Karen Waldrup Partners With Music Benefactors For Upcoming EP

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Karen Waldrup

Music Benefactors has partnered with country music artist and entrepreneur Karen Waldrup to fund her new project Somebody’s Got To Be First. The 5-song EP is being produced by Paul Worley (Lady A, Martina McBride, Big and Rich).

Through Music Benefactors, Waldrup and other artists can use the platform to raise capital while maintaining ownership of their master recordings and copyrights. When music is streamed, purchased, played on the radio or used in TV and films, royalties are paid to rights holders. Through this new endeavor, all fans and investors can participate in this investment class. Waldrup’s team is conducting a public equity offering, and fans can purchase shares in the project for as little as $50.

Waldrup shares, “Somebody’s Got To Be First is a project that fascinates me and gives me peace all at the same time. I love being first in endeavors that I am a part of and I have always dreamed of working with this producer Paul Worley.” She continues, “When I first moved to town, we used to meet in his office between my club days on the road and I remember he always encouraged me to ‘keep building my live performance and fanbase muscles.’ I believe with over one million #waldrupworldwide fans, this new music coupled with legendary producer, Paul Worley, we can be the first successful public securities offering of a music project in country music history. After all, Somebody’s Got To Be First.”

Waldrup’s debut album Justified, produced by multi-award winner Garth Fundis and funded solely through fan participation via an Indiegogo campaign, debuted on four of Billboard‘s Album Charts (Country Album Sales, Heatseekers, Heatseekers South Central and Independent Albums).

Worley adds, “I met Karen several years ago and was immediately taken by her voice and passion for her work. Since then I have watched her grow exponentially! She has it all! She is beautiful with a ‘never met a stranger’ personality. Her singing is spot on perfect, and so emotional. She now has a very large fan and touring base, and the songs she is ready to record are great. I am fully committed to her career and encourage anyone interested in supporting great music to get on board.”

Kentucky Headhunters Announce First Album Of Brand New Material In Five Years

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The Kentucky Headhunters. Photo: Joe McNally

The Grammy Award-winning southern rock, blues and country group The Kentucky Headhunters have announced they will release a new album, That’s A Fact Jack!, on Oct. 22 via BFD / Audium Nashville. The upcoming project marks the Headhunters’ first album of brand new material in five years.

That’s A Fact Jack! is a by-product of the pandemic, recorded while the band’s touring was put on pause. “We’re a band,” says guitarist/vocalist Richard Young. “We play. When all our shows got cancelled, we decided we were gonna go up to the Practice House and play. Then we figured we might as well go into the studio, but instead of having an agenda or some idea of ‘what’ was this supposed to be, we all looked at each other and went, ‘Well, what do you do? ’No discussions, no trying to be something. Just ‘What do you want to play?’”

Over the next few weeks leading up to the drop date, the band will release two new singles from the album: “How Could I” on Sept. 24 and “That’s a Fact Jack” on Oct. 8.

That’s A Fact Jack! Track Listing:
1. Gonna Be Alright
2. How Could I
3. Watercolors In the Rain
4. Susannah
5. Cup of Tea
6. We Belong Together
7. That’s A Fact Jack
8. Lonely Too Long
9. Heart and Soul
10. Cheap Tequila
11. Shotgun Effie
12. Let’s All Get Together and Fight

Zach Bryan Announces “Ain’t For Tamin’ Tour”

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Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan is hitting the road this fall on his “Ain’t For Tamin’ Tour.”

Fresh off his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, the upcoming trek kicks off in St. Louis on Oct. 20, before winding down with two homecoming shows in Tulsa on Nov. 18-19.

In between, Bryan will visit major cities across the U.S., including Atlanta, Minneapolis, Houston, and Chicago. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m. CST at zachbryan.com.

The Oklahoma native made his Grand Ole Opry debut in April 2021, and has enjoyed success with his breakthrough hit “Heading South.” Millions have connected to the sincere songs on his 2019 debut album DeAnn, dedicated to his late mother, and his 2020 follow-up, Elisabeth, an ode to those he loves. Together, the two albums have racked up over 430 million streams and counting.

Industry Ink: Echosmith, Paige King Johnson, Alex Smith

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Echosmith Joins Why&How Management

Echosmith. Photo: Ariana Velazquez

Multi-Platinum trio Echosmith has signed to Bruce Kalmick‘s Why&How Management and are currently working on new music expected for release in the coming months.

Siblings Sydney [lead vocals], Noah [vocals, bass], and Graham Sierota [drums] have been sharing their music since 2013, when the group released their smash debut single, “Cool Kids.” Certified 3x Platinum with a peak at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, the track introduced Echosmith’s alternative California pop sound. The group’s success followed with 2x Platinum single “Bright” and their Gold-certified major label debut album, Talking Dreams. In 2020, they dropped their second full-length and first independent release, Lonely Generation.

“As crazy as it seems, with the massive global success of their debut album, we are still in the early stages with Echosmith,” shares Kalmick. “They are in their early twenties and still have so much to give to the music world. We couldn’t be more excited to share what we have discovered in their music, but even more so in who they are as people.”

“We’re so excited to be joining the Why&How family. We love the innovative approach that Bruce takes, but more than anything we love what he’s about. We can’t wait to move into this next chapter in our career with such an incredible team,” the band shares.

Echosmith is the newest addition to the Why&How roster which includes Brian Kelley, Chase Rice, Breland, Drake White, Kaleo, Seaforth, Kelleigh Bannen, Tyler Braden, Whiskey Myers, ZZ Ward, A Thousand Horses and more.

 

 

PCG Artist Development Launches PCG Records, Signs Paige King Johnson

Pictured (L-R): Bernard Porter, Paige King Johnson, Chris Allums

CEO of PCG Artist Development, Bernard Porter recently announced the formation of PCG Records, distributed by BFD/The Orchard. The new entity will specialize in media distribution, marketing, and sales. PCG Records will license master recordings for a specified time, provide label services and marketing strategies, develop brand identity, and establish the artist’s team.

PCG Records has also signed their first artist: country singer-songwriter, Paige King Johnson. Johnson has been in development with PCG Artist Development’s Emerging Artist program for two years. Her last single, “Just Like You” charted at No. 48 on Indicator with 3,100 spins across 25 stations and No. 30 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart with 7,000 spins across 40 stations.

Johnson’s first single with PCG Records, “Baby Don’t,” is currently being promoted nationwide and is receiving positive responses among PlayMPE’s TOP 5 downloaded and streamed songs. “Baby Don’t” will be officially released on all digital platforms on Oct. 15.

“Paige was the obvious choice as our first artist,” states Porter. “Paige truly has it all—work ethic, entrepreneurship, talent, and beauty. It has been such a privilege to see her talents and career grow. She is exemplary in every way!”

 

 

Edgehill Music Publishing Adds Alex Smith To Songwriting Roster

Pictured (L-R): Kent Wells, Edgehill Music Publishing Creative Director; Alex Smith; Tara Joseph, Big Plan Holdings/Edgehill Music Publishing Co-Founder; Josh Joseph, Big Plan Holdings/Edgehill Music Publishing Co-Founder & CEO. Photo: Katie Larson

Edgehill Music Publishing has signed singer-songwriter Alex Smith to an exclusive publishing agreement. The Louisiana native has been in the studio with producer Kent Wells working on a project expected for release in the coming months.

Smith picked up his first guitar at age 15 and held his first public performances in church and later in local clubs and bars. He made his first trip to Nashville in 2015, making the permanent move to Music City a year later.

“Alex brings an infectious attitude everywhere he goes, and that carries over into his writes and in the studio, ” shares Wells, who also serves as Edgehill’s Creative Director. “We’re excited to have him in the Edgehill family, and we can’t wait to share the music we’ve been making.”

“Alex was one of the first writers we were introduced to when we started Edgehill Music Publishing,” says Edgehill Music Publishing co-founders Tara and Josh Joseph. “His attitude, work ethic and especially his creativity are a perfect match for this growing company.”

“I feel so blessed to have this opportunity,” adds Smith. “I came to Nashville to write songs, and Edgehill and their amazing team have turned a dream into reality. I can’t wait for everyone to hear the music and see what the future holds!”

Artist Action: Dolly Parton & José Feliciano, Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery, Tenille Townes

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Dolly Parton, José Feliciano Unveil New Collaboration

Anthem Records has released the first collaboration between multi-Grammy winning, global music artists Dolly Parton and José Feliciano, titled “Eagle When She Flies.”

The track was written by Parton and originally released on the album of the same name in 1991. The single was produced by Rick Jarrard and recorded remotely in Nashville. Feliciano, whose career spans 60+ years, has recorded many country songs and performed with artists like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Glenn Campbell among others.

“‘Eagle When She Flies’ became very personal when my producer, Rick Jarrard, brought it to me for our Nashville recording session for the Behind This Guitar album,” states Feliciano. “After hearing it the very first time, I knew exactly what Dolly was saying, knowing certain women who are precisely what the song is about and so I needed to echo that, myself. I am blown away and so honored, really, that she offered to sing it with me. You know, Dolly, herself, is a magnificent Eagle”

 

 

Luke Bryan Wraps Up “Farm Tour 2021”

Pictured (back row, L-R): DJ Rock, Whitney Duncan, Dylan Scott, Rhett Akins; (front row, L-R): Dallas Davidson, Luke Bryan, Ben Hayslip

Five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan recently wrapped his “Farm Tour 2021” on Sept. 18, marking his twelfth trek since 2009.

Along the way, Bryan played six concerts between Sept. 9 and Sept. 18 in harvest fields across six different states. The special guest line up included Dylan Scott, Whitney Duncan, The Peach Pickers and DJ Rock.

Since its inception, Bryan has granted 66 scholarships to students from farming families who are attending the local college or university near the tour stops.

The tour was sponsored by Fendt, Tracker Off Road, Farmland, American Building Components (ABC™), DISH, Monster and Citi.

 

 

Scotty McCreery Joins Pandora Billionaire Club

Pictured (L-R): Hope Garrison (Triple Tigers Records, Manager of Marketing and Promotions); Laura Hostelley (Triple Tigers Records VP of Marketing); Scott Stem (McCreery’s Manager, Triple 8 Management); McCreery; George Couri (McCreery’s Manager/Founder of Triple 8 Management and Partner, Triple Tigers Records), and Robert Knotts (Triple Tigers Records VP of Distribution)

Country recording artist Scotty McCreery recently joined the Pandora Billionaire Club for earning more than one billion streams on the platform.

The “You Time” singer was surprised by his team with a special commemorative plaque. Other recent recipients of this honor include the late Charlie Daniels, Justin Moore, Chris Young, and Rodney Atkins.

McCreery’s new 12-track album, Same Truck, is available everywhere now.

 

 

Tenille Townes Receives First U.S. RIAA Certification

Pictured (L-R): Crystal Dishmon, Shopkeeper Management; Sony Music Nashville’s Ken Robold and Jennifer Way; Tenille Townes; SMN’s Randy Goodman, Caryl Atwood, Steve Hodges, and Olivia Laster. Photo: Katie Kauss

Award-winning singer-songwriter Tenille Townes recently received her first U.S. RIAA certification for “Somebody’s Daughter.” The Canada native’s debut single has been certified Gold, signifying sales exceeding 500,000 in the U.S.

The track, which Townes co-wrote with Barry Dean and Luke Laird, reached No. 1 on Canadian Country Airplay charts and won the Canadian Country Music Association Awards for Single, Song, and Video of the year.

Townes was surprised with the news ahead of her performance at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater opening for Brothers Osborne on the duo’s “We’re Not For Everyone Tour.” In December, she will embark on her Canadian headlining “Girl Who Didn’t Care Tour.“

Emma-Lee Inks With Sony Music Publishing, RareSpark Media Group

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Pictured (L-R): Scot Sherrod, Emma-Lee, Suzanne Strickland, Rusty Gaston

Emma-Lee has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Sony Music Publishing and RareSpark Media Group.

Originally hailing from Toronto, Emma-Lee has released three full-length albums since her debut in 2009: Never Just A Dream, Backseat Heroine, and Fantasies. She has also achieved success with popular singles such as “Worst Enemy,” “It Won’t Be Christmas,” and “Not Giving Up On You.” Her songs have charted multiple times on Billboard and have been featured in many film and TV placements such as Beauty & The Beast, Saving Hope, Teen Wolf, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Wynonna Earp, Dance Moms and Hello/Goodbye.

Emma-Lee has also found success as a songwriter with cuts like “What Are You Gonna Tell Her” and “Bridges” for Mickey Guyton, as well as several other songs on Guyton’s upcoming debut album Remember Her Name. She also penned “Home To Me” by Ross Ellis; “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Anthem” by Brett Kissel; “What a Song Should Do” and “Wreck This Town” by Tim Hicks; “Country Thunder” by Washboard Union; “Good Love” by Shawn Hook; “Memphis T-Shirt” by Melanie Dyer, and more.

“Our entire team has been fans of Emma-Lee’s songwriting for quite some time,” says Rusty Gaston, CEO, Sony Music Publishing Nashville. “It is an honor and a privilege to partner with RareSpark to wave her flag.”

“Emma-Lee is a force–she has a gift for bringing the artist’s point of view to a song, along with an incredible voice, commitment to the craft, and a graciousness that draws everyone in. We are honored to work with her at RareSpark and we’re excited to partner with Rusty and the entire family at Sony Music Publishing to represent her!” adds Scot Sherrod, VP/GM and Suzanne Strickland, Owner, RareSpark Media Group.

“I’m ecstatic to be part of a team that supports the vision for my career and champions my songs,” shares Emma-Lee. “I have a great deal of admiration and respect for everyone involved in this venture. Scot, Suzanne and Rusty all share an insatiable passion for music that inspires me to bring my best to the writing room every day and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work together!”

Needtobreathe Announces New ‘Into The Mystery’ Documentary

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A new documentary chronicling the making of Needtobreathe‘s latest album, Into The Mystery, will be released Nov. 3 in movie theaters nationwide in a special, one-night cinema event.

Needtobreathe: Into the Mystery depicts the recording of the band’s latest album while quarantined in a historic house-turned-recording studio in Columbia, Tennessee in the fall of 2020. In addition to the band’s Bear Rinehart (vocals, guitar), Seth Bolt (bass, vocals), Josh Lovelace (keys, vocals), Randall Harris (drums), and Tyler Burkum (guitar), the film also features Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen, and more.

The band decamped to Columbia to begin working on new music and resided under one roof, recording Into The Mystery with co-producer and engineer Konrad Snyder and special guests. The film was directed by Chris Phelps and co-produced by Elektra Records and Foundations Music.

“Needtobreathe fans will delight in the opportunity to be a fly on the wall during the recording process,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “It’s a unique perspective on the creation of a hit record.”

“We are thrilled that fans around the country will have the opportunity to see Into The Mystery in theaters,” said the band. “We are grateful to be able to give fans this peek behind the curtain from a truly special moment in time for our band.”

In addition to viewing the full feature, cinema audiences will see candid behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive acoustic performances. Tickets for Needtobreathe: Into the Mystery go on sale Friday, Oct. 1. A complete list of theater locations is available here.

ASCAP Announces Winners For 2021 Christian Music Awards

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ASCAP has announced the winners of its annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards today (Sept. 22).

Honoring the most performed Christian music of the past year, the social media event will feature exclusive photos, videos, performances, acceptance speeches and more from some of the winning songwriters and publishers posted with the hashtags #ASCAPAwards to @ASCAP on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For the fourth time, Matthew West has been named ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year, honoring his hit songs like Jeremy Camp’s “Keep Me in the Moment,” and Casting Crowns’ “Love Moved First” and “Start Right Here.” With over 130 songwriting credits for artists including Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery and Amy Grant, as well as his own hits as an artist, West has also been recognized as ASCAP’s Christian Songwriter-Artist of the Year in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Grammy-nominated songwriter, artist and worship leader Cory Asbury took home ASCAP Christian Songwriter-Artist of the Year for the first time. After winning ASCAP Song of the Year in 2019 for his chart-topping hit “Reckless Love,” he adds two ASCAP most-performed song awards for “The Father’s House” and “Sparrows.”

The Grammy and Dove Award-nominated song, “Famous For (I Believe),” earned ASCAP’s Christian Song of the Year. Co-written by ASCAP member Alexis Slifer and published by All Essential Music and Buddybabe Music, the Tauren Wells and Jenn Johnson track spent 54 weeks on the charts.

Capitol CMG Publishing receives ASCAP Christian Music Publisher of the Year for the 19th consecutive year for songs including “Good God Almighty,” “Out Of My Hands” and “Peace Be Still.” To celebrate the honor, the Capitol CMG publishing team gathered virtually to accept the award.

ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams says: “My heart is full of gratitude for you, ASCAP’s family of songwriters, composers and music publishers. Your beautiful music shines a light in both hard and joyful times, guiding us forward with messages of love, hope, faith and mercy… Congratulations to all of this year’s winners for your achievements.”

The two-day social media celebration running through tomorrow (Sept. 23) will feature exclusive photos, videos, performances, acceptance speeches and more from some of the winning songwriters and publishers, including a performance of “Rise Up (Lazarus)” from chart-topping newcomers CAIN and an acceptance speech from Dave Haywood of Lady A for their winning song “Who You Are to Me.”

Other songs honored as the most performed from the last year include “Battle Belongs” (Phil Wickham), “Graves Into Gardens” (Elevation Worship), “Still Rolling Stones” (Lauren Daigle), and “Together” (For King & Country), among others. Click here to view full list of ASCAP’s most performed Christian songs of 2020. 

Save The Date: Grammy Nominations Announcement

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The Recording Academy announced that the nominees for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards will be revealed on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021.

The 2022 Grammy Awards will be held at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3, 2022, broadcasting live on the CBS Television Network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+ at 8-11:30 p.m. ET / 5-8:30 p.m. PT.

A list of dates for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards process are below:

Sept. 1, 2020 – Sept. 30, 2021
Product Eligibility Period

Oct. 22 – Nov. 5, 2021
First Round Voting

Tues, Nov. 23, 2021
Nominees Announced for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards

Dec. 6, 2021 – Jan. 5, 2022
Final Round Voting

Sun., April 3, 2022
64th Annual Grammy Awards

MLC To Host “El MLC En Español” For Hispanic Heritage Month, Unveils New Spanish Resources

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The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month in September with “El MLC en Español”–a new initiative designed to engage current and prospective Spanish-speaking members of The MLC and kick off the availability of Spanish-language resources.

Developed by Dae Bogan, The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships, “El MLC en Español” is the result of a collaboration with Take Creative Control [Latin], Protege Tu Música TV, LLC (Protect Your Music TV, LLC), Songwriters of North America (SONA) and others.

Taking place the week of Sept. 27, the event will feature the launch of comprehensive Spanish informational materials and assets about The MLC, as well as a pair of webinars.

Among the new informational assets is a Spanish-language landing page on The MLC website and a Spanish-language video that broadly introduces viewers to the concept of digital audio mechanical royalties and the existence of The MLC. Additionally, The MLC will make available a new Spanish-language toolkit developed for organizations that represent Latin music creators.

“The Latin music genre has experienced tremendous growth on digital platforms in recent years and as a result, we recognize that there is a real need to raise awareness among Spanish-speaking music creators about The MLC and how our organization can help them,” Bogan explains. “I have had the privilege of partnering with leaders from the Latin music community who are working to promote and advance the interests of Spanish-speaking creators on similar initiatives in the past. Their feedback and expertise have been invaluable in shaping this initiative, which exemplifies The MLC’s strong commitment to listening to, and working with, every segment of the community of rightsholders that we serve.”

“Dae has done a wonderful job putting this important initiative together for The MLC, and I’m so grateful for the participation of our partners,” adds Kris Ahrend, CEO of The MLC. “This initiative is a great example of how The MLC is putting its commitment to diversity into practice, in a way that will provide meaningful benefits to our members.”

The first webinar, presented by The MLC and SONA, will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 12 p.m. CT. The session will be hosted by Stephanie Santiago-Rolón, Director of Take Creative Control [Latin], who will lead a conversation with Colombian-American singer-songwriter-producer-engineer Dahlia Lagos and Costa Rica-born singer-songwriter Dani Blau. To register, click here.

The second webinar will take place on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 12 p.m. CT. Host Yira Santiago, CEO & Entertainment Attorney of Protege Tu Música TV LLC, will lead a discussion on the U.S. digital music royalties ecosystem for Spanish-language songs and how creators can collect those royalties, with panelists Katerine Albert (Human Resource Generalist at The MLC), Henry Alonzo (Board Member at The Gospel Music Association), Alexandria Davila (CEO at Adarga Entertainment Group) and Mauricio Maestre (Entertainment Lawyer at M&M Lawyers, Colombia). To register for the Understanding and Collecting U.S. Digital Mechanical Royalties webinar, click here.