JD Shelburne - Cars and Trucks

Cars and Trucks- cover art JD Shelburne

"We’re coming, we’re going

We’re just passing through

We’re living in the windshield

And in the rear view

We’re spinning our wheels, tryin’ not to get stuck

In a long line of cars and trucks

We’re all living a million miles a minute

Yeah we’re all in our own little lane

Yeah we might all be a little bit different

But we’re all kinda still the same"

JD Shelburne, Cars and Trucks lyrics

Cars and Trucks is the 2nd release from the album Neon Hallelujah for JD Shelburne. The lyrics capture the essence of everyday life and the experience of driving towards a destination while paying attention to the vehicles and people surrounding you on the road. Cars and Trucks was written by Jeremy Bussey, Jayce Hein, and Jason Duke. The video can be seen in rotation on CMT and JD Shelburne’s artist YouTube channel.

I talked to JD Shelburne just after Independence Day when his weekend of shows was canceled due to severe weather and took advantage of a weekend at home. JD and his wife introduced their 4-year-old son to sparklers to celebrate the 4th of July while they also watched the fireworks through their Nashville neighborhood. JD has been in Nashville for 15 years and has made a successful career as a touring artist, playing over 3100 shows since that move. The relationship JD has with his parents is heartwarming. Their encouragement is what drove him to move to Nashville and start his music career. He explained his dad told him, if you don't do it now, you never will. JD has maintained focus on his projects to disregard negativity, achieve consistent success, and prioritize positivity. He has opened and played alongside many artists and worked with The Oak Ridge Boys on his album Neon Hallelujah singing Amazing Grace, the closing song on the album.

Congratulations on Cars and Trucks and Neon Hallelujah, JD Shelburne. I enjoyed our conversation, let's chat again soon... In a Country Minute.

Celebrating love and marriage with the EP 'Now I Do' from Bailey Taylor

A short week after Bailey Taylor’s EP release Now I Do, Bailey and her fiance Frankie Steratore were married in Ohio, not far from where they grew up in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania surrounded by 300+ family members and friends in a traditional Catholic Church, decorated by stained glass windows. I talked to Bailey a week after their wedding ceremony, a few days before they left for Barbados to enjoy their honeymoon. We began talking about the 3-song EP but most of our conversation was about wedding details and 'all the things' leading up to their wedding.

Bailey Taylor has been living in Nashville for several years and her now husband joined her in Nashville a couple of years ago to start his career in construction management after finishing college. Bailey is one of three girls, the youngest of her siblings and the 2nd to get married, her sister got married earlier this year. She admits she is the organizer of the three and her family was surprised that she remained relaxed through the wedding planning. (*side note- We compared our organizational skills in our kitchens, using bins to keep everything in its place. If you need tips, hit her up, she's a pro.) Bailey said she stayed busy with songwriting, babysitting, and booking writes right up to when they were leaving to go to Pittsburg for the week of wedding events. She said that is how she remained calm, giving herself a break from wedding planning to do other things she loves.

Now I Do, cover art photo by @lisaheapphotography

Now I Do was written in collaboration with Kaylin Roberson and producer Anthony Rankin, as the title track to the EP, dedicated to Bailey’s husband, Frankie Steratore. Bailey wrote Looking At Houses with Lauren Eliza, Sam Blasko, and Andrew Hall also dedicated to Frankie. This heartfelt EP was a wedding excitement-building project for Bailey that she eagerly released a week before their wedding. Bailey shared some other important pieces with me about the Now I Do EP and their wedding. The cover photo for Now I Do is also the engagement photo they used for the save-the-date cards. Bailey included her childhood dogs in the wedding with a photo of them printed on the cocktail napkins for the reception.

Fresh on her mind was her dad's response to the song she wrote for him, Son I Never Had. The song was originally written about a year and a half ago. Bailey had her father listen to the original version, but she wouldn't let him hear the final version until their first dance, which included piano and altered lyrics of the song, finalized with Kaylin Roberson and Zach Stone. Bailey said she and her dad both cried through the whole song and the entire dance. She said her dad "Pinky promised" not to listen to the published version of Son I Never Had until their dance to make that an even more memorable moment for them.

Thank you Bailey Taylor for sharing the details of these exciting events in your life. Congratulations on the EP Now I Do and congratulations to you and Frankie, prayers for a long and wonderful marriage.

-In A Country Minute

Cali Tucker IS Country Couture

I had a fabulously extensive conversation with Cali Tucker about a range of things: Music, Nashville, Las Vegas, and of course, fashion. It was great connecting with her and getting to know her a bit. I first saw Cali as a competitor on NBC’s The Voice about 10 years ago, where she landed on Blake Shelton’s team during Season 6. Cali has since then, moved to Las Vegas with the encouragement from her Battles partner on the Voice and now headlines shows in Las Vegas 6 days a week, entertaining her audiences with comedy and vocal talents while engaging the audience in her charming performances.

 Cali Tucker recently released Country Couture, song and video that expresses her personality as an artist to a T. The song celebrates country music, full of energy and freedom, and the video is full of fashion showing off 32 outfit changes from past pageants, dances, and personal favorites including outfits of Cali’s mom from the 70’s. Country Couture shares some of the highlights of Cali Tucker’s life through clothing and lyrics. Her energy, charisma, and songwriting talents shine through in the lyrics, mentioning her favorite designers and confirming that one can love the country lifestyle while enjoying high-end fashion without apologizing. Country Couture was written with producer G’harah “PK” Degeddingseze and Tricia Battini. 

Cali Tucker is working on branding a label for the Country Couture clothing line following the release of her single. She aims to appeal to a variety of price points and fashion styles. Cali looks forward to runway shows and making Country Couture a household name. 

Cali Tucker, photo by Fred Morledge,PhotoFM.com

Cali Tucker grew up in Nashville, competing in the Miss Teen pageant circuit, and started her music career in the city. Cali paid her dues bartending, and performing at writer’s rounds until she auditioned for the Voice. Cali comes from a talented family, the daughter of LaCosta Tucker, the Capital Records recording artist, and the niece of Tanya Tucker. Cali Tucker has worked hard and purposed to not lean on her family’s successes. She said The Voice changed her life by motivating her to try something new. After leaving the show, Cali signed the lease on a place in Las Vegas sight unseen; a 400 sq ft apartment. Cali found “her sound and niche” in Las Vegas interacting with the crowd, writing songs true to herself, and "dialing them in with a team."

Cali Tucker has a lot to say in her music and performances, it's time for her to reach the rest of the world with it. Country music is versatile, and Cali hopes her music will not only appeal to traditional fans but also reflect her personality.

Thank you Cali for spreading the joy of life through your music,

congratulations on Country Couture!

until we chat again, In A Country Minute