Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard is taking another cool temporary detour from the Grammy-winning band to perform with her newly-formed group, Bermuda Triangle. Howard, Jesse Lafser and Becca Mancari make up the new outfit with the sound that Howard dubs “sad dance hall music,” and they’ll make their onstage debut July 12 in Nashville at The Basement East in support of She Shreds, the magazine showcasing female guitarists and bassists.

Howard told NPR that the group will perform unreleased music from all three singer/songwriters during the Nashville show, but recording plans are undetermined at this time. Reportedly including drum machines, heavy harmonies and someone on a standup bass according to Mancari, Howard’s latest trip outside “Alabama” should prove an entertaining one for everyone. It’s not the first time Howard has stepped outside the Shakes to make some music – she previously recorded an album during her side project Thunderbitch as well.

 

 

“I don’t know that there is anything I love more than songwriting, especially with great songwriters,” actor, singer and songwriter Charles Esten tells MusicRow during a recent phone call from Glasgow, Scotland. “There is something about songwriters that I just love being around. They are emotionally intelligent, they are generally extremely funny, obviously they can tell a story and they are steeped in that musical tradition.”

Since arriving in Music City five years ago to star as tortured musician Deacon Claybourne on the popular series Nashville, Esten has taken advantage of his proximity to Nashville’s creative community to not only enrich his portrayal as Deacon, but to grow as a songwriter in his own right. This Friday, July 7, Esten will celebrate the release of 52 singles over the past year via social media, as part of his #EverySingleFriday series.

Esten and his Nashville cohorts including Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack and Jonathan Jackson are also on the road, recently playing to more than 11,000 fans at Glasgow’s The SSE Hydro as part of the Nashville In Concert Series. On July 23, the tour’s U.S. leg will launch in Orlando, Florida.

Though the majority of each concert is dedicated to songs featured on CMT’s Nashville, the shows also offer a performance outlet for the accomplished singer-songwriter’s own music.

“They could say, ‘This is a Nashville [concert]. We want you playing Deacon songs and that’s it.’ But they actually requested for us to sing some of our own music. It gives the audience a little more insight into us as artists, and none of our own music is that far from our characters. Chris Carmack will play the blues in a way that Will Lexington never has. I probably rock a little harder than Deacon, but none of it is jarring.”

Unlike Carmack, Esten has yet to release his own album, though for the past year, Esten has also accumulated a series of compilations, including nine of the #EverySingleFriday songs in each compilation.

“There is not one single one that I released just because I had a box to check. Every single one is a song I’m proud of,” Esten says. “And, it’s 2017. In some sense, what is an album anymore? Unless it’s specifically and intentionally a thematically coherent project, it’s just a number of songs you put together, including the ones you consider singles because you think they will pop the most.

“For me, I just said, ‘Why don’t we make them all singles and put them out?’ People are used to watching me once a week, maybe they would be interested in listening to me once a week. They might think, ‘What’s coming next week?’ and on Thursday, you’d want to know what he’s going to release the next day. Sure enough, that seems to be what has happened. They keep checking back in each week and they end up going to get the next one.”

Esten’s #EverySingleFriday releases run the gamut, chronologically and emotionally. “Kindergarten Days” was penned when his youngest daughter, who will soon be a high school senior, was graduating kindergarten. Esten wrote and performed the song for his daughter’s kindergarten graduation ceremony.

“Over the next few years, parents would ask me to perform it for their kids’ graduations. I didn’t have a recording of it, so I thought I’d record it and release it at the time kids are graduating,” Esten says.

Other tracks, including the first installment in the #EverySingleFriday series, “Through The Blue,” draw inspiration from the dramatic gains and losses experienced by his Nashville alter ego.

“Walking in the boots of Deacon, he hasn’t had it easy. In my life, I’ve been through different things but right now I’m as blessed as I can be. I have three happy, healthy kids and a dream job, and you can definitely write from that place, but there is something special about having this alter ego if you will that really battles these things. It’s definitely inspired so many songs, you can go right down through them.”

For Esten, the series is also a way to keep giving fans new music despite his packed schedule on the set of Nashville.

“I’m not able to tour like other artists. Though I’m touring right now because this season of Nashville is over, throughout the year, I’m only able to get out a certain number of days. But what I do have are days free here in town where I’m not working on the show that day, and incredible songwriters.”

Esten says he is considering keeping the series going beyond the one-year mark.

“I might end up doing 54 instead of 52, because I’ve been releasing compilations and that would round it out. Fifty-four would get me to the sixth nine series. To be honest, there’s a part of me that goes, ‘Are you sure you’re done? What if I just keep putting them out?’ I might put out an album or an EP, or maybe I’ll take a breather and start it up again.”

The decision to push himself to release new music each week also benefits the fans he sees in the audience at each Nashville tour stop.

“A year ago, I didn’t have a catalog, but now, I look out and people are singing along and that blows my mind.”

Ryan Kinder Picks On The WB Patio

Ryan Kinder hosted Warner Music Nashville’s second Pickin’ on the Patio party of the season last week on June 28, bringing his guitar-driven sound to Music Row for a packed show.

 

Chris Young Makes Sirius Visit

Chris Young visited Sirius XM The Highway last week before his anticipated hometown Fourth Of July show in downtown Nashville.

 

Jerry Lee Lewis Inks With 117 Entertainment Group

Jerry Lee Lewis has signed with Nashville-based 117 Entertainment Group for public relations and media representation. Lewis is also represented by CAA for booking. 2017 marks the 60th Anniversary of his mega-hits “Whole Lotta Shakin’” and “Great Balls of Fire,” both of which were recorded at Sam Phillips’ Memphis-based Sun Records.

 

The Grascals Sign With Martha Moore For PR

Mountain Home Music Company has hired Martha Moore of so much MOORE media to handle publicity for The Grascals’ upcoming Before Breakfast CD.  Moore is also currently working with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and was publicist on previous projects for Darin & Brooke Aldridge and NewTown.