 Credit: Shalon Goss Since the age of twelve, California native Kylie Hughes has been writing and recording music. Her debut EP, 2014’s Calipopicana, landed Hughes features in Examiner, InStyle.com, Music Connection, and more. Winning fans and critics alike with her contagious, spontaneous energy Hughes has performed alongside the likes of The Beach Boys, John Mayer, Jewel , and Michael W. Smith as well as at SXSW 2017. Comfortable with many genres, Hughes has a sound uniquely her own, one that will be displayed on May 26th when she releases her self-titled, full-length album. In advance of that release, Hughes kindly took the time to talk about her roots, the album, and more!
The new album will be released May 26th, but your music is new to a lot of people. Can you please give a little background as when you started singing and when you knew you wanted to pursue music professionally? Hey Daily Country! Well, I started writing about boys in school and general angsty teenage observations when I was 13. Then Michele Branch appeared and that was the first time I thought, maybe I can learn to play guitar too? I also was lucky to have really great parents who encouraged my music career. I got my first taste of a recording studio at 14 and still find it to be one of my favorite places. It’s funny that when I first began singing and performing, I frequently got the “you sound country” comment but I didn’t embrace that note until later on. I love story telling and songs that make you feel something a little deeper than surface level, not to say I don’t love the big summer anthem songs too. I just always loved performing and songwriting was something that I thought I could be good at long term, haha. To me, the album blends a mix of sounds/genres. Are you influenced by a variety of music? I do listen to a little bit of everything! That’s why it’s hard to put my finger on my sound because it’s a little different from song to song. This album has folk inspiration, pop music influences, a little rock and roll, country and Americana. I wrote/recorded the album in LA and Nashville, so there is definitely a Nashville sound and country influence that seeped in and makes this album unique for me. When I’m starting a song, whether I have a fleshed out idea or not… I always start with an acoustic guitar and then see what genre the song will fall into. My song “Heat” was an attempt to draw inspiration from KT Tunstall, I wanted it to be a head knocking summer anthem with similar bass lines and a catchy guitar riff.
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 Courtesy of the Artist's Facebook Singer-songwriter David Childers is a well-read poet and painter who practiced law before turning in his license to concentrate on his passions, including music. Childers’ new album, Run Skeleton Run, co-produced with the Avett Brothers bassist Bob Crawford and Ramseur label head Dolph Ramseur, is filled with story songs that captivate with their vivid imagery. Calling from his home in North Carolina, Childers kindly took some time to speak about the album and more.
You have released numerous albums over the years. Did you approach Run Skeleton Run any differently from the others? I’ve made many records, but the approach to this record was different from anything I have been involved in. There was an intensity with going to one place and staying there to make the entire record. I worked with Don Dixon [REM, the Smithereens] once before and getting to do it again was such a good experience. Having Dixon’s hands on my record is something I felt good about. In addition to Don Dixon, Bob Crawford had a hand in making the record. How did he come to be a part of the project? Bob was one person who really encouraged me to keep working on my music when I was at a low point deciding whether or not I wanted to do it anymore. He and I were both a part of the music scene in Charlotte in the 90’s when the Avett Brothers were coming along. In fact, the Avetts opened for my band before they were playing the huge theaters they play now. They really changed the music scene around here and I am just so happy for them. One thing I am always interested in is why artists choose to title their albums they way they do. So, what is the significance of Run Skeleton Run? I don’t know, to be honest. For me, these things aren’t analytically derived, they’re viscerally derived - it’s a gut feeling. That song was the track that stood out to me after everything was completed and what sounded the best when we were deciding on a title.  Friends for over a decade actor/musician Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and indie-troubadour Ben Lee have formed a new indie-pop duo by the name of Radnor & Lee. Combining their shared interest in spirituality and philosophy, the two sat down to write a song together, which subsequently turned into ten, and their musical partnership was born. Their debut single “Be Like The Being” is a dynamically uplifting, spiritual folk-pop tune that instills the feeling of pure joy in the listener’s core via the infectious melody, sweet violin, heavenly harmonies, and foot-stomping chorus. It's enlightening, charming and perfectly delightful. Stream the track HERE then read the interview with Josh and Ben where they talk about their friendship, the single, and more.
 Courtesy of the Artist's Facebook One of Music Connection’s Top 100 National Live Acts, Mark Mackay has been captivating audiences with his blend of country and rock and roll for the past few years. On May 1st, the singer-songwriter-guitarist, who has opened for artists such as the Marshall Tucker Band and Richie Sambora, released his latest album, Trials & Tribulations, an eight-track collection that showcases the artist’s dynamic sound. In advance of a busy summer, Mackay took some time to speak about his roots, the album, and more.
Originally, you are trained as a classical pianist. How did you segway from piano to guitar and country music? Well, my parents forced piano lessons on me when I was a little kid (laughing), threatening to take away baseball if I didn’t play, so I kept playing and after I got the hang of piano, they got me a guitar around nine years old and I just took to that, even making a cassette tape that said 'featuring 9-year-old guitarist Mark Mackay (laughing). I started trying to write songs when I was a teen, but I didn’t really know what I was doing. Then, right around college, I started writing more and it blossomed into something I did all the time. Was country the music you were always interested in? I grew up with my folks playing a lot of Rock and Roll in the house, but they had a country cassette tape in the car that I really gravitated to - and the rest is history.  Courtesy: Kore PR Nashville by way of Buffalo singer-songwriter Eric Van Houten has been writing and performing for almost a decade, winning over audiences with his high energy, emotion filled shows . On April 1st, Van Houten released his new EP, a three-song project which gives fans a taste of his rock infused country sound. Ahead of a busy Summer, Van Houten called to speak about his roots, his new single "Do You Wanna", and more.
Originally you’re from Buffalo, New York which is a ways from Nashville. When did you make the move to Music City? I had been coming to Nashville since I graduated in 2010, but made the move to live here full-time about a year ago. I opened for Kelsea Ballerini in Buffalo and some of her team encouraged me to move to Nashville, so in about three months later, I did. Things have been moving along quicker than anticipated, but I’m more than thrilled about that. I think anyone who comes to Nashville has to have the right mindset knowing that it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but if you put yourself in the right situations, make opportunities for yourself and perform your ass off, people will begin to notice and things will start happening for you. Growing up in Buffalo, which has a large country music loving population, did you listen to country? I grew up with a wide variety of music – my first concert was Poison! Mom listened to the big women of country like Reba and Shania as well as Garth Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban, but we also had the music of Bob Seger, Marshall Tucker, The Allman Brothers, James Taylor, and Aerosmith playing in the house. When I was eighteen, and already playing out, I had a couple come to my show three weeks in a row. They asked me to play a country song and I didn’t know any at the time, so I told them that if they came back the following week I would have a song for them. I learned Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You” and that was it. I realized that was what my style of music had been building to this whole time.  Courtesy: KG Music Press Multi-instrumentalist, frontman, sideman, and producer are a few of the hats worn by Oklahoma native Jared Tyler. The singer-songwriter returns on June 2nd with his first full-length in seven years, Dirt On Your Hands, a collection of self-penned and co-written tunes - as well as a few covers - that convey poignant, personal stories delivered via American Roots melodies and relayed by Tyler’s understated, emotive vocals. In advance of the album’s release Tyler took some time to speak about the project, his friend Malcolm Holcombe, and more.
While you may be new to many, you’ve had a long rich history in music from producing other artists to opening for Merle Haggard to performing or recording with Stoney LaRue and Emmylou Harris. I started performing at fourteen or fifteen playing different events for friends around town. At sixteen years old, I started taking trips to Nashville with my mentor at the time, singer-songwriter Michael Garrett. The summer before my senior year of high school, we produced a record together there at the Bradley Barn that was a musical tribute to the FFA. That was a fun, wonderful experience that led to so many other things. I had lots of encouragement, amazing influences, and wonderful mentors that helped shape my artistry. I’ve been very blessed. So far, you’ve released two of your own albums, the last being in 2010. What accounted for the long stretch between that one and Dirt On Your Hands? During that time, I produced other artists at a studio in Tulsa, played on others’ albums, and toured as a sideman. I also moved back to Nashville for a brief stint in 2011-2013 and focused on songwriting. It was a very busy time and that was certainly an aspect of the distance that came between the two releases for sure. Was there anything you did differently with this record either as writer or producer? I would say this one is a lot more personal – a shout out to my roots if you will. This is my story and one that I look at as a tribute to different parts of my life. I wrote or co-wrote nine of the tracks, which are pretty acoustic driven, and the three others are covers: two of Malcolm Holcombe’s and one by my dear friend Dixie Michell who had recently passed when I recorded the record. She always wanted to hear me sing “Waltzing Around With My Shadow”, a song she wrote in 1969, so I wanted to honor her by singing that on here.  Photo Courtesy of West End Music -Tara
Nashville by way of Kansas singer-songwriter Matt Gary has been in Music City for almost a decade dedicating himself to mastering his craft and now is seeing his career reach new heights with his latest single, “Back." Fusing contemporary country sounds with emotional storytelling, "Back" tells of a man's desire to win back an old flame whom he still longs for. In the midst of a radio tour, Gary took the time to speak about his roots, the single and its accompanying lyric video, and more. You grew up playing soccer, but turned to music when an elementary teacher saw something special in you. I grew up in Kansas, playing competitive soccer and traveling all over, including Europe, which was awesome. In elementary school, I had a teacher who asked my parents who in the family was musical and my mom was like ‘What are you talking about?’ The teacher said I had a good voice and that’s how it all started. I sang in school and at church, then I started writing songs, playing guitar and piano, and taking voice lessons.....and next thing I know, I wanted to be a country artist. Why did you gravitate to country music? Was it something you were exposed to early on? Yeah, it was. I love country music – there’s something about the authenticity of the stories. My mom loves Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Martina McBride and whenever I was driving around with her, she had them playing in the car. As I got older I started finding the music I was personally interested in. I remember the first album that really sucked me in was Tracy Lawrence’s Time Marches On, which I listened to on repeat.  Courtesy: Conqueroo The Blackfoot Gypsies ascend to new heights on their latest full-length, To The Top, which was released April 14th via Plowboy Records. The Nashville-based foursome – Matthew Paige (vocals/guitar/mandolin/violin/banjo), Dylan Whitlow (bass/piano/vocals), Ollie Dogg (harmonica/bird whistle/vocals) and Zack Murphy (drums/worldly percussion/vocals) bring grooves and grit a plenty on the passionate fifteen-track outing that blends Blues, Country, and good old Rock and Roll. Ahead of a busy touring schedule, Zack Murphy kindly took some time to speak about the record.
To The Top is your third album and second as a foursome. How did you and Matthew initially connect and then later bring in Ollie and Zack? I met Matthew back in 2012 after he moved to Nashville. We really hit it off from our first jam and ended up touring and putting out an album together. We basically had everything written for the second album [Handle It], but before we went into the studio to record it, we hooked up with Ollie and Dylan who were just a natural fit with what we were doing. We toured for two years behind that record and then wrote this new one, To The Top, which is really the first album the four of us had worked on together from its beginning. To The Top shows varied influences from Country and Southern Rock to the Blues and more. As a drummer, what’s your background? I always wanted to play the guitar, but my parents wanted me to do something a little less rock and roll, so I started playing music -the violin- when I was three. At twelve I inherited a drum set from my grandfather, so I put the violin down and focused on drums. I was constantly playing in various bands before I moved to Knoxville for school, but when school was done I knew that I wanted to be serious about pursuing music and moved back to Nashville. I wanted to start a rock and roll band and ended up playing around town, but no one had the same desire to do it until I met Matthew, so us getting together was a no-brainer.  Photo Credit: Kenny Braun A respected and beloved musical voice in Texas and beyond, Bruce Robison returns on April 28th with his first solo album in almost a decade, Bruce Robison and The Back Porch Band. The all-analog project blends originals, covers, and co-writes into a solid collection that captures country music at its finest. Robison, whose love for all things music extends well beyond songwriting and recording has also poured his passion into his newest project, The Next Waltz, a new web series and “musical saloon” where artists and friends gather to re-imagine songs, reinvigorate covers, tell stories and craft new works. Taking some time from a busy schedule, Robison graciously called to speak about his new project, The Next Waltz, and, more.
Over the past few years, you’ve been incredibly busy making records with your wife Kelly Willis and working on your series The Next Waltz, but it has been quite some time since you released a solo record. What made now the right time? I definitely had a great time making those records with Kelly, it was a great way to reenergize, reinvigorate, refocus, and be part of a band for a little while, but we both knew that we weren’t going to do that forever. I love collaborations, no matter who they may be with, but the plan was always to figure what solo project I wanted to do. The new album, Bruce Robison and The Back Porch Band, releases on April 28th. I read that you wanted to keep things simple with this record; what does simple mean to you in terms of making an album? Well, there are a few different versions of what simple can be, all of which add to how a recording ends up sounding. I try and write songs that are my idea of the way a country song should sound like, like “Help Me Make It Through The Night” or Blue Eyes Crying in The Rain” which are songs where you don’t need a whole lot of words to paint the picture that you’re trying to tell. So, in that way, songs can be simple and then, on the other hand, there’s the simplicity of making a record. In modern day, you can make 150 tracks of digital recording and then try and piece it all back together at the end to make it sound like a performance – and that, to me, is not keeping it simple. Keeping it close to the sound of a real, live performance and have that be what the listener hears is what I’m looking for. I have been working in music for many years, but this record was made in a completely different way than I have ever recorded. It was recorded in a space I call the Bunker, which is a big time capsule of a recording studio where we’re all in the same room, playing music together, and letting the songs show the way. In the process of recording, I did twenty-five or thirty songs to come up with the nine that feel like they are a part of the same vibe and hold the album together in the right way.  Courtesy: Lime Tree Music -Tara
For UK-based country singer-songwriter Carolynne, music has always been a priority. Her story starts at the age of fourteen, when her family inspired her to hit the road joining five-piece country band Sundown. After several years of touring, she starting work as a published songwriter all the while continuing to tour and perform. Eventually, she appeared on the X Factor UK, being the first UK contestant to bring Country music to the X Factor stage . Carolynne's debut EP, Coming Back To Me was released April 7th and the singer-songwriter kindly took the time via email to speak about her roots, the EP, and more. Your story starts at the age of fourteen, but for anyone who may be new to you and your music can you give a brief background as to when you began singing/songwriting and when you knew you wanted to pursue music professionally? I was first introduced to country music by my Nan and my aunt. My dad loved it too but he would often listen to other genres also, my aunt and Nan were the big time country fans & you'd often see them shopping in their cowboy boots. We call them in our family "the country nutters". Our family would often go to the country club at the local social club on a Tuesday evening to watch the bands and that's where it all started for me. My aunt took me to see one of the bands on the scene, a father and son duo called Sundown. She told them I could sing and would he listen and give me some advice. I sang for him in his living room but didn't want him to look at me so everyone in the room had to face the wall. I was only 14 at the time and pretty shy around new people. He asked there and then if I'd like to join his band and tour so that's what I did. I spent the next few months on the road with them singing backing vocals and some solo songs while learning about equipment and how to be on the road. I only stopped as it was a little much leading up to my school exams but as soon as school was done I headed to London to pursue a career as a singer. I signed as a songwriter with BMG and spent the next few years writing in Sweden and London with different artists. It seems that your family, who themselves loved country music, were very supportive of you early on? I'm blessed with a truly amazing family who have always supported my love of music and desire to try and get my voice heard. My parents helped me move to London when I was 18 and have always been there for me through some very sticky times. To say it isn't easy pursuing a career as a country artist in the UK is an understatement. That's why I made the decision to try my luck on X Factor as I knew that would be the one thing in the UK that would grab the public attention and hopefully divert them to my music. |