Walker Hayes. Photo: Emma Delevante

Walker Hayes will embark on his “Walker Hayes: Unplugged Tour” this fall. Shane McAnally and Harper Grace will join as support on select dates.

The 18-date run will make stops in Minnesota, Indiana, North Carolina and more. Tickets are available now.

Ahead of the Unplugged tour, Hayes will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on August 29.

Hayes released his 17 track record 17 Problems today via RCA Records. The project explores themes of childhood missteps, coming-of-age lessons, the weight of raising kids, grieving a parent, holding tight to faith and more. Hayes co-wrote every track alongside McAnally, Nicolle Galyon and Lori McKenna, among others.

“This album is very reflective,” shares Hayes. “I think you can tell I’m in the middle of losing my dad and raising kids. I’m at that corner of the road in life when you’re looking back on your childhood – you can see it as clear as you ever have – but you’re looking down the barrel of raising kids and keeping your family together. Accidentally, that is a common thread. The songs have this ‘in retrospect’ feeling, and then also, ‘what does the future look like? How do I do this?’”

“Walker Hayes: Unplugged Tour” Dates:
Fri, October 17th – Duluth, MN – Duluth Entertainment Convention Center – Symphony Hall *
Sat, October 18th – Mankato, MN – Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center – Grand Hall *
Sun, October 19th – Sioux City, IA – Orpheum Theatre – Sioux City *
Thurs, October 23rd – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre at Old National Centre *
Fri, October 24th – Midland, MI – Midland Center for the Arts – Auditorium *
Sat, October 25th – Warren, OH – Packard Music Hall *
Wed, October 29th – Toledo, OH – Stranahan Theater *
Thurs, October 30th – Columbus, OH – Mershon Auditorium *
Thurs, November 6th – Paducah, KY – The Luther F. Carson Center for the Performing Arts ^
Fri, November 7th – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate Performing Arts Center ^
Sat, November 8th – Louisville, KY – Palace Theatre (The Louisville Palace) ^
Wed, November 12th – Durham, NC – Durham Performing Arts Center ^
Fri, November 14th – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium ^
Sat, November 15th – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center ^
Sun, November 16th – Sandy Springs, GA – Byers Theatre ^
Thurs, November 20th – Reading, PA – Santander Performing Arts Center ^
Fri, November 21 – New Brunswick, NJ – State Theatre New Jersey ^
Sat, November 22nd – Lowell, MA – Lowell Memorial Auditorium ^

^Shane McAnally
*Harper Grace

Pictured (L-R, top row): Martha Earls (Owner, Neon Coast), Bryan Bernstein (A&R, broke) , Nathaniel Kosko (Marketing Director, broke), Armin Sadeghzadeh (Operations Director, broke), Tiger Greene (Tour Manager) and Jess Tomlins (Management, Neon Coast). (L-R, bottom row): Brandon De Oliveira (Founder, COO, broke), Julia Cole and Andre Benz (Founder, CEO, broke).

Julia Cole has signed a global recording deal with broke Records, the independent label founded by Andre Benz and Brandon DeOliveira under Create Music Group. With over 600 million global streams and 2.5 million followers across platforms, the Texas-born singer-songwriter becomes the label’s first country signing.

Cole has also signed with Nashville-based music management and entertainment company Neon Coast under the leadership of Martha Earls and Jess Tomlins, joining a roster that includes Kane Brown, Restless Road, Dylan Schneider, Kat Luna and Nightly.

“My journey as an independent artist is the reason I feel so close to the millions of #Coleteam fans who stream my music,” says Cole. “They are my WHY. I’m motivated by every message I get from a #Coleteam sister telling me my music helped her heal and not feel alone. I know my music can impact even more people with a strong team, which is why I’m so proud to be partnering with broke Records and Neon Coast, the perfect blend of Nashville teamwork and coastal creativity.”

Cole has built her career entirely independently thus far. Her latest single, “Day Late & A Buck Short,” has amassed 200 Million views on social media, 52 Million on demand streams and is in rotation on SiriusXM The Highway. It has been featured on flagship playlists including Spotify’s Hot Country, Apple Music’s Today’s Country and Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Country. Cole has toured globally in over 10 countries, and is gearing up for Australia dates. Her new single “Hunting Boots” is out today (Aug. 22).

“When we first met Julia, I immediately knew we’d end up working together,” shares Benz. “Her independent ability to execute her career at every intersection, combined with the ambition to dive into the ‘impossible’ with no fear, represents everything we do at broke and words cannot describe how excited we are to now partner with her as our first break-through Country artists.”

“Julia embodies the modern artist: exceptionally talented, driven and deeply connected to her fans,” adds Earls. “What she has built independently is remarkable and we are eager to support her in this next stage of her career.”

Billy Strings. Photo: Alysse Gafkjen

Bluegrass phenom Billy Strings will be the keynote speaker at the IBMA Business Conference in Chattanooga on Sept. 16.

“Billy Strings in Conversation with Tom Power,” sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation and Turnberry Records, will be presented as a live interview at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The session is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET and Turnberry recording artist and IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards winner Junior Sisk will perform a special set before the keynote, which will feature a conversation with Strings and radio/podcast host Tom Power.

“Through my work on (the podcast) Toy Heart, I’ve had the chance to talk with some of the legends of bluegrass,” says Power. “I’ve spoken with the artists who’ve lived the music and carried it forward across generations. What struck me was how often those conversations, after the mics were off and I was wrapping cables, turned to Billy Strings. Long before the arena shows and awards, they were already calling him a transformational figure. I’m grateful for the chance to talk with Billy now, not at the end of a road but right in the thick of it—to ask about his relationship to bluegrass today, how he moves within it, and what he may have found in this music that’s opened it up to so many in a way we haven’t seen since the earliest days of Bill Monroe.”

“We couldn’t be prouder to present such an influential artist at this year’s conference,” says Ken White, Executive Director of IBMA. “Billy Strings represents the present and future of bluegrass by embracing—and building on—our past. We recommend that conference attendees circle this keynote address on their schedule for Sept. 16; we’re predicting standing room only for this session!”

To attend the in-person keynote on Sept. 16, a conference pass for that specific day is required. Passes for Sept. 16-18 are currently available at the discounted Summer Rate through Aug. 23. After that, prices will increase to the Final Rate. Complete details on pricing, conference sessions, artist showcases, and networking opportunities at the IBMA Business Conference are available at worldofbluegrass.org.