Willie Nelson can be a tough get. Ernest recently returned to the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast, and the Nashville-based artist and songwriter had a story and anecdote for just about everything. He spoke to us about how rewarding it is to give joy to others through music, why he’s passionate about giving back to the Nashville music community, working with artists like Jelly Roll (and non-artists like Pat McAfee), and the responsibility he felt cutting a Toby Keith demo after the country legend’s death. And speaking of legends of the genre, while Ernest was putting together his upcoming album, Deep Blue, he came across a song that seemed destined to have the great Willie Nelson sing a verse on it. The project is set to be released sometime in 2026, and Ernest says it’ll be tropical themed, and a lot like his very first album: “It’s kind of a grown up version of the first project I put out called ‘Locals Only,’ which was all heavily inspired by and largely written in Saint Thomas and Saint John.” The Nashville-based artist went on to reveal that the 13-song album is the spirit of Jimmy Buffett, Toby Keith, Alabama and some Steely Dan. Ernest also told us that fans should get ready for a “beachy summer,” and the single from the album that’s already been released confirms that very notion. But one song that the country artist is really excited about is actually the track that will be positioned last on Deep Blue. It’s a collaboration with Lukas Nelson, and it’s sure to encourage contemplation: “There’s a song Rivers Rutherford wrote. It’s the last song on the album called ‘Time is a Thief.’ And I had Lukas Nelson do it with me. He’s the only feature on the album. It’s a special song. We asked to try and get Willie on verse three.” That would have been quite the accomplishment to get two generations of Nelson on one track. Ernest went ahead and shared with us how the third verse of “Time is a Thief” goes, and it’s clear as to why he was pushing so hard to get the Red-Headed Stranger’s vocals on it: “Time is an old man smiling with a tear drop down his face. Saying sure it ends, but trust me friends Life is worth the wait. It’s kind of like a penny on an empty sidewalk, stepped over and ignored It don’t mean nothing, nothing to ya ‘Til you’re a penny short.” Yeah… that’s a Willie Nelson verse if I’ve ever heard one. Though Ernest was really hoping to get the country great on his song, it just didn’t work out. But it might come full circle for him at some point, because Lukas told Ernest that once his father hears the track, he’ll probably want to cover it: “When you hear the song, (it sounds like Willie). Maybe he’ll cover it. Lukas always said, ‘You should just cut it and dad will cover it. He’ll love this song.’ I think Willie is just (busy). He’s been touring all year. He’s saying no to everything. And I don’t blame him… and I’m not asking twice.” @whiskeyriff C’mon Willie. @Ernest #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff Gotta respect that initial “no” from Willie, that’s for sure. And just because things didn’t work out for Ernest and Willie this time around doesn’t mean that they’ll never work together in the future. In fact, Ernest says that he’s sang with him twice, and getting to be in the presence of Nelson – and his famous guitar – on multiple occasions is more than he could ever ask for: “Willie is the pinnacle for me, and getting to meet him twice and him remembering who I was… I got to go to the studio while Willie was recording. I took my guitar there and he signed it. He knew who I was, which was nuts. I got to stand in there in the control room and watch him record playing Trigger for an hour. Just him playing the guitar we’ve all grown up listening to. I’m standing right here next to Trigger, it’s so crazy.” And if you were wondering, Ernest had Willie sign a guitar because he is currently working on his own version of “Trigger.” Basically, he’s getting as many artists and high-profile people to sign the instrument as he can. So far, he’s got the signatures of Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, Pat McAfee, Ben Roethlisberger, Randy Houser, Jake Worthington, Duck Hodges, Jamey Johnson, Bill Anderson, Lukas Nelson and Willie Nelson. Sounds like quite the project, eh? And you can hear more about it all by downloading the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Just search “Whiskey Riff Raff” or click here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post “It’s A Special Song”: Ernest Tried To Get Willie Nelson To Join Him & Lukas On The Last Track Of His New Album ‘Deep Blue’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Where do I sign? It’s safe to say that Koe Wetzel is known for a lot of things. While many might point to his patented country-grunge sound, which, for all intents and purposes, opened up a path for other bands like Treaty Oak Revival and more to become stars, or even his rowdy live shows, it’s safe to say that February 28th (and the events surrounding it) has remained one of the most important pieces of Wetzel’s lore. In case you’re unfamiliar with what all went down on that fateful day, which inspired his now-iconic, certified-gold song, “February 28, 2016,” the story is actually quite simple. The track was written after Koe was arrested for public intoxication in Stephenville, Texas, many years ago, and wound up spending a few nights in jail. It was included on his 2016 album Noise Complaint, and remains one that fans still scream along every word to at his concerts. Though Wetzel has gone on record saying he’s grown a little tired of the song over the past few years, the track and the day itself have only gotten more popular as he continues to become a mainstream star in the genre. At first, every February 28th was a little more than a celebration of Wetzel and the song itself. Nowadays, it’s become nothing short of an unofficial holiday with fans taking to social media every year joking about how they’re either going to get trashed, go to Taco Bell, catch a public intoxication charge or all three in honor of the East Texas singer. In case you didn’t think the day could get any bigger, with it falling on a Saturday of all days this year, Koe himself is now petitioning for February 28th to become an official holiday in his hometown of Pittsburg, Texas. In turn, the day would officially become “Koe Wetzel Day” in the 4,000-person town. This afternoon, Wetzel would take to his Instagram story to share the link to sign the petition with the caption: “Make ‘Koe Wetzel Day’ an official holiday.” Clicking the link, all you have to do is put in your name, email and phone number to sign the petition and, in turn, begin to receive updates from Koe in the future. As of writing, there’s no targeted number of signatures required to make “Koe Wetzel Day” an official holiday in Pittsburg. Given how popular the song has gotten over the past decade, however, something tells me that the “Surrounded” singer is going to officially have his own holiday in his hometown VERY soon. To get in on the action, you can sign the petition HERE. “February 28, 2016” The post Koe Wetzel Is Officially Petitioning To Make February 28th A Holiday In His Hometown Of Pittsburg, Texas first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Here's what we know about Season 2 of the 'Duck Dynasty' revival show. Continue reading…

Country music artist Tanner Usrey had no other choice but to get the authorities involved after receiving death threats from someone through social media. The Texas native, known for songs like “Beautiful Lies” and “Come Back Down,” has had an interesting start to 2026… to say the least. The up-and-coming artist got rolling on his tour dates for the year with an early festival gig in Rapid City, South Dakota at the Central State Fairgrounds. The concert took place last weekend on February 6… but about a month before that, Usrey apparently got death threats about his very appearance in Rapid City: “Getting death threats for being on a festival lineup is f***ing CRAZY.” Getting death threats for being on a festival lineup is fucking CRAZY… — TannerUsrey (@TUsreymusic) January 13, 2026 Many wondered what Tanner Usrey was alluding to with that post, and we’re finally finding out more about the entire situation… which ultimately led to the arrest of a Wyoming man. According to local reports, Baptiste W. Brafford, a 46-year-old living in Sheridan, Wyoming, was the one who apparently sent Usrey messages that threatened his life via Facebook. One of the things he blatantly told Tanner Usrey? That he shouldn’t show up to play his Rapid City set, and likened what could happen to the assassination of the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA: “Don’t come to Rapid City, you could end up ‘Charlie Kirk’ spreading that same hate. It be an arrow though.” Usrey actually shared a screenshot of the messages he received from Brafford online in response to another social media post that has since been deleted: Crying, drinking, and sending death threats. https://t.co/EOyuQtBBV3 pic.twitter.com/uGA1B7cF2U — TannerUsrey (@TUsreymusic) January 13, 2026 Another message that Usrey got later on from Brafford read like this: “Hey a 30-06 (thirty-ought-six) would blow your head off. That’s what killed Charlie Queen yet didn’t blow his head off. You think it was a 06 (ought-six) but any good ole boy knows that was a .223 at best.” Because of the severity and specificity of the messages, the country music singer reported the threats to the police in Rapid City. The authorities then passed them over to the Sheridan Police Department, because that’s where Brafford apparently lives, according to sources. The affidavit states that Tanner Usrey decided to get police involved because he was genuinely worried about his safety: “In the report (from Rapid City) it stated that these messages worried Usrey to the point he felt the need to report them. When asked if Usrey was concerned Brafford would take action, Usrey expressed that he did not know and that people are crazy.” People really are crazy. The authorities took the threats very seriously, and on February 4 (two days before Usrey was set to perform in Rapid City), the police contacted Brafford at his home in Sheridan, Wyoming and arrested him. According to court records, Brafford was hit with a misdemeanor charge of “threatening to inflict death by phone calls or other electronic or written communication.” If the threat is eventually seen as terroristic in nature, it could be upgraded to a felony charge. Brafford had his arraignment hearing last Thursday, and was subsequently released on a $5,000 bond.The post Wyoming Man Arrested For Sending “Charlie Kirk” Death Threats To Country Music Artist Tanner Usrey first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Prepare for some face melting. For all intents and purposes, Billy Strings has become the “it” star in bluegrass as of late. After years of well-deserved hype among fans of the genre, the past five years, in particular, have been huge for the Michigan native. Beyond playing with the likes of famous jam bands such as Dead & Company, Phish and Widespread Panic, Strings has also scored major collaborations with Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley, Willie Nelson, Post Malone and Zach Top. The “Dust in a Baggie” singer broke out in a big way commercially in 2024 with the release of Highway Prayers. Not only did the record top seven different Billboard charts, including Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums, Bluegrass Albums and Most Added at Triple A Radio (“Gild the Lily”), it also became the first bluegrass album in 22 years to reach #1 on the all-genre Top Album Sales chart since the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack topped the chart for two weeks back in 2002. Just when you thought the dust had settled on the overwhelming success of Highway Prayers, two weeks ago, Strings nabbed his third-career Grammy for the project, winning Best Bluegrass Album. Though he wasn’t there to accept the award, he’d take to Instagram to thank the Recording Academy. “Thank you to all the Grammys folks for naming ‘Highway Prayers’ best bluegrass album!!! And congratulations to all the nominees, it’s an honor to be recognized along with such fine musicians.” Shortly after his Grammy win, on February 3rd, Strings would take to his Instagram story to signal to fans that he had just completed his upcoming record, calling it his best one yet. “Just made my best album yet. Fkn stoked.”  Of course, fans everywhere were beyond excited upon hearing the news. With that being said, however, Strings added more fuel to the fire yesterday morning when he posted a cryptic teaser featuring a man dressed in clown makeup reading the definition of the word, “freak.” View this post on Instagram As it turns out, the teaser wasn’t for the new album. Instead, it was for something arguably even more exciting: his first-ever festival. Announced yesterday, the inaugural Ionia Freak Fair will be taking place at the Ionia Fairgrounds in Ionia, Michigan on August 28th and 29th. Along with Strings as the headliner and host of the event, he’s bringing along some extremely heavy hitters in the bluegrass scene, including fellow Grammy-nominee, Sierra Hull, as well as Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Lindsay Lou, Full Cord and more to be announced soon. View this post on Instagram In addition to the killer bluegrass acts, Ionia Freak Fair will also feature pinball games from the local music venue and pinball bar, Pyramid Scheme, as well as what the venue and Strings describe as a “metal tent,” which looks to be some sort of bluegrass-metal fusion of some sort. Tickets for the festival are on sale today, starting at just $53 for single-day passes and two-day general admission costing $106. Additionally, pit tickets are also available. Given the fact that “locals only” passes are already sold out, it looks like tickets are going fast. If you’re in the Michigan area, I would not hesitate to snag tickets to see some of the best bluegrass musicians in the business today. Before you go, fire up one of the standouts from the Grammy-winning Highway Prayers, “Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4AM).” Billy Strings Tour Dates February 13—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena (SOLD OUT) February 14—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena (SOLD OUT) February 20—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena (SOLD OUT) February 21—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena (SOLD OUT) February 22—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium (SOLD OUT) February 28—Nashville, TN—Opry House April 2—St. Augustine, FL—St. Augustine Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT) April 3—St. Augustine, FL—St. Augustine Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT) April 4—St. Augustine, FL—St. Augustine Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT) April 8—Tampa, FL—Benchmark International Arena April 10—Savannah, GA—Enmarket Arena April 11—Savannah, GA—Enmarket Arena April 14—Greensboro, NC—First Horizon Coliseum April 17—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena April 18—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena April 22—Charleston, WV—Charleston Coliseum (SOLD OUT) April 24—Fishers, IN—Fishers Event Center (SOLD OUT) April 25—Fishers, IN—Fishers Event Center (SOLD OUT) April 26—Fishers, IN—Fishers Event Center (SOLD OUT) July 14—Roanoke, VA—Berglund Center (SOLD OUT) July 17—Portsmouth, VA—Portsmouth Pavilion July 18—Portsmouth, VA—Portsmouth Pavilion (SOLD OUT) July 21—Boston, MA—Agganis Arena (SOLD OUT) July 22—Boston, MA—Agganis Arena July 24—Portland, ME—Cross Insurance Arena (SOLD OUT) July 25— Portland, ME—Cross Insurance Arena (SOLD OUT) July 28—Hartford, CT—PeoplesBank Arena July 31—Bethel, NY—Bethel Woods Center for the Arts August 1—Bethel, NY—Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (SOLD OUT) August 28—Ionia, MI—Ionia Freak Fair August 29—Ionia, MI—Ionia Freak FairThe post Billy Strings Announces His Inaugural ‘Ionia Freak Fair’ Festival In Michigan Featuring Sierra Hull & Many More first appeared on Whiskey Riff.