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California country is back, and Mustangs of the West are about to ride again with a new single T-Shirt From California which is available now. The Mustangs were an integral part of the budding Los Angeles 80’s and 90’s alt-country scene, opening for Rosie Flores, Jim Lauderdale and Lucinda Williams. An all-female country band, they were an anomaly on the scene and their career paralleled that of the early Dixie Chicks. As band founder Sherry Rayn Barnett reminisced to Bliss Bowen of The Pasadena Weekly, “We were on a lot of the same bills just before the Dixie Chicks broke. We’d be there one week and they’d be there the next.” After seven years of gigging and touring extensively, the band broke up in the mid 90s and eventually scattered to various cities. Twenty years later, the Mustangs are back with a name change, Mustangs of the West, and three of the original members - Sherry Rayn Barnett (electric guitar, vocals), Suzanna Spring (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), and Holly Montgomery (bass, vocals). They’ve also added Suzanne Morissette (drums, vocals) and Aubrey Richmond (fiddle, vocals) to make the fully rounded quintet. Featuring the same three and four-part vocal harmonies, the chemistry of their voices and instruments creates a powerful sound that draws on both country and rock influences. Re-connecting in 2017, Sherry, Suzanna and Holly rekindled their interest in the Mustang sound and decided to take it into the studio where they added Suzanne, a master’s graduate of the Quebec Conservatory of Music, and Aubrey, a native Californian who has spent the last three years touring and recording with Shooter Jennings. The upcoming single, T-Shirt From California, is a sentimental song about love gone wrong, written by lead singer Suzanna Spring with Wes Hightower and recorded at Snuffy Walden’s Taylor Made Studios. “I wrote ‘T-Shirt from California’ when I was living in Nashville and homesick for California,” said Spring. “Sitting on my couch one morning, strumming my guitar, the chorus melody and chorus lyrics came through, almost complete. I took that chorus into a writing appointment with Wes Hightower, and we wrote verses and the story. He had the idea for those great Beach Boys harmonies in the chorus, and Mustangs of the West has such a beautiful vocal blend; it was natural that we'd record this song.” The arrangements were worked out as a band adding jangly guitars and full harmonies. “Originally the song was called ‘She’s Got Your Heart’, but we renamed it ‘T-Shirt From California’, thanks to the suggestion of Nashville journalist Holly Gleason to revisit the title,” Spring explains. “It just FEELS like California at the edge of summer, driving with the top down, Highway 1. Singing the chorus always makes me smile.” Mustangs of the West, like their wild namesakes charging back along the mesa, are ready to make their mark again.
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 Brother sister duo Henley never thought they’d find themselves performing together. Born into a musical family Shea and Sayre both pursued a career in music, however Shea was influenced by the rock and country genres while Sayre often listened to pop music. With a similar goal in mind, it became clear to Shea and Sayre that they should become a duo.
Later making the move to Nashville, Henley started writing their own music. Influenced by the Rascal Flatts, Sayre often writes heartbreak ballads, while Shea wants his music to reflect personal experiences of his own. Their next single Centerline was written with friend Kenneth Duncan. The duo wanted to write an upbeat summer song and with just a guitar riff to go off of, Centerline was written an hour later. To promote the single, Henley will be performing at the Tin Roof in Nashville and throughout the country for the remainder of the year. For now you’ll find Henley’s music on all streaming platforms and on social media at @wearehenley.  Each from their own unique path, The Stubborn Lovers have a sound like you’ve never heard before. Consisting of female members Jenny Taylor and Mandy Allan along with drummer Pearl Nelson, lead guitarist Todd Melton, and steel guitar player Jeff Porter, The Stubborn Lovers enjoy playing off of each others strengths and experiences.
Jenny, the band’s bassist and songwriter, grew up listening to alternative rock. By the age of 19 Jenny had picked up playing the guitar and joined a few bands before making the move to Portland, where the band resides today. After making the move to Portland, Jenny realized her style of songwriting resonated best with the country music genre. Finding country music allows her to tell a story and combine various styles of music, Jenny set out to form a country band, thus The Stubborn Lovers was born. Meanwhile lead vocalist Mandy grew up in the Nashville area, but refused to listen to country music. To escape the country music scene, Mandy moved to Providence where she started her first band. Later moving to Portland Mandy came across The Stubborn Lovers on Craigslist. Rediscovering her roots, Mandy has learned to appreciate country music. In 2015 the group released their debut EP Feathers and Bones. Following a few lineup changes, The Stubborn Lovers returned this year with the release of their single Porch Light written in memory of Jenny’s late grandmother. Now placing the finishing touches on their next album, The Stubborn Lovers have announced that they’ll be releasing new music on August 17th. Hoping to tour on weekends this fall, the group wants to meet as many new faces as they can. Find all their music on streaming platforms everywhere and on their website at www.thestubbornlovers.com.  Southern California-based Country trio Honey County has released a music video for their new single Sale of the Summer, which premiered yesterday on Radio Disney Country.
“We had a blast filming this music video,” said Dani Rose of Honey County. “It was definitely a challenge to film on separate days since Devon, our third member and lead guitarist, was still touring with Katy Perry during our first full day of shooting, but I think it only speaks to how hard-working of a band we are to overcome the roadblocks we face when we're not all in the same room. And we couldn’t be more thrilled that Radio Disney Country is premiering our video!” "Combine three-part harmonies, hooks, and intense girl power and you have one of today's most dynamic and unique Country Music acts, Honey County," said Phil Guerini, VP, Music Strategy DCWW & GM, Radio Disney Network Watch the full music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu1yzrPkOrQ.  Country singer songwriter J.Antonette wants to sway the way people view country artists in New York. Originally from a small town in New York Jessica was an active child, often seen playing in the streets until it was time for dinner. Starting off as a songwriter, Jessica never thought she’d become a singer herself. In fact Jessica’s singing career began when she became a background singer for Melissa Etheridge only a few short years ago. Asked by a producer why she wasn’t singing the songs she writes, Jessica put herself out there and hasn’t looked back since.
Singing about her own life experiences, Jessica’s music is relatable while reflecting her silly personality. Now fronting her own original project, Jessica released her EP Paper Trail. However while writing her 5 song EP, this former pop singer noticed a harsh stereotype surrounding New York based country artists or artists not from southern territories. Since then, she has set out to change perceptions through her movement #NYDoesCountry. For the future, Jessica just wishes to continue doing what she loves. As for now you can find J.Antonette’s music on all streaming platforms and on her website at www.jantonette.com/.  Dakota Danielle finds comfort in sharing her debut single One Church with her peers. Surrounded by music as a child, it became obvious to Dakota that singing would give her a fresh start in life. In high school Dakota then learned how to play the guitar and hasn’t looked back since. Inspired by artists ranging from Dolly Parton to Chris Stapleton, Dakota’s music is relatable as well as fun to sing along to.
This past March Dakota released her debut single One Church. With a nostalgic feel, One Church is the perfect introduction to who Dakota is as an artist. Wanting to connect with her audience, Dakota prefers intimate shows however she couldn’t contain her excitement about performing at this year’s CMA Fest. Now working on another single to be released in August, Dakota is committed to expressing how she feels with the world. For now you’ll find Dakota’s music on all streaming platforms and on social media at @DDanielleMusic.  Discover who you’re destined to be after hearing Liv Austen’s new single Window Shopping available July 20th. Knowing music had a big impact on her childhood, Liv set out to write songs that would become the “soundtrack to other people’s lives” as well as her own. Falling in love with country music for it's honesty and straightforwardness, Liv’s music expresses the themes of self love, embracing failure, and forgiveness.
Liv’s new single Window Shopping reflects on society’s focus on looks, encouraging her listeners to get to know someone before making a judgement about their character based on stereotypes. Having performed at festivals and C2C Fest in the past, Liv wants to continue sharing her music with the world. Liv also wants to pursue acting as another way to entertain. Stay up to date with all of Liv’s adventures by following her on Twitter and Instagram at @LivAusten and on her website at www.livausten.com and listen to Window Shopping on all streaming platforms now.  Artist Marisa Ray may bend, but she won’t break after the successful release of her debut EP Bent Not Broken. Originally from a town on the state line of Iowa and Nebraska, it was clear to Marisa’s mother that her daughter wasn’t able to flourish where they were located and she moved the family to Nashville. There Marisa was able to collaborate with fellow singer-songwriters, but it wasn’t until she attended college at Belmont University when she found her sound.
Writing songs to encourage her listeners to be their best selves, Marisa’s debut EP will leave you inspired. The title track, Bent Not Broken, reminds listeners to accept that you may fail along the way while encouraging a comeback. To promote the EP’s release Marisa will be performing in the Nashville area. Eventually she hopes to schedule a radio tour and even take to the Grand Ole Opry stage. You can find Marisa’s full EP on all platforms and follow her socials at @singermarisaray.  From the day she was born Montana Modderman was destined to become a singer. Often performing for her parents in their living room as a child, Montana found it easy to take to the stage for her very first time. By the age of 13, Montana began to to play the guitar and write songs of her own. With Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, and Taylor Swift as her idols, Montana wasn’t afraid to write from a place of honesty.
In fact the majority of Montana's music reflects personal experiences. On July 27th Montana plans to release a new single Didn’t Mean To, which talks about how she was blindsided in a relationship. Following the song’s release, Montana is booking shows for the fall and plans to make the move to Nashville. Stay tuned for what’s to come for Montana by following her on her socials at @montanaeileen.  With music as a form of therapy, Savannah Smith can’t stop singing. Beginning as a dancer, music has always moved Savannah. Choosing to pursue a career in music while in high school, Savannah is currently attending the Berklee School of Music.
With the year to write, Savannah has released her new single Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. A sarcastic track which reflects on her own and her friend’s experiences being in a relationship, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will speak to anyone who’s experienced a breakup. Following the single’s release, Savannah plans to finish her debut EP. Performing in smaller venues Savannah enjoys the ability to perform to an intimate audience. Eventually Savannah wants to make the move to Nashville and perform at the Grand Ole Opry as well as other popular venues in the area. For now follow Savannah on social media at @definitelynotsavannah and on her website at www.savannahsmithofficialmusic.com for more information to come. |
ABOUT MEI am currently a student at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles as a marketing major. Upon realizing that I wanted to change the way people perceive country music and to help women have a voice, I began Next Women of Country in 2015 promoting new female artists and sharing their stories with the world. You can find me via Instagram @nicolemmarchesi or contact me via email at nextwomenofcountry@gmail.com ARCHIVES
August 2018
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