Keith Urban has officially teased his “Yacht Rock Era.” If you did a double take, I don’t blame you. I did the same when I first heard that the prolific guitarist and country music artist was changing things up after his divorce from actress Nicole Kidman. He’s taking his talents to the underrated, under-appreciated genre of yacht rock (at least for a little while). If you’ve never heard of the style of music before, it originated and became popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s… and dads everywhere absolutely love it. There wasn’t really a legitimate name for the sub-genre of rock until someone associated it with “the type of music you listen to while boating.” Considering one of the biggest hits of yacht rock is “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, that makes sense. And if you’ve never listened to yacht rock while on a boat… you should try it. Admittedly, there’s something spiritual about yacht rocking while the yacht (or in my case, a pontoon boat) is rocking in the water. Keith Urban has evidently felt that connection, and recently shared with the world that he’s going all in on yacht rock with his next album. While speaking at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, the 58-year-old artist shocked a lot of people – and made them think he was joking – when he broke the news that he’s putting out an album of yacht rock covers: “It’s the first time I’ve done an album of covers. There is one original on the record. It’s a thematic record… yacht rock songs. You think I’m kidding? I’m not kidding.” Just to make sure people knew he wasn’t joking, Urban immediately transitioned into a yacht rock classic from 1977. Those in attendance were serenaded by Keith Urban with a piece of a new original, as well as two cover snippets of Stephen Bishop’s “On and On,” which peaked as high as 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 at its height, and Robbie Dupree’s top 10 hit, “Steal Away.” I’ve got to say… I wasn’t so sure about Keith Urban doing yacht rock, but after watching this video, I believe: @whiskeyriff @Keith Urban #whiskeyriff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff It’ll certainly be interesting to see Keith Urban tackle the smooth, winding, jazz-influenced genre. I’ll give the “Blue Ain’t Your Color” singer some credit. While all the other pop and hip-hop artists out there are dipping their toes in country music, he’s leaving the country music genre – albeit just for a small, side project – and choosing to test out the yacht rock waters. And the waters of yacht rock are always calm, soulful, and full of relaxation. That might be exactly what the doctor ordered for Keith Urban right about now. Urban gets divorced and then immediately shows an increased, public interest in yacht rock? That checks out… and to be clear, that video above was from about a month ago. Fast forward to today, and we’ve got Keith Urban first official teaser for his yacht rock venture. It appears that fans won’t have to wait much longer for his cover album. If we can trust this post, the yacht rock album – or at least a part of it – could be here as soon as next week: “Next week we all set sail. Don’t be late to the dock. Oh, and by the way, something extra smooth is coming to Nashville one week from today. Clear your calendars. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” You heard the man… clear your calendars (and mark them as well). Some yacht rock covers from Keith Urban are on the way, and judging by the audio attached to that clip, “Summer Breeze” by Seals & Crofts will be one of the songs featured in the project.The post Keith Urban Officially Teases His Upcoming Yacht Rock Covers Project: “Next Week We All Set Sail” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Glen Campbell is an American original, and his story is just as legendary as his top songs. Continue reading…

What changed? I’m sure there are plenty of artists who have songs from early in their career that haven’t aged well or that they wish they could take back. And there are songs out there that would never have a shot at getting played on the radio in the year of our Lord 2026. One of those songs (that I wrote about last year) is probably Brad Paisley‘s “I’m Still A Guy.” Co-written by Brad along with Kelley Lovelace and Lee Thomas Miller, “I’m Still A Guy” was released as a single from his sixth studio album, Fifth Gear, on March 3, 2008. At the time, it even reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. If you’re somehow not familiar, the song features Brad explaining to his female partner that despite her efforts to “feminize” him, at the end of the day, he’s “still a guy.” “I can hear you now talkin’ to your friends Saying, “Yeah, girls, he’s come a long way” From draggin’ his knuckles and carryin’ a club And buildin’ a fire in a cave But when you say a back rub means only a back rub Then you swat my hand when I try Well, now, what can I say at the end of the day? Honey, I’m still a guy” And honestly, I don’t think there’s anything problematic with the song. But it’s the last verse that I think would keep radio from playing it these days: “These days, there’s dudes gettin’ facials Manicured, waxed, and botoxed With deep spray-on tans and creamy, lotion-y hands You can’t grip a tackle box Yeah, with all of these men linin’ up to get neutered It’s hip now to be feminized But I don’t highlight my hair, I’ve still got a pair Yeah, honey, I’m still a guy” Of course times have changed a lot since 2008. This was back before “toxic masculinity” became a trendy buzzword, before men were changing their gender and competing in women’s sports…I mean, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were both opposed to gay marriage at the time this song was released. Things have gotten a lot more “woke” over the past nearly two decades. Encouraging men to act like men is seen as transphobic, and making fun of men who get their nails manicured is “homophobic” and will likely result in a bunch of people trying to get you canceled. And one of the song’s writers doesn’t think Brad would cut “I’m Still A Guy” today. Kelley Lovelace, who co-hosts the Try That In A Small Town podcast (and was also a co-writer on the Jason Aldean song of the same name), discussed the inspiration behind the Brad Paisley hit on a recent episode: “A writer’s schedule, seemingly to others, is very flexible, and we can cancel and things like that, reschedule and all that. So anyway, I had to go to school because of my stepson, who I think he was in second grade, something like that. They were having Valentine’s Day and I was the only one available to take the pink cupcakes to the school. Because I have a ‘flexible schedule.'” Lovelace says he was told there would be other dads there, but as it turns out it was just him and a bunch of wives. And he says it was that experience, combined with a greater push in society in general to make everybody just be a “nice guy” that made him want to write the song. At the time, Paisley was releasing humorous songs like “Online” and “Ticks,” so it seemed perfect to write with him. But Lovelace says Brad did have one problem with the lyrics – though it’s probably not what you think: “He goes, ‘I don’t know about the word guy. … Could it be something else, like man, dude?’ He didn’t like singing the word ‘guy.'” Of course Brad got past his issue with the song and ultimately had a big hit with it, but Lovelace admits that he doesn’t think the “Mud On the Tires” singer would record the song today: “I wouldn’t think that Brad Paisley would put that song out today.” The writers all agreed that while Brad likely wouldn’t release the song now, it might make an even bigger impact if it were released today – comparing it to the impact that “Try That In A Small Town” had because it said something that so many people were thinking but afraid to say. I think there number of artists who would cut a song like that is definitely more limited today than it was in 2008 (and there’s no shot Brad would record it), but I definitely see where they’re coming from: Obviously those on the political left would hate it, but it could also gain traction for saying something that a lot of people think but don’t want to say for fear of being canceled. Either way, if you’re an up-and-coming artist, maybe releasing your own version of this one is a way to get some attention…just throwing it out there. The post “I’m Still A Guy” Songwriter Says He Doesn’t Think Brad Paisley Would Record The Song Today first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

He’s come a very long way in a very short amount of time. Over the last several years, country music has seen a crop of absolutely massive stars take over the world of mainstream music, which has helped make it one of the most popular genres in music right now. Of course, artists like Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson, Ella Langley, and Zach Bryan are a huge part of that movement of sorts. And one of Zach’s very first show took place almost five years ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, when he joined former Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey for their ’22 and Troops’ benefit concert at The Fillmore. The duo played for a completely sold out crowd in an effort to raise money for the Christian McCaffrey Foundation, which supports both active duty and veteran military members who have suffered from PTSD as a result of their service. Christian is a huge fan of Zach and his music, and Zach was on the board of directors for the foundation, as well, though I’m not sure if that’s still the case. I wrote about that show at the time it happened, and this was well before Zach was the mainstream superstar he is now, and it was just a couple years after the release of his first viral video of “Heading South” he put out in 2019. You could feel the energy in the room, I still remember how much fun it was, and I remember someone standing near me saying at the time that they thought most of the people there were probably there for Christian, seeing as we were in Charlotte, just to give you some context as to how relatively unknown Zach was at the time. In an interview with the Panthers prior to the show, Christian talked about what he loved about Zach’s music and why it resonated with him so deeply after first hearing “Heading South”: “I loved it right away. That’s the kind of music I like. Words that mean something. You can hear it in his voice how much he means what he’s saying. He’s got a unique voice, and it’s more than just country. I relate to a lot of the songs in a lot of ways, so it’s easy listening for me. Also, I thought it was cool, I heard that song after living in the South for a few years now and that song is true. The South is a hell of a place, especially North Carolina.” Christian is an incredible pianist, and they’ve since performed together, most recently at the Madden Bowl ahead of the Super Bowl in February. Truly, it’s unreal (and kind of unfair) he could be so talented at so many things: Christian McCaffrey on the keys to start off his Foundation Benefit concert tonight to support 22 and Troops with @zachlanebryan. pic.twitter.com/Cg8hx7n9Sb — Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) July 3, 2021 Of course, since that evening in summer of 2021, Zach has become a household name and global music star, and this past weekend, he played a much bigger venue in Charlotte, putting on a show for tens of thousands of fans at Bank of America Stadium. He took some time to reflect on how much has changed since that show with Christian, saying it was one of his very first shows, when he was still active duty, pointing out that he had to “report back from duty the day after” that show. Zach was honorably discharged from the Navy in October of 2021, and surely he has to be amazed too about how this has all played out for him in such a short time frame: “Often moved to tears thinking about how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go. One of our very first shows was in Charlotte many years ago for McCaffrey’s 22 and troops foundation while I was still active duty. I actually had to report back for duty the day after this. Went back this weekend and it was a show for the books. Thank you Charlotte for the kindness and thank you for always having faith in me. I’ll love ya forever and I’ll always be back.” It just goes to show what a few years, and a few hit albums, can do… View this post on Instagram The post Zach Bryan “Moved To Tears” Over How Much His Life Has Changed Since 2021 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

He popped the question. Koe Wetzel is officially engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Bailey Fisher, who he shared a daughter with, Woods, who was born in 2025. I’m sure hearts are breaking all over the state of Texas, but Bailey shared photos of the moment that looked like it took place on a beautiful golf course during golden hour, along with the caption: “It’s always been us.” Tons of comments from other country stars are pouring in, and I’m sure their little girl Woods will make a precious little flower girl. If you scroll to the fifth photo in the post below, you can see a close up of her gorgeous diamond ring: View this post on Instagram On an episode of Whiskey Riff Raff podcast not too long ago, Koe shared that he and Fisher have been on and off for about a decade after meeting in college, and they’ve seemed to always find their way back to each other and will I’m sure celebrate the wedding with a heck of a party: “We met in college. We’ve kind of been on and off for the last 10 years or whatever. I don’t know, it just kind of came back around. It’s a wild story. It’s crazy.  I’m about to be 33 in July, and kind of settling down and stuff, I don’t think it could have happened at a better time. This could have happened back when I was 23 or 24 acting the way I was and not having a dollar to my name.” For years, Koe was known as a the Texas party boy, who drank all the time and did a lot of other things to seemingly get himself into trouble quite often, but as he’s in his 30s now, he seems to be slowing down and enjoying building a life and family with Bailey and Woods. View this post on Instagram In addition to everything going on in his personal life, Koe has seemed to tease new music is coming this year, and his The Night Champion World Tour will kick off in May in Melbourne, Australia and runs through the summer and fall with a ton of dates, ending in Lubbock, Texas. Koe also marked a decade of his fan-favorite song “February 28, 2016” with a six-song mixtape, These Are Going Nowhere: A Mixtape by Koe Wetzel, thanking fans for the “best decade of my life”: “Thanks for the best decade of my life. Here’s some of my favorite Koe s*** from the vault to hold you over until my new album comes out this summer.” I wouldn’t be surprised to see him release at least a song or two before the tour, too, so stay tuned… “College” “Run Away” “Sweet Texas Strange”   The Night Champion World Tour Dates May 3 | Melbourne, Vic. (Australia) | Forum Melbourne May 5 | Sydney, N.S.W (Australia) | Enmore Theatre May 9 | Brisbane, Qld. (Australia) | Fortitude Music Hall July 8 | Edmonton, Alb. (Canada) | Rogers Place July 10 | Penticton, B.C. (Canada) | South Okanagan Event Center July 11 | Abbotsford, B.C. (Canada) | Abbotsford Centre July 23 | Nampa, Idaho | Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater July 24 | Stateline, Nev. | Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic July 25 | Las Vegas, Nev. | The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas July 30 | Airway Heights, Wash. | Northern Quest Casino July 31 | Bend, Ore. | Hayden Homes Amphitheater Aug. 1 | Tacoma, Wash. | Dune Peninsula Aug. 6 | Bonner Springs, Kan. | Azura Amphitheater Aug. 7 | Evansville, Ind. | Ford Center Aug. 8 | Nashville, Tenn. | Bridgestone Arena Aug. 12 | New York, N.Y. | Pier 17 Aug. 13 | Reading, Pa. | Santander Arena Aug. 14 | Gilford, N.H. | BankNH Pavilion Aug. 19 | Boston, Mass. | Leader Bank Pavilion Aug. 20 | Washington, D.C. | The Anthem Aug. 21 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Petersen Events Center Aug. 26 | Buffalo, N.Y. | Outer Harbor Live at Terminal B Aug. 27 | Cleveland, Ohio | Wolstein Center Aug. 28 | Rochester Hills, Mich. | Meadow Brook Amphitheatre* Sept. 3 | Austin, Texas | Moody Center Sept. 4 | Baton Rouge, La. | Raising Cane’s River Center Sept. 5 | Bossier City, La. | Brookshire Grocery Arena Sept. 10 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center Sept. 11 | Greensboro, N.C. | First Horizon Coliseum Sept. 12 | Wilmington, N.C. | Live Oak Bank Pavilion Sept. 17 | Alpharetta, Ga. | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre Sept. 18 | Columbia, S.C. | Colonial Life Arena Sept. 19 | Richmond, Va. | Virginia Credit Union LIVE! Sept. 24 | Pikeville, Ky. | Appalachian Wireless Arena Sept. 25 | Huntsville, Ala. | The Orion Amphitheater Sept. 26 | Brandon, Miss. | Brandon Amphitheater Sept. 30 | Rogers, Ark. | The Walmart AMP Oct. 1 | North Little Rock, Ark. | Simmons Bank Arena Oct. 2 | Tulsa, Okla. | BOK Center Oct. 3 | Wichita, Kan. | INTRUST Bank Arena Oct. 8 | Chicago, Ill. | Salt Shed Fairgrounds Oct. 9 | Fishers, Ind. | Fishers Event Center Oct. 10 | Milwaukee, Wis. | Fiserv Forum Oct. 28 | Morrison, Colo. | Red Rocks Amphitheatre Oct. 30 | Lubbock, Texas | Cook’s Garage * on sale at 11 a.m. local time on March 13 Additional Live Shows March 7 | Norco, Calif. | Boots in the Park March 18 | Houston, Texas | Houston Rodeo April 10 | Gonzales, Texas | Cattle Country April 18 | Fresno, Calif. | Boots in the Park April 25 | Arlington, Texas | Lone Star Smokeout May 15 | Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, N.M. | Boots in the Park May 30 | Panama City Beach, Fla. | Gulf Coast Jam June 12 | Del Mar, Calif. | San Diego County Fair June 20 | Lewisburg, W.Va. | Wild Trails Festival June 27 | Ashland, Neb. | Country Drive Music Festival July 3 | Winnipeg, MB | Country Thunder Winnipeg July 16 | Eau Claire, Wis. | Country Jam USA July 17 | Manchester, Iowa | Delaware County Fair Aug. 15 | Montreal, Que. (Canada) | Lasso Aug. 22 | Lima, Ohio | Allen County Fair Aug. 29 | Lucknow, Ont. (Canada) | Lucknow’s Music in the Fields Nov. 20 | St. Petersburg, Fla. | St. Pete Country FestThe post Koe Wetzel Engaged To Longtime Girlfriend, Bailey Fisher first appeared on Whiskey Riff.