New Tracks: Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Old Dominion, Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, Jon Pardi

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Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins have reunited following their 2010 hit “Hillbilly Bone,” and the new song, “Hell Right,” is every bit as rollicking and righteous as one would expect. The track was penned by David Garcia, Brett Tyler, and Michael Hardy (who also goes by HARDY as a solo artist).

 

Tanya Tucker takes on mortality in her new track, “Bring My Flowers Now,” the closing track on her upcoming album While I’m Livin’. The track is co-written by Tucker, Brandi Carlile and the twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth, and advises friends and family to invest in loved ones while they are still living with lyrics like, Don’t spend time, tears or money on my old breathless body/if your heart is in them flowers, bring ’em on.

 

Vince Gill drew from his own personal experience with an attempted sexual assault for “Forever Changed,” from his upcoming OKIE album. In 2018, Gill performed the song at the Ryman Auditorium as part of the UMG Nashville artist showcase during Country Radio Seminar.

“I knew it was important for people to hear—it’s a real thing and you can’t sweep it under the rug,” Gill says, “It’s a story about sexual abuse and grew out of an incident that happened to me in junior high school—I was lucky and I escaped, but who knows how my life could have been different had I not gotten away.”

 

Old Dominion released a second track from their upcoming album, following the recent track “One Man Band.” The new track, “My Heart is a Bar,” was written by OD band members Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi, alongside Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.

Ramsey said of the song, “’My Heart is a Bar’ might be the loneliest sing-a-long of all time. It’s a song about feeling alone and used and pissed off at love to the point of throwing up your hands and saying ‘screw this!’ That’s a feeling a lot of people can identify with. It’s lonely and liberating at the same time. That’s why we decided to treat this like a big bar-room-sing-along so we can all sing and say ‘screw this!’ together!”

 

Brett Young continues revealing songs from his upcoming album The Acoustic Sessions (out Sept. 13 on BMLG Records), with an acoustic take on the autobiographical song “Chapters.” The song reunites Young with co-writer Gavin DeGraw, as they recorded the stripped-down version of the song at Blackbird Studios in Nashville.

 

Tenille Townes‘ latest release “Jersey on the Wall,” is inspired by meeting a group of high school students in Grand Manan, Canada. Townes met the students after a group of five students had been in a tragic accident, where one of the students, Danielle, passed away.

Townes returned to the school’s graduation ceremony the following year, watching as Danielle’s parents were given her honorary scholarship. Townes noticed Danielle’s jersey on the wall. Swirling with emotions and questions about loss and spirituality, Townes went in a writing session with Gordie Sampson and Tina Parole months later, where she penned “Jersey on the Wall.”

 

Jon Pardi released another track from his upcoming album, Heartache Medication (Capitol Nashville), due Sept. 27. “Tequila Little Time” begins with a bright horn section, followed by Pardi’s tongue-in-cheek proposition to spend more time with potential lover.

Tracy Lawrence Celebrates The American Spirit With New Album ‘Made In America’

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Tracy Lawrence is releasing his first original studio album in six years with Made In America, available on all streaming and download services today. The country star has been a driving force in the industry for over 25 years, and this new album is his most personal to date.

Made In America pays homage to the hard-working men and women of America and their pride and never-failing work ethic, and the album features a mix of authentic country and some rock and blues. Lawrence penned eight of the 12 tracks himself, with writers like Carson Chamberlain, Rick Huckaby, and Mark Nesler, and the project includes a Chris Stapleton/Shawn Camp cut, “Givin’ Momma Reasons To Pray,” as well.

“This is my most personal album I’ve ever made. It’s something I’m very proud of and celebrates the American worker and everything that’s good about our country,” said Lawrence. “I co-wrote a number of the songs, pouring my heart and soul in each of them. I feel it will resonate with my fans and country music lovers across this nation.”

Lawrence will be joining fellow Arkansas native, Justin Moore, as a co-headliner on his “Late Nights And Longnecks Tour” kicking off in January 2020.

Made In America Track Listing:
Made In America (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby, Paul Nelson)
Forgive Yourself (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby)
Running Out of People To Blame (Tracy Lawrence, Carson Chamberlain, Mark Nesler)
When The Cowboy’s Gone (Tracy Lawrence, Carson Chamerlain, Wyatt McCubbin)
Nothin’ Burns Like You (Tracy Lawrence, Carson Chamberlain, Mark Nesler)
First Step To Leaving (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby, Mark Nesler)
It Ain’t You (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby, Paul Nelson)
Givin’ Momma Reasons To Pray (Shawn Camp, Chris Stapleton)
Work On My Willie (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby, Flip Anderson)
Chicken Wire (Rick Huckaby, Monty Criswell)
Just The South Coming Out (Rick Huckaby, Wade Kirby)
Stay Back A Hundred Feet (Rick Huckaby, Money Criswell)

Industry Ink: ASCAP Master Class, Gotee Records, Big Loud

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ASCAP Aids Writers In Summer Master Classes

(L-R): (front) ASCAP’s Kele Currier (far left), Mark Irwin (second from left), Rusty Gaston (second from right), ASCAP’s Holly Chester (far right) with June ASCAP Master Class participants

Summer installments of ASCAP’s newly-launched songwriter development series, ASCAP Master Class, were recently hosted at ASCAP’s Nashville offices by Assistant Vice President Kele Currier and Membership Manager Holly Chester. Each month, ASCAP Master Class provides a small group of promising new songwriters the opportunity to hear firsthand from a hit writer and receive song feedback from a publisher. The series is designed to equip writers with the knowledge to help hone their craft and expand their writing network. In June, hit songwriter Mark Irwin shared his expertise with the class alongside This Music’s Rusty Gaston. July’s Master Class installment featured hitmaker Byron Hill, while Endurance Music Group’s Josh Saxe provided the song feedback.

(L-R): ASCAP’s Holly Chester (far left), Byron Hill (second from left), Josh Saxe (center, front), ASCAP’s Kele Currier (far right) with July ASCAP Master Class participants

 

Courtnie Ramirez Joins Gotee Records Roster

Courtnie Ramirez has signed with Gotee Records. Ramirez’s debut single, “Perfectly Loved,” is available today. In addition to an English version, “Perfectly Loved” will be released in Spanish and Spanglish, honoring the singer’s lineage—a tradition Ramirez intends to continue as she unveils new music. She co-wrote the exuberant pop track with labelmate Ryan Stevenson and Jordan Sapp.
“I’m so excited about Courtnie being on Gotee,” shares Joey Elwood, President of Gotee Records. “I think she’s gonna speak to a lot of kids that haven’t felt spoken to by Christian music, and that, in and of itself, is important. I’m not talking about culture, I’m not talking about gender, and I’m not just talking about age, I’m talking about kids that are looking for a voice that feels familiar and approachable, deep and soulful in all the right ways, and fun and brash in ways that speak to authenticity. Courtnie is a not a cool breeze, but a hurricane, and I’m hoping she can drawn in a whole new generation of kids we didn’t know were out there.”

 

Sean Stemaly Signs With Big Loud Records

(L-R): Lex Lipsitz (Artist Manager, Maverick), Kevin “Chief” Zaruk (Partner, Big Loud), Seth England (Partner, Big Loud), Sean Stemaly, Joey Moi (Partner, Big Loud)

Sean Stemaly has joined the Big Loud Records roster. He is releasing a new single, “Back On A Backroad,” today to all digital service providers. He’s currently working with Joey Moi on his Big Loud debut. Stemaly has penned more than 100 songs since his arrival in Nashville two years ago, including the standout “Georgia,” which has already garnered more than 1 million Spotify streams in the six months since its release. 

“Sean Stemaly is a really great kid. When we first heard his indie-released “Georgia,” we knew he was unique. After meeting him, we had no doubt he could be a huge star,” says Big Loud partner Seth England. “Thank you Sean for trusting Big Loud with your bright future.”

YouTube To Stop Allowing Manual Copyright Claims On Short Music Clips

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Beginning in mid-September, YouTube will stop allowing copyright holders to make manual claims to monetize creator videos that include very short music clips or “unintentional” music.

“One concerning trend we’ve seen is aggressive manual claiming of very short music clips used in monetized videos,” YouTube said in a blog post. “These claims can feel particularly unfair, as they transfer all revenue from the creator to the claimant, regardless of the amount of music claimed.”

However, copyright holders can continue to block or disable monetization for videos, including those with short music clips, with the manual claiming tool. The change only affects claims made by the manual claiming tool, which requires copyright holders to review each video; the majority of claims are made using YouTube’s Content ID matching system.

“We acknowledge that these changes may result in more blocked content in the near-term, but we feel this is an important step toward striking the right balance over the long-term,” the company said via a statement. “Our goal is to unlock new value for everyone by powering creative reuse and content mashups, while fairly compensating all rightsholders.”

Just over a month ago, YouTube began requiring copyright owners to provide timestamps for all manual claims, so creators know exactly which portion of the video is being claimed. YouTube also updated its editor tools in Creator Studio to allow creators to use those timestamps to remove manual claimed content from videos, which automatically releases the claim and restores monetization.The company says that copyright owners who do not abide by the new guidelines will have their manual-claiming rights suspended. It was also noted that if creators feel their use of copyrighted music qualifies as fair use, they can dispute claims via YouTube’s appeals process.

Sara Evans And The Barker Family Band To Release Live Album

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Sara Evans, her daughter Olivia Barker (16) and son Avery Barker (19) are releasing a live album, Live From City Winery Nashville, on Aug. 30.

The 16-song collection chronicles the family band live in concert and showcases the tight family harmonies of Sara and Olivia on original songs and covers including Beyonce’s “XO” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” California trio Fairground Saints also guest on the closing track, Evans’ signature smash, “Born To Fly.”

Those pre-ordering the project now will instantly receive “A Little Bit Stronger” (8/16) and “Tennessee Whiskey” (8/23) ahead of the record’s release.

Live From City Winery Nashville Track Listing:
“Southern Cross”
“Four-Thirty”
“XO” featuring Olivia Barker
“Why Not Me”
“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
“Dreams”
“A Little Bit Stronger” featuring Sara Evans and Olivia Barker
“Otis Redding”
“Suds In The Bucket”
“So Far Away” featuring Olivia Barker
“Long Ride Home”
“Long Way Down”
“Not Over You”
“As” featuring Olivia Barker
“Tennessee Whiskey” featuring Olivia Barker
“Born To Fly” with special guests, Fairground Saints

Weekly Chart Report (8/16/19)

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AMERICANAFEST Outlines Panel Offerings For 2019

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The Americana Music Association has revealed the lineup for its 20th annual AMERICANAFEST conference, slated for The Westin Nashville on Sept. 11-13. This year’s keynote will include an interview with Brandi Carlile and Change the Conversation’s Tracy Gershon, as well as an artist development panel with NPR Music’s Bob Boilen as well as Jade Bird and Daniel Glass. The conference will include more than 60 panels and workshops and will bring more than 200 music industry members to discuss current issues with conference registrants.

The conference will also include:

  • A discussion on the current state of the Music Modernization Act with Keb’ Mo’ and Regan Smith, general counsel from the U.S. Copyright Office and Concord Music Publishing’s Brad Kennard.
  • Live tapings of Chris Shiflett‘s “Walking The Floor” podcast featuring Delbert McClinton and Yola
  • As previously announced, second keynote interview will feature Rhiannon Giddens (a co-recipient of this year’s inaugural Legacy of Americana Award), in discussion with writer John Jeremiah Sullivan
  • NPR’s Boilen will discuss how artistry and advocacy work together as part of a panel with Leah Song and Chloe Smith from Rising Appalachia, as well as Oh Boy Records’ Jody Whelan and The War and Treaty’s Michael Trotter and Tanya Trotter.
  • A screening of the documentary Woody Guthrie: Three Chords and the Truth, which reveals a previously unheard recording from Guthrie. Following the film, Woody Guthrie Center Director Deana McCloud will provide commentary alongside Jaimee Harris and Will Hoge.
  • Gospel scholar and DJ Kevin Nutt will look at 1970s gospel music, as former Staples Jr. Singers leader Annie Caldwell shares her own experiences.
  • A look at Americana Music Association’s recent membership intitiatives, including the Americana Tour Blueprint. A panel will include singer-songwriter Caitlin Canty, agent Mark Lourie, AMA’s Anna Lee Crenshaw, Hypebot’s Bruce Houghton and Point Entertainment’s Jesse Lundy. The panel will be led by WMOT Roots Radio’s Craig Havighurst.
  • The panel “Out Of Balance” will tackle the issue of gender imbalance on music festival bills. The panel includes Red Light Management’s Mark Cunningham, Live Nation’s Ali Harnell, artist Erin Rae, TT Management’s Traci Thomas and freelance writer Marissa Moss.
In partnership with the Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville, AMERICANAFEST will once again provide CLE (continuing legal education) panels geared toward attorneys with an emphasis on entertainment law. Presented by The Recording Academy, “Developing Songwriting and Music Publishing Communities in Smaller Music Markets” will examine how to foster songwriting communities in one’s own hometown. Moderated by Gebre Waddell (Sound Credit), attendees will hear words of wisdom from Gershon, Linda Edell Howard (Adams & Reese LLP), Mike Molinar (Big Machine Music) and singer-songwriter-producer PJ Morton.

Industry Ink: AWAL, FGL, Grayscale Marketing, Coby James

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AWAL Inks Partnership With FGL’s Round Here Records

Pictured (L-R, back row): Adam Romaine (VM Creative Director / Tour Manager); Kyle Avenarius (Associate Director Of A&R, AWAL); Emily Peacock (TVM Creative Director); Sarah Demarco (Senior Director Of Marketing, AWAL); Leslie T. Dipiero (TVM General Manager); Ron Cerrito (President, AWAL North America); Wayne Milligan (Senior Director, Special Services, Tri Star Sports And Entertainment Group); (L-R, front row) Brian Kelley (Florida Georgia Line / Tvm And Round Here Records Co-Founder/Owner); Canaan Smith; Tyler Hubbard (Florida Georgia Line / TVM And Round Here Records Co-Founder/Owner). Photo: Steve Lowry

AWAL, Kobalt’s recording company, has announced a worldwide partnership with Round Here Records, a newly-formed label created by Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard.

Founded as a new branch of the creative vision which also includes Kelley and Hubbard’s emerging Tree Vibez Music (TVM) publishing house, Round Here Records and its new partnership with AWAL will hit the ground running to launch Platinum recording artist Canaan Smith. As part of the deal, AWAL will provide Smith with a full range of services, including global marketing, campaign coordination, synch licensing and worldwide distribution.

“We continue to grow our presence as well as our commitment to the Nashville music scene,” says AWAL North American President, Ron Cerrito. “Brian and Tyler are incredible musicians, renowned songwriters and extremely business savvy. They are a true creative force in the industry that is surrounded by an incredible team – their business model and artist-first approach are a perfect match with our global capabilities and core values. Canaan is an amazing artist with hundreds of millions of streams and a #1 radio hit, and we’re proud to welcome him to the AWAL family.”

Grayscale Marketing Signs Lynchburg Music Fest

Grayscale Marketing has announced its partnership with Lynchburg Music Fest, Tennessee’s newest country and bluegrass music festival. The two-day multistage event hosted in historic Lynchburg, brings top acts Easton Corbin, Jamey Johnson, Cassadee Pope, Sam Bush, Craig Campbell, David Lee Murphy, Joe Diffie, Keith Anderson, Montgomery Gentry and RaeLynn to the whiskey capital of Tennessee.

The agency has provided a full spectrum of services for Lynchburg Music Fest, including marketing, publicity, creative services, advertising and media buying. Grayscale’s partnership with the festival establishes the agency as an industry leader, equipped to build large scale events from the ground up.

“I’m excited that Grayscale has the opportunity to play a small part in Lynchburg’s rich history,” said Tim Gray, Founder and CEO of Grayscale Marketing. “Helping to build an experience of this caliber from the ground up has been exciting, and we look forward to seeing how the event develops in the years to come.”

The inaugural festival will take place on Aug. 23-24, 2019, adjacent to downtown Lynchburg. For tickets, visit lynchburgmusicfest.com.

 

Coby James Signs Management Deal With Deep South Entertainment & Announces 31-City U.S. Tour With Danny Gokey

Pictured (L-R): Dave Rose, Deep South President/CEO; Coby James; Sam Fisher, artist manager. Photo courtesy Deep South Entertainment

Nashville newcomer and North Carolina native, Coby James, has signed on with the veteran music management company Deep South Entertainment, who also represents a diverse roster including Stryper, Branan Murphy, Parmalee, and Marcy Playground. James recently released his debut single, “Paradise”, which has already seen impressive numbers on all streaming platforms, and will be releasing his debut EP on Sept. 27 entitled “Space for Theory.”

Sam Fisher will oversee James’ management, along with company founder and CEO Dave Rose.

“From the minute we first heard Coby in a small bar as an opening act, we knew there was something special – and apparently others are hearing it as well. He’s the kind of artist you want to spend the next 20 years of your life working with – an amazing talent with a sincere and convicted heart for his message,” says Rose.

Coby James kicks of his U.S. tour with direct support for Danny Gokey on Sept. 26 in Lafayette, Louisiana.

 

Blackbird Studio Celebrates Official Launch Of Dolby Atmos Music Mixing Room

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Pictured (L-R): Chuck Ainlay (multi-GRAMMY®, Academy of Country Music Award and Country Music Association award-winning engineer/producer/mixer), John McBride (Blackbird founder/owner) and Julian Raymond (Senior Vice President of A&R and Staff Producer at Big Machine/John Varvatos Records). Photo: Courtesy of Blackbird Studio/Marian Mathis

Blackbird Studio held a gala event on July 17 to mark the official launch of the facility’s new Dolby Atmos 9.1.6 reference room (Studio C).

Blackbird founder John McBride stated, “Blackbird has always had an extremely high bar that doesn’t allow us to cut any corners in anything we do. So when it came time to create this unique mixing/listening space, we reached out to the companies I know and have worked with, whom I trust based on their knowledge, their products and their track record for getting the job done. The team that helped create this reference room represents the cream of the crop, and we could not have made this a reality without their unwavering support.”

Attendees included Chuck Ainlay, Ben Fowler, Steve Marcantonio, Julian Raymond, Bob Bullock, Michael Cronin and more. They were treated to a listening session with a wide variety of tracks in Dolby Atmos including Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” Beck’s “Seventh Heaven,” and, for the first time ever, Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” newly mixed by engineer David Leonard, who was on hand to discuss this latest mix of the classic track.

Photo: CJ Hicks Photo

Blackbird’s 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos reference room is a state-of-the-art facility with equipment that includes ATC SCM300ASL Pro speakers (L-C-R), ATC SCM100ASL Pro speakers (six top and six side) and ATC SCM1-15ASL Sub subs (four front, two rear/side); AVID Pro Tools | MTRX audio interfaces (two); Antelope Audio 10MX rubidium atomic master clock; and AVID Pro Tools | SYNC HD.

The open floor plan concept room for Studio C was originally designed by multiple GRAMMY and TEC Award-winner, producer, engineer and inventor George Massenburg and Dr. Peter D’Antonio, founder of RPG Diffusor Systems, Inc.

“Very soon after I started to mix in 5.1 new challenges were quickly revealed,” stated Massenburg. “’Hearing’ a complex multichannel mix required fresh skills; yes, localization is important, but maintaining the perception of the overall context and integrating sources also in the sound field was challenging—I felt a new kind of mix environment was (and still is) essential—I never stopped thinking about it. I was given the opportunity to build a massively diffuse, uniform-response room in the early 2000’s to address these issues, and Blackbird Studio C was born. More than just a multichannel mix room, it offered an ideal context and environment to record live acoustic ensembles, providing artists an unparalleled ability to hear each other really well. Recently outfitted with Dolby Atmos Music monitoring technology, Blackbird Studio C now provides mixers with the tools to inspire them to create extraordinary and breathtaking immersive music mixes.”

Pictured (Front Row, L-R): John McBride (Blackbird Studio), Christine Thomas (Dolby), Bryan Pennington (Dolby); (Back Row, L-R): Dave Mattingly (Sound Construction), Richard Ealey (Blackbird Studio), Paul Simmons (Blackbird Studio), Ceri Thomas (Dolby), David Seal (TransAudio Group), Aleks Bars (TransAudio Group), and Brad Lunde (TransAudio Group). Photo: Courtesy of Blackbird Studio/Marian Mathis

Miranda Lambert’s New Album ‘Wildcard’ Coming Nov. 1

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Miranda Lambert‘s seventh studio album, Wildcard, will release Nov. 1 via Vanner Records/RCA Records Nashville.

She has steadily offered fans early peeks at songs from the project, with the latest being “Bluebird,” penned with Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby. She previously released album tracks “Mess With My Head,” “Locomotive,” and her single “It All Comes Out In The Wash.”

“When people listen to this record, I want them to know that I see them and hear them,” said Lambert. “I feel you, because I’m just a girl from East Texas, writing about all the things that go on in my world and in the worlds of people around me. I want people to get along, you know, just be who you are, own it and move on from the moments you couldn’t live in.”

The album marks Lambert’s first collaboration with producer Jay Joyce and follow’s 2016’s double album The Weight of These Wings. Last year, Lambert released Interstate Gospel as part of the trio Pistol Annies. Lambert will hit the road for the Roadside Bars & Pink Guitars Tour this fall, with special guests Maren Morris and Elle King, as well as Pistol Annies, Tenille Townes, Ashley McBryde and Caylee Hammack on various dates.