Rich Harris

Producer, songwriter and RIAA platinum-certified engineer Rich Harris has signed with Prescription Songs, in partnership with Pray For My Haters.

With roots in the St. Louis hip-hop scene, Harris blends rhythm-driven production with polished, modern vocals. He has worked with artists including SZA, DJ Khaled, Luh Kel, December 10 and Sexyy Red. His music has also been featured in projects for brands including Giorgio Armani, the NFL, Maybelline, VH1, Google and Hulu.

“This is the dream team,” says Harris. “I’m very grateful to be working with a group of people that so personally understands my work and operates with such intention. Everyone on this crew has already been pushing hard for me and I couldn’t be more excited to have made this official.”

“Rich exemplifies everything we look for in a PFMH signing: depth, versatility, creativity, crazy (or complete lack of) hair, technical skill, and the relentless drive to keep leveling up,” shares the Pray For My Haters team. “As quality of a human as he is a producer/songwriter, we’re proud to partner with Rx and help Rich reach what’s next.”

“Rich and I originally connected through an online community during the pandemic via Tony Esterly, and it’s been a really cool full-circle moment to now be partnering with him on this signing,” adds Chris Martingago, Prescription Songs A&R. “We’re excited to be part of the next phase of Rich’s career, and for people to hear his skills in the room and across every release.”

“Rich has a rare versatility that allows him to bring any creative vision to life, paired with an exceptional ear for distinctive production that helps every record stand apart,” shares Sophia Battaglia, Prescription Songs A&R. “I couldn’t be more excited to officially welcome him to the team!”

Jackie Jones, Leslie Fram and Jim “Moose” Brown

The NashFilm Creators Conference returns Sept. 25–28, spotlighting Nashville’s growing role in film and TV through four days of conversations on songwriting, scoring, music supervision, AI and Tennessee’s expanding entertainment economy.

Running alongside the 57th Nashville Film Festival, the conference’s music programming includes “Inside the Soundtrack of The Gray House,” a behind-the-scenes look at the music of the Amazon Prime series executive produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman. Moderated by FEMco co-founder and CEO Leslie Fram, the session brings together songwriters Erin Enderlin, Jim “Moose” Brown and Jeff Fahey to discuss creating the series’ soundtrack, followed by a live performance of its theme song “Blood in the River” by Enderlin and Brown.

The conference also tackles one of the music industry’s most pressing issues with “Balancing Innovation and Artistic Rights: AI in Music & Film,” presented by Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. The conversation will feature Jackie Jones, RIAA senior VP/artist and industry relations; Marc Rucker, Director of Brand Marketing and Industry Relations at SoundExchange; and ViNIL Co-Founder Charles Alexander exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping music and film while raising new questions around copyright, licensing, creators’ rights and the future of creative collaboration.

A BMI panel led by Louie Stephens, BMI’s Creative Director of Film/TV/Visual Media, will explore how scoring, songwriting and music supervision work together to serve a story, and additional programming will also highlight Nashville’s growing role in video game scoring, bringing together composers, engineers and orchestral studio musicians working on major game titles.

Featured speakers include Tennessee Entertainment Commission Project Manager Gisela Moore; Riverside Entertainment Founding Partner Brian Loschiavo; Disney animation veteran Tom Bancroft (The Lion King, Tarzan, Mulan); Olly Rowland, who oversees production for Dolly Parton; 9-1-1: Nashville co-creator and showrunner Rashad Raisani; and Michael Lohmann, Head of Production for CBS and Paramount’s Kapital Entertainment.

The conference also features casting director John Papsidera, who splits his time between Nashville and Los Angeles and whose more than 250 credits include Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey, Oppenheimer and Interstellar; Academy Award–nominated producer Jermaine Johnson (American Fiction); and Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning documentarian Sam Pollard, whose film The Lorraine will screen Saturday followed by a Q&A.

“Nashville has always been home to storytellers, and today those creative voices are reaching audiences in more ways than ever,” says Lauren Thelen, programming director of the Nashville Film Festival. “Whether through film, television, music or gaming, this conference brings together the people helping shape what’s next for our city’s creative economy.”

VIP badges are on sale now here, with individual tickets going on sale Aug. 14.

Family Alliance in Music (FAM), in partnership with Back Blocks Music, has launched the Postnatal Care Grant, a new initiative that will provide $25,000 to support postnatal care for music industry families. The grant celebrates Back Blocks Music’s 10th No. 1 single in five years, with funding provided through the Back Blocks Music Fund.

The grant is designed to help artists, songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals as they adjust to life with a new child while balancing their careers. Funding can be used for a range of postnatal care services, including postpartum doulas, pelvic floor therapy, lactation support, mental health counseling, physical recovery, night nurses, meal prep, childcare assistance and other resources that support the health and well-being of both parent and child.

“Those first weeks after bringing home a baby are some of the most beautiful, overwhelming and vulnerable moments in a person’s life— having the right people in your corner and access to resources that care for both your physical and mental well-being cannot be understated,” says Back Blocks Music Founder Rakiyah Marshall. “I truly believe having that kind of support allowed me to return to work feeling healthy, present and able to continue building Back Blocks Music. As we celebrate our 10th No. 1, it’s important to me to recognize that this milestone was made possible by the community that lifted me up when I needed it most. I’m honored to pay that support forward by pouring back into the community alongside Family Alliance in Music. My hope is that this grant gives new parents in our industry the resources, encouragement and peace of mind they deserve during one of the biggest transitions of their lives, so they can care for themselves while continuing to pursue the careers they love.”

“Supporting parents and caregivers is central to building a healthier, more sustainable music industry,” adds Margaret Hart, Co-Founder of Family Alliance in Music. “We are proud to partner with Back Blocks Music to provide meaningful postpartum support, helping families access critical care while reinforcing our mission to ensure music professionals never have to choose between their careers and caring for the people they love.”

Applications for the Postnatal Care Grant are open now and run through Sept. 2, with recipients selected based on demonstrated need and alignment with the program’s mission.

Brian Kelley will release his new album, Coral Beats, on Aug. 14 via his own Nashville South Records.

Mainly produced by Kelley’s frequent collaborator Katlin Owen, Coral Beats includes previously released tracks like “B-Y-O-Beach” and “Jimmy Buffett Summer.” Featuring collaborations with ERNEST, Niko Moon, Wheeland Brothers and CHXNDLER, the album highlights Kelley’s signature “beach cowboy” sound.

The album follows his 2025 Sunshine State of Mind Season Two, Chapter One and 2021’s Sunshine State of Mind Season One. He has also released two additional LPs, Tennessee Truth and Ed & Mary Margaret’s Son, since embarking on his solo career.

The Florida native recently concluded another round of his SURF POST SESSIONS, the concert series hosted in the backyard of Brian and his wife Brittany Kelley’s Tribe Kelley Surf Post in Grayton Beach, Florida. After kicking off summer 2026 with a run of shows last month, the SURF POST SESSIONS continued with back-to-back headline spots from Kelley last week. Since launching in 2022, the in-demand series has hosted more than 75 SOLD-OUT performances.

Coral Beats Track List:
1. “Palms And Pines ft. ERNEST” (Brian Kelley, Ernest Keith Smith, Alysa Vanderheym)*
2. “Bike With No Hands” (Brian Kelley, Mark Holman, James McNair, Steven Lee Olsen)*
3. “Waves Roll In ft. Wheeland Brothers” (Brian Kelley, Ernest Keith Smith, Jordan Schmidt, Travis Wheeland, Nate Wheeland)*
4. “Low Tide High” (Brian Kelley, Mark Holman, James McNair)*
5. “Beach Bar ft. CHXNDLER” (Brian Kelley, Chandler Johnston, Zach Smith)*
6. “1000 Islands” (Brian Kelley, James McNair, Steven Lee Olsen, Alysa Vanderheym)*
7. “Tropical” (Brian Kelley, Michael Hardy, Chris Bandi, Jordan Schmidt)*
8. “B-Y-O-Beach ft. Niko Moon” (Mark Holman, Ben Burgess, Brad Tursi)*
9. “Jimmy Buffett Summer” (Brian Kelley, Brittney Kelley)*
10. “Jimmy Buffett Summer – Remix” (Brian Kelley, Brittney Kelley)+
* Produced by Katlin Owen
+ Produced by Caleb Gilbreath