• LUKE BRYAN AND DIERKS BENTLEY REVEAL SOME COOL DETAILS ABOUT THIS YEAR’S ACM AWARDS.

    Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley spoke to the press on Friday (March 31st) to talk about hosting the ACM Awards for a second time together (Luke’s fifth time hosting the awards). The two also revealed they’ll perform together to honor an icon.

    “Dierks and I are going to team up with a rock icon to honor a rock icon, and that’s all I’m gonna say about that,” says a tight-lipped Luke.

    The two also talk about being in a new building – the T-Mobile Arena – for the first time. “This is fun being in the new building. I’m excited about being here in the T-Mobile Arena. This place looks really nice I think it kind of does justice for the ACMs and the vibe of this show,” says Dierks. “There’s gonna be great artists and so much new talent and so much, really a lot of excitement, so being in a new building feels like a great match for the 52nd Annual ACM Awards.

    Catch Luke and Dierks when they host the 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Sunday (April 2nd) at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Audio / Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley talk about hosting the ACM Awards again, and reveal that they’re teaming up to honor an icon on the show.

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    Luke & Dierks (ACM Awards 2017) OC: …about that. 1:08
    LUKE: “Year No. 2, they had us back. We’ve got a lot of amazing stuff in store. It’s gonna be a great show. We’ve got artists you’ve seen on the stage before. We’ve got new artists all over the bill, when you look at Jon Pardi, and I think Sam Hunt’s up at the top of the show. Dierks is doing a little…” DIERKS: “Yeah, we’ve got some collaborations. Me and Cole, Cole and I are doing something. It’s great to be back. This is fun being in the new building. I’m excited about being here in the T-Mobile Arena. This place looks really nice I think it kind of does justice for the ACMs and the vibe of this show. There’s gonna be great artists and so much new talent and so much, really a lot of excitement, so being in a new building feels like a great match for the 52nd Annual ACM Awards. We’ve been having a good time, man. We’ve been running around town working on the opening of the show and looking forward to y’all seeing some of the stuff we’ve come up with.” LUKE: “Dierks and I are going to team up with a rock icon to honor a rock icon, and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.”

    Video / Go behind-the-scenes with Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley

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  • ERIC CHURCH’S SON HELPS OUT ON TOUR.

    Eric Church is absolutely slaying his sold-out audiences on his Holdin’ My Own Tour, and he starts the musical assault with the song, “Mistress Named Music,” in which he brings out a local high school choir to finish the song. He realized since he’s already performing, he needed some help bringing the choir on stage, so he gave his five-year-old son, Boone, a job.

    “Choir Wrangler is what he does…And Boone’s got a radio, he’s got his flashlight, he’s got a little work belt and his pass, he goes in there, and he’ll make sure that when the choir’s ready to go, it’s his job and Jill’s job to move these teenagers – he calls them teenagers – with flashlights over to where the show is,” says Eric. “Now what Boone proceeds to do is call me the entire time to see how close we are. My road manager, my tour manager, said, ‘I’ve been trying to get you on stage on time for a decade, and your son has a better chance of that.’ Because Boone, you tell a five-year-old we’re getting close, and you put it back down and 20 seconds later, ‘You comin’?’ ‘We’re getting close.’ But you know, it’s this constant, he’s wearing me out. [laughs] So, we do get to the stage quicker than we used to, but his job is to get them up underneath the stage and then up the steps on the stage; he waits at the bottom, they come back off, and he escorts them to where they need to go. He’s helping out, and he’s having a big time with it.”

    A few weeks into his gig on the tour, Boone did negotiate a new deal with his father. “About three weeks into the tour, [Boone] goes, ‘Dad, I really don’t like my job.’ And I said, ‘Well, son, a lot of people don’t like their job.’ I said, ‘The important thing is you’ve got to do your job.’  I said, ‘What don’t you like basically?’ He said, ‘Eh, it’s boring, and I don’t get paid.’ And I said, ‘Okay, did you have catering? Yeah. Do you have a nice bus to ride on? Yeah.’ I said, ‘Well, you got paid.’ He said, ‘Well, yeah, but the band gets paid.’ So, I humor him. I said, ‘Okay, Boone. I’m gonna humor you. How much would you want to get paid.’ He goes, ‘$4,000.’ I said, ‘A show?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘How ‘bout a dollar?’ like that. He let me negotiate, and we agree on $10 a show, and I shake his hand, and I’m thinking, ‘Good God, I just got hustled.’ So, I shake his hand, and as he’s walking away, he goes, ‘That’s $30 for the weekend, right?’”

    Eric takes his Holdin’ My Own Tour north of the border on Tuesday (February 28th) in London, Ontario, Canada, followed by dates in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Winnipeg and more before returning to the States March 16th in Portland, Oregon.

    Eric has released his new single, “Round Here Buzz,” which is scheduled to go for adds at radio April 10th.

    Audio / Eric Church’s five-year-old son, Boone, has an actual job on his Holdin’ My Own Tour.

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    Eric Church (Boone’s job on tour) OC: …big time with it. 1:04
    “Choir Wrangler is what he does, but every day his job is, the choir rehearses in a room, a separate room. So, he’ll go in and be around Jill, who’s another person on the tour who works with us, it’s Boone and Jill, they’re the choir wranglers.  And Boone’s got a radio, he’s got his flashlight, he’s got a little work belt and his pass, he goes in there, and he’ll make sure that when the choir’s ready to go, it’s his job and Jill’s job to move these teenagers – he calls them teenagers – with flashlights over to where the show is. Now what Boone proceeds to do is call me the entire time to see how close we are. My road manager, my tour manager, said, ‘I’ve been trying to get you on stage on time for a decade, and your son has a better chance of that.’ Because Boone, you tell a five-year-old we’re getting close, and you put it back down and 20 seconds later, ‘You comin’?’ ‘We’re getting close.’ But you know, it’s this constant, he’s wearing me out. [laughs] So, we do get to the stage quicker than we used to, but his job is to get them up underneath the stage and then up the steps on the stage; he waits at the bottom, they come back off, and he escorts them to where they need to go. He’s helping out, and he’s having a big time with it.”

     

    Audio / Eric Church’s five-year-old son, Boone, got his dad to actually pay him for his job on the Holdin’ My Own Tour.

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    Eric Church (Boone’s job on tour) 2 OC: …hustled me. :50
    “About three weeks into the tour, [Boone] goes, ‘Dad, I really don’t like my job.’ And I said, ‘Well, son, a lot of people don’t like their job.’ I said, ‘The important thing is you’ve got to do your job.’  I said, ‘What don’t you like basically?’ He said, ‘Eh, it’s boring, and I don’t get paid.’ And I said, ‘Okay, did you have catering? Yeah. Do you have a nice bus to ride on? Yeah.’ I said, ‘Well, you got paid.’ He said, ‘Well, yeah, but the band gets paid.’ So, I humor him. I said, ‘Okay, Boone. I’m gonna humor you. How much would you want to get paid.’ He goes, ‘$4,000.’ I said, ‘A show?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘How ‘bout a dollar?’ like that. He let me negotiate, and we agree on $10 a show, and I shake his hand, and I’m thinking, ‘Good God, I just got hustled.’ So, I shake his hand, and as he’s walking away, he goes, ‘That’s $30 for the weekend, right?’ [laughs] I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ you know? But it was just a fun little moment that he hustled me.”

     

  • LADY ANTEBELLUM REVEAL THE DETAILS OFTHEIR UPCOMING ALBUM, HEART BREAK.

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    With a new sense of history and possibilities, Lady Antebellum reveals the cover art and track listing behind their sixth studio album HEART BREAK (Capitol Records Nashville), out June 9th. Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott had a new mission — setting aside time to put themselves in new surroundings, and concentrate on writing and exploring musical endeavors with no distractions. They rented a house in Florida, living and working under the same roof, and when the creative process proved successful, the trio set up a second retreat in southern California. Fans can now pre-order the ACM-nominated trio’s upcoming release at www.ladyantebellum.com.
     
    “When we started working on this record, the goal was to give ourselves some space from the day to day,” said Scott. “Surrounding ourselves in a new environment with sunny beaches and warm weather really helped free our minds to focus solely on our art. We took some of our favorite writers and other writers we hadn’t worked with before to a new inspiring backdrop, where we were able to just write and soak up the journey. And it was on our first trip in Florida when we wrote ‘Heart Break’ that we felt it all click.” 
     
    Alongside producer busbee, their desire to shake things was made evident by their current Top 20 single “You Look Good,” complete with a funky horn arrangement. Elsewhere, HEART BREAK ranges from the sweet melancholy of “Somebody Else’s Heart” to the dramatic, surging ballad “Hurt,” which is a powerful vehicle for Scott’s voice as she soars over a spare rhythm section and classic string arrangement. With the clever extended metaphor of its lyrics and percolating groove, “Army” has a feel that’s a throwback to ‘70s pop, while the bright, breezy lift-off of “Think About You,” with an R&B-style guitar bouncing off of a banjo lick, is entirely of the moment. 
     
    “Being together every day, living in a house together, that was the special ingredient this time,” continued Haywood, “And then in the studio, busbee added a whole new layer. He’s such an integral part of this new chapter for us.”
     
    The trio had a hand in writing eleven songs on HEART BREAK, resulting in their most intimate and heartfelt work to date. As Lady A gears up to get back on the road, the group is excited to add this new range of sounds and colors into a set already packed with a familiar arsenal of hits. 
     
    “This record is really our story,” adds Kelley. “They have a universal feel to them, but there’s a lot of our personal stories here.” 
    HEART BREAK TRACK LIST:
     
    1. Heart Break 
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Jesse Frasure, Nicolle Galyon)
     
    2. You Look Good
    (busbee, Ryan Hurd, Hillary Lindsey)
     
    3. Somebody Else’s Heart 
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, busbee, Shane McAnally)
     
    4. This City 
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Sara Haze, Will Weatherly)
     
    5. Hurt 
    (Jon Green, Melissa Peirce, Ben West)
     
    6. Army 
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, busbee, Nicolle Galyon)
     
    7. Think About You 
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Sara Haze, Will Weatherly)
     
    8. Good Time To Be Alive 
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, busbee, Will Weatherly, Emily Weisband)
     
    9. Big Love in a Small Town
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds)
     
    10. Stars
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, busbee)
     
    11. Teenage Heart
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Jon Green)
     
    12. Home
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, busbee)
     
    13. Famous 
    (Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, Eric Paslay)
     
    The group’s desire to shake things up was made evident by the album’s first single, the swaggering “You Look Good,” which will receive a special treatment Sunday night when Lady A performs the funky track at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards (4/2 on CBS at 7:00P CT). After taking time to pursue solo projects last year, Lady Antebellum’s “renewed energy” (People) follows more than 18 million units, nine No. One hits, ACM and CMA “Vocal Group of the Year” trophies three years in a row, and countless other honors including Billboard Music Awards, People’s Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards
     
    Lady A will hit more than 65 shows in six countries including South Africa for the first time, on their YOU LOOK GOOD WORLD TOUR presented by NABISCO, launching May 26 with special guests Kelsea Ballerini and Brett Young. For more information about new music and upcoming tour dates, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.
  • DARIUS RUCKER ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF HISOWN BACKSTAGE SOUTHERN WHISKEY.

    Darius Rucker is no stranger to whiskey. The beverage, as smooth as the Southern troubadour’s voice, has found its way into several of his hits including “Whiskey and You,” the whiskey-shootin’ music video for “Homegrown Honey,” and the oft-quoted lyric from his No. 1 single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” — “Between the work and the hurt and the whiskey…”

    Thus, it comes as no surprise that Rucker would eventually create his own signature brand of the popular spirit. Rucker’s affinity for quality whiskey led him to partner with 843 to develop Backstage Southern Whiskey, a smooth, 84.3-proof craft blend. On March 29, RNDC Distributing will introduce Backstage Southern Whiskey in Rucker’s home state of South Carolina, with distribution in Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee to follow. Like the three-time GRAMMY-winning singer and former frontman for Hootie & the Blowfish, this whiskey has a story all its own.

    Rucker has publicly toasted with his beloved Elite Eight South Carolina Gamecock teams, college graduates and record label teams in celebration of his platinum records, but what many fans may not know is that prior to every show, Rucker collects his tour mates, band and any special guests backstage to raise a glass of whiskey as “good luck” to ensure a great show. Rucker thanks the other acts on the bill, he acknowledges any celebrities or friends that are in attendance, and then tells his band to “go have fun.” Over the years, the toast has become a significant tradition for Rucker and his crew.

    “That toast is a vital part of our nightly routine,” Rucker says. “It’s really about celebrating the opportunity to make music together. And Backstage Southern Whiskey is now a part of that important ritual that we can share with fans.”

    And where there is one toast, there is bound to be another. While Backstage Southern Whiskey enters the marketplace in South Carolina, Rucker’s bourbon brand, Forbidden, is being crafted at Castle & Key Distillery (formerly Old Taylor Distillery) in Frankfort, Ky. by award-winning Master Distiller Marianne Barnes, an impeccable force in the bourbon industry with undeniable taste and a distinguished palate.

    “I am truly excited about the brands that we are building,” Rucker says. “The product and brand development process has been a lot of fun and I look forward to sharing these great spirits with everyone.”

  • KEITH URBAN WILL RELEASE A NEW “DANCERS VERSION” OF HIS MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘THE FIGHTER.’

    Seven-time ACM nominee Keith Urban is set to release a brand new music video, a “dancers version,” of his current single “The Fighter,” featuring Carrie Underwood. The video release, to take place on Sunday, April 2nd at 9:00AM ET, at https://www.facebook.com/keithurban/videos/10154816044486077/, comes on the same day as the 52nd Academy of County Music Awards™.

    Directed by John Urbano, the new “dancers version” features performances from Lyle Beniga and Lindsay Richardson, who also appear shortly in the official music video smarturl.it/fightervideo.  The two choreographed the dancing and do have a long list of credits including Justin Timberlake, Brittany Spears, Usher, Jennifer Lopez, etc.

    “John said, ‘I know this girl who dances, sort of street dancing,” said Urban.  “I don’t even know what it is,’ but it was so good and John said ‘listen to the song and watch her dance at the same time’ and they just went together so incredibly well that we decided to put out a full “dancer’s version.”

    The official video for “The Fighter,” as well as the “making of” was released late last month.  It marked the fourth music video release from Urban’s historic album RIPCORD, which debuted simultaneously at #1 in three countries.  Urban stands as the only male solo Country artist to accomplish that feat, which he’s done twice.

    Video / Keith Urban reveals the premiere of a new version of The Fighter video.

    Video / The Fighter video

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  • A FIRST LOOK AT MCA’S NEW ARTIST, JORDAN DAVIS.

    Be on the lookout for MCA Nashville’s newest artist, Jordan Davis! Check out the first look below.

    Video / Jordan Davis EPK

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  • ERIC CHURCH RELEASES NEW SINGLE, ‘ROUND HERE BUZZ.’

    Eric Church has released his new single, “Round Here Buzz,” which he co-wrote with Luke Dick and Jeff Hyde. The song, from his Mr. Misunderstood album, has a nostalgic, heartbreaking feel, according to the North Carolina native.

    “‘Round Here Buzz,’ I mean, I’ve done a few of these songs in my career; this nostalgic kind of song about the guy that kind of wishes things were different than they are,” says Eric. “I know a lot of people like that and like this from where I’m from. I’m from a small town, and I’ve just seen this. I think part of the reason, I feel like we’re pretty good at this kind of song, and I think part of it is because I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it. It’s a motive to me.

    The song goes for adds at radio on April 10th.

    Eric is currently out on his Holdin’ My Own Tour, which is set to run through May.

    Audio / Eric Church talks about his new single, “Round Here Buzz,” from his current album, Mr. Misunderstood.

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    Eric Church (Round Here Buzz) OC: …emotive qualities. :48
    “‘Round Here Buzz,’ I mean, I’ve done a few of these songs in my career; this nostalgic kind of song about the guy that kind of wishes things were different than they are. I know a lot of people like that and like this from where I’m from. I’m from a small town, and I’ve just seen this. I think part of the reason, I feel like we’re pretty good at this kind of song, and I think part of it is because I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it. It’s a motive to me. So, I think with this song, there’s just something about it that’s always spoke to me. It was one I was a pretty big champion for on the album and one that I think will be a hit for us, and the right kind of hit, not just one that’s a hit. One that has emotive qualities.”

    Audio / LINER Eric Church (Round Here Buzz)

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  • DEANA CARTER RELEASES A VINYL EDITION OF ‘DID I SHAVE MY LEGS FOR THIS?’ TO CELEBRATE 20 YEARS SINCE ITS RELEASE.

    Deana Carter celebrates the 20th anniversary of the release of her hugely successful multi-platinum debut album, Did I Shave My Legs For This? with the special release of the record on vinyl on Friday (March 31st), she couldn’t be more excited.

    “I am so excited to be celebrating 20 years of Did I Shave My Legs for This? on vinyl,” says Deana. “There was a long journey to the release of Did I Shave My Legs for This? I had a development deal in my mid-20s. I was signed originally as an alternative artist on Patriot, which was a branch of Capitol Records…I’m just very, very blessed to still be doing this and to have a re-release of what changed my life 20 years ago.”

    Available for the first time on vinyl, fans will also have the opportunity to purchase a limited-edition bundle which will  include an autographed copy of the record  in  addition to a vintage t-shirt  and autographed guitar. All fan packages and purchase information available http://umgn.us/DCUMGNPR.

    The 1996  release has sold more than five million copies worldwide and features 11 songs, including “Strawberry Wine,” “We Danced Anyway,”  “Count Me In” and “How Do I Get There.”

    Did I Shave My Legs for This? Track List:

    Side One
    1. “I’ve Loved Enough to Know”
    2. “We Danced Anyway”
    3. “Count Me In”
    4. “If This Is Love”
    5. “Love Ain’t Worth Making”
    6. “Before We Ever Heard Goodbye”

    Side Two
    1. “How Do I Get There”
    2. “Strawberry Wine”
    3. “That’s How You Know It’s Love”
    4. “Did I Shave My Legs for This?”
    5. “To the Other Side”

    Audio / Deana Carter talks about the release of her debut album Did I Shave My Legs for This? on vinyl.

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    Deana Carter (Shave) 1 OC: …20 years ago. 1:38
    “Hi I’m Deana Carter, and I am so excited to be celebrating 20 years of Did I Shave My Legs for This? on vinyl. Can you believe it? I sure can’t. There was a long journey to the release of Did I Shave My Legs for This? I had a development deal in my mid-20s. I was signed originally as an alternative artist on Patriot, which was a branch of Capitol Records. And we did a European version of the record which was totally different than the version that’s known in the U.S. I got to fly to Abby Road over in London, and we mastered that record at Abby Road, and I toured over there all over in Europe. It was so much fun. And then we did a rerecord for the U.S. release, new production and things. I did co-produce the record, which has a large, large component of why it sounds and the songs and the direction and all that stuff. I was very involved in every note of the album and also just, man, 20 years! Who would’ve thought that all of that blood and sweat from a whole ton of people, record label people — publishers, managers, PR people, video, photographers, touring, lawyers, accountants – it took a village for sure. So, I’m just very, very blessed to still be doing this and to have a re-release of what changed my life 20 years ago.”

  • LUKE BRYAN ‘ANGLES’ FOR TIME WITH HIS KIDS.

    Earlier this week, Luke Bryan had a day off and he spent it fishing with his kids and some friends. He relishes the time he devotes to spending with his boys while angling for the big catch, like he did with his own father while growing up.

    “When I look back on my experiences as a kid with my dad, at the top of those lists are always moments that I spent in the outdoors with him. When you’re in a fishing boat with your child for four or five hours, you just can’t replicate that time in any other, I mean, it’s just perfectly well-spent time, in my opinion,” says Luke. “You know, I worry do I sometimes take ‘em fishing too much and then they’re gonna burn out on fishing, but I fished every day and I hunted a lot, and that just gives you that type of spirit. It gives you an outdoor kind of spirit, and that will carry you through really the rest of your life, and that’s all I really want to do with them.”

    Luke, who is also nominated for ACM Entertainer of the Year, is poised to top the country charts with his latest single, “Fast.”

    Catch Luke and his pal Dierks Bentley when they host the 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Sunday (April 2nd) at 8pm ET/delayed PT on CBS.

    Audio / Whenever Luke Bryan has some time off, he goes fishing, and he’s enjoying taking his boys along for the experience.

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    Luke Bryan (taking boys fishing) OC: …neat experience. 1:08
    “When I look back on my experiences as a kid with my dad, at the top of those lists are always moments that I spent in the outdoors with him. When you’re in a fishing boat with your child for four or five hours, you just can’t replicate that time in any other, I mean, it’s just perfectly well-spent time, in my opinion. You know, I worry do I sometimes take ‘em fishing too much and then they’re gonna burn out on fishing, but I fished every day and I hunted a lot, and that just gives you that type of spirit. It gives you an outdoor kind of spirit, and that will carry you through really the rest of your life, and that’s all I really want to do with them. When I’m an old man and they can look back and go, ‘Thank you, Dad, for putting this time in,’ and always wanting me to come along, and that’s kind of how my dad did it with me. You get to a point in your life where the gift of taking somebody fishing is a very, very neat experience.”

  • JOSH TURNER REVEALS HIS PHOBIA IN THE LATEST EPISODE OF HIS UNSCRIPTED SERIES.

    Josh Turner tries to guess the phobias, and he reveals his own during the latest episode of his Unscripted series. Check it out below.

    Josh is making his way up the country charts with his single, “Hometown Girl.”

    Video / Josh Turner Unscripted