Heath Sanders. Photo: Ford Fairchild
Heath Sanders spent almost a decade working in natural gas in Arkansas before he found himself taken on a whirlwind journey via his music.
He grew up in a single-wide trailer in Marshall—a small town in a region of Arkansas called the Ozarks that is characterized by terrain encompassing mountains, caves, rivers and hot springs. His father logged in the winter and built fencing in the summer, as well as milked cows year round.
“I just had a good, solid, blue-collar start to life. I had an amazing grandpa that was really involved in music and always loved music,” Sanders told MusicRow in a recent virtual visit. “He was putting a guitar in my hands when I was six months old. I don’t know how I didn’t learn to play it until I was 21, but he sure tried.”
The day Sanders turned 18, he was offered a job in the oil fields. He enjoyed it when he started because of the unlimited hours he could rack up. “You could work a hundred hours a week if you wanted to,” he said.
When gas prices fell in 2017, Sanders hours were cut back to 40 per week. “Being the money man that I was, I was living way past my 40-hour means, so it really set me back substantially as far as finances go,” Sanders said. “So I decided to pick up a side gig and the only thing that made sense to me was that I could play some songs on the guitar and get by.”
Sanders started playing bars and restaurants to make some extra money. “I never really saw myself as anything more than just the guy sitting over in the corner, playing a song or two while everybody ate their steaks.”
Pictured (L-R, top row): Big Machine Label Group’s Erin Burr; MusicRow’s LB Cantrell, Sherod Robertson; (L-R, middle row): MusicRow’s Alex Parry; Heath Sanders; MusicRow’s Haley Crow; (bottom row): Big Machine Label Group’s Rachel Wendler
In September of 2017 Sanders made a Facebook page to promote his artistry and book gigs. Shortly after, a friend dared him to post a cover of Chris Stapleton’s “Either Way.”
The video went viral. With the validation he got from the success of the video, Sanders decided to try something he had never done before: writing a song.
“I had never really written a song before. I had learned three chords back in my early twenties and I would sit down and try to write some songs. They were terrible, so I just put the pen away and never really tried.
“I picked up my pen on a Sunday morning and I sat down to write. It took me all day to write a verse and a chorus. That song ended up being ‘Bloodline,’ which ended up being my first single. But the crazy thing is, I’m sitting there with my pen in my hand and my guitar in my lap, writing my first song ever, and the phone goes off and it’s Bobby Bones.”
Bones, a fellow Arkansas native, invited Sanders to come play on his morning show, and told him to bring in an original song to play. “I panicked,” Sanders joked. He finished the song with his buddy, Jamie Jones, and played it shortly after on The Bobby Bones Show.
“Needless to say, after I walked out of the studio, my entire life changed.”
After his performance on the radio show, Nashville music executives started calling. The now Valory Music Co. artist found a partnership with Scott Borchetta‘s Big Machine Label Group.
“I was really fortunate,” Sanders said. “A lot of people come to town and work their tails off for 10 or 15 years before anything really happens for them. I just feel blessed. I feel like I cheated the system a little bit, but everything happens for a reason.”
Sanders co-wrote all four songs on his recently released EP, Common Ground.
Sander’s first single, “Old School’s In,” celebrates his upbringing and officially arrives for adds at country radio on March 8. “Time still crawls, the flag still flies / Mama still cooks and God won’t die / Dogs still hunt, men man up / A little bit of red just runs in your blood,” Sanders sings in the tune.
Common Ground‘s affecting title track spreads a message of unity and acceptance in spite of differences. “We’re all findin’ our own way / We’re all livin’, we’re all learnin’ / From the cradle to the grave / We’re all weak, we’re all strong / We’re all right, and we’re all wrong / And when time runs out / We all end up /In common ground,” Sanders sings.
“I have to share a little perspective here, or to share a little story here on what this opportunity to see the world has done to to my world view and my perspective. Three years ago, I’d never been north of Missouri. I’ve never been west of Texas and I’ve never been in south Louisiana. As soon as I signed up with the label, they shipped me off to Cancun.
“Being from where I’m from, an old dirt road there’s obvious stereotypes you put on people in cities and stuff. Being able to travel and see places like Chicago and going out to California, gladly I’ve realized that there are as good of people in those cities as the old men sitting in their overalls, drinking coffee in the morning at the gas station. There’s good people everywhere. And I think we all really want the same thing: we all just want to pursue life, liberty and happiness. We just want to live our lives. I’m really proud of this song, it’s one of those songs that you step back from and you’re like, ‘Golly, I just can’t believe I had a hand in writing that.'”
Nashville Label Group Adds 5ive To True Breed Records Imprint
/by Lorie Hollabaugh(L-R): 5ive, True Breed Records artist and managing partner; Joseph Rojas, Nashville Label Group founder; Ray Ortiz, True Breed Records
5ive (Craig James) has been named managing partner of True Breed Records, an imprint of Nashville Label Group, the multi-genre record company launched three years ago by Seventh Day Slumber founder/frontman Joseph Rojas. 5ive, along with business partner Ray Ortiz, will now oversee all daily operations of the label.
Nashville Label Group was established in 2018 by Rojas, Seventh Day Slumber founder and frontman and creator of the City RockFest and Summer RockFest Tours. The label’s True Breed and RockFest Records imprints are distributed by New Day Christian Distributors, with digital distribution by Capitol Christian Music Group.
5ive is also the first artist signed to True Breed, and released his label debut, Family Business, in 2019. Produced by 5ive and SPEC, the 14-song set chronicles 5ive’s past struggles with drug addiction and his redemption. His sophomore album will bow later this year.
“First and foremost, I want to thank the Lord for this amazing opportunity,” 5ive says. “As an artist on True Breed, I couldn’t have imagined that one day I’d become a managing partner. With Joseph’s blessing and support, Ray and I are excited for this new journey. Our desire is for Jesus to be glorified in word and action as we help win the lost to Christ through the power of music.”
On The Row: Heath Sanders Puts Years Of Work In The Oil Fields Into Song
/by LB CantrellHeath Sanders. Photo: Ford Fairchild
Heath Sanders spent almost a decade working in natural gas in Arkansas before he found himself taken on a whirlwind journey via his music.
He grew up in a single-wide trailer in Marshall—a small town in a region of Arkansas called the Ozarks that is characterized by terrain encompassing mountains, caves, rivers and hot springs. His father logged in the winter and built fencing in the summer, as well as milked cows year round.
“I just had a good, solid, blue-collar start to life. I had an amazing grandpa that was really involved in music and always loved music,” Sanders told MusicRow in a recent virtual visit. “He was putting a guitar in my hands when I was six months old. I don’t know how I didn’t learn to play it until I was 21, but he sure tried.”
The day Sanders turned 18, he was offered a job in the oil fields. He enjoyed it when he started because of the unlimited hours he could rack up. “You could work a hundred hours a week if you wanted to,” he said.
When gas prices fell in 2017, Sanders hours were cut back to 40 per week. “Being the money man that I was, I was living way past my 40-hour means, so it really set me back substantially as far as finances go,” Sanders said. “So I decided to pick up a side gig and the only thing that made sense to me was that I could play some songs on the guitar and get by.”
Sanders started playing bars and restaurants to make some extra money. “I never really saw myself as anything more than just the guy sitting over in the corner, playing a song or two while everybody ate their steaks.”
Pictured (L-R, top row): Big Machine Label Group’s Erin Burr; MusicRow’s LB Cantrell, Sherod Robertson; (L-R, middle row): MusicRow’s Alex Parry; Heath Sanders; MusicRow’s Haley Crow; (bottom row): Big Machine Label Group’s Rachel Wendler
In September of 2017 Sanders made a Facebook page to promote his artistry and book gigs. Shortly after, a friend dared him to post a cover of Chris Stapleton’s “Either Way.”
The video went viral. With the validation he got from the success of the video, Sanders decided to try something he had never done before: writing a song.
“I had never really written a song before. I had learned three chords back in my early twenties and I would sit down and try to write some songs. They were terrible, so I just put the pen away and never really tried.
“I picked up my pen on a Sunday morning and I sat down to write. It took me all day to write a verse and a chorus. That song ended up being ‘Bloodline,’ which ended up being my first single. But the crazy thing is, I’m sitting there with my pen in my hand and my guitar in my lap, writing my first song ever, and the phone goes off and it’s Bobby Bones.”
Bones, a fellow Arkansas native, invited Sanders to come play on his morning show, and told him to bring in an original song to play. “I panicked,” Sanders joked. He finished the song with his buddy, Jamie Jones, and played it shortly after on The Bobby Bones Show.
“Needless to say, after I walked out of the studio, my entire life changed.”
After his performance on the radio show, Nashville music executives started calling. The now Valory Music Co. artist found a partnership with Scott Borchetta‘s Big Machine Label Group.
“I was really fortunate,” Sanders said. “A lot of people come to town and work their tails off for 10 or 15 years before anything really happens for them. I just feel blessed. I feel like I cheated the system a little bit, but everything happens for a reason.”
Sanders co-wrote all four songs on his recently released EP, Common Ground.
Sander’s first single, “Old School’s In,” celebrates his upbringing and officially arrives for adds at country radio on March 8. “Time still crawls, the flag still flies / Mama still cooks and God won’t die / Dogs still hunt, men man up / A little bit of red just runs in your blood,” Sanders sings in the tune.
Common Ground‘s affecting title track spreads a message of unity and acceptance in spite of differences. “We’re all findin’ our own way / We’re all livin’, we’re all learnin’ / From the cradle to the grave / We’re all weak, we’re all strong / We’re all right, and we’re all wrong / And when time runs out / We all end up /In common ground,” Sanders sings.
“I have to share a little perspective here, or to share a little story here on what this opportunity to see the world has done to to my world view and my perspective. Three years ago, I’d never been north of Missouri. I’ve never been west of Texas and I’ve never been in south Louisiana. As soon as I signed up with the label, they shipped me off to Cancun.
“Being from where I’m from, an old dirt road there’s obvious stereotypes you put on people in cities and stuff. Being able to travel and see places like Chicago and going out to California, gladly I’ve realized that there are as good of people in those cities as the old men sitting in their overalls, drinking coffee in the morning at the gas station. There’s good people everywhere. And I think we all really want the same thing: we all just want to pursue life, liberty and happiness. We just want to live our lives. I’m really proud of this song, it’s one of those songs that you step back from and you’re like, ‘Golly, I just can’t believe I had a hand in writing that.'”
Chris Young Crosses Four Billion Streams Mark
/by Lorie HollabaughChris Young marked a major career milestone recently, surpassing the four billion streams mark for his catalog worldwide, which includes eleven No. 1 singles.
Young received word of the impressive total tally earlier this week while filming the soon-to-be-released “Famous Friends ” music video with Kane Brown and director Peter Zavadil.
Written by Young with Cary Barlowe and Corey Crowder during a tour stop in Tampa in 2018, the autobiographical tune mentions the counties where Young and Brown grew up in Tennessee, as well as Nashville’s Davidson County.
A tribute to the names, faces, and legendary stories that make up each hometown, “Famous Friends” brings the two friends back together after collaborating on Brown’s 2017 song “Setting The Night On Fire.” The song reunites the former tour mates from Young’s 2018 Losing Sleep headlining outing and is a full-circle moment for Brown since his first live concert as a young country fan was a Brad Paisley and Chris Young tour stop.
Over the course of his career Young has released seven albums in 15 years including Losing Sleep, his third project in less than two years. The title track is certified Platinum while “Hangin’ On” is his ninth No. 1 as a songwriter. Losing Sleep (2017) and I’m Comin’ Over (2015) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart, and he was recently ranked in the Top 20 of Billboard’s top country artists of the decade.
Sony Music Publishing Signs Kane Brown; Launches Joint Venture With Brown And Kent Earls
/by Sarah SkatesPictured (L-R, top row): Kent Earls, Partner, Verse 2 Music; Rusty Gaston, Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO; (L-R, bottom row): Kane Brown, Jon Platt, Sony Music Publishing Chairman & CEO. Photo: Meagan Little Photography
Sony Music Publishing Nashville has signed multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Kane Brown to a worldwide deal. Additionally the company has partnered with Brown and longtime publishing executive Kent Earls to launch Verse 2 Music, with Earls leading operations of the joint venture.
Brown said, “I’m excited to further my relationship with Sony with Rusty Gaston and Jon Platt, and to work alongside Kent Earls again at Verse 2 Music.”
In 2016, Earls signed Brown to Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville.
Thursday’s (Feb. 25) announcement follows Brown’s recent launch of 1021 Entertainment, a label joint venture with Sony Music Nashville.
Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston said, “Kane Brown is redefining boundaries with his dynamic artistry, all-around business acumen, and passion as a craftsman songwriter–his anthemic songs will live forever. We couldn’t be happier to welcome him to Sony Music Publishing, and we are equally as excited to partner with Kane and Kent Earls on the launch of Verse 2 Music. We look forward to championing the history they will undoubtedly make together.”
Earls, Partner, Verse 2 Music said, “I am beyond excited to start my next chapter with Kane, Jon, Rusty and the entire Sony Music Publishing family. Verse 2 Music will focus on exceptional songwriters and artists that aspire to make musical history. I am fortunate to have started working with Kane from the beginning of his career and now again with him in this time when he is a superstar in the country format and beyond.”
Brown’s record-breaking debut album produced six-times Platinum No. 1 hits “Heaven” and “What Ifs.” With his debut effort, Brown become the first artist in Billboard history to top all five country charts simultaneously. His follow-up album Experiment topped the Billboard 200 chart and produced three consecutive No. 1 singles: “Homesick,” “Good As You” and “Lose It.” Brown’s latest effort, Mixtape Vol. 1 features hit singles “Cool Again,” “Be Like That” ft. Swae Lee and Khalid, “Worldwide Beautiful,” and his collaboration with John Legend “Last Time I Say Sorry.” Additionally, Brown co-wrote “One Thing Right,” his Top 40 radio hit with Marshmello.
Lori McKenna, Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey Debut Love Junkies Radio Show
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Love Junkies, hit songwriters Lori McKenna, Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey, are debuting a new program called Love Junkies Radio on Apple Music Country today (Feb. 25).
The debut episode has the trio sharing stories about collaborating with Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, and more, along with the stories behind their hits they penned together as a songwriting supergroup, such as Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush.” In the kickoff episode they also discuss their favorite songs from each other’s catalogues.
Fans can listen live for free to Love Junkies Radio today (Feb. 25) at 5 p.m. CT on Apple Music Country: apple.co/_LoveJunkies
Artist Action: Tenille Townes, Sony Nashville, Westwood One, Willie Jones
/by Lorie HollabaughTenille Townes To Perform As Part Of HALO’s Main Event Fundraiser
Tenille Townes will perform as part of the organization HALO’s virtual fundraiser, “The Main Event,” this Friday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. CT, continuing her mission to help homeless and at-risk children across the world. The event will feature a live and silent auction, a special documentary premiere and an exclusive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Friday’s performance is the latest charitable effort for Townes, who raised $89,000 last summer during her virtual “Big Hearts For Big Kids” fundraiser which benefitted Sunrise House, a youth shelter in her hometown Grande Prairie, Alberta, and Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee’s Troop 6000, which supports girls without permanent housing in the Nashville area. In the eleven years since Townes started the annual fundraiser, “Big Hearts For Big Kids” has raised over $2 million.
Westwood One, Sony Music Nashville Join Forces For Special Olympics
Cumulus Media’s Westwood One and Sony Music Nashville have announced a multi-faceted program to build support for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games scheduled for June 5-12, 2022, in Orlando. Kane Brown helped launch the collaboration this month, and Luke Combs, Old Dominion, Chris Young, Ryan Hurd, Maren Morris, Jameson Rodgers, Matt Stell, and more are among the participating Sony Music Nashville artists who will join the campaign to support the athletes and spread the word about the Special Olympics through Westwood One’s broadcast channels, as well as interviews and more on Westwood One’s programs.
Willie Jones To Make Opry Debut
Willie Jones is set to make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, March 5. He joins a lineup that includes Waylon Payne, Rhonda Vincent, Don Schiltz and others on the hallowed stage.
Willie Jones and Waylon Payne are planning to perform a duet of “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” the classic country tune originally recorded by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.
Jones was featured on NPR earlier this week during a conversation with Apple Music’s “Color Me Country” host and artist Rissi Palmer, who says Jones’ music is “one of [her] favorite things that has come out of Nashville in a really long time.”
Ronnie Milsap Returns With ‘A Better Word For Love’
/by Sarah SkatesCountry Music Hall of Fame legend Ronnie Milsap is back with new music this spring. His 10-song album, A Better Word for Love, will be released April 30 on Black River Records, and is the follow-up to his all-star project Duets.
Teaming with longtime co-producer Rob Galbraith, Milsap recorded much-loved songs that didn’t fit his prior albums, including those by renowned songwriters Mike Reid, Gary Nicholson, Al Anderson, Jim Weatherly, Brent Maher, Allen Shamblin, and David Ball.
“I have been blessed to work with some of the very best songwriters in the world,” says Milsap. “Over the years, they’ve kept bringing me unbelievable songs, and in some cases, they’ve let me hang onto them because I loved them so much. When Rob and I started this project a few years ago, we decided some of those songs were so special… We wanted to build this album around them, so they wouldn’t be treasures only [my wife] Joyce and I could hear.
“We got to go back to Ronnie’s Place, the studio I built all those years ago, just dig in and cut them—and some songs that have the same kind of heart, the soul and that joy that I’ve always loved. You know, even a sad song when you do it sad enough’ll make you feel better.”
Milsap enlisted some of Nashville’s finest players for the project: guitarists Brent Mason, Steve Gibson, Mark Casstevens, and Chris Leuzinger; bass player Michael Rhodes; drummer Lonnie Wilson; double steel players Mike Johnson and Paul Franklin; and Milsap’s longtime musical director Jamie Brantley.
Along the way, Milsap received a special package from Carl Perkins’ widow, containing the last song the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer ever wrote. She knew Milsap would do it justice. To that end, Milsap tapped Vince Gill to join him on the song that isn’t about a woman, but instead the famous “Big Bertha” driver. Says Milsap, “Singing a song about a golf club without Vince Gill just didn’t feel right.”
A Better Word for Love Track Listing:
“Big Bertha” featuring Vince Gill -Randy Moore, Carl Perkins, DJ Perkins
“Wild Honey” – Jim Weatherly, Nigel Wright
“A Better Word for Love” – Al Anderson, Gary Nicholson
“Almost Mine” – David Ball, Randy Goodrum
“Fool” – Thomas Cain
“This Side of Heaven” – Brent Maher, Allen Shamblin, Mike Reid
“Civil War (Live),” recorded at Atlanta’s Chastain Park in 1993 – Cindy Richardson, Carol Chase
“Fireworks” – Steve Dean, Don Gatlin, Mike Ulvila
“Now” – Thomas Cain, Tim Nichols
“Too Bad for My Own Good” – Joe H. Hunter, Jim Whitehead, Jim Weatherly
The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project Donates $25,000 To Aid Veterans [Exclusive]
/by Sarah SkatesThe organization made a $10,000 donation to A Soldier’s Child. Pictured (L-R): Trace Adkins, Carolyn Corlew (TCDJHP), W.D. Wheeler, Angela Wheeler (TCDJHP), Joel Pruitt (TCDJHP), David Corlew (TCDJHP), and Daryl Mackin (A Soldier’s Child).
The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project (TCDJHP), a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting military veterans, is continuing the mission of its late founder with several recent donations.
Since the passing of Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Daniels last year, TCDJHP co-founder/Daniels’ longtime manager David Corlew has donated $25,000 to various organizations that directly aid veterans and their families.
Recent contributions include $10,000 to A Soldier’s Child, which benefits children of veterans, and $5,000 to God’s Word for Warriors, a non-profit committed to serving spiritually wounded and emotionally distressed vets.
“Our mission is to continue our vision and commitment to the supporting of our veterans as they reintegrate from service to civilian life,” says Corlew. “The loss of Charlie, combined with the impact of Covid, has made it even more difficult to do. But the need is there, and as you can see, we are unwavering in efforts to serve.”
TCDJHP donates $5,000 to God’s Word for Warriors. Pictured (L-R): God’s Word For Warrior’s Jim Humphrey and Dr. Tom Seals, and TCDJHP’s Angela Wheeler and David Corlew.
Additionally, last month, TCDJHP joined forces with Chris Young to establish the Daniels/Young Veterans Scholarship at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. TCDJHP donated $10,000 to fund the yearly scholarship that will be awarded to former servicemen and women pursuing a degree from MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment.
“Charlie was not only an influence on my music but was a mentor too,” says Young, who attended MTSU prior to signing with RCA Nashville. “I’m extremely honored to help continue his legacy through this new scholarship.”
MTSU also houses the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center, an on-campus facility that provides transition services for veterans and their families as they return to civilian life.
TCDJHP’s daily operations rely solely on public donations. To donate, visit thecharliedanielsjourneyhomeproject.org.
David Corlew, far right, co-founder of The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project and Daniels’ longtime manager, presents a $10,000 donation for the Daniels/Young Veterans Scholarship. Pictured (L-R): Keith Huber, MTSU senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives; Angela Wheeler (TCDJHP); Chris Young; and Corlew. Photo: Courtesy MTSU by Andy Heidt.
Lainey Wilson Shows Off Her Kaleidoscope Of Colors On Charming New Album [Interview]
/by LB CantrellLainey Wilson. Photo: Alex Berger
Lainey Wilson‘s many colors are on full-display on her recently released album, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’.
The album is decidedly country, with a fun ’70s flare here and a ’90s-esque hook there. Wilson grew up listening to a wide variety of musicians, from Lee Ann Womack and fellow Louisiana native Tim McGraw, to Bob Segar, to Patsy Cline, Buck Owens and Dolly Parton. The latter Wilson tributes in the song “WWDD”—or ‘what would Dolly do?’
Of all of her influences, the 23-year-old says that ’90s country “shaped her.”
“I love everything ’90s country. Growing up, country music was more than just a genre of music. I’m a sucker for a great story and I feel like during that time, incredible stories were being told,” Wilson tells MusicRow.
Wilson booked her “bucket-list producer” for her album, Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Miranda Lambert). “He brings something so fresh and unique to the table. I knew that, because my stuff is so country, I knew that he could put a little fairy dust on it and bring it to life in a way that has not been done. And that’s exactly what he did.”
Joyce highlights Wilson’s crystal clear twang on the charming groove of “LA,” through the sensual vibe of “Dirty Looks,” and along the ride of the Tanya Tucker-esque party anthem “Neon Diamonds.”
Wilson’s writing chops shine on tunes like the Jordan Schmidt and Matt Rogers co-write “Keeping Bars in Business,” where she paints the picture of bar patrons celebrating the highs and mourning the lows, all at the corner pub. She sings: “If you’re on cloud nine or you’ve been knocked down / There’s a neon light on the edge of town / So if the world just keeps on spinnin’ we’ll be keeping bars in business.”
“I grew up writing. I started writing songs when I was nine years old. Honestly, I was writing about tequila and cigarettes before I even knew what that meant, I just knew that’s what country music artists sang about,” Wilsons says. “It was one of those things that I could not escape. It just became a part of me.”
The Sony Music Publishing Nashville writer co-wrote every song on the 12-track album.
Wilson delivers heartache in her beautifully tender voice on “Rolling Stone.” On the sharply written tune, Wilson sings to the lover trying to tie her down: “Think you’re the one that’s gonna turn me around, give me a ring and settle me down,” and ends with the crushing blow, “You don’t give a rock to a rolling stone.”
“That song, I feel like it’s timeless,” Wilson says. “I’m from a town of 300 people and this song really tells my story. I moved up here knowing that I was going to have to let some things go and I was going to have to let the only thing I’ve ever known go—my town, 300 people. I knew I had to let some people go and that’s hard to do, but I’ve always been the kind of person that I know what I want and I wouldn’t let anything hold me back. I’ve just always had stars in my eyes.”
“Things A Man Oughta Know” launched Wilson to commercial appeal with its 42-plus million streams. The BBR Music Group/ Broken Bow Records artist was part of MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing Artists Class of 2021, and has been named to watch lists from Spotify, Pandora, CMT, and more.
“This song just kept raising its hand [to be the lead single]. Whether I was playing writers nights, whether I was playing shows, this is the one that people would talk about, the one that people would post about, or the one people would walk up to me and say ‘I’m going through a divorce,’ or whatever was their story. People could just relate to it.
“It’s not about whether you can change a flat tire and start a fire or turn a wrench,” Wilson continues. “This is a song about having character. That’s something that we all need to know. This is a song about treating people the way that you want to be treated. Especially here in times like today, we’ve got to figure that out.”
The album has some rowdy moments to compliment deeper songs like “Things A Man Oughta Know,” including a song full of drinking euphemisms, “Straight Up Sideways,” and a tune about the morning after reminiscent of Johnny Cash/Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” called “Sunday Best.”
A Luke Dick and John Pierce co-write, “Pipe,” points to Wilson’s sly, unbridled nature that she can’t wait to show live. “I just love that song. I like to call it my ‘redneck rule book,’ and I think the crowd is really going to love it. I think it’s going to be fun to play. Actually, if you listen real close to the last few seconds of it on the track, Jay Joyce has these two big, 150 pound Great Danes and he got his dog barking at the end of the song. It’s gonna be pretty fun.”
With its party songs, heartache tunes, and clever ditties, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ is a 360-view of Lainey Wilson’s kaleidoscope.
Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row Breaks Ground In Denver
/by Sarah SkatesPictured (L-R): Michael Fancher, Iconic Investments, Matt Runyon, Summit Capital Venture Group; Mayor Michael B. Hancock; Dierks Bentley; Kenneth Monfort, Monfort Companies; Tami Door, Downtown Denver Partnership; Ryan Hibbert, Riot Hospitality Group. Photo: Monfort Companies
Dierks Bentley recently traveled to Denver, Colorado for the official groundbreaking of his fourth Whiskey Row restaurant and bar. This marks the gastropub’s first location outside of his home state of Arizona and current home state of Tennessee.
Located in the historic LoDo district, the establishment is expected to open in late 2021 following a major renovation of existing buildings. This includes a 6,000-square-foot addition, structural and design improvements to maintain the historical components of the buildings, a two-story infill structure and extended patio that will be constructed on an existing surface parking lot. A second-story rooftop addition will be constructed from the historic facade at 1946 Market St., along with a redesigned streetscape to improve the Market Street pedestrian experience.
“It’s really meaningful to me to open up a Whiskey Row in Denver, a city I’ve come to love from the many concerts and visits to the Rocky Mountains over the years,” said Bentley. “We’re very selective in the places we choose, and I’m honored to build something that will contribute to what’s happening down here in the Ballpark neighborhood for years to come. Selfishly, this gives me a great excuse to come back to Colorado to visit, and of course, play some live music here when it’s safe.”
Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row is part of a joint venture between Monfort Companies, Iconic Investments and Riot Hospitality Group. Additional team members include Riot Hospitality Group, Alpine Bank, Circle West Architects and Jaco General Contractor, Inc.
Dierks Bentley with Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock; Photo: Monfort Companies