Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Keith Urban has six nominations leading into next month’s ACM Awards, three of which are for “The Highway Don’t Care” with Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift, including Vocal Event, Music Video and Single of the Year.

“When I got the call from Tim about playing a solo on this ‘Highway Don’t Care,’ that’s just one of those magical little moments, you know? I mean, when I heard the song, I went, ‘Gol’, this is a great song,’ and I heard it before Taylor was on it,” says Keith. “So, the first time I heard the whole thing completed was on the radio, and it sounded amazing, and I just thought, ‘Gosh, I think this song’s gonna do really well.’”

Keith gets a kick out of the fact he’s nominated for his guitar playing. “I’ve never been nominated so much for a guitar solo in my life,” he laughs.

He’s also up for Male Vocalist of the Year, and he’s competing against himself in the Vocal Event of the Year category with his duet with Miranda Lambert on “We Were Us.” Keith could win a pair of trophies if he won this category since he’s both the artist and producer.

The 49th Annual ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas beginning at 8pm ET/PT delayed April 6th on CBS.

Keith is currently flying up the country charts with his latest single, “Cop Car,” from his latest album, Fuse.

Keith Urban (Highway Don’t Care) OC: …in my life. [laughs] :25
“When I got the call from Tim [McGraw] about playing a solo on this ‘Highway Don’t Care,’ that’s is just one of those magical little moments, you know? I mean, when I heard the song, I went, ‘Gol’, this is a great song,’ and I heard it before Taylor [Swift] was on it. So, the first time I heard the whole thing completed was on the radio, and it sounded amazing, and I just thought, ‘Gosh, I think this song’s gonna do really well.’ I’ve never been nominated so much for a guitar solo in my life.” [laughs]

Nashville, TN – March 24, 2014 – Multi-Platinum artist Dierks Bentley has earned his first No. 1 hit off his seventh studio album RISER, as “I Hold On” tops both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase radio charts this week.

“I was just sitting in my truck looking over at the passenger seat where my dad sat almost 20 years ago when we drove from Phoenix to Nashville at the beginning of this honky tonk dream. He would love that a song inspired from that road trip made it to the top of the country charts,” said Bentley. “I’ve said from the beginning, if you want to know who I am in three minutes and thirty seconds, play this song. The fact that country radio and the fans got on board for this one, and that I’m getting such great feedback to the entire album is so overwhelming. There are a lot of songs on this album I want to get to as singles, and there is no better way to do that than to start off with a big hit. I am really grateful that country radio continues to like what I’m doing and supports me and my music.”

The “sterling anthem that serves as the album’s centerpiece” (American Songwriter) becomes the 11th song to reach the summit for Bentley as both an artist and songwriter and served as the introductory track to his seventh studio album RISER, which continues to earn praise from critics.

“He sounds gritty and time-tested…the catchiest choruses country has heard in a while. Even after seven albums, Bentley finds new ground on Riser, and it’s fertile.” – Billboard

“On his latest, Riser, Dierks Bentley again elevates himself above the rest of the country pack.” – People

“…an album that resurrects personal stories that once defined country music.” – Country Weekly 

Bentley will kick off his headlining 2014 RISER TOUR on May 9 in Charlotte, NC with special guests Chris Young, Chase Rice and Jon Pardi. For a full list of upcoming tour dates and appearances,visit www.dierks.com. 

CHECK OUT A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM DIERKS BELOW.

Dierks Bentley’s “I Hold On” climbed to the top of both the Country Aircheck and Billboard country singles charts this week. The song, from his latest album Riser, is his 11th song to hit No. 1, and it’s deeply personal to the father of three.

“These verses are snippets about my life and just things about me, and it’s kind of a song of self-discovery too,” says Dierks. “Who am I after all these years? What’s important to me? Why do I do certain things that I do? Why do I hold on to certain things that I hold onto? It’s a little bit of me trying to figure out who I am.”

Dierks will definitely perform the chart-topping hit when he hits the road on his Riser Tour May 9th in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dierks Bentley (I Hold On) 1 OC: …at the end. :33
“It’s so me. It’s so personal, and yet it’s universal at the same time. You know, these verses are snippets about my life and just things about me, and it’s kind of a song of self-discovery too, you know. Who am I after all these years? What’s important to me? Why do I do certain things that I do? Why do I hold on to certain things that I hold onto? It’s a little bit of me trying to figure out who I am, and then the choruses, it’s who we are as Americans, as a people, as human beings, I guess. There are things that we really value and that we hold on to ‘em really tight – faith, love and freedom. In a way, it’s kind of a love song too, kind of wrapping up at the end.”

Luke Bryan is set to take part in another event leading up to this year’s ACM Awards. It’s not a concert or a show, but an event the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year excels in, especially during the winter months. He is heading up his own team – and co-hosting – at Cabela’s Great Outdoor Archery Event at The LINQ in Las Vegas April 5th. His team includes former opening act, Florida Georgia Line, as well as Lee Brice, Tyler Farr, Dustin Lynch and songwriter Dallas Davidson. His fellow co-host Justin Moore is in charge of his team, consisting of Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett, Ashton Shepherd, Chase Rise and Chuck Wicks, among others. You can catch the event live at Cabelas.com/ACM Archery beginning at 12:45pm ET/11:45am CT.

Luke will co-host the 49th Annual ACM Awards with his buddy, Blake Shelton, Sunday, April 6th live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on CBS. In the meantime, you can vote for Luke for Entertainer of the Year at acmvote.com.

Gary Allan hit the top of the country charts last year with “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain),” which he wrote with Matt Warren and Hillary Lindsey, and the song still keeps resonating with fans and industry alike — the three are nominated for Song of the Year at next month’s ACM Awards. The nomination for “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” means a lot to Gary.

“[It’s] really cool just to be acknowledged as a writer, especially [for] that song,” he says. “That song is a lot of firsts for me. It was first time I’d written a No. 1, first time I’d produced, first time I’d produced something with my band, so there was a lot of personal things that went into that.”

Gary is currently climbing the country charts with his latest single, “It Ain’t the Whiskey,” which is also featured on his album, Set You Free.

Gary Allan (ACM song) OC: …people that you know. :19
“[It’s] really cool just to be acknowledged as a writer, especially [for] that song. That song is a lot of firsts for me. It was first time I’d written a No. 1, first time I’d produced, first time I’d produced something with my band, so there was a lot of personal things that went into that. And I wrote it with some tight friends, so it’s always fun to have success with people that you know.”

As the latest season of American Idol has trimmed down to the Top 10, Keith Urban checks in with us and chats about the synergy between him and the two other judges, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick, Jr., as well as how some of the contestants are progressing.

“I think there’s a good synergy between the three of us, certainly for me there is, and that was right there from the beginning. Really from even before we hit the desk on the first show, I just felt like the three of us clicked personality-wise,” says Keith. “I think this far into the show, what I really love is we are very different in how we respond to things and how we articulate what we liked and didn’t like, what needs work and what doesn’t, and I think it’s all valid.”

As far as the contestants go, he finds it very interesting how they’re progressing with the stage presence, artistic expression and vocal abilities. “I love how everyone’s starting to hone their look and the way they move, the way they perform. It’s really getting interesting.”

You can catch Keith on the radio with his latest hit, “Cop Car,” and on the small screen with American Idol, which airs Wednesday nights at 8pm ET and Thursday nights at 9pm ET.

Keith Urban (AI judges 2014) OC: …that we bring. :56
“I think there’s a good synergy between the three of us, certainly for me there is, and that was right there from the beginning. Really from even before we hit the desk on the first show, I just felt like the three of us clicked personality-wise. And I think this far into the show, what I really love is we are very different in how we respond to things and how we articulate what we liked and didn’t like, what needs work and what doesn’t, and I think it’s all valid. You know, ‘cause Harry grew up, and he’ll be the first to talk about this, he grew up in that jazz environment where when people give their comments on what they think of you, it’s not sugar-coated in any way. It’s quite forthright, and that’s how Harry got better and better and better at what he does. So, he delivers his comments the way he would receive them, and I do the same, and Jen does the same, and they’re all very different. So, I love the balance that we bring.”

Keith Urban (AI contestants) OC: …interesting. :27
“I think the large majority of them have improved exponentially. The way they perform and the confidence level. But the confidence level is tricky, ‘cause you can be overconfident too, and that can have its own detrimental result. I love how everyone’s starting to hone their look and the way they move, the way they perform. It’s really getting interesting.”

Billy Currington gives you a behind the scenes look into the We Are Tonight Tour as it kicks off in Tulsa, Oklahoma and makes it’s way through Arkansas and Mississippi.

Dierks Bentley recently taped a new installment of CMT Crossroads One Republic where they traded vocals on each other’s songs, including Dierks’ current hit single, “I Hold On,” and the band’s huge hit “Counting Stars.”

Dierks says he really enjoyed – and misses — the intense studying sessions (which he calls “woodshedding”) a few days prior to filming the show. “You’re digging into someone’s music. It’s one thing to sing it all the time in the gym, working out, but it’s another thing to get down, looking at the lyrics, really studying the music and studying Ryan [Tedder]’s voice and realizing how high he truly sings, you know, like how are we gonna make this work,” says Dierks. “Our two voices are so different. He’s singing up in the rafters, and I’m down here. Is it gonna work? How will it work? Just trying to figure out who’s gonna sing what and splitting the songs up and then thinking about music, and how can we add banjo and fiddle to ‘Counting Stars?’ And how can his guys, he’s got a cello player, can he play on ‘Home?’ You know, just mixing up the music. It was just a week-long of massive musical studying, and now it’s over and it’s like a big, ‘Aw, I miss that.’”

The Phoenix native hopes to work with One Republic again soon. Well, maybe “work” is not the right word to use in this case. “We’d have so much fun on tour. I’ve tried to plant that seed,” says Dierks. “They get a chance to tour in Europe a lot, so I was like, ‘Hey take us to Germany. Let’s go to all the great pubs of Europe tour.’” [laughs]

CMT Crossroads featuring Dierks and One Republic will air Friday (March 21st) at 10pm ET on CMT.

Dierks Bentley (CMT Crossroads) 2 OC: …that project. :54
“I kinda miss it because it reminds me of when I studied to get my instrument rating for my private pilot’s exam. It’s just all the book work going into it. I love that, and that’s the same way it feels like with this. You’re digging into someone’s music. It’s one thing to sing it all the time in the gym, working out, but it’s another thing to get down, looking at the lyrics, really studying the music and studying Ryan [Tedder]’s voice and realizing how high he truly sings, you know, like how are we gonna make this work? Our two voices are so different. He’s singing up in the rafters, and I’m down here. Is it gonna work? How will it work? Just trying to figure out who’s gonna sing what and splitting the songs up and then thinking about music, and how can we add banjo and fiddle to ‘Counting Stars?’ And how can his guys, he’s got a cello player, can he play on ‘Home?’ You know, just mixing up the music. It was just a week-long of massive musical studying, and now it’s over and it’s like a big, ‘Aw, I miss that.’ It was really fun working on that project.”

Dierks Bentley (CMT Crossroads) 3 OC: …of Europe tour. [laughs] :21
“It was so fun, man. I have so much, it’s so cool to actually meet a guy and have him be as cool as how you hoped he’d be and the band One Republic just great dudes. I mean, we’d have so much fun on tour. I’ve tried to plant that seed. They get a chance to tour in Europe a lot, so I was like, ‘Hey take us to Germany. Let’s go to all the great pubs of Europe tour.’” [laughs]

Nashville, TN – Mercury Records singer/songwriter Canaan Smith is pleased to announce his recent engagement with his girlfriend, Christy. Canaan proposed over the weekend in Florida.

“Of all the blessings in my life, she’s the greatest,” Canaan exclaims. “We’re so excited for everything to come.”

Canaan is currently working on new music for his debut album. Catch him out on the road with the AT&T Country Deep Tour. For a full list of Canaan tour dates, click here. 

NASHVILLE – CMA is proud to announce the performers for the sold out Nightly Concerts at LP Field for the 2014 CMA Music Festival. Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, The Band Perry, Keith Urban, Chris Young, and Zac Brown Band will all take the stage at this year’s Festival, which will be held Thursday through Sunday, June 5-8, in downtown Nashville.

The artists announced for the Nightly Concerts at LP Field are no strangers to CMA Music Festival, all but one having performed on the LP Field stage in past years. Collectively they have won 80 CMA Awards and have earned an astounding 289 nominations.

The highly anticipated lineup announcement comes at the end of #CMAFestGuess, the multi-week social media campaign that clued fans in to who would be performing on the big stage each night. A special #CMAFestGuess video announcement revealing the performing artists was released Wednesday morning and can be viewed here.

“Since LP Field was already sold out before we announced a single artist, we had an opportunity to create a fun and engaging way to get our social media audience buzzing about the lineup,” said CMA Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships Damon Whiteside. “The #CMAFestGuess clues drummed up excitement about the Festival, and our artist community really supported the effort, sharing and retweeting the clues to their followers to keep the conversation going.”

While tickets to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field are sold out, there are numerous other entertainment and music stages, special events, and activities throughout downtown Nashville to enjoy during CMA Music Festival.

CMA Music Festival’s newest attraction, AT&T U-verse Fan Fair X at the Music City Center, features artist performances, celebrity Q&A sessions, and more. Fans can play paparazzi and snap photos of the stars, shop the Fan Fair X Marketplace, and more. Fan Fair X tickets are $10 a day or $25 for four days. Children eight and under are admitted free. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at Ticketmaster.com or the CMA Music Festival Box Office by calling 1-800-CMA-FEST (262-3378) (price includes handling fees). Visit CMAfest.com for details.

The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, bringing 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. More than 40 years later, the now legendary festival has become the city’s signature music event. In 2013, CMA Music Festival attracted more than 80,000 daily visitors from every state and two dozen foreign countries.

For all the latest info on CMA Music Festival visit CMAfest.com. To stay connected with CMA visit Facebook.com/CMA, Twitter.com/CountryMusic, and Instagram.com/CMA or text FESTIVAL to 66937.

CMA Music Festival will once again be filmed for a national television special to air on the ABC Television Network. This is the 11^th consecutive year that the event has been filmed for a network television special, a feat no other music festival has achieved. “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” will be executive-produced by Robert Deaton