Month: September 2022

Lauren Alaina discusses creative breakthroughs and her 10-year anniversary of being in country music in a new installment of Live at the Hall, as well as giving a performance of her song, “Getting Over Him.”

Folds of Honor Tennessee's second annual celebrity golf tournament took place earlier this week, raising over $324,000 to benefit the families of fallen and injured military service members. Among those who participated were Lee Brice, Michael Ray, Kid Rock and Jelly Roll.

Kat & Alex's first installment of their self-titled EP, Side A, will drop on September 16. The up-and-coming duo also shared their music video for “We Bought a House.”

Amy Grant will release a 25th anniversary expanded edition of her 1997 album Behind the Eyes on Friday, September 9.

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Lainey Wilson and Hardy revisit a classic country trope — the murder ballad — in their new duet, “Wait in the Truck,” which came out last week.

Country fans haven't heard as many murder ballads recently as they once did on the radio — though Chris Janson's recent collab with Eric Church, “You, Me & the River,” is an exception — but Lainey remembers when they were a much more prevalent part of the genre.

“I remember when, listening to things on the radio, [you'd hear] [Garth Brooks'] The Thunder Rolls,' [The Chicks'] Goodbye Earl,'” the singer tells the Tennessean. “It is a murder ballad. But I think it's starting a conversation — probably a conversation a lot of people don't wanna have.”

“Wait in the Truck” opens up a conversation about domestic violence, with Hardy playing the role of the guy who runs into a badly beaten woman — Lainey — and kills her abuser, then goes to jail.

“It's something that's not talked about a lot. Things that happen behind closed doors,” Lainey continues. “But I think it really is our job as artists to sing about things that people are scared to talk about.”

If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.

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Jon Pardi might ride a decked-out tour bus when he hits the road these days, but he wasn't always traveling in style — and he still owns his first touring van as a reminder of where he came from.

In a new video interview with ET Online, Jon takes fans behind the scenes for a look inside his bus and the van that started it all. His first vehicle took him to “a lot of crappy honky-tonks,” the singer jokes.

Meanwhile, the tour bus he rides these days is “all business, with a little bit of comfort” — including a stash of whiskey to help him unwind after shows.

Jon is currently out on the road playing new music, including his latest chart-topping hit, “Last Night Lonely.” While the song tells the story of meeting a girl who just might be the one, Jon had his “Last Night Lonely” several years ago — he's been married to his wife, Summer, for two years.

“I still think figuring things out is a fun part of it,” Jon says of life as a newlywed. “They hate that you throw your wet gym clothes in this pile, and you have so much makeup stuff everywhere.”

Jon's next album, Mr. Saturday Night, arrives on Friday.

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Hit singer-songwriter and former Florida Georgia Line band member Tyler Hubbard is offering some of his best tips to songwriters who are at the beginning of their careers.

He counted down his top five tips on TikTok, set against audio of his new song, “Dancin' in the Country,” which is the title track of his newest EP. Most of Tyler's suggestions have to do with patience, practice and simply showing up.

“When writing with others, be on time and try to bring at least one idea to the room,” Tyler says for Tip #1, followed by “Treat it like a 9 to 5…make time and space for it.”

He also suggested that budding songwriters should keep perspective on what making music is all about, saying “Don't be afraid to get a little vulnerable, but do it because it's fun. It should be fun!” He also encouraged them to always be open to the possibility of new song ideas: “Keep a phone note of phrases, ideas, words,” he continued.

However, Tyler's most important tip is also the simplest. “Just start…really, like, right now,” he said at the end of his post.

Tyler's songwriting skills are on display in his fast-rising current single, “5 Foot 9.”

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Kelsea Ballerini is gearing up for another song release ahead of her new album. The singer revealed the title of the new track, “What I Have,” on her social channels Thursday.

Leading up to the announcement, she teased her new song's name, posting a sunset photo of herself sitting at the top of a rocky lookout.

“Right where I'm at with what I have,” Kelsea wrote in the caption.

The new song comes in the wake of a big week of personal news for the country singer: On Monday, she announced that she's divorcing her husband of nearly five years, singer-songwriter Morgan Evans.

“This deeply difficult decision is the result of a journey of love, growth and effort that ultimately has come to an end,” Kelsea wrote when she announced the split to her fans, also asking for grace and understanding as both she and Morgan gear up for busy touring cycles and new music.

Kelsea's Subject to Change album will arrive next month. She has already shared multiple songs off the track list, including “Love is a Cowboy” and the project's lead single, “Heartfirst.”

“What I Have” will be out at midnight.

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Before pursuing his country music career, Jackson Dean spent most of his time working in his dad's construction business.

“Me and my brothers, from birth, worked for our father,” the singer recounts, explaining that they were part of a crew of bricklayers and stonemasons that once numbered about 300 workers. “I always worked construction. Just manual labor. Never worked in a restaurant, never did anything like that,” he continues.

However, there was at least one other job he held, and it involved some aspects of performance that just might have helped him prepare for a career in the entertainment industry.

“I was a pirate for one year,” he reveals. Specifically, he worked on a tourism ship in his hometown of Annapolis, where kids could sail the high seas and try their hand at shooting the treasure-hunting, parrot-wielding Pirate Pete.

“You got, like, a 45-passenger boat, and you'd go out in the bay and shoot water cannons at Pirate Pete,” Jackson remembers. “You got to find treasure. It was like theater, but improv.”

It was also a whole lot of fun, especially because his co-worker was his brother. “Me and my oldest brother would run trips. He would drive. I would ride up front,” the singer says. “Somebody would fall off the boat, or we'd just have dance parties. It was a good time. Like, blaring David Bowie or something.”

These days, Jackson's not opposed to another venture into the world of acting. His song “Don't Come Lookin'” was featured on the Yellowstone soundtrack, and he says he'd be game to take on an on-screen role on the show — especially if he got to play a bad guy.

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