Photo: Courtesy of Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music
Hailing from all over the nation, rising country star Ashley Cooke knows how to connect with all types of people, leading her to cultivate a uniquely relatable writing style and modern pop country sound. This past year has been a big one for the Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music artist, as she has toured the nation with Cole Swindell and Luke Bryan, and made multiple national television appearances as well as her Ryman and Grand Ole Opry debuts. Cooke returned to the historic Opry circle last month to perform and announce her debut album Shot in the Dark.
The Opry NextStage artist gave fans a taste of the project leading up to it’s Friday (July 21) release, unveiling five of the tracks. Now, the full 24-track collection is out for the world to hear. The album features collaborations with Colbie Caillat, Brett Young, Jackson Dean and Nate Smith, and marks one of the longest debut albums from a female country artist to date. Last week, Cooke sat down with MusicRow to talk about the creation of Shot in the Dark and her journey thus far.
Growing up, she had many “home towns.” She lived in 19 different homes before she turned 18. Cooke was born in Wisconsin and then moved to California to support her sister Jenn‘s acting career. When she was 15, she and her family made their way to Florida.
Cooke resided in the sunshine state up until she left for college. It’s where she feels her most formative years took place and where her love of country music truly developed, which is why she decided to film much of the album’s content there.
During those years, she learned and drew musical inspiration from Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and more.
“They take a universal feeling and make it feel very specific. I love that because there’s love, loss, heartbreak, parents, career and so many things you can talk about in music. The way that they say things are just so unique, and we can all feel them,” says Cooke.
She notes that Luke Bryan, who she is currently on tour with, is also a huge inspiration of hers.
“I love how he just entertains, he [knows] how to put on a show and make people [feel good]. That to me was so important to incorporate. I have my more singer-songwriter songs [on the album] like ‘It’s Been a Year’ and ‘Never Til Now (feat. Brett Young)’ that are more lyric/story driven, but then I have others like ‘Moving On With Grace,’ that are a lot of fun and I feel build an arc in a show.”
In her early teen years, Cooke and her sister had formed a musical duo and began traveling to Nashville and writing on Music Row before her sister took up acting. It wasn’t until 2015 that she officially moved to Music City and enrolled in Belmont University to study marketing. Cooke jumped back into music when she entered the Belmont Country Showcase her senior year and won. She then gained traction on TikTok in 2020, propelling her forward as a solo act.
Cooke shares that her writing has evolved since she was a teenager, as she has grown and lived more life. She pulls from her personal stories as well as her experience moving around and meeting people of various backgrounds to hone in on timeless concepts and feelings everyone can relate to, conveying them musically.
“I was always the new kid, which could cause some people to [crawl back] into their shell. So I had the choice to either do that or force myself to be extraverted, make friends and connect with people of different upbringings quickly. It is because of that that I feel I’ve got a decent grasp on different types of humans, and I have friends across the board from different areas and backgrounds. I’m not just from one town in a certain area, and when writing songs for all these different people, I think that serves me well.”
Cooke co-wrote 20 of the album’s tracks and penned one by herself. When crafting Shot in the Dark, those interpersonal skills also helped her to determine which collaborators she wanted to work with on certain song ideas.
“There’s been a lot of times when I’ve been on the road that I’ve heard something in a conversation and think, ‘That’d be so cool [to write about.’ Then [the idea] spirals. I’ll write it down in my phone and I’ll know who I want to write it with, thinking, ‘Oh so-and-so would crush this or so-and-so has mastered this [element] before.’ I’ll save certain ideas for certain people,” she shares. “Sometimes I’ll write a whole song and it’ll feel right—then there’s other times when I know I need a friend [or friends] to help me get out of my own head and bring their flare to it.”
Cooke remembers the moment she got the idea for one of five songs that she released early “Enough to Leave,” which she wrote alongside Matt Roy and Lauren Weintraub about deciding to walk away from a relationship.
She recalls staying in a hotel one night while on tour and not being able to fall asleep until she got the idea out. At 2 a.m., Cooke wrote the entire chorus by herself and then felt the need to bring others in before continuing, knowing specifically that Roy and Weintraub would help the song come to life.
The only number she wrote solo, “Next to You,” came to her the morning after her Opry debut as she walked out to kitchen counter covered with flowers and champagne bottles. The track talks about how true contentment is achieved when you’re surrounded by people you love.
“I never thought [‘Next to You’] would make the album or even be [released],” confesses Cooke. “I just sat down in this T-shirt I’ve had since middle school and I was honestly just journaling with a guitar.”
The closing track, “State I’m In,” highlights her ability to relate to people of various backgrounds united with her skill for pinpointing the strengths in her collaborators.
“I was in a van, driving through somewhere in the midwest, heading to a show. I was scrolling through Instagram and seeing all of my friends getting engaged, married, having babies or buying houses. I was so excited for them and couldn’t wait to be a bridesmaid or an ‘aunt.’ I looked up from my phone and realized that we’re the same age, but I’m with my band on the way to a show and they’re in a house they just bought pregnant in California. I thought that would be such a cool play on the idea ‘State I’m In.’
“I’m in Ohio and she is in California, but we’re also in different states of our lives. I wrote the title down in my phone, thinking I could write it [solo], but then I said to myself, ‘You know who would crush this? Emily Weisband and Jordan Reynolds.'”
Another organic song on the record is one of the early releases “Mean Girl (feat. Colbie Caillat),” which is a melodic, thoughtful warning to an ex’s new girlfriend penned by Cooke, Caillat, Nicolle Galyon and Jimmy Robbins. A big fan of all the talent in the room, Cooke went into the writing session with a specific idea. That idea quickly morphed into a cool play-on-words duet born from a different approach they came up with during their writing break.
The title track also formed spontaneously from a conversation, which took place during the end of a retreat Cooke was on with Weisband, Jordan Minton and Corey Crowder. Minton initially said the phrase in reference to taking a risk in the music industry, but it sprouted another double-meaning idea in Cooke’s mind.
While the song is about two strangers taking a shot in the dark—literally and figuratively—Cooke determined that the title summed up her career thus far. The artist notes that if she hadn’t taken a “shot in the dark” with the Belmont Country Showcase, TikTok and more, she wouldn’t be where she is today.
In August, she will kick off the “Shot In The Dark Tour,” her first-ever headlining trek. Cooke hopes that she’ll be able to continue to connect with people everywhere through the album and live shows.
“This is my first time letting people know who I am as an artist and lyricist. I hope that people hear my music and feel a similar way about me to how I felt about the [artists] I loved growing up, and that they find themselves in the songs. I hope they find something that makes them think, ‘I want to hear that line over and over again,’ because it’s so relatable. I want them to feel like the songs are part of the soundtrack to their lives and what they’re going through.”
DISClaimer Single Reviews: Chris Stapleton Once Again Confirms His ‘Bonfire Intensity As A Performer’
/by Robert K OermannChris Stapleton. Photo: Becky Fluke
DISClaimer is really mixing it up this week.
We have hip-hopper Tanner Adell, bluegrassy Hailey Whitters, rocking Lanco and balladeers Adam Doleac and Luke Grimes. Black female country speaks up in an excellent effort from Tiera Kennedy. Cody Hibbard is an Asian Pacific American and his hard-country approach wins him a DISCovery Award.
Hibbard was not without competition, since the other newcomers today who turned in solid efforts included Peyton Aldridge, Zoee and The Mizes.
With Chris Stapleton in the lineup, do you even need to ask who owns the Disc of the Day award?
LANCO / “Sound of a Saturday Night”
Writers: Brandon Lancaster/Tripp Howell/Jeremy Spillman/Tate Howell; Producer: Jay Joyce; Label: Riser House
– Punchy and rocking. This is a summertime romp to crank up with the windows rolled down on a moonlight cruise down a back road. I’d have put more bottom in the mix, but you can’t beat the energy generated by this sound.
BRETT YOUNG / “Let Go Too Soon”
Writers: Brett Young/Chris LaCorte/Jon Nite; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: BMLG Records
– “Dance With You” remains the single, but here’s another foretaste of Young’s Across the Sheets collection, which drops Aug. 4. On this pleasing midtempo track, he muses about a relationship that might have ended before either one of them was ready to move on. His intimate-sounding singing voice is deployed to great affect here. The too-busy backing track is fortunately mixed far enough back so as not to interfere.
HAILEY WHITTERS / “I’m In Love”
Writers: Nicole Galyon/Lee Thomas Miller/Cameron Bedell; Producers: Jake Gear/Hailey Whitters; Label: Pigasus/Big Loud/Songs & Daughters
– ACM New Female Artist of the Year Whitters returns with the delightfully zippy title tune of her new EP (which also includes her breakthrough hit “Everything She Ain’t”). The track bubbles along merrily while she expresses the dizzy, ditzy mood of a star-struck country gal. Totally lovable.
CHRIS STAPLETON / “White Horse”
Writers: Chris Stapleton/Dan Wilson; Producers: Dave Cobb/Morgane Stapleton/Chris Stapleton; Label: Mercury Nashville
– His voice is such a torrent of sound that he can make your heart beat faster without hardly trying. This fiery single blurs the lines between country and southern rock while confirming his bonfire intensity as a performer. Undeniable.
TIERA KENNEDY / “Jesus, My Mama, My Therapist”
Writers: Tiera Kennedy/Emily Falvey/Joe Fox/Trannie Anderson/Emily Landis; Producer: Cameron Bedell; Label: The Valory Music Co.
– As clever as it is catchy. Everyone in town gossips way too much, so the only people she can tell about her busted heart are the three named in the title. The track boasts stuttering rockabilly guitar, loads of happy rhythm and a cheeky vibe that are all irresistible. Her saucy vocal is perfect. To my knowledge, this is the first country song with “therapist” in the title. So cute.
CODY HIBBARD / “We Speak Country”
Writers: Carlton Anderson/Kasey Tyndall/Logan Wall; Producers: Jim Catino/Julian King; Label: Droptine Recordings
– What a breath of fresh air. A for-real country singer with a for-real country song. The thumping rhythm track is joyous. The blue-collar lyric is rousing and anthemic. This would sound splendid as an award-show opening number.
PEYTON ALDRIDGE / “Oh Yeah”
Writers: John Ramey/Jeffrey East; Producer: Russ Zavitson; Label: Puba Records
– This competitor on The Voice combines blues and twang on his new single. The song’s a funky little thing, but doesn’t have a lot of meat on its bones.
ZOEE / “Whatever It Takes”
Writers: Zoee/James House/Stone Aielli; Producers: Zoee/James House; Label: Zoee
– This new Nashvillian hails from Tasmania, Australia. She has a strong, assured country-pop vocal presence with plenty of depth. This single and its parent album Waves both drop a week from tomorrow, so be prepared for a slap of driving rhythm and some wildly catchy melody. The crisp production is superb. A star has started to twinkle.
TANNER ADELL / “Buckle Bunny”
Writers: Tanner Adell/Jesse Thomas/Cameron Bartolini/Louis Bartolini/Leelee/Sean Anthony; Producers: Leelee/Cambo/Louallday; Label: Columbia Records
– This mix of country and trap drops vaguely country/cowgirl images in a production that blends rapping with looped electronics and country-tinged instrumentation. Lyrically, it is utter nonsense. But enjoyable.
LUKE GRIMES / “Hold On”
Writers: Ilsey Juber/Foy Vance; Producer: Dave Cobb; Label: UMG Nashville
– Low-key and downbeat, this has an attractive, meditative quality that is soothing to the ears. Like the song, his voice kinda sneaks up on you. Grimes has a fan base from being in the Yellowstone TV cast. But I fear he’s going to have to come up with a song that is more undeniable than this drowsy one is.
THE MIZES / “Hitched Up”
Writers: Logan Mize/Jill Martin; Producer: Daniel Agee; Label: LM
– Solo artist Logan Mize is now also a duet act with his wife, Jill Martin. Their debut single is a hilarious twangfest about a Venus-and-Mars couple. It recalls the funny-fight masterpieces created by Loretta & Conway, Porter & Dolly and George & Tammy. If I were in charge, this would go straight to the top of every hillbilly playlist.
ADAM DOLEAC / “Biggest Fan”
Writers: Adam Doleac/Abe Stoklasa/Andy Skib/Sarah Buxton; Producer: Andy Skib; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– The man can sing. This melodic ballad glows with romance and emotional intimacy. The soul-music touches in the production and eloquently tasteful guitar solo are exquisite additions to the mood. Lend this man your ears.
Larry Fleet Touts Hard Work & Sweat Equity On New Project ‘Earned It’
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto: Courtesy of Big Loud Records
Larry Fleet is releasing his third studio album Earned It, a 21-track tribute to the working class and a culmination of years’ worth of hard work, tour stops and elbow grease, on Sept. 1 via Big Loud Records, just in time for Labor Day.
A third-generation son of construction and concrete workers, Fleet grew up watching his dad and grandfather put in hard labor everyday to make ends meet, instilling a “built not bought” work ethic in him.
“I’ve been workin’ since I was 14 laying bricks; there isn’t a day in my life I can remember where I wasn’t workin’ toward something or watching someone else earn their keep, whether that was my mom at home providing for us boys or at school teaching art when we got a little older, my dad out at job sites, you name it,” recalls Fleet.
“I believe in taking care of the people you love, earning a life you’re proud of, workin’ hard, and keeping your family and the things that matter first. With this record, I wanted to focus on how we got here and what our work earned us; it’s earned this life for my family, this opportunity for me and my band out on the road, it’s taught me about living well and makes me appreciate the place I come from. Earned It just felt right because I feel like I have; it’s been a long time coming, and by God it was worth it.”
Produced by Joey Moi, the project includes the anthemic title track as well as gratitude-infused “Things I Take For Granted,” twist-laden mid-tempo “Devil Music,” ballad “Grow” and more, in addition to early releases such as “Young Buck,” “Layaway,” “Daddy Don’t Drink” and “Try Texas.”
Fans will get a taste of Earned It tonight (July 27) with the release of four new songs: the title track, “Lucky Dog,” “Ain’t Mad At Jesus” and “Much To Talk About.” The album finds the Tennessee troubadour collaborating with songwriters like Connie Rae Harrington, Luke Laird, Jesse Frasure, Craig Wiseman, Jessie Jo Dillon, Michael Hardy, Ashley Gorley and more.
“Nashville’s full of the finest songwriters in the world, so I felt like it might finally be time to showcase some of their work alongside some of mine now that folks have gotten to know me as a songwriter on the first couple records,” Fleet adds. “I’m thankful they’d trust me to tell these stories and hope we did them justice.”
2. “Lucky Dog” (Zach Abend, Smith Ahnquist, Michael Hardy)
3. “Ain’t Mad At Jesus” (Larry Fleet, Josh Miller, Jake Mitchell)
4. “25-8” (Casey Beathard, Nicolette Hayford, Jim Wolf)
5. “Things I Take For Granted” (Larry Fleet, Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, Brett Tyler)
6. “Lord Willing” (Larry Fleet, Will Bundy, Brett Tyler)
7. “Two Beer Plan” (Larry Fleet, Thomas Archer, Ryan Beaver, Mark Holman)
8. “Taking The Long Way” (Larry Fleet, Will Bundy, Brett Tyler)
9. “Something He’d Say” (Larry Fleet, Josh Thompson, Jake Mitchell)
10. “Beer Needs A Beer” (Larry Fleet, Brett Tyler, Logan Wall)
11. “There’s A Waylon” (Steve Moakler, Joseph Patton, Logan Wall)
12. “Angels Were Gone” (Rodney Clawson, Jessie Jo Dillon, Joybeth Taylor)
13. “Try Texas” (Jake Mitchell, Larry Fleet, James McNair)
14. “Tennessee On You” (Rocky Block, John Byron, Jacob Durrett, Ashley Gorley)
15. “Muddy Water” (Larry Fleet, Jesse Frasure, Brett Tyler)
16. “Devil Music” (Jessie Jo Dillon, Neil Mason, Brett Tyler)
17. “Layaway” (Larry Fleet, Mark Trussell, Josh Miller)
18. “Much To Talk About” (Tommy Cecil, Jordan Dozzi, Craig Wiseman)
19. “Grow” (Rodney Clawson, Josh Miller, Dallas Wilson)
20. “Daddy Don’t Drink” (Larry Fleet, Derek Bahr, Luke Laird)
21. “Young Buck” (Andy Albert, John Byron, Devin Dawson, Jacob Durrett)
Industry Ink: Bill Anderson, NF, Jennifer Adan, AMR Songs
/by Lorie HollabaughBill Anderson Honored As Longest-Serving Opry Member Ever
Pictured (L-R): Dan Rogers, Jeannie Seely, Bill Anderson and Vince Gill. Photo: Chris Hollo
Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson was recognized recently for his indelible 62 years as the longest-serving member in Grand Ole Opry history.
Some of Anderson’s Opry family and friends including Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson and Jeannie Seely paid tribute to him throughout the show, including a Seely/Anderson collaboration on “When Two World’s Collide,” a Johnson/Anderson collaboration on “Everybody Wants To Be 21” and Gill’s performance of his hit “Which Bridge To Cross, Which Bridge To Burn,” co-written with Anderson. Anderson was also presented with a plaque to commemorate the historic achievement.
NF Celebrates 23 RIAA Certs Including New Gold Single
Pictured (L-R): Jeff Krones, CAA; Ashley Pimenta, Element1 Music; Hudson Plachy, CCMG; NF; Brad O’Donnell, CCMG; Chris Woltman, Element1 Music; Lindsey Myers, CAA
Multi-Platinum rapper/producer NF was presented with six plaques to celebrate 23 new RIAA certifications, including his most recent Gold single “Hope” during his recent Bridgestone Arena show in Nashville. NF was joined by his management and CCMG label team to commemorate the momentous occasion. He kicked off the 31-city North American leg of his “Hope Tour,” earlier this month, which is nearly sold out and includes stops in Grand Rapids, Newark, Boston, Anaheim, Denver and more.
NF is touring in support of Hope, his third studio album to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 2, and seven of the album’s 13 tracks appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the week following the album’s release. A global smash, Hope charted at No. 1 in The Netherlands, New Zealand and Switzerland as well as on the UK’s Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart, and has amassed nearly half a billion combined global streams to date.
Jennifer Adan Inks With Reel Muzik Werks
Reel Muzik Werks’ Teri Nelson Carpenter and Jennifer Adan
Platinum songwriter Jennifer Adan has signed an administrative and publishing deal with Reel Muzik Werks. She has also signed an administration deal with Reel Muzik Werks for her previously existing catalog. Adan penned the Platinum two-week No. 1 hit “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” for Blake Shelton, and her song “Don’t Come Home” was featured on MTV’s The Real World: San Diego. She also collaborated on the song “Metamorphosis” which was featured on Grey’s Anatomy.
“We are so excited to be working with her and can’t wait to see what she does in the future!” shares Reel Muzik Werks’ Teri Nelson Carpenter.
“I am so excited to be a part of the Reel Muzik Werk family,” adds Adan. “I am so thrilled to have such a great team behind me.”
AMR Songs Launches Christian Division/Acquires Catalogs
Tamara Conniff
AMR Songs, founded by music industry veteran Tamara Conniff, has launched a new Christian division and acquired interests in hundreds of songs by top artists and songwriters in the genre, including GMA Dove Award-winner and Grammy-nominated Christian rock band Sanctus Real, GMA Dove Award-winner and Grammy-nominated artist Phil Wickham, GMA Dove Award-nominated Christian artists Christy Nockels and Nathan Nockels, and chart-topping GMA Dove Award-winning hip-hop artist and songwriter Kevin “KB” Burgess.
Of the hundreds of Christian titles acquired by AMR Songs, some of the gems include Sanctus Real’s “Confidence” and “Unstoppable God,” Wickham’s “This is Amazing Grace,” Nockels’ “Lord, I Need You,” KB’s “Church Clap (feat. Lecrae)” and TobyMac’s “Speak Life” (co-written by Ryan Stevenson) and more.
“We are so pleased to announce AMR Songs has launched a new Christian division and acquired interests in songs by some of the most talented and celebrated artists and writers in contemporary Christian music, to include Sanctus Real, Phil Wickham, Christy Nockels and Nathan Nockels, KB, and Ryan Stevenson. It is a complete honor to have been entrusted to take care of these works and ensure the songs continue to reach new audiences for decades to come. AMR’s diverse catalog is a powerful collection of perennial hits and Christian music gems that we’re so proud to represent as we expand into the market,” shares Conniff, AMR Co-Founder and CEO.
Tyler Childers Preps New Project ‘Rustin’ In The Rain’ For September
/by Lorie HollabaughTyler Childers
Tyler Childers is set to release his new album, Rustin’ In The Rain, on Sept. 8 via Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records. In advance of the release, the first single, “In Your Love,” is out today.
“This is a collection of songs I playfully pieced together as if I was pitching a group of songs to Elvis,” says Childers. “Some covers, one co-write and some I even wrote in my best (terrible) Elvis impersonation, as I worked around the farm and kicked around the house. I hope you enjoy listening to this album as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you. Thank you very much.”
A new video for “In Your Love,” written and creative directed by Silas House who deleveoped the story idea with Jason Kyle Howard, is out now. The clip depicts a timeless love story of two men set in rural Appalachia in the 1950s. House is a New York Times bestselling author, current Poet Laureate of Kentucky and recipient of the 2022 Duggins Prize—the largest award for an LGBTQ+ writer in the nation.
Homegrown Talent Elevated At Bluegrass Nights At The Ryman
/by LB CantrellDailey & Vincent play Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman. Photo: Eric Ahlgrim
Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman, the annual summer concert series presented by Springer Mountain Farms, comes to an end this evening (July 27) with a show from one of the genre’s giants, Ricky Skaggs.
The tradition started in 1994, with the first Bluegrass Night at the Ryman featuring Bill Monroe and Alison Krauss. Now more than 25 years later, the venue continues to celebrate bluegrass music’s contribution to history with artists and fans alike.
Rhona Vincent plays Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman. Photo: Amy Richmond
Bluegrass is special to the Ryman, as it is a part of the genre’s history. One night over 75 years ago in December of 1945, a young banjo player named Earl Scruggs joined Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys on the Ryman stage for the first time. The combination of their harmonies, upbeat tempos and a new sound referred to as “high lonesome” resulted in a new kind of music that would soon brings fans out in droves to the Mother Church. The venue honors the iconic moment with a life-size statue of Monroe, which was unveiled in 2017.
For 2023’s edition of Bluegrass Nights, stars showed out with their extremely talented pickers in tow.
Sierra Hull kicked things off on June 22 with special guests East Nash Grass. The next week, Jerry Douglas and Peter Rowan took the stage. Sam Bush was next on July 6, and the “Queen of Bluegrass” Rhonda Vincent took the stage July 13.
For last week’s show, Daily & Vincent brought the house down with their unmatched harmonies and virtuoso band. They were joined by special guest Rhonda Vincent, sister to the Duo’s Darrin Vincent. The siblings shared from the Ryman stage that they are the only brother and sister who are separately members of the Grand Ole Opry.
Vince Gill also joined Daily & Vincent as a surprise guest. The country star had a marvelous time picking and singing with some of the bluegrass greats.
Skaggs closes this summer’s Bluegrass Nights series. Tickets are still available. For more information, click here.
Inaugural AB Block Party To Celebrate Return Of Live Music To Hillsboro Village
/by Liza AndersonThe inaugural AB Block Party will celebrate the return of live music to Nashville’s Hillsboro Village this Labor Day (Sept. 4), with an emphasis on inclusivity.
AB Hillsboro Village, formerly the restaurant Anzie Blue, is a live music and event venue designed to inspire creativity. The venue holds 250 people and is equipped to host a variety of functions.
Produced by AB Hillsboro Village Co-Owners Marcie Allen and Derek Van Mol, the free festival will be headlined by acclaimed genre-fusionist Joy Oladokun, and feature Grace Bowers, the 16-year-old guitarist who recently organized a Covenant School benefit at The Basement East and raised over $20,000. Nashville mayoral candidate and former Belcourt Theatre Board member Freddie O’Connell will entertain with special DJ set. Brooke Alexx, Daniel Nunnelee, Denitia, Jack Schneider, Leon Majcen, Southern Avenue and Paul McDonald as well as an array of yet-to-be-announced acts will also perform.
The AB Block party will take place from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the parking lot of the Belcourt Theatre with multiple music stages, and a comedy show curated by Josh Black inside AB Hillsboro Village across the street at 2111 Belcourt Avenue. WKRN Anchor Blake Eason will emcee the main stage.
Additionally, the all-ages event will include pop-ups by diverse local businesses and food trucks.
“Our century-old neighborhood was one of Nashville’s original music hubs—the Grand Ole Opry broadcasted from The Belcourt Theatre in the ’30s and Harold and Owen Bradley had their studio here before literally starting Music Row,” says Allen.
“So with AB here now, our block party celebrates the return of live music to Hillsboro Village, and gives the community a rare chance to enjoy a festival created for locals by locals,” adds Van Mol.
With Lightning 100 as a media partner, the block party provides a Labor Day alternative to the Nashville radio station’s now-paused 13-year-old Live on the Green Festival. Tickets are free, with a suggested donation of $20 to support The Belcourt Theatre’s ongoing mission to provide independent cinema and arts education. A ticket is required for entry. For more information, click here.
Essential Music Publishing Promotes Jamie Rodgers To VP
/by LB CantrellJamie Rodgers
Jamie Rodgers has been promoted to Vice President at Essential Music Publishing, the publishing division of Provident Entertainment.
She rises from her prior position as Senior Creative Director at EMP, where she has been since 2017. During her tenure, the company has welcomed more than 20 new artists and staff writers to their roster, including David Leonard, Ryan Ellis, David Spencer, Sam Ash and Cecily Hennigan. Prior to joining the EMP team, Rodgers was Manager of National Promotions and Commercial Partnerships at Capitol Christian Music Group.
In her new role, Rodgers will lead the development of Essential Music Publishing’s staff and artist-writer roster as well as oversee the advancement and reach of their catalog.
“Over the last six years, Jamie has been a true champion of our entire roster, always striving to see them supported in their calling and recognized for each of their amazing talents,” shares Holly Zabka, President of Provident Entertainment. “I am incredibly grateful for all she pours out to continue the growth, legacy, and impact of Essential Music Publishing.”
Ashley Cooke Speaks On The Making Of Her 24-Song Debut Album [Interview]
/by Liza AndersonPhoto: Courtesy of Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music
Hailing from all over the nation, rising country star Ashley Cooke knows how to connect with all types of people, leading her to cultivate a uniquely relatable writing style and modern pop country sound. This past year has been a big one for the Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music artist, as she has toured the nation with Cole Swindell and Luke Bryan, and made multiple national television appearances as well as her Ryman and Grand Ole Opry debuts. Cooke returned to the historic Opry circle last month to perform and announce her debut album Shot in the Dark.
The Opry NextStage artist gave fans a taste of the project leading up to it’s Friday (July 21) release, unveiling five of the tracks. Now, the full 24-track collection is out for the world to hear. The album features collaborations with Colbie Caillat, Brett Young, Jackson Dean and Nate Smith, and marks one of the longest debut albums from a female country artist to date. Last week, Cooke sat down with MusicRow to talk about the creation of Shot in the Dark and her journey thus far.
Growing up, she had many “home towns.” She lived in 19 different homes before she turned 18. Cooke was born in Wisconsin and then moved to California to support her sister Jenn‘s acting career. When she was 15, she and her family made their way to Florida.
Cooke resided in the sunshine state up until she left for college. It’s where she feels her most formative years took place and where her love of country music truly developed, which is why she decided to film much of the album’s content there.
During those years, she learned and drew musical inspiration from Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and more.
“They take a universal feeling and make it feel very specific. I love that because there’s love, loss, heartbreak, parents, career and so many things you can talk about in music. The way that they say things are just so unique, and we can all feel them,” says Cooke.
She notes that Luke Bryan, who she is currently on tour with, is also a huge inspiration of hers.
“I love how he just entertains, he [knows] how to put on a show and make people [feel good]. That to me was so important to incorporate. I have my more singer-songwriter songs [on the album] like ‘It’s Been a Year’ and ‘Never Til Now (feat. Brett Young)’ that are more lyric/story driven, but then I have others like ‘Moving On With Grace,’ that are a lot of fun and I feel build an arc in a show.”
In her early teen years, Cooke and her sister had formed a musical duo and began traveling to Nashville and writing on Music Row before her sister took up acting. It wasn’t until 2015 that she officially moved to Music City and enrolled in Belmont University to study marketing. Cooke jumped back into music when she entered the Belmont Country Showcase her senior year and won. She then gained traction on TikTok in 2020, propelling her forward as a solo act.
Cooke shares that her writing has evolved since she was a teenager, as she has grown and lived more life. She pulls from her personal stories as well as her experience moving around and meeting people of various backgrounds to hone in on timeless concepts and feelings everyone can relate to, conveying them musically.
“I was always the new kid, which could cause some people to [crawl back] into their shell. So I had the choice to either do that or force myself to be extraverted, make friends and connect with people of different upbringings quickly. It is because of that that I feel I’ve got a decent grasp on different types of humans, and I have friends across the board from different areas and backgrounds. I’m not just from one town in a certain area, and when writing songs for all these different people, I think that serves me well.”
Cooke co-wrote 20 of the album’s tracks and penned one by herself. When crafting Shot in the Dark, those interpersonal skills also helped her to determine which collaborators she wanted to work with on certain song ideas.
“There’s been a lot of times when I’ve been on the road that I’ve heard something in a conversation and think, ‘That’d be so cool [to write about.’ Then [the idea] spirals. I’ll write it down in my phone and I’ll know who I want to write it with, thinking, ‘Oh so-and-so would crush this or so-and-so has mastered this [element] before.’ I’ll save certain ideas for certain people,” she shares. “Sometimes I’ll write a whole song and it’ll feel right—then there’s other times when I know I need a friend [or friends] to help me get out of my own head and bring their flare to it.”
Cooke remembers the moment she got the idea for one of five songs that she released early “Enough to Leave,” which she wrote alongside Matt Roy and Lauren Weintraub about deciding to walk away from a relationship.
She recalls staying in a hotel one night while on tour and not being able to fall asleep until she got the idea out. At 2 a.m., Cooke wrote the entire chorus by herself and then felt the need to bring others in before continuing, knowing specifically that Roy and Weintraub would help the song come to life.
The only number she wrote solo, “Next to You,” came to her the morning after her Opry debut as she walked out to kitchen counter covered with flowers and champagne bottles. The track talks about how true contentment is achieved when you’re surrounded by people you love.
“I never thought [‘Next to You’] would make the album or even be [released],” confesses Cooke. “I just sat down in this T-shirt I’ve had since middle school and I was honestly just journaling with a guitar.”
The closing track, “State I’m In,” highlights her ability to relate to people of various backgrounds united with her skill for pinpointing the strengths in her collaborators.
“I was in a van, driving through somewhere in the midwest, heading to a show. I was scrolling through Instagram and seeing all of my friends getting engaged, married, having babies or buying houses. I was so excited for them and couldn’t wait to be a bridesmaid or an ‘aunt.’ I looked up from my phone and realized that we’re the same age, but I’m with my band on the way to a show and they’re in a house they just bought pregnant in California. I thought that would be such a cool play on the idea ‘State I’m In.’
“I’m in Ohio and she is in California, but we’re also in different states of our lives. I wrote the title down in my phone, thinking I could write it [solo], but then I said to myself, ‘You know who would crush this? Emily Weisband and Jordan Reynolds.'”
Another organic song on the record is one of the early releases “Mean Girl (feat. Colbie Caillat),” which is a melodic, thoughtful warning to an ex’s new girlfriend penned by Cooke, Caillat, Nicolle Galyon and Jimmy Robbins. A big fan of all the talent in the room, Cooke went into the writing session with a specific idea. That idea quickly morphed into a cool play-on-words duet born from a different approach they came up with during their writing break.
The title track also formed spontaneously from a conversation, which took place during the end of a retreat Cooke was on with Weisband, Jordan Minton and Corey Crowder. Minton initially said the phrase in reference to taking a risk in the music industry, but it sprouted another double-meaning idea in Cooke’s mind.
While the song is about two strangers taking a shot in the dark—literally and figuratively—Cooke determined that the title summed up her career thus far. The artist notes that if she hadn’t taken a “shot in the dark” with the Belmont Country Showcase, TikTok and more, she wouldn’t be where she is today.
In August, she will kick off the “Shot In The Dark Tour,” her first-ever headlining trek. Cooke hopes that she’ll be able to continue to connect with people everywhere through the album and live shows.
“This is my first time letting people know who I am as an artist and lyricist. I hope that people hear my music and feel a similar way about me to how I felt about the [artists] I loved growing up, and that they find themselves in the songs. I hope they find something that makes them think, ‘I want to hear that line over and over again,’ because it’s so relatable. I want them to feel like the songs are part of the soundtrack to their lives and what they’re going through.”
Nicole Alexis Inks With XLSongs & Round Hill Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): XLSongs’ Kevin Griffin, Round Hill Music’s Lindsay Will, Nicole Alexis, Round Hill Music’s Taylor Antle and Mike Whelan. Photo: Courtesy of Round Hill Music
Songwriter and producer Nicole Alexis has signed an exclusive songwriting deal with XLSongs and Round Hill Music.
The New Orleans native was writing songs and performing on guitar, piano, drums and bass by age 10. Alexis has co-written and produced songs with artists including Kidd G, Tony Lanez, YNW B-Slime and Cheat Codes.
“When we started XLSongs and teamed with Round Hill, we knew we wanted our first signing to be a triple threat; a great artist, prolific songwriter and a monster producer,” says XLSongs’ Kevin Griffin. “Nicole Alexis is all that and more. We’re so thrilled to have her with XL Songs and can’t wait to see what the future holds!”
Dolly Parton Rocks Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’ For 2024 Paris Olympics Campaign
/by Lorie HollabaughDolly Parton. Photo: Vijat Mohindra
Dolly Parton has collaborated with NBCUniversal on a new video for her cover of the Queen classic “We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You,” which will be used to promote NBCU’s coverage of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 that begin one year from today.
“We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You” is Parton’s cover of the famous rock anthem and appears on her upcoming album Rockstar, which was inspired by her 2022 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The album is set for release Nov. 17.
The new video begins with Parton singing in an empty stadium and is infused with moments only the Olympics can provide—spectacular Opening and Closing Ceremonies from the past, iconic highlights known the world over and athletes enduring adversity, demonstrating perseverance and becoming champions. Olympians and teams featured in the video include Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Noah Lyles, Katie Ledecky, the women’s soccer team, men’s and women’s basketball teams and a host of international athletes. The video also features Parton performing in front of a sparkling Eiffel Tower and concludes with her surrounded by fans in a full stadium all singing “We Are The Champions” until it crescendos and transitions into “We Will Rock You.”
A huge fan of the Olympics and Team USA, Parton aligned with NBCU to produce the Olympic-themed video that celebrates the athletes and creates excitement about next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Various versions of the video are debuting today across NBCUniversal’s platforms.
“I love the Olympics! I do my best to plan my schedule to watch as much of it as I possibly can,” says Parton. “I tape it just in case I miss the live action on a certain day and watch it back as soon as possible. I laugh, I cry, I scream, there are no losers in the Olympics as they have all spent a lifetime preparing but I celebrate with the ones that go away with the gold, silver, and bronze medals.”
“Dolly Parton is an American Icon whose popularity and recognition across generations is unmatched,” says Jenny Storms, CMO, Entertainment and Sports, NBCUniversal. “She is also a close member of the NBCUniversal family, an Olympic super-fan, and has a new version of two of the greatest sports anthems of all time. So, she was the perfect choice to get America excited about Team USA and next summer’s Paris Olympics.”