ELI YOUNG BAND HEADLINES SIRIUSXM AND PANDORA SALUTES THE UNIFORM STUDIO SESSION AIRING TODAY, MAY 15

Eli Young Band headlines SiriusXM and Pandora Salutes the Uniform Session, a special full-band performance and conversation with SiriusXM host Ashley Till. The special, recorded live at SiriusXM’s Nashville studios, is airing across SiriusXM’s Y2Kountry channel and Pandora’s Music City station starting today, May 15 at 11am ET with replays throughout the weekend. Presented by Navy Federal Credit Union and part of Military Appreciation Month, 30 active-duty servicemembers joined the special taping earlier this month at SiriusXM studios in Nashville.
 
Life At Best, the band’s third studio album, also celebrates its 15th anniversary today with a limited edition vinyl, available for purchase now, alongside a digital release on all streaming platforms. Life At Best (15 Years Deluxe) is available HERE.
 
Featuring No. 1 singles such as 5x Platinum and CMA Song of the Year “Crazy Girl” and 3x Platinum “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” Life At Best was a career-defining album that cemented the band’s longevity in country music. The new release expands on the original album, adding demos and alternate versions that have never before been released in physical format.
 
The Texas country-rockers also recently celebrated 25+ years of being a band, releasing a short-form documentary titled “This Is Eli Young Band.” Watch the 26-minute YouTube film Below.

Eli Young Band launched a new era with their latest album Strange Hours, available now. As the band’s first independently released album via UnLevel Records, Strange Hours comprises 13 songs, all co-written as a band or with long-trusted collaborators, and introduces a new chapter driven by experience and a million miles of wisdom, from a band of brothers who grew from hometown heroes into globe-trotting, chart-topping pioneers still very much in their prime. Eric Arjes and Jimmy Robbins produced 12 of the 13 tracks, while “Bad Luck” was produced by Julian Raymond and Scott Borchetta.
 
Seeking both a fresh start and a return to their roots with this project, the never-changing lineup of Mike Eli, James Young, Jon Jones and Chris Thompson sought out Panhandle House Studio in their hometown of Denton, Texas – the birthplace of the college friends-turned-bandmates’ 2005 debut album Level, which spawned fan-favorites such as “Small Town Kid” and set the stage for the numerous hits that have followed in the 20 years since.
 
With their Strange Hours Tour underway, the band has tour dates through the fall on sale now. For tickets and additional information, visit EliYoungBand.com.

Eli Young Band Upcoming Tour Dates
 
May 15            Brewster Street Ice House || Corpus Christi, TX
May 16            Mo’s Place || Katy, TX
May 21            Kansas City Live! || Kansas City, MO
May 22            Lazy Gators || Lake Ozark, MO
May 23            Castle Ridge Event Center || Centralia, IL
May 24            Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel || Murphy, NC
May 29            The Refinery || Charleston, SC
May 30            The Coves Amphitheater || Union Hall, VA
June 5              Surf Ballroom || Clear Lake, IA
June 6              Chingawassa Days || Marion, KS
June 10            The Pub Station || Billings, MT
June 12            Roadhouse at the Mill || Emmett, ID
June 13            The Old Saloon || Emigrant, MT
June 19            Enable Utah || Ogden, UT
June 20            Gruner Brothers Brewing || Casper, WY
June 24            Robins Theatre || Warren, OH
June 26            Westfield River Brewing Company || Southwick, MA
June 27            The Stephen Talkhouse || Amagansett, NY
June 28            The Cabot || Beverly, MA
June 30            Main Street Crossing (Mike Eli Acoustic) || Tomball, TX
July 25            Nashville Nights (Mike Eli Acoustic) || Lahaina, HI
Aug. 14           Umatilla County Fair || Hermiston, OR
Aug. 15           Red Truck Brewery || Vancouver, CAN
Aug. 27           Latitude 39 || Truckee, CA
Oct. 1              Quarry Park Amphitheater || Rocklin, CA
Oct. 10            Nite Lite || Alva, OK
Feb. 7-Feb. 11 Boots On The Water || Miami, FL

Jenna Paulette Releases “High Noon” Following ACM Whiskey Jam Performance

After releasing her 20-track Horseback (Deluxe) album earlier this year,  Leo33 rising singer/songwriter Jenna Paulette continues to tee up new music with the release of “High Noon,” available now. Paulette debuted the song at “The Academy of Country Music Presents: Whiskey Jam Welcome Party” last night ahead of the 61st ACM Awards. Listen Below.
 
“‘High Noon’ is a two-stepper that I’ve had, tucked away,” Paulette recalls. “When it was played recently for a small circle of people I trust, it became clear how special it was by the way they rallied around it, which tells me it’s time to share it.”
 
Written by Paulette alongside Jordan Reynolds, Jordan Minton and Mark Trussell, and produced by Will Bundy, “High Noon” underscores the state of peace and contentment that comes with a stable relationship. 

“High Noon” arrives on the heels of Paulette earning her first No. 1 at Texas radio with “Steady” – which she credits her husband, Ross, for inspiring. Together, when she’s not on tour, they ranch in south west Texas. 
 
In 2025, Paulette launched her Sunrise and Sunset Boots collection with Justin Boots, and continued to expand her women’s rangewear line with Ely Cattleman, CowboyGirl. To learn more, visit JennaPaulette.com.

Miranda Lambert Slathers “Crisco” – ACM Awards Get Country & Disco’d

When it comes to music, Miranda Lambert isn’t playing. The fierce songwriter from Lindale, Texas has always leaned hard into Lone Star traditions, while moving what country music can be forward with a strong set of roots. Leave it to the woman who co-wrote and co-produced Ella Langley’s tsunami of a song “Choosin’ Texas” to return with music that takes a whole new spin on what dance hall cowboys can embrace with a strong sense of retro and a whole lot of fun.
 
Expanding on “A Song To Sing,” one of her two ACM Music Event of the Year nominations, Lambert takes the Chris Stapleton duet’s roller rink innocence – and deep dives into a pair of distinctive retro dancefloor sounds. Drawing on the good timing two steppery of “Urban Cowboy” and the sleek, disco urbanity of “Saturday Night Fever,” Lambert pioneers of a whole new sound with her first release with MCA, “Crisco.” 
 
Literally, country and disco twisted together by luxurious strings and a melody that twirls around listeners. With lyrics that invoke in a real life way Starland Vocal Band’s “Afternoon Delight,” Glen Campbell’s “Southern Nights” and Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s “Islands in the Stream,” as well as outright name-checking Conway (Twitty), Loretta (Lynn) and the Seventies, one can’t help but feel brighter, lighter and ready to kick up their heels. 
 
“We wanted something that feels familiar but also fresh, which is really hard to do,” Lambert enthuses. “We leaned into all the things I grew up loving about country music – Glen Campbell, Kenny and Dolly; very ’70s and ’80s. It’s a fun mix of all these sides of country music that I’ve never fully explored before, even down to using strings in a bigger way. I almost can’t believe I’ve made this many records without really going there, but it was magical to hear how much strings can transform a song.” 

To really bring that recipe home, the song co-written with Aaron Raitiere, Jesse Frasure and Chill Fellacheck boasts a chorus that breaks it down: 
        Baby, we’ve been cooking with Crisco
        Ain’t we mixin’ country and disco
        Stir it around, give it a spin
        And it’s a rhinestone world we’re livin’ in…
 
Further paying homage to the era and the influences, Lambert will debut the ebullient confection at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards this Sunday, May 17, streaming live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET.
 
Beyond her pair of Music Event nods – the second for “Trailblazer” with Lainey Wilson and Reba McEntire – plus both Song and Visual Media of the Year with Stapleton, Lambert is nominated for Female Artist of the Year and for Song and Single as co-writer and co-producer of Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas.” As a strong advocate for females, new artists and Texas, the 2022 Entertainer of the Year rides into the 2026 ACM Awards strong.
 
“There’s nothing that makes me happy like music,” Lambert says. “Going to Vegas, nominated with old friends, new friends and on my own, as an artist, but also a producer and writer, that makes me feel like we’re just getting started. With ‘Crisco,’ it’s gonna be a great time seeing where it’s all gonna go.”

Photo Credit: Robert Ascroft

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT VETERAN JOAN VANCE LAUNCHES VANCE & CO ADVISORY, LLC

Business management veteran Joan Vance announces the launch of Vance & Co Advisory, LLC, an independent bookkeeping and financial advisory firm serving individuals and small to mid-sized businesses across industries. 
 
Vance & Co Advisory fills the gap between basic bookkeeping and business management, offering services that span monthly reconciliation, financial reporting, systems and process documentation, and strategic advisory support. The firm works with clients on an ongoing basis, providing consistent financial oversight tailored to each business.
 
“So many creatives find themselves in a position where they aren’t quite ready yet for business management and don’t think about the financial side until tax time,” shares Vance. “This causes undue stress and a mad rush to provide information to their tax accountant. I want to relieve that burden so songwriters, artists, and other businesses can focus on what they excel at. 
 
“I am grateful to have been mentored by some of the best in the business at Wiles + Taylor and carry those experiences with me each day,” she adds. “I leave with nothing but respect and appreciation for the firm and those who helped shape my career and am excited for the journey ahead!”
 
Originally from New Jersey, Vance holds an MBA from Belmont University, along with dual undergraduate degrees in Elementary Education and Writing Arts. That foundation shaped the way she works today: organized, thoughtful, and deeply intentional in how she communicates and simplifies complexity.
 
Vance began her career at a law firm before moving to Nashville, where she joined Wiles + Taylor. Starting as a receptionist, she quickly grew within the firm, where she worked closely with high-net-worth clients and developed her strong operational and financial management skillset that blends precision with relationship-building. Vance believes good bookkeeping is more than numbers: it’s peace of mind, transparency, and a strong foundation for decision-making.
 
Her goal is simple: to make your finances feel less overwhelming and more empowering—so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
 
Congratulate Vance at jvance@vanceandcoadvisory.com. For more information, visit vanceandcoadvisory.com or follow along on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Photo Credit: Createurs Sarah Reynolds

Kenny Chesney Carries On & LOCKS Country Radio 1st Week

Kenny Chesney has built a career on finding songs that hit people right where they live. For his HEY NOW Records debut, the high energy force of music knew he wanted something that exponentiated his embrace of total positive energy. “Carry On,” the three minute feel good package of bartender wisdom that packs bits of reggae undertow, bluegrass harmonies and a summer anthem chorus, was just the thing.
 
For his first single in two years…his first for the brand new and fiercely independent HEY NOW Records…his return to what he does best, lifting people up no matter what their state of life…the 2025 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee notches a pair of firsts: his highest ever add day and closing the panel with every station delivering “Carry On” to listeners across the country.
 
“The world’s overwhelming,” Chesney says, “between our phones and the news, it’s a lot. But the truth is: our lives are right now, and we need to remember – no matter what – that we gotta find the joy and happiness wherever, however, because that’s the only thing we can control.”
 
“Carry On” locking the panel on week one marks only the third time in Mediabase history this has happened. Garth Brooks achieved the feat in 1997 and Post Malone with Morgan Wallen delivered 100% of the reporters in 2024. Whether a sign of the times or merely Chesney delivering another year’s Song of Summer, “Carry On” has struck a chord.
 
“Some songs just hit you in the heart,” Chesney explains. “When I heard it, I was right there at the end of the bar at Schooner Wharf, which is such old Key West. I could see it, hear it, taste it – and the more I listened to songs, and I’ve heard some unbelievable songs this time around, the more I knew I wanted to find a song that would not just make people happy, but give them permission to live their life so in the moment and free…
 
“Based on the response from radio, I’m not the only one looking to be empowered, inspired, lifted up. Like the bridge says, ‘If it feels good do it, if it doesn’t then don’t…’ Nothing could be simpler, but man, isn’t that everything life comes down to?”
 
More than a musical cocktail that delivers a face your life but just keep loving and living every single moment sentiment, “Carry On” offers something musical that matches the message. With a melody that cascades, electric guitars that are bright and bold and a rhythm that moves from the islands to the stadiums, songwriters Chase McGill, Jessi Alexander and Matt Jenkins created the perfect distillation of everything the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar has come to represent.
 
Dropping a summer anthem that sparks people to turn it up, drive faster, laugh louder, stay a little longer and then get up and seize the day the morning after, “Carry On” reminds everyone how glorious being alive can be. Instantly ready for arms-around-friends shout-alongs during days on the beach, chasing the night with friends and tailgates everywhere, the chorus delivers everything to get you through a Tuesday morning ride to work or a white-hot Saturday night.

One hundred fifty-eight stations out of 158 stations can’t be wrong. After all, if it feels good, do it… For Kenny Chesney, brand new HEY NOW Records and music fans everywhere, what a way to return with new music.

Brantley Gilbert Sets Next Era in Motion with ‘SINS OF THE FATHER’ Arriving 7/24

Multi-Platinum trailblazer Brantley Gilbert announces SINS OF THE FATHER, his highly anticipated eighth studio album, set for release July 24 via BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. Marking his first full-length project with the new label and team, Gilbert channels renewed creative energy to deliver one of the most personal statements of his career. Pre-save/pre-add SINS OF THE FATHER HERE.
 
On SINS OF THE FATHER, Gilbert blends hard-earned perspective with the grit and honesty that have become his signature. Exploring the journey from the weight of his past to the responsibility of fatherhood, the album offers a raw, reflective look at growth, redemption and the legacy we choose to leave behind.
 
“I’ve lived a lot of life to get here,” shares Gilbert. “This record is me owning all of it – the mistakes, the lessons and who I am now. It’s all part of the same story, and each track stands on its own, representing its own chapter.” 
 
To accompany today’s announcement, Gilbert releases “F****D ME UP,” a piano-driven ballad and one of his most candid songs to date. Inspired by the woman who changed his life, his wife, he traces a fall to rock bottom before her love and faith pull him back, reshaping his path. Vulnerable and unflinching, it's a powerful reminder that sometimes the moments that break you are the ones that ultimately save you.
 
Gilbert wanted fans and families alike to be able to experience the project without losing the honesty and emotion at its core. In addition to the original version, Gilbert also offers a clean version of “F****D ME UP,” titled “MESSED ME UP,” also available today. A clean version of SINS OF THE FATHER will be released July 24 alongside the original album.

Lead single “GOOD DAMN,” released as the first taste of his upcoming project, is currently climbing the charts at Country radio. The song garnered 95 adds in its first week, making it the second-biggest add week of Gilbert’s career behind “Bottoms Up” (106 adds). Listen to “GOOD DAMN” Below.
 
Produced by Gilbert with longtime friend and collaborator Brock Berryhill, SINS OF THE FATHER was constructed like a playlist of defining moments. With all 15 tracks penned by Gilbert, the album captures different periods of his life while pushing the sound that has defined his 20+ year career, including some of his most rock-leaning material thus far.
 
Gilbert returns to the road this weekend ahead of festival performances and headlining dates this spring and summer. For dates, tickets and additional information, visit BrantleyGilbert.com.

About Brantley Gilbert
Multi-Platinum trailblazer Brantley Gilbert is set to release his eighth studio album SINS OF THE FATHER on July 24 via BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, as lead single “GOOD DAMN” climbs the charts at Country radio. Fueled by renewed creative energy, Gilbert delivers one of his most personal projects to date. Exploring the journey from the weight of his past to the responsibility of fatherhood, the album offers a raw, reflective look at growth, redemption and the legacy we choose to leave behind. An era-defining artist forever bonded to his fans, Gilbert’s been mining the timeless values of hard-working dedication, high-octane thrills and humble faith since his 2009 debut, A Modern Day Prodigal Son, creating a chart-topping grit-and-grace fusion which helped set the stage for today’s genre-blending format. With his dedicated BG Nation behind him, the performer-songwriter has racked up more than 8.3 BILLION career streams, boasting back-to-back Platinum albums and seven No. 1 hits including the RIAA 7x Platinum “Bottoms Up;” 2x Platinum “Country Must Be Country Wide;” 2x Platinum “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do;” 2x Platinum “One Hell of An Amen;” and the Platinum-certified “What Happens In A Small Town” with Lindsay Ell. Possessing a can’t-fake-it quality of fierce independence, the ACM, CMA and AMA award winner has toured alongside everyone from Willie Nelson to Toby Keith, Nickelback to 5 Finger Death Punch and more.
 

BRANTLEYGILBERT.COM | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK | X

Maddox Batson is “Fallin’ Easy” in Latest New Music, Out Now

Sixteen-year-old breakout Maddox Batson leans into the rush of young love on his new track “Fallin’ Easy,” out now via Prosper Entertainment/ Warner Records. Listen to “Fallin’ Easy” here and watch the official music video below.

Batson co-writes the song with Jackson Foote and Grant Averill, with Foote producing, “Fallin’ Easy” captures the kind of effortless connection that defines young relationships. Built around acoustic textures and a sing-along chorus, the song finds Batson caught up in the moment–from late-night conversations under the stars to the dizzy feeling of being pulled toward someone you cannot quite explain. The hook lands on a simple truth that drives the song: falling might be out of your control, yet the right person makes it easy.

Batson recently wrapped the North American leg of his Live Worldwide Tour with a hometown stop at Nashville’s The Pinnacle on May 3, heading overseas for a European run kicking off May 12 in Dublin, with stops in Glasgow, Manchester, London and Amsterdam, among other cities. 

Stateside, Batson returns for a summer run including a performance at CMA Fest’s Chevy Riverfront Stage on June 6, along with select dates supporting Tucker Wetmore’s The Brunette World Tour in Uncasville, CT and Indianapolis, IN. 

For more information, please visit www.maddoxbatson.com. 

Live Worldwide Tour 2026 Routing:
May 12  |  Dublin, IE  |  3Olympia Theatre
May 13  |  Glasgow, UK  |  SWG3 Galvanizers
May 15  |  Manchester, UK  |  Manchester Academy 2
May 16  |  London, UK  |  O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
May 19  |  Cologne, DE  |  Club Volta
May 20  |  Amsterdam, NL  |  Tolhuistuin
May 21  |  Hamburg, DE  |  Bahnhof Pauli 
May 23  |  Oslo, NO  |  Vulkan Arena
May 24  |  Stockholm, SE  |  Fryshuset Klubben
June 6  |  Nashville, TN  |  CMA Fest’s Chevy Riverfront Stage
June 19  | Hyannis, MA  |  Cape Cod Melody Tent
June 20  | Cohasset, MA  |  South Shore Music Circus
June 21  |  Uncasville, CT  |  Mohegan Sun Arena *
July 16  |  Shipshewana, IN  |  Blue Gate Theatre
July 17  |  Peoria, IL  |  Peoria Riverfront
July 18  |  Indianapolis, IN  |  Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park*
August 29  |  Syracuse, NY  |  New York State Fair ^
September 26  |  Louisville, KY  |  Bourbon & Beyond ^
* Support for Tucker Wetmore’s The Brunette World Tour
^  Festival

About Maddox Batson:
Rising country-pop artist Maddox Batson is making a name for himself this year as the only 16-year-old on a headlining international, world tour. The Nashville-based songwriter first gained attention for his covers of popular songs before showcasing his own songwriting talent with singles like “I Wanna Know” and “Tears In The River,” in addition to a co-write on “Tough” recorded by Lana Del Rey and Quavo. Batson’s First Dance (The After Party) deluxe EP was released in 2025 to support his sold-out I Need A Truck Tour with singles “Coincidence,” “Girl In Green” and “No More” sang back to him by crowds night-after-night. Batson kicked off 2026 with “Any Other Night” and “If I See Her Again.” Batson is the youngest male artist to ever appear on Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list, and he is currently on his 44-city Live Worldwide Tour. The 16-year-old star will also make his acting debut in the upcoming Nate Bargatze and Mandy Moore film The Breadwinner on May 29. Fans can expect more music from Batson in 2026.
 
Stay Tuned with Maddox Batson:
TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Website

MIRANDA LAMBERT’S MUTTNATION FOUNDATION AND DORIS DAY ANIMAL FOUNDATION AWARD OVER $230,000 IN GRANTS

Miranda Lambert, the most decorated artist in Academy of Country Music history, announced that her MuttNation Foundation’s It Takes Balls spay and neuter campaign, in partnership with the Doris Day Animal Foundation, has awarded $233,000 to 63 eligible shelters, rescues and clinics throughout Southern California.  

“Shelters do incredible work, saving millions of lives,” said Lambert, “but our big dream is a world where they don't need saving. Our partnership with the Doris Day Animal Foundation is helping make that a reality by reaching thousands of pets through spay and neuter. It’s the best tool we have – alongside adoption and fostering – to keep our best friends out of shelters and in loving homes.” 

“Early in her pioneering animal welfare efforts, Doris Day recognized that spaying and neutering is essential to addressing the root cause of pet overpopulation and ultimately saves countless lives,” said Dr. Bob Bashara, CEO of the Doris Day Animal Foundation. “Through our partnership with MuttNation Foundation, these grants will help provide affordable access to spay and neuter services in communities where resources may be limited and access to veterinary care can be challenging. By supporting these efforts, we can help reduce shelter overcrowding and give more dogs and cats the chance for the safe, loving homes they deserve.”

There are an estimated 70 million stray cats and dogs in the U.S., and 87% of animals in underserved communities are not spayed or neutered. Accessible spay and neuter services are one of the most powerful ways to end the cycle of pet overpopulation and save lives.

Photo Credit: Jeff Johnson

About MuttNation Foundation
Founded in 2009 by Miranda Lambert and her mother, Bev Lambert, MuttNation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) donation-supported nonprofit that has raised over $13 million in support of shelter pet adoption, spay and neuter, and educating the public about both. The Foundation also provides financial assistance to shelters and rescues recovering from natural disasters. MuttNation Fueled by Miranda Lambert, a pet toy and supply line sold exclusively at Tractor Supply Company stores throughout the U.S., benefits the Foundation directly. Learn more at www.muttnation.com.
 
About Miranda Lambert
Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multifaceted career as an artist, entertainer, entrepreneur, advocate and businesswoman with an unflinching quest for excellence, honesty and conviction. GRAMMY-nominated single “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton arrived recently as the biggest streaming debut of her career, with Rolling Stone praising its “dreamy disco groove and lovestruck devotion.” Her 10th solo studio album, 2024’s GRAMMY-nominated Postcards from Texas, continued her unbroken streak of 10 consecutive Top 10s on the Top Country Albums chart. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, including their top honor for Entertainer of the Year, she has also won three GRAMMYs and 14 Country Music Association Awards. A TIME100 honoree and perennial best-of-the-year list maker at the New York Times, TIME, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Stereogum, People and more, NPR has called her “the most riveting country star of her generation.”

Lambert has taken those standards to become a label co-founder, teaming with longtime collaborator Jon Randall to launch their own imprint, Big Loud Texas, in partnership with Big Loud Records. She is also a New York Times bestselling author and the first female restaurateur on Lower Broadway with her Tex-Mex cantina Casa Rosa, while also expanding her creative reach with her Wanda June Home collection as well as Idyllwind, her western clothing, accessories and footwear brand at Boot Barn. Her passion for animals inspired the creation of MuttNation Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit which has raised over $13 million since inception to promote shelter pet adoption, support rescue organizations nationwide, advance spay & neuter and help shelters recover from natural disaster.
 
MirandaLambert.com | Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube


About Doris Day Animal Foundation
Doris Day Animal Foundation (DDAF), is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit charity founded by legendary performer Doris Day in 1978, with a straightforward mission to help animals and the people who love them. As a grant-giving organization, DDAF funds non-profit organizations and programs across the country that directly rescue, care for and protect animals. Some of DDAF’s ongoing project funding includes World Spay Day (founded by Doris Day as Spay Day USA in 1995), Duffy Day Life Saving Program, Doris Day/Terry Melcher Scholarships for veterinary students studying shelter medicine at select universities, spay/neuter and & Seniors for Seniors programs, emergency disaster relief and much more. DDAF is proud to carry on Doris Day’s legacy and pioneering work to make this a better world for all animals.
 
DDAF.org | Facebook | X | Instagram

Kenny Chesney Can't Wait for "Carry On," Drops at Midnight Tonight

If Kenny Chesney waits two years to drop new music, you know he’s on the hunt for something specific. Always one to lead with positive energy, bringing people together and a musical cocktail that merges his own vast musical taste, the songwriter/superstar from East Tennessee wanted a song that lifted you up, offered empowering perspective and delivered a chorus you could carry around like a lucky charm.
 
Turns out, he had the song all along! “Carry On,” capturing a bar stool conversation with a salty barmaid on a slow afternoon, was originally slated for Chesney’s next songwriter-driven island project. But the chorus kept rising up, and the more the man the LA Times called “the People’s Superstar” listened, the more he realized its message – the common sense wisdom and bridge that admonishes “If it feels good, do it, if doesn’t then don’t…” – was everything he wanted to say.
 
“Sometimes you lock in, thinking a song is supposed to be one place,” Chesney offers, “and you miss where it might fit better. But the more I looked, the more I kept coming back to ‘Carry On,’ because even more stripped down and acoustic, you couldn’t miss what that chorus was saying. Like ‘American Kids’ or ‘Get Along,’ this is one of those songs that no matter what’s happening in your life, it lifts you up higher and tells you to get out there and really live.”
 
Having created a catalog of hits that believe the glass is half full, Chesney’s “Carry On” puts his signature tradition on blast. Electric guitars cascade into an intoxicating melody that offers a little bit of the tropics, a little bit of the bluegrass where Billboard’s Top Country Artist of the 21st Century was raised. But mostly, it delivers that spark meant to be chanted, howled or sung top volume. 
 
Begging for arms-around-each-other shout-alongs during days on the water, nights out with friends and tailgates everywhere, the chorus delivers everything people need on a Tuesday morning ride to work or a white-hot Saturday night: 

“Carry on karaoke, it don’t matter if you can’t/carry a tune in a bucket anyways
Carry on, who cares what the naysayers say/if it’s Saturday night get carried away
Carry on, carry on, you can’t carry nothing with you and it won’t be long…
til it’s six carrying you home… til then you gotta carry on…”
 
As much blessing as benediction, it’s the kind of summer anthem that urges people to turn it up, drive a little faster, laugh a little louder, stay a little longer and then get up and seize the day.
 
Co-producing with Buddy Cannon, Chesney returned to the studio, put their recording back on – and decided to ramp up the guitars, dig the groove a little deeper – and have even more fun with it. As he explains, “Once I realized what ‘Carry On’ could be, the song fell into place… Some songs are just fun to cut. As much as I loved what it was, when we started tracking, I realized this was the song I’d been looking for, the one that captures everything about how I try to live my life – and the way I think all the people who love these songs live their lives, too.”
 
Designed to inspire through tough times, good times and all the other times in between, “Carry On” is classic Chesney with a twist. Conjuring a slow afternoon with a barmaid who’d done some living, it’s a character sketch, a life lesson and a Polaroid from the kind of sandy bar that remains Chesney’s native habitat. 

PC Allister Ann

KOE WETZEL DELIVERS THE NIGHT CHAMPION WILDLY AWAITED SIXTH STUDIO ALBUM ARRIVES JUNE 12

Koe Wetzel didn’t have a master plan, beyond play loud, play hard – and hopefully have a place to sleep – when he began chasing music in Texas’s roughest bars and roadhouses, then Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado and beyond. Little more than a decade later, the hard-charging performer/songwriter finds himself as a force for the music industry, even more than the law, to reckon with.
 
After his Gold-certified 9 Lives delivered a five-week No. 1 and the most played song at Country radio in 2025 with “High Road,” Wetzel returns with The Night Champion. Capturing the aftermath of a wild run, it delivers all the signature force, punch and ragged details people expect, tempered by the clarity that comes with surviving it. Set for release June 12 via Columbia Records, the album is available to pre-order / pre-save HERE.

Turning chaos, excess and hard-earned perspective into something built to endure, The Night Champion fuses all that’s happened since Wetzel first hit the road with a van and the drive to see how far he could take it. He didn’t foresee sold-out arenas across the U.S., Europe and Australia, a headlining turn in front of 70,000+ at the Houston Rodeo and award nominations spanning both country and rock; but those things sharpened the contrast between where he started and where he realized he could go.
 
“It’s a continuation of 9 Lives, from that record to now,” Wetzel offers of the follow-up to his globally connecting release. “Really, it’s everything that’s happened – because you don’t go from kids playing for beer to headlining Red Rocks, arenas all over the country, partying and trying to make sense of it all and not shift. My head space is clearer now. I can look back, see how it fits together. It doesn’t make sense, exactly, but it all happened. That search for what it all means keeps bringing me back.”
 
That tension sits at the heart of the new record, moving between hard-edged rock and wide-open, desolate ballads, balancing the chaos that defined his early years with a perspective that only comes from living through it. Feeling like both reckoning and release, the album grounds in the reality of all the things Wetzel’s outlasted. “It’s crazy I’m not in jail or dead as hard as I went these last 15 years,” he marvels. “Right now, I’m the best version of myself I’ve ever been. I survived the night side of me. I’m coming out of it a champion. That’s the essence of the record.”
 
Across The Night Champion, that reality plays out in full. It echoes on the muscular “Time Goes On,” weighing what was, what could’ve been and what’s happened since he was a kid who didn’t know better, shooting out the lights and living a reckless life on the edge. On the jaggedly propulsive “Hurts Like You,” arriving this Friday, May 8, Wetzel offers the raw intensity fans expect, but with a vulnerability and surrender to desires that cut you open.
 
“It’s kind of where I am now: an edgy roughness to all the songs that doesn’t give a fuck, but there’s a tenderness to it, too,” he explains. “Whatever happens, I’m man enough to deal, but the focus and headspace have shifted; I’ve grown up and become okay with looking back.”
 
Written beyond the confines of rigid sessions, leaning into his instincts rather than schedule, The Night Champion reflects his continuing creative growth. “You’ve gotta go in and get the music behind the feeling,” Wetzel explains. “When you force it, people feel it. I know what I want to say now, where the songs should go, and I want them to come from a space, not an appointment.”
 
Whether fans were there from those first nights in Texas, the wake of his indie breakout Noise Complaint or found the music during last year’s radio rush, The Night Champion is built to offer a sense of all the phases as it brings the disparate audiences together. “I’m not torn between the worlds,” Wetzel says of the convergence. “This is where all the fans meet. No matter when they got here, this is that moment.”
 
Pollstar’s “firebrand live sensation” is bringing the new music to fans across the globe with The Night Champion World Tour, his 50+ headlining shows slated for the U.S., Canda and Australia. Shane Smith & The Saints, Ole 60, Wyatt Flores, Corey Kent, Wade Bowen, Bayker Blankenship, Kolby Cooper and Logan Jahnke join as support in varying combinations.
 
For more information, visit KoeWetzelMusic.com. Follow on TikTok @Koe_Wetzel and on Instagram and Facebook@KoeWetzelMusic.

The Night Champion World Tour Dates
Support Details Available via KoeWetzelMusic.com
May 5 | Sydney, N.S.W (Australia) | Enmore Theatre
May 9 | Brisbane, Qld. (Australia) | Fortitude Music Hall
July 8 | Edmonton, Alb. (Canada) | Rogers Place
July 10 | Penticton, B.C. (Canada) | South Okanagan Event Center
July 11 | Abbotsford, B.C. (Canada) | Abbotsford Centre
July 23 | Nampa, Idaho | Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
July 24 | Stateline, Nev. | Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic
July 25 | Las Vegas, Nev. | The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
July 30 | Airway Heights, Wash. | Northern Quest Casino
July 31 | Bend, Ore. | Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Aug. 1 | Tacoma, Wash. | Dune Peninsula
Aug. 6 | Bonner Springs, Kan. | Azura Amphitheater
Aug. 7 | Evansville, Ind. | Ford Center
Aug. 8 | Nashville, Tenn. | Bridgestone Arena
Aug. 12 | New York, N.Y. | Pier 17
Aug. 13 | Reading, Pa. | Santander Arena
Aug. 14 | Gilford, N.H. | BankNH Pavilion
Aug. 19 | Boston, Mass. | Leader Bank Pavilion
Aug. 20 | Washington, D.C. | The Anthem
Aug. 21 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Petersen Events Center
Aug. 26 | Buffalo, N.Y. | Outer Harbor Live at Terminal B
Aug. 27 | Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center
Aug. 28 | Rochester Hills, Mich. | Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Sept. 3 | Austin, Texas | Moody Center
Sept. 4 | Baton Rouge, La. | Raising Cane’s River Center
Sept. 5 | Bossier City, La. | Brookshire Grocery Arena
Sept. 10 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
Sept. 11 | Greensboro, N.C. | First Horizon Coliseum
Sept. 12 | Wilmington, N.C. | Live Oak Bank Pavilion
Sept. 17 | Alpharetta, Ga. | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sept. 18 | Columbia, S.C. | Colonial Life Arena
Sept. 19 | Richmond, Va. | Virginia Credit Union LIVE!
Sept. 24 | Pikeville, Ky. | Appalachian Wireless Arena
Sept. 25 | Huntsville, Ala. | The Orion Amphitheater
Sept. 26 | Brandon, Miss. | Brandon Amphitheater
Sept. 30 | Rogers, Ark. | The Walmart AMP
Oct. 1 | North Little Rock, Ark. | Simmons Bank Arena
Oct. 2 | Tulsa, Okla. | BOK Center
Oct. 3 | Wichita, Kan. | INTRUST Bank Arena
Oct. 8 | Chicago, Ill. | Salt Shed Fairgrounds
Oct. 9 | Fishers, Ind. | Fishers Event Center
Oct. 10 | Milwaukee, Wis. | Fiserv Forum
Oct. 28 | Morrison, Colo. | Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 30 | Lubbock, Texas | Cook’s Garage
 
Additional Live Shows
May 15 | Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, N.M. | Boots in the Park  
May 30 | Panama City Beach, Fla. | Gulf Coast Jam  
June 12 | Del Mar, Calif. | San Diego County Fair  
June 14 | Santa Rosa, Calif. | Country Summer Music Festival
June 20 | Lewisburg, W.Va. | Wild Trails Festival  
June 27 | Ashland, Neb. | Country Drive Music Festival  
July 3 | Winnipeg, Man. (Canada) | Country Thunder Winnipeg  
July 16 | Eau Claire, Wis. | Country Jam USA  
July 17 | Manchester, Iowa | Delaware County Fair  
Aug. 15 | Montreal, Que. (Canada) | Lasso  
Aug. 22 | Lima, Ohio | Allen County Fair  
Aug. 29 | Lucknow, Ont. (Canada) | Lucknow’s Music in the Fields 
Oct. 16 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Red West Music Festival
Oct. 18 | Tucson, Ariz. | Boots in the Park
Nov. 20 | St. Petersburg, Fla. | St. Pete Country Fest  

Maddox Batson Visits Seacrest Studios in Salt Lake City Ahead of 'Live Worldwide Tour' Stop

With his Live Worldwide Tour underway, Warner/Prosper Entertainment’s Maddox Batson visited Seacrest Studios on April 16, 2026. Batson brought acoustic songs to Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital of Salt Lake City in addition to a Q&A session and rounds of mini golf with patients. 
 
Seacrest Studios are fully equipped media studios located directly inside pediatric hospitals. These studios give kids who are receiving medical treatment a fun, creative place to host podcasts, produce videos and interview special guests – all without leaving the hospital.
 
“It was an honor to spend the morning at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. Thank you to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation for giving me the privilege to connect and perform for patients like Piper,” shared Batson. “I was beyond inspired by the determination and joy from the patients, family and entire staff at the hospital. Much appreciation to the child life specialists, doctors and the team at Seacrest for welcoming me.” 
 
“We are always so appreciative to our celebrity partners who are able to come into Seacrest Studios and spend time with patients, with many becoming repeat visitors and friends of RSF,” said Meredith Seacrest Leach, Executive Director & CEO of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. “Maddox has quickly become a friend, and we are so grateful that he has continued to make time to visit as he juggles his busy tour schedule."

Batson and Piper play mini golf at Seacrest Studios at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.

About the Ryan Seacrest Foundation:
The Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF) is a nonprofit organization that brings interactive media studios into pediatric hospitals to help patients find joy during treatment. Founded in 2009, RSF has grown into a national network of 14 Seacrest Studios where patients host podcasts, produce video content, and interview celebrity guests while receiving care.

In 2025, RSF delivered 8,406 hours of live programming and helped patients create 265 original shows, reaching approximately 3.1 million patients and family members. Viewed by hospital partners as a core therapeutic tool, Seacrest Studios play a meaningful role in helping children cope with hospitalization and extended medical care. Through its internship program, RSF also supports almost 50 interns a year, providing students with hands-on experience in broadcast production and empowering the next generation of industry professionals. 

RSF currently has Seacrest Studios at hospitals in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Miami, Memphis, Orange County, Orlando, Queens (NY), Salt Lake City and Washington D.C.

Visit ryanseacrestfoundation.org for more information. New studios are slated to open in New Orleans at Manning Family Children’s Hospital in early 2027 and in Milwaukee at Children’s Wisconsin in 2028. 

MIRANDA LAMBERT GETS COOKING WITH “CRISCO”

Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter Miranda Lambert launches a bold new chapter on May 15 with the infectious new song, “Crisco,” marking the first release under her newly announced label partnership with MCA. Pre-save / pre-add HERE.
 
Blending classic country soul with a shimmering ‘70s disco glow, “Crisco” delivers a feel-good anthem driven by lush strings, jangly piano keys and an irresistible groove, with Lambert leaning into sonic textures she’s long admired yet never fully explored – until now.
 
“It has so many elements of the country music that I love that I’ve never put on tape,” she shares of the song co-written with Aaron Raitiere, Jesse Frasure and Chill Fellacheck. “There’s a looseness to it, a joy. It feels like dancing in your kitchen with the person you love, spinning old records, not overthinking a thing.”
 
Written with Lambert’s signature playful wink and anchored in vivid, nostalgic imagery, the song nods to timeless classics like “Southern Nights” and “Islands in the Stream,” bridging generations of country music while expanding its boundaries to carve out something entirely fresh. 
 
As Variety declares, Lambert possesses a “groundedness in the classic sounds and attitudes of country music, which is one thing that has helped make her arguably the most valuable figure in the mainstream of the genre since the turn of the century.” With “Crisco,” she further expands her career that has long been defined by authenticity and evolution, opening the door to her next creative phase.

About Miranda Lambert:
Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multifaceted career as an artist, entertainer, entrepreneur, advocate and businesswoman with an unflinching quest for excellence, honesty and conviction. GRAMMY-nominated single “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton arrived recently as the biggest streaming debut of her career, with Rolling Stone praising its “dreamy disco groove and lovestruck devotion.” Her 10th solo studio album, 2024’s GRAMMY-nominated Postcards from Texas, continued her unbroken streak of 10 consecutive Top 10s on the Top Country Albums chart. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, including their top honor for Entertainer of the Year, she has also won three GRAMMYs and 14 Country Music Association Awards. A TIME100 honoree and perennial best-of-the-year list maker at the New York Times, TIME, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Stereogum, People and more, NPR has called her “the most riveting country star of her generation.”

Lambert has taken those standards to become a label co-founder, teaming with longtime collaborator Jon Randall to launch their own imprint, Big Loud Texas, in partnership with Big Loud Records. She is also a New York Times bestselling author and the first female restaurateur on Lower Broadway with her Tex-Mex cantina Casa Rosa, while also expanding her creative reach with her Wanda June Home collection as well as Idyllwind, her western clothing, accessories and footwear brand at Boot Barn. Her passion for animals inspired the creation of MuttNation Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit which has raised over $13 million since inception to promote shelter pet adoption, support rescue organizations nationwide, advance spay & neuter and help shelters recover from natural disaster.
 
MirandaLambert.com | Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

ADHD MAKES DEBUT AT STAGECOACH’S “DIPLO’S HONKYTONK STAGE”

Sunday marked the conclusion of Stagecoach and the third consecutive weekend of festivals in Indio. Despite the long run of events, the standing-room-only crowd at “Diplo’s Honkytonk Stage” was a testament to the broad appeal of new DJ duo, ADHD. The hour-long performance that kicked-off with their own mix of “Thinkin’ Bout Me” highlighted the unique sensibilities of Nashville-based songwriters Ashley Gorley and Jesse Frasure, imparting a sense that their hit-filled set could have easily fit any night of the festival circuit.
 
For the two hitmakers who’ve charted new territory sonically their entire careers, this DJing duo is a way to get back to their roots while revisiting and reimagining mixes across their vast songwriting catalogs.
 
“That might have been the most fun I’ve ever had in 25 years in the music business,” Frasure shares, still on a high from Sunday’s debut. “Super grateful to be able to take our concept of a DJ set predominantly filled with hits we’ve written and debut it for the perfect EDM and Country loving crowd in Diplo’s Honkytonk at Stagecoach.
 
“I think the crowd appreciated hearing original remixes of songs they loved from the songwriters themselves because we saw an overflowing tent dancing to a DJ duo they’ve never heard of,” Frasure continues. “Big thanks to The Neal Agency and Golden Voice for taking a chance on our vision. We can’t wait for the next one!”
 
“Our love for music each began with DJing, so it’s a full circle moment to be able to remix and play the crowd new versions of the hits we’ve written,” Gorley reflects. “It’s been fun to shake things up, to challenge and fuel our creativity in a new way outside of the writing room. The energy in the tent was incredible and we had a blast. Thank you to all the fans who showed up!”
 
ADHD was born in 2018 when Gorley and Frasure were on the road together for Thomas Rhett’s Life Changes Tour and DJed before the country singer went on stage. They went on to perform at parties and open for artists like Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj and other country tours, before officially signing with The Neal Agency for representation.
 
As individual composers, Gorley and Frasure have been recognized by the Recording Academy with multiple nominations and have won ACM, CMA, ASCAP and BMI awards. Gorley was recently inducted into the National Songwriters Hall of Fame. Follow along online at @adhd_officialDJs.

Photo Credit: Demian Becerra

17TH ANNUAL “DARIUS AND FRIENDS” BENEFIT CONCERT RETURNS TO NASHVILLE’S RYMAN AUDITORIUM MONDAY, JUNE 1

Multi-time Diamond-certified superstar Darius Rucker returns to the historic Ryman Auditorium on Monday, June 1 for his 17th annual “Darius and Friends” concert benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. The event, which unofficially kicks off the week of CMA Fest in downtown Nashville and has raised more than $5.1 million to date, will feature a surprise all-star roster of friends as has become tradition at the annual celebration.
 
Rucker, who has always prioritized philanthropic work throughout his career, made a commitment to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital nearly two decades ago after taking an inspiring tour of the hospital in 2008. Through this meaningful experience, Rucker learned how St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
 
Rucker’s effort has since become an annual tradition, with the Tennessean celebrating last year’s show as “a night of old favorites and new music delivered by both seasoned and fresh faces from the music industry.”
 
Friends performing with Rucker in past years have included Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Dan + Shay, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, Jelly Roll, Charles Kelley of Lady A, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Megan Moroney, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers, Tommy Thayer of KISS and Morgan Wallen, among many others.
 
Tickets to the 17th annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert start at $69 with VIP package options up to $249 via AXS.com. Pre-sale access begins this Wednesday, April 29 at 10 a.m. CT, with tickets on sale to the public this Friday, May 1 at 10 a.m. CT. The event is made possible with support from generous sponsors AMD and The Law Office of Jennifer McCoy.
 
For more information, visit DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

Kenny Chesney Drops New Music: Life-Affirming "Carry On" May 8

Nobody mixes genres, rhythms and postcards from life like Kenny Chesney. Just listening to “Carry On,” the ebullient cocktail of iconic bartender wisdom from the man the Los Angeles Times called “The People’s Superstar,” one is served a masterclass in the things that matter, the joy that should be harvested no matter what else is going on and the choices we’re given on a daily, even hourly, basis.
 
After spending 2025 as the first solo headliner and first country artist to play Vegas’ Sphere, two No. 1 New York Times best-seller list debuts for Heart Life Music, which was deemed “a love letter to the journey,” and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar returns to music with new waves of inspiration and passion for the laidback magic of being completely, unabashedly alive.
 
Quick to empower people to see the glass as half full, Chesney serves “Carry On,” where electric guitars cascade into a molasses melody and the lyrics capture a picture-perfect polaroid of a barmaid who’s figured out the secret of life. Sixty-nine, smoking hot and pouring drinks at Key West’s legendary Schooner Wharf, the heroine who “kissed Elvis” and had stories that “would make Penny Lane jealous” knew how to shake off what didn’t matter – with a bridge that declares, “If it feels good do it, if it doesn’t, then don’t…”
 
“It felt great in the studio,” explains Billboard’s Top Country Artist of the 21st Century. “Sometimes when you’re running down a song, it all just falls into place because it just feels good. ‘Carry On’ was fun, because of all the different genres we drew from. Plus, I love a chorus that throws life wide open – and reminds you how to find the light no matter what’s happening.”

Crystalizing that truth, the chorus – which begs for arms-around-each-other shout-alongs – offers a benediction that delivers everything you need on a Tuesday morning or a white-hot Saturday night. Warm baritone forward, he leans into the declaration with gusto:

“Carry on karaoke, it don’t matter if you can’t/carry a tune in a bucket anyways
Carry on, who cares what the naysayers say/if it’s Saturday night get carried away
Carry on, carry on, you can’t carry nothing with you and it won’t be long…
til it’s six carrying you home… til then you gotta carry on…”
 
Co-producing with Buddy Cannon, Chesney reaches – as always – for the hardcore positive vibes that define his outlook and what his songs are made of. In the same vein as the multiple-week No. 1s “American Kids,” “Save It for a Rainy Day” and “Get Along,” “Carry On” is a road map to inspire through tough times, good times and all the other times in between.

“Nothing lifts a mood like music. It’s something people can find their attitude adjustment in without doing too much work,” Chesney says. “I love that this song says, ‘Get out there and sing, even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket – because that’s real. We don’t care how you sound, we just wanna see everybody with their hands up, singing along with everything they’ve got. Those songs that change your energy are everything.”
 
Mixing his 20th studio release, Chesney’s focus remains great songs, pushing boundaries without betraying who he is and finding hits that open up possibilities for what feeling good sounds like.

IAN MUNSICK’S “LOVE IS BLIND” ARRIVES AS MOST-ADDED AT COUNTRY RADIO

Wyoming native Ian Munsick took his first single to Country radio today under his newly-minted partnership with his own WEST TO THE REST RECORDS and Triple Tigers Records. Written by Munsick, Ryan Tyndell and Jeremy Spillman, “Love Is Blind” arrived as the most-added single upon impact, with 66 total stations adding it to rotation. Listen to “Love Is Blind” HERE.
 
“Love Is Blind” is Munsick’s latest release following his WEST TO THE REST RECORDS/Triple Tigers Records debut, “Geronimo.” Directed by Ben Christensen, the accompanying music video was shot in Wyoming by Isaac Spotts and produced by Caroline Munsick. Watch HERE.
 
Munsick also recently announced he’ll be partnering with The Landmark Hotel & Casino to open the Ian Munsick Cowboy Bar & Western Grill in August in Deadwood, S.D. Built between 1894-1920, The Landmark is Deadwood’s largest historic structure at approximately 35,000 square feet. The Ian Munsick Cowboy Bar & Western Grill will reside within over 2,600 square feet of the footprint. The venue will promote and celebrate country and western music with old school country bar decor, along with two performance stages, one indoors and one outdoors.
 
The Eagle Flies Free Tour, which kicked off on February 13 in Charlotte, N.C., is currently underway. With upcoming stops in Wilmington, Ohio, Pelham, Tenn. and more, Munsick is joined by a rotating lineup of guests including Ben Haggard and Kenny Whitmire. The run will include Munsick’s second headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 25, with special guests ERNEST and Ned LeDoux.
 
The Eagle Flies Free Tour Dates:
Friday, April 24 || Wilmington, Ohio || Bowstring Brewyard + 
Saturday, April 25 || Marietta, Ohio || Peoples Bank Arena +
Friday, May 22 || Isle of Palms, S.C. || The Wind Jammer +
Saturday, May 23 || Pelham, Tenn. || The Caverns +
Saturday, May 30 || Cocoa, Fla. || Cocoa Riverfront Park Amphitheater +
Friday, June 5 || Louisville, Ky. || Fourth Street Live
Saturday, June 27 || Libby, Mont. || Happys Inn
Tuesday, Aug. 25 || Red Rocks Amphitheatre || Morrison, Colo. &
 
^ w/ Ben Haggard
& w/ ERNEST and Ned LeDoux
+ w/ Kenny Whitmire

MIRANDA LAMBERT ALIGNS WITH MCA

Three-time GRAMMY Award winner Miranda Lambert will release future music with MCA, marking an exciting new chapter in her decorated recording career.
 
One of the most influential and enduring voices in country music, Lambert’s decision to align her next phase with a Nashville-based label reflects a continued commitment to the creative community and roots that have long shaped her artistry. With MCA, she will be supported by a team focused on global reach and impactful storytelling.
 
“Miranda is a generational artist whose influence and artistry continue to shape modern music,” said Mike Harris, MCA President & CEO. “We are honored to work alongside her as she enters this next chapter and we look forward to building something truly special together.”
 
“Throughout my life and career, I have found that the common thread in every chapter is finding the right people – songwriters, musicians, collaborators and team members – to match the moment,” says Lambert. “I am honored to join a roster and a team with such a rich history of championing artistry. I look forward to sharing this new music with the world under their banner.”
 
Lambert, known for her honest storytelling, commanding live performances and unwavering authenticity, continues to push the boundaries of country music while maintaining a deep connection with its roots and its fans. 
 
A multi-dimensional superstar, she’s earned seven No. 1 solo albums, 10 No. 1 radio singles, more than 80 prestigious awards and countless RIAA certifications; conquered Las Vegas with her twice-extended Velvet Rodeo residency; blurred genres with wide-ranging collaborations; and was named to the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, she is among the most-nominated at this year’s ceremony, with eight nods recognizing her contributions not only as an artist, yet also as a songwriter and producer.
 
This next chapter further reinforces MCA’s role in shaping country music’s future, bringing together a defining voice in the genre with a label committed to building lasting careers and supporting artists who continue to move the genre forward.
 
Lambert continues in her role as Founder of Big Loud Texas, where she remains actively involved in her business partnership and ongoing artist development efforts across the label and its publishing company.

Miranda Lambert Aligns with MCA (L-R: Stephanie Wright, EVP/Head of A&R, MCA; Mike Harris, President & CEO, MCA; Miranda Lambert; Katie McCartney, EVP/General Manager, MCA; Rob Femia, COO/EVP Business & Legal Affairs, MCA; Damon Moberly, SVP Promotion, MCA) | Photo Credit: Tyler Conrad

KENNY CHESNEY TAKES OVER FLORA-BAMA’S DOME TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF NO SHOES RADIO ON SIRIUSXM

Orders from Waffle House were arriving curbside before 6 a.m. as No Shoes Nation lined up, hoping to just get inside the sprawling Flora-Bama Lounge, Package Store & Oyster Bar. While only 388 would cram into the Dome with decades of bras hanging from the ceiling, even proximity to Kenny Chesney’s freewheeling romp across ten years of No Shoes Radio on SiriusXM was enough to draw hundreds of people before daybreak.

By the time the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar took the stage with a 1, 2 sweep of “Get Along” and anthemic “Flora-Bama,” the crowd was singing as loud as the band – and a clearly emotional Chesney announced, “thank you is a word you’re going to hear a lot,” it was clear this set was going to distill all the joy, all the freedom and all the revelry that has defined No Shoes Nation, “a concertgoing community rivaled perhaps only by Parrotheads and Deadheads” according to Variety.

With a summer residency at Sphere in Vegas, FloraBama was the moment where Chesney could have fun with the music, veer from the set list – “The Good Stuff” after asking for the key, a forgotten, but obvious “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” and a lost-in-it version of George Strait’s “Carried Away” – and also dial up the sing-alongs, the positive energy and life affirming truths with the rarely played “Guitars and Tiki Bars,” Chris Stapleton’s “Never Wanted Nothing More” and the put it aside make the moment “Save It For A Rainy Day.”

By the time a particularly robust “When The Sun Goes Down” was headed to the final verse, bombshell writer/superstar-in-the-making Megan Moroney rolled onstage in a grey No Shoes Nation “corset,” and picked up the chorus. After telling the live audience and everyone listening on SiriusXM Channel 59 the story of their friendship, mutual admiration and adventures, Rosie & The Revival swooped into Moroney’s “You Had To Be There.”

Announcing Megan had just joined the band, the pair shared the smoky “You & Tequila,” a song of knowing better and somehow giving in. That ability to make intimacy massive had defined earlier performances of “Island Boy,” sent out to Boat Captain Ben in Maine, a surging “When I See This Bar” dedicated to FloraBama pirate/poet Jimmy Lewis, and a jubilant “Three Little Birds” for good friend Ziggy Marley and the entire Marley family that led into the tropical “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” that felt like personal witness.

“Some days, the songs are just bigger than you are, and they take you where they and the people want to be,” Chesney said of the show. “It was so alive, so free and we were all so glad to be together playing, being with the people, that energy took over everything. Whether it was up tempo or thoughtful, talking or laughing, it reminds me why music is the most powerful force to bring us together.”

Indeed, the turbo-shanty “Pirate Flag” came with all the swagger and bravado required; right down to a woman dressed in full wench regalia in the sweltering crowd. For a band built to rock, they kicked things into another gear. But “American Kids,” which closed the 90 minutes, delivered the loudest, biggest cheers and rush of what a great band can do.

“It’s crazy: people more on fire at the end than the beginning,” Chesney marveled. “When we hit that intro, you could feel the energy double and slam right into us. Talk about a wild ride! It’s the exact reason we do this, and the reason we can’t get to Vegas soon enough.

“I’ve lived a lot of life on No Shoes Radio. I am so grateful to SiriusXM for taking what we do and amplifying it all over the world. A whole lot has happened over the last ten years, and because of them, we’ve been able to live it with everyone who loves these songs.”

Photo Credit: Allister Ann

ERIC CHURCH IMMEDIATELY SELLS OUT THREE-NIGHT STAND AT RED ROCKS

With Church Choir fan club members exhausting their entire ticket allotment during the presale – once again underscoring Eric Church’s commitment to putting fans first – the limited tickets remaining for this morning’s general onsale were snapped up within minutes, officially selling out all three nights at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the second consecutive year.
 
Fresh off the critically acclaimed Free the Machine Tour, which honored boundary-defying album Evangeline vs. The Machine, the 11-time GRAMMY nominee returns to Red Rocks this July to celebrate 20 years of music with shows designed to be as unpredictable as they are unrepeatable. As with past destination runs, each night promises a unique experience shaped by setting, spontaneity and the unmistakable energy that defines a Church performance.
 
Church will follow the three-show run with a two-night stand at Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre, in addition to playing headlining sets at festivals throughout the summer including Barefoot Country Music Fest, the California Mid-State Fair, Boots on the Bend and more.
 
For more information and to purchase tickets to the upcoming shows, visit EricChurch.com and follow on TikTok, Facebookand Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

JONAH GORDON JOINS JODY WILLIAMS SONGS STAFF, TENASIE COURTRIGHT PROMOTED

Jonah Gordon has joined Jody Williams Songs (JWS) as Manager, Sync & A&R. Gordon comes to JWS from the sync department of Big Yellow Dog Music (BYD), which was recently acquired by Sony Music Publishing. 
 
“Jonah is the right person at the right time to ramp up our sync business and enhance creative services for our writers,” shares Nina Fisher, VP/GM of JWS. “He brings a skill set to our company that will help us to evolve and broaden the reach of our songs.”
 
In addition, JWS announces the promotion of Tenasie Courtright to Director, Creative & A&R. Formerly Creative Director at the company, Courtright took on added duties by performing hands-on A&R for JWS writer-artists Emily Ann Roberts, Ashley McBryde, Harper O’Neill and Peytan Porter. 
 
“When we discovered Tenasie’s natural abilities for A&R we encouraged her in this area and were extremely pleased with the results,” Fisher adds. “She is a key member of our creative team, and we are lucky to have her.”
 
JWS is an independent music publishing company that is a joint venture with Warner Chappell Music. The company represents Ashley McBryde, Driver Williams, Ed Williams, Emily Ann Roberts, Harper O’Neill, Jason Nix, Jeremy Spillman, Natalie Hemby, Peytan Porter and Vince Gill.
 
Jody Williams is founder of the company and serves as CEO.
 
Congratulate Gordon at jonah@jodywilliamssongs.co and Courtright at tenasie@jodywilliamssongs.co.

Jonah Gordon , Tenasie Courtright Photo Credit: Gina Di Maio