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NEWS

February 14, 2020

NIKO MOON RELEASES GOOD TIME EP

Niko Moon has released his debut GOOD TIME EP today via RCA Nashville to all digital retailers and streaming platforms. Listen here.

Moon co-produced the project with Joshua Murty and co-wrote every song. The title track, which has notched more than 24 million on-demand streams, will officially hit terrestrial radio airwaves March 16. GOOD TIME also features “feel-good tune” (NY Country Swag ) “PARADISE TO ME,” “DRUNK OVER YOU,” “WAY BACK,” and previously unreleased “GOOD AT LOVING YOU.” 

Additionally, Moon is scheduled to make his debut on the famed Grand Ole Opry April 14. Following standout runs supporting Filmore and Eli Young Band, Moon is currently wowing sold-out audiences during his opening stint on Ryan Hurd’s PLATONIC TOUR. Later this spring, he’ll head overseas to perform at C2C, CMC Rocks QLD, and the CMA Introducing Nashville series throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. 

GOOD TIME Tracklisting:
1. GOOD TIME (Niko Moon/Jordan Minton/Anna Moon/Joshua Murty/Mark Trussell)
2. DRUNK OVER YOU (Niko Moon/Anna Moon/Joshua Murty)
3. WAY BACK (Niko Moon/Anna Moon/Joshua Murty)
4. PARADISE TO ME (Niko Moon/Anna Moon/Joshua Murty)
5. GOOD AT LOVING YOU (Niko Moon/Blake Bollinger/Anna Moon/Joshua Murty)

NEWS

February 11, 2020

MAREN MORRIS’ “THE BONES” REACHES NO. 1 AT COUNTRY RADIO

Grammy-winning artist Maren Morris’ “The Bones” reaches No. 1 on country radio this week, making it the first solo female Billboard country No. 1 since her single “GIRL” topped the chart last summer. This is also the first solo female back-to-back No. 1 since 2016 and Morris’ fourth No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay single to date. 

Additionally, Morris is appearing on the 50th season of “Sesame Street” in an episode titled “Let’s Draw.” The episode will air Feb. 15 on HBO at 9 A.M. EST. Watch/share her performance HERE.

Morris is confirmed to perform at the Houston Rodeo on March 7, as well as BottleRock Napa Valley, Governors Ball Music Festival and Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience, with more tour dates to be announced.

2019 was a monumental year for the singer songwriter who took home Album of the Year at the 53rd Annual Country Music Association Awards, where she was the most nominated artist. Her record shattering albumGIRL continues to receive widespread critical praise—Variety hailed it as “the best as well as most important mainstream country-star album of the year.” GIRL was also featured amongst the Best of 2019 by Rolling StoneBillboardEsquireGQPeopleVicePasteStereogum and Uproxx. Much more to come from Morris in 2020.

NEWS

February 10, 2020

CHRIS YOUNG ADDS DATES TO “TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH WORLD TOUR 2020”

Multi-platinum entertainer Chris Young has added additional dates to his headlining “Town Ain’t Big Enough World Tour 2020” – now launching Thursday, April 30 in Columbus, OH. He’ll be joined by special guests Scotty McCreery as direct support along with Payton Smith on tour April through September . In addition, Chris will highlight various Next From Nashville artists at his shows, offering the opportunity for up-and-coming acts to showcase their talents in front of a massive audience. Chris and The AMG Management will personally pick opening acts to play each week of the tour. 

Live Nation is the official tour promoter and fans can now purchase tickets for select cities as part of Live Nation’s Country Megaticket at www.Megaticket.com. Find a complete listing of Chris Young concert dates, including Houston Rodeo (Mar. 9), Orlando, FL (Mar. 20), the PGA’s Valspar Championship @ Palm Harbor, FL (Mar. 21) and other stops, and purchase tickets at ChrisYoungCountry.com .   

Chris Young’s “Town Ain’t Big Enough World Tour 2020” with special guests Scotty McCreery and Payton Smith 

Date   Market   Venue   
April 30^   Columbus, OH   The Schottenstein Center   
May 1^   Cape Girardeau, MO   Show Me Center   
May 2#   Des Moines, IA   Wells Fargo Arena   
May 7+   Spokane, WA   Spokane Arena   May 9+   Boise, ID   Century Link Arena   
May 28   Detroit, MI   DTE Energy Music Theatre   
May 29   Indianapolis, IN   Ruoff Music Center   
May 30   Chicago, IL   Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre   
June 10   Salt Lake City, UT   USANA Amphitheatre   
June 12   Portland, OR   Sunlight Supply Amphitheater   
June 13   Seattle, WA   White River Amphitheater   
June 20   Irvine, CA   FivePoint Amphitheatre   
June 27   Albuquerque, NM   Isleta Amphitheater   
June 28   Phoenix, AZ   Ak-Chin Pavilion   
July 9   Cleveland, OH   Blossom Music Center   
July 10   Bristow, VA   Jiffy Lube Live   
July 24   Mansfield, MA   Xfinity Center   
July 25   Gilford, NH   Bank of NH Pavilion   
July 30   Brandon, MS   Brandon Amphitheater   
July 31   Tuscaloosa, AL   The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater   
August 1   Orange Beach, AL   The Wharf Amphitheater   
August 13   Virginia Beach, VA   Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach   
August 14   Raleigh, NC   Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek August 15   Charlotte, NC   PNC Music Pavilion   
August 20   St. Louis, MO   Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre   
August 21   Rogers, AR   Walmart AMP   
August 22   Dallas, TX   Dos Equis Pavilion   
August 28   Saratoga Springs, NY   Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center August 29   Holmdel, NJ   PNC Bank Arts Center   
September 11   Wantagh, NY   Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater   September 12   Pittsburgh, PA   S&T Bank Music Park   
September 25   Atlanta, GA   Ameris Bank Amphitheatre   
September 26   Cincinnati, OH   Riverbend Music Center   
*Dates subject to change, please check chrisyoungcountry.com for the latest information ^on sale February 14 #on sale February 28 +on sale TBD 

The ACM and Grammy nominated vocalist kicked off 2020 with the news of his new tour and the launch of his weekly podcast, “The Quad with Chris Young.” Listen now to his latest releases: “Drowning,” named to Rolling Stone’s Best Country and Americana Songs of 2019, plus “ Raised On Country” and “Town Ain’t Big Enough,” featuring Lauren Alaina. 

NEWS

February 7, 2020

TENILLE TOWNES RELEASES ROAD TO THE LEMONADE STAND EP

Acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer Tenille Townes’ new EP, Road to the Lemonade Stand, is out today via Columbia Nashville (stream/purchase here). 

Of the release, Townes shares, “It makes my heart so happy that this EP is out in the world with this collection of songs and that we are headed towards the full album coming in the spring! I’ve been hearing people on the road ask about coming back for my own shows and I couldn’t be more grateful and excited for my very first acoustic headlining dates on the ‘Road to the Lemonade Stand Tour.’ I can’t wait to have hang time with everyone at these shows and keep walking down this road together.”

Townes will kick off the “Road to the Lemonade Stand Acoustic Tour” this spring with stops at Chicago’s Carol’s Pub, Boston’s City Winery, New York’s Rockwood Music Hall and Washington DC’s City Winery among others. The headline run adds to an impressive 2020 tour itinerary, which includes All For The Hall at Bridgestone Arena on February 10, Stagecoach Festival on April 25, Ryman Auditorium with Hot Country Knights on April 29 and a series of spring/summer dates supporting Alan Jackson. See below for complete details. Townes will also be included in the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s new American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, which opens on March 6.

With the release of the EP, Townes is inviting fans to join her on the journey to her highly anticipated debut album, The Lemonade Stand, which will be released later this spring. Produced by Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town), the EP features five songs written by Townes including her current single, “Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking) ,” as well as a rendition of Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy.” Last week, “Jersey” reached No. 1 on the BDS Canada and Mediabase Canada country radio charts, making it Townes’ second chart-topping single following her Canadian Platinum-certified “Somebody’s Daughter.” This accomplishment makes Townes the only female in Mediabase Canada history to achieve two No. 1 singles. Released to critical acclaim, Rolling Stone calls “Jersey,” “a stirring, full-bodied anthem about loss and faith,” while Taste of Country proclaims, “Townes continues to release music grounded in empathy…She aims for a higher brand of acclaim and satisfaction.”

Canadian-born and Nashville-based, Townes is nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year at the 2020 Juno Awards and  recently won four awards at the 2019 Canadian Country Music Awards: Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year (“Somebody’s Daughter”), Anthem Entertainment Songwriter of the Year and Video of the Year (“Somebody’s Daughter”). Winning all four of her nominated categories, Townes lead the night with the most awards received. She is also a MusicRow 2020 Next Big Thing Artist, an iHeartCountry’s “On The Verge” artist and has been included in Amazon Music’s “2019 Artists To Watch,” CMT’s “Next Women of Country,” iHeart Radio’s “Artists To Watch in 2019,” “The Bobby Bones Show’s” “Class of 2019,” CMT’s “Listen Up” and the inaugural class of “Opry NextStage.” Townes also recently participated in Cracker Barrel’s “Five Decades, One Voice” campaign—a project created to highlight the importance of women in country music by celebrating legendary female artists and those following in their footsteps. For the project, Townes was personally selected by Brandi Carlile to collaborate on new versions of two songs—Townes’ “ Somebody’s Daughter” and Carlile’s “Fulton County Jane Doe.”

In addition to her work as a musician and songwriter, Townes remains committed to charitable causes including her own initiative, Big Hearts For Big Kids, which has raised over $1.9 million to date benefiting a youth shelter in her hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta. More information can be found at bigheartsforbigkids.com.

ROAD TO THE LEMONADE STAND TRACK LIST
1. “Holding Out For The One”
2. “White Horse”  
3. “Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking)” 
4. “I Kept The Roses”
5. “Somebody’s Daughter” 
6. “Stupid Boy”  

NEWS

February 6, 2020

KANE BROWN TO PLAY IN 2020 NBA ALL-STAR CELEBRITY GAME

NBA officially released their 2020 Celebrity Game line up, naming Kane Brown to the team. In addition to Brown, each team features a star-studded array of participants across the music, film, television and sport industries. The event will emanate from the Wintrust Arena – home of the WNBA Chicago Sky – in Chicago, Ill. ESPN will exclusively televise the 2020 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Presented by Ruffles on Friday, February 14, at 7 p.m. ET. 

4X AMA winner Kane Brown will play only a few days after returning from the European kick-off of his first international headlining Worldwide Beautiful Tour. Brown, who is the only artist to have two songs in the Top 5 of the most-streamed country songs of all time, recently celebrated the 5X platinum certification of these same two No. 1 hits, “What Ifs” and “Heaven.” The 26-year-old entertainer is one of only five artist with multiple 5X Platinum RIAA country single certifications. 

Popular ESPN commentators Stephen A. Smith and Chicago native Michael Wilbon are the celebrity coaches for this year’s game. Wilson’s team will be designated as the “home team”, while Stephen A’s team will serve as the “away team.” Actor Jesse Williams (“Grey’s Anatomy”) will serve as Wilbon’s assistant coach, while television host and chef Guy Fieri (Food Network) will serve as assistant coach to Stephen A. 

Three-time Grammy® Award winners and Chicago natives Chance The Rapper and Common have been named team captains for this year’s Celebrity Game. Fellow hip-hop artist and 2018 Celebrity Game MVP Quavo will also participate. Cassidy Hubbarth will be reporting live couchside from the ESPN stage in the Ruffles Celebrity Game Lounge, a new area on the court featuring celebrities and influencers who will enjoy the game while relaxing on couches and playing pop-a-shot, cornhole and other games.

NEWS

February 4, 2020

MATT STELL MAKES POP-UP APPEARANCE AT DIERKS BENTLEY’S WHISKEY ROW NASHVILLE TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF HIS GIVE A DAMN FOUNDATION

RECORDS/Arista Nashville breakthrough entertainer Matt Stell thrilled hundreds of fans last evening when he performed a pop-up show at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row Nashville. Stell dubbed the event a celebration of the recent launch of his Give A Damn Foundation, and during his intensely energetic 13-song set, attendees made donations in tip buckets totaling over $1320 which will go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Matt Stell expands upon Give A Damn Foundation HERE .

“A wise man once told me, that the only thing you have to do to make the world a better place is to just give a damn,” explained the singer-songwriter. “And that always meant something to me. And that’s why I called our new cause theGive A Damn Foundation.” 

Stell continued, “This pop-up show made so much sense to me. There’s nothing better in the world than having fun with your friends playing music, except, having fun playing music with your friends, and doing it for a good cause.”

“So what’s the Give A Damn Foundation? Well basically, it’s our way to give back. Because the way I see it – I get to live my dream everyday playing music all over the country, and we want to make other peoples’ dreams come true.” 

According to Stell, “We’re going to have a great time choosing the charities we care a lot about. For the pop-up show, donations went to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Additional charities we’ve made Give A Damncommitments to are Doctors Without Borders and the Humane Society, just to name a few. Because the bottom line is, if you give a damn and I give a damn, we’re going to make this world a better place and have a lot of fun doing it.”

Limited edition Give A Damn wristbands are now available HERE. 100% of all the proceeds from wristband purchases go to Give A Damn Foundation

Matt Stell’s latest single, “Everywhere But On,” is the title track of Stell’s debut EP (listen HERE) and the name of his first headline tour which kicked off January 24 featuring support artists Chris Bandi and Ray Fulcher. “Everywhere But On” was co-written by Matt Stell, Paul Sikes and Lance Miller and produced by Ash Bowers and Stell.

The RECORDS/Arista Nashville entertainer performed his Gold-certified multi-week No. 1 airplay smash “Prayed For You” on two nationally televised programs on ABC – “Bachelor in Paradise” (Aug. 2019) and “Good Morning America (Jan. 2020). On the Billboard Country Airplay chart, “Prayed For You” was the ONLY debut artist single to top the chart in 2019. In addition to holding No.1 for two consecutive weeks on Billboard, Stell’s hit topped the Country Aircheck/ Mediabase Airplay chart as well. Penned by Stell, Ash Bowers, and Allison Veltz Cruz, “Prayed For You” has massed nearly 165 million streams.

The official music video for “Prayed For You” (view HERE) premiered via People, and reached No.1 on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown. Stell was the only country artist picked for Vevo DSCVR 2020, which spotlights promising new talent, as well as being named a CMT Discovery Artist and Taste of Country’s “Ones To Watch.” “Prayed For You” along with “Home In A Hometown,” a collaboration with Jimmie Allen, and Stell’s sultry cover of Ariana Grande’s “God is a woman” can be found on Stell’s EP, Everywhere But On . Last fall, the singer-songwriter joined Chris Young on his “Raised On Country World Tour 2019.”  

NEWS

February 3, 2020

LUKE COMBS DEBUTS ON NBC’S “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE”

ACM, CMA and CMT Award-winning artist Luke Combs made his debut as the musical guest on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” this past Saturday with host JJ Watt performing two songs from his critically acclaimed new album, What You See Is What You Get: “Lovin’ On You” and “ Beer Never Broke My Heart.” 

The performance is just the latest achievement in what continues to be a groundbreaking and historic series of years for Combs. In November, his critically acclaimed new album, What You See Is What You Get, debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart as well as Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with 172,000 equivalent units sold. It was also a global No. 1 album, topping charts in Canada, Australia and the U.K. Out now via River House Artists/Columbia Nashville (stream/purchase here ), the record enjoyed the largest streaming week ever for a country album with 74 million on-demand streams. It also achieved the biggest first week of album streams ever for a country artist on Apple Music and was the first country album ever to hit No. 1 on the platform’s U.S. overall albums chart, while also setting a new global record for first-week streams for a country album at Spotify and breaking the Amazon Music record for more first-week streams than any other country album debut. 

Produced by Scott Moffatt, What You See Is What You Get features 17 songs including the five tracks previously released via The Prequel EP last summer. The EP debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with all five tracks charting on Billboard ’s Hot Country Songs Top 25—a feat not accomplished by any artist in 60 years since Johnny Cash in 1959. Additionally, Combs’ most recent single, “Even Though I’m Leaving,” spent its third week at No. 1 at country radio, making it Combs’ seventh consecutive No. 1—a first on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Following this success, Combs’ new single, “Does To Me” featuring Eric Church, was recently shipped to country radio. 

In celebration of the release, Combs is set to headline his first ever stadium show at Appalachian State University’s Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, NC on May 2. The sold-out stadium show is part of Combs’ “What You See Is What You Get Tour,” which continues Combs’ historic success on the road with all ten of the concerts selling out immediately after going on-sale.

Adding to his landmark year, Combs’ debut album, This One’s For You, was recently certified RIAA Triple Platinum. Since its release in 2017, the album has spent 50 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart—tying the record for the longest reign atop the chart with Shania Twain’s Come On Over in 1997. This One’s For You was also the most-streamed country album of 2019. Moreover, several of Combs’ songs have also received new RIAA certifications: 4x Platinum “Beautiful Crazy,” 4x Platinum “When It Rains It Pours,” 2x Platinum “She Got The Best of Me” and Platinum “Must’ve Never Met You.”

NEWS

February 3, 2020

RYAN HURD KICKS OFF HEADLINING PLATONIC TOUR

Soulful rising country star Ryan Hurd kicked off his headlining PLATONIC TOUR this weekend at The Bluestone in Columbus, OH and Manchester Music Hall in Lexington, KY to captivated packed houses.

The crowd was hanging on every word as Hurd performed his Top 20-and-rising Gold single “To a T” as well as cuts from his recent PLATONIC EP. Featuring special guests Niko Moon and Adam Doleac on select dates the PLATONIC TOUR rolls on this week to Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom and Memphis’ Minglewood Hall. Throughout the cross-country run, “country music’s next big star” (AOL) is also slated for high-profile two-night stands at Joe’s on Weed Street in Chicago, IL and NYC’s Gramercy Theatre.

Ryan Hurd’s PLATONIC TOUR
Feb. 6 – Cannery Ballroom | Nashville, TN
Feb. 7 – Minglewood Hall | Memphis, TN
Feb. 21 – 8 Seconds Saloon | Indianapolis, IN
Feb. 22 – Mercury Ballroom | Louisville, KY
Feb. 27 – Joe’s on Weed Street | Chicago, IL
Feb. 28 – Joe’s on Weed Street | Chicago, IL
Feb. 29 – St. Andrews Hall | Detroit, MI
March 4 – Gramercy Theatre | New York, NY
March 5 – Gramercy Theatre | New York, NY
March 6 – Paradise Rock Club | Boston, MA
March 7 – Theatre of the Living Arts | Philadelphia, PA
March 13 – The Midland Theater | Kansas City, MO
March 14 – DelMar Hall | St. Louis, MO
March 19 – Terminal West | Atlanta, GA
March 20 – Georgia Theatre | Athens, GA
March 21 – Coyote Joe’s | Charlotte, NC

NEWS

February 3, 2020

OLD DOMINION ANNOUNCE NEXT SINGLE “SOME PEOPLE DO”

Acclaimed 2-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year and 2-time ACM Group of the Year Old Dominion reveal their newest single, “Some People Do.” The song is off the band’s self-titled 3rd studio album. Click HERE to listen.

Old Dominion frontman Matthew Ramsey said of the song, “It’s a breaking-point kind of song. I think inherently we’re all good people and want to be good people, but no matter who you are, sometimes you hurt the ones you love. It’s about that desire to be the best person you can be for those people.”

The band is showing no signs of slowing down. Their latest No. 1 hit single, “One Man Band” has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. With over 275 million streams, this marks the band’s 8th consecutive No. 1 and biggest song to date. They recently performed it on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” HERE . In addition, they also received certifications for 5 of their other songs: “Written in the Sand” (2x Platinum), “Break Up With Him” (2x Platinum), “Hotel Key” (Platinum), “Make It Sweet” (Gold) and “Nowhere Fast” (Gold). 

Old Dominion recently announced a U.S. leg of their WE ARE OLD DOMINION tour with 13 cities and support from Dustin Lynch and Carly Pearce. Later this week, the band will make their return to Canada for the Canadian run with Mitchell Tenpenny and Meghan Patrick. This summer, the Old Dominion is also set to join Kenny Chesney on his Chillaxification 2020 stadium tour which will see them hitting stadiums across the nation as well as performances at several fairs and festivals throughout the summer. Click HERE for more info.

NEWS

January 29, 2020

TYLER BOOTH INKS RECORDING DEAL WITH VILLA 40/SONY MUSIC NASHVILLE

Sony Music Nashville and Villa 40 announce the signing of singer/songwriter Tyler Booth to Villa 40/Sony Music Nashville. Booth is the first artist to launch as part of an exclusive, long-term joint-venture agreement between the label group and Villa 40, co-founded by music industry executives including Joe Fisher, Brad Margolis and Trace Ayala.

“I’m so excited to sign with Sony Nashville/Villa 40; they plucked me out of the hills of Kentucky,” Booth said. “They told me they believed in me, loved the music I was making and felt like they wanted to be apart of my future.  I’ve grown to know them like family and feel like it’s where I belong.” 

Born and raised in Wolfe County in the Southeastern region of Kentucky, Tyler Booth has been writing songs and honing his craft for years, but, it was his smooth baritone vocals that first caught the attention of producer/songwriter Phil O’Donnell. Hailing from the stomping grounds of John Michael Montgomery, Montgomery Gentry and George Molton, the 21-year-old performs regularly at the famed Austin City Saloon in Corbin, Kentucky. 

“On behalf of the Villa 40 team, we couldn’t be more thrilled to announce our joint venture with Sony Music Nashville,” remarked Villa 40 co-founder Brad Margolis. “We have watched the Sony team repeatedly break genre-defining artists, and we look forward to continuing that tradition with our signing of Tyler Booth.” Margolis continues, “Villa 40 was founded with the goal of developing artists across all aspects of their careers, and we know that working with the SMN team will allow us to help artists like Tyler define the next decade of country music.”

Sony Music Nashville EVP A&R Jim Catino responded, “Brad and Joe and the entire Villa 40 team are creative and passionate collaborators. What better way to kick-off our new relationship than to share the news of signing the incredibly talented singer-songwriter Tyler Booth.”

Tyler Booth’s newly-released tracks “Long Comes A Girl” and “Where The Livin’ Is” are available now at all streaming platforms and digital retailers

View Booth’s “Long Comes A Girl” music video HERE.

For further info on Tyler Booth, go to www.tylerboothmusic.com