Hillary Scott. Photo: Joseph Llanes
Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott is working on a gospel project. She revealed the news to fans via social media on Friday morning (April 22).
The album, titled Love Remains, is a family affair, including co-writes with her mother Linda Davis and father Lang Scott, and contributions from younger sister Rylee Scott. With Lady Antebellum taking a break, Love Remains follows bandmate Charles Kelley‘s solo album, The Driver, which was released to critical acclaim in February.
The first single from Love Remains is a song Scott co-wrote titled “Thy Will.” It is being released to country and Christian radio and credited to Hillary Scott & The Scott Family. The track is now available at iTunes and Spotify. No release date for Love Remains has been announced.
Scott says what began as a hymns album crafted to thank supporters who rallied around the family during her grandfather’s battle with cancer, blossomed into a full-fledged album of mostly original material from some of Nashville’s top Contemporary Christian songwriters, as well as three songs that Scott co-wrote.
“I didn’t think I was going to write, and then life happens and you realize, ‘Oh, I do have something to say,” Scott told reporters during a press conference on Thursday. “I was very insecure to write in Contemporary Christian music. I felt very unprepared and thought honestly, in a lot of ways, it would be too hard. Ironically, I co-wrote a song that is faith-based and is one of the most personal songs ever and now it’s the first single.”
Love Remains includes a duet with Linda Davis, and appearances from other artists. “It reminds me of O Brother, Where Art Thou, and I’m giving a little bit of a teaser because there is a song in that movie that makes its way into this song and it’s an old traditional gospel song.”
Ricky Skaggs, who also provided vocals and instrumental parts to the album, produced the project.
“Every time I would dream about this project, all I saw as captain of the ship was him,” Scott says. “He’s not only the producer for this record, he’s the ‘pastor of this record,’ is what I told him. Every morning at the studio he had an encouraging word, or he would open with a prayer.”
Scott profoundly considered the influence that her work in Lady Antebellum has afforded her. She recalled a conversation with her father about the project, as she told him, “I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to help build a career for almost a decade, and a lot of people pay attention to what we sing and what we say and who we are. This is something that is such a huge part of me, and wanting to share more of who I am with our fans, let’s just do this as big as we possibly can.”
The next people on board to offer their support were her Lady Antebellum bandmates Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley, as well as the group’s manager.
“I told them what was in my heart to do, and come to find out, so was Charles. He was in a place of wanting to explore creatively, and stretch himself, and [so is] Dave in his own way, with producing other artists. We hit that point, which I think is natural.
“I think what confuses a lot of people on the outside looking in, is that there wasn’t a problem. The three of us are closer than we’ve ever been. We are more solid; we are healthy in our friendship. It’s like, ‘Why would you walk away, even for a second, if there is not a problem?’ But we’ve all sensed this stirring in ourselves to kind of separate for a short amount of time, explore our own individual creativity, whatever that may be, how we want to manage that time, then reemerge stronger then we’ve ever been, and I can honestly say that’s exactly what happened.
“This is how I have chosen to look inward, dig down deep, and grow,” says Scott. “And really just wanting to live well and love well, and record music that will bring comfort to my daughter, to my family, our fans, it carries over into every area of my life of how I want to live. You can’t help but think about when it’s big subjects and heart matters, about your legacy, and for my dad and my mom being grandparents now.
“You want to leave a legacy that you are proud of, and how you want to be remembered. It’s weird to say that because I just turned 30, but I do think about that.”
Reviver Records Songwriter Michael Tyler Notches First Chart-Topper
/by Jessica NicholsonMichael Tyler with Dierks Bentley. Photo: Jeremy Westby / Webster Public Relations
Reviver Records singer-songwriter Michael Tyler has gained his first No. 1 single, as a co-writer on Dierks Bentley’s latest hit “Somewhere on a Beach.” After remaining on Billboard Hot Country Song chart for 13 weeks, the single arose to the top of the Billboard chart ranking and reached No. 1 status the week of April 30.
The song is the lead single from Bentley’s eighth studio album, Black, due out on May 27.
“Michael is a hugely talented young songwriter,” said Reviver Records President David Ross. “Since signing with Reviver Records, we’ve mentioned time and again that the industry would quickly find out about Michael’s talents as both a writer and musician, and it looks as though it’s already happening!”
Tyler, a descendant of Jimmie Rodgers, is a singer-songwriter/musician hailing from Thayer, Missouri. Since moving to Nashville, he has had a hand in writing “Shipwrecked” and “Ain’t Startin’ Tonight” for Reviver Records label mates LOCASH. He also co-wrote “Laid Back” from Jason Aldean’s Old Boots, New Dirt album.
Tyler is signed with peermusic for publishing.
Jason Aldean Sells Out Fenway Park Concert In 90 Minutes
/by Jessica NicholsonJason Aldean. Photo: Jim Wright
After previously breaking attendance records set by Paul McCartney and Dave Matthews Band at Boston’s Fenway Park, Jason Aldean will return to a sold out crowd at the home of the Red Sox on Sept. 9. Fans made the show a sell-out within 90 minutes Friday morning (April 22). The “Lights Come On” singer will co-headline the stop with multi-Platinum award-winner Kid Rock as part of his Six String Circus Tour.
Aldean’s Six String Circus Tour launches May 19 in Rogers, Arkansas, with continued support from Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses.
Listen: Dallas Davidson Collaborates With Big Boi, Mannie Fresh, Maggie Rose
/by Jessica NicholsonDallas Davidson
Songwriter-publisher Dallas Davidson has penned approximately two dozen No. 1 singles for artists such as Tim McGraw and Jason Aldean, but on Friday (April 22), the singer-songwriter released his own music, with the single “Laid Back.” The song is a collaboration with hip-hop recording artists Mannie Fresh (Cash Money Records) and Big Boi, as well as Davidson’s own Play It Again Music Publishing artist Maggie Rose.
“That’s been knocking around in my brain for a long time,” Davidson tells MusicRow of “Laid Back.””I’ve gotten a bunch of record deal offers over the years, but I chose not to do that. I chose to write songs, and just do my thing. So, if I was going to do something, it had to be something crazy.”
He called Catherine Brewton in BMI’s Atlanta office, who suggested hip-hop producer Mannie Fresh as a collaborator. “I said, ‘I’m gonna be me and be country,'” says Davidson. “Instead of a country record with a rapper on it, we did a hip-hop record with me singing country in a feature. [Mannie] flew in and it was one of the most rewarding, entertaining, creative things I’ve ever done. Mannie is so chill. His beats he plays…words were just flying out of my mouth. Melodies I’ve never used before. Words I’d never said before. He was just so chill to write it. He’s a pro. I hope people like it, I know we are proud of it.”
Mannie Fresh and Big Boi will join Rose and Georgia native Davidson onstage to perform the song live as part of the upcoming third annual Georgia On My Mind Concert, slated for May 10 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
Davidson shared a snippet of the track on social media via a tweet earlier today:
Excited to share #LaidBack feat. the talented @BigBoi @IAmMaggieRose & @manniefresh: https://t.co/D3BsELyZ82 pic.twitter.com/aFhMYTj6Mx
LifeNotes: Guitarist Lonnie Mack Dies At 74
/by Robert K OermannGuitar icon and longtime Nashville-area resident Lonnie Mack passed away on Thursday, April 21, in Smithville, Tennessee. He was 74 years old.
He was initially a rockabilly instrumentalist with such 1963 hits as “Memphis” and “Wham!” Later in his career, he was also widely respected as a blue-eyed soul singer.
Born Lonnie McIntosh in 1941, he came of age in rural Indiana. He listened to both the Grand Ole Opry and R&B radio as a boy and began playing guitar at age 7. His family formed a bluegrass band.
Mack dropped out of school at age 13, obtained a fake I.D. and started playing in the roadhouses of Cincinnati, Ohio. His first records were country performances on small local labels. Mack’s early hits were on the Cincinnati label Fraternity Records.
He also recorded as a session musician. Mack’s distinctive guitar sound achieved its twang from him hitting the whammy bar of his Gibson Flying V. He influenced virtually every rock guitarist who followed him — Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Jeff Beck, Ted Nugent, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Mike Bloomfield among many others.
Mack was hired by Elektra in A&R. But he became frustrated with corporate life and resigned. He moved to rural Kentucky.
In the 1970s, he leaned more toward country sounds. His 1971 LP The Hills of Indiana was a particular highlight. He relocated to Texas and reemerged in the 1980s as a blues-rock artist. He began collaborating with Stevie Ray Vaughan, who produced the Lonnie Mack comeback LP Strike Like Lightning on Alligator Records.
In 1988 Lonnie Mack landed at Epic Records, for whom he recorded the rockabilly album Roadhouses and Dance Halls. He guested on Saturday Night Live in 1989.
He retired to Middle Tennessee in the 1990s, but occasionally toured Europe and performed at benefit concerts and special events in the U.S.
Lonnie Mack died of natural causes at Centennial Medical Center in Smithville. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Artist Updates: Reba, Maren Morris, Frankie Ballard, Rory Feek
/by Jessica NicholsonReba To Appear On ‘The Talk’ April 27
Reba. Photo: Justin McIntosh
Reba will appear on The Talk Wednesday, April 27 to chat about her 40-year career that spans across music, television, film, theater and retail, including flourishing lifestyle brand with Dillard’s and product from the Reba Beauty line. The show, which airs on CBS at 2 p.m. ET | 1 p.m. PT/CT, is hosted by Sharon Osbourne, Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood.
Frankie Ballard’s El Rio Album Streaming On Apple Music
A six-minute YouTube documentary, entitled Journey To Sonic Ranch: The Making Of El Rio, chronicles the record-making process in Texas where Ballard, his bandmates and his producer Marshall Altman immersed themselves in creating this album 24/7.
Maren Morris To Make Television Debut
The single is the lead track from her upcoming album, Hero, which releases on Columbia Nashville June 3.
Morris’ first single for country radio, “My Church,” set the record for the most chart reporting stations of a debut artist’s first single on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with 107 stations spinning the song.
Morris will hit the road this summer on Keith Urban’s RipCORD World Tour 2016 beginning June 2 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Nashville Film Festival Announces Prizes In Feature Filmmaking
The Nashville Film Festival announced the prizes in feature filmmaking at the 2016 Nashville Film Festival, with one of the top awards going to Josephine, directed by Rory Feek.
For presenting a concise, powerful portrayal of a woman in her last-ditch efforts to find her husband in the bleak final days of war, featuring incredible performances and production values, the Tennessee First Grand Jury Prize was presented to Feek’s Josephine.
Additionally, Country Music Hall of Fame PR staffer Drew Maynard was honored with the First Place Tennessee Horizon Audience Award for Best Short, for his work The Saurus.
Carnival Music/Thirty Tigers To Release Derik Hultquist Project ‘Southern Iron’
/by Jessica NicholsonSinger/songwriter Derik Hultquist will release his full-length debut Southern Iron June 17 through Carnival Music/Thirty Tigers.
The album’s title Southern Iron comes from a gym his father, Chip Hultquist, owned in Tallahassee, Florida.
“It represents the triumph of wills that have given me strength in the face of life’s unanswerable questions,” Derik says. “My father, who’s had not one, but two types of cancer at the same time, is in treatment now,” says Hultquist. “Southern Iron seemed an appropriate title for a man who is most assuredly the strongest person I have ever known. This album is dedicated to him, my grandmother, my family and those fighting the good fight with the greatest appreciation and endless love.”
Frank Liddell (Brandi Carlile, Miranda Lambert, Aubrie Sellers) and Eric Masse (Mikky Ekko, Rayland Baxter, Robert Ellis) produced the album at Masse’s Casino Studio in East Nashville.
“Frank and Eric were great to work with. Recording was a blast because we did a lot of interesting things in the studio. We used dynamic and old ribbon mics on the entire record. We recorded my vocals through Telefunken U47 and Shure SM7s for that ‘I’m whispering in your ear’ effect,” said Hultquist.
“We chose Luke Reynolds for guitars because he’s open to trying different sounds and naturally thinks beyond chords and solos,” said Masse. “Jordan Lehning brought it all together with his string arrangements.”
“When we met Derik three years ago, we knew he was someone special,” said Liddell. “He’s a prolific writer. He solely wrote all but one song for this album, and each of the songs on his prior EPs.”
His last EP, Mockingbirds Mouth, led to a booking deal with Paradigm and opening slots for Sturgill Simpson at The Troubadour.
Southern Iron Track Listing:
1. Darkside of Town
2. Garden of Roses
3. 1983
4. Strangeness Of The Vine
5. Racing To A Red Light
6. My New Orleans
7. Falling Out Of Love
8. Back When I Was Young
9. Devil’s In The Details
10. Highline Poles
11. One Horse Town
12. American Highway
Bobby Bones Added To Musicians On Call Board Of Directors
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Tom Poleman, Lindsay Ell and Bobby Bones visit with a patient as part of Musicians On Call.
On-air personality Bobby Bones has been added to the Board of Directors for Musicians On Call, a nonprofit that brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.
Bones, who is host of iHeartMedia’s The Bobby Bones Show and Country Top 30 with Bobby Bones, reaches 4.8 million weekly listeners on more than 100 stations nationwide.
“The work that Musicians On Call does is amazing and I’m such a big supporter of theirs,” said Bones. “I’m thankful that I’m able to play a bigger part in a truly great organization like this and help continue to bring music to those who need it most.”
“I’m so excited to have Bobby join Musicians On Call’s Board of Directors,” said Pete Griffin, Musicians On Call President. “If you listen to his show or spend any time with Bobby, it’s easy to see how sincere and passionate he is about helping others. We look forward to working with him to bring the healing power of music to even more patients nationwide.”
As a Musicians On Call Volunteer Musician, Bones played at the bedsides of patients at the Nashville VA and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with the help of some of his friends like Lindsay Ell and Tom Poleman, President of iHeartMedia’s National Programming Group and Musicians On Call Board Member. Bones released his The Critics Give It 5 Stars comedy/country album with Black River Entertainment, with portions of the proceeds donated for charity. His live shows have raised over $2 million for charity.
Bones’ most recent “Pimpin Joy” merchandise campaign raised $20,000 for Musicians On Call and he continues to raise funds for MOC through his current “Bobby For President” campaign.
Weekly Chart Report (4/22/16)
/by Troy_StephensonClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Save The Date: 28th Annual MusicRow Awards
/by Craig_ShelburneThe invitation-only event will feature award presentations for Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year and Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. Winners of these categories will be determined by the votes of subscribed members to MusicRow.
In addition, the publication will announce recipients of the 2016 Top 10 Album All-Star Musician Awards. These honors are determined by tabulating the work of Nashville’s session players. Each player earns one credit for each instrument played on any qualifying album. (To qualify, the album had to chart in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Album Chart during MusicRow‘s eligibly period.)
Invitations to the 28th Annual MusicRow Awards will be sent in May. To ensure you receive an invitation and ballot for the 2016 event, join MusicRow today.
Hillary Scott Announces Gospel Project ‘Love Remains’
/by Jessica NicholsonHillary Scott. Photo: Joseph Llanes
Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott is working on a gospel project. She revealed the news to fans via social media on Friday morning (April 22).
The album, titled Love Remains, is a family affair, including co-writes with her mother Linda Davis and father Lang Scott, and contributions from younger sister Rylee Scott. With Lady Antebellum taking a break, Love Remains follows bandmate Charles Kelley‘s solo album, The Driver, which was released to critical acclaim in February.
Scott says what began as a hymns album crafted to thank supporters who rallied around the family during her grandfather’s battle with cancer, blossomed into a full-fledged album of mostly original material from some of Nashville’s top Contemporary Christian songwriters, as well as three songs that Scott co-wrote.
“I didn’t think I was going to write, and then life happens and you realize, ‘Oh, I do have something to say,” Scott told reporters during a press conference on Thursday. “I was very insecure to write in Contemporary Christian music. I felt very unprepared and thought honestly, in a lot of ways, it would be too hard. Ironically, I co-wrote a song that is faith-based and is one of the most personal songs ever and now it’s the first single.”
Love Remains includes a duet with Linda Davis, and appearances from other artists. “It reminds me of O Brother, Where Art Thou, and I’m giving a little bit of a teaser because there is a song in that movie that makes its way into this song and it’s an old traditional gospel song.”
Ricky Skaggs, who also provided vocals and instrumental parts to the album, produced the project.
“Every time I would dream about this project, all I saw as captain of the ship was him,” Scott says. “He’s not only the producer for this record, he’s the ‘pastor of this record,’ is what I told him. Every morning at the studio he had an encouraging word, or he would open with a prayer.”
Scott profoundly considered the influence that her work in Lady Antebellum has afforded her. She recalled a conversation with her father about the project, as she told him, “I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to help build a career for almost a decade, and a lot of people pay attention to what we sing and what we say and who we are. This is something that is such a huge part of me, and wanting to share more of who I am with our fans, let’s just do this as big as we possibly can.”
The next people on board to offer their support were her Lady Antebellum bandmates Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley, as well as the group’s manager.
“I told them what was in my heart to do, and come to find out, so was Charles. He was in a place of wanting to explore creatively, and stretch himself, and [so is] Dave in his own way, with producing other artists. We hit that point, which I think is natural.
“I think what confuses a lot of people on the outside looking in, is that there wasn’t a problem. The three of us are closer than we’ve ever been. We are more solid; we are healthy in our friendship. It’s like, ‘Why would you walk away, even for a second, if there is not a problem?’ But we’ve all sensed this stirring in ourselves to kind of separate for a short amount of time, explore our own individual creativity, whatever that may be, how we want to manage that time, then reemerge stronger then we’ve ever been, and I can honestly say that’s exactly what happened.
“This is how I have chosen to look inward, dig down deep, and grow,” says Scott. “And really just wanting to live well and love well, and record music that will bring comfort to my daughter, to my family, our fans, it carries over into every area of my life of how I want to live. You can’t help but think about when it’s big subjects and heart matters, about your legacy, and for my dad and my mom being grandparents now.
“You want to leave a legacy that you are proud of, and how you want to be remembered. It’s weird to say that because I just turned 30, but I do think about that.”