September 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Capitol Records NashvilleAs the Friday release date nears for Carrie Underwood’s holiday album, My Gift, the singer reveals that she’s got yet another holiday treat in store for fans.

This week, Carrie revealed that she’ll release a holiday television special on HBO Max to go along with her new album. The show, which is set to shoot this fall in time for the holiday season, will feature Carrie performing songs off of My Gift. She’ll be backed by a live orchestra and choir.

The singer says that she can’t wait to add a visual component to her new holiday collection, which is the first full-length Christmas album she’s ever released.

“The journey of writing and recording this album started last year when I finished my tour, and we could have never anticipated the circumstances we would be in this year,” Carrie explains. “Creating this album has been good for my heart, and I’m thrilled to get to share it with the world and bring it to life with Playtone and HBO Max.”

The My Gift special is produced in partnership with Playtone, which is Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s film and television production company. Carrie also co-executive produces the event, along with her manager, Ann Edelbute.

My Gift is due for release on September 25, and will be available on special red vinyl on October 30. Ahead of release day, Carrie shared one of the tracks on the album, her rendition of “Let There Be Peace.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LA Fresh off winning Group and Song of the Year at last week’s ACM Awards, Old Dominion‘s heading back into the studio to start work on their next album. 

And in a rare bright spot in a year when they can’t play live shows because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ll get to make their record in a way they’ve always envisioned.

“The cool thing is we are looking forward to making more music,” lead singer Matthew Ramsey tells ABC Audio. “So we actually decided, ‘You know what? We’ve always talked about, “Wouldn’t be great to make an album like they did in the old days where they had all the time in the world, and they just lived in the studio and went in there and created? And when they were done, they left.”‘”

So the “Never Be Sorry” hitmakers are headed outside Nashville.

“We actually booked a recording studio in another town,” Matthew explains. “And it’s got a house and everything, and we’re just going to live for like a month.”

“And we have no plan,” he adds. “We’re just gonna go in there and come out with something. We’ll see, you know.”

So far, OD’s excited about their prospects.

“I think it’s gonna be good,” Matthew says, “because we’ve started to sort of work on things here. And the things that we’re kind of playing with are really different and really cool, and [it’s] exciting for us to be able to create again.”

Still, Matthew jokes it could go either way: “I was talking to my brother the other day… and I said, ‘We’re either gonna come out with something great or kill each other — or both!'”  

OD also vies for Vocal Group and Album of the Year at the CMA Awards November 11 on ABC.

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 23, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

John Shearer/Getty Images for Sony Music NashvilleEver since Kane Brown and his wife, Katelyn, welcomed baby girl Kingsley in October of last year, the proud parents have been happily adjusting to life as a family of three. In fact, the singer says he’s such a big fan of dad life that he’s not done having babies just yet.

“Kingsley has changed my life. She smiles at me and my heart melts,” Kane tells Extra. “I want a little boy, too. I want a boy and a girl.”

However, Kane’s not sugar-coating how tough parenting is, especially since his daughter seems to have inherited his famous pipes.

“She can scream so loud she’ll make your ears bleed,” he adds with a smile.

When he’s not on dad duty, Kane is gearing up for an exciting performance: This Saturday, he’ll helm his one-night-only drive-in show, which will be simulcast to more than 300 drive-in theaters across the U.S. and Canada.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 23, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC

Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren, are proud parents to three adorable little girls: Willa Gray, Ada James and Lennon Love. While Ada and Lennon are the couple’s biological children, Willa was adopted, and traveled to the U.S. from her native country of Uganda. 

As the only Black child in a white family, Thomas says he and Lauren are making sure that their children have “open conversations” about the similarities and differences between them. 

“It’s something we talk about really openly,” the singer explains to ET Online. “I think me and Lauren’s main thing we want to get across is how proud we are and that we want her to grow up proud of herself and her family.”

As the parent of a Black child, Thomas says that watching the current news cycle of police brutality, protests and racial injustice is especially heart-wrenching. 

“We just try to preach to our kids to shine your light everywhere you go and realize that the world is cruel, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be,” he reflects. “We’re still dealing with it just like everybody else and we’re still trying to ask the right questions and educate ourselves as well.”

Willa knows that her family “looks a lot different” than other families, Thomas goes on to say, but he hopes she’ll continue to embrace those differences, and her Ugandan heritage, as she grows up. 

“[We want to teach her] to embrace who you are and to embrace your uniqueness and embrace your culture as well,” he says. “That’s something we want to educate her on as long as she’s still in our household and even beyond that.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 23, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LABlake Shelton will bring a little country flair to the stage of NBC’s America’s Got Talent tonight: He’s signed on to perform during the show’s Season 15 finale. Blake is one of several stars who are on deck to take the stage, though he’s the only country performer in the bunch.

Blake will appearl appear alongside pop singer/songwriter Julia Michaels — Keith Urban’s duet partner on “Coming Home” — as well as Usher, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, rising pop star Ava Max and more. 

Ahead of his performance, Blake joked on social media that his upcoming spot on AGT represents a bit of a flipped script: Thanks to his role as coach on The Voice, he’s used to being in the judge’s seat, not on stage.

“Y’all think the judges will hit that golden buzzer for me…?” he wrote. 

He didn’t offer any hints as to what he’ll be performing when he takes the stage.

AGT kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. In the hour prior to the finale, fans can watch a recap show featuring season highlights and behind-the-scenes footage.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Headed to the @AGT stage tonight! Y’all think the judges will hit that golden buzzer for me…? #AGTfinale pic.twitter.com/5qw3rXFyGI

— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) September 23, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js