Inside Track on Music Row: April 2020 Music News

BAND NEWS: 

Shenandoah has announced the first round of shows for its “Every Road” 2020 tour. The national road show kicked off in March in Nashville, Tennessee with a special intimate show at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “It was great to bring a little cheer to Nashville during our concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame,” says Shenandoah’s Mike McGuire. “Music City and Middle Tennessee needed a little cheer after last week’s tornadoes. Hopefully, we helped brighten a dark week in the town we love so much.” “It’s not here we go again, it’s ‘we can’t wait!'” says Shenandoah frontman Marty Raybon. “Knowing everything we have in store for 2020 and all the work we’ve put in over the last four years, it’s an overwhelming but incredible feeling to see everything coming to fruition.” Along with solo tour stops, Shenandoah will co-headline select dates with fellow ’90s country group Restless Heart on the “Country Throwback” tour. Because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Shenandoah has postponed the spring/early summer tour dates. Find all the tour updates and rescheduled shows at https://www.shenandoahband.com/  

BLUEGRASS MUSIC NEWS: 

Becky Buller has released “The Barber’s Fiddle,” the first single from Becky’s latest album, Distance And Time, slated for release July 17, 2020. The album will be her third release from Dark Shadow Recording.  The song tells a story of bluegrass music being passed on throughout generations. Becky says that this single is rooted in the tradition of fiddle playing in barbershops and based on the true story of a young man picking up a fiddle for the first time, discovering the magic of bluegrass music for himself. Becky wrote the song with Lynda Dawson, and there are 18 award-winning fiddlers featured on this track, including Shawn Camp, Jason Carter, Laurie Lewis, Kati Penn, and Sam Bush on vocals and fiddles, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Warren, Stuart Duncan, Deanie Richardson, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes,  Jason Barie, Fred Carpenter, Tyler Andal, Nate Lee, Dan Boner, Brian Christianson, Laura Orshaw and, of course, two-time Grammy award-winning songwriter Becky. More at https://beckybuller.com/   

NOTE: Becky premieres the new music video for the “The Barber’s Fiddle” Friday April 3rd on Bluegrass Ridge TV App. “The Barber’s Fiddle” will be the first video to be featured on the channel’s Majiik App.  

BOOK NEWS: 

The release of Lauren Akins’ (Mrs. Rhett Akins) deeply personal memoir Live In Love: Growing Together Through Life’s Changes (Ballantine Books) will be moving to August 18, 2020. Akins plans to meet fans and readers on the road for her newly rescheduled August tour dates beginning on August 15 in Nashville, TN. Previously purchased tickets will be honored accordingly for the rescheduled dates. For more information on tickets, VIP packages and book pre-sale, please visit: https://www.laurenakins.com/   “Announcing our plans to release this book was a big leap of faith for me, but the response has reminded me of just how connected we all are on this journey,” said Akins. “I’m so looking forward to seeing everyone out on the road later this summer when we can be together safely to celebrate.” 

BUSINESS MUSIC NEWS: 

Randy Rogers Band kicked off its 20th year together with an RIAA Gold record for its single, “Kiss Me In the Dark.” Prior to its show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., the band stopped by the RIAA Headquarters to visit with the staff and were surprised with a plaque commemorating the Gold certification, by RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier. “Gold! Here’s to more kisses in the dark,” said Randy Rogers. In a business where bands come and go and membership is often a revolving door, the Randy Rogers Band — dubbed “a perpetual live favorite” by Rolling Stone — has been making music and touring together for nearly 19 years. The culmination of the six-member band’s musical journey thus far can be heard on its latest album, Hellbent (4.26). The 11 tracks were produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves) and recorded at the legendary RCA Studio A in Nashville, Tennessee. More about the new album at https://www.randyrogersband.com/  

CD RELEASE: 

Grammy-nominated and CMA Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Brandy Clark’s highly anticipated new album, Your Life is a Record, is now out on Warner Records.  Produced by award winning producer Jay Joyce, the album features Clark’s most personal songwriting to date and is already receiving widespread critical acclaim.  Created after the dissolution of a long-term relationship, the 11-track album was recorded largely as an intimate acoustic four-piece—featuring Clark, Joyce, Giles Reaves and Jedd Hughes—with subsequent Memphis strings and horns layered in with arrangements by Lester Snell. It also features special guest appearances from Randy Newman (“Bigger Boat”) and guitarist John Osborne (“Bad Car”). Listen/buy the album via https://www.brandyclarkmusic.com/.  

Note: tour dates may be postponed or canceled due to virus concerns. Check website for updates. 

CD NEWS: 

Watkins Family Hour—the acclaimed musical collective featuring Grammy Award-winning siblings Sara and Sean Watkins—will release their highly anticipated new album, brother sister, April 10 via Family Hour Records/Thirty Tigers. In advance of the release, their new song, “Just Another Reason,” has already debuted. Listen or pre-order via https://www.watkinsfamilyhour.com/  Their first release in five years, the album focuses on the musical and lyrical chemistry between Sara and Sean—the creative core at the center of the project.  Of the project, Sara shares, “It felt really good to dig into the potential of two people… the primary goal of this record became to see what we could do when it is just the two of us. The arrangements and the writing were all focused on that. Listening now, I’m really proud of what we did. These are songs that would not have come out of either one of us individually and it feels like a band sound, like this is what we do, the two of us.”   

CONCERT NEWS:

 During a tumultuous time in our nation, country and southern rock icon Charlie Daniels is giving fans something to look forward to. Late last year, the Country Music Hall of Fame singer announced the return of his legendary Volunteer Jam. Headlined by The Charlie Daniels Band (CDB), the concert is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 at 7:00 p.m./CT at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Joining the CDB on the big night are Trace Adkins, Justin Moore, The Marshall Tucker Band, Chris Janson, Charley Pride, Larry, Steve & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Troy, Delbert McClinton, Keb’ Mo’, The Outlaws, Jenny Tolman, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, Devon Allman & Duane Betts, Travis Denning, Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee, Scooter Brown Band, The SteelDrivers, Rhett Akins, Pure Prairie League and comedian Dusty Slay. “With so many kinds of music and so many artists from different fields and different eras, this is shaping up to be the most unique Jam yet,” said Daniels. Tickets available at Ticketmaster. Updates at https://www.charliedaniels.com/   

COMMUNITY NEWS:

Longtime publicist Taryn Pray has joined Nashville-based publicity firm, Monarch Publicity.  Pray brings over 13 years of experience, having worked with the media teams at UMG Nashville and Sony Music Nashville before starting her own independent publicity company in 2013. She can be reached at taryn.pray@monarchpublicity.com  or 615-948-7474. Founded in 2010, Monarch Publicity’s clients include Chris Bandi, Chris Young, Craig Morgan, Laine Hardy, Matt Stell, Sara Evans, The Shires, Temecula Road, Tiffany Woys and Music Health Alliance. For more information visit www.MonarchPublicity.com    

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