Nashville, TN – May 15, 2013 – The seven-time GRAMMY winning trio Lady Antebellum scores their third consecutive debut this week atop Billboard’s all-genre Top 200 Chart with their fourth studio album GOLDEN, which sold more than 167,000 copies in its first week. 

“It’s been so fun to get feedback from our fans,” said Hillary Scott. “There are so many ways for us to hear from them and I love finding out how people are relating to different songs. We’re really proud of this album and thankful for all the fans and to Country Radio for supporting both ‘Downtown’ and now ‘Goodbye Town’ this week!” 

People awarded the new album 3.5 out of 4 stars, calling it “their best yet.” 

“…GOLDEN] proves the trio can credibly expand their canvas as songwriters and artists without sacrificing the lush harmonies and seductive melodies that helped get them to their current golden state.”  – The Boston Globe

“Lady Antebellum shine on their new album, GOLDEN, offering up a bittersweet batch of bright, rich tracks that often hide a deeper layer…”  – Rolling Stone

“Lady A continues to experiment and grow while sounding like no one else in contemporary country music.”  – Associated Press

“…GOLDEN, the band’s fourth and finest album.”  – Washington Post

“Imparting honest lyrics with spot-on harmonies swathed in infectious melodies, GOLDEN is ultimately a shining example of what Lady Antebellum does best. With it seamless mingling of poignant ballads and upbeat tunes, it’s a stone cold winner from country music’s top trio.”    – American Songwriter

This Sunday, Lady A will appear on a special edition of ABC’s 20/20 and perform their new single “Goodbye Town” on ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night on CBS.

Since their 2006 inception, Lady A has risen quickly to become Country Music’s most influential current group. The group has won the “Vocal Group of the Year” honor from both the CMA and from the ACM’s three times in a row, earned seven GRAMMY awards and sold 11 million albums worldwide. Nine of the band’s singles are certified Gold, with four surpassing the Platinum mark. For a full list of upcoming performances and for more info on new music, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood talks about finding the best songs they could for this album.

Lady A (album) OC: …we can find.  :43
“We go through a lot of songs. We also, I think, got pitched the best songs we’ve ever gotten pitched. For us, the best song wins, you know, whether or not we wrote it, whether or not it came from someone else, whether or not we wrote it with our entire band, with eight people. To u,s what matters is the song and we line ’em all up together and you know, I think the cream rises to the top. There were a couple songs that we’ve had for a long time and a couple that came in, I mean we wrote ‘Golden’ the last- late at night, and the next morning recorded it in the studio. So,  there’s a couple that come in last minute that, we just kind of have that excitement for late in the game. But there’s some — ‘It Ain’t Pretty’ — some of these songs, we’ve had for a year or two and  some of these that we actually looked at for the last record. So, it’s good to have a big pile for us and to have to really sift through and find the best 10,11,12 that we can find.”

Kip Moore appeared on the nationally syndicated Bobby Bones Show on Wednesday morning (May 15th) to serenade Marisa, a listener and big fan. He sang his current hit single, “Hey, Pretty Girl,” and after he was finished, Marisa’s boyfriend proposed. By the way, she said, “Yes.” Check out the sweet video below.

George Strait released his new album, Love is Everything, this week. He says the song, written by Pat McLaughlin and Casey Beatherd, was the perfect title for the new collection. “If you don’t have love, what do you have? I don’t care if you have love for your wife, your husband, your children, your dogs or horses, golf clubs, you know, love is what makes the world go ‘round,” he says. “It says a lot of things about what you do out of love, and you do ‘em, not because you have to, but because you want to.”

Love is Everything features what looks like to be his 60th number-one single, “Give It All We Got Tonight.”

AUDIO: George Strait talks about the title track for his new album, Love is Everything.

George Strait (Love is Everything) OC: …love the song. :34
“If you don’t have love, what do you have, you know? I don’t care if have love for your wife, your husband, your children, your dogs or horses, golf clubs, you know, love is what makes the world go round. And I just think it was the perfect title, plus it’s a beautiful song written by Pat McLaughlin and Casey Beatherd. Just a beautiful song, and it says a lot of things about what you do out of love, and you do ‘em, not because you have to, but because you want to. And so, I just love the song.”

Nashville, TN – May 13, 2012 – Seven albums into one of country music’s most-respected and most-unpredictable careers, award-winning singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley continues to grow. His latest evolution comes in the form of RISER, a project due this fall that stands as his most personal to date.
 
Written and recorded in the year following his father’s death, the album draws its title from “I’m A Riser,” a song about resilience and determination. “I’m A Riser” works as a commentary on spiritual, personal and societal recommitment, but it also applies to the competitive battlefield of the music industry. It’s particularly appropriate for an album about rejuvenation delivered by Bentley.
 
“Life in general has a way of knocking you down,” Bentley says. “It’s different reasons for different folks – could be personal reasons, could be family reasons, your job, drugs, alcohol. That song really applies to anybody that’s lived. There have always been those moments when we have to get back up and get on our feet.  They are defining moments…breakthrough moments.”
 
Accepting change – and growing from it – is a key theme in RISER, and it’s reflected by the tone of the album, which demonstrates a new artistic depth and an extralevel of intensity for Bentley. It evolves from track to track, exuding a range of emotions, all the while impressing upon the listener that Bentley’s instinct for a hit is stronger than ever. Bentley made significant reconfigurations in his creative team to shake up his sonic texture without sacrificing his commercial drive. He re-enlisted executive producer Arturo Buenahora Jr., who worked on Bentley’s first two albums; and utilized producer Ross Copperman, who co-wrote “Tip It On Back” for Bentley’s current album Home.
 
The new atmosphere yielded the most focused and intense vocals of Bentley’s career. Some were recorded live with the band as the musicians laid down the tracks, but others were captured in less-than-obvious locales. One track’s vocal was recorded on Bentley’s tour bus. Still others were cut at Copperman’s house with the producer literally at Bentley’s side, pushing him to some of his most emotional, and seasoned, performances.
 
“It’s not even really a studio,” Bentley says of Copperman’s set-up. “It’s just kind of a corner of the house he’s taken over, so there was a kind of intimacy to the vocal process. It was important to get out of the studio and sing in different places, and to do it with other people in the room. That way, you have an audience and you get a sense of what’s working, what’s not working, when it’s feeling good, not feeling good. It brings a little more emotion and energy out of your voice.”
 
Since making a life-altering drive with his father from Phoenix to Nashville when he was 19 years old, Bentley has forged his own path in an industry built predominantly on formula.  He has mixed elements of modern country, classic country, bluegrass and rock, maintaining an unmistakable identity while constantly reinventing his sound. His album Home debuted at No. 1 and spawned three consecutive chart-topping hits, marking 10 career No. 1 songs for Bentley as a singer and songwriter. His five previous studio albums have sold more than five million copies, garnered 11 GRAMMY nominations and earned him an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. Bentley is currently out on the road playing sold out arenas and amphitheaters on the Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley: Locked & Reloaded Tour through October.
 
For a short trailer on RISER and updates on when the first single will be revealed, check www.dierks.com.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – George Strait releases Love Is Everything, his 40^th album on MCA Nashville, today, Tuesday, May 14, available at all physical and digital retailers.  Love Is Everything features Strait’s current hit “Give It All We Got Tonight” written by Mark Bright, Tim James and Phil O’Donnell. The song is poised to be the country patriarch’s 60^th career No. 1, an accomplishment no artist except the 60-year old Strait has come closing to achieving. 

For Love Is Everything, Strait again joined forces with longtime friend and producer Tony Brown.  Providing a more personal feel, this album holds four songs written or co-written by Strait with son Bubba and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon.

“I’m not sure they’ll learn anything about me they don’t already know,” Strait says with a laugh when talking about the content of Love Is Everything.  “I’ve been doing this a long time and 40 is a lot of records!”  He continues, “It’s always fun putting together songs for a new record. It can also be difficult at times. This one was both for sure, but worth every minute. I think it’s my best release in a while. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it.”

In addition, the album features songs penned by Al Anderson, Casey Beathard, L. Russell Brown, Roger Creager, Tom Douglas, Wyatt Earp, Keith Gattis, Monty Holmes, Kyle Jacobs, Donny Kees, Bill Kenner, Pat McLaughlin, Randy Montana, Jeff Silvey and Chris Stapleton. 

After over 30 years in the business, Strait still looks forward to going in the studio and enjoys it more than ever.  Many of the players on the album have worked on a number of Strait’s projects throughout of his career.

Strait kicked off 2013 in high gear for the first leg of his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. Only the June 1 show in San Antonio’s Alamodome remains in the sold out tour.  Known as the “house they built for George,” the Alamodome sold out within an astounding six minutes of going on sale. Dates for the second leg of the tour will be announced later this year.

For more information on Strait, Love Is Everything, The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, the Sixty For Sixty movement and more, visit www.GeorgeStrait.com.
Love is EverythingTrack List:
1.  I Got A Car

2.  Give It All We Got Tonight

3.  Blue Melodies

4.  I Just Can’t Go On Dying Like This

5.  I Thought I Heard My Heart Sing

6.  That’s What Breaking Hearts Do

7.  When Love Comes Around Again

8.  The Night Is Young

9.  Sittin’ On The Fence

10.  I Believe

11.  Love Is Everything

12.  You Don’t Know What You’re Missing

13.  When The Credits Roll

George Strait is set to release his highly anticipated 40th studio album, Love Is Everything, on Tuesday (May 14th). The King of Country rejoined veteran producer Tony Brown to co-produce the album, which features 13 new tracks, including the current hit single “Give It All We Got Tonight.” Love Is Everything includes four songs written or co-written by Strait, as well as with his son Bubba and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon.

With the new album’s first single “Give It All We Got Tonight” climbing the Country radio charts, the song is poised to become Strait’s 60th #1 single. Fans and fellow Country artists recently started campaigning for the Sixty For Sixty movement, which encourages local radio stations to make the song his 60th #1 single around his 61st birthday on May 18th.

George is also making the rounds as his final tour, The Cowboy Rides Away, makes its way around the country.

AUDIO: George Strait talks about how being in the studio for him has changed over the years.

George Strait (how recording has changed) OC: …to do that. :44
“Oh, I’m definitely a lot more comfortable in the studio these days. It took me a while. I mean, when you go in the studio for the first time with some pretty great players, and it’s pretty intimidating, it was for me anyway. I was nervous, really nervous, and I’m sure it showed. But I think as you continue to make records and stuff, you get a little more comfortable in the studio. A lot of the players are good friends of mine now, and I enjoy seeing them and being with them all week, however long we’re recording. So, it’s fun. I look forward to it these days, not that I didn’t look forward to it then. I was excited as hell to go, you know, I was. Not a whole lot of people get to do that.”

Lady Antebellum premiere the video for their latest single, “Goodbye Town,” on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday (May 13th). Check it out below.

Darius Rucker received his honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the University of South Carolina, on Saturday (May 11th). He also spoke during the 2013 commencement address, telling the graduating class to follow their dreams and make room for community service. School President Harris Pastides told Darius that while he’s a rock star and a cool guy, he’s now “Dr. Gamecock.”

Darius graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, with hopes of becoming a sportscaster, if his music career didn’t happen. He’s a huge supporter of the University of South Carolina, and said he’d do “anything” for the school. “There’s a lot of things I thought I was going to do in my life, but I never thought that I would speak at somebody’s graduation. You know, what an honor and I’m just really moved by the fact that that day that’s so important to them- the day that they’re graduating after four or five grueling years of having to go to school and having to take these tests with you’re finally graduating, and I’m the one giving a graduation speech. It’s full circle,” says Darius. “It’s another reason I wish my mom were still alive, you know. To witness me speaking at the college that means more to me than any school in the world, you know. The University of South Carolina is my heart.”

Darius is set to release his new album, True Believers, next Tuesday (May 21^st). The collection features his latest Top 3 single, “Wagon Wheel.”

AUDIO: Darius Rucker talks about getting his honorary doctorate from the University of South Carolina.

Darius Rucker (doctorate) OC: …for that school. :54
“I was a Journalism major at USC. I was a Broadcast Journalism major. That’s what I wanted- that was my fallback, if it didn’t work, I was hopefully going to be a sportscaster, but I have an honorary doctorate in humanities in Humane Letters from the University of South Carolina, and an honorary doctorate in Music from the University of South Carolina. There’s a lot of things I thought I was going to do in my life, but I never thought that I would speak at somebody’s graduation. You know, what an honor and I’m just really moved by the fact that that day that’s so important to them- the day that they’re graduating after four or five grueling years of having to go to school and having to take these test with your finally graduating, and I’m the one giving a graduation speech. It’s full circle. It’s another reason I wish my mom were still alive, you know. To witness me speaking at the college that means more to me than any school in the world, you know. The University of South Carolina is my heart. I would do anything for that school.”

Little Big Town’s first chart-topper, “Pontoon,” has been certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.) for two-million digital downloads. Also, Lady Antebellum’s “I Run to You,” the trio’s first number-one single from 2009, has also been certified double-platinum.

In addition, Dierks Bentley‘s “Home,” Luke Bryan‘s “Someone Else Calling You Baby” and Lady A’s “Downtown” have all been certified gold for 500,000 digital downloads.

Nashville, TN – May 13, 2013 – GRAMMY winning trio Lady Antebellum is set to premiere their new music video for “Goodbye Town” today on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and on EllenTV.com. The video was shot in Nashville and directed by Peter Zavadil. “Goodbye Town” is the second single off the trio’s new album GOLDEN, released last week. Since it’s release, the track continues to be highlighted as a standout with Rolling Stone calling it “gripping.”

“Quite possibly, the best vocal that Charles Kelley has put down yet. The lyrics strike a nostalgic tone – at least at first – but the chorus tends to suggest that the past is not somewhere he wants to be.” – Billboard

“’Goodbye Town’…pulls you in a direction both surprising and urgent…” – New York Daily News

“’Goodbye Town’ offers a tart flip side to the “Hey, remember when?” strain of songs currently running rampant in contemporary country as the memories encroach with more darkness than light.” – Boston Globe

Lady A visits the west coast this week for appearances on Chelsea Lately (today), The Voice (5/14) and ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer All-Star Special on CBS Sun., May 19. Since its 2006 inception, Lady A has risen quickly to become Country Music’s most influential current group. The group has won the “Vocal Group of the Year” honor from both the CMA and from the ACM’s three times in a row, earned seven GRAMMY awards and sold 11 million albums worldwide. Nine of the band’s singles are certified Gold, with four surpassing the Platinum mark. For a full list of upcoming performances and for more info on new music, visit www.ladyantebellum.com.