NashvilleGab - Country music news and Nashville celebrity gossip

Tracy Lawrence launches Kickstarter to raise money for new album

2013-05-23T20:56:16-06:00

Kickstarter! Everyone's doing it!

Kickstarter is a company where creative people (and sometimes not so creative people) can ask regular folks for money to help them fund a project. The person sets a goal and if they don't reach their goal then no money changes hands.

Kickstarter was recently in the news when "Scrubs" actor Zach Braff successfully raised $2.6 million to film a sequal to his movie "Garden State."

Now country music is starting to figure out that the fund-raising site might work for them too. On Thursday, Tracy Lawrence officially launched a Kickstarer campaign to try and raise at least $50,000 to record his next album, "Headlights, Taillights and Radios."

Hey Y’all!

I’ve been busy in the studio putting together my latest album, “Headlights, Taillights and Radios”, and I couldn’t be more excited to release it to all of you! This record has been a product of support from friends, family, the community, and most importantly, all of my amazing fans. If you’ve heard my previous records or just happened to come across my Kickstarter campaign and like what you hear, you’re going to LOVE what’s to come! This record holds a piece of my heart, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

The music has been recorded, edited, and is now in the final stages of mixing and mastering. So what’s the point of doing a Kickstarter? Well I’ll tell you. Each and every one of you have played a role in not only my career, but in my life. You’ve gotten me to where I am, and I know that if we team up, the sky is the limit.

My new album is going to be an awesome journey, and I want you to join me for the ride!

That's right, for as little as a $1 pledge you could be an official backer of Tracy Lawrence's next album. If you want to earn some special gifts for your efforts there are those too. Just choose a package of a $10 pledge or more and you could earn gifts such as a digital download, an autographed CD, etc. The campaign lasts until June 23, 2013.

Check it out here.

Carrie Underwood donates a million bucks to the Red Cross (from the mailbag)

2013-05-23T19:45:15-06:00

As Carrie Underwood prepares to wrap her 2012-2013 "Blown Away Tour" tonight in Abbottsford, BC, a one million dollar donation is being made to the Red Cross for disaster relief. The charitable contribution to the Red Cross derives from the tour's concert proceeds and was established when it launched in spring 2012.

"I have watched the devastation in my home state of Oklahoma over the past several days with great sadness," says Carrie. "With the help of my fans who attended my concerts over the past year, we can offer the Red Cross a little extra help in comforting those affected by the recent tornados."

Carrie's home state of Oklahoma has recently experienced devastating tornados. This contribution to disaster relief will help people affected by disasters like tornados, floods and other crises around the country, including Oklahoma.

"The impact of the tornados in Oklahoma and the Midwest was devastating and the road to recovery will be long for many families. Through the generosity of Carrie, the American Red Cross can quickly respond with shelter, food and comfort now, and with lasting help as they move toward recovery," said Neal Litvack, chief development officer for the Red Cross.

Earlier in the tour, following a performance in Atlantic City, NJ, Carrie designated funds to support the response and relief efforts in New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Every year, the American Red Cross prepares for and responds to nearly 70,000 disasters across the United States where they provide shelter, food, and emotional support for those in need. Proceeds from her Canadian concerts will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross.

Since releasing her debut album in 2005, Carrie has sold over 15 million albums and placed 17 No. 1 singles on the charts. Her recent album, Blown Away, made history by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums Chart, making Carrie only the second country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of their first four albums debut at No. 1. The now platinum-selling Blown Away album also debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, making Carrie only the second country artist in history to have three consecutive albums debut at No. 1. She is a six-time Grammy winner, a two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a three-time Country Music Association and ACM Female Vocalist winner, and a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry.

This man dancing to the Dixie Chicks alongside his 20-year-old self made my whole day

2013-05-23T15:43:50-06:00

Tyler Marcum was turning 30 so he did what any soon-to-be-over-the-hill fella would do ... he did an interpretive dance of the Dixie Chicks' cover of "Landslide."

Yeah, we've all been there.

Oh sure, maybe that's not newsworthy in this day and age of newsworthy videos, but add in a some not so tidy whities and a video Tyler happened to have made 10 years previously when he was 20 dancing to the same song and you have internet gold.

In case you can't tell, the left is the current Tyler and the right is decade-younger Tyler.

{via TowleRoad}

Darius Rucker got an invite to the CMT Awards but not CMA Fest and he's not quite sure why

2013-05-23T15:20:01-06:00

On Tuesday, it was announced that Carrie Underwood, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, George Strait, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum had all signed on to perform at this year's CMT Music Awards. They will join the previously announced performers Hunter Hayes, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Pistol Annies and Taylor Swift.

The funny thing about the CMT Music Awards is that they take place the same week as CMA Fest (or Fan Fair for you old timers) in Nashville. The funny thing about Darius Rucker is that he's been invited to one event but possibly not the other.

On Sunday, a fan asked Darius on Twitter if he would be at CMA Fest this year. Darius responded by saying that he wasn't invited. It won't let me embed that tweet but you can see it here. When another fan asked why he wasn't invited, Darius responded that he didn't know why.

“@daniel_aldana1: @dariusrucker why aren't you invited to the CMA this year?!”Don't know
— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) May 20, 2013

So why in the world would Darius not be invited to CMA Fest? A man who was just inducted into the Grand Ole Opry last year.

Odd.

Another interesting part of this story is that back in April, Darius' website posted a contest to meet Darius at CMA Fest this year. Why would they run that contest if he wasn't invited? Darius has several shows listed on his website around the time of CMA Fest, which takes place June 6-9, including two on June 6 in Colorado, one on June 8 in Oklahoma, and one on June 9 in Texas, so maybe it's a scheduling conflict, although I honestly doubt it.

Darius does appear to have removed the tweets from his Twitter so maybe he found out he was invited but wasn't told about it.

{Twitchy}

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Reba, Martina McBride, and Chet Atkins are all up for adoption

2013-05-23T14:03:17-06:00

Introducing Martina McBride the pit bull

The other day while cruising around PetFinder.com I came across something interesting ... there were an awful lot of dogs with country singer names.

Then I got to paying attention and realized that most of the dogs with famous monikers were coming from one of my local shelters here in Idaho, the Canyon County Animal Shelter.

Love it!

Just a few of the famous names up for adoption are Reba the long-haired chihuahua, Martina McBride the sweet pit bull (see above), and Patsy Cline the blue heeler.

Heck, there's even a heeler/terrier mix named Nashville.

I sense a definite theme here.

If you're in Idaho and interested in adopting a country music star, just head to the Canyon County Animal Shelter. Better yet, if you live anywhere and want to adopt a wonderful pet, just head to your own local shelter. PetFinder.com is definitely a great place to look too.

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.