Kristian Bush Sets Streamsound Debut

/by

Kristian-Bush-Southern-GravityKristian Bush will release his debut solo Streamsound Records album, Southern Gravity, on April 7.

A proven hit-maker with the duo Sugarland, Bush teamed with producer Tom Tapley and executive producer Byron Gallimore (Sugarland, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw) for the release. Bush is a co-writer on each of the album’s 12 tracks (listing below).

The lead single for the album, “Trailer Hitch,” has risen to No. 42 on the MusicRow Chart as of this week. The inspiring lyrics sparked Bush to partner with Goodwill Industries International for the #GiveItAway campaign to encourage donations of used clothing and goods.

“The songs on Southern Gravity feel like home to me, and I am proud and excited to share them, finally,” said Bush. “They are your stories as much as they are mine, and I hope you hear yourself in here, no matter if you are standing up, falling down, or dancing in between the pieces of your life.”

In 2015, Bush will continue his Put Your Soul In It Tour, beginning with appearances at the Ryman Auditorium (2/15), The Bluebird Cafe (2/26) and the Grand Ole Opry (3/6) in Nashville before heading overseas for select tour stops in Australia.

Southern Gravity Track Listing

1. “Make Another Memory” (Kristian Bush/Jeff Cohen/Rodney Clawson)
2. “Light Me Up” (Bush/Jesse Rice)
3. “Trailer Hitch” (Bush/Brandon Bush/Tim Owens)
4. “Southern Gravity” (Bush/Scooter Carusoe)
5. “Flip Flops” (Bush/Jeff Cohen/Paul Overstreet)
6. “Giving It Up” (Bush/Jeff Cohen/Tom Douglas)
7. “Feeling Fine California” (Bush/Cohen/Overstreet)
8. “Waiting On An Angel” (Bush/Cohen/Bob DiPiero)
9. “Walk Tall” (Bush/Cohen/Nathaniel “Bo”Rinehart/William “Bear” Rinehart)
10. “SendingYou A Sunset” (Bush/Tim Owens)
11. “Sweet Love” (Bush/Sherrie Austin/Phil Barton/Cohen)
12. “House On A Beach” (Bush/Canaan Smith)

Sam Hunt Celebrates No. 1 Single, Upcoming Tour

/by
Pictured (l-r): Three Mules Music's Chris Hunter; Country Aircheck's Chuck Aly; Universal Music Group's Mike Dungan; producer Zach Crowell; co-writers Shane McAnally, Sam Hunt and Josh Osborne; ASCAP's LeAnn Phelan; Black River Publishing's Celia Froehlig; and Universal Music Publishing's Kent Earls. Photo by Alan Poizner.

Pictured (l-r): Three Mules Music’s Chris Hunter; ‘Country Aircheck’s’ Chuck Aly; Universal Music Group’s Mike Dungan; producer Zach Crowell; co-writers Shane McAnally, Sam Hunt and Josh Osborne; ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan; Black River Publishing’s Celia Froehlig; and Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls. Photo: Alan Poizner.

Sam Hunt had plenty of reasons to celebrate Monday (Jan. 26): his first No. 1 as an artist, his third No. 1 as a songwriter, and the launch of a sold-out headlining tour. So he marked the occasion with a performance at Rocketown in Nashville—complete with breakdancing kids and graffiti artists.

sam hunt breakdancer

Breakdancers were in the audience at the Sam Hunt tour preview.

Hunt and his team kicked off the festivities by toasting his debut single “Leave The Night On” reaching No. 1. After success penning hits for other artists, Hunt co-wrote the song with frequent collaborators Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne—it was their seventh and fifth chartoppers, respectively. All three songwriters are ASCAP members. “I think Josh is a secret weapon,” said McAnally, “but I think the secret is out.” Saluting Hunt, he added, “he makes music that comes from the heart… without regard for genre.”

“You are a game changer,” agreed UMPG’s Kent Earls. 

“Leave The Night On” has sold one million copies, making it Hunt’s first platinum single as an artist. The follow-up, “Take Your Time,” is the most downloaded country song on this week’s chart.

McAnally called his co-producer Zach Crowell a “mindreader” for helping complete the sound they were striving for. “Leave The Night On” is Crowell’s first No. 1 as a producer, though his experience includes manning the boards for LeCrae.

Hunt said he had been writing with McAnally and Osborne for about five years and thanked them for believing in him. Watching from the crowd were his parents Joan and Allen Hunt, visiting from Cedartown, Georgia. The MCA Nashville artist also noted appreciation for his team before launching into an enthusiastic set including “Leave The Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “Break Up In A Small Town,” “House Party” and “Speakers.”

His Lipstick Graffiti outing opens Thursday, Jan. 29 with a sold-out show at famed Los Angeles venue The Troubador. Later this year he joins Lady Antebellum’s tour.

A graffiti artist at work during the party.

A graffiti artist at work during the party.

The Band Perry To Help Recording Academy Launch Grammy Amplifier

/by
The Band Perry 2014

The Band Perry

The Band Perry has signed on to take part in launching The Recording Academy’s third annual Grammy Amplifier, an online initiative intended to mentor emerging artists and provide them with outlets to showcase their talents.

The Band Perry will serve as curators for the program alongside Ziggy Marley and Allen Stone. Mark Ronson will serve as the 2015 Grammy Amplifier Ambassador. The ambassador and curators will vet talent via online submissions and select the program’s three winners who will individually be awarded one of the following prizes: (1) a studio recording session with a Grammy-winning producer; (2) filming and starring in their own music video with a noted director; or (3) securing an opening spot for a noted musician and/or at a music festival.

Submissions are being accepted at GRAMMYAmplifier.com. Based on their track plays and social media “amplifications,” the top 25 finalists will be brought together for a Grammy Amplifier mentorship experience. The top 25 will then be whittled down by the program curators to a short list of finalists. The program ambassador will select the final three winners and align each of them with one of three top prizes.

The 2015 GRAMMY Amplifier program marks the start of a newly inked three-year renewal between Hyundai and The Recording Academy, again naming Hyundai the official vehicle partner of The Grammy Awards.

Trisha Yearwood Set To Release Third Cookbook

/by

trisha yearwood1Trisha Yearwood is set to release her third cookbook, Trisha’s Table: My Feel-Good Favorites For A Balanced Life, which will be released March 31, 2015 (Clarkson Potter). The new work offers recipes with healthier ingredients, as well as recipes similar to those found in Yearwood’s previous cookbooks, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen (2008), and Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood (2010).

Among the recipes found in Trisha’s Table are dairy-free Angel Hair Pasta with Avocado Pesto, vegetarian Smashed Sweet Pea Burgers, Edamame Parmesan, as well as comfort foods such as Slow Cooker Georgia Pulled-Pork Barbecue, and Chicken Tortilla Casserole.

Yearwood penned the book with sister Beth Yearwood Bernard, and it includes a foreword by Garth Brooks. In the past couple of years, Yearwood has emphasized a healthy lifestyle, and debuted a slimmed down physique at the 48th annual Academy of Country Music awards.

Now she’s sharing some healthier recipes with fans.

“I still agree with the famous quote ‘everything in moderation, including moderation,’ but I have adopted an 80/20 rule when it comes to my delicate relationship with food: 80 percent of the time I make good choices; 20 percent of the time I let myself splurge a little,” Yearwood writes in the book’s introduction.

She continues, “Growing up enjoying my parents’ and grandparents’ comfort food taught me early on about taste. It was always hard for me to go on a traditional diet because I had been led to believe I had to sacrifice flavor to shed a few pounds, so that effort never lasted very long. This girl likes food! I am not one of those people who gets so busy with my day that I suddenly think to myself, “Wow, I forgot to eat lunch!” That never happens to me. Never. I think about food all the time, so making peace with eating is a daily battle for me. I won’t say I’ve completely figured it out, but I will say that right now, I win that battle more days than I lose it, and I believe that’s the key.”

Weekly Register: Sam Hunt Takes His Time on Albums, Tracks Charts

/by

montevallo1111It might be an understatement to say newcomer and MCA Nashville artist Sam Hunt is having a great week. Not only did he celebrate his first No. 1 single with a party in Nashville earlier this week, but he has the top-selling country song and country album in the country this week, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood also make strong showings in the Top 5 on both the albums and tracks charts this week.

Tracks

Hunt’s “Take Your Time” is the top-selling country track this week (and No. 22 overall), notching 48k units. He is followed by Florida Georgia Line‘s “Sun Daze” with 33k, Blake Shelton (ft. Ashley Monroe)’s “Lonely Tonight” with 30k, Carrie Underwood‘s “Something In The Water” with 27k, and Luke Bryan‘s “I See You” with 25k.

Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars‘ “Uptown Funk” remains the top-selling track this week, with 344k this week, and 2.8 million RTD. This week’s top debut overall was Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney‘s “FourFiveSeconds” which debuted at No. 15 overall, selling 53k units.

Overall track sales are down 11.6 percent YTD, while country track sales YTD are down 18.2 percent. This time last year, Katy Perry had the top track with “Dark Horse” at 294k units, and Luke Bryan had the top country track with “Drink A Beer” selling 53k.

Albums

WeeklyReg1The Top 5 country albums this week are Sam Hunt’s Montevallo (16k), Jason Aldean‘s Old Boots, New Dirt (10.5k), Carrie Underwood’s Greatest Hits: Decade #1 (9.3k), Blake Shelton’s Bringing Back The Sunshine (9.1k), and Garth Brooks‘ Man Against Machine (8.6k).

Fall Out Boy debuts at No. 1 on the Top 200 albums chart this week, with the album American Beauty/American Psycho selling 218k in total consumption, with 192k of those being albums. Digital albums accounted for 77 percent of the 192k units.

The top debut on the country album chart this week was Ralph Stanley‘s Man of Constant Sorrow, selling 3.4k.

Overall album sales were down .4 percent YTD, while overall country album sales were up .7 percent. This week last year, the soundtrack for Frozen sold 93k, while Jennifer Nettles‘ That Girl had the top-selling country album, with 19k sold.

Coming Soon

2/17 Mavericks, Aaron Watson
3/3 Toby Keith
3/10 Luke Bryan Spring Break Compilation
3/24 Easton Corbin, Montgomery Gentry
3/31 Josh Turner

The Cadillac Three Hit The Road On ‘The Aviators And Radiators Tour’

/by
Cadillac Three1

The Cadillac Three. Photo: Ashley Brooke

The Cadillac Three is on the road with the Aviators And Radiators Tour before they join Eric Church on select dates as guests of The Outsiders Tour this fall. The band is the reigning UK Classic Rock & Roll of Honour Awards recipient of Best New Rock Band. The Cadillac Three is led by two-time Grammy nominee Jaren Johnston, and also includes Kelby Ray and Neil Mason.

Collectively, members of The Cadillac Three have No. 1 songs and several album cuts from country stars such as Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert, and Jake Owen.

UPCOMING AVIATORS AND RADIATORS TOUR DATES:
Jan. 30 Tampa, FL*
Feb. 5 Tulsa, OK
Feb. 6 Fort Worth, TX
Feb. 11 Oxford, OH
Feb. 12 Columbus, OH
Feb. 13 Flint, MI
Feb. 14 Medina, OH
Feb. 19 Virginia Beach, VA
Feb. 20 Winston-Salem, NC
Feb. 21 Washington, D.C.
Feb. 27 Buffalo, NY
Feb. 28 Jordan, NY
March 1 Uncasville, CT
*Denotes Radio Show

For more information, visit thecadillacthree.com

 

 

Artist Pics: Charles Esten, Gretchen Peters, John Oates, Lucy Angel

/by

Charles Esten, star of ABC’s hit show Nashville, visited with students at Nashville School of the Arts on Tuesday (Jan. 27). Esten spent time with the school’s guitar quartet and also hosted a question and answer session with theater students, where he discussed acting techniques, finding inspiration, and shared anecdotes from stage and screen.

Pictured (L-R): Dr. Gregory Stewart, Nashville School of the Arts Executive Principal; Charles Esten; Kara Kindall, Nashville School of the Arts theater instructor; Tiffany Kerns, CMA Community Outreach Manager. Photo: Donn Jones/CMA

Pictured (L-R): Dr. Gregory Stewart, Nashville School of the Arts Executive Principal; Charles Esten; Kara Kindall, Nashville School of the Arts theater instructor; Tiffany Kerns, CMA Community Outreach Manager. Photo: Donn Jones/CMA

• • •

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum honored newly-inducted Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Gretchen Peters as one of its Poets & Prophets this weekend. The 90-minute quarterly series featured an interview Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum historian Michael Gray and a performance by Peters, which included the Martina McBride hits “Independence Day” and “My Baby Loves Me.” On Feb. 10 she will release her eighth studio album, Blackbirds. 

Pictured (L-R): The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Michael Gray, previous Poets honoree Mark D. Sanders, Gretchen Peters, and previous Poets honorees Roger Cook and Jerry Foster. Photo: Rick Diamond

Pictured (L-R): The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Michael Gray, previous Poets honoree Mark D. Sanders, Gretchen Peters, and previous Poets honorees Roger Cook and Jerry Foster. Photo: Rick Diamond

 • • •

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member John Oates recently kicked off the New Year with An Evening With John Oates and Friends at the City Winery in Nashville. Benefitting the T.J. Martell Foundation, the event celebrated the release of his new documentary/concert DVD Another Good Road. All proceeds from the event will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation. Special guests for the evening included CMA New Artist of the Year winner Brett Eldredge, Jim Lauderdale and Sam Bush.

Pictured (L-R): Bill Hearn (President & CEO, EMI Christian Music Group, T.J. Martell Foundation Board Member), Laura Heatherly (CEO, TJ Martell Foundation), John Oates, John Esposito (President & CEO, WMN, T.J. Martell Foundation Board Member)

Pictured (L-R): Bill Hearn (President & CEO, EMI Christian Music Group, T.J. Martell Foundation Board Member), Laura Heatherly (CEO, TJ Martell Foundation), John Oates, John Esposito (President & CEO, WMN, T.J. Martell Foundation Board Member)

• • •

Lucy Angel caught up with Premiere Networks this week to chat about their debut album, current single “Crazy Too” and AXS TV docu-series, Discovering Lucy Angel.
Pictured (L-R): Tim Riley (Tim Riley Syndication Services), Kate Anderton (Lucy Angel), Rosemary Young (Premiere), Emily Anderton (Lucy Angel)

Pictured (L-R): Tim Riley (Tim Riley Syndication Services), Kate Anderton (Lucy Angel), Rosemary Young (Premiere), Emily Anderton (Lucy Angel)

UMPG Nashville Inks Deal with Songwriter Blair Daly

/by
Pictured, Front Row: Ron Stuve and Blair Daly. Back Row: Missy Wilson, Kent Earls, Cyndi Forman and Travis Gordon.

Pictured, Front Row: Ron Stuve and Blair Daly. Back Row: Missy Wilson, Kent Earls, Cyndi Forman and Travis Gordon.

Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville (UMPG Nashville) has signed an exclusive publishing agreement with songwriter Blair Daly.

Daly is known for his hit songs including Uncle Kracker’s “Smile” and No. 1 songs for Kelly Clarkson (“People Like Us”), Kip Moore (“Beer Money”), and Rascal Flatts (“Stand”). Daly also wrote the Dove Award-nominated song “Zombie” for We As Human.

Other artists who have recorded Daly-penned songs include Big & Rich (“That’s Why I Pray” and “Wild West Show”), Scott Stapp (“Dying to Live”), Saving Abel (“Bringing Down the Giant”), Backstreet Boys (“Crawling Back to You”), Gary Allan (“Sand in My Soul”), and O.A.R. (“Peace”). Daly also penned the title track to Little Big Town’s Pain Killer.

Upcoming placements for Daly’s music include planned releases by artists such as Carrie Underwood, Maddie & Tae, Kip Moore, Art of Dying, Rita Wilson and Gary Allan, among others.

“We are beyond excited to add Blair Daly to our amazing roster of writers at UMPG Nashville. We have been very fortunate to work with Blair through many co-writer collaborations over the last 15+ years. His hits are as diverse as his songwriting talent and we look forward to helping Blair further his career and music,” said Kent Earls, Executive Vice President/General Manager of UMPG Nashville.

“I am so honored and fired up about joining UMPG! I’ve been a huge fan of the company and the people over here for years. It feels like one big happy family,” said Daly.

Artist Updates: Blake Shelton, Zac Brown Band, Carrie Underwood, Taste of Country Festival

/by
Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton Tapped for Adam Sandler Movie Role?

Blake Shelton could be set to parlay his success in television (including roles as a coach on NBC’s The Voice and his hosting role on Saturday Night Live) to a movie role. According to thewrap.com, Adam Sandler has tapped the entertainer for the cast of Ridiculous 6, a Happy Madison production.

The all-star lineup is also set to include Taylor Lautner, Nick Nolte, Whitney Cummings, as well as Happy Madison regulars Steve Buscemi, Rob Schneider, Dan Aykroyd, Will Forte, Nick Swardson, Terry Crews, Jon Lovitz and Vanilla Ice.

Shelton is being considered to portray Wyatt Earp.

Netflix confirmed that Ridiculous 6 will be Sandler’s first Netflix feature, and production will begin in February.

 

Zac Brown Band To Launch New Season of ‘Live From The Artists Den’

ZacBrownBand2014

Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band will launch the ninth season of Live From The Artists Den nationwide on public television with a performance at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, N.Y. The band’s performance is filled with fan favorites including “Jump Right In,” “Colder Weather,” and “Free.”

The ninth season launches Jan. 30.

The new season also features performances from Alabama Shakes, Cage the Elephant, and Damien Rice.

 

Carrie Underwood To Star In Opening Theme For NBC’s Super Bowl XLIX Broadcast

Carrie Underwood. Photo: NBC Sports

Carrie Underwood. Photo: NBC Sports

Carrie Underwood will return to star in the “Waiting All Day for a Super Bowl Fight” opening theme for NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015. Each week of the last two NFL seasons, Underwood’s performance of “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” has kicked off Sunday Night Football.

The opening theme for NBC’s coverage of Super Bowl XLIX will feature new elements, including lyrics featuring the AFC champion New England Patriots and NFC champion Seattle Seahawks, and a special set design. NBC will broadcast Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, Feb. 1 from Glendale, Ariz., beginning at Noon ET.

“I’m so honored to again be a part of the Super Bowl, this time joining NBC Sports in helping kick everything off! I can’t wait to watch the game!,” says Underwood.

 

Lineup Announced For Third Annual Taste of Country Festival

BIlly Currington

Billy Currington

Billy Currington, Eli Young Band, Jerrod Niemann, Sara Evans, Easton Corbin, Chase Bryant, Colt Ford, Josh Abbott Band, Tracy Lawrence, LOCASH, as well as Logan Mize, Western Underground, Rachel Lipsky, Sasha McVeigh, Jackson Michelson and Annie Bosko have been added to the lineup for the third annual Taste of Country Music Festival.

The festival will be held June 12-14, 2015 at Hunter Mountain Resort (Hunter, N.Y.) in the Great Northern Catskills of Greene County.

Previously announced superstars Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Toby Keith will headline this year’s festival.

T.J. Martell Reveals First Stars For March Gala

/by

TJ-Martell-Honors-Gala

Pictured (Top-Bottom): Lady Antebellum, Emmylou Harris, Chip Eaton.

Pictured (Top-Bottom): Lady Antebellum, Emmylou Harris, Chip Esten.

The T.J. Martell Foundation has announced Chip Esten will return as host for the 7th Annual Honors Gala, with additional talent including Emmylou Harris and Lady Antebellum. The Omni Hotel will host the March 30 event, and is expected to reveal additional talent in the coming weeks.

Previously announced award recipients for the 5:30 p.m. evening include Ken Levitan, Dr. Jeffrey Balser, Billy Ray & Bill Hearn and Becca Stevens. A cocktail reception, silent auction, awards presentation, musical performances and a live auction are all scheduled.

Having netted over 2 million dollars for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS research since 2009, the gala is produced and directed by High Five Productions. Co-chairs for the 2015 event are Ree Buchanan, George Anderson and Danielle Bouharoun.

Table sponsorships range from $11,500 to $100,000. Individual tickets are $1,000. Contact Tinti Moffat at the T.J. Martell Foundation at (615) 256-2002. Sponsorships and congratulatory ads may be purchased in the commemorative journal. Email Allyson Baggott at [email protected].

For more information, visit tjmartell.org.