Tag Archive for: Trent Harmon

Where Are They Now? Our 2017 Artist to Watch Update

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Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag

Here at New York Country Swag, we pride ourselves on being tastemakers, finding and championing new and up-and-coming artists and introducing our followers to the best of the best of the rising acts. Back in 2017, we named the 10 artists below in our “Artists to Watch in 2017” and we are proud to say, we know rising talent before they make it big. Check out what each of these artists has done over the past two years and what is coming up for them in 2019.

 

10. Seth Ennis- Last year, Ennis followed his debut single, “Woke Up In Nashville” and “Look at You” with the captivating “Call Your Mama,” featuring A-list superstars, Little Big Town. The singer-songwriter went on to make his TODAY Show debut with that song, taking his career to new heights. This year, Ennis also opened up for Dylan Scott on his headlining tour.

 

9. Trent Harmon- Continuing to ride the high from dropping his debut album You Got ‘Em All, Harmon released the title track to country radio last year. The song peaked in the Top 40 on Country Airplay.

 

8. High Valley- The Canadian country duo continues to take the country music world by storm. Back in April, they released their new single, “Single Man” from the forthcoming studio album. The song already reached the number two spot on the Canadian country charts. Earlier this month they released “Your Mama” and the video features real-life shots of their families. We hope 2020 brings more music from the rising duo.

 

7. Runaway June- The ladies of Runaway June have had arguably the most successful year! The trio released their debut record Blue Roses, and their radio single “Buy My Own Drinks” cracked the Top 5 on the Country charts, making history as the first song by a female trio to break into the Top 5 in a decade. Additionally, the ladies joined superstar, Carrie Underwood on her sold-out headlining tour. Check out how they expressed their excitement for their success with us here, during our interview with the girls at Taste of Country Music Festival and our most recent Swag Session below.

 

6. Brett Young- 2019 was a big year for Young, both personally and professionally. The singer-songwriter’s beautiful wife Taylor gave birth to their first child together in October, after they celebrated one year of marriage. As a recording artist, Young released his new project, The Acoustic Sessions EP, which followed the release of his Number 1 sophomore record Ticket to L.A. Fans of Young have his newly announced headlining tour to look forward to in the new year. The tour stops at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom on February 2nd.

 

5. Ryan Hurd- In 2019, Hurd focused on advancing his career as a solo artist. The talented singer-songwriter sold-out Bowery Ballroom in New York City this past January. We got to catch up with him at Taste of Country, where he shared what it’s like playing for New York fans. Hurd upped the ante by releasing both his EP Panorama and Platonic this year, including lead single “To a T.” Just recently announced, he will be headlining the Platonic Tour with Niko Moon, the tour hits NYC for a two night run on March 4th and 5th.

 

 

4. Russell Dickerson- We are proud to continue to champion the very first artist that New York Country Swag ever featured at our very first event back in January of 2016. Dickerson continues to be one of the most promising rising artists and infectious entertainers on the scene right now. This year, the singer-songwriter achieved a rare feat, as his first three singles to ever go to country radio hit the number one spot on the charts! Even better, the entertainer finally made it to the big stage at Madison Square Garden, where he opened up for Thomas Rhett on his sold-out tour and even shouted out our company, during his set!

 

3. Walker Hayes- Hayes continues to release music that he can be proud of and that his fans can always relate to. This year, he released a beautiful tribute to his wife, Laney, titled “Don’t Let Her,” headlined his own tour, and is about to release Volume 3 of 8Tracks. Check out our interview with the Swag Session alum below, as he talks about “Don’t Let Her,” and his journey.

 

2. Luke Combs- Combs has officially solidified himself as a bonafide country superstar in just a few short years. The singer recently accepted his membership into the Grand Ole Opry and released his record-breaking sophomore record What You See Is What You Get. Combs’ has had seven consecutive singles reach the top spot on County Airplay and continues to sell-out shows in arenas across the country. 2020 is shaping up to be another mega-successful year for the entertainer.

 

1. Drake White- It’s been a relatively quiet year for the White; however, that has not stopped him from bringing his unique talent to stages across the United States. The singer-songwriter captivated fans in New York City back in February when he played at Irving Plaza. He continues to be a mainstay at country music festivals as well.

Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for an update on all the artist we named to watch in 2018 and 2019, and then coming soon, our carefully-cultivated 2020 Artist to Watch list.

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Where Are They Now? Our 2017 Artists to Watch Update

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Here at New York Country Swag, we pride ourselves on being tastemakers, finding and championing new and up-and-coming artists and introducing our followers to the best of the best of the rising acts.  Back in 2017, we named the 10 artists below in our “Artists to Watch in 2017” and we are proud to say, we know rising talent before they make it big.  Check out what each of these artists has done over the past two years and what is coming up for them in 2019.

 

10. Seth Ennis – In 2017, Ennis released his debut EP, Mabelle, which featured his first single “Woke Up In Nashville” which put him on our radar early on.  Most recently he released a heartfelt song “Call Your Mama” which features Little Big Town and has garnered over a million streams on Spotify. The singer-songwriter joins Dylan Scott on tour which hits Gramercy Theatre on January 17th.  Grab your tickets here.

9. Trent Harmon – Harmon spent 2017 writing and working on his debut album, You Got Em All.   The American Idol winner of season 15 set out to prove to his fans and critics that he wasn’t just a competition winner that could sing covers but that he had something important to say with his songwriting.  We caught Harmon back in February in Nashville as he performed his single “You Got Em All” for radio programmers and the audience was blown away by his delivery of the breakup song. He told New York Country Swag during a recent interview:  “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,” which he certainly did.  We can’t wait to see what he has in store for fans in 2019.

 

8. High Valley – This Canadian duo since making our Artist to Watch list has toured the country on the Sirius XM The Highway Finds Tour and released brand new music, The Farmhouse Sessions which was recorded appropriately on a farm outside of Nashville. When we caught their infectious, high energy set a little over a year ago, the brothers, led the audience in a dance off and played their top 15 hit “She’s With Me” which elicited a crowd singalong.  The duo has tour dates booked through the new year, playing shows in the U.S as well as Canada. For all of the tour dates head to their website.

 

7. Runaway June –  The ladies of Runaway June are at such an exciting time in their career.  The week that New York Country Swag hosted them for a Live Swag Session, they had just announced they would be joining Carrie Underwood and Maddie and Tae on her Cry Pretty 360 Tour.  Since then they have also released their debut self-titled EP and their single “Buy My Own Drinks” is garnering plenty of spins on Spotify. Watch their performance and interview with New York Country Swag below and grab your tickets to see this powerhouse group of girls at Madison Square Garden on October 2nd, 2019.

 

6. Brett Young – Arguably the artist who has made it the biggest over the past two years, Young released his debut, self-titled album in February of 2017 and since then has had four no. 1 hits including “Sleep Without You,” “In Case You Didn’t Know,” “Like I Loved You”, and “Mercy.”  His brand new single from his forthcoming album, “Here Tonight” is already Top 40 on the Country Radio Charts and steadily climbing. Young is coming to New York City on December 9th with Tyler Rich and drops his sophomore album, Ticket to L.A just two days prior.

 

5. Ryan Hurd – We highlighted Hurd’s incredible songwriting career back in 2017 however since then he has written and recorded songs for himself that have proved he isn’t just a songwriter anymore.  Recently he released two songs, “Diamonds or Twine” and “To A T” which were both inspired by another huge milestone Hurd has accomplished since 2017, he got married. Marrying fellow singer-songwriter and chart-topper Maren Morris earlier this year has given Hurd the opportunity to write about his love for her and when he sings those songs, his delivery and devotion is evident.  We are hoping for a full-length album in 2019 and will keep you posted about future tour dates heading our way.

 

4. Russell Dickerson –  We are proud to champion the very first artist that New York Country Swag ever featured at our very first event back in January of 2016 just a few weeks after our launch! Dickerson played on top of a bar at Libation, a New York City nightclub, the event was sold out long before he had signed his record deal with Triple Tigers.  Since previewing his music for 300 of our lucky followers and a handful of NYCS events later, Dickerson has garnered not one but two no. 1 songs on the Country Radio Charts.  His love song for his wife, “Yours”, made it to the top of the charts and appropriately was the title of his debut album which was released this time last year.  Most recently, his second single to radio “Blue Tacoma” took the top spot. He toured all summer with Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker, increasing his fanbase.  Looking to the new year, Dickerson is working on new music and will hopefully get back on the road. Take a look back at our Country Night with the rising superstar from September 2016 below.

 

3. Walker Hayes – In January of 2017 when our list was published, Hayes had only released his 8Tracks Vol. 1 and 2 to his fans, a unique take on the storytelling country music is so accustomed to.  Over the past two years, the lines of genres have blended, country music has sonically changed and become more fluid and no artist has benefitted more than Hayes.  His blend of hip-hop, R&B and pop all infuse with country lyrics and have created a sound that is undeniable all his own.  We hosted Hayes earlier this year for a Live Swag Session after he released his major label debut album boom. and garnered plenty of success with his debut radio single “You Broke Up With Me”. He just released a new single, “90’s Country” which name-drops 22 different 90’s country songs that Hayes tells us in a recent interview, influenced him growing up and is the first of new music we can look forward to in the new year.  Watch the Live Swag Session from April below.

 

2. Luke Combs –  Another artist who had huge success since 2017, Combs released not only a debut album but a deluxe version with five additional songs.  The album entered the Billboard charts 73 weeks ago and continually makes its way back to the top of the charts, including this week where he holds the top spot for not only album but also the top song with “She Got The Best of Me” at no. 1 for the second week in a row. This marks the fourth chart-topper for Combs, previously he landed the top spot with “Hurricane,” “When It Rains It Pours,” and “One Number Away”.  He joined Jason Aldean this summer on his High Noon Neon Tour which made its way to Madison Square Garden in August.  The sold-out crowd knew every word to each of his songs, even the deep album cuts proving that the country crooner has grown his fan base so wide and is here to stay.

 

1. Drake White – White’s ability to captivate a crowd during his live performances landed him an opening spot on Zac Brown Band’s tour and at festivals across the country. He just released five new songs in an EP titled Pieces which highlights his signature groove and sultry vocals. Next year he is heading overseas to play the C2C Country to Country Festival in Glasgow along with Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, and Lady Antebellum.

 

Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for an update on all of the artists we named to watch in 2018 and then coming soon, our 2019 Artist to Watch list.

 

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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 Swag Spotlight: Trent Harmon

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Trent Harmon

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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NYCS First Impression: Trent Harmon Releases Debut Album ‘You Got ‘Em All’

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Trent Harmon

Singer-songwriter, American Idol winner, and one of our 2017 Artists to Watch, Trent Harmon has taken two years to write, focus on his sound and is releasing his debut album to all retailers today.  You Got ‘Em All features 11 tracks, 8 of which Harmon co-wrote including a song written by Chris Stapleton and one by Keith Urban. The project is deeply personal, including songs about heartbreak, falling in love quickly and even a song written for his grandmas, who are both named Betty.

The lyrics of each song, are a tribute to the different key players in Harmon’s life, including his most recent major breakup, chronicled in his current single and title track of the album.  “You Got ‘Em All” was written in 45 minutes with Jordan Minton and Justin Ebach after Harmon got a phone call that his longtime girlfriend was moving to Thailand to follow her dreams.  The track, which opens the album, starts quietly with haunting notes on a piano and allows the pain and sincerity seep through the simple production. Other standouts on the record include “My Money’s On You”, an uplifting, up-tempo song about believing in someone wholeheartedly as well as his ethereal cover of Sia’s “Chandelier” which helped him take the title home on American Idol back in 2016.

Sonically, Harmon blends his Mississippi roots with modern country and you’ll even hear some hints of soul, especially on “Falling” the Urban co-write.   His incredible range carries the entire record, as he slides effortlessly into an airy falsetto that will captivate the listener. Between the combination of Harmon’s rich, vocal prowess with brilliant songwriting, You Got ‘Em All will thrill his current fans and certainly work to build a greater fan base within the country music genre.  Grab your copy of You Got ‘Em All on iTunes or take a listen below and let us know your favorite song in the comments.

 

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

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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