Tag Archives: New England Country Music

Ladies, Please Don’t Do This.

Summer concert is upon us! Well, almost. This Friday marks the official first day of summer! And it just happens to be the same day that Luke Bryan plays at Gillette Stadium. Coincidence? We think not! What better way to kick off the summer than being at Gillette with 60,000 fellow country music fans, seeing one of the biggest stars perform!?

But ladies, let’s not do this…

Yes, a woman threw her undies at Luke.

C’mon now, that’s a tad weird, no? I mean, we get it. Nice weather, cold beer in hand, and Luke is right there shaking his ass for you (and the thousands of others in the crowd)- the mood is right. Wrong. It’s just weird for you to squat down in front of other people and take off your under garments and throw them at a married dude. I’m assuming whoever did this was wearing a skirt as if she was wearing shorts or a pants, well, the whole crowd just saw your privates. But maybe this lady just didn’t give a F… And let’s face it. If it’s hot outside, no dude wants your sweaty panties.

Behave yourselves on Friday, ladies. We love ya.

NECM’s Favorite Places to Eat in Nashville: May 2019

We just got back from a quick trip to Music City. 3 days of live music, eating and of course there was some drinking as well. During this trip, we stayed in the Broadway area of Nashville as our hotel was just a couple of blogs from Broadway and the ease of walking to places rather than relying on a Uber was nice. So where were our favorite places to eat and drink during this trip? Check it out.

Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar: 307 Broadway

When you think about Broadway, you really don’t think about food. It’s all about the music and the drinking. But Aldean’s breaks the mold as their food is probably the best that we’ve had on Broadway. The Bavarian Pretzel was huge and was soooo good. Make sure you get the queso to go with it! Also, the Southern Nachos were awesome if you’re a nacho person like me. Instead of tortillas, they use kettle chips and they top them with pulled pork and you’re favorite nacho toppings.

For entrees, the classic burger was unreal. A double patty burger that you literally do not need ketchup for. We also loved the Hot Chicken Sandwich (can’t go to Nashville and not get hot chicken) and the Mac & Cheese with beer pulled chicken.

Aldean’s features 6 bars throughout the building with our favorite being up on the rooftop with views of all of Broadway- probably the best view of Broadway. We’re not putting this list in any order of favorites but I can tell you for sure that Aldean’s was the best overall experience we had as far as food, drink, environment and service! Do not skip Aldean’s on your next trip to Nashville

Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink: 301 Broadway

Sharing a building and rooftop is Jason Aldean’s good friend, Luke Bryan, with Luke’s 32 Bridge. This place is massive with 9 bars, yes NINE, with all different feels. There’s live music on different floors with an outdoor lower patio at the Nut House bar. There’s a dance floor for late night fun.

But our favorite was probably up on the roof at Luke’s Sushi Bar. Yes, sushi in Nashville. Most would probably steer away from a restaurant that is nowhere near the ocean but if you’re a sushi lover, this place is for you! Try the Bridge which literally comes on a Bridge. It has multiple rolls ranging from shrimp tempura to crab and salmon.

But if you’re not a sushi person, there are other options as well. If you want something lighter, try the avocado toast. If you want something that will stick to your ribs, the burger topped with bacon AND pulled pork will fill you up! We also really enjoyed the hot chicken bites that came in a cast iron pan with dipping sauce.

FGL House: 120 3rd Ave. South

Admittedly, we stopped at FGL House for our final dinner so we had already made some unhealthy eating choices over the previous couple days. We wanted to give our body a break so we got a couple healthier options at FGL House and honestly, they didn’t disappoint!

The Hot Chicken Salad was great with the heat of the chicken being balanced with the veggies. And the Nashville Strip with the mashed potatoes was SO good and SO tender.

We also tried their version of Chicken & Waffles which is one of our favorite dishes to eat- our go to at Loretta’s in Boston. And FGL House’s version did not disappoint with a perfect waffle topped with flavorful chicken and bacon! Can never go wrong with bacon!

We really loved the vibe at FGL House. It is not directly on Broadway so it wasn’t overly loud or overly crowded. The decor was awesome with colored lighting and old fuel and oil signage that would make the American Pickers jealous. The Cruise rooftop bar was great to hang out and have a cocktail on after dinner- we recommend the Party People.

Sun Diner: 105 3rd Ave. South

After a late night of drinking- and let’s face it, you’re going to have at least one of those in Nashville- we all need a good breakfast. And Sun Diner is a must stop. The cozy diner is mostly bar service with a couple tables in the back but the bar service reminded us of our favorite diners up here where you can sit and watch your food being made. When we got here, there wasn’t a seat available, and there was a small line for seats- always a good sign!

We wanted a mimosa, but they didn’t have one to serve… they had their own version which was orange juice but instead of champagne/prosecco, with beer. We decided to try one with Blue Moon and it was actually pretty dang good! Recommend it if you’re a breakfast cocktail type of person!

For food, the Creme Brûlée French Toast was unreal! This plate is massive and so delicious. Their version of eggs benedict replaces the ham with pork belly and we were not disappointed! The breakfast wrap was huge and stuffed with eggs, bacon, hash browns and pico. But if there’s one thing to try at Sun Diner, it’s their Donut Breakfast Sandwich. Yep, we said it. Donut Breakfast Sandwich. It’s a sausage egg and cheese between 2 glazed donuts. The juxtaposition of the sweet donuts to the savory sausage was awesome. So when you’re in Nashville with a hunkering for breakfast, Sun Diner is a must!

Side note: if you get pancakes or french toast, or something that needs syrup- you’re in for a treat! Their own syrup line is fantastic. Make sure you try the Spicy Pecan flavored syrup!

Legendairy Milkshake Bar: 171 3rd Ave. North

Alright so if you have a sweet tooth, like me, this place is for you. It’s about two blocks north of Broadway, just up the street from Ole Red and a couple streets over from Printer’s Alley. We stumbled across this place after a recommendation from one of our friends and after checking out their menu, we knew we had to stop by.

Their menu has 12 signature shakes plus a Shake of the Day. You can also make your own but there’s honestly no need to with the signatures shakes they have. We decided on the Rolling in the Cookie Dough, Campfire S’mores, Death by Chocolate and Milk(shake) & Cookies.

When you sit down and they bring your shakes to your table, it can be overwhelming. These shakes are legitimate culinary masterpieces. They’re beautiful but big. You’re going to think to yourself, ‘there’s no way I can finish this.’ But once you dig in, you’re probably going to.

All of the shakes we got were awesome. Other patrons seemed to get the same ones we did but we definitely saw some other ones that we did not get. My personal favorite was the cookie dough one but the others were just as good. Nashville is hot at this time of the year. Whether you’re down there for CMA Fest or just to hang out, we recommend heading to the Legendairy Milkshake Bar for a sweet treat!

The Valentine: 312 Broadway

We stumbled upon this place when our pedal tavern made this one of the scheduled stops- thanks Country Music Crawler! When we arrived we were given a card for 2 for 1 shots- couple this deal with the shot special that we were already getting via the pedal tavern, and we got quite the deal. The shot was a blue lemon drop which was very good! And 2 of ’em for $5? Yes, please.

We enjoyed ourselves so much, that after we finished our pedal tavern, we decided to go back and drink some more and eat. Of course, we got more shots but we wanted some apps to fill our bellies. And we were thoroughly impressed with the Valentine. Yes, it was bar food but it was pretty damn good bar food. The chicken fingers were perfect- so much so that we ordered more. The chicken quesadillas were juicy. And the pretzel sticks had a great crisp to them to go with their warm queso. Add in some nachos and it’s a great little mid-afternoon snack to prolong your day on Broadway.

The Valentine doesn’t have a big artist name associated with it and it’s not one of the big name iconic establishments on Broadway but that doesn’t mean you should skip this place. We’ll definitely return when we go back to Nashville!

Love and Theft: ‘Gimme Tonight’ Single Review

Love and Theft returns to the scene with the sultry and mysterious sounding single, ‘Gimme Tonight.’ In typical fashion, Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson’s voices take ahold of the track, and the basis of this song fits perfectly into their repertoire.

The single is about finding a person at the bar, dancing the night away, and seeing a potential forever while hitting those boots to the floor. There is no tomorrow in sight, just the moment they are in right now. The single is a sexier version of the common story told. The guitar riffs paint the picture of an overwrought melody that entices the listener to continue into the drama this song illustrates. ‘Gimme Tonight’ is a fun and flirty song that wraps you up with its instrumentals.

As of late, country artists have been dipping their toes into other genres and sampling them throughout their singles. Love and Theft have some alternative and hip/hop inspired characteristics shining through their newest single. ‘Gimme Tonight’ is the duo’s first single since their 2015 ballad ‘Whiskey On My Breath,’ which was tough to follow as that single was very personal to both artists. Nonetheless, the men of Love and Theft delivered with this jammin’ new song. The two singles differ from one another, but perfectly display the diversity that Love and Theft have. With summer right around the corner, this song is perfect to play at sun-down with the windows open.

If this single is any indication of future music from Love and Theft, then fans will be pleasantly surprised. ‘Gimme Tonight’ displays the group that we all know and love, with a vamped up sound. You can get the single here.

Favorite Lyrics:Aw keep on keep on killing me with your last call, that don’t mean nothing. We’ll head to the house with a bottle of something, holding onto the moon while I’m holding onto you.

NECM’s WCW Spotlight: Danielle Bradbery

We, at New England Country Music, are continuing our series spotlighting women in country music. While the acronym WCW, standing for ‘Women Crush Wednesday,’ is often used for physical attraction, that is not the case here. This series will feature talented women who are crushing the country music scene.

For us New Englanders, it’s certainly starting to feel like the chilly winter weather is finally behind us. We’re happy for the warmth and even more excited to introduce to you to our next WCW, Danielle Bradbery. The twenty-two-year-old country music singer and songwriter hails from Cypress, Texas. Some of her biggest musical influences are Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, and Martina McBride.

Things started heating up for Danielle Bradbery when she won The Voice in June 2013. The day after her big win, she signed a record deal with Big Machine Records. She went on to release her first, self-titled, album in November 2013. Like many a country singer to come before her, she was thrilled to make her Grande Ole Opry debut at the legendary Ryman Auditorium that very same month. Four years later, she dropped her second full length album, ‘I Don’t Believe We’ve Met.’ Not only did Bradbery write seven of the ten tracks on this record, but her first single, ‘Sway,’ debuted at Number 46 on the Billboard country chart. In August of 2018, Bradbery released the single, ‘Goodbye Summer,’ a collaboration with country sensation Thomas Rhett. In an interview with iHeart Radio, Bradbery mentioned: “‘Goodbye Summer’ was originally ‘Hello Summer’ on my second record. Thomas Rhett wrote it. We kind of made it a little bit different and make it sound like a new song, but it’s been really exciting to work with Thomas Rhett .”

You can take a peek of the video for ‘Hello Summer’ here:

Bradbery has already been on quite a few tours. She traveled with Brad Paisley on his Beat This Summer Tour in 2013. In 2014 she joined Hunter Hayes on his We’re Not Invisible Tour and Scotty McCreery on his See You Tonight Tour. In 2015, she toured with Miranda Lambert on her Platinum Tour and Brett Eldredge/Thomas Rhett on their Suits & Boots Tour. Last year she joined Thomas Rhett on his Life Changes Tour. And this year she is teaming up with Kane Brown on his Live Forever Tour.

With over 800,000 followers on her Facebook page and almost half a million followers on Instagram, a fresh sounding voice, and a style all her own, Danielle Bradbery is well on her way to becoming a big name in country music.

We’re sad to say that there are currently no New England dates on this WCW’s schedule.

Be sure to download one of our favorites, ‘Sway,’ on iTunes here.

You can stay connected with Danielle Bradbery by following her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Stay tuned for our next installment of WCW in country music. It is set to hit our page on Wednesday May 8th.

Luke Combs Is Dominating And We’re Not Complaining

Luke is easily one of the biggest stars in country music and we’re not talking about Luke Bryan. Luke Combs, ladies and gentlemen, has become one of the fastest rising artists in country music and seeing his growth in just a few years has been nothing short of beautiful crazy- pun intended. He is dominating it in the country music world and we’re loving it.

Back in 2016, we had the opportunity to chat with Luke backstage at Mohegan Sun when he was opening for Brantley Gilbert. This was before his smash debut single, ‘Hurricane,’ even touched the charts. And since then, Luke’s career and place in country music has truly skyrocketed.

His debut album, ‘This One’s For You,’ hit the top of the country albums charts. It’s also been certified Double Platinum by the RIAA and the success led to him even releasing a deluxe version. His first 5 singles released from that album have all been Number Ones. And all of them have been certified at least Platinum with ‘Beautiful Crazy’ being 2x Platinum and ‘Hurricane’ and ‘When It Rains It Pours’ being 3x Platinum. His latest single, ‘Beautiful Crazy,’ has been sitting at the top of the charts for the last 6 weeks- an unbelievable run!

Luke also has a couple awards already under his belt. He won the iHeartRadio Music Award for New Country Artist of the Year and the CMA for New Artist of the Year in 2018. A few weeks ago, he took home the iHeartRadio Music Award as Country Artist of the Year, beating out Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Thomas Rhett. He has also already announced as an ACM Award winner for New Male Artist of the Year. He is also nominated for the Male Artist of the Year this weekend, which we wouldn’t be surprised if he won.

And the dude is absolutely killing it on the road. Sold out show after sold out show. His tickets do not last. Tickets for his show at Mohegan Sun later this year sold out this morning in minutes. And he’s not just playing small venues that are easy sell outs. We’re talking about arenas of 10,000+, that’s no small feat. Especially for an artist who is considered as ‘new’ by the major award voting houses.

Luke is an absolute rockstar. He puts out great music. He puts on a great show. And fans recognize it. He’s the hottest name in country music and the hottest ticket in town!

So going back to our interview in 2016, where Luke told us…

“It’s been great, the live shows have been awesome and to me that’s what is most important, going out and being able to deliver a good live show is so important, and I think that the more we play, the more the people hear the music, the more requests we get, the more singing we see in the audience is just super cool to see.”

Yeah, it’s been pretty damn cool to see.

Luke has 2 shows in New England this year, 1 in Gilford, NH in June and another in Uncasville, CT in the fall. Both are SOLD OUT!

In case you haven’t seen, we’re giving away 2 tickets to his SOLD OUT show in New Hampshire PLUS 2 passes to go backstage and MEET Luke before the show at out ACM Awards Party this Sunday night! Tickets for the party can be purchased here.

Full List of Prizes: 2019 ACM Awards Party

We’re less than 2 weeks away from NECM’s 6th Annual ACM Awards Viewing Party! Join us at Loretta’s Last Call just steps outside Fenway Park for this event. The awards will be on all of the TVs including the big screen. DJ MikeyFletch will play music during commercial breaks. Partygoers will enjoy complimentary appetizers and sweets! And we will have a silent auction and raffle with all proceeds benefitting Boston Children’s Hospital. Below is the full list of prizes, including Meet and Greet passes with your favorite artists, concert tickets, autographed guitars and much more! We hope to see you there!

DOOR PRIZE: 2 tickets to see Luke Bryan at Gillette Stadium! Everyone at the party is automatically entered to win!

Kenny Chesney autographed guitar

Guitar signed by 2018 NECM Festival lineup

Guitar signed by Kane Brown, Brown and Gray, Cam, LANCO, Stephanie Quayle, Chase Rice, Frankie Ballard, Drake White, Mitchell Tenpenny, Devin Dawson, Brett Eldredge and Michael Tyler

Guitar signed by Kane Brown

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Luke Combs in Gilford, NH

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Luke Bryan in Foxborough, MA

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Thomas Rhett in Mansfield, MA

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Thomas Rhett in Bridgeport, CT

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Old Dominion in Portland, ME

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Old Dominion in Gilford, NH

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Chase Rice in Hampton, NH

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Chris Young in Mansfield, MA

2 tickets and 2 VIP Experiences with Jason Aldean in Mansfield, MA

2 tickets and 2 VIP Experiences with Dierks Bentley in Mansfield, MA

2 Meet and Greets with Brett Young in Foxborough, MA

4 Premium Tickets to a mutually agreed upon Red Sox game at Fenway Park with VIP tour of Fenway Park

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Josh Turner in E. Providence, RI

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Billy Currington in Boston, MA

Rob Gronkowski autographed football with Patriots items

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Little Big Town in Gilford, NH

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greets with Justin Moore in Hampton, NH

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greet passes with Michael Ray in Boston, MA

2 tickets and 2 Meet and Greet passes with Ryan Hurd in Boston, MA

Blue Chair Bay Rum Engel Cooler

Lee Brice autographed guitar

Chris Stapleton autographed vinyl

Autographed CDs: Kenny Chesney, Old Dominion, Maren Morris, LANCO, Tim + Faith, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton and MORE!

2 tickets to see Luke Bryan in Bangor, ME

2 tickets to see Chris Stapleton in Bangor, ME

2 tickets to see George Strait and Blake Shelton in Foxborough, MA

Brothers Osborne signed poster

Jordan Davis package, including: autographed guitar, autographed hat, t-shirts, autographed album and vinyl

Warner Music Bundle, includes: Devin Dawson vinyl, Brett Eldredge bag, t-shirts, hats, mug, koozies.

Autographed ‘You Should Be Here’ lyrics, signed by Cole Swindell

2 tickets for Country 102.5 Street Party

2 tickets for Cat Country 98.1 Storyteller show featuring Kip Moore

Dierks Bentley Beer Pong Set

2 tickets for Country Night at Fenway Park (including 2 hats)

Yee Yee Package, includes autographed picture and CD by Granger Smith and autographed picture from Earl Dibbles Jr.

Dustin Lynch autographed NECM koozie

Carly Pearce package, includes autographed picture and CD, and t-shirt (XL)

Drumhead signed by 2017 NECM Festival Lineup

Hogwash ‘n Rhinestones Merch Pack

NECM Merch Pack

2 tickets to a mutually agreed upon show at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in 2019

2 tickets to a mutually agreed upon show at the South Shore Music Circus in 2019

Aaron Lewis ‘Making Country Great Again’ hat

Not a Public Figure Merch (2 winners)

TICKETS FOR THE PARTY ARE JUST $20 AND INCLUDE COMPLIMENTARY APPETIZERS, AND ENTRY INTO THE DOOR PRIZE! TICKET PRICES INCREASE TO $25 ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT. YOU CAN PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE.

This list will be updated as more prizes come in!

Layin’ It All Out With Brandon Lay

Brandon Lay has had a promising jumpstart to his career: he toured with big name Kenny Chesney on his Trip Around The Sun tour, had a couple singles hit country radio, and debuted at the Opry. To add a cherry on top, Lay and his wife welcomed their son Ryder, as well. We had a chance to chat with Brandon on his monumental 2018 and what’s to come in a hopeful 2019.

Brandon was named VEVO DSCVR ‘Artists To Watch,’ the only country artist nominated. He said that “it’s always cool to get those accolades and getting my music out there and use this platform to our advantage. With being the only country artist it was awesome to represent the genre in that capacity.” Lay accredits VEVO to shedding light on some of his songs that would have never saw the light if it weren’t for them.

Another huge platform for Brandon is SiriusXM satellite radio. He told us that many people discovered him through The Highway satellite station. Much like VEVO DSCVR, Lay has much appreciation for this radio streaming – “[The Highway] has a demographic of active country listeners… and they seem to be more likely to pay $10 to see me at a club in their hometown. So it’s really helped my career out.”

Aside from playing clubs in hometowns, Lay had the amazing opportunity to perform with mastermind Kenny Chesney on the 2018 Trip Around The Sun tour. When asked what that was like; Brandon said “it was definitely a learning experience and nobody is better at that forum than Kenny Chesney, not only on stage but off stage too. As a new artist, I wanted to get exposure and Kenny believed in me. It was a surreal summer and I hated that it had to come to an end.” Over the course of the five-month touring span, Brandon was able to take away something big; “when you’re a new artist people have never heard of, there is a lot pressure in trying to get them [the audience] to have a good time. I learned from Kenny how intimate his relationship is with his fans each and every night. And from that, I learned to be in the moment and give my best to the fans.”

Brandon also was welcomed into the legendary circle at the Opry in 2018 – a moment that every artist dreams of accomplishing. Lay was overwhelmed with emotions during his performance, for more reasons than one. He decided to top that important part of his career with the birth of his son, Ryder, just a few days before. “It was a lot! I’m all or nothing!” Lay laughed, “but it was really cool. I’m a believer and God has blessed me with a life way better than I deserve – and that was one of those moments where I felt that.” Congratulations, again, to Lay on both of these milestone accomplishments!

Brandon is working on a debut album, and fans can expect to hear a lot of story songs and live energy. “I got a bunch of songs that have been burnin’ a hole in my pocket that I’ve been waiting to release to the world,” and most of them will play off of honesty, who Brandon Lay is, and his attitude towards life. The process for writing a debut album vs. writing a debut single lies within the freedom that’s given. Lay is with Universal Music Group and he says that they have given him the artistic freedom to create however he wants to. He emphasized the fact that they haven’t tried to change anything, which for him is the best part. “You try to please everybody, but you don’t please everybody” is a statement that Lay reminds himself of as he’s creating new music. He acknowledges the adaptations needed to fit the bill, all while standing out.

He also has a European tour coming up this year, as well as playing at fairs and festivals starting around May. He says that this year of touring will much different than last year’s regimented, but exhilarating schedule with Kenny.

The main thing Lay wants out of 2019 is to gain more fans – one club at a time, one fair at a time. Brandon also wants everyone to join his email list because he’s sending out old demos, featuring a cut from one of Cole Swindell’s album. To stay up to date on all things Brandon Lay, follow him on his website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Rachel Wammack Turned Her Doubts into a Dream Come True

It’s no surprise that at NECM we love championing women in country music, and one of the latest ladies we’re fangirling over is Rachel Wammack. In a few short years Wammack went from the new girl in Nashville to a New Artist to Watch, landing on numerous lists for 2019 including our own. Her self-titled EP, released less than a year ago, features four tracks including her debut single, ‘Damage.’ As a co-writer on each of the tracks, Rachel poured her heart and soul into this project – but there are so many more sides to the singer to get to know. We got to chat with Rachel recently about why she ever doubted a professional career in music, how her artistry has evolved through the years, and what’s next for this talented young lady.

To start at the beginning, Wammack had grown up surrounded by music, but when the Alabama native started piano lessons at the age of six she “hated it.” Her mother insisted she stick with it for four years and by age 10 she had an entirely different perspective. Wammack had been transformed into a true music lover. Inspired by the lyrics and melodies of artists like Adele, Sara Bareilles, and Carrie Underwood, Rachel began her craft of songwriting in middle school and continued to grow as a writer through high school. “In that time, I always wanted to sing – and I was like an attention hog – I always wanted to write but I never thought this will be my career. I thought, whatever I do, I’ll always do this on the side.” Wammack began playing shows at local restaurants in high school when she caught the ear of a Sony Music Nashville executive. He gave Wammack his business card, but at 17 she wasn’t ready to jump into a career in the industry. “I told him I wanted to get a degree, I wanted to have something that no one could take away from me. So I got my degree [at University of North Alabama] but I continued to work on my craft,” Rachel said.

After graduating in 2016, the exec’s business card was still burning a hole in her pocket. Lucky for Rachel, the folks at Sony were still interested in hearing her play. That summer Wammack made the move to Music City but admitted that she still had doubts about doing the music thing full time. “I was like, you know what, there’s no way they’re actually going to be serious about me, I’m just going to do master’s school online while I’m in Nashville.” So Wammack spent her first 6 months in Nashville songwriting, bartending, and taking an online class working towards her Master’s degree. After she completed her first and only course in grad school Wammack knew what she had to do, “‘Rachel, dang it, just believe in yourself!” she said.

As someone who had spent the past decade or so writing solo, Rachel had some apprehensions about sitting down with other songwriters to collaborate. “I always thought if I ever try to do it as a career, I wouldn’t be able to be as creative as I want to be. I didn’t want to have to limit myself to some sort of mainstream thing, you know?” she said, adding the assumption that being a young female wouldn’t work in her favor. “It’s easy when you’re young or when you’re inexperienced to feel like, maybe my ideas aren’t good enough,” she described. But she gives credit to the grad school class she took for preparing her for collaboration. “It taught me just to stick up for myself, know that even though I’m a woman, I’m young, and I’m inexperienced, that my ideas are just as valid as someone who has 20 hits,” she said. “I was really blessed to write with several people who empowered me… One of those people was Mr. Tom Douglas who I wrote my single with.”

Rachel’s single, ‘Damage,’ was written about the stories she heard while working her first job in Nashville as a bartender, and they have one common theme, “love can do some damage.” These were words that held true while she was working on her record. “My EP was very much a therapy project, getting over someone and trying to move forward for the first time in my life from an old relationship.” Now that she’s “over it” she has so much more to share with her fans and the world. “I’m excited to show some other flavors, some party songs, and just other perspectives on life that I’ve developed in the past year or so.” Rachel is feeling so inspired and she’s thrilled to be working on new music this year. After landing on plenty of Artist to Watch lists, our girl is fired up for 2019. “It makes me want to work really hard to just own that and to make my space in country music and in the world,” she proclaimed.

Wammack’s name has also landed on a handful of festival rosters this year, and she can’t wait to hit the stage. “This will be my first time ever playing a festival other than a bluegrass festival way back when I was 10!” she laughed and began listing them off: Tortuga, Country Lake Shake, Faster Horses, and Touchdowns & Tunes. “I’ve just always been a huge fan of live music and going to other people’s shows, so it’s going to be really really special playing my first festivals and getting to play many.” We’ll also get to see Wammack this May as she’s scheduled to stop in New England at the Country 102.5 Street Party in Boston and the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den in Connecticut. “I am coming into 2019 feeling very supported and so I just want to make my fans proud,” she said.

If we’ve learned anything from Wammack’s journey it’s that you can’t stop cream from rising to the top. Despite Rachel’s earlier apprehensions, the songstress has no regrets. “Honestly, I’m glad that it ended up the way it did because it was exactly how it was supposed to be.” Rachel’s success is a testament to her undeniable talent. We can’t wait to hear what’s to come this year and can only hope to hear more of Wammack’s powerful voice streaming through our radio waves.

You can check out Rachel’s EP featuring her debut single ‘Damage’ on Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

Make sure to follow Rachel Wammack on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

54th Annual ACM Awards Nominations

The nominations for the 54th annual ACM Awards were announced on February 20th, and we could not be more excited for one of country music’s biggest nights! For the second year in a row Reba McEntire will host the awards, which will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on Sunday, April 7th at 8pm on CBS. This past year has been incredible for country music. Many new artists burst onto the scene with breakthrough singles, while current superstars continued to solidify their careers with more chart-topping hits. Chris Stapleton along with duo Dan + Shay lead the nominations racking up 6 apiece. Kacey Musgraves is the leading female nominee receiving 5 nominations.

Check out the full list of nominations and our predictions for who will win below.

Entertainer of the Year

• Jason Aldean

• Luke Bryan

• Kenny Chesney

• Chris Stapleton

• Keith Urban

Prediction: Keith Urban – This category is a toss up as all five of these artists are very deserving of the honor, but we’re going to give a slight edge to Keith Urban since he won Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards this past November.

Female Artist of the Year

• Miranda Lambert

• Ashley McBryde

• Maren Morris

• Kacey Musgraves

• Carrie Underwood

Prediction: Kacey Musgraves – In what should be another very close category, we’re giving the nod to Kacey Musgraves as she looks to build on the success of her big night at the Grammys.

Male Artist of the Year

• Dierks Bentley

• Luke Combs

• Thomas Rhett

• Chris Stapleton

• Keith Urban

Prediction: Chris Stapleton – Chris has won this award two out of the last three years and we think he’ll make it three out of four with another win this year.

Duo of the Year

• Brothers Osborne

• Dan + Shay

• Florida Georgia Line

• LOCASH

• Maddie & Tae

Prediction: Dan + Shay – Dan + Shay have arguably had the biggest year in country music out of anyone. They released two #1 singles (‘Tequila’ and ‘Speechless’) and a #1 album.

Group of the Year

• Lady Antebellum

• LANCO

• Little Big Town

• Midland

• Old Dominion

Prediction: Old Dominion – Old Dominion is quickly becoming one of country music’s hottest acts. Look for them to take home the award for Group of the Year for the second year in a row.

New Female Artist of the Year

• Danielle Bradbery

• Lindsay Ell

• Ashley McBryde

• Carly Pearce

Prediction: Ashley McBryde – Ashley’s album ‘Girl Going Nowhere’ made it into the Top 10 on the charts in 2018. You’ll soon be hearing a lot more from this rising star after she wins her first ACM award.

New Male Artist of the Year

• Jimmie Allen

• Luke Combs

• Jordan Davis

• Michael Ray

• Mitchell Tenpenny

Prediction: Luke Combs – We’re not sure how Luke Combs still qualifies as a new artist, but since he’s nominated he is our pick to win because he continues to release hit song after hit song.

New Duo or Group of the Year

• High Valley

• LANCO

• Runaway June

Prediction: LANCO – 2018 was a breakout year for LANCO as they released their debut album ‘Hallelujah Nights,’ which features the #1 single ‘Greatest Love Story.’

Album of the Year

• ‘Dan + Shay’ – Dan + Shay

o Producers: Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers, Matt Dragstrem

o Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

• ‘Desperate Man’ – Eric Church

o Producers: Jay Joyce, Arturo Buenahora Jr.

o Record Label: EMI Records Nashville

• ‘From A Room: Volume 2’ – Chris Stapleton

o Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton

o Record Label: Mercury Nashville

• ‘Golden Hour’ – Kacey Musgraves

o Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Daniel Tashian, Kacey Musgraves

o Record Label: MCA Nashville

• ‘The Mountain’ – Dierks Bentley

o Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart, Arturo Buenahora Jr.

o Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

Prediction: ‘Golden Hour’ – It’s Kacey Musgraves’ year. After winning Album of the Year at both the Grammys and the CMA’s we’ll be quite surprised if ‘Golden Hour’ doesn’t receive the top honor again.

Single of the Year

• ‘Down to the Honky Tonk’ – Jake Owen

o Producer: Joey Moi

o Record Label: Big Loud Records

• ‘Heaven’ – Kane Brown

o Producers: Dann Huff, Polow Da Don

o Record Label: RCA Nashville

• ‘Meant To Be’ – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

o Producer: Wilshire for Rock The Soul Ent

o Record Label: Warner Bros. Records

• ‘Most People Are Good’ – Luke Bryan

o Producers: Jeff Stevens, Jody Stevens

o Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

• ‘Tequila’ – Dan + Shay

o Producers: Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers

o Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

Prediction: ‘Tequila’ – ‘Tequila’ was a career changing song for Dan + Shay, and they are certainly deserving of this award after many feel that they were snubbed at the CMA’s. One of the most played songs on country radio, ‘Tequila’ spent two weeks atop the charts last summer.

Song of the Year

• ‘Break Up In The End’ – Cole Swindell

o Writers: Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill, Jon Nite

o Publishers: EMI April Music Inc. / Nite Writer Music (ASCAP) / Songs of Universal, Inc. / Plum Nelly (BMI) / Big Music Machine (BMI)/ Big Ass Pile Of Dimes Music (BMI)

• ‘Broken Halos’ – Chris Stapleton

o Writers: Mike Henderson, Chris Stapleton

o Publishers: WB Music Corp./House of Sea Gayle Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights/Spirit Catalog Holdings, S.a.r.l. admin. by Spirit Two Nashville (ASCAP); Straight Six Music (BMI)

• ‘Meant To Be’ – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

o Writers: David Garcia, Tyler Hubbard, Joshua Miller, Bebe Rexha

o Publishers: BMG Platinum Songs/Kiss Me If You Can Music (BMI) (all rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC) Big Loud Mountain (BMI) and T Hubb Publishing (BMI). All Rights Administered by Round Hill Works. Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. on behalf of itself and Songs of the Corn and Jack 10 Publishing. Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publishing (ASCAP) D Soul Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com)

• ‘Space Cowboy’ – Kacey Musgraves

o Writers: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves

o Publishers: Smack Hits/Smack Songs, admin by Kobalt Music Group ltd. (GMR); Universal Music Works/We Are Creative NBaSmack Hits/Smack Songs, LLC, admin. by Kobalt Music Group Ltd. (GMR); Universal Music Works/We Are Creative Nation/Jake and Mack Music, admin. by Universal Music Works; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./351 Music (BMI)

• ‘Tequila’ – Dan + Shay

o Writers: Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers

o Publishers: Beats and Banjos (ASCAP), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP), A Girl Named Charlie (BMI) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) / Buckeye26 (ASCAP) / Jreynmusic (ASCAP)

• ‘Yours’ – Russell Dickerson

o Writers: Casey Brown, Russell Dickerson, Parker Welling

o Publishers: BMG Platinum Songs/Kailey’s Dream / So Essential Tunes / Not Just Another Song Publishing / Hillbilly Science and Research Publishing/Trailerlily Music

Prediction: ‘Broken Halos’ – This is a closely contested category full of amazing songs. We’re picking Chris Stapleton’s ‘Broken Halos’ based on the fact that it also won for Song of the Year at the CMA’s.

Video of the Year

• ‘Babe’ – Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift

o Producer: Roger Hunt

o Director: Anthony Mandler

• ‘Burn Out’ – Midland

o Producer: Ben Skipworth

o Director: TK McKamy, Cameron Duddy

• ‘Burning Man’ – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne

o Producer: Nate Eggert

o Director: Wes Edwards

• ‘Drunk Girl’ – Chris Janson

o Producer: Ben Skipworth

o Director: Jeff Venable

• ‘Shoot Me Straight’ – Brothers Osborne

o Producer: April Kimbrell

o Director: Wes Edwards, Ryan Silver

• ‘Tequila’ – Dan + Shay

o Producer: Christen Pinkston

o Director: Patrick Tracy

Prediction: ‘Tequila’ – The music video for ‘Tequila’ gave us all the feels. It has 62 million views on YouTube making it the most watched video out of any of the nominees.

Songwriter of the Year

• Ross Copperman

• Ashley Gorley

• Shane McAnally

• Chase McGill

• Josh Osborne

Prediction: Ross Copperman – Ross co-wrote two songs (Dierks Bentley’s ‘Woman, Amen’ and Kenny Chesney’s ‘Get Along’) that reached #1 in 2018. Other massive hits that he penned this past year include Eli Young Band’s ‘Love Ain’t’ and Brett Eldredge’s ‘Love Someone.’

Music Event of the Year

• ‘Burning Man’ – Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne

o Producers: Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart, Arturo Buenahora Jr.

o Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville

• ‘Drowns the Whiskey’ – Jason Aldean featuring Miranda Lambert

o Producer: Michael Knox

o Record Labels: Macon Music, LLC; Broken Bow Records; BBR Music Group; BMG

• ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ – David Lee Murphy featuring Kenny Chesney

o Producers: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney, David Lee Murphy

o Record Label: Reviver Records

• ‘Keeping Score’ – Dan + Shay featuring Kelly Clarkson

o Producers: Scott Hendricks, Dan Smyers

o Record Label: Warner Music Nashville

• ‘Meant To Be’ – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

o Producer: Wilshire for Rock The Soul Ent

o Record Label: Warner Bros. Records

Prediction: ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ – This is such an uplifting, feel good song. We loved seeing Kenny and David Lee Murphy perform it together last year at Gillette Stadium.

Congratulations to all of the nominees! We’re looking forward to another awards show full of great performances and memorable moments.

You can watch the ACM Awards with us at our annual viewing party at Loretta’s Last Call in Boston on April 7th at 7:30pm. There will be a silent auction and a raffle for prizes like meet and greet passes, concert tickets, and autographed items. All of the proceeds benefit Boston Children’s Hospital. You can purchase tickets here.

Luke Bryan Adds Gillette Stadium Show to 2019 ‘Sunset Repeat Tour’

Four-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan today announced he is adding a stop on his “Sunset Repeat Tour” to visit New England country music fans with a show at Gillette Stadium on June 21. The concert will include special guests multi-platinum singer/songwriter Cole Swindell, 2018 Academy of Country Music New Male Vocalist of the Year Brett Young and EMI/32 Bridge Entertainment recording artist Jon Langston. DJ Rockwill also appear.

The June 21 show will be the third trip to Gillette Stadium for Bryan, who previously performed two shows in July 2016 as part of his “Kill The Lights Tour” and made his Foxborough debut in August 2014 in front of a sold out crowd on his “That’s My Kind Of Night Tour.”

Tickets to the June 21 show will go on sale to the public Friday, March 8, at 10 a.m. at www.ticketmaster.com. Kraft Sports + Entertainment is the official promoter of the “Sunset Repeat Tour” show at Gillette Stadium.

Citi is the official presale credit card of Luke Bryan’s “Sunset Repeat Tour at Gillette Stadium.” As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Monday, March 4 at 10 a.m. until Thursday, March 7 at 10 p.m. through Citi’s Private Pass Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.

In each of the last several years, Bryan’s headline tours have performed for 1.5 million fans or more. In 2018, Bryan played the most stadium dates in one year and has played 34 career stadium concerts to date.

Click HERE for Luke’s ‘Sunset Repeat Tour’ playlist.

About Luke Bryan

Luke is a two-time Academy of Country Music and a two-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, a five-time host of the ACM Awards, a NSAI Artist/Songwriter of the Year and was named a CMT Artist of the Year six consecutive years. Luke has more certified digital singles than any other country artist with 46 million tracks and 12 million albums with four Billion music streams. Luke has placed 22 singles at #1, 12 of which he co-wrote. In each of the last several years, Luke’s headline tours have performed for 1.5 million fans or more and in 2018 he headlined the most stadium shows in one year of his career, now totaling 34 stadium concerts to date. Also in 2018 Luke opened Nashville’s only six-floor entertainment facility in the heart of Music City, LUKE’S 32 BRIDGE FOOD + DRINK.

Visitwww.LukeBryan.com or follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBryanOnline, Instagram and Facebook

About Cole Swindell

Cole Swindell, a Platinum-selling recording artist and 11-time No 1 singer/songwriter, released his third album, All of It, for Warner Bros. Records/Warner Music Nashville in 2018 and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country album chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200. The first single “Break Up In The End” became his 8^th No. 1 career single as a solo artist. “Break Up In The End” was recently nominated for a Grammy® forBest Country Song and was named one of the best country songs of 2018 by Amazon, Spotify, Billboard, and You Tube among others. Swindell performed the hit single on last summer’s (2018) ABC Television special CMA Fest and when he headlined the NBC’s Citi Concert Series on TODAY(2018). The Georgia native debuted his current single “Love You Too Late” LIVE on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars and in December performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The song is included on YouTube’s Best Country Songs of 2018.

For more information please visit www.coleswindell.com and follow @coleswindell on Twitter, @coleswindell on Instagram and on Facebook.

About Brett Young

ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year Brett Young’s sophomore release TICKET TO L.A. (BMLG Records) debuted atop the Billboard Country Albums chart and features his current fast-rising single “Here Tonight.” The album follows his PLATINUM self-titled debut, which dominated the Top 20 on the Country Albums chart for 37 weeks. Delivering four consecutive No. 1 PLATINUM-certified hits, Young was named ASCAP’s 2018 Country Songwriter-Artist of the Year for his “melodic craftsmanship” (Billboard). He has also garnered nominations from ACM, Billboard, Teen Choice, CMT and CMA Awards as he continues to rack up nonstop hits as “one of country music’s most reliable new hitmakers” (Tennessean). Young has amassed more than 1.4 billion streams of his catalog globally.

For additional information, visit BrettYoungMusic.com.

About Jon Langston

Loganville, GA native, singer-songwriter Jon Langston grew up on music like his heroes Alan Jackson and the Eagles. And once multiple concussions ended his Division I football career, he worked to develop his own style and sound while drawing from that variety of influences. In 2013 with the release of his first song, “Forever Girl,” Jon’s live shows began to grow, and he found himself opening for Chase Rice at Georgia’s Kennesaw State University. It was his first-ever full band show, and when the crowd sang “Forever Girl” along with him, Jon knew he wanted to pursue a career in music. Since then, the now 27-year-old Music City resident has not only signed a publishing deal with Sony ATV and is managed by KP Entertainment, but has fostered his own voice in country music and landed a record deal with Universal Music Group Nashville. The Georgia native is the first artist under Luke Bryan’s new label, 32 Bridge Entertainment, and will be worked in conjunction with EMI Records Nashville. He recently released his major label debut single “When It Comes To Loving You” which landed in the Top 5 of the all-genre iTunes Chart and has accumulated over 9 million streams.

For more information please visit www.jonlangston.com and follow @jonTLangston on Twitter @jonlangston on Instagram and on Facebook

About DJ Rock

For the past 15 years, DJ Rock has performed for crowds in premiere venues throughout North America and Mexico. As an open format DJ he is well versed in all music formats, spinning everything from country to hip hop to rock to today’s top 40 hits. He’s worked alongside artists like Luke Bryan, Snoop Dogg, Florida Georgia Line, Gucci Man, John Legend, Jennifer Lopez, Blake Shelton and more. Rock has also appeared at some of the biggest-selling music festivals including Off The Rails, Rock The South, Route 91 and Tortuga. Rock last appeared on Luke Bryan’s “What Makes You Country Tour” in 2018.

About Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium, located in Foxborough, Mass., is New England’s premier sports and entertainment venue. The 65,878-seat stadium is the full-time home of the NFL’s six-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, which has sold out every home game at Gillette Stadium since the venue opened in 2002. Gillette Stadium is also the home field of the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer and one of the world’s top grossing concert venues, according to Billboard and Pollstar. Other notable sporting events held at Gillette Stadium include the 2016 NHL Winter Classic, international soccer matches, NCAA athletics, professional lacrosse, motor sports and the Massachusetts high school football state championships. For more information, visit www.GilletteStadium.com or follow @GilletteStadium on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.