Jennifer Nettles in “I Can Do Hard Things.”
In Jennifer Nettles’ new song “I Can Do Hard Things,” she sheds light on the duality of the human experience, asserting that we are made for circumstances both easy and daunting, noting how daily circumstances are rarely solely one or the other.
“I Can Do Hard Things,” with production from Julian Raymond, highlights the ability to forge light, strength and grit through difficult situations, and provides a voice of solidarity and comfort to women around the world who are, daily, overcoming obstacles and inspiring those around them.
“I saw that we are resilient,” Nettles, the 2019 recipient of the Human Rights Campaign Ally for Equality Award, wrote in an essay on medium.com, “That change is hard, and loss is hard, and being a Mom is hard, and living one’s Truth is hard. That Truth became so loud that I had to sing it.”
Nettles knew the video for the vulnerable song had to be just as hard-hitting. The clip, directed by Katie Kauss, edited by Alex Chaloff and produced by BMLG’s Jake Basden, allows a diverse group of women to tell their stories of hardship, struggle, resilience, grit, failures and successes.
Two leaders in Nashville’s music industry are among the women featured in the video.
Ali Harnell, who has spent years in the live touring industry as part of AEG, was recently named President and Chief Strategy Officer at Live Nation, to spearhead the company’s Women Nation initiative. The video highlights her commitment to leadership in the live music industry, and to opening doors for other females who aspire to become part of the industry.
Holly Gleason, an award-winning journalist and author who has also handled PR for Kenny Chesney, shared her struggle in the aftermath of a sexual assault.
Others featured in the video for “I Can Do Hard Things” include photographer Kate Davis, who is also Chief of Staff for an actress and activist, and is in the process of adopting a baby as a single woman; transgender advocate and former business owner and stylist Jaime Combs; artist and writer Caroline Randall Williams, who uses her work to bring light to the stories of women of color; Morgan Leigh Garner, a singer/songwriter, mother and Army wife; Audrey Ynigez-Gutierrez, a graduate research assistant who is also a caregiver to her disabled mother; and Danielle Randolph, an active firefighter and member of the National Guard working to change perceptions of women in male-dominated industries.
The video, which was filmed on a set south of Nashville, features stark black-and-white footage, with intimate snippets revealing pieces of each woman’s story.
“It was not an excessive production but by using creativity, authenticity and a strong vision, they created something that a $100,000 music video couldn’t,” Gleason tells MusicRow.
The video for “I Can Do Hard Things” features the stories of struggle and triumph for several brave women.
“I have been very private about my situation for a lot of reasons. Probably three or four people know I’ve really struggled with it, and Jake is one of them. He told me that Jennifer was working on a project to help empower women to stand in their truth and to create a community of strength,” Gleason said. “The whole video happened quickly, in like 10 days.”
Gleason, who serves as Nashville Editor for Hits Daily Double, has forged ahead with new career accomplishments, including the book Woman Walk The Line: How The Women In Country Music Changed Our Lives, which earned the Belmont Book Award last year. She was also inducted into Nashville’s SOURCE Hall of Fame in 2018.
She takes to heart the struggle each woman featured in the video for “I Can Do Hard Things” has endured as they have made their accomplishments.
“Every woman in the piece…those struggles weigh on their soul. People don’t know how it feels to be this amazing science researcher on the rise, but to also have a parent with a chronic illness. Or a single woman adopting a baby.
“Everybody on the set fell into an instant friendship—‘Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do?’ It was like a fellowship. When I filmed my piece, a couple of the women came and sat off-camera, because either they had had a similar experience, or they knew someone who had been through that. So you had that kind of quiet support during the filming, and you knew you weren’t alone. People had a lot of curiosity about each other. You felt like your struggle mattered. But, it was also women eating salads and bagels and laughing. There was a lot of laughter on the set,” Gleason recalls.
The video highlights Harnell’s rise in the touring industry. At AEG, Harnell managed the Southeast region and oversaw national touring activity since 2004. She also programmed and developed AEG Presents’ C2C Festival and served as producer for the All For The Hall benefit concerts. She rose to the role of Sr. VP, AEG Touring Team for AEG Presents, where she oversaw all aspects of bookings and operations, as well as national touring activity for Sugarland, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and others. She has also served as artist co-manager for The Shadowboxers. In 2014, she was named Promoter of the Year by IEBA and made Billboard’s Top 50 Women in Music list. In 2015, she was nominated for CMA Promoter of the Year. Earlier this year, she joined Live Nation’s Women Nation in a new role as President and Chief Strategy Officer.
“Jennifer is a unicorn goddess of a woman and an immense talent,” Harnell tells MusicRow. “We did Sugarland’s first tour when they got back together. We were hanging out in her dressing room, and she played me this song. I was familiar with the book Love Warrior. I knew I had to be part of this—I had a connection to the song and of course to Jennifer.”
When she got a call from director Kauss about the video, she knew it was something she wanted to be part of. Harnell notes that women make up less than 20 percent of top leaders across all industries, and in her new role at Live Nation, she is focused on opening doors for rising female executives.
“Everyone wants to know my blueprint and I’m careful of creating a strategy around it. I acknowledge that I have worked hard and am seen as a leader but we have a long way to go. For me, I try to mentor women, because you can’t be what you don’t see.
“There are a lot of men in control in this space—radio programmers, concert promoters. There is a pipeline issue. How do you create more opportunities, and find ways for men to advance so that it makes room for women? I also think, culturally, women take the lead on family planning and homemaking but the societal norm is on women and that can hinder careers. They want to be doing well from the kitchen table to the boardroom table.”
Harnell commended all of the women who came forward to share their stories with the world through Nettles’ video for “I Can Do Hard Things.”
“That’s how we change things, by telling our stories and changing the narrative.”
Brett James To Debut New Solo Album At MusiCares Benefit Show
/by Jessica NicholsonBrett James. Photo: Courtesy Rubin Media
Brett James is well-known as the writer behind 25 No. 1 hits and has had more than 450 songs recorded in his career, but in the mid-’90s, he was an artist signed to Career Records (an imprint of Arista Records). In 2002, he released “Chasin’ Amy,” which rose to No. 34 on the country chart.
On May 2, James will perform a special show at Nashville’s City Winery to benefit MusiCares, a nonprofit charity of the Recording Academy. For the event, James will be backed by a full band for the first time in 20 years, to share a new album he wrote and produced on his own.
The three-time Songwriter of the Year honoree wrote the entire album in the month after his 50th birthday and recorded it over two days.
James’ songs have appeared on albums with a combined sales of 110 million units. Among his 25 chart-topping hits are “Jesus Take the Wheel,” (Carrie Underwood), “I Hold On,” (Dierks Bentley), “Mr. Know It All,” (Kelly Clarkson), “When the Sun Goes Down,” (Kenny Chesney) and “Somethin’ Bad,” (Miranda Lambert & Underwood). His songs have also been recorded by Bon Jovi, Nick Jonas, Backstreet Boys, James Arthur and many others. As a producer, he’s worked with the likes of Kip Moore, Jessica Simpson, Taylor Swift and Danielle Bradbery.
Tickets for the May 2, 7 p.m. show are on sale today and can be purchased at citywinery.com/
DISClaimer: An Americana Blend From Richard Dobson, Yola, The Cactus Blossoms
/by Robert K OermannThe Cactus Blossoms. Photo Nate Ryan, courtesy of Shorefire Media
Today’s Americana survey covers quite a bit of sonic ground — bluegrass, pop, soul, rockabilly and folk all turned up during the listening session.
There’s so much to like here that we’re dividing the Disc of the Day award into three departments. The Male prize goes to the late, great Richard Dobson. The Female honor goes to Yola. The Group du Jour is The Cactus Blossoms.
And please give a DisCovery Award to Kristina Murray.
WILL KIMBROUGH/I Like It Down Here
Writers: Will Kimbrough; Producer: Will Kimbrough; Publisher: Will Kimbrough, BMI; Daphne (BMI)
– If you’re not already a Will Kinbrough fan, there is something wrong with you. As a collaborator, just ask Shemekia Copeland, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Emmylou Harris, Todd Snider, Kim Richey, Mavis Staples, Billy Joe Shaver, Jimmy Buffett or Josh Rouse about his worth. In Daddy, he was aligned with the esteemed Tommy Womack. Before that, were Will & The Bushmen and The Bis-quits. Will has put his solo recording career back on the front burner with the title tune of his new collection. It’s a bluesy, white-trash anthem that’s maybe a lot true and maybe kinda ironic. Whichever the case, it’s a drawling, slow-burn, Americana delight.
THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS/Please Don’t Call Me Crazy
Writers: none listed; Producers: Page Burkum/Jack Torrey; Publisher: none listed; Walkie Talkie
– Hot stuff. Burkum and Torrey are modern-day Everlys with their sibling harmonies. The track crackles with neo-rockabilly energy. The duo hails from Minneapolis, but did much of the writing for their new Easy Way sophomore CD in Music City. This thrilling thumper of a track is being used as promo music on the TCM channel, and the Blossoms have also appeared on TV’s Twin Peaks. These guys definitely have the goods. Listen immediately.
DELLA MAE/Bourbon Hound
Writers: Celia Woodsmith; Producer: Della Mae; Publishers: Squawkbox, ASCAP; Rounder (track)
– Boston’s loss was Nashville’s gain when this hotshot female foursome relocated. This sizzling track kicks off a new EP titled The Butcher Shoppe. Whether it’s the sassy lead singing, the flawless group harmonies or the blazing fiddle, mandolin and guitar solos, this edgy bluegrass tune is gonna grab you and not let go. Esteemed guest stars Molly Tuttle and Avril Smith are along for the romp. Covers on the EP include Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons,” Lester Flatt’s “Sleep With One Eye Open” and The Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post” (!).
LUCINDA WILLIAMS & MERCURY REV/Ode To Billie Joe
Writer: Bobbie Gentry; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Partison/Bella Union
– The neo-psychedelic pop band Mercury Rev has issued a Bobbie Gentry homage CD with a several female guest vocalists, including Norah Jones, Margo Price and Hope Sandoval. The group’s re-imagining of Gentry’s The Delta Sweete 1968 LP concludes with Lucinda’s soulful, dark, echoey, deep-Dixie rendition of the singer-songwriter’s best-known song (which wasn’t on that particular album). I don’t care how many times you’ve heard the song, you’ll hang on every line of this performance.
RICHARD DOBSON/I Hear Singing
Writer: Richard Dobson; Producers: David Bollinger/Peter Uehlinger; Publisher: none listed; Brambus (track)
– This gifted singer-songwriter passed away in December 2017. He’d recorded most of his final album, and producers Bollinger and Uehlinger have now finished the tracks in his honor. Dobson was from the Texas fraternity that also included Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, Susanna Clark, Nanci Griffith and Rodney Crowell. Like the others, he migrated to Nashville, but he ended his days as an expat in Switzerland, the site of this posthumous recording. The collection’s title song is a stirring anthem that rejoices in nature, agriculture and freedom. I believe he left us in a blaze of glory, for he has never sounded better.
TOMMY EMMANUEL & JOHN KNOWLES/Cold Cold Heart
Writer: Hank Williams; Producers: Tommy Emmanuel/John Knowles; Publisher: Sony-ATV/Acuff Rose, BMI
– Nashville’s Knowles and Australia’s Emmanuel are two of the finest acoustic guitarists on the planet. Their awesome collaboration CD lifts off with this eloquent audio tapestry that plucks at the heartstrings without uttering a single word. Elsewhere on the collection, the duo interprets Don Gibson, Leonard Bernstein, Michael McDonald, Billy Joel and even The Bee Gees. The record is titled Heart Songs. It is divine.
GILLIAN WELCH & DAVID RAWLINGS/When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings
Writers: Welch/Rawlings; Producers: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Acony
– The song earned them an Oscar nomination after Tim Blake Nelson and Willie Watson sang it in the Coen Brothers flick The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. David and Gillian performed it on the Academy Awards telecast, and their version of the tune is also available online. In the movie, the song’s tone was darkly humorous, but this version’s wistful reverie is so much better. Right now, it’s only a single. These two are way, way overdue for an album release.
YOLA/Faraway Look
Writers: Yola/Dan Auerbach/Pat McLaughlin; Producers: Dan Auerbach; Publishers: Downtown/Profit Daniel/Corn Country, BMI
– Don’t let the Black Keys imprint mislead you — this is airy, classy, evocative pop. Her voice is liquid silver, and the production is shimmering gloss. Her phrasing and control are truly impressive. The Nashville-recorded CD is titled Walk Through Fire, and on it you’ll find strings, as well as twang guitar, steel as well as Mellotron. Americana programmers are directed to the r&b title tune.
KRISTINA MURRAY/Strong Blood
Writer: Kristina Murray; Producer: Michael Rinne; Publisher: Scoot’s Blues, BMI; Loud Magnolia
– I dig her. This Nashvillian draws upon classic country, folk and acoustic pop to create a drawling, magical mood here. Gorgeous, lilting instrumentation wafts around her gentle Southern drawl. The album is titled Southern Ambrosia, and it is.
TONY LUCCA/Everything’s Changing
Writer: Tony Lucca; Producer: Ken Coomer; Publisher: Off the Record, ASCAP
– This guy has turned a few corners in his career, from being on The Mickey Mouse Club (with Justin and Christina) to competing on The Voice. But he’s found his true niche as a Nashville singer-songwriter. The troubadour displays a hearty vocal ability and a hooky compositional style on this lead track from his new CD Ain’t No Storm. Fans of Jackson Browne or Tom Petty might feel at home here. I know I do.
Lon Helton Receives Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Bob Kingsley, Trisha Yearwood, Lon Helton, Sally Williams, Garth Brooks. Photo: Chris Hollo
Lon Helton, one of Nashville’s most highly regarded radio industry executives, was honored for his impact on country music with the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award last night (April 10) at the Grand Ole Opry House. The award was created in 2014 to recognize the most deserving individuals in the music business. The evening benefitted the Opry Trust Fund, which for more than 50 years has supported members of the country music community in need.
Among the artists who performed during the evening were Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Eli Young Band, Vince Gill, Randy Owen, Carly Pearce, Steve Wariner, Mark Wills, Trisha Yearwood and Chris Young. Randy Travis also made a special appearance. Many of Helton’s industry colleagues and friends were also a part of the honor including the award’s namesake Bob Kingsley as well as George Achaves (Westwood One), Chuck Aly (Country Aircheck), Charlie Cook (Cumulus), Sarah Trahern (CMA), Teri Watson (St. Jude) and Sally Williams (Grand Ole Opry).
Jennifer Nettles Highlights Stories of Struggle, Triumph In “I Can Do Hard Things” Video
/by Jessica NicholsonJennifer Nettles in “I Can Do Hard Things.”
In Jennifer Nettles’ new song “I Can Do Hard Things,” she sheds light on the duality of the human experience, asserting that we are made for circumstances both easy and daunting, noting how daily circumstances are rarely solely one or the other.
“I Can Do Hard Things,” with production from Julian Raymond, highlights the ability to forge light, strength and grit through difficult situations, and provides a voice of solidarity and comfort to women around the world who are, daily, overcoming obstacles and inspiring those around them.
“I saw that we are resilient,” Nettles, the 2019 recipient of the Human Rights Campaign Ally for Equality Award, wrote in an essay on medium.com, “That change is hard, and loss is hard, and being a Mom is hard, and living one’s Truth is hard. That Truth became so loud that I had to sing it.”
Nettles knew the video for the vulnerable song had to be just as hard-hitting. The clip, directed by Katie Kauss, edited by Alex Chaloff and produced by BMLG’s Jake Basden, allows a diverse group of women to tell their stories of hardship, struggle, resilience, grit, failures and successes.
Two leaders in Nashville’s music industry are among the women featured in the video.
Ali Harnell, who has spent years in the live touring industry as part of AEG, was recently named President and Chief Strategy Officer at Live Nation, to spearhead the company’s Women Nation initiative. The video highlights her commitment to leadership in the live music industry, and to opening doors for other females who aspire to become part of the industry.
Holly Gleason, an award-winning journalist and author who has also handled PR for Kenny Chesney, shared her struggle in the aftermath of a sexual assault.
Others featured in the video for “I Can Do Hard Things” include photographer Kate Davis, who is also Chief of Staff for an actress and activist, and is in the process of adopting a baby as a single woman; transgender advocate and former business owner and stylist Jaime Combs; artist and writer Caroline Randall Williams, who uses her work to bring light to the stories of women of color; Morgan Leigh Garner, a singer/songwriter, mother and Army wife; Audrey Ynigez-Gutierrez, a graduate research assistant who is also a caregiver to her disabled mother; and Danielle Randolph, an active firefighter and member of the National Guard working to change perceptions of women in male-dominated industries.
The video, which was filmed on a set south of Nashville, features stark black-and-white footage, with intimate snippets revealing pieces of each woman’s story.
“It was not an excessive production but by using creativity, authenticity and a strong vision, they created something that a $100,000 music video couldn’t,” Gleason tells MusicRow.
The video for “I Can Do Hard Things” features the stories of struggle and triumph for several brave women.
“I have been very private about my situation for a lot of reasons. Probably three or four people know I’ve really struggled with it, and Jake is one of them. He told me that Jennifer was working on a project to help empower women to stand in their truth and to create a community of strength,” Gleason said. “The whole video happened quickly, in like 10 days.”
Gleason, who serves as Nashville Editor for Hits Daily Double, has forged ahead with new career accomplishments, including the book Woman Walk The Line: How The Women In Country Music Changed Our Lives, which earned the Belmont Book Award last year. She was also inducted into Nashville’s SOURCE Hall of Fame in 2018.
She takes to heart the struggle each woman featured in the video for “I Can Do Hard Things” has endured as they have made their accomplishments.
“Every woman in the piece…those struggles weigh on their soul. People don’t know how it feels to be this amazing science researcher on the rise, but to also have a parent with a chronic illness. Or a single woman adopting a baby.
“Everybody on the set fell into an instant friendship—‘Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do?’ It was like a fellowship. When I filmed my piece, a couple of the women came and sat off-camera, because either they had had a similar experience, or they knew someone who had been through that. So you had that kind of quiet support during the filming, and you knew you weren’t alone. People had a lot of curiosity about each other. You felt like your struggle mattered. But, it was also women eating salads and bagels and laughing. There was a lot of laughter on the set,” Gleason recalls.
The video highlights Harnell’s rise in the touring industry. At AEG, Harnell managed the Southeast region and oversaw national touring activity since 2004. She also programmed and developed AEG Presents’ C2C Festival and served as producer for the All For The Hall benefit concerts. She rose to the role of Sr. VP, AEG Touring Team for AEG Presents, where she oversaw all aspects of bookings and operations, as well as national touring activity for Sugarland, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and others. She has also served as artist co-manager for The Shadowboxers. In 2014, she was named Promoter of the Year by IEBA and made Billboard’s Top 50 Women in Music list. In 2015, she was nominated for CMA Promoter of the Year. Earlier this year, she joined Live Nation’s Women Nation in a new role as President and Chief Strategy Officer.
“Jennifer is a unicorn goddess of a woman and an immense talent,” Harnell tells MusicRow. “We did Sugarland’s first tour when they got back together. We were hanging out in her dressing room, and she played me this song. I was familiar with the book Love Warrior. I knew I had to be part of this—I had a connection to the song and of course to Jennifer.”
When she got a call from director Kauss about the video, she knew it was something she wanted to be part of. Harnell notes that women make up less than 20 percent of top leaders across all industries, and in her new role at Live Nation, she is focused on opening doors for rising female executives.
“Everyone wants to know my blueprint and I’m careful of creating a strategy around it. I acknowledge that I have worked hard and am seen as a leader but we have a long way to go. For me, I try to mentor women, because you can’t be what you don’t see.
“There are a lot of men in control in this space—radio programmers, concert promoters. There is a pipeline issue. How do you create more opportunities, and find ways for men to advance so that it makes room for women? I also think, culturally, women take the lead on family planning and homemaking but the societal norm is on women and that can hinder careers. They want to be doing well from the kitchen table to the boardroom table.”
Harnell commended all of the women who came forward to share their stories with the world through Nettles’ video for “I Can Do Hard Things.”
“That’s how we change things, by telling our stories and changing the narrative.”
Summerfest 2019 Taps Thomas Rhett, Jason Aldean, Zac Brown Band, Willie Nelson & Family
/by LB CantrellSummerfest has revealed their 2019 headliner lineup for the The American Family Insurance Amphitheater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, including: Thomas Rhett with Dustin Lynch and Russell Dickerson on June 26; The Outlaw Music Festival featuring Willie Nelson & Family, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Avett Brothers, Counting Crows, Alison Krauss, Dawes, and Trapper Schoepp on June 27; Jason Aldean with Kane Brown and Carly Pearce on June 28; Bon Iver with Lord Huron and Julien Baker on June 29; Zac Brown Band with Drake White on June 30; Lionel Richie with Michael McDonald on July 2; Jennifer Lopez on July 3; The Killers with Death Cab for Cutie on July 5; Billie Eilish on July 6 and Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and ScHoolboy Q on July 7.
Summerfest has also announced the 2019 headliner lineup for their ground stages, including artists Chris Janson, Brothers Osborne, Brandi Carlile, Cole Swindell, LANCO, Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Jimmie Allen, Lindsay Ell, Judah & The Lion, Lauren Alaina, Riley Green, Chase Rice, Tenille Arts, Chris Lane, Dylan Scott, Brandy Clark, HARDY and more.
“For 11 days on 12 stages, Summerfest delivers on its reputation as ‘The World’s Largest Music Festival,’ offering a diverse lineup of artists to our fans on Milwaukee’s lakefront,” said Don Smiley, President and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. “The completion of the first phase of the new American Family Insurance Amphitheater will make its debut this year during Summerfest, and, immediately after the festival, work will begin on the second phase of the construction project. The grand opening of the amphitheater will take place in June 2020, at which time $148 million will have been invested in Henry Maier Festival Park in the last 15 years. We are committed to remaining a top destination for music fans worldwide, as well as a driver of $186 million of economic impact for the region,” he added.
Construction during the first phase of the American Family Insurance Amphitheater features improvements to the infrastructure and back-of-house areas, including the raising of a portion of the current roof from 36’ to 65’ feet, which was completed in early February, to accommodate the largest touring productions, in addition to the following: a removable stage and flat floor seating in front of the stage, 19 state-of-the-art dressing rooms, new production spaces, dining/catering facilities, nine loading docks, and six new high-definition LED walls throughout the venue.
For a limited time, the U.S. Cellular 11-Day Power Pass is available for $110 ($10/day) includes admission for all 11 days. The U.S. Cellular 3-Day Pass is available for $57 and is valid for one general admission per day on three different days of the festival. General admission tickets to Summerfest are only $23 and $15 for weekday tickets (valid prior to 4 p.m.).
Dates, times and stage locations as well as additional headliners will be announced in the coming weeks. To purchase tickets, see the full Summerfest lineup and festival information, visit summerfest.com.
Summerfest 2019 Lineup:
June 26
Thomas Rhett
Dustin Lynch
Russell Dickerson
Walk The Moon
Foreigner?
Weathers
Voila
Chelsea Cutler
Quinn XCII
Hanson
Steve Aoki
Matt Hoyles
Judah & The Lion
Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio
Otis Taylor and the Psychedelic Banjo Posse
June 27
The Outlaw Music Festival featuring Willie Nelson & Family
Phil Lesh & Friends
The Avett Brothers
Counting Crows
Alison Krauss
Dawes
Trapper Schoepp
Lizzo
R&B Cadets
Dillon Carmichael
Neon Trees
Aaron Lee Tasjan
10,000 Maniacs
Foghat
Andrew W.K.
Gryffin
Elle King
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
X
Donna Missal
Steve Earle & The Dukes
Lanco
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
June 28
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Carly Pearce
Brandi Carlile
Collective Soul
Styx
T-Pain
The Beths
Flora Cash
Shaed
Sweet Crude
Cory Wong
Lovelytheband
The Lonely Island
Ggoolldd
June 29
Bon Iver
Lord Huron
Julien Baker
Third Eye Blind
Chicago
Jimmy Eat World
Silent Planet
Silverstein
Jordan Davis
Ludacris
August Burns Red
Mitchell Tenpenny
June 30
Zac Brown Band
Drake White
Lake Street Dive
Los Lonely Boys
Brothers Osborne
3 Doors Down
Reverend Horton Heat
Jimmie Allen
Ozomatli
Riley Green
Catfish & The Bottlemen
ADIA Victoria
Guided By Voices
The National
July 2
Lionel Richie
Michael McDonald
Young the Giant
Trap Manny
First Aid Kit
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
Big Gigantic
Chaka Khan
Black Pumas
Coin
Chvrches
Frenship
The Allman Betts Band
July 3
Jennifer Lopez
Nora Collins
Brandy Clark
The Roots
Two Friends
Lindsay Ell
Switchfoot
Matoma
Soja
Loverboy
Hawthorne Heights
Carousel Kings
The Association
Royal Tusk
Taking Back Sunday
Trea Landon
Lauren Alaina
Yungblud
July 4
X Ambassadors
HARDY
Courtney Barnett
Christopher Randolph & the Family Band
Chase Rice
Tenille Arts
Chris Janson
Sublime with Rome
Vic Mensa
Common Kings
July 5
The Killers
Death Cab for Cutie
Cole Swindell
Daya
Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Leonid & Friends
Max
Jesus Jones
Trea Landon
38 Special
The Spinners
Dashboard Confessional
Big Head Todd and the Monsters
Anna-Marie
The Head and the Heart
Oxymorrons
Matisyahu
July 6
Billie Eilish
Dark Star Orchestra
Chris Lane
The Suffers
DJ Keezy
DJ Abilities
Evidence
Dumpstaphunk
Dem Atlas
Semisonic
Nikki Jean
Sa-Roc
Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound
Skillet
Brother Ali
Atmosphere
July 7
Lil Wayne
Snoop Dogg
ScHoolboy Q
Jason Mraz
Juice
Sego
La Sonora Poncena
Dispatch
Dylan Scott
Dispatch
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Country Singer-Songwriter Earl Thomas Conley Dies
/by LB CantrellEarl Thomas Conley
Acclaimed country singer-songwriter Earl Thomas Conley passed away today (April 10). He was 77.
Conley had 18 No. 1 hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including “Holding Her and Loving You,” “Nobody Falls Like a Fool,” “What I’d Say” and “Once in a Blue Moon.” Conley set a record with his 1984 album, Don’t Make It Easy for Me, when he became the first artist in any genre to have four number one singles from the same album.
Born October 17, 1941, in Portsmouth, Ohio, Conley joined a Christian trio while in the Army. Once he was discharged, he worked a number of blue-collar jobs and played in Nashville clubs at night. Conley then moved to Huntsville, Alabama to work in a steel mill, where he met Nelson Larkin who got him a deal at the independent label GRT in 1974. Conley later signed to Warner Bros. in 1977 where he landed his first Top 40 single, “Dreamin’s All I Do.” He left the label in 1979, and went to Sunbird Records to work with Larkin again. Conley quickly scored a Top 10 hit with “Silent Treatment” and then his first of 18 No. 1 songs, “Fire and Smoke,” in 1981. RCA signed Conley shortly after.
At RCA, Conley had plenty of singles shoot up the charts including hits “Tell Me Why” and “Heavenly Bodies.”
By the end of the 1980s, Conley found a collaborator in bluegrass extraordinaire Earl Scruggs’ son, Randy Scruggs. He also worked closely with Keith Whitley, releasing a duet with him called “Brotherly Love,” which earned the two a CMA nomination after Whitley had passed.
Collaborator and friend, Blake Shelton, shared the news via Twitter. His caption reads: “My heart is absolutely destroyed today… I’m sad to report that Earl Thomas Conley passed away very early this morning. Earl was my all time favorite singer, hero and my friend. Prayers to his family. We will all miss you deeply my brother. Now go rest..”
Funeral announcements have not been released at press time.
Blake Shelton and Earl Thomas Conley. Photo: Twitter/@Blake Shelton
Joe Kelly Announces Relaunch Of CDX Records, CDX Label Services Divisions
/by Lorie HollabaughJoe Kelly, president of CDX, has announced the relaunch of CDX Records, in addition to offering label services to new artists and heritage artists releasing new music along with their catalogs. CDX Records originally launched in 1992, in the peak of the country club/nightclub era with the release of “Cotton Eyed Joe” which became an instant hit among dancehalls across the world.
CDX Label Services will offer artists the opportunity to build the right team within their budget to maximize their promotional efforts. Everything from physical product manufacturing to digital/physical distribution, product one sheets, radio promotion teams and marketing will be offered by the new division of the company.
“I have a whole new vision of where we are going to take CDX within the music industry. Everyone automatically puts us in the category of servicing music to radio which we will continue to do, but we are much more than that,” says Kelly. “For years, CDX has helped point artists in the right direction of lawyers, producers, publicists, and promoters without ever showing favoritism to any company. Now, we are just going to be offering that service up as a standalone business.”
CDX Records and CDX Label Services will not be hiring an in-house promotion or publicity staff. The company will continue recommending independent companies to fill those positions to individually to fit the needs of each specific artist.
Kelly began his label career in 1999 with Intersound Country and Platinum Entertainment working as a Regional Director of Promotion. In 2001, he joined Blue Diamond Records as Label Vice President overseeing all marketing, sales, and publicity. In 2004, Kelly was named VP of Label Operations of Aspirion Records, home of Collin Raye, Joe Nichols, T. Graham Brown, John Corbett and others, where he remained until 2011 when he returned to CDX.
Brett Young, Chris Janson, Lindsay Ell Among Newly-Added CMA Fest Performers
/by Jessica NicholsonBrett Young, Lindsay Ell, Chris Janson
Brett Young and Chris Janson are among the performers recently added as part of CMA Fest’s nightly concerts, taking place at Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville this summer. Young will take the stadium stage Saturday night (June 8), while Chris Janson will perform Sunday night (June 9).
Nissan Stadium openers include Marty Stuart on Thursday, Jo Dee Messina on Friday, Billy Ray Cyrus on Saturday and David Lee Murphy on Sunday. Two different student groups from Nashville School of the Arts, a beneficiary of the CMA Foundation, will perform the National Anthem during CMA Fest – the first kicking off the Chevy Riverfront Stage Thursday morning, followed by a second group performing Thursday evening at Nissan Stadium.
Additional artists performing the National Anthem at the stadium include Lindsay Ell on Friday, Runaway June on Saturday, and Jimmie Allen on Sunday. More festival news and lineup additions will be announced in the coming weeks.
Previously announced artists performing during the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.
2018’s CMA Fest drew capacity crowds and the largest engagement of fans in the event’s history, with visitors from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 international countries flocking to downtown Nashville. Additional stage lineups, Xfinity Fan Fair X activities and more will be announced in the coming weeks.
[UPDATED] SoundExchange Sues Music Choice For Underpayment
/by Eric T. Parker[Updated, 4:25 p.m.]
Sam Harper, VP of Communications, offered the following statement on behalf of SoundExchange to MusicRow:
“The only stunt is claiming that we hold $1.2B of unpaid royalties. This is flat wrong. We pay out 90% of royalties within 45 days of receipt and 95%+ of royalties within three years. After 3 years, the balance is refunded to all artists and rights owners we pay in the form of an admin rate refund. And at 4.7%, our administrative rate is the lowest of any comparable organization.”
[Previous story, 10:49 a.m.]
SoundExchange filed a lawsuit on April 10 against Music Choice to recover underpaid royalties between Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2016, but its believed to extend beyond that period.
“Music Choice’s actions reflect a persistent effort to avoid paying royalties for its use of protected sound recordings,” said SoundExchange SVP/General Counsel Colin Rushing. “Its creative accounting has cheated creators out of the royalties they are due and is inconsistent with the Copyright Royalty Board’s regulations.
“We hope this action will compel Music Choice to pay the royalties that are due to music creators and to change its practices moving forward.”
The action comes after an audit of Music Choice’s royalty statements from their range of music channel subscription services with businesses and individual subscribers. Music Choice is one of many digital music service providers relying on a statutory license to obtain the rights to use sound recordings in its BES (business establishment service). The statutory royalty rate and payment terms for a BES are set forth in CRB regulations at 37 C.F.R. Part 384. Currently, the basic royalty rate for a BES is “12.5 percent of [the] Licensee’s ‘Gross Proceeds’ derived from the use in such service of musical programs that are attributable to copyrighted recordings.”
As a result of the audit, SoundExchange discovered that Music Choice systematically underreported its “Gross Proceeds,” leading to underpayment to SoundExchange for statutory royalties related to the BES.
In response, Music Choice offered the following statement to MusicRow:
“Music Choice has always paid all royalties it is required and, in fact, paid artist royalties even before it was required by law. This suit is a stunt by SoundExchange to distract people from the appropriate concerns copyright holders have that SoundExchange is holding $1.2 Billion of paid royalties without distributing them to the appropriate copyright holders.”
Brian Bunn Signs With Curb/Word Music Publishing
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Jonathan Mason (VP Word Worship Music), Nathan Drake (Dickinson-Wright), Colt Murski (Senior Creative), Brian Bunn, Nina Jenkins (Creative Manager), Janine Appleton Ebach (VP Curb|Word Music Publishing), MaryAnn Keen (BMI, Writer Publisher Relations), Austen Adams (Dickinson-Wright), Ryan Dokke (SVP/GM Curb|Word Entertainment)
Brian Bunn has signed a publishing deal with Curb/Word Music Publishing.
Bunn is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with years of live performance experience to his credit. Before stepping off the road to pursue songwriting full time, Brian was a lead guitarist for artists including Thomas Rhett, Third Day, DecembeRadio, and David Crowder. In 2016, he toured with Thomas Rhett as direct support for Jason Aldean.
Bunn’s songs have been recorded by Lee Brice, Dylan Scott, Kellie Pickler, Parmalee and others and have earned air time on channels like CBS, The Outdoor Channel, and The Discovery Channel.