Jillian Jacqueline. Photo: Courtesy of Red Light Management
Jillian Jacqueline first rolled into Nashville 14 years ago with the dream of putting out her own album.
However, the format at the time wasn’t as conducive to longer-form projects from new artists, forcing Jacqueline to release a string of singles and EPs that have garnered her moderate success and over 100 million streams, including “Reasons,” “God Bless This Mess” which she co-wrote with Lori McKenna, and “If I Were You” featuring Keith Urban.
But this Friday (June 10), the budding singer-songwriter will finally release her debut, full-length project through Virgin Music. Aptly titled Honestly, the 11-track record finds Jacqueline at her most raw and innocent, giving listeners a peek behind the curtain into her thoughts about love and life which she’s yet to explore musically.
“I was actually talking to a friend about [the level of honesty in this album] because we shot one of the music videos for the song on the record called ‘Iconic,’ and it ended up being this visual love letter to my husband. It scared the shit out of me because I was like, ‘Can I show people all these images of our lives?’ They said, ‘That’s what your album is. You’re finally telling people your real story,'” Jacqueline explains to MusicRow. “[Honestly] feels very innocent, in a way, like the way that I sing about love, which I’ve never really done before. It feels like a very faithful, wide-eyed, hopeful version of myself that I don’t always let people see.”
Originally born in the summer of 2019, Honestly is a project nearly three years in the making, which went through a few different lives before arriving at its final form. Within those three years, Jacqueline lost her first label deal with Big Loud Records, married her husband and producer Bryan Brown, and had their first child.
“[When I first started making Honestly] it was more of a panic move. It was kind of like, ‘I have to start making music because I need to prove to myself that I’m supposed to be here and this is what I’m supposed to be doing.’ A lot of insecurity went into the first batch,” Jacqueline shares. “If you look at the original track list, so many songs that we were [so excited about] actually died off. We tried iterations of them over and over again, but they just never felt right.”
Jillian Jacqueline. Photo: Courtesy of Red Light Management
In a similar sentiment from many artists during the COVID lockdown, Jacqueline credits the pandemic with the new wave of music that changed the landscape of Honestly. In March of 2020, Jacqueline and her producers—Bryan and his brother Tofer Brown, a longtime collaborator of Jacqueline’s—went back to the drawing board.
Come July, she signed a new publishing deal with Kobalt which spawned a collection of new songs, including “Honeymoon” and “Better With A Broken Heart,” both of which ended up on Honestly‘s revisited track list with its entirely new sound.
“There were a lot of come to Jesus moments with me, Bryan, and Tofer where we were all navigating our different work styles. Tofer and I have worked together for many years. He’s done all my music with me and he’s my best friend. We decided to bring Bryan in on production because he’s just an incredible guitar player and he works differently than us,” Jacqueline says. “During the whole process of making the record, we were navigating a lot of these new processes with Bryan that Tofer and I weren’t used to. We’re more like throwing spaghetti at the wall people. We’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, that stuck. That feels good. Let’s move on.’ Bryan’s like, ‘No, I think we should throw five more noodles,’” she jokes. “That drove us crazy at first and then we started to realize that his vision for the songs was even cooler, braver, wilder, and more interesting than we had even anticipated.”
With writing credits from some of Nashville’s heavy hitters, such as Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, Daniel Tashian and Old Dominion’s Trevor Rosen, Honestly also sees a couple of stellar collaborations with Charlie Worsham (“The Ocean”) and Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne (“Better With A Broken Heart”).
As a long-time admirer of TJ and Brothers Osborne, Jacqueline notes the song as one of her favorites on the album.
“I really respect them and I respect him, so I went out on a limb and sent him a text saying, ‘I have this song and I can’t hear anyone else but you singing on it with me. Totally cool if you’re not into it, but I really love your voice and I would love to collaborate,’” she explains. “He was like, ‘Wow, I love the song. Let me sit with it for a while. We’ve done a lot of collaborations recently, so I don’t want to jump right in without thinking about it first.’”
After taking a few weeks of listening and playing around with melodies and harmonies that felt right to him, Osborne got on board for the project.
TJ Osborne & Jillian Jacqueline. Photo: Alexa King
“He hit me up a couple weeks later, and said, ‘I love that song. When can I sing it?,’” she continues. “He went on about how he felt like the lyrics and the way it described love was something that felt very honest to him and that he could really get behind. [With this duet], we’re singing our own versions of it, but it’s not necessarily a romantic thing which is kind of unusual. Normally, if it’s a duet, they’re singing to each other, so it was cool that we both got to have our own moment in the song without necessarily singing to one another.”
Another one of Jacqueline’s favorite tunes from Honestly is the stirring, emotional track “Iconic.” Written with Tofer and Kate York on the heels of her engagement, the song serves as a beautiful ode to committing to forever with someone, as well as love being a choice.
As an added bonus, the song is laced with an extra special layer of production that hits close to Jacqueline’s heart.
“My husband did this wildly romantic thing where on the day that he knew he was going to propose to me, we were in Paris and he took his phone out and started recording a voice memo of the sounds of the city,” Jacqueline shares. “Months and months later, I wrote the song and we were starting to hash out the production. He was working on it one day in the studio and he told me about this voice memo in Paris. He put it at the beginning of the song to commemorate what the lyrics are. You can just hear the streets of Paris and then the piano starts in.”
On the cusp of the release of her debut record, Jacqueline has her eyes set on returning to the road this year, as well as dreams of a billboard in Times Square.
“I’ve always said I wanted a billboard and we got the billboard here in Nashville, which was so freaking cool. In my head, though, with the way I work now, I need to get one in Times Square,” she says with a laugh. “I have this issue with nothing ever being enough. I’m restless and I’m always wanting the next thing. As much as I am excited for all the things coming up, my biggest challenge is just to be present with where I am and be so grateful that I actually finished this record. It’s something that I truly believe in and want to share with the world.”
Jacqueline’s debut, full-length album Honestly will be available everywhere this Friday (June 10).
‘Lucille’ Songwriter Hal Bynum Passes
/by Robert K OermannHal Bynum. Photo: Dennis Wile / Warner Bros. Records
Award-winning Nashville songwriter Hal Bynum died June 2 at age 87.
He is best-known as the co-writer of the Kenny Rogers mega-hit “Lucille,” with collaborator Roger Bowling (1944-1982). Bynum was also a spoken-word recording artist and performer.
Harold Lynn Bynum was born in West Texas in 1934 and attended Texas Tech in Lubbock. He served in the U.S. Navy and began writing country songs as a young man. His first recorded song was “I’m Hot to Trot,” recorded by Terry Fell in 1953. George Jones recorded Bynum’s “The Old, Old House” in 1963, and the songwriter moved to Nashville five years later. “The Old, Old House” subsequently became a bluegrass favorite recorded by Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Peter Rowan, Country Gazette, IIIrd Tyme Out and Marty Stuart.
Country superstar Jim Reeves recorded Bynum’s “Nobody’s Fool” shortly before he died in 1964, and the song became a posthumous top-10 success for Reeves in 1970. The songwriter’s other notable event in 1970 came when Ray Price recorded “You Can’t Take It With You.” This song was also recorded by Wynn Stewart, Johnny Bush, Clinton Gregory and Kenny Price.
Johnny Cash recorded Bynum’s “Papa Was a Good Man” the following year, and it became a top-20 hit. In 1973, Jeanne Pruett recorded “I’ve Been So Wrong For So Long,” and a year later Diahann Carroll introduced “Easy to Love,” which was covered by Tom Jones.
During his career, Bynum wrote more than 200 songs. They were recorded by artists such as Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, Jimmy Dickens, Curtis Potter, T.G. Sheppard, Dave & Sugar, Charlie Rich, Diana Trask, Cal Smith, John Anderson and Roy Clark.
His songwriting career struck gold with “Lucille.” The song turned Kenny Rogers into a pop and country superstar, won him a Grammy, sold a million, became a country standard and earned Bynum and Bowling the CMA Song of the Year award for 1977.
This success was followed by “There Ain’t No Good Chain Gang,” co-written with Dave Kirby. It rose to the top of the charts in a duet by Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash in late 1978.
Bynum co-wrote 1987’s “As If I Didn’t Know” with Mel Tillis, and it was recorded by Suzy Bogguss, as well as Lee Greenwood. One of the songwriter’s most frequent collaborators was Bud Reneau, with whom he wrote “Chains.” It topped the charts for Patty Loveless in 1990.
In the late 1990s, Hal Bynum began a second career as a spoken-word recording artist. Jim Ed Norman produced Bynum’s philosophical If I Could Do Anything (1998) on Warner Bros. Records. Bynum followed that with two more albums on his own label, The Promise (2002) and An American Prayer (2004). The Promise was also the title of his 2002 autobiography.
Hal Bynum passed away peacefully after a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s and a final stroke. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Rebecca Jan Bynum; his sons, Scott Thomas Bynum of Farmington, New Mexico and Christopher David Bynum of Brooklyn, New York and by two grandchildren and two nieces.
The family will gather at his home in Nashville to celebrate his life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Urantia Fellowship in his name.
Callista Clark Announces Full-Length Debut ‘Real To Me: The Way I Feel’ For October
/by Lorie HollabaughCallista Clark is giving fans a sneak preview of her upcoming debut full-length album Real To Me: The Way I Feel, with the release of a brand new track, “Sad,” out today.
Penned by the rising vocalist with Sarah Buxton and Jimmy Robbins, the young woman in “Sad” is not at all broken up about her recent breakup. “‘Sad’ is one of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written,” explains Clark. “It’s super lighthearted and perfect for summer. I wanted the lyrics of this song to be fun and sarcastic–the exact opposite of how I was feeling while going through a heartbreak. Manifesting not being sad.”
Due out Oct. 14 via Big Machine Records, the new album expands her previously-released Real To Me collection to 10 tracks. Produced by Nathan Chapman, Clark’s debut features songs co-written by Clark with Emily Shackelton, Jonathan Singleton, Chris DeStefano, Liz Rose, and more.
“I couldn’t be more excited to share that my first album ever is coming out Oct. 14! I have been waiting so long and trying my best to get all the new songs as perfect as I can. The Real to Me era is not over yet! Can’t wait for y’all to hear it,” she adds.
Clark continues to make strides as one of country’s hottest newcomers. Billboard has featured her two years in a row on their annual “21 Under 21” list, and she was the youngest member ever named to CMT’s Next Women of Country in the 2022 class.
Real To Me: The Way I Feel Track List:
1. “It’s ‘Cause I Am” | Callista Clark, Cameron Jaymes, Laura Veltz
2. “Gave It Back Broken” | Callista Clark, Emily Shackelton
3. “Change My Mind” | Callista Clark, Dan Isbell, Jonathan Singleton
4. “Worst Guy Ever” | Callista Clark, Jordan Reynolds, Emily Weisband
5. “Brave Girl” | Callista Clark, Ben Johnson, Emily Landis
6. “Wish You Wouldn’t” | Callista Clark, Emily Falvey, Lalo Guzman
7. “Heartbreak Song” | Callista Clark, Chris DeStefano, Liz Rose, Emily Shackelton
8. “Don’t Need It Anymore” | Callista Clark, Cameron Jaymes, Melissa Peirce
9. “Sad” | Callista Clark, Sarah Buxton, Jimmy Robbins
10. “Real To Me” | Callista Clark, Casey Robert Brown, Laura Veltz
Parmalee Hits No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart
/by Alex Parry“Take My Name” by Parmalee earns a No. 1 Challenge Coin this week on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart. This is the group’s first MusicRow No. 1.
“Take My Name” appears on the group’s third album, For You, which was released in July of 2021 via Stoney Creek Records. The single was written by Ashley Gorely, David Fanning, Ben Johnson, and the band’s vocalist Matt Thomas.
“From the jump, the fans have really latched onto this song in such an amazing, life-changing way. Our fans have been the reason for so many of our own major milestones, so it means that much more to us that folks are our song for their proposals and weddings and allowing us to be a part of those major moments in their lives,” says Thomas.
Click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Industry Ink: Whiskey Myers, AIMP, BMI, ORiGiN Music Publishing
/by Lydia FarthingWhiskey Myers Makes Red Rocks Debut With A Wave Of New RIAA Certifications
Pictured (L-R, back row): Eddie Kloesel (Manager, WHY&HOW), Meredith Jones (Agent, CAA), Jamey Gleaves, Jeff Hogg, Cody Cannon, John Jeffers, Bruce Kalmick (Manager, WHY&HOW); (L-R, front row): Tony Kent, Cody Tate. Photo: Khris Poage
Whiskey Myers made their Red Rocks debut earlier this week (June 6) with a sold-out crowd of 9,525.
Delivering 19 genre-bending songs over two hours of music, the six-piece was also surprised pre-show with plaques celebrating four brand-new RIAA certifications. “Stone,” “Ballad of a Southern Man” and “Broken Window Serenade” earned Platinum distinction while “Virginia” was certified Gold.
The band takes their show to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival next weekend (June 17), while continuing to make stops on their cross-country “Tornillo Tour.”
AIMP Nashville Chapter Hosts “The Evolution Of Writer Management In Nashville” Event
Pictured (L-R): ET Brown (SESAC), Chris Van Belkom (Combustion Music), LeAnn Phelan (LP Creative Management), Nate Lowery (Cornman Music), Shelby Yoder (Milk & Honey South and Top 5 Music Publishing) , Tim Hunze (Big Machine Music), Michael Martin (Endurance Music Group), Emily Boardman (AIMP Nashville Treasurer, Hipgnosis Songs), Greg Gallo (Reservoir), and Kendall Lettow (peermusic).
The AIMP Nashville Chapter recently hosted its in-person “The Evolution of Writer Management in Nashville” event on June 1 at SESAC’s Nashville offices.
The event brought together writer managers Nate Lowery (Cornman Music), LeAnn Phelan (LP Creative Management), and Shelby Yoder (Milk & Honey South and Top 5 Music Publishing) to discuss the intricacies of the ever-growing world of writer/producer management.
BMI Hosts Industry Mixer For Equal Access Participants
Indsutry Executives attend mtheory mixer hosted by BMI. Photo: John Jo
Clay Bradley and Shannan Sanders of BMI hosted a mixer at the BMI offices for participants of mtheory’s Equal Access program.
In addition to mtheory and BMI staff, attendees included those from CMT, Universal Music, Universal Publishing, Symphonic, Nashville Music Equality, The Change Agency, plus several notable songwriters and producers. The mixers serve to give the Equal Access manager and artist participants a chance to meet and work with leaders in the country music industry who want to see it evolve into a more inclusive space.
More of these events with industry partners will take place in the coming months.
Templeton Thompson & Sam Gay Sign With ORiGiN Music Publishing In Australia
Templeton Thompson & Sam Gay
Templeton Thompson and Sam Gay have inked a sub-publishing agreement with ORiGiN Music Publishing in Sydney Australia. This agreement includes their Connected at the Hit Songs and BoatPony Music catalogs.
The signing news comes on the heels of their 11 singles on the Australian country radio charts with 10 No. 1s on the iTunes Australia Country chart.
In addition to their hits in Australia, Thompson’s and Gay’s songs have been recorded by the likes of Reba McEntire, Little Texas, Montgomery Gentry, Ricky Van Shelton, and Jo Dee Messina, among others. Individually and collectively, their songs have been used in films such as Dr. Dolittle 3 and the Lifetime Christmas movie Every Other Holiday. Gay also wrote and produced the soundtrack for the film Dogs On The Inside.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this collaboration with the team at ORiGiN!” says Gay. “We’re so grateful to legendary Australian producer Rod McCormack, Aussie country icon Gina Jeffreys, Vixens of Fall and Courtney Keil for doing such an amazing job with the songs we’ve all written! The only missing piece has been a relationship with an Australian publisher. ORiGiN Music is a perfect fit to oversee our catalogs and open the door to even more creative opportunities in that part of the world.”
“We’re so blessed to be working with the wonderful folks at ORiGiN and can’t wait to see what the future holds!” Thompson adds.
BMI Throws Massive Parking Lot Party To Celebrate Nine Luke Combs Hits
/by LB CantrellPictured: Luke Combs performs for 8,000 fans at the BMI Parking Lot Party. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
BMI hosted its biggest No. 1 party ever Wednesday night (June 8) to celebrate nine hits by country superstar Luke Combs.
More than 8,000 fans and industry members flooded the BMI parking lot on Music Row on the hot summer night. Attendees participated in corn hole, sampled yummy food from local food trucks, and heard from talents Hailey Whitters and Drew Parker before Combs made his way to the stage.
Along with 11 talented songwriters, Combs celebrated nine of his latest chart-topping singles: “Beautiful Crazy,” “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” “Even Though I’m Leaving,” “Does To Me, ”Lovin’ On You,” “Better Together,” “Forever After All,” “Cold As You,” and “Doin’ This.” He performed all nine songs, joined by his co-writers Thomas Archer, Wyatt Durrette, Ray Fulcher, Dan Isbell, James McNair, Shane Minor, Randy Montana, Tyler Reeve, Jonathan Singleton and Rob Williford.
Combs ended the parking lot party with a rousing sing-along of his first hit, “Hurricane.”
Pictured: Luke Combs with fellow co-writers. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Pictured: BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill, Luke Combs, and Sirius XM’s The Highway Storme Warren at the BMI Parking Lot Party. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI
Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Morgan Wallen Among 2022 iHeartRadio Music Fest Lineup
/by Lorie HollabaughiHeartMedia has unveiled the lineup for the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival set for Sept. 23-24 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
This year’s star-studded two-day main stage lineup will feature performances by Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Morgan Wallen, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Halsey, Lionel Richie, LL Cool J feat. DJ Z-Trip, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Sam Smith, The Black Keys, and more.
Chase Rice, Carly Pearce, Ryan Hurd, and plenty more are among the lineup for the Daytime Stage on Saturday (Sept. 24) at the new immersive event and entertainment district, AREA15 in Las Vegas. Other artists performing on the Daytime Stage include Maggie Rogers, 5 Seconds of Summer, Big Time Rush, Girl in Red, Lauv, Chlöe, Willow, Latto, Gayle and Lauren Spencer-Smith, with more to be announced.
The Daytime Stage will also include fan zones and interactive experiences by iHeartRadio’s brand partners.
“We’re thrilled to once again return to Las Vegas for a weekend full of great live music with this year’s Festival,” says Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia. “What makes this festival one of a kind is that we have the best artists from every genre of music that we play on our 860 iHeart stations all on one stage. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see so many legends performing together.”
Each night, the festival will broadcast live for fans via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets, and the CW Network will broadcast a two-night TV special this October. In addition, The CW will exclusively livestream both nights of the festival via The CW app and CWTV.com.
“This is the one music festival that celebrates the best in class in all genres of music,” adds John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia. “Fans love this weekend because they discover new artists and the artists leave with new fans.”
Tickets are available to the general public on AXS.com beginning June 17.
DISClaimer Single Reviews: Eric Church Demonstrates ‘Country Music Brilliance’ On New Single
/by Robert K OermannEric Church performs. Photo: Anthony D’Angio
Today’s DISClaimer is a ringing reminder of how meaningful country music can be when it is at its best.
And country music doesn’t come any better than Eric Church, who takes home his umpteenth Disc of the Day prize from this column.
We have several promising newcomers vying for our attention in this stack of tunes. I was deliriously smitten by the fresh sounds of MacKenzie Carpenter, Drake Milligan, Catie Offerman, Kimberly Kelly, Bryan Ruby and Coffey Anderson. The rocking performance by Drake Milligan wins him this week’s DISCovery Award.
CATIE OFFERMAN / “Don’t Do It In Texas”
Writers: Catie Offerman/Nicolle Galyon/Ryan Beaver; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: MCA
–Tuneful and yearning. She’s getting ready for him to split, but begs him not to dump her in her beloved Lone Star State. Promising in the extreme. Offerman will make her performance debut during CMA Fest on Saturday at 4:00 on the Maui Jim Reverb Stage.
ERIC CHURCH / “Doing Life With Me”
Writers: Eric Church/Casey Beathard/Jeffrey Steele; Producer: Jay Joyce; Label: EMI
–I will never get over how great this artist is. Every note he sings goes straight to my hillbilly heart. This new performance is country-music brilliance. He muses on his imperfections while giving thanks to loved ones for being on his life’s journey. A mandolin trills, backing vocalists shadow his gently expressive performance and percussion shuffles along. Play it again.
BRYAN RUBY / “Left Field”
Writers: Andrew Capra/Chad Sellers/Bryan Ruby; Producer: Smith Curry; Label: BR
–Very cool. Ruby is a professional minor-league baseball player, but the title doesn’t refer to the game as you might expect. Instead, to a brisk, lively tempo, he urges you to live your life bearing in mind that some of the best things in it will come unexpectedly from out of nowhere. Proceeds from this ultimately playable single will go to his charity Proud To Be in Baseball, since he is the sport’s first openly gay athlete.
GARY ALLAN / “Ruthless”
Writers: Hillary Lindsey/Busbee/Ryan Hurd; Producers: Mark Wright/Tony Brown; Label: EMI
–The title tune of Gary’s 2021 comeback collection is now the name of his post-COVID comeback tour. It’s a stately heartache ballad embellished with soulful organ and punchy horn accents. Bluesy and righteous.
COFFEY ANDERSON / “Blessed”
Writers: Sean Squires/Stephen Hunley/Bobby McLamb; Producers: Coffey Anderson/Ilya Toshinsky; Label: Riser House
–I love country spelling songs. “I’m B-L-E-double S-E-D” he warbles in a softly furry tenor while the band kicks up some twang-dust behind him. It’s all about being thankful, affirming and positive, and I can certainly endorse that. Anderson stars in a Netflix reality series about his life titled Country Ever After.
JORDAN DAVIS / “What My World Spins Around”
Writers: Jordan Davis/Matt Dragstrem/Ryan Hurd; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Label: MCA
–Endearing. He’s a country boy, head over heels in love. The performance is downright joyous, and the production has all the thumping, shuddering oomph it needs. Dear radio: I’d sure like to hear this in heavy rotation. Thank you.
NICOLLE GALYON / “Winner”
Writers: Nicolle Galyon/Shane McAnally/Josh Osborne; Producers: King Henry/Jimmy Robbins; Label: Songs & Daughters
–One of Nashville’s most successful songwriters (“Tequila,” “Automatic,” etc.) is issuing an autobiographical song cycle titled Firstborn. The musical memoir’s first single is a simply lovely outing pairing her intimate soprano with a spare, folkie production that wafts like a spring breeze. This is music to get lost in. I must have this album.
CARLOS SANTANA & CHRIS STAPLETON / “Joy”
Writers: Carlos Santana/Chris Stapleton; Producer: Chris Stapleton; Label: BMG
–The Latin rock titan hits hot guitar licks in between Stapleton’s bluesy wailing. This seemingly oddball collaboration works better than you might think. It’s for the hidden hippie in all of us. You’ll find it on Satana’s new album Blessings and Miracles.
ADAM HOOD & MIRANDA LAMBERT / “Harder Stuff “
Writers: Brent Cobb/Charlie Starr/Adam Keith Hood/Davis Nix; Producer: Brent Cobb; Label: AH
–Nashville songwriting champ Hood sings of his newfound sobriety in this plaintive ballad while superstar Miranda lends her support with perfectly placed harmony vocals. It’s very slow and deliberate, but rings with honesty and truth. There’s an extended instrumental coda that keeps the mood lingering.
KIMBERLY KELLY & STEVE WARINER / “Blue Jean Country Queen”
Writers: Kimberly Kelly/Brett Tyler/Steve Wariner; Producer: Brett Tyler; Label: Show Dog/Thirty Tigers
–This is a snappy toe-tapper that rocks along with vim and verve. Kelly’s sprightly delivery has twang to spare. Wariner is along for some soft harmony singing and a red-hot guitar solo.
DRAKE MILLIGAN / “Sounds Like Something I’d Do”
Writers: Brett Beavers/Drake Milligan/Terry McBride; Producers: Brandon Hood/Tony Brown; Label: Stoney Creek
–Milligan wowed them on America’s Got Talent on Tuesday with this barn burner. He has the physical presence of an Elvis, the deep-baritone dips of a Merle and the honky-tonk authenticity of a Strait. I think this kid might be a star. Get on board and rock with him ‘til ya get dizzy.
MacKENZIE CARPENTER / “Can’t Nobody”
Writers: Brigetta Truitt/Peytan Porter/MacKenzie Carpenter; Producer: Brandon Hood; Label: Valory
–“Can’t nobody write a song like Dolly.” “Can’t nobody love June like Johnny.” “Can’t nobody break a heart like you.” This midtempo, sweet/sad, swirly confection introduces a gal who sounds like a major contender. Spin it.
13th Annual ‘Darius & Friends’ Benefit Raises All-Time High Of $516,000 For St. Jude
/by Lorie HollabaughDarius Rucker. Photo: Acacia Evans
Darius Rucker held his 13th annual “Darius & Friends” Benefit on Monday night (June 6) at the Ryman Auditorium, followed by his corresponding golf tournament and silent auction on Tuesday, June 7.
This year’s event alone raised an all-time high of $516,000, bringing together a sold-out audience at the Ryman with at-home fans watching via live stream. This year’s successful show brings the total raised to over $3 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Darius Rucker and his band members. Photo: Austin Friedline
Reflecting on his first visit to the hospital in 2008, Rucker explained to the sold-out crowd, “I’m talking to one administrator and she said, ‘When you bring your kid to St. Jude, we fly you in, we put you up, we feed you and we never send you a bill.’ I started talking to people there and it’s true. That day I said, I want to do something to help. I’m doing this for St. Jude–thank you guys for coming out!”
The benefit concert, which serves as an unofficial kickoff to CMA Fest each summer, is famous for its surprise lineup of stars and this year’s guests included Sheryl Crow, Lindsay Ell, Sara Evans, Caylee Hammack and Rachel Wammack.
Prior guests have included Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, John Daly, Charles Kelley of Lady A, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, and Tommy Thayer of KISS, among many others.
The 13th Annual “Darius & Friends” concert benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Photo: Tony Vasquez
Sheryl Crow. Photo: Acacia Evans
Lindsay Ell. Photo: Acacia Evans
Jillian Jacqueline Talks ‘Honestly,’ Her Debut Album Years In The Making [Interview]
/by Lydia FarthingJillian Jacqueline. Photo: Courtesy of Red Light Management
Jillian Jacqueline first rolled into Nashville 14 years ago with the dream of putting out her own album.
However, the format at the time wasn’t as conducive to longer-form projects from new artists, forcing Jacqueline to release a string of singles and EPs that have garnered her moderate success and over 100 million streams, including “Reasons,” “God Bless This Mess” which she co-wrote with Lori McKenna, and “If I Were You” featuring Keith Urban.
But this Friday (June 10), the budding singer-songwriter will finally release her debut, full-length project through Virgin Music. Aptly titled Honestly, the 11-track record finds Jacqueline at her most raw and innocent, giving listeners a peek behind the curtain into her thoughts about love and life which she’s yet to explore musically.
Originally born in the summer of 2019, Honestly is a project nearly three years in the making, which went through a few different lives before arriving at its final form. Within those three years, Jacqueline lost her first label deal with Big Loud Records, married her husband and producer Bryan Brown, and had their first child.
“[When I first started making Honestly] it was more of a panic move. It was kind of like, ‘I have to start making music because I need to prove to myself that I’m supposed to be here and this is what I’m supposed to be doing.’ A lot of insecurity went into the first batch,” Jacqueline shares. “If you look at the original track list, so many songs that we were [so excited about] actually died off. We tried iterations of them over and over again, but they just never felt right.”
Jillian Jacqueline. Photo: Courtesy of Red Light Management
In a similar sentiment from many artists during the COVID lockdown, Jacqueline credits the pandemic with the new wave of music that changed the landscape of Honestly. In March of 2020, Jacqueline and her producers—Bryan and his brother Tofer Brown, a longtime collaborator of Jacqueline’s—went back to the drawing board.
Come July, she signed a new publishing deal with Kobalt which spawned a collection of new songs, including “Honeymoon” and “Better With A Broken Heart,” both of which ended up on Honestly‘s revisited track list with its entirely new sound.
“There were a lot of come to Jesus moments with me, Bryan, and Tofer where we were all navigating our different work styles. Tofer and I have worked together for many years. He’s done all my music with me and he’s my best friend. We decided to bring Bryan in on production because he’s just an incredible guitar player and he works differently than us,” Jacqueline says. “During the whole process of making the record, we were navigating a lot of these new processes with Bryan that Tofer and I weren’t used to. We’re more like throwing spaghetti at the wall people. We’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, that stuck. That feels good. Let’s move on.’ Bryan’s like, ‘No, I think we should throw five more noodles,’” she jokes. “That drove us crazy at first and then we started to realize that his vision for the songs was even cooler, braver, wilder, and more interesting than we had even anticipated.”
With writing credits from some of Nashville’s heavy hitters, such as Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, Daniel Tashian and Old Dominion’s Trevor Rosen, Honestly also sees a couple of stellar collaborations with Charlie Worsham (“The Ocean”) and Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne (“Better With A Broken Heart”).
As a long-time admirer of TJ and Brothers Osborne, Jacqueline notes the song as one of her favorites on the album.
“I really respect them and I respect him, so I went out on a limb and sent him a text saying, ‘I have this song and I can’t hear anyone else but you singing on it with me. Totally cool if you’re not into it, but I really love your voice and I would love to collaborate,’” she explains. “He was like, ‘Wow, I love the song. Let me sit with it for a while. We’ve done a lot of collaborations recently, so I don’t want to jump right in without thinking about it first.’”
After taking a few weeks of listening and playing around with melodies and harmonies that felt right to him, Osborne got on board for the project.
TJ Osborne & Jillian Jacqueline. Photo: Alexa King
“He hit me up a couple weeks later, and said, ‘I love that song. When can I sing it?,’” she continues. “He went on about how he felt like the lyrics and the way it described love was something that felt very honest to him and that he could really get behind. [With this duet], we’re singing our own versions of it, but it’s not necessarily a romantic thing which is kind of unusual. Normally, if it’s a duet, they’re singing to each other, so it was cool that we both got to have our own moment in the song without necessarily singing to one another.”
Another one of Jacqueline’s favorite tunes from Honestly is the stirring, emotional track “Iconic.” Written with Tofer and Kate York on the heels of her engagement, the song serves as a beautiful ode to committing to forever with someone, as well as love being a choice.
As an added bonus, the song is laced with an extra special layer of production that hits close to Jacqueline’s heart.
“My husband did this wildly romantic thing where on the day that he knew he was going to propose to me, we were in Paris and he took his phone out and started recording a voice memo of the sounds of the city,” Jacqueline shares. “Months and months later, I wrote the song and we were starting to hash out the production. He was working on it one day in the studio and he told me about this voice memo in Paris. He put it at the beginning of the song to commemorate what the lyrics are. You can just hear the streets of Paris and then the piano starts in.”
On the cusp of the release of her debut record, Jacqueline has her eyes set on returning to the road this year, as well as dreams of a billboard in Times Square.
“I’ve always said I wanted a billboard and we got the billboard here in Nashville, which was so freaking cool. In my head, though, with the way I work now, I need to get one in Times Square,” she says with a laugh. “I have this issue with nothing ever being enough. I’m restless and I’m always wanting the next thing. As much as I am excited for all the things coming up, my biggest challenge is just to be present with where I am and be so grateful that I actually finished this record. It’s something that I truly believe in and want to share with the world.”
Jacqueline’s debut, full-length album Honestly will be available everywhere this Friday (June 10).
CRS360 Webinar Series For June Dives Deep Into Music Preference
/by Lorie HollabaughThe latest installment of CRS360’s webinar series, “If The Song Fits, Play it!,” is set for Wednesday, June 15 at 1 p.m. CT. Carolyn Gilbert and Leigh Jacobs of Nuvoodoo will serve as panelists on the episode with Clay Hunnicutt as moderator.
The music and song-focused episode is Part II of a follow-up to the research project originally presented at CRS 2022 in February by NuVoodoo. Various song titles will be shared, setting out to answer one primary question: Whether listeners think they should be played on country radio or included in a country playlist. Results are based on a sample of adults 25-54 nationwide, who are all regular listeners to country radio.
“NuVoodoo has prepared an important and comprehensive look into what songs fit for country radio or are more suited to a playlist,” shares CRS Executive Director RJ Curtis. “We touched on this at CRS in February, and Clay Hunnicutt, Carolyn Gilbert, and Leigh Jacobs return with a deeper dive that programmers will eat up. This session is a must if you care about playing the right music. If you don’t care about playing the right music, well… good luck with that.”
Those wanting to attend the June edition of the CRS360 webinar series can sign up here. Only a limited number of slots are available and are based on a first-come, first-served basis.