| Introducing Nashville Mainstage Announced at Country To Country Festival in March 2020 |
| NASHVILLE— The Country Music Association’s international artist-focused touring series Introducing Nashville just wrapped a successful run in Europe and the U.K. The 10-date tour made stops throughout October in Oslo, Stockholm, Hamburg, Berlin, Amsterdam, Manchester, Gateshead, Glasgow and Brighton before wrapping with a sold-out performance at London’s Cadogan Hall during Country Music Week. With ticket sales nearly doubling in every market since last year’s European and U.K. tour, audiences flocked to see Nashville artists Danielle Bradbery, Devin Dawson (on the European leg), Travis Denning, Walker Hayes (on the U.K. leg) and Rachel Wammack. Selling out a number of shows including London, Oslo, Glasgow and Brighton, these Nashville artists introduced audiences to new music and had them singing along to the songs they knew. In each city, audiences were captivated by the show’s intimate Nashville-style writer’s round, with artists appearing on stage together in an acoustic lineup, sharing their stories as they performed their songs. In Europe, Dawson and Denning engaged in fun banter, relishing the opportunity to join in on each other’s songs including “God’s Country,” written by Dawson and recorded by Blake Shelton, as well as Denning’s “After A Few,” while Bradbery and Wammack impressed audiences with their ballads and vocal range. Bradbery wrapped most nights with her hit “Worth It,” while Wammack enjoyed introducing audiences to her song “Damage.” On the U.K. stops, the crowd was very interactive during Hayes’ songs, holding their own as he let them sing the words without him at times. The raw, unrehearsed show often created moments of fun on stage, giving audiences a peak into these artists lives as songwriters and performers. The final show of the tour ended with a standing ovation from an enthusiastic crowd in London. For all artists on the lineup, it was the first time visiting a number of the cities on the tour. Performing as part of the Introducing Nashville tour has provided a great platform to develop their audiences abroad. With this European and U.K. run of Introducing Nashville coming to a close, CMA is thrilled to announce it will present a lineup of three artists on the mainstage as part of Country To Country festival in March 2020. Introducing Nashville Mainstage will be the opening slot on C2C and feature Nashville artists Abby Anderson, Eric Paslay and Tenille Townes, performing for audiences in London, Glasgow, Berlin, Amsterdam and Dublin. “It’s been a pleasure for CMA to tour these artists and have them introduce international audiences to the music and songwriting artistry that’s current in Nashville right now,” says Milly Olykan, CMA Vice President, International Relations and Development. “The increased interest in the tour and the artists has been fantastic and we are excited about taking it to the next level with the opportunity to present Introducing Nashville as part of C2C’s mainstage line up in March.” This marks CMA’s eighth year partnering with C2C to bring Country Music to dedicated fans in international territories. Abby Anderson The anticipated follow-up single, “GOOD LORD,” from Black River Entertainment songwriter/artist Abby Anderson is now at Country radio and is digitally available now. Anderson directly supported on Rob Thomas’ 44-date “Chip Tooth Smile Tour” this summer. She played additional tour stops this year at music festivals including Stagecoach, Off the Rails, Country Thunder and Tortuga. Marking her first international appearance, the Dallas, TX native made her debut performance at C2C in London in 2019. Named one of “The Bobby Bones Show’s” “Class of 2019,” Anderson is also one of MusicRow’s “Next Big Thing for 2019” and is included in Sounds Like Nashville’s “19 New Country Artists to Watch in 2019.” Since the release of her debut EP I’m Good, Anderson has earned over 25 million streams, caught the attention of fans worldwide and has had the privilege to open for some of Country’s brightest stars including Bobby Bones, Billy Currington, Devin Dawson, Russell Dickerson, Brett Eldredge, Walker Hayes, Chase Rice and more. Making her Grand Ole Opry debut in 2018, Anderson received a rare standing ovation following the performance of her first song, “Make Him Wait.” Read more at AbbyAndersonMusic.com. Eric Paslay Country artist Eric Paslay delivers a powerful punch as a renowned, Platinum-selling, hit songwriter and dynamic performer. Paslay has celebrated five No. 1 hits including “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” (recorded by Eli Young Band), “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” (recorded by Jake Owen), “Angel Eyes” (recorded by Love & Theft), “Rewind” (recorded by Rascal Flatts) and “Friday Night,” the smash lead single from his critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. The Temple, TX native has earned numerous songwriter award nominations including GRAMMY’s Best Country Song, ACM’s Song of the Year twice and CMA Song of The Year for “Even If It Breaks Your Heart.” Paslay was also honored with a GRAMMY nomination as an artist for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “The Driver,” a collaboration with friends Charles Kelley (of Lady Antebellum) and Dierks Bentley. A true artist’s artist, USA Today calls Paslay “flat out-brilliant” and American Songwriter names him an influencer of Country Music. Paslay is currently touring the U.S. with his “Nice Guy Tour” and recently released his first live album Live In Glasgow. Read more at EricPaslay.com. Tenille Townes Canadian-born and Nashville-based Tenille Townes is “poised for a breakthrough” (Refinery29). On top of an ever growing list of accolades that includes Amazon Music’s “2019 Artists To Watch,” “The Bobby Bones Show’s” “Class of 2019,” CMT’s “Next Women of Country,” CMT’s “Listen Up,” iHeartRadio’s “Artists To Watch in 2019,” iHeartCountry’s “On The Verge” artist and the inaugural class of “Opry NextStage,” Townes is currently on tour with Miranda Lambert as part of her “Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour” and performed with Maren Morris this fall. She has garnered widespread attention including praise from Billboard, The Tennessean, Sounds Like Nashville, The Boot and NPR Music, which declares, “…one of the most promising arrivals in mainstream Nashville’s burgeoning singer-songwriter movement.” Townes has released four tracks from her forthcoming full-length debut album — “Somebody’s Daughter,” which reached No. 1 on both Mediabase and Nielsen BDS Country Airplay in Canada, “White Horse,” “I Kept The Roses” and her current single, “Jersey On The Wall.” Produced by Jay Joyce, the album is set for release via Columbia Nashville. Read more at TenilleTownes.com. About the Country Music Association Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association is the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. In 1961, CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. More than 7,700 music industry professionals and companies from around the globe are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; CMA Fest, which benefits the CMA Foundation and music education and is taped for a network television special, “CMA Fest”; and “CMA Country Christmas.” All of CMA’s television properties air on the ABC Television Network in the U.S. |
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