British Country-Pop Star, Twinnie, Ends Her “Sad Girl Era” with Empowering New Album ‘Something We Used to Say.’
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Tag: Singer/Songwriter
Music Spotlight: Kelli Belles
Rising country artist Kelli Belles, known by her stage moniker Belles, is hitting the road this fall on her highly anticipated Trust Issues Tour. The tour kicked off on October 11th in Nashville, Tennessee, at The Basement and marked the beginning of a series of performances that will span the country, including stops in Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and more.
Belles comes from a musical family. Her grandmother, Geraldine A. “Jeri” Rizzuto, was a renowned jazz singer who performed in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. She also had a stint with the well-known Paul Moorhead Orchestra.
Read MoreMusic Spotlight: Emmy Moyen
When independent artist Emmy Moyen contacted me, I was unfamiliar with the name, but I was intrigued when I heard her music. She had just the right balance of sweetness and sass, and I wanted to learn more.
Moyen was born in Kentucky but raised in Starkville, Mississippi. Many from her Kentucky family have a background in bluegrass music, which has always been a part of her life.
Read MoreMusic Spotlight: Sarah Hardwig
Sarah Hardwig is not unlike many of the females I interview. She moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University and study songwriting and music business.
And she sings at local venues when she can. Her voice is strong and clear, and she credits Patsy Cline and Carrie Underwood as singing inspirations. However, the difference is that Hardwig is blind, which has been the case for her entire life.
Read MoreMusic Spotlight: Paulina Jane
Paulina Jayne is one of the most joyful artists I have ever met or interviewed. While I have featured her briefly while covering CRS, I have never done a full Spotlight article on her.
I knew she was working on new music, and when I learned the song “If I Knew Me Then” was about to be released, I knew it was the perfect time to feature the singer/songwriter.
Read MoreChase Rice Releases ‘Go Down Singin’
I featured Chase Rice in 2018 when he celebrated achieving number-one status with his blockbuster hit, “Eyes On You.” Early on, Chase Rice was a fixture in the bro-country scene with other megahits like “Ready Set Roll,” “Ride,” “Lonely If You Are,” and “Gonna Wanna Tonight,” to name a few.
But something shifted in the artist recently, who splits his time between Montana and Nashville when, in 2023, he released I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell. Even by the retro picture of his hero, his dad, Daniel (Danny) Rice, on the album cover, you knew this record would be different. For anyone anticipating the usual new country vibe, boy, were they in for a surprise. With unexpected songs like “Bench Seat” and “Key West & Colorado,” Billboard Magazine called it “one of 2023’s most unexpected artistic pivots” across all genres last year.
Read MoreMusic Spotlight: Kassi Ashton
I have wanted to interview country singer/songwriter Kassi Ashton for over six years. When I first heard her singing “California, Missouri” on Sirius XM in 2018, her music was so unique that it made her more memorable than most rising artists. Then, when I saw her open at the Budweiser Showcase and later open for Keith Urban, I knew Ashton was one to watch.
Ashton is from the tiny town of California, Missouri. By age five, she split her time performing and doing the pageant circuit with her mother while riding dirt bikes and shooting muzzleloaders with her father.
Read MoreMusic Spotlight: Andrea Vasquez
Since country music isn’t about a place or demographic but about a mindset, I try to portray a wide range of what country music is and encompasses.
Someone who has been on my radar for a few years is a petite singer/songwriter with powerhouse vocals and an unstoppable attitude that combines to make the complete package known as Andrea Vasquez. The Cali native has blended her love of modern country and Latin-American roots to create a refreshing sound within the genre, with her newest song, “Solo,” out this week.
Read MoreExclusive: Madelyn Rose Releases New EP, ‘Cowboys’
At just 17 years old, the teen country sensation has released her second EP, Cowboys, a collection of three significant songs that cements her insightful music on the country music landscape. This follows her first EP, Teenage Heartbreak which was released at age 16.
I wanted to know how one so young got into singing and songwriting at such an early age. She said, “My parents bought me this old Casio keyboard at a garage sale when I was three or four, not the nicest thing, just something to get me into a hobby.”
Read MoreMusic Spotlight: Bree Jaxson
In the past, I have interviewed many veterans who got into music full-time after they left the service. But I have never featured an active-duty military member.
Meet Bree Jaxson, which is a stage name, currently deployed overseas as a Captain for Cyberspace Operations in the U.S. Air National Guard. She is also an accomplished country music singer and songwriter.
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