Artist Updates: Tucker Beathard, Trent Harmon, Tegan Marie, Shane Owens

Tucker Beathard Offers EP Preview Performance in Nashville

Pictured (L-R): BMLG COO Andrew Kautz, Dot Records’ Chris Stacey, BMLG President/CEO Scott Borchetta, Tucker Beathard, Dot Records’ Kris Lamb and Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar. Photo: Steve Lowry

Pictured (L-R): BMLG COO Andrew Kautz, Dot Records’ Chris Stacey, BMLG President/CEO Scott Borchetta, Tucker Beathard, Dot Records’ Kris Lamb and Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar. Photo: Steve Lowry

BMLG artist Tucker Beathard offered a preview of his EP, Fight Like Hell, on Thursday night (Sept. 29) during an intimate songwriters showcase at Nashville restaurant Martin’s Bar B Que. Tucker played select cuts from the upcoming EP (releases Oct. 7), including “Fight Like Hell,” “Momma and Jesus,” and “Rock On.” Beathard was joined by his father and co-writer Casey Beathard, as well as co-writer Jonathan Singleton and producer Angelo Petraglia.

Pictured (L-R): Angelo Petraglia, Tucker Beathard, Casey Beathard and Jonathan Singleton Photo: Steve Lowry

Pictured (L-R): Angelo Petraglia, Tucker Beathard, Casey Beathard and Jonathan Singleton
Photo: Steve Lowry

 

Trent Harmon Will Perform For NASH Next Challenge

Trent Harmon

Trent Harmon

Cumulus Media has confirmed American Idol winner Trent Harmon to perform at the NASH Next Challenge 2016 Finals Event at Mercy Lounge in Nashville on Oct. 25. The NASH Next 2016 winner will be selected from 10 national finalists competing at the event. Country Inns & Suites By Carlson has signed on as the national presenting sponsor of NASH Next Challenge 2016.

 

Tegan Marie Performs During Ad Week 2016 In NYC

Pictured: Joey Gandolfo and Tegan Marie perform on stage at The Girls' Lounge dinner. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The Girls' Lounge

Pictured: Joey Gandolfo and Tegan Marie perform on stage at The Girls’ Lounge dinner. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The Girls’ Lounge

12-year-old performer Tegan Marie performed at The Girls’ Lounge Dinner during Ad Week 2016 in New York City on Tuesday (Sept. 27). The exclusive event, attended by over 1,000 top female executives, gives visibility to females in the work force. It also featured guest speakers Kim Kardashian, Kristin Chenoweth and Andy Cohen.

Tegan Marie performed her current single “Lucky Me” along with her rendition of Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y.” Her video version of the song has garnered over 17 million views on Facebook. Girls media company Sweety High manage Tegan Marie.

 

Amerimonte’s Shane Owens To Release Where I’m Comin’ From Dec. 9

shane-owensAmerimonte artist Shane Owens has released his debut project, Where I’m Comin’ From, which features production contributions from Randy Travis. The James Stroud-produced project will be available for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon beginning Oct. 21, and releases Dec. 9 in select retailers.

“Country music fans have been yearning for an artist like Shane Owens,” said Steve Popovich Jr., President Amerimonte Records. “There’s a perception out there that traditional country music is dead and I can assure you that’s not the case. This album is going to surprise a lot of people, and I mean that in a good way. Shane Owens is delivering a style of traditional country music that country music enthusiasts both here and abroad have been craving for a long time. I think fans of the genre will be pleased to know that style of Country music is alive and well.”

Owens’ current single is “Country Never Goes Out Of Style.”

Industry Ink: Renn, Ryan’s Guitars Project, AURORA Live

Renn Announces Official Team, New Single

Pictured (L-R): Zach Opeim, Business Manager, Wiles + Taylor & Co.; Elise Anderson, Publicist, Nashville Music Media; Renn; Tim Gray, Manager and President, Grayscale Entertainment; Nina Carter, Associate Director of Writer-Publisher Relations, BMI; Austen Adams, Attorney, Dickinson Wright.

Pictured (L-R): Zach Opeim, Business Manager, Wiles + Taylor & Co.; Elise Anderson, Publicist, Nashville Music Media; Renn; Tim Gray, Manager and President, Grayscale Entertainment; Nina Carter, Associate Director of Writer-Publisher Relations, BMI; Austen Adams, Attorney, Dickinson Wright.

The recording artist Renn has announced the signing of his official team, led by manager and Grayscale Entertainment President Tim Gray.

In addition to Gray, Renn will be working with BMI Associate Director of Writer-Publisher Relations Nina Carter; business manager Zach Opeim of Wiles + Taylor & Co.; publicist and Nashville Music Media owner Elise Anderson; and attorney Austen Adams of Dickinson Wright.

“Having the right team of people working with you— especially in this industry — is vital,” said Renn. “I feel we’ve put an incredible team together and I’m excited to see what we can do as a whole.”

Renn will release his first radio single in October in the U.S. and U.K.

 

Ryan’s Guitars Project Set For Oct. 24

taylor-gs-mini-mah-peacock_noesThe 2nd Annual Peacock Invitational Golf Tournament in memory of Ryan Huie has been set for Monday, Oct. 24 at Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tennessee. The tournament is $1600 per foursome and includes lunch on the course. Check-in is 8:30 a.m. and teams will tee off at 10 a.m. For sponsorship opportunities or to register a team to play, contact Dan Harrell, dan.harrell49@gmail.com or 615-347-5565.

Funds benefit Ryan’s Guitars Project, which provides quality guitars and music instructors to poor and refugee children throughout the Middle East.

Named for Ryan Huie, the late beloved son of CAA co-head John Huie and his wife Dawn, Ryan’s Guitars Project provides guitars and music instruction to aid as many dispossessed children (either refugees or simply poor) as possible.

 

AURORA Live Begins With LANCo, Sarahbeth Taite

LANco and Sarahbeth Taite kicked off AURORA Live this month inside AURORA Nashville. The weekly live concert series is filmed in the downtown studio’s new state-of-the-art 4K live streaming studio. LANco performed on Sept. 21 and Sarahbeth Taite appeared on Sept. 28. Upcoming performances include Muddy Magnolias, Lauren Alaina, Loving Mary, Jerrod Niemann, and Kane Brown.

LANco's Jared Hampton and Tripp Howell, AURORA Live producer Chris Keaton and LANco's Brandon Lancaster, Eric Steedly and Chandler Baldwin.

LANco’s Jared Hampton and Tripp Howell, AURORA Live producer Chris Keaton, LANco’s Brandon Lancaster, Eric Steedly and Chandler Baldwin.

Band member Luke DeJaynes, AURORA Live host Storme Warren , Sarahbeth Taite, AURORA Live Executive Producer Rebecca Abrahams, and bandmembers Makenzie Schriner and Mark DeJaynes

Band member Luke DeJaynes, AURORA Live host Storme Warren, Sarahbeth Taite, AURORA Live Executive Producer Rebecca Abrahams, bandmembers Makenzie Schriner and Mark DeJaynes

 

Josh London Signs Songwriting Contract With Major Bob Music

Pictured (Front Row, L-R): Wendi Crosby York, VP of Publishing Administration, Major Bob Music; Josh London; Tina Crawford, VP, Major Bob Music. (Back Row, L-R): Frank Reynolds, Copyright Admin. Asst., Major Bob Music; Chandler Thurston, A&R Coord.; Major Bob Music; Bob Doyle, CEO/President, Major Bob Music

Pictured (Front Row, L-R): Wendi Crosby York, VP of Publishing Admin.; Josh London; Tina Crawford, VP. (Back Row, L-R): Frank Reynolds, Copyright Admin. Asst.; Chandler Thurston, A&R Coord.; Bob Doyle, CEO/President.

Major Bob Music has added singer/songwriter Josh London to an exclusive worldwide songwriting deal. London is a Kentucky native living in Nashville.

“Josh is an amazing singer/songwriter and we are thrilled to welcome Josh to the Major Bob family. We are excited to be working with him and continuing to build his brand,” said Tina Crawford, VP at Major Bob Music.

Warner Music Nashville, 300 Entertainment Jointly Sign Bailey Bryan

Bailey Bryan

Bailey Bryan

Warner Music Nashville and New York-based 300 Entertainment have jointly signed artist Bailey Bryan. The deal marks 300 Entertainment’s first country release with the the new single, “Own It.”

At age seven, Bryan met publisher and mentor Becki Devries of Kompass Music Publishing Nashville. Bryan would later sign a publishing deal with Kompass Music Publishing, and begin making monthly trips to Nashville to focus on songwriting.

Devries recalls, “I knew Bailey had talent even then, but when I came back to the island to visit family in the summer of 2013, I held a songwriting seminar that Bailey attended. It was then that I realized she had the whole package. Without any training at all, she was already an impressive songwriter at a really young age.”

“I always jumped at the chance to sing and play my guitar in front of people, but when I started writing songs when I was 12, music became an even bigger part of my life,” Bryan reflects. “Being able to share my heart and experiences with other people through my music became my purpose and my passion.”

Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum Land On ‘American Honey’ Soundtrack

AMERICAN HONEY Soundtrack

Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” and Lady Antebellum’s “American Honey” are part of the soundtrack to a new film, American Honey. The soundtrack was released Friday (Sept. 30) by UMe.

The film was written and directed by Academy Award winner Andrea Arnold. Sasha Lane, Riley Keough and Shia LaBeouf star in the film, which follows a “mag crew” that sell publications door to door, not sure where the job will take them next.

“Music is a huge part of my life but it’s also a huge part of the mag crews’ life,” Arnold says. “It’s a way of communicating and expressing emotion — and massively important because it’s so truthful to their world.”

The film opens in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York on Friday, and will expand in October.

American Honey – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Track Listing

1. Quigley, “Beginning Of Anything”
2. Madeintyo, “Uber Everywhere”
3. Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time”
4. Kevin Gates, “Out The Mud”
5. Steve Earle, “Copperhead Road”
6. E-40, “Choices”
7. Jeremih, “All The Time” ft. Lil Wayne & Natasha Mosley
8. Ciara, “Ride” ft. Ludacris
9. The Raveonettes, “Recharge & Revolt”
10. Rae Sremmurd, “No Type”
11. Carnage, “Bricks” ft. Migos
12. Mazzy Star, “Fade Into You”
13. Lapsy, “8896”
14. OG Maco, “U Guessed It”
15. Carnage, “I Like Tuh” ft. I LOVE MAKONNEN
16. Bonnie Prince, “Careless Love”
17. Lady Antebellum, “American Honey”
18. Raury, “God’s Whisper”
19. Razzy Bailey, “I Hate Hate”

Sam Hunt Named NMPA’s Top Songwriter For August

Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt

The National Music Publishers’ Association has revealed the top songwriters, along with 227 certifications of hit songs for August as part of its Gold & Platinum program, which identifies and honors songwriters of RIAA-certified hits. The RIAA counts both sales and on-demand streams toward its gold (500K), platinum (1 million), and multi-platinum (2 million+) thresholds.

Sam Hunt was named the top songwriter, with seven certifications for “House Party,” “Take Your Time,” “Leave the Night On,” and “Break Up in a Small Town,” all certified multi-platinum. “Make You Miss Me” has been certified platinum and gold, while “Ex to See” has been certified gold.

The second top songwriter with four certifications is Halsey, whose song “New Americana” has been certified platinum. Meanwhile, “Colors,” “Gasoline” and “Hold Me Down” have all been certified gold.

nmpa-gold-and-platinum-programThe top publishers honored include:

SONY/ATV Music Publishing: 56 certifications
Gold: 29
Platinum: 15
Multi-Platinum: 12

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG): 53 certifications
Gold: 21
Platinum: 11
Multi-Platinum: 21

Warner/Chappell: 41 certifications
Gold: 19
Platinum: 11
Multi-Platinum: 11

Kobalt Music: 14 certifications
Gold: 3
Platinum: 5
Multi-Platinum: 6

SONGS Music Publishing: 13 certifications
Gold: 5
Platinum: 5
Multi-Platinum: 3

BMG: 13 certifications
Gold: 5
Platinum: 5
Multi-Platinum: 3

Black River Entertainment: 10 certifications
Gold: 4
Platinum: 4
Multi-Platinum: 2

Big Deal Music: 6 certifications
Gold: 2
Platinum: 2
Multi-Platinum: 2

Downtown Music Publishing: 5 certifications
Gold: 4
Multi-Platinum: 1

peermusic: 4 certifications
Gold: 2
Platinum: 2

The Administration MP: 4 certifications
Platinum: 1
Multi-Platinum: 3

Atlas Combustion Music Publishing 3 certifications (Multi-Platinum)

The Royalty Network: 2 certifications (Multi-Platinum)

ole music mangement: 2 certifications
Platinum: 1
Gold: 1

Domino Music Publishing: 1 certification (Gold)

Big Yellow Dog: 1 certification (Gold)

Round Hill Music: 1 certification (Gold)

Ultra Empire Music: 1 certification (Gold)

Exclusive: 25 Years Later, Suzy Bogguss Deals ‘Aces’ Again

suzy-bogguss-aces-redux

Suzy Bogguss held a winning hand in 1991 with Aces, her breakthrough platinum album that charted four major hits and led to her winning the CMA Horizon Award a year later.

Bogguss, who paid her dues by touring small clubs across the country and singing in shows at Dollywood, joined the Capitol Nashville roster in the late 1980s when she was signed by Jim Foglesong. In the 25 years since releasing Aces (her third album for the label), Bogguss noticed that longtime fans were requesting album cuts like “Part of Me” and “Music on the Wind” as much as familiar favorites like “Aces,” “Letting Go,” “Someday Soon” and “Outbound Plane.”

So, after giving it some thought, she pulled her white Western jacket out of the closet, took a photo for the album cover (against the brown wall in her son’s bedroom), and in August presented Aces Redux, a collection of the original 10 songs recorded anew with modern arrangements.

During a visit to MusicRow, Bogguss chatted about ‘90s country, her folk influences, and her enduring love for the songs on Aces.

MusicRow: What were the conversations leading up to doing this new album?

Bogguss: Well, it was several things. I think the first thing was reconnecting with so many people over the last four or five years, now that our son’s in college. I have been coming back to so many of the country fans from the ‘90s that had this album. And each one of them had their own favorite song – and different ones, not just the hits that we do in the show. So, they were requesting these songs and I’d look and the band like, “Maybe we can pull this off…” We were butchering through stuff the band didn’t really know.

Later we worked up a song I wrote [with husband Doug Crider] called “Yellow River Road” because it comes up all the time. And I went back to listen to see if I knew everything I needed to do with it and I thought, “Oh, these songs are starting to sound dated…” And I don’t really sell the Aces album on the road, and to be perfectly honest with you, it costs a lot of money to buy them from Capitol. But the fans wanted to hear these songs so we just started working some of them up, and I thought, “Why don’t we just redo the album more like we do the show now?” It’s more acoustic-oriented. It’s a band record.

Your producer Jimmy Bowen helped you find the songs you needed to break through at country radio. When you went back and listened to these songs again, did you think about time when you first found them?

I totally did. One of those weird things that happens with Nashville being a small community is that when you cut a song, you oftentimes get to know the songwriter. In this case, two good friendships came out of it, and probably more than that. “Aces” was written by Cheryl Wheeler and she and I ended up touring and doing shows together. Kim Carnes [a co-writer on “Still Hold On”] is one of my best friends and I see her every couple of weeks. Those two songs were the main ones that Bowen brought into the project, where I felt like he finally understood what I was going for.

For a long time, he made fun of me, like, “You’ve got all this folkie influence in your music.” He was trying to beat it out of me but it wasn’t going to go away! (laughs) But when he brought those two songs to me, it was like, “That’s exactly what I’m looking for.” It was a meeting of the minds, and from that point on, we had a mutual respect for each other because we were on the same page with the same vision.

I would think “Someday Soon” is one that people still ask for.

Yes, and when I first started touring, I was singing that song because I didn’t have hits. They put me on the road with Alabama and Clint Black and I had one song [“Cross My Broken Heart”] that went to No. 14. So what I did was reach back to my lounge lizard days, to the covers I would play that were really popular.

I actually had to fight to record that song. That was when Jimmy said, “Too many people have covered that song. Moe Bandy did it 10 years ago and Judy Collins had a huge hit, and you’re going to draw comparisons.” I said, let me cut it because the young people were really responding to it. That’s one thing about the songs on Aces — the songs are pretty timeless.

The original 'Aces' album cover

The original Aces album cover

I listened to this record over and over when I was 16, and loved the lyrics and the arrangements, but now that I’m 41, these songs make a whole lot more sense.

You know, people were asking me what it’s like to be singing these songs. Some of them I sing night after night, and have for years. Lord knows I am very grateful for these songs—not just because they put me on the map, but because I love them. I have a really strong relationship with them. I sing them every night and I still see stuff in my mind. I put myself in that situation so I’m not just spitting out some stuff, because that would be a drag for me. I wouldn’t like it if I had to sing something that I wasn’t into.

And that was one of the other things with Bowen is that, in his mind, he was giving me enough rope to hang myself. But in my mind, he was giving me confidence that I could do what I needed to do. Sometimes I’ll do an interview with someone in the UK and they’ll say, “Oh that must have been awful to have your record label making you wear those short skirts!” And I say, “They didn’t make me wear those short skirts. I made me wear those short skirts!” I was a cheerleader and never got out of that phase!

I remember in the ‘90s when people would say, “This new country doesn’t sound like country,” and now it’s country gold.

That’s so funny. And when people say that to me, I think, “You don’t understand, we were the people that were ruining country. We started the whole ‘ruining country’ thing!” (laughs) And you know, it’s still really hard to write a good country song. There are still football games and there are still pickup trucks and simpler lifestyles, and the core things that we can relate to. And if you can tap into that, and a melody that makes people feel, you can still write one. But it ain’t easy!

CMA Encourages Black-Tie For 50th Annual CMA Awards

Photo courtesy Nashville Public Library, Special Collections, Nashville Banner Archives.

Photo courtesy Nashville Public Library, Special Collections, Nashville Banner Archives.

As country music eagerly anticipates the 50th Annual CMA Awards, the Country Music Association is encouraging all attendees to take a cue from nine-time CMA Awards winner Johnny Cash and honor the heritage and tradition of Country Music’s Biggest Night by dressing “to the nines.”

The industry will have the opportunity to show off their black-tie best on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at Bridgestone Arena.

Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban will vie for this year’s Entertainer of the Year trophy. Eric Church, Maren Morris, and Stapleton top the list of final nominees with five nominations each. Dierks Bentley, Underwood, and Urban received four nominations and Tim McGraw received three nominations. Artists receiving two nominations include Kelsea Ballerini, Brothers Osborne, Bryan, Cam, Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett.

Click to see full list of CMA Awards nominations.

Charity Notes: Christmas 4 Kids, ‘An Evening With Black & Rich,’ Young Entertainment Professionals

Christmas 4 Kids Sets Performer Lineup For 2016 Ryman Auditorium Concert

Charlie Daniels Christmas 4 kidsThe Christmas 4 Kids organization has announced the lineup for its 2016 Ryman Auditorium concert, set for Monday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. For the second year, Southern rock group The Marshall Tucker Band will headline the show with country artists Ray Stevens, Aaron Tippin, Montgomery Gentry and Ty Bates also scheduled to perform. Singer/songwriter James Robert Webb will open the show.

“This year’s show at the Ryman is shaping up to be huge,” says Christmas 4 Kids President, Linda O’Connell. “Last year, we set a record for money raised for Christmas 4 Kids. With this great lineup, I think we can do it again!”

Doug Gray, lead singer of The Marshall Tucker Band adds, “We had so much fun at last year’s show at the Ryman. We’re grateful that Christmas 4 Kids asked us to come back for a second year. We love being able to help an amazing organization that does so much to bring a memorable Christmas to the children who need it most. See you in November, Nashville!”

“I’m so glad to be a part of this great show,” notes Stevens. “I’ll be debuting a brand new Christmas song at the show and I’m sure it’s one the kids will love.”

Tickets are $36.50 and $60 and are available for purchase now at Ryman.com. All proceeds generated from the concert go to the Christmas 4 Kids organization.

 

Clint Black, John Rich Team To Raise Funds To Aid Anti-Drug Charities

black-and-rich

Clint Black and John Rich will headline an exclusive music showcase on Oct. 25, beginning at 7 p.m., at Rich’s Mt. Richmore estate to raise funds for the Davidson County General Sessions Drug Court, Cherished H.E.A.R.T.S. and Grace Empowered. The three programs help citizens break free from drug addiction and recover from human trafficking and prostitution.

“I’m proud to see our city court system working so proactively to help folks get out of the terrible cycle of human trafficking and drug abuse,” said Rich. “It’s a very inspiring thing. This is a really important initiative in Nashville and I’m happy to be able to support it any way I can.”

“When I see so much hard work and generosity going into a cause such as this, I’m very happy to lend my support,” added Black.

Tickets for “An Evening with Black and Rich,” are $500 each and available for purchase at gsdrugcourtfoundation.org/blackandrich. Ticket price includes hors d’oeuvres, drinks and valet parking service. Capacity at Rich’s Hillsboro-West End area home is limited to 150 people.

 

Young Entertainment Professionals Aid Belmont University Student With GoFundMe Campaign

Miles Littlefield

Miles Littlefield

Nashville music business organization Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) has launched a GoFundMe campaign to aid Belmont University student Miles Littlefield.

According to the GoFundMe page, Miles’ car was, by no fault of his own, crushed by a crane driven by a thief. As a result, Littlefield has had to use his mountain bike for all of his transportation needs in Nashville. The campaign aims raise enough to purchase a car for Littlefield. The campaign has a $5,000 goal. To date, more than $3,200 has been raised toward the goal.

Weekly Chart Report (9/30/16)

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