Month: February 2024

As The Voice readies to premiere its 25th season Monday, Dan + Shay are reflecting on their new endeavor as coaches and the show’s first coaching duo.

“It was Blake [Shelton]’s old chair. It was so big that they let both of us sit in there,” Dan Smyers tells ABC Audio. “We’re pumped for The Voice, man. What an amazing opportunity. We’re grateful for it.”

Serving as coaches on a TV competition show is a first for Dan + Shay. While it’s fun and exciting, something they’ve had to get used to is the numerous cameras around them. 

“We’ve already taped a bunch of the season. It’s crazy. Being on TV like that is wild. It’s like, there’s always cameras. We’re not used to that,” Dan says, adding that they’re more accustomed to performing at live concerts. “There [are] cameras everywhere, so you kind of got to watch what you say.”

You can catch Dan + Shay and fellow coaches Reba McEntire, Chance The Rapper and John Legend on season 25 of The Voice, premiering Monday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

On the music front, Dan + Shay are approaching the top 40 of the country charts with their new single, “Bigger Houses.” Tickets to their Heartbreak On The Map Tour are available now at danandshay.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Kameron Marlowe has rolled out a romantic tune, “Quit You.” Of the new heartfelt ode, Kameron says, “This is my follow up to [2019’s] ‘Giving You Up.’ The first line, ‘at 20 years old I kicked those cigarettes, the same year me and whiskey took a break’ is the hook of ‘Giving You Up,’ but rewritten to modern day of how I got where I am today.”

Up-and-comer Payton Smith‘s new song, “Wouldn’t Put It Past Me,” is out. Serving as the first of several upcoming releases, Payton teases, “Oh and there's more where that came from coming soon.” While you wait, check out “Wouldn’t Put It Past Me” wherever you listen to music.

Newcomer Eli Winders‘s “Two Wheel Drive Cowboy” has arrived. Of his new feel-good tune, Eli shares, “‘Two Wheel Drive Cowboy’ is a change of pace from the songs we’ve been putting out. It's really upbeat, fun, and a step in the direction I want to take my music sonically. It's one of my favorite songs I co-wrote in 2023 and I'm so excited to play it on the road this year.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Looking for a little preshow fun before heading to Blake Shelton‘s Back To The Honky Tonk Tour? Blake’s got you covered.

The “God’s Country” singer and his team are teaming up with select bars in various cities to celebrate local honky-tonks and country music.

“In honor of the #BackToTheHonkyTonk Tour presented by Kubota, we're celebrating neighborhood Honky Tonks in select cities along the road.. There's something special about the spot where you can dance to your favorite country music, and drink a beer with your people before heading to the show,” Blake’s team shares on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“From ticket giveaways to drink specials, be sure to stay tuned to their socials and join in on the pre-tour fun!” they add.

Among the bars listed in the promo video are Ranchman’s in Calgary, Alberta; Sagebrush in Austin, Texas; and Steel Creek in Tacoma, Washington. 

For the full Back To The Honky Tonk Tour schedule, head to blakeshelton.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

An upcoming Tom Petty tribute album, Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, has been announced and its first preview is out. 

While the track list and artists featured haven’t been revealed, fans are getting a peek at the project with Dierks Bentley‘s banjo-driven spin on “American Girl.”

Of his decision to cover it, Dierks shares, “Petty's southern roots shined through across his songwriting and storytelling. He might not have ever been considered as Country but you can't go into a bar in Nashville without hearing this song. It is one of the greatest songs in a life's work of great American songs.”

“The spirit of this woman, the idea of such relentless hope – and disappointment – ignites such a spark. Jon Randall and I were driven to make that feeling of American roots stand tall,” he says of the rendition.

“American Girl” originally arrived in 1977 on the band’s self-titled debut album, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty will be released by Big Machine Records and the Tom Petty Estate. While you wait for the album, check out Dierks’ “American Girl” on country radio and wherever you listen to music.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jordan Davis has rolled out a hopeful new track, “Good News Sold.”

Penned by Cole Taylor, Jordan Rowe and Jordan’s brother Jacob Davis, the song finds Jordan reflecting on the state of today’s news and his hope for more positivity.

“If good news sold, the world wouldn’t seem so bad/ If good news sold, we’d be buyin’ everything they had/ And we’d all sleep a little bit better at night/ All be a little less left and right/ And turning the TV on and checking your phone wouldn’t ever get old/ If good news sold,” Jordan sings in the chorus. 

Of his decision to record “Good News Sold,” Jordan shares, “I think at times there is no shortage of very heavy headlines locally and globally, and it's hard sometimes to not get lost in that and spiral into being overwhelmed by them. But when you go home and hear your kid laugh or see someone go out of their way to help a stranger, these acts aren't being highlighted in the same way but they very much exist.”

“This was sort of that reminder to me when I heard it, and I hope will be for other people, of what's good in the world and that there is good in the world,” he adds. “It's a reminder that there are good people, acts of kindness, moments of pay it forward, moments of light and joy.”

“Good News Sold” follows 2023’s Bluebird Days, which includes the chart-toppers “Buy Dirt,” “What My World Spins Around” and “Next Thing You Know,” as well as current single “Tucson Too Late.”

Jordan’s stateside leg of his headlining Damn Good Time World Tour kicks off April 11 in Moline, Illinois. You can grab tickets now at Jordan’s website.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.