The Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID) hosted its 29th Annual Crawfish Boil on April 21 in the Sony Music Publishing parking lot.

This year’s event set a SOLID record with over 500 attendees, and was followed by an official after party at the Virgin Hotel Rooftop.

Attendees enjoyed crawfish from Spicy Heads Crawfish, non-seafood options from All Seasons Sports Grill, paired with a wide range of food, beverages. Participating vendors and partners included NB Goods, New Heights Brewery, Black Box Ice Cream Truck, White Squirrel Brewery, Black Sheep Tequila, Honeytree Meadery, Twisted Sistuhs, Image Brand Nashville, and more. The event also featured live music from DJ Dom and DJ Solo, games, and interactive experiences throughout the evening.

“After two years of attending the SOLID Crawfish Boil and hearing it called THE event in Nashville, being on the planning committee this year felt special,” shares SOLID’s 2026 Co-Chair, Shana Saunders. “It’s more than food and music, it’s real community. It took a lot to bring it all together, but working alongside Chandel, our social committee, and the SOLID family made it something I’m proud to be part of.”

The Red Clay Strays will release their latest album Grateful via HBYCO Records/RCA Records on June 5. The electrifying opening track from the project, “Demons In Your Choir,” is out everywhere now.

“Demons In Your Choir” is a personal spiritual meditation unlike anything in the band’s previous body of work, swiftly building from a few stirring notes on the organ into a foot-stomping singalong, complete with wall-shaking guitar riffs and a backing gospel choir led by Grammy-winning musician Shannon Sanders.

Produced by Dave Cobb, Grateful is a collection of 11 soul-searching songs that can spill out of dance halls on Saturday night and fill church steeples on Sunday morning in equal measure. The album showcases The Red Clay Strays’ gift for time-tested soul and sweat-drenched rock on standout tracks like the churning hit single, “People Hatin’” and the tender “If I Didn’t Know You,” the latter joined by a heartwarming video co-starring avowed fan/comedian Matt Rife and fitness influencer Mariah Morse, boasting over 4.1 million views on YouTube. With Grateful, The Strays turn survival into jubilation on a celebration of faith, a soundtrack to gratitude, and a reflection of the road traveled along the way.

“Moment of Truth was a big album about having faith in dark times, looking to a higher power,” says The Red Clay Stray lead singer and guitarist Brandon Coleman. “And Made By These Moments focused on realizing those dark times that you were having to have faith through, which made you who you are. You made it through when you didn’t think you would. And now we’re at a point where we’re grateful. Looking to God in whatever situation you’re in is a denominator in all of the albums.”

“The title of the album’s a literal meaning to us at this moment in our careers,” adds bassist Andrew Bishop. “We’re grateful for how we came out of Made By These Moments and what we have now.”

The Red Clay Strays will celebrate Grateful with their biggest tour slate thus far, resuming tomorrow (April 24), with a top-billed appearance at Stagecoach. The band will hold a press conference on-site at the festival on April 24, which Amazon Music will broadcast exclusively that fans at 8:50 pm PT on Prime Video, the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, and the Amazon Music app. The group’s full Stagecoach set will also stream to fans worldwide here.

Another upcoming highlight will be the band’s special headline performance for the upcoming Season 52 of PBS’ Austin City Limits taping April 27 at the ACL Live at the Moody Theater, as well as hugely anticipated headline shows across the country through November.

Michael Bryan, former Global Head of Country Music for Apple Music, has launched Southern Drift, a Nashville-Based management and media company.

The company’s initial ventures include management for Charlie Worsham, a two-time ACM and CMA award winner, and the chart-topping podcast God’s Country, hosted by hit songwriters Reid and Dan Isbell.

Taryn Anderson has been tapped as Chief Operating Officer/General Manager. She has previously served as CFO/COO of Sandbox Entertainment and Account Executive at FBMM, Inc.

Jordon Isbell joins as Vice President, Marketing and Executive Producer of the God’s Country Podcast. She joins from her role as Senior Marketing Director at Virgin Music Group, where she oversaw the Nashville roster, following her time as Founder of 270 Media & Co.

“I’ve spent my career watching how music moves, and it’s never been more fluid,” Bryan says. “Artists aren’t staying in one lane, and fans aren’t either. What pushed me to start Southern Drift was seeing the gap between how artists are building today and how the industry is still structured. We built Southern Drift to move with it, not control it.”

“Songs for Squeeks,” a special benefit supporting music city creative Justin “Squeeks” Mayotte as he battles lymphoma, is set for May 4 at The Listening Room.

Lead singer Marty Raybon will represent the group for the special night. The all-star lineup will also include Shenandoah, Chase Matthew, Alana Springsteen, Priscilla Block, Graham Barham, Tyler Nance, Beau Bailey, Cody Webb, and Ethan Burdick, with additional surprise guests expected.

“Justin has spent years helping artists build their careers behind the scenes,” says Raybon. “Now it’s our turn to show up for him.”

Tickets are available here. Those unable to attend who want to help can make a donation here. All proceeds will directly support Mayotte, his wife Kristina, and their newborn son Grayson as he undergoes treatment.

A respected photographer, videographer, and director in the Nashville music community, Mayotte has worked with both established and emerging artists, helping bring their creative visions to life.

As of March 1, 2026, Hop On A Cure has given over $5 million in grants to ALS research programs at notable hospitals across the country.

The charity was started in 2022 after John Driskell Hopkins of Zac Brown Band was diagnosed with ALS. The funding supports a diverse portfolio of research efforts, including artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery, gene therapy, biomarker identification and advanced disease modeling.

“Crossing the five-million-dollar mark in research funding is not just a number for us,” shares Nic Shefrin, CEO of Hop On A Cure. “It represents real momentum toward solutions for families facing ALS today. We are deeply grateful to every donor who, like us, believes that accelerating bold science is the fastest path to a world without ALS.”

Among the grants awarded this year is support for research led by Dr. Tim Miller at Washington University in St. Louis, Dr. Rita Sattler at Barrow Neurological Institute in partnership with The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Claire Clelland at University of California, San Francisco, and more.