Casey James Debuts More New Songs – Country Music Expo

By On 05/01/2011 · 71 Comments · In American Idol, Casey James

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Casey James debuted new songs at the Country Music Expo in Indiana yesterday. The new songs were “I Lied” (well, that’s what Casey’s dog calls it!), “Show Me A Bridge” and a new cover by Matt Powell, “Everybody Thinks You’re Still Mine”.

More deets about the set can be found at Casey James Blog.

VIDEOS: spinnyjb1, MattGiraudFans,

Videos after the JUMP:

NEW SONG – I Lied

NEW SONG – Show me a Bridge

NEW Cover – Everybody Thinks Your Still Mine – Matt Powell

Drive

Let’s Don’t Call it a Night

Til My Guitar

 
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  • LVD

    And at larger events, I feel pretty sure Casey will have a “band to entertain” as do virtually all solo artists. It’s just odd to me that having been in Nashville for over six months (?) by now, he doesn’t seem to have any musicians that he’s working with who are there as part of his own long-term team, working for his success. I was only a ~medium Casey fan on the show, but seems to me any newbie artist deserves to have that on their side. And I haven’t seen many newbie artists who didn’t at least have an extra guitarist or whatever, that they had on their team vs. temp workers.

    I can appreciate about the brother/etc. But just would have thought that some of the other typical band member slots would have been filled by someone of Casey’s choosing with his label vs. the “hired gun” types who seem to be on temporary duty. If the brother will be joining Casey later, why not just leave his position in the band unfilled but form the rest of the band. And if the brother won’t be joining Casey, then why not get a real band together? Casey isn’t just writing and in the studio, he’s out doing dates in concert both in a major tour format with Sugarland, and on his own. If they think he is ready to do that, why not be ready to do it with a real band backing him… Wouldn’t think it would cost more than the temps.

    ETA: also I was serious about why not fire the band members who are coming across as not interested in what’s going on when performing. If they truly don’t care, then get rid of them. If they lack stage presence, and it just seems that they don’t care, then either get them working on that to fix it, or again, get rid of them and put on someone else who looks like they want to be there and contributes to making the shows more fun for the audiences.

    I can see why some people would be confused about the whole band thing, and there is nothing wrong with wondering about it. :-) I guess until more information about the subject appears it is all just speculation. The one thing we know is that they did actually announce the drummer, so my personal theory is that Billy might be the key in all of this.
    On the otherhand Casey has been very busy he has written 60 songs and he is recording, he has to record his singing and guitar playing which might mean more work, then an artist who is just doing vocals. Perhaps Casey just doesn’t have the time to look for, practice and learn everything with new band members.
    The same thing with this gig perhaps the rest of the band didn’t have the time to learn and practice all of the new songs acoustically with Casey, as apparently he was actually using a piece of paper to perform one of the songs, so that could be why it might have been easier to just do it alone. So perhaps it might all just be a matter of time and logistics. Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one.

    I do think that Casey should get new band members, currently the drummer and the bass player are just staring in each others eyes, they dont even realize or acknowledge Casey when he tries to include them.

  • googletot

    Casey drives back and forth from Nashville to TX to visit his mom and pawpaw, while Billy is back home helping out in this respect.

  • aidancash1

    I can see why people would be curious as to what happened. But like it was said above it could be very simple. It could be Billy needed to be home so for the short term they just went for the studio musicians. We did hear some rumblings Billy just didnt make it. But I doubt we will ever no. Even if Casey is asked he will just say the diplomatic thing about him needing to be home. I hope in the long run Billy is good enough and gets to join Casey so he has family with him and more chemistry on the stage.

  • Nostradamas

    His ‘yellow note’ said…”As sad as I am to leave the band behind for a day, I am really looking forward to doing an acoustic show”…..no biggie…

  • aidancash1

    What Casey is not those two. Casey is in the biggest and most popular genre. Bucky I dont even think has a record label anymore more and Casey is 100 times more talented. Has a 100x better voice and is way more talented on guitar. Casey is going to be given a chance to have a really good career. Hopefully all this patience and hard work will pay off. They are treating him like a artist they want to suceed not to make a quick buck.

  • windmills

    car3278sweet: No company is going to lay out the change for that and then turn around and do no promo. That makes no logical sense.

    We’re in Musicindustryland now. Expect the illogical.

    I’m not saying there won’t be promo. I’m just saying don’t count on it and don’t assume it’ll work. There’s a lot of REALLY talented singer/songwriters with good to great songs who are country and are or were on major labels but didn’t get off the ground their 1st try. It doesn’t always make sense.

    aidancash: Bucky I dont even think has a record label anymore more and Casey is 100 times more talented.

    We don’t know where Casey’ll be after his debut album either so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. My opinion is he’ll probably be in demand as a songwriter and collaborator regardless of what happens so there’s that safety net. But Bucky’s debut was successful: 2 top 10 hits, another song that peaked at #11. He struggled to get his sophomore album out with bad lead single choices and then when he did land the perfect single, Lyric Street folded.

    I don’t think Bucky’s the most talented guy out there but he certainly belongs in the country genre and I don’t think putting him down makes CaseyJ look better. I don’t think their styles are all that similar within country either so comparisons are kind of pointless too. There’s better country singers than both of them who haven’t made it and worse country singers than both of them who have.

    But if CaseyJ can land 2 top 10 hits off his debut album he’ll be in good shape. AI hasn’t had anybody hit top 20 country never mind top 10 off a debut album since s5 and there’s definitely AI fatigue in the genre. But one thing that might help CaseyJ is his album doesn’t sound like it’ll be primarily the country/pop people have come to expect from AI. It still doesn’t mean radio will eat up his singles. I think it makes the most sense to focus on what you’ve got right in front of you which in this case is music that seems to be true to Casey and doesn’t make him a square peg in a round hole in the country genre, music that’s actually good musically and lyrically, and a label that’s giving him the time to get the album right.

  • certain1

    Well considering that Casey and Bucky are in the same genre I think they are more likely than not to be compared, and there is the fact that their looks are similar.

  • alterego7

    What Casey is not those two. Casey is in the biggest and most popular genre. Bucky I dont even think has a record label anymore more and Casey is 100 times more talented. Has a 100x better voice and is way more talented on guitar. Casey is going to be given a chance to have a really good career. Hopefully all this patience and hard work will pay off. They are treating him like a artist they want to suceed not to make a quick buck.

    I think Casey would be very lucky if even came close to what Bucky Covington has achieved.

    There just seems to be a lot of flip flopping with Casey. First he is marketed as The Casey James Band. Than not, and no one seems to knows why. Now comes reports that there were internal friction with the band. He said he was going to perform on AI this season. Than not. And he basically sat in the audience while Sugarland perform, without even an acknowledgement from Ryan Seacrest. Casey was supposed to release a single this Spring, album early Summer. Than not.

    I honestly suspect there are problems behind the scene. I think he will end up more like Jason Castro. Someone who was also very popular on Idol, but basically waited too long to release his debut and lost a lot of momentum.

    I also predict Scotty McCreery will release his debut before Casey does.

  • Nostradamas

    ……….pppppppfffffffftttttttt….. Thanks alterego7!!

    I haven’t laughed like that in a while….good joke!!!

  • http://MJO judes

    Thanks MJ for all these videos. I love it when Casey plays acoustic. As has been mentioned he doesn’t need another guitarist for these low key shows as he does his own lead unlike say Kris Allen who does rhythm & has his good friend Cale or band member Andrew to do the lead.
    If Casey is waiting to have his brother in the band & feels like he’s not getting the support from other band members well it makes sense that he performs solo until he has a band who can really get behind Casey & who don’t have egos that need to be pampered.

  • kitten_sauce

    If there’s one criticism about Casey’s management, it’s that they aren’t very forthcoming about certain aspects of his career, like the band kerfluffle. None of us know why Richard Milsap isn’t in the band. It just got changed from Casey James Band to Casey James, solo artist, without a lot of fanfare.

    Also, when he was to open for Sugarland, we only found out about it from a tiny obscure source in Little Rock. A curious (and dedicated) fan found the promo from an Arkansas radio station online. I thought his management dropped the ball on that one as far as publicity goes. They are getting paid a lot of money, they need to do their jobs.

    Still, the primary outlines are there, and the details seem to get filled in later. The main thing that should be happening is happening: Casey’s writing great new material and has some scattered appearances to keep the momentum going. We’d really like to see him perform at the CMA Fest in June, but so far no word on that.

  • Thirsty

    alterego7 I honestly suspect there are problems behind the scene. I think he will end up more like Jason Castro. Someone who was also very popular on Idol, but basically waited too long to release his debut and lost a lot of momentum.

    Yes, yes. It’s all very troubling, what with all of this touring and radio interviewing and award show attendance and artist development and song writing and inside industry exposure, well it’s verrrrry shady. Shame on BNA for not just forcing a bunch of mediocre songs on Casey and pushing a poorly produced album through just to capitalize on the name and AI connection. Tsk tsk and for shame. SHAME, I say! :/

    It actually makes me quite happy that they are taking the time to develop Casey and do it right. The label doesn’t see him as just a product of AI, but as an actual artist with a future in country music, or else they wouldn’t have signed him and taken the time to get his sound right. While this may be a little frustrating for fans waiting for an album (i.e. me!) it seems in the long run this will be better for his career.

    Whatever. I’m in for the long haul.

  • aidancash1

    YOu guys missed my point. Casey is not Bucky. Casey has to be one of them most talented all around msucians on idol. I like Bucky I wasd not putting him down. And I said we dont know where this lead for Caseey but he is giving a good chance t succeed.

  • alterego7

    It actually makes me quite happy that they are taking the time to develop Casey and do it right. The label doesn’t see him as just a product of AI, but as an actual artist with a future in country music, or else they wouldn’t have signed him and taken the time to get his sound right.

    Every season someone is touted as being developed by their label – as a new artist without Idol ties. The last person was Allison Iraheta – and we all know the end result of that.

    Yes, yes. It’s all very troubling, what with all of this touring and radio interviewing and award show attendance and artist development and song writing and inside industry exposure, well it’s verrrrry shady.

    This is actually far less than what other had after coming off Idol – i.e. his label mate Kelli Pickler. And most of the things he’s done – have been done by others before him – only more – like the Sugarland shows.

  • car3278sweet

    We’re in Musicindustryland now. Expect the illogical.

    LOL. Yes, I should know this by now after watching the promo for Lee – which was incredibly bad. So, I’ll keep my fingers crossed instead and hope for the best.

    It appears that Bucky might be moving into Christian music – saw that on the numbers post this morning. But even if he stays in country, I agree with windmills, he and Casey have very different styles. The fact that there’s some vague resemblance because of the hair… meh. I just don’t see many similarities.

    Band. No Band. Blah. I’m buying Casey James’ music. I have no big investment on who’s playing behind him. But my instinct tells me Casey does have an investment in this and does have a plan. The boy is wily. And patient. I would not be surprised at all if there’s a clear idea of what’s going to happen going forward. He, and his management, are just the quiet kind.

    alterego7 I honestly suspect there are problems behind the scene. I think he will end up more like Jason Castro. Someone who was also very popular on Idol, but basically waited too long to release his debut and lost a lot of momentum.

    Yes, yes. It’s all very troubling, what with all of this touring and radio interviewing and award show attendance and artist development and song writing and inside industry exposure, well it’s verrrrry shady. Shame on BNA for not just forcing a bunch of mediocre songs on Casey and pushing a poorly produced album through just to capitalize on the name and AI connection. Tsk tsk and for shame. SHAME, I say! :/

    !!!This!!! Thanks for the laugh, Thirsty.

    I don’t think BNA is looking at Casey as a “AI” contestant at all. Or maybe, “well, he’s got a core audience at least – maybe several thousand, but not enough to launch a career”. As windmills has said before, this is a fairly typical rollout for a new artist in country. Not a typical rollout for an AI contestant. Frankly, as a fan, I’m happy about that. Saying that he’s lost his momentum or that he needs to worry about Scotty is floating in the idol bubble. I don’t think Casey and crew are focusing on that bubble at all. Or not much.

  • car3278sweet

    This is actually far less than what other had after coming off Idol – i.e. his label mate Kelli Pickler. And most of the things he’s done – have been done by others before him – only more – like the Sugarland shows.

    Again, floating in the idol bubble. And comparisons to what Kelli did or Danny did are not accurate, since both released their albums very quickly after the show, so of course, there would be more publicity and appearances for promoting said albums.

    Casey’s still recording. I’m honestly a bit surprised he’s getting the exposure he is at this point with no songs on the radio. The label/mgmt is taking him down the road slow and easy. That says something is right, not wrong. It shows a level of commitment – not a “make a buck fast on the AI fame and leave him in the dust” type of perspective.

    All of this is really babble. What has to happen for Casey is radio play. If his songs hit, then all this discussion will disappear. If they don’t, I think he’s already established himself as a very good songwriter and excellent guitarist. He isn’t going to go hungry in Nashville and he’s going to be able to do what he loves to do. Whether it’s on the big stage or a smaller one remains to be seen.

  • aidancash1

    lol. Didnt Allison have a cd out pretty quick. Cssey is making connections writing tons which is so important them just writing 12 sons and throwing an album out.

  • steph6449

    And comparisons to what Kelli did or Danny did are not accurate, since both released their albums very quickly after the show, so of course, there would be more publicity and appearances for promoting said albums.

    I think what’s more interesting than the album release timelines is that Casey doesn’t have a single out for radio or iTunes yet. Sometime soon(-ish?) I guess, maybe he has to wait until Kellie gets her new single out.

    I didn’t follow Kellie’s season to know the timeline for her album. Danny’s album wasn’t exceptionally rushed, however. It came out early March 2010, so ~10 months after he left the show and something like 6-1/2 months after he formally signed with RCA Nashville.

    I don’t think these people all need to take the same path or timeline, within the AI grads, or among other new country acts. Different people, different situations may lead to –> different timelines. (But if we’re looking for examples of “rush” albums, just read the mj’s new post about Pia :? )

  • idol23

    Show Me A Bridge is a KILLER song. The lyrics riff off the idea of burned bridges but present it in an innovative way. There’s probably been a lot of songs about guys haunted by their self-destructive pasts but this one is up there as one of the better ones, and one of the best ones in recent years. It’s painful and poignant. This one absolutely must make the album. IMO it’s one critics would notice.

    I love this song and really hope that it is on the album!

    Regarding Casey singing with the band, I am now spoiled and always want to hear him sing acoustic sets! No, I really love him either way, but he sounded so great just singing by himself at this show. It seems like he really puts a lot of passion in his singing when the focal point is just his voice and a guitar. :)

  • TheCaseyJamesBlog

    I don’t weigh in much, but I think there’s unnecessary hoopla about the change from the CJB to just CJ and what some think of as an unreasonable delay in getting his record out. I think that in the old (pre-Social Media/instant news) days, record companies and artists had time to try out different things, develop a strategy, see what worked before being formally introduced to the world. Now, everything is done in public. That’s unfortunate as it brings to mind the old saying about not wanting to see how sausage is made!

    There are, as of yet, no fixed members of the band and that makes sense at this very early stage. Casey has some amazing musicians working with him on tour so far but it’s too early to say if it’ll be the permanent line up or not. As for questions about the timing of first single and the debut album, record companies can’t win. Too soon, you’re rushing things. Too late, you let the momentum fade. Casey has had tremendous exposure to the country world. He’s opening for one of the hottest bands, has played at radio-sponsored events, met with radio reps, played during ACM week, been on GAC-TV, been interviewed by various media outlets, been allowed to test drive new songs on the road, walked the red carpet, etc.

    Everything is going about as well as it could be for an artist in this economic climate (which doesn’t really encourage the labels to be lavish or wasteful in their spending). I certainly hope I don’t have to eat my words, but I think TPTB have a good handle on things so far.

  • ri

    thanks, THECASEYJAMESBLOG for your insight. maybe we are overthinking everything too much around here. things seem to be proceeding well so maybe we need to sit back and enjoy the ride a little more. bottom line: we are all rooting for CaseyJ!!
    *oh and please feel free to weigh in more often.

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