Miko Marks is making her mark with the release of “Long Journey Home” out now! “Long Journey Home” was first recorded by The Monroe Brothers in 1936. About the journey of life, she relates to the challenges painted by the lyrics in the song and hopes others will be comforted by them too. Her powerful vocals and Bluegrass roots bring a lighthearted feel to this classic tune. It is also the perfect gateway for her upcoming five song EP to be released this fall. 
 
When she’s not singing Miko is roller skating, a new hobby she picked up during the pandemic. Skating is therapeutic, “you could be in the worst mood, put those skates on and fly.” 
 
Miko is encouraged by the unity she is seeing by people of color in the Nashville scene. Miko starred on Rissi Palmer’s Apple Music show “Color Me Country” and is a huge advocate for inclusivity saying, “we will have our best music when everyone’s included.”
 
Now getting back into the grove of performing. Miko told us about her first performance back in over a year. “I did not know how much I missed performing. I had a rebirth on stage,” Miko recalls. “I gave it everything I had and didn’t realize how emotional it would be delivering these songs. It shook me.” She is set to perform at Americana Fest, the Lake Pacid Center for the Arts, and the Cain Park Evans Amphitheater in August. 
 
Stay in touch with Miko by following her on social media at @MikoMarks2u and on her website here.

As she celebrates 50K+ streams on Spotify for her self-penned single "White Tee," Nashville indie artist Daniella released the official music video for the vibey love song today, July 23rd. Watch below. The highly stylized video was shot at a private mansion in Nashville in the midst of the pandemic. Inspired by the visuals in Taylor Swift’s Blank Space music video, Daniella and director Haley Hogan of Nomad Soul Photography set out to capture the intoxicating feeling of falling in love that is conveyed in the lyrics of the Pop Country, EDM song "White Tee."
 
Daniella was faced with the challenge of coming up with a concept for a full production music video at a time when the size of the cast and crew had to be limited due to Covid restrictions, and following safety guidelines was a priority to her.  “We wanted to captivate the viewer with romantically playful, colorized scenes that portray what many girls dream about –– that feeling when you find the person who makes you feel giddy with love.” They chose a single location that was luxurious and sexy, and then captured Daniella in various dream-like settings around the mansion as she donned six wardrobe changes, including an oversized white tee. “We’re proud of the fact that everything you see in the final product – from set design to lighting, wardrobe, makeup, videography, and editing ­­– was accomplished by just two women.”
 
Daniella wrote the love song in the back of her RV “somewhere in the middle of America” as she was making her way to Music City to put down roots. She had been traveling back and forth between SoCal and Nashville since the age of 17, when she first played songwriter rounds at the iconic Bluebird Café and Douglas Corner.  Daniella recorded "White Tee" with Nashville producer Sid Menon, who helped craft her unique sound –– a fusion of Pop Country with EDM that she describes as “Dirt Road Meets DJ.”
 
Prior to moving to Nashville and rebranding her sound, Daniella spent years crafting her music in SoCal as the lead singer of her pop country band. She released two EPs; traveled from coast to coast to 40+ country stations to promote her radio singles; and played at dozens of venues and festivals – including the legendary Viper Room in Hollywood and Country Thunder in Arizona.

​What if Allie Colleen never left Oklahoma? Colleen details this is her new song, “Only Oklahoma”. Allie Colleen was born and raised in Owasso, Oklahoma, just north of Tulsa. Allie grew up in a family of sport fanatics but started to sing six to eight hours a week growing up. In just the 8th grade, Allie knew that a songwriting degree from Belmont University in Nashville, was the program for her. Colleen wanted to pursue music because she “never wanted to do anything else” other than sing. Growing up, Allie heard all kinds of music around the house, but Jo Dee Messina struck a chord with her. Along with Messina, Colleen idolizes Ashley McBryde, who she has actually gotten to share the stage with. 
 
Colleen is committed to country music for the long haul but admits that the genre can sometimes be hard because of the wide range of musical styles intertwined and all of the playlists (Country Pop, Country Rock, Americana) that people hear, and that people want to put artists into categories. Collen brings up Miley Cyrus, an artist who has gone from Pop, to Country, to Rock, “and has been incredible at all of them”. Allie wants people to know that “You will never hear my voice and not believe what I am saying” because all of her music, comes from within her. 
 
The new song, “Only Oklahoma” is a part of Colleen’s debut album, “Stones” which is out now on CD but comes to streaming on November 19th, 2021. Colleen wrote “Only Oklahoma” with fellow country artist, Matt McKinney, and explains that the song is about what would have happened to her if she never took the leap and moved to Music City, “Oh sometimes I wonder, if I chose the other” Colleen sings. The album is a collection of songs from the past three years, with a different writing process on each. An unreleased song, “Blame it on the Weather," is the only solo written song on the album. 
 
Allie wants aspiring artists to know that “the instrument called your voice will only work as hard as you do, and you have to work the voice or blow it up in one show. I am not going to run a marathon because I am not ready for it."

You can follow her on social media @alliecolleenmusic, check out her music across all streaming platforms, and find her upcoming tour dates, merchandise, and her music on her website here.

Rachel McIntyre Smith has just released her single of the summer ‘Blue Hawaii.’ This country singer-songwriter wrote ‘Blue Hawaii’ after a night out drinking a blue hawaiian when she was ditched by a guy. The next day was spent writing this summer song when she was thinking of way to insult the guy using only nautical and beach terms. Being a mix between Pistol Annies and Annette Funicello ‘Blue Hawaii’ has a really sweet and laid back sound to contrast the lyrics.
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“When I was creating ‘Blue Hawaii’ I wanted it to feel like the soundtrack to a fun beach vacation with your best friend. Lighthearted and fun. The song to perfectly accompany a beach sunset while you’re sipping on a Piña Colada or Blue Hawaiian. I think we were able to capture that and I hope others think so too.”

Coming off the buzz of her last single ‘Baggage,’ Rachel is pretty excited to release a fun new summer song that you can spend your beach days singing along to! Listen along to ‘Blue Hawaii’ here and follow along with Rachel on her socials for more music updates!

​Get to know the name Misty River. A traditional roots artist who started her career as a fiddle player, fans of Allison Kraus, Brandi Carlile, and The Chicks will adore her. Misty writes from personal experience using her songs to say what’s she’s uncomfortable saying in conversation. Her latest release, “Walk Me to The River” is an uplifting track about resilience, identity and coming together during a time of adversity. Watch the music video featuring Chris Powell (Brandi Carlile, Brent Cobb) on drums and Peter Levin on Hammond below. It was also picked up by Netflix in “A Secret Love” alongside Valerie June. Misty River has become a part of the moment of rising Black female Americana artists and even turned to the men in the room and said, “I want to do this myself; this is me. A statement of who I am and what I can do.” 
 
Her resilience will take her far as she returns to the stage again. She described the experience of returning to the stage with her band as, “Incredible. Nothing replaces that connection with the audience, it makes your music come alive.” 
 
Misty River is gearing up for the release of her debut album “Promises.” You can follow her on social media @mistyrivermusic and on her website here. 
 
Author: Nicole Marchesi