Leah Turner Embraces Latin Heritage On New EP

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Leah Turner. Photo: Chelsea Thompson

CMT Next Women of Country alum Leah Turner is continuing to embrace her Latin heritage with her upcoming Lost In Translation EP, due out on Oct. 15.

The six-song project includes tracks like her 2020 single release “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” “Vaquera and the Cowboy,” and the recently unveiled “Wax on the Table,” a sensual song co-written with Skip Black and produced by Andrew King.

“I want women to be able to embrace their sexuality and their sensuality. I want them to embrace the skin that God gave us, no matter what shape, size or color,” Turner says of the track. “We shouldn’t be ashamed because we feel like badass, strong women who love our skin and wanna love our man! Men do it all the time and are praised for it… I wanted power to come across in this song.”

Turner was originally discovered by Kenny Loggins and first produced by Grammy Award-winners Humberto Gatica and David Foster. Once moving to Nashville, she was promptly signed to Columbia Records while her debut single, “Take the Keys,” achieved Top 40 status on the Billboard Country chart and quickly accrued over 3 million Spotify streams. Turner has also had cuts with Cody Purvis, Kristy Lamb, and Academy Award-nominated actor Jeremy Renner.

Born to a rodeo champion father and a first generation Mexican-American mother, Turner marries the two backgrounds on Lost in Translation.

“The process was completely natural, given country music and the Latino culture both put such an emphasis on the value of faith, family, and hard work. A lot of the American cowboy traditions came from the vaquero, who was the original cowboy. So marrying the two seemed effortless, and gives a strong representation of who I am.” She sums, “Country music has always had a love affair with the Hispanic culture. I’m just the product of a good old-fashioned country song and the American dream.”

Leah Turner. Photo: Chelsea Thompson

 

Lost In Translation Track List:
Once Upon A Time In Mexico (Jesse Frasure, Leah Turner)
Wax On the Table ( Skip Black, Leah Turner)
Vaquera and the Cowboy ( Lamont Coleman, Leah Turner)
Vaya Con Dios ( Josh Ronen, Kylie Sackley, Leah Turner)
Lost In Translation ( Micheal August, Evan Coffman, Leah Turner)
Where Did All The Cowboys Go ( Andy Albert, Adam James, Leah Turner)

Dustin Lynch Signs With Warner Chappell Music

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Dustin Lynch

Country hitmaker Dustin Lynch has signed a new worldwide publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music Nashville.

Lynch ended 2020 as Billboard’s third most-played artist on the Country Airplay chart. His fourth studio album, Tullahoma, delivered consecutive chart-toppers: Platinum “Ridin’ Roads” and Gold “Good Girl” – both co-written by Lynch, in addition to Top 5 “Momma’s House.” Since his breakout in 2012, he’s earned four Top 5 albums, eight Gold and Platinum certified singles, over 2.5 billion on-demand streams, and has achieved a total of seven No. 1 songs at country radio including “Small Town Boy,” which was also the longest reigning No. 1 of 2017 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, WCM Nashville says, “If you know Dustin you know he’s all about his fans and delivering memorable songs they’ll be singing for years. As a songwriter, from his very first hit (the game-changing ‘Cowboys and Angels’), to ‘Good Girl’ and ‘Ridin’ Roads,’ to his current single (‘Thinking ‘Bout You’), he knows how to deliver a smash. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing him since he first came to Nashville and we’re all excited for the next part of his journey.”

Lynch’s latest release, “Thinking ‘Bout You (feat. MacKenzie Porter)” was co-written by Lynch, Will Weatherly, Hunter Phelps, and Andy Albert, and is currently Top 20 and rising at country radio.

“Dustin is one of the most consistent and exciting artist/writers in country music,” adds VP, A&R Strategy, WCM Nashville, Ryan Beuschel. “His raw talent and incredible work ethic have helped cement him as a regular atop the charts. There’s a lot more on the horizon and I’m looking forward to working alongside him.”

“Ben [Vaughn], Ryan [Beuschel], and the WCM Nashville team have been in my corner as long as anyone on Music Row,” sums Lynch. “I’m thrilled to align my dreams and goals with theirs and take this next chapter of making music to a whole new level. Keep an eye on what we start building together and may the hit train roll on!”

Karen Waldrup Partners With Music Benefactors For Upcoming EP

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Karen Waldrup

Music Benefactors has partnered with country music artist and entrepreneur Karen Waldrup to fund her new project Somebody’s Got To Be First. The 5-song EP is being produced by Paul Worley (Lady A, Martina McBride, Big and Rich).

Through Music Benefactors, Waldrup and other artists can use the platform to raise capital while maintaining ownership of their master recordings and copyrights. When music is streamed, purchased, played on the radio or used in TV and films, royalties are paid to rights holders. Through this new endeavor, all fans and investors can participate in this investment class. Waldrup’s team is conducting a public equity offering, and fans can purchase shares in the project for as little as $50.

Waldrup shares, “Somebody’s Got To Be First is a project that fascinates me and gives me peace all at the same time. I love being first in endeavors that I am a part of and I have always dreamed of working with this producer Paul Worley.” She continues, “When I first moved to town, we used to meet in his office between my club days on the road and I remember he always encouraged me to ‘keep building my live performance and fanbase muscles.’ I believe with over one million #waldrupworldwide fans, this new music coupled with legendary producer, Paul Worley, we can be the first successful public securities offering of a music project in country music history. After all, Somebody’s Got To Be First.”

Waldrup’s debut album Justified, produced by multi-award winner Garth Fundis and funded solely through fan participation via an Indiegogo campaign, debuted on four of Billboard‘s Album Charts (Country Album Sales, Heatseekers, Heatseekers South Central and Independent Albums).

Worley adds, “I met Karen several years ago and was immediately taken by her voice and passion for her work. Since then I have watched her grow exponentially! She has it all! She is beautiful with a ‘never met a stranger’ personality. Her singing is spot on perfect, and so emotional. She now has a very large fan and touring base, and the songs she is ready to record are great. I am fully committed to her career and encourage anyone interested in supporting great music to get on board.”

Kentucky Headhunters Announce First Album Of Brand New Material In Five Years

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The Kentucky Headhunters. Photo: Joe McNally

The Grammy Award-winning southern rock, blues and country group The Kentucky Headhunters have announced they will release a new album, That’s A Fact Jack!, on Oct. 22 via BFD / Audium Nashville. The upcoming project marks the Headhunters’ first album of brand new material in five years.

That’s A Fact Jack! is a by-product of the pandemic, recorded while the band’s touring was put on pause. “We’re a band,” says guitarist/vocalist Richard Young. “We play. When all our shows got cancelled, we decided we were gonna go up to the Practice House and play. Then we figured we might as well go into the studio, but instead of having an agenda or some idea of ‘what’ was this supposed to be, we all looked at each other and went, ‘Well, what do you do? ’No discussions, no trying to be something. Just ‘What do you want to play?’”

Over the next few weeks leading up to the drop date, the band will release two new singles from the album: “How Could I” on Sept. 24 and “That’s a Fact Jack” on Oct. 8.

That’s A Fact Jack! Track Listing:
1. Gonna Be Alright
2. How Could I
3. Watercolors In the Rain
4. Susannah
5. Cup of Tea
6. We Belong Together
7. That’s A Fact Jack
8. Lonely Too Long
9. Heart and Soul
10. Cheap Tequila
11. Shotgun Effie
12. Let’s All Get Together and Fight

Zach Bryan Announces “Ain’t For Tamin’ Tour”

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Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan is hitting the road this fall on his “Ain’t For Tamin’ Tour.”

Fresh off his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, the upcoming trek kicks off in St. Louis on Oct. 20, before winding down with two homecoming shows in Tulsa on Nov. 18-19.

In between, Bryan will visit major cities across the U.S., including Atlanta, Minneapolis, Houston, and Chicago. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m. CST at zachbryan.com.

The Oklahoma native made his Grand Ole Opry debut in April 2021, and has enjoyed success with his breakthrough hit “Heading South.” Millions have connected to the sincere songs on his 2019 debut album DeAnn, dedicated to his late mother, and his 2020 follow-up, Elisabeth, an ode to those he loves. Together, the two albums have racked up over 430 million streams and counting.

Industry Ink: Echosmith, Paige King Johnson, Alex Smith

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Echosmith Joins Why&How Management

Echosmith. Photo: Ariana Velazquez

Multi-Platinum trio Echosmith has signed to Bruce Kalmick‘s Why&How Management and are currently working on new music expected for release in the coming months.

Siblings Sydney [lead vocals], Noah [vocals, bass], and Graham Sierota [drums] have been sharing their music since 2013, when the group released their smash debut single, “Cool Kids.” Certified 3x Platinum with a peak at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, the track introduced Echosmith’s alternative California pop sound. The group’s success followed with 2x Platinum single “Bright” and their Gold-certified major label debut album, Talking Dreams. In 2020, they dropped their second full-length and first independent release, Lonely Generation.

“As crazy as it seems, with the massive global success of their debut album, we are still in the early stages with Echosmith,” shares Kalmick. “They are in their early twenties and still have so much to give to the music world. We couldn’t be more excited to share what we have discovered in their music, but even more so in who they are as people.”

“We’re so excited to be joining the Why&How family. We love the innovative approach that Bruce takes, but more than anything we love what he’s about. We can’t wait to move into this next chapter in our career with such an incredible team,” the band shares.

Echosmith is the newest addition to the Why&How roster which includes Brian Kelley, Chase Rice, Breland, Drake White, Kaleo, Seaforth, Kelleigh Bannen, Tyler Braden, Whiskey Myers, ZZ Ward, A Thousand Horses and more.

 

 

PCG Artist Development Launches PCG Records, Signs Paige King Johnson

Pictured (L-R): Bernard Porter, Paige King Johnson, Chris Allums

CEO of PCG Artist Development, Bernard Porter recently announced the formation of PCG Records, distributed by BFD/The Orchard. The new entity will specialize in media distribution, marketing, and sales. PCG Records will license master recordings for a specified time, provide label services and marketing strategies, develop brand identity, and establish the artist’s team.

PCG Records has also signed their first artist: country singer-songwriter, Paige King Johnson. Johnson has been in development with PCG Artist Development’s Emerging Artist program for two years. Her last single, “Just Like You” charted at No. 48 on Indicator with 3,100 spins across 25 stations and No. 30 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart with 7,000 spins across 40 stations.

Johnson’s first single with PCG Records, “Baby Don’t,” is currently being promoted nationwide and is receiving positive responses among PlayMPE’s TOP 5 downloaded and streamed songs. “Baby Don’t” will be officially released on all digital platforms on Oct. 15.

“Paige was the obvious choice as our first artist,” states Porter. “Paige truly has it all—work ethic, entrepreneurship, talent, and beauty. It has been such a privilege to see her talents and career grow. She is exemplary in every way!”

 

 

Edgehill Music Publishing Adds Alex Smith To Songwriting Roster

Pictured (L-R): Kent Wells, Edgehill Music Publishing Creative Director; Alex Smith; Tara Joseph, Big Plan Holdings/Edgehill Music Publishing Co-Founder; Josh Joseph, Big Plan Holdings/Edgehill Music Publishing Co-Founder & CEO. Photo: Katie Larson

Edgehill Music Publishing has signed singer-songwriter Alex Smith to an exclusive publishing agreement. The Louisiana native has been in the studio with producer Kent Wells working on a project expected for release in the coming months.

Smith picked up his first guitar at age 15 and held his first public performances in church and later in local clubs and bars. He made his first trip to Nashville in 2015, making the permanent move to Music City a year later.

“Alex brings an infectious attitude everywhere he goes, and that carries over into his writes and in the studio, ” shares Wells, who also serves as Edgehill’s Creative Director. “We’re excited to have him in the Edgehill family, and we can’t wait to share the music we’ve been making.”

“Alex was one of the first writers we were introduced to when we started Edgehill Music Publishing,” says Edgehill Music Publishing co-founders Tara and Josh Joseph. “His attitude, work ethic and especially his creativity are a perfect match for this growing company.”

“I feel so blessed to have this opportunity,” adds Smith. “I came to Nashville to write songs, and Edgehill and their amazing team have turned a dream into reality. I can’t wait for everyone to hear the music and see what the future holds!”

Lauren Daigle Continues Her Record-Setting Streak [Interview]

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Pictured (L-R): Grand Hubbard, Kris Love, Chris Hauser, Greg Chimento, Lauren Daigle, Caren Seidle, John Stokes, Andrew Lambeth, Steve Ford

Christian singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle is continuing to break records with her music.

Since the release of her Grammy-winning, Platinum certified album Look Up Child in 2018, Daigle has remained in the upper echelons of the Billboard charts. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Top 200 Albums chart, making Daigle the first female artist to simultaneously hit the Top 10 on both Billboard’s Pop and Christian Billboard Album Charts. After spending 100 weeks at No. 1, Look Up Child also holds the record for the greatest number of weeks atop the the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart in its history.

Additionally, the Centricity Music artist’s Grammy-winning crossover hit, “You Say,” became the longest-running No. 1 song of any genre on the weekly Billboard “Hot”-named song charts (which blend streaming, airplay and sales data, as tabulated by Nielsen Music/MRC Data.) “You Say” remained at No. 1 for an incredible 132 weeks and was recently certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA.

“I feel kind of awestruck [by Look Up Child‘s achievements] to be honest,” Daigle tells MusicRow. “I really feel like there’s something about people’s stories and people’s connection to this record that really keeps me in a space of being in awe. I’m super grateful for the connection that people have had to it. I don’t take it for granted and I’m honored to have had something like this that I get to be a part of in life.”

Daigle most recently extended her record of most No. 1 hits among women on the Hot Christian Songs chart with her sixth No. 1 single, “Hold On To Me.”

“‘Hold On To Me’ is a song about having people around you that see the best in you and remind you of those things when you might only see the worst of who you are,” Daigle says. “It’s a song about someone who doubts themselves or questions their worth or whether they’re able to make it through a difficult time and realizes what it means to have people around them that can see beyond the current circumstance and remind them, ‘Hey, there’s more beyond this. Keep your head up, stay focused.’ I really believe there’s power when people are unified. Life is a journey and anytime that you’re doing it alone, it only feels half full. I think there’s something beautiful about people holding onto each other in the worst of times, it allows us to get through difficult things together rather than alone.”

YouTube video

“I hope that aspiring female CCM artists can see that the sky is the limit,” she continues. “There’s so much potential, and if you bring artistry, if you bring your craft, if you bring diligence, and if you find a team around you that can support all your efforts, the sky is truly the limit. I hope that people, especially aspiring females, can look at this and say, ‘OK, she did it, I’m gonna work hard to do it too.’ I hope that it allows more female vocalist to be on the radio and on these charts.”

Daigle has earned seven Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, ten GMA Dove Music Awards and sold-out concert venues all over the world. She will head back out on the road again with her arena tour kicking off Friday (Sept. 24) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The “Lauren Daigle World Tour” will make stops throughout the U.S. including Kansas City, Atlanta, Lafayette, Houston, and New Orleans before wrapping in Nashville on Nov. 19.

“I cannot wait to be in front of a crowd, to hear applause and hear people screaming at the top of their lungs,” Daigle says. “It is a feeling of joy that doesn’t just stop at me. It circulates around the room, and I think that is something I will never take for granted again especially after this time. I’m also looking forward to the beauty of playing music with people that I love so dear. I feel like I’m back with a family that I’ve missed for so long.”

Artist Action: Dolly Parton & José Feliciano, Luke Bryan, Scotty McCreery, Tenille Townes

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Dolly Parton, José Feliciano Unveil New Collaboration

Anthem Records has released the first collaboration between multi-Grammy winning, global music artists Dolly Parton and José Feliciano, titled “Eagle When She Flies.”

The track was written by Parton and originally released on the album of the same name in 1991. The single was produced by Rick Jarrard and recorded remotely in Nashville. Feliciano, whose career spans 60+ years, has recorded many country songs and performed with artists like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Glenn Campbell among others.

“‘Eagle When She Flies’ became very personal when my producer, Rick Jarrard, brought it to me for our Nashville recording session for the Behind This Guitar album,” states Feliciano. “After hearing it the very first time, I knew exactly what Dolly was saying, knowing certain women who are precisely what the song is about and so I needed to echo that, myself. I am blown away and so honored, really, that she offered to sing it with me. You know, Dolly, herself, is a magnificent Eagle”

 

 

Luke Bryan Wraps Up “Farm Tour 2021”

Pictured (back row, L-R): DJ Rock, Whitney Duncan, Dylan Scott, Rhett Akins; (front row, L-R): Dallas Davidson, Luke Bryan, Ben Hayslip

Five-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan recently wrapped his “Farm Tour 2021” on Sept. 18, marking his twelfth trek since 2009.

Along the way, Bryan played six concerts between Sept. 9 and Sept. 18 in harvest fields across six different states. The special guest line up included Dylan Scott, Whitney Duncan, The Peach Pickers and DJ Rock.

Since its inception, Bryan has granted 66 scholarships to students from farming families who are attending the local college or university near the tour stops.

The tour was sponsored by Fendt, Tracker Off Road, Farmland, American Building Components (ABC™), DISH, Monster and Citi.

 

 

Scotty McCreery Joins Pandora Billionaire Club

Pictured (L-R): Hope Garrison (Triple Tigers Records, Manager of Marketing and Promotions); Laura Hostelley (Triple Tigers Records VP of Marketing); Scott Stem (McCreery’s Manager, Triple 8 Management); McCreery; George Couri (McCreery’s Manager/Founder of Triple 8 Management and Partner, Triple Tigers Records), and Robert Knotts (Triple Tigers Records VP of Distribution)

Country recording artist Scotty McCreery recently joined the Pandora Billionaire Club for earning more than one billion streams on the platform.

The “You Time” singer was surprised by his team with a special commemorative plaque. Other recent recipients of this honor include the late Charlie Daniels, Justin Moore, Chris Young, and Rodney Atkins.

McCreery’s new 12-track album, Same Truck, is available everywhere now.

 

 

Tenille Townes Receives First U.S. RIAA Certification

Pictured (L-R): Crystal Dishmon, Shopkeeper Management; Sony Music Nashville’s Ken Robold and Jennifer Way; Tenille Townes; SMN’s Randy Goodman, Caryl Atwood, Steve Hodges, and Olivia Laster. Photo: Katie Kauss

Award-winning singer-songwriter Tenille Townes recently received her first U.S. RIAA certification for “Somebody’s Daughter.” The Canada native’s debut single has been certified Gold, signifying sales exceeding 500,000 in the U.S.

The track, which Townes co-wrote with Barry Dean and Luke Laird, reached No. 1 on Canadian Country Airplay charts and won the Canadian Country Music Association Awards for Single, Song, and Video of the year.

Townes was surprised with the news ahead of her performance at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater opening for Brothers Osborne on the duo’s “We’re Not For Everyone Tour.” In December, she will embark on her Canadian headlining “Girl Who Didn’t Care Tour.“

Emma-Lee Inks With Sony Music Publishing, RareSpark Media Group

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Pictured (L-R): Scot Sherrod, Emma-Lee, Suzanne Strickland, Rusty Gaston

Emma-Lee has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Sony Music Publishing and RareSpark Media Group.

Originally hailing from Toronto, Emma-Lee has released three full-length albums since her debut in 2009: Never Just A Dream, Backseat Heroine, and Fantasies. She has also achieved success with popular singles such as “Worst Enemy,” “It Won’t Be Christmas,” and “Not Giving Up On You.” Her songs have charted multiple times on Billboard and have been featured in many film and TV placements such as Beauty & The Beast, Saving Hope, Teen Wolf, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Wynonna Earp, Dance Moms and Hello/Goodbye.

Emma-Lee has also found success as a songwriter with cuts like “What Are You Gonna Tell Her” and “Bridges” for Mickey Guyton, as well as several other songs on Guyton’s upcoming debut album Remember Her Name. She also penned “Home To Me” by Ross Ellis; “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Anthem” by Brett Kissel; “What a Song Should Do” and “Wreck This Town” by Tim Hicks; “Country Thunder” by Washboard Union; “Good Love” by Shawn Hook; “Memphis T-Shirt” by Melanie Dyer, and more.

“Our entire team has been fans of Emma-Lee’s songwriting for quite some time,” says Rusty Gaston, CEO, Sony Music Publishing Nashville. “It is an honor and a privilege to partner with RareSpark to wave her flag.”

“Emma-Lee is a force–she has a gift for bringing the artist’s point of view to a song, along with an incredible voice, commitment to the craft, and a graciousness that draws everyone in. We are honored to work with her at RareSpark and we’re excited to partner with Rusty and the entire family at Sony Music Publishing to represent her!” adds Scot Sherrod, VP/GM and Suzanne Strickland, Owner, RareSpark Media Group.

“I’m ecstatic to be part of a team that supports the vision for my career and champions my songs,” shares Emma-Lee. “I have a great deal of admiration and respect for everyone involved in this venture. Scot, Suzanne and Rusty all share an insatiable passion for music that inspires me to bring my best to the writing room every day and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work together!”

Needtobreathe Announces New ‘Into The Mystery’ Documentary

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A new documentary chronicling the making of Needtobreathe‘s latest album, Into The Mystery, will be released Nov. 3 in movie theaters nationwide in a special, one-night cinema event.

Needtobreathe: Into the Mystery depicts the recording of the band’s latest album while quarantined in a historic house-turned-recording studio in Columbia, Tennessee in the fall of 2020. In addition to the band’s Bear Rinehart (vocals, guitar), Seth Bolt (bass, vocals), Josh Lovelace (keys, vocals), Randall Harris (drums), and Tyler Burkum (guitar), the film also features Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen, and more.

The band decamped to Columbia to begin working on new music and resided under one roof, recording Into The Mystery with co-producer and engineer Konrad Snyder and special guests. The film was directed by Chris Phelps and co-produced by Elektra Records and Foundations Music.

“Needtobreathe fans will delight in the opportunity to be a fly on the wall during the recording process,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “It’s a unique perspective on the creation of a hit record.”

“We are thrilled that fans around the country will have the opportunity to see Into The Mystery in theaters,” said the band. “We are grateful to be able to give fans this peek behind the curtain from a truly special moment in time for our band.”

In addition to viewing the full feature, cinema audiences will see candid behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive acoustic performances. Tickets for Needtobreathe: Into the Mystery go on sale Friday, Oct. 1. A complete list of theater locations is available here.