Charles Kelley.

Charles Kelley brought his new solo album, Songs for a New Moon, to Exit/In last night (Aug. 28).

Kelley opened with his lead single “Can’t Lose You,” before moving into a set that included the entire album and covers of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” and more. He invited Dann Huff on stage for “Never Let You Go” and Eric Paslay to join him on “The Driver” from Kelley’s first solo album. The show closed with an intimate acoustic rendition of his “Leaving Nashville.”

The 16-song project marks a season of renewed possibility and fresh perspective for Kelley, best known as the co-lead vocalist of the Grammy-winning trio Lady A. Kelley pulled inspiration for the record from his relationship with his wife Cassie for songs like “Can’t Lose You” and his experiences over the last three years of his sobriety.

Saxophone player Jacob Scesney and Charles Kelley

Charles Kelley.

Eric Paslay and Kelley sing “The Driver”

Ashley McBryde. Photo: Aubrey Wise

Ashley McBryde celebrated her Redemption Bar opening in Nashville this week with a series of intimate soft openings, welcoming Redemption’s first 200 guests herself.

She christened the N/A Forward bar’s corner stage with an acoustic set that ranged from namesake song “Redemption,” and “Luckiest S.O.B.,” to some unreleased new songs and the Randall Clay original “Emptying Ashtrays.”

“I had a bunch of friends in last night and some of them have been watching me play music since I was 19 years old in Memphis,” McBryde shared from the intimate corner stage, reminiscing with a smile. “I played in bars that I wouldn’t let you walk into now; places where your feet stick to the floor and there aren’t stalls in the bathroom. And then they got to walk into this place.”

Located on the fifth floor of Eric Church’s Chief’s on Broadway, Redemption is inspired by McBryde’s personal path to sobriety, and designed as a space that honors authenticity, connection and songwriting. The bar is painted crimson, adorned with moody decor and features easter egg details of McBryde’s journey. In its first week, Redemption will see performances from a variety of artists including Caylee Hammack, Harper O’Neill, Makayla Lynn, Peytan Porter, Terri Jo Box, Jason Nix, Wes Dorethy, Blue Foley and Cecilia Castleman.

McBryde announced her four-show Redemption Residency at Chief’s Neon Steeple earlier this month. Each of the four nights will be one-of-a-kind show experiences, with McBryde curating set lists and themes. Attendees may receive a surprise as McBryde could pop up a level before or after the four nights in the Steeple to dish out a double dose of Nashville magic on the Redemption stage.

Old Dominion. Photo: Dove Shore

Old Dominion has teamed up with Caesars Entertainment to celebrate the release of their latest album with two special performances, “BARBARA. HITS. VEGAS.,” at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on December 5 and 6.

The shows, taking place during National Finals Rodeo, the 10-day season finale that draws more than 100,000 country and rodeo fans, represent a continuation of Old Dominion’s ongoing collaboration with Caesars and a strategic extension of the Barbara album rollout. For these performances, the band will present the entire Barbara album alongside their most notable hits in a show curated specifically for PH Live.

“We’re excited to welcome Old Dominion to PH Live,” said Anthony Carano, President & Chief Operating Officer of Caesars Entertainment. “After an incredible summer of unforgettable performances at our Lake Tahoe and Stir Cove concert series, we know our Las Vegas guests are in for two extraordinary nights this December. Hosting Old Dominion during NFR Week is a privilege, and celebrating the release of Barbara with these one-of-a-kind shows makes it all the more special.”

“Old Dominion loves working with Caesars, and we were thrilled to partner with them to bring BARBARA. HITS. VEGAS. to life,” frontman Matthew Ramsey said. “We always have a great time in Las Vegas — maybe too great a time, as it goes. I can’t wait to bring Barbara to our fans at Planet Hollywood.”

Faith Hopkins will release her new six track EP, Love & Insanity, on Oct. 10 via Play It Again Music.

Alongside the announcement, she released a new track, “Open Book.” Written by Hopkins, Kyle Clark, Emily Landis, and Evan Cline, the song details a relationship that got lost in translation.

“‘Open Book’ is about being completely honest in a relationship—spelling it out, bold and underlined—and still not being understood,” Hopkins said. “It’s an upbeat track made to be screamed in your car…or right in his face, if you get the chance. And this song is just the beginning. My EP, Love & Insanity, dives into all the ways love can make you feel unhinged. It’s about how love can make you a little insane—it’s wild, it’s real, and it’s exactly how I want to introduce myself to the world.”

The project follows the release of the Huntington Beach, California native’s debut singles last year. Inspired by Kelsea Ballerini, Sabrina Carpenter, Nora Jones and Lennon Stella, the tracks for this project were written alongside Clark, Landis, Cline, Sarah Killian, McCall Chapin, Jenna Johnson and more. The project was produced by Clark and Cline as well.

Love & Insanity Track Listing:
1. “Insanity” (Written by Faith Hopkins, Jenna Johnson, Kyle Clark | Produced by Kyle Clark)
2. “Open Book” (Written by Faith Hopkins, Kyle Clark, Emily Landis, Evan Cline | Produced by Kyle Clark)
3. “Dodged A Bullet” (Written by Faith Hopkins, Kyle Clark, Trent Wayne | Produced by Kyle Clark)
4. “Get Away With Murder” (Written by Faith Hopkins, Evan Cline, Emily Landis | Produced by Evan Cline)
5. “Break It You Buy It” (Written by Faith Hopkins, Evan Cline, Jackson Foote, Connor McCutcheon| Produced by Evan Cline)
6. “Let Him Have It” (Written by Faith Hopkins, Kyle Clark, Sarah Killian, McCall Chapin| Produced by Kyle Clark)

Pictured (L-R, back row): BMI’s MaryAnnKeen, Sony Music Publishing’s Tom Luteran, BMI’s Jackson Kiger, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, BMI’s Lilly Brown, Sony Music Publishing’s Aubrey Landon and Sony Music Publishing’s Taylor Ratkovich; (L-R, front row): Patrick Murphy, Lindsay Rimes, Averie Bielski, Ryan Larkins, Sony Music Publishing’s Synnovea Halsel; Photo: Savannah Spencer

BMI hosted the first installment of “BMI Presents at The Listening Room” on Wednesday (Aug. 27), a new showcase created to spotlight BMI songwriters signed to publishers.

The inaugural round, hosted by BMI’s Leslie Roberts, featured a lineup from Sony Music Publishing that included Averie Bielski, Ryan Larkins, Patrick Murphy and Lindsay Rimes.

To kick off the event, Murphy performed songs including “Lonely Left,” Dylan Scott’s “Back Forty,” “Slow Song Fast Car,” and his Tim McGraw hit “Standing Room Only.” Larkins followed with “Bones,” “Here for A Reason,” McGraw’s “Hold On To It,” and 2024 NSAI Song of the Year, Cody Johnson’s “The Painter.”

Bielski’s set included “Gettin’ Old,” recorded by Scotty McCreery and Callista Clark, as well as “Easy Whiskey.” She also joined Murphy on “Made for Movin’ On.” Rimes closed out the round with Charles Kelley’s “Can’t Lose You,” Kane Brown’s “Heaven,” Nate Smith’s “Whiskey On You,” and 10-week chart-topper “World On Fire.”

The series will continue on Oct. 14 with a round featuring songwriters signed to Big Machine Music.