My Music Row Story: FlyteVu’s Laura Hutfless

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Laura Hutfless

Laura Hutfless is the CEO and Co-Founder of FlyteVu, an award-winning creative agency that connects brands with culture in bold and unexpected ways. Following a 15-year career as a talent agent at WME and CAA, she grew FlyteVu into a rapidly expanding, industry-recognized agency known for culture-shaping campaigns honored by the Emmys, GRAMMYs, Cannes Lions and more.

Under her leadership, FlyteVu has been recognized on Adweek’s Fastest-Growing Agencies list and Chief Marketer’s Top 200. She also led the creation of the FlyteVu Fund, which has donated more than $1.2 million to charitable causes through employee-directed giving.

MusicRow: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a military family, so we moved every couple years. Because of that, I was introduced to a lot of different types of music based on the preferences of the community or where we were based. In high school, I was introduced to country in West Virginia. So when I went to college at NC State, I found the country label and the country radio station that was there and I interned. That’s how I started in music.

Photo: Courtesy of Hutfless

What did you do for the radio station?

Promotion. I tried hosting one early morning show, and that was a disaster [laughs], so I decided that was definitely not for me. I worked with the record labels and the artists coming through town hosting listening experiences for fans and worked a lot backstage. That’s where I got to know a lot of managers and production managers, and I started to network.

Did you always want to work in the music business?

No, I started in college in a graphic design and art design major, thinking I wanted to be an animator. Then after a few internships in that space, I decided that was not for me. I discovered that there were art directors at record labels, who made the designs for albums and tour posters, and that’s what I wanted to do.

Who were you designing for?

When I moved to Nashville, I picked up some freelance gigs from different orgs in town, including labels, but I was still young and I needed a full time job. My first job was as an assistant at WME on the desk of the first agent who was doing sponsorships. I got that job because I could make PowerPoint presentation, so it was a perfect opportunity for me to learn the business and design skills, and we know how much that part of the industry has taken off in the past 20 years. I just got in at the perfect time.

Did you move right from Nashville right out of college?

I may have moved before graduation [laughs]. I moved without a job. I worked at a little boutique called Flavor. All of the stylists and artists would come to shop there. Networking was the name of the game then, so I worked retail for the first six months of being here.

Photo: Courtesy of Hutfless

Where did you go after WME?

The company I was working for after WME was acquired by Ticketmaster, and during the acquisition, the department I was working in essentially disbanded. In that process, a lot of the clients I was working on were represented by CAA and they pursued me, but it took me a while to take that role because I was making great money on my own.

I really liked my job, but I was still in my early twenties and I realized I still had a lot to learn and CAA was an amazing training program to understand the music industry and beyond. It was music, TV, brand deals, marketing, gaming…and the networking there—there’s nothing else like it. I’m really grateful I ended up taking that role because it really did set me on the road that I’m on today.

How did you go from CAA to starting FlyteVu?

About seven years into CAA, quite a few of the brands who I was negotiating with on behalf of my talent roster started to bloom. This was right at the time that social media was coming onto the scene. Influencers and brands navigating the music space, they did not understand the rights. So they would make a deal with the label, but they didn’t understand that they didn’t get better appearances, or they would make a deal with the talent director that didn’t understand they had to clear music with the publisher.

Photo: Courtesy of Hutfless

So I was helping them as an agency navigate that. They wanted me to come work in house. I didn’t want to work for one, but it’s really interesting to craft deals and campaigns and partnerships from the onset. That sounded like the next challenge for me, so I decided to start FlyteVu because I could then take them all on.

What was the journey like to start FlyteVu?

Jeremy Holley and I put together a business plan and ultimately decided to bet on ourselves and fill a gap we were seeing in the industry.

We had the support of CAA and Warner and we had the business, and unlike a lot of entrepreneurs that are starting from nothing, I feel like we really shaped off their base. We were really blessed right out of the gate from day one to have enough business to start the company.

Who were some of your first clients?

American Red Cross, Cracker Barrel and a fitness brand called Snap Fitness.

What’s been your personal journey with the company throughout the past 10 years?

When we started, I was doing everything. Selling, creating, managing, activating, hiring, managing people—all of those. I mean it’s chaos, but entrepreneurs thrive in that environment. As the company’s grown, it moves. My role has shifted from doing the work in a founder-led mentality, taking big risks, to now CEO of the company, which is accomplishing work through others while maintaining the same quality and value system that the company was founded on. To me, that is much harder.

Photo: Courtesy of Hutfless

It’s also now steering the shift, but understanding that any pivot that I would have made as a founder to be fast has a significant effect on everyone else. You can’t make quick decisions like you used to as a founder. You have to have a lot more thoughtful strategic insight as you lead people. I still really love the creative. I think that’s just my skills and my passion, so I still sneak into the creative meetings. [laughs].

Looking back on the past 10 years to now, what are some major milestones that you guys have hit over the past 10 years?

Definitely producing our first Super Bowl campaign. Surviving COVID was a milestone for any agency, entertainment or live event—and we adapted very quickly for our clients. Surpassing 30 employees and having employees in LA, New York and Austin, opening hubs in other markets. I’d say the last milestone was selling for eight figures. I’m still the CEO and that has allowed us to grow very quickly, continue expanding, but also develop our own AI tools, which we will roll out next quarter. It is really exciting to elevate our company in tech and AI.

Tell me more about the Super Bowl ad.

Photo: Courtesy of Hutfless

It was for Bumble. It did not start off as an ad, it started because the founder of Bumble wanted to work with Serena Williams and I helped broker that multi-year deal. In the course of growing that partnership, we decided to launch it at the Super Bowl. The problem is we decided that eight weeks before the ad took. It was wild and chaotic because that process had 20% of the time that it normally would’ve taken.

But I love that because that’s the mentality of FlyteVu. We’ll figure it out. That’s the mentality of any successful entrepreneur. You also have to have a team that rallies behind you in those moments because everyone has to be on board,

What’s the best advice that you’ve ever gotten?

Don’t take no from someone who doesn’t have the authority to give you a no. Virginia Bunetta told me that. Another one is you need to build the life you want, not for the life you have. That one was helpful personally and professionally because a big part of my story is that I adopted my daughter on my own, and that was during that season making some tough decisions. You have to build your life around what you want to have and start investing in your career and your lifestyle and making space for what you want—not just where you are now.

How do you balance motherhood and your career?

Photo: Courtesy of Hutfless

I just have priorities. I planned my life. I intentionally planned the chapter of life to support the life that I wanted in those challenges. For example, I did not start a company when I had a young baby or child at home. I started the company first, which gave me time to build the company up, have financial freedom and have a team now that can run the company where I’m now in the senior role, not the founder role. Now that puts more flexibility in my schedule. I could adopt a little girl and be able to prioritize her more than I could have if I adopted her when I was 25.

Who have been some of your mentors?

Virgina Bunetta has been a friend and mentor. Lou Taylor, she taught me how to read my first PNL. Rob Light at CAA—I didn’t get to talk to him often because he was in LA, but every time he did speak to me, it was direct and it was honest, and it wasn’t always what I wanted to hear. To me, that’s what a mentor does. They make their time impactful. They’re willing to bring light to blind spots at the risk of however you might respond because they care about you and your future.

Lastly Jennifer Cooke. She manages Amy Grant. She was one of the first female managers in town. She was also the first person I knew in Nashville to approach motherhood on her own.

What’s a moment that your little kid self would be proud of?

I grew up in a very conservative Christian home, so Amy Grant was the only artist that I was allowed to listen to. At CAA, she was on my roster and I sold and negotiated some sponsorships for her. That was a little surreal, to work with the artists that you grew up listening to.

The second one was selling a company for eight figures. I would never have thought when I was little that I would build something and sell it. It’s not just about the money—the money is financial freedom for my family, but it’s not what I place my own worth or value in. Never did I think I could build something from scratch and then someone else would place that level of value on it.

MusicRow Releases 2026 InCharge Issue, Russell Dickerson Graces The Cover

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MusicRow Magazine, Nashville’s leading music industry trade publication, is proud to announce the 2026 release of its flagship print directory, InCharge.

This annual guide highlights some of the Nashville music business’ most influential industry executives. This year’s edition includes 384 profiles, accompanied by contact information, career biographies and detailed board and organizational membership affiliations.

The guide also includes a record label staff index, a company appendix and a professional categories appendix, which lists executives by their areas of expertise, including label, talent agency, management, music publishing, legal, finance, performing rights organizations and more.

“Nashville’s music industry continues to evolve. Its strength remains rooted in the people doing the hard work, building careers, developing talent and finding new ways to connect music with audiences,” says MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson. “Whether inside record labels, management companies, booking agencies, publishing companies, media organizations and other segments of our community, the people on these pages are the ones who move things forward.”

Multi-Platinum chart-topper Russell Dickerson graces the cover of the 2026 InCharge issue.

The Triple Tigers recording artist burst onto the scene with a remarkable run of No. 1 hits—“Yours” (3X Platinum), “Blue Tacoma” (2X Platinum), “Love You Like I Used To” (2X Platinum), “Every Little Thing” (Platinum), “God Gave Me a Girl” and most recently the Platinum-certified “Happen to Me”—cementing his reputation as one of country music’s most consistent hitmakers. Dickerson has amassed nearly four billion career streams to date.

His sold-out live show became the driving force behind his fourth studio album, FAMOUS BACK HOME, a high-energy, confidence-fueled project that mirrors the electricity of his sold-out “RUSSELLMANIA TOUR”—now extended through 2026.

Single copies of MusicRow’s 2026 InCharge issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $115, and are included with yearly MusicRow subscriptions.

Stagecoach Wraps 2026 Festival

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Lainey Wilson

Stagecoach held its last day of sets yesterday (April 26), wrapping up its 2026 festival.

Friday night featured performances from Adrien Nunez, Avery Anna, Bailey Zimmerman, BigxThaPlug, Chase Rice, Counting Crows, Ella Langley, Hannah McFarland, Josh Ross, Julia Cole, Larkin Poe, Lyle Lovett, Marcus King Band, Nate Smith, Neon Union, Noah Cyrus, Noah Rinker, Ole 60, Sam Barber, Taylor Holder, The Red Clay Strays and Wynonna Judd before headliner Cody Johnson took the stage.

Cody Johnson

Highlights from opening night included Johnson bringing out Boyz II Men for “On Bended Knee,” Langley bringing out Theo Vonn for “you look like you love me,” Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug performing “All The Way,” Cyrus bringing out her dad Billy Ray Cyrus for “On Our Way Along,” and King bringing out his wife Briley King for a cover of Little Feat’s “Willin.’”

Day two was led by headliner Lainey Wilson, with additional performances from Benjamin Tod, Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, Braxton Keith, Bush, Charles Wesley Godwin, Chase Matthew, Corey Kent, Gavin Adcock, Elizabeth Nichols, Journey, Kevin Smiley, Lane Pittman, Little Big Town, Michael Marcagi, Redferrin, S.G. Goodman, Something Out West, Teddy Swims, Treaty Oak Revival, Tyler Braden and Willow Avalon.

Through a high winds delay, day two was still packed with highlights including Wilson bringing out Riley Green and Little Big Town. Green’s original full length set was cancelled due to the winds.

Post Malone

The final day was packed with performances from Adam Sanders, Amos Lee, Bayker Blankenship, Brandon Wisham, Brett Young, Brooks & Dunn, Cameron Whitcomb, Eli Young Band, Gabriella Rose, Hootie & the Blowfish, Hudson Westbrook, Ink, Jake Worthington, Kameron Marlowe, Max McNown, Ryan Hurd, The Wallflowers, Third Eye Blind, Ty Myers, Warren Zeiders, Wyatt Flores and Zach John King before culminating in a headline performance by Post Malone. 

The final day highlights included Post Malone playing covers of Garth Brooks, Hank Williams Jr., Kenny Chesney and more, and brought out Shaboozey and Keith, and Hootie & Blowfish bringing out Flavor Flav and Chuck D of Public Enemy out for a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.”

Alongside the performances, fans also got to see Guy Fieri return to his Smokehouse, hosting cooking demos with Wynonna Judd, Billy Bob Thornton, Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, BigXthaPlug and more. Sydney Sweeney also hosted karaoke, singing duets with Green, Zimmerman, Diplo and Rice.

Bailey Zimmerman

Ella Langley

Riley Green

Little Big Town

Hootie & The Blowfish

Warren Zeiders

Ella Langley Tops MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Ella Langley. Photo: Caylee Robillard

Ella Langley has taken the No. 1 spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. 14 tracks off her newly released Dandelion album push the singer-songwriter to the top this week, including “Be Her,” “Bottom Of Your Boots,” “Broken,” “Butterfly Season,” “Choosin’ Texas,” “Dandelion,” “I Gotta Quit,” “Last Call For Us,” “Loving Life Again,” “Low Lights,” “Most Good Things Do (Acoustic),” “Somethin’ Simple,” “We Know Us,” and “You & Me Time.”

Joybeth Taylor jumps into the No. 2 spot with Langley’s “Broken,” “Butterfly Season,” “Choosin’ Texas,” “Dandelion,” “girl you’re taking home,” “I Gotta Quit,” “Last Call For Us,” “Low Lights,” “Most Good Things Do (Acoustic),” “Somethin’ Simple,” “Speaking Terms,” “We Know Us,” and “You & Me Time,” as well as Corey Kent’s “Empty Words.” Luke Combs moves to No. 3 with “Days Like These,” “Rethink Some Things,” and “Sleepless In A Hotel Room.”

Randy Montana (No. 4) and Blake Pendergrass (No. 5) round out this week’s top five.

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.

Avery Anna Wins ACM New Female Artist Of The Year

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Avery Anna. Photo: Megan Burch/Courtesy of ACM

Avery Anna has been named this year’s ACM New Female Artist of the Year.

Sam Barber surprised Anna during her performance at Lone Star Smokeout with the news. She was joined on stage by her family and team.

“I’m just so grateful for this, I’m so honored,” she shared from stage. “Thank you guys for rallying for me, supporting me and cheering me on. I thank God every day that I get to do this and that he put this passion on my heart. I’m so grateful for people like you that show up for artists like me and embrace the things that we have to say. Thank you guys so much. This is such an honor.”

Anna released her most recent EP forgive, forget. and embarked on her “Girl Of Constant Sorrow Tour” in March. The project followed her 2025 album let go letters, which has garnered over 1 billion global streams to date.

Photo: Annelise Loughead/Courtesy of ACM

Photo: Annelise Loughead/Courtesy of ACM

Photo: Annelise Loughead/Courtesy of ACM

Music Industry Veteran Cliff Downs Passes Away

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Cliff Downs

Cliff Downs, a respected music industry veteran who spent time as an artist, composer, producer and publisher, died on Friday (April 24) after a long battle with cancer. He was 72.

As part of the 1980s duo Downes & Price with vocalist Jimmy Price, Downs began his career as a pop artist signed to Atlantic Records. He released a self-titled album in 1986 featuring AOR/pop tracks.

Later, Downs found himself in Nashville, beginning what would be a successful career as a songwriter and producer with hits across pop, country, contemporary Christian and jazz. His songs were recorded by artists such as Foreigner, Wynonna, Gabby Barrett, B.J. Thomas, Paul Rodgers, Glen Campbell and jazz artist Richard Elliott.

Additionally, Downs’ scores and songs appeared in major film and TV productions including the TNT movie Red Water, David Zucker’s film An American Carol, Red Dirt Rising and network shows such as Modern Family, MacGyver, General Hospital, One Life to Live, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless and Sunset Beach. He won an Emmy for Best Original Song for “When I Think of You” from One Life to Live and received multiple Emmy nominations and awards. Over his career, Downs’ music garnered over 1,000 television placements and was featured in promos for The Voice, American Idol, the Super Bowl, Olympics coverage and more.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the chapel at Brentwood Baptist Church (7777 Concord Rd., Brentwood, TN 37027). Visitation will precede the service from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the same location.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Downs’ honor to The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum or PR Ministries.

MusicRow Weekly (Don Schlitz, News, Charts, More…)

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This week’s edition of The MusicRow Weekly arrives with a mix of reflection, celebration and forward momentum across music landscapes. Click here to see the full edition.

The industry is mourning the loss of one of its most influential storytellers, Don Schlitz, who passed away on April 16 at the age of 73 following a sudden illness. Schlitz’s catalog helped define generations of country music, with songs that blended emotional depth and narrative clarity in ways that resonated far beyond Nashville.

Anticipation is building for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, set for May 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, as Shania Twain will take the reins as host for the first time.

Miranda Lambert has entered a new chapter with her signing to MCA.

On the publishing side, Jessi Alexander has inked a worldwide deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville and Perfect Game Creative. The agreement positions Alexander as the flagship signing for Perfect Game Creative, the venture launched last year by industry veteran Jessi Vaughn Stevenson.

mtheory has elevated Ed Rivadavia to EVP of Marketing & Operations and Kaitlyn Moore to General Manager.

Michael Bryan, former Global Head of Country Music at Apple Music, has launched Southern Drift, a Nashville-based management and media company. The venture begins with a roster that includes Charlie Worsham and podcast God’s Country, hosted by songwriters Reid Isbell and Dan Isbell. The company’s leadership team features Taryn Anderson as Chief Operating Officer/General Manager and Jordon Isbell as Vice President of Marketing and Executive Producer of the podcast.

Gator Harrison has joined K-LOVE, Inc. as Chief Media Officer. At Jody Williams Songs, Tenasie Courtright has been promoted to Director, Creative & A&R, while Jonah Gordon steps in as Manager, Sync & A&R.

Jonathan Gamble and Jordan Sapp have both extended their deals with Capitol Christian Music Group.

Rounding out the week, rising artist Benny G celebrated a major career milestone with his debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry on April 18.

In addition, the latest MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart is included. Ella Langley takes the No. 1 spot with “Be Her.” Explore more chart data here.

The MusicRow Weekly is delivered every Friday, featuring Nashville’s top music industry news, exclusive interviews, song reviews, radio and songwriter charts and more. Sign up for free here.

BREAKING: Big Machine Records/Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment Taps Allison Jones As EVP Of A&R

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Allison Jones.

Big Machine Records/Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment has tapped Allison Jones as EVP of A&R.

Jones joined Big Machine Label Group in 2008 and has been a key player in signing Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, The Band Perry, Riley Green, Carly Pearce and Midland, while contributing to the development and success of Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Lady A and Taylor Swift.

Across her career, she has spent time as Head of A&R at multiple labels, including Giant Records, DreamWorks Nashville and Universal Music Group Nashville. Jones served as Toby Keith’s longtime A&R representative for more than a decade during the peak of his career, and she worked closely with Reba McEntire across multiple projects, including her GRAMMY Award-winning gospel album Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope.

Jones has been recognized on Billboard’s Women In Music and Country Power Players lists, as well as on Country Aircheck’s Power 31 list and at Nashville Business Journal’s Women in Music City Awards.

“I’ve worked with Scott since 1997, when we opened DreamWorks Nashville together, and have spent the past 18 years at Big Machine in the trenches making history (with lots of celebrations and core memories made!),” says Jones. “I’m incredibly proud of the music we’ve created. It’s been an honor to be part of building one of the most impactful and successful labels in the history of the music business. Scott is a true visionary who never settles for anything less than winning. I’m incredibly excited and proud to do it all over again as we rebuild the new Big Machine!”

“Allison is the consummate A&R executive,” adds Founder, Chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta. “She knows every artist, every song, and every publisher, and is obsessed with being on the sharp end of pop culture. Big Machine simply would not be what it is today without Allison by my side, and I’m so thrilled that we get to continue together in this new season.”

Ella Langley Tops MusicRow Radio Chart With ‘Be Her’

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Ella Langley. Photo: Caylee Robillard

Ella Langley has found herself at the top of the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart once again this week with “Be Her.”

Langley co-wrote the song with Jordan Schmidt, Smith Ahnquist and HARDY. It appears on her sophomore album Dandelion, which recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the largest week for a country album by a woman in two years and the biggest week of 2026 for any female artist.

The breakout star also continues to hold the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a seventh week and the Billboard Hot Country Songs for the 21st week with mega-hit “Choosin’ Texas.”

“Be Her” currently sits at No. 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 8 Mediabase chart.

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

Jackson Dean Threads The Needle On ‘Magnolia Sage’ [Interview]

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Jackson Dean. Photo: Sean Hagwell

On his third studio album, Magnolia Sage, Jackson Dean isn’t just refining his sound, he’s redefining the way he tells stories. The project arrives at a pivotal moment in his career, shaped by relentless touring, personal growth and a creative process that demanded both urgency and reinvention.

“You have your whole entire life to make your first record, six months to do record two, and then hardly any time to do record three,” Dean explains to MusicRow. That compressed timeline forced a departure from traditional methods. “This was a very different process than our usual,” he says, noting that constant travel left him piecing together ideas across time zones and head spaces.

What emerged is an album that feels expansive geographically, emotionally and sonically. Initially, Dean considered centering the project around a single motif. “I had ‘Hey Mississippi’ and I was going to go with Magnolia Moon. But there’s so much more on this record than just Magnolia.” The turning point came late in the process, when a final track reshaped the concept entirely. “That chorus is just so impactful, and that’s where the Sage came from.” The fusion of the two ideas gave the album its title and its identity.

Rather than beginning with a rigid concept, Dean discovered the album’s duality as he built it. The “Magnolia” and “Sage” halves, loosely representing contrasting emotional and geographic landscapes, weren’t pre-planned. “It’s always a fun time to needle through not only the sequencing, but to conceptualize it all,” he says. “It’s always fun threading the needle through all of that and telling the stories.”

That storytelling instinct extends to how the record unfolds. Dean approached sequencing like crafting a live show. “I always look at it like a set list coming off the top with tempo and then vibing and wildfires in the middle there. And then the back half is pretty epic.” The result is a dynamic listening experience that mirrors the energy of his performances.

At its core, Magnolia Sage reflects a life spent in motion. “I’ve been to a lot of places since Back of My Dreams came out, and this is very much an American record,” Dean says. With location references scattered throughout, the album captures both the pull of home and the ache of distance.

Personally, Dean admits he gravitates toward one side of that divide. “I’m a Sage leaning guy. I really am,” he says, laughing about his preference for drier climates over Southern humidity. Still, the album thrives in the tension between those worlds, never settling fully into one or the other.

Sonically, that duality becomes even more pronounced. While Dean’s foundation remains rooted in country, Magnolia Sage stretches into looser, groove-driven territory, pulling from R&B and soul influences. “It is way more laid back,” he says. Yet the musicianship remains front and center with tight band interplay, expressive guitar work, and arrangements designed to translate seamlessly to the stage.

Among the artists shaping that sonic palette are Leon Bridges and Ralph Stanley. “Bridges is a soulful guy,” he says, while praising Stanley’s deeply rooted, organic sound. The goal wasn’t to mimic either influence, but to absorb their essence and push into “new territory.” As Dean puts it, “There’s no two songs the same on this record. They’re all their own thing in their own right, which is healthy and the goal.”

That sense of individuality extends to the songwriting, which balances intimate moments with universal themes. The earliest track written for the album, “Something Easy,” carried particular weight. “I held that song close to the vest for a while,” Dean says, recalling how its meaning crystallized after meeting his fiancee Shannon.

For Dean, that realization underscores a broader philosophy about music’s purpose. “Music is supposed to be presented in a way for the listener to put themselves in the song and see their own life in it,” he says. It’s less about delivering fixed narratives and more about creating space for connection.

Behind the scenes, Dean collaborated closely with producer Luke Dick. “I don’t ever really want to stop working in a studio,” he says. “I will go take after take after take to get it perfect with no autotune.” That dedication manifests in layered vocal stacks and richly textured recordings that feel both polished and raw.

Magnolia Sage represents growth, not just artistic, but also personal. “I’m not 18 and pissed off anymore,” Dean says candidly. Years of travel and experience have reshaped his worldview. “I’ve definitely gone more places than I ever dreamed of going. My perspective on the world has changed drastically.”

It’s an album born from chaos, but grounded in clarity of purpose. As Dean reflects on the process, one realization stands above the rest: “Once you pour your focus into something and give it all, it can really center you and bring you back to your middle.”