Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Dierks Bentley is readying the fall release of his next album, Riser, on Capitol Records Nashville. To celebrate, he’s released a clip for its lead single, “Bourbon in Kentucky,” which features country songstress Kacey Musgraves. She joins in on the chorus “There ain’t enough bourbon in Kentucky to forget you,” which serves as a tribute to Bentley’s father’s death. Riser was written and recorded in the year after he passed.

“I’ve never heard anything like ‘Bourbon’ before,” Bentley says. “I really love the angst of it. I’ve been there before where you can’t drink your way through a heartache or a broken heart. There’s such an aggressive lonesomeness in this song.”

Check out the entire article at RollingStone.com.

The new single is being released to radio on Tuesday (May 28th).

OKLAHOMA CITY — May 25, 2013 — Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts and Ryan Tedder of One Republic have been added to the lineup for the “Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert” organized and headlined by Blake Shelton with previously announced Grammy Award-winning artists Miranda Lambert, Reba and Vince Gill also performing.

Both Tedder and Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts have strong Oklahoma roots.

Tickets for the concert went on sale Saturday morning and sold out in under five minutes. The Event will take place May 29th at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.

The concert will be televised live at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. It will also air on cable networks Style, G4, Bravo, E! and CMT on either a live or delayed basis.

“Everyone has their way to help, and mine as an entertainer is to perform to help raise money and awareness for this tragedy,” Shelton said. “This is why I want to do this special and especially hold it in Oklahoma City, which is near ground zero.”

The Event will raise funds for the United Way of Central Oklahoma May Tornadoes Relief Fund. Working with their local COMMUNITY partners, United Way of Central Oklahoma will use the Fund for immediate, intermediate and long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts in Oklahoma following the tornadoes that devastated Moore earlier this week.

Washington, DC can be a pretty cool place to be on Memorial Day Weekend…and this year, Eric Church and Kacey Musgraves are going to make it even more special for folks. They’ll be in the DC-area on Saturday (5/25) to perform as part of Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Nation Tour at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

•  Eric and Kacey both have several shows with Kenny under their belts already…and Eric says he’s having a blast on the tour. “It’s been great! I have a ton of respect for Kenny,” he says, adding, “I’m happy to be on that tour and proud to be on that tour.”
•  As for Kacey, she’s still trying to grasp the reality of being onstage in front of stadium-size crowds of fans. “I don’t know if any amount of preparation could prepare me for getting out on a stage in front of 70-thousand people. I mean, what human knows what to do with that!” She’s figuring it out, though! As Kacey explains, “Who better to learn from than someone who’s such an entertainer.”
• You can catch Eric and Kacey on the road all summer long, culminating with a two-night stand in late August at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Eric Church talks about touring this summer with Kenny Chesney. (:30)

“It’s been great! I have a ton of respect for Kenny , [and] for the way he’s built his career. I know how hard it was for us to go from where we were to the arena level, and I can’t imagine to go from where he was to the stadium level. That’s just an amazing amount of commitment and passion. I have a lot of respect for that. And the work that’s went into it. I also have a lot of respect for the way he treats his crew, his band…the way they treat him…and the way he’s treated us. It’s…it’s something that I’m happy to be on that tour and proud to be on that tour.”

Kacey Musgraves says she’s soaking up the experience of being on tour with Kenny Chesney this summer. (:30)

“Well, I don’t know if any amount of preparation could prepare me for getting out on a stage in front of 70-thousand people. I mean, what human knows what to do with that, first! I don’t know! That’s got to create, like, a whole new level of energy that I’ve never been able to experience…until now. But who better to learn from than someone who’s such an entertainer, I mean, across all genres – I don’t care if you listen to his music or not. There’s no denying the fact that he is an amazing entertainer.”

Like most country artists, Kip Moore’s tour bus is his home-away-from-home – it has all the amenities he needs to get from city to city without feeling like he’s living out of a suitcase. But you have to wonder – is there a “must have” item on the bus that he simply can’t do without? Maybe something that’s even a bit of a luxury to have on-hand? Yep…but you’ll never guess what it is. “We’ve got this juicer that we’ve all gotten hooked on,” he says. It turns out the juicer is helping Kip and his band maintain a healthier regimen when they’re traveling – the stuff they make often takes the place of pizza, wings, mac-and-cheese and the occasional corndog. As a result, Kip admits, “Right now the juicer is the top dog on there!”

• Kip is currently climbing his way toward the Top 10 with his new hit, “Hey Pretty Girl” from his Up All Night album.

Kip Moore reveals his current “must have” item on the road…and it may not be what you’d expect! (:34)

“A must-have on my bus…. Actually, we’ve got this juicer that we’ve all gotten hooked on. I know that sounds crazy. I know that I’m supposed to say something wild, but…there’s so much bad food! Every night you get on the bus [and] there’s pizza…there’s…you know, somebody’s brought in chicken wings or whatever. But this juicer we’ve all gotten hooked on it, and it’s like we all feel better throughout the day. So we’ve all – all five of us are using this thing all through the day so we’re not eating five plates of mac-and-cheese and corndogs, you know. So, I’d say right now the juicer is the top dog on there!”

The last few days have been pretty cool for George Strait – since Saturday, the man has celebrated a birthday, scored his 60^th number-one hit, and now tops the country album chart with his new release, Love Is Everything! This latest accomplishment is pretty substantial – consider this: Love Is Everything is King George’s 25^th number-one country album, and the runners-up in the record books on that front are Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, who’ve each topped that chart 15 times. What’s more, this is George’s 18th Top 10 album on the overall Billboard Top 200 Albums chart (where it debuts at number-two). Only three other male artists – Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan – have scored more Top 10 Billboard albums. That’s some pretty impressive and revered company, to say the least!

• Last week’s number-one country album, Lady Antebellum’s new Golden, slips to number-two on the country chart this week.

George Strait, who tops the country album chart this week with Love Is Everything, tries to describe what he looks when choosing songs to record. (:14)

“You know, I think it’s…I’ve always said melody, I think, catches my ear first. And I think that’s true for most people. I don’t know exactly what it is that I look for in a song, but just…it’s hard to put my finger on.”

Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum talks about writing, finding and recording songs for the group’s new album, Golden. (:27)

“Knowing that, you know, we wanted to kind of continue to grow and…everybody says the word ‘evolve.’ But it’s true. We were all in different places. We had more to say, and…and so, not only did we write songs that we were really excited about that told a story that we were proud of, but we got pitched songs that were great, too. And so I think we just really relaxed into the process and…and in that relaxation it almost gave us more confidence to take some more risks.”

Want to “sing a little chill song and get your groove on,” but need the words so that you can perfect it? Keith Urban is ready to help you out! Check out the lyric video for his new single, “Little Bit of Everything” (click here), and you’ll be all set to crank it up and sing along to every word! Trust us – this’ll come in handy this Memorial Day Weekend when the song comes on the radio while you’re cruising down the road with the windows down enjoying the unofficial start of the summer! And it’ll get you primed to sing along at the top of your lungs when Keith comes to a city near you on his Light The Fuse Tour, which kicks off July 17 in Cincinnati (and rolls through more than 40 additional cities before year’s end)!

The members of Little Big Town can’t wait to hit the road with their buddy Keith Urban on his Light the Fuse Tour this summer. Karen Fairchild says it’s been a few years since they shared the bill with him on some shows, but one thing she and the rest of the group are looking forward to is the backstage catering at each stop – apparently, Keith takes good “culinary care” of everyone on the road. As Kimberly Schlapman puts it, “We’re going to get fedwell!” Keith’s Light the Fuse Tour – featuring Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch – kicks off July 18 in Cincinnati, Ohio; more than 40 stops are scheduled before the end of the year.

• Karen, Kimberly, Jimi and Philip have another important stop to make before embarking on their summer tour schedule – Thursday morning (5/23), they’re in New York to perform “Your Side of the Bed” on ABC’s Good Morning America. Watch for them (and a special CMA Music Festival announcement) in the 8:30-9:00am segment!
• “Your Side of the Bed” is Little Big Town’s third hit from Tornado. It follows the chart-topping title track and “Pontoon.”

The members of Little Big Town talk about hitting the road this summer with Keith Urban. (:25)

Karen Fairchild: “Oh, we’re so looking forward to that tour! (Others agree in the background) And the catering’s going to be phenomenal.” (All laugh)

Kimberly Schlapman: “We’re going to get fed well!”

Karen: “Keith – we haven’t been with Keith…probably [the] last time we toured with Keith was a few years ago, and it was just for a few shows. And so, you know, we’re anxious to get back on the road with him. And with Dustin [Lynch].”

Jimi: “Yeah.”

Karen: “We’re super happy for him…crankin’ out the hits.” (Jimi laughs)

 Easton Corbin slides into the top 20 of both airplay charts this week with his hit “All Over The Road.” Have you seen the music video for “All Over the Road” yet? If not, check it out – the clip finds Easton behind the wheel of a vintage Plymouth Fury, and he’s “all over the road” while driving – but with good reason! “It’s got cops…it’s got a car chase…hot girl…money…guns,” he explains. What Easton didn’t mention is that the gun is used to take him hostage…the cops are after him…and the girl is – well, let’s just say Easton is one very “distracted driver.” “I did have fun,” he says with a smile.

• “All Over the Road” is the latest hit and title track from Easton’s current album.

Easton Corbin had a good time making the music video for his latest hit, “All Over the Road”…largely because of the storyline. (:25)
“I did have fun making the ‘All Over the Road’ video. It was…it was definitely different from what this song, probably the stereotypical video you would think, you know, which would be, you know, riding down the road in a truck with a girl. And I think that’s what we went for is something to be a little bit different. And it’s totally unexpected! It’s got cops…it’s got a car chase…hot girl…money…guns, I mean…it’s fun!”

Dierks Bentley is readying a new album for release…and he’s about to give fans their first taste of what’s to come when his new single hits the airwaves next week. The song is “Bourbon in Kentucky,” and the album is called Riser. “There’s certainly a new sound to the album,” Dierks hints, adding, “With all my records, I’m always searching for ‘new’.” Fans needn’t worry that he’s making some sort of drastic departure from the kind of music they know and love, though. “The lonesome stuff is on there. And I’d say ‘Bourbon in Kentucky’ is an example of that,” Dierks explains. He’s also quick to reassure that several songs are “made for consuming cold beer.” And then there’s what Dierks calls the “third layer” of the album, offering fans a personal glimpse of “where I am in my life as a dude, as a man, as a husband [and] father…” and as a man who, since recording his last album, has lost his father. “That’s all kind of tied into it.”

• Riser is planned for release before year’s end. Be listening for “Bourbon in Kentucky” on your favorite radio station starting next Tuesday (5/28)!

Dierks Bentley talks about his forthcoming album, Riser. (:20)

“Actually, there’s certainly a new sound to the album. But I think ‘new’ is what is exciting about country music, you know? ‘New’ is what got me into country music. Hearing Hank Junior sing when I was 17-years-old was totally new to me. It might’ve been old to somebody else, but for me that was a brand new sound, and it just was…exciting. So, I think with all my records, I’m always searching for ‘new’.”

Dierks Bentley offers fans a taste of what they’ll hear on his new album, Riser. (:31)

“There are songs on the record that, you know, kind of correlate back to certain themes I’ve had in the past. Certainly the lonesome stuff is on there. And I’d say ‘Bourbon in Kentucky’ is an example of that. And then [there’s] some stuff that’s made for, uh…consuming cold beer. Then there’s kind of a third layer to the album which would be to show kind of where I am in my life as a, you know, as a dude, as a man, as a…as a husband, father…the guy – you know my dad passed away, so that’s all kind of tied into it. Just kind of a look at the world around me and making observations on that.”

GEORGE STRAIT: The King Crowns the Top of the Chart!

In August 1982, Ronald Reagan was President…Pete Rose was still playing baseball…the first edition of USA Today was still a few weeks away from being published…Cheers was a month away from premiering on NBC…and George Strait reached the top of the country chart for the first time in his career with his fourth chart single, “Fool Hearted Memory.” 30 years and nine months later, George finds himself at the top of the heap again this week as “Give It All You Got Tonight” climbs to #1 on the Mediabase chart.  “I still feel like it’s quite an accomplishment,” he admits, noting that while his name may be next to the song title on the chart, the credit for reaching the pinnacle is shared by many. “It’s pretty much of a group effort and, so, I still get very excited to have one.” (AUDIO 1)

“Give It All You Got Tonight” is the first single from George’s new album, Love Is Everything, released last week. While noting the song is “a little different for me,” he finds it very easy to relate to the lyrics and the story. “It’s kind of about parking, which I’ve done a few times,” he says with a hearty laugh. (AUDIO 2)

George Strait admits it still feels good – even after 60 trips to the top – to reach #1 on the charts. (:35)

“It’s not like it was then when I hadn’t ever had one, but still…I still feel like it’s quite an accomplishment – not only for me, but for everybody involved because there’s a lot of other people involved in these things, too. You know, you’ve got your people around you that work with you that support you…and your record company and the people that work there and work hard trying to get these records out and so…it’s pretty much of a group effort and, so, I still get very excited to have one.”

George Strait talks about his #1 song, “Give It All You Got Tonight.” (:27)

“The first time I heard it, I thought, ‘Hmm…that’s a great song. A little different for me, you know? A little risqué kinda, you know?’ I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can pull this off or not.’ But I just love it. I mean, it’s…like I said, it’s a little different. The melody’s a little different. Great lyrics. It’s kind of about parking, you know? (laughs) Which I’ve done a few times, you know, back in the early days (laughs).”