First Published September 2022
THE BAD, THE BEAUTIFUL, THE HEAVY, & THE CALM
This week it’s time for another new music round-up, and what a mix we have to bring to your attention, with the bad (in the best way!), the beautiful, the heavy, and the calm!
TWINNIE is one of THE most phenomenal female voices on the planet right now, and we’ll never tire of telling people to go find her music and follow her on her socials. As soon as you hear her sing – and sing literally anything – you’ll be a fan for life. And once you see a little of her personality, you’ll find yourself loving and admiring the person every bit as much as the artist. Twinnie is back with a brand new single, BAD, BAD BITCH, on October 7th.
We’ll also take a look at SEAN McCONNELL who released his A HORRIBLE BEAUTIFUL DREAM long-player last year, and is on his way to the UK for a run of dates in October; American country star and history-maker MITCHELL TENPENNY whose new album THIS IS THE HEAVY is out now; and last but not least, there’s the calming, thoughtful influence of CALEB CAUDLE whose FORSYTHIA album is also coming our way on October 7th.
TWINNIE
British vocal powerhouse TWINNIE returns with her tongue-in-cheek smash BAD, BAD BITCH a thumping effervescent offering that stacks up against the crossover hits coming out of Nashville.
Co-written by Twinnie herself along with Lindsay Rimes, Phil Barton, and Jim Beavers, the single will be released on all platforms on October 7th.
It’s a song that will instantly capture the attention of fans; having recently gone viral on video sharing platform TikTok. The track also builds on the success of her debut album Hollywood Gypsy and recent EP Welcome to the Club, and teases what’s to come from her forthcoming sophomore LP.
It’s an anthem that encapsulates the many sonic influences of the singer/songwriter and captures the essence of her storytelling-based artistry. Bad Bad Bitch showcases a fun side of Twinnie, and puts the spotlight on her razor-sharp songwriting.
Speaking about the release, Twinnie says: “‘Bad Bad Bitch’ is the apotheosis of empowerment, freedom of expression and authenticity. It’s a playful reality of any relationship and me being completely transparent about the good, and the bad sides which is something in all relationships we inevitably experience with people. ‘Bad Bad Bitch’ is also referred to as a woman who is badass, independent, confident, speaks her mind and makes her own path“
A real-world traveler with a gypsy heart and a storyteller’s soul, Twinnie delivers vibrant lyrics and effervescent melodies through her vivacious soundscape. A fresh voice for the outliers and a “pop-country star on the rise with a personality as powerful as her magnificent voice” according to The Telegraph, Twinnie has created a musical refuge for people on the fringe where everyone is welcome. Finding “her place within the entertainment space by being her authentic self and with her razor-sharp lyrics” in the view of CMT, Music & Tour News have called this a new era that, “spearheads a new chapter for the skilled musician who is continuing to push the sonic boundaries of modern country music with a style that ebbs and flows with Pop and Rock sensibilities” .
Following the UK success of her 2020 album Hollywood Gypsy, a mainstay at Radio 2 with an Album of the Week accolade, her latest track Bad Bad Bitch is a self affirming, bold offering that boasts self-confidence and female empowerment, Twinnie is, as People put it, “speaking her mind and creating a safe space for fans to be themselves”.
A creative fixture in Nashville since 2015, Twinnie’s new music was written, recorded and produced in Music City. For more information, visit: twinnieofficial.com.
~ BAD, BAD BITCH, is OUT EVERYWHERE on OCTOBER 7th.
SEAN McCONNELL
Following the release of his critically-acclaimed album, A HORRIBLE BEAUTIFUL DREAM last year, Nashville singer-songwriter SEAN McCONNELL returns to the UK for eight rescheduled headline shows in October, with an additional date in Eindhoven.
“Alright, UK and Netherlands”, he enthuses, “I’m finally headed back your way in October and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve been dreaming of this for two years. Let’s pick up where we left off shall we? Spread the word, grab your tickets, and I’ll see you very soon.”
A revered songwriter and producer, McConnell has written for Christina Aguilera, Plain White T’s (Wonders Of The Younger), Michael Franti, Brett Young (including Young’s double-platinum hit Mercy), Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Brothers Osborne, Ashley Ray’s critically acclaimed Pauline (Stereogum’s #8 Best Country Album of 2020, NPR’s #26 Top Album of 2020) — which he co-wrote and produced — and more.
A Horrible Beautiful Dream, approaches the difficult task of asking questions of what one really thinks they know, in the simultaneous struggle of not being afraid of the answers that emerge. Musically, the project wraps McConnell’s rich voice in moments of dark intimacy as well as vivid brightness, and guests such as The Wood Brothers, Natalie Hemby, Audra Mae and Dan Tyminski underscore McConnell’s versatility as creative partner and commentator.
McConnell’s goal in the creation of the album was to reflect the chaotic time in which it was made, but still striving for timelessness. “You can look at the suffering of the world and you can look at the beauty of the world and you can hold them in your hands and just be present with that and not have to even understand it,” he says.
Praise for the new music has come from Bob Harris on BBC Radio 2 (“Fabulous”) and OK! Magazine, who described the collection as “breathtaking,” while Entertainment Focus highlights Sean as “one of the most talented artists in music right now.”
~ For more info on Sean’s tour dates, check out www.seanmcconnell.com. His album, A HORRIBLE BEAUTIFUL DREAM, is OUT NOW.
MITCHELL TENPENNY
MITCHELL TENPENNY‘s latest album, THIS IS THE HEAVY is out now, released September 16th via Riser House Entertainment/Sony Music. Mitchell also made history that same week with his #1 Gold-certified single Truth About You – he now holds the shortest span between #1 songs in the modern chart era with just three weeks since his last chart topper. On August 22nd, Tenpenny’s co-penned collaboration with labelmate Chris Young, At The End Of A Bar, reached #1.
Mitchell titled the album This Is The Heavy because the production packs a punch. “It’s big. It’s loud. It’s in your face and drum heavy,” Mitchell said. The project finds its own lane between a little bit country, and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and is without a doubt meant to be turned up. When describing the sound of the album, Mitchell laughingly coined a new genre: ‘Farm Emo.’
This Is The Heavy is also heavy in the sense that the lyrics have weight. Within these songs are the stories behind both good and bad memories – exciting times in his life and ones that were tougher to get through. With this album, Mitchell finds himself grown up and in a new phase of life as a touring musician, family man, and soon-to-be married man. Balancing it all can get heavy. With equal parts highs and lows intertwined by clever lyrics and Mitchell’s distinctive sound with a bit of extra edge, This Is The Heavy is a project Mitchell wants his fans to get lost in, and find themselves in.
Truth About You became the highest streaming debut of Mitchell’s career with 2.5 million streams in the first three days. The number doubled within a week and the song has now amassed over 125 million on-demand streams.
The powerhouse vocalist co-wrote every song and co-produced the project with Jordan M. Schmidt.
Since the beginning of his career, Tenpenny has worked tirelessly to build and support his fan base with a steady stream of new music. He increased the flow of new music during the pandemic and his fans have responded by soaring his career on-demand streams to 1.3 Billion, increasing his spins at country radio, and flocking to his shows on tour.
A multi-faceted entertainer, being a singer, a songwriter, a producer and performer, since the release of his debut single, Drunk Me, Mitchell has set new standards for breakout success in country music. The 2X platinum-certified, #1 hit that has amassed nearly 580 million on-demand streams was taken from his introductory album, Telling All My Secrets, and earned him the best first week showing for any major label country debut LP at the time of its release. Since that time, Tenpenny, described as a “winning” singer by The New York Times, has received nominations from the Academy of Country Music and the CMT Awards.
Mitchell’s career on-demand streams are among the best out of today’s breakout artists, with over 1.3 billion total and as many as six tracks exceeding competitive artists’ tracks thanks to his loyal fan base. At the close of 2021, Mitchell was a Top 10 artist on Spotify’s Hot Country at #7, and the #5 most-played artist on SiriusXM’s The Highway, only just behind superstars like Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, and Chris Stapleton. His social following continues to grow and specifically, his TikTok following, and likes are competitive with current headlining acts.
~ MITCHELL TENPENNY’s brand NEW album, THIS IS THE HEAVY, is OUT NOW.
CALEB CAUDLE
North Carolina native CALEB CAUDLE‘s songs have weaved their way into listeners’ lives; his catalogue is a soundtrack to weddings, births, funerals, first dates, road trips, family reunions and long afternoons spent on the porch.
FORSYTHIA, due for release on October 7th, comprises ten songs crafted to be a balm to the soul in these troubled times, and is perhaps his quietest record to date. This record is also the second time he’s worked in the legendary Cash Cabin Studio, this time with producer John Carter Cash.
Its predecessor, Better Hurry Up (2020), the first album Caudle recorded since moving to Nashville in 2019, spent weeks in the U.S. Americana Radio Top 30, and press coverage has included NPR’s All Things Considered, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, and more.
Caudle’s music has been featured on CMT’s Nashville and Netflix’s The Ranch, with notable playlist placements including Spotify’s Indigo & Fresh Folk, and Apple Music’s Southern Craft.
Due to circumstances beyond his control, Caudle saw Forsythia as possibly his final album. Somehow, he turned that fear of the unknown into his most meticulous and expertly crafted collection of songs to date. A portrait of Caudle’s truest self, the record shows the artist at his most solitary and reflective. Thematically, it meets anticipation for the unknown future with nostalgia for the past and reconciles both with meditation in the present. Recorded at Cash Cabin outside Nashville, the album features acclaimed session players Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Dennis Crouch and Fred Eltringham, and the vocal talents of Elizabeth Cook, Carlene Carter, and Sarah Peasall McGuffey.
After the COVID pandemic culled plans for a lengthy tour in support of his acclaimed 2020 album Better Hurry Up, Caudle and his wife moved from Nashville back to their home state of North Carolina. For the first time in a long time, Caudle had nothing but time. He spent most of his time in the woods– hiking, observing, thinking. He considered many things he hadn’t before, like where he wanted to eventually be in life and at the end of his career. His attunement to nature opened him to channel the muse, penning his simplest desires into song. On these hikes, and in his songwriting, oak trees represented memories of pocket knives and toy slingshots bought from the general store on the rural road he grew up on; and blooming, bright yellow forsythia bushes became omens, much like their use as a symbol for “anticipation” in literature and folklore.
“The natural world has always shown up in my lyrics but with these songs I felt that get magnified,” says Caudle. “The beauty and force of it all became sacred to me. I felt unplugged from the hustle and free to pay close attention to the details and it completely changed my approach to life.”
~ FORSYTHIA, the brand NEW album from CALEB CAUDLE, is available on all platforms from OCTOBER 7th.
On The Right TRAX 