Tag Archives: Tom Douglas

NECM’s WCW Spotlight: Rachel Wammack

We, at New England Country Music, want to bring on the new year with a fun series spotlighting women in country music. While the acronym WCW, standing for Women Crush Wednesday, is often used for physical attraction, that is not the case here. This series will feature talented women who are crushing it in the country music scene.

This week we’re featuring Rachal Wammack, a twenty-five-year-old singer, songwriter, and musician from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Which of course gets you singing the Lynyrd Skynyrd song: ‘Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers… And they’ve been known to pick a song or two… Yes they do.’ The ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ girl dabbled in the art of songwriting and finished her first write before she reached her teenage years. In middle school, she joined the marching band where she played marimba in the percussion section. When Wammack got a bit older, she played the piano and sang at bars in and around Muscle Shoals. It was at one of these gigs, when she was seventeen, that she was approached by Jim Catino of Sony Music Nashville. In an interview with The Boot, Wammack said: “Catino was at the restaurant I was playing at in my hometown, and he was staying at the hotel that was connected to the restaurant. So it was like fate, because I’m just doing my regular thing, playing covers, throwing in a couple of originals, and then he’s like, ‘Hey, what are these originals that you played tonight? They’re really amazing.” Catino and Wammack stayed in touch and she mentioned: “He ended up being a mentor to me all throughout college.” After finishing high school, staying true to her roots, she attended the University of North Alabama to pursue a degree in English. While at UNA, Wammack she participated in pageants and won the Miss University of North Alabama. Shortly after graduating from UNA, she moved to Nashville and worked as a bartender. In early 2018 she signed with Sony Music Nashville/RCA. Her years spent participating in the drumline of a marching band, combined with the poise and speaking skills learned during pageantry, helped to prepare her for the discipline needed for a successful career in Nashville.

In April of 2018, Rachel Wammack released her first EP. The self-titled album was produced by the award-winning Dan Huff. Her debut single, ‘Damage,’ was written during one of those typical Nashville songwriting sessions with the legendary writers Tom Douglas and David Hodges. It’s a real-life story from Wammack’s time spent as a bartender. Another track from her EP, ‘My Boyfriend Doesn’t Speak For Me Anymore,’ was described by Rolling Stone as “mixing the power pop pipes of Adele with the women-first attitude of Loretta Lynn.” Each of her songs is as unique as that revolving restaurant where she first met Jim Catino.

Though fairly new to the country music scene, Rachel Wammack already has a few big accomplishments under her belt. She has been recognized by Rolling Stone Magazine. They listed her as “one of ten new country artists you need to know.” She made her Grande Ol Opry debut in September 2018. In early January, Wammack was named to the all-female Bobby Bones Show Class of 2019. Bones chose her as one of only five female artists that he believes has what it takes to make it.

Rachel Wammack rocked her very first tour with Brett Young. The CMT on Tour: Here Tonight 2018 made its way to our neck of the woods and stopped at The House of Blues in early December. She put on one amazing performance that night. It was hard to believe that the gorgeous woman in the rainbow sequin skirt and knee-high boots was the opening act! Wammack commanded the stage and the crowd loved every moment of her performance.

We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this WCW.

Rachel will be performing at the Country 102.5 Street Party on May 25th! Along with Justin Moore, Chase Rice, Devin Dawson, and Jimmie Allen.

Be sure to download ‘Damage’ from her album ‘Rachel Wammack’ on iTunes here.

You can stay connected with Rachel Wammack by following her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Say tuned for our next WCW spotlight which is set to hit our page on Wednesday, February 27th.

Much Respect for Chris Janson’s ‘Drunk Girl.’

Some of the top themes in country music today include pick-up trucks, love, break-ups, and drinking. These are the songs that we all know and love. However, the subjects of these songs may subtly influence our decisions on the simple things like what brand of beer we should drink or whether we buy the F-150 or the Silverado. The theme of all songs in not so simple. ‘Drunk Girl’ tackles one of those more difficult subjects and it has the potential to impact how we start treating each other. As more people listen to ‘Drunk Girl,’ it is conceivable that we’ll see Chris Janson’s message in this song become the new normal.

Chris Janson debuted his powerful song ‘Drunk Girl’ on January 5th 2018. Despite the song title, which could leave one to believe otherwise, this piece was written about the respect that men should have for women. The lyrics leave a strong message: Take a drunk girl home. Let her sleep all alone. Leave her keys on the counter your number by her phone. Pick up her life she threw on the floor. Leave the hall lights on walk out and lock the door. That’s how she knows the difference between a boy and man. Take a drunk girl home. This could be one example of a more modern way of showing respect and caring for one another. Janson told PEOPLE that his new song is written “From a guy’s perspective, I think it’s a good message for any age man to treat women with respect.” The message isn’t lost among us females either. There are always ways that we can treat one another with respect and kindness.” Respecting one another is mutual. This is a song than not only men should listen to, but women should listen to as well. Women should expect a man to treat them this way.

‘Drunk Girl’ conveys a message of morality. Janson went on to tell PEOPLE “Do the right thing. Doing the right thing always ends up with a perfect outcome, and I would say that goes for guys and girls alike…You do the right thing; the right outcome always comes from it. You can always bet on that.” Such good advice and a good reminder to all of us. We should think before long and hard before we act. And even if the outcome doesn’t turn out as we planned, at least we know that the decision was the right one.

This song is a good reminder of how difficult it can be to make the right choices in life. Janson reported to Billboard Magazine that the song is “drawing tears from people’s eyes, and pulling stories from men and women alike who might not have had a voice or a platform to talk about it. It’s amazing. It’s cool to see songs bring emotions out in people.” It’s refreshing to see us open up and start to talk about our life situations because of this song. Kudos to Janson for taking a leap and broaching such a sensitive topic with this song.

Janson, Tom Douglas, and Scooter Carusoe penned ‘Drunk Girl.’ All three are fathers of daughters. As parents, we want to raise well-mannered, respectful, kind children. We can all strive to be more compassionate, better listeners, and better helpers. Let’s continue to do our best as parents to make the next generation polite and respectful people.

Chris Janson will be joining Cole Swindell and Lauren Alaina on the Reason to Drink tour.

You can purchase ‘Drunk Girl’ on iTunes here.