Kix Brooks has set a release date for his new solo album: September 11th. And it would be no surprise if this was a double or triple album given how many songs he recorded.

“I’m not sure how many songs I started with,” Brooks says, “but I recorded 49 songs in three weeks.”

With all those songs he had plenty of help in the studio.

“I just got my favorite pickers over at Sony Tree Studio where I started recording– well, we recorded our first Brooks & Dunn album there. That’s our publishing company; there’s a studio in there that’s just kind of like home to me,” Brooks explains.

The title track of the new record is New to This Town, and was produced by Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts.

A more immediate item on Kix Brooks’s calendar is when he’ll make his Grand Ole Opry debut on July 10th. (Really? He’s never played the Opry before?!)

Taylor Swift is always rubbing elbows with any and all celebrities (at least that’s what it seems like), and the most recent new friends she’s made is Patrick Schwarzenegger (yes, THAT Schwarzenegger: son of Arnold). They were seen sailing on the 4th of July. Afterwards, they were seen walking along the beach together.

And congratulations to Phil Vassar who was just named the 2012 Distinguished Virginian by the Virginia Association of Broadcasters. He was honored for his music and charity work.

For the full stories, listen to Nashville Hotline below!

Nashville Hotline airs weekdays at 12:20 on US99.5.

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