Taylor Sheridan‘s new competition show, The Road, doesn’t just feature iconic musicians including Keith Urban and Blake Shelton — the CBS series also introduces up-and-coming artists in the country music space.
The Road, which premieres on October 19, follows 12 emerging musicians as they compete as opening acts for Urban at music venues across America. After performing for a live venue audience, the contestants will advance to the next city based on the reaction from the crowd. By the end of the season, only one act is left standing to take home $250,000 and a record deal.
In addition to Urban, Blake Shelton serves as an executive producer and Gretchen Wilson appears in the role of Tour Manager. Country music stars Jordan Davis, Karen Fairchild, Dustin Lynch and Brothers Osborne are also set to join as special guest advisors throughout the season.
“Without a shiny floor in sight, the docu-follow format captures the high-stakes unfiltered musical journeys of these triple threats — singers, songwriters and instrumentalists — offering a backstage pass into the gritty and unforgiving life of a touring musician,” read the official synopsis for the series. “With exclusive access to behind-the-scenes workings of the music industry, viewers will see what happens when some of the best emerging musicians pile into a tour bus and tackle a grueling schedule in pursuit of their dreams.”
Before the show was released, Urban spoke exclusively with Us Weekly about the advice he was able to offer the emerging musicians about the “discipline” required to succeed in the music industry,
“I just played a show in Vegas last night and I had another one tomorrow night, and [taping] this finale fell in between. So I came home after the show last night, got in at 5 a.m., here we are, and then take off tomorrow, go to Vegas,” he shared with Us. “I think that never changes, as far as the discipline required to do what we do. And it’s been great watching Gretchen handle them as well and give really good advice. [She’s] like Mama Bear, in the best way.”
The Road premieres on CBS October 19 at 9 p.m. ET before streaming on Paramount+. The show will air at 9:30 p.m. ET on October 26 and November 2 following NFL Doubleheader and returns to its regular 9 p.m. ET time slot on November 9.
Keep scrolling as Us Weekly exclusively introduces each musician who is giving it their all on stage in order to be crowned the winner of The Road:
Britnee Kellogg
Kellogg has cited Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood as music inspirations after releasing songs including “Back of My Mind,” “Hey Mama,” “Where My Girls At” and “Keep You in the Dark.”
Channing Wilson
Before joining The Road, Wilson released his own music and wrote songs for Luke Combs. “Back in the Depression era Jimmy Rogers was a big hit, and the reason why was that he sang all these sad songs that let people know they weren’t the only ones going through hard times,” Wilson shared. “There’s so many people out there right now dealing with problems like mental illness, but we still don’t talk about it nearly as much as we should. So the one thing I hope for this record is that helps people realize that they’re not alone, that someone else feels the way they do. Because to me that’s the first step to feeling OK again.”
Billie Jo Jones
The mom of four released her first album — Some Girls Don’t Cry — ahead of her debut on The Road.
“[When I was growing up], I’d be singing Shania Twain, Billy Ray Cyrus or the Dixie Chicks. I knew I loved singing and I knew I could sing,” Jones told Think Country Music in January. “In the back of the car I’d hear a new song for the first time on the radio and the next time I heard it I knew all the words.”
Olivia Harms
Daughter of Western Music Hall of Fame member Joni Harms, Olivia released her first album came in 2011 when she was 16.
“I was going for a very traditional country sound, with Bakersfield twang and some country-western swing to bring back honky-tonks,” she reflected on her vision for her music.
Cassidy Daniels
Cassidy is a guitarist, songwriter and vocalist who has opened for dozens of major music artists in country and rock. Since writing her first song at age 7, Cassidy has toured dive bars across the world performing her music.
Forrest McCurren
According to Forrest’s bio, he “wields the magic of lyricism to cast a light on the many intricacies of everyday life set against vignettes of Middle America.” His songs tackles topics including “wise words from waitresses, heartbroken high school football standouts, and tattooed trailer park lovers, McCurren writes songs for good people that got bad grades in school, are drunk on dreams, and still trying to figure out if life is sour or sweet.”
Cody Hibbard
Cody released his first EP “Memory and a Dirt Road” in January 2020 before his album Long Ride in a Short Bed.
“‘’Kill the Messenger’ is my song about how I got so mad at my religion,” Cody recalled in a 2024 interview. “I had spent most of my life following a pastor that ended up doing some really bad stuff, and so that’s where the symbolism comes in on that song. I had to really dig down deep and, in my mind, I wanted to ask myself if I wasted all that time going to Bible studies and church camps?”
He continued: “I’ve never cried in the vocal booth, and I really didn’t cry much until I got to be around 30 years old. And I have never cried in the studio as much as I have recording about four or five of these songs on this album.”
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