Tom's Country View

"He’s a star for sure, but the “pop” part of it is still a little beyond him — he’s never had a real crossover radio hit or a major TV appearance, and might not be interested in playing the game that would lead to those kind of looks anyway. For now at least, he’s likely content being America’s biggest cult star." (Billboard Magazine, Dezember 8, 2023)

But across the seas two armies stare down at each other's guns, each believing in their cause enough to die or kill the other one. But tonight there'll be no shooting, not a drop of blood will spill, they will cease their fire this silent night in the name of peace and goodwill. (D. Matthews / K. Worsham / S. Baccus / S. Munsey Jr.)

"I grew up in one of the poorest counties in the United States, and while there are amazing people and beautiful places, there is also a ton of crime and corruption that is often overlooked in Appalachia. I used ‘Bible Belt’ as a way to tell the very real story of people who just ‘do what they have to do’ to get out of their situation." (Taylor Austin Dye / procountrymusic.com, June 22, 2023) One theory is that the name of the US state of Kentucky originates from the term Kenta Aki , which has its roots in the Algonquian language of the Shawnee and which means something like land of our fathers . Today, Kentucky is known, among other things, for its hilly landscape. And the reference " Hills of Kentucky " has long since become a familiar term. From there (more precisely: the small community of Owsley in eastern Kentucky) Taylor Austin Dye began moving the center of her life to Nashville in 2018 wit...

"Fine line between being free and being lonely. It's blood from a stone and stoned on Percocet. He don't believe in God but he's prayin', he'll find something worth sayin', in a new way no one's ever heard it said." (Poet’s Resumé / Lori McKenna, Josh Osborne, Scott Stepakoff)

"James Dean's accident with a speeding Porsche 550 Spyder happened on Highway 331 in California at 5:45pm. The burgeoning star had received a speeding ticket just two hours and fifteen minutes prior, at 3:30pm, which is the same time mentioned in 'Where the Wild Things Are'."   (Lydia Farthing / holler.country, October 23, 2023)

"Executively produced by Blake Shelton, the film is a behind-the-scenes look at millions of miles, 24 albums, six thousand shows and gratitude for the legions of loyal fans, even when Nashville counted them out. The documentary tells a David and Goliath story that transcends musical genres." (Buddy Iahn / themusicuniverse.com, September 12, 2023)

"What makes a song a banger? The most important is the hook, that sticks in your head, after you hear the song just once. In addition it will also have a solid beat, that you can't help but move to. And recognizability is also key."   (DJ Rinehart / deepinthemix.com, July 23 2023)

"I’m definitely different. I’ve learned to say no and that time is your most valuable thing. I won’t just do something because it looks good. I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m learning to keep my circle small and not listen to what the internet says or what other people say." (Morgan Wade /americansongwriter.com, September 8, 2023)

"I’m living out so many emotions & firsts every single day, and that’s what’s reflected in these 24 songs. The coolest part is that I’ll have this time capsule for the rest of my life and I hope listeners get transported to those specific moments and feelings in their own lives, too." (Ashley Cooke / musicmayhemmagazine.com, August 11, 2023)

"TJ insists that wading into hot-button issues has never been his or the band’s intention. From gun control to gay rights, they’ve always spoken their truths, yes, but that’s not necessarily the same as getting political. 'I don’t see it as [making] a political statement. I see it as just simple right and wrong, the humanitarian aspect,' TJ says." (Jeff Gage, TJ Osborne / www.rollingstone.com/music, September 15, 2023)

"We each grew up playing in different bands, but all had this admiration for three-part harmony bands like the Eagles or Alabama, and we noticed that was kind of missing in country music now. We wanted to put our stamp on that, and kind of reintroduce it." (Chad Jervis [King Calaway] / forbes.com, August 28, 2023)

"Then I looked at the lists and tried to combine my likes and dislikes into titles. My least favorite food of all time is watermelon and my least favorite alcohol is moonshine … I think I turned those lists into a handful of titles, but ‘Watermelon Moonshine’ is the only one I ever resonated with enough to try writing it." (Josh Kear / billboard.com, June 8, 2023)

"By the 1970s, jonesing had spread beyond its origins as drug slang, weakening to a sense of “strongly wanting or desiring” in college slang, popular media, and on the internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A person could be jonesing for a lover or a hamburger—anything they feel have done without for too long and feel a jittery anticipation of or longing for. " (www.dictionary.com/e/slang/jonesing/ / March 27, 2018)

"This year has been quite the year for Country music on the charts and overall consumption. As of July 6 Luminate (per Billboard) reported that consumption of the Country music genre was up 20.3% year-over-year in the first 23 weeks of 2023 in the United States. In comparison, country music experienced a growth of 2.5% during the corresponding period in 2022."   (Lauren Jo Black / countrynow.com, Juli 31, 2023)

"What makes a song a banger? The most important is the hook, that sticks in your head, after you hear the song just once. In addition it will also have a solid beat, that you can't help but move to. And recognizability is also key."   (DJ Rinehart / deepinthemix.com, July 23 2023)

"By day, I was a cop, and by night, I was playing country music in all the honky-tonks. And so, everyone always knew that I would lean to that side, and it was more than just a hobby for me."   (Frank Ray / connectsavannah.com, Mai 3, 2023)

" I pitched ‘Kill a Man’ to Morgan [Wallen] and it was crickets. There’s stuff on [my album] that people just wouldn’t touch because they were a little too brazen and wild. But I’m the man for it. If anybody’s going to do it, it’s going to be me." (Ben Burgess / tasteofcountry.com, October 7, 2022)

"The Nelson Mandela 70th Tribute Concert was held on June 11, 1988 at the Wembley Stadium, London. To celebrate Nelson Mandela, the biggest stars performed songs of freedom, hope and love in front of 72,000 people at the Wembley Stadium and more than 600 million television viewers from 60 countries who watched the broadcast. Then Tracy Chapman burst out there performing Fast Car." (about-tracy-chapman.net / Marc Cooper, Q Magazine, September 1988)

"This. What is this? This is what I want to do.’ And he was like, ‘No one’s doing that.’ Cool! That’s a good thing! So to help me, we would take old country songs and put a soul twist on them, or we would take old soul songs and put a country twist on them." (Kassi Ashton / people.com, October 11, 2019)

"After we've written the song, I sent it to Mom, I sent it to Gloria, and I'm sending it to my sister. And slowly but surely now - we still say 'I Love You', because I come from a wonderful line of women that is quick to give you a hug and quick to tell you if they love you or if you have pissed them off. And now we tell each other: 'I'll leave the light on!'" (Ashley McBryde / The Bobby Bones Show, March 3, 2023)

"A tale about a couple who meets in a bar — the guy swears he’s staying single; next thing you know, he’s not. Davis liked the idea but wanted to shoot for something bigger: not just the first exchange of glances, but the whole sweep of a lifetime romance." (Tom Roland / billboard.com, March 7, 2023)

"His new single is just such an experiment. It will probably get a cleaner edit before it gets sent to country radio, but the album version is a different animal altogether. Featuring heavily distorted vocals, instrumental breaks, and a darker, more aggressive tone, the song proves that the middle of the road isn't someplace Kane Brown feels comfortable staying in for too long." (975country.com, March 2023)

"In January 1999, one month after he turned 14, Jason DeFord was baptized by full immersion at Whitsitt Chapel Baptist Church in Antioch, Tenn. By the end of that year, he was incarcerated for the first, but not the last, time." (Melinda Newman / billboard.com, Juni 1, 2023)

"If she was having a good time, she would get up on a table and dance and everybody would stare at her like she’s crazy — and she would not care because she was having so much fun. That is like the essence of what this girl in the song is about. You’re not going to control her, you’re not going to tame her." (Corey Kent / Billboard Magazine, August 16, 2022)

" I learned a long time ago to never look at a chart (out of my control) or pay any attention to the pack. We see & feel what’s happening over here. We appreciate the heck out of all you guys showing up & pouring love into us. That’s our focus. That’s what matters.Thanks Germany, Amsterdam, Birmingham, London, glasgow, Manchester, Belfast, Leeds, Newcastle."   (Kip Moore / Instagram, Mai 29, 2023)

"Thank you to ... the musicians who played on this record, my goodness, y’all have helped me find what Bell Bottom Country even sounds like. I wrote 300 songs during the pandemic. A lot of folks have shared with me that this album has changed their life, but the truth is, writing these songs for this album saved mine." (Lainey Wilson / ACM Awards [Album of the Year], Mai 11, 2023)

"Maybe it’s the realisation that music is a fulfilling creative outlet, but it doesn’t tell you good night as the moon settles into the sky. While often an equally dynamic duo, sometimes music is the master and the music creator is its submissive and 'The Guitar Slinger' masterfully shows this relationship through its lyrics." (Shelia Taylor / amplifythenoise.com, April 30, 2023)

"You neglect friendships, relationships, because I am so maniacal about making this [music] thing go, it’s been my only mistress. It’s been all-encompassing for me, and I haven’t been able to find that balance and I don’t know how to find that balance. So that’s where it becomes what that song is, where I’m like, ‘I want to run away but I love it so much I can’t.’" (Kip Moore / americansongwriter.com, April 28, 2023)

"In college I majored in screenwriting. Everyone in that class... I would love it if they saw this. They were so pretentious. I'm not a big shit talker, but if your dad wasn't a high level executive in LA they wouldn't care to talk to you. My dad was a small business owner and my mom's a school teacher. I didn't fit in."   (Palmer Anthony / upstarmusiconline.com, January 3, 2022)

"‘Your Heart Or Mine’ epitomises Pardi's ability to strike a balance between modern country and a more traditional-leaning sound. Since he released the song last year, it has proven to be one of the most popular tracks from his much-loved Mr. Saturday Night album." (Maxim Mower / holler.country, 24. Februar 2023)

"We are made of mostly water. The world is mostly water. As a microbiologist, I used to test water for pharmaceutical companies and everything from shampoo to aspirin to pet food to anything you can think of requires water. Not just any water… good water. I was in charge of making sure the water was good." (Stephen Wilson Jr. / musicrow.com, March 24, 2023)

"If 2022 ended up being a relatively quiet year release-wise for Booth, that’s only because next year he’s going to be making a hell of a lot of noise. The only track he released this year was his gritty outlaw country cover of Post Malone’s ‘Feeling Whitney’." (Jof Owen / holler.country, Dezember 15, 2022)

"It’s rare to find a song that has this much lyrical content and this much meaning, it says so much, but still have this sort of high energy. It’s rare to find that combination of not quite a ballad, not quite an up-tempo, but still deep, lyrically." (Tim McGraw / The Bobby Bones Show, March 10, 2023)

"I’m really sorry to leave last night with so many things left unsaid. ... Walking away has never really been that tough for me until now. Just know that I want to give you that life you want, but I’m just not sure I’m capable. Damn love, right?" (Kip Moore / Instagram, February 24, 2023)

"It would be painful, just knowing what we know now after being in the business for eight years — it would be hard to forfeit that, even for the price [of] whatever may be on the other side of the door. We’ve built this team, from booking agents to management and our business manager. It’s like family."   (Charlie Muncaster [Muscadine Bloodline] / billboard.com, Februar 27, 2023)

"Passion rises like a flash flood in ... the blood pumping Country anthem ... mixing fiddle and dobro with electric guitars and blazing drums, sparks fly for a timeless story of young love, so strong it hits like a force of nature." (rocknloadmag.com, Februar 24, 2023)

"But I’m ten years in now, I’ve got two kids, and at 43 years old, I want to say some different stuff. So that’s how you get songs like 'Numb' and 'Loved Them First'. Whereas those songs have been weeded out before because they weren’t brand-consistent with the party country guy thing. "   (Tim Hicks / halifaxpresents.com, November 9, 2022)

"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." (offtherecorduk.com, February 15, 2023)

"That line that goes ‘For the record, shit, throwin’ in the towel takes some effort, so I’d rather ride it out for better weather.’ That is one of my favourite lines. That sentiment is so true, man. Throwing in the towel takes more effort than actually working on a relationship sometimes."   (Bailey Zimmermann / entertainment-focus.com, November 23, 2022)

"It’s so easy to notice what makes us different. And that spirit of division is a real thing that we’ve all been so surrounded by this past little while. I do think that music and that collective spirit of coming together at a show is so very important for human beings to experience. And I wanted to capture all of that to put in this song."   (Tenille Towns / Apple Music, April, 2022)

"We wanted to incorporate hip hop, line dancing, a little bit of ballroom, a little bit of jazz and musical theatre. Tyler is almost genre-less, so we really worked with Maya Taylor [the choreographer] to mash different worlds of dance and then when we got Terry in there, we really had him kinda putting his flare and character into it."   (Alexa Stone, Video-Regisseurin / YouTube, 21. Jänner 2023)

"If you have ever been fortunate to see Smith live, you know that her voice was built for big venues where you only have the stars for cover. Smith’s voice is powerful but can effortlessly become a gentle whisper and then without warning soar leaving you with goosebumps." (Emily Algar / atwoodmagazine.com, April 7, 2022)

"And the song starts with the mockingbird and it's about how I am from Mississippi, which the state bird is the mocking bird. Like I am a mockingbird and I repeat things that I have heard my whole life and that's part of my songwriter thing and who I am. Then the song slowly transitions into the crow which is the rock'n'roll character that flies its own path."   (Hardy / Instagram, October 10, 2022)

"The Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam offers a truly unique experience for any festival-goer. Located in picturesque Panama City Beach FL, the salty scenery of the beaches offers attendees the ultimate vacation feeling. Fans have traveled from all over the world to attend this festival which hosts some of country music ‘s biggest stars. From the beach, charming local eateries and the music what more could you ask for?"   (jonesaroundtheworld.com / The 30 Best Country Music Festivals in the U.S.A.)