Josh Kear Joins Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville (Exclusive)

/by

Josh Kear.

Josh Kear has signed a global publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville.

Kear has earned four Grammys for his works, and is the only songwriter to win the Country Song of the Year Grammy honor three times. He has also earned several RIAA multi-Platinum certifications, as well as ACM, ASCAP, and CMA honors.

He has penned hits for Carrie Underwood (“Before He Cheats,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” “Blown Away”), Florida Georgia Line (“God, Your Mama, and Me”), Dierks Bentley (“Drunk On A Plane,” “Woman, Amen”), Lady A (the RIAA certified 9x multi-Platinum “Need You Now”), Tim McGraw (“Highway Don’t Care,” featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban), and Lee Brice (“Drinking Class”). His music has been featured in television shows including The Bachelorette, Glee, The Glee Project, and The Voice, as well as films such as Zero Dark Thirty and Country Strong.

“Rusty Gaston was one of the main driving factors for me,” Kear told MusicRow of joining Sony/ATV Music Publishing. “I did 17 years with Big Yellow Dog with Carla Wallace and Kerry O’Neil and my love affair with that company certainly didn’t end. It was time for me to try something else, and because Rusty was at THiS Music for so long and is still so closely connected with independent publishing, I felt like I might be able to get the best of both worlds by teaming up with him. He understood where I was coming from—I had worked on the more corporate side of things many years ago. I did six years with BMG at the beginning of my career. It felt like it was a return and a fresh start, but also still staying connected to the part of the business I love dearly.”

Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston stated, “Josh is truly one of a kind – his songs have elevated the standards of country music, and they convey genuine emotion that everyone can relate to. I’m thrilled to welcome Josh to the Sony/ATV family and to deliver the best opportunities for his music.”

Kear also recently joined NSAI’s Board of Directors. He has made regular trips to Washington D.C. to help advocate for his fellow songwriters, and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018, as part of an initiative to pass the Music Modernization Act, which was signed into law in October 2018.

“[NSAI Executive Director] Bart Herbison is possibly the best friend in Nashville or anywhere in the United States of a songwriter—he’s been our defender, our advocate,” Kear says. “He cares so deeply about this community. I’m always happy to jump in to be of service. The work they do here and especially in Washington, D.C. is so important to the long-term health of our business.”

Garth Brooks Entertains 350,000+ Fans During Drive-In Theater Event

/by

Garth Brooks. Photo: 8 Ten, Inc.

Even during a global pandemic, Garth Brooks finds a way to do what Garth does best – thrill the fans. Brooks entertained over 350,000 fans across the country Saturday night (June 27) during his one-night-only concert at drive-in theaters around the country.

The concert was created exclusively for the unique event, and was recorded in Nashville with Garth’s full band. Fans enjoyed the concert with family and friends from the safety of their cars during the event, which adhered to guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as all state and local health mandates.

“This time, I was the fan and the people were the entertainment,” said Brooks. “Watching people all night from coast to coast, in Canada and here in the U.S., laughing, dancing, and singing, made me smile. It reminded me how much I miss the crazy, happy, and unpredictable life we lead as entertainers. For one night, things seemed…right.”

Cam Signs Joint Deal With Triple Tigers Records, RCA Records New York

/by

Cam. Photo: Dennis Leupold

Nashville-based Triple Tigers Records has signed singer-songwriter Cam, in an unprecedented partnership with RCA Records New York, as the two labels partner to release Cam’s sophomore album, due to release this fall. Cam’s single “Classic” will release to country radio July 17.

“When I heard Cam’s new music, I was moved and inspired,” said Triple Tigers’ Norbert Nix. “She has an identifiable, world class voice and her songs are crafted with experience, emotion and strength. She is at the apex of her creative journey and it’s an honor to work with an artist of her caliber and to partner with our good friends at RCA Records New York to showcase her talents to the world.”

“This upcoming album is the best music I’ve ever made,” says Cam. “It deserves the best partner to take it out into the world – and that’s what I’m getting with Norbert and the team at Triple Tigers. Their passion, drive and ingenuity are exactly what I was looking for. This is gonna be such a fun ride.”

Cam is the fourth artist to join the Triple Tigers Records roster, alongside Scotty McCreery (who has earned three No.1 country singles and saw his single “This Is It” reach Platinum status), Russell Dickerson (who has also earned three No. 1 country singles and a Platinum single with “Every Little Thing,” as well as group Gone West.

Lindsay Ell Details Stages Of Grief And Acceptance On Upcoming Album ‘heart theory’

/by


BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek artist Lindsay Ell dug deep into the seven phases of grief for her upcoming album, heart theory, out Aug. 14. The album will mark her first project of original material in three years, following her debut album The Project, and 2018’s The Continuum Project.

The album’s 12 tracks journey through a range of emotional points, including shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and finally, acceptance.

“I had been living my life over the past few years and experiencing things and reflecting on past relationships,” she said during recent media event to preview the new project. “I was just writing songs and processing all of those steps. It was about halfway through that—I’m a nerd about many things in life, but I am nerd about therapy and the seven stages of grief and people like Brené Brown. About halfway through of writing the record I was like, ‘I’m writing this in the order of what I’m going through and as I’m going through each stage of this, I’m writing a record in the same order.’ So I decided from track 1 to track 12 that I was going to share my story with fans…and bring them into my journey.”

She collaborated with songwriters including Kane Brown, Brandy Clark, Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, Neil Medley, Laura Veltz, Jessie Jo Dillon and more on the project.
“Hits me,” the first track from the album, is a co-write with Corey Crowder and Hubbard.

“He was one of the first writers I got to write with. Tyler’s such a great writer. I always knew him as just a friend in the industry, but I had never really seen him as a songwriter before. But we had a great time writing that song. I got to write a couple of songs with Brandy Clark on this album. Brandy has been a friend of mine for a long time. We toured the world together last year—we played shows in Australia and New Zealand and Japan.”

One of the songs Ell co-wrote with Clark, “make you,” will release in July on Global Forgiveness Day. “It talks about my story when I was a little girl and I feel like sometimes we need to go through things to find out who we are.”

Ell was deep into the album-making process with producer Dann Huff when shutdowns and stay-at-home orders began happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early March, necessitating that the remainder of the album be made remotely.

“[Dann’s] was always a name that I would write on my vision board and one day want to work with. He’s obviously an incredible producer but also one of the best guitar players on the planet. He played on Michael Jackson records, so we we did the record with him, I was so nervous for my first guitar session with Dann. I was like, ‘He’s played on Michael Jackson records and I need to go play guitar in front of this man?’ But he is such a beautiful human and so down-to-earth—no ego whatsoever. I walked into that session shaking and I walked out of that session like, ‘We are going to make the best record ever! I’m going to play the best guitar solos I’ve ever played in my life!’ It’s magical the way he produces and makes records.”

They had their final band session the day before Nashville began to quarantine. “I had a lot of vocal and guitar files that I had to finish for the whole record. I’ve been quarantined in this house for the past 97 days…but we wanted to be super safe, so we finished remotely.” She finished recording vocals for her record from her home, and would collaborate with Huff on guitar parts over FaceTime. “It was crazy to truly finish this from a distance, but it was cool and a blessing of how technology can add a silver lining to life sometimes.”

On July 1, Ell will join BBR Music Group labelmate Jimmie Allen as a co-host on the CMA Summer Stay-Cay special. She also recently earned her first No. 1 country radio hit with the Brantley Gilbert duet “What Happens In A Small Town,” and is nominated for two ACM awards in September, including New Female Artist of the Year & Vocal Event of the Year.

See the full track listing for heart theory below: 

shock
1. “Hits me” (Lindsay Ell, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder)
 
denial
2. “how good” (Lindsay Ell, Brandy Clark)
3. “i don’t lovE you” (Adam Hambrick, Melissa Fuller, Neil Medley)
 
anger
4. “wAnt me back” (Lindsay Ell, Kane Brown, Matt McGinn, Lindsay Rimes)
5. “get oveR you” (Lindsay Ell, Gordie Sampson, Kelly Archer)
6. “wrong girl” (Lindsay Ell, Steph Jones, Matt McGinn, Luke Niccoli)
 
bargaining
7. “body language of a breakup” (Lindsay Ell, Laura Veltz, Sam Ellis)
 
depression
8. “good on you” (Lindsay Ell, Sam Ellis, Micah Premnath)
 
testing
9. “The oTHEr side” (Lindsay Ell, Jessie Jo Dillon, Matt McGinn)
10. “gO to” (Lindsay Ell, Nicolle Gaylon, Jordan Reynolds)
 
acceptance
11. “make you” (Lindsay Ell, Brandy Clark)
12. “ReadY to love” (Lindsay Ell, Jessie Jo Dillon, Matt McGinn, Joey Hyde)

TalentX Entertainment Announces Global Partnership With Sony/ATV

/by


Sony/ATV Music Publishing has inked a global partnership with TalentX Entertainment, a digital talent firm, to provide publishing and A&R services for songwriters and artists.

With this new partnership, TalentX and Sony/ATV will work to create a community of artists and songwriters and promote career development. Sony/ATV will support this initiative by providing publishing and A&R services to TalentX’s songwriters and artists and supporting their creative projects. Additionally, this community will host a recording studio, music offices, and common spaces for other types of content creation.

“TalentX have proven themselves as leaders of the TikTok movement with their influencers breaking some of the biggest songs on the platform,” said Sony ATV SVP, Creative Jennifer Knoepfle and Director of A&R Nicholas Bral. “Their pivot into music with jxdn as their first breakout artist has been incredible to see, and we are excited to be in the trenches with them in developing their next wave of stars.”

TalentX’s VP of Music, Gavin Rudolph—who spearheaded the partnership—has also partnered with L.A.’s Sound Factory and Ozone Entertainment to form TX Music Entertainment (TXME), under which the venture will be housed. “Angels & Demons,” the recent single dropped by Sway LA member Jaden Hossler (released as jxdn on DTA Records) was A&Red by Rudolph and recorded at the Sound Factory.

“Since the start, we’ve devoted ourselves to helping our clients build their careers in a natural way,” says Rudolph. “‘Influencer music’ has become a bad word, and our partners and I have and will be working hard to ensure that everything we release is of the best possible quality. Simply put, we want to change the narrative. The partnership with Sony/ATV will help us continue to achieve that goal.”

TXME also marks one of several new strategic directions for TalentX, which recently partnered with esports titan ReKTGlobal to form TalentX Gaming. Since its inception, the company’s “Creator First” philosophy has made it one of the most sought-after creative partners and social media monetization companies in the industry.

To learn more about TalentX Entertainment, visit talentxent.com.

31st Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Nominees Announced

/by

The 31st Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards nominees were announced Friday (June 26) in Nashville. Due to a tie in the voting, there are six nominees instead of the usual five for Entertainer of the Year in 2020: Balsam Range, Billy Strings, Del McCoury Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Sister Sadie, and Special Consensus.

Earlier this month, the IBMA and its Local Organizing Committee partners in Raleigh, NC announced that due to ongoing health concerns relating to COVID-19, this year’s IBMA World of Bluegrass will take place virtually. The planned conference, showcases, awards and performances will be presented as an online experience September 28-Oct. 3.

The three new inductees into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame will be owner of Nashville’s iconic Station Inn, J.T. Gray; hardcore bluegrass traditionalists The Johnson Mountain Boys; and one of the premier bands at the forefront of the contemporary/progressive bluegrass movements of the ’70s -’80s New Grass Revival.

The recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award are festival pioneers Norman & Judy Adams, “Musicians Against Childhood Cancer” founders Darrel & Phyllis Adkins, fiddle virtuoso/educator Darol Anger, San Diego’s KSON “Bluegrass Special” host Wayne Rice, and bluegrass innovator Jack Tottle.

“Congratulations to this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, Distinguished Achievement Awards recipients, and Music Awards nominees! All of you have been selected by your peers for your excellence this past year – or over a lifetime – in bluegrass music,” said Paul Schiminger, Executive Director of IBMA. “While we wish we could be in Raleigh to celebrate each of your achievements in person, we are preparing a special awards show to be aired on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction and streamed for those who want to watch the program. We will be announcing more details in the weeks ahead, so please stay tuned!”

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR (Tie)
Balsam Range
Billy Strings
Del McCoury Band
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Sister Sadie
Special Consensus

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Sister Sadie
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Mile Twelve
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
Sam Bush Band
The Travelin’ McCourys

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Tie)
Chicago Barn Dance
Artist: Special Consensus
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Alison Brown

Home
Artist: Billy Strings
Label: Rounder Records
Producer: Glenn Brown

Live in Prague, Czech Republic
Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek

New Moon Over My Shoulder
Artist: Larry Sparks
Label: Rebel Records
Producer: Larry Sparks

Tall Fiddler
Artist: Michael Cleveland
Label: Compass Records
Producers: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

Toil, Tears & Trouble
Artist: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Label: Rounder Records
Producer: Dave Maggard

Tribulation
Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Jim VanCleve, Barry Abernathy, and Appalachian Road Show

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Both Ends of the Train”
Artist: Blue Highway
Writers: Tim Stafford/Steve Gulley
Label: Rounder Records
Producers: Blue Highway

“Chicago Barn Dance”
Artist: Special Consensus with Michael Cleveland & Becky Buller
Writers: Becky Buller/Missy Raines/Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Alison Brown

“Haggard”
Artist: The Grascals
Writer: Harley Allen
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
Producers: The Grascals

“Hickory, Walnut & Pine”
Artist: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Writers: Slaid Cleaves/Nathan Hamilton
Label: Rounder Records
Producer: Dave Maggard

“Living Like There’s No Tomorrow”
Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Writers: Jim McBride/Roger Alan Murrah
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Angel Too Soon”
Artist: Balsam Range
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
Producers: Balsam Range

“Because He Loved Me”
Artist: Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley

“Gonna Rise and Shine”
Artist: Alan Bibey & Grasstowne
Label: Mountain Fever Records
Producer: Mark Hodges

“I’m Going to Heaven”
Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek

“Little Black Train”
Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Barry Abernathy, Darrell Webb, and Ben Isaacs

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Tall Fiddler”
Artist: Michael Cleveland with Tommy Emmanuel
Label: Compass Records
Producers: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

“Shenandoah Breakdown”
Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek

“Soldier’s Joy”
Artist: Jesse McReynolds with Michael Cleveland
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Jesse McReynolds

“The Appalachian Road”
Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Jim VanCleve, Barry Abernathy, and Appalachian Road Show

“Guitar Peace”
Artist: Billy Strings
Label: Rounder Records
Producer: Glenn Brown

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Appalachian Road Show
Carolina Blue
High Fidelity
Merle Monroe
Mile Twelve

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Chicago Barn Dance”
Artists: Special Consensus with Michael Cleveland & Becky Buller
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Alison Brown

“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”
Artists: Jason Barie featuring Del McCoury & Paul Williams
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Jason Barie

“Tall Fiddler”
Artists: Michael Cleveland with Tommy Emmanuel
Label: Compass Records
Producers: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

“The Barber’s Fiddle”
Artists: Becky Buller with Shawn Camp, Jason Carter, Laurie Lewis, Kati Penn, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Warren, Stuart Duncan, Deanie Richardson, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jason Barie, Fred Carpenter, Tyler Andal, Nate Lee, Dan Boner, Brian Christianson, and Laura Orshaw
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
Producer: Stephen Mougin

“On and On”
Artists: Gena Britt with Brooke Aldridge
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Gena Britt

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Ronnie Bowman
Del McCoury
Russell Moore
Danny Paisley
Larry Sparks

FEMALE VOCALIST
Brooke Aldridge
Dale Ann Bradley
Amanda Smith
Molly Tuttle
Rhonda Vincent

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristin Scott Benson
Gena Britt
Gina Furtado
Ned Luberecki
Scott Vestal

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Todd Phillips
Missy Raines
Marshall Wilborn

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
Becky Buller
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Deanie Richardson

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Rob Ickes
Phil Leadbetter
Justin Moses

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Trey Hensley
Billy Strings
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle
Jake Workman

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alan Bibey
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury

Skip Ewing To Release Latest Project ‘Wyoming’ In August

/by


Songwriter Skip Ewing is releasing a new album, Wyoming, on Aug. 21.

The 12-song collection, co-produced with Kyle Lehning, was inspired in part from Ewing’s many trips to the Western state, where he developed a passion for horses and discovered he had a gift for working with them.

“I started writing the album in 2018. I didn’t know if I’d ever do another music project,” Ewing admits. “I had sold everything in Nashville except my instruments and some art. In the meantime, I had been coming to Wyoming every year since the early 2000s. I wasn’t striving for this to be a certain kind of record, just allowing it to be what it was. I wanted to write skillfully using all the tools I had, my heart, my brain, my experience. I was unafraid, willing to speak my heart without filtering it through what somebody else told me I had to do to be successful.”

He enlisted old colleague Kyle Lehning to help him produce the new music. The two had first met years ago when Lehning, because of Ewing’s unique style, enlisted him to play guitar on a Randy Travis session for one of Ewing’s No. 1 compositions “If Didn’t Have You.” “It felt like Kyle and I had worked together for 20 years,” said Ewing. “We had so much fun making the record and pushing the envelope,” he smiles. “I believe we got some wonderful moments just because of the way we worked together. Kyle is brilliant. He can be technical when it’s needed, and he’s also a wonderful musician. I respect him very much.”

Ewing has released eight albums to date, and as an artist, is known for the Top 5 hits “Burnin’ A Hole In My Heart” and “It’s You Again.”

As a songwriter he’s penned hits including Collin Raye’s “Love, Me,” Bryan White’s “Rebecca Lynn” and “Someone Else’s Star,” Reba McEntire’s “Every Other Weekend,” Randy Travis’ “If I Didn’t Have You,” Diamond Rio’s “I Believe,” Clint Black’s “Something That We Do,” Kenny Chesney’s “You Had Me From Hello,” and more. Ewing was named BMI’s Country Songwriter of the Year in 2000, and has earned Song of the Year from the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), as well as a CMA Triple Play Award.

Wyoming Track List:
1.   Railroad
2.   The Juggler
3.   Wyoming
4.   Petroglyph
5.   Margolaigne
6.   Little Jenny
7.   Wings
8.   Until It’s Gone
9.   Santa Fe
10.  Whiskey Basin
11.  Cowboy Inside
12.  Unicorns

Women’s Music Business Association Hosts Mickey Guyton And Friends

/by

The four co-writers of “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” –  Pictured (L-R, top row): Karen Kosowski, Victoria Banks. Pictured (L-R, bottom row): Emma-Lee, Mickey Guyton

The Women’s Music Business Association held its June Membership Meeting via Zoom on Tuesday (June 23).

Almost 50 members were in attendance during the meeting, where WMBA President Kelsey Wise led an in-depth discussion with artist/songwriter Mickey Guyton, singer/songwriter Victoria Banks, songwriter/producer Karen Kosowski, and singer/songwriter Emma-Lee about their stirring song, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” Guyton shared the inspiration behind the song, and her realization that females have to put on a front with their male counterparts to develop professionally left a profound impression on her three co-writers that inspired them to turn that truth into a brutally honest, impactful song.

The discussion highlighted topics ranging from the ratio of male-to-female talent on country radio to formative career moments for each speaker to advice on how to encourage oneself as well as other females to take control of their careers in the music industry.

Weekly Radio Report (6/26/20)

/by

Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Radio Report.

Chris Tomlin Teams With FGL, Lady A, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young For New Album

/by

Chris Tomlin

CCM superstar Chris Tomlin will welcome several country superstars for his upcoming album, Chris Tomlin & Friends, set to release July 31.

The album’s first release, “Thank You Lord,” features Thomas Rhett and Florida Georgia Line‘s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, while “Who You Are To Me” features Lady A’s Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood. “Who You Are To Me,” penned by Tomlin and Lady A, will be going for adds at Christian radio in July.

Others contributing to the project include Brett Young, Russell Dickerson, Chris Lane, RaeLynn, Cassadee Pope, NEEDTOBREATHE’s Blessing and Bear Rinehart and more.
A chance meeting between Tomlin and FGL’s Tyler Hubbard led to Tomlin making guest appearances during a few of FGL’s concerts in Atlanta and Las Vegas last year. Tomlin also recently joined Thomas Rhett and Lady A as part of Thomas Rhett’s inspirational single “Be A Light.”

Florida Georgia Line also executive-produced the project. Producers on the album include Corey Crowder, David Garcia and Ed Cash.

“I am so excited to finally get to share this music. The project has been unbelievable and unlike anything I have ever done before. The relationships, friendships, and the collaborations have been a gift. For me, the best part is that everyone created this music to bring glory to God,” Tomlin said. “What a joy it has been to do this with friends; writing songs and telling stories that we hope will move people in a new way.”

“This is a very meaningful project for us,” Hubbard said. “BK and I both grew up leading worship in church, singing several of Chris’ songs throughout the years. He’s been a huge inspiration to us, and to have this full circle opportunity to collaborate with him on this album is a true blessing.”

Kelley added, “From the first time we met, we built an immediate friendship that has quickly grown into a brotherhood. Something divine happens when we all write and get together in the studio that feels bigger than us. We are grateful for Chris and his belief in us to share this message with the world.”

“Everyone brought their own unique experiences and talents to the table and it’s what made the songs and their message so relatable and powerful,” Tomlin said. “One of my personal hopes for this album is to take a step towards bridging Christian music and all other genres. I believe themes about faith and God are relevant and needed regardless of the style of music or streaming platform genre classification. Since I was young, I have felt a calling on my life to help give people a voice to worship God. I want people to have the opportunity to worship every day of the week not just on Sundays; while they are in their car, at work, running, or just listening to whatever shows up on their playlist. For me, this record is a step towards breaking down the walls of the Christian genre and allowing the music to be accessible to a wider audience. That’s my understanding of the Gospel. Music about faith, God, salvation and forgiveness doesn’t only have to come from the Christian genre.”

Tomlin will also launch a series of tailgate concerts, called “Tomlin Worship Tailgate,” set for July 24-26 in Louisville, Kentucky, Huntsville, Alabama, and Rock, Georgia.

“These tailgate events provide a safe way to come together and remind us how simple songs of worship can connect and give us a voice together in some of the hardest times,” Tomlin says.  “This night is about gathering all streams of the church as one voice; so bring your families and friends and pop the tailgate down and let’s worship together under the summer sky.”