Weekly Register: Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen Top Sales Charts

Luke Combs. Photo: David Bergman

Luke CombsWhat You See Is What You Get jumps from No. 3 to No. 1 on the country albums chart this week, with 23K in total activity, according to Nielsen. Morgan Wallen‘s If I Know Me is at No. 2 this week, with 21K. Combs’ This One’s For You is at No. 3 with 19K, followed by Kane Brown‘s Mixtape Vol. 1 at No. 4 with 15K. Luke Bryan‘s Born Here Live Here Die Here is at No. 5 with 13K.

The top album debut this week is Colter Wall‘s Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs at No. 8 with 9K.

The Country On-Demand Audio Streaming chart’s Top 5 stays the same this week, as Wallen’s “7 Summers” continues to dominate, with 9 million streams this week. Gabby Barrett‘s “I Hope” remains at No. 2 with 8.3 million streams, followed by Maddie & Tae‘s “Die From A Broken Heart” at No. 3 with 6.9 million streams. Wallen’s “Chasin’ You” is at No. 4 with 6.5 million streams, followed by Diplo with Julia Michaels (ft. Morgan Wallen)’s “Heartless” at No. 5 with 6.3 million streams this week.

Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over” is this week’s top debut at No. 7, with 5.7 million streams.

Josh Thompson Maintains No. 1 Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart For Fourth Week


Josh Thompson maintains the No. 1 position on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for the fourth consecutive week this week, with co-writer credit on “One Margarita” (Luke Bryan), “Ain’t Always The Cowboy” (Jon Pardi), and “Be A Light” (Thomas Rhett feat. Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin & Keith Urban). HARDY maintains the No. 2 position for another week.

Lance Miller makes his way inside the top 10 this week, with credit on “I Called Mama” (Tim McGraw) and “Everywhere But On” (Matt Stell).

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Nashville’s Indie Music Venues Partner To Launch Virtual Livestream Series "Music City Bandwidth"

Fifteen of Nashville’s independent music venues and 120 Music City-based artists will come together for a series of 30 free livestreamed shows, to help Music City’s independent music venues and Nashville-based musicians who have been heavily impacted by the economic damage due to the COVD-19 pandemic.

Nashville’s Music Venue Alliance has teamed with the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp to launch the series of shows, titled Music City Bandwidth, which will begin Sept. 14 and run through October.

Artists taking part in the events include Andrew Combs, Brett James, Creature Comfort, Devon Gilfillian, Giovanni Rodriguez & 12 Manos, Jason Eskridge, Kalie Shorr, Marshall Chapman with Tommy Womack & Will Kimbrough, Patrick Sweany, *repeat repeat, The Last Bandoleros, The Pink Spiders, The Shindellas, The Wild Feathers, Trigger Hippy, Victoria Shaw, and Wooten Brothers.

Nashville venues taking part include 3rd and Lindsley, DRKMTTR, Exit/In, Mercy Lounge, The 5 Spot, The Basement, The Basement East, The Bluebird Cafe, The East Room, The End, The High Watt, The Listening Room, Rudy’s Jazz Room, Springwater, and Station Inn. The marketing initiative is being paid for by the Tennessee CARES Act funds earmarked for destination marketing organizations.

These 15 independent music venues have averaged a 90 percent revenue loss since mid-March. The Music Venue Alliance estimates 15 percent of them will permanently close in one month; 38 percent in six weeks; and 13 weeks from now all but one will permanently close without financial assistance. That could result in the loss of 5,600 annual concerts; $5 million paid to 46,000 musicians annually; 389 lost jobs; and more than $2 million in lost city and state taxes annually. The city recently approved $2 million in CARES Act funding for small music venues.

“We have crafted a unique, Nashville-branded virtual experience to go to a worldwide audience that promotes the Music City brand, the diversity of Nashville musicians and all the iconic independent music venues that are the soul of Music City,” said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “If these music clubs don’t make it, our Music City brand and music ecosystem will be in great peril.”

Exit/In owner Chris Cobb, president of Music Venue Alliance Nashville, said, “Nashville’s independent music venues have been devastated by the pandemic. We have been closed since March, and even though we have operated frugally and responsibly, have been forced to lay off 90 percent of our employees. We fear many of us will close permanently. We know there are many people rooting for us to survive, and this marketing initiative is one of the first pieces of assistance to finally come through. Thank you to the state and the NCVC for this much-needed shot in the arm. We can’t wait to start booking shows again, supporting our ecosystem, and sharing music with the world from some of Nashville’s most beloved stages!”

“During the global pandemic, the music stopped — for fans, venues and musicians themselves. But Jack is here to help keep the music playing,” said Ed Carias, Jack Daniel’s U.S. brand director. “Music has always been at the heart of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, and we are excited to support talented artists at these iconic venues in Nashville while celebrating the friendship and fun that makes live music so special.”

The shows will not have live audiences due to social distancing and crowd limitation mandates. The concerts will be streamed around the world at musiccitybandwidth.com.

Donations to a relief fund for local venues and musicians can be made at musiccitybandwidth.com, where Music City Bandwidth t-shirts will also be available for purchase with proceeds benefiting these venues.

Major Bob Music Signs Ben Williams

Pictured (L-R): Major Bob’s Chandler Thurston, Ben Williams, Major Bob’s Tina Crawford.

Major Bob Music has signed songwriter Ben Williams to a publishing agreement. Williams graduated from Belmont University in May and is excited for this next step in his career. Williams’ passion for songwriting comes from his love of lyrics.

“Country music is different. The lyrics, stories, clarity, truth, and ultimate feeling the music gives you inspires me to write every single day,” says Williams.

Williams also recently penned a pop/EDM single with artist Caroline Romano which was remixed by R3HAB, released in May, and is nearing 2 million streams.

Major Bob VP Tina Crawford says, “Ben’s passion for songwriting is paired with a hard work ethic and we are thrilled to start this journey with him.”

The Secret Sisters To Release ‘Saturn Return’ Commentary Album


The Secret Sisters are releasing a special commentary version of their album, Saturn Return, on Sept. 18.

Recorded this past February at their last shows before the pandemic at the Seattle Symphony, the release will feature real-life sisters Laura and Lydia Rogers discussing each track on the album alongside Brandi Carlile.

Produced by Carlile, Tim Hanseroth and Phil Hanseroth, the project was released earlier this year on New West Records. Recorded at Carlile’s home studio in Washington state, the album finds the duo with a new creative focus, singing individually for the first time instead of relying solely on their trademark harmonies, which Carlile challenged them to do.

Named after the astrological occurrence that takes place approximately every 29.5 years, the album heralds the arrival of a new era for the two following a period of extreme change and transformation during the making of the record. Grappling with the grief of losing both grandmothers, while both becoming first-time mothers, the sisters reflect on their world view, relationships and own mortality throughout the project.

SATURN RETURN (COMMENTARY VERSION) Track List:
1. Silver (commentary)
2. Silver
3. Late Bloomer (commentary)
4. Late Bloomer
5. Cabin (commentary)
6. Cabin
7. Hand Over My Heart (commentary)
8. Hand Over My Heart
9. Fair (commentary)
10. Fair
11. Tin Can Angel (commentary)
12. Tin Can Angel
13. Nowhere, Baby (commentary)
14. Nowhere, Baby
15. Hold You Dear (commentary)
16. Hold You Dear
17. Water Witch (commentary)
18. Water Witch
19. Healer In The Sky (commentary)
20. Healer In The Sky

Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, Blackberry Smoke Join Live Nation’s ‘Live From The Drive-In’ Series

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Photo: ­­­Alysse Gafkjen

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Blackberry Smoke, Indigo Girls, and Yacht Rock Revue will headline the upcoming Live From The Drive-In concert series shows, live each night across two weekends, Oct. 16-17 & Oct. 23-24, in Alpharetta, Georgia, at Lot A at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre.

Tickets for the shows will go on sale to the public beginning this Friday, (Sept. 11) at LiveNation.com/DriveIn. Tickets will be available to purchase as car passes. Fans will only need to purchase one ticket per car, with a maximum of four people permitted in each car. Citi is the official presale credit card of Live From The Drive-In and Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning Sept. 8-10 through Citi Entertainment.

“We are thrilled to have live music returning safely to the Atlanta area for a great weekend of Live From The Drive-In. We’ve seen such a great demand from fans to get back to concerts in a safe manner and from artists to get back on the stage to perform again,” said Peter Conlon, President of Live Nation Atlanta.It’s also really great to be bringing live event jobs back to some local crew and workers who have been out of work since March. We can’t wait to see everyone come out!”

LIVE FROM THE DRIVE-IN Upcoming Dates:
Friday, October 16 – Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
Saturday, October 17 – Blackberry Smoke
Friday, October 23 – Indigo Girls
Saturday, October 24 – Yacht Rock Revue

LiveXLive To Hold Lockdown Awards In October


LiveXLive, a global platform for livestream and on-demand audio, video, and podcast content in music, comedy, and pop culture is holding its inaugural awards show, The Lockdown Awards, on Oct. 23.

Nominations will come from industry executives, peers and superfans plus LiveXLive subscribers who will be voting on winners in various categories: Best Virtual Festival, Best Show Shot with an iPhone, Best Use of Technology/Zoom, Favorite Remote Duet, Biggest Star Who Got It Right, The John Legend Award for Being Ubiquitous During a Pandemic and more.

The first-of-its-kind awards show honoring the best of content during the time of the COVID-19 streaming and at-home entertainment content consumer boom will be produced and distributed in-house by LiveXLive. The Lockdown Awards will include a virtual red carpet pre-show with celebrity appearances with social distancing guidelines and of course fashion and VIP digital meet and greets with nominees and winners.

Hosts, guest appearances and performances are set to be announced in the coming weeks. Airing from Los Angeles and New York, The Lockdown Awards will pay tribute to artists and independent venues across the country who have been hit hard by COVID-19 and where many of the performances will be hosted.

“We are living in the most unique of times,” stated LiveXLive’s CEO and Chairman, Robert Ellin. “The establishment of LiveXLive’s Lockdown Awards is rooted in our cultural ethos to provide fans and artists opportunities to perform and provide content to fans in significant ways. This event is honoring those artists who have brought energy, joy and fun to fans around the world. Our team at LiveXLive believes that acknowledging the best of performance and production value is a tribute to those who have innovated, and revolutionized the live-touring model during this unprecedented and historic time.”

Dreamlined Entertainment Group Adds Blake Duncan As Director, Creative And A&R

(L to R): Executive VP of Creative Ginny Johnson, Director of Creative and A&R Blake Duncan, General Manager Jason Campbell, and Founder and CEO Keith Stegall. Photo courtesy of Dreamlined Entertainment Group

Keith Stegall‘s Dreamlined Entertainment Group has added Blake Duncan as the company’s Director of Creative and A&R. Prior to joining Dreamlined, he interned for Broken Bow and Riser House Entertainment/Song Factory. Duncan will help oversee a label roster that includes Kevin Mac, James Leblanc, Outlaw Apostles, and Dan Smalley, and a publishing roster that also includes Mac, Leblanc, and Smalley, along with Brian Maher, Keith Stegall, Jen Stegall, and Margaret Valentine.

“I’m so excited to have Blake join our family. His enthusiasm and dedication to our writers and their songs is immeasurable,” said Stegall.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Blake Duncan to Dreamlined’s creative team,” added Ginny Johnson, Dreamlined’s Executive VP of Creative. “I have certainly been in this industry long enough to recognize exceptional talent when I see it, and Blake is the real deal!”

“I am grateful for the opportunity at Dreamlined Entertainment…There’s a high energy at Dreamlined that can’t be matched. I look forward to contributing to the team’s success by working with these great writers and artists each day,” said Duncan.
In 2015, Stegall launched Dreamlined Entertainment, a company specializing in artist development, publishing, and record label services.

Congressional Support Increases For Save Our Stages Act

Bipartisan Congressional support has continued to grow for the Save Our Stages Act (S. 4258, H.R. 7481) since it was introduced in July. To date, 144 U.S. Senators and Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors of the legislation, which is aimed at providing relief to independent live venues, promoters and festivals across the nation that have been shuttered with no revenue and high overhead since March with no timeline for reopening.

When asked if the shutdown were to last six months or longer with no meaningful federal assistance, 90% of The National Independent Venue Association members said they would be forced to fold forever.

Introduced in the Senate by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and in the House by Representatives Peter Welch (D-VT) and Roger Williams (R-TX-25), the Save Our Stages Act provides vital support for independent live music venues that have lost nearly 100% of their revenue since the pandemic began in March, yet have enormous fixed overhead with rent/mortgages, insurance, taxes and utilities still due.

“Our members expected resolution in July and have held out past their breaking points borrowing or scraping together anything they could until Congress makes a decision, but there is no further to go,” Dayna Frank, president of NIVA and CEO of First Avenue Productions in Minneapolis. “Businesses will be closed, and homes will be lost if Congress doesn’t take immediate action. We need action now.”

In June, more than 600 artists, including Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, Mavis Staples, Lady Gaga, André 3000, Coldplay, Willie Nelson, Jerry Seinfeld and Billie Ellish sent a letter to Congress advocating on behalf of NIVA.

“Independent live music and entertainment venues help bring together and entertain Americans across the country,” said Rep. Peter Welch. “Any music fan or performer knows that a livestream is just not the same as a live concert. Unfortunately, the PPP and other federal aid programs simply do not work for live music venues that cannot reopen until we stop virus transmission. I am pleased that more than 100 members across the political spectrum recognize the importance of these venues, and have cosponsored this bill to make sure venues get the support they need to survive the pandemic so they are ready to host all of us at a show in the future.”

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville Signs Jay Brunswick

Jay Brunswick.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville has added songwriter/producer Jay Brunswick to its publishing roster.

The Pittsburgh native penned Brantley Gilbert’s new single “Hard Days,” which debuted at No. 37 on Billboard’s Hot Country Chart, and Reba McEntire’s latest single “Freedom.”

Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston stated, “Jay Brunswick is an incredibly talented songwriter that continues to raise the bar for country music, and his career is just beginning to take off. Our entire team is thrilled to welcome Jay to the Sony/ATV family and to deliver the best opportunities for his songs.”

Brunswick said, “Sony/ATV has been nothing short of family to me over the last few years. Tom Luteran and I have been working to make this happen for some time now and the timing could not have been better. I have always wanted to write for both Sony/ATV and Rusty Gaston and now I have the chance to write for both under the same umbrella. I look forward to working with Tom and the rest of the powerhouse team at Sony/ATV and excited to see what the future holds for us all.”

Throughout his songwriting career, Brunswick has written top charting singles by prominent artists including “Beer Me” by Chris Janson, “Heartbreaker” and “American Nights” by Parmalee, “Everybody Lives” by Granger Smith, and “Always Been Me” and “You Ain’t Seen Country Yet” by Josh Thompson. He has also earned five Top 10 Canadian Chart hits such as Matt Lang’s “Water Down The Whiskey,” Jason Blaine’s “Born To Love,” and “What We Weren’t Looking For” by David James.

Recently, Brunswick has been working on several upcoming projects and is set to have songs recorded and released by Heath Sanders, Parmalee, and Jordan Rowe. He is also co-producing new music with rising country artists Patrick Murphy and Chancie Neal.