Hillary Lindsey Headed To Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Hillary Lindsey

Nashville songwriting icon Hillary Lindsey will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) alongside Timothy Mosley (Timbaland); Dean Pitchford; Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) and Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (Steely Dan).

SHOF Chairman Nile Rodgers says, “I’ve said it before, but the music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch . . . nothing, it all starts with the song and the songwriter. We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2024 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and literally enriched music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”

Lindsey is behind some of the biggest hits of the modern era of country music, including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take The Wheel,” Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” as well as “Always Remember Us This Way” and “Million Reasons” from Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s A Star Is Born. She is also a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF).

Among Timbaland’s hits are “SexyBack,” “Get Ur Freak On,” “Pony,” “Big Pimpin’” and “The Way I Are.” Pitchford is behind “Footloose,” “Fame,” “Holding Out For A Hero,” “All The Man That I Need” and “Let’s Hear It For The Boy.”

Some of R.E.M.’s hits include “Losing My Religion,” “Everybody Hurts,” “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” “Radio Free Europe” and “The One I Love.” Steely Dan counts “Reelin’ in the Years,” “My Old School,” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Black Friday” and “Kid Charlemagne” among their hits.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Restless Road Brings The Party To Brooklyn Bowl

Restless Road. Photo: André Smoke

Rising country act Restless Road, a trio made up of Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack, performed at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville on Friday night (Jan. 12) on the second stop of their “Last Rodeo Tour.” The sold-out night was filled with feel-good songs, perfect harmonies and fun cover jam sessions.

Opener Erin Kinsey kicked off the night. Strutting onto the stage with her electric guitar, Kinsey opened with her hit “Boys In Boots.” Continuing with her guitar, she went into “Stayed A Summer,” where the singer showed off her guitar skills with an electrifying solo that mesmerized the crowd.

“I feel like tonight’s going to be pretty fun,” Kinsey said before moving into her fun single “Handful.” The singer then paused to tell the crowd the story behind the next song, “Matchmaker,” an unreleased song she had just written. “I wrote it after finding out I have the absolute honor of being [the reason] why two people are in love,” she said. After cheers erupted from the crowd, she clarified, “I have known these two people for a very long time. One of them is one of my very best friends, the other one is my ex-boyfriend.”

After finishing the witty lyrics, Kinsey’s band left the stage for a moment. She then grabbed her acoustic guitar and slowed the night down for a few minutes with “I Got You,” a song she wrote for her sister. After the band rejoined her on stage, Kinsey grabbed her banjo and started strumming the intro of “Different Us.”

As the band started playing the tune to the singer’s breakout single “Just Drive,” the crowd cheered, all ready to sing along. Kinsey moved around the stage and interacted with the fans during the track. As she wrapped up her set, Kinsey thanked the Nashville crowd for coming out early to see her.

Pictured (L-R, back row): Nikki Boon (Neon Coast), Kenley Flynn (Sony Music Publishing), Jess Tomlins (Neon Coast), Julie Sturdivant (CAA), Sam Forbert (CAA), Chris King (KBFM), Dennis Reese (RCA Nashville), Jennifer Way (Sony Music Nashville), Steve Hodges (Sony Music Nashville), Caryl Atwood (Sony Music Nashville), Martha Earls (Neon Coast); (L-R, front row): Restless Road’s Colton Pack, Garrett Nichols & Zach Beeken. Photo: André Smoke

As blue lights begin to flash, Restless Road’s drummer and bass player took the stage. Voice recordings of “Bar Friends” begin to play in the background, and the excitement of the crowd was palpable as Beeken, Nichols and Pack appeared.

The trio started the night off with “Bar Friends” and “Sundown Somewhere.” After taking in the energy of the crowd, Beeken welcomed everyone. “We are Restless Road and we’ve been looking forward to this moment for a very, very long time,” he said before the trio went into “Leave Them Boots On” and “One Step Ahead.”

Before going into the next song, the lights faded as the trio showcased their harmonies for the first of many times throughout the night. As the opening harmonies rang for “Could’ve Been A Love Song,” the crowd let out a spine-tingling roar. Beeken also showed off his deep range with a solo moment during the track.

After listening to the crowd cheer, Nichols talked about how the band put the show together. “There were a lot of songs we knew we wanted to play. We had a lot of new songs from the new album, but we also had a lot of old songs. There was one song that we knew had to be in this set, because this is the song that really put us on the map. We want to see how many of y’all know it,” he said as the opening chords to “Take Me Home” started. The crowd sang along enthusiastically.

During the song, superstar Kane Brown, whom the trio recorded the song with, made an appearance on stage, thrilling both the band and the crowd.

Continuing to show off their harmonies and vocal abilities, Restless Road sang hit “Go Get Her” and “10 Things” before going into a cover medley that included “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy),” “She’s Country,” “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and “Boondocks.” To keep the party going, the trio sang two more songs off their Last Rodeo album, “Easy For You To Say” and “Tell Me Not To.”

“Nashville, y’all are blowing us away right now,” Pack said between songs. “This last year of our lives has been the most incredible year we could have ever asked for, but the most incredible thing was getting to release our debut album. What was really important to us is that we wanted to create an album that when you listened to it from top to bottom, you left feeling like you knew who Restless Road was a little bit better.” The trio then played the closing track of the album “On My Way,” a song that tells the story of the trio’s 10-year journey so far.

Restless Road. Photo: James Tucker

The lights begin to soften as Nichols walked over to the piano and the trio began to sing “Most Nights.” During the performance, they brought Kinsey back out to the stage to sing along, as they originally recorded the track together. Kinsey and Pack harmonized brilliantly.

After Kinsey left the stage, the band began to prepare for the next part of the set, but before everyone could get ready, Beeken grabbed Pack and the two went over to Nichols’ piano. “I just want to hijack this moment real quick,” Beeken said. “Boys, let’s try what we were doing in the green room earlier.”

The three came together to sing an impromptu cover of “When You Look Me In The Eyes” by the Jonas Brothers and then Rascal Flatts‘ hit “Bless The Broken Road.” The crowd swooned to both tunes, as the spontaneous cover session brought everyone together. “Just call us Restless Flatts from now on,” Pack joked as the trio end the cover session.

The music picked up tempo again and the strobe lights began to go off as the trio went into “Head Over Heels” and “Headlights.” Nichols shared that though the set had included all sorts of songs, such as “breakup songs, life songs and party songs,” the next tune was going to be a love song. As Nichols introduced the song, the crowd began to fill with anticipation as the band started playing a fan-favorite “Growing Old With You.” Audience members were swaying and singing along as the trio took in the moment.

Green and yellow lights flashed as Restless Road took on one more cover, Keith Urban‘s “Somebody Like You.” The trio kept the tempo up with “No Can Do,” where the crowd continued dancing and clapping along to the beat.

“Y’all have just been absolutely incredible,” Nichols exclaimed. “What a way to start off 2024. Whether this is your first time watching us or you’ve been there since the very beginning, it’s been 10 long years to get to this moment.” The opening notes to “Last Rodeo” began to play, and Nichols shared that the tune is the band’s next single at country radio. A thrilled audience sang along to every word as Restless Road ended an unforgettable night in Nashville.

The “Last Rodeo Tour” will continue through April with stops throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Click here to see dates.

‘Where The Wild Things Are’ Notches Second Week At No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart

Luke Combs maintains his spot at the top of the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with “Where The Wild Things Are.”

Written by Randy Montana and Dave Turnbull, the song is about a set of brothers who, despite their differences, share a deep connection. The track appears on Combs’ Gettin’ Old album.

Next month, Combs will compete for Best Country Solo Performance at the 66th annual Grammy Awards for his version of Tracy Chapman’s song “Fast Car.” In April, he will return to the road with his “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” U.S. stadium tour, which sold over a million tickets in the first weekend on-sale.

“Where The Wild Things Are” currently sits at No. 8 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 7 on the Mediabase chart.

Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Chris Young Delivers Smoldering New Track

Chris Young. Photo: John Shearer

Vintage artists vie with contemporary country acts today in DISClaimer.

Wade Hayes, Sawyer Brown and Billy Dean are still singing fine. But so are Brian Kelley, Gabby Barrett and Chris Young. Mr. Young easily takes home a Disc of the Day award for his stunning “Right Now” performance.

Lizzie No is one of three Black country stylists in today’s column. She competes for a DISCovery Award alongside Jessie G and The Castellows. In a tough, all-female contest, The Castellows earn the honor.

BRITTNEY SPENCER/ “Night In”
Writers: Brittney Spencer/Jessica Cayne/Summer Overstreet; Producer: Daniel Tashian; Label: Elektra
– It’s a delightfully catchy pop track with Brittney coyly suggesting that she’d rather curl up on the couch, get high with friends and chill as a “home girl” instead of doing another night on the town. The beats are crunchy and the personality is charming.

CHRIS YOUNG / “Right Now”
Writers: Chris Young/Chris DeStefano/Josh Hoge/Paul DiGiovanni; Producers: Chris Young/Chris DeStefano; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– Magnificent. He’s carrying a torch so hot that the whole track smolders. While percussion throbs and guitars cry, one of our greatest current country singers yearns for her in a lonely well of desire. Play it again.

SAWYER BROWN / “Nashville Cat”
Writer: Mark Miller; Producers: Mark Miller/Blake Shelton; Label: Curb Records
– The band is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with a documentary titled Get Me to Stage on Time and a forthcoming album. The latter’s advance track is this characteristic rocker asking an “uptown girl” for a lively date. A classic Sawyer Brown bopper.

REYNA ROBERTS / “One Way Street”
Writers: Natalie Stovall/Reyna Roberts/Aaron Wagner; Producer: Aaron Wagner; Label: Empire
– This track from her new Bad Girl Bible collection finds Roberts singing at the tippy-top of her vocal range on a somewhat slogging, aimless ballad. She can do better, and has.

BILLY DEAN / “Never Back Down”
Writers: Billy Dean/Hugh Van Landingham/Cody Van Landingham; Producer: none listed; Label: BD
– This has been announced as Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign theme song. It’s a flag-waving string of phrases calling for everyone to rise up who is “tired of the same old crowd.” Oh, I almost forgot: The track has “USA, USA, USA” chanting, too.

LIZZIE NO / “Annie Oakley”
Writer: Lizzie No; Producers: Lizzie No/Graham Richman/Patrick Dillett; Label: Thirty Tigers/Miss Freedomland
– She is a Black Opry showcaser and a folk-music podcaster with a new album titled Halfsies that drops on Jan. 19. Its single is a road song that questions both the journey and the destination. Acoustic guitar strumming accompanies her languid vocal at first, and then the track builds in complexity and intensity. Drums pound the creation home. Definitely worth a listen.

BRIAN KELLEY / “Trucks, Ducks, Bucks & Beer”
Writers: none listed; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: Big Machine
– This one is an upbeat outdoor sportsman’s anthem about huntin’ and fishin.’ It is also his best vocal performance to date.

GABBY BARRETT / “You’re My Texas”
Writers: Gabby Barrett/Miranda Lambert/Hillary Lindsey; Producers: Ross Copperman/Gabby Barrett; Label: Warner
– Utterly enchanting. Her dreamy performance is saturated with romance and comfort. Wafting background-vocal sighs and steady, chopping guitar licks color the ballad’s production, while the lyric conjures pastoral images. Highly recommended.

WADE HAYES / “Old Country Still Rocks”
Writer: Wade Hayes; Producer: Wade Hayes; Label: Conabor
– Wade sings the praises of Willie, Waylon, Haggard, Bocephus, Brooks & Dunn, Loveless, Diffie, Travis, Strait, Tritt, Chesnutt and other vintage stylists on this snappy country rocker with stuttering guitar and scampering fiddle.

JESSIE G & GRETCHEN WILSON / “Like My Whiskey”
Writers: Jessica Goergen/Matthew Hundley; Producers: Jessie G/Gretchen Wilson; Label: MusicCred
– Jessie is Gretchen’s protégée. The older star urged Jessie to move from Oregon to Music City and has been guiding her progress. Their debut collaboration is a pile-driving country rocker in praise of wild times. “I like my men like I like my whiskey,” they warble over and over again as the band kicks up dust.

THE CASTELLOWS / “A Little Goes a Long Way”
Writers: Eleanor Balkcom/Lily Balkcom/Powell Balkcom/Natalie Hemby; Producer: Trina Shoemaker; Label: Warner
– This sister trio will drop its debut EP in February. This is its title tune, a lilting, breezy outing showcasing the blonde Georgia siblings’ pitch-perfect harmony singing. Their musical goodness also shines on the bopping, nostalgic “No. 7 Road,” which is now airing on CMT.

Governor Bill Lee Introduces ELVIS Act For Likeness, Voice & Image Protection

At a press conference at Studio A in Nashville on Wednesday (Jan. 10), Tennessee Governor Bill Lee introduced bicameral legislation alongside State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-27) and House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-44) regarding concerns about creators’ voice, image and likeness rights.

The Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act updates Tennessee’s Protection of Personal Rights law, making it the first state in the nation to preserve individual voice, image and likeness against irresponsible and unethical artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of deepfakes and audio cloning. The ELVIS Act seeks to protect the future of Tennessee creators from the harmful misuse of technology on some online platforms, such as computer-generated recordings that resemble artists’ voices or deepfake videos.

Christian music icon Michael W. Smith welcomed the artists, songwriters, music industry folk and legislative leaders gathered at the press conference. He shared, “As a working artist and songwriter, I know how vital it is to build a creative environment that protects the work and individuality of future generations of dreamers. While I am grateful for existing tools that have helped me craft both my music and my message, even more personal gifts and attributes have a right to be protected from digital manipulations. I’m honored to be here today as a voice supporting the ELVIS Act to protect my fellow musicians today and in the future.”

Governor Lee said, “From Beale Street to Broadway and beyond, Tennessee is known for our rich artistic heritage that tells the story of our great state. As the technology landscape evolves with artificial intelligence, we’re proud to lead the nation in proposing legal protection for our best-in-class artists and songwriters.”

Other attendees supporting today’s update to Tennessee’s Right of Publicity law include artists, songwriters, producers and engineers such as Ruby Amanfu, Steve Cropper, Tom Douglas, Lindsay Ell, Matt Maher, Jamie Moore, Ari Morris, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell (Royal Studios), Maggie Rose, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Gebre Waddell, Matthew West and Lainey Wilson.

Artist and songwriter advocacy organizations have come out in support of the ELVIS Act, including NSAI, NMPA, RIAA, the Recording Academy, A2IM, Artist Rights Alliance, SAG-AFTRA and SoundExchange.

Of the piece of legislature, NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison says, “The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) resulted in fake recordings that are not authorized by the artist and is wrong, period. The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) applauds Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, State Senator Jack Johnson and Rep. William Lamberth for introducing legislation that adds the word ‘voice’ to the existing law—making it crystal clear that unauthorized AI-generated fake recordings are subject to legal action in the state of Tennessee. This is an important step in what will be an ongoing challenge to regulate generative AI music creations.”

NMPA President & CEO David Israelite adds, “AI deepfakes and voice cloning threaten the integrity of all music. It makes sense that Tennessee state would pioneer these important policies which will bolster and protect the entire industry. Music creators face enough forces working to devalue their work—technology that steals their voice and likeness should not be one of them.”

Notably, RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier also released a statement earlier today in support of the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unauthorized Duplications Act of 2024 (No AI Fraud Act). The bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1), Joe Morelle (D-NY-25) and Rob Wittman (R-VA-1) also aims to combat abusive AI deepfakes, voice clones and exploitive digital human impersonations.

Endurance Music Group Elevates Lauren Funk To VP Of Publishing

Lauren Funk. Photo: Ed Rode

Endurance Music Group (EMG) has elevated Lauren Funk to newly created position of Vice President of Publishing, effective immediately.

Funk joined EMG from Big Yellow Dog Music, where she spent seven years on the creative team working with Grammy winners Maren Morris, Meghan Trainor, Josh Kear, Daniel Tashian and more. She began her tenure as an intern in 2014, and was hired as Creative Manager upon graduation from Belmont University. In the following years, she secured cuts with artists including Little Big Town, Blake Shelton, Josh Turner, Alan Jackson, Dustin Lynch and more. In 2022, Funk was a member of the inaugural class of the CMA’s Women’s Leadership Academy, a professional development program and group coaching experience for high-performing women in the country music industry.

Since joining EMG in 2021, she has been instrumental in the signing and/or retention of award-winning, multi-Platinum songwriter Jordan Schmidt, hit songwriter Scooter Carusoe and acclaimed singer-songwriter and producer Jake Rose. She will continue to manage the company’s relationships with its roster of hitmakers, including Records artist Matt Stell, songwriters and producers Seth Alley and Paul Sikes, among others, while identifying and signing promising new talent.

“I’m so proud to work with Lauren. It has been incredible to witness her growth as a creative leader and experience the impact she has made on the writers and artists at Endurance over the past couple of years. Her passion for the song and the songwriter is vital for the health of our creative industry, and we are lucky to have her on our team,” says Michael Martin, EMG President.

“The last two years at Endurance Music Group have been nothing short of amazing, and I am thrilled to take on this new role. I am so proud to work alongside our songwriters and creative team, who inspire me every day,” Funk adds. “I am beyond thankful to Michael Martin for his leadership, passion, and encouragement. I know 2024 is going to be our best year yet!”

Nominations Open: MusicRow’s 11th Annual Rising Women On The Row

MusicRow will honor six deserving businesswomen during its 11th annual Rising Women on the Row ceremony on March 19, 2024 at the Omni Nashville Hotel. The breakfast event will recognize the selected Nashville music industry professionals who have become substantial contributors and visionary leaders.

Nominations for the Rising Women on the Row Class of 2024 are now closed.

Submissions will be considered only through the official nomination process, which closes Wednesday, Jan. 17. Candidates nominated in previous years will need to be resubmitted. Multiple nominations do not increase likelihood of being selected, but you may nominate as many individuals as you like with separate forms. Self-nominations are welcome.

The 2024 Class of Rising Women on the Row will be announced in the coming weeks, along with event details. Tickets will open in the coming weeks as well.

Past honorees include—2023: Stacy Blythe, Martha Earls, Beth Hamilton, Jackie Jones, Brittany Schaffer, Anna Weisband; 2020/2022: Jen Conger, JoJamie Hahr, Mandy Morrison, Missy Roberts, Jennie Smythe, Stephanie Wright; 2019: Janine Ebach, Kelly Janson, Meredith Jones, Lenore Kinder, Sandi Spika Borchetta, Jennifer Turnbow; 2018: Faithe Dillman, Leslie DiPiero, Becky Gardenhire, Lynn Oliver-Cline, Annie Ortmeier, Janet Weir; 2017: Tatum Allsep, Virginia Bunetta, Kerri Edwards, Kella Farris, Laura Hutfless, Juli Newton-Griffith; 2016: Abbey Adams, Amanda Cates, Cris Lacy, Leslie Roberts, Risha Rodgers; 2015: Kele Currier, Tiffany Dunn, Dawn Gates, Jensen Sussman, Lou Taylor; 2014: Julie Boos, Caryl Atwood, Ebie McFarland, Alicia Pruitt, Kelly Rich; 2013: Cyndi Forman, Cindy Hunt, Beth Laird, Cindy Mabe, Brandi Simms; 2012: Shannan Hatch, Mary Hilliard Harrington, Heather McBee, Denise Stevens, Carla Wallace.

The Familie To Establish Nashville HQ, Led By Royce Risser

Royce Risser

The Familie, a sports and music agency, has arrived in Nashville with the addition of two new hires.

Royce Risser, previously EVP of Promotion at Universal Music Group, has been hired as The Familie’s Head of Nashville and EVP of Country Music. He will be leading the company’s expansion into Music City. Additionally, The Familie has added artist manager Chase Berlin to the team.

As The Familie prepares to make Nashville its national headquarters, Risser will be overseeing and executing Nashville office operations. He will also be leading the development of The Familie’s new country division. The Familie’s roster currently includes artists such as Machine Gun Kelly, Avril Lavigne, Jaden Hossler, Games We Play and sombr.

Steve Astephen, Co-founder and CEO at The Familie, says, “We’ve been eyeing Nashville as the home for our new HQ since 2019, and Risser was the missing link we’d been waiting for. He’s a veteran on Music Row, has worked with most of the top names in country and is the perfect person to not just open a Familie office in Nashville, but to truly make us a Nashville firm. We’re thrilled to have him.”

Risser’s over three decades of experience includes a significant stint leading all promotion efforts at UMG Nashville. Risser played an integral role in the release of over 200 No.1 singles for artists such as George Strait, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, Brothers Osborne, Jordan Davis, Parker McCollum, Lee Ann Womack, Gary Allan, Josh Turner, Sugarland, Billy Currington, Kip Moore, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, the Mavericks, David Lee Murphy, Trisha Yearwood, Marty Stuart, Wynonna Judd, Mark Chesnutt, Tracy Byrd and many more.

“It’s been immediately clear to me that The Familie does things differently,” he shares. “I appreciate the team’s non-transactional approach to management, thoughtfully building artist brands and legacies through collaboration and a vast network of cross-industry alliances. Steve Astephen could easily be the smartest, most connected person I’ve ever met and can’t wait to work alongside him in this role. I know this team will be a refreshing addition to the Nashville scene while also integrating with and honoring the history and pedigree of Music Row. I’m absolutely fired up and honored to be at the helm of The Familie’s arrival in Nashville.”

Berlin, The Familie’s first artist manager in Nashville, will work under Risser to sign and develop promising country artists and build out the genre’s division for the company. He began his music industry career at WME before joining The AMG as an artist manager, working with artists like Kat & Alex and Jordan James.

Luke Combs Tops The First MusicRow Radio Chart Of 2024

After just 10 weeks on the chart, Luke Combs‘ “Where The Wild Things Are” is the No. 1 song on the first MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart of 2024.

Written by Randy Montana and Dave Turnbull, the track appears on Combs’ Gettin’ Old. The country hitmaker performed it during the CMA Awards in November, where he also took home Single of the Year for his version of “Fast Car.”

Combs will return to the road this year with his “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour,” which sold over a million tickets in the first weekend on-sale, with 16 of the 25 dates also selling out immediately.

“Where The Wild Things Are” currently sits at No. 8 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 9 on the Mediabase chart.

Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

Chris Fabiani Joins Leo33 As Vice President, Promotion & Marketing

Chris Fabiani

Chris Fabiani has joined the Nashville-based independent label Leo33 as Vice President, Promotion & Marketing.

With a career spanning over 16 years in the music industry, Fabiani brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role at the label. The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) graduate started at Universal Music Group (UMG) Distribution in 2006, before transitioning into promotion as a coordinator at UMG. In 2012, Fabiani was promoted to a regional position with EMI Nashville, where he spent six years working with artists including Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Brandon Lay, Gary Allan, Jon Langston and more. In 2019, he entered a the role of Director of Promotion & Artist Engagement. In this capacity, Fabiani led the development of innovative marketing opportunities, in partnership with the marketing team, and explored various ways to connect with diverse audiences.

In 2020, he joined Warner Music Nashville as a regional for the WEA team, leveraging his expertise to contribute to the success of artists under the label umbrella. In 2022, he ascended to National Director, overseeing campaigns for artists such as Blake Shelton, Cody Johnson, Cole Swindell, Ashley McBryde and Breland.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chris Fabiani to the Leo33 family,” says Katie Dean, Head of Leo33. “His extensive industry experience, strategic acumen and proven ability to connect with artists aligns seamlessly with Leo33’s vision of fostering innovation and artistic growth. We are confident that Chris will play a pivotal role in elevating our artists and contributing to the continued success of Leo33.”

“I am genuinely excited to join the all star team at Leo33, a label that shares my passion for pushing the boundaries of the music industry,” shares Fabiani. “I look forward to contributing to the label’s success as we continue to elevate artists and shape the future of music.”