• SAM HUNT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING BACK TO HIS ROOTS.

    Sam Hunt lives on the “Outskirts” of town, and he also grew up on a farm in Georgia complete with horses, cows and all sorts of other animals. Now that he’s a father, he really sees the importance of reconnecting with your roots and where you came from, which he feels also affects his music.

    “My life has, it’s changed quite a bit in terms of my everyday experience, and I appreciate having access to the rural southern farm life experience on a day-to-day basis and how healthy that is, how good it is for your heart and soul,” says Sam. “And maybe that’s because I grew up in it, and it’s home and that’s what reminds me of home, but my brother’s still down there, and I see his kids growing up out there, running around on the farm and around those cows and horses and animals and neighbors too, and just they get together with other family members all the time. I miss that, and I’m definitely making a point as I get older to get back to, you know, that lifestyle. Even if I’m not raising cattle like my brother, I still want to be around it and around those people because those are those are the people who listen to country music. And when you move off to the big city to make it in country music, you become so removed from them that you can become a little detached from who you are and where you came from and the folks who are listening to your music, and if you do that, then your music’s just not going to connect anymore. So, it’s become more and more important to me to make sure that I’m getting back to my roots, as cliché as it sounds.”

    Sam, who is making his way up the country charts with his latest single “Outskirts,” will kick off his Outskirts Tour 2024 on February 22nd in Grand Rapids, Michigan with opening acts Brett Young and Lily Rose.

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about reconnecting to his rural roots.

    Download

    Sam Hunt (reconnecting to his roots) OC: …as it sounds. 1:04
    “My life has, it’s it’s changed quite a bit in terms of my everyday experience, and I appreciate having access to the rural southern farm life experience on a day-to-day basis and how healthy that is, how good it is for your heart and soul. And maybe that’s because I grew up in it, and it’s home and that’s what reminds me of home, but my brother’s still down there, and I see his kids growing up out there, running around on the farm and around those cows and horses and animals and neighbors too, and just they get together with other family members all the time. I miss that, and I’m definitely making a point as I get older to get back to, you know, that lifestyle. Even if I’m not raising cattle like my brother, I still want to be around it and around those people because those are those are the people who listen to country music. And when you move off to the big city to make it in country music, you become so removed from them that you can become a little detached from who you are and where you came from and the folks who are listening to your music, and if you do that, then your music’s just not going to connect anymore. So, it’s become more and more important to me to make sure that I’m getting back to my roots, as cliché as it sounds.”

     

    Video /

    View
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Chris Stapleton, Priscilla Block, Brothers Osborne, Dierks Bentley, Kacey Musgraves, The War And Treaty

    Chris Stapleton is among the headliners for this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest. Additional headliners include the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Neil Young and Crazy Horse and Vampire Weekend. The event, which takes place April 25th through May 5th, will also feature performances by Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah, Earth, Wind & Fire, Widespread Panic, the Beach Boys, Heart, Jon Batiste and Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, who will perform in celebration of the late singer-songwriter. Tickets are on sale now at nojazzfest.com.

     

    Priscilla Block is among the performers at the 2024 Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 25th through 28th. The three-day festival will also include performances from Jelly Roll, Hueston, Red Hot Chili Peppers, HARDY, Cypres Hill, Warren Zeiders, the Offspring and more. Tickets are now on sale here.

    Brothers Osborne are featured on the cover of the new issue of the Nashville Scene and inside in the featured article titled “Country Music Almanac 2024: This is Livin’.” Check it out here. The two talk about how they’ve been reinvigorated with their new self-titled debut album and much more.

    https://twitter.com/brothersosborne/status/1748014637356843443

    Talk about “this is livin’,” Dierks Bentley certainly knows how to do that with family and friends. During Nashville’s snowstorm that dropped up to eight inches in places and with temperatures dipping below -5 (or more), the “Living” singer had his son Knox and the neighborhood kids playing pond hockey and taking a nature walk in the woods in the snow (see Instagram posts below).

    The War And Treaty, Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift, as well as Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Kelsea Ballerini and others are part of the new American Currents: State of the Music exhibit at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, opening February 28th. The exhibit is expected to run through February 2025.

     

  • REBA MCENTIRE SLATED TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEM AT SUPERBOWL LVIII.

    Reba McEntire is slated to perform the national anthem for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, which was announced today on CBS Mornings. The Super Bowl will take place at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 11th and will air on CBS. Kickoff is set for 6:30pm ET.

    The performance will mark a full circle moment for Reba, who was discovered 50 years ago at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma when she sang the national anthem, launching her iconic career.

     

     

    “I’m honored to be part of something as big and historic as the Super Bowl coming to Las Vegas for the first time,” Reba said. “2024 marks 50 years since I was discovered singing the National Anthem at the National Finals Rodeo, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate that anniversary.”

    Along with Reba, pre-game talent for the Super Bowl includes Post Malone and Andra Day with Usher performing at half time.

    Reba recently wrapped her role as coach on Season 24 of NBC’s The Voice and is set to return for Season 25. Her New York Times best-selling book Not That Fancy is available now.

    The Country Music Hall of Famer will be the fourth country artist in a row to sing the anthem. Eric Church with Jazmine Sullivan did the honors in 2021; Mickey Guyton performed the anthem in 2022; Chris Stapleton (who many are hailing as one of the best renditions since Whitney Houston in 1991) in 2023 and now Reba in 2024. Other country artists who have performed the National Anthem include Garth Brooks (1993), Faith Hill (2000), The Chicks (2003), Carrie Underwood (2010) and Luke Bryan (2017).

  • NEWS AND NOTES: Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Kassi Ashton, Josh Ross, George Strait

    Luke Bryan has been announced as one of the headliners for the 12th annual Watershed Festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. The three-day event, Friday, August 2nd through Sunday, August 4th, will also feature performances by headliners HARDY and Old Dominion, as well as Maddie & Tae, Josh Ross, Kassi Ashton, The Cadillac Three, Terri Clark, Riley Green, Brian Kelley, Dylan Scott, Cole Swindell, Zach Top and Koe Wetzel, among others. Tickets for the festival will go on-sale beginning next Friday, January 26th at 10am PT at WatershedFest.com.

     

    George Strait has launched four new exotic boots with his collaboration with Justin Boots. The new releases are available in two caiman options — the Haggard, offered in tan and black; and two pirarucu variations — the Ocean Front, also offered in tan and black. “I’ve got some new exotics coming out that I’m thinking are going to be your new favorites. They are mine anyway,” says George Strait, in a press release. “They’re named Haggard, after my hero of course, and Ocean Front. Try some out. You’re going to love the way they fit and feel, and they’re absolutely beautiful.” A portion of the proceeds from each sale of boots in the George Strait Collection goes to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund, an organization committed to providing need-based financial assistance to professional rodeo athletes. These new boots are available for purchase at select retailers and online at http://www.justinboots.com.

  • BRAD PAISLEY, LITTLE BIG TOWN, LUKE BRYAN, SAM HUNT AND VINCE GILL TO HONOR SUPER GROUP ALABAMA.

    Brad Paisley, Little Big Town, Sam Hunt, Toby Keith are among the artists performing during CMT’s upcoming special event, CMT Giants: Alabama.” The star-studded tribute concert, which will also feature performances by Blake Shelton with Steve Wariner, Jason Aldean, Old Dominion, Jamey Johnson and Riley Green, will celebrate the extensive and extraordinary career and music of one of the legendary supergroup, Alabama.

    Filming at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, the two-hour special will air later this year. Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Lionel Richie, Martina McBride, Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, boxer Evander Holyfield, among others will appear both in-person and virtually to share personal stories on Alabama’s impact on music, plus an all-new interview with Alabama.

     

  • LUKE BRYAN KICKS OFF HIS NINTH ANNUAL CRASH MY PLAYA EVENT IN MEXICO.

    Luke Bryan is ready to have one margarita, two margaritas and maybe more when his ninth annual four-day concert vacation, Crash My Playa, kicks off on Wednesday (January 17th) and runs through Saturday (January 20th) at the Four Diamond Awarded Moon Palace Cancún.

     

     

     

    He’s got a stellar lineup this year with headliners Jon Pardi, Jelly Roll and himself with his Luke & Friends night featuring Dierks Bentley and Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry that wraps up the event. Dustin Lynch is back with his annual all-day pool party, as well as performances by Bailey Zimmerman, Jon Langston, Mitchell Tenpenney, ERNEST, Lily Rose and more.

    Luke says the working vacation comes at the right time, just as people are getting tired of the cold and usually a snowstorm in Nashville, which did happen this year in a big way with several inches of snow falling between this past Sunday and Monday.

    “(We’ve) got a great year planned,” says Luke. “We’ve got Jon Pardi and Jelly Roll and got Dierks coming out as a special guest; Eddie Montgomery coming out. I mean, I’m a huge Montgomery Gentry fan, so the fact that I can stand up there and sing songs with Eddie Montgomery on our ‘Friends’ night is gonna be amazing. It’s just gonna be another great year of Playa, and we’ve got Dustin Lynch getting ready for the pool party, so Playa’s just been a great thing. Just about the time it gets too cold to be in Nashville, we fly to Mexico and get warm. Every time we’re driving to the airport, it’s a snowstorm.”

    Attendees can probably expect Luke and Pardi to perform their duet “Cowboys And Plowboys” together at least one night…maybe more.

    Audio / Luke Bryan is really excited about his Crash My Playa event this year, and he says it's perfect timing for the getaway.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (Crash My Playa 2024) OC: …a snowstorm. :34
    “(We’ve) got a great year planned. We’ve got Jon Pardi and Jelly Roll and got Dierks coming out as a special guest; Eddie Montgomery coming out. I mean, I’m a huge Montgomery Gentry fan, so the fact that I can stand up there and sing songs with Eddie Montgomery on our ‘Friends’ night is gonna be amazing. It’s just gonna be another great year of Playa, and we’ve got Dustin Lynch getting ready for the pool party, so Playa’s just been a great thing. Just about the time it gets too cold to be in Nashville, we fly to Mexico and get warm. Every time we’re driving to the airport, it’s a snowstorm.”

    Video /

    View
  • ANNE WILSON’S MUSICAL JOURNEY BEGAN WITH A TRAGIC LOSS.

    Anne Wilson has touched millions with her voice and lyrics, but her musical journey began and her life forever transformed by her brother Jacob’s passing from a car accident a few years ago. Singing wasn’t really a path she had thought of during her early years. She had always wanted to be an astronaut. However, she discovered her voice and musical mission in the days following the tragedy while delivering a heartfelt performance at his funeral.

    “I discovered I had a voice when my brother (Jacob) passed away,” says Anne. “I sang for the first time publicly at my brother’s funeral. I had no idea I could sing and really had no desire to be an artist, but through that season of loss, God really began to call me to music and show me that’s what he had in store for me.”

    While she’s won awards, earned number-one songs and albums, she has also followed her heart and soul into country music, where she recently released her debut country single, “Rain in the Rearview.”

    Anne is set to perform at the Grand Ole Opry on January 20th before she hits the road on Scotty McCreery’s Cab In A Solo Tour beginning January 26th in Troy, Ohio.

    Audio / Anne Wilson talks about how she began her musical journey, which came out of a tragic and devastating loss.

    Download

    Anne Wilson (musical start) OC: …in store for me. :17
    “I discovered I had a voice when my brother (Jacob) passed away. I sang for the first time publicly at my brother’s funeral. I had no idea I could sing and really had no desire to be an artist, but through that season of loss, God really began to call me to music and show me that’s what he had in store for me.”

    Video /

    View
  • NEWS AND NOTES: Jordan Davis, Jon Pardi, Sam Hunt, Brothers Osborne, Travis Denning

    Jordan Davis has released an acoustic version of his latest hit single, “Tucson Too Late.” The Louisiana native co-wrote the follow-up to his previous multi-week No. 1 “Next Thing You Know” with his brother Jacob Davis and brothers Josh and Matt Jenkins, the same dream team behind “Buy Dirt.”

    Middle Tennessee, including Nashville and the surrounding areas, received several inches of snow Sunday night through Monday, and many of your favorite country stars (with their children and furbabies) enjoyed the snowstorm. Sam Hunt, who looked like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine, posted a photo of him and his daughter Lucy outside, while Jon Pardi, wife Summer (who is pregnant with their second daughter), daughter Presley and Jon’s father, along with the dogs enjoyed the snow after their flight to Mexico for Luke Bryan‘s annual Crash My Playa event was postponed. Carrie Underwood posted in her IG stories a photo of son Jacob looking out the window at the snow, as well as a photo of making sourdough cinnamon snowflakes. Maddie & Tae‘s Maddie Font posted photos of both her and husband Jonah with baby son Forrest looking out the window at the huge snowfall on her IG story.

    Brothers Osborne will perform during the iHeartCountry Festival on May 4th in Austin, Texas. Jelly Roll, Jason Aldean, Old Dominion, Ashley McBryde and many others will also perform. Tickets to the public go on sale January 26th at 1pm ET at Ticketmaster.

    Travis Denning and Kip Moore will join HARDY on his upcoming Quit!! Tour, kicking off May 30th in Rogers, Arkansas. Ella Langley and Stephen Wilson, Jr. will also be on the bill.

     

     

  • THE WAR AND TREATY PERFORM WITH CHARLIE PUTH DURING THE IN MEMORIAM SEGMENT OF THIS YEAR’S EMMY AWARDS.

    The War And Treaty performed during Monday night’s (January 15th) 75th Emmy Awards with award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Charlie Puth. The trio sang a poignant version of the Friends theme song, “I’ll Be There For You,” during the show’s In Memoriam segment paying tribute to such iconic figures as actress Cindy Williams, game show host Bob Barker, singer-actress Irene Cara, actor Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman), performer Tommy Smothers, actress Kirstie Alley, actor Andre Braugher, performer Harry Belafonte, actor Alan Arkin, journalist Barbara Walters and ending the segment with Friends actor Matthew Perry, all of whom passed away in 2023.

     

     

    The soulful husband-wife duo are nominated for two GRAMMY Awards this year — overall Best New Artist and Best Americana Roots Song for “Blank Page.”

     

     

    Video /

    View
  • CATIE OFFERMAN RELEASES NEW SONG, SOUND OF MISSING YOU.

    Catie Offerman released a new song this week — “Sound Of Missing You,” written by her, Justin Ebach and Josh Thompson. The song exudes lonely honky tonk vibes.

    Says Offerman, “‘Sound Of Missing You’ put me back in every dancehall in [my homestate] Texas, reminiscing on every broken heart. The truth is that not every honkytonk memory is a happy one. I remember distinctly the day we wrote it, and Justin telling me he had this idea inspired by his dog, Gnocchi. His dog would whine for him and his wife, Jeanine, said ‘That’s the sound of him missing you,’ which, of course, is an amazing song title! I’m so grateful I was on the writing calendar that day!”

    LISTEN TO “SOUND OF MISSING YOU” | HERE

    Catie continues to tour this year, with several tour dates as support for Parker McCollum. Tickets are available HERE.

    Upcoming Tour Dates:

    1/13                 GALVESTON, TX                   Oak Island Country Music Fest

    1/19                 MADISON, WI                        Class of 2024 Concert WMAD

    2/22                 OMAHA, NE                           The Knitting Factory with Kolby Cooper

    2/23                 ST LOUIS, MO                        WIL Hot Country Nights

    2/24                 SPRINGFIELD, MO                 Midnight Rodeo with Kolby Cooper

    2/29                 FT WORTH, TX                       Ft Worth Music Festival/Conference

    3/1                   STEPHENVILLE, TX              Twisted J Live w/William Beckman

    3/2                   NACOGDOCHES, TX             Banita Creel Hall w/Mike Ryan

    4/4                   ABILIENE, TX                        Taylor County Expo Center w/Parker McColllum

    4/5                   EDINGBURG, TX                    Bert Ogden Arena w/Parker McCollum

    4/11                 NEW ORLEANS, LA               Smoothie King Center w/Parker McCollum

    4/12                 LAKE CHARLES, LA              Lake Charles Civic Center w/Parker McCollum

    4/13                 WACO, TX                              Touchdown Alley at McLane Stadium

    w/Parker McCollum

    4/18                 ROANOKE, VA                       Berglund Coliseum w/Parker McCollum

    4/19                 GREENSBORO, NC                 White Oak Amphitheatre w/Parker McCollum

    5/2                   SALINA, KS                            Tony’s Pizza Events Center w/Parker McCollum

    5/3                   ROGERS, AR                           Walmart AMP w/Parker McCollum

    5/4                   COLUMBIA, MO                     Mizzou Arena w/Parker McCollum

     

    About Catie Offerman:
    Catie Offerman may be a new name to country music fans, but she’s already gaining a reputation as one of the genre’s most skilled players and promising modern traditionalists. Originally from New Braunfels, Texas, Offerman grew up on a horse ranch. Home schooled by her father in the tack room of their barn, she gravitated towards music at a young age. Offerman started playing piano at the age of four which eventually led her to pursue other instruments such as violin, accordion and more. When she was 11, Offerman’s accordion teacher asked her to join his polka band. She played accordion and fiddle at German fests across the state for years, touring before she could even drive. Offerman also explored her love for Western Swing, diving into Bob Wills music headfirst. At the age of 19 she graduated from Berklee College of Music. She spent time in Sweden and Los Angeles before settling down in Nashville. In 2020 Catie signed a record deal with Universal Music group, sharing the same imprint as her idol, George Strait. When not writing or in the studio Offerman is where she feels most comfortable – on the road. She’s toured with national acts such as Parker McCollum, Ian Munsick and Ashley McBryde, and she’s collaborated with fellow Texans such as Josh Abbott, Robert Earl Keen, Kevin Fowler and Hayes Carll. Offerman has also performed on the Grand Ole Opry at C2C 2023 in London. For more information visit catieofferman.com.

     

    Audio / Catie Offerman talks about her new song, "Sound of Missing You."

    Download

    Catie Offerman (Sound of Missing You) OC: …have it out. :50
    “’Sound of Missing You’ is my brand-new song. I remember specifically the day we wrote this at Justin Ebach’s house, and I came in and we were zooming in Josh Thompson, and before Josh got on the zoom, Ebach told me his wife Jeanine, who I adore, was talking about how that morning or the day before, something like that, their little Malti-poo or whatever, named Yoki, was whining for Justin to like pay attention to him, you know wanting to be the center of attention. And Jeanine made some type of comment of like, ‘Ah, you know, don’t give him a hard time. That’s just the sound of him missing you.’ I guess Justin was like, ‘Dang. That’s a song – ‘Sound of Missing You.’ We’ve got to write that today.’ And I just feel lucky that he had that idea on the day I was writing with him, because we came up with this one, and I love it. I also played fiddle on this one, and I’m just so proud to have it out.”

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Sound of Missing You) 1

    Download

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Sound of Missing You) 2

    Download

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Sound of Missing You) 3

    Download

    Audio / LINER Catie Offerman (Sound of Missing You) 4

    Download