Fresh from another hugely successful weekend in the UK, Country to Country (C2C) have announced the dates for their eighth festival, which will be held between March 13-15. Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Chris Stapleton headlined the 2019 edition of the festival, which took place at London’s O2 Arena, Glasgow’s SSE Hydro Arena and Dublin’s 3Arena. No names have been revealed as of yet and won’t be for some time, but early bird tickets will be available for purchase at 10am on March 15. 2019’s edition of C2C saw over 70,000 country music fans flock to the three cities, further proving that the UK’s affection for country music is growing at a rapid pace. Tickets will be available from AXS, Ticketmaster and Gigs and Tours.

Back to the UK after a three year spell, Brett Eldredge is ready to take C2C by storm ahead of his Main Stage appearances in London, Glasgow and Dublin So Brett, how are you feeling for C2C? Yeah, I feel great about this. It feels like my first day at school or something! I’ve never played to this level in the UK or the Europe – we’ve played some big clubs here, but it’s so good to see how big country’s grown here and to be a part of that and to be singing in front of 20,000 people with new fans and new energy is just so exciting. It’s been three years since you were last in the UK, what can we expect from the show? Well I’ve figured myself out a lot more since last time! Last night I walked by KOKO and thinking about how many miles I’ve travelled since the last time I was here and how many hundreds of shows I’ve played. I feel like my live shows were really special then, but I was really finding and honing in on my craft and I think that a place like this makes me inspired to try new things even more and to have different moments in the show because there’s a very high level of respect here for the music and I love that. I’m going to bring the biggest musical moments I possibly can up there out on stage. Are there any surprises we should look out for this weekend? That’s a good question…I’m always planning surprises! I don’t have a specific one yet, but I’ve actually surprised myself at shows recently as I’m going way more off the cuff than I used to and I try to feel the crowd out a little bit more. Sometimes I switch the song order up a little bit if I feel people want to be a bit more upbeat, or if everybody’s really feeling emotional, I’m gonna go deeper. I really like that. I don’t know where it’s going to go, but I like that I don’t know where it’s going to go – I just know it’s going to be an incredible show as I’ve been waiting so long to play C2C.

Prior to a super busy few days for the group, Runaway June took time out of their schedule to let us know what they have in store for C2C How are you feeling about C2C? Naomi Cooke: We came over last year to write with some BMG writers here and that was such a fun experience, but we haven’t performed yet. We’ve been dying to! Hannah Mulholland: We’re excited to see the fans because we’ve heard the best things about the crowds here, so this will be the first time we’re experiencing the crowds. You’re playing five times over the weekend, which is remarkable – how did that come about? Hannah: I don’t know! There are some that I don’t even know if we’re going to be able to get there – we have one at 9 and one at 9:30 or something, so I hope we get to five shows, but we’ll see! Naomi: This is not a place that we’ll be able to come often so we want to take advantage of being here and do as much as we can. Hopefully we haven’t overstepped and hopefully we’ll make it to every show! Hannah: It’s exciting that we can play that many times, it’s a really good feeling. Were you shocked to be headlining the Spotlight Stage? Jennifer Wayne: Yeah!! We’re shocked to headline any stage, over the years you play so many types of stages and tents where there’s nobody in them and you just go through all of the rounds. To be at the point where we’re headlining any stage is just an amazing feeling. Naomi: It feels really good, we’ve really been on the grind for years – and we still are – but it’s always an honour to see that we’re headlining. We always feel like, ‘oh my God, are we ready for this? Like, this is a lot of responsibility!’ but it’s exciting. To be doing that here in the UK feels really kind of surreal.    

As part of our chat with cover star – and C2C 2019 headliner – Keith Urban, we asked him a few quick fire questions about several different things. 2018 was a sensational year for you with ‘Graffiti U’ being released to critical acclaim and then winning Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards – how have you coped with all the adulation sent your way? I mean, firstly that whole CMA moment was quite surreal – and as you can clearly see in the playback, I was completely stunned when Lionel Richie called my name. On the album front, the response from people all over has been way beyond what I could’ve hoped for…and now getting to come to the U.K and play live feels exhilarating. It had been 13 years since you last won Entertainer of the Year and you joined an elite category of musicians who had won it twice – just how important is that award for you? You know, all I ever had my sights set on was making my own music and hoping they’d play it on the radio and hoping people would wanna come to hear those songs live, but some shiny hardware given to ya feels bloody damn nice too! I love playing and touring. That fire and passion is just as strong in me now as it’s ever been. It seemed likely that you’d have a release with Post Malone out in mid-January – what happened to that? Post and I played together for an Elvis special marking the anniversary of his 1968 television show (aired on Feb 17). I first heard Post on his Stoney album and all I can say is that it spoke to me. I really wanted to do something with him and the Elvis thing was it. We met for the first time that day, said hi, grabbed our guitars and started running the song right there on the set with the band. It was crazy how it clicked immediately. Post has such a  musical depth – I knew that’s what was speaking to me right from the beginning. Country, hip-hop, R&B, soul…it’s all in there and so much more. I f****** love that dude. You’ve only got a handful of tour dates after C2C before your 2019 is finished, what’re your plans for when you come off tour? Ha, I got so many plates spinning in the air this year, I reckon I could get a gig with Cirqe De Soleil! A full feature with Keith Urban is available in the latest issue of Maverick (March/April 2019)

Ashley McBryde has revealed that she will be heading on her biggest UKand Ireland  headline tour to date at the end of September and start of October. The American ‘Girl Going Nowhere’ star will be playing four dates on a brief visit this side of the Atlantic, which have been announced ahead of her Main Stage appearance at C2C 2019 this weekend. McBryde’s last trip to the UK was hugely successful as her headline gig had to be upgraded to Islington Assembly Hall due to demand, while she also supported recent CMA New Artist of the Year winner Luke Combs on his UK tour. Tickets go on sale at 9am on March 8 and can be purchased here. Ashley McBryde will be playing: September 27 – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London, England September 29 – Manchester Academy 2, Manchester, England September 30 – Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow, Scotland October 1 – Dublin Academy, Dublin, Republic of Ireland

Seven-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood will be returning to the UK for a five-date arena tour at the back end of June and start of July. Underwood’s last UK appearances were when she headlined C2C 2016, though the 2005 ‘American Idol’ winner was last pencilled in to headline The Long Road Festival last September, but had to cancel due to illness. The five dates will make up part of Underwood’s ‘Cry Pretty Tour’ and she will be supported by UK act The Shires throughout the duration of the brief tour. One thing Underwood has done is ensure that £1 of every ticket sold goes to the Danita’s Children charity, which provide a safe haven for abandoned and vulnerable children in Haiti. Tickets go on sale at 9am UK time on March 7. Carrie Underwood will be playing: June 28 – Birmingham Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, England June 30 – Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff, Wales July 2 – The SSE Hydro Arena, Glasgow, Scotland July 3 – Manchester Arena, Manchester, England July 4 – The SSE Wembley Arena, London, England

Breakthrough artist Tenille Townes has unveiled a new song, ‘White Horse’, which is the latest single to be released from her upcoming debut album. You can listen to the song here. The album is due for release later this year on Columbia Nashville and has been produced by Jay Joyce. The song itself – written by Townes, Daniel Tashian and Jeremy Spillman – debuted on ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris’ Country Show on BBC Radio 2 on February 28. Speaking about the song, Townes explained that it is about how love can be viewed in a different light than what we were perhaps expecting it to be. “‘White Horse’ is a song about how love can look a little bit differently than we might expect it to,” she said. “I think we grow up in our society completely surrounded by that fairy tale idea of what love should be, but maybe love is even bigger than that. “I think it’s important to be open hearted and to push the boundaries of what society might build up in our expectations. I love that this song stands strongly in the idea that love isn’t always about the ivory towers and the roses.” The Canada born artist, who resides in Nashville, is currently on the road supporting Dierks Bentley as part of his ‘Burning Man Tour.’ The tour, which kicked off in Ontario in January, features performances across Canada and America.

It’ll be a month shy of 12 years since Keith Urban was last on tour in the UK when he performs at Kentish Town and this is how he’s kept himself busy 2007– Seven months after what would prove to be his last UK gig for a very long time at the then named Carling Academy in Birmingham, Urban released a best of compilation in ‘Greatest Hits: 18 Kids’ 2008 – Urban embarked on the ‘Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Carnival Ride World Tour’ with Carrie Underwood in January and also recorded a new version of You Look Good in My Shirt. Also in 2008, Urban became a dad as Sunday Rose Kidman Urban was brought into the world by the singer’s wife – Nicole Kidman–  and he also won a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (Stupid Boy). 2009 – In March, Urban released ‘Defying Gravity’ – his seventh studio album – and this became his first album to peak at No. 1 in the US Album Charts. Urban went on the ‘Escape Together Tour’ and brought the likes of Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Jason Aldean with him, while he also won a CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year (Start a Band w/Brad Paisley). 2010 – It wasn’t long until Urban was back in the studio and 2010 saw the release of his eighth studio album, Get Closer. From that album, Without You, Long Hot Summer andYou Gonna Fly all went to No. 1 on the US Hot Country Chart. Urban also picked up his third Grammy, this one again for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (Sweet Thing) and had a second daughter as Faith Margaret Kidman Urban was born. 2011 –Urban picked up his third Grammy in four years for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (‘Til Summer Comes Around) and embarked on the ‘Get Closer World Tour’, which covered America, Australia and Canada. Urban was announced as a judge on the Australian version of The Voice, but was there for just the one series. 2012 – In 2012, Urban was invited to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Vince Gill and was subsequently inducted into it in April. 2013 – Urban’s ninth studio album, ‘Fuse’, was released into the world in September and peaked at No. 1 in the Album Charts in both Australia and America. From that album, Raise ‘Em Up ft. Eric Church and We Were Us ft. Miranda Lambert both peaked at No. 1 in the US Country Airplay Chart. Also in 2013, Urban released his signature guitar line. 2014 – The awards kept coming and in 2014, Urban won three ACM Awards for Music Video of the Year (Highway Don’t Care), Vocal Event of the Year as Producer (We Were Us ft. Miranda Lambert) and Music Video of the Year Duet (We Were Us ft. Miranda Lambert). 2015 – The songs John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16 and Break on Me were both released ahead of Urban’s next album, while he also celebrated the 10th anniversary of his third album, ‘Golden Road’, going triple platinum – meaning it sold over three million copies. 2016 – ‘Ripcord’, Urban’s 10th studio album, is released, while Urban was also cherry picked as one of 30 artists to perform on Forever Country – which was a medley of On the Road Again, I Will Always Love You and Take Me Home, Country Roads to celebrate 50 years of the CMA Awards. 2017 – Female, a song partially inspired by the Harvey Weinstein scandal, is released as the first single of Urban’s 11th studio album, which features Kidman on backing vocals. 2018 – ‘Graffiti U’ is released on April 27 with a world tour and at the CMA Awards in November, Urban took home Entertainer of the Year for the second time in his career