Country artists Dustin Lynch and Jessie James Decker have joined the lineup for the pregame entertainment ahead of Saturday’s 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series between the Nashville Predators and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Nissan Stadium on Feb. 26.

Decker will perform the national anthem in front of the sold out crowd joined by Nashville Sign Language Club performer Heather Olmstead. Lynch will open the game with a performance of his new hit single, “Party Mode.”

They join fellow country artists Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley who will be performing during the first intermission of the game.

Lynch, accompanied by the Vanderbilt Spirit dance team, will open the festivities with a performance during the on-field arrivals of the Predators and Lightning. Lynch has built a success career with eight No. 1s, four Top 5 albums, nine Gold and Platinum certified singles, and over 3.3 billion global on-demand streams. Launching the “Party Mode Tour” this spring, his fifth studio album, Blue In The Sky, is out now.

Signed to Warner Music Nashville, Decker has shown off her talent as a singer, songwriter, TV personality, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and two-time New York Times best-selling author. Her 2017 album, Southern Girl City Lights, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

Walker Hayes will also join the lineup with an exclusive TikTok livestreamed performance inside the NHL PreGame fan festival. He will perform on the TikTok Tailgate Stage at The PreGame, the official fan festival of the NHL Stadium Series in Nissan Stadium’s Parking Lot R. The concert will be exclusively livestreamed on the NHL’s TikTok account at 4:30pm CT.

The “Stadium Biscuits” house band, led by bandleader John Bohlinger, will share center stage throughout the game with a lineup of Nashville-based musical artists, including Frankie Ballard, Chayce Beckham, Bexar, Jackson Dean, Lindsay Ell, Morgan Evans, Josh Hedley, Tiera Kennedy and Ajay Popoff.

The game, pregame celebrations, and first intermission concert will be broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. CT on TNT.

Michael Ray’s “Whiskey and Rain” Goes Gold

Warner Music Nashville’s Michael Ray joined the WEA radio team and other members of the label family to celebrate some extra excitement this CRS week.

Ray’s fourth chart-topping hit single, “Whiskey and Rain,” has officially been certified RIAA Gold. The single, written by Josh Thompson and Jesse Frasure, has surpassed 120 million on-demand streams in the U.S. alone.

The next single from his Higher Education EP, “Holy Water,” is due to impact radio on March 7.

 

Amanda Cooksey Rises To A&R Manager At Demolition Music

Demolition Music’s A&R Coordinator and Head of PR, Amanda Cooksey, has been promoted to A&R Manager.

Cooksey started working for the company in fall of 2018, managing the catalog while moving her way into creative over the past few years. She will be working closely with the writers, booking sessions, and pitching songs, as well as overseeing PR for the company. Cooksey graduated with a Business Administration degree in 2016 and a songwriting degree in 2018 from Belmont University, and recently received her Master’s in PR from the University of Florida.

“Amanda started with Demolition nearly four years ago as an intern and has impressed us from day one. With a great ear for songs and a natural talent for song plugging, I believe she’s going to knock it out of the park in her new role as our A&R Manager,” says President of Demolition, Jon D’Agostino.

“I feel so lucky to have watched Demolition grow over the past few years and look forward to what 2022 has in store for us. Not only is Demolition ambitious and driven in everything they do, but Jon has also worked hard to make the company feel like a family. I believe that this is going to be our best and biggest year yet,” Cooksey adds.

Demolition opened its doors in 2014 and boasts a roster of D’Agostino, Steve Dorff, Josh Ronen, Haven, Michael August, Evan Coffman, and Landon Wall.

 

AIMP Names Ashley Morey As Young Professional Committee Chair

The Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York Young Professional Committees of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) have selected Ashley Morey, Director, Client Services at HFA/Rumblefish, as Chair of their national Young Professional Committee (YPC).

Morey, who has extensive experience supporting publishers and songwriters from her 8+ years at HFA, will coordinate the YPC’s national meetings, handle communication on behalf of the committee, and mobilize its members. She began her career in the music industry as an assistant roadie before earning her BBA in Music Business from Belmont University and interning in the Licensing and Membership departments at ASCAP Nashville. She later joined HFA as an Inquiry Agent in 2013 and worked her way through the ranks, taking on the Director, Client Services role in September 2021.

“Our Young Professional Committees are a vital part of the AIMP providing education, collaboration, and idea-sharing opportunities to those shaping the future of our industry,” says John Ozier, AIMP National Chair and President of the Nashville Chapter. “With Ashley’s strong background in music publishing and her expertise in the digital space, I have no doubt she will lead the YPC to accomplish great things this year.”

“As both a musician and a publishing professional, helping to educate publishers and songwriters and ensuring they are properly compensated is my mission and my greatest reward,” adds Morey. “Through leading the Young Professional Committee, I look forward to working alongside the AIMP and my peers to provide crucial programming and strengthen our industry for the generations to come.”

The national YPC was launched in the fall of 2021. The committees’ primary purpose is to educate, inform, and share insight on the inner workings of independent music publishing, while also encouraging and involving members in the young professional music community.

 

Vere Music Adds Paige Heinemann As Project Coordinator

Vere Music, a Nashville-based global distribution company, has expanded its team with the addition of Paige Heinemann as Project Coordinator.

In this role, Heinemann will work alongside Vere’s CEO Rusty Harmon and A&R Executive Alyssa Logan, coordinating directly with Vere artists and labels, arranging release information, and coordinating projects under label services

Heinemann is a Nebraska native who moved to Nashville after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 2021. Heinemann has held a variety of internships at Big Loud, Jacht Agency and Bryan Health. Majoring in advertising, public relations and communication, she has also been involved with Nashville’s Young Entertainment Professionals chapter.

“We are thrilled to welcome Paige onto the Vere team,” says Logan. “Her background in media and marketing has quickly become a great asset for our clients.”

Created in 2020, Vere specializes in releasing music while allowing artists to retain 100% ownership of their masters. Since its opening, Vere has accumulated over 15 artists across many genres and has released 70+ projects, accounting for more than 700 million streams. Their roster includes artists such as David Nail, Trace, Andrew Duhon, Joey Lawrence, Dan Rodriguez, Cody Webb, Alissa Moreno, and others. Vere also partners with labels such as Clearwater Records, Gray Vonne Records, and TAOL Recordings.

Eli Young Band Join The Pandora Billionaires Club

Following their Grand Ole Opry performance on Feb. 22, Eli Young Band were surprised with a Pandora Billionaire Plaque, commemorating over 2 billion streams on the platform.

With this milestone, the band has been added to Pandora’s Country Billionaires Radio.

“Sometimes these moments sneak up on you and refill the gas tank,” reflected lead singer Mike Eli. “We love to play music and when something like this comes along and reminds you that people are listening, it just feels so good. The first and last time someone will call us billionaires!”

Last week, the band delivered their new single “Love Talking” to country radio. The band will return to the road for their 51-city “Love Talking Tour.” For a full list of upcoming dates, click here.

Priscilla Block Celebrates First RIAA Certification For “Just About Over You”

Priscilla Block was surprised with some happy news on Friday (Feb. 18) while joining SiriusXM’s Buzz Brainard for The Highway’s Music Row Happy Hour.

While in the studio, RIAA’s Jackie Jones popped in to the live broadcast, saying, “I am here to do one of my favorite things–to give an artist their very first certification. I’d like to congratulate you on your first Gold record!”

Jones presented Priscilla with Gold plaque for Block’s hit debut single “Just About Over You.”

“I’m at a loss for words!” shared a stunned Block. “This is because of [my family, friends, supporters, and fans]. [This is] my first certified gold single! Thank y’all for keeping music alive and continuing to buy and stream my music and letting me have a dang career doing what I love!”

Earlier this week, Block was also awarded the Breakout Artist of the Year award at MusicRow‘s 20th annual CountryBreakout Awards. Block earned the most spins on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart than any other debut artist last year.

 

Jon Langston Makes Opry Debut, Earns Gold Treatment

32 Bridge Entertainment/EMI Records Nashville artist Jon Langston made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Feb. 22. Along the way, he delivered an array of performances, including his upcoming single, “Back Words,” and fan favorite “Forever Girl.”

During the show, Langston was surprised backstage with a plaque commemorating “Forever Girl” being certified Gold by the RIAA.

The song was the first song Langston ever wrote, kicking off a career that has seen the Georgia native sell out shows across the country and tally more than 500 million total streams.

Langston will release “Back Words” this Friday (Feb. 25).

Dustin Collins Inks With New Vision, New Revolution

Dustin Collins has signed with New Vision Artist Management’s Mike Kraski and New Revolution Entertainment’s Jeff Solima.

Collins recently announced his forthcoming album, Working Man, which was produced by Buddy Cannon and Bill McDermott. The project is slated for release this summer from DCDL Entertainment. A portion of proceeds from the project will benefit GUMI (Glad You Made It) Camp USA, which provides veterans with the tools they need to help them heal after deployment and enables them to re-enter society.

Kraski began his career in sales and distribution at CBS Records, eventually making his way to Sony Music Nashville where he worked with Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Montgomery Gentry, and more. He was eventually elevated to executive VP and General Manager for the Nashville division. In 2003, Kraski left Sony to open Equity Records. Since 2007, he has worked in artist management, consulting and music publishing at Tenacity Management and at M-Pact Music Group, recently partnering with artist manager John Dorris to launch New Vision Artist Management.

Solima, whose career started at Music Matters, managed Tracy Lawrence and Clay Walker, as well as opened the multi-award-winning Hitsquad Promotions in 1993. In 2006, he co-founded New Revolution, and in 2008, he co-founded Bigger Picture Promotions, which became the No. 5 record label in 18 months. Clients that have included Tim McGraw, Brantley Gilbert, Martina McBride, Lee Brice, Gloriana, Uncle Kracker, Jesse James Decker, and more.

“It’s truly amazing to get to work with some of the best that Nashville has to offer. Management wise, Mike has helped me achieve everything I’ve wanted to on my new project and going forward to radio, you can’t help but to be impressed with Jeff’s track record of success and professionalism,” shares Collins.