Tomlin (Photo: Angelina Olivia)
Sony Music Nashville Promotes Margaret Tomlin To VP/A&R
MARGARET TOMLIN has been upped to VP/A&R at SONY MUSIC NASHVILLE (SMN). She has been with the label group for six years, and previously held the positions of Representative, Manager and Director for the A&R Department. She reports to ...
Clint Black Joins Forces With Circle For New Weekly TV Show, 'Talking In Circles With Clint Black'
Country artist CLINT BLACK will host and co-produce a new series on television network CIRCLE, titled "Talking in Circles with CLINT BLACK." It will debut on SATURDAY, MAY 22nd at ...
While they have never met, artist, Jeff Coltrec has become a fan of fellow Country artist Brei Carter and her music. So in the ultimate tribute, he crafted a song named for her, and worked 11 of her songs titles (including Carter’s cover of Charley Pride’s “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’”) into the lyrics. Ever the song plugger, he also squeezed in the titles of two of his own songs he’s hoping Louisiana-bred singer/songwriter Carter might hear and record some day! In his song’s storyline, based on Carter’s title “Ride In The Desert,” a lonesome biker falls in love with the voice of a singer he hears on a roadhouse jukebox, singing, “Her voice was mystical magic to a Country symphony.” No word on Carter’s reaction to the tribute.
Anyone who has ever felt like they don’t quite fit in with the “in” crowd will relate to this song about being slightly more of an acquired taste. Written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, its cleverly-worded and catchy chorus goes, “I’m like scotch / And zydeco bands / I’m like B-side Townes Van Zandt / I’m always speakin’ my mind / When I’m better off biting my tongue / I’m a bad joke at the wrong time / Hell I’m a legend in my own mind / I’m good for some / But I’m not for everyone.” Not content with the Van Zandt reference, the next verse invokes the name of another musical icon, and lead singer TJ furthers the square peg/round hole analogy by singing, “If I was sweet tea, I’d be a bit bitter / If you took a drink you might reconsider / If I was a church, I’d be hangin’ with the sinners / Talkin’ ‘bout Hendrix and heaven.” In the next verse, he’s comparing himself to an inviting, if somewhat seedy, honky-tonk, singing, “If I was a bar, I’d be a dive / A free jukebox in a double wide / Neon lights sayin’ come inside / And I’d be open 24/7.” The brothers bring it home in the bridge, where they turn the tune into a love song with the lyrics, “I’m hard to love it’s true / I’m a little more rough than smooth / It’s a wonder I found somebody like me like you.” At just under three minutes, and with a distinctive sound that jumps out from the herd, “I’m Not For Everyone” is a song well worth letting your listeners hear.
After his partner cheated, lied, and wrecked his Ford, the narrator of Dillon Carmichael’s laugh-out-loud funny new single is slamming the door on the relationship for good. When the lady comes crawling back all dolled up, apologetic and tearfully asking for a reconciliation, she’s firmly told — by way of the chorus — “I’d rather drink a hot beer / Build a fire in the pourin' rain / Burn all my fishing gear / Then set sail in a hurricane / Go hunting with an empty gun / And see a once in a lifetime deer / Work a Saturday just for fun / Then come home and drink a hot beer.” So, that’s a “no” then? According to the lyrics, a reconciliation is as likely as seeing a tractor fly. In fact, the guy would rather drink an O’Douls than get back together. Now that’s cold … er, hot! The song’s three minutes and 11 seconds of pure fun not only highlight Carmichael’s impressive, Country as hell baritone, but also reflect the signature humor of its co-producer, fellow neo-traditionalist Jon Pardi. "I heard this tune and it had me at the line about ‘Uncle Bubba's dip spit,’” says Carmichael. "One thing that made it even better was that this song was written by my buddy HARDY, aka ‘The Redneck,’ along with the talented Ashley Gorley, Hunter Phelps and Ben Johnson. I also found out one of my all time favorites, Jon Pardi, wanted to produce the song, and he crushed it! In all seriousness ... nothing about this song is serious." As the title track from Carmichael’s new EP, due out on May 14th, this single builds anticipation for what else this rising star has up his sleeve.
Maddie & Tae are celebrating womanhood and all it has to offer in their latest single, an upbeat tune focused on embracing imperfections. The opening line, "Babe, you put a ring on a wild thing," sets the tone of the almost three-minute song, leading with honesty and female empowerment. The duo admit to their flaws throughout, with lines like, "I'm a constant roller coaster of emotions" and "I lose my phone, can't hold my liquor," but also acknowledge that despite all of those perceived shortcomings, they can love like no other. The chorus goes, "I know you know me, but if I know me / I'm gonna drive you crazy / The thing about me is I'm always gettin' better / The truth is, boy, it might take forever, but / When it comes to lovin' you, I'm never gonna stop / And that's the kind of woman you got." Don't say they didn't warn you! Written by the duo's Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr, alongside Laura Veltz and Mark Holman, the song is relatable to any woman who recognizes her own quirks, but still knows she has a whole lot to offer. Font and Kerr (who are both newlyweds themselves) made the announcement about the new single on Instagram, writing, "Our sassy little love song to our hubbies is out now! If you're wild, messy, flawed and ya love like hell ... now it's your sassy little love song too." Let's help more women (and men) hear this powerful message, starting with an add at your station.
After a year of hard and heavy topics, Mo Pitney is delivering a lighthearted song to lift our spirits and launch us into spring. The midtempo tune sets the scene at "the farmers market off of Fourth and Main," where the narrator "joked about the jam just to catch her name." What really caught his eye, though, was "That local honey / Sweeter than sugar just standing there / That local honey / Homegrown down the road about a mile from here," Pitney sings in the chorus. The just over three-minute song opens with a funky guitar riff that is sure to get listeners dancing along. Written by Pitney, Adam Wood and Wil Nance, the track is high energy and flirty, and the accompanying music video follows suit, filling each scene with color and vibrance. Watch it 
Originally released as an album track on the 2003 patriotic sampler, “The Best Of America, Vol. 2,” Jeff Carson and Lisa Brokop’s “God Save The World” is getting a second life as a new radio single that sounds more timely than ever. Written by Pat Bunch and Doug Johnson, the spiritual song implores, “Open my eyes / That I might see / God save the world / Starting with me.” Essentially a plea for peace, the ballad’s other moving lyrics include the lines, “I see the only way / This world can change / One tiny light / In each of us / A seed of hope / A mighty love.” Says Carson, "I have always loved Lisa's voice, and have always thought this version sounds wonderful. I can't tell you how excited I am to have a new release on Curb Records. They brought me to the dance." If you’re not familiar with the singers, Carson scored three top 10 singles, including the #1 ”Not On Your Love,” on MCG/Curb in the mid-‘90s, and more recently has been a police officer in Franklin, TN. Canadian singer Brokop recorded for Capitol Nashville and then Columbia in the mid through late ‘90s. This poignant song marks a return to radio for both.
Sheridan, WY native Ian Munsick is making his Country radio debut with a single that blends the Western sounds of his hometown roots with contemporary Country. The midtempo track is essentially a love letter, filled with imagery and metaphors, declaring long-term loyalty and commitment to a partner. "So girl, don't worry / This boy ain't gonna run / There ain't no hurry / We got plenty of days left under the sun," real-life newlywed Munsick reassures in the pre-chorus, where his unique vocals are spotlighted. "No, it ain't a one day ride / It's up through the mountains where the coyotes cry / Down through the canyon where the wild things hide / And the cottonwoods fall," he continues in the chorus, with the sound of a dragging drumbeat behind him, adding additional dynamics to the track. "Feel the river underneath our feet / We'll be drowning in a sagebrush sea / Long as I know that it's you and me / Time don't matter at all / Girl, I'm in it for the long haul." The words we all want to hear! Written by Munsick, Dave Villa and Jamie Kenney, the song offers a fresh sound filled with flavor and symbolism that is also featured in the accompanying music video (shot in Wyoming). Watch it 
Hot off his recent #1 with "Beers And Sunshine," Darius Rucker is bringing another hit to Country radio with his latest single, "My Masterpiece." Although the message is a bit different than that of his last single, the ability to leave the listener in a positive mood after each listen remains. Written by Rucker, Josh Osborne, J.T. Harding and Ross Copperman, the three-and-a-half minute track fills each line with pure poetry. "I was born with a heart with a beat like a rolling stone / Never did I realize where I was supposed to belong / I never knew what I was meant to do / I never made sense to me 'til I made sense to you," Rucker sings in the first verse. The midtempo track cleverly includes classic historical and musical references throughout, with lines like, "Girl I swear your hazel eyes are making me feel / Like Picasso never had that color in his wheel," and "If I wrote the song, your name would be Georgia / And you'd be on my mind." The chorus of the piano-driven song goes, "I never had a silver spoon / I didn't grow up in a castle / I never walked on the moon / I'll never paint a Sistine Chapel / I can't play piano like Ray Charles / But baby when my life is through / I hope they say my masterpiece is loving you." Beautiful! On the inspiration behind the song, Rucker shared, “One of the most common questions I got asked last year was if I had picked up a new hobby during quarantine. I always answered that I was trying to learn piano, and someone asked if I was any good yet. J.T. Harding heard my response in that interview--‘I can’t play piano like Ray Charles’-- and knew we had to write a song around that line.” Mission complete, and we think it's a masterpiece.
The sunny “la, la, las” that open Cam’s new single, “Till There’s Nothing Left,” quickly give way to lyrics that are both romantic and deeply sensual. “I wanna lay down in the dark / And take a match right to your heart,” she sings, getting right to the point. She further paints the picture in the chorus: “Me and you in the backseat / Drivin' me crazy / Killin' me baby / Till there's nothing left .. With the windows up / Spendin' all my love / Prayin' God don't save me.” To quote Paris Hilton’s mid 2000s catch phrase, “That’s hot!” Cam says the song is about her husband, further revealing that the couple, who are parents to a 15-month-old daughter, “Will go drive and have a quickie in the back of the car. Why [be] embarrassed to sing about that? ‘Till There’s Nothing Left’ is a commitment. It's saying, ‘I am gonna love you with everything I have, physically, spiritually, I'm so in.’” The song, written by Cam, Jeff Bhasker, Tyler Johnson and Hillary Lindsey, elevates its carnal topic with a bit of poetry, found in lines like, “Keep me locked up in your eyes / Before the sun pushes out the night / Before we're whispers in the air / Come on and take me without a care.” No wonder Cam is “so in!” A music video for the single, which already has well over 2.6 million YouTube views, is an apocalyptic jaw-dropper set in an end of days honky-tonk. It’s well worth checking out 
In the middle of Women's History Month, Lady A has dropped their newest single, an anthem of female empowerment. The group's Hillary Scott takes the lead on this one, opening with an ascending melody as she sings, "Boy, I'm not that kinda girl to go and fight for all your attention / I'm not too afraid to call this off and go see what I've been missing / Leave the dress at home 'cause it makes me too polite / I'm stepping out tonight." The uptempo song's catchy hook is highlighted in its chorus, as Scott sings, "'Cause I feel like a lady / Sippin' on tequila with my Levi's on / A lady, singing to the music playin' all night long." Written by Scott, Brandon Paddock, Dave Barnes, Martin Johnson and Michelle Buzz, the three-minute track has the ability to instantly teleport listeners into a state of fun, carefree bliss. An intense electric guitar solo precedes the bridge, where Scott sings, "Might change my hair and change my mind / Might change your whole damn life / I may break your heart, not think twice, that's right." You tell 'em, girl! When asked about the motivation behind the track, Scott said, "What inspired me to write this song with four really incredible writers and friends is the excitement of the road again. Just thinking about how much fun it's going to be to step on that stage to perform live, and wanting to have a really high-energy song to be able to perform." One thing is for sure, once venues open up again, the radio airplay on this song will have already made it a hit! And we'll be there cheering the trio on, living it up ... like a lady.
Breakups are hard, but Travis Denning is sure to make them a whole lot easier with his latest Country radio single. "ABBY," written by Ashley Gorley, Matt Jenkins and Chase McGill, showcases unapologetic honesty, a heightened level of creativity and Denning's signature humor that is sure to turn tears in to laughs as he shares the reasons he's ready to say sayonara to a past relationship. "I hate to break it to you girl, but we're breakin' up / I've put up with your drama just about long enough / And now you wanna know if there's somebody else / Well if I'm bein' honest then the answer is yes." Oh, he just went there ... but give him a chance to explain, you'll be glad you did. "Her name is ABBY, that's 'anybody but you' / She'll have a bad little body, be the life of the party / Drink a cold beer or two / She won't make me go crazy like you-know-who." You don't have to hide that smile, we're laughing too! The single has already taken on a life of its own resonating with fans everywhere, and there's no doubt they're ready to hear it on their local airwaves. "Ever since I first heard ‘ABBY,' I felt like it would connect with fans, but I had no idea it would have this crazy, anthemic life it’s grown into,” said Denning. "It has by far become the most fun song to play live, and hearing people chant 'A-B-B-Y' always fires me up. I’m so excited for it to finally be hitting Country radio.” We are too!
Newcomer Callista Clark is coming in hot with her debut single, offering an unapologetic message of self-acceptance, along with fierce vocals to back it up. The song opens with a solo, uptempo drum beat to set the tone, before Clark joins in, singing, "You wish I was simple / But I'll never be that / Thinking that I think too much / And I talk too fast." She begins to flip the script on the accuser as she sings, "Might be born in the same year / But, boy, we ain't the same age / Might be reading the same book / But we ain't on the same page." Her full vocal dynamics are highlighted in the chorus, as she sings, "You want a one-dimensional woman / It's okay, I understand / If I seem too complicated for ya / It's 'cause I am." Mic drop! Written by Clark, Cameron Jaymes and Laura Veltz, the lyrics perfectly nail what every person would love to say to anyone who's ever told them they're "too much" or "not enough." Radiating confidence and sass with each line she sings, it might be shocking for some to know that Clark is only 17 years old! With an already large online following, an undeniable talent and a great team to back her up, you're probably thinking that Clark might be the next big thing ... Well, it's 'cause she is.
Heath Sanders may be new to the airwaves, but he's ready to make an old-school impact with his debut single. An ode to everything "traditional" about the Country way of life, the song -- written by Sanders, Casey Beathard and Houston Phillips -- will restore faith everywhere that hard work and traditional values are not extinct. Sanders' vocals are quick to shine with an unmistakable passion for the lyrics he sings. "Yes sir, yes ma'am, handshake deals / Rock still rules, keepin' it real," Sanders preaches in the second half of the chorus, adding, "And three chords and the truth ain't goin' nowhere / Yeah, old school's still in out here." Not only does Sanders sing about the old school way of life, he lives it out as a former Arkansas natural gas worker. He rose to fame after a video he posted covering Chris Stapleton's "Either Way" went viral. Fans everywhere fell in love with not only his voice, but what he stood for, and connected to the hard-working values he was raised on. "Drawing upon a lifetime of early mornings and long days, Heath emerges as the new voice of folks who identify with hard work and have the sore backs and tired feet to show for it," the bio on his website states. We have no doubt the hard work behind this single will propel it up the charts with support from listeners nationwide.
It’s hard to hold onto a “tumbleweed” romantic partner, but even a relationship that has you counting down to its inevitable end can still leave strong, positive memories in its wake. That’s the theme of this new single from superstar Kenny Chesney. While it was written by Brett James, Adam James and Kat Higgins, the song is distinctly and unmistakably Chesney, especially in its opening lines that evoke the salt life with lyrics about “toes in the sand, at a bar on a beach in the sun somewhere” with “something cold in your hand.” The song’s cleverest lines come in the second verse, where Chesney sings, “Knowing you was a free fall from a hundred thousand feet / When you don't even care where you land / And knowing you was the kind of rush that you feel / When you finally get to sit in with the band.” Chesney says of the song, “We all have those people in our lives who set you on fire with possibilities, make everything mean more in the moment and forever after that. It’s so technicolor and alive, you may not even realize when you’re in it. But when it’s done, you have to smile because you’re so much more for knowing them, so much more because of every second you shared.” The singer is not only pleased with how the song was written, but also how it turned out in the studio. “With that tempo – and the way the guys played it – there is so much room for the memories, the feelings, the details of not just what happened, but how you were changed in such powerful ways,” he says. “To have a song that leaves room for dreaming, for remembering, that amazed me, and it seems so important right now.”
Sibling trio Track45 is bringing spunk and energy to their debut radio single, an upbeat tune centered around feelings of regret, and wishing an ex could meet the new and improved version of you. The chorus goes, "If you had met me now, I'd be on a highway with you / Sayin' what I meant to / I'd never let you down / I'd be holdin' on to what we had, instead of wanting it back / If I could find a way to rearrange the time somehow / If you had met me now." Written by the trio's Ben, Jenna and KK Johnson, alongside JHart and Jonny Price, the song's relatable storyline is taken to the next level by the trio's exceptional harmonies, especially highlighted during the bridge. It goes, "We would never be lonely / I'd be holding you closely / Baby, if only / If you had met me now." The just over three-minute tune has a timeless storyline, but a current and modern sound. "The idea for 'Met Me Now' actually just came from me being up super late one night," said KK. "I was all up in my feelings about a past relationship, and I was just wondering, if I could go back in time and he could meet the me I am now, would things have worked out, or would that have been different? So we had a write with JHart and Jonny Price, and I brought the idea in and we ended up writing a song about it. So now I get to relive those sad emotions every time we sing it, which is super fun." Ben added, "It's like our time travel song," to which KK replied, "It's like 'Back To The Future.'" Jenna humorously added, "KK is Marty McFly." The Meridian, MS natives clearly like to joke around with each other and have a good time, and that fun spirit translates to their work. Let's help your listeners join in on the good time too, starting by adding this song to your playlist.
What Is Life?
