Gary Allan’s ‘Ruthless’ To Be Released On Vinyl

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Gary Allan. Photo: Eric Adkins

Gary Allan‘s latest album, Ruthless, on is being released on vinyl beginning Oct. 22. Upon its release in June, the album earned Allan his 9th Top Ten album over his 25-year career.

The 13-track project will be available in pearlized purple, peacock green, and standard black.

“I grew up listening to my dad’s vinyl records and then started my own collection. There is just something different about the sound from a vinyl LP,” said Allan. “When the album starts spinning and you drop the needle, it is an experience. I’m excited my fans will now be able to have that experience with some of my music.”

The album was produced by Allan along with veteran producers Mark Wright, Tony Brown, Greg Droman and Jay Joyce, and features collaborations with some of Nashville’s top songwriters including Hillary Lindsey, Busbee, Shane McAnally, Nicolle Galyon, Ross Ellis, Ryan Hurd, Jim Beavers, Blair Daly, The Warren Brothers and more.

Gary Allan is currently on “The Ruthless Tour: 25 Years The Hard Way,” through the end of 2021, with upcoming stops in Dallas, Tucson, Kansas City, Detroit, Tulsa and more.

Lee Brice Claims Ninth No. 1 With ‘Memory I Don’t Mess With’

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Lee Brice celebrates his ninth No. 1 with band members and his team. Photo: Alicia McBride

Lee Brice has racked up his ninth consecutive No. 1 with his latest single, “Memory I Don’t Mess With.” The song is also in the top spot on both Billboard and Media Base charts.

“Memory I Don’t Mess With” topped the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart on July 2.

Written by Brice, Brian Davis and Billy Montana, the track inspires a look at your life with a reminder that some memories are best left in the past. The chart-topper follows Brice’s three prior No. 1s: “One of Them Girls,” “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Carly Pearce, and “Rumor.”

The song is the latest career achievement for Brice, who has over three billion on-demand streams and is one of the most-played country artists of all time on Pandora. Brice is currently on the road with upcoming dates in San Antonio and Fort Worth, Texas.

Stagecoach, Coachella Update COVID-19 Entry Protocols For 2022 Festivals

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Stagecoach Festival and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will no longer solely require proof of vaccination for entry into their 2022 events, it was announced yesterday (Oct. 12).

On Aug. 12, the festivals had decided to allow patrons who had received a full vaccination to attend the events. However, as COVID-19 case numbers begin to decline through the United States, the festival organizers will now also allow ticketholders to the 2022 events to attend with proof of a negative COVID-19 test obtained within 72 hours of event entry.

“After seeing first-hand the low transmission data and successful implementation of safety protocols at our other festivals this past month, we feel confident that we can update our own health policy to allow for [either a] negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event or proof of full vaccination,” festival organizers shared on social media.

Stagecoach 2022 is scheduled for April 29 – May 1 with headliners Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Combs. Other performers slated for the three-day festival include Maren Morris, Midland, Brandi Carlile, Jordan Davis, Tanya Tucker, Brothers Osborne, Lee Brice, Mitchell Tenpenny, Cody Jinks, Ryan Hurd, Ingrid Andress, Breland, Hardy, Cody Johnson, Yola, and more.

Coachella will take palace over two consecutive weekends–April 15 – 17 and April 22 – 24–with two separate lineups of performers.

Both festivals are held at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, and organized by Goldenvoice, which operates under the AEG umbrella.

Kacey Musgraves’ ‘Star-Crossed’ Deemed Not Eligible For Country Album Category At 2022 Grammys

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Kacey Musgraves. Photo: Adrienne Raquel

Last week during the Recording Academy’s annual screening committee meeting, Kacey Musgraves‘ recent album, Star-Crossed, was rejected for Country Album of the Year eligibility at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. The project will remain eligible for the all-genre Album of the Year category.

Musgraves, a six-time Grammy winner, released her fourth studio album Star-Crossed on Sept. 10 through MCA Nashville and Interscope Records. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums and No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

After the decision, President of Universal Music Group Nashville Cindy Mabe issued a letter to Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, expressing her disapproval of the decision.  She writes, “Kacey Musgraves is a beacon in a format ready to push back on the ideas that there is more than one way to succeed, there is more than one sound and perspective for what country music is and most importantly who it speaks to.”

Mabe highlights that Musgraves’ blockbuster album Golden Hour won both Album of the Year and Best Country Album, among other country honors, at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. Mabe writes, “Sonically, [Star-Crossed has] more country instrumentation than Golden Hour which won Country Album of the Year in 2019.” Read Mabe’s full letter below.

Final nominees for this year’s awards will be revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 23. The 64th Annual Grammy Awards will be held at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3, 2022.

Dear Harvey,

I am writing as a follow up to our recent conversation about the determination to exclude Kacey Musgraves’ album Star-Crossed from the Grammy’s country albums category. I am a big believer in the Grammys as an organization and have witnessed the power of its platform to transform artists’ careers and reflect, amplify and change culture. That certainly has happened for Kacey Musgraves over the last seven years with wins in 2014 for Country Album of the Year for Same Trailer Different Park, and then again in 2019 for Golden Hour as well as overall Album of the Year. The Grammy’s have been a destination of artist discovery and for Kacey it’s a place where her musical history was written.

As a prime stakeholder in country music, I would really like to frame what’s happening in our genre right now and help you and the Grammy’s fully understand the importance of Kacey Musgraves to country music and why this decision is so much more than an entry point for an awards show. Taking her out of the country category actually does harm to a format struggling with change and inclusivity overall. For the past several years, the stories around country music have been the stories of country radio and the limitations put on women’s voices or diversity of any kind from our key artists, their perspectives or their sound. The numbers speak and are a matter of public record with women making up only 10 percent of all country airplay. This year alone country music has been mired in the controversy surrounding one of the formats biggest artists, Morgan Wallen, who used a racial slur and grew fans and audience from it. THIS IS NOT ALL THAT WE ARE. Under the surface are the artists that change it all and they are led by the example of Kacey Musgraves.

Kacey Musgraves is a beacon in a format ready to push back on the ideas that there is more than one way to succeed, there is more than one sound and perspective for what country music is and most importantly who it speaks to. While that might not sound radical, I’ll remind you that our world believes you are either on country radio or you aren’t country. Kacey Musgraves is an extreme revolution and if Kacey can create her own path, others can too. She has taken the lead role of lighting the way of success in a format that has been so restricted by rules of who’s allowed in and what they can sing about. Artists like Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne and Mickey Guyton continuously site Kacey’s career path and music as an inspiration for their own success. My own artist Mickey Guyton has struggled for 10 years to be heard. It took the example of watching Kacey create her own path by living out her own truth in country music for Mickey to see what was possible and she followed suit laying out her perspective as a Black woman in America singing country music and re-writing history on your show last year.

Universal Music Group Nashville has launched every major label album Kacey Musgraves has put out. Kacey has always forged her own path. She has stayed true to herself and has never taken a different stance on how she framed this album from the last ones. Sonically, it’s got more country instrumentation than Golden Hour which won Country Album of the Year in 2019. To compare Golden Hour to Star-Crossed, both albums were produced by Ian Fitchuk, Daniel Tashian and Kacey Musgraves. Both albums were mixed by Shawn Everett. On Golden Hour, Ian, Daniel and Kacey wrote 7 of the 13 songs and on Star-Crossed they wrote 11 of the 15. Both albums complete each other with Golden Hour telling the story of falling in love and Star-Crossed telling the conclusion of the breakup. There is no departure in sound from these two projects. This album was consistently classified as country throughout it’s metadata and overall labeling across the DSP accounts and partners. Star-Crossed appeared on every major country playlist of every DSP. It’s being played on SXM The Highway, CMT and was covered by every country media outlet at release. This decision from the country committee to not accept Star-Crossed into the country albums category is very inconsistent and calls into question the other agendas that were part of this decision.

That takes us to the process. The idea that a handful of people including competitors, who would benefit from Kacey not being in the country category, are deciding what is country only exacerbates the problem. The system is broken and sadly not just for Kacey Musgraves but for our entire genre because of how these decisions are made for music’s biggest stage. Building roadblocks for artists who dare to fight the system is so dangerous and against everything I think the Grammy’s stand for. But that’s where we are today.

I haven’t slept all weekend because I’m really sad for our format. I’m sad for fans of our music and the ramifications of how we’ll continue to define success in country music. This short-sided, biased decision will send ripples throughout our format to continue to insure that the message is sent that country music can only be for the limited few that enjoy the same perspective.

Thank you for listening to my concerns.

Sincerely,

Cindy Mabe

Opry Entertainment Announces Lineup For First-Ever “Opry NextStage Live In Concert”

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Opry Entertainment Group has announced its first-ever “Opry NextStage Live In Concert,” taking place on Nov. 21 at the Grand Ole Opry House. Tickets are available for purchase now.

The lineup includes 2021 NextStage artists Parker McCollum, Niko Moon, Hailey Whitters, Lainey Wilson, and November’s featured artist Priscilla Block, with special performances by NextStage alumni Travis Denning and host Tenille Townes.

“It is an honor to be a part of the Opry NextStage family, and I’m so excited for the opportunity to host and play at this event!” says Townes. “Feeling the support and belief from the Grand Ole Opry in the beginning of going after this dream is a pretty incredible thing. Stepping into that circle to play, you can’t help but feel inspired by all the footsteps who have come before and feeling the continuation of that legacy with everybody playing this show is a really cool thing to be a part of.”

Throughout the year, Opry Entertainment works closely with Opry NextStage artists by investing in career development and providing opportunities for live performances, strategic marketing support, and short-form documentary-style storytelling.

“We’ve been able to showcase incredible talent through Opry NextStage so far this year,” says Opry’s Director of Artist Relations & Programming Strategy Jordan Pettit. “Opry NextStage was created with the goal to invest in the next generation of Opry performers by sharing their music, stories and personalities with fans across our family of brands. We look forward to welcoming many of them back to the Opry stage to celebrate another successful year.”

The 2021 NextStage class also features Grammy-nominated vocalist Yola who was the featured artist for October. The final member of the 2021 class will be revealed during “Opry NextStage Live In Concert.”

Trace Adkins Announces “The Way I Wanna Go Tour” With Stop At Historic Ryman Auditorium

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Trace Adkins

Trace Adkins has announced his upcoming headlining tour, “The Way I Wanna Go Tour.” The tour will include a special stop at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on April 8, marking his first show at the venue since his 2012 “Songs And Stories Tour.”

“The Ryman. Only two words, but I say them with such reverence,” shares Adkins. “It is my honor to be performing on this hallowed stage, at the Mother Church of Country music. It is such a special place, and I look forward to visiting again with great anticipation.”

“The Way I Wanna Go Tour” will kick off Dec. 1 in Tampa, and will run through much of 2022. Other shows on the coast-to-coast run include stops in Bristol, Tenn.; Flint, Mich.; and Sioux Falls, S.D., with more to be announced soon. Pre-sale tickets for the Ryman Auditorium show are available beginning today with public onsale at 10 a.m. CT on Oct. 15.

Adkins recently released his expansive The Way I Wanna Go album, which celebrates his 25-year country career with 25 all new tracks. He is also part of a new drama series on Fox called Monarch, which is set to air in January 2022.

“The Way I Wanna Go Tour” Dates:
12/01/2021 – Hard Rock Event Center – Tampa FL
12/02/2021 – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
12/03/2021 – Seminole Casino Hotel – Immokalee, FL
12/04/2021 – Orlando Amphitheater – Orlando, FL
12/18/2021 – Paramount Bristol – Bristol, TN
1/08/2022 – Hollywood Casino – Charles Town, WV
1/09/2022 – Clay Center – Charleston, WV
1/29/2022 – French Lick Resort Casino – French Lick, IN
4/08/2022 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
4/19/2022 – Wilson Center – Wilmington, NC
4/21/2022 – American Music Theatre – Lancaster, PA
4/22/2022 – Penn’s Peak – Jim Thorpe, PA
4/23/2022 – Midland Theatre – Newark, OH
4/24/2022 – Ritz Theatre – Tiffin, OH
4/25/2022 – Packard Music Hall – Warren, OH
4/28/2022 – Riverpark Center – Owensboro, KY
4/29/2022 – Effingham Performance Center – Effingham, IL
5/04/2022 – Capitol Theatre – Wheeling, WV
5/05/2022 – Capitol Theatre – Flint, MI
5/06/2022 – Del Lago Resort & Casino – Waterloo, NY
5/13/2022 – Graton Resort & Casino – Rohnert Park, CA
6/05/2022 – Indian Ranch Amphitheatre – Webster, MA
6/14/2022 – Sioux Falls Alliance Center – Sioux Falls, SD
6/18/2022 – Morgan County Fairgrounds – Martinsville, IN
7/02/2022 – ABATE Freedom Park – Algona, IA
7/30/2022 – Oregon Jamboree – Sweet Home, OR

Joy Oladokun Confirms First Nationwide Headline Tour Kicking Off Next Spring

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Joy Oladokun

Joy Oladokun is heading out on her first ever headlining tour next spring with support from Bre Kennedy.

The new tour includes newly confirmed shows at Austin’s Antone’s, Dallas’ Club Dada, Los Angeles’ Troubadour, Denver’s Marquis Theater, Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, New York’s Bowery Ballroom, Atlanta’s Terminal West and Nashville’s The Basement East, among several others. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. local time.

The tour adds to a landmark year for Oladokun, who released her major label debut, In Defense Of My Own Happiness, this past summer via Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records. She recently released a deluxe edition of the project, In Defense Of My Own Happiness (Complete), which includes all 14 tracks from her debut, ten additional songs from her self-released 2020 record and one new track, “Judas.”

She has been named a Billboard LGBTQ Artist of the Month, Spotify’s Radar US: Artists to Watch 2021 and Amazon Music’s Artists to Watch 2021, and had her music featured on CBS’ CSI: Vegas, NBC’s This Is Us, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, ABC’s Station 19 and NBC’s America’s Got Talent. She will make her debut on PBS’ Austin City Limits early next year as part of the legendary program’s 47th season.

Joy Oladokun Tour Dates:
April 7—Austin, TX—Antone’s Nightclub
April 8—Dallas, TX—Club Dada
April 10—Phoenix, AZ—The Crescent Ballroom
April 11—Los Angeles, CA—Troubadour
April 13—San Francisco, CA—Great American Music Hall
April 15—Portland, OR—Doug Fir Lounge
April 16—Seattle, WA—Neumos
April 19—Salt Lake City, UT—Soundwell
April 20—Denver, CO—Marquis Theater
April 22—Kansas City, MO—recordBar
April 23—Davenport, IA—The Raccoon Motel
April 24—Minneapolis, MN—Fine Line
April 26—Madison, WI—Majestic Theatre
April 27—Chicago, IL—Lincoln Hall
April 29—Toronto, ON—Horseshow Tavern
May 1—Cambridge, MA—The Sinclair
May 2—New York, NY—Bowery Ballroom
May 5—Holyoke, MA—Gateway City Arts
May 6—Ardmore, PA—Ardmore Music Hall
May 7—Pittsburgh, PA—Thunderbird Music Hall
May 9—Washington, DC—Union Stage
May 10—Durham, NC—Motorco Music Hall
May 11—Asheville, NC—The Grey Eagle
May 13—Atlanta, GA—Terminal West
May 14—Nashville, TN—The Basement East

Lauren Funk Joins Endurance Music Group As Senior Creative Director

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Lauren Funk

Endurance Music Group (EMG) has added longtime songwriter advocate and publishing veteran Lauren Funk as Senior Creative Director, effective immediately.

In this role, she will be responsible for managing EMG’s relationships with its songwriting and artist roster, while also identifying new talent.

Funk joins EMG from Big Yellow Dog Music as Sr. Creative Director, where she spent seven years working with Grammy award-winning artists and songwriters Maren Morris, Meghan Trainor, Josh Kear, and Daniel Tashian. During her time there, she secured numerous cuts with artists like Gary Allan, Jessie James Decker, Sara Evans, Alan Jackson, Chris Lane, LoCash, Dustin Lynch, Michael Ray, Runaway June, Blake Shelton, Josh Turner and more.

Funk also helped develop Sony Music Nashville’s Tenille Townes, as well as signed songwriters Jim Beavers and Dave Pittenger. Her most recent signing was songwriter and producer Zarni deVette, who co-wrote Tigirlily’s “Somebody Does,” which debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes all-genre chart and neared the top of Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart.

“Lauren’s passion for songs, songwriters, and artists is what makes her truly stand out as a creative director. She was fortunate to work closely with Carla Wallace, and to experience her leadership and the tremendous success of Big Yellow Dog,” shares Endurance President Michael Martin. “We are excited to welcome Lauren to the EMG family and kickstart her new creative journey together.”

She can be reached at lauren@endurancemg.com.

Jordan James Signs With The AMG

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Jordan James

Jordan James has signed with the AMG for representation.

James’ musical career began at 12 when he was invited by Kenny Rogers to appear in his annual Christmas concert at Gwinnett Arena. Since then, he’s shared the stage with Jake Owen, Charles Kelley and David Foster, and penned songs for Andy Grammer and Haley Steinfeld. He has recently signed a publishing deal with Eclipse Music.

His debut single, “Left Like That,” is set for release on Oct 15. The ballad was written by James, Matt Alderman, and Dallas Wilson, and produced by Brad Hill and Lalo Guzman.

“At The AMG, we are passionate about discovering new artists and helping them share their music and stories with the world,” says AMG COO Kristy Reeves. “Jordan’s passion is contagious, his music is fresh and relatable and his delivery is unique. We are excited to begin this journey with him.”

“I’m so excited to be a part of The AMG family,” James adds. “I can’t wait for everyone to hear what I have been working on, starting with ‘Left Like That’. This song is for anyone that has ever been through a heartbreak–just know there is something better for you on the other side.”

Industry Ink: Blaike Ford, Scott Stevens, Janelle Arthur

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Range Media Partners Adds Blaike Ford As SVP, Streaming & Artist Development

Blaike Ford

Range Media Partners has added Blaike Ford as SVP of Streaming and Artist Development. In her new role, she will spearhead DSP relationships and streaming for Range’s artist management roster and its recently announced record label in partnership with Virgin and Capitol.

She joins after over 8 years at Spotify where she started the music marketing department and led over 400 marketing programs, aimed at creating innovative experiences, content and moments in music culture. She also worked in editorial strategy; led efforts for initiatives such as Wrapped, Listen Local, Delta + Spotify and Fresh Finds; and curated playlists such as Soda, Acoustic Covers, Morning Coffee, Alone Again, Creativity Boost and tmore. She also led marketing for Hot Country, New Music Friday, Spotify Singles and Mint and ran point on initiatives such as CMA Fest, Best New Artist and Rise (now Radar).

“Blaike’s energy and excitement for music and helping artists grow their fan base paired with her unique insider understanding of the world’s biggest streaming platform make her an invaluable addition to the Range Music team,” says Matt Graham, Managing Parter at Range Media. “She will help our managers and their associated acts navigate the all-too-often complicated maze of relationships across streaming and better position our new record label to fulfill its mission of launching developing artists. The fact that she’s one of the most beloved people in music is just icing on the cake.”

“To me, Range is the epitome of what a music company should aspire to be. Range places immense value in communication, teamwork and innovation and has structured the company in a way that encourages vital growth for both the individuals and the company at large. The group of humans who make up this family are tremendously inspiring, passionate, supportive and talented—all of whom I am thrilled to surround myself with in this next chapter,” says Ford. “The tangible energy and magnetism that exists amongst the group brilliantly manifests into ideas and outcomes for our clients like I’ve never seen before. I am so honored to be a part of such a visionary company that is here to positively shake things up, transcend previously set norms and rise to the top in an unprecedented way.”

 

The Kinkead Entertainment Agency Signs Scott Stevens

Scott Stevens

Scott Stevens has signed with Kinkead Entertainment Agency.

His previous releases—”Neon On Ya” and “Missing You”—have both received over one million streams since their release. Stevens will be releasing new music soon with more details to come in the following weeks.

Stevens will also be heading out on a few dates with Justin Moore, including Atlanta (Oct. 21), Huntsville (Oct. 22), and Corbin, Kentucky (Oct. 23).

 

Janelle Arthur Joins Black Sheep

Janelle Arthur

Black Sheep has added Janelle Arthur to its artist roster. She recently premiered the new video for her self-penned song “Hand Me Downs,” featuring Dolly Parton.

The American Idol finalist began performing professionally at the age of eight in Dollywood’s production of “Paradise Road,” where she portrayed a young Parton. She has traveled the U.S. and abroad performing, including multiple appearances on The Grand Ole Opry stage.

“The first time I heard Janelle’s duet ‘Hand Me Downs’ I knew she had a talent like no one I have ever heard. When I had the opportunity to see her perform live that just solidified my belief in her gift. Janelle is a superstar and we are so blessed to be sharing this journey with her,” says Susan Hobbs, CEO/Black Sheep.