Dylan Marlowe Signs With Play It Again Music

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Pictured (L-R): Cade Price, VP of A&R, Dylan Marlowe, Dallas Davidson, Owner/CEO

Dylan Marlowe has signed a publishing and artist development deal with Play It Again Music.

“I’m extremely excited to announce that Dylan Marlowe is joining the Play It Again team,” said Play It Again owner/CEO Dallas Davidson. “Dylan caught my attention two years ago when he was at PIA writing with Trea Landon. I was really digging on the songs he was writing and then absolutely fell in love with his voice.  I think Dylan is a mega-star and look forward to being a part of this Georgia boy’s career.”

“I’m super excited to be joining the Play It Again team, they have treated me like nothing but family so far and I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” said Marlowe. “I’ve looked up to Dallas for a long time so to be able to write for him is a dream come true.”

Davidson, an award-winning songwriter with 25 No. 1 hits and more than 250 cuts to his credit, launched Play It Again Music in 2015.

Evan Coffman Inks Joint Venture Pub Deal With Angry Mob Music, Demolition Music

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Pictured (L-R): Shane Barrett, Steve Bloch, Jon D’Agostino, Evan Coffman, Lauren Spahn, Michael August, Jamie Dryburgh

Evan Coffman has signed an exclusive worldwide joint venture with independent Nashville-based publishing company Angry Mob Music and Demolition Music.

The joint venture covers current and future works, and within it, Demolition will set Coffman up in Nashville with co-writing opportunities and seek cuts for his expansive catalogue while Angry Mob will handle pop and synch co-writes in Los Angeles. They also will oversee synch pitching and all publishing administration.

An Arkansas native, Coffman began his career shortly after he left Arkansas to attend music school in Orlando. He created his own music studio and began work with local and national bands including A Rocket To The Moon, Twenty One Pilots, and VersaEmerge, securing Gold records with both A Rocket To The Moon and Twenty One Pilots. Following a 2015 move to Nashville, Coffman worked with Waterloo Revival and landed a song that was featured during the college football season on ESPN, and the same year produced and co-wrote “Right Now” for Caroline Kole, which landed in the Billboard Top 40.

Angry Mob Music’s CEO and co-founder Marc Caruso said, “We couldn’t be more excited. This joint venture to sign Evan Coffman reflects the shared spirit and principles of Angry Mob and Demolition. Evan is a multi-dimensional talent and we can’t wait to leverage the individual strengths of both companies to achieve even greater success and accomplishments for Evan’s career.”

Jon D’Agostino, President of Demolition Music said, “Evan is a special kind of producer and songwriter who will allow our company to create music at the highest level in multiple formats and genres.  Being able to share his talent with a company like Angry Mob Music means we are looking at unlimited potential to do some amazing things together.”

“I am excited to be joining the Demolition and Angry Mob music family,” said Coffman. “I am extremely thankful to have a team that believes in my abilities and talents, which fuels my drive to be even more successful. I have no doubt that we are going to reach new heights together! I appreciate everyone involved in making this new partnership come to life!”

Riley Roth Signs With Altadena, Warner Chappell Nashville

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Pictured (L-R): Mike Sistad (ASCAP), Stephanie Taylor (Stephanie Taylor Law), Christina Wiltshire (Creative Director, Warner Chappell), Noreen Prunier (Creative Director, Altadena), BJ Hill (VP, Warner Chappell), Daniel Lee (President, Altadena), Riley Roth, Julia Keefe (Creative Coordinator, Altadena)

Riley Roth has signed a publishing deal with Altadena and Warner Chappell Nashville.

Roth arrived in Music City by way of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, and is currently signed to a label deal with Altadena and repped by Justin Cahill at CAA for booking. She completed her debut EP with Grammy-nominated producer, busbee, prior to his untimely passing late last year. Roth has already received choice playlisting on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music and has co-written the majority of the songs she’s recorded.

“Riley is one of the most naturally gifted and hardest working artists I know,” said Altadena President Daniel Lee. “I’m thrilled to continue this journey with our amazing partners at Warner Chappell, and I can’t wait to see the vision that Riley, busbee, and I shared come to fruition.”

Roth’s latest single, “Girls Kiss First,” will be released digitally this Friday (April 17). The track was written by busbee, Katie Pearlman, and Lily Meola and was produced by busbee. Roth will be performing the track live on Instagram today (April 14) at 5 p.m. CST, with a special guest appearance from labelmate Ryan Griffin.

Ebach Entertainment, UMPG Nashville Sign Josh Melton

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Janine Ebach‘s Ebach Entertainment and UMPG Nashville have signed a publishing deal with Josh Melton.

Melton moved to Nashville in 2014 and alongside working at a nursing home to pay the bills he spent evenings working at Nashville’s FGL House and Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge Food+Drink, where Ebach first discovered him.

“It’s your classic Nashville discovery story- I heard Josh sing in a bar and was blown away by his rich vocal, original songs and positive attitude,” Ebach said. “Not only has he been hustling in Nashville for a handful of years but he’s a guy you just want to root for. I’m equally as excited to partner with Troy Tomlinson, Missy Roberts and the entire Universal Publishing Nashville team on Josh, along with his manager, Chris Perkins.”

Melton signed with WME for touring representation in 2019 and has opened shows for Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Jimmie Allen, among others. His song “Everybody Knows” has earned 1 million streams and he will release new music in May.

“I’m humbled to be a part of this amazing team,” Melton said. “I have the support of some of the best industry professionals in the game, and I cannot wait to see where this crazy thing called a dream takes us!”

Warner Chappell Music A&R Executive Katy Wolaver’s Role Now Includes Nashville

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Katy Wolaver

Katy Wolaver, Vice President of A&R at Warner Chappell Music, will broaden her current role to now include Nashville. Working between Los Angeles and Nashville, she will help to foster even more collaborations between the cities’ robust rosters of songwriters and producers.

Wolaver joined the company in 2016, and is responsible for signing and developing new and established songwriters and producers from Warner Chappell’s downtown Los Angeles headquarters. She currently manages a broad array of pop and country talent, including Ava Max, Michael Pollack, Tayla Parx, Jesse Frasure, Sasha Sloan, and Devin Dawson.

“Nashville is home to some of the best songwriters in the world, and we’re looking forward to working with Katy to expand opportunities for the incredible talent in this city,” said Warner Chappell Music Nashville’s President & CEO, Ben Vaughn. “As music genres continue to evolve, it’s our responsibility to create a space for more songwriters to make music together.”

Warner Chappell Music’s President of A&R, U.S., Ryan Press said, “Katy has spent more than a decade working with pop and country songwriters and is in a unique position to bring talent from both genres closer together. Her strong relationships will enable us to create bold new pairings, and I can’t wait to see what will come of this new role.”

Wolaver got her start in music in 2006 while working for songwriter Kara DioGuardi at Arthouse Entertainment, supporting writers and producers like Jon Bellion, Mitch Allan and Ari Levine of The Smeezingtons. She went on to serve as Director of A&R at SONGS Music Publishing. Throughout her career, Wolaver has been behind numerous top hits, such as “Club Can’t Handle Me” by Flo Rida, “Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato, “Never Be The Same” by Camila Cabello, and “Fight” by Florida Georgia Line and Tayla Parx.

“This decision says a lot about Warner Chappell and our commitment to songwriters,” said Wolaver. “It’s so important that we encourage innovation by empowering our writers and producers to experiment with different artists and new styles, regardless of what they’ve done in the past. I’m proud to be part of a team that is willing to do things differently to get our songwriters heard.”

Reservoir Strikes Deal With Roger Murrah (Exclusive)

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Pictured (L-R): Greg Gallo, Reservoir VP, Creative; John Ozier, Reservoir EVP, Creative; Roger Murrah; Doug Colton, Colton Law Firm

Reservoir has inked a deal with Nashville Hall Of Fame songwriter and country music publishing veteran Roger Murrah. The deal includes rights to Murrah’s entire catalog of evergreen country music hits, as well as several thousand unexploited compositions, plus the acquisition of his wholly owned publishing companies, Murrah Music Corporation and Castle Street Music.

Over the course of his five-decade career, Murrah composed 14 No. 1 hits and country music standards including Alan Jackson’s “Don’t Rock The Jukebox,” Al Jarreau’s “We’re In This Love Together,” Conway Twitty and Blake Shelton’s “Goodbye Time,” Wynonna Judd’s “Only Love,” and Alabama’s “I’m In A Hurry,” “High Cotton,” and “Southern Star.” He was named BMI Country Songwriter of the Year in 1988 and the following year crowned BMI’s Country Songwriter of the Decade for the 1980s. Murrah was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005. He has two ACM Song of the Year awards, two CMA Song of the Year nominations, and an ASCAP Song of the Year award under his belt.

In 1990, Murrah formed his own publishing company, Murrah Music Corporation, and signed writers including Luke Bryan, Phillip White, Mike Mobley, Jon Henderson, Rachel Proctor, Mark Alan Springer, Rachel Thibodeau, and more. Over the years, Murrah Music songwriters were behind 14 No. 1’s and hundreds of hit copyrights including Rascal Flatts’ “I’m Movin On,” Billy Currington’s “Good Directions,” Reba McEntire’s “He Gets That From Me,” Tracy Byrd’s “The Keeper Of The Stars,” Tanya Tucker’s “Two Sparrows In A Hurricane,” and Kenny Chesney’s “When I Close My Eyes,” among others. As a publisher, Murrah earned Billboard’s Independent Publisher of the Year award in 1992, and his dedication to music and songwriters didn’t stop there. He served five terms as Chairman of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation and two consecutive terms as President of the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

“It’s an honor to be the new caretakers of Roger Murrah’s incredible legacy as a songwriter and a music publisher,” said John Ozier, Reservoir EVP, Creative. “Reservoir is passionate about representing historic catalogs and I am especially proud to be bringing in one as historic as Roger’s as one of the first acquisitions out of the Nashville office.”

“I could not be more pleased to have the best of my life’s works in the hands of Reservoir, a family owned company,” added Murrah. “It’s another dream-come-true for me. These words may sound cliché, but this new chapter means too much to me. I look forward to working together with John Ozier, Greg Gallo, and the entire Nashville staff, as well as all the Reservoir professionals from around the world.”

Matt Willis Inks Joint Pub Deal With Altadena, Warner Chappell

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Pictured (back row, L-R): Matt Cottingham (Ritholz Levy Fields LLP), Noreen Prunier (Altadena), Matt Willis, Lydia Schultz (SESAC), BJ Hill (Warner Chappell); (front row, L-R): Ben Vaughn (Warner Chappell), Julia Keefe (Altadena), Daniel Lee (Altadena)

Nashville-based songwriter Matt Willis has inked a joint publishing deal with Altadena and Warner Chappell Music. Willis, an Ohio native, moved to Nashville 10 years ago.

Among his cuts is “Backseat Driver,” co-written and recorded by Sony Music Nashville’s Robert Counts.

“Matt represents the best qualities that are so often associated with Nashville songwriters: genuine musicality; smart, poignant lyricism; a deep respect for the craft; and a work ethic that rivals the best in the business. We are thrilled to partner with Warner Chappell in working with Matt and are excited to bring his songs to the masses,” says Altadena’s Daniel Lee.

Altadena was founded by the late songwriter and producer busbee in 2018. The company offers publishing, label and artist development services in partnership with Warner Chappell, Warner Records and Red Light Management.

Cecilia Castleman Inks With Big Yellow Dog Music

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Cecilia Castleman

Cecilia Castleman has signed a publishing deal with Big Yellow Dog Music.

Castleman joins a roster that includes Josh Kear, Jessie James Decker, Meghan Trainor, Logan Mize, Tenille Townes, Daniel Tashian and more.

“All my life I’ve been playing and writing songs,” says Castleman. “I’ve never had a guitar, bass or keyboard lesson — I learned by listening to records and trying to pick up what I could. When I was 16, I took a studio engineering course at The Blackbird Academy so I could track the songs I wrote myself. Every form of art, whether it’s painting or photography, helps me with my music — it helps me create the person I am and who I aspire to be.”

A sample of Castleman’s music, the song, “It’s Alright” can be heard on Big Yellow Dog Music’s Instagram page.

Marcus Hummon Signs With LBK Entertainment

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Pictured (L-R): Mariah Topel, Marcs Hummon, Carl Kornmeyer

Marcus Hummon has signed an exclusive publishing deal with LBK Entertainment.

Hummon, a songwriter, recording artist, producer, studio musician, playwright and author, is also a 2019 Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame inductee who has co-penned iconic hits like “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Ready To Run” by The Dixie Chicks, “Born To Fly” by Sara Evans, “One Of These Days” by Tim McGraw, “Only Love” by Wynonna, “The Cheap Seats” by Alabama and many more.

“Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts earned Hummon a 2005 Grammy for Best Country Song, as well as NSAI Song of the Year. Hummon has written an opera (Surrender Road, staged by The Nashville Opera Company in 2005) and six musicals, three of which were featured as part of the New York New Musical Festival. He is currently in production of a new musical, American Prophet, anticipated to be staged this Fall. Hummon has also scored two films: Lost Boy Home and The Last Songwriter, a documentary that he co-produced.

CEO and majority owner of LBK Entertainment Carl Kornmeyer said, “We are honored to have Marcus join the team of amazing talent at LBK. His versatility as a songwriter and producer in all genres is remarkable and will be valuable to the continued growth of LBK and all our songwriters.”

“I am thrilled to have signed a deal with LBK Entertainment,” said Hummon. “For me, it’s both an exciting new venture, and also… a kind of coming home! I have worked with some of the team members before such as Tim Dubois, as I was a development artist on his original Arista Records roster and Debby Dill, pitched my first chart-topping song, ‘Only Love,’ to Wynonna Judd back in 1993. Although Carl Kornmeyer and I haven’t worked together in the past, I am well aware that he has a tremendous reputation in the business, and I am excited for the opportunity to work with the talented and very capable Mariah Topel who leads the creative team.”

Ashley Alexander, Amber Packer Promoted To Sr. Creative Directors At Big Deal Music Group

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Ashley Alexander, Amber Packer

Ashley Alexander and Amber Packer have both been promoted to Senior Creative Directors at Big Deal Music Group.

Alexander joined Big Deal in 2014 and works day-to-day with the company’s growing roster of hit writers including Joe London, Steph Jones, Danny Parker, and Shungudzo. In addition to her A&R work, Ashley is the managing producer of the songwriting podcast, “And The Writer Is…,” which has surpassed 2.7 million downloads. Alexander is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Packer joined Big Deal in 2016, transitioning from JGM Artist Management, where she handled management duties for Dan Wilson and Jenny Owen Youngs (both Big Deal writers). At Big Deal she handles day-to-day for songwriters including Dan Wilson, Jake Sinclair, Jenny Owen Youngs, Tobias Wincorn, and Danny Silberstein, among others. She also runs point for Big Deal’s joint venture with Nice Life, which includes writers Tele and King Garbage and their joint venture with Mad Decent, which includes Dillon Francis, Tourist, and Phil Scully. Packer is a graduate of Berklee College of Music.

“Ashley and Amber are both incredible success stories who’ve grown along with the company, making a huge difference in our songwriters’ careers,” said Big Deal Chief Executive Officer, Kenny MacPherson. “They are very deserving of these promotions and I’m looking forward to them continuing to make valuable contributions as we grow this company.”
Both executives will be based in Big Deal Music Group’s Los Angeles headquarters.