Little Big Town has enlisted Pharrell Williams to produce their next project, Wanderlust, scheduled for release on June 10 on Capitol Records Nashville. The eight-track project will include new songs from the group and producer.

Little Big Town will perform a new single, “One of Those Days,” on NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday (May 24). Little Big Town and Pharrell co-wrote the song.

“Wanderlust is the result of an incredible friendship and chemistry we have with Pharrell Williams,” said Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. ”What started out as one writing session a few months ago turned into multiple writing sessions, as well as back and forth trips from Nashville to Los Angeles. When the songs started coming together, we realized it was too special to not share with our fans.”

She continued, “Pharrell loves country music and is a huge fan of harmony. That shared passion and appreciation took us on a creative journey we had no idea would happen. The music feels like our worlds have collided in the best possible way—his infectious grooves paired with our layered vocals and harmonies. This music is meant to be danced to, sung along with and turned up loud. It’s uplifting and hopeful. We’ve been a band for a long time and have had the pleasure of collaborating with so many people, and it’s been a complete joy to make music with Pharrell!”

“We had a great time working together because we all love harmonies and that’s a really fun way to make a record,” Pharrell added. “A lot of the songs were based on what the group were going through at the time and creating good feelings around those experiences.”

Pandora has added longtime Billboard staffer Glenn Peoples, MusicRow has confirmed.

Peoples will be based in Nashville, where he will handle Music Insights and Analytics. He was Billboard’s Senior Editorial Analyst for seven years before joining Pandora.

“Pandora is an industry leader with a proven track record for innovation,” said Peoples. “It’s an honor join such a forward-thinking company filled with people dedicated to pushing the music industry forward.”

A respected reporter in the field of music technology, Peoples was featured on two panels at the Music Biz conference in Nashville last week. One was titled Virtual Reality: Is This the Business Model Beyond Streaming?, while the other was titled Data To Dollars: Adapting New Data To The Music Industry.

He is a member of Leadership Music’s class of 2011 and was a director-at-large for the Academy of Country Music from 2012 to 2014.

 

Frankie Ballard is teaming up with Allstate Insurance Company, a longtime advocate of the motorcycle community, for the first-ever Guardians of the Ride initiative.

Coinciding with May’s Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month, Guardians of the Ride will recognize safety advocates who have dedicated their lives to improving motorcycle safety through the education of riders and drivers alike.

“I’ve been a rider for 15 years, and motorcycle safety has always been something I take very seriously. When Allstate approached me with the opportunity to help spread the word about the Guardians of the Ride program, I couldn’t wait to get started,” said Ballard, a Warner Bros. Records artist. “Each of these riders is more than deserving of this honor, and I hope their passion for safety and improving conditions for riders inspires others to get involved like it has me.”

Five riders from across the country are being recognized as the 2016 Guardians of the Ride. They will be honored during a recognition ceremony in their hometown markets, where they will be presented with the special award by a local Allstate agency owner. In August, the Guardians will join Ballard at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota where they will be acknowledged for their efforts.

“Allstate has been an active force in the motorcycle community for many years, always with the same goal in mind, to keep riders riding,” said Jennifer Egeland, director of marketing for Allstate Insurance Company. “We are dedicated to helping make riders feel more secure on the road and are thrilled to honor riders who share similar passions to Allstate.”

“My name is Dierks Bentley, and I’ll be your head bartender tonight,” the 12-time Grammy nominee, and the evening’s headliner, told a sold-out crowd of more than 14,000 on Sunday evening (May 22) at DTE Energy Music Theatre just outside of Detroit.

In truth, he was much more, providing the soundtrack for a boozy, music-filled shindig. A rootsy-rock rendition of “Up on the Ridge,” the title track of his 2010 album, launched the show, followed by 2007’s “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go).” Bentley encouraged the crowd to lift up their “first cups of summer” for a drink before launching into “Tip It on Back.” Bentley tipped back a drink of his own with a lucky attendee onstage, as the fan and the country star shared a cold one mid-song.

The show was the sixth stop on Bentley’s 2016 Somewhere On A Beach Tour and it was evident from Bentley’s easygoing onstage charisma that he was cherishing each moment. The outdoor amphitheater was an ideal fit for Bentley’s 18-song set, which was heavy on the hits, including “Am I the Only One,” “5-1-5-0,” “Say You Do,” “I Hold On,” “What Was I Thinking,” and “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do.”

Bentley has long had the reputation as one of the hardest-working entertainers in country music. This evening, dressed in jeans and a fitted shirt emblazoned with “Detroit,” Bentley made the most of every inch of the stage and its production, which included multiple performance levels and three screens. With every seat in the venue occupied, Bentley worked to reach every fan in attendance.

Halfway through the set, Bentley made the trek through the crowd to a satellite stage, shaking hands and thanking fans along the way. He brought up two of the evening’s openers, Randy Houser and Cam, for a cover of The Eagles’ “Take It Easy,” before offering another track from his latest album, Black, titled “Freedom.” Black releases May 27 on Capitol Records Nashville.

With the song’s strains still ringing, Bentley made the jaunt back through the crowd to the main stage for the tour’s namesake (and current single), “Somewhere on a Beach.”

Fans in the front rows and pit area got plenty of face time, as Bentley high-fived fans and took selfies with audience members’ phones, all while never missing a lyric. Multiple times during the show, he teased fans near the stage in the “pit” area with a crowd surf. He made good on his tease, jumping into the crowd for a brief surf, as he reached into his song catalog for his very first hit, 2003’s “What Was I Thinkin’.”

Bentley made it clear that his ambition wasn’t just to put on a good show, but to genuinely have as much fun onstage as his audience had in the crowd. “It’s my Sunday funday, too,” quipped Bentley, who later ‘fessed up to his own drunk-texting behavior from time to time. Though, his recipients are a bit more famous than most. “Sometime around 2 a.m., 3 a.m., I will text Alison Krauss. That’s what I do,” said Bentley.

Some of the evening’s most impactful moments came from (slightly) quieter moments showcasing newer material from Bentley’s album Black, including the sensual title track and “What the Hell Did I Say.”

Bentley was careful to keep the party rolling, however. By the end of the night, the crowd had gotten “Sideways,” and the stage was taken over by a plane-shaped set prop, as attendees spilled from the plane to the stage, singing along with one of his biggest chart-toppers, “Drunk on a Plane.”

Prior to the show, several fans got more up-close interactions with the artists on the evening’s bill, including an acoustic performance from Tucker Beathard, a meet-and-greet with Houser, and an early acoustic set from Bentley, including a fan-requested rendition of the affecting ballad “Riser.”

Jennifer Nettles’ Playing With Fire has rekindled her connection to the country chart. It’s the singer-songwriter’s first release for Big Machine Label Group, and enters the country album sales chart at No. 2, with 31K sold. It arrives at No. 10 in the overall chart, with combined units of 33K, accounting for streaming, song sales and album sales.

Meanwhile, Keith Urban maintains the top spot on the country albums sales chart. This week, Ripcord moved 32K units. With combined units of 48K, it lands at No. 6 on the overall chart.

The country album sales chart’s Top 5 is rounded out by Cole Swindell’s You Should Be Here (23K), Chris Stapleton’s Traveller (21K) and Joey + Rory’s Hymns (7.6K).

The compilation The Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 4, Vol. 2 enters this week at No. 12 (3.7K).

Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y.” holds steady at No. 1 on the country digital tracks chart, with 78K sold this week. That’s followed by The Voice contestant Adam Wakefield’s “I’m Sorry,” moving 52K. Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood’s “The Fighter” rises to No. 3 with 50K.

In addition, Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” lands at No. 4 (33.5). Blake Shelton stands at No. 5 with “Came Here to Forget” (31K) as well as No. 6 with “Go Ahead and Break My Heart,” a duet with Gwen Stefani (27.5K).

Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” remains at No. 1 for overall digital tracks sales this week with 204K. Drake’s Views stays No. 1 on the overall album chart with combined units of 239K.

Information courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan.