News

Stay up to date! Subscribe to my RSS Feed and receive information about Tour Dates, News Items or Blog Postings as soon as they are published on the site. Not really sure what an RSS Feed is or why you should even care? Want to subscribe to just the Tour Date, News Items or Blog Posting feeds individually? Find out more here.

Amazon Music releases “Independence Day” by Brittney Spencer

I was so moved by Brittney Spencer’s incredible performance of “Independence Day” when I received the Poet’s Award at the ACM Honors last August that I cried. She told me backstage later that she had listened to my slowed-down, piano-driven arrangement of the song and drawn some inspiration from that. I’m pleased to announce that … MORE

2nd Livestream for Ukraine featuring Rosanne Cash

Our first livestream for Ukraine’s Voices of Children Foundation was a huge success, thanks to everyone who watched and donated so generously. After we raised over $11,000, I started hearing from other artists who were eager to help out. Today I’m thrilled to announce that my guest for the next livestream is the incomparable Rosanne Cash. … MORE

$11,000 raised for Voices of Children (Ukraine)

I’m thrilled to announce that our livestream on March 10, with Barry Walsh and special guests Mary Gauthier and Jaimee Harris, raised over $11,000 for Voices of Children, a Ukraine-based organization that provides psychological and psychosocial support to children, helping them overcome the consequences of armed conflict. Today, during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, they … MORE

Livestream for children of Ukraine

I’m so pleased to announce that Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris will be joining me & Barry Walsh for a special live-streamed concert this Thursday at 3 pm CST. All proceeds from the tip jar will go to Ukraine’s Voices of Children Foundation. They provide psychological and psychosocial support to children affected by war. Please join … MORE

UK/Netherlands tour postponed

To our UK & Dutch friends & fans: this is an announcement that I did not want to make – namely that our UK/Netherlands tour scheduled for March/April 2022 is being postponed once again due to continued uncertainty concerning Covid-19. We have struggled with this decision for weeks now; in the end the situation remains … MORE

new merch!

We added a bunch of new merchandise to my web store today – and for those of you in the UK or Europe, we can fulfill orders – on the new merch items only – from Europe, so shipping charges won’t be prohibitive. There’s more to come, but for now check out the Sad Songs … MORE

ACM Honors coverage (Tennessean)

From The Tennessean: …in making her Ryman debut, newcomer Brittany Spencer sang a riveting take of “Independence Day” for Gretchen Peters, who tearfully watched from the Ryman pews; Peters and (Curly) Putnam joined (Loretta) Lynn in earning a Poet’s Award. “I was a fool to think I wouldn’t cry,” Peters said, adding: “I really believe that songwriting is … MORE

Why We Write (podcast)

I had a great conversation with writer Kim Ruehl for her Folk Alley podcast “Why We Write” a few weeks ago. The episode is out today and we covered all manner of topics, from failure to the importance of rhyme, and much more. You can listen at Folk Alley. More from Kim: Gretchen Peters has … MORE

Academy of Country Music announces Poet’s Award recipients

The Academy of Country Music announced today the recipients of the Special Awards for the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards. I’m honored to be receiving the Poet’s Award from the Academy this summer, at an event taking place Wednesday, August 25, 2021 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. More from the ACM: Honorees will be … MORE

Neon Eon Podcast

I had a great time talking with Thomas Mooney for his Neon Eon podcast, which focuses on 90s country music. We talked about songwriting, Music Row during the 90s country boom, and of course, Independence Day. You can listen to the podcast on Apple podcasts, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Vinyl Writer Interview

I spoke with Andrew Daly of Vinyl Writer recently. Here’s an excerpt from the interview: I think that when you are telling stories, you are always telling your story. In songwriting it’s more important to tell the truth than the facts. And your truth is informed by your story. So when I’m writing a story … MORE

new masterclass with Mary Gauthier – enrollment open now

I’m happy to announce a brand new February Master Class with my friend Mary Gauthier. We’re teaming up to bring you “Writing Songs from Behind Someone Else’s Eyes.” In this workshop, we’ll take a deep dive into creating authentic narrators, breaking through writer’s block, and tapping into the power of empathy.  We’ll also have a VERY special guest … MORE