Miranda Lambert With Rescue Dogs Delta and Cher. Photo: Jamie Wright

Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation and Tractor Supply Company have joined forces for the third consecutive year to donate more than $250,000 to animal shelters across the nation.

Through MuttNation’s Mutts Across America program, one outstanding shelter or foster-based rescue in every state and a “Wildcard” pick are being honored with a surprise $5,000 grant. New Leash On Life in Tennessee received a grant this year, and Bonaparte’s Retreat Dog Rescue in Tennessee was this year’s Wildcard selection.

“Mutts Across America is MuttNation’s cornerstone—it was our first signature program,” says Lambert. “These grants give us the chance to show our appreciation and spotlight shelters across the country for their hard work, year-round, to improve the lives of shelter pets. We’re so proud to partner with Tractor Supply on this and other programs, allowing us to elevate our goals and increase the number of animals’ lives we can change.”

“Finding deserving shelters and rescue groups across the country is easy,” adds Bev Lambert, Miranda’s mother and co-founder of MuttNation, who also conceived Mutts Across America. “It’s narrowing it down to just one in each state that’s really tough.”

Since the initiative’s founding nine years ago, Mutts Across America has supported more than 450 shelters with over $1.75 million in grants. Tractor Supply began partnering with MuttNation in 2021. Each year, MuttNation researches and carefully selects the organizations that will be honored with the annual grants and this year is specifically recognizing some of the outstanding shelters that help seniors, special needs dogs, large dogs and pit mixes; the “Love Harder” dogs that are easy to love but hardest to get adopted. There is no application process for Mutts Across America, and the recipients are given no advance notice before receiving the award.

“Shelter pets have our hearts at Tractor Supply,” states Kimberley Gardiner, Chief Marketing Officer at Tractor Supply. “Miranda’s passion for this cause and the work she has done through MuttNation truly inspire us and supporting their work is a privilege and joy. These shelters are saving the lives of animals and pets and providing the care they need as they wait for their future owners.”

In addition to the Mutts Across America partnership, MuttNation and Tractor Supply started the Relief For Rescues Fund earlier this year to help shelters and shelter pets recover from natural disasters. To date, the fund has generated over $357,000 to support shelter animals affected by disasters such as floods, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes, with funding already dispersed to organizations responding to shelter pets impacted by severe flooding in California’s Central Valley, a violent EF4 tornado in Mississippi and more.

Tractor Supply is the exclusive retailer of MuttNation pet products, with a percentage of all sales going to the MuttNation Foundation to promote and facilitate its mission.

Lauren Watkins. Photo: Courtesy of MusicRow

Music has followed rising singer-songwriter Lauren Watkins everywhere life has taken her. The Nashville native combines her clever songwriting style, guitars skills and hazy yet silky vocals to create a soothing, southern blend.

Watkins officially signed a record deal with Big Loud Records and Songs & Daughters, the label helmed by hit songwriter and artist Nicolle Galyon, and released her debut EP Introducing Lauren Watkins in April. Spring continued to be a big season for Watkins, as she was named SiriusXM The Highway’s newest “Highway Find” in May. She’s not slowing down this summer as she has been on the bill for festivals including CMA Fest and Carolina Country Fest and is slated for more in the coming weeks.

Watkins recently stopped by MusicRow to tell her story and share a little of her latest project and recent work.

Growing up in Music City, she and her older sister—SMACKSongs writer Caroline Watkins—played at various spots around town. The first gig they booked was at the sports bar Corner Pub, which didn’t typically have live music. As they got older, the sisters started playing downtown at the Broadway bars as well as Puckett’s locations.

Photo: Claire Schaper/Courtesy of Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters

Watkins then left Nashville to attend the University of Mississippi—known as Ole Miss—and study marketing.

“I was still doing music, because I could never fully [stop]. I wasn’t playing shows, but I always had my guitar with me in every place I lived in college and would [play] for my roommates and [post] little cover videos on Instagram. I just couldn’t ever not do music,” she shares.

It wasn’t until Caroline, who was still playing live shows, came to perform in Oxford, Mississippi and pulled her up on stage that Watkins remembered how much she loved performing live.

“That was the turning point where I [decided], ‘I’m going to come home and [pursue] music.'”

Watkins notes that she wanted to stay and finish school with her best friends, having developed special bonds and a deep affinity for Ole Miss. She began writing songs while still in college to give herself every opportunity to flourish musically once she returned home. Watkins also got to know a local cover band and started to play gigs with them.

“Ole Miss,” one of the tracks on the project, is dedicated to her alma mater and has an accompanying video that was filmed in Oxford along with the video for track “Anybody But You.”

After graduating in May of 2021, she moved back to Nashville and signed a publishing deal with Songs & Daughters later that year. As a newly-signed artist, Watkins is introducing herself and her talents to the country music space with her seven-song collection. Inspired by stars such as Kacey Musgraves, she creates clever tunes that utilize traditional country elements.

Produced by Joey Moi, Introducing Lauren Watkins includes the cleverly sugared single “Shirley Temple,” which Watkins wrote alongside Galyon and Meg McRee.

“It is my favorite song from [the EP] and it seems to have gotten a pretty good response,” she shares. “I’m just really proud it.”

The EP also features single “Camel Blues,” which was one of the first Introducing Lauren Watkins releases along with “Shirley Temple,” and rowdy track “Sleeping In My Makeup,” written by Watkins, McRee, Tofer Brown and Lauren Hungate.

During her MusicRow visit, Watkins shared an unreleased tune called “Cowboys on Music Row.” She wrote the song while on a retreat with her sister and a few of their friends/collaborators. Watkins notes the song came to be after the group had binged music documentaries such as Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus, among others, leaving them inspired to write a tribute to the country music greats.

Next weekend, she will perform as a part of the Faster Horses Festival lineup at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, before taking the Next From Nashville stages at both the Watershed Music & Camping Festival in George, Washington and  TidalWave Music Festival in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Ashley Gorley

Ashley Gorley sits atop the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for the ninth consecutive week this week. He is a co-writer on Chris Janson’s “All I Need Is You,” Parmalee’s “Girl In Mine,” Russell Dickerson’s “God Gave Me A Girl,” Hardy’s “Truck Bed” and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” “Cowgirls,” “Everything I Love,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me” and “You Proof.”

Tracy Chapman remains at No. 2 this week as Luke Combs’ cover of her solely-written “Fast Car” rises on the country charts. Zach Bryan keeps his position at No. 3 as his solely-written “Something In The Orange” continues to rack up streams.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.