New Country Performer Glenn Stewart!

Is it possible to have a hit CD outside of Nashville? Auburn, MA. resident Glenn Stewart thinks so and is hoping that the  “buzz” building about his first CD will prove he’s right.

The recently released self-titled CD contains 11 songs that certainly have the sound of the new country rock generation now being played on radio stations all over the country.

“It’s modern country style like Jason Aldean and Keith Anderson and others that really rock,” said Stewart in a recent interview. “I heard another local country singer, JoDee Messina, a few years ago and her music got to me.”

Stewart started playing guitar and drums at age 7 and had a band playing local clubs while in high school. Starting out doing covers, his audience and fans started encouraging him to strike out on his own and singing his own music.

“It really started with the first track on the CD, “Hey Sadie.” It's about my mother who died but had always supported my music and really influenced it.” He wrote that song about her support and then continued to write the rest of the music for the album.  All of the songs are autobiographical – they all describe his life and what he has gone through.  “Believer”  talks about growing up not far from Boston and making his way in the world through his music and “My So Called Life,” about going out and finding the life you want to lead:

“Sometimes you do what you gotta do
Just to pay the rent
Burning the midnight oil
Just to make dollars and sense
Thank God I’m glad I’m not the only one
Who’s ship is gong down
It’s time to pack these bags
And leave this town.” 

All the songs have a driving beat from strong electric guitar playing. There is a hidden, final track on the CD, a more acoustic reprise of the early song, “Breathe.” This song is a gem and you get the opportunity to hear Stewart’s strong, likeable voice. He recently went to Nashville for a showcase and at the end of the Nashville Marathon had an interesting surprise when race organizer showed video clips of the race to some 26,000 people attending the event.

“They started the clips and the music behind it suddenly sounded familiar. It was from my CD, the song "Frieght Train – Here I Go".  They had included my song “Hey Sadie” on a free sampler disk, but I had no idea where they had gotten this song. It was great to watch this big crowd getting into the song!” 

Stewart submitted the CD to  local radio stations in Boston, Maine and Vermont and was invited by all three stations to participate in the Colgate Country Showdown, winning the first round in the Augusta, Me. competition. He will move on to the second round at the local Topsfield Fair (Topsfield, MA) in September and if he’s lucky, on to the semi-finals in West Virginia and the finals in Las Vegas.  There have been others who have started with this competition and done well – and Glenn Stewart seems to have the talent to take it all and maybe he can prove that you don’t have to be from Nashville to be a country star.