Singer-songwriter Bryan Martin has turned heads with his bold, gritty and unapologetically authentic style. Following the Platinum certification of his top-10-and-climbing country radio single “We Ride,” and the release of his latest tune “Wishbone,” Martin took some time to share his story and some of his work with the MusicRow team.

The 36-year-old recounts real experiences in his music and, as his songwriting signifies, is no stranger to struggle. Martin briefly served in the U.S. military as a young adult. After returning home, he continued to fight, but in a different kind of war, and attempted to take his own life at the age of 19. Martin shared that the first song he ever penned came from the suicide note he wrote. While battling to break down mental barriers, he got married, became a father and accepted a job in the oil fields in his home state of Louisiana, where he worked for 15 years. During the pandemic, Martin dealt with family conflict and moved into a camper behind his father’s house with his guitar. While living there, he started soul-searching and wrote close to 800 songs by himself within a year—including tunes that fans are hearing today.

Martin continued to power through hardships, as he later suffered a brain injury from an almost fatal car crash in Kentucky. Due to the head trauma, the songsmith couldn’t remember how play any of the music he’d created, and doctors told him he’d likely never be able to write songs again. Martin reunited with his family after the accident, and was contemplating selling his guitar and returning to the oil industry. But he was soon talked out of it and began playing again while consulting with medical professionals. After receiving medication, Martin relearned his music and picked the pencil back up.

He released his debut project titled If It Was Easy in 2019, and had composed nearly 3,000 songs by the time he made the move to Music City in 2021, the same year he signed a record deal with Average Joes Entertainment. Once in Nashville, Martin was told by various industry members that it would take a him a few years to make it big and advised him to trust the process. Determined to take care of his family, he felt as though he didn’t have a few years to wait and wrote “We Ride,” which was released in 2022 after his sophomore album, Self Inflicted Scars. The chart-climber was featured on his third studio collection, Poets & Old Souls, that dropped last year.

Average Joes CEO Shannon Houchins and Martin then made a deal that if he reached five million streams per week on Spotify, Houchins would give him his truck. Martin’s social media followers tripled the two weeks that followed, and he ended up signing with WME. Six months later, he had garnered more than five million Spotify streams per week and found himself in Houchins’ truck.

After brawling with addiction, Martin is now over 140 days sober and tries to write five to 10 songs a week. A recent free agent in the publishing world, he has around 1,500 co-writes under his belt.

“I’m all my family has to depend on. My happiness and motivation comes from seeing them comfortable and happy,” said Martin. “I’ve almost died a couple times, and [since then] I’ve thought about what my legacy is going to be. I had to ask myself ‘Am I going to be known as someone who just kept bailing and giving up or someone who got out of their own damn way and made it happen?’ and I decided to get out of my own way.”

With fingers strengthened by hard work, he poured his heart into the viral smash in addition to the powerful “Goin’ For Broke” and unreleased tunes “Don’t Come Lookin’ For Me,” which seeks to give a speakeasy vibe, and “What About Me” as well as “Ain’t That My Ole Man,” a beautiful ballad about Martin’s dad that he wrote alongside Lee Thomas Miller and Nick Walsh, and newly-penned “Home Sweet Livin’ Hell.”

He expressed his immense gratitude for the established artists he has toured with, including Morgan Wallen, who reached out to Martin personally about joining his “One Night At A Time World Tour,” and shared how he hopes to help others.

“We’re all human, and we all come to this town with dreams. But we put so much pressure on ourselves that we ultimately set ourselves up to fail, and I’m just trying to change that trend,” expressed Martin. “I want to show people that they don’t have to be scared of falling off the deep end, that they can come here and enjoy their time chasing their dreams.”

He is set to open for Wallen this Thursday (July 11) and Friday (July 12) in Tampa, Florida.

BMI has announced the appointment of two senior executives: Tom Kershaw as Chief Technology Officer and Justin Rohde as Chief Transformation Officer. They will lead major initiatives as the company advances its strategic growth plan, reporting to President & CEO Mike O’Neill.

With over 20 years of experience working in technology-based markets, Kershaw co-founded open-source software organization prebid.org. He joins BMI from Travelport, a leader in travel distribution for air, hotel, car and rail. Kershaw has also held positions at Google and Ericsson. He received his undergraduate degree from New York University (NYU) and his master’s degree from London School of Economics. Kershaw will succeed BMI’s Chief Information Officer Mike West, who recently announced his retirement from the company.

“Tom’s background and track record of driving digital transformation, coupled with his passion for innovation and experience working with large scale data, position him well to lead BMI’s significant technological advancement and modernization,” notes O’Neill. “These include our efforts to manage the opportunities and challenges of AI and create new avenues for affiliates and licensing partners to enhance their BMI experience through technology.”

Rohde has more than two decades of experience in strategic management and building growth opportunities for corporations and consulting firms. He brings knowledge in process improvement, sales effectiveness, product development and global business management to BMI from Xplor Technologies, a Global SaaS and Payments conglomerate, where he served as Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Transformation Officer. His previously led product development and growth strategies at Integramed America as well as management and strategy consulting at Bain & Company. Rohde received his undergraduate degree and two master’s degrees from Northwestern University.

“Justin brings a wealth of experience in driving business growth by pairing strategic vision with practical implementation. He will not only help us enhance our processes and programs, but also will lead our efforts to obtain new revenue sources for our affiliates. This is the absolute right time for our company to add the position of Chief Transformation Officer, as we continue to accelerate our plan to maximize royalties and improve the service we provide to our creative community,” says O’Neill.

Lindsay Ell is the Canadian Country Music Association’s 2024 recipient of the Gary Slaight Music Humanitarian Award for her achievements with The Make You Movement fund, in addition to her advocacy work and support for sexual assault survivors and the LGBTQ2SIA+ community.

After bravely coming forward with news of her own sexual assault with the 2020 release of “Make You,” Ell launched The Make You Movement, a charitable fund dedicated to raising money for organizations providing support for disenfranchised youth, specifically focusing on survivors of sexual trauma and domestic abuse. With Ell galvanizing friends and fans from all over the world to contribute, the fund has received donations in excess of $33,000. The Community Fund of Middle Tennessee, which manages The Make You Movement, recently confirmed that her international giving ranks among the highest of their more than 1,600 donors.

Ell’s commitment to advocacy extends to her long-time support of the Nashville Sexual Assault Center, where she recently spoke on behalf of the organization’s Safe Tracks Bystander Intervention Training program, launched in 2023 and designed specifically for the music industry. She continues to use her platform to boost donation opportunities through her appearances, spending time in Calgary working with the Woods Homes Foundation, contributing to the Rainbow Railroad and The Glenn Gould Foundation and working with organizations like RAINN and Youth For Tomorrow to raise much needed funds. Ell has also worked with The CMA Foundation as an Artist Ambassador, ACM Lifting Lives, Notes for Notes and St. Jude’s Country Cares program.

“Lindsay’s courage in sharing her own story to help others is truly inspiring,” says Amy Jeninga, President, CCMA. “She consistently uses her platform to advocate for those in need, and her dedication to making a positive change in the world makes her incredibly deserving of this honour. We look forward to celebrating her and her amazing work in Edmonton this September.”

“I think one of the most important responsibilities of artists is to use their platforms for good, to do everything they can to change the world or at least make it better for those whose voices aren’t always heard,” says Ell. “I’m so proud of what we have accomplished through The Make You Movement and know that this is just the beginning. Thank you to both The Slaight Family and the CCMA for inspiring this community to dig deep and help where we can with the creation of this award. I promise to continue this work with both passion and dedication.”

“Lindsay Ell’s remarkable contributions to improving the lives of countless individuals both in Canada and around the world is commendable,” shares Slaight, President and CEO of The Slaight Family Foundation. “The Slaight Family Foundation has always prioritized giving back to those in need as a fundamental human responsibility, and we wholeheartedly support Lindsay’s dedication to this mission. Her outstanding work with The Make You Movement and other charitable organizations truly merits this Humanitarian Award, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to her.”

The 2024 Slaight Music Humanitarian Award will be presented to Ell during a private industry event as part of Country Music Week 2024, taking place Sept. 11-14 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Red Bull has announced that its inaugural U.S. “Red Bull Jukebox” will take place at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on Oct. 2. “Red Bull Jukebox” is a new live music experience that allows fans to determine what songs are performed and how.

Brothers Osborne, Shaboozey, Priscilla Block, Tucker Wetmore, Muscadine Bloodline, Breland, The Castellows and some surprise guests will step onstage to perform setlists created entirely by their fans during the special show. Hosted by Whiskey Jam’s Ward Guenther, the event will also feature the “Red Bull Jukebox” house band, curated by guitarist and producer Derek Wells. Tickets go on sale this Friday (July 12) at 10 a.m. CT. For more information, click here.

Leading up to the event, fans can visit the “Red Bull Jukebox” the website to vote across multiple categories and shape the performances they want to see. The first vote is now open to the public, and attendees will be able to vote on more unique categories on artists’ socials throughout the summer as well as in person at the show. Each attendee will receive a light-up wristband upon entry, giving them the option to choose “red” or “blue” to vote for each live pick.

“‘Red Bull Jukebox’ has created a brand new way to experience a concert–letting the fans vote on our setlists,” says Shaboozey. “I can’t wait to see what y’all pick!”

“This being Nashville, the potential for surprises around Whiskey Jam and knowing Red Bull’s tendency to surprise—this event has great potential. You never know. Somebody’s always here,” notes Guenther. “Overall, the uniqueness of this event, this being the first ‘Red Bull Jukebox’ in America, coming to Nashville, Whiskey Jam being involved, is one of the biggest honors we’ve ever had. Nashville has never seen a show like this.”

Additionally, songwriters from Music City and beyond have submitted songs to the “Red Bull Jukebox” songwriting competition over the past few months. Applicants were narrowed down to the five that fans can now vote on. The winner will be announced during the event in October, and awarded an all-expenses paid trip to record at Red Bull Music Studios in Los Angeles. They will also receive one-on-one coaching sessions with a professional songwriter and BMI.