“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” croons multi-hyphenate superstar Miranda Lambert on current single “Wranglers,” which arrived last month as the biggest streaming debut of her career. Now, Stereogum’s “single greatest country star to come along this century” doubles down on her signature theme of empowerment as a woman liberated on “Dammit Randy,” a rousing anthem about reclaiming independence. Listen HERE.
“This song came out of a conversation the night before Jon Randall and I went into the studio to make this album,” Lambert shared. “We were talking about how excited we were to be starting this journey with a new label family (Republic and Big Loud) and how supported we felt by them, which turned into chatting about situations where you might not feel so supported by someone – in this song’s case, an unappreciative Randy. So, this one’s for anyone with a Randy they need to move on from.” From the opening lines, “Well dammit Randy did you ever hear me at all? / You were standin’ bone dry in the middle of a waterfall,” Lambert’s skillful storytelling shines through, with the chorus showcasing her lyrical prowess celebrated by Paste as “unparalleled in country music – and beyond”: Yeah now that I made it to the other side I hope you’re countin’ singles in your double wide Smokin’ cigarettes like they’re goin’ out of style Turnin’ me up on your radio dial You gave up ‘til the very last minute Now that I’m gone I’ve got your attention In addition to releasing new music, the most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history and triple GRAMMY Award-winner has also returned to the road for select engagements this year following the recent conclusion of her twice-extended, critically acclaimed Velvet Rodeo Las Vegas residency, with a special “Music for Mutts” benefit concert set for Oct. 5 at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater in celebration of the 15th anniversary of her MuttNation Foundation, which has raised nearly $10 million to date in support of its mission to advance and support the welfare and adoption of shelter pets nationwide. For more information on upcoming shows, new music and all things Miranda Lambert, please visit MirandaLambert.com.
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Mackenzie Carpenter exposes her vulnerable side with the release of her first true love song “Only Girl”. A stunning look into her relationship with her now husband, Mackenzie thanks him for making her feel like the only girl in the world. Married in October, Mackenzie surprised Cole with the song and it served as the perfect way to tell him how she felt. A nostalgia-laced track, “Only Girl” feels about as classic and timeless as a black-and-white film. Listen here.
We caught up with Mackenzie at CMA Fest, where she appeared on the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage, at SiriusXM’s Music Row Happy Hour, and at Spotify House. Not a stranger to performing, she has been on the road all year long with Cole Swindell, Dylan Scott, and Dylan Marlowe. Her favorite part about being on the road is making memories, telling us “We got nothing to do but have fun and make new friends and play music. We’ve been able to overcome a lot of things, we’ve had quite a few literal bumps in the road - breakdowns and hail storms. But we’ve always made it to the show and have had an amazing time.” Growing up in a musical family, Mackenzie feels lucky to have her brother by her side. She’s touched by how supportive her entire family has been about following her dreams, although delicate, and brings them out on the road with her whenever she can. Another comfort for her has been longtime friend and co-writer Megan Moroney. Having moved to Nashville around the same time, Mackenzie and Megan formed a group that would constantly write songs together. As a result of having too much fun, they finally put out a duet together called “Nothin’ Crazy”. Mackenzie has also written on Megan’s current radio single “I’m Not Pretty” and her latest release “Indifferent”. Speaking of having fun, Mackenzie put a country twist on Cyndi Lauper’s hit “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”. The ultimate girl’s night out song, she accompanied its release with a Bachlorette-inspired music video and painted mural located in Nashville. Funny enough, she wrote the song with all boys Mackenzie reminiscing, “I was telling the guys that I just want to write a song that makes people feel the way “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” makes people feel and they said, ‘then why don’t we just write Country Girls (Just Wanna Have Fun)?’ And I thought why the heck not? So we started writing it and that song has been so fun, a new twist on a multi-generational song that just brings people together.” Mackenzie is honored to be a part of the next class of talented women making a name for themselves in Nashville. Sharing that there are “so many females that are crushing it and doing so well. And it’s really cool to see how country music and Nashville has been accepting all of us with open arms and trying to help us get to the next level. I think it’s a really special time for women in country music.” And we couldn’t agree more! Don’t miss a moment of Mackenzie’s career by following her on all socials and visiting her website www.mackenziecarpentermusic.com. Abbey Cone made the best of CMA Fest performing on the Amp Stage, joining Mickey Guyton for Social Hour, and even making a surprise appearance at Nissan Stadium with her best friend, Brittney Spencer. Abbey spoked to us about her song “Coffee With You”. The idea for the song began from a Johnny Cash interview where he defined “Paradise” as having coffee with his wife. Cone took the concept of enjoying the simple things with the one you love and turned it into a song. “I love having coffee and I love my boyfriend and I love having coffee with my boyfriend - There’s nothing else to it, those moments just make me so happy I had to write about it," she told us. Listen to "Coffee With You" here.
Abbey’s “Independent Artist Era” began last year with the release of her hit “If You Were A Song”. She proceeded to give her listeners a chance to give their input on what they wanted to see next from her in order to succeed. And succeed she has! Recently Abbey started up her own writers’ round called “The Pony Show.” Cone and her co-founder, Madison Kozak were reminiscing about their experience playing writer's rounds around town and decided to try their hand at hosting their own. As much fun as venues like the Listening Room and Bluebird Cafe are, these young women wanted to return to the roots of these rounds and have something more simple, less touristy, where artists just came to share their music. Cone states, “We just wanted the ability to curate the vibes that we would really like to see at venues in Nashville.” Hosted at the Late Great (a speakeasy bar in the basement of the Virgin Hotel) The Pony Show aims to inspire a more underground community where artists can truly be themselves. Up next, Cone is gearing up to open for Kimberly Perry, Morgan Wade, and Mickey Guyton on their headlining tours. She is beyond excited to play with these powerful women who are constantly inspiring her. Thinking back on her career so far, Cone remembers a time when she opened a fortune cookie that read, "Begin. The rest is easy.” This has stayed with Cone since and will continue to push her as she grows The Pony Show, touring, and all that her career has in store. Keep an ear out for Abbey Cone and learn more at https://www.abbeycone.com/. Big Loud / Back Blocks Music's country songstress Ashley Cooke has notched her first-ever No. 1 song at country radio (Country Aircheck / Mediabase) with her moody breakup anthem, “your place.” The song penned by Cooke, Jordan Minton, and Mark Trussell, is the first single from a breakout Big Loud female to claim the top spot and is only the second single to reach No. 1 from a female artist at country radio in 2024. Cooke is also the highest charted solo female in 2024 on Billboard Country Airplay, reaching No. 2 this week.
“It is truly an honor to join the legacy of country radio No. 1s,” shares Cooke. “Reaching the top of the chart has been a goal of mine since the first time I picked up a microphone and getting to ring the bell with the greatest team at Big Loud and the radio champions I now call friends is all the more rewarding.” After first impacting radio on Dec. 11, the trajectory of “your place” claiming the top spot took the “promising Nashville up-and-comer” (Los Angeles Times) a short 26 weeks from debut to peak, tying her as the second fastest growing solo female debut single on Country Aircheck / Mediabase in the last ten years. “your place” also earned Cooke a four-week No.1 on the U.K. Country Radio Airplay chart, making her the first artist to do so since the chart launched earlier this year. Billboard predicted the song's “real potential at becoming her first radio hit” which had already reached No. 1 on SiriusXM's The Highway Hot 30 Countdown, notching over 62M global on-demand streams to date. The career milestone comes just days after Cooke's feature on Brantley Gilbert's track “Over When We're Sober” released to country radio on June 20 for immediate airplay before releasing universally on June 21. The duet impacted country radio today at No. 31 and No. 41 on Billboard Country Airplay and Country Aircheck / Mediabase charts respectively – the most-added single of the week – crediting Cooke with two of the top three gainers on Country Aircheck / Mediabase this week. Earlier this year, “your place” earned Cooke her first-ever CMT Music Award win for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year. The music video released earlier this year, took home the fan-voted award thanks to Cooke's rapidly growing fanbase of over 1M strong. Directed by ACM and CMA award-winner Justin Clough, the video captures the essence of the song's raw emotions, showcasing Cooke's autobiographical journey of moving forward and reclaiming her independence after a toxic breakup. As her intrusive ex persistently crosses boundaries that no longer concern him, Cooke draws a firm line – “her current situation is none of his damn bizness” (MusicRow). Cooke will continue sharing her critically acclaimed debut album shot in the dark on the U.S. leg of Jordan Davis' DAMN GOOD TIME TOUR throughout the summer with a headline tour to be announced soon. As she grows with unstoppable momentum, the MusicRow Discovery Artist of the Year and 2024 Next Big Thing artist will appear at some of the country's hottest festivals including Windy City Smokeout, Faster Horses, Country Boom, Country Summer, and more. She’s been “Called Crazy” but that’s not gonna stop the force that is Kassi Ashton. Coming off a whirlwind weekend at CMA Fest performing everywhere from the Chevy Vibes Stage to Skydeck with Universal Music and Margaritaville for SiriusXM’s Music Row Happy Hour, Kassi has been busy showcasing her one-of-a-kind vocals and hilarious personality.
She recently released her song “I Don’t Wanna Dance”, co-written with Emily Landis and Oscar Charles. In the music video, Kassi filled a bar with blow-up dolls to paint the feeling of being alone. “It doesn’t matter if all the people in the bar are even real people if the person that I want to be with isn’t here,” she told us. The vibey sound of The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac inspired the song’s melody and set the mood perfectly. Listen to “I Don’t Wanna Dance” here. Currently on repeat is Kassi’s girl power anthem, “Called Crazy.” Understanding that as women we are often “Called Crazy” she turns the negative trait into a positive one. Stating that “If we flip it and make it a superpower then they can’t really hold it over us, because they love it. Our significant others, whoever they are, they looove it. They don’t want to be with someone who is boring. So why you calling me crazy, if you keep calling me?” To further empower women, she started a “Called Crazy” series on social media to unpack what the world considers “crazy.” Kassi recently received her first ACM Awards nomination for New Female Artist of the Year. When she first got the call, Kassi thought it was a prank not believing it was true until she found herself on the red carpet wearing an ensemble she created herself. Being the child of a thrifty mother, Kassi picked up sewing. Understanding that “a new artist’s budget is $5.32”, she further dove into sewing and stretching that budget as far as she could. And it paid off, Kassi is always looking fabulous! Up next, Kassi finds herself opening for the legendary Jamey Johnson. Always playing in her dad’s shop growing up, Jamey Johnson was in the top five on her bucket list of people to tour with. She admires Jamey’s authenticity, storytelling, and his fans - “real people with real experiences who just wanna relax for two hours at a show.” Kassi is pumped to hit the road and so is her dad who has already seen Jamey live 13 times! Kassi is set to soar this year, releasing more music and gaining traction on Country Radio with her hit song “Drive You Out of My Mind.” Stay in touch by following Kassi on all socials at @KassiAshton and on her website kassiashton.com. |
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June 2024
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