ERIC CHURCH TAKES CBS NEWS ON THE ROAD, BEHIND THE SCENES

Seven-time GRAMMY nominated singer gives a rare peek behind the curtain on 

The Outsiders World Tour 

Eric Church with CBS' Mark Strassmann

Courtesy: Jill Trunnell

PRESS RELEASE

LOS ANGELES – (Feb. 5, 2015) – With music’s biggest night approaching, Eric Church gave the folks at CBS a rare behind the scenes look at the 100-plus person production of his wildly popular “The Outsiders World Tour.”

Camera crews followed the GRAMMY Award-nominated performer and his crew for 24 hours on a recent 220-mile run from Fresno, California, to Los Angeles. They captured the monumental effort it takes to put on the nine-month tour--assembling and tearing down the stage and lighting rig which stage manager Sam Coats called “100,000 pounds of rock your city” and loading it into 14 tractor-trailers after each show--and the difficult 18-plus-hour days crews work to pull it all off.

“These guys, they’re my family,” Church told CBS’ Mark Strassmann. “They would have my back in any situation and I would have theirs.”

“The Outsiders World Tour” hits SAP Center in San Jose, California, on Thursday night and then fans can catch Church performing live on the 57th annual GRAMMY Awards this Sunday on CBS. Church heads into Sunday's show and performance with four nominations, including Best Country Album for “The Outsiders” and Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “Give Me Back My Hometown.”

Church told Strassman that his live show is the key to his popularity and that “The Outsiders World Tour” was planned to celebrate with fans. “I felt like this was our moment,” Church said. “… I don’t think we have any of our other success without (touring).” Check the interview out here: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/eric-church-massive-tour-operation-behind-the-scenes/.

Church will perform at the Houston Rodeo on March 3 and then restart “The Outsiders World Tour” on March 4 at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Several members of “The Outsiders” tour crew have been with Church for years and he hopes new fans will come out and see what a little teamwork can accomplish.

“They’ve busted their ass since 7 a.m.,” Church said of his crew, “and they’ve been out there doing what they do. And I feel like when I walk out there, I get to, for them, spike the ball.”

ERIC CHURCH SAYS GOODBYE TO 2014 WITH UNIVERSAL ACCLAIM, TOP SALES FOR THE OUTSIDERS

Platinum sales, multiple GRAMMY Award nominations, critical endorsements bring year to close

Courtesy: John Peets Photography

PRESS RELEASE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014) – Few solo artists have experienced the kind of all-around acclaim Eric Church received in 2014 for his “game-changing” and “daringly beautiful” album The Outsiders.

Church’s genre-bending, Platinum-selling fourth album was a win with fans who made it the top-selling country LP released in 2014 with a number of hits at country radio. It earned respect from his peers in the industry with four GRAMMY Award nominations, including Best Country Song and Best Country Album (upping Church’s tally to seven career nominations).

Add to these career milestones universal acclaim from the critics -- who don’t often include mainstream male country artists on their annual taste-making lists but did so en masse in 2014 --and the 37-year-old North Carolina native is stomping across ground only artists like Willie, Waylon and Johnny have stomped before.

The Outsiders “was as game-changing for country music as last year’s ‘Yeezus’ was for rap,” The Salt Lake Tribune said of the album in its year-end review. “Church loves traditional country in the best sense of the adjective, but his tastes also run from arena rock to hip-hop.” Church’s third career No. 1, the GRAMMY nominated “Give Me Back My Hometown,” also topped lists including Rolling Stone Country, SPIN, Stereogum, and NPR’s Favorite Songs of 2014 with critic Ann Powers citing not only his performance on the track but also his intrinsic songwriting roots noting, “this country heart-stomper provides perfect insight into small-town pride.” NPR and Rolling Stone’s Will Hermes observes in WAMC’s Best of 2014 podcast that “Give Me Back My Hometown” “has a vision for broadening what country music can sound like and talk about.”

The Outsiders had the year’s top country debut with 288,000 copies sold the week of release in February, was nominated for the Country Music Association’s Album of the Year award and won the inaugural American Country Countdown Awards Album of the Year trophy earlier this month. As 2014 closes, it appears on many notable all-genre year-end best-of lists, including Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times and USA Today. The album earned nearly universally positive reviews by bravely blending genres, sounds, emotions and guts in the same way legends altered the face of country music decades ago.

Rolling Stone, which made Church a cover artist earlier this year, placed The Outsiders on its 2014 Top 50 all-genre list and touted his fearlessness: “Church made a great record by following his rock & roll rebel heart. Prog riffs, bourbon-drawl raps and stoner funk sit straight-faced next to radio-friendly takes on NASCAR good times and broken hearts – styles and subjects that connect because Church obviously loves every one of them.”

The folks at SPIN were turned on by the heavy dose of heavy metal Church and longtime producer Jay Joyce included on the album: “The guitar solo on ‘Talladega’ could fill the arena in the video for ‘Paradise City’ all by itself. This ain't rock'n'roll — this is assault with a deadly weapon.”

Named The Los Angeles Times’ Best Commercial Country Album by critic Randall Roberts, Entertainment Weekly avowed The Outsiders a top album reflecting:

“The rowdy title track leaves nothing but scorched earth in its wake, but he's no one-note badass. Outsiders proves Church is a tender storyteller, too, with an ear for experimental production. ‘Dark Side’ and ‘A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young’ wring poignant introspection out of his acoustic guitar, and wistful centerpiece ‘Talladega’ hums with so much genuine emotion, it'll make even the most resolute Yankee pine for the South.”

Brian Mansfield with USA Today made The Outsiders his No. 2 overall album: “Can someone with one of 2014's top-selling country albums still be an ‘outsider’? He can when he makes albums this startling and ambitious, drawing inspiration from AC/DC and Primus, as well as Waylon Jennings and Bobby Bare.”

Notable regional publications also listed Church as their choice in the coveted top spot for 2014 with The San Jose Mercury News calling Church “the most exciting, perplexing and convincing rebel that mainstream country music has known in years” and said of The Outsiders:

“It's a cohesive artistic statement that introduces and then develops a variety of lyrical themes and musical motifs in intriguing ways. It's meant to be listened to from start to finish” before continuing, “It's a work that proudly separates Church from the country music establishment . . . it's also one of the most daringly beautiful country-rock albums in decades, full of guts and in search of a deeper glory.”

Church continues The Outsiders World Tour on January 8 in Louisiana at the New Orleans Arena. To buy tickets or learn more about Eric Church, visit www.ericchurch.com and www.facebook.com/ericchurch, or follow @EricChurch on Twitter.

CMA NOMINEE ERIC CHURCH ANNOUNCES SECOND LEG OF WILDLY SUCCESSFUL “THE OUTSIDERS WORLD TOUR”

Initial 2015 Tour Dates Announced; Church to make triumphant return to the iconic Madison Square Garden stage October 17

Church to perform “Talladega” from The Outsiders tonight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (11:35p ET/10:35 CT)

PRESS RELEASE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Wednesday, Oct. 15 – Eight long years ago, Eric Church stepped foot onto the stage of the legendary Madison Square Garden and changed the trajectory of his career forever. At the time, his debut album Sinners Like Me was receiving critical acclaim and his debut single “How Bout You” was climbing the charts and as opener for a country trio on a chilly October 14, 2006 evening, Church was ready to play long and loud and late into the night…or at least that’s how the story goes.

The Chief hasn’t been back since.

Fast forward eight years, and the EMI Nashville recording artist is ready to recreate that long and loud and fateful night. Except this time, the Chief is in charge. Now holding the deserving title of headliner, Church is preparing to take the MSG stage once again on October 17, 2014 in celebration of his top selling album The Outsiders, his rising single “Talledega” and the unveiling of the second leg of Eric Church: The Outsiders World Tour.

The much anticipated and long overdue show in New York City is just one of the many highlights of a year that has found Church tirelessly touring the country, consistently at the top of the charts and serving as the toast of a bevy of award shows. To commemorate his return performance in The Big Apple, Church will also perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, Oct. 15 on NBC at 11:35 pm ET/10:35 CT. At the upcoming 48th Annual CMA Awards, airing live on November 5 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, The Outsiders is nominated for CMA Album of the Year and has also earned Church three additional CMA nominations for Male Vocalist of the Year, as well as both Single of the Year and Song of the Year for his No. 1 hit song “Give Me Back My Hometown.”

 

Church told The New York Times earlier this year, “I always say that we don’t make these songs for Music Row, we make them for the front row," and both fans and critics agree. A Rolling Stone cover artist, the publication raves The Outsiders World Tour packs "a serious punch," and SPIN Magazine notes "he's the most exciting, sonically fearless singer in Nashville."

And based on the staggering success of The Outsiders World Tour, Church will take on the New Year with the launch of the second leg of the tour in New Orleans on January 8, 2015. The second leg of the 2015 tour will proceed as follows:

Jan. 8| New Orleans, LA| Smoothie King Center 

Jan. 9| Tupelo, MS| BankcorpSouth Arena

Jan. 10| Nashville, TN| Bridgestone Arena

Jan. 14| Oklahoma City, OK| Chesapeake Energy Arena

Jan. 16| Las Vegas, NV | The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Jan. 17| Las Vegas, NV| The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Jan. 18| San Diego, CA| Valley View Casino Arena

Jan. 22| Fresno, CA| Save Mart Center

Jan. 23| Los Angeles, CA| Staples Center

Jan. 24| Phoenix, AZ| US Airways Arena

Jan. 27| Denver, CO| Pepsi Center

Jan. 29| Spokane, WA| Spokane Arena

Jan. 30| Boise, ID| Taco Bell Arena

Jan. 31| Salt Lake City, UT| EnergySolutions Arena

Feb. 4| Sacramento, CA| Sleep Train Arena

Feb. 5| San Jose, CA| SAP Center

ERIC CHURCH’S RECENTLY LAUNCHED “THE OUTSIDERS WORLD TOUR” HITS BIG WITH FANS AND CRITICS

Church’s New Single “Talladega” is the No. 1 Most Added Song at Country Radio 

Celebrating Four CMA Nominations, Church Will Return to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 15, 2014

Eric Church's "The Outsiders World Tour" at the CenturyLink Center (Omaha, NE)

Photo Credit: Reid Long

PRESS RELEASE

Nashville, TN – (Oct. 2, 2014) – With just a handful of shows into his jaunt, Eric Church’s “The Outsiders World Tour” has already drawn more than 100,000 fans to see what Jon Bream of Minneapolis’ Star-Tribune called “country’s most compelling live act.” Having launched in Bossier City, LA on Sept. 11, the tour puts a spotlight on country music’s top-selling album of 2014, The Outsiders, which features the new single “Talladega,” the No.1 most added song at country radio a week before add date - with over 100 total first week stations! Celebrating its success, Church will return to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 15 to perform "Talladega."

The Outsiders is nominated for CMA Album of the Year and has earned Church three additional CMA nominations for Male Vocalist of the Year, as well as both Single and Song of the Year for his No. 1 hit song “Give Me Back My Hometown,” which he co-wrote with Luke Laird. Billboard also suggests The Outsiders as a potential nominee for the all-genre GRAMMY Album of the Year category in its recent 2015 predictions article, saying, “One of the biggest debut sales weeks of the year also belonged to one of the best-reviewed country records in years. Eric Church made a leap in 2014, and the GRAMMYs  should notice.”

Ticket sales prove “The Outsiders World Tour” is a success with the fans, but the concerts are also resonating with the critics, as these recent press quotes demonstrate:

·      “The guy doesn’t just sing — he shouts, cackles, croons and generally freaks the hell out,” wrote Rolling Stone’s Andrew Leahey after reviewing the Louisville show. “Church may claim to be an outsider, and his music does place him on the fringes of pretty much any single genre… but last night, the dude was king.”

·      “Bringing a nearly brand-new world tour to town carries some big advantages, and Eric Church made the best use of every one of them…” wrote The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Amanda St. Amand. “Feels fresh? Check. A surprising song list?  You bet. Massive enthusiasm from a nearly sold-out crowd? By the bucket. …Church proved while he sings about being an outsider, he’s mastered all the tricks of a superstar act.”

·      “Full to the last rows, the arena held an audience of 17,000, a crowd that rivaled those at the arena for Bruce Springsteen and George Strait,” wrote Kevin Coffey of the Omaha World Herald.

·      “[Church]… pulled out all the stops with that in-the-round stage and tricked it out with a floating drum kit that descended from the riggings, two catwalks that extended into the crowd and hundreds of lights, including a dozen or so mounted to hydraulic scissor lifts,” wrote Ross Aihala of St. Paul’s Pioneer Press. “But Church managed to bring as much of a human touch to the proceedings as possible, and used all that technology to get closer to his fans. And his fans responded in kind, lavishing him with the sort of rapt attention rarely seen at a big, drunken country show.”

“The Outsiders World Tour” features Dwight Yoakam as Special Guest.  Rising country duo Brothers Osborne is currently the tour’s opening act. Two-time CMA Awards nominee Brandy Clark will take over the opening spot beginning on Oct. 16 in Charlottesville, VA. Later in the year, rock band Halestorm will join the tour as opening act. Visit EricChurch.com for ticket information.

Church’s current album, The Outsiders, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and the Billboard Country Albums Chart earlier this year, featuring his No. 1 hit “Give Me Back My Hometown” and his new single “Talladega.”  The Outsiders is the follow-up to Church’s Platinum-certified album Chief, (named the 2012 Album of the Year by both CMA and ACM, and GRAMMY-nominated for Best Country Album) which featured five Top 20 singles: “Homeboy” (certified Platinum for sales in excess of one million singles); the Top 10 “Like Jesus Does” and the Top 5 “Creepin’” (both certified Gold for sales in excess of 500,000 singles each); and two No. 1 hits “Drink in My Hand” (certified Platinum) and “Springsteen” (certified Double Platinum for sales in excess of two million singles). Church’s 2006 debut album, Sinners Like Me (2006) and his sophomore album Carolina (2009) are both RIAA Gold-certified. Carolina had three hit singles: the Top 10 “Hell on the Heart” as well as Top 20 hit “Smoke A Little Smoke” and Top 10 smash “Love Your Love The Most,” which were both certified Gold. Sinners Like Me spawned three Top 20 singles: “How ‘Bout You,” “Two Pink Lines,” and “Guys Like Me.” Visit www.ericchurch.com for more information. Follow Church on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ericchurch and on Twitter at twitter.com/ericchurch.#TheOutsidersLive

ERIC CHURCH “THE OUTSIDERS WORLD TOUR” TO KICK OFF SEPTEMBER 11

Church to perform “Cold One” on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on October 15, 2014

Announced Earlier Today, Church Received Four CMA Nominations

PRESS RELEASE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (Sept. 03, 2014) – EMI Nashville recording artist Eric Church, who recently appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone and whose current album The Outsiders is currently the No. 3 best-selling album of 2014, is poised to return to the road in full force when “The Outsiders World Tour” launches its first leg on Sept. 11 in Bossier City, LA. The initial 30+ cities on the tour have been announced and will include a stop in New York City at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 17. Church will also perform on NBC’s "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Wednesday, October 15.

Earlier today, CMA announced that Church received four CMA Award nominations: Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for The Outsiders (produced by Jay Joyce), and both Single and Song of the Year for "Give Me Back My Hometown" (written by Church and Luke Laird and produced by Joyce).

This is Church’s return to headlining since “The Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour,” which was named a Pollstar Top Tour of 2012 and one of the “Best Concerts of 2012” by the New York Times. While that tour employed a succession of backdrops as the focus of the show, the new “The Outsiders World Tour” will use a much more high tech design and will offer fans a 360° view of the entertainer and his band.

“Eric Church is working on a level that few other country artists of his generation can touch,” said Ken Tucker at NPR Music, with The New Yorker recently stating that “Church has more complex narrative material…his version of country [has] a broader social gaze than many expect.” Rolling Stone named him among their list of “50 Greatest Live Acts Right Now.”

Music legend Dwight Yoakam will join Church as special guest for the entire duration of the tour while rising country music duo Brothers Osborne, critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Brandy Clark, and the hard rocking band Halestorm will open on various dates throughout the tour.

The first leg of the tour will take place throughout Sept.-Dec. in the U.S. and Canada. The dates for the first leg of “The Outsiders World Tour” (#TheOutsidersLive) are as follows:

Sept. 11 | Bossier City, LA | CenturyLink Center*

Sept. 12 | Little Rock, AR | Verizon Arena*

Sept. 13 | St. Louis, MO | Scottrade Center*

Sept. 16 | Minneapolis, MN | Target Center*

Sept. 17 | Des Moines, IA | Wells Fargo Arena*

Sept. 18 | Omaha, NE | CenturyLink Center*

Sept. 25 | Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center*

Sept. 26 | Charleston, WV | Charleston Civic Center*

Sept. 27 | Greensboro, NC | Greensboro Coliseum*

Oct. 9 | Grand Rapids, MI | Van Andel Arena*

Oct. 10 | Cleveland, OH | Quicken Loans Arena*

Oct. 11 | Pittsburgh, PA | Consol Energy Center*

Oct. 16 | Charlottesville, VA | John Paul Jones Arena**

Oct. 17 | New York, NY | Madison Square Garden**

Oct. 18 | Philadelphia, PA | Wells Fargo Center**

Oct. 23 | Manchester, NH | Verizon Wireless Arena**

Oct. 24 | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun**

Oct. 25 | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun**

Oct. 30 | Knoxville, TN |Thompson-Boling Arena**

Oct. 31 | Memphis, TN | FedExForum**

Nov. 1 | Tulsa, OK | BOK Center**

Nov. 13 | London, ON | Budweiser Gardens**

Nov. 14 | Hamilton, ON | FirstOntario Centre**

Nov. 15 | Ottawa, ON | Canadian Tire Centre**

Nov. 20 | Green Bay, WI | Resch Center

Nov. 21 | Peoria, IL | Peoria Civic Center***

Nov. 22 | Evansville, IN | The Ford Center***

Dec. 4 | Wichita, KS | INTRUST Bank Arena***

Dec. 5 | Kansas City, MO | Sprint Center

Dec. 6 | Sioux Falls, SD | Denny Sanford Premier Center***

Dec. 11 | Atlanta, GA | The Arena at Gwinnett Center***

Dec. 12 | Greenville, SC | Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Dec. 13 | Birmingham, AL | BJCC Arena***

All dates with special guest Dwight Yoakam

*denotes Brothers Osborne

**denotes Brandy Clark

***denotes Halestorm

Visit EricChurch.com for ticket information.

A limited number of VIP tickets for each show are available for purchase. Each VIP ticket includes a premium ticket in the first 15 rows or in the general admission pit, an invitation to a pre-show party at The Outsiders Joint, a two song acoustic pre-show performance by Eric Church, a limited edition show poster, and a dedicated VIP concert concierge.

Fans have the chance to gain access to pre-sale tickets for each show by becoming a Standard or Premium member of the Church Choir. Being part of the Church Choir also allows fans to take part in private fan club parties and opportunities to meet Eric, and they are the first to get the news on his activities before the rest of the world. Join the Church Choir on Eric's website: http://smarturl.it/churchchoir.

In addition, two front row tickets and two VIP lounge passes will be given away for each show on the tour to Church Choir members. Members can apply for these tickets by connecting their Facebook through Eric's site: http://smarturl.it/TheOutsidersAreIn.

Church’s current album, The Outsiders, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and the Billboard Country Albums Chart earlier this year, and his current hit single “Cold One” is rising up the charts. The Outsiders is the follow-up to Church’s Platinum-certified album Chief, (named the 2012 Album of the Year by both CMA and ACM, and GRAMMY-nominated for Best Country Album) which featured five Top 20 singles: “Homeboy” (certified Platinum for sales in excess of one million singles); the Top 10 “Like Jesus Does” and the Top 5 “Creepin’” (both certified Gold for sales in excess of 500,000 singles each); and two No. 1 hits “Drink in My Hand” (certified Platinum) and “Springsteen” (certified Double Platinum for sales in excess of two million singles). Church’s 2006 debut album, Sinners Like Me (2006) and his sophomore album Carolina (2009) are both RIAA Gold-certified. Carolina had three hit singles: the Top 10 “Hell on the Heart” as well as Top 20 hit “Smoke A Little Smoke” and Top 10 smash “Love Your Love The Most,” which were both certified Gold. Sinners Like Me spawned three Top 20 singles: “How ‘Bout You,” “Two Pink Lines,” and “Guys Like Me.” Visit www.ericchurch.com for more information. Follow Church on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ericchurch and on Twitter at twitter.com/ericchurch. #TheOutsidersLive

Yoakam has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, placing him in an elite group of global superstars. He has 12 Gold albums and nine Platinum or multi-Platinum albums, including the triple platinum This Time. Five of those albums have topped Billboard’s Country Albums chart, with another 14 landing in the Top 10. Nearly 40 of Yoakam’s singles have charted, with 14 peaking in the Top 10, including the hits “Honky Tonk Man,” “Please, Please Baby,” “Little Ways,” “I Sang Dixie,” “It Only Hurts When I Cry,” and “Fast as You.” He is a 21-time nominated, 2-time GRAMMY Award winner. In celebration of his latest critically-acclaimed album, 3 Pears, he received the Artist of the Year award at the 2013 Americana Music Honors & Awards ceremony, the most prestigious award offered by the organization. In 2014, Yoakam will appear as a recurring guest star in multiple episodes of the thrilling CBS series, “Under the Dome,” based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel of the same name. The role is another example of Yoakam’s formidable presence as a film and television actor, capable of seamlessly melting into his roles, and impressively standing toe-to-toe with some of the world’s top thespians over the course of his storied and successful acting career, including Jodie Foster, Tommy Lee Jones, Forest Whitaker, and Nicolas Cage. For more information, visit http://www.dwightyoakam.com.

For John and TJ Osborne, getting into music was unavoidable. Growing up in the water town of Deale, Maryland, their close-nit-family of seven spent most nights not in front of the television, but writing and playing songs. The Brothers’ father had a shed behind their home that he used for small performances for friends and family. John and TJ could be caught listening in on their father’s playing or fetching beers for pocket change. Later their father would convert that shed into a home studio where their parents would write and record songs. As the brothers aged, they formed a band with their ever eclectic father named “Deuce & a Quarter.” The band played cover songs from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Dwight Yoakam to Merle Haggard to Bob Seger. They performed at local venues in the town, before John (guitar) moved to Nashville first to play in other bands. Two years later, TJ (vocals/guitar) moved to Nashville. It was then they formed Brothers Osborne and began playing as many writer rounds as they could. In April 2011, Warner Chappell/King Pen Music offered them a publishing deal. A year later, Capitol Records offered them a record deal. The Brothers Osborne are currently in the studio finishing their debut album, an album they describe as “aggressive, bold and fragile at times.” Their current single is “Rum.” For more information, visit http://www.brothersosborne.com.

Brandy Clark’s debut album, 12 Stories, was released in October 2013 and has received tremendous critical acclaim. When reviewing 12 Stories, Randy Lewis of The Los Angeles Times wrote, “This is the country debut of the year.” Rolling Stone’s Will Hermes noted, “Her debut is all airtight craftsmanship, sly wit and precise detailing that treats mainstream style like artisanal fast food.” New York Magazine’s Jody Rosen named 12 Stories his favorite album of 2013 remarking, “She’s a brisk, vivid, witty storyteller; her tunes unfold in old-fashioned weepers and chugging honkytonk, with fiddles, pedal steel, and vocal harmonies driving home the punch lines and pathos.” Hitfix’s Melinda Newman wrote that Clark was “the best new artist country radio isn’t playing” and that 12 Stories “made almost every music critics’ best of 2013 list for its heart, wit, smart wordplay, and Clark’s expressive vocals.” The Tennessean’s Peter Cooper observed in a cover story last November, “She is about expression, not impression. Which is why she’s impressive” before noting an already remarkable feat: “As voiced through others, her songs have moved two or three million other people. Now, Clark’s songs may be heard in her own rich voice.” Clark was nominated for her first GRAMMY Award earlier this year for Best Country Song for “Mama’s Broken Heart,” which she co-wrote with Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert took to No. 1. That song also earned Clark her first CMA and ACM nominations, both for Song of the Year. Clark also wrote The Band Perry’s No. 1 hit “Better Dig Two” with McAnally and Trevor Rosen. Other artists to record her songs include Sheryl Crow, Reba McEntire, Kacey Musgraves, LeAnn Rimes, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, and more. For more information visit www.brandyclarkmusic.com.

Frontwoman Lizzy Hale and her brother and drummer Arejay started Halestorm more than a decade ago when she was 13 and he was just 10, growing up in Pennsylvania. From the very beginning they were in it to win it even though they paid their dues along the way. Back in the day, the members lost a talent show to a tap-dancing cowgirl, played Friendly’s for free ice cream, piled the stage with homemade explosives that sometimes went off right in front of their faces, and even played at a funeral. Halestorm’s determination paid off. Before long, they were playing local bars even though they were underage. They secured guitarist Joe Hottinger in 2003 and bassist Josh Smith in 2004, and in 2005, Halestorm signed a deal with Atlantic Records and released the live EP, One and Done, which included an early version of fan favorite “It’s Not You.” The band continued to write, tour and record and in 2009 released their self-titled first full-length album, which spawned two top 10 singles (“I Get Off” and “It’s Not You”). In-between touring steadily for the next few years with acts as diverse as Shinedown, Stone Sour, Disturbed, Megadeth, Papa Roach, Godsmack and countless others, Halestorm released a live album (Live in Philly), two EPs of cover songs (ReAniMate: The CoVeRs and ReAniMate 2: The CoVeRs), and Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde, an EP that gave fans a preview of four songs from their second full-length album, The Strange Case of…, which came out in 2013. Musically diverse and emotionally revealing, the album resonates with a newfound poignancy that takes Halestorm to a new level of creative achievement. For more information, visit www.HalestormRocks.com.

ERIC CHURCH RELEASES THE OUTSIDERS ON VINYL FOR NATIONAL RECORD STORE DAY

Vinyl Album Features Two Bonus Tracks and Exclusive Album Poster

PRESS RELEASE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – April 17, 2014 – EMI Records Nashville recording artist Eric Church will release a double gatefold vinyl version of his album The Outsiders on Saturday, April 19, in recognition of National Record Store Day. The vinyl package will also include an exclusive album poster. The Outsiders originally debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and the Billboard Top Country Albums chart when it was released earlier this year in February. The album features his top-five-and-rising hit “Give Me Back My Hometown” as well as the raucous debut title track. This is Church’s second vinyl project in honor of National Record Store Day; last year, he released a vinyl version of his live album, Caught in the Act: Live.

The Outsiders (vinyl version) track listing:

Side 1

1.  “The Outsiders”
2.  “A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young”
3.  “Cold One”
4.  “Roller Coaster Ride”

Side 2

1.  “Talladega”
2.  “Broke Record”
3.  “Like a Wrecking Ball”
4.  “That’s Damn Rock & Roll”

Side 3

1.  “Dark Side”
2.  “Devil, Devil (Prelude: Princess of Darkness)”

Side 4

1.  “Give Me Back My Hometown”
2.  “The Joint”
3.  “The Outsiders (Extended Version)” – bonus track
4.  “Come Together” – bonus track

Entertainment Weekly called The Outsiders “the still-rising star’s most brazen, brilliant disc yet, and the first great album of this year.” “ … this is the kind of record critics imagine Kanye keeps making: a freakish statement of confidence and power from an artist in full command of his gifts,” said Spin Magazine, before continuing, “Church can turn from consummate studio pro to unruly rebel rouser on a midnight-train-whine-thin dime. Nashville has the deepest grab-bag in contemporary pop right now, but nothing else comes together like Eric Church in the wild.” People just named The Outsiders one of 2014’s Ten Best Albums of the Year (so far).

Church recently announced the launch of The Outsiders World Tour, beginning on Sept. 11 in Bossier City, Louisiana. Special guest for the entire tour is Dwight Yoakam, with Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark, and Halestorm alternating as opening act. The first tour dates will go on sale this Friday, Apr. 18, with more on-sale dates to be announced soon. For tour updates and more information or to purchase The Outsiders on vinyl, visit www.EricChurch.com.

ERIC CHURCH TO TAPE DEBUT PERFORMANCE FOR “AUSTIN CITY LIMITS” ON SEPTEMBER 23

ERIC CHURCH TO TAPE DEBUT PERFORMANCE FOR “AUSTIN CITY LIMITS” ON SEPTEMBER 23

Taping Will Be Part the “ACL” 40th Anniversary Season

PRESS RELEASE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Mar. 05, 2014) – Multi-platinum country music superstar Eric Church will tape his debut performance for “Austin City Limits” on Sept. 23, 2014 as part of the ground-breaking music program’s 40th anniversary season. The television show is taped live before a concert audience at the venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin, Texas, and will air nationally on PBS Television on a date to be revealed later.

“Eric Church is working on a level that few other country artists of his generation can touch,” said Ken Tucker at NPR Music in his review of Church’s new album The Outsiders, which recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top Country Album Chart. “Shrewd, defiant, sly and funny, Eric Church has succeeded in what he set out to do: He's using the power he's accrued from making hit records to make exactly the kind of album he wants, heedless of industry approval. And this is how good he is: Now he'll go out and — through the singles he'll release, the touring he'll do and the videos he'll make — probably turn this personal project into a big commercial deal. The Outsiders deserves nothing less.”

“… this is the kind of record critics imagine Kanye keeps making: a freakish statement of confidence and power from an artist in full command of his gifts,” wrote Michael Robbins in his review for Spin. “Nashville has the deepest grab-bag in contemporary pop right now, but nothing else comes together like Eric Church in the wild.”

Dan Hyman wrote about The Outsiders in Esquire saying, “It's buck-wild, over-the-top, loud, distorted…and decidedly fearless. It's a gem…. It's the sort of take-no-prisoners rock-centered country album that's doing exactly what Nashville's Music Row elite, with their risk-averse, trend-following predilections growing ever more predictable by the day, never could have anticipated: packing stadiums and making massive dollars.”

For more information on The Outsiders and Eric Church, please visit www.ericchurch.com or follow on Twitter @EricChurch and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ericchurch.

CMA CLOSE UP: ERIC CHURCH LOOKS INSIDE "THE OUTSIDERS"

Photo Credit: John Peets

By David Scarlett©

2014 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

Eric Church has spent nearly two hours in an old church-turned-recording studio in East Nashville, playing his new album, The Outsiders, for a group of Nashville media reps gathered to hear his latest offering. And when the listening session ends, the sense of satisfaction and, yes, pride that Church exudes as he answers questions about the project is undeniable. And justified.

The album, Church’s fifth (four studio and one live), is ambitious in its musical and lyrical scope and fearless in continuing the mission of Church and his producer Jay Joyce to push the boundaries of Country Music. Whether by adding a 90-second instrumental section to the end of the title cut and first single (written by Church and Casey Beathard), cleverly reflecting the lyrics in the melody of “Roller Coaster Ride” (Church, Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell), pulling no punches in describing a passionate reunion with his wife after a long road trip in “Like A Wrecking Ball” (Church and Beathard) or including a powerful three-and-a-half-minute spoken word section during what he describes as “the trilogy” near the end of the record, the album is unpredictable.

“For this record, we did ‘A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young’ (Church and Jeremy Spillman) first,” said Church, speaking later during a quiet moment on his bus. “Then we did ‘The Outsiders.’ And I’m looking at these two very different things, thinking, ‘What is this? Where are we going?’ I hate to use the word ‘artistic,’ but it was just so damn artistic, I couldn’t wait to see where it was going from there.”

“(The project) is a whole entity,” producer Joyce explained. “But we’ll sit back and think, ‘What is this little family (of songs) missing?’ And we’re smart enough to stand back and let the record reveal itself. Sure, you’ve got to show up and do the work. But Eric came into the studio with three new tunes this time, so you’ve got to allow for a great song at the last minute. On the last record, I think it was ‘Springsteen’ (Church, Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndell) that came in at the last minute. This time it was ‘Wrecking Ball.’”

Joyce knows to expect these last-minute arrivals because he understands Church’s work ethic. The man and his co-writers wrote an astonishing 121 songs in preparation for The Outsiders. Other than family time spent with his wife Katherine and their 2-year-old son Boone, or cutting and splitting wood on the 800 acres they own west of Nashville, writing and otherwise making music is Church’s life — so much so that while he’s involved in suggesting and approving marketing strategies to promote the music, he abstains from another key marketing activity: social media.

“I’ve always kept it about the music,” he said. “I’ve always kept it about ‘this is what I’m good at.’ But it’s allowed our fans to empower themselves. Instead of me tweeting or me getting on Facebook, they do it. Then the next person does it and it spiderwebs. Some people have dogged me for not being on Twitter or Facebook, but we have the same impact. The people are doing that for us. They have a sense of ownership.”

Church’s manager, John Peets, couldn’t agree more. “We have always come from the perspective that music is for people,” he said. “Eric has always written and played for the people in the room. Once you release a record, the music is theirs. We respect them and count on them to spread the word.”

Church even made consideration of his Church Choir fan base a factor in releasing the title cut as the album’s debut single. “Could we have come first with another song off this record that might have been a big hit? Sure. But we didn’t, because I wanted to make a statement that that’s not what this is about. It’s about making sure that we’re pushing boundaries and honoring where we come from. I wanted to make sure that the people who built this foundation hear this record and go, ‘This is the one we’ve been waiting on. This is when they were fully in the screws,’” Church noted, using the golf term that means hitting in the sweet spot of the club.

“I believe with any artist, there’s that moment when you’re writing your best, singing your best and playing your best,” he continued. “The producer’s producing his best and playing his best. There’s that ‘in the screws’ moment. I think we started to hit it with Chief. And I think we hit it on this one.”

“When I make albums, I want to lay my head on the pillow 20 years from now and not regret one thing,” he noted. “I want to have stayed true to my musical and moral compass, because that’s what I trust, regardless of what’s popular or whether you get rich or famous. It’s about looking back and being proud of the work you’ve left behind.

“I may be the most rock ‘n’ roll-influenced artist in the format,” Church concluded. “I’ll admit I love to listen to Pantera. But I revere Country Music. I don’t just do it. I revere it. And I want to make albums to put up on the Country Music shelf with all the Country records I revere and go, ‘This is what we did.’”

More on Church and The Outsiders can be found at www.CMACloseUp.com.

On the Web: www.EricChurch.com

On Twitter: @EricChurch

ERIC CHURCH REVEALS “THE OUTSIDERS” ALBUM ART AND RELEASE DATE

New Single and Album Title Track to Be Performed on Wednesday’s “47th Annual CMA Awards” on ABC

Pre-order link: http://smarturl.it/ECTheOutsiders

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013) – One of music’s most electrifying entertainers and prolific songwriters, EMI Records Nashville’s Eric Church, has finally set the date for his fourth studio album, the aptly titled, THE OUTSIDERS, for Feb. 11, 2014. The release is the follow-up to his CMA and ACM Album of the Year, CHIEF, which has gone on to sell over 1.5 million records and produce two No. 1 singles, “Drink In My Hand” and “Springsteen” and three Top 10 hits since it’s June 2011 release.

Starting Wednesday November 6, fans can pre-order an exclusive album bundle directly from www.ericchurch.com, which includes THE OUTSIDERS physical album and exclusive merchandise including: T-Shirt, sticker, and/or a leather cuff bracelet. To go direct to the pre-order page, visit http://smarturl.it/ECTheOutsiders.

Church shared the news exclusively with Associated Press' Chris Talbott remarking, "I'm interested to see what people think about them. I always say the songs are mine till the moment we release them, then they’re the fans’ (songs). I’m very anxious. I have a lot of anxiety to see what people think about what we’ve done.”

Church will perform the album title and lead single, “The Outsiders,” on The 47th Annual CMA Awards, airing live on ABC Television on Wednesday, Nov. 6 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET), where he is nominated for two CMA Awards this year: Male Vocalist and Musical Event of the Year (with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan for “The Only Way I Know”). The song is an ode to the manner in which Church and his fans have built his career, as an inclusive group together fighting to have his music heard.

Jay Joyce once again joins Church for production and songwriting collaborations. Church started writing for the release in 2012 while on his arena tour, Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour. Talbott notes, “Some of the most striking moments [on THE OUTSIDERS] would seem odd to your local program director. There’s a dark trilogy, for instance, that includes a dramatic recitation of the Shel Silverstein poem ‘The Devil and Billy Markham.’ ‘Roller Coaster Ride’ actually feels just like one. And album-closer, ‘The Joint,’ is an oddly affecting cross of Tom Waits and J.J. Cale.”

For more information, please visit www.ericchurch.com or follow him online @ericchurch.