Dustin Lynch Releases “Ridin’ Roads” EP

Broken Bow Records Country star Dustin Lynch is heading into the Spring of 2019 at full throttle, releasing the hotly anticipated RIDIN’ ROADS EP today (3/8).  

Featuring another blast of signature Country heat from the six-time chart-topper, Lynch’s easy-rolling “Ridin’ Roads” single premiered on Billboard.com yesterday.

The track highlights an anthemic three-song set defined by sonic electricity, low-and-slow grooves and hands to the sky small-town pride, as Lynch embraces his creative fire like never before.

“We have a lot more colors to paint with than we did on the first album,” Lynch says, hinting at the project’s mix of classic-country cool and edgy intensity. “I don’t think there are any more genre walls. It’s all about the lyric and the message, and we let the song steer us. If we dig it, we’ll take a chance.”  

Feeling vindicated after 2018’s standalone single “Good Girl” marked his first #1 as a songwriter, Lynch set out to trust his gut instincts for RIDIN’ ROADS EP, working with longtime friend and producer Zach Crowell to write what he felt and record it while the inspiration was still fresh. Bucking the old-school album cycle entirely, what emerged reaffirms Lynch’s place as one of Country’s elite stars.  

“Ridin’ Roads” (writers: Lynch, Ashley Gorley and Zach Crowell) kicks the set off with a dose of laid-back nostalgia, with easy-rolling melodies and country-to-the-core lyrics bringing a two-lane cruise with that special someone to life. “Little Town Livin’” (writers: Lynch, Ben Hayslip, Zach Crowell, Rhett Akins) celebrates the adolescent thrills of a small-town upbringing, a study in contrast filled with dobro runs and irresistible clap tracks. And “Red Dirt, Blue Eyes” (writers: Lynch, Kyle Fishman, Dallas Davidson) imagines a young couple looking to unplug from the world in cinematic country-laced fashion.  

Available now, RIDIN’ ROADS EP serves as the beginning of a new signature style for the Tullahoma, TN, native – and the spark that will ignite a new era of onstage energy. Lynch will take the new tunes on the road this summer in direct support of Thomas Rhett’s VERY HOT SUMMER Tour, with nearly 40 coast-to-coast dates revealed so far. The run kicks off May 17 in Spokane, Washington, and tickets are on sale now.  

For tour dates and more information, visit DustinLynchMusic.com, and reach out to him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Runaway June Unveils “Buy My Own Drinks” Music Video

Wheelhouse Records trio and nominee for ACM New Duo or Group of the Year Runaway June, “a band that’s well on its way to Country music superstardom” (People.com), debuted the video for the infectiously anthemic single of positivity and empowerment “Buy My Own Drinks” on Rolling Stone with an in depth interview and profile and hit the airwaves on CMT over the weekend.

The Top 25 single is off of the band’s self-titled debut EP and is available at all digital retailers and streaming services. Produced by Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young), and anchored by the single which Music Row Magazine praises as a “runaway hit.”

The video features vignettes of the Runaway June members individually, both in present day and “flashbacks” to their younger selves. Watch the video here.

“The ‘Little Junes’ were the perfect way to capture that carefree feeling of returning to your inner child and getting a little wild,” said Cooke.“In doing, that we can find true liberation.“

In addition to walking the ACM carpet as nominees at this year’s ACM Awards the band will be performing at ACM Party for a Cause.  The band travels this week to Europe to perform at Country 2 Country Festival in the United Kingdom to support their EP before returning to the states for tour dates though out March including a West Coast appearance at Yountville Live.

With their debut EP effort, critics have been propelled to declare, “it’s a rarity an act impresses so fully with their first rodeo, but Wayne, Cooke and Mulholland have already proven they defy the norm. They’re here to conquer,” (B-Sides and Badlands), while others note the ascending trio “is about to blow up…” (Whiskey Riff). Listen to the EP here.

Co-written by Runaway June’s Naomi Cooke, Hannah Mulholland and Jennifer Wayne along with Hillary Lindsey and Josh Kear, listen to “Buy My Own Drinks” here.

In addition to the ACM nominated group’s latest single, the EP also contains their previous Top 40 hit ”Wild West” and a fan favorite from their live show, Dwight Yoakam’s “Fast As You.”

Adding to the excitement, Runaway June continues to take Country music by storm as they prepare to support seven-time Grammy winner and Pollstar’s three-time top female country touring artist Carrie Underwood as she launches a new arena tour, The Cry Pretty Tour 360, in spring. Sponsored by CALIA, the new tour will kick off on May 1 in Greensboro, NC, and will play 55 arenas across the U.S. and Canada and be promoted by AEG Presents. 

Tickets for the concerts are on sale now. For the latest news, tour dates and information, please visit: www.RunawayJune.com.  

Vevo Teams Up with King Calaway For Exclusive Release of Live Performance Videos

Vevo announces the release of the live performances of King Calaway’s “World For Two” and “No Matter What”. A multi-national supergroup of harmony-singing, instrument-playing musicians, King Calaway is something new and fresh: a band that both embraces its country roots and reaches far beyond them.

Hailing from across the globe – from the small towns of the American Midwest to the southern tip of Spain; from the Atlantic seaboard to the Central Belt of Scotland – King Calaway brings a worldly perspective to a genre that’s previously been distinctly American. They’re country stars for a new generation, singing songs that erase the boundaries between genres and countries.

These young men aren’t looking to blend into the crowd, or even looking to fit in it…they’re in the business of standing out.

“World For Two” and “No Matter What” are available now on all streaming platforms, and be sure to keep up with artists from all over the world on YouTube.com/Vevo.

Kelsea Ballerini Invited To Become An Official Member of the Grand Ole Opry

Kelsea Ballerini was surprised on Tuesday night’s show by Opry group Little Big Town with an invitation to become an official Grand Ole Opry member. After Ballerini performed her segment, Little Big Town took the stage to close out the show, inviting Ballerini back to perform the group’s hit “Girl Crush” with them.

As the song concluded, the band changed its final lyrics to “Kelsea Ballerini, do you wanna join the Opry?”

“Yes,” Ballerini exclaimed, “I’m gonna pass out I think!” Collecting her thoughts, Ballerini recalled having visited the Opry at age 13 with her mother and knowing then that she wanted to support the Opry, even if only as a fan. “To be on this stage is the greatest gift in the world,” she said. “This is the home of country music, and I get to be a part of it.”

“For the rest of your life,” Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild added.

“We are thrilled at the thought of Kelsea Ballerini joining the Opry family,” said Opry General Manager Sally Williams. “So many of us at the Opry have been fans of her recordings, her songwriting, and her live performances since she played the Opry for the very first time. Having grown to know her personally in the years since, we love and respect her just as much as a person as an artist. We look so forward to her Opry induction in April and to all the years of great music we’ll share.”

Justin Moore Brings His Traditional Roots To The Forefront With New Album ‘Late Nights and Longnecks’

Equal parts celebration and reflection, Justin Moore’s new album LATE NIGHTS AND LONGNECKS — due April 26 via The Valory Music Co. — is a showcase for Moore’s evocative storytelling and unforgettable voice, complemented by an all-star band featuring GRAMMY and CMA Award-winning guitar icon Brent Mason, ACM-winning pedal steel hero Paul Franklin among others. Tipping its cap to Alan Jackson and George Strait, the record is Moore’s most traditional-sounding collection to date, a no-frills portrait of small-town life and big-time dreams that’s not afraid to let its hair down and party at the end of a hard day’s work.
 
“I’ve never worked with those guys [Mason and Franklin] before, but they’ve played on some of my favorite albums of all time,” says Moore. “We thought it would be really cool to bring them in and record the whole thing at The Castle, this historic studio just south of Nashville where a lot of those legendary hit records were made.”
 
Throughout his career, Moore has remained devoted to the simple things in life, treasuring his relationship with his wife and four kids and even taking time out from his relentless tour schedule to coach their basketball and softball teams. An Arkansas native, Moore grew up idolizing country legends like Dwight Yoakam and Keith Whitley and it was those pillars of his life — home, family, tradition — that he found himself compelled to return to with LATE NIGHTS AND LONGNECKS.
 
With that in mind, Moore headed back to the beach where it all began, and this time, he invited some of his favorite Nashville collaborators to join him. Collaborating alongside longtime producer Jeremy Stover and Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta, the resulting tracks exude the same blend of laidback cool and incisive intuition that marked the writing sessions, mixing playful tales of small-town joy and family pride with more introspective musings on broken hearts and hard times. Raucous album opener “Why We Drink” kicks things off with a wry smile, as Moore rattles off a seemingly endless list of justifications for cracking open a cold one.
 
Alcohol is a constant companion on the record, but Moore paints a complex picture of his characters’ relationship with it. Sometimes it’s medication (“Never Gonna Drink Again”); sometimes it’s escape (“Airport Bar”); sometimes it’s a memory you’d rather forget (“Jesus and Jack Daniels”).
 
It’s not all journeys to the bottom of the bottle, though. The tender “That’s My Boy” explores the timeless bond a father shares with his son, while the driving “Small Town Street Cred” celebrates the uncomplicated joys of rural living, and the emotional “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” honors the soldiers, nurses, first responders, and teachers who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in order to help make the world a better place for the rest of us.
 
The desire for comfort and connection is what LATE NIGHTS AND LONGNECKS is all about. Some characters find it at the bar, some find it at home, some don’t find it at all, but at the end of the day, they all share the search in common, asking the big questions and facing down the future in the process. For Moore, moving forward meant going back to where it all began.
 
LATE NIGHTS AND LONGNECKS is available everywhere April 26. In the meantime, Moore will headline arenas and amphitheaters across the US, and an extensive 2019 Fall tour will be announced in the coming weeks. For album purchase and tour dates, visit JustinMooreMusic.com.
 
LATE NIGHTS AND LONGNECKS TRACKLIST:
1. “Why We Drink” | Justin Moore, Casey Beathard, David Lee Murphy, Jeremy Stover
2. “That’s My Boy” | Justin Moore, Casey Beathard, Jeremy Stover
3. “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” | Justin Moore, Paul DiGiovanni, Chase McGill, Jeremy Stover
4. “Jesus And Jack Daniels” | Justin Moore, Paul DiGiovanni, Chase McGill, Jeremy Stover
5. “Airport Bar” | Justin Moore, Casey Beathard, Paul DiGiovanni, Jeremy Stover
6. “Small Town Street Cred” | Justin Moore, Paul DiGiovanni, Chase McGill, Jeremy Stover
7. “Never Gonna Drink Again” | Justin Moore, Rhett Akins, Paul DiGiovanni, Jeremy Stover
8. “On The Rocks” | Justin Moore, Paul DiGiovanni, Chase McGill, Jeremy Stover
9. “Someday I Gotta Quit” | Justin Moore, Casey Beathard, Paul DiGiovanni, Jeremy Stover
10. “Good Times Don’t” | Justin Moore, Paul DiGiovanni, Chase McGill, Jeremy Stover