Lee Brice will release his new 16-song album, Sunriser, on June 5. A brand new track from the project, “Country Nowadays,” is out now.

“Country Nowadays” finds Brice longing for simpler times and lamenting the current state of America. Sunriser features a collection of reflections on love, faith and heartbreak for all “sunrisers”—from firefighters, nurses and truck drivers, to blue-collar workers clocking out of graveyard shifts and tired parents waking up to take care of little ones.

“Country Nowadays” follows a reflective first single from the project, “Killed the Man,” that was released in October. Brice is also gearing up for a new Canadian tour in April that will visit British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

Sunriser Track List:
1. “Sunriser” (Lee Brice, Cooper Bascom, Jerrod Niemann)
2. “Killed The Man” (Michael Whitworth, Jared Conrad, Troy Cartwright, Chandler Baldwin)
3. “Me and Whiskey” (Lee Brice, Matt Alderman, Nate Kenyon)
4. “Country Nowadays” (Lee Brice, Matt Alderman, Nate Kenyon)
5. “Devil’s At It Again” (Lee Brice, Matt Alderman, Nate Kenyon, Lewis Brice)
6. “She Wasn’t Like That” (Tom Douglas)
7. “Bury The Dead” (Lee Brice, Billy Montana, David Tolliver, Brent Rupard)
8. “Truck Bed Mixtape” (Lee Brice, Andy Sheridan, Brian Davis)
9. “What You Know About That” (Lee Brice, Brian Davis, Andy Sheridan)
10. “Said No Country Boy Ever” (Lee Brice, Brock Berryhill, Cole Taylor, Brian Davis)
11. “All The Way Down” (Lee Brice, Adam Wood, Cooper Bascom)
12. “Drinkin’ Buddies” (Justin Wilson, Zach Kale, Chris DeStefano)
13. “Old Men” (Adam Wood)
14. “Cry” (Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip, David Garcia)
15. “Daddy Don’t Care” (Lee Brice, Adam Wood, Billy Montana)
16. “When The Kingdom Comes” (Lee Brice, Sara Brice, Billy Montana, Jon Stone)

Texas singer-songwriter Keller Cox is dropping a deluxe version of his recent EP Care To Look (Between The Lines) today (Feb. 20).

Recorded at Matchbox Recording Studio in Austin with Dwight A. Baker and released independently with the help of Make Wake Records, the 11-track project pairs each song from the original EP with an accompanying “Between The Lines” commentary track. Cox pulls back the curtain on his creative process of writing more than 100 songs for the original project, revealing the late-night writing sessions, the collabs with writers like Josh Abbott, Jason Earley and Delaney Ramsdell, and the moments of clarity that turned rough drafts into polished songs.

The deluxe EP also includes “Selling Songs (Work Tape),” an unreleased track that showcases the purity of Cox’s songwriting. The rising artist has already amassed over 4.5 million global streams and landed two top 10 singles at Texas country radio, and heads into spring with support dates for William Beckmann, Flatland Cavalry, and William Clark Green.

“When I first put out Care To Look last year, my hope was that it would inspire my listeners to look between the lines of this life we’ve been given as a gift to live,” says Cox. “There was a time when I took everything at face value but as I’ve grown and stepped into the world of songwriting, I’ve come to realize that the best things in life are often the ones we miss the first time around.”

Raised on 2000’s country, Cox discovered his passion for performing while attending Texas A&M University, where he became a regular at the iconic Hurricane Harry’s dancehall. Over the past three years, Cox has performed across Texas and beyond, opening for Willie Nelson, Corey Kent, Flatland Cavalry, The Castellows, and Josh Abbott Band. In early 2024, he released his second full-length album, Good Again, Amen, and the album’s lead single “Damn Good Friends” (featuring Cleto Cordero of Flatland Cavalry) peaked at No. 9 on the Texas country radio charts.

Care To Look (Between The Lines) Track Listing:
1. “Care To Look – Between The Lines”
2. “Care To Look” (Keller Cox, Luke Stevens, Kerr Rudge)
3. “All American – Between The Lines”
4. “All American” (Keller Cox, Josh Abbott)
5. “5×7 Rug – Between The Lines”
6. “5×7 Rug” (Keller Cox, Jason Earley, Delaney Ramsdell)
7. “Sunday Morning Matinee (Without You) – Between The Lines”
8. “Sunday Morning Matinee (Without You)” (Keller Cox)
9. “I Bet You Do Too – Between The Lines”
10. “I Bet You Do Too” (Keller Cox, Reid Morris, Brandon Ashley)
11. “Selling Songs (Work Tape)” (Keller Cox, Jason Earley, Braden Jamison)

Pictured (L-R): JT Myers, Pieter van Rijn and Nat Pastor. Photo: Damon Casarez.

Virgin Music Group (VMG) has acquired Downtown Music Holdings LLC (Downtown).

Pieter van Rijn has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of VMG, having been CEO of Downtown since last year. He will report to co-CEOs Nat Pastor and JT Myers and will continue to be based in Amsterdam.

“Pieter’s appointment signals our intent to bring these businesses together thoughtfully and strategically,” shares Pastor. “This is about making both Virgin Music Group and Downtown even better — preserving their distinct strengths while increasing the investment, technology and global resources available to independent entrepreneurs. Pieter’s experience and leadership make him the right person to help guide us forward.”

“This combination enhances the choice, service and global reach available to the independent community,” adds van Rijn. “I’m grateful to Justin and Andrew for their vision in building Downtown, and to Nat and JT for their trust as we enter this next chapter. Our focus is clear: strengthen what makes both companies special and deliver even greater value to the entrepreneurs we serve.”

Downtown Founder Justin Kalifowitz is stepping away from the company. Andrew Bergman, previously Chairman of Downtown, will transition into a senior advisory role. Initially established in 2007, Downtown collectively serves over 5,000 business clients and more than four million creators in 145 countries. Today, the company has core divisions across Artist & Label Services, Distribution, and Music Publishing. The company’s portfolio of businesses includes FUGA, Downtown Artist & Label Services, CD Baby, Downtown Music Publishing and Songtrust.

“I’m extremely proud of the culture we created, grounded in trust, long-term partnership and the constant pursuit of excellence,” says Bergman. “Pieter van Rijn epitomizes that culture and watching my friend grow into such an exceptional leader has been extremely gratifying. Justin and I look forward to cheering on Nat, JT, Pieter and the combined teams as they continue to create new opportunities for the global music community.”

“Today recognizes the extraordinary company the Downtown team has built,” adds Myers. “Justin’s pioneering spirit — and the leadership of Andrew, Pieter and colleagues worldwide — created an organization defined by its powerful belief in independent creators. We deeply respect what this team has built and are committed to backing it, protecting what makes Downtown successful, and expanding opportunities for the global independent community.”

Pictured (L-R): Chris Oglesby (BMG), Lance Roberts (WME), Colby Lee Swift, Amy Hendon Scott (BMG), Alex Luebbert (WME), Bobby Walkup and Trippy Phillips (Hollow Point Management). Photo: Terry Wyatt

Colby Lee Swift has signed a worldwide publishing deal with BMG, and with WME for booking.

Born and raised on a ranch in Midfield, Texas, Swift’s single “John Deere Rust” hit Texas Radio in June 2025, following fan favorites “Chaser,” “Money to Drank,” “Heartbreak Hangover” and “The Barn.” Inspired by the sounds of George Strait and John Conlee, Swift has been working closely with multi-instrumentalist and producer Brent Rader and is gearing up to release new music soon.

“Ever since I met Amy and started working with BMG they have made me feel right at home and have connected me with some of the best songwriters in Nashville,” shares Swift. “I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my career.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with Colby Lee Swift,” says Amy Hendon Scott, BMG Creative Director. “It is great to have an artist who lives the stories they sing. His timeless vocal, genuine spirit, and story driven songs capture a beautiful tension between long days of ranch work and late nights creating music. We are excited to join forces with the amazing team at WME, who share the vision and love for Colby. Big things to come!”

“Colby Lee Swift represents country music at its core. He sings songs he genuinely believes in, with a traditional sound and honesty that can’t be manufactured,” shares WME’s Alex Luebbert. “We’re excited to work together and partner with BMG, who shares that belief.”

“Getting to work with WME was really a right place at the right time kind of thing,” adds Swift. “Working with Lance, Alex, Ryan, and Joey Lee has been a blessing and I could not ask for a better team in my corner. I’m excited to see what 2026 has in store. And my management team, Bobby Walkup and Trippy Phillips, have been with me through thick and thin. It’s been a journey and they have always been there to guide me in the right direction. Bobby helps me on the social media part of things and we write a lot together. Trippy is great at connecting the dots behind the scenes. Everybody knows their role and that is why we make a great team.”