Jackson Dean. Photo: Sean Hagwell
Rising star Jackson Dean has been bringing music lovers together by breaking the mold since he burst onto the scene, silencing the same venues in which he has rattled the rafters with the vibrant pictures of life painted by his rock-country blend, resilient demeanor and alluringly-adventurous spirit.
In 2022, the Big Machine Records artist turned heads with his debut project, Greenbroke, which features history-making No. 1 “Don’t Come Lookin'” and top 10, Canadian Gold-certified single “Fearless (The Echo),” and kept them pivoted with the release of his Live At The Ryman collection last year. Since then, Dean and his band have continued to captivate crowds across the globe while playing multiple headlining shows, supporting numerous tours and making various festival appearances, amassing more fans with every mile they travel. He recently unveiled his sophomore album, On The Back of My Dreams. Comprised of 13 tracks, all co-penned by Dean, the body of work seeks to score snapshots of the human experience, conceptually intensifying as it progresses. Despite being tinged with detail, the illustrations are malleable to listeners’ varying experiences.
The Odenton, Maryland native began cultivating his writing style at the age of 14. After graduating high school early, he signed publishing deal with Little Louder Music and made the move to Nashville. Once Dean began working with producer and frequent collaborator Luke Dick, among others, he found himself experimenting with phrasing and different musical elements. When in writing rooms today, he often becomes “the interpreter”—absorbing the information, organizing and translating it to his dialect.
Photo: Courtesy of Big Machine Records
“I came down here to give it my all and make music that’s distinct and unique,” Dean tells MusicRow. “To find, get and hone in on the sounds that I love is hard to do. I’m fortunate to have someone who not only understands me, but is willing to go to the places that I want to go to get to where I want to be.”
Distinct is exactly how each On The Back Of My Dreams tune can be described. “They can all stand on their own,” he notes. “With how drastically different they are, I didn’t walk into recording with a specific idea on how to thread the needle through them.”
The project opens with a powerful light from the hopeful “Big Blue Sky,” which gradually starts to fade following current radio single “Heavens To Betsy” and grows dimmer as the title’s muse “Jane” is introduced.
“When I started my career, I wanted feel every emotion [as much I could],” Dean explains. “These songs are operating at the extreme ends of what they are and embody a characteristic that not only lives within me, but within us all.”
He penned “Big Blue Sky” with drummer Sean Mercer, guitarist Brandon Aksteter and bassist Rich Kolm on the way to a gig at Blind Horse Saloon, where its inaugural live performance took place later that night. Inspired by Dean’s late dog and shotgun-rider for 14 years, Carl, the ode depicts a librated pup running over a hill toward the sun. Mercer has also traversed a decade’s worth of miles with Dean and served as his first producer on early works developed in Baltimore. The drummer then brought Kolm into the mix, and Dean connected with guitarist Aksteter at the bar built by his great, great grandfather where he first started playing live. The Maryland-grown group has since built a familial bond that has remained unbreakable throughout the past few years.
“There’s something that happens when we get together,” Dean shares. Brandon is an incredible guitar player. Nobody can do what Rich does on a bass, and Sean is just meat-and-potatoes solid. I’m extremely lucky.”
Alongside multi-instrumentalist Trevor Shipley, they have struck deep chords performing the heartbreakingly-beautiful fan favorite “Heavens To Betsy.” A prime example of excellent storytelling by Dean, Benjy Davis and Driver Williams, the track is narrated from the perspective of a regret-filled man sitting on the outskirts of heaven who is trying to communicate with his daughter via a CB radio. Dean was unsure if the live-show staple would ever see the recoding booth until he saw how much it resonated with the masses it mesmerized.
“I’ve watched tears fall to this song, and it’s crazy to see how much love it’s gotten and how much people, in and outside of the industry, believe in it,” he says “It’s songs of this subject matter that make you look in the mirror and think about what you want.”
Performing live is “one of the biggest parts” of Dean’s life. He, Mercer, Aksteter, Kolm and Shipley strive to give it their all every time they’re under the lights. “There’s no drug like it. There’s nothing on this planet that will give that same feeling.”
One favorite number that Dean is psyched to play in person is “Jane,” from which the title On The Back Of My Dreams is derived. Concocted alongside Dick and Ryan Tyndell, the “witchy little nursery rhyme” is one of the project’s more abstract works and gives him the opportunity to hit notes he doesn’t get the chance to in others. He oozes with excitement for the “ritualistic” atmosphere featuring the entire band’s vocals that its live rendition enrobes the audience in, and details the way the line “keeping me awake on the back of my dreams” stayed swirling in his mind.
“It made me think of that blissful moment when you first open your eyes in the morning before reality hits,” Dean describes. “It was when we started getting all of the mixes back that I found subtle footprints of ‘Jane’ throughout the entire project. Whether it’s the musicality, the way it’s played or the language used, there’s flares of the song’s surrealness in the sonic elements of the rest.”
The collection comes to a close with its oldest track, “Another Century,” which seeks to summarize the soul-stirring journey the listener has been taken on with flashes of memories while the artist accepts that he will not live to see another century. The “pretty little poem,” written with Brian Koppelman and Jon Sherwood, intricately describes moments that Dean has seen and lived himself.
“You cannot say all that is in your heart in one go. I’ve tried and racked my brain on how to do it, and there’s just no way,” he states. “‘Another Century’ is a part of my piece being said—the most I can say in one go.”
In addition to showcasing his growth as an artist and the individual traits of the tracks, he hopes that On The Back Of My Dreams reminds people that we are connected in the feelings and situations we encounter.
“We are meant to feel all of this together,” Dean says. “In my mind, the purpose of all music is to know that we are not alone. The fours words ‘all in this together’ sum up everything that I’ve wanted say.”
He and his band of brothers plan to reiterate that message on the road as they continue supporting Lainey Wilson on her “Country’s Cool Again Tour,” which will make its way to Lubbock, Texas next week ahead of Dean’s Grand Ole Opry performance on Oct. 16.
On The Back Of My Dreams Track Listing:
1. “Big Blue Sky” (Jackson Dean, Brandon Aksteter, Rich Kolm, Sean Mercer)
2. “Duct Tape Heart” (Jackson Dean, Casey Beathard, Luke Dick)
3. “Talkin’ To Backroads” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell)
4. “Daddy Raised” (Jackson Dean, Tucker Beathard, Bryan Simpson, Ryan Tyndell)
5. “Long Goodbye” (Jackson Dean, RL Burnside, Trent Dabbs, Luke Dick, Jeff Hyde)
6. “Real Real” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Josh Osborne)
7. “Heavens To Betsy” (Jackson Dean, Benjy Davis, Driver Williams)
8. “Train” (Jackson Dean, Brandon Aksteter, Luke Dick, Rich Kolm, Sean Mercer)
9. “Free” (Jackson Dean, Blake Chaffin, Luke Dick)
10. “Sweet Appalachia” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell)
11. “Jane” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell)
12. “Heaven” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Laura Veltz)
13. “Another Century” (Jackson Dean, Brian Koppelman, Jon Sherwood)
Jake Worthington Signs With Big Loud Texas
/by Madison HahnenMiranda Lambert and Jake Worthington celebrate his signing to Big Loud Texas backstage at the MuttNation Music for Mutts benefit concert in Nashville on Oct. 5. Photo: Jessica Hood
Jake Worthington has signed with Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall‘s Big Loud Texas, becoming the label’s second-ever signing. The partnership was revealed at Lambert’s “MuttNation Music For Mutts” benefit concert this Saturday (Oct. 5).
“I’m really proud to say, I get to announce this from stage tonight,” Lambert said. “I’m a co-founder of a new label called Big Loud Texas, and our sole job is to keep the outlaw movement going and to keep the great stuff from the great state of Texas out there for the people. And as of last week, we got one of my favorite artists of all time on our label. I want y’all to welcome back to the stage my friend Jake Worthington! Did y’all hear him earlier? He is country as a biscuit, and I love it!”
“I’ve been both Big Loud and Texas through and true for a while now, so it sure feels good to make it official like this,” added Worthington.
Already making an impact on the label, Worthington and Lambert recently released their new duet “Hello Shitty Day.” Worthington is also slated to hit the road with on an east coast run with Kameron Marlowe this weekend, and will support Riley Green and Zach Top for select dates on their respective tours next year.
“We are so glad to welcome Jake Worthington to Big Loud Texas,” VP of Big Loud Texas, Brendon Anthony, shares. “Jake is 100% country through and through, and we could not be more excited to have him on board!”
“No words can describe my excitement of having Jake Worthington on the Big Loud Texas team. Every time I hear him sing, I’m reminded of why I fell in love with country music in the first place,” Randall adds. “Grab a six pack and hang on, it’s about to get real.”
Jackson Dean Scores The Human Experience On Sophomore Album [Interview]
/by Liza AndersonJackson Dean. Photo: Sean Hagwell
Rising star Jackson Dean has been bringing music lovers together by breaking the mold since he burst onto the scene, silencing the same venues in which he has rattled the rafters with the vibrant pictures of life painted by his rock-country blend, resilient demeanor and alluringly-adventurous spirit.
In 2022, the Big Machine Records artist turned heads with his debut project, Greenbroke, which features history-making No. 1 “Don’t Come Lookin'” and top 10, Canadian Gold-certified single “Fearless (The Echo),” and kept them pivoted with the release of his Live At The Ryman collection last year. Since then, Dean and his band have continued to captivate crowds across the globe while playing multiple headlining shows, supporting numerous tours and making various festival appearances, amassing more fans with every mile they travel. He recently unveiled his sophomore album, On The Back of My Dreams. Comprised of 13 tracks, all co-penned by Dean, the body of work seeks to score snapshots of the human experience, conceptually intensifying as it progresses. Despite being tinged with detail, the illustrations are malleable to listeners’ varying experiences.
The Odenton, Maryland native began cultivating his writing style at the age of 14. After graduating high school early, he signed publishing deal with Little Louder Music and made the move to Nashville. Once Dean began working with producer and frequent collaborator Luke Dick, among others, he found himself experimenting with phrasing and different musical elements. When in writing rooms today, he often becomes “the interpreter”—absorbing the information, organizing and translating it to his dialect.
Photo: Courtesy of Big Machine Records
“I came down here to give it my all and make music that’s distinct and unique,” Dean tells MusicRow. “To find, get and hone in on the sounds that I love is hard to do. I’m fortunate to have someone who not only understands me, but is willing to go to the places that I want to go to get to where I want to be.”
Distinct is exactly how each On The Back Of My Dreams tune can be described. “They can all stand on their own,” he notes. “With how drastically different they are, I didn’t walk into recording with a specific idea on how to thread the needle through them.”
The project opens with a powerful light from the hopeful “Big Blue Sky,” which gradually starts to fade following current radio single “Heavens To Betsy” and grows dimmer as the title’s muse “Jane” is introduced.
“When I started my career, I wanted feel every emotion [as much I could],” Dean explains. “These songs are operating at the extreme ends of what they are and embody a characteristic that not only lives within me, but within us all.”
He penned “Big Blue Sky” with drummer Sean Mercer, guitarist Brandon Aksteter and bassist Rich Kolm on the way to a gig at Blind Horse Saloon, where its inaugural live performance took place later that night. Inspired by Dean’s late dog and shotgun-rider for 14 years, Carl, the ode depicts a librated pup running over a hill toward the sun. Mercer has also traversed a decade’s worth of miles with Dean and served as his first producer on early works developed in Baltimore. The drummer then brought Kolm into the mix, and Dean connected with guitarist Aksteter at the bar built by his great, great grandfather where he first started playing live. The Maryland-grown group has since built a familial bond that has remained unbreakable throughout the past few years.
“There’s something that happens when we get together,” Dean shares. Brandon is an incredible guitar player. Nobody can do what Rich does on a bass, and Sean is just meat-and-potatoes solid. I’m extremely lucky.”
Alongside multi-instrumentalist Trevor Shipley, they have struck deep chords performing the heartbreakingly-beautiful fan favorite “Heavens To Betsy.” A prime example of excellent storytelling by Dean, Benjy Davis and Driver Williams, the track is narrated from the perspective of a regret-filled man sitting on the outskirts of heaven who is trying to communicate with his daughter via a CB radio. Dean was unsure if the live-show staple would ever see the recoding booth until he saw how much it resonated with the masses it mesmerized.
“I’ve watched tears fall to this song, and it’s crazy to see how much love it’s gotten and how much people, in and outside of the industry, believe in it,” he says “It’s songs of this subject matter that make you look in the mirror and think about what you want.”
Performing live is “one of the biggest parts” of Dean’s life. He, Mercer, Aksteter, Kolm and Shipley strive to give it their all every time they’re under the lights. “There’s no drug like it. There’s nothing on this planet that will give that same feeling.”
One favorite number that Dean is psyched to play in person is “Jane,” from which the title On The Back Of My Dreams is derived. Concocted alongside Dick and Ryan Tyndell, the “witchy little nursery rhyme” is one of the project’s more abstract works and gives him the opportunity to hit notes he doesn’t get the chance to in others. He oozes with excitement for the “ritualistic” atmosphere featuring the entire band’s vocals that its live rendition enrobes the audience in, and details the way the line “keeping me awake on the back of my dreams” stayed swirling in his mind.
“It made me think of that blissful moment when you first open your eyes in the morning before reality hits,” Dean describes. “It was when we started getting all of the mixes back that I found subtle footprints of ‘Jane’ throughout the entire project. Whether it’s the musicality, the way it’s played or the language used, there’s flares of the song’s surrealness in the sonic elements of the rest.”
The collection comes to a close with its oldest track, “Another Century,” which seeks to summarize the soul-stirring journey the listener has been taken on with flashes of memories while the artist accepts that he will not live to see another century. The “pretty little poem,” written with Brian Koppelman and Jon Sherwood, intricately describes moments that Dean has seen and lived himself.
“You cannot say all that is in your heart in one go. I’ve tried and racked my brain on how to do it, and there’s just no way,” he states. “‘Another Century’ is a part of my piece being said—the most I can say in one go.”
In addition to showcasing his growth as an artist and the individual traits of the tracks, he hopes that On The Back Of My Dreams reminds people that we are connected in the feelings and situations we encounter.
“We are meant to feel all of this together,” Dean says. “In my mind, the purpose of all music is to know that we are not alone. The fours words ‘all in this together’ sum up everything that I’ve wanted say.”
He and his band of brothers plan to reiterate that message on the road as they continue supporting Lainey Wilson on her “Country’s Cool Again Tour,” which will make its way to Lubbock, Texas next week ahead of Dean’s Grand Ole Opry performance on Oct. 16.
On The Back Of My Dreams Track Listing:
1. “Big Blue Sky” (Jackson Dean, Brandon Aksteter, Rich Kolm, Sean Mercer)
2. “Duct Tape Heart” (Jackson Dean, Casey Beathard, Luke Dick)
3. “Talkin’ To Backroads” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell)
4. “Daddy Raised” (Jackson Dean, Tucker Beathard, Bryan Simpson, Ryan Tyndell)
5. “Long Goodbye” (Jackson Dean, RL Burnside, Trent Dabbs, Luke Dick, Jeff Hyde)
6. “Real Real” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Josh Osborne)
7. “Heavens To Betsy” (Jackson Dean, Benjy Davis, Driver Williams)
8. “Train” (Jackson Dean, Brandon Aksteter, Luke Dick, Rich Kolm, Sean Mercer)
9. “Free” (Jackson Dean, Blake Chaffin, Luke Dick)
10. “Sweet Appalachia” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell)
11. “Jane” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Ryan Tyndell)
12. “Heaven” (Jackson Dean, Luke Dick, Laura Veltz)
13. “Another Century” (Jackson Dean, Brian Koppelman, Jon Sherwood)
Lanie Gardner To Give Glimpse Into ‘A Songwriter’s Diary’ On Debut Album
/by Liza AndersonLanie Gardner will release her debut album, A Songwriter’s Diary, on Oct. 25 as a newly-signed BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville artist.
Penned entirely by Gardner, the 10-track project, aims to offer a personal glimpse into her journey as an artist—serving as both a reflective journal and an introduction to her musical identity. She gave fans a taste of the upcoming album today (Oct. 4) with the unveiling of “Somewhere, Nowhere in Carolina,” a track that seeks to capture the essence of her experience in the music industry, exploring feelings of disconnection and longing for home.
“I was defeated and wanted nothing more than to be ‘somewhere’ back home and ‘nowhere’ in my career,” she shares about her inspiration, adding, “Today, I write songs for my fans, my friends and my family who pulled me through such a dark time. But that day… I wrote a song for me.”
Also featuring previously-released tunes “Lord Knows” and “Mountains and Miller,” A Songwriter’s Diary hopes to emphasize the significance of her early work and the foundation from which she came from. Gardner has previously brought her combination of country and classic rock to collaborations with David Guetta and Morten as well as her feature on the Twisters soundtrack alongside Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson.
Additionally, the Burnsville, North Carolina native has spearheaded a food and necessities drive in Nashville in response to the recent natural disaster with donations scheduled to be delivered to her hometown and surrounding areas tomorrow (Oct. 5).
JT Harding, Peter Zinn’s ‘Music City: A New Musical’ To Premiere In New York
/by Lorie HollabaughJT Harding with cast
Music City: A New Musical from hit songwriter JT Harding and Peter Zinn, alongside Bedlam Artistic Director Eric Tucker, is set to make its New York debut beginning Oct. 27 and opening Nov. 17 at the West End Theatre.
The musical draws viewers into a first-hand account of talented unsung songwriters passing their time and sharing their art in an east Nashville watering hole. As their lives unfold around their songs, and their songs reveal the emotional contours of their lives, the musical also tells stories of America’s drug epidemic, the plights of those who join the military and one struggling artist’s encounters with both these wars as he seeks success as a songwriter.
Zinn and Harding have been friends since middle school in Detroit. Zinn had moved to New York to attend NYU Tisch School of the Arts and was working as an actor and director when a mutual friend gave him a CD of Harding’s featuring a song called “How Did I Get Here?” about his experience performing for troops in Afghanistan. Zinn was struck by the song’s theatricality, and reconnected with Harding to urge him to turn his material into a musical. Harding responded that, instead, Zinn should write it and he’d provide the music, so they began to build a play around that song. Music City now contains Harding’s radio hits alongside songs written specifically for the piece.
“The most unexpected and thrilling part of this journey is how real the characters have become to me,” says Harding. “I’d come back to Nashville after sitting in on rehearsal and start writing songs about them as if they were real people because Peter’s story is so great. Then those, too, would be incorporated into the script, which became more and more about the realities of drug addiction and poverty in this scene where people are just trying to make it — and how, for every Carrie Underwood or Kacey Musgraves or Blake Shelton, there are thousands of people right outside my door that have so much talent but will never ‘make it.’
“Our mantra, which is one of the lyrics, became ‘in Nashville, heartbreak’s the only thing they hand out for free.’ Peter wrote that story so beautifully, and Eric taps into it so magically, tugging at the heartstrings while also creating a piece that’s a real party.”
The cast for Music City includes Drew Bastian as Newt/Drums, Leenya Rideout as Tammy/Leeanne, Andrew Rothenberg as Bakerman/Stucky Stiles, Jonathan Judge-Russo as Drew, Casey Shuler as “23,” Stephen Michael Spencer as T.J. and Grace Bernardo as understudy. Musicians include Ann Klein (guitar) and Tony Tino (bass).
Fourth Annual ‘Opry NextStage Live’ To Take Place In December
/by Madison HahnenThe Grand Ole Opry will hold its fourth annual “Opry NextStage Live,” presented by Tecovas, on Dec. 9.
The Opry-style show will feature emerging country artists who are part of the Opry NextStage program. Reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year, 2021 Opry NextStage alum and newest Opry member Lainey Wilson will host and perform.
The lineup will include 49 Winchester, Anne Wilson, Charles Wesley Godwin, Chase Matthew, Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Josh Ross, Madeline Edwards and Wyatt Flores, who are all a part of the program’s 2024 class. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, click here.
Founded in 2019, the NextStage program has introduced new talent to fans and has also featured Megan Moroney, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Nate Smith, Hailey Whitters, Tenille Townes, Priscilla Block, Breland, Callista Clark, Chapel Hart, Travis Denning, Niko Moon, Restless Road, Jameson Rodgers, Elvie Shane, Conner Smith and Morgan Wade.
Drew Baldridge Commemorates Historic No. 1
/by John Nix ArledgePictured (L-R, back row): Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston, Hipgnosis’ Ashley Alexander, BMI’s MaryAnn Keen, Studio Bank’s Kari Barnhart and BMI’s Clay Bradley; (L-R, front row): Nick Schwarz, Cameron Jaymes, Drew Baldridge and Jimmy Yeary. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI
Industry members, family and friends gathered on the BMI rooftop on Thursday (Oct. 3) to celebrate the achievement of Drew Baldridge and his historic No. 1 song.
“She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” written by Baldridge, Cameron Jaymes and Jimmy Yeary, and produced by Nick Schwarz, is the first song ever released by an independent artist to reach No. 1 on the country radio charts. Originally released in 2019, the momentous track made way for a tearful, heartfelt celebration.
Among those who spoke, a good friend and early believer in Baldridge, Rusty Gaston, took to the stage to share his congratulations with the artist and co-writers.
“Drew and I have worked together for about 12 years now, and there’s a few things that I want you guys to know about him. He has a heart of gold, he is genuine, he is loyal, he is honorable, he is faith-filled, he is resilient, he is creative, he is an overcomer, he is tough and he is never a victim,” Gaston said with tears in his eyes.
He continued, “When chasing a dream for 12 years, there can be a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but the difference-maker in Drew is when those downs came along, he never allowed himself to be a victim. He was never a person that said, ‘if I only had that,’ or, ‘if that person had only done this.’ Those words were never in his vocabulary. He chose to lean into things that he could control—and that was to create. He would create a new song, a new video, a new way to tour and a new way to get his music exposed.”
After words from Country Aircheck’s Lon Helton and Studio Bank’s Kari Barnhart, who presented the crew with a donation to Warrior Nation Cancer Foundation on their behalf, it was time for the writers and producer to speak.
Up first was Schwarz, Baldridge’s producer for the last five years, “A few things stood out to me immediately with Drew. One, he is a great songwriter, two, he is great on the mic and most of all, he is an incredible worker. The drive and vision that he has is amazing. It is bold as an independent artist to take your song to radio in the first place, but to get it to No. 1 takes an incredible amount of work.”
Jaymes, who was also celebrating his first No. 1, began by thanking God in a short prayer before sharing gratitude for his family, friends and Drew. “No one deserves it more than you, truly. You are the definition of the ‘good guy.’ In a world and a business where it feels like the nice guys finish last, man, it feels good to see the good guy finish in first.”
Inspired by Jaymes, Yeary took a moment to reflect on why he does what he does. “My intention is in 2 Corinthians, where it says we are supposed to comfort others with the same comfort that we have been given. I think the best way we can do that is to help others realize they aren’t alone in their trials and tragedy.”
Finally, Baldridge started by thanking God and his family joking,“Y’all didn’t know you were coming to a church service did you? We’re getting a little Jesus in here!”
He continued, “What I realized when I was in people’s backyards playing music during the pandemic is that I, and these guys on stage, aren’t writing music for this town. We are writing for people and their human hearts—that is what changed everything for me.”
The Red Clay Strays To Drop First Live Project In November
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Red Clay Strays are releasing their first live project, Live At The Ryman, Nov. 15 on RCA Records.
The new project was recorded earlier this month during the band’s sold-out, three-night headline debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and includes songs from across their catalogue, including “I’m Still Fine,” out today (Oct. 4).
Live At The Ryman adds to a breakout year for The Red Clay Strays, who are nominated for Vocal Group of the Year at the upcoming 58th Annual CMA Awards (their first CMA nomination), won Emerging Act of the Year at the 2024 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards, and released their new album, Made by These Moments, earlier this summer.
The band will continue to perform through fall including upcoming shows at Los Angeles’ The Wiltern, Boston’s Roadrunner, Philadelphia’s The Fillmore, Denver’s Mission Ballroom and San Diego’s SOMA, among several others. The Red Clay Strays have sold out every one of their headline shows this year as well as their newly-confirmed 2025 Canadian tour.
Live At The Ryman Track List:
1. “Ramblin”’
2. “Wanna Be Loved”
3. “I’m Still Fine”
4. “Wondering Why”
5. “Will The Lord Remember Me”
6. “Drowning”
7. “Stones Throw”
8. “Disaster”
9. “No One Else Likes Me”
10. “Ghosts”
11. “Don’t Care”
Jamey Johnson Readies First Solo Studio Album In 14 Years
/by LB CantrellJamey Johnson. Photo: David McClister
Award-winning singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson will release his new album, Midnight Gasoline, on Nov. 8 as his first with Warner Music Nashville. The project will mark his first solo studio album in 14 years.
Midnight Gasoline is also the first of Johnson’s Cash Cabin Series, which is a collection of albums recorded at the famed studio in Hendersonville that was owned by Johnny and June Carter Cash, and now owned by their son, John Carter Cash. Johnson spent three weeks recording about 30 songs there, sleeping in his bus that was parked outside.
“I’ve always wanted to make an album there,” he shares. “I went in with an album in mind, where we go in and cut and cut and cut. That is when I knew we were off to the races. This is more than an album; this is a series.”
Also known as Cash One, Midnight Gasoline follows Johnson’s his Platinum-certified That Lonesome Song (2008) and the Gold-certified, Billboard No. 1 album The Guitar Song (2010). The Grand Ole Opry member also released a 2012 duets project, the Grammy-nominated Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran and a Christmas EP.
The new album contains “21 Guns,” “What a View,” “Trudy” and “Sober,” all of which were released during the last few months. His “Someday When I’m Old” is out today (Oct. 4).
“I think the only common thread would be me,” Johnson says of Midnight Gasoline. “There isn’t an overtone or some underlying theme in the songs. They are just glimpses of my life. Some of them are just funny stories, and not all of them were written recently. In that regard, I really am kind of picking up where I left off, grabbing those few songs that were probably ready to put out back then. It’s good to get those out there.
“Some of the songs are new,” he adds. “’What a View’ is one of the first of the new ones that was written for this album. It’s straight from a very personal place.”
The album’s first half was produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys—Wayd Battle, Jim “Moose” Brown, Tom Bukovac, T.W. Cargile, Kevin “Swine” Grant, Cowboy Eddie Long, Dave McAfee, James Mitchell and Chris Powell. Dave Cobb, who also worked on That Lonesome Sound and The Guitar Song, produced the album’s second half.
In addition to partnering with Warner Music Nashville, Johnson has also signed with TKO Artist Management as his new management team.
“Jamey and I have been friends for a long time and frequently spoke about working together. You just don’t miss an opportunity to work with a talent like Jamey Johnson,” shares TK Kimbrell, Owner of TKO Artist Management.
Midnight Gasoline Track Listing:
1. “Bad Guy” (Jamey Johnson and Dale Dodson)
2. “Midnight Gasoline” (Scotty Emerick, Dean Dillon and Jeff Hyde)
3. “What a View” (Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, Rob Hatch and Dallas Davidson)
4. “21 Guns” (Jamey Johnson and Jim “Moose” Brown)
5. “Someday When I’m Old” (Aimee Mayo, Chris Lindsey and Troy Verges)
6. “Trudy” featuring Randy Houser (Charlie Daniels)
7. “One More Time” (Jamey Johnson, Ernest Keith Smith and Rob Hatch)
8. “Saturday Night in New Orleans” (Jamey Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Tony Joe White)
9. “Sober” (Jamey Johnson and James Slater)
10. “I’m Tired of It All” (Dallas Davidson and Kyle Fishman)
11. “No Time Like the Past” (Jamey Johnson and Chris Stapleton)
12. “What Do You Answer To” (Jamey Johnson, Ira Dean, Ajay Popoff and Jeremy Popoff)
Lindsay Ell Inks With Universal Music Canada, Announces New EP
/by Lorie HollabaughLindsay Ell
Platinum hitmaker Lindsay Ell has signed with Universal Music Canada and is set to release her new EP Love Myself, on Oct. 25.
After a decade of establishing herself as a successful artist in Nashville with three No.1 hits and over 220 million streams, Ell feels that she has undergone a musical metamorphosis, transforming into an unbound, fearless and unapologetic artist. She is making her producing debut alongside Doug Schadt on the new project, and has released the lead single, “Story I Tell Myself,” which offers a first glimpse into her most autobiographical music to date. The track is a reflection on damaging self-talk and an attempted shift towards a kinder inner voice.
“Lindsay Ell is a one-of-a-kind human, and a once-in-a-lifetime artist. We are so honored to partner with her to share her powerful music and message to the world,” says Julie Adam, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Universal Music Canada. “Lindsay is a multi-talented musician, and her positive energy and resilience will inspire and connect with fans globally.”
“I am more inspired and excited to make music than I ever have been before and, for the first time in a long time, I’m no longer standing under a veil of trying to be who I’m not,” says Ell. “This project is all about learning how to love myself again. This has been my journey back to myself, back to the music that I have wanted to make since I first moved to Nashville.”
Ell has toured alongside artists like Keith Urban, OneRepublic and Maren Morris, and brought her electric live performance style to audiences across the U.S., Canada, Europe and the U.K. Fans have recently seen Ell as Shania Twain’s lead guitarist on the superstar’s “Come on Over” international tour and Las Vegas residency, which continues into 2025.
Morgan Wallen Notches Another No. 1 On The MusicRow Radio Chart
/by John Nix ArledgeMorgan Wallen has reached the top of the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with “Lies Lies Lies.”
The track is part of his Abbey Road Sessions, released in celebration of his third studio album One Thing At A Time, and was written by Jessie Jo Dillon, Josh Miller, Daniel Ross and Chris Tompkins.
Wallen recently made headlines after donating $500,000 to the Red Cross through the Morgan Wallen Foundation to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts in his home of east Tennessee.
“Lies Lies Lies” currently sits at No. 11 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 9 on the Mediabase chart.
Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.