Justin Timberlake picks Nashville band The Shadowboxers as opening act on tour

He signed them to his artist development company, Villa 40, worked on new songs with them in the studio and shared the bill with them at his Pilgrimage festival in Franklin.

Next, Justin Timberlake is bringing The Shadowboxers on tour with him.

The Nashville-based R&B/pop band will open for Timberlake on his upcoming "Man of the Woods" arena tour. The tour kicks off March 18 in Washington, D.C., and includes a stop at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on May 9.

The Shadowboxers broke the news Friday, sharing a voicemail message left by Timberlake.

"So, do you guys want to go on tour with me?" he asks with a laugh.

"... It just feels like the right time for you guys to be on the road with me. Like, now!"

Timberlake and The Shadowboxers have been friends since 2013, when he discovered the band's cover of his "Pusher Love Girl" via Twitter.

Last month the band released its latest single, "Runaway."