New Music Video From Trisha Yearwood & Terri Clark - "You Ain't Woman Enough" (Live at the Opry)

New Music Video From Ashley McBryde & Terri Clark - "Girl Goin’ Nowhere" (Live at the Opry)

New Music Video From Erin Enderlin and Terri Clark - "If There Weren't So Many Damn Songs"

A Storyteller's Storyteller - An Interview With Erin Enderlin

Erin Enderlin has an old soul. She might have been born a few decades too late for her musical ways. And then again, she just might have been born exactly at the time she was needed- to remind us of all of the incredible emotion and literary prowess that country music can have when possessed in the hands of a master storyteller. 

Enderlin has that knack. Released in 2019, her last full album Faulkner County channeled that empathy into 14 story songs that made it the #1 album of the year for this very site. Add that with the release of the brilliant 2017 project Whiskeytown Crier and a series of four digital EPs in 2019, she has earned her place as one of the go-to writers for traditional country music- as noted by her repeated visits to the Grand Ole Opry stage. Enderlin has penned Alan Jackson’s “Monday Morning Church,” Lee Ann Womack’s “Last Call,” Luke Bryan’s “You Don’t Know Jack,” and a host of other songs for Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson, Rhonda Vincent, Joey+Rory, Terri Clark and more. 

And it's that last artist mentioned, Terri Clark, that her most recent project is a collaboration with. This week, she unveiled a new song off an upcoming project that will be out later this year with her musical hero entitled "If There Weren't So Many Damn Songs." It is classic jukebox-neon-sign-divebar classic country music perfection and promises to be a highlight on what will surely be another incredible project later this fall. 

We had an opportunity to sit down with Enderlin and talk about her songwriting, that upcoming project and her country music sensibilities. 

Ken Morton, Jr. - The order of your albums has been strange because I know from talking to you before that Whiskeytown Crier was done prior to I Let Her Talk. So, this is your first project that you’ve done front-to-back outside of your Campfire sessions in quite a while, isn’t it?

Erin Enderlin: It’s true. I hadn’t really thought about that because – and I have recorded Whiskeytown Crier and Faulkner County at the same time pretty much.

KMJ: And so, where does that kind of put you in your artistry and in growth in an artist. Do you think it’s a different place or you still feel like you’re coming at it from the same kind of songwriter place that you did originally?

EE: Well, I think it’s quite a bit different because I mean I recorded – I recorded Whiskeytown Crier and Faulkner County I think almost ten years before they came out or at least ten years before Faulkner County came out.

And so, I had a lot of time to grow and especially playing shows and being out in front of a live audience, which I think is different. And, when I did those other records, I think it was definitely really cool way to do them, but especially Jamey Johnson, he co-produced, so it was like, you know, we should just take the bad songs you have and I don’t want even like talk about radio or commerciality or anything, I just want to record great songs that you want.

And that was definitely great. But I think I have learned more about kind of how records interact with then being able to do the kind of shows you want to do, because you like having certain moments in your shows, you’re like being able to have a variety of moods and different kinds of things like – like, I usually start the show with my song, Caroline, and I love that song and it kind of has like a dramatic build and symphony that I love starting the show off with.

And you start thinking about other kinds of things like my later single, I’d Rather Be Somebody Shot of Whiskey, I love that feel that kind of honkytonk vibe. I just love the feel of it and I love being able to play it live, which I haven’t had a ton of shows, but having getting to do a couple. I did one last weekend in Alabama and it just felt so good to play that song in a live setting.

And I think that’s really changed how I record. I’ve been doing a lot of Facebook live shows over the last year and I played all of these songs. I’ve played and asked for fan feedback about what people thought about the songs and if they would like to see it on a record and different things, which I haven’t done that before, which was interesting.

KMJ: I find that so interesting that the live shows are going to influence it more. You are attracted to the kind of the dark and the sad country songs. And those play a really big role in your live shows however, you know, when most people country artists think, you know, that it’s – it’s lively and all that kind of stuff. But, the intimacy of some of those songs are kind of the key call outs of your live shows.

EE: Yeah. And I do love that and absolutely huge part of what I’m doing and this next song that I’m putting out, [If I’m Not in Hell], is definitely like quintessential Enderlin in that way.

But, I think, you know, I’ve always been attracted in songs like Baby Sister and things like that tune. I’ve also been, you know, playing some more cover songs in my shows like, Me and Bobby McGee, and different things and I love story songs.

I still love like groovy story songs and things, but there is, you know, there’s multiple different tempos and styles and everything else. I’ve also grown a whole lot of guitar player in the last few notes in the fifteen years. And I think I’ve grown as a writer too, because I’ve always written those kinds of songs, I just don’t know that I’ve as often, you know, thought listens one hundred percent one of my best songs.

And you don’t want to record a song through a record if it’s not something that you don’t hundred percent believe in. And I think I’ve been able to, you know, as a writer you sit down and you have an idea you have something you want to do, but then you’re kind of holding it back until you figure out if it’s going to go where you want it to.

And I think I’ve been able to get a little better at hitting that work with that – that vibe of that style.

KMJ: I’ve had an opportunity here the first two songs off of the upcoming project and, you know, while, you know, while different than your – some of the stuff that was on your prior albums, it’s still quintessential country music and you know clearly with you that’s not ever going to change. What can listeners expect for the balance of that album?

EE: I think – well, it’s interesting because I didn’t really think about it beforehand, but I have gotten comment from a couple of friends like my publicist that they thought it was way more commercial than things I’ve done in the past and I didn’t set out to do that, but perhaps I should, you know, maybe kind of some of the work that I put into in live shows and things like that too playing a 100, 120 days a year.

It’s very different the immediate reaction you get to song and the energy in a live room. And for me that’s kind of then a little bit of that polishing process.

But, on this project, I really went on a limb too because I’ve always liked challenging myself and I really wanted to take a leap and record with playing the guitar myself on the record. So, this is the first project that I put out that I actually play guitar on.

And, I think that’s really influenced the sound of it because I have certain styles or tricks that I like to do in the guitar playing with the melody and everything else, but isn’t always captured because obviously we have different players – studio players, they’re amazing and they’re super talented, but it’s not new. And, I think that kind of a different feel.

And I’ve been also been able to work with Megan Jane, who has played a lot with me out on the road as a drummer percussionist and I found that really cool. And I think she really, really gets how I like to play and I don’t always stick to – well, I never stick to timing, you can't put a metronome to what I do. I like to feel it, I like things to move in a certain way and she really gets that, so that’s been cool playing.

And then, I produced this project myself, so I was lucky enough to find some great musicians. It created a different way of doing things and it was – it was challenging to take myself out there that much and say, okay, well, you’re in this, you’re going to make all the decisions. You don’t have anybody telling you it’s the right decision, you don’t have someone else telling you this is cool. You just have to feel it’s cool and go with it.

KMJ: Producing it yourself, do you find that that it’s more personalized to you specifically or is everything moving so fast that it’s just kind of hard to tell?

EE: Ah, well, you know, I recorded this differently too because I recorded the guitar part and the vocals and then I would talk to each individual musician and they would do overdub.

And so, that was – that kind of gave you a time and space that you wouldn’t normally have if you were, you know, singing and playing on it and producing it.

So, it gave me a little more thoughtfulness and the ability to try some different things. Like, I went back and forth a couple of times with several musicians to try a different feel. And I just think it was a really cool experience for me, it was a good challenge in a good way to build my confidence with things that I’m doing because I love working with producers and I look forward to doing that again.

But, I think this – it’s kind of like writing a song by yourself, which I have one song on this – on the EP that I wrote by myself. You kind of get in this mode, it’s I love working with so many other talented folks and what they bring to the project, but you kind of also maybe get them over you get a little complacent in really doing the work and trusting yourself and going full-on like you’re the only cook in the kitchen kind of thing, which obviously I still didn’t do completely on that. I have a great engineer, who was a lot with me and the musicians were also talented. They’re not going to – you’re not ever going to get a bad note out of any of them, you know?

KMJ: Yeah. [laughs]

EE: You have to kind of have ideas of what you want and be able to ask for that.

KMJ: It’s a whole another level of ownership.

EE: Yeah.

KMJ: You mentioned being out on the road, what’s kind of in store for you over the next few months on that front as we – as we hopefully get by where we’re at that moment here?

EE: Yes. Well, hopefully I’m going to be starting out in the road with Tanya Tucker a little bit later this month in the CMT. That’s one of the country tours.

We're headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, which I’ve never played on that part of the country before, so I’m really excited about that. And I have some fans up there, who have been, you know, they’re like, “Come on up here,” for quite a while, so I’m finally going to get to do that.

And then, you know, I’m just trying to I’ve been doing little more in Nashville lately and just trying to, you know, focus on what I can and that’s creating.  I feel like I have been writing some really great songs lately. And I’m so excited about this project and all the work and I’m still doing that, so I’m getting to create a lot of great video content and other things to go on with that and just really falling in love with the music part of it and trying that and just being out in the room.

But you know you can only control so much and it’s weird times. Not just with COVID, while that’s going on. But you know so many shows have been rescheduled for a year, year and a half and you know you have a lot of – a lot of artists that want to get back out in the road, so finding the spots and everything and I know it will come back.

So, I’m just doing what I can to stay creative and connected to that creativity and then also give my fans that great stuff and, you know, while maybe I’m going to be able to be on the road as much, the one bonus with that is the kind of stuff that I’m doing right now is online and I’m having music videos and the music really some stuff is that I can connect with a lot of my fans at once that, you know, it will take you a whole bunch of dates to get to.

So, just trying to look at the positive of it that way and Opry has been really great in having me out there quite a bit too, so, yeah, we’ll see. I guess that’s one thing we’ve all learned is just the value of patience and flexibility. [laughs]

KMJ: Yeah. And how little we can control about anything, right? [laughs]

EE: Yeah.

KMJ: I always finish my interviews with the same question and I’ve asked you this before and that is: What is country music to Erin Enderlin? I’m going to put a little twist on it though. In your 15 to 20 years there writing in Nashville now, has it changed? Is your definition and meaning of country music different or has it evolved over your time there in Nashville?

EE: That’s very interesting. I mean, I think to me personally, it's still the same music that makes you feel something that’s real, that connects with you on an emotional level and illicit some sort of emotional response from you, whether that’d be I want to get in the dance floor or, you know, I want to roll the windows down or, you know, I want to cry on my beer and feel like I’m not the only one who’s ever gone through this kind of heartbreak.

But, I think maybe it just keeps expanding in a way. One of the things I’ve always loved about country music is that there are so many sub-genres. And so, I love to see all kinds of different influence on a country song. And I don’t know, there’s still a lot of stuff out there I love. But I still love the classic stuff. 

New Music Video from Terri Clark - "The Highway"

That Nashville Sound Sunday Newsbytes: New Albums From Clint Black & Will Hoge + New Music Videos

As the music business stands to lose up to 9 billion... that's a billion with a b, folks... from lost revenue from concert ticket sales, it's left the industry reeling. With album sales at an all-time low, streaming revenues that are a joke to the artists, and now concerts all in limbo, now is the time to support your favorite artists. Buy a shirt. Buy some vinyl. Show some support. Heaven knows they need it now more than ever.

~ That Nashville Sound favorite Will Hoge will release his new self-produced project, Tiny Little Movies, on June 26 via Thirty Tigers. It is "a throwback rock and roll splendor, setting the tone well for an album in which Hoge chose to highlight the raw chemistry of his road band. After tackling the arrangements over four days in an East Nashville rehearsal space, Hoge, guitarist Thom Donovan, drummer Allen Jones, and bassist Christopher Griffiths headed into Trace Horse Studio and tracked each song live, together and inspired. “There’s a classic, rock & roll centerpiece to everything this band does, but it’s still a group of four different people, and we all bring different influences to the table,” says Hoge, who turned to Grammy-winning producer/engineer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Lori McKenna) to mix the album at Sam Phillips Recording. “We’ve got a metalhead in the group. We’ve got a Motown fan. We’ve got a guitarist who loves Johnny Marr. It’s a unique hodgepodge of sounds coming together, and we tried to accentuate that.”"

~ Clint Black will release his 23rd album called Out of Sane on June 19. "Out of Sane is made up of all original songs, except for one cover. I recorded it with a varied collection of musicians; some from my band and some with session players. I believe it’s one of my best albums ever and I think my fans will love it. They’ve been asking for new music for a while and I’m thrilled to finally be able to deliver after five years since the last studio album,” said Black.

New music videos:

      Hot Country Knights (feat Terri Clark) - "You Make It Hard"
      Keith Urban - "Polaroid"
      American Aquarium - "Six Years Come September"
      Clint Black - "America (Still In Love With You)"
      Tracy Lawrence - "When The Cowboy's Gone"

      Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen - "Rodeo Clown"

      Trace Adkins - "Tough People Do"

      Blackberry Smoke - "Take The Highway"

      Drake White - "Mix 'Em With Whiskey"

      Lennon Stella - "Older Than I Am"

A h/t goes to the Ryman Auditorium for this list of country artists live-streaming concerts over the next few days:

April 26

Adam Hambrick
Time: 9 a.m.
What: Coffee and a Hymn
Where: YouTube

Tara Thompson
Time: 11 a.m.
Where: Facebook

Chris Young
Time: 1 p.m.
Where: Facebook

Hailey Whitters
Time: 2 p.m.
What: Performance as part of Stagecoach’s “StageCouch” weekend
Where: Instagram

Tyler Rich
Time: 3 p.m.
What: “Leave Her Wild Sunday Brunch” With Tyler, Sabina and Friends
Where: Instagram

The Lone Bellow
Time: 3 p.m.
What: Pickathon’s “ A Concert A Day”, an initiative to help musicians and artist communities through the to MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund
Where: Facebook, YouTube and Twitch

Song Suffragettes
Time: 6 p.m.
Where: YouTube

Jon Pardi
Time: 7 p.m.
What: Happy Hour as part of Stagecoach’s “StageCouch” weekend
Where: Instagram

Zac Brown Band
Time: 7 p.m.
What: Sunday Night Live
Where: Instagram

Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Time: 7 p.m.
Where: Facebook

April 27

Hot Country Knights and Terri Clark
Time: 3 p.m.
Where: Instagram

Temecula Road
Time: 3:30 p.m.
What: Performance
Where: Facebook

Chris Bandi
Time: 7 p.m.
What: Performance
Where: Facebook

Sara Evans
Time: 7:30 p.m.
What: “Closet Chaos” Co-hosted with daughters, Olivia & Audrey. They sing, talk beauty products, tv/film, and host one special guest.
Where: Instagram

April 28

Mitchell Tenpenny
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Where: Instagram

Caitlyn Smith
Time: 8:00 p.m.
What: Country Music Hall of Fame Songwriter Sessions
Where: Instagram

Tyler Rich
Time: 8:30 p.m.
What: “Sing Behind the Scene”: Showcasing the Writer’s and Stories Behind your Favorite Songs.
Where: Instagram

April 29

Clay Walker
Time: 4:00 p.m.
What: Wrangler “Can’t Stop Country” livestream
Where: Facebook

Steve Wariner
Time: 7:00 p.m.
What: Wariner Wednesday

Where: Facebook

April 30 

Sara Evans
Time: 7:30 p.m.
What: “Closet Chaos” Co-hosted with daughters, Olivia & Audrey. They sing, talk beauty products, tv/film, and host one special guest.
Where: Instagram

That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes - New Music Videos and Albums

A couple new album announcements and some new videos all were made yesterday and we've got the details and links for more information below...

New music videos:

      Maddie & Tae - "Bathroom Floor"

      Lindsay Ell - "I Don't Love You"
      Farewell Angelina - "Baby"
      Hot Country Knights - "Moose Knuckle Shuffle"
      Kelleigh Bannen - "Suits"

New album announcements:

~ Kenny Chesney has finished Here and Now. His first project for Warner Music Nashville will arrive on May 1. Writing and recording over the last 18 months, Chesney spent much of the time thinking about the world around him, the way everyone has their own journey and yet, people ultimately are so much more similar than different. If the concept sounds heavy, listen to “Here and Now,” country radio’s most added track its first week, to hear Chesney’s desire to make music that sweeps people up, even as it enriches their life. For the man who holds the record for the most career No. 1s on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart, finding a song that inspires people to recognize the good things around them – even in times like these – drives him.

“When you’re this far into a career,” Chesney explains, “I think artists need to keep pushing themselves and the music without losing sight of who they are, or forgetting the people you make music for. No Shoes Nation is a very passionate place without borders; I get inspired every time I see and hear them. These are passionate people who work really hard. They make a difference in their community in all kinds of ways, giving back not so people think they’re good, but because that’s who they are and what they do. When they listen to music, they’re all in – and when they hear something they like, you can feel it in how they respond.”

~ Husband and wife duo Cole and Kendra Porter released their sophomore album as Porter Union yesterday called Loved and Lost. Kendra said, “It feels like we put so much into this one. We’ve really taken our time and made it what we wanted it to be." And Cole agrees. He says even their songwriting has become more focused and refined, “You just get better at being intentional with what you’re trying to say. You become more thoughtful at tying it all in, in a way that conveys what you’re really feeling to someone who has no idea what's going on in your head.”

~ Triple Tigers Records recording artists Gone West featuring Colbie Caillat announced the June 12 release of their debut album Canyons during their performance yesterday morning on the Today Show. The 13 songs on Canyons, all written by Gone West, "embrace stunning vocal harmonies creating a sound that speaks across genres." 9 of the 13 tracks on the album were produced or co-produced by Gone West. Additional producers and songwriters include Jamie Kenney, Liz Rose, Jimmy Robbins, Eric Arjes, Nathan Chapman, Alysa Vanderheym, Tom Douglas and Summer Overstreet.

~ Dierks Bentley and his faux-real Nineties-country band Hot Country Knights are dressed like they’re about to charge into a medieval battle in space on the cover of their debut album The K Is Silent. Produced by Bentley, the music-meets-comedy project comes out via Universal Music Nashville on May 1st. In addition to the previously released “Pick Her Up” with Travis Tritt, and the posterior-praising “Asphalt,” The K Is Silent features some evocative song titles such as “Moose Knuckle Shuffle,” “Wrangler Danger,” and “The USA Begins With US.” Terri Clark shows up as a guest on “You Make It Hard” (which Bentley’s manager Mary Hilliard Harrington co-wrote). Bentley penned most of the songs with a group of his frequent collaborators including Jim Beavers, Brett Beavers, and Jon Randall.

~ The Dixie Chicks will release their first studio album in 14 years. Co-produced by the band and Jack Antonoff — who have all teased the album for the past two years on social media — Gaslighter will, finally, come out May 1 via Columbia Records.

Pam Tillis To Release New Album Looking For A Feeling On April 24

Artist: Pam Tillis
Album: Looking For A Feeling
Label: Stellar Cat
Release date: April 24, 2020

Pam Tillis still loves country music. It's evident every time she opens her mouth on stage and that love still drives her to keep touring, sometimes teaming with country stars Terri Clark and Suzy Bogguss for a concert series “Chicks With Hits” and her frequent collaborator Lorrie Morgan.

It's also help with driving her new studio album entitled Looking For A Feeling that will be out April 24 on Stellar Cat Records. She's going a little bit old school on the upcoming project, her 11th studio album. The project has been reportedly recorded on analog tape with guitarist Pat Buchanan, keyboard man Jim Moose Brown, steel legend Dan Dugmore, and Mark Knopfler alum Glenn Whorf.  Hit songwriter and producer Jimmy Ritchey is also involved in on the project. Tillis finished the project with producer Joe Pisapia (Guster, Ben Folds Five, Drew Holcomb and kd lang).

The daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis, Pam was signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1981 and would go on to record 21 charted Top 30 singles including her number one smash hit on the on 1995's "Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)." 12 other singles made Top 10 on that chart. Her albums Homeward Looking Angel (1992), Sweetheart's Dance (1994) and Greatest Hits (1997) are all certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while Put Yourself in My Place and 1995's All of This Love are certified gold.

She has won two major awards: a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 1999 for the multi-artist collaboration "Same Old Train", and the 1994 Country Music Association award for Female Vocalist of the Year followed by the CMA President's Award in 1998. Tillis has also received two Recorded Event of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Tillis has also earned one of country music's crowning achievements, becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, when she was inducted in 2000.

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.

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

That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes: Terri Clark, Tom Petty, Garth Brooks, Loretta Lynn, Tony Jackson, Abby Anderson & More

We're playing catch-up this weekend with a new music video and a handful of new album introductions. TNS would love to hear from you- what's your favorite off of the list below?

- Tony Jackson has a new music video for his new song, "Ain't No App For That"

- Garth Brooks will release a new live album called Triple Live featuring 26 tracks assembled from shows on Brooks’ extensive world tour that began in 2014 including a cover of Ashley McBryde's phenomenal song, "Girl Going Nowhere."

- Morgan Evans will drop his new project Things That We Drink To on October 2. His full-length debut album will include a duet with his wife, Kelsea Ballerini, on a song he wrote for her called, “Dance with Me.”

- It's been far too long since Terri Clark released new music and the news that she's delivering a new album so the news that Raising the Bar is coming on September 14 is a welcome one. Track list is below:

1. Givin' Up Givin' a Damn

2. Cowboys in This Town

3. Weddings, Funerals, and Empty Hotel Bars

4. Young As We Are Tonight

5. Half a Bottle Down

6. Bloody Mary Morning

7. Watered Down Whiskey

8. As Long As There's a Bar

9. Right Where You Left Me

10. You Can Have This Town

11. The One That Got Away (feat. Drake White)

12. The Encore

13. Better Than I Was

 

- Abby Anderson's "Make Him Wait" is one of our favorite songs of the year and she's just announced it and four additional tracks will be on her debut EP, I'm Good, out September 7th.

 

- Following her stroke last year, Loretta Lynn postponed her project, Wouldn't It Be Great. The good news is that Lynn is feeling strong enough to set the release date for the project and it will be forthcoming on September 18 on Sony.

 

- John Carter Cash will be releasing We Must Believe in Magic on Reviver Records on September 9.

 

- Criminally under-publicized is a brand new tribute album to Roger Miller that came out yesterday featuring the likes of Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, Rodney Crowell, Dwight Yoakam, Jamey Johnson, Loretta Lynn, Ronnie Dunn, Eric Church and more. Check out the details here.

 

- Nearly a year on from his death, Tom Petty fans are getting a special gift in the form of An American Treasure, a forthcoming 60-track boxed set of mostly previously unreleased studio and live material coming out September 28.



That Nashville Sound Sunday Newsbytes

This weekend has plenty of country music news to share including tidbits on Sammy Kershaw, Brandy Clark, The Dixie Chicks, Valerie June, Terri Clark, Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Dan Tyminski, Johnny Lang and more.

- Valerie June does a beautiful job of combining R&B, bluegrass, country, blues and folk in her new music video for "Got Soul." 

- If you missed The Dixie Chicks in concert this past year, you can head to the movie theaters to watch it. DCX MMXVI — In Concert will play in select movie theaters for one night only on August 7.

- The always-intriguing Brandy Clark released a new previously-unreleased song called "You're Drunk" that you can listen to here.

- Kevin John Coyne shares his love of Terri Clark's new podcast over at Country Universe- complete with a link to listen to a couple of them including ones Clark does with Suzy Bogguss, Pam Tillis, Reba McEntire and Wade Hayes.

- Sammy Kershaw has three different album projects in the way. First up is a Louisiana "swamp pop"album out later this year with a country and gospel album planned in early 2018. On the first album: “I’ve been listening to them since I was a boy,” Kershaw says, citing artists such as Eddy Raven, Willie Tee, TK Hulin and more, “so I just thought I would like to do a tribute album to those guys and get those guys on the album with me.”

- Union Station's Dan Tyminski has signed with Universal Records and has an album coming out in the fall. “I ended up getting to write with the young man Jesse Frasure — he’s on fire right now. When we first started to sit down to write, he had a take on where the music should go that was so fun and so daring. He wasn’t afraid to go anywhere — way outside of the box that I had found myself trying to write in. And we hit it off and started writing more music. Before we knew it, we had acquired a few songs that we really liked, “Southern Gothic” being one of them.”

- Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen recorded and made a music video for Guy Clark's "Rita Ballou" at Bruce Robison's The Next Waltz's Country Bunker studio in Lockhart, Texas.

- Toby Keith's new The Bus Songs album, out September 8th, features 12 of Keith's more unorthodox songs, all of which were written – as the title suggests – with that special mentality that only the back of a tour bus can provide.

- Searing instrumentalist Johnny Lang will release his first new album in four years. Signs comes out on September 8 on Concord Records. “A lot of my earlier influences have been coming to the surface, like Robert Johnson, and Howlin’ Wolf,” he reports. “I have been appreciating how raw and unrefined that stuff is. I had an itch to emulate some of that and I think it shows in the songs. Still, I let the writing be what it was and that was sometimes not necessarily the blues.”

Interview Flashback - Terri Clark Makes Her Long Road Home

I have been blessed to write contributions/reviews/interviews/opinion pieces for several country music and roots-oriented websites and publications over the years including Saving Country Music, Nashville Scene, Country California, Country Weekly, American Noise, The 9513 and Engine 145. As a regular contributor to the last two in that list, I did close to a 100 interviews with different artists- and since both of those great sites have come down, I will reprint some of those interviews here to give them a home in perpetuity. This interview was originally published in February 2010 on The 9513.

In the business of country music, few active artists boast as deep of a resume as Terri Clark. Her nineteen singles that have hit the Billboard Hot Country charts, two number ones, multiple platinum records, a Grand Ole Opry membership and numerous top tens are only rivaled by an even greater level of success in her native Canada- measured in part by eight Canadian Country Music Association Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year awards. Clark’s songs like “Easy On The Eyes”, “Girls Lie Too”, “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”, and “I Wanna Do It All” have left an indelible mark on the country landscape.

But three years ago, a major event in Clark’s life shifted priorities 180 degrees. At the time, Clark was recently signed to Sony/BMG and preparing what would have been the next evolution of a big country radio star’s career. With a discovery of cancer in her mother, however, that road of fame led back home. The person closest to Terri, the one who had taken her to Nashville and changed her life so that her daughter could live out her dreams on stage was in a fight for life.

“When the most important person in your whole life… when the doctors tell you they’re going to be taken away, it pulls you up short,” said Clark. “You don’t think about expiration dates with the people you love, but that’s the reality. And that kind of thing makes you get very real very very fast.”

And in a stunning turn of events, Clark asked for and was granted a release from one of the most powerful studio labels in the business. She went home, tended to her mother until she was healthy again and in the process, changed her musical priorities. There was a new conviction that every song and every album that was going to be put out hereafter was going to be on her terms and filled perhaps not with radio smashes, but with music that has meaning and deep emotion for her.

What resulted was an album that is appropriately titled The Long Road Home released late in 2009. The 9513 had a chance to sit down with the lovely Ms. Clark and talk about the new album, the Canadian country music scene and even a little snow in Nashville.

Ken Morton, Jr.- This exceptionally cold Nashville winter has to be downright balmy compared to your childhood Quebec winters, doesn’t it?

Terri Clark- (laughter) Absolutely. What is a way of life for us for half a year literally sends everybody into a complete state of emergency down here. Schools are shutting down. Kids are tobogganing down the middle of the street. It’s interesting to see the reaction to the cold and weather. Pipes will freeze down here because things just aren’t insulated the same way. People don’t have snow tires so it’s more of a hazard driving. They’re just not prepared for it. But, yeah, I’m pretty used to it. It reminds me of home, actually.

KMJ- You have a brand new album titled The Long Road Home and I thought that the title was appropriate considering your journey the last two or three years. Tell me about the journey.

TC- I chose The Long Road Home as the album title because it has a metaphorical meaning as well as the fact that I’m concentrating a little more on Canada with my airplay and touring. It doesn’t by any means that I’m abandoning the U.S., because I’m doing a lot of touring there as well. But I’ve been all the way around the world since I came to Nashville when I was eighteen. And I feel like I’ve sort of come full circle- coming back to my community and that side. So figuratively, The Long Road Home represents that to me. But it also represents that journey within me- a lot of the self-realizations and things that have become non-negotiable within myself within the last couple of years. It’s still a long journey and I’m still learning every single day working on myself. It’s been an eye-opening last couple year. Home is really inside your self. You just have to find your own way there. That’s the best thing. And it’s all reflective in my music as well.

KMJ- Speaking of the music, how would you describe the album from the artist’s perspective?

TC- I would say the album, musically, is more organic in sound. But it’s still a big band. It’s lush sounding with a full sound. I used more organic instruments. I don’t have a lot of screaming guitars, there’s a lot of mandolin. Instead of lush strings, we have more chamber strings. There’s some quartet sounds, a lot of acoustic guitar. I didn’t want it to sound like a big ole commercial record. I wanted it to sound sonically pleasant to listen to but different from what I’ve done in the past. I didn’t want to stray too far from what I’ve done in the past, but wanted it different enough to sound different.

KMJ- Was your goal of being more organic than all your previous albums was attained?

TC- I think compared to everything but Fearless, yes. And on my next record, I’m going to strip it down even more. I’m going to focus even more on the acoustic elements of the instruments. I just love that sound. The stuff I listen to at home is triple A and folk rock and more acoustic music. Less is more as I get older. I find less is more in every fashion both in music and in life. I feel the album musically is organic but not so organic as to feel not full. It’s still got horsepower where it needs to have it.

KMJ- I saw on your website that you’re already back in the studio doing some additional recording, I understand.

TC- I went in to rerecord a couple songs including one I recorded about eleven years ago called “Empty.” We did an acoustic version of that song for copyright reasons so I could pitch them to film and TV. It’s a song that I’ve always gotten a great response to all these years and I always felt like that was one that got away. We thought it could be showcased in television or film like so many different people told me it ought to be. We went in a rerecorded it and another because legally speaking, the record label I was working for owned that master. But after so long, we can go in and redo it and now the new version belongs to me. So now we’ll try to go out and get that song someplace somewhere.

KMJ- There is one full-fledged duet on the new album and a certain recognizable Country Music Hall of Famer backing you on another song. Talk to me about those songs.

TC- Johnny Reid, who is the golden boy in Canada right now- he’s doing really well there right now, did a duet with me on a song called “You Tell Me.” It’s a song that a lot of people face in relationships- when they don’t know whether to stay or go. It’s about the conversation between those people and whether they are at a turning point in their relationship. It’s very adult and very grown up. He did such a great job. He’s got such an R&B sounding voice and the two of us sounding so different really worked. And Vince Gill sang on “The One You Love.” It’s more of a guest vocal than a full-fledged duet, but Vince Gill can blend with anybody. He’s just got such great vocals.

KMJ- You mentioned Johnny Reid. You’ve been one of the few artists that has found full-fledged success on both sides of the border. Why do you think there isn’t more crossover on both sides?

TC- I think the key to that is having an American record deal. If you are on a Canadian label, it’s going to be hard to have radio airplay in the United States. I moved to Nashville when I was 18 or 19 and pursued it the other way. I knew if I could get an American record deal, it would bleed over into Canada. But a lot of Canadian artists work at just getting that Canadian record deal and unfortunately, it doesn’t work both ways over the border. Traditionally, you can cover all of North America with a U.S. record deal- actually you can cover the world that way. But in Canada, it’s more of a domestic type of success that you can have. I think that played a big role in my own success.

KMJ- You’re doing this more on your terms this time around rather than doing it on a big record label. What has that meant on this particular album?

TC- It means I have to wear more hats. (Laughter) No pun intended. I’ve got to oversee a little more. But I’ve got great business management. I’ve got a great operation and people that handle the paperwork on stuff that would normally steal away the creative energy when I’d be focused on that part of it. I had to kind of abandon some of my childhood expectations and dreams by going this route. More than likely, I’m not going to get any American radio airplay in any big way. There won’t be mainstream radio airplay any more. You need that major label budget and push to really get that airplay, unless something really strange happens. Things like being nominated for things like CMA awards are probably over. I’ve had to take some time and wrap my head around the realities of that. Those probably won’t happen any more. But that’s okay with me. When one door closes another one opens. I’ve got all the creative freedom in the world and I can do whatever I want, cut whatever songs I want to in whatever way I want to. And I can still do really well with my fan base and get satellite radio airplay and GAC play for videos and get played in Canada all day long. So I really have the best of both worlds. And I’ve got major label distribution with Capitol Nashville and BMI Canada.

KMJ- You alluded to this whole change of focus coming after your mom’s illness. How is she doing these days?

TC- She’s doing really well right now. It’s an up and down rollercoaster ride, but she’s doing well right now. She shouldn’t even be here any more according to doctors, so that’s all good. When you’re faced with something like that, it makes you regroup and reprioritize things in your life. I have a real gift of music in being able to deliver whatever message I choose to deliver. And I can help people that way. There’s a difference you can make if you choose to.

KMJ- I’ve got two more questions for you. On your website, I saw a quote that caught my eye. You said, “People aren’t getting anything from country music the way I think people should, the way I did.” I was hoping you could expound on that a little bit.

TC- I shouldn’t say anything. What I should have said people aren’t getting the same type of thing out all the artists that I listened to like The Judds, Reba, George Jones, Haggard, classic country, Loretta, and Patsy. It was a real adult format with real adult issues. It was about tragedy. And it was about facing things like death and suicide and drinking. That is what country music meant to me- more of a lifestyle kind of music. It’s just shifted. And it doesn’t mean that it’s different in a bad way, it’s just different. What I got out of it was the learning of life by listening to it. Real life. I find that the subject matter and the material and the things that are decorating it now are a little different. It’s definitely taken on a more of a pop format feel.

KMJ- You covered it a bit with that last question, but what is country music to Terri Clark?

TC- Country music is about real life. It’s about real loss. It’s about demons. It’s about angels. It’s about life. It is a lifestyle type of music- what we face every day in life. Some of it’s good and some of it’s not. But we have to look at it all to get a true picture of it. And that’s what country music has been to me. And it’s about the people who came before me, the people that started out. It’s about the Opry members that I run into every night. They’re the ones that paved the way so a lot of it is about the history of the music to me too.

Several New Music Videos From Up & Coming New Artists (Along With A Couple Of Veterans)

Over the course of the last week or so, many new music videos and a handful of key live performances have been released by a multitude of artists that might normally go under the radar. If you're so inclined, check some of these out and let us know of which are your favorites. Click on the song title to watch the video.





Old Dominion - "Break Up with Him"
Shakey Graves - "Dearly Departed"
Bros Landreth - "I Am the Fool"
Del Barber - "Big Smoke"
Sam Outlaw - "Kind to Me"
Belles & Whistles - "Mary Had a Little Boy"
Natalie Stovall & The Drive - "Mary Did You Know"
Angaleena Presley - "Merry Christmas From The Fam"
Frankie Ballard - "Run Rudolph Run"
Charlie Worsham - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
Tracy Lawrence - "Cold Beer"
Kelsea Ballerini - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" 
Valerie June - "Workin' Woman Blues"
Terri Clark - "Longer"
Crowder - "Come As You Are"
Jeremy Starkel - "Burn"
Eileen Carey - "Bottle Your Crazy Up"
Johnny Marr - "Dynamo"
The Cheaters - "She Got a Way"
O'Shea - "Here I Am"

New Music Video From Terri Clark- "Some Songs"

John Mellencamp, Terri Clark, Kenny Chesney and John Berry Announce New Album Projects

Four different music veterans announced new music projects this past week in John Mellencamp, Terri Clark, Kenny Chesney and John Berry.

John Mellencamp, the veteran heartland rocker behind such hits as "Hurts So Good," "Wild Night" and "Jack & Diane," just signed a "lifetime" recording deal with Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group, and announced a new full-length album set to come out this fall.  The forthcoming album, titled Plain Spoken, will be Mellencamp's 22nd record.

Terri Clark has announced her next appropriately named album, called Some Songs, will be released on September 2. The first single from the project, the title track, is already available digitally. Terri went to her fans to help out with the new project through the PledgeMusic platform. Brandy Clark has also penned two of the tracks.

And last but not least, John Berry announced that he will be headed back into the studio shortly and will have producer Buddy Cannon at the helm making the record. Cannon has just finished a new project by Kenny Chesney (which is supposed to come out this autumn) and will tackle Berry's next studio album. Berry's shooting for a late fall delivery on his new project as well.

Lots of New Country Albums to Look Forward to This Fall and Beyond

Over the last couple of weeks, many prominent artists have announced new projects that will be coming down the road. Here are just a few. Any favorites that you’re looking forward to the most?

Jake Owen – Endless Summer EP- (9/25)- “It’s been almost a year since our album, Barefoot Blue Jean Night, came out,” says Jake. “And, I started thinking that I really wanted to put out a few new tunes that had a summer vibe. So, we decided to cut four songs and put out an EP entitled Endless Summer. No one ever really wants the summer to end, right? Hopefully, these songs will be ones that keep the party going into the fall and people will crank them up loud when they are out on the water enjoying their own Endless Summer.”

Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash: the Complete Columbia Album Collection- (10/30)- 63 CD’s. That’s what this massive box set includes. Thirty-five of those 60 are getting their first CD release ever, while two of the discs—Johnny Cash with His Hot & Blue Guitar and The Singles—are exclusive to the collection. Several rare discs are included, such as Johnny Cash pa Osteraker, recorded at Osteraker Prison in Sweden in 1972, Strawberry Cake, recorded at the London Palladium in 1975, and Koncert V Praze, recorded at the Sport Hall in Prague in 1978.The focal point of the set is Cash's first 19 albums (1958 - 1967), released for the first time in mono sound on CD. Each album is packaged as a mini-LP CD with its original artwork.

Josh Turner – Cracker Barrel Presents Josh Turner: Live Across America- (Available now)- In addition to being able to enjoy real home-style food and enjoy some shopping, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store guests can also take home a copy of Josh Turner’s latest album release. The 12-track album features live performances of Turner’s biggest hits, as well as his never-before-released version of Waylon Jennings’ “America.” The album is available in all Cracker Barrel locations as well as online at crackerbarrel.com.

Terri Clark- Untitled Classic Covers Album- (November) While she’s done many covers in her live shows over the years, this will be the first time that Clark has tackled an entire album of covers. Check out this track listing: It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels- Kitty Wells, Leavin On Your Mind- Patsy Cline, Love Is A Rose- Linda Ronstadt, Gentle On My Mind- Glen Campbell, Swingin Doors- Merle Haggard, Two More Bottles Of Wine- Emmylou Harris, Delta Dawn- Tanya Tucker, Golden Ring- George And Tammy, Don't Come Home A Drinkin- Loretta Lynn, How Blue- Reba, Movin On - Hank Snow.

Jason Aldean – Night Train- (10/16)- "I feel really great about the songs we recorded for this album," says Aldean. "There are some surprises on there that might raise a few eyebrows, and there's also some more traditional stuff too. I don't like being put in a box, and I think with every record, we've had a lot of variety…'Night Train' is no different. I got to do a cool up-tempo song with Luke (Bryan) and Eric (Church), who've both been out with me over the last two years. I love collaborations like that, and I think the fans dig it when artists get together…it keeps it interesting."

Toby Keith – Hope On The Rocks- (11/13)- The first single from the Clinton native’s follow-up album is already making itself heard on the country charts in “I Like Girls That Drink Beer.” Co-written by Keith and his frequent collaborator Bobby Pinson, the single is one of the upcoming album’s 10 cuts, along with the title track. The deluxe edition of “Hope on the Rocks,” his 16th studio album, will have 14 cuts, according to a news release.

Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis – Grits and Glamour- (Undetermined)- Says, Morgan, “I am currently working on a new album with Pam Tills, set to be released (soon).  Together, we are co-writing songs for the project and selecting material from some of Nashville's hit songwriters.  The album is in support of our current tour, Grits & Glamour.”

CW McCall – Wolf Creek Pass (reissue)- (Available now)- Rightly famed for his 1976 global mega-hit Convoy, C.W. McCall is an enigma in wraparound shades. At the crossroads of trucker anthems, high-octane hillbilly-homage and (perhaps incongruously) haunting environmental odes towers the strange figure of McCall. Reissued for the very first time is his 1975 debut LP Wolf Creek Pass is a highway fueled songs. Also included is the bulk of his second LP Black Bear Road- in includes 26 remastered tracks in all.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Last of a Dying Breed- (Available now)- Last Of A Dying Breed reunites the band with producer Bob Marlette who produced the last Skynyrd album, God & Guns. “It was great to get back in the studio with Bob for this new album,” said Gary Rossington “We kind of went back old school this time. All of us playing together in the studio as a band, tracking songs and creating licks. We had a lot of fun and the music really flowed for us, so that’s when you know you are on to something good. We can’t wait to let the fans hear these songs and play ‘em live.”

Mark Chesnutt – Your Room- (Available now)- A combo CD and DVD, this project was filmed at an intimate show in Los Angeles, during which Mark and his band performed 15 of his most beloved hits including "Too Cold at Home," "Going Through the Big D" and "It's a Little Too Late." AIX Records filmed the performance using 3D cameras and HD-audio recording techniques so that fans will get the feel of the country star performing right there in their living rooms.

Matraca Berg – Love’s Truck Stop (10/22)-  From the press release: Getting the introspective songstress to come forward is not always easy. When one bares their emotions, offers pain and falter without flinching, there is a natural gap that most be braved – and Berg would rather write the truth than throw herself out for the mass to consume. But when you love the people you write about, know the songs from the inside out the way the CMA Song of the Year winner does, there comes a point where being a good steward takes precedence.

The Steeldrivers – Hammer Down- (2/5)- This will be the band's first album to include new members Gary Nichols on lead vocals and guitar and Brent Truitt on mandolin. "I think it is important for us as a band to continue the journey creatively with new people, new information and a new batch of songs," says fiddle player Tammy Rogers. "The second album was bluesier with the addition of the National (slide) guitar and turning Chris loose to belt a little bit. But, I think this new album has a little bit more emphasis on the picking, for lack of a better word. It's really interesting. I'm really happy with the direction we're taking. Obviously Brent is a mandolin master so he is bringing a lot to the table. And Gary is playing some leads that are very cool. On the other records, it was more me and Richard doing all of the fills and the instrumental stuff. But now, this feels like there is a lot of depth to all four instruments, so we're excited about that."

Dwight Yoakam's 3 Pears Album

Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears- (9/18)- The 12-track release, his 26th, is produced by Yoakam, along with two songs co-produced with Beck: "A Heart Like Mine" and "Missing Heart". From the press release: 3 Pears exemplifies Yoakam's ability to incorporate multiple, competing influences into a piece of cohesive art. It balances his country core with a fiercely independent embrace of rock, Americana, pop and soul and builds on his trademark edginess with a notable, growing positivity. 3 Pears contains heartfelt love songs, which showcase Yoakam s authentic country vocals while maintaining his unmistakable classic sound.

Taylor Swift - Red- (10/22)- The young lady intent on complete world domination... okay, not COMPLETE world domination... has a brand new album coming out towards the end of October. The lead single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" is her fastest selling single to date and went Gold in 20 minutes after its release. 20 minutes.

Jamey Johnson - Living For A Song: Tribute To Hank Cochran- (10/16)- When word got out that acclaimed Nashville artist Jamey Johnson was recording a tribute album to beloved songwriter Hank Cochran, musical superstars clamored to participate. "When we were talking about who to call, people just kind of presented themselves," Johnson says. "I think the word got out after awhile, and we were getting phone calls from people wanting to do it. There weren't a whole lot of arms that needed twisting."  The resulting cast includes the ranks of the Country Music Hall of Fame came George Strait, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Ray Price and Vince Gill, not to mention Cochran's oldest and truest friend, Willie Nelson. Veteran stars Leon Russell, Elvis Costello, Bobby Bare and Asleep at the Wheel perform on the album alongside contemporary artists such as Alison Krauss, Lee Ann Womack and Ronnie Dunn.

Billy Ray Cyrus - Change My Mind- (10/23) From the press release: From start to finish, this album brings Cyrus full circle with a candid autobiographical snapshot of his life. Cyrus hails from Flatwoods, KY, located right off US23 better known as the Country Music Highway. With Change My Mind Cyrus returns to his country music roots and delivers a 10-song collection that showcases his bluegrass meets rock n' roll sensibility, songwriting prowess and captivating vocals. Produced by multi-award winning producer Brandon Friesen, the album features "Hillbilly Heart," a driving, unapologetic song about Cyrus' country roots, "That's What Daddy's Do," a tender ballad about the admiration of family and fatherhood, "Good As Gone" which sees Cyrus channeling his rock influences Pink Floyd, The Doors, Led Zeppelin and Willie Nelson. There is also a re-make of Cyrus' fan-favorite "I'm So Miserable," given a unique up-tempo twist that will leave fans far from miserable.

Wanda Jackson - Unfinished Business- (10/9)- The new album from legendary singer and “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” inductee Wanda Jackson, will be a Sugar Hill Records release. This is Jackson’s 31st studio album and marks the producing debut of fellow renowned musician and songwriter Justin Townes Earle. Of working with Earle, Jackson comments, “From day one I really liked Justin’s idea to take me back to my roots and make a record of country, blues, and rockabilly songs. The band was extra tight and great to work with during the whole process. The record just sounds terrific."

Billy Dean - Man of Good Fortune- (9/25)- Says, Dean, “We are releasing a new album of ten new songs. This record sounds young, but the lyrics are for grown-ups.” It will mark the first independent release since his 2010 album, The One Behind The Wheel. 

Big & Rich - Hillbilly Jedi- (9/18) Big Kenny Alphin said that the album's title "came out in a writing session we were doing with Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi. They are going to record the song on our new album and a line in the song was "hillbilly jedis with attitude." All of a sudden, Bon Jovi stops and says, "Hillbilly Jedis? That’s it. I’d buy that shirt." We were like, "Hey, that’s about a descriptive as you can get of what we are.""

Kix Brooks- New To This Town- (9/11)- The 12-song collection, with 9 co-written by Kix, was produced by Kix with Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts co-producing the title track. "I made an album that really is close to my heart, and it's a whole lot of fun," shares Kix. "For the most part, the music's just...it's kind of fun and games and hangin' it out there and thinkin' about gettin' back in a lot of those clubs and festivals and gettin' to play again. It's like, you know, people come to enjoy themselves, and I think this album in a lot of ways is about that."

Bucky Covington- Good Guys- (9/11)- The American Idol alum has already released two singles off of the new album, "I Wanna Be That Feeling" and a hot shot duet with Shooter Jennings called "The Drinkin' Side of Country." Through his work with Help The Good Guys, Bucky will also donate proceeds from the first week sales of his new record to the International Association of Fire Fighters Charitable Fund, benefitting our brave neighborhood heroes who keep our communities safe each and every day.

Chely Wright- Woman In The Moon (Reissue- Available Now)- Chely's 1994 debut album Woman in the Moon has been re-released at available for the for time ever on digital. This is the first time the album has been available in almost 10 years. It was previously out of print.