Garth Brooks continues his expansion into the country music universe. Last week, the superstar singer-songwriter launched a new, all-country, live-streaming radio station.
The BIG 615 is named after the area code for Nashville and is based in that city. The station mix will be heavier on classic country music, Brooks said in a press release. You can listen to The BIG 615 on the audio service TuneIn, either online or by downloading the app via the Apple Store or Google Play.
“The BIG 615 station is purely for the love of country music,” Brooks said. “We lean a bit more traditional at The BIG 615. We are proud of how the station sounds and want the entire world to hear what we think is the greatest format of all…Country Music.”
However, the station will showcase rising talent as well.
“Then there’s also guys that are too young or don’t have the big label support behind them yet,” he told “Good Morning America.” “If they’re country, you need to hear them.”
A recent listen to the station included an evening Top 20 countdown of current country hits, a “Country Connection” segment with a BBC correspondent, and a Wayback Track with an introduction and interview about a classic country hit. Special guest stars may also appear in the future.
Former SiriusXM radio host Storme Warren, below, is the new primary host for The BIG 615 and will help drive content along with Brooks. The new station is part of Brooks’ Sevens Radio Network. The country star is planning the launch of several other TuneIn country stations in 2023.
Brooks is in the middle of a Las Vegas residency while also launching the new radio station and opening the Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk in Nashville.
In an interview with Billboard, he expressed his feeling that offering curated country music experiences such as the radio channels gives him ” a chance to shrink the world.” Rather than presenting a label’s agenda, he wants a variety of new and old voices that represent the way country music looks today.
“The one thing that’s bad for me is if you don’t play somebody because of the color of their skin or their gender,” Brooks said. “It’s as equally wrong if you do play somebody because of the color of their skin and their gender. My thing is, let the music decide.”
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