If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Music City, The Ward Guenther Show on Apple Music Country is as close to the real thing as you can get. A longtime Tennessean, Ward founded Nashville's esteemed Whiskey Jam showcase, in which rising stars show what they’ve got in local dive bars. The Mississippi-born, Memphis-raised Ward has a similar focus on his namesake Apple Music Country show: “We are identifying and shining a light on new music and new artists at quite possibly the most important part of an artist's journey,” he says. “They are finding their voice, their style, and most importantly their audience.” To hear Ward showcase the freshest faces on Nashville's colorful and constantly evolving music scene, don’t miss The Ward Guenther Show Monday through Thursday on Apple Music Country at 1 pm LA/4 pm NYC/9 pm LDN. Hometown: “My mom's from south Louisiana and dad's from the Mississippi Delta, so I had a culturally rich, wonderfully Southern upbringing, but I’ve been in Nashville for 18 years.” Favorite band: “Probably Dave Matthews Band. I don't listen to them much anymore, but if they hadn't featured Béla Fleck on 'Spoon,' I wouldn't be here talking about my show.” Early musical memory: “Seeing the video for Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Paradise City.’ It was wild. I was staying at my cousin's house in New Orleans, and I remember feeling like I was doing something wrong. Real, raw concert footage of one of the wildest bands of all time at their absolute peak. Pretty heavy stuff as a kid!” First song purchased or downloaded: “I bought the cassette singles of Queen ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and Sir Mix-A-Lot ‘Baby Got Back’ at the same time.” Go-to karaoke song: “Superstition,” Stevie Wonder Five songs that get Ward through the day: Joe Cocker, “Feelin’ Alright” John Mayer, “Queen of California” Maren Morris, “All My Favorite People” Stevie Wonder, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” Linda Ronstadt, “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” Favorite interview: “Koe Wetzel. I had gotten into his music over 2020 and we connected over FaceTime from his hotel room. It was noon and the shades were still drawn. He had been out celebrating his tour manager’s birthday, said they were at the club ’til 5 am. It was an actual picture of an actual artist on the rise. We had a good talk and some good laughs!” Most inspiring thing about music: “The constant refreshing of the talent pool. We all have our favorites that will be meaningful to us forever, but the intrigue of what's to come and the thrill of the hunt keep me going. Think about it: Right now, somewhere, there's a kid learning to play guitar who's going to change someone's life with their music.”