Welcome to The Boot's News Roundup, a morning rundown of the news country music fans need to know. Read on to learn more about the latest goings-on in the country, Americana, bluegrass and folk genres.

Drake White has announced that his new EP, titled Pieces, will be released on May 4. The five-song collection features songwriting cameos from Brent Cobb, Adam Hood, Josh Osborne and busbee, the latter of whom produced the EP. “I love writing that’s very simple, but it’s like, ‘Oh, I know exactly what you’re talking about,’" White says in a statement. “I’m infatuated with words and trying to arrange them in a way that would make my heroes proud.”

Sarah Darling Where Cowboys RIde
Photo by Kelly Christine, courtesy of Big Picture Media
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The Country Music Association has announced more than 70 new performers for this year's CMA Music Festival, and fans can see them all for free! The Broadway Stage at the Hard Rock Cafe will host Logan Brill, Faren Rachels, Noah Guthrie, Tegan Marie and more up-and-comers, while the Nashville Acoustic Corner Stage will feature performances from Craig Wayne Boyd, Sarah Darling, Lewis Brice, Parker McCay and Tara Thompson, among others. CMA Fest 2018 is set for June 7-10 in Nashville.

Trisha Yearwood Through the Years
Frederick Breedon, Getty Images
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The Nashville Predators are headed to Round 2 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs! Music City's team will kick off a best-of-seven series against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday (April 27). Game 2 will take place in Nashville on Sunday (April 29), after which the teams will head to Winnipeg for Game 3 on Tuesday (May 1) and Game 4 on Thursday (May 3). If necessary, Game 5 would take place in Nashville on May 5, Game 6 would occur in Winnipeg on May 7, and Game 7 would happen back in Nashville on May 10. The games will be broadcast on NBC networks, and fans can expect more superstar National Anthem performers at the Nashville home games.

Dillon Carmichael It's Simple
Courtesy of Marbaloo
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Also in new album news, Dillon Carmichael has announced that his debut album, Hell on an Angel, will be released this summer. The 10-track, Dave Cobb-produced disc will be released on Riser House Records, and features songs written by Jon Pardi and Carmichael himself. Hell on an Angel is set for release on Aug. 17, and fans can stream the album's title track now via YouTube.

Music Modernization Act
Getty Images
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The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill that would improve royalties paid on digital music to songwriters, artists, producers and more. According to All Access, the Music Modernization Act was co-sponsored by Robert Goodlatte of Virginia and New York's Jerrold Nadler, and will soon head to the Senate for a vote. "After years of advocating for reform, we are thrilled that our country’s leaders are now paving the way for a brighter future for music creators who have struggled under outdated laws for far too long," says ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews in a statement.

Spotify users can now watch video clips from their favorite artists directly in their country playlists. The music streaming service's Hot Country playlist just got a video upgrade, with clips from Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves and a duet performance from Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake integrated right into the playlist. Every week, the playlist will be updated with new interviews, behind-the-scenes looks and performances. An interview with Urban is the playlist's first; he shows off his guitar collection and talks about the inspiration behind his new album, Graffiti U.

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