Industry Ink: Sony Music Nashville, Change The Conversation, Young Entertainment Professionals

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Sony X Seaforth

Pictured (L-R): RCA Nashville SVP, Promotion Dennis Reese; SMN SVP, Legal & Business Affairs Angie Magill; Seaforth’s Mitch Thompson; SMN Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman; Seaforth’s Tom Jordan; SMN EVP, Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges; SMN VP, Sales & Streaming Caryl Atwood; SMN Director, Marketing Jen Way; SMN EVP, A&R Jim Catino. Photo: Hunter Berry

Sony Music Nashville duo Seaforth debuted new songs during an industry showcase on Monday evening at Nashville’s 12th & Porter. On April 12, the Australian-born duo released their debut EP Love That. The duo’s Tom Jordan and Mitch Thompson co-wrote all four songs on the EP and co-produced the project with award-winning producer Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Thomas Rhett). They are currently on the road with Sony label-mate Kane Brown.

 

Change The Conversation, Women’s Audio Mission Support Female Studio Creators

Pictured : Producer/engineer Jordan Hamlin, producer Linda Perry, producer/engineer Gena Johnson and Tracy Gershon, co-founder of Change the Conversation

More than 200 women from around the world attended a weekend audio arts conference, WAMCon Nashville, sponsored by Change the Conversation and Women’s Audio Mission.

The organization is necessary for females aiming to network and build careers in the audio space, given that less than five percent of the people creating music through various studio work are women.

WAMCon Nashville featured interactive workshops covering topics from studio recording and mixing techniques to songwriting, guided by award-winning female producers and engineers like Linda Perry (P!nk, Adele, Alicia Keys), Emily Lazar (David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Beck), Shani Gandhi (Alison Krauss, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jewel), Simone Torres (Cardi B, Sia, Dua Lipa, Usher, Sean Garrett), Gena Johnson (Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves), Jordan Brooke Hamlin (Indigo Girls, Lucy Wainwright Roche), Jennifer Decilveo (Andra Day, Beth Ditto), and Melissa Peirce (Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire).

Change the Conversation founders Tracy Gershon and Beverly Keel also spoke at the event with Ann Mincieli, owner of Jungle City Studios and engineer for Alicia Keys.

“While female artists including Ariana Grande, Halsey and Lady Gaga have dominated the charts in 2019, women throughout the music industry still remain hugely underrepresented,” said WAM Executive Director Terri Winston. “Programs like WAMCon Nashville, featuring some of the country’s most talented audio engineers and music professionals, are designed to inspire and grow the next generation of successful female producers and engineers and address this disparity. Nashville is country music’s creative hub and we look forward to bringing our program to its thriving music community.”

 

Young Entertainment Professionals, SOLID, Belmont University Lead Discussion On Music And Mental Health

Pictured (L-R): Dave Barnes, Hayley Williams, Kelly Clague, Al Andrews, Charlie Worsham. Photo: Amy Wolff

Nashville’s Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) partnered with Belmont University and SOLID on April 24 to host a collaborative panel discussion tackling the struggles and importance of mental health within the entertainment industry.

Shifting the stigma about mental health, panelists held open conversation to a packed-out BMI lobby including mental health expert Al Andrews, hit songwriter and artist Dave Barnes, country recording artist Charlie Worsham, EM.CO’s (Tim McGraw) Kelly Clague, and recording artist and frontwoman of Paramore, Hayley Williams.

Photo Credit: Mackenzie Baker

Sheryl Crow, Kesha Guest On Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real’s Upcoming Album

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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s upcoming effort, Turn Off The News (Build A Garden), their second album for Fantasy Records, features a host of special guests and collaborators including Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Micah Nelson, Kesha, Shooter Jennings, Randy Houser, Lucius, Madison Ryann Ward, Hunter Elizabeth and Neil Young.

Due June 14, the album was recorded at Shangri-La in Malibu and the Village Studios in West L.A. and was co-produced by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and John Alagia, who helmed the group’s previous effort in 2017. The band churned out the project quickly, recording 30 original songs during brief breaks between tours and tracking straight to analog tape, keeping overdubs to a minimum while focusing on the live performances.

“We wanted these songs to be fun and upbeat,” says Nelson, “but we also wanted to have something to say. Rock & roll began as a countercultural movement, so in the true spirit of rock & roll, we’re trying to encourage a lifestyle where people can be active in their local communities, rather than glued to a device. We listen to so many artists – the Byrds, Tom Petty, Al Green, Neil Young, Little Feat, J.J. Cale – and this album carries forth something they all represented, the idea of turning off the news and doing something constructive. It’s a statement about how you can live your life with your heart leading the way.”

Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) arrives on the heels of the group’s high-profile collaboration with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper on 2018’s blockbuster film and soundtrack, A Star Is Born. Lukas not only co-wrote and co-produced much of the film’s multi-platinum, Oscar-winning soundtrack, he also worked closely with Cooper in crafting the lead character’s (Jackson Maine) musical persona. And in a classic case of art imitating life, Nelson and Promise of the Real appear in the movie too, performing as Maine’s backing band just as they’ve performed with Neil Young for years. Just recently, Lukas, Gaga and Cooper won the BAFTA Award for Film Music, one of the many accolades bestowed on the acclaimed project since its release.

On May 16, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real will open for The Who at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and the following day will headline their first-ever performance at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, which sold out in a matter of days. Upcoming tour highlights include two sold-out shows at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, multiple gigs on the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, a return engagement at the Newport Folk Festival, domestic and international dates with Neil Young, and summer stadium shows opening for the Zac Brown Band.

Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) Track List:
  • Bad Case
  • Turn Off The News (Build A Garden)
  • Where Does Love Go
  • Save A Little Heartache
  • Lotta Fun
  • Civilized Hell
  • Mystery
  • Simple Life
  • Out In LA
  • Something Real
  • Stars Made Of You
  • Turn Off The News (Build a Garden) [Acoustic]
  • Consider It Heaven

Sheryl Crow, Kesha Guest On Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real’s Upcoming Album

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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s upcoming effort, Turn Off The News (Build A Garden), their second album for Fantasy Records, features a host of special guests and collaborators including Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Micah Nelson, Kesha, Shooter Jennings, Randy Houser, Lucius, Madison Ryann Ward, Hunter Elizabeth and Neil Young.

Due June 14, the album was recorded at Shangri-La in Malibu and the Village Studios in West L.A. and was co-produced by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real and John Alagia, who helmed the group’s previous effort in 2017. The band churned out the project quickly, recording 30 original songs during brief breaks between tours and tracking straight to analog tape, keeping overdubs to a minimum while focusing on the live performances.

“We wanted these songs to be fun and upbeat,” says Nelson, “but we also wanted to have something to say. Rock & roll began as a countercultural movement, so in the true spirit of rock & roll, we’re trying to encourage a lifestyle where people can be active in their local communities, rather than glued to a device. We listen to so many artists – the Byrds, Tom Petty, Al Green, Neil Young, Little Feat, J.J. Cale – and this album carries forth something they all represented, the idea of turning off the news and doing something constructive. It’s a statement about how you can live your life with your heart leading the way.”

Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) arrives on the heels of the group’s high-profile collaboration with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper on 2018’s blockbuster film and soundtrack, A Star Is Born. Lukas not only co-wrote and co-produced much of the film’s multi-platinum, Oscar-winning soundtrack, he also worked closely with Cooper in crafting the lead character’s (Jackson Maine) musical persona. And in a classic case of art imitating life, Nelson and Promise of the Real appear in the movie too, performing as Maine’s backing band just as they’ve performed with Neil Young for years. Just recently, Lukas, Gaga and Cooper won the BAFTA Award for Film Music, one of the many accolades bestowed on the acclaimed project since its release.

On May 16, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real will open for The Who at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and the following day will headline their first-ever performance at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, which sold out in a matter of days. Upcoming tour highlights include two sold-out shows at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, multiple gigs on the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, a return engagement at the Newport Folk Festival, domestic and international dates with Neil Young, and summer stadium shows opening for the Zac Brown Band.

Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) Track List:
  • Bad Case
  • Turn Off The News (Build A Garden)
  • Where Does Love Go
  • Save A Little Heartache
  • Lotta Fun
  • Civilized Hell
  • Mystery
  • Simple Life
  • Out In LA
  • Something Real
  • Stars Made Of You
  • Turn Off The News (Build a Garden) [Acoustic]
  • Consider It Heaven

Cassadee Pope To Take CMT’s Next Women Of Country Tour Overseas

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Photo credit: Justin Aharoni

Cassadee Pope is set to bring the CMT Next Women of Country tour outside of the country for the first time ever with dates across the U.K. later this month.

Pope played to sold-out crowds last weekend in New York, Boston, and Washington DC on the headlining CMT Next Women of Country Tour, and will embark on the final U.S. leg of her own tour this Thursday in Evansville, Indiana. 

She will hit several festivals on tour this summer in support of her recently-released album Stages (produced by longtime collaborator Corey Crowder), with stops at the Bayou Country Superfest, Comstock Windmill Festival, The Country Fest, Country LakeShake Festival, and Faster Horses.

Cassadee Pope Tour Dates:
May 3, 2019 – Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
CMT Next Women of Country Tour w/ Clare Dunn and Hannah Ellis
May 4, 2019 – The Blue Note – Columbia, MO
CMT Next Women of Country Tour w/ Clare Dunn and Hannah Ellis
May 9, 2019 – The Fleece – Bristol, England
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 10, 2019 – Arts Club Theatre – Liverpool, UK
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 12, 2019 – O2 Institute3 Birmingham – Birmingham, UK
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 13, 2019 – O2 Academy Islington – London, UK
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 15, 2019 – King Tut’s – Glasgow, UK
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 18, 2019 – Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun – Montville, CT
May 25, 2019 – LSU Tiger Stadium – Baton Rouge, LA
Bayou Country Superfest
June 1, 2019 – Stanislaus County Fair – Turlock, CA
June 14, 2019 – Comstock Windmill Festival – Comstock, NE
June 15, 2019 – Winstock Country Music Festival – Winsted, MN
June 20, 2019 – The Country Fest – Canal Fulton, OH
June 21, 2019 – Country LakeShake Festival – Chicago, IL
June 27, 2019 – Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater – Farmingville, NY
June 20, 2019 – Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway – Dayton, OH
June 21, 2019 – Faster Horses – Brooklyn, MI
June 26, 2019 – PNC Waterside Pavilion – Solomons, MD 
August 17, 2019 – Brown County Fairgrounds – Aberdeen, SD

Cassadee Pope To Take CMT’s Next Women Of Country Tour Overseas

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Photo credit: Justin Aharoni

Cassadee Pope is set to bring the CMT Next Women of Country tour outside of the country for the first time ever with dates across the U.K. later this month.

Pope played to sold-out crowds last weekend in New York, Boston, and Washington DC on the headlining CMT Next Women of Country Tour, and will embark on the final U.S. leg of her own tour this Thursday in Evansville, Indiana. 

She will hit several festivals on tour this summer in support of her recently-released album Stages (produced by longtime collaborator Corey Crowder), with stops at the Bayou Country Superfest, Comstock Windmill Festival, The Country Fest, Country LakeShake Festival, and Faster Horses.

Cassadee Pope Tour Dates:
May 3, 2019 – Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
CMT Next Women of Country Tour w/ Clare Dunn and Hannah Ellis
May 4, 2019 – The Blue Note – Columbia, MO
CMT Next Women of Country Tour w/ Clare Dunn and Hannah Ellis
May 9, 2019 – The Fleece – Bristol, England
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 10, 2019 – Arts Club Theatre – Liverpool, UK
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 12, 2019 – O2 Institute3 Birmingham – Birmingham, UK
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 13, 2019 – O2 Academy Islington – London, UK
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 15, 2019 – King Tut’s – Glasgow, UK
CMT Next Women of Country Tour – UK
May 18, 2019 – Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun – Montville, CT
May 25, 2019 – LSU Tiger Stadium – Baton Rouge, LA
Bayou Country Superfest
June 1, 2019 – Stanislaus County Fair – Turlock, CA
June 14, 2019 – Comstock Windmill Festival – Comstock, NE
June 15, 2019 – Winstock Country Music Festival – Winsted, MN
June 20, 2019 – The Country Fest – Canal Fulton, OH
June 21, 2019 – Country LakeShake Festival – Chicago, IL
June 27, 2019 – Long Island Community Hospital Amphitheater – Farmingville, NY
June 20, 2019 – Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway – Dayton, OH
June 21, 2019 – Faster Horses – Brooklyn, MI
June 26, 2019 – PNC Waterside Pavilion – Solomons, MD 
August 17, 2019 – Brown County Fairgrounds – Aberdeen, SD

BMI Austin Makes First Songwriter Signing

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Pictured (L-R): Mitch Ballard (BMI), Triston Marez, Alex Torrez (Torrez Music Group)

Country singer Triston Marez is the first songwriter added to the new Austin roster of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). The performing rights organization announced the opening of its new creative office in Austin in a press conference with Texas governor Greg Abbott in March. Marez’s EP That Was All Me was released in January, and he continues to tour throughout the state.

“It’s rare that you find an artist who has made such an impact in such a short amount of time. Making an impact in Texas is a great barometer for success,“ says Mitch Ballard, Senior Director, Creative, Austin. “Triston is not only a great songwriter; he’s incredibly hard working. Every bit of his success can be attributed to a great combination of talent and determination. We are thrilled to welcome him to the BMI family.”

A Houston native, Marez’s EP debuted in the top five on the iTunes country chart. Since its release on Jan. 25, the singer-songwriter has reached a combined one million streams on all platforms. His new single, “Darlin’,” has surpassed 50,000 streams in two weeks.

“It is quite an honor to be a part of the BMI family and the first artist signed to the roster at the new office in Austin, Texas; the state that I call home,” Marez said. “The team at Torrez Music Group and I have worked very hard to get the momentum we have today and knowing we have BMI on board, who have supported and impacted the growth and success of many artists from Texas who I look up to, is a great feeling. I truly am thankful for everyone at BMI, including Mr. Ballard, for giving me this opportunity.”

BMI Austin Makes First Songwriter Signing

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Pictured (L-R): Mitch Ballard (BMI), Triston Marez, Alex Torrez (Torrez Music Group)

Country singer Triston Marez is the first songwriter added to the new Austin roster of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). The performing rights organization announced the opening of its new creative office in Austin in a press conference with Texas governor Greg Abbott in March. Marez’s EP That Was All Me was released in January, and he continues to tour throughout the state.

“It’s rare that you find an artist who has made such an impact in such a short amount of time. Making an impact in Texas is a great barometer for success,“ says Mitch Ballard, Senior Director, Creative, Austin. “Triston is not only a great songwriter; he’s incredibly hard working. Every bit of his success can be attributed to a great combination of talent and determination. We are thrilled to welcome him to the BMI family.”

A Houston native, Marez’s EP debuted in the top five on the iTunes country chart. Since its release on Jan. 25, the singer-songwriter has reached a combined one million streams on all platforms. His new single, “Darlin’,” has surpassed 50,000 streams in two weeks.

“It is quite an honor to be a part of the BMI family and the first artist signed to the roster at the new office in Austin, Texas; the state that I call home,” Marez said. “The team at Torrez Music Group and I have worked very hard to get the momentum we have today and knowing we have BMI on board, who have supported and impacted the growth and success of many artists from Texas who I look up to, is a great feeling. I truly am thankful for everyone at BMI, including Mr. Ballard, for giving me this opportunity.”

Weekly Chart Report (5/3/19)

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Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

Weekly Chart Report (5/3/19)

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Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

Spirit Music Group Appoints Frank Rogers As CEO, Spirit Music Nashville

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Frank Rogers

Spirit Music Group has appointed Frank Rogers to Chief Executive Officer, Spirit Music Nashville. Rogers will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Spirit Music Nashville’s creative and operational activities. Daniel Hill will exit the company.

“Frank Rogers is a rare talent—from his ability to produce and write No. 1 hits, to his amazing business acumen,” said Jon Singer, Chairman, Spirit Music Group. “Frank has a vision for Spirit Music Nashville and I have no doubt he will execute on that vision and exceed expectations. We are fortunate to have Frank lead our talented writers and staff in this next chapter. I also want to thank Daniel Hill for all of his years of service and have the utmost respect for him.”

“I am excited to have the opportunity to lead the talented staff and roster at Spirit Music Nashville,” said Rogers. “The entire Spirit Music Group team has been wonderful partners for myself and Fluid Music Revolution. I look forward to continuing to build something special with both the Spirit and Fluid teams.”

“Songwriters and songs are my passion and I am honored and grateful to have worked alongside some of the best at Spirit,” said Hill. “I am proud of the Spirit team and our many accomplishments, and I look forward to even more successes for us all.”

Frank Rogers is a multi-platinum producer and songwriter who has won MusicRow’s Producer of the Year award four times and Billboard’s No. 1 Hot Country Producer Award from 2006 – 2010. His work to date has resulted in thirteen Country Music Association award nominations, including a win for Album of the Year for Time Well Wasted with Brad Paisley. Rogers also has credits with Trace Adkins, Josh Turner, Darius Rucker, Phil Vassar, Darryl Worley, and Scotty McCreery, and has received five Academy of Country Music awards.

Rogers has also co-written several No. 1 songs, including: “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song)” by Brad Paisley, “Alright” and “This” by Darius Rucker, “Five More Minutes” and “This Is It” by Scotty McCreery, and “Backroad Song” by Granger Smith.

Rogers moved to Nashville in 1990 and got his Music Business degree from Belmont University, where he met friend and future collaborator Brad Paisley. Rogers then worked for EMI Nashville Production and opened Nashville independent publisher Sea Gayle Music with Paisley and Chris DuBois.

In 2016, Spirit Music Group formed a multi-faceted deal with Rogers and together established Fluid Music Revolution. Through the agreement, Spirit acquired Rogers’ one third interest in certain copyrights of the respected Sea Gayle Music. The deal also leveraged Rogers’ executive abilities and creative talent. Spirit’s venture with Rogers empowered him to bring new artists, producers, and writers to the company. He also joined Spirit’s roster as a songwriter, and the company exclusively administers all of his new compositions worldwide.

In addition to its deal with Rogers, Spirit’s deals in the country music landscape have included a deal with Zach Crowell that included the acquisition of his I Love Pizza Music catalog, which features many No. 1 hits. Spirit also formed a co-publishing venture with Crowell along with Ashley Gorley’s Tape Room Music, that encompasses Crowell’s future compositions. Spirit also made a deal with Grammy-winning Nashville songwriter Josh Osborne to acquire his co-published catalog, which features 500 songs. Spirit Music Nashville and Fluid Music Revolution also completed deals with Justin Adams, Derek George, Jason Lehning, Monty Criswell, Kyle Rife, Erik Belz, Marcus Hummon, Palmer Lee, Mike Fiorentino, Phillip White, and SESAC Songwriter of the Year Cary Barlowe. The company acquired the successful Nashville-based independent music publisher, production, and artist management company, Cal IV Entertainment, which brought top country writers, artists, and staff into the fold along with 25 No. 1 country copyrights and top ten singles. Spirit also acquired the StyleSonic catalog, bringing another four No. 1 country songs to its portfolio as well as over fifteen Top 20 country songs spanning the last decade.

Recent successes by Spirit Music Nashville and Fluid Music Revolution include a publishing interest in ASCAP’s Song of the Year (“Body Like a Back Road” by Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell and Josh Osborne); SESAC’s Song of the Year (“It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” by Billy Currington); CMA Song of the Year (“Blue Ain’t Your Color” by Keith Urban) and CMA Album of the Year From a Room: Volume 1 by Chris Stapleton); and a publishing interest in ACM nominations for Song of the Year (“Whiskey & You” by Chris Stapleton); Single of the Year (“Broken Halos” by Chris Stapleton and “Drinkin’ Problem” by Midland) and Songwriter of the Year (Josh Osborne).

 In January, Spirit Music Group executives Jon Singer and Ross Cameron formed Lyric Capital Group to take ownership of Spirit Music Group and secure a recapitalization of over $350 million. Now wholly-owned by the newly formed Lyric Capital Group, Spirit Music Group remains a strong, independent publisher.