DISClaimer Single Reviews: The War & Treaty Share ‘The Sound Of Pure Love’

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It’s Americana music week in Nashville, and the genre’s stars are shining brightly.

None are brighter than The War & Treaty, who easily nail down this week’s Disc of the Day award.

Not that there wasn’t plenty of competition. Check out the sounds of Daniel Tashian, Larkin Poe, the Dirt Band and Jake Blount, for starters. Rootsy tunes are where it’s at.

JIM LAUDERDALE / “That Kind of Life (That Kind of Day)”
Writers: Jim Lauderdale; Producers: Jim Lauderdale/Jay Weaver; Label: Sky Crunch
–The kick-off track of Lauderdale’s new Game Changer album (his 35th), is a rollicking, lively, Telecaster-driven, Bakersfield-nodding toe tapper that has a built-in smile. Drawling, uplifting and totally country.

MARGO PRICE / “Been to the Mountain”
Writers: Margo Price/Jeremy Ivey; Producer: Jonathan Wilson; Label: Loma Vista
–This is Price’s moment. Her memoir Maybe We’ll Make It will be published Oct. 4. She has a new Sonos Radio podcast titled Runaway Horses. She’s been elected to the board of Farm Aid. Her new album is previewed by this stirring single/video. She wails in an echo chamber, backed by a grinding rock riff, about persevering through tough times. Haunting.

DANIEL TASHIAN / “Night After Night”
Writers: Daniel Tashian/Paul Kennerley; Producer: Daniel Tashian; Label: Big Yellow Dog
–Rockabilly nirvana. Acclaimed producer Tashian returns to record making of his own with this slab of retro energy. The project’s title tune channels Buddy Holly, The Everlys and Carl Perkins in an absolutely irresistible stew of stinging guitars, relentless rhythm and in-the-pocket vocal comfort. Better than a cup of morning coffee and more bracing than a ride in a convertible. Essential listening. Tashian’s AmericanaFest showcase is Saturday at noon at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he headlines at The Basement next Wednesday night.

AMANDA SHIRES / “Hawk for the Dove”
Writers: Amanda Shires/Lawrence Rothman; Producer: Lawrence Rothman; Label: ATO
–The new Take It Like a Man collection by Shires leads off with this dramatic track. Her distinctive, penetrating voice leads the listener into a dark, electronic soundscape of keening guitars and thudding percussion. A wary romance of uncertain fate.

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND / “Girl From the North Country”
Writer: Bob Dylan; Producers: Ray Kennedy/Jeff Hanna; Label: MRI
–The revived and reconfigured Dirt Band rises to new heights on its Dirt Does Dylan album. This classic gets a loving, gorgeous, crystalline remake with rippling guitars, sighing fiddle, mandolin droplets and heart-in-throat vocals. Arguably a founding act of the Americana genre, the legendary group will showcase its Dylan tunes as well as old favorites at The Ryman on Saturday night.

JOY OLADOKUN / “Purple Haze”
Writers: Joy Oladokun/Dr. Luke; Producer: Dr. Luke; Label: Amigo/Verve Forecast/Republic
–The simple beauty of folk music shines on this current single by this gifted performer. Her liquid alto and perfectly strummed acoustic guitar convey a hopeful message of survival and eventual emotional prosperity. Even though the end of the world might be nigh.

THE WAR & TREATY / “That’s How Love Is Made”
Writers: Michael Trotter Jr./Tanya Trotter/Dave Barnes; Producer: Dave Cobb; Label: Mercury
–This Nashville couple is as good as it gets. There are no finer singers, nor more emotional interpreters in our world. Their soul-ripping voices can make the angels in Heaven weep for joy. This smoldering, electrifying outing stopped the show at the AMA Awards on Wednesday. Its single/video is a stunning, ecstatic, breath-taking experience. This is the sound of Pure Love that shatters and defies every musical category.

JAKE BLOUNT & DEMEANOR / “The Downward Road”
Writers: Brian Slattery/Jake Blount/Traditional; Producers: Jake Blount/Brian Slattery; Label: Smithsonian Folkways
–This fascinating artist’s album The New Faith drops a week from today. Blount is a banjo player, musicologist, journalist and scholar who fuses percussion loops with old-time fiddle and Demeanor’s rapping on this preview track. Audio layered and folky hooky, it somehow manages to be old-time country and contemporary bopping at the same time. Really cool.

LARKIN POE / “Georgia Off My Mind”
Writers: Rebecca Lovell/Tyler Bryant; Producers: Larkin Poe/Tyler Bryant; Label: Tricki-Woo
–This guitar-wielding Nashville sister duo, Rebecca and Megan Lovell, have a new album called Blood Harmony coming in November. In the meantime, we have this dynamite advance single. It totally rocks, in a bluesy, twangy kinda way. The lyric name-checks Georgia institutions like Coca-Cola, Ray Charles and peaches as items in the rearview mirror as they head to Music City to pursue dreams. The ridiculously catchy track bubbles and boils. Yowza!

TOMMY McLAIN / “The Greatest Show on Hurt”
Writers: Tommy McClain/Nick Lowe; Producer: C.C. Adcock; Label: Yep Roc
–This swamp-pop pioneer had hits in the ‘60s. He’s 82 years old now and releasing his first album in 40 years. This slowly paced ditty has a woozy, lackadaisical charm as he relates his circus-themed heartbreak. His Americana showcase is at Riverside Revival tonight at 9 p.m.

VALERIE JUNE / “Look at Miss Ohio”
Writer: Gillian Welch/David Rawlings; Producer: A June Tunes Music Production; Label: Fantasy
–June’s new Under Cover is a collection of covers of tunes by Dylan, Joe South, John Lennon, Nick Drake and others. Her rendition of this Gillian Welch song features a drawled double-tracked vocal, moaning guitar and echoey atmosphere. Languid and dreamy.

TODD SNIDER / “Big Finish”
Writer: Todd Snider; Producer: Todd Snider/Eric McConnell; Label: TS
–I’ve always been a big fan of this clever guy. The troubadour opens his shows with this wryly humorous, self-aware, solo folky-blues tune. You’ll find it on his live album, due next Friday. The album-release show is at the Ryman on Saturday, Sept. 24. You won’t find a better one-man band. Prepare to be wildly entertained.

Little Big Town Shines A Ray Of Hope, Wisdom & Joy On New Project, ‘Mr. Sun’ [Interview]

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Little Big Town. Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov

When it comes to powerhouse bands in country music, Little Big Town has been one of the leading forces in the category for the last 20 years.

Since breaking onto the scene with massive hits such as “Boondocks,” “Pontoon,” “Day Drinking,” “Better Man,” the history-making “Girl Crush,” and the Grammy-nominated “When Someone Stops Loving You” and “Little White Church,” the dynamic foursome—composed of Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman and Jimi Westbrook—have blazed the trail for group success in the country format. Together they’ve tallied over 45 award nominations and more than 20 wins, including multiple Grammys, ACM and CMA Awards, AMAs, People’s Choice Awards and even an Emmy.

The decorated group is ushering in a new era with the release of Mr. Sun, aiming to shine a light of hope after the last few years of universal hardship. Born out of the darkness of the pandemic, Mr. Sun found the bandmates apart for the first time throughout their two-decade long friendship.

Following the release of Nightfall, their acclaimed, No. 1 studio album, in January of 2020, the four embarked on their “Nightfall Tour.” Only making it roughly halfway through the 34-date trek, the tour was abruptly put to a stop in March of 2020 due to the rapid onset of COVID-19.

“We played the Atlanta Fox Theatre, which was [our last show],” Sweet recalls with MusicRow. “We were on the way to the bus to go to the Detroit Fox Theater and we got the call to go back home because the show was over.”

What they at first thought was going to be a couple weeks of gearing down turned into over 450 days without playing a show and over five months apart from each other. Shortly after getting back together to virtually play a private event, the four friends decided to get back in the studio and start making some music.

Little Big Town. Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov

“We’ve never taken that much time off or been apart that long,” Westbrook explains. “Getting back together in the studio was still odd because everybody was masked up, so it was really strange in the beginning. At the same time, though, there was comfort in it because it was a familiar place for us. It was confirming that there was still normalcy even in that weird time.” He continues, “The pandemic definitely influenced the creative process [for this album]. Thematically and song-wise there were a lot of things that spoke to coming out of that time.”

As they did with the Nightfall record, Little Big Town once again took their turn behind the soundboard for their tenth studio album, self producing it from top to bottom. Throughout the 16-track project, a collection the size of which they’ve never released before, the band weaves listeners through an array of different emotions, all set behind an infectious ’70s-style sonic landscape.

With a level of maturity that takes living some life to understand, Mr. Sun looks ahead to better days, bringing much-welcomed levity to the record, while also diving into some of the emotions leftover from the last two years of lockdown. From the feel good “Gold,” the poolside vibe of “All Summer,” the sassy “Better Love” and the jig-inducing “Heaven Had A Dance Floor,” to deeper cuts like “Different Without You,” the surprisingly woeful title track, a chilling final goodbye in “One More Song” and the sobering “Three Whiskeys and the Truth,” the record marks yet another chapter in Little Big Town’s artistry.

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“I feel very romantic about the Nightfall record, and we didn’t get to fully live it out. It was the biggest tour we’d ever done and then it just shut down,” Fairchild reminisces. “But I know so many people feel the same way about everything that was going on in their lives. Our whole world just shut down.” She continues, “Part of the creative process is passing the baton to the next chapter. Mr. Sun feels a little more like you’ve lived through something that impacted you… [This album] has those moments of deep diving but then it’s balanced. It’s like a balanced meal—a little salt, a little spice, a little sugar, and a little acid.”

To bring all those critical components together, the band tapped quite a swath of writers on this project—33, to be exact, hailing from three countries and 20 different states.

Little Big Town. Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov

With at least one band member credited on 13 of the album’s 16 songs, Mr. Sun also sees appearances from some of Nashville’s seasoned writers, including Corey Crowder, Hillary Lindsey, Tyler Hubbard, Jesse Frasure, Lori McKenna, Shane McAnally, Liz Rose, Josh Osborne, Nicolette Hayford, Jordan Schmidt and Sara Buxton, among many others. With so many creative palettes and perspectives at work, this release undoubtably marks the band’s most unique and universal project to date, while also showcasing a glowing cross-section of the Music City community.

“That’s the beauty of this town,” Fairchild puts simply. “33 writers sounds like a crazy amount, but when you look at 16 songs, it’s like you’re painting with colors. All those writers are all the little brushstrokes that make a record come together.”

“We wrote with a lot of people that we had written with many times and also new people. I think that’s always a beautiful new experience that you’re walking into… It really opens up new doors for collaboration that hopefully go in a direction that you’ve not gone in before,” Westbrook notes. “That’s a beautiful part of the process, and I love that part of just trying to stretch yourself creatively.”

“It’s all about bringing together a community, in a way. There’s this wonderful community of writers and I feel like that’s shown here,” Sweet adds.

Within Mr. Sun‘s many tracks are some songs that were passed down from the Nightfall era, including the nostalgic, swaying “Whiskey Colored Eyes,” and other songs that have long been with the band like Westbrook’s solo-penned “Rich Man,” which he’d been holding on to for over ten years.

Though not intended for Mr. Sun, and one of the last songs to make the cut, “Rich Man” reflects what real wealth means to the band while conveying Westbook’s love for family and their role in anchoring him.

Little Big Town’s children. Pictured (L-R): Penelopi Sweet, Elijah Westbrook, Dolly Schlapman & Daisy Schlapman. Photo: Courtesy of Capitol Records

“If there’s one thing that happened for a lot of people coming out of COVID, it was the stripping away of the things that really didn’t matter. We were all jarred into remembering what you can hold onto, no matter what you’re going through in life, who you are, what your status may be, or anything else,” Westbrook explains. “I’m just proud that [‘Rich Man’] is a part of this record and hopefully may represent that for some people.”

“Songs sometimes have their own life and [‘Rich Man’] is one of them,” Fairchild adds. “Could he have finished it and put it out 10 years ago? Maybe. But it might be more impactful now by looking at the way people need something to bind them together. They need something to bring them and hold them together, and we don’t have a lot of those things right now.”

“It’s kind of interesting how things that were handed off from when we were writing for Nightfall lingered around and, as we were writing for this record, other things found their way and involved themselves. Everything kind of magnetized around when we heard ‘Mr. Sun’ and started forming around that,” Sweet shares. “These songs all kind of fit together, and it’s amazing how it happens. It feels like a magical process.”

“It’s like a family with adopted children,” Schlapman adds with a laugh. “You don’t expect this thing to come out from the past. Then they do and they’re perfect.”

Little Big Town. Photo: Blair Getz Mezibov

Another highlight of Mr. Sun can be heard at its bookend in “Friends of Mine.” Serving as a thank you to their many fans, the song also echoes their belief that we can get through this together and that, though we’re turning the corner and moving on, we also shouldn’t be afraid to sit in our grief.

With their tenth album out into the world, the band now turns their focus to how they can visually bring the Mr. Sun story to life. Though no major touring plans are in the works for this album just yet, Fairchild notes once the creative process ends, she can delve into her favorite part: how to communicate those stories to fans.

Little Big Town will hit the road this October on select dates with Wynonna Judd on “The Judds: The Final Tour,” all the while brainstorming how to bring their new project to life.

Until then, Little Big Town’s tenth studio album, Mr. Sun, is available everywhere now.

Morgan Wallen Remains At No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart

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Morgan Wallen earns a two-week No. 1 with “You Proof” on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart. While he did lose 69 spins from the previous week, Wallen still holds a +10 spin lead over Thomas Rhett’s “Half Of Me.” 

Wallen co-wrote “You Proof” with Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, and Ryan Vojtesak. Last week, Wallen earned two nominations for this year’s 56th annual CMA Awards. He sits alongside Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood for Entertainer of the Year, and received a nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year. 

Wallen is set to headline iHeartRadio Music Festival this month and Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam in 2023. 

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

Mitchell Tenpenny Blazes His Own Trail On New 20-Track Album, ‘This Is The Heavy’ [Interview]

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Mitchell Tenpenny. Photo: Matthew Berinato

Since bursting onto the scene with his 2X Platinum-certified, No. 1 hit “Drunk Me” in 2018, singer-songwriter Mitchell Tenpenny has been releasing a steady stream of new music. A little over four years later, Tenpenny has racked up 1.3 billion on-demand streams and a fan-base ravenous for new music.

On Friday (Sept. 16) Tenpenny will add 20 more tracks to his discography with his new album This Is The Heavy, out via Riser House/Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville.

“I don’t think fans can be overloaded with music. They’re overloaded every day with just the way cell phones work,” Tenpenny tells MusicRow. “I think people want it—and we write it all the time. Bobby Braddock told me one time, ‘You’re going to be buried with your best songs.’ But now, we can release more music, so a lot of these songs will get a chance to be heard when they wouldn’t have 10 years ago.”

Tenpenny, who co-wrote every song on the project, lovingly describes the music as “farm emo.” With its grungy guitars, pop-punk melodies and southern-inspired lyrics, “farm emo” sounds like the perfect description of This Is The Heavy.

“I love having guitars and big drums, but country music’s always been lyrics for me. To marry the two has been my goal for a long time,” Tenpenny says. “That’s why we named this album This Is The Heavy. Production-wise, I wanted it to be a little heavier, but lyrically, I’m always going to stick to what we do and what country music is all about: telling stories.”

Tenpenny’s farm emo can best be heard on songs such as “Good Place,” “Always Something With You,” and “Good And Gone.”

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“I made this music with some of my best friends, Michael Whitworth, Andy Albert and Jordan Schmidt. Jordan, who co-produced the album, grew up with all of the same music. [This fusion of music] just naturally happens when you get in the room.”

A charming facet to Tenpenny’s music that has been ever-present since the beginning is his references to Nashville. Between him singing about a house party off of Franklin Pike on “More Than Whiskey Does” and his many mentions of bars in midtown, the songwriter is intentional with including details about his hometown.

“When I listen to artists, I want to hear about their story. I want to hear about their bar. I don’t always want to be vague,” Tenpenny says about his Music City references. “I want to tell people exactly what my life is. I want it to feel like a movie.”

On a clear highlight of This Is The Heavy, Tenpenny tells the story of meeting his fiancé and fellow artist Meghan Patrick on “Losers.” Written with Albert, J.T. Harding and Daniel Ross, the tune is named after the midtown bar that Tenpenny met and then proposed to Patrick in.

 

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“That’s my bar. I love that place. I’ve met so many people there. I met my fiancé there. I got engaged there,” Tenpenny shares. “Andy Albert came in the day we wrote that and said, ‘Mitchell, we’re writing a song about where you met Meghan. That’s your bar.

“I wanted Meghan to hear it and remember the story the way I remember it. I really concentrated on making it absolutely perfect so that she would love it,” he adds.

In addition to some new songs, This Is The Heavy includes Tenpenny’s top 10 single “Truth About You” and fan-favorite “Bucket List,” a special song to the songwriter.

“My last album Telling All My Secrets had a song about my dad that I lost when I was a kid. For this record, I wanted to write a song that talks about loss, but not in a way that’s specific to my dad. This one was one of those songs where I wanted to be a little more broad,” Tenpenny shares. “It’s just about how we don’t know how much time we have or what we have to do, so let’s let’s make a list and start crossing things off.”

Tenpenny’s This Is The Heavy will be available everywhere tomorrow.

Americana Awards Share The Wealth As Brandi Carlile Leads 2022 Music Celebration

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Allison Russell and Brandi Carlile perform onstage for the 21st Annual Americana Honors & Awards. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association

No one dominated the 21st annual Americana Honors & Awards, which was fitting for a ceremony that repeatedly stressed the importance of family and community.

Billy Strings (Artist of the Year), The War and Treaty (Duo/Group), Allison Russell (Album), Brandi Carlile (Song), Sierra Ferrell (Emerging Artist) and Larissa Maestro (Instrumentalist) took home the top six Americana prizes. The Lifetime Award honorees were The Fairfield Four, Chris Isaak, The Indigo Girls, Stax/Motown executive Al Bell and the late Don Williams.

During the three-plus hour ceremony, Carlile took the stage to collaborate vocally with Russell and The Indigo Girls. During the showcase of her own song “You and Me on the Rock,” she joyously shared the stage with the captivating female duo Lucius.

In summing up the mood of the evening, The War and Treaty’s Michael Trotter observed, “Americana music is the sound of family.” Joey Ryan of the co-hosting Milk Carton Kids added, “You guys are our family, and we came here to root for each other.” Presenter Ann Powers of NPR said simply, “We ARE family.”

Allison Russell. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association

In accepting her award, Russell echoed them, saying, “I wasn’t lucky with the family I was born to or fostered by. This community saved me.” This was theme of her winning solo debut album.

That Americana community is more diverse than ever, with artists spread widely over musical styles, ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientation. Instrumentalist winner Maestro is of Filipino descent and commented at length about Black and minority representation in the genre. Carlile observed that music by The Indigo Girls was banned because the duo is lesbian. “They were fundamental to my coming of age,” she said. “My first act of baby activism was fighting my way through religious protesters to an Indigo Girls concert.”

The evening was punctuated by multiple standing ovations. The first performance to earn one was The Fairfield Four’s singing of “Rock My Soul.”

This group, founded in Nashville in 1921, won the Legacy of Americana award. Last year’s winner was The Fisk Jubilee Singers, whose director, Paul Kwami, died this week. A moment of silence was observed in his honor.

The War & Treaty’s soulful performance of “That’s How Love Is Made” was greeted by an even more enthusiastic standing ovation. After they won the Duo/Group of the Year award, member Tanya Trotter said, “The road has been long and hard, but it has been worth it.”

This was followed by a standing ovation for Don Williams, who died in 2017. The country-music hitmaker of 1974-91 won the President’s Award. “What you heard in those songs is who Don Williams was,” said presenter Garth Fundis, the country superstar’s producer. Lukas Nelson saluted Williams with a performance of “Lord I Hope This Day Is Good.”

Emerging Artist winner Ferrell drew the next standing ovation. She delighted the crowd in The Ryman Auditorium with her dazzling couture (with matching sequined silver mask and gown), her mountain-twang vocals and effortless showmanship. She sang “At the End of the Rainbow” with the crowd arching its arms overhead to imitate rainbows. “I never thought I’d be up here,” she said when she accepted her award.

Chris Isaak and Lyle Lovett. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association

Lyle Lovett’s presentation of the Lifetime Performance honor to Chris Isaak was another crowd pleaser. He saluted him with “We Gave Each Other Covid, Now We’re Friends.” Then Isaak offered a dramatically range-y vocal on “Somebody’s Crying.”

Album winner Allison Russell performed a dynamic, propulsive “You’re Not Alone” with Carlile as well as Sista Strings and Maestro.

Robert Plant announced a new Americana award called The Buddy and presented it to its namesake and first recipient, Buddy Miller, the longtime leader of the Americana Music Association’s house band. Miller received another standing ovation. Miller was surprised by the announcement. “I have no idea why I’m getting this,” he said. “I’m overwhelmed. This is so moving.” He then performed “Wide River to Cross” with The McCrary Sisters.

Hayes Carll presented the Song of the Year to “Right On Time” by Carlile, Dave Cobb, Tim Hanseroth and Phil Hanseroth. “What an honor!” Carlile exclaimed. “The most important thing about this song is that it says that sometimes the shit is gonna hit the fan.”

A standing ovation greeted Al Bell when he was presented with his Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement Executive AMA honor. “What an august evening and occasion,” he said. “I feel your spirit.”

When Carlile offered her “You and Me on the Rock,” she received yet another standing ovation. She was followed by Russell’s Outside Child winning for Album of the Year along with producer Dan Knobler. “I feel so honored to be part of this community,” Russell said tearfully. “I have been unbelievably lucky.”

The Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association

Carlile presented The Indigo Girls with the AMA’s Spirit of Americana Free Speech in Music award. “No one does activism alone,” said the duo’s Emily Saliers. “The struggle for equality if going to take years. We all need to keep the flame of social justice alive.” Amy Ray led the duo’s performance of “Galileo,” with Carlile offering harmonies.

Several of the gala’s finest musical moments were provided by non winners and AMA legends. These included Morgan Wade, Adia Victoria and Neal Francis. J.P. Harris saluted alt-country singer Luke Bell, who died last month of an apparent suicide. Lucinda Williams drew a standing ovation for her gripping rendition of “Can’t Let Go.” Lovett sang “Willin’” with Little Feat’s Bill Payne on piano. The Milk Carton Kids reimagined Jackson Browne’s “Something Fine” as an acoustic duet.

Ann, Alfreda and Regina McCrary returned to honor their late sister Deborah McCrary, who passed away in June. “She is missed terribly,” said Regina. “One of the last things she said to me was ‘Don’t leave me.’ So every show, we mention her name.” The trio dedicated a slow, bluesy treatment of “Amazing Grace” to Deborah. The McCrarys are the daughters of the late Rev. Sam McCrary, who founded honorees The Fairfield Four.

The McCrarys also led the finale song with the whole cast joining in. It was “I’ll Take You There,” co-written by honoree Bell and originally introduced on Stax by The Staple Singers.

Presenters included Molly Tuttle, Sarah Jarosz, Shannon Sanders, Elizabeth Cook, Nikki Lane, John Seigenthaler, Allison Moorer and the AMA’s executive director Jed Hilly. Jerry Douglas announced Strings as the Artist of the Year, but Strings was not in attendance.

The awards are voted on by the 3,400 members of the Americana Music Association. The AMA ceremony will be broadcast by Circle Network in November and on Austin City Limits in 2023.

My Music Row Story: Girlilla Marketing’s Jennie Smythe

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Jennie Smythe

The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.

Jennie Smythe, the CEO of Girlilla Marketing, began her career in the mid-1990s working for Elektra Entertainment, Spivak-Sobol Entertainment, Disney’s Hollywood Records and more. In the early 2000s, she moved to YAHOO! Music as Director of Marketing and Promotion, which eventually led her to move to Nashville to work for Warner Bros. Records’ New Media Department and then as Clear Channel’s Senior Director of Content and Marketing. In January of 2008, Smythe launched Girlilla Marketing, which celebrated its 10 year anniversary in 2018.

Smythe serves on the boards of Country Music Association, CMA Foundation (2019 Chair Person, 2022 Chair Person) and Music Health Alliance. She is also a former board member of Academy of Country Music, a graduate of Leadership Music (class of 2010), a member of SOURCE and a proud supporter of St. Jude. Smythe has been featured in Billboard, MusicRow, Fast Company, People, HITS, The Tennessean and has been included for 3+ years as a recipient of the Nashville Business Journal’s Women in Music City Awards.

Smythe will be honored as part of the current class of MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row on Oct. 20. For more details about the class and the event, click here.

MusicRow: Where did you grow up?

Denver, Colorado. My dad was a marketing guy for an oil company, so we moved around quite a bit towards the later end of my childhood. I ended up in high school in Phoenix and went to NAU at Flagstaff because I figured I would just go snowboarding during class, but there was no snow. (Laughs)

Since you couldn’t go snowboarding, what did you do?

I always knew I wanted to be in the music business, but I didn’t know anything about the music business. I would tell people that I wanted to work at a record company. I had no idea what department or specialty, I was just obsessed. When I found out that you could do that for a living, there was nothing more that I wanted to do. I ended up dropping out of college and going to a music conservatory because they had an intern program. That is how I ended up at Elektra in LA when I was 19. When I arrived in Hollywood at 19 and had my internship, I already thought I had made it. Anything past that point in my life has been like a bonus.

What did you do there?

After my internship, they hired me as a receptionist. If somebody else went on maternity leave or got sick, I would cover their desks, so eventually I ended up working in every department. I eliminated things that I didn’t really want to pursue or that I felt like maybe I wasn’t talented enough in.

What was next?

I just started taking jobs. I was at several record companies, including Disney and Hollywood Records. I was at several management companies.

Then I took a huge jump to go work at Yahoo. Even though I was still in the music business, I was at a tech company, so I had to learn how to be less of a music business person based in the United States and more of a global content person that was a citizen of the world. That literally changed the path of my life personally and professionally.

Girlilla Marketing’s Ashley Alexander, Stevie Escoto, Jennie Smythe

How did you get to Nashville?

I had to cover country music at Yahoo, so I had to learn country. I came to Nashville for CRS and literally could not believe what I had seen. I was like, “Wait a second. Are you telling me that for a week out of the year, everybody comes together to see each other all at once? They have shows and celebrate each other, and they all get along well enough to do that?” I walked away from my first CRS a little shell shocked because I was overwhelmed, but in the back of my mind, I thought “That’s how this is supposed to be.”

Country music online at that time was always just a smidge behind all the other genres. I was able to contribute by accelerating that a little bit. Bill Bennett was running Warner Bros. and he called. Lynette Garbonola was literally the only digital person at Warner Bros. and she needed help. I packed up my stuff and I moved to Nashville.

I thought I’d be here for a few years and then probably end up in the Bay. I had no idea what was in store. The DSPs didn’t exist, Facebook was just for college students, and Instagram was never even in my mind. I went from Warner Bros. and then helped Clear Channel start the iHeart brand. Then I started Girlilla in 2008.

Jennie with her children, Chess and Daphne

What was your biggest hurdle working in the digital space in country music when you started?

The biggest fight was explaining to publishers that the internet wasn’t 100% evil and that there were opportunities there, even though artists aren’t compensated nearly what they should be. Because there was so much illegal downloading going on at the time, the value was really based in the information, not the strategy to stop the internet. We had seen that already with Napster, so being in that hybrid space of time between Napster and before a platform like Spotify, that was a very murky area in the music business.

No one knew how to put the parameters around it legally or explain to consumers what a download was versus a stream. That was actually a really difficult consumer messaging situation, especially in country. With country radio being the biggest driver of country music, [teaching country fans what streaming is] was hard. That was definitely a challenge from the marketing side.

What pushed you to start Girlilla Marketing?

It was really simple. I felt the need to advocate on behalf of the artists that I loved and respected to help them navigate the waters. They were complicated then, but not nearly as complicated as they are now. Now, I’m doing the same thing, it’s just 10 times more layered than it was 10+ years ago.

Members of the Girlilla Marketing team

It’s been 14 years since you started your company. What are you most proud of?

I am most proud of sharing my life with some of the people that I work with. When we started, we were single, some of us had college debt, we didn’t have houses, or any of that. Sometimes when I’m walking through the building, I get overwhelmed at the idea that these people have children and houses.

I’m extremely grateful for my clients and for the work, and I still passionately love what I do. There’s nothing that gets me out of bed faster than a good idea. But it’s the idea that I’m building and have built something with them that they share in.

Who have been some of your mentors?

Jay Frank, was 100% the MVP of my professional life. I miss him every single day. Sarah Trahern and Joe Galante are some. My office mates, Ashley Alexander and Stevie Escoto, mentor me as much as I mentor them.

You will be honored at MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row breakfast on Oct. 20. What has your experience been like as a woman in the industry?

Amazing. I literally created the company that didn’t exist when I was coming up. I just look around at the office sometimes and take it in. When they forget that I’m there and they are playing music and laughing, talking about snacks and what they’re going to do together outside of the office, I lose it every time. I hate their music choices, there’s definitely a generational gap. (Laughs) But just the idea that there’s a room in the world where those awesome, smart, talented, funny people get together and their common ground is marketing and music, and they feel comfortable enough to let their hair down… I’m good.

The Story Behind Cole Swindell’s New No. 1 Hit, ‘She Had Me At Heads Carolina’ [Interview]

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Cole Swindell. Photo: Robby Klein

In just 12 weeks, Cole Swindell has brought his nostalgic hit, “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” to the top of the charts. It’s the Warner Music Nashville star’s 12th career No. 1 hit.

Produced by Zach Crowell, the track samples Jo Dee Messina‘s 1996 hit “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” written by Mark D. Sanders and Tim Nichols. The 2022 song finds Swindell in a bar on karaoke night, charmed by a woman singing Messina’s enduring classic up on stage.

YouTube video

Swindell co-wrote the hit song with Ashley Gorley, Jesse Frasure, and Thomas Rhett, with Sanders and Nichols also credited as writers. The artist-writer says that writing “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” was the most unique songwriting process he’s ever been through.

“It’s crazy how it all happened,” Swindell tells MusicRow. “I was talking to Rusty [Gaston] and Anna [Weisband] over at Sony about how inspired I’ve been by them since I’ve been working with them. We were talking about songs and what I was looking for for my next album.

“We got to talking about what if we took a ’90s song that I loved and put a different spin on it. That was how the idea came together,” Swindell says.

Gaston adds that, with Swindell’s genuine love for Messina and ’90s country, it was the perfect storm for a re-imagined hit.

“I was thinking about how we could find ways to create new value for Sony’s catalog—more than just getting a hot new artist to re-record a Merle Haggard song. I believe ‘Heads Carolina, Tails California’ is the number one most popular female country karaoke song in the world. Thinking of that and knowing that that song was in this catalog, I talked to Cole,” Gaston says.

“Additionally, normally whatever we see happen in popular music will make its way to country music five to 10 years later. Popular music today is hip-hop. In hip-hop, it’s very common to have features and it’s very common to have interpolations,” Gaston adds. “I brought this up to Cole and said, ‘These interpolations are coming. This is the perfect song to do it.’ Cole immediately got it, loved the idea, and pulled the writers together.”

Gaston adds, “Cole loves ’90s country music. He should be the face of the resurgence of ’90s country music.”

Before Swindell could put his spin on the iconic hit, he had to get the blessing of Sanders and Nichols.

“We knew that before anything, we had to reach out to the original songwriters,” Swindell points out. “They could have easily said ‘No’ and the thing would have never happened, but they were cool enough to want to do it.”

 

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A post shared by Jo Dee Messina (@jodeemessina)

While out on the road, Swindell and co-writer Thomas Rhett came up with a concept and brought it back to Gorley and Frasure in Nashville to write. Swindell believes the next step was adding the line, “Maybe she’ll fall for a boy from south Georgia,” a line that would come naturally for both him and Rhett, two Georgia natives.

“It was a pressure situation. You don’t want to mess up one of your favorite songs of all time,” he adds.

Once the song was written, Swindell’s manager Kerri Edwards and Warner Music Nashville’s Cris Lacy knew they had a hit on their hands. They added “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” to Swindell’s Stereotype album—which was already done.

“When they sent the work tape, I was immediately freaking out about it,” Edwards says. “We were like, ‘We have to cut this now.'”

Lacy first heard “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” after a day full of meetings for the WMN executive staff.

“We had just finished an all day offsite, preparing for the next six months and talking about records that were coming. Cole texted me [the work tape] right at the end of that. It had been a long day and everybody was getting ready to go. I listened to it and I was like, ‘You guys have to stay. I’m going to end this on an amazing note. We’re talking about what the future is going to look like? Let me play this.’

“Everybody in the room was like, ‘Oh my God, that is so fun! That is such a hit,'” Lacy shares.

Once released, just 12 weeks ago, the tune immediately began its swift ascent to the top of the charts. It was his fastest-rising single at country radio to date.

The tune also became an instant crowd-favorite at Swindell’s shows.

“Cole will put a couple of new songs in his set during a live show, but artists don’t typically put a lot of new ones in because the crowd hasn’t had time to get familiar,” Edwards says. “But I’m not joking, people will sing it as if they’ve heard it a thousand times when he plays that song. It just kept doing that [at live shows] over and over again to the point where me, Cris and Cole were like, ‘I don’t think we have a choice on making this single three from Stereotype. Everyone’s screaming what they want next.’”

Now a certified country radio No. 1 hit, the tune has brought a resurgence of popularity for Messina’s rich catalog of music—as well as a friendship between the two artists. She even appears in the video for the track.

“I was so excited when I got the chance to talk to Jo Dee and let her know that I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time. Now I to get to call her a friend,” Swindell says. “We wouldn’t have this song without her.”

NOW OPEN: Applications For MusicRow’s 2023 N.B.T. Music Industry Directory

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Applications are now open for the N.B.T. (Next Big Thing) Music Industry Directory, which will be featured in MusicRow‘s Touring/N.B.T. print issue, which releases on Nov. 29.

MusicRow‘s N.B.T. Music Industry Directory is the first and only list of its kind, showcasing Nashville music business professionals who are rising through the ranks. This class of industry members occupy mid-level roles at their respective companies, and are on a trajectory of excellence to become future leaders in the Nashville music industry. Applicants should ideally have a minimum of 5 or more years experience in the music industry.

This Touring/Next Big Thing print edition also includes the annual Next Big Thing artists listing, with editorial features focused on the touring segment of our industry.

To apply for inclusion in this year’s edition of the N.B.T. Music Industry Directory, please click here to access the application form. (Please note that not all submissions are guaranteed to be listed in the directory.)

Note: If you are submitting multiple candidates, you will need to click on SUBMIT at the bottom of the form before entering another candidate. Head shots can be sent to art@musicrow.com.

New submissions for the directory close on Friday, September 23, 2022. For questions, email lbcantrell@musicrow.com.

HarbourView Acquires Big Loud Mountain’s Publisher Share Of Select Florida Georgia Line Songs

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Florida Georgia Line. Photo: John Shearer

HarbourView Equity Partners has announced its acquisition of Big Loud Mountain Music’s publisher share of select songs from Florida Georgia Line‘s catalog.

Big Loud was a key player in the launch and early success of Florida Georgia Line. The duo made their mark on the genre with hit songs such as “Meant To Be,” “This Is How We Roll,” “H.O.L.Y.,” “May We All,” “Dirt” and “Cruise.” Together the duo’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley tallied 19 career No. 1 singles and more than 13 billion global streams. They sold more than 40 million tracks and 4.8 million albums worldwide.

FGL recently ended their chapter as a duo, and have since been working on solo careers.

Since launching just nine months ago, HarbourView has acquired nearly 40 catalogs to date. The firm’s diverse portfolio features thousands of titles spanning numerous genres and decades. Most recently the company acquired catalogs from Brad Paisley and Lady A, as well as Hollywood Undead, Dre & Vidal, and Luis Fonsi.

Big Loud Mountain Music was represented by Derek Crownover, Megan Pekar and John Rolfe of Loeb & Loeb LLP. Alter, Kendrick & Baron, LLP served as legal counsel to HarbourView.

The terms of the transaction, nor the titles of the acquired tracks, were not disclosed.

Chris Stapleton Renews Global Publishing Deal With Warner Chappell

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Chris Stapleton. Photo: Becky Fluke

Eight-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton has renewed his global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.

Born and raised in Kentucky, Stapleton first landed on the scene in 2015 with his now 5x Platinum debut album, Traveller, which includes the RIAA diamond single, “Tennessee Whiskey.” He has gone on to earn 10 RIAA-certified Platinum singles, 14 CMA Awards, eight ACM Awards, and billions of streams.

As a songwriter, Stapleton has penned countless hits, including his 3x Platinum song “Broken Halos,” his 2x Platinum single “Parachute,” and Justin Timberlake’s 3x Platinum single “Say Something.” He has also written songs recorded by Adele, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Peter Frampton, Sheryl Crow, Ed Sheeran, Vince Gill, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, and Tim McGraw.

Of the news, Stapleton shares, “Ben Vaughn and the Warner Chappell Music team have been wonderful partners to me and my music over the past eight years. I look forward to our continued relationship.”

Vaughn, President & CEO of WCM Nashville, adds, “Chris Stapleton is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. The way he crafts lyrics set against his rhythms makes you literally feel the music. We believe his music will live on for generations and we couldn’t be more honored to continue working with such a timeless songwriter and artist.”

Stapleton is represented by his managers Coran Capshaw, Zach Peters, and Clay Hunt (Red Light Management) as well as his attorney Chip Petree (Ritholz Levy Fields).