Nashvillains Juna N Joey Makenzie Phipps Shenandoah CJ Solar John Berry

Shenandoah 35th Anniversary Tour Songwriter Spotlight with CJ Solar Legends Corner: John Berry

Nashvillains are a newly formed group that looks to create a fresh musical landscape by blurring lines between genres, bending the rules of convention, and expanding country music. Their sonic landscape on their debut album, Tumbling Down, is accomplished by using traditional instrumentation with creative modern programming while emphasizing the dramatic and untold stories rarely touched upon by today’s popular country music. The Fate Ent. Group consist of Troy Johnson,

Scott Lindsey, and

Brett Boyett. The three wrote every song on the album and was produced by Boyett.

Tumbling Down conveys the tale of a man trying to rebuild his life after living through the consequences of bad decisions. Concept albums, especially those that contain darker content, have become foreign to the Country music scene. After spending years in the industry, Nashvillians wanted to create an album perceived as more provocative than the music commonly heard on mainstream country radio. With this album, they try to fill a niche in the Country music landscape through the composition of mature, cinematic themes. For more information on the album and group:

nashvillainsband.com

Sing-songwriter, sibling duo Juna N Joey have been paying their musical dues for the last 10 years, and that is saying something considering they are 16 and 19 now. We have been watching them grow into the artists they are now over the years, and while they still have a ways to go, they are making waves not just in the industry, but also with their organically developed +40,000 social fan base. Their YouTube has over 7 million collective views. Additionally, the duo has amassed over 11 million views and 1.5 million likes on TikTok. Between opportunities with

DreamworksTV,

Nickelodeon’s

“America’s Most

Musical Family,” interest from

“America’s Got

Talent,” and a tour with “American Idol” alum Cade Foehner, to say they have remained busy in recent years is an understatement. They recently released their single “Till Your Heart Breaks” which was produced by Kenny Royster. The track tells the story of a narrator enduring his first heartbreak and feeling the crushing emotions that accompany the experience of losing someone. Written alongside Kaylianne Lowe and Doug Lowe, the duo describes the pain of a relationship falling apart. Their signature pop sound is here to stay with more to come. For more information:

junanjoey.com

Makenzie Phipps has a unique vocal brilliance that is reminiscent of the classics like Loretta Lynn but with the fire of Miranda Lambert. Hailing from Virginia and coming from a musical background, Makenzie has been performing and honing her craft for numerous years performing at fairs, festivals and honky tonks around the country. Makenzie recently showed off her unique southern soulful sound on her single, “Maybe.” The song won Female Country Song of the Year at the Josie Music Awards. The song is about love lost.

Beginning in a low note which builds in volumes in the chorus, Phipps displays her vocal range throughout the song, which features an acoustic melody that lets the lyrics and vocals to stand out. Makenzie has said of the songs meaning that it came from seeing all of these people in the world trying to figure out the reason their love/relationships ended, when in fact, there’s no concrete answer to that. Aside from Makenzie’s music, her overall presence resonates sweet sentiments. She can quiet a buzzing crowd in one note and is slated to be a country sweetheart for sure. More information at

makenziephippsmusic.com

When country music lovers talk about the greatest groups in the genre, Shenandoah is always at the forefront of any discussion. Fueled by Marty Raybon’s distinctive vocals and the band’s skilled musicianship, Shenandoah became well known for delivering such hits as “Two Dozen Roses,” “Church on Cumberland Road” and “Next to You, Next to Me” as well as such achingly beautiful classics as “I Want to be Loved Like That” and the GRAMMY winning “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart” duet with

Alison Krauss. Now the group is hitting the tour trail to commemorate 35 years since its inception. “To believe we’d still be in the music business, as ever changing as it is, would only come to me in one form: the country music fan base,” says Shenandoah front man Marty Raybon. “It’s a wonderful thing to experience while looking out over an audience where the age span is so wide. It is most humbling.” The tour includes stops in Indio, CA. (Stagecoach), Fort Worth, TX. (Billy Bob’s), Albuquerque, NM. (Balloon Fiesta Park), Hot Springs, AR. (Magic Springs), Nevada, MS. (Bushwhacker Days), and more. For more info

shenandoahband.com

CJ Solar is an awardwinning singer songwriter that has penned #1 songs for Morgan Wallen (“Up Down” ft. Florida Georgia Line) and Jameson Rodgers (“Some Girls”). He won ASCAP Awards for both songs and also cowrote Jason Aldean’s “I Don’t Drink Anymore,” Justin Moore’s “Between You & Me,” Jerrod Niemann’s “The Regulars” and Top 30 “Blue Bandana” and more. While notorious for his songs for others under his exclusive writers agreement with Edgehill Music Publishing, he is also an artist himself and his latest album,

The Future’s Neon, on Raining Bacon

Records is set for release this summer. He co-wrote all nine cuts on The Future’s Neon album, collaborating with Devin Barker, Kenton Bryant, Bart Butler, Frankie Courtney, Corey Crowder, Jackson Dean, Bob DiPiero, Aaron Eshius, Jeff Garrison, HARDY, Jason Lehning, Lynn Hutton, Joey Hyde, Billy Montana, and Lydia Vaughan on the other eight songs. When he is not wirting, CJ tours coastto-coast headlining his own dates and opening for the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, Gary Allan, Chris Janson, Hank Jr, Aaron Watson and others. For more information:

cjsolar.com

GRAMMY award-winning artist John Berry has been making his musical footprint for decades and shows no signs of slowing down. His accolades are extensive and it is not surprising that this iconic artist is still finding new ways to share his sound. “I love the opportunity I have had to create new music, and it is awesome to look back and see that for 10, 20, 25 years I have had new music to share.” said Berry. His latest album is Find My Joy, features his unmistakable voice that has garnered Platinum records and hit singles.

Berry seamlessly delivers timeless standards “How

Great Thou Art,”

“Great Is Thy

Faithfulness,” “I

Surrender All” and several new songs, sharing the hope he has found personally with listeners everywhere. Find My Joy, was arranged and produced by multi-award winning producer, Steve Dorff. John shared with us that he enjoyed collaborating with Dorff and being inventive and allowing him to put his music spin on these classic pieces of music. Aside from new music John and his wife Robin also have the podcast Faith, Family, & Friends. They actually had one of the last interviews with Charlie Daniels on the show prior to his passing. More information:

johnberry.com