Elvie Shane. Photo: Jeremy Cowart
Rising country artist Elvie Shane took the country music industry by storm with his No. 1 hit “My Boy,” which tells the emotional story of Shane’s bond with his stepson. After the track went viral on social media in 2018, Shane caught the attention of many, earning him a publishing deal and eventually his record deal with BBR Music Group. He was also named as part of MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing Class of 2021.
Today (Oct. 29), Shane is releasing his debut album Backslider via BRR’s Wheelhouse Records.
The album features 15 songs, all of which were co-written by Shane, about his love for his family, friends and his journey thus far. The album is an authentic country record that isn’t scared to show off Shane’s other influences like southern rock, R&B and gospel.
“I started writing the record about five years ago with ‘My Boy,’ and then I signed my record deal thinking I had a whole record put together. They told me right after we signed that they only thought I had one song, and that was ‘My Boy,'” says Shane. “So every other song has been written after February of 2018. The last few years, we’ve just been digging in and trying to write some honest songs. We took a look at where I’ve been, where I come from, where I’m at now and tried to put it all in a story with some music behind it.”
Shane, a Kentucky native, enlisted songwriters Derrick Southerland, Russell Sutton, Lee Starr, Nick Columbia and many more for the project. The summer after signing his record deal, he was writing with many Nashville songwriters and was learning a lot about his craft.
“It was awesome. I went through a phase right after my deal where I just wrote with everyone in town. I was in a room with people that I shouldn’t have been in the room with, that were well above me as writers. But it was awesome to be able to be in there and learn from them about how to approach writing more efficiently.
“It was really cool to just go through the process and find the people who were really interested in what I was trying to say and help me say it in a way that was true to me. And I think we put a great team of writers together, for this project in particular. I’m excited to continue writing with those folks. But also watch that team grow throughout the years.”
The record has some familiar Shane originals like “County Roads” and “My Kinda Trouble.” But the opening track, “I Will Run,” is a fantastic showcase of Shane as a singer and gives insight on his journey. The song, written with Doug Johnson and Adam Wood, is about how Shane has always felt on the run and has never stopped moving. Now, as he gets older, he’s trying to run to the things and the people he loves. The song sets the stage for the rest of the record.
“I feel like I’m always on the go, I’m definitely born to run. There’s a lot of things in life that I have run from and now that life is better than it ever has been, there’s a lot of things I feel like I’m running to now.
“I was like, ‘Let’s start at the end. This is where we are now, but what got us here?'” Shane says of writing the song. “I went through the things that I’ve run from in my life, like the recklessness of youth, the love loss, the love found, the mistakes made, and how often we take it for granted.”
Along with writing for the album, Shane loved the creativity he and his studio band had when recording the album.
Elvie Shane. Photo: Jeremy Cowart
“I really enjoyed so many different aspects of [making the album]. I love going into my producer’s [Oscar Charles] studio, when it’s just me and him and we’re trying to figure out what we hear behind just me and a guitar. That’s always a lot of fun to create those parts together and go in and play it for the studio band,” says Shane. “I think the thing that I love most about all of it was just seeing these players have fun doing what they’re doing. They get to be that kid again that was 10 or 12 years old and decided they wanted to play an instrument. I’m super proud of the band.”
The one song that Shane is most proud of and is most excited for fans to hear is the last track on the record, “Miles (With Mama).” He originally wrote it as a tribute to his father who was a truck driver. He set out to be extremely honest when writing about his father, with his faults and all. During this process he reflected on himself and his struggle of being on the road constantly, which led to him discovering a new-found empathy for his father. What also makes the song special is he had the chance to sing it with his mother, who was the foundation for his love for music.
“For a lot of these songs, I tried to approach them with as much honesty as I possibly could. But that song in particular is 100%, from beginning to end, a very vulnerable and honest song,” says Shane. “I got to have my mother sing on that song with me, one of my very first inspirations as a singer. She sings harmonies with me. So that song is very close to my heart.”
Shane’s debut album, Backslider, is filled with honesty, great musicianship and tells his story the way he wanted to tell it.
“Throughout the record there’s an order of things that starts with my youth, my Sunday mornings, and my running around as a teenager. Then you get to ‘My Kinda Trouble,’ ‘Saturday Night Me’ and ‘My Boy.’ That’s what I like to call the Mandy years in the record, from when I met my wife and how she turned my life around. Then my Nashville years start after that, with not only stories about myself, but songs that we wrote as a tribute to country music and what I love about it,” Shane sums. “Everything [on the album] are things that I’ve ran from and ultimately led me to run right back into them, just from a different perspective.”
Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce To Join Kenny Chesney On ‘Here And Now 2022’ Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughKenny Chesney. Photo: Allister Ann
Kenny Chesney has announced the lineup for his upcoming “Here And Now 2022” stadium tour, which kicks off April 23 at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. He’ll be joined by featured guests Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, and Carly Pearce for next year’s slate of stadium shows.
“Putting this line-up together has been awesome,” Chesney says. “We’ve got Dan + Shay, who continue to set records with their music and have been burning it up on their own headlining tour this year. We have an old favorite, who just keep getting better, Old Dominion – it’s almost like it wouldn’t be a stadium show without them! – and one of my newest friends in Carly Pearce, whose songwriting is so personal to her own life, yet so many people find themselves in her songs.”
Presented by Blue Chair Bay Rum and fueled by Marathon, two new dates have been added to the 21-date tour in Charlotte, North Carolina and Columbus, Ohio. The tour will wrap with what has almost become a No Shoes Nation tradition: a double-play at New England’s Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Aug. 26 and 27. All current ticketholders remain in their original seats at each stadium.
“When we realized we weren’t getting to spend 2020 with No Shoes Nation, I never thought it would be three years until I would see my most favorite people in the world,” adds Chesney. ““My favorite place in the world is anywhere we all come together. They come strong. They get loud. They love the music. But most importantly, they live life – every second – for all its worth! They inspire me, and I want to get out there and get going, creating the greatest night of the summer every time we hit the stage.”
To celebrate the news of the “Here And Now 2022” lineup, the 19 stadium shows that were previously announced are getting “Five Day Party Pricing,” to honor those fans who normally attend multiple shows each summer with limited discounted tickets at multiple price points. To make it super-easy, there will be no codes, clubs, or special sign-ups required, and prices will already reflect any discounts: just look for the price that fits your party now through Nov. 5.
Kenny Chesney Here And Now 2022 Tour Dates:
April 23 – Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Fla.
April 30* – Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, N.C.
May 7 – Busch Stadium – St. Louis, Mo.
May 14 – American Family Field – Milwaukee, Wis.
May 21 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Ga.
May 28 – Nissan Stadium – Nashville, Tenn.
June 4 – AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas
June 11 – Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, Pa.
June 18 – Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, Pa.
June 25 – Soldier Field – Chicago, Ill.
July 2 – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, Mo.
July 9*** – Bobcat Stadium – Bozeman, Mont.
July 16 – Lumen Field – Seattle, Wash.
July 23 – SoFi Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
July 30 – Empower Field at Mile High – Denver, Colo.
Aug. 6 – U.S. Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, Minn.
Aug. 13 – MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, N.J.
Aug. 18** – Historic Crew Stadium – Columbus, Ohio
Aug. 20 – Ford Field – Detroit, Mich.
Aug. 26 – Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, Mass.
Aug. 27 – Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, Mass.
* American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets beginning Wednesday, Nov 3 at 10 a.m. ET before tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. ET.
** On sale information TBA; Old Dominion will not be on this date.
*** Dan + Shay will not be on this date.
Reservoir Acquires Hit Songs By Country Songwriter Stephony Smith [Exclusive]
/by LB CantrellStephony Smith
Reservoir Media has announced the acquisition of hit songs by country songwriter Stephony Smith. The deal includes blockbuster country No. 1 “It’s Your Love” by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
Smith first began her career writing commercial jingles for a major advertising agency in Memphis, Tennessee. She moved to Nashville in 1989 and signed her first publishing deal with Polygram, now Universal. Smith has written songs for artists such as Shania Twain, Barbara Streisand, Kenny Chesney, Montgomery Gentry, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, and Wynonna Judd, and collaborated with The Chicks to pen “Sin Wagon,” which is among the songs Reservoir acquired.
In addition to “It’s Your Love,” which held the top spot on the charts for six straight weeks, Smith has written four additional No. 1 singles, including “How Was I To Know” by Reba McEntire, “Perfect Love” by Trisha Yearwood, “Yes” by Chad Brock, and “Back When” by Tim McGraw. She was awarded the prestigious titles of BMI Country Song and Songwriter of the Year for “It’s Your Love” and garnered a BMI Pop Award in 1998. Smith also co-wrote “Johnny and June” by Heidi Newfield, formerly of Trick Pony, which stormed the Billboard Charts in 2008 and was nominated for The Academy of Country Music’s Song of the Year.
Reservoir Executive Vice President of Creative John Ozier, who led the deal alongside Vice President of Creative, Greg Gallo, says, “Stephony’s songs are true country hits, and it’s a privilege to be the publishing home for this impressive collection of works.”
Smith adds, “I’m so proud to have these songs in the capable hands of Reservoir, and I am sure that John Ozier, Greg Gallo, and the whole team there will do great things with ‘my babies.’”
Scott Clayton Exits WME
/by LB CantrellScott Clayton
Agent Scott Clayton has left WME, MusicRow has confirmed.
Clayton was Partner at WME and Co-Head of the agency’s Music Division, responsible for leading the team of agents representing the biggest names across all genres of music. He also served as co-head of WME’s Nashville office, overseeing daily operations and guiding a diverse team of agents who work across divisions including music, books, TV, film, digital, endorsements and more.
Clayton has guided the touring careers for clients such as Zac Brown Band, John Mayer, Dead & Company, Train, My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon, Michael Franti, Rodrigo y Gabriela and many others. Based in Nashville, Clayton previously served as the Co-Chair of the city’s prestigious Music City Music Council.
“We appreciate all of Scott’s contributions to the agency over the past four years and wish him all the best,” WME said in a statement.
It is reported that Clayton has joined UTA. The agency did not respond to request for comment.
Charley Crockett Signs With CAA
/by Lydia FarthingCharley Crockett. Photo: Taylor Grace
Rising Americana recording artist Charley Crockett has signed with CAA for representation in all areas.
A guitarist and songwriter, Crockett has released 10 albums over the last six years, and his latest, Music City, USA, has topped the Americana Music Album Chart since its release on Sept. 17 through Thirty Tigers. He was named Emerging Artist of the Year this year at the Americana Music Awards and boasts 90 million lifetime streams.
Crockett most recently signed a publishing deal with Rick Rubin of American Songs. He is managed by Bruce Robison and Mandy Chase at The Next Waltz, his attorney is Trip Aldredge from Aldredge Law, and his publicist is Rob Krauser from REK Room Media.
Tenille Townes Announces First U.S. Touring Trek For 2022
/by Lydia FarthingAward winning singer-songwriter Tenille Townes is set to embark on the “Villain In Me Tour” in 2022, marking the Canadian-born’s first solo trek in the United States.
The run, named after Townes’ new song releasing Nov. 5, includes stops at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre, Nashville’s Basement East, and Chicago’s Joe’s on Weed St. Tickets for the 10-city outing will be on sale Nov. 5 with pre-sales beginning Nov. 2.
“I am so excited to be doing my first headlining tour in the U.S.! After the past year and a half, it feels so good to be back doing shows and I cannot wait to come to these cities and see everyone in person!” shares Townes.
Townes was named New Female Artist of the Year at The 55th ACM Awards; won three awards at the 2020 Canadian Country Music Awards, making her an eight-time CCMA winner; and received her first Juno Award for Country Album of the Year (The Lemonade Stand) at the 50th Annual Juno Awards.
She is also the first female in Mediabase Canada history to achieve two No. 1 singles with album tracks like “Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking)” and “Somebody’s Daughter.” Townes was named MusicRow‘s Discovery Artist in 2019, part of MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing Class of 2020 and an iHeartCountry’s On The Verge artist.
“Villain In Me Tour” Dates:
Jan. 19, 2022 – Cambridge MA – The Sinclair
Jan. 20, 2022 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
Jan. 21, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live
Jan. 27, 2022 – Nashville, TN – Basement East
Jan. 28, 2022 – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
Feb. 2, 2022 – Chicago, IL – Joe’s on Weed St.
Feb. 3, 2022 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Indy
Feb. 4, 2022 – Detroit, MI – El Club
Feb. 10, 2022 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
Amazon Music To Launch New ‘Country Heat Weekly’ Podcast
/by Lorie HollabaughAmazon Music is rolling out Country Heat Weekly, a brand new original podcast co-hosted by Kelly Sutton, who also hosts Amazon Music’s Country Heat Radio in DJ Mode, and Amber Anderson. The first episode will debut on Nov. 9 with country superstar Eric Church.
Every week Sutton and Anderson will break down the most popular songs, bring listeners the latest news in country music, and connect with some of the music’s most beloved artists. New episodes will drop every Thursday on Amazon Music and all podcast providers.
“Amber and I are bringing a fresh approach to covering all things country! Amber has an insider’s knowledge of the industry and my passion has always been connecting with the artists–we’re excited to give fans a backstage pass to all things country music!” says Sutton.
“Words can’t express how thrilled I am to have the opportunity to share everything that makes country music great with fans on Amazon Music! It truly is a dream come true to bring exclusive artist content, news, stories, and all of the things that made me fall in love with Nashville to people all over the world,” adds Anderson.
Country Heat Weekly is the latest offering from Amazon Music’s Country Heat brand, which includes a global playlist, station, and more, and recently surpassed 13 billion streams in the U.S. since its launch in October 2016.
Chart Action: Scotty McCreery Impacts Country Radio
/by Alex ParryThis week, “Damn Strait” by Scotty McCreery impacts country radio and lands the highest debut designation on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart sitting at No. 74. He is also most-added on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart and debuted at No. 55.
“Damn Strait” appears on McCreery’s 12-song collection Same Truck, which released in September via Triple Tigers. Written by Trent Tomlinson and Jim Collins, “Damn Strait” cleverly honors country music icon George Strait, even as the singer bemoans the loss of his lover, associating Strait’s songs with her since they were the couple’s favorites.
“Every now and then you hear a song that sounds so much like you,” recalls McCreery. “I grew up as a huge George Strait fan, and when I heard this song, I raised my hand to say, ‘I want this one.’ Every country fan has a George Strait story, and everyone has a memory attached to their favorite songs.”
For more chart data, view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.
Randi Lesnick Shares Lessons From Grief In New Memoir
/by Lorie HollabaughRandi Lesnick
Randi Lesnick, former Nashville event planner to the stars and head of Randi Events, is releasing a new memoir, The Me I Never Knew I Could Be, detailing the highs and lows of the past three decades including the loss of her husband Allen.
In The Me I Never Knew I Could Be, Randi bravely documents many of her low points over the years, including her struggles with infertility and breast cancer, the death of her mother, and, of course, the moment when she realized that her husband was gone forever.
“I wanted to write the book because I never wanted to forget,” Lesnick said. “Sometimes we think the solution to getting past hard things is to forget about them, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to remember everything—the good and the bad. If this book can help even one person see that there is light at the end of the tunnel, then my husband did not die in vain. The grief doesn’t ever go away, but it does change. And slowly but surely you find that it is possible to live again.”
In addition to publishing her book, Randi will be launching a podcast, The Burden of Grief, and has plans to begin speaking publicly about the silence of mental illness, grief, and her lifelong journey of overcoming adversity.
Music City Studios Announces Plans To Break Ground On 47+ Acre Media Complex In Hendersonville
/by Lydia FarthingRendering of Music City Studios
A new 47+ acre media complex, Music City Studios, has announced they will break ground in the Metro Nashville area by the end of the year. Located in Hendersonville, Tennessee, the studio space aims to blend multiple creative industries together on one campus, including space for content production, film, live touring, broadcast, virtual production, and technical and business support for Metaverse-based businesses.
According to a statement about the property, Music City Studios plans to offer 200,000+ square feet of state-of-the-art sound stage space and 500,000+ square feet of space dedicated to tenants for film, live music, broadcast, Metaverse, and media production.
Rendering of Music City Studios
Hendersonville Mayor, Jamie Clary, says, “Hendersonville has been the home of Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Taylor Swift, and dozens of other globally known musicians. The Oak Ridge Boys and Ricky Skaggs are current residents. Music City Studios and Monolith Studios could not select a more appropriate location. Hendersonville is a growing community of professionals who bleed creativity. The entertainment infrastructure needed for a film and music facility is already in and near Hendersonville. Music City Studios and their tenants will do well here.”
Monolith Studios, the campus’ anchor tenant and partner, is a full-service virtual production and content creation studio, specializing in proprietary LED volume architecture and content-to-display systems and services. This will be Monolith’s first Tennessee office.
“Monolith is expanding its footprint around the world and Tennessee is a critical creative hub for our business,” says Monolith CEO, Josh Furlow. “For a city and region that has been built on the entertainment industry, we look forward to creating the 21st century digital campus to help support live entertainment merging with the digital future”.
David Buttrey
The Music City Studios Campus will be led by Nashvillie native and touring industry professional David Buttrey. His extensive experience includes producing the award-winning Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Enchant Christmas’ multi-city stadium shows, Afropunk Music Festival, and more.
“I don’t ever want another young person to feel like they can’t build a life and career here in Nashville,” Buttrey shares. “With this new campus, no Nashville-based artist or crew member will ever have to leave the metro area to rehearse for a global concert tour, produce a movie, or film a commercial. I used to have to travel to Los Angeles, New York, and overseas for global-level production work. The goal of Music City Studios is to act as a platform and catalyst for more world-class production coming to and being created out of Nashville.”
Music City Studios plans to break ground by the end of the year and will be making tenant announcements through Q1 of 2022. Construction is slated to be completed by the end of Q1 2023 with the sound stages opening Q4 of 2022.
Elvie Shane’s Debut Album ‘Backslider’ Offers An Honest Look At His Personal & Musical Journey [Interview]
/by Steven BoeroElvie Shane. Photo: Jeremy Cowart
Rising country artist Elvie Shane took the country music industry by storm with his No. 1 hit “My Boy,” which tells the emotional story of Shane’s bond with his stepson. After the track went viral on social media in 2018, Shane caught the attention of many, earning him a publishing deal and eventually his record deal with BBR Music Group. He was also named as part of MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing Class of 2021.
Today (Oct. 29), Shane is releasing his debut album Backslider via BRR’s Wheelhouse Records.
The album features 15 songs, all of which were co-written by Shane, about his love for his family, friends and his journey thus far. The album is an authentic country record that isn’t scared to show off Shane’s other influences like southern rock, R&B and gospel.
“I started writing the record about five years ago with ‘My Boy,’ and then I signed my record deal thinking I had a whole record put together. They told me right after we signed that they only thought I had one song, and that was ‘My Boy,'” says Shane. “So every other song has been written after February of 2018. The last few years, we’ve just been digging in and trying to write some honest songs. We took a look at where I’ve been, where I come from, where I’m at now and tried to put it all in a story with some music behind it.”
Shane, a Kentucky native, enlisted songwriters Derrick Southerland, Russell Sutton, Lee Starr, Nick Columbia and many more for the project. The summer after signing his record deal, he was writing with many Nashville songwriters and was learning a lot about his craft.
“It was awesome. I went through a phase right after my deal where I just wrote with everyone in town. I was in a room with people that I shouldn’t have been in the room with, that were well above me as writers. But it was awesome to be able to be in there and learn from them about how to approach writing more efficiently.
“It was really cool to just go through the process and find the people who were really interested in what I was trying to say and help me say it in a way that was true to me. And I think we put a great team of writers together, for this project in particular. I’m excited to continue writing with those folks. But also watch that team grow throughout the years.”
The record has some familiar Shane originals like “County Roads” and “My Kinda Trouble.” But the opening track, “I Will Run,” is a fantastic showcase of Shane as a singer and gives insight on his journey. The song, written with Doug Johnson and Adam Wood, is about how Shane has always felt on the run and has never stopped moving. Now, as he gets older, he’s trying to run to the things and the people he loves. The song sets the stage for the rest of the record.
“I feel like I’m always on the go, I’m definitely born to run. There’s a lot of things in life that I have run from and now that life is better than it ever has been, there’s a lot of things I feel like I’m running to now.
“I was like, ‘Let’s start at the end. This is where we are now, but what got us here?'” Shane says of writing the song. “I went through the things that I’ve run from in my life, like the recklessness of youth, the love loss, the love found, the mistakes made, and how often we take it for granted.”
Along with writing for the album, Shane loved the creativity he and his studio band had when recording the album.
Elvie Shane. Photo: Jeremy Cowart
“I really enjoyed so many different aspects of [making the album]. I love going into my producer’s [Oscar Charles] studio, when it’s just me and him and we’re trying to figure out what we hear behind just me and a guitar. That’s always a lot of fun to create those parts together and go in and play it for the studio band,” says Shane. “I think the thing that I love most about all of it was just seeing these players have fun doing what they’re doing. They get to be that kid again that was 10 or 12 years old and decided they wanted to play an instrument. I’m super proud of the band.”
The one song that Shane is most proud of and is most excited for fans to hear is the last track on the record, “Miles (With Mama).” He originally wrote it as a tribute to his father who was a truck driver. He set out to be extremely honest when writing about his father, with his faults and all. During this process he reflected on himself and his struggle of being on the road constantly, which led to him discovering a new-found empathy for his father. What also makes the song special is he had the chance to sing it with his mother, who was the foundation for his love for music.
“For a lot of these songs, I tried to approach them with as much honesty as I possibly could. But that song in particular is 100%, from beginning to end, a very vulnerable and honest song,” says Shane. “I got to have my mother sing on that song with me, one of my very first inspirations as a singer. She sings harmonies with me. So that song is very close to my heart.”
Shane’s debut album, Backslider, is filled with honesty, great musicianship and tells his story the way he wanted to tell it.
“Throughout the record there’s an order of things that starts with my youth, my Sunday mornings, and my running around as a teenager. Then you get to ‘My Kinda Trouble,’ ‘Saturday Night Me’ and ‘My Boy.’ That’s what I like to call the Mandy years in the record, from when I met my wife and how she turned my life around. Then my Nashville years start after that, with not only stories about myself, but songs that we wrote as a tribute to country music and what I love about it,” Shane sums. “Everything [on the album] are things that I’ve ran from and ultimately led me to run right back into them, just from a different perspective.”