Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights album continues its reign at the top of the country album charts. The collection, featuring his chart-topping hit “Kick the Dust Up” and his current single, “Kill the Lights,” sold another 38,000 copies to land at the top of the country chart, as well as at No. 3 overall. Kill the Lights is shy of just a couple thousand copies to selling gold (500,000).

Keith Urban performs his latest single, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (September 8th).

Keith Urban’s “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” received another video treatment, this time by a director in L.A. using stop motion. He titled the video cover “Walks of Life.” (see video below)

Darius Rucker is scheduled to perform on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday (September 9th).

Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum will perform during the second annual Route 91 Harvest event, taking place October 2nd – 4th in Las Vegas, Nevada. Others set to perform include Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and Jake Owen, among others.

Nashville, TN – Singer/songwriter Canaan Smith will stop by NBC’s TODAY Show for the first time to perform his new single “Hole In A Bottle” on Monday, September 14. Canaan is slated to perform during the 10AM-11AM hour of the show with hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.

Following Canaan’s Gold-Certified No.1 hit “Love You Like That,” the Mercury Nashville artist wrote “Hole In A Bottle” with longtime co-writers Brett Beavers and Dan Couch. The upbeat, feel-good tune is featured on Canaan’s album Bronco which debuted in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Country Albums Chart.

In support of the new single, Canaan recently compiled a tour footage video featuring performances of “Hole In A Bottle” which can be viewed here: https://goo.gl/YoyuHn.

While out on the Sounds of Summer Tour with Dierks Bentley, Canaan often opens his full-throttle set with “Hole In A Bottle” which he says “sets the tone for a great night because we come to party and want the fans to feel that energy too.” Canaan notes “it found a good spot on the album too for the same reason. Fans can dial it up when they’re in the mood for a good time.”

Canaan will continue on the Sounds of Summer Tour through September with upcoming dates in Minneapolis, MN and Kansas City, KS. The Virginia native is on track to play over 175 shows for more than 625,000 fans this year.

Bronco is available now: http://umgn.us/BRONCO

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Luke Bryan has a song on his new album, Kill the Lights, titled “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day.” This is truly the life he lives when he’s not on the road or in the studio. Check out a recent break from his Kick the Dust Up Tour, as he throws out a line in Wyoming in the new episode of LBTV.

David Nail is climbing the charts with “Night’s On Fire,” the first single from his forthcoming fourth album in the studio. He’s been working on new music over the past several months, and he’s come up with some great songs, which he’s calling his “lovemaking record.”

“It seems like on every song we’re referencing it in some way, shape or form, from, I guess, very adolescent age to even now in my mid-30s,” says David. “I’ve never been one to really write or record songs about that type of subject matter, but when I first started getting into the process of making this record, I was writing more than I’d ever written before, and I was very open to trying new things and writing with new people. And it just seemed like all the songs that we were getting seemed to reference that in some way, shape or form.”

When David went home to Missouri, he played some of the new music for his parents, but he was having a little trouble choosing which songs he could play for Mom and Dad. “Even at 36 years old, I’m still a little hesitant to be too revealing when it comes to the parents part,” he said.

David will definitely perform a song or two from his new record, including “Night’s On Fire,” when he makes stops in Boston on Friday, Gilford, New Hampshire on Saturday and Essex, Vermont on Sunday.

Kip Moore has special plans on Labor Day (September 7th) this year. He will headline the Labor of Love Music Festival in Racine, Wisconsin. Funds raised from the event, hosted by CASE Construction Equipment, will go toward the Wounded Warrior Project, which concentrates on programs to help veterans with the physical and emotional issues of life after combat, including assisting those needing jobs. This event will focus on the importance of hiring veterans into skilled jobs in the manufacturing and construction industries.

The Georgia native says he wanted to perform at the event, because it helps bring awareness to the fact that some veterans have difficulty in finding a job, and he tells us how we can offer support.

“Just open your eyes, just look at how these people go and take care of us and they serve, they serve for so many years, whether it’s disabilities, whether it’s coming back and jobs are taken, we need to make special exceptions for these people taking care of us and we need to somehow make opportunities,” says Kip. “If they’re not there, we need to make ‘em for these people coming back, because I can’t imagine what it’s like being back in the regular society. You can’t get anything going, and you’re already struggling with all of the mental stuff you had to deal with over there fighting or just simply serving.”

Kip, who is climbing the charts with his single “I’m to Blame,” recently announced his 2015 Wild Ones Tour, kicking off October 8th in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

NASHVILLE, TN – Sep. 3, 2015 – Multi-PLATINUM entertainer Dierks Bentley has elevated “the most inspiring message of any song he’s ever done” (The Fresno Bee) with the raw music video for his powerful latest single, “Riser.” Premiering exclusively on The Guardian today, the true story follows the struggles of a formerly homeless mother of two named Amy as she rebuilds her life.

“I really wanted this video to reflect the ‘risers’ among us,” said Bentley. “So, when it came to casting, it was important to me that the storyline follow something real – no acting. The first thing I thought when I met Amy was you would have never known that she had been living out of her car with two kids and nowhere to go. Hearing her story is such a solid example that there are people we pass all around us every day who are going through tough times. It’s dedicated to all the ‘Risers.'”

With the help of Nashville non-profit Safe Haven Family Shelter, Amy was able to receive critical education, support and guidance that helped her make a successful return into her own home. Amy shares her story in more depth in this behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot. To watch, click here: http://bit.ly/1IN2RyN

One of country music’s most-respected and most-unpredictable careers, award-winning singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley continues to grow, as “his career skyrocketed to greater heights with the release of his seventh album, RISER” (San Jose Mercury News).  After spawning three consecutive No. one hits with “I Hold On,” “Drunk On A Plane” and “Say You Do,” he follows with the “Riser” as the record’s latest release. Bentley’s six previous studio albums have sold more than five million copies, notched 13 chart-topping singles, earned 12 GRAMMY nominations, countless CMA, ACM and CMT nominations and membership at the Grand Ole Opry. Bentley is currently on the road selling out arenas and amphitheaters with his 2015 SOUND OF SUMMER TOUR, and recently sold-out his 10th Annual Miles & Music For Kids event in Nashville, TN within 30 minutes. For more information, visit www.dierks.com.

About Safe Haven Family Shelter: 

For 31 years, Safe Haven Family Shelter (SHFS) has served as the only shelter-to-housing program of its kind in Middle Tennessee that accepts the entire homeless family. While keeping the family together, SHFS provides comprehensive education, counseling and support for families to achieve lasting self-sufficiency. Safe Haven’s approach is one of service, compassion, trauma-informed care and evidence-based practices. More information can be found at www.safehaven.org.

Go behind-the-scenes of Clare Dunn‘s debut video for “Move On.”

Country music artist Scotty McCreery has been a strong supporter of charitable causes close to his heart, such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  This month in honor of the Mercury Nashville / 19 / Interscope recording artist, the Scotty McCreery Fan Club has created “The Southern Belles,” a team named after his new single, “Southern Belle,” to participate in the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer in Nashville on Sept. 26 at Edwin Warner Park at 8:00 AM — and they are asking their fellow fans to join them. Anyone who wants to join “The Southern Belles” can visit http://walkrun.stjude.org/southernbelles to sign up to walk with the team, donate money to St. Jude for the fight against childhood cancer, or both. Each person who donates will be entered in a drawing for a McCreery prize pack. More information can also be found at www.scottyfans.com/news.

As part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, St. Jude will be holding Walk/Runs all over the nation on Sept. 26. The Nashville event has a goal to raise $210,000 for the cause, and “The Southern Belles” are excited to help the hospital reach its goal.

“I’ve always said I have the greatest fans in the world, and it makes me both happy and proud to see them create ‘The Southern Belles’ as a way of raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said McCreery.  “St. Jude performs miracles regularly for children from all walks of life. I am truly honored and thankful that my fans want to support such a worthwhile organization in my name.”

McCreery’s new single “Southern Belle” can be heard nationwide on country radio and is available for purchase at http://umgn.us/southernbelle.

For more information on St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, visit st.jude.org. For more information on McCreery, visit ScottyMcCreery.com.

Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights continues to reign at the top of the country album chart. The collection, featuring his No. 1 song “Kick the Dust Up” and his new hit “Strip It Down,” sold another 54,000 copies last week to hold at No. 1 on the country chart and at No. 2 overall. Kip Moore’s Wild Ones bowed at No. 2 on the country chart with nearly 40,000.

“I think when you hear ‘Kick the Dust Up’ right off the bat, it sets a tone that I’m right here with what I am,” says Luke. “But then when you start getting into ‘Kill the Lights’ and hear that new kind of sound of that song, and then even with some of the other tracks like ‘Fast’ and then even ‘To the Moon and Back,’ those go down that ‘Drink a Beer’ seriousness that I was able to do a little bit on Crash My Party.”

Luke takes his Kick the Dust Up Tour to Darien Lakes, New York for a two-night stand beginning Thursday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 31, 2015) – Worldwide sports leader ESPN selects country star Lauren Alaina to create a track exclusively for this season’s college football coverage. Lauren and Imagine Dragons were the only two artists chosen to contribute brand new recordings for ESPN and its college football promotion.

“I have followed Lauren’s career and knew of her talent. The pageantry, traditions, passion and atmosphere of college football is unlike any other sport and Lauren has captured what makes the season special in her song ‘History’,” shares Kevin Wilson, ESPN Music Director.

Alaina, along with Jesse Frasure and Emily Weisband, wrote “History” specifically for ESPN which will use the powerful song in its promotions across all platforms for the top college football matchups each week. The track will also be used as a central part of the campaign building towards the College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinals on New Year’s Eve and the CFP National Championship on January 11, 2016.

“For a southern girl, college football is everything. I am so pumped to have my song used for ESPN’s college football coverage,” Alaina excitedly explains. “Thank you ESPN for giving me something to make my boyfriend, dad, and brother think I’m that much cooler!”

Alaina is currently on radio tour in support of her highly-anticipated new music expected at country radio next month.

To preview and purchase “History”, visit http://umgn.us/History.

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