Fusion Music Signs Cassadee Pope, Expands Offices

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Cassadee Pope

Fusion Music has signed Cassadee Pope to its roster.

“We are thrilled to be in business with Cassadee,” says Fusion Music’s Daniel Miller. “She has a great vision for her career, and we’re looking forward to building upon her success.”

Pope won season 3 of NBC’s The Voice and later released the debut single, “Wasting All These Tears,” which topped the iTunes Country Chart. In 2016, she recorded the duet “Think of You” with Chris Young, which earned Pope her first Grammy nomination.

Currently, the Fusion Music roster also includes Jacob Davis, Ryan Kinder and Martina McBride. MusicRow has also confirmed that Fusion Music has parted ways with longtime management client Lady Antebellum. The trio is still represented by Red Light Management.

Additionally, Fusion Music has expanded its offices, which are now located at 1214 16th Ave. S. in Nashville. Phone numbers and emails for Fusion Music remain the same.

 

Eric Church, Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne To Honor Gun Violence Victims In Special Grammy Tribute

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Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, and Maren Morris will perform a special tribute during the upcoming Grammy Awards to honor the victims lost to gun violence and terrorism at various live music events over the past year. All three artists were participants in the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas last year and will come together for the moving segment.

“Live music events have always provided a safe space for fans to gather in a shared celebration of music. Sadly, that wasn’t always the case this past year,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “We believe it’s incredibly important to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in these senseless tragedies and to remind musicians and music lovers alike that live music will continue to be a powerful force that unites us all.”

“In many ways, our show encapsulates the year in music,” said Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the GRAMMY Awards. Although that usually means a focus on achievement and excellence, sadly, last year was marred by a number of senseless tragedies that took place at live music events. We didn’t feel like we’d be doing our jobs if we didn’t reflect on these tremendous losses.”

The performance marks the first time on the Grammy stage for the Brothers Osborne, who are nominated again this year in Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“It Ain’t My Fault”). Grammy award winner Maren Morris is currently nominated for Best Country Solo Performance (“I Could Use A Love Song”).

The 60th Annual awards will air live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, on CBS on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Previously announced Grammy performers include Alessia Cara, Cardi B, Miley Cyrus, Childish Gambino, Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi, Elton John, Kesha, Khalid, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Little Big Town, Logic, Patti LuPone, Bruno Mars, P!nk, Ben Platt, Sam Smith, SZA, and U2.

Keith Urban Announces New Album, Tour At Nashville Pop-Up Show

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Keith Urban

Keith Urban surprised fans Wednesday night with a pop-up show at Nashville’s Exit/In club, where the star revealed his new Graffiti U World Tour 2018. Three hundred and fifty lucky fans were treated to a set that included some songs from Kelsea Ballerini, who will accompany Urban on the North American leg of his new tour as the supporting act. The tour includes a stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Aug. 24.

During the two-hour surprise show, Urban also revealed the name of his new album, Graffiti U. No release date has been revealed for the album. He recruited fans around the country to help with the announcement, and during the live-streamed event they appeared holding poster boards in cities across the country announcing the Graffiti U World Tour 2018.

YouTube video

“I’ve been full-on writing, recording, collaborating and creating with some incredibly talented people for Graffiti U, a lot of whom I’ve never worked with before,” said Urban.  “I can hear how some of the songs will translate live already, which really makes putting on a new show so exhilarating and I loved having our fans included in the announcement of the tour because it’s their tour too.”

The 58-city tour kicks off June 15th at St. Louis’s Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre and will include 10 shows in Canada as well as stops in cities in Nevada, Oregon, Alabama and Arkansas that Urban has yet to headline.

THE GRAFFITI U WORLD TOUR 2018:
June 15: St. Louis; Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 16: Indianapolis; Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
June 22: Clarkston, Mich.; DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 23: Pittsburgh; KeyBank Pavilion
June 27: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Saratoga Performing Arts Center
June 29: Toronto, Ontario; Budweiser Stage
June 30: Toronto, Ontario; Budweiser Stage
July 5: Gilford, N.H.; Bank of NH Pavilion
July 6: Gilford, N.H.; Bank of NH Pavilion
July 8: Canandaigua, N.Y.; CMAC
July 13: Salt Lake City; USANA Amphitheatre
July 14: Denver; Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
July 15: Albuquerque, N.M.; Isleta Amphitheater
July 20: Mountain View, Calif.; Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 21: Lake Tahoe, Nev.; Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys
July 22: Lake Tahoe, Nev.; Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys
July 27: Raleigh, N.C.; Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
July 28: Charlotte, N.C.; PNC Music Pavilion
July 29: Alpharetta, Ga.; Verizon Amphitheatre
Aug. 3: Philadelphia; BB&T Pavilion
Aug. 4: Mansfield, Mass.; Xfinity Center
Aug. 5: Bangor, Maine; Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
Aug. 10: Cleveland, Ohio; Blossom Music Center
Aug. 11: Bristow, Va.; Jiffy Lube Live
Aug. 12: Virginia Beach, Va.; Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
Aug. 15: Rogers, Ark.; Walmart AMP*
Aug. 17: Kansas City, Mo.; Sprint Center
Aug. 18: Chicago; Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Aug. 19: Cincinnati, Ohio; Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 24: Nashville, Tenn.; Bridgestone Arena
Aug. 25: Orange Beach, Ala; The Wharf Amphitheater
Aug. 26: Tuscaloosa, Ala; Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
Sept. 7: Uncasville, Conn.; Mohegan Sun Arena
Sept. 8: Uncasville, Conn.; Mohegan Sun Arena
Sept. 14: Ottawa, Ontario; Canadian Tire Centre*
Sept. 15: London, Ontario; Budweiser Gardens*
Sept. 19: Winnipeg, MB; Bell MTS Place*
Sept. 21: Saskatoon, SK; SaskTel Centre*
Sept. 22: Edmonton, AB; Rogers Place*
Sept. 23: Calgary, AB; ScotiaBank Saddledome*
Sept. 25: Vancouver, BC; Rogers Arena*
Sept. 27: Eugene, Ore.; Matthew Knight Arena
Sept. 28: Boise, Id.; Taco Bell Arena
Sept. 29: Missoula, Mont.; Adams Center
Oct. 4: Phoenix, Ariz.; Ak-Chin Pavilion
Oct. 5: Laughlin, Nev.; Laughlin Event Center
Oct. 12: Peoria, Ill.; Peoria Civic Center
Oct. 13: Minneapolis; Target Center
Oct. 14: Grand Forks, N.D.; Ralph Engelstad Arena
Oct. 18: Toledo, Ohio; Huntington Center
Oct. 19: Grand Rapids, Mich.; Van Andel Arena
Oct. 20: Louisville, Ky.; KFC Yum! Center
Oct. 24: Youngstown, Ohio; Covelli Centre
Oct. 25: Hershey, Pa.; Giant Center
Oct. 27: Brooklyn, N.Y.; Barclays Center
Oct. 28: Charlottesville, Va.; John Paul Jones Arena
Nov. 1: Little Rock, Ark.; Verizon Arena
Nov. 2: New Orleans; Smoothie King Center
Nov. 3: Dallas; American Airlines Center

* Supporting performer to be announced

Industry Ink: Absolute Publicity, 117 Publicity, Shoalsville Music Publishing

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T.G. Sheppard Joins Absolute Publicity

T.G. Sheppard has signed on with Nashville-based Absolute Publicity for exclusive PR representation.

Launched in January of 2009, Absolute Publicity’s roster includes Ricky Skaggs, John Anderson, The Marshall Tucker Band,Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, Ray Stevens, John Berry, Aaron Tippin, Darryl Worley, Craig Wayne Boyd, Restless Heart, Halfway to Hazard, Pam Tillis, Kelly Lang,Jason Morton and The Chesapeake Sons, Moe Bandy, Shenandoah, Sammy Kershaw, and the late Mel Tillis.

 

Marta Signs With 117 Publicity

Marta

Country singer-songwriter and native of Poland, Marta, has signed with 117 Publicity for exclusive PR representation. Starting her music career at the age of 7, Marta recently seen success on various platforms. The music video for her debut single “All About Us” has received over 1.4 million views on YouTube and was featured in the critically acclaimed mobile games Dancing Line and Piano Tiles 2.
 

Justin Forshaw Signs With Shoalsville Music Publishing Co.

Vocalist and writer Justin Forshaw, a founding member of Nashville-based rock band As We Ascend, has joined Nashville-based publishing company Shoalsville Music Publishing. Forshaw is a former member of Atlantic Records group, We As Human.

Chad Green, President, Shoalsville Music Publishing Co. says, “Justin and I have enjoyed a great relationship over the past couple of years creating successes together. We look forward to breaking new ground together again.”

Shoalsville Music Publishing launched in 2017 with the signing of Forshaw’s As We Ascend bandmates Jake Jones and Robert Venable.

Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker Team For Summer Tour

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Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker have teamed for the co-headlining Summer Plays On Tour, launching July 19 in Toronto, Ontario. The trek will also feature opener Russell Dickerson.

“For us as a band, being out on the road together is where it all comes to life,” said Lady Antebellum member Charles Kelley. “Darius is one of our closest friends, and so we just feel really excited to get to share this tour and those memories on and off stage with him. There’s no doubt that it’s going to be a total blast and we’re thrilled to have Russell out with us too this summer – we’re already brainstorming ways to shake things up and make each night all about just being in the moment.”

“Reuniting this summer and heading back out on the road with my friends Lady Antebellum feels like a home away from home,” said Rucker. “It’s going to be an incredible summer, and I can’t wait to see y’all out there!”

SUMMER PLAYS ON TOUR DATES:
7/19/18 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
7/20/18 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
7/21/18 Darien Center, NY* Darien Lake Amphitheater
7/26/18 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
7/27/18 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
7/28/18 Hartford, CT XFINITY Theatre
8/2/18 Columbia, MD** Merriweather Post Pavilion
8/3/18 Holmdel, NJ P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
8/4/18 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
8/16/18 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
8/17/18 Sacramento, CA Toyota Amphitheatre
8/19/18 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre
8/23/18 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion
8/24/18 Irvine, CA FivePoint Amphitheater
8/25/18 San Diego, CA Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
9/6/18 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
9/7/18 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
9/8/18 Pittsburgh, PA KeyBank Pavilion
9/13/18 St. Louis, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
9/14/18 Indianapolis, IN Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
9/15/18 Chicago, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
9/20/18 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
9/21/18 Philadelphia, PA BB&T Pavilion
9/22/18 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
9/27/18 Alpharetta, GA* Verizon Amphitheatre
9/28/18 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
9/29/18 West Palm Beach, FL Coral Sky Amphitheatre
10/4/18 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
10/5/18 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
10/6/18 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live

*Lady Antebellum only
**I.M.P Concerts show

BMI’s Creative Department Rebranding Brings Diverse Opportunities For Songwriters

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Mason Hunter

In November 2017, BMI announced that Mason Hunter had been tapped for the role of Assistant VP, Creative, working closely with Nashville’s VP, Creative, Jody Williams. Hunter joined BMI in 2000.

The announcement was also part of a company-wide rebranding of BMI’s Writer/Publisher Relations departments, now named the Creative Department.

“It better reflects what our jobs are and what we’ve evolved into,” Williams tells MusicRow. “We are just formalizing what we’ve been doing for three years. Mason came into our department from the licensing department. He has been great at finding partners for our events that we were producing and better organizing them for us and for our affiliates. He came in and he knows the creative community and he understands events and sponsorships, so he knew how to communicate with sponsors so we can get support for our events.”

Hunter and Williams say that finding new outlets for their songwriters, both creatively and financially, has become a top focus for the performing rights organization in recent years.

“From the creative side, we are finding opportunities for our writers outside of our traditional airplay,” Hunter says. “That will always be our core business, but as we have evolved, and as the songwriters’ careers have evolved, we look for new ways to promote them. It doesn’t have to be a performing songwriter—it might be a networking opportunity or a way for us to get their music in front of a certain brand. If you are a performer there are many performance opportunities. That’s what I usually say that’s the big differentiator between us and the other [performing rights organizations]. If you are a songwriter looking outside of the traditional, we provide avenues for that.”

Pictured (L-R): Mason Hunter, Charlie Worsham, and Jody Williams

“We still have a fantastic group of writer reps, including Bradley Collins, Leslie Roberts, David Preston, MaryAnn Keen, and Josh Tomlinson, whose jobs it is to look out for the best most talented writers we can represent and get them to sign with BMI. That is our core business and that will never go away,” Williams adds. “The sponsorships and events are the flag we wave that we can offer them to make it easier for them to decide to come to BMI.”

In recent years, BMI has partnered with several festivals and performance events to create opportunities for their songwriters, including the Maui Songwriters Festival, SXSW, and most recently, with the Rooftop On The Row concert series that launched in 2017, as well as Speed Dating for Songwriters with YouTube and a Next Big Wave Songwriter Mixer. There is also BMI’s popular, long-running partnership with the Key West Songwriters Festival.

“We are making sure we are keeping our eyes on the ball of why we exist—to send out money four times per year to writers and publishers—and do it as smartly as we can do it,” Williams says. “Events and partnerships is another suite of offerings we equip our writer reps with. If you can offer up more than the traditional co-write, which we will always do, and if you operate where you have other opportunities, which helps, you have the ability to do some things outside of a traditional PRO,” Williams says.

Pictured: Mason Hunter and Jody Williams meet with BMI Creative’s MaryAnn Keen and Josh Tomlinson and BMI affiliate Charlie Worsham

Old Crow Medicine Show’s New Album ‘Volunteer’ Slated For April

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Old Crow Medicine Show is set to release their latest album, Volunteer, on April 20 on Columbia Records Nashville. The project was recorded at the historic RCA Studio A and produced by Dave Cobb and lands amidst the band’s 20th anniversary together. The first single from the new album, “Flicker & Shine,” will be released on Jan. 19.

Volunteer includes highlights like “Look Away” which was inspired by The Rolling Stones and is member Ketch Secor’s homage to his love for the history of the South, while “A World Away,” is an upbeat nod to refugees, and  “Dixie Avenue,” pays tribute to the Virginia location where Secor and bandmate Critter Fuqua fell in love with music.

The band, who recently collaborated with Kesha on a CMT Crossroads that aired last month, will be announcing 2018 tour dates soon, and will also be performing at festivals including Bonnaroo, Del Fest and Floyd Fest. More information on tour dates can be found at crowmedicine.com/tour/.

CMT Reveals ‘Music City’ Cast

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CMT today announced the cast of Music City, the latest project from executive producer Adam DiVello, who has created shows such as The Hills and Laguna Beach, and in association with Lionsgate. The docu-series premieres Thursday, March 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Music City follows a group of friends entering the next chapter of their lives while chasing dreams of success, fame and romance in Nashville. Faced with real choices that carry real stakes for their careers, their relationships and their futures, they must navigate the rocky road on the journey of self-discovery.

The cast of Music City includes:

Rachyl Degman – A Colorado native who moved to Nashville with her husband, Kerry, and their two-year-old son, Wolfgang, to support Kerry’s dreams of singing/songwriting. Feeling often like a single parent, Rachyl struggles to balance motherhood with her goals of attending law school.

Kerry Degman – A country singer/songwriter originally from Beaverton, Oregon. Kerry, along with his wife, Rachyl, and their two-year-old son, Wolfgang, moved from California to Nashville so Kerry could pursue his musical dreams. As his career blossoms, Kerry must navigate the temptations of life on the road and learn firsthand the personal sacrifice that comes with following your dreams.

Jessica Mack – Better known to her friends as JMack, Jessica is an all-American Southern belle originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. She has lived in Nashville for nearly five years and is pursuing her dreams as a singer/songwriter in country music, while also searching for the man of her dreams.

Jackson Boyd – A fitness instructor and personal trainer born and bred in Nashville, with Southern charm and looks to kill. When he is not helping his friends and family get into shape, he can be found cooking at home or hanging out downtown with friends.

Alisa Fuller – A Los Angeles native who moved to Nashville to pursue her ambition of singing and writing country music, despite her family’s doubts. With no formal training, she’s trying to get traction in a city where everyone has dreams of making it big. She’s also searching for someone to sweep her off her feet, a task that’s been challenging considering she’s picky to a fault.

Music City is produced by Done and Done Productions in association with Lionsgate. Adam DiVello serves as creator and executive producer.

Concord Music Group Appoints New Leadership Team

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Concord Music has appointed a new leadership team that will be headed by Jake Wisely, Chief Publishing Executive of Concord, who has relocated to the company’s new Nashville office. Also joining the team are Bill Gaden, who will lead Concord Music’s domestic publishing as its President/North America, John Minch, who will oversee Concord Music’s international publishing interests as its President/Europe, and Kent Hoskins, who has been appointed Concord Music’s Chief Financial Officer for all publishing operations.

“Jake is one of the founding members of Bicycle Music and has been a key factor in the growth of Concord Music,” said Concord Music CEO Scott Pascucci. “He will continue to steer our publishing business in unique and successful directions in the years to come.”

“As principals of Concord Music’s publishing executive committee, Bill, John, and Kent have proven themselves invaluable partners in the melding of a spectacular roster and catalog, along with the systems, infrastructure, and best practices of the Bicycle and Imagem businesses,” said Wisely. “Their wealth of knowledge, experience, and resources, along with that of our entire staff, cements Concord’s future as a dynamic, world class music publisher.”

Wisely spent the past decade running The Bicycle Music Company, which merged with Concord Music Group in 2015. He joined Bicycle Music after previous stints at ASCAP, Universal Music Publishing, and EMI Music Publishing. A current NMPA Board member, Wisely will report to Concord Music’s CEO, Scott Pascucci.

Prior to joining Concord, Gaden held senior positions at BMG Records, BBC Worldwide, Simon & Schuster, and Golden Books. He joined The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization in 2005, and in 2015, six years after its acquisition by Imagem, became CEO of Imagem USA. He will work from Concord Music’s New York office and will report to Jake Wisely.

Based in London, Minch has managed Boosey & Hawkes since 2001. Subsequent to the sale of Boosey & Hawkes to Imagem in 2008, Minch took on the role of Chief Executive of Imagem UK. He will report to Jake Wisely as well.

A New Zealander by birth, Hoskins is based in London and is a Chartered Accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. After working as a Finance Manager with the BBC, he joined Boosey & Hawkes as Group Financial Controller in 2001. When Boosey & Hawkes was sold to Imagem in 2008, he was made Imagem UK CFO and in 2015 was promoted to Global Head of Finance. Hoskins will report to Concord Music’s overall Chief Financial Officer, Bob Valentine.

Concord Music’s publishing business already consisted of the catalogs of Bicycle Music and Razor & Tie before they acquired Imagem Music Group in 2017 – a landmark purchase that tripled the company’s publishing portfolio from 130,000 to 380,000 copyrights. The result is a newly consolidated publishing group which is comprised of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, Boosey & Hawkes, The Bicycle Music Company, Imagem Music, and Razor & Tie Publishing.

 

Lennon Stella Signs With RECORDS/Columbia Records

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Lennon Stella

Lennon Stella, singer/songwriter and a star on the CMT show Nashville, has signed with the RECORDS/Columbia Records label. Stella has been working with songwriters and producers developing her debut that will be released later this year. Her signing coincides with RECORDS’ newly-established joint venture with Columbia Records.

“Lennon’s unique artistry, point of view, distinctive vocal ability and star-power is simply overwhelming,” says Barry Weiss, Partner & Co-Founder, RECORDS. “We’re super excited to have her here at RECORDS.  I’m elated that Jenna Andrews (who does A&R for the label) brought her to us.”

“I feel so lucky to work hand in hand with this incredible and inspiring group of people. There are no words to describe the feeling of finally being able to release my own music, something I have always dreamed of,” says Stella.

The 18-year-old Ontario, Canada native made her musical debut along with her sister Maisy as part of the duo Lennon & Maisy. In 2012, a Lennon & Maisy video went viral on YouTube and their YouTube channel has gone on to log more than 100 million views with nearly 800,000 subscribers since then. Stella joined the cast of Emmy-winning music drama “Nashville” around that same time, which recently kicked off its sixth season on CMT.