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Lauren Alaina is officially engaged to boyfriend Cam Arnold, the country singer revealed to fans this weekend.
Alaina first made the news public onstage at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night (Nov. 19).
“BRIDE be dang’d, y’all,” Alaina, who shifted over to Big Loud Records in July, wrote on Instagram on Sunday. “My best friend, @arnold.cam, asked me to marry him, and I announced it at my favorite place in the world, @opry.”
She added, “I didn’t know happiness and excitement like this existed. I can’t wait to be Mrs. Cameron Scott Arnold.”
In an interview with People, Alaina said of her now-fiancé, “He keeps me grounded and gives me a piece of a normal everyday life that I didn’t have before him. We have been together for two and a half years, and we are just getting started.”
“So happy for you, @laurenalaina,” the Grand Ole Opry account commented on Alaina’s post. “We love you!!!”
“Lucky guy! Super happy for y’all,” Jake Owen wrote in the comments.
“Congrats!!!” Little Big Town commented, while Carly Pearce gushed, “OMG YES SO HAPPY.”
See Alaina’s engagement announcement and happy couple photos on Instagram.
Stagecoach’s iconic Palomino Stage is getting the star treatment in 2023 with scheduled performances from Tyler Childers, Bryan Adams, Melissa Etheridge and more. The Palomino Stage, which offers an alternative sound to the main stage acts, will also feature sets from ZZ Top, Marty Stuart, Turnpike Troubadours and Nikki Lane, among others.
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Stagecoach festival will take place from April 28-30 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., following two weekends of Coachella on the same grounds. Ian Munsick, Keb’ Mo’, Valerie June, Sierra Ferrell, Jaime Wyatt, Sammy Kershaw and more will also take the Palomino Stage in 2023.
The country festival celebrates its 15th anniversary with a Palomino Stage that rivals previous years. The Palomino Stage has welcomed Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, George Jones, John Prine, Jerry Lee Lewis, Smokey Robinson, Emmylou Harris, Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Charley Pride, Tom Jones and Dwight Yoakam as well as today’s hottest, award-winning talent including Sturgill Simpson, Cody Jinks, Zach Bryan, Cody Johnson, Colter Wall, Charley Crockett, Margo Price and more over the years.
The 2023 edition of Stagecoach will also see headlining performances from superstars Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton. Additional artists on the Mane Stage include Brooks & Dunn, Jon Pardi, Old Dominion, Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Gabby Barrett, Parker McCollum, BRELAND, Elle King, Morgan Wade, Niko Moon and Kameron Marlowe.
Three-day passes for the country festival begin at $389 with VIP, camping and parking passes also available. New to this year’s festival is the Saloon pass, which offers fans access to standing room only areas on both sides of the Corral and access to the Rhinestone & Cowboy Saloons featuring specialty food and drink vendors, air-conditioned restrooms, shaded seating areas, and full bars. For more information on tickets and lineup, head here.
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Dierks Bentley with Billy Strings, “High Note”
Dierks Bentley teams with arena-touring bluegrasser Billy Strings for this ode to the mood-elevating aspects of bluegrass and weed, while the airy production builds into an all-in jam session with the addition of bluegrass legends Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and Bryan Sutton. The song is the first from Bentley’s upcoming album, set to arrive next year. Bentley, of course, is no stranger to the bluegrass/folk world, having released his own bluegrass-tinted album Up on the Ridge, in 2010.
Billy Strings, Me/And/Dad
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Strings has taken the bluegrass and Americana Music worlds by storm in recent years. Today, he releases Me/And/Dad, his first album with his father, Terry Barber. This 14-track mix of bluegrass and country classics the two have played together for years, including The Carter Family’s “The Wandering Boy,” George Jones’ “Life to Go,” and Doc Watson’s “Way Downtown.” Top-notch, wooly bluegrass picking wraps around distinct, family harmonies throughout the album.
Granger Smith, Moonrise
“Backroad Song” singer Smith is set to make his acting debut in the movie Moonrise on Dec. 15, but today he surprised fans today by dropping a 12-song album by the same name. Smith wrote or co-wrote every song on the album and every song will be featured in the movie. The songs contained here convey a range of life experiences, love and loss (“Something to Go On,” “Black Suit”) and the values his family is working to build (“This House”).
Nate Smith, “Wreckage”
Smith has been burning up Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart with his hard-charging song “Whiskey on You,” but with his latest, he proves he can just as deftly communicate a tender, vulnerable ballad. “When everyone else saw baggage/ you loved what no one could,” he sings. Smith will release his debut, self-titled album on Feb. 17.
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, “Country Star”
Stuart and his fabulous band come with a full-throttle blast of power from the first note, and refuse to let up, as they detail a vivid portrait of fame and life on the road. The group’s superior body of work will be honored next week, when they are inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame on Nov. 22.
Jason Nix, “Happy Accidents”
Nix is known for his writing contributions to Lainey Wilson’s No. 1 Country Airplay hit “Things a Man Oughta Know,” but he proves he’s got a winning vocal of his own here. His sometimes-lover “lives on gin, coffee and compliments,” and he pledges that if she takes him back again, “I’ll take the place the lonely’s always been.” A sturdy outing from an ace singer-songwriter.
Ashley Cooke, “Running Back”
Ashley Cooke is missing the teenage romance she had with the high school running back, even years after the breakup. Written by Cooke and Emily Weisband, this cooly moody track vibrates with a sleek pop sheen.
Bri Bagwell, Red or Green
Bagwell collects a few previously-released holiday singles for this four-track EP, along with a previously unreleased acoustic cover of the Elvis Presley classic “Blue Christmas,” infusing it with her smooth, New Mexico twang. A worthy collection to get anyone into a more relaxed holiday mood.
Brian Kelley, “Florida Strong”
Kelley, a native of the Sunshine State, shows his support for those impacted by natural disasters, with all of the royalties being split between the American Red Cross and the Florida Disaster Fund to help support hurricane relief. Written by Kelley, with production by Kelley with Kaitlin Owen, the track sails along pleasantly, leading up to a spoken-word section with Kelley reciting words of resilience and hope.
With songs like “Five More Minutes” and “This Is It,” Scotty McCreery has taken fans with him on his journey from dating his now-wife Gabi to the couple’s mountaintop engagement in 2017 to their wedding in North Carolina a year later. Now, they are settling into their new roles as parents. On Oct. 24, the couple welcomed their first child, son Merrick Avery McCreery (who goes by Avery).
“He’s awesome. He is healthy,” McCreery tells Billboard. “It’s been so cool just to watch him grow and it’s only been three weeks and we’re just getting started, but it’s been the joy of my life. It’s been incredible, and also just seeing Gabi be a mom—she’s worked so hard for nine months and is still crushing it. It’s been cool getting to do this together and just be there for him.”
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This week, McCreery released the music video for “It Matters to Her,” directed by Jeff Ray, who has helmed previous McCreery videos including “Five More Minutes” and “Damn Strait.” The video clip is essentially a digital scrapbook of the McCreerys’ journey to welcoming their son, with footage of the day Gabi found out she was pregnant (Feb. 25), as well as ultrasound appointments, painting the baby’s nursery and playing music for Avery in utero.
“I thought it would be a perfect thing to showcase our journey, pregnancy and that whole nine-month process. Gabi’s doing the hard work, or course, and it’s my job to help her and be there for her and just getting the house ready and getting ourselves ready, the dog ready, everything ready for Avery. The video came out better than I could have imagined. I’m excited for Avery to watch the video a few years from now and see what he thinks.”
As for which parent little Avery resembles at the moment, McCreery says, “I think everybody’s saying he looks a lot like me, but I see a little bit of his mama in there, too. And he’s got that little grin, that smile—it’s probably more of a reflex right now than anything, but he does that when he’s sleeping or dreaming but it’s just cute. We are loving every minute with him.”
Among the many baby gifts they have received are Louisiana State University onesies (McCreery’s a fan) and the book Goodnight Moon from McCreery’s family. “I remember that book being read to me when I was growing up,” McCreery recalls.
Given his own career in music which started in his teens via American Idol, McCreery says he will “absolutely” support his son if Avery shows a similar propensity for music.
“Music did so much for me even before I did it professionally. It was a passion of mine and it’ll always be a part of me. I think it’s huge for development, the arts and getting to use that creative side of your brain. I’ll encourage the heck out of Avery to do whatever he wants, but if it’s music, arts or anything, I hope he crushes it and does what he wants to do.”
While enjoying time at home with his newly expanded family, McCreery is also following up his five consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hits (including the three-week No. 1 “Damn Strait”) with the deluxe edition of his album Same Truck, which Triple Tigers releases today (Nov. 18), featuring six additional tracks.
McCreery’s approach to this album was different than his previous works, given that he had nearly a full album ready to go prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The world shuts down and we had all this time to write and record more songs.” McCreery says. “Those newer songs are what made the main Same Truck album, but then we had all these other songs already recorded and mastered. So instead of going back in and recording, we already had it. And I was kind of in the same creative mindset when I was writing those songs as I was with the newer songs, so it flowed really nicely and it feels like one cohesive project.”
After taking parental leave, McCreery returns to the road December, and he says touring will look different in the coming months and years.
“I’ve kind of had the same system for touring for the past 10 years, so it’s gonna come as a big shock, but in all the best ways. Next year, we are bringing out a baby bus, so Avery and Gabi will be out there, and [the couple’s yellow Labrador] Moose will be out there. It’s a family affair. And honestly, even before, when just Gabi was be out there, it always made the road better. I can be a hermit and stay on the bus all day, but when she’s out there, she’s like, ‘Let’s go hiking, let’s go see this.’”
In addition to touring, McCreery says he hopes to return to the studio early next year.
“I’m definitely more of an album cycle writer than a non-stop writer,” he says. “We are getting into that new phase of once the deluxe album is out, we’re writing for the next project. It’s exciting. It’s a new time for me. Life has changed dramatically over the last few weeks, so I got a lot of stuff to write about!”
And yes, McCreery says the next album could very well include a musical ode to Avery.
“I’ve already written a few for him, before he was born. But I would imagine there’s a song or two about little Avery on the next album,” he says.
Nearly a year after appearing on the December 2021-dated Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind, and after being heard in Paramount’s Yellowstone, Colter Wall’s “Sleeping on the Blacktop” takes the top spot of the October 2022 survey due to an appearance in Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters.
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Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of October 2022.
“Blacktop,” from Wall’s 2015 album Imaginary Appalachia, originally ranked at No. 2 in December 2021 thanks to its Yellowstone sync. It returns at No. 1 after being heard in Bad Sisters’ season one finale, which aired Oct. 14.
In October 2022, the song earned 7.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams and 2,000 downloads, according to Luminate.
“Wall” is joined by one other song from Bad Sisters’ season finale on Top TV Songs: First Aid Kit’s “My Silver Lining,” at No. 4, with 1.2 million streams and 1,000 downloads.
The highest non-Bad Sisters entry comes from Thunderstorm Artis, whose “Stronger” arrives at No. 2 after being heard in the 19th season premiere of ABC’s long-running Grey’s Anatomy.
“Stronger” snagged 379,000 streams and 1,000 downloads in October 2022.
See the full top 10 below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)1. “Sleeping on the Blacktop,” Colter Wall, Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)2. “Stronger,” Thunderstorm Artis, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)3. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” Lauryn Hill, From Scratch (Netflix)4. “My Silver Lining,” First Aid Kit, Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)5. “Fields of Gold,” Ava Cassidy, CSI: Miami (CBS)6. “Whiplash,” The Night Lands, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)7. “Angela,” Bob James, Rick and Morty (Cartoon Network)8. “The Crown of Jaehaerys,” Ramin Djawadi, House of the Dragon (HBO)9. “Per favore,” Nyv, From Scratch (Netflix)10. “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” Sade, Atlanta (FX)
Shania Twain will receive the Music Icon award at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, which are set to air on NBC and E! on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 9 p.m. ET/PT from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.
Christina Aguilera was the inaugural recipient of this honor last year. As previously announced, another top music star, Lizzo, is slated to receive this year’s People’s Champion Award, while actor and budding director Ryan Reynolds will receive the People’s Icon Award.
In addition to receiving the award, Twain will perform a medley of her greatest hits as well as her new song “Waking Up Dreaming” from her forthcoming sixth album Queen of Me, which is set for release on Feb. 3, 2023. This will mark her first appearance on the PCAs stage since 2005, when she took home the award for favorite country female singer.
“I’m so incredibly honored to be named ‘Music Icon,’” Twain said in a statement. “I have some of the greatest fans in the world. They have supported me since the early days, and it’s their love and passion that keeps me going. I’m thrilled to go back on tour and bring my new music and fan favorites to them, and what better way to start than at the People’s Choice Awards!”
“Live from E!: The 2022 People’s Choice Awards” will kick off the night with a red carpet special at 7 p.m. ET/PT on E!
The 2022 People’s Choice Awards and “Live From E!: The 2022 People’s Choice Awards” are both produced by Den of Thieves with executive producers Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski.
When the slate of Grammy nominees was announced on Tuesday (Nov. 15), Big Machine Music-signed songwriter Laura Veltz was among the inaugural class of nominees in the newly minted songwriter of the year (non-classical) category, nominated alongside Amy Allen, Nija Charles, Tobias Jesso Jr. and The-Dream.
Veltz’s multifarious songwriting talents cinched the nomination following her contributions to a lengthy list of songs in country and pop circles, including songs with Maren Morris (“Background Music,” “Humble Quest”), Demi Lovato (“29,” “Feed”) and Ingrid Andress (“Pain”). Veltz has previously been nominated a Grammy three times, all of them in the best country song category, for her work on Morris’ “The Bones” and “Better Than We Found It,” as well as Dan + Shay’s “Speechless.”
But to be nominated in the inaugural year of an all-genre category dedicated to songwriters is another thing entirely, Veltz says. “I’m still sort of in shock about the whole thing, just because of its historical nature,” she explains. “And I’m friends with a lot of the people who made this category happen, and I know a lot of people work so hard to make sure songwriters are recognized this way — so it’s so much beyond an honor.”
Fittingly, Veltz says she was entering a writing session in Nashville with co-writer Alyssa Vanderheym when she learned of her nomination.
“I started getting so many text messages that just said, ‘Congratulations!’ and it took me a full three minutes to get the tea of what I actually got. Then I just fell to the ground. I was so shocked. [Alyssa] was getting like 50,000 phone calls, just like I was, so our co-writer was like, ‘You guys should just go celebrate.’ So we did, we bailed on the session and celebrated and I went home and hugged my husband and all that stuff. It was so special.”
Below, Veltz talks with Billboard not only about the meaning the nomination holds for her, but how she hopes the songwriter of the year (non-classical) Grammy category serves as a harbinger for the songwriter advocacy being done on Capitol Hill.
What does this nomination mean to you, personally — as it is recognizing an overall body of work from a songwriter, instead of a specific song or songs on a specific album?
It is so centralized to my life experience — but it’s weird having my name in the list. I’ve been nominated for Grammys before, but it’s so tough within the wordage that it’s not as recognizable. It’s just absolutely bizarre to know that I moved around a lot as a kid, just thinking about all the high schools I’ve ever been to and all the churches I went to and everyone I’ve ever known. It’s just a weird thing to have my name associated with something like this.
You don’t sign up for that as a songwriter, typically, because we purposefully put ourselves behind the scenes. The fact that my name is associated with a body of work… it really is humbling, because it’s so different.
What does it mean for the songwriter community as a whole to be recognized with their own category at the Grammys?
It’s just such a change for my community, and such a change for the industry at large to have this on the ballot. It’s wild, too, because it’s such a community-driven thing. I’m watching my friends nominated in song categories. The song [of the year] nominations were really all we had for a really long time. Then people like Ross Golan and so many others expanded it to having a larger body of work on an album, that we suddenly are credited in that way [for the album of the year category].
So seeing all these people getting these nominations and now the crown jewel of it — having its own very own category — it’s very humbling and beautiful. Then, when it comes to things in on Capitol Hill and such, the fact that this might begin a new era where the recognition of the beginning of music — which is in fact the writing of a song — the fact that that might be a little bit more seen might lead to it being a little bit more valued.
“Background Music” is one of the songs you are being recognized for, which you wrote with Maren Morris and Jimmy Robbins.
As with me, Maren is continually willing to gut punch a song — and [get into] talking about the passing of time, talking about mortality and what we leave behind, and the truth that in a hundred years our names will be virtually forgotten no matter how dominant we are as creators. Just to write to that directly was so f–king fun. It sounds dark, but it really kinda helped me to live in the moment. And the fact that this was her idea, of “Background Music.”
My favorite lyric in the song is “Not everybody gets to leave a souvenir.” That is just the most true statement, and it makes being a songwriter, or any kind of creator… you just feel so lucky that you get to live a little longer, so to speak, than the average person, through such a gift. I’ve written so many songs with Maren, but I think that was the first time that we collectively made ourselves cry. All three of us were like, “Wow.”
Your work with Demi Lovato, especially on songs like “29,” is also being recognized.
The 13 songs that Demi and I wrote together [for Lovato’s album Holy Fvck] are some of my absolute most proud moments as a creator. Her willingness to say the uncomfortable thing and heal out loud. I am so proud of Holy Fvck. Every single song has a sting and a sweetness of just truth.
And “29” in particular — because the value of what you do as a songwriter, it ebbs and flows. Sometimes you earn a No. 1, sometimes you just reach the right person that needed to hear what you wrote. And this song falls under that feeling of “there are a group of people that needed to hear this song.” Most of them are young women. And just the idea that you can unplug the power of feeling of “Oh, he thinks I’m mature for my age.” I used to say that s–t. I used to feel that s–t, and I used to take it as a compliment. And I feel like we wrote a song that unplugged the power of those words. You are not mature for your age, they’re predators, and you need space to be a kid.
I love TikTok, and watching all of the thousands of women who use “29” as a reality check for their own dating history. Then the idea that those women will have daughters, then those daughters will have daughters. I can’t even wrap my head around the power of that song, by way of butterfly effect. We just decided to address something difficult. We said something difficult, we said it in the most eloquent way, and in a commercial way that it wasn’t in innuendo, it was clear as crystal. I feel like that is such a win as a songwriter.
Is there anything else you want to add about the songwriter of the year nomination?
I truly feel that the value of what a songwriter is could very well go extinct if we don’t put some actual value on what it is to write a song. I feel like it’s something that can just go unnoticed so many jobs that just go unnoticed. Then, when somebody goes on strike, you realize, ‘Oh, we do need those people.’ I feel like music would change entirely if it wasn’t appreciating the poets in the back of the classroom who just want to tell stories. We were meant to tell stories. Many of us are just born to tell stories and to not have the music medium for that — we’ll find our way because we’re resilient and because honestly, nothing in this world could stop us from telling these stories.
But [also], I just feel the gratitude that this category is now in play. I imagine the future, and it’s realizing that things need to change. I’m gonna be fine. I caught the right era. But the next generation of songwriters will literally go away. There’s no way it’s sustainable. Kids that are writing songs that are getting streamed millions of times, but they can’t keep their lights on at home — that’s not okay. I’m just really grateful that this category is in play and I’m really hoping that it traces itself backwards to how songwriters are paid. It needs to be addressed.
Following weeks of speculation by fans, “Old Town Road” singer Billy Ray Cyrus, 61, has confirmed that he is engaged to wed Australian singer-songwriter Firerose. Rumors swirled last month after both Cyrus and Firerose posted photos on social media that depicted Firerose wearing what looked like an engagement ring.
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Cyrus and Firerose confirmed the engagement to People, noting that Firerose moved into Cyrus’s Tennessee home during the summer. Cyrus proposed in August.
Firerose said that there was no traditional proposal — no ring or getting down on one knee.
“Billy looked at me and said, ‘Do you, do you wanna marry me?’ And I was just like, ‘Of course I do. I love you.’ He said, ‘I love you. I wanna make this official. I wanna be with you forever.’” Firerose later selected a diamond and designed her ring.
Cyrus and Firerose first met on the set of the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana 12 years ago and stayed in touch over the years.
“Our friendship was so solid over the years,” Firerose told People.
During the early days of the pandemic, they began writing songs together and in July 2021, they released the song “New Day.”
“She plays all of her own instruments and writes her own songs. We began sharing music, and it just evolved,” Cyrus said.
“Billy confided in me a lot of what was going on in his life,” Firerose added. “I was just the best friend I could possibly be, supporting him.”
“There was sickness and death, and hard times,” Cyrus said of how the pandemic impacted his life. “All of the sudden, the life that I’ve always known as a touring artist didn’t exist anymore. A moment of so much change. And at the same time, Firerose, who had been such a light of positivity, such a best friend. And then when we began sharing the music, it just evolved more into, as musical soulmates, to soulmates, happy, pure love that to me, I didn’t know could exist. Again, we’re musicians, first and foremost, both of us. And we found this harmony, and this rhythm, this melody to life.”
The new relationship follows Cyrus’s split from his ex-wife, Tish, in April, after three decades of marriage. Tish placed the divorce filing, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the cause. TMZ reported that according to court documents, the couple had been living apart for the past two years.
Billy Ray and Tish later provided a statement to People, saying, “It is after 30 years, five amazing children and a lifetime of memories, we have decided to go our separate ways — not with sadness, but with love in our hearts,” the statement read. “We have grown up together, raised a family we can be so proud of, and it is now time to create our own paths. We will always be family and look forward to a continued and loving shared experience as friends and parents. We have not come to this decision lightly or quickly but with so much going on in the world, we wanted to provide some clarity and closure, so we can remain focused on what is important…With Love and Hope… Tish and Billy Ray Cyrus.”
Shania Twain is clearly a big Harry Styles fan — so much so that she hopes to work with the former One Direction member on some music in the future, when the time is right.
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The country singer — who previously joined Styles onstage at Coachella in April to perform “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” and “You’re Still the One” — sat down on the Monday episode of TalkShopLive with TV personality Nancy O’Dell to talk about her forthcoming album, Queen of Me, the amount of music she’s sitting on and a possible Styles collab.
“I went up onstage with Harry Styles [at Coachella]. He invited me on his stage, which was so wonderful and [he’s a] lovely, lovely person. I want to say lovely kid, but I mean he’s not a kid anymore, is he? He’s a man,” she said of the “Watermelon Sugar” singer. “[A collaboration] would be my dream, yes. He’s busy making movies right now. I would love that. Put it out there! Make it happen, absolutely. And magic will happen, I’m sure.”
As for Twain’s latest album Queen of Me, she told TalkShopLive that the pandemic allowed her a significant amount of time to step back and write. The lockdown period was a prolific one for the singer, who says she developed multiple albums’ worth of material during the Queen of Me writing sessions.
“The COVID period gave me more time than I expected,” Twain said. “So I basically wrote four albums worth of music. This is just the beginning. I was so productive, I wrote a lot of music. So it was very difficult to narrow it down to what would then be this album, Queen of Me, but, of course, once I determined the real focus of the sentiment of the album, what I want to express personally out there right now, which is the Queen of Me message, be the queen of yourself, the boss of you and take responsibility for the good and the bad and everything that comes in between, so the songs naturally fell into place after that, once I had a good beginning, which was the title.”
When asked to clarify if it’s “truly” four separate albums from Queen of Me, Twain said: “Oh yes. Definitely.” Those albums will sadly not see the light of day anytime soon. “I think we’re going to have to wait for awhile. It’s going to be well over a year because I still have a tour coming up, I’ve got so many projects,” Twain added. “I’d say well over a year. Could be a couple years.”
Queen of Me will be released via Republic Nashville on Feb. 3, 2023. Watch Twain talk about the record and the Harry Styles collab in the video above.
When the Grammy nominations were revealed on Tuesday (Nov. 15) for the upcoming 2023 ceremony, Nashville-based artist and first-time Grammy nominee Molly Tuttle found herself among the 10 artists nominated in the all-genre best new artist category. Tuttle is also nominated in the best bluegrass album category, for her Nonesuch Records-released album Crooked Tree, recorded with band Golden Highway.
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“I was just in complete shock. I’m still shaking a little,” Tuttle tells Billboard.
“I was hoping for the bluegrass album category because that community means so much to me. I was trying to keep my expectations reasonable, like, ‘Well, if I don’t get it this year, I can try again next year,’” she adds. “But this means so much to me because I grew up playing bluegrass and going to bluegrass festivals. Then this whole new flood of messages came in that were like, ‘Holy s—, that’s crazy! Congrats!’ And I was like, ‘What happened?’ I had to look it up again and then I saw the best new artist nomination.”
She will compete for the best new artist title against Anitta, Domi & JD Beck, Latto, Måneskin, Muni Long, Omar Apollo, Samara Joy, Tobe Nwigwe and Wet Leg.
Of course, Tuttle is no stranger to upsetting an awards category–in 2017, Tuttle made history at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s IBMA Awards in 2017 when she was the first woman to be nominated for—and win—the IBMA’s guitar player of the year honor. She won the honor again the following year, and was also named instrumentalist of the year at the 2018 Americana Music Awards.
For her now-Grammy nominated album, Tuttle worked with co-producer Jerry Douglas, recording the album live at Nashville’s Ocean Way Studios. The album features collaborations with Billy Strings, Margo Price, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hull and Douglas’ Alison Krauss & Union Station bandmate Dan Tyminski.
“Jerry was one of the first people to call me and it was so cool because we worked so hard on it together. And my band, we were all on a text thread together today, and then old friends like Sierra Hull, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’ Donovan, who was also nominated for quite a few things today. Those are all people I’ve known since I was really young and it makes me proud to be part of that bluegrass community, but also the general Nashville music community as well.”
Old Crow Medicine Show guests on the unifying, folksy “Big Backyard” (“Come on out to the big backyard/ It ain’t mine it ain’t yours it’s all of ours”) which Tuttle wrote with Old Crow member Ketch Secor.
“We wrote it with them in mind, and then reworked the lyrics to make it fit my voice,” Tuttle says.
Price appears on “Flatland Girl,” a song about the farm Tuttle’s father grew up on in Illinois, the farm that helped launch the Tuttle family tradition of bluegrass.
“That’s where my grandfather used to play banjo and got that love of bluegrass started in my family,” Tuttle says. “I’m a fan of Margo’s songs and I read in an interview that her family had a farm as well, so it kind of tracked with the story of the song I was writing, about the family selling the farm and moving. So I wanted to have a fellow Midwestern farm girl on the song.”
Tuttle herself grew up in Northern California, playing at bluegrass festivals and becoming known as a deft guitar picker. She moved to Nashville in 2015, and her keen songwriting and the fleetness of her guitar picking quickly garnered attention in music circles. She released her debut full-length album, When You’re Ready in 2019, followed by the covers project But I’d Rather Be With You in 2020.
Tuttle says she’s written most of her next record and is getting ready to head into the studio.
“People can definitely expect some music coming out next year,” she says. Though she says she hasn’t completely set all of the details of the upcoming album, she says that working with Douglas again is “a high probability.”
With her awards accolades, Tuttle says she hopes young female musicians will take inspiration in forging their own careers.
“I would hope for young women who wanna make this a career to just see that the sky’s the limit, and if you set your mind to something, you can achieve it. It might feel hard at times. I know it is a hard life sometimes when you’re out touring so much and it doesn’t feel like things are moving forward, but sometimes it just takes time. The biggest lesson I’ve had to learn is just to be patient, because everything adds up. So many of my favorite bluegrass singers and songwriters are women from Hazel Dickens to Alison Krauss. They were people who really inspired me. I don’t know if I’d be doing this without them.”