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  • ACM AWARDS 2015: Eric Church

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    Eric Church

    Eric Church has a trio of ACM nominations going into Sunday’s show, including Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for The Outsiders and Song of the Year for “Give Me Back My Hometown.”

    When Eric was making The Outsiders, he said they didn’t go into the studio with any preconceived notions. “You’ve got to be committed and take the time in the process to let the creativity to lead you there,” he says. “And I think for us, I think that’s what we did. We let the songs dictate what was next. There’s two songs on this album that if you pull them out of the album, I like ‘em, [but] I just don’t love ‘em near as much as if you put ‘em back in because of the space that they give the songs in-between and what I feel when I listen to the record. By themselves? Fine, but in its spot, I love ‘em. It’s an album. It’s start to finish.”

    Catch Eric perform during the 50th Annual ACM Awards, which will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

    He’s currently making his way up the country charts with his “Like a Wrecking Ball,” as well as for “Raise ‘Em Up” with Keith Urban.

    Audio / Right before The Outsiders was released, Eric Church talked about the creativity that went into making a complete album.

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    Eric Church (making the album) OC: …as an album. :41
    “I think a lot of when you make an album, you can’t go in with a preconceived notion of here’s what it is. You’ve got to be committed and take the time in the process to let the creativity to lead you there. And I think for us, I think that’s what we did. We let the songs dictate what was next. There’s two songs on this album that if you pull them out of the album, I like ‘em, [but] I just don’t love ‘em near as much as if you put ‘em back in because of the space that they give the songs in-between and what I feel when I listen to the record. By themselves? Fine, but in its spot, I love ‘em. It’s an album. It’s start to finish. Shuffle is gonna aggravate me on this if people play shuffle, because it’s not right. It needs to be listened to as an album.”

    Audio / Eric Church says his ACM-nominated Song of the Year, “Give Me Back My Hometown,” captured what he was feeling the day he wrote it.

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    Eric Church (Give Me Back My Hometown) 3 OC: …the lyrics say. :23
    “I just think everybody ties into the emotion of it, and I think the music captured the emotion. I mean, I think the job of all of us when you write a song you want to make sure you capture, when we sat down to write it, you capture that feeling that you were feeling when you were writing it, and that song does it better than any on the album. I mean, it captures that emotion. The music sounds like what the lyrics say.”

  • SAM HUNT LOOKS FORWARD TO HIS FIRST ACM AWARDS.

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    Sam Hunt

    As an ACM New Artist of the Year nominee, Sam Hunt will perform during Sunday night’s (April 19th) show. He’s thrilled to be a part of the show, which he watched growing up.

    “I’m looking forward to playing for such a big audience, not only there in the stadium, but the TV audience – the folks who are watching at home,” says Sam. “It’s such a huge awards show, and it’s a show I grew up watching and seen so many artists that I have grown up listening to perform on that show. So, to be a part of that group is going to be really special.”

    The Georgia native has been so busy on the road that he hasn’t had a chance to catch up with any of his friends, but he hopes to remedy that when he’s in Dallas for the ACMs.

    “We got my folks coming out with me to hang out, and I’m gonna see a lot of friends from Nashville that I really haven’t gotten to see a lot in a while, because we’ve been out on the road and been so busy for the past several months,” he adds. “So, there are several things that I’m looking to about the ACM Awards this year.”

    You can vote for Sam, who is poised to take over the top spot on the country charts with his latest single “Take Your Time,” by going to VoteACM.com. The 50th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Sam Hunt talks about what he’s looking forward to the most at his first ACM Awards.

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    Sam Hunt (ACMs first year) OC: …this year. :20
    “I’m looking forward to being a part of the ACM Awards for the first time, and it’s extra special because it’s the 50th anniversary. We got my folks coming out with me to hang out, and I’m gonna see a lot of friends from Nashville that I really haven’t gotten to see a lot in a while, because we’ve been out on the road and been so busy for the past several months. So, there are several things that I’m looking to about the ACM Awards this year.”

    Audio / Sam Hunt is looking forward to performing on the ACM Awards on Sunday (April 19th).

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    Sam Hunt (perf on ACMs 2015) OC: …really special. :21
    “I’m looking forward to playing for such a big audience, not only there in the stadium, but the TV audience – the folks who are watching at home. It’s such a huge awards show, and it’s a show I grew up watching and seen so many artists that I have grown up listening to perform on that show. So, to be a part of that group is going to be really special.”

  • CHRIS STAPLETON MAKES HIS NETWORK TELEVISION SOLO DEBUT ON LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN ON TUESDAY!

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    Chris Stapleton

    Chris Stapleton will make his network television solo debut tomorrow night on the “Late Show With David Letterman.” The performance celebrates his highly anticipated debut solo album, Traveller, which will be released May 5th on Mercury Records Nashville and is now available for pre-order. Stapleton is also featured this week as part of the VEVO DSCVR program. Watch Stapleton’s exclusive, stripped down performance of two new album tracks here: “Traveller” and “Fire Away.” Artists previously featured in the program include Tove Lo, Hozier, Jamestown Revival, MisterWives and more.

    In addition to several tour dates with Eric Church, Stapleton will embark on a series of special headlining performances this spring including album release shows at New York’s Mercury Lounge on May 5 and Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom on May 8 and May 9. He is also confirmed to perform at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 2, New York’s Farmborough Festival on June 26, Delaware’s Big Barrel Country Music Festival on June 27 and Louisville’s Forecastle Festival on July 19. See below for complete tour details.

    As part of Record Store Day 2015, Mercury Records Nashville will release a limited edition 10” vinyl, IN STEREO, which features three tracks from Traveller—“When The Stars Come Out,” “Fire Away” and “Tennessee Whiskey.” Stapleton will celebrate the release with a special in-store performance at Dallas’ Good Records on Saturday, April 18 at 12:00 P.M.

    In advance of the release, the album track “When The Stars Come Out” recently premiered at the Los Angeles Times and can now be heard/shared here. Of the music, the Los Angeles Times’ Randy Lewis praises, “…positions him among the ranks of a new wave of musicians who are mindful of tradition but who also are striving to inject fresh ideas and modes of expression into country and bluegrass.” Additionally, NPR Music recently premiered the first single and title track praising, “‘Traveller’ gives Stapleton’s loyal admirers what they’ve been craving: a consummately crafted song that’s also vibrant and immediate, traditionalist without being the least bit fussy about it…He’s a treasure who deserves the kind of genre-spanning audience a song like this one courts. Southern rock, Americana, country, long-haired soul—call ‘Traveller’ whatever feels right. It belongs in all of those categories. It belongs in your day, whatever kind you’re having.” Moreover, of the single, The New York Times asserts, “On this howling, earthy, spacious album, Mr. Stapleton’s voice is liquor-thick and three-drinks limber. That’s not the modern country model of manliness, which is preening and glossy, but a reminder of the genre’s haggard strain that long predates it,” while Country Weekly declares, “Every once in a while you run into a singer here in Nashville who just blows you away, an artist who can create sound in an effortless manner and transport your soul out of this world. This morning that someone proved to be Chris Stapleton.” The single can now be heard/shared here.

    Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (with additional production at The Castle and Blackbird Studio), Traveller was produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded by Vance Powell (Jack White). In addition to renditions of Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove’s “Tennessee Whiskey” and Don Sampson’s “Was It 26,” the album features twelve original songs, including fan-favorite “Sometimes I Cry.” Recently, during a special album reveal party, Stapleton returned to RCA Studio A to record a new version of “Sometimes I Cry” live-to-tape in front of an audience—allowing a unique, once-in-a-lifetime glimpse inside the making of the album.

    Of the album, Stapleton comments, “This record was made standing on the shoulders of friends, family, and heroes. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.”

    Over the course of his acclaimed career, Stapleton has enjoyed five #1 singles, including “Drink A Beer” (co-written by Jim Beavers and recorded by Luke Bryan), which is nominated for “Song of the Year” at the 2015 ACM Awards. He has also penned over 170 album cuts, including songs recorded by Adele, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley, and has such notable co-writers as Vince Gill, Peter Frampton and Sheryl Crow among others. Additionally, Stapleton has shared the stage with such respected artists as Gill, Alison Krauss, Marty Stuart, Emmylou Harris and more. As lead vocalist for critically acclaimed bluegrass band The SteelDrivers, Stapleton earned three Grammy nominations including “Best Bluegrass Album,” as well as an International Bluegrass Music Association Award for “Emerging Artist of the Year.” He’s also won eight ASCAP Awards and has contributed to the soundtracks of several feature films including “Cars 2” and “Valentine’s Day.”

    TRAVELLER ALBUM TRACKLIST:

    1. Traveller (Chris Stapleton)
    2. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton and Danny Green)
    3. Tennessee Whiskey (Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove)
    4. Parachute (Chris Stapleton and Jim Beavers)
    5. Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller)
    6. Nobody To Blame (Chris Stapleton, Barry Bales and Ronnie Bowman)
    7. More Of You (Chris Stapleton and Ronnie Bowman)
    8. When The Stars Come Out (Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson)
    9. Daddy Doesn’t Pray Anymore (Chris Stapleton)
    10. Might As Well Get Stoned (Chris Stapleton and Jimmy Stewart)
    11. Was It 26 (Don Sampson)
    12. The Devil Named Music (Chris Stapleton)
    13. Outlaw State Of Mind (Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Bowman and Jerry Salley)
    14. Sometimes I Cry (Chris Stapleton and Clint Ingersoll)

    CHRIS STAPLETON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

    April 16—Dallas, TX—City Tavern

    April 18—Dallas, TX—Good Records in-store

    April 30—Boston, MA—TD Garden*

    May 2—New Orleans, LA—New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

    May 5—New York, NY—Mercury Lounge

    May 8—Nashville, TN—Cannery Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

    May 9—Nashville, TN—Cannery Ballroom (on-sale Friday, April 10)

    May 15—Park City, KS—Hartman Arena†

    May 19—Columbia, MO—The Blue Note

    May 20—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena*

    May 22—Rapid City, SD—Rushmore Plaza Civic Center*

    May 23—Bozeman, MT—Brick Breeden Fieldhouse*

    May 24—Billings, MT—The Pub Station

    May 28—Denver, CO—Bluebird Theater

    May 30—St. Louis, MO—The Firebird

    June 5—Athens, GA—Georgia Theatre

    June 6—Macon, GA—Cox Capitol Theatre

    June 7—Birmingham, AL—Iron City

    June 26—New York, NY—Farmborough Festival

    June 27—Dover, DE—Big Barrel Country Music Festival

    June 28—Charleston, WV—Mountain Stage

    July 3—Fort Worth, TX—Billy Bob’s Texas 4th of July Picnic

    July 12—Chicago, IL—Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Fest

    July 19—Louisville, KY—Forecastle Festival

    *with Eric Church

    †with Gary Allan

  • LITTLE BIG TOWN’S ACM-NOMINATED ALBUM, PAIN KILLER, WAS MADE TO STAND THE TEST OF TIME.

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    Little Big Town

    Little Big Town won the ACM Vocal Group of the Year award in 2013, and they’re back in the running with that nomination, as well as a nod for Album of the Year for Pain Killer.

    “Winning awards and having success, commercial success with Tornado, I think, gave us a bigger platform, and for me – I’m really proud that we made Painkiller, because it’s the best thing we’ve ever done and that we have a platform to share it on is amazing,” says LBT’s Phillip Sweet. “So, I think we wanted to step up to the challenge and know there’s a great platform here, what are we going to put on it? And we wanted something to stand the test of time.”

    The members of Little Big Town are making their way up the country charts with “Girl Crush,” a song from their ACM-nominated album, Pain Killer.

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet talks about his hopes for Pain Killer.

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    LBT (hopes for Pain Killer) 2 OC: …test of time. :24
    PHILLIP: “Winning awards and having success, commercial success with Tornado, I think, gave us a bigger platform, and for me, I hope that platform – I’m really proud that we made Painkiller, because it’s the best thing we’ve ever done and that we have a platform to share it on is amazing. So, I think we wanted to step up to the challenge and know there’s a great platform here, what are we going to put on it? And we wanted something to stand the test of time.”

  • ACM AWARDS: DIERKS BENTLEY

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    Dierks Bentley

    Dierks Bentley could take home several trophies at Sunday’s ACM Awards. He’s up for Male Vocalist, Album of the Year (Riser), Single and Music Video of the Year for “Drunk on a Plane,” Song of the Year for “I Hold On,” as well as Vocal Event of the Year for “The South” with The Cadillac Three, Florida Georgia Line and Mike Eli. (Audio on most of his awards below)

    The Arizona native and father of three received his first award, Top New Artist, at the ACMs in 2004, and it’s still one of his favorite memories. “I remember I had like a white shirt – I’d been on the road touring so hard, so hard, I wasn’t used to having nice clothes. I had like this white collared shirt that we had tailored and ironed, and I put that on,” says Dierks. “I remember riding over and just not knowing what to expect and just hearing my name being called for ACM New Artist of the Year, it was a really big deal, and walking up there getting a chance to thank everybody and hold that trophy. I still have it, obviously, and it means a lot to me.”

    Dierks, who is knocking on the door of No. 1 with “Say You Do,” is set to kick off his Sounds of Summer Tour, featuring Kip Moore, Canaan Smith and Maddie & Tae June 5th in Raleigh, North Carolina.

    The 50th Annual ACM Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley recalls his first ACM Award for New Artist of the Year.

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    Dierks Bentley (ACM memory) OC: …a lot to me. :38
    “My very first award was an ACM Award for New Artist of the Year, and it was really special. I remember I had like a white shirt – I’d been on the road touring so hard, so hard, I wasn’t used to having nice clothes. I had like this white collared shirt that we had tailored and ironed, and I put that on. And I remember riding over and just not knowing what to expect and just hearing my name being called for ACM New Artist of the Year, it was a really big deal, and walking up there getting a chance to thank everybody and hold that trophy. I still have it, obviously, and it means a lot to me.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is up for ACM Album of the Year, says Riser is a snapshot of his life at the moment.

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    Dierks Bentley (Riser snapshot) OC: …decided for me. :45
    “I think every record I’ve made has always been a little bit of a Polaroid snapshot of where I was at that place and time when I made it. This particular album just has a lot of scenery in the picture. I mean there’s a lot that’s gone on in the last two years, more so than any other time in my life. You look at some of the bookends of the making of this record – my Dad passing away at the start of the process and then my son Knox being born at the end of the process. It was unexpected…when I made this record I just wanted to have the best songs. I wasn’t sure what they were going to be about, but I wanted them to be the best. I wanted to write my best songs, I wanted to write a lot of songs. I wanted to listen to a lot of outside songs and find the best songs that I could for whatever I was going to write about, but I wasn’t sure what it was gonna be, and then life came along and decided for me.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley is up for Song of the Year for his poignant “I Hold On,” which he says is about self-discovery.

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    Dierks Bentley (I Hold On) 1 OC: …at the end. :33
    “This is so me. It’s so personal, yet it’s so universal at the same time. These verses are snippets of my life and just things of my life, and it’s kind of a song about self-discovery too. Who am I after all these years?  What’s important to me? Why do I do certain things that I do? Why do I hold on to certain things I hold onto? It’s a little bit of me trying to figure out who I am, and then in the choruses, it’s just who we are as Americans, as a people, as human beings I guess, you know there’s things that we really value and hold onto tight – faith, love and freedom. In a way, it’s kind of a love song too, you know, coming back and wrapping up at the end.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about his ACM-nominated Single and Music Video of the Year, “Drunk on a Plane.”

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    Dierks Bentley (Drunk on a Plane) 2a OC: …pretty funny. :27
    “It’s a funny song, but there’s kind of like an undercurrent of like a clown that’s sad on the inside feeling going throughout the whole song. The track’s pretty aggressive and note selection and instruments used, kind of still gives it a little bit of darkness, even though it’s light-hearted song, but you can still feel a tinge of darkness throughout the whole chorus, which I like. It truly is sad [laughs], but it’s kind of done in a way that’s relatable and pretty funny.”

    Video / Dierks Bentley picking up ACM Top New Artist Award in 2004

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  • SAM HUNT KNOWS THE LADIES!

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    Sam Hunt

    Sam Hunt definitely knows the ladies. He does a set of songs by such ladies as Reba, Trisha Yearwood, Bonnie Raitt, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, and he put this knowledge about them to a test when he recently played Diva Trivia with Entertainment Tonight. See how well he did below.

    Sam, who is closing in on the top of the country charts with “Take Your Time,” is nominated for New Artist of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, which air Sunday (April 19th) at 8pm ET on CBS.

    Checkout http://hunt4acm.com/ for exclusive childhood photos of Sam with a new photo revealed daily.

    *Hashtags/Tags

    #HUNT4ACM

    #ACMAwards50

    @SamHuntMusic

    Video / Sam Hunt ET Diva Trivia

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  • KACEY MUSGRAVES IS PROUD TO BE A WOMAN OF COUNTRY.

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    Kacey Musgraves

    Kacey Musgraves is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Follow Your Arrow” at this year’s ACM Awards. She is one of a handful of country music females garnering acclaim and getting attention from fans, critics and industry insiders. The Texas native is proud to be among the women – past and present – in country music.

    “I’m so excited to be part of the women in country music movement,” says Kacey. “I mean, I look at people like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, songwriters who were sassy and intelligent and beautiful and also intelligent and humorous. They inspired me, and if I can be at all any part of that in carrying that on, that’s just the icing on the cake for me, and I feel like I’ve done my job.”

    Kacey and her precious three-legged pup Pearl, are featured in the latest issue of People magazine.

    Kacey is currently making her way up the country charts with her latest single, “Biscuits.”

    Audio / Kacey Musgraves talks about being a woman in country music.

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    Kacey Musgraves (women in Country Music) OC: …of it all. :37
    “I’m so excited to be part of the women in country music movement. I mean, I look at people like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, songwriters who were sassy and intelligent and beautiful and also intelligent and humorous. They inspired me, and if I can be at all any part of that in carrying that on, that’s just the icing on the cake for me, and I feel like I’ve done my job. I just think it’s a great time for women in country music, and it’s also a good time for music in general, and I’m just really proud of existing in this time period and being a part of it all.”

     

    Video / Kacey Musgraves' Follow Your Arrow

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  • LUKE BRYAN AND HIS FANS SHARE HIS SUCCESS ‘TOGETHER!’

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    Luke Bryan

    Vote #‎TeamLuke for Entertainer of the Year daily at http://www.voteacm.com and be sure to watch the 50th Annual ACM Awards on Sunday, April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS. #ACMAwards50

    Video / Luke Bryan Thank You to Fans 2

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  • LUKE BRYAN THANKS HIS FANS FOR ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT.

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    Luke Bryan

    Vote #‎TeamLuke for Entertainer of the Year daily at http://www.voteacm.com and be sure to watch the 50th Annual aACM Awards on Sunday, April 19th at 8pm ET on CBS. #ACMAwards50

    Video / Luke Bryan Fan Thank You video

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  • LUKE BRYAN CRASHES HIS PLAYA WITH LBTV!

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    Kelleigh Bannen / Luke Bryan

    Luke Bryan takes fans behind-the-scenes of the first concert date of 2015 with Crash My Playa, featuring pals Cole Swindell, Florida Georgia Line, Kelleigh Bannen and Dustin Lynch in the latest episode of Luke Bryan TV.

    Video / LBTV

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