Exclusives

Kelsey Waldon will be touring in the UK for the first time ever in February, with support slots booked in for Ian Noe and Sean McConnell. The talented artist, who specialises in neo-traditional and Americana, has also got a headline date in London pencilled in, but the bulk of her tour will be supporting McConnell on his coinciding jaunt across the UK. Waldon’s last record, ‘White Noise, White Lines’ was released in October to much fanfare, with Uncut Magazine in particular taking a shine to it – awarding it their Americana Album of the Month. The album followed in the footsteps of 2016’s ‘I’ve Got a Way’ and 2014’s ‘The Goldmine’. The Kentucky born artist was also offered the chance to open for John Print in 2018 and subsequently became the first signing to Prine’s fabled independent label Oh Boy Records in 15 years, while since she moved to Nashville, she has also gained a college degree . Kelsey Waldon will be playing: February 3 – Omeara, London, England* February 6 – Slaughtered Lamb, London, England February 7 – The Crofters Rights, Bristol, England^ February 8 – The Poetry Club, Glasgow, Scotland^ February 9 – Limelight 2, Belfast, Northern Ireland^ February 11 – Whelan’s, Dublin< Republic of Ireland^ February 12 – Castle Hotel, Manchester, England^ *supporting Ian Noe ^supporting Sean McConnell

Grammy nominated duo The Secret Sisters have released their new single Hand Over My Heart, which will feature on their upcoming record, ‘Saturn Return’. You can listen to the track here. The record itself was produced by Brandi Carlile and recorded at her home studio in Washington, with it set to be released on February 28, with the album being named after the astrological occurrence that takes place approximately every 29 and a half years. Speaking about working with The Secret Sisters, Carlile said that it was a truly unique experience and that to see them work in the way that they do is one of the highlights of Carlilile’s career so far. “It’s really uniquely unified and harmonious when they’re in tandem and very tumultuous and deep when they’re not in tandem and I think for a brief, beautiful moment on this album we caught The Secret Sisters not in tandem for the first time,” Carlile said, “To be a harbinger for their honesty in these songs and to watch them work together to see the tension was one of the greatest gifts of my career, because those are two very powerful people in a very interesting point in their lives.” The album is the first to be released since 2017’s ‘You Don’t Own Me Anymore’, which was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

Jess and the Bandits have returned in style with the release of their brand new EP, ‘Riding Shotgun’, which they have self-released. You can listen to the EP below. The five-track EP is their first substantial release since they shared their ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ album back in 2017 and has seen the group work with some of the finest writers in Nashville. Previously, the group had released Bulletproof as a single from the EP, which appears on the EP as the second song, while the EP title name closes the release. Some of these writers include Emily Shackelton (Carly Pearce, Lauren Alaina, Cassadee Pope), Josh Osborne (Kacey Musgraves, Tim McGraw) and Victoria Banks (Jessica Simpson, Sara Evans, Johnny Reid). In April, the group are gearing up for an intimate acoustic tour around the UK, with dates set to be revealed in due course. Since their emergence as a group, Jess and the Bandits’ profile in the UK has grown from strength to strength and they have played at some of the core country festivals the UK has to offer, including Country to Country, Nashville Meets London and Black Deer Festival. The track listing for ‘Riding Shotgun’ by Jess and the Bandits is: 1. Love Don’t Give a Damn (Scott Stepakoff, Josh Osborne, Kelleigh Bannen) 2. Bulletproof (Amber Carrington, Victoria Banks, Emily Shackelton) 3. Build On It (Jessica Clemmons, Jessica Sharman, Mary Erskin) 4. Gotta Be Out There (Clemmons, Stephanie Lambring) 5. Riding Shotgun (Clemmons, Laura Oakes, Julie Strickland)

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville had a hugely successful 2019, with 1,297,443 guests walking through the door in that time period. 2019 marked the fifth year running where the establishment welcomed over a million visitors and out of the almost 1.3 million, 114,400 visitors engaged in over 1600 educational programmes. The last 12 months saw the organisation – among other things – open exhibitions on Keith Whitley, Kacey Musgraves, Brooks & Dunn and Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. Speaking about the success over the last 12 months, Kyle Young – CEO – explained that being part of the Nashville community for half a century has played a key part in their success, but by being able to move downtown, the rewards have continued to grow. “We’ve been around and part of Nashville’s community for over 50 years,” said Young.  “We rolled the dice and came downtown in 2001. Then, we expanded in 2014. “These moves allowed us to double our space, grow our staff and broaden our offerings to tell the ever-evolving country music story. I’m proud to share that our attendance numbers continue to grow and that in 2019, we welcomed a record number of visitors.” The Country Music Hall of Fame can be found on 222 5th Ave S, Nashville

Una Healy gave her fans a Boxing Day surprise when she shared her second piece of new music in the space of a month in the form of Wild Grasses. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]gKDIAALQu5k[/wpdevart_youtube] At the start of December, Healy released her cover of Set You Free by N-Trance and had promised to release an original song as well, which we now have with Wild Grasses. Speaking about the song, Healy explained that by working with Eric Bazillian in a writing capacity opened up a whole new channel for the track, which seemed to fall into place incredibly quickly. “I had a melody in my head for weeks and met with Eric and started humming it and the first words just came out and it flowed from there,” Healy said. “It has a real Celtic folk sound to it too. It is a very comforting song for anyone who has lost someone close to know that their spirit will always be there with them.” Healy spent the majority of 2019 writing new material and recording bits and pieces, with the plan of making 2020 a memorable year, though as of yet, there are no definitive dates as to when she will be sharing new material. In addition to creating music, Una Healy is also a presenter on Country Hits Radio.  

Country rock artist Rachele Lynae has announced her comeback in spectacular fashion, with a new album due on May 22 that will be flanked by five singles. The first of which, Braggin On Ya is set to be released on January 10 and will be the first piece of music that Lynae has released since Guy in the Sky in December 2017. The album, which is as of yet untitled, marks Lynae’s first full length record since she released her self-titled debut back in 2014 and she is set to tour quite heavily in 2020. More details about where Lynae will be touring will be available in due course. Speaking about Braggin On Ya, Lynae said that in the time between records, she has been hard at work writing music and then eventually taking those creations forward, while also explaining that the song itself is about her husband. “I have been so immersed in songwriting, writing so much music, but when it came time to release a new project as an artist Braggin On Ya was an obvious choice for the first single,” she said. “The song practically wrote itself, because it’s so me… braggin on my husband and being a little sassy about it.”

Rascal Flatts have decided to call it quits as a band after 20 hugely successful years and will soon be embarking on a farewell tour to say goodbye properly. The group – made up of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney – have been a huge part of the genre over the last two decades, winning six CMA Awards, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, having a star on the Music City Hall of Fame and also winning a Grammy. With hits such as Bless the Broken Road, What Hurts the Most and I Like the Sound of That, the group have firmly cemented themselves as one of the most important and best country music groups of all time and it’s fitting that the tour is named after another one of their colossal hits in Life is a Highway. Speaking about the decision on their Twitter account, the group said that they could not have foreseen the levels of success that they have achieved and that there are no tears being shed about the decision, just a focus to make new memories. “When we started out 20 years ago, we could not imagine all of the people, places and gifts we would encounter,” they posted. “As we head out on the Rascal Flatts Farewell – Life is A Highway Tour, there is no sadness. Just new chapters, new journeys and new beginnings.This year and this tour, is all about YOU.” So far, all of the dates are in America, though many are hoping that the group do a worldwide farewell tour – including a stretch in the UK and Europe. People can register for tickets for the Rascal Flatts farewell tour here.

The world renowned Gruhn Guitars music shop in Nashville has reached a personal milestone as the store recently turned 50, doing so on January 2. The guitar shop is a must visit destination for anyone who is interested in the playing side of music, with its extensive library of classic guitars and with the amount of knowledge, experience and know-how the staff have. Speaking about reaching the milestone in a statement, George Gruhn – Owner and CEO of the shop – and Eric Newell – President and General Manager – recapped their journey and thanked everyone who has helped them get to where they are now. “It all started 50 years ago with 22 instruments and a storefront in the heart of Nashville’s downtown,” Gruhn and Newell said. “Our first name was GTR for George Gruhn, Tut Taylor and Randy Wood. While our instruments were not considered vintage, as they were at most 40 years old, we knew those “Golden Era” instruments were special. “Through 50 years of business, there have been times it seemed like an emotional and economic roller coaster. We can certainly say there have been times of great challenges, but our love of finely crafted instruments never wavered. Today, we have an inventory of over 2000 fretted instruments housed in a space of 18,000 square feet. “One aspect of being in business for 50 years that we would not have foreseen in 1970 are the amazing people we have met along the way. The joy of working with customers who share our passion for fine fretted instruments has inspired us to maintain a place where we can enjoy these beautiful instruments together. “Today marks a milestone for all of us. We, at Gruhn Guitars, with you, want to raise a glass to 50 years of preserving the tools that aid in the creation of music in our homes to stages across the world.” You can find Gruhn Guitars in Nashville on 2120 8th Ave S.

Robert Vincent has shared the third single from his upcoming album ‘In This Town You’re Owned’, due on February 14, in the shape of Conundrum. You can listen to the song on Spotify here. The song follows in the footsteps of This Town and My Neighbour’s Ghost as Vincent shares another track off of his soon to be released third album, which is his first to be put out under the label Thirty Tigers. Vincent’s previous albums – ‘Life in Easy Steps’ and ‘I’ll Make the Most of My Sins’ were released by DB Industries and by himself respectively. Speaking about the somewhat delicate subject matter of the song, Vincent explained that the track is about trying to do more to save the planet and the issues that come as a result of the lifestyle changes involved, with many having to sacrifice certain aspects about the way they live in order to benefit everyone moving forward. “We are faced with a conundrum about whether or not to remain as consumers and continually take from the world we live in, or to start looking after our planet,” Vincent said.  “We all have a responsibility as individuals to try to fix the damage we are doing.” Later on this year, Vincent – who received the inaugural Emerging Artist Award from ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris back in 2016 at the UK Americana Awards – will embark on a seven-date tour around the UK, which will end with what is sure to be a memorable homecoming show in Liverpool. Tickets are available here. Robert Vincent will be playing: March 23 – The Lexington, London, England March 25 – Greystones, Sheffield, England March 26 – Lending Room, Leeds, England March 27 – St Lawrence’s Church, Biddulph, England April 1 – Louisiana, Bristol, England April 2 – Night and Day, Manchester, England April 3 – Jimmy’s, Liverpool, England

January 5 marked the seventh anniversary of Maren Morris moving from Texas to Nashville and she marked the occasion with a reflective Instagram post. In that time, Morris has grown to be one of country music’s leading female artists, with her two albums ‘Hero’ and ‘GIRL’ receiving critical and fan acclaim, while she also has two CMA Awards to her name – one for New Artist of the Year in 2016 and now for Album of the Year for ‘GIRL’ last November. Morris also won a Grammy Award in 2017, taking home Best Country Solo Performance for My Church. Also since she moved to Nashville, Morris met and subsequently married Ryan Hurd, with the two now expecting a baby in the coming months. Speaking about the occasion, Morris – who posted two pictures, one of her moving in 2013 and one of her giving a speech for winning Album of the Year at the CMA Awards – explained how she would write with anyone in order to try and get some momentum behind her, which also helped her improve her craft. “7 years ago today, I had short hair, some okay (alright, crap) demos in my pocket and moved into a Craigslist house sight unseen for $350 a month,” she wrote. “I wrote with anyone + everyone who’d sit in a room with me. I got better and I found my tribe of people I loved to create with and we’d geek out over The Cardigans and Sheryl Crow records. “Looking at the gap between these photos, I actually do know where the time goes. It gets encapsulated in each fantastic, mundane, life-changing, soul-crushing, mediocre, hallelujah song in my catalogue. “Cheers to 7 years, Nashville, and to the friends here I now am lucky to call family.” Given her pregnancy, it is expected that Maren Morris will be taking a break from music in 2020 to focus on her family life.