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Ticketing Platform Eventbrite Acquires Queue

February 11, 2016/by Craig_Shelburne

Eventbrite, the world’s largest self-service ticketing and registration platform, has acquired Queue through an asset purchase agreement.

Queue, the industry-leading platform that helps streamline the workflow for venues and promoters with planning and collaboration tools, complements Eventbrite’s ticketing and entry management capabilities, and together will provide an even more comprehensive solution for venues. The company plans to integrate Queue’s product offering into both its web platform and mobile box office solution, Eventbrite Neon, this year.

Eventbrite, which has processed tens of millions of tickets to music events, continues to further its footprint in the venue and festival spaces. The company currently tickets marquee venues including Ace of Spades, Slim’s, Great American Music Hall, Santos Party House and Blue Note’s Subrosa in addition to popular festivals, including Governors Ball, BottleRock and WayHome Music Festival.

“Queue builds on Eventbrite’s commitment to deliver the most innovative event solutions to our broad range of customers,” said Randy Befumo, Vice President of Strategy at Eventbrite. “Queue has built a suite of industry-leading products, designed specifically with the complex needs of venues in mind. We are thrilled to welcome their talented team to the Eventbrite family and believe their expertise in music will substantially enhance our ability to deliver for customers.”

“Joining Eventbrite enables us to focus on our primary mission of providing great promoter tools that help organizers run their events more efficiently, and now we can do it at scale,” said Greg Patterson, CEO and Co-Founder of Queue. “Queue shares Eventbrite’s passion for live experiences and a maniacal focus on providing customers with innovative products and data-driven insights that improve their business.”

The integration of Queue and growing roster of music customers underscores the company’s traction over the past decade. Founded with the mission to democratize the ticketing industry, Eventbrite has processed over $5 billion in gross ticket sales for customers around the globe. In 2015 alone, Eventbrite supported millions of events in 180 countries, and processed over 100 million tickets.

Exclusive: Carrie Underwood, Arista Promo Team Tell Their Story

February 11, 2016/by Jessica Nicholson

Country superstar Carrie Underwood, along with the Arista Nashville team, pulled out all the promotional stops last fall to launch her fifth studio album, Storyteller. That extra effort had a happy ending when Storyteller was certified gold by the RIAA in just six weeks.

MusicRow sat down with Underwood and members of the Arista Nashville promotion team—including VP, Promotion Lesly Simon, National Promotion Director Andy Elliott, and Regional Promotion Manager Lauren Thomas—to discuss the strategy behind the radio release of “Smoke Break,” as well as the role country radio has played in her career thus far.

For the full interview, pick up MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Awards issue, or receive your copy when you subscribe to MusicRow.

MR: How did you introduce Storyteller’s first single, “Smoke Break” to radio?

Simon: Especially on a first single, we are strategic and aware of every single thing that we do. It goes out to everybody at the exact same time. Nobody gets it beforehand because it is so in demand and she is so in demand on a first single. You have to make sure everything is perfectly fair across the board. On “Smoke Break,” especially, we had a week that we wanted to get out and play it for as many people as possible.

So we gave the whole team these iPod Shuffles—we actually pulled those out from the old days. We had that song only on the iPod Shuffle and we went to as many stations as we could get to. Some of us were in three or four cities in a day. We would go and spend 15-20 minutes with a station and play the song. The point was to get their commitment because we wanted to have a really, really big add day and it all paid off.

Elliott: It was really fun; it was like we were all on an undercover mission.

MR: With the setup for Storyteller, it feels like you approached it with extra intensity, from the marketing to the radio push. Talk about the setup, both from a promotional perspective and from the artist’s perspective.

Simon: Ann [Edelblute, Underwood’s manager] and Carrie had us come over to Ann’s office, and there were about six or seven of us. Carrie talked about the songs and played them for us and all of us in the room that day were like, “Wow, this is really something special.” That was about six weeks before we launched “Smoke Break.”

It’s a mix of creativity from every single department. Carrie was awesome and worked with us every step along the way, and Ann worked with us. Carrie has an incredibly rabid and active fan base and they were so hungry to have this music. What kicked it off was this surprise announcement. When she teased that the announcement was coming, we then had all the radio stations get on board and they teased that the announcement was coming. That was all done at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon. Radio was on board. She made the announcement on-air and on Facebook at the same time. It was a great way to have appointment listening for their listeners. From there it kind of just took off.

Underwood: Each album has its own time in the music industry that it lives in. I do things a little bit differently. I wait just a little bit longer between albums, just because I want them to be the best they can possibly be and then go out on the road and live in one album space. And then I’ll take a minute, and remember what it’s like to be a real person, staying in one place, and being married and just kind of live a life for a second and then start writing again. So I feel like every album has been a little different.

Thomas: That speaks to you [Underwood] as an artist. The country fan base is based on faith and family and that’s exactly who you are. That’s why country radio has continued to be incredibly supportive.

Elliott: When a piece of music [like Storyteller] gets turned in that is at that level, everybody has to rise to that level to give it what it deserves. I think every department at Sony dug in and came up with super creative things. Obviously the results speak for themselves.

MR: Carrie, how would you describe your working relationship with the Arista promo team?

Underwood: I’ve known this one [Lesly] for a long time. I know everyone is part of the team and is going to do their job well. We have an openness to communicate and give our thoughts and opinions and feelings on things. We have a level of trust that has gotten stronger over the years.

MR: Your career is multi-faceted now, with hosting the CMA Awards and releasing a fitness apparel line. How important is country radio at this stage of your career?

Underwood: You can’t have all the other stuff without radio. They play an undeniable role. You can make all the albums you want to make and all the music you want, but if nobody hears it, does it matter? They play such a huge part in everything—my entire career, not just in music.

MR: Carrie’s career at radio has been consistent and steady, from “Jesus, Take The Wheel” to now. Why do you think you have maintained such a high level of interest at country radio from the very beginning?

Underwood: I always try to have something going on, even between albums. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of other people’s albums. It’s always nice to have some music and be lucky enough for people to still be interested 10 years later.

Simon: Since the very beginning, she takes each album and does a tour and there is a whole time frame that goes around that album, and she allows it to breathe. Then she goes and has a normal life and then creates a new project. Instead of churning out another album, there are phases and stages and steps you go through. You grow as an artist and grow as a person. We never had that place where we get a new album and think, ‘Oh God, that sounds just like the last one.’ It’s always fresh and new and we can’t wait to get it out there.

Artist Updates: Lauren Alaina, Cam, Maggie Rose, Southern Halo

February 11, 2016/by Craig_Shelburne

Lauren Alaina Returning To American Idol

Lauren Alaina

Lauren Alaina will serve as a mentor to a pair of contestants on American Idol on Thursday (Feb. 11). She placed second in the 10th season of the competition in 2011.

“I’m so honored American Idol asked me to mentor,” Alaina said. “It’s really special to be able to go back to the show that taught me the ins and outs of the music business and be able to share what I’ve learned with the new contestants. I love that I get to give back to the show that gave me so many opportunities and tools to set up my career.”

Signed to Mercury Nashville/Interscope Records, Alaina co-wrote all five songs on her recent self-titled EP, including “Next Boyfriend” and “History.” She will open shows for Alan Jackson this year.

Her Top 40 country singles include “Like My Mother Does,” “Georgia Peaches,” and “Eighteen Inches,” all from her 2011 album, Wildflower.

Cam Will Present At Grammy Awards

Cam will serve as a presenter at the Grammy Awards on Monday (Feb. 15) in Los Angeles. She is nominated in the Best Country Solo Performance category for “Burning House.”

In addition, Cam will be featured on the Feb. 12 edition of CBS This Morning and appears on the cover of the new issue of Pollstar, a touring publication. Her single, “Mayday,” will go for adds at country radio on Monday.

Cam is currently on tour through February 27 with headliner Brad Paisley. Beginning May 12, she’ll hit the road as a special guest on Dierks Bentley’s Somewhere on a Beach Tour.

Maggie Rose Sings At 12th & Porter Reopening

Maggie Rose at 12th & Porter

Maggie Rose headlined Nashville’s newly-reopened 12th & Porter on Tuesday (Feb. 9), performing to a full house. She is signed to Dallas Davidson’s Play It Again Publishing. The Morrison Brothers and Trea Landon were also on the bill. Rose will perform on the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday.

Southern Halo Will Sing at Mississippi Night at Grammy Museum

Teenage sister trio Southern Halo will join Bobby Rush, the Cedric Burnside Project and the DMI All-Stars for an event titled Mississippi Night at the Grammy Museum at LA Live.

The event will be held at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Thursday (Feb. 11).

Southern Halo, who hail from Cleveland, Mississippi, are a modern country-rock band with sisters Natalia Morris on guitar and lead vocals, Christina on drums and vocals, and Hannah on bass guitar and vocals.

The video for their new single, “Little White Dress” has appeared on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart and been played on Great American Country, The Heartland Network and ZUUS Country.

DISClaimer: Vince Gill, Dan+Shay, Tara Thompson Offer Noteworthy New Tracks

February 11, 2016/by Robert K Oermann

This is a week when new sounds are presented.

One of the biggest agenda items during Country Radio Seminar is to get the visiting radio moguls interested in the format’s new and upcoming artists. Appropriately, in this edition of DisClaimer more than half the platters come from first timers to the column.

They are Sam Riggs, 8 Ball Aitken, Sierra Black, Reagan Boggs, Troy Johnson and the winner of our DisCovery Award, Valory Music’s Tara Thompson.

Things are less clearcut when it comes to the Disc of the Day award. I’m torn between the dreamy romance of Dan + Shay’s “From the Ground Up” and the exciting “Take Me Down” collaboration between Vince Gill & Little Big Town. Give ‘em both a prize.

SIERRA BLACK/Heart On Ice
Writers: none listed; Producer: Michael Omartian/Tom Hemby; Publishers: none listed; O.M.G.
– A country lyric, a rock attitude and a singer with fire. Energetic.

DAN+SHAY/From The Ground Up
Writers: Dan Smyers/Shay Mooney/Chris DeStefano; Producers: Dan Smyers/Scott Hendricks; Publishers: WB/Beats and Banjos/Warner Tamerlane/Shay Mooney/EMI April/CDS Words and Music, ASCAP/BMI; Warner Bros.
– A little swoon of a disc. It’s an ultra romantic waltz about love that lasts forever. The harmonies are twin-like, the track is glossy and the strings sigh just perfectly.

TROY JOHNSON/Stop Following Me
Writers: Greg Hudik/Dillon Dixon; Producer: Greg Hudik; Publisher: none listed, BMI
– He’s a picker on the road with a memory of a woman that he can’t escape. The song is a little wordy, but he sings it so forcefully that you’re sold.

HIGH VALLEY/Make You Mine
Writers: Seth Mosley/Brad Rempel/Benjamin Stennis; Producers: Sam Mosley/Mike X. O’Connor; Publishers: Ceentricity/Kickin’ Pub/Songs of Kicking Bird/Songs of Windswept Pacific, BMI; Atlantic
– The rhythm track seems kinda “nervous,” until they swing into the first chorus. Then the twitchiness turns into a hurricane wind. From that point on, this rocks solidly all the way to the finale.

REAGAN BOGGS/Empty Glasses
Writers: Reagan Boggs; Producer: Dave Coleman; Publisher: Reagan Boggs, BMI; Reckless Bess
– This loping, rolling tune is the title track of this singer-songwriter’s CD. Sung with admirable clarity and produced with plenty of open space for her to shine in. Promising.

VINCE GILL & LITTLE BIG TOWN/Take Me Down
Writers: Vince Gill/Richard Marx/Jillian Jacqueline; Producers: Vince Gill/Justin Niebank; Publishers: Vinny Mae/Songs of Kobalt/Richard Marx/Kobalt Songs/Downtown DLJ/Archer and Arrow, BMI/ASCAP; MCA Nashville
– Heart quickening. Vince begins singing over a steady, driving beat. Then on the chorus, the Little Big Town voices take it straight into vintage Fleetwood Mac territory. Then they oooh as Vince takes a stellar guitar solo. The voices return to swirl around each other like smoke rings into the dazzling fade.

ABBI WALKER/Too Good A Woman
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; AW
– I have liked this woman’s work in the past. But this ballad is too slow and draggy.

Tara Thompson

TARA THOMPSON/Someone To Take Your Place
Writers: Tara Thompson/Alex Kline/Leslie Satcher; Producer: Alex Kline; Publishers: Big Music Machine/Songs of Spoons Tunes/Songs of Starstruck/Vision Board/Airplanes for Stars/Sony-ATV Tree/Leslie Satcher, BMI/SESAC; Valory Music
– Fabulous lyrics. She’s on the prowl in her new Payless high heels, Chanel No. 5 perfume and hot make-up to get over their breakup. She purrs and spits delightfully and the track shudders and rawks. A blast.

SAM RIGGS/The Lucky Ones
Writers: Sam Riggs/Chad Camp; Producers: Erik Herbst/Sam Riggs; Publishers: none listed, BMI; Thirty Tigers/Deep Creek (track)
– Nicely done. It’s a nostalgic look back at his youth with chiming electric guitars all around him. Hang on for the finale, when the University of North Texas Drum Line comes stomping in.

8 BALL AITKEN/She’s Going To Mexico, I’m Going To Jail
Writers: 8 Ball Aitken; Producer: Michael Flanders; Publisher: none listed; Indie Extreme
– 8 Ball is a guitar slinger who lives in Austin, records in Nashville and is a native of Australia. This rollicking story song has already been a No. 1 country hit in Oz. Over
an outlaw beat, he bellows the yarn about a guy who gets roped by a redneck girlfriend into robbing a convenience store with a stolen car. She gets away and pins the evidence on him. Big party music.

Bobby Karl Works CRS New Faces Show

February 11, 2016/by Robert K Oermann

Pictured (Back row) Brothers Osborne. (Middle row) Old Dominion. (Front row) Chris Janson, Kelsea Ballerini, Cam. Photo: Sara Kauss

Chapter 521

If this year’s New Faces Show at Country Radio Seminar is any gauge, the future of country music is in good hands.

No, I’m serious. I have been to more than 30 of these showcases, and this year’s lineup was one of the strongest that I can remember. Each act, in its own way, knocked it out of the park.

Co-sponsored by the Academy of Country Music and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, this was the first New Faces Show (and CRS convention) held at the Omni Hotel downtown. The Wednesday evening show (Feb. 10) was the culmination of three days of panel discussions, research presentations, radio awards, music showcases and parties.

There were pre-show video presentations by St. Jude and the ACM’s Paul Barnabee and Lisa Lee. The latter pointed out that all five New Faces are nominated for ACM awards this year.

Cam. Photo: Sara Kauss

The vivacious Cam kicked off the show with a flawless set. Her pert and rocking Untamed album’s title tune was followed by the furiously blazing “Runaway Train.” Her penetrating, poignant, throbbing and melodic new single, “Mayday,” was her segment’s highlight. She concluded with her plaintive, aching, breakthrough ballad, “Burning House.”

“I’m so proud to be a part of this lineup today,” she told the assembled radio poobahs. “We’ve had a really incredible year thanks to you guys.”

I took schmooze breaks between acts. That meant spotting attendees David Preston, David M. Ross, John Huie, John Esposito, Jon Freeman, John Zarling, Charlie Cook, Charlie Morgan, Bob Kingsley, Bob Doerschuk and Bob Paxman.

Meanwhile, magician Justin Flom, who opened for Cam, was featured in between-acts videos of him delighting and/or flummoxing CRS attendees with his slight-of-hand tricks.

Brothers Osborne. Photo: Sara Kauss

The second New Faces showcasers, Brothers Osborne, came out with guns blazing on the neo-Southern rock gem, “It Ain’t My Fault.” Then “21 Summer” was contrastingly breezy and enchanting. The bedrock barroom country “Loving Me Back” was another cool change of pace.

“I just want to thank you for letting me be a part of the most nerve-racking show of our lives,” said lead singer TJ Osborne. “You’ve treated us with so much respect, and we love you for it.”

Their finale, of course, was the pulse-pounding excitement of “Stay a Little Longer” with John Osborne’s trademark fleet-fingered guitar workout. This set was a star-making performance.

Entre-act schmoozathon #2 involved Dawn Delvo, Greg Green, Fletcher Foster, Royce Risser, Raeanne Rubenstein, Sarah Skates, Bobby Bones, Brandi Simms, Sherod Robertson, Phyllis Stark and Todd Cassetty.

Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Sara Kauss

Kelsea Ballerini may be only 22, but she showed real depth for someone who’s only been doing full shows for a year. “Dibs” was youthful and perky, yet “XO” was a frothing rocker and “Peter Pan” is a superbly-written, wise and tuneful tempo tune.

“Thank you for what you’ve done for this song; thank you for what you’ve done for me,” she said in introducing “Love Me Like You Mean It.” “Thank you for the most incredible year. I’m so grateful.”

Rick Murray. Randy Goodman, Eric T. Parker, Granger Smith, Diana Upton Hill, April Kry, Hannah Bethel, Craig Bann, Chuck Dauphin and Allen Brown were on our radar during schmooze break #3.

Old Dominion. Photo: Sara Kauss

The set by Old Dominion shone a spotlight on the band’s strong suit—its songwriting. “Snapback” was cheery, churning and anthemic. “Said Nobody” was jaunty and bopping. The lilting, sexy “Nowhere Fast” was a delight. The lyrics of “Song for Another Time” were splendidly clever. “Break Up With Him” still sounds refreshingly ringing and catchy.

Working the room and/or backstage during schmooze break #4 were Scott Hendricks, Karen Tallier, Troy Stephenson, Cindy Watts, Lon Helton, Wynn Varble, Tom Baldrica, Ed Morris, Leslie Fram, Jessica Nicholson and Deborah Evans Price.

Chris Janson. Photo: Sara Kauss

The finale slot belonged to the one-of-a-kind, wonderfully inventive Chris Janson. Lean and lanky and wired, he went all over the stage and right into our hearts. He wailed his harmonica on the romping “Back in My Drinkin’ Days.” “White Trash” is a moody ballad about his hillbilly childhood. His new single, “The Power of Positive Drinkin’,” was roaring and stomping.

“Thank you for putting food on my table and feeding my family,” he said sincerely. Then he let his searing, soaring tenor loose on the powerful love ballad “Holdin’ Her.” It was a thrilling vocal performance that drew a standing ovation. He finished with the jovial and drawling, star-making “Buy Me a Boat” and drew a second standing ovation.

Chris summed up the whole roster’s feelings with the shout, “Thank you for making my dreams come true!”

More than 1,100 attended. As I mentioned, this was the first CRS at The Omni. The high-end hotel lived up to its reputation with a first-class banquet featuring grilled shrimp, tender steak medallions, stewed tomato, asparagus spears and mashed potatoes, with pecan chocolate pie as the dessert.

Olivia Lane. Photo: Sara Kauss

The pre-show cocktail party was sponsored by Big Spark Records in order to showcase Olivia Lane. She pogo-bounced energetically during her uptempo tunes, sang strongly, had a tough little four-piece band and played acoustic guitar, mandolin and tambourine. “I’m insanely positive all the time,” she told the crowd. And she was.

The recipients for the 2016 CRS/Country Aircheck Awards were also announced during the festivities. The winners are:

WUBL/Atlanta (Major Market)
KAJA/San Antonio (Large)
WSSL/Greenville (Medium)
WKSF/Asheville, NC (Small)
Platinum Label: Capitol
Gold Label: Broken Bow

OM/PD:
Bruce Logan, KILT/Houston (Major)
Kerry Wolfe, WMIL/Milwaukee (Large)
Buzz Jackson, KIIM/Tucson (Medium)
Dave Michaels, WQHK/Ft. Wayne, IN (Small)

MD:
Marci Braun, WUSN/Chicago (Major)
Kimsey Kerr, WSIX/Nashville (Large)
Aaron Michael, WSSL/Greenville (Medium)
Bill Poindexter, WUSY/Chattanooga (Small)

SVP/VP: Royce Risser, UMG Nashville
National: Erik Powell, Big Machine

MM/GM:
Tim Pohlman, WUSN/Chicago (Major)
Pam McKay, KASE & KVET/Austin (Large)
Bill McMartin, WSSL & WESC/Greenville (Medium)
Gene Guinn, WBUL/Lexington (Small)

Personality:
Fitz In The Morning, KKWF/Seattle (Major)
Tige & Daniel, WSIX/Nashville (Large)
Ellis & Bradley, WSSL/Greenville (Medium)
Tim Leary, WUBB/Savannah, GA (Small)

National: The Bobby Bones Show
Regional: Cliff Blake, Columbia
Indie Promo: New Revolution/New Vision
New Face: Rod Phillips, iHeartCountry

Industry Events: ASCAP, Ordinary Hero, Who Knew, YEP

February 11, 2016/by Eric T. Parker

ASCAP To Host New Writers Showcase

Pictured (L-R): Tim Kelly, Peachy Pyron, Robert Counts, Blake Bollinger, Drew Green.

ASCAP will host a writers showcase as part of its We Create Music series at The Basement on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 5 p.m. The 21+ event will feature Drew Green, Blake Bollinger, Robert Counts, Peachy Pyron and Tim Kelly. The event is free to attend.

Hit Songwriters Benefit for Ordinary Hero

Tom Douglas, James Slater, Brice Long and Derek George will join for a benefit on Thursday, Feb. 11, at The Listening Room Cafe for the organization Ordinary Hero.

Tickets are $12 online and $14 at the door. Event begins at 6 p.m.

Founded by Kelly Putty, Ordinary Hero is an advocacy organization that partners with impoverished communities, advocates for the vulnerable, and empowers ordinary people to change the life of a child.

Who Knew Event To Feature Women Who Rock

CMT’s Leslie Fram, Rounder Records’ Tracy Gershon, Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy’s Julie Boos, WrenSong Music Publishing’s Ree Guyer Buchanan, Adams and Reese’s Linda Edell Howard, FLO.CO’s Sloane Scott, Accelerator Program’s Heather McBee, and MAC Presents’ Marcie Allen will appear among a panel during the Who Knew event on March 10 at 3rd & Lindsley.

Beth Raebeck Hall and The Usual Suspects will kick off the after party, followed by Jill and Kate and a special appearance by Dori. Tickets are $10 and available now.

YEP To Host 80s Night

Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) social networking group will host a night of 80s music, billed as Back To The 80s at the Basement East on February 16. Featuring Derek Wells and friends, confirmed performers include Dan & Shay, Kree Harrison, Joey Hyde, Dean Alexander, Emily West, Jessi Alexander, Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby and Abe Stoklasa, among others. The event begins at 9 p.m. Cover is $7 and will benefit Music Health Alliance.

Jennifer Nettles, Justin Moore Make An Impression At BMLG’s CRS Showcase

February 10, 2016/by Craig_Shelburne

Jennifer Nettles. Photo: Sara Kauss

On the final day of Country Radio Seminar (CRS), Jennifer Nettles and Justin Moore anchored the Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) luncheon at the Omni Nashville Hotel, bringing some older hits and new material to the Wednesday (Feb. 10) event.

New artists Tucker Beathard, Tara Thompson, and Drake White all made special appearances, following opening remarks from BMLG President and CEO Scott Borchetta and Nashville actor Charles Esten (“Deacon”).

Nettles is back on the scene following a solo project on another label, a short-term stint in Chicago on Broadway, and a star turn in the television movie, Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors. While her soaring new ballad, “Unlove You,” is climbing the country chart, she is out headlining CMT’s Next Women of Country Tour.

On stage at CRS, she wore a black leather jacket over a stylish patterned dress, which accentuated her tough girl/thoughtful woman personality. She unveiled two new songs with a lot of spunk: “Playing With Fire” and “Drunk in Heels.” Both are expected to be on her first BMLG project due later this year.

Then she slowed things down for “Unlove You,” a country-influenced ballad that allows her to open up her commanding vocals and wail. Encouraging the audience to take a trip back in time, she submitted fun versions of Sugarland staples “Baby Girl” and “Something More,” smiling all the while before saying farewell.

Drake White. Photo: Sara Kauss

Her set was preceded by White’s pair of acoustic songs, performed with two other musicians. A scruffy Alabama native who has a blues tinge to his baritone, White is working on his bow on the Dot Records imprint. To preview the project, he offered the sultry “Makin’ Me Look Good Again” and the single, “Livin’ the Dream.”

Moore earned the sole standing ovation of the afternoon, thanks to an emotional rendering of 2011’s “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away.” His set was a strong reminder of his natural charisma and enviable track record at country radio. Although he’s working on a new album, the first four songs he performed were familiar: “Point at You,” “’Til My Last Day,” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” and “Small Town USA.”

Justin Moore. Photo: Sara Kauss

Moore said he has taken time away from releasing singles to focus on making sure he was sending the best possible songs to radio. That hiatus officially ended when he shipped “You Look Like I Need a Drink” to country stations in late 2015. The catchy tune elicited laughter and knowing looks from the crowd, who had just finished dining on a spread of beef, salmon, fried chicken, roasted vegetables, dinner rolls and tossed salad.

Citing a previous engagement—baking cupcakes for his daughter’s 6th birthday the following day—Moore once again effusively thanked the programmers in the room for allowing him to have a career in country music.

Pictured (L-R): Tara Thompson, Drake White, Scott Borchetta, Jennifer Nettles, Tucker Beathard. Photo: Sara Kauss

Emerging from behind a black curtain, Beathard was almost shy on stage. That’s a surprise because so many of his family members have found a spotlight in various fields, from football to music. Although he’s relatively green at age 21, Beathard is able to pull off a solo performance on the strength of songs like “Rock On,” a memorable first single with a lyrical twist that feels comfortable in country music. His second tune, “20-10 Tennessee,” is a metaphorical slice-of-life song that indicates his upcoming album will be an interesting and intriguing one.

Tara Thompson. Photo: Sara Kauss

Opener, Thompson—or “Tara Damn Thompson” when she’s introducing herself—is currently on the road with Nettles’ CMT-sponsored tour, so she’s had some experience warming up crowds. With redneck imagery and a Jerry Springer reference, “Vows” is a romp down the wedding aisle. As for Thompson’s sole love song, it’s called “Jail.” Her take-charge debut single, “Someone To Take Your Place,” wrapped her set.

Exclusive: Kelsea Ballerini Talks Touring, Country Radio and Making Honest Music

February 10, 2016/by Sarah Skates

Kelsea Ballerini is a double winner in this year’s MusicRow CountryBreakout Awards, claiming the categories of Female Artist of the Year and Breakout Artist of the Year. She topped the MusicRow chart twice in 2015, first with “Love Me Like You Mean It,” in June, followed by “Dibs” in December. Calling from her porch during some rare downtime, she chatted with MusicRow shortly after learning about her wins.

Read more about the MusicRow CountryBreakout Award winners in the new issue of MusicRow.

MusicRow: You toured with some of country’s biggest stars last year. What did you learn from them on the road?

Ballerini: A really cool thing about last year is that I didn’t do a full tour from top to bottom. I did pieces of a lot of different size tours with a lot of different artists. With Lady Antebellum I got to see how arena shows are put together and all the behind-the-scenes of that. I played my first arena with them. I opened for Keith Urban at a couple of festivals and got to see how the festival world worked, and how the audience responds to different things. Then I did a lot of club dates too. It was cool to do the whole spectrum of shows and learn how to navigate each one.

MR: You are headed to Australia in March. Tell me about that.

Ballerini: I’m touring and doing a lot of stuff with the awards show there. I didn’t realize that Australia has a huge country music market and huge fan base. I think we are about to release my album over there too. It’s a new thing for me and I’m excited.

MR: What was your goal when you were making the album?

Ballerini: I wrote songs and tried to make a record that was as “me” as I could make it. I didn’t try to water it down to fit anything, and I just tried to make the best record I could. I think that by not trying to fit it into any frame or box, it allowed it to be honest and truthful and maybe different. It was really cool to see fans and radio embrace it like they did.

MR: What do you hope the next single will be?

Ballerini: “Peter Pan”—it is my favorite song on my album. When we recorded the album and talked about the singles, I said, “We have to get this song out there.” It’s one that I relate to, and am proud of lyrically. In my live shows a lot of girls gravitate toward it, which has been a really fun thing to watch. I’m so proud of that song.

MR: What does country radio mean to you?

Ballerini: I started as a fan and that is still the core of who I am as an artist. Radio is a huge way to discover music. That’s how I discovered songs that I added to my iPod, and found out about concert tickets that I would go buy—because I heard it on the radio. For me, that was the importance of it, and in country music specifically, it’s a relationship. Way before I got to be an artist I was told that country radio and country artists have an important relationship, because when they believe in you, they’ll champion you and really support you and give you a voice. As an artist that’s all you can really ask for.

CRS Showcases Songwriters At CRS Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley, BMLG Happy Hour

February 10, 2016/by Jessica Nicholson

Legendary radio personality Bob Kingsley welcomed a dozen of Nashville’s top songwriters, including Rhett Akins, Brandy Clark, Rodney Clawson, Ross Copperman, Andrew Dorff, Josh Kear, Shane McAnally, Heather Morgan, Tim Nichols, Josh Osborne, Jonathan Singleton, and Jimmy Yeary, for the annual CRS Acoustic Alley.

The event was co-sponsored by Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40 and SunTrust Bank, with additional support from ASCAP Nashville, who provided attendees with a complimentary first drink of the evening.

Pictured (L-R): Josh Osborne, Josh Kear, Heather Morgan, and Shane McAnally

Pictured (L-R): Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Josh Kear and Heather Morgan.

Meanwhile, Big Machine Label Group’s Republic Nashville imprint highlighted songs from Cassadee Pope and Brett Young during a happy hour at The Palm in downtown Nashville.

Young, a California native and Big Machine Music writer, previewed several songs from upcoming debut “Sleep Without You.” Pope performed her Platinum-certified song “Wasting All These Tears,” as well as “I Am Invincible.” Fellow singer/songwriter Chris Young surprised the audience by performing an acoustic version of their duet “Think Of You” with Pope. The song, co-written by Chris Young, is featured on his album I’m Comin’ Over.

Pictured (L-R): Cassadee Pope welcomes surprise guest Chris Young to duet on “Think Of You.”

Brett Young debuts at CRS with “Sleep Without You.”

Artist Updates: Wade Hayes, High Valley, John Michael Montgomery, Dolly Parton

February 10, 2016/by Eric T. Parker

Wade Hayes Franklin Benefit Adds Lambert, Wariner, Brooks

Wade Hayes will be joined by Miranda Lambert, Steve Wariner and Kix Brooks for “COUNTRY HITS BACK,” a concert supporting research at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Hayes, a colon cancer survivor, will host the event at the historic Franklin Theatre at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, 2016. For tickets ranging from $68–90, visit FranklinTheater.com.

High Valley Celebrates Canadian Sales Benchmark at CRS

High Valley with label, management teams.

Brother duo High Valley was presented with its first gold single for the sale of 40,000 units in Canada for the single “County Line.” Open Road Recordings’ Ron Kitchener and Paul Shaver, presented the honor at CRS on Feb. 9 on behalf of his label, which released the record in Canada in 2014. At the end of this record cycle, High Valley will sign in Canadian markets to Warner, whose Atlantic Records/WMN currently reps U.S. markets.

John Michael Montgomery Signs with Webster PR

John Michael Montgomery.

Webster Public Relations will now represent John Michael Montgomery. Montgomery’s career spans 15 No. 1 hits and multi-platinum sales with songs like “Life’s A Dance,” “I Love The Way You Love Me,” “Be My Baby Tonight,” “I Swear,” “I Can Love You Like That,” “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident).” The Kentucky native signed with Atlantic Records in 1991. Montgomery has released a total of nine studio albums in his career. He is now managed by John Dorris at The Hallmark Direction Company and booked by United Talent Agency.

Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors film on DVD with Bonuses

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will release Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors film on DVD for the first time on May 3, 2016. The disc will contain an alternate version of the movie, a featurette, deleted scenes and additional heartwarming extras.

Initially broadcast in December 2015 on NBC to a total of 15.9 million total viewers (Live+7), Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors stars Jennifer Nettles, among others in a family-oriented, faith-based story based on living legend Dolly Parton‘s remarkable upbringing in rural Tennessee. The DVD is priced at $19.98.