Luke Bryan is set to hit stores with his fourth studio album, Crash My Party, on Tuesday (August 13^th). The collection features his three-week No. 1 hit with the title track, as well as his current smash, “That’s My Kind of Night.” Another track on the album is “Drink a Beer,” which features singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton on background vocals – Chris also co-wrote the song with Jim Beavers. Luke, who says the song is a piece of art, compares Stapleton to the fastest man in the world. “Having Chris Stapleton sing background on it, that’s like heaven. That’s like me being in a foot race with Usain Bolt [sprinter and 6-time Olympic gold medalist] or something,” says Luke. “Having Chris Stapleton sing, he’s the best singer on the planet to me. So, for him to come in and lend his backgrounds on it takes this song even yet to a higher level with just how powerful he is as a singer and an artist.”

Luke is currently making his way up the country charts with “That’s My Kind of Night.”

Luke Bryan (Stapleton on Drink a Beer) OC: …piece of work. :36
“Having Chris Stapleton sing background on it that’s like heaven. That’s like me being in a foot race with Usain Bolt [sprinter and 6-time Olympic gold medalist] or something.  Having Chris Stapleton sing, he’s the best singer on the planet to me. So, for him to come in and lend his backgrounds on it takes this song even yet to a higher level with just how powerful he is as a singer and an artist, and he wrote the song also with Jim Beavers. I’m honored to say I’m starting to do some pieces of works. It feels like a true piece of work.”

Little Big Town will have a few surprises up their sleeves for the fans during this year’s CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock TV special airing Monday (August 12th). In addition to introducing performances at LP Field and hosting the entire show, the band will talk to several of their artist friends, including Lady Antebellum and the Zac Brown Band. The foursome, who are making their way up the country charts with “Your Side of the Bed,” also looked toward last year’s hosts in preparation for their hosting gig. “Last year, Luke [Bryan] and Kimberly [Perry], they had so much personality, and we just wanted to be relaxed and natural and a little silly if we wanted to be silly and have a good time,” says LBT’s Karen Fairchild. “It’s about connecting with the fans and keeping the energy high when were out there, but how can you not with 60,000 fans.”

The CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, which will also feature performances by Luke, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and more, airs Monday (August 12th) at 8pm ET on ABC.

LBT (hosting CMA Fest) 1 OC: …60,000 fans. :17
“Last year, Luke [Bryan] and Kimberly [Perry], they had so much personality, and we just wanted to be relaxed and natural and a little silly if we wanted to be silly and have a good time. It’s about connecting with the fans and keeping the energy high when were out there, but how can you not with 60,000 fans.”

LBT (hosting CMA Fest) 2 OC: (Phillip) …it’s evolved. 1:00
KAREN: “Lady Antebellum — they are our dear friends, and I don’t know if that was an interview as much as a fun fiesta of goofiness. [laugh] Zac Brown.” JIMI: That was kinda cool because he was telling us about his whole ‘Zamily’ eat and great. It’s an unbelievable undertaking that he has made happen so that was kinda cool.” KAREN: “That’s gonna be a nice insight for the fan because Zac is as passionate about food as he is about writing a great song.” PHILLIP: “We learned a little bit about the whole origins of this festival too. A lot of artist started out as kinda serving a picnic to the fans, and that was the origins as some of the fan club parties.  Learning that about the whole fest and how it kinda started that way it’s a cool thing to think the artist want to give back that spirit has continued on in different ways in how it’s evolved.”

Lady Antebellum teamed up with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Nicks for a new episode of CMT’s Crossroads. Meeting and collaborating for the first time, the two acts traded vocals on several of their hits and a couple of covers when they taped the show in January in L.A. in January, and it’s scheduled to air September 13th at 10pm ET on CMT. Stevie has reportedly said she spent three months learning the group’s songs and was really fond of the title cut of their latest album, Golden.

Hillary Scott says meeting the legendary rocker was like they’d known her forever. “We were literally sitting in rehearsal and…the band was getting set up and everything, and she came in and just plopped down on the  couch with us and we all just started talking,” recalls Hillary. “I mean it was just so easy.”

Lady A (Stevie Nicks-Hillary) OC: …as well. :42
“It was like we’d known her for years. Like we were literally sitting in rehearsal and we’re you know we’re all getting, the band was getting set up and everything and she came in and just plopped down on the  couch with us and we all just started talking. I mean it was just so easy. And she’s such a hard worker and you know she put in so much time and did her research and did  her homework for our songs and that was so humbling you know because she’s Stevie Nicks, she could have rolled in there and  been like and just done whatever she wanted to do. And it was just it was really easy. She was so fun to be around and to learn from and to hear her stories and to have her stamp of approval on our art, I think was a huge boost of confidence as well.”

Keith Urban gives fans a little glimpse of what life is like after a show on his Light the Fuse Tour 2013. Features include the closet on his bus and where he lays his head at night when he’s zipping down the road.

Looks like country music’s favorite college student will be taking more weekend road trips this fall. Due to the success of Scotty McCreery’s Weekend RoadTrip Tour 2013, a fall run has been announced.

The platinum-selling country artist had multiple sell-outs and more dates have been added through the end of 2013 to meet demand. With more than 150 live shows under his belt across the U.S., Canada and the Philippines, McCreery has become a fan favorite appealing to all ages.

“To have a sell-out as a new artist is really amazing for me,” says McCreery. “To have people want to come out and see our show means a lot. When you hear it is a sell-out, it hypes you up even more. We couldn’t be happier with the way it is going. It’s 90 high-energy minutes of new material and country classics combined with video, lights and fan interaction.” 

The show includes his gold-selling hits, “I Love You This Big” and “The Trouble With Girls,” from his record-setting debut album Clear As Day.  McCreery also features new material from his upcoming album being released this fall, as well as classics from artists who influenced him, such as Elvis, Garth Brooks and George Strait. 

After winning Season Ten of American Idol, Scotty immediately established himself as one of the hottest new stars in country music, earning both a platinum and gold album before turning 20. He has sold an impressive 1.6 million albums in less than two years. 

His debut album was the best -selling solo album released by a country artist in 2011 and secured his position as the youngest man in history to have his first album debut atop the all-genre Billboard Top 200 albums chart. That album, Clear As Day, was certified platinum for sales of one million in just 13 weeks. The first two singles from the album were each certified gold. In 2012, his Christmas album was also certified gold. He was named Top New Artist by Billboard and won best new artist awards at the Academy of Country Music Awards, the American Country Awards, and the CMT Awards.

He co-wrote his current single, “See You Tonight,” which is climbing the country charts. He is in the studio now with Frank Rogers (Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Trace Adkins) finishing his sophomore studio album. McCreery is also beginning his sophomore year at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

The Weekend Roadtrip tour dates will be included in McCreery’s fall schedule below. Fans can also meet McCreery by selecting his VIP Experience at select shows. Check www.ScottyMcCreery.com for more info:

NEW FALL TOUR DATES

Aug. 9–Hyannis, MA/Melody Tent

Aug. 10–Webster, MA/ Indian Ranch

Aug. 11–Cohassett, MA Melody Tent

Aug. 13–Long Island, NY/Emporium

Sept. 1–Manteo, N.C./RI Festival Park

Sept. 6–Madera, CA/ Madera District Fair

Sept. 7–Oroville, CA/Gold Country

Sept. 13–Council Bluffs, IA/Harrah’s

Sept. 14–Spencer, IA/Clay County Fair

Sept. 20–Shippensburg, PA/ Luhrs Performing Arts Ctr

Sept. 21–Baltimore, MD/Ramshead Live

Oct. 4–Salem, VA/Salem Civic Center

Oct. 5–Cherokee, N.C./Harrah’s

Oct. 21-22–Raleigh, NC/NC State Fair

Oct. 26–Troy, Ohio/Hobart Arena

Nov. 1–Danville, KY/Newlin Hall

Nov. 14—Austin, TX/Waller Cre

Nov. 15–Winnie, TX/Nutty Jerry’s

Nov. 22-23–Lincoln City, OR/Chinook

Jennifer Nettles is getting ready to hit the airwaves with her new single, “That Girl.” It’s the first release from her forthcoming solo album, which was helmed by famous producer Rick Rubin (LL Cool J, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Weezer, Johnny Cash). After taking maternity leave to dote on her precious son, Magnus, Jennifer went to work with Rubin at his studio in Malibu, California, carrying a pocketful of songs she had written

She co-wrote “That Girl” with Georgia rocker Butch Walker, who brought the idea for the song to Jennifer. “He wanted to write a song with the story of this girl who didn’t want to be THAT girl, who was reaching out to say, ‘Hey, I was with your man, but I didn’t know you were in the picture or else I wouldn’t have done it, because I didn’t want to be that girl,” she explains.

As they were writing the song, it became apparent to Jennifer that it was sort of an answer song to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” which hit the top of the country charts in 1974. Dolly has often said the inspiration behind “Jolene” was a tall, red-headed bank teller who flirted with her husband, Carl Dean, who suddenly had to make frequent trips to the bank. “That Girl” is told from the other woman’s point of view.

“As the song evolved, I said ‘This is Jolene. This is from her perspective. Wouldn’t that be interesting to hear that, because all we hear is Dolly’s perspective of saying ‘Please don’t take my man,’ which is why then once we realized that, we put that line in there ‘I’m not the scarlet devil/I don’t want to take your man,’” says Jennifer. “I was so excited to have that connection in that way, and that it happened so organically and wasn’t intentional. That it was a story that is super classic, and yet telling it was its own story and an answer to a super legendary song, which is of course Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene.’”

Jennifer Nettles (That Girl) OC: …that guy. :21
“The single, the first single, I actually wrote that with Butch Walker, and he wanted to write a song with the story of this girl who didn’t want to be THAT girl, who was reaching out to say, ‘Hey, I was with your man, but I didn’t know you were in the picture or else I wouldn’t have done it, because I didn’t want to be that girl. And I just want you to know he’s being that guy.’”

Jennifer Nettles (That Girl) 2 OC: …Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene.’ :42  cannon
“Initially, it wasn’t about ‘Jolene.’ It was just about a character. And as the song evolved, I said ‘This is Jolene. This is from her perspective. Wouldn’t that be interesting to hear that, because all we hear is Dolly’s perspective of saying ‘Please don’t take my man,’ which is why then once we realized that, we put that line in there ‘I’m not the scarlet devil/I don’t want to take your man.’ I was so excited to have that connection in that way, and that it happened so organically and wasn’t intentional. That it was a story that is super classic, and yet telling it was its own story and an answer to a super legendary song, which is of course Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene.’”

Dierks Bentley gets back on the road with the Locked and Reloaded Tour with pal, Miranda Lambert. The two are playing a bunch of amphitheaters on this leg, so check out all of the action in the latest episode of DBTV.

In the meantime, Dierks is getting ready to hit the airwaves with his brand new single, “I Hold On,” from his forthcoming album, Riser.