Little Big Town photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.
Each week country music expert Neil Haislop answers your questions!
Q: When is "Fine Line" by Little Big Town going to be on the radio?
(Abby, Wilder, KY)
A: Abby, backstage at the Saturday night big stadium show at the CMA Music Festival, Little Big Town said they will release "Fine Line" in a "couple of weeks." That was June 7, so about the last week in June or shortly there after, you should be hearing the group's new single on the radio.
Q: Tim and Faith mentioned a while ago that it will be awhile before they are able to put together a duets album. I am wondering with all the stuff that keeps coming up, maybe they just don't like working together that much. Wish they would get moving and take care of this matter next year. Can you find out if they might do an album next year, or at least try to fit one into their busy schedules?
(Myra, Breese, IL)
A: First Myra, they love working together or they could never have done the last two years on tour together. Also, they love singing together when a worthy song pops up to do a duet with. There won't be a duet album next year. Faith came backstage at the CMA Music Festival stadium show and said her main priority career-wise will be the release and promotion of her Christmas album this year. Otherwise, she says she's glad to have time off the road to be with her kids, saying, "The most important thing in my life is family, my daughters and our home."
I think Tim and Faith's camps are always on the lookout for duet-worthy songs. But as you can tell, their standards are high and it's hard to find great material like they have. I'm convinced they'll do a duet album when they have enough great material, and I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.
Q: Shania Twain fans are anxious to find out how her split from Mutt Lange has impacted her recording career. Although she hasn't set a release date for her next album and 2008 remains highly doubtful, word is she wants to scrap the tracks she already laid down with Mutt and start from scratch. Is there any truth to this?
(Amanda, West Midlands, England)
A: Amanda, my first reaction was to hope they'd already completed her projects before the split. There's no confirmation on that, but Shania was quoted recently as saying she and Mutt will continue to be partners in their music business affairs. There was no indication of how long that relationship will last?but hopefully, it means they have or soon will have, at least one more project to collaborate on. Only time will tell.
Q: Which country star would Taylor Swift like to go on tour with the most?
(Cassie, Tracy City, TN)
A: Cassie, I think it's no secret that Taylor Swift would like to tour with Tim McGraw if she could. But her career is growing so quickly she might very well begin doing some headlining herself next year. At this point, her future plans are unknown. Her immediate plans are to continue to tour the rest of the year opening for Rascal Flatts.
Q: This was my first year at CMA Music Fest and the reason I wanted to go was to see Jason Aldean, who didn't attend. He's my favorite beyond words, so my question is: Should I take the risk of buying good seats/tickets for next year and hope that maybe he'll show up, or just expect him to be on tour again?
(Lindsey, Pine Bluff, AR)
A: Lindsey, at this point not even the CMA knows who they'll invite to participate next year. So, it's hard to advise you on that. I would just make sure that you bookmark the CMA Music Festival website (www.cmaworld.com), click on CMA Music Festival, and check in periodically to see if they've posted that dates on that website for next year's festival and when tickets will go on sale. They usually list many of the artists that will participate at that time. I'd be surprised if Jason misses CMA Festival two years in a row just because he's already gathered so many loyal fans like you.
Q: I was just wondering how songs get ranked on the Billboard and Radio & Records charts. It seems like the whole chart ranking is a popularity contest. Anything that Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, and Rascal Flatts release shoots straight to the top of the chart and becomes a Top 10 or a No. 1, but very talented new artists like Rissi Palmer seem to struggle to even get a Top 40 hit. Also, I would like to know if there was some way fans could help get their favorite songs to the top of the charts.
(Frank, Plattsburgh, NY)
A: Well Frank, the record charts are, and always have been, popularity contests.
In the very early days of Billboard, hits were determined as much by Jukebox sales as they were radio airplay. If people liked the song they heard on the radio and spent money to hear on the Jukebox, it was a hit. Today's methodology isn't a whole lot different. Record companies send singles to radio stations, radio stations either like them well enough to put them on the radio or they don't. If they put them on the radio and listeners respond favorably wanting to hear it more, the record gets more spins. The more it's played the bigger hit it becomes. The bottom line for fans is, support your favorite singers by being active, calling stations to request their songs, download singles and buy their albums.