Category: Go Country 105

Chris Stapleton will once again join the Farm Aid lineup. 

The “Broken Halos” hitmaker has been announced as one of the newest acts to perform at the 2022 festival in Raleigh, N.C. along with Sheryl Crow, Brittney Spencer, Farm Aid co-founders Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp and more. Fellow Farm Aid founding member, Neil Young, will not perform due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Chris previously performed at the annual event in 2018.

Farm Aid will take place at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek on September 24, continuing the organization’s efforts to support farmers and their families and help keep them on their land.

See the full lineup here. Tickets go on sale July 30 at 10 a.m. ET. 

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Maren Morris is reflecting back on the making of her new album, Humble Quest. 

Speaking to the Recording Academy, Maren shares that she went through a lot of “emotional” and “life changes” while making the album during the COVID-19 pandemic and after welcoming her first child, son Hayes, in March 2020. 

“It’s like I was gaining motherhood, but losing my identity as an artist in a lot of ways, so I had to really rebuild the pieces,” she explains in regards to her touring life being halted during the pandemic. 

The superstar notes that she went through a “resurgence” with Humble Quest and almost felt “born again” while writing the songs. “I felt like it was the most mature version of me and not taking myself so seriously,” she expresses. “I had fun writing these songs and I had the space to actually write them.” 

Maren is currently on the Humble Quest Tour that kicked off June 9 in Raleigh, N.C. and continues through December 2, where it will wrap at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. 

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Hardy is taking his expansive catalog of hits into an intimate setting. 

The hitmaker is teaming up with Busch Light for an exclusive tour, Busch Country: One Night Only featuring HARDY, that takes him to three small theaters across the Midwest later this summer. He’ll perform in Chicago on August 23; Madison, WI on August 28 and will close out the trek in Columbus, Ohio on September 30. 

Hardy will perform his many hit songs while sharing the stories behind each one.

“I am so excited. It’s going to be really fun, it’s going to be very up close and personal, back to the really small stages,” Hardy expresses in a video. “I know it’s going to be a really good time.” 

Tickets are not available for sale to the public. The only way into the show is to win tickets by entering the contest via the Busch website, listening to your local country radio station for ticket giveaways and following Hardy on socials.

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For Luke Bryan, his new single “Country On” is a direct message to his fans that speaks to all aspects of country life, one that he instantly connected to when he first heard the song. 

“Country On” touches on all-American themes ranging from farmers tending to their rural land to rodeo cowboys, firemen and police officers, carrying forth the message to “country on” through life.  

“The first time I heard the song, I loved what was being said. I loved who it was being said to. It’s one of those classic sounding songs that says the message right,” Luke says. “It just says it in a real, honest place.”

The superstar singer adds that he had his fans in mind when recording the track, wanting to deliver a message that they could relate to in the hope it would be a symbol of unity. 

“I’m a country artist singing music to country people. I try to think about what my fans and what most of your country music fans out there, what makes them wake up every day and get to work and get to rocking?” he says. “I felt like this song really embodies a lot of that and really tells that story of how important it is for everybody to country on through all the stuff.” 

“Country On” is currently climbing up the top 30 on country radio. Luke continues on his Raised Up Right Tour through the summer before embarking on the six-date Farm Tour in the fall. 

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Lauren Alaina has signed a deal with Big Loud Records. 

The music video for Kane Brown‘s new song, “Grand,” will premiere Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. 

Kacey Musgraves has teamed up with Mexican American singer-songwriters Cuco and Adriel Favela on a new song, “Sitting in the Corner.”

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Darius Rucker is prepping his new album, and it features a collaboration with America’s Got Talent contestants Chapel Hart. 

The trio, comprised of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle, went viral last week with their AGT audition performing their original song, “You Can Have Him Jolene,” a response to Dolly Parton‘s classic “Jolene.” After receiving a Golden Buzzer that advances them to the final rounds, the song got a stamp of approval from Dolly herself, who said in a social media post, “what a fun new take on my song!” 

Turns out, Chapel Hart also has a fan in Darius Rucker, who tweeted, “hell yes!!! Go y'all!!” in response to the audition. When a fan responded by saying, “maybe you can help @ChapelHartBand break some more barriers in Nashville,” the superstar revealed that a collaboration is already in the works. 

“Already put them on my next record,” he confirms. “We're SO glad you said it cause we've been STRUUUUUGGLING to keep it to ourselves!!” the trio replied. “I don't know if the world is ready for this one!”

AGT airs Tuesday on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.   

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Luke Combs gave the opportunity of a lifetime to a fan battling cancer. 

During his headlining set at Buckeye Country Superfest in Ohio this weekend, Luke brought out a surprise guest to sing with him, a young fan named Addi who is battling cancer. 

According to a Facebook post by Addi’s mother, Staci Conely, the 17-year-old has had leukemia for the past year. One of the items on her bucket list was to attend one of Luke’s concerts and meet him. 

That dream came true twofold when some of their friends managed to reach the country star and his team to tell him about Addi’s story. Luke was so moved that he invited Addi and several members of her family to the show, where he treated them to a meet-and-greet backstage and even shared his own story of his friend who was diagnosed with cancer. 

“He gave so much love as we listened and cried with their stories they were exchanging. This moment made time stand still. She was genuinely happy and so blown away by his kindness, honestly we all were,” Staci describes, alongside a photo of the superstar engaged in conversation with a smiling Addi. 

The night was made even more special when Luke brought Addi onstage to sing with him during the encore in front of more than 60,000 fans. He happened to be performing her favorite song, “Better Together.” 

“He asked everyone to turn on their flashlights and to sing along to our girl and they did just that. It was so beautiful, we all watched while the tears streamed down our cheeks,” Staci continues. “Thank you Luke Combs and team for giving our girl the most perfect night.” 

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Scotty McCreery has headed “Strait” to the top of the charts. 

The country crooner has scored his fifth #1 single with “Damn Strait,” which claims the top spot on country radio this week. The song is an ode to one of Scotty’s idols, country giant George Strait, and is featured on his 2021 album, Same Truck. 

“My first country music concert was George Strait, and along with my love for Elvis [Presley], he inspired me to become a country music singer myself,” the American Idol winner shares in a statement to Billboard. “Now, having my fifth straight No. 1 on a song that pays tribute to George, while at the same time being a classic country heartbreaker such as he might have sung, is such a full-circle moment that means the world to me.” 

“Damn Strait” is Scotty’s fifth consecutive #1 hit over the past five years, beginning with “Five More Minutes” and followed by “This Is It,” “In Between” and “You Time.”

Scotty and his wife, Gabi, are expecting their first child, a boy, later this year. 

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Maren Morris had a busy weekend on the road. 

The “Circles Around This Town” hitmaker took to socials to reflect on the weekend, which included performing her first solo set at Newport Folk Festival and opening for Chris Stapleton with her supergroup, The Highwomen. 

Maren shared a handful of black-and-white photos from the events, including a snap of her, Chris’ wife, Morgane Stapleton, and bandmates Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby with their arms wrapped around each other while onstage at the historic Wrigley Field in Chicago. Another photo captures Maren smiling with a guitar in hand as she entertains a packed crowd at the 63-year-old festival in Rhode Island.

“Well, @TheHighwomen opened for @ChrisStapleton at Wrigley Field and then I did my first solo set at the legendary @Newportfolkfest. I really don't know how I get to do this sh** but I'm so grateful,” the singer raves on Twitter, adding on Instagram, “this weekend was a fu***** dream. Country music is wide and it is full of love.” 

Maren resumes her headlining Humble Quest Tour on July 29 at the famed Radio City Music Hall in New York City. 

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Carrie Underwood is traveling back in time to the ’90s. 

Over the weekend, the superstar shared a throwback video of her cover of Patty Loveless‘ hit “Blame It On Your Heart,” filmed in her tween years. Dressed in a Garth Brooks-esque half-black, half-white shirt, a young Carrie stands in front of a green screen, showing off her impressive vocal chops and hamming it up for the camera as she sings the lyrics that tell off a cheating lover. 

She then pans to a clip of her singing the classic ’90s country track onstage at the Grand Ole Opry as part of Opry Live: Opry Loves the 90s special that recently aired on the Circle Network. 

“How it started, How it's going,” she captioned the vintage clip. 

“Omg I love this so much,” commented Carrie’s former tour mate, Jennifer Wayne of Runaway June, with a heart eyes emoji. 

Carrie will return to the Opry on July 30 to perform a special tribute to Barbara Mandrell in honor of her 50th anniversary as an Opry member. 

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