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June (music) is bustin’ out all over!

Inside Track on Music Row, June 2025 starts here!

by Preshias Harris

It’s June in Nashville and that always means CMA Fest! But there is SO much more and you can find it all here… New singles from Reba, Gary LeVox, Midland, Alex Miller, Scott Teasley, Sheryl Crow and more… Tour updates for Brad Paisley, Billy Strings, Southall and Chris Tomlin… Album releases from Cody Jinks, Ray LaMontagne and Ken Pomeroy… plus news about festivals and the Opry Live in London and Number One News (LOCASH, Zach Top)… Scroll down and catch up with your Inside Track on Music Row, America’s longest running monthly country music column!

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “No matter how long what I’m doing here lasts, I want to be a songwriter for the rest of my life. I love it and it’s my escape.” – Miley Cyrus

BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH: Let all you do be done in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:14

ALBUM NEWS

CODY JINKS

CODY JINKS: Ahead of his highly-anticipated upcoming album, In My Blood, multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Cody Jinks released his new song “Better Than the Bottle” Friday, May 30th. This is the second track to be released from his forthcoming album, In My Blood, due July 25th. Pre-save the digital album here and pre-order the vinyl and CD versions here.

“Better Than the Bottle” is a reflective, gritty country ballad that captures the journey of a person grappling with their flaws, while clinging onto hope, having given up their main vice. Jinks’ signature raw vocals and stripped-down instrumentation give the song a sense of honesty and humility. Painting the picture of redemption, the song highlights grand victories in small, personal change.

In addition to the song, Cody Jinks and Ward Davis are announcing the second go-around of their previously sold out tour, Same Kind of Crazy Acoustic Tour, and will feature 10 dates spanning from Hawaii to Alaska. Find Cody Jinks tour and ticket info here.

RAY LAMONTAGNE

RAY LAMONTAGNE: Celebrated Grammy award winner Ray LaMontagne will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the release of his seminal debut album, Trouble, with a special remastered vinyl edition, set for release June 13—presave/preorder here. Additionally, LaMontagne will embark on the Trouble 20th Anniversary Tour, performing the album in its entirety for the first time since its release — find full routing and purchase tickets here for tour dates in the USA, UK and Ireland.

On the remastered vinyl, LaMontagne shares, “When Trouble was initially released Vinyl was considered a dead format, never to breathe again. Digital audio was the new King. As we know this has proved untrue. Each year more and more music lovers are listening to Vinyl and appreciating it for its depth and breadth of sound, for its physical heft, for its tangible realness. Over the past few months Brian Lee and Bob Jackson at Waygate Mastering have remastered the album for the first time specifically for Vinyl. And I have to say, it sounds incredible. They have managed to bring out subtleties in the vocals, the instrumentation, that were somehow lost previously. It sounds as if a sonic veil has been lifted. I cannot thank them enough.”

Trouble charted on the Billboard 200 and was certified RIAA Platinum. LaMontagne has spent the past two decades carving a singular space for himself in modern music. #RayLaMontagne

Inside Track on Music Row – May 2025

SO much music news! Hot country singles and albums, tour updates, and more!

By Preshias Harris

SO much music happening in May!! Here’s where you’ll find info on new music from Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Donna Fargo, HARDY, Tayler Holder, Sierra Hull, Cody Jinks, Cody Johnson, LOCASH, Onoleigh, Mitchell Tenpenny, Chris Tomlin, Tucker Wetmore and The Wildmans… tour updates on road warriors Brian Kelley, Dylan Scott, Shaboozy, HARDY (again!), Dustin Lynch and Scotty McCreery… Number One news (Cole Swindell), music video info (including Luke Bryan), plus news about NSAI, The Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, and more. Scroll down and catch up! #PreshiasHarris

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “I was a pretty good imitator of Roy Acuff, but then I found out they already had a Roy Acuff, so I started singin’ like myself.” – Hank Williams

BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH: Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre. – Psalm 147:7

ALBUM & EP NEWS

ERIC CHURCH

ERIC CHURCH: The new album from Eric Church, titled Evangeline vs. The Machine, (pre-save here) is set for release May 2 via EMI Records Nashville, his first new album since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album.

“An album is a snapshot in time that lasts for all time,” Church shares about the new project. “I believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art—I think it’s important.

“I’ve always let creativity be the muse. It’s been a compass for me,” he adds. “The people that I look up to in my career and the kind of musicians I gravitate to never did what I thought they were going to do next—and I love them for it. I never want our fans to get an album and go, ‘Oh, that’s like Chief or that’s like this.’ Painstakingly, I lose sleep at night to try to make sure that whatever we do creatively, they go, ‘Wow, that’s not what I thought.’ I think that’s my job as an artist.”

Evangeline vs. The Machine features the previously-released “Darkest Hour,” a track Church used to support relief efforts in his home state of North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, donating all of his publishing royalties to the cause. The album’s lead single, “Hands Of Time,” shipped to country radio March 24. #EricChurchMusic

HARDY

HARDY: Country rock superstar HARDY’s next round is in the chamber with a new EP, COUNTRY!, set for release on May 2 via Big Loud. Two new songs from the EP, his first new music of 2025, debuted April 11 – listen/add “Favorite Country Song” and “Buck On The Wall”. Pre-save/pre-add COUNTRY! here.

“Two new songs—I’m extremely excited,” says HARDY. “Both songs remind me of a very special place, the place where I grew up, the place where I became who I am—my deer camp. It’s now the only place I have to go home to since somebody lives in my childhood home. I feel like it’s been a long time coming to put out some music that gets back to my roots.”

Additionally, HARDY made his first ever appearance on the iconic Grand Ole Opry stage on April 29.

His 2023 breakout the mockingbird & THE CROW and its 2024 follow up Quit!! have topped countless Billboard charts, including a top 5 debut on the Billboard 200, and racked up 6 billion streams. HARDY has written 16 #1 singles including his own two-times Platinum chart topper “ONE BEER” featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson, the platinum Dierks Bentley and BRELAND collaboration “Beers On Me,” and more. Also check out HARDY’s upcoming shows under the TOUR NEWS heading. #HARDY

SIERRA HULL

SIERRA HULL:

With A Tip Toe High Wire, (listen here) her first new album in five years, songwriter, singer, and award-winning mandolinist Sierra Hull has perfected the daring act of stepping into a new, progressive sonic territory while never straying too far from the bluegrass and Americana roots she’s cultivated in her two-decade-plus career. While joined on the album by world-class friends like Béla Fleck, Tim O’Brien, and Aoife O’Donovan, Hull self-produced A Tip Toe High Wire with her highly skilled touring band in the center ring—something she was able to make the call on as this is also her first album to be released entirely independently.

Inside Track on Music Row for September 2024

Longest continuously-running country music column in the USA, ready to read now!

by Preshias Harris

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “You always have to work to become a better singer, songwriter and performer.” – Luke Bryan

BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16

There is SO much news to catch up on in this month’s column! New singles from Caylee Hammack, Dylan Scott, Megan Moroney, Zach Top and Jeremy Parsons, long-awaited Ryman debut for Terri Clark, the latest music video from Chris Stapleton, albums from Thomas Rhett, Joe Nichols, Wyatt Flores and the Cactus Blossoms, Russell Dickerson drops a new EP, Jake Worthington brings Texas to The Cannery, plus much more including a really cute baby! Scroll down to catch it all…

ADVANCE ALBUM NEWS: Rising country artist Wyatt Flores released his new single, “Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight,” on August 30, alongside an official music video. Listen to the song here and watch the video here. The single is the first unveiled from Flores’ highly anticipated full-length debut album, Welcome To The Plains, which will be released October 18 via Island Records and is now available to pre-save/pre-order here.

The album takes listeners to the corner of the world that this 23-year-old country-folk singer-songwriter knows best – Oklahoma. “Welcome To The Plains is all about my fight to come home,” said Flores. “The struggle of coming from home – the little towns – and going out in the real world. Just being lost in it all.”

A 14-song trek through tales of fiery love, small-town truths and lighthearted mortality, Welcome To The Plains captures the grounded, sincere storytelling forged by Flores in-part during formative years in his hometown, Stillwater, Oklahoma. He was raised on time-tested rock ‘n’ roll, like the Eagles and John Mellencamp. At age 12, his sister passed him a copy of Turnpike Troubadours’ sophomore album, Diamonds & Gasoline, unlocking a love for roots music that later extended to artists like Jason Isbell, 49 Winchester and Sturgill Simpson.

The record will also be available on special limited-edition vinyl, which includes photos from the studio, exclusive original art and much more. More about Flores on Facebook. #WyattFlores

ADVANCE ALBUM NEWS PART 2: Three-time Grammy-nominated, multi-Platinum selling artist Joe Nichols’ 11th career studio album, Honky Tonks and Country Songs, will be released on Friday, October 25. The official pre-save/pre-add for Nichols’ Honky Tonks and Country Songs will be live on Thursday, September 6, across all digital streaming and retailer partners.

Produced by Mickey Jack Cones (Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett) and Derek George (Randy Houser), the album highlights Nichols’ steadfast commitment to country music that has made him one of Nashville’s most honest and versatile voices, regarded for his warm and distinctly country tone by everyone from Dolly Parton to Post Malone — he’s sung with both.

“Inside Track on Music Row” ready to read now

May 2024 edition posted now!

ICYMI: The May ’24 edition of my monthly music column, Inside Track on Music Row, is now posted and ready to read. The longest continuously-running country music column in America is posted at Nashville Music Guide here.

Among the news items in this month’s column:

Elvie Shane took a test-drive in a hybrid Corvette E-Ray and talked to Rolling Stone magazine about his widely-praised new 13-track album Damascus…

Sturgill Simpson’s landmark 2014 album, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, will be reissued May 10 celebrating its 10th anniversary ahead of his headlining slot at Outside Lands fest Aug 9-11…

Johnny Cash‘s album, Songwriter, will be released June 28, consisting of previously-unreleased, newly rediscovered tracks from some 30 years ago…

Terri Clark: Take Two is the title of an 8-song project from Country icon Terri Clark, arriving May 31, featuring duets with Lauren Alaina, Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBride and more…

ERNEST has released Nashville, Tennessee, a 26-track tribute to his hometown, following his 2021 debut Flower Shops (The Album) building on his billion+ on-demand streams…

T. Graham Brown will release a new studio album August 2 titled From Memphis to Muscle Shoals, featuring duets with icons such as Eddie Floyd, Bettye Layette, Little Anthony, Tanya Tucker, Dwight Yoakam and more…

Lacy J Dalton has released “What Don’t Kill Ya,” from her album, For the Black Sheep, set to drop June 21. Outlaw country icon Dalton will join the Country Music Cruise Jan 19-25, 2025…

Clay Walker is now a Pandora Billionaire: in addition to 11 No. 1 singles, 6 Platinum and Gold albums, Clay received the award marking his music being streamed over 1 billion times on Pandora…

“Hometown Home,” the new single from LOCASH on their new label, Galaxy Label Group, will impact Country radio May 13 as they announce a bunch of new tour dates, a mix of festivals and standalone dates…

Brantley Gilbert is extending his Off the Rails Tour into the fall, announcing 15+ additional dates where he will be joined by Adam Calhoun and Demun Jones…

Moe Bandy is celebrating the 45th anniversary of “Just Good Ol’ Boys,” his hit single with Joe Stampley as he talks about his current album, Thank You Lord, featuring special guests…

Plus many more news items including: Chris Stapleton‘s track on the the new Tom Petty tribute album… “The World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,” Mötley Crüe signs with Big Machine Records… Chart Toppers is an album of No. 1 songs recorded live at The Wildhorse Saloon… shows celebrating the late John Prine set for October… K-Love Fan Awards weekend set for May 24-26… news about Rick Monroe & The Hitmen, Molly Lovette, Chris Lane, Maddie Tree, Ashley Cooke, Colton Dixon, Randall King, Sam Grow and more.

Find the entire May 2024 edition (and previous editions) of my monthly column Inside Track on Music Row at Nashville Music Guide here.

Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com. Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com. @PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris

Ashley Gorley hits 50th No. 1

The only songwriter in any genre with 50 Airplay No. 1s

by Preshias Harris

Ashley Gorley at the 2020 MusicRow Awards. Photo: Preshias Harris

Hitmaker and songwriting powerhouse Ashley Gorley set a new record August 3 as he notches his 50th No.1 song at Country radio with LOCASH’S Mediabase chart topper, “One Big Country Song.”

Gorley isn’t just the first songwriter in the Country format to achieve this feat, but it stamps him as the only songwriter of any genre to earn 50 No.1s in the history of the Mediabase and Billboard Airplay charts.

Gorley wrote “One Big Country Song” with fellow hitmakers Jesse Frasure and Hardy. The song follows Gorley’s 49th No. 1, “Hard to Forget,” recorded by Sam Hunt. Gorley’s first No. 1 was “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” for Carrie Underwood. in 2006. Scroll down for a full list of all 50 of Gorley’s chart-toppers.

Thank you, Ashley Gorley, for my delight at being able to watch you write your way into global music history. It makes me extremely proud of my Kentucky connection, along with our shared love of Kentucky Wildcats basketball. Now let’s get Ashley nominated for the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame! This would be a wonderful boost for our Kentucky Music legacy. Danville, Kentucky, native Ashley needs to be alongside the Everly Brothers, The Judds, Dwight Yoakum, The Kentucky Headhunters, Exile, Steve Wariner and the rest of our history of Kentucky Music inductees. – Preshias Harris

#kymusichalloffame #hitsongwriter #50number1s #ascapsongwriteroftheyear

Music Row One Sheet Mid-August 2018

Nashville Music News Roundup

Scroll down to read these Music Row One Sheet news items

Nashville Songwriter Awards set for Sept 19
Half of UMG up for sale
Kenny Chesney breaks Nashville attendance record
Dan+Shay toast No. 1 with Tequila Tuesday
R.I.P. Aretha Franklin
Catch these acts on tour
Preshias on Y’all Radio podcasts

Scroll down to read these Music Row One Sheet news items

Nashville Songwriter Awards set for Sept 19

The star-studded line-up continues to grow for the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) annual Nashville Songwriter Awards presented by City National Bank.

This event is always a ‘must’ on my calendar as we show our appreciation and respect for Nashville’s incredibly talented songwriters. Country megastar and five-time CMA ‘Male Vocalist of the Year’ Blake Shelton, along with eleven-time GRAMMY nominated singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson and ACM, BMI, and CMT Award winning artist Scotty McCreery will participate in the evening dedicated to songwriters. They will join previously confirmed artists Bill Anderson, Chris Janson and LANCO.

Blake Shelton, Jamey Johnson, Scotty McCreery

Awards given will include Song, Songwriter, and Songwriter-Artist of the Year as well as the coveted ‘10 Songs I Wish I’d Written’ awards. As previously announced, country legend Bill Anderson will receive the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award. This year’s Nashville Songwriter Awards will take place on September 19, 2018 at 7:30pm at the historic Ryman Auditorium. More details and tickets available here.

Half of UMG up for sale

If you’ve got some spare cash laying around, here’s an opportunity: Vivendi is looking for investors to buy 50% of Universal Music Group. UMG includes: Capitol Music Group, Republic Records, Island Records, Def Jam, UMG Nashville and more. UMG revenues were up 6.8 percent for the first half of 2018 compared to 2017 (although physical record sales and downloads were down). The 50% share could be worth around ten billion dollars, but would probably not require the new investment partner to come up with anything like that much cash. See a full report at Billboard here.

Kenny Chesney breaks Nashville attendance record

Continue reading “Music Row One Sheet Mid-August 2018”

It’s a bloomin’ boom in babies for country music moms and dads to be

‘Country’ babies on the way

Something in the water? Something in the air? Whatever it is, there will soon be several additions to the families of country artists in Music City. Baby bottles and diapers are in the future for these folks:

Dylan Scott had a chart-topper with “My Girl” but the Curb Records artist and his wife Blair are expecting their first child and nope, it won’t be a girl. The couple held a ‘reveal’ party, pulling poppers that showered out blue confetti. So the new addition will be … a boy!

Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and wife Hayley announced that they, too, have Baby Number One on the way. The baby – a boy – is due in December. Hayley told People magazine that it’s something they’ve been looking forward to for a while, but “It’s all about God’s timing.”

Brantley and Amber Gilbert will also be shopping for baby clothes. They are expecting their happy event in November. Again, People magazine made the announcement (back in May) about the Gilberts’ good news after almost two years of trying.

Jason Aldean and wife of two years Brittany Kerr also found the path to parenthood threw them a few curves along the way. But former American Idol contestant Brittany took to social media to post: “Surprise! We are pregnant!” It’s blue bootees for the newest Aldean as the couple announce their first child will be a boy.

Chris Lucas – one half of the duo LOCASH – and his wife Kaitlyn are expecting their third child – a girl – in September. The new baby will join six-year-old brother Caden and one-year-old sister Remi. Lucas told Nash Country Daily, “I think I’m done after that. My wife is done for sure!”

Meanwhile, Lady Antebellum is staging a one-band baby boom of their own. Hillary Scott and husband Chris Tyrrell are expecting baby number two in February next year.

And Lady A’s Dave Haywood and wife Kelli will welcome their second child (a girl) in December. So, congrats and best wishes to all those proud parents to be and their babies.

LOCASH receive BMI’s Million-Air Award

“You Gonna Fly” for Keith Urban passes one million spins mark

Kudos to my friends LOCASH (Preston Brust and Chris Lucas) who received the prestigious BMI Million-Air Award from David Preston, BMI’s Senior Director, Writer-Publisher Relations. The Award recognizes the achievement of one million-plus spins on the radio. They received the award in a laid-back ceremony on the BMI rooftop patio, Tuesday May 23. Although they are successful recording artists in their own right, in this case Preston and Chris received the award as songwriters (along with ASCAP writer Jaren Johnston) for writing the song “You Gonna Fly” recorded by Keith Urban.

BMI’s David Preston presents Award to LOCASH. Photo: Preshias Harris

The BMI “Million-Air” Award is given to songwriters, composers, and publishers whose songs accumulate to over one million U.S. broadcast performances. The designation has been bestowed upon many of BMI’s iconic songwriters, including Sir Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Isaac Hayes and Roy Orbison. One million continuous performances of a song of the average length of 3 minutes represents 5.7 years of continuous airplay. Continue reading “LOCASH receive BMI’s Million-Air Award”

LOCASH have plenty to celebrate

A Number One, new tour and an addition to the family for Preston

Reviver Records super duo LOCASH (Chris Lucas and Preston Brust) is keepin’ them coming with a party for their new Number One, ‘I Know Somebody’ from their album THE FIGHTERS. And, unlike most Number One parties, they opened the celebration to the public! It was SO CRAZY & FUN! It was total mayhem at Valentine Saloon on Nashville’s Broadway. David Preston represented BMI and Michael Martin represented ASCAP for hosting duties.

The songwriters themselves who were helping them celebrate included Rhett Akins (His 26th Number One… but I counted 27), Ross Copperman (I Know Somebody was his 15th Number One song) and Jeremy Stover for whom this was his 4th Number One song. Stover has written for and produced Justin Moore, Emerson Drive, Lonestar and Jack Ingram.

The party didn’t stop there: the dynamic duo are celebrating their upcoming summer tour. When things calm down in September, Preston and his wife Caitlyn will adding another set of footsteps in their house. Busy, busy, busy we are! Chris and Preston are both excited about their upcoming appearance on NBC’s Today Show on March 16th. Good exposure to get them ready for the ACM Awards on April 2nd that will broadcast LIVE from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vega$ at 7pm CST.

ACM nomination for LOCASH

Adding to the kudos were their nominated for the ACM “Vocal Duo or Group of the Year’ ACM Awards®. This is their first industry nominated award for the boys. Preston Burst said, “We have dreamt of this day for so many minutes and so many miles.”

I think this is going to be a fabo year for the boys who are making the noise!

New album from LOCASH

LOCASH Fighters LOCASH fans are looking forward to June 17, 2016. It’s on that date that the fast-rising duo of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust will release their first full-length album for Reviver Records, titled The Fighters. The album includes “I Know Somebody,” as well as fan favorites “Shipwrecked” and “Drunk, Drunk.” The duo has been featuring much of the new material in their live shows this past winter and early spring. LOCASH has a full slate of dates on their calendar throughout the rest of 2016 – including a June 12 stop at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. Tour dates and more info about The Fighters here