• Parker McCollum Burn It Down
  • Tyler Hubbard Back Then Right Now
  • Jordan Davis Tucson Too Late
  • Sam Hunt Outskirts
  • Anne Wilson Rain in the Rearview
  • Chris Stapleton Think I'm In Love With You

News

LITTLE BIG TOWN AND SUGARLAND SET FOR WORLD PREMIERE COLLABORATION LIVE ON THE 2024 CMT MUSIC AWARDS APRIL 7TH ON CBS.

Little Big Town and Sugarland will collaborate on an electrifying world premiere performance at the 2024 CMT MUSIC AWARDS. This special performance corresponds with Little Big Town celebrating 25 years together.

The two country music stalwarts last shared the stage at the CMT Music Awards 15 years ago when they were joined by Jake Owen for “Life In A Northern Town.”

They join previously announced performers Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Jordan Davis + NEEDTOBREATHE, Parker McCollum with Brittney Spencer, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Old Dominion, Bailey Zimmerman, Megan Moroney, Trisha Yearwood and host Kelsea Ballerini.

Voting is open through April 1st at vote.cmt.com.

The 2024 CMT Music Awards will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on April7th beginning at 8pm ET/PT on CBS and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Catch Little Big Town on Friday, April 5th for CMT STORYTELLERS: LITTLE BIG TOWN beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

 

PARKER McCOLLUM WILL “BURN IT DOWN” WITH BRITTNEY SPENCER ON THE CMT MUSIC AWARDS.

Parker McCollum will perform his latest hit, “Burn It Down,” on next month’s CMT Music Awards with special guest, Brittney Spencer. He tells us it’s going to be a super special performance.

“Brittney Spencer is going to be singing that song with me,” says Parker. “We’re gonna feature her in the performance, and I mean, that’s super special. No question she’ll kill it!”

Previously announced performers include Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Jordan Davis, Trisha Yearwood, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, NEEDTOBREATHE and the show’s host, Kelsea Ballerini. Performers also announced today include Parker and Brittney, as well as Cody Johnson, Old Dominion and Megan Moroney.

Parker says he’s excited to showcase his latest single on national television, since it’s been a huge part of his growth over the past year. “That song’s been so big for us. ‘Burn It Down’ has been a huge hit for us, and so to get the opportunity to perform it on the CMT Awards live on television in Austin, Texas is pretty special,” says Parker. “What that song’s done for us in the past year is what you dream of with every song you send to radio, every song you release. It’s been a big reason that we’ve been able to level up and kind of been fortunate enough to keep growing in this business. So, to get to kind of shine a spotlight on that song on national TV is, that’s gonna be rowdy.”

https://twitter.com/CMT/status/1772626286155878577

The CMT Music Awards will air live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on April 7th at 8pm ET/7pm CT on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Parker is currently on his Burn It Down Tour, which makes its next stop in Abilene, Texas on April 4th.

Audio / Parker McCollum talks about having special guest Brittney Spencer perform with him on the CMT Music Awards.

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Parker McCollum (CMT Music Awards Brittney) OC: …she’ll kill it! :08
“Brittney Spencer is going to be singing that song with me. We’re gonna feature her in the performance, and I mean, that’s super special. No question she’ll kill it!”

Audio / Parker McCollum talks about being able to showcase his latest hit, "Burn It Down," on national television when he will perform it on this year's CMT Music Awards.

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Parker McCollum (CMT Music Awards Burn It Down) OC: …gonna be rowdy. :29
“That song’s been so big for us. ‘Burn It Down’ has been a huge hit for us, and so to get the opportunity to perform it on the CMT Awards live on television in Austin, Texas is pretty special. What that song’s done for us in the past year is what you dream of with every song you send to radio, every song you release. It’s been a big reason that we’ve been able to level up and kind of been fortunate enough to keep growing in this business. So, to get to kind of shine a spotlight on that song on national TV is, that’s gonna be rowdy.”

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TYLER HUBBARD READY TO HIT THE ROAD WITH PAL KANE BROWN.

Tyler Hubbard is experiencing a full circle moment going out with Kane Brown on his In the Air Tour. Years ago when Kane was just starting out, he opened for Florida Georgia Line, and now as a solo artist, Tyler is heading out as direct support for Kane’s massive tour.

“I’ve known Kane (Brown) for a while, you know? He actually opened up for us (Florida Georgia Line) five or six years ago, seven years ago, we were one of his first tours, and I remember a fun story,” Tyler recalls. “Like one of our first shows together, I was out shooting basketball with him, just hanging out and kinda getting to know him, and I was asking him, ‘How long you been doing this? Like, how long have you been playing shows and stuff?’ He was like, ‘This is my sixth show, ever.’ I was like, ‘Dude-six? Like six?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ I’m like, ‘Okay buddy, well, good luck! (laughs) There’s only 30-thousand people out there, so…good luck.”

He adds, “It was incredible to watch him take on the challenge and grow a ton on that tour and now it’s full circle. Now I’m getting to open up for him and I’ve watched him play and I’m just like, ‘Wow!’ He’s really grown into something special and he’s just an awesome dude. He’s a great artist. I think he has really found himself and knows who he is and what he wants to be. It’s just cool to see, because it’s not every day that you have that story and not every day that you get to see artists kind of keep it together and be consistent and put out great music and maintain a family and do what he’s doing. So, a lot of love for Kane. I’m excited to be back out with him, and I know we’re going to have a good time.”

Tyler is out with Kane for most of trek, and his dates, which begins with the launch of the tour on Thursday (March 28th) in Charlottsville, Virginia, currently run through June 7th in Raleigh, North Carolina. He will rejoins Kane at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on August 24th.

Jon Pardi, Chris Young, Bailey Zimmerman, Parmalee, Jackson Dean and others will also join Kane on select dates.

Tyler is currently making his way to the top of the country charts with his latest single, “Back Then Right Now,” from his upcoming album, Strong.

Audio / Tyler Hubbard talks about Kane Brown opening up for Florida Georgia Line when he was first starting out.

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Tyler Hubbard (Kane Brown tour) 1 OC: …so…good luck. :36
“I’ve known Kane (Brown) for a while, you know? He actually opened up for us (Florida Georgia Line) five or six years ago, seven years ago, we were one of his first tours, and I remember a fun story. Like one of our first shows together, I was out shooting basketball with him, just hanging out and kinda getting to know him, and I was asking him, ‘How long you been doing this? Like, how long have you been playing shows and stuff?’ He was like, ‘This is my sixth show, ever.’ I was like, ‘Dude-six? Like six?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ I’m like, ‘Okay buddy, well, good luck! (laughs) There’s only 30-thousand people out there, so…good luck.”

Audio / Tyler Hubbard says he's experiencing a full circle moment opening up for Kane Brown on his In The Air Tour.

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Tyler Hubbard (Kane Brown tour) 2 OC: …a good time. :39
“It was incredible to watch him take on the challenge and grow a ton on that tour and now it’s full circle. Now I’m getting to open up for him and I’ve watched him play and I’m just like, ‘Wow!’ He’s really grown into something special and he’s just an awesome dude. He’s a great artist. I think he has really found himself and knows who he is and what he wants to be. It’s just cool to see, because it’s not every day that you have that story and not every day that you get to see artists kind of keep it together and be consistent and put out great music and maintain a family and do what he’s doing. So, a lot of love for Kane. I’m excited to be back out with him, and I know we’re going to have a good time.”

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KEITH URBAN JOINS NBC’S THE VOICE AS THE MEGA MENTOR THIS SEASON.

Keith Urban is joining NBC’s The Voice as this season’s Mega Mentor. Beginning with next Monday’s (April 8th) episode, Keith will mentor the remaining artists who have made it through the battle rounds and get ready for the knockout rounds. Coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend, Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay will choose the inner from their team to advance to the playoffs before the live shows start.

Keith spent a lot of his own time competiting in talent competitions on TV, even when he was just nine years old. While it was a bit of a brutal experience, it made him work even harder on his chosen craft.

“I was on a few singing talent TV shows when I was a kid, a bunch of them actually,” Keith recalls. “The first one I did I was nine-years-old and my Mom and Dad got me on to a TV show called Pot of Gold. It was a singing competition show with three judges, one of whom was just a really unfiltered, unapologetic, vicious, scathing kind of judge. (laughs) This was a long time before Simon Cowell’s template. This guy had it nailed, and at nine-years-old I was subjected to this, and I got kind of crucified by this judge. It didn’t faze me, you know? And then I went on other shows after that, but my experience with all of those was really loving good feedback, constructive feedback, even if it was something I needed to work on. I remember the judge telling me to kindly learn how to sing in tune. (laughs) I’m like, ‘Okay?!’”

Keith has been a coach on The Voice in Australia, a mentor on NBC’s The Voice here in the States and now a Mega Mentor. He also spent several years at the judges table for “American Idol.”  The best part of this kind of job for Keith is the mentoring — helping contestants figure out what they need to work on to get better…in a nice way.

“Just getting good advice and honest advice was something I really loved and needed, so it was a no-brainer when I got asked to do it,” he says. “The first one I got asked to do was be a coach on The Voice in Australia on their first season, and I did it. I loved it. Then I did quite a few seasons of American Idol as a judge on American Idol and loved it. So, when The Voice here in the States asked me to come and be a mentor and now a Mega Mentor, whatever that means – I feel like a Transformer – I jumped at the opportunity, because the mentoring part I particularly love. I love that the most. I love being able to try and help an artist navigate some things they’ve got to work on and try and be constructive and helpful but also do it in a supportive way. Nobody wants to get humiliated in front of people, but you do need honest advice as well, so I love that opportunity.”

Keith previously appeared on The Voice as an advisor to Blake Shelton during Season 15 and also served as a coach in the Australian version of the competition show for Seasons 1, 10 and 11.

Keith recently released his new single, “Messed Up As Me,” and it’s currently closing in on Top 35 on the country charts.

 

Audio / Keith Urban talks about going on talent competition shows when he was a kid.

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Keith Urban (The Voice Mega Mentor) 1 OC: …I’m like, ‘Okay.’ :53
“I was on a few singing talent TV shows when I was a kid, a bunch of them actually. The first one I did I was nine-years-old and my Mom and Dad got me on to a TV show called Pot of Gold. It was a singing competition show with three judges, one of whom was just a really unfiltered, unapologetic, vicious, scathing kind of judge. (laughs) This was a long time before Simon Cowell’s template. This guy had it nailed, and at nine-years-old I was subjected to this, and I got kind of crucified by this judge. It didn’t faze me, you know? And then I went on other shows after that, but my experience with all of those was really loving good feedback, constructive feedback, even if it was something I needed to work on. I remember the judge telling me to kindly learn how to sing in tune. (laughs) I’m like, ‘Okay?!’”

Audio / Keith Urban talks about his love of mentoring younger talent in a nice, but honest way and why he jumped at the chance to be the Mega Mentor on NBC's The Voice this season.

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Keith Urban (The Voice Mega Mentor) 2 OC: …that opportunity. :50
“Just getting good advice and honest advice was something I really loved and needed, so it was a no-brainer when I got asked to do it. The first one I got asked to do was be a coach on The Voice in Australia on their first season, and I did it. I loved it. Then I did quite a few seasons of American Idol as a judge on American Idol and loved it. So, when The Voice here in the States asked me to come and be a mentor and now a Mega Mentor, whatever that means – I feel like a Transformer – I jumped at the opportunity, because the mentoring part I particularly love. I love that the most. I love being able to try and help an artist navigate some things they’ve got to work on and try and be constructive and helpful but also do it in a supportive way. Nobody wants to get humiliated in front of people, but you do need honest advice as well, so I love that opportunity.”

SAM HUNT REVEALS LOCKED UP EP, AVAILABLE ON APRIL 5TH.

Sam Hunt announces his Locked Up EP coming out April 5th. The four-song project includes Hunt’s latest, the “Locked Up” title track released on Friday, his current Top 10 hit song “Outskirts,” plus two brand new songs. Hunt co-wrote three of the four tracks, and enlisted fellow songwriters Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Jeremy Flowers, Luke Laird, Michael Lotten, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne for the project. Fans can pre-save Locked Up HERE.

 

Locked Up EP Track List:

  1. Locked Up (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
  2. Country House (Sam Hunt, Ross Copperman, Michael Lotten, Josh Osborne)
  3. Last Hurrah (Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
  4. Outskirts (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, Josh Osborne)

Hunt makes his performance debut of new song “Locked Up” at the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 7 airing Live on CBS from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

DEEPER WELL IS KACEY MUSGRAVES’ BIGGEST CAREER SALES DEBUT.

Seven-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves’ latest album, Deeper Well (Interscope/MCA Nashville) is topping charts upon release. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., outselling Morgan Wallen, and a new album from Justin Timberlake. With over 97,000 equivalent album units earned, Deeper Well marks Musgraves’ fifth Top 5 debut on the Billboard 200. Of the Deeper Well first week sum, 66,000 of those units were comprised from traditional album sales. With over 37,000 vinyl copies of Deeper Well sold, it marks the biggest vinyl sales week for 2024 and Musgraves’ biggest sales week for vinyl. It also marks the fourth largest week for a country album on vinyl since Luminate began tracking in 1991. In addition to this being Kacey’s biggest sales week ever, Deeper Well marks her fifth consecutive #1 debut on Billboard Top Country Album chart. In the UK, Deeper Well won five UK Specialist #1 awards, and debuted at #3 in the official albums chart.

Kacey kicked off release day with a gorgeous outdoor concert performance on NBC’s Today Show followed by an intimate hometown show at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. Musgraves was also seen chatting and performing on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as well as The Howard Stern Show. Earlier this month, she was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, her third time appearing on the iconic show.

Critics are heralding her latest album and highlighting it “goes back to the ethereal roots the world first fell in love with,” said ElleThe New York Times called the album “Superb,” and Los Angeles Times noted “Musgraves returns on ‘Deeper Well,’ to the kind of rootsy, hand-played arrangements that defined her early work.” The Cut declared “the songs on ‘Deeper Well’ call back to her singer-songwriter roots” and American Songwriter proclaiming, “this is Musgraves at her finest, mentally and musically.” In the UK, The Telegraph note “this is a brilliant record” in their 5-star review while Sunday Times says “singing this beautiful burrow deep in the heart” in their 4-star review of Deeper Well.

In honor of the new album, Kacey will embark on The Deeper Well World Tour which kicks off April 28th in Dublin, Ireland and runs through December 7th in Nashville, Tennessee (see below for full list of dates). The upcoming The Deeper Well World Tour follows Kacey’s triumphant 2022 arena trek, star-crossed: unveiled tour.

 

NEWS AND NOTES: Eric Church, Priscilla Block, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban

Eric Church will headline the inaugural Field & Stream Music Fest in Winnsboro, South Carolina on October 6th. The festival will take place October 4th – 6th and feature more than 30 artists, including a second headliner, Lainey Wilson. Choir presale begins Wednesday (March 27th) at 8am ET. Public onsale begins Thursday (March 28th) at 8am ET. To learn more about the festival, go to fieldandstreammusicfest.com

Priscilla Block‘s duet with Justin Moore — “You Me, And Whiskey,” has been certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A., and the official music video is up for “Collaborative Video of the Year” at this year’s CMT Music Awards.

Luke Bryan, along with Chris Janson, celebrated the passing of a law — titled the ELVIS Act (Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act) — which protects artists from the unauthorized use of their voice, name, image and likeness created by artificial intelligence (A.I.).

 

Keith Urban has been announced as one of the headliners for this year’s Summerfest, taking place at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater in Milwaukee on June 29th with special guests Needtobreathe and Alana Springsteen.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AND UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP NASHVILLE REVEAL NEW THEATRICAL SHOW SONGBLAZERS – A JOURNEY INTO COUNTRY MUSIC.

Cirque du Soleil and Universal Music Group Nashville are excited to present Songblazers, an innovative country-themed show written and directed by Amy Tinkham. This dynamic theatrical production pays tribute to the legendary and modern trailblazers of country music. Charting the journey of two main characters as they forge their own path to country recognition, Songblazers promises an unforgettable experience for audiences. Songblazers premieres July 2024 in Nashville and, today, Cirque du Soleil announces seven additional U.S. cities.

Nashville, TN – Tennessee Performing Arts Center® (TPAC): July 2 to July 28, 2024

Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Center: August 1 to August 11, 2024

Austin, TX – Bass Concert Hall: August 14 to August 18, 2024

San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre: August 21 to August 25, 2024

Birmingham, AL – BJCC Concert Hall: September 12 to September 15, 2024

New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre: September 18 to September 22, 2024

Dallas, TX – Music Hall at Fair Park: September 25 to October 20, 2024

St. Louis, MO – The Fabulous Fox Theater: October 23 to October 27, 2024

Pre-sale tickets are available today. General on sale starts on Thursday (March 28th).

In an exciting addition, Cirque du Soleil proudly announces its collaboration with Sam Williams, a contemporary country artist, grandson of country pioneer Hank Williams and the son of outlaw legend Hank Jr, for the creation of an original song for the show Songblazers, fusing gut-wrenching honesty and plainspoken poetics with raw vulnerability and deep empathy, “Carnival Heart,” is inspired by a personal yearning of self-discovery, friendship, and hope. Williams wrote the spellbinding new song with fellow songwriters PJ Harding and Ned Houston.

“The title idea came to me pretty easily after becoming acquainted with Cirque du Soleil,” says Williams. “Where I come from, most people don’t get to go to the circus. We go to county fairs and carnivals, and the carnival in a small town is filled with joy, excitement, mystery, euphoria, you name it. That feeling is one you always remember, and I think the roller coaster of emotions lines up with what you want to feel seeing such an incredibly beautiful production such as Cirque’s.”

Pre-save Williams’ “Carnival Heart (from Cirque du Soleil Songblazers)” HERE.

 

SHOW CREATION TEAM
Here is the creative team for this new theatrical creation, Cirque du Soleil’s first ever country music themed show:

  • Daniel Ross – Director of Creation
  • Amy Tinkham – Show Director & Writer
  • Wayne Wilson – Associate Show Director & Comedic Content Designer
  • Bruce Rodgers – Set Designer
  • Nicholas Mahon – Props and Puppets Designer                                                       
  • Zerina Rosette Akers – Costumes Designer
  • Vanessa Ashley – Make-up Designer
  • Abigail Rosen Holmes – Lighting Designer
  • Gareth Owen – Sound Designer
  • Germain Guillemot – Acrobatic Performance Designer
  • Danny Zen – Acrobatic Equipment Designer                                                   
  • Melissa Colello – Acrobatic Choreographer                      
  • Seth Roberts – Music Arranger & Producer

                   

TICKET INFORMATION:
Premiering at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center® (TPAC) in Nashville in July 2024, tickets for this new show are now available for purchase. Cirque Club membership offers exclusive benefits such as early ticket access and behind-the-scenes insights. For more information and to secure your seats, visit: www.cirquedusoleil.com/songblazers

 

LOUIE THESINGER ANNOUNCES DEBUT U.S. TOUR, DESPERADO: TRAILBLAZING INTO COUNTRY MUSIC’S HEART.

Louie TheSinger is set to hit stages across the nation for his first-ever U.S. tour, Desperado. Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on June 15th at the House of Blues in Orlando making stops across the U.S. in San Antonio, San Diego, Denver, and more before wrapping up in Charlotte at The Underground on July 27th.

Born from a journey marked by life’s highs and lows, Louie’s rise to musical prominence has captivated audiences worldwide. Despite facing obstacles, including a prison stint in 2018 that challenged his identity, Louie remained true to himself and his music.  With a strong social media following and millions of streams worldwide, Louie’s music resonates with authenticity, forging connections and sparking a movement of solidarity. Now, backed by UMG Nashville, Louie is ready to make his mark on the country music scene.

His debut U.S. tour promises to showcase his unique sound and storytelling, solidifying his place among industry giants. Join Louie TheSinger as he blazes a trail through the heart of country music, one stage at a time.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning on Tuesday, March 26. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning on Friday, March 29 at 10am Local Time at livenation.com 


PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Desperado Tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Tuesday, March 26 at 10am Local Time until Thursday, March 28 at 10pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

 

TOUR DATES: 

Sat Jun 15        Orlando, FL                   House of Blues

Sun Jun 16       Atlanta, GA                   Buckhead Theatre

Thurs Jun 20     Corpus Christi, TX         Brewster Street Icehouse **

Fri Jun 21         San Antonio, TX            Aztec Theatre

Sat Jun 22        Austin, TX                     Scoot Inn

Fri Jun 28         Sacramento, CA            Ace of Spades

Sat Jun 29        Bakersfield, CA             Fox Theater

Sun Jun 30       San Diego, CA              House of Blues

Fri Jul 05          Dallas, TX                     House of Blues

Sat Jul 06         Houston, TX                  House of Blues

Sun Jul 07        Fayetteville, AR             George Majestic Lounge

Wed Jul 10       Albuquerque, NM          Revel Entertainment Center

Thu Jul 11         Denver, CO                  Summit

Sat Jul 13         Chicago, IL                   Windy City Smoke Out **

Wed Jul 17       Phoenix, AZ                  Van Buren

Fri Jul 19          San Francisco, CA        The Fillmore

Sat Jul 20         Los Angeles, CA           Novo **

Sun Jul 21        Las Vegas, NV              House of Blues

Fri Jul 26          Washington, DC            The Howard Theatre

Sat Jul 27         Charlotte, NC                The Underground

 

** Non Live Nation

About Louie TheSinger:
Louie TheSinger is a Fort Worth, Texas-born Mexican country music sensation. Tokenized for creating “country music with flavor,” his music is a representation of his Texan and Mexican roots while still bringing something new and fresh to the country music scene. Louie has gained over 1.5+ million followers on social media and is currently signed to Universal Music Group Nashville. He has had an uplifting journey getting here from a rough upbringing to a stint in prison. Once he was released, he put his mind on music and rose to fame with his incredible vocals and uplifting persona. For more info on Louie TheSinger, visit https://linktr.ee/LouieTheSinger

SAM HUNT RELEASES NEW SONG AND MUSIC VIDEO FOR “LOCKED UP.”

Sam Hunt has released a new song, “Locked Up,” along with a new official music video for the song.

Starring Sam, his band and his beautiful wife Hannah, who was pregnant with their second child, Lowry, the clip — directed by Tim Mattia and shot at the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee — has the country superstar reimagines Johnny Cash’s infamous 1968 concert at Folsom Prison.

“We found a really cool old prison in East Tennessee, and we had this idea originally to recreate the Johnny Cash Folsom Prison concert that he did back in the day and dressed up in all black, a suit, and I got a bunch of local guys to come out and dress up as inmates and had a really good time with it, sort of a period piece idea, I guess you could call it,” says Sam. “I don’t know if I did Johnny Cash justice. I doubt I did, but I enjoyed making the video and had my family out there with me and met a lot of cool folks who came out to help us with this video, so that was one of the more fun video experiences I’ve had.”

Sam co-wrote the song with Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Jerry Flowers and his producer Zach Crowell, and he says the tune began with a title he had. “I had that title in my phone. I wanted to write a song called ‘Locked Up,’” he says. “I had no idea about what it may be about, although I have had a few run-ins with the law in my lifetime. My producer was playing me some music, he had built some tracks and was playing through a few songs, and I was looking at my phone, and I saw the title in the songs. The music sounded like the title, which is always a good start, and I just started singing that chorus. I think I filled in, 30-40 percent of the lyric in one take.”

He is set for his performance debut of “Locked Up” at the 2024 CMT Music Awards on April 7th airing Live on CBS from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

Sam, who is making his way to the top of the country charts with his latest single “Outskirts,” is currently on his Outskirts 2024 Tour, which makes stops in Duluth, Minnesota today (March 22nd) and Grand Forks, North Dakota on Saturday (March 23rd).

Audio / Sam Hunt talks about starting to write his new song, "Locked Up."

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Sam Hunt (Locked Up) 1 OC: …in one take. :34
“Well, ‘Locked Up’ is a song that started with a title. I had that title in my phone. I wanted  to write a song called ‘Locked Up.’ I had no idea about what it may be about, although I have had a few run-ins with the law in my lifetime. My producer was playing me some music, he had built some tracks and was playing through a few songs, and I was looking at my phone, and I saw the title in the songs. The music sounded like the title, which is always a good start, and I just started singing that chorus. I think I filled in, 30-40 percent of the lyric in one take.”

Audio / Sam Hunt took inspiration from the Man In Black when it came time to make a video for his new song, "Locked Up."

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Sam Hunt (Locked Up video) OC: …coming out. :41
“So, we found a really cool old prison in East Tennessee, and we had this idea originally to recreate the Johnny Cash Folsom Prison concert that he did back in the day and dressed up in all black, a suit, and I got a bunch of local guys to come out and dress up as inmates and had a really good time with it, sort of a period piece idea, I guess you could call it. I don’t know if I did Johnny Cash justice. I doubt I did, but I enjoyed making the video and had my family out there with me and met a lot of cool folks who came out to help us with this video, so that was one of the more fun video experiences I’ve had.”

Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (Locked Up) 1

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Audio / LINER Sam Hunt (you just heard Locked Up)

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  • Alan Jackson with WUSN/Chicago’s Jeff Kapugi and Marci Braun, as well as UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan and Steve Hodges.