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Thomas Rhett’s Country Again – Side A is Available Now

Posted on April 30, 2021

Thomas Rhett‘s album Country Again – Side A is available now!

Country Again is the result of the last 10 years of Thomas’ life, but more specifically, the last 15 months. It was the quarantine and time off from his usual hectic schedule that allowed all this music to be created.

Thomas says, “A lot of this record started getting written once I started to slow down. You know, I actually had time to be creative again, and I had time to be inspired and had to think about the last couple of years, and the last 10 years of my life, and all the lessons I learned from that. So, when I say this is the record I wish I could have written at 19, well there’s no way I could have. I didn’t have this kind of material to talk about. I didn’t have the struggle and the awesomeness of being a dad, or the struggle and awesomeness of married…you know, it was just me. So, I think looking back on these last 10 years, and looking at all the ways that I’ve grown and all the inspiration that’s come from being a dad and being a husband really translated into what this record is today and just something I’m proud of.”

Along with having two songs on the album with the word “country” in their title, as well as the project’s name too – “country” is a major theme throughout many of the tracks.

Thomas Rhett explains what “country” means to him, “I think the word ‘country’ is a pretty strong synonym. I think it means a multitude of things. Just like any other word in the world, it could be construed for good, or construed for bad, you know. I think ‘country’ for a lot of people means boots and fiddle and steel guitar and being in the woods, and I think those things are definitely one meaning, but for me, even in the song ‘Country Again’ it is about that stuff, but it’s more about just a simple way of life, and a lifestyle where you don’t need much to make you happy, and on a musical front the word ‘country’ to me, means an honest story.”

Telling that honest story all comes down to the songwriting. While he had a hand in writing all the songs on this project, Thomas is quick to tell you that he didn’t do it alone, “None of these songs would have happened if it was just me in a room. I’ve tried to write millions of songs by myself and I always stop at the chorus cause I can’t ever…I don’t trust myself…you know, I don’t trust myself to write a second verse, so all the cowriters on this record made this record what it is.”

COUNTRY AGAIN – SIDE A TRACK LIST:
1. “Want It Again” | Thomas Rhett, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Miller, Josh Thompson
2. “Growing Up” | Thomas Rhett, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Miller, Josh Thompson
3. “What’s Your Country Song” | Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, Parker Welling
4. “Where We Grew Up”* | Thomas Rhett, Luke Laird, Josh Miller
5. “Heaven Right Now” | Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Thompson, Laura Veltz
6. “To The Guys That Date My Girls” | Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Will Bundy, Josh Thompson
7. “More Time Fishin’” | Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Will Bundy, Josh Thompson
8. “Country Again” | Thomas Rhett, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley
9. “Put It On Ice (featuring Hardy)”+ | Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Thompson
10. “Blame It On A Backroad” | Thomas Rhett, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley
11. “Ya Heard” | Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Matt Dragstrem, Chase McGill

The project is title Country Again – Side A because this is the first group of songs that Thomas is putting out. Originally he had close to 30 tracks ready to release…until he had a conversation with his younger brother, “I thank my 15-year-old brother for this split of this album because…he’s 15, and he’s super hip and he’s on the Tik Tok trend and all that kind of stuff, and I asked him, ‘If I were to put out a record that had 26 songs on it, do you feel like that’s something you could listen to?’ And he said ‘Absolutely not’ (laugh), and I said ‘How far would you get before you just switched it to something else?’ And he said ‘Maybe…maybe 8 songs.’ And I was like, ‘OK, that’s good intel.”

At first Thomas was thinking of his own personal preference when it came to getting new music from his favorite artists — like the recent triple album, Heart & Soul from Eric Church, “You know, if I love an artist…the more the better for me. You know what I’m saying, like, the fact Eric Church is releasing a triple album is like Christmas to me. I get to live with 3 and half hours of brand new Eric Church music…but I’m also 30-years-old and I have time to sit and actually do that.”

But the more he thought about it, and following the advice of his brother, Thomas Rhett started to think that splitting up the Country Again album into 2 parts was the best thing for the music, “You know I think a lot of times, songs can get really left behind when there’s too many of them at the same time, you know especially in the way that they’re sequenced. If I were to put 26 songs on the same record and I save my favorite one for number 26, how many people are actually going to get there?”

He adds, “So, I wanted to do a double album because I had too much music that I loved, and I wasn’t ready to part ways with. But that’s the reason I split it up…it’s so people can have a lot of time to digest these 11, and then when Side B comes out, they have time to digest those 12 to 15 songs…and then they can listen to it as a full project and understand why all these songs were recorded in the first place. So, if they were to listen to 26 songs straight down they’d probably just pick their favorite 4 and listen to those on repeat…rather than getting 11 and 12 to 15, they get to actually soak it in, and actually recognize each song for what it is.”

Thomas shares what the album Country Again – Side A means to him, “I’ve never been more excited about a release of an album than I am now, and I would attribute that to I’m just excited to be living for today, you know rather than thinking about what I’m doing in 10 years. So, in many ways that’s probably one of the biggest lessons I learned over the last 15 months. It allowed me to be able to write songs like ‘Country Again’ – you know that song would have never being written in this kind of fashion, had I not lived the last 15 months the way that I had. And also to be able to reflect on my last 10 years and go ‘Dang, I was living OK, but I’m not sure I was living to my fullest. You know, like I am today.’ Which is exciting to say.”

Photos Courtesy of Valory Music Co

Postgame/Boxscore/Story: #4 Vols Pour It On Kentucky, 14-4

Posted on April 30, 2021

Vols RHP Chad Dallas / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 4 Tennessee exploded for seven runs in the second inning to erase an early deficit and cruise to a 14-4 series-opening victory over Kentucky on a damp Thursday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Every player in UT’s starting lineup recorded a hit with Pete Derkay (3-for-4, 2 runs), Jordan Beck (2-for-4, 3 runs, HR, 3 RBI), Luc Lipcius (2-for-5, 2 runs, HR, RBI), Jackson Greer (2-for-4, 2 runs, HR, 2 RBI) and Liam Spence (2-for-5, run, 2 RBI) all finishing with multiple hits on the night.

Chad Dallas battled through a rocky start and a 20-minute rain delay to settle in and provide the Big Orange with another quality start. The junior right hander finished with seven strikeouts in six innings of work and earned the win to improve to 7-1 on the year.

Kentucky jumped out to a quick 3-0 with a pair of home runs in the first two innings. T.J. Collett opened the scoring with a solo shot in the first, his 15th homer of the season, and Jacob Plastiak added to the Wildcats’ lead with a two-run homer in the second.

Tennessee would not be outdone, however, hitting two long balls of their own in a seven-run second inning to take a 7-3 lead. Jordan Beck tied the game with a three-run blast to left center and two batters later, Jackson Greer hit a two-run bomb to put the Vols ahead. Drew Gilbert capped the scoring in the inning with a two-run single up the middle.

After UK scratched across a run in the top of the third, the Big Orange added five more runs in the home half of the inning despite recording just one hit. Spence, Jake Rucker and Gilbert all drove in runs in the inning.

Lipcius joined in on the home run parade with a solo blast in the fourth while Spence picked up his second RBI of the night later in the inning to give UT a 14-4 lead that would hold for the remainder of the night as neither team scored over the final five innings.

Kirby Connell, Christian Delashmit, Will Mabrey and Elijah Pleasants combined to pitch three scoreless innings out of the bullpen for UT, allowing just one hit in that span.

The Vols (33-10 // 13-6 SEC) and Wildcats (25-14, 9-10 SEC) will square off again tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.

NOTABLE

SCORING IN BUNCHES: After scoring 20 runs in last Sunday’s series finale at Texas A&M, the Vols exploded for 14 runs on Thursday night against the Wildcats, marking the first time that Tennessee has scored double-digit runs in back-to-back SEC games since 2010 at Georgia. UT defeated the Bulldogs 25-5 on May 8 and completed a series sweep with a 14-11 victory on May 9.

After scoring 15 runs over the final three innings against the Aggies, Tennessee nearly matched that output with 14 runs over a three-inning stretch from the second to the fourth on Thursday.

MORE DINGERS PLEASE: The Vols blasted three more home runs in Thursday’s win and came agonizingly close to hitting a couple more. The Big Orange have now hit multiple homers in five of their last eight games. Their 57 home runs on the year are the most since hitting 81 in 2010 and the most in a single season since the NCAA switched to the BBCOR bats in 2011.

Box Score (PDF) | Vitello, Dallas & Beck Postgame

-UT Athletics

Softball Preview: #16 Tennessee at Auburn

Posted on April 30, 2021

Lady Vols Softball / Credit: UT Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – Following a third consecutive SEC series win, the No. 16 Tennessee softball team will travel south to take on SEC foe, Auburn in a three-game weekend set on the Plains. First pitch for Friday’s game one is slated for 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.

BROADCAST INFO
All three games can be streamed on SEC Network+. Fans can stream the plus on any mobile device through the ESPN App or online at espn.com/watch.

Lady Vol faithful can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate or online at UTsports.com to hear VFL Brian Rice describing the action.

QUICK HITS
YEAH…SHE’S STILL STEALIN’
Tennessee sophomore Kiki Milloy enters this weekend’s series with 32 stolen bases on the year. Her current total is the most stolen bags by a Lady Vol in a single season since Raven Chavanne stole 41 bases in 2013.

The current Tennessee single season record is 44, held by LVFL’s Kenora Posey in 2008 and India Chiles in 2007. Milloy’s present number is tied for ninth in a single season with Chavanne when she stole 32 bags in 2012.

CALLIE TURNS THE CORNER
Sophomore pitcher Callie Turner has been incredibly effective for the Lady Vols in her last two starts, giving up just three runs on four hits in 12 innings of work in UT’s victories over South Carolina (4/18/21) and Georgia (4/24/21).

SEC PLAY ISN’T SCARY
In its last nine SEC contests, Tennessee holds a 6-3 record with three consecutive series victories, with four of those wins coming by four or more runs. In those nine contests, the offense has also started to find a bit of its groove, plating six or more runs five times, winning all but one of those affairs.

ANOTHER SEC WEEKLY HONOR
This week, UT senior infielder Ashley Morgan has been named the league’s Player of the Week. Morgan earned the award after an incredible weekend at the plate in the Orange & White’s series victory over Georgia.

Morgan went 6-for-10 with three doubles, a home run and six RBI’s, while boasting an excellent 1.200 slugging percentage, while striking out just once. Morgan also opened the weekend by reaching base in her first six plate appearances and reached on eight of her 12 total appearances at the dish.

SCOUTING AUBURN
2021 Record: 26-16 Overall, 6-12 SEC
Series Record: UT Leads, 38-27
Last Meeting: A 2-0 victory for Auburn in College Station at the 2019 SEC Tournament.
Key Player/Stat: Senior outfielder Tyler King has been the most consistent player at the dish for Auburn, holding a .336 batting average and a team-leading 43 total bases and 16 runs scored. Where the Tigers have greatly struggled is with extra-base-hits, tallying just 60 multi-baggers (35 doubles, six triples, 19 home runs) compared to Tennessee’s 133 extra-base-hits (66 doubles, 11 triples, 56 home runs).

UP NEXT
The Lady Vols will take two days off, before traveling to Starkville, Mississippi for a mid-week conference doubleheader with Mississippi State on Wednesday May 5. First pitches for those contests are set for 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET.

-UT Athletics

ESPN recognizes Lady Vols’ Burrell in 2021-22 in Top Player Rankings

Posted on April 30, 2021

Rae Burrell – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee rising senior Rae Burrell, who had a breakout junior campaign, is among 25 women garnering attention in ESPN’s first college basketball player rankings for the 2021-22 season.

The 6-foot-1 guard/forward from Las Vegas is ranked No. 24 in a listing compiled via votes from ESPN’s Charlie Creme and Mechelle Voepel.

Here’s what Creme and Voepel wrote about Burrell: “From spot minutes as a freshman to role player as a sophomore to surprising breakout star this past season, Burrell is now Tennessee’s best player. At times, she carried the Lady Vols in 2020-21. They might not have overcome the early season struggles of Rennia Davis without her. While Burrell’s game is primarily built on energy and outworking the opponent, all of her shooting numbers have made huge improvements, most notably her 3-point percentage, which went from 32.8% as a sophomore to a team-leading 40.2% last season.”

An All-SEC Second Team selection in 2021, Burrell helped Tennessee to a 17-8 overall record, a third-place finish in the SEC at 9-4, an NCAA appearance as a No. 3 seed and final national rankings of No. 14 and 16 in the AP and USA TODAY Coaches polls, respectively. She averaged 16.8 ppg. and 4.6 rpg., ranking second on the team in scoring and fourth in rebounding as the only Lady Vol to start all 25 contests.

Burrell scored in double figures in 22 of 25 games, fired in 15 or more points 17 times and hit 20+ on seven occasions, leading the team in the first two categories and ranking second in the third. She posted career best percentages from the field (45.8), three-point arc (40.2) and charity stripe (82.5). Impressively, she made a perfect 16 of 16 at the charity stripe in the final four minutes of games in 2020-21.

ESPN Player Rankings | Burrell Bio

-UT Athletics

Priscilla Block’s Debut EP – is Available Now

Posted on April 30, 2021

Priscilla Block‘s debut EP – featuring her single “Just About Over You” – is available now!

Since she has arrived on the country music scene Priscilla has been very open with her fans, ” I feel like everybody knows me really well through social media, because I am so much of a watch you see is what you get kind of girl.”

When it comes to the music on her EP, Priscilla says, “I hope when fans listen to my EP, they get to know me on more of a personal way. I like to write funny songs and I like to write heartbreak songs. And I want to be somebody that is so relatable and kind of with this EP it is what you see is what you get and it kind of shows every side of me.”

So, what sides of Priscilla can you expect to get to know through her songs, “You know, you got the sass, you got the trash, and you got the sad. (laugh)”

Priscilla adds, “I’m super, super excited about this EP. These songs…I’ve worked on for years with my friends and we’re just super excited that they are seeing the light of day.”

Her EP arrives today, and then tomorrow (May 1st), Priscilla will be making her debut on the Grand Ole Opry. She recalls that when she was asked to appear, it took her a moment to realize what was actually happening, “When I was asked to play my Opry debut, it honestly, it kind of felt like I was in a dream There was a video of Craig Morgan asking me to come back an make my debut. I, honestly, had one of those moments, like wait, are they talking to me? And it kind of just all sunk in after that and I started crying. I’m just, I don’t know. I’m so excited about it!”

2021 has been an eventful year so far for Priscilla, “It has been such a whirlwind. I mean, I’m like ‘It can’t get better.’ Then it gets better! I just like ‘Oh, my gosh!’ It is so crazy…I actually have to take time to really celebrate stuff, because I feel like it’s all happening at once, and it’s amazing.”

Priscilla Block’s self-titled debut EP includes,

01 “Wish You Were The Whiskey”
02 “Just About Over You”
03 “Heels In Hand”
04 “Sad Girls Do Sad Things”
05 “Bad Part of Good”
06 “I Bet You Wanna Know”

Her current single “Just About Over You” is climbing the country airplay chart…

Priscilla is giving the storyline in “Just About Over You” a little bit of a backstory, as she recently released the video for “Wish You Were The Whiskey” which is a bit of a prequel to her current hit single…

“Just About Over You” and “Wish You Were The Whiskey” are from Priscilla Block’s debut EP, which is available everywhere now.

Photo Credit: Logen Christopher

A Day In The Country – April 30th – Gabby Barrett, Little Big Town, Kenny Chesney, Pat Green & Garth Brooks

Posted on April 30, 2021

This is A Day in the Country with Paul Koffy – April 30th

On this day in 2020, Gabby Barrett was at number-one with “I Hope”

In 2015 Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” is certified Gold

On this day in 2013, Kenny Chesney released his album Life On A Rock which includes the fan-favorite song “Pirate Flag”

In 2006, Pat Green wins the BMW Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament at The Cliffs in Greenville, South Carolina – his prize? A BMW Z4 Roadster

And it was on this day back in 1990, Garth Brooks released “The Dance”

Photo Credit: Robby Klein

Darius Rucker Shares a Different Take on His Masterpiece

Posted on April 30, 2021

Darius Rucker‘s new single “My Masterpiece” started with an interview.

Darius shares the story of how the song was created, “I was having a writing session with the same guys I wrote ‘Beers and Sunshine’ with, and they were talking about just, well, I think it was John (Harding) that said he heard me on a radio station talking about what I was doing during COVID. I said I was trying to learn to play piano and they asked if I could play, and I said, ‘I can’t play like Ray Charles.’ And that just stuck in his head and that was the idea that he had. And we went in, and it was another one of those songs that really, with when you think about all of the great masterpieces in the world, it was great to write that song and come up with another song that I love.”

Darius is now giving “My Masterpiece” a new sound with an acoustic version…check the video for it right here…

Photo Credit: David McClister

Gabby Barrett Makes Her Late Night TV Debut on The Late Late Show With James Corden

Posted on April 30, 2021

Did you catch Gabby Barrett‘s late night television debut on The Late Late Show With James Corden?

After chatting with James Corden about the inspiration for her number-one smash hit “The Good Ones” – Gabby let loose with a show-stopping performance of the track.

Gabby shared a photo with fans from after the performance — proving husband Cade Foehner still sweeps her off her feet…

Check out Gabby singing “The Good Ones” on The Late Late Show With James Corden right here…

Photo Courtesy of Gabby Barrett

Elvie Shane Shares His Emotional Opry Debut Performance of “My Boy”

Posted on April 30, 2021

Elvie Shane recently released his debut EP, County Roads, and that same day he also made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry.

Recalling the performance of his single “My Boy” at the Opry, Elvie shared, “Almost couldn’t make it through this one… performing ‘My Boy’ at the Grand Ole Opry with Caleb right there in the audience was something I’ll never forget.”

Watch that moment here…

Photo Courtesy of BBR Music Group

Lathan Warlick Tells His Story of Connecting Musical Dots on CBS This Morning

Posted on April 29, 2021

Lathan Warlick shares his story of success on CBS This Morning…from welding metal to melding genres, Lathan says what it really is about is “I’m trying to connecting the dots, and bring a lot more together with unity.”

Tyler Hubbard from Florida Georgia Line, who produced Lathan’s EP, and joins him on the title track “My Way” is also featured in the CBS This Morning piece.

Tyler says, “I think everybody is collaboration now. I think it’s a beautiful thing. It’s a big blend of genres.”

Lathan adds, “It’s just about good music, it’s about connecting and making good music.”

Watch the full CBS This Morning segment on Lathan Warlick and his brand new EP, My Way, right here…

After the segment aired, Lathan added, “CBS This Morning, Thank you for helping me push this vision. We gone continue to come together and make some good clean fun music that we all can enjoy.”

Lathan Warlick‘s 8 song EP My Way is available now – and it includes collaborations with Matt Stell, Lauren Alaina, Russell Dickerson. Dustin Lynch, RaeLynn, High Valley and Tyler Hubard.