2021

Everything Lee Brice has touched recently has turned to gold, with his last three singles going to No. 1, in addition to recently picking up a CMA Award. Maverick found out his secrets while discussing his new album, ‘Hey World’ As the saying goes, you make your own luck in the world. If you keep plugging away and doing all the right things, eventually things will fall into place for you. To say that Lee Brice would only be benefitting now from doing the hard yards his whole career would be completely false, given the copious amounts of success he’s had, but this moment feels very different. This is very much his time. Brice’s last three singles – Rumor, I Hope You’re Happy Now with Carly Pearce and One of Them Girls have all hit Number One. Of those three, I Hope You’re Happy Now has just won a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year. Going by this run, it’s not out of the question that his latest single release Memory I Don’t Mess With eventually climbs to the summit, as well. Another classic saying is when it rains, it pours – and it’s certainly pouring right now. However, there was no magic wand moment or anything like that, with Brice explaining that all he has done is work exceptionally hard with his team and stay true to himself in his musical application, all while making the very most of the stars aligning in his favour.  “I just kind of feel that…not just me, but everyone around me has worked so hard and will continue to do so, so we didn’t do anything different,” Brice says. “I didn’t want to go down the road of putting a song out or writing a song because it would be a hit and I put so much emphasis on the lyrics and the emotion and what I wanted. “It matters more in the long run as all my songs I’ve done, I feel they will be around for a while because they went slow on the charts. But even the ones that didn’t go Number One, they are still huge. They are still huge around radio and everywhere else and it shows. “I feel like most of it is just good timing and things have lined up, but for this record coming up, if the success continues on, it’s because I’ve really kind of taken that line and blurred the lines in a positive way. I’m hopeful I’ve made stuff that people want to hear and that’s easy to listen to, but also still having the depth of the songs that I always fight for.” A positive of lockdown One factor for the songs having the depth that they do have on ‘Hey World’ is the national lockdown that was enforced. While Brice – like everyone else – found it incredibly frustrating at times, it did allow him to take more time when it came to the recording process and slow everything down, to the point that he wasn’t rushing anymore and could really get exactly what he wanted from each individual track. As a result of this, Brice believes that the album has possibly turned out better than what he would’ve previously been able to release. “Lockdown was challenging, but truth is when I look back on it, it slowed down the process, which enabled me to dissect things a little bit more. I think that little things like the parts here and the parts there, as far as the actual record itself, I think they were better because I was able to have even less going on and take my time because it was like, ‘okay we’re going to do one instrument at a time, drummer, bass player, bring it back, I want to change some of the base I mess around with it’ etc. “It was a little challenging and at first a little frustrating, because we were like, ‘I want to get this done, we’re on a deadline’, but we got it done and now looking back, it even helped the process and maybe the record even turned out better because of it.” Delving deeper There are some tracks in particular which have given Lee Brice this feeling and these aren’t limited to tracks like I Hope You’re Happy Now, although another one of his favourites is indeed his most recently released single in Memory I Don’t Mess With. There is a deeper cut on the album though that Brice sees as a really special song, for which he was inspired to write on the basis of a family bereavement, which subsequently took him to a certain state of mind.  “Memory I Don’t Mess With is such a reminder of my high school years and probably the most quintessential Lee Brice song on the record – that’s what people would expect from me and when I was writing songs as a kid, that’s the kind of stuff I would write. But there’s also another song called Save the Roses that was inspired by a death in the family of one of my cousins that I grew up with, so it kind of took me back to a certain mindset and a place, but it also says a lot. “The song isn’t preaching to anybody, but it sure says some things and gets you thinking. Those two are my favourites on the record and are a couple of special songs, but there’s other stuff I want people to hear too because it’s got the country side of me.” Touring the UK The plan was for people to hear these tracks in a live setting before they got released, including a stint over in the UK, but alas the pandemic meant that this was put on the backburner. Lee Brice has managed to reschedule his UK dates for next year, which is something he is desperately hoping takes places as he is incredibly excited to not only play to UK audiences, but to also explore the UK as

Ed Bruce, known for his classic country hit Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys, has sadly passed away at the age of 81. The Arkansas born artist, also famed for his Number One song You’re the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had, has been a staple in country music for many years, writing songs for the likes of Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker and Crystal Gayle. Bruce’s musical career started when he was 17 back in 1957 and grew to a huge point, with Bruce contributing to a plethora of chart hits either for himself or for other artists. His first was in 1962 when he wrote Save Your Kisses for pop star Tommy Roe and his last came several decades later in 1987, with Quietly Crazy getting into the Top 40. Away from music and Bruce was also a keen actor, with the incredibly talented individual playing second lead on ‘Maverick’, which was a 1957 show that was revived in the 1980s. In addition, Bruce also did voiceovers for commercials. On June 3, Ed Bruce was honoured with the Arkansas Country Music Award for “Lifetime Achievement” at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He sadly passed away from natural causes on January 8, 2021.

Florida Georgia Line have whipped up further anticipation ahead of their upcoming new album by releasing their latest single New Truck. You can listen to the song here or watch the lyric video below. [wpdevart_youtube]RPr1gyEJn48[/wpdevart_youtube] The duo – made up of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley – will be releasing their fifth studio album ‘Life Rolls On’ on February 12, with New Truck featuring on the 16 track record. Speaking about the song, Florida Georgia Line said that it’s a song that has a different edge to it with a lot of fun attached to it, while they also feel that it is a song designed to be played in a truck. “With New Truck we were like, ‘Man, this feels good. I just want to ride around in my truck, listen to this, and have a song to jam to,’” Hubbard said. “When any of our buddies get a new truck now, we can send it to them and say, ‘Yo, bump this in the truck!’” “It feels really different and fresh,” Kelley added. “It’s got a fun innocence about it, too.” The track listing by ‘Life Rolls On’ by Florida Georgia Line is as follows: 1. Long Live 2. Life Looks Good 3. Countryside 4. Always Gonna Love You 5. I Love My Country 6. Hard To Get To Heaven 7. Long Time Comin’ 8. Interlude 9. Ain’t Worried About It (Album Version) 10. Beer:30 11. New Truck 12. Eyes Closed 13. Second Guessing (From Songland) 14. Good To Me 15. U.S. Stronger 16. Life Rolls On

Runaway June’s newest member Natalie Stovall had a Christmas to remember for very different reasons, as the singer battled COVID-19 for the festive period. While the other members of the ever rising female trio in Naomi Cooke and Jennifer Wayne both got engaged over the same time period, Stovall – who replaced Hannah Mulholland last year – was quarantining. Speaking about her experience on her Instagram, Stovall opened up on the symptoms she felt and also stated that she is very grateful that it was just a mild case, while also encouraging her fans to stay safe. “We’ve had a full on Covid Christmas round these parts,” Stovall said. “I tested positive a few weeks ago and hunkered down with lots of grocery deliveries.  So thankful it was a mild case. Just achy, exhausted and so strange not to taste or smell! “But I have been cleared by Vanderbilt and am immune/ not contagious for at least 90 days. Guess that’s the silver lining here. I know so many people hurting and affected by this awful disease. “James and I are definitely counting our blessings. Stay safe and healthy out there, y’all. Here’s to getting back to normalcy ASAP.” Runaway June’s first project with Natalie Stovall as a member was a Christmas EP in ‘When I Think About Christmas’, which was their first project since 2019 debut album ‘Blue Roses’.

Dolly Parton has lifted the lid on the nature of a secret song that has been hidden in Dollywood, which can’t be played until 2045. Upon the opening of the DreamMore Resort on 2015, it was put to Parton that she should record a song that she then put in a box and then left unopened until 30 years after opening. Writing in her new book ‘Songteller: My Life in Lyrics’, Parton explained how the idea came about and said that while she will be very close to 100 when 2045 comes around, she hopes to be there to premiere the track. “It would be a song that will never be heard until 30 years from the time we opened the resort,” Parton said. “They said, ‘You’ll be long dead’ and “I said, ‘well, maybe not. I’ll be 99. I’ve seen people live to be older than that.’ “That’s like burying one of my kids, putting it on ice or something and I won’t be around to see it brought back to life. It’s just burning me up inside that I have to leave it in there. “Anyway, it’s kind of weird or strange that they would ask me to write this mystery song. I don’t know if I want to live to be 100 or not. But you never know. I might and if I do, I’m going to be at that opening.” Parton did say however that the song will definitely be accessible – it is on a CD and Parton has also put a CD player in the box with it, with the icon writing “there’s no telling what music is going to be by then.” Moving away from music and Dolly Parton has been very busy on humanitarian issues, with the money that she gave to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville for research purposes going a long way to helping them with the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, which has a 95% protection rate.

Ahead of her debut album release on January 15, Kerri Watt has shared the music video for her most recent single Band of Gold. You can watch the video below and pre-order the album, titled ‘Neptune’s Daughter’, here. [wpdevart_youtube]137x5uxcc6Y[/wpdevart_youtube] The Glaswegian singer has had her debut album in the pipeline for quite song time and it is very much eagerly anticipated, so the video acts a further appetiser for the project. Speaking about both the song and the album, Watt said that the track was great for her as she managed to get it together pretty quickly, while also stating that she hopes there is something for everyone on the album. “Band of Gold was one of those songs that basically wrote itself,” Watt said. “It just kind of flowed out of me in about 30 minutes and I knew it was gonna be a goodie! “It feels like years of work and passion are coming to fruition and I’m finally getting to share a full body of work. There are some really fun, light tracks mixed with darker moments and scattered throughout are a few subtle references to some of my musical heroes that I’m hoping fans will have fun picking out. “After years of experimenting with different sounds and ideas, I’ve written a piece that I hope will have something for every kind of person and be the positive start we all need for 2021.” Back in 2019, Kerri Watt supported Keith Urban at O2 Kentish Town Forum, while she also shone at C2C a few days later.

Rising US country artist Hailey Whitters has released a new song in the shape of Fillin’ My Cup, which also features Little Big Town. You can listen to the song here or watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]Pd6CdPwlY34[/wpdevart_youtube] The song was co-produced by Whitters and Jake Gear, who also produced Whitters’ most recent album in ‘The Dream’, which was released last year. Speaking about the song, Whitters explained how the song fell into the shape it did and also opened up slightly on the meaning behind the track, while also saying that it felt right to start 2021 by releasing this. “I wrote this song with Hillary Lindsey and Nicolle Galyon,” Whitters said. “I’d had the title Fillin’ My Cup for a while, but then Nicolle had the brilliant idea to turn the lyric into a recipe. “It’s a concoction of all of those little things in life that have a way of making my glass feel half-full. It’s been a hopeful reminder throughout the year and just felt like the right note to start 2021 on.” Hailey Whitters, who was born in Iowa, has been touted by some to be a huge star within country music and ‘The Dream’ found itself on a number of end of year top album lists.

Tim McGraw has announced that he has joined forces with Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard for his upcoming track Undivided, out on January 13. You can pre-save here. The two are good friends and the song was co-written by Hubbard and Chris Loocke as Hubbard was coming out of COVID-19 quarantine after testing positive. Speaking about the upcoming song, McGraw said that he fell in love with the uplifting vibes that the track brings, while Hubbard said that as soon as the song was written, that it needed to have Tim McGraw on. “Music gives us hope and brings us together in a way nothing else can. This doesn’t mean we don’t have work to do. Quite the opposite,” McGraw explained. “I loved the positivity of this song and that it called me to check myself and to remember that love is bigger. It’s why I knew this song had to be my next single with Tyler as soon as he sent it to me.” “I knew immediately when I finished it, I had to text it to Tim,” Hubbard added. “He has a way of communicating with the world that is unique in music. “For him to want to perform with me was an amazing feeling. The song is about coming together, and that’s exactly what we did.”

Kane Brown and Chris Young have started off 2021 with a bang as their recent collaboration Famous Friends is the current most added track on country radio (Jan 6). You can listen to it here. The song was released back in November, but as is the way with the country music charts, songs take a fair while to gain notable traction. However, it is very much doing so now and charted at #36 on Billboard and #45 on Country Aircheck/Mediabase, with it being the most added song at 53 different radio stations across the US. The song itself is one of an autobiographical viewpoint, with the track mentioning Rutherford County – which is where Young grew up – and both Hamilton County and Davidson’s County, both of which having a huge impact on Brown’s upbringing. There is also a sense of a full circle moment with the track, given that Brown and Young collaborated back in 2017 on Setting the Night on Fire. Brown was also Young’s support for the ‘Losing Sleep Tour’, while in a very unusual twist of fate, the first country gig that Brown saw was Brad Paisley with Young as support. The most recent release project wise from Kane Brown was the ‘Mixtape Vol. 1’ EP, while Chris Young’s last project was his 2017 album ‘Losing Sleep’.

for KING & COUNTRY have released their second country collaboration, after joining forces with Hannah Ellis and Jackson Michelson for Together. You can listen to the song here. The duo, made up of brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, had previously released the single to great success with it landing them a Number One in the US Christian Airplay charts, but have now given the song a fresh country feel thanks to Ellis and Michelson’s input. Speaking about the song, the brothers said that as the song is about unity and joining forces, given the current conditions that we find ourselves in, it is very fitting to be able to give it a refresh. “In a time where this virus is not isolated to one people group or country or social class – it has become the great equaliser,” the brothers said. “It is helping us all reconsider this beautiful concept that we all bleed the same blood. “And if we are able to unite and support — be a neighbour to someone, serve someone, reach out to someone – how might those acts of kindness change the scope of our futures, together?” The song marks the second for KING & COUNTRY country music collaboration, after the pair joined forces with country queen Dolly Parton for a special rendition of God Only Knows, which won a Grammy.