Country Music Association

CJaye LeRose

With over 3,000,000 hits, YouTube may have been the Internet entry ramp for CJaye LeRose’s music career, but it was by no means the only vehicle. She also boasts impressive numbers on Twitter (20,000) and Facebook (18,000). Even though there were no musicians in the household, CJaye came by her love of country music honestly. “My mom and I watched the video channels constantly. I was obsessed with Shania Twain and Deana Carter!” confesses the southern-twanged songstress.

Although the dream of a music career took root in those early years, it wasn’t until she was a freshman at Texas Tech University that she wrote her first song, “Date With The Tub,” a tongue-in-cheek reminder to men to pay attention to the women in their lives. This song is indicative of CJaye’s songwriting style – real-life subject matter wrapped in wit and charm. In “The Porch,” the lead track from her debut CD, Date With The Tub, the singer offers her beau the man-time he wants by suggesting that he spend a “night out” … on the porch. “I love my man, I swear!” laughs the girl-next-door with the model-esque looks. “But what woman hasn’t wanted to hide the remote ?!”

Early this year, CJaye relocated to Nashville.  Since arriving, she has written with several noted Nashville songwriters, including Roxie Dean (“When I Think About Angels” – Jamie O’Neal) and Bonnie Baker (“Ordinary Life” – Chad Brock),  and is a regular performer at local songwriter nights.  While CJaye’s career-passion is music, her cause-passion is promoting pet adoption. “I actually started my You Tube Channel to get out the ‘adopt your dogs’ message,” says CJaye. “I’ve written a song called ‘Mutt In a Cage’ that I hope will encourage people to adopt their pets, and we’re currently trying to find the right pet-centered partner organization. My goal is to have the proceeds from the sale of this song go toward supporting the work of organizations like Best Friends, whose mission is to find a home for every homeless animal.”

With the traditional music business model in transition, many artists seek alternative avenues for sharing music and engaging fans. Considering CJaye’s remarkable internet journey thus far, she appears to be on the right path.

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Gloriana

Ask any unknown musicians who’ve sweated it out on the club scene — as brothers Tom and Mike Gossin did before moving to Nashville in 2007 and joining forces with Rachel Reinert — and they’ll tell you that having a dream just isn’t enough. Achieving success takes strong motivation to commit, something these three young talents have proven willing to do as their career has exploded over the past two years. From sharpening their live show, to sending a demo to Emblem Music Group owner Matt Serletic (who signed them), to moving in together and secluding themselves for a month to put their stamp on the stellar songs that appear on their 2009 debut album, everything the members of Gloriana have done has been about their passion for creating music.

That pledge, as well as their authentic talent, have propelled the group to become the best-selling debut country act of 2009. Gloriana debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and No. 3 on the Top 200 chart and spawned the gold-certified hit single “Wild At Heart.” Gloriana also won the fan voted- on American Music Award for Breakthrough Artist, as well as the “Nationwide On Your Side” honor at the CMT Awards. The album’s success led to two years on the road, during which the band performed in front of millions worldwide as Taylor Swift’s handpicked opening act on her Fearless Tour. They also opened shows for Jason Aldean, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, and the Zac Brown Band. In 2010, Gloriana won the Academy of Country Music’s Award for Top New Vocal Group and were nominated for a Teen Choice Award for “Choice Country Group.”

Now Tom, Mike, and Rachel have funneled everything they’ve learned into their second album, due for release later this year. “We’ve grown up a lot as a band,” Mike says. “We’ve honed in on singing and playing together and have really found our sound as a group.” This time around, the group were intent on revealing more of themselves as artists. “On this record, we wanted to tell stories,” says Rachel. “I think people will be able to relate to a lot of these songs because they’re honest and come from a place that’s real.” They also felt emboldened to bolster their signature harmonies with new musical styles, as you can hear on the new single “Wanna Take You Home.” “It’s soulful new country, with a Southern rock flavor that’s almost gospel-y,” says Tom, who co-wrote the song with multi platinum producer and songwriter Serletic and Wendell Mobley (Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney).

“Like any new act, we were finding ourselves on the first record — in the recording process and as musicians,” Tom says. “The new album really just feels like us, who and where we are now, to the point where we know exactly what we want to do and how to get there.”

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Katie Armiger

Confident, secure, bold, assertive, vulnerable and in-your-face could all describe both the songs Katie Armiger’s third studio album, Confessions of a Nice Girl, as well as the artist who sings them. Katie, who released her first album when she was just 15 years old, has accomplished more during her four years as a recording artist than most people twice her age. Confessions of A Nice Girl marked her highest debut at #6 on Amazon, #11 on iTunes, and #36 on Billboard Heatseeker chart. Over 30 high school’s across the country used Katie’s moving ballad “Leaving Home” as their 2010 graduation song and the video spent a record 18 weeks on the fan-voted GAC Top 20 Countdown. Her last single “Best Song Ever” peaked at #24 on the Music Row Chart and the video was voted by fans to #1 on GAC’s Top 20 Countdown for three weeks straight and was in the Top 3 on the countdown for nine weeks straight.  “Kiss Me Now,” the flirtatious ode to new love she co-wrote with Sarah Buxton and Blair Daly, was her second to hit the Top 40 on the Billboard Indicator Chart, while “Trail of Lies” landed in the Top 20 on Music Row, setting a record as the Highest Charting Independent Female Artist in 2009. Katie also earned the title of the Highest Charting Independent Female Artist of 2008 on R&R with “Unseen,” and the young lady with the enviable voice set yet another record for the highest debut for a solo independent artist since 2003 on the Music Row chart with her debut single, “17 in Abilene,” in 2007. All these accolades and more have made Katie one of country music’s biggest and brightest independent artists.

On the heels of the release of Katie’s new deluxe package entitled, Confessions of a Nice Girl (The True Confessional), she has taken the country community by storm with opening slots for some of country music’s biggest names including Darius Rucker, Ronnie Dunn, Little Big Town, Kellie Pickler, Luke Bryan, and Clay Walker this Summer. And Katie has shown no signs of slowing down either with her latest single “Scream” officially going for adds October 31^st. For more information on Katie and to check out her upcoming tour dates fans can go to www.katiearmiger.com.

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