Coffey Anderson Releases ‘Come On With It,’ His First New Project In Three Years

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Texas native Coffey Anderson‘s 8-track EP, Come On With It, is available everywhere now through Riser House Records.

The project marks his first full project in more than three years, and includes a collab with Dillon Carmichael, and songs written by some of country music’s biggest hitmakers, including Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, David Garcia, and Jon Pardi.

The title track and focus tune of the EP, penned by Pardi, Brice Long, and Bart Butler, is a summer singalong that sets the tone for the entire project.

“‘Come On With It’ is me 100%. I want a singalong,” says Anderson. “I tell anyone, ‘If you want to hear a Coffey song, think of the male Shania’—we’re talking about big fiddles, big guitars, loud drums—stadium country. We need to celebrate together, and ‘Come On With It’ is the perfect opportunity to do so.”

The project builds on Anderson’s neo-traditional style, which has defined his career for over 20 years. Coupled with his infectious positivity, that sound led to Anderson’s starring role in the Netflix reality series about his life, Country Ever After.

Come On With It Track List:
1. Come On With It – Jon Pardi, Brice Long, Bart Butler
2. Good To You – Seth Ennis, Will Weatherly, John Pierce
3. Blessed – Sean Squires, Stephen Hunley, Bobby McLamb
4. America Is My Hometown – Coffey Anderson, Phil O’Donnell, Monty Criswall
5. Drive On Back – Tyler Hubbard, Hillary Lindsey, David Garcia
6. She Ain’t No Chevy – Rob Crosby, Dave Fenley, Jason Nix
7. Ain’t As Lonely (Feat. Dillon Carmichael) – Dillon Carmichael, Jim Beavers, Matt Rogers
8. Friday Night – Coffey Anderson, Jordan Omley, Michael Mani

Sheryl Crow, Joe Ely To Be Inducted Into Austin City Limits Hall Of Fame

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Sheryl Crow & Joe Ely

Sheryl Crow and Joe Ely are set to be inducted into the newest class of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. The 2022 ACL Hall of Fame inductees will be saluted at a star-studded ceremony to be held Oct. 27 at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin.

Crow has made two classic hour-long appearances on ACL in her three-decade career, starting with her debut on season 22 in 1997 and returning in 2004. She also co-hosted ACL’s 40th anniversary special in 2014.

An icon of Texas music, Ely has made 11 appearances on ACL, including as a headliner five times beginning with his 1980 ACL debut in season 5; also joining Los Super 7 in 1999, Texas supergroup the Flatlanders in 2002, and a Songwriters Special with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and Guy Clark in 2008.

“I have always loved Austin City Limits. Some of my favorite performances have been on that show,” Crow recalls. “I am so humbled to be honored by such an iconic and prestigious program. It is a dream come true for me to be inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame.”

“I first played Austin City Limits back in 1980,” adds Ely. “It was more a local show then, but it kept getting a wider and wider audience. It’s since become one of the most important live performance shows on television simply because they’ve always maintained the highest quality production and brought in great talent. I’m really honored to be part of that history, and I’m humbled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”

Established in 2014, the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame celebrates the legacy of legendary artists and key individuals who have played a vital part in the pioneering music series nearing a half-century as a music institution.

Additional  information about guest performers, presenters and guest stars for the induction ceremony will be announced in the coming months. Musical highlights and inductions from the ceremony will air on PBS later this year.

The event will be open to the public and tickets will be on sale June 24 at acltv.com/hall-of-fame.

About the 2022 Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Honorees:
Sheryl Crow:
Songwriter, activist, mother, and 9x Grammy winner Sheryl Crow remains a creative spirit channeling her talents into music that lifts people up, brings them together, and speaks to the truths on the horizon. Twenty-five years after winning her first Grammy, as well as Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “All I Wanna Do,” the Kennett, Missouri-born guitarist/vocalist/creative released her album Threads via The Valory Music Co., a collection of collaborations made with and in tribute to artists with whom Crow has musical connections.

Joe Ely:
From the moment he made his debut in the 1970s, Joe Ely has blended rock sensibilities with hardcore honky tonk and become one of the most recognizable and respected artists to hail from the Lonestar state. His legend was forged onstage with riveting live performances, hammered out over thousands of shows and countless touring miles from Lubbock to London and back again. He is embraced as a kindred spirit by artists like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and The Clash. Over his career, he’s been at the forefront of outlaw country, alt-country, Texas country and Americana, and has been recognized as one of the best songwriters of his generation. Ely is a member of the prestigious Texas Institute of Letters as the first musician ever honored by the group as the result of his second book, Reverb: An Odyssey. The Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame recently announced Ely has been inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside legends like Roy Orbison and J.D. Souther.

MusicRow’s Artist Roster Issue Looks At Nashville’s Growing Sports Scene, Investment In Rock Music

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Nashville’s leading music industry publication MusicRow Magazine has released its 2022 Artist Roster Issue, with BBR’s Lainey Wilson gracing its cover.

Inside the issue, MusicRow takes a look at the intersection of sports and music in Nashville with help from Nashville Superspeedway’s President Erik Moses, Bridgestone Arena’s Executive VP of Entertainment and Venues David Kells, Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre, and Tennessee Titans VP/Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer Gil Beverly. With the opening of Music City’s new soccer stadium GEODIS Park, the return of motorsports, and discussions of a new and improved Nissan Stadium, the city is gearing up to become one of the top sports cities in the country.

“[Nashville] is exploding. It’s quickly becoming—one could say it already is—a tier one sports town,” Moses shares with MusicRow‘s sister publication The Sports Credential.

The Artist Roster issue also highlights Nashville’s recent investments into rock music, as labels such as Big Machine and Big Loud create rock imprints and begin signing artists to their rosters. Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta and Big Loud’s Greg Thompson and Lloyd Norman lend their expertise on this phenomenon.

Girlilla Marketing’s CEO Jennie Smythe and Chief Marketing Officer Ashley Alexander share their updated social media best practices as the social media landscape continues to shift. The two speak on everything from TikTok dances to getting canceled online in an enlightening Q&A.

WHY&HOW’s CEO and Founder, Bruce Kalmick, looks back on his career as well as looks forward to the future of his newest management endeavor, which already boasts a roster of successful artists such as Breland, Whiskey Myers, Brian Kelley, Chase Rice, Seaforth, and more.

“Family was priority one for me with WHY&HOW. WHY&HOW is my kids—Wyatt and Hazel—so it’s a dual meaning,” Kalmick explains. “It’s family, faith and philanthropy, and then everything else that we’re lucky enough to be a part of in this business.”

Finally, this issue also gives a preview of MusicRow‘s newest weekly column “My Music Row Story,” which features notable members of the Nashville music industry. From esteemed managers, leaders in music publishing, label executives and everything in between, those featured in “My Music Row Story” keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.

Additionally, Artist Roster contains five company directories complete with client rosters: Label, Management, Talent Agents, Publicity, and Artist Services (Business Management/Financial/Insurance, Digital Music, Legal, Marketing, Radio Promotion, and Organizations). This edition also offers a summarizing Artist Grid, which has become an indispensable tool connecting artists to their team members in each category.

Single copies of MusicRow’s 2022 Artist Roster print issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $45, and are included with yearly MusicRow subscriptions.

Grand Ole Opry Plans Celebration For Barbara Mandrell’s 50th Opry Anniversary

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Barbara Mandrell will celebrate her 50th anniversary as a member of the Opry family with two special shows on Saturday, July 30. The three-time ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on July 29, 1972.

Opry member Carrie Underwood, who considers Mandrell one of her musical and professional inspirations, is slated to perform and help honor the legend, who will be in attendance at both shows. Tickets are available now.

One hour of the night’s first show will air live as Opry Live on Circle Network, and will livestream via Circle’s social channels. Both shows will air in their entirety on WSM Radio, opry.com, and SiriusXM’s Willie’s Roadhouse.

In honor of Mandrell’s golden Opry anniversary, a special commissioned Hatch show print will be available in the Opry shop and online. The exclusive merch line that Mandrell and the Opry launched last year in celebration of the 40th anniversary of her signature hit, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” will again be available exclusively online and in the Opry gift shop. The collection includes branded t-shirts, a Hatch poster, a coffee mug, and more.

Mandrell released “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” in April 1981 as the lead single from her album Barbara Mandrell Live. The song hit the No. 1 spot on July 4, 1981 and helped propel her Live album to be certified Gold, as well as cement her win for the 1981 CMA Entertainer of the Year.

John Denver’s ‘Rocky Mountain High’ Celebrates 50 Years With Special Reissue

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John Denver. Photo: Courtesy of John Denver’s Estate

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, John Denver‘s beloved Rocky Mountain High, as well as the single, will be reissued on limited edition blue vinyl by Windstar Records and Secretly Distribution on Sept. 16.

Originally released on Sept. 15, 1972, Rocky Mountain High was Denver’s first top 10 album and the title track was officially recognized as the second state song of Colorado in 2007. Written while Denver was camping in the Rocky Mountains during the Perseid Meteor Shower, the song expressed his love and wonder for his adopted state.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis also recently confirmed that the Mountain Lion Trail in Golden Gate Canyon State Park will be renamed the Rocky Mountain High Trail.

“Here in Colorado, we’ve always known that our majestic mountains, our bright blue skies, our starlit nights and our forest and streams were the stuff of legends—but John Denver made them the stuff of song lyrics, too,” Polis explains. “And not just any lyrics, but world-famous lyrics that span genres and generations.”

In the early 1970’s Denver was one of the first artists to share an environmental message through his music, contributing to a number of charitable and environmental causes. He received numerous civic and humanitarian awards over the years, including the Presidential World Without Hunger award for his work with The Hunger Project and UNICEF, the National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award, and the NASA Medal for Public Service.

Denver’s estate will be commemorating the anniversary throughout the year, including a special performance with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 8 featuring audio and video of Denver and backed by members of his former band. Additional initiatives will be announced soon.

Rocky Mountain High Track List:
Side One
1. Rocky Mountain High
2. Mother Nature’s Son
3. Paradise
4. For Baby (For Bobbie)
5. Darcy Farrow
6. Prisoners
Side Two
1. Goodbye Again
2. Season Suite: Summer
3. Season Suite: Fall
4. Season Suite: Winter
5. Season Suite: Late Winter, Early Spring (When Everybody Goes to Mexico)
6. Season Suite: Spring

Mia McNeal Joins CMA As Senior Director, Industry Relations & Inclusion

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Mia McNeal. Photo: Danielle Shields Photography

Mia McNeal has joined the CMA as Senior Director, Industry Relations & Inclusion.

In the newly-created strategic role, McNeal will serve CMA’s commitment to nurturing an inclusive and equitable culture. Through community building, strategic planning and internal assessment, she will help shepherd the organization and the country industry towards greater connection.

As a key member of CMA’s Industry Relations team, McNeal will be responsible for guiding the organization’s DEI strategies and initiatives for CMA staff, members and industry partners, as well as liaising and optimizing with the industry.

Prior to joining CMA, McNeal owned and operated the Ceteris Consulting Group, where she developed diversity, equity and inclusion practices and policies for companies. With a track record for creating belonging concepts, McNeal brings more than 20 years of experience in leading inclusion-related initiatives and programs.

“Mia joined CMA the week before CMA Fest and has already hit the ground running,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Vice President, Industry Relations & Philanthropy. “We are thrilled to welcome a truly innovative individual to CMA, who not only shares our commitment to building an inclusive future for our industry where everyone feels welcome, but someone who brings an authentic passion for bettering our business.”

She continues, “We recognize that by building a more diverse industry, we have the opportunity to produce better ideas, expand growth and success, and create greater connection with all communities country music serves. We look forward to sharing more progress soon as Mia further adds to our work already underway.”

McNeal will report directly to Kerns and can be reached at mmcneal@cmaworld.com.

Chrissy Metz Plots Seven-Stop ‘Live at City Winery Tour’

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EMI Nashville recording artist Chrissy Metz is set to launch her “Chrissy Metz Live at City Winery” tour, a seven-city trek kicking off Aug. 9 in Washington, DC.

At each stop, Metz’s will deliver performances of songs such as the emotional “Actress” to her empowering “Girl Go,” as well as plenty of accompanying stories. The award-winning actress will visit Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta and more, and will wrap the tour in Nashville on Sept. 1. Tickets go on sale this Friday, (June 17) at noon local time.

Known for her role as Kate Pearson on NBC’s This Is Us, when Metz isn’t on a TV or film set she spends much of her time in Nashville writing and recording new music.

“Chrissy Metz Live At City Winery” Tour Dates:
August 9 – Washington, D.C.
August 11 – Philadelphia, Pa.
August 13 – New York, N.Y.
August 14 – Boston, Mass.
August 30 – Chicago, Ill.
August 31 – Atlanta, Ga.
September 1 – Nashville, Tenn.

Gilles Godard Named President Of Anthem Nashville, Tim Wipperman To Exit

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Gilles Godard has been promoted to President of Anthem Nashville Music Publishing. Godard, who previously held the global Senior Vice President of Publishing position, replaces Tim Wipperman, who will be leaving the company at the end of the month.

After joining Anthem in 2006, Godard has been an instrumental force in helping build the company’s publishing catalog. He helped Anthem acquire a Jody Williams catalog containing several Taylor Swift and Liz Rose copyrights that were included in her re-release of Fearless, and he oversaw Anthem’s acquisition of country hits from songwriter Kelly Archer, who he initially signed in 2008. Under Godard’s leadership, singer, guitarist and Anthem Records artist, José Feliciano, released the collaboration “Eagle When She Flies” with Dolly Parton in September of 2021.

“I am thrilled to announce Gilles as President of Anthem Music Publishing Nashville,” says Anthem Entertainment CEO Helen Murphy. “Gilles is a true creative at heart and he has spent the last several years working with me, the global business team, our talent, and society partners making him a great fit for the new role. I believe we have one of the best creative teams in all of country music and I am excited to see Gilles take Anthem Nashville Music Publishing to new heights. We all wish Tim well on his next adventure.”

Godard shares, “I am honored to be appointed President of Anthem Nashville Music Publishing and I look forward to working with our CEO Helen Murphy and our amazing team and roster of world class writers. I believe that our job as publishers is to provide the best opportunities for our writers and to ensure that the hits they write are heard around the world. As I like to say, the future always exceeds the past, and here’s to a great future!”

Details regarding Wipperman’s next move will be announced in the coming weeks.

Jagwar Twin Signs With Big Loud Rock

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Jagwar Twin. Photo: Dillon Jordan

Jagwar Twin, the musical alter ego of songwriter and storyteller Roy English, has signed with Big Loud Rock, the new alternative/rock imprint of Big Loud Records.

Twin’s current single, “Happy Face,” has earned over 62 million streams and was released independently in partnership with digital design and experience studio, CTHDRL.

Jagwar Twin was created out of English’s journey to self-awakening. The pandemic gave him space for self-exploration, and what bloomed from that period birthed Jagwar Twin’s sound, sentiment, and mission statement: to find spirit in our shared humanity with the fragile state of the world emotionally, physically, environmentally, and politically.

“Jagwar Twin has incredible energy and creativity that makes them infectious,” says Big Loud Rock President, Greg Thompson. “They live on the cutting edge when it comes to the way they interact with their fans and Big Loud rock is thrilled to be on this journey with them.”

“From my childhood to being an adult, there has been this recurring theme of feeling misunderstood,” English shares. “People would make fun of my voice, which to be fair was really bad at the time. I never fit in with ‘the boys’… or the girls, really, and my music never fit into an industry box. But even when my situation seemed impossible, something inside compelled me to keep going.”

He continues, “I believe we’re coming into an era where new ideas, feelings, and authenticity will be valued again. An unknown, undiscovered artist with no backing, money, or traditional promo can ‘make it’ if they create something compelling.”

Jagwar Twin will tour throughout 2022, starting with a headline show on June 24 at the Troubadour in LA.

Ingrid Andress’ Sophomore Effort, ‘Good Person,’ Set For Release This August

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Ingrid Andress. Photo: Olivia Bee

Ingrid Andress‘ sophomore album, Good Person, will be released on Aug. 26 via Warner Music Nashville / Atlantic Records. As a preview of the music to come, she has released a special track from the project, “Pain,” which is available now alongside a music video directed by Olivia Bee.

On the new track, Andress speaks to a past version of herself, reminding her that pain is a necessary part of growing. The accompanying music video follows Andress through a period of self-reflection, where she eventually discovers a budding flower, showing that with pain comes new beginnings.

YouTube video

Throughout the record’s 12 tracks, the 3x Grammy nominee returns to her signature brand of reflection and confession, with co-writing and co-producing credits throughout. Good Person will also feature the recently released song “Seeing Someone Else” and titular track “Good Person.”

“Making this album was one of the most painful processes I’ve ever been through, but it was also the brightest and the best,” Andress admits. “The first album was me trying to discover who I was as an artist, but the last two years forced me to really sink into what my reality was and what I was feeling. It led me to what this album is, which is me realizing I wasn’t happy and that I needed to fix it.”

She continues, “This album not only helped me grow as a person, but also as a producer. I realized how scared a lot of people are to push boundaries and how I am not, that’s my bread and butter,” she says. “Isn’t that the goal, to discover new things? What are we doing here if we’re not trying to make new art?”

This album follows Andress’ record-breaking debut, Lady Like, named one of Billboard’s Top 10 Best Country Albums of 2020. The LP earned Andress three Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Best Country Album, and Best Country Song for the multi-Platinum No. 1 single “More Hearts Than Mine.”

She is currently in the top 25 at country radio with “Wishful Drinking” featuring Sam Hunt. The fan-favorite track has garnered over 130 million global streams, debuting at No. 8 on Spotify’s all-genre Top 10 USA Song Debuts Chart and remaining within the top 20 on their Hot Country chart since its release.

With nearly a billion global streams, Andress will join Keith Urban for his 52-date North American “The Speed of Now World Tour,” which kicks off this Friday (June 17) in Tampa, Florida.

Good Person Track List:
1. Good Person (Ingrid Andress, Steph Jones, Sam Ellis)*
2. Yearbook (Ingrid Andress, Pete Good, Shane McAnally, Derrick Southerland)*
3. Seeing Someone Else (Ingrid Andress, Derrick Southerland, Jesse Frasure)*
4. Talk (Ingrid Andress, Alex Stacey, Tommy Gee, David Fremberg, Mich Hansen)*
5. How Honest Do You Want Me to Be? (Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland)*
6. No Choice (Ingrid Andress, AJ Pruis, Liz Rose)**
7. Pain (Ingrid Andress, Laura Veltz, Sam Ellis)*
8. Feel Like This (Ingrid Andress, Julia Michaels, Sam Ellis)*
9. Blue (Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland, Shane McAnally)*
10. Falling For You (Ingrid Andress, Derrick Southerland, Sam Ellis)*
11. All the Love (Ingrid Andress, Derrick Southerland, Sam Ellis)*
12. Things That Haven’t Happened Yet (Ingrid Andress, Derrick Southerland, Sam Ellis)
*Produced by: Ingrid Andress & Sam Ellis
**Produced by: Ingrid Andress & AJ Pruis