July 2022

Colorado native Cody Cozz recently released his debut single, “On My Way,” on Craig Campbell’s Grindstone Records, and today CMT premiered the music video for the new song on their CMT Music channel. Fans can vote for the clip on the CMT Music 12 Pack Countdown HERE. The top 12 voting results as chosen by fans are revealed every Friday.   “The ‘On My Way’ video shows exactly what the song is about, longing for your loved one and the excitement of getting to see them,” said Cody. “My team couldn’t have done a better job for my first ever music video, and I’m truly grateful for everyone’s help and guidance. The lead actress steals the show, the video team crushed it, and of course CMT wanting to show this to the world is incredible! I hope everyone enjoys it.”   The video concept is based on a hard-working individual that works long hours and often must travel for work. In the case of “On My Way,” he has been transporting horses. He made his final pick up prior to a long drive home to the girl he loves and is fighting headlights and running red lights to make it to her, but he is on his way.   Shot in Eagleville, Tennessee, the video was produced by Lone Valley, directed by Mark Manning, and Zack Manning was the cinematographer. The song was written by Campbell with Phil O’Donnell and Wade Kirby, and Craig also produced the track.   A native of Pueblo, Colorado, Cody was a promising strong safety for Colorado State University Pueblo, before his football dreams were dashed by a career-ending injury during his junior year. He had sung all his life and was self-taught on guitar but had little music aspirations before his injury.   Cody took a construction job after college and started gigging at night. It was the classic up too late, up too early, but he started gaining a following and posting music on social media. He pursued opportunities around Pueblo to open for artists like Jon Pardi, Clay Walker, Michael Ray, Mitchell Tenpenny, and others. He got to spend with Craig Campbell after opening one of his shows, and the two started a kinship that would give Cozz a master’s degree in music.

Groundbreaking Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning country artist Ty Herndon is reclaiming his story and revealing his truth with the release of his long-awaited, critically acclaimed forthcoming project JACOB – listen now here.The first full project of all new material to come from Herndon since 2016, JACOB is the culmination of a life of hard-fought struggles and hard-won triumphs. His most personal album to date, Herndon revealed the true meaning behind the project in a PEOPLE exclusive where he delves into his past addiction to crystal meth, rehab, sexual trauma, hitting rock bottom, and his battle with mental illness. This album chronicles new parts of Herndon’s life never before shared and shows the breakthrough that he has made to become the artist that he is today. The music plots a path to where he finds himself today — a destination marked by recovery, inner strength and peace. Released in partnership with Pivotal Records, a division of Pivotal Moments Media, JACOB, is an 11-track musical experience where each song is based on experiences from his own life. Part country, part rock, part gospel – but all Ty Herndon – the country luminary has captured the pain, sorrow, and redemption that are universal to the human experience.“This album is about the power we all have to change our endings. The last two years have been a journey like none other for me, and I’m looking forward to sharing some new truths with listeners and reminding them that we have it within us to turn our greatest challenges into our greatest triumphs,” said Herndon. “Besides that, it’s just some damn good music.”Two music videos from the album have been released so far – uplifting, positive anthem “Till’ You Get There” and heart-wrenchingly powerful, “God or the Gun.” “God or the Gun” is showing exclusively now on PEOPLE.com alongside details inside Herndon’s battle with mental health and a life and death situation.Herndon burst onto the scene and made his chart debut in 1995 with “What Mattered Most,” which became his first No. 1 song and garnered a Song of the Year award (Music Row Magazine). It was also the title track to his first album, which debuted on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and had the biggest first-week shipment in the history of Epic Records Nashville.Between 1995 and 2002, Herndon charted 17 singles, including his three No.1s and numerous top 10 hits, such as “I Want My Goodbye Back,” “Loved Too Much,” “A Man Holding On,” and “Hands of a Working Man.” He topped the charts in 1996 with the single “Living in a Moment” and again in 1998 with “It Must Be Love.”In 2014, Herndon became the first major male country artist to publicly come out as gay in an exclusive with People magazine. He received an outpouring of support that only strengthened his relationship with fans and the country music community, expanding his reach to new and diverse audiences. Shortly after, he made history when he hosted a first-of-its-kind country music event, The Concert for Love and Acceptance, now an annual event that provides a stage for LGBTQ and allied artists. In 2020, he created the Foundation For Love & Acceptance to further his work on behalf of LGBTQ youth.Herndon found himself back at No. 1 in 2020 — this time on iTunes with his remake of “Orphans of God,” a collaboration with Kristin Chenoweth and Paul Cardall featured on his holiday release, Regifted. Over the last year, he has been working on the new album, JACOB, his first of all-new music since 2016’s House On Fire. Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning, Herndon’s voice is stronger than ever, and he’s using it to make a difference. In addition to his own foundation, Herndon lends his time and talent to MusiCares, which has supported Herndon through his struggles and supports those in the music industry with a safety net of services. In 2022, he joined Pivotal Moments Media as a Brand Ambassador and as the first artist signed to the organization’s new record label, Pivotal Records.

Nashville Meets London (NML) has announced the next round of performers added to the 2022 Music Festival lineup: Essex County, Matt Hodges, Tebey, and Wandering Hearts. The newly added talent joins the list of dynamic performers set to perform across the two days, which includes previously announced artists Priscilla Block, Shy Carter, Candi Carpenter, Ruthie Collins, Sarah Darling, Manny Blu, Kyle Daniel, and Arbor North.    Additionally, NML organizers have announced performers set to appear at the NML Opening Reception.  Manny Blu, Robbie Cavanaugh, and Matt Hodges are set to perform during a private NML Opening Reception to be held on August 22 at PizzaExpress (Holborn).   The NML Music Festival will be held on August 24 and 25, 2022, in a new location, Trinity Buoy Wharf, East London.  The new site is a stunning and cool new riverside venue opposite the O2 with an indoor stage and an outdoor seated area with food stalls and cashless bars.  The festival will feature performances by 12 artists, with six sets scheduled for each day.  Performances will be held between 4-11 p.m. on both days. DJ Hish will perform in between sets, while Absolute Radio Country host, Matt Spracklen, will compère the event. More talent will be announced in the coming days.   Tickets for the NML River Cruise and the NML Music Festival are available for purchase through the Pizza Express Box Office at www.PizzaExpressLive.com/nml-festival.  This year’s festival event will have a limited capacity; therefore, anyone that wants to attend is encouraged to buy tickets early. Tickets for the festival are £34 per person (including booking fee) for each day. A limited number of VIP tickets that include entry to the festival, access to a private/VIP space with a private bar, entry to an artist meet and greet area, tickets to other NML events, and more, are  also available.   Event attendees can travel to the festival site, Trinity Buoy Wharf, by catching the Jubilee Line or DLR to Canning Town station, then taking a 10-minute walk to the venue. Other options include DLR to East India station, followed by a 10-minute walk, Number 277 bus, alighting at the Town Hall on the north side of East India (DLR) station or the D3 bus to Orchard Place. Parking on-site is not available.   In its seventh year, the NML Music Festival has become a summer staple for Country and Americana music fans. Festival performances will be held indoors at Trinity Buoy Wharf’s event space and will feature artists representing the U.S. and the U.K. The full line-up will be released in the coming weeks. A limited number of tickets will be available, including ticketing packages that provide additional perks, entry into special events, and exclusive access. Additional information on tickets and event packages providing enhanced experiences will be released in the coming weeks.   Trinity Buoy Wharf is nestled between Royal Victoria Dock, Canning Town, and Poplar, not far from Canary Wharf, and is an enclave for arts and cultural activities. Located along England’s longest-running river, River Thames, the area represents the charm, character, and space of a former buoy manufacturing site in an exclusive riverside location. Trinity Buoy Wharf has kept its unique allure as a center for studio and gallery space, a pier, boat club, school, rehearsal rooms, three enormous sustainable and colorful Container City buildings, and dining options, such as The Orchard.  The new site is a stunning and cool new riverside venue opposite the O2 with an indoor stage and an outdoor seated area with food stalls and cashless bars.     Throughout the festival, fans will have options, including listening to music or retreating to the venue’s terrace to enjoy the surrounding outdoor seating areas nestled among artistic backdrops and expansive river views. Food trucks and fully staffed bars will also be on-site, offering diverse food and drink options.   Unlike past years when the two-day music event was held on Saturday and Sunday, NML 22 will be held during the evenings on Wednesday and Thursday night due to the venue’s availability and the promoter’s effort to not interfere with other surrounding events.     On August 19, NML will host the NML Country Music River Cruise just days before the festival, with support from PizzaExpress Live! The NML River Cruise will feature acoustic performances by Kyle Daniel and Vicki Manser, a set by DJ Hish, and hosting by Absolute Radio Country presenter Matt Spracklen. Tickets to this exclusive event are extremely limited and are available for £45 per person. Limited VIP table packages for eight people are also available at £560. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com. The boat will embark at Bankside Pier at 19.00 and depart at 19:30. Live performances will kick off at 20:00, with DJ Hish kicking off his set at 21:00. The boat disembarks at 23:15.   Leading up to the summertime festivities, NML Presents! monthly residency shows will take place on June 29 (Jeff Cohen), and July 27 (Alannah McCready).  Tickets will be available for purchase through https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com.   Nashville Meets London could not be made possible without the significant role played by its partners and supporters, which include Pizza Express, Trinity Buoy Wharf, Hills Balfour and Hablo.   Launched in 2016 as an annual music festival, Nashville Meets London (NML) has evolved into an international entertainment brand providing opportunities and supporting the globalization of Americana and Country music. The brand’s mission is to expand on music’s cultural and economic exchange while driving more synergy between the recording and live performance industries worldwide. NML pillar activities include the annual music festival, the NML Presents Live! at Pizza Express monthly residency, the NML Country Music River Cruise, NML Sessions, and NML Special Events (NML at Royal Albert Hall, NML at Bush Hall). Across its events, NML has showcased performances by Lauren Alaina, American Young, Cadillac Three, Ashley Campbell, Shy Carter, Sarah Darling, Russell Dickerson, Caylee Hammack, Noah Guthrie, Ty Herndon, Sam Palladio, Sam Outlaw, Logan Mize, Hayley Orrantia, Angaleena Presley, Michael Ray, Lucie Silvas, Tenille Townes, Tyminski, and more, alongside U.K.-based acts Elles Bailey, Yola Carter, Flats & Sharps, Jade Helliwell, keywest, Kevin McGuire, Megan O’Neill, Hannah Rose Platt, Raintown, Twinnie, Two Ways Home, Robert Vincent, Wildwood Kin, William the Conqueror and more. 

When did you first know that you wanted to be a musician?  I’ve been singing since I was really small. So I first started singing when I was about five, then I started writing songs when I was about 14. I wrote a song at school and I remember taking it to my music teacher and he started playing it. I was amazed I’d just wrote a song and I think it was that moment that I knew.  When you were growing up, what music did your family play to you on long car journey’s and what are you choosing to listen to now?  I listened to a melting pot of music. There was a lot of Fleetwood Mac, in my dad’s car. There was a lot of compilations too, you’d go on a long journey and you’d just be waiting for the songs to come on and you’d know the order. So I listened to a lot of Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, some soul music, but we also had Shania Twain and LeAnn Rimes and Dolly Parton as well. So I listened to a lot of country too.  Can you tell me a little bit about the country music scene in Wales?  Well, to be honest, I didn’t live in Wales for very long, I went to London because I went to drama school when I was about 14. I remember thinking at the time, there’s not much going on and if I want to make something of myself or be noticed, I always thought, I’m not going to get noticed here. I’m from the valleys of Wales so it’s like, everyone knows everyone in this little village, which is lovely but I realised very quickly that I had to get out to make something of myself. Saying that, Wales is very musical, and there’s a lot of people there that can sing, there’s a lot of bands that come out of Wales, so I feel like it definitely lends itself to songwriting.  Your new album ‘State of Mind’ came out on July 1st, can you tell me about the making of that album please?   I met my producer down here in Plymouth, which is where I live now. His name is Josiah J. Manning, he’s actually part of the Kris Barras band. We made my EP back in 2020 together. I wrote a ton of songs in lockdown, and by the time we got to about summer last year, I had 11 songs that I had picked. We went in the studio, over the course of a few months, and we would do three at a time. I also made like a Spotify playlist of everything I wanted my album to sound like, which is a mixture of everything. He’s a bit of a genius, he plays everything so we just built the tracks together.  Can you tell me the story behind ‘Fire With Fire’ please?   I wrote that song in lockdown, my boyfriend was playing guitar and I just started singing these lyrics. I’m a real stickler for songs that tell a story because I’ve traveled to Nashville, and I’ve got in writing rooms and I feel like the song has to tell a story. But actually, that is probably the most obscure song on the album in terms of lyrics. There was so much going on in the world, I felt like there was a lot of anger and those lyrics just flew out. I guess it doesn’t help anyone to fight fire with fire.  What’s been your proudest moment in your career so far?   I was supporting Robert Jon and the Wreck and it was a pretty proud moment when they sold out the garage in London and being a support act, you never quite know if people are going to show up to your set. It was a sold out massive crowd at the garage, and I walked on stage and you could hear a pin drop – the crowd just got on board. So that was a big, big moment for me and then I also performed at the bluebird cafe in Nashville. I played a song, one of my own songs a couple of years ago. That was a Bucket List moment. So, two very different moments, but equally great.  What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever written a song about?   I went all the way to Nashville once, and I sat with two songwriters, who wrote a song called ‘Mississippi Turnpike’, which is one of my favourite songs by Shelley Fairchild. I said I want to write my own version of that song. And they said, where are you from? And I was like, oh, this place in Wales. They said what’s the specific name of the town? I said it was Aberdare, then we started looking at the Wikipedia page for Aberdare, and there’s two American guys trying to speak Welsh. I thought there’s no way we’re gonna get that word in a song. I taught them all these Welsh words, it was hilarious listening to these two Nashvillians trying to say Welsh words. Anyway, we ended up writing a song about it, I got Aberdare in a song. So I guess writing a Welsh song in Nashville was pretty weird.  What’s next for you?  In October, there’s going to be a headline tour. And then yeah, just more live shows. I haven’t really had much time to tour this album, of course, because it’s not out. So the rest of the year is just going to be live shows and touring and maybe some new music early next year. I’ve already written some more songs.