Exclusives

Kerri Watt has released an acoustic cover of NEEDTOBREATHE’s Let’s Stay Home Tonight, which will be featuring on the artist’s upcoming EP. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]bCXdmLz2sqk[/wpdevart_youtube] The Scotland based artist was due to be releasing an album this year, but opted against it as a result of the pandemic and subsequently being unable to promote it in a normal fashion, so is instead releasing an EP. Speaking about the decision to cover Let’s Stay Home Tonight, Watt heaped praise on NEEDTOBREATHE’s musical style and also shared some meaning behind the video. “I thought it would be fun to portray the reality of putting on a live stream show and the minutes leading up to it; albeit with a little twist,” Watt said. “Getting creative with music videos at home has been really fun and challenging; it’s amazing what you can make with a few house hold items and a half decent camera! “NEEDTOBREATHE’s music is a perfect blend of country, rock and pop – three of the genres prominent in my upcoming album. I loved the idea of doing a stripped back acoustic cover song with some country style picking and harmonies inspired by Southern American acts like The Chicks and Little Big Town.” Kerri Watt had a very successful 2019, with a support slot for Keith Urban on his first UK appearance in over a decade, while she also starred at C2C 2019.

Americana star Jerry Castle has released a new song titled Stars Align, which is taken from his upcoming record ‘Midnight Testaments’, available on October 16. You can listen to the track below.   Recorded at Trace Horse Studio in Nashville, ‘Midnight Testaments’ is an album that very much channels his Music City surroundings, with a very strong country vibe throughout. Speaking about the song, Castle said that it was an example of him writing a song that was just lyrics and with no music, while also elaborating on some of the song meaning. “I wrote all of the lyrics to this song before I ever picked up a guitar and put music to it,” Castle said. “The song is about the fact that sometimes you can do everything right and things still don’t work out the way you want. “Nonetheless, the ride of life is a beautiful one. It takes the downs to make the ups feel good and it takes the ugly to make you recognise the beautiful.” Jerry Castle has been very busy in 2020 and has released a number of singles, including hits like Make Do, Calm and Tequila & Tears. It is expected that all of these single releases will be appearing on ‘Midnight Testaments.’

Four-time GRAMMY winning duo for KING & COUNTRY have announced that they will be releasing a Christmas album titled ‘A Drummer Boy Christmas’ on October 30. You can pre-order here. The album features 13 tracks – two of which are original Christmas tracks – and has been executively produced by Aqualung, otherwise known as Matt Hales, while Davide Rossi has put together the orchestral arrangements. Speaking about the record in a statement, for KING & COUNTRY said that Christmas has always been something of huge importance to them as a pair, while also offering some handy advice on how to enhance your listening experience of the album. “The miracle of Christmas captivated us long ago and has been laced into the DNA of the band,” the duo said. “We felt it was the imperfectly perfect time for us to do our small part in telling the story of the redemption that Christmas offers to all of us. “So, bake those chocolate chip cookies, make a little hot chocolate, strike up that cozy fire, and let us take you on a 44 minute and 49 second musical Christmas journey to celebrate the greatest story the world has ever known!” Last year, the pair performed at CMA Country Christmas, performing Little Drummer Boy and receiving a standing ovation for their efforts.

Runaway June have revealed that they will be sharing a five-track Christmas EP titled ‘When I Think About Christmas’ on October 16. The trio, made up of Naomi Cooke, Jennifer Wayne and recently Natalie Stovall after Hannah Mulholland’s departure, will be covering three Christmas classics on the EP in addition to two Runaway June originals. Speaking about the EP, the group offered a little insight to some of the sounds that they will be implementing on the record. “Our new Christmas EP, ‘When I Think About Christmas’ has all of these beautiful mountain Appalachian sounds,” the trio said in a statement. “So we put our own little spin on Christmas music and we’ve got some fiddle, so why not!” Runaway June’s rise in country music over the last 18 months or so has been huge, with the trio’s debut album ‘Blue Roses’ yielding the hit track Buy My Own Drinks, which became the first song from an all female trio to get into the Mediabase Country chart since The Chicks did so in 2003. The tracklisting for ‘When I Think About Christmas’ is: 1. Christmas on the Radio* 2. Sleigh Ride 3. O Holy Night 4. When I Think About Christmas* 5. Let It Snow *denotes original track

Rascal Flatts have announced they will be releasing a compilation album titled ‘Twenty Years of Rascal Flatts: The Greatest Hits’ on October 2. You can pre-order the record here. The trio, made up of Gary Levox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney, are celebrating two decades as a group and as such, are making the compilation 20 tracks in length. The record takes into account 13 of their 17 Number One singles, while also including fan favourites such as Fast Cars and Freedom and These Days. Speaking about the record, Levox said that there was a lot of strong feelings circling around when they were deciding the tracklist and that they hope the fans appreciate the release, as ultimately it is a thank you to them. “When we were putting together the tracklisting for this it was an emotional but nostalgic feeling getting a chance to look back during this anniversary year,” shared Levox. “We hope that our fans feel the same way when they listen to it. This release and this year as a band is all a huge thank you and celebration for them.” The tracklist for ‘Twenty Years of Rascal Flatts: The Greatest Hits’ is: 1. I’m Movin’ On 2. These Days 3. Bless the Broken Road 4. Fast Cars and Freedom 5. What Hurts the Most 6. Life is a Highway 7. My Wish 8. Stand 9. Take Me There 10. Here Comes Goodbye 11. Why Wait 12. I Won’t Let Go 13. Easy (ft. Natasha Bedingfield) 14. Banjo 15. Come Wake Me Up 16. Changed 17. Rewind 18. Riot 19. I Like the Sound of That 20. Yours If You Want It

Jessie Buckley, through her band Jessie & the Leonards, has released a new song titled Working on the Frontline, which is dedicated to those who have been tackling the pandemic head on. You can see the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]OW1iHv12eZc[/wpdevart_youtube] Written by Kate St John and Neill MacColl, while also featuring the talents of Hannah Grace Deller, the song is from the first person perspective of an NHS worker in this climate, while the video powerfully accompanies the track. Speaking about the song, Buckley thanks both St John and MacColl for the song and heaped praise on the NHS, while also expressing her hope that people pay attention and listen to the song. “While the sky was falling we spoke from distant places, hoping we were all ok and worrying when we weren’t, wondering if or when we might be able to meet again to play music,” Buckley said. “The whole world was upside down. Neill MacColl and Kate St. John, my amazing and talented beautiful soul-friends found a way to put a chink of light in the shutters and get the band back together. “More importantly, they have written a great song that tells a very honest and raw story of what it has meant to be on the front line as an NHS worker during the COVID pandemic. “I hope that we and our governments are awake to the incredible, invaluable force that is the NHS.  I can’t love Kate and Neill and Hannah enough for making this song happen. I hope the world will listen.” Jessie Buckley caught the eye of the music world when she took on the character Rose for the film ‘Wild Rose’, which is about a Scottish woman trying to juggle her country music dream as well as being dedicated parent. Buckley took the character on tour, appearing at Black Deer Festival and The Long Road Festival in 2019.

Ferris & Sylvester have released a live video for their most recent single Knock You Down, which has been taken from their upcoming EP ‘I Should Be On a Train’. You can watch the video below and pre-order the album here. [wpdevart_youtube]cx3QkMKh674[/wpdevart_youtube] The UK based duo, made up of Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester, will be releasing the five-track ‘I Should Be On a Train’ EP on October 2, with Knock You Down being released towards the back end of August. Knock You Down is the third track to be released from the EP, with the title track being unveiled in July and Everyone Is Home in May. Much like the video for the title track, the Knock You Down video is also in a live format and was filmed in lockdown at Streatham Space Project in London, which the pair were due to headline before the pandemic struck, with a rescheduled date to be announced in due course. Ferris & Sylvester are very much set to tour in 2021 and have recently announced their biggest headline tour to date, spanning both the UK and North America, with the pair headlining venues in Nashville, Los Angeles, New York City, Washington DC, Toronto and Chicago. The dates for the UK tour are as follows and tickets are available here: February 25 – Cavern, Exeter, England February 26 – Metronome, Nottingham, England February 28 – Green Door Store, Brighton, England March 1 – Lafayette, London, England March 3 – Night & Day, Manchester, England March 4 – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds, England March 6 – King Tuts, Glasgow, Scotland March 7 – The Exchange, Bristol, England

Lee Brice has announced that his fifth solo album ‘Hey World’ will be released on November 20, while he’s also released the video for the title track. You can see the video below and can pre-order the album here. [wpdevart_youtube]SE2F408Om2g[/wpdevart_youtube] In addition to the title track, which features the talents of Blessing Offor, Brice’s latest record will also feature recently released singles One of Them Girls and his Number One hit collab with Carly Pearce, I Hope You’re Happy Now. Speaking about the new album, Brice said that he believes that he has created the best album of his career thus far with ‘Hey World’, while also stating that he is constantly seeking to improve with every step that he makes. “‘Hey World’ is just my next step in life,” Brice said. “Where I am, who I am, what I love and what I feel. From the songs, to the production, to the order they play in, I always have and still do make it my goal to get better and better at what I do. “Short of my family, my wife and friends, my music is the deepest part of me. So, I am overjoyed to say that I think I have made my best project to date. I stand by everything I have ever done, but pull from it as well to help me exceed my own expectations. “Because of my team, my co-producers, my engineers, my label, I was able to make what I hope will be my most successful album to date.” Lee Brice has also rescheduled his UK tour to June 2021, with the artist originally planning on coming over in July this year, prior to the pandemic.  The dates are as follows: June 22 – Old Fruit Market, Glasgow, Scotland June 24 – O2 Ritz, Manchester, England June 25 – O2 Institute, Birmingham, England June 26 – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, England

Hot on the heels of the release of their latest album ‘Kids Like Us’, The Grahams have now released a cover of the Yola song Faraway Look. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]oyitI-gGCHU[/wpdevart_youtube] The Grahams, consisting of husband and wife duo Doug and Alyssa Graham, released the album at the end of March, but have given fans something new very quickly with this cover. Speaking about the decision to cover the track, Alyssa Graham explained that both her and her partner are huge fans of Yola and that while she recently went through a very concerning and challenging time, there was nothing she wanted to do more once she got the clearance than to cover Yola. “We are huge fans of Yola,” Alyssa said. “While I was recovering from a vocal haemorrhage during COVID, Doug and I were obsessing over her voice.  She is a supremely talented artist and musician based here in Nashville, which is where we spend most of our time. “As soon as I got the green light to start singing we wanted to sing one of her tracks. This cover is just our way of honouring her talent.” In addition to the album, The Grahams are releasing a five-part mini-series of their American journey that helped inspire the record on YouTube. You can watch the first episode below. [wpdevart_youtube]H3QAyZ-oziM[/wpdevart_youtube]

Rising Nashville artist Hailey Whitters has treated her fans to a delicate, piano version of her hit single, Dream, Girl. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]RsKphjDNm3I[/wpdevart_youtube] In addition to the piano release, Whitters has also announced a ‘Live In Studio Sessions’ series, which has been kickstarted by the release of Dream, Girl. Speaking about the series, Whitters explained that it was a way to reconnect with her band, who she had missed tremendously as a result of lockdown, while also explaining that the piano take on Dream, Girl was very natural and didn’t prove to be promlematic at all. “I miss the road and my band immensely,” Whitters explained. “The ‘Live In Studio Sessions’ were a way for us to all regroup and play music together – safely social distancing, of course. “With COVID-19 disrupting touring, we also saw this as an opportunity to deliver these songs in a live setting to fans. I hope it helps curb the ache of live music during this strange time. “Reimagining Dream, Girl felt very effortless and natural. We chose to make it piano-driven while still maintaining some of the ‘80s guitar elements. “It took it to a whole new dimension and depth. The lyrics are able to settle in even more so than before and feel more vulnerable, yet still empowering.” Recently, Hailey Whitters was awarded the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Rising Nashville Artist of the Year award.