FOCUS on the 615
Nashville's premier entertainment blog including album, song and show reviews and exclusive artist interviews.
Keith Urban and bandmates performing during ACM Party For A Cause.
Article, full videos with interviews, and many more clips of performances are coming! Until then, enjoy this short video preview from ACM Party For A Cause at The Linq during ACM week in Las Vegas. Watch the video here!
Well, it’s safe to say that FOCUS have become big supporters of Green River Ordinance and, as a special gift to our readers, Green River Ordinance is offering a free download of their song “Dancing Shoes”. You’ll be seeing and hearing Josh, the lead singer, performing this song acoustically right here on FOCUS in the next few days along with his interview. Until then, enjoy a free download of this song just by subscribing to this site on the left hand side of this page. When I see your email subscription, I’ll send you the free download. It’s that easy AND by subscribing to the site, you’ll never miss a thing!
Stay tuned for a lot more fun and more giveaways in the future from FOCUS on the 615!
Here’s a fun picture of Matt Williams with the uber-talented, Laura Bell Bundy! Continue Reading →
While I have sometimes criticized artists for being too cliche about their subject matter for their country songs, Craig Morgan has made a career out of writing songs that paint a portrait of life in small towns in the south and he does it well. Puts me in mind of visits to my relatives’ towns in Arkansas during the summertime growing up and a simpler time. This is what he’s known for and he does it right with strong vocals to go along with it. I love the pictures that he paints with his songs. They just make me feel good. Continue Reading →
Some songs you just know it’s going to be a hit because they get stuck in your head for days and you catch yourself humming along without even realizing it. This is one of those songs.
I first heard Sarah Darling’s new single “Home To Me” back in June live during CMA Music Festival and then I heard it again on XM The Highway just the other day. The song just grabbed me right away and I loved it instantly. If it’s not a hit on the country charts, then something’s wrong. I don’t even mind that it’s repeated about 5 times now on my computer since I’ve been writing this. Just doesn’t get old.
It’s well-written by Caitlyn Smith & Bobby Hamrick. So catchy with a great hook and flowing melody with great imagery. Should make for a good video. It’s a mid-tempo, contemporary country song that just makes you feel good inside and is beautifully-sung by Sarah Darling.
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.
I was pleasantly surprised by this single “Little Big Sky” that was co-written and sung by Susan Cattaneo. I found the vocals pretty strong and natural, enjoyed the melody, and the whole optimistic message behind this mid-to-uptempo song featuring a heavy dose of fiddle. I don’t know that it will enjoy much commercial success because of today’s standards or radio airplay, but it was a good song that I would listen to again. Good production qualities, but no real “wow” moments in this one or that made it really stand out. Her style of vocals put me in mind a little of Trisha Yearwood.
Overall a good effort not great, but still a song that I think today’s country music enthusiasts might enjoy listening to.
Rated 3 out of 5 stars.
Finally got to listen to the new single by Kip Moore “Beer Money” and it’s been on repeat on my iPhone all day. This new single is set to release July 9th. Needless to say, I absolutely love this song! I enjoyed his recent hit, too, and was surprised it took a bit to catch on, but luckily it finally did.
This new song is upbeat, fun , and just the kind of song that is perfect for summertime. People will want to roll down their windows, crank this one up, drive somewhere, and forget their worries for a bit. It’s very catchy and you’ll be hooked on it just like me. If “Something ‘Bout A Truck” and “Beer Money” are any indication, I think Kip Moore is destined for many more #1 hits!
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.
I have watched and I have held my tongue long enough about this subject. WHY is country radio not playing and promoting more solo female artists? WHY do they not give these incredibly talented female solo artists, female duos, and female trios equal airplay like they give their male counterparts?
Female artists: solo, duos, and trios are being dropped from labels left and right because they aren’t selling as much as male artists. This all goes directly back to they aren’t getting equal airplay as the male artists. Airplay that means promotion that leads right back to album sales. If they are never heard or heard very little, how can they be expected to sell albums and show tickets? WHY is this??? Most female artists can sing CIRCLES around most of the male artists out there. You know this is true! I can run down a complete list right now and prove my point. Stop being a “good ole boys club”, country radio!
Why am I so frustrated about this? Because I know some of these female artists that have been dropped from labels or that are struggling to be heard on country radio, that’s why!
Now, there are some supportive radio stations and DJs out there, but for the most part, country radio is being run by these large companies and people at the actual radio stations have no say in the playlist. It gets decided for them. There are a handful of completely independent stations out there, but sadly, most of the large radio stations are owned by a large company like Clear Channel, who owns most of the radio stations out there and they are dominating the market–controlling it.
All I’m saying is give the female artists in country music EQUAL airplay and let their music be heard! Let your listening audiences decide if they like them and give them a chance to succeed. Until you do that, I will just say “shame on you, country radio” because it’s wrong and you know it!!
My favorite music video from a Nashville artist would have to be Mallary Hope‘s “Love Lives On“. This song is really touching and is a poignant reminder as to how valuable life is. I have seen this song positively mentioned on a lot of music blogs that I respect,†www.bestmusicblogs.org. Furthermore, this song and its accompanying music video helped to showcase Hope on the national stage as an inspiring new talent in the Nashville tradition of country and western. Hope is able to showcase her considerable vocal range on “Love Lives On”, as she sings this emotional ballad about the enduring nature of love. The scenes and images depicted in the video come mostly from the song’s heartfelt lyrics. Hope is able to portray the positive and mortal aspects of a romantic relationship with this effort. The video, like the song, is highly realistic in the sense that it illustrates the fact that life can be unpredictable, and things don’t always go one’s way. If this song is any indication of the singer’s potential, Hope should be around for several years to come. Country music in general, and in particular the brand of this music that stems from Nashville, is oftentimes unflinchingly realistic in its portrayal of the joys and pains associated with life. “Love Lives On” continues this tradition, and is a testament to the genuine nature of Hope’s artistry. I wish labels would learn to produce more songs of this quality. The video can be seen†here. †
Sources
And that’s a wrap. Averaging four hours of sleep per night, around noon on Friday we finished up our last of 23 interviews for CRS week. Aside from all of these (stay tuned to watch them all here), the week consisted of exclusive performances, incredible after parties and an overload of fun.
CRS again is the Country Radio Seminar, a weeklong event at the Nashville Convention Center “created to provide a platform and structure for education and growth for the Country Music format, serving as the conduit connecting the interests of Country Radio with the Country Music Industry” (crs.org). Our job was to cover it as part of the media… therefore we hung out in the media room and interviewed artists instead of going to the educational seminars. Not a bad gig.
Tuesday
Day 1 was Tuesday, a day that proved just a warm up for the week ahead. We started at Warner Music where we caught up with The Dirt Drifters, HER & Kings County and Ty Stone. HKC are some of the most energetic people we had the good fortune of meeting.
“Y’all kicked our hangover to the curb like a Bloody Mary.” – HER & Kings County
You’re welcome guys.
Then it was up to the Bridge Bar (a cool lounge area located on the walkway over Commerce Street) to meet up with The Roys, DJ Miller and Mark Cooke. Six interviews ain’t bad for a days work, and then we were invited to attend the Country Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony, followed by the Sony-hosted after party featuring Brent Anderson, Wade Bowen and Jerrod Niemann. They all brought the house down, especially Niemann’s finale, a cover of the classic Pride and Joy.
Wednesday
Now we come to the day where we almost had TOO MUCH fun. No kidding, it was almost hard to process it all. The day started early with an interview with The Farm, a great group of people, then Gloriana, who I’ve had my eye on since their first single Wild At Heart three years ago. Then finally, I got to meet Jana Kramer who is in fact the sweetest person in the entire world.
Then came lunch at The Ryman, one of the best musical venues in the country, for a performance by nearly the entire Universal Music Group roster. I won’t mention them all, but it started off with none other than King George Strait. Let me tell you, there is not a lot that can trump watching Troubadour live in The Ryman Auditorium as the sun shines through the stained glass windows. But if there was one thing that could, it was the way they closed the show: with Lionel Richie. And he immediately brought out one of his biggest fans to perform with him: Luke Bryan. They played Easy (Like Sunday Morning) one of my favorite songs of all time, and after a well-deserved standing ovation, we were back to the media room. So yeah, that was lunch.
After this, we caught up with Marlee Scott, Frankie Ballard and Jason Mitchell. Soon thereafter we found ourselves at a meet-and-greet with most of the aforementioned artists in attendance, along with Josh Turner, Scotty McCreary, Lauren Alaina, Luke Bryan, Craig Morgan, and others. No interviews with those folks unfortunately, but all very nice people.
But we weren’t done yet: after that was the sold out Lady Antebellum concert at Municipal Auditorium. Thompson Square opened the show in incredible fashion before Darius Rucker took the stage, singing a couple Hootie & the Blowfish classics as well as a Nashville favorite Family Tradition. Then it was Lady A’s turn, and they put on one impressive show. They played all the hits, and even featured surprise cameos from Luke Bryan (performing Do I, co-written by Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood) and Sara Evans (who performed Stronger, co-written by Hillary Scott). After the show we were exhausted… oh, but not done yet.
The after party was a Warner Music gathering with an 80’s theme. Artists played one of their own songs followed by an 80’s classic. On the roster were (among others) HER & Kings County, Ty Stone, Jana Kramer, THE FARM, Jason Jones, The Dirt Drifters, Frankie Ballard, Hunter Hayes, and Big & Rich who performed a rousing rendition of Madonna’s Like A Virgin.
Cue exhaustion.
Thursday
After Wednesday, Thursday became a blur of sleep deprivation masked with too much caffeine. Of the interviews I remember, we had Glen Templeton, Due West, Amber Hayes, Jessie James, Deborah Allen, Adam Gregory, Maggie Sajak and Bucky Covington (forgive me if I forgot anyone). By the time Bucky finished out the day our batteries were drained figuratively AND literally (Bucky’s interview ran slightly short due to the death of the camera battery).
Lunch featured an acoustic set by Alan Jackson, and shortly thereafter we had a few hours where I was able to go home and nap before the Black River Entertainment showcase featuring Glen Templeton, Sarah Darling and Due West.
Friday
An easy day today! Only two interviews with icon Billy Dean and the lovely The McClymonts, and then on to lunch with Faith Hill! She debuted two new songs during her performance, and sounded as good as ever.
After a little break, we were back for the New Faces of Country Music show. The pre-show and happy hour featured a performance by The Lost Trailers, before we adjourned into the performance hall to see Hunter Hayes, Eli Young Band, Sunny Sweeney and David Nail. Thompson Square was also set to perform, but had to cancel due to an unfortunate death in Shawna’s family. The performances were amazing, and the after party was equally as amazing with everyone cutting loose after a long week.
We have pictures of all this excitement on our Facebook page, and will be sure to post these interviews online as soon as possible, so be sure to check back often! We would also like to thank each artist for their time, their management for their patience, and everyone who was involved with CRS for their hard work and dedication to an extraordinary week. Thank you!
Below is a recap of our CRS interviews:
The Dirt Drifters
HER & Kings County
Ty Stone
The Roys
DJ Miller
Mark Cooke
The Farm
Gloriana
Jana Kramer
Marlee Scott
Frankie Ballard
Jason Mitchell
Glen Templeton
Due West
Amber Hayes
Jessie James
Deborah Allen
Adam Gregory
Maggie Sajak
Bucky Covington
Billy Dean
The McClymonts
