Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Capitol Nashville’s Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan have been announced as the main headliners for the 2012 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, which takes place in Nashville at 10 different hotspots, March 27th – 31st. EMI NAshville’s Eric Paslay will perform at The Hard Rock Cafe with Rivers Rutherford and Radney Foster. Other notable songwriters, including Jimmy Webb, Natalie Hemby and Josh Kear, are also scheduled to take part in the event, sponsored by the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

Eric Church has been added to the lineup on Metallica’s Orion Music & More concert event, June 23rd and June 24th. Also performing will be The Black Angels, Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Suicidal Tendencies and Modest Mouse.

Eric Church, who shot scenes for the music video of his latest single, “Springsteen,” last week,  will also take part in BamaJam 2012, taking place June 14th – June 16th in Enterprise, Alabama. Previously announced performers include Kid Rock, Tim McGraw and the Zac Brown Band.

Darius Rucker has a history of giving back to charity. He is now scheduled to headline a show on Sunday, May 13th at Grand Boulevard in Destin, Florida with proceeds going to the ANNIKA Foundation, which will implement SPARK, the nation’s leading children’s physical education program, into select northwest Florida elementary schools.

There is no doubt that Eric Church kicks serious you-know-what on stage night after night on his Blood, Sweat & Beers tour! He gives his fans his all during songs such as “Smoke a Little Smoke,” “How ‘Bout You,” “Drink in My Hand” and his latest single, “Springsteen.” But have you ever wondered what this badass on stage does when the show is over? Once in a while, it may surprise you! “We were playing South Haven, Mississippi, and we had 10,000 people. And you know, you walk offstage feeling like a rock star,” recalls Eric. “I went back up on the bus and [my son, Boone] had a dirty diaper. And I still had my ears [monitors] around my neck, I still had my hat and sunglasses on, and I changed a diaper. I wasn’t four minutes from walking off stage…I just think it’s funny that if they only knew that I was up there changing a diaper. And [Boone] didn’t care. He was just laughing the whole time. So, it was a funny, unique moment.”

Eric, whose single “Springsteen” is vaulting up the country charts, is up for two ACM Awards this year, including Album of the Year for Chief and Video of the Year for “Homeboy.”

AUDIO: Eric Church talks about his “glamorous” after-show activities.

Eric Church (diaper changing Chief) OC: …unique moment. :33

“We were playing South Haven, Mississippi, and we had 10,000 people. And you know, you walk offstage feeling like a rock star, and I went back up on the bus and [Boone] had a dirty diaper. And I still had my ears [monitors] around my neck, I still had my hat and sunglasses on, and I changed a diaper. I wasn’t four minutes from walking off stage. And the funniest thing about it is I remember when I used to go to shows, and you always wonder what that ‘Man, I wonder what that person’s doing.’ You’d be in the parking lot in traffic and you’re wondering what they’re doing. I just think it’s funny that if they only knew that I was up there changing a diaper. And [Boone] didn’t care. He was just laughing the whole time. So, it was a funny, unique moment.”

Keith Urban is back in the States after taping a number of episodes of Australia’s version of The Voice. Prior to beginning the show, he said he was looking forward to the blind auditions the most, because in picking his team, it will be about someone’s singing ability. Now that he’s taped some of those episodes, he says there were aspects of the blind audition process that threw him for a loop, as well. “I didn’t expect it to be as difficult when you’re not watching somebody sing, ‘cause even when you watch the television at home, you’re still watching people,” says Keith. “We have these little speakers in front of us on the floor that we’re hearing singers through with the band, and we can’t see them obviously, but we can see the audience, so we get really swayed by audience reaction or lack of, and it’s remarkable the difference. When you take the visuals out, it’s really remarkable the big difference.” Seal, Joel Madden and Deltra Goodrem join Keith on The Voice.

Keith has just come off a two-week No. 1 run with “You’re Gonna Fly,” and he says he has been writing up a storm for his next album. In addition to putting on the third annual All For the Hall event next month, the entertainer will be sprinting back-and-forth to Australia to continue his role as coach on The Voice.

Check out a new promo for The Voice below.

Keith Urban (blind auditions) OC: …shock to me. :40

“It’s a huge list of things I didn’t expect. [laughs] I didn’t expect it to be as difficult when you’re not watching somebody sing, ‘cause even when you watch the television at home, you’re still watching people. I think people at home would do well to close their eyes when the people walk out and start singing, so you’re in the exact same place as the four coaches. We have these little speakers in front of us on the floor that we’re hearing singers through with the band, and we can’t see them obviously, but we can see the audience, so we get really swayed by audience reaction or lack thereof. And it’s remarkable the difference. When you take the visuals out, it’s really remarkable the big difference. So, that was a big shock to me.”

How does Luke Bryan and his band get ready for a show? It’s pretty serious stuff, especially when Luke’s videographer, Michael, steps out from behind the camera to accept a challenge Luke has laid down. Check out the latest episode of LBTV to find out about all of the shenanigans taking place on the road! Can anyone say “Jackass: Country Style?”

Luke Bryan and Eric Church are on the initial list of artists set to perform on next month’s Academy of Country Music Awards. The two are joined by Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw. The 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards, co-hosted by Reba and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, April 1st at 8p live ET/delayed PT on CBS.

Luke, who picked up the Top New Solo Vocalist and Top New Artist of the Year awards in 2010, is also scheduled to perform “Runnin’ With the Night” during the ACM PRESENTS: Lionel Richie and Friends – In Concert taping April 2nd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The special airs April 13th on CBS. Luke, who just released his latest Spring Break EP — Suntan City, is also hitting the airwaves with his latest single, “Drunk on You,” from his hit album, tailgates & tanlines. You can currently find him on the road with Jason Aldean on the My Kinda Party tour.

Eric, who won the Top New Solo Vocalist of the Year last year, is nominated this year for Album of the Year for 2011’s Chief and Video of the Year for “Homeboy.” He is flying up the charts with his latest single, “Springsteen,” which follows his previous No. 1 hit, “Drink in My Hand.” He’s currently headlining his first arena tour, Blood, Sweat & Beers.

The two are throwing another performance in the mix – they’re both headlining the ACM’s free concerts at the Fremont Street Experience, May 30th (Luke) & 31st (Eric).

AUDIO: Luke Bryan is excited about his ACM Awards performance.

Luke Bryan (ACM 2012 performance) OC: …Lionel show. :17

“We got the news of my ACM [Awards] performance, which was really, really rewarding and flattering news. To not have a nomination out there, and you know to get a performance slot, we were super-excited. And [we’re] certainly very excited to be a part of the Lionel [Richie] show.”

AUDIO: Eric Church took the long way to have the success he’s currently enjoying, and it certainly wasn’t easy, by any means…but he says he’d do it all over again!

Eric Church (worked hard) OC: …stayed hungry. :40

“It’s never been about awards and it’s not about money either, because I would have done it differently. There are ways, I understand, you can make easier money, you can put out safer songs. You can run songs up and down the chart. I just don’t think people are going to know who you are in 10 years doing it that way. So, it’s been a longer path. You know, when you make the decision to go play clubs and honky tonks for a whole 500-600 people, two-hour shows, 100 degrees in there…you’re workin’ at that and it’s a long hard road. Somebody asked me the other day, would I do it again? And the answer is always yes, absolutely. But, boy…it’s a tough road. It’s a hard road, you have to be younger. You have to really be hungry, and we stayed hungry.” 

Alan Jackson and Dierks Bentley are among the artists added to the growing list of performers for the nightly concerts at LP Field during this year’s CMA Music Festival, running June 7th – 10th in downtown Nashville. They join Blake Shelton, Brantley Gilbert and Scotty McCreery.

Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band were previously announced as performing on the festival’s largest stage. More acts are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Tickets for CMA Music Festival are $125-$325 based on the level of seating at LP Field. They are available through at 1-800-745-3000.

Lady Antebellum‘s Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood are trained snipers, thanks to tips from their instructor during their time on the shooting range at Fort Bening in Columbus, Georgia. All of this was captured during the group’s latest episode of Webisode Wednesday!

Lady Antebellum continue their reign at the top of the country album chart. Their latest collection, Own the Night, sold another 20,000 copies to hold their No. 1 spot on the country chart. “We tried to approach the record like always, like the first two. It’s all about the song. Let the song dictate it,” says Lady A’s Charles Kelley. “And when you listen to this record, there’s some very traditional-sounding songs and there’s also some much more contemporary-sounding songs. It’s whatever the song calls for.”

Own the Night includes their previous No. 1 hits, “Just a Kiss” and “We Owned the Night,” as well as their latest Top 10 smash, “Dancin’ Away With My Heart.”

Luke Bryan’s tailgates & tanlines, which features the hits “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” “I Don’t Want This Night to End” and “Drunk on You,” comes in at No. 2 on the country album charts.

AUDIO: Lady A’s Charles Kelley says the songs on their On the Night album dictate how they’re going to sound.

Lady A (approach to OTN) OC: …calls for. :26

“More than anything, you approach the record on how’s it gonna translate live, more than anything. Songs like ‘We Owned the Night,’ you know, when we were writing it, we thought, ‘Boy, this will be great live.’ That four on the floor and very anthemic. But we tried to approach the record like always, like the first two. It’s all about the song. Let the song dictate it. And when you listen to this record, there’s some very traditional-sounding songs and there’s also some much more contemporary-sounding songs. It’s whatever the song calls for.”

Eric Church is shooting up the country charts with his latest hit, “Springsteen,” and he is amazed by the response the song is getting from radio and fans alike. “This is the one that even that the friends in radio, all the friends I’ve had, that this is the song when Chief came out, number-one, across the board, said, ‘We can’t wait for ‘Springsteen,’ and they’ve responded,” says Eric of his favorite song on the album. “I’m blown away at the way it’s moving and at the way the fans are responding. You know, when they hear it played on the radio, they’re responding to that. They’re calling. They’re requesting. They’re tweeting. They’re doing all these things, and I think that just speaks to the passion they have about it.”

• Eric will be performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 19th and you can win tickets on the Band Bench, which is immediately next to the stage. Click here to enter to win tickets to the show.
• He’s currently making his way across the nation on his Blood, Sweat & Beers tour. The next stop is in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Thursday (March 8th).

AUDIO: Eric Church’s “Springsteen” is shooting up the country charts, and he says both radio and the fans responded quite positively to the song when it was released just a couple of weeks ago.

Eric Church (radio excited about Springsteen) OC: …amount of passion. :31

“This is the one that even that the friends in radio, all the friends I’ve had, that this is the song when Chief came out number-one, across the board, said, ‘We can’t wait for ‘Springsteen,’ and they’ve responded. You know, when we put ‘Springsteen’ out, I’m blown away at the way it’s moving and at the way the fans are responding. You know, when they hear it played on the radio, they’re responding to that. They’re calling. They’re requesting. They’re tweeting. They’re doing all these things, and I think that just speaks to the passion they have about it. It’s my favorite song [on the album], so I think it’s one that I have the same amount of passion.”

Lady Antebellum helped Oreo celebrate its 100th birthday with an impromptu acoustic concert at The Grove in Los Angeles. They also sang “Happy Birthday” to one of the nation’s favorite cookies, as well. It was followed by a small flash mob doing a dance for Oreo. 

The free show was one of seven parties staged in various cities including Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. Lady A are also participating in Oreo’s Facebook promotion ” Join The Movement,” which encourages FB followers to share their favorite Oreo moment.