New Music From Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Sometimes Just The Sky” out March 30 Mary Chapin Carpenter’s anticipated new album, Sometimes Just The Sky, will be released March 30 and is now available for pre-order (Lambent Light Records via Thirty Tigers). A celebration of her acclaimed 30-year recording career, the landmark record features new versions of some of Carpenter’s most beloved songs as well as one newly written song, which became the title track. In advance of the album’s release, the lead track “Heroes and Heroines” is premiering today. Listen/share HERE. Of the song, Billboard praises, “…the new rendition features not only different flavors and textures created by the players but also a deeper meaning within the lyrics, which hold up 30 years later.” Produced by Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne), the 13-track album was recorded entirely live at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios outside Bath, England. Joined by long-time collaborator Duke Levine on guitar and a handpicked band of Johns’ favorite musicians, Carpenter reimagined one song from each of her twelve studio albums along with “Sometimes Just The Sky.” See below for complete track list. On the album title and newest song Carpenter says, “I read a beautiful interview with Patti Smith in which she said that you don’t have to look far or wide, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive or madness in order to find things to soothe you in life, or to be happy about. Sometimes just the sky makes everything fall into perspective.” In celebration of the release, Carpenter will embark on a North American tour later in the year. Tour dates will be announced soon. Over the course of her acclaimed career, Carpenter has sold over 14 million records. With hits like “Passionate Kisses” and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” she has won five Grammy Awards (with 15 nominations), two CMA awards, two Academy of Country Music awards and is one of only fifteen female members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Most recently, in 2016, Carpenter released The Things That We Are Made Of. Produced by Grammy Award winning producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton), the album features eleven new songs and was released to overwhelming critical praise. The Associated Press called it, “…an evocative collection of songs,” while The HuffPost declared, “…Carpenter is now at the height of her musical career, painting a compelling, relevant piece of art tinged with mixed feelings of grief and joy, all without preaching or darkening our minds with sadness.” Previously, in 2014, Carpenter released her acclaimed debut orchestral album, Songs From The Movie. Arranged and co-produced by six-time Grammy winner Vince Mendoza, the record is comprised of ten previously recorded compositions including “Between Here and Gone” and “Come On Come On.” Since it’s release, Carpenter has performed alongside the New York Philharmonic, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the London Concert Orchestra, the L.A. Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra among many others. SOMETIMES JUST THE SKY TRACK LIST: Heroes and Heroines What Does It Mean To Travel Continue reading New Music From Mary Chapin Carpenter

TEGAN MARIE TO “KEEP IT LIT” FROM NASHVILLE TO NYC

Tegan Marie News

Rising Country Sensation Celebrates Song Release With Multiple Opry Performances Set To Light Up NBC’s TODAY On January 31 Rising Country sensation TEGAN MARIE is upping the shine factor with the release of her debut Warner Music Nashville song, “Keep It Lit,” worldwide on January 19. Lighting up Nashville, New York City and everywhere in between, Tegan Marie will celebrate with multiple Opry shows starting with her first performance at the Ryman Auditorium as part of Opry at the Ryman (1/19) followed by her debut New York City concert at The Studio at Opry City Stage (1/31). Adding to the excitement, the young trailblazer will bring “Keep It Lit” to television audiences nationwide when she appears on NBC’s TODAY with Kathie Lee and Hoda (1/31). Tegan Marie’s debut New York City show will be the FIRST ticketed event in The Studio at Opry City Stage. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, January 17 at 10:00am eastern via oprycitystage.com. Opry City Stage is New York City’s home for Country music and culture, with good times and great food rooted in the South and served up in Times Square. “Tegan’s reach is far and wide, much like the Opry.  We are thrilled to have her bring a bit of Nashville to Times Square with her upcoming Opry City Stage performance!” said Sally Williams, SVP, Programming & Artists Relations, Opry Entertainment Group. “The Opry is my home whether it’s Nashville or New York City,” shared Tegan Marie. “I’m so excited they believe in me this much to have me as their first ticketed event in NYC! And I can’t believe I get to perform ‘Keep It Lit’ in front of Hoda and Kathie Lee! I’ll be sure to bring Shirley Temples with me :).” Co-written by Tegan Marie, “Keep It Lit” is produced by acclaimed hit maker and WMN’s EVP of A&R, Scott Hendricks (with 70 #1 hits for artists including Blake Shelton and Alan Jackson). Named after a popular expression with the singer’s generation (aka Gen Z) – “lit”- the song celebrates happiness, good vibes and lightheartedness. It also serves as her anthem to inspire people across the country to make 2018 a year of positivity and hope. Media and fans alike have already taken notice of the rising star’s talent after being first discovered by leading Gen Z girls’ media company Sweety High. Landing on several high-profile emerging artist lists, HuffPost and Billboard included her in their 2018 Country Artists to Watch lists. Billboard praises, “…few have the stage presence, songwriting skills and overall show business moxie as this Michigan native…” and HuffPost adds, “Tegan Marie is primed to be country music’s first Gen Z star.” About Tegan Marie: With a larger-than-life voice, Tegan Marie was discovered when her father uploaded videos of her cover songs to Gen Z girls’ site, Sweety High. Featured as a Radio Disney Country artist, she has since catapulted into the national spotlight with several high-profile media performances and appearances including ABC’s Good Morning America, PBS’ star-studded Continue reading TEGAN MARIE TO “KEEP IT LIT” FROM NASHVILLE TO NYC

Listen Now: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – You Worry Me

Tearing at the Seams, the highly anticipated new album from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, will be released March 9 on Stax Records. The lead single, “You Worry Me,” is premiering worldwide today—you can listen/share the track here: http://found.ee/NRNSyouworrymeyt.   On March 9, Stax Records will release Tearing at the Seams, the highly anticipated new album from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. Tearing at the Seams follows the band’s critically and commercially lauded self-titled debut album, which is certified Gold in the U.S., Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands, Platinum in Canada and Silver in the U.K. “You Worry Me,” the lead single from the new album, is premiering worldwide today—listen to the track here: http://found.ee/NRNSyouworrymeyt. The album is available for pre-order beginning today, here http://found.ee/NRNStats. In addition to the 12-track standard edition, Tearing at the Seams will be available in a 14-track deluxe edition that features two bonus tracks and exclusive photos. Vinyl editions include the (2-disc, 180gram) 12-track standard edition and the (2-disc, 180gram) 14-track deluxe edition, which features an exclusive photo book and special 7” single. Initial writing and recording sessions for Tearing at the Seams took place in Rodeo, New Mexico where Rateliff & The Night Sweats re-established their dynamic off the stage and in the studio. “For the first record I demo’ed everything up and created most of the parts,” says Rateliff. “This time, I felt like we’ve all spent so much time on the road that we should all go off somewhere together. We should all have that experience together.” The band finished recording with producer Richard Swift—who has helmed records for The Shins and Foxygen in addition to The Night Sweats’ debut—collectively creating a group of songs that capture the band’s emotion and intensity. Of the new album, Rateliff reflects, “I want—and I need—everybody to feel like they’re a part of this band. I want them to feel like they’re contributing artistically and emotionally to the experience of writing and creating this music. We’ve all had to make sacrifices to be in The Night Sweats and I want them all to know that it’s worth something.” Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats are: Rateliff (vocals, guitar), Joseph Pope III (bass), Patrick Meese (drums), Luke Mossman (guitar), Mark Shusterman (keys), Andy Wild (saxophone), Scott Frock (trumpet) and Jeff Dazey (saxophone).   For the past two years, the Denver-based band has performed extensively across the globe headlining shows and major festivals including Coachella, Bonnaroo, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Newport Folk Festival, Glastonbury, Monterey International Pop Festival and dozens more. The band also made an immediate and lasting impression on late night television including performances on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” (twice), “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “CONAN,” “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” as well as on PBS’ “Austin City Limits” and “A Prairie Home Companion.” Most recently, the band released their first-ever full-length concert recording, Live at Red Rocks, featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and their hit single “S.O.B.” is now certified Platinum in the U.S. and Canada and Gold in Switzerland. Continue reading Listen Now: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – You Worry Me

Carrie Underwood Teases “Champion” Track

Carrie Underwood

Country megastar Carrie Underwood gave fans a quick taste of her upcoming track “Champion” during Saturday night’s Wild Card game between the Atlanta Falcons and the L.A. Rams and those fans are going rabid for more! Check out something special from @carrieunderwood that aired tonight during halftime! #SBLII #TheChampion pic.twitter.com/YBL77YsgbQ — SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 7, 2018 Rumor has it this track will be debuted during the 2018 Superbowl which takes place February 4th. In the meantime Carrie is nursing injuries obtained during a fall at her Nashville home over the holiday season. Those injuries include a broken wrist and an undisclosed amount of cosmetic damage to her face that, according to her social media posts, required 40-50 stitches and will leave her looking quite different than what fans expect. Though we doubt fans give a hoot if she’s got a burlap bag and her favorite sweats hiding her looks completely as long as she still sings the same!

Coming Soon: New Single “Tequila” From Dan + Shay 1/10/18

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As Dan + Shay (Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney) teased on social media last week, fans are just days away from a taste of the duo’s brand new music. “Tequila,” their first offering in nearly a year, will be available to radio and all streaming partners this Wednesday, January 10. Co-written by Smyers alongside Jordan Reynolds and Nicolle Galyon, the reflective single is much more than just your typical drinking song. The breakout duo are amping up the momentum from an exceptional 2017, which saw them amass more than 230 million streams, sell out shows in four international territories and earn a half-dozen award nominations – all between celebrating two marriages and a baby. The first new country duo in SoundScan recorded history to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart, Dan + Shay collected their second RIAA Platinum certification in 2017 for “From The Ground Up,” the first single off of their sophomore Warner Bros. / Warner Music Nashville release Obsessed. Soon after they notched their third consecutive No. 1 song with the Gold-certified “How Not To.” Dan + Shay are currently in the studio working on their upcoming project, due later this year.

Watch Now: Sugarland Still The Same Official Video

Sugarland Still The Same Official

With sweeping verses and an anthemic chorus, Sugarland certainly gave fans exactly what we were hoping for with their first release in over 5 years titled “Still The Same“. From Jennifer & Kristian: “We said new music by the end of the year and we meant it! We are thrilled to announce our new single, “Still The Same”, is available now. The title of the song is so meaningful to us. We always knew we were going to make music again, so this has been the best of both worlds. We were able to take time to feed our personal passions, and we’re excited to come back together and create music as a band again. We can’t wait for you to hear it!” Sugarland’s first LIVE show back together in five years will be next week when they be perform LIVE from Times Square on Dick’s Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31 at 8/7c on ABC.

Scotty McCreery Announces First Album in 5 Years

Scotty McCreery News On Country Music News Blog

SEASONS CHANGE FOR SCOTTY McCREERY –   NEW ALBUM DUE MARCH 16 Singer Returns with first LP in 5 Years; Debut Album on Sony Imprint, Triple Tigers Records Earlier this year, Scotty McCreery released his single, “Five More Minutes,” a song People called an “emotional walk down memory lane” that pleads for more time with the people and experiences that are important in his life. The ACM, BMI and CMT Award winner wrote the Top 20-and-climbing hit song that The Tennessean says “pulls heartstrings” just two weeks after the passing of his grandfather. Now, the North Carolina native expands on his reflections about life with his highly-anticipated third studio album, Seasons Change, due March 16 on Triple Tigers Records, a Sony Music imprint – his first album on the label. The project was produced by Frank Rogers (McCreery’s See You Tonight, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker), Derek Wells (guitarist for Kenny Chesney, Brett Eldridge, Little Big Town), and Aaron Eshuis (producer for Ryan Hurd, songwriter for A Thousand Horses, Joe Nichols, Cole Swindell). Autographed copies of Seasons Change bundled with exclusive merchandise options will be available for pre-order at ScottyMcCreery.com beginning Wednesday, December 20. The official online retail stores’ pre-order, including iTunes and Amazon, will begin on January 12, 2018. In the five years since he released his last album, the now-24-year-old, McCreery, grew up, built a life outside the spotlight, left college, performed around the world, lost one record deal and gained another, released a book, moved to Nashville, and more. In September, he proposed to his long-time girlfriend Gabi Dugal in the mountains of North Carolina. All of these experiences serve as the foundation of Seasons Change. “In the last five years, I have grown from a teenager to a man, moved out on my own, lost my grandfather, proposed to the love of my life, and learned more about myself than I could have imagined,” said McCreery. “This all shows up in the 11 songs on Seasons Change, and I cannot wait to share this music with my fans after such a long time between releases.” “For the first time, I wrote all the songs on my album,” McCreery continued. “It’s kind of my journal of the last few years: the ups and the downs. Whenever I think things are not going well, I’ve learned to just wait it out because the seasons change. If you want to know who I am and where I’m at right now, listen to this album. I feel like I’m having a conversation with everyone that listens. It’s that personal.” Seasons Change features songs spotlighting his love for his fiancée (including one song written a week before he proposed), his adventures with his lifelong friends, his reflections on life, and coming to terms with the man he has become. The album marks a first for McCreery, as it’s the first time he’s co-written all the songs on an album. Among his co-writers are Jessi Alexander (Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton), Monty Criswell Continue reading Scotty McCreery Announces First Album in 5 Years

Singer-Songwriter Ruby Joy Ketchum, 16, Signs Exclusively With BMI

Ruby Joy Ketchum on Country Music News Blog

Singer-songwriter Ruby Joy Ketchum,16, daughter of BMI award-winning songwriter and Grand Ole Opry member Hal Ketchum and celebrity stylist Gina Ketchum, has signed  with BMI for exclusive publishing. “Having grown up going to BMI number one parties and having the awards hang on our walls at home, I am excited to now myself be a member of the amazing family and community of songwriters here,” says the talented young songwriter. Two of Ruby Joy’s original songs are set to be in the soundtrack of a Disney feature film being released in early 2019 (working title, not yet released.) She will also be traveling to Ireland in 2018 to work with fellow writers on an upcoming BBC TV program. Ruby Joy received a standing ovation earlier this year for her performance of the Patsty Cline hit, “Have You Ever Been Lonely?” at the Grand Ole Opry. That was not, however, her first time on the Opry stage. “My mom and dad introduced me on the Opry Stage when I was 11 days old. I literally took my naps in my dad’s guitar case stage right.” She then went on to perform as his bass player on the same stage at age 9. “Since I grew up around music every day, I can play many instruments.” With her effortless 3 octave range of graceful lead vocals and harmonies, Ruby Joy is writing and recording with all genre writers and will continue traveling and writing in the coming year. Stay tuned for her release of original music, with the launch of her YouTube channel in early 2018. “There’s always an extra reason to celebrate when the daughter or son of a successful BMI songwriter follows in their footsteps and signs with us. Such is the case with Ruby, whose father Hal Ketchum, signed with BMI at the beginning of his career.  Ruby is a breath of fresh air, just as her dad was when he emerged on the scene. We are thrilled to welcome Ruby into the BMI family!” says Jody Williams, VP creative of BMI Nashville. “Ruby Joy is such a unique talent. From the moment I met her, I could feel that she oozed creativity. Her sound is unlike anyone else on the scene; she’s a true individual and the staff at BMI can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her.” adds Leslie Roberts, BMI’s Executive Director, Writer-Publisher Relations.

Listen Now: Americana Band Reveille – “Miracle”

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Raleigh, NC Americana band, New Reveille, who recently signed a label and management deal with Loud & Proud Records, have launched their PledgeMusic store today where fans can pre-order their debut album.  Exclusive items are also available including signed vinyl test pressings, hand-written lyrics, instruments, unique experiences such as Skype cello or violin lessons, an acoustic house concert, and more.  All pledgers will get an instant track download of an early recording of the song, “Miracle.”   Yesterday, the band premiered their first “Living Room Sessions” video for “Miracle” with Americana blog, Mother Church Pew who said, “These days, having a banjo in your band doesn’t make you Americana. All the elements have to be in place—stellar songwriting, outstanding musicianship, creative innovation, and a unique ability to connect with those who listen. Raleigh, North Carolina-based Americountry outfit New Reveille has it all, banjo included… With sweetly-rendered multi-part harmonies, yearning string arrangements, and lyrical depth, ‘Miracle’ gives us a glimpse of the raw talent and stripped down beauty New Reveille possesses.” Watch it HERE and on their PledgeMusic page now. Nashville based Producer / Engineer Ben Fowler, a Multi-Platinum, Grammy Award winning, ACM Engineer of the Year nominee, has signed on to produce their debut Loud & Proud Records release. Fowler most recently has made albums with Jerrod Niemann, Sarah Evans, Lucy Hale, Kip Moore, Rascal Flatts, and Ruby Amanfu to name a few. In the past, he’s worked with Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and George Harrison, among others. “I’m incredibly excited about working with New Reveille,” says Ben Fowler. “They have a depth to their sound vocally and instrumentally that is uniquely their own, and I look forward to getting in the studio with them.”  Singer Amy Kamm adds, “we are inspired by the opportunity to tell our stories through our songs, both in the studio recording our new album and on the road performing for fans. We’ve prepared for this moment, and 2018 is the time for New Reveille to take a major step forward.”   New Reveille, Amy Kamm (lead vocalist), Daniel Cook (banjo / guitar), George Hage (lead guitar), Kaitlin Grady (cello), and Autumn Brand (violin), self-released their debut album, Cannonball in 2013.  They sold out their very first show at Deep South The Bar and soon were playing to standing room only crowds with their powerfully crafted songs, incredible showmanship, and eclectic live shows.  They also won the prestigious American Advertising Gold Addy award for their “Babylon” video (155,000 views on YouTube) which Daniel Cook wrote and directed.   The band name, New Reveille, a tribute to Cook’s military grandfather who played reveille in the mornings, could also mean a “new awakening,” which is how the band members view their signing to Loud & Proud Records, and what it means for their future.   New Reveille Website Twitter Instagram Facebook