Tim McGraw

[Kim]

Tim McGraw rejuvenated, enjoying life on the road


Who knows what to expect when friends Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw get together?

The singers, who toured together regularly early in their careers, were arrested in New York 12 years ago after Chesney asked to sit on a police horse and then rode away. McGraw got in trouble for reportedly clobbering the officers who tried to stop his friend.

They were both acquitted of wrongdoing, but it still makes for a memorable story.

And when Chesney and McGraw’s Brothers of the Sun Tour hits Nashville on Saturday, it’s a safe bet the camaraderie present in 2000 will be alive and on display during their massive stage show.

“Both of us have gone on different paths in our careers, but the friendship is still there, and the music is still there,” Chesney says. “The idea that two acts that have experienced this kind of success and longevity can make it work together onstage, I think that’s a cool thing.”

The tour is also a complicated operation to pull off. A 283-person crew will travel almost 20,000 miles over 88 touring days with 20 buses and more than 80 tractor-trailers to cover the 21-stadium concert tour. The caravan includes everything in duplicate so that while Chesney and McGraw and tourmates Jake Owen and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals are onstage in one city with one set of tour support and equipment, the other half of the personnel is in the next town setting up for the next show.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” McGraw asks. “It’s pretty big. It’s a pretty heavy travel schedule for those guys. It’s not a heavy travel schedule for Kenny and I because it’s Saturdays and Sundays for the most part, but the crew are working their butts off on this.”

McGraw, who flies home after weekend shows so he can spend as much time as possible with wife Faith Hill and their daughters, says the tour has been in the works since August and that the friends have been trying for years to align their schedules to work together again. Though their “teams worked really hard planning this,” McGraw says he and Chesney had a meeting or two of their own to iron out a few details — in New Orleans over football games.

“I think probably everyone thought the most difficult thing was going to be who was going to go on last, and for me, that wasn’t a difficulty at all,” McGraw says. “Kenny has gone out and done this kind of tour for years, and it just made sense that I would go first.”

McGraw is hesitant to reveal many details of the show because he doesn’t want to spoil the experience but says he and Chesney do plan to spend a chunk of time together on stage, singing each other’s hits, playing cover tunes and maybe even welcoming the tour’s other guests.

What he will say is that fans can expect a creatively rejuvenated version of himself. After years of arguing with longtime record label Curb Records, McGraw finally won his release in court last year and is now recording for Big Machine Records, a move he says has brought a “freshness” to him that he’s confident will show up on stage.

McGraw says his biggest concern is how to get his long list of family and friends tickets to the show. But he has a plan.

“I’ll just let Faith handle all of that,” he laughs.

[Kim]

Tim McGraw Set to Appear on ‘Austin City Limits’ TV Show


It’s been a busy summer for Tim McGraw, what with his rigorous touring schedule, but the ‘Better Than I Used to Be’ singer has found time to tape a live performance for the iconic ‘Austin City Limits’ public television program. The country superstar made the announcement via his official Twitter account.

“Tim to perform on Austin City Limits TV on August 6th! Stay tuned for episode airings! @acltv #acltv,” he said in the announcement.

Taped live in Austin, Texas in front of an audience of music lovers, ‘Austin City Limits’ was first created to celebrate Texas country music, but the program expanded its musical boundaries to include national and international recording artists of all genres in an effort to gain a wider audience. Touted as the ”longest running music show in the history of American television,” ‘Austin City Limits’ was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 for its contributions to mainstream music.

Immediately following his performance, McGraw will resume his touring duties with Kenny Chesney as part of the Brothers of the Sun all-arena tour. The two country superstars will wrap the 25-date extravaganza at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. on August 25. Click here for tour dates and ticket information.

Tune in to catch Tim McGraw on ‘Austin City Limits’ on August 6.

[Kim]

Faith Hill Joins Tim McGraw Onstage During Brothers of the Sun Show in Nashville





Everyone at LP Field was thinking it on Saturday night (June 23), wondering if Faith Hill would be joining husband Tim McGraw onstage during his performance as part of the Brothers of the Sun Tour, also featuring Kenny Chesney. When McGraw announced more than halfway into his set that he had a “special surprise” just for the Nashville crowd and began to sing the beginning of his duet with Hill, ‘I Need You,’ nobody had to wonder any longer.

The crowd came unglued when Hill entered from side stage, singing the second verse of the ballad that broke the Top 10 country singles charts in 2007. Wearing a black and white strappy jumpsuit, Hill looked adoringly into her husband’s eyes, ending the song by planting a big kiss on him — and fans went wild.

“My wife, everyone!” a blushing McGraw said as Hill exited the stage. Looking tan and tone in his white fitted T-shirt and tight white jeans, he then continued on with his set by treating fans to a musical journey of his hits throughout the years, including ‘Back When,’ ‘Something Like That,’ ‘Southern Voice,’ ‘Felt Good on My Lips,’ ‘Real Good Man,’ Just to See You Smile,’ ‘Everywhere,’ ‘For a Little While,’ ‘Down on the Farm,’ ‘Last Dollar (Fly Away)’ and ‘Where the Green Grass Grows.’

“It’s good to be home in Nashville, Tenn.,” McGraw exclaimed between songs. “I love my job!”

As the music began to slow down, the singer acknowledged his friends and family in the crowd at the local stadium show. “We go through life sometimes, stepping on peoples toes, and I also know I’m probably going to be an ass again someday,” he said, as fans began to recognize the intro to his most recent hit, ‘Better Than I Used to Be.’ “All I can do is try to be the best person I can be.”

He then played the Top 10 hit, followed by songs like ‘Let It Go’ and ‘How Bad Do You Want It.’ Before he exited the stage, McGraw performed an emotional and powerful rendition of his multi-week No. 1 smash, ‘Live Like You Were Dying,’ which moved one of the song’s writers, Craig Wiseman, to tears as he watched first-hand the crowd sing every word back to McGraw with their hands raised as high as they could go.

But McGraw wasn’t quite done entertaining the fans Saturday night. He and his band reemerged to go out with a bang with a three-song encore of ‘The Cowboy on Me,’ ‘I Like It, I Love It,’ and a brand new tune, ‘Truck Yeah,’ that had fans pumping their fists to the infectious chorus as the song’s title flashed on the jumbo-tron each and every time McGraw sang the words. As he exited the stage, McGraw walked hand in hand with Hill down the steps. The couple waved and blew kisses to the fans in the stadium who witnessed the sweet offstage moment.

The night, however, was far from being over. After a brief intermission, it was time for Chesney to take the stage. The stadium lights went dark as camera flashes flickered throughout the crowd in anticipation of what side of the stage Chesney would be making his entrance from. Chesney threw everyone for a loop when he rose from the center of the stadium on a small rotating platform singing ‘Beer in Mexico.’

Chesney looked fit as could be in his blue jeans and a grey sleeveless shirt which accentuated his sculpted, tan arms. His face was as bright as the spotlights shining on him, as anyone could see that onstage is where Chesney is his happiest. When he finished the opening number, the singer dropped his guitar and hopped up into a carriage seat that soared over the screaming fans. The superstar had the best seat in the house, waving and blowing kisses to his fans below who couldn’t sit still as he made his way down to the main stage.

Chesney’s high-octane performance continued on with his catalog of hits — everything new and old, including fan favorites such as ‘Keg in the Closet,’ ‘Summertime,’ ‘Reality,’ ‘Live Those Songs Again,’ ‘No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems,’ ‘What I Need to Do,’ I Go Back,’ ‘Come Over’ and ‘Anything But Mine.’

“I’ve gotta tell you … we’ve missed you,” he said to the Nashville crowd, adding the last time he played in Music City was way back in 2007. “Thank you for having me back!”

As expected, the night’s finale brought the two superstars together on the same stage at the same time for a 30-minute encore, where Chesney and McGraw saved the very best for last. McGraw belted out hits such as ‘Indian Outlaw,’ while Chesney rocked songs like ‘She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.’ The twosome also performed their recent hit duet, ‘Feel Like a Rock Star,’ bringing the latest Brothers of the Sun performance to a fulfilling end.

Jake Owen and Grace Potter also took the stage earlier in the day, playing their own songs and fun covers, while Gloriana helped get the party started out in the parking lot, where they performed a special “unplugged” set while fans filtered into the stadium. The Brothers of the Sun Tour continues this weekend with a stop in North Carolina on Sunday, June 24.

[grg_straitfan]

Governor Tim McGraw? “That Was Back in My Drinking Days,” He Says
Country star dismisses his 2006 pronouncements that he might run for office in Tennessee.
Brad Schmitt | Published: Jul 06, 2012

Remember in 2006 or so when Tim McGraw said he might run for governor or U.S. senator in Tennessee?

"That was back in my drinking days," Tim now tells the Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune.

Tim quit drinking four years ago so he wouldn't set a bad example for his daughters.

"I pay attention [to politics]. I'm not sure anyone wants to hear my opinion—or that I should give my opinions."

But Tim's not totally ruling out public office.

"Who knows? I feel like I've been very fortunate. If one of these days I'm in a position where I can give back and feel like I'm smart enough to help and not just doing it for the hell of doing it, then it would be something I'd consider. But certainly it would be after my kids are grown."

[Kim]

Tim McGraw Takes Time To Reflect On Upcoming Album


Tim McGraw will release his new album, Two Lanes of Freedom, featuring his current single, “One of Those Nights,” on February 5, 2013, and he says there is a bit of reflection that happens on the new project.

“There was a transition going on in my career when we were recording this album, transition with my band. The way I did things with the management group had a transition going on so I think that all those things sort of make you reflect. They make you reflect on where you’ve been but also it’s hard to sort of figure out where you wanna go until you’ve really looked at where you’ve been.”

Tim says looking back isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary.

“Sometimes as an artist you get so … especially as a musician, you get so busy trying to move forward, trying to make music, trying to be relevant, trying to be important about what you do and trying to really live and love what you do that you forget to sort of reflect on where you’ve been and I think that when you listen to this record, there’s a lot of that reflectiveness in it.”

[Kim]

Curb Records’ ‘Tim McGraw and Friends’ to Feature 11 of Singer’s Top Duets


Curb Records


‘Tim McGraw and Friends’ — a new compilation album put together by the singer’s former record label partner Curb Records — will feature 11 fan-favorite collaborations from a 21-year career. ‘Twisted,’ a duet with Colt Ford, has been announced as the album’s single, but fans can look for other pairings with Lionel Richie, Randy Travis, Tony Bennett and Faith Hill when the compilation is released on Jan. 22, exclusively at Walmart.

Some of the 11 songs on the record were singles previously. ‘It’s Your Love’ with Hill was a No. 1 hit in 1997, and ‘Bring on the Rain’ was a No. 1 hit for Jo Dee Messina (featuring McGraw) in 2001. ‘Sail On’ (with Richie), ‘Twisted’ and many of the others also first appeared on the other singers’ albums.

This new collection comes just two weeks before McGraw will release his first studio album on Big Machine Records. ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’ will feature ‘Truck Yeah’ and his current Top 10 single, ‘One of Those Nights.’

‘Tim McGraw and Friends’ Track Listing:

1. ‘Sail On’ (with Lionel Richie)
2. ‘Twisted’ (with Colt Ford)
3. ‘Owe Them More Than That’ (with Kenny Rogers)
4. ‘Me and Tennessee’ (with Gwyneth Paltrow)
5. ‘Middle Age Crazy’ (with Jerry Lee Lewis & Jon Brion)
6. ‘Can’t Hurt a Man’ (with Randy Travis)
7. ‘Find Out Who Your Friends Are’ (with Tracy Lawrence)
8. ‘Cold, Cold Heart’ (with Tony Bennett)
9. ‘Milk Cow Blues’ (with Ray Benson)
10. ‘Bring on the Rain’ (with Jo Dee Messina)
11. ‘It’s Your Love’ (with Faith Hill)

[Kim]

Tim McGraw Covers Billboard



Billboard


Anticipation is high among both fans and the music industry for Tim McGraw‘s Big Machine debut ‘Two Lanes of Freedom,’ especially after a public and not-so-amicable split from his former label Curb. To celebrate McGraw’s latest and greatest, he covers the new issue of Billboard. Ladies, can you handle it?

The cover photo is a stark, strong image of McGraw in his trusty black leather cowboy hat and black leather jacket, as he stares straight ahead. He emits a quiet strength, while the cover headline screams, “Tim McGraw: Reborn.” That tags also reads “On Big Machine, he’s making the music he’s always wanted,” which suggests that the singer has a new lease on musical life now that he is free of his previous contractual constraints and is settled into a new label home. Fans are no doubt in for a real treat.

McGraw opens up about his relationship with his former label, which he feels held him back creatively and caused him to plateau a bit while other artists ascended, saying, “They hurt my career. I felt like I was at the top of my game, and to not be able to get to the places I wanted to be … it was really hard to sit back, with me being competitive. Nothing against any other artists — I love success for anybody.

“I always say, ‘I want everybody to do great. I just want to do better.’ Just watching all the things that are going on and to have to sit on the sidelines, it’s been tough.”

But that’s all in the rear view. “I really feel like I’m only about 35% into my career,” McGraw said, which means he feels he has barely scratched the surface. “There’s so much more ahead of me, musically and everything else. It feels like the clouds have parted and now I can find my lane and press the gas.”

‘Two Lanes of Freedom,’ which is the country superstar’s twelfth studio album, will be released Feb. 5. He calls it “a watershed moment in my career. It’s a time where I say, ‘All right, let’s see if I can go another step up. Let’s see if I can find a deeper well in what I do artistically.’”

Guess we’ll see what type of leap he took on Feb. 5.

[Kim]

Tim McGraw – 2013 New Album Preview


It hasn’t been all roses for Tim McGraw as he readies his 2013 new album for release. Titled ‘Two Lanes of Freedom,’ the record heralds big changes for the superstar, who won his contractual freedom from his former label, Curb Records, in a landmark court decision in 2011. After spending his entire career at Curb, McGraw will release his new album via Big Machine Records on February 5.

The Inspiration

McGraw has been very public about the fact that he felt Curb Records was holding him back, both creatively and in his career. He was also going through a transition with his band and management while recording the album, and he recently said that all of those changes have put him in the mood for looking backward as he moves forward. “You get so busy trying to move forward, trying to make music, trying to be relevant, trying to be important about what you do and trying to really live and love what you do that you forget to sort of reflect on where you’ve been,” McGraw stated. “I think that when you listen to this record, there’s a lot of that reflectiveness in it.”

The Songs

McGraw has always been a savvy businessman and marketeer, keeping one eye on his art and the other one on the bottom line, and from the sound of the two singles he’s released so far from his 2013 album, that hasn’t changed. ‘Truck Yeah‘ was the first single, and it’s essentially a nakedly commercial vehicle for the singer to compete with the younger crowd with its heavy ’80s rock guitar riffing and somewhat throwaway lyric about trucks. It’s perfect for the mood at radio right now — which is dominated by those kinds of tracks — while the second single ‘One of Those Nights‘ is more of a mid-tempo modern country rock track that has a little bit more to do with McGraw’s past, but still with a modern production that ought to easily score him his next big radio hit. ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’ will also contain a collaboration with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban titled ‘Highway Don’t Care.’

What to Expect

Now that he’s won his creative freedom from Curb, Tim McGraw’s 2013 album will reflect more of what he’s really wanted all along. “There’s a renewed feeling of creativity and excitement, and I want the fans to be part of it every step of the way,” he stated recently. “Freedom is a powerful word. To come into a situation where there’s some weight lifted, some refreshment going on, you can feel that in the music.” McGraw is a seasoned veteran at the radio game, a perennial touring favorite and one of the most focused and ambitious players in the Nashville game, and since his new label is one of the most influential in the new power structure in Music City, it’s probably safe to say the singer is looking at another multi-platinum smash — especially since ‘Truck Yeah’ has already been certified gold.

[Kim]

Tim McGraw: Curb Records 'Hurt My Career'


Tim McGraw has waged a lengthy legal battle with his former label, Curb Records, stemming from the record company accusing the country superstar of having breached his contract with them in 2011. While both parties hashed it out in court, Tim was unable to release any new music -- a fact that he admits still pains him almost two years later.

"They hurt my career," Tim tells Billboard magazine. "I felt like I was at the top of my game, and to not be able to get to the places I wanted to be ... it was really hard to sit back, with me being competitive. Nothing against any other artists -- I love success for anybody. I always say, 'I want everybody to do great. I just want to do better.' Just watching all the things that are going on and to have to sit on the sidelines, it's been tough."

Now signed to Big Machine Records, Tim says he is thrilled with his new label home. "I wanted to go someplace where there's a freshness and energy, and [label head] Scott [Borchetta's] got that energy," Tim explains. "Anything's possible, there's no rules, and I feel like I made my career that way. Had I known the rules, I wouldn't make records the way I make records. I've got all the freedom I want. It's a partnership."

The new set of tunes is one Tim says proves he is still reinventing himself. His continual strive to be a better artist is reflected through the musical chances he takes on Two Lanes of Freedom, his first album for new label home, Big Machine Records.

"On my last album, I was discovering some new sounds and new things that I wanted to do, scratching the surface of the direction I wanted to head," says the 45-year-old entertainer. "This album was a way to reach a little further back, to all that I'd done throughout my career, and bring both sides together -- it's a combination of that discovery, along with some rediscovery."

Two Lanes of Freedom will be released on Feb. 5. Curb Records is also issuing an album featuring Tim's previously-released duets with Lionel Richie, Kenny Chesney, Gwyneth Paltrow and others. Tim McGraw and Friends will be released Jan. 22.

[Kim]

Tim McGraw Announces Dates for Two Lanes of Freedom 2013 Tour


Truck yeah! Country music superstar Tim McGraw will release a new album titled ‘Two Lanes of Freedom‘ on Feb. 5, and in support, he’ll hit the road on a 30-date tour.

Presented by Pennzoil, the tour kicks off on May 2 in Birmingham, Ala. and runs through July 27, when it wraps up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Rising stars Brantley Gilbert and Love and Theft will open for McGraw on the tour, and McGraw has partnered with Tumblr to create the “Fanticipation” program, which will allow fans to announce through Tumblr when tickets will be available in their own hometown.

“This album marks a new sense of excitement and artistic freedom for me, and I really wanted to extend that same feeling to the tour and create a cool vibe for the fans,” McGraw explains. “Let’s leave anything that might be weighing us down out in the parking lot and spend a few hours together feeling alive and free.”

Adds the singer, “We’ve started working up new songs from the album, and there’s some really cool stuff we’ll be able to pull out this summer. My band is just kick-ass… there’s nothing these guys can’t play! We’ll be counting the days ’til Birmingham!”

Tim McGraw Two Lanes of Freedom 2013 Tour Dates:

5/2 – Birmingham, Ala.
5/3 – Charlotte, NC
5/4 – Raleigh, NC
5/10 – West Palm Beach, Fla.
5/12 – Atlanta, GA
5/17 – Philadelphia, Penn.
5/18 – Pittsburgh, Penn.
5/19 – Detroit, Mich.
5/23 – St. Louis, Missouri
5/24 – Chicago, Ill.
5/25 – Cincinnati, Ohio
5/26 – Darien Lakes, NY
5/30 – Indianapolis, Ind.
5/31 – Cleveland, Ohio
6/1 – Washington, D.C.
6/7 – San Diego, Calif.
6/8 – San Bernardino, Calif.
6/9 – Mountain View, Calif.
6/13 – Albuquerque, NM
6/14 – Salt Lake City, Utah
6/15 – Denver, Colo.
6/20 – Beaumont, Texas
6/22 – Dallas, Texas
6/28 – Hartford, Conn.
6/29 – Boston, Mass.
6/30 – Holmdel, NJ
7/25 – Toronto, Ont. - TRUCK YEAH - I'm going to this show!!
7/26 – Bethel, NY
7/27 – Virginia Beach, VA

[Kim]

Feb 1

GAC Album Review: Tim McGraw’s Two Lanes of Freedom


By Daryl Addison
gactv.com



Tim McGraw’s 2013 album, Two Lanes of Freedom.
Photo courtesy of The Green Room.


Where you wanna go? Tim McGraw asks with an urgent roll on the epic title-track of his new album, Two Lanes of Freedom. And judging by the song’s dramatic arrangement full of cascading harmonies, thundering percussion and exotic hint of didgeridoo, it seems as if Tim might really be asking himself that question as he proceeds to break free of any restraints on his new project due February 5.

Two Lanes of Freedom, Tim’s first album for Big Machine Records, is an 11-song set that builds on the progressive sounds of 2012’s Emotional Traffic. Working again with longtime producing partner Byron Gallimore (Martina McBride, Lauren Alaina), Tim experiments with new directions on the album that features a loose band willing to play with a strong groove. The current Top 10 single, “One of Those Nights,” uses percussive vocal rhythms in the vein of Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” before heading into a hook-filled chorus. On the echoing, atmospheric “Friend of a Friend,” Tim’s voice holds, dips and bends through patently lonely turns. And holding true to the head-for-the-horizon theme, both songs come to epic conclusions full of flying guitar.

Two Lanes of Freedom keeps the epic arrangements up front on a first half full of freewheeling sounds. However, a shift begins with the feel-good track, “Southern Girl,” which plays like a country version of The Beach Boys classic, “California Girls.” Those southern girls, they talk nice and slow, Tim sings before listing out the virtues of those born south of the Mason Dixon line. The song’s modern, though subtle, hip-hop influence in between popping acoustic guitars and finger snaps creates a gentle setup for the much more obvious, “Club-Tonk” rocker, “Truck Yeah,” which opens with the line, Got Lil Wayne bumpin’ on my iPod. Yet, just when you think Tim might settle in on the dance floor, get ready for the downright beautiful, “Nashville Without You.”

Folk-inspired acoustic guitars, shuffling percussion and mandolin carry Tim’s smooth drawl though the album’s most clever song. “Nashville Without You” uses classic country references ranging from ‘The Man in Black’ to song titles like “Hey, Good Lookin’” and “Jolene” to expertly capture the history and spirit of Music City with an equally-effective miss-her-badly story line. It’s also the first of a back half loaded with finely-crafted and memorable songs.

The sad, piano-based ballad, “Number 37405,” and the descending, “Book of John,” offer some of the album’s most poignant songwriting. Both showcasing rich emotion, the former details the tough story of an inmate, where, the music from his radio is like freedom down a dirt road. On the latter, a family gathers around a father’s journal found after he passed. Pictures and stories come alive as Tim paints deep portraits of his characters. Even “Mexicoma,” a sun-drenched Riviera tune benefiting from a fun-loving delivery, capitalizes on its characters. She said, ‘Adios,’/So I said, ‘Hello, Don Julio, top-shelf, self-help remedy’, Tim sings with a bounce and a steady grin.

Taylor Swift and Keith Urban join on the album’s closing song, “Highway Don’t Care,” providing harmony vocals and some of Keith’s exquisite guitar leads. Images of stretched out pavement bring the album full circle, but they also serve as a reminder that this is a new beginning for Tim. The road will always go on, and for Tim McGraw, Two Lanes of Freedom is the start of the next ride. So, where you wanna go?

Key Tracks – “Nashville Without You,” “Mexicoma,” “Number 37405,” “Two Lanes and Freedom”

[Kim]

FEEL GOOD TIME

After flaunting his rock-hard abs during Friday's (Feb 1) Good Morning America performance in New Orleans, Tim McGraw cozies up to jubilant GMA anchor Robin Roberts, who recently made her return.

[Kim]

Tim McGraw Spills on Recording ‘Highway Don’t Care’ ‘With’ Taylor Swift, Keith Urban


Is ‘Highway Don’t Care’ one of your favorite tracks from Tim McGraw‘s ‘Two Lanes of Freedom‘ album? If so, you have modern technology to thank for the colossal collaboration between the superstar, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.

The blending of the vocals and instrumental track on ‘Highway Don’t Care’ sounds as if the three acts spent an unlimited time together in the recording studio, but fans would be interested to find out that none of them actually stepped foot in the same room at the same time in the process.

“Thank God for modern technology because everybody is so busy,” McGraw confesses (quote via Country Music Tattle Tale). “I could just shoot over the track to Keith and he could lay his part down and Taylor could do the same.”

But would ‘Highway Don’t Care’ have benefited from in-person interaction between the track’s three featured musicians? McGraw doesn’t think so.

“It’s hard to say, but I don’t know how it could be any better,” he gushes. “I knew I wanted Taylor from the very beginning, and Keith and I have been trying to find a way to work together for a long time. This was the perfect song for all of us.”

“I’m a big fan of both of those guys. I think Taylor is just a really special artist for all of music. And she’s a real shining light in our industry,” McGraw furthers in an exclusive interview with Taste of Country. “And I think Keith Urban is one of the most talented guys around. I’ve always been a huge fan of his as an artist and a singer, but his guitar playing I think is second to none. He’s one of the best guitar players out there. To have him play guitar on my record is just something special.”

In our review of McGraw’s new studio album, we concur that ‘Highway Don’t Care’ is one of the standout tracks. ‘Two Lanes of Freedom,’ which impacted on Feb. 5, serves as the singer’s highly-anticipated debut Big Machine Records release. The McGraw/Swift/Urban song is already at No. 2 on iTunes Top 10 most-downloaded country songs, just behind Swift’s ‘I Knew You Were Trouble.’

[Kim]

Tim McGraw Says His New Music is Optimistic


Tim McGraw’s new album, Two Lanes of Freedom, his first for Big Machine Records, is now available. For Tim, one of the biggest differences he experienced while making the album was the excitement of knowing how and when it would be released to his fans.

“Knowing that I was gonna have a cohesive plan with what was gonna happen with my music after we were finished with it,” Tim said. “Knowing it wasn’t going to sit there for a couple of years and knowing that I was going to make a record that we were able to do something with and plan around it, plan a tour, do all the things that we needed to do to get the most out of my music. That was the biggest thing for me.”

Tim is enjoying this new chapter in his career and believes his new music will reflect that. “I sort of came off a dirt road and hit a new gear,” he said. “That’s what I wanted it to feel like and that’s the vibe I wanted this record to have. There’s an optimistic and fresh feel to it.”

Tim is also giving fans the opportunity to have even more new music by releasing the Accelerated Deluxe Edition of Two Lanes of Freedom. The deluxe edition features three additional songs and a live version of “Truck Yeah.”

“There were so many songs and there’s still other songs that we just didn’t have room for,” Tim said. So, it’s just trying to find a place to have room for more songs and this was the way to do it. I had them sitting there and we’d worked on them and they were so good and they didn’t fit the way we originally wanted the album to flow, so theses were great to add to it.”

[Kim]

CMT News

Tim McGraw Talks About "Nights" and Nashville - Country Superstar Releases New Album

February 4, 2013
Written by Craig Shelburne


In spite of being one of the biggest stars country music has ever known, Tim McGraw is an easy guy to talk to. That appealing personality is one of the reasons he's had such a lasting career. The other, of course, is his music.

McGraw marks the release of a new album, Two Lanes of Freedom, on Tuesday (Feb. 5). In the first part of this exclusive two-part interview with CMT.com, the entertainer chats about his new single ("One of Those Nights"), his tip of the hat to his adopted hometown and the response he hopes to get from fans.

CMT: What was it about the song "One of Those Nights" that pulled you in?

McGraw: That's a "making a memory" song. I think what's attractive about that song is that you've either had those memories or you're looking forward to making those memories. So it sort of grabs everybody, young and old. You can look back on your life and think about the times you felt that way. And as a teenager, you start thinking about all the memories you're going to make throughout your life.

Do you consider yourself a nostalgic person?

Sometimes, you know. I love history, but I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my past, in particular, because I'm really focused on trying to do the things I want to do in my life and live my life and move forward. I think one of these days maybe I'll get on a rocking chair and look back, but right now I'm too busy moving forward.

Speaking of history, "Nashville Without You" pays respect to the history of country music. Why was that an important song to include here?

I just loved the song. I like what it says. I really never heard something written from this perspective about this town. It's really true, though. Our careers -- the money that we make now and the success we have as artists -- were built on the backs of these trailblazers and the ones that came before us. They really made country music something that people turned on and listened to and made it such a huge, huge genre. Some of the music and these artists that have built our industry are just icons.

Do you remember the first country legend that you met?

Merle Haggard was a big deal to me. When I met him, it was one of those moments where you're speechless. You can't really say anything. He fills the room with his presence. He's very intense and very smart, too.

You've lived here a long time. Do you remember a time when the city of Nashville has been so much in the spotlight?

No, I'm so proud of this town. I've said this a million times, but when I moved here, I fell in love with Nashville instantly. I would have lived here no matter what. If I hadn't had a career in music, I would have found something to do in this town because I love it so much. The people are so fantastic, the history in this town, everything about it. I'm glad that people are starting to discover it, although you don't want too many people to discover it because you don't want it to change too much. Any friends that we've had come out from L.A. or wherever to visit, they always fall in love with Nashville, and everybody wants to live here. It's one of the last great places to raise a family. And to pursue a music career, for sure. Country music is in a great place right now with a lot of great artists.

Do you feel like it's bigger than it's ever been?

I feel like it's hitting another rebirth, I guess, like it did in the early 1990s. I feel like we're going through one of those. And it's because of the great new artists that we have coming out and the artists who are making great music. It's a great time for everybody in the business.

As an entertainer, what is the highest compliment that a fan can give you?

I think as an artist, you just want music to be a part of people's lives. When someone has an experience with your song, whether it's a sad experience or a happy experience or something that marks a time in their life, that's the thing as an artist that you like to hear.

When you find a song that really fits you, like "Two Lanes of Freedom," is there a sense of exhilaration that you feel?

Oh, that song is like hitting a release button! The sounds in that record have this sort of Gaelic-driven thing, and it's got this [film director] Terrence Malick vision, this epic quality to it. It really drove the sounds and what the rest of the album felt like. That's the reason it's the title track. That's the reason it's the lead-off song of the album because it sets the tone for the whole record.

I know there's a lot going on when you're onstage, but how tuned in are you to the audience reaction? Are you able to gauge their reactions to the new songs?

I think so. I mean, as an artist, you really feed off the audience a lot. Their energy reflects off of you -- and vice versa. So when you play a new record, you get a feel really quickly. I've done that throughout my career. I've done stuff really early to get it out there and play it in a live venue. If something strikes someone in that situation -- when they're there to hear hits and they're not too disappointed to hear something new -- then you know you might have something.

As an entertainer, are cell phones and digital cameras a distraction for you?

No, they don't bother me at all. Watching the Golden Globes and Jodie Foster's speech about privacy, that's something I really agree with. I think artists are too opened up to the world. There's not a lot of mystery there. I think that tends to get an audience tired of you quicker. But the cell phones and the pictures and all that stuff, it's part of the system now. It's fine with me. It doesn't bother me.

But you wouldn't want a camera following you around.

No, I wouldn't want a camera following me around all the time. I tweet occasionally, but I don't think people need to know everything about your life all the time. Why? They'll get tired of you.

Has Twitter grown on you much?

Not much. We do a few things but not much. The things that people talk about all the time, like if we have dinner with friends or vacations, it's a no-Twitter zone. I'm not stuck on my phone anyway. I offered it up to my family: "Let's put a basket on the counter, and at 5 o'clock every day, everybody puts those phones in the basket." But I got a lot of resistance from the females in the house. (laughs) But I take mine to the bathroom and leave it there around 5 or 6 at night.

Is your phone pretty busy during the day?

Not really because most friends of mine are in the same boat as me. And the people who work for me, everybody knows I'm not a big fan of the phone. I don't usually get a call unless it's something that's urgent.

In your career, you played clubs a long time, then you exploded into arenas. But did you ever take the middle slot on a big tour?

Briefly. I did a tour with Sawyer Brown, which was awesome, and I had a lot of fun with them. I did a tour with Joe Diffie. Little Texas and I did a tour together. And I opened for Dwight Yoakam for a little while, too. I'm a big fan. I love Dwight's new record. I'd love to do a record with Dwight one of these days.

In the days leading up to a big tour, what is going through your mind?

Usually panic, making sure everything works right. You know, the last couple of weeks before a tour is usually when everything that's going to go wrong has gone wrong. You try to fix things, or you're trying to cut songs or add songs in. And you're trying to get the stage design exactly the way you want it -- all the little things that aren't too exciting to think about. Two weeks out, you start thinking about transitions between songs. That's really when the toughest work comes in -- two weeks before the tour.

What was your set list like when you first started headlining?

I played a lot of album cuts. (laughs) Because I didn't have that many hits. I still do "The Joker" a lot of times, and I used to do the Allman Brothers' "Ramblin' Man." You carried a little bit about what you learned in clubs until you had enough hits to do a whole show.

What kind of equipment were you hauling with you back then?

You know, I don't even remember my first headline show. I don't even remember what it looked like. For my first headline tour in '96, Faith was my opening act. And I spent so much time trying to get her to like me, I don't remember too much about what was going on.

I thought that was supposed to be the Spontaneous Combustion tour.

It was spontaneous combustion. For me, it was spontaneous! (laughs) I don't know if it was for her!