Brandi Carlile’s Memoir Debuts At No. 1 On ‘New York Times’ Best Sellers List

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Brandi Carlile’s memoir, Broken Horses, comes charging out of the gate this week debuting at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Sellers list. In addition to the hardback, a special audiobook edition of the memoir, narrated by Carlile herself, will be released next Tuesday, April 20 on Random House Audio.

In the memoir published by Crown, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, Carlile opens up about a life shaped by music including songs that inspired her and the true stories behind many of her lyrics, woven throughout the book at the end of each chapter. Exclusively for the audiobook, Carlile recorded new stripped-down, solo renditions of more than 30 of these songs, including her own and songs from other artists, from Dolly Parton to Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and more.

Carlile will continue her successful Broken Horses Virtual Book Tour this week with three more events including a special conversation with Alicia Keys on Friday, April 16. Tickets for all of the events, which include a copy of the book, are on-sale now via brokenhorses.veeps.com.

Broken Horses Audiobook Song List:
“I Don’t Hurt Anymore” by Hank Snow
“Coat of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton
“Ride on Out” by Brandi Carlile
“Honky Cat” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
“Philadelphia” by Neil Young
“Happy” by Brandi Carlile
“That Year” by Brandi Carlile
“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen
“Eye of the Needle” by Brandi Carlile
“Turpentine” by Brandi Carlile
“Wasted” by Brandi Carlile
“The Story” by Brandi Carlile
“Closer to You” by Brandi Carlile
“Caroline” by Brandi Carlile
“Josephine” by Brandi Carlile
“Sugartooth” by Brandi Carlile
“Looking Out” by Brandi Carlile
“Beginning to Feel the Years” by Brandi Carlile
“Love Songs” by Brandi Carlile
“I Will” by Brandi Carlile
“I Belong to You” by Brandi Carlile
“That Wasn’t Me” by Brandi Carlile
“The Mother” by Brandi Carlile
“The Stranger at My Door” by Brandi Carlile
“Heroes and Songs” by Brandi Carlile
“Murder in the City” by The Avett Brothers
“Party of One” by Brandi Carlile
“The Joke” by Brandi Carlile
“Hold You Dear” by The Secret Sisters
“Bring My Flowers Now” by Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker
“Your Song” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

Reservoir To List On Nasdaq Stock Exchange Via Merger

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Reservoir is going public through a merger with Roth CH Acquisition Co. II, a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company with $115 million in trust, it has been announced. The combined company will be renamed Reservoir Media, Inc. and is expected to remain listed on the Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol RSVR. The transaction values the combined company at an enterprise value of $788 million and is expected to provide approximately $246 million in gross proceeds to the company.

Upon closing of the transaction, founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi will continue to lead the combined company, which is based in New York City with offices in Nashville, L.A., Toronto, London, and Abu Dhabi. The move makes Reservoir the first female-founded and led music company to be publicly traded in the U.S. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021 and existing Reservoir shareholders are rolling 100% of their equity as part of the transaction.

“From day one, our mission has always been to be the best independent music company in the industry,” says Khosrowshahi. “Today we have taken an important step forward in Reservoir’s evolution to fully realize that vision through our partnership with Roth CH II. Our dedication to our songwriters and artists and their music is at the heart of everything that we do, and this path to growth supports our promise to service our clients, enhance value, and build a quality catalog. I am immensely proud of what we have built alongside President & COO Rell Lafargue, and our incredible team whose excellent skills, high-touch client service, and outstanding track record is unmatched.”

Founded as a family-owned music publisher in 2007, Reservoir has grown to represent over 130,000 copyrights and 26,000 master recordings with titles dating as far back as 1900, and hundreds of No. 1 releases worldwide. The catalog includes evergreen compositions such as “It’s Your Thing” by The Isley Brothers, “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, and “Señorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. Notable roster signings include Ben Harper, Migos’ Offset and Takeoff, 2 Chainz, Danja, James Fauntleroy, and Ali Tamposi.

The Black Keys To Honor Mississippi Hill Country Blues On New Album

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The Black Keys have announced a new album, Delta Kream, that celebrates Mississippi hill country blues artists like R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough.

The band’s tenth studio album dedicated to their blues roots will feature 11 blues standards and will be released on May 14.

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney recorded Delta Kream at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville. They were joined by musicians Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton, long-time members of the bands of blues legends Burnside and Kimbrough. The album takes its name from William Eggleston’s iconic Mississippi photograph that is on its cover.

“We made this record to honor the Mississippi hill country blues tradition that influenced us starting out,” says Auerbach. “These songs are still as important to us today as they were the first day Pat and I started playing together and picked up our instruments. It was a very inspiring session with Pat and me along with Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton in a circle, playing these songs. It felt so natural.”

“The session was planned only days in advance and nothing was rehearsed,” says Carney. “We recorded the entire album in about ten hours, over two afternoons, at the end of the ‘Let’s Rock’ tour.”

Fans can listen to the album’s first single “Crawling Kingsnake,” a song recorded by Hooker and first heard by Auerbach when he was in high school.

In addition to paying homage to these Mississippi blues legends with Delta Kream, the band is working with VisitMississippi, the state’s tourism organization, to sponsor new individual markers for Burnside and Kimbrough on the Mississippi Blues Trail, which tells the stories of the state’s blues artists both renowned and obscure through words and images.

The album is available for pre-order now.

Delta Kream track listing:
Crawling Kingsnake (John Lee Hooker / Bernard Besman)
Louise (Fred McDowell)
Poor Boy a Long Way From Home (Robert Lee Burnside)
Stay All Night (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
Going Down South (Robert Lee Burnside)
Coal Black Mattie (Ranie Burnette)
Do the Romp (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
Sad Days, Lonely Nights (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
Walk with Me (David Kimbrough, Jr.)
Mellow Peaches (Joseph Lee Williams)
Come on and Go with Me (David Kimbrough, Jr

ACM Radio Award Winners Announced

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The Radio Award winners for the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards have been announced and include first-time National On-Air Personality of the Year winner Kix Brooks with American Country Countdown, and KNIX-FM, which received two awards for Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year and Major Market Station of the Year.

The announcement was revealed on the ACM’s official social media pages in a series of videos capturing winners receiving surprise gifts from the Academy. This is the seventh overall win for KNIX-FM for ACM Major Market Station of the Year, and the fourth overall for KUZZ-AM/FM in the ACM Medium Market Station of the Year category. WQDR-FM received their third win for ACM Large Market Station of the Year, while KKNU-FM and Buzz Jackson each received their second trophies for Small Market Station of the year and Medium Market Personality of the Year, respectively. And first-time winners in the On-Air Personality of the Year categories include Lexi & Banks, Lois Lewis, and Steve, Ben & Nikki.

“Congratulations to all of our 56th ACM Awards radio winners. Country radio is a vital part of the country music industry and artists’ success and we are grateful for the contributions they make to the industry every day,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “For the first time, the Academy was able to showcase our appreciation to these winners with a special package reveal to each of them, along with an iconic ACM trophy. We hope the memory of their win is one they cherish throughout their careers.”

Radio Award winners for the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards:

On-Air Personality Of The Year Winners:
National – American Country Countdown – Kix Brooks
Major Market – Double L – Lois Lewis – KNIX-FM – Phoenix, AZ
Large Market – Lexi & Banks – Lexi Papadopoulos, Jared Banks – KUBL-FM – Salt Lake City, UT
Medium Market – Buzz Jackson – KIIM-FM – Tucson, AZ
Small Market – Steve, Ben & Nikki – Steve Stroud, Ben Walker, Nikki Thomas – WXBQ-FM – Bristol, VA

Radio Station Of The Year Winners:
Major Market – KNIX-FM – Phoenix, AZ
Large Market – WQDR-FM – Raleigh, NC
Medium Market – KUZZ-AM/FM – Bakersfield, CA
Small Market – KKNU-FM – Eugene, OR

Warner Music Group And Spotify Make Podcast Development Deal

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Warner Music Group (WMG) and Spotify announced today (April 15) they have entered into a new partnership which will see the two companies develop a series of original podcasts built around WMG’s artists’ and songwriters’ catalogs.

“The most impactful podcasts share with music the key component of storytelling and personal experience. In partnership with Warner Music Group, we look to develop stories leveraging their unique artists and catalog,” says Spotify’s VP Global Studios & Business, Courtney Holt. “We look forward to helping them leverage the power of podcasting to forge a deeper connection with fans.”

“We’re excited to take this step forward with Spotify as we strengthen and deepen our existing partnership. Podcasts provide an opportunity to unlock value for artists and songwriters by delivering fresh and unique stories to music to fans across the globe,” says WMG’s EVP, Business Development and Chief Digital Officer, Oana Ruxandra. “We look forward to working with Spotify to experiment and drive growth in podcasting.”

No artists were named in the announcement, but the news follows WMG’s recent launch of the BLK In America podcast by Topsify, which features influential Black artists discussing what it means to be Black in America.

Spotify is now home to more than two million podcasts including The Michelle Obama Podcast, The Journal., The Joe Rogan Experience, The Bakari Sellers Podcast, Stolen: The Search for Jermain, and the recently launched Renegades: Born in the USA, among countless others.

Sarah Jarosz To Release New Project, ‘Blue Heron Suite’

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Sarah Jarosz. Photo: Kaitlyn Raitz

Fresh off her win Grammy win for Best Americana Album, Sarah Jarosz has announced she will release another project, Blue Heron Suite, on May 7. She composed the collection of songs after becoming the recipient of the FreshGrass Composition Commission in 2017.

Blue Heron Suite was recorded in December of 2018 at Reservoir Studios in New York City and features Jeff Picker on bass and Jefferson Hamer on guitar and harmony vocals. The piece was inspired by frequent trips Jarosz and her parents made to Port Aransas, a small town on the Gulf Coast of Texas a few hours from the family’s home in Wimberley.

“2017 was an emotional year for me—my mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer the previous winter and the town of Port Aransas was severely impacted by Hurricane Harvey,” recalls Jarosz. “Those two events caused me to think back to the early morning walks my mom and I would take along Mustang Island beach—we would always spot the Great Blue Herons along the shore… The bird came to be a symbol of hope for my family during a difficult time, and even now, throughout my travels, whenever I spot a Blue Heron, I always think of it as a good omen; a little reminder of the important things in life, especially family.”

Jarosz notes, “Thankfully, my mom is now in remission and Port Aransas is slowly on the mend, but Blue Heron Suite still encapsulates so many of the feelings associated with that time – I like to think of the song cycle as a quiet acknowledgment of life’s many uncertainties; you never know what will be thrown your way, but you can always work to try to face the highs and the lows with grace and strength.”

Jarosz also recently announced a pair of livestream concert events scheduled for April 29 and May 9 which are slated to feature different set lists for each show. On April 29, Jarosz will perform her Grammy-winning album World on the Ground with a full band for the first time since its release. Meanwhile, on May 9, Jarosz will celebrate the release of Blue Heron Suite by performing it in its entirety.

Tickets for both shows, which will stream via Mandolin, are now available for purchase.

Industry Ink: Johnny Gates, Forrest Finn, Music Benefactors

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Johnny Gates Signs With Sound Talent Group

Johnny Gates. Photo: Jimmy Fisco

Deluge Music artist Johnny Gates has signed on with Sound Talent Group (STG) for exclusive booking representation.

STG agents Beth Keith and Randy Salcedo will be handling all booking opportunities for the Nashville-based Gates, who has a touring history that includes opening dates with Rod Stewart, Paramore, Johnny Swim, Need2Breathe, Ryan Cabrara, Sam Grow, and more.

“I couldn’t be more excited about joining the STG roster,” says Gates of the partnership. “The one constant in my career has been hitting the road and touring, and with an agent like Beth Keith and the STG crew, I really feel like it’s going to take this thing to the next level. Their roster is full of artists and bands who have had long, successful touring careers. That says a lot about STG and their work, and I’m ready to pack my bags and hit the road.”

Gates signed with Deluge Music last May and has released a series of successful singles since, including “Loretta Lynn,” “Scotch Tape,” and “Flirt” – which has already amassed well over 100,000 Spotify streams since its release in February. His most recent single “Reckless” was released last Wednesday (April 7) and is available now.

 

Forrest Finn Signs With New Lost City Records, Announces First Single

Forrest Finn

Singer-songwriter Forrest Finn has signed with New Lost City Records and will release his first single, “How Do You Break A Heart,” on April 16 which he also produced.

Finn signed with MV2, home of New Lost City Records, in 2019 and has racked up many songwriter and producer credits, including work with artist Levi Hummon (co-wrote “Wedding Dress” and produced Hummon’s latest single “A Home”) and 2021 CMT’s Next Women of Country artist Harper Grae (produced her three most recent singles).

“When we signed Forrest as a writer to MV2 we knew we had a star in the making. He is a great vocalist, musician and producer. Signing him as an artist to our indie label rounds out an already strong roster that includes duo Whelan Stone and Blake Henderson,” says GM of MV2 Entertainment Tony Harrell.

Finn’s single, “How Do You Break A Heart” will be available on all streaming platforms beginning April 16th.

 

Music Benefactors Announces Second Artist Partnership with Really Khalil

Really Khalil

Nashville-based company Music Benefactors has announced their second artist partnership with hip-hop/R&B artist, Really Khalil.

The company seeks to help recording artists and various types of independent music businesses raise capital for new projects, or monetize catalogs, by partnering with fans and investors. Unlike traditional crowdfunding, fans and investors share the income that the projects generate. Independent businesses can raise up to $5 million per year.

Khalil conquered homelessness while seeking solitude in his music. Now, he is the first hip-hop artist ever to issue and sell investment securities to the public through the platform.

Parmalee Inks With WME

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Parmalee. Photo: Ford Fairchild

Parmalee has signed with WME.

The ACM-nominated band is one of only four groups since 2001 to earn three consecutive Top 10 singles from a debut country album. Since their debut at country radio, Parmalee has earned more than 427 million Pandora streams, 253 million on-demand streams, and over 58 million YouTube views.

Comprised of brothers Matt and Scott Thomas (lead vocals/guitar and drums, respectively), cousin Barry Knox (bass), and life-long friend Josh McSwain, the North Carolina natives recently went No. 1 with their Platinum-certified single featuring BBR labelmate Blanco Brown, “Just the Way,” which amassed more than 160 million streams in the U.S. alone. The reimagined pop version of the smash, co-produced by Andrew Goldstein and David Fanning, was recently released and features pop/hip-hop maverick Bryce Vine in addition to fellow country artist Brown. Offering a message of self-acceptance and praise to those that are true to themselves, the song will ship to pop radio April 12.

Parmalee is represented by David Fanning and attorney Derek Crownover at Loeb & Loeb LLP.

Kane Brown Wins His First-Ever ACM Award For Video Of The Year

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Kane Brown received a big surprise on-air today from anchors Gayle King, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil on CBS This Morning as he discussed his two ACM nominations and the launch of his upcoming Blessed & Free Tour.

During the interview, Brown received news he had won the ACM Video of the Year for “Worldwide Beautiful,” marking his first official ACM award win. Directed by Alex Alvga, the video for “Worldwide Beautiful” pairs a timely message of unity with symbolic imagery and features Brown with his daughter Kingsley.

YouTube video

Brown co-wrote the song with Shy Carter, Ryan Hurd and Jordan Schmidt. He pledged to raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club of America with the proceeds from the song “Worldwide Beautiful,” and recently donated $100,000 to the organization.

Brown is also nominated for ACM Album of the Year and will perform on the ACM Awards telecast this Sunday, April 18th.

Billy Dean Signs Publishing Deal With Given Entertainment

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Pictured (L-R): Given Sr. VP of Publishing and Artist Development Cliff Downs; Given Founding Partner Cindy Owen; Billy Dean; Given Creative Director Kelsey Wise. Photo: McIntyre Barnhardt

Billy Dean has signed a publishing deal with Given Entertainment.

The signing reunites Given Founding Partner Cindy Owen and Dean from their days at Starstruck Entertainment, when Owen brought the artist to Narvel Blackstock for management.  At the time, she served as the company’s Creative Director.

Since his launch in the early ’90s, Dean has sold millions of records, won numerous music industry honors and amassed a loyal following with his brand of pop-folk-influenced country. He won his first of several major awards in 1992 when the Academy of Country Music named him Top New Male Vocalist of the Year, and also presented him with the Song of the Year honor for “Somewhere In My Broken Heart.” The smash single also won Song of the Year from the Nashville Songwriters Association International, as well as awards from BMI and a Grammy nomination. Dean was also part of the Grammy-winning album Amazing Grace: A Country Salute To Gospel Vol 1, and Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, which won 1994 CMA Album of the Year. Other career accolades include CMT’s Rising Star Award and TNN’s Top Songwriter Award for his song “Billy the Kid.”

In addition to music, Dean has worked as an actor, appearing in several TV shows including Wings and Lois and Clark as well as the Dolly Parton movie Blue Valley Songbird. He also hosted some network music specials including ABC’s In Concert.

“Signing Billy is a no-brainer. His passion for music is as strong as it ever was and he is writing and singing better than ever,” Owen says. “We are proud to give him a platform to continue to build on the Billy Dean legacy that had so many of us hooked.”

“When Cindy listened to my new music, she said, ‘Billy, your best years of writing are ahead of you.’  That’s the kind of encouragement and support I look for in a publisher,” Dean says. “Given is giving me the freedom to dig deep to craft songs for this generation of incredibly gifted country music artists.”