Nominees Announced For 56th Annual CMA Awards

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The Country Music Association has revealed the final nominees for the 56th annual CMA Awards.

Lainey Wilson, a first-time nominee, is the most nominated this year with six nods. Other top nominees include Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, and Chris Stapleton, along with songwriter and producer Shane McAnally, each with five nominations.

Vying for the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year, is Stapleton, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Morgan Wallen.

First-time CMA Awards nominees include BRELAND, Alexa Campbell, Jack Clarke, Dan Grech-Marguerat, Jacob Davis, Dustin Haney, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins, Jason Lehning, Blake Lively, Chip Matthews, Parker McCollum, Michael Monaco, Jason Nix, Mikey Reaves, Harper Smith, Trent Willmon, and Wilson.

“It’s thrilling to celebrate these deserving nominees while our industry is returning to live music,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s slate is impressive, with some nominees logging historic milestones while others are just getting started. No matter what stage in their career, they each bring a unique voice and unforgettable story to life, showing that country music is stronger than ever! We look forward to honoring them this November.”

The 56th CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will air live from Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 9 (8:00 – 11:00 PM/EST) on ABC.

See the full list of nominees below:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
– Luke Combs
– Miranda Lambert
– Chris Stapleton
– Carrie Underwood
– Morgan Wallen

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer
– “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
– “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (feat. Kenny Chesney)
Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins
Mix Engineer: Dan Grech-Marguerat
– “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
– “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
Producer: Trent Willmon
Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke
– “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
– Growin’ Up – Luke Combs
Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
Mix Engineers: Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
– Humble Quest – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea
– Palomino – Miranda Lambert
Producers: Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Mikey Reaves
Mix Engineer: Jason Lehning
– Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ – Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
– Time, Tequila & Therapy – Old Dominion
Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank

SONG OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Songwriters
– “Buy Dirt”
Songwriters: Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins
– “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”
Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce
– “Sand In My Boots”
Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Josh Osborne
– “Things A Man Oughta Know”
Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson
– “You Should Probably Leave”
Songwriters: Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley, Chris Stapleton

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
– Miranda Lambert
– Ashley McBryde
– Carly Pearce
– Carrie Underwood
– Lainey Wilson

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
– Eric Church
– Luke Combs
– Cody Johnson
– Chris Stapleton
– Morgan Wallen

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
– Lady A
– Little Big Town
– Midland
– Old Dominion
– Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
– Brooks & Dunn
– Brothers Osborne
– Dan + Shay
– LOCASH
– Maddie & Tae

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Producer(s)
– “Beers On Me” – Dierks Bentley with BRELAND & HARDY
Producers: Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman
– “If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
Producer: Michael Knox
– “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
– “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
Producer: Zach Crowell
– “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
– Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
– Paul Franklin, Steel guitar
– Brent Mason, Guitar
– Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo
– Derek Wells, Guitar

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Directors
– “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) – Taylor Swift (featuring Chris
Stapleton)
Director: Blake Lively
– “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
Director: Harper Smith
– “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
Director: Michael Monaco
– “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Director: Alexa Campbell
– “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
Director: Dustin Haney

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
– HARDY
– Walker Hayes
– Cody Johnson
– Parker McCollum
– Lainey Wilson

 

2022 CMA BROADCAST AWARDS – FINALISTS FOR BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (by market size):

Weekly National
– “American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Westwood One
– “The Country Top 40 with Fitz” (Cory Fitzner) – Hubbard Radio
– “The Crook & Chase Countdown” (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – iHeartMedia
– “Today’s Country with Kelleigh Bannen” (Kelleigh Bannen) – Apple Music Radio
– “With Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One

Daily National
– “Angie Ward” – iHeartMedia
– “The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek “Big D” Haskins, Sean “Bubba” Powell, Patrick Thomas, and Carsen Humphreville) – Compass Media Networks
– “The Bobby Bones Show” (Bobby Bones, Amy Brown, “Lunchbox” Dan Chappell, Eddie Garcia, “Morgan #2” Huelsman, “Raymundo” Ray Slater, “Scuba Steve” Stephen Spradlin, “Mike D” Rodriguez, and “Phone Screener Abby” Anderson) – Premiere Networks
– “Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One
– “The Sam Alex Show” (Sam Alex) – Sam Alex Productions, LLC

Major Market
– “The Andie Summers Show” (Andie Summers) – WXTU, Philadelphia, Pa.
– “Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and McKaila Poppen) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
– “Danny Dwyer” – KUPL, Portland, Ore.
– “Josh, Rachael & Grunwald” (Josh Holleman, Rachel Hunter, and Steve Grunwald) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.
– “The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister” (Matt McAllister, Emily Raines, and Joe Wallace) – KKWF, Seattle, Wash.

Large Market
– “Jim, Deb & Kevin” (Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt and Kevin Freeman) – WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind.
– “The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Tay Hamilton) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.
– “The Dale Carter Morning Show” (Dale Carter) – KFKF, Kansas City, Mo.
– “The Big Dave Show” (“Big Dave” Chandler, Chelsie Shinkle, Jason “Stattman” Statt, and Ashley Hempfling) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
– “The Wake Up Call with David and Kelli” (David Bugenske and Kelli Green) – KFRG, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.
– “The New Q-Morning Crew with Mike and Amanda” (Mike Wheless and Amanda Daughtry) – WQDR, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.

Medium Market
– “Buzz Jackson” – KIIM, Tucson, Ariz.
– “Cliff & Tanya in the Morning” (Cliff Dumas and Tanya Brakebill) – KUZZ, Bakersfield, Calif.
– “Julie and DJ in the Morning” (“Julie K” Kansy, “D.J. Thee Trucker” Dale Sellers, and Jon Dennis) – WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
– “New Country Mornings with Nancy and Woody” (Nancy Wilson and Aaron “Woody” Woods) – WHKO, Dayton, Ohio
– “Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

Small Market
– “The Cat Pak Morning Show with Brent and Mel” (Brent Lane and Mel McCrae) – WYCT, Pensacola, Fla.
– “Dr. Shane and Tess in the Morning” (“Dr. Shane” Collins and Tess Connell) – WPAP, Panama City, Fla.
– “The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.
– “Liz & Scotty in the Morning” (Liz Del Grosso and Scotty Cox) – KCLR, Columbia, Mo.
– “Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.

2022 CMA BROADCAST AWARDS – FINALISTS FOR RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (by market size):

Major Market
– KILT – Houston, Texas
– KNIX – Phoenix, Ariz.
– KSCS – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
– WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.
– WYCD – Detroit, Mich.

Large Market
– KFKF – Kansas City, Mo.
– WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
– WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
– WQDR – Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
– WSIX – Nashville, Tenn.

Medium Market
– KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
– WHKO – Dayton, Ohio
– WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.
– WQMX – Akron, Ohio
– WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.

Small Market
– WCOW – La Crosse, Wis.
– WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.
– WKXC – Augusta, Ga.
– WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
– WXFL – Florence-Muscle Shoals, Ala.

The Electric Jane: One Part Nostalgia, One Part Discovery, All Parts Magical [Interview]

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The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

Tucked away right outside the heart of Music City, perfectly housed between the Gulch and iconic Music Row, sits one of Nashville’s newest and most mystical entertainment spots: The Electric Jane.

Taking inspiration from the once-popular supper clubs of the 80s, which offered patrons dinner and a show, the Electric Jane is the product of a decade of friendship between its owners Jason Scoppa and Sam Bakhshandehpour.

Scoppa got his start in event promotions, eventually leading him to music programming at clubs in and around Hollywood. “I needed to find a way to be passionate about it so I started adding live music,” he shares with MusicRow. “There were a lot of jazz artists in the beginning. That was a catalyst to begin a rock night, which led to us [starting] another venue called Bardot.”

Curt Chambers on opening night at the Electric Jane. Photo: Tristan Cusick

Hosting a slew of artists from Bruno Mars and Young the Giant, to Jane’s Addiction and even Prince, the success of Bardot led Scoppa to create the famed Sayers Club in Hollywood, which is where the pair’s paths crossed. At the time, Bakhshandehpour was serving as CEO of SBE, a leading hospitality company based in LA.

Launched in May of 2012, the Sayers Club was a venue all its own. As a hub for artist discovery, the spot featured performances from an array of big acts, such as The Black Keys, Fitz & the Tantrums, Lady A, Stevie Wonder and countless others, all for intimate audiences of less than 300 people.

“Night in and night out we experienced people of all walks of life coming together around this love for music. We didn’t even have a sign out front, yet people found this little hole in the wall in Hollywood, made memories, and walked away. It went viral,” Bakhshandehpour reflects. “There was a certain privacy and intimacy about it, and occasionally you would have the surprise of major artists popping on stage.

“The irony is, despite the big names, it was always the acts that you hadn’t heard of that would make the hair on your arms stand up straight. It was that element of discovery and the beauty of bringing people together around music that really blew my mind.”

The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

That promise of discovery is what led the pair to turn their eyes towards Nashville, a city drenched in both untapped and well established talent.

With hopes of growing what they had already started at the Sayers Club, the pair decided to add a food component to its Nashville location, allowing guests to be treated to worldly food such as their “Cheese on Fire” dish or their cannoli-topped espresso martinis, coupled with world-class entertainment from some of Music City’s brightest musicians.

“When Sam and I were working on what this thing was going to become, we felt like we were either rediscovering or inventing a category that didn’t really exist at the time in terms of hospitality,” Scoppa explains. “It’s an intimate, living room type feel that can’t hold more than about 300 people at a time, but you get big production and big acts in a small space.”

The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

Officially opening its doors in February of 2022, the Electric Jane gets its name from Scoppa’s grandmother, whom he was born exactly 50 years apart from. From the electric blue of Jane’s eyes, the birds that she often drew represented in the logo, the bright red floors that resemble her iconic lipstick and the almost exclusively velvet furniture, Jane’s influence can be felt and seen throughout the venue.

However, one cannot overlook the obvious Prince inspiration within the venue, as well. Decked out with his signature purple in place of the traditional green room, and the notable mural of the groundbreaking entertainer on the side of the building, Scoppa credits Prince as a massive influence on his career.

“I don’t know that I’d necessarily be doing this if I hadn’t met him along the way,” Scoppa admits. “I started getting addicted to him playing at my venues because he wasn’t just playing in anybody’s room. My whole hook from venue to venue was to design a space that he would play from a sonic, ambiance, and audience standpoint. I knew that if he would play it, then anybody on planet Earth would too.”

The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

When it comes to their programming, the guys are always in the mindset of trying to facilitate discovery. Starting with a slate of some of Nashville’s impressive session players, Scoppa mixes and matches members together until he finds the right band to create the perfect showcase for the Electric Jane.

“There’s no exact map to it, it’s more of a feeling,” Scoppa explains. “Our programming is still evolving and we’re quality biased, not genre biased. We’re learning more and more every day about the emerging artists and how to approach each night individually with its own character.”

Currently, the venue boasts quite the slate of weekly shows, including Women Wednesdays that celebrate a variety of Nashville’s women in music, Thursday residencies with Golden West and the Spazzmatics, Kyndle Wyld on Fridays, local superstar-in-the-making Gyasi taking over the stage on Saturdays nights, and plenty of brunch-time entertainment for weekend “Rue De Brunches.”

Nate Smith. Photo: Tara

The space has already taken up its spot as one of Music Row’s new go-to locations for industry events as well, with rising Sony singer-songwriter Nate Smith taking his turn at the mic for a pair of shows, Scotty McCreery celebrating his recent No. 1 hits on the venue’s stage, and plenty more in the works.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many businesses in the music industry have already gravitated to us as an event space. That’s a part of our business that we always knew would be there. We launched in this location with an eye towards Music Row,” Bakhshandehpour notes. “We developed this space with Jason’s aesthetic and eye towards events, and I’ve been blown away by the reception of people wanting to throw special events here, like album release parties, corporate functions and happy hours.”

While they continue to evolve and create a global menu, as well as fully tap into the room’s potential, the Electric Jane and its two seasoned leaders are well on their way to becoming a foothold in Nashville that offers an entertainment and dining experience unlike any other the city has seen before.

The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

“Cities all across this country are hungry for discovery and new places to experience hospitality in a new way. At the end of the day, it’s all built around bringing people together.” Scoppa sums, “We’re really proud that we’re bringing all the arts together and letting the venue make everybody feel important, regardless of your status. I think we need to bring people together now more than ever.”

“We’re bringing something that’s a little differentiated. We wanted to slot ourselves in and fill a space that we saw, while also paying respect to all of the amazing venues that are around us,” Bakhshandehpour adds. “Nashville already has such an incredible culture and community of music lovers, artists, and people that come here with a dream. It’s a community that brings everyone together and allows that dream to come to fruition. We want to be the venue where the music industry comes together and makes magic happen.”

Bailey Zimmerman Makes Big Leap On The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Bailey Zimmerman. Photo: Chris Ashlee

Bailey Zimmerman makes quite the jump this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, moving from No. 11 to No. 6 this week. The Warner Music Nashville and Elektra Music Group singer-songwriter has credits on his own three currently charting songs: “Rock and A Hard Place,” “Where It Ends,” and “Fall In Love.”

Ashley Gorley maintains his spot at the peak of the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for a fifth consecutive week with seven currently charting songs, including “Gold” (Dierks Bentley), “Holy Water” (Michael Ray), “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” (Cole Swindell), “Take My Name” (Parmalee), “What He Didn’t Do” (Carly Pearce), “You Didn’t” (Brett Young) and “You Proof” (Morgan Wallen).

Morgan Wallen (No. 2), Ernest Keith Smith (No. 3), Zach Bryan (No. 4) and Chase McGill (No. 5) round out the remainder of the top 5 this week.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download 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.

MusicRow Announces New 2022 Date For Annual ‘Rising Women On The Row’

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MusicRow has rescheduled its ninth annual Rising Women on the Row breakfast event to Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022 at the Omni Nashville Hotel, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The event, originally scheduled to take place in March of 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presenting sponsors for this year’s Rising Women on the Row are City National Bank, Loeb & Loeb, and Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group.

The ninth annual celebration will honor the next class of Rising Women on the Row honorees: Jen Conger (FBMM, Business Manager), JoJamie Hahr (BBR Music Group/BMG, Sr. VP), Mandy Morrison (City National Bank, Vice President/Senior Relationship Manager), Missy Roberts (Universal Music Publishing Group, VP, A&R), Jennie Smythe (Girlilla Marketing, CEO) and Stephanie Wright (UMG Nashville, Senior VP, A&R).

“We are so excited to now be able to honor these amazing women in the way they deserve,” says MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson. “These honorees represent hard work and dedication and they have made impressive levels of contributions to our music industry. It’s fitting that they have all continued to rise during these two years we were unable to have the live event. We are looking forward to bringing the industry together in person on October 20 and giving these accomplished rock stars the accolades they have earned.”

Pictured (L-R, top row): Rising Women Jen Conger, Jennie Smythe, JoJamie Hahr; (L-R, bottom row): Mandy Morrison, Missy Roberts, Stephanie Wright

Past Rising Women honorees include—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 Davis, 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 Healey, 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.

Tickets are now closed. They will not be sold at the door. Previous ticket holders who had purchased their tickets/tables in 2020 have been emailed a reminder and confirmation of their seats.

Supporting Sponsorship Tables of 10 include premium seating, company logo included on full-page ad in MusicRow‘s Touring/Next Big Thing Issue (December/January), and company logo included in event program.

For any questions regarding the event, contact LB Cantrell at lbcantrell@musicrow.com.

Mark Your Calendar—September 2022

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Single/Track Releases

September 2
The McCrary Sisters/Run On
Matt Jordan/The Gamble/MJ Music

September 6
Dianña/Hands/Slippery Eel
Corey Layne/Between George Strait and George Jones/Mountaintop Music

September 9
Meredith Andrews/Carry The World/Curb
Brit Taylor/Cabin in the Woods
Essex County/Fire It Up/AMG Records/The Orchard

September 12
Scotty McCreery/It Matters To Her/Triple Tigers
Conner Smith/Take It Slow/Valory
Kolby Cooper/Excuses/Wheelhouse
Flat River Band/Ain’t A Woman Like A River/Early Bird
Jacob Johnson/Back/AJG Music Group/Bow To Stern Records
Robbi Atkins & Jennifer Wrinkle/Alive Today/MC1 Nashville
Alice Nelson/It’s You Not Me/MC1 Nashville

September 16
Carolyn Miller/Well Enough Alone

September 19
Drake Milligan/Sounds Like Something I’d Do/Stoney Creek
Shane Profitt/How It Oughta Be/BMLG Records/Harpeth 60 Records
Savannah Rae/All Hat/dreamwerksmuzik
Amy Sheppard/Blue Guitar/Empire of Song / Chugg Music

September 19
Sweet Tea Trio/All Hat, No Cattle/Top Dog Records

September 30
Matt Jordan/Wrangler/MJ Music

 

 

Album/EP Releases

September 2
Jon Pardi/Mr. Saturday Night/Capitol Records Nashville
Kris Kristofferson/Live at Gilley’s – Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981/New West Records
Ian Flanigan/Strong

September 9
Kane Brown/Different Man/RCA
Breland/Cross Country/Bad Realm Records/Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville
Chris Tomlin/Always
Amy Grant/Behind The Eyes (25th Anniversary Expanded Edition)
Buck Owens/Bakersfield Gold: Top 10 Hits 1959-1974/Omnivore Recordings
Charley Crockett/The Man From Waco/Son Of Davy/Thirty Tigers

September 14
Grace Leer/Grace Leer

September 15
Drake Milligan/Dallas/Fort Worth/Stoney Creek Records

September 16
LeAnn Rimes/God’s Work/EverLe Records/Thirty Tigers/The Orchard
Little Big Town/Mr. Sun/UMG
Dailey & Vincent/Let’s Sing Some Country!/BMG
Kat & Alex/Kat & Alex: Side A/Sony Music Nashville
Gene Watson/Outside The Box
We The Kingdom/We The Kingdom/Capitol Christian Music Group
Clayton Anderson/Made In The USA/Visionary Media Group
Amy Ray/If It All Goes South/Daemon Records

September 23
Kelsea Ballerini/Subject To Change/Black River
Maddie & Tae/Through the Madness Vol. 2/Mercury Nashville
Kendell Marvel/Come On Sunshine/CmdShft
Sunny Sweeney/Married Alone/Thirty Tigers
Blanca/The Heartbreak and The Healing/Curb | Word
Lucie Tiger/The Memphis Tapes/2120 Music

September 27
Rita Wilson/Rita Wilson Now & Forever: Duets

September 30
Adam Doleac/Barstool Whiskey Wonderland/Arista
Ben Burgess/Tears the Size of Texas/Big Loud
Warren Zeiders/717 Tapes: The Album/Warner Records
Noah Hicks/Tripping Over My Boots/Red Creative Records
Emily Pyscher/Memory Lane

 

 

Industry Events

September 1 – 5
Live On The Green

September 7
Nightfall at the Hall

September 13 – 17
AmericanaFest

September 14
Americana Awards

September 20
Nashville Songwriter Awards

September 21
2022 ASCAP Christian Music Awards (Virtual)

September 24 – 25
Pilgrimage Music & Culture Festival

September 27 – October 1
IBMA World of Bluegrass

Luke Combs Achieves Four-Week MusicRow No. 1

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In an unprecedented feat, Luke Combs makes a triumphant return to the the top of the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart marking four weeks at No. 1 for “The Kind Of Love We Make.” Combs wrote the single with Dan Isbell, Reid Isbell, and Jamie Davis and it appears on his latest album Growin’ Up.

This week, Combs was honored as Artist of the Year at the 34th annual MusicRow Awards. Click here to see the full list of winners. 

The official music video for “The Kind Of Love We Make” has racked in over 11 million views on YouTube.

YouTube video

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

The GreenRoom Parts Ways With Jason Aldean

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Jason Aldean. Photo: Brian Higbee

After representing the multi-Platinum singer for 17 years, The GreenRoom publicity firm has parted ways with Jason Aldean, MusicRow has confirmed.

In a statement provided to Billboard, GreenRoom co-owner Tyne Parrish shared, “Music has always been and remains The GreenRoom’s core focus, so we had to make the difficult decision after 17 years to step away from representing Jason.”

“We aren’t the best people for the gig anymore, but will always be big fans of his music—he is one of the greatest live entertainers in country music,” the statement continues.

While Parrish didn’t mention it in her statement, the split comes after a media firestorm ensued following an Instagram post made by Aldean’s wife and social media influencer Brittany on Aug. 23. In a reel, Brittany is seen putting on make up with the caption, “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Brittany Aldean (@brittanyaldean)

A few days later, singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope seemingly subtweeted Brittany, saying, “You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging. But instead here we are, hearing someone compare their ‘tomboy phase’ to someone wanting to transition. Real nice.”

A few hours later, country star Maren Morris replied to Pope’s tweet saying, “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”

Since then, other artists have shown support to both sides, and multiple national media outlets have picked up the story.

The Aldeans have been more outspoken about their political beliefs in the last few years, with Brittany even partnering with another influencer and country singer Chuck Wick‘s wife Kasi to launch Brittany and Kasi, a “store for the conservative.” Among the merchandise offered by the boutique are shirts that say “Alexa, change the President” and “Unapologetically Conservative.”

Earlier this week, Brittany and Kasi launched a line inspired by Morris’ “Barbie” tweet, featuring shirts with phrases such as “Don’t Tread On Our Kids” written in Barbie-style font. In her post, Brittany wrote that an undisclosed portion of the proceeds will be going to Operation Light Shine, an organization combating human trafficking and child exploitation.

GreenRoom also represents Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett, Lady A, The War and Treaty, and others. Aldean’s PR representation going forward is not yet clear.

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Kip Moore Steams Things Up With ‘If I Was Your Lover’

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As fall approaches, the labels start scrambling to release new country sounds.

Established hit makers Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Craig Morgan are joined by a bevy of newcomers this week. Many of them are, hallelujah, women.

Kip Moore tops ‘em all with a sexy Disc of the Day.

The DISCovery Award goes to Wynn Williams. He sure sounds like a star to me.

LACI KAYE BOOTH / “Treasure”
Writers: Jimmy Robbins/Jessie Jo Dillon/Laci Kaye Booth/Laura Veltz; Producers: Dann Huff/Jimmy Harnen; Label: Big Machine
–Following a pandemic hiatus, CMT’s Next Women of Country is back. Wednesday’s show at City Winery featured this previous DISClaimer favorite, performing in her sensual, folkie style and charming everyone in sight. This deliciously tuneful bopper is drawn from her debut EP. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” she purrs with just the right touch of minor-key menace in her delivery.

CRAIG MORGAN / “How You Make a Man”
Writers: Megan Conner/Michael Walton/Skip Black; Producers: Craig Morgan/Phil O’Donnell; Label: Broken Bow/BMG
–Craig’s memoir God, Family, Country comes out this month. Also new is this torrid performance. Tears, joy, loss, victory, defeat, pain, laughs, regret, fear and heartache mold a man, he emotes: “You hit your knees ‘til you learn to stand.” This Opry star sings like no one else.

JENNA PAULETTE / “The Girl I Was”
Writers: Jenna Paulette, Will Bundy, Jeb Gipson, Jessie Jo Dillon Producer: Will Bundy; Label: JP
–This Next Woman of Country 2022 class member is a Texas cowgirl with an impressive vocal range and plenty of performing confidence. Her current single is the wafting, highly listenable “El Paso,” which you should definitely pay attention to. At Wednesday’s City Winery performance, she stole hearts with this moving ballad about reclaiming your self respect. I remain a fan.

MICKEY GUYTON / “Somethin’ ‘Bout You”
Writers: Mickey Guyton/David Garcia/Tyler Hubbard; Producers: David Garcia/Tyler Hubbard; Label: Capitol
–Guyton returns, this time with a breezy, sunny romance tune. Happiness shining brightly. The Grammy-nominated Super Bowl anthem singer introduced it on NBC’s Today show last Friday.

WYNN WILLIAMS / “I Love Her for Leaving”
Writers: Brice Long/Wynn Williams; Producer: Trent Willmon; Label: ONErpm
–This neotraditionalist blazes through this stormy, mid-tempo country rocker with the aplomb of a pro. He has a solid, honest, Texas, honky-tonk delivery that’s impossible not to like. I caught the former rodeo cowboy at last week’s Whiskey Jam and was mighty impressed. Even in front of Winners’ packed, noisy throng of drunk college kids, Wynn’s music and charisma shone through. Can’t wait to hear more.

KENNY CHESNEY & OLD DOMINION / “Beer With My Friends”
Writers: David Lee Murphy/Shy Carter/Bryan Simpson; Producer: Buddy Cannon/Kenny Chesney; Listed: Warner
–This is a blue-collar sing-along if I’ve ever heard one. The very first thing in the track is the raucous, hooky chorus. Then the relentless stomper cranks up the mood even more. Undeniably a smash. The party anthem was previously a 2021 single for Cole Swindell with its authors Carter and Murphy.

JULIA COLE / “Thank God We Broke Up”
Writers: Cole Burkett/David Asher Mescon/Josh Ronen/Julia Cole/Steve Battey; Producer: Josh Ronen; Label: JC
–Cole is another of this year’s Next Women of Country, and she showed us why at this week’s showcase. And how. On this single, she’s wonderfully rocking and feisty. I have liked her empowering style in the past, and this witty kiss-off is a dandy fulfillment of her promise. Cole, Booth and Paulette’s CMT-promoted sisters also include Camille Parker, Tenille Arts, Callista Clark, Lily Rose, Reyna Roberts, Kittenish clothing entrepreneur Jessie James Decker and bodacious Hannah Dasher.

KIP MOORE / “If I Was Your Lover”
Writers: Kip Moore/Matt Bubel; Producers: Kip Moore/Matt Bubel/Jaren Johnson; Label: MCA
–Who says sexy songs have to be ballads? Moore rocks this one, Big Time, and steams up the speakers. The crystal-clear production and terrific beats match his passionate vocal perfectly.

BRYAN RUBY / “Two For the Road”
Writers: Anthony Liam Fiddler/Bryan Ruby/Chad Albert Sellers; Producer: Smith Curry; Label: BR
–It’s the toe-tapping one about the young lovers hitting the road and escaping their small-town lives. Springsteen did it way better with “Born to Run.”

KEITH URBAN / “Nightfalls”
Writers: Greg Kurstin/Keith Urban/Maureen McDonald; Producer: Greg Kurstin; Label: UMG
–Nice choppy rhythms underscore this upbeat, well-written, hooky invitation to romance.

CONNER SMITH / “Take It Slow”
Writers: Conner Smith/Mark Trussell/Ryan Hurd; Producer: Zach Crowell; Label: Valory
–It’s about kids on a date. It doesn’t have much of a melody. There is an intriguing electric-sitar kinda sound rippling in the background.

KENDELL MARVEL & CHRIS STAPLETON / “Don’t Tell Me How to Drink”
Writers: Kendell Marvel/Chris Stapleton; Producer: Beau Bedford; Label: CmdShft
–This likable hell-raisin’ outlaw stomper sounds like classic Hank Jr. Stapleton is mainly heard via fiery electric guitar work.

Jay DeMarcus Gives A Glimpse Inside New Red Street Country Label Division [Interview]

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Jay DeMarcus. Photo: Courtesy of The GreenRoom

As one third of superstar country group Rascal Flatts, Jay DeMarcus has some notable experience in the country music industry.

After two decades of selling over 23 million albums, earning 17 No. 1 hits and nearly four dozen awards, and selling more than 11 million concert tickets, DeMarcus has spent the last few years taking his artist expertise and immersing himself into the business side of the industry.

DeMarcus launched his Christian music label, Red Street Records, in 2018 with flagship group Avalon and worship leader Lauren James. Over the next few years, the label slowly signed more artists to its roster, including Cade Thompson, Jason Crabb, Tom Yankton, and more.

At the beginning of 2022, DeMarcus added a new endeavor to the growing Red Street empire: Red Street Country.

Pictured (L-R, front row): Red Street Records Owner/Chairman Dan Crocket, Andrew Millsaps of Neon Union, Leo Brooks of Neon Union, Red Street Records Owner/CEO Jay DeMarcus and Red Street Records’ Kelly King; (L-R, back row): Red Street Records’ Kelly Rich, JAB Entertainment’s Aaron Benward, Jimmie Allen, Red Street Records’ Alex Valentine, and Red Street Records’ Harrison Sokoloff

With singer-songwriter Ryan Griffin as its flagship artist, the label has grown substantially since its launch, signing rising country duo Neon Union and forming an impressive team of industry executives, including Alex Valentine (General Manager), Kelly King (Sr. Director of A&R), Kelly Rich (Chief Operating Officer), Mike Craft (Chief Financial Officer), Andy Elliott (SVP of Country Promotion), and more.

MusicRow recently caught up with DeMarcus and Griffin to talk about the new country division, what the first few months have been like, and look ahead at the future of Red Street Records.

MusicRow: Why did you want to start a country division?

DeMarcus: When I first opened Red Street, I wanted to make sure it was something I was going to be good at and that I wasn’t just wasting everybody’s time. We started out really slow, signing a couple acts out of the gate. The more we got into it, the more we started to take some baby steps toward success. I realized it was something that I had a real passion for. I was really excited about the opportunity to pass on whatever experience I’d had in the last 22 years with Rascal Flatts to younger, up-and-coming artists and help them be prepare for things that I wish somebody had been around to tell me. That concept of being not only a label head, but also a quasi mentor, was really appealing to me.

When I figured out that I really loved doing this, at the end of last year I sat down with my business partner, Dan Crockett, and he asked what the next step for Red Street was. I said the logical next step would be to get into the country space because that’s where I’ve spent most of my career. After a couple of discussions, he said, “I think that makes a lot of sense. Let’s dive in and hire the team and find the artists that you want.” With Dan’s backing and support, I started to put a team together to launch our country division, but I didn’t have an artist.

Pictured (L-R): Dan Crockett, Owner/Chairman RSC; Ryan Griffin; Jay DeMarcus; Mark Lusk, former President, General Manager RSC. Photo: Cooper Smith

What made Ryan the perfect fit as Red Street’s flagship artist?

DeMarcus: I brought Ryan in to see if he was even interested in signing another record deal. He’d had some success launching “Salt, Lime & Tequila” by himself and worked very hard to turn that into a hit last summer.

After we had spent some time in the writers room together, I got to witness his work ethic and how talented he was, not only as a vocalist and musician, but as a songwriter. He was one of those people that I was really drawn to, even before there was a thought of opening up a country division. When we decided to green light the country division, my first thought was Ryan. I thought it would be a match made in heaven. Thank God, and thank Ryan, because he was open and excited about being a part of something new.

Ryan, what made you believe in this label and sign on?

Griffin: I previously had deals with Sony and then Warner Brothers, but when the pandemic hit, I got a call that I had been cut. I was trying to figure out what I was going to do next and I put out this song, “Salt, Lime & Tequila.” It ended up taking off and making a life of its own.

Ryan Griffin. Photo: Dove Shore

I got a phone call from Jay just after Thanksgiving and he asked me out for coffee. He told me what was going on and that he wanted me to be the flagship artist, and there was no second thought. That is what I had been praying for and what me and my wife had been dreaming of. I’ve done the majors and, to be completely frank, it just wasn’t a really good fit for me. I wanted a place that really felt like a family, and one thing that Jay has done incredibly well is cultivate this family dynamic within the label.

Jay is always available and comes at it from an artist’s perspective, which is amazing. I look at Jay as a mentor to to help me through some of these road bumps and to help me avoid some bumps because he’s been doing it for so long. I’m really thankful to be a part of a label where the head understands what it is to be an artist and the proper things to put our time, energy and resources behind.

Jay, what are some lessons you’ve learned since getting into the business side of the industry?

DeMarcus: One of the major things that I’ve learned is I love it very much. It’s very rewarding for me to be able to pass the baton to the next generation of country music stars.

I’ve also learned that there was so much more about the music business that I didn’t know. I’ve had to surround myself with really good people and, thank God, we’ve had really good people come to us that I can lean on and that can teach me the things that I don’t know. I didn’t understand the administrative side of running a label and the nuts and bolts that make a label run. The basics of running a business have been a fast education for me, and I’ve been grateful to have good people around me.

Who have been good resources for you as you’ve gotten into the business side of things?

DeMarcus: One thing that I don’t have is a shortage of dear friends in this town, and I pride myself on the relationships I’ve built. My manager, Clarence Spaulding, and Randy Goodman, who signed Rascal Flatts at Lyric Street Records and is now the head of Sony Nashville, have been on speed dial since I started this.

It’s been amazing to be able to dive into my digital Rolodex and look at all the people that I’ve been blessed to be friends with for over 25 years. They have been so gracious, kind and giving with their time and advice. Everybody’s been really supportive, and it’s been really overwhelming to see the support for Red Street from our community and friends so far.

What do you have planned for the next few months?

Griffin: We have been out across the country on our radio tour, and it’s been so cool to meet everybody face-to-face. We also have “Salt, Lime & Tequila” on country radio and we’ve been out touring with Old Dominion and Walker Hayes, so it’s been a blast.

We’re currently in the midst of our “Slow Down Sunrise Tour” and it’s just been incredible. Seeing people sing the lyrics of my songs back to me is something I’ve dreamed of my entire life. It’s been such a fun journey and knowing that I get to do that every night for the next couple months is a really good feeling. It’s an awesome experience knowing that the song is connecting, and I know that I have a family and team behind me that has my back, believes in me, and wants to see me succeed.

What are some of your goals for Red Street Country?

DeMarcus: The immediate goal for me is to be a real player in this industry because I’m really passionate about what we’re building over here. You can tell by some of the people that we’ve brought on to the staff and the people that we’ve already had on the team, that we’re bringing on people that are very experienced in the music industry. I’m really thrilled with the moves, promotions and new hires that we’ve made, and hopefully it makes the statement that we’re here to stay and leave our mark on the music industry. This is all I know how to do—I don’t know what my life would be like without music.

I’m really grateful for the opportunity.

Landmark Agreement For Phonorecords IV Proceeding Announced

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On Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 31), the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and the Digital Media Association (DiMA) announced a landmark agreement for the Phonorecords IV Proceeding, resulting in higher mechanical rates for songwriters.

The agreement set the mechanical streaming rates in the U.S. for the years 2023-2027. The headline royalty rate will be set at 15.35%, which will be phased in over the five-year term. Now that the Mechanical Licensing Collective is fully operational, it will help deliver commission-free royalty payments, as set forth by the Music Modernization Act (MMA).

According to the NMPA, the deal also includes a number of changes to other components of the rate, including increases to the per-subscriber minimums and the “Total Content Costs (TCC)” calculations which reflect the rates that services pay to record labels.

In addition to NMPA and NSAI, this agreement was supported by DiMA member companies, Amazon, Apple, Google, Pandora, and Spotify.

Of the news, NMPA President & CEO David Israelite says, “This historic settlement is the result of songwriters making their voices heard. Instead of going to trial and continuing years of conflict, we instead move forward in collaboration with the highest rates ever, guaranteed. We thank the digital services for coming to the table and treating creators as business partners. Critically, since this is a percentage rate, we know that as streaming continues to grow exponentially, we will see unprecedented value of songs.”

NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison adds, “This collaborative process will lead to increased songwriter compensation from digital streaming companies and locks in our historic 43.8% increase from the previous CRB proceeding. Along with the upward rate momentum there are also new structures to help ensure minimum payments.”

“This agreement represents the commitment of the streaming services to bringing the best music experiences to fans and growing the streaming ecosystem to the benefit of all stakeholders, including the creative foundation of songwriting,” sums DiMA President and CEO Garrett Levin. “For streaming services, this moment presents an opportunity to pursue new collaborations with publishers and songwriters in the context of economic certainty that will support continued innovation. Perhaps more than anything, this agreement demonstrates the potential for industry progress when parties come to the table for good faith discussions.”