Lee Brice is doing his best to avoid any sort of criticism directed towards his upcoming release, “Country Nowadays.” The country artist recently announced that he’ll be releasing the now viral song on February 19 after debuting the patriotic anthem during the Turning Point USA All-American Halftime Show.  In case you missed it, Brice penned a song with Matt Alderman and Nate Kenyon that did it’s best to capture the political tension that can be felt by both sides of the aisle in normal, everyday life. Brice’s song, which is set to release officially later this week, states that being country in the United States is becoming harder and harder. Here’s how the chorus puts it: “It ain’t easy being country in this country nowadays The direction of fingers point when it all goes up in flames Saying I’m some right wing devil because I was downside red letter raised It ain’t easy being country in this country nowadays” That sentiment is probably relatable to many… but that’s not why the song has gotten a lot of traction online since the country star debuted it during TPUSA’s Halftime Show. It’s these verses in particular that have spawned memes, backlash, and Lee Brice to disable comments on his X account. The country star was evidently right in saying it’s hard to be country nowadays, because a generous swath of people have relentlessly come after him online because of the lines of the song below: “I just want to catch my fish drive my truck drink my beer And not wake up to all this stuff I don’t want to hear Like the same kind of gun I hunt with just killed another man Only thing mine ever shot was a deer from my dear Stand I just want to cut my grass, feed my dog, wear my boots Not turn the TV on, sit and watch the evening news Be told if I tell my own daughter That little boys ain’t little girls I’ll be up a creek in hot water In this cancel-your-a** world” If you have been online in the past couple of weeks, you’ve probably seen many of the jokes (and short-form parodies) that have popped up. Even the host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart, touched on those lyrics… pleading for Brice to still feed his dog, no matter the circumstances. And one of the more popular jabs I’ve seen is this video, which replaces almost every line in the song with “fish.” Regardless of how you feel about Brice or politics… you’ve got to admit this is pretty funny: In fact, it was so comical that even Lee Brice apparently got a kick out of it. I’m just assuming that because, just yesterday, the country star posted a self-deprecating video of him getting his set list ready for a concert… or should I say “set-fish.” The joke is simple: Lee Brice basically turned every song of his into a fish-themed track. Check it out: Here’s our setfish – I mean “setlist” for tonight pic.twitter.com/V5dfmJQk45 — Lee Brice (@leebrice) February 15, 2026 Well played, Mr. Brice. Well played.The post Lee Brice Tweaks His Setlist In Response To Critics Of His New Single “Country Nowadays” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Something she’ll remember forever. Lainey Wilson is currently touring over in Australia, and during a recent stop, she met a brave, beautiful little girl named Tessa. Tessa was diagnosed with stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma in November 2023, which relapsed in 2025. Her mom Renee explained that they are currently trying to raise money in order for Tessa to go get treatment in the United States, but of course, the price is astronomical, though she says they haven’t given up hope: “We are just scrambling trying to find stuff that’s gonna work. We are actually aiming to hopefully go to America now… still about $500,000 at least. We wouldn’t be doing this if we had something here that we could do. But it is what it is. We’ve gotta give it a crack… mom’s are meant to be able to fix everything. This is not just a scratch on the knee.” It’s just heartbreaking. There’s no other way to put it. And while visiting with Australian content creator Samuel Weidenhofer, Tessa told him that she loves music, and she really loves Lainey Wilson, and he surprised her with tickets to the show. Her face lit up when she got the tickets, and later that night, she got to meet Lainey backstage before the show, and Lainey was of course amazing with her, asking Tessa if she wanted to be her “Cowgirl of the Night”: “Oh my goodness, girl, you’ve got it going on. We’re going to have the time of our life tonight. I do this thing called ‘Cowgirl of the Night,’ I bring a cowgirl up onstage, do you want to do that?” For Lainey’s nightly “Cowgirl of the Night” portion of the concert, which she’s been doing at every show on the tour, she brings a little girl from the crowd up with her to the stage, introduces them to everyone, and gifts the fan with a Lainey Wilson-styled cowgirl hat to match one of hers. It’s really sweet, and in addition to all of that, she’ll have them recite her mantra to the crowd like so: “I am beautiful. I am smart. I am talented. I can do anything. I am Cowgirl of the Night!” When Lainey brought Tessa onstage, she explained how special Tessa was to the crowd, saying she is “one of the toughest little girls that I have ever met”: There’s a lot of cowgirls here tonight, but I met a very, very special cowgirl. She is one of the toughest little girls that I have ever met. her name is Tessa.” Amen to that… Lainey also read Tessa’s sign to the crowd about how long she’s been fighting cancer, and explaining the fact that she needs treatment overseas, and it’s a beautiful gesture and something Tessa will cherish forever, I’m sure. Her mom posted an update following the show, saying: “Seeing Tessa up on stage at the Lainey Wilson concert Samuel Weidenhofer organized was surreal. Today she’s still smiling, still saying to her mum, ‘I did that,’ just needing to hear it was all real.” The video is just heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time, and you can watch it below. The link to donate to Tessa’s treatment is here, if you feel so inclined. They’re at 36% of their goal, raising  $265,087 raised of $750,000 so far. View this post on Instagram Lainey Wilson 2025 Tour Dates: February 16—Sydney, Australia—Qudos Bank Arena* February 19—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena* February 20—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena* February 22—Adelaide, Australia—Adelaide Entertainment Centre Arena* February 26—Perth, Australia—RAC Center* March 20—Thackerville, OK—WinStar World Casino & Resort March 21—Thackerville, OK—WinStar World Casino & Resort April 10—Florence, AZ—Country Thunder Arizona April 11—Laughlin, NV—Laughlin Event Center April 25—Indio, CA—Stagecoach Festival 2026 July 10—Chicago, IL—Windy City Smokeout August 6—Detroit Lakes, MN—WE Fest August 7—Oshkosh, WI—Xroads41 August 9—Canton, OH—Concert for Legends August 12—Sturgis, SD—The Sturgis Buffalo Chip August 15—Springfield, IL—Illinois State Fair * with special guests Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin ButtsThe post Lainey Wilson Brings Adorable Little Girl, Who Is Fighting Stage 4 Cancer, On Stage For “Cowgirl Of The Night” In Australia first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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The wait is over, ladies and gentlemen. For a band whose only original music released prior to 2025 came in the form of an EP in 2022, Clay Street Unit’s heavily anticipated debut album has been a long time coming. And now that it’s finally here, it is clear that it was well worth the wait. Titled Sin & Squalor, the 11-track project produced by The Infamous Stringdusters’ Chris Pandolfi exudes originality as it weaves seamlessly between deftly written ballads and hard-driving fastgrass tunes. With their unique sound on full display throughout the record, Clay Street Unit continues to toe the line between bluegrass and Americana by throwing pedal steel and drums on top of an otherwise string-fueled attack. The result is a high energy, bluegrass adjacent product that appeals to fans in every corner of the country music world. Originally recorded in October 2023, the album was initially slated for a summer 2025 release before a series of label-related curveballs delayed the process. In the meantime, the Denver-based outfit succeeded in winning over fans on the strength of their live show and by the power of word of mouth, and as the buzz behind them continued to grow, so too did the anticipation for their album. Ultimately, the band found a home at Leo33 – the same indie-label as superstar Zach Top – and plans were put in motion for a February 2026 release date. Hindsight is always 20/20, but now that the day is finally here, I think it’s safe to say that things ended up working out for Clay Street Unit, and Sin & Squalor has arrived at the perfect moment as momentum continues to build. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the band will be making their Grand Ole Opry debut on Tuesday, or that they are opening up shows this summer for Turnpike Troubadours in Jackson, WY and String Cheese Incident at Red Rocks, either. With a trio of shows that will undoubtedly provide exposure to new fans and a huge headlining tour as well, Clay Street Unit has a wide-open runway for promoting these new tunes. Despite pedal steel player Brad Larrison penning the three words in “Let’s Get Stoned” that ultimately became the album’s title, frontman Sam Walker and mandolinist Scottie Bolin wrote all of the lyrics for the record. Laden with descriptive imagery and clever wordplay, both Walker and Bolin capture a sense of restlessness juxtaposed with hard-earned wisdom in their lyricism that is bound to resonate with anyone who presses play on Sin & Squalor. One of the coolest things about this record to me is how the first and last tracks seem to tie together. Kicking off the album with a road dog’s lament, “Nothing Else Matters” finds the narrator in the throes of life on the road while in love with someone at home, motivated by the prospect of taking care of business and returning home to the person that has been occupying his mind. Whether it was intended to or not, the last track “Way Over Yonder” brings the love story full circle with a gut punch of finality, as the narrator is settled down into a hard-working family life where he grinds to provide for his family, and is once again motivated by the woman he loves, his wife. “Down through the pasture, and out past the pond There’s a slice of this country, sun shines down upon Not far from this fencepost lies a stone and a grave Way over yonder, we’ll meet again someday” And with those poignant lyrics, the album comes to an end. In between these two tracks, Clay Street Unit proves time and time again the potency of their sonic prowess, and with equally as strong songwriting throughout, the band appears to be setting themselves up for a major breakthrough with their debut record Sin & Squalor. If you want more in-depth context behind the album’s release, check out the interview I did with Walker earlier this week. Otherwise, go ahead and give the new tunes a listen, and let the music speak for itself. Here’s a few early favorites from Sin & Squalor: “Nothing Else Matters” “One Last Time” “Virginia” “Left Unsaid” “Way Over Yonder” As good as these recorded songs are, you haven’t truly experienced what Clay Street Unit has to offer until you’ve seen them live. I mean, at this point in their career, their live show is pretty much what has built their entire fan base. With a great deal of improvisation and a killer selection of covers, the band’s live show leans heavily into the jam band side of things, and breathes new energy into their original tracks as well. As always, the band is hitting the road hard this spring and into the summer, so it is highly likely they are stopping in a city near you. Get out there and catch a show! Clay Street Unit Tour Dates: February 13 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA^ February 14 – The Basement East – Nashville, TN^ February 17 – The Grand Ole Opry – Nashville, TN! February 18 – Old Rock House – St. Louis, MO+ February 19 – Turntable – Indianapolis, IN+ February 20 – xBk Live – Des Moines, IA+ February 21 – Knuckleheads – Kansas City, MO+ February 27 – WinterWonderGrass – Steamboat Springs, CO* March 5 – Beer City Music Hall – Oklahoma City, OK^ March 6 – Birdie’s Social Club – Fort Worth, TX^ March 7 – South by South Grass – Austin, TX* March 8 – Dan Electro’s – Houston, TX^ March 20 – The Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT March 21 – Mesa Theater – Grand Junction, CO March 28 – Jam in the Streets – Athens, GA* April 23 – The Summit Music Hall – Columbus, OH April 24 – Zanzabar – Louisville, KY April 25 – The Outpost – Fayetteville, WV April 26 – Tuck Fest @ U.S. National Whitewater Center  – Charlotte, NC* April 30 – The Windjammer – Isle of Palms, SC@ May 1 – Sunrise Theater – Southern Pines, NC May 2 – Rockfish Festival – Eden, NC* May 7 – Albino Skunk Fest – Greer, SC* May 16 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA May 21-24 – Rooster Walk – Martinsville, VA* May 28 – Martyrs’ – Chicago, IL May 29 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI May 30 – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN June 25 – Snow King Amp – Jackson, WY# July 17 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO% July 30 – Rhythms on the Rio – Del Norte, CO* September 11-13 – Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion – Bristol, TN* *festival date ^w/ Cris Jacobs !w/ Ernest, Chris Janson, Maggie Rose, & More +co-headline w/ Jason Scott & the High Heat @w/ The Brothers Comatose #supporting Turnpike Troubadours %supporting String Cheese IncidentThe post Clay Street Unit’s Eclectic Sound Shines On Heavily Anticipated Debut Record “Sin & Squalor” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.