Ross Copperman. Photo: Taylor Kelly

Singer, songwriter and producer Ross Copperman has released two new tracks, including “Stars Are On Your Side,” and “We Should Plant A Tree.”

“Stars Are On Your Side” was penned with Kevin Bard and Brian Fallon and was recently featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday segment and on the April 18 episode of ABC show Grey’s Anatomy. “We Should Plant a Tree,” was recently released in honor of Earth Day (April 22) and was co-written by Copperman, Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally.

Copperman recently earned an ACM for Music Event of the Year as producer for the Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne collaboration “Burning Man.” He was also nominated twice in the Album of the Year category at last year’s CMA Awards, for his work on Keith Urban’s Graffiti U and Dierks Bentley’s The Mountain.

SiriusXM is expanding its subscription choices with the introduction of the new, low-cost Essential streaming-only plan. The new plan makes it easier and more affordable than ever for those who don’t have a car or don’t use one very much to enjoy the advantages of SiriusXM with no car required. The Essential plan features more than 300 channels and is priced at $1 for the first three months, then $8 per month thereafter.

Listeners who subscribe to the Essential plan will have several options for listening to SiriusXM, including on their smartphones and tablets via the SiriusXM app, via the SiriusXM.com web player, and on connected devices in the home including devices with Amazon Alexa, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, smart TVs, Sonos speakers, Xbox, Sony PlayStation, and more. Subscribers will get SiriusXM’s full lineup of music programming, featuring 200+ channels of expertly curated, commercial-free music channels from virtually every genre.

“The strength of SiriusXM’s programming is evident in the tens of millions of people who subscribe and listen in their cars year after year. We’ve now created the Essential subscription as an appealing option for the many people, particularly younger consumers, who don’t have a car or don’t spend a lot of time in their car,” said Matt Epstein, Vice President of Marketing, SiriusXM Outside the Car. “On SiriusXM, listeners will find more innovative formats and expertly-curated commercial-free music channels, live performances, plus a very deep lineup of news, entertainment, comedy and sports talk. The Essential plan offers an attractive bundle of content at a competitively low price among streaming services.  Also, and this is extremely important, our streaming subscribers get access to all of this content in the kind of user-friendly, ‘lean back’ way that makes it easier to find the music or shows that they like best.”

Today approximately two-thirds of people in the U.S. (ages 12+) stream their audio entertainment, according to Edison Research. 

Maren Morris performs at Coachella 2019. Photo: Maren Morris/Twitter

Though Kacey Musgraves was the only country artist with an official performance slot at this year’s Coachella, Maren Morris surprised festival-goers with an appearance during DJ Zedd’s set on Sunday evening (April 21) to perform their massive hit “The Middle.”

“First time here,” Morris wrote on Twitter, and also shared photos from her performance. “Thank you @zedd for such a badass time. #Coachella”

“The Middle” released in February 2018 as a collaboration from Morris, Zedd, and duo Grey. The track has been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA, and earned numerous nominations from the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards and more. The track earned Song of the Year and Dance Song of the Year honors at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Chrissy Metz singing “I’m Standing With You” at the 2019 Academy of Country Music Awards. Photo: Facebook/Chrissy Metz

Chrissy Metz, star of 20th Century Fox’s Breakthrough, has released her first ever music video for “I’m Standing With You.” The original song written by 10-time Oscar nominated songwriter Diane Warren, is featured in the film and the accompanying soundtrack.

Also featured on the soundtrack are original music and recordings from Adam Hambrick, Carrie Underwood, Chrissy Metz, Darius Rucker, Jukebox the Ghost, Lauren Alaina, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Phil Wickham, Pigeon John, and Taylor Mosby plus special featured guests Kirk Franklin and Lecrae.

Metz recently performed “I’m Standing With You” alongside Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, Maddie & Tae & Mickey Guyton at the 54^th Academy of Country Music Awards.

Pictured (L-R): LANCO’s Chandler Baldwin, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, LANCO’s Jared Hampton and Eric Steedly. Photo: David Foster

Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Recording Industry honored alumni and LANCO members Chandler Baldwin, Jared Hampton and Eric Steedly for their outstanding accomplishments and excellence in artistic expression on Wednesday, April 17, at BMI in Nashville. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee presented certificates honoring Baldwin, (Class of 2014), Hampton, (Class of 2014), and Steedly, (Class of 2013).

“I can honestly say I can attribute a lot of what has happened to me and us to being at MTSU. I am forever thankful for that,” Steedly told the crowd.

Added Hampton, “We call it the incubator. It is where everyone grows, meets and can network. That is what MTSU was for us, so I am forever thankful.”

The three met while in college and joined LANCO before graduating, and would go on to win the ACM for New Vocal Group of the Year in 2019.

“This is extra special to MTSU because Pete Fisher, who is the CEO of the Academy of Country Music, is also one of our graduates. So we have an outstanding alum honoring other outstanding alums,” said Beverly Keel, chair of the Department of Recording Industry.

“I am really thankful for the audio production program at MTSU,” Baldwin said. “It was great to learn practical ways to advance in the music industry that we have legitimately used. When we are having some band discussions or meetings, we will bring up some things we have learned, like, ‘We should do it this way.’ I am thankful to MTSU for giving me that foundation.”

Keel said the three are serving as wonderful role models for MTSU students.“They recently released the single ‘Rival,’ which is the first song from their upcoming second album,” she said. “The song is about grit and dedication, which captures the spirit of so many of our students, who are scrappy, hard working and driven by their passion for music. The song’s message is, no matter who you are and where you are from, be proud of that. Be yourself and take pride in creating your own path.

“Like Chandler, Jared and Eric, our students aren’t going to let anything stop them from pursuing their dreams of having a career in music. They are changing lives with their music, inspiring our students, and serving as great role models and ambassadors for MTSU,” Keel concluded.