Jake Owen, Chris Young, Dan + Shay and More Go Behind-The-Scenes at Radio Row
Go behind-the-scenes of Westwood One/Cumulus Radio Row, where artists like Dan + Shay and Jake Owen spend time talking to stations from around the country.
Thanks to social media, fans can now get a real time inside look at what some of their favorite country stars are up to on a daily basis. With the world at our fingertips thanks to smart devices, we can see what the stars are up to, whether they’re embarking on a lengthy tour around the country, busy working in the studio on new music, or chilling at home with their families.
Sometimes, there are more industry-facing events that fans don’t normally get to see, much like the Westwood One/Cumulus Radio Row, which takes place every year in the days leading up to the Academy of Country Music Awards. Radio Row allows artists, within just a few hours, to talk to radio stations from across the country and keep fans up-to-date with what’s going on in their personal lives and careers.
To give fans a deeper look at what goes on in Radio Row, Sounds Like Nashville spoke with several artists, including Jake Owen, Chris Young, Dan + Shay, Jerrod Niemann, Runaway June, Ryan Follese, Old Dominion and many about why the radio remotes are so important.
“All the radio stations are all in a row and you can kind of see everybody. It’s like speed dating of radio,” said Dan + Shay’s Dan Smyers. “I think we’ve talked to 60 or 70 radio stations already this morning and it’s only like noon.”
The same point was emphasized by Owen, who hopped from chatting with a station in Los Angeles into the conjoining booth to catch up with a station from Detroit.
“It’s a little chaotic, it’s a little hectic. There’s definitely a lot of us in here and a lot of stations trying to get time,” added Chris Young, who recently notched his ninth No.1 at country radio with “Sober Saturday Night.”
While most of their time on Radio Row is work (with a little bit of fun thrown in!), the artists enjoy running into some of their peers, who they don’t often get to see.
“It’s cool for me because I get to see the artists that I went through the town with, that I’m really good friends with, that I never get to see,” said Kip Moore.
Added Owen, “Whether it’s the CMAs or ACM Awards, it’s really one of the few times that all of us artists are in the same place at the same time.”
The Westwood One/Cumulus Radio Row remotes take place during the several days leading up to the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards. Stay tuned to your local station because you might just hear your favorite country stars live from Las Vegas!
