Acclaimed Texas artist Amanda Kate Ferris’ new song, "Are You a Real Cowboy?" is out now! The track, which boasts a collaboration with 5X CMA Musician of the Year Jenee Fleenor, was penned by GRAMMY nominated songwriters Liz Rose and Sally Barris. Listen HERE.
“'Are You a Real Cowboy?” is a silly, flirty song that felt all too familiar the first time I heard it,” said Ferris. “Singing in bars as long as I have, I felt like this could be played at every Honky Tonk from California to Texas. Nowadays, everyone wants to be a Cowboy, and I don't blame them one bit. In a world where you can be anyone…let's all be Cowboys." Directed by Eli Viloria and filmed in Palmer, TX, the accompanying music video is also available now. Watch HERE. "Are You a Real Cowboy?" follows a string of major Texas country radio successes for Ferris. Her song, “Same Place Twice” with Chad Cooke Band, hit No. 1 on Texas country radio in February 2024 while her single “Tequila and Jesus” is currently Top 15 and rising on the same chart. She is also currently nominated for New Female Vocalist of the Year and Duo of the Year (with Chad Cooke Band) at the 2024 Texas Regional Radio Music Awards on March 25. “Are You a Real Cowboy?” is a preview into her forthcoming full-length project out later this year. The new music comes on the heels of two successful EPs, the self-titled Amanda Kate (2021) and Pedal Steel (2023), which feature songs written by GRAMMY-winners Lori McKenna, Lainey Wilson, Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, and Luke Laird. With nearly 3M total career streams, Ferris’ tenacity and authenticity are resonating with fans. Ferris has recently shared the stage with country music stars Tracy Lawrence, Josh Abbott Band, Priscilla Block, and Warren Zeiders in addition to her own headline and festival dates. For more information, visit, AmandaKateFerris.com.
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We are thrilled to introduce Ellie Irwin and announce the release of her new single "Julianne." Released on March 1st, “Julianne" is an ode to the "kind of friendship that you don't have to question -- a reflection on the women in our lives that we have found sisters in” - while creating a sense of nostalgia and showcasing her musical style of a combination of indie, folk, country, and pop. Coming from the heart of Pennsylvania and currently finishing up school in Boston, MA, she captures hearts and ears with her nostalgic and comforting yet heartbreaking tunes. For Ellie, 2023 was a crazy busy year consisting of a cross-country move to LA (for the first time), getting herself into some new situations, balancing work, music, and being in school, and then another move back to Boston in September. Ellie says, “I think I grew the most as a person than I ever have in 2023. All this change happening now is actually really cool because of the timing for my music that is coming out now- it sets me up for a clean new chapter in life.”
As the year progresses, Ellie will continue releasing singles until the release of her whole album in August. This first song, “Julianne” is about one of Ellie’s close friends (not actually named Julianne) and about the friendship, bond, and trust they have between each other. It is about friends giving each other advice and being there for one another through the course of a romantic relationship that may not be the healthiest. “It is about a friend who will let you talk a situation dry and come up with all the what-ifs,” says Ellie. While the rest of the album is mostly about the actual relationship, “‘Julianne’ flips the script and the camera”. Ellie reflects on this, saying “It really is just a love letter to a friend and just honoring that friendship”. Thinking back, Ellie admits that “there were a lot of times my friend could have said ‘I told you so’ but she never did. I could tell she was thinking it but that’s not what I needed to hear in order to heal”. When visualizing this song, Ellie imagines two girls- two best friends- running in a big field filled with flowers, hair flying in the wind, and a sunny, colorful, and nostalgic feeling to it all. “I can imagine a blond and a brunette in almost Free People-esque dresses that are super flowy, girly, and beautiful” pictures Ellie. When asked as a child “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Ellie would always reply with one word - Music. From such a young age she knew that being a singer/songwriter was written in the stars for her, and Ellie was not going to let anything get in the way of that dream. Beginning her career at the young age of 8 years old, Ellie started to get into Musical theater - even landing herself the role of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” at age 14. Ellie mentions that “being in musical theater, listening to music at home or with friends, going to James Taylor concerts with my dad- these were all part of making me into the musician I am today”. Although Ellie’s father is not a musician himself, he has been her biggest support system since she started her journey as a songwriter. “He has been my partner in crime through all of this - music was a thing that bonded us.” Her father, her family, and all of Ellie’s fans have given her the support and confidence over the years to become the powerful voice she is today. After Ellie graduates from Berklee College of Music this spring, she plans to move to LA to pursue her passion and continue releasing her new music. Make sure to be on the lookout for new songs that will be released leading up her her summertime album- including “Pill That Won’t Go Down” set to be released mid-April! Norwegian Indie folk-pop / Americana duo Oakland Rain prepares to steal the hearts of fans across the globe with their very first time trying American country music in "If You Were A Song." Part of their double full-length debut album "Twin Flames," the pastoral country ballad is a heartfelt tribute to the band's connection to its American heritage and their maternal grandfather's love for American country and folk music. Dabbling in folk and some aspects of country for a while, the girls decided to try their hand at “clear and literal country music”- and they nailed it! Painting a vivid picture of nostalgia, they reminisce as they sing, “If you were a song, I would play it from a 67 Mustang / With the wind in our hair, Driving by the ocean through America”.
This extraordinary duo consists of twin sisters, Maren and Charlotte Wallevik, who started singing and exploring their musical talents at a very young age. It was not until around 11 or 12 years old that the sisters started putting their talents together to form an idea of the band they are today. They recollect as one day Charlotte came to one of Maren’s piano lessons when the piano teacher discovered they both sang as well, and putting them together lead to beautiful and harmonious vocals from the duo. The first song they ever sang together was “Imagine,” by John Lennon and the power of the two voices together gave them the idea to start this band. Although the band itself did not set in until their teenage years, music has always been a part of these girls’ lives. They remember driving to their cabin in the mountains of Norway with their family blasting music in the car and singing as a family - “We had this Taylor Swift CD that we played so much it eventually ran out of energy and stopped working!” Music was and still is a big part of this family, especially stemming from their grandfather's love and passion for American country and folk music, making him the object and inspiration for this new single, "If You Were A Song”. Written back in 2022, “this song is a tribute to our late grandfather who we lost later that year. He inspired us to pursue music in the first place and continues to inspire us to this day.” His song succeeds in explaining how the sisters see their grandfather and their love for him through the music that he shared with them. If you pay attention to the lyrics and imagery, there are many 1960s references from America in this song, the years their grandfather actually lived in America so those were the memories and songs he had brought back and shared with his family. One of the most beautiful parts of this story is that the two women even got to sing this song for him before he passed, “and he smiled through the whole song.” The imagery includes scenes like a Mustang muscle car- that was actually their grandfather’s that he used in the 60s in America and shipped back to Norway when he returned home- and the tranquility of being by the ocean with the wind in your hair. The influence of Simon & Garfunkel is palpable in the harmonious vocals of the twin sisters, Maren and Charlotte Wallevik. Oakland Rain sisters are planning their very own voyage to the states this summer! June shows in Virginia are already in the works and they hope to travel around the US, both performing and exploring while they are here. “After the pandemic when everything was closed down, we are so excited to be able to travel and perform again!” Keep an eye out for show dates in the US and also for the release of their full album, “Twin Flames” in early autumn. This powerful female duo is breaking barriers and taking strides in their music career. Although it is tricky as a woman to get both feet solidly in the music industry, they empower others all around them, saying, “it is a strength, a superpower to be a woman”. Country Artist and Songwriter Sarahbeth Taite releases her new single “Pretty Good Living” available now on all streaming platforms. The single, written by Taite, Jason Gantt, and Scott Stepakoff, was produced by Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift and Keith Urban) and Parker Welling.
In the story behind the song, Taite shares that this single was not her intended release for the Spring of 2024. Once she shared a demo of the song on social media, it took on a life of its own, garnering over 15 million views of videos using the sound before the single was even released. The vast reaction from her fans led her to realign the release schedule with “Pretty Good Living” being the first single off her much-anticipated project set to release later this year. 2022 was a big year for Taite as she shined on American Idol, and then welcomed her first child, Isla, with husband Colby later that fall. She quickly embraced her new role as a wife, and young mother, often writing about her experiences in her music. The songstress weaves a storyline within these lyrics that highlights the everyday stresses a young couple faces, but together, it’s a beautiful life they’ve made. “This song is the soundtrack of where I am in life right now and certainly of a time my co-writers have lived in as well,” said Sarahbeth Taite. “The lyrics just spilled out as we talked about these sweet years, and I’m thrilled that my story has made such a connection with fans on social media.” While her unique style of music and lyrical storytelling has a broad appeal, she has especially resonated with many young women and mothers. Taite’s social media following has grown exponentially as she chronicles her life balancing the roles of a young wife and working mother, all while creating her own lane in the music industry with her suburban country lifestyle fan base. Taite’s last EP, For My Own Good, garnered support from various editorial playlists across three singles including Spotify’s Fresh Finds Country and Next From Nashville, Apple Music’s Country Risers and What Would Dolly Do?and Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Country. In 2020, fans found Taite’s single “Long Way'' on TikTok, garnering 8+ million streams, earning her an all-genres iTunes #1 and her Billboard chart debut. That success captured the attention of many music industry power players, earning her following singles significant editorial playlisting on every major streaming platform and support from Women of iHeartCountry, Bobby Bones Show and CMT. You can expect new music and big things from this rising starlet in 2024. “Pretty Good Living” is now available on all streaming platforms. The official music visualizer for the single will debut on her YouTube Channel on March 8th. Peytan Porter delivers her new project GROWN, a six-song EP entirely co-penned by Porter that is an organic fusion of country roots, classic rock and bluesy soul, woven together with thought-provoking, identity-exploring lyrics. Her timeless sound pays homage to the past while boldly carving her path in the present and today alongside the release available HERE, Porter also shares the title track’s music video bringing to life the excitement and sadness of coming into one’s own.
Ahead of the project’s release, critics including Entertainment Tonight, Country Now, Music Mayhem and Taste of Country highlighted early released tracks, praising her "nimble voice that adeptly shifts between bluesy tones and an ethereal airy upper register” and "eye for lyrical detail” (Billboard). “The gritty, six-song EP—all co-penned by Porter—features a collection of thought-provoking lyrics that illuminate the places where she stands apart as she comes into her own as an artist.” - Music Row “She sheds light on a creative revival, the culmination of dismantling — then rebuilding— her sound to reveal her true self…the album is lush with introspective lyrics and gauzy, Laurel Canyon vibes.” -Billboard "2024 is the year of Peytan Porter re-introducing herself to the world as the incredible artist and storyteller she is...drawing on soul and rock sounds to add to her country songwriting. Grown feels like the project that proves that Porter has unapologetically stepped into her true calling as an artist. We cannot say enough good things about the EP!" - Country Swag "Overall ‘Grown’ is a highly personal body of work which taps into Porter’s past and shows her as an artist who’s wise beyond her years. There’s a strong narrative thread of stepping into your own power that runs through the project and the blend of country and rock influences is sure to endear over plenty of fans, alongside her solid vocals and great songwriting.” - Entertainment Focus Porter is set to perform her first-ever headlining shows as “The Road To Grown” in two cities that fostered her growth, allowing her to thrive - Nashville, TN (4/17) where she currently calls home and Atlanta, GA (4/25) not far from where she was raised. Tickets are available for purchase HERE. In an era obsessed with choosing sides and validating preconceptions, Porter has separated herself from the pack. A self proclaimed small-town misfit from Dawsonville, GA, she’s breaking the molds of both polished commercial Country music and the rootsy-craft behind Americana, hooking listeners with vivid tunes that feel universal but raise interesting questions. Porter's voice demands attention with an insightful stance as she signed her first deal in 2021 as a joint venture with Jody Williams Songs and Warner Chappell Music. Fresh off the heels of her acclaimed debut project IN MY HEAD earning 10 million streams across streaming platforms, Porter has also garnered a loyal and massive following in recent years, with 330k followers across all platforms and 50 million views on TikTok. The emerging artist has already earned a number of accolades including being a TikTok "Songwriter of the Year" Nominee at the 2022 iHeart Radio Awards and was named a CMT’s "Next Up Now Artist." She has also served as direct support for Elle King, has performed at multiple CMA Fest and has opened for artists including Willie Nelson, Jon Pardi, Larry Fleet, Brett Eldredge, Eli Young Band and more. For more information about the new music and a full list of upcoming tour dates visit www.peytanportermusic.com. |
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February 2024
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