With Rolling Stone celebrating Eric Church for “the most ambitious, vulnerable album of his career” in the lead review of the May print issue as Evangeline vs. The Machine arrived, May 2, the 10-time GRAMMY nominee embarks on what is perhaps the most radical chapter of his singular career spanning nearly two decades of rule-breaking and risk-taking music.

“People keep asking me about the ‘vs.’ in the title,” Church notes of his eighth studio album, named among today’s best releases by NPR’s “All Things Considered.” “They want to know, is it a battle, Eric? And I say, yes. It is a battle. A battle for everything creative. That’s the whole reason I’m here in the first place.”

As one of country music’s most fearless storytellers, Church knows that it’s never been a more important time to be a leader in this kind of war. There’s no in-between in life, in art, in a world where a computer program can create a song in a blink of an eye, but we can’t seem to keep our children safe or our people connected. So, you can fall in line with the machine, or you can fight against it. And Church has only ever been a fighter.

The world of Evangeline vs. The Machine is one of experimentation, creativity and surprise. It is a collection of eight songs made to be listened to front-to-back, from an artist who has never given up hope on the power of the album. While suits in boardrooms are obsessed with manufacturing 30-second “songs” that go viral, prizing profits over creative freedom, Evangeline vs. The Machine refuses to surrender. It invites you to stay and fight with it.

For years, Church has become the gold standard for artists, in country music and far beyond, who refuse to play by the rules and insist on operating from their creative compass alone. He brought hard rock into country music with The Outsiders when everyone scoffed – and now it’s the roadmap for how to blend the two for this generation and beyond. He dropped Mr. Misunderstood on fans’ doorsteps without any warning; he fought scalpers to make sure Church Choir members could get tickets to his shows. When the machine demands we go left, he pushes right. When it fails, he shows up.

Church wrote the song “Evangeline” a few years back, before the album as it arrives now had been conceived. It opens with a declaration: “Still the man that I was, just a little more grey, a little more stay, a little less sting in my buzz. Still chasing a song between the verse and a bridge, I know life is just a chorus we sing along.” It is an ode to the muse that moves us, and the way that art and music bring us out of the darkness, if we let it.

“I’m basically pulling the curtain back and saying, ‘this is how I save myself,’” Church says. “I’ve been around a while now, and you know me and I know you, but I’m still bringing it back to the thing that lights a fire in me. And it’s still music.”

For Evangeline vs. The Machine, Church, producer Jay Joyce and longtime manager John Peets made sure that no old habits or tried-and-true techniques would keep things stale. Having no involvement in pre-production – as has usually been his custom – Church arrived to a full orchestra at the studio, ready to respond in real time with three or four takes, at most. He loved every second of being surrounded by so many musicians of all disciplines, forming a wall of sound that also included longtime collaborator Joanna Cotten and a backing choir.

“They were all able to contribute to the color of the canvas,” Church says. “They’re not just echoing what you’re singing, they’re playing a role in contributing to it. For a songwriter, that’s so inspiring.” At one point Church looked around, and he felt like he was in the middle of a movie set. “It was just so different than anything I’d ever done, so theatrical and cinematic. I just loved it.”

The whole thing came together in four days, originally as a six-song album. “Bleed on Paper” was the first recorded, a track that digs deep into Church’s own personal way of healing, in the best way he knows to fight: not just against the machine, but life’s darkest and most difficult moments: with song. “That’s the way I’ve dealt with tragedy and triumph and hurt and devastation in my life,” he says. “With a pen in my hand and a guitar.”

Church shows next what that looks like in real time: “Johnny” was written in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville. He sat in the parking lot the following morning after dropping his boys off at a nearby school, overcome by the tragedies in our world and how little we do to prevent them. Inspired by the timing of Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” coming through his speakers, he drove home and started writing immediately, using music as a salve to soothe those wounds. It all hinges on a central line: “machines control the people, and the people shoot at kids.” Phones, computers, misleading social media, a poisoned political climate. Suddenly, this is about far more than just art. It’s about survival.

The next songs to come, “Storm in Their Blood” and “Darkest Hour,” pick up where that idea leaves off. Church used “Darkest Hour” as a way to raise awareness and money for North Carolina after Hurricane Helene in late 2024, releasing the song ahead of the album and donating all of his publishing royalties to support a more resilient future for his home state. Still, the song is restlessly creative: packed with flute, French horn and trombone – not instrumentation typical of a country single. It creates the lead-in for the all-important “Evangeline,” where the interplay between Church, the choir and the orchestra lands in a musical dialogue, communicating with words, sounds, feeling.

The album ends on a cover of Tom Waits’ “Clap Hands,” a dystopian, wildly sonically experimental song. Church had been watching a movie on Netflix, and “Clap Hands” came on as the outro. He liked the anxiety of it, how it serves as a cautionary tale. Ominous, foreboding, a vision of the world if we keep going full force as we are. “Roar, roar, the thunder and the roar, son of a bitch is never comin’ back here no more.”

Originally it was going to end there, at six songs long. But at the end of the recording process, Church wasn’t quite satisfied. “Jay asked me, ‘what do you feel?’” Church recalls. “And I said, ‘man, I love it, but it’s missing a little break from the tension and the drama. It’s missing just a little smile.’”

Thus, the rollicking “Rocket’s White Lincoln” was born, a solo Church write with some of his most vibrant lyrics and musical composition to match, and “Hands of Time,” which became the album’s opener. Already a hit on country radio, Church hopes it serves as a gateway to the album as a whole and a reminder of the music that built him, too.

“I usually don’t work with artists this long,” says Joyce, who believes this is the best album Church has ever made, “but every time I work with him, it becomes something completely different. I don’t know how he finds it, but he keeps it loose. He doesn’t get uptight about it, or have preconceived plans about it. He’s very open to whatever environment is put in front of him. He’s just his own universe, which is what everybody wants.”

Evangeline vs. The Machine is an album that battles for art in both its sheer existence and in the songs that it comprises: its stories and sonic landscapes paint a vivid picture of how essential it is to fight for creativity, to fight for music, to fight against the lure of pure commercialism or commerce or trends. And to fight for the album itself as an idea and a medium worth going to bat for, until the river runs dry.

“I believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art,” Church says. He hopes that making an album like Evangeline vs. The Machine will show other artists that there are many creative and different ways to make music, far beyond a quick TikTok soundbite. At this point in his career, he knows he’s in a rare position to lead the way and take chances.

“An album is the ultimate creative expression, and the way we consume art now just takes the edges off that creativity. It’s built to confine it, to choke it out,” he says. “And with this record, it’s really my way of fighting for the creative spirit, that spirit of ‘Evangeline.’ Because I know that where we are in the world, it probably shouldn’t exist. But it does. It can live here. It can run free here.”

“And,” Church adds, “the best music has to fight the hardest to get out.”

Ahead of performing on this week’s Academy of Country Music Awards, where she holds the title of winningest artist in ACM history, country music superstar Miranda Lambert lit up the “American Idol” stage during this week’s Top 10 episode. In addition to serving as a guest mentor, Lambert delivered a fiery performance in celebration of the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough hit “Kerosene.”

Lambert brought her signature authenticity and sharp musical instincts to “Idol” rehearsals this week, offering guidance and encouragement to each of the 10 remaining hopefuls. Her appearance gave viewers a firsthand look echoing her latest endeavor as co-founder of Big Loud Texas, a label imprint aimed at supporting and developing rising talent. With her passion for nurturing artists on full display, Lambert’s mentorship marked a powerful moment in this season’s competition.

As she performed her iconic single “Kerosene,” Lambert also celebrated a personal milestone – the 20th anniversary of that breakthrough album, now available on vinyl for the first time ever. The high-octane performance reminded audiences why she remains celebrated by NPR as the “backbone of contemporary country music” two decades into her storied career.

That record kicked off a run of 10 consecutive Top 10 albums, with the latest, Postcards from Texas (featuring current single “Run”), available everywhere now. The three-time GRAMMY Award-winner next performs on this week’s ACM Awards, airing live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 8. Lambert is also set to join Morgan Wallen for several stadium dates of the upcoming I’m The Problem Tour, while headlining sets at festivals and one-off dates this summer including Country Stampede, Lakefront Music Fest, Field & Stream Music Fest and more.

About Miranda Lambert
Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multi-faceted career as an artist, entertainer, entrepreneur, advocate and businesswoman with an unflinching quest for excellence, honesty and conviction. Her 10th solo studio album, Postcards from Texas, available everywhere now via Republic Records, continued her unbroken streak of 10 consecutive Top 10s on the Top Country Albums chart. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, including their top honor for Entertainer of the Year, she has also won three GRAMMYs and 14 Country Music Association Awards. A TIME100 honoree and perennial best-of-the-year list maker at the New York Times, TIME, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Stereogum, People and more, NPR has called her “the most riveting country star of her generation.”

A multi-dimensional superstar, she’s earned seven No. 1 solo albums, 10 No. 1 hit radio singles, more than 80 prestigious awards and countless RIAA certifications; conquered Las Vegas with her twice-extended Velvet Rodeo residency; blurred genres with Leon Bridges, the B-52s, Loretta Lynn, Enrique Iglesias, Sheryl Crow and Elle King; and delivered her LGBTQ+ inclusive anthem Y’all Means All” for Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” She’s taken those standards to become a New York Times bestselling author and the first female restaurateur on Lower Broadway with her Tex-Mex cantina Casa Rosa, while also expanding her creative reach with her Wanda June Home collection exclusive to Walmart and her Idyllwind clothing and boot line at Boot Barn. Her passion for rescue animals inspired the creation of her MuttNation Foundation, which has raised over $10 million since inception to promote adoption, support shelters across the country, advance spay & neuter and assist with the transport of animals during times of natural disaster.

The Academy of Country Music (ACM), Prime Video, and Dick Clark Productions (DCP) revealed Country superstar, Keith Urban, will be honored with the coveted ACM Triple Crown Award and honored with numerous performances of his songs by fellow artists at the Academy of Country Music Awards Presented by Carnival Cruise Line. Hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winning entertainment icon Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys.

The monumental show will feature performances honoring ACM Triple Crown Award recipient Keith Urban, with must-see performances of his chart-topping hits by Chris Stapleton, Megan Moroney, and Brothers Osborne. The ACM Triple Crown Award is a special recognition presented by the Academy of Country Music to artists who have won three distinct, prestigious awards, including New Artist of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year. Urban achieved this honor by winning Top New Male Vocalist in 2001, Male Vocalist of the Year in 2005 and 2006, and Entertainer of the Year in 2019, and he is the first artist to receive this honor on the ACM Awards since Carrie Underwood in 2010 at the 45th ACM Awards.

As previously announced, the milestone show will feature performances you won’t want to miss, including:

The celebration of 60 years of the ACM Awards will feature an opening with 12 minutes straight of music highlighting ACM Songs of the Year from six decades in an all-star performance that brings together Clint Black, Dan + Shay, LeAnn Rimes, Reba McEntire, Sugarland, and Wynonna Judd. Powerhouse duets, including a collaborative performance between Backstreet Boys and Rascal Flatts; a standout performance from Jelly Roll and Shaboozey; and Brooks & Dunn will take the stage with Cody Johnson. Performances from Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, and Miranda Lambert, as well as New Artist of the Year winners Ella Langley and Zach Top.

This Emmy-nominated, star-powered experience will feature unprecedented performances, exclusive collaborations, and unexpected moments from the biggest Country Music stars of the past, present, and future, all while celebrating the genre’s most iconic and emerging talent. A limited number of tickets to the landmark 60th ACM Awards are available for purchase on SeatGeek, offering fans exclusive entry into a nonstop celebration packed with performances by their favorite country stars and seats closer to the action than ever.

Established in 1966, the Academy of Country Music Awards is the longest-running Country Music awards show and made history in 2022 as the first major awards ceremony to exclusively livestream, in collaboration with Prime Video. The 60th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner, with Patrick Menton as co-executive producer. Damon Whiteside serves as executive producer for the Academy of Country Music, and Jay Penske and Barry Adelman serve as executive producers for DCP. John Saade will also continue to serve as consulting producer for Amazon MGM Studios.

In an extraordinary resurgence, 90-year-old entertainment icon and philanthropist Pat Boone has returned to the music charts. The most recent in an ongoing release of singles and albums, “One – Voices For Tanzania,” debuts at No. 28 on the A/C Adult Contemporary chart, marking his first Top 30 hit in decades. Boone’s last major chart success was in 1997 with In A Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, which landed at No. 125 on the Billboard 200. The song is also receiving airplay on country radio, further broadening its reach and impact.

This accomplishment highlights not only Boone’s lasting influence in the music industry but also his unwavering commitment to humanitarian efforts. “One – Voices For Tanzania” is more than a song—it’s a call to action supporting essential water projects in Tanzania, transforming Boone’s musical triumph into a dynamic force for global change. The proceeds from the song aid in funding clean water initiatives and providing essential services such as food, health care, and education for the Tanzanian people. Thanks to a generous WorldServe donor, all contributions will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the impact of each donation. “One – Voices For Tanzania” is now available across all streaming platforms.

As a result of the campaign associated with the single, significant strides have been made towards sustainable development; contributions raised are enough to finance a solar-powered well in Tanzania. This well is a sustainable water resource for a village of 2,000 to 5,000 people, showcasing the profound impact music can have on humanitarian projects.

Pat Boone is supported on the “ONE” recording by an illustrious group of artists, including Alabama, Deborah Allen, Billy Dean, Larry Gatlin, Vince Gill, Aaron Goodvin, Lee Greenwood, David B. Hooten, Jet Jurgensmeyer, MARK209, Wendy Moten, Pam Tillis, and Due West. The track also features Nashville’s Legacy Mission Village Singers—comprising refugees from Tanzania and Congo —and Tanzanian gospel artist Sebastian Silas & God Is Love, who recorded the song in Swahili titled “WAMOJA.”

The project was brought to life by Nashville-based producer-arranger Jimmy Nichols and renowned songwriter Frank Myers at the esteemed Starstruck Entertainment and Blackbird Studio.

In 2010, Boone and his late wife, Shirley, established the Pat Boone Family Life Center in Loiborsoit, Tanzania, in cooperation with GOD TV and WorldServe International, a non-profit organization committed to providing clean water, sanitation, education, and economic opportunities in Africa. Through Pat Boone World Missions, the couple provided foundational funding for a deep water well, a school, and the Shirley Boone Vegetable Garden, which continues to feed multiple villages. Their contributions have also helped develop a community center offering critical health services to families in surrounding areas.

According to WorldServe International, 319 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live without access to reliable drinking water, and 79 percent of rural households are without running water. Every day, women and children walk an average of three miles to the nearest water source to collect rationed, contaminated water for drinking, cooking, washing, and bathing.

Multi-time Diamond-certified superstar Darius Rucker returns to the historic Ryman Auditorium on Monday, June 2 for his 16th annual “Darius and Friends” concert benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. The event, which unofficially kicks off the week of CMA Fest in downtown Nashville and has raised more than $4.3 million to date, will feature a surprise all-star roster of friends as has become tradition at the annual celebration.

“As usual, the evening featured multiple servings of the country music industry’s past, present, and future for an essential cause,” noted the Tennessean in their review of last year’s show. “‘Darius and Friends’ has become a showcase for how much his superstar talents have expanded across genres after four decades of performing. Buying a ticket for the event ensures you’ll hear his country chart-toppers…And yes, there’s assuredly going to be some Hootie & the Blowfish classics…But the real win of the night is when Rucker steps out of his pre-supposed ‘comfort zones’ and as he did on Monday evening, performs songs like Bell Biv DeVoe’s ‘Poison,’ Tim McGraw’s ‘I Like It, I Love It’ and TLC’s ‘Waterfalls.’”

Rucker, who was honored as the 2023 CMA Humanitarian of the Year for always prioritizing philanthropic work throughout his career, made a commitment to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital nearly two decades ago after taking an inspiring tour of the hospital. Through this meaningful experience, Rucker learned how St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Following that impactful 2008 visit, Rucker’s effort has since become an annual tradition. Friends performing with Rucker in past years have included Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Dan + Shay, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, Jelly Roll, Charles Kelley of Lady A, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Megan Moroney, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers and Tommy Thayer of KISS, among many others.

Tickets to the 16th annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert are available via AXS.com. Pre-sale access begins tomorrow, May 1 at 10 a.m. CT, with tickets on sale to the general public this Friday, May 2 at 10 a.m. CT. The event is made possible with support from generous sponsors AMD and The Law Office of Jennifer McCoy.

About Darius Rucker
Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Double Diamond-certified (22x Platinum) debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012 and he won his third career GRAMMY Award in 2014 for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) version of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time. His latest album Carolyn’s Boy (featuring recent single “Never Been Over” with Jennifer Nettles) is available everywhere now as is his New York Times bestselling memoir “Life’s Too Short,” released via Dey Street in 2024.

As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. and has raised over $4.3 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert and golf tournament. In addition, Rucker has advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and serves as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. Rucker is also an avid sports fan, with his Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics line of NFL, MLB, NHL and NCAA apparel available via Fanatics.com, and he is part of the Music City Baseball investment group working to bring an MLB team to Tennessee in addition to serving as a partner at the MGC Sports & Entertainment agency.