New Music Video From Ashland Craft & Dillon Carmichael - "Hangin' Up The Honkytonk"

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Home"

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Where I Grew Up"

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Drinkin' Problems"

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Foot Out The Door"

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Drinkin' Problems"

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Rollin' Stone" (featuring Drew Parker & Tyler Booth)

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Son Of A"

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Hot Beer"

That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes: Stapleton, Rimes, Collie, Malo, Monroe & More

With the nation getting vaccinated at a record clip and herd immunity getting ever so closer with each passing minute, a day on the horizon in which we get back to a day full of live shows and normalcy seems within reach. It certainly has ramped up the country music machine and lots of news from a lot of country music vets was released this week. Here's some snapshots. 

---

Some new music videos over the last week:

Aloe Blacc & LeAnn Rimes - "I Do" - watch HERE

Leslie Jordan ft. Chris & Morgane Stapleton - "Farther Along" - watch HERE

Ashley Monroe - "'Til It Breaks" - watch HERE

---

Midland, in conjunction with their music label and CMT have released a new musical documentary of sorts that highlights their origin story. It's called Midland: The Sonic Ranch Documentary. Here's the description: "In the Spring of 2014, Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson, and Cameron Duddy took 11 days out of their very separate lives to head down to the Sonic Ranch, a studio nestled along the dusty American side of the Rio Grande outside El Paso, Texas. Midland was not so much a band as an experiment fueled by an assortment of spirits - but mostly tequila and the possibilities painted in their imaginations. They had no record label or manager and they had never played a show together. These recordings capture three friends, at a live-in studio in the desert, trying to make a dream come true." You can watch the doc HERE.

 

---

Rising country newcomer Tiera has released her self-titled debut EP.  The Alabama-native was the flagship songwriter for Nicolle Galyon’s female-driven publishing house, Songs & Daughters. She was inducted into CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2020 and was honored by the AIMP for their Rising Songwriters Class of 2020. Tiera also hosts an Apple Music Country radio station.

“When I put out ‘Found It In You’ I hadn’t planned to release a full EP, but as my fans grasped onto the single I decided to release this whole collection of songs,” says Tiera. “It was really important for me to release my first full project independently because I wanted to make my stamp on country music in my own way. This is my way of introducing everyone to who I am as an artist. I wrote all of the songs with my friends and favorite collaborators; it is 100% true to me and I hope people have just as much fun listening to these songs as we did writing them.”

Tiera Track List:

“Found It In You” (Tiera, Cameron Bedell)

“Not Your Girl” (Tiera, Cameron Bedell, Jack Newsome)

“Laid Back” (Tiera, Mike Robinson, Rocky Block, Sarah Troy)

“Miles” ft. BRELAND (Tiera, Cameron Bedell, Daniel Breland, Jared Scott)

“Shut It Down” (Tiera, Cameron Bedell, Jared Scott, Neil Medley)

---

Country music vet Mark Collie announced the upcoming release of his new album Book of My Blues set for June 4, 2021 on BFD/Audium Nashville/Orchard in association with Harvest Entertainment, Creator Label Co., and Collie Kuhl Music. The first single, “Born Ready” is available on all digital services today along with an accompanying video that is one of a series of music videos from the album directed by acclaimed director and screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh and shot by award-winning cinematographer Tom Stern.

The themes in Book of My Blues, those of love, lust, betrayal, addiction, recovery, damnation, and redemption are derived from the graphic novel Rockabilly Hitman, a long-gestating collaboration between Collie and director Hensleigh (“The Punisher,” “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” “Armageddon” and the soon-to-be-released “Ice Road” starring Liam Neeson) that depicts the exploits of rockabilly singer Jesse Wayne Hardin, who by night is an avenger of evil, as he travels the hard backroads from Muscle Shoals to Memphis, from the Mississippi Delta to Music City.

“Writing songs from the perspective of this character has been an enlightening journey. Some of my life experiences are in that character and I have stood at many of those same crossroads,” commented Collie. “Every line and nuance is intended to help bring Jesse Wayne and the ‘Book of My Blues’ to life. There are a lot of ways to describe the music, maybe Roadhouse Rock, Southern Gothic, Americana, Country, but at its core it’s a reflection of me and many others who came before me.”

The album features twelve original songs written or co-written by Collie, plus three rockabilly classics – “Hey Boba Lou” by Ronnie Hawkins, Jacqueline Magill and Robbie Robertson of The Band fame, “Night Train to Memphis” written by Country Music Hall of Fame member Owen Bradley along with Marvin Hughes and Beasley Smith, and the rockabilly standard by Carl Perkins, “Matchbox.” The album was co-produced by Kenny Greenberg (whose producer credits include Allison Moore, Josh Turner, Toby Keith and the Mavericks) and Chad Cromwell (whose credits include his work with Joe Walsh, Neil Young, Willie Nelson and Boz Scaggs).

The co-writers with Collie reads as a who’s who of songwriter elite, including Collie’s long-time friend Billy Bob Thornton who combines with him on the title cut, Tom Douglas, Gary Nicholson and John Scott Sherill, as well as Jonathan Hensleigh and co-producers Greenberg and Cromwell.

Track Listing with songwriters:

1. Book of My Blues with Billy Bob Thornton (Mark Collie, Billy Bob Thornton)

2. Born Ready (Mark Collie, Kenny Greenberg, Gary Nicholson)

3. On the Wings of Your Love (Mark Collie)

4. Right This Wrong (Mark Collie, Kenny Greenberg)

R. Matchbox (Carl Perkins)

5. Holly Springs (Mark Collie, Kenny Greenberg, Chad Cromwell)

6. Unfinished Hurting (Mark Collie, Tom Douglas)

7. Queen of A Hungry Heart (Mark Collie, Kenny Greenberg, Chad Cromwell)

8. Sinking Sand (Mark Collie, Kenny Greenberg, Chad Cromwell)

H. Hey Boba Lou (Ronnie Hawkins, Jacqueline Magill, Robbie Robertson)

9. Put the Gun Down (Mark Collie)

10. Walk the Floor, Kill the Lights, Slam the Door (Mark Collie, John Scott Sherill)

11. A Little Every Day (Mark Collie, Kenny Greenberg, Chad Cromwell)

12. The Son of a Gun (Mark Collie, Jonathan Hensleigh)

13. M. Night Train to Memphis (Owen Bradley, Marvin Hughes, Beasley Smith)

---

Dillon Carmichael delivers his distinctive Kentucky-bred deep holler baritone that's far more 90s country than much on the radio dial today on his ‘Hot Beer’ EP, out May 14. The 6-track collection is chock-full of music from standout songwriters including Hardy, Ashley Gorley, Jessi Alexander, David Lee Murphy and others. 

This week, Carmichael shares his rendition of Montgomery Gentry’s “Lucky Man,” a song close to his heart — not only because it was recorded by his uncle Eddie Montgomery, but also because the pandemic has allowed him to reflect on the many reasons he has to be thankful. The visualizer with this song includes an Opry performance, family and friends, the cities his career has allowed him to visit, and on top of that, his recent engagement. Watch the heartwarming video here: youtu.be/wdxSdn2ZYqs 

“Lucky Man” follows the Bakersfield-tinged title track “Hot Beer" and TikTok-viral hit “Sawin’ Logs,” which both showcase Carmichael's knee-slapping humor and were produced with the help of Jon Pardi. In the hilarious “Big Truck," Carmichael questions the motives of his girlfriend’s affection — is it because of his big heart or his lift kit? On a more serious note, “Somewhere She Ain’t” addresses heartbreak, and “Since You’ve Been In It” is a traditional Carmichael love song. 

‘Hot Beer’ is part I of Carmichael’s new music, and a full LP is expected later this year. 

1. Hot Beer (Michael Hardy, Ashley Gorley, Hunter Phelps, Ben Johnson) 

2. Big Truck (Dillon Carmichael, Jessi Alexander, David Lee Murphy) 

3. Lucky Man (David Lee, Dave Turnbull) 

4. Somewhere She Ain’t (Carmichael, Alexander, Ben Hayslip) 

5. Since You’ve Been In It (Carmichael, Ray Fulcher, Michael Whitworth, Daniel Ross) 

6. Sawin’ Logs (Brandon Kinney, Brice Long, Wynn Varble)

---

Mavericks frontman Raul Malo released a large collection of songs he recorded over the last year this week and has called the album Quarantunes, Vol. 1. 

Malo says about the project, “As the pictures came in of empty streets across the globe, it was apparent this pandemic was going to last a while. This project stemmed from the idea that we were all in this together — everyone at home, doing what they can. It started in my home studio one rainy day, just me and the Mellotron, recording songs I’d never done before. As time went on, I brought in other talented players to contribute: Hector Tellez Jr, my sons Dino and Max, my friends The Band of Heathens, and of course The Mavericks. Although this quarantine chapter will be behind us one day, I hope this record can serve as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there’s always room for a song.”

1. Love

2. Spanish Eyes

3. Ramblin' Rose

4. Solamente Una Vez

5. Wooden Heart

6. Galway Bay

7. Cha Cha Cha D'Amour

8. Jersey Girl

9. Santa Lucia (feat. Lisset Diaz )

10. Hey Gumbaree

11. Besame Mucho

12. Forever and Ever

13. Perfídia (feat. Hector Tellez Jr )

14. Maria Elena (feat. Hector Tellez Jr )

15. I Just Want To Dance With You

16. Moonglow

17. Those Were The Days

18. Brazil

19. All Of Me

20. My Way

21. The Sound Of Silence

22. Every Little Thing About You

23. Here Comes The Sun (feat. The Mavericks )

24. (Waiting For) The World To End (feat. The Mavericks )

25. Sweet Caroline (feat. The Mavericks )

26. Sinners and Saints (feat. The Mavericks )

27. Ventura Highway (feat. Hector Tellez Jr )

28. Back In Your Arms Again (feat. The Mavericks )

29. My Sweet Lord (feat. The Band of Heathens )

30. A Change is Gonna Come

Where and Who To Watch On Livestream Concerts Online This Week

One of the few blessings of this crazy COVID-19 shelter-in-place initiative has been the explosion of private concert events that artists across the country-sphere are doing on the internet and across social media. Nearly every hour of the day, there's an artist providing a show to keep the music going.  Here's a partial list of what you can watch over the coming week (shout out to the Ryman Auditorium for putting most of this list together.)

March 25

Scotty McCreery
Time: 12:45 p.m. CT
What: Live concert with Bonneville KNCI/Sacramento’s KNCI Couch Concert Series.

Where: Facebook

Jason Eady and Courtney Patton

Time: 1 p.m. CT

What: Living Room Acoustic Set

Where: Facebook Live

Callista Clark
Time: 2 p.m. CT
What: Q&A and live performance.
Where: Instagram

Daniel Tashian
Time: 3 p.m. CT
What: Live performance with a Q&A.
Where: Instagram

Nolan Sotillo
Time: 4 p.m. CT
What: Live performance with original songs and a few covers.
Where: Instagram

Honey County
Time: 5 p.m. CT
What: Showcasing new music.
Where: Facebook

Brandy Clark
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: “You Can’t Come Over (But You Can Come In)” live performance/conversation series with some of Brandy’s favorite.
Where: Instagram and Facebook

Dillon Carmichael
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: Live performance taking requests on his show “Whatcha Want Wednesdays.”
Where: Instagram

Callista Clark
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: Acoustic concert.

Where: Instagram

Lindsay Lawler, Chris Roberts, Kevin Post and Tori Allen

Time: 7 p.m. CT

What: Acoustic concert

Where: www.nashvillemusicloft.com 

Jesse Lebelle
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Playing live acoustic originals and covers to help supplement the lost income from all of cancelled shows.
Where: Facebook

Drake White
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Wednesday Night Therapy, donations welcome.
Where: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Steve Wariner
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Live get together with fans from his home studio.
Where: Instagram

Everette
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Live, acoustic show.
Where: Instagram

Paul Bogart
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: The Homebound Hoedown 2020 livestream show with cover charge.
Where: Key

Matt Stell
with guests Lindsay Ell, HARDY, Jameson Rodgers
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Original performances from Matt Stell and friends.
Where: Instagram

Dillon Carmichael
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Acoustic set with a Q&A.

Where: Facebook

March 26

Adam Doleac
Time: 2 p.m. CT
What: Presented by Boot Barn.
Where: Instagram

Kaitlyn Baker
Time: 4 p.m. CT
What: Live in Your Living Room’ event. All ticket proceeds go back to the artists themselves as our mission is to keep revenue streams open during these troubled times.
Where: StageIt

Jimmie Allen
Time: 4 p.m. CT
What: Live performance of new and favorite songs.
Where: Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Rachel Wammack
Time: 4 p.m. CT
What: Playing cover songs and taking fan questions.
Where: Instagram and Facebook

Teea Goans
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: Garage sing-a-long.
Where: Facebook

Charlie Worsham
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: Virtual guitar lesson.
Where: Instagram

Dillon Carmichael
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Acoustic set with a Q&A.
Where: Facebook

Jessie G
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: GrassRoots Live from the Living Room: Quarantine Edition
Where: Facebook

Josh Gracin
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Ticketed virtual show.
Where: Instagram and EventBrite

Russell Dickerson
Time: 8:15 p.m. CT
What: Live concert with Bonneville KNCI/Sacramento’s KNCI Couch Concert Series.

Where: Facebook

March 27

Alex Hall
Time: 1 p.m. CT
What: New music release party, live.
Where: Instagram

Ingrid Andress
Time: 2 p.m. CT
What: Album release day, raising funds for the World Health Organization.
Where: Instagram

Brian Fallon
Time: 2 p.m. CT
What: Album release day with livestream as part of #togetherathome series, and raising funds for the World Health Organization.
Where: Instagram

Brantley Gilbert
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Live performance and hangout.
Where: Instagram

Clayton Anderson
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Providing folks stuck at home with great entertainment.

Where: Facebook

March 28

Diesel Bird Fest
Featuring: Terri Clark, Parmalee, Tenille Townes & more. Hosted by Dan Davidson
Time: 1 p.m. CT
What: Live music festival from a safe social distance.
Where: Instagram

Marshall Chapman
Time: 3 p.m. CT
What: Virtual live performance.
Where: Facebook

Lainey Wilson
Time: 3 p.m. CT
What: Couch Concert Series.
Where: Facebook

Noah Schnacky
Time: 5 p.m. CT
Where: Twitter

Dead & Company
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: One More Saturday Night: free weekly couch tour series.
Where: Facebook

Nefesh Mountain
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Songs of love and healing.
Where: Facebook

Rachel Reinert
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Album release, paid live show.
Where: Key

Lori McKenna
Time: 9:30 p.m. CT
What: Festival-style livestream. Purchasing a ticket required, on a “pay what you can” basis. Lori’s portion of proceeds will go to Nashville tornado relief.

Where: StageIt

March 29

Lucas Hoge
Time: 9:30 a.m. CT
What: Sunday faith-based sessions.
Where: Instagram and Facebook

Diesel Bird Fest
Featuring: James Barker Band, Lindsay Ell, Corb Lund & more. Hosted by Dan Davidson
Time: 1 p.m. CT
What: Live music festival from a safe social distance.
Where: Instagram

Danielle Bradbery
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Where: Instagram

John Mayer
Time: 9 p.m. CT
What: Current Mood series.

Where: Instagram

March 30

Logan Mize
Time: 2 p.m. CT
What: #BYDCouchConcert: livestream series to help spread positivity during this time of crisis.
Where: Instagram

Brandy Clark
Time: 6 p.m.
What: Weekly book club.

Where: Instagram and Facebook

April 1

Brandy Clark
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: “You Can’t Come Over (But You Can Come In)” live performance/conversation series with some of Brandy’s favorite.
Where: Instagram and Facebook

Matt Stell
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Original performances with friends.

Where: Instagram

April 2

James Dupre
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: GrassRoots Live from the Living Room: Quarantine Edition

Where: Facebook

April 3

Leah Nobel
Time: 2 p.m. CT
What: #BYDCouchConcert: livestream series to help spread positivity during this time of crisis.
Where: Instagram

George Shingleton
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
What: Live performance with guitar player Shane Sanders, cover songs by request.
Where: Facebook

Brantley Gilbert
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Live performance and hangout.

Where: Instagram

April 7

Seth Cook
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: GrassRoots Live from the Living Room: Quarantine Edition

Where: Facebook

April 9

Pam Tillis
Time: 7:30 a.m. CT
What: GrassRoots Live from the Living Room: Quarantine Edition
Where: Facebook

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "I Do For You"

The Art Of Storytelling In Faulkner County - An Exclusive Interview With Erin Enderlin

Known for a remarkable aptitude at crafting music with character-driven storylines, singer/songwriter Erin Enderlin will unveil her first new full-length album since 2017 with the release of Faulkner County this Friday, Nov. 1.  

Produced by Jim “Moose” Brown, Jamey Johnson and Alex Kline, Faulkner County will cement 2019 as a red-letter year for Enderlin.

The 14-track LP is a masterful ramble through lonely barroom corners and bedrooms, story after story delivered by Enderlin’s impeccable golden-era warble. A stellar supporting cast including Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Terri Clark, Cody Jinks, Dillon Carmichael and others poured harmonies and soul into the vivid collection, sounding like kindred spirits and close friends making music together for the sheer joy of it.

Enderlin’s fall has been defined by exciting career firsts and incredible momentum. After sold-out shows in her first-ever UK tour, she returned to Nashville to showcase at AMERICANAFEST. She’ll close out 2019 having played more than 100 shows. In June, she took home three trophies at the Arkansas Country Music Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. All the while, Enderlin’s success as a songwriter persisted as musical heroes turned to her for songs. Reba McEntire, Terri Clark, Rodney Crowell, Rhonda Vincent and more all recorded Enderlin-penned gems in 2019.

Enderlin took a minute out of her busy travel schedule to talk with That Nashville Sound about the new project.

Ken Morton, Jr: So, project #3 for you. Give me a little background kind of on a starting place and kind of, you know, how you went around building the album this time around.

Erin Enderlin: You know, I think sometimes maybe it takes a little longer to get my head around something exactly how I wanna do it or maybe if I have the time to put in motion all the things that I want to do— And I just love all these stories and songs. And you know, I went back in with Moose and added some parts and saying everything. And I think it’s a really cool kind of evolution from Whiskeytown Crier. I do feel like there's a strong connection between the 2 albums.

KMJ: I know you are drawn to the story songs and, you know, the kind of plight of the individual in there. Is there some background to your upbringing or your personal likes that kind of have led you to down that path?

EE: You know, I think part of it was the music I grew up on. Have you heard the new Dolly Parton podcast yet?

KMJ: I have not, although I have it downloaded.

EE: The first one is sad-ass songs. And she is talking about her first 4 records and how she influenced by all those storytelling songs. She was like “Oh, I mean, that’s just, you know, what I grew up listening to.” And it kind of, you know, sunk in and start looking at those characters and maybe other sides, other characters that are in the songs, but maybe weren't the main characters in the songs and what their experience was.

KMJ: Do you find there in Nashville, you know, certainly that type of songwriting and those type of songs is swimming a little bit uphill against the stream? Do you find it easier because there's more space or harder because there's so little of that being put out now?

EE: I really feel fortunate to still be making music after being here for 19 years and maybe even more so than ever before, making music that I absolutely love. So, maybe I'm just a little bit too narcissistic to know that. You know? Like I’m happy for everybody to do whatever they wanna do. And this is what I wanna do. So, I think there’s space for everybody. And you know, honestly, I haven't really been in Nashville nearly as much the last couple years. I’ve been on the road so much. I just played my 100th show of the year this year and the crowd that I've been playing for just been all so awesome and receptive, but it seems like there's a real hunger for that sort of thing.

KMJ: Sure. And it seems like you have surrounded yourself with, you know, artists that recognize the specialness and the character storytelling too with— and maybe kind of some more mature artists that are cutting your stuff that, you know, grew up singing that type of music as well.

EE: For sure. And I think everything goes in cycles. And I feel like I'm tapped into something. Listening to that Dolly episode too, it’s like it’s a really old tradition I think. And obviously, I have my own thing that I do, but I think I’m kept into something that’s been around for a long time. So, I don’t think it’s going anywhere. You know, I’ve been so excited to see the Ken Burns special and see what that’s doing. You know, I’ve been talking to the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and they’re just like “Man, ever since they started airing the Ken Burns, they’ve just—” You know, they have a pretty good traffic down there anyway, but it's just been multiplied.

KMJ: That’s fantastic.

EE: And I think it’s gonna bring a different set of eyes to it to a different set of country music fans. And I think I'm really excited about that because I think also guarantee you there's gonna be kids, you know, 13, 14, 15 really getting into their own of like finding their passion for music. They’re gonna watch that and they’re gonna fall in love with the Carter family, you know? They’re gonna fall in love with Johnny Cash. And they're gonna start putting their own spin on that type of music. So, I think we're gonna see that influence grow. And there’s a ton of artists that are coming out right now that have more of those  same influences too that are starting to have a little impact on folks listening.

KMJ: Yeah. There’s no doubt about that. I love some of the more classical, you know, neo traditional influences that are coming back into country radio a little bit. But I think they’re opening the door for artists like yourself to really bring back some of the more traditional themes of music as well.

EE: It’s been an exciting couple of years I think in country music. There's been so much. Just music that gets me excited, you know, like I love Randy Houser’s new record he put out this year.  

KMJ: Yup. I agree. Specific to your album, the way you went about releasing it was a little different this year with the multiple EPs. Can you maybe walk me through that a little bit and then maybe kind of what you learned through that process versus releasing it all collectively at once?

EE: I’m willing to try something a little different. You know, one thing as an artist, you put out an album and you work that album for a long time. And I thought it would be cool to kind of be able to take it a little bit differently because, you know, sometimes you put out an album and I feel like sometimes you lose some of the songs on that. They maybe get lost in the shuffle a little bit. And I felt like being able to put out a couple of songs at a time it gave me more of a chance to really, you know, be excited and give that little back to the song, their own spotlight. And also, going out to play shows and everything like that, it was fun to have new music constantly, to have something new to share with the crowd.

People are listening to music differently too. And I wanted to tap into that new genre. So, I’ve been really lucky that the label’s been really supportive of what I’m doing and they had suggested trying— you know, just mix it up. Trying some different things that you’re not necessarily boxed in to, okay, you have to release music just like this anymore. You know what I mean?

KMJ: Totally. Blake Shelton just said, you know, he’s not positive he’s going to release any more albums. Doing like you’ve done these 3- to 4-song releases will allow him to release them as frequently as he wants and really he's finding it kind of freeing a little bit.

EE: I think it's cool. It's an experimental time. And I think it's always interesting. There's definitely been some different parts of technology that have been challenging for musicians and artists the last couple of years because it’s all changing so fast and being able to acclimate to that, but I think it's also starting to open up a different kind of creativity and different ways to express yourself that I'm excited about. I'm excited about the thought that I could find a song that I just really, really love and I want to do it and I don't have to wait, you know, 2 years to be able to go in and record it and share it with my band.

KMJ: Whiskeytown Crier was such a cohesive collection of songs. Does the thought of doing it in piecemeal or doing it as you have done it little pieces at a time make it any more or less difficult, you know? Because I know how passionate you are about albums as they are. Does it make it that harder to do?

EE: I mean, it’s different. But I think it also maybe you get to experiment more. This is to say, you know, for my next album I can go in and cut 3 songs, really live in those songs, start playing them out, being out there and have that kind of— inspire more of the album.

So, maybe you kind of get to live in both worlds, have your cake and eat it too where you get to release songs more frequently in different ways.  But then also to create these arts, more of like complete cohesive piece that you put out.

KMJ: The more frequency of new music is exciting and I know for me these 3 songs at a time that you’ve been releasing have always left me wanting more and anticipating the next release of three more.

EE: Good.

KMJ: Specific to songs, is there any that have been early favorites of yours or ones that resonated more with you? I know they're all your babies, but any more that you feel that hold some iconic nature to you as you’re playing them out on the road?

EE: Yeah. You know, “Tonight I Don’t Give a Damn” has been really cool for several reasons. That song is up to 600,000 streams now on Spotify, which is cool because I’ll go out and play in a new market where I don’t know people and people I can hear them singing along with that song. And that's been really cool.

KMJ: Any other songs come to mind that you love?

EE: I’m really interested about “The Queen of Marina Del Rey.”  I feel like that is like a full length Hollywood movie. And so, there’s so much happening. So, I think it will be cool to see what happens with that one.

KMJ: Talk to me about your work with Alex Kline.

EE: Yes. So, Alex produced two of the tracks on the album, which was cool. And you know, we’re friends- but it’s fun to work together because we both know we're going for the same goal. You know, we’re like sisters almost because we can be very direct about like “This isn’t working like what do we do here?” And it’s just like we’re both aware of what’s happening in the moment. She’s so talented and I really think she’s starting to get her spot in the spotlight.

KMJ: I’m excited. We need more female voices at that level and I agree with you. She’s got it. She comes from a really unique space and how she approaches that and everything that she touches.

EE: Yeah. And she’s such a great musician too. It’s interesting because we come from different worlds in terms of our biggest influences and things. So, I think sometimes she challenges me in ways or have ideas about stuff that I definitely wouldn't have thought about, which is cool.

KMJ: I would guess from the outside looking in, you approach it from the standpoint of a lyricist and storytelling and Alex probably approaches it more from the music and melody side. Would that be accurate?

EE: Yeah. She’s very, very good at being able to plug in to an artist to kind of, you know, see how she can that what she does and amplify where the artist is at.

That’s, you know, something that I'm not always necessarily super great at and sometimes intimidating to me- especially going in to write with an artist. I tend to be more excited about an idea. I try to write the best song in the room, but I don't know that I’m necessarily as good about, you know, from the outside kind of getting that structure, having that idea of where it needs to go to sit with that particular artist if that makes sense.

But Alex can kind of like put her different artist hat on.

KMJ: I know you have a number of special guests that are certainly worth mentioning on this project as well.

EE: Well, you know, I guess it's funny. I grew up listening to country music, listening to it almost exclusively. And it felt like it was a family. It felt like, you know, a front porch.  There was this sense where everybody works with each other and there’s stuff like sharing, collaboration, and different styles coming together. And I really enjoy that. I really enjoy getting to work with different musicians, and singers, and artists. I love what they do too and kinda have that collaborative spirit. Whatever gets you through the night. I put on Dillon Carmichael and I think he is just one of the best new artists out there right now. I love what he’s doing.

KMJ: I wholeheartedly concur with you. That collaboration is awesome.

EE: And Melonie Cannon sing on a bunch of stuff and I love her. I call her a country music alien because I don't know how she does what she does with her harmony. It’s what she does and I love it, but it definitely can be from a different planet. It’s so great. And you know, having Alison Krauss and Vince Gill on a song was incredible. I got to go to the studio when Vince was singing and it was really cool to get to see that. And then of course, Terri Clark sings on one of the songs. I mean, I put it in the kind of thank you section to this record, but Terri has done a big part of me even putting out Whiskeytown Crier and then coming to this album. I think I was in an interesting place and really questioning kind of what I was doing, and if I was on the right track, and if there was a space for me in music around the time I started writing with Terri. We’re writing together, started doing demos of it and talking about putting it on a record. And it kind of gave me the confidence to be like “You know what? Yeah. Like somebody that I bought all their records growing up like we’re writing together and putting on a record like I wanna take another shot with this. I wanna try and figure out how to make this work and put it all together.” And that was really the impetus for me starting to try to figure out how to do a budget for Whiskeytown Crier, how to find a team to help me put that out and start touring more and figure out that whole thing, which obviously led to Faulkner County. So, it was really, really cool to have her come in and sing on one of the songs for this album too. I have 7 Terri Clark cuts now.

KMJ: That's amazing. As we're talking about influences, we’d be remiss in not talking about the influences that Jamey Johnson and Moose Brown have had as well.

EE: Jim is like probably the most talented person I’ve ever met in this role. He has so many facets to his talent from playing to writing to producing. And he really took so much care and so much time with these records to make sure they were right.

And Jamey, he is everything that I love about a country music artist. He wants to feel it. He wants the music to kick him in the chest and make him feel some pain. And at the end of the day, that’s what he cares about. So, I think it was really cool to have him in the studio also be a part of the process ‘cause I feel like he was always this barometer also of making sure that you stay at that home plate. You’re not thinking too much about the next steps- like what would be in the radio, what would make a good video, what would be good to play in shows or whatever. So, it’s just really focused on feeling something with every song.

KMJ: What is country music to Erin Enderlin?

EE: To me, I think, you know, country music is something that real people can plug into about real things going on in their life.  Whether it’s falling in love, or losing somebody you care about, or a drinking problem, or just needing to escape your job. They are real world things that make you feel something.

Dillon Carmichael To Drop New EP I Do For You On Oct. 18

Artist: Dillon Carmichael

Album: I Do For You

Label: Riser House Records

Release date: October 18, 2019

Dillon Carmichael, the new up-and-coming baritone and former security guard at the Grand Ole Opry from Riser House Records, will be following up his critically-acclaimed 2018 debut album, Hell on an Angel, with an EP on 10/18 titled I Do For You.

In an interview with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Carmichael says, "“I Do for You,” I wrote that song about four or five years ago about my co-writer Jimmy Melton and his wife. That’s what inspired the song, but I now relate to that song myself in my relationship. When I wrote it, I didn’t have a relationship. That song has had I think now four different versions recorded — there’s a slow version, there’s a faster version, there’s a little more of a rock version and there’s the version that is now very ’90s country, uptempo. But there’s been a lot of different versions of it, and I believe that songs have a life of their own. It just had to take a few years for this song to come out, but I know that this song is very, very special." 

While his debut album was produced by Dave Cobb, Carmichael has a different producer helming his second project.  "It’s a different producer by the name of Phil O’Donnell, who also produced Craig Morgan, just to name one of a few. In comparison to the album stylistically, you’re going to more find more tempo in this album. Mainly from my perspective, the added tempo feel to the new album is strictly for the live show’s purposes. I take my live show very, very serious and the one thing that my live show is lacking is tempo. So we focused on that on this new record when there wasn’t so much tempo on the first album. It’s still very much the country and Southern rock influence, just a little more tempo and a different production style as well."

Along with “99 Problems” — which draws its title inspiration from the Jay Z song and was written by Dan Isbell, Rhett Akins, and Casey Beathard — the EP includes a song that Carmichael wrote (the title track “I Do for You”), and a Chris Stapleton composition, “Feel That Way Again,” co-written with Brice Long.

Track listing:
I Do For You
99 Problems (Fish Ain't One)
It's Your Fault
Hung Up On You
Feel That Way Again

Erin Enderlin To Release Faulkner County On November 1

Artist: Erin Enderlin
Album: Faulkner County
Label: Black Crow/Blaster Records
Release date: November 1, 2019

She's a writer for Nashville royalty, the kind that appreciate the depth and emotional power of a good classic country song. Among those she's written for include the likes of Reba McEntire, Joey+Rory, Terri Clark, Randy Travis, Lee Ann Womack, Rhonda Vincent, Alan Jackson and Bill Anderson.

She's also a storytelling artist- whose last project, Whiskeytown Crier, was a critically-acclaimed album filled with stories only further exemplify Enderlin’s fantastic ability to carve something out of the trials and tribulations of small-town America.

This time around on her next album coming out November 1 called Faulkner County, Enderlin receives storytelling help from some friends, as she is joined on a few tracks by Dillon Carmichael (“Whatever Gets You Through The Night”), Vince Gill and Alison Krauss (“Sweet Emmylou”) and Ronnie Bowman on a gorgeous and faithful rendering of the Gene Watson’s “Use Me Again.”

To know Erin a little bit is to know about Faulkner County. The proud Conway, Arkansas native might call Nashville home these days, but her Razorback roots run deep. In June, she took home three Arkansas Country Music Awards including Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year.

On the influence that her hometown had on her music, Enderlin says, "I think it was very influential. I brought a Conway Twitty record to show and tell when I was in kindergarten, and I am sure part of the reason I gravitated toward it because it was Conway. When you are little, you don’t know how to make different associations … plus there is a really strong music base in Arkansas: Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell. Growing up around all the other Arkansas writers, singer-songwriters, it definitely influenced the music I was making. Dan Clanton, for instance, an Arkansas singer-songwriter, he’s the one that showed me you don’t need the pick. Put the pick away and learn how to do the finger-pickin’ first. That’s been a huge influence on my playing, and my sound. I think there is a rich storytelling tradition in general in Arkansas. My grandparents were big into that, so I think that also really influenced me."

Track listing:

1 I Can Be Your Whiskey
2 Whatever Gets You Through the Night
3 The Queen of Marina Del Rey
4 Tonight I Don't Give a Damn
5 Use Me Again
6 Broken
7 Hell Comin' Down
8 A Man with 18 Wheels
9 Hometown Jersey
10 Till It's Gone
11 These Boots (Full Band Version)
12 Old Flames (Can't Hold a Candle to You)
13 Sweet Emmylou
14 Run Baby Run

Erin Enderlin To Release Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night This Friday

Artist: Erin Enderlin
Album: Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night
Label: Black Crow/Blaster Records
Release date: 8/23/19

Nashville troubadour Erin Enderlin will soon reveal the third chapter of her four-installment 2019 digital EP series with the eagerly-awaited release of Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night on August 23. As did its predecessors, the new EP focuses on character-driven lyrical storytelling on matters of love, loss, struggle and hope.

This time around, Enderlin receives storytelling help from some friends, as she is joined on its three tracks by Dillon Carmichael (“Whatever Gets You Through The Night”), Vince Gill and Alison Krauss (“Sweet Emmylou”) and Ronnie Bowman on a gorgeous and faithful rendering of the Gene Watson’s “Use Me Again.”

Enderlin is already enjoying a successful 2019, with roughly a hundred shows on the touring calendar and her songs included on new releases by personal heroes Reba McEntire, Rhonda Vincent and Rodney Crowell. In June, she took home three Arkansas Country Music Awards including Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Shortly thereafter, the title track from Chapter Two: I Can Be Your Whiskey, was featured in Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country Songs To Hear Now.”

Enderlin puts that authenticity on full display throughout Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night. While the theme of Chapter Two: I Can Be Your Whiskey is the eternal pursuit of love, the thread that runs across Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night is of the bitter heartbreak that comes from losing it. The Arkansas native croons mournfully about the travails of despair and loneliness on the EP’s title track while “Sweet Emmylou,” is a plea from the song’s broken-hearted main character to Emmylou Harris for help getting them through their heartbreak. Enderlin chooses the perspective of the “other woman” in Watson’s “Use Me Again,” written by Curly Putnam, Dale Dodson and Billy Lawson, to round out this chapter’s reflections on the desolation of love lost.

The fourth and final chapter in Enderlin’s storytelling tour de force is slated for release later this year.

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Dancing Away With My Heart"

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "What Would Hank Do?"

That Nashville Sound Monday Newsbytes: Willie Nelson, Krystal Keith, Rory Feek, Maggie Rose & More

Lots of new projects were unveiled over the weekend- many of which are new on the radar. So consider yourself first in on the know. It's like a little club. Except we don't have meetings and there are no dues.

- A special collection of Willie Nelson's earliest demos is going to be made available through Real Gone Music with a double album called Things To Remember: The Pamper Demos. The project is scheduled for release on CD and digital platforms on July 13th. Here's the scoop on the project:

For the series of sessions that laid the foundation for Willie Nelson’s career and thus changed the course of modern country music, these recordings have been treated pretty cavalierly over the years. But first, a little history…Willie Nelson was a struggling songwriter, hungry for work and maybe even just plain hungry, when he moved to Nashville in late 1960 with his wife and kids and met Hank Cochran, who was a writer for Pamper Music. Pamper, which was owned by country star Ray Price, fiddle player Hal Smith, and a baker (!) from Pico Rivera, California named Claude Caviness, was the hottest publishing company in town, thanks to writers like Cochran and Harlan Howard and songs like “Heartaches by the Number” and “I Fall to Pieces.”

At first, Willie wasn’t going to sign with Pamper because Hal Smith wouldn’t give Willie the draw he needed, but Cochran told Smith to front Willie fifty bucks a week from his own draw. So Willie, determined to reward Cochran’s trust, got to work. “I was writing to prove I could write,” he said. “To get the money and feel like I was earning it.” He would end most work days with a new song, and then he and Cochran would call a session with A-team musicians who didn’t have major label studio work that day. The result: a body of work that just may well represent the most fertile creative period ever to issue from a country songwriter. The songs Willie recorded for Pamper during the early ‘60s remain among his most famous, and include tunes he still performs to this day: “Crazy,” “Funny (How Time Slips Away),’ “Night Life,” “Pretty Paper,” “Half a Man,” “Hello Walls,” “Healing Hands of Time,” and more.

And these, the Pamper demos, are the first recordings of those legendary songs. In other words, this is what artists and label guys back in the day heard when Hal Smith or Hank Cochran handed over a little acetate, and said, “Hey, listen here to what our guy Willie Nelson just come up with.” It simply doesn’t get much more historic than that! But, for some reason, these demos have hitherto turned up in bits and pieces, mostly on budget packages with little documentation or care. Now, finally, these incredibly important recordings are getting the respect they deserve. Things to Remember—The Pamper Demos brings together these 28 performances for the first time (several of which have hitherto eluded compilation), all remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision to sound much better than they ever have, and annotated by Grammy-winning writer Colin Escott, with photos courtesy of Bear Family label founder Richard Weize.

 - Sonia Leigh, former songwriter and tour-mate of Zac Brown and Eric Church, has a new live album coming out on June 15 called Live in London - Studio 3 Sessions.

- Maggie Rose has been releasing digital 45's damn-near every single month and they've been terrific. Her voice is one of the best in Nashville and each dual-track release has had her soulful style front and center. Her next one is being released on June 15 and features "Long Way To Go" and "Do Right By My Love." 

- Krystal Keith, daughter of Toby Keith, has a new EP coming out on July 13 called Boulder. The five track Show Dog label release features a duet with Lance Carpenter. Track list:

1. Boulder

2. I Got You

3. Anyone Else

4. Then It Started Raining

5. Resting Beach Face

 

- Big-voiced newcomer Dillon Carmichael has set August 17th as the release date for his debut album, Hell on an Angel. He's quietly released some fantastic independent work and according to Rolling Stone Country, "mixes some hard-nosed Outlaw country with the melodic edge of Southern rock.  The album's 10 tracks were recorded in Nashville's historic RCA Studio A by Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton). Seven of the songs were written or co-written by the young Kentucky native – a nephew of John Michael Montgomery and Montgomery Gentry's Eddie Montgomery – including the gritty title track and the previously released "It's Simple." Fellow singer-songwriters such as Jon Pardi and Leroy Powell also show up in the credits of Hell on an Angel, along with Carmichael's mother Becky Montgomery on "Hard on a Hangover.""

 

- Rory Feek released a final version of his film trailer for Josephine, a movie filmed with he and his cousin Aaron Carnahan based loosely on a true story that inspired a Joey+Rory song by the same name.

 

- Classic country songs are alive and well. William Michael Morgan proves such as with one of our favorite tracks of the year and an incredible track titled "The Last Monday in May."  Check out this video of him performing it with some veterans via Operation Song on the historic Grand Ole Opry stage on May 25, 2018.

 

New Music Video From Dillon Carmichael - "Old Songs Like That"