Keith Urban Talks Inspiration Behind “The Fighter” and Multiple Award Nominations

Keith Urban Talks Inspiration Behind “The Fighter” and Multiple Award Nominations

Posted on March 16, 2017

Keith Urban has another hit on his hands with “The Fighter,” his fifth single released from his current album Ripcord.  The song, which features superstar Carrie Underwood on vocals, is currently No. 23 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and turned out to be one of the fastest written songs Keith has ever completed.

“It just came out incredibly quick,” recalls Keith. “The idea came very quickly and I was working with [producer and co-writer] busbee that day—we were in London.  I was actually driving to the studio to work on this other song that we’d started. I walked into the studio and played him the chord progression and he built this track really quickly. I think we put down the chorus straight away, with busbee filling in where the girl would sing (laughs). It was just a very quick song to write. I literally just thought about Nic and I and our relationship at the beginning and some of the things we said and it all went in on that song.”

With seven ACM nominations under his belt, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year, Keith looks at the recognition as icing on the cake.

“As an artist creating something, for me the goal is to get out what I had in and to get it out completed, and to get the picture right,” Keith said. “If I achieve that, that’s the first feeling of—you just feel fantastic. There’s just an incredible joy in that happening.  Then when it gets nominated for something it’s crazy. I guess it would be like watching one of our daughters win something as well. Having her was everything, and now she’s winning something, it’s like, ‘Bonus.'”

You can catch Keith at the 2017 ACM Awards on ABC, live from T-mobile arena in Las Vegas on April 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzT4p-OaJ5c

Photo courtesy UMG

From the Closet: Jake Owen Issues Public Service Announcement to Twitter Dumbasses

From the Closet: Jake Owen Issues Public Service Announcement to Twitter Dumbasses

Posted on March 16, 2017

Jake Owen issued a public service announcement to his 2 million Twitter followers today (March 16). Speaking from his Twitter pulpit (what looks to be his walk-in closet), Jake spoke for two-plus minutes about Twitter “dumbasses” who try to scam folks out of their money and time.

Check out his soliloquy below, as well as the video post.

“Hey, what’s up my friends. I need to address something here. There seems to be a lot of people complaining about these fake [social media] accounts, not just on my behalf, but a lot of us artists out there. There are dumbasses out there that are trying to scam you guys out of—whether it’s money, whether it’s your time, whatever it is—but before you spend your time not only entertaining them, but then sending me messages and every other artist telling us there’s fake accounts out there. These people have like 20 followers, so it’s obvious that they’re not me or whoever it may be. I’ve seen Randy Houser talk about it. I’ve seen Lee Brice talk about it. I’ve seen . . . I’ve seen everyone talk about it, Luke Bryan. Like, look, there will always be people in the world that are [mouths the F-word as an adjective] idiots. So ignore these people. Don’t give them the time of day. If they reach out to you in a direct message telling you that they need your money or they need you to help them out because life’s so tough on the road, just tell them to piss off, because the more you guys entertain these people, the more they’re going to continue doing what they’re doing. I sincerely apologize that you guys are having to deal with this sort of thing. I speak on behalf of all of us as artists, we would never do that to you. We would never send personal messages asking you guys to send us money and help us. You help us more than you could imagine by just being you and coming out to our shows, supporting us and singing our songs. So [flashes the middle finger] screw those people, and, come on, we love you guys. Let’s put an end to this and put an end to these dumbasess out there that consider themselves to be capitalizing off of other people’s success and the fact that you guys are loyal fans. So, hope you know, I feel for you. I wish there was something I could do about it where . . . we’re always in the fight to end this sort of nonsense, but I wanted you to hear it from me first as opposed to just sending out a tweet. Love you guys, and adios.”

Sounds Crazy: Nashville’s New Patsy Cline Museum Opens April 7

Sounds Crazy: Nashville’s New Patsy Cline Museum Opens April 7

Posted on March 16, 2017

Move over Johnny Cash and George Jones, Patsy Cline is coming to town.

The “Crazy” singer will be the subject of the new Patsy Cline Museum, following in the esteemed footsteps of both Johnny and George, who also have downtown Nashville museums dedicated in their honor.

Located at 119 Third Avenue South—on the second story above the Johnny Cash Museum—the Patsy Cline Museum will house the largest collection of Patsy Cline artifacts in the world, including personal letters, photographs, costumes, clothing and household furnishings. A bio film also documents Patsy’s career and is hosted by actress Beverly D’Angelo, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Patsy Cline in the 1980 film Coal Miner’s Daughter.

The Patsy Cline Museum opens to the public on April 7. General admission is $18.95.

 

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with McAlister’s Green Tea

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with McAlister’s Green Tea

Posted on March 16, 2017

On St. Patrick’s Day, Friday, March 17, 2017, McAlister’s Deli will be giving guests that are wearing green FREE glasses of Green Tea at participating locations.

McAlister’s Green Tea is clean, refreshing and loaded with antioxidants and nutrients, which have been shown to improve blood flow and lower cholesterol. Just like McAlister’s fan favorite Sweet Tea, their Green Tea is held to the highest standards, made using only Rainforest Alliance Certified™ green tea leaves, supporting a healthier planet, stronger forests, and an improved quality of life for farming communities.

The restaurants are also offering the limited-time Reuben Spud through St. Patrick’s Day. It consists of a baked potato topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island, and Swiss.

Find your nearest location here: http://www.peakrestaurants.com/locations.html. For more information, visit www.mcalistersdeli.com.

Michael Ray Knew There Was Something Special About His Latest Hit, “Think a Little Less”

Michael Ray Knew There Was Something Special About His Latest Hit, “Think a Little Less”

Posted on March 16, 2017

Michael Ray, whose debut single, “Kiss You in the Morning,” reached the top of the charts in 2015, is gearing up for what could be his second No. 1 single, “Think a Little Less,” which is currently No. 2 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The Florida native knew he had something special from the very beginning.

“I’ve loved this song since I heard it, and I always believed it was a hit,” Michael tells Nash Country Daily. “When it came time to pick the third single, we [were looking at the] song streams. At the time, I wasn’t even playing it out live, so this was all just fans finding this song on whatever avenue they find their music. It was one of our biggest streamed songs. As a team, we were like, ‘There’s something here.’ It was also a song that we wanted to get out at some point, we knew it was going to be single at some point in the process.”

Singing about kissing a little more and thinking a little less hit the right note with fans. The song’s popularity was evident when Michael started playing the tune during concerts and festivals.

“I was like, ‘Man, why haven’t we been playing this out the whole time?’ It was awesome and the song means so much to me. Putting out a mid-tempo [song] during the summer last year isn’t the strongest thing to do, but country radio got behind us and my team hunkered down and we just pushed it, and worked our way hard through the 30s and into the 20s, and it started really connecting. It all goes back to my team, and country radio for believing in it, and giving us a platform.”

Michael is currently in the studio working on his second album. He will be hitting the road this summer playing the festival circuit across the country. The Florida native is about to embark on his first trip to Australia (March 24-26) as part of the 10-year anniversary celebration of CMC Rocks—Australia’s biggest international country & roots festival—and then it’s off to Las Vegas for the ACM Party for a Cause on March 30.

Surprise: Chris Lucas of LOCASH Learns the Gender of His Upcoming Baby on “Today” [Watch]

Surprise: Chris Lucas of LOCASH Learns the Gender of His Upcoming Baby on “Today” [Watch]

Posted on March 16, 2017

Before LOCASH’s Preston Brust and Chris Lucas performed their current single, “Ring On Every Finger,” on the Today show, hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Jenna Bush Hager had a special surprise for Chris, whose wife, Kaitlyn, is expecting the couple’s third child.

Kathie Lee and Jenna arranged for Kaitlyn to appear via Skype to surprise Chris by revealing the gender of their new baby.

Watch the clip below, and congrats to Chris and Kaitlyn.

Last Chance to Bid on VIP Experience With Carrie Underwood at the Grand Ole Opry ($3,500 Currently)

Last Chance to Bid on VIP Experience With Carrie Underwood at the Grand Ole Opry ($3,500 Currently)

Posted on March 16, 2017

If you want to bid on the Carrie Underwood VIP experience at the Grand Ole Opry via Charitybuzz.com, you’d better make an offer before 2 p.m. CT.

Charitybuzz’s first-ever curated music auction is live and includes the chance to spend time with country music stars such as Carrie Underwood, Sam Hunt, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, Zac Brown Band and more.

Carrie’s VIP experience, which is valued at $10,000 and currently has a bid of $3,500, will take place at the Grand Ole Opry on March 24 or 25. According to the auction post: “This exclusive experience allows you and a guest to have VIP tickets to Carrie Underwood at the Grand Ole Opry with a backstage meet & greet! In addition to meeting Carrie Underwood and enjoying VIP tickets in the audience, you will also receive a VIP backstage tour of the renowned theater. This is the perfect package for any country fans out there.”

Carrie’s auction supports the MusicCares Foundation. Bidding closes today (March 16) at 2 p.m. CT.

Charitybuzz is a for-profit company that raises funds for nonprofits through upscale online charity auctions. Celebrities do not make any money from the auctions, although Charitybuzz retains about 20 percent of the proceeds at the end of the auction to cover their services and website upkeep.

Take a look at some of the other country music-related Charitybuzz auctions that you can currently bid on, and the worthy charities involved.

Mo Pitney Talks About Life as a New Dad, His Old Soul & Playing the Opry + Performs New Single, “Everywhere”

Mo Pitney Talks About Life as a New Dad, His Old Soul & Playing the Opry + Performs New Single, “Everywhere”

Posted on March 16, 2017

Jim Casey talks with Mo Pitney about life as a new dad, his old soul, what it feels like to regularly perform on the Grand Ole Opry, his new single, “Everywhere,” and more.

Plus, Mo treats listeners to a live performance of “Everywhere” at the end of the show.

Show Participants

  • Mo Pitney
  • Jim Casey, NCD managing editor

Show Notes & Links

The Writers Room, Ep. 63, 13 minutes
photos by Jason Simanek

The Railers Plan Timely Arrival at Country Radio With New Single, “11:59 (Central Standard Time)” [Listen]

The Railers Plan Timely Arrival at Country Radio With New Single, “11:59 (Central Standard Time)” [Listen]

Posted on March 16, 2017

Both on and offstage, The Railers are a tight-knit group. The trio—Jonathan, Jordan and Cassandra Lawson—has been tearing up the roadway in their trusty old van, Geraldine, playing 150–200 shows a year for the past few years.

Jonathan and Jordan are brothers, while Jonathan and Cassandra are husband and wife, which makes Jordan and Cassandra in-laws. Family or not, 200 shows a year is a lot of time to spend crammed inside a van together.

In 2015, the band was named to Nash Country Daily’s annual Ones to Watch list—and we’ve been watching them perform ever since. On March 20, with the release of their new single, “11:59 (Central Standard Time),” to country radio, it’s finally time to just listen.

In studio with (from left) Cassandra, Jordan and Jonathan Lawson of The Railers. photo by Jason Simanek

“We’re excited about this song,” said Jonathan to NCD. “We spent a long time looking for the right song that we felt like was a hit for country radio, but also something that creatively we could bring something to the table on. We wrote and wrote and wrote, and we listened to a ton of songs that our friends had written. It was actually on the way back from Missouri one night that ‘11:59’ was a on a CD that a friend had sent over of songs he had written. We listened to it and we all kind of looked at each other like, ‘I think this might be it.’ We listened again, and a few more times, and then we called our producer at midnight and said, ‘You have to hold this song right now, this is gonna be the single. We’ve got to go cut it.’”

“That moment, we believed in the song fully,” added Jordan.

“It’s a fun song,” said Cassandra. “I feel like it’s the perfect time to release it, because it’s been a heavy year for everybody and we just wanted to release something that could bring everyone together, regardless of beliefs.”

Listen to “11:59 (Central Standard Time)” below, and keep an ear out for it on country radio on March 20. The tune is available for purchase on iTunes now.

 

Watch Coach Blake Shelton and Mentor Luke Bryan Spread the Love During “The Voice” Battle Rounds

Watch Coach Blake Shelton and Mentor Luke Bryan Spread the Love During “The Voice” Battle Rounds

Posted on March 16, 2017

The Blind Auditions have concluded on NBC’s Season 12 of The Voice, and now it’s time to battle.

On Monday, March 20, the Battles Rounds will begin and coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Alicia Keys and Gwen Stefani will be bringing in their team mentors. Luke Bryan will serve as a mentor for Team Blake members during the Battle Rounds, where contestants compete against each other to keep their spot on Blake’s squad. Luke will assist the contestants with song arrangement and stage presence, among other variables.

“I think The Voice is an amazing opportunity,” says Luke. “You’re advising people that are gonna take your words and use ’em the rest of their lives. At the end of the day, watching stars be born, I don’t think that ever gets old.”

Check out a sneak peek of Luke and Blake mentoring their mentees.

 

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