Wednesday 29 May 2019

Country Bites News snippets May 13, 2019 – May 19, 2019


UK News, UK Chart News, Album & Single Releases, US News, Music News, Press Releases, TV, Videos, Birthdays, R.I.P

BREAKING NEWS
Country News – May 22, 2019 with Shannon McCombs
It’s a special Memorial Day Edition of CDX Country News…
Shannon catches up with Trace Adkins, Craig Morgan, Mark Wills, and Lee Greenwood on the red carpet at the Grand Ole Opry as they Salute The Troops!



UK NEWS

On the BBC Radio 2 Playlist for the week commencing Saturday 18 May 2019
A Playlist
Taylor Swift - ME! (feat. Brendon Urie)
B Playlist
Maren Morris - The Bones
Keith Urban feat. Kassi Ashton - Drop Top added to the “B” Playlist
C Playlist
Ward Thomas - One More Goodbye

(17 May 2019) MORGANWAY UNVEIL NEW SINGLE ‘LET ME GO’
Rock / Americana sextuplet Morganway released the new single ‘Let Me Go’ (tagged Rock) on May 17th, in advance of their 11-track debut self-titled album due for release on August 2nd, 2019 (iTunes). The single comes amidst a run of UK concerts and festival dates across the UK.


Press Blurb: ‘Let Me Go’ is another great example of Morganway’s effortless genre-boundary-pushing. Opening with a twangy guitar roll and transitioning from classic Morganway group harmonies into SJ Mortimer’s belting top line, the song crescendos from country-fied anthem to stadium-sized classic rock masterpiece. This transition was a calculated decision from the group, but wasn’t complete until Kieran laid down the electrifying slide solo, as his brother Callum explains, “As soon as we dropped him in we were all in hysterics at how good it sounded, and when I heard the first mix back from [Grammy-winning] Mitch Dane, I was thrilled at how loud and dry he had made it; it just screams at the listener.”
Inspired by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac and other classic guitar bands such as The Eagles, Morganway - Callum Morgan (vocals/bass), Kieran Morgan (lead guitar), Matt Brocklehurst (keyboard), SJ Mortimer (vocals), Nicole J Terry (violin/vocals), Ed Bullinger (drums) - have quickly built a name for themselves on the UK live circuit. They have already received accolades from Radio 2’s ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris, swathes of recognition from the country press, two nominations from the BCMA awards, support slots with The Shires and an Under The Apple Tree session.

Catch Morganway live at the following venues and festivals in 2019. More dates yet to be announced:
Friday 17th May– Sunday 19 May - Wood Festival 2019 Braziers Park, Wallingford
Thursday May 23rd – The 229, London
Saturday 26th May 2019 - Leestock, Melford Hall, Suffolk
Sunday 2nd June 2019 - Country In the Afternoon, The Half Moon, Putney
Saturday 8th June 2019 - Alresford Music Festival, Hampshire
Saturday 15th June 2019 - Sunday 16 June - Foxton Locks 2019
Friday 21st June - Sunday 23 June - Black Deer Festival 2019
Sunday June 23rd 2019 - Deopham Music Festival, Norfolk
Friday 5th July– Sunday 07 July - Folk In A Field Festival 2019
Sunday 4th August 2019 - The Waterfront Sessions Americana Takeover, The Waterfront, Norwich
Saturday 10th August 2019 - Lakefest, Eastnor Castle Deer Park

UK TOUR & GIG UPDATES

Link to Country Routes News Gig Page Image Map


UK CHART NEWS
Official UK Top 100 Singles Chart (Week Ending 23 May 2019)
17 May 2019 - 23 May 2019
With combined UK track consumption of more than 73m between them hitherto, it was no surprise that Ed Sheeran (44,944,052 sales) & Justin Bieber (28,174,774) made a scorching No.1 debut with their collaboration, I Don’t Care.
Smashing its way to the top of the rankings on consumption of 123,825 units – the highest of any song for 16 weeks – I Don’t Care also debuted at No.1 on all three chart components: paid-for sales (21,602), audio streams (10,885,981) and video streams (2,130,897). The track is 28-year-old Sheeran’s sixth No.1 as an artist, and 25-year-old Bieber’s seventh

Lil Nas' "Old Town Road" remained at No.2 (80,291 sales) for the third week in a row and Me! fell 7-9 (39,973 sales) by Taylor Swift feat. Brendon Urie

Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart (Week Ending 23 May 2019)
17 May 2019 - 23 May 2019
Hurts 2B Human spent its third straight week at No.1 for Pink, matching the February/March reign of Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next as the lengthiest by a 2019 release – but it does so on consumption of just 11,582 units (including 2,617 from sales-equivalent streams + 8,975 paid-for sales). That’s the fifth lowest tally to top the chart in the 489 weeks that have thus far elapsed in the 2010s.

Official UK Country Album Top 20 Chart (Week Ending 23 May 2019)
17 May 2019 - 23 May 2019
Keifer Sutherland with RECKLESS & ME held at No.1 (3 weeks; #1 peak)
Jessie Buckley with WILD ROSE - OST rose 3-2 (5 weeks; #1 peak)
JJ Cale with STAY AROUND fell 2-3 (3 weeks; #2 peak)
Francis Rossi & Hannah Rickard with WE TALK TOO MUCH rose 5-4 (9 weeks; #1 peak)
Steve Earle & The Dukes with GUY rose 7-5 (7 weeks; #1 peak)
Maren Morris with GIRL rose 10-6 (10 weeks; #1 peak)
Kacey Musgraves with GOLDEN HOUR fell 6-7 (54 weeks; #1 peak)
Ward Thomas with RESTLESS MINDS rose 9-8 (14 weeks; #1 peak)
Reba McEntire with STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH climbed 13-9 (5 weeks; #2 peak)
Carrie Underwood with CRY PRETTY fell 8-10 (35 weeks; #1 peak)
Outside the Top 10
Yola with WALK THROUGH FIRE rose 14-11 (12 weeks; #1 peak)
Molly Tuttle with WHEN YOU'RE READY held at No.12 (6 weeks; #4 peak)

Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40 (Week Ending 23 May 2019)
17 May 2019 - 23 May 2019
Big Thief with U.F.O.F (4AD) made a debut at No.1, Rhiannon Giddens/Turrisi with THERE IS NO OTHER (Nonesuch) made a debut at No.7

COUNTRY ALBUM & SINGLES RELEASES
(17 May 2019) Marty Brown - American Highway (Plowboy)
10 Tracks/ Time: 35:38 Amazon UK
Brown’s first studio album in more than twenty years boasts 10 songs he co-penned and coproduced alongside Jon Tiven, including debut single “Umbrella Lovers” and “I’m On A Roll (Better Than It’s Ever Been),” featuring Marty Brown Jr. as a co-writer.

(17 May 2019) Logan Mize - From The Vault (Big Yellow Dog Music)
5 Tracks/ Time: 19:12 Amazon UK - iTunes
Debut #11 UK Country iTunes Album Chart | Debut #1 US Country iTunes Album Chart (#46 US iTunes all-genres)

(17 May 2019) Sailor Jerri - Screen Doors and Steel Guitars (Sailor Song LLC)
11 Tracks/ Time: 38:22 Amazon UK - iTunes
Debut #47 UK Country iTunes Album Chart

(17 May 2019) Red Clay Union - Red Clay Union (Red Clay Union)
5 Tracks/ Time: 17:41Amazon UK - iTunes
Debut #40 UK Country iTunes Album Chart

(17 May 2019) Dominic Kirwan - Time Of My Life Celebrating 30 Years (Rosette Records) IRE
12 Tracks/ Time: 44:17 Country/ Easy Listening Pop Amazon UK - iTunes
Debut #49 UK Country iTunes Album Chart

(17 May 2019) Jamie Freeman - Dreams About Falling (Union Music Store) 
10 Tracks/ Time: 43:48 Amazon UK - iTunes
Debut #50 UK Country iTunes Album Chart

(17 May 2019) Maddie Poppe - Whirlwind (Hollywood Records)
10 Tracks/ Time: 33:41 Pop Amazon UK - iTunes 

(17 May 2019) Kathryn Legendre - Making It Up (EP; Shotgun House Records) 
5 Tracks/ Time: 19:41 Amazon UK - iTunes

(17 May 2019) Clara Bond - Does Your Girlfriend Know You're Single (Single; Clara Bond) UK Time: 3:23 Pop Amazon UK - UK iTunes

NEWS
(17 May 2019) Kacey Musgraves exhibit at the Country Music Hall Of Fame
MCA Nashville's Kacey Musgraves will be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum in Nashville. "Kacey Musgraves: All Of The Colors" will open on Tuesday, July 2nd and run through Sunday, June 7, 2020. It will include items such as Musgraves' stage wear, personal childhood artifacts and handwritten lyric sheets.
“I absolutely adore the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,” Musgraves shared. “And it’s a privilege to have them curate an exhibit that will showcase pieces from moments all the way back to my childhood that are very special to me.

TV
(17 May 2019) Emily Ann Roberts performs on The Voice
Country traditionalist and The Voice Season 9 runner-up Emily Ann Roberts returned to her “musical home” Tuesday (May 14) to perform her new single, “Someday Dream."  Roberts received a standing ovation from all four coaches after her performance.
“Emily Ann totally killed it on The Voice stage Tuesday night," says superstar and The Voice coach Blake Shelton.  "I couldn’t be more proud of all the work she has put in and she continues to be an awesome vocalist.”
The heartfelt anthem penned by Roberts, Jason Saenz and Seth Mosley will be featured on Emily Ann Robert’s debut EP, slated for release in July.
Check out the performance here:


(19 May 2019) Laine Hardy wins American Idol 2019
Laine Hardy was declared the 2019 winner of American Idol on Sunday night (May 19), capping off a season of intense competition.
"I'm so thankful," gasped the popular Louisiana native, when awarded with the title over Alejandro Aranda. Hardy, an 18-year-old talent whose earthy southern vocals belied his fresh-faced presentation early on in the competition, brought all of his strengths to the final season show.
Hardy also charmed with a Hank Williams cover of "Jambalaya," which further sealed his lock on the country-fan audience.
Hardy, Madison VanDenburg and Aranda were the final three contestants left going into the finale, which for the first time in the history of the show featured the finalists competing live for the final vote and then crowning the new champion on the same night due to live coast-to-coast voting.
Idol judge Luke Bryan also performed during the finale, singing his new single, "Knockin' Boots," and also performing with Laci Kaye Booth. Additional country performers included Carrie Underwood, Kane Brown (with Alyssa Raghu), Dan + Shay (with Madison Vandenburg) and Jon Pardi, who sang with Laine Hardy.

PRESS RELEASES

(14 May 2019) Fresh from celebrating his 60th birthday at the Grand Ole Opry with friends, family and a sold out crowd, Randy Travis is releasing his long-awaited memoir, Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith, and Braving the Storms of Life. SEE BLOG

(17 May 2019) Walker Hayes is no stranger to channeling difficult emotions into unforgettable music. The release of his latest single, “Don’t Let Her,” out Friday, May 17th, is no exception.
 Written by Walker, with Andrew DeRoberts and multi GRAMMY-award winning producer and Songwriter Shane McAnally, and produced by McAnally and DeRoberts, “Don’t Let Her” is both an uplifting and devastatingly honest song that chronicles a conversation between Walker and a hypothetical man taking his place if something were to happen to him. 
LISTEN: “Don’t Let Her” http://smarturl.it/DontLetHer | >> Lyric Video

(17 May 2019) NEW MUSIC: Thomas Rhett Cheers w/Jon Pardi Collab

Just two weeks away from the release of CENTER POINT ROAD (The Valory Music Co.) on MAY 31, ACM Awards Male Artist of the Year and multi-PLATINUM selling performer Thomas Rhett shared a second collaboration from his upcoming project, "Beer Can’t Fix" feat. Jon Pardi. 

Written by Thomas Rhett, Julian Bunetta, Zach Skelton and Ryan Tedder, the new tune is a swaying two stepper layering Thomas Rhett and Jon Pardi’s laidback cool as a remedy for whatever ails you. 



(20 May 2019) Chris Young Kicks Off North American “Raised On Country World Tour 2019” Dates In Atlanta, Charlotte And Washington, DC
Raised On Country,” Chris Young’s fastest-rising single of his career, already Top 15 at Mediabase, is also the namesake of his headlining “Raised On Country World Tour 2019,” sponsored by USAA. The tour kicked off the North American leg at Atlanta’s Ameris Bank Amphitheatre with energetic crowds singing along to Chris’s hit-stacked 90-minute set, including “Hangin’ On,” “Gettin’ You Home,” “You,” “I’m Comin’ Over,” “Tomorrow,” “Think Of You” and more from among his eleven No. 1 singles plus his latest hit, “Raised On Country,” and never-before-heard songs from his upcoming 8th studio album.

 “It is so great to see Chris continue to grow as a bona fide headliner, and we couldn’t be happier to be in business with Chris and his entire team,” said Brian O’Connell, Live Nation President of Country Music Touring, US Concerts Division.
The Atlanta date was Chris’s first headlining stop in the city since 2015 and kicked off a three-day “Raised On Country World Tour 2019” run with special guests Chris Janson and Dylan Scott, including Charlotte’s PNC Music Pavilion and Washington, DC’s Jiffy Lube Live.

WATCH
(13 May 2019) Published on May 13, 2019 Emma Stevens (feat. Kevin Jeremiah) "Soldier On" (Acoustic). ATOMS, the brand new Emma Stevens EP. http://smarturl.it/atomsep



(17 May 2019) Ward Thomas - One More Goodbye (Official Video)


(17 May 2019) Ava Rowland Premieres New Video "Exit Sign"
Modern country singer and songwriter Ava Rowland world premiered a new video for "Exit Sign" on her YouTube channel. The song is the second single from Ava's 2018 EP, POLAROID PICTURE, which is produced by well-known Nashville songwriter, Britton Cameron (toured with Toby Keith, Hootie and the Blowfish, Leann Rimes). The instrumentation for the EP was recorded at Nashville’s Keystone Studio, while the vocals were all tracked at Cameron’s home studio.
The video features a live solo presentation of Ava with her guitar, showcasing her dynamic vocal abilities on a song that she holds very dear to her heart.
“This is the most personal song on my EP I wrote because it deals with the complexities of an abusive relationship I was in," Ava explains. "I was battling whether I should stay or leave, and all the conflicting feelings which accompany a situation like that. Ultimately, I saw an ‘Exit Sign’ and made the decision to walk through it, never looking back. This song is a testament for those types of relationships that people sometimes find themselves in.“

BIRTHDAYS
May 20: Jon Pardi (1985), Emily Faye (UK)
May 21: Victoria Boland
May 22: Doug Gray (Marshall Tucker Band) (1948)
May 23: Shelly West (1958), Mac Wiseman (1925), Jewel (1974) 
May 24: Rosanne Cash (1955), Mike Reid (1947), Billy Gilman (1988), Lisa Redford (UK)
May 25: Tom T Hall (1936), Carrie Newcomer (1958), Jessi Colter (1943) 
May 26: Richard Leigh (1951), Hank Williams Jnr (1949), Keith Gattis (1971), Brenn Hill (Ogden, Utah May 26, 1976) 

R.I.P
(15 May 2019) Leon Rausch, the longtime lead singer of Bob Wills' legendary Texas Playboys, died on Tuesday (May 14), severing one of country music's final living ties to its commercial origins. He was 91 years old.
Jason Roberts, the Texas Playboys' fiddler, remembered Rausch on Facebook: "Yes our hearts are broken, as will be the hearts of the thousands of music fans he touched and influenced over his amazing career when they hear this news. Our band would not exist without Leon carrying the Texas Playboys torch all these years and giving us the blessing to carry it on ...


Although Wills became a household name and later joined both the Country and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, he was a fiddler and bandleader, not a singer.

Rausch remained an ambassador for Western swing music for years to come through his working relationships with Asleep at the Wheel, Ray Benson and other acts, and his mentorship of Amanda Shires.

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