You can hear it in the gentle rasp of his wave-washed vocal soul. You can see it in his smile. For Iam Tongi, music is about transformation – and it always has been. A Hawaiian-born singer-songwriter and the Season 21 champion of American Idol, the 20-year-old Tongi first picked up a ukulele in the fifth grade, immersed in a deeply musical world filled with the traditional singing and dance of Pacific Island cultures. Living in the small town of Kahuku on the northern tip of Ohau, Tongi learned to sing from his father, who in turned had learned from his father before him. Clearly blessed with an expressive, charismatic voice, Tongi was pushed hard and developed a multi-faceted sound blending island reggae with the influence of his family record collection – which included country (Kenny Rogers), classic rock (Dr. Hook), and R&B (Luther Vandross). By 13 Tongi had played his first show, but after moving to Seattle a few years later – and losing his father in 2021 – the young talent nearly gave music up completely. His mother secretly signed him up for American Idol, and after Tongi’s viral audition performance of James Blunt’s “Monsters” became one of Idol’s all time emotional highlights, he went on to win Season 21, making history as the first Pacific Islander to ever win the show. With a thriving fanbase which supports millions of global on-demand streams and social media followers and nationwide concert tours, Tongi now begins a new chapter of life and music. Teaming up with acclaimed songwriter/producer Johnny Reid, his 2024 single “Road to Hana” marks a creative transition leaning into his cultural heritage and musical roots – but also the man he’s become. Fusing breezy beach balladry and sunshine country with laid-back soul, gospel, and more, new music is in the works, as Tongi looks to spread a feel-good message of positivity to the horizon, and beyond.

Electronic music producer
contact@djvianu.com

Hailed by Billboard for making “his superstar arrival as a touring artist” in 2022, CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee Morgan Wallen continues to reign as one of Country’s top tours, as his massive One Night At A Time World Tour remains in the top of Pollstar’s LIVE75 chart. Spanning 25 stadium-plays across 5 countries and 3 continents, plus arenas, amphitheaters and festivals, Wallen’s 57-show 2023 One Night At A Time World Tour delivered the man the New York Times dubbed “one of the biggest stars in pop, period" to fans worldwide, its success
spurring a 2024 tour extension.
 
With over 25 billion on-demand streams and 10 chart-toppers at Country radio, the East Tennessean’s recent eight week No. 1 “Last Night” became Wallen’s fastest-climbing No. 1 to-date (with just 11 weeks) and the fastest-charting No. 1 since 2015, as it remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 16 weeks; the longest running No. 1 solo song in Hot 100 history.
Wallen’s recently released third studio album, One Thing At A Time, reigned atop the all-genre Billboard 200 chart for 12 consecutive weeks, the most weeks at the top for a Country album in over 30 years; and currently remains in the top 10. His 6x platinum, ACM Album of the Year,
Dangerous: The Double Album (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic Records) is Billboard’s longest running Top 10 album in history for a solo artist with 137 total weeks spent in the top 10, eclipsing Adele’s 21 and Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA.

Married to my best friend, chasing my dreams... Cowboy, Hunter, Fisherman, Songwriter, Performer. Preorder #LeatherDeluxeEdition Now!

 https://codyjohnson.lnk.to/leatherdeluxepreorder

Steve Moakler has been making a name for himself in Nashville for 10 years now—and on his new album, he's returning to his roots in Western Pennsylvania. 

Steel Town is a country record, but the stories it tells and the characters it elevates are very much rooted in Pittsburgh—the Steel City—and its surrounding areas. For Moakler, this homecoming is paired with a liberation, one where his songwriting and his performing are a full reconciliation of who he is. "I've had the title Steel Town in my head for a long time. But I've been very intimidated; where I'm from means so much to me, and there's a lot of pride in Pittsburgh and in the Rust Belt. I wanted to honor that. 

"This is my fourth album, but it feels like in a lot of ways, it's the first time I'm ever going back and talking about the earlier chapters of my life and where I'm from."

Steel Town was produced by Luke Laird, a fellow native of western Pennsylvania. "I can't imagine making the record with somebody else," Moakler says of Laird, who co-wrote "Suitcase" (with Barry Dean and Thomas Rhett) and the ruminative "Just Long Enough." "Being from western Pennsylvania, Laird knew exactly what 'Steel Town' means. He was the perfect partner for the record."

That recognition of how much Moakler was influenced by his home is the product of being in Nashville for a decade, as well as the result of a keenly honed instinct about people and their relationships. Moakler's insight into not just himself, but the world at large, animates the songs on Steel Town, making it a fiercely personal project that will resonate far and wide.

"When I first came to Nashville, I wasn't thinking about where I was from—that didn't cross my mind," Moakler recalls. "All I was thinking about was where I was going. I think that's perfectly normal for an 18-year-old; you're running as fast as you can and ready to conquer the world. 

"It's taken being this far into my life to really understand where I'm from, and how much I'm a product of it," says Moakler. "I don't think I could've written a record called Steel Town and understood what that meant right after I left. It's taken 10 years to appreciate where I'm from and to have been hundreds of other places and to realize what's so unique about my hometown. I left a long time ago, but they imparted all this stuff into me. And that's what I have to bring to the world.”

pronounced sha-loo

booking:
zbluestone@teamwass.com

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