Katie & Company

Thomas Rhett joins Katie Neal for the Superstar Power Hour. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Sam Hunt has a lot to look forward to in the new year as he and his wife, Hannah, prepare to welcome their third child in May. “It’s about to get real,” Hunt said, revealing his wife is pregnant and expecting baby #3 in late May. “I’m elated, can’t wait!” Baby Hunt will join big sister, Lucy Louise, and brother, Lowry Lee. When asked how 2-and-a-half-year-old Lucy reacted to the news Sam shared she doesn’t fully get it, but he still talks to her about it often. “We talk about it. I say, Mama has a baby on the way and we’ll point to her belly and she says, ‘No. I have a baby on the way,” he laughed. In addition to expanding his family, Hunt also looks to extend his music catalog in the new year with some fresh music marked by the release of his recently-released single, “Liberty.” “I wrote most of it back in 2020,” he said of the track. “This song just kept hanging around and the sentiment, the tone of the song, I felt like was relevant now and so I thought, ‘I’m going to go record it and get it out.’” He continued, “That song is one of about 4 or 5 songs that I have for my next project whether that’s me putting out songs one at a time or puttin’ them all out at once. I’m still in that phase of putting songs out one song at a time so I don’t go away for too long.” While new music is promised, future tour dates are not as Hunt prepares to spend more time at home with the family. “I’m hopefully — in the next couple years — going to take a break from touring,” he revealed. “The crowds have been so great and I want to get out there and tour while my kids are really young and they’re able to come with me…. and while people are interested in coming to see us because I don’t want to take that or granted.” Hear more about the new song, family updates and his reflection on the 10th year of his debut album, Montevallo, by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above. The 58th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, and Peyton Manning, will broadcast live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 20 at 8PM ET/7PM CT on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu. Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Katie Neal Photo: Alysse Gafkjen

Bailey Zimmerman is heading into Wednesday night’s 58th Annual CMA Awards as not only a first-time nominee but a first-time performer as well, and he isn’t too cool to admit he’s got some serious jitters. “It’s an honor, but [I’m] very nervous,” he told Audacy’s Katie Neal ahead of the big night where he’s set to perform, “New To Country.” “If I was just coming to hang out — different story — but when you see the show, you’ll understand why I’m so nervous… you’ll see.” Following the nerve-wracking performance and possible New Artist of the Year win, Zimmerman will have plenty of time to decompress as he enters the holiday season with some downtime and a new lady in his life… Pie, his new Golden Retriever. “I have a new puppy,” Zimmerman said when asked how his older Golden Retriever, Marley is doing. “I’ve been wanting to get Marley a sister, but I was waiting on like, a rescue… not just be like, ‘I’m gonna go buy a puppy and go buy a puppy.” He continued, “The story is kind of weird because I was in Southern Tennessee at this truck show and they were like, ‘Hey! These people have Golden Retrievers for sale at the end of the road…’ I drove out there and these puppies were like, not being treated the greatest.” It was love at first sight for BZ and Pie and after getting some health complications settled, Bailey said sweet Pie is happy as can be. “Something was just pulling at me…. I picked up Pie.. and it was just like, Wow! She took right to me we’re like, best buds.” He continued, “Turns out, she was really sick… she ended up getting really, really sick and almost didn’t make it. We had to rush her to the ER… [get] all these shots. She was just a champ all the way through it… she’s doing good now. She’s chillin’, running around.” Hear more about Pie, Marley and of course, Bailey’s music by checking out his entoire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above. The 58th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, and Peyton Manning, will broadcast live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 20 at 8PM ET/7PM CT on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu. Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Katie Neal Photo: Chris Ashlee

It’s a big week for Riley Green who is a first-time nominee at this week’s 58th Annual CMA Awards. Ahead of Wednesday’s show, Green took time to catch up with Audacy’s Katie Neal to catch up on all the week’s festivities including his very first fashion show experience, upcoming CMA performance and more. Touching quickly on the Boot Barn fashion show that both he and Katie attended Monday night, Riley says he “felt like everybody there was looking at me for my reaction… it was like not laughing in church, you know? It was fun,” he adds. “But, I was like, right there and a lady came out doing splits, interpretive dance, and they were all staring a hole through me when they were walking down. I didn't know where to look.” Although it was his first fashion show, Riley says, “It won't be the last... I enjoyed it. I wished it lasted about 3 hours and I was drinking. That would have been fun. Here's what was tough: When it started and that girl was doing that dance thing where she was spinning on her head and stuff and it was real quiet. I wanted to clap. Miranda [Lambert] stopped me, because I was like, ‘You don't clap? That was awesome what she did.’” Getting back to business, Riley shared he's looking forward to his own performance during this year’s CMA Awards. The 36-year-old Riley is scheduled to take the stage with Ella Langley to perform their hit single, “You Look Like You Love Me,” which is also up for Musical Event of the Year. “This song is proof that I don't know what's a hit because, I mean, it was very organic how it happened" he shared. "[It] has been like [that] a lot of the collaborations I've done. I took Thomas Rhett duck hunting and we came out with ‘Half Of Me,’ and I was on tour with Luke Combs and played him ‘Different 'Round Here,’ and that ended up being a big hit for me. So, Ella was out on tour with me, heard the song -- I don't think they really knew what they were gonna do with it... I said, 'Well, I wonder… What if I wrote it from the guy's perspective? We did it and they liked it… I thought the talking verses were probably a little too traditional, but how awesome is it to see a song that's that Country, that's really that big of a hit.” “I've never had a viral hit, I guess,” Riley admits, “and that was like kind of an overnight thing… you picked your phone up the next day and you couldn't get away from it. It was on everything, you know, so it's cool to see that. I'm super happy for her success with it too, it's been awesome to watch.” This year’s ceremony will be Riley’s very first time on the CMAs stage, and although he’s feeling confident about the upcoming performance, there is one person he’ll be avoiding eye contact with. “Well, I didn't even think about that until you said it, I feel like Dierks Bentley,” he laughs. “I saw where everybody's sitting at. If I look at him [I'll laugh]” Finally, discussing his current single “Damn Good Day To Leave,” Riley describes it as “a fun breakup song if there is such a thing. I love the thought of, you know, the girl left and you're sad, but the fish are biting, and the beer's cold, so it'll be all right.” “It's a fun song, and it makes you wanna roll the window down and turn it up, so I love to sing that song," he says, "and it's always great when a song's climbing the chart because you get to watch the crowd sing it louder every week.” Fans can catch Riley on his Damn Country Music Tour along with Ella Langley kicking off next year. Listen to Katie's full chat with Riley Green above. Don't miss the 58th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and Lainey Wilson on Wednesday, November 20 at 8/7c on ABC, and available the next day on Hulu. Find more of Audacy's CMA Awards coverage at audacy.com/cma. Words by Joe Cingrana, Interview by Katie Neal Photo: Jeremy Cowart

It’s a big week for Luke Bryan who is returning to host the CMA Awards for a fourth year. A seasoned pro at leading the festivities by now, the Georgia native says he’s not nervous about much before the big night… except one thing. “I’m not really nervous about anything,” he told Audacy’s Katie Neal ahead of Wednesday night’s show. “The main thing is, how will I look?” While Luke might have a few jitters about his appearance, he’s not second-guessing for a moment that fans will be entertained and laugh a lot. “It’s got us laughing,” Bryan said after sharing he’s already run through the script a couple times over Zoom with Manning and Wilson. “Pretty sure the people at home are going to laugh too.” While the CMA Awards are only once a year, fans can plan on seeing Bryan a lot more on their television screens come Spring as he returns to host another season of IDOL on ABC. The new season will premiere March 2025 and feature Bryan alongside fellow returning judge, Lionel Richie and new judge, Carrie Underwood as they search across America for the next American Idol. “We’re doing auditions on Idol,” Bryan shared before detailing how Underwood is fitting into the already tight-knit judging crew. “Carrie’s doing great and she’s not requesting for my removal from the show yet,” he laughed. “No HR flags or anything… so, we’re doing good. She’s had to learn a lot on the fly, it’s a lot to process.” He continued, “What I’ve learned from her is she’s just got the best heart in the world. When she talks to these kids — it’s hard when you’ve gotta tell ‘em no and she’s learning you just gotta say no, but she’s doing great.” Hear more about Idol, his hosting duties and new single by checking out Luke’s entire interview with Audacy’s Katie Neal above. The 58th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will broadcast live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 20 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and stream the next day on Hulu. Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Katie Neal Photo: Jim Wright

It’s CMA Week and while Luke Combs is up for some of the most prestigious awards come Wednesday night’s broadcast, he’s busy celebrating a different kind of win to start the week. On Monday (11/18), Combs was crowned PEOPLE’s, “Sexiest 34-Year-Old Man on the Planet.” The award is a branch off the publication's Sexiest Man Alive title, which went to actor, John Krasinski, this year. While Krasinski won the overall title, PEOPLE decided to break it down even further this year by crowing the sexiest man of each age from 20-41. “1990, [a] down year when it came to sexy guys, but still proud to be at the top of the pile,” Combs laughed before sharing he was “very heavily surprised,” by his new title. “Maybe we’re re-defining sexy,” he laughed. “Guys’ [with] shirts that don’t fit that good, they fall asleep watching football —if that’s sexy, I’m your guy!” No need to worry about Combs’ ego getting too big from the new title as he shared his young sons currently keep him humble making him watch shows like, Stinky and Dirty, while playing with dinosaurs and tractors. “We’re into tractors and we’re into dinosaurs and we’re into the pool, we’re into swimming a lot,” Combs responded when asked how his sons, Tex (2) and Beau (1) are doing. “My kid has all the dinosaurs drive the tractors and stuff — that’s what’s going on right now.” Combs and his wife, Nicole, will have the night off from playing dinosaurs on Wednesday as they attend the 58th Annual CMA Awards where Luke is up for multiple awards including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album Of the Year for his project, Fathers & Sons. Additionally, Combs will take the stage to perform his hit, “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma.” “It’s gonna be sick,” he said of his plans for the performance. “We’ve got all the crazy effects and everything, which we’ve never done. We’ve never done fire and smoke and all that… We’re doing that this time because I feel like the song warrants it. Usually, I’m like, ‘Let the song speak for itself,’ but this time, I feel like the song would just be better with a bunch of cool fire and stuff, which is usually is not the case.” Hear additional details about Combs’ performance, plus who he is most excited to see at the show, what fellow artist was an extra in his “Beer Never Broke My Heart” video and so much more by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal above. The 58th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will broadcast live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 20 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and stream next day on Hulu. Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Katie Neal Photo: Zack Massey

Catching up backstage during the lead-up to the 2024 Country Music Association awards ceremony taking place on Wednesday, November 20, Audacy's Katie Neal spoke with Blake Shelton about being "fired up" about new music and more. Of course, Blake is super-excited to see his good friend Luke Bryan on stage as one of this year's hosts, joking that he likely got the gig again, "I think because people love to watch a train wreck on the TV. “I'm excited about Lainey [Wilson], I think she's incredible, I'm a huge fan of hers,” he adds, “and of course Peyton [Manning] is so funny… and Luke's funny too. I gotta give it to him. They got the right combination there.” Touching on his own new music, Shelton says he's been thoroughly enjoying all of the fan reactions to his latest single, "Texas." “I was nervous, you know. It's been a while since I've released any new music,” he admits. “When I retired from ‘The Voice,’ I just kind of like went away… 23 seasons I was on that show, so I was happy to get a break.” ““This spring,” he explains, “Post Malone reached out to me and asked if I would be on the record with him, and then that thing took off and now here I am making my own music again and, I'm fired up about it -- I really am. I’m just trying to take it all in this time around. The first chapter of my career, which I think goes from 2001 to probably 2021 or 22 is kind of a blur to me, and to be able to kind of relaunch again, and know how hard it is in this business to have success, and to have a hit song -- and I really enjoy slowing down this time and taking it in, and enjoying these moments for what they are because not a lot of people get to experience it.” Getting a chance to work with Malone, he says, reinvigorated his love for making music. “I feel like I'd kind of gotten lazy, you know, and I'd kind of taken for granted what I do because I've been staying on the hamster wheel for so long that you just kind of forget… When I was a kid, my only dream was being on the radio, and I mean, a very small, lottery winning percentage of people get to do this. But being around Post, it was like, ‘Look at this kid, man, he's the biggest star in the world.’ He couldn't be more excited about what he does, and what am I doing?” “I really do credit him for firing me up about it again,” says Blake, “and wanting to make some more music. As long as people want it, and want to at least hear it and give me a chance -- it's actually literally stupid not to do it.” Looking ahead, Shelton says “I probably have an album's worth of music that recorded that I have. I don't think it's there yet. I'm gonna keep recording and looking for songs until they tell me they gotta start printing albums and I need to turn something in.” Listen to Katie's full chat with Blake Shelton above. Don't miss the 58th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and Lainey Wilson on Wednesday, November 20 at 8/7c on ABC, and available the next day on Hulu. Find more of Audacy's CMA Awards coverage at audacy.com/cma. Words by Joe Cingrana, Interview by Katie Neal Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

After raising nearly $25 million for Hurricane Helene relief efforts in Western North Carolina with Concert for Carolina featuring Luke Combs, James Taylor, Billy Strings and himself, Eric Church says the fight following such devastation in his home state is far from over. “I realized pretty quick with the funds that we had raised that the biggest problem that we have in this country [is] — we do a pretty good job with the immediate 911 need of food and water and diapers — what we don’t do as well is keeping people in the community from a housing perspective,” he shared ahead of performing at the 58th Annual CMA Awards. “We committed to putting 100 homes in Avery county, which is one of the counties hardest hit. That’s been the big focal point.” On top of all the efforts he’s shown thus far towards relief, Church has also committed to giving to back “forever” by handing his song, “Darkest Hour,” to the state of North Carolina. This means 100% of the proceeds go to the state and towards those in need. “‘Darkest Hour’ has helped raise the awareness and keep the attention going,” Church said of the song he released following the hurricane which hit in September 2024. “We tend to move on as a society and those people are going to need help for a long time,” he continued. “It’s more of an anthem and part of the reason I’m doing it on the CMAs is to keep the focal point on those people [that] still need help… There’s still so much need there.” With a lot of work still left to do, Church continues to be inspired by the impact already made and the strong community within his home state which was ever-present during Concert for Carolina. “That was just a special night to see all the people — especially being in Charlotte and being in my home state,” Church said reflecting on the night. “I live half my year in Western North Carolina and those mountains mean so much to me creatively, but also as a person. To be there and see that togetherness that happened — to have James Taylor and Luke [Combs] and myself and Billy Strings — it was a special moment.” Hear more about Church’s efforts towards relief by checking out his entire conversation with Katie Neal above and be sure to catch his performance Wednesday night on the 58th Annual CMA Awards. The 58th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will broadcast live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 20 at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC and stream next day on Hulu. Words by Monica Rivera, Interview by Katie Neal Photo: Robby Klein

After years of contemplating an acting role, Country star Kelsea Ballerini, has officially made the leap as she appeared as a guest star on the new ABC series, Doctor Odyssey this week (11/7). Playing the part of an over-compensating bride with deep secrets, Ballerini showed the power of her creative depth goes far beyond her music. “I’ve been dabbling with the idea of getting into the acting space for a couple of years now because I said the hardest ‘no’ to it for so long,” she told Audacy’s Katie Neal during an appearance on the Superstar Power Hour. “I was just scared of sucking. I'm scared of failing, especially publicly, like on a TV film situation, that feels terrifying to me.” The 31-year-old admits failure seemed especially scary to her now as she’s dating well-known actor, Chase Stokes who stars on Outer Banks, but after self-identifying as a “swing for the fences kind of girl,” she went for it. And while she might’ve had immediate access to her very own acting mentor in Stokes, Ballerini said she wanted to take this journey independently and didn’t rely on him for much help at all. “I'm so independent... the only time I had seen like a call sheet before was when I would go visit him on set at Outer Banks, so it was just, it was new. So I would ask him logistical questions like, ‘What does this mean, crew call?’ … But as far as helping me, I was like, ‘I wanna do it on my own and then show you,’ you know?” Ballerini’s episode on Doctor Odyssey — which centers around the medical staff on a luxurious cruise ship — premiered Thursday night (11/7) and featured Ballerini as a Type A-presenting bride who viewers find out at the end is battling deep, dark secrets. “Quite literally, I am screaming, crying, or throwing up the entire hour, the entire hour,” she shared. “Like, day one, my first scene is just me vomiting over and over and over again. So it was fun, it was an experience and I will do it again if I can.” While not an acting role, Ballerini already has her next television part on lock as she’s set to appear on season 27 of The Voice this Spring. Kelsea shared she has already started filming alongside fellow judges for that season which include Michael Bublè, Adam Levine and John Legend. “I knew John Legend, from when I filled in for Kelly [Clarkson], but I had never met [Michael] Bublè, and I had never met Adam Levine,” she shared. “I was nervous, you know, I grew up on their music. So being up there with them and knowing that I had to fight with them to get certain artists from my team was, I mean, that is such a head trip to be like, ‘I understand that you probably want to go to the lead singer of Maroon 5, But here's why you should pick me instead.’ Pick me, choose me, love me,” she laughed. “Everyone thinks it’s scripted - there’s no script. It requires so much presence,” she continued. “You are there, the camera’s on you 12 hours a day and you are coaching, you are available the whole time… It’s like, in my 10- years what can I give this person? And also, where can I just step back and listen too?” On top of all her TV time, Ballerini hasn’t abandoned her music as she recently celebrated the release of her studio album, Patterns, which she produced and wrote alongside five of her best, female friends which she takes tremendous pride in. “I just honestly, I didn't know where to start after [Rolling Up the] Welcome Mat because I didn't make that album to be what it became,” she disclosed. “I’m so grateful, but I was like ‘What do I do now? How do I make a record to follow this up?’” I don't know.” She continued, “So, I took a retreat and I just asked my friends that I felt safe with that happened to be stupidly talented. So Alysa Vanderheym, Jessie Joe Dillon, Karen Fairchild, and Hillary Lindsey, we all went to this beautiful house in St. Louis. I just knew if there was a way to dip my toe in, it was there. And if we d ...

Tucker Wetmore is on the ride of his life after entering the Country music world with his debut single, “Wind Up Missin’ You” which is currently top 15 and climbing. While it may look like it’s all success right now, Wetmore recently opened up to Audacy’s Katie Neal revealing his music career is the result of a life-changing injury that kept him from seeing his dreams of becoming a professional athlete. “I was in Montana, I played a year of football there and I’m gettin’ scout player of the year — they’re like, ‘Hey you’re the number one guy for the next four years — you’re the number one receiver, let’s roll.’ I was like, ‘Alright, let’s do it,’ but it just didn’t feel right for a couple months towards the end.” The Washington native continued to recall, “I remember sitting down after coming home from practice and… I locked myself in the bathroom and I just started bawling. Like, weeping crying.” In the midst of his meltdown, Wetmore tapped into his church-based upbringing for guidance and confided in God, asking for “a sign.” “I was just like, I need a sign,” he shared. “The next day, I went to practice like I would any other day and very first play, run a post over the middle and snap my leg in three places.” A career-ending injury for the now 25-year-old was a tough pill to swallow at the time, but looking back, he says’ it’s “exactly what I needed.” While the sign to part ways from football was clear, the next step wasn’t necessarily revealing itself. That is, until Wetmore’s mom encouraged him to spend time at the piano - a habit that he used to have in his younger years to decompress after school, before homework. “She was like, ‘just go sit at your piano — that used to ease your mind back in the day,’” he shared before remembering how much music helped him through his childhood after learning to play “by ear” and YouTube tutorials. “I started to teach myself when I was 11, never had a lesson on anything,” he shared. “I would just sit down and play for hours. Literally every single day I'd come home from practice and before I could wrap my head around homework, I'd have to decompress on piano.” Mama Wetmore’s advice following’s Tucker’s injury is just what he needed to propel himself to the next step. Later that very night, Wetmore wrote his very first song and a few months after that, he packed up and moved to Nashville to chase his new-found dream of being a Country artist. “Five months later, I was like, ‘Mom, I want to do this, I believe I can do this.' And then she was like, 'I never doubted you for a second, go do it,'” he said. It was a big move for Wetmore, who prides himself on being a big family man and moved to a town where he didn’t know a single soul. That didn’t stop him from integrating himself into the town quickly. Twenty years old at the time, and in the midst of a global pandemic, Tucker defied the odds and started seeing things take shape. He was quickly signed to a publishing deal which was later followed by a record deal that he signed Summer 2023. Just over a year later, Wetmore is celebrating his debut single at Country radio, “Wind Up Missin’ You,” in the top 15 as well as the recent release of his album, 'Waves On A Sunset,' available now. “First and foremost, I wanted to portray who I am as a person and as an artist,” Wetmore said of his intentions with the project before simply stating he needed more songs to fill his already sold-out shows. Fans will also be excited to know there’s a lot more where this album came from as he shares it is a direct lead into his next project which will dive deep into some of his biggest, present-day challenges and most tumultuous relationships. While there’s lots to look forward to, Wetmore does his best to take things one day at a time, and recently, that means getting ready to hit the road with Thomas Rhett for the 'Better in Boots Tour' in 2025. Th ...

Audacy's Katie Neal welcomes Kane Brown to our airwaves as this week’s co-host for the 'Superstar Power Hour' on all your favorite Audacy Country stations nationwide. The new year will kick off with new music for Brown as he recently revealed he’ll release his fourth studio album, 'The High Road,' on January 24, 2025. The project will feature Brown’s most-recent hit, “Miles On It” featuring Marshmello in addition to “Fiddle In the Band,” which he recently performed at the People’s Choice Country Awards in September. Additionally, the album will include the 31-year-old’s new single, “Backseat Driver,” which is available now. “It’s a beautiful song,” Kane said of the new single that marries his worlds of being a Country singer and girl dad together perfectly. “They said they’ve showed it to everybody and the first time I listened to it, I was like, ‘This is me!’ I think God just held it for me.” His daughters aren’t the only ones with a “moment” on the album, Kane also highlights wife, Katelyn in a special way as she joins vocals for two tracks as a featured artist. “We’ve got ‘Body Talk,’” Kane said, sharing the title of the first song he and wife Katelyn sing together. “It’s going to go to Pop radio — super sexy song. Kinda got like a little Latin vibe in the beat,” he shared. “Then you have ‘Do Us Apart,’ which is a Country vibe, which we love to duet,” explaining the inspiration came from Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis’ rendition of “I Told You So.” “We tried to come as close to that as we could. And this song reminded us of it.” With a wide array of sounds and styles on the project, there’s a little something for everyone and also importantly for Kane — everything is a fit for his live shows. “This album, I just really wanted to have every song that I could play live,” he shared. “The last couple albums — I like the songs, but some of them were used or years old so I had already grown as an artist so I don’t want to perform them. Or, I feel like they don’t have a big enough message for everybody — but this album, there’s so many great songs. Even the slow songs…. I feel like I could do a whole tour on this album and be happy.” Kane will take all the songs on the road next year with his recently announced 2025 High Road Tour which kicks off March 13 in San Diego and wraps July 13 in Chicago. Along for support on select dates are Mitchell Tenpenny, Scotty McCreery, Dasha and Ashley Cooke. Hear additional details about the tour, Kane’s evolving style choices, his new life as a father of three and so much more by checking out his entire conversation with Audacy’s Katie Neal on the Superstar Power Hour above. Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Few things are stronger than Country music friendships -   Justin Moore and Blake Shelton being a great example. During his appearance on the Superstar Power Hour with Audacy’s Katie Neal this week, Justin Moore opened up about how much Blake Shelton has helped him with his career and regularly puts friendship over stardom. “He’s always been really, really go to me,” Moore said of his longtime friendship with Shelton. “I went on tour with him, man, it was probably back in ’10, ’11, ’12, something like that and he’s always been really kind to me.” Beyond their time on the road together, Justin credits one almost-cancelled appearance on NBC’s The Voice for showing him the level of commitment Blake had to their friendship. “I was on The Voice in — I think it was maybe 2014 or something. Long story short, I was supposed to be on and they had to cancel for — I don’t know if it was another artist — but, what ever happened and he went to them and goes, ‘You’re gonna have Justin on. I called him and asked him to be on — you’re gonna have him on.'” He continued, “I was on the finale, actually, which was huge at the time for us and that was all his doing. I say that to say, he is probably the most unaffected superstar I’ve ever met. He’s really just a super nice guy.” Their friendship is also just as strong out of the spotlight, says Justin who calls Shelton a “nut.” “He’s a nut. Some of our text threads are — we couldn’t put them out — they’re pretty funny,” Justin laughed. While they may not be able to release the texts, what they did release is a brand new song together featured on Justin’s new album, This Is My Dirt, available now. “I sent him a text and said, ‘Hey, I’ve got this song.’ I actually sent him two songs and I said, ‘which one do you want to do?’ He goes, ‘Let’s do the beer one,’” Justin recalled, laughing. “I go, ‘That’s what I figured you’d pick.’ For him to do that, he don’t have to do that.” Blake wasn’t the only Country pal who fans can hear featured on the album — Justin also shared his gratitude for long time friends, Randy Houser and Dierks Bentley who appear on “The Worst” and “Time’s Ticking,” respectively. “Same with Randy [Houser] and Dierks [Bentley],” Justin continued. “For them to lend their talents and time and energy to this project is really cool.” Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

It was a wild weekend on the road for Brantley Gilbert who welcomed his third child with wife, Amber, in the middle of a show in Tupelo, MS. Days later, Gilbert joined Audacy’s Katie Neal to share the whole story and praise Amber for her courage and strength. “She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met, I can’t say enough about her,” he said, still in disbelief of the events. According to Gilbert, he was just four songs into his headlining set when his tour manager walked on stage and pulled at his arm telling him to exit. “We were four songs into the set and my tour manager comes up and pull on my arm… the first thing that came to mind is, ‘it’s a security threat,’” Brantley recalled, sharing he immediately had concern to take care of his bandmates and the crowd. “He looked at me and he gave me a stern like, ‘come on,’ he was like, ‘baby,’ he mouthed ‘baby’ to me and when he did, I dropped the mic and everything and took off running.” The 39-year-old had no time to spare as he walked onto the bus and almost immediately, Amber’s water broke. “The minute I walked on the bus, I washed my hands really quick and the minute I knelt beside her, her water broke,” Gilbert shared. “I looked at the midwife and she looked back at me and I was just wide-eyed. She’s like, ‘We’re having a baby.’” The situation is one Brantley said he and Amber had joked about before, but never actually thought could come true. “We joked that if it happened during a show, I’ll just hop off stage, we’ll have it and I’ll run back up there and I’ll hold the baby up like Lion King, like Simba... none of us thought that was actually going to happen.” While it did happen (minus the Lion King part), Gilbert credits his wife for keeping her cool and birthing their third child, Abram Howell, like a “soldier.” “She was a soldier - such an understatement,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. She was just so strong. I was such an emotional wreck - it was ridiculous. She handled it a million times better than I did.” Following the events, Gilbert says mom and baby are doing just fine. “They’re amazing,” he shared. “He’s tiny. He’s 5lb 7oz - he’s got the cutest little cry ever, but he’s precious.” Hear the full story of Abram’s entry into the world by checking out Katie Neal’s full conversation with Brantley Gilbert above. Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Many Country stars dream of making it big from the time they’re kids, but for new-comer, Dylan Marlowe, the dream started as a college kid with a competitive spirit. After realizing he could sing just a few years ago, Marlowe is already on the Country charts with a top 25 single, “Boys Back Home,” featuring Dylan Scott. The young Georgia-native recently sat down with Audacy’s Katie Neal to talk about his expedited journey to the Country music charts and the career he hopes to build. “I started learning how to sing and write and play [guitar] in college,” he shared. “I didn't really know my whole life that I could do any of that because I always did baseball.” Dylan shared he first got a guitar from a “dude in my neighborhood” and was motivated to try it as he’s “always been kind of a competitive person.” “There was a dude in my neighborhood, Colin, who pretty much gave me his extra guitar to learn how [to play],” Dylan explained. “ I started kind of writing songs,” he shared before explaining he decided to try some open mic nights. “I would go up there and play two songs and… see what people reacted to. Once I started hearing videos of it kind of sounding decent I was like, ‘Maybe I can work on this you know start taking vocal lessons and really trying like dig in.’” That’s exactly what Marlowe did after a handful of open mic nights, some encouragement from friends and support from his parents. After trading in his baseball glove for a guitar and college classes for vocal lessons, Marlowe says he hasn’t looked back since. “My Dad was the one that said, ’Hey, if you don’t want to do college, just leave, quit. If you want to go do music, there’s no point in me paying for you to go to college if you’re gonna quit,” he said of his parents’ reaction to him calling it quits after only one year in college. “I started learning guitar and moved to Nashville and met a guy named Dallas Davidson who's written tons of huge songs for like, Luke [Bryan] and all those people and he signed me and we've just been going since then.” The 27-year-old’s career has moved at a rapid pace compared to most and now, he’s celebrating the release of his debut album, Mid-Twenties Crisis, just a few years after learning to sing and play guitar. The project features 15 songs featuring his unique sound he describes as “kind of all over, it's like a chaotic mess.” “Somebody commented on my TikTok yesterday of ‘Heaven's Sake’ and they said, ‘This sounds like Blink-182 went down to Georgia and drank some moonshine,’” he laughed. “I was like, ’Yes, I love that.’” With a sound that’s all his, Marlowe says he’s less interested in trying to define it and more interested in keeping things authentic. “I’m kind of just trying to make ...

Luke Bryan is celebrating the release of his 8th studio album, Mind of a Country Boy, and while it has a lot of the hip-shaking, dance anthems we love to hear from the five-time Entertainer of the Year, he’s also reminding fans he can still tap into some big emotions. One song in particular that’s popping off the track list for many due to its emotion is, “For The Kids.” Co-written by Luke, the song brings raw honesty and a relatable message that details the strain parenthood can put on a marriage. “I think, naturally, there are phases in your marriage that the kids are kind of like the dominating thing of the marriage and a lot of times they're what keeps the marriage going and keeps it together,” Luke told Audacy’s Katie Neal of the idea behind the song. “I want people when they hear it to go, ‘Oh yeah, we forgot that Luke can do this from time to time and really hit us with a big heartfelt emotion song.'” The track is one of many that Luke co-wrote for the album, which he says resulted in the whole project becoming a direct reflection of where he’s at in life both personally and professionally. “What I'm proud about is, I think that all the songs on the album… it's where I'm at as a human and as an artist,” he expressed. “I think I can sing any song on this album with a lot of pride and really put my heart and soul in it. I think the fans will hear all that.” While he surely digs deep with songs like “For The Kids,” Bryan also shows his fun side and that he can stay relevant in the new era of Country music (according to his sons’ playlists). “'Southern and Slow' is the dude song on the album," and “But I Got A Beer In My Hand,” he said when asked what songs his teenage sons seem to listen to most. “They're listening to what all the kids are listening to around the world,” he said before sharing it makes him extra proud when one of his songs makes their playlist. “The Dylan Marlowes and the Dylan Scotts and theres some other Dylans out there they're listening to,“ he laughed. “And then they're obviously listening to Morgan [Wallen] and Luke [Combs]. So, whenever dad gets in their playlist, that means I'm hitting. I can still kind of sneak one in to the younger places.” Hear all about the album, creative process, and more by listening to the Superstar Power Hour with Katie & Company every weekday from 2PM - 3PM on your favorite Audacy Country station! Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Cody Johnson’s new single, “I’m Gonna Love You,” featuring Carrie Underwood is proof that songs land exactly where they’re supposed to, when they’re supposed to. The single is the first taste of Cody’s newly-announced new album, Leather Deluxe Edition, arriving November 1. The project is an extension of his 2023 album, Leather, and follow up to 2021’s Human The Double Album. While he says he had more than enough music to release another double album, Johnson shared the decision to do a deluxe was strategic and one to protect his fans from content overload, making sure all songs get the spotlight they deserve. “We had Human The Double Album and I didn’t want to seem redundant and have another double album,” he expressed. “Here’s the issue with a double album…. I feel like on Human, a lot of great songs got overlooked because of single timing and how much content was out at one time.” He continued, “If I’m the consumer, I’ve got to look at all 25 songs and that’s a lot to digest. I’ve learned through the years that people’s attention span sometimes is very short. I’ve seen it in radio, I’ve seen it with consumption [and] streaming.” Words by Monica Rivera Interview by Katie Neal

Cody Johnson’s new single, “I’m Gonna Love You,” featuring Carrie Underwood is proof that songs land exactly where they’re supposed to, when they’re supposed to. During his recent appearance on the Superstar Power Hour with Audacy’s Katie Neal, COJO opened up about how the song came to be and its 10-year journey to finally get recorded and finding a spot on an album. Written by Travis Denning alongside Chris Stevens and Kelly Archer, the tune was originally intended to be a single for Denning. “I heard this Travis Denning song, ‘I’m Gonna Love You,’ and I fell in love with it,” Johnson explained of the first time he heard the song. “[I] was like, ‘Man, I really want to have this song — I feel like it’s got potential to be something on radio, I love the lyrics.” Unfortunately, for Johnson (at the time), Denning’s team stood firm and kept the song for him and Johnson was forced to move on. A couple years later, Denning decided to forego recording the single, but the word never got to Cody. Instead, Denning’s label mate, Carrie Underwood, got her hands on the song, which she ultimately passed on as she felt it didn’t fit the vibe of her album. Fast forward to present day — “I’m Gonna Love You,” resurfaced in mind for Johnson and after reaching out, he was told it was up for grabs. It was a no-brainer for the Texas native, who scooped up the tune he knew was a fit from the first time he heard it years ago. “Most of the songs that I have recorded that have become big hits have sat around in Nashville for over 10 years,” he explained. “Whenever my ear heard them, I immediately went, ‘Wow! How in the hell has this song sat here 10 years?’” Now that he had the song on lock, the hunt for a duet partner was on. Although it might seem like a daunting task, it wasn’t a tough search for Johnson who had his sights set on one person — Carrie Underwood. “There was talk of Lainey Wilson, there was talk of Miranda Lambert, there was talk of maybe a ‘90s female artist and I was like, ’No, I just really hear Carrie’s voice on this. I’d like the opportunity to sing with her.'” It was unbeknownst to him she’d already passed on the song once. Luckily, that worked in his favor as Underwood saw the second opportunity with the song as a clear sign that it was meant to be and agreed to the duet with Cody whom she’d only met at awards briefly before. The pair spent time in the studio working directly with each other and ultimately landed on a finalized recording that they sang standing next to one another in one take in the studio. Words by ...

New music from Keith Urban is here with the release of his new album, HIGH, and he joined Audacy’s Katie Neal for a conversation surrounding the songs, creative process, and “dark humor” of the title. After a public battle to sobriety nearly 20 years ago, Keith isn’t hiding from his past with the title, HIGH, which may raise some eyebrows now that he is 18 years sober. “I love the dark comedy of it, given my past. That's very intentional,” Keith said of the title. “But it also means something different to every person that hears the word. I mean, some people immediately think of just great sort of euphoria, or being in a mountain, or being in love, or getting good news, or being fit and healthy, or whatever it is. It's a place…. how we all get there is different but we all agree on the destination.” With many of the songs capturing the feelings and moments of being “high on life,” Urban does address his dark past head-on with the closing track, “BREAK THE CHAIN.” A song that was born out of his own struggles with drug and alcohol addiction in addition to growing up with an alcoholic father. While the subject matter is heavy, Urban presents pure hope and a refreshing mindset to those that may be going through a hard time. “That was just one of those beautiful, divine days where a song wants to come out and we happen to be in the right place at the right time portaling it in,” he said of writing the song alongside Marc Scibilia. “That song wanted to be here and I'm grateful that we were able to bring it in because it was not something I had in mind.” He continued, “I come from a family with an alcoholic father and being raised in that environment… all its challenges aren't really apparent at the time, but as I get older I've got a lot of dysfunctions I'm trying to work through,” he expressed. “I can either keep blaming my circumstance, which is not my fault…  it's nobody's fault whose family they're born into, but at some point it becomes my responsibility to change that… No matter what it is, that bit is up to me to be willing to take the steps to change past behaviors and break the chain.” While clearly unafraid to touch on topics of real intensity, Keith also gives us plenty of his fun, playful, guitar-shredding style on songs like, “LAUGHIN’ ALL THE WAY TO THE DRANK,” where he not only name-checks actor, Matthew McConaughey, but also gives his best impression writing, “alright, alright, alright,” into the lyrics. “I actually FaceTimed him when I was recording the song,” Keith said, before sharing he asked McConaughey if he’d be interested in coming in to record his infamous “Alright, alright, alright” line for the track. Unfortunately, McConaughey filming schedule didn’t allow him to make it happen, however, Urban said he was very appreciative for the shout-out. In addition to brand new songs like “LAUGHIN’ ALL THE W ...

Country music is having a global moment and Tullahoma, Tennessee native, Dustin Lynch, could not be more proud. During his time as a guest on Audacy’s Superstar Power Hour with Katie Neal, Lynch opened up about the current state of Country music and the excitement he feels seeing others embrace the genre he’s known his entire life. “With the success of Morgan [Wallen] worldwide and Luke Combs and then the album that HARDY made [Quit!] that was rippin’ and rockin’, it's really opened to a lot of these, ‘I hate Country. I'm a Rock fan. I'm a Rap fan’ people,” Dustin shared of the current expansion of the Country music fanbase. “It’s opened the genre up… some guys and girls that probably had always written Country music off as a whole and dip their toe in it. They go, ‘Oh, maybe I like this.’” While there’s clearly been a major shift in the acceptance from once-skeptical fans, there’s also been a shift on the artist side as mainstream artists are also taking a dip in the Country pool. With unexpected Country albums from Beyoncè and Post Malone this year, Country music is gaining appeal to more artists and Lynch says he’s witnessed the impact first hand with pal and Alternative Rocker/Rapper, Machine Gun Kelly. Dustin shared he and MGK have been friends for a few years as they’re both part of an annual group trip to Lake Powell, and the the change in his attitude surrounding Country from their first meeting has been monumental. “The first year that I was on that trip, you couldn't get Kells [MGK] to even give Country the time of day,” Dustin said. “Really, he hated it… Since then, it's evolved. I think the genre has, you know, probably in a way made him respect and recognize.” It’s been quite the evolution for MGK as he went from not giving Country music the time of day to now having his own Country collaboration with one of modern-day Country’s biggest artists, Jelly Roll. In July, the pair gave one of the genre’s most iconic songs the crossover treatment with the release of “Lonely Road,” which samples John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” from 1971. Mainstream artists like Machine Gun Kelly aren’t the only ones having fun with the shake-up — longtime Country artists like Dustin himself are also enjoying pushing the boundaries of what Country music has always been and that’s exactly what Lynch did with his most-recent single, “Chevrolet,” featuring Jelly Roll. “I was scared to death of it.” Lynch admitted when he first heard the song which interpolates Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" from 1973. “Interpolation of a classic song that’s been around forever — it's like, ‘Okay, can we do this again?’”

Jackson Dean talks about the release of his new album with Katie Neal