Tag Archives: Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney: ‘Here and Now’ Album Review

Kenny Chesney’s nineteenth studio album ‘Here and Now,’ was released on May 1st – perfect timing with summer on it’s way! With as many records as Chesney, one may ask how he continues to produce great music. For ‘Here and Now,’ Kenny brought together his favorite writers to all have a hand in this record. Out of the 12 songs, only two were co-penned by Chesney. Instead, he let his writers take the reins to create top-notch work for this very personal record. On his Instagram Chesney wrote: “When I looked at these songs, they were polaroids from the parking lots, back home, the islands, my friends’ lives. Every single song is someone I know or someone you know. And right now, our friends are absolutely the most precious thing we have.”

1) ‘We Do’ Written by Kenny Chesney, Craig Wiseman, Scooter Carusoe and David Garcia

Impression: Kenny opens things up with a tribute to his loyal fan-base of No Shoes Nation. ‘We Do’ has a sweet sounding melody with a harder hitting chorus that Chesney sings directly towards his fans – touching upon the tailgates, people gathering far and wide, and traveling city to city. This single is definitely catchy, and members of No Shoes Nation will feel the love from their leader. 

Favorite Lyrics: No matter where it goes, you know we’re here for the ride. Who gets to roll like we do?

2) ‘Here and Now’ Written by David Lee Murphy, David Garcia & Craig Wiseman

Impression: The title track holds people accountable for not living in the present. Chesney sings the poignant lines “everybody’s waiting, but they’re waiting on what? Better get to living, because all we’ve got is here and now.” It’s the perfect song that emphasizes making the most out of doing nothing. 

Favorite Lyrics: I must’ve sat on a dozen islands, watched the sun sink into the sea. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and hat…

3) ‘Everyone She Knows’ Written by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne

Impression: Kenny does it again with his pure storytelling on ‘Everyone She Knows.’ This song will resonate with women in a way they didn’t think possible – especially since it is written and performed by men. It tells the common tale of women comparing their lives to everyone they know and shaming themselves for not being like them. It’s classic Kenny with a twist. “Everyone She Knows’ is blissfully sweet. 

Favorite Lyrics: She’s bored with all the boys and the men are too damn old. She’s sick of summer love, but the winter’s just too cold…

4.) ‘Wasted’ Written by David Lee Murphy, Bobby Hamrick and James Slater

Impression: ‘Wasted’ gives off classic Kenny beach vibes, with some resemblance of his hit ‘Pirate Flag.’ This song is an ode to being thankful for what you have, when you have it. Money cannot buy happiness, and Kenny highlights that with these subtle lyrics.

Favorite Lyrics: I was going nonstop ’til I squeezed every drop of that good time top shelf, sweet life that I tasted. And to tell you the truth, the rest, I just wasted.

5) ‘Knowing You’ Written by Brett James, Adam James and Kat Higgins

Impression: Who does a song filled with nostalgia better than Kenny Chesney? ‘Knowing You’ is filled to the brim with reflection of the past. Chesney said “When I heard this song, it knocked me out. It’s such a classic kind of country song you don’t hear anymore and it’s so pure.” Kenny sings it passionately, yet delicately. In a way, it mimics his older song ‘You Save Me’ with its melody and tone.

Favorite Lyrics: Knowing you, you probably got your toes in the sand, at a bar on a beach in the sun somewhere. Knowing you, you got something cold in your hand, chatting up a stranger without a care

6) ‘Heartbreakers’ Written by Zach Crowell, JT Harding and Josh Osborne

Impression: ‘Heartbreakers’ brings out the classic Kenny feel of jammin’ guitars and an upbeat melody. This single reminisces on the people that were known as heartbreakers and how they were idolized growing up. Kenny wants to know, where are they now?

Favorite Lyrics: You were lucky just to know ’em. If you got lucky, you got broken. You were never gonna hold ’em…

7) ‘Someone to Fix’ Written by Scooter Carusoe and Jon Nite

Impression: ‘Someone to Fix’ is extremely relatable for many. This ballad is simple and wholesome. Chesney’s voice carries the listener through the lyrics and melody. Soft in nature, but truthful in its approach. ‘Someone to Fix’ is a favorite from this album. 

Favorite Lyrics: Broken hearts leave hearts broken. Loving me is so hard, I know it. Why you took me on, I’ll never understand…

8) ‘Happy Does’ Written by Brad Clawson, Jamie Paulin, Brock Berryhill and Greylan James

Impression: Three words to describe this song: island-esque, catchy, and happy. As the title states, this song embodies what it means to be smiling, despite things being far from ideal. ‘Happy Does’ fits perfectly into Kenny’s repertoire. 

Favorite Lyrics: Laugh and live with a half-full cup. When it’s all black clouds, find the sun, ’cause happy is as happy does.

9) ‘Tip of My Tongue’ Written by Kenny Chesney, Ross Copperman and Ed Sheeran

Impression: Chesney takes a different approach with this single, as ‘Tip of My Tongue’ is more contemporary than his usual stuff. This song is all about connection, and its dreamy lyrics paints the story of celebrating sensuality. ‘Tip of My Tongue’ was the first single released off the album back in July 2019. 

Favorite Lyrics: I wanna love you ’til my days are done. I wanna tell you that I think that you’re the one. Oh girl, you know when it’s all said and done, everything about you’s on the tip of my tongue.

10) ‘You Don’t Get To’ Written by Dustin Christensen, Josh Kerr and Barry Dean

Impression: A slow and sensual melody accompanies powerful and pain-filled lyrics. ‘You Don’t Get To’ is prominent with hurt and ridden with damage. The lyrics display taking a stand against it and finding your inner peace again. 

Favorite Lyrics: Did you hear that I was happy? You just had to mess it up. Or is it just some phase you’re always going through? To want what you can’t have and leave it when you do…

11) ‘Beautiful World’ Written by David Lee Murphy, Tony Lane and Tom Douglas

Impression: ‘Beautiful World’ expresses the amazement in everything surrounding us. In this world we are small, and that can be beautiful, scary, and profound. The lyrics pay homage to the world and respect the things more powerful than us. The melody is airy and it has tropical tones underlying. 

Favorite Lyrics: It’s the blue sky days you don’t wanna miss. Jukebox dances and girls to kiss, keeps us all living for nights like this. It’s a big old beautiful world.

12) ‘Guys Named Captain’ Written by James Slater

Impression: To close the album, Kenny sings a ballad about all of the Captains he has met along the way. Chesney said this song is about the guys where “those things [the road or the water] take them away, bring them back, but mostly allow them to be free. This song feels like it distills their soul into just a few lines…”

Favorite Lyrics: Buccaneers with nothing to fear. He’ll go down with the ship, last man standin,’ guys named Captain.

Gear up this album for your summer playlists, because the King of Summer gave us more tunes to get us through our days! Take the time to really sink into this album, as Chesney shows us a side of him that we don’t always get to see. You can listen to ‘Here and Now’ on Spotify, iTunes, and more platforms here.

KENNY CHESNEY CHILLAXIFICATION 2020

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Eight-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney is ready to take it back to the stadiums! His Chillaxification 2020 tour is designed to bring great music, good vibes and one of his most diverse lineups to some of his favorite cities and a few new places. Joining him for this summer’s adventure are six-time Academy of Country Music/Country Music Association Duo of the Year Florida Georgia Line (“Meant to Be,” “Cruise”), three-time and reigning ACM/CMA Vocal Group of the Year Old Dominion (“Make It Sweet,” “Break Up With Him”) and summer touring sensation Michael Franti & Spearhead (“Sound of Sunshine,” “Say Hey (I Love You)”).

Chillaxification 2020 kicks off Saturday, April 18 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – and culminates Friday, August 28 with his 20th show at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. Tickets for all dates will go on sale next Friday, October 4 at 10 a.m. local time

“These stadium shows are the most fun thing I do,” says the high-energy songwriter. “It’s been a year, so when I get out there, I wanna make sure that No Shoes Nation is being rocked, having fun and getting all the music they can out of the day. We always try to do something different, bring someone new – and for anyone who’s never seen Michael Franti and Spearhead, just wait!”

The only country artist on Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years, Chesney’s summer stadium treks have become legend – and gave rise to the iconic No Shoes Nation. Built on a strong commitment to the fans, Chesney’s No Shoes Radio serves as a connector for the man The Los Angeles Times deemed “The People’s Superstar” and The Wall Street Journal hailed “The King of the Road.”

“I love playing for No Shoes Nation any time, anywhere,” says the soft-spoken superstar, “but these stadium shows are always something so powerful, I can’t tell you how much anticipation goes into each one. Not to mention, we’re always wanting to top what’s come before – and I think this lineup might just pack the most fun of them all.”

Recently singled out by Variety as “Country’s only long-term stadium act,” Chillaxification 2020 builds on the enduring rite of summer that Chesney’s stadium shows have become. With the multiple week No. 1 “Get Along” from his deeply personal Songs for the Saints, benefiting the Love for Love City Fund, and the steamy “Tip of My Tongue” hovering just outside the Top 10 at Country radio, there’s a lot of new music, old favorites and surprises on tap for what will be the summer’s biggest tour.

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Thursday, September 26 at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, October 3 at 10 p.m. local time. General ticket sales begin at 10 a.m. local time on Friday, October 4.

Having defined the country music stadium experience over the last decade and a half, Chesney spent this year’s Songs for the Saints Tour taking his music to the cities that have been overlooked on his massive million-tickets-a-summer treks. Having played 159 stadium shows – rocking over a million people at Gillette Stadium alone – Chillaxification 2020 promises to be everything No Shoes Nation has come to expect from the man who gave them “American Kids,” “Beer In Mexico,” “Out Last Night,” “Noise,” “When the Sun Goes Down” and more.

Blue Chair Bay Rum returns as tour sponsor. Chesney’s award-winning line of rum will again be the presenting sponsor, with activations throughout the summer.

Kenny Chesney’s Chillaxification 2020 Tour
with Florida Georgia Line, Old Dominion and Michael Franti & Spearhead
April 18                  AT&T Stadium                                       Arlington, Texas
April 25                  Miller Park                                              Milwaukee, Wis.
May 2                     U.S. Bank Stadium                                  Minneapolis, Minn.                
May 9                     Raymond James Stadium                        Tampa, Fla.
May16                    Mercedes-Benz Stadium                         Atlanta, Ga.
May 22                   Minute Maid Park                                   Houston, Texas
May 23                   The Alamodome                                      San Antonio, Texas
May 30                   Heinz Field                                              Pittsburgh, Pa.
June 6                     Lincoln Financial Field                           Philadelphia, Pa.
June 13                   Busch Stadium                                        St. Louis, Mo.
June 20                   Ohio Stadium                                          Columbus, Ohio
June 27                   Nissan Stadium                                       Nashville, Tenn.
July 11                    Arrowhead Stadium                                Kansas City, Mo.
July 18                    CenturyLink Field                                   Seattle, Wash.
July 25                    Soldier Field                                            Chicago, Ill.
August 1                 SoFi Stadium                                           Los Angeles, Calif.
August 8                 Empower Field at Mile High                  Denver, Colo.
August 15               Ford Field                                                Detroit, Mich.
August 22               MetLife Stadium                                     East Rutherford, NJ
August 28               Gillette Stadium                                      Foxboro, Mass.
…and more dates to be announced.       
https://twitter.com/GilletteStadium/status/1176451541802393605

Providence Radio Station To Broadcast Virtual Concert

WCTK Virtual Kenny Chesney Concert is Friday August 23

(Providence, RI) August 6, 2019:  Hall Communications Cat Country 98.1 (WCTK-FM/Providence) is broadcasting a virtual Kenny Chesney show on Friday night, August 23.  The show will feature a mixture of live and studio Chesney cuts. Opening acts will be determined by fan voting – which is going on now on Cat Country’s website www.catcountry.com/kenny.  

 “There is a big void left in our summer with no Kenny,” said Bob Walker, Vice President of Programming for Hall Communications and Program Director for WCTK.  “Those two nights Kenny usually plays Gillette are magical. We figured our fans might like to move the show to their backyard and this would be a fun way to do it.  They shouldn’t have to deal with no Gronk and no Kenny in the same month!”

“Opening for Kenny at Gillette is such a big deal in the industry,” said April Shibley, Promotions Manager for WCTK in Providence and WNBH in New Bedford.  “We decided to let our fans choose who should get that honor. The nomination phase is over and now it’s raw voting. The voting has been fast and furious.”“The first acts will play at 8pm with Kenny going on live around 9 all the way until midnight,” added Walker.  “Fan response has been overwhelming so we are excited to bring this to New England over the air, via our stream at www.catcountry.com or on any Amazon Alexa smart speaker via the Cat Country skill.” 

Kenny Chesney Returns 6 AM EST July 12 with ‘Tip of My Tongue’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After the decidedly introspective Songs for the Saints, Kenny Chesney gears up for his first true Blue Chair/Warner Music Nashville project with the release of ‘Tip of My Tongue,’ a decidedly grown up song from the man who Variety called “country music’s only long-term stadium act.” With its sweeping groove and an almost humid melody lift, ‘Tip of My Tongue’ merges desire and connection over a figure of speech in a classic songwriting technique.
 
Having spent the first half of the year taking the music to the people, focusing on the markets that have not been part of his massive stadium tours, his Songs for the Saints Tour reconnected him to a whole other segment of his audience. With a short break to recalibrate his focus, the man hailed by The New York Times for music that “gives him heroic, wide-open spaces” and USA Today has cited “its whirl of dizzy romance, of love in its intoxicating inception” is at work with longtime co-producer Buddy Cannon recording what will be his first real album for his new home.
 
“It’s funny how a figure of speech can lead you to all kinds of places,” Chesney marvels. “You start talking, and words fall out, and anything can happen. When you go in and write on any given day, the chemistry is what it is. When the idea fell out, we all just laughed and went, ‘Well, what can we do with that?’
 
“I’ve written so much with Ross (Copperman), that’s always easy. He brought Ed (Sheeran) in, and he is such a great writer… The way creativity works in creative people is so different, but it’s always exciting. As a co-write with a new writer, it’s one of the most fun sessions I’ve done in a long time. I get why people love working with him.”

For Chesney, signed to a publishing deal with Acuff Rose before Phil Walden put him on the relaunched Capricorn, songs have always been his strongest currency. Whether ‘The Tin Man,’ an early hit from his very first album, the surging ‘Beer In Mexico,’ ‘Out Last Night’ and ‘Keg In The Closet’ which musically time-stamps moments of pure joy, the explosive protest ‘Noise,’ reflective ‘I Go Back’ or Rascal Flatt’s No. 1 ‘Take Me There,’ as well as the female-empowering ‘Wild Child,’ his writing maintains a standard and presses what a country song can be.
 
“With all the great songs that have been written in this town, I think you always want to do something a little different,” Chesney explains. “I think there’s this moment when you look at someone and you know they contain everything. You want to know everything, consume everything about them. It’s why we say ‘It’s a long way down,’ because you want to know it all. And the best part: we got a melody that feels like what’s going on lyrically. The music matches the words, and you can just drift in it.”
 
From a quiet, almost watery open, ‘Tip of My Tongue’ builds to a full-bodied chorus with layered vocals, muted bass, keyboards and a rhythm track that balances the tension of the quiet vocal-forward verses. Like tides rising and falling, a consuming back and forth to the track, which turns on the tumbling profession “It’s a long way down,” before finding the contrasting attraction of “I love you salt and sugar…”

‘Tip of My Tongue’ arrives July 12, 5 a.m. CDT. For a man who’s broken ground with ‘American Kids,’ ‘Setting The World On Fire,’ ‘Noise,’ ‘Save It For A Rainy Day’ and ‘Get Along,’ look for a whole new dimension from the man with a record-setting 30 Billboard Country No. 1s.

Meet The Woman Who Was the 1,000,000th Kenny Chesney Fan at Gillette Stadium!

It isn’t very often that an artist plays for over 1,000,000 fans at a single venue. It takes a long period of time with huge crowds each time. That is something that only a few artists can probably do. But it is something that Kenny Chesney did last month as he officially played for over 1,000,000 fans during his years playing at Gillette Stadium.

When it was announced before the shows that the weekend would mark the 1,000,000 fans threshold, rumors began to swirl around of what exactly would happen to celebrate the feat. And when Karen D. from Rhode Island was brought on stage during the Saturday night show of the weekend and celebrated as the 1,000,000th fan, we still didn’t know much.

But we have found out! We reached out to Karen to see if she would be willing to chat with us about the experience and thankfully she did! Karen is a pediatric nurse who is also very passionate about dogs and rescuing dogs. She considers herself as a superfan- as she’s been seeing Kenny at Gillette every year going back to 2005 with some years, going both nights. Check out the transcript below of our chat with Karen!

NECM: When you brought these tickets, did you have any idea what these tickets actually were?

KD: I had no idea. I got an e-mail on Wednesday from Gillette saying I had won a Meet and Greet but I still didn’t know I had the 1,000,000th ticket. I didn’t know until Kenny Chesney and Robert Kraft facetimed me the next day.

NECM: How surprised were you to see Kenny and Robert Kraft on Facetime?

KD: I’ve never even Facetimed before. I wasn’t even sure I would be able to open the call properly because I had never Facetimed before prior to that day. I thought security was calling me as I was told someone from Gillette Stadium would be calling between 2 and 4 to inform me how to get my backstage passes. So when they called the next day, I wasn’t expecting it. I just started screaming and laughing. They let me know I bought the 1 millionth ticket. Mr. Kraft said how much he values first responders and that’s when he said he wanted to gift me season tickets for the Patriots. And then Kenny mentioned that he knew I was involved in the welfare of animals and animal rescue, which is when he said he wanted to give me the trip. They wouldn’t tell me how they knew these things about me, I asked, and they just said that they did their research.

NECM: I saw you got a custom guitar- who gave that to you and what does the message say?

KD: When I was backstage for the Meet and Greet and Kenny came into the room he had the guitar and he handed it to me. It says, “Karen, love you a million times, Kenny 2018.”

NECM: So you got to meet Kenny… What did he say to you? What did you say to him?

KD: It went great. I was really nervous. When we first went backstage, we spent a lot of time with some of the management from Gillette- Lindsay, Jess and Kassie. They just sat with us while we waited for everyone to come together, which was great because they kept me really calm.  Initially, Mr. Kraft and Jonathan Kraft came in as well as some other members of the Patriots organization and Mr. Kraft presented me with the season tickets. He asked me if I had picked my trip yet and I told him where. He had never heard of Puppy Island but he actually was looking it up on his phone while I was talking to him. He was very down to earth. And then Kenny came in and presented me with the guitar and thanked me for coming to his concerts and supporting him and being the 1,000,000thticket buyer.

NECM: I saw you up on stage during the show, did you use the million seats at all during the show?

KD: I never went to my seats. When we first arrived there, we were told to meet up with the Gillette contact I had. They took us backstage for the Meet and Greet and we were then told we got upgraded to the Sandbar. We went out to the Sandbar after the Meet and Greet but you couldn’t get close to the stage because at that point, everyone had already gotten in for the opening acts. We also got to watch the show from the staging area above the soundbooth.

NECM: How was it being up on stage in front of all those fans!?

KD: It was overwhelming, I was very nervous backstage waiting to go out. I really couldn’t hear him calling my name to come out. So I think he waved twice to come out and I ran out. I didn’t really notice the people. I was just so focused on Kenny and being there in the moment that I didn’t realize how big the audience was. I glanced out a few times but once I got out there, I was very calm. 

NECM: What is your favorite Kenny song?

KD: Now it’s going be ‘Don’t Happen Twice’ – cause something like this is never gonna happen twice. But ‘Boston’ is my favorite Kenny song which is what he sang when I came out.

NECM: Has the shock and awe of this whole experience worn off at all or are you still on cloud nine?

KD: It’s going to be hard to compete with Countryfest when I go next year after this.

NECM: If you could say something to Kenny now, what would you say?

KD: Just thank you. This is really about him. He sold 1,000,000 tickets in 1 stadium alone and for him to celebrate with his fans and be so generous, it is overwhelming and I don’t think I can say thank you enogh. 

KENNY CHESNEY CLOSES 2018 TRIP AROUND THE SUN TOUR IN BOSTON

Hits a Million Tickets at Gillette Stadium, While Breaking His Own Record

121,714 Over Two Nights in Foxborough Means 1,090,326 Since 2005; 1.3 Million in 2018

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With an opening video welcome from the New England Patriots organization that included Robert and Jonathan Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski, wide receiver Cordarelle Patterson, offensive linemen Marcus Cannon and David Andrews, plus Patriots Broadcast Analyst Scott Zolak and members of the Massachusetts State Police Mounted United, the greater Boston area was all in for Kenny Chesney’s 18th and 19th shows at Gillette Stadium. With two night attendance of 121,714 – as Chesney’s team worked to make more tickets available this morning – the 8-time Entertainer of the Year not only broke his own attendance record, but he surpassed the million ticket mark by over 90,000.

“This is so much bigger than all of us,” Chesney told Saturday night’s crowd. “It’s like destiny.”

Certainly the man Variety called ‘Country music’s only true long-term stadium act’ and The Wall Street Journal deemed ‘The New England Patriots’ Other Star’ hit the stage both nights intent on rocking the packed stadium with everything he had. By the time guitarist Kenny Greenberg swooped in to a vamp on Bachman Turner Overdrive’s ‘Taking Care of Business’ in the show opening ‘Beer In Mexico,’ the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar was covered in sweat from racing from one side of the 40 foot strut to the other. Throwing himself at the music, the audience cheered – often for 40, 60, 90 seconds between songs – and sang the songs back with a fervor that pushed the energy even higher.

“This entire summer has been a new threshold in terms of how No Shoes Nation has come at these songs, these shows, these moments,” reflected the man who just notched his 30th No. 1 Billboard Country single. “Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, something else would happen… And then we saw a whole new response, whether it was the cheers, the way the audiences sang or the looks on people’s faces. It was incredible.”

Invoking Robert Kraft’s philosophy that sports, music and traditions bring people together, the only country artist on Pollstar’s Mid-Year Top 10 Tours thanked the assembled audience for allowing him to become one of their traditions. Sharing the love of sports and music, Chesney closed both nights with ‘The Boys of Fall,’ his ode to the honor code of high school football players everywhere.

He also played ‘(She Comes from) Boston’ both nights. Saturday, he brought millionth ticket purchaser Karen Duggan on stage, explaining that she represented each and every one of them before performing the song about the island dwelling expat to the capacity crowd.

“The spirit of the people of Boston have been part of this journey since the first year we started playing stadiums. They love life, they work hard, they believe in music – and they understand how much I see their lives in my own life. I’d’ve never believed when I was young that I would play, let alone sell out the stadium where the Patriots play. But when I hear those voices as I hit that stage, I’m sure glad unthinkable dreams come true.”

Over a dozen years, Chesney rocked 1,090,326 people across 19 shows in Boston. Chesney also had another platinum summer. With just under 1.3 million total attendance, he racked up 1,298,088 tickets sold across 19 stadiums and 41 total shows on his Trip Around the Sun Tour.

Photo Credit: Allister Ann

The Patriots and Friends Welcome Kenny Chesney Back To Foxborough

In case you’ve been living under a rock, country music superstar Kenny Chesney is returning to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts this weekend. This is his 12th summer in Foxborough and Friday and Saturday will mark his 18th and 19th shows at Gillette Stadium. The love affair between Kenny and the fans in New England is real. It’s well documented.

19 shows over 12 summers is an awesome stat but that’s not what No Shoes Nation will be celebrating this weekend. This weekend also marks 1,000,000 fans purchasing tickets to see Kenny Chesney at Gillette. ONE MILLION (cue Dr. Evil)! And over these 12 summers playing his countless hits in Foxborough, Kenny has formed great relationships with people in the Patriots organization. So to mark this great feat of 1,000,000 tickets, the Patriots organization put together the touching tribute featuring members of the team and ownership like Tom Brady (aka The Goat), Rob Gronkowski, Donta Hightower, Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft and more.

Check it out below. We know you’ll get goosebumps watching it, just like we did. And as the great Tom Brady says… LET’S GO!

Catching up with NECM Artist to Watch Brandon Lay

New England Country Music 2018 artist to watch Brandon Lay has had a busy spring. He has played several stadiums as part of Kenny Chesney’s 2018 Trip Around the Sun tour which will continue all summer, leading up to the seemingly annual end-of-summer party at Gillette Stadium, and also put out his new single ‘Yada Yada Yada.’ Brandon was kind enough to take some time to talk to us as he geared up to play AT&T Stadium in Dallas this past weekend.

Brandon has been touring and building a following basically since he moved to Nashville in 2010. Last year he officially put out his debut single ‘Speakers Bleachers and Preachers’. The autobiographical song describes his upbringing. While the writing is specific to his experiences, fans from all walks of life have been drawn to the song and related it to their own lives. As Brandon explains, “I grew up in a small town in West Tennessee, right between Memphis and Nashville, Jackson is my hometown. Life pretty much revolved around playing ball, going to church, and going to school and chasing girls around Jackson. It’s a quite literal approach we took to writing the song. There were some lines in it like the Kroger Parking Lot and the Kenny Chesney line and the Black and Milds that are so specific, but it was cool to see people fill in the blanks. Maybe those weren’t the exact details of their upbringing but its cool to see people relate to it.”

We joked with Brandon that his teachers might be upset they didn’t make the song (he said they aren’t, he caught up with some recently who were very supportive), one person who did make the cut was now tourmate Kenny Chesney, with Lay singing “Any Chesney song gonna make her dance.” The line was not an attempt to butter Kenny up for a spot on his tour, it was just part of  Brandon’s life experiences. In fact, the first concert he ever went to was Kenny’s local stop on his first headlining tour. Though at the time we talked, he was only 3 weekends into the Trip Around the Sun tour, Lay says its already been an “electric” experience- “I’ve been really surprised at how many people have actually made into the stadium for our set. We kick off at 5 followed by OD (Old Dominion) and Thomas Rhett and obviously Kenny. The crowds have been great and I’ve learned so much already just from Kenny and his crew. It really is a dream situation so we’re trying to take advantage of it… (it’s) been a life changer already that I’m thankful for.”

One song fans have been hearing at his live shows is his new single ‘Yada Yada Yada’ which to us sounds like a warm breeze feels. It’s the perfect song for summer. Brandon says the song is “the other end of the spectrum” as far as his writing and style from ‘Speakers Bleachers and Preachers.’ “Since SBP was so literal with the way we wrote it, I wanted something that was kinda the opposite of that and a little unexpected. I’ve been in Nashville while writing songs and I’ve gotten to write with a lot of other good writers. Coming out of the gate we wanted something that gives that sense of background and we just decided to follow it up with something that’s just fun and didn’t try to move the world.” The song really hits the spot as a carefree summer song that we know we’ll be whistling along to all summer.

Of course the highlight to any New Englander’s summer is the 2 nights Kenny Chesney brings his tour to Gillette Stadium. Last year Brandon played a pregame party at Toby Keith’s at Patriot Place but was able to check out both nights, something he described as being “unlike any other” and he can’t wait to be a bigger part of it this year.

In addition to 2 nights at Gillette Stadium in August, Brandon will be playing a free show at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den on June 7th. You can follow Brandon on Twitter and Instagram and be sure to check out brandonlay.com for a full list of tour dates and info on his upcoming debut album due later this year.

KENNY CHESNEY OFFERS SONGS FOR THE SAINTS 7/27

“An Album About the Places That Save You”

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — In every artist’s career, certain albums stand out as a significant piece of their soul. For Kenny Chesney, ‘Songs for the Saints’ is that album. Co-produced with Buddy Cannon, the 12 tracks mark a deep dive into “the places that save you.”

“So much has happened since I went off the road in 2016,” Chesney explains. “And all of it, in one way or another, has ended up on this record. It’s special to me because of what it says – to me, and for me – about life, the world around us, how fragile it all can be and about somehow still finding the best parts of you, and moving towards them.”

Due July 27, ‘Songs for the Saints’ marks the 8-time Entertainer of the Year’s first album on Blue Chair/Warner Bros. Nashville. In many ways, this new home for his work mirrors the things that inspired this album.

“Leaving a place where I’d spent my whole career was both scary and exciting,” Chesney concedes. “There’s that rush of not knowing anything about how this company works, and digging in. But there’s also a special thrill of being around people who truly understand what you’re doing and who are excited to be part of this music. It’s inspiring in all new ways when you have people match your own passion for the music.”

Recorded over the last several months, Chesney had a notion about what his record was going to be long before it galvanized into ‘Songs for the Saints.’ “I was at a turning point in my life on so many levels, and then Hurricane Irma hit the Virgin Islands.”

“But this album isn’t about St. John, so much as it’s about what happened to St. John and all those islands you didn’t see on the news,” continues the man called “The People’s Superstar” by The Los Angeles Times. “To just see the devastation and what that does to people is one thing, but then there’s this courage and resilience people find…”

“This is not a literal record,” he cautions, “but it is an album about the refuges we all have, how temporary life is and the way we navigate to better places, dig in and face the destruction. And sometimes, we learn to own our wild hearts in the process.”

Beyond the euphoric ‘Get Along,’ the banjo and people-positive message tempo track hovering outside the Top 10, Chesney wrote or co-write five tracks. As with any release from the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar, there are songwriters getting their first cuts, surprise collaborations, an obscure jewel and the emotional fabric that makes the No Shoes Nation a place rich with heart, tenacity and the will to embrace life on its terms.

“I feel like I know what this album’s supposed to be, and I know how much it means to me,” he says. “I wanted to get it just right, before we set a release date… and I think we’ve got it. I’m just glad we’ll have it out in time for me to play some of these songs this summer before the Trip Around the Sun Tour is over.”

Old Dominion: ‘Hotel Key’ Single Review

Old Dominion recently released their latest single, titled ‘Hotel Key,’ to country radio. It is perhaps one of the best songs off their already popular sophomore album, ‘Happy Endings,’ which debuted at Number One on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart. Those who fell in love with Old Dominion’s classics such as ‘No Such Thing As A Broken Heart,’ ‘Written in the Sand,’ and ‘Snapback’ are in for a treat with this one.

It has been a really long cold winter here in New England, and this tune brings with it a hot summer vibe. It may be the shortest song on the album, but it easily packs a punch. The electric guitar riffs and steady drum beat draw us in as we wait for the lyrics to begin. ‘Hotel Key’ is catchy, upbeat, and fun-loving. It describes the memories of a hotel fling: Neither one of us looking for three little words. Unless those three words was do not disturb. The song goes on with: Wondered if anyone’d miss us if we went away. But this isn’t one of those stories that ends up that way. Back in June of last year, Old Dominion told New England Country Music: “We definitely have some heavier subject matter on this album, but there are still the goofy guys in Old Dominion as we’re still us.” Far from a serious tune, we were singing along to the chorus after hearing ‘Hotel Key’ for the very first time. She kept the hotel key. Slipped it in her purse. I guess it makes her think of me. And that night we left our hearts on our sleeves and the clothes all over the floor. We both know we can’t open the door. She kept the hotel key. The key, in this song, serves as a souvenir that holds all the memories of this special night. One has to wonder, when she slips the hotel key into her purse is it as a memory of a single night of magic, or does it join a stack of others? Old Dominion has really created something good with this one. It is definitely a song that we will hear cranked up loud at the beach in a few short months.

‘Hotel Key’ was written by Old Dominion’s band member Trevor Rosen, lead singer Matthew Ramsey, as well as Josh Osborne. The five member band has gained a loyal fan base here in New England after opening for Kenny Chesney three years in a row. They’ll be here again this summer, at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor, ME on August 16th and at the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex Junction, Vermont on August 24th.

Favorite Lyrics: We left the lights. We left the crowd. We left the world and locked it out. She left a picture in my head. She left the night I can’t forget, but…

You can purchase ‘Hotel Key’ on iTunes here.