Little Big Town

Little Big Town has extended its global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville.

Members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook have topped the charts numerous times with singles like “Pontoon,” “Girl Crush,” and “Better Man,” and scored Top 10 hits like “Boondocks,” “Bring It On Home,” “Little White Church,” “Tornado,” and “Day Drinking.” Their ninth studio album, Nightfall, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and delivered last year’s Grammy-nominated “The Daughters,” and their current single, “Wine, Beer, Whiskey,” has racked up 75.3 million streams since its debut and is currently enjoying 3.3 million streams weekly.

Aside from writing much of their own material, Little Big Town also has credits on hits from Thomas Rhett, Carly Pearce, and others. The group is nominated for Best Country Album (Nightfall) and Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Sugar Coat”) at the upcoming 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

“I’ve been lucky enough to know Karen, Kimberly, Phillip, and Jimi for years and have watched them grow into the powerhouse group we all know and love,” said Ben Vaughn, President/CEO, WCM Nashville. “There’s no question they’re consistent hitmakers, but they’re also not afraid to take risks and make compelling creative choices with their sound. It’s always paid off, and this year is no different, with two major Grammy nominations and another hit single on their hands with ‘Wine, Beer, Whiskey.’ All of us at Warner Chappell are excited to continue this journey alongside them.”

“Warner Chappell has been our home since nearly the very beginning of our journey as Little Big Town. We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with the team there, whom we have great respect for,” added Little Big Town.

Throughout their nearly 25-year career, Little Big Town has been nominated over 60 times across the Grammys, CMAs, and ACMs, taking home over 20 awards, including ten ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year wins. In 2016, the group was honored with the ACM’s Crystal Milestone Award to mark their outstanding achievements in the music industry, and in 2018, the CMA awarded Little Big Town with the International Artist Achievement Award for their contribution to promoting country music outside of the United States.

Little Big Town is managed by Sandbox Entertainment and represented by Jess Rosen at Greenberg Traurig LLP.

Pictured (L-R): Frank Rogers, CEO, Spirit Music Nashville; Katie Flynn, Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville; Mike Fiorentino, Director A&R, Spirit Music Nashville; Sam Carter; Kara Jackson, Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville; Derek Wells, Senior Director A&R, Spirit Music Nashville/President 2MixMusic.

Sam Carter has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Spirit Music Nashville and 2 Mix Music, Spirit’s joint venture with producer Derek Wells.

A 25-year-old singer-songwriter from Dallas, Georgia, Carter spent the last few years playing shows around the Southeast and honing his craft as a songwriter.

“I couldn’t be more excited about starting the new year off with a talent like Sam Carter!” said Wells, Sr. Director A&R, Spirit Music Nashville/President, 2 Mix Music. “He’s a gifted, natural singer who knows what he wants to say as a writer and an artist. Our whole building is fired up to be a part of his team and we look forward to all of the successes that we see on the horizon for him.” 

“Sam has such a natural, raw talent. I can’t wait for everyone to get to know him,” said Katie Flynn, Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville. “Not only does he stand out as an artist but paired with his passion for music and his hard-working approach, the sky is the limit for him. Our team is so excited to work alongside him and to help him reach his goals.”

“I am so excited for this opportunity to work with the Spirit/2 Mix family,” said Carter. “This has felt like home since day one. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me and create some awesome music with them.”

Pictured (L-R): Tracy Percival, Anastasia Brown, Clayton Anderson, J.R. Hensley. Photo: Evan De Stefano

Country music artist, Clayton Anderson, has signed with the multi-dimensional entertainment and music company Visionary Media Group. VMG is set to expand upon his unique touring concept, provide assistance with the release of his children’s book, and help finish the screenplay he’s writing.

Anderson has racked up over 240K monthly listeners on Spotify and over 10 million streams on the platform alone. Earlier last year, he teamed up with Bud Light for the Bud Light Dive Bar Tour: Home Edition alongside Jake Owen, Dierks Bentley, OneRepublic, and more, which allowed him to keep sharing music, virtually, with his fans during the pandemic.

“I’m beyond grateful and excited for the opportunity to be joining Anastasia Brown, Tracy Percival and the entire VMG family! I was so close to giving up my dream when COVID hit, but this partnership is such a blessing,” Anderson said. “Our ideals and passion for music are parallel and I honestly can’t convey how very thankful I am. I’m so fired up!”

Raised in southern Indiana, Anderson has built a loyal following with his blend of Midwestern rock and independent country. While enrolled at Indiana University, he wrote his first song in the school’s library and began playing fraternity parties around town, earning an audience long before graduation. He’s gone on to open for many artists, including Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Jimmy Buffett, and Carly Pearce. He has also performed alongside Zac Brown Band at the Indy 500, with 40,000 people in attendance.

“When Renee Bell introduced me to Clayton, I flipped over his powerful voice. Then with time, I learned about his work ethic and how entrepreneurial he is—that’s when we knew he was the right fit to join the Visionary Family,” said Brown, VMG Chief Content Strategist.

Anderson is currently gearing up to release a slew of new singles throughout 2021 culminating in a new album release slated for 2022.

John Loar

Businessman John Loar moved to Nashville to be closer to his daughter. Now he finds himself leading the charge to bring a Major League Baseball team and sports entertainment district to Music City.

His background is in real estate operations and acquisitions. In the late ’90s, Loar led the effort for the Seattle Seahawks acquisition and near-relocation to Los Angeles. He also supported former pitcher and Diamondbacks GM, Dave Stewart, on the acquisition of the Miami Marlins.

It’s clear that Loar sees Nashville’s potential future as part of Major League Baseball as a full circle investment in Music City’s entertainment capacity. He’s interested in creating a sports, family entertainment district—like that of Atlanta, Georgia’s The Battery Atlanta, and Ballpark Village in St. Louis, Missouri—not just a baseball field.

Loar founded Music City Baseball, LLC, an organization primarily of Tennessee business, sports, music, and community leaders that is committed to bringing a MLB franchise to the City of Nashville, without government funding. With a focus on securing MLB approval of an expansion franchise in Nashville, the leadership team is also open to the possibility of relocation and rebranding of an existing franchise.

Understanding the fabric of Music City and it’s business climate, Music City Baseball has already engaged with the music industry, securing Music Advisory Board Members to involve them in the plan for bringing MLB to Nashville and the concept of a new entertainment district. Entertainment icons Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Darius Rucker and Justin Timberlake have joined the Board thus far.

Darius Rucker. Photo: Courtesy FINN Partners

“The importance of the music industry to Music City Baseball’s objectives, extends to why Nashville is an important market,” Loar tells MusicRow. “It’s the opportunity to just connect the two of those going forward. Nashville is Music City, it’s the hottest market in the country. This ballpark is truly not a ballpark, it would be an entertainment venue for world-class entertainment, where you can imagine residencies like in Las Vegas. It would be air conditioned and covered, so they could use it year round. So it’s not about baseball, it’s more about that opportunity to create a world-class [entertainment complex], for convention use, for corporate use, etc.

“Baseball is the reason why I’m the catalyst behind it, but what we’re building here is a world-class entertainment venue. Baseball plays for 22% of the time, 81 games, but what it creates is an opportunity to have a venue within a venue. By design with our partners ASM Global, coordinating our music industry advisors, [the Nashville music industry can have] an important role in being part of this process. They can be included in the design of how the facility operates, how it’s designed and how it functions,” Loar says.

Rendering of potential ballpark / entertainment complex. Photo: Courtesy Music City Baseball

In an effort to build a Major League franchise on equity and celebrate diversity, Music City Baseball wants to name the team Nashville Stars, in honor of several Negro League baseball teams that played games in Nashville in the 1940s. They established a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which includes a net sharing of revenues from the sale of merchandise bearing the name “Nashville Stars,” and cooperation between marketing and social media efforts.

“It gives Major League Baseball the opportunity to take its place in history and be proactive instead of reactive in the conversations that continue to go on diversity and inclusion,” Loar says.

Music City Baseball was positioned to submit a proposal to Major League Baseball to establish a team in Nashville, but that step has been delayed a year due to business effects from the COVID-19 pandemic. Until then, Loar is focused on site selection for the proposed entertainment district.

“We hope it’s in Davidson County, but it will possibly be in Williamson County or Rutherford County. We’ve got eight sites that we’re considering,” Loar says. “We hope it’s part of the East bank, potentially the Tennessee State University site. A downtown ballpark gives us the opportunity to build, with our partner ASM Global, a world-class entertainment venue. The walkability, bringing the Cumberland River alive, and just being part of a downtown park is the objective.”

In 2021, it’s important for Music City Baseball to show their partner (ASM Global) that the Nashville market can be a revenue contributor, the reasons why, and to find a site for the ballpark.

“We think we can privately finance a ballpark here, as it’s really not a ballpark. It’s an entertainment venue. The baseball team becomes a tenant,” Loar says. “It’s driven by the music industry in residencies, and in conventions. It supports the growth of Nashville, the airport growth, the expansion internationally, and the hotel industry and the restaurant industries that continue to grow, even with COVID. People come to Nashville just because it’s Music City, so when the Red Sox, the Phillies, the Giants, or whoever see the Stars on the schedule, they’re going to come here for a three-game series, and be a part of the town and the market area.”