Month: January 2024

There were many things Nate Smith learned from Thomas Rhett while on the Home Team Tour 23, one of which is taking a moment to briefly share his journey with fans at shows. 

“I got some good hang time with T.R. and Cole [Swindell] and was able to ask them questions about how to improve my show and stuff. The one thing that really stuck with me was ‘make sure you tell your story every night on stage,'” Nate tells ABC Audio.

“We literally map that out every show now where I actually will take two solid minutes [and] tell everybody, ‘I’m not going to talk your ear off for an hour, but here’s why I’m here. And thank you for giving me a chance,'” he says.

Nate doesn’t take for granted the fans who arrive earlier at venues for his opening set.

“I’m a new artist, baby artist, and it just means the world that people show up early as an opener and stuff like that to watch me,” says the “World on Fire” singer. “The big thing I’ve taken away from the tour is to just really tell people who the hell you are, you know?” 

Nate’s putting all he’s learned from Thomas and Cole on display on his headlining World On Fire Tour. The ongoing trek kicked off January 4 and will hit Cambridge, Massachusetts; Uncasville, Connecticut; New York and more, before wrapping in Dewey Beach, Delaware, on May 23.

For tickets and a full list of dates, head to Nate’s website.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Drake Milligan performed his new song, “Don’t Leave Me Loving You,” on AGT: Fantasy League. The track is the first preview of Drake’s forthcoming EP, Jukebox Songs, dropping February 16.

Up-and-comer and Leo33 flagship artist Zach Top is now at country radio with his debut single, “Sounds Like the Radio.” The track’s the lead single from Zach’s upcoming debut album, Cold Beer & Country Music, which is slated to arrive April 5.

Chris Lane has shared an acoustic performance video of his new single, “Find Another Bar.” You can watch it now on YouTube.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

It’s time to cozy up this soup season with a hearty bowl of soup, and The Pioneer Woman‘s got you covered.

The Pioneer Woman‘s Ree Drummond has shared her recipe for her instant pot creamy chicken and wild rice soup. It’s got a prep time of one hour and uses ingredients such as boneless chicken thighs, celery, carrots, chicken broth, uncooked wild rice and fresh lemon juice.

“This soup is DELICIOUS, and can easily just be made in a dutch oven if you aren’t an Instant Pot person,” Ree shares on Facebook. “Love the slight chewiness of the wild rice!

You can check out the full instant pot creamy chicken and wild rice soup recipe now at thepioneerwoman.com.

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Miranda Lambert is kicking off 2024 with some newly penned songs.

The “White Liar” hitmaker shared on social media that she’s written her first batch of songs of the year with her longtime friend Ashley Monroe and rising country artist Stephen Wilson Jr.

“Wrote the first songs of 2024 today with bestie @ashleymonroemusic and new friend @stephen.wilson.jr,” Miranda captioned her Instagram post of a selfie of the three songwriters.

“I've been inspired by Ash and her melodies and heart for 20 years now. And Stephen's record has lit a fire under my ass since I laid ears on it,” she says. “Great start to this year I'd say! We got deep in the paint. 3 in a day. but let's get it while the gettin's good.”

Miranda’s latest album is 2022’s Palomino, which spawned the singles “If I Was a Cowboy” and “Strange.”

The Texas native recently teamed with hit songwriter/producer Jon Randall and Big Loud Records to launch a new label imprint, Big Loud Texas. For more information, head to bigloudtexas.com.

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Eager for another preview of Conner Smith‘s debut album? You’re in luck.

“Meanwhile in Carolina,” an as-yet-unreleased track from Smoky Mountains, will drop Friday, January 12.

“This song shows the heart behind this record,” Conner captions his Instagram Reel, which offers a snippet of the tune. “One of my favorite songs I've ever written,” he says in a separate Instagram video.

Smoky Mountains will be released January 26 and is available for preorder and presave now. You can also presave “Meanwhile in Carolina” to hear it as soon as it arrives.

Conner is currently #13 and rising the country charts with his latest single, “Creek Will Rise.”

Here’s the full track list for Smoky Mountains:

“Smoky Mountains”
“Creek Will Rise”
“Roulette on the Heart” (featuring Hailey Whitters)
“Heatin’ Up”
“Baby, I”
“Meanwhile in Carolina”
“Boots in the Bleachers”
“Take It Slow”
“Trouble”
“I Hate Alabama”
“Regret in the Morning”
“God Moments”

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Dan + Shay are celebrating a decade of being a duo with their 10th #1 single, “Save Me the Trouble.”

“SAVE ME THE TROUBLE is officially our 10th #1 at country radio! We couldn't think of a better way to kick off 2024 and the BIGGER HOUSES album cycle,” Dan + Shay caption their celebratory video on Instagram. “Huge thank you to all the stations who played the song and our fans for continuing to believe in the music.”

“In this season of immense gratitude, seeing our name at the top of the chart means more than ever,” they add. “Can't wait to celebrate with everyone on the road this year, and here's to the next one!”

“Save Me the Trouble” is the lead single off Bigger Houses, which arrived in September.

Coming up, the Grammy-winning duo will hit the road on their The Heartbreak On The Map Tour, which begins February 29 in Greenville, South Carolina. Hailey Whitters and Nashville-based singer/songwriter Ben Rector will serve as openers.

For tickets and Dan + Shay’s full tour schedule, visit their danandshay.com.

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