Apple TV+ is entering the singing competition ring with My Kind of Country, a new series executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves. Despite entering a crowded field, My Kind of Country offers a fresh twist on the music competition format by showcasing talent from all over the globe. Contestants selected for the series make their way to Nashville, Tennessee, where they compete for a prize offered by Apple Music.
The contestants on My Kind of Country are scouted and mentored by trailblazing country music artists Mickey Guyton, Orville Peck, and Jimmie Allen. The participation of Guyton, Peck, and Allen is an exciting aspect of My Kind of Country, and the global nature of the show will help its contestants stand apart from the country music stars of American Idol and other competition series. Instant stardom from a music competition series is a tall order, especially in the age of social media, but the wealth of knowledge possessed by the mentors on My Kind of Country is sure to be of value to the show's contestants in any case.
Mickey Guyton, Orville Peck, and Jimmie Allen spoke with Screen Rant about the state of country music and the joys of meeting artists from around the world.
Mickey Guyton, Orville Peck, and Jimmie Allen on My Kind of Country
Screen Rant: There's always a conversation in Nashville about how much the city is changing and developing, especially over the last 10 years or so. Do you all feel like this is a show that could have existed 10 years ago?
Mickey Guyton: No.
Orville Peck: I don't think so.
Jimmie Allen: From the fan's perspective, maybe. Would there have been anyone to take a chance to do it? I don't know. Probably not, but it's cool that it's happening now. It's a beautiful thing to get a chance to not only inspire people that watch the show, but [also the fact that] we were inspired by these artists that we got a chance to get to know, and be around, and give advice [to], but also learn things from as well.
It's a real testament to how universal the core of country music is. As you all have met the contestants, how much do you relate to the things that they specifically love about the genre?
Jimmie Allen: It's so crazy. I've never been to South Africa, or the Congo, or anywhere in India, but hearing stories that these artists told through their vision... I had a lot in common with this artist I'd never met, Wandile, hearing his stories. There's one episode - what episode is it?
Mickey Guyton: My episode.
Jimmie Allen: Yes. That song.
Orville Peck: Oh my God, that was so good. And I'm from South Africa, originally. Hearing someone singing Xhosa on a stage in Nashville was pretty phenomenal. I don't think that could have happened 10 years ago, frankly.
Can you speak to what the contestants go through on the show? Are they learning about the songwriting industry in Nashville, or are they purely showcasing their songs and their voices?
Mickey Guyton: I think it's a little bit of both. We have three workshops. Jimmie's does collaboration. In Nashville, we collaborate, whether it's in songwriting, singing together, [or] whatever. My workshop is with a creative director, Jemel McWilliams, who has worked with everybody from Lizzo to John Legend. He gets you to set intentions on your performance, and [helps] people feel what you feel in your music. Orville, being the visual god that he is, he then takes the contestants through... you get to really get inside of their head, and how they view themselves as an artist. These workshops they're getting to go through, we don't even get this as artists until like, five, six years in, and they're getting it on week two. They're just getting the heart of being an artist, and the songwriting... we haven't gotten to that, have we?
Orville Peck: Not so much on that.
Mickey Guyton: That'd be a great one though.
Orville Peck: That actually would be a great workshop. I think what we really were focused on as scouts, [was] to take what we know from the industry, what we've learned the hard way or the crazy long way, and tailor it to each one of them. Even if they don't win the show, or whatever happens, we [genuinely] want each of them to walk away with this sort of masterclass in what we can offer them, and what we've learned, and what we know about country music and this business in general.
About My Kind of Country
“My Kind of Country” is a fresh take on a competition series, breaking down barriers in country music by providing an extraordinary opportunity to diverse and innovative 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 competition winner will receive a life-changing prize from Apple Music, receiving unprecedented support and exposure on the platform.
My Kind of Country premieres March 24 on Apple TV+.