10 November 2025

Molly tuttle - maverick-country.com

Molly Tuttle: A Sun-Kissed Reinvention

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Six Grammy wins and a reputation as one of bluegrass’s most formidable guitarists couldn’t contain Molly Tuttle, as she steps into a brighter, freer realm   Molly Tuttle has long stood alongside bluegrass’s finest-an award‑winning flatpicker, songwriter, and singer who shattered glass ceilings as IBMA’s first female Guitar Player of the Year and a two‑time Grammy winner.    Rooted in California, raised on the guitar by her multi‑instrumentalist father, she moved to Nashville to carve her own legacy.   Her latest album, So Long Little Miss Sunshine, released in August 2025, marks a clear pivot-into folk‑pop, country, and rock, while still honouring her roots.  Produced by Jay Joyce, it blends soaring acoustic guitar with bold production choices, and includes a captivating banjo‑topped rendition of “I Love It.”    The album also reflects Tuttle’s growing willingness to incorporate humour, irony, and storytelling with looser boundaries, something she has cited as a personal goal since her earlier albums. Critics have noted that Sunshine moves with a cinematic quality, each track styled with a tone or colour that plays into her evolving self-image.   An emotional shift   Tuttle has spoken candidly about the emotional shift in this album, saying it was about bidding farewell to a version of herself that had long tried to blend in. That declaration captures the record’s heart, a reckoning with identity, memory, and creative direction.   The title track, “So Long Little Miss Sunshine,” plays like a farewell letter to a former persona. Tuttle’s vocal delivery is restrained but purposeful, using gentle lyrical subversion and folk-rooted cadence to guide the listener through grief and growth. It’s a track that lingers, more epilogue than anthem.   Beyond Golden Highway   Before Sunshine, Tuttle fronted Golden Highway, her band with whom she released two consecutive Grammy‑winning albums (Crooked Tree and City of Gold). But in May 2025, she announced that Golden Highway would step back, freeing space for a new ensemble designed to suit this album’s evolving sound.   That shift wasn’t easy: Golden Highway had been more than a band-it was a family, musical collaborators, and the backbone of her sound. The transformation speaks to Tuttle’s resolve to grow, even when that means relinquishing comfort zones.   On the creative front, Molly describes experiencing a spark between her roots and newer influences, writing songs that straddled two worlds.  She began with tracks that felt more contemporary and personal, then found her bluegrass senses reawakening mid‑project. She chose to record with Jay Joyce in Nashville, drawn to his ability to blend textures across genres.   The album cover, designed by Tuttle herself, captures that tension visually, featuring multiple versions of Molly wearing different wigs. It’s a playful emblem of shedding expectations and embracing the many shades of identity. In a recent media profile, she explained feeling grateful for where she is now, even if the path wasn’t always straightforward… Read the full article here. 

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Warren Zeiders - maverick-country.com

Warren Zeiders: Edge of Anthem

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Warren Zeiders brings lacrosse determination and storytelling candour to country’s frontier—viral hits, relentless drive and emotional honesty assemble into a new paradigm of success  In the hush of a drop‑lit stage, Warren Zeiders embodies transition—not just of sound, but of identity.   Born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the former college lacrosse player spent twelve years chasing a ball before a snapped dream became his greatest pivot.   Music swept in not as plan B, but as inevitability. In previous interviews he’s explained that if he cares about something and invests himself fully into it, nothing will stop him, reflecting that same athletic hunger now rechanneled into song.  He began building a following by sharing cover videos on TikTok while completing a business degree at Frostburg State University.   Zeiders recorded in his dorm room until “Ride the Lightning” exploded online, a rough‑hewn anthem of love and escape that racked up over 500 million views, earned platinum status in the U.S. and Canada, and marked the arrival of a raw, unfiltered new artist.  Romantic soul  His rise was meteoric yet grounded, leading to Acoustic Covers, a 2021 debut that merged Tyler Childers solemnity with Lynyrd Skynyrd swagger, all filtered through gritty vocals.   That path led to Warner Records, 717 Tapes the Album in 2022 and then to his breakthrough: Pretty Little Poison, released August 2023. The title track, a rush of heart‑ache disguised as a drug metaphor, went to No 1 on country radio, making Zeiders country music’s neatest breakout since Nate Smith.   His sound balances outsider rock—think Nickelback energy—with the ache of a slow‑burn ballad that refuses to let go.  Zeiders followed up with Relapse (2024), a lean, moody record produced by Mike Elizondo and Ross Copperman. Singles like “Addictions” and the brooding title track introduced a darker tone, confirmed in the double‑album Relapse, Lies & Betrayal in March.  Its tracklist is as confessional as it is ambitious, with Billboard capturing Zeiders at his most unguarded, shaking off a raw, living pain.  Tough Love  When Zeiders first toured Europe, he was amazed by fans knowing every lyric despite his being unknown years before—a humbling reminder of how far he’s come.   Critics describe his stage presence as athletic: each performance feels rehearsed yet urgent, like controlled chaos enhanced by grit.  Seeking to play stadiums, Zeiders himself has said he isn’t afraid to show the edge in his performances, nor to declare his ambition to one day fill arenas with roaring crowds  Discipline as devotion  In interviews, Zeiders has underscored how his athletic past shaped his professional ethos, likening his touring schedule to a training regimen: disciplined, strategic, and always forward-moving. He cites motivational figures like Tom Brady, David Goggins, and Kobe Bryant as technicolour influences on his commitment to relentless improvement.   Far from an opportunity for breaks and downtime, he uses time on the road as a purposeful rehearsal for the next set. Zeiders treats touring like prepping for a championship, leaning on structure even when away from home. His follow-up to a show isn’t partying; it’s watching Netflix or Dune Part Two with his team to distil visual ideas for upcoming videos and stage design.   His local success at the Morgan County Fair, headlining crowds after only a few releases, underscored that foundation. He described “Pretty Little Poison” as an anthem to destructive attraction, calling it “like a moth to a flame,” a preference for what hurts with magnetic pull…. Read the full article here. 

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Blast from the Past - Maverick-country.com

Jerry Reed: The Guitar Man

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From deep-fried licks to genre-bending stardom, Jerry Reed redefined the rules of country music—armed with a grin, a guitar, and a whole lot of groove   By the time Jerry Reed passed away in 2008 at the age of 71, he’d long since burned his silhouette into the side of country music. A guitarist, songwriter, singer, and scene-stealing actor, Reed defied easy categorisation. He could fingerpick with the best of them, pen hits for Elvis Presley, turn corny turns of phrase into gold, and still find time to become a pop culture fixture in his own right.   Born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1937, Reed’s earliest years were shaped by more than music; they were forged by turmoil and displacement. After his parents separated when he was just four months old, Reed and his sister spent seven formative years in foster homes and orphanages before rejoining their mother and stepfather in 1944.    Even in those difficult circumstances, music offered Reed solace. He began playing guitar as a child in Atlanta, teaching himself chords and absorbing the sounds around him. By his mid‑teens, he was already writing songs and performing locally, eventually earning his first break at age 18 with a deal from publisher Bill Lowery.   High school at O’Keefe in Atlanta proved pivotal. Reed wasn’t merely consuming country or gospel records, he was experimenting. He sang, wrote, played, and dreamed aloud. Sometime around this period, he left high school in 1955 to pursue music full‑time, recording rockabilly and country singles for Capitol Records, songs like “When I Found You.” That early leap, leaving conventional security behind, would prefigure the rest of his career: bold, unfettered, genre‑defying.   A Pickin’ Phenomenon   It wasn’t until the mid-1960s, after a stint in the army and a move to Nashville, that Reed’s style fully bloomed. Working as a session guitarist, he quickly became known for his lightning-fast, syncopated fingerpicking, a style he dubbed “claw style,” inspired by banjo rolls but entirely his own.   The studio elite took notice. Reed became a go-to guitarist for producer Chet Atkins, who famously described him as “a genius,” and said there was no one else who could play quite like him.   That wasn’t just flattery. Reed’s guitar playing danced outside the lines—groovy, rubbery, almost funky in its phrasing. It helped usher in a freer approach to country instrumentation at a time when the Nashville Sound threatened to smooth everything into syrup.   In 1967, Reed’s instrumental “The Claw” turned heads in guitar circles. But it was the following year’s Nashville Underground that captured broader attention. With it, Reed essentially laid the groundwork for a more genre-bending brand of country—equal parts Southern soul, swamp funk, and rockabilly twang.   The album title itself was a winking nod to his outlier status—“underground” in attitude if not sales—and its blend of instrumentals and vocal tracks became a cult favourite among session players and young Nashville rebels alike.   He also became a bridge between two musical generations: a studio veteran who could sit in with the old guard, and a rhythmic innovator who attracted young players. His blend of precision and playfulness became a benchmark for what country guitar could aspire to, less twang and more twist, bending expectations as easily as strings.   His sessions during this period helped reshape the role of guitar in country music, from simple rhythm support to lead instrument with narrative presence. Artists who came after, like Ricky Skaggs and Marty Stuart, would credit this evolution to players like Reed, whose blend of rhythm and melody made the guitar speak as much as the lyrics.   The Elvis Connection   One of the most significant turning points in Reed’s career came when Elvis Presley recorded “Guitar Man,” (1967) a song Reed had written and released himself. Presley’s team wanted to recreate Reed’s distinct picking sound—and couldn’t. The King himself called Reed in to play on the session, and Reed delivered that unmistakable groove.   The success led to another Presley cut, “U.S. Male,” (1968) also penned by Reed, and opened the floodgates. Suddenly, Reed wasn’t just a sideman—he was a writer of hits, a player producers sought out, and a personality Nashville couldn’t ignore.   His songs for others and his own recordings both shared that quality: the ability to tell vivid stories (sometimes funny, sometimes mischievous, sometimes pointed) and to back those stories with a guitar style that made you feel the groove beneath the words.   Reed’s collaborations with Presley were also symbolic: they linked traditional country with rock and roll swagger. That crossover energy would later shape the sound of mainstream country itself, as more artists sought to straddle that same sonic border.   Funny, Fast, and Fearless   Reed’s solo career surged in the early 1970s with a string of hit singles that defied convention. “Amos Moses” (1970) was a rollicking, half-spoken swamp tale about a one-armed alligator hunter. “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” (1971) was equal parts talking blues and funky country-fusion, complete with courtroom banter, and became Reed’s biggest country hit: spending five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart and crossing into the Top 10 of the Hot 100 at No. 9.   These weren’t just novelty songs. Reed’s humour masked an inventiveness that shaped modern country storytelling. His phrasing, his unpredictable structures, and his sense of rhythm all bucked the norm. Even “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)” in 1982, a comedic divorce anthem, became a No. 1 hit, a rarity for material so tongue-in-cheek.   Even on light-hearted songs, Reed displayed impeccable timing and structural precision, each verse landing with the punch of a well-set joke, but backed by complex musical phrasing that rewarded repeat listens.   Other charting curiosities include “Ko‑Ko Joe,” which reached No. 11 on the U.S. Country chart, adding another layer to his reputation as a songwriter who could marry comedic edge with musical craftsmanship.   Reed had figured out a secret: you didn’t have to choose between being a virtuoso and being entertaining. He could play with absolute precision, sing with comic timing, and still hold a room in the palm of his hand.   He was also a master of voice modulation, using spoken-word sections, exaggerated accents, and narrative pacing that made his songs feel like campfire stories. Many of today’s country entertainers, from Blake Shelton to Hardy, owe a debt to Reed’s

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Teddy Swims - maverick-country.com

Teddy Swims: The Soulful Shape‑Shifter

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Teddy Swims blends soul, country, and pop with emotional candour—turning vulnerability into power as he writes himself anew through heartache, fame and unexpected clarity   Underneath the soft glow of a solo spotlight, Teddy Swims, whose real name is Jaten Collin Dimsdale, exists in joyously unsettled musical territory.    He was never content to sit still in genre lanes: gospel, R&B, country, rock and pop swirl together in his songs, shaped by a childhood steeped in soul traditions.    Born in Conyers, Georgia, the grandson of a Pentecostal minister, Swims discovered his voice in high‑school musical theatre and became a YouTube phenomenon in 2019, posting covers of Shania Twain, Amy Winehouse and more. The “S” in his name—Someone Who Isn’t Me Sometimes—alludes to that fluid identity and the restless searching at his core.   Roots and resolve   Long before he became a streaming-era soul powerhouse, Swims’s musical education came piecemeal and personal. Raised in a tight-knit community, he credits his father with introducing him to classic soul and rock records—Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Queen. Meanwhile, his grandfather’s church provided an early platform for vocal experimentation, blending gospel fervour with theatrical projection.    High school was where it all clicked: after joining musical theatre, Swims developed a stage presence that matched his increasingly raw vocal power. As he later recalled, he never imagined the fame would come from covers, but the process of interpreting others’ pain helped him discover his own voice. That voice, weathered, elastic, and unmistakably human, has since become his calling card across genres.   That restless energy crystallised with Lose Control in 2023, a raw confession that ballooned into international consciousness. Peaking in the US top ten and celebrated across continents, the track propelled him toward mainstream pop stardom while keeping that blue‑collar beat of genuine feeling.   Following the song’s release, charts confirmed its unusual longevity. “Lose Control” climbed not just to US number one but remains one of the longest-charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100, a record that underlines Swims’s rare blend of emotional gut-punch and mass-market staying power.   In recent interviews, Swims has described Lose Control not merely as a hit but as therapy. It captured a moment of reckoning: a breakup, addiction, sleepless nights haunted by past shadows.   Raw emotion, refined sound   Swims’ debut album, I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy (Part 1), came in 2023, weaving introspection and healing through layered production across Los Angeles, Nashville and London. By early 2025, its sequel arrived—Part 2—offering diptychs in pain and recovery. Between these volumes, both vulnerability and artistry evolved.   The sequel leaned into brighter emotional territory. Featuring songs like Bad Dreams, Guilty, and Funeral, it reflected his emerging peace, and achieved No. 1 in Australia and Croatia, while landing him multiple charting spots across Europe and the US. It also carries a silver BPI certification in the UK.   “I wasn’t numbing anymore,” he said of writing Part 2, acknowledging the transformation from self‑destruction to self‑reflection, a shift he credits in part to therapy, love and the anticipation of fatherhood.   That turn toward healing was deliberate. Swims admitted he finally embraced professional help while working on his debut, encouraged by his partner, and later entered couples counselling to build a strong foundation for their new family. He has spoken about therapy becoming an essential tool, no less necessary than physical treatment, and used it to challenge stigma around mental health.   Bridging communities   On stage, Swims is part soul preacher, part pop star, part small‑town troubadour. His tours have taken him from headline arenas to intense festival crowds.    Notably, he halted a Brisbane show mid‑song when a scuffle broke out, reaffirming his “golden rules” of audience care and community. He invited a young boy onstage and resumed the set with sweeping emotion, a moment of warmth in the spotlight.   Between 2022 and 2025, Swims toured the world in support of his therapy project, following an earlier EP, Tough Love (2022), and headline performances that saw him open for Greta Van Fleet and tour internationally.   During his 2025 world tour in support of Part 2, Swims expanded into sweeping production upgrades, featuring new stage design and backing vocalists that elevated the live experience into “a whole new elevation and wonderful time,” according to touring insiders. Reviews of his June 2025 Red Rocks Amphitheatre show captured the emotional charge: fans were moved close to tears, his voice wrapping the audience in a warm, near-spiritual embrace. Observers noted how live settings had become vessels for shared emotional release—not spectacle, but communion.   All the while, Swims avoided fame’s mirror. Even at major awards shows, he stayed grounded. In a recent reflected moment, he acknowledged the potential for fame to spiral if it had come at a younger, less mature age, heeded as a warning against chasing buzz instead of being ready for consequence.   This summer, he’s embarked on the “I’ve Tried Everything but Therapy” world tour, with dates across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the UAE. It includes landmark venues such as Red Rocks, Radio City Music Hall, Qudos Bank Arena, and a major set at the Isle of Wight Festival. Swim’s standing in the pantheon is assured, and growing.    Currents of influence   What sets Teddy Swims apart is his respectful disregard for category—one moment he channels Marvin Gaye or Otis Redding, the next he’s rooted in Americana sadness or pop clarity. He’s an artist who seems driven less by ambition than by necessity—to feel, to expose, to connect.   Reflecting on his rise, Swims acknowledged that early fame might have been his undoing. “If I’d had this success two years earlier”, he admitted, “I’d have put it straight to my liver.” Instead, he waited, enveloped in maturity, and arrived ready to hold himself accountable for his voice and his actions.   This wide dialogue across styles also extends to his artistry: Part 2 features collaborations with Giveon, Muni Long, Coco Jones, and GloRilla—voices from soul, R&B, and hip‑hop—affirming Swims’s willingness to share the space and blur genre borders.    He’s also been intentional about the sonic texture of his releases. Tracks like “The Door”—a 2024 single about escaping an abusive relationship—emerged as uplifts in airplay charts across Eastern Europe and the UK, extending his emotional reach while diversifying his stylistic palette….

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elles Bailey - maverick-country.com

Elles Bailey Releases New Single ‘Take A Step Back’

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Following the announcement of her forthcoming album Can’t Take My Story Away, Elles Bailey has released new single ‘Take A Step Back’. The track is the second to be taken from Can’t Take My Story Away, which comes January 16th on Cooking Vinyl and Outlaw Music. “Sometimes relationships can be all fire, all pleasure and all pain simultaneously and you either have to embrace it – or take a step back,” Elles says of the single. “This truly is one of my favourite moments on the album. I love the sound we captured in the room. It’s so live, so full of swagger, so soulful and yet equally just as playful. It’s definitely the kind of song that puts a strut in your stride.” Listen to ‘Take A Step Back’ HERE. Produced by Luke Potashnick and recorded with a stellar lineup of musicians separate from her live band, the eleven tracks of Can’t Take My Story Away tie together to form the album Elles has been destined to make. An honest and vulnerable glimpse into Elles’ story, the record was created over a three year period, using songs whose origins can be traced back almost 10 years, Can’t Take My Story Away is Elles’ life placed carefully together to form a dazzling, kaleidoscopic story. “There’s definitely an empowerment to this record,” Elles says. “I feel like that has actually evolved since I first started making it – as though I was a different person.” She continues, “there is a quiet strength running through this album and a deep-rooted honesty and whilst there are some moments that reflect on some of the hardest chapters of my story, there’s a feeling of joy threaded through every note. It’s like a kind of light has found its way in, even in some of the darkest moments.” While this album marks a departure from Elles’ previous work and was recorded with new musicians, her long-standing touring band will return for all the live performances. They will head out on a run of UK and EU dates through February and March 2026 to support the record. Elles will also celebrate the release of the album with a run of stripped back, acoustic instores through January, as well as a very special evening, ‘The Story By Candlelight,’ diving deep into the record at Rough Trade in Bristol on November 24th. With Can’t Take My Story Away Elles cements herself as one of the most exciting talents in the UK. Picking up acclaim and accolades along the way, she was crowned Live Act of the Year at the UK Americana Awards 2024, as well as Album of the Year, Vocalist of the Year and Broadcaster Of The Year at the 2025 UK Blues Awards. With an already prolific career under her belt the story is far from over and we have many chapters to come.

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Jason Aldean - maverick-country.com

Jason Aldean announces ‘Songs About Us’ album

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Reigning country powerhouse Jason Aldean today announced his new upcoming studio album, Songs About Us, with the release of three new surprise tracks: ‘Help You Remember’, ‘Hard To Love You’ and ‘Lovin’ Me Too Long’, available now. Songs About Us is the latest chapter in a career marked by numerous record-breaking moments for the ACM Artist of the Decade. A “trailblazer” (Nashville Insider) that is “among an elite class of consistent hitmakers” (Backstage Country) known for “songs of small-town living, love and loss that have resonated with a loyal fanbase” (Billboard), Aldean’s latest collection follows the historic milestone of achieving his 30th No. 1 hit on Country radio and the release of his 30 Number One Hits album. The project earned Aldean his 13th top 10 country album in 20 years with its #4 debut on the Billboard Top Country Album Chart (10/10) upon its digital release and is available now as a Walmart Exclusive Vinyl. Recently honored with a SoundExchange Hall Of Fame Award for being among the most streamed artists of all time, Aldean’s “Country superstar status” (Variety) has been solidified with “his own recipe…one that has vaulted him to the pinnacle of Country music success” (Atlanta Journal Constitution) and has “allowed him to usher in a new career chapter” (The Tennessean). “It means the world when one of my songs helps someone through a hard time—or celebrates their best moments,” says Aldean. “This album is about all of that—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Every track started with a real story or feeling, and together we turned those experiences into music. In the end, I realized this album is about all of us. These are songs about us.” In addition to his Top 20 current single, ‘How Far Does A Goodbye Go’, new tracks ‘Help You Remember’ joins ‘Hard To Love You’ and ‘Lovin’ Me Too Long’, and sets the tone for Songs About Us. an album that captures life’s defining moments through authentic storytelling and Aldean’s unmistakable sound. Inspired by his personal experience having family members going through dementia, new track ‘Help You Remember’ also shines a spotlight on the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and their mission that you don’t have to go through this alone. Adding a list of resources for caregivers and those currently struggling with the disease, join Aldean in supporting here. Along with the release of the three new tracks, Aldean also revealed the album’s full 20-song track list, giving fans a taste of additional collaborations to come with the release of the new record. Songs About Us Track Listing 1. Anytime Soon (Kurt Allison, John Edwards, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan) 2. Drinking About You (Kurt Allison, John Edwards, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan) 3. Don’t Tell On Me (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 4. How Far Does A Goodbye Go (Kurt Allison, John Edwards, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan) 5. Songs About Us [Jason Aldean & Luke Bryan] (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Edwards, John Morgan) 6. Good Thing Going (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 7. She’s Why (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 8. Backroads Of My Memory (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 9. Dust on the Bottle [Jason Aldean & David Lee Murphy] (David Lee Murphy) 10. The High Road (Jason Aldean, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Brandon Kinney, Josh Thompson) 11. Easier Gone [Jason Aldean & Brittany Aldean] (Charles Kelley, Josh Kerr, Dave Haywood, Jimmy Robbins) 12. Help You Remember (Jason Aldean, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 13. Country Into Rock ‘n’ Roll (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 14. What’s A Little Heartache (Kurt Allison, John Edwards, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan) 15. One Last Look (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 16. Fight A Fire (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 17. Hard To Love You (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Morgan, Lydia Vaughan) 18. Little Hometown Left (Jordan Gray, Ben Hayslip, Danny Majic, Cole Taylor) 19. Her Favorite Color (Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Lee Thomas Miller, Neil Thrasher) 20. Lovin’ Me Too Long (Ben Hayslip, David Lee Murphy, Jacob Rice) In addition to a new album in 2026, Aldean previously announced the extension of his 2026 Full Throttle World Tour, a high-octane, “amazing show” (Parade) that continues its run domestically and internationally, including a first-ever headlining run in New Zealand and return to Australia after 10 years.

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