Jon Pardi‘s new single “Last Night Lonely” receives most added credit across the Billboard, Mediabase, and MusicRow CountryBreakout charts earning 56, 68, and 19 adds, respectfully.

The single was penned by Joe Fox, Jimi Bell and Dylan Marlowe. This is the the first look at Pardi’s highly anticipated upcoming studio release.

Pardi announced today (Feb. 25) he will embark on the “Ain’t Always The Cowboy Tour” in July. Lainey Wilson and Hailey Whitters will join him as support.

For more chart data, view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.

Ernest is dropping his full-length debut, Flower Shops (The Album), on March 11 via Big Loud Records.

The 11-track album was entirely co-written by Ernest with collaborators including Ashley Gorley, The Warren Brothers, Rodney Clawson, Mark Holman, and Ryan Vojtesak, as well as labelmates Ben Burgess and Lily Rose.

Listeners got a first taste of the new album on New Year’s Eve when title track “Flower Shops” feat. Morgan Wallen skyrocketed to No. 1 at iTunes, Apple Music Country, and Spotify Country. The album preview continues with three new songs being released today: “Some Other Bar,” “Feet Wanna Run,” and “What It’s Come To,” available everywhere now.

“It’s a very good feeling to have this body of work ready to share with the world,” Ernest says. “This album came together organically over the course of a year or so. It feels like there’s a shift happening in country music and the people want to hear more honesty in songs, and with honesty comes pain—sometimes we need to feel that too. I hope this project provides a little sepia tone world for the listener to escape to and go on a journey of their own…feeling everything from love to lost. This is Flower Shops.”

Ernest will perform his new set to a hometown crowd at back-to-back sold-out shows at Nashville’s Exit/In on March 21-22.

Flower Shops (The Album) Track List:
1. Sucker For Small Towns (Ernest Keith Smith, Jacob Durrett, Ashley Gorley)
2. Tennessee Queen (Ernest Keith Smith, Dan Isbell, Jordan Schmidt)
3. Classic (Ernest Keith Smith, Jacob Durrett)
4. Feet Wanna Run (Ernest Keith Smith, Chris LaCorte, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
5. Comfortable When I’m Crazy (Ernest Keith Smith, Rodney Clawson)
6. Flower Shops (feat. Morgan Wallen) (Ernest Keith Smith, Ben Burgess, Mark Holman)
7. Did It With You (Ernest Keith Smith, Rodney Clawson, Nathan Spicer)
8. What It’s Come To (Ernest Keith Smith, Lily Rose, Ryan Vojtesak)
9. If You Were Whiskey (Ernest Keith Smith, Michael Carter, Ben Hayslip)
10. Some Other Bar (Ernest Keith Smith, Ashley Gorley, Ryan Vojtesak)
11. Flower Shops (feat. Morgan Wallen) [Acoustic] (Ernest Keith Smith, Ben Burgess, Mark Holman)

Country artists Dustin Lynch and Jessie James Decker have joined the lineup for the pregame entertainment ahead of Saturday’s 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series between the Nashville Predators and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nissan Stadium on Feb. 26.

Decker will perform the national anthem in front of the sold out crowd joined by Nashville Sign Language Club performer Heather Olmstead. Lynch will open the game with a performance of his new hit single, “Party Mode.”

They join fellow country artists Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley who will be performing during the first intermission of the game.

Lynch, accompanied by the Vanderbilt Spirit dance team, will open the festivities with a performance during the on-field arrivals of the Predators and Lightning. Lynch has built a success career with eight No. 1s, four Top 5 albums, nine Gold and Platinum certified singles, and over 3.3 billion global on-demand streams. Launching the “Party Mode Tour” this spring, his fifth studio album, Blue In The Sky, is out now.

Signed to Warner Music Nashville, Decker has shown off her talent as a singer, songwriter, TV personality, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and two-time New York Times best-selling author. Her 2017 album, Southern Girl City Lights, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

Walker Hayes will also join the lineup with an exclusive TikTok livestreamed performance inside the NHL PreGame fan festival. He will perform on the TikTok Tailgate Stage at The PreGame, the official fan festival of the NHL Stadium Series in Nissan Stadium’s Parking Lot R. The concert will be exclusively livestreamed on the NHL’s TikTok account at 4:30pm CT.

The “Stadium Biscuits” house band, led by bandleader John Bohlinger, will share center stage throughout the game with a lineup of Nashville-based musical artists, including Frankie Ballard, Chayce Beckham, Bexar, Jackson Dean, Lindsay Ell, Morgan Evans, Josh Hedley, Tiera Kennedy and Ajay Popoff.

The game, pregame celebrations, and first intermission concert will be broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. CT on TNT.

Michael Ray’s “Whiskey and Rain” Goes Gold

Warner Music Nashville’s Michael Ray joined the WEA radio team and other members of the label family to celebrate some extra excitement this CRS week.

Ray’s fourth chart-topping hit single, “Whiskey and Rain,” has officially been certified RIAA Gold. The single, written by Josh Thompson and Jesse Frasure, has surpassed 120 million on-demand streams in the U.S. alone.

The next single from his Higher Education EP, “Holy Water,” is due to impact radio on March 7.

 

Amanda Cooksey Rises To A&R Manager At Demolition Music

Demolition Music’s A&R Coordinator and Head of PR, Amanda Cooksey, has been promoted to A&R Manager.

Cooksey started working for the company in fall of 2018, managing the catalog while moving her way into creative over the past few years. She will be working closely with the writers, booking sessions, and pitching songs, as well as overseeing PR for the company. Cooksey graduated with a Business Administration degree in 2016 and a songwriting degree in 2018 from Belmont University, and recently received her Master’s in PR from the University of Florida.

“Amanda started with Demolition nearly four years ago as an intern and has impressed us from day one. With a great ear for songs and a natural talent for song plugging, I believe she’s going to knock it out of the park in her new role as our A&R Manager,” says President of Demolition, Jon D’Agostino.

“I feel so lucky to have watched Demolition grow over the past few years and look forward to what 2022 has in store for us. Not only is Demolition ambitious and driven in everything they do, but Jon has also worked hard to make the company feel like a family. I believe that this is going to be our best and biggest year yet,” Cooksey adds.

Demolition opened its doors in 2014 and boasts a roster of D’Agostino, Steve Dorff, Josh Ronen, Haven, Michael August, Evan Coffman, and Landon Wall.

 

AIMP Names Ashley Morey As Young Professional Committee Chair

The Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York Young Professional Committees of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) have selected Ashley Morey, Director, Client Services at HFA/Rumblefish, as Chair of their national Young Professional Committee (YPC).

Morey, who has extensive experience supporting publishers and songwriters from her 8+ years at HFA, will coordinate the YPC’s national meetings, handle communication on behalf of the committee, and mobilize its members. She began her career in the music industry as an assistant roadie before earning her BBA in Music Business from Belmont University and interning in the Licensing and Membership departments at ASCAP Nashville. She later joined HFA as an Inquiry Agent in 2013 and worked her way through the ranks, taking on the Director, Client Services role in September 2021.

“Our Young Professional Committees are a vital part of the AIMP providing education, collaboration, and idea-sharing opportunities to those shaping the future of our industry,” says John Ozier, AIMP National Chair and President of the Nashville Chapter. “With Ashley’s strong background in music publishing and her expertise in the digital space, I have no doubt she will lead the YPC to accomplish great things this year.”

“As both a musician and a publishing professional, helping to educate publishers and songwriters and ensuring they are properly compensated is my mission and my greatest reward,” adds Morey. “Through leading the Young Professional Committee, I look forward to working alongside the AIMP and my peers to provide crucial programming and strengthen our industry for the generations to come.”

The national YPC was launched in the fall of 2021. The committees’ primary purpose is to educate, inform, and share insight on the inner workings of independent music publishing, while also encouraging and involving members in the young professional music community.

 

Vere Music Adds Paige Heinemann As Project Coordinator

Vere Music, a Nashville-based global distribution company, has expanded its team with the addition of Paige Heinemann as Project Coordinator.

In this role, Heinemann will work alongside Vere’s CEO Rusty Harmon and A&R Executive Alyssa Logan, coordinating directly with Vere artists and labels, arranging release information, and coordinating projects under label services

Heinemann is a Nebraska native who moved to Nashville after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 2021. Heinemann has held a variety of internships at Big Loud, Jacht Agency and Bryan Health. Majoring in advertising, public relations and communication, she has also been involved with Nashville’s Young Entertainment Professionals chapter.

“We are thrilled to welcome Paige onto the Vere team,” says Logan. “Her background in media and marketing has quickly become a great asset for our clients.”

Created in 2020, Vere specializes in releasing music while allowing artists to retain 100% ownership of their masters. Since its opening, Vere has accumulated over 15 artists across many genres and has released 70+ projects, accounting for more than 700 million streams. Their roster includes artists such as David Nail, Trace, Andrew Duhon, Joey Lawrence, Dan Rodriguez, Cody Webb, Alissa Moreno, and others. Vere also partners with labels such as Clearwater Records, Gray Vonne Records, and TAOL Recordings.