Chappel McCollister. Photo: Stacie Huckeba
The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.
As SVP of Business Development at Wasserman Music, Chappel McCollister is devoted to leveraging synergies between the company’s music, sports, film, marketing and social media divisions to build unique, high-profile and profitable campaigns for clients.
Prior to joining Wasserman, McCollister spent five years spent running Taylor Swift’s tour partnerships, during which he represented brands such as Covergirl, Keds, Diet Coke and Elizabeth Arden. He also executive produced Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s documentary Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul and sold it to Showtime, where it aired in 2017. In addition, he activated Covergirl’s partnership with the NFL for an innovative 2011 campaign involving pop-up nail salons to provide team-themed manicures in stadium parking lots.
More recently, McCollister collaborated with Kacey Musgraves early in the pandemic on a candle line with Boy Smells, which has sold more than 100,000 units and earned the Candle of the Year award for 2021 from the Fragrance Foundation. In addition, he negotiated George Strait‘s H-E-B Super Bowl commercial, LeAnn Rimes‘ partnership with Novartis and brokered CAAMP‘s “See the World” sync for the TV and digital campaign Ohio.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. I was there until I was a sophomore in high school. Then I moved to Birmingham and finished out high school there.
Were you into music as a kid?
I wasn’t musical at all. I was a runner. I ran track and ultimately went to college for track. I went to UNC Charlotte and ran freshman year at UNCC. The only music I absorbed was whatever my brothers were introducing me to.
What was college like?
Freshman year I ran for UNCC and then I decided that my running career was over and decided to transfer to Auburn University. At Auburn, I took up rowing. I rowed on their crew team for three years. In addition to that, I started working with the Auburn University Programming Council. I started focusing on booking university-funded entertainment, specifically their music. I booked two big shows a year, one per semester. I eventually ran that department. That’s where I fell in love with music and the music industry.
In the summers, I would go back to Birmingham and intern. I did a free internship for a little club called Work Play in Birmingham. I was a local stage hand for them at night to make a little extra money. In the summer, I worked for a music festival in Birmingham that no longer exists called Birmingham City Stages. With the university side of things, I learned about the booking side; I learned a little bit more of the production elements being a stage hand at Work Play, and then I learned even more doing production work for the festival.
Chappel and Haley McCollister on Taylor Swift’s “1989 Tour.”
What an education! Were there any shows you booked during college that affirmed that you wanted to pursue a career in the music industry?
We were fortunate at Auburn that we had a pretty deep budget, certainly for 12 years ago. I had to alternate the genre every semester. Auburn is an agriculture and engineer school—so I couldn’t neglect country. At the same time, when I was in college, rap and hip-hop was super big so I had to make sure I facilitated that genre. We also had some rock fans, so it was a bunch of different stuff. The show I was probably the most excited about was when I had Ben Harper play with Citizen Cope. I also had O.A.R. play, which was a huge college band at the time. My hip-hop show was Soulja Boy opening for Akon. That was a really fun one. I did a rock show that was Live and Collective Soul.
It gave me the bug. I’ve never been an agent, nor wanted to be an agent necessarily, but being on the booking side gave me the bug for the industry.
What did you do after graduation?
I graduated in the summer of 2009, which was pretty deep into the recession, so there weren’t a lot of “dream jobs” that you think you’re going to get. I was fortunate enough to get a contractor position with a company based in Detroit that had just opened a Nashville office called George P. Johnson. They were an experiential marketing company that focused on auto shows, but they were starting to get into other elements of experiential marketing. They had just sold this tour sponsorship for an insurance brand named Country Financial Insurance. They were sponsoring two separate tours, Jason Aldean and Jewel. They needed somebody to go out on the road to help fulfill all those elements that had been agreed upon. They needed someone that would work hard for like 18 hours a day and be grateful for the opportunity, so I did that as a contractor for George P. Johnson for a year. I went out on the road with Jason and Jewel and enjoyed that, but realized that I didn’t necessarily want to be on the road full time. I was fortunate enough to get a full-time job with GPJ, managing those tours from the office and going out occasionally.
Later, three or four of us spun that group off into a side agency called G7 Entertainment Marketing. For the next five or six years, I ran our tour sponsorship division. I helped pitch, sell and manage those tour sponsorships.
What was next?
[My nearly 7 years at] G7 were great for me. I was helping advise brands on how to spend their money in live music. Tour sponsorships started shifting, money was shifting, and [brands became] very much focused on content opportunities. I had been on the brand side of the coin and I was interested in being on the artist’s side. I felt like I would have a more holistic view of what an artist was working on. There weren’t a lot of people on the artist side who had previously been on the brand side, so not a lot of people had that perspective. I felt like there was value there and I looked for the right opportunity. I also wanted to expand outside tour sponsorships; I wanted to touch other aspects of an artist’s career.
I was fortunate enough to connect with Jason Owen and his team at Sandbox. At Sandbox, I was able to focus on endorsement, licensing opportunities, and VIP opportunities. I packaged and sold the Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul documentary and helped launch Little Big Town‘s wine brand, along with Jason and the team. My time at Sandbox helped expand my horizons as to what was possible, and ultimately grow my skill sets.
Part of Wasserman Music’s Nashville team at their recent AmericaFest Happy Hour. Photo: Stacie Huckeba
Next you joined Paradigm, which became Wasserman in 2021. How did you get there?
Paradigm was looking for someone to help grow some non-touring opportunities for the roster, specifically in Nashville. Most of the Nashville office were agents or agent support teams, so there weren’t a lot of people that were focusing on things outside of touring or performance-based opportunities. I came over and, at the time, the only artist that Sandbox and Paradigm shared was Kacey Musgraves and the Johnny Cash Estate. I was lucky that I got to continue to work with them [when I went to Paradigm].
Early in my time at Paradigm, I was focused on trying to get some wins on the board and provide value for our artists in the brand space. That has grown into licensing and I do some sync work. My job at Wasserman is solely focused on growing the country and Americana genre for the roster and bringing opportunities for that roster that may live outside of traditional touring.
Your role is unique at an agency. Did you feel a lot of pressure during the pandemic to find other ways for artists to make a living?
Absolutely. I have a colleague here that works with me and the two of us were some of the only people that could produce revenue during the heat of the pandemic. The pressure to bring opportunities and to retain clients was really high. I’m very glad that we’re out of that. The pressure is always high in the agency world based on the competitors, but it was just a very different environment.
During normal times, when do you feel most fulfilled in what you do?
I think there sometimes is a misconception that, in some of these partnerships, there’s a winner and a loser. At the end of the day, I wear the artist jersey and I always will. So I feel the best when the artist is happy [with a partnership]. But for the sake of a partnership, assuming everyone is playing by the rules, I think there’s a lot of opportunity to have both parties feel really good. When both parties feel good about a launch, a partnership or a collaboration, that’s when I feel the best. But like I said, at the end of the day, my sole job is to represent the artist and make sure that they feel heard and represented appropriately.
Have you had any mentors along the way that have been important to you?
When I joined Jason and his team at Sandbox, it really opened my world as to artist representation and what that meant. The way that Jason thinks outside of the traditional model of artist representation is, to this day, something that I think is unparalleled. I feel really fortunate to have had that time with him and I still work very closely with him.
Louis Messina has been a friend and a mentor for me for over 10 years. My wife works with Louis, but he’s been kind enough to give me some time over the years. I have an immense amount of respect for what he’s built, how he’s built it, and how he’s evolved over his career. This year is his 50th year in the industry. How he’s been able to evolve as a promoter and as a leader in the industry over five decades is pretty amazing.
What have been some moments in your career that you’ll always remember?
Touring internationally was an amazing experience. I got to do that with a couple of Taylor Swift tours as well as U2. Those were really big moments. At Wasserman, we just launched this full Blake Shelton/Lands End lifestyle collaboration that involves apparel, pet and home. It was almost two years in the works. It takes a long time and it’s a really cool feeling to get it out there into the world. That has been a moment we’ve been really excited about as well.
What does success mean to you?
It’s cheesy to say, but I haven’t dreaded going to work in probably 10 years. I’m excited to get in the office and see what the day brings. There’s definitely days that are tough and annoying that will wear on you, but as a whole, I get excited to come into the office. I really enjoy what I do. If you don’t, it’s worth taking a look at making a change.
My Music Row Story: Wasserman Music’s Chappel McCollister
/by LB CantrellChappel McCollister. Photo: Stacie Huckeba
As SVP of Business Development at Wasserman Music, Chappel McCollister is devoted to leveraging synergies between the company’s music, sports, film, marketing and social media divisions to build unique, high-profile and profitable campaigns for clients.
Prior to joining Wasserman, McCollister spent five years spent running Taylor Swift’s tour partnerships, during which he represented brands such as Covergirl, Keds, Diet Coke and Elizabeth Arden. He also executive produced Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s documentary Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul and sold it to Showtime, where it aired in 2017. In addition, he activated Covergirl’s partnership with the NFL for an innovative 2011 campaign involving pop-up nail salons to provide team-themed manicures in stadium parking lots.
More recently, McCollister collaborated with Kacey Musgraves early in the pandemic on a candle line with Boy Smells, which has sold more than 100,000 units and earned the Candle of the Year award for 2021 from the Fragrance Foundation. In addition, he negotiated George Strait‘s H-E-B Super Bowl commercial, LeAnn Rimes‘ partnership with Novartis and brokered CAAMP‘s “See the World” sync for the TV and digital campaign Ohio.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Montgomery, Alabama. I was there until I was a sophomore in high school. Then I moved to Birmingham and finished out high school there.
Were you into music as a kid?
I wasn’t musical at all. I was a runner. I ran track and ultimately went to college for track. I went to UNC Charlotte and ran freshman year at UNCC. The only music I absorbed was whatever my brothers were introducing me to.
What was college like?
Freshman year I ran for UNCC and then I decided that my running career was over and decided to transfer to Auburn University. At Auburn, I took up rowing. I rowed on their crew team for three years. In addition to that, I started working with the Auburn University Programming Council. I started focusing on booking university-funded entertainment, specifically their music. I booked two big shows a year, one per semester. I eventually ran that department. That’s where I fell in love with music and the music industry.
In the summers, I would go back to Birmingham and intern. I did a free internship for a little club called Work Play in Birmingham. I was a local stage hand for them at night to make a little extra money. In the summer, I worked for a music festival in Birmingham that no longer exists called Birmingham City Stages. With the university side of things, I learned about the booking side; I learned a little bit more of the production elements being a stage hand at Work Play, and then I learned even more doing production work for the festival.
Chappel and Haley McCollister on Taylor Swift’s “1989 Tour.”
What an education! Were there any shows you booked during college that affirmed that you wanted to pursue a career in the music industry?
We were fortunate at Auburn that we had a pretty deep budget, certainly for 12 years ago. I had to alternate the genre every semester. Auburn is an agriculture and engineer school—so I couldn’t neglect country. At the same time, when I was in college, rap and hip-hop was super big so I had to make sure I facilitated that genre. We also had some rock fans, so it was a bunch of different stuff. The show I was probably the most excited about was when I had Ben Harper play with Citizen Cope. I also had O.A.R. play, which was a huge college band at the time. My hip-hop show was Soulja Boy opening for Akon. That was a really fun one. I did a rock show that was Live and Collective Soul.
It gave me the bug. I’ve never been an agent, nor wanted to be an agent necessarily, but being on the booking side gave me the bug for the industry.
What did you do after graduation?
I graduated in the summer of 2009, which was pretty deep into the recession, so there weren’t a lot of “dream jobs” that you think you’re going to get. I was fortunate enough to get a contractor position with a company based in Detroit that had just opened a Nashville office called George P. Johnson. They were an experiential marketing company that focused on auto shows, but they were starting to get into other elements of experiential marketing. They had just sold this tour sponsorship for an insurance brand named Country Financial Insurance. They were sponsoring two separate tours, Jason Aldean and Jewel. They needed somebody to go out on the road to help fulfill all those elements that had been agreed upon. They needed someone that would work hard for like 18 hours a day and be grateful for the opportunity, so I did that as a contractor for George P. Johnson for a year. I went out on the road with Jason and Jewel and enjoyed that, but realized that I didn’t necessarily want to be on the road full time. I was fortunate enough to get a full-time job with GPJ, managing those tours from the office and going out occasionally.
Later, three or four of us spun that group off into a side agency called G7 Entertainment Marketing. For the next five or six years, I ran our tour sponsorship division. I helped pitch, sell and manage those tour sponsorships.
What was next?
[My nearly 7 years at] G7 were great for me. I was helping advise brands on how to spend their money in live music. Tour sponsorships started shifting, money was shifting, and [brands became] very much focused on content opportunities. I had been on the brand side of the coin and I was interested in being on the artist’s side. I felt like I would have a more holistic view of what an artist was working on. There weren’t a lot of people on the artist side who had previously been on the brand side, so not a lot of people had that perspective. I felt like there was value there and I looked for the right opportunity. I also wanted to expand outside tour sponsorships; I wanted to touch other aspects of an artist’s career.
I was fortunate enough to connect with Jason Owen and his team at Sandbox. At Sandbox, I was able to focus on endorsement, licensing opportunities, and VIP opportunities. I packaged and sold the Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul documentary and helped launch Little Big Town‘s wine brand, along with Jason and the team. My time at Sandbox helped expand my horizons as to what was possible, and ultimately grow my skill sets.
Part of Wasserman Music’s Nashville team at their recent AmericaFest Happy Hour. Photo: Stacie Huckeba
Next you joined Paradigm, which became Wasserman in 2021. How did you get there?
Paradigm was looking for someone to help grow some non-touring opportunities for the roster, specifically in Nashville. Most of the Nashville office were agents or agent support teams, so there weren’t a lot of people that were focusing on things outside of touring or performance-based opportunities. I came over and, at the time, the only artist that Sandbox and Paradigm shared was Kacey Musgraves and the Johnny Cash Estate. I was lucky that I got to continue to work with them [when I went to Paradigm].
Early in my time at Paradigm, I was focused on trying to get some wins on the board and provide value for our artists in the brand space. That has grown into licensing and I do some sync work. My job at Wasserman is solely focused on growing the country and Americana genre for the roster and bringing opportunities for that roster that may live outside of traditional touring.
Your role is unique at an agency. Did you feel a lot of pressure during the pandemic to find other ways for artists to make a living?
Absolutely. I have a colleague here that works with me and the two of us were some of the only people that could produce revenue during the heat of the pandemic. The pressure to bring opportunities and to retain clients was really high. I’m very glad that we’re out of that. The pressure is always high in the agency world based on the competitors, but it was just a very different environment.
During normal times, when do you feel most fulfilled in what you do?
I think there sometimes is a misconception that, in some of these partnerships, there’s a winner and a loser. At the end of the day, I wear the artist jersey and I always will. So I feel the best when the artist is happy [with a partnership]. But for the sake of a partnership, assuming everyone is playing by the rules, I think there’s a lot of opportunity to have both parties feel really good. When both parties feel good about a launch, a partnership or a collaboration, that’s when I feel the best. But like I said, at the end of the day, my sole job is to represent the artist and make sure that they feel heard and represented appropriately.
Have you had any mentors along the way that have been important to you?
When I joined Jason and his team at Sandbox, it really opened my world as to artist representation and what that meant. The way that Jason thinks outside of the traditional model of artist representation is, to this day, something that I think is unparalleled. I feel really fortunate to have had that time with him and I still work very closely with him.
Louis Messina has been a friend and a mentor for me for over 10 years. My wife works with Louis, but he’s been kind enough to give me some time over the years. I have an immense amount of respect for what he’s built, how he’s built it, and how he’s evolved over his career. This year is his 50th year in the industry. How he’s been able to evolve as a promoter and as a leader in the industry over five decades is pretty amazing.
What have been some moments in your career that you’ll always remember?
Touring internationally was an amazing experience. I got to do that with a couple of Taylor Swift tours as well as U2. Those were really big moments. At Wasserman, we just launched this full Blake Shelton/Lands End lifestyle collaboration that involves apparel, pet and home. It was almost two years in the works. It takes a long time and it’s a really cool feeling to get it out there into the world. That has been a moment we’ve been really excited about as well.
What does success mean to you?
It’s cheesy to say, but I haven’t dreaded going to work in probably 10 years. I’m excited to get in the office and see what the day brings. There’s definitely days that are tough and annoying that will wear on you, but as a whole, I get excited to come into the office. I really enjoy what I do. If you don’t, it’s worth taking a look at making a change.
Miranda Lambert Debuts New Idyllwind Velvet Rodeo Perfume
/by Lorie HollabaughMiranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is releasing a new Idyllwind Velvet Rodeo fragrance as part of her Idyllwind line at Boot Barn stores nationwide and at Idyllwind.com.
Lambert’s new perfume takes its name from the chorus of her emboldened anthem “Actin’ Up,” which is featured on her album Palomino, released earlier this year. The fragrance features notes of rich jasmine, spicy violet iris and vanilla suede. It comes packaged in a vintage-inspired, diamond-cut glass bottle with a tassel atomizer and a reusable keepsake bottle.
Lambert continues to expand her brand with new products. Her clothing and cowboy boot collection, Idyllwind, is sold at all Boot Barn stores nationwide. Additionally, her home goods collection, Wanda June, is available now at Walmart.com, including a new batch of holiday decor. An avid animal lover, Lambert’s MuttNation pet product line is also available exclusively at Tractor Supply Co. with proceeds benefitting her MuttNation Foundation.
The reining ACM Entertainer of the Year is in the midst of her Las Vegas residency, currently underway through April 2023 at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater.
The Crew Plans 12th Annual CMA Awards Viewing Party
/by Lydia FarthingThe Crew. Photo: Audrey Spillman
The Crew, a group of music industry executives from all aspects of the music industry, is set to host their 12th annual CMA Awards Viewing Party benefiting Musicians on Call at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 9.
Taking place at Tin Roof Nashville Downtown, industry professionals will have the opportunity to gather and raise money for Musicians on Call as a special celebration of the big awards night. If interested in purchasing a package, contact Morgan Brasfield or Kara Jackson.
“Thank you to our current presenting sponsors, Sony Music Publishing, River House Artists and Wiatr & Associates, and our gold sponsors Combustion Music, Concord Music Publishing, Big Loud and Spirit Music Publishing,” The Crew shares.
Current crew members include Jason McColl (Sony Music), Lexie Rigler (Safford Motley PLC), Kelly Lyons (Combustion Music), Camille Kenny (Big Loud Records), Kendall Warren (Plaid Flag Music), Courtney Allen (Concord Music Publishing), Synnovea Cleveland (Sony Music Publishing), Jeremy Groves (SMACKSongs), Jackson (Spirit Music) and Brasfield (Kobalt Music).
Discover Sooner Announces Publisher Writer Experience With Jacee Badeaux
/by Lorie HollabaughJacee Badeaux
Discover Sooner will host its Publisher Writer Experience interactive mentoring program with Jacee Badeaux, Creative Director at Big Yellow Dog Music.
Seeking to help the next generation of songwriters and artists expand their network of publishers and music professionals, the program is designed for songwriters and artists. Songwriters will meet one-on-one for three months with Badeaux, who advises commercially successful writers, including Meghan Trainor, Tenille Townes, Jessie James Decker and Logan Mize. He’s also secured cuts in country, dance/EDM and pop, including Gayle’s No. 1 song “abcdefu.”
In 2011, Badeaux appeared on season 10 of American Idol, where he made it to the top 40. He attended Belmont University and interned at Big Yellow Dog Music before serving on the administrative staff at APA. At Big Yellow Dog, he is responsible for writer management and song plugging, and assists in signing and developing artists for the company’s label.
“I am always looking for great songwriters and artist/writers in country, pop, dance and sync,” Badeaux shares. “We have many great sync writers, producer/writers and artist/writers. I’m looking forward to meeting all of the Discover Sooner writers as well!”
“We are so pleased to be working with Jacee!” notes Nancy Deckant, Founder and CEO of Discover Sooner. “He’s been an artist and understands the journey. His peers regard him up as one of the best songwriter mentors in Nashville and it’s easy to feel his enthusiasm. We are looking forward to a great program for all involved!”
The early bird discount for the program has been extended until Nov, 4 by entering “Press Release” on your application. The application deadline is Nov. 13. For more information, click here.
Eric Church To Launch His Own Sirius XM Music Channel, Outsiders Radio, On Nov. 4
/by Lydia FarthingEric Church
Eric Church will launch his own exclusive SiriusXM music channel, Eric Church Outsiders Radio, on Friday, Nov. 4 on the SXM App.
Outsiders Radio will showcase music from Church’s career, including his catalog of nearly two decades that has earned him seven ACM Awards, four CMA Awards and 10 Grammy nominations. Curated by Church himself, the channel will be a journey through his musical experiences, featuring collaborations and recordings with friends along with behind the scenes stories. Listeners will also hear genre-spanning songs that inspire Church from artists like George Strait, Bob Seger, Ashley McBryde, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Aretha Franklin, Kenny Chesney, Bruce Springsteen, Brandi Carlile and more.
“We’re trying to be thoughtful about how we play the music and why the music matters,” Church explains. “This is about something that you actually go, ‘Oh, that’s cool. I haven’t heard that.’ Chasing that pathway is what gives me excitement about what we’re trying to do here with Outsiders Radio.”
The SXM App is available to subscribers on mobile devices and a wide variety of connected platforms, including smart speakers, smart TVs and streaming media players. The channel will also be available to subscribers on SiriusXM channel 61 from Nov. 4-6.
The exclusive channel is the latest in a longstanding relationship between SiriusXM and Church, who originally launched his monthly show, Outsiders Radio, on SiriusXM’s The Highway in February 2015. Outsiders Radio explored the singer-songwriter’s music influences with Church playing his current favorites, as well as exclusive music from his own archives.
Eric Church Outsiders Radio Original Programming includes:
Lyle Lovett, Yola, Amy Grant, More Among Lineup For 2023 30A Songwriters Festival
/by Lorie Hollabaugh30A Songwriters Festival will celebrate its 14th year from Jan. 13-16 at Grand Boulevard’s Town Center in Miramar Beach, Florida with headliners Lyle Lovett, Gin Blossoms, Rickie Lee Jones, Steve Earle, Yola and Morgan Wade.
Thirty venues presenting over 200 songwriters and more than 300 performances will take place throughout the weekend. Amy Grant, John Paul White (The Civil Wars), Shawn Mullins, Kathleen Edwards, Tinsley Ellis, Darrell Scott, Adia Victoria, Chuck Prophet, Livingston Taylor, Abe Partridge, Lilly Hiatt, John Fullbright, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Paul Thorn, James McMurtry, and many more are on tap for the entertainment-packed weekend.
“The 30A Songwriters Festival is not only the premier songwriters festival; it is the singular event that brings together thousands of music fans, hundreds of artists and nearly every South Walton neighborhood to support and celebrate the Arts; the energy it generates is unmatched,” notes CAA Executive Director and Festival Co-Producer Jennifer Steele.
“The festival is also an important part of the CAA’s vision to make Walton County a creative place,” she continues. “It thrills us to be able to welcome artists like Lyle Lovett, Yola, Morgan Wade, and the Black Opry Revue to our market for the first time, along with returning favorites like Rickie Lee Jones, Kathleen Edwards and Steve Earle. Year 14 is one you won’t want to miss!”
Festival Weekend Passes, as well as VIP packages, are currently available at 30asongwritersfestival.com
Seaforth Makes Plans To Bring Their ‘About Time Tour’ Stateside In 2023
/by Lydia FarthingSeaforth. Photo: Nolan Knight
Aussie duo Seaforth will bring their “About Time Tour” stateside beginning Feb. 2 in Athens, Georgia, following their six-date Australian trek, which kicks off Nov. 1.
The U.S. leg of the trek will bring their live show to 23 cities, including their first headlining sets in Boston, Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., and more. Tickets for their U.S. dates go on sale Thursday (Oct. 27) at 10 a.m. local time.
The tour comes after opening runs with Jordan Davis, Brett Young, Mitchell Tenpenny and more, as well as their full-set Ryman Auditorium debut, and a date at Los Angeles’ iconic Troubadour club.
The Arista Nashville duo most recently released What I Get For Loving You, an eight-song collection that includes their collaborations with Davis (“Good Beer”) and Sean Kingston (“Queen of Daytona Beach”), along with viral hit “Breakups” and fan favorite “Magic.”
Metro Government, Titans Unveil Renderings Of Proposed New, Enclosed Stadium
/by Steven BoeroRendering of new Titans stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have shared renderings of its potential new stadium, which would encompass 1.7 million square feet with a capacity of approximately 60,000.
The renderings follow last week’s announcement that the team and the city of Nashville had reached a proposed agreement for a new, enclosed stadium, which will be discussed by Metro Council and the Sports Authority in the coming weeks. The plan for the $2.1 billion stadium will be paid for by the Titans organization/NFL, bonds from the state of Tennessee as promised by Governor Bill Lee, and through a hotel occupancy tax as well as sales tax at Nissan Stadium and the surrounding area.
Rendering of new Titans stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans
“We envision a potential new stadium that makes our community proud and enhances the reputation of our great city and state,” says Titans President and CEO Burke Nihill. “We’re focused on designing a stadium capable of hosting a prestigious international event on a Sunday and a steady flow of impactful community programming later that same week. This is a building that would serve Nashville and Tennessee for generations.”
The stadium designs were created by MANICA, a Kansas City-based architecture firm that has worked on projects such as Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (which hosted the 2022 ACM Awards) and Chase Center in San Francisco. The team commissioned MANICA to produce the concepts in order to inform site planning and cost estimates.
Hastings, a Nashville-based architecture firm, also participated in the design work, with a particular emphasis on reflecting Nashville’s spirit and character, and a focus on seamlessly integrating the building into the proposed neighborhood surrounding the stadium.
Rendering of new Titans stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans
The stadium architecture is inspired by the city of Nashville and is planned to be complementary to the broader East Bank development plan led by the city. The design gave specific attention to multi-purpose function, in order to maximize the number and types of events that could take place in the building.
Key features of the design include:
Christian Music Newcomer Blessing Offor Readies Debut Album For January
/by Lydia FarthingBlessing Offor
Fresh off of his multi-week No. 1 hit “The Goodness” with TobyMac and building on the success of his debut EP, Blessing Offor will release his full length debut album, My Tribe, on Jan. 13.
Through the album, Offor takes the themes introduced on his Brighter Days EP and dives in deeper with a sense of optimism and authenticity. The 16-track record also serves as a love letter to his Nigerian roots and his unique journey to Nashville.
“I’m immensely proud of this project,” Offor shares. “It’s been a winding road to get here, but it’s been worth every step. I’ve poured myself into these songs, and I hope that everyone who listens will be able to find something that they can hold onto. All my thanks to everyone who had a hand in it and who puts an ear to it–I would not be here without you!”
Offor has had quite the breakout year in 2022, garnering a Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year. Earlier this year, his self-titled track peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart, in addition to his aforementioned No. 1 hit and a top 5 charting single all before the release of an album.
Offor will hit the road with Brandon Lake and Lauren Daigle this November with stops in Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and South Carolina.
Flatland Cavalry Offer Some ‘Songs To Keep You Warm’ On New EP
/by Lorie HollabaughFlatland Cavalry. Photo: Fernando Garcia
Flatland Cavalry are set to release their new EP, Songs to Keep You Warm, this Friday (Oct. 28).
The new EP, produced by Bruce Robison, includes six new songs written by lead singer Cleto Cordero to help provide comfort for fans and keep them cozy as the winter months arrive. Songs to Keep You Warm also features special guests Ashley Monroe (“Parallel”) and Kaitlin Butts (“How Long”).
“An idea came to me in June, out of the blue, late one evening at bedtime after a very long and wearisome few weeks on the road,” Cordero offers. “I was in the kind of place where I was completely exhausted, both mentally and physically, and laying there in a state of surrender, the entire idea for this EP just flashed into my mind: The studio and producer, the songs and the theme, Songs To Keep You Warm.”
He continues, “Historically, we have never announced a fall project, so I am excited to release a curated batch of songs that, I believe, pair well with the season of chilly overcast days, falling leaves and all things pumpkin-spiced. I hope these songs are something fans will cling to during the colder months—something to keep them warm until spring arrives!”
Songs to Keep You Warm is the band’s first new music since the release of their acclaimed 2021 album, Welcome to Countryland. Since the release, the band has earned two No. 1s at Texas Country Radio (“Gettin’ By,” “A Cowboy Knows How”) and garnered over 290 million streams to date.