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MoxieTalk with Kirt Jacobs

Kirt Jacobs is the host and producer of MoxieTalk, a talk show that gives an intimate look into the courage, character and defining moments of today’s most inspiring individuals.
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Now displaying: August, 2020
Aug 31, 2020

Pearl Aday is a Honey-throated and soulful, and possessing a compelling growl full of grit and strut when she lets loose. Pearl follows up her critically acclaimed 2010 debut with her new release “Heartbreak and Canyon Revelry,” ushering in a new dawn of California Country Rock. Joining forces with the venerable Jim Wilson, (longtime bassist for Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris, and leader of Motor Sister and Mother Superior), Pearl once again proves how she is every inch a rock chanteuse who seamlessly moves from vulnerable to guttural in one measure.

“Heartbreak and Canyon Revelry,” produced by Jay Ruston, is the natural evolution from 2010’s “Little Immaculate White Fox,” which was cited as not only “a noble debut” but tapped as leaving “a huge impact on the music scene” with “new female rock icon” Pearl likened to Ann Wilson, KT Tunstall, and Shania Twain.

The album takes its title from two central events in Pearl’s life: her move to Topanga Canyon with her husband Scott and the birth of their son, Revel, Young, now 5 years old.

Of this sophomore release, Pearl adds, “There’s something incredibly cathartic for me in this record. Writing and performing my music has always been my therapy, my safe place. In fact, I never sleep better than I do after a show after I’ve been given the privilege of singing my guts out. I’ve come to realize that we are all in ‘this’ together – this world, this place in time – and if these songs give someone the feeling that they are heard, understood, not alone, I’m elated.”

Aug 24, 2020

***DISCLAIMER***

*Due to the live nature of our Hometown Rising music festival coverage, & external circumstances beyond our control, the audio production in the following MoxieTalk is unable to be brought to our normal MoxieTalk listening and viewing standards. We apologize for any inconvenience.*

As Rolling Stone so cleverly put it, Hannah Ellis is an artist for fans of “spontaneous declarations of love.” This Kentucky native is creating forward-thinking pop country music with a lyric that pulls from real-life experiences. This approach has garnered Hannah a great deal of attention in the last year as she was named to CMT’s Next Women of Country, as well as one of Rolling Stone’s “Artists to Watch.” Her single, “Home and a Hometown”, premiered on CMT last summer and has since been featured on Sirius XM’s “On the Horizon,” and even charted in the Top 100 on Mediabase Country, despite being an independent release. Growing up in her small hometown of Campbellsville, Kentucky, Hannah sang in every local competition she could, eventually leading her to compete in Season 8 of The Voice. Once returning home to Nashville, she signed a publishing deal with Curb|Word Entertainment. Hannah has since had songs recorded by artists like Russell Dickerson, Danielle Bradbery, and most recently, the current Cassadee Pope single. While writing full time, Hannah has continued traveling and playing shows. She signed with Creative Artists Agency at the end of 2017 and has since toured as the opener for artists such as Dwight Yoakam, Montgomery Gentry, and Devin Dawson. You can see Hannah out on the road this spring on the CMT Next Women of Country Tour with Cassadee Pope and Clare Dunn, and be on the lookout for some new music coming soon.

Aug 17, 2020

***DISCLAIMER***

*Due to the live nature of our Hometown Rising music festival coverage, & external circumstances beyond our control, the audio production in the following MoxieTalk is unable to be brought to our normal MoxieTalk listening and viewing standards. We apologize for any inconvenience.*

“At an after-party one night we watched a video of The Band’s “The Last Waltz” over a bottle of Knob Creek. It sounded like the dirt I grew up from. That moment musically changed my life.” ~ Brent Rupard of Everette

Like the great American bands that came before them – new Broken Bow Records duo Everette doesn’t follow trends. Instead, the guys of Everette write what they live, weaving gritty tales of struggle and heartbreak alongside fun-loving stories of escapism and mischief. Often their songs are written while touring – sometimes during sleepless nights as an odometer tracks the miles or on a day off in a dingy motel room off the beaten path – but always organically and always from the heart.

Hailing from humble beginnings, Brent Rupard and Anthony Olympia unknowingly went to high school a mere eight miles apart in rural Bullitt County, Kentucky. Brent spent much of his youth on his family’s horse farm and even dabbled in barrel racing. Anthony’s grandpa was a hall of fame quarter horse trainer and, although their families were friends, the two musicians wouldn’t meet until the age of 21 when Brent took a guitar lesson from the classically-trained Anthony.

Their friendship and musical chemistry were immediate and the pair soon moved to Bowling Green, KY, where the duo cut its teeth playing originals and covers four nights each week while finishing their degrees at Western Kentucky University. It was the burgeoning Bowling Green music scene that Brent and Anthony credit for shaping them into the songwriters and artists they are today, particularly at a venue called WHA bah.

“Once we started playing music at WHA bah the crowd wasn’t just college kids anymore – it was people of all ages and all walks of life. They taught us how to have a good time and not worry about proving ourselves to anyone. They taught us to be true to ourselves,” says Anthony.

The two friends moved to Nashville after graduation to “chase the dream” together. Brent started a solo career. Anthony began working as a musician for hire to pay the bills while still playing in Brent’s band. Throughout this time the roommates continued to write and record demos together until the day the two collaborators decided to form the duo Everette during a writing session – and an American band was born.

Named for George Clooney’s character in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” the duo of Everette is a bonafide triple threat. Brent and Anthony co-write almost all of their songs as well as play many of the instruments on Everette’s studio recordings. The two young artists are also co-producing their debut project, an experience Brent calls “spiritual” and one that is critical to the authenticity of Everette’s brand of Country music.

“We have a certain type of rhythm and we get into a symbiotic zone together in the studio that makes the song work,” explains Anthony. “We have mutual respect for each other’s talent and each other’s feedback when we disagree. Trying to redo a song in someone else’s studio – it just isn’t the same.”
Everette’s brand of country music is filled with swampy harmonicas and bluesy guitar licks mixed with a knack for melodic hooks not unfamiliar to fans of the 80s and 90s. Citing diverse influences ranging from Tom Petty, The Eagles and Randy Travis to Ray Charles, Michael Jackson and John Mayer, Everette’s honest and relatable music exudes a crossover appeal that would have fans singing along at Bonnaroo as well as at CMA Music Fest.

Everette’s “Slow Roll” is a rollicking, carefree number inviting the listener to escape from the trappings of city life into an afternoon of leisurely possibility. With a dance-friendly beat and an infectious chorus, “Slow Roll” showcases the duo’s clever songwriting abilities, including a nod to pop culture classic “Dazed and Confused.”

Hips will immediately begin swaying to Everette’s intoxicating “Mugshots.” At once dangerous and fun-loving, the duo utilized a steel resonator to add a “Tarantino soundtrack vibe” to the song. That unique element, paired with the song’s arena rock chorus, is sure to make “Mugshots” the universal anthem of wild summer nights.

The duo switches gears with the dark and gritty “Relapse” which showcases an intensity and depth to the young artists’ songwriting abilities. Everette credits the “magic” of the heart-wrenching lament to writing it while on the road without time limitations or constraints.
Everette often describes its brand as “bonfire music” because of its communal nature, which relates directly to the Country music genre. “It’s the same thing we love about Country music and Country radio,” says Brent.

“Just like everyone’s involved at a bonfire jam,” says Anthony. “When we’re on stage we don’t want any separation between us and the audience. We want our shows to be an experience. We write songs about us, but they’re really about everyone.”

Aug 10, 2020

As an emerging female country artist in Nashville, history suggests that the quickest path to success is somehow aligning oneself with one of the major publishers, producers, songwriters, labels, or managers that are the heart of Music Row. So what do you do if you are an emerging female country artist in Nashville, and also happen to be the granddaughter of musical icon, Willie Nelson?

You hook up with an independent producer and veteran of the rock/punk scene, write some songs that are part Loretta Lynn, part Cheap Trick, and form the Raelyn Nelson Band.

Raelyn Nelson has been singing since she can remember. Having been raised on a steady diet of traditional country and gospel music, a gift from her grandpa in the form of a guitar during her teenage years was the inspiration she needed to begin writing her own country and folk songs.

Looking for a place to record these songs, a mutual friend suggested
JB (Jonathan Bright), a veteran of the underground rock scene and independent producer. After recording some of these early songs, they decided to try to write some things together and see what happened.
The result? A completely fresh and original sound, a true hybrid referred to by some critics as “Country/Garage Rock.”

When they aren’t recording their songs or making music videos, they are on the road taking their high energy live show to the people. Having shared the stage with such diverse musical acts as country superstar Tim McGraw, indie rock icons Drivin’ n Cryin’, and jam band supergroup Hard Working Americans, the RNB is proving that you don’t have to fit neatly into any particular “genre” to find success.

“I don’t really have any desire to be a ‘solo-artist’. Everyone in my family who plays music has always placed a lot of importance on band chemistry, on stage, off stage, and in the studio. Our band can almost read each other’s minds. Why would I mess with that? We try to keep it simple: Write songs we like, record them, make a video, then go out and play them for people.”- Raelyn Nelson

Aug 3, 2020

Known mononymously as IMAJ, the artist fans everywhere call their “Country Darling” is a multi-talented Country singer-songwriter, visual artist, novelist, actress and humanitarian. Born in Miami Beach, FL to a model mother and actor father, 80’s TV icon Philip Michael Thomas (Tubbs of Miami Vice), IMAJ grew up in a “utopian environment where creativity was encouraged.” IMAJ has been a special guest performer/toured with multi-platinum and major Country artists such as Collin Raye, Kip Moore, Gretchen Wilson, Billy Dean, Neal McCoy, Hunter Hayes, and LeAnn Rimes. IMAJ has also been a special guest performer for renowned brands such as PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, an honored singer/songwriter at Nashville’s famous Bluebird Cafe and a headliner for the State Fair of Texas, the “I Am Ali” Festival and Awards ceremony for the Muhammad Ali Center, Nancy Lieberman’s Dream Ball Gala with Ice Cube and Julius Irving, the Festival of Faiths, WE Day, for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s Toys for Kids charity event, Forbes Magazine’s listed PNC Conference and Dallas’ MLK Parade, just to name a few.

IMAJ is an Amazon Top 10 Bestselling Country artist and has been featured in People Magazine, Huffington Post, NowThis Entertainment, Distractify and more. CMA (Country Music Association) CloseUp Magazine labeled IMAJ “The One To Watch.” She was also labeled “The New Face of Country Music” by QueenLatifah.com. Her debut single “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” from her self-titled debut album charted on Music Row and reached New and Active on the Billboard Country Charts. IMAJ says the song is “…all about being yourself in a world where everyone else is trying to be everyone else. It’s all about Peace, Love and Country music.”

“Colorblind”, IMAJ’s latest world peace country music video, reached over 3.3 million views worldwide on Facebook and is from her sophomore album “America’s Sweetheart”. She performed her hit at the Cam Busch Endowed Arts for Health Lecture Series for the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga, TN where she was the keynote speaker. IMAJ will be receiving the 2019 Trailblazer Award at the Equanimity Awards in Dallas, TX. She was an Avanti Award winner and a nominated for the prestigious RoundGlass Music Awards for her single “His Story, Her Story.” This song that she wrote sheds light on the sacrifices of our military men and women. Just like her other releases, this single, too, is generating listeners, views, and buzz worldwide. Through it all, IMAJ’s main goal is to help foster world peace with her music.

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