The Road is finally here! On Oct. 19, the latest singing competition series will premiere on CBS, but it won’t follow the format that viewers of similar shows are used to.
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Producers including Blake Shelton and Taylor Sheridan handpicked 12 artists to join the cast. Those lucky dozen got the chance to go on the road with Keith Urban, opening up for him each night. After their performance, the live audience got to pick who moved on to the next city.
American Songwriter spoke to several of the contestants at the Nashville fan premiere event for fellow CBS show, Sheriff Country. All of the superstars-to-be were still amazed that they got the chance to compete on the show.
“What this does is it highlights the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to tour and open for a national touring artist like Keith Urban,” Adam Sanders said. “We’re playing to new fans every single night at different venues. They’re going to give you an inside look at what it takes to rehearse the songs to the band, build set arrangements, song selection, all the things that it takes to go into the show.”
For Jenny Tolman, getting cast on the show meant she was thrown into her “dream come true overnight.”
As part of that dream, each night on the road, the contestants performed one cover song and one original track before Urban took the stage.
“That was the whole difference of this show,” Cassidy Daniels said. “The thing that sets this show apart from anything to the fact that we get to do our original.”
Another thing that differentiates The Road from other series? The fact that no one in the cast is new to performing or working in the music business.
“Nobody in this cast is a rookie,” Daniels said. “… Everyone’s very seasoned and fighting for the same chance to be a superstar.”
Keep reading to see what to expect from The Road when it premieres Oct. 19 on CBS.
The Star Power on The Road
Not only did the dozen selected artists get the chance to perform for amped up live audiences each night, but they got to do so with the help of Urban, Shelton, and “tour manager” Gretchen Wilson.
“I’m still pinching myself to this day,” Jon Wood said, “It is unreal not only to be on a TV show that broadcasts and promotes my music and who I am, but to know that the producers, and the directors, and people like Keith and Blake and Taylor and Gretchen believe in music so much.”
The contestants dedicated themselves to soaking up all the wisdom the superstars had to offer.
“Getting to see Keith perform every night is like a master class. The way that he controls the audience is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I’m just constantly taking mental notes,” Tolman said. “… Blake, too, is such a personality. It’s so fun to be around. I was taking notes from just how he is to people he interacts in real life. I was literally a student the whole time.”
Sanders learned to “be present in the moment” throughout the series, while Wood found it was important “to keep going, and to keep getting better at what you do, and never give up.”
“Gretchen was such a big impact on The Road. I know she just says she’s the tour manager, but we wouldn’t made it without her,” Wood added. “She came to every single rehearsal… and watched every single one of us and gave us genuine feedback. There was no BS. There was nothing held back. She told us what she thought and how we could improve our show that night. I just really am thankful for that.”
For Daniels, “the biggest thing I learned on the show was that I was truly, truly made for this.”
“I have really bad imposter syndrome… but when I’ve got Keith Urban and Blake Shelton looking me in the eyes saying, ‘You belong here,’ [it confirms that],” she said.
Why Fans Will Love The Road
The Road is not only unlike other singing competition shows in format, but also in prize. The winner of the series will be awarded a set at the iconic Mane Stage at Stagecoach Country Music Festival 2026, $250,000 cash, and a recording contract.
“All of those things are incredible. The money is cool, but it’s not why I do this. That’s sort of the afterthought,” Sanders said. “But to be a part of a festival like Stagecoach, that’s what you dream of. That is the pinnacle of performance. Just the opportunity of being able to go for something like that as the prize, that is why we all do this.”
Daniels agreed, stating “There ain’t no artist in town that doesn’t want to win these things.”
With all that on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and the show couldn’t be more watchable.
“You’re gonna get a real behind-the-scenes look at what it is like as a touring musician, to have to leave your family, to see what when the rubber hits the road, no pun intended,” Tolman teased. “It’s not always as beautiful as it looks.”
“It’s a lot different than all these other shows that are out right now,” Daniels added. “You’re going to see the reality of it—the ugly, the dirty, the gritty, the crusty, and the dusty.”
The Road will premiere Sunday, Oct. 19 at 9/8c.
Photo by Lauren “Lo” Smith/CBS
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