LADY ANTEBELLUM
Since teaming up in 2006, Lady Antebellum has sold over 18 million units and had nine No. 1 singles on the country charts. They have won seven Grammy awards (including both Record and Song of the Year for “Need You Now” in 2010), and they were the first artists in the history of the CMA Awards to win Single of the Year in back-to-back years. All of this making music country music that Kelley describes as “a little bit rock and roll, a little bit of pop, a little bit of R&B thrown in, just because that’s what we love—Dave and I grew up in Augusta, Georgia, the home of James Brown, and Hillary grew up in Nashville, and we just kind of mix it all together.”
KELSEA BALLERINI
Ballerini has come a long way from her hometown in East Tennessee, and it’s not an overstatement to say that Ballerini’s rise has been meteoric. The Black River Entertainment artist is a GRAMMY nominee for Best New Artist, banked three consecutive No. 1 songs (a record, as she’s the only female Country artist to have done so from a debut), played slews of tour dates and nurtured a growing reputation as one of Nashville’s sharpest writers. But Ballerini, who got her start in music at the age of twelve as a young girl learning to cope with life’s trials and tribulations, is never one to stay stagnant. She wanted to make an album even more vulnerable and honest than she’s even been, and use everything she’s lived to build that next chapter.
MIDLAND
Hailing from Dripping Springs, TX lead vocalist Mark Wystrach fronts Midland’s rich sound that is rounded out with lead guitarist Jess Carson and bass player Cameron Duddy. Rooted in tradition in both sound and style, the trio initially garnered attention playing clubs in the region. Their critically-acclaimed freshman album, ON THE ROCKS (Big Machine Records), features 13 tracks with songwriting credits from each member alongside hitmakers Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. Launching to rave reviews from notable outlets like Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone Country with Washington Post touting ON THE ROCKS as “the year’s best Country album.” The Dann-Huff produced album earned the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Top Country Album Sales chart upon release. Their debut No. 1 single “Drinkin’ Problem,” which offers an intentional nod to Country music reminiscent of the 1970s and 80s, earned the band their first GRAMMY® Awards nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.