Category Archives: Music

Festivals, Music

STAGECOACH Lineup and Details for 2022!

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THOMAS RHETT, CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND LUKE COMBS

HEADLINE THE 14TH ANNUAL

STAGECOACH: CALIFORNIA’S COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL

FRIDAY, April 29 through SUNDAY, May 1 

at Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA

FESTIVAL PASSES ON-SALE NOW!

YouTube to host first time, exclusive live stream on the platform

extending their partnership with Goldenvoice

Featuring the Compton Cowboys and return of Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse, SiriusXM Spotlight Stage

and much more!

“I have been looking forward to this for so long! I dreamed about headlining Stagecoach ever since I first played there in 2014. I cannot wait to get back out in the desert in 2022 and play for those fans.” – Thomas Rhett

“There’s nothing like a Stagecoach audience and now more than ever, I can’t wait to take that stage and be with the fans again.” – Carrie Underwood

“Stagecoach, it’s a dream come true to headline the festival in 2022. It will be here before we know it, and I’m already looking forward to seeing y’all there!“ – Luke Combs

LOS ANGELES, CA – July 12, 2021 – The wait is finally over, Stagecoach is back in the saddle this April 29 – May 1, 2022. We couldn’t be more excited to bring your favorites Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Luke Combs to our party in the desert. Passes go on sale starting this Friday, July 16 at 10 am PT at stagecoachfestival.com.

The 3-day event will also feature performances by Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, The Black Crowes, Midland, Lee Brice, Cody Johnson, Jordan Davis, Cody Jinks and more. 

New to the festival are California’s homegrown, Compton Cowboys. They are a crew of ten Black horseback riders whose small ranch is one of the very last in a semirural town in Compton called Richland Farms — and they are bringing their horses to Stagecoach to tell their story and share in the experience. 

“We love country, we love the music, we love the culture and we’re stoked to be around folks that get it,” says Randy Savvy, Managing Member of the Compton Cowboys. “I’ve been listening to country music for a long time and we’re looking forward to bringing Compton Cowboys and our horse gang to the festival.”

This year YouTube and Goldenvoice are announcing a newly formed partnership which includes an exclusive, first time live stream of the famed Stagecoach festival on the platform. The three-day festival will stream live on Stagecoach’s Official YouTube Channel from April 29 through May 1.

“We are so excited to be adding Stagecoach, Country music’s biggest festival weekend, into our live stream lineup for the first time ever,” says YouTube’s Head of Live Music and West Coast Artist Relations Ali Rivera. “2022 marks our 10th year partnering with Goldenvoice to stream some of their most coveted music festivals like Stagecoach and Coachella. We are both honored and proud to be bringing three consecutive weekends of extraordinary live music to fans around the world next year.”

Fan-favorite Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse is back again for its third year to reveal new chefs, pit bosses and BBQ vendors. Guy and friends will be showcasing their pits and rigs and offering taste tests to fans throughout the weekend with live demos. Stay tuned for the full food lineup.

“I’m stoked to be firing up my Stagecoach Smokehouse again this year where we’ll be cookin’ up some bad ass bar-b-que,” says Guy Fieri. “So, ride on down to Flavortown and hang out with me, my buddies and some real deal pit masters from around the country.”

Returning to the festival this year is the SiriusXM Spotlight Stage, which will once again highlight today’s rising stars like Breland, Caylee Hammack, Hailey Whitters and others. In addition to the Spotlight Stage, SiriusXM is proud to announce the return of Stagecouch Weekend, featuring headliners Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett, as well as new performances from Dierks Bentley, Old Dominion, Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, and more. Stagecouch Weekend begins July 16 at Noon ET through July 18 on SiriusXM’s The Highway (ch. 56). For more information please visit HERE.

The Honkytonk Dance Hall also makes a comeback in addition to High Class Hillbilly owner and singer Nikki Lane’s Stage Stop Marketplace. Additionally, the Country Music Association will once again partner with Stagecoach to host a very special CMA Songwriters Series performance. Additional details including lineup will be shared in early 2022.

Pass Prices:

3-Day General Admission $379

3-Day General Admission/Shuttle Combo $439

3-Day Corral Standing Pit $1,299

3-Day Corral C1 Reserved Seating $1,299

3-Day Corral C2 Reserved Seating $829

Preferred Parking $99

Any Line Shuttle Pass $70

Companion Camping Parking $55

**plus fees

Take advantage of the payment plan to divide your order into the lowest monthly payments. Shuttle passes, tent, yurt, and BYO RV reservations on the Safari Campground as well as Travel Packages that bundle festival passes with local hotel accommodations for 2 or 4 people are available via Valley Music Travel.

We will continue to monitor the world around us and communicate more as we gain guidance from health officials and as we near our event dates.

Stagecoach:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

The STAGECOACH 2022 lineup is as follows:

Amythyst Kiah

Brandi Carlile

Breland

Brothers Osborne

Callista Clark

Carrie Underwood

Caylee Hammack

Charley Crockett

Cody Jinks

Cody Johnson

Colter Wall

Flatland Cavalry

Hailey Whitters

Hayes Carll

Ian Noe

Ingrid Andress

Jesse LaBelle

Jimmie Allen

Jordan Davis

Laci Kaye Booth

Lainey Wilson

Lee Brice

Lindsay Ell

LOCASH

Luke Combs

Marcus King Band

Maren Morris

Margo Price

Midland

Mitchell Tenpenny

Molly Tuttle

Neal McCoy

Orville Peck

Reyna Roberts

Rhiannon Giddens

Ryan Griffin

Ryan Hurd

Shenandoah

Shy Carter

Smokey Robinson

Tanya Tucker

The Black Crowes

The Cactus Blossoms

The Mavericks

Thomas Rhett

Travis Denning

Turbo

Walker County

Waylon Payne

Yola

Interviews, Music

Interview: Smithfield’s Fan Funded Ep ‘New Town’ is a Work of Heart!

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Several years ago, I had the opportunity to interview country duo Smithfield. It was a lovely summer day in Los Angeles and I listened as Jennifer Fielder and Trey Smith told me their story. The pair have been family friends for such a long time and started their duo a decade ago. Hailing from Texas and sharing such a unique bond has allowed them to withstand the test of time. When you listen to their music, you will be transported to a sound that isn’t as common in country music today, the blending harmonies of a male and female voice. The power of a male/female duo.

There have been a few male/female duo’s over the the last couple of decades, Thompson Square and Sugarland are the most prominent. There has been so much success with each group, and yet still not enough credit to the power of the male/female duo. I was able to talk to Smithfield about the power of the female/male duo and how much they bring to the table. The story telling and the chemistry they can share on stage. We spoke about how even though there have been other male/female duos, there hasn’t been as much success with getting airplay on the radio. We mentioned how successful trio Lady A has been with similar song content and the way their songs are designed to really give equal vocals to both a male and female voice.

It has been a couple of years since their last EP release, so we chatted about their upcoming release New Town and it felt like talking with old friends. Their EP, set to release June 16, is one that was truly made in a labor of love. The project was funded by a kickstarter campaign by their fans. Variety Beat is definitely proud to be one of those contributors. As such, we were also privy to listening to a couple of songs that have yet to be released. More on that below!

Fielder spoke about recording their EP New Town that wrapped up two days before the world shut down due to the global pandemic. The duo’s plan to release the new music kept getting pushed back as they realized this was not going to just be a quick shut down, but actually go on for months and months. Once time continued to pass they decided to wait to release their new music and instead release a Christmas song, which they have always wanted to do.

Now in 2021, there are new and exciting opportunities as the country begins to open back up. It finally feels like the right time to release the EP they made a year ago. The six song EP includes two previously released tracks, “Sunday Best” and “Something Sexy.” Fielder explained the theme of the EP and how each song tells a story inside of a story. The EP shares a story about the ups and downs of relationships. Fielder described “New Town” as that freshness and newness of falling in love with somebody. “Something Sexy” is about going to that next level where things begin to get very romantic. “Burning Wings” is when you hit a bump and hard blocks in relationships. It also has rock vibe to it, which made Trey extremely happy to hear since he used to be in a rock band prior to forming the duo Smithfield. Fielder continued to explain that “Sunday Best” is when you look past those hardships and love them anyway. “I’ll Never Stop” tells the story of when things don’t work out but you still have to keep going and you still have love for that person.

Since contributing to the kickstarter, I was able to listen to “Burning Wings” and “I’ll Never Stop.” I can say with confidence that there is something on this EP for anyone who has been in a relationship. The power and harmonies of the male/female duo is something that is unexplainable.

Kickstarter Photo Exclusive!

The duo will kick off their EP release with a full band show in Nashville, June 17 to celebrate the release. They are excited to sing all their own songs with a full capacity show. They are also excited to be headlining at a venue and are grateful for the opportunity to play for their fans and get back to playing live shows again after a year of not being able to perform. Be sure to check out their new EP New Town available everywhere music is streamed June 16!

The show will be streamed live on American Songwriter’s Facebook page, SmithField’s YouTube and Facebook, 3rd & Lindsley’s Facebook page, and nugs.net. This show comes on the heels of their highly anticipated EP, which is set to release on Wednesday, June 16. Pre-save/pre-add NEW TOWN HERE.

Music

SMITHFIELD READIES THEIR “SUNDAY BEST” – BRAND-NEW SONG OUT 2/17

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Via Press Release: NASHVILLE, TENN. (February 1, 2021) – With 40 MILLION career streams, a nationwide headline tour and 30+ Grand Ole Opry performances to date, SmithField is unveiling their next chapter with the brand-new track “Sunday Best” due out February 17. Pre-save “Sunday Best” here.
 
Penned by the duo’s Jennifer Fielder and Trey Smith with Trannie Anderson and Ian Christian, and produced by ACM Award-winner Derek Wells and Adam Wood, “Sunday Best,” is a cathartic anthem about accepting a lover’s true self while nodding to the societal expectations that SmithField experienced while growing up in rural Texas.
 
“We’re beyond excited to start this next chapter of our story. The experiences that we’ve had so far, have made us the best versions of ourselves, and given us some unique stories to tell. We feel this new music is the perfect translation of who we are. This is what SmithField was always meant to be.” – Jennifer & Trey (SmithField)
 


“Sunday Best” follows a whirlwind journey since the emerging independent duo turned heads with their infectious single “Hey Whiskey,” featured as a SiriusXM Highway Find and selling more than 100K downloads. The best-of-friends pair have performed at several high-profile festivals including Stagecoach, CMA Fest, Faster Horses, Lake Shake, Watershed and more, while also sharing the bill with some of Country’s biggest stars including Brothers Osborne, Morgan Wallen and Old Dominion. Their 2019 WE MAKE OUR OWN EP continued to strike a chord with their loyal fan base, launching in the Top 10 of the iTunes Country Albums chart. 
 
Putting a modern spin on one of the genre’s greatest traditions – the male-female duet – SmithField effortlessly blends the classic with the contemporary, while showcasing their unique brand of two-sided storytelling. Taste of Country praises they “play off one another with the natural ease” while Rolling Stone highlights the two “find their strength in what multiple voices can bring to the table.” 
 
“Sunday Best” previews SmithField’s anticipated EP, due out in 2021. 

Music

Kalie Shorr Releases New Single “My Voice” – Listen!

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Kalie Shorr is giving fans a glimpse of her personal reflections with the release of “My Voice,” her honest and unabashed tale of her journey as a Nashville singer-songwriter. Still celebrating the success of her debut album Open Book, No. 7 on New York Times’ all-genre Best Albums of 2019 list, Shorr is turning the page to a new chapter with Open Book: Unabridged coming later this year. “My Voice” is just the first page of this new chapter, continuing her truth-filled and authentically irreverent point of view. With sonic influences from her diverse country roots and mid-2000s pop-punk, Kalie Shorr doubles down on her self-assured, rebelliously-unique sound. Listen to “My Voice” here.

Variety recently called her “the most attention-getting DIY artist in country [music],” a trait that recently landed Shorr her first recording contract with New York based major player TMWRK Records.

“I never thought I’d get to release ‘My Voice.’ I wrote it in March of 2019, the week before we started recording Open Book. I was going into the studio with this sense of confidence that I hadn’t had before, like I knew that album was going to change my life. I still had plenty of episodes of self-doubt, but writing that song was so cathartic and empowering for me. When it came time to pick songs for the extended version of the album (Open Book: Unabridged), I threw that in the Dropbox not expecting anything. The head of my new label championed it from day one. I’m so happy I get to let people hear my truly unfiltered thoughts on the music business and my career. When I wrote it, it was more of a stream of consciousness musing on the industry and now it’s turned into a personal mantra,” says Shorr.

Some of music’s most esteemed critics praised Open Book. Rolling Stone compares the record to a mix of “Shania Twain, Red-era Taylor Swift, Dashboard Confessional and Alanis Morissette,” while Taste of Country calls it “bold,” “raw,” and “real.” As for Shorr, NPR touts the singer/songwriter as “one of Nashville’s most promising” and in the U.K., The Guardian dubbed Shorr “the new queen of country”.

Last month, Shorr launched a podcast in partnership with iHeartMedia called “Too Much To Say with Kalie Shorr,” executive produced by nationally syndicated radio host Bobby Bones. “My Voice” is her first release on TMWRK Records.

Music

Lindsay Ell Releases Vulnerable and Cathartic ‘Heart Theory’ Album

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It might be hard to remember a time when Lindsay Ell was not a well-known artist. Now, she has billboards up across the country and rose to the top of the itunes charts with the release of her sophomore album Heart Theory. If you are still unfamiliar with Ell’s work, it’s only a matter of time before she is a household name. Heart Theory is more than an album, it’s more than just a work of art, it’s a labor of love. Ell has never sounded so in tune with her craft, so powerful, and so moving.

She recently celebrated her first number one song in the US along with Brantley Gilbert for their single “What Happens in a Small Town.” She has previously earned a #1 in Canada with her single “Criminal.” She has made waves over the last few years as she has earned the respect of every artist around. Her hard work ethic, insane talent (girl can shred a guitar), and overall lovable personality has set her a part.

Ell frequently posts instagram stories. Prior to shut down, she was always on a plane or bus, making it to the next gig. She recently completed a 24 hour live stream to celebrate the release of Heart Theory. How does she do it?

Heart Theory lets us see a vulnerable side to Ell, as she opens up about past hurts and struggles. She recently told her story about being a survivor of rape and started the “Make You Movement,” after her song “Make You” in which she deals with the trauma of being raped at age 13 and again at 21.

The first single off the record, “Want Me Back” was also co-written by fellow Country Artist, Kane Brown. It marks Brown’s first cut as a song writer by an outside artist! it was also written with Matt McGinn and Lindsay Rimes.

heart theory track listing(with writers) (If you look closely, the bold letters spell out Heart Theory)!

a journey through the seven stages of grief

shock

“Hits me” (Lindsay Ell, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder)

denial

“how good” (Lindsay Ell, Brandy Clark)

“i don’t lovE you” (Adam Hambrick, Melissa Fuller, Neil Medley)

anger

“wAnt me back” (Lindsay Ell, Kane Brown, Matt McGinn, Lindsay Rimes)

“get oveR you” (Lindsay Ell, Gordie Sampson, Kelly Archer)

“wrong girl” (Lindsay Ell, Steph Jones, Matt McGinn, Luke Niccoli)

bargaining

“body language of a breakup” (Lindsay Ell, Laura Veltz, Sam Ellis)

depression

“good on you” (Lindsay Ell, Sam Ellis, Micah Premnath)

testing

“The oTHEr side” (Lindsay Ell, Jessie Jo Dillon, Matt McGinn)

“gO to” (Lindsay Ell, Nicolle Gaylon, Jordan Reynolds)

acceptance

“make you” (Lindsay Ell, Brandy Clark)

“ReadY to love” (Lindsay Ell, Jessie Jo Dillon, Matt McGinn, Joey Hyde)