Tag: new-music

Mississippi gospel group signs recording deal with Nashville label

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JEFF TURNER

Right Road Quartet of Columbia, Mississippi has signed a recording agreement with Big Picture Records.

The quartet began performing in March 2022 and has traveled since then. Matt Linton serves as the lead singer and founded the group. The other members are Kip Barrier, who sings tenor, Jason Pope, who sings baritone, and Caleb Dunn, who sings bass.

Matt Linton, Lead (Courtesy Right Road Quartet, 2025)

“Myself and Right Road Quartet are absolutely thrilled to be officially signed with Big Picture Records,” Linton said. “The entire team at Big Picture has been incredible to work with. We are so thankful for their belief in our ministry and music. We can’t wait to see what doors the Lord continues to open!”

Ed Leonard of Big Picture Records, which operates under Daywind Music Group, said the label looks forward to working with the quartet. “We are excited to work with Right Road Quartet to spread the Gospel to people everywhere,” Leonard said. “I can’t wait for fans to hear the new music they are making!”

Jaquita Jenkins, who handles artist relations for Big Picture Records, added that the group fits well with the label’s other performers. “We’re happy to add Right Road to the family of great artists at Big Picture Records. Their excellence in both recording and live performance will raise the bar,” Jenkins said.

Right Road Quartet from the 2024 NQC

Radio stations received the song in November, and it will become available on streaming services and download platforms in January 2026.

Right Road Quartet will perform at the National Quartet Convention in September 2026. The group also has concerts scheduled at other Southern Gospel events around the country.

The group’s first release with Big Picture Records is a song called “Just One Drop of Blood.” Kevin Wright wrote the song. Three producers worked on the recording: the late Garry Jones, Matthew Browder, and John Darin Rowsey. Jones previously worked with Gold City, Mercy’s Mark, and Canton Junction.

Before forming Right Road Quartet, Linton worked as a solo performer. He started the group because of his interest in quartet music.

Chris Allman of Greater Vision praised Right Road Quartet’s performances. “There’s no sound that compares to solid four-part harmony when it’s done well. Right Road Quartet is one that executes the music and represents Gospel Music in a way that makes us all proud. They sound great, are exciting to watch and present themselves in a classy manner,” Allman stated.

Big Picture Records started in 2021 as part of Daywind Music Group. The label works with several Southern Gospel artists, including Justified Quartet, Steve Ladd, and the Mark Dubbeld Family. The company provides promotion, marketing, and distribution services for its artists.

Joseph Habedank releases The Great Adventure: A Tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Two-time GRAMMY® nominee and Dove Award-winning artist Joseph Habedank has honoured one of Christian music’s most celebrated voices with the release of his new project, The Great Adventure: A Tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman, now available through Daywind Records as of November 21.

The 12-track collection reimagines some of Steven Curtis Chapman’s most beloved and timeless songs, interpreted through Habedank’s signature voice and artistry. The album features fan favourites including “His Strength Is Perfect,” “My Redeemer Is Faithful and True,” and the iconic title track, “The Great Adventure.”

The first single, Habedank’s re-fashioned version of “The Great Adventure,” arrived on September 5, giving listeners an early glimpse of the powerful and heartfelt renditions that shape the full album. Produced by Brent Milligan, the project offers a fresh perspective on Chapman’s classics while remaining true to the heart and message that have inspired generations.

“Steven Curtis Chapman’s music has been a soundtrack of faith for so many of us,” shares Joseph Habedank. “It’s an honour to pay tribute to the incredible songs that shaped my own walk and to share them with today’s audiences in a new way.”

“I’m truly humbled by Joseph’s decision to record this tribute,” says Chapman. “Hearing these songs interpreted through his voice and heart is such a gift. I pray they will continue to encourage and inspire people just as they have throughout the years.”

With a career spanning more than 35 years, Steven Curtis Chapman remains the most awarded artist in Christian music history, with 59 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, 5 GRAMMY® Awards, and countless hits that have left an indelible mark on the genre.

The Great Adventure: A Tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman is more than a covers project, it’s a heartfelt celebration and reimagining of Chapman’s legacy, presented through the lens of one of today’s leading voices in Christian music.

“I’m blown away and incredibly honoured that my friend Joseph has released an entire album of my songs! I can’t wait for everybody to hear it!” – Steven Curtis Chapman

The King James Boys Shine Light on “The Best Selling Book Of All Time”

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SPECIAL PINECASTLE RECORDS

Nashville, Tenn. – Bluegrass Gospel powerhouse The King James Boys are keeping the momentum alive with their brand new radio single, “The Best Selling Book Of All Time.” Available now on all digital and streaming platforms, the moving anthem is pulled from their latest chart-topping album Get A Transfer. Fans can stream or download the new single and full album HERE.

Written by Christopher Burton, “The Best Selling Book Of All Time” highlights the eternal message of the Bible. Its lyrics serve as a reminder that the Good Book was written by all people and continues to guide lives across every generation and walk of life. The recording features band members Randy Spencer (guitar, lead vocals), Cole Spencer (bass, harmony vocals), Curtis Lewis (banjo) and Will Hart (mandolin, harmony vocals). The new single follows on the heels of their chart-topping anthem “The News That Never Changes,” which is currently No. 1 on the Bluegrass Today Gospel Weekly Airplay Chart, where it has spent multiple weeks at the top since its late-spring release.

The momentum continues for Get A Transfer, which has become one of the biggest projects of The King James Boys’ career. The album has spent 23 consecutive weeks in the No. 1 position on the Roots Music Report Gospel Bluegrass Album Chart, where it debuted earlier this year, and earned a glowing 5-star review from the publication. The collection has also produced multiple hits including the lead single “Glory Ride” and fan-favorite “Ready and Waiting.”

Based in the upstate of South Carolina, The King James Boys have been carrying the message of Bluegrass Gospel for over 30 years. Since their beginnings in 1994, the group has dedicated their mission to preserving and promoting the gospel through heartfelt harmonies, uplifting performances and a sound rooted in tradition. Over the years, they’ve earned a reputation as one of the genre’s most consistent voices, blending their faith with a genuine passion for connecting with audiences everywhere. Today, they continue to build on that legacy with sincerity, energy, and an unwavering commitment to the music’s timeless message.

With a jam-packed touring schedule throughout 2025, The King James Boys are taking their message nationwide. Looking ahead, they’re set to kick off 2026 aboard Danny Stewart’s Bluegrass Cruise, departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, January 15-19. To learn more about The King James Boys, find upcoming tour dates, or stream/purchase Get A Transfer, visit their official website at www.thekingjamesboys.com.

Eighteen Mile releases debut single,”Above The Clouds”

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SPECIAL: MOUNTAIN HOME MUSIC COMPANY

August 29, 2025 — Newly signed to Mountain Home Music Company, bluegrass gospel quintet Eighteen Mile took shape when young musicians performing in the ministry-supporting Steve Pettit Band felt called to seek their own professional path after wrapping up an album with producer Andy Leftwich, who recommended them to the label’s attention. For their debut Mountain Home single, the group presents “Above the Clouds,” a gently flowing meditation on the blessing of assurance.

“I wrote ‘Above the Clouds’ during a season when I was wrestling with uncertainty and learning to trust God more deeply,” says the song’s lead vocalist and Eighteen Mile bassist, Hallie Ritter. “The song became a reminder to myself that no matter what we face — doubt, anxiety, or pain — God is steady and present above it all. I wanted the music to feel hopeful, something that lifts listeners up and reminds them that the sun still shines above every storm.”

Bandmates Carson Aaron (guitar, mandolin) and Emily Guy complement Ritter’s confident voice on the chorus’s elegantly phrased simplicity:

This old world can’t hold me down, I’ve got another life I’ve found
And a greater God
This old man can’t change my mind, I know the sun will always shine
Above the clouds

Eighteen Mile’s other multi-instrumentalist, Jack Ritter, offers some delicate guitar picking that underlines the tranquillity of that other life, while fiddler Savannah Aaron delivers the arrangement’s signature figure that punctuates the song from beginning to end. The combination of vocal strength, sympathetic instrumental work and well-crafted writing exemplified by “Above the Clouds” make Eighteen Mile artists to watch — and to listen to.

Says the group, “We hope this song is an encouragement to listeners in all areas of life who may be dealing with clouds of doubt, pain, and anxieties. The sun will always shine above the clouds.”

“Above the Clouds” is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.

The Inspirations announce upcoming album,Up Above The World So High

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AMY TURNER / CROSSROADS RECORDS

Arden, North Carolina (May 28, 2025) — Their receipt of the esteemed Singing News Favorite Artist of the Year award is only a few months in the rear-view mirror, and the ascent to the top of the charts by their latest single, “My Name’s Already There,” is more recent still, but the young men making up the refreshed lineup of legendary quartet, The Inspirations, are hardly letting the grass grow under their feet. Teamed for the first time with producer/pianist Roger Talley, The Inspirations are back from the ever-flowing well of tradition with Up Above The World So High, a new collection for Horizon Records — now available for pre-save/add ahead of its July 18 release — that’s sure to bring joy to any listener whose soul has ever resonated with the classic Inspirations sound.
“I attended my very first Inspirations concert in 1970,” notes Talley, “and I’ve admired them from afar ever since then. When they asked me to produce their new album, I got to know them in a far greater capacity by getting on the bus and going with them for a weekend of concert dates. These young men really care about the people they sing to, and I quickly learned how fiercely their fans love and support them in return.”

Indeed, the reasons for the fans’ devotion are apparent from the first notes of the album opener, “I’ll Wear a White Robe,” as Talley’s piano and pedal steel guitar from the group’s baritone singer—and multi-instrumentalist— Luke Vaught ring out with a profoundly traditional sound. At a time when the Southern Gospel tag includes so many modern variations, the thrilling sounds of yesteryear that the quartet — Roland Kesterson (lead), Isaac Moore (tenor), Wyatt Austin (bass) and Vaught — have captured so well serve not only to remind long-time listeners of the genre’s historical heights and offer an introduction to new fans, but center once again the kinds of lessons and stories that have brought comfort and joy to millions through the years.

With its blend of thoughtfully selected classics like the title track, the Luke Vaught guitar-driven “Press On, O Pilgrim, There Is Joy Ahead” and the intricately harmonized “I’ve Been A Walking With My Lord,” and well-matched new songs such as “He’s Still The Same God” brought to life with spirited arrangements that offer each member of the quartet a chance to take center stage, Up Above The World So High captures the musical and spiritual renewal The Inspirations bring to each of their performances.

Says Talley, “I admire their talents, but even more their dedication to serving the Lord and His children. I’m proud to call them my friends, and I hope you enjoy and are blessed by this new project!”