Aaron Watson Interview

HaleighT Talks With Aaron Watson About His Brand New Album, Real Good Time. Last week HaleighT had the opportunity to talk with Aaron Watson on the details of his brand new album, Real Good Time. The talk happened before Watson took the stage at one of his album release parties in Fort Smith, AR at Neumeier’s Rib Room, where he gave a strong and entertaining performance. Real Good Time is available on iTunes! Watch the interview and check out the track listing below! [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbgrXtOkBfY] Real Good Time Track Listing: 1. Real Good Time 2. Summertime Girl 3. Lips 4. Turn Around 5. July In Cheyenne (Song For Lane’s Momma) 6. Cadillac Cowboy (with Justin McBride) 7. Fish 8. Leather and Lace (with Elizabeth Cook) 9. Raise Your Bottle 10. Texas Boys (with Pat Green & Josh Abbott) 11. Nowhere Fast 12. Deer Blind (with Kevin Fowler & John Anderson) 13. Hey Y’all – My Contribution to Ruining Country Music Country Song! Ha! 14. Barbed Wire Halo 15. Reckless 16. Off the Record (with Charla Corn) 17. I Don’t Want You To Go 18. Honky Tonk Kid (with Willie Nelson)

Taylor Swift’s State of Grace Available on iTunes

Taylor Swift Released Her Newest Single “State of Grace” off Her New Album Red. Taylor Swift released her newest single, “State of Grace,” from her upcoming album RED. Premiering just a week before the new release (on October 22), Swift fans get a taste of her new style. “State of Grace” is pretty catchy and has a fun beat. However, I’m starting to get a little worried that Taylor has traded in her country roots for a pop career. Now don’t get me wrong, I like when an artist tries out a new style, but I know some of us country music fans want a reminder of that “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar” style we love. Check out Taylor’s new song on iTunes and stay with us as we get ready for the release of Red! Red, Complete Track Listing 1. State Of Grace 2. Red 3. Treacherous 4. I Knew You Were Trouble 5. All Too Well 6. 22 7. I Almost Do 8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together 9. Stay Stay Stay 10. The Last Time 11. Holy Ground 12. Sad Beautiful Tragic 13. The Lucky One 14. Everything Has Changed (Duet with Ed Sheeran) 15. Starlight 16. Begin Again

Sneak Peek of Thompson Square’s New Single

Thompson Square Announces Sneak Peak of New Single “If I Didn’t Have You.” We’re excited to hear Thompson Square is working on a sophomore album (release date TBA), and now AMC Duo of the Year and CMA-nominated Keifer and Shawna Thompson are offering us an exclusive sneak peak of their first single, “If I Didn’t Have You.” You can’t download the song until October 30th, but until then you can check out Thompson Square’s website for the sneak-peak. “‘If I Didn’t Have You’ is a story about two people who rely on each other to get through the tough thing we call life. We all have someone who we can go to for encouragement and this is our story.” –Keifer Thompson In case that’s not enough Thompson Square news, the duo are also performing a StageIt show in Nashville on October 30th. You can still get your tickets to the online show to see Shawna and Keifer play acoustic versions of their songs (including fan favorite “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not”), introduce their new single, and chat with fans. The duo also announced that they are joining Luke Bryan for his upcoming tour, The Dirt Road Diaries. Stay tuned for more information on Thompson Square andLuke’s tour.

Billy Ray Cyrus Announces Album Pre-Release

Billy Ray pre-releases his 13th studio album, Change My Mind, for two weeks! For the next two weeks, country music fans get a sneak-peak preview of Billy Ray Cyrus’s new album, Change My Mind. The album is not officially released until October 23, but AOL Music is allowing us full song streams to get us ready for the release of Billy Ray’s 13th album. Cyrus is going back to his “Achy Breaky Heart” roots with the title track on his album. Make sure you check out the pre-release to hear “Change My Mind,” which premiered on Great American Country’s Top 20 Country Countdown, and to hear his nine other new songs. All songs on the album were written or co-written by Cyrus and produced by Grammy-nominated producer Brandon Friesen. Head on over to AOL to get your exclusive pre-release of Change My Mind or your can pre-order the entire album to be released on October 23rd!

Luke Bryan Partners with Cabela’s

Luke Bryan and Cabela’s Begin Multi-Year Partnership and Collaborations. Country music and the outdoors always seem to go together, and now Luke Bryan and Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for all our outdoor needs, are teaming up to bring us even more reasons to love both. They are co-branding a marketing campaign which includes products in Cabela’s stores and catalog, as well as behind-the-scenes outdoor adventures of Luke’s life off the stage. “My love for the outdoors is something that has been a part of me ever since I can remember. It seems there was never a time when we weren’t hunting, fishing, farming or playing outside since I was very young. Teaming with Cabela’s is such a natural fit for me.” –Luke Bryan Bryan’s not the only one excited about the partnership. Scott Williams, EVP and Chief/Marketing/E-Commerce Officer for Cabela’s, shares his opinions on their recent announcement: “Luke is the perfect partner for Cabela’s as he combines a lifelong love of the outdoors along with strong country roots.  This passion comes through in everything that Luke does- from his hunting and fishing, to his music. We’re really excited to welcome Luke to the Cabela’s family.” In January, Bryan launches his first headlining tour, “The Dirt Road Diaries Tour,” sponsored by Cabela’s. We’ll keep you updated with all the information on his tour, so keep checking back with us. In the meantime, crank up your Luke Bryan songs, head outside for a while in your Cabela’s gear, and make sure you buy your tickets before they sell out!

The Cowboy Rides Away to Sold-Out Shows!

Six Cities in George Strait’s Final Tour Sold-Out within Minutes! Tickets for George Strait’s final tour, The Cowboy Rides Away, went on sale Friday, and six of his shows have already sold out! Country music fans snatched up tickets to his first show in Lubbock, Texas (on Jan. 18th), in less than 15 minutes. Lubbock may have sold out first, but five of his other shows (in Oklahoma City, Okla., St. Paul, Minn., Albuquerque, N.M., Las Vegas, Nev., and Las Cruces, N.M) were just minutes behind! “I never expected the fans would react like this. It’s just incredible. I really do have the best fans in the world, and I’m looking forward to seeing you all on the road very soon.” –George Strait Martina McBride joins Strait throughout the tour, and he’s announced that Randy Rogers and Miranda Lambert will take the stage during at least one of his shows. It’s no wonder those tickets are selling out so quickly! Make sure you grab yours today before all the shows sell out! You can find complete ticket info, available dates and make your purchases by visiting CountryMusicOnTour! You will also find complete details below!

Faith Hill American Heart Lyric Video

Here Is The Lyric Video For Faith Hill’s Latest Single, “American Heart.” Faith Hill has released the lyric video for her new single “American Heart.” I’m not sure how I feel about this one, as the lyrics seem to be off. The song says “you can’t break an American heart,” but we hear about broken hearts every five minutes… I hope that Hill can come up with some songs that will make her comeback easier. Maybe some that will reach the levels that “There You’ll Be,” “It Matters To Me,” or “Breathe” did! Watch the video below and tell us what you think.

Clay Walker Jesse James-Video

The Official Music Video For Clay Walker’s “Jesse James.” Here is the official music video for Clay Walker‘s current single, “Jesse James.” The song comes from his 2010 album, She Won’t Be Lonely Long. The video is fun, set in a previous time where outlaws and sheriffs were on top! Also on that album are the title track and “Like We Never Loved At All.” Watch the video now and tell us what you think!

Country Music Artist Showcase: Greg Bates Interview

This Week Greg Bates Steps Into Our Country Music Artist Showcase with an Exclusive Interview with MissMolly! The Country Music News Blog team first met up with Greg Bates at BamaJam 2012! He was was on the verge of releasing his self-titled EP (which dropped in July), and his current single, “Did For The Girl” was in the Top 40 on the charts. Now, just a couple months later, Greg’s awesome single has moved up to the Top 15, and was just featured on the pilot episode of ABC’s brand new drama Nashville! Despite putting the finishing touches on his upcoming album (to release next year!), and jumping on tour with Brantley Gilbert, Greg took the time to chat with me about all these new developments! Check it out below! Right now, you’ve been on tour with Brantley Gilbert…what has that experience been like? Its been a lot of fun. They’re great guys and a lot of fun to be on tour with. They’ve been really good and helped us out in any way they could. It’s been a lesson in how to run a tour and how to treat everyone good and make sure everyone is having fun. I essentially have five roommates in a very small amount of space. It can get a little stressful…so, its good when you have good people to be around. Thoughts on Brantley Gilbert’s Fanbase… At the end of the day they are country music fans, and they are very passionate about the music they buy and buying tickets to certain shows. Brantley is one of those guys that can get the crowd worked up in a frenzy! Have you had any stand out moments so far? The first night at Purdue University was one. We’ve been talking ab this tour for two or three months, and that moment when we walked out on stage and it was actually happening was amazing. I won’t forget that. You’re Nashville born and raised…how do you think that has helped shape you as an artist? I was lucky enough to grow up around songwriters and see behind the curtain earlier than most people. I do think I had an advantage with that, but as far as becoming an artist, I don’t think there’s a single advantage you can have. Its a lot of luck and a lot of hard work. You’re self-titled EP dropped this summer…do you have plans for a full length studio album? The album is done, and should be coming out first of next year. We’ve got everything lined up and we’re doing photo shoots. This is three years in the making. Its gonna be a blast to get all of the music out, and I’m really excited. What would you say is your favorite part about the recording process? I love the whole recording process, but for me its when we’re tracking the songs and have the whole band in the studio. When I’m singing the songs, I get in my head, Continue reading Country Music Artist Showcase: Greg Bates Interview

ABCs Nashville Episode Eval: The Pilot

MissMolly’s Episode Eval for the Pilot of ABC’s Nashville (Spoilers below!). Wednesday night, ABC premiered the pilot episode of its highly anticipated new drama, Nashville, and I’m gonna say it straight up, they didn’t disappoint!! Lots of times, trailers and teasers for shows and movies are kinda misleading and the viewing experience is a bit of a let down, but my Nashville viewing experience was quite the opposite. The show producers brought everything they promised and more from the drama to the characters to the music to that authentic country music feel! So, let me tell you what I loved the most! The Characters. I am thoroughly impressed by how written Nashville is, and how well developed the characters already are! I honestly thought all of the characters were complex and interesting! Rayna (Connie Britton) is a super strong woman that clearly knows what’s up, and the moment where she essentially tells the new head of her record label that he can stick his suggestions where the sun don’t shine…well, that was an empowering moment! Then there’s Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) who at first I was super annoyed with since it appeared that her one method of communication involved either sex (when dealing with men) or cattiness (when dealing with women). I was disappointed because that is such a cliche! Yet, by the end of the show, we got to peak behind the curtain a little and see that there’s more to her story, and I think it will be super interesting to see that story line develop (not that it excuses her behavior, but still…)! All the supporting actors are amazing as well from Teddy (Eric Close) to Rayna’s father, Lamar (Powers Boothe) and sister, Tandy (Judith Hoag) to Deacon (Charles Esten). I think the stand out so far though is Scarlett O’Conner (Clare Bowen) and her impromptu performance at the Bluebird Cafe. Her voice is phenomenal, and that was such an emotional scene!! I can’t wait to see what comes of her and her storyline. Nashville Looks Amazing On TV! As someone who has spent a fair amount of time in Nashville, TN, I was very pleased with how well its landmarks and features were showcased throughout the show. From The Bluebird Cafe to the Ryman to the Grand Ole Opry, its abundantly clear that they shot the show IN Nashville and not on some sound stage in California. This lends an authenticity to the show that I think country music fans will appreciate, and will go a long way to making this show a success! Added bonus: there were a lot of amazing skyline and and overhead shots of downtown Nashville cut in throughout, and the city of Nashville is simply gorgeous! The Music! Appropriately, the music on the show is really amazing. Firstly, I love that the actors are actually singin’ their own songs, and again, this lends authenticity to the show as a whole. Secondly, real life country music was featured on the soundtrack including Continue reading ABCs Nashville Episode Eval: The Pilot