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Lindsay Ell’s New Single “All Alright” is a Smash – Listen

One of CMT’s Next Women of Country, Lindsay Ell is more than just your typical Country Music Artist. She’s a phenomenal guitarist who is always crafting her trade.

 

If you follow her on social media such, you’ll find her constantly working on her music. It almost seems to never stop. Even when Ell is delayed at the airport, she’s busting out her gear and working on her latest creation.

 

Ell’s previous single “By The Way” has amassed almost 2 million streams on Spotify and now she is back with her new single “All Alright.”

Ell posted a video clip to twitter sharing her excitement for her new single and added that it was just the start of new music coming!!!

“All Alright” talks about things going wrong, but how a person can bring so much happiness and light into any situation and it makes even the dreariest of times hopeful, that everything will be alright.

We could make money / That don’t last forever / If we go broke / We go broke together / If you’re with me / Baby / It’s gonna be / All alright / We can make plans / That change on a dime / End up somewhere / We didn’t have in mind / But if you’re with me / In the front seat /  It’s gonna be / All alright / 

We can’t wait to hear this song live next week when we cover her show in! Stay tuned for updates!! Listen to “All Alright” below and buy it on iTunes!

Marit Larsen Opens Up About Her New EP ‘Joni Was Right II’ and Writing With Joy Williams – Listen

Norwegian, singer, songwriter Marit Larsen has just released her latest EP, Joni Was Right II. This is a follow up EP from her independent release, Joni Was Right, which amassed over 1.6 million streams on Spotify.  You may remember Larsen from the duo, M2M, whose debut single, “Don’t Say You Love Me” became a global hit.

Larsen was featured as “Songwriter of the Week” on American Songwriter and her album, When the Morning Comes,  received rave reviews in Norway and earned her two nominations for the Norwegian Grammy, “Spellemansprisen,” in the categories Best Lyricist and Best Composer.

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Joni was right II features five songs all produced and arranged by Larsen. The EP features the track, “Winter Never Lasts Forever.” “Winter Never Lasts Forever” was co-written by Joy Williams, formerly of The Civil Wars. The song features a powerful vocal performance by Larsen, with a soothing, melodic backing track. This perfectly embellishes the lyrical content of the song:

Set your little heart on fire / Go on / Step into the dark / You will never lose your way / No matter how far you stray

 

The rest of the tracks each tell their own story, with Larsen’s voice bringing them to life. Listening to the EP is a refreshing journey as Larsen proves to not only have strong vocals but a long lost sound of raw, talented vocals that aren’t drowned out by production. Joni Was Right II is filled with songs that tell stories in a way that will take listeners on a visual journey.  We got to interview Larsen about her EP, check out the interview below!

Variety Beat: How would you describe the overall feeling of your new EP Joni Was Right II?

Marit Larsen: To me, this EP sounds like September. Bittersweet, longing, hopeful, sun drenched, dwelling, ever-changing September. My favorite. It is filled with little hints and nods to Joni Mitchell both lyrically and musically. 

Variety Beat: Were there certain instances that happened that inspired some of the songs on Joni Was Right II

Larsen: Like every other song I’ve written, sparks stood out from the rest and slowly materialized into something more interesting. «Joni was right» is a lyric about childhood, about changing perspectives, excitement and eventually growing up. «Bluebelle mountain» is a metaphor about friendship and a tribute to my new favorite pastime.

Variety Beat: How did your co-write with Joy Williams come about and what was it like writing with her?

Larsen: We met through a mutual friend who is also a brilliant songwriter. The three of us collaborated beautifully; she has a unique presence and is a wandering poet. 

Variety Beat: What’s the most important part about making music to you?

Larsen: I’m in love with the whole journey of it. Getting an idea, struggling to let it unfold, deciding when it’s complete, then arranging, imagining and producing it and leaving something in the world that would not have existed had it not been for that spark and moment in time. It’s definitely got a magical flair to it.

Variety Beat: What’s in store for you following the release of your EP?

Larsen: We’re wrapping up a tour in Norway, then I’m flying out to Brooklyn, NY to spend some time in my new home there. Meanwhile, I’ll keep spreading the word about ‘Joni was right’ online through my little indie label. This is such a wild year for us. 

Variety Beat: What’s something you want fans to know about you?

Larsen: My home is where my music is, and even if I may not have been to your city for a while, I keep you in mind when I create new things and adore all the feedback I get on my socials. I’m so thankful for all the devoted ears and hearts out there.

Listen to Marit Larsen’s EP!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florida  Georgia Line Release New Single “Smooth” – Listen!

Florida Georgia Line has released the second song from the upcoming album Dig Your Roots! “Smooth” is just that, a smooth love song. The first thing that stands out about “Smooth” is the baseline, which is actually the sound of Bullfrogs! “Smooth” which was written by Brian Kelley, Tyler Hubbard, Nicolle Gaylon and JordanSchmidt uses a lot of strong analogies to describe the female subject of the song.

LISTEN TO FGL’S NEW SINGLE “SMOOTH”

With its unique background music and lyrics like Smooth / Like a Tennessee walker / Just a walking on the water / You’re smooth / like a Sunday morning Elvis / Singing Gospel it’s a hell of a groove / like the lines on her mercury / Girl you’re put together perfectly. The song is sure to be another hit for the boys of FGL!
This is the second song to be released from thier upcoming album Dig Your Roots which is dropping on August 26th! The boys promise that this CD is unlike anything they have ever done and that is clear just by looking at the tracklisting! The album features 3 collaborations; Tim McGraw joins them on the song “May We All,” Ziggy Marley appears on “Life is A Honeymoon,” and the last collaboration is with The Backstreet Boys on “God, Your Mama,and Me.”

Brian Kelley talked about the collaborations on this album saying:

“Collaborating with Tim McGraw, The Backstreet Boys or Ziggy Marley alone is already super surreal for us, but to have them all on this album is pretty mind-blowing.”

Tyler Hubbard explains why having The Backstreet Boys on the new album is so surreal!

“These three artists were huge influences on both of us musically; BK’s first concert was The Backstreet Boys and they were my first album!”

We had the pleasure of talking to Kelley and Hubbard at this year’s CMAfest, see what they had to say about the new album! It can be read here! 

Dig Your Roots is available for Pre-order on most Digital retailers. Fans can also catch FGL out on the Dig Your Roots tour! More information can be found at www.floridageorgialine.com

Track listing for Dig Your Roots 
1. “Smooth” (Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Schmidt)

2. “Dig Your Roots” (Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Jerry Flowers, Brett JamesErnest Keith Smith, Will Weatherly)

3. “Life Is A Honeymoon” featuring Ziggy Marley (Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Cary Barlowe, David Marley, Jordan Schmidt)

4. “H.O.L.Y.” (busbee, Nate Cyphert, William Wiik Larsen)

5. “Island” (Ryan Hurd, Matt McGinn, Jordan Schmidt)

6. “May We All” featuring Tim McGraw (Rodney Clawson, Jamie Moore)

7. “Summerland” (Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Jesse Frasure, Chris Tompkins)

8. “Lifer” (Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Jordan Schmidt)

9. “Good Girl, Bad Boy” (Rodney Clawson, Zach Crowell, Matt Jenkins)

10. “Wish You Were On It” (Smith Ahnquist, Hunter Phelps, Jameson RodgersWill Weatherly)

11. “God, Your Mama, and Me” featuring The Backstreet Boys (Josh Kear, Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson)

12. “Music Is Healing” (Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Jordan Schmidt, Craig Wiseman)

13. “While He’s Still Around” (Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Chase Rice, Jesse Rice, Jordan Schmidt, Craig Wiseman)

14. “Grow Old” (Zachary Kale,Canaan Smith)

15. “Heatwave” (Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley, Kyle Fishman, Jordan SchmidtBrad Warren, Brett Warren)

Keith Urban Releases New Album ‘Ripcord’ – Listen!

Keith Urban‘s highly anticipated album Ripcord is out now! The album has already produced 3 tops 15 hits, with the lead single “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” becoming his 19th #1 song.

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“Break On Me,” the second single from Ripcord also hit #1 and the third single “Wasted Time” is already #13 on the charts and climbing! The album has a variety of melodies on it, including a collaboration with Carrie Underwood in “The Fighter” and Nile Rodgers and Pitbull on “Sun Don’t Let Me Down.”

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It’s an album you won’t get tired of listening to because it’s not the same sound, as so many albums can often be. Some may criticize that some of the songs aren’t “country enough” but for those who enjoy a mix of genres, this album is perfect!

 

LISTEN TO KEITH URBAN’S NEW ALBUM ‘RIPCORD’

Kristy Lee Cook Releases New EP ‘All Kinds Of Crazy’ – Listen!

It’s been a long wait for new music from Kristy Lee Cook, but we have finally been blessed with an EP titled All Kinds Of Crazy! This is Cook’s first EP release with her label, Broken Bow Records and hopefully there will be a lot more to follow!

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Kristy Lee Cook shared exclusively with Variety Beat, how much releasing new music means to her:

“Getting the chance to release some more music is such a great feeling. I’m so thankful to everyone at Broken Bow for believing in me and continuing to support my career.  I can’t wait to see what people think of these songs.”

All four songs are upbeat and instantly catchy. Cook co-wrote two of the songs “Everything” and the title track “All Kinds Of Crazy.”

‘ALL KINDS OF CRAZY’ EP REVIEW

“Everything” immediately draws you in with the catchy banjo strumming and keeps the tempo going throughout the course of the entire song. Baby tell me what you need, I’m open to anything.

“Ruined” has a chorus that will get stuck in your head and never leave. You’ll instantly be singing along If I ever lose you, what am I suppose to do? Baby I’m ruined, Baby I’m ruined. How am I suppose to kiss anybody else’s lips? Baby I’m ruined. I’m so ruined by you.

“What We Got” is perfect for those mushy couples who seem to be #RelationshipGoals. Even if you aren’t in a relationship, after listening to this song you’ll be wishing you got what they got! Everybody’s gonna want we got, Gonna wanna find a love that’s this hot. They gonna wish they had a kiss like we got, like we got. 

“All Kinds Of Crazy” is a song you’ll want to blast in the car, especially once you hit the chorus. There are some less uptempo parts of the song, but once you hit that chorus, it will get your heart racing! You’ve got my heart racing baby, it’s going all kinds of crazy. So why don’t we just roll on with this moment, baby the night is ours so let’s own it. 

LISTEN TO KRISTY LEE COOK’S EP ‘ALL KINDS OF CRAZY’

Let us know what your favorite song is off the EP!