Tag Archives: country artist

Music

GALLERY: KELSEA BALLERINI PERFORMS AT HOTEL CAFE

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ACM’s New Female Aritst Of The Year, Kelsea Ballerini was in Los Angeles this week doing interviews and getting ready for her performance on the Radio Disney Awards and The American Country Countdown Awards! She is one busy lady and despite already having an interview with Access Hollywood Thursday morning, she also took time for a special ACM Session Taping!

GALLERY KELSEA BALLERINI PERFORMS AT ACM PARTY FOR A CAUSE AND RECEIVES HER FIRST ACM AWARD.

These tapings allow fans to attend the private event where an artist is interviewed and then performs a few songs. They are later available online at CBS.com.

It was an interactive session, where Ballerini interacted with the fans and answered their questions off camera! She is excited about performing her single “Peter Pan” on the Radio Disney Music Awards and “Dibs” on the ACCAs.

Ballerini has two #1 songs off her current album and “Peter Pan” is the third single to be released and it is currently in the top 40 at Country Radio.

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When talking about her single “Peter Pan” she explained that she has been the Peter Pan in a relationship and she has also been “Peter Panned.” Thus giving birth to a great new verb!

WATCH: A CLIP OF KELSEA BALLERINI PERFORMING “PETER PAN”

There were a ton of fun moments and Ballerini even had to sing two of her songs again because one of her band members was wearing a hat with a logo. The fans didn’t seem to mind one bit! While goofing around between songs, Ballerini sang a song “Highschool” that she is thinking about putting on her next album.

WATCH: A CLIP OF KELSEA BALLERINI PERFORMING “HIGHSCHOOL”

Ballerini also revealed that she is currently planning her next album. She just had her first meeting for it, she played 20 songs and they will be choosing five to begin with. She said that her first album introduced her as an artist from the age of 12-21. When she was putting it together she wasn’t thinking about a live show and that is why there are a lot of mid-tempo songs. Her next album will have more up-tempo songs to make for an even greater live show.

She also took the time to say hi to those in attendance! It was so lovely chatting with her!


We can’t wait for what she has in store. Check out the photos of her performances below!

GALLERY: KELSEA BALLERINI PERFORMS AT THE HOTEL CAFE

Living, Music

Mallary Hope Has A Baby And New Music On The Way!

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Exciting times are here for Curb Recording Artist Mallary Hope who has both new music and a baby on the way! It’s been a bumpy road for Hope who (in my opinion) has one of the best voices in Country Music. Hope has released music, you may know her for her song “Love Lives On.”

WATCH MALLARY HOPE’S MUSIC VIDEO FOR “LOVE LIVES ON”

“Love Lives On” was written for her sister who was pregnant at the time and her husband was leaving for an 18 month tour in Iraq. Hope’s sister told her:

“Being married to a serviceman, you have to always be ready for the worst. If anything should happen to him in Iraq, at least I would have the baby to remember him by, and that would make it easier.”

Despite being crazy talented and having cuts from artists like Sara Evans, Lauren Alaina, Jana Kramer, Danielle Bradbery, Katie Armiger, Danny Gokey (to name a few) and being featured on two of Darius Rucker‘s albums it hasn’t been an easy ride. As someone who has been avidly championing and watching her career, I’ve seen this disappointment and frustration of not being signed to a record label or being able to put out an album, something she has been working toward for so long.

 

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster as she’s kept her faith and God’s timing as part of the master plan. She didn’t put her life on hold to keep pursing music, something to be admired. She was able to get married, to Ryan Dokke who was recently promoted as Curb Records VP of Promotion. They welcomed a beautiful baby girl in January 2015 and are now pregnant with their second child.

 

Hope has long shared her life with her friends, family and fans. She’s let us know when she’s going through hard times, when she lost her best friend to cancer and wrote a song called “My Best Friend” that has gone on to inspire so many people.

WATCH MALLARY HOPE SING “MY BEST FRIEND”

Hope recently shared, along with the happy pregnancy news, that she has experienced two miscarriages prior to her current Rainbow baby. (A Rainbow baby is a baby that follows after a miscarriage or stillbirth.) Being pregnant is an emotional journey and being a mother makes you look at everything so much differently. To lose those babies, even though they weren’t born yet, takes a toll on a family and it’s something that isn’t talked about enough. It’s a hard topic and one that might make some uneasy, but it’s the courage and bravery of those who go through it to speak out because they do need to grieve for those lives lost.

 

Our little rainbow baby. Blessing our family in November. So thankful for God’s blessings & allowing us to grow our family. After two miscarriages, I was hesitant to share our news so early,but then I remembered that God is the giver of life. No matter what gestational stage of life, it IS LIFE and as a mother, it is PAIN when that baby is lost. I never thought it would happen to me because it was so “easy” with Scarlett. But it taught me how much of a miracle carrying a baby actually is. How every little thing has to be right in order for us to assist God in this tiny miracle.. God has a plan for us all & a reason (even if we never understand it) for everything. So many people go through this and I just wanted to share our story. I’ve never been one to shy away from my honesty or share what’s on my heart. I’ve written a song about it and hope that I am able to sing it without crying soon. I wrote it to give a voice to those babies that never make it & I have hope.. Beautiful hope that someday when I see Jesus he will be holding those tiny little babies and allowing me to show them how much I wanted them. Anyway, I’m hormonal and all 😭 and just wanted to send up a prayer for anyone who can relate to us. Just remember that God has a plan. God says in Jeremiah ““I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” #keepthefaith #11weeks #cantcontainmyexcitement

More good news for Hope as she signed a record deal and has been working on her new album. She recently shared she is about half way done with it!

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Congratulations all around and we can’t wait for the new record!!!

Throwback to Keith Urban being adorable and calling Hope “baby” because why not?

 

 

 

 

Music

Gallery: Granger Smith Performs At ACM’s Party For A Cause

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Granger Smith was the final act we caught while at ACM’s Party For A Cause weekend! He was definitely a crowd pleaser and the final act at the Party Stage. His previous single “Backroad Song” reached #1 on the Country Airplay chart.

His current single is called “If The Boot Fits,” which he sung to the crowd while everyone raised a boot in the air! Check out the photos and video below!

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WATCH GRANGER SMITH PERFORM BACKGROUND SONG

PHOTO GALLERY: GRANGER SMITH PERFORMS AT PARTY FOR A CAUSE

Music

Gallery: Maren Morris Performs At ACM’s Party For A Cause

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“Can I get a Hallelujah? Can I get and amen?” That’s what Maren Morris asks the crowd in her song “My Church” which is currently in the top 15 at Country Radio. It’s the first single from Morris who has had cuts from artists as big as Kelly Clarkson, “Second Wind.”

WATCH MAREN MORRIS PERFORM “SECOND WIND” 

Morris is burning up the country chart and making waves as a new female artist. I definitely wanted to catch her set since the opportunity presented itself!

WATCH MAREN MORRIS PERFORM “MY CHURCH”

Morris released an EP in 2015, and has a full album that will be released June 3, 2016 titled “Hero.”

WATCH MAREN MORRIS PERFORM “DRUNK GIRLS DON’T CRY”

There were a lot of great songs and a ton of pictures! Be sure to check out all the photos and videos!

WATCH MAREN MORRIS PERFORM “I WISH I WAS”

PHOTO GALLERY: MAREN MORIS PERFORMS AT PARTY FOR A CAUSE

Interviews

Exclusive Interview: Natalie Stovall And The Drive

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Natalie Stovall And The Drive is one of those bands that have been around for years but not everyone knows about. Variety Beat had the chance to catch up with Stovall and talk about the band, their music and her tour Three Girls Rock Into A Bar.

It’s important to have a community that supports each other and the fans have been there for Stovall and her band, even helping fund her latest EP. She talks about what inspired her single “Heartbreak” and surprisingly it’s not about a relationship. In fact, Stovall is happily married to James Bavendam who happens to be the drummer in her band.

Vogue 

VARIETY BEAT INTERVIEWS NATALIE STOVALL:

Variety Beat: Can you tell me about your band Natalie Stovall and The Drive. How did you all come together?

“My band and I have spent most of our time on the road – playing over 200 dates a year for the last few years. James Bavendam (drummer) and I met in college and put a band together. When we graduated, James and I were the only members that moved down to Nashville. We started looking for new members, put an ad on Craig’s list, and found Miguel! We met Joel through a former bass player, and that’s when it started to become a real band. After years of touring under just my name, I realized my music didn’t sound like me without them and wanted to give it a band name to recognize the fact that we really are a band. It’s so amazing to tour the world & make music with this band of brothers. They are some of the greatest and most talented people I’ve ever known, and I get to hang out with them every day!”

Vogue

Variety Beat: You recently released your second EP after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Your first EP was also self released. What has that journey been like for you guys as a band and how has it connected you with your fans?

“It was such a bummer when the record label closed down right before our second single was being shipped to radio. But the way the fans have supported us, still come out to shows, and still asked about & bought our music has kept us going. It really is about the music and the people that support us – don’t care whether we have a fancy record deal or not. Making this new music was such a rewarding experience. Our fans funded our Kickstarter goal in a little over a week which was HUGE! The whole process – from what I was writing to working with different producers to playing the songs out live – has been such a growing process for us. We keep pushing ourselves as a band. And our fans have really responded to that! We just want to keep making music and reaching as many people as we can with it.”

Variety Beat: Your current single is called “Heartbreak,” can you explain the inspiration behind the song?

“I was writing with a couple of writers (Maile Misajon and Jason Gantt) in Nashville. It was right after the label had shut down and I was talking about everything I was going through at the time. We were discussing how it’s just like a relationship ending – it’s someone you depend on and makes you stronger and when that goes away it really is heartbreaking. So much of the momentum we had going came to a screeching halt. But it’s what you do AFTER that happens that defines you. So as we were having this discussion and started singing some lines that became the chorus and the song was born.”

Variety Beat: The music video for “Heartbreak” was a ton of fun to watch, was that also self released and what was that journey like?

“HA! Thank you! It was SO much fun to make. We made it with some friends in Dallas that have a production company called Distillery Media. We had come up with the rough idea of the video and I LOVED it cause it made me laugh just thinking about each of the guys being a “bad date”. We all sat around with the director, Randy, the day before we shot the video and just created each of the dates. I picked an outfit for each one and then my sweet friend, Hailey Steele, who is an incredible singer/songwriter, just happens to be amazing at hair and make-up, too. So she came and helped me with glam and then was IN the video as the girl Joel leaves me for AND the girl on the bad date at the end :). I highly recommend making videos with your friends. We shot the whole thing at 3 locations in 6 hours and laughed the whole time.”

Variety Beat: The video also features your band going on dates with you after finding them on a dating app type deal. Your husband’s date, who is the drummer in the band didn’t seem to go so well. Will he be getting a second date? 🙂 The ending was hilarious and everyone will have to watch to see what we are talking about!

“HAHA. If any of our original dates had gone that badly he would NOT have gotten a second date!”

WATCH: NATALIE STOVALL AND THE DRIVE’S MUSIC VIDEO “HEARTBREAK”

 

Variety Beat: I noticed some upcoming shows called 3 Girls Rock Into A Bar with Ruthie Collins and Kelleigh Bannen. How did you all come together to get that set up?

 

“I have wanted to do a tour like this for a LONG time. Ruthie and Kelleigh are 2 of my favorite artists in Nashville, so what better way to go on the road than with my band and friends?! My band plays for everyone and we all sing and play for each other and it’s just a big party of sharing our favorite music on stage. So far the shows have gone really well and we just want to keep growing it so we can take even more girls out with us!”

Be sure to catch Natalie Stovall and The Drive on the road. Dates here.