Darius Rucker has been in the studio putting the finishing touches on his next album, the follow-up to Charleston, S.C. 1966. He’s looking forward to getting the music into the hands of his fans, and he tells TasteofCountry.com that his third solo country album with be a bit “brighter.” “Hopefully it has a brighter sound with different songs,” says Darius. “We just try to do something a little bit different every time to sound a little bit different and to make records that people want to listen to. I don’t think [the process of making albums] ever gets easy, but it’s fun.”

ACCLAIMED NEW ALBUM SCORES BEST FIRST-WEEK SALES SINCE GOOD TIME 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 13, 2012) Country superstar Alan Jackson’s Thirty Miles West has debuted at the top of Billboard’s Top Country Albums sales chart, making it his 13^th album to debut in the #1 spot on release week. The album also bows at #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums sales chart that includes all genres of music, bested only by chart-blazing Adele’s 21. This is the best first-week sales for Jackson since the release of his platinum-selling Good Time in 2008. Released on June 5, Thirty Miles West is Jackson’s first new release on ACR (Alan’s Country Records)/ EMI Records Nashville; the album was produced by Keith Stegall. 

Thirty Miles West is already proving itself as an acclaimed recording. “Jackson handles both real-life drama and sly humor with laid-back grace – making Thirty Miles West another example of how to keep traditional country music relevant in modern times,” says the Associated Press, which also notes, “No other artist of his generation deserves this destiny more, for no other has better represented the traditions of country music than this Georgia native.” 

“Thirty Miles West is built on the twin pillars of Jackson’s trademark sound: country-soul ballads and twanging modern honky-tonk,” says the Chicago Tribune, adding, “He may be surrounded on the charts by a sea of Nashville pop and rock artists, but Jackson remains a country traditionalist to the bone.” 

The new album resonates with “the straightforward, down-to-earth style that has helped to make him, both artistically and commercially, such an enduring success,” says the Philadelphia Inquirer…People notes, “Thirty Miles West is a journey worth taking”…and the New York Times says, “Jackson does sublimely expressive things with the album’s lead single, ‘So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore,’ a fine, old-fashioned tear-jerker that captures a distinctly masculine blend of gallantry, taciturnity and martyrdom.” 

“So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore” continues to climb the country charts, residing inside the Top 25 this week. The music video for the song, filmed at Coney Island in New York, has topped the GAC Top 20 and become a Top 10 hit on the CMT Top 20 Countdown. 

Jackson wrote six of the 13 songs included on Thirty Miles West. Writing about the new album, Billboard reported, “Jackson is in an elite group of songwriters, including Paul McCartney and John Lennon, who’ve written more than 20 of their own chart-topping tunes. In the country format, he’s second only to Merle Haggard in terms of writing or co-writing number one hits that he’s also recorded.” 

Thirty Miles West is Jackson’s 14^th studio album; it’s the latest in an unbroken string of 20 albums that have reached the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart – that list also includes three hits collections, two holiday albums, and his acclaimed 2006 gospel album, Precious Memories, which remains one of the Top 3 best-selling Catalog Country Albums this week. 

About Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music. Jackson is one of the 10 best-selling artists since the inception of SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica. Jackson has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide, topped the country singles charts 35 times, and scored more than 50 Top-10 hits. He has written or co-written 25 of his 35 #1 hit singles. Jackson is a 17-time ACM Award winner, a 16-time CMA Award recipient, and a two-time Grammy-winning artist whose songwriting has earned him the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award and an induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as a 2011 Songwriter/Artist inductee.

Alan Jackson’s Thirty Miles West debuts at the top of the Billboard country albums chart. The album sold more than 73,000 copies to enter at No. 1 on the country chart and at No. 2 overall. It’s his best chart peak since Good Time debuted at No. 1 on the Top 200 in 2008. The collection features his current Top 25 single, “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore,” as well as “Long Way to Go” and “Dixie Highway,” which features his fellow Georgian, Zac Brown. ““There’s some cool things on there. It’s kind of like most of my albums, just a mixture of uptempo and fun and serious things and heartache songs,” says Alan. “There’s ‘Dixie Highway’ — it’s a fun thing that’s just about kinda stuff I’ve written before about growing up in the South, and I got Zac Brown – he owed me a song since I sang with him on one, so he’s singing on it.” 

AUDIO: Alan Jackson talks about his new album, Thirty Miles West. 

Alan Jackson (new album) OC: …singing on it. :36

“There’s some cool things on there. It’s kind of like most of my albums, just a mixture of uptempo and fun and serious things and heartache songs…there’s a song I wrote, it’s kind of hard to sing or listen to, because I wrote it when Denise when she found out she had cancer a year or so ago. It just knocked me down, and it was really tough, and this song came out of it. [There’s] a lot of emotion in that song. Then there’s ‘Dixie Highway’ — it’s a fun thing that’s just about kinda stuff I’ve written before about growing up in the South, and I got Zac Brown – he owed me a song since I sang with him on one, so he’s singing on it.”

Jon Pardi has been singing and playing music since probably before he can remember, and country music was always his love. His grandmother played a huge role in his love of all things country music and would drag out her karaoke machine every time he visited. “My grandmother loved to sing, and she would sing anywhere she could, ‘cause it made her happy,” recalls Jon. “And so when my parents would leave me with her while they went to work, most of the time we were in the little room with George Strait tapes and Garth Brooks and Randy Travis, George Jones. I mean, all just traditional country singin’ and having a good time recording ourselves.” 

He says she also helped him develop his performing skills, as well. “My grandma was a great performer, I mean that’s really all. She didn’t have the great voice, but she could definitely entertain a room, and I got some of that too I think from her.” 

Jon is currently headed up the charts with his debut single, “Missin’ You Crazy.” 

AUDIO: Jon Pardi says he got his musical talent and on-stage personality from his grandmother. 

Jon Pardi (grandmother) OC: …from her. :36

“My grandmother loved to sing, and she would sing anywhere she could ‘cause it made her happy. And so when my parents would leave me with her while they went to work, most of the time we were in the little room when George Strait tapes and Garth Brooks, and Randy Travis, George Jones, I mean all just traditional country singin’ and having a good time recording ourselves. And so growing up with that, it really just, I grew up singing so it really helped me get my voice in, and my grandma was a great performer, I mean that’s really all. She didn’t have the great voice, but she could definitely entertain a room and I got some of that too I think from her.”

Eric Church has been added to the list of performers at this year’s Canadian Country Music Awards. The CCMAs will be handed out September 9th in Saskatoon, SK. He’s joined by Paul Brandt, George Canyon and previously announced performers Miranda Lambert, Pistol Annies, Deric Ruttan and Dean Brody. This will be Eric’s first time performing on the CCMA Awards stage.

Newcomer Jon Pardi is crisscrossing the country with his band, The All Nighters, and promoting his single, “Missin’ You Crazy!” Meet the band in the new episode of his webisode series, “My Name is Jon.”

Eric Church is not only celebrating a number-one single with “Springsteen,” but he also recently scored his FIRST platinum-selling single, as well. “It’s pretty surreal to me that it’s a platinum single and sold a million copies. And it’s a testament to everybody out there that feels kinda the way I did,” says Eric. “It’s been one of those songs that really transported you back to a place and a time, and I’m glad we get to go out there and sing it every night.” 

Eric will definitely be performing “Springsteen” when he hits the road during the fall leg of his Blood, Sweat & Beers tour, kicking off September 13th in Amherst, Massachusetts. 

AUDIO: Eric Church talks about his platinum-selling single, “Springsteen,” which is spending its first week at the top of the country charts. 

Eric Church (Springsteen platinum) OC: …every night. :27

“It’s pretty surreal to me that it’s a platinum single and sold a million copies. And it’s a testament to everybody out there that feels kinda the way I did. You know, every time they hear that song, they’re 16 or 17 or however old they again, and they’re back at that concert experience for them. It’s just a special song. It’s been since the moment we wrote it, it’s been one of those songs that really transported you back to a place and a time, and I’m glad we get to go out there and sing it every night.”

Eric Church’s “Springsteen” has taken over the top spot on both the Mediabase/Country Aircheck and Billboard country charts. The song is Eric’s second number-one single, following “Drink in My Hand” – marking back-to-back chart-toppers. Eric says every time he performs “Springsteen,” he remembers his first concert at an amphitheater when he was 16. “I can remember spreading that blanket down, and I can still see the faces of the people that were there with me; I still remember what the weather was like; I can still remember what the air smelled like, what the sky looked like,” he recalls. “And I think the great thing about that song – you always try to write music and record music that sparks a memory, and there’s a line in the song – ‘Funny how a melody sounds like a memory.’ That’s exactly what ‘Springsteen’ is for me, and I hope that that’s what it’s for for everybody out there.” 

Both “Springsteen” and “Drink in My Hand” is from his nearly platinum-selling album, Chief. 

AUDIO: Eric Church says his new number-one single, “Springsteen,” takes him back to when he was 16-years-old at his first amphitheater experience. 

Eric Church (Springsteen inspiration) OC: …everybody out there. :38

“Springsteen’ is one of those songs that every night that I sing it, I can remember being 16 years old at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, North Carolina – my first amphitheater experience up there on the lawn. And I can remember spreading that blanket down, and I can still see the faces of the people that were there with me; I still remember what the weather was like; I can still remember what the air smelled like, what the sky looked like. And I think the great thing about that song – you always try to write music and record music that sparks a memory, and there’s a line in the song – ‘Funny how a melody sounds like a memory.’ That’s exactly what ‘Springsteen’ is for me, and I hope that that’s what it’s for for everybody out there.”

Darius Rucker helped raised $121,000 for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital through his fundraising golf tournament and benefit concert held Monday (June 4th) in Nashville. Rodney Atkins, Clint Black, Rodney Atkins, Sunny Sweeney and Chuck Wicks were among the additional performers on the bill. In addition to his participation at this year’s CMA Music Festival, Darius has been in the studio working on his next album.

Platinum-selling country quartet Little Big Town sizzled at the 2012 CMT Music Awards during the performance of their newest single, “Pontoon.” The band brought a full-size pontoon boat to the stage and sang from its balcony, and the performance became one of the highlights of the show that evening.

Little Big Town’s stand-out performance that night created a significant digital sales increase, as “Pontoon” single sales spiked over 250%. “Pontoon” has sold nearly 100,000 downloads since becoming available for purchase only two weeks ago.  

“Pontoon” is the first single from Little Big Town’s upcoming fifth studio album, produced by Jay Joyce, which is set for release this fall. Written by Natalie Hemby, Luke Laird and Barry Dean, “Pontoon” has received rave critical praise to date and has been called the “song of the summer.” 

Little Big Town will perform at LP Field on Saturday (June 9th) during CMA Music Festival, and their performance will air on the ABC Television Special CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL: COUNTRY’S NIGHT TO ROCK on Monday, September 17th from 8-11p (ET/PT). 

For more information, be sure to visit www.littlebigtown.com.

AUDIO: Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman says her husband has a cool concept for a Pontoon boat.  

LBT (Airstream Pontoon) OC: (Kimberly) …you could. :20

KIMBERLY: “My husband has an idea for a Pontoon. Take the aluminum floaters and putting an Airstream on it and welding that together and covering the top with Astroturf, and then you can sit up there and you can have a slide from the Astroturf down to the water.” PHILLIP: “And you can put a Tee-box off the top.” KAREN: “That’s what I thought you were gonna say.” [Jimi laughs] PHILLIP: “Play golf off the top of the Airstream.” KIMBERLY: “You could.”