Country To Country Festival To Return In 2024 With A Stacked Lineup

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Europe’s Country to Country Festival (C2C) has revealed the lineup for its 2024 event. Following the festival’s successful 10-year edition this year, some of Nashville’s biggest stars will head to London, Glasgow and Belfast for the 2024 installment from Friday, March 8, to Sunday, March 10, 2024.

Artists will perform in their respective cities at some of Europe’s top venues, including The O2 in London, The OVO Hydro in Glasgow and The SSE Arena in Belfast, which is making its debut at the festival. Kane Brown and Old Dominion are headlining for the first time and will be joined by Brad Paisley, marking his third time as the event’s headliner.

These headliners will be joined by stars such as Carly Pearce, Brothers Osborne, Jake Owen, Lauren Alaina, Brian Kelley, Elle King and Drake Milligan. Priscilla Block will return for her first main stage set as well. The Country Music Association’s (CMA) Introducing Nashville will also be a part of the weekend featuring three Nashville songwriters who will be taking the main stage to share their work and their stories.

Heading into its eleventh year, C2C is expecting tens of thousands of fans to be in attendance this year as the turnout has only grown since the beginning of the festival in 2013. “From ticket sales to streaming, country music has seen its best year yet in the U.K. and C2C has been a key element to that success,” says Milly Olykan, CMA Vice President, International Relations & Development. “The festival continues to provide opportunities for fans to discover new artists, while also giving more established Nashville artists international exposure and profile. We are incredibly proud to continue to partner with C2C and engage with the invaluable industry and media in the U.K. who work to further our genre year-round.”

Legendary broadcaster and BBC Radio 2 presenter Bob Harris will be hosting the event for the 10th time, and more announcements will be made in the coming months.

Tickets go on general sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.

Zach Green & Sabrina Stewart Join Banner Music

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Pictured (L-R): Zach Green, Camilla Kleindeinst and Sabrina Stewart

Banner Music, the Nashville-based publishing, production and management company, has added Zach Green as Creative Director and Sabrina Stewart as Operations Manager.

Green started his career in distribution at ASCAP and later moved to SESAC’s Creative Services team, where he signed artists across genres including Knox, Struggle Jennings, Final Draft and Hasting. Prior to joining Banner Music, he worked in publishing at BMG Nashville.

“I am thrilled to join the Banner family, and I choose the word “family” intentionally because I feel so at home here.  After many years of climbing I finally found a role where I can spread my wings and make a big difference in the songwriter community here in Nashville,” shares Green. “Camilla [Kleindeinst] is an incredible champion, mentor and partner in crime.  We share a vision for the company that is both exciting and ambitious – including new deals, new initiatives and pushing us into new markets to grow the company into a globally recognized brand.  Sabrina completes the team so perfectly with her ambition and professionalism, and I couldn’t have asked for a better roster of writers to land into.”

Stewart is a recent graduate from Belmont University’s Songwriting and Music Business program, During her time at Belmont, Stewart was a part of CMA Edu, Grammy U, Belmont Songwriting Association, Belmont Christian Songwriting Community and Event Services. She also was a member of Service Corps, where she worked with the CMA Awards, ACM Honors, CRS and Nashville Film Festival.

“I am beyond excited to be a part of the Banner Family! Coming right out of school, Camilla and Daniel [Kleindeinst] welcomed me with open arms and made me feel right at home. Zach, our Creative Director, is a go-getter, champion and mentor that I am grateful to work with everyday,”says Stewart. “I am so blessed to be a part of this family with such amazing people and talented songwriters, and excited to see the places that Banner will go!”

“Anybody that knows anything about this industry knows finding talented people who love songs, songwriters and artists is absolutely essential,” says Camilla Kleindeinst. “We are blessed to have found Zach Green and Sabrina Stewart because they fit that bill perfectly.”

Green can be reached at [email protected], and Stewart can be reached at [email protected].

2024 Lineup Revealed For Headwaters Country Jam Montana

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Headwaters Country Jam Montana has released its 2024 lineup, featuring headliners Bailey Zimmerman, Jon Pardi and Gary Allan.

The festival will be held from July 25 – 27, 2024 in Three Forks, Montana. Also on the lineup are Luke Grimes, Corey Kent, 49 Winchester, Ella Langley, Jake Worthington, Josh Ross and more.

Headwaters Country Jam was first held in Montana in 2008 and has become a treasured event in the state. According to ABC Montana, the 2019 event brought in over 20,000 ticket sales, and the number of attendees has increased drastically over the past few years.

Fans are excited about Headwaters Country Jam in Three Forks because of the unique Montana atmosphere. Gil Cunningham, President of Neste Live, shares, “The rugged beauty of this location mixed with the vibe and loyalty of its fans have proven to be a perfect pairing for the festival that’s grown year over year since we began producing and promoting it. We’ve heard fans loud & clear in their requests to offer a more outlaw vibe in addition to the hot acts we bring out to this area of Montana. The response to the lineup last year was just tremendous. We can’t wait to see what fans will say when they see what’s in store for them in 2024.”

Exclusive alumni pre-sale starts Monday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. central time, and tickets for the public will be available at 10 a.m. central time on Friday, Oct. 20.

Girls Write Nashville Wraps Third Annual Benefit Concert

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Crystal Rose, Purser, Eva Cassel and Magdalene. Photo: Laura Rockett

Girls Write Nashville held its third annual benefit concert on Sunday night (Oct. 8) at 3rd & Lindsley, hosted by Nashville indie radio station Lightning 100.

The event was a part of Lightning 100’s ongoing concert series, “Nashville Sunday Night,” and raised more than $60,000 for GWN’s programming and a licensed clinical social worker to aid in case management and follow up with students experiencing mental health crisis.

Daisha McBride. Photo: Laura Rockett

The show opened with Crystal Rose, Purser and Eva Cassel, along with GWN student program participant Magdalene performing in the round. The lineup also included Katie Pruitt and Daisha McBride, who performed sets in the show’s second hour.

“So much of the value of Girls Write Nashville is in learning leadership skills: becoming artistically resilient, speaking authentically, advocating for your voice, and overcoming self-doubt and fear of rejection,” shared the program’s co-founder Jen Starsinic.

“Being in this program brought so much excitement to my day,” shared one young participant. “I really looked forward to this safe space where I could be creative and have a good time. I learned more about music and how much effort it really takes. I really appreciate music more now. I have had the opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings in my melodies and verses. Girls Write Nashville is the best program yet! Thank you to all the loving and amazing people involved.”

Girls Write Nashville is a nonprofit that empowers expression through songwriting, production, mentorship and creative community building for teen artists in Nashville. In GWN programs, participants learn to write and record original music in a community of peers led by a trauma-informed teaching artist over the course of a six-month season. Through a partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools Community Achieves, Guilds take place on-site at several Title I schools.

Ryan Larkins Releases Debut EP On Red Street Records

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Ryan Larkins

Red Street Records artist Ryan Larkins has released his debut EP, Meet Ryan Larkins, along with a video for his debut single, “King of Country Music.”

The EP follows the August release of his songs “She’s the Tough One” and “Man That Holds the Beer,” and follows a big week for Larkins as “The Painter,” his most recent cut by Cody Johnson, climbed into the top 30 on the country charts.

The project also includes two previously-released tracks and three brand new to listeners—“Dream Baby,” “Paid For It” and the single, “King of Country Music.” Produced by Red Street CEO Jay DeMarcus alongside Pete Good and Ilya Toshinskiy, the EP features songs penned by Larkins along with Good, William Duval, JR McCoy, Carlo Colassaco, Blake Chaffin, Josh Osborne, Jay Knowles and Adam Wright.

“The talent that Ryan brings to the world of country music is unmatched,” says DeMarcus. “Not only has he honed in an incredible voice as a songwriter, but this debut project sheds light on his undeniable star-powered future. Country music is about to be blown away by Ryan Larkins!!”

Larkins shares, “I’m so thankful for Red Street Records and Jay DeMarcus! The timing of this release couldn’t be more perfect. These songs on my new EP are some of my favorite I’ve ever written, and I believe this next chapter of my career is going to be the best one yet.”

Mike Gossin To Release Debut Solo Project

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Award-winning singer-songwriter Mike Gossin will release his debut solo EP, Coming Home, on Nov. 3.

The project marks a new chapter for the former Gloriana member, who with each track is proving that he is a musical force in the pop-country genre. The EP comes on the heels of the popular single “Let’s Ride,” that reunited Gossin with former Gloriana bandmate Cheyenne Kimball.

Coming Home features eight songs that were all written or co-written by Gossin. He played on all the tracks and personally produced the EP, making this a deeply personal project for him.

“The Coming Home EP is a passion project that’s been several years in the making after reconnecting with our talented engineer from the Gloriana days,” says Gossin. “I drove back and forth from Wilmington to Nashville to work with him and started evolving this new sound that really represents where I am now.  I’m really excited to be based back in Nashville where everything began and to be releasing a project of my own this time.”

As a founding member of Gloriana, Gossin has toured internationally with superstars including Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Alan Jackson and Sheryl Crow. During their time as a group, Gloriana’s hits included “Wild at Heart,” “Kissed You Goodnight” and “Can’t Shake You.” They were nominated for numerous honors, winning AMA, CMT and ACM Awards, and even played at the White House at the request of the President.

Coming Home Track List:
1. Coming Home (written by Mike Gossin)
2. Heaven (Mike Gossin)
3. Kids Again (Mike Gossin, Mark Dobson, Jennifer Denmark)
4. Let’s Ride featuring Cheyenne Kimball (Mike Gossin, Cheyenne Kimball)
5. Marry You (Mike Gossin)
6. Shine (Mike Gossin, Mark Dobson)
7. Ain’t Runnin’ Out of Summer Yet (Mike Gossin, Tom Gossin, Ross Copperman)
8. Marry You (Acoustic)

Produced by Gossin, mixed by Mark Dobson

Parker McCollum Slates 41-Date ‘Burn It Down Tour’ For 2024

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Parker McCollum on stage at Stagecoach. Photo: Chris Kleinmeier

Parker McCollum will launch his 41-date “Burn It Down Tour 2024” throughout the United States in January. Joining McCollum on select dates throughout the tour will be special guests Corey Kent, Larry Fleet, George Birge and Catie Offerman.

The tour will kick off on Jan. 18 in Spokane and visit New Orleans, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Savannah, Abilene, Saratoga Springs, Des Moines and more before wrapping up in Corpus Christi at American Bank Center Arena on Aug. 31. Tickets will be available starting with pre-sales beginning Oct. 17 ahead of the general on-sale beginning Friday, Oct. 20.

“2024 is going to be the biggest and best show we have ever put together,” shares McCollum. “I can’t wait for all the fans to come see what we are working up. The ‘Burn It Down Tour’ is going to be absolutely epic.”

The tour will no doubt include songs from McCollum’s latest album Never Enough, which includes his Platinum hit, “Handle On You,” and his current single, “Burn It Down.” He is currently nominated for New Artist of the Year at the upcoming 57th annual CMA Awards.

Industry Ink: Wynonna Judd, Jump.Global, Warren Zeiders, BrickHouse Entertainment

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Wynonna Judd Mines Some Gold At Tom Petty Tribute Event

Pictured (L-R): Jeff Tuerff, Bryan Stewart, Wynonna Judd, Cactus Moser, Lindsey Wiler, Benson Curb and Tanner Brandell. Photo: Randy Powers

Wynonna Judd was presented with a Gold plaque for her No. 1 hit, “No One Else on Earth,” during Tuesday night’s (Oct. 10) “Handle With Care: A Tribute To Tom Petty” event at the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville. The track, written by Jill Colucci, Stewart Harris and Sam Lorber, appeared on her 1992 self-titled, debut solo album and held the top spot on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart for four weeks.

“Handle With Care: A Tribute To Tom Petty” included an all-star lineup of artists to celebrate World Mental Health Day. All proceeds from the event went to Backline, a mental health and wellness resource in the music industry that provides free life-changing programs supporting professionals and their families year-round.

 

Jump.Global Announces Annual Summit Speakers

The inaugural Jump.Global Annual Summit is set to launch Nov. 12-14 at The LINE Hotel in L.A. as a multi-day educational and community-building event exclusively for those working in the music industry. The panels, workshops and keynotes will focus on the betterment of executives and professionals through topics such as Holistic Stress Management & Burnout Prevention, Artist vs. Executive Needs, What Keeps Music Business Leaders Up At Night? and Resilience in the Music Business—which will be featured as the opening keynote interview led by mental performance and executive coach Michelle Sullivan and clinical and organizational psychologist Dr. Marcus Benayon.

Adding to a full slate of speakers are Nashville executives Kris Ahrend (CEO, The MLC); Angela Abbott (Sr. Manager, Business Affairs + Music Licensing, Tidal); Kari Barnhart (SVP / Relationship Manager – Music, Arts, & Entertainment Division, Studio Bank); Fadia Kader (EVP & GM, Venice Music); Channing Moreland (Co-Founder, EVA); Monika Tashman (Partner – Entertainment & Music, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP) and Justin Levenson (Professional Services Product Lead, OpenPlay), as well as Jump.Global’s Founder & CEO, Nick Maiale.

“Our industry already has great conferences that focus primarily on revenue for artists and building their teams and streams. In an effort to shift some focus to the professionals that make the industry’s wheels spin, I created the jump.global annual summit,” says Maiale. “My hope is that the event equips attendees with actionable insights that inspire them to take what they learn back to their workplace and personal lives. Whether coming alone or as a team, this summit is meant to be tangible, tactical, and practical for every human in the music business to foster positive growth.”

 

Warren Zeiders Celebrates Ryman Debut, One Billion Streams

Pictured (L-R): Isaac Green (SVP A&R Warner Records), Charly Salvatore (Underscore Works Mgmt) Warren Zeiders and Aaron Bay-Schuck (Co-Chairman & CEO, Warner Records). Photo: Austin Screws

Warner Records’ Warren Zeiders made his Ryman Auditorium debut to a sold-out crowd last week, and just before his performance, was presented with a plaque honoring 1 billion career streams. He had promised himself to never enter the venue until he was playing there himself, so the night marked the first time Zeiders had even set foot in the Ryman.

Zeiders is on tour now in support of his current hit single “Pretty Little Poison” from the album of the same name. The track is currently at No. 26 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs Chart and No. 25 on Mediabase’s Country Airplay Top 40 Chart.

 

Scott Brickell, Ron Smith Join Forces For BrickHouse Entertainment

Pictured (L-R): Caleb Gauntt, Jared Johnson, Ron Smith, Scott Brickell, Kim Davis, Chase Swayze

Industry veterans Scott Brickell and Ron Smith have formed a joint partnership within their respective companies. Brickell, CEO and Founder of BrickHouse Entertainment, and Smith, who helms SMP Consulting, will now operate under BrickHouse Entertainment.

Brickell and Smith, along with Chase Swayze, are managing partners of the company, while Kim Davis, who has been with the company for 24 years, has been elevated to COO. With their combined artist roster, BrickHouse Entertainment represents MercyMe, CAIN, Micah Tyler, Caleb & John, Iveth Luna, Micah Christopher, Christian Paul and Bay Turner.

“With our common mission of supporting artists to develop lasting careers in the industry, it made complete sense for us to bring our companies together,” says Brickell and Smith. “We look forward to what will certainly be an exciting new chapter ahead for BrickHouse Entertainment as we continue to support artists and grow our roster.”

Maren Morris & Friend Karina Argow Co-Author A Children’s Book

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Maren Morris and Karina Argow. Photo: Nicki Fletcher

Maren Morris and longtime best friend, educator Karina Argow, have co-authored a children’s picture book, Addie Ant Goes On An Adventure. Published by Chronicle Chroma, the book will hit the shelves next spring.

Cultivated by Morris and Argow’s love of nature and spending time reading to Morris’ son, the book relays their desire to teach younger generations the importance of friendship, diversity and connection. Addie Ant Goes On An Adventure is fully illustrated by Kelly Anne Dalton and follows the ant’s journey into a magical garden, where she meets friends and obstacles along the way.

“Inspiring others through words and lyrics is a lifelong passion of mine,” says Morris. “To be able to give back to young learners in this way, to instill in them at a young age a deep love for the world around them gives me great hope for the future. I’m looking forward to this being the start of many adventures for Addie Ant, who I know will become a beloved children’s character.”

“I could not agree more,” shares Argow. “I’ve dreamed for years about sharing this wonderful world of creatures and their importance to the natural and social environments around them. I hope that the children and adults reading about Addie and her friends can see themselves and remember just how magical we all are and how precious this wonderful world is that we live in!”

“We are excited to publish this delightfully written and beautifully illustrated children’s book,” says Chronicle Chroma Publishing Director, Gloria Fowler. “Morris and Argow have created a charming story about the day in the life of a curious and brave little ant that inhabits a vast and magical garden. Inclusive insect characters such as Lewis Ladybug, Beatrix Butterfly and Cleo Cricket are brought to life through Kelly Anne Dalton’s vivid illustrations.”

Addie Ant Goes On An Adventure will go on sale on April 9, 2024, for $18.99 with 40 illustrated pages on a glossed hardcover. Pre-orders can be made through [email protected].

Special ‘John Prine – The Oh Boy Singles’ Deluxe Box Set Out In November

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John Prine. Photo: Rett Rogers

Oh Boy Records is releasing a special new seven-inch box set,  John Prine – The Oh Boy Singles, on Nov. 24.

The uniquely designed box set is modeled after Prine’s 1935 Wurlitzer Jukebox, and features the eight singles Prine released throughout his career packaged in their original artwork, as well as working lights that illuminate the jukebox, a booklet with a forward written by Jim Rooney, two “Handsome Johnny” jukebox coins, a vintage Oh Boy Records catalog and more. The limited-edition collectable is now available for pre-order and will also be available at indie record stores nationwide.

“This collection took quite a bit of time and effort to put together, and perhaps some version of it could have come out a year or two earlier, but the guiding principle for us always was: ‘Would John have thought this was cool,” says Oh Boy Records’ Jody Whelan. “So, after many revisions and additions we can finally say, ‘John would have thought this was cool (or at least Pretty Good).’”

One of Prine’s beloved possessions, the jukebox was a gift from his friend and fellow songwriter Steve Goodman as a thank you for co-writing Goodman’s first country hit, “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” after Prine refused to take credit or accept any royalties for helping to write the song.

The jukebox was donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum this past weekend in conjunction with the second annual “You Got Gold: Celebrating the Songs of John Prine” event. The three-day celebration raised over $150,000 for the Hello In There Foundation and featured performances by Amanda Shires, Devon Gilfillian, John Oates, Joy Oladokun, Lukas Nelson, Rita Wilson, Rodney Crowell, Ruston Kelly, Tanya Tucker and more, as well as special appearances by Walton Goggins and Steve Zahn.