Country duo Cloverdayle, comprised of husband & wife Chad and Rachel Hamar, is getting ready to impact country radio with their new single “Like We Were Kids Again”.  Cloverdayle recently returned from Nashville where they recorded new tracks with Jason Aldean’s band for their forthcoming album.  “Like We Were Kids Again” is scheduled to be released to Country Radio in June.

“Like We Were Kids Again” is an upbeat tune that is memorable long after the song is over.  The song serves as a strong debut for country radio and will no doubt become a fan favorite.  Rachel’s powerful vocals embrace listeners as the song takes you back to your childhood.  With a catchy chorus that include lyrics such as, “What happened to the days of make-believe/ living worry free/ kings & queens of castles made of sheets….”, the song will immediately resonate with listeners. “Like We Were Kids Again” is a feel-good tune that will make you want to roll down the windows, crank up the radio and sign along.

Get your copy of “Like We Were Kids Again” now on iTunes by clicking HERE.

Keep up with Chad & Rachel by visiting their official website, www.Cloverdayle.com, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Josh Thompson will be hitting the road this weekend as part of the Country Throwdown tour — and Josh says he’s really jazzed about the tour because not only is he looking forward to playing for the fans, he also gets to be part of a show with friends like Justin Moore and Sunny Sweeney, as well as one of Josh’s musical heroes, Gary Allan.

“I’m on the Throwdown tour with my B.F.F. Justin Moore and Gary Allan, which I’m super, super pumped up about ’cause I’ve…he’s probably been my biggest modern country influence, ever. I mean, since Smoke Rings in the Dark came out. And Sunny Sweeney’s gonna be on there — love her, too. There’s gonna be a couple other acts. It’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be a blast.”

Thompson says that when you get the right group of people together, big tours like Country Throwdown can be a great time off-stage as well as on.  “There is time to hang out with everybody on those big tours, if you make it. It can turn into one gigantic party, you know, backstage, but that comes with that comfort ability level. Like, Justin and I have known each other, his band and my band have known each other for a while. We’ve been out…I mean, so there’s that, you know, that camaraderie there. I mean, I’ve known Sunny for a while, and her band and our band and everybody’s band really gets along, so this tour I’m really lookin’ forward to. The only person that I don’t know that well is Gary. But hopefully, this summer’ll fix it.”

The tour kicks off today, Friday, May 18th, in Gulfport, Mississippi! For tour dates and a complete line-up of artists, also including Rodney Atkins, Eric Paslay, and more, check out the official tour website at CountryThrowdown.com.

Josh is on the radio now with his cool, slice-of-life single, “Comin’ Around,” the first great track from his upcoming sophomore album. Keep up with Josh anytime at JoshThompsonOfficial.com.

The Ram Truck brand presents “Road to the Ram^® Jam,” an all-star country music series featuring five of today’s best country artists leading up to an invitation-only 2012 RamJam concert event December 29^th in Nashville, Tenn., where all five artists will perform.

The Road to the Ram Jam series will be the ultimate fan experience. It will help bring country music fans closer to some of their favorite artists with exclusive video content, the opportunity to win prizes including collectible posters and vinyl records through country radio stations nationwide, free music downloads, as well as a chance to enter to win trips for two to the exclusive Ram Jam concert. Get more information on the Road to the Ram Jam and enter the sweepstakes at www.RamTrucks.com/RoadtoRamJam.

Mercury Nashville recording artist Easton Corbin will join previously announced The Valory Music Co.’s Brantley Gilbert and BNA recording artist Kellie Pickler for the “Road to the Ram^® Jam” series and sweepstakes.  To celebrate Easton’s involvement on the Road To Ram Jam, we have an Exclusive Prize Pack to giveaway to TWO Lucky Winners!!! The prize pack consists of an Exclusive Easton Corbin Ram Jam 2012 Hatch Show Print Poster AND a copy of Easton’s new single “Lovin’ You Is Fun” on vinyl.  Two winners will be randomly selected after contest closes on June 15.  To enter to win, please fill out the form below.  One Entry Per Person.  Good Luck!

Be sure to enter the Road to the Ram Jam Sweepstakes and be in to win a trip for two to Nashville for the exclusive Ram Jam 2012 Concert by clicking HERE!!

Photo Credit Danny Clinch

Kenny Chesney hit the airwaves this week with new music! The song “Come Over” is from Kenny’s June 19th album release, Welcome to the Fishbowl, and it’s a song that Kenny says is really sexy, but it also speaks to how very hard it can be to let go of a relationship.

“‘Come Over’ is to me about two people that are as broken as their relationship is, where they realize deep down that their relationship has probably ran its course, but they aren’t really ready to emotionally or physically move on to somethin’ else. So what do they do? They keep goin’ back to each other because it’s familiar. And this song to me is more than just about comfortable sex. It’s about emotionally being wanted in a moment where it really feels impossible to let anybody else fill that void.”

 Kenny Chesney feels that his new single, “Come Over,” is a very sexy song.  “‘Come Over’ is just such an incredibly sexy lyric. It’s an incredibly sexy melody, and I think it will hit home with anyone that has felt that emotion of being caught in a web of trying to emotionally let go, but still holding onto somethin’ that was good about that relationship at the same time.”

Get your copy of the sexy new single, “Come Over”, by clicking HERE.

Of the upcoming summer tour, Chesney says that everyone is working very hard to make the ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour an awesome experience for the fans.  “We’ve tried really hard to give the fans the best experience possible. I mean, I think the one thing that you have to remember — people ask me for advice all the time about touring, about sellin’ tickets, about just the music business, period, and the one thing that I’ve always tried to remember, you know, especially since we’ve been headlinin’ our own shows is that you’re not just competing with everybody in the music business — not just my genre, but everybody. You’re not just competing with music. You’re competing with movies, you’re competing with sports, you’re competing with everyday life, you’re competing…people have options. And now they have not as much money as they used to to spend on those options. And the idea of somebody investing their life enough to come see us play means everything to us. So, that’s why we spend a lot of hours laboring over what can we do to make this experience the best it can possibly be.”

Kenny is very excited about the incredible talent on the upcoming tour. “The fact that we got the people out there on the road that we have, you know, obviously with my friend Tim McGraw, who I’ve got a long history with, who people have been living with our songs for a while now, and to be able to balance those worlds and combine both worlds onto one stage is gonna be very special for everybody. And to have Grace come up there every night and, you know, pardon the pun, but she adds a lot of grace to the stage. And that’s gonna be a lot of fun to watch. You know, her band is unbelievable. I mean, just…it’s like a revival. And I’m very proud of Jake, too, because Jake has I think gotten himself into a spot where he has a chance to not just have some songs on the radio, but to make a real difference in people’s lives, you know, and he’s cuttin’ some songs now that can do just that. And I’ve been…you know, I’ve known Jake awhile now, and I think we were his first tour that he was ever on, and to see him go from where he was then to where he is now and what he’s gonna bring to the stage and to the tour, and…this element of fun, this element of just showmanship that he’s gotten a lot better at, it just adds…it just rounds the whole tour even better.”

For Kenny, a personal highlight of the upcoming ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour will be singing “You and Tequila” each night with Grace Potter. “To be able to sing ‘You and Tequila’ with her every night is special. It just is, you know? It was such a special moment in my career. I hesitate sayin’ the song because it was more than a song: it was a moment in my career. And it was so left of center, but still so centered because she’s such a universally accepted singer. I mean, she’s just that good. To have her out there on stage with me every night, singin’ that song is gonna be…is somethin’ that I’m lookin’ forward to the most out on the road this year.”

Following “Feel Like a Rock Star” — Kenny’s Top 10 duet with Tim McGraw — “Come Over” is the second single from Kenny’s new Welcome to the Fishbowl album. It’s out June 19th, but you can pre-order your copy online now at KennyChesney.com or at such favorite destinations as iTunes, right here.

Kenny is also among the first performers announced for the 2012 CMT Music Awards! Kenny’s up for a pair of CMT Awards this year, nominated with Grace Potter for Collaborative Video of the Year and overall Video of the Year, both for their smash, “You and Tequila.” Fan voting is underway now through the morning of June 4th at CMT.com, with final nominees for Video of the Year to be announced and voted-on during the show. Catch all the excitement of the 2012 CMT Music Awards when the show airs June 6th, at 8pm, ET, on CMT and CMT.com!

It’s mid-May, and in just a few weeks, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw‘s ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour will catch its first rays on June 2nd in Tampa, Florida, kicking-off a coast-to-coast stadium tour, playing more than 20 dates with special guests Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen. Check out tour dates and ticket info for the ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour, by clicking here. 

Keep up with all things Chesney by visiting his official website, www.KennyChesney.com.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Cowart

Critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Sunny Sweeney will headline the Air National Guard (ANG) Stage during the Country Throwdown Tour (CTD), Fired up by Kingsford, which kicks off today (5/18), in Gulfport, MS. Throughout the 20-city summer trek, she will lend her voice and time to ANG’s presence on the tour. 

“I am so honored to perform on the Air National Guard Stage. Being married to a police officer, I’m very aware of what our service people sacrifice on a daily basis. I can’t wait to meet with members of the ANG and fans this summer,” said Sweeney.

In each city, Sweeney will sign autographs at the ANG booth. There will be some surprises along the way, including a private, acoustic set and Meet & Greet on Sweeney’s bus during a couple of stops. 

Sweeney also will join other artists on the tour for the ANG Grateful States Campaign, which recognizes the ANG airmen and families through photos and videos posted online by citizens across the United States. Gary Allan, Rodney Atkins, Justin Moore, Josh Thompson, Eric Paslay and more are slated for the CTD tour.

Visit sunnysweeney.com, GoANG.com or countrythrowdown.com for a full list of dates and up-to-date news. 

Back In The Saddle is Chris Cagle’s first full-length album in 4 years, and his first release with Bigger Picture Group! It was produced by legendary producer Keith Stegall (Zac Brown Band, Alan Jackson), and includes 11 brand new tracks, including the smash single “Got My Country On.”  Back In The Saddle is schedule for release on June 26.

Back In The Saddle will be available soon for pre-order from ChrisCagle.com in a variety of premium packages, including Fan Club packages which will contain Meet & Greet opportunities.

Kenny Chesney covers the June issue of Men’s Health Magazine.  USA Today reports that this marks Chesney’s first major men’s magazine cover.  Kenny is about to embark on his summer tour and the article captures his devotion to maintaining a healthy lifestyle so that he can be on top of his game at each & every show.

Chesney explains that he needs to maintain energy throughout his 2 hour concerts during the summer humidity.  “You think you’re sprinting on this treadmill,” he says. “When I’m up there it’s like I’m at a constant sprint at a 15 level. But the thing you have onstage that you don’t have in the gym is adrenaline.”

Chesney continues to work with personal trainer Daniel Meng.  Meng has been Chesney’s trainer for over a decade.  Of the workout plan that Meng has set up for the country superstar, Meng shares “It’s a very intense workout routine usually reserved for athletes, but Kenny has a certain standard he holds himself to when putting on a show, and it’s my job to get him there.”

While Kenny’s main goal isn’t muscle, he can complete 300 pushups in ten minutes! Chesney also shares “I’ve never abused my body with drugs. I’ve never smoked. But I will say that I’ve probably been overserved a lot. You can’t spend 19 years on the road and not have a few drinks.”

Be sure to pick up the June issue of Men’s Health Magazine and read more about Chesney & his outlook on fitness by clicking HERE.

Kenny will be hitting the road with Tim McGraw this summer for their blockbuster ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour.  To see if Chesney & McGraw will be heading to an area near you, please click HERE.  Also be sure to pickup his new studio album Welcome To The Fishbowl on June 19.  Pre-order your copy now by clicking HERE.

Keep up with all things Chesney by visiting his official website, www.KennyChesney.com.

Photo Credit Robert Sebree

CMA kick starts 2012 CMA Music Festival on Wednesday, June 6 with The Eighth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade at 11:00 AM/CT, followed by The Seventh Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party at 12:30 PM/CT.

Country icon Glen Campbell will be the Grand Marshal for the Parade. Campbell last performed at CMA Music Festival in 2004. He has received two CMA Awards, including CMA Entertainer of the Year (1968) and Male Vocalist of the Year (1968), and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. Last year, Campbell announced he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Since then, he released his final album, the critically-acclaimed Ghost on the Canvas, and is in the midst of his successful Goodbye Tour.       

“Last year more than 16,000 fans lined Broadway for the Parade and with our beloved Glen Campbell as Grand Marshal this year we are expecting even more people to come out and show their support and love for this iconic Country Music figure,” said Sheri Warnke, CMA Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing.

The Eighth Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-Off Parade will launch from Tenth Avenue on Broadway and end at Riverfront Park, site of the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage (First Avenue). One of the most popular features of the parade is the 40 Country Music artists riding in a wide variety of Chevrolet vehicles including vintage Corvettes.

Platinum-selling Country group Little Big Town has a different mode of transportation planned for the Parade. In support of their new single “Pontoon” each member of the group, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook, will be riding on four different Premier pontoon boats alongside lucky fans.

“What could we do for the fans that would be unique? Well, we can ride them around on a pontoon at the CMA Festival Kick-Off Parade!,” said Fairchild. “After the parade we’ll have the honor of kicking off the Block Party at the Riverfront Stage singing ‘Pontoon.’ It’s a good way to start CMA Fest, don’t you think?”

Little Big Town will be performing as part of the LP Field Festival lineup on Saturday, June 9. The group has received a career total of nine CMA Award nominations to date. The foursome recently recorded “Deep River Woman” with Lionel Richie for his current album Tuskegee, which hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. Little Big Town’s fifth studio album, produced by Jay Joyce, will be released later this year and features the first single, “Pontoon,” which is at radio now.      

With Campbell as Grand Marshal, other artists are lining up to participate in the Parade including Bill Anderson, Lynn Anderson, Katie Armiger, Craig Wayne Boyd, Weston Burt, Craig Campbell, Bucky Covington, Cowboy Troy, Ira Dean, Jaida Dreyer, Due West, Tyler Farr, Florida Georgia Line, Flynnville Train, Colt Ford, The Grascals, Greg Hanna, Amber Hayes, Angie Johnson, Little Big Town, LoCash Cowboys, Rachele Lynae, Manuel, The McClymonts, Randy Montana, Lorrie Morgan, Craig Morrison, The Oak Ridge Boys, Chase Rice, Marlee Scott,  Matt Stillwell,  Payton Rae, David St. Romain, The Roys, Jason Sturgeon, Trent Tomlinson, Trailer Choir,  Rhonda Vincent, and Corey Wagar.  

Other participants include the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, BIC® Soleil Sunshine Squad, Carl Black Chevrolet and the Luke Bryan/Eric Church 2012 Chevrolet Silverado, The 22^nd Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge, Cooter’s Garage General Lee, GEICO Gecko, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, Gnash and the Nashville Predators Dancers and Ice Girls, the Jelly Bean on Tour Bus, military veterans riding the Music City Trolley, Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, a 40×60 foot American flag that will be carried by veterans and representatives of Nashville’s Fire Department, Metro Nashville Police Department Drill and Ceremony Team, Metro Police Mounted Unit, Metro Police Special Operations Boat and SWAT Rescue Truck, Nashville Rollergirls, Nashville Zoo and Twiga (the Zoo’s giraffe mascot), Operation Troop Aid, Travel Channel’s Destination Summer Tour Bus, and more.

Making its second appearance in the Kick-Off Parade is the Keep the Music Playing All Stars Marching Band, which is made up of 125 students representing eight Metro Nashville Public Schools including Antioch High School, East Literature Magnet School, Hillsboro High School, Hunters Lane Comprehensive High School, John Overton High School, Maplewood High School, McGavock High School, and Stratford STEM Magnet High School playing together for the first time under the direction of Antioch High School band director Scott Miller, associate director Caryn Miller, and Jarrett Jones, who will be assisting with the drum line.

Since 2006, CMA has donated half the net proceeds from the Festival to support music education through the Keep the Music Playing program on behalf of the artists who make appearances and perform for free.  

To date, more than $6.1 million has been donated to purchase musical instruments and supplies, providing thousands of students in Metro Schools with the resources and opportunities they could not have afforded on their own, and giving many of them a strong reason to remain in school. The total also includes a $1 million endowment gift for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Words & Music program, which assists language arts and music teachers with classroom instruction in the basics of songwriting.

Following the parade, The Seventh Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party will take place at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage. Free and open to the public, the concert starts at 12:30 PM with Little Big Town kicking it off followed by Brazilbilly, Eric Lee Beddingfield, and LoCash Cowboys.

The Block Party is just the beginning, with four more days of live entertainment throughout downtown Nashville.

This Just In!!! MORE Talent will be aboard the Blake Shelton and Friends Cruise! Maggie Rose, Clayton Anderson and sisters Nik & Sam are set to perform on the cruise bringing the performance lineup to 25 performers!! Country Music is going to continually rock on board “The Pearl” and is going to be a huge non-stop party. 

Confirmed artists on the Blake Shelton and Friends Cruise are as follows: Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Jerrod Niemann, Justin Moore, Easton Corbin, Lee Brice, Neal McCoy, Randy Houser, Frankie Ballard, Brett Eldredge, Jana Kramer, Tyler Farr, Chuck Wicks, Logan Mize, Brinley Addington, Chris Cavanaugh, JJ Lawhorn, Brandon & Leah, McKenna Faith, Joanna Smith, Her & King’s County, The Voice’s RaeLynn, Maggie Rose, Clayton Anderson and sisters Nik & Sam!!!

Join CountryMusicRocks and be a part of this amazing week as we set sail on the Norwegian Cruise Line’s incredible ship “The Pearl” and head to the Caribbean.  Reserve your spot NOW while there is still a chance as this cruise is sure to sell-out!

Contact the Blake Shelton Cruise at 800-248-7471 and tell them CountryMusicRocks sent you!  Visit www.BlakeSheltonCruise.com for more details.