After a turbulent year, in the wake of the announcement of his divorce to Kelsea Ballerini this summer, Morgan Evans has returned – not with a despondent or bitter statement on his breakup – but a joyfully hopeful and optimistic collection of his songs, on his Life Upside Down EP, out everywhere today. The collection of songs offers a picture of where Evans is right now, both personally and musically, as he sings ‘it’s all coming up daisies’ this project is proof of that.

When Evans stepped onto the stage at C2C, there was something electric in his performances. That energy has sometimes been lacking when he translates his live set into the studio iterations of his tracks, until this EP. Across these four songs (and another live version), he infuses the energy of a live set into the recorded versions – from the spellbinding nature of the moments of connection he finds with the crowd (‘Over For You’) to the easy breezy, foot-stomping electricity of the party anthems (‘Hey Little Mama’ and ‘All Right Here’). The EP kicks off with ‘Over For You,’ a stunningly tender track that questions his ex-lover on when their love was over for her, questioning, ‘I’m just wondering, how long has it been over for you?’ More than anything, the track feels immensely loving, before moving on to ‘On My Own Again,’ where Evans questions how he got back to this stage in his life, but looks hopefully to the future. ‘I’m gonna drive until the wheels fall off this old truck in my heart / If forever’s gonna end like that, I guess I’d better start / The rest of my life, like the best times, up around the bend.’

The following two tracks on the EP are more easy and breezy, following on from this relatively hurt place. ‘Hey Little Mama’ is flirty and fun, whereas ‘All Right Here’ outlines ‘it’s all good, all gravy.’ More than anything, the EP is pure delight and charm, laying the stage for a new era in Evan’s music, and that era feels immensely hopeful and optimistic.

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One thing that has always been abundantly clear about Tenille Townes – her love for songs, the songwriting and the stories behind them. That love has always come through in her music that paints vivid pictures and stories. Tomorrow, she returns with a unique collection of songs – Train Track Worktapes. The EP was conceptualised, written, and recorded on a charity train trip that covered nearly 3,000 miles. A tradition in her native country, the CP Holiday Train benefits local food banks when their need is greatest, as each attendee brings donations to catch the free concert that occurs right on the train cars, the doors folding down to become a stage. During their 15 days onboard last December, Townes and her band played 65 shows to crowds ranging from dozens to thousands in communities across southern Canada. From this incredible tradition, came a beautiful collection of five songs.

The collection places the idea of a travelling soul front and centre. So, the first track, ‘Home to Me’ is filled with charm, in a love song where home is a lover. ‘I can’t help it, I’m a travelling soul, like that river running / I was born to go, but wherever all these winding paths and railroad tracks may lead / You’ll still be home to me.’ It’s a track that builds on the premise of what Townes has tried to achieve in this project with true power.

There’s a sense of community and musicianship that runs through on the songs. So, ‘Pieces of My Heart’ has a campfire thrumming heart in the track about life on the road ‘Keep leaving pieces of my heart / In all these towns that feel like home / Can’t help it I’m a traveller / It’s in my veins, it’s in my bones.’ There’s an inherent singalong refrain that builds this sense of musical community at its core. So too, ‘Coming Together’ is a jaunty and lively track about living and loving on the road. ‘Follow the music, the kind that makes any day better / We’ll sing about the way it feels to be right here, coming together.’

Of course, there is a deal of introspection that we have come to expect from Townes. Final track, ‘Wheels’ is a moodier and pensive track about the inevitability of time itself – ‘These wheels from spinning round‘ – so too, her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Landslide,’ Townes shines a spotlight on her vocals, in her ability to redraft the well-known and well-covered song and pour a staggering level of poignancy into the lyrics.

Over the past few years, there has certainly been a sense of country music singers and songwriters returning to their roots, and to the heart of the song, with the growth of live albums and rough and ready recordings, like The Marfa Tapes. On Townes’ Train Track Worktapes, she continues that tradition. This collection is rough and ready, authentic country music at its finest, putting the song and the story front and centre.

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The trope of divorce albums and songs has become well-known in country music and is well-trodden territory – a theme explored better in some places than others, from The Chicks’ Gaslighter to Kacey Musgraves’ star crossed and Carly Pearce’s 29: Written in Stone. The best projects (like Pearce’s 2020 project) are those that dive into the very mess of a breakdown of a relationship – exploring both sides’ ‘blame’ at its demise and displaying an almost uncomfortable honesty and vulnerability. Kelsea Ballerini’s new project Rolling Up The Welcome Mat does this from start to finish. Kelsea, herself, details of the EP “Here’s my healing journey. Here’s my heart. Here’s my truth. I’ve never been this open, I’ve never been this bold, and I’ve never been this proud of my art. So with love and respect, I’m rolling up the welcome mat.” This is Ballerini’s best work to date. No contest. It’s raw, open, vulnerable and immensely universal in the mess and pain that it explores.

In Chapter One and Two, Ballerini offers her answer to her ex-husband, Morgan Evan’s question, ‘When was it over for you?’ on ‘Mountain With a View.’ She details the growing distance between the two, physically and mentally. ‘I’m wearin’ the ring still, but I think I’m lyin’ / Sometimes you forget yours, I think we’re done tryin’ / I realize you loved me much more at twenty-three / I think that this is when it’s over for me.’ It’s a delicately, musing song that explores just why the ending became sour. There’s personal touches and notes throughout the tracks that make the songs feel both deeply personal and universal – what happened with the broken plate? ‘Just Married’ is a clever track about the loss of love – ‘Yeah, it was love / It really was / Then it was just married‘ – as Ballerini shows that she couldn’t cope with taking on the full emotional heft of the relationship. With bare touches of production, Ballerini’s vocals and lyrics are given full attention in these tracks, giving the emotion its full weight.

Ballerini shows again on ‘Penthouse’ the messiness of knowing moving on is the right thing, but the pain of leaving a relationship and the bitterness that can ensue. ‘I kissed someone new last night / But now I don’t know where you’re sleeping, baby / We got along real nice, until I wanted out, now I know you hate me / One day, the curtain started coming down / We changed the second we were moving out.’ There’s the pain of being in the wrong relationship, the pain of losing love and of moving on. Of course, there’s a degree of sass punching through on the final line ‘I just bought the house that we saw / You said it was wrong / I wanted it all along‘ that is carried through on the pop punch of ‘Interlude.’ Indeed, Chapter Five, ‘Blindsided’ is Ballerini’s most unforgiving as she questions how her ex did not know what was coming. ‘Baby, were you blindsided or were you just blind?‘ As she punctuates the mellow pop funk of the song with a recording, ‘It’s not fucking news to you, babe / You’ve been in this relationship, it’s not news to you.’

Finally, Ballerini finds peace with her ex and herself on ‘Leave Me Again,’ an acoustic track as she lovingly wishes her ex the best, ‘I hope when I see you that you smile / I hope that you find somebody new / I hope that you get the house, and the good wife, and the kids / And I hope I never leave me again.’

Above all, this new EP from Ballerini is a powerful ode to the messiness of love and loss. It’s Ballerini at her best – raw, vulnerable and honest, with open songwriting that is universal and deeply personal. This project is a triumph and will be a healer to many.

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Ahead of his performance at C2C Festival next month, Matt Stell has released his brand new EP – One of Us. Following the release of his previous EP – Better Than That – on which Stell appeared to have found his lane in country, this new EP shows an artist in full command of his own artistry, pushing that gear up into full force and digging deeper into his American roots.

Much of the record is born for an arena stage. So, ‘One of Us’ is a full throttle searing country rock track about inclusivity and celebrating your blue collar roots, ‘One of us got a chain if you get stuck / One of us got a cooler full of cold Busch / In the back of his truck / And if that sounds like you / You might be one of us.’ Elsewhere, fiery ‘This One’s Gonna Hurt’ offers a rip-roaring, rock-tinged hell raiser of a track about celebrating today, despite the hangover’s of tomorrow. ‘There’s proof in the bottle / That this ones gonna hurt like a buck from a bronco / But tonight, we’ll live it up ‘cause tomorrow / we’ll be laying low, no we ain’t gotta go to work (hell naw).’ It’s riotously fun and is bound for an arena performance (adding this to our C2C wishlist…) Of course, there’s other slick tracks to add to the mix – ‘Shut The Truck Up’ is an easy flowing track, where Stell tries to erase an ex-lover’s memory ingrained in the interior of his truck. ‘All my playlists, I can’t play em / From the A to the F to the XM dial / Every memory, every mile it reminds me of us / And I wish I could just shut the truck up.’ It’s an easy tripping melody.

Stell, though, has been known for his powerful ballads, and he does not disappoint on the EP – ‘Man Made’ is a gorgeous lilting track. ‘Behind any guy doing anything right is a woman’s work at hand / If a man made anything, it’s ’cause a woman made that man.’ Stell’s honeyed trademark vocals soar here, in this creatively meaningful and tender ballad about his gratitude for the women in his life, an idea followed through on ‘Roots In This Ground’ – where lesser artists would allow this to settle into corny territory, Stell’s delivery elevates the track – a sonorous ballad about settling down with the right girl. ‘‘Cause the pretty girls gonna put the settle in your down / And roots in this ground.’

However, it is the final track (‘Somewhere Over The Radio’) is the only track on the record not co-produced by Stell that shows his growth as an artist. It is very different in feel – a beautiful piano ballad narrating his need to leave town and chase music. ‘Somewhere over the radio way out past the county line / There’s a place where you wake up dreaming in the broad daylight / You know I got no choice but to chase those songs in the clouds / I know it sounds crazy but I can hear ‘em now / And I promise you girl when you’re riding around back home / You’ll hear me somewhere over the radio.’ With hardly any instrumentation to hide behind, the track shows the true power and musicality of Stell’s vocal and its masterfully delivered to showcase the full breadth and range of Stell as an artist. Chest-thrumping hell-raisers may be what you go to Stell’s concerts for, but doubtless these moments will be the ones that stick with you – just like in their studio versions.

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Since the release of their single ‘Breakups,’ Australian duo Seaforth’s star has risen rapidly. In that time, they have toured extensively, including joining Chris Young on his forthcoming UK tour. That time on the road comes through in their latest EP, out this Friday – What I Get For Loving You – that creates the perfect set list for a live rendition, from energy-filled party tracks to sentimental crooners that celebrate their loves.

The project kicks off with the bombastic party track ‘Queen of Daytona Beach,’ featuring Sean Kingston. It’s a searing, grooving track, sampling Kingston’s track ‘Beautiful Girls’ fusing it seamlessly with modern country with a twist in their ode to the Queen of Daytona Beach. ‘A glass slipper stepping out of her daddy’s Jeep / I’m thinkin’ never mind 99 degrees / Every guy inclined to drop everything for that girl /The queen of Daytona Beach.’ It’s an innovative country crossover collaboration that is bound to divide fans and shows Seaforth as a duo who are not afraid to break the country mould and push sonic boundaries. The idea of the track they return to on the already released collaboration with Jordan Davis that brings the energy back up a notch on ‘Good Beer.’ ‘I know when a good beer is a cold one / If you got green, better roll one / And the right drive is a slow one.’ It’s a feel-good track, filled with an undeniable and infectious energy.

The project is rammed with easy charming love songs, kicking off with ‘Palm Of Your Hand’ – a swinging, catchy modern country in a charming ode to a new lover, ‘It ain’t just whiskey in the palm of your hand.’ The track sees the duo trade off harmonies, allowing both unique vocals to take their turn in the spotlight, whilst they indulge in an easy but not corny sentimentality – brought back on ‘Used To It’ and ‘Magic.’ The former track uses a very spare instrumentation, in this immensely romantic and sentimental track that showcases again the unique qualities of both vocals, ‘I will never get over, waking up with you in my sheets / The way you buzz after just one drink / Watching you dance to a song that you like / Gets me the same way every time.‘ The latter also offers a charming stripped back romantic ode, allowing the duo to sing their lover’s praises. ‘Even on your worst day / You’re still magic…Even when it’s raining, it’s still Paris.‘ Though the platitudes are sentimental, their modern country sound allows them to just avoid stepping into corny territory.

There is still space on the record though for traditional country heartbreak. ‘Breakups’ is the track that started it all and gets its turn in the spotlight next. It’s as poignant a listen, months down the line, as it was on release day, as the duo yearn for a lover and muse on their inability to move on after a breakup. ‘I said I wouldn’t call / We said we wouldn’t talk at all / It always ends bad / But I’m looking at my phone / And if you’re not alone / I don’t think I could take that / ‘Cause I’m drunk at a bar at 2:00 a.m. / And I just wanna talk to my best friend.’ The sound of the record is brought back again on the title track and elsewhere, ‘Dr. Phil’ offers a catchier take on fighting heartbreak and it’s immense fun. ‘I don’t need nobody else / Just me and these empty bottles up on the shelf / I might get drunk or I might get drunk as hell / I kind of like this lonely, cos I got a one man army / And we’re going to fight this heartbreak, s**t I’ll be my own damn Dr. Phil.’ It’s a feel-good party track that shows the duo’s ability to offer a lighter take on heavier topics and infuse their lyrics with an easy wit and humour.

Seaforth have carved out a path for themselves in the country industry and this EP is no exception in continuing to establish their signature sound, fusing modern country with sultry harmonies and a fresh and groovy RnB edged sound. The duo’s star started rising with ‘Breakups’ but this EP proves that they are no one-hit wonders, but have the ability to release further hits.

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EMI Records Nashville recording artist Tyler Hubbard has kicked off a new chapter of his music with the release of five new songs on new project –  Dancin’ In The Country.  The special collection includes the new release “Dancin’ In The Country,” which was co-written by Hubbard, Keith Urban, Jon Nite, and Ross Copperman. The new project of six songs includes the hit single “5 Foot 9,” which has already garnered almost 90M LTD streams and has reached the Top 15 at radio. These songs, and many others, will also appear on Hubbard’s yet to be titled debut solo album, which will be released on January 27, 2023.

Dancin’ In The Country is a project of specially selected songs released in advance of Hubbard’s upcoming album and for his live shows this fall on Keith Urban’s “THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR” and showcases the immense capability of Hubbard’s music and vision for his solo career, filled with his trademark energy and charisma that comes through clearly even on the studio recordings.

“Today’s one of the days I’ve been anticipating since I decided to record a solo project,” says Hubbard. “I’m rehearsing for the fall tour, and now being able to share many of the songs I’m going to perform live for the first time as a solo artist is very exciting. I hope the fans like them as much as I do and share in my excitement. I’ll be on the road with my solo material in just a few weeks!”

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On his new 3-song collection – Maury County Line – Shane Profitt shows exactly what he is capable of. A ‘salt of the earth Southerner with a straight-shooting swagger and kind smile, Shane Profitt’s musical toolbox is full of all-natural talent’. In just a few short months, Profitt has gone from busting his chops south of Nashville, but now he has found success – playing the Ryman Auditorium, touring with his chart-topping hero Chris Janson and writing genuine modern country boot-stomping tracks.

Now, the emerging artist from Columbia, TN debuts his boots-on-the-ground writing style and big, barrel-chested voice today with a 3-song collection MAURY COUNTY LINE, available now via BMLG Records/Harpeth 60 Records. The tracks are filled with a honky tonk and hopefully anthemic feel, and are jam-packed with blue-collar authenticity.

“To say I’m excited about this project is an understatement,” shared Profitt. “I’ve come a long way over the past seven months and couldn’t have done it without so many people believing in me. I’m proud for everyone to listen to three of my absolute favorite songs and hope that country music fans feel the same feeling I get every time I listen to them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported me along the way and made my dreams a reality.”

MAURY COUNTY LINE TRACK LIST                                                  

1. “Better Off Fishin’” | Shane Profitt, Blake Bollinger, Justin Wilson                                   

2. “Guys Like Me” | Shane Profitt, Reid Isbell, Chris Janson

3. “How It Oughta Be” | Shane Profitt, David Frasier, Mitch Oglesby

*Produced by Julian Raymond

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When Tenille Townes released her debut album The Lemonade Stand, she offered a fresh voice in the country industry with her unique vocal tone and rock-country sound as she sang many stories of other people. On her brand new EP Masquerades, out this Friday, Townes indulges yet further in the rock side of her vocal. This new project shows the more vulnerable and intimate side of Townes’ lyricism and songwriting as she gets far more introspective – the result is incredibly powerful.

There’s an often cliched stereotype and tendency to forcefully celebrate the joys of being single, with artists singing of being empowered in that status – just look at Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies.’ On Masquerades, instead of falling into that cliche, Townes dares to reveal her own vulnerability and fears of being alone. It is a portrait that feels immensely intimate and liberating in its honesty. So, on pre-released single ‘When’s It Gonna Happen,’ Townes becomes wistful, pondering on when she will finally find ‘the one’ – ‘I look around and all my friends are fallin’ in love / I’m scared to death i’ll end up empty handed / Can’t be the only one / Thinking when’s it gonna happen, happen to me’ – and on ‘The Sound of Being Alone,’ Townes reflects on the soundtrack of that state. The latter is a grungier, rock-tinged sound that we have come to expect from Townes. ‘Too much of anything is never a good thing / Is it a bad thing I’m good on my own / I could say anything nobody’s listening / It’s just the sound of being alone?’ It’s a moody, guitar heavy track that offers a fresh sound for Townes. ‘Same Road Home’ is another moment about the universality of that feeling of being lost in love and life. ‘Ain’t we all just looking for answers, to ones that nobody knows / Ain’t we all just dying to feel like we’re not meant to be all alone / There’s a million different ways to go, but we’re all on the same road home.’ It’s a compellingly driving and anthemic track that will be an easy standout moment on the live circuit, particularly with the easy ‘woah’ refrain.

Still, she finds love in other areas – either with a friend or a neighbour. On ‘When You Need It,’ Townes elicits the help of her friend Wrabel in a track about being there for a friend. ‘Even if it’s just to hold your hand, say keep breathin / Sometimes a friend is all we needed / I’ll be there when you need it.’ The fragility of Townes vocal marries perfectly with Wrabel’s rich tone in this gloriously comforting track. ‘Shared Walls’ featuring BRELAND is an easy stand out, singing about the universality of loneliness in Townes musical letter to her neighbour – a situation that feels universal after the pandemic. ‘We share walls, we share feelings / Nights alone, staring at the ceiling / We might act like strangers on the street / But I know a lot about you, you know a lot about me / Shared walls.’ It’s another shrewd choice for a collaboration, marrying the honeyed tone of BRELAND’s vocal with her own, an intoxicatingly compelling track that will be an easy standout for many.

Arguably her most vulnerable moment on the record is created on ‘Villain In Me,’ a song about the ugly side of her own psyche. ‘A voice that I don’t wanna hear, the hurtful words I say / Long list of things about myself I wanna change / The heavy cloud that won’t leave even after it rains / I try to be a hero ’til it brings me to my knees / Yeah, there’s a villain in me.’ It’s a state that feels universal, but is a rarely touched topic in country music, refreshing in its honesty. The stripped back production allows the lyrics to speak for themselves, with light touch instrumentation to allow Townes vocal to step to the fore. Finally, Masquerades is rounded out with the delightfully light track ‘Light In Your Eyes,’ in which Townes recognises the joy in others, a beautifully whimsical, piano-traced track.

Masquerades is a delight and it is a pleasure to spend time with Townes in this newly intimate and vulnerable space. It’s a space that many will find not only refreshing but comforting as she narrates the universality of the emotions that we all experience – from joy to loneliness to pain and sorrow. It’s one of the most compelling ‘pandemic-originated’ projects that we have yet listened to and heralds a new era for Townes.

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Clara Bond continues to subvert expectations, following the release of her pre-released singles ‘You,’ ‘Backtalker’ and ‘Wish You Were Her’ in 2021, with the release of her new EP Backtalker out everywhere today. From the beautiful and deeply personal track ‘You’ to the dreamy, atmospheric track ‘Misbehaving,’ the EP positions Bond as an artist not to be pigeonholed, one who continues to break expectations and experiment with the boundaries of her musicality. The EP touches on the pulse of a more experimental look at pop, featuring nostalgic guitar tones, modern and punchy lyrics and instrumentation. Bond’s lyricism throughout is incredibly creatively versatile and inspiring.

As Bond herself shares, ‘We wrote the whole EP in lockdown. We were just writing songs that felt good for us at a time when it was crucial to write songs only for my benefit, because it was what I needed at the time. It’s nice to now be releasing them, but that almost wasn’t the intention at the time – the songs were a way for me to connect to my own musicality when there was absolutely nothing going on in the world – except watching Friends. They really feel like an honest reflection of what was going on in my brain at the time.’ That connection to her musicality is paramountly clear throughout these tracks that once again shake perceptions of Bond, showcasing an artist who is not able to be boxed in by genre and continues to defy definition.’ That comfort and joy in music itself is what is most clear from this project, a phenomenal display of Bond’s artistry and artistic vision.

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Conner Smith has been established as a major and fresh talent to watch in the Nashville country scene. On his new EP Didn’t Go Too Far out tomorrow, Smith showcases just why he is one of the names on everyones lips. As Smith explains, “These past 6 months have been a wild ride and started off my career in a way I could only have dreamed of,” explains Smith. “DIDN’T GO TOO FAR is the next step for me. This group of songs really gives listeners a look into my world and my roots. I can’t wait to show fans more of who I am as a writer and a performer throughout this year.” A wild ride it is. Lyrically, the project is not extraordinary but sonically it is a riotously fun introduction to a star whose sound seems ready built for the arena stage across America.

Talking of those ‘arena ready’ anthems, the lead-out track ‘College Town’ will be a sure-fire hit both on radio and at live shows. It’s loud and proud, an anthem for those who never went to college – an autobiographical track about Smith’s decision to move to Nashville rather than go to college. The infusion of background chatter throughout the instrumentation was a genius stroke to amp up the project – here it provides a real honkytonk, Friday night bar feel to the track. Similarly – from the title alone – you know that ‘I Hate Alabama’ will be an easy stand-out and was a shrewd choice for the only external cut on the record. Here, Smith sings about hating Crimson Red and the Brave, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ‘Sweet Home’ in reminding him of a girl. the clever twisting lyrical ideas so familiar in country songs. It’s a sheer delight of a song, clever lyrics and swelling emotions of heartbreak. 

Elsewhere, the true depth of Smith’s potential shines through on the more quieter moments. ‘Learn From It’ leans into this in a more subdued track about his journey so far and what he took from his roots and life lessons. It’s a track that really shows the warm, honeyed tone of Smith’s vocal that makes up for where there are occasional gaps in the depth of his lyricism. The title track is another easy stand-out and is the first true sit-up moment that allows you to recognise the full potential of Smith. It’s a slick and nostalgic track, very much in the line of Sam Hunt, looking back at the inescapability of first loves in small towns. ‘The one that got away, didn’t go too far.’ The raw emotion of Smith’s vocal draws you in in a magnetic way and it’s a sheer delight of a song that will have you pressing repeat. Following this line, ‘Take It Slow’ is another enormously propulsive song about first loves in a small town, a swelling track with a delightful bluegrass underbelly.

The final track on the record brings back Smith’s easy and relatable reverence to his blue-collar roots in ‘Somewhere In A Small Town.’ It’s a sweet, summertime anthem that feels well-trodden but fresh once delivered through Smith’s warm vocal. ‘She’s laughing, he’s nervous / Cos she looks so perfect, just like you right now / Somewhere in a small town.’ This sums up the ethos of Didn’t Go Too Far – it’s an immensely evocative project, conjuring images of the America we’ve known from the movies, one of high school football teams, the cheerleader, red solo cups and white picket fences. It won’t be the most memorable project of the year but what the collection does is establish a bank of songs for Smith that will be a surefire hit on the live circuit and shows a foundation on which to grow his future potential.

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