Kacey Musgraves is getting ready to head out on the road with Little Big Town on the band’s Tornado Tour, which kicks off Thursday (January 31st) in Murray, Kentucky. The Texas native, whose debut single “Merry Go Round” is sitting inside the Top 15, is ready for her first major tour. “I’m really lucky to have really great people working [with] me who have awesome ideas and [are] very helpful and just very instrumental in getting this whole thing rolling, because this is pretty new to me,” says Kacey. “Touring on a national scale is something that is new to me, especially with a set band that’s yours. I mean, I come from the school of playing acoustic.”

So, with this full band and a stage, what can the crowd expect to see, besides hearing amazing songs? “We’re going to have some cool aesthetic aspects to the shows too, playing off the Same Trailer, Different Park album title. I just love kitchy-ness,” admits Kacey. “I’m gonna say there might be some Astroturf involved, some pink flamingos.”

“Merry Go Round” is the first single from Kacey’s debut album, Same Trailer, Different Park, which arrives in stores March 19th.

AUDIO: Kacey Musgraves has been in rehearsals with her new band for Little Big Town’s Tornado tour, which kicks off Thursday (January 31st) in Murray, Kentucky.

Kacey Musgraves (LBT tour kickoff) OC: …that we play. :59
“It’s been really fun, and it’s all come together so fast, unbelievably fast, but I’m really lucky to have really great people working [with] me who have awesome ideas and very helpful and just very instrumental in getting this whole thing rolling, because this is pretty new to me. I mean, I’ve definitely been an artist for a long time and playing out and stuff, but touring on a national scale is something that is new to me, especially with a set band that’s yours. I mean, I come from the school of playing acoustic, which I really love. So, this is a different kind of format, and it’s really cool. We’re going to have some cool aesthetic aspects to the shows too, playing off the Same Trailer, Different Park album title. I just love kitchy-ness. I’m gonna say there might be some Astroturf involved, some pink flamingos. So, there’s gonna be some fun parts of that too, and getting comfortable and getting all the pieces together. It’s been fun, but it’s happening fast, but it’s only going to get better as the more shows that we play.”

AUDIO: LINER Kacey Musgraves (Tornado Tour)
“Hey! This is Kacey Musgraves. Looking forward to seeing you on the Tornado Tour.”

AUDIO: LINER Kacey Musgraves (Looking forward to seeing you again)
“Hey! This is Kacey Musgraves. Thanks for coming to my show last night.  See you again real soon.”

Lady Antebellum and Stevie Nicks are hitting the stage this week to tape an episode of CMT Crossroads together in Los Angeles. While we don’t know the full story behind their collaboration yet, Lady A’s Hillary Scott says it was the legendary singer’s idea. “The way that this all came about is going to be in the show, because it’s a really cool story that we’re gonna sit down and let her tell how it all came about, because it wasn’t her management calling our management or CMT trying to call each of us, because they had the idea,” says Hillary. “This was her idea, and the way it came about was very organic and beautiful and I’m gonna let her tell that story, so you’ll have to watch it to hear the story.”

The show is expected to air on CMT later this year.

In the meantime, the members of Lady A are enjoying their highest debut of a single with “Downtown” this week.

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum and Stevie Nicks pair up to tape a new episode of CMT Crossroads this week, and Hillary Scott says the idea wasn’t manufactured.

Lady A (Stevie Nicks & Crossroads) OC: …her idea. :38
“We had a conference call with her, and I was floating afterwards. I mean, this woman is amazing. She was so kind, so excited, and the way that this all came about is going to be in the show, because it’s a really cool story that we’re gonna sit down and let her tell how it all came about. Because it wasn’t her management calling our management or CMT trying to call each of us, because they had the idea. This was her idea, and the way it came about was very organic and beautiful and I’m gonna let her tell that story, so you’ll have to watch it to hear the story, but it was her idea.”

Check out Lady Antebellum’s performance of their hot new single, “Downtown,” on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Monday night (January 28th).

Lady Antebellum’s Lead Single “Downtown” Marks Highest Career Chart Debut

Grammy Winning Trio to Debut “Downtown” On The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

Nashville, TN – MCA recording artist Kip Moore released his new single, “Hey Pretty Girl” to country radio today.  The third single from his debut album Up All Night follows his two consecutive No. 1 singles “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck” and “Beer Money.”  “Hey Pretty Girl,” a song about finding your soul mate, shows a softer side to Kip than his previous singles have explored.

“‘Hey Pretty Girl’ for me is where I think every man and woman desires to be at some point in their life,” explains Kip.  “I am not at that place in my life right now, but I’m not going to fool myself.  At some point we all desire to have that person that knows you inside out and cares about you. ” 

Kip kicked off the New Year with sold out shows in Norfolk, VA, Raleigh, NC, Athens, GA, Nashville, TN and upcoming Grand Rapids, MI. Previously on tour with Eric Church last fall on The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour, Kip is headlining his own dates as well as hitting the road with Brantley Gilbert on the Hell On Wheels Tour in February and April. 

Country Aircheck named Kip the No. 1 New Artist for 2012. In just seven months he scored two consecutive number one singles from his debut album, Up All Night, which was the best selling debut album from any country artist released in 2012.  His first career No. 1 single, “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck,” held the top spot on both charts for two weeks making him the first solo artist in four years to have a debut album’s first single go No. 1 for multiple weeks.

For more information, please visit, www.kipmoore.net.

AUDIO: Kip Moore talks about his latest single, “Hey Pretty Girl,” and what sparked the idea for the song.

Kip Moore (inspiration behind Hey Pretty Girl) OC: …about it. :48
“You know, I actually wrote that the day after I had a conversation with my guitar player, Dave Lapsley. Me and Dave had been playing together for 10 years, ever since I moved to town, and I love Dave with all my heart. Dave was my guy, man, that’d I’d go hang out with and raise hell with. And when he told me his wife was pregnant, there was a complete change in Dave. He was being like, ‘Dude, we gotta make this thing happen now. We’re not making enough money, and I’ve got to support a family now.’ And I saw everything kind of change. Even though I don’t have a wife and kids, it kind of made me see it through his eyes. Even though I don’t want that right now, the next day I went into the [writing] room and I was just talking to Dan Couch about it, and I was like, ‘I hope to have that thing that I see in Dave’s eyes now one day, and I hope I want to go through life with somebody like that, and this is how I hope it is,’ and that’s what we tried to capture that day writing about it.”

Lady Antebellum will debut their new single, “Downtown,” on NBC’s Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Monday night (January 28th). The band admits to being a little nervous to hit the stage. “We’ll be singing that song live, I guess, so yeah, that’ll make it extra nervous,” says Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “I mean a lot of times we’re not as nervous, but when it’s the first time debuting a new single off a new record.”

“Downtown” debuts at number-36 on the country charts this week.

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum will debut their new single, “Downtown,” on TV tonight on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and they admit they’ll be a little nervous.

Charles – “I’m sure we will, too, because it will be …

”Dave – “The new song.”

Charles – “Yeah, we’ll be singing that song live, I guess, so yeah, that’ll make it extra nervous. I mean a lot of times we’re not as nervous, but when it’s the first time debuting a new single off a new record …”

Hillary – “Yeah, and TV.”

Charles – “TV.”

Dave – “Well, we’re so obsessed with the new record and making sure it sounds good. Bad secret, but we always kind of go into the production room and see if they’ll let us listen to it afterwards. We’re like, ‘Can we check out how it sounded?’ because we’re always just trying to make sure it sounds flawless. I mean we want our vocals and music to sound great, so that’s probably why we rehearse so much and kind of get in there. But those are fun though; I mean some of those shows that reach a big audience like that, you know. When I was in college I’d stay up with my roommates every night and we’d watch all the late night shows. And when you think about that kind of group or demographic or people that are watching that stuff late at night it’s cool. It’s not just country fans. It’s a lot of people, a lot of different ages, a lot of different types of people, so it’s cool. And hopefully this song will be something that will stick out to them, too, if they’ve heard us previously or maybe just knew one or two songs previously, maybe this’ll be one of those songs too that they’ll be like ‘Wow, that’s totally different than the stuff I’ve heard before.’ So it’s a cool platform to be able to be on that show.”

Gary Allan’s hit single, “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain),” has climbed to the top of the country charts this week, marking his fifth trip to number-one! While he usually isn’t someone who keeps an eye on the charts, this song, which he co-wrote with Hillary Lindsey and Matt Warren, is certainly the exception to the rule. “It’s funny, I never watch the charts, because it’s something I can’t control, and it drives me batty,” says Gary. “But this one, it’s been so long since we’ve had something out there, I’ve watched every inch of it and it’s been a blast to watch it go. It’s a blessing.”

“Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” is the first single from Gary’s new album, Set You Free.

Gary Allan (chart watcher on Storm) OC: …ever done. :19
“It feels great. It feels great just to be back. It’s funny, I never watch the charts, because it’s something I can’t control, and it drives me batty, you know. But this one, it’s been so long since we’ve had something out there, I’ve watched every inch of it and it’s been a blast to watch it go. It’s a blessing. It has…truly [been] the fastest thing I’ve ever done.”

Lady Antebellum has hit the airwaves in a huge way with their latest single, “Downtown.” The song, written by Luke Laird, Shane McAnally and Natalie Hemby, is fresh, sassy and uptempo, and Lady A’s Dave Haywood adds the song has a bit of a “swagger,” as well. “What we loved about it was the attitude,” says Dave. “I think right when I heard it, I was like, ‘Man, this reminds me of almost an old Sheryl Crow-kind of song from the ‘90s or some of that [kind of] production.’ So, we thought it was such a fun, energetic, kind of, a little swagger.”

It’s the first release from their upcoming as-yet-untitled album, due out later this year.

Lady A will debut the song on NBC’s The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (11:35p, ET) on Monday!

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood talks about the attitude of the band’s new single, “Downtown.”

Lady A (swagger song) OC: …swagger. :14
“What we loved about it was the attitude, you know. I think right when I heard it, I was like, ‘Man, this reminds me of almost an old Sheryl Crow-kind of song from the ‘90s or some of that [kind of] production.’ So, we thought it was such a fun, energetic, kind of, a little swagger.”