Exclusives

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.

Essex festival Dixie Fields has renamed to Tennessee Fields for 2021 and beyond, with the event organisers changing name to avoid negative connotations. For the same reasons as The Chicks’ rebrand, the festival – which debuted in 2019 – have implemented the change after realising the word ‘dixie’ could be perceived as offensive to some and following conversations with the CMA and fellow experts. Speaking about the decision, Georgie Thorogood – Festival Director – said that they genuinely were not aware of the association with the word and that their sole aim is to provide a place where people of all walks of life can enjoy country music. “When we decided on Dixie Fields as the name of our festival back in 2018, we did not believe that it had any negative connotations,” Thorogood said. “Once we were made aware of these links which are of course most relevant to our friends in the US, there was no question as to whether it was appropriate to continue with the name. “We have developed a festival which welcomes guests from all walks of life and society with open arms and we want to provide a safe place for everyone to come and enjoy a weekend of country music. Anything considered materially offensive to any of our customers, past, present or future, directly opposes this ethos. “We are not erasing our association with Dixie Fields, the current merchandise will still be available for 2021, but we are acknowledging we made a mistake and are working to rectify this going forward – it is all part of our, so far pretty eventful, festival journey and we are striving to better ourselves and become more educated at all times!” Tennessee Fields will be aiming to go ahead as planned for 2021, with the dates 9-11 July pencilled in.

Elles Bailey has linked up with Lady Nade to release a special version of the Christmas classic Silent Night, with all proceeds going to charity. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]i_slCDbKiMM[/wpdevart_youtube] The single is being released for Shelter – a UK homeless charity – and finally gives Bailey a chance to collaborate with Lady Nade, which she has wanted to do for a while. Speaking about the song, Bailey explained that Shelter is a charity close to her heart and that she is delighted to finally have the chance to work with Lady Nade. “2020 has become the year of collaboration: a beautiful silver lining to come out of the darkness and I am so excited about this Silent Night collaboration with my gorgeous talented friend and fellow Bristolian: Lady Nade,” Bailey said. “I love how our completely different voices weave together to create such lovely textures; plus, we are joined by the tremendous Joe Wilkins on guitar — it really is a stunning mix, even though I say so myself! All in aid of Shelter. “What I also love about this particular collaboration is that we have come together for an incredible cause at this much-needed time. It’s heartbreaking to see the amount of homelessness we have just here in Bristol, let alone across the country. “The money raised for Shelter can give a lifeline to those people, especially at Christmas and through the cold Winter months.” Elles Bailey recently released a covers album in the shape of ‘Ain’t Nothing But’, which was recorded in the summer of 2020 as part of a livestream series.

The Maverick Track of the Day today (Dec 17 2020) is Wilder Waters by Broken Heart University, which came out earlier this year. You can listen below. [wpdevart_youtube]0cKKNz2nUy4[/wpdevart_youtube] The song comes from their most recent release ‘Not Today, Thanks Satan’, which was released just before lockdown hit on March 10, 2020. Broken Heart University is a musical collective that formed back in 2018, with Tony Batty spearheading the project. Batty, an experienced singer-songwriter, took a 40-year hiatus but got back into the game after being introduced to Ashley Fayth, a Canadian singer/songwriter herself. Together, they started working on a project that took into account Batty’s travels around America and the end result was the collective’s self-titled debut album last year, which we said was “a fine contribution to the higher echelons of British country music.” Striking while the iron was hot, ‘Not Today, Thanks Satan’ came next and one of the most prominent tracks from it is Wilder Waters, with the ever gentle guitar fusing perfectly with Fayth’s exquisite vocals as she recounts a tale with a former loved one, wishing she could feel what she felt back then and to hold that person one last time. For further information regarding the collective, you can head to their website here.

Chris Lane has secured the third US Country Radio Number One of his career as his single Big, Big Plans, has peaked at top spot. You can listen to the track here. The single follows in the footsteps of Fix and I Don’t Know About You and is also the first #1 that Lane has had as a songwriter, with the other two hits being written by other people. Speaking about the achievement, Lane said that it means the world to him to see a song very close to his heart leave such a lasting effect on his fans and to also see how the song has inspired others to make a very strong pledge. “As an artist the most rewarding thing for me is writing a song and hearing fans sing it back and make it part of their own story as well,” Lane said. “It’s been so much fun to see the way such a personal song for me has impacted other people over time. “From proposing to my wife, to seeing others’ proposals at shows and on social media, to it now hitting #1 on Country radio is unbelievable. I couldn’t be more excited.” Chris Lane last released an album in 2018 in the shape of ‘Laps Around the Sun’ and it is very possible that Big, Big Plans appears on whatever project Lane decides to do next.

The British Country Music Festival will be returning in 2021 for its second outing, with Nathan Carter, Wildwood Kin and Lisa McHugh headlining. Tickets are available here. The event will be returning to Blackpool Winter Gardens between September 3-5 and features a number of prominent UK based country acts, including Katy Hurt, Morganway, Zoee, Holloway Road, Candi Carpenter, Kezia Gill and many more. Speaking ahead of the festival, Marina Blore from Fit The Bill – the event promoter – said that it is more vital now than ever to support UK acts and that they are very confident everything will go ahead as planned. “Following a very tough year for live entertainment, we are thrilled to be back with The British Country Music Festival following its successful launch in 2019,” Blore said. “It’s more important than ever that we support homegrown performers, many of whom have struggled for survival in 2020. “ “In addition to the great line-up on our main stage in the iconic, candlelit Empress Ballroom, our support stages are packed with emerging and breaking talent and we cannot wait for our festival family to discover new artists at TBCMF in Blackpool. “We are confident that by September next year, we will be able to operate to a viable capacity and we also promise a full ticket refund in the event that Covid prevents us from going ahead.”

UK teenage prodigy Jeorgia Rose has released her debut single in the shape of I Will Still Remember, which also comes with a video. You can watch said video below. 17-year-old Rose, who hails from Cheshire, England, cites Taylor Swift, Little Big Town and Cassadee Pope as her musical inspirations, while this song was written in lockdown over Zoom with Femke and Neal. Speaking about the song, Rose said that she is both excited and nervous at the prospect of her song being released into the wider world, while from a recording aspect, everything went as according to plan in Music City. “I’m excited and a little nervous for people to finally hear this song,” Rose said. “The recording process was fairly smooth, for my first time in the studio. At first we had to find a mic that suited my voice and I trialled a few. “The music was recorded in Nashville which is like a dream come true for me. The song  tells the story of a summer romance that comes to an end as autumn comes around… it’s a love song with a twist! Jeorgia Rose has released the video as part of the beta launch for Viktrs, which aims to provide a more immersive experience when watching music videos. If you watch it on your phone and turn it 90 degrees, you should be able to gain a lot more from the video itself. “The video was so much fun to make and I feel honoured to be part of the Viktrs BETA launch as one of the first artists releasing a video using this new tool,” she added. “I can’t wait for you to see what this technology can do…it will blow your mind!”

Florida Georgia Line have revealed the news that their fifth studio album ‘Life Rolls On’ will be released on February 12. You can pre-order the album here. The duo, made up of Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, last released an album in 2019 in the shape of ‘Can’t Say I Ain’t Country’ and I Love My Country, which they released back in March, will feature on the album. Speaking about the record, the pair said that they have come very far since their first release and that they are very much paying homage to the good times on this upcoming release, which also highlights the good place they’re in right now. “I think this personally is just a big, celebratory chapter,” Hubbard said. “We’ve come a long way since 2012 when we dropped our first album, it’s wild to think about the journey we’ve been on – the things we’ve got to do, the places music has taken us. “We’re celebrating life and the good times, the ups and the downs, and the journey it took us to get where we’re at.” “It’s just evident within the music how good of a time we’re having and how good of a place in life we are for sure,” Kelley added. Florida Georgia Line have also been busy with a few collaborations that came out this year, namely Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen. with Chase Rice and It’s About Time with Russell Dickerson.

Lindsay Ell has rounded off a successful year for her personally by securing a second Number One single in her native Canada, as wAnt me back takes top spot. You can listen to the song here or sample a snippet below. The supremely gifted musician released her most recent studio album ‘heart theory’ earlier this year and was also nominated for two ACM Awards in New Female Artist of the Year and Vocal Event of the Year. Now, she has something else to celebrate as wAnt me back – written with Kane Brown, Matt McGinn and Lindsay Rimes – became her second Number One single in Canada. Speaking about the news, Ell said that it was the best way possible to close the year and the best early Christmas present she could dream of, while she also expressed her pride in putting so much of herself into her music this year. “I am beyond thrilled to celebrate my second #1 in Canada,” Ell said. “I have written so much of my heart and soul into my latest album and to release music in a year like 2020 has been quite the rollercoaster. “But to top this year off with a celebration like this is truly incredible. This is the best early Christmas present ever.” The previous #1 for Lindsay Ell in Canada came from her first major label album release in ‘The Project’, with Criminal taking top spot.