With seven songs on the country charts, Ashley Gorley moves up to the No. 1 spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Among the songs that fuel his rise are Thomas Rhett’s “Country Again” and “What’s Your Country Song,” HARDY’s “Give Heaven Some Hell,” Cole Swindell’s “Single Saturday Night,” Chris Stapleton’s “You Should Probably Leave,” and Morgan Wallen’s “Sand In My Boots” and “Warning.”

Jesse Frasure shifts down one spot to No. 2, with Jordan Davis’ “Almost Maybes,” Blake Shelton’s “Minimum Wage,” Thomas Rhett’s “What’s Your Country Song,” and Michael Ray’s “Whiskey And Rain.”

Corey Crowder moves up the top three on the MusicRow Songwriter Chart, with Chris Young and Kane Brown’s “Famous Friends,” Blake Shelton’s “Minimum Wage,” and Chase Rice’s “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” with Florida Georgia Line.

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.

Natalie Madigan

Nashville-based indie pop artist Natalie Madigan is paving her own lane in Music City.

The singer-songwriter grew up near Nashville enthralled by music. In the first grade her parents enrolled in piano lessons, which she would continue for the next 12 years. She eventually also ventured into musical theater, voice lessons and choir. She starting writing songs in early middle school and started recording her own demos on GarageBand in high school.

When it came time for college, Madigan decided to study audio production at Middle Tennessee State University. While in college she refined her songwriting, singing, and production skills, and went on to write and record an entire album which was released in January of 2020. She has since had her songs featured in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Young and The Restless, and more.

Madigan is the only female non-country songwriter signed to Nashville’s Endurance Music Group (Jimmie Allen, Matt Stell), and she just aligned with ASCAP.

“I love being the only pop act at Endurance,” Madigan says. “I feel like a big fish in a small pond. We get to have more brainstorming sessions, and everybody is just utilizing their own connections and figuring out a different way to approach things as a pop artist in Nashville.”

Her recently released EP Put the Light Back finds her communicating about love, heartbreak and personal growth with glittery pop production that has both modern and retro elements.

The title track to the EP is an ethereal track about picking yourself up after being knocked down, or, as Madigan says it, putting the light back in your eyes.

“This was the first song I wrote in quarantine and I actually feel like I was doing the best mentally that I had been in a long time. All the pressure had disappeared because we were all in this same space, so I wasn’t feeling the constant pressure of ‘I have to be productive, I have to create.’ I was going outside, taking so many walks, and just being with myself.

“For me that song is me talking to my anxiety and depression and telling them ‘You don’t get to control my life. I get to make the decision to be happy everyday. I get to have the control.’ But I wanted to write it in a way that people could listen to it and relate to it as a relationship song.”

Another track, “Happy When,” talks about savoring the moment instead of constantly focusing on the future. “I wanna get where I’m going so I can live in the moment, so I can look at my life and know that I earned it, that I deserve it,” Madigan sings.

“That’s probably the biggest thing I struggle with, and probably the source of most of my other mental health issues. This pressure that I put on myself that’s like ‘You don’t get to be content yet because you haven’t reached these milestones. You don’t get to be happy with yourself or your career or what you look like yet,'” Madigan says. “I think a little bit of that is healthy, but I never really let myself be content with my life and just soak up the beautiful moments in the present. Even though I still have goals and things I want to attain, it’s okay for me to be happy and content with the process and where I am.”

Madigan is playing Pilgrimage Festival in September, her first major festival performance. She will share the stage with Maren Morris, Cage The Elephant, Dave Matthews Band, The Black Keys, and more.

“I am so excited,” Madigan says. “Very ready, especially coming out of this past year.”

Madigan’s emotionally transparent EP Put the Light Back is available now.

Spencer Crandall

Rising singer-songwriter and entertainer Spencer Crandall has announced his forthcoming EP, Lost In The Wild, will be available everywhere on May 28. The new project includes two new tracks produced by Lalo Guzman, as well as three reimagined songs from his album, Wilderness.

To celebrate the announcement, Crandall surprised fans with one of the reimagined tracks, a new wedding version of the fan-favorite “My Person.” The original song has garnered over 30 million global streams and over 50K TikTok shares since its release in October of 2019.

“I’m so excited to finally release ‘My Person’ – Wedding Version,” shares Crandall. “I’ve had so many DMs, texts and emails asking for this version because this song has become the soundtrack for so many couples’ relationships. There have been thousands of videos to the original song with couples showing how much they love their person. I can’t wait to see all the videos of couples that will use this version at their wedding. It feels good to finally get this out to fans and I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out.”

In addition to “My Person” – Wedding Version, the Lost In The Wild EP will feature a cut-back, organic version of “Things I Can’t Say” (feat. Julia Cole) and an energetic EDM remix of hit-song “Delete All.”

After deciding to pick up the guitar and learning to play, he headed to Grand Junction to play college football until facing a career-ending shoulder injury. During his recovery, Spencer began to sing and write music, growing a steady following on social media by posting videos of his dorm room performances. Since moving to Nashville in 2016, Crandall has amassed over 90 million streams across platforms as an independent artist, with two album releases debuting at No.1 on the iTunes country charts, and he has shared the stage with artists including Chris Lane, Dustin Lynch, Tyler Rich and Josh Turner.

Lost In The Wild EP Track Listing:
1. “My Person” – Wedding Version (Lalo Guzman, Spencer Crandall, Kelly Archer)
2. “Things I Can’t Say” (feat. Julia Cole) – Stripped (Lalo Guzman, Josh Ronen, Spencer Crandall, Julia Cole)
3. “Apartments in LA” – Demo Version (Lalo Guzman, Spencer Crandall, Scott Stepakoff)
4. “Nothing To Do With You” (Lalo Guzman, Spencer Crandall, Lauren McLamb, Joe Tounge)
5. “Delete All” (Nate Dodge Remix) (Nate Dodge, Joe Tounge, Spencer Crandall, Olivia Faye, AJ Gatio)*
*Produced by Nate Dodge

Pictured (L-R): Dann Huff, Cameron Jaymes, Darrell Franklin (SVP Sheltered Music Publishing), Jenny Hall (Sheltered Music Publishing)

Cameron Jaymes has signed an exclusive publishing and producer development deal with Sheltered Music Publishing and record producer, Dann Huff.

“Cameron is one of the bright new talents to descend on Nashville. I’ve had the chance to get to know him and his quality work and I’m thoroughly impressed. And on top of that, he’s just a really great guy,” says Huff.

Jaymes, who began his career as an EMI and Universal Music Publishing artist, has gradually shifted into writing and production, working under longtime friend and mentor busbee. Throughout his career he has written and produced songs across all genres for Rachel Platten, Daya, Nightly, Emily Reid, Sarah Reeves, For All Seasons, Callista Clark, Spencer Sutherland, Matt Wertz and Tritonal. Jaymes credits have amassed upwards of 100 million streams and have been featured on a plethora of shows and networks, including Gilmore Girls, Jane the Virgin, 13 Reasons Why, Good Morning America, Old Navy, and many more.

“I first met Cameron through busbee years ago in LA,” says SVP Darrell Franklin. “He had such a passion for him and now it is obvious to hear why when you listen to the uniqueness and quality in Cameron’s music. He has such versatility both as a producer and a songwriter. Our goal is to take the momentum of what was built before us and continue to add to that in order to take that next step for Cameron”.

Jaymes is the first signing to the creative joint venture between Sheltered Music Publishing and Huff. The focus of this partnership will be centered on developing producer talent, as well as artists and songwriters.

“I am so excited to be joining the Sheltered Music family. Darrell, Dann, and Lance are incredible creatives and legends who each individually inspire me. I can’t overstate how much I appreciate the opportunity to work with, learn from, and be believed in by them,” exclaims Jaymes.

Sheltered Music is the Nashville Division of All Clear Music. LLC. In its first year, the company has completed deals with Burt Bacharach, Rodney Crowell, and Emmylou Harris. The growing roster has also recently added songwriters Melissa Peirce and Sara Haze, as well as signed developmental artists Jenna LaMaster and Kelsey Waters.