Jess and the Bandits have returned in style with the release of their brand new EP, ‘Riding Shotgun’, which they have self-released. You can listen to the EP below. The five-track EP is their first substantial release since they shared their ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ album back in 2017 and has seen the group work with some of the finest writers in Nashville. Previously, the group had released Bulletproof as a single from the EP, which appears on the EP as the second song, while the EP title name closes the release. Some of these writers include Emily Shackelton (Carly Pearce, Lauren Alaina, Cassadee Pope), Josh Osborne (Kacey Musgraves, Tim McGraw) and Victoria Banks (Jessica Simpson, Sara Evans, Johnny Reid). In April, the group are gearing up for an intimate acoustic tour around the UK, with dates set to be revealed in due course. Since their emergence as a group, Jess and the Bandits’ profile in the UK has grown from strength to strength and they have played at some of the core country festivals the UK has to offer, including Country to Country, Nashville Meets London and Black Deer Festival. The track listing for ‘Riding Shotgun’ by Jess and the Bandits is: 1. Love Don’t Give a Damn (Scott Stepakoff, Josh Osborne, Kelleigh Bannen) 2. Bulletproof (Amber Carrington, Victoria Banks, Emily Shackelton) 3. Build On It (Jessica Clemmons, Jessica Sharman, Mary Erskin) 4. Gotta Be Out There (Clemmons, Stephanie Lambring) 5. Riding Shotgun (Clemmons, Laura Oakes, Julie Strickland)

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville had a hugely successful 2019, with 1,297,443 guests walking through the door in that time period. 2019 marked the fifth year running where the establishment welcomed over a million visitors and out of the almost 1.3 million, 114,400 visitors engaged in over 1600 educational programmes. The last 12 months saw the organisation – among other things – open exhibitions on Keith Whitley, Kacey Musgraves, Brooks & Dunn and Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. Speaking about the success over the last 12 months, Kyle Young – CEO – explained that being part of the Nashville community for half a century has played a key part in their success, but by being able to move downtown, the rewards have continued to grow. “We’ve been around and part of Nashville’s community for over 50 years,” said Young.  “We rolled the dice and came downtown in 2001. Then, we expanded in 2014. “These moves allowed us to double our space, grow our staff and broaden our offerings to tell the ever-evolving country music story. I’m proud to share that our attendance numbers continue to grow and that in 2019, we welcomed a record number of visitors.” The Country Music Hall of Fame can be found on 222 5th Ave S, Nashville

Una Healy gave her fans a Boxing Day surprise when she shared her second piece of new music in the space of a month in the form of Wild Grasses. You can watch the video below. [wpdevart_youtube]gKDIAALQu5k[/wpdevart_youtube] At the start of December, Healy released her cover of Set You Free by N-Trance and had promised to release an original song as well, which we now have with Wild Grasses. Speaking about the song, Healy explained that by working with Eric Bazillian in a writing capacity opened up a whole new channel for the track, which seemed to fall into place incredibly quickly. “I had a melody in my head for weeks and met with Eric and started humming it and the first words just came out and it flowed from there,” Healy said. “It has a real Celtic folk sound to it too. It is a very comforting song for anyone who has lost someone close to know that their spirit will always be there with them.” Healy spent the majority of 2019 writing new material and recording bits and pieces, with the plan of making 2020 a memorable year, though as of yet, there are no definitive dates as to when she will be sharing new material. In addition to creating music, Una Healy is also a presenter on Country Hits Radio.  

Country rock artist Rachele Lynae has announced her comeback in spectacular fashion, with a new album due on May 22 that will be flanked by five singles. The first of which, Braggin On Ya is set to be released on January 10 and will be the first piece of music that Lynae has released since Guy in the Sky in December 2017. The album, which is as of yet untitled, marks Lynae’s first full length record since she released her self-titled debut back in 2014 and she is set to tour quite heavily in 2020. More details about where Lynae will be touring will be available in due course. Speaking about Braggin On Ya, Lynae said that in the time between records, she has been hard at work writing music and then eventually taking those creations forward, while also explaining that the song itself is about her husband. “I have been so immersed in songwriting, writing so much music, but when it came time to release a new project as an artist Braggin On Ya was an obvious choice for the first single,” she said. “The song practically wrote itself, because it’s so me… braggin on my husband and being a little sassy about it.”

Rascal Flatts have decided to call it quits as a band after 20 hugely successful years and will soon be embarking on a farewell tour to say goodbye properly. The group – made up of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney – have been a huge part of the genre over the last two decades, winning six CMA Awards, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, having a star on the Music City Hall of Fame and also winning a Grammy. With hits such as Bless the Broken Road, What Hurts the Most and I Like the Sound of That, the group have firmly cemented themselves as one of the most important and best country music groups of all time and it’s fitting that the tour is named after another one of their colossal hits in Life is a Highway. Speaking about the decision on their Twitter account, the group said that they could not have foreseen the levels of success that they have achieved and that there are no tears being shed about the decision, just a focus to make new memories. “When we started out 20 years ago, we could not imagine all of the people, places and gifts we would encounter,” they posted. “As we head out on the Rascal Flatts Farewell – Life is A Highway Tour, there is no sadness. Just new chapters, new journeys and new beginnings.This year and this tour, is all about YOU.” So far, all of the dates are in America, though many are hoping that the group do a worldwide farewell tour – including a stretch in the UK and Europe. People can register for tickets for the Rascal Flatts farewell tour here.

The world renowned Gruhn Guitars music shop in Nashville has reached a personal milestone as the store recently turned 50, doing so on January 2. The guitar shop is a must visit destination for anyone who is interested in the playing side of music, with its extensive library of classic guitars and with the amount of knowledge, experience and know-how the staff have. Speaking about reaching the milestone in a statement, George Gruhn – Owner and CEO of the shop – and Eric Newell – President and General Manager – recapped their journey and thanked everyone who has helped them get to where they are now. “It all started 50 years ago with 22 instruments and a storefront in the heart of Nashville’s downtown,” Gruhn and Newell said. “Our first name was GTR for George Gruhn, Tut Taylor and Randy Wood. While our instruments were not considered vintage, as they were at most 40 years old, we knew those “Golden Era” instruments were special. “Through 50 years of business, there have been times it seemed like an emotional and economic roller coaster. We can certainly say there have been times of great challenges, but our love of finely crafted instruments never wavered. Today, we have an inventory of over 2000 fretted instruments housed in a space of 18,000 square feet. “One aspect of being in business for 50 years that we would not have foreseen in 1970 are the amazing people we have met along the way. The joy of working with customers who share our passion for fine fretted instruments has inspired us to maintain a place where we can enjoy these beautiful instruments together. “Today marks a milestone for all of us. We, at Gruhn Guitars, with you, want to raise a glass to 50 years of preserving the tools that aid in the creation of music in our homes to stages across the world.” You can find Gruhn Guitars in Nashville on 2120 8th Ave S.

Robert Vincent has shared the third single from his upcoming album ‘In This Town You’re Owned’, due on February 14, in the shape of Conundrum. You can listen to the song on Spotify here. The song follows in the footsteps of This Town and My Neighbour’s Ghost as Vincent shares another track off of his soon to be released third album, which is his first to be put out under the label Thirty Tigers. Vincent’s previous albums – ‘Life in Easy Steps’ and ‘I’ll Make the Most of My Sins’ were released by DB Industries and by himself respectively. Speaking about the somewhat delicate subject matter of the song, Vincent explained that the track is about trying to do more to save the planet and the issues that come as a result of the lifestyle changes involved, with many having to sacrifice certain aspects about the way they live in order to benefit everyone moving forward. “We are faced with a conundrum about whether or not to remain as consumers and continually take from the world we live in, or to start looking after our planet,” Vincent said.  “We all have a responsibility as individuals to try to fix the damage we are doing.” Later on this year, Vincent – who received the inaugural Emerging Artist Award from ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris back in 2016 at the UK Americana Awards – will embark on a seven-date tour around the UK, which will end with what is sure to be a memorable homecoming show in Liverpool. Tickets are available here. Robert Vincent will be playing: March 23 – The Lexington, London, England March 25 – Greystones, Sheffield, England March 26 – Lending Room, Leeds, England March 27 – St Lawrence’s Church, Biddulph, England April 1 – Louisiana, Bristol, England April 2 – Night and Day, Manchester, England April 3 – Jimmy’s, Liverpool, England

January 5 marked the seventh anniversary of Maren Morris moving from Texas to Nashville and she marked the occasion with a reflective Instagram post. In that time, Morris has grown to be one of country music’s leading female artists, with her two albums ‘Hero’ and ‘GIRL’ receiving critical and fan acclaim, while she also has two CMA Awards to her name – one for New Artist of the Year in 2016 and now for Album of the Year for ‘GIRL’ last November. Morris also won a Grammy Award in 2017, taking home Best Country Solo Performance for My Church. Also since she moved to Nashville, Morris met and subsequently married Ryan Hurd, with the two now expecting a baby in the coming months. Speaking about the occasion, Morris – who posted two pictures, one of her moving in 2013 and one of her giving a speech for winning Album of the Year at the CMA Awards – explained how she would write with anyone in order to try and get some momentum behind her, which also helped her improve her craft. “7 years ago today, I had short hair, some okay (alright, crap) demos in my pocket and moved into a Craigslist house sight unseen for $350 a month,” she wrote. “I wrote with anyone + everyone who’d sit in a room with me. I got better and I found my tribe of people I loved to create with and we’d geek out over The Cardigans and Sheryl Crow records. “Looking at the gap between these photos, I actually do know where the time goes. It gets encapsulated in each fantastic, mundane, life-changing, soul-crushing, mediocre, hallelujah song in my catalogue. “Cheers to 7 years, Nashville, and to the friends here I now am lucky to call family.” Given her pregnancy, it is expected that Maren Morris will be taking a break from music in 2020 to focus on her family life.

Carly Pearce has shared the third single from her upcoming self-titled second album – due on February 14 – with Call Me now being available to all. You can see a lyric video below. [wpdevart_youtube]u8ySA26Wr2c[/wpdevart_youtube] Call Me, which appears to be about her husband Michael Ray, follows in the footsteps of her duet with Lee Brice in It Won’t Always Be Like This and I Hope You’re Happy Now, which is currently doing the rounds on country radio. Speaking about the single on her Instagram page, Pearce said that as soon as the late producer busbee, whose last work was Pearce’s upcoming album, came to her with the track, she grabbed it with both hands as it felt incredibly relevant to her personal life. “From the minute busbee sent me this song that he wrote with my gal Emily Shackleton and the boys from Little Big Town, I knew I had to cut it,” Pearce quipped. “Gimme alllll the sass, because after all…. I DID slide into Michael Ray’s DM’s.” Given that her album isn’t due for another six weeks or so, it is highly likely that Pearce will share another track from her record before it is released – though considering it is 13 tracks in length, it’s worth taking into account that she has already shared basically a third of it with the general public. 2020 is shaping to to be a very busy year for Carly Pearce, who in addition to releasing her second album, already has several American dates pencilled in over the coming months – including a date at the Ryman in Nashville on January 18. All dates are available here. Last year, the Kentucky born/Nashville based artist was a Main Stage act at C2C and was very much warmly received by those in attendance at London, Glasgow and Dublin.

Hot Country Knights – fronted by Dierks Bentley using an alias – have signed with UMG Nashville and are planning to “bring real 90s country music back.” You can watch a video of their signing below. [wpdevart_youtube]t7keuw5uhAY[/wpdevart_youtube] The firmly tongue in cheek group consists of Bentley’s road band, who play a host of 90s country music covers while dressed in wigs and some of the most extravagant clothes from the decade. Bentley himself goes under the name Douglas ‘Doug’ Douglason for the group and a press release from UMG Nashville claimed that the group were going to “bring real ’90s country music back to a format that’s been drowning in male sensitivity, cashmere cardigan sweaters and programmed drum loops.” Speaking about the record deal, Douglason/Bentley said that country music could very much use a shot in the arm and that Hot Country Knights are exactly what the genre needs. “Some artists out there tried to put the ‘O’ back in country, that was a thing for a while…. but what it’s really missing is the ‘T,’” Douglason/Bentley said. “Country music has Low-T right now…it could use a pick me up, if you know what I mean. Those record label people over at Universal finally realised that only the Knights could be up to a task this big and hard.” UMG Nashville work with Bentley on his solo ventures, meaning that both his music and the soon to be released music from Hot Country Knights will all fall under the umbrella of that label.