Wynonna Judd. Photo: Dylan Langille

Backline held its World Mental Health Day Benefit Show last week with the help of Eventric Master Tour. The non-profit organization was able to raise over $40,000 in support of mental health and wellness for music industry families through musical collaborators and their dedicated community. It costs an average of $35 to help one individual through Backline’s program, and every dollar raised focuses on the expansion of the company to help more people in need.

Brittney Spencer. Photo: Dylan Langille

Last week, the “Handle With Care Benefit Show” was held at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl and included performances from some of country music’s top performers. These appearances include Lindsay Lou, Rett Madison, Derek Wells, and a headlining set from Wynonna Judd. Other stars and up-and-coming artists performed as well, including Charles Kelley, Brittney Spencer, Charles Wesley Godwin, Drake Milligan, Josiah & the Bonnevilles, Madeline Edwards, Sierra Hull, Vince Herman, Ben Chapman, Meg McRee and Wyatt Flores.

The show bookended the Harmony In Practice Clinical Training Workshop. This workshop was sponsored by Warner Chappell Music and gave practitioners the ability to receive certified continuing education credits to further help their clients.

Eventric Master Tour also announced new updates for their touring software during the event, including the Mental Health Button on their mobile app. This gives users immediate access to resources such as The Crisis Text Line and The National Suicide Hotline. Master Tour will also grant access to specific mental health features including Support Groups and free Wellness Offerings for all of its members.

Photo: Dylan Langille

“Our Events in Nashville really represented who we are as an organization, as they helped us to build impact and celebrate our growing community,” shares Executive Director of Backline Hilary Gleason. “In the four years since we built Backline, we have never had a bigger week than this – where we achieved two long-standing goals: hosting the first-ever Clinical Training Workshops on working with the music industry families, and announcing our massive awareness-building partnerships with Master Tour. We are grateful for everyone who showed up to be a part of this moment, that helps us look to the future with more clarity, conviction and hope.”

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ “I Remember Everything” stays at No. 1 on the country streaming songs chart this week with 20 million new streams, adding to 177 million ATD according to Luminate data.

Elsewhere on the chart, Morgan Wallen‘s “Last Night” holds No. 2 with 14 million streams, adding to 968 million ATD, while Bryan’s “Something In The Orange” bides at No. 3 with 13 million new streams, adding to a billion ATD. Wallen’s “Thinkin’ Bout Me” moves up to No. 4 with 12 million streams, adding to 414 million ATD, and Luke Combs‘ cover of “Fast Car” shifts to No. 5 with 11 million new streams, adding to 459 million ATD.

On the country albums chart, the top five remain the same this week.

Wallen’s One Thing At A Time persists at the top with 72K in total consumption (2.1K album only/90 million song streams). Bryan’s self-titled collection claims No. 2 again with 53K (848 album only/67 million song streams), followed by Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album at No. 3 with 37K (442 album only/48 million song streams). Bryan’s American Heartbreak takes No. 4 again with 30K (1.4K album only/37 million song streams), and Taylor Swift‘s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) notches No. 5 with 28K (7.8K album only/27 million song streams).

Pictured (L-R): Amy Dietz (Exceleration), John Burk (Exceleration), Glen Barros (Exceleration), Bill Nowlin (Down The Road), John Virant (Down The Road), Ken Irwin (Down The Road), Charles Caldas (Exceleration), Marian Levy (Down The Road), Dave Hansen (Exceleration). Photo: Joshua Black Wilkins

Exceleration Music has formed a strategic partnership with the pioneering founders of Rounder Records for a new venture, Down The Road.

The partnership brings together the expertise of the original leadership team who founded Rounder Records in 1970—Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin, along with the label’s first and long-standing President/CEO John Virant—with Exceleration Music’s partners and leadership team. Irwin, Levy, Nowlin and Virant led Rounder Records together for 40 years, steering their roster to over 40 Grammy wins during that time.

Exceleration Music is a company formed by global music industry leaders Glen Barros (former CEO of Concord Music Group), John Burk (Grammy-winning producer and former president of Concord Records), Amy Dietz (former GM of Ingrooves), Charles Caldas (former CEO of Merlin) and Dave Hansen (Executive Chairman of Merlin and former GM of Epitaph), to invest in the future of independent labels and artists. Established in 2020, Exceleration offers personalized solutions to entrepreneurs seeking capital to achieve growth as well as those trying to achieve liquidity or an honorable exit.

The new venture, called Down The Road, will focus on the historic depth and breadth of Americana music, including releases from banjo master Tony Trischka (with a lead single featuring Billy Strings), 21-time IBMA-winning bluegrass group Blue Highway and Dervish, the leading contemporary performers of Irish traditional music. The label will also reissue 14 catalog titles produced by the Rounder Records co-founders in recent years.

“Ken, Marian, Bill and John epitomize what it means to be an indie,” says Exceleration’s Barros. “They have always followed their heart and instincts in recording what they know and love. This formula led to many hundreds of culturally important and often incredibly successful recordings. And while doing this, they’ve also continually supported the indie and musical communities in which they work. We are so grateful that they’re joining the Exceleration family and very much look forward to helping them build upon their incredible legacy.”

“Glen, John, Amy, Dave and Charles are building a visionary and critical organization for independent labels and their artists,” shares Rounder Records’ Virant. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to join them and the rest of the Exceleration team. We intend to continue our tradition of nurturing and supporting artists based in roots music traditions of the past into the future.”

For Exceleration Music, the announcement follows news of a substantial expansion as they acquied leading independent distribution and music services company Redeye, as well as Yep Roc and Sundazed (Redeye’s in-house labels), and Redeye’s publishing company Riff City Sounds. Redeye will distribute Down The Road, alongside their ongoing relationships with several of the world’s top independent labels including Beggars Group, Domino, New West and Saddle Creek. Company founders Glenn Dicker and Tor Hansen are both former employees of Rounder Records, working under Irwin, Levy, Nowlin and Virant before founding Redeye in 1996.

Music Health Alliance (MHA), the nonprofit that has been providing healthcare advocacy and resources to the music community nationwide over the last decade, is offering free appointments for individuals, groups and seniors across the country to ensure they get the healthcare coverage they need during this year’s open enrollment window.

This service is available to any person who has worked in the music industry for three years or more. Spouses, legal domestic partners and dependent family members may also qualify. The Marketplace enrollment period starts Nov. 1 and ends on Jan. 15, and the Medicare enrollment period takes place now until Dec. 7.

During open enrollment, MHA healthcare advocates will meet by phone or Zoom with clients, advising and enrolling members of the music industry and their families in the best healthcare and/or Medicare plans that meet their needs and budget.

To book an open enrollment appointment with an MHA healthcare advocate, please email:

Erin for Individual/Family Health Insurance (info@musichealthalliance.com)
Bonita for Group Health Insurance (bonita@musichealthalliance.com)
Suzanne (for Shelia Shipley Biddy) Medicare Annual Enrollment (65+) (suzanne@musichealthalliance.com)

Appointments fill up quickly, so clients should book their appointments as soon as possible. In order to have 2024 coverage beginning Jan. 1, the enrollment process must be completed no later than Dec. 15.