17 May 2024 - 0 Comments

Fast-rising Ōtautahi singer-songwriter Miranda Easten delivers an addictive country-pop banger with new track Kip Moore Smile off her upcoming sophomore album Concrete & Honey due out this July.

STREAM KIP MOORE SMILE HERE

An instantly memorable sing-a-long track, Kip Moore Smile is charged with street-smart lyrics and attitude, a cleverly-crafted toe-tapping hook, and Eastern’s smooth, dulcet vocal.

An easy-going number with a cheeky narrative, Kip Moore Smile takes a light-hearted swipe at the male ego and a wannabe player who’s full of himself, but for no good reason. Reminiscent of Shania Twain’s That Don’t Impress Me Much, with Kip Moore Smile Easten serves up a fun, tongue-in-cheek song about female empowerment that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Revealing another dimension to her song-writing skills, the broad allure of Kip Moore Smile is that it maintains one foot in the country genre, while drawing on a modern pop-infused vibe, seeing this cross-over tune destined to become a playlist favourite.

A co-write with Emily C Browning, the radio-friendly tune came together extremely easily.

Says Easten: “I’d already had the idea for a song about a bad boy with a worn out truck, and had a good idea of how I wanted to execute it. So one very hot February day I took what I had to Emily’s house, and boom, the music was born. I knew right away that we had something special when the song was bouncing around in my head all week after.”

The accomplished singer, songwriter, poet and author has many strings to her bow, having developed her technical prowess and garnering necessary musical experience working with beloved Kiwi singer-songwriter Greg Johnson, both as an as an executive producer on his album Swing The Lantern and as a collaborator with him on Stay and Stars & Dreams. Easten continues to work on other projects and collabs, most recently as co-writer of Listen to the Stars with Delaney Davidson from his album Out Of My Head.

Now set to release her sophomore album Concrete & Honey this July, Easten travelled far and wide, recording the album in the United Kingdom, the USA and New Zealand with a selection of international producers and session musicians.

With an extensive list of career highlights and being no stranger to the music scene, Easten’s musical reputation and connections garnered her an invitation to record at the world famous Rockfield Studios in Wales.

Says Easten: “It was an incredible experience to add my name in pen to the studio walls alongside Coldplay, Oasis, and a long list of heroes. I mean ‘Yellow’ was written there! I saw the wall where Wonderwall was written! One of the most famous bands to write and record at Rockfield was Queen, and I made sure to use the ‘Freddie piano’ on as many tracks as possible while I was recording.”

With world renowned Producer Greg Haver at the helm, and Scott Seabright on Engineering duties, the magical recording experience was enhanced with a quality team of talented players from both The Spice Girls and Manic Street Preachers on board.

“I love working with Greg and Scott and it felt a bit more homely to have my Kiwi team and good friends with me. Also, my pedal player Neil Watson added some stunning riffsfrom back in New Zealand. The track was then mastered by Ryan Smith at Nashville’s Stirling Sound, who really knows what he’s doing as he masters for Taylor Swift, Adele, Coldplay, Brad Paisley, Bob Dylan – the list goes on and on”, explains Easten.

Recording Kip Moore Smile during a cold Welsh winter didn’t put a dampener on the proceedings either. As both Greg and Scott had also worked on her first album Behind Unbroken Strings in New Zealand, the studio sessions were imbued with the familiar vibe of home resulting in a genuinely warm, friendly and fun atmosphere, ultimately reflected in the music.

“We had such a blast when it came time to record KMS, and it really did feel like a bit of a party. We worked into the night in the warm studio while keeping the wintry Welsh air outside! Lots of snacks were had and it was a pretty memorable experience which all added to the overall feel of the track. I am super happy with the finished song, and can’t wait to share it with the world”, said Easten.

The charming Southern country belle has a talent for writing polished modern country tunes that extend across the country-folk-pop genre, and over the past few years has refined and crafted a unique sonic identity to call her own. Possessed of a poetically lyrical viewpoint, Easten blends her heartfelt observations, honest storytelling and memorable melodies together, to invoke connection by sharing comfort in times of sorrow, and bringing joy in times of happiness with her music.

Since becoming a solo artist in 2019, Easten has released a slew of singles most notably the pure county hit Cowboy Lullaby, followed up by the super-catchy Country Boy, both off her debut album Behind Unbroken Strings, and both cracking the Official Top 40 Country Music Chart in Australia, reaching #16 and #25 on the Australian charts respectively. Success was also found in the USA, with the music video for Country Boy being picked up on the highly popular Country Music Network, MTV, CMT and other top channels.

Easten’s single View From Here topped the Tasmanian charts, reaching the #1 spot in 2022, with the accompanying music video voted into the top spot by American viewers on their famous ‘Taste Of Country’ platform for multiple weeks, followed up earlier this year with another stunning track in Revelstone.

Alongside an invitation to judge the prestigious Golden Guitar Awards, upcoming live performances start with a show at Gore’s Tussock Country at the end of the month followed by a national tour through June/July with rising country star Steffany Beck called ‘Hell & Back’, to celebrate the release of Beck’s EP Pillars.

The two are partnering up on the Saddle Up Sisters Tour, bringing their new original cowgirl country music to the major centres with a full band in tow. So round upyour friends, dust off your boots and saddle up to join them for an unforgettable night of country music at a town near you!

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