Rayna Jaymes is a famous country singer, whose tour is not selling as quickly as she had expected. In order to save money, her record company wants her to be an opening act for up-and-coming singer Juliette Barnes. Rayna's company tells her to either go on tour with Juliette or leave the label. Juliette is revealed to constantly be called on the phone by her mother, who is a drug addict and wants money to feed her drug needs. Juliette records three songs Rayna turned down for her album. Rayna eventually wants them back but it's too late. Meanwhile, Rayna's husband, Teddy Conrad, after a business failure, is frustrated over living on his wife’s income. He accepts an offer to run for mayor of Nashville with help from Rayna's counselman father. Elsewhere, Juliette has a meeting of minds with Deacon, the lead guitarist of Rayna's band who is Rayna's former boyfriend. Elsewhere, Deacon's niece, Scarlett O'Connor, struggles to become a singer in her own right while struggling as a waitress and dealing with her boyfriend Avery.

As Teddy's campaign continues, Rayna is faced with an investigation that reveals family secrets involving Deacon. Meanwhile, Juliette feels betrayed when she sees Deacon perform with Rayna. Also, Scarlett must decide between her dream of being a country-western singer and her relationship with Avery.

Rayna learns the family is facing financial problems; Juliette asks Deacon to write and tour with her.

The arrival of a woman from Teddy's past tests his marriage; Juliette deals with the fallout surrounding her shoplifting arrest, Rayna and Deacon perform together.

Rayna thinks about moving on when Deacon sets boundaries in their relationship.

Rayna seeks the help of a music producer to change her sound; Juliette attempts to repair her image.

Marshall pushes for Juliette and Rayna to collaborate at an event; Teddy tells Rayna the truth.

Teddy's secrecy about embezzling millions of dollars in the past, and the surfacing of suggestive photographs, leads Rayna to believe he is having an affair. Meanwhile, Scarlett gets an invitation to be a band's lead singer and the song she wrote with Gunnar gets an option contract, prompting a passionate kiss between the two and Gunnar to dump his girlfriend and profess his love to Scarlett. Juliette asks Sean to marry her.

When Rayna suggests bringing her girls on tour, she learns Lamar is willing to blackmail her; Juliette and Sean's elopement surprises everyone; Deacon reconnects with an ex; Avery follows a music producer's advice.

Rayna and Juliette prepare for their first concert together in San Diego. Rayna surprises Teddy by coming home from the tour to watch the votes come in and wait to see whether he becomes mayor.

To celebrate the success of "Wrong Song," Edgehill Records throws a party. Deacon joins Juliette's band, leaving Teddy surprised.

Deacon plays his first show with Juliette. Juliette wants to make her music more mature. After Rayna asks Deacon why he joined Juliette's band, he kisses her. Gunnar moves in with Scarlett and Teddy shows up at Rayna's hotel room and says something that will change their relationship forever.

Rayna becomes overwhelmed onstage and finds comfort in Liam. Juliette makes changes on her tour and cleans house. Rayna and Teddy tell Maddie and Daphne about their plans to divorce; Maddie then tells her mother that she overheard her father talking to Peggy on the phone.

Juliette throws a surprise birthday party for Deacon; Rayna gets hounded by the press because of her divorce.

When Juliette plays a secret concert for her fans an accident happens leaving fans with minor injuries including Maddie. Gunnar wants to know who shot his brother; Rayna talks to Katie Couric about her divorce and Scarlett gets an offer to sign with Rayna's new label as a solo act.

Juliette is jealous of Rayna when she sees her billboard in New York so she seeks out a sponsorship of her own. While on tour with her mom, Maddie decides that she wants to become a singer much to Rayna's disliking. Rayna meets Deacon's new girlfriend.

Rayna rushes home to Nashville to be there for her father after he suffers a heart attack. Meanwhile, Jolene and Deacon are not happy with Jolene's sponsor, Dante, who becomes Juliette's new manager.

Jolene is suspicious of Dante after she sees him kissing another woman. Liam plays the Nashville show with Rayna and plans to spend the weekend away with her. Stacey questions Deacon if he still has feelings for Rayna. After discovering that the drugs found on Jolene were not hers, Emily says that some money is missing which makes Juliette suspicious of Dante. Rayna changes her mind about the trip and goes to tell Deacon that she still loves him. Gunnar gets an offer to record a demo after singing songs penned by his dead brother.

Edgehill throws a party to celebrate their artists who are nominated for CMA Awards. Rayna tells Teddy and Tandy that she is back together with Deacon while they tell her not to tell him that he is Maddie's biological father. When Deacon comes home to his house he is surprised to see Stacey there, she wants to get back together with him but he has to tell her that he is with Rayna now. Juliette turns to drinking to cope after what happened with Dante, causing Jolene concern for her. After Juliette goes on a rant Deacon quits her band, Teddy is having a tough time with Maddie as she blames him for her parents' split.

Dante threatens to release a sex tape of him and Juliette if she doesn't give him ten million dollars. Juliette decides not to give in and let him sell it. Jolene refuses to let her daughter be humiliated so she calls Dante to meet up with her so she can give him the money and he'll give her the SD card. Juliette goes to Jolene's apartment to find Dante's dead body and Jolene dead from a drug overdose; implying that Jolene murdered him and then killed herself. Meanwhile, Teddy serves Rayna with a restraining order stating that he doesn't want Deacon around the girls; Rayna finds support in Lamar. Scarlett doesn't like how Gunnar is trying to be like his brother and breaks up with him. Maddie finds out that Teddy might not be her real father.

Backstage at the CMA Awards, Deacon confronts Rayna and asks her if he is Maddie's biological father after Maddie tells him that he might be her father. Deacon and Maddie are furious when they find out the truth which leads Deacon back to drinking. Meanwhile, Juliette wins Female Vocalist of the Year and pays her final respects to her mother. Teddy gets a call from the U.S. Attorney General and meets up Peggy who reveals she is pregnant. Gunnar proposes to Scarlett. When Rayna takes a drunk Deacon home they argue along the way and end up in a car wreck.