Bryan Andrews Doesn’t Want to Be a Novelty

Brad Paisley may have written and recorded some of country music’s most humorous songs, but the West Virginia singer-guitarist is also one of its most serious voices. In a special episode of Nashville Now recorded at Paisley’s home studio, he speaks candidly about his song of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, “Same Here,” the opioid crisis in his native Appalachia, his opposition to a proposed Nashville data center, and his commitment to helping those in need with his charitable market, The Store. He also lets us into how he wrote a buzzy new song for South Park, shares his favorite memory of Dolly Parton, and reveals how he helped get William Shatner back into the studio for the actor’s new album Love & Other Mysteries. It’s a wide-ranging conversation with one of country music’s modern-day greats, only on Nashville Now.

When Midland debuted in 2017 with their traditional country song “Drinkin’ Problem,” the Texas band stuck out like a sore thumb in Nashville. Now, the trio of Mark Wystrach, Jess Carson, and Cameron Duddy look like trendsetters. All three singer-songwriters join us in the Nashville Now cabin to talk about their influence on today’s country music — you can hear Midland vibes in “Choosin’ Texas.” They also address the authenticity attacks they weathered early in their career, and take us inside their new album Stages, which includes the hits “Marlboro Man” and “Shooting Memories With Tequila.” It’s a particularly wild and loose episode of Nashville Now, hosted by deputy editor Joseph Hudak, who’s followed Midland’s career since the very beginning.

From touring with Bob Dylan and spending quality time with Dolly Parton to being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, even Sheryl Crow can’t believe the arc of her career. In a new episode of Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Crow talks about how her life experiences, and her mix of apprehension and hope for the future, informed her new album Pick You Up. She also previews her summer stadium tour with Kenny Chesney and Eric Church, and how she’ll approach a country crowd, and opens up about her friendship with Olivia Rodrigo, who sang for Crow at a recent awards banquet in Nashville. It’s an emotional interview with one of American music’s most important voices.

Grammy-winning songwriter Ashley McBryde joins us on Nashville Now to talk about her new album Wild, a project that dives deep into her family lineage and her desire to be “fully seen.” The Arkansas native also shares her journey to sobriety and what the word “redemption” means to her — it’s not only the name of her mocktail-forward bar on Nashville’s Lower Broadway. McBryde also has a gift for a Scottish accent, and once she starts it up, she can’t stop. Join us on the podcast for a conversation that gets to the human side of one of Nashville’s most important songwriters.

Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn were country music royalty who shaped the genre both through their solo careers and when they teamed up for songs like “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” and “After the Fire Is Gone.” But what were Conway and Loretta really like? Michael “Tre” Twitty Jenkins, the grandson of Conway, and Tayla Lynn Finger, the granddaughter of Loretta, join us in the Nashville Now cabin to offer a glimpse into the personal lives of two Country Music Hall of Famers. Tre and Tayla, who perform as Twitty & Lynn, also talk about balancing their own music with that of Conway and Loretta, share memories of Conway’s status as a sex symbol, and reveal what Loretta liked to do on nights off. It’s a visit with living history, only on Nashville Now.