Country Powerhouse Readies Fans for More New Music in 2022

Named as “one of the best voices in the genre” by Rolling Stone, country powerhouse and Mississippi-born singer/songwriter Randy Houser delivers the first taste of new music since 2019’s critically acclaimed Magnolia with the release of “Note To Self,” a perceptive, knowing song, penned with the wisdom of a life fully lived. “Note To Self” is available everywhere now.

“We spent a lot of time writing over the last couple of years, and this is one of the first songs that we cut,” shares Houser. “I knew it was special as it came together in the room, and it really paints a picture of the reflective mindset many of us have been in recently. I think we’ve all learned more about ourselves and the things that really matter in life.”

Written by Houser with Ross Copperman, Casey Beathard and Bobby Pinson, and produced by Houser with Blake Chancey, “Note To Self” offers deliberate introspection, challenging the listener to reflect and consider hard truths:

Note to self
A truck only goes so far on half a tank
That credit card ain’t money in the bank
If it don’t sound like a good idea, it probably ain’t

Note to self
You can’t change a way she’s gonna change her mind
She might love you, but she won’t like you all the time
‘Stead of taking her for granted take her somewhere nice
Note to self

Followed by the hard-hitting chorus, showcasing the New York Times dubbed “rich, vicious” voice from the “singer with a tremendous amount of vocal force”:

Love ain’t diamond rings
Bigger don’t always mean better
The grass ain’t always green
Money don’t grow on trees ever
Can’t make somebody be made for you
God ain’t gonna do the praying for you
Whiskey’s best left up there on a shelf
Note to self

Kentucky natives Ricky Skaggs and Steven Curtis Chapman raised over $200,000 for victims of the devastating Mayfield, Ky. tornado via Samaritan’s Purse at their sold-out benefit concert. Held Feb. 20 at Heartland Church in Chapman’s hometown of Paducah, the uplifting evening also included performances from Jason Crabb, Larry Stewart and more.

The Kentucky Tornado Relief Benefit Concert received support from numerous organizations committed to helping the region recover. Blue Wolf Capital Partners, The State Group and the family of companies throughout Kentucky (Rick’s Electric, Beltline Electric, Comstock Electric and Delta Services) sponsored the event. US Bank of Paducah, Baptist Health, Golden Rules Sign, Price Foundation and Fourteen Foods served as partners. Mercy Chefs provided catering, while Chick-fil-A also supplied everyone with a free meal. Tornado relief donations can still be made via Samaritan’s Purse at kytornadobenefit.com.

​​“Sometimes amazing beauty shows up in the most broken places, and that’s what it felt like happened in Paducah on the evening of Feb. 20. Out of a broken heart for a community broken by a devastating tornado, we all showed up to show love, bring encouragement and raise some money to help those most impacted… and it was truly a beautiful night! I’m so thankful for all who came to be a part of the night, on stage and in the audience, and all the generous sponsors who helped make it possible. And I’m especially grateful for Samaritan’s Purse for partnering with us and continuing to care for the people of Mayfield,” shared Chapman.

“I want to thank all the folks who came out and supported the benefit for Mayfield, Ky. last Sunday night. We thank our sponsors. We couldn’t have done this show without you. I believe God blessed all of our efforts,” stated Skaggs.

“The people of Kentucky are some of the most hard-working, humble and loving people you’ll ever meet. They’re the first to say, ‘make sure you take care of others before you take care of me!’ That’s just how us Kentucky people are. To see my friends and fellow Kentucky boys chip in and help just warmed my heart so much. Thank you Steven Curtis Chapman, Ricky Skaggs and Samaritan’s Purse for inviting me to be a part of a wonderful evening to help our Kentucky friends and neighbors!” expressed Crabb.

“I was so honored to be asked to perform in my hometown for the tornado relief concert and to join Steven Curtis, Ricky and Jason for a magical evening of music. I am so thankful and appreciative of the support from the full house and the giving spirit and love shown for the people of Mayfield,” added Stewart.

Based in Boone, N.C., Samaritan’s Purse responds to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations, especially in locations where few others are working. Led by President and CEO Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution. For more information, visit SamaritansPurse.org.

Current Single/Duet with Lainey Wilson “Never Say Never” In Top 15 and Rising on the Country Charts

Grammy-nominated multi-Platinum superstar Cole Swindell has released a new song, “Down To The Bar,” featuring HARDY, today from his upcoming fourth album, Stereotype. “Down To The Bar” is the namesake of his current headlining tour, Down To The Bar Tour, which launched in February and runs through April 3.

Gold Certification Follows First-Ever ACM Nomination for New Female Artist of the Year

Mercury Nashville recording artist and ACM New Female Artist of the Year Nominee, Priscilla Block, hit another milestone in her thriving young career on Friday (Feb. 18) while joining SiriusXM’s Buzz Brainard for The Highway’s Music Row Happy Hour. In the studio to surprise Priscilla, RIAA’s Jackie Jones popped into the live broadcast saying, “I am here to do one of my favorite things – to give an artist their very first certification. I’d like to congratulate you on your first Gold record!” and presented Priscilla with a “Just About Over You” Gold Certification plaque for the hit single.

“I’m at a loss for words!” shared a stunned Priscilla. “This is because of y’all [family, friends, supporters, and fans] MY FIRST CERTIFIED GOLD SINGLE. Thank y’all for keeping music alive and continuing to buy and stream my music and letting me have a dang career doing what I love!”

Making it all the sweeter was getting to share the moment with her friends at SiriusXM, who pegged Priscilla as one of its Highway Finds back before she had fully caught the attention of Music Row.

Since exploding onto the Country music scene in 2020 and building a fanbase via TikTok with hit viral songs like “Thick Thighs,” “PMS” and “Just About Over You,” Priscilla has landed on numerous Artist to Watch lists including Amazon Music, CMT, MusicRow, Spotify, Sounds Like Nashville, Pandora and more. Her major label debut album, Welcome to the Block Party, is available now, her brand-new single “My Bar” is currently playing on country radio, and fans can find Priscilla on the road headlining her first-ever Welcome to the Block Party Tour.

Receives Nods for Female Artist of the Year, Video of the Year + Music Event of the Year for “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”

With multiple sold-out shows during the first leg of her 50+ dates on the This Town Talks Tour, including a milestone three-night headlining debut residency at Ryman Auditorium, Ashley McBryde continues her ascension in the format with three 2022 nominations from The Academy of Country Music, including her third nomination for Female Artist of the Year, Video of the Year and Music Event of the Year for “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” her chart-climbing duet with Carly Pearce.

“What an honor to be recognized by our peers and the Academy. There’s nothing better than celebrating alongside all the powerhouse female artists in this category,” shares the three-time Female Artist of the Year nominee, “and what a treat to be nominated with my friend Carly for Video of the Year and Music Event of the Year on a song we wrote together. Thank you to the fans for listening to our stories and for sharing yours in return. These moments wouldn’t exist without you.”

In between tour dates, McBryde has been writing and recording new music to be announced later this year. Dubbed “one of the most empathetic songwriters of her generation” by NPR, the Arkansas-native has been dropping hints and sharing some behind-the-scenes photos from her time in the studio with her band Deadhorse on social media, encouraging fans to get excited for the first taste of new music in nearly two years.

As the follow-up to 2018’s breakthrough major-label debut Girl Going Nowhere, McBryde’s Never Will  (Warner Music Nashville) was released to critical acclaim, earning a title early on in 2020 as one of the best albums of the year to-date by SPIN, Variety, Billboard, Paste, Esquire, Stereogum and American Songwriter, and ultimately receiving the title of Best Album from Nashville Scene’s 21st Annual Country Music Critics’ Poll.

The 11-track collection also earned a spot in the Top 20 of Rolling Stone’s all-genre “Best Albums of 2020,” celebrating the record as “this year’s most adventurous mainstream country album” while landing at No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s “Best Country and Americana Albums of 2020,” proclaiming it “re-creates the trick McBryde pulled off on her stellar debut: proving that honest-to-goodness country songs can have commercial appeal.”

“Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” McBryde’s duet with fellow nominee Pearce, continues to climb the charts at Country radio, currently in the Top 15 on the Country Aircheck chart and at No. 17 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The song was dubbed by Rolling Stone as a “spiritual descendant of Reba McEntire and Linda Davis’ classic ‘Does He Love You’” that “ditches the campy melodrama for a bracing jolt of regret and clarity,” while MusicRow sums it up with a similar sentiment: “In a word, sensational…For the love of country music, play this.”

McBryde headlined over 30 shows in 2021 along with supporting dates on Luke Combs’ What You See Is What You Get Tour. The This Town Talks Tour continues tonight at The Bluestone in Columbus, Ohio with Ashland Craft as support on the remaining shows. Additional dates and tickets are available at AshleyMcBryde.com.