Friday Apple TV+ reveals the trailer and 12 innovative artists featured in upcoming eight-part series “My Kind of Country,” from executive producers Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves. “My Kind of Country” is a fresh take on a music competition series, breaking down barriers in country music by providing an extraordinary opportunity to diverse artists from around the world. Scouts Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Orville Peck each hand-pick a roster of exceptional up-and-coming artists and invite them to the home of country music in Nashville, Tennessee, to showcase their unique sound. The winner will receive a life-changing experience from Apple, including global exposure across the Apple TV+ and Apple Music platforms.
Meet the passionate artists hoping to become the next big country music star:
Jimmie Allen’s Artists:
- Ale Aguirre | Chihuahua, Mexico
- Ale infuses herself into her music and bilingual lyrics with the mariachi, norteño, banda and other sounds she heard growing up in Mexico. At the age of 16 she taught herself how to play the guitar, and is now on the way to establishing herself as an independent singer-songwriter with a loyal following she’s gained from her popular YouTube channel.
- Dhruv Visvanath | New Delhi, India
- Dhruv, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer-songwriter and producer, started his musical journey at the age of seven. At age 16 his father passed away which led him to focus more energy on songwriting, allowing him to express what he was going through. He wrote the score to two independent films with Vishal Bhardwaj on “Sonchiriya” and A.R. Rahman on “Blinded By the Light.” With his guitar in hand and his heart on his sleeve, Dhruv is steadily building the love of country music in his home city of New Delhi.
- Camille Parker | Durham, North Carolina
- Raised by her grandparents, Camille credits her passion for music to her grandfather, who introduced her to country music. After growing up in the church choir, Camille jumped into the industry by doing session recordings for pop and R&B, before dedicating herself fully to country music. She dreams of inspiring young Black girls to achieve their dreams anywhere, especially in the country music industry.
- Justin Serrao | Johannesburg, South Africa
- Justin started out playing punk and alternative rock, but the foreign country music he heard on the radio and his father’s musical tastes introduced Justin to the music he plays today. Merging his rock sound with country influences was about following his passion, even if it meant turning South Africans into country music enthusiasts one at a time.
Mickey Guyton’s Artists:
- Ashlie Amber | Nashville, Tennessee
- A longtime singer, Ashlie worked for years before finding her way as a cruise line performer. She began singing at the age of six, and after the tragic loss of her father when she was young, music became Ashlie’s outlet and pathway back to a better place.
- Chuck Adams | Nashville, Tennessee
- From growing up in mostly white neighborhoods to his different musical styles, Chuck never really fit in. Chuck initially found success as a writer in rap music and got signed to a label, but after he got dropped in 2011, he took it as a sign to follow his true path in the genre he loved – classic country. A perfectionist that gets hung up on every detail, Chuck is here to learn to let go.
- The Betsies – Zel and Landi Degenaar | Cape Town, South Africa
- Afrikaans sisters Zel and Landi grew up in a tiny mining town called Witbank, listening to their parents’ record collections and singing in their church choir. As they grew up they would jam together and after moving to Cape Town they started performing together. At times they felt like outsiders for being passionate about country music in South Africa, but they are passionate about embodying American culture and the music they love.
- Wandile | Johannesburg, South Africa
- Raised in a family of music lovers in East London, South Africa, Wandile was more of an athlete than musician, and was a professional rugby player before his musical journey began when he picked up a guitar in 2010. Wandile is a fan of analog storytelling, where he uses his musical viewpoint to reframe harsh memories into better ones.
Orville Peck’s Artists:
- Alisha Pais | Goa, India
- Alisha is a singer-songwriter born and raised in Mumbai/Bombay but returned to Goa, India, during the pandemic in search of solace. She has been singing her entire life, and started performing at the age of 16. Alisha writes and performs songs with an unflinching rawness and hopes her music will bring joy to people’s lives and help them connect to their most authentic selves.
- The Congo Cowboys – Julie Sigauque, Simon Attwell, and Chris Bakalanga | Cape Town, South Africa
- The Congo Cowboys are a South African group that blend country music with the music of Africa, bringing the banjo full circle and returning the instrument to its African roots. They perform in English and Lingala, the official language of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They simply hope their music brings people to the dance floor and gets them moving as their diverse sounds and cultures intermingle.
- Ismay Hellman | Petaluma, California
- Ismay is non-binary singer-songwriter. When they’re not jamming to country and bluegrass with family and friends in the barn, Ismay tends to the family ranch in Petaluma. Musically, they struggled with fitting into typical country music, but the sound and vibes of nature are infused into their unique voice, bringing a fresh perspective to classic bluegrass tones.
- Micaela Kleinsmith | Cape Town, South Africa
- Micaela grew up watching singing competition shows and dreaming of being on stage. Bullied heavily as a child, music became Micaela’s escape and eventually became a way to make friends. She started writing songs at the age of fourteen and continued to rise as an artist, eventually landing a spot on South Africa’s Idols in 2016.
Witherspoon and Musgraves executive produce alongside Hello Sunshine’s Sara Rea and Lauren Neustadter; Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen; the illustrious Emmy nominated showrunner Izzie Pick Ibarra (“The Masked Singer,” “Savage x Fenty Vol 3,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “Ladies of London”); and Done + Dusted’s Katy Mullan (“Beauty & The Beast: A 30th Celebration,” “The Voice UK,” “Dancing With The Stars,” London Olympics Opening Ceremony). Emmy Award-winning Adam Blackstone serves as music director (musical director to Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Faith Hill, Rihanna and for Super Bowl Halftime Show, the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, “The Masked Singer”).
