#PreshiasHarris Archives - Page 4 of 7

October’s ‘Inside Track on Music Row’

Ready to read now at Nashville Music Guide

Hard to believe it’s October already! Lots of acts have just announced Fall Tours or added dates and you can catch up with them – along with plans for Holiday shows and music – in my column Inside Track on Music Row, the longest continuously-running country music column in the USA. The October edition is ready to read right now here at Nashville Music Guide. Among the many news items…

Conner Smith‘s acoustic version of “Take It Slow” features co-writer Ryan Hurd and gives the song a fresh, intimate vibe…
Ashley McBryde invited some of her favorite collaborators to a week-long songwriting retreat in a rural cabin and the result is her new album, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville…
HARDY says he’s “stoked” to take his Wall To Wall Tour out on the road. Find links to tour dates and ticket info…
Essex County proves country is alive and well in their native England with their new five-song EP…
Newsboys, the Contemporary Christian powerhouse, are serving up Stand (Deluxe), with three new recordings for a total of 14 tracks on the enhanced album, ahead of their tour…
Luke Bryan is inviting fans to join him for his annual concert vacation, Crash My Playa, for four nights in Cancun, January 19 – 22. We have the link for ticket info…
Trisha Yearwood, Easton Corbin and The Oak Ridge Boys are among the stars set for Opry Goes Pink, October 14 to benefit Susan G. Komen in the fight against breast cancer …
Marty Brown, Carly Pearce and Pete Goble are among the 7 inductees set to be honored at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, October 28. Ticket info and details in the column…
News items, tour alerts, new release info on albums and singles, stories about Breland, Tracy Lawrence, Lauren Reno, Jacob Bryant, Kasey Tyndall, Cole Swindell, Gene Watson, Mitchell Tenpenny, Craig Morgan, The War And Treaty and more in the October Inside Track on Music Row.

Read the column in its entirety here at Nashville Music Guide where you can also catch up with columns from previous months.

Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com #preshiasharris @preshiasharris

Wade Bowen album is traditional country for the 21st century

Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth buzzes like a neon sign

By Preshias harris

Wade Bowen is back with a new album titled Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth, with twelve tracks co-written by Wade alongside writers such as Eric Paslay, Lori McKenna, Randy Montana, Heather Morgan and more.

He premiered the album – playing all the tracks with a full band – at a pop-up album release show August 15 at Analog in Nashville’s Hutton Hotel. Before the show, Wade and I sat down to catch up with what’s new in his world and how he dealt with the pandemic that brought his (and everyone else’s) touring to a dead stop.

Wade Bowen on stage during the pop-up album release concert. Photo credit: Preshias Harris

Initially, he told me, the shutdown and the terrible circumstances that surrounded it hit him like “a punch in the gut.” It caused him to go into what he called a writer’s drought.

“I felt I couldn’t write a song because I didn’t know what to say or how to say it or why,” he admitted. “I couldn’t make sense of it all.”

However, he came out of it and says that he started writing a lot. “I think that shutdown helped me to just stop and focus on what matters, and I came out of the other side with a brand new sense of self and a brand new sense of my career and what I wanted to do and what’s important in my life. I think you can hear that in my new stuff, specially with this new record.”

August ‘Inside Track’ posted now

This month’s ‘Inside Track on Music Row’

Catch up on all that’s happening in the world of music from Nashville and beyond by checking out the August 2022 edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, now posted and ready to read at Nashville Music Guide here!

Among this month’s news items…

Callista Clark’s debut full-length album, Real to Me: The Way I Feel, to be released Oct 14 on Big Machine…
Kip Moore’s music video for his new track “Fire on Wheels” sees him trying some ‘risky business’ at a bowling alley…
Raucous southern rockers, Six Gun Sally, release “Redneck White and Badass Blue” following up on “Drunk Text” …
Michael Ray expresses pride and gratitude to fans over multi-week No. 1 “Whiskey and Rain” …
Rising songstress Mikayla Lane releases single and music video for cowgirl-themed “Ambush” …
Travis Denning releases six-song EP, Might As Well Be Me and single “Buy A Girl A Drink” …
Legendary Kentucky music duo, The Everly Brothers, honored by Gibson Guitars with limited-run Everly Brothers SJ-200 guitar…
Garth Brooks to be honored by NSAI with Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award at Nashville Songwriter Awards in September…
CJ Solar releases his first full-length album The Future’s Neon with all 9 songs co-written, co-produced by CJ…
Dierks Bentley’s “Gold” is a song about gratitude, presence and the treasures to be found in the moment…

…and more! All in the August 2022 edition of Inside Track on Music Row, America’s longest continuously-running country music column. Find it here at Nashville Music Guide, and share it with your friends!

Chris Young, co-writers celebrate 2X Platinum “Famous Friends”

Surprised with Platinum award for “Drowning” too!

By Preshias Harris

What could better than being honored at a party with a Double Platinum Award? For Chris Young, it was being surprised with a second Platinum Award, this one for his single “Drowning.”

*Chris Young expresses his heartfelt thanks upon receiving his 2X Platinum Award. Photo credit: Preshias Harris*

Multi-platinum, global entertainer Chris Young took some time to celebrate this week as his award-winning collaboration “Famous Friends” with Kane Brown scored Double Platinum status by the RIAA. Chris’s co-writers Corey Crowder and Cary Barlowe joined for the celebration, where Chris was also surprised with a Platinum plaque for his “soul-shattering” (People) song “Drowning,” which was co-written by Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge. “Famous Friends” and “Drowning” can be found on Chris’s recently released Famous Friends (Deluxe Edition). Chris’s newest single, “At The End Of A Bar” with Mitchell Tenpenny, is approaching Top 5 on the country radio charts this week, adding to the celebration.

*(L to R): “Famous Friends” songwriters Corey Crowder, Cary Barlowe and Chris Young with their 2X Platinum RIAA Awards. Photo: Jeff Johnson*

“Any day I get to celebrate big milestones with my co-writers and friends is a good day,” says Chris. “I’m really proud of how hard everyone has worked on this entire project and excited about playing all of the new music live and the rest of 2022.”

July ‘Inside Track’ ready to read

‘Inside Track on Music Row’ posted at NMG

Here’s a heads-up to check out the July edition of my column, posted and ready to read here at Nashville Music Guide. Inside Track on Music Row is the longest continuously-running country music column in the USA.

Among the news items this month:

Check out 52 – In the Key of Summer, the new solo album from Sugarland’s Kristan Bush. It’s volume 2 of his four-volume project…
Powerhouse vocalist Danielle Bradbery has created a series of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to offer fans access to limited edition content and unreleased material from “Stop Draggin’ Your Boots.”…
Chris Lane and Lauren Alaina are combining for the very first time on all new duet “Dancin’ In The Moonlight,” available everywhere now…
Country newcomer Maddye Trew is celebrating the release of her new single, “Dear Loretta,” honoring her idol Loretta Lynn, written by Josh Helms, Faren and Matt Willis and produced by Luke Buishas…
Little Texas perform for the first time at The Great Texas Balloon Race in front of 5,000 fans singing along to “God Blessed Texas…
Luke Bryan is on the road with his Raised Up Right Tour and has added extra dates to his headlining engagement, Luke Bryan Vegas at Resorts World Theater…
Cole Swindell launches his headlining Back Down To The Bar Tour on Sept. 23, 2022 Joining Swindell on his tour are special guests Ashley Cooke and Dylan Marlowe….

Find the full stories of all the above items and more, along with photos, music links and more here at Nashville Music Guide.

CMA Fest back with a bang for 2022

Country music stars and fans happy to be back at CMA Fest

By Preshias Harris and Judy Mayes

I had an incredible CMA Music Fest week. I had my good friend Judy Mayes join me for some super media fun and Catrina Engelby helping us with photos!

*Nissan Stadium filled with fans for CMA Fest 2022. Photo: Caitlin Harris/CMA*

The CMA Music Festival came in like a “Hurricane” (no pun intended) with 2022 CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs. Luke invited 9,000 of his closest friends and fans to celebrate his number one songs (this makes thirteen in a row) and kicked it off Wednesday night – “CMA Fest Eve” – at BMI Nashville’s parking lot.

*Luke Combs and songwriters celebrate at BMI’s biggest No. 1 party the day before CMA Fest started. Photo: Erika Goldring/BMI*

Luke brought his friends and co-writers to celebrate and perform with him. His special guests were; Drew Parker, Randy Montana, James McNair, Dan Isbell, Tyler Reeve, Rob Williford, Jonathan Singleton, Hailey Whitters, Thomas Archer, Wyatt Durrette, Ray Fulcher and Shane Minor.

Fans join Craig Campbell and celebs for Cornhole Challenge

Fight Colorectal Cancer benefit kicks off CMA Fest, raises $25,000

By Preshias Harris

Country music fans and celebs gathered to support a great cause and enjoy fun in the sun, Tuesday, June 7, for the 8^th Annual Craig Campbell Celebrity Cornhole Challenge. Again, the event served as an unofficial precursor to the CMA Music Festival, with so many country artists already gathering in Music City.

*Craig Campbell and the contestants gather for a group photo before the Cornhole Challenge gets under way. Photo credit: Tracie Moore*

Fans were invited to bid for the opportunity to be part of sixteen teams and play alongside celebrity contestants, with all the proceeds benefitting Fight CRC, a leading advocacy organization of relentless champions of hope in the fight against colorectal cancer. The result: The event raised more than $25,000 for the national nonprofit Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC).

The location for this year’s event was Loser’s Bar and Grill in Nashville, followed by a performance by Craig Campbell and fellow artists in the Whiskey Jam parking lot. This year’s winners were Andrew Millsaps, half of music duo Neon Union, and John Smyth, a loving caregiver for his sister Denise who was recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Craig Campbell (l.) with Craig Campbell Celebrity Cornhole Challenge winners Andrew Millsaps (c.), half of music duo Neon Union, and John Smyth (r.), a loving caregiver for his sister Denise who was recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC)

Ryman Auditorium named Rock & Roll HoF landmark

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hails Ryman as rock venue

By Preshias Harris

*The new Historic Marker. Photo: Linda Wyatt for NML*

The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville is known as “the Mother Church of Country Music.” However, the Ryman has been a favored venue for acts from every genre of music including Rock & Roll. More than one hundred members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have played the Ryman over the decades. That connection has now been made official. Bonnie Raitt and members of Old Dominion were among the musicians, celebrities, politicians and members of the Nashville music industry who were on hand to mark the momentous event.

Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium has been designated as an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In a dedication ceremony held May 26, Mark Fioravanti, President of Ryman Hospitality Properties, and Greg Harris, President and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, made the announcement at the Ryman, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary.

(L to R): Geoff Sprung, Brad Tursi, Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen of Old Dominion speak during the announcement at the Ryman. Group member Whit Sellers was unable to attend. Photo: Preshias Harris

Country Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022

Joe Galante, Jerry Lee Lewis and Keith Whitley

By Preshias Harris

Country fans and members of the country music industry are congratulating the newest members-elect of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Joe Galante, Jerry Lee Lewis and the late Keith Whitley will be honored during a private, invitation-only Medallion Ceremony at the Museum in October 2022, with heartfelt testimonials and once-in-a-lifetime musical tributes.

JOE GALANTE has been described as “the man who taught Nashville how to sell records.” He had been transferred by RCA to Music City in the mid-1970s on the understanding that he could return to his native New York after two years. However, in the Ken Burns’ docuseries Country Music, Galante claimed that after sitting in on a Waylon Jennings recording session he began to understand the heart of country music. As the company’s vice president, Galante enthusiastically got behind Alabama’s first RCA LP, My Home’s in Alabama, moving two million copies on an album not expected to top 60,000.

Elvie Shane wraps his first headlining tour

Set to play Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

By Preshias Harris

A few days ahead of appearances at the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, Wheelhouse Records singer/songwriter Elvie Shane wrapped his first-ever headlining run on April 21 with a sold-out show at Nashville’s Basement East.

*Elvie Shane plays to a sold-out crowd at The Basement East in Nashville. Photo credit: Garrett Rizan*

Shane brought his My Kinda Trouble Tour with Frank Ray to a close, playing songs from his critically acclaimed debut album Backslider as well as surprising the capacity crowd with guest appearances by Lainey Wilson who joined Shane for a rendition of her ACM Song of the Year winning “Things A Man Outta Know” and Tenille Townes as she and Shane sang their duet “Nothin’ Lasts Forever.”