Kelsea Ballerini Releases Two Spotify Singles

Black River Entertainment recording artist Kelsea Ballerini releases Spotify Singles including her current chart-rising hit, “Miss Me More” and a new take on Shawn Mendes’ pop smash, “Lost In Japan.” Recorded in Nashville, TN, at Sound Stage Studios, the Spotify Singles are available now – listen here.

“When Shawn’s record came out, “Lost In Japan” immediately was my favorite,” said Ballerini. “I love the soft, flirty nature of the lyrics and thought it would be fun to put a stripped, country feel to it.”

Tracking as her fastest rising single to-date, the GRAMMY nominee’s “Miss Me More” has already entered the Top 25 after only 10 weeks on the Country radio charts and has earned over 50 million streams globally. Recently performed on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, The Voice, and the 52nd CMA Awards, “Miss Me More” is featured on the Country star’s sophomore album, UNAPOLOGETICALLY, which also just received a nomination for Best Country Album at the 61st GRAMMY Awards.

Next week, Ballerini hits the road with Kelly Clarkson to kick off Clarkson’s MEANING OF LIFE TOUR beginning on Jan. 24 in Oakland, CA. Headlining her first-ever arena tour, Ballerini will also launch THE MISS ME MORE TOUR on April 11 in Salisbury, MD.

For more information on upcoming tour dates, please visit KelseaBallerini.com and follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

Hardy Releases New EP “Where To Find Me”

Breakout tunesmith and rising Country rebel HARDY is doubling up on his blistering small-town swagger, set to release a second blast of edgy, new-school anthems with the WHERE TO FIND ME EP. Arriving on Big Loud Records/Tree Vibez Music, the project drops this Friday (1/18). See the full track list below.

Slated for a huge year in 2019, HARDY is already one of the most exciting new lyricists in Country today – but is now applying that sharp song-crafting skill to his own tunes. Filled with rowdy country-boy confidence, locked-and-loaded grooves and undeniable heart, WHERE TO FIND ME matches attitude with witty authenticity over four fresh tracks, each one co-written by HARDY with fellow hitmakers like Jordan Schmidt, Morgan Wallen and Jesse Frasure.

HARDY’s WHERE TO FIND ME EP:
1. “I’LL QUIT LOVING YOU” (Michael Hardy/Hunter Phelps/Jameson Rodgers/Smith Ahnquist)
2. “WHERE TO FIND ME” (Michael Hardy/James McNair/Zach Abend)
3. “SIGNED, SOBER YOU” (Michael Hardy/Ben Burgess/Jordan Schmidt)
4. “ALL SHE LEFT WAS ME” (Michael Hardy/Morgan Wallen/Jesse Frasure)

“I’ll Quit Loving You” revives the classic Country turn of phrase with a fresh approach – a slow-burning promise to love someone until the Rocky Mountains are no longer high, and cold beer won’t quench a country boy’s thirst. With the woozy, bluesy, backwoods stomp of “Where To Find Me,” HARDY finds a place to let his freak flag fly, showcasing his gritty vocal flow and pride in being a “redneck, hick, and hippy.” “Signed, Sober You” updates the classic tear-in-your-beer weeper, matching a quiet steel guitar with engaging language to create a modern-day lonely late-night ballad. And “All She Left Was Me” rocks out as a propulsive, starting-over anthem. Upbeat and uptempo despite a down-in-the-dumps theme, HARDY puts the hammer down when the only place left to go is forward.

Produced by Joey Moi, these four new songs follow HARDY’s buzzed-about debut EP, THIS OLE BOY, which unleashed the Mississippi native’s barn-storming brand of Country to much acclaim in October of 2018.

HARDY is currently on the road with Wallen’s IF I KNOW ME TOUR, hitting 27 cities nationwide to introduce his “twangy ear worms that will have you singing along in no time” (PopCulture). The IF I KNOW ME TOUR is drawing packed crowds nationwide, with advance sell outs in major cities including Knoxville, TN; Athens, GA; Madison, WI; Springfield, IL; Atlanta, GA; Asbury Park, NJ; Lincoln, NE; Lancaster, PA; Lexington, KY; Denver, CO; and Nashville, TN. 

Adding to the excitement, HARDY will join Florida Georgia Line on select dates of their 2019 CAN’T SAY I AIN’T COUNTRY TOUR kicking off June 13 in Rogers, AR. 

For more information on HARDY and upcoming tour dates, visit hardyofficial.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tucker Beathard Signs With Warner Music Nashville

Singer/Songwriter Tucker Beathard has signed a major recording deal with Warner Music Nashville. Beathard inked the contract following the independent release of the first installment of his debut double album, NOBODY’S EVERYTHING. The album saw Beathard “bare his soul” (Billboard), as he became the only country artist to release a debut double album.

The second chapter will be released in the coming months on Warner Music Nashville. Beathard instantly garnered industry and fan attention with his homegrown sound, embodying “a bit more edge than Nashville is accustomed to” (NPR) and “generally blowing folks’ minds with his catalog of heartbreak-heavy tunes” Vice.

“To quote Tucker’s song, when we first heard this music, it was clear that he had ‘somethin’ to say,’” said WMN SVP A&R Cris Lacy. “That’s the hallmark of a true artist. You couple that with the raw depth of his lyrics, some brilliant musicianship, and that old soul voice, and it was a no brainer. Tucker HAD to be part of the Warner Music family.”

“It was really important to me during this album-making process, that I didn’t immediately rush into signing a record deal,” said Beathard. “With everything I’ve learned during this journey, I wanted to be sure whenever I add a new layer into the fold it’s the right fit and that it’s always about the music. The first time I met with the team at Warner, I knew they were the right ones to help get more of my music out into the world.”

For more information, visit www.tuckerbeathard.com or follow him on Instagram: @tuckerbeathard, Twitter: @TuckerBeathard and Facebook: facebook.com/tuckerbeathardmusic.

CMR Exclusive: Blue Honey Shares Their Take On Classic Rock Cover “Little Wing”

Country/Americana duo on the rise Blue Honey will be releasing their debut album, Sweet Rebellion, on January 25. Comprised of husband and wife Troy Brooks and Kassie Jordan, the duo is excited to start their journey with the release of their new collection of music.

To further introduce Country/Americana fans to Blue Honey, we are exited to premiere Troy and Kassie’s cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.”

“Jimi Hendrix has always been a big inspiration to Troy as a guitar player. We were in our studio recording some live videos of songs from our new album, and we chose to do this cover as well, because of the jam band mentality” shares Kassie of the classic rock track.

“Kassie really has fun singing it, and we tried to touch on this feel when writing and recording for our new album” Troy adds.

“As far as covers go, we thought this was a good fit to represent the type of songs we throw into the mix our live shows.”

Get to know more about Blue Honey by visiting their Official Website, and follow them on Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to pick up their debut album, Sweet Rebellion, available on January 25.

Morgan Evans Releases Live Acoustic Video of “Everything Changes”

Aligning perfectly with the New Year – and the feeling that anything is possible in the months ahead – Morgan Evans has released a live acoustic version of “Everything Changes” as part of the Highway 1 Sessions video series.

Penned by Evans, Chris DeStefano, and Blair Daly, the track carries the message of needing a fresh start, then finding it in a new relationship on a night that changes your life forever. The clip features Evans performing the scaled-down rendition of the song on a coastal cliffside.

With a few days off between shows, Evans headed to the shoreline with just a guitar, a few friends and an open agenda. The result was the Highway 1 Sessions: a collection of moments captured on-camera, inspired by the Australia native’s passion for music, adventure and the outdoors. Check out the series’ previous videos, as well as the stories behind the songs, now live on Evans’ YouTube channel. 

Filled with his signature optimism, the tracks performed in the Highway 1 Sessions are featured on Evans’ debut album THINGS THAT WE DRINK TO (Warner Music Nashville / Warner Bros. Records). Alongside producer Chris DeStefano, Evans co-penned each song on the project and played the instruments heard throughout.

Set for a stellar 2019, Evans is Top 40-bound at Country radio with his current single “Day Drunk,” the follow-up to his #1 debut hit “Kiss Somebody.” Named to PEOPLE’s elite Ones To Watch 2018 list, he is recognized as MusicRow Magazine’s Next Big Thing.

With a jam-packed touring schedule ahead, he will hit the road as a special guest on Old Dominion’s MAKE IT SWEET TOUR beginning January 18 in Rosemont, IL. Then, the chart-topping newcomer will embark on the first leg of DAN + SHAY THE TOUR through March.

For more information and a full list of tour dates, visit MorganEvansMusic.com. Reach out to him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.