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Hit Songwriter Steven Battey Forms Duo, Exit 216, with
Cole Burkett To Bring Fans Country Soul Sound
Releases New Single, “Brother,” Due Out July 17
“No, we ain’t the same color, but we all bleed red” - “Brother” by Exit 216; Available for Pre-Save HERE
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Photo Credit: Yuri Figueroa
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| (Nashville, Tenn. – July 6, 2020) Newly formed duo, Exit 216, is set to release an empowering and uniting new single, titled “Brother,” on July 17. Comprised of hit songwriter Steven Battey ("One Number Away" by Luke Combs, "Revolver" by Madonna, and “Eenie Meenie” by Justin Bieber) and Cole Burkett, Exit 216 sets out to deliver a unifying message that inspires listeners with powerful lyrics, “No, we ain’t the same color, but we all bleed red” and “Maybe we need to discover a little more about each other. We might have grown up on a different track, but you’re still my brother.”
Produced by David Mescon and co-written by Battey, Mescon, and Drake White, Battey speaks about the timely new track, saying, “There will be people that do not look like you, nor are they from the same family; however, we can all connect through life in many other ways. I hope that listeners will have a positive take away from this song, and are led to make a friend or be the change for a better future.” Burkett adds, “The idea is that you can come together and find common ground with anybody as long as you put in the effort. You might even be surprised to find that you have a lot more in common than not.”
“Brother,” distributed through OneRPM, is now available for pre-save on all digital streaming services and can be found HERE. An official music video for “Brother” was filmed in Smyrna, Tenn, and will be released on July 17.
Exit 216’s journey began in January 2020 when Battey was seeking a duo partner and was introduced to Cole Burkett. Battey had the idea of forming a duo that could incorporate and deliver a natural country soul sound, without straying away from what country music listeners gravitate towards. After a few songwriting sessions together, the strength of the music was undeniable. Together, Battey and Burkett formed Exit 216 (a reference to the exit home to Nashville International Airport). Since their formation, the two have been writing and recording music that was set to be released in early 2020, but like so many other artists, due to the spread of COVID-19, release plans were halted. It wasn’t until Battey co-wrote “Brother,” and the two came together to record the track, that they felt compelled to release the new song to enforce positivity, encourage others, and stimulate change.
After having substantial success as a pop songwriter/producer, Steven Battey (born in Savannah, GA) moved from Los Angeles to Nashville in 2014 to pursue a career in country music. With many credits under his belt, including winning a Grammy Award for his contributions on Madonna's Revolver record, two Grammy nominations for his work on Justin Bieber’s certified Platinum album My World 2.0 and Flo Rida’s Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Sugar,” and most recently, co-writing the #1 Billboard Country hit and 2019 ASCAP Song of the Year, “One Number Away” by Luke Combs,” Battey has proven to be an innovator with undeniable talent and vision.
While Steven was making his way in Music City, Cole Burkett was a high school student residing in Smyrna, Tenn. Burkett had an exceptional, raw musical talent for his age. Still, his sights were set on playing college baseball and continuing his education. The future of these two collaborating would seem highly unlikely. Burkett graduated high school in 2017 and turned down a baseball scholarship to put his energy into songwriting. By the time he was 19, he already had a robust catalog of songs and began to garner the attention that would lead him to work with some of Nashville's top writers and producers. Burkett started to earn a name for himself for the gift he had, not only as a natural songwriter but as a premier vocalist and player.
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PROMO ONLYLISTEN LINK
[not for posting]
"Brother"
by Exit 216
Official Release Date: July 17
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