CMR Exclusive: Introducing Jericho Woods – In Their Own Words

Country duo Jericho Woods is impacting country music with their debut single, “Better Now.” The new track is one of six new songs, and serves as the lead single from their forthcoming EP set for release on May 5. Comprised of Josh Mitchum and Paul Priest, the Kentucky natives are actually cousins and will highlight their Americana and Country roots on their forthcoming self-titled EP. Get to know the new duo in their own words!

Introducing Jericho Woods: In Their Own Words

We came up with the name Jericho Woods…:
Josh: my name is Josh, so Jericho comes from the story of Joshua in the Bible, Woods is just a nod to living in the country; and we wanted it to be a personna, like the Marlboro Man!
Paul: That was all Josh. We threw around some names,and some were pretty good…some where hilarious. Jericho Woods just stuck. As soon as he cam up with that, it was like “YES”!

Our new song “Better Now” is…:
Josh: a good introduction of Jericho Woods to the world. It reflects our influences well and is upbeat.
Paul: Hopefully your favorite Summer jam!

Our favorite part recording the music video for “Better Now” was…:
Josh: All the friends and family that got to be a part of it! We shot most of it in our hometown of Irvington, KY. It was very special. Our daughters make a cameo too!
Paul: Josh pretty music said it best. Having our friends and family, and representing Irvington KY was as good as it gets. It was a fun shoot.

When fans come out to see us perform, they can expect…:
Josh: a fun, rocking show with real guys playing real music. We’ll probably have some stories for ya too!
Paul: A real effort from us to make the audience a part of the show. The word fan makes me a bit uncomfortable. I prefer friends!

As fans friends begin to get to know us, we want them to know…:
Josh: We are trying to honor the hopes and dreams of the folks that support us and try to show folks that hard work and diligence can pay off.
Paul: We are the same all the time. If you run into us at Wal Mart, or backstage at the Opry, we’re the same guys. What you see is what you get.

Throughout the rest of 2017, fans friends can expect…:
Josh: a new record to listen to, preproduction on a new full-length album, extensive touring and lots of good times!
Paul: An Instragram overload! Just kidding. A new EP, tons of shows…and who knows? Maybe some surprises!

Country Music resonates with us because…:
Josh: it’s more than a genre of music; it’s the music of our heritage and it tells the stories of the regular people. Rural folks live their lives through these songs. We hope our songs can tell some of their stories.
Paul: Because I come from a long line of musicians. My Grandad was a great picker, and my Dad is too. Grandad dug classic country, swing,and Bluegrass. Dad loves Bluegrass and folk-rock, so roots music has always been a part of my life. I feel like I have been treated very well by some country legends as well, but that’s another story!

Jericho Woods debut EP is available for pre-order now on iTunes here.

Get connected with Jericho Woods by visiting their Official Website, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Darius Rucker Announces 8th Annual “Darius and Friends” Benefit Concert Supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Nine years since visiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and pledging his support, Darius Rucker has announced the date for his eighth annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert, sponsored by State Water Heaters. The event, which leads into CMA Music Festival week, takes place Monday, June 5 and will be held for the FIRST time at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

“This concert is a real highlight for me every year,” Rucker said. “And I couldn’t do it without the support of my friends who turn out to perform, tell stories and make this a memorable night for the fans, who are here from around the world.”

The event has received an overwhelming response in past years, with sellouts year-after-year and more than $800,000 raised for St. Jude. Friends performing with Rucker in past years have included Luke Bryan, Radney Foster, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum) and Kenny Rogers, among others. The lineup for this year’s event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Rucker made a commitment to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® after touring the campus in 2008 and is recognized worldwide for the lifesaving mission. 

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®  is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Unlike any other hospital, the majority of funding for St. Jude comes from individual contributions. Events like this help ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

Tickets to “Darius and Friends” will be available on Friday, April 14 at 10 a.m. CT via ticketmaster.com. This year Rucker teamed up with Ticketmaster to allow supporters to become #VerifiedFans. Qualified registrants that enter by Thursday, April 13 at 10 a.m. CT will receive a unique code to ensure they can buy tickets without worrying about scalpers or bots. More info on becoming a #VerifiedFan here. 

Additional sponsors of “Darius and Friends” includes CDW/Intel, GE, Hutton, Maverick, CAA and UMG/Capitol Nashville. For more information please visit www.DariusRucker.com.

CMT Renews Hit Series “Nashville”

CMT today announced “Nashville” will return for a new season with 16 episodes premiering early next year. In addition, the network revealed a midseason premiere date of Thursday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.  Charles Esten (Deacon) first announced the renewal on Facebook Live on behalf of the entire cast. In the coming weeks, CMT will announce its complete 2017-2018 slate. Long-time SVOD partner Hulu will continue to stream episodes the day after they premiere on CMT.

The devoted “Nashie” fan base has generated record-breaking numbers for CMT. “Nashville” ranks as the network’s highest-rated and most-watched show in the network’s history, averaging 2.1M weekly viewers (L+7). Over the course of the first-half of the season, the series notched nearly 16 million total viewers on CMT alone, and nearly 23 million on CMT and Nick at Nite. The news comes on the heels of strong growth for CMT. Original premieres are pacing up 51% among A 18-49 and 79% among W 18-49 versus year ago. Total day ratings are up 19% with A 18-49 and 25% with W 18-49. As a result, CMT garnered the biggest year-over-year growth this quarter than any other top 50 channel on cable (excluding news nets).

Rachel Bilson (“The OC,” “Hart of Dixie”) and Kaitlin Doubleday (“Empire”) will join the series in the second half of season five. In addition, fresh off the success of “Big Little Lies,” Jeff Nordling will recur in the role of Brad Maitland, an extremely successful, charming, egotistical, narcissistic owner of the most successful record label in Nashville.

The midseason premiere picks up 10 weeks after the events that unfolded in the midseason finale. Deacon helps Daphne with a school project, but Daphne feels unmotivated. Juliette gives Maddie unsolicited advice about a song. Scarlett and Gunnar receive news about the baby. For a preview from Marshall Herskovitz, executive producer and show runner, click here.

“Nashville” is set against the backdrop of the city’s music scene and follows the lives of country music superstars as well as the up-and-coming performers and songwriters trying to get ahead in the business. Music City can mean so many things to different people. In “Nashville,” musicians and songwriters are at the heart of the storm, driven by their own ambitions. Some are fueled by their creativity and passion for fame. Others struggle to cope with the pressures of success and are doing everything in their power to stay on top.

“Nashville” stars Hayden Panettiere as Juliette Barnes, Clare Bowen as Scarlett O’Connor, Chris Carmack as Will Lexington, Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley, Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott, Maisy Stella as Daphne Conrad and Lennon Stella as Maddie Conrad. In addition, this season features Joseph David-Jones as Clay, Rhiannon Giddens as Hallie Jordan and Cameron Scoggins as Zach Welles in recurring roles.

Kenny Chesney Adds Four Additional Shows To His Limited 2017 Concert Schedule

With a second Gillette Stadium show added and close to sold-out, the hunger for that live Kenny Chesney summer experience is pronounced. Though there’s a handful of festival plays on the calendar for this year, Chesney announces four more intimate shows to round out his 2017 live schedule: Tuscaloosa Amphitheater on Aug. 4 and The Wharf Amphitheatre in Orange Beach, Ala. on Aug. 5, followed by two nights at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. on Aug. 10 and 11. All shows this summer are presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum.

“As long as we’re rehearsing and I’ve got new music in the pipeline, I can’t imagine not playing a little bit,” says Chesney. “I know that it takes time off to create and make records… to write and find songs like ‘American Kids’ and ‘Noise,’ but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss the fans. There is nothing that feeds me more than hearing the sound of the No Shoes Nation singing these songs, seeing those faces and knowing this is gonna be one of those nights.”

Having closed 2016’s Spread the Love Tour with 121,399 cheering New Englanders at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., along with hitting the half-million mark at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey’s Meadowlands, Chesney had one of his biggest touring years – despite playing fewer dates than he has in previous years. As he says of those shows, “I can still hear the crowds when I close my eyes at night. Just when I think it can’t get any bigger or louder, the No Shoes Nation comes at me with these songs, singing and cheering and showing me how much life we can live in three minutes.”

With “Bar at the End of the World” cresting the Top 10 in the wake of the GRAMMY-nominated two week No. 1 “Setting the World on Fire” with P!nk, Cosmic Hallelujah is continuing Chesney’s intent to sing songs that capture the lives, loves, triumphs and escapes of his fans. Raised in a small town in East Tennessee, his songs have become the soundtrack of coming of age across America. NPR praised Cosmic Hallelujah for encompassing “folk’s storytelling, soul’s honesty and gospel’s spirit,” while Newsday deemed it “country perfection” and the Boston Globe wrote, “A country artist, he’s working a wider sonic palette, that incorporates ideas from the stadium-rockers with whom he shares dressing rooms and the rollicking Nashville bars that still loom large in country music’s imagination. Bringing the two ideas together results in the album’s best songs.”

While 2017’s shows are limited, Chesney will bring everything he’s got to these dates. For fans of the 8-time Entertainer of the Year’s high-energy concerts, Alabama and Connecticut are the places to be in August for two outdoor amphitheater and two indoor arena shows, respectively.

“We’re gonna bring a whole year’s worth of energy,” Chesney promises. “So if you’re coming, you better be ready for it, because this is our chance in 2017 to rock.”

General tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, April 14 starting at 10 a.m. local time. More information: here.

High Valley’s Curtis Rempel Welcomes Baby Girl

Curtis Rempel, one-half of Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville act High Valley, is living the lyrics of the duo’s new single “She’s With Me” as he and wife Myranda welcomed a new member to the family over the weekend.

Baby girl Millie June arrived Friday, April 7, joining big brother Ben (3) as revealed on High Valley’s Instagram account today. The family will enjoy a few quiet days at home before High Valley return to the road for headlining and festival shows.