Joe Nichols. Photo: David “Doc” Abbott
For the first time in four years, Joe Nichols is releasing a new full-length project. Now with a new label home at the newly-formed Quartz Hill Records, Nichols released his tenth studio album, Good Day For Living, on Friday (Feb. 11).
Nichols joining Quartz Hill was a homecoming of sorts, as it reunited him with Benny Brown, who runs the label alongside Paul Brown and award-winning songwriter Jason Sellers. Nichols and Benny enjoyed two big hits, “Yeah” and “Sunny and 75,” together while Benny was at the helm of Broken Bow Records.
“It feels incredible to be back,” Nichols says. “It feels great to be back on the road, it feels great to be playing music for people. Recording new music has been amazing.”
Good Day For Living includes lead single, “Home Run,” written by award-winning songwriters Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson and Ross Copperman. The tune features Nichols’ signature baritone singing about needing to “hit a home run” after going through life’s less-than-celebratory moments.
Pictured (L-R, standing): BSB Management’s Shawn Pennington; Quartz Hill Records’ April Rider and Paul Brown; (L-R, seated): Quartz Hill Records’ Jason Sellers, Joe Nichols, Quartz Hill Records’ Benny Brown
Nichols says that leading with “Home Run” was key. “It has a strong melody that sticks in your head, but it also has a great message for right now. Everyone is feeling a little crazy, a little lost.
“It’s been wonderful working with Benny Brown again. He’s always been a believer in me. That’s another reason we chose ‘Home Run,'” Nichols adds. “Benny and I are back on a team again, and we’ve brought several people into the fold. We feel like we could all use a home run right now. We could all use something great to happen.”
In addition to reuniting with Benny, Nichols’ new project also finds the country singer working with producers Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George, for his 2013 album Crickets containing the Gold-certified hits “Sunny and 75” and “Yeah.”
“We had a great time together on Crickets,” Nichols says. “Those guys have such a great chemistry. They compliment each other very well. They have a good sense of my overall history of music and my catalog. They can say, ‘That doesn’t sound like you. This sounds like you.'”
The chemistry between Nichols, Cones, and George is heard on tunes such as “Brokenhearted,” an ironically hooky lament about modern country music, as well as the title track and next radio single, “Good Day for Living.”
“We started with great songs, we have great producers, and my job is not to screw it up,” Nichols quips.
Now, more than 25 years after his debut, Nichols has a well-rounded perspective on the music industry and how it has changed over the years.
“Some things have stayed the same. There’s still a need to go to radio and present them with hits, something they can play on their radio stations and have success with themselves. That’s still king,” Nichols says. “What’s changed, though, is you have a lot of guys and girls that for whatever reason don’t have what radio wants to hear or won’t give what radio wants to hear. But they’re finding success via all the other avenues, and having great careers. They’re selling a lot of tickets, streaming a lot of music, and building their brands in other ways.
“In a world where we have thousands of country singers that want to compete for 30 country radio spots, [having different avenues other than radio] is a great thing. You have so many other avenues that can give you a great career.”
But Nichols doesn’t think all change is good when it comes to country music.
“The music has changed quite a bit. Even in 2002, we could see that coming. In my opinion, one of country music’s greatest gifts was that it always had an identity of its own. It always was something you could identify out of all things,” he offers. “Along with that identity came this inferiority complex that we weren’t as legitimate as other genres, say rock or pop.
“So, either by leadership, musicians, [and/or] people who wanted to make money in country music, they stepped into country music and pulled it towards the other genres a little bit to try to fit in,” Nichols explains. “[Since then] country music has dominated a lot of categories in the music spectrum. It’s probably been the No. 1 format in a lot of ways with radio, sales, tickets, the number of artists, and more. So it’s certainly been successful, what has happened. But along the way, a little bit of that step-child mentality caught up with us. We’ve tried to mold into a lot of different genres at one time.
“That’s my rant, I hope it doesn’t offend people,” Nichols says with a laugh. “I should point out, too, I’m not innocent of this. I’m not standing on the perch going ‘Look what all of you have done.’ If it were up to me and I had no business sense whatsoever, I would make records that nobody would ever hear. I would make a record that would wind up in the 99 cent bin at Walmart or truck stops everywhere.”
Like many artists, the country traditionalist has found it hard to walk the line between art and commercialism.
“The hardest thing [I’ve dealt with] is how do you make peace with not only you artistically, but what people expect of yourself artistically? My experience has been that a lot of country fans feel like they get to know you, and they expect a certain kind of consistency of you,” Nichols says. “There’s a lot of pressure that comes from trying to be as consistent at possible with who I am artistically and who the fans expect me to be artistically, because I think they’re right. You have to find an acceptable compromise.”
Despite the challenge, Nichols mixes both quite well on Good Day For Living, out today (Feb. 11).
BMG To Release ‘I’m Gonna Sing’ Compilation By Hank Williams
/by Lydia FarthingBMG will release I’m Gonna Sing: The Mother’s Best Gospel Radio Recordings on March 11. This curated collection will include rare performances of 40 gospel songs from Hank Williams‘ 1951 radio show.
Originally aired on Williams’ 15-minute radio shows through Nashville’s WSM, which was sponsored by Mother’s Best Flour, the program captured Williams giving countless performances that were never officially recorded. The collection will mark the first time the two-CD digipak and three-LP triple-gatefold album has been issued on vinyl.
Produced by Cheryl Pawelski, the compilation features new liner notes penned by Williams biographer Colin Escott, while the recordings were restored and mastered by Michael Graves. This trio recently won Grammys for their work on the Hank Williams archival project, The Garden Spot Programs, 1950.
As Escott elaborates in his liner notes, the spirituals Williams heard delivered lessons on songwriting at a young age, and his love of the genre stayed with him after he became a musician. In 1950, he assumed the alter ego Luke the Drifter as an outlet for his religious-themed material.
The 40 songs included in the project span several centuries, with tracks like “At the Cross” and “I Am Bound for the Promised Land” tracing back to the 1700s, while “From Jerusalem to Jericho,” “Lonely Tombs” and “Softly and Tenderly” come from the 19th century. The album is also fit with plenty of contemporary numbers, from the well-known “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “I’ll Fly Away” to the obscure “Something Got Hold of Me.”
Williams also wrote his own share of gospel songs, including the compilation’s title track, “Jesus Died for Me,” “How Can You Refuse Him Now,” and the classic “I Saw the Light,” among others.
To pre-order I’m Gonna Sing: The Mother’s Best Gospel Radio Recordings, click here.
Wade Bowen’s Annual Bowen Musicfest Returns To Waco This April
/by Lorie HollabaughWade Bowen. Photo: Katie Kauss
Wade Bowen’s annual charity concert, the two-day Shiner Bock Presents Bowen Musicfest 2022 Benefitting the Bowen Family Foundation, is set for April 9-10 at Baylor University’s McClane Stadium Touchdown Alley.
“When we launched our annual Bowen Musicfest and Bowen Classic golf tournament, I never dreamed that we’d still be at it twenty years and millions of dollars later,” reflects Bowen. “I’m so proud of the way my family, friends and hometown continue to step up with hearts and hands to help make Waco a better place. At the Bowen Family Foundation, we believe that Music Heals and I can’t wait to see the good we can do for the community with this incredible group of musicians joining us in April.”
With funds raised by the annual Bowen Musicfest, the Bowen Family Foundation has helped children and families in and around Waco through beneficiaries such as March of Dimes Waco, CASA of McLennan & Hill Counties, City of West Disaster Relief, Boys & Girls Clubs of Waco, Inspiración, The Mentoring Alliance and more.
Thomas Rhett To Headline ‘Amazon Music Presents: Country Heat at CRS’
/by Lorie HollabaughThomas Rhett is set to anchor the lineup for the 5th annual “Amazon Music Presents: Country Heat at CRS on Feb. 23.
The show will also feature performances by Frank Ray, Lily Rose, Conner Smith, and Morgan Wade. The evening will be hosted by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson, who also host Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast.
“We’re thrilled to bring Country Heat back to CRS this year,” shares Michelle Tigard Kammerer, Head of Country Music for Amazon Music. “We’ve curated a lineup leading with superstar, Thomas Rhett, and featuring four stars on the rise who were also selected as 2022 Artists to Watch by our programming team, and we can’t wait for attendees to watch.”
The showcase will take place from 6-8 p.m. in Omni Nashville Hotel’s Broadway Ballroom and will close out the first day of Country Radio Seminar 2022.
Registration for CRS 2022 is open now. Single-day passes will also be available, and include access to panels, speakers, luncheons, and networking destinations on the day of pass purchase. Day passes will only be available for purchase on-site.
Everyone attending CRS 2022 will be required to provide documentation of full COVID-19 vaccinations or a negative COVID test result, obtained within 48-hours of arrival at the event. Rapid antigen and PCR tests will be available upon arrival and conducted on-site at no cost to attendees.
Noah Schnacky’s New Album ‘Thoughtfully Reckless’ Out Now
/by Lorie HollabaughNoah Schnacky. Photo: Kristin Marino
Noah Schnacky has released his new album, Thoughtfully Reckless, on Big Machine Records, available everywhere now.
The songs on Thoughtfully Reckless captures Schnacky’s search for love and happiness on tracks such as “Wherever You Are,” the infectious collaboration with Jimmie Allen “Don’t You Wanna Know,” and the vulnerable “Meet The Man.” The record wraps with “Every Girl I’ve Ever Loved,” which has proven to be a fan favorite with over 47 million total global streams.
“This collection is raw and hopeful,” shares Schnacky. “Sometimes it’s hard to put out there but it’s authentically everything I’ve been through myself, put in chronological order. I just hope that it connects. I hope someone hears this music and feels like they’re not alone, and it leaves them uplifted.”
To promote the album, Schnacky will host a livestream from backstage at the Grand Ole Opry tonight (Feb. 11) at 7:30 p.m. CT on TalkShopLive. Throughout the night, fans can chat with the singer-songwriter and have exclusive access to signed copies of his new album.
Schnacky has garnered over 92 million streams with his self-titled EP. His self-released “Hello Beautiful” skyrocketed to over one million streams in just eight days, which helped him land his deal with Big Machine.
1. “Wherever You Are” | Troy Cartwright, Benjy Davis, Daniel Ross
2. “Hello Beautiful” (2020 Version) | Noah Schnacky, Zachary Hall, Jodi Marr, Johnny Reid
3. “Don’t You Wanna Know” w/ Jimmie Allen | Noah Schnacky, Josh Dorr, Dylan Guthro
4. “Feels Like Love” | Noah Schnacky, Ross Copperman, Matt Rogers
5. “Maybe We Will” (2020 Version) | Noah Schnacky, JT Harding, Ilya Toshinskiy
6. “I’ll Be The One” | Noah Schnacky, Seth Ennis, Jordan M. Schmidt
7. “Last Name” | Noah Schnacky, Nelly Joy, Jason Reeves
8. “Meet The Man” | Noah Schnacky, Jake Rose, Jordan M. Schmidt
9. “Where’d You Go” | Noah Schnacky, Mark Holman, Tommy Lee James
10. “She Broke My Heart” | Noah Schnacky, Lindsay Rimes, Laura Veltz
11. “Comeback” | Noah Schnacky, JT Harding, Lindsay Rimes
12. “Every Girl I’ve Ever Loved” | Noah Schnacky, Josh Kear, Lindsay Rimes
Rob Pennington Joins 50 Egg Music’s Songwriter Roster
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (L-R, top row): Tali Canterbury, cardboard Luke Combs, Molly Reinold; (L-R, bottom row): Jonathan Singleton, Rob Pennington, Joey Harris
Rob Pennington has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with 50 Egg Music. Since signing with the publisher, he has secured cuts with various artists such as Lily Rose, Chris Janson, and several others coming out this year.
After moving to Nashville from Statesboro, Georgia, Pennington caught the attention of some of Nashville’s biggest talent.
“Luke [Combs] had known Rob for several years, and one morning called Jonathan [Singleton] and me to tell us to check out Rob as a writer for our company. We immediately scheduled a call with him and offered him a publishing deal on the spot after what we heard. He continues to have one of the best attitudes and work ethics of anyone we know,” shares Tali Canterbury, co-owner of 50 Egg Music.
“Rob took our first meeting on the phone, sitting in his car, on break from his day job. We offered him a deal, and he moved that work ethic from his day job to the writing room. There’s not a co-writer that doesn’t love Rob Pennington! Not only is he a good hang, but he throws ideas until the other writer bites. He’s hyper motivated to ‘get it right.’ We are so proud to have him on the 50 Egg team,” adds Singleton, co-owner of 50 Egg Music.
“I’m so fired up to be a part of the 50 Egg Music family! Working along side a team that shares the same drive and passion is an incredible opportunity, an opportunity for which I’m extremely grateful. The good Lord sure has surrounded me with some doggone good people. Let’s get to work!” says Pennington.
Joe Nichols Discusses His Music Industry Experience & Anticipated New Album [Interview]
/by LB CantrellJoe Nichols. Photo: David “Doc” Abbott
For the first time in four years, Joe Nichols is releasing a new full-length project. Now with a new label home at the newly-formed Quartz Hill Records, Nichols released his tenth studio album, Good Day For Living, on Friday (Feb. 11).
Nichols joining Quartz Hill was a homecoming of sorts, as it reunited him with Benny Brown, who runs the label alongside Paul Brown and award-winning songwriter Jason Sellers. Nichols and Benny enjoyed two big hits, “Yeah” and “Sunny and 75,” together while Benny was at the helm of Broken Bow Records.
“It feels incredible to be back,” Nichols says. “It feels great to be back on the road, it feels great to be playing music for people. Recording new music has been amazing.”
Good Day For Living includes lead single, “Home Run,” written by award-winning songwriters Ashley Gorley, Dallas Davidson and Ross Copperman. The tune features Nichols’ signature baritone singing about needing to “hit a home run” after going through life’s less-than-celebratory moments.
Pictured (L-R, standing): BSB Management’s Shawn Pennington; Quartz Hill Records’ April Rider and Paul Brown; (L-R, seated): Quartz Hill Records’ Jason Sellers, Joe Nichols, Quartz Hill Records’ Benny Brown
Nichols says that leading with “Home Run” was key. “It has a strong melody that sticks in your head, but it also has a great message for right now. Everyone is feeling a little crazy, a little lost.
“It’s been wonderful working with Benny Brown again. He’s always been a believer in me. That’s another reason we chose ‘Home Run,'” Nichols adds. “Benny and I are back on a team again, and we’ve brought several people into the fold. We feel like we could all use a home run right now. We could all use something great to happen.”
In addition to reuniting with Benny, Nichols’ new project also finds the country singer working with producers Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George, for his 2013 album Crickets containing the Gold-certified hits “Sunny and 75” and “Yeah.”
“We had a great time together on Crickets,” Nichols says. “Those guys have such a great chemistry. They compliment each other very well. They have a good sense of my overall history of music and my catalog. They can say, ‘That doesn’t sound like you. This sounds like you.'”
The chemistry between Nichols, Cones, and George is heard on tunes such as “Brokenhearted,” an ironically hooky lament about modern country music, as well as the title track and next radio single, “Good Day for Living.”
“We started with great songs, we have great producers, and my job is not to screw it up,” Nichols quips.
Now, more than 25 years after his debut, Nichols has a well-rounded perspective on the music industry and how it has changed over the years.
“Some things have stayed the same. There’s still a need to go to radio and present them with hits, something they can play on their radio stations and have success with themselves. That’s still king,” Nichols says. “What’s changed, though, is you have a lot of guys and girls that for whatever reason don’t have what radio wants to hear or won’t give what radio wants to hear. But they’re finding success via all the other avenues, and having great careers. They’re selling a lot of tickets, streaming a lot of music, and building their brands in other ways.
“In a world where we have thousands of country singers that want to compete for 30 country radio spots, [having different avenues other than radio] is a great thing. You have so many other avenues that can give you a great career.”
But Nichols doesn’t think all change is good when it comes to country music.
“The music has changed quite a bit. Even in 2002, we could see that coming. In my opinion, one of country music’s greatest gifts was that it always had an identity of its own. It always was something you could identify out of all things,” he offers. “Along with that identity came this inferiority complex that we weren’t as legitimate as other genres, say rock or pop.
“So, either by leadership, musicians, [and/or] people who wanted to make money in country music, they stepped into country music and pulled it towards the other genres a little bit to try to fit in,” Nichols explains. “[Since then] country music has dominated a lot of categories in the music spectrum. It’s probably been the No. 1 format in a lot of ways with radio, sales, tickets, the number of artists, and more. So it’s certainly been successful, what has happened. But along the way, a little bit of that step-child mentality caught up with us. We’ve tried to mold into a lot of different genres at one time.
“That’s my rant, I hope it doesn’t offend people,” Nichols says with a laugh. “I should point out, too, I’m not innocent of this. I’m not standing on the perch going ‘Look what all of you have done.’ If it were up to me and I had no business sense whatsoever, I would make records that nobody would ever hear. I would make a record that would wind up in the 99 cent bin at Walmart or truck stops everywhere.”
Like many artists, the country traditionalist has found it hard to walk the line between art and commercialism.
“The hardest thing [I’ve dealt with] is how do you make peace with not only you artistically, but what people expect of yourself artistically? My experience has been that a lot of country fans feel like they get to know you, and they expect a certain kind of consistency of you,” Nichols says. “There’s a lot of pressure that comes from trying to be as consistent at possible with who I am artistically and who the fans expect me to be artistically, because I think they’re right. You have to find an acceptable compromise.”
Despite the challenge, Nichols mixes both quite well on Good Day For Living, out today (Feb. 11).
Eric Church Announces Memorial Day Weekend Stadium Show In Milwaukee
/by Lorie HollabaughEric Church. Photo: John Shearer
Eric Church is returning to Milwaukee in a big way this year with a one-of-a-kind headlining show at Milwaukee’s American Family Field on May 28 over Memorial Day Weekend.
Joining Church for the newly-announced stadium show are Brothers Osborne and Parker McCollum, who earned MusicRow‘s Breakout Artist of the Year award at the publication’s 2021 CountryBreakout Awards.
“Back in 2006, I think I was first-of-six booked at Country Thunder, but it was the big stage,” says the North Carolina entertainer. “Sinners had just been released… and the next year I remember playing Kelly’s Bleachers and half the room was there to see us play, the other half had no idea who we were. The next time we played, those 378 people brought friends… and that never really stopped. This time I’m bringing friends with me, too. See you on May 28, Milwaukee.”
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Feb. 18 at EricChurch.com, and members of the Church Choir will have early access to tickets beginning today (Feb. 11), as well as other exclusive opportunities and giveaways.
A pop-up store will also be open at the stadium with tailgate games, These Boots by Lucchese (Church’s exclusive signature boot line) and additional on-site activities.
Ronnie Dunn Launches Perfect Pitch Publishing, Releases New Single
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, back row): Braden Carney, Ronnie Dunn, and Haley Dunn; (L-R, front row): Hayden Baker, Thomas Perkins, Ariel Boetel, and Dakota Striplin
Ronnie Dunn has formed his own publishing company, Perfect Pitch Publishing. Braden Carney serves as VP of General Operations of the new company, and Haley Dunn is VP of Writer and Artist Relations.
The Perfect Pitch roster already includes writers Hayden Baker, Dakota Striplin, Ariel Boetel, and Thomas Perkins.
“I wanted to immerse myself into the incredibly talented writing community in Nashville and see how I might be able to help all writers, both young and old,” the veteran country entertainer says of the new venture.
“This is a project that I’ve wanted to make for a long time,” adds Dunn. “I purposely reached for a late 80’s and 90’s country vibe… honkytonks, whiskey, neon lights, lost love, looking for love… twin fiddles, steel guitars, and string bending telecasters. 100% neon!”
Bentley & Friends Rise To No. 1 On MusicRow Chart
/by Alex Parry“Beers On Me” makes its way to No. 1 this week on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart. The Dierks Bentley single features both Breland and Hardy with writers credit going to all three artists, alongside some of Nashville’s most in-demand writers Ross Copperman, Luke Dick, Ben Johnson, Nicolle Galyon, Niko Moon, and Ashley Gorley.
“Hardy threw out this title and I remember immediately thinking, ‘I wish I could buy all my fans a beer.’ After the year we’ve all had, it would be nice to get the first round and say, ‘Hey, we all got some problems but we’re going to forget about them for a little while…the beers are on me,’” Bentley shares. “I came back to Nashville to record the song and came across an article about Breland in the Nashville Scene. I got his number and he came in the next day and wrote and sang the third verse. It was truly an organic collaboration and I couldn’t be more proud to have him and Hardy on this song with me.”
Bentley recently extended his “Beers On Me Tour” through March. Click here to see the remaining tour dates.
Click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Rusty Harmon Launches New Label Services Company, Vere Music
/by LB CantrellRusty Harmon
Industry veteran Rusty Harmon has launched a new Nashville-based label services company, Vere Music.
In addition to traditional label services, Vere offers artists global distribution, partnering with ADA Worldwide, Warner Music Group’s independent label and artist services arm, to distribute music globally; as well as marketing campaigns that range from brand partnerships to full-blown advertising campaigns.
Harmon, whose experience includes time at Average Joe’s Entertainment and work with artists such as Hootie & the Blowfish, Jason Michael Carroll and Reckless Kelly, has also brought on A&R executive Alyssa Logan to the Vere team.
Since launching, Vere has released 70 projects. The company’s current roster boasts more than 15 artists across genres, including David Nail, TRACE, Andrew Duhon, Joey Lawrence, Dan Rodriguez, Cody Webb, Alissa Moreno, and others. Vere also partners with labels, maximizing their distribution and marketing efforts. Its current label roster includes Clearwater Records, Gray Vonne Records, and TAOL Recordings.
“The music industry has undergone radical changes in the last several years. Distribution has increased in accessibility as digital platforms have grown,” says Harmon. “What remains consistent, however, is the key to reaching the masses. That key is the right marketing strategy, designed for each artist’s specific goals, and for each stage of growth. Vere, through its relationship with ADA, offers access to a major distributor while delivering the right marketing drivers to achieve next level growth for an artist. Most importantly, Vere thrives on customer service. We are here to serve the artists.”
“We’re happy to welcome Vere to the ADA family, and Rusty’s illustrious past of artist development will surely make this a great partnership,” adds Marcus Siskind, Head of U.S., ADA Worldwide.