First Play Friday w/ MJ (Mar 19)
Every Friday (between 10a-1p), MJ features SIX brand new songs from artists you already know and love, and artists you will get to know and love.
If you missed today’s FPF, check out the songs featured below!
HUNTER BROTHERS – BEEN A MINUTE
Our first song today for First Play Friday comes from multi award-winning Canadian group, Hunter Brothers. They released their highly anticipated next single, “Been A Minute” today. The track highlights the harmony-based vocals and pop-meets-country sound we’ve come to expect from the group.
“We wanted to put something into the world right now that points toward a day when we can all gather to laugh together, sing together and experience the community that we have all been missing over the last year”, said Ty Hunter. “Whether it be that we haven’t seen someone we love for a long period of time, or haven’t had the ability to do something we love, the phrase ‘it’s been a minute’ holds a lot of weight and felt more relevant than ever.”
Produced by five-time GRAMMY© Award nominee Hunter Hayes, the track follows the band’s last single “Hard Dirt”, which was included in Spotify’s Best Country Songs of 2020 Canada playlist and SiriusXM Country’s Most Wanted Top 40 Songs of 2020.
DUSTIN LYNCH FEAT. MACKENZIE PORTER – THINKIN ‘BOUT YOU
Our second First Play Friday song comes from Dustin Lynch, a collaboration with Canadian singer, Mackenzie Porter!
This song was on Dustin Lynch’s album Tullahoma as a collaboration with Lauren Alaina, originally. Dustin and Lauren, however, just couldn’t find a good time to release the song that would work for their schedules. But, because this is Dustin’s first official collaboration, he wanted to do the song justice.
He held blind auditions for a new collaborating voice. His team collected submissions and put them in a list without any names for him. He chose people only based on their sound with the song. There was one voice that stuck out, which was Mackenzie Porter’s.
Listen to below!
BRETT SHEROKY – 4 GOODYEARS
Our third First Play Friday song is from an artist we got to know really well last year with his single “Ain’t My Place.” Illinois artist, Brett Sheroky, who moved to Nashville in 2009 to work as a speech therapist by day, but like so many who travel to Music City with hopes of pursuing a career in music. What I love most about Brett and his songwriting is that he’s clever and just like “Ain’t My Place” this new one is a play on words, and I’m here for it!
“I moved to Nashville to be a songwriter. I grew accustomed to writing songs in a broad way stylistically so that a broader number of artists could cut them. But this is one of the first songs that I wrote in town where I felt like it came from me as an artist. I grew up on country music and classic rock like The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, and Bob Seger. I think this song and my sound in general reflects that.”
Listen below!
LINDSAY ELL – GOOD ON YOU
Lindsay Ell’s brand new single, “good on you” from her newly Juno nominated album Heart Theory. This song with Lindsay’s familiar vocals and clever lyrics has a groove I loved when listening to the full album. The story is about moving on from a relationship and what you discover about yourself watching that person move on faster than you do.
“It’s quite eye opening, when you see the person that you loved happy again, you are happy for them deep down inside cause that’s all you ever really wanted for them and a bit sad for yourself. You hate it, but ultimately love it in the end.”
BRETT ELDREDGE – GOOD DAY
Brett Eldredge spent three long years working on a new album only to have its release coincide with the shutdown. Instead of letting it bring him all the way down, however, he’s showcasing his current mood with new radio single, “Good Day,” a song about hopefulness!
“There was no better song to put out right now,” he told PEOPLE. “I think we’ve all been through hell in the last while — everybody in different ways. It’s a song for the moment, for sure.”
DREW GREEN – HOOCH
Drew Green grew up just beyond Nashville’s country music industry. Now, after years of thriving as one of Music Row’s most productive songwriters, he’s looking forward to an equally successful artist career.
“I’ve realized over my years of songwriting,” he says, “that it’s not just about luck. For me, it’s about working hard and staying passionate. Sometimes I feel like I really couldn’t live without writing songs.”
Last year, Drew released an EP titled “Dirt Boy” Vol. 1. It features 7 tracks, including “She Got That,” which has racked up well over 9 million streams on Spotify alone. Check out his latest, “Hooch,” below!
