Artists To Watch list 2023
Welcome to the first annual Nashville Briefing Artists To Watch list. This group was handpicked by our editorial team, who debated day and night over who should make the cut. These artists are on track for superstardom and you can't afford to not know them!
Before we dive in, a shout-out to our sponsor, SET.Live, for being an amazing partner. They are changing the game by providing artists with an amazing suite of tools to collect data from their most passionate fans at their concerts.
Alright, the time has come. Let's dive in! - Zak Kuhn (Founder, Nashville Briefing)
Aidan Canfield
HOMETOWN - Pleasantville, NY
TEAM:
MGMT - Justine Avila, The Moonshot Group
Booking - Haley Teske & Spencer Foote (The Neal Agency)
Publishing - Zach Lund (Universal Publishing Group)
Business Management - James Dail (Wiatr Associates)
Legal - Elliot Groffman (Carroll Guido Groffman Cohen Bar & Karalian, LLP)
Bio - Aidan Canfield’s artistry infuses a unique combination of rock and country influences from the sounds he grew up on. Those influences include Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen and a little bit of Kenny Chesney meets Zach Bryan. He has toured supporting Riley Green and most recently, the Cameron Sacky Band. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Aidan discovered his passion for playing the guitar and began to sing and write songs. In two short years he has grown a following on social media platforms and in April, 2022, released his first single, “The Idea Of Me”. Since then, Aidan has released six additional singles, a full album, and his music has been streamed nearly 3 million times. Featured in country music YouTuber and critic Grady Smith’s “Best Music Under the Radar of 2023,” Canfield’s growing popularity has also led to his first CMA Fest performance on the Hard Rock Stage and a feature at the Tidal Wave Festival in Atlantic City.
Favorite Road Food - Canes!
Ashley Anne
Hometown - Virginia Beach, VA
TEAM:
MGMT - Dillon Goldberg (FNGRPRNT)
Bio: Ashley Anne is a 19-year-old country singer and songwriter. She moved to Nashville at the age of 18 to pursue her love for country music and songwriting. She has gained traction from her 2023 singles "Dear Dolly" and “Fake Tan”. This year alone, Ashley is closing in on two million streams along with editorial adds on New Music Friday Country and Fresh Finds. Recent/Upcoming writer collaborations include Micah Carpenter, Ben Williams, Beau Bailey, Shaylen, Carson Wallace, Tyra Madison, Grace Tyler, Steinza, Henry Brill and Cody Cozz.
Favorite Road Food - Chipotle!
Austin Snell
Hometown - Dudley, GA
Team:
Label - Warner Music Nashville/River House
MGMT - Genevieve Thompson + Grant Gravitt
PR - Lauren Branson (River House), Kristi Bradshaw (Warner Music Nashville)
Booking - Sabrina Butera (CAA)
Bio: Austin Snell is a Georgia native and an Air Force vet who grew up listening to country and rock. He is out to make the term “grunge country” a household name. Earlier this year, he was named the first country artist to be selected for SiriusXM’s Artist Accelerator program and was a “Highway Find” via SiriusXM’s The Highway. His previously released tracks, “Excuse The Mess,” “Get There First,” “Pray All The Way Home” and a cover of Cassadee Pope’s hit single “Wasting All These Tears” have helped contribute to his 80 million+ global career streams.
Favorite Road Food - We’ve been eating tons of Cracker Barrel lately. Never really gets old.
Chase Matthew
Hometown - Nashville, TN
Team:
MGMT - Loyd Potts and Ken Madson (Ignition Management)
Booking - Alec Vidmar (UTA)
Publicist - Lexi Cothran and Jaclyn Carter (Shorefire PR), Kristi Bradshaw, (Warner Music Nashville)
Label - Warner Music Nashville
Bio: A Music City native, Chase Matthew began his career by independently paving a path for himself in the genre, due to his infectious personality, rowdy live performances and authentic, relatable music. He has over 650 million global career streams to his name with more than 150M global streams on his first RIAA GOLD-certified smash, “County Line”. He has over 1 Million followers across social media and has been named a HITS Magazine “One to Watch.” Since releasing his 25-track sophomore album, Come Get Your Memory, on June 9th, Matthew has been selling out venues across the country on his headline Born For This Tour. He has also been performing at fairs and festivals including CMA Fest, Rock The South, and more. His debut radio single, “Love You Again” is currently climbing the charts.
Favorite Road Food - Taco Bell
Dalton Dover
Hometown - Aragon, GA
Team:
Mgmt - Charly Salvatore/underscore works
Label - UMG
PR - Ebie McFarland/Essential Broadcast Media
Agent - Brett Saliba/Josh Garrett UTA
Bio: Lauded by MusicRow as a “master country talent,” Dalton Dover’s current chart-climbing single “Giving Up On That” via UMG Nashville/Mercury Records was the most-added track at Country Radio upon its debut with 60 first week adds. The single went on to gain over 1 million streams in the first two weeks of its release. He has been named a Pandora 2023 Artist to Watch, an Amazon Music 2023 Breakthrough Artist to Watch: Country Class and a member of CMT’s LISTEN UP 2023 Class. Dover made his Grand Ole Opry debut in December 2022, followed by his international debut in 2023 at C2C: Country to Country Festival’s CMA Songwriters Series. The rising star was also named a Spotify Hot Country 2022 Artist to Watch along with a spotlight as Billboard’s February Country Rookie of the Month and a nod for MusicRow’s 2022 Discovery Artist of the Year.
Favorite Road food - Chick-Fil-A
Ella Langley
Hometown - Hope Hull, AL
Team:
Manager - Bradley Jordan, James Prisco, Megan Hindle (Peachtree Entertainment)
Label - Columbia Records/Sony Nashville
Agent - Brian Carothers (The Neal Agency)
PR - Winnie Lam and Ashley Buenrostro (Columbia Records), Courtney Beebe (Sony Nashville)
Marketing - Sarah Pfeiffer (Columbia Records), Paige Altone (Sony Nashville)
Bio: Ella Langley began her career gigging in bars and local festivals in Hope Hull, Alabama, before relocating to Nashville in 2019. She built an audience as her songs “If You Have To”, “Damn You”, and “Country Boy’s Dream Girl” continuously fueled momentum and earned her millions of streams. She has toured and performed alongside Randy Houser, Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson, among others. Langley made her Grand Ole Opry debut this year, and Spotify named her a “Hot Country Artist to Watch for 2023.” She released her debut EP Excuse The Mess in May, which includes her highly-successful single “That’s Why We Fight” [feat. Koe Wetzel]. She was also recently interviewed on The Zak Kuhn Show.
Favorite Road Food: Boiled Peanuts & Sponge-Bob Square-Pants Jumbo Krabby Patty Gummy Candy.
Georgia Webster
Hometown - Hampden, MA
Team:
Label: Sony Music Nashville / River House
PR: Meg Kehoe (Sony music Nashville)
Agent: Becky Gardenhire (WME)
Bio: Georgia Webster released her new EP, Chapter 1: Things We’re Not Saying, last September. The EP featured six brand new tracks as well as “X’s,” the song that garnered the attention of Kelsea Ballerini. After hearing the song, Ballerini invited Webster to join her as direct support on her HEARTFIRST TOUR which made stops at iconic venues including Radio City Music Hall in New York and The Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Webster kicked off 2023 being named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country, continued to tour with Kelsea Ballerini through June in the UK and US, and is currently in the studio creating more music to be released soon.
Favorite Road Food: Taco Bell
Graham Barham
Hometown - Oak Ridge, LA
Team:
MGMT - Dillon Goldberg (FNGRPRNT)
Agent - UTA
Publishing - CORNMAN / WARNER CHAPPEL
Bio - Hailing from a rural Louisiana village called Oak Ridge (population: 124), singer/songwriter Graham Barham infuses his music with images specific to small Southern towns. In 2022, he released his breakout single "Preachers Need People” which brought him massive viral success. The son of a farmer and a schoolteacher, Barham grew up on his family farm and got his start singing in church as a little kid. By age 10 he taught himself to play guitar and began writing his own songs. He found inspiration from classic country artists like George Strait, as well as heavy-hitters from the pop world. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter released his debut EP North of Hell in July of this year.
Favorite Road Food: Canes
Jordana Bryant
Hometown - Bryn Mawr, PA
Team:
MGMT - Alex Goodman
Label - Riser House Entertainment
PR - Marbaloo
Booking - CAA
Although Jordana Bryant is only 18 years old, she is wise beyond her years and hopes to use her music to “spread positivity and authenticity”. Since she began releasing music in 2020, Bryant has accumulated over 25 million musical streams across all platforms and garnered 200k followers on Instagram, 100k followers on TikTok, and more than 100k subscribers on YouTube. Bryant has been highly praised by the likes of People Magazine, CMA, CMT, and many more. In April of this year, Bryant released her self-titled debut EP.
Favorite Road Food - Chik-fil-a
Jordyn Shellhart
Hometown - Nashville, TN
Team:
MGMT - Diarmuid Quinn and Beth Watson (TourDForce Productions)
Agent - Jay Williams and Morgan Kenney (WME)
Publicist – Ebie McFarland, Essential Broadcast Media; Fount Lynch, Warner Music Nashville
Jordyn Shellhart's 12-track LP Primrose ranges from joyful to introspective, providing intimate glimpses into the Wyoming-native's most formative moments and milestones. Although it’s her first full album for Warner Music Nashville, its sophistication stems from more than a decade as a signed writer who earned cuts by Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Cody Johnson and Don Williams. Whether asking "Who Are You Mad At," crooning over not the loss of a lover but of their mother in "Tell Your Mother I'm Fine," or the retrospective "Maybe Someday You'll Have A Daughter," Shellhart's Primrose is the first chapter in what is sure to be a storied career.
Favorite Road Food - In-N-Out
Josh Ross
Hometown - Ontario, Canada
Team:
MGMT - The Core Entertainment
Label - Universal Music Group Nashville / Universal Music Canada
Developing an ever-evolving career amidst the drawbacks of injuries, lockdowns, and conflicting relationships, Josh Ross is a country artist who forges ahead and overcomes restraints. The singer debuted with his independently released ballad on romantic losses, "First Taste of Gone," which garnered massive traction across North America. Ross pushed his career even further when he recently signed with Universal Music Canada and Universal Music Group Nashville. Ross is managed by The Core Entertainment and has tallied more than 140 million streams across his collection of songs. This year, Ross was announced as one of Spotify’s Hot Country Artists To Watch 2023 and already garnered his second Top 5 Canadian radio hit with “On A Different Night.” His debut US single, “Trouble,” can be heard on country radio right now, and he is currently on the road with Nickelback and Brantley Gilbert’s GET ROLLIN’ TOUR this summer.
Favorite Road Food - Chick-fil-A or a bacon cheeseburger
Lauren Watkins
Hometown - Nashville, TN
Team:
MGMT - Seth England, Melanie Mulrain, Nicolle Galyon
Label - Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters
PR - Jess Anderson (Big Loud Records)
Agent - Austin Neal, The Neal Agency
Nashville-born and bred songbird Lauren Watkins writes, breathes, and lives country music. The 23-year-old originally grew up on the outskirts of Guitar Town and was inspired by a range of country artists from Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow to chart-toppers Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton. Moving back home after four years at Ole Miss, Watkins’ lyricism quickly caught the attention of GRAMMY-nominated multi-hyphenate Nicolle Galyon, who almost instantly signed her to publishing and recording contracts with Songs & Daughters / Big Loud Records. She recently introduced her take on country music with the seven-song teaser set, Introducing: Lauren Watkins. Catch her on the road all summer at notable fairs and festivals including Carolina Country Fest, Nashville’s CMA Fest, Faster Horses, Watershed Festival, TidalWave Music Festival, and more.
Favorite Road Food: A Subway sandwich on the road and always Diet Coke. Sometimes Slim Jims and Cheez-Its grooves.
Logan Crosby
Hometown - Milledgeville, GA
Team:
MGMT: Tali Canterbury
Publishing: 50 Egg Music
Agency: Elisa Vazzana (UTA)
PR: OH Creative
Logan Crosby is no stranger to the entertainment business, having grown up around it since he was four years old. Logan’s music career catapulted into the mainstream by various social media videos, college town shows, and his starring on a hit ABC television show called Claim to Fame. He is currently on tour supporting rising country star Megan Moroney and is quickly becoming one to take note of in Nashville. On July 14, Logan released his debut EP, 23 Days In LA.
Road snack - Chili's
Mackenzie Carpenter
Hometown - Hull, GA
Team:
MGMT: G Major
Label: The Valory Music Co
Agent: Braeden Rountree and Sloane Logue (WME)
Mackenzie Carpenter kick-started her career as a songwriter for the No. 1 hit “Villain.” She is now recognized in country music as an artist to watch and has been mentioned in several spotlight programs including being named to CMT’s Next Women of Country class of 2023. She has also been named a SiriusXM Highway Find and to the incredibly prestigious Nashville Briefing’s 25 Artists To Watch 2023 list. Carpenter recently released her self-titled debut EP, which included the viral track, “Huntin’ Season.” That followed a writer’s round video that amassed 6+ million views on TikTok alone. In 2023, Carpenter made her Grand Ole Opry debut and took the stage at events like CMA Fest, Country Thunder, Tortuga and Stagecoach.
Road Snack: Albanese Gummi Bears and Raising Cane’s
Matt Schuster
Hometown - Charleston, IL
Team:
MGMT - Eric Parker (Extended Play Music Group)
PR - Olivia Hanceri, Lexi Howder (OH Creative Agency)
AGENT - Matt Schuster- Morgan Kenney, Nate Towne, Braeden Rountree (WME)
Publishing - Roxy King (UMPG)
Matt Schuster may have recently planted roots in Nashville, but he is primed for country stardom. The singer organically grew his fanbase by posting videos online that featured him singing his favorite covers and original music. Since starting, the independent artist has had four of his songs in the top 200 of Spotify’s Country Global chart and has over 120 million global streams to his name. With opening slots touring with Dylan Scott, Ashley Cooke and Kameron Marlowe this year, Schuster is focused on continuing to earn the respect of country music fans.
Road Snack - Sushi
Noah Thompson
Hometown - Louisa, KY
Team:
MGMT - Tiffany Bearden
Label - 19 Recordings/BBR Music Group
Agent - Justin Hill (UTA)
Noah Thompson went from being a construction worker in a town of only 2,852 residents, to winning American Idol and the hearts of millions across the country. After being crowned 2022’s Idol winner, Thompson is working to solidify his place in country music. This past June the artist released his debut EP Middle of God Knows Where, produced by Eric Arjes and Jimmy Robbins. The project features his debut song “One Day Tonight,” which immediately shot to No. 1 on iTunes All Genres and Country charts when he won the show. It is still racking up an incredible number of on-demand streams, averaging nearly 1 million per week.
Road Food - Cook Out
Norman North
Hometown - Sunnyside, TX
Team:
MGMT - Lex Lipsitz
Label Operations & Day to Day Manager - Austin McBride
Label - LMG Records
Hailing from Sunnyside TX, Norman North has cherished his deep country roots since childhood. Despite his rural upbringing, he became an acclaimed hip-hop producer, crafting hits for artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Kevin Gates. His love for country music wasn’t reignited until the loss of his mother. During his time of grieving, Norman was inspired by the healing lyrics many of his predecessors sang. Striving to create “memory music," Norman's songs like "Forgive Me” and his latest single, "Missing Nothing," blend hip-hop finesse with country instrumentation. He captivates listeners, weaving an original sound that evokes emotion and nostalgia. He aims to release music that all people, regardless of ethnicity and background, might come to embrace.
Road food - Chipotle
RVSHVD
Hometown - Willacoochee GA
Team:
Jonnie Forster (The Penthouse South)
25-year-old RVSHVD (pronounced RA-SHAD) started making music ten years ago. He first studied the lyrics of Lil Wayne, Eminem, and Tupac but RVSHVD soon realized that country was his best lane after hearing “Sweet Thing” by Keith Urban. Next came Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and legends like George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Brooks & Dunn. With the help of a signature vocal tone, his home studio, and a viral TikTok video, RVSHVD became nationally recognized for his country version of Roddy Ricch’s “Ballin’”. The song went viral on Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube amassing over 25M streams while uplifting his catalog of songs to over 100M streams. With 1.4M followers on TikTok, 1.4M Monthly Listeners on Spotify, and over 180k YouTube Subscribers, his online fan base continues to soar. His live shows have taken him all the way to Nissan Stadium where he performed at this year’s CMA Fest. He is currently signed to The Penthouse South record label.
Road food - Firehouse Subs
Ryan Griffin
Hometown - Ocala, FL
Team:
Red Street Records
Growing up on a farm, Ryan Griffin learned unparalleled lessons in hard work, while simultaneously developing his passion for country music. At the young age of seventeen, he brought his unwavering determination to Nashville and hit the ground running. From co-writing Kelsea Ballerini’s #1 hit song “Dibs” to opening for major acts like Lady A and Old Dominion, Griffin has paved his own music story. Now, with millions of streams under his belt, Ryan has garnered critical attention as one of Rolling Stone’s 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know and has been highlighted on Ones to Watch lists by AOL, AXS, Country Fancast, NY Country Swag, PopDust and Thought Catalog. As Red Street Country’s flagship artist, Ryan’s current single “Heart to Break” is grabbing attention around the world, leading the way for his brand new EP Phases.
Road food - In-N-Out
Shaylen
Hometown - Chatanooga, TN
Team:
Two Hats Music Group
Born in Chattanooga, Shaylen refined her songwriting in Los Angeles before feeling a called to Nashville. Her captivating single "What If I Don't" has surpassed 30 million streams, affirming her growing influence. Melding traditional country spirit with modern pop delivery, her music is novel yet nostalgic. Recently included on Spotify's Hot Country playlist, Shaylen continues to gain momentum. Further propelling her upward trajectory, she'll be joining Billy Currington on tour this September. Shaylen's unique blend and creative spirit signal her as a driving force in the evolving country music scene.
Road Food - Cracker Barrel
Tanner Adell
Hometown - Manhattan Beach, CA
Team:
Label: Columbia Records
MGMT: Beka Tischker (Wide Eyed Entertainment)
PR: OH Creative
Publisher: Missy Roberts (UMPG)
Agency: Sloane Logue, Abby Bass and Morgan Kenney (WME)
Tanner Adell, who was homeschooled, spent her summers in Wyoming, living what she calls a “free-spirited” childhood in the country. In 2021, after the pandemic hit, Adell moved to Nashville to pursue music. As a biracial female country artist, she found Nashville-based record labels attempting to minimize the extent of her songwriting and calling shots on her marketability. Staying true to herself, Adell has continued her steady ascent to stardom. Having already performed at CMA Fest, shared stages with Luke Combs and gone viral on TikTok (thanks to the backhanded song “Buckle Bunny,”) Adell has unleashed her debut mixtape of the same name. At the heart of it all, she offers this reminder of her individuality: “No one is going to question by the end of this year if I am being myself or not.”
Road Food - Taco Bell spicy potato taco
Tigirlily Gold
Hometown - Hazen, ND
Team:
MGMT - Round House Entertainment
Label - Monument Records
Agent - Risha Rogers, WME Risha Rogers
PR - EB Media and Monument
Sister duo Tigirlily Gold have been playing music together since they could walk, officially forming their band in high school. Growing up, they crisscrossed the midwest building a fierce fan base and selling out amphitheaters across their home-state of North Dakota. After moving to Nashville they landed a weekly residency at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row on Nashville’s lower Broadway. Playing four-hour sets, three to four nights a week, the sisters developed a captivating and fun performance style that shows how much entertaining is in their blood. After releasing their original song “Somebody Does” in 2021, the track topped the iTunes chart and Tigirlily Gold was signed to Monument Records. In July 2021, they released their self-titled debut EP (produced with multi-Grammy award winner Shane McAnally) and hit the road with artists Walker Hayes and Ashley McBryde. The powerhouse duo is set to embark on a new musical chapter with their upcoming EP, Blonde. The first release off the EP, “Shoot Tequila,” came out in January and has already found viral success gaining over 60 million views across social media.
Road food -
Krista: Cook Out - 2 corn dog tray with cheese bites, onion rings, Diet Coke and a mint Oreo shake.
Kendra: Chick-fil-A - deluxe grilled chicken and fries with a diet lemonade or Diet Coke.
Tony Evans Jr.
Hometown - Atlanta, GA
Team:
MGMT - M.A.R.K. Management
Agent - Braeden Rountree and Alex Collignon (WME)
Born and raised in Atlanta, Tony Evans Jr. has already earned shout-outs from Luke Combs, Mickey Guyton, Dan + Shay, and was featured on the nationally syndicated Tamron Hall Show. He was first discovered online by R&B Queen Keyshia Cole, who alerted major label veteran/hitmaker A&R exec Ron Fair. Fair, who produced Tony’s new Starless EP, lends his symphonic sensibilities to Tony’s mesmerizing baritone and guitar flexes that demonstrate his influences – Teddy Pendergrass, Brad Paisley, Earth Wind & Fire, John Mayer, etc. The end result is the smoothest-sounding country you’ll hear.
Road food - Hot Wings
Wyatt Flores
Hometown - Stillwater,
Team:
MGMT - Braden Milford and William Dyer
Label - Austin Jenkins (A&R), Jordan Marsh (A&R), OEG Records / Island Records
Agent - Jacob Lapidus (CAA)
Publishing: OEG Music
Wyatt Flores was raised on the outskirts of a small Oklahoma college town with a rich music history spanning from the likes of Garth Brooks, All American Rejects, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and The Great Divide. Embracing this musical energy, and further inspired by stories from his father’s stint as a seasoned drummer in the Red Dirt music scene, Wyatt wrote and released his debut acoustic single “Travelin’ Kid” in the Spring of 2021. In the summer of 2022, Wyatt left OK and moved to Nashville to pursue his music career full-time. He released the fan-favorite track “Losing Sleep” in February of 2022, as well as a series of stand-alone singles in the second half of the year. His single "Please Don't Go" marked a viral take off for Flores. Written about the struggles of mental health, the track has gained over 50 Million streams to date and has helped him sell out shows across the country. Wyatt is in the process of recording his first full album, planned for a Fall 2023 release.
Favorite Road Food - Whataburger
Zandi Holup
Hometown - Fort Washington, PA
Team:
AGENT: UTA
PUBLISHING: Arthouse, UMPG, turntable.
If there’s one thing about Zandi that is certain—she is different. Her edgy, deeply emotional lyrics and unique husky voice set her apart. Zandi has received high praise by musical legends of our time, opening for Anne Wilson and Steve Earle. Listening to her raw but relatable story telling style, it is no surprise that she has been able to grow her grassroots following, seemingly overnight. She has over 500,000 followers on social media and her videos have garnered millions of views. Zandi is currently recording her much anticipated debut record.
Road food - cheeseburgers and fries
