September 18, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Mercury NashvilleMaddie & Tae get into the holiday spirit with their new mix of festive classics and seasonal originals, We Need Christmas. The duo say they hope their new batch of tunes will bring some fun and excitement at the end of what has been a challenging year for many.

“We are so proud of this project and loved recreating some of our favorite Christmas classics as well as [writing] some of our own,” explain Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr.

“Making We Need Christmas was such a bright spot for us this year,” they add,  “and we hope this project brings a little joy and peace to our fans during this difficult year.”

We Need Christmas includes two original tunes: The title track and “Merry Married Christmas.” The two bandmates each had a hand in writing both those tracks, and appropriately enough, Taylor’s husband Josh Kerr contributed his notable songwriting talents to “Merry Married Christmas.”

The project is due out on October 23. It’s available for preorder on the duo’s website, along with a special limited edition line of holiday-themed merchandise. You can pick up bundles including a custom candle, Christmas tree ornament, pajama sleep set and more.

Here’s the track list for We Need Christmas:

“This Christmas”
“Holly Jolly Christmas”
“O Come All Ye Faithful”
“Merry Married Christmas”
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
“We Need Christmas”

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

September 18, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Warner Music NashvilleCountry crooner Brett Eldredge knows that a song by Billie Eilish is far from the first thing fans expect him to cover, but he’s a big fan of the pop phenomenon’s catalogue. That’s why he was inspired to deliver his own live take on “When the Party’s Over,” which is out today.

Brett had dropped “When the Party’s Over” into his set during his most recent European tour. The released version was recorded during his show in Glasgow, Scotland, which was actually the first time he and his band performed it.

“I heard this song a year or two ago and I just love how unique of an artist she is and the complex nature of the songs she writes,” Brett gushes. “I love how emotional and intense they are and could tell she had to grow up fast and really puts her life out there in her music.”

As someone who took a break from technology and shut out the outside world while he made his most recent album Sunday Drive, Brett knows first-hand how difficult it can be for songwriters to figure out what they want to say. That’s another reason why he’s so impressed by 18-year-old Billie.

“I think it’s a powerful thing to be that young and to have found your voice, and it speaks to people of all ages,” he points out.

“For whatever reason, when people hear my cover of this song, I think they’d say to themselves, ‘I didn’t see that coming at all,’” but that’s exactly what I wanted because when I heard it I thought, ‘Man, I could do something special with this,’” Brett adds.

“I’m so grateful for the song that she’s written and grateful to be able to sing it.”

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

September 18, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

BMLG RecordsJennifer Nettles lends her soaring harmonies to “Do What You Can,” a song written and previously released by Bon Jovi in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When you can’t do what you do, you do what you can / This ain’t my prayer, it’s just a thought I’m wanting to send,” the two artists sing in the uplifting chorus.

“‘Round here we bend but don’t break/Down here we all understand/When you can’t do what you do, you do what you can.”

The music video for the new song is even more suited to the times, with scenes of an eerily empty New York City. Jennifer and Jon Bon Jovi wear masks as they wander the streets, surveying the impact COVID-19 has had as well as the resilience of essential workers who keep the gears of the city turning.

“Dedicated to the everyday heroes fighting to rise above this pandemic,” a note at the end of the clip explains.

Jennifer and Bon Jovi first announced their new collaboration earlier this week on social media, explaining that they were excited to try and recapture some of the magic dust from their duet 15 years ago: the Grammy-winning “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.”

The original version of “Do What You Can” will appear on Bon Jovi’s new album 2020, which is due October 2.

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

September 18, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of Amazon MusicOld Dominion puts a fresh spin on a classic today with the release of their “Lean on Me,” an Amazon Original cover of Bill Withers’ timeless friendship anthem from 1972.

Though the feel-good message of finding mutual support and understanding in your community never loses relevance, it’s a particularly poignant message in 2020, amid worldwide division, a global pandemic, a rejuvenated Civil Rights movement and more.

“We chose ‘Lean on Me’ because it’s a song that’s really timely right now,” explains bandmate Brad Tursi. “Everyone’s just a little on edge and we need to lean on each other in these times.”

The band stays true to the feel-good vibes of the original song, while also adding their own personal touches to their version of “Lean on Me.”

“We switched it up and made the chords just a little bit more angsty and put our own spin on it, so we hope you all like it,” Brad adds.

It’s also a sweet tribute to the late Withers, who died on March 30, 2020 at the age of 81.

Old Dominion’s version of “Lean on Me” is available exclusively on Amazon Music. It comes out just a couple of days after the 2020 ACM Awards, where the band brought home two trophies: Group of the Year and Song of the Year for “One Man Band.”

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

We cut #leanonme as an #amazonoriginal because it’s a song that’s timely right now. Everyone’s a little on edge & we need to lean on each other in these times. We switched it up & made the chords a little more angsty & put our spin on it. https://t.co/QS8UWKyTc2 @amazonmusic pic.twitter.com/cs9HsCLrfn

— Old Dominion (@OldDominion) September 18, 2020

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September 18, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

River House Artists/Columbia NashvilleHot on the heels of his ACM Album of the Year win for What You See Is What You Get, Luke Combs is readying a deluxe version of that project, and it will include five new songs.

On Friday, the singer was ready to shed some light on the new material included on his deluxe album, which is called What You See Ain’t Always What You Get. He offered up the list of new tracks in an Instagram post, and even dropped one in full to tide fans over until the rest are released.

That song is “Without You,” which features Highwoman and member of Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit Amanda Shires on fiddle. Though the Americana-leaning singer-songwriter might seem like an unusual choice of partner for a mainstream country artist, it’s not a huge surprise that Luke teamed up with Amanda: The pair previously performed “Beautiful Crazy” at the 2019 ACM Awards.

The song is a tender ode to Luke’s support system, paying tribute to the people in his life behind the scenes who make sacrifices so that he can pursue his musical dreams.

As for the rest of the new material? Fans will have to wait just a little bit longer to hear what Luke’s got in store. What You See Ain’t Always What You Get will be available on October 23.

In the meantime, here’s the list of new songs included on Luke’s deluxe album:

“Cold as You”
“The Other Guy”
“My Kinda Folk”
“Without You” (feat. Amanda Shires)
“Forever After All”

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