With his new album, Magnolia Sage, Jackson Dean put a different spin on his established gritty persona.
In his first Big Machine album, 2022’s Greenbroke, he declined to include more than one love song in the midst of the project’s swampy sound.
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With this latest release on the newly formed Blue Highway label, he is fully embracing a relationship, returning multiple times to amorè as he explores more soul textures in the music on the heels of a January 2026 engagement.
If Dean is thinking differently about interpersonal connection in his material, some of his willingness to take musical chances is strengthened by another key relationship, his ongoing collaboration with producer Luke Dick (Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town). The two creatives met at a 2019 party celebrating “Burning Man,” a song Dick co-wrote for Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne, when Dean was a mere 18. It wasn’t long before they became a musical team.
“Sometimes you just click with somebody,” Dean says in a conference room at BMI Nashville, ahead of a party for his single “Heavens to Betsy.” “When I met him, I was like, ‘Wow, this is a plethora of knowledge that I have standing right in front of me.’ I never really know how to explain, like, what it is between us. He’s Sensei, I am student.”
That’s not a fully accurate description. Dick was indeed at a different stage of life at the time — mid-30s, married with children — but they think of themselves more as musical brothers than as teacher and pupil. Like brothers, they have a fair share of similarities, particularly their mutual passion for exploring new music from a range of origins. On this particular day, they’re enamored of progressive Canadian folk group The Barr Brothers.
They’re mutually obsessive enough to dive down deep rabbit holes to find the perfect guitar solo and flexible enough to jump at a last-minute opportunity to land a song in an outside project.
But they have their differences, too. Dean arrived at BMI in a crisp, black suit and speaks slowly, quietly mulling his words as he strives to capture an abstraction. Dick showed up in a bright, striped shirt and loose, comfortable, shitabaki-style pants, and talks more forcefully, finding the right phrases to turn an inanimate concept into something a bit more tangible. That mix of ethereal creativity and concrete reality was evident for Dick when he began exploring Nashville.
“I was 20 years old, and I rebuilt this double-wide trailer in return for engineering experience and a record to be made,” he remembers. “That’s how I got schooled [on the business] to begin with, driving down on the weekends in between jobs because I couldn’t afford a record, you know, raising a kid and figuring it out.”
After their introduction at the “Burning Man” party, Dean and Dick first wrote together in June 2019. There were no figurative fireworks that screamed “We’re going to work together for a while,” but it didn’t suck either. Their tastes seemed compatible, and there was enough promise that they continued to book more co-writing sessions.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Dick says of that first co-write. “It could be something that just doesn’t move, there’s no chemistry or something like that. But it felt really good the first time. And to me, you’re following the breadcrumb of: Are you compelled to write again? How does he feel in there? Did he want to do it again? And so you follow these little breadcrumbs one step at a time, rather than getting ahead of yourself with creativity and relationship in general.”
Musical relationships are complicated. Every A-level creative comes with a team, and reading the full panorama of personalities can be the difference between a collaborative match and a disconnect. For a producer and artist, the relationship is even more central to the results; it can be the difference between a hit and a dud.
Dean and Dick’s professional circle overlaps significantly — they’re both signed as songwriters to Little Louder Music, owned by Eric Church and Arturo Buenahora Jr., who introduced the two.
Their partnership plays out in both the writers room and the recording studio. Dick and Dean co-wrote all but one of the tracks on Magnolia Sage, and they work to maximize Dean’s creative freedom and comfort in the studio despite the underlying pressure to accomplish as much as possible from expensive musicians in a pricy room as the clock ticks.
“I’ll get on the mic and just do what I do,” Dean notes. “You know, I heard somebody talk about Robert Plant one time, how he was one of the most interesting singers, because where you think he would go up, he’d go down and do something different, and where you think he’d go down, he’d do something sideways.”
Dick’s role in that scenario is essential. He’s established a familiar core of session players who provide continuity. That gives Dean a greater sense of safety, knowing he can take chances in the performance that he might not in another environment.
Dick is “creating the space for an expression that someone doesn’t know that they need,” he says, comparing his duty in that part of the collaboration to Dean’s role. “It’s the way that things fit together. There’s the ring, and then there’s the jewel.”
Seven years since they started their journey together, the artist and producer have developed a connection that feeds their individual creative needs while building Dean’s wider relationship with a growing audience. They’ve learned how the cycle of their collaboration works — making an album can be an exhaustive process, and once it’s completed, they typically need time to generate ideas for the next one.
“You gotta let the tank fill back up,” Dean asserts.
Even as he promotes Magnolia Sage, the fuel for the next go-round is already evident. Dick saw Dean perform recently for the first time in months, and he was already sensing that Dean had developed some new creative vocal and guitar threads that are worth exploring. Dean can’t identify what that new thing is yet, but it’s in the context of their brotherhood that Dick typically brings an undefined abstraction to a clearer form. They’ll continue indefinitely on that path until one of them needs a break.
“In my purest form, I really do want people to find ways to expand themselves,” Dick says. “If that’s with me, great, and if it’s not, that’s great, too. I don’t take things personally when it comes to this. I am personal about the music. I don’t take change personally.”
75 Years Ago: When Hank Williams Got Hot With ‘Cold, Cold Heart’
The country icon’s song generated a bevy of pop covers
Hank Williams built much of his reputation as a songwriter by taking the temperature of his marriage, and one of his signature songs followed a heated confrontation.
In the fall of 1950, Audrey was hospitalized with an infection, and the two got into one of their many arguments. While complaining about her, Hank allegedly told an associate she had a “cold, cold heart,” and he recognized it as a possible song title. He authored “Cold, Cold Heart” in a scant one hour on Thanksgiving Day and recorded it four days before Christmas at the Castle Studio in Downtown Nashville. MGM released it as the b-side of “Dear John” on Groundhog Day, and in the May 12, 1951, issue, it rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s country jockeys chart. The magazine featured three country rankings at the time — including a best-sellers list and another representing jukebox play — and “Cold, Cold Heart” became the fifth of 11 Williams singles to top one or more of those charts.
Pop icon Tony Bennett recorded his own version of the song that May, and in November, it began a six-week run on the list of best-selling pop singles, subsequently adding two more weeks atop the pop airplay tally.
Bennett’s recording was one of nine “Cold, Cold Heart” covers mentioned in the pages of Billboard during the final quarter of 1951, including cuts by Louis Armstrong and Dinah Washington. In recent years, it’s been referenced in the lyrics of Maren Morris’ “My Church” and Sam Hunt’s “Hard To Forget.” — Tom Roland
Country singer/songwriter Meghan Patrick, best known for her Country Airplay top 20 song “Golden Child,” has canceled the remainder of her 2026 tour dates, starting in June.
In a social media video, Patrick told fans that she’s taking time off the road to prioritize her health, as she and husband Mitchell Tenpenny are expecting their first child together, a daughter, later this year.
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“This is hard to say, but I need to be honest with myself and with y’all… I was wrong. When I found out I was pregnant, my first thought after the excitement was, ‘How is this going to affect my career?’ I was determined not to slow down. I thought I had to prove that pregnancy wouldn’t change anything and that I could push through no matter what,” she said in a statement on social media.
“But over the last few weeks, after a lot of conversations with my doctor, my family, my team, and Mitchell, I’ve realized I was wrong to think that I had anything to prove. More importantly, I’ve realized my health and my baby girl’s well-being have to come first. So with a very heavy heart, I’ve made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of my shows for the year, starting in June.”
Patrick added that she intends to reschedule the Golden Child tour dates when she’s able to. Refunds for tickets to headlining shows will be available at point of purchase.
In her statement, Patrick also spoke of the difficulties of balancing touring life and pregnancy.
“A lot of this tour was booked before I knew I was pregnant, and before I understood just how physically and mentally difficult this season would be. Between complications, hospital visits, exhaustion, and the anxiety that comes with experiencing a previous miscarriage, I’ve had to take a hard look at what’s truly important right now. I’ve spent years believing I had to constantly push harder, sacrifice more, and prove myself to deserve a place in this industry. But I don’t want to contribute to the idea that women have to run themselves into the ground to succeed. Right now, being the best mother I can be matters more than anything else. I also recognize that right now many people are struggling to pay the bills, put food on the table, and gas in your car, let alone have something left over at the end of the month to let loose and have some fun. I am not comfortable taking your money or time to give you a show that I feel does not meet the high standard I have set and maintained for years when it comes to my live show.”
Though she won’t be touring beginning in June, she will still be making music. Patrick told fans she feels like she’s writing “some of the best songs of my life right now.” She added, “Thank you to everyone who has supported me, bought tickets, shown me grace, and loved me through every season. I promise I’ll be back when the time is right, and it will be worth the wait.”
Earlier this year, Patrick’s album Golden Child was nominated for a Juno Award for country album of the year. The album was also nominated for album of the year at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. This year, Patrick was one of six artists featured during this year’s New Faces of Country Music Show during the annual Country Radio Seminar in Nashville.
Maren Morris is weighing in on the current wave of women dominating country music, and she has nothing but praise for her peers.
Speaking with hosts Mack and Jen on SiriusXM Hits 1, Morris singled out Ella Langley, Lainey Wilson and Megan Moroney as artists exciting her right now.
“I’m so excited that they’re all crushing it,” Morris said, “because for a very long time it was pretty sparse having women dominate the charts and awards and just be paid what they’re worth. It’s amazing to see that tide turning and them all just having this huge moment right now simultaneously without competition.”
Morris was equally effusive about the songwriters behind the records, noting her personal connections to many of them.
“I’m friends with a lot of them and I’m super proud that they’re on these big projects,” she said. “The songwriting is just getting so good and that always makes me excited to continue writing.” She added: “It’s just nice to know right now that there’s so much quality music happening. I love that country is having a moment — it’s always to me been a global genre.”
The comments come at a significant moment for women in country. Wilson took home four CMA Awards in 2023 and has since become one of the genre’s biggest live draws. Moroney’s debut Tennessee Orange reached the top five of the Billboard 200, while Langley scored her first No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with “You Look Like You Love Me” featuring Riley Green.
The three artists represent a broader shift in a genre that has historically struggled to give women equal footing on radio and at awards shows.
The comments come at a significant moment for women in country. Wilson took home four CMA Awards in 2023 and has since become one of the genre’s biggest live draws. Moroney’s debut Tennessee Orange reached the top five of the Billboard 200, while Langley scored her first No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with “You Look Like You Love Me” featuring Riley Green.
The three artists represent a broader shift in a genre that has historically struggled to give women equal footing on radio and at awards shows.
Morris herself has long been among country’s most outspoken advocates for that change, having publicly addressed industry pay disparities and the underrepresentation of women on country radio throughout her career. Her 2019 single “The Bones” spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart — a record at the time for a female solo artist — and her album Girl won Best Country Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Her 2016 debut Hero produced the top five country hit “My Church” and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
Morris released her most recent studio album, Intermission, in 2023. The full interview with Mack and Jen airs on SiriusXM Hits 1, channel 2, Monday through Friday at noon ET.
Post Malone will headline Australia’s Strummingbird festival this October, the touring country event’s organizers announced Tuesday.
The Grammy-nominated artist tops a lineup that also includes Bailey Zimmerman, Cooper Alan, Cam, Sons of the East and a substantial supporting cast of international and Australian country acts across three dates in Ballarat, Newcastle and the Sunshine Coast.
Presented by Kicks Entertainment, Strummingbird 2026 will play Victoria Park in Ballarat on Oct. 10, Newcastle Foreshore on Oct. 17 and Kawana Sports Precinct on the Sunshine Coast on Oct. 18. Presale tickets go on sale Wednesday, May 13, with general admission on sale Thursday, May 14 via strummingbird.com.au.
Malone’s headlining slot follows the release of his country crossover album F-1 Trillion, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album and featured collaborations with Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll. The appearance follows recent performances at Coachella and Stagecoach Festival, marking his return to Australia three years after a sold-out run at Splendour in the Grass.
Zimmerman, one of country’s fastest-rising acts, joins as second-billed headliner behind a breakout run that includes his debut album Religiously. The Album. and its 2025 follow-up Different Night Same Rodeo, which featured a collaboration with Luke Combs. His cover of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” at Stagecoach earlier this year became a viral moment. Cooper Alan, the North Carolina singer known for “Plead the Fifth” and “Take Forever (Hally’s Song),” rounds out the top-tier international bookings.
The wider lineup includes LA-based country act Stella Lefty, Texan outfit Dexter & The Moonrocks, Cowboy Carter songwriter Cam, Cigarettes @ Sunset, CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2025 alumna Kaitlin Butts, rising Californian Noah Rinker and Brad Cox.
Australian contingent includes Sydney’s Sons of the East, back-to-back CMAA Female Artist of the Year Max Jackson, Central Queensland cattle station turned global streaming sensation Mack Geiger, Brisbane native and 2026 Countrytown Breakthrough Artist of the Year nominee Briana Dinsdale, and Sara Berki. Country DJ Willie Pake will headline late-night sets across all three stops, with line dancing sessions led by Maddison Glover.
Local artists Lewis Love (Ballarat), Gamilaraay artist Loren Ryan (Newcastle) and Sammy White (Sunshine Coast) will each perform at their respective hometown dates.
Malone first crossed into country territory with F-1 Trillion, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2024 and produced the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen. The album marked a significant commercial and artistic pivot for the artist, who had previously dominated the Hot 100 across pop and hip-hop with hits including “Sunflower,” “Rockstar” and “Circles.”
Morgan Wallen was left hanging by some of his buddies during his Still the Problem tour stop in Las Vegas.
During his first of two shows at Allegiant Stadium on Friday (May 1), the country music superstar told the Sin City crowd that several celebrities flaked out on his now-traditional walkout.
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“Y’all got some flaky a— people in this town,” Wallen is heard saying in fan-captured footage from the show. “I had like five different people lined up to do the walkout and they all bailed on me last minute.”
It was unclear at press time who Wallen had contacted for his walkout in Las Vegas. Billboard has reached out to his representatives for comment.
Since 2024, the “Last Night” singer has become known for his concert-opening walkouts, where he enters the venue alongside a local celebrity to “Broadway Girls” (Lil Durk’s 2022 hit featuring Wallen).
Wallen’s walkouts have evolved from simple solo entrances streamed on each stadium’s Jumbotron into highly orchestrated moments featuring a rotating roster of celebrity guests, ranging from acclaimed music artists like Drake and Kid Rock to superstar athletes including Patrick Mahomes and Barry Bonds.
Wallen returns to Allegiant Stadium on Saturday (May 2). The last time he performed at the venue in 2024, NFL legend Tom Brady and boxing icon Mike Tyson accompanied him during the walkout.
Wallen’s Still the Problem tour launched April 10 in Minneapolis and will visit stadiums in Indianapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Pittsburgh. He will perform two nights in most cities and will also play three major college football stadiums, including Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and Michigan’s Michigan Stadium.
The 19-time Billboard Music Awards winner is bringing a rotating lineup of openers, including Brooks & Dunn, HARDY, Ella Langley and Thomas Rhett as direct support.
Still the Problem is inspired by Wallen’s I’m The Problem album, which was released in May 2025 and spent 13 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200.
Kacey Musgraves returns with her new album, Middle of Nowhere.
Across a baker’s dozen collection of tracks, Musgraves explores the range of emotions that come with post-breakup solitude and finding oneself embracing a solitary life stage.
“This album period coincided with me getting more comfortable being alone,” Musgraves recently told Texas Monthly, adding, “not as isolation, but as sovereignty.”
The album also nods to traditional Western music styles, and weaves in Mexican music elements as well, paying homage to its long-reaching influence on and connection to country music. Throughout, the album features washes of accordion, acoustic guitar and pedal steel, while embracing Texas dancehall percussion.
She also teams with artists including Willie Nelson (“Uncertain, TX”), Miranda Lambert (“Horses & Divorces”), Billy Strings (“Everybody Wants to Be a Cowboy”) and Gregory Alan Isakov (“Coyote”).
The new album is the successor to 2024’s Deeper Well, which was her fifth to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Deeper Well‘s song “The Architect” also won a Grammy for best country song.
As she releases Middle of Nowhere, Musgraves is also gearing up for her Middle of Nowhere Tour later this year. The trek will launch Aug. 21 in Chicago, and will wrap Oct. 27 in Seattle. The tour will feature openers including Carter Faith, Midland and William Beckmann.
Musgraves also recently performed a set during Coachella, and debuted music from the new album, which Musgraves produced alongside her longtime collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk.
She will also perform during the 61st annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will air live on Prime Video on May 17.
Stream Musgraves’ new album below:
LeAnn Rimes apologized to fans on Wednesday (April 29) after postponing two dates on her 30 Years of Blue tour at the last minute due to what she described as “severe illness.” In an Instagram Story the singer, 43, wrote, “due to severe illness, I am unable to travel & perform this week,” she wrote, without detailing the illness that had laid her low.
“I’m sorry to share that the upcoming shows in Spokane and Seattle will be rescheduled … also, good news as we will be seeing you very soon.” The reworked dates will push the show scheduled for tonight (April 30) in Spokane to May 31 and the Seattle show originally slated for May 1 to June 2 on the tour that kicked off on April 19. Rimes told fans that ticket holders will be notified directly soon, with all tickets remaining valid for the rescheduled dates, or refunds available at point of purchase.
“I am truly heartbroken to have to reschedule and I am so very grateful for your kindness, and continued support as I recover,” she wrote. “I look forward to being back on stage and seeing you very soon.”
At press time the next scheduled date on the tour celebrating three decades of the singer’s 1996 major label debut, Blue, is a May 8 stop in Waukegan, Ill.
According to E! News, in an Instagram Story on April 28 Rimes posted a photo of her under the covers in bed surrounded by three boxes of tissues. “I don’t know exactly what I have, but it’s BRUTAL!” she wrote. “Haven’t left the bed.”
The news about the tour hiccup came less than a week after Rimes shared a bittersweet Instagram post featuring a picture with husband Eddie Cibrian celebrating their 15th anniversary. “we got to step away for 3 days amidst work and some very tense, heart wrenching things happening at home with family. it’s been a different anniversary, one filled with tears and worry, but in between, there were moments of laughter and deep gratitude for this love of ours,” Rimes wrote alongside a series of pictures of the couple smiling on the beach and one of a candle-lit hotel room arrayed with flower petals and candles, including a floral heart on the bed.
“day by day, we walk hand in hand through the rollercoaster of life… and god, i’m so grateful that it’s with each other,” she continued. “we’ve been through so much in our 15 years as husband and wife. we know how to ride the waves 🌊, hold each other in times of need, mend what needs mending. i’m so proud of what we have created together. 15 years is just the beginning.”
Rimes made headlines last month when she posted a video of what was called a “deep jaw release” in which Human Garage founder Garry Lineham placed his hand inside her mouth and manipulated her jaw, causing the singer to cry and then laugh. When some commenters suggested the reaction was fake, Rimes reacted in a livestream that she couldn’t have faked it if she tried.
“The people were commenting on [the post], being [like], ‘Of course the camera was on, she was gonna cry.’ I’m like, ‘I can act, but I am not that good,’ ” the singer said according to People. “I am not that good. I’m not Meryl Streep. That’s just real, and I feel like the older I get, and it’s been probably the last decade of my life, I feel like the more honest I can be. People finally get to see me, and there’s no pretense about that.”
In the original livestream, Rimes said the unconventional jaw release therapy treatment was one of the methods she’s tried as part of the “perimenopausal, menopausal journey I’m on … I’m starting to see new things show up in my body. And so I want to be able to maintain a level of performance on stage, a level of health and wellness in my own personal life and a sense of ease in my body.”
In June of last year, the country-pop singer abruptly left the stage during a show in Washington when her front dental bridge unexpectedly popped out of her mouth. Then, in January, Rimes took fans along with her to a Nashville clinic where she was getting a $10,000 plasma exchange to help “clear micro-toxins, such as mold and microplastics” and to encourage “overall repair” of the stem cells.
“listening to my body and choosing what feels supportive for this season of healing, especially after a very busy year of filming [9-1-1: Nashville] and touring,” she wrote. “i demand so much from my body and it’s incredibly important to me to take the best care of it i possibly can.”
David Allan Coe, a standout in the pack that was country music’s outlaw movement in the 1970s, whose music reached a loyal following that has grown into something bordering on cult status, has died at 86, according to various published reports.
The controversial artist wasn’t a prolific mainstream hitmaker, but he played to the beat of his own drum. With a sound that blended country, rock and blues, he landed eight singles in the Top 40 on the Country Singles chart, and is remembered for such songs as “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” “Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile,” “The Ride,” “If This Is Just a Game,” “Waylon, Willie, and Me,” “Long Haired Redneck.”
Coe’s checkered past made him headline material, from his marriages, to incarceration in his native Ohio Penitentiary, time spent in a hearse parked outside of the Ryman Auditorium, and the release of his infamous X-rated albums, Nothing Sacred and Underground Album, after which critics denounced him as a racist and misogynist, accusations he strongly denied.
Born in Akron in 1939, Coe was raised in a broken home, and by the age of nine was sent to a reform school. His was a life “full of bad luck and misadventure,” reads a biog on the songwriter, published by Sun Records. As a songwriter, he was gifted, and as a performer, charismatic.
Coe would spend the next two decades in and out of various correctional institutions, for crimes including possession of burglary tools and auto theft. Music came to him when he was locked up. In 1967, Coe was a free man and travelled to Nashville to pursue his dream in music.
In the years that followed, he would earn a reputation as one of the more mysterious artists in the genre’s history. Coe could litter his throaty baritone-fueled output with profanities, and with tales of excesses. He was an in-demand songwriter, penning tunes for Billie Joe Spears, Tanya Tucker, and in 1977, Johnny Paycheck bagged a hit with his version of Coe’s song “Take This Job and Shove It,” a song that would soundtrack the 1981 feature film of the same name.
As time marched on, the solo hits dwindled, though Coe was often the subject of colorful stories in the press. In the 2010s, he was in the news for being ordered by the IRS to play more than $980,000 in restitution for obstructing the tax agency. When he was unable to pay, the unverified story goes, Coe sold his house and lived in a cave. Then, in March 2013, he was involved in a vehicle crash in his adopted home, Florida, but after several months shrugged off internal injuries and broken bones and headed back out on tour.
Coe was a constant presence on the road, and at the end of the ‘90s formed an unlikely tandem with Dimebag Darrell, the late guitarist with metal legends Pantera, from which an album was recorded, alongside bassist Rex Brown, and drummer Vinnie Paul. Rebel Meets Rebel didn’t see the light of day until 2006, after Dimebag’s murder. Coe’s rebel spirit caught the attention of Kid Rock, who namechecked the veteran artist in the song “American Badass,” and who invited the veteran musician to open his 2000 concert tour. The friendship became a collaboration. Coe contributed to “Single Father,” housed on Rock’s self-titled 2003 album.
In 2017, Coe appeared in both the song and the video for The Moonshine Bandits’ release “Take This Job,” which he wrote. For the clip, Coe was happy to return to the penitentiary where he was incarcerated. “He had to walk three or four flights of stairs in that creepy old prison. He had to put in a lot of work to make this thing happen. It was just cool,” the Bandits told Billboard at the time. “The relationship we built with him has been so meaningful. I get text messages from him out of the blue. The night before the video, we were in his hotel room sipping on whiskey, and listening to him tell his stories.”
Coe died just after 5pm on Wednesday, April 29, his representative confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement. “David was a Country Music treasure and loved his fans,” his rep said. “Most importantly, he was a true outlaw and A great singer, songwriter, and performer.”
Morgan Evans is set to return to Australian stages in a rare, stripped-back setting, with Nova Entertainment announcing the country star will perform at an upcoming Nova’s Red Room event in Sydney.
The ARIA Award-winning artist will take the stage on May 15 at a secret location for an invite-only crowd of just 150 guests, marking one of the most intimate performances of his recent career. Known for his high-energy live shows, the Newcastle-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter is expected to deliver a more personal set, blending new material with fan favorites.
“Nova’s Red Room shows are always special,” Evans said in a statement. “This one will be a small room, stripped back versions, with probably too much talking in between … new songs, old songs, let’s go!”
The event forms part of Nova’s long-running Red Room series, which has hosted more than 350 artists across its history, including major international names such as Ed Sheeran, Lizzo, and Billie Eilish, alongside Australian acts like Tones And I and The Kid LAROI.
Evans’ upcoming performance comes amid a busy period for the singer, who released his latest album, Steel Town, in March. The project continues his trajectory as one of Australia’s most globally recognized country exports, following the success of tracks like “Kiss Somebody” and “Day Drunk,” which have collectively helped him surpass 900 million global streams.
Following the Red Room show, Evans will embark on a wider tour across Australia and New Zealand, beginning May 21 in Perth. The run will see him perform at major venues including Melbourne’s Forum, Sydney’s Enmore Theatre and Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, before heading across the Tasman.
Nova’s Red Room continues to position itself as a premium live music platform, offering fans access to exclusive performances in intimate settings while giving artists the opportunity to showcase a different side of their catalog.
Fans can enter to attend the Sydney event via the Nova Player, with winners gaining access to one of the most in-demand tickets of the month.
After Lainey Wilson‘s headlining Saturday night (April 25) set was delayed an hour or so due to the Stagecoach grounds being temporarily evacuated because of strong winds, she made a triumphant performance on Stagecoach’s massive Mane Stage, blending heartfelt ballads, energetic barn burners, and vivid musical spectacle.
“Thank you so much for sticking out the wind,” the five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topping artist told the packed crowd of concertgoers who had braved the winds and evacuation to make it to the set. “Hopefully you sat in y’alls cars for a bit and drank some tequila,” she said, adding, “We came to Stagecoach to have a d–n good time, and that’s what we gonna do.”
Back in 2022, Wilson played an early afternoon set on a tiny stage at Stagecoach, when the singer-songwriter had just earned her first hits. But Saturday night, she headlined the country music festival’s biggest stage.
Two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Wilson, clad in her signature bell bottoms, commanded the stage, playing songs including the funky “Ring Finger” and the tender “Good Horses Come Home,” as well as “Bell Bottoms Up,” “Road Runner,” “Hang Tight Honey” and “Country’s Cool Again.” Her songs touched on love, heartbreak, betrayal, work ethic and ambition. A massive horseshoe was centered on the stage, while large cactuses dotted the perimeter of the stage, which was often drenched in warm, sunny lighting that added a cozy ambience to the evening desert vibe that night in Indio, California.
Her fiddle player offered up an elegant melody of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” then Wilson launched into her lovely hit “Somewhere Over Laredo.” She later offered up an older song from her catalog, with the supportive, uplifting 2018 song “Dreamcatcher.”
When the evacuation took place Saturday night, it forced singer-songwriter Riley Green’s set to be nixed. But Wilson surprised the crowd by welcoming Green and Little Big Town (who had performed their own set on the Mane Stage earlier in the evening) to the stage during her own show.
“Y’all like Merle Haggard, right?” Wilson asked. “Oh, yeah!” Green replied before launching into a bit of Haggard’s 1980 Billboard Hot Country Songs chart-topper “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink,” with Little Big Town lending their own superb vocals to the rendition.
“Good times and good country music,” Wilson said, leading the audience in taking a celebratory drink. As Little Big Town and Green began to exit the stage, Wilson called Green back to center stage.
“I know how excited all of you were to see Riley Green tonight, so I think you need to do a song,” Wilson said. The crowd started chanting Green’s name. With just a guitar, Green performed his 2019 hit “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.”
Green and Little Big Town weren’t the only guests Wilson welcomed that evening. During her rendition of “Things A Man Oughta Know,” she also briefly paused to carry on a tradition her shows are known for, as she honored one young girl in the audience as “cowgirl of the night.” Welcoming the girl to the stage, Wilson told her that being a cowgirl isn’t about boots or a hat, but “about grit, about fire, about independence, about a girl that can be wild and grounded at the same time.”
She wrapped her show with two of her biggest hits, “4x4xU” and a song that embodies that sense of having grit and passion, “Heart Like a Truck.”
“I hope you’ve had the time of your life like we have,” she thanked the crowd as her set came to a close, later adding, “Thank you for making my dreams come true right before my very eyes.”