American Idol alumni Lauren Alaina is back in the spotlight with the release of an official lyric video for the heart wrenching song “Doin Fine” from her recent album “Road Less Traveled“. The track is a great reminder that no matter how strong someone looks on the outside, we’re all waging some kind of war in the inside. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HQT3TgprmM[/embedyt]
Birmingham, AL-based Americana/folk singer-songwriter Joel Madison Blount is set to release his new album, Our New Moon, on September 29, 2017. Merging the influence of Southern literary authors with a musical response to the rhythm and melody of life, Blount writes songs about the human experience, meant to offer hope and inspire the listener. The songs appearing on Our New Moon were written in response to the birth of Blount’s first child and represent a new beginning for his growing family, and a new phase of life for Blount and his artistic career. “A new moon marks the start of the first phase of Earth’s moon during the course of the lunar cycle,” says Blount, “and it also alludes to the mystery surrounding what we will encounter on our journey ahead, as neither are visible from our perspective.” Themes on the album wind their way through a time of sorrow and brokenness, but ultimately lead the listener to witness redemption and an outpouring of grace. “This is a record in favor of the quiet life,” Blount says about his forthcoming album, “best savored while winding down in the peace and calm of the evening.” Get a taste of Joel Madison Blount here: [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC8H955cPSo[/embedyt] Standout tracks on the album include “Beauty that Remains” (which calls upon the listener to reflect upon the beauty of life in spite of personal shortcomings and failures), “Arms Open Wide” (written as a letter to his son after learning he would become a father), and “Inner Monologue” (written as a response to fear and anxiety – with the refrain “just let it go” sung as a reminder for us to let go of the things we can’t control). Changing the way he usually approached the guitar, through the use of unfamiliar tunings, Blount challenged his songwriting sensibilities, breaking what had become rote in search of new perspectives. Limiting reliance on routine chord progressions allowed him to simplify song structures, discover new melodies, and focus on crafting more pointed lyrical content. He also invited others to collaborate with him in the studio, including producer Brian T. Murphy (The Lone Bellow, Sandra McCracken, Greg Holden, Drew & Ellie Holcomb), guitarist Josh Vigneulle, bassist Will Weir, and drummer Alex Hinson. Production in the studio was intentionally limited to a four-piece band in order to ensure the songs were presented in a simple, yet elegant manner. The album was mixed by Chris Steffen (Damien Rice, Beck, John Mayer, Joshua Radin) and mastered by Harris Newman. Our New Moon follows on the heels of his first full-length album, Taming the Wind, which released in early 2014, and two EPs (Joel Madison Blount in 2010 and I Believe in Love in 2011); Blount has pursued music professionally as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer since 2010. In a previous life, Blount worked as a CPA in public accounting before refocusing his endeavors solely toward artistic pursuits. In addition to his work as a solo artist, Blount runs a music production studio Continue reading Joel Madison Blount to Release “Our New Moon” September 29th
Lucas Hoge released DIRTY SOUTH on Friday, marking his debut on Rebel Engine Entertainment. Hoge celebrated the release of his new album over the weekend with a performance for fans at The Cutting Room in NYC. He kicked off the official Dirty South Tour recently at The National Corvette Museum and announced the first round of dates this morning. The Dirty South tour will be making stops at iconic locations across the Southern states including performances, pop up concerts and specials appearances. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsIbePwJrqs[/embedyt] Next month, Hoge will head to Florida where he will give fans an up close and personal experience with gators at Everglades Holiday Park, home of Animal Planet’s Gator Boys. Then he will head North to Memphis where Hoge will give fans an insiders view of Sam Phillips Recording studio and stop at the legendary Sun Records. While in town, Lucas will perform an intimate set for fans at famed Lafayette Music Room. Later in the month he will head to the top of Southern landmark Lookout Mountain, set against the breathtaking backdrop, fans will have a view of seven southern states from the peak. Hoge will also be performing a pop up concert in the iconic French Quarter in New Orleans, as well as taking fans on a walking tour of the one of a kind city. “Music has taken me all over the world from Afghanistan and Germany to Canada just to name a few,” said Hoge. “The Dirty South tour is all about these cool, historic and amazing places right here on US soil. There’s something really fulfilling about performing at these iconic southern destinations — it almost feels like we’re sharing a little piece of why this country is so great.” Comfortable on stages small or grand, he has opened for everyone from George Jones and Hank Williams Jr., to Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley and Rascal Flatts. Hoge is currently being featured as NRA’s Artist of the Month and was recently named one of the “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know” by Rolling Stone Country. With his title track for DIRTY SOUTH spinning on radio stations from Albany, New York to Orlando, Florida, Hoge has much to celebrate. He will announce a second round of Dirty South dates in the coming weeks. Hoge’s new album DIRTY SOUTH is available here. For a complete list of tour dates log onto: www.lucashoge.com
Shania Twain Reveals Video for “Life’s About to Get Good” [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we-VfNnbzzY[/embedyt] Shania Twain has released the Matthew Cullen (Katy Perry, Kygo, Weezer, Beck) directed video for her single ‘Life’s About to Get Good’. Watch it HERE. The track is taken from ‘Now’, Shania’s first album in fifteen years, out September 29, on Mercury, Nashville. When writing “Life’s About to Get Good,” Shania explains, “I was at home looking out at the ocean and I said to myself, ‘Here I am stuck in this past of negativity, but it’s so beautiful out. I’m not in the mood to write a ‘feeling-sorry-for-myself’ song.” The songwriter recognized that with all of the negative in life also comes the positive. “You can’t have the good without the bad. And that’s what the song ended up being about.” Shania is a five-time GRAMMY Award-winner and the reigning Queen of Country Pop. With more than 90 million albums sold worldwide and U.S. sales topping 34.5 million, Shania remains the top-selling female country artist of all time. Shania’s albums include her Platinum-selling 1993 debut, Shania Twain; the GRAMMY Award-winning, Double Diamond-selling 1995 release, The Woman in Me; Come On Over, the best-selling studio album in Soundscan history by a female artist in any genre and the best-selling country album of all time with over 40 million units sold worldwide; and UP!, Shania’s third consecutive Diamond-selling album release. ShaniaTwain.com | Facebook.com/ShaniaTwain | Twitter:@ShaniaTwain | Instagram: @ShaniaTwain
Second single, “For The First Time,” at Country radio now. On the heels of his eighth No. 1 Country single Darius Rucker has responded to fans’ appeals for new music with an announcement on the TODAY Show this morning, letting them know they won’t be waiting much longer for a new album from the 3-time GRAMMY winning star. When Was The Last Time, the long-awaited fifth studio country album on Capitol Records Nashville, will be released nationwide Friday, October 20. Fans can preorder the album beginning today at http://umgn.us/DariusPreOrder. The Platinum-selling star released the album’s second single, a song he wrote with Derek George and Travis Hill, “For The First Time” to Country radio just yesterday, Monday, July 24. “For The First Time” is the follow-up to his most recent No. 1 single, “If I Told You, marking eight country No. 1 singles for Rucker since his country music debut in 2008. Earlier this week, Rucker spoke with Billboard about teaming up with esteemed Nashville producer Ross Copperman (Dierks Bentley, Brett Eldredge, Keith Urban) to bring his vision for the album to life. “On top of being a genius with the equipment, Ross is so high-energy and funny; that kid is never not laughing.” He added, “Every time we were in the studio we had a great band who had great ideas of their own, so it was the farthest thing from tedious, but just, let’s get in and do it. I think for the whole record we spent just three days tracking music.” This fall’s release will be yet another signature moment in the multiplatinum career of one of music’s most beloved figures. Rucker has never been busier while working on his new album with a slate of television appearances this spring and summer including a CMT Crossroads episode with John Mellencamp, an appearance in Adam Sandler’s Netflix original, Sandy Wexler, and his own episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss on CBS. Rucker, an avid golfer and passionate fan of the game, will host a new monthly show in SiriusXM’s 23/7 golf channel, SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. On Par with Darius Rucker will debut tomorrow, July 26 at 3pm ET. The pre-order packages available include exclusive merchandise and the option to receive an autographed copy. For more information about new music, appearances and tour dates, please visit www.dariusrucker.com.
Ballerini To Appear On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tonight! KELSEA BALLERINI has just revealed the title and release date for her highly anticipated sophomore album, sharing the news with fans across the nation during an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. Ballerini’s new album is titled UNAPOLOGETICALLY and will be officially released on November 3. “I feel like I’ve been keeping a secret for two years that I finally get to tell,” Ballerini admits. “I’ve never been more proud as I am of this record, the story it tells, and the heart my friends and I put into it. So, November 3, we get to start the next chapter! Unapologetically…” Additional details about UNAPOLOGETICALLY, including its track listing and cover artwork, will be unveiled soon. Complementing her big announcement, Ballerini was on Good Morning America to perform her new single, “Legends,” a heart-melting tale of “crazy, tragic, epic” love which already has fans and critics swooning as it begins to climb the Country radio charts. In case you missed it, watch Ballerini’s “Legends” performance here: http://abcn.ws/2utUWKF Co-written by Ballerini, Hillary Lindsey and Forest Glen Whitehead (who also serves as producer alongside Jason Massey), the single – and stunning music video directed by Jeff Venable – is the first tease of UNAPOLOGETICALLY and Ballerini’s sophisticated new sound. Later tonight (7/25), the young singer-songwriter will give TV viewers another look at “Legends,” as she’s set to appear on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Next month, Ballerini will be at the center of another high-profile TV appearance as she and Thomas Rhett co-host CMA Fest: The Music Event of Summer. Airing August 16 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET, the two will be introducing show-stopping performances by Garth Brooks, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert and more, all taped during the 2017 CMA Music Festival at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium in June. UNAPOLOGETICALLY is the long-awaited second chapter of Ballerini’s remarkable artistic story, a still-unfolding saga that has seen the Knoxville, Tennessee, native break all-time records. After the Top 5 release of her 2015 debut, THE FIRST TIME on Black River Entertainment, Ballerini placed her first three singles at #1 – the PLATINUM-certified “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Peter Pan,” and the GOLD-certified “Dibs” – a feat never achieved by a female (including duos or groups) in Country music history. Her fourth single, “Yeah Boy,” also achieved GOLD status and rose to the lofty perch of #3 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Ballerini is currently bringing those record-breaking hits and “Legends” to fans all over the world, as she crisscrosses the country this summer on Lady Antebellum’s YOU LOOK GOOD WORLD TOUR and visits fans in the U.K., Ireland, and Europe in October. For more information visit KelseaBallerini.com, and reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Young Americans,” featuring Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and brother, Josh, is the newest song from Colt Ford which shipped to radio via Play MPE and All Access July 24. “Young Americans” appears on Ford’s new album, “Love Hope Faith,” released in May. Listen to the recent premiere of “Young Americans” on Rolling Stone Country here. Singing of adolescent dreams of trying to “live big in a small town,” Taste of Country calls “Young Americans” a “universal blast of nostalgia.” Talented songwriters Jared Sciullo, John Purdue, Renee Myers and Austin Webb co-wrote this wistful song. Commenting on the collaboration with the Kelleys, Ford recently told Billboard Magazine, “I’ve known those boys forever. They are Georgia guys. We’ve been good friends for a long time, and they are two of my favorite singers. Charles and I talked about doing something together for a long time. We just had to find the right song. When I heard it, I thought it had the right groove, and I thought about getting Josh in on it too.” Ford continues his “Love Hope Faith” summer tour criss-crossing the country entertaining fans. On a recent tour stop, one of Ford’s biggest fans was hoisted onstage in his wheelchair where he joined Ford for a duet of “Dirt Road Anthem” and subsequently stole the mic and the show. Check out the viral video here. In addition, Pandora has just announced Ford is amongst the top three artists (amongst all genres) that has been instrumental in helping their new artist marketing platform (AMP) hit 1 billion audio message impressions (as measured by consumption) since it launched just two years ago. The service has enabled Ford to talk directly to his fans on Pandora via artist audio messages about his new single, “Young Americans,” his new album Love Hope Faith and his nationwide tour dates.
Words, the highly anticipated new album from multi-platinum country star SARA EVANS, is out now! Released July 21, the project quickly hit #1 on the iTunes Country chart within hours of release and is already earning immense praise from fans and critics alike. “Many musicians like to say their work is deeply personal but Sara Evans may have taken that a step further in her new, impressive album…brimming with confidence and using her immensely appealing voice on a batch of very strong songs, ‘Words’ captures an artist in full musical flight…artistic freedom has never sounded so good.” ~ Associated Press “Full of songs that address head-on life’s rawest emotional experiences.” ~ USA Today / The Tennessean “She made every word count for her eighth studio release.” ~ CMT “Sara Evans is swinging for the fences on her new album, Words…offering fans a surprise or two with an album that is not only satisfying to discover for the first time, but will hold up well and reveal new facets over repeat listenings.” ~ Taste of Country “A huge statement from a singer who is ready to take things to a whole new level.” ~ Sounds Like Nashville “‘Words’ is the record of her career.” ~ Roughstock To celebrate the album’s release, Sara hits the Big Apple today for appearances with AOL, Paste, and Facebook where she will be #FBArtistoftheDay. On Tuesday, July 25 tune-in to see Sara perform on nationally-syndicated talk show “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” joined by her daughter Olivia Evans (14). Sara wraps the whirlwind week with shows in Ohio (July 28) and Michigan (July 29). Fans can also tune-in to Sirius XM and catch “Y2Kountry Presents A Sara Evans Album Premier!” on July 25th at 6 pm EST, July 27th at 12 pm EST and again July 28th at 8pm EST. Family is at the forefront of Words as daughter Olivia sings on “Marquee Sign” and Sara’s siblings Matt Evans, Lesley Evans Lyons and Ashley Evans Simpson provide harmonies on “Night Light.” In “Letting You Go,” Sara pours out her heart for son and oldest child Avery as he prepares to embark on his senior year of high school. The 14-song collection features fourteen separate female songwriters, including powerhouses Ashley Monroe, Caitlyn Smith, Hillary Lindsey, Hillary Scott, Liz Hengber, and Sonya Isaacs as well as Sara herself. DOWNLOAD WORDS iTunes: saraevans.co/words Amazon: saraevans.co/wordsa LISTEN TO WORDS Apple Music, Amazon Digital, Spotify
To say Chase Rice is ready to release new music is an understatement. Announced just weeks ago, the Tar Heel State native has inked a new label deal with Broken Bow Records, is putting the finishing touches on his forthcoming album, Lambs & Lions, and is now proud to announce its release date — September 29. Adding fuel to the fire he started with the release of his debut album, Ignite the Night, by bringing in producers Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, James Bay, Modest Mouse, Norah Jones), Ross Copperman (Dierks Bentley, Brett Eldredge, Keith Urban) and Mac McAnally (Jimmy Buffett, Sawyer Brown) to join Ignite the Night collaborator Chris DeStefano, Rice is expanding upon the reflective nuances found in his crowd-favorite “Carolina Can” with his sophomore 10-song collection. “Three Chords & The Truth,” available today, serves as the first taste of what’s to come from the music maverick. Written with Ross Copperman, Jon Nite and Rice, “Three Chords & The Truth” came out of one of Rice’s first co-writes after feeling the despair of a second failed single after feeling the success of two prior Top 5’s. “I’m not sure I’ll ever know the full reason why I had to struggle through two failed singles in a row after such an amazing start, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. God had my back the whole time, whether I knew it or not. Out of those failed singles I got ‘Three Chords & The Truth.’ I was fed up with trying; whether that was trying to be something I’m not, trying to make music that people said I should make or trying to make music I felt people wanted to hear. Instead I decided I’m going to make music that I needed to hear. When you go through tough times the truth always has a way of finding its way to you. This song was my truth. It’s the soul of my childhood, the songs that went along with it and the memories associated with those songs. It’s my heart waiting to be heard, and the songs that shaped it, especially in the third chorus,” divulges Rice. It’s Muscle Shoals to rock ‘n’ roll It’s a steel guitar that steals your soul It’s a country song that takes you home again “I’ve mentioned my soul previously. Now more than ever, I believe our soul, spirit and heart are what life’s all about. At times in my life I’ve lived with all three of them completely covered by darkness, then other times completely full of life. I do know that during those darker times there are a lot of things that can pull you out, but music is among the top on that list. A lyric or a melody can hit you the right way at the right time and completely turn your life around. So when I say ‘Steel guitar that steals your soul,’ I’m not throwing that lyric in lightly. No, I mean when a Continue reading Chase Rice To Release Lambs and Lions Sept 29th
Today, legendary artist Radney Foster announces his newest project–a CD/book combo titled For You To See The Stars to be released on September 15. The collection of short stories, released via Working Title Farm, will be Foster’s very first print publication. The record (Devil’s River Records) marks Foster’s eleventh studio album and will feature nine new songs, along with a special re-recording of his top single, “Raining on Sunday.” While it’s evident that Texas has always been an inspiration for his music, in For You To See The Stars, Foster explores various landscapes, both physical and emotional, from the story of a retired spy in New Orleans, to the tale of a Dallas lawyer wandering the Rocky Mountains in search of redemption, to a post apocalyptic parable of a world in endless war. The beauty of this CD/book combo lives within Foster’s extensive imagery, which not only further expands the meaning behind Foster’s songs, but gives the reader a look at the thought process behind his songwriting. “For me, the goal of writing is always to touch that one person so much that they wonder how I got a peek into their living room–how I understood exactly what they felt. More than just rhyming or having a pretty melody, I try to express a part of the human condition that can make someone want to laugh, cry, make love, or all of the above.” Foster has written eight number one hit singles, including his own “Nobody Wins,” and “Crazy Over You” with duo Foster & Lloyd. His discography contains countless cuts by artists ranging anywhere from country (Keith Urban, The Dixie Chicks, Luke Bryan, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) to contemporary (Marc Broussard, Hootie & The Blowfish, Kenny Loggins, Los Lonely Boys). For You To See The Stars is Foster at his classic storytelling best, both as a seasoned singer/songwriter and a soulful writer of prose. Although both components stand alone as separate pieces of art– they are meant to be enjoyed together for a reason. When coupled, the book and CD give fans a deeper insight into the subconscious of Foster’s storytelling. Journalist Peter Cooper puts it best, “Radney Foster writes with uncommon depth of emotion, humor, empathy, and clarity. I’m going to ask him how he does it, and if he tells me I’ll let you in on his secret. Until then, it’s best that we read, wonder, and revel.” Pre-order the album and book here. For more information on this release, please click here. For review copies, please reply to this email. Radney Foster Tour Dates: July 20, 22, 23 – Fort Garland, CO – Fir Summit Amphitheater July 28 – Beacon, NY – Towne Crier Cafe July 30 – Woodbridge, NJ – Music on Main Street Aug. 5 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Pavillion Sept. 1 – Phoenix, AZ – Musical Instrument Museum Sept. 7 – Big Rapids, MI – Ferris State University Sept. 8 & 9 – Remus, MI – Wheatland Music & Arts Festival Sept. 13- Continue reading Radney Foster Announces CD + Book “For You To See the Stars”
