It has been five years since singer-songwriter Cam released her sterling debut major label album, Untamed, which contained the 2x multi-Platinum-selling hit “Burning House,” the signature ballad which earned Cam nominations from the Grammys, CMAs, and ACMs. On Oct. 30, the wait will be over, as Cam will release her long-awaited sophomore album, The Otherside (Triple Tigers Records/RCA Records).

The Otherside took shape over the past three years in writing rooms and studios in Nashville, Los Angeles and New York. She reunited with Jeff Bhasker and Tyler Johnson, her co-writers on “Burning House,” but also spent time at Electric Lady Studios, working with Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey) on the newly-released track “Classic.”

“I have always been an admirer of his,” Cam tells MusicRow. “I saw him do so much great work with female artists that I really admire. It resonated with me to see women pull through with really amazing work. We just sat down and had this great connection writing this song. Songwriting can be hard because you are trying so hard to make it perfect, but sometimes it just falls out and feels good and you are so happy with the experience. I think this was the last song I wrote for the album.”

“Classic” draws upon lyrical portraits of ageless, nostalgic imagery, from prom dates to mixtapes, Johnny and June to Bette Davis and Yellow Pages.

“My husband Adam, when we were traveling in Argentina, he found some Lucky Strike cigarettes and he was like, ‘They don’t make them like that anymore,’” she says of the setting that sparked the idea for the first line of “Classic.”

“Jack started strumming a Simon & Garfunkel, up-tempo, ‘Cecelia’-type vibe and it felt so happy. I feel like a lot of times you can get introspective and are trying really hard to answer things for yourself, which is what I do a lot and this one—I tend to feel things in my body when I’m writing and this felt like home. The words that matched that feeling described a person in your life, like a soulmate or a sibling—or for me, my husband—it’s a relationship that outlasts the trends and transcends time. I think especially right now we are really being reminded of how important those kinds of relationships are.”

The album will mark her first effort under a newly-inked deal with Nashville-based Triple Tigers Records, alongside her longtime home at RCA Records. The new partnership further cements her intention as a country artist, following her split from Sony Music Nashville in 2018, after which she continued to be represented solely through Sony’s New York office, via RCA Records.

“People think, ‘Well did your sound change because your partners changed?’ The sound never changed. I’m making the same music I want to make and the way I want to do it. But it means a lot when you are a part of this community, to just feel like you have a home in Nashville when you’re making country music,” she says. “RCA is incredible and have been with me since the beginning and they have Tyler Childers, too, so they know how to support country music. But I needed that Nashville home base. I’ve been really looking for the right partner.”

Triple Tigers Records has had a good run of success with Scotty McCreery (who earned a Gold certification for his album Seasons Change and recently notched his third consecutive career No. 1) and Russell Dickerson (who has also earned three No. 1 hits, certified Platinum and multi-Platinum).

“It is really fun because [Triple Tigers Records GM//Partner] Norbert Nix, he thinks of things and how to do things the best way possible. Their track record proves that he is doing things smart and that is innovative and I want to be a part of that. That’s what I want with my art, too,” Cam says. “Honestly, from the first time we connected more than a year and a half ago, it just felt right. When you find people that are on the same page as you and believe in you and you believe in them, that’s irreplaceable. You have to have a partner in the trenches with you. We’ve been trying to figure out how to make the partnership work for a while.”

Her new album has plenty of life experience to draw from. In the past few years, Cam’s keen, introspective writing style has found support and an audience far beyond Nashville. In 2018, she joined pop superstar Sam Smith on tour, after co-writing the song “Palace” for his album The Thrill of It All. She also offered her own headlining show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, after opening for Harry Styles in the same venue in 2017. Last year, she collaborated with Diplo on the song “So Long,” from his Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1 effort. She married husband Adam Weaver in 2016, and welcomed daughter Lucy Marvel in December 2019.

The Otherside takes its name from another track on the project, one that celebrates the struggles, joys, transitions, maturity, and insights gleaned during the time that has passed since her debut album.

“This has been a five-year journey between albums and I have gone through so much and obviously the world has gone through so much. I’ve become a mom, so many lessons learned and figuring things out. I feel like a different person on the other side of it. It’s a sort of awareness you get when you are on the other side of it. This is who I am. It’s a never-ending process but at this five-year point, I feel like this specific five years getting to this point, I really am on the other side of something and it’s amazing.”

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) will honor this year’s Nashville Songwriter Awards recipients via virtual celebration this fall. The 3rd Annual Nashville Songwriter Awards will be held via virtual format in lieu of the event originally scheduled at the Ryman Auditorium. The awards show has partnered again this year with City National Bank.

Past Nashville Songwriter Award recipients and honorees have included Loretta Lynn, George Strait, Ashley Gorley, Luke Combs, Bill Anderson, Josh Osborne, and more.

“While we will certainly miss the grand stage of the Ryman Auditorium for this year’s Nashville Songwriter Awards, we are excited to be able to honor this year’s Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter Artist of the Year, and the ‘10 Songs I Wish I’d Written’ Awards in a unique way and to be able to tell an even deeper story for each in a virtual format,” said NSAI Senior Director of Operations Jennifer Turnbow. “We relish the opportunity to provide a sense of celebration and community amid the uncertainty of this year.”

“City National has a long tradition of supporting songwriters and the creative community,” said Lori Badgett and Diane Pearson, heads of Entertainment Banking for City National Bank in Nashville, in a joint statement. “While we wish we could celebrate in person, we are pleased that so many of our friends are being honored at this memorable virtual event. Nashville has always been a special place for creators, and we are incredibly proud to continue to support them.”

Full details about honorees, performers, and tickets for the event will be announced in the coming months.

SiriusXM is broadcasting its first-ever Highway Finds Fest, a three-day virtual country festival starting this Friday (July 17) on SiriusXM’s The Highway channel. The three-day broadcast will feature exclusive, new performance sets each day from artists’ homes. Luke Combs headlines Friday’s broadcast, while Maren Morris leads the Saturday lineup, and Sam Hunt rounds out the weekend on Sunday.

The festival will also include performances from Kelsea Ballerini, Chris Janson, Chase Rice, Cole Swindell, Brett Young and more. Over the past decade, SiriusXM’s The Highway has helped to launch acts such as Florida Georgia Line, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Sam Hunt and many others, as a part of the channel’s ‘Highway Finds’ spotlight.

SiriusXM’s Highway Finds Fest will have former ‘Highway Finds’ artists Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett, Ashley McBryde and Niko Moon serve as emcees. Following Sunday’s Sam Hunt performance, SiriusXM’s Highway Finds Fest will feature a special broadcast of Florida Georgia Line’s 2019 exclusive performance for SiriusXM’s subscribers from the Ryman Auditorium.

On July 19, Circle will honor the life and career of Charlie Daniels, who passed away July 6 at the age of 83. Circle Salutes Charlie Daniels will include programming to honor the late music legend, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The new special half-hour premiere of Circle Sessions: Remembering Charlie Daniels will feature moments from his Grand Ole Opry induction, career highlights and interviews with some of his fellow artists he influenced over his 60+ year career.

See the full Circle Salutes Charlie Daniels programming schedule below:

7 p.m. ET – The Charlie Daniels Band: Live at Billy Bob’s Texas | The Charlie Daniels Band performs on the mainstage, featuring their hits.

8 p.m. ET (repeats at 11:00 PM, ET) – Reflections from the Circle: Charlie Daniels | Charlie Daniels reflects on his personal life and career during an intimate conversation on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with TV and WSM-AM radio personality Eddie Stubbs.

9 p.m. ET (repeats at midnight, ET) – Hee Haw | Charlie Daniels guest stars on the long-running country variety show.

10 p.m. ET (repeats at 1:00 AM, ET) – Circle Sessions: Remembering Charlie Daniels (special half-hour episode) | WSM-AM’s popular radio and TV personality Bill Cody shares a look back at the career of country legend and Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Daniels.