FOCUS on the 615
Nashville's premier entertainment blog including album, song and show reviews and exclusive artist interviews.
Photo credit: James Minchin III
Grammy-nominated Country superstar JENNIFER NETTLES announced today that she has signed to Big Machine Records, will release a new single this October and has set her next solo album for early 2016 release. In addition, she will embark on the headlining PLAYING WITH FIRE TOUR which will cross 20 plus cities beginning this October with Brandy Clark and Ryan Kinder.
Within 30 minutes, fans eagerly snatched every ticket to Multi-Platinum entertainer Dierks Bentley’s 10th Annual “Miles & Music For Kids” celebrity motorcycle ride and concert. Kicking off CMA Awards week on Nov. 1 in Nashville, TN, the event will closeout the outdoor concert season at the new Ascend Amphitheater with a stellar concert lineup including Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, The Cadillac Three, Canaan Smith, Brooke Eden and emcee Storme Warren. All proceeds benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Mercedez Longever, managing director of The Journey Home Project, announces the Charlie Daniels 40th Anniversary Volunteer Jam raised over $300,000 for the cause, which benefits U.S. veterans, military members and their families.
Photo credit: Randee St. Nicholas
Seven-time GRAMMY®-winning superstar Carrie Underwood will premiere the music video for her new single, “Smoke Break,” this coming Monday, August 24, on Entertainment Tonight and ETonline.com. Following a preview segment and interview on the televised broadcast (check local listings), fans will be able to see the full video (directed by Randee St. Nicholas, who helmed Underwood’s award-winning “Blown Away” clip) in a 24-hour exclusive on ETonline.com.
MULTI PLATINUM Singer/ Songwriter Kip Moore’s highly anticipated sophomore album WILD ONES is available today (8/21.) Moore will kick off next week with a live performance at Good Morning America on 8/25 (ABC at 7am ET).
19 Recordings/Arista Nashville superstar Carrie Underwood took part in an online chat today on her official Facebook page, where the seven-time GRAMMY® winner revealed information about her upcoming fifth studio album. Titled Storyteller, and set for release on October 23, the album includes tracks produced by Jay Joyce, Mark Bright, and Zach Crowell. Storyteller will launch with the single “Smoke Break,” which was delivered digitally to country radio today for an official airplay impact date of August 24.
Drake White and The Big Fire’s “Muddy Water-inspired soul-country” (Taste of Country) is resonating with artists and fans alike. White’s music, including his Top-40 single “It Feels Good,” has attracted some major fans in both Little Big Town and now Zac Brown Band. Enough so that both groups tapped the DOT/BMLG recording artist for their respective tours this fall with dates starting this Friday at New York City’s Citi Field with ZBB.
Photo credit: Joseph Llanes
“A change would do you good,” Sheryl Crow sang at the start of a huge event in Nashville Monday night celebrating Rolling Stone Films and Rolling Stone Country, and presented by Patrón. Her 1997 hit was a fitting choice to kick off the party in the town she has called home for a decade now, making the huge change from busy Los Angeles to a quiet Nashville ranch and also making the gutsy (and widely praised) leap from rock to country with 2013’s Feels Like Home album. Nashville has also become a second home to Rolling Stone, with last summer’s launch of our country vertical, and the city serves as the backdrop for the sixth installment of Rolling Stone Films’ “Mastering the Craft” series presented by Patrón, with the latest mini-documentary looking back on Crow’s extraordinary rise from shy Missouri music student to Michael Jackson’s backup singer to a rock & roll icon.
Photo Credit: Getty Images for Dot Records
(L-R: Maddie Marlow, David Spielberg, Tae Dye
Dot Records recording artists Maddie & Tae brought the house down at their album release event on Tuesday night in Nashville. The dynamic duo performed songs from their self-written debut album START HERE, which is available everywhere on August 28.
Music City Food + Wine Festival is pleased to announce the scheduled exhibitors for the Grand Tasting held at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
(600 James Robertson Pkwy), on Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, 2015: http://www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com/.
