5 FAST FACTS WITH DOUBLECAMP

Learn you a little about Nashville’s hottest rising indie-pop duo, Doublecamp.
New single “I Don’t Wanna” avail everywhere Aug 26.

5 FAST FACTS:

1. Jordan and I both played basketball at different colleges in Wisconsin.  We met in Milwaukee in 2013 and have since either worked together, lived together, and/or played music together almost everyday for the last seven years. We also have the same favorite color. It's blue.

2. We quit our jobs and moved to Nashville. We rented our first house sight unseen and found jobs once we got here. We spent the first month or so living off tour money, eating pasta and watching "Narcos" on Netflix basically every day.  Sure wish we hadn't watched it looking back, because it would have made for some great quarantine T.V.

3. We've been shooting our own music videos during quarantine. For the last video, "Smoke and Mirrors" we bought a bear mascot suit online and filmed out the back of a car while we danced down neighborhood streets. Jordan danced so hard he tore a hole in the suit. Prior to that we filmed a social distancing concert for our song "Wake Up" on Jordans' 2005 Mercury Sable in an empty parking lot. The car is rusted through in spots, so during filming a piece of the door fell off.  What we are trying to say is, we do our own stunts.

4. We bought a red van and named it Rosie. We put almost 150,000 miles on it in 2 years, playing every show we could, from festivals, to colleges, to clubs.  It broke down multiple times including twice on a trip to SXSW, one of those times in the middle of the interstate.  Our tow truck driver strapped our instruments to the back of his truck bed and recommended some delicious BBQ.  We drove it until it wouldn't turn on anymore and we had to scrap it for 200 bucks. 

5. Our new song, "I Don't Wanna", drops on August 26th. It's about not wanting to be someones stepping stone on the road to finding love and instead being that person they want to be with. We've used quarantine to write a ton of new music that we are really excited about and to create lots of new content.  We can't wait to play shows again and we've put a lot of time into creating that as well. Looking forward to seeing all of you soon!

STREAM DOUBLECAMP BELOW

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Pop-ing Questions with Caroline Romano

Get your hit fix with emerging Nashville pop artist, Caroline Romano. Current release “I Still Remember” (R3HAB remix) - remixed by all-star DJ and producer, R3HAB avail now.

Q+A

You have shared the stage with artists like Daya, Shawn Mendes, Why Don’t We and Kelsea Ballerini. Who are your musical influences? Do you have any stories from meeting an artist who inspired you?

It would be impossible to list all of my musical influences. There are and have been so many life-changing artists for me, it’s insane. I guess some of my biggest influences would have to be Queen, Taylor Swift, The Beatles, My Chemical Romance, Ed Sheeran, Charli XCX and YUNGBLUD. I know that’s a bit all over the board, but that’s what’s great about music. It’s all art in the end, no matter the genre.  

I got on an elevator with Echosmith two years ago on the way to a red carpet. I was internally freaking out because I used to cover their songs when I’d perform at different fairs and festivals when I was younger. It was definitely a full circle moment. We all ended up on the wrong floor, and the doors opened to Carrie Underwood and her team getting on with us. It was an odd but fantastic elevator experience. 

Your current single "I Still Remember" (R3HAB remix) has over 1.7 million streams. What was it like working with R3HAB to bring the song to life?

R3HAB has always been one of my favorite DJs/artists in the EDM and dance world.  It was definitely one of those full circle, “I can’t believe this is happening,” moments when I heard he was going to remix “I Still Remember.”  I think every piece of music he touches turns to gold, so I had absolutely no requests when giving him the track to remix. I knew I wanted to see where he heard the song going before I shared any ideas of my own. I fell in love with the very first pass he sent me, and the final product is extremely close to that first version.  It’s truly been a dream working with him, and I’m so proud of how the remixed song turned out!

Talk a bit about the writing process behind "I Still Remember."

I wrote “I Still Remember” in late 2018 with some friends of mine in Nashville. I think the reason the song came together so quickly and organically is due to the fact that we were just hanging out and talking about life. It’s a lot easier to be open, both creatively and emotionally, when you’re with people you’re already comfortable with. It didn’t feel like a “songwriting” session per se. It was more of us just thinking back on past relationships or things we had experienced. There was a lot of laughing and goofing off in between. We went out to eat twice in the midst of writing the song. I think the fact that “I Still Remember” was written from a place of simply wanting to be creative with the people I enjoy spending time with made all of the difference. You can feel that energy and emotion come across in the song. 

You’re a huge advocate for anti-bullying.  Tell us more about that.

It’s always been important to me that I use any platform I have to speak out on matters that are impacting the formative years of those around me. I know the things I experienced in elementary and middle school drastically impacted my life in ways that still affect me today. I dealt with a lot of, I guess the only way to classify it as is bullying, growing up. I’m so thankful that I found music to pour all of my pain and emotions into. Songwriting became my best friend at a time when I didn’t have any friends at all. I feel like the least I can do is use music, songwriting, and the platform I’ve been given to bring about some positive change for kids going through the same thing I did. I don’t even think it’s specific to kids. I’m eighteen years old, and I still feel like I’m back on the playground sometimes. I want my music to be a solace for those who need it and a friend to those who may not have any at the moment. If a song I write can help someone going through something as terrible and isolating as bullying, I know I will have done something right. 

You're originally from Mississippi, what was it like growing up there?

I’m so thankful to have grown up in a state as rich in music history as Mississippi. If you drive through the state, it’s impossible to miss the years of musical art and history that have been formed there. It’s truly a place every musician should try to visit at some point. That being said, I don’t have any super fun stories about growing up there! That may make me a bad Mississippian, but there wasn’t really much to do there growing up. It’s really hot and humid all year round, and unless you were really into sports, (I was not), you kind of had to make your own fun. I think the most fun as a kid growing up there was just getting into loads of trouble. Mississippi has fantastic PoBoys. The food in general is incredible. I’d say my fondest memories of growing up in Mississippi mostly consisted of time with my family. Both sides of my family still live in the state, and a lot of my favorite childhood memories were made with them. 

Outside of music, what are you into? 

I love poetry. I know it goes hand in hand with songwriting, but I could sit and write words and poems and stories all day long. I also love to work out. It’s such a release for me, and I love the challenge of pushing my body to do new and different forms of exercise. I love drawing. I mostly do pencil sketches, but I’ve been experimenting with painting as of late. I’m completely obsessed with photography and videography. Any time I can capture something, a feeling, a moment, a memory in an artistic way, I’m all for it. Outside of that, I mostly just hang out with my loved ones and my animals. Those are my favorite things. 

CHECK OUT “I STILL REMEMBER” (R3HAB REMIX) BELOW

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NEED 2 KNOW' WEEKLY (8.30.20)

YOUR WEEKLY RUNDOWN OF HOT MUSIC PICKS YOU DON’T WANT MISS. ALL GENRES AND ALL SIZES. STRAIGHT FROM MUSIC CITY.

madeline merlo - if you never broke my heart (acoustic)

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SASHA SLOAN - HOUSE WITH NO MIRRORS

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EMILY HACKETT - HOW THE HELL (MICHAEL’S SONG)

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JOHNNY GATES - LORETTA

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WYNONNA - KING BEE

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LUKE LAIRD - MUSIC ROW

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TUTEN BROTHERS - MAKE ME WANNA BE

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KEITH URBAN - TUMBLEWEED

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JONATHON PLEVYAK - LOVE AFTER MIDNIGHT

INDIE A+R (8/14/2020)

YOUR WEEKLY ROUND UP OF INDEPENDENT NASHVILLE MUSIC RELEASES OF ALL GENRES. SUBMITTED TO AND STUMBLED UPON BY YOUNG MUSIC CITY - FOR YOUR MUSIC DISCOVERY.

KAREN MCCORMICK - “RETRO”

RYAN CLARK - “TRUST ME WITH YOUR LOVE”

LOST SAINTS - “HOOK UP”

COSETTE - “CAR”

THE BLAMS BLAMS - “OPENING NIGHT”

CHANDLER STEPHENS - “BOYS OF SUMMER”

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JACKSON DREYER - “RUIN A NAME” (HD MIX)

GABBY ORR - “LONELY ALONE”

NOVEMBER BLUE - “CHASING SCARS”

BUSINESS CASUAL: KIRBY SMITH OF WINSONGS

Q+A with Kirby Smith, Creative Director for Winsongs; a premiere independent music publishing company in Nashville, founded by multi #1 songwriter, Chris Destefano.

Q+A

As a Creative Director of an independent publishing company, describe your typical day:
The day beings as I am sure everyone else's does by checking my e mail. All of our writes usually start at 11am, so I make sure I am available from 10am-11am in case there are any problems with the write. (people not being able to find the location, zoom link not working, writers running late, etc). General tasks include scheduling and confirming all writes, listening through catalog, and cataloging new songs. My afternoons usually consist of pitch meetings where I either zoom or go to the offices of Managers, A&Rs, Producers, and etc. Here I play them songs for the artists they are looking for. In these meetings you usually get one of three responses - a pass (which means they do not think the song fits the artist), a copy (they would like to take a copy to be able to listen again), or a hold (this means that they would like to keep this song on a short list of potential songs the artist will record). The end of the day is spent sending out songs from my meetings earlier, and confirming address, location, and time for the writes the next day.

What do you look for when signing a new artist or writer?
When signing a new artist or writer I look for someone that can really bring something to the table. I am interested in sounds and lyrics that stand out from the crowd – people who aren’t afraid to try something different and are sure of who they are as an artist or writer. If you are always chasing a sound you are never going to get there.  

When someone reaches out to a publisher - what are the things they should include in their email or avoid?
It is always best if you have a middle man sending me your info rather than just directly. Publishers are more likely to listen when they have a connection. For example someone at your PRO is the perfect person to send me songs. If you do not have one, avoid sending too many e mails, and do not be offended if we do not respond. If we think the song is good enough it will warrant a response! 

What should every independent artist or writer be doing no matter what?
Every independent artist/writer needs to be creating a crew or getting into a crew. Writers talk and other writers can do just as much for you as a publisher can. This takes experimenting with different writers and not being afraid to get out of your comfort zone. When an artist/writer already has a crew around them – us publishers know we can trust them and they want this career just as much as we want it for them. 

Anything you recommend they don’t do? 
Don’t over saturate yourself. You never want to be that person that is playing live ALL the time. That makes us publishers think that there must be a reason “they aren’t signed yet.” 

Any recommendations for artists who do pop, or other music that is not “country” in Nashville. 
The pop scene in Nashville is exploding! Similar to what I said earlier I really encourage you to get a crew around you of people you work well with. There are SO many independent pop artists in Nashville right now, reaching out and writing with them is a great start. 

Describe a hit song:
A hit song is one that can stand the test of time. There are lots of songs that do well, but in a few years we won’t remember them. A true hit song will be relatable 20 years from now. 

Any artist you see ‘crushing it’ that they can take notes from?
No surprise here but Luke Combs is the perfect example of an artist/writer who absolutely crushes it. He still writes with this crew to this day. He didn’t waver or change his sound to fit the mold, and people love him for it. 

Anything you want to hype up with your current company or writers?
Check out Eric Van Houten’s single “Sundays Never End” and Chase Fouraker’s song “Deserve”  

SONGS WRITTEN BY CHRIS DESTEFANO:

TALKING TRACKS WITH PHANGS

We’ve got an epic song breakdown from Nashville-based pop artist, Phangs, on his debut record, “Who’s Gonna Break Your Heart Tonight?” Stream the full 12-track project, including the lead single “Tanlines" co-written by Bonnie Mckee, below.

“WHO’S GONNA BREAK YOUR HEART TONIGHT?” TRACK BREAKDOWN

Who’s Gonna Break Your Heart Tonight?
I wanted to create an intro that really set the tone for the album. Something that felt direct and to the point. So I went with a minimal track and a weighted lyric for “Who’s Gonna Break Your Heart Tonight?” As you listen through the album, you understand there’s a bit of a concept that is intertwined (which is also a nod to where Phangs first began) that is this back and forth state of “I’m okay, wait no I’m not”.

Build Me Up
I wrote Build Me Up while on tour with Nightly, to me, this song felt like an uplifting and energized track that perfectly transitions away from the calming intro of WGBYHT?. This song is one of the few that I got to perform live before COVID…remember shows? I don’t think I realized it at the time of writing it in New York with my friend, Florio, but the bridge of this song has become somewhat of an anthem for a lot of my listeners. Live, it just transformed into their song, not mine. I’m thankful for that.

Powerline
Powerline is a song I did with my friend Dan [Agee] that was something completely different than what I was creating at the time, but it captured that perfect 80s sound that I was looking for. It’s something that is just deeply imbedded in me. This one, more than most songs, is dear to me. I really fought for this song to come out ahead of time and I’m so glad it was received well!

I Wasn’t Ready
This is the first of 3 interludes. I wanted to tie this album together into three chapters. If you listen to this album start to finish, you see that these interludes serve a purpose to create depth to the songs around them and to further the frustration that you get by…I don’t know…having to function in the world today haha

Tanlines
When I was in LA on a writing trip, I was able to write with one of my idols, Bonnie McKee on this tune. The song tells a story about a summer fling starting to dissolve, as summer turns into fall, and the heartache that follows. To me, I felt like this was super relatable to everyone. I was extremely excited to put this on my album.

i'm taking over as dj on @acmeradiolive from 6-8 central time tonight and i'm gonna premiere tanlines on the radio while i'm there before it officially drops at midnight! u can tune in from anywhere!!

Can’t Wait To Tell You
This song is so special to me and my family. Last year, I had my first child, and while I was on tour, I wrote this song in Los Angeles. It’s simply me telling my son that I can’t wait to tell him about the places I’ve been, or the people that I’ve met, and so much more. I was even able to sample my wife and son’s voices into this song, from a video she sent me one morning, while I was on tour. So to me, this song holds a special place on this album.

 Just A Dream
This is the second interlude on the album. I specifically wanted a transition that literally felt dreamlike and distant from the brain space that the rest of the album takes up. This one bleeds directly into the next song, where the opening line is ‘Lost in a dream’. Let this song end and the next song begin and you’ll feel it.

Straight Up
WOOOO okay, where to begin…so this is a cover of Paula Abdul’s 1988 classic, which is a song I always wanted to re-do, but in my own interpretation. I was with Dan [Agee] in Nashville when we did this song. We were working on a totally different song and decided to take a lunch break. While eating, we just started talking about songs we loved and I mentioned how much I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of doing this cover. From that lunch, we came back and immediately knocked this out before working on the song we were originally doing. Dan knew exactly what to do in order to cover an 80’s song as a totally different style of 80’s song. And that sax…man. I really love this one.

When I'm All Alone
This song could mean several things to different people. This one came from the (amazing) session I did with Bonnie McKee, in LA. When I wrote it, I was zooming from meeting, to co-write, to acoustic sessions, etc., and I remember having a moment at Bonnie’s home where I finally felt like I could breathe for a second. I realized, as we started writing the song, how much I actually value having those moments where I can breathe and feel what I need to. COVID wasn’t even a thing in our lives at this time, but it’s wild that this song ended up coming out when it did. It’s not a quarantine song by any means, but more so about how empowering it is to celebrate yourself however you can, and that it’s okay to be alone and love yourself. 

   
One Good Reason
This song was a fun one to make! I created this song with Jacob and Jesse from Foreign Air, as well as Jamie N Commons. We decided to create this alt-leaning song that I felt was necessary to really round this album out, sonically. This one deals with the perspective of someone (me lol) who is constantly annoyed by the people in their surroundings, but doesn’t change their outlook on life to change the situation, creating a loop of constant frustration.

Be Right There
The third and final interlude that features my drummer, Tom. Tom has become a huge part of Phangs! During shows, there will be points during the set, every single night, where my fans will scream “TOM! TOM! TOM!”, so I knew he needed to make a cameo on my debut album. He’s been a massive part of this since pretty early on, now. This interlude is really just Tom being Tom, a great friend. I wanted that type of person to be highlighted at this peak point of thematic frustration, because when we get to far into our head, sometimes we all just need a Tom to bail us out and get a new perspective.

Tear It Up
Tear It Up is perfectly summed up by it's title…this live and energetic track has a massive chorus that leads into this explosive guitar solo and I don’t know, haha, this is the craziest structured Phangs song I’ve ever written. I wrote this song with Dan [Agee] who took my idea and executed it perfectly, I wanted my album to have a strong ending, while keeping the concept going, and I feel like this was the perfect way to end it.

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YMC: 'NEED 2 KNOW' WEEKLY (8.14.20)

YOUR WEEKLY RUNDOWN OF HOT MUSIC PICKS YOU DON’T WANT MISS. ALL GENRES AND ALL SIZES. STRAIGHT FROM MUSIC CITY.

“THE GOLDEN AGE” (BECK COVER) | KITCHEN COVERS WITH DREW HOLCOMB FEAT. JON FOREMAN

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SARAH ALLISON TURNER - “NEVER GONNA BREAK UP”

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ORVILLE PECK, SHANIA TWAIN - “LEGENDS NEVER DIE”

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MORGAN WALLEN - “7 SUMMERS”

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RILEY ROTH - "CAME HERE FOR THE BEER"

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LIZ LONGLEY - “SEND YOU MY LOVE”

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PHENIX RED - “RAGGEDY ANN“

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LANY - “YOU!”

HEAR IT FIRST! SHANIA TWAIN AND ORVILLE PECK JOIN FORCES IN "LEGEND NEVER DIE"

2 legends. 1 vid. Check out Shania Twain and Orville Peck rocking out in the iconic new vid for “Legends Never Die”

“Working with Shania was a dream come true,” Peck said of the collaboration. “Her music made me feel empowered as a kid and was a huge influence on me.”

Watch the official vid below!