Sturgill Simpson may have grumblings with the ACM Awards, Music Row and Garden & Gun magazine, but he’s got no beef with Seth Meyers. Sturgill made another appearance on Late Night last night (Oct. 12) to perform “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog),” the lead track from his 2016 album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.
Backed by a multi-piece brass and string ensemble, Sturgill got down to business with his foreboding vocals before the horn section busted out the soulful groove.
If there was anything you ever wanted to know about the music business but were afraid to ask, now is your chance. Reba McEntire—one of country music’s biggest stars with a career spanning 40-plus years, 56 million albums sold worldwide, 13 ACM Awards, seven CMA Awards and two Grammy Awards—is joining the online platform MasterClass to teach you all about the country music business. Here is your chance to learn from one of country music’s best.
In her first online class, Reba breaks down one of her greatest hits, “Fancy,” and shares what it takes to create a career in country music—covering storytelling, connecting to an audience, singing, performance, vocal warm up, song selection and all that goes into a country music career.
“I’m doing this MasterClass for anybody who is interested in getting into the music business, get some tips on my 40 years of experience being in the music business,” Reba says in the trailer (see below). “We’re going to be talking about how to sing, what to do when you’re onstage and how to pick out a song.”
MasterClass was created to give people the ability to gain the wisdom and knowledge from some of the world’s best creative minds. Other artists that have given a class include Christina Aguilera (singing), Kevin Spacey (acting), Usher (performance), Serena Williams (tennis), James Patterson (writing), Dustin Hoffman (acting), Aaron Sorkin (screenwriting) and Werner Herzog (filmmaking).
“I love to learn from other people so working with MasterClass, being able to share some of the lessons I’ve been taught is exciting!” Reba said in a statement. “For the first time, I’m getting to offer up what I believe makes a killer song, my vocal techniques and some tidbits I’ve experienced throughout my career. Country music is relatable music. It’s all about how people live, day in and day out . . . it’s their life stories. I hope that my MasterClass encourages people along in their own adventure in music.”
All classes are available online for individual purchase at masterclass.com for $90 each. Pre-enrollment for the class opens today at masterclass.com/reba.
From established Canadian artists like Shania Twain and Terri Clark to newcomers Lindsay Ell and High Valley, country music is alive and well north of the border, dontcha know?
Ontario-based James Barker Band—James (lead vocals/guitar), Taylor Abram (backup vocals/guitar), Bobby Martin (bass) and Connor Stephen (drums)—formed in 2013, and the troupe has been lighting up the Northern sky with their good-timin’ tunes for the past three years.
JBB released their debut single, “Lawn Chair Lazy,” in May and it became the highest charting debut single ever from a Canadian country artist. Now the group is invading the U.S. with their new single, “Just Sayin’,” which is premiering below on Nash Country Daily.
“We are super excited about ‘Just Sayin’,’ our new tune,” says James. “Our first single, ‘Lawn Chair Lazy,’ was a chill, summer-style song and we wanted to do something a little more upbeat. That being said, we wanted ‘Just Sayin” to have the same kind of fun idea and groove. It’s definitely a blast to play live, so we knew it had to be a single!”
Saying that Kelsea Ballerini’s career is taking off, at this moment, is an understatement. Kelsea’s career is, in fact, soaring, as she celebrated her history-making third consecutive No. 1 hit, “Peter Pan,” on Wednesday night (Oct. 12) at an airport hangar in Nashville.
In February, Kelsea became one of only five women to notch No. 1s with their first two charted titles, joining Jamie O’Neal, Deana Carter, Faith Hill and Wynonna in the club. With “Peter Pan” reaching the No. 1 spot, Kelsea is now in the exclusive company of Wynonna, who is the only other female whose first three singles from a solo debut album reached No. 1. Wynonna also enjoyed an eight-year career as one-half of the super-hot duo The Judds before releasing her debut project in 1992.
With the airplane theme in full force, Kelsea had more than one reason to celebrate. During the evening’s presentations, Gordon Kerr, president of Black River Entertainment, announced that Kelsea’s debut album, The First Time, had been certified gold for selling 500,000 copies—a rare feat in today’s country music climate.
Kelsea took the stage with “Peter Pan” co-writers Forest Glen Whitehead and Jesse Lee and thanked her family and friends and those who have supported her throughout her career.
“Thank you to my entire team—you guys work harder than anyone I know,” Kelsea said. “I hope I say thank you enough, but if I don’t, thank you. Thank you for listening to my music. You guys that are here, thank you for writing about it or playing it or whatever you do. You have made the last two years of my life like . . . crazy. I mean, I can’t even explain it. I’m very thankful and I promise to always work really heard and I hope to always make you proud.”
After the speeches were through, Kelsea, her co-writers and band members hit the stage to perform the song we were all there to celebrate, “Peter Pan,” and her current single, “Yeah Boy,” which was released to radio this week.
It was announced today (Oct. 13) that singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, whose body of work crosses genres from folk and country to blues and rock, has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition,” according to the Swedish Academy, which awards the prize.
Bob is the first American to win the award since novelist Toni Morrison in 1993. The Nobel Prize also includes a monetary award of more than $900,000.
Sara Danius, a literary scholar and the permanent secretary of the 18-member Swedish Academy, called Bob “a great poet in the English-speaking tradition” and drew parallels between his work and Greek poet’s Homer and Sappho, whose work was delivered orally. Asked if the decision to award the prize to a musician signaled a broadening in the definition of literature, Sara jokingly responded, “The times they are a-changing, perhaps,” referencing Bob’s 1964 album, The Times They Are a-Changin’.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville unveiled a new exhibit in March 2015 showcasing the evolution of Nashville music and Bob’s contributions. Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City looks at the Nashville music scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The exhibit focuses mainly on Bob and his decision to record his album Blonde on Blonde in Nashville in 1966. Working with Music Row’s acclaimed session players like Charlie McCoy, Wayne Moss and Kenny Buttrey, often referred to as the “Nashville Cats,” Dylan produced a masterpiece album that is considered among his finest. Bob recorded two more albums in Nashville and later appeared on Johnny Cash’s network television show. Following Bob Dylan’s lead, other artists like Neil Young, Paul McCartney and Leonard Cohen became inspired to come to Music City and record with the famed Nashville Cats. This compelling and informative exhibit runs through Dec. 31, 2016.
Today’s daily dose of Garth? He has released the first single, “Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance,” from his upcoming 11th studio album, which is slated to drop later this year.
The nearly three-minute tune is a groovin’ guitar-driven ditty that’s more in line with Garth’s past crowd-pleasers—think the upbeat nature of “Callin’ Baton Rouge” as opposed to his previous two singles, “People Loving People” and “Mom,” from his 2014 album, Man Against Machine.
Written by Garth and long-time collaborators and friends Victoria Shaw (“The River”), Kent Blazy (“If Tomorrow Never Comes”), Kim Williams (“Papa Loved Mama”) and Steve Dorff, the new track will also be part of an innovative campaign kicking off today at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. As part of a partnership with Frito-Lay, Garth will launch the new single with a download code on a select number of Fritos corn chips bags giving fans first access to the song today.
“‘Baby, Let’s Lay Down and Dance’ was just a fun title that Kent Blazy has had in his book of titles forever, always threatening to write it,” said Garth. “So one day Kim, Kent and I sat down and wrote it. We got a little help from Steve Dorff and then Victoria Shaw finished it. In the middle of this, Kim Williams passed away. I’ve got to tell you, I love love love this song, but probably my greatest joy is the fact that this is a Kim Williams song. Not only did it make this record, it’s the first single off this record.”
The Nash Next Challenge is down to its 10 finalists, and in the lead-up to the announcement of the champion on Oct. 25, NCD will be profiling each of the 10 finalists.
Today, we are getting to know finalist Brittany Pfantz.
In July, Cumulus Media and Big Machine Label Group invited aspiring country artists and bands to participate in the Nash Next Challenge, an artist development competition where the winner will receive a recording contract with Big Machine Label Group and have an original song produced by Jay DeMarcus, which will garner national radio airplay on Cumulus Media radio stations across the U.S.
The winner of the Nash Next Challenge will be crowned on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Mercy Lounge in Nashville. The event, which will also feature a performance from Trent Harmon, is open to the public from 7–10 p.m.
Brittany Pfantz
Age: 25 Twitter:@Bpfantz Radio Market: Lake Charles, La.
NCD: How did you get started in music?
Brittany: I saw someone playing ukulele and thought it was quirky and cute, so I got one for Christmas in 2012. I received some encouragement and started writing songs and haven’t stopped since.
Who are your musical influences?
I don’t really listen to anyone enough that sings my style of music. When I started out I was listening to a girl named Selah Sue and she was highly influenced by Lauryn Hill. I get a little influence from all of the genres I listen to.
What three words describe you?
Spontaneous, driven, compassionate.
What would you say is unique about your sound?
What’s unique about my sound is that no one else has it. Maybe some other people could sound similar but no one has the same life experiences and emotion that go with the sound. You can hear those feelings in my sound.
What three albums would you take to a deserted island?
Bethel Music’s The Loft Sessions, Snarky Puppy’s FamilyDinner and any album by Johann Sebastian Bach.
What’s your favorite song to cover?
“Valerie” by Amy Winehouse.
What’s the last song you heard that blew you away?
“Hum” by Adult Jazz blew me away when I heard it. That dude has crazy vocals.
Where is the craziest place you’ve performed?
The craziest place I’ve performed is probably at a little restaurant in Belize. I guess it’s because I wasn’t expecting to play and it just kinda fell in my lap.
What’s the first thing you do after a show?
I unplug my monitor and then talk to the people that come up to the stage. Then I kiss my boyfriend [laughing].
What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done onstage?
Only embarrassing thing I’ve done is miss some guitar chords. I have only been performing for one year so I’m sure there is a lot more than that coming my way.
In the lead-up to the CMA Awards on Nov. 2, Nash Country Daily will be conducting its own election to let you—the readers—decide who should win each of the 12 categories at this year’s show. We’re taking politics out of the equation and letting the popular vote speak for itself.
The good news is there is no voter registration. The bad news is we aren’t giving out any trophies. It’s just for bragging rights.
Every two or three days, we will provide a new ballot for one of the 12 categories and allow fans to vote until the next category is announced. Along the way, we’ll post our winners.
Female Vocalist of the Year: Oct 12 – WINNER Carrie Underwood
Entertainer of the Year: Oct. 10 – WINNER Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood: 34%
Keith Urban: 32%
Luke Bryan: 19%
Garth Brooks: 9%
Chris Stapleton: 6%
Male Vocalist of the Year: Oct. 14
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church
Tim McGraw
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Album of the Year: Oct. 17
Black – Dierks Bentley
Hero – Maren Morris
Mr. Misunderstood – Eric Church
Ripcord – Keith Urban
Storyteller – Carrie Underwood
Vocal Group of the Year: Oct. 19
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
Vocal Duo of the Year: Oct. 21
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Joey + Rory
Maddie & Tae
New Artist of the Year: Oct. 24
Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne
Maren Morris
Old Dominion
Cole Swindell
Song of the Year (Awarded to Songwriters): Oct. 26
“Burning House” – Cam, Tyler Johnson, Jeff Bhasker
“Die a Happy Man” – Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett, Joe Spargur
“Humble and Kind” – Lori McKenna
“Record Year” – Eric Church, Jeff Hyde
“My Church” – busbee, Maren Morris
Single of the Year: Oct. 28
“Die a Happy Man” – Thomas Rhett
“Humble and Kind” – Tim McGraw
“My Church” – Maren Morris
“Nobody to Blame” – Chris Stapleton
“Record Year” – Eric Church
Musical Event of the Year: Oct. 28
“Different for Girls” – Dierks Bentley feat. Elle King
“Home Alone Tonight” – Luke Bryan feat. Karen Fairchild
“The Fighter” – Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood)
“Think of You” – Chris Young with Cassadee Pope
“You Are My Sunshine” – Morgane Stapleton with Chris Stapleton
Video of the Year: Oct. 31
“Burning House” – Cam, directed by Trey Fanjoy
“Fire Away” – Chris Stapleton, directed by Tim Mattia
“Humble and Kind” – Tim McGraw, directed by Wes Edwards
“Record Year” – Eric Church, directed by Jon Peets and Reid Long
“Somewhere on a Beach” – Dierks Bentley, directed by Wes Edwards
Musician of the Year: Oct. 31
Jerry Douglas – Dobro/Lap Steel Guitar
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Dan Huff – Guitar
Brent Mason – Guitar
Derek Wells – Guitar
Hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, The 50th annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. CT on ABC.
Kacey Musgraves by Kelly Christine Sutton/UMG; Maren Morris by LeAnn Mueller/Sony Music Nashville; Miranda Lambert courtesy Sony Music Nashville; Kelsea Ballerini by Joseph Llanes/Sweet Talk Publicity; Carrie Underwood by Randee St. Nicholas/Schmidt Relations;
Tanya Tucker is recovering in a Nashville hospital after suffering an upper respiratory infection while on her North American Tour. Tanya, who turned 58 on Oct. 10, became ill before a date in South Dakota and was treated by local doctors before heading back to Nashville. As a result, six shows will be postponed (tour dates below).
“I cannot apologize enough to all the fans who bought tickets and were looking forward to seeing us on the road,” said Tanya in a press release. “I just feel terrible, but I’ll get even worse if I don’t take care of myself. I love you all.
NCD wishes Tanya a speedy recovery.
Postponed Tanya Tucker Tour Dates
Oct. 07 Watertown, S.D. – Dakota Sioux Casino
Oct. 11 Swift Current, SK Canada – The Living Sky Casino
Oct. 12 Whitecap, SK Canada – Dakota Dunes Casino
Oct. 14 Fort Hall, Idaho – Fort Hall Casino
Oct. 15 Pendleton, Ore. – Wildhorse Resort
Oct. 16 Airway Heights, Wash. – Northern Quest Casino
Over the last year, the three members of Lady Antebellum—Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood—have dedicated some time away from the group to tackle individual projects and spend time with their families. Hillary did both at the same time.
Hillary teamed with her father, Lang, mother, Linda Davis and younger sister, Rylee, to create the faith-based album, Love Remains, which was released on July 29 and reached No. 1 on Billboard‘s Christian Albums chart.
Three days prior to the album’s release on July 26, Hillary and the Scott Family made their collective debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Nash Country Daily has the exclusive premiere of a video that takes viewers through the family’s Opry journey, including interviews and performance footage.
One of the most touching moments is watching Rylee, 16, go through a range of emotions—from excitement to nervousness—before stepping on the Opry stage for the first time.
“Dad’s played the Opry as an artist many years ago, mom’s played it many time, I’ve been able to play it as a part of Lady A,” said Hillary backstage before the show. “For Rylee to be able to experience it tonight for the first time—not just attending and in support, but stepping on that stage and singing. To be able to all be up there together is really amazing.”
Hillary and the Scott family performed three songs from the album, including “Thy Will” and “Beautiful Messes,” before Love Remains producer Ricky Skaggs joined the family onstage for a song.
Check out the video below, which includes interviews with Hillary, Linda, Lang, Rylee, Ricky and more, as well as some cute footage of Hillary’s daughter, Eisele, singing “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” And be sure to catch Hillary and the Scott family as they return to the Grand Ole Opry stage on Oct. 25 as the Opry Goes Pink in support of the fight against breast cancer with Jason Aldean, Chris Young, Montgomery Gentry and more.
