March 4, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAWhile Christmas 2021 may seem like it’s far in the future, Reba McEntire’s already cooking up her holiday plans. This spring, she’ll begin filming a music-themed holiday movie for Lifetime called Christmas in Tune, according to ET Online.

Christmas in Tune will be a part of the channel’s annual “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” holiday lineup. In addition to acting in and producing the movie, Reba will also contribute an original holiday song to the film.

“I am thrilled to partner with Lifetime for a return to television movies!” says Reba, who’s no stranger to TV and has an extensive acting resume under her belt. “My fans and I enjoy their programming and loved watching the Reba show there for so many years.”

The plot of the new movie follows a woman named Belle, a marketing executive concerned about her job’s security.  She tries to get her parents — who formerly together worked as a singing duo — to reunite for a charity Christmas concert. The catch? Her parents have been feuding for years, and aren’t planning to start speaking to each other again anytime soon.

But of course, along the way, Belle finds the answers to her own problems, and even starts a new romance with an intriguing leading man.

Prior to the announcement of her new holiday movie, Reba had a small but memorable cameo in Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo’s new comedy, Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 4, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

BBR Music GroupListening to Runaway June‘s “We Were Rich” can be a lot like climbing in a time machine and re-living the best parts of childhood. 

It’s a phenomenon lead singer Naomi Cooke experienced herself the very first time she heard the trio’s latest hit.

“There’s a line in the song that says, ‘One bathroom sink, we all took turns,'” she recalls. “It was like right at the beginning of the song… I kind of had a flashback of, like, all of us sharing this bathroom, banging on the door.”

“You know, ‘She’s hogging the bathroom, and you’re gonna use all the hot water…'” Naomi continues. “And my mom being like, ‘Let your sister in!’ And it was… so powerful, that memory. I just started crying.”

Growing up in Florida, Naomi says she “felt lucky a lot.”

“We got to sleep outside any time we wanted to, and I knew other kids weren’t allowed to do that…” she tells ABC Audio. “Or my dad would let us vacuum out his work van, and we’d find change.”

Naomi says a trip to get ice cream usually followed.

Natalie Stovall‘s family, however, found their treats in slightly more unusual places.

“We would go eat fried chicken after church,” she explains. “But the best fried chicken in town was at the hospital cafeteria. And as a kid, I never thought that was weird. I didn’t think it was weird at all.”

“I was so excited,” Natalie continues, as Naomi and Jennifer Wayne laugh. “‘Can we go to the hospital today?’ I wanted to go to the cafeteria and eat fried chicken in my Sunday dress!”  

You can get a closer look at Natalie’s hometown in the “We Were Rich” music video, which was filmed on the outskirts of Nashville in Columbia, Tennessee. 

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 3, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCMiranda Lambert got fans talking earlier this week when she responded to one follower’s suggestion that it would “save 2021” if she released a Texas red dirt album with a winking smiley face emoji.

In that post the singer also tagged two fellow Texans, Jon Randall and Jack Ingram, who she’s worked with quite a bit in the past: The trio co-wrote Miranda’s 2018 ACM Song of the Year-winning “Tin Man” and, more recently, “Tequila Does.”

After a few more days of dropping hints — posting another cryptic photo, along with the caption, “We don’t know what we’re doing, but we know we’re supposed to be doing it” — Miranda is officially ready to share details.

“Every time I need an escape, I go to Marfa, Texas,” she tweeted on Wednesday. “[Jack Ingram] and [Jon Randall] come. We recharge. We get inspired by its beauty. We write songs. ‘Tin Man’ was the first we shared with you. ‘Tequila Does,’ the second.”

But those two tracks weren’t the last songs to emerge from her musical retreats in Marfa, Miranda continued: “In between, we’ve written 13 more. It’s about time to share them w/ y’all.”

So far, there’s no official word on when fans can expect the new music.

It’s been a busy few weeks for Miranda, who also released a new collaboration with rocker Elle King, “Drunk (and I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” late last month.

Every time I need an escape, I go to Marfa TX. @JackIngram & @jonrandallmusic come. We recharge. We get inspired by its beauty. We write songs. Tin Man was the 1st we shared with you. Tequila Does, the 2nd. In between, we’ve written 13 more. It’s about time to share them w/ y’all pic.twitter.com/krh1NUeIli

— Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) March 3, 2021

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 3, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Big Machine RecordsThe country trio known as Midland — made up of Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson — are taking fans behind the scenes of their early days with a new documentary, called Midland: The Sonic Ranch.

In the film, the three performers will share their earliest bonds and what led them to form a band together. It all started when acquaintances Mark and Jess reconnected during Cameron’s wedding, initially bonding over their mutual love of throwback, vintage country. In the midst of an era where “bro country” reigned on the radio, it was a style that seemed to be dying out.

While it was Mark and Jess who initially decided to book some time together at Sonic Ranch, a studio located in the middle of an operating pecan orchard in Tornillo, Texas, Cameron ultimately tagged along and organically became the third member of the group.

“We weren’t 100% when we walked in the door, beyond Mark and Jess were going to record these songs and see what this sound really was,” Cameron remembers. “By the time we walked out, all three of us knew this was a sound that didn’t exist, and it was a kind of country music we really loved.”

The 12 songs they recorded at Sonic Ranch that day will be released as the soundtrack to the documentary. Before the documentary premieres, the band are previewing the soundtrack with one track, “Cowgirl Blues.”

Midland: The Sonic Ranch will premiere on CMT on March 19. You can pre-order the soundtrack now.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 3, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCChris Stapleton has teamed up with Buffalo Trace Distillery to celebrate good whiskey for a good cause.

In honor of the anniversary of the Bottled in Bond Act — which passed on March 3, 1897 and gives whiskey bottles a mark of authenticity — Buffalo Trace created a limited-edition line of E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel bourbon, named for the Colonel who spearheaded the passage of the act.

As it turns out, that particular brand has an important place in Chris’ own musical history.

“The first glass of E.H. Taylor, Jr. I ever had was in the studio. Vance Powell, engineer of both music & good times, brought a bottle to the session for inspiration,” the singer recounts. “That week we recorded an entire album, and that album was Traveller. We’ve made it a point to keep a bottle around ever since.”

For the new, limited edition release, the distillery partnered with Outlaw State of Kind, the charity helmed by Chris and his wife, Morgane Stapleton. The first five bottles, which are personally autographed by Chris, are up for auction right now. Each one is valued at approximately $5,000.

All proceeds from the auction will support disaster relief in Texas and Kentucky. Bottles of the limited-edition E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel bourbon will continue to be auctioned throughout the year.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.