NashvilleGab - Country music news and Nashville celebrity gossip

Exclusive: Cassadee Pope on going Country, working with Blake Shelton and heading out on tour with Rascal Flatts

2013-05-23T07:43:43-06:00

As far as promising female Country singers go, Cassadee Pope lands at the top of the pack. During her run on The Voice last fall, she out-performed her competitors week-in and week-out, taking on such hits as Miranda Lambert's "Over You" (her truly breakout moment), Rascal Flatts' "Stand" and Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy." Even before her eventual win, Big Machine had already expressed great interest in her, and as she heads into her solo debut, she has no trepidation venturing into a male-dominated genre.

I recently had the chance to chat with her and ask her about this, as well as her new single "Wasting All These Tears" (which you can listen to here) and what the songwriting process has been like, and so much more.

Nashville Gab: So, I hear you got caught in the awful storm this week. Were you in Oklahoma?

Cassadee Pope: You know, we weren’t sure if we were going to get stuck or not. We took the precaution and stayed in New Orleans last night because we were supposed to fly to Kansas City. We just thought we should probably not risk it. It’s kind of a good thing that we didn’t. It got kind of crazy.

NG: Do you have any encouraging words for those now having to pick up the pieces?

CP: Absolutely. I feel very lucky that I’ll be able to be there on Thursday. I’m going to help any way I can, do whatever I can to volunteer. I think the donations are really going a long way, texting Red Cross to 90999 has been so helpful...just keeping everyone in your thoughts. It’s just a horrific thing, but all we can do is truck forward. We just gotta get through this next chapter.

NG: Can you tell me a little bit about your partnership with Outnumber Hunger and why you got involved?

CP: It’s definitely relevant to what’s happening now, and hopefully, on Thursday, I can help at a food bank or something. It’s so simple to get involved with Outnumber Hunger. I feel very strongly about being a part of this, because it’s something everyone struggles with. It’s such a big problem in the U.S. All you have to do is go to OutnumberHunger.com and it’s just a simple way to find out what you can do.

NG: You performed on the AXS TV live concert, what was it like to give back in such a major way?

CP: It was amazing, and it was the first time I actually performed my new song on television. I’m very happy I was able to reach such a broad audience. Most importantly, with what I do, it’s such a selfish thing...I love music, and I love singing, and it makes me happy. But to be able to use it to help others is an amazing thing. So, being a part of this label of Republic Nashville and Big Machine Label Group, there are so many perks, and one of them is to be able to give back and be involved in Outnumber Hunger.

NG: Your debut single “Wasting All These Tears,” which is co-written by Caitlyn Smith/Rollie Gaalswyk. Can you tell me about that song and how it came about?

CP: Yea, it’s actually a song that I added my own little flair to it, but the writers are Caitlyn Smith...and I emailed her because she’s a solo artist and just incredible. She was struggling with either keeping the song for herself or letting me do it, and she was incredible enough to give the song to me. I hope to write with her next time I got to Nashville, but it’s such an amazing song. I’m honored to do it. She’s a great writer. I’m getting such an amazing reaction from it already. It’s not even released yet, and people are getting ahold of it somehow. It’s been really awesome to see.

NG: As far as production, did you have any say on how the finished product would sound?

CP: It’s been so amazing. I’ve been there for every step of the way. I’m there when the band goes in and records. I have the incredible Dan Huff producing the songs. He just adds such a cool, rock twist to things, which I wanted. You know, I definitely have a rock edge that I wanted to bring to the table and incorporate into Country, as well. He just totally understood by direction. I trusted him to kind of take the steering wheel and take it away. I was there for the whole thing, so it would have certain lines or licks in everything because I’m such a huge melody person. I just love being able to contribute to second guitar parts and violin parts and whatever. It was a really great experience to be there every step of the way. A lot of times, you aren’t able to be there for everything but I was. It was very special for me.

NG: As a songwriter, what’s the most challenging thing you’ve faced?

CP: It was probably writing for two and a half months straight. That does a lot to you as a person and your mind becomes all mushy. You’re like ‘oh, I’ve said everything I have to say’ and ‘what am I going to say next?’ Then, all of a sudden, you get this crazy inspiration and something pop ups and you write another song. Towards the end of that trip in Nashville, I was like ‘oh gosh, I don’t know if I can write another song.’ But it always ended up happening, and some of those songs towards the end ended up being the best ones. So, it was definitely an obstacle for me to overcome, but I ended up really learning a lot and coming out with some amazing songs.

NG: Who is your favorite person to write with so far?

CP: Oh man. Everyone’s so good. [laughs] I really love writing with Liz Rose. I wrote with her a few years back, so we kept in touch. We kept a pretty good relationship, and I went back this past few months and wrote with her...and also, Emily Shackleton. They both are my favorites.

[Adding:] I love writing with Buzzbee. He’s amazing. He goes between LA and Nashville. And then, I wrote with Nathan Chapman right when I got there, and he’s just the best. He was actually able to co-produce a few of the songs, and wrote one of my favorite songs with him when I got to town, which is called “Eleven.” It’s an autobiographical kind of approach to my parents divorce. It’s a song [that’s] very important to me. It ended up working out really well.

NG: Is it really important for your songwriting to stem from your own life?

CP: It is really important to me. Even if I didn’t write it, I still want it to feel like I did, and I want it to relate to me as a person. So, whether I wrote them or not, it has to be close to me and it has to touch me somehow.

NG: Previously, you were the lead singer for the pop-rock group Hey Monday. Now, you’re going Country. What would you say to those fans that aren’t necessarily Country musicfans?

CP: I would tell them that it’s all hand in hand. It’s crazy how similar Country music is to rock music. The stuff that my band did walked along that line of pop and rock. You can hear those influences in my new stuff. Dan Huff is just so amazing at bringing all those elements together. It’s funny, I’ve been able to get feedback already. The feedback has been incredible. Fans love it. They understand now. I’m not going the traditional Country route. They’re really enjoying it.

NG: Do you have a title for it yet?

CP: That’s still a decision that’s being worked out. There are a few names being thrown out there. There’s one that I’m pretty into, but we’re still deciding [that].

NG: You’re debuting the song on The Voice on June 4. Are you excited to return?

CP: I’m so excited. It was such an amazing experience. You know, it’s the reason I’m doing exactly what I’m doing right now. I owe where I am to that show and to go back and show them what I’ve been up to the past few months is going to be really fun.

NG: What was the biggest lesson you learned from coach Blake Shelton?

CP: With Blake, it was all about observing. He was just so outright in himself and blunt and he never apologized for it. So, I just basically learned from him that you need to be yourself, and that’s how you can have a real career. You know, trying to be something you’re not is so short lived but for an artist like him, you know, he’ll be around forever. He’s just real and down to earth and people can relate to that.

NG: You have a CMT series coming up this fall. Have you already been filming? What has that been like to have cameras following you around?

CP: We’ve been filming for a few weeks. We started filming when I was in Nashville finishing up recording some songs, and they’ve been following me around on this radio tour. So, you’re gonna see a lot of the radio tour, making the album and getting ready for the Rascal Flatts tour that’s coming up really soon. It’s a look into the road to my new music. It’s like a docu-series.

[Adding:] It’s definitely something to get used to. For The Voice, everything is very scheduled, and you sit down, and the cameras are there, and they say action. With this, you know...and don’t get me wrong, they’re very respectful of my personal space, and everything is scheduled but they’re there all the time, all day. Even when the cameras aren’t on, you’re still mic’d, so you have to second guess some things sometimes. For the most part, I’ve been able to just be really natural in myself. People are going to get a raw look into my life right now.

NG: You head out on tour with Rascal Flatts next month. How has the preparation been going for that?

CP: It’s definitely taking a lot to prepare out on the road. I have my two guitarists here with me on this radio tour. One of them is literally putting the band together as we’re driving in between places. It’s coming down to the wire. It’s one of those things you have to juggle along with this radio tour and getting the single prepared to release on June 4 and all of that. It’s going to be awesome. The guys we’ve been looking at are just incredible, and I think the first time we’re really going to be practicing for it is probably like...three days before. [laughs] Thankfully, I have these two guys out with me, and we’ve been playing the set pretty much four times a day. We’ve got those parts down. So, we just have to get the bassist and drummer locked in.

NG: Will you be doing any covers in your set?

CP: I think we’re pretty locked in on doing “Over You.” It’s a song everybody always requests, and it gets such an amazing reaction. It’s a big, big milestone for me on the show. Then, we’re talking about doing another cover. I don’t want to say yet. It’s not completely confirmed, but I’m very excited about it. It goes back to the ‘80s. It’s a really great rock song.

NG: For females, there is always a higher barrier to entry (especially looking at so many up-and-coming females right now, including Jana Kramer, Kacey Musgraves, etc), does that intimidate you at all?

CP: No, not really. I guess having been in a band with all guys and being in a world where it is very male dominated, it kind of prepared me for that. All I can do is hold my own and prove myself. I’m not going to try too hard. I’m not going to try talk people into liking me or buying my music. I just gotta be myself and remember my songs will hopefully speak to people. If I try too hard...that’s just not me. It’s sad that that’s even a thought, but we [do] have to work harder than men to prove ourselves, and I do plan to do that. I’m working pretty hard right now, so hopefully it all pays off.

NG: What are you currently listening to, Country and otherwise?

CP: Well, in Country, I’m definitely listening to the new Blake album, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Brad Paisley. I’m pretty much all over the place in Country. Everything else, I kind of go backwards. I’m listening to the old Michelle Branch albums and Avril Lavigne and Shania [Twain]. I kind of hop all around the place.

[This interview originally appeared in Examiner]

Photo Credit: Facebook

Like this interview? What do you think of Cassadee going Country? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter. Also, feel free to email me to keep the conversation going.

‘Nashville’, Episode 20 – RECAP

2013-05-22T06:21:54-06:00

Juliette is being blackmailed by Dante, who has their sex tape and wants $2 million for it. Juliette sends security to give it to him in exchange for the SD card, but Dante bails, and decides he wants $10 million instead. She knows he’ll never stop asking for more, and decides to get ahead of the game by recording an explanation video and appearing on The View to discuss it. Constantly being treated badly by her daughter, Jolene still wants to protect her, so she goes to her old drug dealer, gets some oxy and a gun, and goes back to the apartment to snort it. Once high, she calls Dante telling him Juliette’s given up, but that she has the $2 million if he wants to come over. He does, but when confronted Jolene shoots him, before phoning her daughter (she’s about to go on The View), and telling her how special she is. She then deliberately overdoses on drugs, and is already dead by the time Juliette has rushed back home to find her.

Rayna, meanwhile, is still in bliss with Deacon, but things start to crash down around her when she begins to ease Deacon back into her personal life. She invites him over for dinner with the girls, and it’s all going fantastically (including a Deacon & Maddie duet on ‘Ho Hey’!), when Teddy bursts in unannounced. He fumes at Rayna for letting Deacon hang around the girls, and later files a restraining order, stating that Deacon cannot be within 100 feet of them. Rayna goes to Lamar and asks him to help her get a court date, and she and Teddy fight it out in court a little bit. The judge decides to cover it in more depth at a later date, and resets custody arrangements. Rayna promises Teddy that no matter what she would do nothing to compromise his relationship with Maddie.

Rayna is also looking for a second act for her label. She holds auditions, but no-one really stands out, until Will drops in without an appointment and boldly convinces them to let him perform for them. She really likes him, and announces the creation of the label just before Scarlett’s performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Scarlett is really nervous, and really wants Gunnar to be there, but after being called out on his non-outlaw status at a gig he gets into a fight and ends up in jail with Will, with whom he makes up. The outlaw image is getting out of hand, involving lots of recording sessions with his producer trying to get it right, a persona on stage and a radio interview where he tries to act all tough and pretends to be a ‘player’. Scarlett hears the interview and is upset with him.

While she is waiting at the Opry to go to stage, she receives a box from someone in the audience, and it holds the whisk that Avery handed her as a makeshift microphone, when she was too shy to sing on her demo much earlier on in the season. This gives her the confidence to go out and give a great performance. When she bails Gunnar and Will out of jail, she breaks up with Gunnar, as she tells him she cannot be around this anymore, that she loves him, not his brother.

Tandy is worried about Lamar’s health, and whether him being at the head of the company is the right thing anymore. She organises with the board to take over (and I suspect she’s been waiting for this her whole life), but on the official transfer meeting, Lamar enters, and kicks Tandy out of the CEO seat, putting her in her place. Elsewhere, the episode draws to a close on Maddie, intrigued after finding out that her mom is dating Deacon again, and Teddy’s reaction to that, goes snooping and finds a box full of important papers. She finds the paternity test that says Teddy is not her father.

The season finale is tonight, and judging by sneak peeks and spoilers it’s going to be one hell of an episode! Tune in at 10/9c on ABC. You will not want to miss this!

Posted by Vickye.
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Is Carrie Underwood the best living Country singer?

2013-05-22T05:55:30-06:00

With the tragic passing of legend George Jones, Country music now has a void.

Who can possibly fill his shoes? With the Possum no longer blessing us with his gorgeous voice, who is now the best living Country singer?

Well, Brad Paisley recently weighed in on the topic (in an interview with Country 92.5), and he says Carrie Underwood is the best. Do you think he's right on the money?

"I think Carrie Underwood," he says. "No doubt about it. I really think nobody sings better than her."

As a vocalist, Carrie is certainly one of those rare voices, regardless of genre, that can make the hairs stand up on your arm.

I present to you Exhibit A (and her finest vocal performance to-date):

If, however, you are more into subtle performances, I give to you Exhibit B:

Why, yes, it might be true that I am a big Carrie fan, but I'm not quite sure she is the best living singer. Her voice is stellar and simply out of this world, but I would put several living legends ahead of her in line for the title.

There's Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Alison Krauss and Patty Loveless who are far more deserving, just off the top of my head. When I think of great singers, I not only look at vocal talent, but lyric interpretation and conviction. The names I just mentioned are some of the best singers that Country music has ever seen. If you dig a little further, several more names can be added to that list, such as Vince Gill, Pam Tillis, Willie Nelson, Mel Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Dolly Parton, Ray Price and Glen Campbell, among many others.

Here are just a few of their finest live performances (or music videos, in some cases):

Merle, "Mama Tried"

Loretta, "Coal Miner's Daughter"

Reba, "Whoever's In New England"

Alan, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning"

Alison, "When You Say Nothing At All"

George, "Amarillo By Morning"

Patty, "You Don't Even Know Who I Am"

Vince, "Go Rest High on That Mountain"

Pam, "Maybe It Was Memphis"

Willie, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"

Mel, "Lonely Girl"

Tanya, "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane"

Dolly, "Jolene"

Ray, "For the Good Times"

Glen, "Wichita Lineman"

Photo Credit: Youtube

Now, I turn it over to you.

Do you agree with Brad? Is Carrie the best living Country singer right now? Who IS the best living Country singer? Is it someone I've mentioned above? Or do you have another singer in mind? Sound off below!

Chat with me about this topic on Twitter, if you like. Also, feel free to email me to keep the conversation going.

Kellie Pickler wins Dancing With The Stars!

2013-05-21T21:32:31-06:00

Aaaaahhhhh!!!!! I'm so darn happy for Kellie Pickler!

Sorry if you DVR'd tonight's Dancing With The Stars episode and didn't want to hear who won because I'm going to tell you anyway.

It's Kellie Pickler!

After dazzling the judges Monday night with her gravity-defying freestyle dance, it was pretty evident who should win the show, but on Tuesday it became official when Kellie and Derek were awarded the Mirror Ball trophy.

Disney Channel star Zendaya and Val Chmerkovskiy came in second while Baltimore Raven Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff came in third.

Yay Kellie!

Check out Kellie's dance from Monday's show. It really was inspiring.

Cassadee Pope, "Wasting All These Tears" - Single Review

2013-05-20T10:02:30-06:00

As Cassadee Pope's solo debut single, "Wasting All These Tears" is a sufficient offering, perfectly straddling the line between pop and Country.It samples the boisterous production of her contemporaries, namely Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, and offers up a guitar-laden arrangement that will fit perfectly at radio, both Country and Top 40. There won't even be a need for a remix, honestly. The instrumentation skews to the extreme of pop-rock with a dash of down-home banjo.

With females (save for Taylor, Carrie and Miranda Lambert) struggling to find radioplay, Cassadee's future remains in limbo, even with this stellar pop affair. The hook is infectious and should lead the singer to at least gain traction with a Top 30 hit.

The song's intro takes notes from The Band Perry's similarly structured guitar plucking No. 1 hit "Better Dig Two" but quickly shifts into Avril Lavigne territory. That's not to say the track isn't fresh enough. It certainly is, at least in regards to what Country music is serving up right now. It's the love-child hybrid of Carrie and Taylor at their best, a singularly concocted anthem of a former flame. The song plods along, reading like a diary entry, quite like something Taylor could have written for 'Red.' The only difference is is that Cassadee has the vocal prowess and nuance to slowly build the story from the harrowing first verse to the mountainous crescendo towards the song's end, culminating in rich power notes. The song, a co-write with Caitlyn Smith and Rollie Gaalswyk, is rather vivid in its metaphors, a great way to introduce her to the general Country music listening crowd as a true singer-songwriter.

"I try to find you at the bottom of the bottle, lying down on the bathroom floor," she sings on the first verse. "My loneliness was wrattling the windows. You say you don't want me anymore."

Cassadee's vocals aren't particularly Country, which is perhaps her best assest. She interprets the honest lyrics from her own personal experience, allowing the song to speak for itself, without overdoing it. Each fist-pumping chorus builds upon the verses, laying down a glossed-sheen throughout the entire recording. I'm not completely sold on this song as "Country" per-se, but it's catchy enough to surely build momentum for the singer as she preps her Big Machine debut album this fall.

The hook is crafted around simple pop-confection (see: Kelly Clarkson circa "Breakaway"). It reads:

"Standing on the corner crying / Feeling like a fool for trying / I don't even remember why / I’m wasting all these tears on you."

Whether Country radio fully embraces the song remains to be seen. Can she have a major breakthrough with this offering? Possibly...if promoted correctly (aka if Scott Borchetta works his magic).

Overall Grade: B+

Love or hate this review? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter. Of course, you can also email me to continute the conversation.

Kellie Pickler ‘Someone Somewhere Tonight’ – Review

2013-05-20T07:00:00-06:00

‘Someone Somewhere Tonight’ is Kellie Pickler’s first single on Black River Entertainment, but it existed for some time before Kellie chose to record it. Previously performed by Kenny Rogers and Pam Tillis among others, to give Kellie the radio hit she so utterly needs and deserves they needed to update the song a bit musically.

And that is exactly what they have tried to do. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it doesn’t work. The song begins with delicate mandolin and acoustic guitar, with electric guitar beginning to make its appearance, with the occasional strum to build atmosphere. That’s all fine and good, but it continues to build and build, until the second verse sounds like a mess. It doesn’t help that the sound they’re using is quite a dirty, rough guitar sound, and it absolutely overpowers what should be a gentle, humble song. However, they’ve tried to make a sweet, thoughtful ballad into a big, powerful country rock ballad, and it’s just not one that can be belted vocally. That results in Kellie straining to be heard above the noise, and the other aspects of the production get totally lost.

It drops completely down for the second chorus, using fiddle to carry it, back to where it should have been in the first place, and it sounds much better. But then the solo (the biggest mistake I think), seems to hold a guitar-off, using too many pedals, too much distortion, too much overdrive, and too much tone. It shrieks unnecessarily in a song that should be a focus on the meaningful lyrics. These lyrics tell the stories of so many people all over the world, yet brings it back to the simple love felt between two people during the chorus. The third chorus is again trying to be big, and I can see why they would do that if they had chosen to make the rest of the song gentle, but that is not the case. Then yet again they drop it down to close, and it seems they simply couldn’t make up their mind what they wanted the song to be. Whilst trying to remain relevant, different and edgy they ruined a brilliant song that didn’t need to be over-done. It totally distracts from the premise of the song and erases any emotional effect it may have had.

Kellie’s vocals, however, are the song’s saving grace. Although more wavery than I’ve heard them before, there’s a vulnerability and a truth-telling in them, carrying the song and making some twists and turns without over-doing it. If it hadn’t have been for the over-production, I would have rated this song highly.

I was worried about the use of a ballad, and one that had been done many times before, to give Kellie the sales and radio boost that she was denied during her ‘100 Proof’ era. I was worried that it might come across as more “old-fashioned” and thus wouldn’t translate well with a young audience lapping up the likes of Florida Georgia Line and Hunter Hayes. However, clearly it would have been better off like that! I’m not sure how this song will fare, although I’ll tentatively make a prediction of top 20 on her fanbase alone. But as someone who had high expectations for new music from Kellie, I’m disappointed, and hoping for better when her album comes out.

You can watch the lyric video for ‘Someone Somewhere Tonight’ here:

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Big Machine & Outnumber Hunger Reach for Rewards..You CAN Help

2013-05-19T19:26:49-06:00

I may be behind in my things to do; but the work to support and erase hunger never stops. Since the inception in 2012 of the Outnumber Hunger program 6,825,375 meals have been secured, not too far from the goal of up to ten million that has been set. Can they meet and exceed such a large undertaking? I believe they can.

In April of this year the first ever Outnumber Hunger LIve concert event took place in Las Vegas on Friday night, during the 2013 Academy of Country Music weekend. The event brought awareness for the Outnumber Hunger Program in their quest to secure meals for its network of local food banks. This marks the second year that Big Machine Record Label is working alongside Feeding America, and General Mills to reach their goals. There is also no shortage of support from the label's roster of artists which include The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore, Florida Georgia Line, Cassadee Pope and Greg Bates who put on a wonderful night of music to kick off the 2013 campaign. There will also be other support from artists such as Rascal Flatts, Reba, the Eli Young Band, Thomas Rhett, Raelynn, The Mavericks and Ella Mae Bowen throughout the campaign.

But after all the glitz and glamour the work still continues. As part of the 42nd Annual CMA Fest taking place in Nashville June 6-9 country artist Thomas Rhett has invited fans to volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank for the 2nd consecutive year. Volunteers will be participating in helping sort and pack food alongside Thomas to help hungry Middle Tennesseans . This event filled up very quickly and it will give those involved a chance to learn more about hunger issues throughout Middle and West Tennessee followed by sorting food for Second Harvest's Emergency Food Box Program.

There is a misconception that hunger only relates to the very poor. This has led people to think it could not possibly be someone they know like a neighbor or a family in their church or childrens school. Yet it is true; it could be anyone you least expect. Please take the time to read these startling facts and dig deep into the ways you can help this program. It is so easy and totally affordable. You purchase certain products with the Outnumber Hunger banner on the front; find the code in the back of the packaging; go to the website; enter your code; follow the instructions and you are done. You will feel so good knowing you helped. http://www.outnumberhunger.com/hunger-in-america

There are many programs to help fight hunger which are very easy to work into your life. You don't have to be a big star to help; the bottom line is: JUST HELP DO WHAT YOU CAN...The rewards outweigh the awards.

(Pictures by Deb Sixta)