Author: Brady Gray

More than 40 years after Dolly Parton first dreamed up the idea, her Cup of Ambition coffee line is officially available nationwide… The late country music icon’s coffee brand, created in partnership with family-owned Community Coffee, officially launched nationwide on September 29 following its initial debut at Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop. The name, of course, comes straight from one of the most recognizable lines in Parton’s 1980 classic, “9 to 5.” Back in June, Dolly revealed that turning “Cup of Ambition” into an actual coffee brand had been something she had wanted to do for more than four decades: “I thought the…

Some songs begin with a carefully planned concept, while others reveal their meaning during the creation process. For Gracie Boots, “Teenage Reality” was definitely of the latter kind. Boots had been carrying the title for some time, but when she started working on it at the piano, she did not have a story to tell. Instead, Boots started writing with a verse that reflected her mood of the moment. A melody soon appeared that Boots could not get out of her head. That melody eventually became the chorus, and the rest of the song followed with surprising speed. Within roughly two hours, “Teenage…

The guitar is not merely an instrument that Ciera MacKenzie plays alongside her while she writes her songs. Instead, it is a process through which she has learned to experience her emotions and create songs with a specific emotion in mind. The connection between the singer and her guitar influences her ability to create her unique country-rock sound, inspired by both the 1960s rock and red dirt country from Oklahoma. In her latest single “Red,” audiences are offered yet another perspective from Ciera MacKenzie, whose songwriting skills and musicianship always go hand in hand. While the lyrics of “Red” describe the extreme…

A fitting song choice for a night of remembrance… Last night, Lainey Wilson joined a special group of performers as the nation marked 25 years since the terrorist attacks that claimed exactly 2,977 lives on September 11, 2001. Tackling a song that has long been associated with moments of mourning, Wilson performed “Amazing Grace” during the ABC 9/11 Tribute in Manhattan, a one hour special broadcast live from New York City honoring those who lost their lives while also recognizing survivors, first responders, and families who lives were forever changed that day. Lainey took the stage at the base of the…

Man, Justin Moore really doesn’t get enough credit. For as long as he’s been doing this, and with as many hits as he’s stacked up over the years, it still feels like Moore is one of the more underrated artists and vocalists in country music. And if you needed another reminder of just how good the Arkansas native can sing, this oughta do it for ya. A video that recently resurfaced online shows Moore standing on stage when a loud “USA! USA! USA!” chant begins to take over the crowd. Rather than simply moving on with the show (as this…

One helluva combination. Last night, Ella Langley brought out fellow Alabama natives Muscadine Bloodline during her Dandelion Tour stop at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and the three teamed up for a killer performance of the duo’s underrated 2018 single “Enemy.” Muscadine Bloodline, made up of Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton, recently joined Langley on the road as direct support for three dates after her good friend (and “Loving Life Again” co-writer), ERNEST, decided to step away and take some time to focus on his mental health. During Langley’s set, the boys made their way back to the stage and…