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Apple Music Highlights Emerging Country Artists Around The Globe With New “Country Wide” Playlist
Corey Smith Releases “Halfway Home” – Narrating The Ups And Downs Of Balancing Family And Life On The Road
Georgia-based singer/songwriter Corey Smith shows off his sentimental side with the release of his new song “Halfway Home” from his unfolding project, the Great Wide Underground. On the heels of his middle-finger-waving single, “Empty Rooms,” “Halfway Home” makes a 180 degree turn and dives into the struggle of being a full time touring artist, husband, and father of two. With touching lyrics and a production that sounds like a Sunday drive, “Halfway Home” is now available at http://smarturl.it/CSHalfwayHome.
https://youtu.be/dxetPnMuzTQ
This might seem like my choice to you
But leaving’s something that your dad has gotta do
And it’s nothing we can’t make it through
“In my experience, I’ve found that the most meaningful songs are usually the easiest ones to write,” says Smith. “They reveal themselves quickly, as if the words are there waiting to be given voice. Creating them feels more like remembering than inventing and their completion comes with a powerful sense of euphoria, as if a weight has been lifted. That’s how “Halfway Home” was. It was the easiest song I’ve written in a long time and, not coincidentally, it’s a song that will mean a great deal to me and my family for years to come. Now that it’s out in the world, I sincerely hope others find meaning in it as well.”
About Corey Smith: Corey Smith, the fan-made man, has sold over 1 million concert tickets, 1.5 million digital singles and over 220,000 albums. Smith has amassed an unfailingly devout fan base, not only in his native Southeast region, but all around the nation, simply by telling it the way it is. He has released 10 albums. Smith’s concerts, which were documented on his last live record, Live in Chattanooga, regularly sell out, with audiences singing along to such fan favorites as the coming-of-age anthem “Twenty-One,” the nostalgic time warp “If I Could Do It Again” and the group hug “I Love Everyone.” Corey consistently tours, hitting around 120 dates per year and has begun releasing singles from his upcoming project, the Great Wide Underground.
About the Great Wide Underground: Corey Smith wrote, produced, and mixed all music from the Great Wide Underground. Written on the road and then tracked with his touring band in a Georgia studio, the project celebrates the raw authenticity that has become a trademark of Smith’s music. The first single release under the Great Wide Underground umbrella launched in May 2018 with “Empty Rooms” and will continue on through 2018. For more information about the Great Wide Underground in Corey’s own words, check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAQqhShva8w
Country Singer Hailey Verhaalen’s EP, “The Real Stuff,” Available For Pre-order
Country singer Hailey Verhaalen’s new EP, “The Real Stuff” is now available for digital pre-order here. It includes 6 tracks featuring her single, “Rerun,” which you can get instantly by pre-ordering. The EP will be available on all digital outlets July 13.
The EP was produced by the accomplished multi-genre producer, Jason Snell. “The Real Stuff” contains a beautiful and honest collection of songs, straight from the heart. Regarding the title track, Verhaalen says, “We live in a society that pressures us to spend our hard earned money to keep up with all of the latest trends so that we can be looked at as “cool.” I wanted to remind people that they don’t need to follow all of the latest bank breaking trends to be “cool.”
“The Real Stuff” was recorded at Nashville’s most legendary recording studio, Sound Emporium Studios, where some of the biggest artists to date have recorded. Verhaalen has a social media following of 20k and has opened for acts such as Love and Theft, James Otto, Craig Wayne Boyd and more. You can catch her on her tour, “The Real Stuff Tour,” this summer and can get tickets here.
“Hailey is a force to be reckoned with; a powerful voice with solid songs,” says award-winning audio engineer, Brian Scheuble. Scheuble worked on Verhaalen’s record and has worked on albums for countless artists such as LeAnn Rimes, Zac Brown Band, Backstreet Boys, The Eagles and more.
While this EP holds a wide variety of themes, Verhaalen captures every emotion all while staying true to who she is.
“The Real Stuff” Track Listing:
1. Rerun (Hailey Verhaalen, Kyle James, Kelly Seidel)
2. The Real Stuff (Hailey Verhaalen)
3. Shooting Stars (Hailey Verhaalen, Kelly Seidel)
4. Guilty As Charged (Hailey Verhaalen, Erica “Sunshine” Lee)
5. The Damn You Didn’t Give (Hailey Verhaalen, Paige Nichols, Kelly Seidel)
6. Cheap Shots (Hailey Verhaalen, Kelly Seidel)
Newcomer Abi Unveils New Music Video For Breakout Single “A Day Without”
In May, twenty-year-old country music songstress Abi, released her breakout single “A Day Without” to critical acclaim. Upon its debut, “A Day Without” landed on Rolling Stone Country’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs of the Week” and Taste of Country dubbed the track, “the kind of tightly-worded, universal artist statement a country newcomer needs to take a serious step forward.” The song’s strong connection to the passing of Abi’s father makes this debut especially appropriate.
Abi shares, “’A Day Without’ brings on a lot of different emotions for me. The sheer thought of losing someone is absolutely terrifying, as is the deep love you might have for a person with who you might feel like you cannot go on a day without them…I think that my father’s passing gave me a new perspective on life, and enabled me to channel much deeper emotions into my craft.”
For the video’s concept, Abi remained true to the song’s meaning in her own words, while leaving it open to the listener for interpretation. “We chose to focus on two themes of love and separation,” says Abi. “So we chose a mother sending her child off to college for the first time and a girlfriend sending her boyfriend off into the military. Emotionally, I’m definitely very connected with the idea of separation,” she adds.
Inspired by everything from the marvelous pop expanse of The Beatles and Shania Twain, to the “storytelling” of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, Abi crafted her first song in third grade. She has since developed into a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter, with an impressive resume under her belt. In 2014, Abi joined Jesse McCartney’s North American tour and 2015 saw Kelly Clarkson handpick Abi to open her massive summer headline run, while she hit the road alongside Pentatonix a year later. In 2017, her single “Matches” independently caught fire; striking the sweet spot between simmering country soul, twanging guitars and a fierce hook – “Light me up ‘cause baby we’re matches” – CMT fanned the flames an early champion.
Live with Music City Light Announces Bridgestone Arena Plaza Performances During CMA Fest
Nashville’s local beer, Music City Light, continues its Serve Your City campaign with its latest activation, Live with Music City Light, June 7-10 during CMA Fest. Artists will perform on the Bridgestone Arena Plaza from 12-6 p.m. Full lineup listed below.
Following its sponsorship of the Nashville Rosé Festival stage, Music City Light is proud to continue providing performance opportunities for up-and-coming artists within the local community and beyond. Music City Light’s Facebook LIVE sessions also give rising artists a platform to generate thousands of impressions. Click here to see country-rock artist Adam Rutledge in a Live with Music City Light Facebook LIVE.
With branding as the “Backstage Pass to Nashville,” Music City Light gives both locals and tourists a true taste of the Nashville experience. The beer is currently sold all over town from local hot spots to popular chains.
Be sure to follow Music City Light on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and visit MusicCityLight.com to stay up-to-date with exciting opportunities and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
THURSDAY, JUNE 7
12:00 – 12:30 Glen Templeton
12:45 – 1:15 Hannah Dasher
1:30 – 2:00 Ali Morgan
2:15 – 2:45 Fiona Culley
3:00 – 3:30 Ray Scott
3:45 – 4:15 Olivia Ooms
4:30 – 5:00 David Adam Byrnes
5:15 – 6:00 Adam Rutledge
FRIDAY, JUNE 8
12:00 – 12:30 Mark & Miss
12:45 – 1:15 Matt Poling
1:30 – 2:00 Terra Bella
2:15 – 2:45 Lexie Hayden
3:00 – 3:30 Tyler Jordan
3:45 – 4:15 James Carothers
4:30 – 5:00 Jay Bragg
5:15 – 6:00 Lucas Hoge
SATURDAY, JUNE 9
12:00 – 12:30 Chuck Adams
12:45 – 1:15 Frank Ortega
1:30 – 2:00 Eric Van Houten
2:15 – 2:45 Kerry Degman
3:00 – 3:30 Tyler Reeve
3:45 – 4:15 Aubrey Grant
4:30 – 5:00 Adley Stump
5:15 – 6:00 Lacy Cavalier
SUNDAY, JUNE 10
12:00 – 12:30 Noe Palma
12:45 – 1:15 Tony Winkler
1:30 – 2:00 Andrea Dozzi
2:15 – 2:45 Dustin Collins
3:00 – 3:30 Ryan Robinette
3:45 – 4:15 Dillon Carmichael
4:30 – 5:00 The Belles
5:15 – 6:00 Jenny Tolman
Home Free Brings The Downhome Grooves With New “Good Ol’ Boy Good Time” Music Video
Just in time to kick off Memorial Day weekend, all-vocal Country sensation HOME FREE have released a brand new video for their original tune “Good Ol’ Boy Good Time.”
Shot on location in Tifton, GA, the video sets a picturesque summertime scene, complete with fishing, BBQs, and fun in the sun. In fact, most of the featured cast were high tenor Austin Brown’s own friends and family.
“This was definitely one of the most fun videos we’ve ever done. I was so excited to have the shoot in my hometown surrounded by the people I’ve known all my life,” says Brown. “It was like a giant reunion, and I loved getting to have my family host our Home Free road family. I hope everyone has as much fun watching it as we did making it!”
Watch HOME FREE ring in the summer days with “Good Ol’ Boy Good Time” exclusively on Country Rebel, here.
“Good Ol’ Boy Good Time” is one of four Home Free originals on their latest studio album, TIMELESS, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The feel-good track was written by Jim McCormick (Jason Aldean’s “Take A Little Ride”) and Mark Nesler (Tim McGraw’s “Just To See You Smile”). TIMELESS is available now at all digital retailers.
Fans can next catch up with the captivating quintet at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage during CMA Fest on Sunday, June 10. Also in June they’ll co-headline a one-night-only engagement with Country Music Hall of Fame members The Oak Ridge Boys. This special performance is slated for June 21 at the Pinewood Bowl Theater in Lincoln, NE.
HOME FREE TOUR DATES:
JUNE 2018
10 | Nashville, TN – CMA Fest Riverfront Stage
15 | Branson, MO – Mansion Theatre
16 | Kearney, MO – Kearny Amphitheater
21 | Lincoln, NE (with The Oak Ridge Boys) – Pinewood Bowl Theater
22 | Denver, CO – Levitt Pavilion Denver
23 | Sandy, UT – Sandy Amphitheater
JULY 2018
11 | Lancaster, PA – American Music Theatre
12 | Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
13 | Keene, NH – Colonial Theatre
14 | Uncasville, CT – Wolf’s Den at Mohegan Sun Casino
15 | Verona, NY – Turning Stone Resort and Casino
19 | Greenville, SC – Peace Center Concert Hall
20 | Orkney Springs, VA – Shenandoah Valley Music Festival
21 | Atlanta, GA – BB&T Atlanta Open
27 | Seymour, WI – Outagamie County Fair
28 | Lakeside, OH – Hoover Auditorium
AUGUST 2018
09 | Maui, HI – Castle Theater
11 | Honolulu, HI – Blaisdell Concert Hall
16-19 | Hsinchu, Taiwan – Vocal Asia Festival
For more information on Home Free, visit www.homefreemusic.com.
Follow Home Free on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
About Home Free:
Celebrated all-vocal country quintet Home Free has made their mark on the music scene selling more than 350,000 copies combined of their popular albums, embarking on major national and international tours, amassing over 225 million YouTube views, and being declared “country music fans’ favorite a cappella group,” (Taste of Country). Their latest studio album TIMELESS debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in late 2017. Produced by longtime collaborator Darren Rust, the eclectic project showcases their distinct vocal blends across 11 tracks, including four original songs, that merge tender R&B and fun-loving pop with Country edge. Their extensive catalogue includes four Top 10 albums, including 2016’s FULL OF (EVEN MORE) CHEER – an expanded version of their popular holiday album, FULL OF CHEER – COUNTRY EVOLUTION, and their breakout debut CRAZY LIFE (2014), which hit #1 on iTunes Country chart and #4 overall following their victory on NBC’s The Sing-Off. With praise rolling in from the likes of Perez Hilton, Country Living, FOX & Friends, Rolling Stone Country, AXS.com, and more, the five-man band from Minnesota has been electrifying crowds with their one-of-a-kind live show while their reputation as extraordinary showmen and harmony-laden versions of hits by John Mayer, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, The Oak Ridge Boys, and more have built a loyal fanbase.
Sam Hunt Releases New Single “Downtown’s Dead” – Available Now
Sam Hunt released his brand new single, “Downtown’s Dead,” this week. Dropping hints on his
socials all day Tuesday, Hunt’s new song, co-written by Hunt with Zach Crowell, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally and Charlie Handsome, is now available HERE.
“Downtown’s Dead” is the first new single from the critically-acclaimed, GRAMMY-nominated superstar since last year’s record-breaking, 5x Platinum-selling smash, “Body Like A Back Road.” At 34 weeks, Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” set the record for the most weeks at No. 1 in the six-decade history of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and earned Hunt the 2017 Academy of Country Music Award for “Single Record of the Year.” Hunt will also receive the ACM Gene Weed Milestone Award at the ACM Honors ceremony this summer in recognition of this unprecedented achievement. Additionally, “Body Like A Back Road” was the No. 1 most-streamed and the No. 1 most-downloaded country song of 2017, received CMT’s inaugural Song of the Year Award for 2017, and it is nominated for two Billboard Music Awards – Top Selling Song and Top Country Song. Hunt is also nominated for the Billboard Chart Achievement Award, Top Country Artist and Top Country Male Artist at this weekend’s celebration. Fans can vote for Hunt’s Chart Achievement nomination
HERE and tune in to the 2018 Billboard Music Awards live on Sunday, May 20 at 8pm ET on NBC.
Hunt hits the road this month as a special guest on Luke Bryan’s What Makes You Country Tour – XL Stadium Sized along with country star Jon Pardi and opening artists Morgan Wallen (May-Aug) and Carly Pearce (Sep-Oct). Kicking off May 31 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ONT., Hunt, Bryan and Pardi will hit 13 of North America’s biggest and best sports stadiums including MetLife Stadium (NYC), Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati), Raymond James Stadium (Tampa), Heinz Field (Pittsburgh), Fenway Park (Boston), Target Field (Minneapolis), Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles), Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Denver), Busch Stadium (St. Louis), Wrigley Field (Chicago), BC Place Stadium (Vancouver) and Ford Field (Detroit).
For more information on music, tour dates and tickets, please visit
www.SamHunt.com.
Sony Music Nashville Announces Carlton Anderson Signing To Arista Nashville
Sony Music Nashville has announced the signing of artist and songwriter Carlton Anderson to Arista Nashville.
Anderson is spending time with the Sony Music Nashville team as he prepares to launch his debut single soon. He deftly balances traditional sounds and contemporary themes and was signed as a songwriter at Warner Chappell Music, where he has written with some of the most sought-after songwriters in Nashville.
Anderson grew up in Cypress, Texas, a town northwest of Houston where sports dominated daily conversation and Friday night, but Anderson focused on the other Texas pastime: Music.
Anderson’s musical awakening started with Willie Nelson, who he refers to as “his drug” and quickly advanced to George Strait and a long line of musical mavericks. Styles varied, but the common denominator was that even though they were born in Texas their music transcended borders.
Anderson started working in the oil fields at 16 – two years before it was legal – and worked at a grocery store after school to put away enough money to buy a guitar and small PA so he could play the honky tonks and dancehalls around his hometown after graduation. But the goal was always Nashville.
After three tries he cobbled enough money and the necessary co-sign from his grandparents to attend Nashville’s Belmont University. He moved to Music City and immediately started looking for ways to pay the bills. He dropped off his bag and headed downtown to find a gig. He parked on Fourth Avenue across from the Swingin’ Doors Saloon and heard the band playing “In Color.” He walked in, asked to play a few songs, and the manager offered him a job. He went on to play there five more years.
Anderson was the first to graduate college in his family, which had a firmly grounded “go to work or go to war” mentality, but he learned the ropes through hard work, practice, paying his dues in Texas, and playing for tourists and bachelorette parties in Nashville. He focused on “connecting” with his audience, no matter how distracted or inebriated they were. It wasn’t long before more than tourists were taking notice.
Sony Music Nashville includes is three country label operations – Arista Nashville, Columbia Nashville, and RCA Nashville – and Provident Music Group, one of the world’s leading Christian Music Companies. Sony Music Nashville is a division of Sony Music Entertainment.
Follow Carlton Anderson on…
Website: www.carltonandersonmusic.com
Facebook: facebook.com/carltonanderson
Instagram: instagram.com/carltonanderson
Twitter: twitter.com/carltonanderson
Clare Dunn Releases Brand New Single “More”
Today, MCA Nashville singer/songwriter Clare Dunn releases her brand new single, “More.” Clare, writing the song with Gordie Sampson and Josh Kear, shows us a glimpse of her sentimental side.
“More” is available now
HERE and impacts country radio June 4.
A dynamic new artist on the country music scene who has garnered critical praise as a “masterful guitar player who can do it all” (CMT), Clare joined American rock icon
Bob Seger for his 2015 Ride Out Tour where she earned nightly standing ovations. The Colorado native with “swaggering confidence and soulful vocals” (Rolling Stone) also hit the road with country superstar Miranda Lambert on her recent
Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour, as well as with country music’s platinum-selling artist Chris Young on the
I’m Comin’ Over Tour. Clare, named “One to Watch” by USA Today,
Billboard, The Boston Globe and Rolling Stone,
wrote all of the songs on her self-titled EP including fan favorites “Move On,” “Tuxedo” and the emotional “Old Hat.”
In addition to her regular tour schedule, Clare has upcoming performances at Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry and the CMA Music Festival.
For more information, please visit
www.ClareDunn.com.
Two-Time GRAMMY Award-Winning Duo for KING & COUNTRY Debut Poignant New Single And Video For “joy.”
Two-time GRAMMY® award-winning duo for KING & COUNTRY released their poignant new single entitled “joy.” today, which debuted simultaneously with the track’s official music video, premiering on Apple Music. The song’s message is revealed quite clearly in not only the lyrics, but in its accompanying music video. “joy.” is the debut single from their highly-anticipated forthcoming third studio album, set to release later this year. Listen to the track HERE
Watch the video exclusively on Apple Music HERE.
for KING & COUNTRY is comprised of Australian brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone. Reflecting on the video, Joel explains, “We came up with the concept to shoot the video in a mock television studio as a fun metaphor to represent the need to work through the noise – to remind us that joy can always be found in any circumstance. We hope that the idea behind the song (and video) will place a spotlight on the truth, that we can actively and deliberately – moment by moment and day by day – search for and choose “joy.”
Luke Smallbone added, “We’re not talking about happiness, we’re talking about joy, and I think there’s something very, very different about those two words and how important it is for us to not just let joy fly by us, but to actively choose it. When you wake up in the morning, are you going to be joyful? I think that’s a decision we all get to make.”
The music video includes a cameo appearance by Emmy-nominated actress Candace Cameron Bure as a nightly news anchor who communicates the important message that “while our circumstances haven’t changed, our perspective can.”
for KING & COUNTRY sat down with Billboard to discuss their journey to ‘joy.” Read their in depth conversation in “Breaking News” HERE
The Tennessean proclaims, “The lyrics to ‘joy.’ are set to an infectious, swelling melody that compels listeners to physically respond.” Read the full feature HERE
* PHOTO CREDIT: Cameron Powell
About for KING & COUNTRY:
Soaring melodies, driving rhythms, personal themes, and theatrical instrumentation & performances are the heartbeat of two-time Grammy award winners, for KING & COUNTRY. The Australian duo, comprised of brothers Joel & Luke Smallbone, garnered unanimous critical praise with their latest album – RUN WILD. LIVE FREE. LOVE STRONG. celebrated a RIAA certified gold record, No. 1 debut on iTunes, a headlining tour with 28 sold-out shows and a 60-date arena tour. Two singles from their debut album Crave also achieved gold status – their crossover hit “Fix My Eyes” and “The Proof of Your Love.” They’ve sold nearly 900,000 equivalent albums, amassed 284M on-demand streams, and 93M YouTube views. In October 2016, the Smallbone brothers released the indie film, Priceless, about human trafficking. They’ve performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The Today Show, The Tonight Show, The View, FOX & Friends, and have had songs featured on the Emmys, The Super Bowl, Sunday Night Football, U.S. Open, 7UP, and ABC’s The Good Doctor. They are now working on their third studio album set to release in 2018.
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