Unapologetically make it The Project to mark these Life Changes on your Calendar: Four Release Dates

It is no secret how busy artists can get it’s hard to believe they have any time at all for their personal lives, but of course they do. In fact if they didn’t they would have nothing to write about. Before we blink album singles are dropping to country radio, artists are traveling 7 cities in 7 days for album release week, and touring dates go on sale. So let’s catch up with some of the most watched and make sure we have our release dates marked in the calendar.

Old Dominion Let’s start with the five guys who didn’t stop until they clocked in at over 250 shows last year. That’s right, Old Dominion has been going, going, gone on their rise to the rightful rockstars they are. Single after single these guys have been constantly on the road I am sure you would be shocked if I told you they have a full album of new songs ready for release August 25th. I know insane right!? Well, it’s true. Their sophomore album Happy Endings is set for release in just 3 weeks! With almost 300 shows they haven’t kept us hanging, trying out new songs during their VIP experiences during soundcheck and even throwing in some unreleased one’s into the main set. The live version of the fan favorite Can’t Get You actually has made the cut for the album. No Such Thing as a Broken Heart has been released as the first single and if you pre order the album you instantly got the first single and another song Written in The Sand on 7/7. As the weeks continue more songs are being released if you preordered the album, Shoe Shopping dropped on July 21st along with another instant video. This Friday 8/4 you can hear Be With Me and 8/18 Not Everything’s About You. As a die hard fan, and even as someone who has heard a good portion of these songs live it is definitely painful to wait for the entire project. Nashville fans lucked out with their pop up Dive Bar performance sponsored by Bud Light. Old Dominion played Happy Endings from cover to cover for an intimate group of very lucky fans. Lucky for the rest of us not in Nashville the band announced several other Dive Bar shows in major cities, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. You can enter at www.olddominiondivebartour.com.

Thomas Rhett wrapped up a long stretch of shows himself on the Home Team Tour just in time to await the arrival of his second daughter (name still to come). Lauren and TR adopted their first little girl Willa Gray from Uganda back in May. Being so open with his family life and his love for his wife Lauren has done very well for Thomas Rhett. Die A Happy Man did incredibly well for TR, a song written for his one and only Lauren. Lauren has also made numerous music video appearances from vacation shots in Die A Happy Man, throwing paint on hubby in Star of the Show video, a baby bump debut in Craving You (which went #1 earlier in July which we will get to), and now nostalgic home videos of Lauren in Thomas’ next single Unforgettable. The love that pours out of these songs is definitely working and fans encourage it, even crave seeing a love this strong and booming everyday, so just some advice keep it up! Unforgettable is an adorable recap of the first time Thomas and Lauren met and the romantic he is remembers every little detail. TR’s new album Life Changes releases September 8th and I am pretty sure it is safe to say all the new life changes happening to his growing family will be prominent subject matters at the core of this album. As always the Home Team won’t be able to get enough!

Speaking of beautiful love stories don’t mind me while I take a minute to gush over Ryan Hurd’s engagement to Maren Morris announced July 9th. Maybe not as obvious to most, but Ryan and Maren also have such a genuine love that not only is portrayed in their music but it is how their story started. Both Nashville songwriters met in a writing a session where their friendship grew into a relationship. The first song they wrote together was cut by Tim McGraw Last Turn Home (spoiler Ryan’s version is going to be cut on his next full album). If you catch Maren this fall on her second leg of the Hero Tour featuring Ryan Hurd you might be lucky enough to watch them perform this together (another spoiler it is the sweetest thing ever). This couple has had equally exciting life changes themselves. Thomas Rhett’s Craving You which features Maren Morris, on vocals and in the action packed video, is Morris’ first #1 song. Ryan’s single Love in a Bar charted as the second most added song to country radio within its first week. Love in a Bar isn’t the only song inspired by his very own Maren. Lady Antebellum’s new funky hit You Look Good was written by Ryan a song 100% about the only girl he has eyes for, Maren. If you love real love pouring out into songs and a great male voice along with it request Love in a Bar to your local stations and download it immediately! By the way you can catch cameos of Maren in Ryan’s music video for his song Hold You Back, another vulnerable and great one off of Ryan’s self titled EP.

Kelsea Ballerini is also newly engaged this year planning to get married at the end of the summer and is set to release her sophomore album titled Unapologetically November 3rd. For the remaining of the summer you can catch Kelsea opening up on the You Look Good Tour for Lady Antebellum. She proclaims that even though she is in love she still hates love songs in her new song I Hate Love Songs and warns us that we won’t find any sappy love songs on her next record. Well, I beg to disagree considering the title track Unapologetically is a serenade to her fiance Morgan Evans she wrote apparently three weeks into her blooming romance: to quote the chorus 'I am unapologetically in love'. I will give it to Kelsea that her expression of love is anything but sappy, even the songs about love lost. Her first single off the album Legends was originally a song written about a breakup, but can also be interpreted as a love letter to a current love reminiscing about an earlier part of a relationship (warning have tissues ready when you watch the music video it's a tearjerker). Kelsea has mentioned the meaning of that song has evolved and now for her it is for her fans, the “legends” that made her dreams come true. That’s the beauty of lyrics, there’s a meaning in there for everyone in any situation, you just have to listen to find it. Kelsea’s Morgan Evans is Australian and has just released his first American single called Kiss Somebody. Not autobiographical to his current relationship status, but definitely a catchy and relatable tune about needing to kiss somebody to get over someone you can’t get out of your head. Looks like Ryan and Marren won’t be the only dual talent couple on the charts.

Not only has Kelsea Ballerini been writing for her own album you can catch her songwriting on Lindsay Ell’s debut album The Project out August 11th. Kelsea was a co-writer on track #7 White Noise along with Josh Kear and Ross Copperman. Lindsay is a killer vocalist and insane guitar player currently opening up for Brad Paisley and prepping for her schedule packed release week. She mentioned 7 cities in 7 days on her last Facebook Live video. She’s going to be one busy lady! Most probably heard the controversy of her dating radio personnel Bobby Bones. Let’s put that to rest because she is an extremely talented singer/songwriter and guitarist in her own right and deserves to be in a happy relationship and all the success this debut album is going to have! You can pre order the album today and receive a few songs including Criminal, Champagne, Good, Space, Worth the Wait, and Waiting on You (also check out the Waiting on You music video).

What you won’t hear until August 11th is the song that has Kelsea Ballerini’s pen marks on it or contributions from newcomer Carly Pearce on track #11 Always Kiss the Girl. Carly’s single Every Little Thing just broke top #20 on the country charts and has a sexy, but vulnerable and honest music video attached. If you subscribe to SiriusXM The Highway you can also hear her next song If My Name Was Whiskey. No set date for a full EP or album from Carly, but you sure should expect a lot more to come from the girl who dropped out of high school to sing in Dolly Wood and make her mark in the music industry in her late 20’s years later.

Life is definitely full speed ahead for this group. Just in case your life is just as busy or maybe even more let’s recap the important dates and albums to remember in an organized chart. Since life is never organized something ought to be right? Rockin Rox Promo is here to help, with the music at least!