Marty Brown. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

Marty Brown has made a career of painting pictures through words and melodies.

As a songwriter, Brown’s images of Oklahoma oil and Kansas wheat fields fill “When I Stop Loving You” (recorded by Trace Adkins), while portraits of sawed off shotguns and coonskin caps stand proudly in “I’m From The Country” (recorded by Tracy Byrd).

“That song built my house,” he said during a recent visit to the MusicRow offices. “That’s my bread and butter.”

Brown had a label deal with MCA in the ‘90s; after his deal expired, he stepped away from the spotlight and shifted his focus solely to writing songs. He built a comfortable routine, living in Franklin, Kentucky and driving in to Nashville for co-writing sessions.

“I would come home and play my wife demo tapes and I’d say, ‘Blake would sound good singing that song,’ and she would say, ‘Well, you sound good singing that!’”

Brown’s wife Shellie surprised him by driving him to a Nashville audition for music competition America’s Got Talent and in 2013, his rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” became a viral moment, earning more than 11 million views on YouTube; he went on to reach the Top 10 on America’s Got Talent.

Pictured (L-R): Marty Brown and MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

His strong showing on AGT soon landed Brown another artist deal, this time with Plowboy Records, where he released his first album in more than two decades. Those same brightly-rendered images cover the new project, American Highway. He co-wrote and co-produced the project with Jon Tiven.

“I was on Highway 100, just driving and listening to music,” he says of penning the title track. “I started thinking of all these pictures, like Norman Rockwell paintings. I wrote it about going down country roads and seeing old men sitting on porches.”

Soon after recording the song, he rewrote the track to include more imagery of cityscapes, to widen the song’s appeal to a broader audience. His new single, “Umbrella Lovers,” conjures a portrait of a couple in love.

“They are just walkin’ in the rain together, and they don’t care about anything else,” he says. “They have each other and they love each other and that’s all that matters.”

Marty Brown celebrates his BMI Million-Air award with BMI’s David Preston.

Brown was recently honored with a BMI Million-Air award, commemorating five million radio plays of “I’m From The Country.” He says whether he is writing songs for others or singing them himself, the focus is always on the music.

“When I was on MCA, I was fresh out of Kentucky and I didn’t know anybody. I just had my guitar and me, and it’s still that way. But if the song is strong, it can cut through anything.”

Marty Brown with the MusicRow staff. Photo: Martha Moore

Luke Combs. Photo: Jim Wright

Luke Combs‘ debut album, This One’s For You, which released in 2017, has spent a total of 35 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Albums chart, marking the longest reign by a solo male artist in more than 25 years. The album has also been certified double Platinum, and spent 16 weeks at No. 1 in 2018, making it the highest-selling country album last year and the only one to earn more than 1 million album units. Combs recently became the first artist to simultaneously top all five Billboard country charts for multiple weeks.

He will follow that record-breaking success with his new EP, The Prequel, on June 7 via River House Artists/Columbia Nashville. The EP, produced by Scott Moffatt, features five new songs, including the lead single “Beer Never Broke My Heart.” The song recently set the record for most adds on the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart with 149 adds.

Combs co-wrote every track on the EP, alongside co-writers including Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton, Jordan Brooker, Ray Fulcher, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Thomas Archer, James McNair and Dan Isbell.

His “Beer Never Broke My Heart” fall tour sold out venues in 25 of the 29 cities in the first weekend tickets were on sale.

THE PREQUEL TRACK LIST

1. Beer Never Broke My Heart (written by Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Jonathan Singleton)

2. Refrigerator Door (written by Luke Combs, Jordan Brooker)

3. Even Though I’m Leaving (written by Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher)

4. Lovin’ On You (written by Luke Combs, Thomas Archer, Ray Fulcher, James McNair)

5. Moon Over Mexico (written by Luke Combs, Ray Fulcher, Dan Isbell, Jonathan Singleton)

Photo: Justice Slone

Eric Church will be the first artist in Nissan Stadium’s 20+year history to host a live show solo without an opening act when he takes the stage in Nashville this Saturday (5/25).

In keeping with all previous dates on the Double Down Tour, in his stadium-headlining debut Church will perform three hours of music spanning his entire six-album catalog. The last time he stopped in Nashville on tour he set an attendance record at Bridgestone Arena with a crowd of 19,000 fans, and will more than double that number with this upcoming show as he elevates his current live show to stadium-filling status.

Prior to the show, the Church Choir Tailgate open to fan club members will take place on the stadium’s South Lawn. Starting at 3:00 p.m., the party will feature exclusive merchandise, games, food trucks, Jack Daniel’s drinks and a unique vinyl truck offering a special edition of Desperate Man that includes a live version of the title track pressed on sky blue vinyl. As doors open, fans will also be treated to the music video premiere for his current single, “Some Of It,” on the stadium screens.