Music

Justin Townes Earle likely died from a “probable drug overdose,” a spokesperson at the Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed to Rolling Stone on Tuesday. Police conducted a welfare check at the 38-year-old songwriter’s Nashville apartment on Sunday after one of Earle’s friends said they hadn’t heard from him since Thursday. MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron told

As Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton once sang, you can’t make old friends. Now, LoCash put their own spin on that idea — and raise a glass to it — in their new single, “Beers to Catch Up On.” There are some friendships that never change. No matter how many years it’s been since the

It’s no secret that Tyler Farr is a sucker for a good story song. He proved it seven years ago with “Redneck Crazy,” and on his June EP, Only Truck in Town, Farr continues to show heavy favor for evocative lyrics and powerful storytelling. He’s also got a knack for framing well-trod country subject matter in a fresh light. This

Love and Theft‘s Stephen Barker Liles has been married to his wife, Jenna Michelle Kennedy, since Aug. 24, 2014 — but if it were up to the musician, they would have tied the knot long before then. “I loved her for a long time and would have asked her sooner,” Barker Liles told People at the time of

Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names. Rolling Stone Country selects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists. Flo, “Talking to Myself” Chilean pop-country performer Flo has a

Rhiannon Giddens‘ new song “Don’t Call Me Names” is an impassioned plea for equality. The verses tell of a love affair gone sour, but the chorus is a more universal rallying cry for anyone who feels held back or beaten down. “Don’t call me names / Don’t yell at me / Don’t think you can

Justin Townes Earle, a noted singer-songwriter and the son of fellow musician Steve Earle, has died. He was 38 years old. Earle’s family announced the news of his death on Facebook on Sunday (Aug. 23). A cause of death was not given. Justin Townes Earle was born in Nashville on Jan. 4, 1982, the son of

Trace Adkins had already earned 10 Top 20 hits by this time in 2003. He’d had his first No. 1 single, “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing,” and had released four Top 10 albums, as well as a hits collection. But chances are, it’s his induction into the Grand Ole Opry that makes Aug. 23 stand

Zara Larsson has quietly notched yet another hit. Following a placement during a key sequence in the Netflix film Work It, her single “WOW” recently lit up streaming platforms. Cumulative worldwide numbers jumped exponentially over 2,300% from 17K streams-per-day to a whopping 447K streams-per-day. In the United States alone, the song exploded from 7K streams-per-day to 120K streams-per-day. On

When Old 97’s singer Rhett Miller was a kid in the Seventies, he worshipped Roger Staubach, the quick-on-his-feet quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Staubach was so much of a figure in Miller’s life that he even haunted his subconscious. He remembers vividly a surreal dream he had one humid day as a nine-year-old while on

Jason Nix drew inspiration for his new song ”Made for Me” from a love story for the ages: that of his mawmaw and pawpaw, Audra and Homer. The upbeat, blues-influenced track premieres exclusively on The Boot; press play below to listen. “No, it don’t get better than you and me together / Like two names in a

On Aug. 23, 2013, Linda Ronstadt announced in an interview with AARP that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and, as a result, “can’t sing a note” anymore. Ronstadt told the publication that she had been officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s in early 2013, but had been having trouble with her voice for years before

Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are one of country music’s most famous power couples, but they share more than their great artistry in music. The superstars also have exquisite taste in real estate, as photos of their former mansion in Nashville demonstrate. McGraw and Hill married in 1996, and in 2004, they purchased a home

Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson team up for the video to “Lonely Alone,” a track off Crow’s latest album Threads, which was released a year ago this month. “I wrote the song, ‘Lonely Alone,’ with Willie in mind,” Crow said in a statement. “It’s was written as kind of a barside cowboy noir with romantic

Clay Walker‘s return to country radio will rely on a timeless country feeling: The need for drink. “Need a Bar Sometimes” embraces his twang, but adds just the smallest amount of contemporary production to make a mix that fits 2020. Lyrically Walker, Jaron Boyer and Josh Mirenda list the more meaningful reasons you might pull up a

Brothers Osborne are trying to suss out someone’s secrets in their new song “Skeletons.” The sibling duo released the title track of their forthcoming album on Friday (Aug. 21); readers can hear it above. There’s a thing or two in the past that the someone in question in “Skeletons” isn’t fessing up to — except,

The Mavericks leader Raul Malo doesn’t consider the band’s new album, En Español, a political statement — but, he admits with a laugh, their timing is impeccable. “That’s not the original intent,” the singer tells The Boot over the phone. “At least, I don’t see it that way.” It’s not that Malo, the son of Cuban immigrants, is

“I heard you been creepin’ round/’Bout the time that sun goes down,” sings TJ Osborne in Brothers Osborne’s thumping new song “Skeletons.” The country duo’s third studio album, also titled Skeletons, will be released October 9th. Opening with trippy, hypnotic keyboard pulses and throbbing bass, “Skeletons” surges just shy of the 30-second mark as John

The title track of Lauren Alaina‘s forthcoming EP Getting Over Him is an upbeat look at a rebound from both sides of the relationship. The country star enlisted her fellow artist and good friend Jon Pardi for the new duet, which readers can hear above. Alaina co-wrote “Getting Over Him” with Paul DiGiovanni and Emily Weisband. She’s been cheated

The Chicks turned in a pitch-perfect rendition of the National Anthem on the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention (Aug. 20). The country trio’s performance was remote, as those from other artists have been throughout the event’s four days. Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer performed all of “The Star-Spangled Banner” together,

Ross Ellis‘ single “Love Blind” is a prayer about his real-life relationship, with his girlfriend Brittany. The couple met at a festival in 2019 — Ellis was playing, and while her friends headed off to watch another artist’s set, she stuck around to see him — and despite the distance between his home in Nashville and

“The only B.S. I need is beer and sunshine,” Darius Rucker sings in his escapist new country single, “Beers and Sunshine.” Rucker’s been getting a lot of the latter during quarantine on the golf course — “It’s so easy to social distance there,” he says — but he’s also been holing up in the writing

Singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt shares childhood home movies in the new music video for her song “Normal.” The clip juxtaposes what appears to be the fairly typical kid’s life with the artist’s internal struggles, expressed in the song’s lyrics. Throughout “Normal,” Pruitt examines her struggle with her sexuality, religion and fitting in. While the verses speak directly to

“Pretty Heart” singer Parker McCollum has tested positive for COVID-19 and will have to miss a pair of shows scheduled for this week as he quarantines. The Texas-bred singer revealed the news on social media, adding that he’s feeling well for the most part. The message was apologetic, as a frustrated McCollum had been looking

Darius Rucker and Charles Kelley of Lady A are close friends and golfing buddies, so the ”Beers and Sunshine” singer was plenty available to discuss the trio’s name change earlier this year. Talking to Taste of Country Nights, Rucker reveals that Kelley did reach out to get his advice, but he stopped short of sharing the details of their

Donovan Woods has announced plans for his new album, Without People. The Canadian singer-songwriter’s follow-up to 2018’s Both Ways, the full-length project will be released November 6th. Recorded remotely by Woods and backing musicians during quarantine, Without People shows Woods exploring various aspects of human connection. The first release, “Grew Apart,” is a looser, funkier

Cam‘s new song “Classic” wraps a very progressive pop-country hook up in an old cozy sweater and offers it with a wide smile. The unmistakable feel-good song from her upcoming album will bring back memories if you let it. Or, it will just suck you in with a final modulation. There’s no key change after

The ’90s changed everything about country music. Stars including Garth Brooks and Shania Twain permanently altered the sound of the radio, while traditionalists such as Alan Jackson and George Strait kept their style rooted in the classics. How well do you know the many quirks of the songs, the artists and the offstage lives of the biggest

As a songwriter, RaeLynn is constantly walking the fine line of getting personal — but not too personal — with her lyrics. With “Me About Me,” from her 2020 EP Baytown, the singer does it by weaving her own character traits into a song about a more universal experience: a one-sided relationship. RaeLynn co-wrote “Me About Me” with Bob