Nashville-Based Silverado Records Signs Nick Smith To Roster

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Nick Smith

Nick Smith

Nashville-based independent label Silverado Records has signed its first artist, Nick Smith. Smith, originally from Enville, Tennessee, has been playing at local venues and building a solid fan base since 2010.

“Nick has an exciting and authentic sound, which we’re really looking forward to sharing with country music lovers,” said Silverado Records CEO Scott Thomas. “Nick is the real deal, from the country and small town America, but with big ideas and a killer work ethic. Nick was the rock-solid kind of artist we wanted to kick Silverado Records off with, and we can’t wait to get him out there to the fans.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to announce our signing of Nick, Silverado’s first!” said Silverado Records A&R Director Aaron Chesling. “His passion for this genre drives him to write and record songs that not only conveys who he is but what matters and what he truly believes in. There’s an authenticity about Nick you can’t shake once you’ve met him, and that kind of connection is what we’re working to create with country music fans.”

Smith added, “Silverado has given me a great opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. I couldn’t be more excited to represent country music with the team at Silverado. Let’s do this!”

Silverado Records was founded in late 2015 by Las Vegas-based Exegan Music Group, and is distributed digitally by The Orchard.

Exclusive: Songwriter Jamie Floyd Brings ‘Sunshine & Rainbows’

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Jamie Floyd. Photo: Molly Hannula

Jamie Floyd. Photo: Molly Hannula

Jamie Floyd is smiling from the cover of her new EP, Sunshine & Rainbows, but there’s a sly wink in the title.

“Most of these songs were songs my publishers kind of wrote off, and didn’t want me to do, and I wasn’t allowed to demo,” the singer-songwriter explained during a visit to MusicRow offices. “So once I got pull of the reins, I was like, ‘This is what we’re doing. We’re calling it Sunshine & Rainbows.’ I came up with that three years ago, so it’s been really special to see it in real life and have all this happen around it.”

Her reference to “all this” covers a lot of ground. As a co-writer she landed the title cut of Ashley Monroe’s Grammy-nominated album, The Blade. Writing solo, she’s credited with the original music for Lifetime’s 2016 movie, Manson’s Lost Girls. And tonight (March 9), she’s throwing a record release party at 12th & Porter with free admission.

Jamie Floyd albumDelivered in a strong, expressive alto, Sunshine & Rainbows isn’t brimming with happy songs but you can hear the professional caliber of songwriting that comes from spending more than a decade in Nashville. Co-writers on the project include Jennifer Hanson and Lucie Silvas (“Casino”), Allen Shamblin and Marc Beeson (“The Blade”) and Lori McKenna (“The People You Knew”). She co-wrote the title track with one of her best friends, Shannon Wright. She performed “Casino,” “The Blade” and “Sunshine & Rainbows” for the MusicRow staff accompanied by sister Kellie Floyd and bandmate Tomi Martin.

A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Floyd grew up singing in a band with her family, opening shows for artists like Rascal Flatts and James Taylor. When she was 11, she signed a record deal with Epic, but it dissolved around 2001. Deciding to pursue music, she relocated to Nashville in 2003 and has been in the trenches ever since.

Like many songwriters, she’s had a lot of high hopes and dashed dreams. As a counterpoint to her music career, she’s a waitress at Lockeland Table in East Nashville. Although there’s hardly enough time in the day to get everything done, she’s made the effort to keep as much of the related publishing paperwork in-house as possible, including licensing and administration. However, she does get a helping hand from CPA Mike Vaden and publicist Jenny Bohler.

“I lost my publishing deal two and a half years ago and I could have pursued things but I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to do it myself,’” she said. “I had on-and-off publishing deals for years, tons of them. I was just trying to find my people and I had been lucky to be able to work with a bunch of people, but at that time, I thought, ‘Let’s see what happens if I do this myself because I feel like no one’s gonna work harder for me than me,’ at least at that time.”

She noted that her independent status is part of the reason that Hollywood keeps her busy writing songs for films. Another reason is because she’s fast, and capable of turning around a batch of songs overnight.

Floyd got attention from the film world after writing songs for the 2013 Lifetime movie, A Country Christmas Story, starring Dolly Parton. Floyd has since secured an agent in Los Angeles to rustle up more work. She said she never expected to land a career in writing music for film but she’s been having a lot of fun doing it.

unnamed-1In contrast, Floyd was emotionally shattered after writing “The Blade,” which was inspired by a line in a sermon about how sometimes you catch life by the handle, but sometimes you catch it by the blade, and that it’s up to the individual to decide how deal with it.

“We worked for two or three hours trying to figure out what this song was going to be about,” she recalled. “And we finally narrowed it down to love. And by way of that, we got, ‘You caught it by the handle and I caught it by the blade.’ As soon as that hit the room, we were like, ‘Ahh, oh my God, how do we even do this now? How are we going to write a song that can support that message?’

“When we finished the work tape, we thought, ‘Don’t know if anybody wants to hear anything this sad, but it’s definitely what we were trying to say and it was special. We were all crying and exhausted, and then I had to go wait tables!” she added with a hearty laugh.

Floyd is hoping the momentum from “The Blade” and her Sunshine & Rainbows showcase will trigger some interest in the Nashville music community.

“I’ve had some things come at me after ‘The Blade’ happened, and I walked away from some things that people might think I’m crazy walking away from, but a few of those deals weren’t right,” she said. “It didn’t matter that the carrot was dangled: ‘You can quit work for a year!’ I’m going to wait for the right thing. It’s been very hard to do that but I’m hoping the right thing comes along, and it’s all timing.”

Jamie Floyd (center) poses with MusicRow staff.

Jamie Floyd (center) poses with MusicRow staff.

Country Trio Midland Inks Deal With Big Machine Records

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Pictured (L-R, Back Row): Andrew Kautz, BMLG; Jack Purcell, BMR; Allison Jones, BMLG; John Zarling, BMLG; Todd Ramey, Sandbox Entertainment; Jason Owen, Sandbox Entertainment; Matt Graham, BRND MGMT. (Front Row): Scott Borchetta, BMLG; Jess Carson, Cameron Doddy and Mark Wystrach. Photo: Seth Hellman

Pictured (L-R, Back Row): Andrew Kautz, BMLG; Jack Purcell, BMR; Allison Jones, BMLG; John Zarling, BMLG; Todd Ramey, Sandbox Entertainment; Jason Owen, Sandbox Entertainment; Matt Graham, BRND MGMT.
(Front Row): Scott Borchetta, BMLG; Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy and Mark Wystrach.
Photo: Seth Hellman

Big Machine Records has signed country trio Midland to its roster. The group is headed by vocalist Mark Wystratch, with lead guitarist Jess Carson and bass player Cameron Duddy. Shane McAnally has signed on to produce the group’s first Big Machine Records project.

Originally formed in Dripping Springs, Texas, the band is rooted in tradition both in sound and style. Midland, who initially garnered attention playing clubs in the Texas region, intentionally nods to the wild west with country music that is reminiscent of the 1970’s and 80’s with a modern-day twist.

“A voice like Mark’s is so rare–it’s one of those voices that you just hope is out there and something we’re always on the lookout for–and when you find it, it literally changes the colors in the room,” said Big Machine President/CEO Scott Borchetta. “Together with Jess and Cam, this is one of the coolest and most interesting, energetic and charismatic bands to burst onto the scene in quite sometime. Expect big things… ”

“The band is very excited to jump in feet first with the Big Machine team. We have been playing honky-tonks around the South and Southwest for the past few years and are anxious to expand our audience,” said Wystrach. “We are a fusion of so many different influences and genres from traditional country to Southern rock, rhythm and blues to soul music, and look forward to collaborating with our Nashville brothers and sisters to make great music for years to come.”

SMACK Adds Josh Jenkins To Songwriter Roster

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Pictured (L-R, seated): Shane McAnally, President, SMACK; Josh Jenkins, writer, SMACK/Kobalt. (Standing): Robin Palmer, VP of Creative, SMACK; Robert Carlton, Creative Director, SMACK; Jesse Willoughby, Kobalt; Stephanie Cox, Kobalt; Laura Wright Alexander, Kobalt.

Pictured (L-R, seated): Shane McAnally, President, SMACK; Josh Jenkins, writer, SMACK/Kobalt. (Standing): Robin Palmer, VP of Creative, SMACK; Robert Carlton, Creative Director, SMACK; Jesse Willoughby, Kobalt; Stephanie Cox, Kobalt; Laura Wright Alexander, Kobalt.

Green River Ordinance’s Josh Jenkins has joined SMACK as its newest songwriter. He joins a roster that includes Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and more.

Jenkins wrote or co-wrote every song on his band’s recent Billboard No. 1 Folk and No. 8 Rock album Fifteen and has a cut titled “Whiskeysippi River” on the forthcoming Randy Houser record, Fired Up.

The SMACK team is currently up for 10 ACM nominations, including Female Vocalist, Video of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Vocal Group, New Vocal Group and others.

Sammy Arriaga Signs With Latium Records

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Sammy Arriaga. Photo: Kris Steer

Sammy Arriaga. Photo: Kris Steer

Latium Entertainment has signed Nashville artist Sammy Arriaga to their Los Angeles-based Latium Records, which is a venture with RCA Records and Sony Music International.

The 23-year-old, Miami-born Cuban singer/songwriter blends bold rhythmic elements of his Latin heritage with infectious melodies in his music. He is managed by Latium Entertainment and represented by publicity agency Sweet Talk Publicity. He is signed to Sony/ATV as a songwriter.

Arriaga co-wrote his latest single “Cold in Miami” with Aaron Scherz and James Slater. Produced by Wondrboy, the track was featured in iHeartCountry’s Digital Integration Program. CMT has also selected Arriaga for its 2016 Artist Discovery campaign.

“We pride ourselves on crossing both worlds of pop and Latin, and have been on the search for the country singer that can live and perform in both worlds,” said Latium Entertainment’s CEO Charles Chavez, whose company was longtime manager for global superstar Pitbull and is also home to MAGIC!, Kat Dahlia and Shy Carter. “One day Sammy Arriaga walked in my office to pitch writing Spanish songs and told me he was a country singer living in Nashville. He played the guitar and sang, and I got on the next plane to Nashville to take him to Sony. Get ready world!”

 

 

Five More Performers Added To ACM Awards

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2015_acm_award_logo_tunein_rgb_type_041415Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett and Chris Stapleton have been added to the performance lineup for the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards, slated for April 3 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

They join previously announced performers Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Cam and others. Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan will co-host the event.

McGraw will make the television debut performance of his current single, “Humble and Kind.”

Meanwhile, Stapleton is the awards show’s leading nominee with seven nominations. Rhett has three nominations, while Aldean and Bryan have two nominations each.

The ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.

Front Row Insurance Opens Nashville Office Led By Tom Corley

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Tom Corley

Tom Corley

Front Row Insurance, which specializes in entertainment insurance brokers, has opened a Nashville office headed by Tom Corley.

Corley’s 25-year career includes work with Ronnie Milsap, Waylon Jennings, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Restless Heart, and many others. As a Producer for AEG Live and TBA Entertainment, Corley handled tours including the CMT Tour featuring Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert and Rascal Flatts, Reba/Kelly Clarkson Tour, and Kenny Chesney’s stadium and New Year’s Eve concerts.

In 2001, Corley assisted and relocated the CMA Music Festival performance stages from the Tennessee State Fairgrounds to the stadium downtown and worked there for the first two years.

“We are delighted to welcome Tom into Front Row,” said David Hamilton, President of Front Row Insurance Brokers. “Tom’s long history as one of the top tour managers in the world gives Front Row a deeper practical understanding of the risks our clients face associated with touring and live events. Tom is a rare expert that can identify the risks of the music industry that should be transferred to the insurance companies: new and existing clients will benefit from Tom’s expertise. Front Row is a specialized entertainment insurance broker: our volume with the insurance companies will allow Tom to offer his clients the best protection at the best possible premiums available in the marketplace. Everyone working in the music industry that seeks Tom out will be better protected and a lot happier after hearing some of his entertaining stories!”

Front Row Insurance also has offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Los Angeles. Corley can be reached at 615-326-4226 or at tom@frontrowinsurance.com.

Pandora Launches Artist-To-Fan Audio Messaging Feature AMPcast

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pandora-logo

Pandora has launched AMPcast, a new feature that allows musicians to record and upload audio messages that will directly reach fans between streams of the artist’s music on Pandora.

AMPcast is an extension of Artist Audio Messages, which allowed for studio-created messages. With AMPcast, artists speak the message into a smartphone and assign its placement. The messages are played when a Pandora station streams the artist’s music, though artists can control whether the voice message precedes or follows their track, or it can be used as a pre-roll to the launch of a station based on their music.

The audio messages, which will soon be geo-targeted and demo-targeted, can be accompanied by linkable calls-to-action on the screen such as a local ticket sale, a new single, an album release, or any other information.

However, artists do not control how often the recorded message is inserted. Additionally, Pandora users can opt out of the artist messages.

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Industry Ink: CRS, Writers Den Music, Music Biz 2016

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CRS 2016 Content Streaming Online

CRS 2016 Logo

Panel handouts and sessions from Country Radio Seminar 2016 are now available for this year’s attendees to view and stream. All content can only be accessed through countryradioseminar.com. This past year’s CRS convention took place Feb. 8-10 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville.

To stream panels from CRS 2016, visit countryradioseminar.com and login using the username and password created when registering for the 2016 seminar. Once logged in, audio and video materials can be found under the ‘Media’ tab. Panel handouts, photos and videos do not require a login and are available for public viewing here.

 

Writers Den Music Hosts First Writers Retreat For 2016

Pictured (L-R, top row): Jordan Reynolds, Patrick Droney, Davis Naish, Adam James, Drew Kennedy) BOTTOM ROW: Kat Higgins, Jillian Jacqueline, Melissa Fuller

Pictured (L-R, top row): Jordan Reynolds, Patrick Droney, Davis Naish, Adam James, Drew Kennedy. (bottom row): Kat Higgins, Jillian Jacqueline, Melissa Fuller

Writer’s Den Music Group recently hosted their first retreat of 2016 at Bell Bottom Farm located in Cedar Hill, Tennessee. The retreat was attended by Melissa Fuller, Drew Kennedy (Writer’s Den Music Group), Jillian Jacqueline (Downtown Music Publishing), Jordan Reynolds (Warner Chappell), Patrick Droney (Rondor Music/Universal Music), Kat Higgins (Patrick Joseph Music), Davis Naish and Adam James (3 Ring Circus).

Music Business Association To Bring Entertainment & Technology Law Conference To Nashville

MusicBiz logo

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will bring its popular Entertainment & Technology Law Conference series back to Nashville on Wednesday, May 18, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the Music Biz 2016 convention at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. The law conference in Nashville will tackle issues facing today’s entertainment attorneys, including copyrights and fair use in 2016 and the legal implications and agreement clauses behind touring and music festivals. CLE credit will be available.

The panel “Infringement or Homage? Copyright Fair Use In 2016” will explore the elements of fair use, substantial similarity, and de minimis copyrighting, as well as best practices for content creators, songwriters, video producers and social media users.  Those on the panel include Suzanne Kessler (Bone McAllester Norton PLLC/Vanderbilt Law School), Loren Mulraine (Bone McAllester Norton PLLC/Belmont University College of Law), Jessie Smith (songwriter) and Stephen Zralek (Bone McAllester Norton PLLC).

The discussion “From Sugarland To SFX and Beyond: The Legal Side of Festivals and Touring” includes the legal deal points for festivals and touring and how they are changing each year due to expansion and consolidation; force majeure clauses post-Sugarland; the annual “additional insured” debate each festival seems destined to have with artists; the impact of the recent bankruptcy of SFX; and more topics. Participants include Adam Ritholz (Ritholz Levy Sanders Chidekel & Field), Chip Petree (Ritholz Levy Sanders Chidekel & Fields), Matt Cottingham (Ritholz Levy Sanders Chidekel & Field), and Jaime Heller (JR Heller Law PLLC).

Admission is included with full Music Biz 2016 badge. Members can attend this event only for $129 and non-members can attend for just $229 with sign-up via Eventbrite. For updated information on Law Conference speakers and sessions, click here.

Jana Kramer, Tia Sillers Will Sing To Original Choreography At Ballet Ball

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Jana Kramer

Jana Kramer

Jana Kramer and songwriter Tia Sillers will perform at Nashville Ballet’s largest annual fundraiser, Ballet Ball, at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Saturday (March 12).

Kramer will perform “I Got The Boy” from her latest album, Thirty One. Nashville Ballet company dancer Christopher Stuart will choreograph an original piece to be presented alongside Kramer’s live performance featuring Nashville Ballet dancers.

“This is the first time I’ve ever participated in an event like this,” Kramer said. “I grew up in the ballet world, and this makes me feel as though it’s all come full circle. I can’t wait to celebrate this wonderful evening in our city that I love.”

Also slated for the night’s entertainment, Nashville Ballet will bring a piece of The Bluebird Cafe to Ballet Ball following its acclaimed collaboration during February’s Attitude series. Soulful singer/songwriter Karla Davis (American Idol, The Voice) will perform “Dare to Dance Alone,” and Victoria Banks will perform “The Wheel.”

In honor of the organization’s 30th anniversary season, Sillers will be the inaugural recipient of the Nashville Ballet Synergy Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding creative contributions to inspire dance. Sillers will accept the award for her Grammy Award-winning song “I Hope You Dance.” She will perform the song live to original choreography by Stuart.

“Our 30th anniversary season is the perfect opportunity to honor the relationship between music and dance,” Paul Vasterling, Nashville Ballet Artistic Director & CEO, said. “Our wonderful co-chairs Mary Morgan Ketchel and Sharon Sandahl came up with this metaphor that sums up the award: A songwriter is to music as a choreographer is to dance; neither can achieve full potential without the other. Music is an incredible inspiration for dance, and this award recognizes the way in which one art form inspires another.”

Tickets for Ballet Ball are by invitation only. The event provides the necessary funding for Nashville Ballet’s Outreach & Education program, which introduced the art of dance to more than 43,000 children and families throughout Nashville and the surrounding area last year.