One quick look at the tracklist for Gabby Barrett’s forthcoming deluxe edition of her June 2020-released album Goldmine includes not just an acoustic version of her 18-month old chart-topping single “The Good Ones,” but also includes Barrett’s take on Dolly Parton’s legendary 1974 hit single “I Will Always Love You.” Though the former is inspired……… Continue Reading
High Valley Thrives Despite Member Loss, Works Toward Bullseye
Brad Rempel of country group High Valley thinks of each album as a bullseye. The center is the band’s distinct sound that Rempel loves most to create. “I feel the most natural, and that High Valley is what it should be when I’m writing a very old school bluegrassy melody,” Rempel said. “Then my co-writers……… Continue Reading
Yellowstone Episode Playlist Roundup: Which Of John Prine’s Classics Was This Week’s Highlight?
The third episode of Season 4 of Yellowstone paid tribute to the legacy of John Prine, the iconic singer-songwriter who passed away in 2020 due to complications related to COVID-19. The folk icon’s “Caravan of Fool” — from his 2018 album The Tree of Forgiveness — played as the end credits also included a Prine-honoring……… Continue Reading
CMT PREMIERE: Jacob Bryant Nods at Addiction Struggle in New Video ‘Devil & an Old Six String’
Embedded from embed.vevo.com. Jacob Bryant is a singer/songwriter from the rural North Georgia mountains who started playing guitar at 8 years old. His family’s bluegrass music is among his first musical memories, but then he discovered southern rock and traditional country, and the ingredients for his sound were in place. Bryant’s influences are front and……… Continue Reading
Breland Wants to be a ‘Cultural Bridge,’ Says He’s Here to ‘Bring Light’
Hybrid country artist Breland is featured on songs with Hardy and Dierks Bentley, Blanco Brown and Nelly and on “Throw it Back” with Keith Urban. Breland grew up in New Jersey, and his parents are ministers who met in a church choir. While he’s only been a country artist in Nashville for a couple of……… Continue Reading
CMT REWIND: Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” And The Profound Power Of Story Songs
One of the goals of great songwriting is to write songs that are so compelling that the listener can see the song’s plot unfold, like a movie, in their mind’s eye. For country icon Kenny Rogers, not only is his best-known signature song — 1978-released “The Gambler” — a story song that eventually became a……… Continue Reading
Will Blake Shelton Gamble on a Las Vegas Residency?
Blake Shelton makes no bones about it – a Las Vegas residency could definitely be in the cards. “I’ve always wanted to do a show like [Garth’s],” Shelton admitted to People, referring to Garth Brooks’ 2009-2014 residency at The Wynn Las Vegas. The show was just Brooks and his guitar playing his hits and his……… Continue Reading
Brett Young Shares Thanksgiving Pet Peeves and Other Memories
Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, and just like you, country stars are thinking about what they do and don’t want to see on their dining room table. Blake Shelton has been known to dust his turkeys in Flaming Hot Cheetos, while Jason Aldean is a big fan of an infrared fryer. Trisha Yearwood……… Continue Reading
CMT PREMIERE: Joe Nichols’ “Home Run” Underscores The Power Of The Word “Home”
Embedded from www.youtube.com. “Life’s been coming at me like a fastball / Been in the weeds, be nice to see some corn growing tall / Need to trade some hurry up, for some hey y’all / Oh and I can’t hug my momma through these phone calls,” sings veteran country star Joe Nichols on his……… Continue Reading
Jason Aldean Celebrates Carrie Underwood and Macon, Ga.
Jason Aldean wanted to do something “cool and creative” for his 10th album, and the pandemic-related lockdown allowed him to craft the two-album set carefully. “MACON, GEORGIA” is a 30-song collection divided equally between the albums. There are 10 new tracks on each album and five live songs. “MACON” is available now, and “GEORGIA” will……… Continue Reading
