Author: countryheartbeat

New Music Monday

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Maren Morris – My Church

This song is starting to explode on country radio! Marren Morris is going to be someone who will rise to fame very quickly this year. For those of you who haven’t heard it, no the song isn’t religious or about going to church, so don’t shy away from it out of fear of that. It’s a powerful song about the healing powers of country music, and how one can just get lost in the music on a long drive and end up feeling so much better about everything. “I find my soul revival, singing every single verse / Yeah, I guess that’s my church.” I’ve always been a huge believer that music can save a soul, much like God or a church can, and this is the message that Maren is trying to get across in this single that is going to soar up the charts over the next few months!

Russell Dickerson – Yours

Can I just take a second and personally say, “Awwwwwww” and that I want a guy to feel like this about me one day? I yearn to make someone the best version of themselves, more than I want to find someone who is going to make me the best version of my own self! The fact that there is a “Wedding Version” on his EP for this song speaks magnitude about the power it will hold over people’s emotions. This song is going to touch hearts and that’s what makes or breaks a song in my opinion. His vocals are strong and the lyrics are touching and powerful. You need to give it a listen!

Brooke Eden – Daddy’s Money

Brooke has been in the Nashville scene for a few years now, and after releasing an EP in early 2014 and the single American Dreamin’ later that year, now she’s come out with a brand new single that country radio is going to love! This song isn’t about being handed everything on a silver platter, it’s just the opposite! Brooke sings about working hard for everything she has gotten, and encourages all of the girls around town to not let it hold them up or slow them down if they don’t have the ease of living off of “Daddy’s Money”. It’s a sassy single with attitude and girl-power that is going to be her big break in 2016 and just goes to prove that hard work (and of course talent) will get you far. Sometimes it’s about who you know, but in Brooke’s case, she wants it known that pure determination and hard work got her to where she is today!

Brothers Osborne – It Ain’t My Fault

I had the pleasure of hearing this song live, acoustically, for the very first time at the Brothers Osborne CD Release Party. So let’s just start out by saying that as a kid, one of my favorite games was Mouse Trap, simply for the fact that it was a game of cause and effect based on a chain reaction… where one action influenced the next. (Memory refresh here!) Same with my obsession for the Back to the Future… do you remember Doc’s alarm clock contraption in the opening sequence? (If not, refresh your memory here!) Basically, these type of Rube Goldberg machines intrigue me, and It Ain’t My Fault is a song with that same basic idea, but reversed. It’s all about blaming the previous night’s behavior on a plethora of things, each one leading to the next. It’s a fun song about someone who is guilty of a “damn good time”. Not sure which track BR-OS plans on releasing as their next single, but this would be my pick for sure!

Be sure to follow along on twitter and like our facebook page! I would love for you to join me along in my journey through the country music industry and help me chase my dreams!

Do We Have Your Vote?

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I normally wouldn’t reach out on the blog like this, but…

Would you guys do me a giant favor and help me win a trip to Tortuga Music Festival (in case I don’t make it to the ACM’s this year!) This trip would help with the depression that would result in not being in Vegas during The Week Vegas Goes Country. Perhaps a chance to heal a broken heart!

All that you have to do is click and vote a 10 on our photo! I believe it asks for your email address as well. I would appreciate it so much! Voting ends 2/10/16! I would truly appreciate it! 🙂

Vote for Boston’s Cutest Country Couple

Contest Entry

TBT #5 – Canaan Smith (WAY Back When!)

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THROWBACK THURSDAY!

WHEN: June 16th, 2012
WHERE: Meadowbrook Pavilion, Gilford NH
HOW: Stood in line for over an hour after Sugarland’s set to get an autograph and photo!

So this is before ANYONE had ANY idea of who Canaan Smith even was… but HE was the main reason that I wanted to go see the Sugarland show in June of 2016. I had been a fan for a little while since We Got Us was released earlier that year and I had been following him on twitter for a while. (He was just too adorable to resist!)

A couple days before the show, he actually replied to my tweet, and that got me EVEN MORE PSYCHED for the upcoming show!!

canaan smith june 14th 2012

During his set, he mentioned that he would be willing to meet EVERYONE after Sugarland’s set over by the merch booth. I had bought his CD with two original tracks, We Got Us and All In My Head. I convinced my friend to wait in line with me while he took the time to meet each and every fan, sign an autograph, AND take a photo. To put it into perspective, the venue has about 8,000 seats and there was a long line, but the wait was so worth it! I remember that security was extremely strict about taking photos with your own camera, but I snuck some anyway. (Typical.) Canaan was a sweetheart and introduced himself (like I didn’t already know who he was!) and I told him that he put on an awesome show and he thanked me. I don’t remember much besides that, it WAS nearly 4 years ago!

CANAAAAAAN

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Canaan has always been awesome about interacting with his fans. I’m so happy that I grabbed these screenshots [of tweets] all those years ago! I’ve been a fan of Canaan since the very beginning of his career and am proud of how far that he has come! Since then, I’ve seen him in concert several times and met him a couple more times over the years. I will always be a supporter of his music!

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Follow Canaan on Twitter and check out his website for tour dates and more information!

2016 ACM Nominees Announced

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If you’re new to this blog, and unaware, I am extremely partial to the Academy of Country Music, the ACM Awards Show, and The Week Vegas Goes Country. Check out this post of where this passion for the ACM’s began, when I won my “Dream Trip of a Lifetime”! I NEED TO FIND A WAY BACK THIS YEAR! I’m so torn between saving the money that I had originally saved for my annual ACM trip and putting it toward my Nashville move. That would put me one step closer to my long term goal, but devastate me when April comes around. It’s been a struggle trying to make this decision. I want more than anything to be in my favorite place on earth (Vegas) during my favorite week of the year (ACM week)… with all of the new connections I’ve made over the past two years, I can only imagine how epic this trip would be. I could network like CRAZY and tell everyone I meet that I’m moving to Nashville and tell them I’m looking for a job… Vegas turns me into the person that I wish I could be every day; I become this wonderful confident version of myself and to put that version of me in an environment SURROUNDED by country music everywhere would benefit my career and future immeasurably.

However, without that money that I’ve saved up for ACM week, saving enough to get to Nashville by the end of the year might not be feasible. I know that sacrificing the trip would most likely be beneficial to my long term goal, but I know how painful it would be not to go this year, especially with how far that I’ve come where this dream is concerned. I tend to base decisions on feelings instead of logic… logic says save that money and make the move to Nashville, but my heart knows how much it would break not being there… especially with seeing everyone’s snap chats and tweets all week. I need to make a decision fairly quickly, seeing as how I need to purchase flights and outfits and start a hard core work out routine and all of the prep that goes into that week. I just wish so badly someone could come with me and split the room with me! I can’t afford to do it alone! I’m hoping that the Universe sends me a clear message soon to help me with my decision! But anyway…

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It’s Your Thing!

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Raise your hand if you made a 2016 resolution/goal to lose weight.

Raise your hand if you have wanted to try the SlimFast diet fad, but have been unsure about how those things taste!

You’re in the right place then.

Starting in early January, I myself decided that I needed to shed a few extra pounds that I had put on this past year. I guess they are right about your metabolism slowing down as you age, because I haven’t done much else differently but I’ve somehow managed to put on almost 10 unwelcomed pounds. So when Influenster sent me a bunch of SlimFast samples in the mail to try, I was very excited!

I started off the new year reflecting on 2015 and setting some goals for myself and my blog in 2016. The first thing that I tested out were the Sour Cream & Onion 100 Calorie Pack Baked Crisps while sitting on my bed reviewing and celebrating 2015 with the Big Dreams, Small Wonders workbook. These were actually pretty good! They satisfied my need for something both salty and crispy and I would compare them to other baked potato chips. For a “diet” type of food/snack, it was pretty agreeable. I even devoured the crumbs at the bottom of the bag! I would definitely buy these on my own, either as part of a weight-loss program or just to snack on when I get a craving.

Next up: SlimFast 100 Calorie Snack Drizzled Cinnamon Crisps

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Brothers Osborne CD Release Party!

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Did you hear that Brothers Osborne had a CD Release party at Bull Moose in Salem, New Hampshire the day before their debut album, Pawn Shop, was released?! If you weren’t one of the few lucky enough to attend, I captured the question and answer part of their acoustic performance for you guys to watch!

So technically, I was scheduled to work that Thursday, but when I found out on Tuesday morning that they would be about an hour and a half away from my house, AND there was an opportunity to meet them and get their CD before anyone else… I knew I had to go. I had to find SOME way to be there. They recently played in Portland, and sadly I had to miss the show and was very upset about it. THIS WAS MY CHANCE. Sooo… should I play hooky? Call out sick? I decided that honesty was the best policy (it usually is!) and I decided to just present the facts to my boss and see what she had to say about it. Luckily, she understands my passion/obsession for country music and networking within the industry and graciously allowed me to take the day off to go! When you truly want something guys, just have the courage to ASK!

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Empowering Women

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When it comes to empowering females in the country music world, Miranda Lambert is one name that comes to mind. As a part of this blog, my goal is to inspire not only women, but anyone who wants to rise higher in their personal lives and/or careers. This might be “old news” to some of you, but right now I’m on an “empowerment kick” and learning about what Miranda is doing for one lucky girl attending Belmont is definitely empowering and inspiring!

Established in 2015, the Miranda Lambert Women Creators Fund will provide over $40,000 to a female attending Belmont University in Nashville who is majoring in songwriting, entertainment industry studies or music business. The first scholarship will affect the 2016-17 school year. (Which, in that case, should I consider going back to school?!?) Several years ago I looked into Belmont, before realizing I didn’t want to have to go through all of those prerequisite and core classes again. Just take me straight to the music business courses, please! Nor do I have that kind of money to invest into a second college education. Thankfully, I’ve learned along this journey that you don’t need a Belmont degree to land a career in Nashville’s music industry. I would rather devote my hard work towards networking and gaining real-life experience instead of spending time in a classroom.

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Reflections & What I Want In 2016

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Lately I’ve been finding myself comparing my twitter/instagram/facebook page to others in this world of country fan sites/blogs. I’m noticing how many followers they have in comparison with me, and I know this is partially due to the fact that they are on top of the latest news stories that fans want to hear. I swore in the beginning that I would not be one of those sites/blogs, whose purpose is to relay the latest gossip in the country music industry or keep fans with the most up to date information. Nothing against them, because clearly they have hundreds of thousands more followers than I do… but I want my blog, my brand, Country Heartbeat to be a bit more personal. To tell a story. MY story. I want to introduce you to this life that I lead, that yeah, happens to be immersed in country music. It’s the thing I’m most passionate about, and much to my boyfriend’s dismay, comes first above everything. I want to inspire people to chase their dreams, to step out of their comfort zone, to grab hold of something that they love and take a leap of faith, to do things they never thought they could do.

I had a talk with a close friend recently that helped me realize that out of our group of friends, or even out of the people in this local area… heck, even in all of Maine… don’t love the industry in the same way that I do. One of my best friends since early childhood, God love her, once commented on my new profile picture with Lee Brice on his tour bus and asked, “Is that your new man?”. Oh, sweet Jesus. These people around here just don’t get it.

That’s why I’ve got to get to Nashville, and soon. That’s why I love every minute of “The Week Vegas Goes Country” aka ACM week, where I can surround myself with those friends who are as passionate about country music as I am. I’ve got friends from California, South Dakota, Minnesota, Florida, Ohio… all these people come together in Vegas and are as crazy about it as I am.

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New Music Monday!

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LAST New Music Monday of 2015!

Musically, 2015 has been a breakout year for artists like Kelsea Ballerini, Michael Ray, A Thousand Horses, Brothers Osborne, Sam Hunt, Cam, Chris Janson, Old Dominion, Chase Bryant, LoCash, Canaan Smith and more! What artists will emerge and climb to the top in 2016?! I’ve got some premonitions, but for now, I’ll just share with you some of my “new” favorite songs as the year is wrapping up!

Florida Georgia Line, “Confession”

“Embers in the ashtray glow / like memories that won’t let go”

“That guy in the windshield looking back looks just like me / But there’s a crack in the reflection”

This song has been my favorite song off of their Anything Goes album since it was first released back in October of 2014. I’m surprised it took them this long to make it a radio single! I definitely appreciate Florida Georgia Line’s “softer side” which helps balance out the high energy party songs. I love the visuals in this song, how you can listen to it with your eyes closed and “see” the story being told. Also, basically any song that mentions a shooting star or star gazing is going to earn extra points in my book! It’s a song about reflecting on the past and driving out to the middle of nowhere to basically drink beer and contemplate life. So far, all of FGL’s singles have hit #1, and this one will be no exception!

Cole Swindell, “You Should Be Here”

“It’s one of those moments, that’s got your name written all over it /And you know that if I had just one wish it’d be that you didn’t have to miss this / You should be here”

Heart. Strings. Pulled. Cole says that this is the song that he “came to Nashville to write” and the raw emotions behind these lyrics tied with the visuals of Mike Monaco’s video… so powerful. This is a very personal song for Cole, written about his late father who passed only weeks after Cole officially got his first record deal. The video features one of their last phone conversations as well highlights from Cole’s career that his Dad has missed out on. Everyone has lost someone they’ve loved, and everyone has those moments where they wish their loved one could be there to experience life with them. You Should Be Here captures these feelings and ties them personally to all of the meaningful moments in Cole’s career that his Dad missed out on. Though Cole says that he knows his Dad is smiling from up above looking down, he just wishes he could be there to put his arm around him and experience the moment. Download this song. NOW. Industry professionals are already predicting it’s going to be up for “Song of the Year” at future awards shows.

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