I love anything involving racing or cars! NASCAR is my favorite sport. I love to write! I cover the Cup series and Xfinity series. I also love to write about Racing and about comic books
Also a Country Music Lover
“The rest is still Unwritten..” Lauren Conrad‘s future is no longer unwritten but she’s taking fans back to a time when it was. Conrad along with MTV Is airing a special that airs tonight on MTV! The Hills: That Was Then This Was Now will feature Conrad spilling secrets from the reality show that premiered 10 years ago!
In the promo for the special Conrad promises
“We’re going to take a look back at the show and reveal things that we haven’t talked about before.”
Also Conrad who is now 30, Married, a fashion designer and best selling author takes a look back at the awkward and embarrassing moments that she endured for all the world to see in her early 20’s!
Conrad shot to fame as part of MTV’s Laguna Beach, she then became the star of her own show The Hills. Which followed her journey from Laguna Beach to L.A. on her quest to break into the fashion industry! Along the way America fell in love with the stories of Conrad and her group of friends which included Whitney Port, Brody Jenner, Adrianne Patridge, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt.
Conrad left The Hills after attending the wedding of Montag and Pratt who she had been feuding with since the early years of the show. When Conrad exited the show, her Laguna Beach co-star Kristen Cavallri stepped in and was the star of the show till it ended in 2010.
Since her exit from the show Conrad has gone on to be a fashion designer and best selling author. Also her days of being single are behind her as she married William Tell in 2014! The MTV special is the first time she has talked openly about The Hills and her time on it since her exit in 2009!
The Hills: That Was Then and This Is Now airs tonight (8/3) on MTV at 9pm ET
Country music’s sweetheart Kelsea Ballerini is continuing on the road to being a superstar! The Knoxville, Tennessee native announced today August 1st that she will be headlining her first tour this fall! The First Time Tour which is named after her debut CD will kick off in Houston, TX on October 21st! The 10 city tour will start in Texas and end with a 2 night stay in Las Vegas where fellow up and coming country star Cam will be her guest for those dates. The tour will have stops all over the United States including Ballerini’s home town of Knoxville and New York City.
HOMETOWN SHOW. Knoxville I’ve been waiting for this since I left when I was 15. Can’t wait. https://t.co/iXdoxNTu1K
The tour announcement comes just one day after Ballerini attended the Teen Choice Awards, which was a kick off to a busy week for Ballerini! Tonight she will perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Outdoor stage, then on Wednesday she will take part in CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock. Also on Thursday she will co-host the finale of Greatest Hits, both specials will air on ABC!
The First Time tour will also feature Carly Pearce, Morgan Evans, Levi Hummon, Jacob Davis has Ballerini’s opening acts on select dates! Ballerini’s current single “Peter Pan” is currently in the top 10 on Billboard Country Airplay charts and Mediabase! Ballerini has taken country music by storm in the last couple of years, she became the first solo female artist in 11 years to have her first new singles go #1 on the country charts! While announcing her tour, Ballerini shared how touring with other artists over the last couple years has shaped the way she approaches touring!
“I’ve been blessed to open for so many incredible artists and people I admire. Getting to watch their shows and learn more about our craft has inspired me to grow as an artist. One of the highlights of touring has been meeting fans and creating new relationships along the way. And for that reason, I was inspired to put together my first headlining tour. I can’t wait to get up close and personal with the people who have made the last few years so incredible. See you this fall!”
Tickets for The First Time tour will be made available for fan club members beginning Wednesday, August 8th and this Friday August 5th tickets will go on sale to the public! More information can be found at kelseaballerini.com. Fans can also keep up with Ballerini on her social media accounts and see her on the road with Rascal Flatts this summer!
Olivia Lane unleashes her self-titled Ep Friday July 29th! The EP features 7 new songs all about love, life and figuring out your place in the world!
The EP kicks off with the song “Lighting” a song that anybody with a dream can relate to; it compares following your dream to the thunder and lighting of a storm and how someone who is driven by their dream can light up the world like a lighting storm!
“At some point every dreamer makes a choice to actively pursue their goals and along the way their will be hardships and haters but at the end of the day you just have to believe in yourself and everything else will fall into place. I wanted to write an ode to following my heart.”
Any 20 something year old can relate to the second song “Quarter Life Crisis,” it revolves around that question every one has after they have finished college and entered the real world. The question of now what? The song sums up the life of someone in their 20’s with these lines:
21 having too much fun /22 you sure miss 21 /23 nobody likes you anyway /24 can’t drink like your college days /25 what am I going to do with my life?
“The older I get the more I understand that life is crazy, chaotic, messy, funny and challenging but as long as you make yourself happy through all the chair, you should be OK…. It’s an honest tune about realizing that “ain’t anybody got ‘life’ figured out.””
“Make My Own Sunshine” is a song Lane refers to as her anthem! It is all about seeing the positives in life, despite what’s happening around us! It tells the story of those kind of days everyone has; when your phones dead, your running late, traffic is horrible. But like the chorus of the song says:
Hey, hey I’m okay / Hanging right here in my happy place / Living it up / Living it up / While the rain comes down / And oh no I don’t mind / I got a suitcase full of sliver lining / I know I’m gonna be just fine / I make my own sunshine
Watch the video for “Make My Own Sunshine” below!
“She Fits” is a unique look at a lost love. It’s about loving someone but realizing that it will never work in the end because both people want different lives. The song is 1 of 6 that lane co-wrote on the album, she says that “She Fits” is her most personal song on the EP because it was inspired by a relationship she had.
“I dated this guy for a while in college and we were both graduating. Naturally we were going to try to make a long distance thing work. It didn’t. I went to Nashville to pursue my dreams and he stayed. He met a girl and settled down with her and [they] FIT each other. She fit the life he wanted and I never would have. It’s a bittersweet song about lost love and being at peace with the choices made.”
“My Heartache” is the one track on the EP that Lane did not write but she said she recorded it because it was something that she could relate to because she had been through this emotion one too many times in a breakup.
“This song isn’t about being the victim; it’s about taking ownership of your heartache and being upset that the person you once loved is trying to devalue that.”
“There’s A Guy” gives hope that the right guy is out there when you’re ready for him. Not everyone reaches the same stages of life as the same age; some settle down right after college, while others pursue a career and get married and/or have kids when they are a bit older. While others around you may be entering these stages and you have these feelings of worry, ‘Should I also be doing these thing?’ ‘Will there still be someone when I’m ready to settle down?’ The song is full of emotion but also hope that love will be there when you’re ready.
The last song on the EP, “Keychain” is an upbeat song about getting to that moment in a relationship where things start to change and the little moments add up to the exchanging of keys and leaving items at each other’s houses. It’s a great way to end an EP that talks about lost love, high emotions, fun and hope!Olivia Lane’s self-titled EP is available at most digital retailers now!
Kelsey Hickman is celebrating the upcoming release of her debut album Gypsy! Hickman invited media (including Variety Beat) and fans to The SutlerBar in Nashville for a night of food, drinks and music! In honor of the night The Sutler named a drink after Hickman and her album, the ‘Tipsy Gypsy’ which was enjoyed by many! Hickman performed a small set which included most of the songs from her debut album Gypsy!
Hickman was a member of the Illinois-based country group Still Kickin’ which split in 2013. Since then, she set her sights on Nashville to continue her music career. Her hard work paid off as she is now able to celebrate the release of her debut album Gypsy. Tuesday night’s album release party was an intimate gathering that allowed Hickman to talk about each song, the meaning and inspiration behind them. She stared her set with “Fling Thing” then moved on to the title track “Gypsy.”
WATCH KELSEY HICKMAN PERFORM “GYPSY”
The set continued with “If You Stay,” about that one relationship everyone seems to have, when you know it needs to end but you keep going back for more. “Small Town Famous” is a song anyone from a small town can relate to.
WATCH KELSEY HICKMAN PERFORM “SMALL TOWN FAMOUS”
“When All Is Said And Done” and “H.O.L.L.A.N.D” are both unique songs. “When All Is Said And Done” is about being in an abusive relationship and knowing when to get out, while “H.O.L.L.A.N.D” tells of a couple writing to each other during a war. At the bottom of every letter H.O.L.L.A.N.D was written which stood for “Hope our loved lasts and never dies.” Hickman performed her single “Gone” which is currently at country radio and finished her set with a cover of “Sweet Child Of Mine,” which had the whole crowd singing along!
Hickman showed a strong stage presence and great songwriting while performing. After her set she mingled with fans, revealing just how down-to-earth and kind she truly is. Gypsy has a wonderful mix of upbeat songs and ones that will touch your heart. The subjects of the album range from being a wanderer, small town life, timeless love stories, domestic abuse and summer flings! Her debut album is produced by Kent Wells who has worked when many of Nashville’s best! Hickman says that working with Wells;
“Has done wonders for finding my sound, my style, and my voice. I’m really looking forward to listeners hearing my first solo attempt. I think there’s something for every one on this album.”
WATCH KELSEY HICKMAN PERFORM HER SINGLE “GONE”
Hickman also continues to grow as a songwriter, performer and vocalist. She attributes it to being in Nashville saying
“The wealth of talent in this town is overwhelming. I’m so fortunate to grow amongst the creatives I do.”
Gypsy is a well-rounded album, as is Hickman. Despite this being a debut album, it’s clear from her performance that she’s a veteran! Gypsy is available for pre-order right now and is available this weekend on most Digital Retailers! Her single “Gone” is at currently playing at country radio!
PHOTO GALLERY: KELSEY HICKMAN’S ALBUM RELEASE PARTY
Freakin’ Deacon Friday has taken on a whole new meaning for fans of the man that plays Deacon Claybourne on the tv show Nashville, Charles Esten! The movement, which started during the shows run on ABC and was used to help save the show is now be used by Esten to bring his own music to the fans! Oringally the hashtag was used to share the love of Esten and his character Deacon Claybourne. As the show continues, the line between Esten and Deacon is becoming more and more blurred! Esten has became a familiar face at the Grand Ole Opry. He’s also been on the road with Nashville in Concert!
Now Esten’s releasing his own music, something that his fans have waited for, for quite awhile. “Through the Blue” is the first song Esten has released but he promises it won’t be the last! He plans to release a new song every Friday in honor of Freakin’ Deacon Friday! It’s been a busy summer for Esten who has been on tour with his fellow castmembers and they spent most of May and June petitioning with fans to bring Nashville back! They and the fans succeeded and the show will return for season 5 on CMT and hulu!
Esten’s new song “Through The Blue” is one of the first times we get to hear Charles not his alter ego Deacon Clayboure sing! His debut single as himself “Hot One” was released last year! “Through The Blue” is reminiscent of the country music in the 90’s with its sound but the lyrics are clearly about today’s world! The song is all about how to get through the rough spots in life, those moments that make you feel like there’s no light at the end of what ever tunnel you are in. That rings true with the chorus of the song
Might be a song you sing, or John 3:16 / Might be a long walk, or a phone call from a long, lost friend / Might be a steel horse ride, or just cry, cry, cry / You just do what you gotta do to get you through the blue
“Through The Blue” is uplifting and has a powerful message, when it seems like you are caught in the darkness of life, just dig down deep and find something to anchor you and you’ll evently make it through. The song shows why fans have fallen in love with Esten! He’s all about connecting with his fans through his songs and in person.
LISTEN TO CHARLES ESTEN’S “THROUGH THE BLUE”
After the release of “Through The Blue” Esten took to Twitter to inform fans that he would be releasing a single every Friday, with an end date that’s yet to be known! In a Q&A he did on Monday night he said that a number of songs where ready to go and he is in the process of writing many more! He let fans know that he would keep going every single Friday as long as he has music to put out and that the fans were still enjoying it!
Besides releasing new music every week, Esten has been on the road with his cast mates sharing the music of Nashville all over the world! He has also been rasing money for the Lupus foundation by allowing fans to purchase tickets that would allow them to ride his tour bus around Nashville and take in the sites and hear stories of Music City! The event which he first held in June right before CMA Fest, is slated to happen again sometime in October this time with a concert attached!
