Rochelle Mills

Mercury Nashville / Range Music recording artist Luke Grimes releases his debut country song “No Horse To Ride” today, Dec. 16. Grimes, who wrote the new tune with Jonathan Singleton and Tony Lane, is also credited with percussion and acoustic guitar on the Dave Cobb produced track. “I think of music as sort of a first love; it was my first creative outlet,” shares Grimes. “To be at the start of this journey, putting my own music out into the world, is beyond a dream come true. I’m grateful to the people who helped make this happen and to anyone who connects with these songs, I will do my best to keep them honest.” Grimes, widely known for his role as Kayce Dutton on TV’s #1 show Yellowstone, has made no secret of his love of music and now, his own song “No Horse To Ride” is set to be featured on the show’s mid-season finale on Jan. 1 (Paramount Network). When not on set, Grimes can be found spinning his favorite country albums and songwriting at home in Montana or in Nashville writing with some of Music Row’s elite including Jonathan Singleton, Tony Lane, Randy Montana, Brent Cobb, Jamey Johnson, Love Junkies, Josh Osborne, Jon Randall, and Jessie Alexander. Grimes grew up playing music in the church as the son of a Pentecostal pastor. His father also laid the foundation for the music he loves, introducing him to the works of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. The Ohio native is now finding his own voice and style as an artist, inspired by the likes of Colter Wall, Ruston Kelly, Paul Cauthen, and the late Townes Van Zandt. “No Horse To Ride” is the first song on Grimes’ forthcoming project with Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter Dave Cobb.

Rising country newcomer Dalton Dover continues to earn accolades and benchmarks among a series of milestones in a pivotal year as Pandora names him a 2023 Artist to Watch while CMT welcomes him as a member of their 2023 LISTEN UP class. Earlier this month, Dover made his Grand Ole Opry debut with a performance of two new songs, “Giving Up On That” and “Dirt Roads And Jesus,” the latter being the first single he will release in 2023 via Universal Music Group Nashville/Mercury Records, who he signed with earlier this year. “I never thought in a million years that I’d be standing right here in this circle,” Dover shared on stage. “I brought my family last year, and we walked through on the tour here at the Opry. Little did I know that a year later, I’d be making my Opry debut. It’s pretty special to say the least.” In August, Dover was on the final night of his Ole Red residency, performing across the Nashville, Gatlinburg and Orlando locations, when legendary country artist Blake Shelton dialed in on the red phone at Ole Red Nashville and interrupted Dover’s set with an invitation to make his Grand Ole Opry debut. He tearfully accepted, replying, “I’ll be there, I promise.” His debut invitation was a full circle moment for Dover, as Shelton marked one of the first milestones in his career on Season 16 of “The Voice,” where the Georgia native earned a chair turn from the coach for his performance of Keith Whitley’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” After being named a 2022 Spotify Artist to Watch, he released “Hear About A Girl,” earning praise from Billboard noting, “Dover’s voice is both intimate and commanding on this track,” while MusicRow asserts it confirms “we’re in the presence of a master country talent when this man sings…Make him a star. Now.” He followed the song with “Damn Good Life,” with The Boot sharing, “Dover is savoring every moment in his uplifting new single,” while Country Now observes, “Between the optimistic narrative that Dover delivers through his crisp vocals and the carefree tune highlighted by the impressive guitar strum, nothing but a good time can be had when this song comes through the speakers.” Dover has honed his captivating live show with two performances at CMA Fest, opening for Luke Comb’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium show in Atlanta, Ga. and joining Priscilla Block’s Welcome To The Block Party Tour. In 2023, he prepares to make his international debut in March at C2C: Country to Country Festival’s CMA Songwriters Series before joining Chase Rice on the Way Down Yonder Tour in April. In addition to a deal with UMG Nashville, Dover has signed with Sony Music Publishing in partnership with Droptine Music Publishing along with United Talent Agency.

On the heels of wrapping his first headlining arena tour in November, the GRAMMY Nominated Walker Hayes announces his new headlining Duck Buck Tour for 2023. The 22-show trek will feature direct support from 4x GRAMMY nominee singer-songwriter Ingrid Andress, with platinum-selling, Amazon Music Breakthrough Spotlight Artist BRELAND and hit songwriter and artist Ray Fulcher joining select dates. Country chart-topper Chris Lane and ACM award winning songwriter Nicolle Galyon will make a special appearance during a one-of-a-kind performance at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 5. The tour will kick off on April 13 in Rosemont, IL, with tickets on sale this Friday, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. CT. Visit walkerhayes.com for more details. “I can’t wait to get back out on tour,” says Hayes. “Headlining an arena tour for the first time this past year was a dream come true. The whole family was able to come out and the road has become our new home away from home. All the fans that have come out or will come out are making this dream a reality. I owe it all to them, and this next tour will be the biggest and best. I don’t take for granted that they spent their hard-earned money on my shows, and I plan to make it well worth it!”The new tour gets its name from the chorus of the title track off Hayes’ most recent album, Country Stuff The Album, in which the Mobile, AL native celebrates the trademarks of life in the country. Relishing his love of “Country Stuff,” Hayes sings, “I like shooting ducks and bucks / I like mud tires on my trucks / I like old blue jeans, guitar strings and dirt roads.” Since the release of the track, the Duck Buck has become Hayes’ signature, showing up on his merch, across his socials, and in his music videos after fans latched onto the visual. Always listening to fan feedback, the Duck Buck is now the name of Hayes’ next arena tour.Hayes’ 2023 tour will celebrate the power of songwriting, while championing female talent with Andress joining 20 dates and Galyon performing at the legendary Red Rocks tour stop, which will also feature superstar Lane. BRELAND and Fulcher will split dates throughout the tour, showcasing some of the best country music that the genre has to offer.One of the top streaming artists in country music last year, Hayes single “Y’all Life” is steadily climbing the charts, currently sitting in the top 30 on country radio’s Mediabase chart. His most recent release, “Face In The Crowd ,” is an ode to his biggest fan who remains side stage during many of his tour dates, his wife Laney. The song is especially meaningful after a breakthrough year for Hayes and his family that saw the superstar earn a GRAMMY nomination, six Billboard Music Award nominations, five ACM Award nominations, a CMT Award nomination, a CMA nomination and his first No. 1 at Country radio. Listen to “Face In The Crowd” HERE.