John Prine’s Oh Boy Records Signs Tré Burt

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Tré Burt

Tré Burt is the newest artist to sign to John Prine’s Oh Boy Records.

Burt is one of only two artists—including label-mate Kelsey Waldon, to have been signed to Prine’s Oh Boy Records in the past 15 years.

Oh Boy has released the video for the title track to Burt’s debut project Caught It From The Rye. The album is slated to release next year.

“The songs of mine I find most interesting to play are the ones I can’t remember writing. ‘Caught It From The Rye is’ one of those songs. I remember where I was though, and the conditions of that particular time. I was living out of a broken-down car during a warm summer in Portland, OR. I spent a lot of time hanging out in the forest brushes in Washington Park with my guitar. I had just found a fresh box of cigarettes someone must’ve dropped and was feeling pretty lucky all things considered. I sat down at the base of a tree and when I looked up I saw an unmistakable shape of a butterfly made by a break in the leaves and branches against the blue of the sky. The sun shot down on my lap. When I looked back down at my notebook I wrote the first line,”The sky then opened up and from it came a light,” After that, all I remember is rocking back and forth in the dirt in a state of hypnosis.”

He recently signed with High Road Touring for representation and will be touring alongside Haley Heynderickx this winter.

 

 

Country Jam Music Festival Headliners Announced

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Four-day music festival Country Jam has announced the headliners for its 2020 lineup, including Dan + Shay, Kane Brown and Toby Keith, with an additional headlining artist and two supporting acts to be announced early January. The multistage event is slated for June 18-21, 2020 at the Jam Ranch, just outside of Grand Junction, Colorado.

Other announced performers include Dustin Lynch, Clay Walker, Mitchell Tenpenny, Craig Morgan, Jo Dee Messina, Blanco Brown, Kyle Daniel, Meghan Patrick, Rayne Johnson, Laney Wilson, Stephanie Quayle.

The 2020 event will make Country Jam’s 29th anniversary in the Grand Junction area. The festival is produced in part by Neste Live!. Neste Live! is the largest festival talent producer in North America and is part of LNE: Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company.

“Our entire team at Neste Live! is excited to continue the tradition of providing top-level country music performers for Colorado,” said Gil Cunningham, President of Neste Live. “I was the original talent buyer for Country Jam in its first years in Grand Junction, and it’s amazing to see the growth of the marketplace and have the opportunity to promote the festival with Visit Grand Junction—one of the most progressive destination marketing organizations in the country.”

Country Jam tickets and campsites go on sale to the public on Thursday (Dec. 5) at 11 a.m. CST. Four-day general admission tickets, reserved tickets and VIP tickets are all available, along with a range of camping options at various price points. All tickets and camping options can be purchased by visiting CountryJam.com.

Michael Knox, Kathy Spanberger Discuss peermusic’s New Nashville Office, The State Of Songwriting [Interview]

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peermusic Nashville Sr. VP, Michael Knox. Photo: Haley Crow

In 2019, peermusic has been on the move—on many fronts.

peermusic relocated its Nashville office to 55 Music Sq. E., Ste. C—a space that previously housed SESAC’s offices, and remodeled the building to include more writer rooms, and communal, creative spaces.

Michael Knox, who has produced 23 No. 1 hits in his career, contributed to 45 million singles and 20 million albums sold, and is known for his longtime work with Jason Aldean, was promoted to Sr. VP, peermusic Nashville. The company recently celebrated the renewal of contracts for two writers—Jaron Boyer and Michael Tyler.

Tyler and Boyer each have songs on Aldean’s current chart-topping album, 9, and have co-written hits including Aldean’s “Girl Like You” and Dierks Bentley’s “Somewhere On A Beach,” among others. Other recent peermusic hits include “There Was This Girl” (Riley Green), “Rearview Town” (Aldean), and “Love You Too Late” (Cole Swindell).

Ken Burns’ recent documentary Country Music featured the story of peermusic founder Ralph S. Peer, producer of the famous “Bristol Sessions,” the 1927 recordings from the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, which are considered the “Big Bang” of country music; Ralph Peer II, son of Ralph S. Peer, currently serves as Chairman and CEO of peermusic.

peermusic President/COO Kathy Spanberger celebrates her 40th year with peermusic this year and is responsible for all creative and administrative operations, including direct supervision of all U.S. signings to peermusic in the pop, urban, Latin, and country space, as well as overseeing peermusic’s international operations in Australia and Canada. Under her tenure, peermusic has seen a 25% year-over-year increase in global receipts. Spanberger began her career at peermusic in 1979 as an assistant to Ralph Peer II and went on to become one of the first female execs to serve as President and COO at a music publisher.

Michael Knox. Photo: Haley Crow

MusicRow spoke with peermusic Knox and Spanberger about peermusic’s relocation of its Nashville office, the company’s role in Burns’ Country Music documentary, and the state of music publishing.

MusicRow: peermusic recently relocated to 55 Music Sq. E.. Why was it so important for peermusic to remain located in the Music Row area?
Knox: Well, we went round and round about it because so many people were moving off the row. A lot of people, as you know, are moving out and going downtown or out by I-440. For a while there we were like, “Wow man, we’ll just take what we can get,” because they were knocking everything down. Then this spot opened up and I was like, “That’s a vintage-looking place where we’re not jumping into a corporate office visual, where we can still kind of be part of Old Nashville.”

What was your vision for the new space?
Spanberger: Well, my first thing was I had to make sure Michael Knox was happy [with the space]. Few of our offices outside of New York are in big office buildings. It’s just not the feel of the company that we want, because it’s a family-owned firm. Here, the whole feel of it is modern but still original.

Knox: The main thing I wanted was to keep the creative people in the same space, so they bump into each other. They create together, they feed off each other. You bump into your co-writers and you bump into your co-writers’ co-writers. It’s hard to find that kind of space that feels like a living room when you’re walking around. I wanted people to bump into each other and say, “Wow, this is our club. This is where we hang out.” That was the biggest part of the direction of the attitude you see. Being in publishing, that’s the big battle we have is you want to make those people want to be at your company. I mean, it’s not about the money at the end, it’s about where do you feel most comfortable. You want to have a place where other writers go. I mean, the place felt great.

peermusic Nashville. Photo: Haley Crow

What has been your approach to building a team of writers?
Knox: I’ve been working with Michael [Tyler] since he was 13. He’s a small-town America kid, but his melodies are really advanced. He’s singing about our target audiences. I met Jaron through cutting a song of his on Jason’s [album]. The first cut he ever got was “I Ain’t Ready to Quit,” I believe. He wrote it with Thomas Rhett. I brought Jaron in, and he and Michael hit it off, because that’s what I was hoping. I was looking for a mentor, and an up-and-coming producer mixed in with the new artist. Then, I just started building other people around that, and trying to create an environment where nobody does the same thing, so when they’re in the same room together, they cover so much area.

We’re a record label in a sense, with a mindset for developing talent. Our target audience is every A&R person and artist. We have to find a way to make them say, “I want my artist to be like that songwriter.” Our songwriters today would have been artists in the ’70s. My goal is to find artists that are exceptional songwriters.

Michael, you have been with peermusic Nashville for nearly a decade. What is it about working at peermusic that keeps you excited?
Knox: It’s very important for people at each [peermusic office] to have our vision of things. It’s great having Kathy and Mr. Peer to support my vision. Also, allowing me to produce and do these other things like having my own radio show and Music Knox Records, that’s a lot of gifts that peermusic gives me. I also think it helps my process of working with all the writers here. I feel like the key is keeping people motivated and excited. I want them to feel more like part of a team, instead of all this pressure of “Hey, if you don’t get a cut immediately, you’re gone.”

Artists seem to rely more on the same teams of co-writers for their albums. Do you see that shifting?
Knox: I think that’s deteriorating a little bit because now you only see three or four people at the cream of the crop. You see a lot of hits but not a lot of money. You see a lot of people winning awards but they’re only selling 80,000 records. You’re like, “Well, that’s got to change at some point.” I get it. I genuinely get it, because there’s a bulk of people I go to that I know have that right sound for what I do, but you still have to have that mindset of best song wins, because our biggest songs aren’t from the clique.

The thing about pop and country where we are, is [pop artists] can have one monster hit and it’s billions of streams, where we have to have four of those to equal that. In the pop world, and their camps, their audience is a lot bigger than ours. We have to have eight great songs, and a few album cuts. We don’t have the same privilege as some markets.

peermusic Nashville. Photo: Haley Crow

The country audience is different. We’re a club audience. They come to the clubs, they sit through a four-hour show. They want to hear multiple great songs. If you have one incredible, through the roof hit, of course you’re going to get an audience there, but over time they’re going to get tired of paying 30 bucks to go hear one song.

That’s the pressure for us, and the pressure with the cliques or the writing teams. They’re great taking off because everything’s so unique and new. New [songwriter] camps always do great at the beginning, but they recycle their ideas and then you come into the third album and you’re in trouble. If you look at Jason’s world, I’ve changed writing crews multiple times. It’s because we’re moving with the element of what we’re doing. It took me three or four years to build the team around him now; you have got to have the mindset of, “In five years, I’ve got to be doing something different.” I don’t think that some teams are thinking further than, “Oh my god, we just had a hit, so let’s put all 12 songs on there.” I think that just hurts in the long run.

And there are so many hit songs that were written years before they were recorded.
Knox: “Drowns the Whiskey” is seven years old. It took two demos to get us to hear it. Jaron Boyer and Michael Tyler have got five or six songs on Jason’s new record, and some of those are years and years old. It just takes time for things to find their place, especially given how competitive it is right now with getting an outside cut in general.

peermusic played an important role in the recent Ken Burns documentary Country Music. What kind of increase in interest and sales have you seen since the documentary came out?
Spanberger: Well, the documentary appearance has garnered the most interest in Jimmie Rodgers we’ve seen in probably the last 15 to 20 years. There was like a quadruple spike for Wikipedia searches and Google searches for Jimmie Rodgers after the documentary aired. There was a increase in monthly listeners on Spotify—It increased by 300,000 listeners per month.

Knox: I should say that just on a side route, [Ralph Peer II] told me that he’s gotten more phone calls and messages from people he hasn’t heard from in like 20 years, congratulating him on the documentary. It’s been very impactful for the company as well as on Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter family and their music.

What are the biggest opportunities you see in the publishing space in the next 5-10 years?
Knox: peermusic started out with the first songwriter, the father of country music and the first family songwriting team: Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter family. My goal is to just keep that moving forward and finding this next generation version of that. We all want to evolve into what’s happening, but you still want to find people who understand melody and who understand writing a great lyric.

Spanberger: Music is really is becoming more and more global. One of the things I’ve always felt very strongly about with Nashville is that, if I could get every songwriter I’ve ever worked with anywhere in the world to come learn how to write songs in Nashville, I would, because the craft of songwriting there transcends genres in my opinion. It’s wonderful to have a bigger presence there to perhaps expand on that philosophy going forward. Our company has 30 different offices around the world and I found in the last five years, that artists and writers from all over the world—Australia, Korea, the United Kingdom, you name it—they want to come and write in Nashville. It has become an international destination like never before for creative and songwriting opportunities from people all over the world.

peermusic Nashville. Photo: Haley Crow

Songwriter Aimee Mayo Launches Kickstarter Campaign To Publish Autobiography

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Aimee Mayo

Songwriter Aimee Mayo has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help publish her autobiography, Talking To The Sky. The book covers a lifetime of experiences including memories of Aimee’s late father, hit songwriter Danny Mayo, an abusive marriage, honest revelations of insecurities and a triumphant story of working through obstacles to create opportunities.

The writer of songs like “Amazed,” “This One’s For the Girls,” and “Wheel of the World,” Mayo has offered incentives like autographing copies of the book, writing a personal wedding song, or appearing in a live performance as enticements for bidders, and artists including Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Keith Urban and others have participated in the Kickstarter campaign with video and social media endorsements or in other ways.

“This is one of the best biographies I’ve ever read, period!” said Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Executive Director Bart Herbison of the project. “It is so good I reached out to Aimee personally to see if she would let me be part of this journey.”

“This is my life’s work. There is nothing I’ve ever created that means more to me than this book,” said Mayo. “I want to share my life with people because there is a path to overcoming difficulties found in my story. It took me 13 years to finish and I decided to self-publish the book because I can’t wait to share it with the world.”

Jameson Rodgers Announces Grew Up In The Country Tour

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Jameson Rodgers is kicking off the New Year with his headlining Grew Up In The Country Tour 2020, set to launch Feb. 14 in St. Louis. The tour will hit 18 cities and wrap with a hometown show for Rodgers at The Lyric Theatre in Oxford, Mississippi, which he previously sold out in 2018. Supporting Rodgers on select dates will be Hunter Phelps, Drew Parker, Jordan Rowe, and Sarah Allison Turner.

“2019 has been a whirlwind year for me, signing a record deal with RiverHouse/Columbia, opening for my brother Luke Combs on his sold out arena tour all year, playing the Stadium at CMA Fest, launching my first single ‘Some Girls’ to country radio, and so much more,” said Rodgers. “The band and I are so grateful for getting to make a lot of new fans this year and we’re looking forward to playing some longer sets and a lot of new music from my debut album. I’ve asked some of my favorite artists/friends to tag along and I’m really excited for the Grew Up In The Country Tour next year.”

Pre-sale opportunities begin now (Dec. 3), with members of Rodger’s newly-launched fan club The Neighborhood gaining priority access. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday (Dec. 6), and limited VIP upgrade packages including an acoustic performance, meet & greet, photo with Rodgers and more will be available on select dates throughout the Spring.

Rodgers’ debut single “Some Girls” is heating up at radio and the Vevo DSCVR artist also celebrated his first songwriting No. 1 with the Gold-certified hit “I Don’t Know About You,” recorded by Chris Lane. The in-demand singer/songwriter also has a cut on Jason Aldean’s just-released album 9 (“Camouflage Hat”) and co-wrote Florida Georgia Line’s latest Platinum-certified radio single “Talk You Out of It.”

Endurance Music Group Signs Ben Stoll

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Pictured (L-R): Endurance Music Group’s Mark Ahlberg and Michael Martin, Keller Turner’s Sarah Smith, Ben Stoll, Endurance Music Group’s Josh Saxe and ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe

Endurance Music Group has signed ASCAP songwriter Ben Stoll to an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement. Stoll joins the growing roster of Endurance songwriters, which also includes fellow ASCAP hitmakers Scooter Carusoe (Chris Janson’s “Drunk Girl,” Darius Rucker’s “For the First Time”) and Clint Lagerberg (Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” Rascal Flatts’ “Here Comes Goodbye”), as well as emerging artist-writers Jake Rose and Ryan Plappert.

“Ben has the unique ability to steer a lyric to be incredibly memorable. He’s already begun paving his way through Nashville and we’re looking forward to continuing that journey with him,” say Josh Saxe, Endurance’s Senior Creative Director.

Stoll was born and raised in rural Minnesota, where he grew up hunting, fishing and playing various sports. While playing Division 1 basketball, he started to seriously consider trying his hand at songwriting. After working in the oil fields of North Dakota for a stint, Stoll packed up his Jeep and headed for Nashville. He has a knack for bringing fresh ideas and pointed lyrics into his co-writes.

Endurance Music Group also represents the catalogs of songwriters including Kevin Kadish (Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass,” Morgan Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses”), Ross Copperman (Kenny Chesney’s “Tip Of My Tongue,” Brett Eldredge’s “Love Someone”), Hillary Lindsey (Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color”), Extreme Writers Group (George Strait’s “I Saw God Today,” Heartland’s “I Loved Her First”) and Matt Jenkins (Florida Georgia Line’s “Confession,” Keith Urban’s “Cop Car”).

‘MusicRow’ Highlights Rising Execs With Inaugural N.B.T. Industry Directory

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Collage created using TurboCollage software from www.TurboCollage.com

66 rising Nashville music industry leaders have been selected as part of MusicRow Magazine’s inaugural N.B.T. Industry Directory.

MusicRow’s new N.B.T. Industry Directory is the first and only list of its kind, showcasing Nashville music business professionals who occupy important roles at their respective companies, and who are on a trajectory of excellence to successfully lead the Nashville music industry into the future.

All members of the inaugural N.B.T. Industry Directory are featured in MusicRow’s current 2020 Touring Issue, which releases today (Dec. 3). Single copies of MusicRow’s Touring Issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $45, and are included with yearly MusicRow memberships.

The 66 members of MusicRow Magazine’s Inaugural N.B.T. Industry Directory are:

Paige Altone, Senior Director, Marketing – Sony Music Nashville

Derek Anderson, Director of Revenue & Streaming – Black River Entertainment

Elise Anderson, President/Owner – Elicity Public Relations

Michelle Attardi, Director of Publishing – Big Machine Music

Kari Barnhart, Entertainment Relationship Manager – Regions Bank

Katie Barolak, Director of Creative – Black River Entertainment

Marieke Bianchi, Executive, Music Brand Partnerships – CAA Music Nashville

Linda Bloss-Baum, Senior Director for Artist and Industry Relations – SoundExchange

Beth Brinker, Associate Director of Membership – ASCAP

ET Brown, Senior Director, Creative Services – SESAC

Erin Burr, Senior Director of Publicity – Big Machine Label Group

Kristin Cantrell, Agent, PR & Events – WME

Robert Carlton, Senior Vice President, Development – SMACK

Liz Cost, Senior Director, Marketing – Sony Music Nashville

Callie Cunningham, Manager – Red Light Management

Adria DeLaune, Director, Artist Development -The AMG

Crystal Dishmon, Artist Manager – ShopKeeper Management

Chip Dorsch, Marketing – Red Light Management

Jen Duke, Creative Director – Concord Music Publishing

Janet Edbrooke, Publicist – Essential Broadcast Media

Rachel Fontenot, Senior Director, Marketing & Artist Development – Universal Music Group Nashville

Lauren Funk, Senior Creative Director – Big Yellow Dog Music

Travis Gordon, Senior Creative Director – Universal Music Publishing Group

Bret Guest, Business Manager, Touring – Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group

Brooke Hardesty, Senior Director, Interactive Marketing – Warner Music Nashville

Alex Heddle, Vice President, Publishing – Big Machine Music

Jarrod Holley, Manager – Make Wake Artists

Clay Hunt, Manager – Red Light Management

Courtney Johanson, Senior Publicist – The GreenRoom PR

Evyn Mustoe Johnston, Director of Membership – ASCAP

Meredith Jones, Music Agent – CAA Music Nashville

Lucia Kaminsky, Head of Digital – Sandbox Entertainment

MaryAnn Keen, Associate Director, Creative, Nashville – BMI

Katie Kerkhover, Manager of A&R – Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville

Heather Kinder, Senior Executive Assistant to CEO, Lou Taylor – Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group

Lenore Kinder, Agent – Paradigm Talent Agency

Basak Kizilisik, Vice President, Marketing – Morris Higham Management

Rohan Kohli, Director, A&R – Warner Music Nashville

Rummy Le Guevel, Senior Accountant, Business Management – Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group

Dorothy Leonhardt, Partner – Huskins-Harris

Zebb Luster, Director of Creative/A&R – River House Artists

Katie McCartney, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Label Operations – Monument Records

Tommy Moore, Vice President, Artist & Industry Relations, Board Administration & Governance – ACM

Colt Murski, Vice President, Country Publishing & Creative – Curb | Word Entertainment

Spencer Nohe, Director, Creative, Nashville – BMI

Will Overton, A&R Manager – Warner Chappell Music

Emily Peacock, Creative Director – Tree Vibez Music

Mary Catherine Rebrovick, Director, Publicity – Warner Music Nashville

Nate Ritches, Music Agent – Paradigm Talent Agency

Missy Roberts, Senior Creative Director – Universal Music Publishing Group

Adam Romaine, Creative Director/Tour Manager – Tree Vibez Music

Braeden Rountree, Partner – WME

Dane Schmidt, Director of A&R – Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville

Lydia Schultz, Senior Director, Creative Services – SESAC

Jeff Skaggs, Vice President, Creative – Creative Nation

Clark Tedesco, Senior Director, Artist Development – Warner Music Nashville

Joshua Tomlinson, Associate Director, Creative, Nashville – BMI

Nate Towne, Partner – WME

Jennifer Turnbow, Senior Director of Operations – Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)

Farrah Usmani, Associate – Loeb & Loeb, LLP

Elisa Vazzana, Music Agent – CAA Music Nashville

Matt Watkins, President of Marketing & International – The AristoMedia Group

Jennifer Way, Senior Director, Marketing – Sony Music Nashville

Alison Toczylowski Webber, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications – ASCAP

Bailey White, Promotions Manager – Black River Entertainment

Christina Wilshire, A&R Director – Warner Chappell Music

On The Cover: MusicRow Magazine’s Touring Issue Features Ingrid Andress

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MusicRow Magazine’s 2020 Touring Issue, with Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records artist Ingrid Andress gracing the cover, releases today (Dec. 3).

Andress’ current single, “More Hearts Than Mine,” is climbing at country radio. She made her first national TV appearance earlier this year on Late Night with Seth Meyers performing her major-label debut, “Lady Like,” only two months after its release. With several co-writer credits to her name, including Charli XCX’s “Boys” and FLETCHER’s “About You,” Andress first honed her skills writing with heavy hitters in the music community such as Sam Hunt and Alicia Keys. She is crafting her debut album, set to release next year, alongside Sam Ellis, AJ Pruis and Jordan Schmidt. She is managed by Blythe Scokin/bluejacket, booked by WME’s Becky Gardenhire, published by Arthouse/UMPG, and aligned with BMI.

MusicRow Magazine’s annual Touring Issue also features its 2020 Next Big Thing Artists list, as well as the inaugural N.B.T. Industry Directory, which spotlights many of Nashville’s rising music industry executives.

WME Co-Head Jay Williams and WME Partner Kevin Meads, Goldenvoice’s Stacy Vee, CAA’s Marieke Bianchi, and Exit/In’s Chris Cobb are among the leaders featured in this issue. Dan+Shay, as well as their team members at Sandbox Entertainment, CAA and AEG Presents, discuss lining up the Grammy- and CMA-winning duo’s first U.S. arena headlining tour, which launches in 2020.

Single copies of MusicRow’s Touring Issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $45, and are included with yearly MusicRow memberships.

‘MusicRow’ Reveals 2020 Next Big Thing Artists List

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MusicRow is proud to reveal its list of artists, who in 2020, are predicted to become the Next Big Thing (NBT). The annual NBT list features 11 artists, who are each profiled in MusicRow‘s latest 2020 Touring Issue print magazine, which hits shelves today (Dec. 3).

MusicRow Magazine’s Next Big Thing Class of 2020 has set itself apart from today’s artists with talent and hard work. Some of these NBT artists have just released their first singles, while others are celebrating chart-topping hits. All have broken through by bringing unique styles and by surrounding themselves with team members who champion them.

Single copies of MusicRow’s Touring Issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $45, and are included with yearly MusicRow memberships.

MusicRow Magazine’s 2020 Next Big Thing Artists:

INGRID ANDRESS

Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville / Arthouse/UMPG Nashville / WME / bluejacket / BMI

After establishing herself as a pop songwriter, Ingrid Andress chipped away at expectations of herself and her sound with her debut single at country radio, “More Hearts Than Mine.” The tune about bringing a potential new lover home to her parents is thrillingly honest and a refreshing perspective. Likewise, her first major label radio track, “Lady Like,” bucks the stereotypical gender roles placed on women.

With several co-writer credits to her name, including Charli XCX’s “Boys” and FLETCHER’s “About You,” Andress first honed her skills writing with heavy hitters in the music community such as Sam Hunt and Alicia Keys. Sonically, the Colorado native’s music is interesting and fresh, but not distracting from the message of the songs. With the release of her latest tracks “Both” and “We’re Not Friends,” Andress’ new music continues to prove her depth and skill as a songwriter.

 

AVENUE BEAT

BMLG (Valory Music Co.)/Tape Room Records / Tape Room Music / CAA / Dennis Entertainment / ASCAP

Sami Bearden, Savana Santos and Sam Backoff of Avenue Beat are the brash, witty, and wildly melodic pop trio that the world didn’t know it needed. I got more pop than a shook up Mountain Dew / If that’s not what you like, There must be something wrong with you, the trio sings with a cheeky grin in their single “Delight.” The three wrote all four songs on their debut, self-titled EP, which includes “Delight,” a girl power salute in “Be A Bro,” a Gen-Z post-break-up anthem in “Ruin That For Me” and a self-induced euphoria in “Broke.”

Now in their early 20s, childhood friends Santos and Backoff met Bearden at a summer theater camp and ultimately formed Avenue Beat. They claim Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish as musical influences, and are making their way as clever songwriters with charmingly raw lyrics and ear candy harmonies.

 

GABBY BARRETT

Warner Music Nashville / WME / Red Light Management / BMI

Gabby Barrett hit the ground running after rising to national prominence as a finalist on ABC’s American Idol. Wasting no time, the powerhouse vocalist showed off her depth with her ingenious first single, “I Hope,” which quickly claimed the No. 1 spot on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Countdown and on Radio Disney’s Country Top 50 chart. The ear catching tune throws the listener for a loop at its chorus, I hope you spend your last dime to put a rock on her hand / I hope she’s wilder than your wildest dreams, she’s everything you’re ever gonna need / And then I hope she cheats, like you did on me, Barrett reveals.

The Pennsylvania native began singing in her local gospel choir at nine years old before auditioning for Idol at just 17 where her dynamic voice, paired with her bold stage presence, propelled her to the Top 3. Barrett is currently in the studio with Grammy-nominated producer Ross Copperman working on her debut full-length album.

 

BLANCO BROWN

BBR Music Group / Blanco Theory / UTA / BlackBox Entertainment / SESAC

In a blended version of country and hip-hop music, Blanco Brown proudly calls his musical stylings “TrailerTrap.” His musical concoction can be heard in his multi-week No. 1 hit, “The Git Up,” which has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The Georgia native got his start in music as a background singer, artist and Grammy-nominated engineer, working with talent including Fergie, Childish Gambino, Kane Brown and Chris Brown. 

Brown has the unique gift of seeing colors when creating music. His debut album Honeysuckle & Lightning Bugs is a colorful reflection of his upbringing, from his school days in Atlanta to his summers in rural Georgia, and draws upon the rawness and storytelling abilities of his two biggest musical influences, Johnny Cash and Outkast. Brown wrote or co-wrote, as well as produced, every track on his debut record.

 

CAYLEE HAMMACK

UMG Nashville (Capitol Records Nashville) / UMPG Nashville / WME / Red Light Management / ASCAP

Growing up in the tiny town of Ellaville, Georgia made Caylee Hammack feel like a self-described “hippie in a hillbilly town.” At just 25, her life experiences and cultivated style have given her a unique perspective and approach to songwriting. 

From using fake IDs to get gigs around South Georgia, to watching a love that she’d given everything for burn out, to sleeping in her car when she arrived in Nashville and then losing her home in an electrical fire, Hammack’s morphed into a spunky, resilient and sensible singer-songwriter. Her current Top 40 breakout single “Family Tree,” co-written and co-produced by Hammack, shows off that spunk and earned wisdom. The track was also the most-added single at country radio by a female artist in over three years. 

Hammack’s new groovy tune, “Preciatcha” further speaks to that spunky soul with its lyrics Momma always said broken hearts are a blessing and every hand that you hold, holds one hell of a lesson / Guess I’m rambling a little but there’s something that I gotta say / Preciatcha, every time you made me cry, I preciatcha even how you said goodbye.

 

HARDY

Big Loud Records/Tree Vibez Music / Relative Music Group / WME / Maverick (Big Loud) / BMI

You have heard it from his own mouth, HARDY is “REDNECKER” than you. The hit songwriter has already made his mark on the Nashville music business having co-written multiple No. 1 hits for other artists, including  “Up Down” (Morgan Wallen feat. Florida Georgia Line), “Simple” (FGL), and “God’s Country” (Blake Shelton). When it came time for the Mississippi native to dip his toes into his own artistry, the music that followed was radio ready and charmingly unique.

HARDY launched as an artist with two four-song EPs, THIS OLE BOY and WHERE TO FIND ME. Fans gravitated to swampy-party jams like “4X4” and “THROWBACK,” and were impressed with the tender songwriting of “SIGNED, SOBER YOU.” HARDY’s clever lyrical expertise paired with his bold presence made an appearance again in his 2019 collaborative album Hixtape, Vol. 1; which features duets with traditional favorites Tracy Lawrence and Joe Diffie, along with modern country singers Devin Dawson, Thomas Rhett, Jake Owen and more.

 

TREA LANDON

Warner Music Nashville / Play It Again Music / WME / G Major Management/Play It Again Music / BMI

Trea Landon grew up on classic music by George Strait and Alan Jackson, and from his hometown in Claxton, Georgia, he started writing songs inspired by his upbringing. His songs caught the attention of hit songwriter Dallas Davidson, who quickly signed Landon to a publishing deal. Landon then released an EP independently and with more than three million streams, joined the Warner Music Nashville label family.

Landon’s debut single is a simple, easy-listening piece of ear candy called “Loved By A Country Boy.” Have you ever felt a June like kiss? Make summer burn a little hotter / Have you ever fell faster than a Chevrolet rollin’ ‘round the bend?, left a t-shirt hanging on a hickory limb ‘fore you jumped in /Girl you ain’t been loved, ‘til you been loved by a country boy, Landon sings. His unique voice, paired with his apt song choice, make Landon stand out. Put simply, Landon is a country boy.

 

PARKER McCOLLUM

UMG Nashville (MCA Records) / Warner Chappell / WME / 377/Red Light Management / BMI

Road warrior and Texas native Parker McCollum began building a following with 2015’s The Limestone Kid. The then 22-year old watched a track from the album, “Meet You in The Middle,” become a hit on Texas regional radio. His follow up record, Probably Wrong, found McCollum’s success blossoming, playing to venues like San Angelo’s RiverStage and Billy Bob’s Texas. 

McCollum soon found himself in Nashville, signing a record deal with Universal Music Group. His tune “I Can’t Breathe” shows off McCollum’s rich tone, and heartbreakingly honest songwriting. “Pretty Heart” is further evidence of his authentic sound. McCollum will continue his hard-won road life with select dates on Miranda Lambert’s Wildcard Tour in 2020.

 

MATT STELL

Sony Music Nashville (RECORDS/Arista Nashville) / Wide Open Music / UTA / Wide Open Music / ASCAP

What do you get when you cross a college basketball star with an accepted applicant into Harvard University’s Extension School Pre-Med program? A rising country artist with a No. 1 song. Matt Stell, who made the choice to follow his passion for country music, reaped the benefits of that risk with his first country chart topper, “Prayed For You.” Since he moved to Nashville in 2014, the Arkansas native garnered a publishing deal, a recording contract, a No. 1 song and a debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry. 

Stell co-wrote every track on his debut EP, Everywhere But On, including “Home In A Hometown,” which features fellow country standout and MusicRow Next Big Thing Class of 2019 artist, Jimmie Allen.

 

JENNY TOLMAN

Old Sol Records / Old Sol Music / Kinkead Entertainment /Old Sol Entertainment / SESAC

Jenny Tolman is a songwriter’s songwriter. Her debut album, There Goes The Neighborhood, paints the picture of a small town, full of lifelike characters who go through heartbreak and struggle, as well as hilarious circumstances. 

With songwriting influences like Roger Miller, Bobby Bare and Shel Silverstein; and sonic influences like Dolly Parton, Alicia Keys and Miranda Lambert, Tolman crafts a magical world of her own in her music. Her comical “High Class White Trash” and “Work It” show off her femininity and sass, and her “Till My Tank Is Empty” and “So Pretty” show her intense depth and skill as a communicator.

My welcome mat don’t care if you’re white or black, don’t care if you’re thin or fat, it ain’t there to judge all that / My heart is an open door, don’t care if you’re rich or poor, ain’t the world just a big front porch anyway? she sings in “My Welcome Mat.” Tolman’s music feels much like a big front porch: all-inclusive, retrospective, fun and touchingly real.

 

TENILLE TOWNES

Sony Music Nashville (Columbia Nashville) / Big Yellow Dog Music / WME / ShopKeeper Management / ASCAP

Tenille Townes grew up singing along to the lyrics of U2 and Shania Twain. Before long, she was writing her own songs and taking singing lessons in her hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. When she got a little older, Townes was coming to Nashville and learning to write songs that speak directly to the heart. Her single “Somebody’s Daughter” brought a story of compassion to country radio. Additional tracks “Jersey On The Wall” and “White Horse” set Townes apart for her wise-beyond-her-years communicator ability.

Townes was honored with the Robert K. Oermann Discovery Artist of the Year Award at the 2019 MusicRow Awards, and is seeing both critical and commercial success. In addition to her work as a musician and songwriter, Townes remains committed to her charitable initiative, Big Hearts For Big Kids, which has raised over $1.5 million to date, benefiting a youth shelter in her hometown of Grande Prairie.

Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum Adds Key Leadership Team Members

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Photographed (from top left) Michael Gray, Ben Hall, Kelly McGlumphy, John Reed, Ashlee Powers, Rachel Shapiro and Abi Tapia

Several new members have joined the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Key Leadership Team. Michael Gray, senior museum editor; Ben Hall, director of major gifts; Kelly McGlumphy, director of public relations; Ashlee Powers, senior human resources manager; John Reed, executive director of exhibition services; Rachel Shapiro, director of development events and operations; and Abi Tapia, director of public programs, all join the leadership team that helps guide museum staff through collaboration while carrying out the museum’s mission.

“Working together across divisional and departmental lines has always been a hallmark of our museum,” said museum CEO Kyle Young. “The addition of these members to our Key Leadership Team will help us maintain our collaborative culture and allow the entire team to continue to focus on speed, efficiency and integration across the organization.”

Gray, Hall, McGlumphy, Powers, Reed, Shapiro and Tapia join the following Key Leadership Team members:

  • Lee Boulie, executive director of digital and library collections
  • Mark DeLelys, senior director of museum sales and retail
  • Kayla Ott, director of marketing
  • Nando Rodriguez, senior director of events and culinary
  • Suzanne Tolbert, director of guest experience and admissions analytics
  • Ali Tonn, senior director of education & public programs
  • Leigh Anne Wise, executive director of operations and sustainability