DISClaimer Single Reviews: Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Brandy Clark

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Disc of the Day winner Eric Church Photo: Reid Long

I must be living right.

How else can you explain new music in the same listening session from three of my very favorite artists—Miranda Lambert, Eric Church and Brandy Clark? They are among the reasons I still listen to country music, no matter how bad most of the rest of it is. Any one of them could be the Disc of the Day. I’m giving the nod to my main man, Eric Church.

There are bright rays of hope in this edition of DISClaimer. I refer to the dandy disc debuts by Ian Munsick, Hannah Dasher and Callista Clark. Hannah Dasher wins this week’s DISCovery Award. I look forward to hearing much, much more from her.

HEATH SANDERS / “Old School’s In”
Writers: Casey Beathard/Heath Sanders/Houston Phillips; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: The Valory Music Co.
— He’s bellowing about how things haven’t changed where he lives, as though someone was arguing with him about it. It’s meant to be some kind of redneck anthem, but it sounds like we’ve heard all this before from other flag wavers. A worn retread.

ELLE KING & MIRANDA LAMBERT / “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
Writers: Elle King/Martin Johnson; Producer: Martin Johnson; Label: RCA Records Nashville/Vanner Records
— Feisty, rocking and oh-so-adorable. I never would have imagined these two together, but the result is ridiculously catchy.

NOAH SCHNACKY / “She Broke My Heart”
Writers: Noah Schnacky/Lindsay Rimes/Laura Veltz; Producer: Lindsay Rimes; Label: Big Machine
— The production is too busy, but his charm is undeniable on this jaunty ditty. Despite what the title might lead you to believe, it is an upbeat bopper about how getting dumped led to True Romance. Or at least to meeting a hottie at the House of Blues.

BRAD PAISLEY / “Off Road”
Writers: Brad Paisley/Ross Copperman/Lee Thomas Miller; Producers: Ross Copperman/Luke Wooten; Label: Arista Nashville
— If you want to go with her, get ready for a wild ride with an empowered woman. She might have some “dust on her halo,” but you can’t keep her down. She’s heading for parts unknown with her moxie and grit intact.

HANNAH DASHER / “Left Right”
Writers: Brandon Hood/Hannah Dasher/Wynn Varble; Producer: Brandon Hood; Label: RCA Nashville
— I like her a lot. She’s got lots of country-female attitude, a witty way with words and twang to spare. While the rhythm thumps merrily, she advises him to make up his mind and “put a ring on her left right now.” Sign me up for the fan club.

BRETT YOUNG / “You Got Away With It”
Writers: Brett Young/Justin Ebach/Ashley Gorley/Jon Nite/Jimmy Robbins; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: BMLG Records
— She stole his heart and got away with the crime. I like it that this track has some stomp to it, which is a new texture for this guy. The harmonica work is cool, too.

CALLISTA CLARK / “It’s ‘Cause I Am”
Writers: Callista Clark/Cameron Jaymes/Laura Veltz; Producer: Nathan Chapman; Label: Big Machine Records
— She’s way too complicated for you. Get used to it. It ain’t real “country,” but the tune has its spicy, saucy moments.

TRAVIS TRITT / “Smoke in a Bar”
Writers: Jeremy Bussey/Derek George/Tim Montana; Producer: Dave Cobb; Label: Big Noise Label Group
— Nostalgia for simpler times. I’m a huge fan of Tritt, and he’s been away for far too long. But, sorry, I don’t miss smoking in a bar at all. Seat belts save lives. The six o’clock news does tell the truth, and implying that it doesn’t is twisted. Find a better song.

IAN MUNSICK / “Long Haul”
Writers: Ian Munsick/Dave Villa/Jamie Kenney; Producers: Jamie Kenney/Dave Villa/Ian Munsick; Label: Warner Music Nashville
— He has a heart-tugging tenor voice and a marvelous sense of melody. The sonic atmosphere is beautifully airy and open. A simply stunning disc debut. Munsick’s first album, Coyote Cry, dropped last week, and the whole thing is heartily recommended.

ERIC CHURCH / “Never Break Heart”
Writers: Eric Church/Luke Dick; Producer: Jay Joyce; Label: EMI Music Nashville
— I love everything about this. The production is a wonderland of rhythmic punch, twinkling mandolin, echoey harmony singing, sighing organ, stately piano and crunch guitars. The song is superbly well written. The message is inspirational. Three albums at once? Really? Believe it, when a man this gifted is doing it. The Church Choir rises with one mighty voice. Sing along.

BRANDY CLARK / “The Past Is the Past” feat. Lindsey Buckingham
Writers: Brandy Clark/Barry Dean/Luke Laird; Producer: Lindsey Buckingham; Label: Warner Records
— On her album, this is a gentle ode of farewell. This new version, produced by Lindsey Buckingham, rocks out with splendor and verve. However you slice it, this is a very cool song, and Clark is as good as it gets.

MARK COLLIE / “Born Ready”
Writers: Mark Collie/Kenny Greenberg/Gary Nicholson; Producers: Kenny Greenberg/Chad Cromwell; Label: BFD/Audium/Orchard
— That Waylon/outlaw beat gets me every time. And it fits this renegade/rebel song perfectly. Welcome back, buddy. We’ve missed ya.

This week’s DISCovery Winner Hannah Dasher. Photo: Andrew Morton

Miranda Lambert To Become First Female Country Artist With A Bar On Broadway

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Miranda Lambert. Photo: Ellen Von Unwerth

Miranda Lambert will be the first female country artist with a branded bar on Broadway in Nashville.

The restaurant will be called Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa and, according to a report by the Nashville Business Journal, will be located at 308 Broadway.

TC Restaurant Group—the restaurant and hospitality company behind Jason Aldean’s Kitchen & Rooftop Bar, FGL House, Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge, and more—has teamed with Lambert on the establishment. The most nominated female artist in ACM history will join Aldean, Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton and more male country artists with bars and restaurants on lower Broadway.

TC Restaurant Group provided the following statement to MusicRow: “In true Miranda Lambert fashion, the two-time Grammy Award winning artist will make history in 2021 by partnering with TC Restaurant Group to become the first female country star to have a bar and restaurant on Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee. TC Restaurant Group and Miranda Lambert are excited to release more details in the coming week.”

Nashville-Based Creatives Launch Rove Productions, Ink With UTA

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Nashville-based creative duo Gabriel Vasquez and Roman White have signed with UTA. On the heels of the signing, the duo has also launched their new banner, Rove Productions.

An accomplished director, White has worked with some of the biggest names in entertainment including Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton, Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Colbie Caillat, Josh Groban, Reba, and Shakira. Also an animator and FX artist, White has earned numerous Emmy Awards, plus multiple Director of the Year nods, and he’s been recognized by MTV, ACM, CMA and CMT for his work. His video for Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” is the only country video to ever win an MTV VMA, and his video for Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” was named by CMT as the top video of the decade. In 2016, White wrote and directed his first film, Summer Forever (Relativity and Disney) and has been directing commercials and films ever since.

Founder and President of Vazquez Entertainment, Vasquez has spent the last 20 years developing and managing the careers of award-winning, accomplished artists and speakers. Through his company, he has produced over 4,000 events. Over his career, Vasquez has held multiple roles at major labels and management companies including 3rd Wave Records, EMI/Sparrow Records, Myrrh Records, Creative Trust, Creative Trust Workshop, and Word Entertainment/Warner Brothers. He has worked on the creation and launch of many artist projects, including Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys, and Jaci Velasquez, among many others. In 2016, he executive produced his first film, Wildflower, under the Vasquez Productions banner.

Rove Productions’ debut film, A Week Away, will be released globally on Netflix March 26. Vasquez is the co-creator and producer of the faith-based musical, while White co-produces and directs. Filmed in Nashville, A Week Away is the fish-out-of-water story of a troubled teen who ultimately finds love and belonging at the place he least expects, a Christian summer camp.

“We are thrilled to be able to join forces and combine our 20+ years of experiences and talents under one umbrella,” says Vasquez. “A Week Away is just the beginning of the type of films we see the Rove umbrella creating, combining our love of music and story in compelling new ways.”

Says White, “We bring years of both creating and curating artists, music, music videos, games, SFX, and live events to the table. Film is now the next natural progression for both of us. We are excited to be based in Nashville and thrilled to be represented by Heartland and the extraordinary UTA team. We have multiple new projects in several stages of development and pre-preproduction and look forward to this next season for Rove.”

Special Edition Of CMA Songwriters Series Coming To BBC Radio 2

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Pictured (L-R) Brett Young, Cam, Ashley McBryde and Shy Carter record a special CMA Songwriters Series performance for BBC Radio 2 at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. Photo: Donn Jones/CMA

The Country Music Association will present an exclusive CMA Songwriters Series performance recorded for The Country Show with Bob Harris on BBC Radio 2, broadcasting in the U.K. on Thursday, March 11.

The one-hour radio show will feature acoustic performances by Cam, Shy Carter, Ashley McBryde and Brett Young who will take turns telling the stories behind their songs. The performance was recorded socially-distanced at Nashville’s Blackbird Studio and will be available on the BBC Sounds App for 30 days following the event.

Ashley McBryde. Photo: Courtesy CMA

Since 2013, CMA has hosted a CMA Songwriters Series show at the Country to Country (C2C) festival. Following the festival’s postponement this year due to the pandemic, CMA wanted to present a special country music performance for its international audiences.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with BBC to present this CMA Songwriters Series show,” says Milly Olykan, CMA Vice President, International Relations & Development. “BBC Radio 2’s power to drive the discovery of artists has been particularly impactful to Country artists since the pandemic, and their support of the Country to Country festival over the years has made it possible for audiences across the U.K. to appreciate how broad the contemporary music of Nashville really is. Now with BBC’s support, we are excited to bring this special experience to a much wider audience.”

Shannon Leigh Keenan Rejoins Triple 7 PR, To Head Nashville Office

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Shannon Leigh (Turbeville) Keenan. Photo: Courtesy Triple 7 Public Relations

Shannon Leigh (Turbeville) Keenan is rejoining Triple 7 Public Relations as Vice President and will spearhead the company’s Nashville office, effective immediately.

The PR veteran previously worked with Triple 7 PR from 2010-2016, first in the Nashville office and then in L.A. She will report to company CEO Carrie Simons and work with team members in New York, L.A. and Nashville on campaigns for clients including Jillian Michaels, Franklin Covey, Dr. Gail Saltz, Dr. William Li, and Yoga Medicine founder Tiffany Cruikshank, as well as ITV Studios America and its joint ventures, Weigel Broadcasting networks, Monami Productions, Dorsey Pictures, among others. Tripe 7 also counts the CMA, Craig Wiseman’s annual Stars for Second Harvest event, Nashville Film Festival, and Chicken Soup for the Soul books as clients.

Keenan first joined Triple 7 as an intern in 2010 and, in six+ years, expanded her role to senior account executive and relocated to the firm’s L.A. office, where she led campaigns for clients that included New Year’s Rockin’ Eve for ABC and Home & Family for Hallmark Channel, as well as Bulletproof Coffee and Go Raw, downsizing expert Matt Paxton, and more. Most recently, she served as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Turbeville Insurance Agency, where she oversaw all marketing and community outreach efforts for the company’s five locations in South Carolina. Keenan is also non-profit advocate who has served on the Board of Directors for The South Carolina Wildlife Federation and Friends of Sesquicentennial State Park and volunteers with numerous child advocacy organizations. She received her bachelor’s degree from Belmont University.

“We are ecstatic that ‘SL’ is rejoining on our team at Triple 7 PR. She brings tremendous value to our roster of clients with her longstanding media relationships, her persistence to deliver results and her support of other team members, internally and externally on projects,” says Simons. “Since leaving Triple 7 PR, she has gained even greater experience that we look forward to her bringing to our clients and internally to our team.”

The Steel Woods To Release Final Album With Late Founder Rowdy Cope

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Pictured: Rowdy (far right) with The Steel Woods. Photo: Courtesy All Eyes Media

The Steel Woods are planning the May 14 release of their album, All Of Your Stones, the band’s final project with co-founder Jason “Rowdy” Cope who passed away unexpectedly in his sleep earlier this year.

Coming out via Woods Music/Thirty Tigers, the band’s third release is expected to be their strongest and most substantive work to date. The autobiographical title track “All Of Your Stones,” was written by Cope with lead singer Wes Bayliss and Jamey Johnson, and addresses harnessing negativity and turning it into something positive.

All Of Your Stones veers from fiery opening track “Out Of The Blue” about perseverance, to the bluesy “You Never Came Home.” Included is a soulful rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “I Need You” featuring Ashley Monroe, and the sentimental “Ole Pal,” about missing a friend, which takes on a new meaning in the days since Cope’s passing.

The surviving members of The Steel Woods include Bayliss, bassist Johnny Stanton and drummer Isaac Senty.

Cope died on Jan. 16 and the cause has yet to be determined. The 42-year-old guitarist/ songwriter/ producer was loved by many. He played with Johnson for nine years, as well as on albums by The Secret Sisters, Lindi Ortega, The Oak Ridge Boys and more.

Richie McDonald Exits Lonestar, Joins Frontmen Of Country Full-Time

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Pictured (L-R): Richie McDonald, Tim Rushlow, Larry Stewart. Photo Credit: Trae Edwards for 5 West Media Group

Richie McDonald, lead singer of multi-Platinum group Lonestar, has exited the band to tour full-time with The Frontmen of Country. The group also includes former lead singer of Little Texas, Tim Rushlow, and lead singer of Restless Heart, Larry Stewart. The trio has also signed an exclusive deal with The Kinkead Entertainment Agency.

“I’ve been with Lonestar for almost 30 years and have enjoyed my time with the guys,” says McDonald. “With everything that has happened in the past year, it has made me think about other things I want to do in life. This opportunity with The Frontmen came up and I’ve decided to go a new direction. I’ve always enjoyed performing with Tim and Larry and I can’t wait to see how this new chapter unfolds. I want to thank my bandmates Dean, Keech and Michael for a great run. I wish them nothing but the best.”

“The three of us have proudly performed for our country on battleships USS Bush and USS Truman, in the Middle East and even the Presidential Inauguration,” says Stewart. “Touring the United States for country music fans coast-to-coast, backed by a world class band, performing hit after hit, will be exciting and something we have never done together. I’m looking forward to hitting the stage with these two great singers!”

“We are ecstatic to have this amazing opportunity to bring this show on the road and celebrate the music of three of the biggest bands from the ’90s in one night,” says Rushlow. “I don’t know that I have ever seen three lead vocalists on a tour like this. There’s a common thread that runs through our collective catalog of hits and it will be awesome to sing them all in one concert event!”

The trio will kick off a new tour on April 16 at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Grant, Oklahoma. “I’m so excited to be involved with The Frontmen of Country, featuring Richie McDonald, Larry Stewart and Tim Rushlow,” says The Kinkead Entertainment Agency CEO Bob Kinkead. “I’ve seen these gentlemen perform and they still have incredible vocals and live performance energy. They have been working together as a team of singers for over a decade and now are finally going to work full-time throughout the summer, fall and winter to bring their 30 Number One collective hits to the fans.”

Pictured (L-R): Richie McDonald, Larry Stewart, Julie Devereaux (Kinkead Entertainment), Bob Kinkead (Kinkead Entertainment), Tim Rushlow, Greg Scott (Kinkead Entertainment). Photo: Kinkead Entertainment Agency

On The Row: Ian Munsick Brings The West To The Rest

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Ian Munsick

Warner Music Nashville’s Ian Munsick is on a mission to bring back western influenced country music. With his recently released debut album, Coyote Cry, the Wyoming native describes the project as “a firm handshake of the cowboy and the hippy, the traditional and the contemporary.”

Munsick grew up on a ranch, playing country and western music with his family band, The Munsick Boys.

“Modern western culture is one that is extremely underrepresented in today’s country music. Most people think that cowboys only existed in that age of the 1800s, but cowboys are still out there,” Munsick told MusicRow in a recent virtual visit. “They’re still out there doing work and being model Americans. They’re honest, hard-working people that you want as your neighbor and as your friends.”

He counts a wide array of musical artists as influences. “Being in the generation that I was born in, we’ve had access to Spotify, MTV, Apple and just everything. But growing up in Wyoming, we never had artists come through our state. The only ones were Chris LeDoux and more of that cowboy western [music]. I just remember as a young kid—probably eight years old was when it started—I was glued to MTV and to music videos, taking in all this music from System Of A Down to Eminem, to just everything that I could get my hands on.”

The 27-year-old’s access to music discovery via multiple platforms and his varietal taste in music inspired him to start producing his own music.

“That opened up the whole new world of hip-hop, pop, and rock music,” Munsick said. “Then trying to incorporate that into a country feel that I feel most connected to has been what I’ve been trying to do for the last few years. I think that this album is a strong interpretation of how modern the west is.”

He came to Warner Music Nashville with Coyote Cry fully formed, and made his WMN introduction with the dreamy, strikingly visual “Long Haul.” The tune will be his first single to country radio.

YouTube video

The 10-song project also includes a stomping romp about confidence called “Humble,” a Fleetwood Mac cover of “Dreams,” and a slow burner, “Come Home To You,” among other unique songs.

Munsick is signed under a co-management deal with The Erv Woolsey Company and his wife’s Caroline Rudolph Munsick / Not A Public Figure Management. After moving to Nashville in 2012 to attend Belmont, the singer-songwriter met Caroline, who was looking to start her own management company. They released an EP in 2017 and worked hard to establish a fully-formed brand with cohesive imagery.

“[The EP] started to grow some legs and we started to figure out our brand and how to capitalize on it. We decided that it was time to make a new album and went into the studio at the beginning of 2018,” Munsick said. “Once we had the project all done, Caroline and I were like, ‘Hey, this album deserves as much help as we can get.’ So Caroline and I reached out to Allen [Mitchell] and Erv [Woolsey].”

A few months later the team partnered with Warner Music Nashville.

“I’m definitely glad that we waited to form the right team around us because, as you guys know, the artist is only as good as the team around us. Our team is awesome and I’m very grateful to be with them.”

Pictured (L-R, top row): The Erv Woolsey Company’s Allen Mitchell, Warner Music Nashville’s Victoria Chaitoff, MusicRow‘s Haley Crow; (L-R, middle row): MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson, Not A Public Figure Management’s Caroline Rudolph Munsick, Ian Munsick; (bottom row): MusicRow‘s LB Cantrell

DelFest Postponed Until September

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DelFest has been pushed back from its May date to September 23-26, due to the pandemic.

Current ticket holders can use their tickets for the September date, or can also use them in 2022. Details on tickets and refund requests will be announced at a later date.

Rob and Ronnie McCoury issued a statement on behalf of the festival and the McCoury family, reporting most of the acts have been able to accommodate the new dates and will be part of the September event, and they will be posting an updated lineup with ticket sale information in the near future. See the full statement below:

Kings Of Leon, Yellowheart Team To Present The ‘NFT YOURSELF’ Collection

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The Kings of Leon are releasing a digital art collection drop, NFT YOURSELF, this Friday, March 5, that includes real-world vinyl and one-of-a-kind experiences. The Legacy NFT (non-fungible token) drop coincides with the release of the band’s 8th studio album, When You See Yourself, also out worldwide this Friday.

The collection was made in collaboration with longtime creative partner Night After Night, and is being made available by YellowHeart, a socially responsible ticketing platform and a pioneer of the emerging NFT marketplace empowering artists to sell collectibles directly to their fans. For this collection, the power of the band’s music and their new album visuals are harnessed to deconstruct, degenerate, and distort iconic band symbols and photography and the result is a striking re-imagination of the band’s body of work. Using no outside material, every source photograph was taken by either Night After Night Creative Director Casey McGrath or band member Matthew Followill.

The NFT YOURSELF open edition will run for two weeks starting March 5 at 12:00 p.m. ET. This Legacy NFT collection includes up to 25 unique pieces starting with a $50 exclusive NFT collectible and limited-edition Golden Eye Vinyl. All proceeds will benefit Live Nation’s Crew Nation Fund.

In addition, collectors will have the chance to bid on one of six golden ticket experiences, offering fans four front row seats to the show of their choosing, anywhere in the world, for life.

“Here at YellowHeart, our mission is to create a symbiotic relationship between artists and fans by empowering artists to sell music and tickets directly to their fans,” says CEO and Founder of YellowHeart, Josh Katz. “Through our NFT and smart contract technology, we are changing the way fans interact with artists. We’re thrilled to be working with Kings of Leon as we pioneer a transparent, fan-friendly experience that ultimately gives control back to the artists and fans.”