Not exactly a Fourth of July anthem. Martina McBride has caused quite a stir the past few days, after first being announced as a headliner for the Great American State Fair taking place this summer to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, before backing out just a day later following online outrage. The fair is part of the celebrations being planned by Freedom 250, which is a non-partisan organization responsible for putting together all the festivities to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The group was appointed by President Donald Trump execute his vision for the festivities. However, there’s also a congressionally-appointed group called America 250 that was established in 2016 to organize events for the nation’s birthday, which has led to criticism of the Freedom 250 group as being an attempt by Trump to politicize the celebration. The result has been that, so far, at least 5 of the 9 artists announced by Freedom 250 to perform at the Great American State Fair have backed out of the event, including of course Martina McBride. In announcing her withdrawal, McBride claimed to have been misled about the event: “I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading. I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states and also bring people together in a way that only music can. I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special. Sounds fun, right? Wholesome even. Yesterday, things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening. I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues.” Of course now that she’s backed out of the event many on the right have criticized McBride, given that the fair isn’t meant to be a political or partisan event. And many have even pointed to the irony of withdrawing from a patriotic celebration when one of her biggest hits is “Independence Day.” The woman who got rich and famous off of the song Independence Day won’t show up for the 250th anniversary of America on the National Mall in Washington D.C.? And then used some PR firm to put out this copy and pastestatement ? Pathetic. https://t.co/9RmCjyQKj6 — Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 29, 2026 I didn't think celebrating the birthday of the greatest country on Earth, America’s 250th, was POLITICAL… but here we are. @martinamcbride bails on singing for the nation because it’s on the National Mall under President Trump?Ma’am, you made a career off "Independence Day"… — Kate (@kate_p45) May 29, 2026 The 1993 hit is a popular song on Fourth Of July playlists. And obviously I know why people include it and why it’s a popular song for…well, Independence Day. It does take place on the Fourth of July, after all. And the chorus is enough to get any red-blooded American fired up: “Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong Roll that stone away, let the guilty pay It’s Independence Day” And I mean, sure, if that’s the only part of the song you hear you might think that it’s a song about celebrating the Fourth of July. But the verses make clear that it’s about something very different – and much more dark: “Well, she seemed all right by dawn’s early lightThough she looked a little worried and weakShe tried to pretend he wasn’t drinkin’ againBut daddy left the proof on her cheekAnd I was only eight years old that summerAnd I always seemed to be in the waySo I took myself down to the fair in townOn Independence Day” The song’s about an Independence Day, but not the kind that’s celebrated on the Fourth of July. It’s a dark tale about escaping from domestic violence from a child’s point of view, one where her mother eventually burns down their house and the daughter ends up getting sent to the county home after losing both of her parents. Yeah, not exactly celebrating America’s birthday. Of course it’s an incredible song. Written by Gretchen Peters, the song won the CMA Award for Song of the Year in 1995, and was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time, despite only peaking at #12 on the charts. But over the years, the song has somehow gained popularity as a patriotic anthem, being used by politicians at rallies, in Fourth of July celebrations, and it was even used by political commentator Sean Hannity as the opening music for his radio show – something Peters objected to since it’s not a political song, but is one about escaping domestic violence. And as many have pointed out, McBride herself has embraced and benefited from the song being used as a patriotic anthem. Back in 2001, just weeks after the September 11th attacks, she delivered a fiery performance of “Independence Day” at Farm Aid on a stage adorned with American flag backdrops. So it’s not exactly hard to see why the song is seen as a patriotic anthem – and some of that can be traced back to McBride herself – despite the song’s actual message. Honestly, it’s always bugged me to be watching fireworks on the Fourth of July listening to a song like “Independence Day” that’s really about domestic violence, or even Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In the USA,” which is obviously an anti-war anthem about a veteran returning home disillusioned with his country after the Vietnam War. Obviously it’s disappointing that Martina backed out of performing at the Great American State Fair. But if you were looking forward to seeing her perform “Independence Day” to celebrate our country…well, maybe pick a different song.The post A Reminder That Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” Isn’t Actually About The Fourth Of July first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Ever wondered what it would be like to accidentally help write a monster hit song for a a country music superstar? Channing Wilson knows the exact feeling. The Georgia native recently sat down with us on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast and talked about why he shifted from a songwriter to an artist, how “Bro Country” was a dark time in Nashville, the influences that have helped to shape his music over the years, and not being a fan of the social media upkeep that most artists have to endure. Wilson actually went on to tell us that, in order to avoid social media, he agreed to do the new singing competition series called The Road. He discussed his experience as a part of the show, told us about how his Landman and Yellowstone connections helped him get on it, and shared that he’s got a new album on the way. Songwriting also came up a good amount during our conversation, and there’s no doubt that Wilson is one of the most talented (and underrated) songwriters in the industry. So talented, in fact, that he once accidentally stumbled into a No. 1 hit with Luke Combs and Rob Snyder: “You never know who you are going to write a great song with… literally the Luke Combs story. Me and Rob Snyder are at an apartment together. We had been out the night before. I was drinking pretty heavy back then. I woke up and I believe I canceled on Ashley Monroe that morning, because I was just not having it. I walk through the living room probably in my boxers going to make a cup of coffee and Luke was walking into Rob’s apartment. I recognized him from a couple of weeks before… and I think Luke really dug my tunes, so he asked Rob, ‘Do you think Channing would write with us?’ Rob texted me from the other room like, ‘Dude, do you want to write?’ I was like, ‘No bro, I already canceled.'” Soon enough, Channing Wilson changed his tune. Mainly because Snyder asked Luke to sing Wilson a song, and once Combs put his signature, powerful voice on display, Wilson knew he had to sit down and see if he could help write something. Sure enough… that “something” came along rather quickly: “He put Luke on the spot, and Luke started playing a cover of something. When I heard him, I was like, ‘Man, what a voice.’ And he was such a nice kid and was really respectful to me. I was like, ‘Alright, give me just a minute.’ We sit down and we wrote ‘She Got The Best Of Me’ in about an hour or two. You never know, at the time, what it’s gonna be.” It went on to be Combs’ fourth consecutive No. 1 single, but it was actually a fan favorite long before that. Hilariously, the song did so well that Channing Wilson recalls running into Luke Combs not long after it’s release and getting a big time payday: “I remember, he came in one week and handed me like $300 cash. He just hands it to me and I’m like, ‘What’s this for?’ He’s like, ‘It’s your royalties.’ He was literally doing it punk rock, just paying me $300 bucks like a drug deal or something. I looked at Rob and said, ‘That’s the most money I’ve made at songwriting right there.'” @whiskeyriff @Carolina Country Music Fest @channingwilsonmusic #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff #CapCut ♬ She Got the Best of Me – Luke Combs What a way to get rewarded for a No. 1 song that finally reached Diamond certification by RIAA in 2025. Oh, and I have to mention that while Channing Wilson was talking with us, the “Blues Comin’ On” singer also touched on his upcoming festival date at the Carolina Country Music Fest. Some of the best artists in country music – including Riley Green, Tucker Wetmore, Flatland Cavalry and Post Malone – will be there in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina June 4 through June 7. It’s four days of great country music, right on the shores of Myrtle Beach. Make sure to get your tickets while you still can! Channing Wilson will be there, and you can hear more from the country singer by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post Channing Wilson Details How He Accidentally Helped Write One Of Luke Combs’ Biggest Hits first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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.