Cole Swindell And Songwriters Celebrate Grammy-Nominated Hit “Break Up In The End”

Pictured (L-R, back row): KP Entertainment’s Kerri Edwards, Big Machine Music Publishing’s Mike Molinar, UMPG’s Travis Gordon, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Warner Music Nashville’s John Esposito, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, producer Michael Carter and Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg. (L-R, front row): BMI songwriters Chase McGill, Jessie Jo Dillon and Cole Swindell and ASCAP songwriter Jon Nite. Photo: Steve Lowry

It was only appropriate that when Cole Swindell celebrated his heartbreaker No. 1 last night (Feb. 6), it came a downpour in Nashville. The party for the Grammy-nominated “Break Up In The End,” written by Chase McGill, Jessie Jo Dillon and Jon Nite, was thrown by ASCAP and BMI at The Cowan at Topgolf, and was filled to the brim with friends and fans of Swindell’s and the writers. Producer Michael Carter was also in attendance to commemorate his eighth No. 1 as a producer.

BMI’s Executive Director, Creative, Leslie Roberts, served as the host for the rainy but heartwarming night. She made sure to make the crowd aware right away that “Break Up In The End” is BMI writer McGill’s second No. 1 and Dillon’s first.

“To say that Chase is on a roll is an understatement,” Roberts said. “Obviously Chase is extremely talented, but if we look back at all of his accomplishments, the common thread is the perseverance, determination and work ethic that he has had his whole life.”

“I don’t remember not knowing Jessie Jo,” Roberts said. “We all work with so many writers and we hope they all achieve the success they dream of, but with Jessie Jo, specifically, I pictured this moment in my mind. What the song would be, who the artist would be, and of course, what would she be wearing? And here we are today; ‘Break Up In The End,’ Cole Swindell and yes, you look amazing Jessie Jo,” she said with a laugh.

Roberts also presented Dillon with her Taylor guitar, as per BMI tradition.

Roberts also commended Swindell for his success, with “Break Up In The End” being his eighth No. 1 single as an artist. She was also the first of many that commended him for cutting an outside song.

“[Cole] has had numerous songwriting awards,” she said. “In 2014 he was the MusicRow Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, in 2016 he was NSAI’s Songwriter/Artist of the Year, and he has received the CMA Triple Play Award, which is such a hard thing to do.”

Roberts then turned the microphone over to ASCAP’s Nashville Creative Manager, Beth Brinker. Brinker immediately thanked Andrew Kintz and First Tennessee Bank for their support.

“It is my honor to get to talk about Jon Nite,” she said. “ACM and CMA Award-winning, Grammy-nominated, Jon Nite. You’ve been an ASCAP family member the entirety of your career, it means so much. You give so much of yourself. Now as a publisher, as a co-writer, as a friend, you are a tremendous talent. It speaks volumes to hear what Cole did after hearing your work tape. What you do is incredible.”

“I’m also honored to get to talk about Mr. Michael Carter,” Brinker continued. “I’ve known Michael Carter a very, very long time and one thing about him that has never changed—maybe his hair, you’ve got great hair,” she quipped. “His work ethic is tried and true, I think anybody that knows Michael Carter will say that about him. We are honored to celebrate with you.”

Big Machine Music’s General Manager Mike Molinar was on hand to celebrate Dillon’s first No. 1. He took time to thank Warner Nashville, their radio promotion staff, KP Entertainment, the songwriters, Carter, and more.

“Cole, thank you for cutting outside songs,” he said. “You don’t have to. Thank you for being willing to be so vulnerable on this track and making your truth, everybody else’s truth.”

Molinar also had almost poetic words to say about Big Machine Music writer Jessie Jo Dillon.

“Someone who is brave enough to live, someone who is unafraid to love too much, unafraid to live too hard and unafraid to speak too honestly,” he said. “Whether it is in literature, her own writing or in her real life, she values those extremes. She has no time or patience for anybody that wants to live in the middle of the road. She writes for and about people that don’t want to stand on the sidelines. ‘Break Up’ is the first of many No. 1’s Jessie Jo will write.”

He went on to thank the staff at Big Machine Music, singling out Vice President, Publishing Alex Heddle, who handles day-to-day for Dillon, and Becca Walls, Manager, Content and Host for Big Machine Radio.

Travis Gordon, UMPG’s Senior Creative Director, was excited to speak on McGill’s success and character.

Gordon raved about McGill’s success, saying, “For 101 weeks, Chase has had a song on the Country Airplay chart, he’s had 40 major label cuts, and was on MusicRow‘s Top 100 Songwriters of 2018, coming in at No. 7.”

He then told a story about receiving a glowing text from a publisher at a writing retreat about McGill’s work ethic; a theme becoming popular in discussions about McGill.

Gordon also recognized Warner Nashville’s Cris Lacy and Swindell’s manager Kerri Edwards for all their hard work.

Warner Nashville’s John Esposito was there to deliver his always entertaining remarks about Swindell and the hit.

“Some things that I think are pretty amazing are in the U.S., ‘Break Up In The End’ reached an Airplay audience of over 800 million and it achieved over 1.1 million track equivalent sales. That would be Platinum, including 140 million on-demand streams.

“And the good news is,” he quipped. “It’s still streaming 3 million a week and doing the equivalents of 20,000 tracks a week [sold]. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

Esposito relayed that Swindell is the only solo artist in Country Aircheck history to top the charts with his first seven singles; and he now has number 8. He also presented Swindell with his Gold certification plaque, and assured that his Platinum plaque is on the way.

“I see my Warner family out there—thank you—I appreciate that everybody thanks you but I want you to know that from the bottom of my heart,” Esposito said. “We knew that we had to deliver this song because this song was too important.”

Pictured (L-R): Chase McGill, Jessie Jo Dillon, Cole Swindell, Jon Nite. Photo: Steve Lowry

Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg was on hand to speak on behalf of Nite and Carter.

“Jon will call me from time to time after a write and he will say, ‘Oh man, we wrote a hit today, we wrote a smash,’ or bomb or fire or whatever it is,” he joked. “But I will say that [Jon] called me right after the session and said something [and he’s] only said it once, he said, ‘I think I might have written the best song of my career.’ And you were right, this is going to be one of the best songs of your career.

“I know I’m repeating things people have already said,” he continued. “But [Swindell] has created this career of integrity where you’re not scared to cut the best song. The best song wins. The truth is, you’ve written 10 No. 1 songs. You’re a killer songwriter, but if you hear one that’s special, it doesn’t matter if you’re name is on it or not. Thank you for that.

“Michael Carter, one of the beautiful men of the music industry,” Valkenburg continued with a smirk. “This is not a song that would be easy to produce. It’s perfect and there’s a reason why everybody gets chills the first or the most recent time they’ve listened to it. Congratulations, man.”

Brandi Simms of the CMA was on hand to provide Swindell and the songwriters with their CMA No. 1 medallions.

Producer Carter was grateful to have success with the group.

“Everybody up here is among the best people you’ll ever want to meet and be around and work with,” he said. “For me, this is a chance to say thank you to Cole, say thank you to Warner, and Kerri, and thank you to the writers for sharing this with Cole. This song is unreal.”

Carter then passed the mic on to the man of the hour.

“I’m going to go ahead and go because this is y’all’s day,” Swindell said to the writers.

“I know what songs have done for me at an early age all through college,” he continued. “That’s how I started my career, writing songs. I was lucky enough to get some recorded and ended up getting a record deal. Having my eighth No. 1, the most special one and the first one I didn’t write and I wouldn’t have it any other way because I know what it’s like to have somebody believe in a song that I wrote. This is why you move to Nashville, to write songs like that. This one is going to be around for a long time.

“Chase, Jon, Jessie Jo,” he continued. “Thank you for sharing this song with me. I am not the biggest name out there that could have had this song but I thank God that I got it. When you write a great song, it’s a great feeling; but when you hear a great song that you wish you would have written and know other people could have had it, that’s the most special feeling to me.”

Swindell thanked Carter, Kerri Edwards and KP Entertainment, his band on the road, Sony/ATV, BMI and ASCAP and Warner Music Nashville.

McGill thanked his family and raved about Travis Gordon.

“He can take an iPhone tape and turn it into a Grammy-nominated No. 1 song,” he gushed.

McGill went on to thank his co-writers and Swindell. “Every cut is special but I take it a little more seriously when you cut an outside song,” he said. “You don’t have to. I will always consider you a writer first.”

“The day we got done writing this, I was scared to death,” Jon Nite said. “At midnight after about three or four whiskeys, I sang this work tape and I was scared. I was like I love this; I feel like this is our lives and I want people to hear it and I’m scared they won’t. Without Cole and without Michael, without the amazing Warner radio team, nobody would hear this without you guys.

“There’s nothing better than to be in the room with these people,” he continued. “Just picking you up by your bootstraps.”

The whole room clapped and hollered when it came time for Jessie Jo Dillon to speak. Emotional with pride for her first No. 1, Dillon thanked a multitude of people. “It takes a village and a vineyard,” she joked.

“All I’ve ever wanted was to write a song as good and real as one on a timeless country record,” she said. “Like songs of my dad, Dean Dillon, Bob McDill, Craig Wiseman, Matraca Berg, Bobby Braddock, we could go on forever.

“The night ‘Breakup’ went No. 1, my dad texted me and said, ‘This song is something to be proud of. From this point forward, don’t let anyone ever tell you again that country music as we know it is gone. Because you all are keeping it alive. Keep carrying the torch.’ It meant a lot to me.

“Out of all the songs I’ve written, this song that I share with Chase, Jon, Cole and Michael, is the one that I would pick every time to be first No. 1 song. This song means the world to me. It represents for me all I’ve ever wanted to do with songwriting; provide a little solace, a little ‘hey dreamer, you aren’t alone out there,’ a little honesty, a little I’d love you all over again, my best and worst mistake.”

Immediately following the No. 1 party celebration, Swindell opened the doors to hundreds of fans, who started lining up outside The Cowan in at 11 a.m. in the pouring rain, to join the industry crowd of songwriters, tastemakers, friends and media who stayed for the official launch party hosted by Sugarlands Distilling Company to celebrate Swindell’s line of moonshine and his new flavor, Pre Show Punch. Pre Show Punch is the followup of his Peppermint moonshine released in late 2018.

Cole Swindell. Photo: Thomas Heney

Ashley Monroe Inks Pub Deal With Low Country Sound, Warner/Chappell Music

Pictured (L-R): Justine Avila (Shopkeeper), Marion Kraft (Shopkeeper), Dave Cobb (Low Country Sound), Ashley Monroe, Ben Vaughn (Warner/Chappell), Jessi Vaughn (Warner/Chappell), Travis Carter (Warner/Chappell)

Ashley Monroe, known for stunning solo albums such as The Blade and her work with country trio Pistol Annies, has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Dave Cobb‘s Low Country Sound and Warner/Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Monroe’s label home Warner Music Nashville.

Monroe has written No. 1 hits for Jason Aldean (“The Truth”) and Miranda Lambert (“Heart Like Mine”), which were RIAA-certified Platinum and Gold, respectively. Vince Gill, Carrie Underwood, Dwight Yoakam, Brendan Benson, Norah Jones, Gene Watson & Rhonda Vincent, The Oakridge Boys, Butch Walker, and Guy Clark are among those who have recorded her compositions.

“Ashley is one of the most respected and celebrated figures in Nashville who I’ve had the honor to work with,” said Dave Cobb of Low Country Sound. “Her talent is astounding, and we’re thrilled to count her among our unparalleled songwriting community, especially as she embarks on this next stage in her career.”

“There’s a reason Ashley has had so much success all these years on Music Row,” said Ben Vaughn, President & CEO of Warner/Chappell Nashville. “Her ability to be both honest and vulnerable, while bringing warmth and wit to her songwriting, demonstrates the mastery of her craft. We are excited to welcome her to the Warner/Chappell family.”

Monroe adds, “I’m so happy to be starting a fresh chapter of my songwriting career with a team of champions surrounding me. I’m more inspired and on fire more than ever and ready to ignite big dreams.”

An acclaimed performer in her own right, Monroe’s LP The Blade earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album in 2016. That same year, her duet with Blake Shelton (“Lonely Tonight”) was nominated for Best Country Duo/Performance along with Vocal Event of the Year and Musical Event of the Year at the 2015 ACM’s and CMA’s, respectively. Since 2011, Monroe has lent her talents to the Pistol Annies, a trio consisting of fellow country music powerhouses Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley. The group’s debut album, Hell on Heels, entered at No. 1 on the Billboard country chart, as did the trio’s 2018 album Interstate Gospel.

Peermusic Signs Marc Ford

Marc Ford

peermusic has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing administration deal with songwriter, artist and guitarist Marc Ford, known for his work with the Black Crowes and now The Magpie Salute.

“There are only a handful of people who can come close to doing what Marc can do with a guitar. He’s a true legend and it’s a privilege to be able to serve as his publisher. He’s making some of the best music of his career right now and I’m thrilled that peermusic can be a part of it,” said Michael Knox, Sr. VP, peermusic Nashville.

“We’re thrilled and proud to have such an iconic artist join the peermusic family,” said Craig Currier, VP and Director of Advertising Markets, peermusic. “From Marc’s solo work, to his time with The Black Crowes and now The Magpie Salute, his signature blues/rock guitar style and sound have cemented him as one of America’s premier guitar players. We’re excited to bring his past work as well as his future projects to a new audience and especially those who may not be familiar with his work outside of the Black Crowes.”

“I am excited to announce a new partnership with peermusic. The company’s reputation precedes itself, and it’s an honor to be part of a family with so much American history. We love the Nashville team and are confident it’s a great step in my career. With the help of peermusic’s network, I look forward to my body of work also finding a more global reach,” said Ford.

Pictured (L-R): Craig Currier, Vice President & Director of Advertising Markets, peermusic; Marc Ford; Manager Owen Canavan; and Heather Cook, Creative Manager Advertising Markets, peermusic.

Ford’s manager of several years, Owen Canavan, says “Finding new opportunities for this robust catalogue outside of touring has long been a priority, and a partnership with peermusic is just what we needed. I look forward to working with their team and bringing new life to Marc’s songs.”

Ford’s career began in Los Angeles during the 1980s with his group Burning Tree before he joined The Black Crowes in 1991. Ford toured and recorded on three of the Crowes’ most popular albums: The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, Amorica, and Three Snakes and One Charm.

In 2002, Ford released his debut solo album It’s About Time, which was soon followed by the albums Weary And Wired (2007), The Fuzz Machine (2010) and Holy Ghost (2014). He also won an NAACP award for his work on the Ben Harper and Blind Boys of Alabama album There Will Be A Light. His most recent solo effort, The Vulture, features Izzy Stradlin, Gov’t Mule, The Jayhawks, Federale, Widespread Panic, Blue Floyd, Booker T. Jones, Ivan Neville and Heartbreaker Mike Campbell.

Ford is currently serving as a lead guitarist and vocalist of the group The Magpie Salute, a new project led by former Black Crowes member Rich Robinson. In addition to his work with Magpie Salute, Ford is also busy working as one of Nashville’s most in-demand producers as well as continuing to write and record solo material.

Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings Acquires Atlas Music Publishing

Scooter Braun‘s Ithaca Holdings has acquired Richard Stumpf‘s Atlas Music Publishing, home to Brandi Carlile, as well as tracks from Ed Sheeran, Drake, Nicki Minaj, John Legend and more.

Atlas will continue to do business out of its offices in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles.

“Richard has built an incredible publishing business with Atlas and we are excited to bring him and his team into the family,” said Braun. “By working with Richard and his team, we will have a direct line to some of the most creative writers making the publishing process more streamlined and personal.”

Stumpf added, “I’ve admired the work that Scooter has done over the years and his commitment for doing right by talent. He has the pulse of the music industry like no other. It was clear to me that beyond the business, Scooter was someone who genuinely wants to be part of the greater good. We look forward to many successful years together with Scooter, Allison Kaye and the rest of the SB team.”

The news follows the recent revelation that Braun’s Ithaca Holdings has teamed with former BMG president Zach Katz for the investment group Raised In Space Enterprises.

In September 2018, Atlas Music Publishing signed Carlile and announced the opening of a Nashville office run by Tracy Gershon.

Copyright Royalty Board Finalizes Rates And Terms For Publisher Payouts

The Copyright Royalty Board published the finalized Final Rates and Terms for songwriters’ mechanical royalties, determining the amount labels and digital services are to pay music publishers, on Tuesday (Feb. 5); following last year’s announcement of the decision. The rates are effective for 2018 through 2022, with rates escalating from 10.5 percent of revenue to 15.1 percent of revenue.

Digital music companies now have 30 days to decide whether to appeal the ruling.

National Music Publishers Association president/CEO David Israelite commented on the development, saying via social media: “NMPA and NSAI fought hard to increase songwriter royalties by 44+%. The digital music companies now have 30 days to decide whether to appeal that ruling, and in effect declare war against songwriters. Apple has announced it will not appeal. The others won’t say. We will know soon whether some digital companies want to be partners or want to attack the songwriters who make their businesses possible. Stay tuned.”

MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart: Ashley Gorley Leaps To The Top

“Millionaire” writer Kevin Welch has relinquished the No. 1 spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart to Ashley Gorley after ten weeks at the top. Gorley’s succession of the top spot is aided by the songs “What Makes You Country” (Luke Bryan), “Rumor” (Lee Brice), “Eyes On You” (Chase Rice), “Love Ain’t” (Eli Young Band) and “I Don’t Know About You” (Chris Lane). Welch now occupies the No. 2 spot.

Shane McAnally follows Welch at No. 3, Luke Combs at No. 4 and Brett James at No. 5.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded 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.

Mechanical Licensing Collective Announces Board and Committee Appointments

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the Songwriters of North America (SONA), National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), today unveiled broad endorsements for their industry-consensus Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) submission to the U.S. Copyright Office (USCO). The submission, which will be filed by March 21, creates the collective required by the Music Modernization Act (MMA) to license and administer mechanical rights.

MLC Board and Committee appointments were also announced, including:

MLC BOARD:
Songwriters:
Kara DioGuardi – York, ME
Oak Felder – Los Angeles, CA
Kevin Kadish – Brentwood, TN
Tim Nichols – Nashville, TN

Music Publishers:
Jeff Brabec, BMG
Peter Brodsky, Sony/ATV
Bob Bruderman, Kobalt
Tim Cohan, peermusic
Alisa Coleman, ABKCO
Scott Cutler, Pulse Music Group
Paul Kahn, Warner Chappell Music
David Kokakis, Universal Music Publishing
Mike Molinar, Big Machine Music
Evelyn Paglinawan, Concord Music

UNCLAIMED FUNDS COMMITTEE:
Songwriters:
Michael Busbee – Altadena, CA
Kay Hanley – Toluca Lake, CA
David Lowery – Athens, GA
Dan Navarro – Los Angeles, CA
Tom Shapiro – Franklin, TN

Music Publishers:
Phil Ciadella, Atlas Music Publishing
Patrick Curley; Third Side Music
Michael Eames, PEN Music Group
Frank Liwall, The Royalty Network, Inc.
Kathryn Ostien, The Richmond Organization (TRO)

DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMITTEE:
Songwriters:
Aimèe Allen – New York, NY
Odie Blackmon – Nashville, TN
Gary Burr – Nashville, TN
David Hodges – Nashville, TN
Jennifer Schott – Nashville, TN

Music Publishers:
Alison Koerper, Disney Music
Ed Leonard, Daywind
Sean McGraw, Downtown
Debbie Rose, Shapiro Bernstein and Jason Rys, Wixen Music

OPERATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE (Digital companies will also name representatives to this committee):
Joe Conyers III, Songtrust
Scott Farrant, Kobalt
Rell LaFargue, Reservoir Media Management
Michael Lau, Round Hill Music
Rell LaFargue, Resevoir Media Management

The Board and Committee seats were designated by the MMA, and the selections were chosen by two advisory groups. The songwriter advisory panel included: Steve Bogard (NSAI), Dallas Davidson (BMI), Chris DeStefano (NSAI), Bob DiPiero (BMI), Dan Foliart (ASCAP), Adam Gorgoni (SONA), Michelle Lewis (SONA), Paul Williams (ASCAP), Lynn Gillespie Chater (SGA). The publisher advisory group included: Kenny MacPherson (Big Deal), Teri Nelson Carpenter (Reel Muzik Werks), Caroline Bienstock (Bienstock Empire, Inc.), Julie Lipsius (Lipservices), John Ozier (ole), Matt Pincus.

“The Music Licensing Collective (MLC) will be constructed in a way historically beneficial to American songwriters – from the way unclaimed funds are required by law to be distributed based on a songwriter’s activity, to the MLC being funded by streaming services, therefore paying songwriters 100 cents on the dollar on digital mechanical royalties,” noted NSAI President, Steve Bogard. “The writers and composers chosen for the board and MLC committees represent the absolute best in our profession and the endorsements we’ve already received speak volumes about the confidence the American music industry has in the MLC.”

“Our Mechanical Licensing Collective submission provides a comprehensive roadmap to the Copyright Office to establish the first collective of its kind,” added NMPA President and CEO David Israelite. “The MLC will give songwriters the money they deserve and the transparency they’ve lacked for decades. The board and committee members are the best in the business and the vast endorsements come from the many coalition members who were instrumental in the passage of the MMA. We look forward to continuing in the USCO’s designation process and the day we can finally say songwriters have the representation they’ve earned.”

“Recording Academy members played a critical role in advocating for the Music Modernization Act, so it’s fitting that so many Academy songwriter members are involved in this submission,” said Daryl Friedman, Chief Industry, Government and Member Relations Officer for the Recording Academy. “We look forward to working with the Copyright Office and stakeholders in the coming months to ensure the creation of an efficient MLC that pays every songwriter the income they’ve earned.”

“The AIMP is a strong proponent of the MLC as the best option to ensure that the independent music publishers have clear representation in the development and the ongoing operations of the future collective,” said Teri Nelson Carpenter, National Chair of the AIMP. “We are extremely gratified that the publisher members of three committees – Operations, Disputes, and Unclaimed Royalties – consist entirely of independent music publishers. As the largest membership organization of independent music publishers in the U.S., we urge the Copyright Office to recognize our previous and ongoing support when it selects the entity that will handle such a critical function of our industry.”

The Music Modernization Act (MMA) requires that the MLC is “endorsed by, and enjoys substantial support from, musical work copyright owners that together represent the greatest percentage of the licensor market.” A majority of musical works owners in the U.S. have voiced support for the MLC submission, and joining them are performance rights organizations, record labels and many other organizations including the boards of the NSAI and SONA, which include:

NSAI: Steve Bogard (President), Rhett Akins, Tony Arata, Jim Beavers, Roger Brown, Jeff Cohen, Corey Crowder, Chris DeStefano, Beckie Foster, Nicolle Galyon, Ben Glover, Connie Harrington, Byron Hill, Brett James, Lee Miller, Tim Nichols, Gary Nicholson, Josh Osborne, Rivers Rutherford, Liz Rose, Jenn Schott, Anthony Smith, Caitlyn Smith, Bobby Tomberlin, Troy Verges, Danny Wells and Jimmy Yeary.

SONA: Michelle Lewis and Kay Hanley (Co Executive Directors), Adam Dorn, Michelle Featherstone, Adam Gorgoni, Jack Kugell, Pam Sheyne, Brendan Okrent and Shelly Peiken.

Other endorsements include:
“And the Writer Is” | A2iM | ABKCO | AIMP (NY, Nashville, LA) | Altadena/ busbee | Americana Music Association | APM Music | ASCAP | Atlas Music Publishing | believe | Bienstock Empire, Inc. | Big Deal Music | Big Machine Music | BMG |BMI | CMPA | Concord Music | Creative Future | Demi Music | Disney Music Publishing | Downtown Music Publishing | Fox Music | GMR |HoriPro Entertainment | Kobalt Music | Leeds Music | Lipservices Music | Major Bob Music | MPA |MPL | NARAS| NMPA | ole | peermusic | PEN Music Group | PMA | Pulse Music Group | Reach Music Publishing | Reel Muzik Werks | Reservoir | RIAA |Ross Golan | Round Hill Music | Sea Gayle Music | SESAC |Shapiro Bernstein & Co.| Sony Music | Sony/ATV, EMI | SoundExchange |Spirit Music Group | Ten Music Group | The Administration MP, Inc. | The Copyright Alliance | The Gospel Music Association | The Royalty Network | Third Side Music | TRO Essex Music Group | TuneCore |UMPG | Universal Music Group | Warner Music Group | Warner/Chappell | Wixen Music Publishing | Wonderlous Music | Wrensong

A website has also been launched for all of the songwriters and artists who support the MLC to sign an official petition: SupporttheMLC.com and a site for music publishers to add their endorsements: songconnect.org.

Kylie Sackley Signs With Deluge Music

Pictured (L-R): Mark Friedman, President, Deluge Music; Kylie Sackley; Emily Dryburgh, Creative Director, Deluge Music; David Robkin, Managing Member, Deluge Music.

Kylie Sackley has signed a publishing deal with Deluge Music.

“I’ve been a huge fan of Kylie’s since she came to Nashville and was fortunate to also be a part of her first hit single with LeAnn Rimes “Nothing ‘Bout Love” and look forward to much success together going forward,” said Deluge Music president Mark Friedman.

Sackley has also had songs recorded by Keith Urban, Sam Hunt, Alan Jackson, Faith Hill, and most recently co-wrote Walker Hayes’ chart-topper “You Broke Up With Me.”

“So excited to start this amazing new chapter with Deluge Music!” said Sackley.

Kane Brown Celebrates No. 1 Hit “Lose It” With Co-Writers Chase McGill, Will Weatherly

Kane Brown celebrated his third consecutive No. 1 single on Tuesday (Jan. 29) at the Tusculum Strike and Spare bowling alley, along with co-writers Will Weatherly and Chase McGill. “Lose It” is Weatherly’s first No. 1 song and the event, sponsored by BMI, was McGill’s first No. 1 party. Producer Dann Huff was there to celebrate, as well.

BMI’s Leslie Roberts served as the emcee for the celebration.”I’ve been to a lot of No. 1 parties and I think this is a first,” Roberts joked. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to one in a bowling alley. This is awesome!”

Roberts had a lot to say about McGill. “I want to give a huge shout out to [UMPG’s]  Travis Gordon,” Roberts said. “Way before Chase was at BMI, he would call me and he would go ‘Leslie, do you know Chase? You’ve got to hear his stuff. He’s amazing!’ and Travis, you were right. He’s so great.”

Although this was McGill’s first ever No. 1 party, “Lose It” is his third No. 1. His other chart-toppers, Cole Swindell’s “Break Up In The End” and Luke Bryan’s “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” were achieved in 2018 along with “Lose It.” Roberts also congratulated McGill for his two Grammy nominations for Best Country Song for Swindell’s “Break Up In The End” and Little Big Town’s “When Someone Stops Loving You.”

As with BMI tradition, Weatherly and McGill were each presented with BMI-emblazoned Taylor guitars to commemorate the occasion.

“The records [Kane] has broken and the accolades he has received in the three short years since he burst onto the country music scene are unbelievable,” Roberts said of the Sony Music Nashville recording artist. “With the release of his album Experiment, he co-wrote 11 of 12 songs and it debuted on the top of the Billboard 200 chart and that has not happened in 24 years. That is astounding.”

Roberts also congratulated Brown for his winning of the Music Business Association’s 2019 Breakthrough Artist Award, which he will receive at their annual Nashville conference in May.

BMI’s Josh Tomlinson paid tribute to Weatherly for his first No. 1. “[Will] said something to me once about his passion to write the best songs that really impacted me, it went something like this,” said Tomlinson. “He said ‘dude, do you know the songs that I really want to write all the time? It’s those songs when you’re at a concert and you run out to go get a drink or whatever and you hear that song and you’re like crap! You have to turn around and run back in because you just can’t miss that song.’ That mindset of I’m going to write the best song every time I go in to write a song is something that I think that whether you’re a writer or a producer or a business person, if you approach every day with that mindset, I think that’s what you’re going to get every time.”

Warner/Chappell’s Ryan Beuschel was on hand to congratulate the writers and present them with plaques, and to speak about Weatherly.

“Will came in [the Warner/Chappell office] and he didn’t even have a Google calendar yet. This was starting from scratch,” Beuschel quipped. “The thing I want to say that I’m most impressed with about Will is his hustle. He’s in early working on tracks. He’s in the write all day long. He’s working on mixes. He usually stops and goes to network at Red Door for a couple of hours, but after that he’s back in the studio until [around] 2 a.m.. It’s no surprise that we’re standing here to celebrate your first of what I know will be many No. 1 songs.”

Tape Room Music’s Ashley Gorley echoed Beuschel about Weatherly’s work ethic. “I’m thankful that these guys all went out on the road and rocked hard,” Gorley said. “I remember going to Will’s studio at 9 a.m. and I think they had finished something around 5:30 a.m. and [Kane] cut it at like 10. That’s what I’m talking about!”

“This is special for us so settle in, it will take a minute,” said UMPG’s Kent Earls. “I’ve got two pages [of notes] for the first time ever.”

Earls presented UMPG songwriters Brown and McGill with trophies and thanked a large team of people, including UMPG Nashville, Travis Gordon, Roberts and BMI, Sony Music Nashville, the promotion team at RCA, Dann Huff and more.

Earls also thanked and congratulated his wife and Brown’s manager, Martha Earls. “EFG [Management], Martha and Nikki [Boon], obviously I know how many hours you put in with Kane making sure no rock is unturned,” he said.

“Kane, you’re such an incredible, special young man,” Earls gushed. “Your songwriting is so important and makes a huge difference to who you are as an artist.”

RCA’s Dennis Reese recognized the Sony and RCA teams and spoke about Brown’s impact as an artist.

Reese told the story of an encounter he recently had at one of Brown’s shows. “A gentleman that was working at the arena walked up to Kane and said ‘I don’t know anything about country music but what I witnessed when you were walking in here, and the fans coming up to you, the way you treated them and the way that you didn’t make them feel unimportant, I’ve never seen that.’ I think the guy probably worked there for 10 plus years,” Reese said. “We at RCA and Sony Music couldn’t be more proud to be your label, and most importantly, your family.”

“I totally concur with what’s been said about your character,” producer Dann Huff said of Brown. “You make people feel important and you bring out the best in people.”

“Chase, Will, congrats to you guys,” Huff added. “What a great lead off single. I was telling Will just a minute ago, the stuff that you guys bring in, it puts this old man to work, I’ll tell you that much! The level is way up there, so thank you so much for bringing this song in and the other ones, too.”

Weatherly first thanked drummer and audio engineer Ben Phillips for giving him his start as an intern at his studio.”[Thanks to] Ashley Gorley for giving me the chance to write,” he said. “Ryan Beuschel, everyone at Warner/Chappell, Blain [Rhodes], Kelley [Bolton], Travis Carter, everyone over there has been amazing. And then Kane for just giving me the opportunity to just get in there and write. Martha, Nikki, Kent, everybody else. I just appreciate the opportunity you all have given me.”

McGill thanked God, his parents and his family for his success. “Y’all are the reason I get up and go to work,” McGill said of his wife Beth and daughter Everly. “I’ve learned to write fast so I can come back home. I know it would have been easier to choose a guy with a little bit more secure path than a songwriter. Her dad told me so when I asked him for her hand in marriage,” he joked.

“Will, Kane, y’all are some crazy hard-workers,” McGill added. “I consider myself a hard worker but there was a couple bus runs where I was like, ‘these dudes won’t stop!’ You’re so talented.” McGill also thanked Travis Carter and the team at UMPG.

When the man of the hour stepped up to the mic, he first admitted that he was bummed that he didn’t get McGill’s first No. 1 of 2018.

“When I first met these guys, they were a team,” Brown said. “I’m excited to have these guys. They’ve both got six songs a piece on my album, not even written together. It’s an honor to have them up here.”

“Everybody in here is family, and I love everybody in this room,” Brown added in closing. “Now, are y’all ready to bowl? I’m ready to bowl.”

Ben Vaughn Promoted To President/CEO At Warner/Chappell Nashville

Warner/Chappell Music has promoted Ben Vaughn to President & CEO. Vaughn will continue to lead the division’s creative and commercial activities. Having joined the company in 2012, Vaughn has been President of Warner/Chappell Nashville since 2017. He will report to Warner/Chappell Music’s incoming Co-Chair & CEO and the company’s Co-Chair & COO, Carianne Marshall.

“Ben has been an exceptional leader for our Warner/Chappell Nashville operation since coming on board seven years ago,” said Steve Cooper, CEO of Warner Music Group. “In addition to being an A&R force who’s deeply invested in the success of each and every songwriter, he’s an innovative, perceptive dealmaker and a staunch advocate for creative rights. Nashville is home to an extraordinary creative community that occupies a central place in the Warner/Chappell culture, and Ben’s richly deserved promotion recognizes both his outstanding accomplishments and his vision for the future.”

“The Nashville songwriting community is like none other in the world, and over the course of his 25 year career, Ben has played a pivotal role in making it the amazing place that it is today,” said Carianne Marshall, Co-Chair and COO of Warner/Chappell Music. “From young, next generation songwriters to award-winning superstars, Ben’s instincts and expertise have made Warner/Chappell Nashville the definitive destination for incredible game-changing talent. I’m excited to work with him as our Nashville business continues to grow and flourish.”

“When I think about how I got here, it’s surreal how many brilliant people have invited me to be part of their story,” said Vaughn. “As Nashville continues to evolve, I’m excited to keep pushing forward and to support the phenomenal talent coming out of this city. Music publishing is team ball and we have the best team in the business—with the passion, drive and ambition to help our songwriters create hits on the world’s stage.”

Under Vaughn’s leadership, Nashville writers have experienced unprecedented genre-crossing success, among them Nicolle Galyon, Emily Weisband, and Amy Wadge on Camila Cabello’s “Consequences”; Josh Miller on Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha’s “Meant to Be”; and songwriters on Dan + Shay’s “Tequila” (Galyon, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers) and For King & Country’s “Joy” (Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone, Tedd Tjornhom).

Having championed artist development throughout his career in publishing, Vaughn counts recognizing and cultivating major label deals for such talents as Thomas Rhett, Devin Dawson, Dan + Shay, Midland, Cale Dodds, LANco, Brandon Lay, Josh Phillips, Riley Green, Michael Ray, Gone West, Seth Ennis, A Thousand Horses, Morgan Evans, and Carlton Anderson, among his many achievements.

Vaughn’s roster includes 2018 ACM Songwriter of the Year Rhett Akins, 2018 CMA Song of the Year winner Chris Stapleton, 2018 CMA Album of the Year winner Kacey Musgraves, and 2018 BMI Songwriter of the Year Jesse Frasure, as well as Lauren Alaina, Lee Brice, Brothers Osborne, busbee, Nathan Chapman, Dave Cobb, For King & Country, Jesse Frasure, Nicolle Galyon, Brantley Gilbert, Ben Hayslip, Brett James, Jay Joyce, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Lee Miller, Randy Montana, Matthew Ramsey, Jordan Reynolds, and Liz Rose, among others. He has also worked with noted songwriters such as Guy Clark, Ross Copperman, Dallas Davidson, Alan Jackson, The Warren Brothers, Chris Young, and many more.

Vaughn serves on the board of CMA and Belmont University’s Music Industry Advisory Board, and is a member of NMPA and a former Chairman of the ACM board. A Kentucky native, he was recently inducted into the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonel, and he received the Belmont University/ASCAP Music Milestone Award.

Before joining Warner/Chappell, Vaughn had become the youngest executive to head a major publisher in Nashville, as EVP & GM at EMI. Prior to his work at the majors, Vaughn ran an independent music publishing company starting at the age of 20.