Newly renovated Warner Music Nashville office. Photo: Diana King
After nearly two years of work-from-home, Warner Music Nashville and Warner Chappell Music Nashville are welcoming employees, artists, and songwriters back to the office—now with newly renovated buildings.
The 20 and 21 Music Square East headquarters span 52,000 square feet of modernized office space. This project makes Warner Music Nashville the only major label still on Music Row.
Studio inside Warner Music Nashville office. Photo: Diana King
Redevelopment efforts at Warner Music Nashville, housed at 20 Music Square East, included transforming the lobby into a large-scale performance area equipped with a specialized lighting grid and advanced PA system. Still to come is a mural depicting a multi-cultural chronology of the history of country music through Warner Music Nashville’s own label icons, which will greet artists as they prepare to perform on the new stage. Other additions include a fully outfitted, multi-purpose audio and video production studio designed by Michael Cronin. The studio, which will allow for Dolby Atmos mixing and playback, features a tracking room for recording and content capture, multiple isolation booths, and more. The project also modernized three floors of traditional offices by introducing a more open, flexible space.
The Warner Music Nashville team ensured that the renovation would utilize sustainable materials, including Cradle to Cradle certified carpet and GreenGuard certified countertops. The design team upgraded all light fixtures to LED and added occupancy sensors to conserve energy, used low-VOC paint (volatile organic compounds) in order to improve indoor air quality, and added five-stream composting and recycling stations.
“Warner Music Nashville artists and employees deserved a label home that could both honor its history and adapt to the modern needs of a creative industry,” shares John Esposito, Chairman & CEO, Warner Music Nashville. “I am proud that we were able to bring our vision to life in a way that aligned with our environmental values. We now remain part of the legacy that is Music Row in a more sustainable, future-facing building. The remodeled office space provides our amazing team with updated resources and a crucial degree of flexibility.
“Meanwhile, we are also able to provide a world-class tool set to an emerging generation of creators,” Esposito adds. “The design of the new spaces will allow us to tell each artist’s individual story from start to finish—whether it’s live-streaming a full-band concert, capturing high-end video content or recording music from demo to master.”
Renovated writer room at Warner Chappell Music’s Nashville office. Photo: Diana King
Across the street at 21 Music Square East, Warner Chappell Music underwent an entire gut-renovation. The two-story building includes ten technologically advanced writer’s rooms again designed by Cronin with top-end gear and robust acoustics. It also features an indoor stage with a fully stocked bar and an open kitchen, all connected to an outdoor space through a massive garage style door that leads to an additional stage and basketball hoop. For added entertainment, there’s a Led Zeppelin pinball machine and WCM-branded pool table layered into the design. A collaborative effort, the team solicited input from songwriters—everything from what a writer would want in a writer room to putting their favorite books on the shelves.
Gaming console inside Warner Chappell Music’s Nashville office. Photo: Diana King
Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, WCM Nashville, says: “Today is extremely special, as we now have an office dedicated entirely to team Warner Chappell and the songwriters who drive music forward in Nashville. A process years in the making, we dreamed this space up in collaboration with our writers and with creativity in mind, to design an environment where everyone who walks through our doors feels inspired and at home. We’re proud of the space and are excited to continue to deepen our roots on Music Row—the true heart and soul of Music City.”
JLL Nashville, along with Turner Construction and Hastings Architecture Associates, supported on the project.
Alex Miller Declares April 29 ‘Miller Time’
/by Lorie HollabaughAlex Miller
Alex Miller is gearing up for the release of his new Billy Jam Records album, Miller Time, on April 29.
The season 19 American Idol alum offers up the 10-track project filled with ballads, bar burners and a few surprises. Helmed by songwriter and industry vet Jerry Salley, the collection opens with a tale of the dead-broke and broken-hearted in “Breaking The Bank,” which is offered as a grat track with album pre-order.
Other tracks on the project include his current single, “Through With You,” the Western swing number “Don’t Let The Barn Door Hit Ya,” the fiddle and steel-tinged “Girls Must Be Clumsy,” the slow swinging “Kentucky’s Never Been This Far From Tennessee,” the sassy “I’m Over You, So Get Over Me,” and the patriotic “Boys In Uniform,” among others. Miller wraps the album with his rendition of the Hank Williams’ gospel number, “I’m Gonna Sing,” accompanied by the Oak Ridge Boys.
“Going into this I wanted to make an album that showcased all the different sides of me-swing, bluegrass, country and gospel,” says Alex. “Miller Time gives me the chance to show folks all the music I love and enjoy.” He adds, “I always knew making music was what I wanted. To actually be doing it is really me living the dream.”
Thomas Rhett To Celebrate New Album With Amazon Live Stream Event
/by Lorie HollabaughThomas Rhett is teaming up with Amazon Music for “Thomas Rhett: The Live Experience” on April 1 to celebrate the launch of his sixth studio album, Where We Started, from The Valory Music Co.
The album launch event will stream live beginning at 7 p.m. CT with a Twitch pre-show led by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson, hosts of the Country Heat Weekly podcast. Fans will be able to tune in via the Amazon Music channel on Twitch, on Prime Video, and within the Amazon Music mobile app via Twitch.
“I’m so pumped to celebrate the release of Where We Started this Friday with Amazon Music,” Rhett says. “Whether you’re here in Nashville or anywhere else in the world watching virtually, I’m thankful to collaborate with the people at Amazon Music to help us reach as many of you as we possibly can. The show is really, really special to me and full circle in so many ways–can’t think of a better wait to celebrate together!”
Inspired by his return to the road, Rhett’s Where We Started includes a duet with Katy Perry on the root-pop title track, and collabs with Riley Green, Tyler Hubbard and Russell Dickerson.
Ryan Dokke Named VP, Promotion & Marketing At BMLG Records
/by Lydia FarthingRyan Dokke
Big Machine Label Group, a subsidiary of HYBE America, has added Ryan Dokke as Vice President, Promotion & Marketing, for the BMLG Records imprint effective immediately.
Reporting directly to BMLG Records President/CEO Jimmy Harnen, Dokke will support the label’s roster, which includes five-time Grammy award-winning trio Lady A, multi-Platinum-selling vocalist Brett Young, ACM award-winner Riley Green, and rising female vocalist Laci Kaye Booth.
Dokke most recently served as CEO of Dallas Davidson‘s Play It Again Music following prior stops at Curb | Word Entertainment (Curb Records) and Sony Music Nashville (Arista Records). Dokke can be reached at ryan.dokke@bmlg.net.
“I first met Ryan while he was working in radio and have considered him a friend for over a decade,” shares Harnen. “I’ve watched him rise through the ranks, expand his knowledge and succeed in very challenging times. I am confident he will continue leading this team at the level that Matthew Hargis did over the past 12 years.”
“First, I salute and honor Matthew Hargis and the tremendous leadership he has provided over the past decade,” adds Dokke. “I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of BMLG Records and advocate on behalf of this incredible artist roster. I am excited to work with this team of professionals and can’t thank Scott Borchetta and Jimmy Harnen enough for their belief that I am the right person for this role!”
Hargis served as the former Sr. VP of Promotion and Marketing at the Big Machine Label Group imprint BMLG Records. He announced his exit from the company earlier this month.
’90s Country Hitmaker Jeff Carson Dies Of A Heart Attack At Age 58
/by Lorie Hollabaugh’90s country hitmaker Jeff Carson has died from a heart attack at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 58.
Born Jeffrey Lee Herndon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Carson began his musical journey singing in church. After forming a band in Rogers, Arkansas, he eventually moved to Branson, Missouri where he wrote songs and played locally before moving to Nashville. In Nashville he began recording demos and his voice caught the attention of Curb Records, who signed him in 1995.
He released several singles with Curb including “Yeah Buddy,” and “Not On Your Love,” which went to No. 1. Carson’s single, “The Car” became a top five hit and won him his first Academy of Country Music award for Video of the Year.
In 2009, Carson retired from music to become a law enforcement officer with the Franklin Police Department in Williamson County, Tennessee, where he remained on the force until his death. He returned to music in 2019 signing a singles deal with MC1 Nashville to re-cut and release a previously recorded song “God Save The World,” which charted on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio chart.
Carson had most recently signed with Encore Music Group and had been in the studio recording a specialty album to be released later this year that included duets with Michael Ray, Darryl Worley, Mark Wills, and Craig Morgan.
He is survived by wife Kim Cooper Carson, son Dayton Grei Herndon Carson, mother Virginia Norton, brother Steve Herndon, sister Karen Spurlock, as well as aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
A funeral service for Carson will be held on Saturday, April 2 at Brentwood Baptist Church at 10:00 a.m. A procession and police motorcade to a brief graveside service at Williamson Memorial for follow at 11:30 a.m.
Garth Brooks Adds Second Night To Nashville Weekend In April
/by Lydia FarthingGarth Brooks. Photo: Becky Fluke
Garth Brooks has added a new opening night to his visit to Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on April 15. The previously announced April 16 show will now serve as the second of his weekend-long stay.
Tickets will be on sale Friday, April 1 at 10:00 a.m. CT. This will be Brooks’ final “Stadium Tour” stop in Nashville and the only stop in Tennessee. Over 70,000 fans attended the anticipated 2021 performance at Nissan Stadium last summer before it was ultimately cancelled due to weather.
Originally launched in March 2019, Brooks’ “The Stadium Tour” has broken stadium attendance records at every stop so far. Pollstar announced at the end of last year that “The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour” was the best selling country music tour of 2019.
Ashley Cooke Inks With Big Loud Records & Back Blocks Music
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R, back row): Drew Magid (Big Loud Management), Jeff Tanner (VP of Business and Legal Affairs, Big Loud Records), Rakiyah Marshall (Founder/CEO, Back Blocks Music), Ashley Cooke, Patch Culbertson (SVP/GM, Big Loud Records), Candice Watkins (SVP of Marketing, Big Loud Records), Eric England (VP of Data & Analytics, Big Loud Records), Michael Giangreco (Sr. Director of A&R, Big Loud Publishing); (L-R, front row): Adam Romaine (Creative Director, Big Loud Publishing), Kennedy Murphy (Back Blocks Music), Kimberly Gleason (VP, Big Loud Publishing), Seth England (CEO/Partner, Big Loud), Katie Flynn (Creative Director, Big Loud Publishing), Tori Johnson (VP of Creative, Big Loud Records). Photo: Chris Hornbuckle
Rising country artist Ashley Cooke has signed a co-venture record deal with Big Loud Records and Back Blocks Music. She will also be represented by Big Loud / Back Blocks Music for publishing.
Cooke made her country music debut with her 2021 project Already Drank That Beer, which has already racked up over 30 million streams in seven months. Since joining TikTok in 2020, Cooke has amassed a following of over 885K followers and nearly 12 million likes. She has repeatedly topped the iTunes country charts with numerous releases such as fan favorite “Good Goodbye” and standout track “Never Til Now.”
“From the second I walked into Big Loud, it felt like home. They met me where I was, recognizing all I had built independently while also showing me how they could pour gasoline on the fire that had already started,” shares Cooke. “Getting to partner with not only Big Loud but also my champion since day one, Rakiyah Marshall / Back Blocks, is an absolute dream team and I couldn’t be more excited and confident to be joining the roster.”
Cooke started 2022 by being named one of Spotify’s Hot Country Artist To Watch. She is currently performing on Cole Swindell’s “Down To The Bar Tour,” and is preparing to release music throughout the year, recently teasing an all-new duet of “Never Til Now” alongside country superstar Brett Young.
Lee Brice Announces ‘Label Me Proud Tour’ For This Summer
/by Lorie HollabaughLee Brice is launching his “Label Me Proud Tour” beginning in June. Joining him on various dates on the trek will be Michael Ray, Jackson Dean, Tyler Farr, and Tim Montana.
The 23-market tour, kicking off June 2, will visit Pensacola, Chattanooga, Raleigh, Cincinnati, Toledo and more before wrapping on Sept. 24 in Sugar Land, Texas.
“Man, it feels good to announce this tour! It’s been a while since we’ve all been back out on the road and to have my good buddies, Michael Ray and Jackson Dean, join me is a blessing,” Brice shares. “Can’t wait to be back in all these places I’ve grown to love over the years with fans that are bar none the best ones out there! See y’all this summer!”
Pre-sale tickets for the tour, including special VIP Experience packages, are available through Brice’s fan club on March 29. Public on-sale begins April 1 at LeeBrice.com and Mich
Since the release of Brice’s latest album, Hey World, the CMA and ACM award-winner has landed three consecutive No. 1s, including “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Carly Pearce, “One of Them Girls,” and “Memory I Don’t Mess With,” marking nine career chart-toppers. With “One of Them Girls,” he swept the 2021 ASCAP, BMI and SESAC Awards as Country Song of The Year–the first time one song took all three awards in the same year.
“Label Me Proud Tour” Dates:
6.2.22 – Hampton Beach, NH – Casino Ballroom*
6.3.22 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater*
6.9.22 – Kearney, NE – Viaero Center*
6.11.22 – Maryland Heights, MO – Saint Louis Music Park*
6.16.22 – Toledo, OH – Toledo Zoo Amphitheater**
6.17.22 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum**
6.18.22 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre**
7.8.22 – Washington, D.C. – The Anthem***
8.11.22 – Pensacola, FL – Pensacola Bay Center*
8.12.22 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre*
8.13.22 – Boca Raton, FL – Mizner Park Amphitheater*
8.25.22 – Huntington, WV – Mountain Health Arena*
8.26.22 – Johnson City, TN – Freedom Hall Civic Center*
8.27.22 – Chattanooga, TN – Soldiers and Sailors Memorial*
9.8.22 – Charlottesville, VA – Ting Pavilion*
9.9.22 – Youngstown, OH – Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre*
9.10.22 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater*
9.15.22 – Cape Girardeau, MO – Show Me Center*
9.16.22 – Cincinnati, OH – PNC Pavilion*
9.17.22 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park*
9.22.22 – Jonesboro, AR – First National Bank Arena*
9.23.22 – Bossier City, LA – Brookshire Grocery Arena*
9.24.22 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre*
*Michael Ray & Jackson Dean
**Michael Ray & Tim Montana
***Tyler Farr & Jackson Dean
Warner Music Nashville, Warner Chappell Music Open Renovated Offices On Music Row
/by LB CantrellNewly renovated Warner Music Nashville office. Photo: Diana King
After nearly two years of work-from-home, Warner Music Nashville and Warner Chappell Music Nashville are welcoming employees, artists, and songwriters back to the office—now with newly renovated buildings.
The 20 and 21 Music Square East headquarters span 52,000 square feet of modernized office space. This project makes Warner Music Nashville the only major label still on Music Row.
Studio inside Warner Music Nashville office. Photo: Diana King
Redevelopment efforts at Warner Music Nashville, housed at 20 Music Square East, included transforming the lobby into a large-scale performance area equipped with a specialized lighting grid and advanced PA system. Still to come is a mural depicting a multi-cultural chronology of the history of country music through Warner Music Nashville’s own label icons, which will greet artists as they prepare to perform on the new stage. Other additions include a fully outfitted, multi-purpose audio and video production studio designed by Michael Cronin. The studio, which will allow for Dolby Atmos mixing and playback, features a tracking room for recording and content capture, multiple isolation booths, and more. The project also modernized three floors of traditional offices by introducing a more open, flexible space.
The Warner Music Nashville team ensured that the renovation would utilize sustainable materials, including Cradle to Cradle certified carpet and GreenGuard certified countertops. The design team upgraded all light fixtures to LED and added occupancy sensors to conserve energy, used low-VOC paint (volatile organic compounds) in order to improve indoor air quality, and added five-stream composting and recycling stations.
“Warner Music Nashville artists and employees deserved a label home that could both honor its history and adapt to the modern needs of a creative industry,” shares John Esposito, Chairman & CEO, Warner Music Nashville. “I am proud that we were able to bring our vision to life in a way that aligned with our environmental values. We now remain part of the legacy that is Music Row in a more sustainable, future-facing building. The remodeled office space provides our amazing team with updated resources and a crucial degree of flexibility.
“Meanwhile, we are also able to provide a world-class tool set to an emerging generation of creators,” Esposito adds. “The design of the new spaces will allow us to tell each artist’s individual story from start to finish—whether it’s live-streaming a full-band concert, capturing high-end video content or recording music from demo to master.”
Renovated writer room at Warner Chappell Music’s Nashville office. Photo: Diana King
Across the street at 21 Music Square East, Warner Chappell Music underwent an entire gut-renovation. The two-story building includes ten technologically advanced writer’s rooms again designed by Cronin with top-end gear and robust acoustics. It also features an indoor stage with a fully stocked bar and an open kitchen, all connected to an outdoor space through a massive garage style door that leads to an additional stage and basketball hoop. For added entertainment, there’s a Led Zeppelin pinball machine and WCM-branded pool table layered into the design. A collaborative effort, the team solicited input from songwriters—everything from what a writer would want in a writer room to putting their favorite books on the shelves.
Gaming console inside Warner Chappell Music’s Nashville office. Photo: Diana King
Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, WCM Nashville, says: “Today is extremely special, as we now have an office dedicated entirely to team Warner Chappell and the songwriters who drive music forward in Nashville. A process years in the making, we dreamed this space up in collaboration with our writers and with creativity in mind, to design an environment where everyone who walks through our doors feels inspired and at home. We’re proud of the space and are excited to continue to deepen our roots on Music Row—the true heart and soul of Music City.”
JLL Nashville, along with Turner Construction and Hastings Architecture Associates, supported on the project.
Symphonic Distribution Promotes Randall Foster To Chief Creative Officer
/by Lydia FarthingRandall Foster
Symphonic Distribution, the independent music distributor and technology platform, has promoted Nashville-based Randall Foster to Chief Creative Officer.
Foster opened Symphonic’s Nashville offices in April of 2019. Since then, he has grown the footprint and headcount of Symphonic’s presence in Music City by bringing on board their Head of Client Marketing and Head of Youtube and User Generated Content, as well as other key marketing and client management positions. Additionally, Randall oversees Symphonic’s sync licensing arm, Bodega Sync, as well as the company’s YouTube and User Generated Content Monetization efforts.
In his new role, Foster’s primary goals are continued acquisitions and distribution deals, strategic partnerships and oversight of rights management at both Symphonic and Symphonic’s music publishing wing.
“My time at Symphonic has been the most rewarding and gratifying time I’ve spent in this great industry of ours. To see our Nashville operation flourish and have the opportunity to continue to build-this time with a focus on content creation, publishing, acquisitions, etc.—is the culmination of a dream Jorge Brea and I started discussing 4 years ago,” Foster explains. “To say I’m thrilled is a vast understatement.”
Additionally, Nick Gordon has been promoted to Chief Partnership Officer in the New York office. Gordon joined Symphonic as Chief Client Officer and GM, New York in 2018. In his new role, Gordon will continue his focus on client growth through organic development, as well as strategic partnerships and acquisitions, and give oversight into Symphonic’s Web3 and NFT strategy.
Chris Stapleton, H.E.R., More To Perform At 64th Annual Grammy Awards
/by Lydia FarthingThe Recording Academy has expanded its lineup for the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, broadcasting live on April 3 at 7 p.m. CT on CBS and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Hosted by Trevor Noah from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Chris Stapleton, H.E.R., Jon Batiste, and Foo Fighters have joined the evening’s lineup, along with a special In Memoriam performance featuring songs of Stephen Sondheim by Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt, and Rachel Zegler.
Five-time Grammy winner Chris Stapleton has three nominations this year including Best Country Solo Performance (“You Should Probably Leave”), Best Country Song (“Cold”) and Best Country Album (Starting Over). For a full list of this year’s nominees, click here.
Previously announced performers include Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, and Olivia Rodrigo.