Liz Anne Hill~ (Q&A~ New Song (“The Desert”)!!!

Bio:

Country singer Liz Anne Hill was born by the California coast and grew up both in a suburb in Los Angels and a rural mining town in Arizona. Hill learned to sing, write her songs and ride at a very young age. She is more comfortable riding a horse in muddy boots and blue jeans than being beachside in a yellow bikini and white Ray-Bans, Hill combines down-home country roots with rock energy for different and rhythmic sound. After providing her powerhouse vocals as a demo singer for top Los Angeles producers, and then toured nationwide as a bass player and backup for different pop singers. 

            Many songs that were written by Hill have charted on Billboard, been showcased in animated films and by many airlines. While Hill liked commercial success as in Hollywood as a pop singer she keeps writing her songs, similar to the songs she heard playing out of her grandma’s Cochise old radio. Hill grandma’s radio was located in her County kitchen. 

            In 2017, Hill moved to Nashville. She put out an EP under the help from the producer, Louis Nerman.  On September 13, 2019, Hill wonderful brand new single “The Desert.” 

            If you would like to find out more about Liz Anne Hill then check out her website at (https://www.lizannehill.com). 

Q&A:

1.   Hello Liz, how have you grown as a country musician in 2019?

Moving to Nashville in late 2017 and immersing myself in the songwriting community here has been incredible. In the past two years, I’ve written over 500 songs and really honed in on my craft as a songwriter and my vision as an artist. 

2.   How did you come up with the name of your brand new EP “The Desert?”

When I began working with my producer Louis Newman, I brought him a batch of 30 or so songs that I felt pretty confident about. He listened to them all, and believed I was on the right track but could dig deeper.  The next song I wrote after that feedback was The Desert, and it felt like something had shifted, like I found where I was supposed to be.  The song set the tone for the entire project, both lyrically and sonically, and it only seemed fitting that it be the title of the EP. 

3.   What is was your process when creating this new EP?

 After writing The Desert, I had a trip planned back to my hometown in Arizona. It’s a tiny mining town and has always inspired me. As crazy as it sounds, I had the most vivid dreams while I was there, and several songs (Your Ghost, Border, Feel Something) were direct results of that trip. When I came back to Nashville, I had all these ideas to bring into my cowrites, and the songs all complimented each other. We recorded the band at Black River and it was incredible to hear the worktapes come to life. After spending about a week cutting vocals, I took a month or so to plan the video concept, and flew out to California to shoot under the direction of Collective Films. They did any incredible job, and I’m so proud of how the concept came together, and much the visuals add to the EP

4.   What is your favorite song off your EP?

Border or Your Ghost. There’s something about Border that gives me chills every time I hear it, and I love how Louis let me get a little “metal” on the arrangement of Your Ghost. There’s some chromatic movements in the chorus that aren’t your typical chords for a country song, and I love that. 

5.   Is there something you wish your fans would take away from the EP?

The four-part video series is a cycle; the first video begins where the final video ends. Without giving too much away, the visuals follow the cycle of falling in love. We pick ourselves back up from heartbreak, we catch a spark and follow our hearts, we get in too deep, and sometimes it rips us up… but then we regain composure and try again. While the lyrics of the individual songs leave room for interpretation, they’re all deeply personal and autobiographical in a sense. I feel like if you’re going to put yourself out there, you may as well be as real as it gets, and these songs are definitely raw and unfiltered me. 

6.   Was there any other artists or producers that helped to create your EP with you?

Yes! I was so fortunate to have a dream-team work with me on this EP.  Louis Newman produced and Greg Striezec engineered the project. Hit songwriters Jen Adan and Stefanie Rydell teamed up with me on several tracks (and lended BGV’s), Robert Ford, Kris Bradley and Joe Sly also helped me pen several tunes, and “The Desert” was actually a co-write with my sister Allison Hill-Huynh. It is really special to me that she was a part of this project. 

7.   Is there anything else coming up with your music in 2019?

 I’ll be releasing a new video from the four part saga every 4-6 weeks, and will be playing select tour dates TBD! 

8.   Is there anything else you would like to share?

In addition to my solo music, I also have a YouTube channel dedicated to covers. My duo partner, Greg, and I release new videos every week and it’s so much fun! You can check us out by searching B0b & NaN-Z.

Social Media Accounts: 

Charly Reynolds’ Q&A!!!

  1. Hi Charly, Can you tell me a little bit about yourself before you
    became a country musician?
    Hi Danaille! Thanks for having me. When I was younger, I always sang
    and knew that I wanted to be a singer, but I didn’t always want to be
    a country singer. I used to sing a lot of Broadway music from Wicked,
    Bye Bye Birdie and Funny Girl. That is what I loved to sing. Then, it
    started transitioning into Taylor Swift with “You Belong with Me,”
    and “Our Song,” which definitely put the country idea in my head! It
    was during the Carrie Underwood Blown Away tour back in 2012,
    however, that it really hit me. It was then that I realized this was
    exactly what I wanted to do.
  2. What is the background story behind your latest single “We
    Need to Talk?”
    When I sat down in a writing session with my friends, Kelly Seidel,
    Nicole Croteau, and Dave Mohr, we were discussing ideas and Kelly
    came up with “I Think We Need To Talk.” Usually, when you hear
    someone say that, it means someone is in a bit of trouble or about to
    be in an argument. But, we discussed it as a twist where it’s a good
    thing where you see someone that you really want to go up to and
    talk to. Sometimes girls, including myself, see a guy in public that
    upon first impression looks like a great catch and is worth taking
    more time to get to know. So that’s how we came up with “We Need
    To Talk.”
  3. Who are some of your musical icons?
    I have always loved Carrie Underwood, as I said earlier. I think she
    had a lot to do with me seeing a future career in country music
    beginning at 12 years old. I also love Blake Shelton, I have called him
    my “famous boyfriend” for probably 7 years now and he doesn’t
    even know it! My biggest inspiration and icon is Shania Twain. I
    started listening to her music when I was about 15 and I couldn’t
    stop. Then, I learned about what a hard life she has had and the fact
    that she still works so hard to do what she loves was so inspiring to
    me.
  4. How would you describe your music in 3 to 5 words?
    Original, Country, Genuine, Relatable, and Unique.
  5. What was the first country concert you ever been to?
    My first country concert was Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away tour
    which was definitely life changing!
  6. What are some of your favorite venues or events to play at?
    I love playing at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, it is
    always such a fun time and I love that there is a dance floor so people
    can dance and have a great time with me! I also loved playing Song
    Suffragettes at the Listening Room. It has been a goal of mine to be a
    part of Song Suffragettes since I had heard of it and finally was able
    to make that happen, I also love the listening room because unlike
    some other writer’s rounds, people are truly there to listen to the
    songs you have written.
  7. Is there anything else coming up with your music in 2019?
    I am currently working on an album and the goal for that is 2020, but
    I could surprise you!
  8. What is one of your favorite quotes?
    I don’t have many favorite quotes, but I have a favorite Bible verse
    that is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, Declares
    the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a
    hope and a future.”
  9. Is there anything else you would like to share?
    I just want to thank everyone for all the love on “We Need To Talk”.
    The sound is so different than my other music so I was a little bit
    nervous with putting it out. But with all the overwhelming support I
    am so glad to see that people seem to love it as much as I do!

Charly Reynolds~ Artist Spotlight!!!

            Charly Reynolds is from Orlando, Flordia. She recently moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue her dream of becoming a country musician. She has taken the hearts of her hometown, starting with her local performances in Orlando at venues such as the Stardust Coffee and Digital Video, Friendly Confines, Johnny’s Fillin’ Station, Night of Joy at Walt Disney World and the Walt Disney Amphitheater. She also performed her own song “Wonderland,” in the new and nationally televised Orlando Citrus Parade. Reynolds has been an opening act for musicians like Billy Dean, Montgomery Gentry, Jim Brown and Andy Griggs since moving to Nashville.

            Reynolds released her first single on iTunes, “Underneath the Stars,” on December 30, 2015, the same day, stories about her performance at Disney’s Night of Joy were released in both One Country and Taste of Country Magazine. Next, she released her three more singles in 2016, “Stupid Love Song,” “Need You By My Side,” and “Get Over Yourself.” In 2017, she released her 11-song debut album “Kickin’ Up Dust,” on iTunes, May 19, 2017. She had her first release concert that night at the Walt Disney Amphitheatre. It was a big success as about 500 people showed supporting her, along with strangers passing by who stopped to watch her concert. Reynolds sold more than half of her “Kickin’ Up Dust,” merchandise that she personally designed herself. Auto Nation Cure Bowl, GreenGrass4Me, Chloe Lane Boutique, and Douglas Crank sponsored the concert.

            About a year later, Reynolds put out her sophomore EP, “Kissed Us Goodbye,” on April 14, 2018. The album takes listeners on a trip through Reynolds’ experiences of love, heartbreak, and the importance of family. She worked with Travie Basarich (writer) owner of Winter Park Music Academy, Toby Waters, (writer) her former PE coach and Brooks Paschal (producer) on this EP. She held her second release concert at the Walt Disney Amphitheatre and it was a big success. She also sold her merchandise, took meet and greet photos with fans and shared her love for music through her songs. The lights at Amphitheatre were not coming on, but her father, Jim Reynolds, saved the night by shining his truck headlights on her.

            On January 8, 2019, Reynolds put out her new single, “Shelby’s Song,” along with the music video on YouTube as well as Facebook. The video was viewed over 25,000 times in only 3 days. The video was also shared on CMT.com’s homepage on February 11, 2019. The song tells the story of a family going through a divorce with a child, told from the mother’s perspective. When Reynolds was writing this song along with Toby Waters and Tavie Basarich, they took the vision of what unfortunately goes on with a lot of families around the world. Also even though Reynolds is not telling the story, she is a child of divorced parents, and she shared that is hard for everyone involved no matter what the circumstances are. In her free time, Reynolds likes to bake, hang out with friends, golf, dance, volunteer and play with her dogs (Benji and Dolly Pawton).

            On August 16, 2019, Reynolds new single “We Need to Talk,” came out and it is available both on Spotify and iTunes. This song is catch, upbeat and mid-tempo tune, it showcased Reynolds’s great vocal skills. The song was co-written with Kelly Seidel, Nicole Croteau and Dave Mohr. Mohr also produced this song. Reynolds in 2020 is hoping to put out a new album. If you would like to find out more about Charly Reynolds then check out her website at (http://www.charlyreynolds.com). 

Social Media Accounts: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlyreynoldsmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlyreynoldsofficial

Twitter: https://twitter.com/charly_reynolds

Dome Hats~ (Q&A w/ Nashville Rep: Derek Shampine)

About (Dome Headwear Co): Dome hats main location is in Jacksonville Beach, Flordia. Each hat is manufactured overseas and also each hat is custom made. Dome Headwear Co, Rep Derek Shampine is in charge of the there area building in Nashville, TN.

Q&A:

  1. Hello Derek, what is the background story behind Nashville “Dome Headwear?” The owners were both fortunate and opportunistic when it came to establishing a footprint in Nashville.  Jason Myers, a photographer in Nashville, recommended the product to Ward Guenther when he was looking to have some hats made for Whiskey Jam.  His first order was for just 24 hats, but he must’ve liked what he received because he kept ordering and we now have a wonderful partnership with Whiskey Jam.  Through our relationship with Ward, we were introduced to the Calonge family of Richards & Southern Merchandise & Apparel.   Terry, Sheri, Scot & Ryan gave us an opportunity to present our product line to some of their largest customers, including George Strait, Alabama & Luke Bryan.  We have been blessed to be able to design & manufacture hats for these iconic bands, and many more through our collaboration with Richards & Southern.  They’ve become as close as family, and we’re very grateful for their partnership and loyalty.  The demand for our product began to grow beyond band merchandise, which led to me coming on board in September of 2017.  I’ve worked to grow our corporate & lifestyle presence here in Nashville overall and just celebrated my 2-year anniversary with DOME Headwear Co.
  2. Where do you see Nashville “Dome Headwear” in the next 5 to 10 years? Bigger, but still offering the same small-business, relationship-focused service that we have built our company on.  We look to open a showroom & design center in Nashville in 2020 that will allow our customers to come in and spend time with our headwear professionals and see all we have to offer. 
  3. Has any celebs worn any of your hats? That’s one of the coolest parts of my job.  You put in all this time & effort, and you look up and Luke Combs is wearing your hat on the Today Show and Jimmie Allen is wearing a DOME hat on another TV Show.  Mitchell Tenpenny actually rocked a Jason Myers Photography trucker hat in an advertisement for his NBC Today Show appearance, which we thought was absolutely perfect considering how important Jason was (and continues to be) to our Nashville presence.
  4. Do you sell your hats at any popular venues or events? Most of our hats that are at events are being sold by our customers.  We collaborate with merchandise companies to design and manufacture the hats, then the merch company sells them online and at shows.  It’s fun to go to the concerts and buy the hats knowing that we had a hand in putting them on the shelf.  We see pictures on social media all the time of fans posting pictures of hats they just purchased.  It’s really cool to see that.
  5. Is there anything coming up with your company for the rest of 2019? Continuing to grind and prepping for a huge year in 2020…we have a few things up our sleeve.  Check back in January. 
  6. What is the first item you made for “Dome Headwear?” For me personally here in Nashville I believe it was with Whiskey Jam, and probably a few bars downtown, however we set out to create a project in Nashville that would focus on the passionate & creative people driving the growth in this city.  This was pretty much my first assignment.  We called it the Nashville 100, which you can see at www.Nashville100.com and at @Nashville100 on Instagram.  Our mantra at DOME is that ‘Every Hat Has a Story’, and we set out to tell 100 unique stories of these amazing people.  We designed a hat for each of them, we wrote a biographical article, and Jason Myers brilliantly shot portraits of each person in the collection.  Here’s a link to the ‘wrap reel’ of the project that goes a little deeper in explaining it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsZEdCOVEFo
  7. What advice would you give to an up and coming apparel company? Watch your margins, don’t divulge your sources, hire people that are great where you are weak, and when it’s 2AM and you’re out of money and want to quit, keep going.  There’s always a way to Do Better.
  8. What is one of your favorite quotes? My personal is from Mantra and the quote I live by is “Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion, you must set yourself on fire.”— Arnlold H. Glasgow
  9. Is there anything else you would like to share? We will have a booth out at the NashtoberFest, put on by our friends at Daddy’s Dogs.  Come on out on October 5th from 2PM to 9PM and find me at the DOME Booth.  More information can be found at www.TheNashtoberfest.com.
Derek Shampine

Derek Shampine (Business Development, Nashville): Derek Shampine was born and grew up in upstate New York, and been living in Nashville since 2005. His favorite part of working with Dome is getting to witnessed the people when they receive their hats, and knowing they got a wonderful product for their business or brand. Shampine takes satisfaction in great customer services for his clients.  In Shampine free time, he likes spending time with his wife and daughter. His favorite hat is a trucker style.

Links: 

Website: https://www.domeheadwear.co/nashville100

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DOMEHATS/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domehats/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/domehats