Chase Matthew Receives RIAA Platinum & Gold Certifications

Rising country artist Chase Matthew was surprised with two RIAA certifications after his Opry performance on Feb. 16. The first plaque was presented for “County Line,” which is his first ever RIAA Platinum certification. He was also presented with a RIAA Gold certification for “Love You Again.”

Matthew has earned over 930 million global career streams, 280 million of those being for “County Line.” “Love You Again,” the singer’s debut single, is currently in the top 30 at country radio.

 

Colton Venner & Clayton Mullen Perform At Concord Studios

Last week, Concord Music Publishing hosted a special event at Concord Studios in Nashville featuring songs from Colton Venner and Clayton Mullen.

 

Nashville Briefing Celebrates Annual 30 Under 30 List

Members of the Nashville music industry gathered at The Eighth Room on Monday night (Feb. 19) to celebrate Nashville Briefing‘s annual 30 Under 30 List. People in attendance included Judah & The Lion’s Judah Akers, Chase Matthew, Ian Munsick, Spotify’s Jackie Augustus, Spotify’s Claire Heinichen, CAA’s Blake McDaniel, The Neal Agency’s Ryan Beuschel, songwriter Jordan Dozzi, WME’s Carlile Willett, Monument Records’ Joel Beaver, Sony Music Nashville’s Parker Stacey and many others.

“It’s crazy to think about what has come from this annual list and event” said Nashville Briefing Founder Zak Kuhn. “Our first year, we had someone raise money for their startup from a VC they met at our party. Last year, someone met their publisher at this party. I can’t wait to hear about who met who this time around. Four years in, being included on our 30 UNDER 30 list has become like a Nashville secret handshake. We’ve built a mega community of honorees that not only gather once a year to party in person, but are in touch year round to continue supporting each other’s careers.”

 

‘Melodies For Minds’ Raises Over $268,000

On Feb. 6, Loveless Café hosted “Melodies For Minds,” an event that raised over $268,000 for The Refuge Center for Counseling and the Change Your Brain Foundation. Country star Walker Hayes headlined the event, while other notable attendees included Adam Woolard, Ben Zobrist, Braunwyn Windham-Burke,  David Arquette, Christina Arquette, Cole and Savannah LaBrant, Kristin Cavallari, Jed Wyatt, Lacey Hester, Noah Hester, Savannah Chrisley and more.

“‘Melodies For Minds’ was an undeniable success and we are so excited for the ripple effect it will have on our community as the word about mental health and brain health continues to spread outwards. Breaking the stigma around mental health and acknowledging the need to ‘not be okay’ is the first and hardest step to take towards healing, but it is one we get to take together as a community,” shares Amy Alexander, Founder of The Refuge Center.

Texas band The Wilder Blue has signed with Nashville-based management companies Make Wake Artists and Deep Roots Management. The band, who just made their Grand Ole Opry debut, will be co-managed by Make Wake’s Chris Kappy and Deep Roots’ Dylan Wright, with Make Wake/Deep Roots’ Eric Berger and HB Riordan as partnering day-to-days.

The Wilder Blue formed in 2019, and is comprised of primary frontman and songwriter Zane Williams, lead guitarist Paul Eason, bassist Sean Rodriguez, drummer Lyndon Hughes and multi-instrumentalist Andy Rogers. Their most recent album, Super Natural, shows off their Texas twang and southern harmonies. It was produced by Grammy-nominee Brent Cobb.

“We are very excited to be a part of the team that represents The Wilder Blue,” shares Kappy. “This supergroup of musicians and vocal talent is something to behold. With five-part harmonies and musicianship that rivals a band of session players, we know that witnessing this live show is a joy for any music lover. We look forward to helping more eyes and ears experience the phenomenon that is The Wilder Blue.”

“We are thrilled about our partnership with this exceptionally talented group of individuals comprising The Wilder Blue,” says Wright. “Their mastery of five-part harmonies is on par with the industry’s finest, showcasing a level of musical excellence that is truly remarkable. With their exceptional songwriting, we anticipate that this band will make a significant impact on both the country and Americana music scenes.”

As the band continues to emerge out of Texas, they’ve also signed with WME for global representation, working with WME Partner Braeden Rountree and agents Geoff Turner and Carrie Murphy.

“We have been big fans of The Wilder Blue’s incredible music for some time,” says Turner. “The energy and musicianship they bring in a live setting is a level all its own, and we are honored to be a part of their team.”

“Combining talents and working together is how The Wilder Blue got to where we are,” shares Williams. “Adding the talented folks at Make Wake Artists and WME to our team is the perfect opportunity to take us even farther and we are pumped to take this journey together.”

The Wilder Blue will join Luke Combs on his upcoming “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour,” which includes 30 stadium shows.

Travis Denning will release his debut album Roads That Go Nowhere on May 24. The Mercury Nashville artist co-wrote 12 of the 15 tracks on the record, and it was produced by Paul DiGiovanni and Jeremy Stover. The project also includes features from Hardy and Josh Ross.

“Roads That Go Nowhere is a culmination of songs and stories that I really believe reflect where I’ve come from, what I’ve been through, and the places I’ve yet to go and where I want to go,” shares Denning. “That’s with love, music, life, everything. I’m at that point in my life where I’m able to look back and reflect on the things that have gotten me here. A lot of them are positive and there are some negatives for sure. But I think that’s kind of everybody’s goal is to be able to look back and just be happy with the progress they’ve made and the potential they’ve still got.

“I wanted to take that mindset lyrically and production wise for the record that I’ve gotten to where I am, and I’ve had the successes I’ve had because I just stuck to the guns of what I enjoy doing. That’s being a guitar player, it’s trying to moonlight as a metalhead in country music and telling the stories about the things I have conviction about.”

To celebrate the announcement of the album, Denning has released the title track “Roads That Go Nowhere.”

Denning will be playing headline dates through the fall, and will be supporting Hardy in his “Quit!! Tour” this spring and summer.

Roads That Go Nowhere Track Listing:
1. “Why I’m Drinking” (Josh Kerr, Jon Nite, Cole Taylor)
2. “I Know How It Sounds” (Travis Denning, Will Bundy, Chase McGill)
3. “Better At Leaving” (Travis Denning, Jared Hampton, Tripp Howell)
4. “Strawberry Wine And A Cheap Six Pack” (Travis Denning, Thomas Archer, Paul DiGiovanni, Jerry Flowers)
5. “Going Places” (Travis Denning, Paul DiGiovanni, Matt Mulhare, Jeremy Stover)
6. “Someone That Isn’t Me” (Travis Denning, Paul DiGiovanni, Blake Pendergrass, Bobby Pinson)
7. “Southern Rock (Featuring Hardy) “(Travis Denning, Jessi Alexander, Chase McGill)
8. “Love You Past That” (Travis Denning, Bobby Pinson, Chris Stevens, Jeremy Stover)
9. “Things I’m Going Through” (Jordan Dozzi, Matt Mulhare)
10. “Add Her To The List” (Paul DiGiovanni, Bobby Pinson, Jeremy Stover)
11. “Roads That Go Nowhere” (Travis Denning, Ben Foster, James McNair)
12. “The Sound Of A Beer Getting Cracked (Featuring Josh Ross)” (Travis Denning, Will Bundy, Chase McGill)
13. “Can’t Find One” (Travis Denning, Chase McGill, Chris Stevens, Jeremy Stover)
14. “Here And Her” (Travis Denning, Ben Johnson, Cole Taylor)
15. “Ocmulgee River” (Travis Denning)

BMI hosted their first No. 1 celebration of 2024 on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 20) for Corey Kent‘s first-ever chart-topper “Wild as Her,” a Chris Farren-produced track written by Kelly Archer, Brett Tyler and Morgan Wallen.

Excitement and pride for the song’s creators emitted from fellow industry members as they filled the lobby. BMI’s MaryAnn Keen kicked things off by calling Kent, Farren, Tyler and Archer to the stage.

She shared that although Wallen couldn’t to make it to the event, everyone was happy that he was able to be there that day to co-write the Platinum-certified single. Keen moved on to talk about Tyler, who notched his second No. 1 with “Wild as Her.” She described his years of hard work and patience, and advised the crowd “not to sleep on him” as she called him “the next big thing.” Keen then brought attention to Archer and the significant impact she’s had as a female songwriter in the country format. She continued by noting that the songstress now has four No. 1s under her belt and listing the numerous accolades Archer has collected over the course her career thus far. Keen finished by addressing Kent and spotlighted his explosion in the Nashville music scene as well as the support he shows fellow songwriters by recording outside cuts.

The artist’s adorable son made his way on stage to sit on his dad’s lap as Anthem Entertainment’s Courtney Crist stepped up to the mic. Crist expressed her love for the hit and referred to it as “a song every songwriter wishes they had written.” She stated how happy Anthem is to represent Tyler and Archer and thanked all of their partners as well as Farren and Kent for their involvement before congratulating the contributors. Red Creative Group’s Taylor Lamb took the floor to applaude each person that helped get “Wild as Her” to where it is today and speak more about Archer.

“Kelly doesn’t give up on her songs, and this song is a prime example [of that],” he said. “She knows what will connect with fans, because she has been one and continues to be one. She also pushes for the song to be highest quality it can be in the writers’ room and it comes through.” Lamb added, “Kelly doesn’t give up on herself. There are many moments throughout her story where she could’ve thrown in towel and moved back home but because of her confidence and God-given gift to write songs, her music continues to impact countless people. Finally, Kelly doesn’t give up on her people. She fights hard for the people she cares for and trusts her team.”

Big Loud’s Mike Giangreco was on deck to represent Wallen noting, “It’s always important to [Morgan] to celebrate the songwriters, and it’s important to him that he’s a songwriter on another No. 1 song,” and took some time to thank BMI and the teams included in the accomplishment while congratulating Kent, Farren, Tyler and Archer.

Up next was Warner Chappell Music’s Jessi Stevenson, who explained that “Wild as Her” is a testament to the fact that maybe the artist a song is meant for isn’t ready or in town yet and goes to show that writers should never give up on the work in their catalogs. She wrapped by acknowledging all of the contributing companies and commending the track’s creatives.

Concord’s Brad Kennard spoke on behalf of Matt Turner, who was unable to attend. He followed his praises of the singer, producer and writers by reading a special statement from Turner, who witnessed the full evolution of “Wild as Her.” Studio Bank’s Ron Cox then stepped up to emphasize how sacred and special these parties are and announce that a donation had been in Kent and the songwriters’ names to the Tim Tebow Foundation, which provides worldwide support to vulnerable people living in chaos and crisis. Country Aircheck‘s Chuck Aly took the stage to discuss how the tune influenced the country music conversation before Sony Music Nashville’s Dennis Reese took the stage to tell the more of the story behind the song and salute those who gave it life. Reese recalled hearing “Wild as Her” for the first time and detailed texting Steve Hodges immediately after hearing it about how he wanted it on RCA while describing what led to Kent’s signing.

“It takes a lot not just to get a song to No. 1, but to be a song that really has staying power,” he stated. “This song is still streaming almost four million a week—that’s the sign of a hit to me. It’s something people want to go back to over and over and it becomes a part of the soundtrack of their lives.”

Farren then expressed his gratitude and appreciation for his team members and the other individuals that played key roles the smash single’s success while recounting its growth. “There’s so much goodwill surrounding this song, it really fills me with a lot of satisfaction and joy,” he said. Farren recognized the writers before shining a light on Kent. “I’ve been lucky enough to work with a lot of artists over the years, some really good ones. In a world where it’s really hard sometimes to distinguish the really good from the mediocre, because there’s a lot of mediocre, [Corey] is the real deal. There’s nothing fake about what he does.”

Archer was the first writer to speak and thanked all of the contributing parties for their hard work and belief in “Wild as Her.” Among the many individual shoutouts, she gave a special one to Red Creative Group’s Jeremy Stover for talking her into staying in Nashville, and moved into recognizing her fellow collaborators and Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), where she serves on the Board of Directors. “Everyone who came out today, I really appreciate you all—from my co-writers to my friends,” Archer shared before informing everyone of the important work NSAI does for songwriters.

Tyler then took the stage to crack a few jokes and make us all laugh, while sincerely stating his admiration for his fellow creators and the musicians and engineers involved. He moved on to thank all of those in both his personal corner and his professional corner. Humorous yet touching, Tyler concluded, “I want to thank TJ Maxx for dressing me, my wife’s Starbucks habit for stressing me, the devil for testing me and Corey singing ‘Wild as Her’ for blessing for me.”

Finally, Kent took the mic, a ray of light beaming through the lobby onto him. He started by thanking his family, God and every group involved in his milestone song. Kent finished by lauding Archer, Tyler and Wallen. “At the end of the day, as honored as I am to be standing up here, this in my mind is a songwriters’ award. So please, one more time, make some noise for the people that wrote this song.”

Entertainment marketing agency FlyteVu has hired Linda Knight as Creative Mentor & Advisor, Brooks Parker as VP of Business Development and Purvi Patel as Account Director.

The company has also promoted Brewer Adams to VP of Production, Nicole Ranieri to VP of Accounts, Brittany Rashkin Canty to VP of Publicity, Miriam Singer to VP of HR & Operations, Ally Venable to VP of Talent and Scott Bennett to Chief Financial Officer. FlyteVu Co-Founders Laura Hutfless and Jeremy Holley will continue to oversee the company, and Sina Seger will continue to lead as General Manager.

Prior to joining the agency, Knight was the Chief Creative Officer and President of Observatory, an award-winning creative agency. She began her career at Wieden+Kennedy and has since earned recognition as one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Creative Women in Advertising and one of Adweek‘s 2023 100 Creative Leaders. Knight has developed ad campaigns for the Olympics, World Cup and Super Bowl for brands including Nike, Chipotle and Adidas. As Creative Mentor & Advisor, she will mentor and grow FlyteVu’s Creative team and help to elevate client campaigns.

Parker most recently spent five years in business development and sales at an experiential marketing agency. Since graduating with a degree in commercial music from Belmont University, he has also worked as an artist manager supporting Amy Grant and as a celebrity talent relations coordinator for UpTV. As VP of Business Development, Parker will oversee brand and client relationships to build strategic partnerships that optimize the company’s future growth and profitability.

With over 14 years of experience, Patel comes to FlyteVu after serving as President of Claima, a Black and Asian-owned media and storytelling agency rooted in representation with a mission to create more inclusive tables for entrepreneurs and creatives of color to sit at and thrive. Prior to joining Claima, she spearheaded influencer marketing and partnerships at Reebok and Sperry with the Jaws and Minions enterprises and landed the first-ever deals with established TikTok and YouTube content creators.

Additionally, FlyteVu has expanded its roster with new clients such as Ashley Global Retail, a leading furniture and mattress retailer in North America; Ashley Dufresne Spencer Group (DSG), the largest Ashley licensee in North America; Farnam, a leading supplier of quality horse care products under the Central Garden & Pet Company; Ice Barrel, a leading innovator in accessible at-home cold therapy products; and more.