Month: August 2020

Broken BowLindsay Ell‘s sophomore album, heart theory, arrives Friday, and the co-writer of her latest single, Kane Brown, had his own theory about what might be missing in her repertoire.

“I basically just said, ‘You need to have that bad girl attitude that Carrie Underwood used to have, ‘Before He Cheats’ and all that. And, you know, Miranda Lambert used to have,'” Kane reveals. “Back then, they were basically doing what the guys are doing today. Just saying, like ‘You need me,’ basically. I was like, ‘You just need to have that attitude.'”

By the time “wAnt me back” was finished, Kane was ready to record it himself.

“I ended up loving the song and I told her, I was like, ‘If you don’t cut this, I’ll cut it. I’m gonna have to change some lyrics, but I’ll do it,'” he recalls.

To celebrate her second album, the Canadian chart-topper has planned a pretty ambitious event: an entire day, live on the internet.

“I’m starting Thursday at midnight Eastern, so 11 p.m. Central,” Lindsay tells ABC Audio, “and then going to Friday at 11 p.m. Central. It’s going to be a very long day.”

“I’m going to have my band come probably, and we’ll jam a bit,” she explains. “I’m gonna be interviewing guests. Basically, I want to showcase [the album for] every time zone around the world.”

“I’m gonna be maybe taking a nap,” she smiles, “maybe eating, making food. I don’t know what we’re gonna do. I have 24 hours to fill. So if you have any ideas, let me know.” 

Lindsay’s currently up for two ACM trophies on the strength of her number-one single with Brantley Gilbert, “What Happens in a Small Town.” 

Kane’s new EP, Mixtape Vol. 1, comes out Friday as well.

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockJimmie Allen will stop by the 8:00 a.m. hour of NBC’s Today on Friday. He’ll perform “Why Things Happen” and “Freedom Was a Highway,” two of the tracks off his Bettie James EP.

Singer-songwriter Hayes Carll announced plans for a new acoustic album, Alone Together Sessions, out September 4.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Image Group LAEmotionally, mentally and financially, 2020 has been a tough year for everybody. So when Blake Shelton heard that some of his fans were still waiting on their refunds for canceled concert dates, he began taking action to get them their money back.

The brouhaha began on Twitter on Wednesday morning, when a fan asked Blake to cancel — not postpone — his Chicago tour date, so that ticketholders could get refunds. If an artist postpones a date, fans are usually advised to hold on to their tickets.  If a show is canceled, refunds are available.

Blake, who was under the impression that he had cancelled his tour, thought the fan’s inability to get a refund might be a fluke. But after multiple fans sent him screenshots, he realized that major money was being held up.

“Man…This is bad I agree,” the singer wrote. “We in NO WAY want to mislead or delay people getting their refunds. We absolutely CANCELLED the tour. NOOOO ticket money is being held up on our end. This is awful.”

Next, Blake put on his detective cap and started trying to get to the bottom of specifically where that money was. He updated fans that afternoon, explaining that it would take time to figure out how to resolve the issue, because so many vendors are involved.

“It’s a web for sure and I don’t think it’s any one person’s fault,” he added. “It’s been a nightmare and confusing year for everyone on every level.”

Even though the issue is a complicated one, and his team can’t always control third-party vendors, Blake said he’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

“What’s right is right and that money belongs back in the buyers’ hands…especially in these times,” he tweeted. “The tour is cancelled.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Image Group LAThis Friday, RaeLynn drops her new EP Baytown. It’s her first since signing to Round Here Records, the label that’s the brainchild of Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley.

Given the bias that women face in the music industry, RaeLynn admits that her journey in country music hasn’t always been easy, and notes that she’s had to fight to take creative control.  But as the former The Voice contestant points out in a new interview with People, she’s learned that there’s freedom in that struggle.

“It’s hard for women,” she explains. “So I’m at the point, like every other country girl, if it’s going to be hard for me no matter what, I might as well put out music I freaking love.”

The singer isn’t fazed by the business changes she’s had to make either. Before Round Here Records, she’d released music via two other record labels.

“Instead of being ashamed, like, ‘Oh, I’ve been on this many labels,’ I own it. I have never given up,” she says, noting that her former The Voice coach Blake Shelton had similar ups and downs.

“He was on a few labels too, and it took him [almost] 15 years to get a number-one — he had a really crazy journey, then he took off,” the singer reflects.

Now, though, RaeLynn feels she’s finally found the creative control she’s always wanted by being part of a label that’s owned by fellow artists.

“[Tyler and Brian] let me be myself and ride ponies and wear all the glitter and cheetah print I want in my music videos. They’re not trying to change me,” she says.

RaeLynn has already started sharing music from her EP, including the uptempo anthem “Keep Up.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABC/Image Group LABreak out the hot cocoa and deck the halls: Dolly Parton’s got a Christmas album coming.

The superstar singer unveiled all the details of her new project this week, which is called A Holly Dolly Christmas and will be available on October 2. It’ll be Dolly’s first Christmas album in 30 years.

The 12-track collection includes a mix of seasonal standards and original tunes.  The singer also recruited plenty of guest stars to help her get into the holiday spirit: Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Willie Nelson, Michael Bublé and Jimmy Fallon all lend their voices to A Holly Dolly Christmas.

Of course, the holiday season is all about family, so Dolly enlisted her brother, Randy Parton, to join her for one track, “You Are My Christmas.”

“I thought, ‘I think I’ll call it A Holly Dolly Christmas because I love the song ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas’ with Burl Ives,’” Dolly explained to Billboard. “He used to be on all my Christmas specials all through the years. I think of him as Mr. Christmas.”

She went on to say that her selections from the project ranged from traditional, like her “Pretty Paper” duet with Willie Nelson, to modern, like her collaboration with Jimmy Fallon. That tune, a duet version of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” came together after Jimmy asked her to sing it with him on his Tonight Show and she couldn’t because she didn’t know the song.

“I felt so bad. So I went and learned it and I was just going to put it on my album, and then I went, ‘I’ll ask Jimmy Fallon to sing it with me!’ And he said yes,” she added.

Here’s the full track list for A Holly Dolly Christmas:

“Holly Jolly Christmas”
“Christmas Is” (feat. Miley Cyrus)
“Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas” (duet with Michael Bublé)
“Christmas on the Square”
“Circle of Love”
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” (duet with Jimmy Fallon)
“Comin’ Home for Christmas”
“Pretty Paper” (duet with Willie Nelson)
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
“You Are My Christmas” (feat. Randy Parton)
“Mary, Did You Know?”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

ABCLuke Bryan has been friends with superstar trio Lady A for well over a decade, with the two acts even touring together back in 2012. But he struggled to find the right words when asked to weigh in on the band’s recent name change during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen this week.

“Woo! You know, I don’t think they were anticipating the aftermath of being called Lady A,” the singer reflected.

Since they dropped the “Antebellum” from their name in acknowledgement of the term’s association with slavery, the band Lady A have found themselves embroiled in a legal dispute with Black soul singer Anita White, who’s performed under the moniker since 2006.

Luke went on to point out that the trio have been informally known as Lady A by their fans and friends for a long time.

“I can say that for years, everyone in the country music community has really referred to them as Lady A. Like, I would call and say, ‘Hey, get the Lady A guys on the phone,’ you know?” he offered.

Still, Luke admitted that he was at a loss as to how the band should best resolve the situation.

What the band hoped would be peaceable talks with White have since turned contentious, with White explaining that she felt the trio’s gestures toward a mutually beneficial solution were ultimately hollow and the band suing for the right to use the name.

“Who knows what they’ll have to figure out. But God, what a mess,” Luke added. “What a mess, in the aftermath of removing ‘Antebellum.’”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.