Jordan Rager spent his teens self-recording videos and performing classic cover songs, which he shared on YouTube. These videos caught the attention of Justin Moore, and before the age of 19, Jordan was opening an arena tour with the country-radio star. Soon after, he began recording songs with some of the biggest names in country music and releasing singles to radio. 

Now 23, the Georgia native is currently in the studio wrapping up his eagerly awaited project. Jordan is excited for fans, both old and new, to hear these songs, which he feels will show the country music world exactly who he is. "What I'm working on now, both lyrically and sonically, is what I've always wanted to do. I'm getting to make the music I've always dreamed about. It'll be honest. It’ll be transparent. And, it will all be me." Here, Rager answers his Essential 8 where he talks about inspiration, Chick-fil-A, Ed Sheeran, and more!


With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
I felt that way once “One of The Good Ones” was finished. It had everything I was looking for musically and lyrically - the kind of song I’ve always wanted to release.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
My inspiration comes from my life and the experiences I’ve been through. I think the best thing a songwriter can be is honest.

What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
Spend time with your artistry and really hone in on who you are and what you are. Once you’ve found your “thing” and believe in it, everything else will come much easier.

Hailing from Vancouver, Cousin Arby, the self-described "hottest faux-family country band," recently released their new project, You And Me And Rodrigo. Here, Scott Postulo AKA Redge Arby answers his Essential 8 where he talks about the album, weighs in on drinking at gigs, writing an opera, and much more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
My partner and I had just recently seen the Shakespeare play Othello, and for a while after that we started calling our dog "Iago" for fun.  Anyways, we were driving around one night and were talking about how it seemed like almost everybody that we knew was kind of fucked up or shady at that time, and we were the only sane ones around.  Then we corrected ourselves and joked that our dog is pretty cool too.  The idea kicked around in my head for a while, so I wrote the title song about that, except that "Iago" didn’t have the right syllables, so I chose another character name from Othello, and it became “You And Me And Rodrigo”.  I felt that it worked as a title for the EP as well, for no particular reason.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I used write a lot more from personal experience when my life was more of a mess than it is now, so these days I tend to make up characters or situations and try to develop that.  From song to song, I might try to emulate a certain songwriter to some degree as well.  Tom T. Hall, Paul Simon and Lee Hazelwood are a few examples where I’ve tried to tap into their style in the past.  Sometimes I smoke weed too.

What’s your favorite/”go-to” food on the road?
Chicken Bacon Swiss combo from Arby’s with curly fries and a Dr Pepper.  In Canada, Dr Pepper is owned by PepsiCo, and Arby’s just recently switched from Pepsi to Coca-Cola, so I’ve had to switch over to a Cherry Coke instead now.  Sometimes life isn’t fair, but all we can really try to do is move forward.

Through their sophomore record, Weary Traveler, The Deep Hollow's Micah Walk, Liz Eckert and Dave Littrell dig into topics such as getting older, longing for a stable home, and the weight of the open road.  Cello, violins, and guitar intensify the stories, which are cut from both their personal lives and those of strangers. For example, “Freedom Street" depicts the reality of homelessness while “Real Life” imparts sage advice gained from the life they have experienced. Ahead of the album's November 9th release, Walk answers his Essential 8 where he talks songwriting and inspiration, Jason Isbell, what he's currently listening to, and more.

​With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?  
I honestly have a hard time ever feeling like a song is complete. And I almost never feel like they're perfect! Probably to a fault, I pretty much always have the feeling that something could be improved upon, whether it's a lyric or overall production. I don't think I ever feel totally satisfied, to be completely honest. With that said, Freedom Street is my favorite track from our new record. I feel like our producer really helped create the tonal landscape that I had in mind. And I think the production helps underline the song's story. So there really may have been a couple of "a-ha" moments for this one. One was when I wrote it. It was just one of those tunes that came out of nowhere and I knew I wanted to give it some attention. But another was when the production started to come together in the studio. It was really rewarding to hear it all come together.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
"Weary Traveler" is a lyric from the song Now I See. Dave actually wrote the song a long time ago - before we were a band - but it was brought to life with the 3-part harmony in The Deep Hollow. The lyric kind of sums up a lot of what the album touches on. I think we all feel a little weary after spending so many years away from home.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Since we all write songs they obviously come from slightly different perspectives. We definitely have our share of songs inspired by love. I used to write a lot of songs about the lack of love haha... I got married in 2016, though, and have been writing some happier songs. I wrote Wide Open Road for my wife and Hangin' On was inspired by our story. (We lived in the same small town and had mutual friends but somehow took years to find each other).

The life we chase down is also the inspiration behind songs like Real Life and Liz's Carry Me Home. Dave's somber song Anna's Gone deals with suicide.

I was raised in church and those lessons run deep, even though I question many of them. And, oh boy...politics. I honestly don't know how any artist could keep the current political climate from impacting their work. Religious and political overtones are thick in songs like Freedom Street and Misplaced Love.

Currently playing guitar and mandolin for Radney Foster, Eddie Heinzelman has already made a major footprint on the country music landscape. However, he's also imprinting in an even more impactful way as a solo artist, with the release of his sophomore album Wherever You Go (due October 26) which offers up an infectious mix of Americana, country, roots rock, and classic jams. 

With 10 new songs written over the past year while touring, Heinzelman explains that the evolution of this record was particularly special,  "This album has more of my own style and direction," he notes, adding that he hadn't been previously operating under complete creative freedom. "I was doing what everyone told me I was supposed to do in order to get a publishing deal in Nashville, but I had set aside making the music I wanted to make. This is me writing and performing—focused on being honest and true to the art and the craft of songwriting, improvisation, and the music and most importantly, to myself." 

Here, the artist answers his Essential 8 where he talks about the album, names his "bucket list" artist to perform with, offers some touring tips, and much more.

What’s the story behind your album’s title? 
I originally had an idea to write a song for my daughters who were graduating high school and heading onto college. I took a title and idea to Radney Foster when we got together to write one day.  We changed the title to “Wherever You Go” but then the song also took on a broader meaning - it’s not only advice to our children. It’s really advice to everyone and anyone who is heading off to chase their dreams or going into an unknown future. I finish all of my shows with this song and this message now - that sometimes, everyone feels alone, but they’re never alone. Like the last line says, “when you go running down your own road, know my love goes with you wherever you go.”

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Wherever I can.  For example, Steal Away/Dandelion is inspired by the book Steal Away Home written by Billy Coffey. Wherever You Go is inspired by my daughters. The Road is a song for my wife. Medicine and Miss TLC both originally came from musical riffs I came up with. The Heart Knows What It Needs harkens back to my days growing up on a farm using the ferry to take tobacco to Kentucky to sell it.
Writers usually have a keen sense of listening. Inspiration is all around us if we just tune into the frequencies and listen and are open to receive it.

What’s your favorite food on the road? 
Breakfast Tacos!  I have favorite places that I go to every time I’m anywhere near them.

Captivating with a blend of roots, rock, and country Melodime’s latest EP, Roll-1 is the first in a 2 EP series that will culminate in the release of the band’s newest full-length in 2019. Roll-1, released August 31, features four tracks ranging from infectious celebratory anthems to an emotionally charged ballad that will leave a swell in your chest. While the Virginia-based four piece - Brad Rhodes (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Sammy Duis (piano, organ, bass), Tyler Duis (drums) and Jon Wiley (guitar, mandolin, dobro, backing vocals) – tour in support of the EP, Rhodes kindly took the time to talk about the project, their charity Now I Play Along Too, and more.
 
Roll-1 is the first of two EPs that will lead into the band's full-length release sometime next year. This is the first time you guys approached making an album this way, what spurred that?
With the way people consume music nowadays, we thought it might be more beneficial to slowly roll things out over a course of time rather than release the whole record at once. As a band who loves full records and all that goes into them, we felt that doing it this way is having the best of both worlds: we have the end goal [of a full-length], but at the same time, we can slowly tease things out which allows us to remain on people’s radar.

Definitely makes sense. So, in addition to releasing it in this manner, did you do anything else differently?
Well, we worked with a new producer, Marshall Altman, and that in itself allowed us more creative turns. There was a good amount of time between this record and our last release, so we came in with about 120 songs and had to ween that down to a much more manageable number. Once we did that, we put a lot more time into pre-production than we ever did, digging into every single song with incredible detail.
Also, whereas in the past we tended to bounce around a bit on a single project, this time we focused more on a single genre where everything was consistent and had the same vibe to it. We specifically wanted to lean more country with this record and that’s why we recorded in Nashville with Marshall, who really challenged us to make the record we were supposed to make. What we ended up getting was a more focused sound, but a sound that still is us - a band that’s born and raised in Virginia who draws influences from our upbringing and environment.

Reminiscent of Dolly Parton and Allison Krauss, Texas-based singer Reagan Quinn is best known for her impactful lyrics and vintage country melodies. Her newest EP, Texas Sky, is a six-song project she wrote on the banjo over the past two years. Honest and authentic, Quinn balances the piercing and deep tracks with those that offer a light sweetness. Here, she answers her Essential 8 where she speaks about the album, inspiration, her bucket list items, and more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title? 
This album is titled Texas Sky, a song I wrote about 2 years ago. I had just released my first EP, but felt like my music had been manipulated in a way that didn’t represent me. I knew I was changing as a songwriter, but didn’t know what my next step was. I felt like giving up, running away, but I kept coming back to the memories and experiences that made me who I was. One day I was watching the sun set while driving home to College Station and I just knew I couldn’t leave. Texas Sky was my first step into Texas Country music, and the first piece of the puzzle that really fit into place. Writing it felt real and authentic—I felt like myself again—and I knew I was heading in the right direction. That song went on to win me several spots in songwriting contests around the state, and later an opening act for a large festival in my hometown.
 
With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? 
"Alcohol Makes Women Cry" was the last song I wrote for the Texas Sky album, and the most difficult. It was the end of a relationship that left me insecure, bruised, and broken. I felt like there were three people in our relationship—Me, Him, and Alcohol—so I decided to write a song directed to Alcohol itself. In Country music, and especially in Texas Country, we hear from a lot from men who live an “Outlaw” type of lifestyle. They are the Merle Haggards and Waylon Jennings of the world. I wanted to write the other side of that lifestyle, the women (and men) who get hurt along the way. When I started writing this song, I wasn’t just thinking about me—I was thinking about his mother, his sisters, his next girlfriend. When I finished that song, I knew I was ready to record the album.