Month: August 2025

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Go Country 105

Nashville notes: Zach Top’s tour additions + Karley Scott Collins’ ‘Girlfriend’

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Zach Top is serving up five more rounds of Cold Beer & Country Music, adding as many new shows to his fall tour. Tickets for the dates at Greensboro’s First Horizon Coliseum, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena and two hometown shows in Kennewick, Washington, go on sale Aug. 22, with presales starting Aug. 19.

“Girlfriend” is the latest track from Karley Scott Collins, ahead of the release of her debut album, Flight Risk, on Sept. 26. She resumes her opening spot on Keith Urban‘s High and Alive Tour Sept. 10 in Vancouver. 

The Randy Rogers Band‘s new EP, The Going, drops Oct. 24. You can check out the title track now.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

How Huey Lewis caused a ‘Late Great Heartbreak’ for Old Dominion

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The creation of Old Dominion‘s newest song, “Late Great Heartbreak,” started with a simple question: “What if we made a Huey Lewis song?”

Of course, he’s the man responsible for ’80s hits like “The Power of Love,” “The Heart of Rock & Roll” and “If This Is It,” along with his band The News. Invoking his name opened a new vein of creativity for OD.

“The freedom we feel now comes through in the amount of fun we have during the recording process,” lead singer Matthew Ramsey says. “It was inspiring to goof off. There wasn't any pressure in the room. We just wanted to laugh our a**** off and make a song that was catchy as hell.”

“Late Great Heartbreak” is the final preview of the band’s sixth album, Barbara, before it arrives Aug. 22. Old Dominion has revealed nearly half the record, including the tracks “Making Good Time,” “Me Most Nights,” “Water My Flowers,” “Man or the Song” and “Miss You Man.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Elmo and Abby Cadabby go country as ‘Sesame Street’ comes to the Opry

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There’s typically no shortage of joyous moments on the Opry stage, but that was never more true than when Sesame Street‘s Elmo and Abby Cadabby made their debut on Thursday.

Elmo duetted with Lauren Alaina on her chart-topping hit “Road Less Traveled,” while Abby sang the Loretta Lynn classic “You’re Lookin’ at Country,” with the legend’s granddaughter Tayla Lynn. Four decades ago, Loretta was a guest on the iconic children’s program. 

For the second half of the show, Elmo and Abby stepped up to the podium as guest announcers, all part of Opry 100, as the country music staple celebrates hitting the century mark.  

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Priscilla Block unveils ‘Things You Didn’t See’ on second album

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Priscilla Block is going deeper on her sophomore record, Things You Didn’t See, which is set to arrive Oct. 10.

“The past couple of years have been a rollercoaster,” she reflects. “This life has challenged me not only as an artist, but as a person. Honestly, there's been a part of me that has felt misunderstood. The girl who ‘couldn't care less,’ when in reality, I've never cared more.”

“Couldn’t Care Less” also happens to be the title of the latest preview of the 14-track project.

“Writing Couldn't Care Less' was the therapy I didn't even know I needed,” Priscilla says. “For a long time, people have seen me as bulletproof, but this is a side they haven't seen. It's the misunderstood part of me. the insecurities that come with being human. It feels like the perfect way to lead into my record.”

Here’s the complete track listing for Priscilla’s Things You Didn’t See: 
“Things You Didn’t See”
“Bring Me Downtown”
“Stranger Things” (with Chase Matthew)
“Goodwill to Gucci”
“Phones and Radios”
“Couldn’t Care Less”
“2-3-4”
“Try”
“Good on You”
“Yard Sale”
“You’re Breaking My Heart (Cecilia)”
“He’s My Man”
“Elijah”
“Time Ain’t a Two Lane” (Demo)


Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

‘After All the Bars Are Closed,’ Thomas Rhett is #1

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Thomas Rhett has the 21st #1 of his career, as “After All the Bars Are Closed” sits atop the Billboard Country Airplay chart. TR co-wrote the song, which is the second single from his About a Woman album. 

Most recently, he reached the pinnacle with “Mamaw’s House” with Morgan Wallen in March 2024. His very first #1 was 2013’s “It Goes Like This,” which was the third single from his debut album of the same name. 

TR is now tied with Keith Urban for the eighth-most number ones in the history of the Billboard Country Airplay ranking. Kenny Chesney holds the record for most times at the top with 32.

Friday night, Thomas plays Cincinnati, Ohio, before joining Morgan’s I’m the Problem Tour Saturday in Cleveland. 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

The double meaning of Russell Dickerson’s ‘Famous Back Home’

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A week ahead of the release of his fourth studio album, Russell Dickerson‘s releasing the title track, “Famous Back Home.”

“Growing up in my small Tennessee town, I dreamed, ‘I'm going to make it out of here. I'm going to make it big. Everyone will know my name,'” he explains. “I've been truly blessed to live out that dream. But as my journey continued, I realized that winning the world wasn't the real goal – it's being famous back home, within the four walls of my own house.”

“This song has become so meaningful to me because it's a reminder that the truest kind of famous' comes from the people who've known you all along and making those closest to me proud,” he adds.

Famous Back Home‘s current radio single, “Happen to Me,” is now in the top 10, as Russell prepares to host the 18th ACM Honors Aug. 20 in Nashville with Carly Pearce.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

Man accused of killing couple during hike in Arkansas pleads not guilty to murder charges

Horizontal perspective shot of suspension walking bridge over stream at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas.

The man accused of fatally stabbing a couple while they were hiking with two of their daughters at Devil’s Den State Park in Arkansas pleaded not guilty to two capital murder charges on Thursday.

Andrew James McGann, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher, was captured and arrested in Springdale, Arkansas after a five-day search.  He was charged with two counts of capital murder in the killing of Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, who were hiking with two of their daughters at Devil’s Den on July 26. The couple’s daughters, who are 7 and 9, were not hurt and are being cared for by family members. Devil’s Den is a 2,500-acre state park about 140 miles northwest of Little Rock, the capital city of Arkansas. The park is surrounded by the Ozark National Forest, and some hiking trails lead into those woods.

According to NBC affiliate KNWA-TV, McGann hardly spoke and showed little emotion during the arraignment, which lasted around 30 minutes. McGann’s lawyers from the county public defender’s office declined to comment. In a brief statement, the Washington County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said that “the state continues to pursue the death penalty” in the case.  He is being held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center until the end of his trial; his next court date was scheduled for Nov. 14.

Investigators believe that Clinton was attacked first, while Cristen brought the kids to safety. Authorities said she then returned to help her husband before being attacked herself.  A witness reported seeing an individual with blood on his face leaving the park’s trail and getting into a black sedan, with a second witness identifying the black sedan as a Kia Stinger. McGann evaded authorities for several days after the Brinks were found dead, before authorities were able to match his car to the car described by the witnesses. He was arrested on July 30 in a barbershop while getting his hair cut in Springdale.

Authorities said that McGann’s DNA was found at the crime scene, and also made statements to investigators “indicating that he had committed these heinous acts.” Arkansas State Police Col. Mike Hagar previously said the killings appeared to be “a completely random event” because there’s “absolutely no indication, no reason whatsoever to believe there was any connection at all” between the Brinks and McGann. A motive for the attack remains unknown.

Officials said McGann recently moved to Arkansas for a new job at an elementary school in the Springdale Public School district, after teaching in various schools throughout Texas and Oklahoma.  McGann passed background checks for his employment by Oklahoma’s Education Department and for the two districts in the state where he taught. Officials also said McGann had no criminal history and no known mental illness history.

Editorial credit: Ozark Obscura / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Florida Gov. DeSantis announces plans to open second immigration facility dubbed ‘Deportation Depot’

Florida Republican Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis greets supporters at the Iowa State Fair fair side chats in Des Moines^ Iowa. Des Moines^ Iowa^ USA - August 12^ 2023

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that his administration is opening a second immigration detention facility dubbed “Deportation Depot.” The new facility in north Florida comes one month after the state opened a detention center in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday: “We are authorizing and will be soon opening this new illegal immigration detention, processing and deportation facility here in North Florida. We are calling this the Deportation Depot,” adding that more than 1,300 detainees will be held inside the facility at Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson, Florida, a temporarily closed state prison about 45 miles west of Jacksonville near Osceola National Forest.

DeSantis added: “We’ve been securing the border, enforcing immigration laws and removing illegal aliens who are in our society now, sending them back to their home country. We have done more on this than any other state by a country mile.”

Last week, a federal judge temporarily halted any further construction on the Alligator Alcatraz facility to prevent possible harm to the sensitive Everglades ecosystem. The state of Florida and the Trump administration can continue to use the facility and house detainees there, but any further construction must be halted for 14 days, per the judge’s order said.

Editorial credit: Juli Hansen / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Girl dad, reporting for duty: ‘Softie’ Cole Swindell is all in

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Cole Swindell‘s just finished up his first week as a father, after the arrival of Rainey Gail Swindell on Aug. 7. 

So how does he feel about being a girl dad?

Well, being a self-described “softie” who’s “emotional and feel[s] things deeper,” he already suspects he may be in trouble. 

“One of my brothers, he has a [daughter] and he just gave her away at her wedding,” he says. “I remember seeing pictures and he’s just, you know, tears flowing. He’s like, ‘You just wait. You just wait.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m not saying I won’t be [doing the same thing someday].'”

Cole got a preview of his daughter’s impact the first time his wife, Courtney Little Swindell, suspected they might be able to hear her heartbeat.

“She found out that if you put your ear to her stomach, you may be able to hear the heartbeat,” he tells ABC Audio. “I’m like, ‘Nah.’ And I did, and no kidding, I just laid there for five minutes, I think. It’s just a wild thing.”

Fortunately, the new dad has plenty of people to lean on.

“I’m excited and I’ve got plenty of friends with babies and especially girls,” he says. “So I think I got some good advice coming my way.” 

You can check out “some favorite moments from the best day of our lives” in a new post on Courtney’s Instagram.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Zach Bryan releases three new songs from BST Hyde Park concert

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Zach Bryan has officially released his new song, “Streets of London” after originally debuting it at London’s Hyde Park concert.

‘Streets of London’ arrives on streaming services alongside two other tracks, “River Washed Hair” and “Song for You.”  Bryan first performed Streets of London live during the first of his two shows at BST Hyde Park in June, and shortly afterwards he posted on Instagram to reveal that he would be releasing the song, sharing that he recorded it “at [David Bowie’s] old studio across the pond with my best friend.”

This three-pack of songs follows June’s “Memphis; The Blues;” Bryan’s most recent album, The Great American Bar Scene, was released in 2024.

Editorial credit: nonupperuct / Shutterstock.com