California native and Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records recording artist Devin Dawson is a songwriter at heart, infusing songs on his upcoming debut album with passionate vocals and carefully considered words.
“That’s my way of coping and communicating,” says Dawson. “It’s just something I’ve done since I was 12 years old. I feel sometimes I hide behind a song a lot with things I need to say and things I need to get out. Sometimes I’m not the best at communicating, but let me write a song…”
Dawson began pouring his soul into music when he was a teenager, listening to ’90s country music and soul songs, while playing bass in a rock band, with his brother on drums. He spent his post-high school years touring with a metal band, before following his musical ambitions to Nashville’s Belmont University in 2012.
In 2014, Dawson and fellow Belmont student Louisa Wendorff lit up the Nashville music industry’s radar after they released a video for their mash-up of two Taylor Swift tracks, “Style” and “Blank Space.” Within a day of its release, Swift had seen the video and praised it to her followers with one word: “Obsessed.”
“It really helped both of us further our paths. It helped put me in the way of publishers and [I had to ask myself who I wanted to become]. The whole idea was for me to develop and put an EP out, get some buzz and maybe get some leverage before I went to labels. Right before I signed a publishing deal.”
Devin Dawson
Dawson’s post-Swift career boost led to meeting and inking a publishing deal with Nashville super producer Jay Joyce’s Neon Cross, as well as with Warner/Chappell Music. Last year, Dawson signed a recording contract with Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records. Joyce signed on to produce the project.
While writing for the album, Dawson continued touring, using his hours of stage time as a testing ground for new material.
“That’s one thing people overlook a lot is playing shows is such a huge part of development. If you are writing every day, you are not out there playing for people and finding out how they react…I feel like it’s important to find the ones that are right for your record.”
During his visit to MusicRow, Dawson performed acoustic takes of four songs that made the cut, including the introspective “Secondhand Hurt,” and his debut single “All On Me.”
“All On Me,” which Dawson co-wrote with his brother Jacob Durrett and guitar player Austin Smith, finds Dawson in the role of a comforter and reassuring soul, ready to offer a safe place amid life’s stresses. Once in the studio, Dawson and his band recorded the track in one take.
“I wrote a lot of love songs for the album. I like writing love songs, which is funny because I usually write love songs about where I want to be, not where I’m at,” Dawson says candidly. “I slipped it on the record and it’s one of my favorites.”
Devin Dawson with MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson.
Last month, Dawson shot the stark black-and-white video clip for “All On Me,” evoking elements of old Hollywood film noir. The video was filmed at the Tennessee State Penitentiary, which featured prominently in the 1999 movie The Green Mile, and has become a sought-after spot for music video producers, including those behind Eric Church’s “Homeboy” and “Lightning” clips.
“The whole idea was to take this upbeat, positive love song and insert this aesthetic, this darker vibe that I love, which is really in contrast to this song,” Dawson says of “All On Me.”
Joyce and Dawson agreed to cut the album with the same live band that Dawson had been playing with since his college days at Belmont University. The group spent more than two months in the studio, sometimes for 12 hours per day.
On “Dip,” written with Barry Dean and Luke Laird, Dawson and company recorded the track twice, once with a full electric setup and again with an acoustic vibe. Joyce then set about splicing the two versions together into its own quirky mashup.
“The whole song is about leaving a party and going out the back door, so it cuts to a bluegrass version. It’s the coolest cut. I still hear something new every time I listen to it,” Dawson says.
Devin Dawson with MusicRow staffers. Pictured (L-R): Eric T. Parker, Haley Crow, Sherod Robertson, Alex Kobrick, and Jessica Nicholson.
The moody and confident stunner “Dark Horse” was written after the album was technically completed, but its strength demanded inclusion.
“I didn’t feel like the album was done until that song was done,” Dawson recalls. “It didn’t feel like it was a whole body of work.”
Dawson hopes his meticulous selection of each track on the album reveals part of who he is a musician. “I like to think I’m an album artist. I want to tell a whole story. I can’t just put an EP out and tack some singles on,” he says. “That’s how Jay works, too. He’s not going to do a single, he’s going to do the whole thing.”
Dawson recently opened for Maren Morris’ Hero Tour, and will open shows for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, at the end of July.
Chase Rice Sets Sept. 29 Release Date For Broken Bow Records Album ‘Lambs & Lions’
/by Jessica NicholsonChase Rice will release his first album at his new label home Broken Bow Records, titled Lambs & Lions, on Sept 29.
The album features production work from Jacquire King, Ross Copperman, Mac McAnally, and Chris DeStefano, who contributed production to Rice’s previous album Ignite The Night.
The 10-song project includes the single “Three Chords & The Truth,” which Rice co-wrote with Jon Nite and Copperman. The track stemmed from Rice’s disappointment following a second failed radio single, after having previously enjoyed two Top 5 singles.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever know the full reason why I had to struggle through two failed singles in a row after such an amazing start, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. God had my back the whole time, whether I knew it or not. Out of those failed singles I got ‘Three Chords & The Truth.’ I was fed up with trying; whether that was trying to be something I’m not, trying to make music that people said I should make or trying to make music I felt people wanted to hear. Instead I decided I’m going to make music that I needed to hear. When you go through tough times the truth always has a way of finding its way to you. This song was my truth. It’s the soul of my childhood, the songs that went along with it and the memories associated with those songs. It’s my heart waiting to be heard, and the songs that shaped it, especially in the third chorus,” divulges Rice.
Lambs & Lions Track Listing:
“Lions” (Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley, Chase Rice)
“On Tonight” (Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill, Jon Nite)
“Unforgettable” (Chase Rice, Josh Miller, Steven Lee Olson, David Garcia)
“Eyes On You” (Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley, Chase Rice)
“Saved Me” (MCV, Josh Hoge, Chase Rice)
“One Love, One Kiss, One Drink, One Song” (Jesse Rice, Chase Rice)
“Jack Daniel’s Showed Up” (Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley, Chase Rice)
“Three Chords & The Truth” (Chase Rice, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite)
“Amen” (Rodney Clawson, Jamie Moore)
“This Cowboy’s Hat” featuring Ned LeDoux (Jake Brooks)
Artist Action: Shania Twain, Old Dominion, Kip Moore, Carly Pearce
/by Lorie HollabaughShania Twain Releases “Poor Me” Today
Old Dominion Goes “Shoe Shopping”
Kip Moore Unveils ‘SLOWHEART’ Cover
“My former guitar player called me a ‘slowheart’ many years ago, claiming I don’t just jump the gun and show all my cards or my emotions on what I truly feel,” said Moore. “He always said ‘you’re a slowheart, man…you observe before you act.’ I eventually named the band the slowhearts, and my fans are the slowhearts too. And so, its only fitting that the record I’ve been waiting to make, was named SLOWHEART.”
Carly Pearce Releases ‘Every Little Thing’ Video
Carly Pearce has just released a new video for her song “Every Little Thing.” She is the only solo female in the Top 20 on the country charts for the second week in a row, and “Every Little Thing” went No. 1 on SiriusXM The Highway and has over 4.4 million Spotify streams.
Caroline Jones’ New Country EP ‘Bare Feet’ Set For August Release
/by Lorie HollabaughIndie artist Caroline Jones will release her new six-song country EP Bare Feet on Aug. 25. The project was co-produced by Jones with Ric Wake (who has worked with Trisha Yearwood, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston), and features the single “Tough Guys,” which spent five weeks at No. 1 on CMT’s 12 Pack Countdown and reached the Top 20 on SiriusXM’s The Highway. Jones penned all of the EP’s songs and played all of the instruments (guitar, banjo, harmonica, keyboards, and lap steel) on the record with the exception of bass and drums.
The pre-order is available now on iTunes HERE.
Jones also hosts her own SiriusXM radio show “Art & Soul,” which airs bi-monthly on The Coffee House channel and delves inside the art of songwriting with guest singer/songwriters including Natalie Hemby, Regina Spektor, James Bay, and Steve Cropper.
Throughout the fall, she will continue touring with the Zac Brown Band on their Welcome Home Tour, and will also perform at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville as a part of WME’s “Speakeasy” showcase on Aug. 16.
BARE FEET TRACK LIST:
“The Difference (Goshdamn)”
“Rise (Sing it Loud)”
“Bare Feet”
“Country Girl”
“Tough Guys”
“Worth the Wait”
Radney Foster Sets September Release For CD+Book ‘For You To See The Stars’
/by Lorie HollabaughAmong the tales Foster conjures up in his collection are the story of a retired spy in New Orleans, the tale of a Dallas lawyer wandering the Rocky Mountains in search of redemption, and a post-apocalyptic parable of a world in endless war.
“For me, the goal of writing is always to touch that one person so much that they wonder how I got a peek into their living room–how I understood exactly what they felt,” says Foster about his process. “More than just rhyming or having a pretty melody, I try to express a part of the human condition that can make someone want to laugh, cry, make love, or all of the above.”
Foster will appear at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on Oct. 14-15 and at local bookstore Parnassus on Oct. 17 in support of the new project.
Weekly Chart Report 7/21/17
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Devin Dawson Blends Rock Sound With Songwriter Soul
/by Jessica NicholsonCalifornia native and Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records recording artist Devin Dawson is a songwriter at heart, infusing songs on his upcoming debut album with passionate vocals and carefully considered words.
“That’s my way of coping and communicating,” says Dawson. “It’s just something I’ve done since I was 12 years old. I feel sometimes I hide behind a song a lot with things I need to say and things I need to get out. Sometimes I’m not the best at communicating, but let me write a song…”
Dawson began pouring his soul into music when he was a teenager, listening to ’90s country music and soul songs, while playing bass in a rock band, with his brother on drums. He spent his post-high school years touring with a metal band, before following his musical ambitions to Nashville’s Belmont University in 2012.
In 2014, Dawson and fellow Belmont student Louisa Wendorff lit up the Nashville music industry’s radar after they released a video for their mash-up of two Taylor Swift tracks, “Style” and “Blank Space.” Within a day of its release, Swift had seen the video and praised it to her followers with one word: “Obsessed.”
“It really helped both of us further our paths. It helped put me in the way of publishers and [I had to ask myself who I wanted to become]. The whole idea was for me to develop and put an EP out, get some buzz and maybe get some leverage before I went to labels. Right before I signed a publishing deal.”
Devin Dawson
Dawson’s post-Swift career boost led to meeting and inking a publishing deal with Nashville super producer Jay Joyce’s Neon Cross, as well as with Warner/Chappell Music. Last year, Dawson signed a recording contract with Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records. Joyce signed on to produce the project.
While writing for the album, Dawson continued touring, using his hours of stage time as a testing ground for new material.
“That’s one thing people overlook a lot is playing shows is such a huge part of development. If you are writing every day, you are not out there playing for people and finding out how they react…I feel like it’s important to find the ones that are right for your record.”
During his visit to MusicRow, Dawson performed acoustic takes of four songs that made the cut, including the introspective “Secondhand Hurt,” and his debut single “All On Me.”
“All On Me,” which Dawson co-wrote with his brother Jacob Durrett and guitar player Austin Smith, finds Dawson in the role of a comforter and reassuring soul, ready to offer a safe place amid life’s stresses. Once in the studio, Dawson and his band recorded the track in one take.
“I wrote a lot of love songs for the album. I like writing love songs, which is funny because I usually write love songs about where I want to be, not where I’m at,” Dawson says candidly. “I slipped it on the record and it’s one of my favorites.”
Devin Dawson with MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson.
Last month, Dawson shot the stark black-and-white video clip for “All On Me,” evoking elements of old Hollywood film noir. The video was filmed at the Tennessee State Penitentiary, which featured prominently in the 1999 movie The Green Mile, and has become a sought-after spot for music video producers, including those behind Eric Church’s “Homeboy” and “Lightning” clips.
“The whole idea was to take this upbeat, positive love song and insert this aesthetic, this darker vibe that I love, which is really in contrast to this song,” Dawson says of “All On Me.”
Joyce and Dawson agreed to cut the album with the same live band that Dawson had been playing with since his college days at Belmont University. The group spent more than two months in the studio, sometimes for 12 hours per day.
On “Dip,” written with Barry Dean and Luke Laird, Dawson and company recorded the track twice, once with a full electric setup and again with an acoustic vibe. Joyce then set about splicing the two versions together into its own quirky mashup.
“The whole song is about leaving a party and going out the back door, so it cuts to a bluegrass version. It’s the coolest cut. I still hear something new every time I listen to it,” Dawson says.
Devin Dawson with MusicRow staffers. Pictured (L-R): Eric T. Parker, Haley Crow, Sherod Robertson, Alex Kobrick, and Jessica Nicholson.
The moody and confident stunner “Dark Horse” was written after the album was technically completed, but its strength demanded inclusion.
“I didn’t feel like the album was done until that song was done,” Dawson recalls. “It didn’t feel like it was a whole body of work.”
Dawson hopes his meticulous selection of each track on the album reveals part of who he is a musician. “I like to think I’m an album artist. I want to tell a whole story. I can’t just put an EP out and tack some singles on,” he says. “That’s how Jay works, too. He’s not going to do a single, he’s going to do the whole thing.”
Dawson recently opened for Maren Morris’ Hero Tour, and will open shows for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, at the end of July.
Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy Expands Team
/by Jessica NicholsonEntertainment business management firm Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc. has hired Lauren Dempsey and Iva Lowe as account assistants and Sarah Morse as an office administration team member.
“We are pleased to welcome Lauren, Iva and Sarah to the FBMM team,” said Julie Boos, FBMM senior vice president. “I am confident their talent will help us continue providing the high level of service we are known for to our clients.”
Dempsey, a Belmont University graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in music business, comes to FBMM after working as an accounting services and royalties assistant at Bluewater Music Services Corp. in Nashville. She managed invoices to all major music labels, entered royalty statements, prepared payouts to clients and handled bank reconciliations. During her time at Belmont, she completed internships at Big Loud Bucks and Warner/Chappell Production Music.
Lowe is a recent Middle Tennessee State University graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in music business. She also has a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal performance from the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith. Prior to joining FBMM, she interned with Farris Self & Moore in Nashville, where she created and updated royalty trackers, addressed clients’ account problems and ensured clients claimed all property and revenue.
Morse joins FBMM with more than 15 years of customer service and clerical experience, of which 13 years were spent with the City of Clarksville. She has successfully managed several offices in a variety of industries.
Webster Public Relations Adds Three
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Molli Carter, Megan Gill, Dana Kyle
Nashville-based Webster Public Relations has expanded its team by three.
Molli Carter has joined as publicity manager, and will work with John Anderson, T. Graham Brown, Jimmy Fortune, Janie Fricke, Charley Pride, T.G. Sheppard and Sylvia. The native Nashvillian joins full-time after working as Associate publicist for the past year.
Megan Gill joined as publicity manager and will work in tandem with Webster VP, Publicity Scott Adkins on Bellamy Brothers, Billy Ray Cyrus, Brenda Lee, Craig Wayne Boyd, Crystal Gayle, Kiefer Sutherland, Lee Greenwood, Lifehouse, LOCASH and Tanya Tucker.
Texas native Gill moved to Nashville after graduating from Auburn University’s public relations program in May. Previously, Gill worked on the marketing team at Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas and also worked with the director of Auburn’s Chicken Salad Chick Foundation to organize the Music & Miracles Superfest 2017, which headlined Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton.
Dana Kyle has joined the team as publicity manager and will work with Webster Sr. VP Jeremy Westby on Seether, Kenny G, Don McLean, Sam Moore and Taylor Hicks.
A Pennsylvania native, Kyle graduated from Penn State University where she studied Public Relations. Kyle previously held internships in the marketing/communications departments of both the Bryce Jordan Center in State College and the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
Gill can be reached at mgill@websterpr.com or 615-777-6995 x229.
Carter can be reached at molli@websterpr.com or 615-777-6995 x225.
Kyle can be reached at dana@websterpr.com or 615-777-6995 x241.
Artist Action: Rhiannon Giddens, Randy Rogers, Hudson Moore, Becca Mancari, Charles Esten
/by Lorie HollabaughRhiannon Giddens To Give Keynote At IBMA Business Conference
“We are thrilled and honored that Rhiannon Giddens will be this year’s Keynote Speaker to kick off the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass,” notes IBMA executive director Paul Schiminger. “Rhiannon has embodied this year’s Business Conference theme of Community and Connection throughout her life and musical career. Her passion for American roots music, along with her thoughtful and purposeful career, provides each of us a lens through which we can see beyond our own barriers.”
Randy Rogers Band Auctioning Salt Lick BBQ Hangout For MusicCares
Hudson Moore Becomes GIVN Brand Ambassador
“I couldn’t be happier to be teaming up with GIVN Water!” shares Hudson, “Their product is amazing and they’re making a huge impact by providing clean water to those in need. I’m honored to be part of such a meaningful and forward-thinking organization!”
Becca Mancari’s ‘Good Woman’ CD Slated For October Release
Good Woman Tracklist:
Charles Esten Celebrates One Year Of #EverySingleFriday
Charles Esten performs on stage for his #OneSingleYear Celebration Concert at CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Introduced by CMT’s Cody Alan, Charles
and his band Sixwire (Steve Mandile, Andy Childs, John Howard, Chuck Tilley and Steve Hornbeak, with Steve Hinson on steel guitar) were welcomed to the stage with a rousing standing ovation after which they played, “This Town Is Ours.” The concert ended with an encore that kept fans on their feet. Esten recently spoke with MusicRow about the craft of songwriting the creative freedom and challenges of #EverySingleFriday.Music City Hit-Makers Returns To Cheekwood For Two Shows In August
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (clockwise from top left): Kyle Jacobs, Jessi Alexander, Marcus Hummon, Hillary Lindsey, Rivers Rutherford and Chris DeStefano.
The symphony and songwriters mashup show Music City Hit-Makers will return to Cheekwood’s Swan Lawn for the fourth annual “Songwriters Under The Stars” on Aug. 25 and 26. The two-night concert series will feature some of Nashville’s most successful songwriters including Kyle Jacobs, Jessi Alexander and Marcus Hummon on Friday night (Aug. 25) and Hillary Lindsey, Rivers Rutherford and Chris DeStefano on Saturday night (Aug. 26). The hit creators will perform their chart-topping songs with the Music City Symphony during the special shows.