Get your tissues ready. It’s hard to even put into words how much of a toll the 4th of July floods had on Texas last year in the Texas Hill Country region. The Guadalupe River rose dramatically due to torrential rainfall, leading to widespread flooding, and a significant number of the fatalities occurred in Kerr County. The devastation was truly unimaginable, with over 139 victims losing their lives and well over $20 billion in damages occurring around the region. While every single life lost carried its own weight of devastation, there was none more tragic than the victims of Camp Mystic, a historic all-girls Christian summer camp situated along the South Fork of the Guadalupe River. In total, 25 young campers, ages ranging from only eight to ten years old, and two teenage camp counselors lost their lives In the country music community, a plethora of artists donated to relief funds in response. This included the likes of Chris and Morgane Stapleton, who donated $1 million dollars through their Outlaw State of Kind charity fund, Pat Green raising over $1 million at his benefit concert after losing four family members to the flood, George Strait holding a benefit concert which raised over $6.5 million and Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum teaming up and raising over $8.5 million with “Band Together Texas.” Outside of Green, however, the most impacted in the Texas country community was none other than one of its staples, Josh Abbott, who is paying tribute to the 27 victims with a beautiful new song, titled “27 Little Butterflies.” View this post on Instagram The song stems from the close relationship Abbott and his family had with the family of one of the victims, Mary Barrett Stevens, who died at Camp Mystic at only eight years old. Abbott’s daughter, Emery, was incredibly close with Mary, with the 45-year-old singer/songwriter describing her as Emery’s “first bestie” in a touching tribute on Instagram leading up to the release of the track. Beautifully, Abbott would also note that Mary’s nickname, May, and the 27 victims inspired the May 27th release date: “Mary’s nickname is May. That’s why we released ’27 Little Butterflies’ today. May 27th. We see you May May. We’ll forever revere our short time with you and your impact on our lives.” View this post on Instagram In an interview with Rolling Stone, Abbott would recall the terrifying hours after hearing the news of Camp Mystic flooding on July 4, noting how he cried in a way he hadn’t in a “long, long time” upon hearing the news of Mary’s passing. “Every hour with no response felt darker. When I finally got the news, I cried in a way I hadn’t in a long, long time. This sweet girl had such a joy and glow to her. A little girl we loved, held, swam with, and watched grow up with our own daughter. Her absence will never escape us.” Abbott would go on to detail how “27 Little Butterflies” came to be, noting that he felt like he had to write something for the girls and their families. He’d explain that he didn’t want to force the song at any point; however, on February 13th, the lyrics finally came to him. What follows is an incredibly simple, albeit beautiful song penned independently by Abbott, which serves as a touching tribute to the victims. Backed only by a guitar and violin, the Texan delivers a strong message of faith that will undoubtedly give a sense of comfort to all the families. “Love is a journey guided by faith The years fly by until they slow to a daze A bubbly voice reminds you to pray Love is a journey guided by faith 27 little butterflies Kaleidoscope in the evening sky Girls that giggle always shine a light 27 little butterflies” All proceeds from “27 Little Butterflies” will be donated to Heaven’s 27, a charity created for the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives that day. “27 Little Butterflies” The post Josh Abbott Releases Touching Tribute To Camp Mystic Flood Victims, “27 Little Butterflies” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Clarifying the “controversial” comment. It seems as if anything that The Red Clay Strays touch lately has turned to gold. After being one of the buzziest bands in the alt. country scene over the past few years, thanks to the success of Moment of Truth and Made by These Moments, the Alabama band broke out in a big way this last November. If you’ve been paying attention to them, you know they were bound to become a mainstay after winning Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2024 Americana Awards, winning New Vocal Duo or Group at the 2025 ACM Awards and scoring a 3x platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for their breakout hit, “Wondering Why,” along with a gold certification for their debut album, Moment of Truth. As previously mentioned, however, their big mainstream break happened back in November thanks to their huge night at the 59th annual CMA Awards, delivering a killer performance of their current single, “People Hatin’” and, more importantly, dethroning Old Dominion as Vocal Group of the Year en route to their first-ever CMA win. They’d follow that up just two weeks ago and dethrone Old Dominion once again, this time taking home their first-ever ACM Award for Group of the Year. One thing that has always stuck out about the Strays, much like their contemporaries such as Zach Bryan, Sam Barber, Flatland Cavalry and more, is that they’ve been making an incredible amount of waves without the need for any radio play. It should go without saying at this point that country radio (and radio in general) is all but dead. While, of course, that’s not saying that it’s completely irrelevant, when you have streaming services and social media like TikTok dominating the way that fans interact and consume artists’ music, there’s really no way for the format to compete in today’s current climate. Like nearly anyone paying attention to the current state of the music industry, Red Clay is aware of country radio’s lack of impact over the years. In particular, bassist Andrew Bishop turned heads in a recent Billboard article when he accurately described radio as being all but dead. “It’s ­never been a goal of ours to make a radio song. Look how far we have gotten with no radio play. We got a CMA (Award) with three country radio stations playing us, and one of them is our local radio station. People are bending over backward for radio, and especially in the day of social media, I don’t think you have to have it. Honestly, I think radio is dead.” In the same interview, frontman Brandon Coleman walked that quote from his bassist back a bit, and clarified that they would happily take some more love from the radio. That being said, that’s not going to happen because they change up what they are doing to better fit into the current radio model. “We’re certainly not going to change to try to get on the radio, but if the radio decides to start playing what we’re doing already, then we’ll take it.” I don’t think anyone would truly argue with what Bishop said. At its core, he pointed out the power of social media and how the internet has allowed incredible bands such as his to thrive without the need for terrestrial radio, while simultaneously correctly pointing out that radio itself is not dominating the way the average person consumes music. With that being said, it ended up receiving some criticism (because what doesn’t nowadays). Because of this, Bishop took to Instagram this morning to clear the air and clarify the quote. In the post, he’d explain that he never meant to insult anyone who works in the industry or those who support it. Instead, as previously mentioned, he wanted to highlight how today’s era, with social media at the forefront, allows bands such as Red Clay to thrive and impact their listeners with authentic music that’s not trying to be a “radio hit.” “I want to clarify something I said recently about ‘radio being dead,’ because I think it was taken a little out of context. My point was never meant to be a jab at radio or the people who support it. What I meant is that artists today don’t have to create music with the sole focus of ‘making a radio hit’ the way they may have had in the past. In this era of social media, there are more ways than ever for genuine songs to find their people. For us, the goal has always been to make honest music that feels real to us. We’re grateful that those songs have connected the way they have, and we’re also incredibly thankful for the radio stations that have embraced our music and continue to play our songs.” View this post on Instagram Honestly, it’s a bit of a shame that Bishop even needed to clarify his statement with Billboard. From the get-go, the bassist was never trying to disparage anyone in the industry or the format itself. There’s satellite radio that generally plays better music, as well as some indie stations that are still out curating their own playlists… they do a great job. But Andy made the (correct) assessment that the way we are consuming music has changed drastically over the past decade, and, due to the rise of social media and streaming services, radio has been made all but obsolete for a lot of people. It’s not a coincidence that bands like The Red Clay Strays, Treaty Oak Revival, Turnpike Troubadours and more, as well as artists like Zach Bryan, Sam Barber, Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson and others, can have this much success both critically and commercially despite getting next to no nationwide radio play. Bishop was simply saying what we all know here. If you want to take a look at the discrepancies in country radio’s batch of #1 hits from 2025 in comparison to how the general public consumed them on streaming services, read HERE. Grateful Tour Dates July 30 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 1 – Boston, MA – TD Garden with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 5 – Laval, CA – Place Bell with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart August 7 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at The Mann with The Revivalist & Brent Cobb August 9 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden with The Revivalist & Brent Cobb August 16 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 18 – Grand Forks, ND – Alerus Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 19 – Bismarck, ND – Bismarck Event Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 21 – Bozeman, MT – Brick Breeden Fieldhouse with Sweet Talk August 22 – Missoula, MT – Adams Ceter with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk August 26 – Spokane, WA – Numerica Veterans Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 27 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 29 – Portland, OR – Moda Center with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk August 30 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena with Wyatt Flores & Sweet Talk September 2 – West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 4 – Stateline, NV – Lake Tahoe Amphitheater at Caesars Republic with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 11 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 12 – Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 16 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena San Diego with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena with Dylan Gossett & Sweet Talk September 20 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center with Muscadine Bloodline & Sweet Talk September 30 – Toronto, CA – RBC Amphitheater – with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 1 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 3 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 7 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena with Shane Smith & the Saints & Brent Cobb October 14 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 15 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 17 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 18 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena with The Revivalist & Haley Reinhart October 22 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena with Brent Cobb & Sierra Ferrell  October 23 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena with Brent Cobb & Sierra Ferrell October 28 – Knoxville, TN – Food City Center with Wyatt Flores & Brent Cobb October 31 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC with Shane Smith & the Saints & Brent Cobb November 5 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 6 – Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 8 – Jonesboro, AR – First National Bank Arena with Muscadine Bloodline & Brent Cobb November 13 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena with Travis Tritt & Brent CobbThe post “Never Meant To Be A Jab”: The Red Clay Strays’ Andrew Bishop Clarifies Recent “Radio Is Dead” Comment first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

It seems unfathomable… In many ways, Eric Church is a bit of an enigma in country music. Oftentimes, he strays away from what many would consider to be classic hallmarks of the genre, including but not limited to rare uses of fiddle in many of his songs and the outright refusal to use steel guitar on many of his songs post Sinners Like Me. Despite this constant urge to push the limits and reinvent his sound, Church has remained not only one of the best artists in the genre over the two decades but also one of the most important, influencing megastars like Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs as well as alternative country standouts such as Carter Faith, Charles Wesley Godwin, Colby Acuff and more. When you actually take a look at his career accolades, it’s not quite as robust as you might think. Sure, he finally won his long-awaited CMA Entertainer of the Year Award in 2020, along with a double-up Album of the Year win at the ACMs and CMAs for Chief years before. With that being said, however, he’s never been an awards show darling like Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson or Miranda Lambert. Looking at his overall career chart-wise, it’s even more shocking. Despite being recognized as one of the best and most influential country artists of the 21st century, the “Springsteen” singer only has seven solo #1 hits (11 if you count collaborations) on both of Billboard’s country charts (Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay). The most recent of his chart-toppers, “Hell of a View,” went #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay charts five years ago today, on May 29, 2021, a steady 29 weeks after it was initially released on October 20th. You heard that right; it’s been 1,826 days, the entirety of the Biden administration and an entire year of Trump’s second term in office since Church last secured a #1 hit. While, of course, you can chalk most of it up to him not playing the radio game, focusing on albums over singles and generally doing whatever he wants artistically, it still feels quite shocking that he hasn’t topped the charts in this long. Hell, someone could have finished their entire college degree (potentially with a master’s) during that time span. It should be noted that the Chief has scored one since then, snagging a #1 with Billboard’s Artist of the Year, Morgan Wallen, in April 2024 with “Man Made a Bar.” With that being said, however, it still feels unfathomable that it’s been that long. Taking a look at his singles output, it’s actually been quite low. Since “Hell of a View” went #1 back in 2021, Church released “Doing Life With Me,” a bit of an odd choice, all things considered, given that it wasn’t exactly a radio-friendly track and appeared on the second, smaller installment of the Heart & Soul project, &. Though it was certified gold by the RIAA in November 2024, it only peaked at #34 on Country Airplay and never even charted on Hot Country Songs. The head-scratcher, in my opinion, is the lack of love received from his most recent single, “Hands of Time.” As we know at this point, 2025’s Evangeline vs. the Machine was hardly looking to make waves on the radio or in a commercial sense in general, opting for an incredibly experimental, cinematic approach to its construction. With that being said, “Hands of Time” was the one track that was primed to be a hit, being incredibly infectious, nostalgic and ultimately, a tried and true Chief song. Despite having #1 hit written all over it, “Hands of Time” never received much love. As of today, it only peaked at #14 and #20, respectively, on Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs. Since “Hands of Time’s” release as a single last May, we still have not received a second single from Evangeline vs. the Machine, and it will most likely stay that way due to the aforementioned structure of that album. As previously mentioned, it shouldn’t come as the biggest surprise in the world, given that Church has always made a name for himself going against nearly every convention in Nashville, not playing the radio game and curating a batch of hits among fans that never received much attention nationwide. It still begs the question, “When are we going to see the Chief rise to the top of the charts again?” I think I speak for everyone when I say I hope it comes sooner rather than later. “Hell of a View” The post How Has It Been 5 Years Since Eric Church Scored His Last Solo #1 Hit? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

An olive branch, but it make it bags of M&Ms… I like his strategy. Last weekend, Kyle Busch’s family was at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, which was their first public appearance since the NASCAR legend suddenly passed away last Thursday at the age of 41 from complications from sepsis. He was a legendary driver, one of the best to ever do it, and it’s still hard to believe it’s real. Kyle’s wife, Samantha, and his children put on a very brave face at the 600, along with the rest of Kyle’s family, and I truly cannot imagine what they’re going through. It’s simply devastating. While tons of stories have been pouring in from friends and fellow drivers, and of course, one of his longtime rivals, who eventually became his friend, is Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR fans know that Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were rivals back in the day when they were both still full-time Cup Series drivers, and their animosity really stemmed from the infamous 2008 race at Richmond. They were battling for the lead during the last laps, and Busch spun Dale Jr. out during his first year at Hendrick Motorsports. He was literally on track to end a two-year winless streak, so obviously, he was really upset about it, and later that year during the fall race at Richmond, Jr. returned the favor and spun Busch out. Busch has made comments about him over the years, and in terms of fan perception back then, they definitely contrasted each other and remained rivals for many years. Eventually, after Jr. retired, they seemed to reconcile and even become friendly, and Jr. had Busch on his podcast a while back and they hashed it out. Jr. shared a beautiful tribute to Kyle the day he passed, and this week on Dale’s Bless Your ‘Hardt podcast with his wife Amy, they recalled a great story abut Kyle that Dale says was the “very beginning” of them “starting to be friendly.” Amy says it was during Daytona 500 week (though she couldn’t remember exactly what year, but it was when Kyle was running the M&Ms car), and Dale was NOT in a good mood. They didn’t expect many visitors because of that, but when they heard a knock on their bus door, they certainly weren’t expecting Kyle Busch. Amy could see it was him from the window, and given his history with her husband, she told Dale he needed to answer it. To their surprise, he came bearing gifts, bags and bags of M&Ms, and he was there to wish them a “Happy Valentine’s Day,” which Amy says she heard him say very loudly to Dale when he opened the door: “It was Daytona 500 week, and I don’t know what year this was. He was running the M&Ms car. We’re in the bus, and so we don’t have a lot of knocks on the door… he’s in a s***** a** mood. We get a knock on the door, and there’s a little window above the door, and so he’s sitting on the couch and I’m messing around, and so I look out. I’m like, it’s Kyle Busch, uh oh. And so I’m like, ‘Dale it’s Kyle Busch.’ And he goes, ‘No s***?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s Kyle. I’m not answering it. You better get over here.’ He comes up off the couch and peaks out the door, and he just kind of props it open a little bit, and is like, ‘Hey man, what’s up?’ And I could hear him audibly say very loudly, ‘Happy Valentine’s Day!’ And he’s got bags of the M&Ms to share. And both of us were kind of like, really? You brought candy? There’s pink, there’s red, there’s all kinds of flavors here. He gave him like four or five bags of candy. He was smiling, he was happy. It was like a version of Kyle I had never seen before, either.” Dale joked that he asked Kyle if they were “safe to eat” given their checkered past (pun very much intended) up to that point: “I joked with him when he handed them to me, I said, ‘Are these safe to eat?'” Amy says it was “really nice” to see Kyle that way, as opposed to her husband’s fierce rival on the track, and she says from that point on, they both looked at him very differently: “It was really nice to see Kyle in that moment. And then from then on, I feel like both of us kind of looked at him in a different way.” Dale acknowledged: “It was the very beginning of us sort of starting to be friendly.” And like many of us, Amy says she will always think of him when she sees a bag of M&Ms: “I feel like I’ll always think of him too now when I see a bag of M&Ms.” For many years, Kyle and M&Ms were synonymous, and I always thought he had one of the best sponsors of anyone in NASCAR. Like Jr. said in his aforementioned tribute post, it was Kyle who first reached out to mend the fences with him, so to speak, and while he was very happy to do so, he gave credit to Kyle to being the first one to reach out, and it sounds like it all started with some M&Ms, which is a great way to do it in my humble opinion. It’s a great story that gives a peak into a side of Kyle I think many fans never got to see, at least not on the track: View this post on Instagram The full podcast is available below. The post “A Version Of Kyle I Had Never Seen Before” — Amy Earnhardt Recalls Kyle Busch Showing Up To Dale Jr.’s Bus With Bags Of M&Ms For Valentine’s Day first appeared on Whiskey Riff.