Five of the most promising country music stars – Carly Pearce, Michael Ray, Midland, Lauren Alaina and Luke Combs – took the stage at the CRS (Country Radio Seminar) New Faces Show on Wednesday night, Feb. 7, giving the singers the opportunity to perform in front of the most influential decision-makers in radio.Carly Pearce kicked off the show, singing her two singles, “Every Little Thing” and “Hide the Wine,” along with “Careless” and “If My Name Was Whiskey,” all from her freshman Every Little Thing record.
“As artists, we cannot do what we do without the love and supoort of country radio – they connect us to the fans,” Pearce said in a statement. “To be named one of the New Faces by country radio is one of the biggest honors you can receive as a new artist.”
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Ray began his set with “Kiss You in the Morning,” followed by “I’m Trying to Get to You,” “One of Us,” and his recent No. 1 hit, “Kiss a Little More.”
“Before moving to Nashville from Eustis, Florida, all I dreamt of was playing country music,” said Ray. “In that pursuit, I’ve made so many friends and met some incredibly talented people that have forever changed my life.”
Midland sang “Make a Little,” “Burn Out,” a new song, “Gator Boys,” and their Grammy-nominated hit, “Drinkin’ Problem,” from their On the Rocks album.
“We had no idea what was in store for us in 2017,” Midland lead singer Mark Wystrach shared from stage, recalling how they were still relatively unknown at CRS one year ago. “CRS changed our lives. To come back here on year later and be on the CRS New Faces Show – these are the kind of moments that bring it back full circle.”
Alaina, who gave one of the most stand-out performances of the three-day event, started with a video montage of her performing, from being a small child with big dreams, to performing in front of large crowds, as she was reciting the words to “Three,” which say, in part, “A lot of miles, a lot of tears / You’ve given me some of my best years / There’s so much I had to miss out on / Six years of missing home for three minutes on the radio.” The Georgia native then began her set by playing by herself on the piano, before being joined by her band and turning it into a high-energy song.
Alaina also sang, “Doin’ Fine,” “What Ifs,” which was her recent No. 1 duet with Kane Brown, and her own chart-topping “Road Less Traveled.”
“It’s one of my favorites I’ve ever written, and it’s a very personal story for me, and you guys embraced it and played it and made it my first No. 1 song on the radio,” Alaina said of the song. “You changed my life, and that little girl in that video, and this girl right here, you don’t know what that means to me.”
Luke Combs closed out the show with “Honky Tonk Highway,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “One Number Away” and “Hurricane.”
“When I moved to Nashville, everybody dreams of this happening,” Combs said of his success, which includes two No. 1 hits for both “Hurricane” and “When It Rains It Pours.” “But I think in the back of your mind, you don’t ever think it’s going to happen until it happens. I’m lucky enough to be up here on stage in front of you guys, with four other incredible acts…Thank you for giving me my best life, and making me excited to get out of bed each day, because without you guys, that wouldn’t be possible.”
Photo Credit: Instagram/CarlyPearce
