Country singer-songwriter Chase Rice will deliver the final installment of his three part, 15-track project, The Album, on May 28 through Broken Bow Records.
With more than 2 million albums sold and over 1.7 billion total streams to date, Rice has established himself as a powerful force in Nashville and beyond over the past eight years. Since The Album, Part 1’s release in January of 2020, the “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” singer will finally bring the project to a close with the addition of the album’s last four tracks.
Rice recently spoke with MusicRow about the new full-length album, how he grew in the last year, and future plans for his music.
MusicRow: What has the last year been like for you?
It’s been interesting. I’ve taken a lot of time off. I didn’t travel a lot last year and had a good group of friends that all hung out together at my farm or their house… I’ve been able to live life for the first time in eight years, so that’s really how The Album, Part 3 came together and that’s how I’m moving towards the next record which is going to be really special.
What gave you the idea to do a graduated release and put out the album in parts?
I wanted each song to have its time. I wanted to release less music, but more often. That’s why I was going to do Part 1 through 4, but Part 4 got derailed because of COVID.
I had this group of songs that were older songs that didn’t have a place yet. “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” was on its own. “If I Didn’t Have You” was three or four years old, but I always wanted to put it out. “The Nights” was one I knew I wanted to finish up what was Part 4–or now, Part 3–with, and “Bedroom” was written during the middle of COVID. I took all of these songs from different places and thought this was a perfect way to end the album.
Chase Rice. Photo: Jason Myers
What was the songwriting process like for this album?
Completely different [than what I’m used to]. The beginning of Part 1 and 2 was showing up at 11:00 a.m., writing with people, and being done by 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 when people have to go get their kids. That was the traditional way of writing songs for me for the last eight years. However, Part 3 came along and completely said ‘no’ to all of that.
“The Nights” was the only song that was written in a normal way, but it’s two or three years old and I knew the day I wrote that song that I wanted that in the final piece. “If I Didn’t Have You” was written in Oklahoma at a hunting camp. “Bedroom” was a Zoom write–one of the only Zoom writes I’ve ever done. Then “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” was written on the back of my tour bus on the last day of tour in 2019. This group of songs are a special group because they were all written differently–they all didn’t have a place. Bringing them together on Part 3 to finalize the album was perfect.
How has COVID changed the way you approach songwriting?
I’m going to take a lot of what I learned last year and apply it, like to stop doing the 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. thing. I’m probably not going to do that very much anymore. I’m going to do writing retreats with no schedules. Let’s go fish. Let’s figure it out and talk about songs. If we don’t get a song that day, who cares? Most of the time when you have that mindset, your creativity finally gets to the front as opposed to your schedule.
That’s what I’m going to take moving forward for the back half of my next record. I’m going to take a lot of the negatives from last year and turn them into positives.
Chase Rice. Photo: Cody Cannon
What songs/performances are you most looking forward to sharing with fans?
I’m excited to see how people respond to “Forever To Go” because that one’s been somewhat of an underground hit all of a sudden. I’ve also never gotten to play “American Nights” live, which is awful because it was supposed to be the opener of the whole show.
I played “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” at the Ryman a couple of weeks ago and it was mind blowing! Everybody stood up and came to the front–I don’t know if that was allowed or not– but we didn’t care. It was a special moment and I haven’t seen a reaction like that since “Ready Set Roll,” to be honest. Even “Eyes On You” didn’t get a reaction like that live. I feel like finally have a party song that’s going to become a hit for the first time since “Ready Set Roll,” which I think is going to be one of the coolest moments during shows.
What do you hope fans walk away with from this project?
I hope they see that I’m finally not chasing anything. I moved to Nashville in 2010 when I had just learned to play guitar and write songs. I was clueless from “Ready Set Roll” and “Gonna Wanna Tonight” through “Eyes On You,” and I’ll be really honest about that. I think “Eyes On You” was really the beginning of my career, so I hope they can see now that I’m not chasing anything. I’m not trying to be anybody else, and I’m just being me.
I hope they can finally grasp through this record who I am a little bit more and I hope they hold onto that because what’s coming next is who I really am. I finally got to really live for a year because I wasn’t touring. I lived an entire year which allowed me to piece The Album, Part 3 together, and that’s also going to allow me to piece my next record together.
Big Machine Music Signs Sara Davis To Exclusive Songwriting Agreement
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R, back row): Catalog Manager, Taylor Courtney; Sr. Director of Royalties and Finance, Grayson Stephens; General Manager, Mike Molinar; (L-R, middle row): Vice President, Alex Heddle; Creative Coordinator, Lizzy Gallatin; Creative Director, Michelle Attardi; (L-R, front row): Sara Davis; (not pictured: Vice President, Tim Hunze). Photo: Lori Kraft
Big Machine Music has announced the addition of Sara Davis to its writer roster.
Davis moved to Nashville from Arizona five years ago at the age of 14 to develop her craft in the bourgeoning pop community as a topline songwriter. Her frequent collaborators include Atlantic Records artist GAYLE, Track 45’s KK and Ben Johnson, and Marisa Maino. Most recently she collaborated with Altadena’s Riley Roth on “Stranger.”
Davis joins BMM’s acclaimed roster, which includes Brett Young, Brandy Clark, Laura Veltz, Jessie Jo Dillon, Eric Paslay, Ryan Hurd and more.
“The only thing more infectious than Sara’s enthusiasm and energy is her talent,” says BMM General Manager Mike Molinar. “Her timing in joining Big Machine Music is perfect as our activity naturally extends our creative footprint into other markets.”
Davis shares, “I couldn’t be more excited to join the Big Machine Music family! Since meeting Mike, Alex Heddle and the whole team, they’ve been my biggest champions and empowered me at every step. I’m so grateful and can’t wait to continue working with them!”
The Mavericks Release Special ‘En Español Edicion Deluxe’ Album
/by Lorie HollabaughBeloved Nashville band The Mavericks have released their deluxe album, En Español Edicion Deluxe.
The Mavericks released their first all-Spanish language album last August in celebration of the Latin roots of singer Raul Malo and guitarist Eddie Perez. Comprised of a collection of their own Spanish language originals and classic Latin tracks from which they drew inspiration, The Maverick’s En Español notched No. 1 debuts on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart, as well as the iTunes and Amazon Latin Music charts, and became the first-ever album landing simultaneously in the Top 10 of the Americana and Latin Music charts. En Español Edicion Deluxe expands the original collection to give even wider audiences a chance to discover this cultural celebration.
With the new deluxe album, fans can look forward to an acoustic Ranchera Version of the original album single “Poder Vivir;” the Raul Malo original song “Mujer” featuring a poolside remix by Latin Grammy-nominated cumbia DJ El Dusty; and a special Nick Farrow alternate cover of “La Catrina” artwork by award-winning artist Dolan Geiman.
Registration Open For In-Person 2021 IEBA Conference
/by Lydia FarthingThe organization’s 51st annual convention will be held Oct. 3-5 at the Omni Nashville. This year, IEBA will focus on quality networking events, panel discussions of trends and opportunities in touring, and the return of popular programming including Agents Alley and live music showcases.
IEBA’s 2020 conference was presented in a virtual format, with an open invitation to the entertainment industry. The free event attracted over 3,200 attendees.
“After a year of Zooms and webinars, we’re eager to be face-to-face with our friends and colleagues again,” says IEBA Chair John Bolton, general manager of the under-construction Coachella Valley Arena and SVP of Entertainment – Facilities for Oak View Group. “Creating and strengthening connections has always been what IEBA does best.”
“We know there is tremendous value in meeting in person yet, in this financial climate, cost is a consideration for many in our industry,” says IEBA Executive Director, Pam Matthews. “We’re happy to announce that our registration pricing is below pre-pandemic years’ to offer our attendees an affordable and vital boost to their businesses in a year when we need it most.”
For a full conference agenda and to register for this year’s conference, visit www.ieba.org. Early Bird pricing will extend through the end of August.
Chart Action: Stapleton Most Added, Rhett Gains Spins
/by Alex ParryChris Stapleton‘s latest single, “You Should Probably Leave,” is this week’s most added single on the country charts. Earning 44 new station adds on Mediabase and 9 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart, the single debuted at No. 63 on MusicRow. Stapleton co-wrote the song with Ashley Gorley and Chris DuBois. It appears on his latest album Starting Over, released via Mercury Records.
“Country Again” by Thomas Rhett continues to be the highest spin gainer on the MusicRow Chart for the fifth consecutive week. In just six weeks since its debut on the chart, Rhett has risen to No. 3 with a total of 1,644 spins this week from 63 stations.
For more chart data, read the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.
Morgan Wallen’s Eligibility For 2021 CMA Awards
/by LB CantrellMorgan Wallen. Photo: John Shearer
The CMA Board of Directors have voted to amend Morgan Wallen’s 2021 CMA Awards eligibility.
Wallen, who came under fire in February when a video surfaced of him using the N-word outside of his Nashville home, was disqualified from the 2021 Academy of Country Music Awards.
The Country Music Association announced its ballot schedule for The 55th Annual CMA Awards, slated for this November.
The CMA Board of Directors amended Wallen’s 2021 CMA Awards eligibility, making him eligible in categories that honor artistic works (Single, Song, Album, Musical Event, and Music Video of the Year categories), so as not to limit opportunity for other credited collaborators. He will not be eligible for nomination in the individual artist categories (Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year categories), however.
After a period of social media silence, Wallen has begun to post again and was even spotted performing at Kid Rock’s bar on Broadway Avenue in Nashville recently.
CMA Announces 2021 Awards Ballot Schedule
/by LB CantrellThe eligibility period for the awards is July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. All voting for the CMA Awards will be conducted online.
The Nomination Ballot and instructions will be emailed Tuesday, July 6 to CMA members in good standing who are eligible to vote. Voting for the Nomination Ballot closes Thursday, July 15 (4:00 p.m. CT).
The Second Ballot will be emailed to CMA members Monday, Aug. 2. and voting will close on Thursday, Aug. 12 (6:00 p.m. CT). The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer.
Winners of The 55th Annual CMA Awards will be determined in a Final Round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and Final Ballot will be emailed to CMA members Friday, Oct. 1. Voting for the CMA Awards Final Ballot ends Wednesday, Oct. 27 (6:00 p.m. CT). All balloting is officiated by the professional services firm Deloitte.
To vote in all three rounds of The 55th Annual CMA Awards, prospective CMA members must apply for membership by Tuesday, June 1. Visit CMAworld.com/membership to learn more.
Shepherd’s Men To Honor Late Charlie Daniels With 15-Mile Nashville Ruck March
/by Lorie HollabaughEach spring, the Shepherd’s Men organizes a multi-city event where participants run, march, and swim to bring awareness to veteran suicides. This year, during the Nashville stop, participants will strap on 83 pounds of weight, representing Daniels’ 83 years of life. The 15-mile ruck march will begin at 9 a.m. at Daniels’ grave in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, and will end at Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, Tennessee. A free to the public reception featuring a live performance by Darryl Worley will immediately follow at Sammy B’s Restaurant, located inside the Castle Heights Military Academy.
“Veteran suicides were a critical concern to Charlie, and just a few weeks before he passed we agreed that this issue should become a major priority within our overall mission,” explains TCDJHP co-founder and Daniels’ longtime manager David Corlew. “He believed so much in the Sheperd’s Men’s work, so this is an epic way of honoring Charlie and continuing his mission of saving lives.”
“We run for our brothers and sisters who lost their lives, for our brothers and sisters who are still fighting long after leaving the battlefield and for our brothers and sisters who have not yet returned home,” says Travis Ellis, Shepherd’s Men co-founder. “We will not rest until the number of lives lost every day to suicide goes from 22 to zero. Our veterans deserve to live meaningful, gratifying lives with their families after their courageous service to our country.”
The Shepherd’s Men’s relationship with TCDJHP began several years ago when Daniels began partnering with the group for annual fundraising events benefiting veterans. To date, the two organizations have collectively raised significant funding for injured veterans across the nation.
Alan Jackson To Play ‘Where I Come From’ Benefit Show For Tornado Relief For His Hometown
/by Lorie HollabaughAlan Jackson. Photo: Kristy Belcher
Alan Jackson is lending a helping hand to his hometown next month when he returns to Newnan, Georgia to headline a special concert benefiting tornado relief efforts.
On March 26, an EF-4 tornado ripped across Newnan, the city where Jackson and his wife Denise were born, raised, met and married. At least 70 homes were completely destroyed, many others suffered major damage, and over 1,700 structures were impacted and compromised.
“After the tornadoes came through Newnan I knew that I wanted to do what I could to help my hometown. I started working on an idea to do some kind of benefit in Nashville to help those affected in Newnan, but then heard from a group of leaders in Newnan,” Jackson says. “I’m glad we came up with a way to bring this show to my hometown… and I’m happy to be helping the people who need it most.”
The Where I Come From show is set for June 26 at Newnan’s Coweta County Fairgrounds, where he will be joined by Chris Young, Caylee Hammack, Adam Wright and Brian Wright.
Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, May 21 at 9 a.m. CST at AlanJacksonBenefit.com. Proceeds will benefit the Coweta Community Foundation, which is managing charitable efforts to help the people of Newnan in the wake of the storm. Donations to the Foundation’s relief efforts can be made via their website.
Jason Aldean Earns 15th No. 1 Song On MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart
/by Alex ParryJason Aldean earns his fifteenth No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with “Blame It On You.” Written by Kurt Allison, John Edwards, Tully Kennedy, Michael Tyler, and Brian White, the single appears on Aldean’s latest album, 9, released via Macon Music and Broken Bow Records.
While performing his first live show since the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic at the Bonnaroo Farm last weekend, Aldean announced his Back in the Saddle Tour will kick off on Aug. 5. Hardy and Lainey Wilson will serve as opening acts.
“It’s been emotional being back on stage with my band for the first time in a year this weekend,” says Aldean of the Bonnaroo shows. “It’s made us all even more ready to get back to life as we all know it. Being on the road makes all of us – the band, the crew, and me – happy and I haven’t felt this excited about going on tour in 15 years.”
Click here or above to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.
Chase Rice: ‘I’m Finally Not Chasing Anything. I’m Just Being Me’ [Interview]
/by Lydia FarthingCountry singer-songwriter Chase Rice will deliver the final installment of his three part, 15-track project, The Album, on May 28 through Broken Bow Records.
With more than 2 million albums sold and over 1.7 billion total streams to date, Rice has established himself as a powerful force in Nashville and beyond over the past eight years. Since The Album, Part 1’s release in January of 2020, the “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” singer will finally bring the project to a close with the addition of the album’s last four tracks.
Rice recently spoke with MusicRow about the new full-length album, how he grew in the last year, and future plans for his music.
MusicRow: What has the last year been like for you?
It’s been interesting. I’ve taken a lot of time off. I didn’t travel a lot last year and had a good group of friends that all hung out together at my farm or their house… I’ve been able to live life for the first time in eight years, so that’s really how The Album, Part 3 came together and that’s how I’m moving towards the next record which is going to be really special.
What gave you the idea to do a graduated release and put out the album in parts?
I wanted each song to have its time. I wanted to release less music, but more often. That’s why I was going to do Part 1 through 4, but Part 4 got derailed because of COVID.
I had this group of songs that were older songs that didn’t have a place yet. “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” was on its own. “If I Didn’t Have You” was three or four years old, but I always wanted to put it out. “The Nights” was one I knew I wanted to finish up what was Part 4–or now, Part 3–with, and “Bedroom” was written during the middle of COVID. I took all of these songs from different places and thought this was a perfect way to end the album.
Chase Rice. Photo: Jason Myers
What was the songwriting process like for this album?
Completely different [than what I’m used to]. The beginning of Part 1 and 2 was showing up at 11:00 a.m., writing with people, and being done by 3:00 p.m. or 4:00 when people have to go get their kids. That was the traditional way of writing songs for me for the last eight years. However, Part 3 came along and completely said ‘no’ to all of that.
“The Nights” was the only song that was written in a normal way, but it’s two or three years old and I knew the day I wrote that song that I wanted that in the final piece. “If I Didn’t Have You” was written in Oklahoma at a hunting camp. “Bedroom” was a Zoom write–one of the only Zoom writes I’ve ever done. Then “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” was written on the back of my tour bus on the last day of tour in 2019. This group of songs are a special group because they were all written differently–they all didn’t have a place. Bringing them together on Part 3 to finalize the album was perfect.
How has COVID changed the way you approach songwriting?
I’m going to take a lot of what I learned last year and apply it, like to stop doing the 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. thing. I’m probably not going to do that very much anymore. I’m going to do writing retreats with no schedules. Let’s go fish. Let’s figure it out and talk about songs. If we don’t get a song that day, who cares? Most of the time when you have that mindset, your creativity finally gets to the front as opposed to your schedule.
That’s what I’m going to take moving forward for the back half of my next record. I’m going to take a lot of the negatives from last year and turn them into positives.
Chase Rice. Photo: Cody Cannon
What songs/performances are you most looking forward to sharing with fans?
I’m excited to see how people respond to “Forever To Go” because that one’s been somewhat of an underground hit all of a sudden. I’ve also never gotten to play “American Nights” live, which is awful because it was supposed to be the opener of the whole show.
I played “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” at the Ryman a couple of weeks ago and it was mind blowing! Everybody stood up and came to the front–I don’t know if that was allowed or not– but we didn’t care. It was a special moment and I haven’t seen a reaction like that since “Ready Set Roll,” to be honest. Even “Eyes On You” didn’t get a reaction like that live. I feel like finally have a party song that’s going to become a hit for the first time since “Ready Set Roll,” which I think is going to be one of the coolest moments during shows.
What do you hope fans walk away with from this project?
I hope they see that I’m finally not chasing anything. I moved to Nashville in 2010 when I had just learned to play guitar and write songs. I was clueless from “Ready Set Roll” and “Gonna Wanna Tonight” through “Eyes On You,” and I’ll be really honest about that. I think “Eyes On You” was really the beginning of my career, so I hope they can see now that I’m not chasing anything. I’m not trying to be anybody else, and I’m just being me.
I hope they can finally grasp through this record who I am a little bit more and I hope they hold onto that because what’s coming next is who I really am. I finally got to really live for a year because I wasn’t touring. I lived an entire year which allowed me to piece The Album, Part 3 together, and that’s also going to allow me to piece my next record together.