughters’ on Instagram and Facebook.

 

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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!

+ Follow our country music adventures on InstagramTwitter & Facebook:

Nicolle Galyon Starts All Female Label ‘Songs & Daughters’ & Signs Madison Kozak

 

Announced yesterday, songwriter Nicolle Galyon who has written songs like “Tequila” for Dan + Shay, “Automatic” for Miranda Lambert and “Boy” for Lee Brice will be the head of a brand new label in Nashville, Songs & Daughters. Big Loud Records out of Nashville is partnering with Galyon on this new imprint to sign rising female artists.

“It’s been nine months of keeping a secret and basically speaking in code about this idea,” Galyon tells Billboard. “Songs & Daughters is a female-focused record label, but even bigger than that, what [we’re] building is a brand: a music house for female creatives. It’s a way for me to use my platform and pass the baton onto the next generation of songwriters and artists. I want to create something that didn’t exist when I came to Nashville 17 years ago.”

Her first signee, Madison Kozak is a 22-year-old who just graduated Belmont University and already has a publishing deal with Big Loud Shirt.  We first featured Kozak’s track “Graduation Day” as our Managing Editors Pick of the Month for May. Her official first single, “First Last Name” will be sent to country radio this upcoming Monday, July 26th. Take a listen below.

“The mission is that we nurture both the art, which is the song, and the artist, which is the daughter. The person is just as important to me as the product,” Galyon states in Billboard. “I want to work with Madison specifically because she already has her lane. She knows who she is. I’m not really here to develop someone.”

Galyon, a mom of two (Charlie and Ford) shared last night at the label launch party: “My role at this company is technically label head, but for me, in my heart, this is just an extension of something I already am, and that’s a mother.” As a women-run company, we here at NYCountry Swag are excited to see rising female artists emerge from this new label and can’t wait to see all of the new talent it breeds.

To keep up with the new label follow Songs & Daughters on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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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!

+ Follow our country music adventures on InstagramTwitter & Facebook: