Nicole Hoglund And Alyssa Smeykal Join Bandtwango

/by

The funding platform Bandtwango has added two staffers. Nicole Hoglund has been hired as Director of Client Relations, and Alyssa Smeykal joins the company as Manager of Music Marketing.

Hoglund joins Bandtwango with ten-plus years in corporate marketing as an iPEC certified performance and executive coach for solo entrepreneurs, start-ups and artists. She is also a co-host on the Pixie Success Collective podcast. In her role, she helps clients begin taking action on goals that are needed to grow the business.

“Nicole’s expert skills help build the confidence of those she coaches to achieve goals and realize a clear vision and path to move forward,” says Bandtwango Co-Founder John Alexander. “She is an asset to the vitality of our clients as she helps them find the drive, confidence and community of peers to help navigate this crazy journey of creating their own future!”

Smeykal, a recent graduate of Pennsylvania State University, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Marketing. Most recently she worked as a media temp for the Country Music Association. In her new duties, she will be responsible for marketing Bandtwango artist clients through social media promotion and monitoring and will also play an A&R role for Bandtwango, assisting with artist acquisition.

“We are excited to add Alyssa to our team,” says Alexander. “While at Penn State, she worked with aspiring artists, assisting with marketing and awareness-creation.”

Bandtwango has also enlisted Karen Gale of LOUDMOUTH Entertainment for publicity efforts.

RIAA Gold & Platinum: August 2017

/by

For August 2017, the Recording Industry Association of America certified 184 Song Awards and 50 album awards. Several country albums from Lee Brice, Chris Young, Florida Georgia Line and Justin Moore were certified platinum, while more than 20 singles from Nashville-based artists earned gold status.

Multi-Platinum Single

Billy Currington, “Must Be Doin’ Something Right,” 2x Platinum

Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy,” 2x Platinum

Brett Young, “In Case You Didn’t Know,” 2x Platinum

Eric Church, “Drink In My Hand,” 2x Platinum

Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” 2x Platinum

Luke Bryan, “Strip It Down,” 2x Platinum

Sam Hunt, “Break Up In A Small Town,” 3x Platinum

Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time,” 3x Platinum

Tim McGraw, “Humble and Kind,” 2x Platinum

 

Platinum Singles

Billy Currington, “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer”

Billy Currington, “Let Me Down Easy”

Eric Church, “Record Year”

Kelsea Ballerini, “Dibs”

Little Big Town, “Better Man”

Shania Twain, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”

 

Gold Single

Billy Currington, “That’s How Country Boys Roll”

Billy Currington, “Don’t It”

Billy Currington, “I Got A Feeling”

Billy Currington, “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To”

Billy Currington, “Don’t”

Billy Currington, “Love Done Gone”

Chris Lane, “For Her”

Chris Young, “Sober Saturday Night” (ft. Vince Gill)

Eric Church, “Mr. Misunderstood”

Eric Church, “Kill A Word”

Florida Georgia Line, “Here’s To The Good Times”

Florida Georgia Line, “Tell Me How You Like It”

Keith Urban, “The Fighter”

Little Big Town, “Better Man”

Luke Bryan, “Fast”

Midland, “Drinkin’ Problem”

Newsboys, “We Believe”

Russell Dickerson, “Yours”

Sam Hunt, “Speakers”

Shania Twain, “That Don’t Impress Me Much”

Shania Twain, “From This Moment On”

Shania Twain, “Any Man Of Mine”

Thomas Rhett, “Craving You”

William Michael Morgan, “I Met A Girl”

 

Platinum Album

Chris Young, Neon

Florida Georgia Line, Dig Your Roots

Justin Moore, Justin Moore

Justin Moore, Outlaws Like Me

Kip Moore, Up All Night

Lee Brice, Hard To Love

 

Gold Album

Brett Young, Brett Young

Florida Georgia Line, Dig Your Roots

For King & Country, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.

Jon Pardi, California Sunrise

Justin Moore, Off The Beaten Path

Kip Moore, Up All Night

 

 

 

Weekly Register: Chris Stapleton’s ‘From A Room: Vol. 1’ Reaches Half-Million Sales Mark

/by

Chris Stapleton

From A Room: Vol. 1, the latest album from Mercury Nashville artist Chris Stapleton, sold 6K this week, bringing the project’s cumulative numbers over the half-million mark, with 502K sold to date. Stapleton’s previous album, Traveller, has sold 2.05 million to date, and lands at No. 3 on the top country album sales rankings this week, with 11.7K sold this week (total consumption).

Columbia Nashville artist Luke Combs has this week’s top country album, with This One’s For You moving 16K in total consumption. He is followed by RCA Nashville band Old Dominion‘s Happy Endings, which sold 12.4K. Stapleton’s Traveller is at No. 3, while RCA Nashville artist Kane Brown‘s self-titled album moved 9.5K to land at No. 4. MCA Nashville’s Sam Hunt‘s Montevallo moved 9.1K to round out the Top 5 country albums this week.

On the digital songs charts, BMLG’s Taylor Swift holds the lead with two songs at the top of the digital songs chart, with “…Ready For It?” debuting at No. 1 with 135K and “Look What You Made Me Do” at No. 2, selling 114K in its second week, and standing at 467K RTD.

Hunt holds the No. 1 digital country track with “Body Like A Back Road” moving 24K (1.624 million RTD). Kane Brown’s “What Ifs” is at No. 2 with 22K, followed by Luke Combs’ “When It Rains It Pours” at 16K. Broken Bow Records’s Dustin Lynch‘s “Small Town Boy” is at No. 4 with 15K.

Valory Music Co.’s Thomas Rhett rounds out the Top 5 with the debut of “Life Changes,” with 14K. He has the No. 6 song as well, with “Unforgettable” moving 14K.

Information provided by Nielsen Soundscan.

Industry Ink: Brett Young, Audra McLaughlin, RecoveryFest Nashville

/by

Brett Young Hits Sales Milestone

Pictured (L-R): EVP Big Machine Label Group/BMLG Records President Jimmy Harnen, Brett Young, Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta, Photo: BMLG Records

CMA New Artist of the Year nominee Brett Young is celebrating his self-titled debut album reaching Gold status. Additionally, his debut single “Sleep Without You” has been certified Platinum, while his hit “In Case You Didn’t Know” has reached 2x Platinum status.

Young was honored for the three achievements Saturday (Sept. 9) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on the last stop of the U.S. leg of Lady Antebellum’s You Look Good World Tour.

 

Audra McLaughlin Inks Deal With Kore PR

Audra McLaughlin, a finalist on Season 6 of NBC’s The Voice, has added Kore Public Relations to her team. McLaughlin recently released the single “Boomerang.”

 

RecoveryFest Nashville 2017 Set For Sept. 30

RecoveryFest Nashville 2017 will be held Saturday, Sept. 30. The annual live music event will take place at East Park Greenspace (700 Woodlawn Street, Nashville 37206), located in the historic Edgefield part of town. The event is free to the general public and will begin at 11 a.m. and wrap at 5 p.m.

Among the performers are Bonnie Bramlett as well as FIX (The Recovery Rock Opera) featuring Peter Moon, Dianne Davidson, Chuck Glass, Kleavers, Bella Lee and Lola, Sonia Lee, Miranda Louise, John McAndrew, Kim Parent Band, Frank Sheen, Soul Incision and Tommy Womack.

RecoveryFest aims to bring together the community to celebrate and encourage the positive impact of recovery from mental and substance disorders, as well as other addictions. The organization was formed, in part, to change the conversation and break the stigma surrounding addiction, and not only to promote recovery and provide available resources, but to also serve as an educational platform to bring more awareness to the public regarding substance abuse and disorders of all kinds.

Bertelsmann Announces BMG Revenues Increase 28 Percent For First Half Of Year

/by

Bertelsmann credits recent developments in Nashville with a portion of its increase in global revenue for the first half of 2017 of €8.1 billion.

In results for the first six months of 2017, the music sector of the company, BMG, increased revenues by 28 percent to €233m (H1 2016: €182 million) while operating EBITDA increased by 25 percent to €40m (H1 2016: €32 million), noting the vast majority of growth was organic rather than through acquisition.

“BMG continu[es] to outpace the market and competitors, paying out more of our revenue in royalties to artists and songwriters than any of the established players (while generating a better return),” said Paki Newell, Senior Director, U.S. Corporate Communications.

The returns are credited in large part due to Nashville with BMG’s biggest single acquisition in the recording business since its launch in 2008. Credit was given to BBR Music Group (Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Wheelhouse Records and Red Bow Records, and music publisher Magic Mustang Music) and the Bertelsmann music subsidiary also achieving success in the publishing segment by renewing contracts with songwriter Hillary Lindsey.

Additional mention is made for BMG’s earnings in the United Kingdom Europe and Australia. BMG signed contracts with international artists such as Avril Lavigne, Fergie, Kylie Minogue in the UK and Mando Diao in Germany. The company additionally experienced chart success with clients Nickelback (records) and DJ Khaled (music publishing), with significant chart success including shares in the international hits “I’m the One,” “Despacito” and “Wild Thoughts” and Roger Waters’s album “Is This the Life We Really Want?”

Read more at bertelsmann.com.

Thomas Rhett Announces Los Angeles Pop Up Shop

/by

Thomas Rhett announced Wednesday (Aug. 30) that he will be offering fans yet another reason to be in Los Angeles in September. In addition to his first-ever and sold-out show at The Greek Theatre on Sept. 22, the ACM Male Vocalist of the Year will bring a unique fashion experience to the city with his LA Pop Up Store.

“I know this won’t come as any surprise to my fans, but I love anything fashion related,” Thomas Rhett said. “To actually get to have a hand in creating this stuff with such incredible designers was a blast, and I hope it’s just the start of some cool things down the road.”

The pop up will feature limited and custom merchandise co-designed by the Grammy-nominee and his fellow designing friends. The lines feature styles for men and women from the new collection Daniel Patrick X Thomas Rhett, four varieties of New Era baseball caps featuring Thomas Rhett’s Home Team custom logo, limited t-shirts custom designed and hand made by MadeWorn as well as a limited supply of custom crafted denim jackets by stylist Kemal Harris. In addition, Thomas Rhett will also be selling merchandise from his HomeTeam merch line.

The Pop Up Store will be located at 501 North Fairfax Los Angeles, CA 90048 where fans will not only have the ability to shop the collections from 11AM-9:00PM daily but they will also have the chance to meet Thomas Rhett Friday, Sept. 22 from 11-1 p.m. For more information, visit www.ThomasRhett.com.

Weekly Register: Josh Abbott Band Makes Top Country Album Debut

/by

Josh Abbott Band

Josh Abbott Band makes this week’s top debut album, landing at No. 6 on Nielsen Soundscan’s current country albums rankings with Until My Voice Goes Out moving 3.7K.

Chris Stapleton‘s From A Room again takes the top spot on the current country albums chart, with 6.2K (496K RTD). Lucas Hoge‘s Dirty South is at No. 2 this week, with 6K, while Stapleton takes the No. 3 spot with Traveller at 5.9K this week. Luke Combs‘ This One’s For You moves 5.1K to land at No. 4, while Now That’s What I Call Country Vol. 10 (Various Artists) rounds out the Top 5 with 5K.

On the country digital songs rankings, Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like A Back Road” continues to reign with 30K this week (1.573 million RTD). Kane Brown‘s “What Ifs” is at No. 2 with 22K, followed by Luke Bryan‘s new single “Light It Up” at No. 3 (18K), and Thomas Rhett‘s “Grave” (17.1K) from his upcoming album Life Changes, out Sept. 8. Luke Combs‘ “When It Rains It Pours” rounds out the Top 5 this week with 17K.

Jana Kramer‘s “I’ve Done Love” debuts at No. 8 country, with 13K.

Information provided courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan.

 

LANCO Reaches 50 Million Stream Mark With Debut EP

/by

LANCO has already racked up more than 50 million streams of its self-titled debut EP. The latest single from the project, “Greatest Love Story,” is impacting fans across the country and this week has pushed its way into the Top 15 of the Country iTunes chart and Top 25 on the radio charts.

“It’s something that’s hard to wrap my brain around,” said LANCO lead singer/guitarist Brandon Lancaster. “From day one, we’ve believed in the power of country music songwriting and telling stories through our music, but to watch fans connecting to the stories and seeing our festival crowds grow and people digging it like this is just indescribable.”

The band wrapped recording on their debut album with award-winning producer Jay Joyce earlier this month.

Weekly Register: Lindsay Ell Debuts With Top Country Album

/by

Lindsay Ell on the set of her video for “Waiting On You.”

Lindsay Ell rules the current country albums ranking this week, with her BBR Music Group album The Project moving 10K to debut at No. 1. Chris Stapleton’s From A Room follows at No. 2, with 7.5K, while Brett Eldredge‘s self-titled album is at No. 3 this week with 7.3K. The late Glen Campbell’s Adios is at No. 4, with 6.5K, while Stapleton rounds out the Top 5 with Traveller moving 5.6K this week.

Will Hoge‘s Anchors debuted at No. 21, with 1.9K, while BMLG’s Alex Williams debuted at No. 43 with Better Than Myself, selling 810 units.

Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like A Back Road” remains this weeks’ top digital country song, moving 36K (1.543 million overall). Kane Brown‘s “What Ifs” is at No. 2, with 20K. Dustin Lynch holds both the No. 3 and No. 4 slots, with “Small Town Boy” moving 19K, while “Love Me Or Leave Me Alone” moves 16.6K. Kelsea Ballerini‘s new track “Unapologetically” rounds out the Top 5 with 16.1K.

Thomas Rhett comes in at No. 6 with “Sixteen” moving 15K.

Information courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan.

 

Promotions, Hirings At Marbaloo

/by

Pictured: Brooke Hughes, Marisa Boras, Maxie Hammock, Emily Thornburg, Sara Jordan Jacobson, Haley Schaafsma, Kalaway Voss, Haley Coote, and Jon Gish.

Nashville-based, multi-faceted entertainment marketing company Marbaloo has announced a round of promotions and hirings.

Brooke Hughes joined Marbaloo in April, from Triple 8, as Marbaloo’s  newest marketing manager. She works closely with her roster of clients with a strong touring base as well as being the go-to resource for experiential activations at the company.

Marisa Boras joins Marbaloo’s interactive team following internships with WSM Radio, Ryman Auditorium, and Vector Management. Her career background also includes videography and production.

Maxie Hammock joined Marbaloo as a marketing assistant following an internship at Sony Music Nashville.

Emily Thornburg has been promoted to publicity coordinator from publicity assistant.

Sara Jordan Jacobson joins Marbaloo as its newest media research assistant. She works closely with the company’s executives by presenting and planning next steps for the publicity department in the ever evolving media landscape.

Haley Schaafsma, who previously worked in the sports department at CAA, and Kalaway Voss now handle executive support and operational coordination for the company. Haley Coote continues to support executives in an upgraded executive manager role as she nears her three-year anniversary with the company.

Jon Gish is at helm in a newly-created finance and operations director position. He is now the senior level finance personnel handling resource management, investments, billing and business manager relations.

Marbaloo Marketing is located at 401 Church Street in Nashville.