Diamond Rio / Mo Pitney

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Diamond Rio
Biography
Formed in 1989 in Nashville, TN the band consists of Gene Johnson (mandolin, tenor vocals), Jimmy Olander (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo), Brian Prout (drums), Marty Roe (lead vocal), Dan Truman (keyboards), and Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals).
Diamond Rio’s most recent release I Made It, is their tenth studio album. The title track was co-written by the band’s lead guitarist Jimmy Olander and features 11 new songs. Produced by Olander and Mike Clute, I Made It is available on iTunes and www.diamondrio.com
Diamond Rio signed to Arista Records and in 1991 with the release of “Meet In The Middle” became the first country music group in history to reach No. 1 with a debut single. The band is also known for their hits “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “One More Day,” “Beautiful Mess,” “Unbelievable,” “In A Week or Two,” and more. They released their first-ever autobiography, Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio on Thomas Nelson in 2009.
The band known for playing every note on every album recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary, has sold more than 10 million albums, won a Grammy Award, a Dove Award, six Vocal Group of the Year wins (CMA and ACM), released two Greatest Hit albums, a live and Christmas project, earned five multi-week no. 1 singles, 22 Top 10 singles, three certified Platinum and five gold albums, released an autobiography – and with zero band member changes. Known for their charity commitments including long-time spokespersons for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the band has raised over $1,000,000.00 for non-profits and received the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award.
Facebook: DiamondRioTwitter: @DiamondRioBand
Instagram: diamondrioband
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Mo Pitney
Biography
When the time came for Mo Pitney to choose a title track for his new album,
there was little doubt as to which song it should be. After years spent both honing
his sound and growing his family, Pitney reached something of a turning point:
He knew who he was as an artist and a person, and felt it was time to introduce
himself in song. The title of new track "Ain't Lookin' Back" summed things up
better than anything else could, and Pitney's long-awaited sophomore album was
born.
Ain't Lookin' Back follows Pitney's 2016 debut Behind This Guitar, an acclaimed
LP that cracked Billboard's Top Ten Country Albums Chart the first week of its
release. Pitney recorded Behind This Guitar with veteran producer Tony Brown,
an experience he says greatly informed how he approached his time in the studio
for Ain't Lookin' Back.
"Since then, I feel like I’ve learned a lot being in the studio," Pitney says. "I
almost learned so much it made me partially gun-shy on this second album.
When you’re in the middle of making an album, at least my first album,
everything was exciting and sounded good to me. I didn’t know what I really
wanted and what I didn’t."
In the years following Behind This Guitar's release, Pitney found himself "writing
for the sake of writing," as he puts it, following his passion to "write every day"
and see what comes of the practice. "I don’t know that I was even thinking much
about making my next album," he says. "But when I had about five or six songs
that I really started to want to play live, the thought came into my mind, ‘It’s time
to make a record.’"
Ain't Lookin' Back began to take fuller shape when Pitney brought on a new
producer, his longtime friend and collaborator Jim "Moose" Brown. Moose had
played piano on Pitney's very first Nashville recording and, after Pitney had taken
several meetings with potential producers, kept coming up as the right person to
help helm the project.
"We had breakfast," Pitney shares, "and I said, ‘Moose, I really want to make a
record and I’ve just been waiting for the right person. My wife has brought your
name up. Your name has come to mind a bunch for me. Would you produce my
next project?' He says, ‘You know what, Mo? Let me think about it.’"
At first, Pitney was taken aback by what seemed to be Brown's hesitancy, but
soon realized that the producer's diligence was exactly what he needed in a
partner in the studio. "Moose listened to the first album and to everything of mine
on YouTube, and of course he had played on a bunch of my demos, too, and
tried to absorb who I was," Pitney says. "I have never had anyone in town study
me musically as much as he did before we went into the studio. He wanted to
really understand who I was."
Together, Pitney and Brown began poring over the hundreds of songs Pitney had
written over the years, while also listening to outside songs and remaining open
to any new ideas Pitney may have in the process. They whittled down the bunch
to about 22 tracks before making charts for the band and heading into the studio
for three days of recording. After some internal deliberations and conversations
with his team at Curb, Pitney chose the 13 tracks that best represented him in
this season of his life.
Pitney describes his time making Ain't Lookin' Back as "the most joyful" musical
experience he's had thus far. Making the album transported him to a time when
he made music for music's sake, and one can hear that joy in the 13 tracks that
comprise the new LP. His growth is also evident in the songs' arrangements,
which incorporate new sounds like loop pedals and programmed drums, both of
which Pitney had feared including in his earlier music, but now feels are
important tools in his musical toolbox. “I realized I could use these in a way that
still had heart and stay authentic to my style,” shares Pitney.
"Before making my first album, music, for me, was completely made out of desire
and love and faith," he says. "I knew I was supposed to make music, so when I
sat down to sing, when I felt all three of those things, everything I was doing was
really believable to me and the people around me. Moving to Nashville, I adopted
making music out of fear. The second the red light went on and there were
people around me that had certain expectations of what it was supposed to
sound like, it immediately instilled in me this fear that I wasn’t going to live up to
that."
You can hear Pitney's joy all across Ain't Lookin' Back, from the opening acoustic
guitar notes of "A Music Man" to the final chords of closing track, "Jonas." The
rhythmic acoustic guitar and shuffling beat of the title track mimic a train
triumphantly leaving the station, as Pitney sings, "I ain't lookin' back, why would I
when I ain't going that way?" "Boy Gets the Girl" is sweet and playful, the kind of
song that's sure to land on plenty of romantic summer playlists. The wistful
"Mattress on the Floor" chronicles Pitney's early days with his wife, channeling
the excitement of young love through evocative images like "bedsheet on the
window" and "boxed wine on her kiss."
Pitney went on a sonic journey while making Ain't Lookin' Back, but his life
outside of the writing room played a big role in shaping his new music, too. He
and his wife Emily welcomed their first child, Evelyne, in 2017, and are expecting
a second child in July. Being a parent has been integral to Pitney's ability to
reconnect with his purest musical passions while also serving as motivation to
get out, make new music and have faith that he is walking the right path.
"Two things happened with having a baby," he says. "Everyone talks about how,
when a kid comes, you're able to see the world through their eyes again and a
leaf falling on the driveway is the most interesting thing in the world. You have
the ability to start over and relive that again... But also, it's like, 'Oh my gosh. This
little kid depends on me to bring checks home and pay the bills.' That's where the
faith has to take over that God has a plan, and He's taking care of my daughter
more than I am. I don't think He believes in ruining art for the sake of financial
gain."
Ain't Lookin' Back nods decidedly to Pitney's musical roots, which are certainly
steeped in country tradition, but find him firmly facing forward. More than that,
though, it's a snapshot of a man who found the faith in The One thing that could
help him come into his own and share with others what he's learned along the
way.
Show Description
To view the Diamond Rio Giveaway rules, click here
GRAMMY award winning country act Diamond Rio has announced a performance in Cincinnati at Taft Theatre on Friday, January 6. Up and coming country singer Mo Pitney will support the show.
ABOUT DIAMOND RIO
Formed in 1989 in Nashville, TN the band consists of Gene Johnson (mandolin, tenor vocals), Jimmy Olander (lead guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo), Brian Prout (drums), Marty Roe (lead vocal), Dan Truman (keyboards), and Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals).
Diamond Rio’s most recent release I Made It, is their tenth studio album. The title track was co-written by the band’s lead guitarist Jimmy Olander and features 11 new songs. Produced by Olander and Mike Clute, I Made It is available on iTunes and www.diamondrio.com
Diamond Rio signed to Arista Records and in 1991 with the release of “Meet In The Middle” became the first country music group in history to reach No. 1 with a debut single. The band is also known for their hits “How Your Love Makes Me Feel,” “One More Day,” “Beautiful Mess,” “Unbelievable,” “In A Week or Two,” and more. They released their first-ever autobiography, Beautiful Mess: The Story of Diamond Rio on Thomas Nelson in 2009.
The band known for playing every note on every album recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary, has sold more than 10 million albums, won a Grammy Award, a Dove Award, six Vocal Group of the Year wins (CMA and ACM), released two Greatest Hit albums, a live and Christmas project, earned five multi-week no. 1 singles, 22 Top 10 singles, three certified Platinum and five gold albums, released an autobiography – and with zero band member changes. Known for their charity commitments including long-time spokespersons for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the band has raised over $1,000,000.00 for non-profits and received the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award.
*While supplies last. Tickets are subject to price increase based on demand, applicable taxes and Ticketmaster fees. All events rain or shine. Dates, times and artists subject to change without notice.