SOLID Names New Board Of Directors For 2019

The Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID) has revealed their board election results for the organization’s 22nd year. The Executive Board includes the following: President Johnny Cloherty (Cloherty Endeavors Inc.), Vice President Nathan Pyle (Recording Academy), Treasurer Erin Pettit (FBMM Entertainment Business Management), and Secretary Collin Trudan (TKO Artist Management).

Committee Chairs for 2019 are as follows:

Communications Chair: Avery King (Nashville Music Media)
Communications Co-Chair: Emily Grabowski (Vector Management)
Communications Co-Chair: Jordan Lipsey (Quinton Digital)
Education Chair: Luke Pierce (WORKS Entertainment)
Education Co-Chair: Kristin Grapentin (Neste Event Marketing)
Social Chair: Ashley Villone (BMG Rights Management)
Social Co-Chair: Brittany Uhniat (Resin8 Music)
Community Outreach Chair: Victoria Chaitoff (Warner Music Nashville)
Community Outreach Co-Chair: Ashley White (Streaming Promotions)
University Outreach Chair: Ammie Sortor (APA)
University Outreach Co-Chair: Zachary Opheim (Central Real Estate Partners)
Music Market Chair: Ellen Larson (APA)
Music Market Co-Chair: Amy Kadish (ClearBox Rights, LLC)

“After a record breaking year, I’m so excited about how this board is already planning the upcoming events for our 22nd year,” said Cloherty, who’s serving his second term as president this year. “This will be my fourth year on the board and I’ve seen the energy from the board continue to grow each year. The 2019 board has big shoes to fill after such an incredible 21st year and I truly believe they are up for the challenge.”

The SOLID Alumni Board also announced its new president and board members. The board will be led by President Amanda Quinton (Quinton Digital), and includes the following board members: Brian O’Neil (Constellation Management), Eric Griffin (Music City Counsel), Rachel Glidden (Fame House), and Liz Rogers (Anacrusis).

CRS Team UMG At The Ryman Luncheon Lineup Announced

Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Jordan Davis, Travis Denning, Vince Gill, Adam Hambrick, Caylee Hammack, Brandon Lay, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, and Darius Rucker will all perform at this year’s upcoming Universal Music Group Nashville 10th Annual “Team UMG at the Ryman” luncheon at CRS 2019.

The star-studded event will be held Feb. 14 at the Ryman Auditorium. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and the show will begin at Noon. As in previous years, seminar registrants will receive a boxed lunch prior to the event and will have the option to either walk or use shuttles provided by UMG Nashville going from the Omni Hotel to the Ryman Auditorium between 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

“Ten years of this can’t-miss tradition. I hope to see you there!,” said Universal Music Group Nashville’s Chairman & CEO Mike Dungan about the annual event.

The $699 final registration rate for Country Radio Seminar’s 50th Anniversary Event is available at CountryRadioSeminar.com.  Single-day passes are also being made available for $200 per pass and are limited to two-day passes per person. Day passes will only be available for purchase on-site.

Music Financing Company Sound Royalties Expands To Nashville

Music finance firm Sound Royalties, with offices in Los Angeles and South Florida, has expanded operations to include a new Nashville location. Sound Royalties CEO/founder Alex Heiche, who launched the company in 2014, is now operating out of Nashville full time.

Sound Royalties offers non-credit based financing and cash advancing for musicians and other creatives, including their signature “Sound Check” program, which offers anywhere from $5,000 to $10 million in financing, with a one percent per quarter rate (four percent annually). The non-credit based program costs a one-time flat fee of $695. Sound Royalties’ financing allows musicians to retain the rights to their music.

“Nashville isn’t just the country music capital, it is the music capital of the world. Beyond those who already live here, creatives from all genres of music travel here to play shows, record music, and collaborate with other artists,” said Heiche. “It’s important to us that we establish a dedicated space in Nashville, to enhance our commitment to the community and its music professionals.”

The company also aims to use its Nashville office space, located in the Gulch area, to host events and gatherings, both independently and with other music organizations.

Steve Bogard, Board President of Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), spoke about the importance of the company’s services: “Sound Royalties is a safe and sensible option to support the growth of creatives’ careers. The company’s flexible model works for songwriters in a variety of situations – an up-and-coming young writer, an established artist who wants to fund a new project, or an experienced songwriter managing multiple revenue streams.”

Meetings at Sound Royalties’ new Nashville office are by appointment only; those interested in learning more should reach out to 1-888-987-3224 or info@soundroyalties.com.

 

Alana Springsteen Inks With Warehouse West For Publishing, Artist Development

Alana Springsteen has signed an artist development and publishing deal with Warehouse West Entertainment.

The Virginia Beach native first began playing guitar at age 7, and by 9 was performing the National Anthem for the Chicago Cubs at historic Wrigley Field. Soon after she was writing songs in Nashville with Kristian Bush of Sugarland. In 2018, her talent caught the attention of Nashville producer Luke Wooten, who signed her to his artist development/publishing company, Warehouse West Entertainment.

“Alana has a voice that instantly draws you in, a captivating beautiful instrument. Combined with her relatable and modern take on country, hers is a voice that will draw a new generation of listeners,” says Wooten.

Wooten and Springsteen are currently in the studio recording her debut project, set for release later this Spring.

“I am so excited about signing with Warehouse West and working in the studio with Luke! I’m finally releasing my first EP this spring and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to do it with,” said Springsteen.

Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Dan and Shay, Little Big Town Among iHeart Country Festival Lineup

Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Dan and Shay, Luke Combs, Little Big Town, Lauren Alaina, Old Dominion, Chris Janson, Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots and Tenille Townes are all set to perform at this year’s 2019 iHeartCountry Festival on May 4 at Frank Erwin Center in Austin.

The festival will also feature a special collaboration featuring today’s emerging Women of iHeartCountry, and iHeart personality Bobby Bones will return as the official host of the iHeartCountry Festival main stage.

“I look forward to the iHeartCountry Festival every year,” said Bones, Vice President, Creative Director of iHeartCountry and Executive Producer and Host of iHeartMedia’s The Bobby Bones Show. “It’s always special to have so much of the Country music community together in one place, including some really talented new artists we have been supporting on Women of iHeartCountry.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 8 at 12:00pm CT via TexasBoxOffice.com. iHeartMedia’s country stations will broadcast the event live in their local markets and at iHeartRadio.com.

iHeartCountry has more than 150 country stations across the U.S. reaching more than 110 million country listeners per month on broadcast alone, making it the largest country broadcast radio group in America.

Industry Ink: ASCAP, Robert Earl Keen, Clio Music Awards

ASCAP’s I Create Music EXPO In The Round Coming To Bluebird Cafe

ASCAP’s I Create Music EXPO In The Round will be held at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe on Feb. 13. The songwriters round will include top ASCAP writers playing hit songs and sharing stories from their experiences at the annual ASCAP I Create Music Expo in Los Angeles. The Bluebird round will include Ashley Gorley, Cassadee Pope, Matt Jenkins, and Jon Nite.

Ticket sales begin Feb. 6 at 8 a.m. CT. For more, visit bluebirdcafe.com.

This year’s ASCAP I Create Music EXPO will be held in Hollywood, from May 2-4.

 

Robert Earl Keen Inducted Into Texas Cowboy Hall Of Fame

Robert Earl Keen was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, on Jan. 17, 2019, during a festive ceremony which included dinner and drinks at the World’s Largest Honky-Tonk, Billy Bob’s Texas.

The Hall of Fame honored Keen at the sold-out event for his prolific music career and charitable acts, presenting him with the Rick Smith “Spirit of Texas Award.” Celebrating the achievements and uniqueness of Texans, the award is dedicated to the memory of Rick Smith, a Texas visionary that left an unforgettable legacy through his concerts, music and the “Live at Billy Bob’s” recordings. Fellow Hall of Fame members include Willie Nelson, George Strait, Lyle Lovett, Tommy Lee Jones, and Red Steagall.

 

Submissions Now Open For 2019 Clio Music Awards

The Clio Awards have opened a call for entries for the 2019 Clio Music Awards, a program dedicated to work spanning artist promotion, music marketing, brand collaborations, and the use of music in advertising. This year, the Clio Music honors will be awarded as part of the 60th Annual Clio Awards ceremony in New York City.

The awards highlight the top creative work globally in Branded Entertainment & Content, Design, Digital/Mobile, Experiential/Events, Film/Video, Innovation, Integrated Campaigns, Partnerships & Collaborations, Social Good, Social Media, and the Use of Music (Licensed, Original, Adapted). This year marks the addition of a Film and Video Technique medium as well as an option to submit physical entries within the Design medium (Event, Packaging, Printed Materials).

The early deadline for entries is April 19, 2019. For the entry kit, additional key dates, fees, and the full outline of mediums and categories, visit clios.com/music.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Reception, Tour Experience Returns for CRS

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will welcome Country Radio Seminar attendees to Valentine’s Day ‘90s Country Style, a private cocktail reception with complimentary access to the museum on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m.

The night will feature performances by Monument Records’ Walker Hayes and the label’s newcomer Brandon Ratcliff. The reception will be held in the museum’s Event Hall, where museum representatives will welcome radio and industry attendees and share information about the museum’s current exhibits including Outlaws and Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ‘70s, The Judds: Dream Chasers, Emmylou Harris: Songbird’s Flight, Little Big Town: The Power of Four, and Ralph Stanley: Voices From On High which will be open for viewing.

Credentialed CRS registrants also receive complimentary admission to tour the museum Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT.

“Throughout its history, country radio has played a vital role in the history and ever-evolving story of country music,” said Sharon Brawner, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the museum. “We are happy to welcome Country Radio Seminar attendees to the home of country music history for the fourth consecutive year.”

The $699 final registration rate for Country Radio Seminar’s 50th Anniversary Event is available at CountryRadioSeminar.com. Single-day passes are also being made available for $200 per pass and are limited to two day passes per person. Day passes will only be available for purchase on-site.

Carole-Ann Mobley Celebrates Independent Approach To A&R Services

As musicians have steadily embraced a do-it-yourself approach to varying degrees as part of their overall career strategy, made feasible by the growth of streaming and an ever-blossoming number of social media platforms, music industry professionals increasingly offer independent services to fill any number of artists’ needs, including publicity, marketing, and radio and/or playlist promotion.

Carole-Ann Mobley, of CAM Creative, aims to fill a niche in the market, offering independent A&R services to help artists find and create their best songs. She is known for her work with publishers such as Reviver Publishing and artists including eclectic singer-songwriter Drew Baldridge and country-rock duo LOCASH.

Before launching CAM Creative Services in 2015, Mobley served as VP, A&R for Warner Music Group, where she signed artists including Brett Eldredge and Frankie Ballard. Her career also includes time as Sr. Director, A&R for Sony Music, and Director of A&R for Starstruck Entertainment, as well as work for Beckett Productions and Austin City Limits.

Mobley spoke with MusicRow to discuss the current state of A&R, and the benefits and challenges of working as an independent A&R executive.

MusicRow: What is the biggest difference in working A&R independently, versus working for a label?

Mobley: I have to be a little more aggressive in doing this independently. The level of artists I work with now, I have to be savvier in getting songs, meetings and getting people excited. I don’t have the luxury of saying, “Oh, it’s going to be a Blake Shelton single.”

The most fulfilling thing for me is when they come to me they might be spending a lot of money on things that don’t matter and need help figuring out what to do. I can help get the ball rolling in a really productive way and they are so thankful, or when I bring them songs and they say, ‘These songs are so me,’ or they get the right producer, that’s really fulfilling.

Talk about the process you go through when working with a new client.

Some are more advanced, like a LOCASH or a Drew Baldridge. We have to establish trust and I have to understand where they want to go career-wise. What artists do they love, who would they tour with? So I can get a sense of who they are and reach out to the appropriate catalogs and start sending them songs.

When working with new artists, how do you manage the artist’s ambition and expectations?

I like to keep people in a positive state of mind but I’m a believer in realistic expectations. Not everyone you work with is going to be huge and famous. I think part of my job in A&R is having realistic expectations. I think that can be dangerous and I think A&R people need to be careful with their goals for their artists, because not everyone is cut out to be the next Luke Bryan. There are so many different ways for artists to have a successful career.

Perhaps the majority of country artists today also have a hand in crafting their own songs. How do you approach A&R when an artist also pens their own material?

A lot of my clients aren’t songwriters so I can kind of tell if I feel like they might have the potential, and I’ll lightly help them set up co-writes. I’ll still give them the best outside songs I can find. Sometimes they are super open to [outside songs] and then other times they are like, ‘I’m cutting songs I wrote.’ At the end of the day, I’m not their label and I’m not paying for the album, so they cut what they want. I have to sort of walk a fine line with that.

When they write more of their own songs, I take on more of a publisher role and I try to set them up on great co-writes. I also set about helping to edit their songs. They send me work tapes, and I’ll rip it apart and say, ‘Think about this hook,’ and other ways to help them with their music. If they are dead set on writing all of their own material, it’s my job to help them make their songs the best they can be.

Drew Baldridge is one of those artists who writes a lot of his own material. How did that working relationship come about?

Drew is with Rusty Gaston, a good friend of mine. Greg Hill brought me on to that project. Drew had never had an A&R person. He came out and did meetings and we found some amazing songs he was super excited to cut. While we were listening to songs, his writing level just rose tremendously because he was hearing the level of songs out there. Naturally, I think the bar was raised. That’s been exciting to watch.

Let’s say you are working with a client who already has a publishing deal. How does that relationship work, since publishers so often play a similar A&R role?

In the cases where they do have publishers, I’m usually friends with that publisher. They usually let me do my thing because they know there is a value in that, and we keep an open communication.

How has the state of A&R changed since your days working for a major label?

For years, it was so song-driven. In A&R we were all just fighting over every single writer’s demo sessions. People were putting demo sessions on hold—their whole session on hold—before anyone could hear them. We would send artists 50 songs a week. Also, we would sign artists based on pure talent; there was no social media. That’s changed now, obviously. Outside songs and writers have taken a huge hit because artists now have to write.

Who has been one of your biggest mentors in A&R?

[Former Sony Music Nashville chairman] Joe Galante. For 10 years I was his student and it was like going to Harvard. He gave us homework, he taught us the business. He taught me how to A&R a record. When we were making the second Chris Young record after he came off of Nashville Star, it was like, ‘this has to be the right thing.’ I remember Joe just talking about how to think about Chris as an artist. We had five No. 1 singles and it was a great success. Joe just had a handle on it. And it was hard, not all fun and games.

Weekly Register: Cody Johnson, Maren Morris Top Country Sales Charts

Cojo Music/Warner Music Nashville artist Cody Johnson makes a triumphant debut atop this week’s Country Album chart, according to Nielsen Soundscan. Johnson’s Ain’t Nothin’ To It moved 34.5K units (12 million song streams). Johnson’s first major label album also debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Digital Album Sales chart.

Luke CombsThis One’s For You follows on the country albums chart this week at No. 2 with 22K (22 million song streams), with Dan + Shay‘s self-titled album at No. 3, moving 15K (16 million song streams). Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller is at No. 4 (11K/10 million song streams), followed by Kane Brown‘s Experiment at No. 5 with 11K and 10 million song streams).

 

Meanwhile, on the Country Song Sales chart, Columbia Nashville’s Maren Morris‘ recently-released “Girl” tops the list with 14K, followed by Dan + Shay’s “Speechless” with 10K, and Luke Combs “Beautiful Crazy” at No. 3 with 8.6K. Old Dominion‘s “Make It Sweet” is at No. 4 with 7K, while Tenille Arts‘ “I Hate This” debuts at No. 5 with 6.5K.

On the Country Streaming Songs chart, Morris also makes a big debut at No. 20 with “Girl,” which was streamed 3.8 million times in its first week. Dan + Shay take the top two slots with “Speechless” at No. 1 (9.2 million) and “Tequila” at No. 2 (7.8 million). Luke Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy” is at No. 3 with 7.7 million, followed by Kane Brown’s “Heaven” at No. 4 with 6.8 million and Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” at No. 5 with 6.8 million.

Welch Takes Tenth Week At No. 1 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

Kevin Welch remains at the No. 1 spot for the tenth week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Following are Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally and Luke Combs, respectively.

Brett James enters the top five this week, propelled by songs, Carrie Underwood’s “Love Wins” and Cody Johnson’s “On My Way To You.” Bobby Pinson follows at No. 6 with credits on Eric Church’s “Some Of It” and Dierks Bentley’s “Burning Man.”

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.