Jordan Dozzi Inks With Big Loud For First Publishing Deal

Jordan Dozzi

Australian songwriter Jordan Dozzi has signed his first publishing deal with Big Loud.

Raised with his parents and three sisters as musicians, Dozzi originally moved to Nashville two years ago on a Division 1 soccer scholarship from Belmont University. The former music business student ended his soccer career in April 2020 after tearing his ACL.

Dedicating himself to songwriting full-time, the 23-year-old produces genre-blending tracks, including a recent cut with Nelly on “5 Drinks Ago” from his country-inspired album Heartland.

“Immediately after meeting with Jordan it was evident how passionate and dedicated he was about songwriting. We were impressed with how he was booking his own writing sessions and turning around demos while maintaining his schedule as a full-time D1 student-athlete,” comments Big Loud Publishing’s Senior Director, A&R, Michael Giangreco. “To be as musically talented as he is and working that hard, we knew we had to work with him. Welcome to the Big Loud Publishing family, Jordan!”

“Big Loud Publishing is a family that I’m absolutely stoked to be a part of. Joining a company in town with so many talented writers is inspiring and makes you just want to be better. That and the emphasis on a lyric that Nashville has,” shares Dozzi. “I’m just feeling very thankful for this new team and the support of my family for helping me get here. Really excited to get to work!”

Bobby Karl Works The Room: Jim Irsay’s Exhibition Of Iconic American Artifacts

Photo: Courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts

Chapter 648

This past weekend’s visit by the Indianapolis Colts is one I will remember always.

The occasion was an NFL game between the Titans and the Colts on Sunday (Sept. 26). But the communal celebration of sport was just part of the weekend memory bank.

On Saturday evening (Sept. 25), team owner Jim Irsay showcased highlights from his vast collection of American historical artifacts. The collection and the cocktail reception for it was at Loew’s Vanderbilt Hotel in a mezzanine suite.

First of all, proof of vaccination was required of every attendee.

Second of all, the displays were strikingly great. Lighting grids, video screens, roped-off large artifacts, a “guitar wall” and a mini-bandstand had transformed an ordinary business-convention space into a museum. It was extremely well done.

Third of all, the security was topnotch. Armed Metro cops hovered at the entrance/exit to the displays. That’s because the stuff in the Irsay collection is breathtakingly valuable.

We entered flanked by The Colts Cheerleaders, shaking pom-poms and flouncing in their blue-and-white outfits. Classic rock was piped in as a soundtrack.

The first thing I encountered was a large video screen showing a slow-crawl of a typed manuscript, uninterrupted by paragraph breaks. “Wait a second,” I thought, “This is On the Road by Jack Keruoac.” I turned around, and there it was: The actual 100-foot scroll on which the beatnik author famously wrote his classic. Wow.

Photo: Courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts

Next up, a baseball bat autographed by the immortal Jackie Robison. Did you know that his number 42 has been retired by every professional sport, not just baseball?

My heart almost stopped beating when I gazed into the center of the room. There stood Ringo Starr’s drum kit, complete with the classic Beatles logo on the bass drum.

Just beyond it on a wall was an impossibly rare 1865 Wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth. Not to mention signed letters written by Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. OMG.

Ogling with dropped jaws was Ed Salamon, a fortuitous greeting, since I’d just finished reading his book Pittsburgh’s Golden Age of Radio. He was chatting with Brian Mansfield and John Lomax III.

Over at the Guitar Wall, we found, of course, Walter & Christy Carter of Nashville’s beloved Carter Vintage Guitars emporium, plus Joe & Linda Chambers of The Musicians Hall of Fame museum located in Municipal Auditorium. Super collectible instruments belonging to Eric Clapton, Prince, Les Paul and more were hanging there. Not to mention the iconic Sunburst Fender Stratocaster that Bob Dylan strapped on amid much controversy at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

Mingling were Charlie Monk, Dave Nichols, party organizer Zach Farnum, Becky & Michael Harris, Mayor John Cooper & Nashville first lady Laura Cooper, Colts VP Larry Hall and many attractively groomed sports folks and fashion models. Karen Brooks said she has moved across the street from attendee Carlene Carter and that Carlene is roping her into songwriting again. Back in the day, those two were the femme fatales of the Rock Block on Elliston Place, reigning from the bar at the Goldrush.

Pictured: Jim Irsay. Photo: Courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts

Producer Ray Kennedy said he has assembled The Pandemic Band, so named because its session-musician members are all fully vaxed and cloistered. This is important, because as you may or may not know, Kennedy prefers his recording sessions to be cut live.

Paul McCartney’s “Hey Jude” lyrics, a copy of The Declaration of Independence, Jim Morrison’s gold microphone, the Stetson hat presented to John F. Kennedy just prior to his assassination in Dallas, Steve Earle’s guitar case, an Apple II manual signed by Steve Jobs, John Lennon’s “Granny” glasses, the original founding manuscript of Alcoholics Anonymous and discontinued U.S. currency such as $10,000-denomination bills were displayed around the three rooms. I’m telling you, this priceless stuff gave you chills.

The Jim Irsay Collection also includes items from Elton John, Jerry Garcia, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, not to mention the movie scripts for Monty Python & the Holy Grail and Jerry McGuire, autographed baseballs by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, the shoes worn by Muhammad Ali when he boxed The Thrilla in Manilla, rare books and heaven-knows what else. Saturday’s exhibit was only a smattering of the collection’s artifacts. According to The Tennessean’s Mike Organ, Irsay is considering creating a museum for his treasures in Nashville.

“I began this collection to preserve, protect and share historic items with others in hopes of inspiring people to dream big and do great things in life,” said the mogul. “Since we’re in Music City, it makes sense to display instruments from some of the greatest musicians in history, as well as other special pieces that tell the stories of our shared past and culture.”

The Colts owner/CEO spoke fondly of several of his extraordinarily valuable artifacts, as well as his 50 seasons in the NFL. When he concluded, he tossed five NFL official footballs into the crowd. Attorney Pete Loesch caught one perfectly. The security-detail cops were eager to see it as Pete exited. If you wished, you could also leave with Colts ball caps or other free merch.

The wait staff circulated with skewered grilled shrimp, milni crab cakes, burger sliders and other fare. Two open bars served libations. The event concluded with a jam session led by John Mellencamp guitarist Mike Wanchic.

As for Sunday’s game, it was an injury-prone slugfest. Tennessee prevailed over Indianapolis 25-16. The Colts played a heroically brave game, fighting to the end. I hope Jim Isray left town proud.

Morgan Evans Talks New EP, His Full Band & “Love Is Real” [Interview]

Morgan Evans. Photo: P Tracy

Australian-born singer-songwriter Morgan Evans has a busy fall season ahead of him. As support on Brett Eldredge‘s “Good Day Tour 2021,” which kicked off on Sept. 16, Evans has also recently unveiled plans for his next studio project: The Country And The Coast Side A.

The six-song EP, set for release on Oct. 29, includes his newest release “Country Outta My Girl,” written by Evans, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps, and Mark Holman and produced by Dann Huff. The upbeat track gives not-so-subtle mentions of his wife, Kelsea Ballerini, and the habits and traits that she picked up from her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, and has taken with her all over the world.

Also included on the forthcoming project is Evans’ current radio single, “Love Is Real,” which has spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the AU Country Radio chart and is currently climbing the airplay charts in the United States. Written with Parker Welling and Jordan Reynolds, the timely track aims to capture the feeling of when everything in the world feels right, which is a welcomed feeling in our world right now.

“I tried to write the title a couple of different ways, but I felt like it was trying to be too clever or something,” Evans tells MusicRow. “When we wrote the song it was really as simple as that small feeling, but as songs tend to do, it’s found new meanings. That one feeling has become, ‘Even when all this awful stuff is happening around us, those feelings are still out there. Make sure you look for them and make sure you appreciate them when they come.’ It’s growing every time we get to play it and every time I get to talk to someone about it which is a great feeling as a songwriter.”

Of the new things that have been brought out of the pandemic, Evans has also emerged with a full band backing him for the first time since moving to the states.

Formerly using a loop pedal to build his tracks in real-time during live performances, Evans jokes, “I feel like I’m on vacation on stage now because all I have to do is play guitar and sing.

“In one way, it’s so nice because I can actually look elsewhere and I can connect with people. I can be in the moment rather than being in the technical moment of the loop pedal. In another way, it’s just so nice to have the camaraderie of a band and know that we’re doing this together,” he explains. “It’s what I started playing music for. I didn’t start playing music to be like, ‘Oh, I want to be this singer-songwriter that travels the world by myself.’ I wanted to play guitar in a band and I’m getting to do that again.”

Evans will be traveling around the country on the “Good Day Tour 2021” which has upcoming stops in Orlando, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Denver, and Salt Lake City, among others, before wrapping in Verona, New York on Nov. 6.

Before the tour’s launch, Evans shared, “I’m just looking forward to the feeling of playing live again. I’ve noticed at these [one-off] shows that everybody is equally as excited to be at a live show again. You get the energy from the stage going back and forth from the crowd, and it’s a pretty magical time to play music. Nobody’s taking it for granted right now.”

Named one of Country Radio Seminar’s 2020 New Faces of Country Music, Evans has earned nearly 610 million career streams, topped the charts with his debut single “Kiss Somebody,” and spent 25 weeks in the No.1 spot in Australia with “Day Drunk.” His upcoming EP, The Country And The Coast Side A, is available everywhere on Oct. 29.

The Country And The Coast Side A Track List:
1. Love Is Real
2. Country Outta My Girl
3. Beautiful Tonight
4. American Dream Truck
5. Sing Along Drink Along
6. Love Is Real (Int’l Mix)

MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart: Gorley, Singleton, & Crowell Hold On To Top Three

Ashley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer

For the eleventh consecutive week, Ashley Gorley remains at No. 1 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. The hitmaker is a co-writer on “Beers On Me” (Dierks Bentley, Hardy & Breland), “Country Again” (Thomas Rhett), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “Steal My Love” (Dan + Shay) and “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton).

Jonathan Singleton holds his position at No. 2 with “Things A Man Oughta Know” (Lainey Wilson), “Same Boat” (Zac Brown Band), and “Cold as You” and “South On Ya” (Luke Combs).

Zach Crowell remains at No. 3 this week and Hunter Phelps at No. 4. Jerry Flowers‎ rounds out the top five this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Elisha Hoffman Named Industry Relations Ambassador At Sound Royalties

Elisha Hoffman

Producer, engineer, and songwriter Elisha Hoffman has joined Sound Royalties as an Industry Relations Ambassador. In this position, Hoffman will represent the company through direct community outreach and exclusively curated events in Nashville.

Hoffman began playing drums in theater productions at 10 and moved to Nashville at 18 to work as a drum tech for Artimus Pyle of Lynyrd Skynyrd. He soon became a sought-after multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and programmer in the music community. His credits include co-producing the remix of Shania Twain’s “It’s Alright” and the show-opening music for “The Dixie Chicks Fly Tour.” He has also penned songs for artists like Faith Hill and Runaway June, and co-wrote “Give In To Me” for the film Country Strong

Hoffman’s songs have also been heard on TV shows such as The Shield and Dark Angel. He is a founding member of The Loving Mary Band, Steven Tyler’s country band, as well as co-founder of Pumphouse Records, which he launched with Lee Brice and songwriter Rob Hatch.

“We are accelerating our business growth through many channels and are very excited to include this thoughtfully-targeted outreach to the music industry,” comments Michael Bizenov, Sound Royalties President. “We’re proud to have Eli on board helping expand our footprint in the creative community of Nashville.”

“As someone who has been immersed in the music industry for my whole life, I’m well-versed in the many options creatives face when it comes to taking full advantage of the earning potential of their work,” says Hoffman. “Joining Sound Royalties to help bring their services closer to music creatives is a no-brainer for me. A company that offers funding on all types of royalty streams without taking ownership, while offering the opportunity for ongoing cashflow is a valuable resource to my fellow musicians and others looking to grow and/or maintain their career in the music world.”

Creative Artists Agency To Acquire ICM Partners

Creative Artists Agency is acquiring ICM Partners in a new deal to create broader and more competitive opportunities for clients in the entertainment, media, and sports landscapes. ICM brings a global roster of artists in film, TV, music, comedy, theater, games, politics, and podcasting.

“Today’s storytellers, athletes, thought-leaders, and trend-setters who can move, inspire, and attract large, global audiences have unprecedented opportunity and ability to achieve their goals and aspirations,” comment CAA’s Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, and Richard Lovett. “The strategic combination of CAA and ICM bolsters our collective resources, expertise, and relationships to deliver even more opportunities for our world-class clients to build their careers and their brands across multiple disciplines and platforms in an evolving marketplace. Our strong financial position enables us to continue to expand and diversify our businesses, with service and representation remaining central to what we do and who we are. We’re fortunate to have a partner in ICM who shares our commitment to the widest and most inclusive vision possible for what our clients and company can accomplish together.”

“We’re thrilled to partner and combine forces with the talented CAA team,” says ICM’s Chris Silbermann.  “Together, we will build upon our accomplishments and entrepreneurial spirit, and continue to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the best interests of our clients, as well as empowering new, diverse voices within the industry.”

Weekly Register: Scotty McCreery Earns Top 10 Country Album Debut

Scotty McCreery. Photo: Jeff Ray

Thirty Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery earns the top country album debut this week with Same Truck. The recently released project scores 10,000 first-week streams, coming in at No. 10 on the country chart and No. 86 overall, according to Nielsen.

Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album reclaims the No. 1 spot, racking in 39,000 streams contributing to 47 million RTD. Kacey MusgravesStar-Crossed follows in second with 29,000 streams, while Luke Combs takes third with What You See Is What You Get and fourth with This One’s For You earning 22,000 and 15,000 streams, respectively. Walker Hayes takes fifth as Country Stuff adds 15,000 streams this week.

Hayes also keeps his top spot on the top country streaming songs as “Fancy Like” maintains its residency at No. 1. The track earned 14 million streams this week for a total of 152 million streams RTD, according to Nielsen. “If I Didn’t Love You” (Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood) sit at No. 2 with 7.6 million streams, “Chasing After You” (Ryan Hurd & Maren Morris) stay at No. 3 with 6.8 million streams, and “Buy Dirt” (Jordan Davis & Luke Bryan) rises to No. 4 with 5.9 million streams. Combs’ re-enters the top five this week with “Forever After All” gaining 5.9 million streams.

Niko Moon To Embark On “Good Time Tour”

Niko Moon. Photo: Matthew Berinato

Niko Moon is hitting the road for his very own “Good Time Tour,” kicking off Nov. 19 in Nashville.

Moon will bring his high-energy and charisma to venues including Nashville’s Exit/In, NYC’s Gramercy Theatre, Boston’s Paradise Rock Club, and more. Singer-songwriter Kylie Morgan will serve as support on all dates.

Additionally, Moon’s new single “Paradise To Me,” which he co-wrote with his wife Anna Moon and his co-producer Joshua Murty, hits country radio today (Sept. 27). The track appears on Moon’s debut album Good Time, and has racked up more than 47 million on-demand streams so far.

Moon is currently serving as support on Lady A’s “What A Song Can Do Tour,” which continues this weekend in Wilmington, North Carolina (Sept. 30), Simpsonville, South Carolina (Oct. 1), and Alpharetta, Georgia (Oct. 2).

Tickets for Moon’s “Good Time Tour” go on sale Friday (Oct. 1) at 10:00 a.m. local time. Fan club presales begin tomorrow (Sept. 28) at 10:00 a.m. local time and are available exclusively to members of the Good Timers Facebook fan page. See below for a full list of dates.

NMPA, Roblox Reach Publishing Agreement

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and digital experience platform, Roblox, have reached an agreement that settles any previous claims against Roblox. This agreement also sets the foundation for future partnerships with global publishers for new creative and commercial opportunities on its platform.

The new agreement offers an industry-wide opt-in for all eligible NMPA publishers and opens a negotiation period for members to engage in new licensing deals with the Roblox global platform. It also expands Roblox’s existing relationships with major publishers to the entire global publishing industry to unlock new ways for music to be more meaningfully integrated into the global Roblox community and to find new ways for songwriters to monetize their songs and catalogues.

For songwriters, publishers, artists, and record labels, Roblox provides a creative way to engage and attract fans as well as drive new revenue streams through virtual launch parties and concerts, music in games, persistent music worlds, and virtual merchandise.

NMPA President & CEO David Israelite comments, “We are extremely pleased to have found a way forward with Roblox as it continues to offer a unique platform for musicians and songwriters in the metaverse. Roblox understands that music has the potential to play a more integral role on its platform. I appreciate Roblox’s willingness to work with us in pursuit of advancing the interests of publishers and songwriters and look forward to seeing how they expand virtual experiences through music.”

Roblox Vice President, Global Head of Music Jon Vlassopulos adds, “We are delighted to have come to terms with select NMPA members, building on our existing relationships with major publishers. We are pleased that the publishing industry sees the potential of Roblox to be a significant creative and commercial opportunity for its members. Music is a natural way for people to express themselves, be entertained, and connect with likeminded people. We strive to offer experiences that bring millions of fans together with the songwriters and artists they love. Roblox currently enables labels and publishers to reach millions of fans at once in hyper social, immersive environments such as launch parties and virtual concerts. Moving forward, we are committed to partnering with the music industry, as a whole, to create an exciting new social era of the music business which engages fans and artists in an unprecedented way in the metaverse.”

ASCAP Expands Royalty Premium Payment Plans

ASCAP is expanding its TV Premium payment plan to include eligibility for top streamed shows on services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Apple TV+, Disney+ and HBO Max.

The TV Premium Plan is being renamed and expanded to a platform agnostic Audio-Visual Premium plan. The expanded eligibility requirements for premium payments ensure that ASCAP composers, songwriters and publishers are also eligible for premium bonus payments for the top streamed shows and movies on these services.

In a further expansion of its premium payment program, ASCAP is also adding the Univision and UniMás networks to its existing broadcast TV premiums, recognizing the growing market for Spanish-language programming in the U.S.

“AV OTT services are rapidly scaling their businesses by providing subscribers with high-value offerings at price points that are disruptive to traditional TV economics,” says ASCAP Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Matthews. “ASCAP is expanding its premium plan structure to ensure that our composers have the ability to earn a viable living from top-streamed shows. This protects the economic value of their music in AV OTT programming by creating incentives to retain their future backend public performance royalties in their own deal making with production companies and streaming services.

“The board approved this change because ASCAP is committed to evolving its distribution rules to keep pace with the way music is consumed and licensed in the marketplace,” adds ASCAP Chairman of the Board of Directors Paul Williams. “ASCAP’s Audio-Visual Premium payments recognize the significant value that the music in top programs brings to ASCAP’s repertory.  The Board’s action here ensures the highest good for all concerned and the future health of the ASCAP membership.”

ASCAP’s expanded Audio-Visual Premiums will take effect with the December 2021/January 2022 Publisher and Writer distributions.