Mary Chapin Carpenter Plans Orchestral CD, New Tour

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Mary Chapin Carpenter

Mary Chapin Carpenter. Photo: Russ Harrington


Mary Chapin Carpenter’s debut orchestral record, Songs From The Movie, will be released Jan. 14 on Zoë/Rounder Records. Recorded at Air Studios in London, the album was arranged and conducted by six-time Grammy Award winner Vince Mendoza (Sting, Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Elvis Costello, Björk, Joni Mitchell) and was produced by Carpenter and Mendoza along with Matt Rollings (Keith Urban, Lyle Lovett). Featured on the album are new interpretations of ten beloved songs by Carpenter, including “Between Here and Gone” and “Come On Come On.” See below for complete track-listing.
In celebration of the album, Carpenter is set to embark on her first tour with a live orchestral backing. The tour will run throughout 2014 and includes a special debut performance at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra on Jan. 24 as well as a date at L.A.’s Disney Concert Hall with L.A. Philharmonic on Feb. 8. See below for complete details.
Songs From The Movie pairs Carpenter’s songbook with an ensemble of London’s finest orchestral musicians and features Peter Erskine (Weather Report, John Abercrombie, Rod Stewart, Michael Bublé, Joni Mitchell, Diana Krall) on drums. Of the recording process, Carpenter comments, “Working with Vince Mendoza was incredibly inspiring. His arrangements gave these existing songs new meanings, new colors, new feelings, new destinations. To hear them played by the world class orchestra assembled at Air Studios was beyond any artistic experience that I could have imagined.”
Songs From The Movie track-listing
1. On and On It Goes
2. I Am A Town
3. Between Here and Gone
4. Ideas Are Like Stars
5. The Dreaming Road
6. Only A Dream
7. Come On Come On
8. Mrs. Hemingway
9. Where Time Stands Still
10. Goodnight America
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER TOUR DATES
November 1 // Wichita, KS // The Orpheum Theatre*
November 2 // Springfield, MO // Gillioz Theatre*
November 3 // Columbia, MO // Missouri Theater*
November 4 // Dallas, TX // Majestic Theatre*
November 6 // Austin, TX // The Paramount Theatre*
November 7 // The Woodlands, TX // The Big Barn*
November 8 // Baton Rouge, LA // Manship Theatre*
November 9 // Pensacola, FL // Saenger Theatre*
November 10 // Oxford, MS // Gertrude C. Ford Center*
January 24 // Glasgow, Scotland // Glasgow Royal Concert Hall†
February 8 // Los Angeles, CA // Walt Disney Concert Hall‡
April 4 // Scottsdale, AZ // Scottsdale Center for the Arts**
*with Shawn Colvin
†with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Vince Mendoza
‡with the L.A. Philharmonic and Vince Mendoza
**with the Phoenix Symphony

Houser Celebrates Chart-Topper "Runnin' Outta Moonlight"

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Pictured (Back row, L-R): BMI’s Bradley Collins, producer Derek George, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan; (Middle row, L-R): Sony/ATV Music Publishing’s Tom Luteran, Broken Bow Records’ Benny Brown, Combustion Music’s Chris Farren, ASCAP’s Ryan Beuschel, Broken Bow Records Jon Loba; (Front row, L-R): co-writer Ashley Gorley, Randy Houser, and co-writers Dallas Davidson and Kelley Lovelace. Photo credit: Steve Lowry

Pictured (Back row, L-R): BMI’s Bradley Collins, producer Derek George, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan; (Middle row, L-R): Sony/ATV Music Publishing’s Tom Luteran, Broken Bow Records’ Benny Brown, Combustion Music’s Chris Farren, ASCAP’s Ryan Beuschel, Broken Bow Records Jon Loba; (Front row, L-R): co-writer Ashley Gorley, Randy Houser, and co-writers Dallas Davidson and Kelley Lovelace. Photo credit: Steve Lowry


Stoney Creek Records artist Randy Houser celebrated the chart-topping success of “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” at Nashville’s Adventure Science Center on Tuesday evening (Oct. 22). The Adventure Science Center is featured in the Wes Edwards-directed music video for “Moonlight.” ASCAP and BMI were on hand to celebrate the song, which was co-written by Dallas Davidson, Kelley Lovelace and Ashley Gorley.“Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” is Davidson’s 17th No.1, Lovelace’s 16th and marks Gorley’s 10th; although Gorley has since had singles by Brett Eldredge, Billy Currington and Luke Bryan hit the top of the charts for a total of 13 to date.
Though sound problems were persistent throughout the event, a considerable industry crowd gathered to praise the writers and performer of the song. Those in attendance included Broken Bow/Stoney Creek Exec. VP Jon Loba, the song’s producer Derek George, Sony/ATV Music Publishing’s Tom Luteran, Combustion Music’s Chris Farren, Country Radio Broadcasters’ Bill Mayne, BMI’s Bradley Collins, ASCAP’s Ryan Beuschel, BBR’s Lynette Garbonola, and a throng of supporters. Ron Cox with Avenue Bank also announced two donations the bank will be making to charities on behalf of the songwriters.
Loba recalled the excellent early crowd response “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” drew even before it had been released. He relayed the story of an early performance that featured Houser and several other artists, “Randy got the only standing ovation of the night, performing an unknown song,” said Loba. “I thought, ‘If I had the chance to work a Randy Houser record, it would be this song.'” In 2012, he got his chance when Houser began looking for a new deal. “I took him to [Broken Bow Records’] Benny [Brown] and I could see the look in Benny’s eyes when he heard him sing the song. It’s the kind of song that we want to say, ‘This is what our music group represents.'” said Loba.

IEBA Panels Highlight the State of Touring

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IEBABy Michael Smith and Eric Parker
The International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA) held its 43rd annual conference at Nashville’s Omni Hotel from Oct. 19-22. The conference, which featured several panels during the day and music showcases in the evening, was capped with the IEBA Honors and the SRO Awards. MusicRow attended two panels for the conference on Tuesday, Oct. 22: Are Agents the New A&R Directors? and A Financial Breakdown of Touring Revenues & Expenses.
Examining business dealings on the road, Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy’s Jamie Cheek, who received the CMA’s 2013 SRO Business Manager of the Year award, discussed touring costs and revenues for artists at various stages in their careers. Cheek noted that most newly signed Country acts may at best reap minuscule profits after touring for a year. For example, a newly signed act may generate $362,000 of income and $359,000 of expenses, resulting in profits of only a few thousand dollars. An artist at this level, however, can make a living by selling merchandise.
Mid- and veteran-level acts incur higher touring costs, but receive higher profits. Cheek estimated a veteran act may earn $740,000 from merchandise sales alone. Wildly successful acts that sell out arenas (e.g. Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, etc.) receive the most jaw dropping profits. An act of this ilk may earn $19 million and incur $11 million in expenses after a year of touring, resulting in a net income of $8 million. Merchandise can earn the artist another $2 million. With money to spare, it’s no surprise that artists at this level begin chartering private planes at an estimated cost of $20,000 per show.
Cheek caught the audience’s attention when he broke down an $80 concert ticket and explained who profits from each dollar.

Touring

• • •

Pictured (L-R): Mike Dungan (UMG), Rob Beckham (WME), Marc Dennis (CAA), Steve Lassiter (APA), Jonathan Levine (Paradigm), Paul Lohr (New Frontier Touring), and Kevin Neal (BLA)

Pictured (L-R): Mike Dungan (UMG), Rob Beckham (WME), Marc Dennis (CAA), Steve Lassiter (APA), Jonathan Levine (Paradigm), Paul Lohr (New Frontier Touring), and Kevin Neal (BLA)


For the Mike Dungan-led panel discussing whether agents are the new A&R directors, insights were offered from agents including Rob Beckham (WME), Marc Dennis (CAA), Steve Lassiter (APA), Jonathan Levine (Paradigm), Paul Lohr (New Frontier Touring), and Kevin Neal (BLA).
Dennis used CAA act Kip Moore as an example of the reversed process in which the UMG newcomer was signed to the agency prior to the label. “It takes a long time to break an artist on the road and Kip already would have equity in markets when promotion called,” explained Dennis. “We can assist a label with having an artist prepared when a spotlight is shined on them.” Lassiter countered the notion that agents have “no skin in the game,” referring to the fact that agents don’t pay advances or have sunk development costs. “What agents hand over is manpower,” said Lassiter. “It costs a lot of money to have our staff working them.”
Levine says of the lessons he’s learned in 30 years in the business: “The locomotive of touring pulls the whole rest of the train—airplay and sales are driven by live performances. It’s our job as agents to see the spark where an artist is connecting to fans and bring them to a larger and larger audience, to hopefully international.” It is important to emphasize the power of live concerts, because as Lohr contributed regarding promotion: “radio popularity doesn’t necessarily translate to ticket sales.”
One recent spark in the spotlight is Neal’s Florida Georgia Line, managed by Seth England at Big Loud Mountain. “When Jason Aldean picked “Black Tears” (written by FGL’s Tyler Hubbard), I was able to put FGL out with Colt Ford’s show,” said Neal. “I was sold with the way they acted and treated the audience. England wasn’t in a rush to get a label deal, so I setup secondary radio with Marco Promotions. FGL has gone faster than anything I’ve seen before.”
The panel of agents then revealed some thoughts on social media. “The advent of Soundscan or BDS was very helpful, “ said Lassiter. “Whether it’s views/followers/likes, you’re able to geo-target much more efficiently—it’s a hell of a lot better than hoping your banner ad worked.” Beckham noted social tallies may be misleading in a world of manipulation: “It sounds cool to calculate socials, but how many did the artist purchase? Blake Shelton is a rare example of an artist that can sell a ticket from a tweet.” Dennis chimed in about the sentiment behind social media’s helpful hand. “Fan bases like to feel like they’ve discovered the music, and they will be extremely loyal if they do,” said Dennis.
Regarding a prompt from Dungan about female acts on the road, Beckham noted: “Danielle Bradbery has a launching pad from The Voice, but it depends on how hard you want to work on the road,” echoing the notion that it’s “sometimes harder for a female to have the desire to hop in a van and trailer early on.”
Dungan summed up the panel with a statement about the current state of the industry, “It’s a different world that it was 10 years ago. Everyone is involved from the ground up.”

Carrie Underwood Honored At T.J. Martell Honors Gala

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(EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) attends the T.J. Martell Foundation's 38th Annual Honors Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on October 22, 2013 in New York City.

Carrie Underwood and Sony CEO Doug Morris


The T.J. Martell Foundation raised $1.4 million at its 38th Annual Honors Gala Tuesday night (Oct. 22) in New York, and honored several CEOs along with Carrie Underwood, who received the organization’s Artist Achievement Award. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin flew in especially for the event to honor fellow Oklahoma native Underwood, who was presented the special award by Sony CEO Doug Morris.
Big Machine President Scott Borchetta was also on hand at the event to present Anne Staunchfield from the Target Corporation with the company’s Spirit of Excellence Award. Other recipients during the gala included Jennifer Breithaupt, SVP of Marketing of Citi; Brandon Steiner, CEO of Steiner Sports; and John Sykes, President of Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises, who received his Lifetime Music Industry Achievement Award from longtime friend former President Bill Clinton.
“When I started this Foundation with several of my peers in the music and entertainment business in honor of my son T.J., I wanted to do all that I could to make sure other families would not have to suffer the way my family did,” said Tony Martell, Founder & Chairman of the T.J. Martell Foundation. “Our annual New York Honors Gala is one of the most important fundraisers we produce and without it we could not continue to offer the patient services or cutting-edge research for Leukemia, Cancer and AIDS.”
The gala concluded with special performances from both Sting and Bryan Adams. Since its inception in 1975, The T.J. Martell Foundation has raised more than $250 million for research that supports the 12 top hospitals in the U.S.
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Pictured (L-R): Laura Heatherly, CEO of TJ Martell Foundation; Honoree Brandon Steiner, CEO of Steiner Sports; Honoree John Sykes, President of Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises; President Bill Clinton; Honoree Anne Stanchfield of Target Corporation; Honoree Jennifer Breithaupt, SVP of Marketing Citi; Carrie Underwood; Tony Martell, Founder of the TJ Martell Foundation; and Chris Mattioli, Director of the TJ Martell Foundation.

Weekly Register: Scotty McCreery, Willie Nelson and Chase Rice

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wkly-register-picOverall album sales are down two percent from last week, while Country albums sales are up 10 percent this week, with debuts from several male artists. Scotty McCreery‘s See You Tonight debuts at No. 1 (No. 6 overall), selling 52k units in its first week. The album’s title track, written by McCreery, Ashley Gorley and Zach Crowell, is currently at No. 18 on the charts (No. 74 overall).
Meanwhile, Willie Nelson’s To All The Girls debuts at No. 2 (No. 9 overall) selling 43k units, while Chase Rice’s Ready Set Roll debuts at No. 4 (No. 16 overall), selling 17k units. Other noteworthy debuts include Will Hoge’s Never Give In at No. 23 (3k) and Bubba Sparx’s Pain Management at No. 40 (1.6k).
albums102313tracks102313Pearl Jam’s Lightning Bolt strikes the competition, taking the No. 1 overall spot this week, selling 165k units. YTD album sales are down 6.3 percent, while Country albums sales are down 2.1 percent. Lower numbers can be expected for next week, because of Taylor Swift’s hugely successful debut of Red last year (over one million units sold in its debut week).
Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind Of Night” remains the top Country track (no. 14 overall), selling 64k units this week (1 million RTD). Lennon & Maisy’s “A Life That’s Good” is the top Country debut this week, coming in at No. 12 (No. 54 overall) selling 23k units. Eminem’s “Rap God” is the top overall track this week, dethroning Lorde’s “Royals” and selling 259k units. YTD, overall tracks are down 3.9 percent, while Country tracks are up 2.7 percent. 
Next week’s debuts include Brandy Clarks‘s 12 Stories and Ty Herndon‘s Lies I Told Myself. 

IEBA Caps Off Week By Honoring Industry Professionals

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IEBA logoThe 2013 International Entertainment Buyers Association Honors and Awards were held last night in Nashville, where the industry’s top buyers, promoters, and venue managers were honored for their achievements throughout the past year. Kix Brooks hosted the evening’s ceremonies, where manager David Corlew received this year’s Career Achievement Award and Nancy and George Jones were inducted into the IEBA Hall of Fame. The event capped off a week of panels on the state of the industry and entertainment showcases, including the CMA’s SRO Awards.
“The panels, the showcases and the attendees created a great atmosphere for networking, information and exceptional performances.  This year’s conference, awards and honors set the stage for continued growth for this organization,” stated Ed Warm, chairman of IEBA.
2013 IEBA Winners:
Festival Buyer of the Year
Gil Cunningham, Neste Event Marketing – Brentwood, Tenn.
Fair Buyer of the Year
Steve Bogdanovich, Romeo Entertainment Group – Omaha, Neb.
Casino Buyer of the Year
Robyn Smith, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi- Biloxi Miss.
Corporate Buyer of the Year
Randy Wright, Integrity Events – Nashville, Tenn.
Venue Executive of the Year
David Farrar, Budweiser Events Center – Loveland, Colo.
Promoter of the Year
Brian O’Connell, Live Nation – Nashville, Tenn.
International Buyer of the Year
Ron Sakamoto, Live Nation Canada, Gold & Gold Productions – Lethbridge, AB, Canada
Club Buyer of the Year
Mitchell Jaworek, Birchmere – Alexandria, Va.
Rookie of the Year
Adam Brill, Agency of the Performing Arts – Los Angeles, Calif.
 

Pictured (L-R): David Corlew, Ed Warm, Nancy Jones and Charlie Daniels

Pictured (L-R): David Corlew, Ed Warm, Nancy Jones and Charlie Daniels. Photo: Getty Images for IEBA


IEBA 2013 Conference - Day 3

Pictured (L-R): Big Kenny, Brian O’Connell, John Rich, Kenny Loggins, Cowboy Troy. Photo: Getty Images for IEBA


IEBA 2013 Conference - Day 1

Pictured (L-R): Sundy Best’s Kris Bentley, Cinderella’s Tom Keifer, Sundy Best’s Nick Jamerson, Lee Greenwood and Lee Roy Parnell. Getty Images for IEBA.

CMA SRO Awards Winners Revealed

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Winners of the 2013 SRO Awards. Pictured (Back row, L-R): Ed Hardy, Lisaann Dupont, Brian Wagner, Art Rich, Brad Baisley, Mark Metzger, Susan Pye, Jamie Cheek, Robby Emerson, Jay Cooper. (Front Row, L-R): Kevin Canady, Brian O'Connell, Rod Essig. Photo credit: Donn Jones / CMA

Winners of the 2013 SRO Awards. Pictured (Back row, L-R): Ed Hardy, Lisaann Dupont, Brian Wagner, Art Rich, Brad Baisley, Mark Metzger, Susan Pye, Jamie Cheek, Robby Emerson, Jay Cooper. (Front Row, L-R): Kevin Canady, Brian O’Connell, Rod Essig. Photo credit: Donn Jones / CMA


The winners of CMA’s touring industry honors, known as the SRO (Standing Room Only) Awards, were presented by superstar artist and radio personality Kix Brooks on Tuesday evening (Oct. 23) during the 43rd Annual IEBA Conference in conjunction with the presentation of the IEBA Awards and Hall of Fame Induction in Nashville.
“The individuals honored tonight help to make the touring industry vital to our business,” said Ed Hardy, President of the CMA Board of Directors. “I would like to congratulate each of these deserving individuals.”
Winners were determined in two rounds of balloting with CMA members in the following categories: Affiliated, Artist, Engineer, Entertainment Services, Musician, Personal Manager, Publicist, Record Label, Talent Agent, Talent Buyer/Promoter, TV/Video/Media, and Venue. Ballots were tabulated by the international accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
The SRO Awards were originally created by the CMA Board of Directors in 1990 to honor outstanding professional achievement within the touring industry.
CMA’s SRO Awards 2013 winners are as follows (in alphabetical order by category):
Business Manager of the Year
• Jamie Cheek (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.)
Coach/Truck Driver of the Year
• Kelley Beck (Blake Shelton)
FOH (Front of House) Engineer of the Year
• Jeff Parsons (Blake Shelton)
Lighting Director of the Year
• Steve Richards (Taylor Swift)
Manager of the Year
• Narvel Blackstock (Starstruck Entertainment)
Tour Manager of the Year
• Kevin Canady (Blake Shelton)
Monitor Engineer of the Year
• Brad Baisley (Blake Shelton)
Production Manager of the Year
• Art Rich (Blake Shelton)
Publicist of the Year
• Mary Hilliard Harrington (The GreenRoom)
Talent Agent of the Year
• Rod Essig (Creative Artists Agency)
Talent Buyer/Promoter of the Year
• Brian O’Connell (Live Nation)
Tour Caterer of the Year
• TourCats Catering
Touring Musician of the Year
• Robby Emerson (Jake Owen – Bass)
Venue of the Year
• Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, Tenn.)
Tour Video Director of the Year
• Jay Cooper (Kenny Chesney)

Lifenotes: Country Artist Leon Ashley Passes

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Leon Ashley

Leon Ashley


Country singer-songwriter Leon Ashley died at age 77 on Sunday, Oct. 20.
Ashley made history in 1967 when he became the first person to have a No. 1 hit with a song he wrote, published and sang on his own record label. That song, “Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got),” became a favorite also recorded by artists such as Marty Robbins, Claude King, Kenny Rogers, The Newbeats, Frankie Laine, Tom Jones, Hank Locklin, Tommy Collins, David Houston and Brook Benton.
Born Leon Walton in Mansfield, Ga., Ashley began his career by performing on local radio at age nine. His first recording appeared on Goldband Records in 1960, and he subsequently recorded for the Dot and Imperial labels. He married singer-songwriter Margie Singleton in 1965, and they became a duet team. He formed his own Ashley Records label in 1967.
Following the success of “Laura,” Ashley made the country charts with such singles as “Anna, I’m Taking You Home” (1967), “Mental Journey” (1968), the Top 10 hit “Flower of Love” (1968), “While Your Lover Sleeps” (1969), “Walkin’ Back to Birmingham” (1969) and “Ain’t Gonna Worry” (1969).
Ashley and Singleton co-wrote all of those songs. “Mental Journey” became a top-10 hit in Canada, and “While Your Lover Sleeps” was a No. 1 hit there. The couple’s charting duets included “Hangin’ On” (1967) and “You’ll Never Be Lonely Again” (1968). They also co-wrote Margie Singleton’s 1968 solo Ashley Records single, “Wandering Mind.”
Leon Ashley continued to record into the 1980s. Prior to his death, he had been ill for some time. He is survived by his wife Margie Singleton Walton, by sons Leon Walton Jr. and Tommy Walton, by stepsons Stephen and Sidney Singleton, by 10 grandchildren and by six great-grandchildren.
The funeral service will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to MusiCares.

DISClaimer: Musgraves, Rogers Get The Kudos

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kacey musgraves arrow

Kacey Musgraves


The upstarts rule the roost at DisClaimer today. The new Lady Antebellum single is super. Veterans Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan are singing their faces off on a powerful new female anthem. Vince Gill is a jazzbo delight on the Buddy Emmons tribute album.
But the kiddies got the kudos. The Disc of the Day goes to Kacey Musgraves. For having originality, sonic splendor, wit and for daring to be different, she captures my heart. The DisCovery Award goes to Chris Rogers. I have no idea who his producer Sorted Noise is, but my hat’s off to him/her/them.
AMY ALLEN/Someday Is Today
Writer: Amy Allen; Producer: Denny Martin; Publisher: 8th Street Blues, ASCAP; Wormwood (track)
-The well-written tune has an r&b vibe. She sings with lots of power, and definitely on the pop side, stylistically.
TYLER FARR/Whiskey In My Water
Writers: Tyler Farr/Philip Larue/John Ozier; Producers: Jim Catino/Julian King; Publishers: Sony ATV Tree/Let the Road Pave Itself/Maxx/Razor and Tie/Curb/Over the Bar, BMI; Columbia (track)
-“Redneck Crazy” launched this fellow, big time. The follow-up single is a groove-soaked love song with the payoff line, “She’s the moon in my shine, the whiskey in my water.” As before, his singing voice is a raspy, soulful listening pleasure.
IRENE KELLEY/Pennsylvania Coal
Writers: I. Kelley/T. Jutz; Producer: Mark Fain; Publishers: Shiny Stuff/Thomm Songs/Bluewater, BMI/SESAC; Patio (track)
-I have long been a huge fan of this gal. The title tune to her new collection is a bluesy, minor-key miner’s lament that haunts you. On the CD, Kelley is surrounded by bluegrass instrumental stars such as Bryan Sutton, Stuart Duncan and Adam Steffey and celebrity harmony vocalists such as Trisha Yearwood, Rhonda Vincent, Claire Lynch, Dale Ann Bradley, Carl Jackson and Darren Vincent. The whole project is simply sublime.
KACEY MUSGRAVES/Follow Your Arrow
Writers: Kacey Musgraves/Brandy Clark/Shane McAnally; Producers: Kacey Musgraves, Luke Laird and Shane McAnally; Publishers: none listed; Mercury (track)
-This woman gives me hope for the future of country music. This brilliantly hilarious song will definitely perk up your ears. I defy you not to grin. In a word, genius.
HANNAH BETHEL/Medicine
Writers: H. Bethel; Producers: Andy Sheridan/Hannah Bethel; Publisher: Hamywyn, BMI; Freedom (track)
-Jaunty, bopping, good-natured and sung with verve. The jazzy fiddle solo is cool, too.
LORRIE MORGAN & PAM TILLIS/I Am Woman
Writers: Mary Sue England/Thom Shepherd; Producers: Pam Tillis/Lorrie Morgan; Publishers: Janesparade/Oxford Drive; BMI/SESAC; Red River (track)
-Dos divas, indeed. These two Grand Ole Opry stars are a double dose of vocal soul. This ballad from their Grits and Glamour CD is one of the most powerful female anthems I’ve ever heard. Listen and believe.
THE SINS COUNTRY/Muscadine
Writers: Joe and Kristen Sins; Producer: Kent Wells; Publishers: Merordo/Twobillygoats/Kristen Welch Sins; ASCAP/BMI; GTR Nashville
-I have enjoyed the couple’s music in the past. The new single has a lilting, dreamy quality that conjures the feeling of summer romance. As before, they harmonize together beautifully.
LADY ANTEBELLUM/Compass
Writers: Tor Erik Hermansen/MIkkel Storleer Eriksen/Amar Malik/Ross Golan/Daniel Omelio/Emile Haynie; Producers: Nathan Chapman and Lady Antebellum; Publishers: EMI April/Maru Cha Cha/Lotza Ball Soup/Where Da Kasz At/Songs of Kobalt/Warner-Tamerlane/Back In Djibouti/BMG Gold/Robopop/Heavy Crate, ASCAP/BMI; Capitol (CDX)
-The layered track is splendid, as is the vocal mix. The upbeat song is beyond catchy.
rollin wheelCHRIS ROGERS/Rollin’ Wheel
Writers: Chris Rogers/Jay Brunswick/Josh Dunne; Producer: Sorted Noise; Publisher: none listed
-The title tune to this guy’s EP is a moody, self-reflective meditation set in a sterling, evocative audio bed. His laconic, softly ingratiating vocal delivery draws you in, and the brilliant production work does the rest. Extremely promising.
VINCE GILL, PAUL FRANKLIN & TOMMY WHITE/Country Boy
Writers: Felice and Boudleaux Bryant; Producer: Steve Fishell; Publisher: House of Bryant, BMI; MPI (track)
–The Big E is an all-star tribute to steel-guitar great Buddy Emmons. This essential-listening collection kicks off with a version of a Jimmy Dickens oldie that’s soaked with jazzy licks. Dickens, himself, makes an appearance on the album, as do Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Duane Eddy, Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton, Raul Malo, John Anderson and a who’s-who of steel players. A collection that’s a thorough delight, from start to finish.

'MusicRow' Exclusive: John Grady to Helm New Nashville Label

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John Grady to lead I.R.S. Nashville

John Grady to lead I.R.S. Nashville


John Grady together with Capitol Music Group’s CEO Steve Barnett and Dominic Pandiscia of Caroline, the independent services division of CMG, announced Tuesday (Oct. 22) the formation of a new, independent label I.R.S. Nashville.
Providing A&R and marketing resources, the new record company will release Country genres in addition to other music genres calling Nashville home. Radio promotion and licensing support will be sourced through Caroline.
As President, Grady will initially launch the Nashville-based label with its first artist, music duo Striking Matches. A posthumous project from 2013 CMHoF inductee Cowboy Jack Clement, produced by Dave Ferguson and T Bone Burnett, is also planned. Clement’s material was recorded last year with Vince Gill, John Prine, Emmylou Harris and others.
Originally home to bands like The Police, Black Sabbath, R.E.M., The Go-Go’s and The Fleshtones; International Record Syndication (I.R.S.) released a handful of rock releases in recent years before the 2012 EMI/Universal merger and Nashville relaunch.
“Nashville is home to one of the most vibrant and exciting music communities in the world, and John Grady is the perfect executive to tap into that world and attract the best independent artists to I.R.S. Nashville,” said Pandiscia. “With his diverse background and decades of experience in music – both on the label side and as an artist manager – I.R.S. Nashville could not be in better hands.”
“Nashville is the home to great music, and it’s both vital and overdue for Caroline to have a presence there,” said Capitol Music Group EVP Michelle Jubelirer. “All of us at CMG welcome John and I.R.S. Nashville to the family and pledge our strong support for their success.”
Concurrent with his new role as I.R.S. Nashville president, Grady will continue as a partner at Crush Management, representing Warner Bros. recording artist Ashley Monroe, Sony Recording artist Kristen Kelly and Striking Matches.
Grady is a 38-year veteran based in Nashville for the past 20 years, helping to jump-start the careers of Toby Keith, Shania Twain, Gretchen Wilson, Miranda Lambert, and played a major role in the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack.
MusicRow Exclusive:
MusicRow: How did you end up heading this new Nashville Label?
John Grady: They came to me with this idea to bring I.R.S. back with headquarters in Nashville. I actually competed with I.R.S. in the 80s as a promotion and salesman when they had enormous success in emerging from the alternative world to the pop world.
How have your experiences prepared you to lead I.R.S.
JG: Everything I have done has prepared me for what I will do next. The first 15 years of my career were spent in pop music, the last 21 in Nashville. I’ve always been interested in a lot more than one musical genre. Nashville has now become a melting pot of all those genres, like the Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, The Civil Wars and the whole Christian industry. It’s a lot easier to be in the music business than other cities because all the facilities are in Nashville, I don’t think artists should have to leave to release their music.
What Nashville staffing resources will be required?
JG: The company will grow with it’s releases. I.R.S.’ licensing will be done by Caroline, the rest of the A&R and marketing will probably generate from Nashville. We really aren’t planning on getting off the ground with real estate towards the first of the year. Promotion, publicity is a moving target–you need to hire experts for different genres. We’ll build toward releases. We’ll start with a certain amount of staff—anything involving social media/digital marketing is of the upmost importance and we’ll have a dedicated staff for that.
What new music do you plan to release?
JG: I’ve been developing Striking Matches for three years. It’s finally time to make a record and all of a sudden I have a record company to make it on. Dave Ferguson and the guys making the Cowboy Jack project are friends of mine. To me, Jack is the epitome of the artist I.R.S. would have signed, had they been in Nashville in the ‘70s-80s. He was the original renegade. I would like to honor Jack and people like Dave Ferguson for having the foresight to record these songs last summer when Jack was terminally ill.
How will your Crush duties coincide with this appointment?
Fortunately, everyone has agreed to let both duties coincide. That was a deal breaker for me. I will continue to manage Ashley Monroe, Kristen Kelly and Striking Matches, but not every I.R.S. artist will have to be managed by Crush. One thing I learned is there’s not much difference between management and running a record company. I’ve got 11-years of my life working with Ashley, and three years each for the rest—I’m glad I don’t have to turn that over to anyone else. Except now, I don’t have a record company to blame for anyone’s shortcomings!” he laughs, “I’ll have to blame myself.