Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Nashville, TN – Mercury Records singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves has taken her debut album Same Trailer Different Park to international markets with its release in the UK last Monday. Three days after its release, the album sits in the No. 2 position on the iTunes Country Chart, behind Taylor Swift.

About her time in the UK, Musgraves says, “It’s been an absolute delight coming to the UK. I’m impressed by the super response from fans who seemed to know more lyrics to sing along to than even the Americans! The British really stand behind artists they believe in and I can’t wait to come back!” 

The same night she released Same Trailer Different Park, Musgraves performed to a sold out crowd at London’s Bush Hall, a show The Guardian gave 4 out of 5. Also, The Guardian has given Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park high marks touting “Not since the emergence of Taylor Swift has there been as much buzz in the genre about a young artist’s crossover potential,” adding “She [Musgraves] sings with an affectless detachment…and uses it to cut sharply through the lies people tell themselves…” 

While abroad, Kacey has performed on the BBC Radio 2 Bob Harris show, the BBC Radio 4 Front Row show and this coming Saturday she will appear on Breakfast TV on BBC1.

Her debut single, “Merry Go Round,” was recently certified gold by the R.I.A.A. (Recording Industry Association of America). Kacey is currently making her way up the country charts with her latest release, “Blowin’ Smoke.”

AUDIO: Kacey Musgraves talks about co-producing her debut album, Same Trailer, Different Park, with tunesmiths Luke Laird and Shane McAnally.

Kacey Musgraves (coproducing album) OC: …it different. :55
“I learned so much coming into this and getting the freedom to be a co-producer on this as well as Luke Laird and Shane McAnally — two of my really good friends I met when I came to town. Man, we just really got to experiment and really play around with sounds and take our time and nothing made it to any track that didn’t absolutely feel 100% me or right for the song. That’s kind of my favorite part. You make the record and then you go into produce into promotion mode and you know, you play shows, which is awesome and is just as important. But I’m pretty sure my favorite part is getting the song out of my brain onto the paper and just the whole construction of it all. Just figuring out what feels right and taking things away and adding things. And the combo of my brain and Luke Laird and Shane McAnally’s brains, it just organically came together to make this cool-feeling thing, and I’m thankful too that I got to make it with friends. We got, as friends, to experience this together and I think it made it different.”

Eric Paslay is hitting the airwaves with his new single, “Friday Night,” on Monday (April 22nd), and on Tuesday (April 23rd), the song will be available for download on iTunes.

Eric says one of his favorite things to do on Friday nights growing up in Texas was to go to the dancehalls. “It was everyone from grandparents to their grandkids hanging out, and always good live music and pretty girls to ask to dance and hopefully, they say yes, you know,” recalls Eric. “When I think of the great memories on Friday nights back home and growing up and what I do now, it always has to do with music and dancing and having a good time and some good beverages.”

“Friday Night” is from his forthcoming album, due out later this year.

Eric Paslay (Friday Night fun) OC: …Friday night. :32
“My favorite thing to do on a Friday night – growing up in Texas, there are dancehalls everywhere. That was the coolest thing growing up was going to dancehalls, because it was everyone from grandparents to their grandkids hanging out, and always good live music and pretty girls to ask to dance and hopefully, they say yes, you know. When I think of the great memories on Friday nights back home and growing up and what I do now, it always has to do with music and dancing and having a good time and some good beverages, and usually it’s on Friday night.”

Lady Antebellum‘s Charles, Hillary and Dave each took a moment to reminisce on their best moments with George Strait to celebrate #60for60! 

You can now pre-order Lady Antebellum’s new album, Golden, on iTunes, and if you do, you will receive an instant download of “Goodbye Town.” Check out the latest Webisode Wednesday, where the band explains why it’s one of their favorite productions on the new record.  

Luke Bryan has hit the airwaves in a big way with his new single, “Crash My Party.” He debuted the song at last week’s ACM Awards, and he’s already sold more than 190,000 digital downloads of the tune. While it may have “Party” in the title, the song is not necessarily a huge party song. “It’s actually a love song about a guy telling a girl that, ‘Hey-no matter what I’m doing, anytime, I could be at a bar, I could be at a big show, and you can text me or call me, and I’m dropping my party and we’re getting together,’” explains Luke. “I think it’s a cool way to tell a girl, ‘Hey, I’m diggin’ ya.’”

“Crash My Party” is the first single from his forthcoming album, due out later this year.

Luke will be taking his “party” to Virginia Beach on May 17th as his Dirt Road Diaries Tour makes a stop at the Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach, followed by a show in Washington, D.C. on May 18th.

Luke Bryan (Crash My Party) OC: …diggin’ ya. :27
“‘Crash My Party’ is my first single off my new album, and I’m really excited about it. I think everybody thinks it’s gonna be this big party song, but it’s actually a love song about a guy telling a girl that, ‘Hey-no matter what I’m doing, anytime, I could be at a bar, I could be at a big show, and you can text me or call me, and I’m dropping my party and we’re getting together.’ I think it’s a cool way to tell a girl, ‘Hey, I’m diggin’ ya.’”

Lady Antebellum climbs to the top of the country charts with their latest single, “Downtown,” marking their seventh number-one single. The song is the first release from their forthcoming album, Golden, which will be available in stores and at all online retailers May 7th.

The trio knew it was a song they’d been looking for after they started rehearsing it for the first time. “I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can pull this off,’” says Hillary Scott, but her bandmate Dave Haywood assured her she nailed it. “Right when we started the groove and you started singing, it was like, ‘Oh, there it is. That’s what we’ve been looking for.’”

The band recently formed their own charitable initiative, LadyAID™, which is being funded by donations and fundraising efforts including the trio’s inaugural PING PONG & SONGS, which has become part of FanFairX during the CMA Music Festival in Nashville this June.

AUDIO: Lady Antebellum recalls working out the kinks before recording “Downtown,” their new number-one single.

Lady A (Downtown-rehearsal) OC: (Dave) …looking for. :16
Dave: “I remember the first time we tried ‘Downtown’ in the rehearsals. It was one that…Charles was all about it and Hillary was nervous about it. CHARLES: “She was a little on the fence about it.” HILLARY: “I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can pull this off.’” DAVE: “But right when we started the groove and you started singing it was like, ‘Oh, there it is. That’s what we’ve been looking for.’”

Keith Urban checks in straight from the stage at Eric Clapton‘s Crossroads Guitar festival at Madison Square Garden in NYC!

from theCountryVibe.com:
Scotty McCreery has teamed with DoSomething.org and Walmart for the Peanut Butter & Jam Slam. The goal of the project is to encourage teens to organize food drives in their local communities to benefit their local food pantries. In a PSA he filmed for the cause, he demonstrates how to make a Scotty McCreery PB&J, which consists of peanut butter and jelly on bread, of course, but then he dumps cereal on the bread before smashing both sides together. He points out that peanut butter is one of the most requested items at food pantries and he encourages not only teens, but everybody to get involved by texting JAM to 38383 to learn more or by visiting DoSomething.org/PBJ.

Keith Urban is excited to return to the stage with his Raise ‘Em Up Tour this summer, and most especially to take along his opening acts, Jerrod Niemann and special guest, Brett Eldredge. 

“I had heard Jerrod’s record as it was being done because Jimmie Lee Sloas is a friend of mine and he’s producing it, and so he sent me some tracks. Literally, it was when I heard about six tracks off that record, I immediately wanted to see if he would come out and join us,” says Keith. “And Brett, we’d already done the tour in Canada together, and he’s just an incredible singer, cool cat, he’s got a great record too, so [I’m] very happy to bring them out with us.”

The Raise ‘Em Up Tour, which is expected to feature all-new stage production and a new set list, kicks off July 12th north of the border at the Calgary Stampede, before opening in the U.S. July 17th in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The tour is currently scheduled to wrap September 13th at the Washington State Fair.

Keith Urban (Jerrod & Brett) OC: …with us. :24
“I had heard Jerrod’s record as it was being done because Jimmie Lee Sloas is a friend of mine and he’s producing it, and so he sent me some tracks. Literally, it was when I heard about six tracks off that record, I immediately wanted to see if he would come out and join us. And Brett, we’d already done the tour in Canada together, and he’s just an incredible singer, cool cat, he’s got a great record too, so very happy to bring them out with us.”