Warner Chappell Music and Dane Schmidt‘s Daschent have signed singer-songwriter Joey Hendricks to an exclusive artist development and worldwide publishing agreement.

Hendricks moved to Nashville from Washington state in 2018. He has written songs for Lady A, Nate Smith, Avenue Beat and Eric Ethridge. He recently released a new single, “Wild Wind,” which he co-wrote with Emily Shackelton and Andy Skib. On Friday (June 16) he will release his latest single “Run Away,” which he co-wrote alongside Aaron Espe.

Hendricks is set to release his debut album next year, which also includes co-writes with songwriters Steve Moakler, Devin Dawson, Lori McKenna, Dan Layus, Ben Chapman, Meg McRee, Savana Santos, Jaida Dreyer, Tawgs Salter and Michael Whitworth.

Brent Cobb will release his new album, Southern Star, on Sept. 22 via Ol’ Buddy Records/Thirty Tigers. The title track from the new collection is out now.

The project is Cobb’s first self-produced album, and was recorded at Macon’s famed Capricorn Sound Studios. A love-letter to his Southern roots, Southern Star is filled with the sounds and stories of Cobb’s home state of Georgia. Across the collection’s ten tracks, Cobb finds beauty in the small moments as he explores seemingly simple themes and pays tribute to the region that influenced so many legendary artists.

“You know how when you’re growing up, you’re told that if you ever get lost out there, look for the northern star to help find direction back home? Well, I’m from Georgia. So, I always look for the southern star,” explains Cobb. “This album, the songs, the sounds… it’s all a product of where I’m from both musically and environmentally. Historically and presently, that place also happens to be the same place that cultivated a good many of the most influential artists in the whole world of music. Music as we know it would not exist without the American south. It’s funky and sentimental. It’s simple and complex.”

In celebration of the new album, Cobb will embark on a headlining tour this fall with stops at Austin’s Parish, Dallas’ Studio at The Factory, Los Angeles’ Troubadour, San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, New York’s Bowery Ballroom, Lexington’s The Burl, Atlanta’s Terminal West, Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl and more. He’ll also join Luke Combs on his sold-out “World Tour” this summer as well as select dates with Whiskey Myers and The Steel Woods.

Southern Star Track Listing:
1. “Southern Star”
2. “It’s a Start”
3. “Livin’ the Dream”
4. “Patina”
5. “‘On’t Know When”
6. “Kick the Can”
7. “Devil Ain’t Done”
8. “When Country Came Back to Town”
9. “Miss Ater”
10. “Shade Tree”

Dustin Lynch Brings His Pool Situation To Margaritaville Nashville

Dustin Lynch took over the rooftop pool at Margaritaville Hotel Nashville on Saturday (June 10) for a Music City edition of his popular annual Pool Situation Parties. After launching the first country music-themed, full-weekend pool party of its kind in Sin City in June 2021, Lynch punched up all the “Party Mode” entertainment during CMA Fest’s 50th anniversary weekend.

Bringing the iconic spinning wheel from his long-standing eight-year-running Pool Party bash during Luke Bryan’s annual Crash My Playa, the free event served up shots, mullets (ready with a barber onstage) and more. Surprise artists mixed in with Lynch performing his top hits, such as MacKenzie Porter, Little Big Town and Lynch’s mentee Austin McNeill from the 2023 Tractor Supply Emerging Artists Program.

 

Jelly Roll Reaches Billionaire Status Pandora Style

Jelly Roll was honored last week by Pandora as a Pandora Billionaire, recognizing over a Billion career streams on the platform. The rising star was also honored as the Billboard 2023 Breakthrough Artist after being revealed as the cover of Billboard’s Country Power Player Issue.

Jelly Roll also made his official CMA Fest performance debut last week with a surprise appearance Friday night at Nissan Stadium, where he performed “Need a Favor” and “Son of a Sinner.”

 

Craig Campbell’s ‘Outskirts Of Heaven’ Goes Gold

Craig Campbell was halfway through his set on the Dr. Pepper AMP Stage at CMA Fest last weekend when his manager, Maddy Grossl, interrupted him with news that his hit “Outskirts of Heaven” was certified Gold. Grossl, Craig’s wife and daughter, producer Mickey Jack Cones, and much Campbell’s team came on stage to deliver a plaque and celebrate the occasion. Originally released in 2016, the song has received over 51 million streams on Spotify alone.

“I knew we were close, and I knew we would get there one day,” said Campbell. “We couldn’t have done it without all these folks on stage, especially my wife Mindy, my daughters, Maddy, this entire team and especially the fans. This one’s for you all!”

 

Ryman Auditorium Unveils New Ford VIP Lounge

Ryman Auditorium has unveiled a new Ford VIP Lounge in partnership with Mid-South Ford Dealers. The Ford Lounge is part of a $1.3 million investment at the Mother Church that also includes a new retail shop, which opened in March. Following a ribbon cutting earlier in the day, the new space welcomed guests for the first time at Marty Stuart’s Annual Late-Night Jam.

The new VIP lounge offers exclusive entry to the show, private restrooms, hor d’oeurves, cocktails and soft drinks, as well as a commemorative Hatch Print Show of that night’s show. Entry to the Ford VIP Lounge is available as an add-on with concert ticket purchase for an additional $100. To celebrate the new space, the Ryman and its partners will surprise guests with giveaways and VIP upgrades each month throughout the year.

“We are always looking for new ways to elevate the guest experience at the Ryman,” says Gary Levy, General Manager of Ryman Auditorium. “We are fortunate that Ford shares our passion for creating unforgettable moments, and we are thrilled the new Ford Lounge will provide such a unique experience for fans while visiting the Ryman.”

 

Trend Management Opens Music City Office

Full-service talent management agency Trend Management has expanded to Nashville in addition to its Houston headquarters and bi-coastal representation in New York City and L.A. Founded in 2019, Trend Management’s expansion to Nashville will allow for continued growth for the company as it follows CEO and founder Ted Raad’s mission to provide a client-first experience that advocates for the creators, their personal brands and their individual entrepreneurial opportunities.

Trend’s Nashville team includes Senior Talent Manager McKenna Monk, a Nashville native and granddaughter of the late revered radio personality Charlie Monk. The company represents a roster of influencers, creators and entertainers across the lifestyle, fashion and entertainment industries, including internet personality and entrepreneur Jaclyn Hill, actress and former Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi, lifestyle influencers Alexa Anglin, Caleigh Ryan, (wife of country artist Hardy) and viral TikTok creator and internet personality, Danae Hays, among many others.

The Recording Academy has added three new categories for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.

Additionally, the Academy has moved existing categories Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical to the General Field, allowing all Grammy voters to vote in these non-genre-specific categories. The category additions and amendments were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy’s most recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting held in May 2023.

“The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape,” says Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “By introducing these three new categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists—and relocating the Producer Of the Year and Songwriter Of The Year categories to the General Field ensures that all our voters can participate in recognizing excellence in these fields. We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.”

Descriptions of the new Grammy Award Categories:
Best African Music Performance:
A track and singles category that recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent. Highlighting regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions, the category includes but is not limited to the Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz genres.

Best Pop Dance Recording:
Recognizes tracks and singles that feature up-tempo, danceable music that follows a pop arrangement. Eligible Pop Dance recordings also feature strong rhythmic beats and significant electronic-based instruments with an emphasis on the vocal performance, melody and hooks. Dance remixes are eligible in the Best Remixed Recording category only and may not be entered in Best Pop Dance Recording.

Best Alternative Jazz Album:
This category recognizes artistic excellence in Alternative Jazz albums by individuals, duos and groups/ensembles, with or without vocals. Alternative Jazz may be defined as a genre-blending, envelope-pushing hybrid that mixes jazz (improvisation, interaction, harmony, rhythm, arrangements, composition, and style) with other genres, including R&B, Hip-Hop, Classical, Contemporary Improvisation, Experimental, Pop, Rap, Electronic/Dance music, and/or Spoken Word. It may also include the contemporary production techniques/instrumentation associated with other genres.