Jon Pardi To Release Sophomore Album “California Sunrise” June 17

Capitol Records Nashville’s Jon Pardi releases his highly-anticipated sophomore album, California Sunrise, on June 17. The album’s lead single, “Head Over Boots,” is a swinging, mid-tempo tune currently climbing country radio’s Top 20 and gaining Top 15 in country track sales. The song immediately connects with fans and gives a taste of what to expect from the California native’s upcoming second studio album.

Pardi is often commended for sticking to his traditional country roots. “I always want to have the traditional country soul while meeting the new standards of country music,” explains the country singer. As with traditional country music, much of the appeal comes from a compelling narrative. Pardi adds, “As a songwriter, we’re looking for a good story and we’re always looking to push the limits. I love having those lyrics that at first make you think it’s about one thing, but it’s really about something so much more.”

In the studio, Pardi and Butler captured a palpable live energy on California Sunrise by recording each song with a full band. “I’m a big fan of a live band recording and it was really important for me to get that sound on my record,” says Pardi. “The heart of this record comes across with a live band. We used seven guys – one band, and there’s something special about that.”

California Sunrise Track Listing
Out Of Style
Cowboy Hat
Head Over Boots
Night Shift
Can’t Turn You Down
Dirt On My Boots
She Ain’t In It
All Time High
Heartache On The Dance Floor
Paycheck
Lucky Tonight
California Sunrise

California Sunrise is the follow-up to Pardi’s celebrated debut album, Write You A Song, featuring his Gold-selling Top 10 hit, “Up All Night,” along with fan-favorites “What I Can’t Put Down,” “Missin’ You Crazy” and “When I’ve Been Drinkin.’”

Pre-order packages available now include a California Sunrise vinyl, T-shirt and autographed guitar. Click HERE for more information.

To listen to Pardi’s current single, “Head Over Boots,” and more songs that inspired California Sunrise, click HERE.

For information, images, tour dates and more, please visit jonpardi.com.

ACM New Artist of the Year Winners Announced

The Academy of Country Music® today revealed the winners for the 51st ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS™ newcomer categories. Kelsea Ballerini, Chris Stapleton and Old Dominion have been named New Female Artist of the Year, New Male Artist of the Year and New Duo/Group of the Year, respectively.

The  51st Academy Of Country Music Awards, co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley, is produced for television by dick clark productions and will be broadcast live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Sunday, April 3 at 8:00PM live ET/delayed PT on the CBS Television Network.

These awards mark the first-ever ACM Award wins for Ballerini, Stapleton and Old Dominion. Additionally, Ballerini is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, Stapleton leads the ACM nominations with six additional nods, including Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, and Old Dominion received a nomination for Vocal Group of the Year.

For more information on the ACM Awards and all ACM events, visit www.ACMcountry.com.

Brandy Clark To Release New Album “Big Day In A Small Town” June 10

Four-time GRAMMY nominee and critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Brandy Clark is following up her 2013 smash debut album 12 Stories with the release of Big Day in a Small Town, to be released June 10 on Warner Bros. Records (available for pre-order beginning April 1). With “Girl Next Door” serving as the first single, Big Day in a Small Town is Clark’s first major-label album. Big Day was produced by Jay Joyce.

“When I made 12 Stories, I think my dreams were a lot more realistic, in that I didn’t expect a lot to happen… then it did,” Clark says. “This time, my dreams are very much what they were when I was going to Vince Gill and Patty Loveless concerts and decided I was going to move to Nashville. Right now, my dreams are as big as when I was naïve enough to really dream them.”

Clark is currently featured in April/May “The Outlaws” issue of Garden & Gun with Matt Hendrickson raving, “Big Day in a Small Town has the same biting wit as her 2013 debut 12 Stories, but it’s an even richer collection of songs, with a life-in-the-middle-of-nowhere thread running through the album.”

Big Day in a Small Town tells the stories of the football star, the father, the homecoming queen, and the hairdresser because those are the stories and people that Clark grew up knowing. “All these songs, there’s some little truth in them, somewhere, that resonates with me or that is about me,” she confesses.

12 Stories was featured on “Best of” lists from New York Magazine, NPR, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, The New York Post and The Boston Globe in 2013. That same year, The Los Angeles Times called it “the country debut of the year.”

Big Day in a Small Town Track List – Songwriters:
1. Soap Opera – Brandy Clark/Bryan Simpson
2. Girl Next Door – Brandy Clark/Jessie Jo Dillon/Shane McAnally
3. Homecoming Queen – Brandy Clark/Luke Laird/Shane McAnally
4. Broke – Brandy Clark/Shane McAnally/Josh Osborne
5. You Can Come Over – Brandy Clark/Jessie Jo Dillon/Mark Narmore
6. Love Can Go to Hell – Brandy Clark/Scott Stepakoff
7. Big Day in a Small Town – Brandy Clark/Shane McAnally/Mark D. Sanders
8. Three Kids No Husband – Brandy Clark/Lori McKenna
9. Daughter – Brandy Clark/Jessie Jo Dillon/Jeremy Spillman
10. Drinkin’ Smokin’ Cheatin’ – Brandy Clark
11. Since You’ve Gone to Heaven – Brandy Clark/Shane McAnally

Currently on the road with Jennifer Nettles on the CMT Next Women of Country Tour, the singer/songwriter has toured with Eric Church and Alan Jackson during the last two years in addition to solo shows. For upcoming tour dates, visit brandyclarkmusic.com.

For more information, follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/TheBrandyClark and on Twitter @TheBrandyClark.

LoCash Member Chris Lucas and Wife Welcome Baby Girl

Congratulations to LoCash‘s Chris Lucas and his wife Kaitlyn who welcomed their baby girl. Remi McKenna Lucas was born at 9:21 p.m. on Monday, March 21 in Franklin, TN.

LoCash chris Lucas Baby Remi - CountryMusicRocks.net“We are super excited about having our first girl. We have a 5-year-old little boy who is our pride and joy, and now it’s time to welcome daddy’s little girl, and mommy’s sidekick. We’d spent five years with no luck with conceiving a second child. Just when we thought it was unlikely and wasn’t going to happen, our little boy came to us and said he wanted a sister, so we told him to pray to God that night! Well, one month later, we were pregnant! We feel so blessed and are extremely excited. P.S., future boys of all ages! There is nothing you can do that I haven’t done, so don’t even try it!” Lucas tells Us in a statement.

Remi arrived weighing in at 6 lbs., 10 oz., and measured 19 inches long. Both mother and baby appear to be doing well. Read more over at Us Weekly here.

Best Wishes go out to Chris & Kaitlyn and their son Caden as they welcome the arrival of Remi.

Tim McGraw’s Hit Single “Humble and Kind” To Become A Book

Hachette Books is thrilled to announce its partnership with the beloved actor and Grammy-winning and chart-topping musician, Tim McGraw, on a book version of his current No. 1 single and video “Humble and Kind” acquired by Hachette Books Publisher Mauro DiPreta in a deal with the Creative Artists Agency.

The song offers a message that is simple yet powerful, personal yet universal: “always stay humble and kind.” In just a few short weeks, the song and its uplifting theme have resonated with many millions of people around the world.  The book, also entitled HUMBLE AND KIND will combine the song’s touching lyrics, written by Lori McKenna, stylish line illustrations, an introduction by Tim McGraw, and an epilogue by McKenna in an elegant keepsake hardcover volume. The book will publish on May 17, 2016, in time for graduation season.

McGraw was inspired to record “Humble and Kind” by events in his own life: In the weeks leading up to his eldest daughter’s departure for college, he found himself facing the heartrending reality of having to let go. With his daughter facing independence, how could he best prepare her for the world she was about to encounter? How do we encourage and support our children’s desires to experience new things while keeping their values intact? With tender clarity, the lyrics reinforce simple and important lessons for mindful, compassionate living, imploring all of us to take a more selfless approach to life.

“Humble and Kind” has been downloaded and viewed over 24 million times, inspiring a stunning community movement at StayHumbleandKind.com, where thousands of people visit to testify to everyday acts of kindness. Tim McGraw has committed to donate his proceeds from the book to the Neighbor’s Keeper Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, whose mission is to promote and facilitate giving to a wide range of charitable needs and opportunities.

Tim McGraw says, “It is a rare moment when a song comes along that speaks equally to the world and the individual. A song that transcends. A song that reaches into the heart of everyone who hears it. ‘Humble and Kind’ is one of those songs.”

Hachette Books Publisher Mauro DiPreta says, “With the growing incivility around us, the message in HUMBLE AND KIND couldn’t be more timely. As a father and a publisher, I could not be more thrilled to help remind all of us of the value of humility and kindness. Tim’s passion and commitment to this mission is simply inspiring.”