Country
to Country
(C2C) and the Country Music Association (CMA)
announce the return of the
highly acclaimed CMA Songwriters Series
to C2C 2024 on Thursday, March 7th,
2024.
+ C2C 2024 Festival Spotlight Stage Artists Revealed
C2C2024
Presents CMA Songwriters
This
special evening will feature performances by Charlie Worsham, Colbie
Caillat, Lauren Alaina, and Stephen Wilson Jr. Audiences are
in for a treat as the artists share their personal journeys and the stories
behind their hit songs during this seated show.
Tickets
for this exclusive event were made available for purchase on Friday, December
1st, at 10 am.
WHEN: Thursday 7 March 2024
WHERE: Indigo at The O2, London
(Millennium Way, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0AX)
Like
me, you may be asking who isStephen Wilson Jr.?
Self-described
as “Death Cab For Country,” Wilson draws upon indie rock, grunge and country to
create a distinct sound that he debuted on this year's bon aqua EP, which
earned acclaim from American Songwriter, Wide Open Country, Holler, Whiskey Riff, and more.
Country Music Pride
went so far as to call it “easily the best album of the last 5 years,”
declaring Wilson “one of the best living songwriters of our time.”
In
late March 2023 the Nashville-based artist and (microbiologist) Stephen Wilson Jr. signed
with Big Loud Records, releasing his 7-track debut album,bon aqua which made a debut
at No.81 on the US iTunes Country Album Chart. The EP included six previously
unreleased songs and a new single, “American Gothic”(766K Spotify streams),performed and co-written with labelmate ACM
2023 New Female Artist of the Year
Hailey Whitters.
In
addition to his deal with Big Loud, Wilson also announced he had signed
management deals with ALJ Management (Alicia Jones) and Range Media Partners
(Jordy Dettmer).
Wilson
toured in support of Whitters and then with The Lone Below beginning
in April.
As
a songwriter, Wilson has written or co-written tracks from Tim McGraw, Old Dominion, Brothers
Osbourne, Caitlyn Smith, Mackenzie Porter, and Sixpence None the Richer.
As
for the name of the EP, Wilson said, “As a microbiologist, I used to test water
for pharmaceutical companies, and everything from shampoo to aspirin to pet
food to anything you can think of requires water. Not just any water … good
water. I was in charge of making sure the water was good. In and around bon aqua, TN, is
coincidentally where I wrote and conceived most of this EP and filmed most of
the videos and visual aspects. Hence the name. It is known for its good water,
and it only made sense for it to all start there.”
On
Sept 15, 2023 he dropped a 22-song album s0n of dad (Big Loud Records) which
debuted at No7 UK iTunes Country Album Chart and No.41 on the US iTunes Country
Album Chart.
Stephen
is a special guest on Brothers Osborne’s MIGHT AS WELL BE US Tour in March
& June 2024.Most
streamed track: Year to Be Young 1994 (3.3 million Spotify Streams).
C2C
2024 Festival Spotlight Stage Artists Revealed
In
addition to the CMA Songwriters Series, the C2C Festival is bringing back the Spotlight
Stage to London in 2024. The main arena will feature performances by rising
country stars:
Carter
Faith (London
only Sunday March 10)
Chapel
Hart (London
Friday March 8)
Colbie
Caillat (London
only Saturday March 9)
Fancy
Hagood (London
only Friday March 8)
Mason
Ramsey (London
Saturday March 9)
Restless
Road (London
Friday March 8)
Tigirlily
Gold (London
Saturday March 9)
Wyatt
Flores (London
Sunday March 10).
This
dedication to developing country music underscores C2C’s commitment to
providing emerging talents with the opportunity to showcase their skills in
front of thousands. Chapel Hart, Restless Road, Tigirlily Gold, Wyatt Flores,
and Mason Ramsey will also grace the stage in Glasgow.
About
Carter Faith
From
selling out the legendary Ryman Auditorium to being named Billboard’s Rookie of
the Month, Carter Faith is a self-taught musician who has made a name
for herself in the industry.
Originally
from Davidson, North Carolina, Faith taught herself guitar and piano, and soon
after began crafting lyrics as a way to make sense of the world around her.
Faith
has performed at numerous venues, including closing out a sold-out show at the
legendary Ryman Auditorium as well as the historic Grand Ole Opry stage in
Nashville. She’s toured nationwide alongside artists like Little Big Town, Old
Dominion, Chris Young, Ingrid Andress, Kip Moore, and more. The songstress
recently signed with Universal Music Publishing Group and over the last two
years, she’s garnered over sixtymillion
streams with her releases “Greener Pasture,” “Cowboys & Dreamers,”
“Joyride,” “Easy Pill,” as well as her 2021 debut EP Let Love Be Love.
On May 5, 2023the rising
singer-songwriter released her first track of 2023 titled “Wild,”.
Produced by GRAMMY nominated Tofer Brown (Jon Pardi, Little Big Town,
Kelsea Ballerini), the track depicts the free-falling feeling of a new love
story unfolding. Faith’s vocal is the perfect delicate balance of tender yet
powerful, climbing octaves throughout the chorus and truly showcasing her
boundless range. Listen
to “Wild” HERE(3.2 million streams).
She
released her single “Cowboy Forever” on July 28, 2023.
On
Oct 27, 2023 Carter dropped EP Man (Suburban Heartbreak Records) appearing at #39
UK iTunes Country Album Chart sharing four new tracks, including “Man”—which Faith co-wrote with Lori
McKenna (Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Brandy Clark) and Tofer
Brown (Elle King, Walker Hayes, Lady A)—“Unbreakable Wave,” “Rodeo &
Juliet” and “Rock ‘n Roll Me”—stream them HERE.
As the “female powerhouse” (Country Now) readied her debut album
in hopes to “take over Nashville” (HuffPost) , she had an entire summer
filled with tour dates opening for Country icons such as Keith Urban, Little
Big Town, and Maren Morris as well as a slot at Watershed Festival.
Faith gearing up for more dates
with Luke Grimes and three shows in support of 49 Winchester,
following a recent run of dates with Wyatt Flores and a special duet
performance with Lauren Watkins in Nashville.
She was featured in CMT’s 2023
Next Women of Country and was the first country artist to be featured in Spotify’s
Fresh Finds multi-genre program in 2022.
You
can find me somewhere between a dive bar and a 5 star. I’m bad ass, high class,
and got a tank full of gas.
Hagood,
32, grew up exclusively in the south, having been born in Georgia and raised in
Arkansas, so his roots mean a lot to him despite how they’re sometimes at odds
with his identity.
The singer/songwriter
making Queer Southern Pop out of Nash released his “monster” POP hit “Goodbye”in 2015 and had
a “ iconic collab” with Ariana Grande & Meghan Trainor “Boys Like You” earlier in his career.
The queer pop-country
enigma (the artist formerly known as Who Is Fancy) released his track “Bored” (April 2022) a song for the disillusioned that tackles the topic of
perception vs reality in today’s society. It was co-written with and produced
by Alysa Vanderheym (Lady A, Florida Georgia Line, One Republic, Blake
Shelton)
He
told PEOPLE: “I'm a proud member of the LGBTQIA+
community, and the only time I did not live in the south was the time I was
splitting time between Nashville and LA. Being Southern is such a part of my
identity, and so much of who I am is wrapped up in how I was raised, and my
family," he says. "It's important for me to talk about how much I
love being from where I'm from, and how much I love being who I am. It's all
the same thing for me.”
“What's
funny is with my debut album[SOUTHERN CURIOSITY,
tagged POP; released April 9, 2021 ], I was really, really staunch on not labelling
it as a country album, but then it ended up getting a lot of country play and a
lot of support from country listeners,” he says. “And it was kind of a signal
to me that it was time for me to step up and be the change. I feel like
‘Southern Sound’ is the perfect new beginning and a new sound that I'm leaning
into confidently for the first time.”
Recently
he had “the best time” at Dolly Parton ‘s album release party tagging along
with Jessica Simpson and was introduced to THE QUEEN!!
Country
trio Restless Road released their new album "LAST RODEO"
(Debuts: #3 UK iTunes Country Album Chart (#30 all-genres), #2 US iTunes Country Album Chart (#10 US
iTunes all-genres), on Oct. 20, but they want you to know that despite the
project's name—this actually is their first rodeo.
Based
in Nashville, Restless Road is known for songs "Growing Old With You"
and "Take Me Home" with Kane Brown. The band is
comprised of complementary three lead singers Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and
Colton Pack. Each singer has their own unique voice, backstory and influence,
leading to a textured convergence of harmonies and blending of sounds in each
of their tracks.
According
to the Tennesseantheir debut album is an
18-track project infused with love, storytelling, heartbreak and resilience,
including their emotional title track "Last Rodeo." The album shows
off twangy harmonies, Beeken's velvety low voice, Pack's classic country grit
and Nichols' smooth, sweet tone.
Wide
Open Country described them as “one of the most intriguing and exciting acts of the year”. They
were praised by People, Taste of Country, Billboard, and more, the trio’s
powerhouse harmonies and soul-baring lyrics have accumulated over 225
million cumulative career streams and amassed a following of over 4.2 million
on their social media platforms.
They
were named as one of Spotify’s Hot Country Artists To Watch for 2023 and
kicked off the year touring in Europe/UK with Kane Brown, played Stagecoach for
the very first time, and were all over CMA Fest (including having their very
own dunk tank). They continued through the rest of the year touring with Russell
Dickerson and made spots at various festivals along the way.
The
trio has performed on ABC’s The Bachelor, and has been featured by CMT, EXTRA, The
Today Show, and more and was named as one of Opry’s Next Stage
Artists.
With
all signs indicating Restless Road as a contender for best new vocal group, its
members continue to write, sing, and perform together as they take the next
steps down country music’s long and winding road.
Wyatt
Flores was raised on the outskirts of a small
Oklahoma college town with a rich music history spanning from the likes of
Garth Brooks, All American Rejects, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Colour Music and
The Great Divide.
Embracing this musical energy, and further inspired by
stories from his father’s stint as a seasoned drummer in the Red Dirt music
scene, Wyatt wrote and released his debut acoustic single “Travelin’ Kid”
in the Spring of 2021. In the summer of 2022, Wyatt left Stillwater, OK, and
moved to Nashville, TN to pursue his career full-time.
He released fan-favorite
“Losing Sleep” in February of 2022, as well as a series of
stand-alone singles in the second half of the year, each showcasing new facets
of the stories and sounds Flores creates.
The
breakout singer-songwriter released his 7-track project, LIFE LESSONSon Nov 17, 2023
(Debuts: #32 UK iTunes Country Album Chart; #65 US iTunes Country Album Chart).
It exploresExploring the depths of his
meteoric rise over the last few years, grinding away in Nashville, and playing sold-out
shows across the country, Flores pairs captivating melodies with songs that
hold meaningful stories. Listen
to Life
LessonsHERE
The Stillwater,
Oklahoma native has always prioritized the music and his fans. As he navigates
the pressure of perfectionism and the beauty of learning from every misstep,
Flores chronicles his journey in Life
Lessons.
C2C
2024
promises to be a spectacular event, with headliners Kane Brown, Brad
Paisley, and Old Dominion leading the star-studded lineup.
The main
stage will also feature performances by Carly Pearce, Jake Owen,Brothers
Osborne, Lauren Alaina, Brian Kelley, Elle King, Priscilla
Block, and Drake Milligan across the weekend in London, Glasgow, and
Belfast.
WHERE: The
O2 Arena (Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX) WHEN: Country
to Country 3 Day Fri, 8 March 2024 until Sun, 10 March 2024
LONDON Line up FRI 8 March
2023: KANE BROWN, Carly Pearce, Lauren Alaina, Introducing Nashville LONDON Line up SAT 9 March
2023: BRAD PAISLEY, Priscilla Block, Brian Kelley, Jake Owen LONDON Line up SUN 10 March
2023: OLD DOMINION, Elle King, Drake Milligan Brothers Osborne
PRESALE: From:
Wed, 18 Oct 2023, 10:00 | General Sales From: Fri, 20 Oct 2023, 10:00
Excitement is building as Country
To Country (C2C) announces its much-anticipated return in 2024, marking the
beginning of another decade celebrating the best of country music. Since its
inception in 2013, C2C has solidified its reputation as Europe’s premier
destination for country music enthusiasts, showcasing a stellar lineup of
international stars and future sensations.
From Friday, March 8th to
Sunday, March 10th, 2024, The O2 in London, The OVO Hydro in
Glasgow, and for the first time ever, The SSE Arena in Belfast, will
come alive with the soul-stirring tunes of country music.
In a historic first, C2C proudly
presents headlining performances by country chart-topper Kane Brown and
the acclaimed Old Dominion, alongside the legendary 14-time CMA and
3-time Grammy award-winning Brad Paisley. These headliners will share
the stage with returning favorites Carly Pearce and Brothers Osborne,
as well as Nashville’s rising stars Jake Owen, Lauren
Alaina, Brian Kelley,Elle King, and Drake Milligan,
all making their C2C main stage debut.
The Country Music Association’s
(CMA) beloved international series, Introducing Nashville, also makes a
comeback, introducing three promising newcomers and recounting the tales behind
their tracks. Following her successful stint in 2022, rising sensation Priscilla
Block will return for her own main stage set, promising an unforgettable
performance.
Gaby Roslin (sitting
in for Zoe Ball on the The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show) on BBC Radio 2 was
joined by “the legend that is” Bob Harris (OBE) to exclusively announce the line
up for C2C2024. ICYMI: Listen back to the edited audio segment below:
“C2C is pretty much the
biggest country music festival in the world….I have been the main stage
host at C2C since it started Gabby and going out there and watching it grow
seeing the audience get bigger and bigger and you have to say younger and
younger . This audience that we have now is going to take country music into
the future and that is a very exciting idea” – Bob Harris OBE
Since its inaugural event in 2013
featuring luminaries like Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood at The O2 London, C2C
has transformed into a three-day multi-arena extravaganza, attracting tens of
thousands of attendees annually. Not just a stage for global country
superstars, C2C shines a spotlight on emerging talents from Nashville, the UK,
and Europe, embodying the festival’s commitment to nurturing fresh musical
talent. BBC Radio 2 continues its partnership as the broadcast partner
for this extraordinary event.
CMA Vice President, Milly
Olykan, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “From ticket sales to streaming,
Country Music has seen its best year yet in the U.K., and C2C has been a key
element to that success.” Renowned broadcaster and BBC Radio 2 presenter, Bob
Harris, echoed her sentiments, saying, “It’s my tenth time hosting what I
truly believe is the best country music festival in the world!”
Brian Kelley (one ½ of
the duo Florida Georgia Line) speaking with Baylen Leonard on Absolute Country said
that for him it was a “huge day” and he was “so blessed” having
previously made memories at C2C2016 with FGL. He said he was “very fired up”
and that “anything is possible” and that it was a “great line up”.
Although not knowing him on a personal level he said he was a huge fan when describing
headliner Brad Paisley as “a legend” and that he processed a “timeless
country voice” sharing that Paisley’s “Mud on the Tires” and “Litte Moments”
were his favourites. On Jake Owens he said he was a “longtime pal”. Carly
Pearce also speaking with the station said how she loved that UK audiences enjoyed
the deep cuts on her albums. She said as of now it’s a “new era for Carly
Pearce” and that she hopes to bring a “high energy show”.
Adding to the excitement, the C2C
Spotlight Stage will also return, promising more surprises in the months to
come. Tickets for C2C 2024 will be available for general sale starting at 10 am
on Friday, October 20th, 2023. Don’t miss your chance to experience the heart
and soul of country music live on stage.
Country to Country has become a
staple in the UK festival calendar and has brought country music to the UK and
Ireland masses, with tens of thousands of fans attending each year. The
festival will bring three days of the best in country music and programming
that fans have come to love and expect from the weekend, with performances from
the world’s best country stars as well as emerging talent from Nashville, UK
and Europe.