WME Signs 'Girls in Low Places' for Global Representation

WME has signed Katie Atkin and her country music podcast and digital brand Girls in Low Places for global representation.

Founded in 2024, Girls in Low Places has quickly evolved from a UK-born country music podcast into a multifaceted media platform with a growing presence on both sides of the Atlantic. Combining humor, personality and a distinctly international perspective, Girls in Low Places gives fans an authentic look at country music through candid artist conversations, behind-the-scenes access, original social content and live experiences.

Over the past year, Girls in Low Places has featured conversations with Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Shaboozey, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, Zach Top and more. The platform has become a destination for country music fans looking to go beyond the traditional artist interview while continuing to champion the artists shaping the genre’s future.

Today, Girls in Low Places reaches a community of more than 100,000 followers across platforms, representing growth of more than 400% in less than a year. Its monthly social reach has climbed as high as 16 million, with coverage surrounding the CMA Awards generating approximately 40 million views.

“Girls in Low Places was built around the idea of creating a home for girls in country music, a place where female voices, stories and perspectives are celebrated, supported and given room to be heard,” shared Atkin. “What started as a passion project, has grown into an incredible community, and I’m so proud of what we’ve built together. Partnering with WME feels like such an exciting next chapter. Their belief in our vision and what Girls in Low Places can become gives us the opportunity to dream bigger and continue building this platform in ways we’ve only begun to imagine. Let’s go girls...we’re just getting started.”

“Katie has created something truly distinctive with Girls in Low Places, combining her natural ability to connect with artists and fans with a fresh, international perspective on country music,” said WME’s Lindsey Dodge. “The growth she has achieved in such a short time is remarkable, and our entire team is excited to represent Katie and Girls in Low Places as they expand across media, live experiences and new opportunities around the world.”

At WME, Atkin and Girls in Low Places will be represented by Lindsey Dodge, Sara Pincus, Beth Hamilton, Abby Wells Baas, Millie Webber and Hannah Spark.

Girls in Low Places podcast episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. For more information, follow on Instagram @thegirlsinlowplaces and TikTok @girlsinlowplacespodcast. 

About WME:
WME is the world’s preeminent talent agency. With over 125 years of experience, WME enables artists, athletes and brands to grow their businesses, leverage the full potential of their intellectual property and bring projects to life that define the cultural landscape. WME’s expertise spans books, comedy, digital media, fashion, film, food, licensing, music, sports, television, theater and more. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, WME’s office locations include Australia, Chicago, China, London, Miami, Nashville and New York. WME is part of WME Group, a global network of businesses that represent the world’s leading talent, intellectual property and brands. For more information, please visit www.wmeagency.com.

Darius Rucker Returns With New Music: "I Believe" Arrives 9/9

Three-time GRAMMY Award winner and multi-Diamond certified superstar Darius Rucker returns with eagerly-awaited single “I Believe,” his first new music since his acclaimed 2023 album Carolyn’s Boy. Arriving Sept. 9 via MCA Nashville, the new single is available to pre-save/pre-order HERE.
 
Written by Rucker alongside Eric Paslay, Wayne Hector and producer Steve Robson, “I Believe” is a deeply personal yet universally relatable song rooted in hope and perseverance. Its message speaks to the moments when the world can feel uncertain and the path forward can seem difficult, offering a reminder to hold onto the things that endure: a faith in love and truth, a hope that there is always somewhere to return to, and the resilience to keep moving through the darkness toward the light.
 
“I think we all have moments when we wonder if things are ever going to get better,” Rucker says. “For me, this song is about remembering what you believe in when everything around you makes that hard. I believe in love. I believe in truth. I believe there’s always hope, and I believe in the people listening to this song. Sometimes you just need that reminder to keep going.”

“I call it my love letter to America,” he reflected during a recent appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show,” where he performed an acoustic preview of the song. “The way the world is, where we are right now – I believe in us.” Rucker also performed the song live throughout his recently concluded Songs of Summer Tour, with anticipation building among fans across social media.
 
For more information, visit www.dariusrucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

Ian Munsick’s 4th Studio Album, THE MOUNTAIN GOAT, is Available Now

As one of modern country’s few Rocky Mountain artists – and the only one to merge its timeless traditions with an electrifying roots-pop edge – Wyoming native Ian Munsick has taken his music to the wild places few singer-songwriters go. Yet with his fourth album, The Mountain Goat, he climbs farther out on his creative ledge than ever, all to prove Western culture is not a costume.
 
Listen to The Mountain Goat, available now, HERE. 
 
Marking his first independent album and the start of a new partnership between his own WEST TO THE REST RECORDS / Triple Tigers Records, Munsick remains as sure footed as his project’s fearless namesake, thriving in the isolation of a Western-flavored country pop frontier. But over a series of dizzying vocal peaks, new themes of incomparable beauty and harrowing hardship find the sonic homesteader in close harmony with nature.
 
“As usual, I just want to make sure the part of the country I come from is accurately portrayed in country music,” he explains. “There’s a lot of country in the Rockies and out West that needs representation, and I truly believe that’s a world where I will never run out of creative ammunition.”
 
Brought up in the shadow of the Big Horns on a family ranch outside of Sheridan, Wyoming, it’s a world Munsick knows by heart. Singing in the family string band before emerging as a solo artist in 2017, he earned the tongue-in-cheek “Mountain G.O.A.T.” title through hardscrabble success, wielding a tenor vocal as crisp as a mile-high morning. 
 
Racking up over one billion career streams between previous albums Coyote Cry, White Buffalo, and Eagle Feather, Munsick has produced one RIAA-Platinum duet “Long Live Cowgirls” (with Cody Johnson) – which also hit No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown – plus two Gold-certified hits: “Long Haul” and “Horses Are Faster.” Spotify, CMT, and the Grand Ole Opry were among the taste-making institutions to recognize Munsick’s vision, and concertgoers across the globe found a Western authenticity that can’t be faked – at least, not where Munsick’s from. It allowed him to make history in 2025, becoming the first Wyoming-born artist to headline Cheyenne Frontier Days, the iconic rodeo known around the world as the “Daddy of ‘Em All.” 
 
With The Mountain Goat, his quest to capture the Western mystique and bring it to fans continues. Fusing genuine tradition with cutting-edge sonics, 15 tracks (including two interludes and one reprise) feature an “earthy” new organic undercurrent, with the multi-instrumental master more connected to his acoustic roots – and more protective of his territory. After buying a small ranch near the Wyoming/Montana border, he and wife Caroline welcomed the birth of his second child in 2025 – a daughter named Roan – filling his heart with more songs than ever.
 
“It’s just about 180 acres of prairie grass by the Big Horn Mountains – a peaceful spot where we can escape the craziness of Nashville,” Munsick explains. “My music is very inspired by the outdoors and the people that work the land, so it’s a great spot to reconnect and remember what my family and I have is real. What the Earth has for us is real. Tapping into those emotions is key.”
 
Co-writing every new song, Munsick explores the profound perspectives brought into focus by the West’s mythical vistas – and the awe-inspiring experience of fatherhood, falling in love, and finding one’s place in the world. That includes the plucky heartbreak anthem, “Love Is Blind” – a high-flying fiddle-pop jam currently scaling the treacherous slopes of country radio. 
 
Co-produced by Munsick with Mike Robinson and Jeremy Spillman, The Mountain Goat continues to blaze new trails across the country landscape. An avalanche of untamed vocal power and raw, grizzled energy still form the bedrock of his sound, but Munsick’s string-band roots shine alongside a serene sonic charm, both wild and a bit whimsical. To get the effect, he and his team laid the foundation of each track personally. 
 
Munsick played acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo, harmonica – even bouzouki and piano – then a seasoned group of Nashville’s session hands helped finish the songs off. Among them, Ross Holmes’ fiddle was essential to multiple tracks. Justin Schipper added a cinematic pedal steel, and drummer Aaron Sterling gave it all a sense of forward momentum.
 
That much is clear from the album opening title track. A fiddle sawing banjo stomp with Munsick’s edgy vocal buzz in its full glory, “The Mountain Goat” is both a classic play on words spotlighting his Rocky Mountain credentials, and a tribute to those who resist the flat lands of conformity.
 
Elsewhere, tracks like the primal, pulse-pounding “Geronimo” take a flying leap off the ledge of love, and the easy trot of “My Montana” gives Big-Sky romance a mood-boosting beat (plus a soaring, free-spirited sound). “I’m a true tenor so there’s no use trying to fit in with the country norm,” Munsick says with a laugh. “Just got to work with the tools God gave me.”

Meanwhile, the overwhelming emotion of becoming a girl-dad surprised Munsick, even as an experienced parent. Tracks like stormy soul ballad “Blue Roan” begin with a tender, Spanish-style guitar, before swelling into a ferocious warning to any future smooth-talking outlaws. It’s joined by the controlled explosive outburst of “World War III.” “I’m a friendly guy, but if you hurt her, I’m going to hunt you down. Those are new emotions for me,” he explains.
 
Mother nature takes its rightful place in the center of Munsick’s worldview – even when it’s not obvious. With rusty country-rock hooks and a steel-braided drawl, “Cutthroat World” turns an icy trout stream into a restorative getaway. Through the serene prairie pop of “Palomino Eyes,” Munsick’s free-rein falsetto helps frame the stunning beauty he sees in his wife – and the beautiful world she makes possible. On “Winter in Wyoming,” he bids a sub-zero goodbye to a bitter heart.
 
Munsick takes on the role of a protector on the quiet, soul-and-steel guitar ballad, “Made Me a Man,” then the antidote to heartbreak on the intoxicating, atmospheric rocker, “Medicine Man.” A hand-crafted selection of interludes reference his favorite movie (Legends of the Fall) and an old-timey favorite from his family band (“The Girl I Left Behind”). But it’s not nostalgia Munsick feels for the Western way of life. That, he’s quick to point out, is very much alive.
 
With the rough-and-ready roadhouse anthem “Earn Your Spurs,” the rancher-turned-Rocky Mountain ambassador sizes up the cosmopolitan cowboys he sees every day. A dusky swirl of baritone guitar and cinematic synth back the message “Anyone can buy the boots, but you gotta earn your spurs.” As The Mountain Goat, it’s both a truth he was born into, and wisdom he’s privileged to share with the world.
 
“I don’t want to come off as a jerk, but being a cowboy is a lot more than just wearing the hat,” he says. “The main thing is just being able to be real and be who I am. What I want is for people to understand that Western life is not a thing of the past. It’s still here and hopefully it will continue to thrive in the mainstream of country music. And if you know, you know.”

WME SIGNS JAID JOICE FOR GLOBAL REPRESENTATION

Singer-songwriter Jaid Joice signs with WME for global representation. With lyrics that feel like pages from a diary, Joice embraces the highs and lows of life, crafting songs that resonate with those who have experienced change, growth and the rollercoaster of emotions that come with it.
 
Joice recently released her debut song “Cigarettes” and hosted an August 14 release show at The Underdog in celebration of her streaming debut. “Cigarettes” is available on all platforms, streaming Below.

Blending rock, country, blues and soul, Joice’s passion for music derives from childhood household sounds including Janis Joplin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nirvana, Patsy Cline and The Allman Brothers. Prior to signing with WME, Joice began playing guitar at the age of nine. The singer-songwriter signed her first label development agreement at 13 and publishing agreement at 18.
 
“I am beyond excited to join the WME family. The artists WME has worked with have been a huge inspiration to me from a young age,” shared Joice. “I am grateful for the journey to come, with a team built on perseverance and a true love for live music!”
 
“Every once in a while, an artist comes along whose talent is simply undeniable, and Jaid is one of those artists,” said WME’s Jon Folk. “She has a voice you don’t forget, incredible instincts as a musician and an authenticity that immediately connects. We’re incredibly excited to represent her and help build what we believe will be a very special career.”
 
Joice will support Muscadine Bloodline’s tour on select dates. Offering a nostalgic yet contemporary take on storytelling, Jaid Joice continues to be represented by F13 Music Group for management and Lost Highway Records for label services.
 
For more information, visit https://jaidjoice.com.

L-R Front Row: WME’s Lindsey Hastings, Jaid Joice and F13 Music Group’s Keith Hoffman
L-R Back Row: WME’s Lance Roberts, Geoff Turner, Jon Folk and Braeden Rountree 
Photo Courtesy of WME

About WME:
WME is the world’s preeminent talent agency. With over 125 years of experience, WME enables artists, athletes and brands to grow their businesses, leverage the full potential of their intellectual property and bring projects to life that define the cultural landscape. WME’s expertise spans books, comedy, digital media, fashion, film, food, licensing, music, sports, television, theater and more.  Headquartered in Beverly Hills, WME’s office locations include Australia, Chicago, China, London, Miami, Nashville and New York. WME is part of WME Group, a global network of businesses that represent the world’s leading talent, intellectual property and brands. For more information, please visit www.wmeagency.com.

IAN MUNSICK DROPS NEW CLOTHING LINE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHAEFER OUTFITTER

As Ian Munsick prepares to release his fourth studio album, The Mountain Goat, this Friday – which received early praise from The Tennessean for its “sweeping Western storytelling and vivid landscapes” – the Wyoming native is celebrating with the launch of his capsule collaboration collection with Schaefer Outfitter, available now HERE.
 
"The wait is over! Our clothing line collaboration with Schaefer Outfitter is finally yours. Caroline and I have waited years to deliver the kind of quality and style that this line embodies,” Munsick remarks. “I'll be wearing every single piece both on stage and on the ranch in Wyoming. Make sure to claim yours before they run out!" 

Ian Munsick and friends pose in Schaefer Outfitter shirts | Photo Credit: Ben Christensen

As Munsick embarks on his Road to the Mountain Goat western tour, Schaefer Outfitter will join on select stops in Park City, Utah; Laramie, Wyoming; and Deadwood, South Dakota. At each location, fans will have the opportunity to see and try pieces from the collection. The tour's merch operation will also carry Schaefer Outfitter hats and tees for fans to purchase.
 
Founded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Schaefer Outfitter has spent four decades providing western wear to working cowboys and ranchers. Their collection with Munsick includes custom pearl snap shirts, outerwear, hats and graphic tees designed collaboratively between Munsick and the Schaefer team. 
 
The collaboration was born from hands-on involvement with both Ian and Caroline Munsick providing design inspiration, artwork direction, fabric details, naming inspiration and more. With the line dropping around the arrival of Munsick’s fourth studio album, The Mountain Goat, songs off the project including “Geronimo” draw inspiration in multiple pieces.
 
“New album! New tour! New clothing line! The entire Schaefer Outfitter team is so thankful that we were able to be part of Ian’s journey,” adds Jason Smith, CEO of Schaefer Outfitter. “From the very beginning, we could not believe how much Ian’s commitment to quality, creativity, and giving back to the community of fans directly aligned with Schaefer Outfitter’s core values. We are so excited to get this out into the wild, and we can’t wait to see you singing along in the Ian Munsick + Schaefer Outfitter collection.”
 
The Mountain Goat marks Munsick’s first full-length project released via WEST TO THE REST RECORDS / Triple Tigers Records. Co-produced by Munsick with Jeremy Spillman and Mike Robinson, Munsick also played an extensive role in the instrumentation heard on the 15-track record. 
 
In total, Munsick is credited with playing nine different instruments: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, piano, bouzouki and kazoo, as well as lending background vocals and programming.

MIRANDA LAMBERT: ONE NIGHT ONLY TO OPEN NASHVILLE’S THE TRUTH ON OCT. 1

Ahead of her highly anticipated album Crisco arriving Oct. 2 via MCA, three-time GRAMMY Award winner Miranda Lambert will headline the Oct. 1 opening night of Nashville’s newest live music venue, The Truth, for a full set featuring her catalog of award-winning hits alongside a preview of select tracks off the new album. Tickets for “Miranda Lambert: One Night Only” go on sale to the general public this Friday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. CT via thetruthnashville.com.
 
Set in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, the 4,400-capacity venue will welcome Lambert as its inaugural artist for a one-night-only performance that feature a 12-piece string section as she celebrates Crisco in the city that has been home to so much of her creative life and career.
 
“It was magical to hear the way strings can transform a song when we were in the studio creating this record, and I can’t wait to bring that to life in an even bigger way with our full setlist,” shared Lambert. “We’ve never gotten to play that way on stage, and to have the opportunity to do it for the first time at the opening of a beautiful new venue right here in Nashville is going to be really special.”
 
The opening-night performance comes as Lambert enters a new creative era with Crisco, a vibrant and joyful collection inspired in part by the long-overlooked connection between country music’s dance hall tradition and the energy of disco. Early previews of the project include “Sunset Marquis,” a dreamy, California-soaked song, the previously released title track, “Till The Going’s Gone” and GRAMMY-nominated duet “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton which all join in showcasing the vibrant layers and joyful creative spirit at the heart of Crisco. 
 
For more information, visit MirandaLambert.com and pre-order / pre-save the album HERE.

About Miranda Lambert
Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multifaceted career as an artist, entertainer, producer, 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.” The song appears on her forthcoming album Crisco arriving October 2 via MCA. The new project follows her 2024’s GRAMMY-nominated Postcards from Texas, which 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.”
 
A multi-dimensional superstar, 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 rescue animals inspired the creation of her MuttNation Foundation, which has raised over $13 million since inception to promote adoption, support shelters across the country, advance spay & neuter and assist with the transport of animals during times of natural disaster.
 
MirandaLambert.com | Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

Kinsley Sets Debut EP Learn To Live for 9/25; "Learn To Live" Official Music Video Out Now

Following the announcement of her global publishing deal with Sony Music Nashville, rising singer/songwriter Kinsley announces her debut six-song EP Learn To Live, set for release on September 25 via MCA. Kinsley previews the project and title track with the “Learn To Live” official music video, available now. Watch and pre-save/pre-add Learn To Live HERE.
 
As a writer on all six songs, Learn To Live showcases the 22-year-old as an artist whose songwriting is at the center of everything she creates.
 
“This project feels like the truest introduction to who I am as a songwriter and as an artist,” shares Kinsley. “I’ve spent so much of my life writing to understand what I’m feeling and Learn To Live feels like a collection of those moments. Getting to share these songs with people for the first time is really special.”
 
To accompany the EP’s announcement, Kinsley releases an official music video “Learn To Live ,” offering a look at the people, places and experiences that helped shape her journey while making this project. Moving between candid moments with friends around Nashville, performing for friends and family and scenes of her taking the stage at songwriter rounds, the video reflects on the beginning of this new chapter for Kinsley.
 
“‘Learn To Live’ was the first original song I posted, and it really seemed to resonate with people, whether it was online or at a writer’s round,” reveals Kinsley. “So the video is really an ode to the song that got me here. I wanted to raise the curtain a little on what’s been going on in my world between then and where I am now, getting ready to release my first collection of songs, and I owe it all to this song.”
 
Written solely by Kinsley, the title track offers a reminder that there is a difference between simply making it through life and truly experiencing it:

Drawing from personal experiences and stories of those around her to explore heartbreak, healing, self-discovery and the complicated process of moving forward, Learn To Live establishes Kinsley as a songwriter with a clear voice and perspective.

About Kinsley
MCA singer-songwriter Kinsley creates music rooted in honesty, healing, and human connection. With her debut six-song EP Learn To Live, set for release September 25, the 22-year-old blends vivid storytelling, poetic lyricism, and raw, soulful vocals to establish herself as a songwriter with a clear voice and perspective. Having grown up across California, Texas and Tennessee, the Nashville-based artist writes the kinds of songs that make listeners feel seen and understood. An “old soul” with a lifelong passion for poetry and songwriting, Kinsley approaches music as both emotional refuge and personal expression — creating deeply human songs that live at the intersection of vulnerability and healing. Online at officialkinsleymusic.com.

Photo Credit: Hannah Gray Hall

JENNA PAULETTE RELEASES EMPOWERING NEW SONG “MAGGIE’S SONG (OLD BLUE JEANS)”

As Leo33 rising singer/songwriter looks ahead to new music, the Texas native is offering an antidote to heartbreak with her empowering new song, “Maggie’s Song (Old Blue Jeans),” out now. Listen Below. 
 
Written by Paulette, Smith Ahnquist and Brent Anderson, “Maggie’s Song” serves as a powerful reminder to women to be comfortable and confident in their everyday lives.
 
Reflecting on the song’s inspiration, Paulette shares, “‘Maggie’s Song (Old Blue Jeans)’ was written for my best friend of 20 years. She was going through it and told me she could really use a skinny cigarette, so I gave her a song to smoke when she needed it instead. 
 
“Sometimes the best thing I can do for someone is give them a jam to remind them just how bad ass they are—she doesn’t need all the bull he put her through but she does need to remember she’s a heartbreaker in just her old blue jeans,” Paulette adds. “Hopefully this will do that for her and anyone else that needs the reminder.”
 
“Maggie’s Song (Old Blue Jeans)” is Paulette’s first release since debuting “High Noon” at the 61st ACM Awards Whiskey Jam in Las Vegas. Earlier this year, Paulette earned 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. 
 
Paulette’s 2026 Back In The Saddle Tour is currently underway, with upcoming stops across Texas, including a stop at the legendary Gruene Hall with Jesse Raub Jr. on August 28. To learn more, visit JennaPaulette.com.

Remaining Back In The Saddle Tour Dates:
Aug 14 // Tyler, Texas // Rick's On the Square
Aug 15 // New Caney, Texas // Bull Sallas Park Showdown w/ Sundance Head & Jason Cassidy
Aug 23 // Denton, Texas // North Texas Fair & Rodeo
Aug 28 // New Braunfels, Texas // Gruene Hall w/ Jesse Raub Jr.
Aug 29 // Plano, Texas // Love & War in Texas
Oct 1 // Mt Pleasant, Texas // Titus County Fair
Nov 21 // Pittsburg, Kan. // Kansas Crossing Casino

Kaitlin Butts Says "I Wanna Be Bad" - Track Available Now; New Album, 'Hello, Honky Tonk' Coming 10/30

Boundary-pushing, Tulsa-born singer/songwriter Kaitlin Butts is following the announcement of  her upcoming fourth studio album, Hello, Honky Tonk, arriving October 30 via Republic Records, with the release of “I Wanna Be Bad,” available everywhere today. Named one of Rolling Stone’s most anticipated albums for 2026, the LP is a love letter to the honky tonks and nightlife that have shaped Butts while becoming a huge part of her life on the road. Listen to “I Wanna Be Bad” HERE and pre-save Hello, Honky Tonk HERE.

Written by Butts with Natalie Hemby, the song follows her critically acclaimed “Never Really Mine,” giving fans another glimpse into the world of Hello, Honky Tonk. With a playful invitation to cut loose, “I Wanna Be Bad” captures the uninhibited spirit at the heart of Butts’ forthcoming album. With a rowdy, rallying cry, she declares:

Oh and sometimes...I wanna go crazy
Oh and sometimes I wanna go maniac mad
I wanna smoke and drink and party
and dance all on the floor
Maybe kiss a cowboy
Maybe even more
Sometimes I wanna be bad

The zany and jubilant official music video for “I Wanna Be Bad” was also released today. Directed by Butts and frequent collaborator Chris Beyrooty and shot at Nashville’s Cross-Eyed Critters karaoke bar, the video finds her whirling through a madcap honky tonk fantasy filled with everything you might want for a memorable night out…Texas-sized beers, line dancing, drag queens and even some animatronic animals.  The video sets the tone for an album inspired by the vaudeville vignettes of movie musical Chicago with a dash of Disney World’s beloved Country Bear Musical Jamboree. Watch the video Below. 

Recorded in Nashville with producer Tofer Brown (Carter Faith, Willow Avalon, Little Big Town), Hello, Honky Tonk promises to bring about a night of laughter and tears at your favorite honky tonk, complete with a cast of characters listeners might recognize from the dance floor, behind the bar or from the corner booth. Filled with her sharp wit, theatrical sensibility and genre-bending musicality, it promises to be a vivid snapshot of a bar like no other.

“The thought behind the concept was how in Chicago, the character Roxie Hart is dreaming up what her show would look like and all the people in it,” says Butts, who began performing in musical theatre herself as a child and loved the idea of vaudeville-style vignettes.  Another light bulb flickered on during a recent trip to see the original Jamboree before it was updated. The vintage sensibility of the Nashville-inspired stage show, a favorite of hers as a kid, felt like home.  “When Teddi Barra came down from the ceiling on her swing, my mom and I just looked at each other and I was like, ‘That is me,’" she says of the cowboy-hatted, feather-boa sporting brown bear who inspired the album’s cover."   

She continues, “I picture all of this happening at Skinny Dennis here in Nashville,” she says of a popular honky tonk in town.  “These are all the different people in the room. There's the bar fight that's happening. There's the bad girl that just got off work. There's me being the entertainer. There are so many people that really love the night life. It’s a connector for people." 

“I Wanna Be Bad” follows Butts’ recent release “Never Really Mine,” a sharp-witted, self-assured take on jealousy and romantic freedom written by Butts alongside Maggie Antone and Lola Kirke, which Saving Country Music called “a pure, traditional country song.”

“I Wanna Be Bad” continues the introduction into the world of Hello, Honky Tonk, offering fans another glimpse at the characters, attitude and theatrical energy that have come to define Butts’ sound following her critically acclaimed album Roadrunner! in 2024, a bold reimagining inspired by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! that landed on numerous year-end best-of lists.

The new project continues a whirlwind year for Butts, who has expanded her creative footprint both onstage and behind the camera. Earlier this spring, Butts joined Willow Avalon on her song “Hypothetically Speaking” and its official video, starred in Ella Langley’s music video for the award-winning hit “Choosin’ Texas,” co-directed and wrote the treatment for Flatland Cavalry’s “Unglued” and joined The Band Perry on the recent reimagining of their hit “You Lie (Forever Version).”

The album marks her first full-length project since signing with Republic Records in October 2025 and releasing The Yeehaw Sessions, a fan-favorite EP featuring her genre-bending takes on songs including Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova,” Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” The Chicks’ “Sin Wagon” and Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time,” alongside her viral anthem “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me),” which has amassed more than 157 million TikTok views and 67 million global streams.

Butts continues to earn widespread critical acclaim for her fearless approach to country music and storytelling. Joining Lainey Wilson on her Whirlwind Tour, Ella Langley on The Dandelion Tour, headlining her own sold-out overseas tour with the European Cowgirl Experience, alongside features in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents exhibition for the second consecutive year, a 2026 MusicRow Award Nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and membership in both the 2025 Opry NextStage class and the CMT Next Women of Country class.

Hello, Honky Tonk arrives October 30 via Republic Records. “I Wanna Be Bad” is available everywhere now.

For the latest news, music and tour dates, visit kaitlinbutts.com and follow @kaitlinbutts on Instagram and Facebook and @kaitlinbuttsmusic on TikTok.

TAPE ROOM MUSIC ELEVATES CAROLINE HODSON TO VICE PRESIDENT, A&R

Independent publishing standout Tape Room Music has promoted Caroline Hodson to Vice President, A&R, elevated from Director, A&R.
 
“Caroline is one of the best young executives in our business,” shares Tape Room Music COO and President, Business Affairs Blain Rhodes. “She is a fierce champion of songwriters and the ultimate teammate. She has been vital in the success of our writers and entirely deserving of this promotion.”
 
“Tape Room is home to me. I’ve grown up with this team and our writers since they took a chance on me on day one,” shares Hodson. “I’m so proud that we’ve maintained a culture of consistent success paired with consistent personal support; our roster is truly like a family. Grateful to keep the train going and see where the tracks take us next.”
 
A graduate of Belmont University, Hodson joined Tape Room Music as an intern in 2020 and has advanced through the company’s A&R department, reflecting her dedication to songwriter development.
 
During her time at Tape Room, Hodson has worked closely with the company’s roster of songwriters to develop and facilitate creative opportunities and contributed to its continued success – including amassing 60 No. 1 songs – and supported founder Ashley Gorley in his songwriting and creative endeavors. She also manages the creative and marketing efforts for the label arm of the company, Tape Room Records, supporting artists and implementing release strategies.
 
Kicking off the year with three back-to-back No. 1s by mid-January, Tape Room Music currently has 14 singles in the top 50 at country radio, further solidifying its reputation for country chart prominence.

Photo Credit: Paul Wesolowski

About Tape Room Music
Tape Room Music is an independent music publishing company founded by Songwriters Hall of Fame member Ashley Gorley, where writers have celebrated 60 No. 1 songs. Recent chart-toppers include Blake Shelton’s “Stay Country or Die Tryin’,” HARDY’s “Favorite Country Song” and Megan Moroney’s “6 Months Later.” Building on a landmark 2025 that delivered six No. 1 singles at Country radio, topping Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs and Hot Country Songs chart with BigXThaPlug and Bailey Zimmerman’s “All The Way,” and 13 songs on Billboard’s Year-End Hot Country Songs chart, the company continues its momentum in 2026. Tape Room Music writers consistently expand their abilities, spreading their talents across writing, producing and performing. More at TapeRoom.com or follow along on Instagram @TapeRoomMusic.

Kaitlin Butts Delivers 'Hello, Honky Tonk' Album on 10/30; "I Wanna Be Bad" Offers Taste of New Music on 8/14

Boundary-pushing Tulsa-born singer/songwriter Kaitlin Butts is inviting listeners out for a night at her favorite honky tonk with the announcement of her new album, Hello, Honky Tonk, arriving October 30 via Republic Records. Named one of Rolling Stone’s most anticipated albums for 2026, the LP is a love letter to the honky tonks and night life that have shaped her while becoming a huge part of her life on the road. This Friday, August 14, Butts offers another taste of her upcoming fourth studio album with new song “I Wanna Be Bad.” It follows the critically-acclaimed “Never Really Mine,” giving fans another glimpse into the world of Hello, Honky Tonk. Pre-save the album HERE and “I Wanna Be Bad” HERE.

Inspired by the vaudeville vignettes of movie musical Chicago with a dash of Disney World’s beloved Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Hello, Honky Tonk promises to bring about a night of laughter and tears at your favorite honky tonk, complete with a cast of characters listeners might recognize from the dance floor, behind the bar or from the corner booth. Filled with her sharp wit, theatrical sensibility and genre-bending musicality it promises to be a vivid snapshot of a bar like no other.

“With every song, I saw a character in a honky tonk,” says Butts. “I’ve always loved the film version of Chicago and the way the musical numbers are presented almost like these little vaudeville vignettes, where you get to step into a character’s mind for a few minutes. I wanted to bring some of that feeling into a honky tonk and create this whole cast of characters that you might run into on a night out. There’s also a little bit of Country Bear Jamboree in there, because I realized recently it might be one of my earliest country music influences. This album is really a love letter to the honky tonks and the stages that have become my life on the road.”

The forthcoming track and album follow Butts’ recent release “Never Really Mine,” a sharp-witted, self-assured take on jealousy and romantic freedom written by Butts alongside Maggie Antone and Lola Kirke which Saving Country Music called “a pure, traditional country song.”

“I Wanna Be Bad” continues the introduction into the world of Hello, Honky Tonk, offering fans another glimpse at the characters, attitude and theatrical energy that have come to define Butts sound following her critically-acclaimed album Roadrunner! in 2024, a bold reimagining inspired by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! that landed on numerous year-end best-of lists.

The new project continues a whirlwind year for Butts, who has expanded her creative footprint both onstage and behind the camera. Earlier this spring, Butts joined Willow Avalon on her song “Hypothetically Speaking” and its official video, starred in Ella Langley’s music video for the award-winning hit “Choosin’ Texas,” co-directed and wrote the treatment for Flatland Cavalry’s “Unglued” and joined The Band Perry on the recent reimagining of their hit “You Lie (Forever Version).”

The album marks her first full length project since signing with Republic Records in October 2025 and releasing The Yeehaw Sessions, a fan-favorite EP featuring her genre-bending takes on songs including Chappell Roan’s “Red Wine Supernova,” Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” The Chicks’ “Sin Wagon” and Don Williams’ “Tulsa Time,” alongside her viral anthem “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me),” which has amassed more than 157 million TikTok views and 67 million global streams.

Butts continues to earn widespread critical acclaim for her fearless approach to country music and storytelling. Joining Lainey Wilson on her Whirlwind Tour, Ella Langley on The Dandelion Tour, headlining her own sold-out overseas tour with the European Cowgirl Experience, alongside features in the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents exhibition for the second consecutive year, a 2026 MusicRow Award Nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and members of both the 2025 Opry NextStage class and the CMT Next Women of Country class.

Hello, Honky Tonk arrives October 30 via Republic Records. “I Wanna Be Bad” is available everywhere this Friday, August 14.

For the latest news, music and tour dates, visit kaitlinbutts.com and follow @kaitlinbutts on Instagram and Facebook and @kaitlinbuttsmusic on TikTok.

Miranda Lambert's MuttNation Foundation Awards $250K+ in Surprise Grants w/ Tractor Supply Co.

Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation has once again teamed up with Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, to donate $255,000 to animal welfare organizations across the country. Through MuttNation’s annual Mutts Across America program, one outstanding shelter or foster-based rescue in every state – along with a “Wildcard” pick in honor of Lambert’s GRAMMY-winning album of the same name – is celebrated with a surprise $5,000 grant.

“Mutts Across America is one of my favorite MuttNation programs because it lets us show our appreciation to the people at the shelters who are doing the hard work every day,” said Lambert. “And to make it even more special, the grants are always a surprise – there's no way to apply or be nominated. Tractor Supply has been such an amazing partner, and we're so grateful for their commitment to MuttNation and to shelter pets across the country.”

Since the initiative was developed over 10 years ago by Lambert’s mother, Bev, Mutts Across America has supported more than 600 shelters with over $2.5 million in grants. Tractor Supply began partnering with MuttNation in 2021.

“At Tractor Supply, caring for pets and animals isn’t just part of our business – it’s core to who we are,” said Kimberley Gardiner, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer at Tractor Supply. “While we’ve partnered with local and national shelters for decades, our work with MuttNation allows us to deepen that commitment in truly meaningful ways. Together, we’re expanding our reach to drive critical support for the vital work these shelters do every day.”

Each year, MuttNation conducts extensive research to carefully select the organizations to be honored. Recipients are given no advance notice before receiving the award. 
 
In addition to the Mutts Across America partnership, MuttNation and Tractor Supply started the Relief For Rescues Fund in 2023 to help shelters and shelter pets recover from natural disasters. Most recently, the fund has assisted with recovery from 2026 floods in Texas and Tennessee and tornadoes in Kentucky. To date, the fund has generated over $2.2 million and provides year-round recovery support for natural disasters such as floods, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes, as well as in other emergency situations.  

Tractor Supply is also the exclusive retailer of MuttNation pet products, with a percentage of sales going towards supporting the mission of the MuttNation Foundation.  

MuttNation Foundation Co-Founders Bev Lambert (L) and Miranda Lambert (R) | Photo Credit: Tyler Conrad

The 2026 Mutts Across America grant recipients are:
Alabama: Summit’s Sanctuary
Alaska: Best Friends Animal Rescue
Arizona: Humane Society of Sedona
Arkansas: Big Paws of the Ozarks
California: Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue
Colorado: Parker’s Animal Rescue
Connecticut: Murphy’s Paw Rescue 
Delaware: Fur Ever Paws Rescue
Florida: Satchel’s Last Resort Animal Shelter / Rescue 
Georgia: Wet Noses Animal Rescue
Hawaii: Action 4 Animals Hawaii
Idaho: Companions Animal Center 
Illinois: Project Hope Animal Rescue Foundation
Indiana: Liberty Acres United Rescue Animal Sanctuary
Iowa: Safe Haven of Iowa County
Kansas: Pawsitive Tails Dog Rescue
Kentucky: Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP)
Louisiana: God’s PAWS Rescue and Shelter 
Maine: Pope Memorial Humane Society 
Maryland: Adopt a Homeless Animal Rescue, Inc. 
Massachusetts: Ruff Tales Rescue
Michigan: Canine Companions Rescue Center 
Minnesota: Rescue Network
Mississippi: Mississippi Animal Project 
Missouri: Diamonds in the Ruff Rescue 
Montana: Prairie Song Rescue 
Nebraska: Town and Country Animal Rescue 
Nevada: Those Left Behind Foundation
New Hampshire: The Humane Society for Greater Nashua 
New Jersey: Southern Paws, Inc. 
New Mexico: Espanola Humane
New York: ARF Hamptons 
North Carolina: Hope Animal Rescue
North Dakota: Miles of Love Dog Rescue 
Ohio: Speak for the Unspoken
Oklahoma: Memphis Street Animal Rescue
Oregon: SafeHaven Humane Society 
Pennsylvania: Abby’s Angels Animal Haven
Rhode Island: Handsome Dan’s Rescue
South Carolina: Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary
South Dakota: STARS Rescue
Tennessee: Team Memphis Rescue & Support 
Texas: Galveston Island Humane Society
Utah: Because Animals Matter 
Vermont: Second Chance Animal Center 
Virginia: Sunny Bear Rescue 
Washington: Smidget Rescue
West Virginia: Doddridge County Humane Society, Inc.
Wisconsin: Tails of Hope-WI
Wyoming: Casper Humane Society 
Wildcard Selection: APET (Animal Preservation of East Texas) 

Koe Wetzel's "Jaded" Feat. Ella Langley is Most Added at Country Radio Following Sold-Out Bridgestone Arena Headline Show

Koe Wetzel’s new single, “Jaded” featuring Ella Langley, is off to a massive start. Released Friday, the collaboration is today’s most added song at Country radio, with 107 stations adding the track which enters the Mediabase Country Airplay chart at No. 40. Meanwhile, its first-day streaming performance marked a new career high for Wetzel, outpacing even his blockbuster 4x-Platinum debut radio single “High Road,” which went on to hold the No. 1 spot for five weeks enroute to becoming the most-played song of 2025. The strong start led “Jaded” to debut at No. 28 on the U.S. Spotify Daily Chart, No. 38 on the Apple Top Songs chart, No. 10 on the Apple Top Songs Country chart and No. 2 on iTunes, cementing immediate momentum for the next chapter of Wetzel’s career.
 
The news comes just days after Wetzel headlined a sold-out Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Saturday night, bringing The Night Champion World Tour to country music’s home stage. The rowdy celebration showcased the full range of Wetzel’s live show, from the hard-charging rock of catalog staples to the more vulnerable material from his latest album throughout a fast-paced and pyro-heavy 90-minute set. The Tennessean praised the show that “captured the unruly, but magnetic charm Wetzel has built a career around,” declaring, “he remains the mercurial ringleader of a fun, rambunctious circus determined to seize the moment.”
 
“Playing a sold-out arena is something we’ll never take for granted, especially in Nashville,” says Wetzel. “And to have ‘Jaded’ coming out at the same time and already connecting like this makes the whole weekend pretty damn special. We can’t thank y’all enough for being so supportive, and I couldn’t be prouder to team up again with my friend, Ella Langley, on this one.”
 
“Jaded,” which builds upon the original release of Wetzel’s sixth studio album, The Night Champion, reunites Wetzel and Langley three years after they first teamed up on the Gold-certified “That’s Why We Fight.” The aching new duet explores the complicated space between new love and the scars left by a toxic past, with the two artists trading lines as they ask the ultimate question: How’d you get so jaded?
 
Billboard praised the “moody, vulnerable collaboration” produced by Gabe Simon and Jordan Schmidt that showcases “their voices melding mightily on the song’s storyline of being caught between romance and reservations,” while Rolling Stone declared of Wetzel, “His honest songwriting — and lack of fear around making a song sound a little darker or more dangerous than what we’re used to hearing on country radio — is what sets him apart.”
 
That unique sound will be on display once again as The Night Champion World Tour continues in New York City this Wednesday, August 12. Shane Smith & The Saints, Ole 60, Wyatt Flores, Corey Kent, Wade Bowen, Bayker Blankenship, Kolby Cooper and Logan Jahnke join as support across varying dates.
 
For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming shows, visit KoeWetzelMusic.com. Follow on TikTok@Koe_Wetzel and on Instagram and Facebook @KoeWetzelMusic.

Photo Credit: Keith Matchett

About Koe Wetzel
Roughneck, rule-breaking, red-dirt rocking, Koe Wetzel forged a harder kind of country that drew on grunge, rock and Texas’s outlaw sound. Starting as a kid in a beat-up van, he rose to regional then national prominence. Headlining arena tours even before signing with Columbia, his raw, unabashed music that prompted the cover headline on touring bible Pollstar ”Red Dirt Renegade Smashes Confines and Rocks the F out!” found even greater success in the mainstream. Wetzel’s 4x Platinum hit “High Road,” his debut Country radio single, spent five weeks at No. 1 and became the most played record of 2025. The Night Champion, his wildly anticipated new project out now, amplifies all the pieces of Wetzel’s musical attack to deliver an album that takes 2025’s American Music Awards Favorite Rock Album and Favorite Country Song nominee to deeper places.
 
Exhaustively touring the U.S., Europe and Australia, Wetzel built a global audience, amassing over 6.6 billion worldwide audio streams en route to 15 RIAA certifications. Having appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “This Past Weekend with Theo Von,” covers of USA Today, the LA Times, Pollstar, Billboard and more, he kicked off 2026 playing to over 70,000 fans at the storied Houston Rodeo. His 50+ date The Night Champion World Tour sees the fever pitch growing for the Pittsburg, Texan who’s tough, tender, ready to shoot out the lights, but also willing to reckon with where he comes from.
 
About Ella Langley
Ella Langley is a multi-platinum, chart-topping, and award-winning country artist whose unmistakable voice and fearless songwriting have made her one of the genre’s most defining new stars. After breaking out with her acclaimed debut album hungover, Ella entered her next chapter with Dandelion, her Platinum sophomore album that debuted at No. 1 and was executive produced alongside Miranda Lambert and Ben West.
 
Rooted in growth, self-reflection, and lived-in storytelling, Dandelion features standout hits including the 4X Platinum, chart-topping “Choosin’ Texas” and Platinum-certified single “Be Her.” From sold-out stages to record-breaking hits, Ella continues to redefine what it means to be a modern country star.
 
For more information, visit EllaLangley.com. Follow on Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook

HEY NOW Records Announces A&R Operations

With “Carry On,” their first single already breaking records and creating milestones, as well as massive anticipation for Kenny Chesney’s Silver Sands Marina, HEY NOW Records is ready to start gearing up their creative approach to the music industry by expanding the label’s roster. Focusing on singular artists who speak to an audience that is looking for artists who express their lives, the search for just the right team has led to Los Angeles-based Dilan “Hef” Ames to serve as Vice President of Artist & Repertoire, while Texas native, Nashville-based Alyssa Ramsey joins as Director of Artist Development.

Ames, with over a decade of discovering, signing, and marketing emerging artists, has worked at diverse organizations, including Alamo Records, 10K Projects and the Elektra Music Group. Known for a relentless work ethic and an ability to recognize talent early, Ames will identify stand out qualities and build digital and social media planks to build momentum and create connection with an active fan base.

“‘Hef’ is less worried about the genre label than how people are responding to the songs,” says Kris Lamb, HEY NOW President and Co-Founder. “Based in Los Angeles, he’s relentless in searching the internet, talking to tastemakers and music lovers to find artists long before they break out. He is a big believer that getting involved early can accelerate the creative process, in addition to identifying the audience and growing the passion factor from the earliest moments.”

Ramsey, a University of Texas graduate with a Master of Arts in Music Business from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, emerges from the Texas music scene, where she worked at both Red 11 Music and Rodeo Austin. Relocating to Nashville, Ramsey worked at Anthem Entertainment, then aligned with Dallas Davidson’s Play It Again Music Group, where she served as day-to-day artist manager and Manager of Label Services. In that integrated capacity, she marshalled the careers of Dylan Marlowe and several emerging artists.

“In today’s fast response world, Alyssa’s diverse experience allows her to consider the best ways to develop talent from many perspectives,” Lamb explains. “She is a ninja who understands release strategies, artist branding, and how to track growth in a way that sustains forward movement.”

Given a commitment to lean, responsive artist development, HEY NOW is keeping its focus on their signings – and supporting those artists who join the roster. To maximize potential and embrace a broad reach, HEY NOW is also deploying two consultants who will work in tandem with Ames and Ramsey to make even more signings possible without sacrificing the artist development work necessary.

“There is so much talent out there, and you want to know that you’re taking a meaningful look at as many deserving artists as possible,” Lamb offers. “We also want to – once we identify who is a fit for HEY NOW – put our absolute, total efforts behind every single artist. By deploying consultants, that means once artists join HEY NOW, they get the full benefit of Alyssa and Hef; but it also means we have more eyes on the prize, creating the strongest possible roster.”

HEY NOW is a fully functional independent label, designed to super-serve artists with a unique and strong sense of who they are. HEY NOW seeks to apply a boutique philosophy to artist development by creating marketing, promotional and sales/streaming strategy that reflects each artist’s core values.

Dilan "Hef" Ames | Photo Credit: Zach Wesner
Alyssa Ramsey | Courtesy of HEY NOW Records

About Dilan “Hef” Ames, Vice President A&R
Ames is an experienced Los Angeles-based music executive, who got his start in the fast-moving world of sports journalism. Transferring that passion and quick reacting focus to identifying and finding artists across myriad (social media) platforms, his fans first approach to signing talent has seen him go from Artist Publishing Group as an intern to a full-time role at Alamo Records. From there, the decade-plus A&R veteran stepped into leadership roles at progressive independent 10K Projects and Elektra Music Group. Known for his insatiable work ethic, the ability to recognize talent early and create unique plans to deliver long-term careers, Ames is at the forefront of the next wave of A&R executives who understand each signing is unique and deserves individualized development protocols.

About Alyssa Ramsey, Director, Artist Development
Ramsey delivers a multi-dimensional approach to artist development that interweaves marketing, career development, brand reality, A&R and project management to maximize each artist’s strengths for the greatest possible impact. A Fort Worth native, she graduated from the University of Texas Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising before earning her Master’s in Music Business from Berklee College of Music in Boston, taking her knowledge into the Texas music scene where she established her across-all-department vision at Red 11 Music and Rodeo Austin. Arriving in Nashville, the songwriter-obsessed executive worked at Anthem Entertainment before moving into an integrated day-to-day artist manager/Manager of Label Services at Play It Again Music Group, where she handled release strategy, branding and artist development for Dylan Marlowe, Slater Nalley and Faith Hopkins.

KINSLEY SIGNS WITH SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING NASHVILLE

Kinsley has signed a worldwide exclusive publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Nashville, continuing her momentum as a rising singer/songwriter, following the announcement of her signing to MCA.
 
“Finding a home with Sony Music Publishing feels incredibly special,” shares Kinsley. “This team has quickly become like family to me, and I am beyond thankful for their belief in me.
 
“Writing has always been my way of making sense of the world and will always be my first love,” she adds. “I’ve always wanted to write songs that make people feel understood. I’m so excited to have a team that is so passionate in helping me grow as a songwriter.”
 
“From the moment we first met Kinsley, I knew I had to work with her,” shares Synnovea Halsel, Manager, Creative A&R, Sony Music Publishing Nashville. “It’s impossible not to be moved by the storytelling in her lyrics and the emotion in her voice. Kinsley is such a special talent and we’re so lucky to get to work with her at SMP.”
 
Today’s announcement also follows the release of her debut tracks, “Pieces of Me,” exploring heartbreak, identity and the lasting impact of love and loss, and “Whiplash,” a fiery track that taps into her lifelong love of rock music. Listeners can expect more new music on the way soon.
 
From growing up in California to learning music on her family’s land in North Carolina, to moving to Texas in high school before eventually settling in Tennessee with her family, each chapter has left its mark on both Kinsley’s perspective and her sound.

Poetry became Kinsley’s creative outlet to process her emotions, laying the foundation for a songwriting style that blends vivid storytelling, poetic lyricism and raw, soulful vocals in a way that resonates deeply with listeners.
 
Kinsley first connected with audiences through her “Midnight Sessions” on YouTube with intimate performances that offered an early glimpse into her deeply personal songwriting. Watch BELOW.

ABOUT KINSLEY
MCA singer-songwriter Kinsley creates music rooted in honesty, healing, and human connection. Having grown up across California, Texas and Tennessee, her music reflects the many places, experiences, and perspectives that have shaped her. Blending vivid storytelling, poetic lyricism, and raw, soulful vocals, the Nashville-based artist writes the kinds of songs that make listeners feel seen and understood. An “old soul” with a lifelong passion for poetry and songwriting, Kinsley approaches music as both emotional refuge and personal expression — creating deeply human songs that live at the intersection of vulnerability and healing. Online at officialkinsleymusic.com.

Kinsley signs with Sony Music Publishing.
Top Row (L to R): Rusty Gaston, Tom Luteran and Aubrey Landon
Front Row (L to R): Kinsley and Synnovea Halsel

Miranda Lambert Announces Billy Bob's Album Release Show to Celebrate 'Crisco'

In celebration of her highly anticipated new album Crisco arriving Oct. 2 via MCA, Miranda Lambert will return to her home state for a one-night-only album release show on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with tickets on sale to the general public this Friday, Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. CT via MirandaLambert.com.
 
Fittingly, the celebration will take place at Billy Bob’s Texas, where generations of fans have filled one of country music’s most iconic dance floors. It’s a natural homecoming for Crisco, an album inspired by the long-overlooked kinship between country music’s dance hall tradition and its shared heartbeat with disco clubs.
 
“When I was in the studio recording Crisco, I kept picturing the rhinestone saddle at Billy Bob’s,” shares Lambert. “It’s the perfect visual for a country disco album: honky tonk with some extra rhinestones and shine. I’ve played some of my all-time favorite shows at Billy Bob’s and it felt like the best place to bring everyone together to have fun and live out the feeling of this album.”
  
The show announcement comes on the heels of Friday’s release of “Sunset Marquis,” a dreamy, California-soaked song that joins the previously released title track plus “Till The Going’s Gone” and GRAMMY-nominated duet “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton in showcasing the vibrant layers and joyful creative spirit at the heart of Crisco. 
 
For more information, visit MirandaLambert.com and pre-order / pre-save the album HERE.

About Miranda Lambert
Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multifaceted career as an artist, entertainer, producer, 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.” The song appears on her forthcoming album Crisco arriving October 2 via MCA. The new project follows her 2024’s GRAMMY-nominated Postcards from Texas, which 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

Ian Munsick Releases New Song, “Palomino Eyes,” Off Upcoming Album

Wyoming native Ian Munsick continues to intertwine those Western themes he’s known for into his latest release, “Palomino Eyes,” available now. Listen Below.
 
Written by Munsick and Phil O’Donnell, “Palomino Eyes” places a cowboy’s lens onto rose-colored glasses, emphasizing the beauty of how the world is seen through a partner’s eyes.“Nine times out of ten a song title hits me days, weeks, months or even years before I actually sit down to write it. It’s extremely rare that an idea is born and I have the time and creative juice to write it from start to finish,” Munsick explains. “But when I was driving through the farmland of Tennessee on my way to write with one of my favorite songwriters, Phil O’Donnell, I saw a beautiful Palomino hanging by the fence with enamoring blue eyes. I thought to myself, ‘I have one of those waiting for me at home… Caroline.’” 
 
He continues, “We wrote ‘Palomino Eyes’ in a few hours, unsure which part was the chorus and which part was the verse. That’s probably one of the reasons why it’s my personal favorite song on the album. It doesn’t follow a formula. It’s free and untamed, just like that Palomino and my beautiful wife.”
 
“Palomino Eyes” is the latest release off Munsick’s upcoming studio album, The Mountain Goat. Spanning 15 tracks, The Mountain Goat is Munsick’s first independent release via WEST TO THE REST RECORDS in partnership with Triple Tigers Records, and was produced by Munsick, Jeremy Spillman and Mike Robinson. Pre-save HERE. 
 
Additionally, five D2C fan packs are available to pre-order on his online store, including an exclusive autographed zoetrope vinyl. Pre-order HERE.

Along with co-producing the album, Munsick also played an extensive role in the instrumentation heard on the record. In total, Munsick is credited with playing nine different instruments: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, piano, bouzouki and kazoo, as well as lending background vocals and programming.
 
Munsick promises to deliver fans a memorable tour of the west with a series of shows during album release week, as well as the launch of his Schaefer Outfitter clothing line on August 18. As part of “The Road to The Mountain Goat,” Munsick’s official album release show will be held at Deer Valley Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater in Park City, Utah on August 22 as part of the Deer Valley Concert Series. 
 
Founded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Schaefer Outfitter has spent four decades providing western wear to working cowboys and ranchers. Their collection with Munsick will include custom pearl snap shirts, outerwear, hats and graphic tees designed collaboratively between Munsick and the Schaefer team. Fans can enter to win a signed piece of the collection HERE.
 
Munsick is also partnering with The Landmark Hotel & Casino to open the Ian Munsick Cowboy Bar & Western Grill in Deadwood, S.D on September 18. 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 Road to The Mountain Goat Shows:
Aug 21 || Minden, NV || TJ's Corral Outdoor
Aug 22 || Park City, UT || Deer Valley Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater
Aug 25 || Morrison, CO || Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Aug 28 || Pueblo, CO || Colorado State Fair
Sept 11 || San Angelo, TX || Black Buck Amphitheater 
Sept 12 || Albuquerque, NM | New Mexico State Fair
Sept 18 || Deadwood, SD || Deadwood Jam

About Ian Munsick:
As one of modern country’s few Rocky Mountain artists – and the only one to merge its timeless traditions with an electrifying roots-pop edge – Wyoming native Ian Munsick lives in the wild places few singer-songwriters go. Yet with his fourth album, The Mountain Goat, he climbs farther out on his creative ledge than ever. Marking his first independent album on WEST TO THE REST RECORDS / Triple Tigers Records, Munsick remains as sure footed as his project’s fearless namesake, thriving in the isolation of a Western-flavored modern country frontier. Racking up over one billion career streams with previous albums Coyote Cry, White Buffalo, and Eagle Feather, Munsick has produced one RIAA-Platinum duet “Long Live Cowgirls” (with Cody Johnson) – No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown – plus two Gold-certified hits: “Long Haul” and “Horses Are Faster.” Spotify, CMT, and the Grand Ole Opry were among those to recognize Munsick’s vision, and concertgoers across the globe have found a Western authenticity that can’t be faked. Munsick made history in 2025, becoming the first Wyoming-born artist to headline Cheyenne Frontier Days – the iconic rodeo known as the “Daddy of ‘Em All” – and with The Mountain Goat, his quest to bring Western mystique to modern fans continues. Fusing genuine tradition with cutting-edge sonics, 15 tracks feature an “earthy” new organic undercurrent, with the multi-instrumental master more connected to his acoustic roots – and more protective of his territory.

KOE WETZEL EXPANDS THE NIGHT CHAMPION WITH ELLA LANGLEY DUET “JADED” OUT NOW

Following a week of building fan speculation and the excitement that followed as Koe Wetzel officially announced his reunion with Ella Langley on new radio single “Jaded,” the aching duet is available everywhere now. Marking the pair’s first collaboration since Gold-certified “That’s Why We Fight,” the song arrives as another bold chapter in Wetzel's critically acclaimed The Night Champion era. Listen Below.
 
“Ella’s been one of my favorite people to write and sing with for a long time,” says Wetzel. “We recorded ‘That's Why We Fight’ early on in both of our careers, and getting back in a room together was something we talked about every time we saw each other. When she sings, you believe it and I’m excited we could get this one out there to the fans."
 
“Koe and I have known each other and been friends for a long time,” adds Langley. “He was one of the first artists I ever got to collaborate with and one of the first I went out on the road with back in 2022. Getting to write and record another song together is special.” 
 
Co-written by Wetzel, Langley, Jordan Schmidt and ERNEST, “Jaded” continues the creative momentum of The Night Champion, which led VICE to proclaim, “Koe Wetzel is making music you think no one makes anymore...It is—from front to back—Southern-fried alt rock steeped in whiskey and served with a side of grunge posture.” Standout album track “Nowhere Fast” was also recently named by The New Yorker’s Kelefa Sanneh as one of the three best songs of 2026 so far, alongside a new release from Ariana Grande and viral Cuban hit “Dichavate.”
 
The release also arrives alongside a new Rolling Stone feature chronicling the making of The Night Champion and the evolution of Wetzel’s career as well as his creative partnership with producer Gabe Simon.
 
“Jaded” continues the creative momentum of the June release, which Wetzel quickly followed with five additional songs written and recorded alongside the album’s original 11 tracks, showcasing the fearless songwriting, hard-earned perspective and genre-bending approach that have earned him a devoted fanbase across the globe.
 
With The Night Champion World Tour underway now, fans across the U.S., Canada and Australia have a front-row seat to Wetzel’s latest chapter, with a setlist packed with new music alongside fan favorites spanning his catalog. Shane Smith & The Saints, Ole 60, Wyatt Flores, Corey Kent, Wade Bowen, Bayker Blankenship, Kolby Cooper and Logan Jahnke join as support across varying dates.
 
For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming shows, visit KoeWetzelMusic.com. Follow on TikTok@Koe_Wetzel and on Instagram and Facebook @KoeWetzelMusic.

About Koe Wetzel
Roughneck, rule-breaking, red-dirt rocking, Koe Wetzel forged a harder kind of country that drew on grunge, rock and Texas’s outlaw sound. Starting as a kid in a beat-up van, he rose to regional then national prominence. Headlining arena tours even before signing with Columbia, his raw, unabashed music that prompted the cover headline on touring bible Pollstar “Red Dirt Renegade Smashes Confines and Rocks the F out!” found even greater success in the mainstream. Wetzel’s 4x Platinum hit “High Road,” his debut Country radio single, spent five weeks at No. 1 and became the most played record of 2025. The Night Champion, his wildly anticipated new project out now, amplifies all the pieces of Wetzel’s musical attack to deliver an album that takes 2025’s American Music Awards Favorite Rock Album and Favorite Country Song nominee to deeper places.
 
Exhaustively touring the U.S., Europe and Australia, Wetzel built a global audience, amassing over 6.6 billion worldwide audio streams en route to 15 RIAA certifications. Having appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “This Past Weekend with Theo Von,” covers of USA Today, the LA Times, Pollstar, Billboard and more, he kicked off 2026 playing to over 70,000 fans at the storied Houston Rodeo. His 50+ date The Night Champion World Tour sees the fever pitch growing for the Pittsburg, Texan who’s tough, tender, ready to shoot out the lights, but also willing to reckon with where he comes from.
 
About Ella Langley
Ella Langley is a multi-Platinum, chart-topping, and award-winning country artist whose unmistakable voice and fearless songwriting have made her one of the genre’s most defining new stars. After breaking out with her acclaimed debut album hungover, Langley entered her next chapter with Dandelion, her Platinum sophomore album that debuted at No. 1 and was executive produced alongside Miranda Lambert and Ben West.
 
Rooted in growth, self-reflection, and lived-in storytelling, Dandelion features standout hits including the 4X Platinum, chart-topping “Choosin’ Texas” and Platinum-certified single “Be Her.” From sold-out stages to record-breaking hits, Langley continues to redefine what it means to be a modern country star.
 
For more information, visit EllaLangley.com. Follow on Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook

Miranda Lambert Previews 10/2 Album 'Crisco' with "Sunset Marquis," Out Now

Miranda Lambert continues to unveil her highly anticipated new album with today’s release of “Sunset Marquis.” The dreamy, California-soaked song adds another vibrant layer to the joyful creative spirit at the heart of Crisco, arriving October 2 via MCA. Listen Below and pre-order / pre-save the album HERE.
 
Written by Lambert alongside co-producer Jesse Frasure, David Garcia, Waylon Payne and Ashley Monroe, “Sunset Marquis” is an homage to the iconic West Hollywood hotel that has long served as a creative refuge for musicians, actors and artists alike. Floating on a breezy, ’70s-inspired groove, the song captures the timeless allure of a place “where time stands still... where the stars come out and the music’s loud,” inviting listeners to slip away into its unmistakable atmosphere.
 
“I've been staying at the Sunset Marquis for close to 20 years,” shares Lambert. “Every time I'm there, you never know who you’re going to run into or what kind of memories you’re going to make. It has this timeless energy that feels like stepping into another era. When we wrote this song, I wanted listeners to be able to close their eyes and feel like they were there with us – to see it, smell it and experience the magic that’s made the Sunset Marquis such a special place for so many years.”
 
Released alongside the song is an official visualizer that brings the track’s nostalgic energy to life, featuring Lambert in a Cat O’Nine bodysuit with a gleaming vintage red convertible bathed in vibrant neon light as she channels the timeless glamour, romance and late-night mystique of the legendary hideaway that inspired the song.
 
“Sunset Marquis” also extends beyond the album, appearing in the forthcoming documentary If These Walls Could Rock, available to stream on digital platforms beginning next Friday, Aug. 14.
 
The song joins the previously released title track plus “Till The Going’s Gone” and GRAMMY-nominated duet “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton in previewing Crisco. Produced by Lambert and Frasure, the forthcoming album celebrates the many worlds that have always existed within country music as it nods to the genre’s shared history with disco music. Across 12 tracks, Lambert explores heartbreak and hope, highways and honky-tonks, rhinestones and roller skates, creating a record that feels both timeless and refreshingly alive while embracing every side of the artist fans have come to love: the storyteller, the wanderer, the romantic, the troublemaker, the traditionalist and the dreamer. 

About Miranda Lambert
Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multifaceted career as an artist, entertainer, producer, 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.” The song appears on her forthcoming album Crisco arriving October 2 via MCA. The new project follows her 2024’s GRAMMY-nominated Postcards from Texas, which 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

Kenny Chesney, SILVER SANDS MARINA + the Reality of Albums

When Kenny Chesney decided to re-record “Carry On,” then add three tracks to the project he’d been working on, the 2025 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee thought he was just trying to maximize the potential for what became Silver Sands Marina. His 21st studio recording, though, turned into something the songwriter/superstar didn’t realize in the moment – only after he’d finished tweaking three new songs, finishing the sequence and listening to the entire project.
 
“There wasn’t a master plan,” admits the high-energy performer. “I wish I could say there was a master plan, but the truth is: the songs that felt like they belonged together knew something I didn’t. After the first couple listens to what became the final sequence, I realized, ‘This is an album.’
 
“With all the tracks, the playlists, the drops, I think we’ve forgotten the power of an actual collection of songs designed to work as a whole. Not 10 or 12 or even 18 great songs, but songs that have a relationship to each other, that speak to how life rolls out and happens.”
 
Having made the decision to follow his heart instead of merely doing what he’s always done, Chesney changed the game for what kinds of songs he was seeking – and what he wanted this project to be. Committing to brand new independent HEY NOW Records, the rule book went out the window and suddenly the man who earned his bones as a young writer at Acuff Rose Music found creative gears that explored emotions, turning points and hilarity in a way that most albums don’t.
 
With the random encounter/perfect moment title track, the surging song of arrival “Burn My Boat” and “Carry On,” Chesney’s first independent label single that marked his 100th charting single, making him the new record holder for Most Top 10s – and the 3rd in chart history to lock the entire country radio panel in its first week – it’s obvious the music on Silver Sands Marina speaks to the emotions we often move through without pausing to feel them. For Chesney, listening back, he recognized that not only did his latest contain a wide sweep of eclecticism, it dug deep into the heart of the matter, made fun of some tough stuff, created clarity in the storm and conjured all the feels.
 
“Songs that make you laugh, that make you realize what a moment might actually mean, those things are so important – and we forget all about them. Musically, lyrically, even the idea of opening with ‘Burn My Boat’ and closing with Brett James and Tony Lane’s ‘Shot Glass’ takes you places I’ve never been… and when all the songs line up next to each other, you get a real taste of how life rolls out, and the things you don’t see until it’s too late.”
 
Due Sept. 25, Silver Sands Marina features appearances by singer/songwriters Lily Meola, Megan Moroney and Colbie Caillat and embodies all the things the East Tennessean is known for: positive vibes, good humor, long drives, specific places, moments and memories that are destined to last a lifetime, obliterate what pulls you down and deliver a sense of how sweet life truly is.
 
Co-produced with longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon, the pair drew on some of Nashville’s most iconic songwriters including Shane McAnally, Matraca Berg, Tia Sillers and Jessie Alexander, plus emerging powerhouses Jessi Jo Dillon, Adam Wright and Tennille Townes
 
Personal, reflective, empowering and euphoric in different places, pre-order/pre-save/pre-add HERE.
 
The man with the most Billboard Country Airplay No. 1s returned to TalkShopLive – where limited signed copies of the picture disc vinyl, as well as signed albums and CD, are available – for his first discussion of Silver Sands Marina. Beyond unpacking many of the songs on the 11-song project, he elaborated on the way albums made of songs that speak to each other offer an extra dimension to the listening experience – and uncover the nuances of what being truly present can mean.

Watch the full conversation here: https://talkshop.live/watch/fvRzP4UAS_kb

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