Tag: Lainey Wilson

Country Newcomer Lainey Wilson Racks Up Accolades and Releases an Enhanced Album on Spotify

November 2, 2022

This isn’t Lainey Wilson’s first rodeo. Though, in fact, she’s set to perform at this year’s National Finals Rodeo in December. But back to the music—the country star has been appearing on stages since she was a kid and released her first album when she was only 22.

With a sound that blends throwback country and a bit of modern flare, Lainey’s no stranger to the charts, and she’s seen her name stamped across a series of accolades and nominations. She’s a six-time Country Music Award (CMA) nominee and was crowned this year’s New Female of the Year by the Academy of Country Music (ACM). She’s also “Breakout Artist of the Year” for Country Music Television (CMT).

Fans fell in love with her track “Things A Man Oughta Know,” which landed her her first number one and was ACM’s 2022 Song of the Year. She also collaborated with country star Cole Swindell in his song “Never Say Never,” which has racked up more than 31 million listens on Spotify.

Lainey is releasing her new album, Bell Bottom Country, with an enhanced version where fans can hear Lainey talking through the creation of her album, working with her producer, Jay Joyce, and more. For the Record caught up with the Louisiana native to learn more about what fans can expect from the release.

What’s something you want fans to know about the creation of your new album, Bell Bottom Country?

I want fans to know how much of a labor of love this project was. Before these songs were written, they were experiences and stories. Before these songs were recorded, they were vulnerable, raw words and melodies that my cowriters and I recorded as rough demos, or even just voice memos on our phones. Before the final versions on my record existed, the voice memos and demos were reimagined and produced by my mad scientist of a producer, Jay Joyce, who was leading a group of incredible musicians. I want fans to know that a lot of people put their hearts into this record, and that’s why it turned out to be so special. I’m so proud to be surrounded by people who give me the freedom and support to do my thing. Acceptance is a special feeling. I hope they feel some of that when they’re listening to this record.

You’ve had a stellar year and now you’re the most-nominated artist at the upcoming CMA Awards. Was there a particular nomination you were most surprised or excited by?

Well the thing I’m most surprised about is being the most-nominated artist. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. But after that, I would say I’m most surprised about the Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year nominations. In my opinion, Album of the Year is the most overarching, highly regarded award since it isn’t gender dependent and it recognizes so many creatives’ contributions to the project. 

Do you have a process or any rituals around songwriting? What about recording? 

I’ve got a little “hook book” note I keep on my phone that is just a running list of song ideas. I usually run through a couple ideas in my hook book at the beginning of a cowrite, unless one of the other writers comes in with a specific idea. When we get into the studio, I don’t really have any rituals for recording days. But on days I’m putting down vocals, I do some vocal warm-ups and sip some whiskey to loosen up. 

How was it working with Spotify on the Enhanced Album?

Getting to work with Spotify to turn this into an Enhanced Album was just a thick layer of icing on the cake. I feel like I’m giving y’all a project that’s a lot to digest in the best way, so it’s awesome that Spotify’s Enhanced Album allowed me to explain some of it to y’all as you listen. 

What’s a piece of advice you have for other up-and-coming artists?

Don’t do it!! Ha ha—just kidding. Kind of. I would say, make sure you can’t imagine yourself doing anything else. If you can, you might want to go do that. It’s been a hard journey and a lot of work, but if you love it as much as I do, it’s all worth it. 

What’s next for you?

I’ve got the CMA Awards coming up. Then we’ve got the Yellowstone Season 5 premiere a few days after that. Crazy! I’ll be in the first episode of the season airing November 13. We’ve also got a string of shows out west in mid-November, followed by my first week off since January to celebrate Thanksgiving, and we’ll then head to Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo! Then we blink a few times, celebrate the holidays, and make our way back out west to start my first headline tour in Spokane, Washington, on January 4! 

 

Give Lainey’s new enhanced album a listen here.

Four Days of Country Music at Spotify House During CMA Fest 2022

June 15, 2022

This past weekend, CMA Fest returned to Nashville for the first time since 2019 to celebrate all things country music. Top country stars and emerging artists alike came together at Spotify House to perform and enjoy time in an intimate setting with their fans. Spotify House was located in the unmatched Blake Shelton and Opry Entertainment Group’s Ole Red. With four days of performances across two stages, there was something for everyone in the crowd.

Spotify partnered with Meta throughout the event to bring an exclusive Instagram Reels experience to Spotify House, capturing content with director The Tommy B for artists’ Instagram and Facebook. Adding to the experience for fans were QR codes from Digital Seat Media, which helped attendees receive real-time event updates. 

Also on the ground was our team behind Spotify: Mic Check, which had the opportunity to speak to several returning CMA Fest performers and newcomers alike. The episode featured R&B-inspired country artist Tiera Kennedy, whose song “Found It In You” recently hit 20 million streams after being featured on Spotify’s Hot Country playlist. 

“I remember when I first moved to Nashville, wanting so badly to be on all those playlists. To see my music on all those playlists is really cool and it feels really special.”

Meghan Patrick, who performed at CMA Fest again this year, was also thrilled to be back onstage. “I’ve always looked at CMA Fest as a huge milestone and a huge opportunity to be part of. Every year it feels like I get a few more opportunities to play and show my music and play some different stages. Every year it’s always super exciting and a great opportunity to have some great exposure to a lot of fans in a short amount of time.” 

Check out the episode, which also features Erin Kinsey and Brett Eldredge, below.

Read on for a little more from each day of CMA Fest.

Day 1: Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Ashley McBryde, and more

Spotify House got off to an incredible start with Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Chase Wright, Brantley Gilbert, Ashley McBryde, Dustin Lynch, Dalton Dover, Nate Smith, Ashley Cooke, Kameron Marlowe, Meghan Patrick, and Nikki Lane taking the stage for day one. 

Superstar Darius Rucker kicked off with a high-energy opening set, performing chart-toppers “Alright” and “This” as well as his iconic Hootie & The Blowfish track “Only Wanna Be With You” and fan favorite “Wagon Wheel.”

Hannah Ellis, Dalton Dover, and Nate Smith soon hit the stage for performances of their own tracks as well as famous covers from fellow country artists. They were followed by a full-circle moment for rising country star Chase Wright, who made his Spotify House debut just a few years after he found himself waiting in line to get into the CMA Fest hot spot. 

Fans were treated to a surprise performance from Jimmie Allen when he joined Ashley Cooke onstage for their song “Good Goodbye” and a duet of his song “Freedom Was a Highway.” Kameron Marlowe dazzled the crowd, as did Meghan Patrick, who serenaded fans with “Heart On My Glass,” accompanying herself on the harmonica. As the sun went down, Brett Eldredge performed two tracks from his upcoming album Songs About You, including the album’s title track and latest single, “I Feel Fine.” This year, we also hosted our Fresh Finds Rooftop for the first time. The rooftop stage featured emerging artists Abby Anderson, Chris Ruediger, Taylor Edwards, Maggie Baugh, Tanner Adell, and Jordan Rowe.