John Anderson will perform his first acoustic concert in Nashville in over 30 years on July 29, as the first guest on the inaugural “Country On The Cumberland” series presented by 650 AM WSM. The special event will take place aboard the General Jackson Showboat as guests cruise down the Cumberland and enjoy a dinner with the intimate show. Anderson will perform songs from his new CD Goldmine, which was released May 26, along with favorite hits.

The new series is being held as part of WSM’s 90th Anniversary celebration, and the station will spotlight a different artist for each show from July through October.

Listeners can purchase tickets to the Country On The Cumberland shows via wsmonline.com.

The Voice runner-up and former Steel Magnolia member Meghan Linsey is releasing a new EP, Believer, July 31. The collection was produced by Tyler Cain and recorded in Nashville, and features six songs co-written by Linsey that highlight her soulful, swampy sound.

The EP will be available exclusively in an early release on Ghost Tunes at a reduced price beginning July 27, and will be released to all digital retailers four days later.

“Recording this time around was really just about finding my voice as a solo artist, and for me, that meant getting back to my roots,” Linsey says about the new project. “I grew up in New Orleans and I’ve always had a soulful sound, I’m just now really able to showcase it fully. Tyler Cain produced the record and we did a lot of it with a total of three musicians. I think keeping it small was key. His production really allows me to showcase my soulful side while keeping it mainstream. These six songs are a great representation of me, as a human and an artist. They’re bold and genuine and have depth. I really laid it all out there.”

Believer Track Listing:
“Counterfeit”
“Believer”
“Sunshine In My Soul”
“This Side of Heaven”
“Everything is Happening”
“Best of Me”

Republic Nashville artist Cassadee Pope releases her new single “I Am Invincible” this week (July 24) across all digital retailers and to radio with an official impact date of Sept. 8. The power anthem was written by Brett Boyett and Nash Overstreet and produced by Julian Raymond.

Pope said the first time she heard the song it hit her right in the heart. “I was thinking of all the things I have gone through over the last few years that could have very well influenced me to step away from making music. At the same time, I was reminded of how proud I should be of myself for sticking to my true passion. I have my fans to thank for that with their encouragement, support and really cheering me on at a time of uncertainty. Thinking about all of those emotions really takes this song to another level when I’m performing it and I hope ‘I Am Invincible’ gives others their confidence too.”

She adds, “The song is for those people who have gone through a really tough experience. What I love about this song is it’s very empowering. The song encourages people to get through tough things and be stronger because of it. But there’s a vulnerability to it that I think is really important. It’s ok to not be ok, and it’s ok to be wounded.”

Her parents’ divorce when she was only eleven proved to be a difficult time for the songstress. Pope shares, “I thought of my mom when I first heard this song. It was a huge struggle for her but she taught my sister and I how to be self sufficient, how to be empowered and how to be independent. I learned so much from that experience because of her and how she handled it.”

The singer is offering up a chance for fans to participate in the song’s official lyric video. Fans can register here.

The Florida native’s debut single, “Wasting All These Tears,” sold over a million copies and was featured on her debut country album, Frame By Frame. She came onto the national stage after winning the third season of NBC’s The Voice in 2012, making her the first female winner of the singing competition.

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn will play a special Nashville show at the city’s new Ascend Amphitheater as part of a Sept. 19 mini-festival held in the midst of the 16th Annual Americana Festival and Conference.

The one-day-only celebration that is open to the general public will also feature performances by Steve Earle, Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt, Eric Heywood, Nikki Lane, and Emmy Rose Russell. The mini-festival setup includes two stages, and more performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the special event run from $25-$75 and go on sale via Ticketmaster on July 31.

“We’re proud of the success of our boutique festival and conference, but this event at the Ascend Amphitheater is really for the entire community, not just the folks in the industry attending our business conference” said Americana Executive Director Jed Hilly. “It’s a celebration of the great city of Nashville and who better to highlight such an event than Miss Loretta Lynn.”

Lynn was honored by the Americana Music Association last fall with its Lifetime Achievement for Songwriter award.