Who's 'Cuttin' Onions?

Kaleb King has kicked off his album release with a single that I would best describe as the emotional meaning of a relationship complete with a lyrical country twist. “Cuttin’ Onions” is Kaleb’s first release after a brief hiatus as a full-time musician. His last released song, Pieces of my Mind was released in 2019. Cuttin’ Onions, written with Adam Schwind and Adam Hood has had a great response so far surpassing the collective responses from previous music. Kaleb King is an independent Georgia-grown country singer and with the steel guitar singing through the lyrics, Cuttin’ Onions is no exception to his traditional music style. Kaleb King sings in collaboration with Adam Hood on this song and reminds us that country songs aren’t all ballads and sorrow, instead this one gives a ‘2 steppin' in a dance hall’ kind of vibe.

During his brief break, Kaleb kept himself busy supporting his family while his wife finished nursing school. In the chaos of the last few years, it seems that it was good timing for a musician to write songs and collaborate with other musicians, whether by zoom or in person. Kaleb used that opportunity to expand his craft, he traveled back and forth to some Nashville writing rooms, wrote a lot of songs, and created this collection of music. Reid Haughton and Dustin Herring also wrote songs with Kaleb King that will release in this collection as well.

Stay tuned, after a few singles, the entire album is due out in late Spring 2023.

Thank you, Kaleb (and youngest daughter), for entertaining me while we chatted about your career and musical doings. Be blessed.

in a country minute,

Rose

Kaleb King photo by Chris Beavers

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Trae Myers signs with Legend Nashville

The founder of Legend Recording, Chris Bianchi is a worldwide artist manager and music entrepreneur, best known for work in rock and heavy metal. Legend Recordings currently has 100 million streams/views for the combined artists in the rock and heavy metal music genres under that label family. Recently, Bianchi launched a country music sub-label of Legend Recordings- Legend Nashville. The first artist on the expansion is Ohio-native singer/songwriter, Trae Myers.

Trae Myers is building a fan base in Ohio and the Northeast since he's been playing some larger events. In October, Trae was a supporting artist in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio for Chase Matthew at a sold-out show. Trae Myers has also shared the stage with many artists such as Kane Brown, Walker Hayes, Russell Dickerson, and Tyler Rich. Trae released his first single Wildfire in 2018. As with most artists, you don't hear much about them on a public scale until they’ve had 10 or so years in their craft. This scenario is no different for Trae Myers.

Trae Myers released What About You as the first single with Legend Nashville and it is complete with a music video.

Trae Myers will continue touring into 2023 and the concert dates will be updated on his website.

Cindy-Jo is keeping it real and keeping it classy

I had one of the best conversations with artist Cindy-Jo from Dirt Road Dixie recently and couldn’t wait to share some of her upcoming plans.

Cindy-Jo is from a musical family, her mom, who is also Cindy, Grandpa Joe and brother are all singers, and Cindy-Jo, being the youngest of four children, gained a lot of their influences as a young child. She grew up listening to her mom’s favorite artists like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Amy Grant and danced around singing their songs and copying Shania Twain’s wardrobe as a young girl. She participated in talent shows and dreamed of having her own band while in elementary school and naming it Dirt Road Dixie, the Dixie Chicks were a popular band at the time, no doubt. Her dad solidified that name after her American Idol performance. It has been the perfect name for a female country singer’s band who lives on a dirt road. As time has moved on, that is one of the changes that is coming for Cindy-Jo. She started as Dirt Road Dixie, then Cindy-Jo with Dirt Road Dixie, and now she will be dropping the title Dirt Road Dixie and will be performing as Cindy-Jo Music.

Cindy-Jo has auditioned on three singing competition shows, starting with America’s Got Talent in 2012, stumbling upon the audition location on her way to an Ice Show in the Twin Cities. After a few years of working on her singing talent, she auditioned on American Idol, which brought her a lot of publicity in 2015. She was voted through by Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. but got a no from Jennifer Lopez. Cindy-Jo sang a Carrie Underwood song on her original audition and ended up with a golden ticket singing Leann Rimes’s song Blue. The extensive process of auditioning sounded brutal to me, traveling back and forth to Burbank, sleeping on the floor of the convention center waiting her turn. After exiting the show, she played around 250 shows a year. Constantly living with a suitcase in her car running to play shows after a full day of teaching Pre-K/Kindergarten classes.

In 2017, she auditioned for The Voice and again in 2021 but gave up her spot on the show, she was pregnant with her youngest, and knowing how intense the auditioning process would become, it didn’t seem like a way to spend her pregnancy.

Since those auditioning days, she has decided to slow down to focus on the quality of shows instead of quantity. Family-friendly atmospheres have become more important, and her family is always in attendance, she rocked her youngest child to sleep while singing to the audience on stage most of the summer.

It is a perspective change for her to switch from being a "performer that is a mom" to now a "mom that is a performer" and loves the joy that it is bringing. It will keep her from the typical burnout of overperforming and wearing out her voice as well. One of the perks of being an independent artist is that she can manage her schedule. Cindy-Jo is participating in a fundraiser for a local teacher who was nominated for teacher of the year, which will help with the costs of the travel for her participation in the National Teacher of the Year contest. She schedules herself out two weeks before Christmas to do pop-up shows in the community leading up to Christmas. In the past, they have played in the parking lot while a Salvation Army bell ringer is ringing at Cub Foods and also popped up at a nativity scene to do some caroling.

On stage, Cindy-Jo sings mostly cover songs from classic and traditional country artists. She has supported the classic country style and works to maintain the value and positive influence of that style of country music. She is currently recording cover videos and those are coming in November, next is a fresh photo shoot soon leading into Cindy-Jo recording and releasing original music. Her first song is ready and will be released after the first of the year. Cindy-Jo and her brother Kaleb Heart (Iron Horse) are working on a secret project for the 80s and 90s country fans with a large backup band, fiddle, and steel guitar. I can't wait to hear more about that!

I really appreciate you, Cindy- Jo taking time out of your day to chat with me about your life and music, especially now that we have become best friends.

Rose

catching up with one artist at a time, in a country minute

Cindy-Jo Music

Cindy-Jo

Cindy-Jo

Cindy-Jo by Getty Images

photos by Cindy and Jake

*American Idol pic - (watermarked) by Getty Images