December 2020

Elles Bailey has linked up with Lady Nade to release a special version of the Christmas classic Silent Night, with all proceeds going to charity. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]i_slCDbKiMM[/wpdevart_youtube] The single is being released for Shelter – a UK homeless charity – and finally gives Bailey a chance to collaborate with Lady Nade, which she has wanted to do for a while. Speaking about the song, Bailey explained that Shelter is a charity close to her heart and that she is delighted to finally have the chance to work with Lady Nade. “2020 has become the year of collaboration: a beautiful silver lining to come out of the darkness and I am so excited about this Silent Night collaboration with my gorgeous talented friend and fellow Bristolian: Lady Nade,” Bailey said. “I love how our completely different voices weave together to create such lovely textures; plus, we are joined by the tremendous Joe Wilkins on guitar — it really is a stunning mix, even though I say so myself! All in aid of Shelter. “What I also love about this particular collaboration is that we have come together for an incredible cause at this much-needed time. It’s heartbreaking to see the amount of homelessness we have just here in Bristol, let alone across the country. “The money raised for Shelter can give a lifeline to those people, especially at Christmas and through the cold Winter months.” Elles Bailey recently released a covers album in the shape of ‘Ain’t Nothing But’, which was recorded in the summer of 2020 as part of a livestream series.

The Maverick Track of the Day today (Dec 17 2020) is Wilder Waters by Broken Heart University, which came out earlier this year. You can listen below. [wpdevart_youtube]0cKKNz2nUy4[/wpdevart_youtube] The song comes from their most recent release ‘Not Today, Thanks Satan’, which was released just before lockdown hit on March 10, 2020. Broken Heart University is a musical collective that formed back in 2018, with Tony Batty spearheading the project. Batty, an experienced singer-songwriter, took a 40-year hiatus but got back into the game after being introduced to Ashley Fayth, a Canadian singer/songwriter herself. Together, they started working on a project that took into account Batty’s travels around America and the end result was the collective’s self-titled debut album last year, which we said was “a fine contribution to the higher echelons of British country music.” Striking while the iron was hot, ‘Not Today, Thanks Satan’ came next and one of the most prominent tracks from it is Wilder Waters, with the ever gentle guitar fusing perfectly with Fayth’s exquisite vocals as she recounts a tale with a former loved one, wishing she could feel what she felt back then and to hold that person one last time. For further information regarding the collective, you can head to their website here.

Chris Lane has secured the third US Country Radio Number One of his career as his single Big, Big Plans, has peaked at top spot. You can listen to the track here. The single follows in the footsteps of Fix and I Don’t Know About You and is also the first #1 that Lane has had as a songwriter, with the other two hits being written by other people. Speaking about the achievement, Lane said that it means the world to him to see a song very close to his heart leave such a lasting effect on his fans and to also see how the song has inspired others to make a very strong pledge. “As an artist the most rewarding thing for me is writing a song and hearing fans sing it back and make it part of their own story as well,” Lane said. “It’s been so much fun to see the way such a personal song for me has impacted other people over time. “From proposing to my wife, to seeing others’ proposals at shows and on social media, to it now hitting #1 on Country radio is unbelievable. I couldn’t be more excited.” Chris Lane last released an album in 2018 in the shape of ‘Laps Around the Sun’ and it is very possible that Big, Big Plans appears on whatever project Lane decides to do next.

The British Country Music Festival will be returning in 2021 for its second outing, with Nathan Carter, Wildwood Kin and Lisa McHugh headlining. Tickets are available here. The event will be returning to Blackpool Winter Gardens between September 3-5 and features a number of prominent UK based country acts, including Katy Hurt, Morganway, Zoee, Holloway Road, Candi Carpenter, Kezia Gill and many more. Speaking ahead of the festival, Marina Blore from Fit The Bill – the event promoter – said that it is more vital now than ever to support UK acts and that they are very confident everything will go ahead as planned. “Following a very tough year for live entertainment, we are thrilled to be back with The British Country Music Festival following its successful launch in 2019,” Blore said. “It’s more important than ever that we support homegrown performers, many of whom have struggled for survival in 2020. “ “In addition to the great line-up on our main stage in the iconic, candlelit Empress Ballroom, our support stages are packed with emerging and breaking talent and we cannot wait for our festival family to discover new artists at TBCMF in Blackpool. “We are confident that by September next year, we will be able to operate to a viable capacity and we also promise a full ticket refund in the event that Covid prevents us from going ahead.”

UK teenage prodigy Jeorgia Rose has released her debut single in the shape of I Will Still Remember, which also comes with a video. You can watch said video below. 17-year-old Rose, who hails from Cheshire, England, cites Taylor Swift, Little Big Town and Cassadee Pope as her musical inspirations, while this song was written in lockdown over Zoom with Femke and Neal. Speaking about the song, Rose said that she is both excited and nervous at the prospect of her song being released into the wider world, while from a recording aspect, everything went as according to plan in Music City. “I’m excited and a little nervous for people to finally hear this song,” Rose said. “The recording process was fairly smooth, for my first time in the studio. At first we had to find a mic that suited my voice and I trialled a few. “The music was recorded in Nashville which is like a dream come true for me. The song  tells the story of a summer romance that comes to an end as autumn comes around… it’s a love song with a twist! Jeorgia Rose has released the video as part of the beta launch for Viktrs, which aims to provide a more immersive experience when watching music videos. If you watch it on your phone and turn it 90 degrees, you should be able to gain a lot more from the video itself. “The video was so much fun to make and I feel honoured to be part of the Viktrs BETA launch as one of the first artists releasing a video using this new tool,” she added. “I can’t wait for you to see what this technology can do…it will blow your mind!”

Florida Georgia Line have revealed the news that their fifth studio album ‘Life Rolls On’ will be released on February 12. You can pre-order the album here. The duo, made up of Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, last released an album in 2019 in the shape of ‘Can’t Say I Ain’t Country’ and I Love My Country, which they released back in March, will feature on the album. Speaking about the record, the pair said that they have come very far since their first release and that they are very much paying homage to the good times on this upcoming release, which also highlights the good place they’re in right now. “I think this personally is just a big, celebratory chapter,” Hubbard said. “We’ve come a long way since 2012 when we dropped our first album, it’s wild to think about the journey we’ve been on – the things we’ve got to do, the places music has taken us. “We’re celebrating life and the good times, the ups and the downs, and the journey it took us to get where we’re at.” “It’s just evident within the music how good of a time we’re having and how good of a place in life we are for sure,” Kelley added. Florida Georgia Line have also been busy with a few collaborations that came out this year, namely Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen. with Chase Rice and It’s About Time with Russell Dickerson.

Lindsay Ell has rounded off a successful year for her personally by securing a second Number One single in her native Canada, as wAnt me back takes top spot. You can listen to the song here or sample a snippet below. The supremely gifted musician released her most recent studio album ‘heart theory’ earlier this year and was also nominated for two ACM Awards in New Female Artist of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year. Now, she has something else to celebrate as wAnt me back – written with Kane Brown, Matt McGinn and Lindsay Rimes – became her second Number One single in Canada. Speaking about the news, Ell said that it was the best way possible to close the year and the best early Christmas present she could dream of, while she also expressed her pride in putting so much of herself into her music this year. “I am beyond thrilled to celebrate my second #1 in Canada,” Ell said. “I have written so much of my heart and soul into my latest album and to release music in a year like 2020 has been quite the rollercoaster. “But to top this year off with a celebration like this is truly incredible. This is the best early Christmas present ever.” The previous #1 for Lindsay Ell in Canada came from her first major label album release in ‘The Project’, with Criminal taking top spot.

The broadcasting times for CMA Country Christmas have been revealed, as the showcase yearly event has found a way to go ahead. Recorded back in September as part of a forward thinking measure to counteract COVID 19, CMA Country Christmas will be hosted by Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren Akins, with no studio audience in attendance. This is the 11th time that the event has gone ahead and as usual, there are a number of high profile artists that will be performing classic Christmas songs. Some of these include the likes of Kelsea Ballerini, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Lady A, Little Big Town, host Thomas Rhett and many more. The CMA Country Christmas International Broadcast Dates are: Australia: Airing on Nine at 3:00 PM AEDT on December 12 and at 10:00 AM AEDT on December 25. Germany, Switzerland, Austria: Airing on RTLplus on December 23 at 10:10 PM CET. Gibraltar: Airing on GBC at 9:00 PM CET on December 24 and at 5:00 PM CET on December 25. Latin America: Airing on DirecTV at 1:00 GMT South / 3:00 GMT North on December 24. Norway: Airing on NRK2 at 9:45 PM CET on December 19 and on NRK1 at 11:15 PM CET on December 25. U.K.: Television airing on BBC Four at 11:00 PM GMT on December 18 and radio airing on BBC Radio 2 at 8:00 PM GMT on December 24. Sweden: Airing on SVT1 at 10:45pm CET on December 25. The artists performing and the songs they are performing are: Kelsea Ballerini – Santa Baby Gabby Barrett – The First Noel Dan + Shay – Christmas Isn’t Christmas Florida Georgia Line – Lit This Year Lady A – Wonderful Christmastime and Little Saint Nick Little Big Town – Christmas Time Is Here Tim McGraw – It Wasn’t His Child Thomas Rhett – Christmas In The Countryʼ Darius Rucker and Lindsey Stirling – What Child Is This?

Nashville based artist Sykamore has released a new track in the way of a cover of What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? , which you can listen to here. Sykamore, otherwise known as Jordan Ostrom, is continuing to grow her profile in the country world and has been included in CMT’s Next Women of Country. Speaking about the song, the artist said the track has been close to her heart for many years when it comes to festive songs, while she also hailed the song’s construction and the space she was allowed to be creative with it. “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?  has been a long-time favourite song of mine as far as holiday songs go,” Sykamore said. “And we were lucky in that it really hasn’t been done a million times and covered a billion different ways. “So as far as keeping it fresh and bringing our vision to life, we had a lot of room to interpret it and not have to worry about stepping on other people’s toes. And the melody and the lyric are just so smart and so cute, and it was a no-brainer to cut it this year.” Earlier in 2020, the artist released a five-track EP in the shape of ‘California King’, which was her first release in three years.

Matt Owens has released another new single from his recent album ‘Scorched Earth’ in the shape of I Will Be There. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]dX70GLbP3Bk[/wpdevart_youtube] Owens released the album earlier this year to much acclaim and I Will Be There is the latest instalment from it, following in the footsteps of Cargo for the Road and MacCurtain Street. Speaking about the single, Owens explained that the song very much captures the essence of 2020, while explaining how strange it was to record the video – which also features flashbacks to better times – in lockdown. “I Will Be There encapsulates the solitude of 2020, touching upon the brutal reality of the times we’re living through,” Owens described. “Recorded in lockdown at The Forum in Bath, the depiction is all too real. The stage is desolate with no band conspicuously behind their instruments, the seats bereft of audience members; but still the song and the singer endure. “The flashbacks are taken from prior Bath shows and live collaborations with a slew of local artists (Jonny Morgan, Alex Lipinski, Levi Davis) reminding us of more care-free times. Although we can’t exist at the moment how we’d like, the hope is that happier memories can hold us together as we ride out these days.” Matt Owens was formerly in the high profile group Noah and the Whale, before embarking on a solo Americana adventure upon the group’s end.