Aspiring Country Musicians Embark On The Road

Country music’s newest reality competition The Road, made its debut on Sunday, October 19th. Twelve aspiring musicians piled onto a tour bus and took off on a journey that has the ability to change the course of the career.

Keith Urban and Blake Shelton have partnered with Yellowstone’s Taylor Sheridan to create the docuseries-style competition. Each week, the musicians must perform original music for a new live audience in a different city. The crowd votes in real time the contestants who they think were the best performers.

From those who received the least amount of votes, Urban and Shelton are given the difficult task of choosing one contestant to send home. If you missed the premiere of The Road, visit this page for a recap and see who was sent home.

The Artists Show Their Versatility On The Newest Episode Of The Road

On Sunday, October 26th, the second episode of The Road found the remaining contestants in Dallas, Texas. The group was split in half for a two night event. Different from the first week, each musician was asked to perform two songs: one original and one cover.

Prior to taking the stage at The Factory in Deep Ellum, executive producer Taylor Sheridan imparted some wisdom on the contestants. He reminded them to live in the moment, “forget that this is a competition,” and make the most of the time they have on stage.

Britnee Kellogg opened the show with a cover of Miranda Lambert’s “Tin Man,” which Urban commended as a good song choice. She followed that with an original tune, “Back Of My Mind,” dedicated to her ex-husband’s new flame.

Up next, Adam Sanders performed a song he wrote for Cole Swindell titled “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey.” The single went number-one on the US Country Airplay Chart in 2015 and, as Sanders says, “changed his life forever.” Next, he showcased a brand-new original song, “Cat in a Hit.”

Cody Hibbard first covered the 2004 hit “Letters From Home” by John Michael Montgomery. Then, he let his personal style shine through his original song “Dying Breed,” which was inspired by the work ethic he developed by growing up on a farm.

New mom Jenny Tolman brought the energy with her cover of The Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl.” While on stage, she suffered a slight wardrobe malfunction which left her rattled. Next, she slowed things down with her original song “Til My Tank Is Empty.” She wrote the song for her husband, guitarist and producer, Dave Brainard.

Olivia Harms payed homage to Waylon and Willie with “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.” After landing in the bottom three the first week, the Oregon native hoped to make an impression with her original song “Hey There Cowboy.”

Finally, seasoned musician Channing Wilson played “Honky Tonk Heroes” by Waylon Jennings. He closed the show with his poignant song, “Drink That Strong.” As he left the stage, Shelton admitted, “I love that guy.”