Exclusives

The CMA Songwriters Series will have a slightly different line-up after Hillary Lindsay, Liz Rose and Lori McKenna all pulled out of the event. However, organisers have acted quickly to find alternative replacements, with Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack and Phil Barton to step in for them, joining Jaren Johnston of The Cadillac Three and Niko Moon. The news comes hot on the heels that Old Dominion have pulled out of C2C citing corona virus fears and while we don’t have an exact reason for Lindsay, Rose and McKenna dropping out, it is suspected that the reasons are the same. “After much consideration, we have decided to withdraw from our upcoming performances as part of the C2C Music Festival in Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, London and Glasgow,” the band said in a statement. “We are so sorry to disappoint our fans overseas; however, with the growing uncertainty and unpredictable nature of the virus that is spreading throughout the world, the safety and security of our entire team is the top priority. “We are forever grateful for every opportunity we get to witness just how far our music is reaching and we will be back across the world as soon as we can. Much love and thank you for your support.” With Old Dominion dropping out of C2C, The Shires will be taking their spot on the Main Stage across C2C weekend in London, Glasgow and Dublin, thus becoming the first UK artist to be a pencilled in Main Stage performer in C2C history. The CMA Songwriters Series takes place on the Thursday of C2C week, so it will be taking place on March 12 this year.

The Shires will be stepping up to replace Old Dominion on the Main Stage of C2C 2020 after the American group dropped out following corona virus fears. Old Dominion – made up of Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers, Geoff Sprung and Brad Tursi – were pencilled into to sub-headline the Saturday of C2C, but have now pulled out after the threat of the virus continues to grow. Speaking in a statement, the band said that they were gutted that they have to pull out of C2C – also in the Netherlands and Germany – but explained their reasons for doing so and pledged to return soon. “After much consideration, we have decided to withdraw from our upcoming performances as part of the C2C Music Festival in Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, London and Glasgow,” the band said in a statement. “We are so sorry to disappoint our fans overseas; however, with the growing uncertainty and unpredictable nature of the virus that is spreading throughout the world, the safety and security of our entire team is the top priority. “We are forever grateful for every opportunity we get to witness just how far our music is reaching and we will be back across the world as soon as we can. Much love and thank you for your support.” As a result of Old Dominion dropping out, The Shires will take their slot on the Main Stage and thus become the first UK act to be pencilled in to perform on the Main Stage at C2C. Last year, Catherine McGrath became the first UK artist to appear on the Main Stage when she duetted with Hunter Hayes, but this will represent the first time than a UK act has actually been booked for a slot of that nature.

Ruthie Collins has shared another single from her upcoming album ‘Cold Comfort’, due on April 3,  in the shape of Bad Woman. You can listen to the song here. ‘Cold Comfort’ will be Collins’ second album after 2017’s ‘Get Drunk and Cry’ and she has already released Dang Dallas and Joshua Tree as singles from the record to give people a taster of what is to come. Speaking about her latest single, Collins said that the song was about being tempted by someone who is in a relationship, but eventually fighting the urge to do something she would later regret. “Sometimes you wish you could just go ahead and do the wrong thing,” Collins said. “A while back, I started falling for a guy who was very much taken. I’d never cross those lines, but I remember stepping back and looking at the situation and thinking, ‘Man, I wish just for a second I could not have a conscience and see what would happen.’  “When the chorus kicks in, though, I remind myself that I’m not a bad woman, that I’m a good girl and I’ll be just fine without him. We shot a music video for the song in Joshua Tree, which was really fun for me because I got to sort of embrace my alter ego and climb up onto the bar in black leather shorts and take shots of whiskey.” Ruthie Collins worked with Grammy winning producer Ryan Freeland for ‘Cold Comfort’ and will be making her debut UK appearance on May 17 as part of Country in the Afternoon.

Just a few months after releasing their latest album ‘Ocean’, Lady Antebellum have released a new five-track EP that strips down some of those album tracks. The ‘Live: In the Round EP’ sees the trio – made up of Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood – re-create five of the songs from their recent album release ‘Ocean’ in one take at Nashville’s Skyways Studios. Speaking about the opportunity, Kelley said that the group loved being able to strip away parts of the songs and bring a much more intimate feel to them, while also saying how refreshing it was to go down that route in the studio once more. “We really enjoyed getting to strip down some of our favourites songs from ‘Ocean’ and put focus on the lyrics that drew us in from the beginning,” Kelley said. “It was refreshing to get back in the studio with just the three of us and our road band. We were able relive those initial feelings and reflect on how these songs have already made such a huge impact on our career.” The ‘Live: In the Round EP’ by Lady Antebellum tracklisting is: 1. What If I Never Get Over You 2. Be Patient With My Love 3. What I’m Leaving For 4. Boots 5. Ocean

Miranda Lambert finished off the first leg of her US tour by taking time out to thank first responders for their life saving efforts. After taking inspiration from US host Kelly Ford from WNSH New York – who regularly singles out first responders for praise on her morning show – Lambert opted to do the same and invited radio listeners to nominate local heroes wherever she was touring. The first responders that were picked all got a pair of free tickets to a Lambert gig and also had the opportunity to meet her in person ahead of the show itself. Speaking about the decision, Lambert – whose husband is a police officer himself – said that it was a great source of pride for her to meet these people in person and that the chance to hear their individual stories were a huge source of inspiration. “It was an honour to meet some of the incredible first responders, the men and women across the country who have dedicated their lives to service and bravery to keep their communities safe,” Lambert said. “Hearing each one of their unique stories was such an inspiration to me and my team.” The next step for Miranda Lambert is to head to Australia, where she will be headlining CMC Rocks in Queensland in addition to headline gigs in both Sydney and Melbourne, before she will then head back to America for the second leg of her ‘Wildcard’ tour and also for her performance at the Tortuga Music Festival.

Ten Next From Nashville is an exciting music initiative showcasing the city’s rising stars, premiering for the first in the UK at Europe’s leading new-music festival The Great Escape on May 14. With performances by Blanco Brown, Danielle Bradbery and The Sisterhood Band, the showcase will be followed by a string of UK tour dates, including London (O2 Shepherds Bush Empire), Liverpool (Arts Club), Glasgow (St. Luke’s) and Birmingham (O2 Institute2) between 16th– 20thMay. Already an established stage at Live Nation’s premiere family of country music festivals across the US, Next From Nashville is a credible initiative supporting emerging music talent from the city; whilst Nashville is at the heart of the global Country Music scene, the city widely known as Music City is also home to many outstanding artists performing a variety of genres. Next From Nashville champions the city’s musical diversity and progressive sound by bringing the showcase to a bigger audience than ever before in 2020. Blurring the lines between Country and hip-hop music, Blanco Brown makes a southern sound that he proudly calls “TrailerTrap”. It’s a boundary-breaking, multicoloured genre of his very own — which draws upon the rawness and storytelling abilities of his two biggest musical influences, Johnny Cash and Outkast. Brown said: “I’m super excited to be playing in the UK again! Last time I was there I was so inspired and it motivated me to write a few songs, hopefully I get to share those with y’all sooner than later!” ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee and multi-faceted artist Danielle Bradbery recently featured on the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack alongside Ariana Grande, Normani, Nicki Minaj, Kim Petras and more. She re-introduced herself two years ago with sophomore album I Don’t Believe We’ve Met, having taken some time to hone her song-writing craft and establish a blend of her R&B, soul and country influences. Bradbery said: “I’m so excited to come back to the UK. The fans are incredible and I couldn’t be more pumped to be playing The Great Escape!” The Sisterhood Band are an organic blend of the open melodies of classic West Coast folk & and the magnetic swagger of timeless rock n’ roll, powered by Alyssa and Ruby ’s soaring richly textured harmonies and effortless chemistry. Both ladies have strong musical DNA: Alyssa is the daughter of Kathie Baillie & Michael Bonagura (the core of country band Baillie & The Boys) and Ruby ’s father is rock icon Rod Stewart. Alyssa and Ruby said: “Coming back to the UK is like coming home for us! The Sisterhood Band’s first tour was in the UK and we’ve grown so much since then. We are very excited to share our new music with our friends and fans that we’ve made there over the years, and share the stage with some of the most incredible talent that’s coming from Nashville!” Next From Nashville premieres at The Great Escape Festival on May 14 and tours nationwide from May 16 2020.

The much awaited upcoming Kenny Chesney album ‘Here and Now’ now has a release date, with the album set to drop worldwide on May 1. ‘Here and Now’ represents Chesney’s 19th solo album in an illustrious career, which has seen the Knoxville born artist regularly embark on stadium tours in the US, top charts and win awards. Speaking about the album, Chesney stated that it was written with his fanbase – who he has dubbed the No Shoes Nation – firmly in mind, with the artist claiming that he gets waves of inspiration to make new music when he sees their reaction to his songs. “When you’re this far into a career, I think artists need to keep pushing themselves and the music without losing sight of who they are, or forgetting the people you make music for,” Chesney said. “No Shoes Nation is a very passionate place without borders; I get inspired every time I see and hear them. “These are passionate people who work really hard. They make a difference in their community in all kinds of ways, giving back not so people think they’re good, but because that’s who they are and what they do. When they listen to music, they’re all in – and when they hear something they like, you can feel it in how they respond. “People work hard and need music that makes them smile, that kicks them into a happy place. There are also songs here that look at very specific people, that tell one person’s story, but it could be any of us. That’s the mark of a good song: let one person’s specific life say so much about a lot of people’s lives.” Kenny Chesney will continue his stadium tour of the US in April, which will run all the way through to the end of August.  

Sunny Ozell has released the music video for her most recent single All That I Am, which has been described as “a femme anthem” by the artist. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]KU1MZQecHRk[/wpdevart_youtube] The song is taken from her recently released second album ‘Overnight Lows’, which we gave a 4* review to in our January/February 2020 issue, saying that it was “a stunning collection of songs from the American” and that “it’s hard not to admire how gifted a musician Sunny Ozell is.” For the album, Ozell worked with a number of high profile musicians, such as Jay Bellerose (Robert Plant, Alison Krauss), Tyler Chester (George Ezra), Andy Hess (The Black Crowes, David Byrne) and Rich Hinman (Sara Bareilles) and speaking to us at The Long Road Festival back in September, Ozell said that being able to work with people like that represented success for her. “I have just stuck around long enough, I guess,” Ozell said. “10 years ago, the field was really big and I’ve just kind of stayed at it. Suddenly, I’m in the room with people that are heroes and people like Jay Bellerose, the drummer, who I’ve been listening to for 20 years and here he is on my record. When the people that influenced you are now your peers, it is astonishing and to be perfectly blunt, in itself that is success to me.” In the same interview, Ozell also stated that she will be looking to venture back to the UK for a tour towards the back end of 2020, specifically around October and November time.

The Adelaides will be making their version of Sanctuary, a duet with Charles Esten, available as a live version on March 13 and will appear at C2C with Esten on the day. The song – made famous by ‘Nashville’, the TV show that Esten starred in as Chip – was recorded on Esten’s 2019 October UK tour, which culminated with a headline date at the fabled Royal Albert Hall in London. Esten has now invited the trio – made up of Paris Georgia, Alicia Alba and Abi Phillips – to perform the track with him during his C2C Main Stage slot at The O2 Arena in London, which will make The Adelaides only the second UK act to appear on the main stage, after Catherine McGrath joined Hunter Hayes last year for a duet of Don’t Let Me Forget. Speaking about the song, The Adelaides said collectively that they adore playing the song live and that they feel that the recorded version really captures the magic of what went on in the recording studio. “We love performing this song, it’s truly special to us and to perform it live on stage with Charles Esten was a dream come true,” the girls said.  “We’ve performed many times with him now – both across the UK and in Nashville – and this particular recording captures the warmth of the fantastic connection we have with him. It’s a special version of a wonderful song and we are delighted to share it.” Adding further comment was Esten, who echoed what the girls said and explained how he came into contact with the group, while also expressing that he hasn’t looked back since. “When I was preparing for my January 2019 UK tour, I was looking for a support act that might be able to sing a few ‘Nashville’ songs with me during my set,” Esten explained. “The moment I heard The Adelaides and their gorgeous harmonies, I knew I was done looking. We ended up performing more than a couple songs together in every show, both from ‘Nashville’ and from my own catalogue. “When I returned in October with a full band, I knew we had to do it again. And I’m so glad we did. This live recording of one of my very favourite ‘Nashville’ songs, Sanctuary, has somehow captured all of the magic that they brought to every stage we ever sang on.” The song will be exclusively previewed on BBC Radio 2 via The Country Show with Bob Harris on March 5 between 21:00-22:00