Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockJordan Davis is participating in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Songwriter Sessions online series tonight. It streams on the Hall of Fame’s Instagram at 9 p.m. ET.
Noah Schnacky has released his self-titled debut EP. It features seven songs co-written by the singer, including his debut single, “Hello Beautiful.”
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
ABC/Image Group LAMany country stars are participating in the new viral social media trend, #womensupportingwomen.
Over the past several days, women have been nominating one another for the social challenge that sees them posting a black and white selfie of themselves and then tagging a fellow female to do the same.
The trend is building steam in Nashville, with many of the women of country lifting each other up. “Here’s to all the beautiful & strong gals in my life and beyond,” Carly Pearce shares on Instagram with a glamour shot.
Lindsay Ell also accepted the challenge, writing, “All about a women empowerment movement. All about being inspired by the incredible females that surround me in my life.”
“I am very grateful to have worked with and to know many empowering and incredible women!” captions Sara Evans, tagging Martina McBride, who accepts the challenge by stating, “When we lift each other up we all win,” alongside a selfie from her kitchen.
“I’m so thankful for my strong, amazing tribe!” proclaims Jennifer Nettles with an outdoor shot that shows her cozied up in a sweatshirt, while Runaway June‘s Jennifer Wayne echoes this sentiment with her own nature photo acknowledging the “beautiful, strong, women in my life.”
Mickey Guyton, RaeLynn and Kassi Ashton are among the other country artists taking the challenge.
Several Hollywood stars have also participated, including Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington and Gabrielle Union. #Womensupportingwomen currently has more than six million posts on Instagram.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Big Machine RecordsWhen Rascal Flatts releases their new EP, How They Remember You, on July 31, fans can expect to hear a throwback sound.
Flatts members Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney say the band has “piecemealed” together the new project — compiled during quarantine as a way to satiate fan appetite for new music — using songs they’ve collected over the years.
“Some of them really do hearken back to kind of the good old days, if you will, of Rascal Flatts sound, and it’s just really well written songs,” Joe Don shares in an interview with the band’s record label, Big Machine Label Group, pointing to current single “How They Remember You” as a strong example of that sound.
Jay adds that the songs were left over from previous projects and were updated during quarantine, calling the process “very therapeutic.” The Flatts’ guitarist also notes that what makes their sound is lead singer Gary LeVox‘s distinct voice, especially when it pairs with Jay and Joe Don’s harmonies.
“There’s a unique buzz and a blend that happens when the three of us sing together that you can’t manufacture. It either happens organically and naturally or it doesn’t,” Jay remarks, adding, “We’ve just always been driven by message in the song and in the music.”
The EP comes three years after the band’s previous album, Back to Us. The trio announced in January that they’re retiring after 20 years together.
How They Remember You will be released Friday.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
ABC/Image Group LAMaren Morris is in the process of writing new music.
In between balancing duties as a new mom to four-month-old son Hayes, the Grammy-winner tweetedrecently that she wrote a song for the first time in a while. Though she describes the tune as “sad AF,” she notes that she’s thrilled with the end result.
“I wrote my first song in forever today and it was sad AF. I’m so happy,” Maren says, accompanied by a crying face emoji.
In answer to a fan’s question, Maren also shares that Natalie Hemby and Daniel Tashian served as the song’s co-writers, the singer describing them as “2 people you can’t have a bad day with.”
Daniel is known for co-producing Kacey Musgraves’ Grammy-winning Golden Hour, while Natalie is Maren’s bandmate in The Highwomen and is one of the writers on Maren’s swanky “RSVP,” which is also the title of her 2021 tour.
Maren is still riding high on the success of her crossover hit “The Bones,” which has topped the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs chart and marks her first entry on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart. It reached the top 15 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
Her most recent album, Girl, was named Album of the Year at the 2019 CMA Awards.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
I wrote my first song in forever today and it was sad AF. I'm so happy. ??
— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) July 23, 2020
ABC/Mark LevineDan + Shay have unveiled the name of their upcoming song.
Hours after the duo teased on Twitter that a new song was coming later this week — teasing fans with the hashtag #ISPGTB and asking for guesses as to what it stands for — Dan + Shay answered the question by sharing that the title is “I Should Probably Go to Bed.”
Several fans did guess the correct title in the comments section on Twitter, with one fan pointing out that the duo had been liking tweets that mentioned going to bed.
Dan + Shay has also released the cover art that shows a black outline of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney against a neon yellow backdrop with the title penned in bold, capital letters across their faces.
“I Should Probably Go to Bed” will be released on Friday. It follows the duo’s hit 2019 duet with Justin Bieber on “10,000 Hours,” which appeared on multiple charts around the world and sat in the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 21 weeks.
The two acts also made history when “10,000 Hours” became the highest-charting non-holiday country song on the Billboard Streaming Songs chart.
Originally scheduled for this year, Dan + Shay recently announced that The (Arena) Tour has been postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
available everywhere 7.31.20https://t.co/ot9fQzuMjR pic.twitter.com/G9NUWkmN53
— Dan + Shay (@DanAndShay) July 27, 2020
Getty Images for Live NationBrad Paisley is part of a team of country music all-stars helping those impacted by COVID-19.
Brad appears in a new video called “Quarantine All-Stars” alongside fellow country star Steve Wariner and renowned musicians such as former Allman Brothers Band keyboardist and current Rolling Stones touring musician Chuck Leavell and Journey‘s Jonathan Cain to create a lively instrumental track, aptly titled “Quarantine.”
Members of Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and Jon Pardi‘s bands also participate, including Luke’s fiddle player Kevin Arrowsmith and Thomas’ guitarist, Josh Reedy, and drummer Chris Kimmerer. Players for Celine Dion, Eric Clapton and Justin Timberlake also contribute.
The video was recorded over several months, with each person recording from their individual home or studio. It was written and produced by Luke’s keyboard player, Scotty Wilbanks.
“Quarantine All-Stars” also serves as a virtual fundraiser for MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund, which provides financial aid to members of the music industry who have lost work during the pandemic.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Comstock/ThinkstockThis week in 2009, a superstar country trio hit the top spot on the Billboard Country Singles chart with their powerhouse ballad, “I Run to You.” Can you name them? ANSWER: Lady A.
By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
ABC/Image Group LAGet ready, Dan + Shay are getting ready for the end of the month, teasing something big that’ll happen on July 31.
While not revealing too much detail, the “Speechless” duo dropped a teaser trailer that may provide clues as to what they have going on. The only tangible hint the two gave was the hashtag #ISPGTB.
The teaser video starts off with a man slamming on his brakes and screeching to a halt as he stares at something ahead of him. It becomes quickly apparent that whatever is happening, it’s in the past, given the style of the cars and clothing seen in the video.
The camera pans to other people idling in the busy street, who then slowly exit their cars one by one — all while staring ahead in complete shock.
The teaser ends as the camera then adopts the perspective of what the people are staring at and it raises up in the air as those on the ground continue staring in total shock.
A website has since gone live which prompts fans to pre-save ISPGTB.
We’ll find out if this is a new song or an entire new album — or something else entirely — on Friday.
By Megan Duley
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Ellen Von UnwerthMiranda Lambert‘s “Bluebird” flies to the top of the country chart this week, marking the superstar’s first trip to number one since 2014’s “Somethin’ Bad” with Carrie Underwood.
Even though Miranda co-wrote the tune about looking on the bright side in the face of adversity, she admits that’s not necessarily her natural tendency.
“I don’t consider myself optimistic, necessarily,” she reveals. “I think I’m not carefree. I’m definitely a worrier, and I’m a planner.”
“And I think I’ve gotten a little more laidback in my thirties,” she adds.
Especially in light of everything that’s happening in 2020, the Texas native believes “Bluebird” brings a dose of encouragement we can all use.
“I need to hear the message in ‘Bluebird,’ too,” she reflects, “because I have to remind myself to keep a bluebird in my heart also.”
“And that’s the whole point of this song, is to keep hope, and to have that little bit of optimism,” she continues. “And so [it’s] definitely a perfect song for a perfect time.”
“Bluebird” is the second single from Miranda’s Wildcard album, and also happens to contain the line that’s the inspiration for the record’s title.
By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockNashville mainstay Lori McKenna, who is the songwriter behind Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind,” dropped her new album last week. Called The Balladeer, the project features her song, “When You’re My Age.”
Singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews also released a new album last week called Old Flowers.
For King & Country shared a remix of their hit song, “Together,” along with a new music video for the tune. The duo previously collaborated with Dolly Parton for “God Only Knows.”
By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.