Katie & Company

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Russell Dickerson | Superstar Power Hour Nov 04, 2022

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Russell Dickerson’s third studio album is officially out and he’s taking fans on an adventure. With 15 songs, all written by Dickerson, fans will get to know Russell’s story, from past to present through the tracks that represent some of the moments he cherishes most in life thus far.

“The first song is talking about when we’re 16 and all the dumb stuff we used to do, it’s called, ‘Blame It On Being Young,’” Dickerson told Audacy’s Katie Neal before explaining the tracks progress in chronological order. “That last song on the album is me becoming a Dad. It’s a whole journey and it’s just me. It’s my story told through all these 15 songs.”

The fully-autobiographical approach is a new one for Dickerson when it comes to his albums. The 35-year-old said he really focused on song that he loved and felt told his story versus trying to please others.

“Instead of thinking, ‘OK I have 15 slots, I need this kind of song or this kind of song,’ I picked many favorite 15 songs that I’ve written since Southern Symphony,” he shared. “I put them all together, pieced them all to this whole story.”

Included in those 15 tracks is Dickerson’s collab. with fellow artist Jake Scott, “She Likes It,” which he never planned on being a single until fans demanded it.

“All of a sudden it was like, ‘Oh dude!’ It had like 5 million streams then it was like, ‘Dude! It’s 6 and a half, go 7 and a half million a week. This is crazy!’” He recalled. “One week it was like, ‘No, we’re good.’ The next was like, ‘We’re going to radio. Right now! With fire!’”

While Scott is the only official collab on the project, there is one more voice that makes a very special appearance and it’s Dickerson’s 2-year-old son, Remington, on the last track, “Just Like Your Mama.”

“With this album we pulled out all the stops, nothing is off limits and so when we were recording this song we were like, ‘We should get Remington do a little goo goo ga ga,” Russell told Audacy’s Rob + Holly of the decision to feature Remy. It’s so magical, it makes me cry every time.”

Dickerson’s self-titled album is available now.

Stars and Strings: Jason Aldean Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Georgia natives Kane Brown and Jason Aldean are not only two of today’s biggest Country stars, but they’re also good buddies. Both have seen lots of success when collaborating with other artists so we have to wonder — why haven’t they gotten together for a song yet?

“You should ask him that!” Kane told Katie Neal at Audacy’s Stars & Strings event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

“I had a song I thought was perfect for him, it’s called ‘Bury Me In Georgia,’” he said. Appears that ask didn’t go the way Brown hoped as he released it as a solo track on his most recent album Different Man. “I don’t know,” he said.

Lucky for us all, Aldean was also performing at Stars & Strings and when asked about a possible collab, it’s clear they’ve been trying to find the “right fit” for some time now.

“Kane likes to put me on blast because he’s asked me a couple times.” Jason laughed “I’ve told him before that I’d love to do something with him.”

He continued, “To me, those things are all about the song. Kane’s music and my music is really, really different so, when he sends a song to me, sometimes it’s not what I would normally do. I’ve always told him, ‘It’s about finding the right song,’ but I would love to do something with him and I think it’ll happen at some point when the right thing comes along. We just haven’t found that yet.”

Well, all good things are worth waiting for! Look forward to this pair to finding the right fit!

Stars and Strings: Kane Brown Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

“You should ask him that!” Kane told Katie Neal at Audacy’s Stars & Strings event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Lucky for us all, Aldean was also performing at Stars & Strings and when asked about a possible collab, it’s clear they’ve been trying to find the “right fit” for some time now.

“Kane likes to put me on blast because he’s asked me a couple times.” Jason laughed “I’ve told him before that I’d love to do something with him.”

Well, all good things are worth waiting for! Look forward to this pair to finding the right fit!

Stars and Strings: Old Dominion Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Old Dominion just wrapped the Here and Now Tour with Kenny Chesney and it’s given them memories to last a lifetime — including Kenny Chesney’s guitar tech smoochin’ on lead singer, Matt Ramsey’s Mom. Say what?!

Before taking the stage at Audacy’s Stars & Strings at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino earlier this week, Matt shared that Kenny Chesney’s guitar tech “made out” with his mom side stage, in front of him and his dad.

“Their guitar tech made out with my Mom, in front of me” Ramsey said nonchalantly as the guys recapped some memories from the tour. “He was giving me a hard time for not introducing him to my parents… so on the way back I was like, ‘Zeke, this is my Mom and he just grabbed her.”

He continued, “I was laughing, and so was my dad. And then it was like, it’s still going!”

Ramsey was all smiles as he shared the hysterical, yet awkward memory and sounds like his parents were good sports about the awkward “souvenir” as well.

“My mom is still happily married to my dad, but he [the guitar tech] decided to grab my mom and make us all uncomfortable,” he laughed. “My mom said, ‘That was more exciting than watching her son play a stadium full of people.’ Thanks, mom!”

Something tells us Matt will keeping his mother far away from the guitar techs on their upcoming No Bad Vibes tour which kicks off January 2023. See the dates below.

Old Dominion's 2023 No Bad Vibes Tour Dates:
Jan. 19 Evansville, Ind.
Jan. 20 Champaign, Ill.
Jan. 21 Moline, Ill.
Jan. 27 Ottawa, Ontario
Jan. 28 Toronto, Ontario
Jan. 30 London, Ontario
Feb. 9 Green Bay, Wisc.
Feb. 10 Rockford, Ill.
Feb. 11 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Feb. 16 Rapid City, S.D.
Feb. 17 Mankato, Minn.
Feb. 18 Duluth, Minn.
Feb. 23 Idaho Falls, Ida.
Feb. 24 Boise, Ida.
Feb. 25 Kennewick, Wash.
Feb. 28 Vancouver, British Columbia
March 2 Edmonton, Alberta
March 3 Calgary, Alberta
March 9 Lethbridge, Alberta
March 10 Regina, Saskatchewan
March 11 Winnipeg, Manitoba
March 31 Key West, Fla.
Apr. 1 Key West, Fla.
Apr. 13 Reading, Penn.
Apr. 14 Albany, N.Y.
Apr. 15 Bangor, Me.
May 4 Savannah, Ga.
May 5 Jacksonville, Fla.
May 27 Morrison, Colo.
May 28 Morrison, Colo.
June 30 Lake Tahoe, Nev.

Little Big Town | Superstar Power Hour Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

It’s been one month since the release of Little Big Town’s 10th studio album, Mr. Sun, and the project continues to fully live up to its title. While it surely lightens up fans speakers as they listen on their own, the four-member group says it’s also creating spectacular bright moments on tour.

Kimberly, Karen, Philip and Jimi recently joined Audacy’s Katie Neal for the Superstar Power Hour and shared some of their favorite songs to play live from the project while on the road.

“‘All Summer’ has been really fun to put into the set, it gets the crowd movin’” said Philip. “It’s really fun to play, I get to play a big 12-string guitar! It’s fun for me, but I love the energy it has and how it lifts peoples spirits like, immediately.”

“I love ‘Rich Man’” said Kimberly. “When we play ‘Rich Man,’ immediately people are in just because they can identify with the story and understanding what’s most important in this life. I love lookin’ at Jimi when it happens because he wrote this!”

All the members of LBT are weaved throughout the project as writers, producers etc on various tracks, but they also got creative counsel from many of their high-caliber industry pals that they say took this project to the next level.

“We’re so blessed with friends that happen to be the best songwriters in the world,” Jimi laughed. “It’s inspiring and I think that keeps pushing us, just wanting to see what we can come up with next with our friends, or whomever.”

The LBT crew has surely found their way since getting their start 20 years ago and while things may be different, they never lose touch of the fact that they’re living their dream.

“When you combine a good work ethic with dreaming big and believing in yourself, I think big things can happen,” said Karen. “We have just been really lucky to have great people around us and the right opportunity and were kept showing up and we still keep showin’ up and just tryin’ to do the work and that’s always been our mantra and it still is.”

Hear more from Little Big Town in their conversation with Katie on the Superstar Power Hour above.

Maren Morris | Superstar Power Hour Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

Maren Morris is one of the most successful Country artists of our time, and it’s more than her music she has some fans carrying with them for a lifetime.

During her recent appearance during the Superstar Power Hour with Audacy’s Katie Neal, Maren reacted to the fact that fans have gotten tattoos of her lyrics and more surrounding her music. “I feel like it’s amazing that someone is so moved by something you wrote randomly, just in a room with two people or by yourself that they want to put it on themselves permanently,” she said. “It’s always a huge compliment.”

The compliment is one Maren has given from herself to artist, Patty Griffin as she decided to have lyrics from Griffin’s Song, "Christina," tattoo’s on her shoulder blade.

“I’ve got lyrics on my shoulder blade, Patty Griffin lyrics,” she explained. “It’s over a decade old now, but I still feel to this day, that song of hers called ‘Christina’ just, like shatters me in the best way. It’s special when someone’s music means that much to someone.”

Maren is currently in the midst of her Humble Quest tour, bringing songs from the recent, CMA-nominated album to fans live for the first time. “I didn’t really get to road test any of these songs because I wrote this all during the pandemic,” she said. “The first show of this tour was when I was really seeing the fan reaction to the songs.”

Hear more about the tour, Maren’s wardrobe, and her recent pickle ball obsession by checking out her conversation with Katie Neal above.

Cole Swindell | Superstar Power Hour Oct 07, 2022

Show notes

Cole Swindell is celebrating his third consecutive-week #1 single with arguably one of the biggest songs of his career, “She Had Me At Heads Carolina.” A creative spin on the ‘90s classic performed by Jo Dee Messina, Cole has breathed new life into the song with a unique spin on the plot.

“I think the original idea, me and Thomas Rhett were talking about if we did ‘Heads Carolina,’ how would we do that other than walking in and a girl being up there singing it on karaoke, which I’m sure happens all the time here, in Nashville and all over the country," Cole told Audacy’s Katie Neal. "That was the original thought.”

The idea proves successful indeed as the song is sitting in the #1 spot on the Country charts for a second consecutive week, which is the third single from Swindell’s Sterotype album to do that.

“It’s crazy the way things are going,” he said with a smile. “I can’t help but just be happy about it. I’ve dreamed about this, but to have three there, back-to-back like that, it’s changing my life by the day!”

He continued, “‘She Had Me At Heads Carolina’ was literally the last song I recorded for this album and I can’t imagine if that wasn’t on there… it’s scary to think about actually!”

Interesting enough, the original version written by Tim Nichols and Mark D. Sanders was the last track recorded by Jo Dee’s for her debut self-titled album in 1996.

“It really is crazy, the story of this is the last song we recorded,” Cole said. “I don’t know if anybody listening has heard, but Jo Dee Messina’s [story] about her recording ‘Heads Carolina,’ — that was the last song she recorded on her album. That kind of stuff doesnt just happen. It’s meant to be.”

Hear more about the song, music video, Cole’s tour and his experience building a house by listening to his chat with Katie Neal above.

Remembering Loretta Lynn Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Katie Neal looks back on the amazing career of Loretta Lynn and her impact on Country music. The icon died on Tuesday at the age of 90.

Carrie Underwood | Superstar Power Hour Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

Incredible production, powerful vocals and stunning costume changes are all a sure bet at any Carrie Underwood tour stop, but Carrie shares her shows don’t always come without sacrifice.

Underwood recently joined Audacy’s Katie Neal for the Superstar Power Hour and discussed all the creative aspects that go into her tours and what fans can expect from her Denim & Rhinestones trek.

“There’s a lot of things we’re doing that we haven’t done before,” Underwood said of her Denim & Rhinestones tour. “I feel like we’re in such a good creative space… I feel like everybody has really just upped their game. We’ve been rehearsing lately and kind of adding new flavors to songs we’ve been playing for a really long time. Just kind of keeping things fresh and exciting.”

Carrie is also looking to keep her wardrobe fresh and exciting and she admits sometimes that means sacrificing some comfort (depending on how fabulous the piece is).

“This time I feel like my shoes don’t have to be as comfortable as I’ve needed them to be in the past,” she said of her expectations.

“Everything has to be quick-change-able, not too complicated. I don’t want things to be super-super tight when I’m singing just because it makes it harder to breathe but, who needs air??” She laughed. “If it looks fabulous enough that I could take not breathing as well, then, [its worth it].

”The sacrifices seem to be paying off as Carrie is celebrating another nomination in the Entertainer of the Year category, among others, at this year’s CMA Awards.

“Obviously [I’m] super excited,” she said of learning the news. “I knew that the nominations were coming out the next morning, but by the time the next morning got there I totally forgot and was going about my day, then I looked at my phone and I had text messages and I was like, ‘Oh! Nice!‘” She squealed. “It was kind of nice to not be anticipating [because] then I would have been nervous.”Hear more about her recent nominations, tour and why she encourages everyone to thank a quinoa farmer by listening to her full conversation with Katie Neal above.

Jelly Roll | I'm Listening Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

Jelly Roll, celebrated his first #1 on the Rock charts earlier this year with “Dead Man Walking,” and is now walking all over the Country charts with his first single to Country radio, “Son of a Sinner.” While his world may seem like nothing but success and good times, the 37-year-old says that couldn’t be further from the truth as he opened up about his struggles with mental health.

“This is something I think people really need to hear,” he told Audacy’s Katie Neal before detailing what struggling with mental health looks like for him. “I woke up, and for no triggered reason, I did not want to get out of bed. I could not pinpoint [why]… I just woke up and felt a cloud over my bed. Like the blanket was too heavy to push off of me.”

Jelly admits moments like the above, with nothing “validating” his lack of motivation, are the toughest for him to work through as they often trigger a downward spiral guided by anxious thoughts.

“Then the anxiety sets in, the unrealistic anxiety. ‘Is this a bad omen? Is something bad going to happen to somebody around me and this is the feeling it’s fixin’ to happen? Is something going to happen to me? Then the next thing you know, you’re checking your blood pressure for no reason.”

While depressive mornings and anxious spirals aren’t new to the singer-songwriter, he admits they are something he’s only started paying attention to in his adult years. He recalls being told to “brush it off” as a child, which he now sees as toxic and even believes contributed to his criminal behavior that landed him in jail. Jelly is passionate about speaking out on the topic now as he believes he could have benefited from someone addressing his mental health in his younger years.

“I would have realized that my need for acceptance stemmed from feeling like I wasn’t good enough,” he shared. “I felt like nobody accepted me… When you feel like nobody accepts you, there’s always that one group that will and it’s always the trouble.”

He continued, “I feel like I might have made some crazy different life decisions if I could have sat down and felt vocal enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m leaning towards this because I don’t feel accepted anywhere else.'”

Hear more about Jelly Roll’s conversation surrounding mental health, his criminal past, and the moment that changed his life in his conversation with Katie Neal above.

Audacy's I’m Listening initiativeaims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.

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