On her new album, Sunset Drive, Denitia shares her story of going after something new — a life back in Nashville, where she attended college, immersed in both the city’s roots music scene and the community of the artist collective Black Opry — while experiencing the menagerie of emotions that come with leaving behind what you knew and starting over. Across the album, she draws from the country and alternative rock music she listened to growing up outside of Houston; the songs of artists such as the Eagles, Vince Gill, Waylon Jennings, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, and Neil Young, ever present in her life; and the decade she spent entrenched in Brooklyn’s indie music scene.

Denitia’s music has been featured in the films Nanny and The Invitation, as well as in the series Better Things (FX), Broad City (Comedy Central), Dear White People (Netflix), Shrinking (Apple TV+), and The Terminal List (Amazon). She has toured extensively with the Black Opry Revue; been invited to perform at the National Museum of African American Music and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville; and shared stages with Amythyst Kiah, Joy Oladokun, and Allison Russell, among other artists.

In 2023, Denitia earned one of five spots in a residency hosted by the Black Opry and WXPN, was named to Rissi Palmer’s Color Me Country class, and was one of three artists selected for CMT and mtheory’s Equal Access cohort. And the momentum has continued in 2024: Denitia is one of CMT’s 2024 Next Women of Country; was named an artist to watch by the Nashville Scene in January; made her Grand Ole Opry debut and opened shows for Mickey Guyton in 2024. She will be on tour throughout 2025. 

Hi there! I’m Nell Maynard, and I am a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee. I grew up riding horses in Colorado, earned my Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry, and briefly attended medical school before pursuing my true calling by moving to Nashville in 2017. In 2021, pop country up-and-comer Lauren Weintraub released our song Like A Boy after 6 million+ views on TikTok. Also in 2021 I wrote Blueneck by Chris Housman, which premiered at #1 on iTunes Country and #4 on iTunes All Genre, and received coverage from Good Morning America, Rolling Stone, NYTimes, and Billboard. In 2023 I wrote Royale Lynn’s single Runs In The Water, which debuted at #4 on iTunes Country, #14 on All Genre, and #1 on Canadian iTunes Country. In 2024, Chris Housman released our song Guilty As Sin and CMT premiered the music video in Times Square, prompting weeks of YouTube virality. I have been a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition twice, in 2020 I wrote the third and fourth place songs in the NSAI Song Contest, and in 2022 I wrote the third place song and the winning song in the same competition. I live in East Nashville with my dog and cat. 

Her midwest upbringing greatly influenced her love of family (and the Chicago Cubs) and shaped her fun-loving personality and straight-shooting wit. A seasoned drummer and guitarist, Gina’s instrumental talent lays the foundation for her signature percussive rhythms and driving melodies. The raw character of her voice beautifully showcases honest lyrics that detail accounts of love and life through an imperfect lens. After a few years of writing and playing for other artists, Gina began releasing her own material in 2020, earning a headlining slot at Nashville Pride and praise from Spotify, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Billboard, People, and CMT, among others.