Month: May 2021

Flannel shirts, cheese grits, taxidermy and turnip greens: Those are just a few of the things that qualify as “Country Stuff” on Walker Hayes' just-released duet with Jake Owen.

“Country Stuff” is a fun-loving celebration of all things redneck and backwoods, from chewing tobacco to muddy truck tires and much more. It's the first taste and title track of a new EP Walker's got planned for release next month, the singer revealed on Twitter.

Walker's duet partner Jake adds, “My buddy Walker Hayes is one of the most talented peeps I know and was cool enough to ask me to be a part of this banger. Crank it up and have a great summer, y'all…”

Country Stuff's track list also includes duets with Carly Pearce and Lori McKenna. The EP arrives in full June 4, but it's available to pre-order now.

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Chris Lane's been on a musical roll the last three weeks, dropping first his new single, “Fill Them Boots,” and then another new track, “Summer Job Money.” Now, he's rounding out that trio of songs by showing off his softer side, with “That's What Mamas Are For.”

The singer's new ballad is a personal Mother's Day gift to his own mom, as well as a tribute to moms everywhere. This Mother's Day will be unlike any other for Chris, as he and his wife, Lauren, are preparing to welcome their first child next month.

“As a soon-to-be day, this Mother's Day more than ever, I'm just so grateful for my mom and the amazing momma my wife Lauren already is to our baby boy,” the singer says. “This song is to celebrate all the mommas out there. We wouldn't be who we are today without you.”

To go along with “That's What Mamas Are For,” Chris also dropped a music video that spotlights a mom through the eyes of her child as he grows up.

Chris isn't done rolling out new music just yet: He recently teased an upcoming collaboration with Dustin Lynch called “Tequila on a Boat.” That song arrives May 14.

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Jennifer Nettles on Friday shared her cover of “Wait for It,” from the hit musical Hamilton, adding some twang and steel guitar to the track.

The singer's take on “Wait for It” comes off her upcoming album, Always Like New, a collection of Great American Songbook classics. Taking songs from newer hit productions — like Hamilton — as well as selections from perennial favorites like My Fair Lady and Oklahoma!, the collection celebrates Jennifer's lifetime love of musical theater.

“As a child who grew up in musical theater, this album feels like a homecoming to me,” she explains. “…It is thrilling to be able to celebrate this amazing songwriting with arrangements and vocals that allow them to be rediscovered anew.”

To assist with arrangements, Jennifer tapped Alex Lacamoire, who worked on Hamilton as well as shows like In the Heights and Dear Evan Hansen. The singer says she “savored” every aspect of the collaborative creative process.

Always Like New comes out on June 25, but it's available for pre-order and pre-save now. When she announced it, Jennifer also previewed her new album with a first taste of the track list: She released “Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat,” which originally appeared in the 1950 Broadway musical Guys and Dolls.

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One year after dropping Here and Now, Kenny Chesney is returning to the project with a new, deluxe version featuring four previously-unheard tracks.

Like many of his fellow artists, Kenny found himself with an abundance of time to create new music during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, he says the time he spent off the road underscored how important it is to him to create music with his songwriter friends.

“I decided I didn't want to wait for the next album. I wanted these four songs to be a part of what Here and Now is — making Here and Now Deluxe maybe shows a little bit of a now we never saw coming,” Kenny reflects.

The four new tracks are titled “Fields of Glory,” “My Anthem,” “Streets” and “Wind On.” The latter song was co-written by 90s hitmaker David Lee Murphy, who also collaborated with Kenny on their chart-topping 2017 duet, “Everything's Gonna Be Alright.”

Here and Now Deluxe arrived Friday at midnight ET. The project's current single, “Knowing You,” is currently a top-40 hit and climbing.

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For the first time in over a year, Nashville's Grand Ole Opry will welcome full-capacity audiences back to its shows beginning May 14.

The Opry has had a strict capacity cap in place ever since re-opening its doors to the public following the COVID-19 shutdowns, which began in March of 2020. As it resumes full-capacity shows, the venue will continue to follow strict COVID-19 safety protocols, including enhanced cleaning procedures and mandatory mask-wearing for audience members and staff.

The move to full-capacity shows comes ahead of an exciting lineup of performances booked at the Opry this summer. Lorrie Morgan and The Oak Ridge Boys are among the acts scheduled to perform during the first full-capacity show.

Other artists set for spring and summer appearances at the Opry include Luke Combs, Lady A, Carly Pearce, Chris Young, Lauren Alaina and many more. Head to the venue’s website for more details.

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Michael Ray's just-released new ballad, “Picture,” is a touching tribute to family ties that remain as strong as ever, even if that family is no longer physically together.

Written by the singer alongside David Garcia and fellow country star Hardy, “Picture” honors the time Michael spent with his family at home in Florida during the pandemic, as well as an uncle he lost last summer.

“This past year I was able to go home and reconnect with what made me want to move to Nashville, what made me fall in love with music, the people who made me who I am, the people who believed in me from day one,” he says. 

“I think it helped me re-find myself and re-discover the kind of music I want to make. That's where a song like Picture' comes from,” Michael goes on. “After my Uncle Terry passed last June, I wanted to write an autobiographical song about my family and the memories we all have to look back on — but it's not a sad song. It's a song of celebration.”

Following Michael's latest single, “Whiskey and Rain,” his new song is another piece of an upcoming, as-yet-unannounced album. Along with the song, Michael dropped a music video, which further drives home “Picture”'s message of cherishing loved ones while they're still around.

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After announcing a short club tour for May — and selling out all five dates — Dierks Bentley is hitting the road in earnest late this summer. The singer announced his 2021 Beers on Me Tour on Friday.

Kicking off August 13 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the 22-stop tour wraps in late October in Rogers, Arkansas. Opening acts Parker McCollum and Riley Green will join the tour, which takes its name from a song Dierks recently wrote, as the singer explains.

“I wrote a song a few months back with some friends called Beers on Me' that inspired this year's tour name,” he says. “It's a pretty simple recipe for summer…get your friends together, have a round or two and dive into some great country music. That's exactly what Riley, Parker and I plan on doing out there on the road with our fans. Both these guys are road warriors and great performers that are going to help us get this summer fired up.”

In fact, the trio gave fans a taste of what to expect from a live show, releasing a live version of Jerry Reed's 1977 hit, “Eastbound and Down.”

Tour tickets go on sale next Friday, May 14. For dates and details, visit Dierks' website.

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