We are just one week away from the release of Little Big Town’s highly-anticipated fifth studio album, Tornado. The title certainly describes what is going on in the band’s career, as well as the process of recording the album. “It definitely, to me, describes how the album happened,” laughs LBT’s Jimi Westbrook. “The recording process alone was this big storm that happened, and it was fast and furious and then it was just gone and over. I feel like that really is a good description of that.”T

Tornado, which is set for release September 11th, includes their new No. 1 single, “Pontoon.”

The group will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America (September 10th) with a performance during the premiere week of The Ellen DeGeneres Show (September 13th). The band will also perform on the upcoming ABC Television Special CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY’S NIGHT TO ROCK (September 17th) and will also be featured on CMT’s Unplugged Series which will premiere on CMT.com September 11th and on CMT September 18th. 

AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook talks about the title of the band’s new album, Tornado.

LBT (Tornado title) OC: …we love. :22

“I think Tornado describes the album. It definitely, to me, describes how the album happened.” [laughs] KIMBERLY: “Yes.” JIMI: “The recording process alone was this big storm that happened, and it was fast and furious and then it was just gone and over. I feel like that really is a good description of that, and it’s a song on the record that we love.”

Little Big Town are celebrating their very first No. 1 single this week, as “Pontoon” hits the top of both the Mediabase/Country Aircheck and Billboard country singles charts. The song, the first release from their new album Tornado, was just certified platinum by the R.I.A.A. last week for more than one-million downloads (their first platinum-selling single). The track – written by Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird and Barry Dean — is their fastest selling-single to date and has spent four weeks as a No. 1 country digital download, as well as topping the country chart in Canada just last week.

“Pontoon” is being called the “song of the summer,” and LBT’s Phillip Sweet would have to agree with that assessment. “It’s just fun,” he says. “It feels like summer, and it feels exactly what it sounds like. I grew up on pontoon boats in the summer on the lakes and just having a blast, so it’s good ole clean summertime fun.”

During their 13-year-plus career, Little Big Town has sold more than 1.5 million records, racked up numerous Grammy, CMA and ACM nominations and enjoyed a handful of Top 10 country hits (“Boondocks” and “Bring It On Home” from their platinum 2005 album The Road to Here, and “Little White Church” from their acclaimed 2010 release, The Reason Why).

Little Big Town’s preparing for the release of their highly-anticipated fifth studio album, Tornado, set for release September 11th, with coast-to-coast television appearances, including ABC’s Good Morning America (September 10th) and a performance during the premiere week of The Ellen DeGeneres Show (September 13th). The band will perform on the upcoming ABC Television Special CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY’S NIGHT TO ROCK (September 17th) and will also be featured on CMT’s Unplugged Series which will premiere on CMT.com September 11th and on CMT September 18th.  

Luke Bryan is headed to the small screen this week. He’ll be in New York City for appearnaces on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (September 5th) and ABC’s Good Morning America on Thursday (September 6th), where he’ll perform his latest single, “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.”

The Georgia native is thrilled to make his first performance on Fallon, who is a huge fan of music. “I think Jimmy Fallon embodies, you know, my generation and the youth generation of night-time, late-night TV,” says Luke. “And he’s certainly crazy as it gets…it’s a big honor to be a part of his show.

He makes his second appearance on GMA, having performed as part of the Summer Concert Series a couple of months ago. Forming a bond with host Robin Roberts during his first time on the show, Luke sends prayers and well-wishes as she undergoes a bone marrow transplant for MDS, a rare blood disorder which developed after she underwent treatment for breast cancer. (Roberts’ mother, Lucimarian Roberts, died late Thursday and she was with her mother in Mississippi, leaving a day earlier than she had planned.) “She’s such a beautiful spirit and soul,” says Luke. “I know since I’ve been on the show, she is taking a leave of absence for her health and very close to getting her bone marrow transplant, which on behalf of me and my family and everybody in my organization, we will be praying for her and praying for a speedy, strong recovery. I tell you what, she’s just such an amazing woman, and no doubt in my mind will pull through and come back stronger than ever.”

You can also catch Luke on TV in a couple of weeks. He will be co-hosting ABC’s CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock with The Band Perry’s Kimberly Perry on Monday, September 17th at 8pm ET.

AUDIO: Luke Bryan is excited about performing on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday.

Luke Bryan (Jimmy Fallon) OC: …of Fallon. : 23

“I think Jimmy Fallon embodies, you know, my generation and the youth generation of night-time, late-night TV. And he’s certainly crazy as it gets. And to be involved and to be on that show, he’s a music guy and a fan of music – it’s a big honor to be a part of his show. So, we’re very excited to be a part of Fallon.”

AUDIO: Luke Bryan sends his thoughts and prayers to Good Morning America anchor, Robin Roberts, who is on a leave of absence for bone marrow transplant surgery.

Luke Bryan (GMA-Robin) OC: …the show. :40
“She’s such a beautiful spirit and soul. I know since I’ve been on the show, she is taking a leave of absence for her health and very close to getting her bone marrow transplant, which on behalf of me and my family and everybody in my organization, we will be praying for her and praying for a speedy, strong recovery. I tell you what, she’s just such an amazing woman, and no doubt in my mind will pull through and come back stronger than ever. So, we’re certainly excited to see her back smiling so beautifully, and hopefully, I can see her very, very soon. And we’re very excited to be coming to the show.”

T.J. MARTELL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES LITTLE BIG TOWN TO PERFORM AT 37^TH ANNUAL NEW YORK HONORS GALA OCTOBER 23, 2012

 New York, New York… August 31, 2012… The T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS Research announced today that one of Country Music’s most popular groups Little Big Town will perform at its 37^th Annual Honors Gala on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at the legendary Ciprianis on 42^nd St in New York. With the highly anticipated release of Little Big Town’s full-length album, Tornado, hitting the nation on September 11, 2012, the Capitol Records recording artists have found themselves on an impressive road to country music super stardom. Little Big Town includes Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook, a group famous for their four part harmonies. 

In addition to its title track, Tornado includes their summertime smash hit, “Pontoon,” as well as “Your Side Of The Bed,” “Sober,” “Front Porch Thing” and seven other original songs from the powerhouse group. 

“We have had the pleasure of working with T.J.Martell for many, many years and it’s our great privilege to be invited to be part of the Honors Gala to celebrate all of the 2012 Honorees and their contributions for such a worthy cause,” said  Karen Fairchild. 

Little Big Town will join fellow performer Grace Potter and presenters to help pay tribute to honorees Russell Simmons, Del Bryant, Edward Walson and Randy Jackson. The T.J. Martell Foundation’s gala has long been a who’s who amongst celebrities and musical performers. The special evening includes a star-studded red carpet, musical performances by some of today’s greatest performers and attendance by celebrity friends and families. The night also includes a fantastic cocktail reception, dinner, awards presentation and world-class silent auction to raise funds for cancer and AIDS research. Red carpet arrivals will begin at 6pm EST.  Tickets and tables are available for purchase by calling the TJ Martell Foundation at (646) 841-1394 or at www.tjmartellfoundation.org 

AUDIO: Little Big Town talk about their involvement with the TJ Martell Foundation.

LBT (TJ Martell event) OC: (Phillip) …is there. :35

Dierks Bentley was the guest of honor at a No. 1 party for his recent chart-topper,“5-1-5-0,” at Nashville’s Tin Roof Thursday afternoon. The inspiration behind the song – his 10th No. 1 hit — first came from Van Halen then from his song, “Country and Cold Cans,” which he wrote a few years ago. His co-writer, Jim Beavers, asked him about 51-50 one time, and from that moment on begged him to write a song about it. It was from a song that I had written before and then he heard that and we wrote a song from that particular line. That’s where it came from – sitting on a beach, on Panama City Beach, which I hope is still there, and drinking beer and writing a song about drinking beer and listening to country music.”

Dierks, who drove up to the party in a black ’67 Camaro, planned an after-party celebration with his daughter, Evie, on the ice at Bridgestone Arena. The city’s NHL team, Nashville Predators, had an event where dads could skate with their daughters, so he had packed up all of his hockey gear before leaving the house.

Dierks has hit the airwaves in a big way with his latest single, “Tip It On Back,” the follow-up to “5-1-5-0.”

AUDIO: Dierks Bentley explains the inspiration behind his recent No. 1 hit, “5-1-5-0.”

Dierks (#1 5-1-5-0) OC: …and country music. :26

“A song I had written before called ‘Country and Cold Cans,’ I wrote by myself and it had the line, ‘Y’all, let’s get 51-50 tonight.’ And Jim [Beavers] had heard that and asked, ‘What does that mean?’ So, I explained that to him. It was from a song that I had written before and then he heard that and we wrote a song from that particular line. That’s where it came from – sitting on a beach, on Panama City Beach, which I hope is still there, and drinking beer and writing a song about drinking beer and listening to country music.”

Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” Certified Platinum

National TV Appearances Include ABC’s Good Morning America And The Ellen DeGeneres Show Supporting September 11^th “Tornado” Album Release           

  “Tornado” Available For Pre-Order Now

 Country super group Little Big Town has earned a RIAA Platinum certification for their current summer smash, “Pontoon,” the lead single from their upcoming album Tornado, in stores September 11^th. The track is their fastest selling-single to date and has spent four weeks as a #1 country digital download.  Written by Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird and Barry Dean, “Pontoon” has received rave critical praise and has been called the “song of the summer.” 

Little Big Town is preparing for the release of their highly anticipated fifth studio album Tornado, out September 11^th, with coast-to-coast television appearances, including ABC’s Good Morning America (September 10^th) and a performance during the premiere week of The Ellen DeGeneres Show (September 13^th).  The band will perform on the upcoming ABC Television Special “CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY’S NIGHT TO ROCK,” (September 17^th) and will also be featured on CMT’s Unplugged Series which will premiere on CMT.com September 11^th and on CMT September 18^th.   

Fans anxiously awaiting the September 11^th release of Tornado can now pre-order the album at www.littlebigtown.com, Amazon or iTunes.

Little Big Town react to the success of their single, “Pontoon,” which has just been certified platinum.

LBT (Pontoon) 1 OC: …people smile. :31

JIMI: “How cool?” PHILLIP: “It’s so rewarding.” KAREN: “People like to motorboat!” [laughs] JIMI: “That’s right!” PHILLIP: “And you know, the great thing about this song too is it just makes people smile, so it’s a happy thing to celebrate this for us on a commercial level, but the mood that it creates and the party…what a great introduction to this record. And I think when people put on this album, the first four songs are gonna make you feel really good and are gonna take you on a ride. So, I’m just so, so proud of that, and I’m so glad that it’s making people smile.” 

LINER Darius Rucker (Labor Day)
Hey! It’s Darius Rucker, and I hope you have a have a happy work-free Labor Day weekend.

LINER Eric Church (Labor Day)
Hey! It’s Eric Church, and I hope you have a have a happy Labor Day weekend.

LINER Eric Paslay (Labor Day)
Hey! It’s Eric Paslay, and I hope you have a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

LINER Jon Pardi (Labor Day weekend)
Hey! It’s Jon Pardi, and I hope you have a happy and work-free Labor Day weekend.

LINER Kelleigh Bannen (Labor Day)
Hi! I’m Kelleigh Bannen, and I hope you have a happy Labor Day weekend.

LINER LBT (Labor Day)

Hi! We’re Little Big Town, hoping you have a work-free Labor Day weekend.

LINER Luke Bryan (Labor Day weekend)
Hey! It’s Luke Bryan, and I hope you have a have a happy Labor Day weekend.

Nashville, Tenn. – Capitol Records Nashville’s Darius Rucker debuted his new single “True Believers” at country radio this week. “True Believers” is the first single from Rucker’s upcoming third solo country album which is produced by Frank Rogers and will be released in early 2013.

Rucker admits that as a songwriter, the melody and the lyrics really come to him at the same time during the process. “Josh [Kear] brought the general idea of ‘True Believers’ into the writing sessions, and to me, it was so exactly what I wanted to say. It’s such a defiant song for me – the message that ‘My life works for me, whether it’s what you agree with or not’ – and it’s something I am really proud of as a singer and a writer. With this record as a whole, we wanted to do something a little different,” shares Rucker. “It’s really all about the songs, and I think ‘True Believers’ is a great sample of what’s to come from my third album.”

Rucker’s first two country albums, Learn To Live and Charleston, SC 1966 both topped the Billboard Country album chart and produced five No. 1 singles including “Come Back Song,” “This,” “Alright,” “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” and “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” In 2009 Rucker was named New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards.

The track is now available on iTunes.

For more information, please visit www.dariusrucker.com.

AUDIO: Darius Rucker talks about his new single, “True Believers.”

Darius Rucker (True Believers) OC: …very disappointed. :20

“‘True Believers’ is real different. I mean, for me even singing it, you know, I’ve never sung a song like that. And it’s such a defiant song for me. It’s just a song of, ‘I’m gonna make my life work no matter what you all say or think,’ and I’ve lived my life like that for 46 years now. Singing that was awesome. When we were done with that one, I was very disappointed.”

LUKE BRYAN TO APPEAR ON LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON AND
GOOD MORNING AMERICA

 Appearances Set for Wednesday, September 5 and Thursday, September 6

             Nashville- (August 28, 2012) –  Country music superstar Luke Bryan will head to the Big Apple next week to make appearances on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America on Sept. 5^th and Sept. 6^th respectively.  Luke will perform his new co-written smash hit single “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” from his Platinum-selling album tailgates & tanlines. 

In addition, Luke will also be in town promoting the ABC Television Special “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night To Rock,” which Luke co-hosts with Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry.  The special
will air on Monday, Sept. 17th, 8:00-11:00 PM ET.

Luke Bryan recently scored his third consecutive Platinum single with “Drunk On You” from his
Platinum-certified album, tailgates & tanlines.  The single joins previous Platinum tracks “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and the two-week #1 hit “I Don’t Want This Night To End.”

Luke is currently on the “My Kind of Party Tour” with Jason Aldean and also headlining his own shows this summer and fall.  In October, Luke will embark on his fourth-annual “Farm Tour” 2012 with eight concerts planned through several southern states, including five in his home state of Georgia.