Blackberry Smoke is celebrating their 20th anniversary of making music as a band with a brand new album, You Hear Georgia, due out on May 28 via Thirty Tigers.
In addition to the band members Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals) and Brandon Still (keyboards), the new album also features special guests Jamey Johnson on the track “Lonesome For A Livin’” and Warren Haynes on “All Rise Again,” as well as backing vocals from The Black Bettys.
Across the album’s ten new songs Blackberry Smoke continues to embody Georgia’s rich musical legacy as they have for the past two decades, honoring the people, places and sounds of their home state. With the addition of producer Dave Cobb, a fellow Georgian, the new album pays homage to the band’s deep respect for their roots.
Of the title track, lead singer Starr says: “Lyrically, the song is about the South being misunderstood. It’s obviously a rough and tumble world, and there’s a lot of bad people. But there’s a lot of good people too. It started with the idea of how people might have a preconceived opinion of you because of a thick Southern accent, then expanded into the reality of how some people just seem to have such a hard time getting along, thanks to political or religious views, or simply what part of the country you come from.”
You Hear Georgia follows the release of 2018’s Find A Light, which entered at No. 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and No. 2 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart. Following Find A Light, the band shared three additional projects—a live album and concert film, Homecoming: Live In Atlanta, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Album Sales chart; a six-song acoustic EP, The Southern Ground Sessions; and Live From Capricorn Sound Studios, an EP of six covers that have special ties to the historic studio.
You Hear Georgia Track List:
1. Live It Down
2. You Hear Georgia
3. Hey Delilah
4. Ain’t The Same
5. Lonesome For A Livin’ (feat. Jamey Johnson)
6. All Rise Again (feat. Warren Haynes)
7. Old Enough To Know
8. Morningside
9. All Over The Road
10. Old Scarecrow
SmithField Puts On ‘Sunday Best’ Ahead Of Upcoming EP
/by Lorie HollabaughSmithField has released new single, “Sunday Best,” from their upcoming third EP, due out later this year.
Penned by the indie duo’s Jennifer Fielder and Trey Smith with Trannie Anderson and Ian Christian, and produced by Derek Wells and Adam Wood, the tune is a nod to the societal expectations that SmithField experienced while growing up in rural Texas.
The best-of-friends pair have amassed more than 40 million career streams since turning heads with their breakthrough single “Hey Whiskey.” They’ve made 30-plus Grand Ole Opry appearances, performed at high-profile festivals, and shared the bill with some of country’s biggest stars including Brothers Osborne, Scotty McCreery and Old Dominion, plus headlined their own nationwide tour.
Industry Ink: Queue Records, Sister Sadie, YEP
/by Lorie HollabaughAmanda Quinton Launches Queue Records
“I’m always looking for new ways to champion emerging talent, and Queue Records is the next natural step in that direction,” said Quinton. “I have enormous belief in the art, the artists, and the power of the fans, and can’t wait to showcase what we’ve been working on.”
Sister Sadie Adds Two To The Family
Sister Sadie has added bassist Hasee Ciaccio and vocalist Jaelee Roberts to its award-winning lineup. “We couldn’t be more excited to announce that Hasee Ciaccio (who has been playing shows with us for almost two years now) and Jaelee Roberts will be officially joining Sister Sadie!” shared band members Tina Adair, Gena Britt and Deanie Richardson. “We feel these two ladies add a whole new dynamic, excitement and sound to the band and are looking forward to creating music with them. Both are talented beyond their years. Their energy and drive is simply infectious and we couldn’t be more thrilled to make this announcement.”
Sister Sadie made history in October 2020 by becoming the first all-female band to win IBMA’s Entertainer of the Year Award, and will be featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, opening on March 12, 2021.
YEP Kicks Off New Episodes Of Coast To Couch
Young Entertainment Professionals has announced the return of “YEP Edu: Coast to Couch,” hosted by the organization’s Nashville and L.A. chapters. The virtual educational series, titled “Young Hustlers of the Music Business,” aired in two parts on Tuesday, Feb. 23 and Wednesday, Feb. 24 with special guests Bradly Palmer (A&R Manager, Concord Music Publishing), Chloe Weise (VP, A&R, RCA Records), Wes Davenport (Culture Marketing Manager, 1824-UMG), Kelly Sayer (A&R, Atlantic Records), John Tomlinson (Creative, BMI Nashville), Bennett Beckner (Agent, CAA), Annie Aberle (Director, Creative; Pulse Music Group), Charlene Bryant (Founder, Riveter Management), Josh Toll (A&R, APG), and Maria Gironas (Director of Digital Platform Strategy, Q&A).
Guests can tune in to learn more about the ins and outs of label services, digital marketing, artists and business management, publishing, and more at facebook.com/YEPNashville/
ACM Nominations To Be Revealed On ‘CBS This Morning’
/by Sarah SkatesThe Academy of Country Music will announce nominees for the 56th Academy Of Country Music Awards on Friday, February 26 at 8:30 AM/ET.
Kelsea Ballerini and Brothers Osborne will appear live on CBS This Morning to announce the nominees for Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Duo of the Year, Group of the Year and Single of the Year beginning at 8:30 AM ET on the CBS Television Network.
Following that, the remainder of the categories will revealed by ET’s Rachel Smith on ETonline.com. Beginning at 8:45 AM ET, this includes nominees for New Male Artist of the Year, New Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Video of the Year and Music Event of the Year.
The ACM Awards official social media accounts will also post updates in real time with all nominees being posted at ACMcountry.com immediately following the morning’s ceremonies.
The 56th ACM Awards will return to Nashville and broadcast live from three iconic country music venues: the Grand Ole Opry House, the historic Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe on Sunday, April 18 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. The show will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+, ViacomCBS’ upcoming global streaming service.
Saturday’s Grand Ole Opry To Benefit Feeding America
/by Sarah SkatesAll proceeds will benefit Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks and more than 60,000 food pantries in communities across the country.
Opry members Chris Janson and Travis Tritt, along with rising star Hailey Whitters, will perform on the broadcast. Bobby Bones will host the show which airs at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT.
Gray television stations, including several in markets hit particularly hard by last week’s weather events, will contribute local stories and personalities to speak to the problem of hunger in America and ways viewers can help.
The Grand Ole Opry will air on Circle, and on Gray TV stations, DISH Studio Channel 102, Sling TV and other TV affiliates in addition to a companion live stream on Circle’s Facebook and YouTube pages. The show will also be heard on 650 AM WSM and SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse.
Food insecurity has been rising at alarming rates over the last year and was compounded by extreme weather across several states last week.
Viewers can donate at www.feedingamerica.org/circle.
Triple Tigers Records Promotes Laura Hostelley To VP, Marketing
/by LB CantrellLaura Hostelley. Photo: Courtesy Triple Tigers Records
Laura Hostelley has been promoted from Director to Vice President of Marketing at Triple Tigers Records.
Hostelley joined the label in 2016 and reports to President and Partner Norbert Nix. Triple Tigers Records is a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment in partnership with Nix, Thirty Tigers, and Triple 8 Management.
“Laura is a proven leader with boundless energy and drive,” Nix says. “She is a keen observer, creative thinker, and fearless when it comes to advancing the careers of the artists we work with at Triple Tigers. Everything she has accomplished has been from the ground up—and now the sky’s the limit.”
“I am excited to keep pursuing opportunities to connect artists with fans in new and creative ways,” says Hostelley. “Norbert Nix has always encouraged innovation, and I am thankful to him for this opportunity to keep growing Triple Tigers and our incredible artist’s brands.”
Hostelley joined Triple Tigers Records in 2016 soon after the label was created. In 2017 she was elevated from Promotion Coordinator to Product Manager, and then to Director of Marketing in 2019. During her tenure, Triple Tigers Records has signed a boutique roster of critically acclaimed singer-songwriters including Scotty McCreery, Russell Dickerson, and Cam, who joined the label in a first-time partnership with RCA Records New York.
Before her time at Triple Tigers, Hostelley worked as a freelancer for Sounds Like Nashville and Taste of Country. She is a graduate of Belmont University, and while in college she interned at MusicRow Magazine, Sirius XM Radio, Country Aircheck, and the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce.
Reach Hostelley at laura@tripletigers.com.
Mumford & Sons’ Ben Lovett Announces Timeline For New Huntsville Venue Opening
/by Lorie HollabaughDavid M. Schwarz Architects
Venue Group, the global entertainment and hospitality group founded and led by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons and his partners, has revealed its timeline for the spring 2022 opening of Huntsville, Alabama’s new Amphitheater.
Construction is now underway for the state-of-the-art Amphitheater, and the doors of the venue are slated to open in April 2022. Huntsville’s Amphitheater boasts a capacity of approximately 8,000 fans, and reinvents the concept of a major event space expanding it to a 365-day experience that will, in addition to hosting live music, provide daily community building opportunities for local groups, businesses and government organizations for both large-scale and small gatherings.
Adjacent to the Amphitheater, Venue Group is in talks with regional chefs and local vendors for the food village that will operate year-round and provide food and beverage options not only to patrons of the Amphitheater, but also serve as an additional amenity and social space for Mid-City (the fast-growing neighborhood to the west of Downtown Huntsville).
“One of the biggest trends in the past 10 years has been an elevation of the quality and variety of food offerings, especially around music,” says Lovett. “We believe there is a huge amount of opportunity in the hospitality side of entertainment to deliver food and drinks of such excellence that they stand on their own two feet as an offering not simply as a way to “tide you over,” quench the thirst or satiate the hunger temporarily. We have to aspire for higher standards than that. One of the reasons that Huntsville is so appealing to me and the team is it feels like going the extra mile is in the DNA of this city and we intend to go the extra mile when it comes to not just the concert experience but the restaurants and bars that lay adjacent and that will serve customers year-round.”
“More than an amphitheater, this facility will help us grow our music and culture economy,” said Tommy Battle, Mayor of Huntsville. “It will allow us to become a community of curators, where we can develop our own creative content that is unique to Huntsville that we can share globally. In addition to arts festivals, markets, and world-famous musicians, we’ll be able to incubate our own talent, showing that our next great entrepreneurs don’t all have to be in space and missile defense.”
Blackberry Smoke Marks 20 Years As A Band With New Album ‘You Hear Georgia’
/by Lorie HollabaughBlackberry Smoke is celebrating their 20th anniversary of making music as a band with a brand new album, You Hear Georgia, due out on May 28 via Thirty Tigers.
In addition to the band members Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals) and Brandon Still (keyboards), the new album also features special guests Jamey Johnson on the track “Lonesome For A Livin’” and Warren Haynes on “All Rise Again,” as well as backing vocals from The Black Bettys.
Across the album’s ten new songs Blackberry Smoke continues to embody Georgia’s rich musical legacy as they have for the past two decades, honoring the people, places and sounds of their home state. With the addition of producer Dave Cobb, a fellow Georgian, the new album pays homage to the band’s deep respect for their roots.
Of the title track, lead singer Starr says: “Lyrically, the song is about the South being misunderstood. It’s obviously a rough and tumble world, and there’s a lot of bad people. But there’s a lot of good people too. It started with the idea of how people might have a preconceived opinion of you because of a thick Southern accent, then expanded into the reality of how some people just seem to have such a hard time getting along, thanks to political or religious views, or simply what part of the country you come from.”
You Hear Georgia follows the release of 2018’s Find A Light, which entered at No. 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and No. 2 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart. Following Find A Light, the band shared three additional projects—a live album and concert film, Homecoming: Live In Atlanta, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Album Sales chart; a six-song acoustic EP, The Southern Ground Sessions; and Live From Capricorn Sound Studios, an EP of six covers that have special ties to the historic studio.
Travis Tritt Announces First Full-Length Studio Album In Over A Decade
/by LB CantrellTravis Tritt. Photo: David Abbott
Travis Tritt will release a new album, Set In Stone, on May 7 via Big Noise Label Group. Tritt revisits his traditional country roots on “Smoke In A Bar,” which will release weeks ahead of the album (March 5).
Set In Stone features 11 new songs, 8 of which were co-written by Tritt. The album is Tritt’s first original full-length studio album in over a decade, and was produced by Dave Cobb.
Grand Ole Opry member Tritt has released eleven studio albums, amassed more than 30 million in career album sales, and been awarded two Grammy Awards, four CMA Awards, and more throughout his career. Among his albums and numerous charted singles are five number ones and 20 Top 10 hits, including “Help Me Hold On,” “Anymore,” “Can I Trust You with My Heart,” “Foolish Pride,” “Best of Intentions,” “I’m Gonna Be Somebody,” “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde,” “Here’s A Quarter,” “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” and more.
Set In Stone Track List:
“Stand Your Ground” (Travis Tritt, Wayne B. Durrett III, Channing Wilson)
“Set In Stone” (Travis Tritt, Brent Cobb, Adam Hood)
“Ghost Town Nation”(Aaron Raitiere, JB Strauss)
“Smoke In A Bar” (Jeremy Bussey, Derek George, Tim Montana)
“Leave This World” (Travis Tritt, Ashley Monroe)
“They Don’t Make Em’ Like That No More (Travis Tritt, Matthew Dillon Carmichael)
“Better Off Dead” (Travis Tritt, Adam Hood)
“Southern Man” (Travis Tritt, Channing Wilson)
“Open Line” (Travis Tritt, Brent Cobb)
“Ain’t Who I Was” (Brent Cobb, Adam Hood)
“Way Down In Georgia” (Travis Tritt, Dennis Anthony Robbins, Troy Seals)
Payton Smith To Play Virtual Benefit Show For East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
/by Lorie HollabaughPayton Smith is hosting a free virtual concert for VOLthon to benefit East Tennessee Children’s Hospital on February 27.
During his free performance, Smith will match up to $1,000 in donations and Big Machine Label Group’s Music Has Value will make a $1,000 contribution. To give, simply text ‘Payton’ to 51555 to receive a link to donate. All donations made to VOLthon will stay in the community, benefiting patients receiving care at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
A student-run organization at the University of Tennessee, VOLthon raises money for their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Last year, VOLthon raised more than $152,000 for Children’s Hospital, ending the fundraising campaign in February 2020 with a live dance party. This is the first time VOLthon will host their main event virtually, allowing for students to participate while complying with COVID-19 restrictions.
“Raising money for Children’s Hospital means more to me than most people realize,” expresses Payton. “Children’s Hospital of New Orleans saved my younger brother Zachary’s life. His illness led to quadruple amputations and that meant many trips to the Children’s Hospital as a kid. The impact that had helped me understand how much this place saves lives and changes lives. Any opportunity to give, support and highlight what this place means to children and families, I’m all in.”
Smith is releasing his new single, “This Ain’t That Song” on February 26 via Big Machine Records.
Lily Rose Signs With Fusion Music
/by Lorie HollabaughLily Rose. Photo: Anthony Stone
Lily Rose has signed with Fusion Music for management. Fusion is partnering with Rakiyah Marshall’s Back Blocks Music to manage Rose.
The Big Loud/Republic/Back Blocks Music artist’s song “Villain” recently made a meteoric rise to No. 1 on the iTunes all-genre list and has earned more than 18 million global streams. The track is set to impact at country radio on March 8.
Rose grew up in Atlanta and made her way from the college bars of Athens, Georgia to sold-out shows throughout the Southeast. After arriving in Nashville just three years ago, she quickly immersed herself in the songwriting community. Her independent release of “Villain” in December 2020 caught the attention of Nashville labels, and she found her home with Big Loud/Republic in January 2021.
“Lily is a superstar in the making,” said Fusion Music’s Managing Partner, Daniel Miller. “She has put in more than a decade developing her craft and charting her course. Between part-time jobs she learned to route her own tour dates and build a global fan base. We’re excited to join Rakiyah and the rest of the team for an incredible journey.”
Fusion Music, in association with Red Light Management, also represents country artists Martina McBride, Riley Green, Cassadee Pope and Laine Hardy, among others.