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Ross Ellis Releases Brand New Song, “I Wish You Would”

Ross Ellis dropped a brand new song, “I Wish You Would” available now, June 4th on all streaming platforms. Listen to the new track here and take a look below as we dig a little deeper in the new song.

One of our 2020 Artists to Watch, Ross Ellis is one of the most innovative singer-songwriters in the country music genre. Last year, Ellis mesmerized us with his beautiful song “Love Blind.” Today, the singer shows off another side of his talent with a brand new song called “I Wish You Would.”

The song starts off with a funky and jamming instrumental. When Ellis’ voice finally enters, you automatically find yourself swooning. The romantic and sensual song is as enticing as the songs get. Although the lyrics are poetic, the melody of the song is what stands out. The song is catchy without feeling like something we have heard before.

“And I wish you would // Burn me down to ashes baby // Send me up in smoke // Make it feel so good // Roll me off the mattress baby // to the hardwoods // I wish you would”

Song and song again, Ellis finds a way to deliver music that feels new and fresh. He is constantly reinventing the wheel. It is hard to listen to a playlist and hear a song by the singer and not stop and listen twice. It is no wonder why he teased the song on his socials prior to release.

Overall, we are so excited about this next chapter for the rising star. “I Wish You Would” is one of his best yet!

Ross-Ellis-New-Song-I-Wish-You-Would

Ross Ellis’ new song, “I Wish You Would” is available now, June 4th

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news about upcoming Ross Ellis announcements and releases.

To keep up with Ross Ellis follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“I Wish You Would” is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Ross Ellis Asks A Quiet Prayer To A Higher Power in “Love Blind”

Ross Ellis Love Blind

One of the more profound and innovative vocalists in the country music genre is Ross Ellis. We named him one of our 2020 Artists to Watch because of his undeniable charm and talent, as well as, for his creative songwriting. On the heels of success with tracks like “Buy and Buy” and “Home To Me,” Ellis released his newest song “Love Blind” today.

Ellis finds away to bare his soul with each song that he releases. He time and time again invites fans into his heart and mind, hoping that they will accept him and his talent. On “Love Blind” Ellis takes that notion of hoping to be “good enough” and internalizes that onto this track. The new song is all about acknowledging your past and your wrongdoings, but hoping it does not impact your current relationship.

I guess she loves like you do / Tell all your angels to work overtime / Stay on both shoulders / Keep me in line / You walked on water and turned it to wine / So Lord make me better and keep her love blind”

For Ellis, blind love seems to mean full acceptance. He hopes that a higher power will keep him on the right path to make this relationship work because it is important to him. I think we can all understand that intense desire and hope in a relationship; however, the singer-songwriter finds a way to evoke those emotions through poetic lyrics and vulnerable sentiments, with killer guitar riffs and vocal layering to add to the already impressive ambiance.

To keep up with Ross Ellis follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“Love Blind” is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music‘ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

 

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SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

The Hero Collection by NYCountry Swag is inspired by the men and women of the Fire, Police and Military Departments across the country. A portion of sales from each purchase is donated to different foundations that support our heroes. We are dedicated to honoring their service and remembering their sacrifice.

Saturday Night Live Combs

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

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Ross Ellis Takes You Back to His Roots in “Home To Me”

Ross Ellis Home to Me

Ross Ellis is a country music singer + songwriter born and raised in the small town of Monterey, Louisiana and we propose you keep your eye on him, that’s why we named him one of our 2020 Artists to Watch. In 2017 Ellis was titled Sirius XM’s latest “Highway Find” with the release of his first single “Home For The Weekend.” He published a handful more singles after that initial release and lionized a breakthrough after Tim McGraw’s “Neon Church” where Ellis was one of the co-writers alongside Ben Goldsmith and Ben Stennis.

After his recent signing with Sony Music Nashville, “Home To Me” is the singer’s first release with the major label. Written by Ellis, Emma-Lee and Karen Kosowski; who also produced and engineered this track, this sanguine, upbeat aria is an ode to Monterey, Louisiana. Ellis talks about all of the things he misses from back home and the verdict to trade in the city back for the back roads. The “Ghosts” singer moved to Nashville upon graduating from The University of Louisiana and it’s distinct that he hasn’t omitted his roots. You can remove the boy from the country but you can’t remove the country from the boy. He sings: “Riding around town // Roll with the homies // Roll the windows down // Where everybody knows me // It don’t matter how much I’ve changed // ‘Cuz this place gonna stay the same // Shoot a little pool down at the lane // And throwing back Crowns ’til nobody’s standing // It don’t matter how much I leave // It’s always gonna be // Always gonna be home to me // Home to me, home to me.”

Co-writers Lee and Kosowski took to Instagram today to celebrate the release. Lee declared, “If you aren’t rhyming jambalaya with choir are you even a songwriter?” Kosowski stated, “You’re such a talent and just love how personal this song is for you… thanks for sharing all the stories about your hometown back in Louisiana with me and @emmadashlee the day we wrote this.”

To keep up with Ross Ellis follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

“Home To Me” is everywhere now available you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our “New Country Playlist.” Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

“Home To Me” Lyrics

I wanna trade this pavement in for some gravel
I’m at the end of my rope and I need to unravel
‘Cuz these stars don’t shine as bright as they could
And a Monterrey night would do me some good, yeah
Two tanks, five hundred miles and change
Give or take, I’m talking ’bout

Riding around town
Roll with the homies
Roll the windows down
Where everybody knows me

It don’t matter how much I’ve changed
‘Cuz this place gonna stay the same
Shoot a little pool down at the lane
And throwing back Crowns ’til nobody’s standing
It don’t matter how much I leave
It’s always gonna be
Always gonna be home to me
Home to me, home to me

I miss my momma’s jambalaya
And singing “Back Road” with my old church choir
And my red brick house down that long drive way
With the mail box holding up my last name
And diving off the dock at Black River Lake
I can’t wait, I’m talking ’bout

Riding around town
Roll with the homies
Roll the windows down
Where everyone knows me

It don’t matter how much I’ve changed
‘Cuz this place gonna stay the same
Shoot a little pool down at the lane
And throwing back Crowns ’til nobody’s standing
It don’t matter how much I leave
It’s always gonna be
Always gonna be home to me

Home to me, home to me
That river still runs in my skin and my bones
No it doesn’t really matter how far I go
It’s always gonna be the heart and my soul
Yeah, that river still runs in my skin and my bones
It doesn’t really matter how far I go
It’s all I know, it’s all I know
I’m talking ’bout

Riding around town
Roll with the homies
Roll the windows down
Where everyone knows me

It don’t matter how much I’ve changed
‘Cuz this place gonna stay the same
Shoot a little pool down at the lane
Throwing back Crowns ’til nobody’s standing
It don’t matter how much I leave
It’s always gonna be
Always gonna be home to me
Home to me
It’s always gonna be, it’s always gonna be
Home to me

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SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

The Hero Collection by NYCountry Swag is inspired by the men and women of the Fire, Police and Military Departments across the country. A portion of sales from each purchase is donated to different foundations that support our heroes. We are dedicated to honoring their service and remembering their sacrifice.

Saturday Night Live Combs

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on InstagramTwitter & Facebook:

NYCountry Swag’s 2020 Artists To Watch

The New York Country Swag team loves to support rising artists and introduce our followers to the best new music in the genre. Since our inception four years ago we have named rising stars like Russell Dickerson, Luke Combs, Brett Young, Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Jimmie Allen as our Artists to Watch. Check out our picks in 2017, 2018, and 2019 before checking out the 10 artists we picked to have a huge 2020 below.

 

Parker McCollum

10. Parker McCollum – This Texas native may have just released his first song on a major label, “Pretty Heart” this past summer after signing with MCA Nashville/UMG Nashville but in the past, he has independently delivered two full-length projects. Focusing on the depth and artistry behind songwriting, McCollum has found a clever balance between traditional Texas country and what is coming out of modern Nashville. We are looking forward to more new music in 2020 and to catch a live show.

For Fans Of: Cody Johnson, Riley Green

Listen: “Pretty Heart”

Stay Connected: @ParkerMcCollum

 

Madison Kozak

9. Madison Kozak – Growing up in Ontario but moving to Nashville when she was only 14 years old, Kozak has been chasing the music dream, honing in on her incredible ability to write a song that is filled with emotions for years. We first heard of the songstress in May we were instantly hooked and since then 2019 was a whirlwind for the budding star, signing a record deal as the flagship artist on a female-driven label, Songs & Daughters and touring the country on three different tours.  Label head, Nicolle Galyon in partnership with Big Loud Records saw something special in this songwriter artist after hearing “First Last Name”, a song she wrote for her father and ever since has been releasing exceptional songs. She kicks off the new year by heading overseas to tour with Chase Rice.

For Fans Of: Kelsea Ballerini, Carrie Underwood

Listen: “OMG ILY”

Stay Connected: @Madison_Kozak

 

King Calaway

8. King Calaway – Last January we were introduced to a brand new band comprised of six talented musicians from different places, Caleb Miller (Ohio), Chris Deaton (Nashville), Simon Dumas (Gibraltar), Jordan Harvey (Scotland), Chad Michael Jervis (Delaware), and Austin Luther (Minnesota). One of the very first time they played for fans before their music was released, King Calaway performed a showcase with NYCountry Swag in New York City and all in attendance were blown away.  Their impeccable harmonies, catchy tunes, and larger than life personalities have since caught the attention of country music fans across the nation. Their debut record, Rivers features 12 tracks written by some of Nashville’s biggest songwriters and covers an array of topics.

For Fans Of: One Direction, Rascal Flatts

Listen: “Rivers”

Stay Connected: @KingCalaway

 

Chris Bandi

7. Chris Bandi – When a song is streamed 60 million times, you know there is something special about it. St. Louis native, Nashville based artist and songwriter Chris Bandi is pushing his major-label debut, “Man Enough Now” to country radio this year and the tale rings true of realizing your mistakes, owning them and hoping for a second chance. Bandi will hit the road with Matt Stell in the upcoming months and sources say plans to release an EP as well.

For Fans Of: Gavin DeGraw, Chris Lane

Listen: “Man Enough Now”

Stay Connected: @ChrisBandi

 

Ingrid Andress

6. Ingrid Andress – We first caught songwriter/artist Ingrid Andress last February during an NYC showcase right after she was signed to Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records and her unique presence, storytelling ability, and hilarious realness caught our attention immediately. With songs like “More Hearts Than Mine”, “Both”, and “Lady Like”, Andress pushes the boundaries of topics usually discussed in the country format, forcing new followers to pay attention. She was named one of CRS New Faces for the class of 2020, a prestigious honor and she joins Dan + Shay on the first leg of their arena tour in 2020.

For Fans Of: Kacey Musgraves, Ashley McBryde

Listen: “More Hearts Than Mine”

Stay Connected: @IngridAndress

 

Ross Ellis

5. Ross Ellis –  Although a bit more undiscovered than the rest of our list, Ross Ellis has a powerhouse, unique voice and his latest single “Buy and Buy” is compelling and begs for repeat spins. By weaving a powerful visual of religion, addiction, and wasted time, “Buy and Buy” is as profound as it is innovative. As a songwriter, Ellis co-wrote one of Tim McGraw’s latest singles, “Neon Church” and a song on Home Free’s new album, Dive Bar Saints called “Dreamer” but in 2020 we hope to hear new songs from Ellis as we continue to champion rising artists and songwriters like him.

For Fans Of: Brett Young, Dan + Shay

Listen: “Buy and Buy” 

Stay Connected: @RossEllisMusic

Avenue Beat 2020 Artists to Watch

4. Avenue Beat – Our most unique, fresh, and different act on this year’s Artists to Watch is Avenue Beat. Comprised of three girls from Illinois, Sami Bearden, Savana Santos, and Sam Backoff they are original and their creative new wave country is as endearing as it is inventive. Their harmonies, melodies, and frankly genius lyrics are relatable to a niche of young women that are thirsty for someone to sing about what they are going through. Signed to Big Machine Label Group’s Valory Music Co. in partnership with Tape Room Records they released their debut self-titled EP in July and toured with Mason Ramsey in 2019. If you are looking for some sass with a side of sensational lyrics, look no further than Avenue Beat.

For Fans Of: Walker Hayes, Kelsea Ballerini

Listen: “Be A Bro” 

Stay Connected: @AvenueBeat

 

Jameson Rodgers

3. Jameson Rodgers – Last February we interviewed Jameson Rodgers for our Swag Spotlight feature, right after he released his EP which featured his break out hit, “Some Girls”. This Mississippi native is now planted firmly in Nashville, writing and creating music as a Sony Music Nashville artist and has toured with Luke Combs on his Beer Never Broke My Heart tour and just announced that in 2020 he will embark on his very first headlining tour. Relatable lyrics that are set to a modern-day twang, Rodgers has already garnered a ton of fans and hopefully the new year we can expect a full-length album.

For Fans Of: Jon Pardi, Luke Combs

Listen: “Some Girls”

Stay Connected: @JamesonRodgers

 

Gabby Barrett

2. Gabby Barrett – She may have become a household name because of her stint on American Idol but Gabby Barrett is showing Nashville and the country music community that women want to hear a female write a song from her own perspective. Her debut radio single, “I Hope” not only features her sultry voice but has a twist in the chorus that will make men and women fall in love with her honest take on a bad breakup. Having toured with Chris Lane, Barrett is already included in major festival line ups including Stagecoach, Tortuga, and New York’s own TrailBlazer.

For Fans Of: Maren Morris, Lauren Alaina

Listen: “I Hope”

Stay Connected: @GabbyBarrett_

HARDY 2020 Artists to Watch

1. HARDY – Already having a huge break out year in 2019, HARDY celebrated four number one songs as a songwriter, “God’s Country”, “I Don’t Know About You”, “Simple”, and “Up Down”. He also released one of the most prolific albums of the year, HIXTAPE Vol. 1 which features 17 different artists, all singing about growing up in a small town. Emerging as an artist, HARDY has created a persona that makes you envy his Mississippi upbringing, making ‘redneck’ cool. In October we caught his sold-out headlining NYC show and just announced, the songwriter and artist will join Cole Swindell and Thomas Rhett on the Center Point Road tour which will make it’s away across the country this summer.

For Fans Of: Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line

Listen: “One Beer” 

Stay Connected: @HARDY

 

 

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SHOP THE HERO COLLECTION

The Hero Collection by NYCountry Swag is inspired by the men and women of the Fire, Police and Military Departments across the country. A portion of sales from each purchase is donated to different foundations that support our heroes. We are dedicated to honoring their service and remembering their sacrifice.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on InstagramTwitter & Facebook:

Chris Janson and Ross Ellis Entertain on the Real Friends Tour

Country-star and Grand Ole Opry member, Chris Janson, and the Real Friends Tour, named after his new album that dropped last Friday, stopped on Long Island Thursday night at the Paramount Theater in Huntington. He brought along special guest, Ross Ellis.

Ross Ellis

Ellis opened his 30-minute acoustic set with two original songs in “Ghosts” and “Barefoot Dancer”. The singer-songwriter also debuted some unreleased music he’s been working on including “Without You” and “2000 and You”. He mentioned that he had just learned the chords 25 minutes ago backstage. Ellis’ vocal chords are similar to those of country super-star, Brett Young as both do a great job of expanding their range to hit the high notes. This was made apparent when Ellis beautifully covered King of Leon’s “Use Somebody”. He then performed a cover of a song he wrote for Tim McGraw titled, “Neon Church”. He closed his set with his most recent release “Buy and Buy”.

A half-hour later, headliner Chris Janson took the stage, starting his set with three songs from his second album, Everybody with “Redneck Life”, the title track and its lead single, “Fix a Drink”. He quickly got the crowd cheering when he broke out his harmonica for “Redneck Life”. “It’s hard to get me away from home during hunting season but man, when it’s New York, I’m coming; that’s it.”

It was a big week for Janson as his new album came out last week and its lead single “Good Vibes” hit number one on country radio, making it the singer-songwriter’s third number one hit. He was in Manhattan all week promoting it, he even made an appearance on the Today Show. He said performing on Long Island was the most relaxed he’s been all week.

Chris Janson

Janson was spreading good moods all night long, constantly reminding the crowd that there’s a lot to be thankful for and there’s a lot of reasons to get up every morning. “The Power of Positive Drinking”, “Who’s Your Farmer?” and his newest number one were next in the set. He blended “Good Vibes” with Bob Marley’s “Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright”. “I don’t take a second of it for granted,” he said. “Good Vibes” is the song and it has changed my life.”

After performing a new song off Real Friends, “Waitin’ On 5” and a cover of Vern Gosdin’s “Set ‘em up Joe”, he brought out his Grand Ole Opry mic stand and told us the story of his upbringing, growing up in a trailer park in Missouri. The next song, from his debut album, Buy Me a Boat, “White Trash” was inspired by his life before moving to Nashville. Janson, who was a big talker, told another story about how he met his wife. He was at a bar with his friends in Nashville when he first laid eyes on this girl. He said to them: “I’m going to marry that girl over there, done and done; that’s it” to which they responded: “yeah, right; she’s hot.” Well, it happened, they have been married for ten years and they have four kids, two of which they had together. Janson doesn’t like the term “step kids” however; he prefers the term “bonus kids”. “Children are the light of the world and it’s a blessing to have them,” he praises. “They’re happy, they’re healthy and they got ten fingers and ten toes apiece and I’m just thankful for that.” That story set up his next song, “Holdin’ Her”.

As much as the crowd loved his stories and slow songs, he brought the energy back with a song he co-wrote with LOCASH called “I Love This Life”, which was also the motto he was promoting all night. He then stopped singing and began to spread his arms open and closed, then up and down. The audience was very confused so Janson addressed the issue. “I dance like this when I’m in a good mood. Everyone do it with me.” Sure enough, the whole crowd followed suit and joined him in this weird, interpretive dance he was displaying.

Chris Janson

Janson headed to the piano to perform a few covers, including Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”, Elton John’s “Rocketman”, Tom Petty’s “Learning To Fly” and a Long Island favorite, Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”. This song was fitting for the arena and Janson as he loves his showcase his harmonica skills. Already at the piano, he then played his ACM-winning song, “Drunk Girl”.

Janson placed this next song in the setlist because of a fan he met at his meet-and-greet before the show. The fan explained when he lost his job and was depressed, it was his music that got him through it. “If you’re in here and you feel like sometimes you’re a little out of place, I wrote this song for people like you and me.” Janson then performed a new song called “Everybody’s Going Through Something”. Janson played another song he wrote for an artist in Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah”. During the rock-infused country song, he took over the drum set and on the first strike, his stick broke in half. He managed to finish the solo, however.

To end the night, he played his next single that comes to country radio the week of Thanksgiving, “Done”. In this song, Janson realizes his purpose in life is to give his wife the best life possible. He sings “Just say the word, girl, paint me, you’re perfect. I won’t quit till the good lord says my work is done.” He followed that with his first number one hit in “Buy Me a Boat”.

If you have never seen Chris Janson before, move it to the top of your bucket list because he is so fun to watch perform. He has a variety of songs, some that hit you hard, some that make you want to party, even some that make you laugh. He is an extremely talented musician on the guitar, the drums and of course, the harmonica. But the best part about his act to us, was seeing the pure the joy on his face during each and every song. He loves what he does and is incredibly grateful for everything he has in life. He thanked us a lot last night, but we’re the ones who owe him thanks.

Janson’s tour continues up until December 7th. He mentioned at the show that he will be back in New York performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade this year. Janson is also a part of the stacked lineup at 94.7’s Stars and Strings at the Barclays Center on December 4th.

To keep up with Chris Janson follow him on InstagramTwitter, and Facebook.

 

Raelynn Blows Hometown Show Away on SIRIUSXM The Highway Tour

Raelynn The Highway

Photo Credit: Molly Holmberg for NYCountry Swag

RaeLynn recently has teamed with SiriusXM The Highway for a three-show headlining run this fall, alongside newcomer Ross Ellis. Raelynn made her second stop and played at the Cannery Ballroom last night in Nashville, TN in front of family, friends, and a whole room packed of fans.

Ross Ellis started out the night singing his newest hit “Ghost” along with “Love By The Moon” which was cut by Tyler Farr. Growing up in Louisiana, going to the same school and the same fraternity as Tim McGraw, when Ellis came to Nashville his dream cut was McGraw. This past month his dream came true as McGraw cut “Neon Church” which Ellis sang loud and proud last night.

Raelynn took the stage energetic and ready for a show. She played the fan favorites like “Love Triangle”, “Lonely Call”, and “Queens Don’t.” The singer-songwriter also previewed a new song called “Camo.” For her growing up it meant hunting on the weekends but now it has a whole new meaning. Her husband serves in the U.S. Army so now camo means not seeing his face in the morning or even at all.

Raelynn Hardy The Highway

Photo Credit: Molly Holmberg for NYCountry Swag

After taking a little serious note to sing the song dedicated to her husband, Raelynn paused the show to let the fans know what a good “stank” face looked like right before she covered Camila Cabello’s pop hit “Havana.” Whoever had the best dance moves in the crowd got to come up on stage and dance with Rae and the band.  As if the crowd was not already thrilled and dancing, this did the trick. Three lucky girls got up on stage and danced their hearts out. Raelynn brought along a special guest on stage for one song, Hardy. Before Hardy released his debut EP and single “Rednecker”, he was an amazing songwriter. Together they performed his first number one song “Up Down” recorded by Morgan Wallen featuring Florida Georgia Line.

She previewed another new song called “Hometown” about her small hometown in Baytown, Texas. Everyone knows everyone, the love of the mom and pop wing place on the corner, and more. For anyone with a huge love of their hometown, this will be a song for you!

Raelynn ended with her newest hit single “Tailgate,” which has garnered over 4.2 million streams before even being released to country radio. She wrote the song with Canaan Smith, Corey Crowder, and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard.  Raelynn continues to put out songs redefining the genre and lyrics that will pull at your heart. Her voice live is truly authentic and the energy, sass, and dedication she brings to every show in unparalleled. Follow her on her socials and Spotify to be the first to know of new music, tour dates, and more!

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Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC & Beyond!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on InstagramTwitter & Facebook: