Canadian Group James Barker Band Signs To Villa 40/Sony Music Nashville

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James Barker Band. Photo: Matthew Berinato.

Sony Music Nashville and Villa 40 have announced that Platinum-selling group, the James Barker Band, has signed with Villa 40/Sony Music Nashville.

“It’s not every day you start working with an act that already has an engaged, global fan base,” says Villa 40 Co-Founder Brad Margolis. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Sony Music Nashville in continuing to build the band’s success in Canada and making them a household name in the U.S.”

Originally from Ontario, Canada, the band is celebrating the new record deal signing by releasing “Over All Over Again,” their first release through the label, today (May 14).

“We’re so excited to be putting new music out and starting this new chapter in the U.S.,” adds frontman James Barker. “They’ve been so great at allowing us to chase down different creative avenues while staying true to our sound.”

Building off the success and fan base the band has built in Canada, their signing with Sony Music Nashville and Villa 40 will contribute further their international success story.

Flatland Cavalry To Drop New Album ‘Welcome To Countryland’ On July 2

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Flatland Cavalry. Photo: Fernando Garci.

Flatland Cavalry’s new album, Welcome to Countryland, will be released July 2 and is available for pre-order now. In advance of the release, the album’s first single, “Some Things Never Change,” is out today (May 14).

Produced by Jake Gear and recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studios, Welcome to Countryland showcases 14 new songs, including collaborations with Hailey Whitters and Kaitlin Butts. Through this project, the band hopes to make their mark on the country music landscape, exploring some of life’s most universal themes with their sense of storytelling and musicianship.

“We spent our time off the road in 2020 working diligently towards this new record. The support from our fans, friends and family gave us hope to ‘go for broke’ and pour our hearts and souls into the writing and creating of this new batch of songs,” shares lead singer Cleto Cordero. “I think it is our favorite record that we’ve created to date because it was made during such a critical time in our journey, which, I think, brought a whole new sense of wonder and significance to the project. We can’t wait to give our fans what we believe is our most meaningful album to date!”

Since forming in 2012, Flatland Cavalry has toured relentlessly across the country, building a passionate grassroots fanbase as they went. Based in both Texas and Nashville, Flatland Cavalry consists of Cordero (vocals, acoustic guitar), Jason Albers (drums, background vocals), Jonathan Saenz (bass, background vocals), Reid Dillon (electric guitar), Wesley Hall (fiddle) and Adam Gallegos (piano, keys, mandolin, banjo).

Welcome to Countryland Track List:
1. Country Is… – Cleto Cordero, P. Palomino
2. Some Things Never Change – Cleto Cordero, Ava Suppelsa
3. A Cowboy Knows How – Luke Combs, Dan Isbell, Jonathan Singleton
4. Gettin’ By – Cleto Cordero, Jason Nix
5. Well Spent Time – Cleto Cordero
6. Life Without You (feat. Kaitlin Butts) – Cleto Cordero, Brian Keane
7. No Ace In The Hole – Jason Albers, Cleto Cordero, Reid Dillon
8. It’s Good To Be Back (Round Here Again) – Cleto Cordero
9. Tilt Your Chair Back – Cleto Cordero, Ryan Necci
10. Fallen Star – Cleto Cordero
11. Daydreamer – Cleto Cordero, Adam Landry
12. Dancin’ Around A Fire – Cleto Cordero, P. Palomino
13. Off Broadway – Cleto Cordero
14. …Meantime (feat. Hailey Whitters) – Cleto Cordero, Lainey Wilson

CDC Announces New COVID Guidelines For Fully Vaccinated People

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According to the new CDC health and safety guidelines for COVID-19, any individual who has been fully vaccinated no longer needs to wear a mask whether indoors or outdoors.

In addition to the new mask protocols, fully vaccinated individuals will also be able to bypass social distancing procedures, except under certain circumstances where it is required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial law or regulation. Similarly, businesses and workplaces can still uphold their own protocols regarding COVID-19 regulations.

President Biden took to social media to share the news and to encourage those who have not yet gotten vaccinated to do so.

 

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As more people have received their vaccinations, we have begun to see guidelines ease and a slight return to normalcy. In the music world, that has taken shape in the form of tour announcements for artists like Dan + Shay, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Eric Church, and many more.

Visit the CDC website for more information on the new CDC guidelines or to find a vaccination site near you.

Academy Of Country Music Announces New Hires Across Three Departments

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Pictured (L-R): Rory Levine, Vice President, Digital Strategy & Engagement; Haley Montgomery, Manager, Awards & Membership; and David Sassano, Executive Assistant to Academy of Country Music CEO, Damon Whiteside.

The Academy of Country Music has announced new hires within three departments. Rory Levine joins as Vice President, Digital Strategy & Engagement; Haley Montgomery has been named Manager, Awards & Membership; and David Sassano is now Executive Assistant to Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside.

Levine joins the Academy of Country Music most recently from The Atlantic where he led consumer recruitment and registration efforts, supporting a slate of 150+ premiere live journalism events staged across the U.S. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, Marketing and Audience Engagement at CMT, heading consumer-facing advertising campaigns, promotional partnerships, and social media activation. Over the last year, he has worked as a marketing and brand strategy consultant for a variety of businesses, including the Grand Ole Opry, Blake Shelton’s Ole Red restaurants, public-private partnership state organization Launch Tennessee, and user-generated content showcase tool TINT.

In his role at the Academy, Levine is responsible for building and executing strategies for the organization’s digital portfolio, aiming to build and develop authentic communities across platforms. Levine reports to Whiteside, and can be reached at rory@acmcountry.com.

Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Montgomery joins the Academy of Country Music as Manager, Awards & Membership. Previous stops for Montgomery include Opry Entertainment Group (OEG) as Manager for the Artist & Label Relations team, where she served as a liaison between artists’ teams and the various properties across the OEG portfolio. Montgomery spent three years working on the strategic partnership team at the Country Music Association. There, she managed the assets owed to CMA’s 50+ brand partners across the team for all of their tent pole events. Her previous personal accounts have included Vera Bradley, Playstation, Crocs, KIND bars, Philosophy, Rent the Runway, Monster, Cracker Barrel and more.

In her role as Manager, Montgomery is responsible for supporting all initiatives and development of the Academy’s membership, as well as spearheading the Awards & Voting processes. Montgomery reports to Tommy Moore, Vice President, Artist & Industry Relations and Board & Governance and can be reached at haley.montgomery@acmcountry.com.

Sassano joins the Academy of Country Music as Executive Assistant to Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside. Previously, Sassano spent 14 years at Warner Music Group as Director of Operations & Administration. Sassano has been responsible for many duties ranging from supporting C-level executives, organizing board meetings and managing major office moves both in New York and Nashville.

In his current role as Executive Assistant, he will provide administrative support to the CEO, Board of Directors and Executive Team. He reports directly to Whiteside and can be reached at david.sassano@acmcountry.com.

“The Academy is thrilled to welcome Rory, Haley and David to the team,” says Whiteside. “Each of these professionals brings with them valuable expertise and knowledge of the country music industry that we know will provide a fresh perspective to the ACM team, helping to propel us forward in our future endeavors!”

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Alan Jackson, Gary Allan, Brittney Spencer

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Alan Jackson. Photo: Russ Harrington

Spring has sprung, but not all the blossoms are beautiful.

Today’s survey of current country sounds can serve as a textbook for what is wrong with some of the directions that contemporary country acts are taking. We have pop-rock, teen pop and hip-hop influenced tracks here, flaunting any classic definitions of the genre.

I have always been a traditionalist at heart. That’s why Alan Jackson easily wins the Disc of the Day award.

Mind you, I’m not averse to modern country stylings. Hence, my hearty endorsement of the tunes by Gary Allan, Mitchell Tenpenny, Brittney Spencer and our DisCovery Award winner, Savannah Keyes.

ROSS COPPERMAN / “Holdin’ You”
Writers: Ross Copperman/Ashley Gorley/Shane McAnally; Producer: Ross Copperman/Alex Mendoza; Label: Photo Finish Records
— Copperman has produced and/or written a blue-zillion country hits (Darius, Dierks, Kelsea, Phil, Jake, Brad, Eldredge, Gabby, etc. etc.), but his own music is quite pop. Processed vocals, electronic track, the works. A pleasant surprise.

GARY ALLAN / “Temptation”
Writers: Nicolle Galyon/Chase McGill/Jon Nite; Producer: Mark Wright/Tony Brown; Label: EMI Nashville
— Rocking and dramatic with a percussive undertow, bell-clear guitar chiming, a driving melody and a terrific vocal performance. Allan exchanges his rasp for tenor clarity and the shift is ear opening. Highly recommended.

SOUTHERLAND / “Boot Up”
Writers: Greg Bates/Matt Chase/Chris Rogers/Austin Taylor Smith; Producer: Greg Bates; Label: River House/Sony Nashville
— This has a slight “outlaw” vibe and more than a little macho attitude. Blue-collar listening.

ALAN JACKSON / “Where Have You Gone”
Writers: Alan Jackson; Producer: Robert Keith Stegall; Label: EMI Nashville
— Tender, wistful, yearning, profound and bluer than blue. A ballad of loss, wrapped in fiddle and steel and performed by a country-music master. “Sweet country music, where have you gone?” Amen, bro.

BRITTNEY SPENCER & COMMON HYMNAL / “Whiskey Lows”
Writers: Brittney Spencer/Shelley Scarr/Stephan Hovsepian; Producer: Will Reagan; Label: BS
— A plea from the depths of addiction that echoes with emotional truth and honesty. The gospel-infused performance of this ballad is riveting. Former Underwood backup singer Spencer steps into a solo spotlight with her debut on the Grand Ole Opry Friday night.

MITCHELL TENPENNY / “To Us It Did”
Writers: Mitchell Tenpenny/Michael Hardy/Jordan Schmidt; Producer: none listed; Label: Columbia Nashville/Riser House
— Marvelously energetic and charmingly written. It’s a anthem for small-town kids everywhere that Tenpenny sings with immense verve. Loved it.

WALKER HAYES & JAKE OWEN / “Country Stuff”
Writers: Walker Hayes/Joe Thibodeau/Adam Stark; Producer: Walker Hayes/Joe Thibodeau/Shane McAnally; Label: Monument Records
— Is this title meant to be ironic? Neither of these artists has shown much affinity for real country music. This utterly tuneless, monotonous outing doesn’t change that.

SAVANNAH KEYES / “I’m Not California”
Writers: Savannah Keyes/Blair Daly; Producer: Jason Afable; Label: SK
— Youthful, yet strong. Her singing has a striking clarity of tone and unmistakable confidence. The song is cool and hooky, too.

SAMMY KERSHAW / “Evangeline”
Writers: Bob McDill/Carson Chamberlain; Producer: none listed; Label: Kershaw
— Cajun-flavored party-tempo music. Tap your toes and smile while guitars stutter, fiddles saw and Sammy drawls his best honky-tonkin’ heartache phrasing.

ALANA SPRINGSTEEN / “California”
Writers: Alana Springsteen/Jerry Flowers/Jared Keim; Producer: Alana Springsteen/Jerry Flowers/Jared Keim; Label: none listed
— Contemporary pop-country with a sunny teen twist. Electronics mixed with acoustics. It gets old fast.

DREW GREEN / “The Rest of Our Lives”
Writers: Andrew Rollins/Drew Green/Mitch Allan/Russell Sutton; Producer: none listed; Label: Villa 40/Sony
— His singing voice is rather ordinary, but conveys sincerity. The song is a mundane romance outing.

CASSADEE POPE, KAREN FAIRCHILD & LINDSEY ELL / “What the Stars See”
Writers: Cassadee Pope/Jake Rose/Lindsay Rimes; Producer: Karen Fairchild/Nick Wheeler; Label: Awake
— The obnoxiously loud track is all rocked up, frothing, cluttered and junky. The vocals are pitched high above and piercing. I breathed a sigh of relief when it ended.

Anderson Benson Appointed As A Coverholder By Lloyd’s Of London

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Anderson Benson’s George Anderson and Brent Daughrity on the floor of Lloyd’s of London

Anderson Benson, a privately-held insurance and risk management firm headquartered in Nashville, has been appointed as a Coverholder by Lloyd’s of London for a worldwide Media Liability E&O (errors and omissions) program.

Anderson Benson has been covering songwriting, composing, producing, creating, and distribution; licensed or original music content; all forms of dissemination including online, commercial release, streaming, TV commercials, background music for programs and movies; actions for emotional distress arising from the music content and associated advertising and promotional videos and more since inception.

The firm’s coverage is made up of Music, Publishing, Film, and Social Influencing and is tailored for each sector including songwriters, composers, music catalogues, artists, record labels, music publishers and social influencers. Anderson Benson’s coverage is broad in form but the key component is music copyright, including affirmative cover for royalties forming part of a damages settlement.

Now, as an appointed coverholder by Lloyd’s of London, Anderson Benson has expanded its coverage and now has the authority to underwrite, make decisions and issue coverage in-house.

“This coverage is critical in today’s environment for a lot of reasons,” says George Anderson, president and co-founder of the firm. “It had not been modernized in years, so this is revolutionary from an insurance and risk management standpoint in that it’s been years since this coverage has been updated. The world changes about every six months now, and this coverage is very nimble in that way. It’s changing on a monthly basis and our coverage very fluid on terms. Social influencers were not even a part of this a year ago, now it’s a very large part of it.”

Brent Daughrity, a partner at Anderson Benson, speaks on the value of social media content as intellectual property, and how social influencers can benefit from protection. “It’s no different than a song. It’s original content that is filmed, produced and released. The big thing is protecting them in the event that a suit is brought alleging infringement in some way.”

Additionally, Anderson Benson can protect social influencers from regulatory fines—a fee that can be accrued when a social media post does not disclose a paid advertising agreement—as well as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and future unknown risks.

“What we have done is created wording within the policy forms to pick up these new exposures,” Daughrity says. “Prior, the forms were really black and white, associated with a true songwriter or true film producer. That’s the flexibility of being appointed Coverholders with Lloyd’s. We have the ability to manuscript coverage as needed.”

Anderson sums, “Copyright infringement, intellectual property, errors and omissions, those are all critical risks and perils that protect anybody’s balance sheet—whether it be the owner of a catalog, a songwriter, a social influencer, or anyone in between.”

Ryman Auditorium To Host Annual Community Day On May 30

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The Ryman Auditorium

Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium has announced its annual Ryman Community Day will take place Sunday, May 30. Presented by PNC Bank and supporting partners Farm Bureau Health Plans, Hiller and Nissan, complimentary self-guided tours will be available from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. free of charge with presentation of a valid Tennessee state ID.

“We are thrilled to safely welcome back full-capacity daytime tours at the Ryman, and there is no better way to do that than with Ryman Community Day,” says Gary Levy, Ryman Auditorium General Manager. “Events like these signal the resurgence of Downtown Nashville, and together with PNC, our neighbors at the National Museum of African American Music, local artists and all of our great partners, we look forward to safely hosting thousands of guests throughout the day as we’ve done in past years.”

The Ryman and PNC, in conjunction with 650 AM WSM, the National Museum of African American Music and Jefferson Street Sound Museum, will provide free live music throughout the day from 50 Shades of Hay, Bizz & Everyday People, The Magi, Miss Tess and Saaneah. Guests are also encouraged to bring non-perishable food items as part of a community-wide food drive in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

Once inside the Mother Church of Country Music, guests will see genuine artifacts and enjoy videos with hosts Sheryl Crow, Marty Stuart, Nicole Kidman, Ricky Skaggs, Robin Roberts and Trisha Yearwood that take them through each chapter of the Ryman’s illustrious history. Fans also will be able to have their picture taken on stage where so many legends have stood before them.

“The Ryman Auditorium is a first-class entertainment venue in the heart of the city and we are excited to help more members of the community enjoy it through Ryman Community Day,” says Mike Johnson, PNC regional president for Tennessee. “At a time when we are slowly returning toward normalcy, what better way to connect communities, neighborhoods and generations together through the power of music to create a stronger, more vibrant region.”

Safety procedures and training have been implemented at the venue to help promote guest safety. Ryman Auditorium strictly complies with safety regulations set forth by Metro Nashville that include mandatory masks indoors for all guests and staff and enhanced cleaning practices. For complete details and more information about the safety precautions, please visit ryman.com.

Wilco, Lord Huron, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors Set For Moon River Festival

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Moon River Music Festival, presented by Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, will return to Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Coolidge Park on Sept. 11 and 12. In partnership with AC Entertainment, the full lineup was revealed this morning and tickets for the festival are on sale now.

Among the list of 2021 Moon River performers are Wilco, Lord Huron, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lake Street Dive, Dr. Dog, Indigo Girls, Hippo Campus, Dawes, COIN, Shovels & Rope, YOLA, Mipso, Amythyst Kiah, Molly Tuttle, Madison Cunningham, Rebirth Brass Band, Seratones, Overcoats, The National Parks, American Aquarium and Allison Russell.

“I am beyond thrilled that we can gather again together around our mutual love of music and community!” Drew shares. “It means the world to me to be able to announce that Moon River is back on! Can’t wait to see you in Chattanooga.”

Photo: Nathan Zucker

Founded in 2014, Moon River Music Festival celebrates its sixth installment this year and its third in Chattanooga. As in previous years, a portion of every ticket supports Outdoor Chattanooga and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A special Friday night event will be held on September 10 exclusively for VIP ticket holders. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.moonriverfestival.com.

Health & safety measures will also be in place to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for fans, artists, and staff with Moon River festival organizers continuing to work closely with local health and public safety officials to implement guidelines that are current at the time of the event. As the festival approaches, Moon River patrons will receive regular updates with important information regarding safety policies and procedures before entering the festival grounds.

Norman North Releases New EP ‘The Otherside’

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Newcomer Norman North’s brand new EP, The Otherside, is available now and is celebrating a No. 10 spot on the iTunes country chart and a spot in the Top 40 of all genre sales chart.

North has been successfully writing and producing hip-hop music for years for the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Kevin Gates, Akon, and Moneybagg Yo, but North rediscovered his love for country music after his mother’s recent passing. His single “Plain Jain” merges North’s infamous hip-hop writing and production with country elements.

The EP is a manifestation of the Sunnyside, Texas native’s relationship with music which he uses as a way to connect with people. North’s goal for this EP, which he solely penned except for “Us Now”, is for fans to discover the same feelings he felt when he first listened to country as a kid.

North’s music is distributed by pop and hip-hop industry stalwart Troy Carter (Lady Gaga, John Legend, Meghan Trainor) and Suzy Ryoo’s company Venice

“It’s amazing how channeling yourself and being authentic shines through a project and connects with the fans in indescribable ways,” explains North. “This is the first time in my life I’ve ever charted on a sales chart and for it to be Top 10 and rising is insane. I didn’t really expect any of this to happen. I just wanted to make a great body of work and I’m happy the world likes the vibes I provide.”

The Otherside Track Listing:
1. Us Now
2. Always
3. Plain Jane
4. You’re Not Alone
5. Here Goes Nothing

Lauren Daigle Announces Exclusive Online Streaming Event At The Ryman

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Two-time Grammy Award winner and multi-Platinum recording artist Lauren Daigle has announced an exclusive online streaming event to take place on June 6 at the Ryman Auditorium.

A Night at The Ryman with Lauren Daigle and Friends features never before seen collaborations with multi-Platinum recording artist Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Grammy Award winner and five-time CMA nominee Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen, singer-songwriter Ellie Holcomb, and Petey Martin.

“Sharing the stage and collaborating with other musicians has always been a high-point of any live show for me,” shares Daigle. “To be joined with some of my dearest friends for a night of music and fun is such a blessing and makes me eager to be able to get back on the road!”

The stream is available for fans in the US and Canada at two different times on June 6, 6:30 p.m. ET and 6:30 p.m. PT. A limited number of VIP tickets are also available which include an intimate virtual Q&A with Daigle, livestream access, and exclusive behind the scenes content. Tickets can be purchased at LaurenDaigle.com and include a 48-hour replay of the broadcast. $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the Price Fund, Daigle’s foundation.

Since the release of her Grammy award winning, Platinum certified album Look Up Child, Lauren Daigle has reigned on the Billboard Charts. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums chart while the crossover hit, “You Say,” became the longest-running No. 1 song of any genre on the weekly Billboard Hot charts for an incredible 125 weeks.