Lambert “Retweets” Pistol Annies

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The Pistol Annies have been causing a buzz and making registers ring. The band’s digital-only album was released in late August and debut sales were a remarkable 42,000 units. At the same time, the trio’s most famous member, fiery Miranda Lambert, has also been lighting torches. Lambert recently debuted Four The Record which hit the charts at No. 1 selling more than double any of her previous debut albums. Pistol Annies includes Ashley Monroe, managed by John Grady and unofficially signed to a solo deal at Warner Bros., plus Angaleena Presley, managed by Scott Kernahan.

Last week the Pistols stole the show on the American Country Awards and are now wrapping a three-show series at the House of Blues in Vegas and West Hollywood (see performance video below), plus Buck Owen’s Bakersfield Crystal Palace.

Gary Overton

“I don’t believe it’s ever been done or attempted before in country,” says Sony Music Chairman/CEO Gary Overton. “A solo artist with a current hit album who is also part of a band with a current hit album. That’s one of the things you get working with Miranda. She leads with great music and her heart, and then we all follow and try not to say ‘No’ just because it’s something no one’s done before.”

“Everyone talks about new models,” says Marion Kraft, whose Shopkeeper Management steers the careers of Miranda, Pistol Annies plus Chris Young and a few others. “But no one is trying anything. But let’s be honest about this project, I didn’t have a choice. Miranda called me one day and said, ‘I want to be in a band and this is who is in it.’ Later when it wasn’t going quickly enough she called me back and explained that she was ‘very serious’ about this. Isn’t that awesome? But in my mind I don’t see it as a dual career. I just have two different clients, Pistol Annies and Miranda Lambert.”

Two different clients, yes, but a unique case where one client sort of retweeted the other. “Miranda gave Pistol Annies a lift by putting them on her tour last year in selected cities,” Kraft continues. “Those performances generated great feedback so we went a step further, and decided to do three Pistol Annies shows. So far we’ve done a good job of building both brands by making it a bit of a dance. We put Pistol Annies in front when their album was released, then moved them aside in October/November for Miranda and her album launch. Then this last week we’ve come out again as Pistol Annies with three West Coast dates and a few other appearances to activate holiday sales.”

“We didn’t want to ask our physical retail partners to buy 50k units up front since there was no radio airplay and no tour,” says Overton. “So we decided to put it out digitally-only and see what happens. After we had a big first week it was, ‘Wow, we want that too.’ So we quickly got orders together and stocked the physical stores. Miranda pulled the trio out for a few numbers during some of her concerts, and there have been a number of key exposure moments including Good Morning America, the American Country Awards and more. Now we’re getting calls from pop radio and media people asking for tickets. The cool thing is we aren’t going to corporatize this, we’ll just let people discover it. And the band has done a great job of touching people through social networking. From an industry standpoint the dual albums may raise questions, but the fans aren’t confused at all. They don’t care that it is two projects, they just like what they like. The fans love Miranda’s record, but at the same time they love the Pistol Annies, too. It’s all driven by great music. People are telling their friends about it.”

With all the acclaim and excitement does this mean that the Pistols might shoot a single out to radio? “For this band we’ll call it ‘Focus Track,'” says Kraft. “‘Hell On Heels’ was our first focus track to guide the album. If all goes as we envision we’ll pick a second. Most likely the first 3-4 months of 2012 will be Miranda Lambert time because we are supporting her record and On Fire tour. Then hopefully around the end of April the Pistols will start gearing up and in the Fall play some shows on their own.”

Marion Kraft

Are there any thoughts about a second album for the Pistol Annies? “Since it’s all about the music,” Kraft continues, “why not give the fans more music and find some different ways of kickstarting this country format? People want more music, more often. There are young successful bands in our format that sing beautiful harmonies like The Band Perry and Lady Antebellum. It’s a style of music that’s working. As compared to Lady Antebellum or TBP the direction of Pistol Annies I would say is a little more like looking back in time. It’s blue collar and story specific, like housewives hanging out. We feel there’s room for more of it.”

A little over half of the Pistol Annies album sales have been digital. Does that mean that they are appealing to a very young digital-friendly demo? “It’s just the way it’s been marketed I believe,” says Overton. “If we had it on country radio you’d see digital and physical sales match more closely with the broader spread of the entire country music demo. But the music has been very active online which explains why digital sales have also been proportionally high. (According to Nielsen SoundScan 20% of this year’s country album sales have been digital.) Everything is going so well and it is such a special, fun project we don’t want to lock and load with respect to singles and normal marketing plans. We have every intention of keeping this about the music. The girls have been great to work with and Miranda has been able to compartmentalize her solo and band roles nicely. This is the dream thing, why we all got into the music business… to find some great music and let it get out there.”

Fact File: Through week of 12-4-11 Four The Record has sold 258k units; Hell On Heels has sold 175k. Miranda has 2.8 million Facebook likes and 535k Twitter followers. Pistol Annies has 132k Facebook likes and 43k Twitter followers.

 

Charlie Cook On Air

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Format Explosion

I was talking to my friend Lon Helton the other day about the state of the Country format and whether we are on the precipice of another explosion like the early ‘90s when Garth was the most important performer on the radio.

I won’t speak for Lon—he has the vehicle to do that—but we agreed that we are there again and this time it is because of that lovely young lady who apparently owns the musical world. Taylor Swift is a phenomenon. I am not going to say anything new here. Every one already knows how important she has been the music business and to Country radio.

Ken Kragen used to talk about the rule of three. It is important to make three impressions if you expect to make a lasting impression the consumer.

Taylor is the champion of three. In less than a week’s time she wins the Entertainer of the Year Award at the CMA show, appears on 60 Minutes (more on that in a minute) and then cleans up at the American Music Awards show.

Taylor’s 60 Minutes bit may have gotten lost on east coast and Central time zone viewers because football games on CBS went 30 minutes late. Her appearance was at about 8:15, already into the AMA (where she, Lady A and Blake Shelton won awards) on ABC and Sunday Night Football on NBC (where Faith Hill sings the game on). But I watched it. And I was blown away.

It often appears that Taylor is the only person in the room that is surprised when good things happen to her, or when she wins something and the 60 Minutes reporter asked her about that. I believed Taylor when she said that she is surprised and feels fortunate every time she wins something. She might work on a genuine smile in place of her shocked response, but that’s just me.

I was absolutely taken by how grown up she is today. Like many of you, I met Taylor early in her career. She was always confident in her ability and she was attractively gangly at the start. Today she is a real CEO of a REAL big company and she is running it like one of Scott Borchetta’s race cars. On all cylinders.

The turning point, if the format is going to explode again is when it is everywhere. When every time you turn around you see Country Music and Country Music performers. Then the sky is the limit.

Taylor is there every time we turn around. She dominates the charts. I have not seen one reviewer give her anything less than glowing accolades for her show. She wins something on every music awards show.

I believe that Taylor has opened the door for the next wave of crossover Country artists. The Band Perry had a number one AC song. Sure, it was a special song and jumped out of the radio but something had to grease the skids for AC and CHR programmers to give it a listen. Lady Antebellum continues to chart on AC stations.

Is it possible that these three are the next wave of crossover Country artists? Is it possible that they are going to nudge out Keith Urban, Faith, and Tim McGraw who were staples on many AC stations for years?

These additions would be a great move for the format because these acts have stayed true to their Country Radio roots, as did Keith, Faith and Tim. Come on, would any of us be surprised if Taylor spent more time with contemporary radio and less with Country? Not really. But she is a bigger person than I. She came to the dance with Nashville and she has stayed with us.

We can be pretty safe in knowing that the Perry Kids and Lady A are going to stay fixed in the format.

With Country acts on non-country TV and the CMA show doing so great in the ratings (and by the way kudos to the CMA and ABC for spending a LOT of money marketing the show) we stand on the edge of another explosion in the format.

Hopefully the general public brings their wallets with them.

ZBB At Red Rocks On CMT

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ZBB at Red Rocks. Photo: Bryan Allen

Zac Brown Band’s sold-out concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado are featured in a new special on CMT. The two-night stand in September drew 20,000 fans.

The special premieres Sat., Dec. 10 at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT. Zac Brown Band – Live at Red Rocks includes the debut of unreleased song “Sweet Annie,” the Colorado-themed hit “Colder Weather,” new single “Keep Me In Mind” and hits “Knee Deep” and “Chicken Fried.” The 30-minute special will re-air Dec. 13 at 10:30 a.m. CT and Dec. 15 at 9:30 a.m. CT. Fans can also catch it on CMT.com and the network’s digital all-music channel, CMT Pure.

Brown, along with co-writers Wyatt Durette, Drew Pearson, and Anne Preven, recently received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media, for “Where the River Goes” from the 2011 film Footloose.

Springsteen to Keynote SXSW

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Bruce Springsteen playing Hyde Park

Bruce Springsteen will serve as keynote speaker on March 15 for the 2012 South By Southwest conference in the Austin, TX.

Springsteen is known for his rock albums that honor folk and acoustic musical traditions with live shows that celebrate the communal power of music.

This keynote will further SXSW’s aim to foster connection and communication in the music community.

The event will be open to Music and Platinum registrants and registered showcasing artists. Conference registrations are now being accepted.

Springsteen joins notable SXSW keynote alumni including Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Lucinda Williams, Robert Plant, Pete Townshend, Smokey Robinson and Neil Young.

Industry Ink: Chesney Goes Platinum

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Kenny Chesney’s latest album, Hemingway’s Whiskey, is now his tenth Platinum project. The release has yielded hits “Boys Of Fall,” “Somewhere With You,” “Live A Little,” “You And Tequila” and “Reality.” Pictured (L-R): Clint Higham (Pres. Morris Management Group), Chesney, Gary Overton (Chairman & CEO Sony Music Nashville), Dale Morris (CEO Morris Management Group).

• Anthony Allen is taking on APD, MD and afternoon drive duties at WSIX/Nashville. He fills the afternoon vacancy left by the departure of Big D & Bubba last month. Allen makes the move from KZSN/Wichita. At WSIX, Jon Anthony continues as PD.

• Sony/ATV CEO Marty Bandier gives some insight into his plans for EMI Music Publishing in a new interview with UK publication Music Week. He says EMI will keep its name and will operate mostly as a separate entity. He explains Sony/ATV will control 38% of EMI Publishing as “a separate company owned by a group of investors that Sony Corp is a minority shareholder in.” Bandier spent 17 years at EMI before joining Sony/ATV in 2007. More here.

• MusicRow Founder David Ross has launched a blog at SecretsOfTheList.com to chronicle the progress of his upcoming book by the same name. The site is also a platform for the exchange of ideas, including a new hot-button editorial by Jaron Lowenstein (aka Jaron And The Long Road To Love) titled “Nashville’s Beautiful Prison Makes Artists Expendable.”

• The new installment of “CMA Industry InSite” is entitled “Country Goes Global.” It includes interviews with artist/songwriter Jace Everett; Mark Hagen, Executive Director, BBC Radio; Rob Potts, CEO Managing Director, Rob Potts Entertainment Edge; Brad Turcotte, International Director of Marketing, Big Machine Label Group; and Jeff Walker, CEO, The AristoMedia Group.

• The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is celebrating the holiday season with a special spotlight exhibit of festive dresses from Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Taylor Swift.

• Tickets to the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards go on sale to the public  Sat., Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. Members can purchase tickets through tomorrow (12/10) at 10 p.m. CST with a special pre-sale code. Tickets here. The 30th annual CCMA Awards will take place in Saskatoon, SK on Sept. 9. Nominees will be announced July 18, 2012. Details at www.ccma.org.

• Former Little Texas frontman Tim Rushlow has released a solo Christian EP, Unfinished Symphony, on Liquid Spins Records. The project was produced by award winner Ian Eskelin and includes single “Rain Down on Me.” It is available for digital download with a full length CD to follow in 2012.

• Publicist Joseph Conner has left his gig at Lotos Nile and joined the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation as Marketing & PR Coordinator. His previous stops include Kaleidoscope Media. Contact him at (615) 467-1936, x114 or [email protected].

• Songwriter Dennis Morgan’s “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” is included in a European T-Mobile ad which recently won TV Commercial of the Year in the UK. The song was originally a hit duet for Aretha Franklin & George Michael.

• MD Records is open under the direction of President Kelli McGarraugh. The label is working a single from flagship artist Jason Thomas titled “I’m Your Radio.” The video has been added to GACTV.com. MD Records can be reached at (615) 283-7479 and [email protected].

• KCA Artists has signed Boston-based bluegrass girl band Della Mae.

SiriusXM Salutes Waylon Jennings

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SiriusXM hosted a special taping honoring the late Waylon Jennings on Tuesday (12/6) at the SiriusXM Theater inside Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The show featured his son singer Shooter Jennings, and Shooter’s mother, singer Jessi Colter. The event celebrate the upcoming release of Waylon: The Music Inside, Vol. 2. Among the surprise guests were Josh Thompson, Jamey Johnson, Hank Williams Jr., Jack Clement and Billy Joe Shaver.

(L-R): Josh Thompson, Jamey Johnson, Shooter Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., and Jessi Colter. Photo: Alan Mayor

Curb, Atkins Renew Contracts

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Rodney Atkins has inked new contracts with longtime homes Curb Records and Curb Publishing. Since 1996, the partnership has resulted in four studio albums and six multi-week No. 1 hits.

“Mike Curb encouraged me to learn about songwriting, how to write songs, how to go in and produce those songs,” says Atkins. “He allowed me to get in the studio and experiment and learn the process. Hats off to Mike for really sticking with artist development for a long time—for believing in that.”

Curb adds, “Rodney Atkins represents everything that we believe in. Rodney worked with us for almost 10 years before his first major hit, and since that time he has had the Billboard No. 1 Record of the Year twice with ‘If You’re Going Through Hell’ and ‘Watching You,’ and his recent multi-week No. 1 record ‘Take A Back Road’ is one of the top three country records of the year in 2011.”

Owen Raises Money For St. Jude’s From His Kitchen

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Jake Owen recently played his second StageIt show to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “The concerts are very spur of the moment,” he says. “There aren’t any mics or cords, just a few guitars and my MAC that has an eyesight camera on it. I Tweet about it ahead of time to let everyone know we’re doing it. The other night we raised 3K for St. Jude in just 35 minutes. I would have been playing music with my friends in my kitchen anyway, so it’s a pretty cool way to give back.”

Owen’s philanthropy continues on Dec. 10 at the Mardy’s Tennis & Jake’s Music Fest. Owen and his childhood friend and professional tennis player, Mardy Fish, are hosting the sixth annual event in their hometown of Vero Beach, FL. The concert will include performances by Eric Paslay, Chris Young and Owen. Owen’s portion of the proceeds will be donated to St. Jude and The Mardy Fish Foundation, whose mission is to provide children access to after school exercise, nutritional and enrichment programs. Tickets can be purchased here.

In addition, AOL’s The Boot is hosting exclusive “Behind the Scenes” footage from Owen’s newest music video “Alone with You.” Click here to view. AOL is also featuring Owen in its “Sessions” series, which includes all genres of music. His four performances from Barefoot Blue Jean Night can be viewed here.

Hank Jr. Concert Raises $75K For Hall of Fame

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Hank Williams Jr. Photo: Michael Krouskop

Hank Williams Jr. performed an acoustic benefit concert at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Dec. 6, marking the close of a four-year run of Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy exhibit.

Hank Jr.’s performance infused personal memories and raised $75,000 to benefit the Hall. He also announced that many artifacts he loaned for the exhibition will stay in the museum and archives.

The 90-minute show included Williams’ own hits, youngest son Sam singing “The Blues Man,” new tunes from a forthcoming CD, and classics from Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

Special guests in the audience included Jessi Colter, Shooter Jennings, Jamey Johnson, Williams’ wife Mary Jane, and children.

After the concert, Williams greeted audience members and posed for pictures in the Ford Theater. A reception followed in the Hall of Fame Rotunda, and fans received a signed poster commemorating the exhibit.

Family Tradition opened on March 28, 2008. Originally scheduled to close on Dec. 31, 2009, the exhibit became the most popular and acclaimed exhibition in the museum’s history and was eventually extended through Dec. 31, 2011.

Thursday Photos

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Brent Anderson Makes Opry Debut

Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville recording artist Brent Anderson made his Grand Ole Opry debut this past weekend from the stage of the Ryman Auditorium. Remarking on the experience, the Pascagoula, MS, native shared, “Playing at the Opry was incredible for me. To stand on that stage, where so many legends have stood, is without a doubt the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten to do.” Anderson is on the radio now with debut single, “Amy’s Song.” (L-R): Fitzgerald Hartley’s Steve Emley; Arista Nashville promo team members Ryan Dokke and Lauren Thomas; Sony Music Nashville Sr. VP Promotion Skip Bishop; Anderson; and the Arista Nashville promo team’s Chris Waters, VP Lesly Tyson, John Sigler, Rusty Sherrill, and Tyler Waugh.

Photo: Chris Hollo

Christmas at Belmont Taped at Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Laura Bell Bundy hosted “Christmas at Belmont” at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center Monday night (12/5), where nearly 700 Belmont University students and faculty performed. The annual production of traditional carols, classical masterworks, world music and seasonal favorites will air on PBS stations nationwide beginning Thurs., Dec. 22. Check local listings for air dates and times. Nashville Public Television (NPT Ch. 8 ) will air “Christmas at Belmont” on Dec. 22 at 8 p.m. (CST) and re-broadcast it on Christmas Day at 7 p.m. (CST).