Crystal McGrath’s new music video accompanies her most recent single, “About A Boy.” The video takes you along the rollercoaster of emotions one feels when falling head over heels for someone and not being able to get them off your mind. The video begins with Crystal doing her makeup and transitions to her laying on her pillow in comfy clothes. This visual and camera shot reminds me of early Taylor Swift videos, “Teardrops On My Guitar” and “Our Song.” We then see side by side shots of Crystal dressed up and dressed down, which perfectly describes the duality of her lyrics. Not only is Crystal an extremely talented musician, she is an activist, podcast host and an inspirational influencer. While you might not believe it from the title, “About A Boy” is more than your average country love song and conveys strength and women empowerment. With Crystal’s strong foundation of women empowerment, she founded “Live With Love” an online platform with the goal of helping women achieve their dreams. Her podcast, “Crushing Chaos” highlights inspiring stories of women pushing through obstacles in their life to achieve their goals. Crystal can also be found on her video podcast, “The Artists Behind the Music” in which she interviews musical guests and follows with a performance. Follow Crystal McGrath on all social media platforms to stay tuned for more inspirational content!
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Lee Newton has released her latest project, an EP titled “Undamaged”. The songs can be heard here. Newton grew up in Canton, North Carolina, a town very close to the Tennessee border. Newton’s father was a local cab driver, where she would hang out with him and listen to country music. While her father installed his love of music and songs that meant something to Newton, he also taught her how to play guitar at 7 years old. Newton was fascinated with Patsy Cline and looks up to Lorri Morgan and Bonnie Raitt. Newton has always had a passion for older country and “songs that tell the stories. I love storytelling because music and storytelling impacts the heart”.
The North Carolina singer would describe her sound as Outlaw Country, traditional, blues, southern rock, who also pieces songs together on the guitar. She has even awoken during the night to sounds and lyrics that come to her! The song off of the recent EP, “Strength of a Women” is a “women’s anthem song, that has also been embraced by men. The song applies to everyone”. Newton wrote it from a hard place in her life and have had many people reach out to her on social media to tell her what the song has meant to them. Newton worked with Bill McDermott (George Strait, Emmy Lou Harris, and Jo Dee Messina) on the EP. Lee Newton loves being on stage and the energy she gets from the crowd. “It’s a drug and adrenaline high hearing the crowd singing along with you, feeling the music, feeds my soul”. Newton dreams of playing the Grand Ole Opry and hearing Bill Cody say her name! In addition, Newton would tell aspiring artists to “Never give up, people will say you can’t do this or that. Never let anyone rent space in your head”. Most recently, Newton co-hosted the Country Thunder Music Festival in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin alongside Storme Warren of Sirius XM’s The Highway. For more information on Lee Newton, visit her website. Country singer-songwriter Karissa Ella kicks off tailgate season with a feel-good music video to her latest single “Bad Summer.” The video is a true ode to good vibes and summertime celebrations. “Bad Summer” is the perfect song to drown out the long week and kickstart the sunshine-filled weekend. Watch below. "Every summer I look forward to tailgating my favorite country concerts! I love hanging with friends, jamming to our favorite songs and making memories that will never fade. That's what this song is all about. We had so much fun shooting this video. It's proof that you cannot have a bad summer!" says Karissa Ella. In this video directed and shot by Justin Mayotte and Justin Hammond, Karissa's energetic personality shines through with strong vocals and a playful presence. She shows that with a couple of good friends, ice-cold drinks and some country music, there “ain’t no thing as a bad summer.” Written alongside Alex Seier and Tony McVaney, “Bad Summer” is a defining song for Karissa and is just the start of what’s to come. Carly Pearce has made her mark in country music following the release of her EP “29” on February 19th. Pearce appeared at the 56th ACM Awards, winning not one but two awards for her number 1 hit “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Lee Brice. The duo won the Single of the Year and Music Event of the Year categories. Now Pearce is stepping into a new role as the host of ACM Honors on August 25th from The Ryman. She also appeared at the CMT Awards bringing her dog June Jolene Pearce to the show.
Back on the road again, Pearce is on Lady A’s “What A Song Can Do Tour” with Tenille Arts and Niko Moon. She also performed at the Faster Horses Festival, CMA Summer Jam, and Hood River County Fair earlier this summer. You can find her full tour schedule here. Invited to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry by Dolly Parton herself, the Kentucky native will be inducted tonight, August 3rd alongside Trisha Yearwood, Clay Walker, and Jeannie Seely. In anticipation, Pearce announced "29: Written In Stone" to be released September 17th. Pre-save here. You can read our full interview with Carly Pearce below. You brought your dog June to the CMT Awards, how has June helped to comfort you this year? Last summer was a really difficult time in my life and I can remember a time where I was upset, and she just came right over and curled up in my lap. She has so much unconditional love and is always there for me when I need her the most. Tell us about the making behind the “Next Girl” music video. I had so much fun making that music video! I feel like most of us have either witnessed those ridiculous advances or have been on the receiving end at some point in time. Even though I truly hope the lyrics help the 'next girl' know that a jerk's actions are not her fault, I also wanted to mix some of the often-experienced pick-up techniques with a little humor. You have previously noted that the Grand Ole Opry is your favorite venue to perform at, now you’re the newest member of it. Tell us about that experience. The Opry has so much history woven into it and every time I’m there I get chills thinking about all of the iconic artists that have performed in the circle. When Dolly shared the news with me, my heart exploded! I am so looking forward to being a part of the most prestigious family in country music and being heavily involved with the Opry in the years to come. You won not one, but two ACM Awards this year and now you’re hosting ACM Honors. What can we expect to see on August 25th? Taking home those ACM Awards was a night I will never forget. I was so flattered when I was asked to host the ACM Honors. It’s such a special night in country music and we are going to be honoring some of the most deserving people in the industry including my idol Loretta Lynn. Fans should expect to see some killer performances and fun outfit changes from me throughout the night. I’m extremely excited to put on a new hat for the night and try out hosting. Festivals are returning this summer, what is your favorite part of performing? Favorite festival food or activity? The crowds at festivals are unlike any other. I love to hear the fans singing along at the top of their lungs and dancing and having a good time. One of the best things to do after I finish up a festival set is head out to the seats and take in the final sets of the night and just enjoy being a fan of the amazing artists, I get to share the stage with. You are going on tour with Lady A, Niko Moon, and Tenille Arts. How excited are you? It’s been such a long time coming to get back on the road. We are so excited; it’s been amazing to play a few one-off shows with my band and feel that energy again. It’s the first time I’m getting to play these songs and hear them sung back to me and it’s been unbelievable. It’s made even more special that Lady A are great friends of mine, all of us are ready to make some great memories with all the fans. Country sweetheart Molly Lovette released the lyric video for her latest feel-good summer anthem "Hey Hey." Watch below. This video gives fans a more behind-the-scenes look of what takes place at a photoshoot. “I wanted to show my fans what goes on during a photoshoot,” says Molly. “From the idea, to the crafting of the props, to the final edit, it’s all here. This was geared around the release of Hey Hey and our photographer Lauren Hayes Media created exactly what we wanted. This pink cadillac was perfect! Special thank you to Bill Evans at Evans Glass Company for letting us use this beautiful car for a few hours. I’m officially in love with this car.” This song was written by Molly and paints a picture of having a good time "sippin' and singin'" with friends. This song is currently getting great feedback from her fans. Now with over quarter of a million combined streams just on Spotify, numerous TV appearances, press interviews, radio placements, music videos airing on The Country Network, a Forbes feature, and so much more, she is taking the world by storm and winning the hearts of country fans everywhere. She is on the road this summer performing in Nashville, Illinois, and at many venues in her home state of Missouri. For more information on Molly Lovette, visit her website |
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May 2024
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