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Keith Urban Drops “Steal Away” and Previews His Yacht Rock Album ‘Flow State,’ Out June 12th

Eric Alper
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Keith Urban Drops “Steal Away” and Previews His Yacht Rock Album ‘Flow State,’ Out June 12th

Keith Urban’s cover of Robbie Dupree’s classic 1980 track “Steal Away” is out now via MCA, and it does exactly what great yacht rock should: it transports you somewhere warm and unhurried before the second verse arrives. The track is 1 of several covers on his upcoming album ‘Flow State,’ out June 12th, which also includes takes on “Baby Come Back,” “Just the Two of Us,” and “Summer Breeze,” plus an original song, “We Go Back,” featuring Michael McDonald.

‘Flow State’ was produced by Urban and Dann Huff and recorded at Urban’s own The Sound studio in Nashville. The collaborator list is well-matched to the material: Michael McDonald, Little Big Town, and John Mayer all appear across the record, making it as much a gathering of musical friends as a solo project.

Urban is everywhere over the next few weeks. He headlines ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, alongside Flatland Cavalry, Ashley Cooke, Dasha, Braxton Keith, and Tucker Wetmore. He also presents the Album of the Year award at the 61st ACM Awards, performs at the American Music Awards on CBS and Paramount+ on May 25th, and takes the Nissan Stadium stage at CMA Fest on June 5th.

The ACM Triple Crown honoree and 14-time ACM Award winner continues to be one of country music’s most active and versatile performers, and ‘Flow State’ signals a deliberate, sun-soaked creative detour that suits him exceptionally well.

“Steal Away” is out now. ‘Flow State’ arrives June 12th via MCA.

Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise 3 Sets Sail in 2027 With The Damned, X, Buzzcocks, and More

Eric Alper
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Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise 3 Sets Sail in 2027 With The Damned, X, Buzzcocks, and More

Little Steven Van Zandt and Sixthman are taking the Underground Garage out to sea for a third time. Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise 3 sails April 24-28, 2027, from Miami, FL to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic aboard Norwegian Jewel, and the lineup is loaded.

The roster includes The Damned, X, D Generation, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, Glen Matlock, The Return Of Jackie and Judy (Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker with Fred Armisen), The Zeros, Texas Headhunters, The 5.6.7.8’s, The Fleshtones, The Chesterfield Kings, The Courettes, The Dollyrots, The Coolies, The Cocktail Slippers, Jessie Wagner, Goons, and special guest Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s, with more to be announced.

Every artist plays multiple sets across the 4-day run, with once-in-a-lifetime collaborations built into the program. SiriusXM Sessions at Sea feature up-close performances and conversations hosted by Underground Garage DJs including Palmyra Delran, Kelly Ogden, The Mighty Manfred, and Count Peter Zaremba, with recordings set for broadcast on the SiriusXM Underground Garage channel. Add meet and greets, theme nights, an onboard merch store, a tattoo parlor, and the full amenities of Norwegian Jewel, and the package covers everything.

The shore excursion stop in Puerto Plata, the ninth largest city in the Dominican Republic, offers options ranging from summit views at over 2,600 feet atop Pico Isabel de Torres to a visit to the 16th-century Fortaleza San Felipe.

First Round Presale Signups are open through May 28th at 11:59 pm ET, with Final Round Presale Signups closing June 2nd. The public on sale begins June 4th at 2 pm ET. Presale cabins carry a $100 per cabin savings, and bookings are available for just $100 down per person until August 24th with automatic monthly billing. Exclusive presale incentives include a signed poster from The Damned, X, or Buzzcocks, subject to availability.

Emily Ann Roberts Pays Tribute to Her Father With the Quietly Powerful “Things You Didn’t Know”

Eric Alper
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Emily Ann Roberts Pays Tribute to Her Father With the Quietly Powerful “Things You Didn’t Know”

Emily Ann Roberts wrote “Things You Didn’t Know” the morning after her parents drove in from East Tennessee to watch her play The Listening Room with Vince Gill. The new single is out now via Sony Music Nashville, and it carries that specific, lived-in warmth throughout its entire runtime.

Over soft acoustic guitar and fiddle, Roberts traces the quiet, unspoken influence of her father’s life on her own, the lessons absorbed not from direct instruction but from watching how he moved through the world. “He hasn’t had an easy life, but he has never let the hard times define him,” she says. “He modeled hard work, how to be a friend, and introduced me to all his favorite records, which in turn shaped my songwriting and artistry.”

Roberts wrote the song at a retreat alongside Trent Willmon, Michael Farren, and Laura Veltz, immediately after her parents had joined them for breakfast. The proximity of the moment to the writing shows. “Things You Didn’t Know” is specific and unhurried, the kind of song that earns its emotional weight honestly.

Roberts arrives at this release with serious industry recognition behind her. An ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee, she’s also a MusicRow Next Big Thing and was recently honored as AIMP Nashville Rising Artist-Writer of the Year. She’s a member of the Opry NextStage Class of 2026 and performs tomorrow at ACM Next Wave: Country Beach Bash in Las Vegas.

The year ahead is packed. Roberts has already appeared at C2C, Tortuga, and more, with Carolina Country Music Fest, Barefoot Country Music Fest, and Boots and Hearts ahead, plus her Nissan Stadium debut at CMA Fest. She joins Thomas Rhett for his Soundtrack to Life Tour this summer and fall, including stadium dates with Niall Horan, and closes the year on UK dates with Cody Johnson.

“Things You Didn’t Know” is out now via Sony Music Nashville.

Charles Wesley Godwin Announces ‘Christian Name,’ His Most Personal Album, Featuring Luke Combs

Eric Alper
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Charles Wesley Godwin Announces ‘Christian Name,’ His Most Personal Album, Featuring Luke Combs

Charles Wesley Godwin’s fourth studio album ‘Christian Name’ arrives July 24th via Big Loud Records, and first single “Better That Way” featuring Luke Combs is out now. The album was written through one of the most difficult periods of Godwin’s life, and every song on it reflects that directly.

In 2024, Godwin and his wife Samantha lost their third child, Samuel, to stillbirth. “To put it simply, my heart was broken,” Godwin says. “It took me a few months to get myself back up off the ground, so to speak, and get back into the game and to write songs again.” Rather than pulling him away from his faith, the loss deepened it. “Coming out of that, I recommitted to my faith in God more so than I have at any point in my life. It really changed me.”

‘Christian Name’ documents that journey across 13 tracks, opening with a sermon and moving through grief, redemption, and reaffirmation. The album title and cover art draw direct inspiration from Godwin’s late grandfather, Charles Godwin, a Methodist preacher, grounding the project in family and legacy as much as personal faith.

Alongside “Better That Way” with Combs, the album features “Hey There, Son” with Wyatt Flores, and contributions from some of country music’s most respected songwriters: Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, Travis Meadows, Scooter Carusoe, Stephen Wilson Jr., Aaron Raitiere, and Tom Douglas. Godwin is clear about the role they played. “I had a lot of help with this album. They brought a lot of the hope and the light and the lighter moments. The album needed that.”

Producer Al Torrence, Godwin’s Alleghany High bandmate and decade-long collaborator, shaped the record across sessions in Nashville, New York City, and Torrence’s Music Garden Studios in Pennsylvania. “He’s world-class,” Godwin says. “Al knew exactly what I was going through throughout this process.”

Godwin tours extensively behind the album, including a co-headline run with Dylan Gossett this summer and a fall stretch joining Kacey Musgraves on her Middle of Nowhere Tour.

‘Christian Name’ Track Listing:

Sermon

Try Again

“Better That Way” (feat. Luke Combs)

Hallelujah High

“Hey There, Son” (feat. Wyatt Flores)

I Caught the Sunrise

Place I Know

Street Advice

Every Once in a While

Christian Name

God’s Been Good to Me

Gospel of the South

Brand New

The 52nd AMAs Adds BTS, New Kids on the Block, Pussycat Dolls, and a Full Presenter Lineup

Eric Alper
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The 52nd AMAs Adds BTS, New Kids on the Block, Pussycat Dolls, and a Full Presenter Lineup

The 52nd American Music Awards presenter lineup is set, and the full picture of Monday night is coming into focus. The show airs live May 25th at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on CBS and Paramount+ from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, hosted by Queen Latifah.

Presenters include Alysa Liu, Anthony Ramos, Ejae, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Hannah Berner, Hilary Duff, Jason Derulo, John Legend, Lisa Rinna, Ludacris, Mariah the Scientist, Matt Rife, Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs, Melanie Martinez, Nikki Glaser, Paula Abdul, Rei Ami, and Russell Dickerson.

BTS will make a special appearance, their first on the AMAs stage in 5 years, adding considerable weight to an already stacked broadcast.

The performance lineup covers serious ground. Billy Idol receives the Lifetime Achievement Award and performs a medley of his greatest hits in his first-ever AMAs performance. Karol G receives the International Artist Award of Excellence. Darius Rucker receives the Veterans Voice Award Presented by USAA’s Honor Through Action and performs alongside his Hootie & The Blowfish bandmates. New Kids on the Block and The Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes join Katseye, Keith Urban, Maluma, Riley Green, Sombr, Teddy Swims, Teyana Taylor, and Twenty One Pilots on the performance roster.

The broadcast also carries a meaningful tribute to the U.S. military community. USAA’s Poppy Wall of Honor returns to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for its seventh year, with 600,000-plus hand-placed poppies representing every American life lost in the line of duty since World War I. Gold Star families will attend the AMAs, with U.S. service members and veterans seated in USAA’s Military Appreciation Section.

Ahead of the broadcast, Entertainment Tonight airs “ET Vault Unlocked: Queen Latifah,” a special celebrating the career of the night’s host. Tickets are available now on AXS.

Voïvod’s ‘Symphonique’ Pairs 40 Years of Progressive Metal With a Full Symphony Orchestra

Eric Alper
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Voïvod’s ‘Symphonique’ Pairs 40 Years of Progressive Metal With a Full Symphony Orchestra

Voïvod have been building toward something like this for 40 years. ‘Symphonique,’ a live album recorded with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra at the Grand Théâtre in Québec City on June 4, 2025, arrives June 5th via Century Media Records, and the second single “The End Of Dormancy (Symphonique)” is out now alongside an official visualizer by Cloud Motion Design.

The album spans 73 minutes across 12 songs, presenting a best-of Voïvod setlist reimagined with full orchestral accompaniment. The result is exactly what the band’s progressive, sci-fi metal architecture has always suggested was possible: a dystopian cinematic soundscape that expands the original material into something larger and fully realized.

Drummer Michel “Away” Langevin calls it a longtime dream made real. “It’s the closest we’ve ever come to sounding like a dystopian sci-fi movie soundtrack, another dream of ours,” he says, adding that the band will perform the show again in 2027 with the Orchestre Symphonique du Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean in the region where Voïvod formed in 1983.

Guitarist Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain speaks specifically about “The End Of Dormancy.” “I wrote the riffs imagining Roman naval battles with a full orchestra, like the movies from the 50s and 60s. It has a very dramatic vibe. Little did I know that what we synthesized for a four-piece band would eventually explode into its primary, original imagined form.” He describes the crowd’s reaction at the grand finale as one of life’s rare perfect moments.

‘Symphonique’ follows Voïvod’s Juno Award-winning 2022 studio album ‘Synchro Anarchy,’ which charted in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands, and their 40th anniversary release ‘Morgöth Tales’ in 2023.

Megan Moroney Releases Fan Favorite “Traitor (Roles Reversed)” as The Cloud 9 Tour Kicks Off

Eric Alper
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Megan Moroney Releases Fan Favorite “Traitor (Roles Reversed)” as The Cloud 9 Tour Kicks Off

Megan Moroney’s “Traitor (Roles Reversed),” previously exclusive to the Target edition of ‘Cloud 9,’ is now available on all streaming platforms. Written by Moroney alongside David Mescon, Emily Weisband, and Hillary Lindsey, the track has been a fan favorite since the album’s release, and its wider availability arrives at exactly the right moment.

The Cloud 9 Tour launches later this month at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH, and covers 43 dates across North America, Europe, and the UK through October 1st in Belfast. The run includes Barclays Center in New York City, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, United Center in Chicago, and Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, along with Moroney’s first-ever performance in Paris.

Moroney built serious touring momentum heading into this run. Her sold-out Am I Okay? Tour closed out with a 24-song live album, ‘Am I Okay? Tour (Live),’ documenting the record-breaking trek in full. She then headed to Australia for dates including a sold-out show at Riverstage in Brisbane, the 2-stop Ridin’ Hearts Festival 2025 at Sydney Showground and Melbourne’s Caribbean Gardens, where she brought Avery Anna onstage for a confetti-filled surprise duet of “Am I Okay?”

Multi-platinum, arena-headlining, and with a fanbase that already knows every word, Moroney enters The Cloud 9 Tour with considerable forward momentum behind her.

“Traitor (Roles Reversed)” is out now on all streaming platforms via Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records.

Carter Faith Expands ACM-Nominated ‘Cherry Valley’ With Five New Songs on Deluxe Edition

Eric Alper
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Carter Faith Expands ACM-Nominated ‘Cherry Valley’ With Five New Songs on Deluxe Edition

Carter Faith is expanding ‘Cherry Valley.’ The deluxe edition, titled ‘Cherry Valley Forever,’ arrives July 24th via Gatsby Records/MCA, adding 5 new songs to the original 15-track debut, with new cut “Ain’t Over Me Yet” out now as the first preview.

The timing reflects exactly where Faith stands in country music right now. ‘Cherry Valley’ earned an ACM Album of the Year nomination, the first debut album nominated in that category in a decade, following Chris Stapleton’s ‘Traveller’ in 2016. Faith is also the only female nominated in the category this year, and performed at the ACM Awards show. Last week she released a cover of Faith Hill’s “Let’s Go To Vegas” as the official anthem of this year’s ACM Awards.

‘Cherry Valley’ is a chronological document of Faith’s time in Nashville, working through breakout moments, gut-punching breakups, new loves, and family friction. Named for a road sign that came to represent her creative home, the album draws on influences ranging from Tammy Wynette and Nancy Sinatra to Pet Sounds and Revolver, shaped over 2 years of writing with producer Tofer Brown before the pair entered the studio in 2024.

The road ahead is packed. Faith joins Post Malone on his Big Ass Stadium Tour next month, plays select dates with George Strait and Chris Stapleton, then links up with Kacey Musgraves and Shaboozey in the fall. For a debut artist, that’s an extraordinary run of touring company.

Faith built toward ‘Cherry Valley’ through more than a dozen Grand Ole Opry appearances, hundreds of millions of streams, a Stagecoach debut, and touring runs with Ella Langley and Carly Pearce. She also joined Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild at the 18th Academy of Country Music Honors for a duet of “Lies Lies Lies,” written by ACM Songwriter of the Year Jessie Jo Dillon.

‘Cherry Valley Forever’ Track Listing:

Cherry Valley

Sex, Drugs, and Country Music

Arrows (Die For That Man)

Bar Star

Betty

Grudge

Six-String

If I Had Never Lost My Mind…

Misery Loves Company

Drink Up, Baby

Burn My Memory

Sails

So I Sing

Changed

Still A Lover

Dead Horse

Nothin’ Better To Do

Pearl Handled Pistol

If A Man’s From Texas

“Ain’t Over Me Yet”

Anthrax End a 10-Year Studio Silence With 12th Album ‘Cursum Perficio’ Arriving This Fall

Eric Alper
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Anthrax End a 10-Year Studio Silence With 12th Album ‘Cursum Perficio’ Arriving This Fall

Anthrax are back. ‘Cursum Perficio,’ their 12th studio album and first in 10 years, arrives September 18th via Megaforce Records. The Latin phrase translates as “I complete my journey,” and for a band that began recording the album in 2022 after pandemic delays pushed the project back from its original 2020 start, the title carries real weight.

First single “It’s For The Kids” is out now with an official music video, and it delivers exactly what the moment calls for: buzzsaw riffs, explosive drumming, and a hook built for arenas. It’s the kind of track that announces an album’s arrival with full force.

The band recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles, produced by Jay Ruston and Anthrax. Their previous album, 2016’s ‘For All Kings,’ debuted in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, and ‘Cursum Perficio’ arrives with 10 years of accumulated energy behind it.

Guitarist Scott Ian frames the recording as a reunion as much as a record. “When we started working on the record, we were just happy to be in a room together. It was so exciting that it was like being reborn in a way. All of that energy and emotion went into the music.”

Drummer Charlie Benante traces the album’s title to a documentary about Marilyn Monroe. “I was watching a Marilyn Monroe documentary, and I saw ‘Cursum Perficio’ written on a tile in her last home,” he says. “When I found out what the phrase meant, it immediately clicked with me. We aren’t saying this is our last record, but our journey has come to an end. I believe we’ve completed the task.”

‘Cursum Perficio’ arrives in a wide range of physical formats including standard black double LP, zoetrope variants exclusive to Target and Amazon, and limited vinyl editions through Metal Injection, Talk Shop Live, and indie retailers.

‘Cursum Perficio’ Track Listing:

Persistence of Memory

The Long Goodbye

“It’s For the Kids”

Everybody’s Got A Plan

The Edge Of Perfection

Infectious

NYC93

Cursum Perficio

T.O.M.B

Watch It Go

My Victory

Kevin Jonas Gets Personal on New Solo Single “Little Things,” Debuted Live in São Paulo

Eric Alper
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Kevin Jonas Gets Personal on New Solo Single “Little Things,” Debuted Live in São Paulo

Kevin Jonas debuted “Little Things” live Wednesday night at Allianz Parque Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil, during the Jonas Brothers’ Jonas20: Greetings From Your Hometown South America run, and the crowd reaction said everything. The new solo single is out now via Hollywood Records, his second since launching his solo career in 2025.

The song is intimate in the most specific way. You can hear the fretboard squeak between chord changes on his acoustic guitar. Backed by a breezy keyboard loop, “Little Things” is a detailed, affectionate account of nearly 2 decades of marriage to his wife Danielle, zeroing in on the small, specific moments that define a long and lasting relationship. A guitar solo closes it out, and the cover art captures a candid moment of the couple together.

“My wife and I have been married for 17 years,” Jonas says. “There are little moments during our time together that trigger my joy and happiness and remind me exactly why I’m still with her. Lyrically, it’s very detailed. It’s a little sexy and fun. You’ve got to keep it spicy, I guess.” He adds, “Whereas ‘Changing’ felt like a new beginning, ‘Little Things’ is less of an introduction to me and more a continuation of who I am.”

His 2025 debut solo single “Changing,” produced by Jason Evigan, whose credits include Maroon 5, Madonna, and Dua Lipa, opened the door. “Little Things” walks further through it, and the specificity of the writing makes it one of the more genuinely personal releases in the Jonas Brothers’ extended universe.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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