Jennie Smythe
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.
Jennie Smythe, the CEO of Girlilla Marketing, began her career in the mid-1990s working for Elektra Entertainment, Spivak-Sobol Entertainment, Disney’s Hollywood Records and more. In the early 2000s, she moved to YAHOO! Music as Director of Marketing and Promotion, which eventually led her to move to Nashville to work for Warner Bros. Records’ New Media Department and then as Clear Channel’s Senior Director of Content and Marketing. In January of 2008, Smythe launched Girlilla Marketing, which celebrated its 10 year anniversary in 2018.
Smythe serves on the boards of Country Music Association, CMA Foundation (2019 Chair Person, 2022 Chair Person) and Music Health Alliance. She is also a former board member of Academy of Country Music, a graduate of Leadership Music (class of 2010), a member of SOURCE and a proud supporter of St. Jude. Smythe has been featured in Billboard, MusicRow, Fast Company, People, HITS, The Tennessean and has been included for 3+ years as a recipient of the Nashville Business Journal’s Women in Music City Awards.
Smythe will be honored as part of the current class of MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row on Oct. 20. For more details about the class and the event, click here.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
Denver, Colorado. My dad was a marketing guy for an oil company, so we moved around quite a bit towards the later end of my childhood. I ended up in high school in Phoenix and went to NAU at Flagstaff because I figured I would just go snowboarding during class, but there was no snow. (Laughs)
Since you couldn’t go snowboarding, what did you do?
I always knew I wanted to be in the music business, but I didn’t know anything about the music business. I would tell people that I wanted to work at a record company. I had no idea what department or specialty, I was just obsessed. When I found out that you could do that for a living, there was nothing more that I wanted to do. I ended up dropping out of college and going to a music conservatory because they had an intern program. That is how I ended up at Elektra in LA when I was 19. When I arrived in Hollywood at 19 and had my internship, I already thought I had made it. Anything past that point in my life has been like a bonus.
What did you do there?
After my internship, they hired me as a receptionist. If somebody else went on maternity leave or got sick, I would cover their desks, so eventually I ended up working in every department. I eliminated things that I didn’t really want to pursue or that I felt like maybe I wasn’t talented enough in.
What was next?
I just started taking jobs. I was at several record companies, including Disney and Hollywood Records. I was at several management companies.
Then I took a huge jump to go work at Yahoo. Even though I was still in the music business, I was at a tech company, so I had to learn how to be less of a music business person based in the United States and more of a global content person that was a citizen of the world. That literally changed the path of my life personally and professionally.
Girlilla Marketing’s Ashley Alexander, Stevie Escoto, Jennie Smythe
How did you get to Nashville?
I had to cover country music at Yahoo, so I had to learn country. I came to Nashville for CRS and literally could not believe what I had seen. I was like, “Wait a second. Are you telling me that for a week out of the year, everybody comes together to see each other all at once? They have shows and celebrate each other, and they all get along well enough to do that?” I walked away from my first CRS a little shell shocked because I was overwhelmed, but in the back of my mind, I thought “That’s how this is supposed to be.”
Country music online at that time was always just a smidge behind all the other genres. I was able to contribute by accelerating that a little bit. Bill Bennett was running Warner Bros. and he called. Lynette Garbonola was literally the only digital person at Warner Bros. and she needed help. I packed up my stuff and I moved to Nashville.
I thought I’d be here for a few years and then probably end up in the Bay. I had no idea what was in store. The DSPs didn’t exist, Facebook was just for college students, and Instagram was never even in my mind. I went from Warner Bros. and then helped Clear Channel start the iHeart brand. Then I started Girlilla in 2008.
Jennie with her children, Chess and Daphne
What was your biggest hurdle working in the digital space in country music when you started?
The biggest fight was explaining to publishers that the internet wasn’t 100% evil and that there were opportunities there, even though artists aren’t compensated nearly what they should be. Because there was so much illegal downloading going on at the time, the value was really based in the information, not the strategy to stop the internet. We had seen that already with Napster, so being in that hybrid space of time between Napster and before a platform like Spotify, that was a very murky area in the music business.
No one knew how to put the parameters around it legally or explain to consumers what a download was versus a stream. That was actually a really difficult consumer messaging situation, especially in country. With country radio being the biggest driver of country music, [teaching country fans what streaming is] was hard. That was definitely a challenge from the marketing side.
What pushed you to start Girlilla Marketing?
It was really simple. I felt the need to advocate on behalf of the artists that I loved and respected to help them navigate the waters. They were complicated then, but not nearly as complicated as they are now. Now, I’m doing the same thing, it’s just 10 times more layered than it was 10+ years ago.
Members of the Girlilla Marketing team
It’s been 14 years since you started your company. What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of sharing my life with some of the people that I work with. When we started, we were single, some of us had college debt, we didn’t have houses, or any of that. Sometimes when I’m walking through the building, I get overwhelmed at the idea that these people have children and houses.
I’m extremely grateful for my clients and for the work, and I still passionately love what I do. There’s nothing that gets me out of bed faster than a good idea. But it’s the idea that I’m building and have built something with them that they share in.
Who have been some of your mentors?
Jay Frank, was 100% the MVP of my professional life. I miss him every single day. Sarah Trahern and Joe Galante are some. My office mates, Ashley Alexander and Stevie Escoto, mentor me as much as I mentor them.
You will be honored at MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row breakfast on Oct. 20. What has your experience been like as a woman in the industry?
Amazing. I literally created the company that didn’t exist when I was coming up. I just look around at the office sometimes and take it in. When they forget that I’m there and they are playing music and laughing, talking about snacks and what they’re going to do together outside of the office, I lose it every time. I hate their music choices, there’s definitely a generational gap. (Laughs) But just the idea that there’s a room in the world where those awesome, smart, talented, funny people get together and their common ground is marketing and music, and they feel comfortable enough to let their hair down… I’m good.
Jimmie Allen To Host Celebrity PBA Challenge
/by Lorie HollabaughJimmie Allen will host The Jimmie Allen PBA Challenge presented by Bowlero, a celebrity bowling event, on Oct. 5 at Bowlero Matthews in Matthews, North Carolina.
With a live show beginning at 5 p.m. CT and bowling beginning at 7 p.m. CT, the event will feature performances from Allen along with Chris Young, Chuck Wicks, and Neon Union. They will be joined by Terrell Owens and Darius Rucker on the lanes later in the evening. The country stars will also be competing alongside PBA Tour stars Pete Weber, Kyle Troup, Sean Rash, Ronnie Russell, and AJ Johnson.
Each artist will be paired with a PBA player for a doubles competition, with the artists bowling the odd-numbered frames and the PBA players bowling the evens. In addition to the main tournament, the event will feature a Celebrity Super Clash, in which each celebrity rolls one shot and the lowest score is eliminated in each round until only one celebrity remains.
“Since the moment my friend Cortland Finnegan introduced me to bowling, I’ve been hooked,” Allen comments. “I’ve been a fan of the PBA for years as a viewer. But I’m excited for the next part of my journey with the PBA, and that is to make bowling a worldwide sport with the same respect that’s given to basketball, baseball, and football.”
Allen discovered his love for bowling during the pandemic, calling it his “pandemic passion.” After being introduced to the sport, he quickly made it a goal to become an expert, bowling several hours a day in different cities while on tour in addition to at home in Nashville. He currently belongs to five bowling leagues and plans to try out for the Professional Bowlers Association in 2023.
The Jimmie Allen PBA Challenge presented by Bowlero will air on Oct. 16 on Fox, varying per market before or after local NFL games.
Kobalt Neighbouring Rights Rebrands, Unveils New Platform Powered By The Orchard
/by Lydia FarthingKobalt Neighbouring Rights, the largest neighboring rights agency in the world, has changed its name to Kollective Neighbouring Rights (KNR). With the new name, it’s also launching a new platform powered by global distribution and artist and label services leader The Orchard.
KNR will continue to assist clients with the collection of worldwide performance rights. Now leveraging The Orchard’s enhanced technology, global reach and infrastructure, the company’s roster of clients will receive a full range of global administration and performance royalty maximization services, including a new website, advanced technology and customer accounting, and a revamped client portal. Clients will also have the support data and reporting needs to manage, assert and collect payment for their artist and/or label share of performance rights income.
These new features are set to begin rolling out on Oct. 4 and continue into 2023.
“Today marks the start of a new era for KNR. We are excited to build on our relationship with The Orchard to unveil an upgraded custom-built system that will help serve our global clients in enhanced, more streamlined ways, while continuing to provide best-in-class service,” notes Ann Tausis, KNR CEO. “There are still untapped markets in neighboring rights, and we’re looking forward to utilizing the global footprint of The Orchard to initiate collections for our clients in additional territories. I’m very excited about the rebrand and our new identity.”
Brad Navin, CEO of The Orchard adds, “The Orchard provides first-class solutions, cutting edge technology, expert guidance, and brand transparency to our clients. Expanding these services to KNR’s roster will further empower performers to maximize their neighboring rights collections as they navigate a global web of complex and evolving revenue streams.”
Sony Music Entertainment (SME) acquired KNR, along with AWAL, a leading provider of services to independent recording artists, in May 2021. KNR and AWAL are part of a suite of artist and label services offerings from SME enhanced by the technology and network of The Orchard.
My Music Row Story: Girlilla Marketing’s Jennie Smythe
/by LB CantrellJennie Smythe
Jennie Smythe, the CEO of Girlilla Marketing, began her career in the mid-1990s working for Elektra Entertainment, Spivak-Sobol Entertainment, Disney’s Hollywood Records and more. In the early 2000s, she moved to YAHOO! Music as Director of Marketing and Promotion, which eventually led her to move to Nashville to work for Warner Bros. Records’ New Media Department and then as Clear Channel’s Senior Director of Content and Marketing. In January of 2008, Smythe launched Girlilla Marketing, which celebrated its 10 year anniversary in 2018.
Smythe serves on the boards of Country Music Association, CMA Foundation (2019 Chair Person, 2022 Chair Person) and Music Health Alliance. She is also a former board member of Academy of Country Music, a graduate of Leadership Music (class of 2010), a member of SOURCE and a proud supporter of St. Jude. Smythe has been featured in Billboard, MusicRow, Fast Company, People, HITS, The Tennessean and has been included for 3+ years as a recipient of the Nashville Business Journal’s Women in Music City Awards.
Smythe will be honored as part of the current class of MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row on Oct. 20. For more details about the class and the event, click here.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
Denver, Colorado. My dad was a marketing guy for an oil company, so we moved around quite a bit towards the later end of my childhood. I ended up in high school in Phoenix and went to NAU at Flagstaff because I figured I would just go snowboarding during class, but there was no snow. (Laughs)
Since you couldn’t go snowboarding, what did you do?
I always knew I wanted to be in the music business, but I didn’t know anything about the music business. I would tell people that I wanted to work at a record company. I had no idea what department or specialty, I was just obsessed. When I found out that you could do that for a living, there was nothing more that I wanted to do. I ended up dropping out of college and going to a music conservatory because they had an intern program. That is how I ended up at Elektra in LA when I was 19. When I arrived in Hollywood at 19 and had my internship, I already thought I had made it. Anything past that point in my life has been like a bonus.
What did you do there?
After my internship, they hired me as a receptionist. If somebody else went on maternity leave or got sick, I would cover their desks, so eventually I ended up working in every department. I eliminated things that I didn’t really want to pursue or that I felt like maybe I wasn’t talented enough in.
What was next?
I just started taking jobs. I was at several record companies, including Disney and Hollywood Records. I was at several management companies.
Then I took a huge jump to go work at Yahoo. Even though I was still in the music business, I was at a tech company, so I had to learn how to be less of a music business person based in the United States and more of a global content person that was a citizen of the world. That literally changed the path of my life personally and professionally.
Girlilla Marketing’s Ashley Alexander, Stevie Escoto, Jennie Smythe
How did you get to Nashville?
I had to cover country music at Yahoo, so I had to learn country. I came to Nashville for CRS and literally could not believe what I had seen. I was like, “Wait a second. Are you telling me that for a week out of the year, everybody comes together to see each other all at once? They have shows and celebrate each other, and they all get along well enough to do that?” I walked away from my first CRS a little shell shocked because I was overwhelmed, but in the back of my mind, I thought “That’s how this is supposed to be.”
Country music online at that time was always just a smidge behind all the other genres. I was able to contribute by accelerating that a little bit. Bill Bennett was running Warner Bros. and he called. Lynette Garbonola was literally the only digital person at Warner Bros. and she needed help. I packed up my stuff and I moved to Nashville.
I thought I’d be here for a few years and then probably end up in the Bay. I had no idea what was in store. The DSPs didn’t exist, Facebook was just for college students, and Instagram was never even in my mind. I went from Warner Bros. and then helped Clear Channel start the iHeart brand. Then I started Girlilla in 2008.
Jennie with her children, Chess and Daphne
What was your biggest hurdle working in the digital space in country music when you started?
The biggest fight was explaining to publishers that the internet wasn’t 100% evil and that there were opportunities there, even though artists aren’t compensated nearly what they should be. Because there was so much illegal downloading going on at the time, the value was really based in the information, not the strategy to stop the internet. We had seen that already with Napster, so being in that hybrid space of time between Napster and before a platform like Spotify, that was a very murky area in the music business.
No one knew how to put the parameters around it legally or explain to consumers what a download was versus a stream. That was actually a really difficult consumer messaging situation, especially in country. With country radio being the biggest driver of country music, [teaching country fans what streaming is] was hard. That was definitely a challenge from the marketing side.
What pushed you to start Girlilla Marketing?
It was really simple. I felt the need to advocate on behalf of the artists that I loved and respected to help them navigate the waters. They were complicated then, but not nearly as complicated as they are now. Now, I’m doing the same thing, it’s just 10 times more layered than it was 10+ years ago.
Members of the Girlilla Marketing team
It’s been 14 years since you started your company. What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of sharing my life with some of the people that I work with. When we started, we were single, some of us had college debt, we didn’t have houses, or any of that. Sometimes when I’m walking through the building, I get overwhelmed at the idea that these people have children and houses.
I’m extremely grateful for my clients and for the work, and I still passionately love what I do. There’s nothing that gets me out of bed faster than a good idea. But it’s the idea that I’m building and have built something with them that they share in.
Who have been some of your mentors?
Jay Frank, was 100% the MVP of my professional life. I miss him every single day. Sarah Trahern and Joe Galante are some. My office mates, Ashley Alexander and Stevie Escoto, mentor me as much as I mentor them.
You will be honored at MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row breakfast on Oct. 20. What has your experience been like as a woman in the industry?
Amazing. I literally created the company that didn’t exist when I was coming up. I just look around at the office sometimes and take it in. When they forget that I’m there and they are playing music and laughing, talking about snacks and what they’re going to do together outside of the office, I lose it every time. I hate their music choices, there’s definitely a generational gap. (Laughs) But just the idea that there’s a room in the world where those awesome, smart, talented, funny people get together and their common ground is marketing and music, and they feel comfortable enough to let their hair down… I’m good.
23rd Annual NSAI Song Contest Kicks Off October 1
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), along with presenting sponsors The Bluebird Cafe and CMT, have announced details for the 23rd Annual Song Contest beginning Oct. 1.
Songwriters around the world are invited to submit songs and/or lyrics for a chance to win up to $5,000 cash, a one-year single-song contract with Anthem Entertainment, an American Dream Series Taylor Guitar, tickets to the 2023 CMT Music Awards, a Bose L1 Pro8 Portable System, a 3-day trip to Nashville, and one of two mentor sessions.
The winner of the Song Category gets a one-on-one mentor session with artist, songwriter, and Grammy-nominated engineer Blanco Brown, while the Lyric Category winner will get the opportunity to learn from hit songwriter, artist, and producer Nicolle Galyon in a one-on-one mentor session.
Each year the contest provides an opportunity for songwriters of all genres to have their songs and lyrics evaluated and judged by industry professionals. Up to 22 entries will place in the contest, and the live final judging phase for the Song Category will feature the top 10 finalists’ entries vying for the Grand Prize. Final judging will take place in February 2023.
Beginning Oct. 1, entries can be submitted online at nsaisongcontest.com or mailed to the NSAI office (ATTN: Song Contest, 1710 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203). All entries mailed in must include the submission form, entry fee, printed lyric sheet, and one audio CD (unless a Lyric-Only entry).
Entry fees are $35 per song or lyric entry for current NSAI members and $45 per song or lyric entry for non-NSAI members. There is no limit to the number of songs or lyrics that songwriters can submit, and all entries must be submitted or post-marked by Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. CT.
BMI Celebrates Record-Breaking Fiscal Year With All-Time High Revenue & Royalty Distributions
/by Lydia FarthingBMI reported record-setting revenue and royalty distributions for its fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.
According to its report, the company distributed and administered $1.471 billion to its songwriters, composers and publishers, marking an increase of $136 million or 10% over last year. Additionally, BMI set revenue records with $1.573 billion, notching an increase of $212 million or 16% compared to last year.
“We had an exceptionally strong year thanks to the incredible popularity of the BMI repertoire, allowing us to deliver the highest royalty distributions in BMI’s history,” Mike O’Neill, President & CEO, BMI shares. “Providing this financial stability to our outstanding creative community is a gratifying culmination of BMI’s efforts every day on behalf of our songwriters, composers and publishers. Moving forward, we will continue to maximize the value of our affiliates’ music and ensure that our company is well positioned to deliver growth for our creators and copyright owners well into the future.”
Revenue from digital sources represented 48% of BMI’s domestic total with $572 million, an increase of $149 million or 35%, compared to last year. Growth was seen across all digital sectors, with notable increases in subscription video-on-demand services such as Netflix, Disney+, AppleTV+ and Peacock, as well as new digital audiovisual agreements with Roku, Vudu, Equinox+ and Snapchat, among others.
Total domestic media licensing revenue—comprised of cable, satellite, broadcast television and radio—came in at $479 million, an increase of $7 million or 2%, over last year. Cable and satellite-derived revenue totaled $270.3 million and broadcast television revenue came in at $94.3 million, both holding steady with last year. Radio revenues totaled $114.2 million, an increase of 6%.
General Licensing, along with other income, was up 10% year-to-year with $140 million. Driven by the strength of BMI’s repertoire overseas, the company’s international revenue grew to $382 million, up $43 million or 13%, over last year.
This year, BMI processed approximately 2.23 trillion performances, up 13% over last year. Of that, 2.21 trillion were digital performances and over 260 billion were digital audio-visual performances, a 7% increase over last year. BMI’s number of licensed musical works grew by 10% this year, bringing the total to 20.6 million.
BMI also celebrated over 100,000 new songwriters, composers and publishers joining the company, putting affiliate membership to more than 1.3 million.
Vince Gill Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of Award-Winning LP ‘I Still Believe in You’
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Cindy Mabe (Universal Music Group Nashville), Vince Gill, Tony Brown (Producer), Larry Fitzgerald (Gill’s Manager). Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images
Vince Gill was recently celebrated backstage at the taping of his CMT Giants: Vince Gill special, where he was presented with a plaque in honor of the 30th anniversary of his I Still Believe in You album.
The classic project made its debut in September of 1992, and produced five singles, four of which went to No. 1, including “I Still Believe In You,” “No Future In The Past,” “Tryin’ To Get Over You,” and “One More Last Chance.” The fifth single from the album, “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” peaked at No. 2 on the charts. The album is certified 5x Platinum.
Four videos created from songs from the album have now been remastered. “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away” and “One More Last Chance” are freshly remastered for the album’s anniversary, and “Tryin’ To Get Over You” and “I Still Believe In You” have been previously remastered in HD.
CMT Giants: Vince Gill premieres this Friday (Sept. 16) at 8 p.m. CT on CMT. The special brings together Gill’s friends, collaborators, and some of the biggest names in music to honor him with performances of his most legendary hits, including Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Ricky Skaggs, Sting and more. Emmylou Harris, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Rodney Crowell will also appear as special guests to share personal stories, reflect on their time working with Gill and speak to his impact on country music.
Co-Host Tenille Townes Brings Home Five Wins At 2022 CCMA Awards
/by Liza AndersonTenille Townes. Photo: Corey Kelly.
Songwriter and two-time ACM winner Tenille Townes had her hands full at the 2022 Canadian Country Music Association Awards, taking home five trophies.
Townes, who co-hosted the awards alongside Blanco Brown, won Entertainer of the Year, maintained her reign as Female Artist of the Year, and landed Single of the Year for “Girl Who Didn’t Care,” as well as Songwriter of the Year for the same track, along with co-writers Steph Jones and David Pramik.
The artist also snagged another Ford F-150 Album of the Year award for her project Masquerades, which she dropped earlier this year via Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville in partnership with RCA Records. The EP includes features from multi-genre standout Breland and hit singer-songwriter Wrabel, who accompanies Townes on the single “When You Need It.”
During the award show, Townes made the debut television performance of her newly released song “The Last Time,” which talks about the universal nostalgia felt after the realization that a life occurrence has happened for the last time.
This year, Dallas Smith, The Reklaws and Mitch Jay all walked away with two wins at the CCMA Awards. Smith held on to the title of Male Artist of the Year and was named Amazon Music and Alexa Fans’ Choice. The Relaws took home Group or Duo of the year yet again as well as Top Selling Canadian Single of the Year for “What the Truck,” alongside Sacha. Jay was proclaimed Specialty Instrument Player of the Year and Steel Guitar Player of the Year.
For the full list of the 2022 CCMA Award Winners, click here.
Matt Stell Announces Headlining ‘Man Made Tour’
/by Lorie HollabaughMatt Stell. Photo: Midtown Motion
Matt Stell will kick off his headlining “Man Made Tour” later this month. George Birge and Kyle Clark will appear as special guests on the dates.
The 17-city tour kicks off Sept. 30 in Tuscaloosa and runs through Dec. 3 in Medina, Ohio, with stops in Baton Rouge, Tampa, San Bernardino, and more. Tickets for the dates go on sale beginning this Friday (Sept. 16) at MattStell.com.
“The boys and I are fueling up the bus and taking the show on the road this fall,” shares Stell. “The ‘Man Made Tour ‘22’ is coming close to you so get your tickets and come party with us!”
Stell’s current single, “Man Made,” the follow-up to his No. 1s “Prayed For You” and “Everywhere But On,” is the lead track from his forthcoming new project, due later this year. Written by Brett Sheroky and Ian Christian and produced by Stell and Ash Bowers, “Man Made” acknowledges how man might have made a lot of things, but it is a woman who made the man.
Ashley McBryde Takes Us To ‘Lindeville’ With Upcoming Project
/by Lydia FarthingAshley McBryde. Photo: Katie Kauss
Ashley McBryde is bursting back onto the scene later this month with the release of her highly anticipated new project, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville, on Sept. 30 via Warner Music Nashville.
Two years since her Grammy-nominated Never Will, McBryde teamed up with a handful of her favorite collaborators on a weeklong songwriting retreat in a cabin outside of Nashville. Tipping its hat to the writing methods of legendary songwriter Dennis Linde, the project encompasses a distilled version of McBryde’s signature honest, specific portraits of small-town America, and the many characters that you may encounter in them.
Pictured (L-R, top row): Connie Harrington, Pillbox Patti (Nicolette Hayford), Caylee Hammack and TJ Osborne; (L-R, botton row): Aaron Raitiere, Brandy Clark, Ashley McBryde, John Osborne and Benjy Davis. Photo: Katie Kauss
Created alongside Aaron Raitiere, Nicolette Hayford, Connie Harrington, Brandy Clark and Benjy Davis, Lindeville blends familiar characters, moral ambiguity and a dose of gallows humor to make the town feel like home. Produced by John Osborne, the 13-track record features performances from McBryde, Brothers Osborne, Clark, Raitiere, Hayford’s artist moniker Pillbox Patti, Caylee Hammack and Davis.
“A few years ago, Aaron Raitiere, Nicolette Hayford and I were on a write,” shares McBryde. “We wrote this song called ‘Blackout Betty,’ and I realized we had written previous songs called ‘Shut Up Sheila’ on Never Will and ‘Livin’ Next to Leroy’ on Girl Going Nowhere. Aaron had a song called ‘Jesus, Jenny,’ and I thought, ‘We should keep these characters together and give them a place to live!’” She continues, “Not long after that, I thought, ‘What if we call it Lindeville?’ in honor of Dennis Linde. I want to lock six writers in a house and just spend six or seven days writing. We stayed in Tennessee in this little house close to a lake. It was eight bottles of tequila, two cartons of cigarettes, one kitchen table and six individuals out of their minds.”
McBryde adds, “I just hope that when a few, even just a handful, of people listen to the record and it ends with the line ‘Nothing but stars over Lindeville,’ they put their hands over their heart and say, ‘What a nice trip that was.’ And for the whole running time of the record, nothing else had to matter. You got to focus on other people’s drama and other people’s problems and got the reminder that everything’s all right.”
Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville Track List:
All songs written by Ashley McBryde, Aaron Raitiere, Connie Harrington, Brandy Clark, Benjy Davis and Nicolette Hayford unless noted otherwise.
Brenda Put Your Bra On feat. Caylee Hammack & Pillbox Patti
Jesus Jenny feat. Aaron Raitiere (Aaron Raitiere and Jon Decious)
Dandelion Diner
The Girl In The Picture feat. Pillbox Patti
If These Dogs Could Talk feat. Brandy Clark
Play Ball feat. Brothers Osborne
Ronnie’s Pawn Shop
The Missed Connection Section of the Lindeville Gazette feat. Brandy Clark & Aaron Raitiere
Gospel Night At The Strip Club feat. Benjy Davis
Forkem Family Funeral Home
When Will I Be Loved feat. Brandy Clark, Caylee Hammack, & Pillbox Patti (Phil Everly)
Bonfire At Tina’s feat. Caylee Hammack, Brandy Clark, & Pillbox Patti
Lindeville
The Story Behind Cole Swindell’s New No. 1 Hit, ‘She Had Me At Heads Carolina’ [Interview]
/by LB CantrellCole Swindell. Photo: Robby Klein
In just 12 weeks, Cole Swindell has brought his nostalgic hit, “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” to the top of the charts. It’s the Warner Music Nashville star’s 12th career No. 1 hit.
Produced by Zach Crowell, the track samples Jo Dee Messina‘s 1996 hit “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” written by Mark D. Sanders and Tim Nichols. The 2022 song finds Swindell in a bar on karaoke night, charmed by a woman singing Messina’s enduring classic up on stage.
Swindell co-wrote the hit song with Ashley Gorley, Jesse Frasure, and Thomas Rhett, with Sanders and Nichols also credited as writers. The artist-writer says that writing “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” was the most unique songwriting process he’s ever been through.
“It’s crazy how it all happened,” Swindell tells MusicRow. “I was talking to Rusty [Gaston] and Anna [Weisband] over at Sony about how inspired I’ve been by them since I’ve been working with them. We were talking about songs and what I was looking for for my next album.
“We got to talking about what if we took a ’90s song that I loved and put a different spin on it. That was how the idea came together,” Swindell says.
Gaston adds that, with Swindell’s genuine love for Messina and ’90s country, it was the perfect storm for a re-imagined hit.
“I was thinking about how we could find ways to create new value for Sony’s catalog—more than just getting a hot new artist to re-record a Merle Haggard song. I believe ‘Heads Carolina, Tails California’ is the number one most popular female country karaoke song in the world. Thinking of that and knowing that that song was in this catalog, I talked to Cole,” Gaston says.
“Additionally, normally whatever we see happen in popular music will make its way to country music five to 10 years later. Popular music today is hip-hop. In hip-hop, it’s very common to have features and it’s very common to have interpolations,” Gaston adds. “I brought this up to Cole and said, ‘These interpolations are coming. This is the perfect song to do it.’ Cole immediately got it, loved the idea, and pulled the writers together.”
Gaston adds, “Cole loves ’90s country music. He should be the face of the resurgence of ’90s country music.”
Before Swindell could put his spin on the iconic hit, he had to get the blessing of Sanders and Nichols.
“We knew that before anything, we had to reach out to the original songwriters,” Swindell points out. “They could have easily said ‘No’ and the thing would have never happened, but they were cool enough to want to do it.”
While out on the road, Swindell and co-writer Thomas Rhett came up with a concept and brought it back to Gorley and Frasure in Nashville to write. Swindell believes the next step was adding the line, “Maybe she’ll fall for a boy from south Georgia,” a line that would come naturally for both him and Rhett, two Georgia natives.
“It was a pressure situation. You don’t want to mess up one of your favorite songs of all time,” he adds.
Once the song was written, Swindell’s manager Kerri Edwards and Warner Music Nashville’s Cris Lacy knew they had a hit on their hands. They added “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” to Swindell’s Stereotype album—which was already done.
“When they sent the work tape, I was immediately freaking out about it,” Edwards says. “We were like, ‘We have to cut this now.'”
Lacy first heard “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” after a day full of meetings for the WMN executive staff.
“We had just finished an all day offsite, preparing for the next six months and talking about records that were coming. Cole texted me [the work tape] right at the end of that. It had been a long day and everybody was getting ready to go. I listened to it and I was like, ‘You guys have to stay. I’m going to end this on an amazing note. We’re talking about what the future is going to look like? Let me play this.’
“Everybody in the room was like, ‘Oh my God, that is so fun! That is such a hit,'” Lacy shares.
Once released, just 12 weeks ago, the tune immediately began its swift ascent to the top of the charts. It was his fastest-rising single at country radio to date.
The tune also became an instant crowd-favorite at Swindell’s shows.
“Cole will put a couple of new songs in his set during a live show, but artists don’t typically put a lot of new ones in because the crowd hasn’t had time to get familiar,” Edwards says. “But I’m not joking, people will sing it as if they’ve heard it a thousand times when he plays that song. It just kept doing that [at live shows] over and over again to the point where me, Cris and Cole were like, ‘I don’t think we have a choice on making this single three from Stereotype. Everyone’s screaming what they want next.’”
Now a certified country radio No. 1 hit, the tune has brought a resurgence of popularity for Messina’s rich catalog of music—as well as a friendship between the two artists. She even appears in the video for the track.
“I was so excited when I got the chance to talk to Jo Dee and let her know that I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time. Now I to get to call her a friend,” Swindell says. “We wouldn’t have this song without her.”