Maggie Rose Releases Rousing New Single, Announces Live Events

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Maggie Rose. Photo: Ford Fairchild

Maggie Rose has released a new single, “What Are We Fighting For,” from her forthcoming album, Have A Seat. The rousing, gospel-charged new track is available everywhere today. The album arrives Friday, August 20 via Starstruck Records.

The soulful single sets the tone for Have A Seat’s message of loving solidarity, its power intensified by Rose’s tender yet powerful vocals and soulful harmonies from Karita Law and Shanay Johnson, a duo known for their work with Brittany Howard and Emily King.

“What am I fighting for?” asks Rose. “Compassion, empathy, and even excellence within me, my music, and the people and the world around me, but don’t get me wrong—my zeal is not always consistent, and the question itself poses varying challenges from one day to the next. Some days I struggle to simply feel worthy and everything feels heavy and dark. Other days I’m totally fired up and I demand that my worthiness be recognized. Some days I have no will to fight, other days I’m frustrated at the lack of fight I observe around me. However, just asking the question of ourselves everyday is a fight in itself, and the question is one only we alone can ask and answer.”

Rose will host her podcast Salute The Songbirds as a live concert event on April 28 at City Winery in Nashville. Presented by Osiris Media, the event will feature performances from Elizabeth Cook, Jillette Johnson, Kalie Shorr, Nicole Atkins and Nicki Bluhm. Fans can also tune in to live stream the show via Mandolin, and a portion of proceeds from the event will benefit Women in Music. She will also play a Live For Live Music event, benefiting Sweet Relief, in Denver, Colorado on April 16.

Have A Seat was introduced last month with the release of the album’s fiery-horn-groove stomp of first song “Do It.” The album is Rose’s third full-length and was produced by Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes at the iconic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. in a series of pre-pandemic sessions.

Katy Wolaver Promoted To Senior Vice President, A&R At Warner Chappell Music

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Katy Wolaver

Katy Wolaver has been elevated to Senior Vice President, A&R at Warner Chappell Music. 

Wolaver joined Warner Chappell in 2016 as Senior Director before being promoted to Vice President in 2018. Last year, she broadened her role to work between Nashville and Los Angeles and has put together numerous high-profile sessions, including one with Dan + Shay that resulted in the duo’s newest single, “Glad You Exist.” She manages a mix of talent, including Jesse Frasure, Ava Max, Tayla Parx, All Time Low, MAG (Bad Bunny), Michael Pollack (Maroon 5), Sean Douglas (Thomas Rhett), Fraser Churchill (Mickey Guyton), Sasha Sloan, and many more. Wolaver has also spent the last few years developing Michael Pollack’s songwriting career and was instrumental in setting up a session with Jon Bellion that resulted in multiple hits, including “Memories” by Maroon 5, “Holy” Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper, “Anyone” by Bieber, and “Prisoner” by Miley Cyrus ft. Dua Lipa. Wolaver got her start in music in 2006 at Arthouse Entertainment and went on to serve as Director of A&R at SONGS Music Publishing.

Wallace Joseph has also been appointed Vice President, A&R at the company. In Wolaver and Joesph’s new roles, they will continue to report to Ryan Press, President of A&R, U.S. and help grow the company’s roster of legendary songwriters and producers.

Joseph works closely with Summer Walker, Tay Keith, Murda Beatz, Section 8, T-Minus, Wale, Dougie F, Turbo, Pluss, and Lazá, among others. Throughout his career, Joseph has helped develop the hitmakers behind hits like “Leave Me Alone” by Flipp Dinero, “Juicy (ft. Tyga)” and “Say So” by Doja Cat, as well as the Grammy-award winning single “Where Are Ü Now” by Jack Ü ft. Justin Bieber and the viral sensation “Broccoli” by Shelley (FKA DRAM) ft. Lil Yachty, among others. Prior to joining Warner Chappell in August 2017, Joseph ran a music management company, HMWRK.

“Katy and Wallace both have an amazing ear for talent discovery and a natural ability to turn someone with potential into the next big hitmaker,” says Press. “They’ve already helped to build the careers of some of today’s hottest songwriters and are truly a great example of where hard work and dedication can get you in this business. I couldn’t be more proud to see them continue to grow with us as A&R executives.”

“A&R is all about building connections and developing talent, and over this past year, I’ve had the chance to work between LA and Nashville to find new ways to pair our writers with different artists across a variety of genres,” says Wolaver. “I’m very grateful to Ryan and the entire leadership team at Warner Chappell for believing in my approach and allowing me to expand these efforts even more.”

Bobby Bones Joins Music City Baseball Initiative

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Bobby Bones. Photo: Courtesy Music City Baseball

Award-winning radio personality Bobby Bones has joined Music City Baseball, a group committed to bringing a Major League Baseball team to Nashville.

“I’m thrilled to join the initiative to bring Major League Baseball to Nashville,” says Bones. “Nashville is second to none in uniting sports and music, making it the perfect destination for a Major League team.  I look forward to joining Music City Baseball’s efforts to honor the incredible history of the Nashville Stars, as well as pave the way for the future of MLB in Nashville.”

Bones joins the community advisory board alongside Justin Timberlake, Darius Rucker, Luke Combs and Eddie George.

“Bobby is going to play a critical role in helping us generate excitement surrounding bringing a team here. His energy and enthusiasm around the cause is unmatched and we are thrilled to have him join our leadership team,” says John Loar, managing director of Music City Baseball.

MCB is committed to privately financing the ballpark and bringing a Major League franchise to Nashville built on equity, inclusion, and diversity. To honor the Negro League teams that played in Nashville early in the last century, MCB is honored to resurrect the Nashville Stars moniker for the prospective franchise.

Recording Academy Announces Date For 64th Annual Grammy Awards

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The Recording Academy has announced the 64th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The awards will be broadcast live on the CBS television network from 8-11:30 p.m. ET and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+. Additional details on next year’s Grammy nominations will be announced in the coming months.

This year’s Grammy Awards were postponed until March 14 due to health concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Grammys are voted on by the Recording Academy’s voting membership body of music makers representing all genres and creative disciplines, including artists, songwriters, producers, mixers, and engineers.

Wynonna Judd, Heath Sanders, John Schneider Slated For ‘Highway To Hope’ Benefit

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The St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund announced their first ever virtual benefit concert, “Highway to Hope,” which will take place on Sunday, May 16 from 6-8 p.m. CST.

Award-winning country singer Wynonna Judd will headline this event along with fellow country artists Heath Sanders, John Schneider, Billy Dean, Lindsay Lawler. The show will also be hosted by one of the trucking industry’s most well-known voices and host of Radio Nemo, Jimmy Mac.

“The first ever Highway to Hope benefit concert will be a fun virtual event bringing our industry together, at a time when we are far apart, to raise support for SCF and our highway heroes with amazing artists that want to give back to this industry. We hope you will join us for a night of music and celebration,” says Director of Philanthropy and Development Shannon Currier.

Truck drivers are essential workers who spend long durations away from home, work irregular hours, and are often unable to get to a clinic, pharmacy, or hospital. The St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund is a truck driver charity organization who aims to help over-the-road and regional semi-truck drivers and their families when an illness or injury has caused them to be out of work.

Tickets for the benefit concert are available for $20 (plus a $2 transaction fee) on the SCF website, and donations can also be made during the live event. A portion of the ticket proceeds will go directly to the SCF to support truck drivers in need. Individual ticket purchasers in the US will receive a free CD from the NASTC Grand O Trucking Show which includes Nashville singer-songwriters and music that celebrates the trucking industry.

Any company interested in sponsoring the event or matching funds raised for this event can contact Currier at shannon@truckersfund.org.

MercyMe Announce New Album ‘Inhale (Exhale)’

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MercyMe is set to release their new album, inhale (exhale), on April 30.

The Dove Award-winning band is also releasing a new instant grat track and lyric video for “On Our Way,” featuring lead singer Bart Millard‘s son Sam Wesley.

The 16-song collection, produced by Tedd T., Brown Bannister and Jordan Mohilowski, includes “Almost Home,” which topped the Christian charts for a combined total of 17 weeks. There’s also the buoyant “A Little Love” featuring Millard’s close friend Gary LeVox, lead vocalist of Rascal Flatts. Disco legend and friend Gloria Gaynor also lends her signature vocals to “Brand New.”

“It was two years and one month to the day that we started writing for this new record until we finally finished,” Millard says. “‘Almost Home,’ which is the first single, will be out a year and a half before the record releases. We would have had it done a year or so ago, but when the pandemic hit, it slowed everything down. We practically re-wrote the album two or three different times.”

MercyMe’s current hit single “Say I Won’t,” which is currently in the top 10 on the Billboard National Christian Airplay chart and the Mediabase Christian Audience chart, is spinning on a vast majority of Christian radio stations across the country. The track is a potent declaration of faith and perseverance colored by tragedy, and was inspired by Gary Miracle, a longtime friend that worked with MercyMe for many years, who contracted an infection that resulted in having both his arms and legs amputated.

Inhale (exhale) is available for preorder now.

inhale (exhale) Track Listing:
1.  Inhale
2. Blessed
3. On Our way  (feat. Sam Wesley)
4. So Yesterday
5. A Little Love  (feat. Gary LeVox)
6. Whiplash
7. Bright Side Of Broken
8. Let Yourself Be Loved
9. Hurry Up and Wait
10. Brand New  (feat. Gloria Gaynor)
11. Uh Oh (Here I Go)
12. The Moment
13. Then Christ Came (Demo)
14. Say I Won’t
15. Almost Home
16. Exhale

AIMP To Host ‘Legendary Women Of Music Row’ Webinar

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To wrap up Women’s History Month, the AIMP Nashville Chapter will be hosting the “Legendary Women of Music Row” webinar this Thursday (April 1) at 4:30 p.m. CST.

During the webinar, a handful of panelists and pioneers will discuss how they made a name for themselves in Nashville’s music industry with moderator and country music historian Dale Dodson. Guest speakers include publishing executive Celia Froehlig; President & Owner, Wrensong Entertainment, Ree Guyer; Founder & Owner, Judy Harris Music, Judy Harris; and Chief Creative Officer, SMACKSongs, Robin Palmer.

The online event is free for all AIMP members and $5 for non-members. Registration information can be found here.

Brandi Carlile, Tracy Gershon, Ali Harnell, More Set For Women In Music Event Tomorrow

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Women In Music is presenting a special live event, “Celebrating Unity & Collective Power Beyond Women’s History Month,” on YouTube on March 31 featuring performances by Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Maisie Peters, Meet Me @ The Altar, Chloe Moriondo and Sofía Valdés.

The event is being held to close out Women’s History Month and will highlight the collective power from inspiring individuals and organizations working to create a more equitable industry for all. Launching WIM’s YouTube channel, the virtual event will feature artists and executives in a showcase of diverse global talent, highlighting women-led moments in music history and the organizations working to advance women in all sectors of the industry today. The channel will continue highlighting artists, industry executives, events and more year-round.

Speakers include Noelle Scaggs (Fitz & the Tantrums / Founder, Diversify the Stage), Dr. Portia Sabin (Music Business Association), Ebonie Smith (Atlantic / Founder, Gender Amplified), Emily Lazar (Founder, Chief Recording Engineer, The Lodge / Founder, We Are Moving the Needle), Grace Lee (Head of YouTube Artist Relations, East Coast / Co-Founder, Asian American Collective), Maria Egan (Chief Music Officer, Splice & Co-Founder, Reboot), Ty Stiklorius (Friends at Work), Tracy Gershon (Change the Conversation) and Ali Harnell (Live Nation Women).

“We are so excited to see so many companies celebrating women in our industry this year during Women’s History Month, but the work has to extend beyond token months assigned to underrepresented groups,” says President of Women In Music Nicole Barsalona. “We’re here year-round doing the work day in and day out, alongside some incredible organizations and individuals who are creating transformational change in our industry. Today, and everyday, we highlight them and celebrate the unity, diversity, and collective power of women in music. And we’re asking everyone to join us in taking measurable action to create a culture of belonging for all.” 

The Cadillac Three Continue To Support Local Venues, Add Second Ryman Date

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The Cadillac Three. Photo: Robby Klein/Red Bull Content Pool

The Cadillac Three teamed up with Red Bull and Music Venue Alliance Nashville (MVAN) last week and transformed the Exit/In into a pop-up skatepark, filming a music video and offering socially-distanced skate lessons.

The three-day event featured nine skate crews from Nashville, Chattanooga and Memphis had the opportunity to ride custom-built features and listen to live sets from local DJs. A music video for their song “Bridges” was filmed and will release in April. The track is on featured on their latest record Tabasco & Sweet Tea.

“I grew up skateboarding, so I thought it was a really cool thing to be a part of, and Exit/In is our favorite place,” says TC3 lead vocalist Jaren Johnston.

TC3 has continued to support local venues throughout the pandemic, raising awareness through #SAVEOURSTAGES over the past year. They live-streamed concerts through Country Fuzz Presents, in an effort to support local venues through the pandemic.

Pictured: TC3 and professional skateboarder Jake Wooten. Photo: Robby Klein/Red Bull Content Pool

“Independent music venues are the soul of our city,” says Chris Cobb, owner of Exit/In and president of MVAN, whose mission is to fiercely protect Nashville’s 15 independent music venue owners, operators and the ecosystem surrounding these notable properties. “Pretty quickly we realized it was existential and most of us realized we would go out of business if we didn’t do something about it,” he says. “Thus far we’ve been successful. We’ve been able to fend it off through fundraising initiatives, grant programs and a streaming series. That’s allowed us to collectively pool our resources and our talents to raise enough funds that we can all pay our bills.”

TC3 also recently announced that they have added a second night at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in September, celebrating their tenth anniversary as a band.

“For the three of us, being born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee has always been special. We’ve worn it as a badge of honor all around the world, and if we had written down the dream scenario for how to celebrate our 10-year anniversary, it would have been by playing a show to all our fans, friends and family at the Ryman Auditorium in our hometown,” says drummer Neil Mason. “To have the first night sell out and add a second night … that’s as good as it gets. We can’t wait for Sept. 1 and 2!”

Tickets for the September 1 and 2 shows are available now.

To keep fans protected, the Ryman Auditorium strictly complies with safety regulations that include socially distanced seating, enhanced cleaning practices and mandatory masks for all.

Weekly Register: Morgan Wallen Continues Reign At Top Of Country Albums Chart

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Morgan Wallen. Photo: John Shearer

Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album holds steady at the top of the country chart this week for an 11th straight week with 66K (3.8K album only/78 million song streams), but drops a bit on the all genre chart to No. 3 for the week. The Big Loud/Republic project has racked up 1.354 million YTD.

Luke Combs nabs the second and third spots on the country albums chart with his albums What You See Is What You Get at 27K and This One’s For You at 18K, while Wallen’s If I Know Me sits at No. 4 with 15K and Chris Stapleton‘s Starting Over rounds out the country Top 5 with 15K. The legendary Loretta Lynn proves she’s still going strong with the top country debut going to her Still Woman Enough on SME/Legacy with 11K. The album comes in at No. 9 on the country chart this week, according to Nielsen.

Wallen also takes the top spot on the country streaming chart once again this week with “Wasted on You,” which streamed 6.7 million this week and now stands at 108 million RTD. Following behind him are newcomer Niko Moon‘s “Good Time” at 6.6 million, Gabby Barrett‘s “The Good Ones” with 6.5 million, Stapleton’s “Starting Over” at 6.5 million, and Combs’ “Forever After All” at 6.3 million.