Here’s a teaser of the May 2018 edition
The May 2018 edition of my monthly column, ‘Inside Track on Music Row,’ is now posted HERE at Nashville Music Guide, complete with some great graphics and photos.
Here are a few few teasers, but click the link above to read the full column of news about songwriters, artists and the country music industry.
CD RELEASE NEWS
Dierks Bentley will release his ninth studio album, THE MOUNTAIN (Capitol Records Nashville), June 8th. Bentley co-wrote 10 of the 13 new tracks that are unified by themes of presence and positivity, and range in style from textured rock to acoustic folk, feeling both rooted and expansive at the same time.
THE MOUNTAIN’s story begins in the Rocky Mountain resort town of Telluride, Colorado, which every summer plays host to a celebrated bluegrass festival. Bentley has attended the festival multiple times over the years, but after performing on the festival’s main stage in 2017, the idyllic surroundings became more than a much-needed getaway.
“I found myself there, constantly reaching for my guitar,” Bentley said. “It was like a gravitational pull. That town and those people just make you want to be creative, I couldn’t describe it. I was like ‘How do I tell everyone in Nashville this is what I want to write about?’ I realized I couldn’t bring it back, so I had to take everyone out there.”
The album is available for pre-order now with an instant download of the title track. Tour info & videos at Dierks.com.
DUO NEWS
Maddie & Tae are back with their highly-anticipated new single ‘Friends Don’t,’ the duo’s first song since signing with Mercury Nashville. The song matches the pair’s celebrated harmonies with an intimate take on the anticipation and excitement around a friendship’s developing possibilities. ‘Friends Don’t,’ written by Maddie Marlow and Taylor (Tae) Dye along with Justin Ebach and Jon Nite, is the first single from the Platinum-selling duo’s forthcoming sophomore album.
Set to impact country radio May 14, fans can listen to and download ‘Friends Don’t’ here and view the lyric video here.
GRAND OLE OPRY NEWS
The Grand Ole Opry welcomed home Bobby Bare as an official Opry member on April 7, on the Country Music Hall of Famer’s 83rd birthday. Bare had been a member of the Opry cast in the 1960s and 70s, after which his official Opry membership lapsed.
Garth Brooks took the stage and said, “I gotta tell you, this might be one of the coolest honors I have ever had bestowed on me. I don’t know if you know, but it was less than a month ago I was standing right here when I inducted the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry, a kid named Chris Janson. Sweet guy. He sat in this circle of wood and he cried like a baby. And you know why he cried; because he gets it. He gets what it’s like to be a member of the family of the Grand Ole Opry.”
See the video of Bobby Bare and Garth on the Opry stage at YouTube here.
Brooks continued, “The Grand Ole Opry is family. Family is forever. So Mr. Bare, young man — as my dad would say — it is my honor, it is the Grand Ole Opry’s honor, to officially welcome you back, the great Bobby Bare, to the Grand Ole Opry.” More at bobbybare.com.
TOUR NEWS
In celebration of his albums, ‘From A Room: Volume 1 and Volume 2,’ Chris Stapleton will hit the road again this year for his All-American Road Show tour. Dates include New York’s Madison Square Garden The Forum in LA, and Chicago’s Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre among many others. The tour will feature Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb as special guests and tickets are on sale now. The Eagles are scheduled on a few of the dates as well.
Recently Chris and his wife, Morgane, became parents of twins. On the same day…he won three ACM awards.
- Some Chris Stapleton ‘Fast Facts provided by GoGo Show Prep: ** Earlier this year, Chris won Grammy’s for Best Country Album (‘From A Room: Volume 1’), Best Country Song (‘Broken Halos’) and Best Country Solo Performance (‘Either Way’) ** Chris is also featured on Restoration, the tribute album to Elton John & Bernie Taupin.
And there’s a whole lot more! Check out the entire column online at Nashville Music Guide.