Nashville, Tenn. – (Dec. 4, 2014) – This week, Eric Church debuts the music video for his latest hit single, “Talladega.”

Church Choir members will get an exclusive first look at the video today (Thursday, Dec. 4) at EricChurch.com. “Talladega” will then premiere Friday (Dec. 5) on Vevo.com and Saturday (Dec. 6 at 11 AM/ET) on “CMT Hot 20 Countdown,” before being released to all video outlets on Monday (Dec.8).

“Talladega” is the fourth single from Church’s critically acclaimed 2014 album The Outsiders, a CMA Album of the Year Award nominee. The poignant song looks at memory through the lens of a youthful trip taken to the iconic Alabama racetrack. Like an earlier single from The Outsiders, the chart-topping “Give Me Back My Hometown,” “Talladega” showcases Church’s softer side and his ability to filter shared universal experiences through deeply personal points of view.

The video, directed by Peter Zavadil from a concept by Church’s longtime manager John Peets, arrives as the song is set to break into the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. “Talladega” is the North Carolina native’s 14th Top 20 entry on that chart.

“Talladega” weaves performances filmed at Nashville Speedway with a narrative about the passing of time that’s augmented with archival Super 8mm footage of family, celebration and, of course, racetrack scenes. The video’s release caps a stellar year for Church. The Outsiders enjoyed one of 2014’s best debuts regardless of genre and will likely appear on several year-end best-of lists. He was a top nominee at the CMA Awards as he continued to push country music in new directions, appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone’s first country issue, and played to his largest crowds yet.

Church is on the road with his “The Outsiders World Tour” mates Dwight Yoakam and Halestorm through Dec. 13 before kicking off the 2015 leg of the tour in January. For tickets or to learn more about Eric Church, visit www.ericchurch.com and www.facebook.com/ericchurch, or follow @EricChurch on Twitter.

Nashville, TN – Dec. 3, 2014 – Momentum for singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley continues to build as he becomes one of only three country artists to earn two RIAA certified PLATINUM and No. one radio singles in 2014. “I Hold On” was certified PLATINUM this week and now joins “Drunk On A Plane” to give Bentley two of the year’s biggest back-to-back hits. He joins Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line as one of only three artists to accomplish this in 2014. 

“When Dierks played us the ‘RISER’ album for the first time, we knew it was something special,” commented Cindy Mabe, President, Universal Music Group Nashville. “But having two back-to-back #1 Platinum hits within a year shows the real power of how Dierks’ music has resonated and how he’s connected with the fans.” 

In addition to his success on the sales and radio charts, Bentley was also recently honored as a songwriter for both tracks by the NSAI as two of this year’s 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written, an honor voted on by other songwriters.

Bentley’s latest single “Say You Do” is now available at Country Radio as he wraps the second leg of his  2014 RISER TOUR this weekend in Canada amid sold out crowds.

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.” 

Scotty McCreery, like other country artists, doesn’t get to see his family as often as he likes during the year, so the holidays give him some quality downtime with them.

“It’s tough being on the road and not seeing them as much during the year,” says Scotty. “But the holidays is always the time you can get together as a family and just reflect on the year and spend some quality time together.”

Some of the things his family does around the holidays is watch some classic movies, including The Santa Clause movies, Home Alone and The Christmas Story.

Scotty, who is poised to hit the Top 10 with his latest single “Feelin’ It,” released his own collection of holiday tunes, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, in 2012.

Scotty McCreery (favorite Christmas song) OC: …my favorite. :18
“My favorite Christmas song comes from my favorite Christmas album, and that’s Elvis’ Christmas album. I was an Elvis fanatic growing up. It was ‘Blue Christmas.’ When I was making my album [Christmas With Scotty McCreery], I knew I was going to put at least one Elvis song on there, so it came down to just deciding that nobody was going to sing ‘Blue Christmas’ like Elvis Presley, so we did ‘Santa Claus is Back in Town.’ But ‘Blue Christmas’ is definitely my favorite.” 

Scotty McCreery (Christmas movies) OC: …all the time. :11
“Some of my favorite holiday moves are the Santa Clause 1, Home Alone: Lost in New York, all of those are good ones. The Christmas Story, now that’s a classic, The Christmas Story there. That’s on every Christmas. We watch it all the time.”

Scotty McCreery (spending the holidays) OC: …together, you know? :13
“My favorite part of the holidays is spending time with family. It’s tough being on the road and not seeing them as much during the year, but the holidays is always the time you can get together as a family and just reflect on the year and spend some quality time together, you know?”

Canaan Smith has a few tattoos, but one on his arm in particular is pretty special.

“My last name is Smith, obviously, so I got an ‘S’ on the side of my arm here, but not just for the name, it’s also because of a Bible verse that I really like,” says Canaan. “It says, ‘The Lord is my strength and my salvation and my song.’ So, all three of those ring true to who I am and to who He is to me, and they all start with an ‘S.’”

Canaan, who will join Dan + Shay on their Where It All Began Tour in February, is currently making his way up the country charts with his single, “Love You Like That.” The song just hit the top of Sirius XM’s The Highway’s Top 45 Countdown this week.

Canaan Smith (tats) OC: …and roll. :30
“I go to Safe House [Tattoo Studio] in Nashville. They just have really talented artists. Well, my last name is Smith, obviously, so I got an ‘S’ on the side of my arm here, but not just for the name, it’s also because of a Bible verse that I really like. It says, ‘The Lord is my strength and my salvation and my song.’ So, all three of those ring true to who I am and to who He is to me, and they all start with an ‘S.’ So, I was like, ‘You know what? It seems pretty appropriate. Let’s brand it. Let’s put an ‘S’ on there and roll.’”

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it’s time to put up the Christmas tree, whether it’s real or fake. The members of Lady Antebellum all agree that they love a real tree, but a fake tree is much easier to deal with, especially since it’s up for more than a month.

“I would love to have a real tree, and we used to have it, and I always wondered why I couldn’t breathe,” says Charles Kelley. “Dave and I share, we’re allergic to everything in this world, so we have to have fake trees.”

Dave agrees, “Most people [can handle] the cleanup and the smell, but for me it’s just a little too much maintenance at Christmas time,” says Dave Haywood. “I’d rather focus on [HILLARY: “The family.”] presents, family, food [CHARLES: “And drinking.”], so then the tree just pops in the attic for good.” 

In trimming the tree, some of their childhood ornaments come into play. “My mom, I gave her such a hard time when I was a little girl, because she went to some store and got these, it’s like snowmen with an icicle hanging down from the bottom, so I thought they were so gawdy,” says Hillary Scott. “Now that I’m older, I love ‘em. And if they’re not on the tree, I’m like, ‘Mama, where are they? Where are the snowmen icicle lights this year?’”

In 2012, Lady A released their first Christmas album, On This Winter’s Night, which includes several favorites, including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Blue Christmas” and “Silver Bells,” among others.

Lady A (real vs fake trees) OC: (Charles) …the lights up. :47
DAVE/HILLARY: “Fake tree!” 

CHARLES: “I would love to have a real tree, and we used to have it and I always wondered why I couldn’t breathe. [LAUGHS] Dave and I share, we’re allergic to everything in this world, so we have to have fake trees.”

HILLARY: “They’re not as messy. [CHARLES: “And who wants their house to burn down accidentally?”] They still kinda shed anyway like a real tree, but I don’t know, I just feel like the sap and everything, it gets on my floor.”

DAVE: “Which some people love! Most people … the cleanup and the smell, but for me it’s just a little too much maintenance at Christmas time. I’d rather focus on [HILLARY: “The family.”] presents, family, food [CHARLES: “And drinking.”], so then the tree just pops in the attic for good.” 

HILLARY: [LAUGHS] “Pre-lit tree.”

CHARLES: “Omigosh, you’re going super laziness.”

DAVE: “You at least need to put some lights on.”

CHARLES: “At least string the lights up.”

Lady A (Charles trimming the tree) OC: …she relented. :25
“My mom actually sent me some of our old ornaments that we had made and stuff. We always had the cheesiest tree (HILLARY: “Homemade…”), but I miss it. It was always so very colorful. And with my wife, she’s very stylish and chic, and so she wanted this really chic tree, and so she wanted this really chic tree, and I said, ‘Baby, I’m sorry. We’ve got to put a little color in this.’ So, I put some of my cheesy little stuff on there, and I think that’s part of Christmas. I think you have to have that, so she relented.”

Eric Church is set to lead an all-star tribute to the legendary Merle Haggard during Tuesday night’s CMT Artists of the Year show. The Hag will receive the first-ever Artist of a Lifetime award. CMT Artists of the Year, hosted by Larry The Cable Guy, will air tomorrow night at 8pm ET on CMT.  

Eric Church was one of the big winners at the recent British Country Music Awards. He took home the International Album of the Year for The Outsiders. Eric will kick off the second leg of his Outsiders World Tour January 8th in New Orleans.

Darius Rucker has been added to the list of performers for NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center, airing Wednesday night (December 3rd). He, along with Mariah Carey, The Rockettes and Prince Royce, join previously announced performers Trisha Yearwood, LeAnn Rimes, Lady Gaga with Tony Bennett, Idina Menzel, Cyndi Lauper, Seth MacFarlane and Sara Bareilles. Christmas in Rockefeller Center will air Wednesday at 8pm ET on NBC.

Kacey Musgraves has a couple of favorite Christmas traditions that her family does every year.

“My grandpa has a scavenger hunt puzzle that he does every year. Even though I’m like too old for the puzzle, he’s like, ‘You’re still gonna do it.’ So, every year we do that, and it’s funny ‘cause sometimes you’ll find your present in the bathroom or in a tree or out behind the shed,” says Kacey. “He does a little trail of like either corn or a string to it. It’s very imaginative, and it’s something I look forward to every year.”

Another one of her beloved traditions is the Christmas stocking. “They’re kinda my favorite, ‘cause it’s like all the little goodies in there just are fun.”

Kacey Musgraves (Christmas puzzle tradition) OC: …a little tradition. :28
“My grandpa has a scavenger hunt puzzle that he does every year. Even though I’m like too old for the puzzle, he’s like, ‘You’re still gonna do it.’ So, every year we do that, and it’s funny ‘cause sometimes you’ll find your present in the bathroom or in a tree or out behind the shed. He does a little trail of like either corn or a string to it. It’s very imaginative, and it’s something I look forward to every year. It’s a little tradition.”

Kacey Musgraves (Christmas stockings) OC: …are fun. :07
“Stockings. I love stockings. They’re kinda my favorite, ‘cause it’s like all the little goodies in there just are fun.”

Holiday liners from UMG Nashville artists, including Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brothers Osborne, Canaan Smith, Darius Rucker, David Nail, Dierks Bentley, Easton Corbin, Eric Church, Eric Paslay, Gary Allan, George Strait, Jennifer Nettles, Jon Pardi, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Kelleigh Bannen, Kip Moore, Lady Antebellum, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Scotty McCreery and more! 

Nashville, TN – December 1, 2014 – PLATINUM-selling singer/songwriter and MCA Nashville recording artist Kip Moore wrapped his headlining CMT On Tour: Up In Smoke this past weekend, marking the end of a triumphant run with multiple sold-out shows including stops in Asheville, NC, Athens, GA, Boston, MA, Cedar Rapids, IA, Charlotte, NC, Chattanooga, TN, Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, Nashville, TN, New York, NY and Tampa, FL.  The impressive run also garnered rave reviews and huge fan demand with more headlining dates lined up for next year.

 “No one left disappointed. In the end, everyone wanted Moore.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer

‘“Kip Moore is a country music contender” – Minneapolis Star Tribune

“A man of conviction… carving his own niche in country music” – Chicago Sun Times

“Bursting onto the stage… Kip Moore is the new bad boy of country” – Cedar Rapids Gazette

“[Moore] possesses a commanding voice and solid stage presence… a foreshadowing of the future of country music” – Country Weekly

The relentless road warrior will launch into 2015 with more headlining dates kicking off in Missoula, MT on Jan. 27.  Tickets go on sale this Fri., Dec. 5.  In addition, Moore will also take his first trip overseas as part of Country to Country, Europe’s biggest country music festival, playing dates in Dublin, IE (3/7) and London, UK (3/8).  

Moore is currently nominated for “Breakthrough Artist Of The Year” at this year’s inaugural American Country Countdown Awards airing live on FOX Dec. 15.  Fans can vote for Moore now via twitter by including Kip’s twitter handle @KipMooreMusic and the hashtags #ACCAwards and #BreakthroughArtist in a tweet until voting closes on Dec. 10.  For more information, visit www.kipmoore.net. 

AUDIO: Kip Moore tells us what his plans are following the CMT On Tour, as well as his plans for the rest of the year.

Kip Moore (after CMT Tour plans) OC: …of the year. :21
“I’m gonna do a little solo radio tour for a while right after this tour, and I’ll probably be doing that until the second week of December. And then I’ll go to Costa Rica to surf for a couple of weeks, then I’ll spend Christmas, and then I go back out on the radio tour for another two weeks. Then I have like two weeks off in January where I’ll go surfing one more time, and then we hit it hard for the rest of the year.”

Get into the Christmas spirit as Jennifer Nettles once again hosts the CMA Country Christmas TV special, which also features performances by Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Michael W. Smith, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Hunter Hayes, Brett Eldredge, Sara Evans, LeAnn Rimes, Idina Menzel, Lucy Hale and Dan & Shay.

One incredible performance we’ve seen a glimpse of is Jennifer performing “Let It Go” from the hit Disney film, Frozen.

Check out the rest of the holiday performances Monday night (December 1st) beginning at 8pm ET on ABC.

AJ (Christmas songs) OC: …at Christmas. :15
“I love the, you know, when we listen to Christmas songs, we put on the old ones that you grew up with, and the classic recording’s and…from Gene Autry to Nat King [Cole], and you know, all the guys and Bing Crosby and everybody. But songs that we like to listen to at Christmas.”