• KIP MOORE CELEBRATES CHART-TOPPING SINGLE, ‘MORE GIRLS LIKE YOU.’

    Kip Moore celebrated his 4th career No. One on Tuesday (February 13th) for his recent single “More Girls Like You,” joined by friends at Analog at The Hutton Hotel in Nashville, hosted by ASCAP and BMI. Co-written by Moore (ASCAP), he was also accompanied by fellow co-writers on the track Steven Lee Olsen (his second No. One – ASCAP), Josh Miller (his first No. One – BMI) and David Garcia (his first country radio No. One – ASCAP) for the festivities. The anthemic song is the lead track taken from Moore’s now critically-acclaimed third studio album SLOWHEART and is followed up by his “smoldering” (Rolling Stone) new single “Last Shot,” which is currently captivating fans and country radio.  

    Kip Moore recently released the “equal parts powerful, heartwarming and tear-jerking” (Entertainment Tonight) new music video for “Last Shot.” The track is the second taken from SLOWHEART which is continuing to garner praise by critics across the country as Moore “blends the passion and connection for which he’s known with a new self-awareness that will speak to both commercial and underground audiences” (USA Today) as well as wrapping 2017 on multiple “Best Of” lists including Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, UpRoxx, Bobby Bones Show, Taste Of Country, Sounds Like Nashville, The Boot, PopMatters and Whiskey Riff. SLOWHEART follows the acclaim that surrounded Moore’s sophomore album WILD ONES heralded as “an impressively singular release from Music Row” by The Guardian and his PLATINUM debut album UP ALL NIGHT that spawned three No. One hit singles. Ahead of Moore’s headlining stint, he will hit the road this weekend with Luke Bryan kicking off in Springfield, MO on 2/16 and will then head back across the pond for a highly-anticipated return to Europe’s Country To Country Festival taking place March 9-11 in London, UK, Glasgow, UK, and Dublin, I.E. For more information, visit kipmoore.net.

    Audio / Prior to the party celebrating his recent No. 1 smash "More Girls Like You," Kip Moore, along with co-writers Steven Lee Olsen, Josh Miller and David Garcia, talked to the media about their hit song and why it's special.

    Download

    Kip Moore (hits are special) OC: …be special. :44
    “Heck-any time you can get a hit, they’re all special. I think that all my music is authentic to me. I don’t write stuff that I don’t feel, or so I feel like ‘Hey Pretty Girl’ was super authentic to the way I felt in that moment. I didn’t have a family, but I was thinkin’ about it in terms of when I do go that route, that’s how I want to feel. I think with this one, it was just the maturation of where I was at in my life, so I wrote in that capacity of how I was growing. We were all talking about it in the room about how my life has changed. Any time you get a hit record, it’s something you should cherish. You don’t know when you’re gonna get ‘em again. I think for all of us it’s gotta be special.”

    Video / Kip Moore Last Shot

    View

    Video / Kip Moore Last Shot (performance version)

    View
  • LADY ANTEBELLUM’S DAVE HAYWOOD BUILT A FOUNDATION OF FRIENDSHIP WITH WIFE KELLI.

    Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood built a foundation of friendship with wife, Kelli, for several years before they even considered starting a romantic relationship.

    “Our story was we were friends for a number of years. I really thought she was cute and we had a lot in common, but we didn’t date for probably four or five years. We were friends. We’d go on trips together with different groups of friends. And so, we really had a great foundation,” says Dave. “The very first date we went on was again to a restaurant in Nashville called Kayne Prime, and we went there. Once we got together, we got engaged within a really short time, got married really quick because we knew each other so well. Having that foundation of knowing each other for 5, 6, 7 years was really just a beautiful thing.”

    The two were married in April 2012 and just welcomed their second child, Lillie Renee, who joined big brother Cash.

    Lady Antebellum, who are making their way up the country charts with their latest hit “Heart Break,” will head out on the road on their co-headlining Summer Plays On Tour with pal Darius Rucker July 19th.

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood says he and his wife, Kelli, built a foundation of friendship before they started dating.

    Download

    Lady A (Dave-friends first) OC: …at home. :42
    “Our story was we were friends for a number of years. I really thought she was cute and we had a lot in common, but we didn’t date for probably four or five years. We were friends. We’d go on trips together with different groups of friends. And so we really had a great foundation. The very first date we went on was again to a restaurant in Nashville called Kayne Prime, and we went there. Once we got together, we got engaged within a really short time, got married really quick because we knew each other so well. Having that foundation of knowing each other for 5, 6, 7 years was really just a beautiful thing. We fell hard and quick and had a beautiful engagement and got married in April 2012 and just had our second little baby and beautiful, beautiful little family here at home.”

    Video /

    View
  • LADY ANTEBELLUM’S CHARLES KELLEY BELIEVES IN ‘LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT’ AFTER MEETING HIS WIFE.

    Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley said it was “love at first sight” when he met his now-wife, Cassie. Bandmate Hillary Scott, who recently gave birth to twin daughters Betsy Mack and Emory JoAnn, helped orchestrate their meeting.

    “We actually had just started the band, and Dave and I, we decided we were going to get the band together and go out to this dinner. Little did we know that Hillary kind of secretly was trying to set me up with Cassie, and the reason was because our keyboard player Jonathan, who still plays with us today, was dating Cassie’s sister,” recalls Charles. “I get there and we just lock eyes the whole night. We’re kinda looking at each other, and we’re like holy moly…It was just love at first sight. And the very next day, I called her up and said, ‘Can I take you on an official date? I’d love to take you out to dinner.’ I didn’t have any money at the time. I probably spent the last little bit of money I had on this really nice meal, and we’ve been together ever since.”

    Charles and Cassie were married in 2009 and just celebrated the second birthday of their son, Ward.

    Lady Antebellum, who are making their way up the country charts with their latest hit “Heart Break,” will head out on the road on their co-headlining Summer Plays On Tour with pal Darius Rucker July 19th.

    Audio / Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley says it was “love at first sight” when he met his wife now-wife Cassie.

    Download

    Lady A (Charles-love at first sight) OC: …ever since. 1:23
    “You know, I’m not gonna say it was like a movie, but it was like a movie. The first time I met my wife was like, it really was true love at first sight. We actually had just started the band, and Dave and I, we decided we were going to get the band together and go out to this dinner. Little did we know that Hillary kind of secretly was trying to set me up with Cassie, and the reason was because our keyboard player Jonathan, who still plays with us today, was dating Cassie’s sister. So all this to say they were getting ready and I didn’t know this was kinda going on, but we go out to this place. What is it called? South Street?” DAVE: “South Street.” CHARLES: “South Street. There was like 15, 20 of us, and we’re upstairs, and I get there a little late, but I get there and we just lock eyes the whole night. We’re kinda looking at each other, and we’re like holy moly. She’s the prettiest girl that had ever paid me any attention. It was one of those things where we just started all as a big group going barhopping, and we never left each other’s side. We just started talking. Every bar we went to, it was like us going into the corner talking. It was just love at first sight. And the very next day, I called her up and said, ‘Can I take you on an official date? I’d love to take you out to dinner.’ I didn’t have any money at the time. I probably spent the last little bit of money I had on this really nice meal, and we’ve been together ever since.”

  • VALENTINE’S DAY 2018 AUDIO

    Wednesday is Valentine’s Day (February 14th), and we’ve got some thoughts and feelings more about love, romance and marriage from several of your favorite country artists. Some are new and some have become our favorites over the years. Which country stars are romantic? Which ones aren’t? Which ones have a good reason to celebrate the holiday that’s all about love?

    Audio / Alan Jackson talks about his love for wife, Denise, over the years.

    Download

    AJ (Valentine’s Day) OC: …continue to. :24

    “We got a lot of history together now, and we’re happier than we’ve ever been. So, she’s still beautiful, and she’s always inspired songs. I mean, one of my early hits was a song called ‘I’d Love You All Over Again,’ I wrote for her for our 10th anniversary. I mean, there’s been a zillion songs that have pieces of our good days and bad days inspired, and they continue to.”

    Audio / Billy Currington recalls his first real Valentine’s Day.

    Download

    Billy Currington (Valentine’s Day memory) OC: …took off running. :21
    “Yeah, I remember my first girlfriend. I was in first or second grade, but anyway, I remember it was Valentine’s Day and your mom going, ‘You’ve got to give your girlfriend something, and you’ve got to go give it to her.’ I’ll never forget — we got her a box of chocolates or whatever it was. I remember going down to her classroom and knocking on the door, getting her to come to the door. I remember handing it to her, and then I took off running.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker knew he would marry his wife, Beth, on their first date.

    Download

    Darius Rucker (wife) OC: …her and country music saved my life. :43

    “I don’t know what it was about her. I mean, it was EVERYTHING about her. I knew, I told her I was going to marry her on our first date, [laughs] yeah. Beth’s a strong woman. It takes a strong woman to be married to a musician, especially a musician who was drinking and partying as hard as I was, and I think life for us is where we are now. It took a long time for us to get to where we are now, and we say to each other all the time, ‘I love us. I love our family. I love us.’ And I thank her every day for staying with me and being the strong woman she is, because with Hootie & the Blowfish, I could be gone for three months and then I’d come home for two days and then I’d be gone again for a month, and she put up with all that crap. You know, her and country music saved my life.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley gives guys tips for a first date.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (first date tips for guys) OC: …first date. :19
    “You know, just opening the door, it’s such a big deal. It’s just a nice thing to do. It’s a car door, unlocking the door for somebody to get in the car first and hold the door to get in, and I just think that’s just, if you’re doing that, then you’re obviously thinking about ways to be respectful, be considerate, be kind and be thoughtful and make for a good first date.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley says the most interesting gift he and his wife Cassidy have given each other were mixtapes of songs.

    Download

    Dierks Bentley (Valentine’s Day-most interesting gift he’s given his wife) OC: …formulate yourself. 1:19
    “When ‘What Was I Thinkin’’ was released in 2003, I didn’t know what my life would look like, and all of a sudden, I found myself out on the road full-time, just gone. So, the place where I was staying, I had some friends pack it up and move it into a storage facility. This year, I got that whole thing dumped back out into my house. I’m going through just years of old stuff, and in there I found some letters that she and I had written back and forth when we were dating. I was working at The Nashville Network and she was working out in San Francisco and found some letters I had written her and I’d gotten back and some stuff she’d sent me, including a CD of songs she’d been listening to, back when you made CD mixes and there’s like these three hearts on that CD. I just found that it was so meaningful for me those gifts you give each other before any money, before anything else was going on, just music, giving of mixtapes was so cool. She reminded me of a mixtape I sent her. I’d sent it to her via FedEx, because it was so important she get this as quickly as possible. This was sadly before, I guess we had internet back then, but you really couldn’t send songs over the internet. I think the most interesting thing I’ve given her and she’s given me was just mixtapes, because there’s nothing like music to put into words and the thoughts you have in your head that you can’t formulate yourself.”

    Audio / Eric Church says his wife, Katherine, loves him in spite of everything.

    Download

    Eric Church (Valentine’s) OC: …love song is. :18

    “True love to me is when you love a person in spite of all their fallibilities, and for me, I have a lot of ‘em. I’m definitely at times hard to love, and that’s what’s great about Katherine and the way she loves me. She loves me in spite of those things and really for those things.”

    Audio / Josh Turner says his wife would call him a romantic, but now that they have four children, it takes a bit of work to make time for each other.

    Download

    Josh Turner (Romantic) OC: …long time to come. :26
    “If you ask my wife Jennifer if I was a romantic, she would definitely say, ‘Yes,’ but she knows that sometimes my hectic schedule and our busy lifestyles can kind of interfere with the romantic side of things. But we do try to make efforts towards being together and having adult conversations and taking time away from the children and doing things that husbands and wives do, so we’ll definitely try to continue that for a long time to come.”

    Audio / Lauren Alaina recalls her first, and potentially disastrous, Valentine’s Day with her longtime boyfriend, Alex.

    Download

    Lauren Alaina (Valentine’s Day) OC: …pretty embarrassing. 1:37
    “I think my first Valentine’s Day with Alex, I was trying to be super cute and cook him a Valentine’s Day dinner. I was 18 at the time, and I’d just moved into this brand new apartment in Chattanooga. I was trying to get used to not living with my parents before I moved to Nashville, so I did like six months in Chattanooga in an apartment. And [giggles] my mom makes these really great mashed potatoes, which I’ve modified the recipe, but they’re delicious and I wanted to make him these potatoes, because I knew I could make these potatoes. Well, I did not grow up with a very updated kitchen, so I didn’t have a [garbage] disposal, it was very new to me. So, I peeled the bag of potatoes and put the potato peels in to the sink and tried to use the disposal and it broke it before he got there. Annnd, I turned the water on, and I was baking chicken and I was cooking broccoli and mashed potatoes, and just turned the water on and then I forgot I had the water on, so I overflowed the kitchen sink with the potato peels, and it looked like something died in my sink and my sink was like spitting it up. It was horrible. I was panicking and trying to get it all cleaned up before he got there, and he knocked in the middle of it, like knocked on the door. He was early, of course. He’s always early, and he freaking knocked. I had like potato peels flying through the air, my potatoes were boiling over. I was still boiling the potatoes. I was running behind and he was running early, so it was just crazy. But, we’ve had some great Valentine’s.”

    Audio / Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet was ready for love when he met Rebecca, his wife since 2007.

    Download

    Little Big Town (Phillip – reasons fell in love) OC: …real love. :17

    “I think everything that I had gone through before had prepared me to be ready to see that there was genuine love there for me, and my Rebecca.  So, it was just a great time, I wouldn’t have been ready before I met her…Now it’s just been a really great journey to heal through the past and to know real love.”

    Audio / Luke Bryan says Valentine’s Day is for him and his wife, Caroline.

    Download

    Luke Bryan (Valentine’s Day) OC: …full day. :11
    “Well, I mean Valentine’s Day is, it’s kinda me and Caroline’s day just to go and just being with one another for a full day.”

     

  • LADY ANTEBELLUM GIVE FANS AN ACOUSTIC ‘HEART BREAK.’

    Lady Antebellum broke down their current hit, ‘Heart Break,’ into a breathtaking piano acoustic version. Check out the video below.

    The members of Lady A will team with pal Darius Rucker to co-headline the Summer Plays On Tour beginning July 19th in Toronto.

    Video /

    View
  • KACEY MUSGRAVES IS FEATURED ON THE UPCOMING JOHNNY CASH PROJECT, FOREVER WORDS.

    Kacey Musgraves will be featured on the new Johnny Cash project, Forever Words, a collection of unknown poetry and unfinished lyrics from the Man in Black. The album was produced by John Carter Cash, the only son of the country icon and June Carter Cash.

    Kacey and her husband, Ruston Kelly, put music to the song, “To June This Morning,” a letter Johnny wrote to his wife. Other artists on the project include close friends and fellow Outlaws, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, as well as Brad Paisley, the late Chris Cornell, daughter Rosanne Cash and June’s daughter Carlene Carter, John Mellencamp, Jewel and Elvis Costello, among others.

    https://twitter.com/KaceyMusgraves/status/961873410967052288

     

    Video /

    View
  • JON PARDI TEAMS UP WITH PEPSI MIDAMERICA TO SEND A PAIR OF FANS TO LAS VEGAS FOR THE ACM AWARDS.

    Pepsi MidAmerica and Capitol Records Nashville’s platinum-selling country star Jon Pardi have joined forces to send two lucky fans to Las Vegas, N.V. for a VIP experience with Pardi at the 53rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

    Pardi is currently reigning ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year and CMA New Artist of the Year, and his latest single “She Ain’t In It” is playing on country radio now. “She Ain’t In It” follows Pardi’s three consecutive chart-topping hits – the Platinum-selling “Head Over Boots,” the three-week No. 1 “Dirt On My Boots,” and the up-tempo, feel-good No. 1 “Heartache On The Dance Floor,” all from his GOLD-certified album California Sunrise.

    Fans can enter the text-to-win and online contest now. One winner will be chosen to receive a VIP prize package for two (2) tickets to the 2018 ACM Awards in Las Vegas, N.V. including a private meet & greet with Pardi plus, airfare and a two (2) nights of hotel in Las Vegas. Entries are being accepted now at http://www.pepsimidamerica.com/jonpardi.

    The contest is being promoted with Dr. Pepper products on over 3 million cans featuring Jon Pardi’s image across portions of Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. The contest also features in-store activation at thousands of retail stores throughout the Pepsi MidAmerica service area.

    About Jon Pardi
    Jon Pardi’s GOLD-certified album California Sunrise (Capitol Records Nashville) debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart earning him CMA’s New Artist Of The Year and ACM New Male Vocalist Of The Year. Pardi dominated the top of the country music charts with consecutive #1 hits including “Dirt On My Boots,” Platinum-selling “Head Over Boots” and “Heartache On The Dance Floor” (#1 on Mediabase). Fourth single “She Ain’t In It” is currently Top 30-and-climbing. California Sunrise (Capitol Records Nashville) is the follow up to Write You A Song (Capitol Records Nashville), which debuted at #3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and yielded Top 10 GOLD-selling song “Up All Night,” “What I Can’t Put Down,” “Missin’ You Crazy” and “When I’ve Been Drinkin” (all co-written by Pardi). Pardi made major National TV appearances on NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers” and ABC’s “Good Morning America” and landed on several ‘Best’ lists including the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone Country, Rhapsody and more. Since then, he’s toured with country music forerunners; Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Miranda Lambert and Dwight Yoakam. Pardi’s third headlining tour “CMT On Tour Presents Jon Pardi’s Lucky Tonight Tour” marked the fastest-selling CMT Tour series to date with record-breaking numbers featured in Pollstar Magazine. This past year, the West Coast native and fast-rising newcomer received multiple first-ever nominations at the CMA Awards, CMT Awards, ACM Awards and AMA Awards. He is currently nominated for iHeartRadio Music Awards Country Song Of The Year (“Dirt On My Boots”) and Best New Country Artist. For more information, visit www.jonpardi.com.

    About Pepsi MidAmerica
    Pepsi MidAmerica (PMA), headquartered in Marion, Illinois, is proud to distribute quality beverages in portions of Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. With continued innovation and dedicated staff, PMA has grown to be one of the largest individually owned Pepsi Bottler’s in the U.S. For more information about PMA, visit www.pepsimidamerica.com.

  • BILLY CURRINGTON ANNOUNCES HIS 2018 TOUR BEGINNING NEXT MONTH.

    Following his back-to-back, multi-week No. 1 hits “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” and “Do I Make You Wanna,” Billy Currington announces his 2018 tour beginning this March. The country star will crisscross the U.S. on a 16-stop tour with support act LOCASH.

    The talented Georgia native has spent more than a decade in the spotlight proving he’s truly a man for all seasons. Currington has earned 12 No.1 singles to his name, including the double-platinum hits “People Are Crazy” and “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right.” Possessing one of the smoothest and most distinct voices in any genre of music, Currington is equally skilled at delivering upbeat summertime anthems as well as exploring the complexities of life and love with a poignant ballad. His latest album Summer Forever debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

    Additionally, country duo LOCASH will be joining Currington on the upcoming tour, bringing their signature high energy live performance. LOCASH broke out in 2015 with their gracious gold-certified hit, “I Love This Life,” followed by the flirtatious gold-certified No.1 smash, “I Know Somebody.” Their current single “Don’t Get Better Than That” is climbing the country charts. The full tour schedule is as follows:

    2018 TOUR DATES:
    March 30 | Wallingford, CT | Toyota Oakdale Theatre
    March 31 | Hampton Beach, NH | The Ballroom
    April 19 | Northfield, OH | Hard Rock Live
    April 20 | Mt. Pleasant, MI | Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
    April 27 | Atlanta, GA | Coca Cola Roxy
    May 12 | Sacramento, CA | KNCI Country in the Park
    May 17 | Salt Lake City, UT | Union Event Center
    May 18 | Henderson, NV | Sunset Station Outdoor Amphitheater
    July 7 | Glen Allen, VA | Innsbrook After Hours – K95 Countryfest
    July 26 | East Providence, RI | Bold Point Park
    July 27 | Portland, ME | Maine State Pier
    July 28 | Mount Pocono, PA | Mount Airy Casino Resort
    August 16 | Asbury Park, NJ | Stone Pony Summerstage
    August 17 | St. Leonard, MD | Bayside Toyota Pavilion
    August 31 | Boston, MA | Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
    September 1 | Farmingville, NY | Brookhaven Amphitheater

    http://www.billycurrington.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/BillyCurrington/ | https://www.instagram.com/bccoconutman/ | https://twitter.com/billycurrington

  • DIERKS BENTLEY LAUNCHES FASHION BRAND, DESERT SON, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FLAG & ANTHEM

    Dierks Bentley has partnered with Flag & Anthem to create an exclusive new lifestyle collection, Desert Son, launching this month. With its name inspired by some of the more autobiographical lyrics off his upcoming ninth studio album, THE MOUNTAIN, the initial Spring offering will feature primarily men’s items including vintage-washed tees, raglans, hoodies and hats along with a handful of women’s tees. Desert Son will continue to roll-out with 2018 Summer and Fall assortments including button-down shirts, knit tops, denim and jackets. Working alongside his longtime stylist Annie Psaltiras, the two created a line customized to reflect Bentley’s own personal style. Desert Son is now available at retailers including Buckle, Von Maur and Dillard’s and online at flagandanthem.com.

    “This has been such a fun thing to create and develop. I love clothes that are perfectly worn-in like you’ve had them a lifetime, but can also take the wear and tear that comes from an active lifestyle,” explained Bentley. “I’ve learned over the last few months that there’s a real art to getting that just right. The Flag & Anthem guys have been doing it at the highest level and have helped me put together a collection that I think is totally authentic to me and one that hopefully people all over the country will dig too.”

    “Dierks’ lifestyle perfectly embodies our brand,” said Flag & Anthem co-founder Brad Gartman. “There is a strong synergy between his fans and our customer. We see Dierks and Desert Son as a natural integration with Flag & Anthem and look forward to a long partnership.”

    The Desert Son campaign captures the essence of Bentley’s new clothing line as he traveled back to his home state of Arizona for its iconic landscapes. For high-resolution images, click here.
    Dierks Bentley is “notorious for his spectacular, high-energy live performances loaded with lots of fan interaction” (Creative Loafing) with 17 No. One hits, more than one billion digital streams, countless nominations from the ACM, CMA, GRAMMY and Billboard Music Awards and has been a Grand Ole Opry member for over a decade. Bentley “continues to challenge himself” (Billboard), which is evident through his upcoming ninth studio album, THE MOUNTAIN due out later this year. Its lead single “Woman, Amen” gives a taste of the record’s “themes of questing and self-actualization across a wide-open terrain of arid deserts and rugged ridgelines, cactus flowers and tumbleweeds,” (NPR). After his 2017 WHAT THE HELL WORLD TOUR claimed the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Tours selling over 750,000 tickets, Bentley will fuel arenas and amphitheaters throughout the summer with his 2018 MOUNTAIN HIGH TOUR, launching May 17th in Columbia, MD. For more information visit www.dierks.com.

  • VALENTINE’S SPECIAL HOSTED BY LADY ANTEBELLUM’S CHARLES KELLEY AND DAVE HAYWOOD, AKA ‘MANTA-BELLUM.’

    Here is a link to download the two-hour special from Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, aka “Manta-bellum.”

    The Dropbox folder includes all of the segments, promos, clock and extra liners. The spot-free special can run now through February 14th.

    Lady Antebellum is currently making their way up the country charts with “Heart Break.”