Rochelle Mills

Long Way From Home has a simplicity and sincerity running throughout. Clayton’s earnest lyrics and lived-in vocals are delivered with a balance of warmth and resolve, and his timeless sound has an immediate appeal. Within each song Clayton shares intimate details inspired by his upbringing, about the region where he was raised and looking back on recent life experiences. From the joy of becoming a new father to the impact the pandemic had on his life and career, Clayton exudes gratitude for what he has and newfound appreciation for what he almost lost. The young songwriter’s perspective shifted over the last few years and with that came a clarity that directed him to the artistic path he needed to be on. Long Way From Home is the result of his journey. The heartfelt title track features Clayton lovingly speaking to his mother about the need to chase his dream, regardless of the obstacles. The working-class perspective in “Different Kind of Simple Life” paints a vivid picture that places the listener inside the story. “Cotton Candy Clouds” exudes classic British influence with a rustic feel, while “Goldmine” swings with classic country tones and a honky-tonk vibe. Long Way From Home includes the four tracks featured on Side A – the relaxed album opener “Hello, Good Mornin’”, the defiant “American Millionaire”, the roadhouse shuffle “Beauty Queen” and the fiery rocker “Heartaches After Heartbreak”.Long Way From Home was produced by Thomas Dulin (Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors) and JD Clayton, and mixed by Craig Alvin (Kacey Musgraves). In 2018, JD Clayton released his debut EP, Smoke Out The Fire, featuring the track “Brown Haired Blue Eyed Baby,” which has organically received over 2.2 million streams on Spotify.

Stampede came as a surprise to the band. Only months after the April 2021 release of their Top 10 Americana Radio album Bullseye, The Shootouts received word that legendary singer Ray Benson was interested in producing their next album and they quickly headed back into the studio. In addition to production duties, Benson and members of Asleep at the Wheel contributed to the song “One Step Forward.” Additional appearances include the cream of the Americana music crop: Raúl Malo of The Mavericks (on “I’ll Never Need Anyone More”), Marty Stuart (“Better Things to Do”), Jim Lauderdale (“Tomorrow’s Knockin’”), and Buddy Miller (“Anywhere But Here”).The Shootouts’ sound is reflective of their Northeast Ohio Rustbelt roots, steeped in many familiar things but still its own: an energetic fusion of Americana, honky tonk and Western swing that Shootouts fans often refer to as “country music for people who don’t like country.” And while their hometown of Akron, OH – the city that produced the Pretenders, the Black Keys, and Devo – isn’t a place normally associated with country music, these influences are as integral to their sound as those of the country music greats.

Little Big Town’s latest music video for their song “Rich Man” is available everywhere now, after making its Facebook world premiere.  Off their 10th studio album, Mr. Sun, “Rich Man” was written by LBT’s Jimi Westbrook over the course of the last decade. The video features Charles Esten (“Outer Banks,” “Nashville”), who plays the central role of a father in the emotionally poignant video. Produced and filmed by Running Bear Films in Nashville, TN, the video is a nostalgic film which pays homage to good men, hardworking people, and loving families everywhere. It tells the story of a young boy and his relationship with his father (Esten) over the course of time. Interwoven with a performance by Little Big Town, the video ends with a beautifully fitting twist: Westbrook himself playing the older grown-up version of the little boy. “‘Rich Man’ has a special place in my heart, and I’ve been touched by the response it’s gotten from the record and playing it on the road. We wanted the video to show the love of family, and love of a father. This song makes me think of my own dad, and I wanted to honor that as well as the heart I have for my son,” says Westbrook. “Making this with Charles, the other actors, and of course Karen, Kimberly, and Phillip, was really a labor of love.” Adds LBT’s Karen Fairchild: “‘Rich Man’ tells the story of how the deep roots of family ground us and give us the space to flourish and become who we are meant to be. True wealth is the story of this song.”

Singer, songwriter and entertainer Toby Keith has earned his share of awards and accolades in a storied career, but it’s a tight few that have meant the most – and 2022 brought the most recent. At November’s 2022 BMI Country Awards, Keith received the night’s biggest honor, the BMI Icon Award. Presented for “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers,” the award’s prior recipients include Stevie Nicks, David Foster and Paul Simon (Pop); James Brown, Patti LaBelle and The Jacksons (R&B); and Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Merle Haggard (Country). For an artist who prizes songwriting most among his prodigious talents, it was a moment. “I didn’t know that I’d make it as an artist, but I knew if I wrote as good as the next guy, somebody might sing one of my songs,” Keith said while accepting the honor. “I got [to Nashville] with that in mind, and it just so worked out that I ended up with a vehicle that could deliver those songs.” Having built one of the most successful self-directed careers of all time – writing, singing, producing and releasing music on his own label, Show Dog Nashville – he admitted how much he learned and gained when he finally connected with Nashville’s songwriting community. “The only regret I had was I never left Oklahoma,” Keith said. “I would have probably made it at 21 or 22 instead of 28 or 29 had I not been so damn hard headed and moved out here, because the best songwriters in the world are out here.” In closing, he noted honors he received in 2015 and 2021, respectively, as part of a piece with his latest: “All I ever cared about was Songwriter Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame and BMI Icon.” His speech at the event as well as a short surprise performance at a restaurant while attending The Breeders’ Cup earlier that week confirmed his ongoing recovery from the stomach cancer that set him back earlier in the year. He told CMT’s Cody Alan of the impromptu show, “we did alright.” As to a 2023 tour, Keith added, “I’m thinking about getting back to fighting shape. I need a little bit of time to rest up, to heal up. Pretty debilitating to have to go through all that. As long as everything stays hunky dory, then we’ll look at something good in the future.” Prior to the November BMI gathering, the performing rights organization confirmed that Keith has 100 million terrestrial radio spins. And in the digital world, he has exceeded 10 billion streams. Those numbers are currently being boosted by his single “Oklahoma Breakdown,” which continues to rack up airplay and consumption numbers. In putting the song on his latest album Peso In My Pocket and releasing it as a single, Toby has taken the local favorite by Mike Hosty to the national stage. “A singer-songwriter around my hometown does a bunch of songs with some local flair,” Keith explains. “Mike was playing somewhere and I saw him do it, so it reminded me. The song has some miles on it, so I called him and asked if he wanted to play on it if I cut it. I figured everyone in that part of the world would get a kick out of him being on the record. So that’s him on rhythm and that slide solo.” Also this, the 18th annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic in May raised another $1.45 million – among the highest totals ever – to benefit OK Kids Korral, the cost-free home for families of children being treated at The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center. In September, Keith was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the SabesWings Foundation founded by Major League Baseball pitching legend Bret Saberhagen and wife Kandace. Like his own Toby Keith Foundation, SabesWings assists cancer patients in a trying time of life.

Acclaimed Austin-based ensemble Wild Child release their tender new single ‘Wearing Blue’, out now on Reba’s Ranch Records. The track follows the release of lands month’s soulful single ‘Photographs’, which is the debut track from a new record set for release next year. ‘Wearing Blue’ is the first song written with Wild Child’s newest member, John Calvin Abney, who joins the band’s core writing duo Kelsey Wilson and Alexander Beggins. Beginning with a soft sigh and a delicate piano melody, the song soon unfurls – trading in the horn-backed sound of “Photographs” for a sweeping string section that emphasises a lived-in quality to the music that the band has come to perfect. “John entered our orbit so effortlessly and his unique mix of genuine charisma and talent ignited a fire on the writing of our new material,” Beggins explains. “As such, ‘Wearing Blue’ happened in the first 30 minutes of officially getting the band back together. John shared a hauntingly beautiful piano riff that he had been holding onto for years and within a few minutes, Kelsey had found the perfect words and melody, as if they had fallen from the cosmos. The chemistry was undeniable and it marked a seamless transition into a new world of Wild Child.” Wild Child is known for spreading its infectious blend of Americana/indie-pop and ear-worm melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits to the tune of over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 100 million streams to date. The band first formed in 2010 when the group’s core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk (2011). Since then they’ve released three additional albums, The Runaround (2013), Fools (2015), and Expectations (2018), which saw the band welcome other artists like Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie), Scott McMicken (Dr. Dog), Matthew Logan Vasquez (Delta Spirit), and Max Frost into the fold. Along the way, Wild Child has become a live act that’s not to be missed, as seen during their episode of Austin City Limits, which has earned the band a diverse and dedicated fan base.