We asked our friends at Sony Music Nashville for a roundup of some of the artists and songs they’re really excited about right now.
Kameron Marlowe — “Steady Heart”
Kameron says: “This song is incredibly special to me, and because of that I’ve been holding onto it until the time was right. It’s one of my favorites I’ve ever been a part of and could not have asked for better co-writers than Jessi Alexander and Dan Isbell. ‘Steady Heart’ is a love story about finding that person who balances you and makes you better. The lyrics are these striking images, and I’d never written a song as based in visuals as this one.
“My parents have been together for almost 30 years, and their relationship definitely came to mind when we were writing this. There’s something about their dynamic that really demonstrated that balance with me. It’s inspiring and a blessing to get to witness something like that, and I think it shines through in the emotion of the song.”
About Kameron Marlowe: North Carolina native Kameron Marlowe has been touted as “the piece country music has been missing” (Everything Nash) and a “nascent talent” (Billboard). Since blasting onto the scene with his autobiographical, self-penned release “Giving You Up,” Marlowe has gone on to amass more than 226 million career on-demand streams; joined the roster of Columbia Nashville alongside superstars Luke Combs and Maren Morris; and been named an Artist to Watch in 2021 by more than a dozen media outlets and music platforms, including Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Sounds Like Nashville, Country Swag, Country Now, and more. The breakthrough star recently wrapped his standout summer as support for superstar Brad Paisley on his Tour 2021 and is currently opening for Riley Green on the WE OUT HERE TOUR, bringing his captivating live show to audiences across the country throughout the fall. With his soaring, emotive vocals and gritty, rock-infused sound, Marlowe calls upon influences ranging from Brooks & Dunn and George Strait to Travis Tritt and Ray Charles, creating a sound that reflects his lifelong love of country music. Quickly becoming an undeniable force in the genre, Marlowe is set to stake his claim as the new face of country.
Tenille Townes — “Villain in Me”
Tenille says: “This song terrifies me, but I feel more hungry for honesty than I ever have in my life before, and that hunger is carrying me to a much more personal anchor in my songwriting. I’ve come to know the villain in my head very well over this past year and a bit. The lonely time at home forced me to sit in the uncomfortable and vulnerable emotions, and this song is a safe place for me to be open about it. It’s not something I like to talk about, but writing and singing about it makes it easier.”
About Tenille Townes: Canadian-born and Nashville-based, Tenille Townes is a two-time ACM Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician in the midst of a breakthrough following the release of her acclaimed debut album, The Lemonade Stand . Available now via Columbia Nashville in partnership with RCA Records, the album was produced by Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town) and consists of twelve songs all written by Townes. Since its release, Townes has been named New Female Artist of the Year at the 55th ACM Awards, won two awards at the 2021 Canadian Country Music Association Awards, making her a 10-time CCMA winner, and received her first JUNO Award for COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR at the 50th Annual JUNO Awards. She is also the first female in Mediabase Canada history to achieve two No. 1 singles with album tracks “Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking)” and “Somebody’s Daughter.” Following standout support runs with Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, and Brothers Osborne, Townes will embark on her first headlining U.S. Tour, the VILLAIN IN ME TOUR, in January 2022. Adding to an already notable career, Townes is a MusicRow 2020 Next Big Thing Artist, an iHeartCountry’s “On The Verge” artist and has raised over $2 million for charity through her annual Big Hearts For Big Kids fundraiser.
Willie Jones — “Get Low, Get High”
Willie says: “We’ve all been through the darkest for the past two years. ‘Get Low, Get High’ is a mantra signaling something better is coming soon, and when it does, we’re gonna appreciate it more than ever. Have faith.”
“I got the idea for ‘Get Low, Get High’ during this Zoom write when I was in Louisiana. It had rained hard the night before, and then the next day when we got together to write, the sun was out, and it was just a really beautiful day. I actually wrote this song in my backyard on the computer during quarantine. I was just talking to [co-writers] Cary Barlowe and Brandon Day about the weather and just how things like go from dark to light and that whole duality. We just started talking about life, and the song was born.”
About Willie Jones: Shreveport, Louisiana, native Willie Jones seamlessly blends hip-hop and country music, paving the way for a genre-expanding sound that’s truly signature. The rising artist has earned critical acclaim for his debut album, Right Now, which features the poignant patriotic single “American Dream.” Jones has been featured on NPR All Things Considered MTV, and in Forbes, Rolling Stone, Vulture, E! News, PEOPLE, and more. Jones was recently named one of “12 Black Artists Shaping Country Music’s Future” by USA Today, as well as one of VEVO’s DSCVR 2022 Artist to Watch.
Morgan Wade — “Wilder Days”
Morgan says: “’Wilder Days’ is a song that I think a lot of us can really connect with. I think maybe we’ve all had that one person that we feel got away — right person, wrong time. If we’d met just a few years earlier, it really would have worked out and we would have been on the same level. We would’ve either really had a good thing or made a really big mess, but it would’ve worked out. It just didn’t happen to go that way. If I was to take anything away from it, it would just be not to lose that wilder side of yourself and to not conform. Just stay true and do the things you wanna do, ’cause you get one life.”
About Morgan Wade: Morgan Wade’s debut album, Reckless, “delivers what its name promises: an unvarnished voice straddling country and rock ’n’ roll with stories of lionhearted truth” (Tennessean). Wade, now 27, kept her songs and her voice hidden in her younger years, later taking to the stage naturally at age 19, and then choosing sobriety soon after in her early 20s. Working alongside Grammy winners Paul Ebersold and Sadler Vaden, the trio shaped songs Wade has written over the years and developed new tracks to create a debut that Rolling Stone declared the Best Country Album of 2021. She is the only country artist named to SiriusXM’s Future Five and was announced to CMT’s Listen Up class of 2022. She’ll kick off 2022 opening for Ryan Hurd on select dates of his Tour De Pelago and will support Luke Combs on stadium dates throughout the summer.
Nate Smith — “I Don’t Wanna Go to Heaven”
About Nate Smith: Born and raised in Paradise, California, Nate Smith found his love for music at a very young age. From elementary musicals to high school garage bands, he spent his adolescent years developing his craft. Among influences such as Elvis, Garth Brooks, Bob Seger, Tom Petty, and Fleetwood Mac, Nate credits his time spent as a worship leader as his biggest musical inspiration. At 23, Nate made his way to Nashville, signing a development deal with Word Records and a publishing deal with Centricity. After a series of personal trials, Nate made the gut-wrenching decision to move back to California to be with his family. When a devastating fire struck the town of Paradise and destroyed everything he owned, Nate moved back in with his father. He began writing again and released his hit “One of These Days.” The song went viral and drew attention from local and national media outlets. This small taste of success inspired Nate to move back to Nashville and continue his dream of being a country music star. Nate lived out of his car for over a month, writing music and playing dive bars as he drove across the country. After arriving in Music City, Nate released his biggest single to date, “Wildfire.” The song symbolizes love and hope in the midst of tribulation. The song went viral on TikTok, and Nate has since signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV and a management deal with Simon Tikhman and Chief Zaruk of The Core Entertainment.
Tyler Booth — “Palomino Princess”
About Tyler Booth: Road warrior, songsmith, and proud Kentucky native Tyler Booth has been making a name for himself in country music since he first started playing festivals around his home state as a high schooler. Born and raised in Wolfe County, Kentucky, he grew up in a musical family, often sitting in on the rehearsals of his dad’s rock band. After enrolling in Morehead State University’s traditional music studies program, he quickly caught the attention of one of his professors, Scott Miller, an old friend of songwriter Phil O’Donnell (George Strait, Craig Morgan). After Miller made the connection, O’Donnell invited Booth to Nashville, where the two cut his first EP, Self-Titled, released independently in 2017. Fast-forward two years, and the singer’s star is rising quickly: He is featured on legendary duo Brooks & Dunn’s country swing-style ballad “Lost and Found” on their Reboot album, amid his heavy touring schedule, and a short nine months later, he became the first artist signed to Sony Music Nashville and Villa 40’s joint-venture agreement. He made his major label debut with “Half a Mind to Go Crazy,” followed shortly by “In God and Trucks We Trust” and “87 Octane.” Now, armed with an outlaw bent and his new Grab the Reins EP, Booth continues to build a career in country music and a loyal fanbase. He was singled out by The Music Universe as one of the “Five Artists You Need to Know,” which proclaimed “I’ve been hearing country music needs saving. Well, our hero is here, y’all.”
Mitchell Tenpenny — “Truth About You”
About Mitchell Tenpenny: Since the release of his debut single, “Drunk Me,” Riser House/Columbia Nashville artist Mitchell Tenpenny has set new standards for breakout success in country music. The 2X Platinum-certified No. 1 hit that has amassed over 500 million on-demand streams was taken from his introductory 2018 album, Telling All My Secrets, and earned him the best first-week showing for any major label country debut LP. Since that time, the “winning” singer (The New York Times) was nominated for New Male Artist of the Year at the ACM Awards and Breakthrough Video (“Drunk Me”) at the CMT Music Awards and saw his “Alcohol You Later” and “Anything She Says” singles certified Gold.
Jameson Rodgers — “Missing One”
About Jameson Rodgers: Raised on the country rebels of old, country music’s newest powerhouse, Jameson Rodgers, currently finds himself basking in the success of two consecutive No. 1 hits, with his Platinum-certified debut “Some Girls” and follow-up smash “Cold Beer Calling My Name,” featuring label mate Luke Combs, making back-to-back runs up the charts. And now, with the release of his debut album, Bet You’re From a Small Town, the soft-spoken yet edgy country traditionalist just might find himself landing in superstar territory. An already-established singer-songwriter, Rodgers has racked up multi-Platinum-selling hits for Florida Georgia Line (Top 10 single “Talk You Out of It”) and Chris Lane (No. 1 smash “I Don’t Know About You”). A gritty country music masterpiece, Bet You’re From a Small Town showcases his talent as an artist, effortlessly traveling both sonically and lyrically between love songs (“Porch With a View”) and breakup songs (“Girl With a Broken Heart”), party songs (“Cold Beer Calling My Name”) and songs that tell the story of the deepest of losses (“Good Dogs”). “All these songs make me feel something,” he admits. “That’s the whole goal of music, isn’t it?”
James Barker Band — “New Old Trucks” ft. Dierks Bentley
About James Barker Band: James Barker Band have fueled an incredible story over the last six years, largely on their own, from playing opening spots in small Ontario bars to charting multiple No. 1 singles, garnering hundreds of millions of global streams and headlining some of Canada’s largest country music festivals. Now, with new music on the way, the four-piece is continuing their meteoric ascent in Nashville. The members of the band — James Barker (lead vocals, guitar), Taylor Abram (guitar, background vocals), Connor Stephen (drums), and Bobby Martin (bass) — grew up within an hour of each other in rural towns surrounding Toronto. In 2017, they sent their single “Chills” straight to the top of Billboard ’s Canadian Hot 100 chart. The upbeat anthem also achieved Platinum status, alongside other songs from their introductory LP, Game On, earning them numerous national awards. In addition, these best friends have already amassed six Gold-certified and two Platinum-certified tracks, which include “There’s a Drink for That,” “Just Sayin’,” “It’s Working,” “Lawn Chair Lazy,” “Good Together,” “Summertime,” “Chills” (Platinum) and “Keep It Simple” (Platinum) as well as a Gold-certified EP (Game On ). Now, as the rising stars reposition themselves in Nashville, many miles from their hometowns with growing opportunities, the band remains grounded in their small-town roots.
Drew Green — “Dirt Boy”
About Drew Green: McMinnville, Tennessee, native Drew Green set the tone for his roots narrative when he dropped DIRT BOY Vol. 1 in September 2020 and his follow-up DIRT BOY Vol. 2 in October. The Villa 40/Sony Music Nashville recording artist’s streaming successes “She Got That” and “Little More Be Alright” were featured on the first EP, and the title track, “Dirt Boy,” on his most recent. Drew pursued a degree in finance, landing a promising job at a local bank upon graduating. But his desire to make it big in Nashville was always in the back of his mind, particularly because he’d already had a taste of it as a performer at Nashville’s famed hotspot Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. Turning down a promotion at the bank, he decided to give music one more shot. It wasn’t an overnight success story, but in late 2018, his decision paid off: Florida Georgia Line put a hold on his song “Colorado,” and they released it on their Can’t Say I Ain’t Country album the next year. Later in 2019, Drew landed his first music publishing deal with Warner Chappell Nashville and Grammy winner Brett James’ company, Cornman Music. Subsequently, Drew brought James on as his manager and credits him with helping to score Green his record deal with Villa 40/Sony Music Nashville last year.
Ryan Hurd — “Chasing After You” with Maren Morris
About Ryan Hurd: Arista Nashville singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd released his debut album, Pelago, on October 15 via Arista Nashville. Hurd has garnered more than 390 million career streams worldwide and caught the attention of entertainment tastemakers, including Esquire, GQ, Maxim, American Songwriter, Billboard, Forbes, People, ET, NBC’s TODAY, CBS This Morning, and more. Hurd has earned his first-ever CMA Awards nominations for “Chasing After You,” his first official duet with his wife, Maren Morris, which was recently certified Platinum by the RIAA and topped country airplay charts. One of Nashville’s most multidimensional songwriters with three No. 1 hits to his credit, Hurd has co-pen credits on some of the format’s biggest hits, including tracks by Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, and Lady A. Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Hurd currently lives in Nashville with Maren and their son Hayes Andrew Hurd, born in March 2020.
Photography: (All images) courtesy Sony Music Nashville
