Howlin’ Horses: Halloween Honky Tonk

VAVO

No genres. No boundaries. No rules. The face and creator of YEEDM, VAVO occupies a distinct space within the music ecosystem, merging country music and true EDM production to create a wide-spanning sound that has connected with audiences across the globe. VAVO has given rise to YEEDM with performances at the 2024 ACM Awards (a first-of-its-kind collaboration), EDC Las Vegas, Stagecoach Festival, Australia’s CMC Rocks, and the Wynn Las Vegas, where VAVO is currently an artist in residence.

With more than 100 million global streams on original music alone, the EDM Award nominee has collaborated with artists including Kane Brown, Nate Smith, Thomas Rhett, Mitchell Tenpenny and Priscilla Block, remixing their hottest tracks into YEEDM sensations. Throughout it all, the innovator has earned multiple No. 1 hits on US Dance Radio and entries on Billboard’s Dance charts. With upcoming appearances in France, Germany, Canada, the U.S., and noteworthy music events around the world, things are just heating up for VAVO. Their latest release, “Bullet,” with Diplo and Block, is available now.

Chandler Walters

Bringing energy back to the classic-country tradition, Chandler Walters is a 22-year-old multi-talented native of Marietta, Georgia, signed to Ern’s Cadillac Music / DeVille Records. Already a seasoned steel-guitar player and multi-Platinum, all-genre No. 1 songwriter, his burgeoning artistic career is now kicking off, schooled on a mix of rock and country influence. The guitar slinger moved to Nashville on a whim in 2021, picking up steel guitar and catching the attention of hitmaker ERNEST in the process, who promptly added Walters to his band. Traveling the world while learning song craft from the modern greats, he signed a publishing deal with Ern’s Cadillac Music in 2024, earning monster success as co-writer on Post Malone’s 5X Platinum, all-genre No. 1 single “I Had Some Help (feat. Morgan Wallen). ” Walters posted six cuts on Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion in total, and has also co-penned tracks for ERNEST (including “I Went To College, I Went To Jail” (feat. Jelly Roll)), Bailey Zimmerman (“Is This Really Over?”), Charles Wesley Godwin (“Dead To Rights”), and more. Now signed to DeVille Records, he makes his artistic debut on Cadillac Sessions – a compilation album mixing classic style with a new-Nashville swagger, introducing Walters and his label mates to the world. Boasting organic, live-show inspired country sonics (with plenty of steel guitar) and a knack for modern language, tracks like “Whatever Happened to Us” find a proven hitmaker turning “real shit” into catchy, singalong anthems. Chandler is currently on the road opening for Post Malone on the Big Ass Stadium Tour while also playing pedal steel in Post’s band.

Cody Lohden

A vocal powerhouse with both the pipes and penmanship of an authentic country hero, Cody Lohden is a singer-songwriter signed to Ern’s Cadillac Music /DeVille Records, primed for a creative breakout. The former Firefighter / Paramedic has spent the last few years on a unique story of self-styled success and now answers the call of a new artistic chapter. Raised in Garfield, Kentucky, Lohden got his first guitar at 12 and quickly put it to use, drawn to the simplicity of country craftsmen like Keith Whitley and Don Williams, and the greasy grit of rockers like Bob Seger. He joined the school choir but was too shy to sing solo … until Lohden’s dad entered him in a local singing competition, which he won. Performing for a crowd of 800, his stage fright was replaced by a passion for the stage, and Lohden went on to make monthly trips to Nashville, learning to write songs with a lived-in mix of heart and hooks. Lohden was releasing music independently while living on a buddy’s couch for 6 months when one of his TikTok videos went viral, connecting the raw talent with hitmaker ERNEST. Lohden signed a publishing deal with Ern’s Cadillac Music 4 months before making the move to Nashville, and has since toured in support of Bailey Zimmerman, Walker Hayes, and ERNEST, while co-writing cuts for ERNEST, Zimmerman, Austin Snell, and others. He is now one of the first artists signed to DeVille Records, with every aspect of his work leveling up. Matching smooth country sonics and a vibrant vocal with a modern, lyric-driven edge, tracks like “Tail Light, Porch Light, Miller Lite” appear on the label- launching mixtape, Cadillac Sessions. And with a new solo project in the works, there’s much more on tap.

Rhys Rutherford

With the killer instincts of a Music City hitmaker, 25-year-old Rhys Rutherford was raised on songs – and is now putting his education to work. Signed to Ern’s Cadillac Music /DeVille Records and with a commanding baritone vocal, the emerging country songwriter’s first batch of tunes were just beginning to land, when provocateur (and benevolent bossman) ERNEST encouraged him to pursue an artistic career. “His voice is too good to just give away songs,” Ern says. Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, the student of songwriting masters learned at the foot of his father – Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Rivers Rutherford – soaking up the wisdom and sound of chart-topping contemporary country. Matching that to a penchant for classic rock, grunge and hip hop, he wrote his first song at 16 – and after coming home from a short stint at Ole Miss, began using that open-minded fusion of styles for real. Years of under-the-radar work led to a publishing deal with Ern’s Cadillac Music in 2023, and then early cuts like Bailey Zimmerman’s “Is This Really Over?,” ERNEST’s “Hangin’ On (feat. Morgan Wallen),” George Pippen’s “Rest of Our Life,” and more. Blending those songwriting chops with his rumbling, soul-piercing vocal and a knack for authentic, relatable hooks, Rutherford is one of the first artists signed to DeVille Records. He’ll make his first appearance on the label-launching Cadillac Sessions mixtape, sharing the dusky dive-bar anthem of missed chances “Get Her Name” and more. And with a solo debut in the works, Rutherford is just scratching the surface of his potential. “I think this is just the start of something… something really big,” he says.

Madeleine Mae

Madeleine Mae Viral on Instagram and TikTok, Madeleine Mae is a professional line dancer, choreographer, and the founder of Dance4AllMtl and Sisterhood Social Club Mtl, based in Montreal, Canada.

She is known for her positive and inspiring teaching style, creating spaces for self-expression through dance. Her classes are designed to be welcoming and confidence-building for dancers of all levels.