Brad Paisley Becomes Ambassador For UNITED24 In Support Of Ukraine

Country music superstar Brad Paisley has joined UNITED24 as an ambassador to support the Rebuild Ukraine program.

The initiative was launched by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to collect charitable donations in support of rebuilding and restoring homes damaged by the current war. Paisley was introduced in an online call with President Zelenskyy where he thanked Paisley for his support of Ukrainians.

“I am happy that you decided to join, especially the Rebuild Ukraine program. Many peoples’ lives have been destroyed. Now we need to work with as many famous people as possible, who will draw attention to the restoration of homes for Ukrainians who’ve suffered from the war,” Zelenskyy explained.

“I am not alone in wanting to help Ukraine,” Paisley shared. “But like a lot of people in America, until now I haven’t been sure exactly how to lend a hand from over here in the U.S. I count myself very lucky to have been given a platform that will allow me to do that very thing. As an American, I see how very similar we are, how we share so many common values with these brave people in Ukraine, and I’m focusing my efforts on helping Ukrainian families rebuild and return to their homes.”

In 2022, Paisley supported Ukraine by participating in the Ukraine: Answering the Call charity telethon broadcast in prime-time in the USA.

Clay Walker Takes Country To The High Seas

Show Dog Nashville recording artist Clay Walker brought his traditional sound to the sold-out Country Music Cruise 2023 this week. During the excursion, he performed for country music fans onboard Holland America’s Nieuw Amersterdam ship.

Walker has celebrated four Platinum albums, more than 30 charted singles and 11 No. 1s throughout his career. In August of 2021, he released his debut record with independent label Show Dog Nashville, Texas To Tennessee. Last March, Walker also teamed up with friend and fellow artist Tracy Lawrence for a co-headlining journey that ran through May.

Compass Records Group Adds Robbie Fulks To Artist Roster

Compass Records Group has added alt-country artist Robbie Fulks to its roster. Fulks’ 30-year career has included 15 solo albums and two Grammy nominations.

He became a defining artist of the alt-country scene in the 1990s with releases on independent label Bloodshot Records, Yep Roc and Geffen Records. For the last ten years, he has focused on his writing and performing with homespun tales and acoustic instruments.

Compass Records co-founder Alison Brown shares: “I’ve been a fan of Robbie since I had the chance to play on his 2005 release ‘Georgia Hard.’ He’s one of the most slyly creative, irreverent and damn fun artists out there. No one can write songs like Robbie Fulks does. It’s almost unfair that he can sing and play so well too. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Robbie to the Compass Records family.”

“I’m positively giddy to be with Compass Records. They’ve been such an unflagging champion of the ever-endangered species of bluegrass, Irish and Americana songwriter music. What’s more, the company is run by two badass musicians,” Fulks adds. “Will my semiannual statements be scrawled in Nashville number system on a cocktail napkin? Will Alison and Garry [West] be too busy filling their plates with free food at wedding buffets to promote me vigorously? Will my mean-spirited banjo jokes make me a pariah? I can’t wait to see what happens in these next few years.”

The Red Clay Strays Ink With WME

The Red Clay Strays have signed with WME for global representation in all areas. The agent team representing the group includes Co-Head of WME’s Nashville office Jay Williams, Aaron Tannenbaum, Alex Collignon and Kanan Vitolo.

The Red Clay Strays is made up of Brandon Coleman (lead vocals/guitar), Drew Nix (vocals/electric guitar/harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass) and John Hall (drums). Following with their debut album, Moment of Truth, their single, “Good Godly Woman,” has reached a million streams and they have been tapped as support for 28 spring dates on Elle King‘s “A-Freakin-Men Tour” and four dates on Eric Church’s “The Outsiders Revival Tour.” The band is also on the bill for a variety of festivals this year, including Mile 0 Fest, Moon Crush, Tortuga Music Festival, Hwy 30 Music Fest, Under The Big Sky and Peacemaker Festival.

“We’re thrilled to welcome The Red Clay Strays to the WME family,” shares Williams. “The talent of these guys was undeniable from the first time we were introduced to them, and we can’t wait for the rest of the world to witness it too.”

“We are extremely grateful and blessed to have the opportunity to partner with WME as we take these next steps in our career,” the group shares. “We love the team that’s working with us and can’t wait to get ‘er going. #HBYCO”

Sony Music Nashville has signed rising singer-songwriter Dylan Marlowe in conjunction with Play It Again Entertainment.

To celebrate, Marlowe debuted a new track, “Record High,” which he wrote alongside Zach Abend, Abram Dean, and Tyler Collins.

“One night it was super late and my roommate tossed out the phrase ‘record high,’” Marlowe shares of the track. “We started writing right then and kinda flipped what you normally think of when you think of a record high, and wrote it in a negative sense about a breakup in the absolute worst way it could be done. I’m so proud of how everything came together for this song. It’s for sure one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written.”

Hailing from Statesboro, Georgia, Marlowe moved to Nashville just before the start of the pandemic. He signed a publishing and artist development deal with hit songwriter and publisher Dallas Davidson’s Play It Again Entertainment in 2020, and began to pick up steam online after a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License” went viral on TikTok. The enthusiasm surrounding the track prompted him to release it to streaming services, followed by his own tunes such as “All About It,” “I’ll Keep The Country,” and his most recent track, “Why’d We Break Up Again.”

Marlowe, who was recently named to Spotify’s 2023 Hot Country Artists to Watch list, recently earned his first No. 1 as a songwriter with Jon Pardi’s “Last Night Lonely.” He also recently spent some time opening for Cole Swindell out on the road.

One could truly feel the fellowship among Nashville’s music industry in giant swells earlier this week as Elle King rang in the release of her full-length, debut country album, Come Get Your Wife. The dozen-song project, produced by Ross Copperman, will be available everywhere tomorrow (Jan. 27).

Setting up shop at American Legion Post 82 on the east side of town, industry execs from far and wide, including members from Apple Music, UMG, ACM, BMI, Sony Music Publishing, Monument Records and many more, were in attendance, as well as a handful of fellow artists–Dierks Bentley, The War And Treaty, King Calaway, Caitlyn Smith, Charlie Worsham and Pillbox Patti, to name a few.

Standing in such a packed room full of so many familiar faces from all sections of the industry, it was evident that Nashville has rallied behind King in a special way for her debut project.

Decked out with a 360 photo station, a kissing booth, temporary tattoos to resemble her signature ink and a variety of specialty cocktails, the evening saw King and her trusty band clad in classic westernware.

Rusty Gaston, CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville, was on hand to welcome the crowd and shower King in praise.

“There is [someone] in here thinking to themselves, ‘This is a rockstar that has come to Nashville to make a country record because this is easy.’ I want to tell you there is nothing that is further from the truth,” Gaston put plainly. “This girl is a real songwriter, she is a real American storyteller. What she’s done is come home. She is one of us, she’s part of this community, she is welcomed here and she belongs here”

He continued, “There are creators that live in rarified air, people that have a respect level at another level like Miranda Lambert, Eric Church and Chris Stapleton. Tonight we’re adding a new name to that list and it is RCA recording artist Elle King!”

With the stage set, King shot off into a six-song preview of the album, beginning with the firecracker track “Tulsa.”

Before taking on the lazy rocker of “Before You Met Me,” King took a moment to address the crowd of friends and supports, noting, “I’m very proud of this whole record and I want to say thank you to all of the songwriters and badass musicians who played on it. Thank you everyone for being here to celebrate this.”

A common theme throughout the evening, King doted on her firstborn child, Lucky, who was born in September of 2021 and served as a major source of inspiration throughout the creation of the record. King also explained that she never could’ve expected her breakout country single with Lambert, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” to become a history-making, No. 1 tune, and essentially, her foray into making Come Get Your Wife.

“It was kind of like a lightning strike of luck. I feel like I was blessed and honored to get this opportunity to make music,” King explained. “I started asking if there were songs written by other people and I got a song called ‘Out Yonder.’ It was written by Ella Langley, Bobby Hamrick and Matt Mckinney, and when I heard it I said, ‘What the f*ck is that song?’”

Before playing the rowdy track, she shared: “I just want to say thank you so much to the most amazingly talented, incredible songwriters ever. Ella, Bobby and Matt helped me write a majority of the rest of my record because once I heard this song I had to know who wrote it… I’m honored that you guys gave this gift of a song to me. If you’re a songwriter, you’re probably better than my ass. Please send your songs to me, thank you,” she added cheekily.

King also showcased her powerful vocal on “Lucky,” which was named after and written about her son. She also broke out some mandolin skills as she performed the previously released “Jersey Giant,” written by Tyler Childers.

By the time King invited her two-times-over duet partner Dierks Bentley to the stage, the room was at a fever pitch. Before delivering their most recent collaboration and King’s current single, “Worth A Shot,” the two exchanged some kind words.

“When I met Dierks Bentley, I said, ‘That guy’s cool.’ And I was right!” King said with a smile. “Dierks changed my life and I love him so much. He brought me into country music and showed me around… I’m so grateful for him.”

“Every time I hear Chris Stapleton on the radio, I smile because I think about how easily Chris could have slipped through the cracks,” Bentley explained. “Luckily, it worked out and the world is better off because we get to listen to Chris Stapleton. I feel the exact same way about Elle. We need characters in Nashville. We don’t need the cookie cutter shit, we need real characters like Loretta, like Dolly and like Elle. She is going to be in the fabric of country music for a long time and we’ll be telling stories about her.”

Thanking Chairman & CEO of Sony Music Nashville Randy Goodman, the whole Sony crew who has been with her throughout her career, Copperman and other members of her team, King also shared her loving sentiments for Music City before the night adjourned.

“Nashville has been the most beautiful place, it has helped me heal, and that’s what’s beautiful about this opportunity to write songs and be creative in so many ways. It’s a cathartic thing that lends to a connection with other people and helps us feel like we’re not alone,” King summed. “I’m so glad that this is where I get to raise my son. I’m so thankful to everyone that has helped me make this record. I’m so proud of this record, and it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever done… Thank you guys so much for being here tonight. I appreciate y’all so much.”

King ended the night with the album’s jazzy and flowing final track, “Love Go By.” Written by King, alongside Geoffrey Warburton and Joe Jania, she couldn’t have closed the night with a more compelling vocal performance, leaving the crowd wanting more.

She will launch her headlining “A-Freakin-Men Tour Presented by Slow & Low” on Feb. 14. The Red Clay Strays will join her as special guests on the dates, which will visit Atlanta, Asheville, Boston, Indianapolis, Chicago, Austin and more through March 25.

Tucker Martine is celebrating his father, Nashville songwriter Layng Martine Jr., with his new Music Man album, out via Bloodshot Records/Kill Rock Stars on May 19.

Music Man started off as a Christmas gift from Tucker to his father a few years ago. Tucker selected the songs from Layng’s extensive catalog, some dating as far back as 1964, and gathered notable players including Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Bill Frisell, Laura Veirs and K.D. Lang for the sessions, among others.

A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Layng has had songs covered by Elvis, Reba, Jerry Lee Lewis and others. Now, at the age of 81, he and wife Linda split their time between Nashville and Rhode Island, and their life has had its share of triumphs and tragedies.

Layng’s 2019 memoir, Permission to Fly, details his early wandering days, his time as a songwriter in Nashville and the car accident that left his wife a paraplegic. He was inspired to write a memoir after publishing his “Modern Love” essay for the New York Times about the incident, which shared details of their life post-accident with candor and humor and became one of its most shared columns.

“The songs on Music Man literally sparkle with excitement and vitality and give new credence to the term ‘good time music,'” notes Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers.