Lanie Gardner is slated to release her sophomore record, Faded Polaroids, on Sept. 5. The lead single, “High Divin” is available now.
“I created the idea of Faded Polaroids using actual polaroids. Some brand new, others nicotine-stained, withered, torn and worn from being passed down through the years,” says Gardner. “It felt like zooming out on my whole life and finally seeing the bigger picture. These snapshots — these songs — are the most beautiful parts of me. They tell the story of where I come from, who I come from, what I’ve learned and who I’m becoming. I hope these songs encourage people to take the time to make their own version of that too. I think it’s important that we all do.”
Gardner penned all 18-tracks on the record alongside writers including Jesse Frasure, Lori McKenna, Karen Fairchild, Laura Veltz and more. The album was produced by Oscar Charles, Jonathan Singleton, Chris Ganoudis and Don Miggs.
The Burnsville, North Carolina native will make her Grand Ole Opry debut on Aug. 6, and is set to embark on a run of headlining dates and festival appearances this summer, including support on select shows for Gavin Adcock.
Faded Polaroids Track List:
1. “Takin’ The Slow Ride” (Lanie Gardner, Matt Jenkins, Jesse Frasure, Brad Tursi)
2. “Boys Like You” (Lanie Gardner, Jimmy Robbins, Henry Agincourt Allen)
3. “Boot Down” (Lanie Gardner, Allison Veltz-Cruz, Dallas Wilson, Ross Ellis)
4. “The Hills Have Eyes” (Lanie Gardner, Carlo Colasacco, Rufio Hooks)
5. “Little Bit Of Lovin’” (Lanie Gardner, Katie Cecil, Chris Ganoudis, Kasey Tyndall)
6. “Faded Polaroids” (Lanie Gardner, Oscar Charles, Lori McKenna, Barry Dean)
7. “Don’t Fall In Love” (Lanie Gardner, Zach Abend, Benjy Davis)
8. “Rattler And The Devil’s Whip” (Lanie Gardner, David Medlin, Daymon Osborn)
9. “Mama’s Kitchen Table” (Lanie Gardner, Karen Fairchild, Alysa Vanderheym)
10. “Hold Your Horses” (Lanie Gardner, Jonathan Hutcherson, Jamie Moore)
11. “Concrete Cowboy” (Lanie Gardner, Katie Cecil, Chris Ganoudis)
12. “How Long ‘Til Tennessee” (Lanie Gardner, Daniel Ross)
13. “Jeans” (Lanie Gardner, Kasey Tyndall, Logan Maggio, Beau Bailey)
14. “Love You Like Appalachia” (Lanie Gardner, Matt Jenkins, Jeremy Stover)
15. “Buzzkill” (Lanie Gardner, Katie Cecil, Chris Ganoudis)
16. “Ur Mad” (Lanie Gardner)
17. “Daddy Didn’t” (Lanie Gardner, Laura Veltz, Gordie Sampson)
18. “High Divin’” (Lanie Gardner, Cate Downey, Ryan McMahon)
Riley Green Releases Acoustic EP ‘Midtown Sessions’
/by Lauryn SinkRiley Green released his acoustic EP, Midtown Sessions, today (July 11) via Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment
The 5-track EP, produced by Erik Dylan, follows on the heels of Green’s full length record, Don’t Mind If I Do, which was released last October. Green also took on the role of producer on solo-written tracks “Worst Way” and “Jesus Saves,” as well as a stripped-down rendition of Tim McGraw’s “The Cowboy in Me.”
Green is slated to continue on his “Damn Country Music Tour” through November.
Midtown Sessions Track List:
1. “Change My Mind” (Riley Green, Erik Dylan, Randy Montana)
2. “Worst Way” (Riley Green)
3. “Jesus Saves” (Riley Green)
4. “Cowboy In Me” (Al Anderson, Jeffrey Steele, Craig Wiseman)
5. “Bartender In Destin” (Sam Banks, Nick Walsh)
George Strait & Vaqueros Del Mar Slate ‘Strait To The Heart’ Benefit For Flood Victims
/by John Nix ArledgeGeorge Strait and longtime Vaqueros del Mar partner, Tom Cusick, are organizing a special benefit dinner and concert in Boerne, Texas in response to the recent Hill Country flooding. “Strait To The Heart” will take place on July 27 at Estancia at Thunder Valley indoor arena.
“The destruction and loss in our community from the recent flood is hard to wrap your head around,” shares Strait. “Our hearts and prayers are with you all. The goal with this event is to raise meaningful, immediate support that can be put directly into the hands of flood victims without delay, while also honoring the first responders that work tirelessly to save lives. Special thanks to our friends and fellow troubadours—William Beckman, Ray Benson, Wade Bowen, Dean Dillon, Riley Green, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Kyle Park, Hudson Westbrook and members of my Ace in the Hole Band—for joining me on stage to lend their talent and their hearts to this mission.”
Cusick adds, “The road ahead will be a long one, however the immediate need is so great that we didn’t want to wait. Together, we can show our neighbors that when hardship strikes, Texas and our Country stand strong, and we stand together.”
The event will be limited to 1,000 guests with tickets and tables available for purchase beginning at $1,000. Donations will be made to 501c3 Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund and distributed to affected families and established Hill Country funds. Complimentary tickets will be provided to local first-responders.
If you’re interested in purchasing a table or tickets, or making a donation to Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund, please email Vaquerosdm@gmail.com.
Porter’s Call Unveils Lineup For 16th Annual “Evening Of Stories” In September
/by Lauryn SinkPorter’s Call is set to host its 16th annual “Evening of Stories” Sept. 16, at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Belmont University. This year’s in-the-round storytellers includes Grammy, CMA, ACM, Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated songwriter Tom Douglas, as well as activist, speaker and New York Times bestselling author Anthony Ray Hinton. Drew Baldridge and Julie WIlliams will take the stage for additional stories and songs.
A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available with all proceeds benefiting Porter’s Call, a Nashville-based non-profit that offers free care, support and encouragement to recording artists and their loved ones.
Marcus King Band’s New Album ‘Darling Blue’ On Deck For September
/by Lorie HollabaughMarcus King Band has slated their latest album, Darling Blue, for release on Sept. 26 via American Records/Republic Records.
In celebration of the announcement, the band has shared two new songs from the album: “Here Today” featuring Jamey Johnson and Kaitlin Butts, and “Carry Me Home,” which reflects on King’s deep love for the Blue Ridge mountains and the place he calls home. Inspired heavily by his home state of South Carolina, the new album incorporates elements of country, folk, psychedelic rock and Motown-era R&B, and continues the conversation on King’s experience with addiction and depression.
“It truly felt like home,” says King. “Like my band and I were just working out songs to perform live but ended up creating a piece of recorded music for our fans to hear. Our goal is always to be a vessel and allow the music to flow through us and tap into something that’s already there in the room. But more than anything I’ve done before, this album felt like a real concerted effort to make music for myself, and for ourselves as a band—creating for the love of creating and being as honest as we possibly can. We put everything we had into making something that we love and we have faith that the audience will feel that and love it too.”
Prior to the album announcement, the band shared “Honky Tonk Hell,” which became the fastest single in King’s career to hit one million streams, as well as “Carolina Honey,” released on the heels of King’s Bonnaroo performance for a crowd of 40,000.
King and the band are also gearing up for their Marcus King Band Family Reunion music festival, which will return for its fourth installment this summer, taking place in Charleston for the first time ever Aug. 23-24. The lineup for this year’s festival will include performances by the Marcus King Band along with Jamey Johnson, Stephen Wilson Jr., Molly Tuttle, Hiss Golden Messenger and more.
Darling Blue Track List:
1. “On & On”
2. “Here Today” ft. Jamey Johnson & Kaitlin Butts
3. “Honky Tonk Hell”
4. “Heartlands”
5. “Die Alone”
6. “Somebody Else” ft. Jesse Welles
7. “Levi’s & Goodbyes”
8. “Carolina Honey”
9. “No Room For Blue”
10. “Blue Ridge Mountain Moon”
11. “Dirt (Nashville version)” ft. Billy Strings
12. “The Shadows” ft. Noah Cyrus
13. “Pretty Petty”
14. “Carry Me Home”
The Band Loula Offers Nostalgic Postcard From Home On New EP
/by Lorie HollabaughRising country duo The Band Loula will release their debut EP, Sweet Southern Summer, on Aug. 22 via Warner Music Nashville.
The project, which spotlights the duo’s powerful storytelling and swampgrass sound, was produced by John Osborne and Greg Bieck. The six-song collection includes previously-released songs “Can’t Please ‘Em All” and “Running Off The Angels,” and the title track is out today.
“Our new song ‘Sweet Southern Summer’ is a postcard from the things that raised us in North Georgia…dirt roads, rocking chairs, honeysuckle off the vine, and growing up on Lula Road,” says the duo’s Logan Simmons and Malachi Mills. “It bottles up the kind of front-porch summer that never really leaves you, no matter how much time passes. This track sets the tone for our upcoming EP, which is a patchwork of stories that encompass who we are.”
The Band Loula is currently on the road with Dierks Bentley and Zach Top as part of Bentley’s extensive “Broken Branches Tour,” and will perform at the Watershed Festival at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, WA on Aug. 3 as well.
2. “Sweet Southern Summer” – Malachi Mills, Logan Simmons, Gary Nichols, Greg Bieck
3. “Can’t Please ‘Em All” – Malachi Mills, Logan Simmons, Marcus Hummon, Bryan Simpson
4. “Karma’s the Devil” – Malachi Mills, Logan Simmons, Lydia Sutherland
5. “I Love Leavers” – Malachi Mills, Logan Simmons, Marcus Hummon
6. “Nobody Knows” – Malachi Mills, Logan Simmons, Gary Nichols, Jared Przybysz
Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson & More Salute Charlie Daniels On ‘Opry 100 Honors’
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“Opry 100 Honors Charlie Daniels” finale of performers singing “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”
The Grand Ole Opry continued its “Opry 100 Honors,” a series which pays tribute to the icons who have helped shape the Opry’s first century, on July 8 with a tribute to beloved Opry member Charlie Daniels.
“Opry 100 Honors Charlie Daniels” included performances by Opry members Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, Eddie Montgomery, Rhonda Vincent and Chris Young, plus Gretchen Wilson, The Travelin’ McCourys and more.
“Opry 100 Honors Porter Wagoner” (August 12) – Performances by Opry members Marty Stuart, The Isaacs, Mandy Barnett and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, plus Rhett Akins, Gordon Mote and more.
“Opry 100 Honors Bill Monroe” (September 16) – Performances by Opry members Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury Band, Carly Pearce, Riders In The Sky and more.
“Opry 100 Honors Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff (October 18) – Performances by Opry members Vince Gill, Bill Anderson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Steve Wariner, plus Chonda Pierce and more.
A portion of ticket sales from “Opry 100 Honors” will benefit the Opry Trust Fund, which has supported country professionals in times of need for over 60 years. The fund provides financial assistance for medical bills, emergencies and other hardships faced by those in the industry with $5 from every ticket going directly to the fund.
Lanie Gardner Slates Sophomore Record For September
/by Lauryn SinkLanie Gardner is slated to release her sophomore record, Faded Polaroids, on Sept. 5. The lead single, “High Divin” is available now.
“I created the idea of Faded Polaroids using actual polaroids. Some brand new, others nicotine-stained, withered, torn and worn from being passed down through the years,” says Gardner. “It felt like zooming out on my whole life and finally seeing the bigger picture. These snapshots — these songs — are the most beautiful parts of me. They tell the story of where I come from, who I come from, what I’ve learned and who I’m becoming. I hope these songs encourage people to take the time to make their own version of that too. I think it’s important that we all do.”
Gardner penned all 18-tracks on the record alongside writers including Jesse Frasure, Lori McKenna, Karen Fairchild, Laura Veltz and more. The album was produced by Oscar Charles, Jonathan Singleton, Chris Ganoudis and Don Miggs.
The Burnsville, North Carolina native will make her Grand Ole Opry debut on Aug. 6, and is set to embark on a run of headlining dates and festival appearances this summer, including support on select shows for Gavin Adcock.
Faded Polaroids Track List:
1. “Takin’ The Slow Ride” (Lanie Gardner, Matt Jenkins, Jesse Frasure, Brad Tursi)
2. “Boys Like You” (Lanie Gardner, Jimmy Robbins, Henry Agincourt Allen)
3. “Boot Down” (Lanie Gardner, Allison Veltz-Cruz, Dallas Wilson, Ross Ellis)
4. “The Hills Have Eyes” (Lanie Gardner, Carlo Colasacco, Rufio Hooks)
5. “Little Bit Of Lovin’” (Lanie Gardner, Katie Cecil, Chris Ganoudis, Kasey Tyndall)
6. “Faded Polaroids” (Lanie Gardner, Oscar Charles, Lori McKenna, Barry Dean)
7. “Don’t Fall In Love” (Lanie Gardner, Zach Abend, Benjy Davis)
8. “Rattler And The Devil’s Whip” (Lanie Gardner, David Medlin, Daymon Osborn)
9. “Mama’s Kitchen Table” (Lanie Gardner, Karen Fairchild, Alysa Vanderheym)
10. “Hold Your Horses” (Lanie Gardner, Jonathan Hutcherson, Jamie Moore)
11. “Concrete Cowboy” (Lanie Gardner, Katie Cecil, Chris Ganoudis)
12. “How Long ‘Til Tennessee” (Lanie Gardner, Daniel Ross)
13. “Jeans” (Lanie Gardner, Kasey Tyndall, Logan Maggio, Beau Bailey)
14. “Love You Like Appalachia” (Lanie Gardner, Matt Jenkins, Jeremy Stover)
15. “Buzzkill” (Lanie Gardner, Katie Cecil, Chris Ganoudis)
16. “Ur Mad” (Lanie Gardner)
17. “Daddy Didn’t” (Lanie Gardner, Laura Veltz, Gordie Sampson)
18. “High Divin’” (Lanie Gardner, Cate Downey, Ryan McMahon)
Marfa Inks With Ascend Music
/by Lauryn SinkPictured (L-R): Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, Big Machine Label Group’s Allison Jones, Marfa’s Bryce Menchaca, Ascend4M’s Ryan Ramos, Marfa’s Kellen Wall, Ascend4M’s Joel Klaiman. Photo: Nick Rau for Ascend Music
Ascend Music has signed Americana/Rock duo, Marfa. Composed of Bryce Menchaca and Kellen Wall, Marfa serves as the first signing to the newly announced Big Machine Label Group imprint, established in partnership with music industry executive Joel Klaiman.
“Marfa is the first of many groundbreaking artists set to come from Ascend Music,” says Founder, Chairman and CEO of Big Machine Label Group Scott Borchetta. “This was a ‘one-listen, one-meeting, and we have to do this’ moment. These guys are going to blow people away with their musicality and vibe.”
“From the moment I first heard Marfa — the songs, the writing, the depth of their musicianship and the harmony of Bryce and Kellen’s voices — I knew they were something special,” adds Klaiman. “Their sound is both timeless and unmistakably of the moment. I’m thrilled to have them as the first signing to our new venture. They set the tone for the kind of talent, artistry and authenticity we are building the label around.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be a part of something so special and to embark on a dream come true,” shares Menchaca and Wall. “Signing our first record deal with an all-star team of Ascend Music and Big Machine Label Group is something we’re really proud of.”
The duo has released its first track, “Little Miss Two Time,” penned alongside Morgan Nagler.
“This track was inspired by Kellen receiving some unfortunate news following one of our shows, when an ex-girlfriend promptly ended things with him,” shares Menchaca.
Wall adds, “I later found out there was someone else the whole time, so we, along with our co-writer Morgan, made the best out of a bad situation, and ‘Little Miss Two Time’ was born.”
Luke Bryan Rises To No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart
/by John Nix ArledgeLuke Bryan: Photo: Jim Wright
Luke Bryan tops the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with his song “Country Song Came On.”
The track is off of Bryan’s eighth studio album, Mind Of A Country Boy, and was written by Jimi Bell, Jon Sherwood and Tucker Beathard.
Bryan’s Crash My Playa will be returning for its 11th year from Jan. 15-18. Taking place at Cancún’s Moon Palace, Bryan will return to headline for two nights, with the full lineup announcement to come.
“Country Song Came On” currently sits at No. 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 8 on the Mediabase chart.
Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa Returns In January
/by Lorie HollabaughLuke Bryan performs for a sold-out crowd at 10th annual Crash My Playa in 2025. Photo: Alive Coverage
Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa will rock the beaches for its 11th year in 2026 when it returns Jan. 15-18 to take over the Moon Palace Cancún for another all-inclusive concert experience.
Bryan will headline for two nights, with the full lineup and artists participating in the final night’s “Luke Bryan & Friends” performance to be announced soon. The Blind Faith On-Sale for Crash My Playa will begin on July 14 at crashmyplaya.com. Previous attendees will have early access through an Alumni Pre-Sale starting at noon CT today (July 11.)
“Every year I’m blown away by how special Crash My Playa has become,” says Bryan. “From the beachside shows to the late-night hangouts, it’s one of the highlights of my year. I can’t wait to be back in Cancún with our fans and kick off 2026 in the best way possible.”
In addition to lots of music, attendees can look forward to special guests, daily pool parties, late-night performances, and more. Moon Palace Cancún offers world-class accommodations, gourmet dining, 24-hour room service, and endless entertainment options, all included in each package and set against the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea. Guests can relax at the resort’s spa, tee off on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, or dance the night away at the custom beachfront stage that makes Crash My Playa unlike any other destination concert experience.