Country artist Adam Wakefield—who rose to popularity through the NBC singing competition The Voice, and also performed in the bluegrass band The SteelDrivers—is facing accusations of rape from a woman stemming from an incident in October 2017.
For the last two summers, The Paramount Network’s Western series Yellowstone starring Kevin Costner has become the hottest show on television, pulling in huge ratings, and finding favor with critics. It’s also become a big bonanza for many independent country and roots artists.
With a reverence and aptitude at reviving multiple cherished roots disciplines within their sphere of the bluegrass realm, and with a new lead singer that can supercharge songs that already hold a cherished place in the minds of established fans, the SteelDrivers aren’t just weathering storms, they’re taming the sea, and possibly hitting their stride.
If you’re wondering what to look forward to hearing in country and Americana music in early 2020, let this be your guide. Here’s all the information Saving Country Music has been able to compile on the most anticipated upcoming releases, along with a more extensive catalog of releases to have on your radar & the always fun “rumor mill.”
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now. It’s available on most all streaming formats (see below), or you can just use the song, artist, and album recommendations to find something new to listen to. New songs have just been added.
The SteelDrivers have about all you need from music: The drive and instrumentation of bluegrass, the grit of country, the energy of rock, the soul of the South, the songwriting of Americana, and four Grammy noms and a win that prove they do it all better than most. They’re the best elements of American roots music wrapped into one.
The 32nd Annual Old Settler’s Music Festival is set to transpire April 11th thru 14th in Central Texas once again, and they just released their initial lineup. Taking place just outside of Lockhart, TX and within easy driving distance of Austin and San Antonio, it will be the festival’s 2nd year on their new permanent site
Bill Murray has recently been putting together quite a side career that involves appearing in the most random places to support cool country and roots artists. Murray did this in May when he showed up to the dive bar Filthy McNasty’s in Ft. Worth to take in the music of some local songwriters while in town for a golf tournament.
For 10 years now, The SteelDrivers have been a preeminent bluegrass band of the hard-charging variety and a proving ground of talent that includes Chris Stapleton as an alumni. After announcing the newest member to take what was once Stapleton’s spot in guitar player and singer Kelvin Damrell, the 5-piece outfit is ready to hit the road.
At 12:01 last night (or this morning), after all the hands had been shaken, and all the hugs exchanged on the Saturday Night Live set in New York’s Rockefeller Center, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. Okay, now you’re supposed to just nestle into bed and act like that didn’t just happen?
The hard-driving, Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band The SteelDrivers have a new permanent lead singer and guitar player. Kelvin Damrell, who is native of Berea, Kentucky, and grew up in a family of bluegrass Gospel singers, has been named as the replacement in a spot previously held by some very big names, including Chris Stapleton, Adam […]
You get what you expect from this record, which is good, and bad. If it feels like we were just here a few months ago, it’s because we were. You could call Chris Stapleton’s latest release, and his second one in 2017 “From A Room: Vol. 2,” or perhaps you could call it “Traveller #3.”
So Murray shows up to the concert, heads to the box office, buys every ticket remaining for the show, and hands them out to everyone who is standing in line. A long-standing staunch supporter of music, Bill Murray has been caught red handed going nuts at Chris Stapleton concerts and other live events.
Gary Nichols, who was the singer and guitarist for the well-renown and popular bluegrass band The SteelDrivers for the last seven years, is no longer with the band. Though no reasons were given, the band did confirm the departure on Thursday evening (8-24) ahead of a shows in Colorado this weekend.
Before launching his own solo career, Chris Stapleton was a revered songwriter and session singer up and down Music Row, and this is evidenced in the history of the song “Either Way.” First appearing on Lee Ann Womack’s critically-acclaimed album Call Me Crazy from 2008, the song is at least 9 years old.
Stapleton’s From A Room: Volume #1 will be released on May 5th, and a second installment, and From A Room, Volume #2, will be released later in 2017. This is the news coming out of a mostly private album release party conducted Wednesday evening (4-5) at Nashville’s Studio ‘A’.
Flatt Lonesome, The Earls of Leicester, Balsam Range, The SteelDrivers, and Sam Bush emerged Wednesday (7-27) as the leading nominee getters for the 2016 installment of the International Bluegrass Music Awards, or IBMA’s, while Clarence White was announced as the latest inductee into the Hall of Fame.
Justice has finally been done, and the current King of Americana finally has his Grammy. Actually, he now has two of them. Alabama-born songwriter Jason Isbell walked away with Best Americana Album honors at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards for his latest record Something More Than Free during the pre-telecast awards Monday afternoon (2-14), as well as Best American Roots song for “24 Frames.”
Not everybody is happy about all this mainstream success and good times being had by Chris Stapleton and his fans. So for the sake of argument, fairness, and equal time, let’s take an honest, devil’s advocate look at Chris Stapleton, and see if some of this criticism is worthy of wearing the luster off of his CMA wins, and astounding commercial success subsequently.
It isn’t often that a musician achieves an illustrious 15-year career that includes five number one hits, Grammy Award nominations, feature film contributions, producer credits and the respect of his peers before he ever releases his first solo album. But Chris Stapleton isn’t your average musician. The near-universal critical acclaim that has been heaped upon his debut album “Traveller” has been nothing short of amazing.
For years now, the long-awaited solo album from country music songwriter Chris Stapleton has been like the White Whale of albums to informed country music listeners who pay attention liner notes. Meanwhile other fans remember Stapleton from his days in the bluegrass band The SteelDrivers. Beyond his songwriting, Stapleton’s solo sets are things of shiver-inducing magic.
This past weekend from October 9th thru 12th was the inaugural gathering of Outlaw Fest at Edge Hill Farms in Oakland, Kentucky. Despite passing rain showers throughout the weekend and the linchpin of the festival Marty Shine having a health setback that sidelined him for most of the event, according to festival goers a good time was had by all.
“Marty Shine” is what many of his friends call him. He’s the owner of the Moonshine Sauce Company who through a series of events over the last year or so has gone from slaving over a hot barbecue pit to playing festival promoter at this weekend’s Outlaw Fest at the Edgehill Farm in Oakland, KY. “Good food makes good friends.”