Kyle Frederick Signs with Vandermont Music Group

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Indie rock writer/producer Kyle Frederick has signed a publishing and production agreement with Doug Howard’s Vandermont Music Group. The agreement includes SoulJob, Frederick’s upcoming album project with Nashville-based rockers BoomTemple. In addition to BoomTemple members Frederick and Tony Lindsey, the album features musical contributions from many of their fellow Kentucky-born contemporaries, including Sam Bush, Chris Carmichael, Byron House, Bill Lloyd, Greg Martin, Jonell Mosser and more.

“Kyle uniquely fills an extremely important space in our overall creative mission,” said Howard. “His music is borderless and we look forward to sharing it with the world.”

SoulJob is currently being mixed in Nashville by Rob Feaster and is slated for digital and limited CD release this fall.

Songwriter Updates (8/16/2012)

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Pictured (L-R): Curb Music Publishing's Drew Alexander and Colt Cameron, Katie Kessler and ASCAP's Ryan Beuschel

Katie Kessler has signed an exclusive publishing agreement with Curb Music Publishing.

Kessler was discovered after participating in ASCAP’s Country Songwriters Workshop and The ASCAP Belmont Songwriter Series. She is also a recent graduate of Belmont University.

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Pictured (L-R): ASCAP's Mike Sistad, Chris Stapleton, Sarah Zimmermann (Striking Matches), Morgane Hayes, Eric Paslay, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall, Dave Berg and Justin Davis (Striking Matches)

Country songwriters and Napa Valley winemakers came together for ASCAP’s annual Nashville In Napa on August 11 at Baldacci Family Vineyards to benefit Notes for Education, founded by Frank Rogers and Debi Cali of Baldacci Vineyards.

This year’s event, featured songwriters including Jessi Alexander, Dave Berg, Morgane Hayes Stapleton, Eric Paslay, Jon Randall and Chris Stapleton. Prior to the main event, Radney Foster, Silverado Pickups and Striking Matches (Justin Davis and Sarah Zimmermann) entertained an audience on August 8, at the Napa Valley Opera House.

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Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Tim Fink and Vezner. Photo: Peyton Hoge

SESAC has signed songwriter Jon Vezner for representation. Vezner has scored cuts by Martina McBride, John Mellencamp, and Faith Hill. He also co-wrote the Kathy Mattea classic “Where’ve You Been,” which went on to win Song of the Year honors at the CMA and ACM Awards and a Best Country Song Grammy.

Weblinks: Dick Clark Productions On Auction Block

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• Dick Clark Productions, the company behind the ACM Awards and other ACM television events, is on the auction block. CBS, which is already home to the ACM shows, is reportedly a top suitor for DCP. According to the LA Times, CBS has its “eye” on the Golden Globe Awards, which are under contract with NBC until 2018. Other DCP properties include So You Think You Can Dance, the American Music Awards and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.

• Former UMPG chairman and CEO David Renzer has been tapped by private investment firm Saban Capital Group to serve as president of music ventures. Saban, which also has a television division, is looking into catalog purchases, and will focus on music for film and TV. Renzer told Billboard that the humongous operation resulting from Sony/ATV’s acquisition of EMI Music Publishing could leave some songwriters and catalogs neglected, providing the opportunity for smaller companies to court them away.

• Longtime Hollywood trade publication Variety is up for bids. Avenue Capital, the hedge fund with holdings including American Media, is reportedly the top bidder with a $40 million offer. Here’s the Nashville connection: American Media is the parent company of Country Weekly, and its other publications include National Enquirer, Men’s Fitness, Shape, and Star.

• The Hollywood Reporter unmasks a few superstars’ crazy concert rider requests here. Among the strangest: Cher’s need for her wigs to have their own dressing room, Kanye West’s insistance that his drivers wear 100 percent cotton, and Prince’s request for everything to be covered in plastic wrap.

• Finally, more close to home, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken is open at 19th Ave. and Broadway. The joint, started by the owners of Cool Springs meat-and-three Bishop’s, also offers craft brews and traditional Southern fried chicken. More from the Nashville Post.

Industry Ink (8/13/12)

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The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville Chapter and Fifth Third Bank Entertainment and Sports division will present “Dig A Little Deeper – International Subpublishing,” a panel of international music publishers from 4-6 pm Monday, September 17 at Cabana.

Companies to be represented at the panel include MMG Group of Companies (Israel, Greece Turkey); Dipui Music s.r.l. (Italy); Studio Paradiso (France); Fujipacific (Japan); Collect! Music Publishers BV (Netherlands). Teri Nelson Carpenter, of Reel Muzik Werks and AIMP National Board member, will moderate. Tickets are free for AIMP members and $40 for non-members.

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Video production company Thinking Bee Productions has announced that it is ceasing regular day to day operations. “I am so proud of what we accomplished these past few years,” says Director / Co-Owner Bill Filipiak. “Our goal was to break new ground, experiment with new technology and provide people a sandbox to play in and we did just that. To all of the people who supported our visions, invited us to play and shared their friendships we are eternally grateful. This is by no means the end, rather a new beginning as new adventures await.” Reach Filipiak at bill@filipiak.com and co-owner Jo Hunt at johunttv@gmail.com.

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Nashville-based Brite Revolution has added an e-commerce component to its existing music discovery site. Artist members can now create onesheets by signing up at www.brite.me. Artist social media properties are integrated along with bio, an embeddable music player, and commerce functions. Participating artists set their own prices, and keep 85% of their revenue.

“With iTunes alone holding more than 28 million songs, our current digital music marketplace is saturated with music content,” said Winn Elliott, CEO and Founder of Brite Revolution. “We quickly realized that there is a clear connection between our successful discovery and curation site and putting money directly in the artists’ pocket.”

Creative Nation Expands Team

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Julie Stuckey. Photo: Sarah Lee

Creative Nation has announced the addition of Julie Stuckey as Creative Manager, reporting directly to company co-owner/GM Beth Laird.

“We are so excited to have Julie Stuckey as the newest addition to the Creative Nation team,” says Beth Laird. “After working with her for a year at BMI, I knew her outgoing personality and unique creative approach fit perfectly with our vision.”

Stuckey most recently served int he writer/publisher relations department at BMI. She began her career as marketing coordinator for The Amphitheater at the Wharf in Orange Beach, AL, eventually moving to Nashville to work for GAC as well as the licensing department at SESAC. A native of Beatrice, AL, Stuckey graduated from Auburn University in 2007 and received her masters from the University of Alabama in 2008.

Congratulate her here.

Beth and Luke Laird launched Creative Nation earlier in 2012 and have signed songwriter Barry Dean, who co-wrote Little Big Town’s summer hit “Pontoon.” Creative Nation also recently formed an exclusive partnership with L.A.-based Pulse Recording, which is responsible for hits such as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” and more.

Luke Sheets Inks New Publishing Deal

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Pictured (L-R): Curb Publishing’s Colt Cameron, SESAC’s John Mullins, Bigger Picture’s Nick Garvin, Sheets, SESAC's Tim Fink, Bigger Picture’s Alan Kates, Curb Publishing’s Drew Alexander and Bigger Picture’s Jeff Carlton. Photo: Ed Rode

Singer/songwriter Luke Sheets has entered in an exclusive agreement with Curb Publishing/Bigger Picture Group for representation.

Sheets recently stopped by SESAC’s Nashville headquarters with executives from Curb Publishing and Bigger Picture Group for a celebratory visit.

Pat Higdon To Relaunch Patrick Joseph Music

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Pat Higdon

Music publishing veteran Pat Higdon announced plans to re-launched his Patrick Joseph Music today (8/7).

Originally founded as a joint venture with Warner/Chappell Music in ’89, Higdon will join forces with New York, Los Angeles and London-based SONGS Music Publishing, founded in 2004.

The venture will dedicate itself to writer services, acquisition of new writers, and exploiting catalogs and songs from Matraca Berg, Tim Mensy, Troy Verges, Gary Harrison, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Brett James.

“I’m excited about getting back to the creative end of the business which I enjoy the most,” said Higdon.

“Pat is widely recognized as one of Nashville’s most successful music publishers, and he has an incredible, illustrious history as an independent publisher and entrepreneur,” said SONGS Founder/CEO and NMPA Board Member, Matt Pincus. “It’s a pleasure and honor to be in business with Pat, re-launching the great Patrick Joseph Music as a destination for writers in Nashville.”

Founded in 2004, SONGS publishes and administers for Mighty Seven Songs (Crush Management) and Mom and Pop Music Publishing (Q Prime Management), JT Harding (co-writer “Somewhere with You” and “Alone With You”) and Sleigh Bells. SONGS maintains a writer roster including Diplo (Usher, No Doubt, Justin Bieber, MIA, Major Lazer), Brian Lee (Lady Gaga, Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen), Matt Thiessen (Relient K, Katy Perry, Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen), Q-Tip, and publishes titles including “Good Time” (Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen), “Climax” (Usher), and a portion of the Pharrell Williams catalog.

Higdon has spent time with Nashville’s Woodland Sound, Cedarwood Publishing, MCA Music, rising to become MCA’s Vice President of Nashville operations. He served as Senior Director of Creative Services at Warner/Chappell Music, with whom he founded Patrick Joseph Music as a joint venture. A similar relationship was established in 1992 with Los Angeles-based Windswept Pacific Entertainment before spending the past 12 years at UMPG.

Songwriter Bob McDill to be Honored at ASCAP Awards

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Bob McDill

ASCAP has announced it will honor Country music songwriter Bob McDill with the prestigious Golden Note Award at its 50th Annual Country Music Awards, to be held Oct. 29 at Opryland Hotel.

“Bob McDill is one of Country music’s most eloquent and literary songwriters,” said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. “His dedication to the art and craft of writing honest songs that come straight from the soul has touched the hearts of millions around the world.”

The Texas-born songwriter has written 31 No. 1 songs throughout his three decade career. He has garnered four Grammy nominations, ASCAP Songwriter of the Year (1994), NSAI Songwriter of the Year three times and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.

After Perry Como recorded his song, “Happy Man” in the ’60s, McDill moved to Nashville. He went on to score hits and cuts by Johnny Russell (“Catfish John”), Don Williams (“It Must Be Love” and “Good Ole Boys Like Me”), Waylon Jennings (“Amanda”), Alabama (“Song of the South”), Mel McDaniel (“Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On” and “Louisiana Saturday Night”), and Keith Whitley (“Don’t Close Your Eyes”).

McDill’s success continued into the ’90s with titles including “Gone Country,” “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Why Didn’t I Think of That,” and “All The Good Ones Are Gone.”

“Bob McDill wrote [“Gone Country”] and he is one of my favorite writers of all time,” said Alan Jackson in the liner notes of his Greatest Hits Collection. “When I first heard it, I fell in love with it. I wish that I’d written it cause it says a lot of things that I’d like to say.”

ASCAP’s invitation-only gala will also award Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter/Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Publisher of the Year, and feature live performances of the top five most performed songs of 2011.

Previous recipients who have earned the Golden Note award for extraordinary career milestones include Don Williams, Garth Brooks, Lindsey Buckingham, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and J.D. Souther.

Snapshots (8/2/12)

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SESAC-affiliated songwriter Brian White took to the streets recently to announce his new publishing agreement with SB21 Music. White, who has penned several No. 1 hits in both the Country and Christian Music genres, and executives from SESAC and SB21 Music stopped traffic on the busy streets of Music Row to celebrate the new partnership.

(L-R) (standing): SESAC’s John Mullins & Tim Fink and SB21’s Shane Barrett & Steve Pasch (seated): White. Photo: Peyton Hoge

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ASCAP’s Mike Sistad caught up with Gloriana at the Pepsi Billboard Summer Beats Concert Series in Nashville on the night before the release of the group’s new record, A Thousand Miles Left Behind.

(L-R): Emblem Music Group's Dean Serletic, ASCAP's Mike Sistad, Gloriana's Tom Gossin and Mike Gossin, Emblem Music Group's Matt Serletic

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently (7/28) honored Kye Fleming in its quarterly series Poets and Prophets: Legendary Country Songwriters. Fleming’s songwriting career includes Michael Johnson’s “Give Me Wings;” Barbara Mandrell’s  “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool;” Ronnie Milsap’s “Smoky Mountain Rain” and “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World;” and Sylvia’s “Nobody.”

(L-R): Museum Editor Michael Gray, Kye Fleming, Sylvia Hutton, Allen Reynolds. Photo: Donn Jones

Industry Ink (7/31/12)

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Suzanne Spooner-Faulk

Suzanne Spooner-Faulk has joined the staff of CDX in the newly created role of Production Manager. Her previous experience in the music industry includes time with CMA, rpm Management, Tom-Leis Music, and the Bluebird Cafe. Contact her at 615-292-0123 or suzanne@cdxcd.com.

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Country Radio Seminar’s special $349 “Crazy Days of Summer” registration rate ends tonight (7/31) at midnight CT. Beginning August 1, registration will increase to the $399 Early Bird rate. CRS 2013 is scheduled for Feb. 27 – March 1 in downtown Nashville. Register here.

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The 2012 Radio Show, produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau and the National Association of Broadcasters, will take place September 19-21 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX. Featured speakers include Erica Farber and Dave Ramsey. More info here.

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Chris Keaton Presents and Keaton Music Ventures have relocated to Catch This Music recording studio at 1008 17th Ave. S. in Nashville. The company’s new telephone number is 615-341-0177 and Chris Keaton can be reached at chriskeaton@bellsouth.net.

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Evolution PR has moved to its new offices at 38 Music Sq. E., Ste 116, Nashville, TN 37203. Phone number is still 615-852-6076, and Tiffany Bearden’s email is tiffany@evolutionprnashville.com.

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Berkleemusic, the online education division of Berklee College of Music, has named Debbie Cavalier as its new CEO. She will oversee strategy and vision for the online school, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Cavalier was previously Dean of Continuing Education and oversaw development of the school’s online curriculum, which has enrolled 30,000 students from more than 150 countries. Its YouTube channel ranks fifth among 400 universities in the US and Canada. More info here.