Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker Team For Summer Tour

Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker have teamed for the co-headlining Summer Plays On Tour, launching July 19 in Toronto, Ontario. The trek will also feature opener Russell Dickerson.

“For us as a band, being out on the road together is where it all comes to life,” said Lady Antebellum member Charles Kelley. “Darius is one of our closest friends, and so we just feel really excited to get to share this tour and those memories on and off stage with him. There’s no doubt that it’s going to be a total blast and we’re thrilled to have Russell out with us too this summer – we’re already brainstorming ways to shake things up and make each night all about just being in the moment.”

“Reuniting this summer and heading back out on the road with my friends Lady Antebellum feels like a home away from home,” said Rucker. “It’s going to be an incredible summer, and I can’t wait to see y’all out there!”

SUMMER PLAYS ON TOUR DATES:
7/19/18 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
7/20/18 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
7/21/18 Darien Center, NY* Darien Lake Amphitheater
7/26/18 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
7/27/18 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
7/28/18 Hartford, CT XFINITY Theatre
8/2/18 Columbia, MD** Merriweather Post Pavilion
8/3/18 Holmdel, NJ P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
8/4/18 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
8/16/18 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
8/17/18 Sacramento, CA Toyota Amphitheatre
8/19/18 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre
8/23/18 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion
8/24/18 Irvine, CA FivePoint Amphitheater
8/25/18 San Diego, CA Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
9/6/18 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
9/7/18 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
9/8/18 Pittsburgh, PA KeyBank Pavilion
9/13/18 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
9/14/18 Indianapolis, IN Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
9/15/18 Chicago, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
9/20/18 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
9/21/18 Philadelphia, PA BB&T Pavilion
9/22/18 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
9/27/18 Alpharetta, GA* Verizon Amphitheatre
9/28/18 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
9/29/18 West Palm Beach, FL Coral Sky Amphitheatre
10/4/18 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
10/5/18 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
10/6/18 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live

*Lady Antebellum only
**I.M.P Concerts show

BMI’s Creative Department Rebranding Brings Diverse Opportunities For Songwriters

Mason Hunter

In November 2017, BMI announced that Mason Hunter had been tapped for the role of Assistant VP, Creative, working closely with Nashville’s VP, Creative, Jody Williams. Hunter joined BMI in 2000.

The announcement was also part of a company-wide rebranding of BMI’s Writer/Publisher Relations departments, now named the Creative Department.

“It better reflects what our jobs are and what we’ve evolved into,” Williams tells MusicRow. “We are just formalizing what we’ve been doing for three years. Mason came into our department from the licensing department. He has been great at finding partners for our events that we were producing and better organizing them for us and for our affiliates. He came in and he knows the creative community and he understands events and sponsorships, so he knew how to communicate with sponsors so we can get support for our events.”

Hunter and Williams say that finding new outlets for their songwriters, both creatively and financially, has become a top focus for the performing rights organization in recent years.

“From the creative side, we are finding opportunities for our writers outside of our traditional airplay,” Hunter says. “That will always be our core business, but as we have evolved, and as the songwriters’ careers have evolved, we look for new ways to promote them. It doesn’t have to be a performing songwriter—it might be a networking opportunity or a way for us to get their music in front of a certain brand. If you are a performer there are many performance opportunities. That’s what I usually say that’s the big differentiator between us and the other [performing rights organizations]. If you are a songwriter looking outside of the traditional, we provide avenues for that.”

Pictured (L-R): Mason Hunter, Charlie Worsham, and Jody Williams

“We still have a fantastic group of writer reps, including Bradley Collins, Leslie Roberts, David Preston, MaryAnn Keen, and Josh Tomlinson, whose jobs it is to look out for the best most talented writers we can represent and get them to sign with BMI. That is our core business and that will never go away,” Williams adds. “The sponsorships and events are the flag we wave that we can offer them to make it easier for them to decide to come to BMI.”

In recent years, BMI has partnered with several festivals and performance events to create opportunities for their songwriters, including the Maui Songwriters Festival, SXSW, and most recently, with the Rooftop On The Row concert series that launched in 2017, as well as Speed Dating for Songwriters with YouTube and a Next Big Wave Songwriter Mixer. There is also BMI’s popular, long-running partnership with the Key West Songwriters Festival.

“We are making sure we are keeping our eyes on the ball of why we exist—to send out money four times per year to writers and publishers—and do it as smartly as we can do it,” Williams says. “Events and partnerships is another suite of offerings we equip our writer reps with. If you can offer up more than the traditional co-write, which we will always do, and if you operate where you have other opportunities, which helps, you have the ability to do some things outside of a traditional PRO,” Williams says.

Pictured: Mason Hunter and Jody Williams meet with BMI Creative’s MaryAnn Keen and Josh Tomlinson and BMI affiliate Charlie Worsham

Old Crow Medicine Show’s New Album ‘Volunteer’ Slated For April

Old Crow Medicine Show is set to release their latest album, Volunteer, on April 20 on Columbia Records Nashville. The project was recorded at the historic RCA Studio A and produced by Dave Cobb and lands amidst the band’s 20th anniversary together. The first single from the new album, “Flicker & Shine,” will be released on Jan. 19.

Volunteer includes highlights like “Look Away” which was inspired by The Rolling Stones and is member Ketch Secor’s homage to his love for the history of the South, while “A World Away,” is an upbeat nod to refugees, and  “Dixie Avenue,” pays tribute to the Virginia location where Secor and bandmate Critter Fuqua fell in love with music.

The band, who recently collaborated with Kesha on a CMT Crossroads that aired last month, will be announcing 2018 tour dates soon, and will also be performing at festivals including Bonnaroo, Del Fest and Floyd Fest. More information on tour dates can be found at crowmedicine.com/tour/.

CMT Reveals ‘Music City’ Cast

CMT today announced the cast of Music City, the latest project from executive producer Adam DiVello, who has created shows such as The Hills and Laguna Beach, and in association with Lionsgate. The docu-series premieres Thursday, March 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Music City follows a group of friends entering the next chapter of their lives while chasing dreams of success, fame and romance in Nashville. Faced with real choices that carry real stakes for their careers, their relationships and their futures, they must navigate the rocky road on the journey of self-discovery.

The cast of Music City includes:

Rachyl Degman – A Colorado native who moved to Nashville with her husband, Kerry, and their two-year-old son, Wolfgang, to support Kerry’s dreams of singing/songwriting. Feeling often like a single parent, Rachyl struggles to balance motherhood with her goals of attending law school.

Kerry Degman – A country singer/songwriter originally from Beaverton, Oregon. Kerry, along with his wife, Rachyl, and their two-year-old son, Wolfgang, moved from California to Nashville so Kerry could pursue his musical dreams. As his career blossoms, Kerry must navigate the temptations of life on the road and learn firsthand the personal sacrifice that comes with following your dreams.

Jessica Mack – Better known to her friends as JMack, Jessica is an all-American Southern belle originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. She has lived in Nashville for nearly five years and is pursuing her dreams as a singer/songwriter in country music, while also searching for the man of her dreams.

Jackson Boyd – A fitness instructor and personal trainer born and bred in Nashville, with Southern charm and looks to kill. When he is not helping his friends and family get into shape, he can be found cooking at home or hanging out downtown with friends.

Alisa Fuller – A Los Angeles native who moved to Nashville to pursue her ambition of singing and writing country music, despite her family’s doubts. With no formal training, she’s trying to get traction in a city where everyone has dreams of making it big. She’s also searching for someone to sweep her off her feet, a task that’s been challenging considering she’s picky to a fault.

Music City is produced by Done and Done Productions in association with Lionsgate. Adam DiVello serves as creator and executive producer.

Concord Music Group Appoints New Leadership Team

Concord Music has appointed a new leadership team that will be headed by Jake Wisely, Chief Publishing Executive of Concord, who has relocated to the company’s new Nashville office. Also joining the team are Bill Gaden, who will lead Concord Music’s domestic publishing as its President/North America, John Minch, who will oversee Concord Music’s international publishing interests as its President/Europe, and Kent Hoskins, who has been appointed Concord Music’s Chief Financial Officer for all publishing operations.

“Jake is one of the founding members of Bicycle Music and has been a key factor in the growth of Concord Music,” said Concord Music CEO Scott Pascucci. “He will continue to steer our publishing business in unique and successful directions in the years to come.”

“As principals of Concord Music’s publishing executive committee, Bill, John, and Kent have proven themselves invaluable partners in the melding of a spectacular roster and catalog, along with the systems, infrastructure, and best practices of the Bicycle and Imagem businesses,” said Wisely. “Their wealth of knowledge, experience, and resources, along with that of our entire staff, cements Concord’s future as a dynamic, world class music publisher.”

Wisely spent the past decade running The Bicycle Music Company, which merged with Concord Music Group in 2015. He joined Bicycle Music after previous stints at ASCAP, Universal Music Publishing, and EMI Music Publishing. A current NMPA Board member, Wisely will report to Concord Music’s CEO, Scott Pascucci.

Prior to joining Concord, Gaden held senior positions at BMG Records, BBC Worldwide, Simon & Schuster, and Golden Books. He joined The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization in 2005, and in 2015, six years after its acquisition by Imagem, became CEO of Imagem USA. He will work from Concord Music’s New York office and will report to Jake Wisely.

Based in London, Minch has managed Boosey & Hawkes since 2001. Subsequent to the sale of Boosey & Hawkes to Imagem in 2008, Minch took on the role of Chief Executive of Imagem UK. He will report to Jake Wisely as well.

A New Zealander by birth, Hoskins is based in London and is a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. After working as a Finance Manager with the BBC, he joined Boosey & Hawkes as Group Financial Controller in 2001. When Boosey & Hawkes was sold to Imagem in 2008, he was made Imagem UK CFO and in 2015 was promoted to Global Head of Finance. Hoskins will report to Concord Music’s overall Chief Financial Officer, Bob Valentine.

Concord Music’s publishing business already consisted of the catalogs of Bicycle Music and Razor & Tie before they acquired Imagem Music Group in 2017 – a landmark purchase that tripled the company’s publishing portfolio from 130,000 to 380,000 copyrights. The result is a newly consolidated publishing group which is comprised of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, Boosey & Hawkes, The Bicycle Music Company, Imagem Music, and Razor & Tie Publishing.

 

Lennon Stella Signs With RECORDS/Columbia Records

Lennon Stella

Lennon Stella, singer/songwriter and a star on the CMT show Nashville, has signed with the RECORDS/Columbia Records label. Stella has been working with songwriters and producers developing her debut that will be released later this year. Her signing coincides with RECORDS’ newly-established joint venture with Columbia Records.

“Lennon’s unique artistry, point of view, distinctive vocal ability and star-power is simply overwhelming,” says Barry Weiss, Partner & Co-Founder, RECORDS. “We’re super excited to have her here at RECORDS.  I’m elated that Jenna Andrews (who does A&R for the label) brought her to us.”

“I feel so lucky to work hand in hand with this incredible and inspiring group of people. There are no words to describe the feeling of finally being able to release my own music, something I have always dreamed of,” says Stella.

The 18-year-old Ontario, Canada native made her musical debut along with her sister Maisy as part of the duo Lennon & Maisy. In 2012, a Lennon & Maisy video went viral on YouTube and their YouTube channel has gone on to log more than 100 million views with nearly 800,000 subscribers since then. Stella joined the cast of Emmy-winning music drama “Nashville” around that same time, which recently kicked off its sixth season on CMT.

 

Official: Kenny Chesney Joins Warner Music Nashville

L to R: President of Morris Higham Management, Clint Higham; Chairman and President Warner Music Nashville, John Esposito; Kenny Chesney; and Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s Jess Rosen

Warner Music Group and Warner Music Nashville have officially welcomed Kenny Chesney  to the Warner Music family. As part of WMN, the songwriter/superstar’s music will be released on the Blue Chair Records/Warner Bros. Records label.

“It is a big deal to change labels,” said Chesney. “But when you hear Max, Espo, and Cris Lacy talk about music, about what it means and does, when you hear that passion, you can’t help but get fired up. To me, music is only complete when it gets to the fans and becomes part of their lives. The people at Warner understand my commitment to that idea, and they’re just as committed to those ideals as I am.”

“Kenny Chesney embodies the relentless pursuit of artistic freedom and expression,” said WMN Chairman & CEO John Esposito. “An unapologetic free spirit, he has built a career on perseverance, drive, innovation, and most especially, great songs. Everything he does is inspired. It is with deep respect and honor that we welcome Kenny to Warner Music Nashville. We couldn’t be more excited to work with him and his team.”

“Kenny’s not only a country music icon, but an American superstar, who’s still hungry to write, record, and perform amazing music that moves millions of people,” said Warner Music Group CEO, Recorded Music Max Lousada. “The fact that he has chosen Warner Music as his new label home is a huge testament to the culture created by Espo and his team, who have made our Nashville operation a magnet for both emerging talent and established artists. I join Espo in welcoming Kenny into the Warner family, and we’re all looking forward to amplifying his success and taking his music to fans across the globe.”

Capitol Christian Music Group Ups Brad O’Donnell, Hudson Plachy

Capitol Christian Music Group has promoted Brad O’Donnell to Chief Creative Officer and Hudson Plachy to Chief Marketing Officer. The promotions follow last week’s promotion of Peter York from President to Chairman & CEO.

Both O’Donnell and Plachy report directly to York and are based at the company’s headquarters in Nashville.

In his new position, Brad O’Donnell is charged with responsibility for all A&R and Creative-related strategic objectives, as well as overseeing A&R Administration and the creative staff for both the recorded music and music publishing businesses. As an integral member of the company’s senior management team, he will help identify and implement label strategy and support the ongoing development of the CCMG’s mission to impact lives with quality and compelling music.

O’Donnell has held A&R leadership positions at CCMG since joining the company in 2001, overseeing the label group roster and the production of numerous chart-topping projects at both radio and retail, as well as playing significant roles in the careers of numerous platinum and old artists, including Chris Tomlin, Mandisa, TobyMac, and many others. He was also instrumental in the development of sixstepsrecords. O’Donnell previously served as Director of A&R at Word Records and earned esteem as a musician, songwriter and producer. He also earned a Master’s degree in Music from the University of Miami, Florida in 1995.

Plachy is now responsible for all of the company’s marketing and promotion campaigns, as well as video content creation and management of Commercial Partnerships. In his newly expanded role, Plachy will also direct the creation and implementation of all music consumption and artist development growth strategies.

Plachy began his career at CCMG in 2002, when he was hired as a marketing coordinator and worked on the team handling Steven Curtis Chapman, Nichole Nordeman and many others. He was promoted to Manager of International Sales and Distribution in 2008, liaising with the company’s worldwide affiliates to achieve global objectives for the company’s artists and projects. He was promoted to Director of Product Marketing in 2011, then Vice President of Marketing in 2015, and rose to Senior Vice President of Marketing in 2016. Plachy has been integral to the success of such key Platinum and Gold artists as Hillsong United, Switchfoot, TobyMac and many others.

According to CCMG Chairman & CEO Peter York, “These promotions and strategic organizational changes are designed to enable Brad and Hudson to provide even better services to our company’s artists and songwriters in this rapidly changing recorded music and publishing business. I congratulate Brad and Hudson on their well-deserved promotions and elevated roles within our company as we empower this next generation of leaders to guide CCMG successfully and well into the future.”

‘Pickler And Ben’ Picked Up For Second Season

Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron‘s new talk show Pickler And Ben has been given the greenlight for a second season by the E.W. Scripps Company. The Nashville-based daytime talk show recorded in front of a live studio audience welcomed plenty of celebrity guests during its first season, including Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Molly Sims, Christian Siriano, Reba McEntire, Ty Pennington, and more. The show debuted Sept. 18, 2017.

“Kellie and Ben are a breath of fresh air in the daytime space, and audiences have loved watching them bring this fun, dynamic show to life,” said Cater Lee, vice president of programming for Scripps. “The creators’ vision that a show originating from Middle America would appeal to viewers everywhere was spot on, and we are seeing that in just a few months it is already outperforming many long-established talk shows in key demos and on social media. I am delighted that we are recommitting for a second season.”

“Pickler & Ben” is produced by Faith Hill, co-founder of Happy Street Entertainment, Lisa Erspamer, and president and CEO/Sandbox Entertainment Jason Owen in partnership with Scripps. Award-winning director Joe Terry (“The Oprah Winfrey Show”) directs Pickler & Ben. Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution is distributing the show in national syndication.

Jack White Announces North American Tour Dates

Jack White. Photo: Jo McCaughey

Jack White‘s New Year is shaping up to be pretty packed as he just announced a new North American headlining tour in support of his brand new album Boarding House Reach, which is due out March 23 on Third Man/Columbia. White will kick off the tour in Detroit April 19 and hit St. Louis, Atlanta, Boston, Salt Lake City, Santa Barbara, and even some international dates in Paris, London and Amsterdam through August.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Jan. 26, and Third Man Records Vault members will have access to the very first pre-sale starting on January 22. Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the public on sale during the Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale. Ticketmaster Verified Fan is currently open and continues until January 19 at 11:59 PM ET. Verified Fan registration is available at jackwhite.tmverifiedfan.com/. Every online ticket purchased in North America for the new shows will include a physical copy of  the new album. Fans will also have the option to upgrade their CD to the standard black vinyl LP.

Boarding House Reach includes the acclaimed new tracks, “Connected By Love” and “Respect Commander.” The project was written and conceived by White while holed up in a spartan apartment with no outside distractions, and he replicated the identical environment and used the same gear as when he was a 15 year old (a quarter-inch four-track tape recorder, a simple mixer, and the most basic of instrumentation) to pen sketches of the album’s songs.

 Jack White 2018 TOUR DATES:
April 19: Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI
April 20: Eagles Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
April 21: 20 Monroe – Grand Rapids, MI
April 23: Baxter Arena – Omaha, NE
April 24: Providence Medical Center Amphitheater – Bonner Springs, KS
April 25: Chaifetz Arena – St. Louis, MO
April 27: Bomb Factory – Dallas, TX
April 29: Bomb Factory – Dallas, TX
April 30: Revention Music Center – Houston, TX
May 1: Revention Music Center – Houston, TX
May 2: Austin360 Amphitheater – Austin, TX
May 4 – 6: Shaky Knees Music Festival – Atlanta, GA *
May 25 – 27: Boston Calling Music Festival – Boston, MA *
May 27: Brewery Ommegang – Cooperstown, NY
May 29: The Anthem – Washington, DC
June 1 – 3: Governors Ball Music Festival – New York, NY *
June 4: Express Live! Outdoor Amphitheater – Columbus, OH
June 6: Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica – Cleveland, OH
June 7: Dome Arena – Rochester, NY
June 8: Artpark Mainstage Theater – Lewiston, NY
June 9: Budweiser Stage – Toronto, ON
June 27: London, UK – Hammersmith Apollo
June 28: London, UK – Hammersmith Apollo
July 2: AFAS Live – Amsterdam, NL
July 3: L’Olympia – Paris. FR
July 4: L’Olympia – Paris. FR
August 6: The Armory – Minneapolis, MN
August 8: 1st Bank Center – Broomfield, CO
August 9: SaltAir – Salt Lake City, UT
August 11: Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Portland, OR
August 12: Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC
August 13: WAMU Theatre – Seattle, WA
August 15: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA
August 19: Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA
August 21: Viejas Arena – San Diego, CA
August 22: Comerica Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
August 23: The Chelsea @ The Cosmopolitan – Las Vegas, NV