Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Maddie & Tae‘s Maddie Font and her husband Jonah are expecting their first baby, a boy, together this fall. In an exclusive interview with People magazine, the couple, who have been married since 2019 and together for over a decade, shared a pair of maternity photos with Jonah holding a sign that reads, “Baby Font due September 2023.”

https://twitter.com/MaddieandTae/status/1643276713877536768

“We found out in early January that we were expecting. I surprised Jonah with a little card and the positive tests once he came home from work,” Maddie tells People. “We are so excited to become parents! We’ve always wanted babies, so it is surreal that this chapter is beginning for us. We feel so grateful that God chose us to be this sweet little boy’s parents!”

“Oddly enough, my duo partner, Tae, had a feeling I was pregnant before I even knew!” she says of Taylor Dye, who is mother to daughter Leighton Grace.

The duo are currently are on their All Song No Static Tour. Their next stop is Thursday (April 6th) in Portland, Maine.

Easter is this Sunday, and we’ve got liners from some of your favorite country “peeps.”

During Sunday night’s CMT Music Awards, Darius Rucker joined forces with The Black Crowes for a performance of the rock band’s 1991 hit “She Talks To Angels.” The two iconic acts were previewing an upcoming collaboration for CMT Crossroads, which is set to air later this Spring.

The pair have a great chemistry together, and Darius says they even inspired him to write one of Hootie & The Blowfish’s biggest hits. “Their song, ‘She Talks To Angels,’ inspired me to write ‘Let Her Cry,’ so we’re gonna do a duet of those two and I’m just looking forward to it. I mean, I’ve known these guys a long time and I think they’re an amazing, an amazing band. I’ve seen ’em so many times. Chris changed the way I play music, and so getting to perform with them is pretty awesome.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lmvG7V0LoE&t=1s

About last night!! I love the @theblackcrowes. Good times at the #CMTawards!! (📷 Getty for @cmt) pic.twitter.com/bpJqKxWjdE

— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) April 3, 2023

Darius just hit the airwaves with his new single, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” and is set to launch his Starting Fires Tour June 15th in Roanoke, Virginia.

While in Austin for the CMT Music Awards on March 29th, Tyler Hubbard made a surprise performance at Austin’s famed Broken Spoke Texas Dancehall.

The idea for this pop-up performance came about at dinner with Hubbard and the band. Without any instruments or knowing if they could even play, Tyler, the band and crew grabbed Ubers and headed over to Austin’s Broken Spoke to see if they could close out their evening with a surprise performance at the legendary venue, teasing the possibility with an Instagram story. Upon arrival, they proposed their idea to the general manager who was open it, but their weekly regular artist Ian Stewart was already performing.

Stewart graciously allowed Tyler and the band to jump up on stage and play with his band’s instruments, but Hubbard’s band wasn’t complete without a bass and acoustic guitar. An old bass was found in storage, but Hubbard put out the call in IG for fans to bring guitars to the venue. Eventually, a fan brought an acoustic guitar, and the band was complete, with the addition of Stewart, who played fiddle for the entire 45-minute set.

Several hundred fans turned out to see the show and hang with Hubbard, who played his hits “5 Foot 9,” current single “Dancin’ In The Country,” “35’s”, as well as “Cruise” and several others. Hubbard signed autographs, took photos, and made videos with fans before and after the show.

Caylee Hammack is back with an emotionally raw new song “History of Repeating” released today, available to listen here and watch here. Hammack, who has “created a kind of country music that’s larger—and brighter—than real life” (HITS Magazine) co-wrote the song with Ashley McBryde and Nicolette Hayford (Pillbox Patti) and co-produced it with Dann Huff. The song shows Hammack’s bold vocals as she dives deep into the inner battles of repeating old habits when dealing with heartache.

Wrote this one with @AshleyMcBryde & @pillboxpatti in 2021, the day I tried microneedling for the first time. My face was marlboro red & still, when we finished the song, we felt in our bones that we had to go celebrate it with a round. We drove to Brewhouse, we sat at the pic.twitter.com/SEYZGBMPxs

— Caylee Hammack (@Cayleehammack) March 31, 2023

“Love is my weakness, my kryptonite even,” shared Hammack. “It’s the small girl inside of me looking for true love, and really believing I’m going to find it. This song is a very honest admission of some bad decisions that I think anyone can relate to making… those decisions sometimes we repeat, even though we know it’s not what is best for us. The humanness of our habits and hearts and a swig of Jack Daniel’s for flavor.”

Hammack just returned from overseas at the C2C Festival with performances in London, Dublin and Glasgow and has recently announced stops as part of Dierks Bentley’s upcoming Gravel & Gold Tour. Hammack has previously brought her unforgettable live set to opening slots for Reba, Darius Rucker, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Trisha Yearwood, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne and some of country music’s biggest festivals.

Darius Rucker returns to Country radio with a new preview of his forthcoming album, Carolyn’s Boy, as “Fires Don’t Start Themselves” debuts across all platforms today, March 31. Listen HERE.

Written by Dan Isbell, Ben Hayslip and Jacob Rice, the sensual song showcases Rucker’s smooth baritone celebrated by Billboard as “one of the most distinctive voices of the modern country era” and by The New Yorker as “extraordinary: rich, round, and full of nuance.”

“When I first heard ‘Fires Don’t Start Themselves,’ the hook immediately got me,” reflects Rucker. “The beginning of the chorus, ‘Let’s drink what’s left of this…’ is classic ‘90s Country. I love it!”

The new release precedes a special performance from Rucker on the CMT Music Awards, where he will join forces with The Black Crowes for a duet of “She Talks to Angels.” Tune in to CBS or Paramount+ this Sunday, April 2 at 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET/PT to see the collaboration.

“I’ve been a fan of The Black Crowes for decades, and I’m grateful that we’ve also become good friends over the years. The first time I heard ‘She Talks to Angels;’ I remember being so moved by the lyrics that I went around Columbia, South Carolina asking every single bar to play it. I went home that night and put on Bonnie Raitt’s Home Plate, and decided I was going to try to write ‘She Talks to Angels’ for her. ‘Let Her Cry’ was what poured out of me. These guys have been so impactful on my career and I can’t wait to share the CMT stage with them.”

Rucker will also kick off his Starting Fires Tour on June 15, visiting 21 cities across the U.S. and Canada throughout the summer.  Joining the three-time GRAMMY winner as direct support across most dates is popular Americana band Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, with rising star Drew Green as direct support on select dates. Tickets are on sale now via DariusRucker.com.

He also recently announced the lineup for his second annual Riverfront Revival Music Festival, taking place October 7-8 in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. Joining Rucker to perform are fellow headliners Turnpike Troubadours, plus Lainey Wilson, Band of Horses, Greensky Bluegrass, Niko Moon, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Drivin N’ Cryin, Megan Moroney, Elvie Shane and more. Full lineup details and tickets are available via RiverfrontRevival.com.

Additionally, Rucker will return to the stage this spring with his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates, taking over the picturesque stretch of white sand beach at Moon Palace Cancún for the second annual HootieFest: The Big Splash, a four-day celebration of all things rock. Set for April 26-29, the destination event will feature three headlining performances on the beach by the GRAMMY Award-winning band, plus daily pool parties, intimate oceanfront performances from Goo Goo Dolls, Barenaked Ladies, Collective Soul, Gin Blossoms, Everclear, Edwin McCain, Lit and Cowboy Mouth, as well as a special Hootie & the Blowfish sunset show. Limited ticket/travel packages remain via HootieFest.com.

For more information on all things Darius Rucker, visit DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

“Fires Don’t Start Themselves” Lyrics Available for Download HERE

Starting Fires Tour Dates
* denotes Drew Green as direct support (all other dates are Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors)
June 15            Roanoke, Va.  ||  Elmwood Park Amphitheatre*
June 22            Washington, D.C.  ||  The Anthem
June 24            Canandaigua, N.Y.  ||  Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
July 13            Dubuque, Iowa  ||  Q Casino – Back Waters Stage*
July 20            Jacksonville, Fla.  ||  Daily’s Place
July 21            Wilmington, N.C.  ||  Live Oak Bank Pavilion
July 22            Alpharetta, Ga.  ||  Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Aug. 3             Niagara Falls, Ontario  ||  Fallsview Casino
Aug. 4             Bridgeport, Conn.  ||  Hartford HealthCare Amphitheatre
Aug. 5             Farmingville, N.Y.  ||  Catholic Health Amphitheater at Bald Hill
Aug. 10           Sterling Heights, Mich.  ||  Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
Aug. 11           Milwaukee, Wis.  ||  BMO Pavilion
Aug. 12           Maryland Heights, Mo.  ||  Saint Louis Music Park
Aug. 18           Irvine, Calif.  ||  FivePoint Amphitheatre
Aug. 19           Stateline, Nev.  ||  Lake Tahoe Harveys Outdoor Arena
Aug. 23           Los Angeles, Calif.  ||  The Greek Theatre
Aug. 25           San Diego, Calif.  ||  Gallagher Square at Petco Park
Aug. 26           Highland, Calif.  ||  Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
Sept. 8             Durant, Okla.  ||  Choctaw Casino & Resort – Grand Theater
Sept. 9             Durant, Okla.  ||  Choctaw Casino & Resort – Grand Theater
Oct. 14            Nashville, Tenn.  ||  Ascend Amphitheater

*Audio below, but also click here for more audio liners.

Today, breakout country hitmaker Josh Ross shares his latest track, “Red Flags.” Listen HERE.

The song taps into an emotional battle of wanting to stay with someone but knowing that leaving may be the best option for both. “What if I’m bad for you? What if you’re worse for me? How many times do we have to go back and forth for one of us to see… What if we’re both Red Flags?” The singer/songwriter’s honest approach, introspective storylines, and acoustic progressions combine on the latest addition to his bustling repertoire of original music.

To celebrate the track’s release, Josh Ross performed for a wall-to-wall crowd last night at Ole Red in downtown Nashville. Near the end of his performance, his upcoming tour mate Lee Brice appeared via FaceTime to share the news with Josh that he would be making his Grand Ole Opry debut later this year.

“Red Flags” arrives following the recent news of Josh Ross, Universal Music Canada, and The Core Entertainment teaming up with Universal Music Group Nashville. Read the official press release here. Backed by this joint team of innovative industry leaders with deep roots in Canada, Nashville, and beyond, Josh Ross continues to anchor himself as one of this generation’s most promising Country artists.

His second taste of new music in 2023, “Red Flags,” brings forward great anticipation for what’s next for Josh Ross. In addition to building out a team on both sides of the border, within the first few months of the new year, his latest breakout track, “Trouble,” received the #1 spot on Spotify’s New Boots Playlist and was featured in Fox’s hit TV series “Welcome To Flatch.” He was announced as one of Spotify’s Hot Country Artists To Watch 2023, garnered his second Top 5 Canadian radio hit with his song “On A Different Night,” and notched more than 64 million global streams and counting.

With a foundation built on live and personal performances, Josh Ross has won hearts on North and South of the border with his appearance at the 109th Grey Cup on the Twisted Tea Grey Cup Halftime alongside Jordan Davis and Tyler Hubbard (watch his performance HERE), and with Bailey Zimmerman as the highly-anticipated opener for three sold-out shows in January 2023. This year, fans can catch him across North America on the Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour in April, Chase Rice’s Way Down Yonder Tour in May and joining Nickelback and Brantley Gilbert on the extensive Get Rollin’ Tour kicking off in June 2023. See below for full tour dates.

Already an established hitmaker in his home country with back-to-back Top 5 singles on Canadian country radio and now turning heads in Nashville and beyond, Josh Ross molds his firsthand experiences into engaging, hit-making storylines while impacting an international music stage. Stay tuned for more from Josh Ross at JoshRossMusic.com.

Josh Ross 2023 Tour Dates:

Apr 11 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ Abbotsford, BC

Apr 12 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ Kelowna, BC

Apr 14 – Country Thunder Festival @ Arizona

Apr 15 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ Lethbridge, AB

Apr 19 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ Regina, SK

Apr 20 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ Winnipeg, MB

Apr 25 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ Ottawa, ON

Apr 26 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ Kingston, ON

Apr 28 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ Oshawa, ON

Apr 29 – Lee Brice Beer Drinking Opportunity Tour @ London, ON

May 18 – Chase Rice Way Down Yonder Tour @ Richmond, VA

May 19 – Chase Rice Way Down Yonder Tour @ Wilkesboro, NC

May 20 – Chase Rice Way Down Yonder Tour @ Morgantown, WV

Jun 12 – Nickelback Tour @ Quebec City

Jun 14 – Nickelback Tour @ Montreal

Jun 16 – Nickelback Tour @ Grand Rapids, MI

Jun 20 – Nickelback Tour @ Winnipeg, MB

Jun 22 – Nickelback Tour @ Saskatoon, SK

Jun 24 – Nickelback Tour @ Edmonton, AB

Jun 25 – Nickelback Tour @ Calgary, AB

Jun 28 – Nickelback Tour @ Vancouver, BC

Jun 30 – Nickelback Tour @ Auburn, WA (Seattle)

Jul 1– Nickelback Tour @ Ridgefield, WA (Portland)

Jul 6 – Nickelback Tour @ Salt Lake City, UT

Jul 8 – Nickelback Tour @ Wheatland, CA

Jul 9 – Nickelback Tour @ Mountain View, CA

Jul 12 – Nickelback Tour @ Phoenix, AZ

Jul 14 – Nickelback Tour @ Los Angeles, CA

Jul 15 – Nickelback Tour @ Las Vegas, NV

Jul 18 – Nickelback Tour @ Denver, CO

Jul 22 – Nickelback Tour @ Rogers, AR

Jul 23 – Nickelback Tour @ The Woodlands, TX (Houston)

Jul 29 – Nickelback Tour @ Tampa, FL

Jul 30 – Nickelback Tour @ Alpharetta, GA

Aug 1 – Nickelback Tour @ Nashville, TN

Aug 3 – Nickelback Tour @ Maryland Heights, MO

Aug 5 – Nickelback Tour @ Milwaukee, WI

Aug 7 – Nickelback Tour @ St. Paul, MN

Aug 9 – Nickelback Tour @ Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Aug 10 – Boots & Hearts Music Festival @ Oro-Medonte

Aug 13 – Nickelback Tour @ Clarkson, MI

Aug 16 – Nickelback Tour @ Darien Lake, NY

Aug 18 – Nickelback Tour @ Tinley Park, IL

Aug 19 – Nickelback Tour @ Noblesville, IN

Aug 22 – Nickelback Tour @Mansfield, MA

Aug 24 – Nickelback Tour @ Bangor, ME

Aug 26 – Nickelback Tour @ Bristow, VA

Aug 27 – Nickelback Tour @ Hershey, PA

Aug 30 – Nickelback Tour @ Belmont Park, NY

Parker McCollum is announcing additional tour dates for this fall, blazing a path as one of the most exciting live acts in country music. Parker is taking his electrifying show to the far reaches of the U.S., including Alaska, where he will be performing for the first time. Praised as “a genuinely thoughtful, engaging performer” (Houston Chronicle) and “a solid singer, committed to the material, with enough stagecraft and country hunk charisma to connect with his audience” (Lincoln Journal Star), Parker’s recent sold-out shows include Detroit, Cincinnati, and more.

Added Tour Dates:

Tickets for these newly added shows will be available starting with presale beginning on Thursday, April 6th at 10am local time until 10pm local time.* The general on-sale will begin Friday, April 7^th at 10:00am local time. For more information, visit here.

*Presale tickets for the Houston, TX show (10/28) begins on Thursday, April 27th 10am local time until 10pm local time and general on-sale tickets will go on-sale on Friday, April 28^th at 10:00am local time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWrweJ9hTNM

In case you missed it, Parker made his “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” debut last night performing his hit single, “Handle On You,” which just received its RIAA Gold Certification. To date, the track is Parker’s fastest growing single (both in streams and on the radio chart) surpassing 120 million global streams and is currently Top 5 and climbing at Country Radio.

About Parker McCollum:
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Parker McCollum is following up his breakout major label debut, Gold Chain Cowboy, with his forthcoming studio album, Never Enough, out May 12 (MCA Nashville). McCollum earned his first-ever No. 1 hit with his double-Platinum certified debut single, “Pretty Heart,” and his follow-up Platinum certified single, “To Be Loved By You,” also hit No. 1 on the charts. “To Be Loved By You” was the only debut single to ship to radio and peak at No. 1 in 2020.

McCollum has been named an ‘Artist to Watch’ by Rolling Stone, Billboard, SiriusXM, CMT, RIAA, and more with American Songwriter noting, “The Texas native teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom.” MusicRow listed McCollum as their 2021 Breakout Artist of the Year and Apple also included him as one of their all-genre “Up Next Artists” Class of 2021. A dedicated road warrior, McCollum made his debut at the famed Grand Ole Opry in 2021 and he already sells out venues across the country (over 40 sold out shows nationwide in 2021) including record-breaking crowds in Dallas (20,000), The Woodlands (16,500), Austin (7500+), Lubbock (7700+), Jackson, MS (5000+), Kearney, NE (3000+), Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and three nights at Fort Worth’s iconic Billy Bob’s Texas. In March 2022, McCollum made his debut at RODEOHOUSTON to a sold-out crowd with over 73,000 tickets sold, returning to perform at the Opening Day celebration in 2023. He recently made a dream come true with his first-ever Austin City Limits performance, kicking off their 2023 season. In 2022, McCollum earned his first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year, took home “Breakthrough Video of the Year” (a fully fan-voted honor) at the 2022 CMT Music Awards, and scored his first-ever nomination in the New Artist of the Year category at the 56^th CMA Awards.

Darius Rucker releases his new song, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” on Friday morning (March 31st). The song, produced by Dann Huff, was written by Ben Hayslip, Dan Isbell and Jacob Rice.

When asked exactly what the song is about (wink-wink), he says with a grin, “it’s a song about that time when you’re sitting at home with your significant other or girlfriend or wife or boyfriend or husband or whatever, and you know it’s time. It’s time to get down to business. That’s what that song’s all about.”

He’s been putting the finishing touches on his forthcoming seventh solo album, which he recently revealedwill be called Carolyn’s Boy in honor of his late mother. Fans have gotten an early preview of the music via recent releases “Same Beer Different Problem” and “Ol’ Church Hymn” (featuring Chapel Hart), with additional new music expected soon.

Darius returns to the road this summer with 21 dates across the U.S. and Canada on his Starting Fires Tour, kicking off June 15th in Virginia. Joining the multi-time Diamond-certified star as direct support across most dates is popular Americana band Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, with rising star Drew Green as direct support on select dates.

Parker McCollum‘s meteoric rise continues with the RIAA Gold certification of his current hit single, “Handle On You.” The track is his fastest growing single (in both digital streams and on the radio chart,) surpassing 120 million global streams and is currently in the Top 5 and climbing at Country radio. Yesterday, McCollum was presented with a plaque by UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe and RIAA’s Jackie Jones to commemorate the accomplishment.

“Another Gold record – what an awesome thing to be able to say! I can’t thank the fans enough for always showing up. Y’all keep this whole thing going and I couldn’t do it without you.” – Parker McCollum

“Parker McCollum is a redefining, culture shaping artist,” shares Mabe. “At a time when star power is being undervalued and streaming metrics are crowned king, Parker proves that you can have, and be, both. Parker is a very important artist for the future of country music and we are beyond blessed that he is helping define our next era of country music at Universal Music Group Nashville.” – Cindy Mabe (President, UMG Nashville)

“The RIAA is excited to share in this incredible accomplishment with Parker, his team and everyone at UMG Nashville. RIAA certifications are earned solely based on what the fans are choosing to listen to. Seeing this song get certified so quickly is a true testament to the impact Parker has on his fans.” – Jackie Jones (SVP, Artist & Industry Relations, RIAA)

Tune-in this Thursday, March 30^th to “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on NBC as McCollum makes his debut on the show, performing “Handle On You.” The track is the lead single from his forthcoming album, Never Enough, out May 12th and available to pre-order here.
About Parker McCollum:
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Parker McCollum is following up his breakout major label debut, Gold Chain Cowboy, with his forthcoming studio album, Never Enough, out May 12 (MCA Nashville). McCollum earned his first-ever No. 1 hit with his double-Platinum certified debut single, “Pretty Heart,” and his follow-up Platinum certified single, “To Be Loved By You,” also hit No. 1 on the charts. “To Be Loved By You” was the only debut single to ship to radio and peak at No. 1 in 2020.

McCollum has been named an ‘Artist to Watch’ by Rolling Stone, Billboard, SiriusXM, CMT, RIAA, and more with American Songwriter noting, “The Texas native teeters on the edge of next-level superstardom.” MusicRow listed McCollum as their 2021 Breakout Artist of the Year and Apple also included him as one of their all-genre “Up Next Artists” Class of 2021. A dedicated road warrior, McCollum made his debut at the famed Grand Ole Opry in 2021 and he already sells out venues across the country (over 40 sold out shows nationwide in 2021) including record-breaking crowds in Dallas (20,000), The Woodlands (16,500), Austin (7500+), Lubbock (7700+), Jackson, MS (5000+), Kearney, NE (3000+), Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and three nights at Fort Worth’s iconic Billy Bob’s Texas. In March 2022, McCollum made his debut at RODEOHOUSTON to a sold-out crowd with over 73,000 tickets sold, returning to perform at the Opening Day celebration in 2023. He recently made a dream come true with his first-ever Austin City Limits performance, kicking off their 2023 season. In 2022, McCollum earned his first ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year, took home “Breakthrough Video of the Year” (a fully fan-voted honor) at the 2022 CMT Music Awards, and scored his first-ever nomination in the New Artist of the Year category at the 56^th CMA Awards.

For more information, visit ParkerMcCollum.com