DISClaimer Single Reviews: Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors’ New Tune Is ‘Deeply Affecting’

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Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors

Happy New Year from DISClaimer.

I can think of no better way to begin 2024 than with an overview of what’s current in the land of Americana music. Plenty, as it turns out.

Many of the biggest stars of the genre have offerings—Jason Isbell, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Sheryl Crow. But the Disc of the Day goes to a guy who’s been in the trenches for years, but never received their level of fame. It’s “Way Back When,” a marvelous outing from Drew Holcomb and his band The Neighbors. It’s bound to warm your spirits on a winter day.

The DISCovery Award goes to MAJOR. He’ll be spending part of this winter in Music City collaborating with our songwriters for the tracks on a new album. If the rest of his music is as fine as his excellent single, I offer a hearty welcome.

DR. JOHN & AARON NEVILLE / “End of the Line”
Writers: Bob Dylan/George Harrison/Jeff Lynne/Roy Orbison/Tom Petty; Producers: Malcom John Rebennack, Jr/Shane Theriot; Label: Rounder
– Country-loving Aaron Neville teamed up with the late Dr. John on this cover of The Traveling Wilburys tune. The good news is that the track sounds nothing like the Wilbury original version. The bad news is that the angelic-voiced Neville takes a definite back seat. The unusual listening experience is on the current, posthumously released Dr. John album Things Happen This Way.

MAJOR. / “Joy in the Battle”
Writer: Joaquin Bynum; Producer: Joaquin Bynum; Label: MNRK Music
– One of the cool things about Americana is that it brings together all kinds of roots music styles—classic country, blues, Cajun, bluegrass, folk and, in this case, soul. The track is an uplifting shout of affirmation, driven by ebullient energy. It already has 105K streams on Spotify, and has picked up endorsements from Sting, Oprah, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson and Stevie Wonder. I see no reason why it can’t go even further. Infectious and positive. MAJOR. showcases at The Basement on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. It’s a free industry showcase, so get on board.

EMMYLOU HARRIS / “Love Wore a Halo”
Writer: Nanci Griffith; Producer: Buddy Miller; Label: Rounder
– More Than a Whisper is the tribute album to the late, great Nanci Griffith. Emmylou, the Queen of Americana, has its single, and it’s a beauty. Acoustic instruments swirl around a concertina, a twang guitar and a snare while the singer weaves her magic spell. Essential listening.

NOAH KAHAN / “Everywhere Everything”
Writer: Noah Kahan; Producers: Gabe Simon/Noah Kahan; Label: Republic
– This folkie is nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. He’s been collaborating with Kacey Musgraves, Post Malone, Joy Oladokun, Hozier, Zach Bryan and more stellar people. This track is drawn from Stick Season, the breakthrough album that earned him his nomination. Things start off innocent and guitar strum-y then build into intense rocking choruses that describe young love in the most weirdly morbid way.

CHARLEY CROCKETT & WILLIE NELSON / “That’s What Makes the World Go Around”
Writers: Charley Crockett/Kullen Fox/Rich Brotherton/Taylor Grace; Producers: Charley Crockett/Billy Horton; Label: CC
– This is a loping, lightly swinging two stepper. Nelson, 90, matches Crockett vocal lick for vocal lick and adds his own Trigger guitar solo. All country music should sound this cool.

AMOS LEE / “Fruits of My Labor”
Writer: Lucinda Williams; Producer: none listed; Label: Thirty Tigers
– Amos Lee has one of Americana music’s great voices. He needs only it and some spare acoustic instrumentation to bring this languid, buoyant, silky tune to life. Absolutely love this. It comes from Honeysuckle Switches, his new tribute album to his songwriting hero, Lucinda Williams.

SHERYL CROW / “Alarm Clock”
Writers: Sheryl Crow/Mike Elizondo/Emily Weisband; Producer: Mike Elizondo; Label: Valory
– The 2023 Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductee returns to her pop-rock roots with this bopping, sunshiny winner. Back in 2018, she said she was done making albums. Which is why this advance track from her upcoming Evolution collection so surprising and so welcome. Can’t wait to hear the rest of it.

LORI McKENNA / “1988”
Writers: Brian McKenna/Lori McKenna; Producer: Dave Cobb; Label: CN/Thirty Tigers
– This woman always captivates me. The title tune of McKenna’s current album celebrates her enduring marriage with simple acoustic guitar accompaniment. There are few songwriters alive who are so heartfelt and true and few singers who can grab you this tightly. She has won CMA Song of the Year twice, for ”Girl Crush” and “Humble and Kind,” both of which also won Country Song Grammy Awards, as did “Crowded Table.” Lori McKenna is the only woman to have been named Songwriter of the Year by the ACM. Listen and believe.

JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT / “White Beretta”
Writer: Jason Isbell; Producer: Jason Isbell; Label: Southeastern
– Wistful memories of regret and self recrimination color a rolling meditation. Mournful and utterly haunting. This track from Isbell’s Weathervanes collection has a new animated video that is as evocative as the abortion-themed song.

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS / “Way Back When”
Writers: Drew Holcomb/Kevin Scott Rhoads; Producer: Cason Cooley; Label: Magnolia
– Over the course of two decades and nine albums, these folks have been a comforting constant on the Nashville music scene. The group’s current album, Strangers No More, has taken it to previously unscaled heights at festivals, on TV, in print and on the Americana charts. Holcomb’s warm baritone carries this warm, heart-tugging ballad accompanied by soft piano and strings. It’s about parenthood and the passage of time and is deeply, deeply affecting. I remain an immense fan. Always have been.

JIMMY BUFFETT / “Like My Dog”
Writers: Scotty Emerick/Harley Allen; Producers: Michael Utley/Mac McAnally; Label: Mailboat/Sun
– This is a face-filling grin from start to finish. Or at least a massive tail wag. All he wants is for his girl to love him like his dog does. The new video for this is a collaboration with the ASCPA to encourage doggie adoption, and the footage is adorable. Drawn from Buffett’s superb posthumous album Equal Strain on All Parts.

Morning Mentoring & Networking Sessions Set For CRS 2024

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The programming has been set for the morning mentoring sessions that will take place during Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2024. The sessions aim will provide valuable insights and networking opportunities.

CRS will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 28, with its first morning mentoring session. The Y’all Means All: Diversity Matters Breakfast will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. in Legends A-C at the Omni Nashville Hotel, and aims to address diversity and inclusivity within the country radio industry. The panel discussion will be moderated by Mia McNeal, Senior Director of Industry Relations & Inclusion at the Country Music Association (CMA), and will feature panelists including Jaye Albright (retired Albright & O’Malley & Brenner), Jon Loba (BBR/BMG), Frank Ray (BBR Music Group artist) and Lily Rose (Big Loud Records, Back Blocks Music, and Republic Records Country artist).

On the last day of CRS, Friday, March 1, CRS will present the Women’s Networking Breakfast, sponsored by Nuvoodoo Media from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. This session will focus on empowering and connecting women within the country music industry. Confirmed attendees include McNeal (CMA), Charlene Bryant (UMG Nashville), Zena Burns (Moxie Coalition), Blake Carter (SEVENS Radio Network/The Garth Channel), Katie Dean (Leo33), Brooke Diaz (BMLG), Karina Farias (Edison Research), Krista Hayes (Cumulus Media), Laura Hostelley (Triple Tigers Records), Jessica “Carsen” Humphreville (Silverfish Media), Michelle Tigard Kammerer (Amazon Music), Sarah Kay (WQMX), Basak Kizilisik (Eighteen Company), Katie McCartney (Monument Records), Brooks O’Brian (WWJO), Athena Puharic (Big Machine Label Group), Brooke Taylor (iHeart), Nikki Thomas (Bristol Broadcasting) and Melissa Quinones (Cox Media Group).

More agenda details for CRS 2024 will be released soon. Registration for CRS 2024 is now open.

Lauren Daigle’s Price Fund Reports Over $1 Million In Contributions For 2023

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Lauren Daigle. Photo: Jeremy Cowart

Grammy-winning artist Lauren Daigle has closed out a record year for her foundation, The Price Fund, with over one million dollars in contributions for 2023.

A total of 45 contributions were made throughout the year by the fund, including partnership contributions to Music Health Alliance (MHA) and KultureCity, contributions to organizations such as the Caring for Covenant Fund and the Tennessee Emergency Response Fund as well as multiple music schools. These contributions have helped to fund senior healthcare programs, accessibility improvements in music venues across the U.S. and provided music education funds for schools. Since the foundation’s start in 2018, The Price Fund has provided over $3.5 million to charitable organizations.

“I am so proud of the work that we have been able to do over the last year and that fans can also play such a huge part in joining the effort to make a difference in the world. I am overjoyed about what is to come and what we can accomplish together,” says Daigle. On her “Kaleidoscope Tour” this past year, a portion of every ticket purchased was donated directly to the fund, providing a unique opportunity for her fans to make a direct impact. The foundation was started to memorialize Daigle’s late grandfather, Julian Price, who taught her how to love the world one relationship at a time.

“I formed The Price Fund to help make a positive impact in people’s lives and remind them they are not alone,” she shares.

For more information, click here.

Zach Bryan Earns Bachelor’s Degree

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Zach Bryan. Photo: Trevor Pavlik

Zach Bryan has now added college graduate to his growing resume. The hitmaker recently celebrated the achievement in his cap and gown during a private ceremony after earning his Bachelor’s degree, something he’s been working towards for several years.

The 27-year-old served in the Navy before launching his music career, and tweeted that he made a promise long ago to his mother Annette DeAnn Bryan, who passed away in 2016, that he would get his college degree one day. The Oklahoma native released his first full-length studio album in 2019 and named the collection DeAnn after his mother. After years of makeshift studying between gigs around the country, Bryan finally achieved the goal. According to The Tennessean, he received his Bachelor’s degree in psychology.


Additionally, Bryan will kick off “The Quittin Time Tour 24” on March 5 in Chicago.

Musicians Hall Of Fame & Museum Looks Back On 2023

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Pictured: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band, with Linda Chambers, CEO, Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, located in downtown Nashville, had a busy 2023. The year started off with the museum celebrating the 100th birthday of the late Sun Records founder Sam Phillips on Feb. 1. The event included a Q&A with Phillip’s son, Jerry Phillips. He talked about topics such as how his father opened the studio with hopes of recording blues music, how he was looking to break down barriers, and how the business is moving through the family.

March marked a new part of the museum opening with the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame Room. This room features a fully-restored and functioning historic console that used to be used for mixing shows at the historic Grand Ole Opry.

Eric Church, Linda Chambers and Butch Spyridon. Photo: Alan Poizner for Nashville CVC

The spring saw the museum host “An Evening with Jimmy Webb: Celebrating 50 Years of Music & Friendship with Glen Campbell” in April. Hosted by Webb, who wrote many of Campbell’s famous hits, the event also included performance by Campbell’s daughter, Ashley Campbell and Thor Jensen. 

In May, the museum celebrated four new additions to the Music City Walk of Fame. MHOF&M CEO and Co-Founder Linda Chambers and her late husband/MHOF&M Co-Founder Joe Chambers, country superstar Eric Church and former Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp CEO Butch Spyridon were the four honorees, inducted by Garth Brooks during the ceremony.

One of the most photographed statue in Nashville was relocated to the Museum in June. The bronze statue of Chet Atkins previously sat on the corner of 5th and Union, before being unveiled at the museum in a ceremony hosted by Chambers and country artist Steve Wariner. The summer was rounded out by the release of the MHOF&M’s coffee table book, which features the museums instruments and the stories behind them.

September was packed full at the museum, as they opened a satellite retail store at Nashville International Airport. Additionally on Sept. 24, music icon Ringo Starr was honored as the newest inductee into the Musicians Hall of Fame, and was presented with the Joe Chambers Musicians Legacy Award. The private ceremony was hosted by Linda Chambers, and had special appearances by presenters Brenda Lee and Peter Frampton. Additional inductees into the Musicians Hall of Fame this year include Billy F Gibbons, Don McLean, Marty Stuart and The Fabulous Superlatives (Chris Scruggs, Harry Stinson, Kenny Vaughan, and Mick Conley), Ray Stevens, Vince Gill, George Massenburg and James William Guercio.

Looking to 2024, the museum plans to focus on featuring diverse artistry, as well as welcoming more visitors by offering audio tours in Chinese, French and Spanish.

New June Carter Cash Documentary Set To Air On Paramount +

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A new documentary titled June, which focuses on the life and career of June Carter Cash, is set to premiere Jan. 16 exclusively on Paramount+.

As a five-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, comedian, musician, actor and author, Carter Cash opened for Elvis, appeared onscreen with Robert Duvall and Jane Seymour and co-wrote one of the most recognizable country songs of all time, “Ring of Fire.” Perhaps at times overshadowed by her iconic husband Johnny Cash, the film lets her talent take center stage.

Featuring rare and never-before-seen archival material revealing the extraordinary life’s work of Carter Cash and her career, paired alongside one-of-a-kind interviews with the woman herself, the film also includes sit-down moments with her family, admirers and friends, including Dolly Parton, Reese Witherspoon and Willie Nelson, among others.

June is produced by Sandbox Productions, Sony Music Vision and Maxine Productions (a part of Sony Pictures Television). The documentary made its world premiere at the DOC NYC Festival on Nov. 12.

Brandy Clark & Allison Russell Named NYU’s 2024 Americana Artist-In-Residence

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Brandy Clark and Allison Russell

Brandy Clark and Allison Russell have been chosen as the 2024 Americana Artist-in-Residence participants at NYU Steinhardt.

Throughout the 2024 spring academic semester, Clark and Russell will be working closely with NYU students through a series of lectures, workshops and classroom visits. The award-winning songwriters, singers and multi-instrumentalists will present, curate and moderate a variety of discussions, workshops, classroom visits and performances.

Clark and Russell are the third and fourth Americana artists to participate in the NYU Artist-in-Residence after Rosanne Cash in 2021-22 and Taj Mahal in 2023. The program is part of a partnership between The Americana Music Foundation and NYU that aims to educate students on the origins, history and cultural impact of Americana music.

Tigirlily Gold Helps Musicians On Call Launch New Program

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Pictured (L-R): Musicians On Call’s Pete Griffin, TriStar Centennial Medical Center’s Tom Ozburn, Tigirlily Gold and Musicians On Call’s Dr. Todd Rubin

Musicians On Call (MOC), the nonprofit that brings music to the bedsides of patients, families and caregivers in healthcare environments across the nation, and TriStar Centennial Medical Center have partnered to offer a new live music program within the Nashville hospital. Every month, MOC Volunteer Musicians will fill TriStar Centennial’s Garden Court with soothing and upbeat music as patients, healthcare staff and loved ones pass through the information center.

Tigirlily Gold performing at the besides of TriStar Centennial Medical Center patients

On Dec. 19, MOC and TriStar Centennial Medical Center celebrated the launch of the new program with a live performance by Tigirlily Gold. Following the live performance, the sister duo visited patients at their bedsides to socialize and play more music. They have been a committed volunteers since 2018, and have performed for nearly 700 patients, family members and caregivers both at their bedsides and virtually. This year they also helped the nonprofit relaunch the MOC Bedside program at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center in Las Vegas.

Additionally, MOC is currently recruiting musicians and music lovers to serve as certified volunteers for its MOC Bedside program in Middle Tennessee. For more information, click here.

Gospel Music Association To Open Nashville-Based Dove Center In 2025

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Downtown Nashville will become home to another hall of fame and music museum in 2025. The Gospel Music Association has announced their plans to open the Dove Center and Gospel Music Museum on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Commerce Street.

In a Christmas video, the GMA revealed that the center will include the Dove Awards Theatre, exhibits that highlight the history of the gospel music industry, a Hall of Fame area for the Gospel Music Hall of Fame’s members and more.

“Developed to preserve the legacy of our historic past, support the impact of today’s artists and plant seeds for the future, we believe the Dove Center will be a beacon of light for the kingdom of God,” said Gospel Music Association President/Executive Director Jackie Patillo in the video.

Founded in 1964, the Gospel Music Association serves a diverse community of creatives and professionals within the Christian and Gospel music industry. Since 1969, the association has hosted the annual Dove Awards, a night to honor a diverse range in sound and musical stylings in Gospel, pop, hip-hop and more. During last year’s awards at Lipscomb Allen Arena in Nashville, Brandon Lake took home the trophy for Artist of the Year. The association also hosts many events and programs throughout the year to celebrate their message, including GMA Christmas and Sound Mind Initiative.

Brett Young Spreads Holiday Cheer During ‘2023 USO Holidays Tour’

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U.S. Navy Admiral Christopher W. Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, host the “2023 USO Holidays Tour,” featuring performances and troop engagements from country music singer-songwriter Brett Young, actor Dulé Hill, magicians Penn & Teller, NFL Super Bowl Champion & Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork, and magician & spray paint artist Justin Flom. Photo: Courtesy of the Dept. of Defense

Brett Young was among the stars helping to spread holiday cheer on the “2023 United Service Organizations (USO) Holidays Tour.”

U.S. Navy Admiral Christopher W. Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, host the “2023 USO Holidays Tour,” featuring performances and troop engagements from country music singer-songwriter Brett Young, actor Dulé Hill, magicians Penn & Teller, NFL Super Bowl Champion & Pro Bowler Vince Wilfork, and magician & spray paint artist Justin Flom. Photo: Courtesy of the Dept. of Defense

The USO provides global entertainment, a care-package delivery program, military spouse and youth programming and more from over 250 locations around the world. The 2023 tour visited installations in the United Kingdom, Poland, Romania and Germany.

“It was such an honor to be part of the USO’s amazing tradition to boost our military’s morale for over 80 years,” says Young. “This was an experience I will never forget.”

Two-time NFL Super Bowl Champion Vince Wilfork, magician and spray paint artist Justin Flom, actor Dulé Hill and magicians Penn & Teller also joined the journey, which marked the first USO tour for all involved. They performed for service members, civilians and families stationed overseas. The shows included magic, comedy, tap-dancing and music as well as opportunities for the audience to take photos with the stars.