Music

Reyna Roberts hesitates to call 2020 great. It’s hard to describe a year full of death and hardship due to a global pandemic, a reckoning with racism and inequality in the United States, and a variety of other social and political turmoil as anything even resembling good, but for the singer, songwriter and pianist with

Indie-folk trio the Accidentals worked with an incredible list of artists on their forthcoming EP: Kim Richey, Mary Gauthier and more. “Night Train,” premiering exclusively on The Boot, is a songwriting collaboration with Dar Williams. “Night Train,” the Accidentals tell The Boot, hopes for healing and a better future. It “became an anthem … for

Carrie Underwood is set for an upcoming awards show performance that’s probably going to be pretty different from what her county fans normally get to see. The country superstar is slated to perform at the Latin American Music Awards on April 15, taking the stage with Spanish singer David Bisbal. Underwood teamed with Bisbal to

Ahead of Friday’s premiere of their CMT Crossroads, Margo Price and Nathaniel Rateliff have released a video of their performance of Price’s “Twinkle Twinkle.” It’s a gritty, funky collaboration, with a Jimi Hendrix-like guitar riff and a healthy dose of swagger from both of the featured artists. Price takes the first verse, debunking the idea

Smithfield‘s new song “Sunday Best” began as something much darker, but was always going to represent where the country duo was headed next. A new acoustic version of the track exemplifies all of it. Trey Smith and Jen Fielder were re-thinking their approach even before the pandemic. A new EP was recorded before COVID-19 shut

Singer-songwriter Katie Jo‘s debut album, Pawn Shop Queen, chronicles some of the most traumatic experiences of her young life. Its title track, however, offers a bit of optimism: a reminder that our worst moments don’t define us, but make us stronger. Jo describes “Pawn Shop Queen” — which is premiering exclusively on The Boot — as “an

Charley Crockett‘s newest album is a tribute to his friend and fellow musician, James “Slim” Hand, but his new music video for its song “Midnight Run” turns the story into his own. Crockett admits that “Midnight Run” — a cut from Hand’s 2009 Rounder Records release Shadow on the Ground — remains a bit of a

Marty Stuart has announced the digital album Songs I Sing in the Dark, a collection of 20 acoustic numbers that he’ll debut on a monthly basis. The first installment is Stuart’s version of “Ready for the Times to Get Better” and, as the Country Music Hall of Fame member explains in a new video, it

If you love a country song that’s been released in the past decade, there’s a chance that Natalie Hemby had a hand in it. From Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town to Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris, plenty of country artists have recorded songs written by Hemby at some point in their careers. With six No. 1

Portia Clark‘s road to duetting with Darius Rucker begins in 2017, backstage at gala for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and while it turned out to be an important moment, it’s nowhere near the most interesting part of her story. By the time Clark met Rucker, she’d been involved with the Starkey Hearing Foundation — founded by

There’s been a major switch-up in The Voice‘s Season 20 Battles Rounds coaching lineup: Kelly Clarkson is out sick, and filling in for her is none other than Kelsea Ballerini. Ballerini’s surprise appearance was revealed during the latest episode of the show on Monday night (March 22), as host Carson Daly explained that Clarkson was under

Kenny Chesney has scrapped his Chillaxification Tour. Originally set for 2020 and then postponed until 2021, the stadium trek is now slated for 2022 under a new name and with different opening acts, according to a press release. “All of the stadiums on the 2021 itinerary will still host Chesney’s 2022 tour. It will be

Since Brett Eldredge‘s debut studio album, Bring You Back, was released in 2013, the singer has been able to celebrate a solid string of successes: five No. 1 singles, seven songs certified platinum and nominations for a number of different honors, ranging from the ACM Awards to Teen Choice Awards. Eldredge has also become known as a

Chapel Hart proudly proclaim ”You Can Have Him Jolene” in their new single, which pairs nicely with a hilarious music video. Comprised of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle, Chapel Hart put their feistiest foot forward in this callback to Dolly Parton‘s iconic 1973 hit “Jolene.” The video follows Danica as she catches onto her partner’s

Miranda Lambert strung up her old hit “Heart Like Mine” for actor Matthew McConaughey‘s virtual We’re Texas storm recovery benefit concert on Sunday (March 21). While doing so, the Wildcard 2021 Grammy Awards winner wore ironic patches across the chest of her Western-wear button-up labeling her a “School Crossing Guard” and an “Outlaw.” The twee affectations were minor

In 2019, Dolly Parton became the first country-music artist to receive the MusiCares Person of the Year honor, following past recipients like Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Carole King. Now fans will be able to witness the typically industry-only event: On April 7th, Netflix premieres Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute. Taped just before

Now a ‘90s country icon, Suzy Bogguss was only a wildly talented newcomer in 1989, when her major-label debut album, Somewhere Between, was released. With Bogguss’ powerful vocals, a title track penned by Merle Haggard and tons of vintage country influence, the 10-track record was destined to be country classic. From Bogguss’ take on Haggard’s “Somewhere Between” to the saucy

The Cadillac Three frontman Jaren Johnston sits alone on a dark stage in Sturgis, S.D., through most of the trio’s “Long After Last Call” music video. The newly released clip brings awareness to a cause that necessitated this sparse treatment. The “Long After Last Call” video was intended to tell a story and include drummer

Country quintet Lanco took their new single “Near Mrs.” to the Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Thursday, performing the song from intimate Nashville venue the Basement. As with their breakout hit “Greatest Love Story,” Lanco’s latest is another kind of love story about the ones who got away. The piano-driven roots-rock arrangement lets singer

Twenty-one years ago today, on March 21, 2000, Nickel Creek released their self-titled debut album on Sugar Hill Records. Produced by Alison Krauss, the project spawned three singles and earned the group their first Grammy Awards nomination, for Best Bluegrass Album. Nickel Creek, a trio made up of siblings Sean Watkins and Sara Watkins, along with Chris Thile,

On March 21, 1989, Suzy Bogguss released her major-label debut album, Somewhere Between. The full-length project followed her two earlier, independent releases — including one that the Illinois native recorded during her tenure as a featured performer at Dollywood — and several briefly charting singles, “Love Will Never Slip Away” and “I Don’t Want to Set

Fancy Hagood introduces himself — and his debut album — with his new single “Southern Curiosity.” The song, which arrived Friday (March 19), is the record’s title track. Written by Hagood with Jacob Bryant and John Davidson, “Southern Curiosity” is a gospel song in which the artist shares his story as a native southerner who’s connected

Onboard a stormy flight in July 2019, Allison Russell started thinking back to one of the most turbulent periods in her life. The singer-songwriter fled her abusive home as a teenager growing up in Montreal, spending the rest of her adolescence roaming the city’s streets, sleeping in its graveyards, and playing chess late into the

Lauren Alaina has been forced to bow out of an acoustic show she was slated to perform in Kentucky on Saturday (March 20) after testing positive for COVID-19. The country singer turned to social media to share the news on Saturday afternoon, writing, “I am so sad to say I will not be at the

While Jason Aldean and Brittany Kerr’s relationship began on rocky ground, the two have built a loving family in their five years together. The couple now has two children of their own, younger siblings to Aldean’s two daughters from his first marriage. In late 2012, Aldean and Kerr were photographed cozying up together at a nightclub in Los Angeles,

Loretta Lynn is still a force, even when paired with two of her most powerful contemporaries. “Still Woman Enough,” from her new album of the same name, finds her singing with Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood. The new song begins with a driving acoustic shuffle and Lynn telling her story, as she does at her

Back in October, Lana Del Rey joined Nikki Lane onstage in Austin to perform the song “Breaking Up Slowly.” On Friday, the studio version of their collaboration arrived with the release of Del Rey’s new album Chemtrails Over the Country Club. Written by Del Rey and Lane, it’s a devastating country-tinged ballad about a relationship

Blanco Brown‘s newly released “CountryTime” music video finds the singer, rapper and producer caught up in a scheme that’s sure to end with dire consequences, only to choose a different path. The song itself, the lyrics of which reflect the video’s story, recently inspired the writer of a Netflix series with a similar theme. Sarah Lampert,

Dixie Hall (born Iris Violet May Lawrence) was a force in country and bluegrass songwriting; with over 500 songs to her name, most consider her the most prolific female songwriter in bluegrass music. She was also a music journalist, an animal rights activist and the boss of an independent record label, Blue Circle Records. But