Dan + Shay Brave The Rain To Celebrate Upcoming Album
Gloomy weather couldn’t keep Warner Music Nashville duo Dan + Shay, along with their team, from celebrating the upcoming release of their sophomore album Obsessed. Warner Music Nashville Chairman and CEO John Esposito hosted a celebration held at Warner Music Nashville’s offices on Wednesday afternoon (May 25) turning Warner’s regular Pickin’ on the Patio party into an album preview party.
Dan + Shay’s Shay Mooney and Dan Smyers welcomed a swarm of fans, who were all too happy to brave the rain to hear a rooftop preview performance of tracks from Obsessed, which will release June 3.
Dan + Shay
Prior to the performance, the duo was surprised by Liz Kennedy, a representative from the RIAA, announcing two certifications for tracks from their previous album, Where It All Began. Dan+Shay’s breakthrough hit, “19 You + Me” has been certified platinum, while “Nothin’ Like You” has been certified gold.
“There is nothing harder or scarier than a sophomore record,” said Scott Hendricks, who co-produced Obsessed with Smyers. “The first one, you’ve got a whole lot of time to make it. The second one, it’s a whole other story, and many times as you know, it’s hard to live up to the first record. These guys came focused, they came with more songs than we can put on the record. We were arguing up to the last day about what songs to take off. They are writing machines. Working with Dan on this thing, he’s an incredible producer. The songs, I couldn’t be more proud of this record. There are a lot of hit songs on this record, even more than on the first. I can’t wait for the world to hear this.”
Pictured (L-R): Lisa Ray, VP Brand Management; Peter Strickland, EVP & GM, WMN; Dan Smyers; Scott Hendricks, EVP A&R; John Esposito, Chairman & CEO, WMN; Shay Mooney; Liz Kennedy, Director, Communications and Gold & Platinum Program, RIAA; Kevin Herring, SVP Promotion; Chris Palmer, VP Promotion
Jason Isbell, More Tennessee Artists Promote State’s Tourism
Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires perform a live streamed concert inside the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theater for Chicago’s Congress Park. PRNewsFoto/Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
This week, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development live-streamed three concerts from West, Middle, and East Tennessee into Congress Park in downtown Chicago as part of The Soundtrack of America: Made in Tennessee tourism program.
Citizen Cope, Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Ashley Monroe took to the stage on three consecutive nights, May 23-25, and performed from iconic attractions in Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. The live performances were streamed onto a two-sided video wall and artists interacted with the audiences over the course of three days, including giving away trips to Tennessee.
.@CitizenCope just played two places at once for a live-streamed, Memphis-meets-Chicago concert. #MadeInTN. pic.twitter.com/mzFj8a3y8B
— Tennessee Vacation (@TNVacation) May 23, 2016
Citizen Cope kicked off the series of events on Monday and performed a solo acoustic set live from Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The screen gave the Chicago audience a 360-degree look at the Memphis performance, making it the first long distance concert of its kind. Citizen Cope also posed for photos through the screens and took song requests from the crowd in Chicago. He also gave one lucky Chicago audience member a trip to visit Memphis.
On Tuesday, the events traveled to Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as high-energy old-time string band Old Crow Medicine Show performed seven songs including “Tennessee Bound,” “8 Dogs 8 Banjos” and “Wagon Wheel.” The group also connected with the live audience in Chicago’s Congress Park, through the interactive screens, and gave away a limited-edition poster to a fan.
Two cities at once with @crowmedicine. Live music from Nashville to Chicago. #madeintn pic.twitter.com/2HiziUFzgm
— Tennessee Vacation (@TNVacation) May 24, 2016
The evening culminated with a set from Jason Isbell, joined by wife Amanda Shires on stage. Isbell greeted the audience in Chicago and performed “24 Frames,” “Cover Me Up,” and the title track off his latest album Something More Than Free. Additionally, Isbell took crowd pictures through the interactive screens and also selected a lucky winner in Chicago to give a trip to Nashville.
Singer, songwriter, and member of the country music trio Pistol Annies, Ashley Monroe took the stage in her hometown of Knoxville at the famous Tennessee Theatre for the final night of the concert series. Monroe performed a nine-song set that included singles “Like a Rose” and “Weed Instead of Roses,” as well as “Bombshell” off her latest album The Blade. Monroe also used time in-between songs to speak with the audience in Chicago and talk about growing up in Knoxville.
The live streaming concerts were part of a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Nashville marketing agency FlyteVu.
“As the birthplace of so many genres, Tennessee’s musical roots are deep with ground-breaking events,” said Kevin Triplett, Commissioner of Tourist Development. “The three days of streamed concerts, showcasing the amazing talent of Citizen Cope, Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Ashley Monroe, featured the wide variety of music that is ours. Originating from Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville highlights these music destinations and venues as well as the artists and their music. And it makes this streamed event another incredible first that puts the music stake even deeper in the ground for Tennessee.”
Tennessee has long been known as a global music destination for live performances, historic music venues and recording studios. It is the state where the genres of blues, bluegrass, country, gospel, soul and rock ‘n’ roll originated and has more musicians per capita than any other place in the world.
Additionally, Chicago is a top tourism market for the state of Tennessee. Due to direct flight paths into the state’s major airports and close geographical driving range, Tennessee has become an easily accessible destination for many tourists over the years.
Exclusive: YouTube Pop-Up Space Nurtures Nashville Songwriters
Songwriters Lacy Green and Kalie Shorr in the writing room as part of YouTube Space in Nashville. Photo: YouTube
Reclining on couches in a spacious writing area at Black River Entertainment’s multi-use facility in Nashville, songwriters Tenille Arts, Lena Stone, and Jessica Roadcap are writing and rewriting lyrics, testing melody combinations, and throwing out bridge ideas. Guitar cases and laptops cover tabletops and floors. The creators make equal use of guitars and smartphones.
“What do you think of cursing, of using the word ‘damn’?” Stone asks her co-writers.
“What would CMT think of the word ‘damn’?” Roadcap quips.
For now, they keep it in.
A large sign emblazoned with YouTube’s logo hangs on the wall above. The video content giant’s logo is carefully displayed on pillows and other items throughout the intricately decorated room.
Pictured (L-R): Lena Stone, Tenille Arts, Jessica Roadcap. Photo: YouTube
That’s because parts of the Black River Entertainment facility have been taken over, temporarily, by YouTube. On May 17, YouTube welcomed Nashville-based, all-female collective of singer-songwriters, Song Suffragettes, to the pop-up space. Fifteen songwriters, divided into five groups, participated in writing workshops to create original songs within a three-hour timeframe.
Later that evening, during a live taping, they will perform the songs in five separate acoustic performances, which will also be available on the Song Suffragettes’ YouTube Channel.
In one of the facility’s full-fledged studio control rooms, songwriters Kalie Shorr, Lacy Green and Emily Landis discuss their own country-flavored composition, accented with ‘90s pop leanings. It marks the first time Green and Landis have written together.
“It’s like speed dating,” Shorr says, describing the co-writing process.
Pictured (L-R): Tenille Arts, Jessica Roadcap. Photo: YouTube
Over the past few years, YouTube has become the dominant platform for distributing video-based content. As more creators have turned to YouTube for creative exposure, they also brought their need for education, as well as adequate space and equipment to create quality video content. YouTube has opened Spaces in nine markets, including Los Angeles and New York, to provide a space for creators to craft new content.
“YouTube is about creators, and songwriters are essential to the creation of music,” says Anjali Southward, Head of U.S Music Publishing Business Development for YouTube, and a former EMI Music Publishing employee. “We want to invest in the songwriter community, and show songwriters that YouTube can be a home for them. Nashville is a very natural place, being the songwriter capital of the world.”
Kalie Shorr, Lacy Green and Emily Landis rehearse for their performance as part of YouTube Space. Photo: YouTube
YouTube previously worked with Nashville studio Ocean Way on a similar pop-up space, and has connected with the city’s top publishers to select participants in these pop-up writing spaces, with an eye toward curating long-term relationships with creators and educating them on YouTube’s benefits for creators, including Music Insights, Content ID and Vevo.
“It’s cool because I got my start on YouTube,” says Shorr. Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton found Shorr’s videos on YouTube in 2012. Her single “Fight Like a Girl” has since drawn the attention of SiriusXM’s The Highway. “I grew up in a small town in Maine and there was no place to play, so I set up my webcam in my bedroom and that’s where I found my first audience. So to see their support of what we do is really cool. It’s cool to challenge yourself and say, ‘Can I write a song in three hours that I would want to perform and have online?’ It’s cool that they re so innovative and it’s cool to see the tech-music crossover and pushing boundaries and finding new ways to create.”
Song Suffragettes, led by founder Todd Cassetty, was created to showcase the talents of many of Nashville’s rising female songwriters. Song Suffragettes launched in 2014 and has grown to become the biggest weekly show for Nashville music venue The Listening Room. Given the dearth of female artists and songwriters on the country charts in recent years, these participating writers note the value of both a group such as Song Suffragettes and the marketing platform YouTube provides.
“It’s an all-ships-rise mentality,” says Green. “What’s good for any of these girls is great for all of us in general, but especially because we all also collaborate. If any one of us does something with this song we have just written … for example, Kalie’s got ‘Fight Like a Girl’ out right now, and that’s great for Kalie, but that’s also great for her co-writers Lena [Stone] and Hailey [Steele]. “
Hailey Steele, Krysta Nick, and Amber DeLaCruz rehearse as part of YouTube Space. Photo: YouTube
Back in the writing room, Shorr, Green and Landis discuss how to divvy up lyrics for the song’s performance that evening, before deciding to stay with one lead singer and let the other co-writers sing harmonies, to keep the audience’s focus on the lyrics. “The cool thing for me, as the writer in the co-write, is to get on camera, even though I’ll be singing harmonies,” says Landis. “It’s appreciating the songs and the people who write the songs, not just the people who sing the songs.”
“That visual is also so important to us,” says Southward. “We really want to create an environment where songwriters feel creative, but also encompass what YouTube is about, which is having this amazing visual component. We believe there is value in songwriters having a presence in the digital world.
“I think the beauty of YouTube is that anyone can have a chance,” Southward continues. “All it takes is having a passion for something. It’s great that people go to YouTube and find these artists they may never have heard before. They become followers and fans. So we love that we are part of this process, helping people build their careers and business. I don’t think we ever substitute for what goes into the real A&R and development process, but it is such a great avenue, and for many — they can earn royalties even if they aren’t signed to a publisher. I actually have heard a lot of my friends in the creative community in A&R say they use YouTube to find talent. Then they go and talk to them and go on to the rest of the process. We love being part of this process. I hope this is a launching pad or an opportunity for these writers to continue on to more success. The tree of success has many branches, and we’d love to be one of the branches.”
Kalie Shorr in the writing room during the pop-up YouTube Space at Black River Entertainment.
Grand Ole Opry Celebrates USO’s 75th Year, Announces USO Tour
Trace Adkins. Photo: USO photo by Eric Brandner
The Grand Ole Opry saluted the 75th anniversary of the USO on Tuesday night (May 24) and announced an Opry-themed USO Tour.
Charlie Daniels. Photo: Chris Hollo
Aimed at strengthening America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country throughout their service to the nation since 1941, the USO revealed that it will send several Grand Ole Opry performers around the world this year for a Grand Ole Opry USO 75th Anniversary Concert Series.
Lee Greenwood and wife Kim introduce 92-year old World War II veteran Claude “Dutch” Mann. Photo: Chris Hollo
Trace Adkins will kick off the series with a 10-day, two-country trip to the Middle East and Europe and will again take with him the replica of the six-foot Opry House center stage circle of wood.
MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band performs. Photo: Chris Hollo
Tuesday night’s Opry performance featured Adkins, Charlie Daniels Band, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Lee Greenwood, the Oak Ridge Boys, Mark Wills, and the MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band making its third appearance on the Opry stage. Adkins and Wills were among those who joined the MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band for its last song of the night, “Wagon Wheel.”
MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band with Trace Adkins and Mark Wills. Photo: Chris Hollo
Three ASCAP Songwriters Celebrate First No. 1 Singles
Pictured (L-R): Felix McTeigue, Cole Taylor, Matt Dragstrem. Photo: Ed Rode
ASCAP hosted a party at its Nashville office on Wednesday (May 25) to honor a trio of writers that secured their first No. 1 song. The two titles being honored — “Anything Goes” and “Sippin’ on Fire” — were recorded by Florida Georgia Line and produced by Joey Moi.
ASCAP’s Mike Sistad first spoke about the huge party Florida Georgia Line threw in Las Vegas for all of their writers, producers, and others. He noted, “As fun as that was, today is about honoring these three writers for their first No. 1.”
Pictured (L-R): Mike Sistad, ASCAP; Felix McTeigue; Cole Taylor; Beth Brinker, ASCAP; Matt Dragstrem; Robert Filhart, ASCAP. Photo: Ed Rode
Sistad then introduced Felix McTeigue as a co-writer on FGL’s “Anything Goes.” Other writers on the song were Craig Wiseman and Chris Tompkins. Although Wiseman was in attendance, he decided to let the spotlight solely shine on McTeigue receiving his first accolade.
Wiseman is a partner in Big Loud Mountain, which has a publishing interest in all three songs.
Pictured (L-R): Felix McTeigue, Craig Wiseman, Cole Taylor, Matt Dragstrem. Photo: Ed Rode
McTeigue thanked both writers and Lori McKenna for being the reasons he moved to Nashville.
ASCAP’s Beth Brinker spoke about Matt Dragstrem and how he first came to Nashville to be an artist, but decided to take the songwriter’s path while attending Belmont. He was celebrated for co-writing his first No. 1 with Cole Taylor, FGL’s “Sippin’ on Fire.”
Matt Dragstrem poses with the Big Loud Shirt team. Pictured (L-R): Jordan Kolodka, Craig Wiseman, Matt Dragstrem, Matt Turner, Kimberly Gleason. Photo: Ed Rode
Dragstrem mentioned that this single was the very first song he wrote after receiving his publishing deal. ASCAP’s Robert Filhart introduced Cole Taylor, who was most happy that his parents made the drive up from Georgia just to be at this event. He was also cheered on by the Universal Music Publishing Group staff.
Cole Taylor with UMPG staff. Pictured (L-R): Missy Roberts, Ron Stuve, Cole Taylor, Kent Earls, Travis Gordon, Amelia Varni. Photo: Ed Rode
Also speaking at the party and distributing No. 1 hardware were Holly Lane with the CRB and Brandi Simms of CMA.
Industry Ink: BMI Eastside Sounds, ‘Crossroads Revisited,’ Creative Nation
BMI, ALT983 Deliver Eastside Sounds
Pictured: (L-R): BMI’s Mason Hunter, ALT983’s Jess Kelley, BMI songwriter Jess Nolan and BMI’s Nina Carter
BMI’s Mason Hunter (far left), ATL983’s Jess Kelley (center) and BMI’s Nina Carter (far right) pose with the members of Nightly
BMI and Nashville radio station ALT983 hosted the latest edition of indie rock showcase Eastside Sounds on Wednesday night (May 25). Featuring soulful singer Jess Nolan and electro-pop band Nightly, the Basement East was packed with fans of both acts.
Crossroads Revisited Features Top Nashville Guitarists
Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Jerry Douglas and Sheryl Crow are among the artists featured on a new 41-track CD collection, Crossroads Revisited: Selections From The Crossroads Guitar Festival. The project will be released July 1 by Rhino Records. Founded in 2004 by guitarist Eric Clapton, the festival has featured performances from the world’s best guitarists. The new CD offers nearly four hours of live music that has not before been released on CD or digitally, culled from landmark performances from all four of the festivals, which were held in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013.
Creative Nation Creates Management Coordinator Role
Katie Barolak
Creative Nation adds Katie Barolak to their team in a newly created Management Coordinator role.
Barolak, a former intern at the Nashville-based publishing and management company is a recent graduate of Clemson University where she studied Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations.
As Management Coordinator, she will assist with management responsibilities for the company’s artist clients: Maggie Chapman, Lori McKenna and Steve Moakler.
During her time at Clemson, Barolak founded the CMA EDU program where she spearheaded programs with country artists like Frankie Ballard, Chase Bryant and Josh Turner.
Prior to graduating, Barolak also worked as an intern at G Major Management for two semesters.
The Cadillac Three’s ‘Bury Me In My Boots’ To Release In August
The Cadillac Three. Photo: Jessica Valiyi
The Cadillac Three played an impromptu show at Nashville venue The Basement on Wednesday night (May 26) and further surprised fans with the announcement of their upcoming album. Bury Me In My Boots is slated to release Aug. 5 on Big Machine Records.
“When we confirmed the official release date of Bury Me In My Boots, we knew our hometown had to be involved in a big way! But, we wanted all of our fans across the world to join in too,” said frontman Jaren Johnston. “Thank you all for coming out tonight to support us in person and online… and jam along!”
The trio, comprised of Johnston, Neil Mason (percussion), and Kelby Ray (lap steel), has already released tracks from the project, including “Graffiti,” “Soundtrack to a Six Pack” and “Drunk Like You.”
Johnston has penned chart-topping hits for Jake Owen (“Beachin’”), Frankie Ballard (“Sunshine & Whiskey”) and Keith Urban featuring Eric Church (“Raise ‘Em Up”). Credits also include the majority of The Cadillac Three’s catalog and singles for Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley. Mason has penned songs for Rascal Flatts and Miranda Lambert, to name a few.
The band signed to Big Machine Records in 2013. The label issued The Cadillac Three’s self-titled debut album in 2015.
Artist Updates: Chris Young, Cassadee Pope, Big & Rich, Thompson Square, Southern Halo
Chris Young, Cassadee Pope Added For New ACM Lifting Lives Club Show
Cassadee Pope and Chris Young. Photo: ACM
ACM Lifting Lives has added Chris Young, along with special guest Cassadee Pope, to the string of nationwide ACM Lifting Lives Club Shows. They will perform at CMAC Events in Canandaigua, New York, on July 2. Participating clubs have agreed to donate a portion of each ticket sold to ACM Lifting Lives, and the money raised will go to help fund organizations that are improving lives through the power of music.
Sold-out ACM Lifting Lives Club shows have already taken place this year at Bluebird in Bloomington, IN; Boondocks in Springfield, IL; Coyote Joe’s in Charlotte, NC; Dusty Armadillo in Rootstown, OH; Joe’s Bar in Chicago, IL; Joe’s Live in Rosemont, IL; Midnight Rodeo in Springfield, MO and Stoney’s Rockin’ Country in Las Vegas, NV featuring Frankie Ballard, The Cadillac Three, Russell Dickerson, Eli Young Band, LOCASH, Old Dominion, Parmalee, The Swon Brothers and A Thousand Horses.
Thompson Square, Big & Rich Slated For Memorial Day Celebration In Nashville
In conjunction with Cumulus Media, Fontanel will host Camp NASH, a Memorial Day weekend celebration on Monday, May 30. The event will feature full performances from Big & Rich, Thompson Square, Parmalee, Chuck Wicks, RaeLynn, Breaking Southwest and more, beginning at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available for $29 general admission and $39 reserved, with 100% of all ticket proceeds going directly to The Special Forces Charitable Trust. Tickets are available via ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Love’s Travel Stops presents Camp NASH to benefit the Special Forces Charitable Trust sponsored by Nationwide Express.
Southern Halo Performs In Nashville
Pictured (L-R): Natalia Morris, Chris Young, Christina Morris and Hannah Morris.
Sister trio Southern Halo opened for duo American Young at Nashville’s 12th & Porter this week. The 45-minute set included the current single, “Rewind,” as well as the trio’s previous song “Little White Dress.” The band is based in Cleveland, Mississippi.
In Pictures: Harold Bradley Receives 2016 Cecil Scaife Visionary Award
Harold Bradley (center) with daughters Beverly Bradley and Bari Bradley Brooks
Legendary Nashville guitarist Harold Bradley received the 2016 Cecil Scaife Visionary Award during a gala event at the Musicians Hall of Fame on May 17.
Pictured (L-R): Harold Bradley, Jo Walker-Meador, Mike Curb, LaRawn Scaife Rhea, Ray Walker, Ray Stevens, Joe Scaife, Bob Fisher, Brenda Lee, Charlie McCoy
The award, founded in the name of the music industry pioneer and veteran, Cecil Scaife, is given annually to an individual whose life and work have made it possible for future generations to realize careers in the music industry.
Pictured (L-R): Cecil Scaife’s granddaughter Jaela; son Joe; grandson Tristan; Joe’s wife, Danielle.
In the early 1970s, it was Scaife’s vision to create a music business program for musicians, artists, songwriters, and future music business executives to formally learn the industry he loved so dearly. His vision grew to become the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business in Nashville. Scaife died in 2009.
Del and Dane Bryant with Joe Scaife
“It’s been an unbelievable journey for me in Nashville, from my first recording session in 1946 to now. This award means a lot to me, Cecil Scaife was a wonderful guy and it was his vision to merge all this talent with the Belmont College,” Bradley stated. “I accept this award on behalf of my family and my brother Owen, who is a true visionary.”
Pictured (L-R): Becky Judd; Harold Bradley; event co-chair Pamela Davis Needham
“Harold, no one is more deserving of the Cecil Scaife Visionary Award than you are. Thank you for being such a great example to all of us,” musician and friend David Briggs remarked.
Pictured (L-R): Andy Valentine; former Cecil Scaife Visionary Award recipient David Briggs; Bergen White
“As a young artist in the studio with Harold Bradley, I knew I was in the presence of greatness,” said Brenda Lee. “For myself and countless other artists he has worked with and still works with, the hits came and continue to come when Harold Bradley is in the room.”
Brenda Lee poses with granddaughter Tracy Hatton
“Harold Bradley represents everything you would want your son to be, everything that you would want to be. If anyone can live up to the standards of Harold Bradley, as a musician, as a man, as a person of faith, they can be a success in this world,” said label executive Mike Curb.
Harold Bradley