Sugarland To Release New Album BIGGER June 8, Track List Revealed

GRAMMY® Award-winning superstar duo SUGARLAND announced their highly anticipated sixth studio album, titled BIGGER, will be released on June 8 and will become available for preorder on April 13. Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush co-wrote nearly all of the songs on the album, which was co-produced by Kristian, Jennifer, and Julian Raymond. The project’s lead single, “Still The Same,” is currently climbing the Country radio charts ahead of the duo’s spring-summer STILL THE SAME 2018 TOUR.

After taking a hiatus to pursue a series of high profile solo projects, BIGGER is the duo’s first new music in seven years and the first project under their new joint venture with Big Machine Records and UMG Nashville. It will be available to pre-order at digital retailers as well as the title track, “Bigger,” available to download on April 13.

As fans have come to expect from Sugarland, BIGGER embodies the musical spirit of the band: it contains tracks both uptempo and upbeat as well as powerful message songs that address specific issues facing the world. “Our hopefulness and our sparkiness and our joy is one of the things I think we do uniquely well, especially in the country format,” says Jennifer of the set’s sunnier material. “We offer that in a unique way.”

The bold graphics of the recently unveiled album cover conjure up images of a circus tent, representative of both that fun side and some of the more enigmatic content on the project, which was written over and influenced by the course of the past six months. “This album has a whole bunch of mystery,” says Kristian, who has been enjoying peeling back the layers of the production and the nuanced songwriting. “I’m listening to it every two days just to see what’s in it. I have entire pints of blood in that thing, but I still don’t know where it all came from, and I love that.”

Recently featured on the cover of USA Today’s Life section, the duo will give fans a taste of the new material when they appear on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! May 2.

Their STILL THE SAME 2018 TOUR kicks off May 25 and will visit 48 cities in the U.S. and Canada, but the duo has already delighted audiences in the U.K. with their new material, earning standing ovations during their performances at the C2C: Country to Country festival in March.

Since the band’s inception in 2002, Sugarland has sold nearly 10 million albums domestically, earned seven No. 1 singles to date and amassed more than 260 million on-demand streams, making Sugarland one of the most popular Country music duos of all time.

Lauded by Entertainment Weekly as one of the format’s “most successful and beloved acts,” both members of the duo say their time away from writing and recording together has only made them come back stronger and, yes, BIGGER.

“We have always enjoyed playing in the margins and stretching the format,” says Jennifer. “But it’s fun to have taken this time away and seen how the format has expanded and how music has evolved. Before, we were playing in the margins. Now, the margins have moved, and that’s fun to hear.”

“It’s not like we stopped creating with [2010 album] THE INCREDIBLE MACHINE,” adds Kristian. “We kept going, but like a good Netflix show you skipped seasons three and four and now you’re seeing season five and you’re reminded of why you loved it. We didn’t really hit pause on anything. We both got on treadmills that were even faster in some ways. But we made a promise to come back, and we kept that promise.”

Cover Art Courtesy of Big Machine Records

BIGGER TRACK LIST
1. “Bigger” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles
2. “On A Roll” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles
3. “Let Me Remind You” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles
4. “Mother” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles
5. “Still The Same” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles
6. “Lean It On Back” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles
7. “Babe (featuring Taylor Swift)” | Taylor Swift, Pat Monahan
8. “Bird In A Cage” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles
9. “Love Me Like I’m Leaving” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles, Tim Owens
10. “Tuesday’s Broken” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles
11. “Not The Only” | Kristian Bush, Jennifer Nettles

Morgan Wallen To Release Debut Album “If I Know Me” April 27

Morgan Wallen is sharing new details behind his highly-anticipated debut album IF I KNOW ME, arriving Friday, April 27 on Big Loud Records.

The sought-after songwriter co-penned six tracks for the album, produced by CMA and ACM Award winner Joey Moi. The project embodies Wallen’s downhome roots, whiskey-soaked vocals, and Southern rock edge, serving as a fitting introduction to “country music’s newest superstar” (NKD Mag).

The 14-song collection kicks off with Wallen’s “too dang catchy to ignore” (Taste of Country) single “Up Down” featuring MULTI-PLATINUM duo Florida Georgia Line. The breakthrough smash has amassed over 80.5 million plays to date and continues its swift ascent up the radio charts, currently inside the Top 15.

Wallen will make his late-night debut performing the “buoyant” (Rolling Stone Country) track on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! alongside FGL on April 26.

IF I KNOW ME Track listing:
1. “Up Down” (Feat. Florida Georgia Line) (Brad Clawson, CJ Solar, Michael Hardy)
2. “Happy Hour” (Corey Crowder, Michael Hardy, Craig Wiseman)
3. “Had Me By Halftime” (Michael Hardy, James McNair, Josh Miller, Daniel Ross, Morgan Wallen)
4. “Whiskey Glasses” (Ben Burgess, Kevin Kadish)
5. “Whatcha Know ‘Bout That” (Michael Hardy, Cameron Montgomery, Craig Wiseman, Josh Leo, Jim Photoglo, Wendy Waldman)
6. “Redneck Love Song” (David Garcia, Michael Hardy, Hillary Lindsey, Josh Miller)
7. “Little Rain” (Matt Dragstrem, Chase McGill, Ben Hayslip)
8. “If I Know Me” (Michael Hardy, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak, Morgan Wallen)
9. “Chasin’ You” (Jamie Moore, Morgan Wallen, Craig Wiseman)
10. “The Way I Talk” (Jessi Alexander, Ben Hayslip, Chase McGill)
11. “If I Ever Get You Back” (Dallas Davidson, Matt Dragstrem, Ben Hayslip)
12. “Gone Girl” (Jessi Alexander, Cameron Montgomery, Deric Ruttan, Morgan Wallen, Michael Hardy)
13. “Not Good At Not“ (Brett Tyler, Morgan Wallen, Craig Wiseman)
14. “Talkin’ Tennessee” (Jeff Hyde, Morgan Wallen, Craig Wiseman)

IF I KNOW ME will be available for pre-order on all digital platforms Friday (4/13). Fans who pre-order will instantly receive “Happy Hour” that day and “Had Me By Halftime” on 4/20.

In addition to welcoming IF I KNOW ME on 4/27, Wallen will also make his Stagecoach Festival debut before continuing his headlining UP DOWN TOUR presented by Shiner Light Blonde. The kinetic performer will then join Luke Bryan’s WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY TOUR beginning May 31 in Toronto.

Walker Hayes’ Hit Single “You Broke Up With Me” Certified Platinum

Last week, Walker Hayes was surprised with Platinum certification for his hit, “You Broke Up With Me,” in front of a sold out crowd of more than 2500 fans at PlayStation Theater as part of Kelsea Ballerini’s Unapologetically Tour. The Platinum certification signifies 1 million records sold.

As he was brought to stage by the local radio station, NASH FM, DJs Katie Neal and Jesse Addy introduced him to the packed house as a “13 year overnight success story” and although the first single from his debut album, “You Broke Up With Me,” is now Certified Platinum, Hayes says the long journey to this point is what makes it so special.

“I’m so humbled and excited to get my first Platinum plaque,” Hayes said to his crowd as they roared with applause. “This is because of people like you who are open minded and love my music that doesn’t really fit in a box. This has been a long journey and I’m finally making the music that is true to me, so thank you for listening and buying and showing up.”

On the heels of the Top 10 smash comes the “gut-wrenching” (Washington Post) single, “Craig,” written by Hayes in an effort to thank a friend for his generous gift of a car when Hayes’ family was having trouble making ends meet. The piano driven track is “the type of uncomfortably honest music that Hayes is most comfortable writing” (Washington Post) and subsequently “makes for one of the album’s [boom.] most compelling tracks” (Sounds Like Nashville). “ ‘Craig’ — with its personal, soul-bearing storyline; rolling rhymes; and Macklemore-like cadence — nicely summarizes the evolution that occurred during those seven wilderness years.” (Billboard).

Download “Craig” here.

In addition to launching his new single, Hayes splits time on the road between his first-ever headlining tour, Good As Gold Tour, and opening for Kelsea Ballerini on the Unapologetically Tour. Hayes will perform at the ACM Party for a Cause in Las Vegas next week as well as Stagecoach at the end of the month. For a full list of tour dates, visit walkerhayes.com.

Parmalee To Release “Party Pack” Six Pack April 20

Stoney Creek Records announces platinum-selling Parmalee’s scorching new single “Hotdamalama” along with the band’s brand new Party Pack, a summer-ready sixer of songs launching digitally on April 20.

The Party Pack is a compilation of Parmalee’s six most rebel-rousing songs, packaged as a surefire party starter. The first track cracked out of the pack is “Hotdamalama,” which is set to impact Country radio on Monday, April 23. From there, the party takes off with a mix of some familiar tunes, like the band’s “Musta Had a Good Time” along with two new tracks that showcase the band’s signature Country-rock sound. Each song in the pack was co-written by lead singer, Matt Thomas and fully reflects the quartet’s rambunctious spirit.

“We love bringing people together for a good time and we hope they’ll smile, sing along, and raise one up,” said Matt Thomas of Parmalee. “That’s what this Party Pack is all about.”

TRACK LISTING:

  1. “Hotdamalama” (Matt Thomas, Tommy Cecil, Craig Wiseman)
  2. “Day Drinkin’” (Matt Thomas, Blair Daly)
  3. “Musta Had A Good Time” (Matt Thomas, Scott Thomas, Josh McSwain, Barry Knox, David Fanning)
  4. “Mimosas” (Matt Thomas, Tommy Cecil, Jared Tyler Mullins)
  5. “Last Night” (Matt Thomas, Tom Douglas)
  6. “These Are The Good Days” (Matt Thomas, Tully Kennedy, Jon Nite)

For a list of tour dates and more information, please visit: parmalee.com/tour

Ashley McBryde’s Debut Album ‘Girl Going Nowhere’ Serves As The Biggest Debut By A Solo Country Artist This Year

Ashley McBryde has built an unconventional career since a teacher back home in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas suggested the singer/songwriter not get her hopes up about a career in music. Criss-crossing the South, playing any gig, room or biker bar she could find, the raven haired young woman built a foundation fan-by-fan, gig-by-gig over a number of years on her way to a deal with Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville.

Today, the artist who was told she’d amount to nothing sees Girl Going Nowhere as the biggest debut by a solo country artist this year. Championed by SiriusXM’s The Highway, McBryde’s “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” found traction; anywhere people heard the voice that’s equal parts real life, unabashed hope and savoring the good parts, they responded, coming to shows, buying music and singing along.

“It feels incredible to have this album out in the world,” says McBryde who collaborated with producer Jay Joyce on the 11-song album. “It may not seem like it, but I’ve always been a shy person, so to hear stories of how other folks relate to these stories, these lyrics and our songs reaffirms this unconventional path we took creating and releasing it.”

McBryde is the latest in a new breed of country music maverick. Rather than wait on country radio, she makes her music, goes out to her fans and connects from the soul and the heart. With her single “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” sitting just outside the Top 30, Girl achieves unprecedented chart position on the strength of her fans seeing themselves in her songs. Whether it’s the second chance of “Little Dive Bar,” the dug-in dreamer of the title track, the hell-bent for love “American Scandal” or the tender “The Jacket,” McBryde’s country is cut from her life – and the lives of many people just like her.

With The New York Times proclaiming, “Varied, warm and effortlessly confident,” Rolling Stone opining, “She has a serious gift” and Variety declaring, “An unabashed, Southern-rooted, honest-to-Gawd great country record,” McBryde has touched a nerve amongst music lovers. As Billboard points out, “Unlike Nashville’s current crop,” McBryde’s earthy tenor as a singer and a writer has been described by The Washington Post as “Vivid,” Uproxx as “Prodigiously talented” and Entertainment Weekly as  “…cutting through the cookie-cutter clutter of contemporary pop-country, thanks to her gifts at combining classic storytelling specificity.”

In a world/genre where strong women’s voices are hard to find, McBryde stands out, NPR recognized the potency of her work early. Featuring album cut “Radioland” on All Songs Considered, they wrote, “The cheap comparison would be female Chris Stapleton, but Ashley is her own woman. She really does however, combine the energy of rock, the earnestness and simple beauties of prime-era Springsteen or John Mellencamp; her songs are about family, working people, about living your best life when your best life is maybe on the outskirts of town in a ranch house with a manual lawnmower.”