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Kalsey Kulyk Pours Her Heart Into Motherhood Ode “Little Boy” and Announces Headline Dates

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Kalsey Kulyk just released her most personal song yet. “Little Boy,” out now via Universal Music Canada, is a heart-wrenching ode to motherhood built from the kind of feeling that doesn’t need embellishment. The lyric video, assembled from Kulyk’s own home footage, makes it impossible to look away. Timed perfectly ahead of Mother’s Day, this one lands exactly where it’s meant to.

“I read a quote once that said ‘There are few things in life so beautiful they hurt, one is the love of a mother,’ and that’s really what my new song ‘Little Boy’ is about,” says Kulyk. “How lucky we are to witness it, but how fast it slips through our fingers. This song is for all the parents out there who have ever loved their ‘little boy’ and wished that time could move slower.” That clarity of purpose comes through in every moment of the recording.

“Little Boy” follows ‘Her Rodeo,’ the empowering EP Kulyk released in March. The standout track “Cut Him Loose,” an upbeat anthem about leaving a problematic man behind, is currently climbing into the Top 50 at Canadian Country Radio. Rollicking guitar riffs, a driving drum beat and Kulyk’s signature vocals make it one of her most immediate recordings to date.

The Saskatchewan-bred singer has been stacking momentum all year. She hit the stage in Hamilton for the official 2026 JUNO Kickoff Concert, and earlier this year performed at the Country Music Alberta Awards, where she picked up three nominations including Fans’ Choice and Horizon Female Artist of the Year. The recognition reflects a career that has been building deliberately and with real staying power.

Kulyk’s path to this moment is worth knowing. Diagnosed with cancer in high school, she didn’t slow down. That experience deepened her songwriting and sharpened her resolve, and she’s been in remission for 15 years. In 2017, she won both the CCMA Discovery Artist program and Anthem Entertainment’s On The Spot contest on the same day, which opened doors to Nashville collaborations with Liz Rose (Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood) and Phil Barton (Lee Brice, Eli Young Band).

Her 2019 self-titled debut reached No. 2 on the Canadian iTunes Country Chart and earned a CCMA Roots Album of the Year nomination. Her 2023 single “Love Me Like an Outlaw” climbed to No. 18 on the Canadian country charts in 2024, surpassing two million Spotify streams, with V13 Media calling it “an unequivocal testament to Kulyk’s brilliance.” The trajectory has been consistent and it’s accelerating.

This summer delivers her biggest live calendar yet. Kulyk headlines The Drake in Toronto on June 24 and London Music Hall in London on June 25 before launching into a festival run that includes Calgary Stampede on July 11, LASSO Montreal on August 16 and the inaugural Boots and Hearts West Festival in Edmonton on August 28. For an artist who has earned every inch of this moment, the stage is ready.

2026 Live Dates:

June 24 – Toronto, ON – The Drake (Headline)

June 25 – London, ON – London Music Hall (Headline)

June 27 – Humboldt, SK – Living Skies Music Festival at Centennial Park

July 10 – Lachute, QC – Expo Lachute Fair

July 11 – Calgary, AB – Calgary Stampede at Nashville North

July 12 – Craven, SK – Country Thunder

August 16 – Montreal, QC – LASSO

August 28 – Edmonton, AB – Boots and Hearts West at Fan Park @ Ice District

August 29 – Lucknow, ON – Lucknow’s Music In The Fields

Gerry Dee Brings Mr. D Reunion Live to the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino This September

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Gerry Dee is bringing Mr. D Reunion Live to the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino on Saturday, September 26, 2026, and it’s the kind of night that CBC fans have been waiting for. The show reunites the cast of Mr. D, the beloved eight-season comedy series that followed the misadventures of Gerry Duncan, an underqualified high school teacher inspired by Dee’s own real-life classroom years before comedy took over. Tickets go on sale May 8 at 10:00 a.m. through ticketmaster.ca.

Rock and Roll Legend Dion Hits the Road This Summer for First Tour in Over Four Years

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Dion is heading back out on the road. For the first time in more than four years, the rock and roll legend has announced a string of Northeast dates kicking off in June, with a second run following in September. It’s a return that his audience has been waiting on, and the settings he’s chosen make it worth the wait.

The June run opens June 5 at Monmouth University’s Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, where Dion joins a stacked lineup for Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us, a celebration of America’s 250th birthday featuring Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Rosanne Cash, Kenny Chesney, Gary Clark Jr., Dropkick Murphys, Mavis Staples, Jackson Browne, Trombone Shorty, Public Enemy, Stevie Van Zandt and more.

On June 11, Dion returns to his native New York for a special solo acoustic performance at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, a setting that deliberately echoes his involvement in the 1960s folk movement. The performance will be filmed for a future project. Full band dates follow at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA on June 18 and Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair on Long Island on June 20.

The September leg picks up September 10 in Morristown, NJ at the Mayo Performing Arts Center, continues with an outdoor show at the Mohegan Sun Patio Stage in Uncasville, CT on September 12, then moves to the Capitol Theatre in Portchester, NY on September 17 and closes September 19 at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island.

“I’ve had a lot of irons in the fire over the past few years with the book, the musical and the albums I’ve recorded so I hadn’t been able to focus on getting out there and performing for the many friends who have waited so patiently,” says Dion. “Now, I’m looking forward to getting back out there and rocking out for the people. See you soon.”

Tour Dates:

June 5 – Monmouth, NJ – Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music (Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us)

June 11 – New York, NY – Sheen Center for Thought and Culture (solo acoustic)

June 18 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre

June 20 – Westbury, NY – Flagstar at Westbury Music Fair

September 10 – Morristown, NJ – Mayo Performing Arts Center

September 12 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Patio Stage

September 17 – Portchester, NY – Capitol Theatre

September 19 – Staten Island, NY – St. George Theatre

Video: Toro y Moi Delivered a Sun-Drenched Set at the 2022 Pitchfork Music Festival

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Chaz Bear brought Toro y Moi to Chicago’s Union Park for the 2022 Pitchfork Music Festival, and this livestreamed set captures exactly why he’s one of the most compelling live acts in indie music. Touring behind ‘Mahal,’ Bear and his band move through the album’s psychedelic funk and groove-heavy textures with ease, pulling in catalog cuts like “Ordinary Pleasure” and “Déjà Vu” alongside newer material to keep the set in constant motion.

Russell Dickerson and Fetty Wap Team Up for Country-Trap Anthem “BOOTS”

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Russell Dickerson has a new collaboration on the way, and it’s one nobody saw coming. “BOOTS,” featuring Fetty Wap, arrives May 8, fusing Dickerson’s country storytelling and signature vocals with Fetty’s melodic R&B flow in what Holler has already called a “country-trap anthem.” Written by Dickerson, Matt Dragstrem and Dylan Marlowe, the track grew out of a viral TikTok that racked up over 34 million views and turned fan excitement into a full studio record. Fans can catch a sneak peek of the track HERE and pre-save “BOOTS” featuring Fetty Wap HERE.

The multi-platinum hitmaker behind “Yours,” “Blue Tacoma” and “Love You Like I Used To” has spent nearly four billion career streams building toward exactly this kind of creative swing. With his fourth studio album ‘FAMOUS BACK HOME’ already out and his RUSSELLMANIA TOUR sold out and extended through 2026, Dickerson is moving at full momentum.

This Friday (May 8), he brings the party home to Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater for the “Nash-Birthday Bash,” joined by Tyler Hubbard, Adrien Nunez and Kevin Powers. The summer run that follows features his largest venues to date.

Japanese Master Artisan Takao Iwai Handcrafts a Violin and Cello in Two Six-Month Films

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Master instrument artisan Takao Iwai has shared two documentary-style videos capturing the full handcrafting process of a violin and a cello, each built over six months from a single block of wood. The footage walks through every stage of cutting, carving and finishing, and the results are as visually compelling as they are technically remarkable. Both videos are worth your full attention.

Oliver Tree Takes ‘Love You Madly, Hate You Badly’ Across All Seven Continents on Massive World Tour

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Oliver Tree doesn’t do anything small. Fresh off the release of ‘Love You Madly, Hate You Badly,’ his fourth studio album and most expansive body of work to date, Tree has announced a globe-spanning headline tour hitting all seven continents. It kicks off May 30 in Mexico City and runs through the fall, touching South America, Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and beyond. Tickets go on general sale May 8.

The album behind the tour is a 17-track statement fully written and produced by Tree himself, recorded across 82 countries over two years. From Africa to Afghanistan to China, the sonic fingerprints of that journey are embedded throughout, with diverse instruments and cultural textures shaping something genuinely adventurous. Singles “Superhero,” “Joyride,” “Flowers,” “Deep End” and “All You Ever Wanted” have already laid the groundwork.

The latest focus track, “Fuck The Whole World,” has been turning heads fast. Tree’s viral performance of a remixed version during Subtronics’ Coachella set amplified the track’s reach considerably, and the accompanying performance video doubles down on the raw, irreverent energy that defines his creative identity.

Tree’s live show has always been an extension of his multimedia universe, unpredictable, immersive and entirely his own. This run, his most ambitious yet, will bring the chaotic, cinematic world of ‘Love You Madly, Hate You Badly’ to life across major venues and festivals including the Pohoda Festival and G! Festival. North American dates run through August, with European and Asia-Pacific legs carrying the tour into October.

Pre-registration for early ticket access is open now. The artist presale begins May 6 at 10AM local time, local and Spotify presales (excluding North America and China) launch May 7 at 10AM local time, and general on-sale is May 8 at 10AM local time.

Tour Dates:

May 30 – Mexico City, MX – Pabellón Oeste

June 2 – Santiago, CL – Blondie

June 4 – Buenos Aires, AR – Niceto Club

June 6 – São Paulo, BR – Studio Stage

July 1 – Lisbon, PT – Lisboa ao Vivo (Sala 1)

July 3 – Madrid, ES – Sala MON Live

July 4 – Barcelona, ES – Sala Apolo

July 7 – Rome, IT – EUR Social Park

July 8 – Milan, IT – Circolo Magnolia

July 9 – Vienna, AT – Arena Wien

July 11 – Trenčín, SK – Pohoda Festival

July 12 – Budapest, HU – Dürer Kert

July 13 – Prague, CZ – Lucerna Music Bar

July 15 – Feldkirch, AT – Poolbar

July 18 – Gøta, FO – G! Festival

July 28 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works

July 29 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern

July 30 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte

August 1 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore Silver Spring

August 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall

August 4 – New York, NY – Terminal 5

August 5 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner

August 7 – Toronto, ON – HISTORY

August 8 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre

August 9 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre

August 11 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed

August 12 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore

August 14 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater

August 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex

August 17 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater

August 18 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo

August 21 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Quarry Amphitheater

August 22 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater

August 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium

August 25 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren

August 27 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory

August 28 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

September 5 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso

September 6 – Brussels, BE – Cirque Royal

September 8 – Cologne, DE – Carlswerk Victoria

September 9 – Paris, FR – Bataclan

September 10 – Zürich, CH – Komplex 457

September 12 – Munich, DE – TonHalle München

September 13 – Berlin, DE – Astra Kulturhaus

September 14 – Hamburg, DE – Docks

September 16 – Copenhagen, DK – Store VEGA

September 18 – Warsaw, PL – Progresja

September 19 – Bratislava, SK – STARS Auditorium

September 21 – Bucharest, RO – Quantic Club

September 22 – Sofia, BG – Pirotska 5 Event Center

September 24 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 TV Studio

September 25 – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz Manchester

September 27 – London, UK – O2 Forum Kentish Town

October 2 – Brisbane, AU – Fortitude Music Hall

October 3 – Melbourne, AU – Forum Melbourne

October 6 – Auckland, NZ – Auckland Town Hall

October 7 – Sydney, AU – Enmore Theatre

October 8 – Adelaide, AU – Hindley Street Music Hall

October 10 – Perth, AU – Metro City

October 14 – Chengdu, CN – Venue TBA

October 16 – Chongqing, CN – Venue TBA

October 17 – Guangzhou, CN – Venue TBA

October 18 – Shenzhen, CN – Venue TBA

October 21 – Wuhan, CN – Venue TBA

October 23 – Shanghai, CN – Venue TBA

October 24 – Hangzhou, CN – Venue TBA

October 25 – Beijing, CN – Venue TBA

TBD – Japan – Venue TBA

TBD – South Africa – Venue TBA

TBD – Antarctica – Venue TBA

Spencer Hatcher Delivers a Deeply Personal Heartbreaker with New Single “Any Other Girl”

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Spencer Hatcher’s new single “Any Other Girl” landed this week, and it hits harder than most. The Virginia-bred traditionalist delivers a laid-back country groove about a heartbreak that won’t let go, wrapped in uplifting vocal harmonies and weeping pedal steel. It’s a song that earns the word classic, and it’s out now.

The track was penned by a sharp team of hit tunesmiths: Jimmy Yeary (Tim McGraw’s “I Called Mama”), Bart Butler (Jon Pardi’s “Heartache on the Dance Floor”) and Will Bundy (Ella Langley’s “Country Boy’s Dream Girl”). That pedigree shows. The song lands with the kind of effortless emotional weight that only the best traditional country delivers.

For Hatcher, “Any Other Girl” carries a meaning that goes well beyond the studio. “‘Any Other Girl’ will forever be one of the most special songs in the world to me because it was the last song that I showed my mom that I was working on before her passing,” he says. “She said it was her all-time favorite song and she would request I play it anytime I was back home. For that reason, it’ll always have a very special place in my heart.”

Hatcher has built serious momentum since his debut EP ‘Honky Tonk Hideaway’ and his Top 10 Most Added debut radio single “When She Calls Me Cowboy.” With nearly one million social media followers and over 71 million organic TikTok views, he’s one of the most exciting emerging voices in traditional country right now. He plays more than 150 shows a year, and the road schedule for 2026 reflects that fully.

On tour, Hatcher shares stages with Hank Williams Jr., Josh Turner, Joe Nichols, Zach Top, Craig Morgan, Neal McCoy, David Lee Murphy and Clay Walker.

Joe Nichols Channels Hank Williams on New Honky-Tonk Dance Floor Burner “High Notes”

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oe Nichols is out with “High Notes,” a pedal steel-driven honky-tonk party tune that wears its Hank Williams influences proudly and doesn’t apologize for a second. Co-written with Jaron Boyer (five No. 1 country hits to his name) and Matt Gorman, and co-produced with Jason Sellers, the track is a flat-out good time, the kind of song that fills a dance floor and reminds you exactly why traditional country still hits so hard. It’s out now.

“I wanted to write a country song, the way country used to sound in the ’90s, that people could go out and two-step or line dance to,” says Nichols. “Playing this song live is a joy because it brings joy to people who remember that style of country, and I love seeing them out there dancing to it.” That energy comes through in every bar of the recording.

“High Notes” is the third teaser track from Nichols’ forthcoming studio project, following “Fighting the Good Fight” and “Goodbyes Are Hard to Listen To.” Notably, “Fighting the Good Fight” and “High Notes” mark Nichols’ first self-penned releases in nearly two decades, a deliberate move as the three-time GRAMMY nominee works to put more of his own story into the music.

The track carries multiple nods to both Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., and even shares its title with Junior’s 1982 album ‘High Notes.’ For a neo-traditional torchbearer ranked by Billboard among the Top Country Artists of the 21st Century, with over 2.3 billion cumulative streams and a half-dozen No. 1 singles, this feels like a natural and very welcome direction.

On the road, Nichols plays Charlotte, North Carolina on May 30 and Tampa, Florida on June 5 with Hank Williams Jr., then heads to Georgiana, Alabama on June 6 for the 47th Annual Hank Williams Festival. More dates are at joenichols.com/tour.

2026 Tour Dates (select):

May 30 – Charlotte, NC (with Hank Williams Jr.)

June 5 – Tampa, FL (with Hank Williams Jr.)

June 6 – Georgiana, AL – 47th Annual Hank Williams Festival

Whitney Brought Their Intimate Sound to the KEXP Studio for a Four-Song Session

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Whitney delivered a four-song live session at the KEXP studio and it’s exactly the kind of performance the Chicago indie favorites were built for. Julien Ehrlich, Max Kakacek and the full band move through “Dandelions,” “The Thread,” “Won’t You Speak Your Mind” and “Back To The Wind” with the kind of warm, unhurried confidence that makes their music so distinctive.