Author: Lauren Zimmerman

Luke Combs’ “She Got The Best of Me” is No. 1 this week on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. This is Combs fourth-consecutive No. 1 single—following 3x Platinum “Hurricane,” 2x Platinum “When It Rains It Pours” and Platinum “One Number Away”—which all appear on the deluxe version of his Platinum-certified debut album, This One’s For You, released on River House Artists/Columbia Nashville. The acclaimed album has spent fifteen non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart, including 11 weeks in 2018—the most of any album this year. This One’s For You is also currently the most-streamed country album of 2018, achieving over one billion streams.

Combs is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year at the 2018 CMA Awards. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on ABC live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 14 at 8/7c.

These milestones follow a hugely successful fall debut headline European tour, which sold out months in advance and saw Combs playing for over 12,000 fans across Birmingham, London (two nights), Glasgow, Manchester, Amsterdam and Berlin. In their recent cover story devoted to Combs, Maverick Magazine declares, “…it is with no exaggeration to say that he can currently be described as a country music superpower” and goes on to assert, “It’s by putting the crowd first that makes Combs such a big draw on the live circuit, and is another reason why his tickets in the U.K. have been like gold dust.”

Capping off the breakthrough years, Combs will embark on his largest North American headline tour in 2019—with 26 of the 28 venues already sold-out. The BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART TOUR features sold-out performances at Greensboro, NC’s Greensboro Coliseum, Greenville, SC’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Columbus, OH’s Schottenstein Center, Charlottesville, VA’s John Paul Jones Arena, New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom, Omaha, NE’s HI Health Center and Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre among many others.

Since the release of This One’s For You, Combs has been named Billboard’s Top 100 Artist and Top New Country Artist of 2017, “Best New Country Artist” at the iHeart Radio Awards, Music Row’s “Breakthrough Artist Of The Year” and 2017 Artist To Watch by Amazon Music, Billboard, Bobby Bones, CMT, HuffPost, Nashville Lifestyles, Pandora and Rolling Stone.

This One’s For You was produced by Scott Moffatt (except for “One Number Away,” which was co-produced by Sammy Mitchell and Jackie Boyz) and recorded in Nashville, TN at Gold Cassette Studios and Direct Image Recording Studio.

Combs released the deluxe edition, This One’s For You Too, earlier this summer, which landed at No. 1 on Billboard Country Albums Chart and No. 4 on Billboard 200 Chart.

LUKE COMBS’ BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART TOUR:
January 31—Birmingham, AL—Legacy Arena at the BJCC*
February 1—Huntington, WV—Big Sandy Superstore Arena* (SOLD OUT)
February 2—Greensboro, NC—Greensboro Coliseum* (SOLD OUT)
February 7—Wichita, KS—INTRUST Bank Arena*
February 8—North Little Rock, AR—Verizon Arena* (SOLD OUT)
February 9—Baton Rouge, LA—Raising Cane’s River Center* (SOLD OUT)
February 14—Greenville, SC—Bon Secours Wellness Arena* (SOLD OUT)
February 15—Knoxville, TN—Thompson-Boling Arena* (SOLD OUT)
February 16—Evansville, IN—Ford Center* (SOLD OUT)
February 21—Hershey, PA—Giant Center* (SOLD OUT)
February 22—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center* (SOLD OUT)
February 23—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena* (SOLD OUT)
February 28—New York, NY—Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom† (SOLD OUT)
March 1—Bangor, ME—Cross Insurance Center* (SOLD OUT)
March 2—Worcester, MA—DCU Center* (SOLD OUT)
March 8—Tupelo, MS—BancorpSouth Arena* (SOLD OUT)
March 9—Orange Beach, AL—Amphitheatre at The Wharf* (SOLD OUT)
March 28—London, ON—Budweiser Garden* (SOLD OUT)
March 29—Oshawa, ON—Tribute Communities Centre* (SOLD OUT)
March 30—Kingston, Ontario—Leon’s Centre* (SOLD OUT)
April 11—Duluth, MN—AMSOIL Arena* (SOLD OUT)
April 12—Moline, IL—TaxSlayer Center* (SOLD OUT)
April 13—Saginaw, MI—Dow Event Center* (SOLD OUT)
April 25—Green Bay, WI—Resch Center* (SOLD OUT)
April 26—La Crosse, WI—La Crosse Center* (SOLD OUT)
May 10—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center* (SOLD OUT)
May 11—Omaha, NE—CHI Health Center Omaha* (SOLD OUT)
May 12—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheater* (SOLD OUT)

*with LANCO and Jameson Rodgers
†with Jameson Rodgers

DOLLY PARTON has revealed the cover art and track list for the soundtrack to the anticipated Netflix film Dumplin’.
Featuring exceptional guests including Sia, Elle King, Mavis Staples, Miranda Lambert, Willa Amai, Rhonda Vincent, Alison Krauss, Macy Gray, and DOROTHY, as well as cameos by Dumplin’ stars Danielle Macdonald and Jennifer Aniston, the project was produced by GRAMMY nominee Linda Perry.
DUMPLIN’ ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK will be released Nov. 30 and is available for pre-order beginning Nov. 2. Fans who pre-order the album that day will instantly receive “Girl In The Movies,” a song which is creating awards season chatter and has already garnered a nomination for Best Original Song from a Feature Film by the Hollywood Music In Media Awards. The first release from the album – “Here I Am” featuring Sia – hit No.1 on iTunes Country Songs and Top 10 all-genre upon its release last month.
Parton recently visited with national radio outlets including SiriusXM The Highway with Storme Warren, America’s Morning Show with Ty, Kelly & Chuck, and The Bobby Bones Show to talk about working on the music for the film.
Dumplin’ (Macdonald) is the teenage daughter of a former beauty queen (Aniston), who signs up for her mom’s pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town. The film stars Macdonald (Bird Box, Patti Cake$) and Aniston (Upcoming Murder Mystery, Horrible Bosses, Marley and Me), in addition to Odeya Rush (Lady Bird, Goosebumps), Dove Cameron (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Liv and Maddie, Descendants), and Harold Perrineau (Claws, Lost) and is directed by Anne Fletcher (The Proposal, 27 Dresses).
Screenwriter Kristin Hahn wrote the adaptation of Julie Murphy’s No. 1 New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. Producers include A Cota Films and 50 Degrees Entertainment Presentation – Michael Costigan (American Gangster, A Bigger Splash, Brokeback Mountain, Ghost in the Shell), Hahn (The Switch, Cake), Mohamed AlRafi (Above Suspicion, Lying and Stealing), and Trish Hofmann (Gringo, Get On Up). Executive producers are Aniston and Danny Nozell.
Dumplin’ will release on Netflix and in select theaters December 7.
DUMPLIN’ ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK Track Listing:

1. Here I Am (Dolly Parton & Sia)*
   2. Holdin’ On To You (Dolly Parton & Elle King)*
   3. Girl in the Movies**
   4. Red Shoes**
   5. Why (Dolly Parton & Mavis Staples)*
   6. Dumb Blonde (Dolly Parton & Miranda Lambert)+
   7. Here You Come Again (Dolly Parton & Willa Amai)^
   8. Who**
   9. Push & Pull**
   10. If We Don’t (Dolly Parton & Rhonda Vincent with Alison Krauss)**
   11. Two Doors Down (Dolly Parton & Macy Gray with DOROTHY)*
   12. Jolene (New String Version)*

Songwriters: *Dolly Parton, **Dolly Parton/Linda Perry, +Curly Putman, ^Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil
NOTE: Additional original catalog songs and catalog remixes as featured in the film from Parton will be available as part of the streaming version of album.

Breakout Country star LUKE COMBS has partnered again with Firestone for a digital content series giving a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process, dedication to his craft, and unparalleled fan connection.

These new installments extend Combs’ partnership with Firestone, which began in 2017 with his “Story Behind the Songs” series. Three new episodes (which embody Harvey Firestone’s legacy pillars: Hardworking, Time-tested, and Uncompromising) revisit Combs after a whirlwind year of unprecedented success, and will premiere on Firestone social channels.

Watch “Luke Combs: In The Studio” here and “Luke Combs: Milestones” here.

Combs’ just-announced BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART TOUR is nearly sold out, with 26 of 28 venues already at capacity. Combs also recently earned two nominations at the 2018 CMA Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

His debut LP This One’s For You is currently the most-streamed country album of 2018, achieving over 1 billion streams and was also the largest album debut from a new country artist in 2017. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Additionally, Combs has had three consecutive No. 1 radio singles—3x Platinum “Hurricane,” 2x Platinum “When It Rains It Pours” and Platinum “One Number Away.” His latest single “She Got The Best of Me” rises this week to No. 2 at Country radio.

In addition to his breakout debut album, Combs released the deluxe edition, This One’s For You Too, earlier this summer, which landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

Since the release of This One’s For You, Combs has been named Billboard’s Top 100 Artist and Top New Country Artist of 2017, “Best New Country Artist” at the iHeart Radio Awards, Music Row’s “Breakthrough Artist Of The Year” and 2017 Artist To Watch by Amazon Music, Billboard, Bobby Bones, CMT, HuffPost, Nashville Lifestyles, Pandora and Rolling Stone.

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Country supertrio PISTOL ANNIES have released “Sugar Daddy” off their anxiously-awaited third album INTERSTATE GOSPEL, releasing Nov. 2 on RCA Records Nashville. Listen to the new song now on all streaming platforms and pre-order the album HERE.

“I think it’s fun to play with your sexuality, and the power that you have as a woman,” said the trio’s Ashley Monroe of the latest release.

“Also, you get to see a little bit of our personalities in this song, and what we like in boys,” Angaleena Presley added.

Last night, the trio debuted “Sugar Daddy” during CMT’s Artists of the Year. Watch the performance HERE. The Annies’ Miranda Lambert was one of the 2018 honorees, alongside Carrie Underwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, and Kimberly Schlapman and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. For the first time in history, the show featured an all-women cast of honorees and special guests.

Penned by the Pistol Annies, “Sugar Daddy” is the latest glimpse into the upcoming 14-track album, which showcases the group’s stunning harmonies. Moving from celebratory anthems, classic country storytelling and vibey swagger, the Grammy-nominated trio are back and sounding Annie-er than ever.

Fans who pre-order the album at any digital retailer will instantly receive “Sugar Daddy,” as well as previously-released songs including “saucy, high-spirited” (Rolling Stone) “Stop Drop and Roll One“; “more irreverent than earnest” (NPR) “Interstate Gospel”; “confession of dead-end desperation” (New York Times) “Best Years of My Life”; and “rollicking embrace of independent womanhood” (Time) “Got My Name Changed Back.” All five records are also available on all streaming platforms.

Pistol Annies will play Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on Oct. 25 and NYC’s intimate venue The Town Hall on Nov. 2, both of which sold out in minutes. The trio will round out the their album release shows at LA’s breakout downtown concert hall The Novo on Nov. 7. These shows are the Annies’ way of inviting their fans into their living room to hang, talk, laugh and commiserate about real life while singing their own kind of country music.

Riser House/Columbia Nashville rising talent Mitchell Tenpenny has been tapped to showcase his country grit and soulful side in two edgy, band-backed videos for “Alcohol You Later” and “Telling All My Secrets,” the title track from his upcoming project, live now on Vevo.

The videos feature Tenpenny’s guitar playing and distinctive vocals against a soulful groove from his stripped-down band. Click here to watch.

Vevo has a long history of helping emerging artists through their DSCVR program, creating unique content that brings their music to life visually and provides a catalyst for exposure to new audiences. Past alumni iof Vevo’s DSCVR series include Sam Smith, Alessia Cara, Maggie Rogers, and Jorja Smith.

With a career poised to skyrocket, Tenpenny is set to release his debut album, Telling All My Secrets on Dec. 14. The Nashville native with an outlier’s tenacity is celebrating his first RIAA Gold-certified single with “Drunk Me,” which is ready to enter the Top 10 and currently resides at No. 12 on Mediabase/Country Aircheck and No. 11 on BDS Billboard Country Airplay charts. The song has surpassed 500,000 certifiable units in the U.S.

And Vevo isn’t the only tastemaker touting Tenpenny’s unique style. Billboard also predicted his  breakout success noting, “Whether it’s the desperation in ‘Drunk Me,’ the acidic revenge in ‘Bitches’ or the lack of self-control in ‘Alcohol You Later,’ he approaches a microphone with a biting ferocity.”

RCA Nashville singer/songwriter Rachel Wammack celebrated the ascent of her autobiographical debut single “Damage” with a performance in the Sony Club for Sony Music Entertainment executives and staff in New York City. The noteworthy new artist co-wrote the track with award-winning songwriters Tom Douglas and David Hodges as it recounts her real-life experiences working as a bartender.

Pictured (left to right) Halie Hampton, Maverick Artist Management; Darren Stupak, Executive Vice President/GM Sales, Sony Music Entertainment; Kevin Kelleher, Chief Operating Officer, Sony Music Entertainment; Dennis Kooker, President, Global Digital Business & U.S. Sales, Sony Music Entertainment; Wammack; Randy Goodman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Nashville; Caryl Atwood, Vice President Sales and Streaming, Sony Music Nashville; and Liz Cost, Sony Music Nashville Marketing Lead.
24-year-old Muscle Shoals native Rachel Wammack is a “dynamic new Country voice for the genre” (Rolling Stone) with her “deep-rooted, classic sound” (Wide Open Country)  influenced heavily by the rich musical history of her hometown. Throughout her adolescent years, Wammack expressed her art through her songwriting and storytelling; later playing in the high school band, and pursuing a college degree in professional writing. At the age of 17, she was discovered by a Sony Music Nashville executive while performing at a fine cuisine piano restaurant in Muscle Shoals. Five years and many written songs later, Wammack received a record deal from Sony Music Nashville. In April 2018, she released her self-titled debut, giving her growing fan base a taste of the music that’s on the horizon. Named one of Rolling Stone ’s “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know” and selected for Bobby Bones’ “Women of iHeartCountry,” her wildfire momentum continues this fall as she embarks on a series of radio shows across the U.S. Additionally, she will join Brett Young on his CMT ON TOUR: HERE TONIGHT, launching Nov. 16 in Royal Oak, MI. For more information and tour dates, visit www.rachelwammack.com.

Country supertrio PISTOL ANNIES have released “Stop Drop and Roll One” off their anxiously-awaited third album INTERSTATE GOSPEL, releasing Nov. 2 on RCA Records Nashville.

Penned by the group’s Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley, “Stop Drop and Roll One” came after a particularly fruitful night of songwriting. “We’d just finished a song out at the farm, and Miranda said, ‘Girls, we’re on fire I think…,” and then she said, ‘So stop, drop and roll one!’” explained Monroe.

The upcoming 14-track album showcases the group’s stunning harmonies. Moving from celebratory anthems, classic country storytelling and vibey swagger, the Grammy-nominated trio are back and sounding Annie-er than ever.

Fans who pre-order the album at any digital retailer will instantly receive “Stop Drop and Roll One,” as well as previously-released songs including “more irreverent than earnest” (NPR) “Interstate Gospel”; “simultaneously funny and crushingly sad” (Rolling Stone) “Best Years of My Life”; and “ecstatic post-divorce declaration of independence” (People) “Got My Name Changed Back.” All four records are also available on all streaming platforms.

Pistol Annies will play Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium on Oct. 25 and NYC’s intimate venue The Town Hall on Nov. 2, both of which sold out in minutes. The trio will round out the their album release shows at LA’s breakout downtown concert hall The Novo on Nov. 7. These shows are the Annies’ way of inviting their fans into their living room to hang, talk, laugh and commiserate about real life while singing their own kind of country music. They will also perform at the 2018 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony on Oct. 17.

Full-circle moments are becoming commonplace for Arista Nashville singer/songwriter Carlton Anderson. First he records an acoustic cover of his current and climbing single “Drop Everything” at the Nashville honky-tonk where he caught the attention of the music industry, and now he returns to his hometown to sing the national anthem for the Houston Texans.

And there is a twist. Anderson was a high school junior when he was kicked out of the choir for skipping an event to go see the Texans’ Battle Red Day game with his dad. Now he’ll be center field at NRG Stadium singing the anthem at the Battle Red Day game between the Texans and the Buffalo Bills. The Texans will be wearing red jerseys for the matchup and Anderson will be encouraging fans to wear red, too.

Kickoff is set for noon/CT and the game will be broadcast on CBS.

Anderson grew up in Cypress, Texas playing football and music with equal abandon. After high school, he started performing in clubs and dancehalls in the area, but he had his heart set on Nashville. With financial support from his grandparents and the blessing of his blue-collar family, Anderson moved to Music City where he was the first to graduate college. To pay the bills he found regular work, a tip jar, and a devoted following of fans and industry tastemakers at Swingin’ Doors, a honky-tonk off Broadway.

His tenacity, hard work, and talent landed him a deal with Arista Nashville and the release of his debut song, “Drop Everything,” which was co-written by Rhett Akins, Matt Dragstrem, and Ashley Gorley. And like Anderson, the single is about taking chances, going after what you want, and having the juice to back it up.

Anderson is gaining a reputation for his steadfast belief in authenticity before trends. Billboard opined, that his debut “matches a masculine, southern voice with an anthemic chorus, a catchy melody, a swag lyric and a tight, retro-fit production.” And Taste of Country summed it up writing that “Drop Everything” is “reminiscent of a lot of things, but not a copycat of any.”

Carlton Anderson’s “Drop Everything” is available now to stream and download HERE