Author: Lauren Zimmerman

Maren Morris was surprised with an RIAA Platinum certification plaque for her No. 1 hit “GIRL” backstage following her performance at Miranda Lambert’s Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars tour stop at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Friday.

This Platinum hit was the lead single from Maren Morris’ sophomore album GIRL which debuted No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in March and broke the record for the largest streaming week ever for a studio country album by a woman. Morris is the most-nominated artist for the 2019 CMA Awards airing on ABC on November 13.

Kane Brown was surprised late last week with four RIAA certification plaques while cutting vocals at Sound Stage studio on Music Row. In March, Brown’s sophomore album Experiment and its lead single “Lose It” were certified Gold and Platinum, respectively. Last week, “Good As You” was certified Platinum and Kane Brown’s current single “Homesick” Gold.

Singer/songwriter Matt Stell achieves his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart with his debut single, “Prayed for You” (Wide Open/RECORDS/Good Company/Arista Nashville), marking the only debut single from an artist to hit the summit on Country Airplay in 2019. Stell breaks the longest dry spell between debut No. 1s since 2014; Jimmie Allen’s “Best Shot” went No. 1 on Nov. 24, 2018.

Penned by Stell, Ash Bowers (also Stell’s manager) and Allison Veltz, “Prayed For You” leaps from No. 8 to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, its highest position to date. The song has amassed 99 Million streams and was certified Gold by the RIAA last month.

“It’s hard to believe that ‘Prayed for You’ is Billboard’s No. 1 country song in the U.S. this week,” exclaimed Matt Stell upon hearing the news. “I won’t be able to ever thank my fellow writers, Ash Bowers and Allison Veltz, and my RECORDS/Arista Nashville/Wide Open/GCE team enough.”

Columbia Nashville/River House Artists’ Jameson Rodgers is the latest artist named to Vevo’s all-genre DSCVR program that celebrates promising new talent. 

Watch Rodgers perform special live versions of his debut single “Some Girls” and “gritty ballad” (Sounds Like Nashville) “Like You’ve Been There Before” here. Vevo DSCVR focuses on the development of emerging artists, through performance content and careful curation. Vevo has a long history of helping emerging artists break through to new and wider audiences. Vevo is committed to working with artists at an early stage of their career to create unique content that brings their music to life visually and provides exposure to new audiences through the platform. Past alumni of Vevo’s DSCVR series include Billie Eilish, Duckwrth and Kiana Ledé.

Fresh off his recent debut at the famed Grand Ole Opry, Rodgers is celebrating his first No. 1 as a songwriter as Chris Lane’s “I Don’t Know About You,” – which Rodgers co-wrote with Ashley Gorley, HARDY and Hunter Phelps – reached the top of the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts this week. 

Meanwhile, Rodgers was surprised Wednesday afternoon with two commemorative plaques signifying his songwriting prowess, as “I Don’t Know About You” is officially certified Gold, while the Rodgers-penned “Talk You Out of It” (recorded by Florida Georgia Line) is Platinum. 

Rodgers continues to be a force on the road, opening for Luke Combs’ sold-out BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEAR TOUR throughout the fall, including two-night stints at both LA’s Greek Theatre and Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

RECORDS/Arista Nashville artist/songwriter Matt Stell released the music video for “Home In A Hometown” today. The homage to Friday nights in small towns everywhere features country artist Jimmie Allen. 

Stell premiered the video on YouTube and chatted with fans prior to the premiere. Watch it HERE.

Allen contributed vocals to the track, which is featured on Stell’s current seven-track EP, Everywhere But On. The EP also features Stell’s current single “Prayed For You,” which is certified Gold and currently a No. 3 hit at country radio. Download and stream HERE.

Marking another massive career milestone, Luke Combs is set to headline his first ever stadium show at Appalachian State University’s Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, NC on May 2, 2020. 

Tickets for the show—which will feature special guests Ashley McBryde and Drew Parker—will be available for verified pre-sale starting next Tuesday, October 8 at 2:00 p.m. ET with general on-sale following on Friday, October 11 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Combs’ official fan club, The Bootleggers, will once again have early access to tickets through Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale starting next Tuesday, October 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

The stadium show is part of Combs’ newly confirmed WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET TOUR. The 2020 run continues Combs’ historic success on the road with all ten of the first concerts selling-out immediately after going on-sale this past Friday including two record-breaking feats: 

-Lexington KY’s Rupp Arena sold-out in 12 minutes—breaking the record for the fastest sell-out in the venue’s 43-year history (previously set by Paul McCartney)
-University Park, PA’s Bryce Jordan Center broke the venue’s record for fastest single-show sell-out (previously held by Luke Bryan)

The new tour celebrates Combs’ highly anticipated new album What You See Is What You Get, which will be released November 8 via River House Artists/Columbia Nashville (pre-order here). Each pre-order includes an instant download of new track, “1, 2 Many” featuring Brooks & Dunn, as well as the five tracks previously released as part Combs’ The Prequel EP.  

Produced by Scott Moffatt, What You See Is What You Get features 17 songs including the five tracks previously released via The Prequel EP earlier this summer. The EP debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with all five tracks charting on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Top 25—a feat not accomplished by any artist in 60 years since Johnny Cash in 1959. The release also propelled Combs to the largest streaming week ever for a country artist with 73 million on-demand streams (week ending June 13). Additionally, The Prequel’s lead single, “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” recently reached No. 1 on bothBillboard ’s Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts. This is Combs’ sixth consecutive No. 1—a first on the Billboard Country Airplay chart—and his fastest-rising single to date (13 weeks).

Adding to his historic year, Combs is nominated for three awards at the 2019 CMA Awards: Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year (“Beautiful Crazy”) and Musical Event of the Year (“Brand New Man” with Brooks & Dunn). The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT.

Moreover, Combs’ new single “Even Though I’m Leaving” was recently shipped to country radio and continues to receive widespread critical acclaim. Of the song, The New York Times declares, “Luke Combs has one of the most emotionally tactile voices in contemporary country music…even at his most tender, Combs is firm, stepping into the rawness of the feeling, not away from it.” Watch/share the official music video HERE.

What You See Is What You Get is the follow up to Combs’ breakthrough double Platinum debut, This One’s For You, which has spent 48 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart—the longest reign ever for a male artist and second longest for an artist overall following Shania Twain’s Come On Over in 1997 (50 weeks). This One’s For You is also the most-streamed country album of 2019 so far.

The official music video for Tenille Townes’ new single, “Jersey On The Wall,” debuted Monday. Watch/share HERE. Directed by Mason Dixon, the video premiered on YouTube following a chat between Townes and her fans. 

Of the video, Townes shares, “Leaving space in this video for people to insert their own emotions and think of people in their own stories was so important to me. There’s an anchor of light coming in through the gym window, across the lockers and in the hallways that represents the ever-present hope that is still there, even in the darkest of losses. We were able to use the actual jerseys of Danielle and Drayton, who were both the inspiration behind this song. It was so emotional seeing both of their #9s hanging there during the video shoot and it means so much to have their jerseys be such a big part.” 

“Jersey On The Wall” comes from Townes’ forthcoming full-length debut album, which was produced by Jay Joyce and is set for release via Columbia Nashville. Previously released album tracks include “White Horse,” “I Kept The Roses” and lead single “ Somebody’s Daughter,” which reached No. 1 on both Mediabase and Nielsen BDS Country Airplay in Canada. Of Townes, Billboard praises, “…knack for writing story songs that make the listener stop and think,” whileMusic Row declares, “Tenille Townes is the future. Get on board now.” 

The release adds to a breakout year for Townes, who recently won four awards at the 2019 Canadian Country Music Awards: Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year (“Somebody’s Daughter”), Anthem Entertainment Songwriter of the Year and Video of the Year (“Somebody’s Daughter”). Winning all four of her nominated categories, Townes lead the night with the most awards received.  

In support of the new music, Townes will join Miranda Lambert on her “Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour” this fall and will perform select dates with Maren Morris in November. Click here for complete tour details. 

Additionally, Townes recently participated in Cracker Barrel’s “Five Decades, One Voice” campaign—a project created to highlight the importance of women in country music by celebrating legendary female artists and those following in their footsteps. For the project, Townes was personally selected by Brandi Carlile to collaborate on new versions of two songs—Townes’ “Somebody’s Daughter ” and Carlile’s “Fulton County Jane Doe.” 

Already receiving widespread attention, Townes has been named iHeartCountry’s “On The Verge” artist and has been included in Amazon Music’s “2019 Artists To Watch,” CMT’s “Next Women of Country,” iHeart Radio’s “Artists To Watch in 2019,” “The Bobby Bones Show’s” “Class of 2019,” CMT’s “Listen Up” and the inaugural class of “Opry NextStage.” 
Canadian-born and Nashville-based, Townes first made her public appearance at age nine alongside Shania Twain after being invited to sing on stage at a concert she attended with her parents. In addition to her work as a musician and songwriter, Townes remains committed to charitable causes including her own initiative, Big Hearts For Big Kids, which has raised over $1.9 million to date benefiting a youth shelter in her hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta. More information can be found at bigheartsforbigkids.com.

Luke Combs’ highly anticipated new album What You See Is What You Get—out November 8 via River House Artists/Columbia Nashville—is now available for pre-order. Each pre-order includes an instant download of the new track, “1, 2 Many ” featuring Brooks & Dunn, as well as the five tracks previously released as part Combs’ The Prequel EP. The album’s cover art, which is a photo that was taken by David Bergman and then painted by Nashville-based artist Rob Hendon, is also unveiled today.

The new album adds to an already monumental year for Combs, who is nominated for three awards at the 2019 CMA Awards: Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year (“Beautiful Crazy”) and Musical Event of the Year (“Brand New Man” with Brooks & Dunn). The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 13 at 8:00PM ET/7:00PM CT. 

Produced by Scott Moffatt, What You See Is What You Get features 17 songs including the five tracks previously released via Combs’ The Prequel EP earlier this summer. The EP debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with all five tracks charting on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Top 25—a feat not accomplished by any artist in 60 years since Johnny Cash in 1959. The release also propelled Combs to the largest streaming week ever for a country artist with 73 million on-demand streams (week ending June 13). Additionally, The Prequel’s lead single, “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” recently reached No. 1 on bothBillboard ‘s Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts. This is Combs’ sixth consecutive No. 1—a first on the Billboard Country Airplay chart—and his fastest rising single to date (13 weeks). 

Moreover, Combs’ new single “Even Though I’m Leaving” was recently shipped to country radio and continues to receive widespread critical acclaim. Of the song, The New York Times declares, “Luke Combs has one of the most emotionally tactile voices in contemporary country music…even at his most tender, Combs is firm, stepping into the rawness of the feeling, not away from it.” Watch/share the official music video HERE.

What You See Is What You Get is the follow up to the ACM, CMA, CMT and Billboard Music Award-winning artist’s breakthrough double Platinum debut, This One’s For You, which is currently No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart for the 47th non-consecutive week—the longest reign ever for a male artist and second longest for an artist overall following Shania Twain’s Come On Over in 1997 (50 weeks). This One’s For You is also the most-streamed country album of 2019 so far.

In celebration of the release, Combs will continue his massive, sold-out “Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour” this fall including newly confirmed stops at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena, Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, San Antonio’s AT&T Center, Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center, Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre (two nights) and Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (two nights). See below for complete tour details. 

Acclaimed CMA Vocal Group of the Year and two-time ACM Group of the Year, Old Dominion celebrate their SOLD OUT Red Rocks show by releasing a new song “Midnight Mess Around” from the band’s self-titled, third studio album set for release on Oct. 25. Click HERE to listen.

“‘Midnight Mess Around’ is a song we wrote years ago with our old friend, the late, great Andrew Dorff,” said Old Dominion frontman Matthew Ramsey. “It’s been a favorite of ours for a long time, but we never got around to recording it. The old-school Ronnie Milsap/Rolling Stones’ vibe is a sound we’ve never attempted before, but as we got deeper into the recording of this album, it seemed like we were missing that sexy country feel. So we messed around a little.”

“Midnight Mess Around” marks the fifth track released from the band’s upcoming album. Other cuts include “My Heart Is A Bar,” which was written by band members Ramsey, Trevor Rosen,and Brad Tursiwith Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne; the poignant “Sometimes People Do”; “One Man Band,” the band’s current single which has nearly 75 million U.S streams; and “Make It Sweet,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase charts, making it Old Dominion’s seventh No. 1 song. Listen a nd pre-order Old DominionHERE. 

This month, Old Dominion announced dates for their “We Are Old Dominion Tour” in Canada kicking off in 2020. The Gold & Gold Productions, AEG, and Concerts West powered outing will hit 12 cities withMitchell Tenpenny and Meghan Patrick set to open on select dates. In addition, they will be doing two special nights in Niagara Falls, ON at the Fallsview Casino Resort as “An Evening With Old Dominion, The Band Behind the Curtain.” During these shows fans can expect to see the band showcase a set list of chart topping hit songs they’ve penned that have been recorded by other artists, as well as the stories behind the songs. Click HERE for full routing.

ABOUT OLD DOMINION
Old Dominion has emerged as one of the hottest breaking bands out of Nashville, fusing clever lyrics and an infectious sound. Their lyrical wit and hook heavy songwriting has certainly proved a winning method: since breaking onto the music scene in 2014, the band has notched seven No. 1 singles at country radio, surpassed one billion on-demand streams, earned several Platinum and Gold single certifications. They are currently headlining arenas and amphitheaters around the globe extending into 2020 with their recently announced “We Are Old Dominion Tour.” The reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year notched their third nomination in the category in 2019 and they are the reigning and two-time ACM Group of the Year. In 2017 frontman Matthew Ramsey was ASCAP’s “Artist of the Year” and the band has received numerous nominations including CMT Music Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Awards, and iHeart Radio Awards. Old Dominion consists of lead singer Matthew Ramsey, lead guitarist Brad Tursi, multi-instrumentalist Trevor Rosen, bassist Geoff Sprung, and drummer Whit Sellers. Their melodic, self-titled third LP will be released on Oct. 25, 2019.