Rissi Palmer. Photo: Chris Charles

Rissi Palmer has signed with Invasion Merch, a New York-based management, distribution and merchandising company, and with Paladin Artists, a talent and literary agency.

Invasion Merch will handle Palmer’s management and music distribution, with Paladin Artists taking over as her booking agency. The ventures with both companies seek to continue the momentum Palmer has built as an independent artist, primarily managing all aspects of her career on her own over the past decade.

“Rissi Palmer has a truly impressive career on her own terms,” notes Peter Casperson, Co-Founder of Invasion Group. “Her accomplishments as an indie artist speak to the heart of the Invasion Merch model and mission. We are looking forward to augmenting awareness of her exceptionalism, both nationally and internationally.”

“Rissi is a phenomenal singer-songwriter and entrepreneur,” adds Kath Buckell, Agent at Paladin Artists. “She is a true authentic artist, and one that we are proud to be representing. We look forward to helping enhance her vision as she continues to inspire the next generations to come.”

“I am truly grateful for everything I’ve learned as both a signed artist and an independent artist,” says Palmer. “While I’m proud of the things I’ve been able to accomplish as an indie artist, I’m excited to see what new heights the relationship with these two reputable entities will take my career.”

Palmer has released three albums independently and scored two Grammy nominations in the Best Children’s Music Album category. She also hosts the Apple Music radio show, Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer, now in its third year. Earlier this year, Palmer’s Still Here documentary was featured on PBS’ American Masters: In The Making series, which focuses on artists whose work explores and influences American culture today.

Photo: Lily Nelson

Alana Springsteen has announced that Twenty Something: Getting It Right, the third and final installment of her full-length debut album, will be released on Aug. 18. She has also unveiled Getting It Right track “Look I Like,” which is available now.

Twenty Something consists of three parts: Messing It Up, Figuring It Out and Getting It Right. Each of them explores a different phase of Springsteen’s journey to becoming her most authentic self, as she documents all of the heartache, triumph and transformation she’s experienced so far in her 20s.

Serving as a co-writer on all of the album’s 18 songs as well as co-producing and playing guitar on several, the Columbia Records NY/Sony Music Nashville artist opens up about the turning points in her path to self-acceptance and self-understanding in this final installment, speaking to the thrill of going your own way and paying homage to those who’ve inspired her to chase her dreams.

“I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for the release of Getting It Right. Not only because it marks all of my debut album Twenty Something being out in the world, but also because I’m finally at a place where I can start talking about some of the really fulfilling moments I’ve experienced over the past year or so. I’ve found my way out of a really dark season of heartbreak and self-discovery, and it’s been a real roller coaster of a ride. On the other side of all of that, I’ve found this really empowering, fulfilling, steady sense of self. The songs on part three are a lot of the reason I’m where I am today,” shares Springsteen.

“They’ve let me process the hurt and confusion, and have helped me get to know and love myself in ways I didn’t know I wasn’t before. I’m letting myself be happy again. I’m trusting myself and I’ve surrounded myself with people who have taken the time and made the effort to earn that trust. These songs have prompted conversations with family and friends that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to engage in a year ago. Most importantly, I’m having fun and I’m giving myself permission to mess up more. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t really get it right without the risk of getting it wrong, and I hope these stories give the people who listen a little courage to take that risk more often. I can’t promise it’ll be easy, but I can promise it’ll be worth it.”

The first release from part three, “Look I Like,” is a carefree tune that shows off the Virginia Beach native’s more fun-loving side with a play-by-play of pursuit driven by instant infatuation.

“I wrote ‘Look I Like’ with Shane McAnally and Pete Good. I remember every second of that day because I had never written a song like this before. That session was the first time I remember feeling ready to explore the emotions that come with truly wanting someone again. I’ve noticed part of what makes songwriters like Shane so great is their ability to write instinctively and to know when to trust those instincts. ‘Look I Like’ fell out very quickly because we didn’t let ourselves overthink or overwrite it. There are days when you do that and you end up with a song that could have been better, and there are days it ends up being exactly what it was meant to be. This day was the latter … so much so, that the final vocal is the one from the day we wrote it,” she adds.

“When I write songs I know I need to get out, there tends to be a magic to the day-of vocal. Texture, emotion, feel. In this case there was a deep yearning in my voice that I didn’t want to mess with, so it stayed. With every decision we made on this song while writing and producing it, we wanted to capture the energetic exchange that happens when you notice someone you have insane chemistry with. It’s all completely non-verbal. Everything from the vocal runs to the bare instrumentation was meant to create anticipation and tension. ‘We don’t chase, we attract’ is also a theme that runs through Getting It Right, and adding that spoken section was a last minute decision I made while Pete and I were in the final stages of producing it. I’ve never been one to make the first move but there’s a lot you can say to someone without saying a word. ‘Look I Like’ is basically a play-by-play of the internal dialogue I experienced in a moment where I felt that way for the first time in a long time. This song will never not make me feel some type of way.”

Twenty Something Track Listing:
* Produced by Chris LaCorte; Co-Produced by Will Weatherly
+ Produced by Paul DiGiovanni and Alana Springsteen
^ Produced by Chris LaCorte and Alana Springsteen
# Produced by Will Weatherly and Alana Springsteen
** Produced by Pete Good and Alana Springsteen
++ Produced by Ido Zmishlany and Alana Springsteen
^^ Produced by Alana Springsteen; Co-Produced by Austin Stanley
## Produced by Nick Bailey and Alana Springsteen
*** Produced by Ryan “Rykeyz” Williamson
1. “You Don’t Deserve A Country Song” (Alana Springsteen, Mitchell Tenpenny, Geoff Warburton, Will Weatherly, Michael Whitworth)*
2. “If You Love Me Now” (Alana Springsteen, John Byron, Jared Keim, Ryan Beaver)+
3. “Caught Up To Me” (Alana Springsteen, Mitchell Tenpenny, Will Weatherly, Dallas Wilson)+
4. “Goodbye Looks Good On You (feat. Mitchell Tenpenny)” (Alana Springsteen, Lauren LaRue, Mitchell Tenpenny, Dallas Wilson)^
5. “Tennessee Is Mine” (Alana Springsteen, Madison Kozak, Claire Douglas Wall, Grady Block)**
6. “Shoulder To Cry On” (Alana Springsteen, Liz Rose, Trannie Anderson, AJ Pruis)^
7. “Twenty Something” (Alana Springsteen, Liz Rose, AJ Pruis, Trannie Anderson)^
8. “Chameleon” (Alana Springsteen, Sasha Alex Sloan, King Henry)+
9. “Here’s To All My Exes” (Alana Springsteen, Will Weatherly, Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins)#
10. “Hypocrite” (Alana Springsteen, Mitchell Tenpenny, Will Weatherly, Ryan Beaver)^
11. “When We Were Friends” (Alana Springsteen, Sasha Alex Sloan, Pete Good)**
12. “Ghost In My Guitar (feat. Chris Stapleton)” (Alana Springsteen, Ido Zmishlany, Delacey, Sarah Solovay)++
13. “Taylor Did” (Alana Springsteen, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Alysa Vanderheym)^^
14. “Different Kinda Country” (Alana Springsteen, Josh Dorr, Nick Bailey)##
15. “Cowboys and Tequila” (Alana Springsteen, Paul DiGiovanni, Parker Welling, Josh Dorr)+
16. “Thinkin’ Straight” (Alana Springsteen, Shay Mooney, Ryan “Rykeyz” Williamson, Geoff Warburton)***
17. “Look I Like” (Alana Springsteen, Shane McAnally, Pete Good)**
18. “Amen” (Alana Springsteen, Delacey, Sarah Solovay, Ido Zmishlany)++

Nickelback performing at Bridgestone Arena

When multi-Platinum rock band Nickelback hit Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena earlier this week on their “Get Rollin’ 2023 Tour,” it was clear the band had a lot of friends in town.

Josh Ross performing at Bridgestone Arena

Not only did UMG Nashville newcomer Josh Ross and country rocker Brantley Gilbert open the show, but Nickelback’s set featured multiple special guest spots from country hitmakers. While the band has plenty of access to Music City stars with their management team being Chief Zaruk and Simon Tikhman of The Core Entertainment, it was evident that Nickelback genuinely enjoys country music.

To kick off the night, country riser Ross took the stage. He charmed the audience with performances of “On A Different Night,” “Red Flags,” “Ain’t Doin’ Jack” and his debut radio single, “Trouble.”

The Canada native sounded just as good as his records, and was able to keep the arena-sized audience’s attention throughout his set.

When Gilbert took the stage, any doubt about a Georgia-born country boy opening for one of the top-selling rock bands of all time was dismissed. Gilbert brought the grunge, the pyro, the energy and the volume. He blasted through multiple hits such as “Kick It in the Sticks,” “Small Town Throwdown,” “Bottoms Up” and “Country Must Be Country Wide.” He showed his tender side—and skill as a songwriter—on tunes such as “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do” and “One Hell of an Amen.”

Gilbert brought some buddies out too. Jelly Roll joined him for their collaboration, “Son of the Dirty South,” just before he had to blast off for a concert in Huntsville, Alabama hours later.

Eliciting one of the night’s biggest reactions, Gilbert brought out a long-time friend, Jason Aldean. The two performed two songs Gilbert wrote, the first being his and Colt Ford‘s “Dirt Road Anthem,” which became a Grammy-nominated, multi-Platinum hit for Aldean. They then performed Gilbert’s solely-written “My Kinda Party,” which he recorded before it became a huge career hit for Aldean. The two exchanged thanks for changing each other’s lives with the success of the songs.

After a rowdy set from Gilbert, the arena was more than ready for Nickelback to take the stage. Once they did, their marathon of hits took fans down memory lane. With ease and joy, Nickelback thrilled fans with 2006’s “Far Away,” 2005’s “Animals,” 2003’s “Someday,” 2002’s “Hero,” 2001’s “How You Remind Me” and more.

They had special guests appearing by song two, when Nashville-based rocker Chris Daughtry joined them for “Savin’ Me.” Gilbert and Ross reappeared to join Nickelback for a cover of Steve Earle‘s “Copperhead Road.”

Hardy & Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger

In a special surprise, Ernest, a friend of the band’s lead singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger, made his way on stage to sing “Flower Shops.” Kroeger sang along to every word. Later on, he invited out country-rocker Hardy to perform his “Sold Out” and was thrilled by the experience. Bailey Zimmerman also joined the band at one point to sing their iconic “Rockstar.”

The night’s top highlight, though, came when the band performed the titanic 2005 hit “Photograph.” Performing a lot of the song acoustically, the Bridgestone Arena crowd singing along was defeating. When we thought the song was over, the group surprised us with another chorus of the enduring hit with the full band, which made for the perfect finale to a lot of fans’ favorite Nickelback song.

After a night of hits and fun collaborations, the band closed the evening up with an encore of “Gotta Be Somebody” and “Burn It to the Ground.” The band plays tomorrow night (Aug. 5) in Milwaukee as the “Get Rollin’ Tour” rolls on.

The Grammy-winning group Casting Crowns will celebrate their 20th anniversary this fall with new album Lifesongs: A Celebration of the First 20 Years. Ahead of the release, they have unveiled two tracks: “All Because of Mercy” and a reimagined version of “East to West,” which features Ben Fuller.

The milestone collection will include 21 songs and 21 guest artists who have taken Casting Crowns songs and re-recorded them in their own way. The album will feature chart-toppers “Voice of Truth,” “Nobody,” “Praise You In This Storm” and “Who Am I” as well as songs re-recorded by the group themselves. Casting Crowns will reveal all of the guest artists and songs via their social media accounts in the coming weeks.

“It is crazy to even think about the last 20 years. In 2003, we were just the youth band from our church in Atlanta,” shares lead singer-songwriter Mark Hall. “I still remember the world taking a chance on our song, ‘If We Are the Body,’ and how we soon learned that the church can handle the truth when it is spoken in love. And that is what we’ve been doing ever since—ministry in our churches and speaking truth in love. We can’t wait for everyone to hear the band and fan favorites reimagined with some of our friends on this new album.”

The track “All Because of Mercy” is their next radio single, and follows the long history of 15 No. 1s on Christian radio. The message of the song falls in line with the band’s purpose of speaking the truth in love to the church.

“The message of ‘All Because of Mercy’ is really simple. The only reason I belong to the Father, the only reason I can pray, the only reason I can rest and have peace is because of what God has done and the finished work of Jesus,” adds Hall. “When I’ve been reminded that the reason I belong to God is because of what He did through Jesus, I can come to Him in any condition and in any situation. It is all because of Jesus and all because of His mercy.”

Casting Crowns will also hit the road on the “Casting Crowns’ 20th Anniversary Tour: A Live Symphony Experience,” which kicks off Sept. 28 in Albany, New York. A live orchestra will accompany the band on the 20-city journey. For more information, click here.