[tps_title] 10. Ashland Craft – Travelin’ Kind [/tps_title]

Ashland Craft’s debut album Travelin’ Kind was a tour de force of a record, showcasing her impeccable, raspy vocal infused with a hefty country-rock production.

Read our full review here.

Stand-out Track: Your Momma Still Does

The post The Top 10 Best Country Albums of 2021 appeared first on off the record.

To celebrate the release of Pelago – the debut album by Ryan Hurd – is out everywhere today. To celebrate the release, we are giving away a CD copy of Pelago. Enter below to be in with a chance to win a copy of the record.

The record marks a departure for Hurd, stepping into the spotlight after penning a number of hits for the likes of Lady A (What If I Never Get Over You), Blake Shelton (Lonely Tonight) and Luke Bryan (Waves). The record continues the hit single ‘Chasing After You’ that has reached the top ten with his wife Maren Morris.

Pelago charts the journey of a relationship, from hope to heartbreak and regret, couched in glorious and interesting production that creates a lush sonic landscape. The project contains the already released singles, ‘June, July, August’, ‘Coast’ and ‘Tab With My Name On It’ and was produced by long-time collaborator and creative partner Aaron Eshuis, with only two external cuts across the course of the eleven tracks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The post INTERVIEW: Ryan Hurd on The Highlights on Pelago appeared first on off the record.

Ryan Hurd can turn a lyric like no other. Having become an immensely respected name in Nashville as a songwriter, penning a plethora of No. 1 hits including ‘Lonely Tonight’ (Blake Shelton) and ‘What If I Never Get Over You’ (Lady A), Ryan Hurd has stepped out in the past few years with some thoughtfully crafted and poised projects, including his Platonic and EOM EPs. This Friday, Hurd will release his debut album Pelago that is a songwriter’s masterpiece – a masterfully created collection of songs that speak as much to Hurd as an artist and as a songwriter. Positioned as a love letter to Michigan, in a town where Southern values and tropes are often the mainstay for country music, Hurd offers a fresh perspective in his songwriting, allowing new and relatable reference points to permeate the record – brought to life by long-time creative partner Aaron Eshuis.

This is the kind of record that will be a treasure for lovers of lyrics and fresh songwriting, where even the ‘upbeat’ tracks on the record contain as many cleverly crafted puzzles of lyrics as the layered ballads as Pelago leads you along the relationship arc he narrates. So, the project opens on the laidback ‘Pass It On’ – a track about spreading positivity and happiness. ‘What good is your dollar, or your love or your bottle, if you keep it all to yourself? / There’s enough to go around, so send it on down.’ The song is resplendent with a groovy and full instrumentation that gives a rich, rounded tone to open up the first section of the record. Accompanied on backing vocals by wife Maren Morris, the pair seem to vocally be playing around with a free experimentation that is deliciously propulsive. As we say, these are no normal laid-back, good vibes tracks – there are puzzles within the lyrics and lush imagery as is clear in following track ‘Coast’ that continues to paint a vivid picture of the lakes of Michigan. ‘Laid out on the west one underneath the red sun / You and the sand getting hotter / We’ll make our own Pelago, Michigan, Chicago / Baby, dip your toes in the water.’ It’s a slow, lingering groove, brought to life in the masterful hands of Aaron Eshuis, where the detailed lyrics can not be overestimated (Hurd in a recent interview with us talked about the long journey to verse two).  The final song on this part of the record comes with the top ten single ‘Chasing After You’ – a long overdue duet with his wife. It’s a swelling, mesmerising ballad that had been floating around Nashville for years, but found the perfect home this year with the couple  – a quietly, understated ballad in the context of commercial country radio, with an enormous heart to the track that is magnetic, allowing the unique power of each individual’s vocals to breathe as they exchange lines about stepping into a relationship.

The next chapter of the relationship story opens with ‘June, July, August’ that sees Hurd get increasingly nostalgic and introspective, allowing traces of regret to creep into the songwriting. ‘June, July, August’ is a nostalgic look back on youth and first loves. ‘When we were young and drunk by the water / Kept that sunburned love gettin’ hotter / And that feelin’ never faded like the tan lines on your skin / I’d do June, July, and August / A thousand times again, eh, eh.’ It’s a swirling, soft and tender track that paints a real, heart-rending picture, with lines like ‘More like a real tattoo in a world of henna ink,‘ Hurd demonstrates again and again his power to evoke relatable and authentic feelings with astute detail. The idea of lingering feelings is hammered home on ‘Palm Trees in Ohio’ – an island vibes, sun-drenched track. ‘I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine / Til there’s palm trees in Ohio / No traffic in LA / No snow in Colorado.’ It’s a swaggering, deeply charming ballad that flows with the kind of ease of the love it describes, yet contains a note of pain in the context of where it is placed within the story painted on the record. Again, this is a song for lovers of lyricism and turns of phrase, continuing to fill out the picture of Pelago. The following three tracks ramp up the intensity of heartbreak – proper old-fashioned country heartache songs, with a twist. On ‘If I Had Two Hearts’, Hurd offers a swelling, considered ballad, singing about not regretting heartbreak for the love it gave him. ‘If I had one more to give you baby, I know what I’d do / Oh, I’d let you break that one too.’ It’s a surprise that this one has not been picked up in Nashville before, but it finds its worthy place in Pelago, brought to life by the emotive power of Hurd’s vocal. Following track, ‘Tab With My Name On It’ is without a doubt one of our favourite instrumental parts fo the record, kicked off with a stunning strings part that builds into a cinematic picture of a guy drinking away his sorrows at a bar. The production is a note of genius, changing up the pace on the record. Although the track could have fallen squarely into the country trope of a bar-drinking track, in Hurd’s hands it is elevated into a fully comprehensive and cinematic picture of heartbreak as he sings, ‘But around drink three, that’s when it hits me / That all I have without you with me / Is a tab with my name on it.’ If there’s any justice in country music right now, this track will achieve the same if not greater success than ‘Chasing After You.’ To close out this section of the record is the only other external cut on the record, ‘What Are You Drinking’ – an indulgent ballad ‘What Are You Drinking’ is a swelling ballad replete with a further rich instrumentation as Hurd questions where an ex-love is in life, by comparing it to what she might be drinking. ‘Are you sipping on red wine / Thinking about old times / Is it a straight tequila night or a beer with the girls in a downtown dive / Are you raising up champagne, or is there a tear in your Tanqueray? / Are you heartbroke? Are you doing fine? / I want to know what are you drinking tonight?’ It’s a lingering, pensive track questioning an ex-love’s status.

In the next chapter, Hurd begins the journey of moving on, in a gloriously funky, easy-grooving track about an inability to move on even when surrounded by a tropical island. ‘Thought it wouldn’t be the same down here / So I got me a ticket on a plane down here / Thought I’d be better if I came down here.’ Though the feel is straight-up laidback, island vibes, the lyrics are despondent and melancholic – it’s an intriguing mix that feels incredibly fresh, before moving into the lingering notes of the piano ballad ‘The Knife or The Hatchet.’ This track narrates the difficulties of navigating long-term relationships and yearning for upfront honesty, where hiding feelings causes more issues. ‘Promise me you’ll say the word / And don’t look back, make it hurt / You owe me that, say what’s been unspoken or break up will stay unbroken  / Ain’t something I can do it anymore, so all I ask is / Twist the knife or bury the hatchet.’ It’s the kind of slick and interesting track you will revisit, revealing more layers to the songwriting artistry with every listen. Finally, the story is rounded out with ‘I Never Said I’m Sorry’ that looks back again on old relationships and past mistakes. ‘I said I love you and I said forever / And I don’t regret it, I meant every word / When I left you crying, out there in the driveway / It don’t mean much now, but for what it worth / I never said I’m sorry.’ It’s a tenderly delivered track about regret, without being cliche or trite. It’s slickly written and perfectly delivered, as always in the masterful hands of Aaron Eshuis.

Pelago is the work of an artist who has taken time to thoughtfully and painstakingly create his own path in the country genre and his own narrative and voice. It’s an album for lovers of songwriting, where every listen to the record reveals another layer to the puzzle and as a whole creates an even more intriguing picture – of relationships, love, heartache – brought to life by unique and interesting reference points found on the lakes of Michigan. Hurd has created a project that feels completely intentional from start to finish and his narrative is brought to life in unexpected and perfect ways by Aaron Eshuis, moving between island grooves to cinematic orchestration with ease. For an artist who has made such a mark in songwriting, the path is clear for Hurd’s light to shine even brighter in his own artistry. Pelago is a riddle, a puzzle that when put together creates a lush and fresh cinematic landscape. 

The post ALBUM REVIEW: Pelago – Ryan Hurd appeared first on off the record.

Hello How are you doing? It’s the final countdown, so how are you feeling for the album release?

I feel good, I’m ready for people to hear it. It’s going to be a really exciting couple of weeks.

Yeah, I can imagine it’s been quite a few years that you’ve been crafting and making your way through the Nashville industry. Are you glad that this is happening now – the proper debut – and kind of allowing people to see the full scope of your artistry now?

Yeah, I made an album for RCA Records a couple years ago that never came out, I think now looking back on it now I’m really glad that this is the record that’s first. I’m really happy that we’re doing this, I’m so much better and so much more natural, I guess, and I feel like the timing might feel weird to wait a few years to do it, but the way this town works and the way it all goes down, I am really thankful that it’s happened the way it has.

You’ve spoken a lot about how this record’s been inspired by Michigan and that being important to you. Can you talk about that, because I can imagine as much as you love it, you must feel a sense of responsibility almost to bring your love of that place and sum it up in a record?

I feel like what we do in country music and in Nashville specifically is so South-centric. I’ve always tried to put other imagery into these songs, especially because our fan base in America – our biggest markets are Ohio and Michigan, Chicago and Minneapolis – and it’s just funny how that all works, even the Northeast in New York and Boston are always the biggest shows of the year. So, I have always tried to put more imagery in the music that’s closer to my experience. I like to name drop Chicago, Michigan, the West Coast and even the Gulf. I love the water and the air down there, it’s very cool to get the opportunity to sort of craft your own narrative.

Yeah, I mean even the imagery that you’ve released with the album is making me think I need to add Michigan to my list of places to visit. Obviously you’ve released quite a few tracks already and the response has just been phenomenal, particularly for ‘June July and August,’ with people sharing snippets of their lives. How has it been getting to engage with the fans and get that immediate reaction?

I guess the other half of that coin is this is the first time I’ve ever had to. Generally I’m more on the creative side and not as much on the promo side, but having an album come out means you got to engage a little bit more. That has been really cool to see people really react and love not just the one that’s on the radio, hopefully it’s the kind of album that top to bottom has something for everyone.

Oh 100% and I guess that goes alongside the fact that you’re finally able to get out and play these songs again, which must be nice to have, you’re not releasing them in front of a zoom screen anymore you can actually get out in front of fans and see the reaction.

The shows that we have had, the new songs have gone really well and the super fans already know the songs, then even the casual fans seem to be reacting well too. It’s been really an enjoyable thing. I think that like every reaction I’ve gotten so far to this record is positive and I’ve never had that. I don’t know if I ever imagined that and it kind of makes you take a deep breath and just sit back and enjoy it a little bit, takes some of the nerves away.

Well, it’s also the result of a lifetime’s work, so it must feel very reassuring. Obviously, you’ve released ‘Tab With My Name On It’ and one of the first things that jumped out to me the most about that was this production – it’s huge and very unique, with the gorgeous string part and intro. From the first time you wrote the song to now, how important has that been to see that evolution of the track with that production?

When we wrote the song, it felt like a movie. It’s just a song that is very unique to our format, where you see this guy going through an entire range of emotions just sitting on a barstool. We write bar songs all the time in Nashville, but it felt like my version of that. It felt like I’m telling a really creative and cinematic story that’s been told before, but not in this way. I never liked the production on that song, it just never really clicked for me until we added the orchestra. It made me really happy that you would notice it and it makes me happy how forward the strings are so that you can actually hear them – they’re not just hidden in the back, it’s very obvious what we’re doing. That’s when the whole thing came together and it got really special.

Well you started as a songwriter and you’ve always excelled there, but it’s been cool to watch your evolution of the sound of your music. 

Writing is the hardest part, I mean you write 200 songs to get 9 that you like, so I guess when I was thinking about what we’re doing and which songs fit for this record, I wanted it to be a very song-forward record. I wanted it to be something where even the fun songs were well written. They have things that you think are just fluffy and there’s still these Easter eggs in it, if you pay attention you realise that how much work went into putting that puzzle together. The second verse of ‘Coast’ is a really good example – that took us two months to write –  and there’s this bit about Kate Hudson and pictures of ukuleles, there’s an amazing amount of thought and work that went into that one little piece. It’s a good example of trying to do something, without even trying to do something special like really like caring about it being unique and and trying to make something that fits the format but it’s something you’ve never heard before.

I guess one of the ones which jumped out to me with those intricacies in the songwriting and playing around with different meanings were ‘The Knife and the Hatchet’ and ‘Hell Is An Island.’ Is that dual meaning something that you’ve always been drawn to?

I mean I think there’s there’s two things that work there – number one is we write so many songs that you get kind of bored, so half of it is playing games with yourself, I remember we wrote that song just because it sounded hard and ‘Hell Is An Island’ was a title I came up with in my head, I don’t remember why, but I remember wanting to write a fun song that was devastating and having just the sentence ‘Hell is an island without you,’ it’s just what you want. It’s the kind of thing that draws you in and then becomes something you totally don’t expect and that’s why I think it’s a really cool tune and can be really fun to play live. With ‘The Knife or the Hatchet’ you have that play on words and the whole song writes itself – once you say ‘twist the knife or bury the hatchet’ that’s it, everything else is easy. It’s just putting words in there that fit that narrative. I love how cinematic a lot of the tunes are, I wouldn’t say ‘Palm Trees in Ohio’ is a cinematic song, but I would say ‘Tab With My Name On It’ and ‘Hell Is An Island’ are like watching a movie. I think that’s when you know you’ve really done some of your best work, when you can visualise it in a specific way.

I think that’s the thing about this record, each song is a kind of puzzle in itself, but then they fit into the overall piece about ‘Pelago’ and Michigan. I think that’s what’s so particularly engaging about it, it feels very intentional the way that you put each piece together, if that makes sense.

Yeah, that’s right, everyone does it. It’s not like what I did, or what I’m doing is different from how other artists would approach their record. I think that because I’ve had enough time to develop as a writer and I haven’t gotten to put out my first record, this timestamps me in a big way. I think that having some time to sort of develop my expectations and develop creatively has made it the best work I could have done at this point in my life,

I guess, building on that, obviously, you’ve had so much success as a songwriter, you’ve had another number one with ‘Waves.’ When it comes to selecting songs which are going to go on this record, you’ve had so many songs that you could have taken as your own, do you feel like that’s made you more intentional and thoughtful with what you put out as your own.

I don’t think I’m the kind of artist that can take a song like ‘Waves’ and have it be an automatic hit.  I think that I have now a little corner of this format, for me, and what I think is interesting, and the songs that I really gravitate to singing. Then I get to participate in the rest of it by writing all those songs that I’ve written for other people, I mean, there’s songs that I love and maybe I could or maybe I couldn’t make them in the same way, but I just think that it’s never about whether a song is good or not, it’s about whether the song is right for an artist and I don’t know if the songs on this album are super pinchable. I don’t think that other artists would hear a song like ‘I Never Said I’m Sorry’ and think ‘I really want to put my voice on that’ because I think sometimes, it’s not about good or bad, sometimes it just has to be your voice. I think a lot of the songs on here have to be my voice and and I’m incredibly grateful for all the artists that I get to work with, I’m also incredibly grateful that a lot of these songs never got pitched.

And working with Aaron Eshuis, what has he brought to your music and the creative partnership you’ve developed?

He is kind of my safety blanket and he also does all the work, he makes the whole thing go, I don’t really do much on these recordings. I mean we didn’t have a studio day really except for the orchestral stuff. He really built this by himself in his studio, and I just said no or approved everything. Obviously I’m involved in every single part of it, but I think as far as having somebody that you trust that much, that’s the biggest deal and having somebody that you’re safe around to say no, if something’s not working, you have to be able to say this isn’t working. That did happen a couple of times in this record. so to have somebody like Aaron come back and be like, ‘I got it’ is incredibly special. Everybody knows that it’s my name on the front, everybody knows that I create, but at the end of the day, he makes it all go, he’s the one putting guitars and drums and having that creative push and pull. Our working relationship is probably the thing that I value the most about, he’s a good Michigan Dutch kid.

Well, congratulations on this record and the success also of ‘Chasing After You’ and your CMA nominations. Thank you so much for your time today, Ryan.

Thank you and good to talk to you again. Thank you so much. 

The post INTERVIEW: Ryan Hurd on Pelago, Production and Michigan appeared first on off the record.

Renowned Nashville singer songwriter Ryan Hurd has achieved more than 700 million career streams worldwide and caught the attention of entertainment tastemakers including Esquire, GQ, Maxim, American Songwriter, Billboard and many more. With co-writing credits on some of country music’s biggest hits, the Kalamazoo native will release his debut album “Pelago” on October 15^th 2021. New track, “June, July, August,” is available now.

“June, July, August” follows the recently released “Coast” and “Chasing After You” – Hurd’s first official duet with his wife, Maren Morris. “Chasing After You” is currently in the top 15 and climbing at country radio in the U.S. with fans across the U.K., and worldwide, raving about the collaboration.

“Pelago”, is inspired by Hurd’s upbringing on the shores of Lake Michigan, was produced with childhood friend and long-time creative partner Aaron Eshuis, with further contributions from Jesse Frasure (Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Little Big Town) and Teddy Reimer.

Hurd got his start in Nashville as a songwriter, penning Platinum hits and #1s for Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Lady A and Tim McGraw, among many other luminaries. As an artist he’s released a series of EPs, spawning hits like the Platinum-certified “To a T”.

“Pelago” Track Listing:

Pass It On

Coast

Chasing After You (with Maren Morris)

June, July, August

Palm Trees in Ohio

If I Had Two Hearts

Tab With My Name On It

What Are You Drinking

Hell is an Island

The Knife or the Hatchet

I Never Said I’m Sorry

Every Other Memory

Michigan for the Winter

To a T

Diamonds or Twine

Follow Ryan Hurd: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The post Ryan Hurd Announces Debut Album – Pelago – for October Release appeared first on off the record.

1. Thomas Rhett plans ‘One Night Only’ livestream celebration to support new album

To celebrate the release of his forthcoming record, Country Again (Side A), Thomas Rhett has announced that he plans to hold a ‘One Night Only’ livestream celebration to celebrate the release of the record.

2. Emma & Jolie release stunning new collaboration with Josh Kerr

UK duo Emma & Jolie have released their third single – a stunning collaboration, co-written and produced by Josh Kerr, featuring his vocals, delving into the break-down of a relationship. Stream the single here.

3. Taylor Swift releases first ‘From the Vault’ track with backing vocals from Maren Morris 

Ahead of the release of Fearless – Taylor’s Version on April 9th, Taylor Swift has released the first of her tracks ‘From the Vault,’ ‘You All Over Me’ a stunning track, featuring Maren Morris on background vocals.

4. Carrie Underwood to perform with David Bisbal at Latin AMAs

5. Brett Young and wife Taylor reveal that they are having another baby girl

Young announced the news on the Kelly Clarkson show

6. Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd celebrate Hayes’ first birthday

7. Maddie & Tae release new track

The track ‘Woman You Got’ is the first of their tracks to be released since their holiday record last year.

8. Texas country artist Taylor Dee dies in a fatal car crash

9. Mickey Guyton says her debut album is coming in the summer

The post Your Country Music News Round-Up: Emma & Jolie, Mickey Guyton and Carrie Underwood appeared first on off the record.

Hi Ryan, lovely to talk to you today. Hope you’re staying safe during this tornado?

I’m looking out of the window, it seems to be calm just wet, but we’ll see.

Not a big change from London! It’s strange thinking that C2C would have been a few weeks ago now.

We’re very much missing London these days and we love that festival. There’s not a lot of things that live up to the hype, but that’s certainly one of them. It was a lot of fun and the theatre was just so amazing – that moment for an artist when they realise there’s a bit of a fan base, that’s what I remember from that trip, thinking ‘Oh gosh, we can actually do this over here.’

I think it always takes a few artists by surprise, because they don’t really have any expectations going in.

Most country artists haven’t even been there – I had never been until we had to come play. I just have so many great memories of C2C and playing shows, especially in London – what an amazing place to play music. There’s a different energy than we’re used to, but in a good way.

It definitely has a particular energy and flavour here. And congratulations are definitely in order, this has been a pretty big week for you guys – the number one most added song on country radio and your son’s first birthday – there’s a lot to celebrate right now!

Yeah, that and our anniversary was last night. I mean, this time of year is crazy for us and having the most added song on the radio in the States – I’ve never had that before, Maren’s had a bunch, but you know, you always get really nervous when you release a song. For me, it’s extra pressure to have Maren on it, because if it fails, then it’s my fault, so we are just so thankful for all the people that have got behind it and all the fans that have listened to it. It’s been a really amazing experience and then to have it all this week, I guess I didn’t realise when I saw it on the calendar. Sometimes you don’t put two and two together and realise how much crazy stuff is going on. We had Hayes’ birthday party on Saturday and then on Monday was ‘add’ day, Tuesday was his birthday and then Wednesday was our anniversary. Looking back on it, I just didn’t realise when it was going on how special it all was.

Well, this song is so special. I know you’ve talked a lot about how there were various versions of the track before you decided on this version. So, from the first time hearing it to now, can you talk a bit about the journey of that song?

Sure! We didn’t write this song, which is something I like about it. I don’t think I could have written it any better, so that’s when you know you’re supposed to record it. The demo of it is a guy named Jerry Flowers singing and playing guitar – the guitar part of the demo is a part of the song. What we did with it, just took a second, it’s a special song. It’s not as straightforward as far as production goes, I think that’s maybe why it fell to me, instead of one of the other artists that had held it at one point. This version of it is my producer Aaron and my guitar player in my band, Teddy, building this track out. For whatever reason, this version is the one that really spoke to us and the timing couldn’t have been better. I mean, that’s the biggest thing with this duet is timing, having Maren and my single cycles line up, because I don’t think we’d be on the radio otherwise.

Something good has got to have come out of this past year! This is definitely one of those things.

We’re just thrilled. I mean, as I told you earlier, I know the pressure of having her on a song. I’m really proud of Maren for spending a whole year collaborating, it’s such a cool thing.

At the same time as being first-time parents! Do you think that’s changed your approach to songwriting and artistry? 

I think it makes you a little more serious about art, just because it has to, you’re not messing around. It makes you a little more serious about it all, but the content hasn’t necessarily changed. I haven’t forced that at all. Maren’s things are leaning that direction, but for me I haven’t had anything really hit me that hard.

It’s probably more of a change logistically. Even looking at your video – which is stunning – there’s other scheduling things to think about. Can you talk a bit about the creation of that video?

Oh man, that’s all Maren and TK. I was the one banging on the recording, but when we were going to put it out there, Maren was really serious about doing a video before the song was released, with it all coming out together. She was the one who worked with TK to make that idea come to life, and people have really loved the rotating floor and that was definitely something that took us out of our comfort zones. I think that the work totally paid off, it’s such a beautifully shot moment and for as nervous as we were the entire time, it turned out awesome. 

It definitely paid off. I wanted to talk a bit more about your live EP release. ‘Every Other Memory’ and ‘Wish for the World’ are two songs that have been very special for the last year and got us through. Can you talk a bit about those two tracks?

Yeah, thank you for liking those projects. ‘Wish for the World’ is the last song on that project and the recording of the studio version was made by Jacquire King and Aaron Eshuis, which is cool for me. Jacquire did Kings of Leon and he was just an amazing dude to work with. I close my set with that song. It just is a really cool way, I think, to end a night and it felt natural. I wrote that song with my friend Aaron, who produced it. I had that song title and I didn’t exactly know what I wanted it to be, but those lines just sort of started falling out. It’s cool to write that kind of song with your friends, because I feel like each line is a little prayer. I love that the last thing people hear from my show – I know everybody wants to drink 50 beers and have a great time and there’s a lot of ways you can end a night – but I love that people leave with my hope for all of them. For all those people that come and see our show, I want you to have a great time, but I want you to leave and feel like something amazing happened in that room, and that’s why that song sets off such an amazing moment for people. I think it’s the most connected that everyone is the entire night. I wrote that and put it out before the world shut down, and so it’s amazing to think of it in that context.

The live version is actually the one that I’ve listened to the most, it feels a little like the ‘Wish for the World’ is to get back to that, be able to hear live music again and hear it in that form.

That’s a really good point. I appreciate you connecting those dots, because it’s true. I mean, what a blessing to have that recording now.

It’s a reminder that we’ll get back to that eventually, it’ll be great to see that live. Obviously the single is the focus right now, but do you know what the rest of the year is going to look like in terms of releases?

Man, I don’t know what it’s gonna look like. I think that’s the fun part. Obviously, we have more songs that we want to release and it’s fun to see what people on my team are gravitating toward, that’s how you make decisions – what my gut says, but also what the people around me are saying who I trust. Obviously, we’ll have some songs come out. I don’t know what form they’ll take – whether it’s an album or an EP or whatever, but they’re sitting there and they’re ready to go. I think the ones that are ready to go are a little more toe-tapping – ‘Chasing’ is definitely a ballad. We have some more fun stuff coming, so I’m excited about all of it. I love making music in this town. I love getting to write music for other artists and I love just having my own project on Arista Records. It’s so cool.

Nashville is an incredibly special town filled with special talent and artists. It’ll be great for people in the UK to finally get back and artists get back to touring here in turn.

Oh we’re coming.

Well, thank you so much for your time today, and congratulations again on everything and happy birthday to Hayes!

Thank you very much. Have a great one.

Follow Ryan Hurd on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

The post INTERVIEW: Ryan Hurd on Chasing after You and His Wish for the World appeared first on off the record.

10. Ryan Hurd Proves He’s ‘Husband Goals’

One of the most heart-warming moments from the show was Ryan Hurd helping his pregnant wife on and off stage at the CMAs – talk about couple goals.

9. Thomas Rhett’s Daughters Steals The Show

Thomas Rhett‘s daughters have always been adorable, but their appearance on the 2019 CMA red carpet was one for the ages.

8. Jennifer Nettles Demands Equal Play

Jennifer Nettles called out radio making a demand for equal play on the country music airwaves.

7. Kelsea Ballerini and Keith Urban Deliver Stand-Out Solo Performances

As Garth Brooks himself stated in his speech, Ballerini managed to shrink an arena delivering a stunning performance of ‘Homecoming Queen’ – just herself and her guitar on stage.

6. Reba Revives ‘Fancy’ and Incredible Costume Changes

It is something uniquely special to country music that as a genre we continue to celebrate legendary talent and not just the fresh faces, Reba’s performance of ‘Fancy’ was one for the stages, complete with a huge amount of costume changes. Wow.

5. Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Runaway June, Carly Pearce and more Slay ‘Girl Crush’

Who knew ‘Girl Crush’ could be improved? This performance of Little Big Town’s biggest track complete with a huge amount of guest performances was incredibly special and poignant.

4. Willie Nelson and Kacey Musgraves Deliver a Powerful ‘Rainbow Connection’ Duet

Willie Nelson and Kacey Musgraves delivered an incredibly powerful duet to ‘Rainbow Connection,’ Musgraves vocals rang out beautifully over the top in a tender, stunning production.

3. Maren Morris Delivers a Tear-Jerking Tribute to Her Producer Busbee

Going into the CMAs as the most nominated artist, Maren Morris was owed a huge win on CMA night. Delivering one of the most tear-jerking moments of the night, Morris dedicated the award to her late producer ‘Busbee,’ in an incredibly pure and poignant moment.

2. Carrie Underwood Was Robbed

We’re not oblivious to Garth’s talent and entertainer-ship, but this year should have rightfully been Carrie’s year given the success of her huge ‘Cry Pretty’ tour and an epic album under her belt.

1.That Empowering Female Opening Medley

This year’s CMAs were all about women in country music and this opening medley was one for the ages with iconic legends joining new female talent to create a truly stunning opening.

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