After ten years, countless shows and 12 trips to the top of the country charts, Cole Swindell made his triumphant Ryman debut with a pair of sold out, back-to-back shows on Nov. 2 and 3 as part of his “Back Down To The Bar Tour.”

Preceded by rising singer-songwriter Dylan Marlowe and Big Loud newcomer Ashley Cooke, Swindell hit the stage hard on Wednesday night (Nov. 2), which had all the trimmings of a real bar, including an everglowing open sign, a set of taps and barstools and a full-size pool table which the bass player took up his residency on.

Opening with an explosive performance of his Dierks Bentley-graced “Flatliner” from 2017, the crowd was quickly sent reeling when Bentley appeared seemingly out of thin air to carry his parts of the tune. Promising the Nashville crowd a special night, Swindell ripped into his 2014 debut single, “Chillin’ It,” noting that he could’ve never dreamed that he would be singing the song to a sold out crowd at the Ryman on the day he wrote it.

From there it was off to the races as the south Georgia native fired off into many of his dozen No. 1s and obvious fan-favorites, like “Love You Too Late,” “Single Saturday Night,” “I Hope You Get Lonely Tonight” and more, all of which the crowd roared back with deafening eagerness. He also took a moment to play “How Is She,” one of the radio-ready tracks from his recently released fourth studio album, Stereotype, as well as the project’s title track.

After a swaying rendition of “Middle Of A Memory,” Swindell explained that the night was a full circle moment for him, seeing as he used to play in every bar on always-bustling Broadway street just outside the walls of the Ryman. On the note of bars, Swindell took the opportunity to rip off into some of party songs from over the years, which included a medley of “Brought To You By Beer,” “No Can Left Behind” and “Reason To Drink” before taking a shot with the Nashville crowd.

The Warner Music Nashville recording artist later recounted his journey to Nashville and how he fell in love with songwriting, explaining that he “wouldn’t be here without the songs [he’s] written,” and crediting them with getting his name out there and more than likely landing him his record deal. Giving the audience bits of some of his biggest hits as a songwriter, the multi-Platinum wordsmith shot into Thomas Rhett‘s “Get Me Some Of That,” which earned him his first No. 1 and with whom he’ll be hitting the road with in 2023; Luke Bryan‘s “Roller Coaster;” and Florida Georgia Line‘s “This Is How We Roll.”

To pile on the special moments of the show, Swindell offered up an unreleased track called “Sad Ass Country Song” that is sure to be one of his next big hits seeing as the crowd was eating up every second of the “walkin’, ‘talkin’, honky tonkin'” tune.

However, no moment could top what was to come as Swindell took a second to address the crowd, as well as put a spotlight on the many familiar faces in the audience, including friends, family, his team and more. One person who he noted who not there, though, was his mother who passed away in September of 2021.

“Tonight every song that we’re singing means something and I can promise you that no one here has heard this one. I debated whether or not to do it because I don’t know if I can get through it,” he offered. “If I’m going to sing a song for the very first time ever, I want to sing it right here at the Ryman.”

Written alongside Chase McGill and Bobby Pinson, the gut-wrenching track gives a light-hearted warning of what the man upstairs should expect as Swindell’s mom makes her way there. Aptly titled “Heads Up Heaven,” the piano-backed track ends with the touching “She’s always wanted to meet you face to face / Heads up heaven, there’s a good one headed your way.”

After tearfully making it through the vulnerable song, Swindell gave the Mother Church of Country Music a one-two punch, going straight into the 2016 weeper “You Should Be Here,” which he wrote in honor of his late father. The packed house carried Swindell through the final chorus, armed with their phone flashlights and singing it back to him without missing a beat.

“People ask, ‘How do you get through those songs every night?’ Honestly, it’s because of you guys. You all need to hear it just as much as I do. I know I’m not the only one who’s lost someone I love.” He continued, “For me, country music has always reminded me that I’m not alone. There’s people out there that feel just like I do… I’ve got your back because you’ve had mine for the last ten years.”

Leading in to the last stretch of the setlist, Swindell popped back on stage for his fiery duet “Never Say Never,” with American Idol alum Lauren Alaina filling in for Lainey Wilson. He followed it with a pair of hits from his debut, self-titled album, “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey” and “Let Me See You Girl.”

The avid ’90s country fan broke out into a medley of greatest hits from the celebrated decade of country music, including “Neon Moon” (Brooks & Dunn), “Carrying Your Love With Me” (George Strait), “Pickup Man” (Joe Diffie), “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” (Toby Keith), “Be My Baby Tonight” (John Michael Montgomery) and “Ain’t Going Down (Til The Sun Comes Up)” (Garth Brooks), all leading up to the night’s big finale.

After the stage went dark for a moment, the all too familiar sound of Jo Dee Messina‘s “Heads Carolina, Tails California” came through the speakers, earning a shriek of excitement from the crowd. Swindell blasted off into his 12th No. 1 hit, “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” which also marks his fastest trip to the top spot at country radio at just 12 weeks. The five-week No. 1 has racked up more than 250 million streams, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA just before the sold out show.

Ahead of the show, the Warner Nashville team also surprised Swindell with a plethora of certifications, including “Single Saturday Night” (Platinum), “Break Up In The End” (2x Platinum), “You Should Be Here” (3x Platinum), his sophomore project You Should Be Here (Platinum) and his third album All of It (Gold).

Brittney Spencer has signed a label deal with Elektra and released her debut EP, If I Ever Get There: A Day At Blackbird Studio, via her new label home. The project serves as a taste of what’s to come and a gift to her fans as she records her full-length, debut album.

“We were instantly moved by Brittney’s astounding talent and infectious spirit as soon as we met her,” notes Breanna Duncan, Senior Manager of A&R, Elektra. “She has a natural ability to connect with listeners with her brilliant vocal delivery and her gift at capturing emotions through her songwriting is just remarkable. Brittney Spencer is an absolute gem in the music scene and we couldn’t be more excited that she has chosen Elektra as her label home.”

The three-track EP produced by Daniel Tashian includes the lead single, a cover of The Chick’s “Cowboy Take Me Away,” which has become a staple at Spencer’s live shows. The collection also boasts two standout originals, the coy breakup ballad “Better As Friends,” penned by Spencer and Hailey Whitters, and the heart-wrenching “A Hundred Years,” which she co-wrote alongside Ashley Ray and Sean McConnell.

“Last month, I spent a day at Blackbird Studio recording a live EP,” Spencer shared on socials. “These three songs are some of my favorites to perform live, and they reflect a lot of where my head and heart have been lately–a little sad girl fall, a little gleeful nostalgia. I’ve been touring with some of my absolute heroes, getting to partner with brands I love like Victoria’s Secret (like, what?!), and just being a person feeling my way through my ever-changing, stupid life. Still, writing and creating music has been my honest guide, my emotional safety and my best companion this year, my album is close to finished now! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this musical timestamp my friends and I made at Blackbird.”

“Brittney Spencer is a very special artist, songwriter and person. We are honored that she has put her trust in the Activist team to manage her quickly developing career,” says Matt Maher, Founding Partner of Activist Artists Management.

Activist Partner Caitlin Stone adds, “We are excited for Brittney to begin releasing music and are thrilled for Elektra Records to be her label home. She is so incredibly talented, which is more than evident on this EP, and we can’t wait for her full-length debut album.”

The announcement follows a monumental year for Spencer, who was recently unveiled as one of the faces of Victoria’s Secret’s Undefineable global campaign alongside Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Bethann Hardison, Rose Namajunas, and more. The Baltimore native released her breakout single “Sober & Skinny” independently in 2021, which garnered more than 2 million streams.

If I Ever Get There: A Day At Blackbird Studio Track List:
A Hundred Years Old (Brittney Spencer, Ashley Ray, Sean McConnell)
Better As Friends (Brittney Spencer, Hailey Whitters)
Cowboy Take Me Away (Marcus Hummon, Martha Seidel Maguire)

Music lovers came together for An Evening With Nicolle Galyon at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater on Tuesday (Nov. 1). The special live show celebrated award-winning songwriter Nicolle Galyon and her debut album Firstborn, which premiered in July of this year.

Galyon shared the stage with many fellow Nashville writers throughout the evening, all of whom took the time to describe the impact she’s had on their writing and careers. Each one played and told the stories behind their music, showcasing their creativity and innovation. Together with Galyon, they created an intimate and comforting atmosphere.

Rising artist-songwriters Tiera Kennedy, Lauren Watkins, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Carter Faith kicked off the night, singing their songs as well as their praises of the Songs & Daughters label head.

“Nicolle has taught me so much about writing songs, being myself, and standing my ground in this industry. I cannot say enough about her,” said Watkins.

She then performed “Sleeping in My Makeup,” and finished with the clever track “Shirley Temple,” a song she wrote with Galyon and Meg McRee.

“I just spent a weekend with Nicolle at a writer’s retreat and as a young female artist, it’s really cool to see how she literally does it all. She’s an artist, mom, business owner, label and publishing executive, and still gets home in time to put her kids to bed. It’s really cool to see, and really cool to learn from,” shared Carpenter.

With her brother and fellow songwriter Micah Carpenter on guitar, she tickled the room with “Huntin’ Season,” written by the siblings alongside the woman of the hour. She also performed her debut single “Can’t Nobody.”

Next on the mic was Kennedy, who gestured to the stage behind her and led the crowd in applauding the musician accompanying the four artists. She sang “Found It In You,” dedicating the song to whoever audience members consider to be “the person who loves [them] despite all of [their] flaws, and loves [them] no matter what.”

Faith performed and shared the stories behind “Already Crazy,” out tomorrow (Nov. 4), as well as an unreleased solely self-written song influenced by Galyon.

“Nicolle is someone everyone should look up to, woman or not,” stated Faith. “She is who we all want to be as songwriters, and I think it’s amazing that she’s honoring the talent she sees in town. Her asking us to be a part of this is so special. She could’ve just played a show, she didn’t have to have us open for her. So, I just want to say thank you to her.”

She continued, saying, “Nicolle is so supportive and wants everyone to be their authentic selves. It’s so scary to release a record. The fact that she has a separate career as a songwriter and made this artist record is so special and strong. She is so strong. That is something her daughter and her son will always know about her. That is something we will always know about her.”

The headliner of the “one show tour” then took to the stage, spreading the seeds of the empowering “Sunflower.”

Recent Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and Firstborn co-writer Hillary Lindsey joined Galyon in performing single “Boy Crazy,” entrancing the audience with their intertwined vocals.

“I wrote this music with an audience of two in mind, and that’s Charlie and Ford Clawson. So, the fact that there’s more than two people here is a miracle and so much fun. Sincerely, thank you for showing up,” Galyon said to the crowd.

She introduced Jimmy Robbins and King Henry, the two writers with whom she started Firstborn. After she joined them on the cozy couch upon the stage, the three of them performed “Disneyland.” Galyon and Emily Weisband shared “Consequences,”  co-written by both of them, Amy Wadge, and Camila Cabello.

“I think in 2020 what I learned was that I was returning. The more I returned to myself, the more I didn’t care about the things I didn’t need to care about,” she explained while transitioning to “Self Care,” which she wrote with Sasha Sloan and Caroline Barker, who was called on stage to join her.

Galyon gave a moving performance of “Five Year Plan” alongside her husband, Rodney Clawson. A touching video filled with clips from her musical career as well as her career in motherhood projected across the front of the theater as the song rang through the room. The night continued with “Boy” and “Tendencies.” Artist Walker Hayes was the next guest onstage. He expressed his admiration of Galyon and her work, following with a performance of  “AA.” Then Galyon and Hayes teamed up for their co-written track “Halloween.”

The evening wrapped with the return of Lindsey, who united with Galyon for “Younger Woman,” another track they wrote together. She concluded by thanking every co-writer on the album. Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry appeared for the final performance of the night, “If I Die Young.”

As the lights faded, the crowed begged for an encore, further confirming Galyon’s amazing talent both as an artist and a songwriter.

The 11th Annual Touring Career Workshop took place Tuesday night (Nov. 1) at Nashville’s SoundCheck rehearsal studios, featuring top experts from a variety of fields.

The event attracted 350 attendees who gathered to participate in workshops and hear from figures in affordable health care, tax and savings, mental health wellbeing, personal safety, diversity and touring, among other topics.

TCW was co-created by lighting designer Chris Lisle as a way to ensure that the next generation of touring professionals have access to important career information to support their on tour and off tour lives.