QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
“No matter how long what I’m doing here lasts, I want to be a songwriter for the rest of my life. I love it and it’s my escape.”
Miley Cyrus
BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH:
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
Psalms 135:3
AFRO-LATIN COUNTRY NEWS:
Mother-daughter Afro/Latina country duo, HuneyFire, have released their emotionally charged new single, “Feeling Gray,” available now at all major digital retailers. Listen/play/download here. “Feeling Gray” is the follow-up to the group’s critically-acclaimedempowerment single, “Breaking Necks (Remix).” To date, that song and their previous singles, “Too Late For Sorry” and “Manswer” have garnered media attention for the duo from CMT, Taste of Country, MusicRow, TCN, Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer, Voice of America, Spinex Music, Change the Conversation, and others. “Feeling Gray” was written by CheazaFigueroa, Marri Nevarez-Barlow, and Nashville writer/performer Caitlin Evanson (known for her live performance fiddle work with Taylor Swift, Ringo Starr, and Kelsea Ballerini) and was co-produced by Figueroa and Jason Pennock. It was recorded at Skeleton Key Recording Studio. “Our song, ‘Feeling Gray,’ delves into the sorrowful depths of reminiscing about a lost summer love,” states HuneyFire. “It beautifully portrays the heartache and the inescapable realization of the impending end, necessary for happiness to emerge. The lyrics ‘You’re stained on my heart always here on my mind how could I have been so blind,’ calculates the emotional turmoil perfectly. The bluesy, back porch, country vibe, sets the mood perfectly, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the wistful memories of a lost summer love.” More about the duo here.
ALBUM NEWS:
Three years in the making, packed with countless hours of writing and listening sessions, multi-platinum, global entertainer Chris Young’s brand-new album, Young Love & Saturday Nights, is now available on Sony Music Nashville. Listen/buy here. Watch the official music video here. The project is 18 songs deep, his most extensive and wide-ranging work to date and perhaps a tip of the black cowboy hat to each year of his booming career…so far. Young flexes as a writer on 15 of the album’s 18 sides, is the sole producer on three songs, and shares co-producer credits with longtime creative partners, Chris DeStefano and Corey Crowder on the rest. The title track, written by Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley and Josh Thompson with a posthumous songwriting credit to David Bowie, it is the lead single from the project, Young’s first new album since 2021’s Famous Friends. The record also includes previously released sides, “Right Now,” “Double Down,” “What She Sees In Me,” “Looking For You” and “All Dogs Go To Heaven.” Young just returned from a series of headlining stops in Australia before celebrating with friends, family, and fans in Nashville at an exclusive album release show on March 28. His Young Love & Saturday Nights 2024 Tour launches in April. Tickets and information for all upcoming dates are on sale now here. #ChrisYoungCountry
AMERICANA ALBUM NEWS:
Award-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist Sarah King has made her full-length solo debut with When It All Goes Down, exploring life’s seismic shifts via her singular strain of Gothic Americana. Produced, engineered, and arranged by David Baron (The Lumineers, Noah Kahan, Darren Kiely), the album sees King weaving classic rock ‘n’ roll, Southern soul, true country, and primal folk-blues into something inspiring and cathartic, deeply personal yet wholly universal. Fired by King’s spellbinding, seen-it-all vocals and rock solid rhythm guitar, When It All Goes Down is filled with songs that are haunting, oft-times harrowing, tales of impossible guilt and inconsolable grief, of raising hell (and the repercussions that follow), of how to stand face to face with the Devil himself yet somehow emerge bigger, better, and badderthan before. CD/vinyl/stream here. King’s acclaimed 2021 EP The Hour, produced by Simone Felice and David Baron, earned her recognition as the New England Music Awards songwriter of the Year and performances at the 2022 Folk Alliance International and Philadelphia Folk festivals, as well as supporting slots for acts including Blues Traveler, The Steel Woods, Anders Osborne, & Nathan Graham. She won the Great River Folk Festival Singer/Songwriter Contest in 2023. Music and more info here.
CLASSIC ROCK NEWS:
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of their landmark album Get Your Wings, four-time Grammy award-winning and Diamond-certified Boston rock legends Aerosmith have announced the release of a Limited Edition vinyl via UMe/Capitol out May 17. Limited to numbers 1-1974 to honor the year of the album’s release, the collector’s item is pressed on 180g custom color “gold sparkle” vinyl, housed in an embossed gold foil jacket. Each copy is uniquely numbered with gold foil and encased in black poly-lined sleeves, preserving the quality and sound of this iconic album. Inside, fans will find a 70’s-era Aerosmith logo sticker and a replica of a vintage ad, adding to the nostalgia of this celebratory release. The Limited Edition of Get Your Wings can now be preordered here. Listen to the original classic album here. The launch is accompanied by a new, expansive Get Your Wings merchandise and apparel collection, available day-and-date with the vinyl. This collection features newly reimagined items that embody the spirit and legacy of Aerosmith during the era of Get Your Wings, celebrating the album’s monumental anniversary. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members Aerosmith have sold more than 150 million albums and streamed billions of times around the world. Aerosmith updates here. #Aerosmith
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN NEWS:
Grammy-nominated band MercyMe has announced their fall 2024 Together Again…Again Tour also featuring Crowder and Cochren & Co. Hitting 14 cities throughout October, tickets are on sale now via https://mercyme.org. Full tour routing is listed below. MercyMe has recently released a brand new single, the title track from their latest best-selling project, Always on Jesus.Gaining momentum each week, the song follows “To Not Worship You,” which hit No.1 on four different Billboard and Mediabase charts, as well as “Then Christ Came,” which also hit No.1 and was Dove Award-nominated for Song of the Year. To note, last November, their No. 1 track, “Almost Home,” (inhale/exhale) was certified Gold by the RIAA, bringing the band’s certification tally to total 15 gold, platinum and multi-platinum singles and albums. MercyMe were named Billboard’s Top Christian Artist of the 2010 decade, and in 2020 received their eighth American Music Award nomination. A major motion picture based on the life of frontman Bart Millard who wrote the mega-hit song “I Can Only Imagine” after the loss of his father, opened at a remarkable No. 3 at the box office on Mar. 16, 2018 (Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions). MercyMemusic and tour dates/ticket info here. #MercyMe
DUET NEWS:
Platinum-certified, Grammy-nominated artist and songwriter Anne Wilson gives fans another look at her forthcoming album, Rebel, with the highly-anticipated duet “Country Gold” (with Jordan Davis). Arriving in full on Friday, April 19, Rebel is a genre-defying collection capturing Wilson’s signature faith-infused Country sound. Wilson also celebrates her first-time CMT Award nomination for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year for “Rain In The Rearview” which first premiered on the CMT/Paramount Time Square billboard in January. Listen/stream/watch “Country Gold” here. Wilson’s new collaboration with Davis comes just months after first sharing the stage with him at the 2023 ACM Honors for a live performance of “Buy Dirt.” Serving as the first of three duets on the album, “Country Gold” written by Wilson, Jeff Pardo and Matthew West, pulls inspiration from the biblical meaning of “gold” equating a symbol of spiritual wealth. Wilson and Davis expertly blend their unique, warm vocals as they weave heartfelt narratives from their family histories, emphasizing the joy found in life’s simple moments. “This song is all about roots and remembering where the good stuff in life really is,” shares Wilson. “I love the line that says, ‘the richest people that I’ve ever known struck country gold,’ and I hope you do too. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!” Music and more about Anne Wilson here. #AnneWilson
DUO NEWS:
Sometimes it “All Goes South,” but for Heartwreckers (Brock Butler and Ryan Garrett), nothing could be further from the truth — it’s simply the title of their song chosen by ESPN for its SEC Network’s college baseball season. The new country duo landed its first sync deal with the sports behemoth earlier in March and released its second-ever single, “Don’t Trust That Truck.” It’s the second track off Heartwreckers’ upcoming EP, Shut Up And Drink, a collection of five envelope-pushing country songs all written by Butler and Garrett, reflecting the unblinking lyrical and sonic approach the duo applies to country music. Produced by Andrew Baylis (Jelly Roll, Austin Snell, Pecos & The Rooftops), Garrett describes the project’s sound as “Country. Ass. Rock. With the periods!” Listen to “Don’t Trust That Truck” here. Shut Up And Drink is set for release on May 24, supported by a run of live show dates beginning May 1st, when the duo is featured on the 28th Annual Key West Songwriters Festival, Presented by BMI “Kick-Off Party,” at Sunset Pier with Dylan Marlowe. Heartwreckers then heads to Denmark for nine dates on the Nashville Nights Spring Tour ‘24, then to the UK for the Buckles & Boots Music Fest, before returning stateside to join Tim McGraw on his Standing Room Only summer arena tour with special guest Carly Pearce. Tour dates and tickets here.
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