Mickey Guyton, Jessi Vaughn, Will Overton.
There is no segment of the music industry that hasn’t been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic on some way over the past several weeks. Music tours have ground to a halt as venues large and small have shuttered in response to state ordinances, touring agencies have furloughed workers, and artist managers have scrambled to revamp promotional plans for their artists’ album releases.
For Nashville’s close-knit songwriting and music publishing community, the stay-at-home ordinances have meant songwriters and music publishers alike have been sheltering in place at their homes. The sudden shift has led music publishers and songwriters to turn to digital platforms to keep their businesses moving forward.
Song pitching has shifted from physical meetings to virtual meetings and conference calls, with publishers often sending label A&R reps the music beforehand.
“When you’re pitching songs to people, you get to know them very well and you can kind of feel out the vibe in the room and how they are reacting to certain songs,” Warner Chappell Nashville Director, A&R, Will Overton tells MusicRow. “You can play a different song if you think they might not like a certain type of song. It’s been a shift to putting [songs] on a playlist and sending them to the person to listen to; there is not as much flexibility as far as song choice. But all that said, the [label] A&R people we regularly pitch to have been very open and receptive. They want to hear music and they usually listen to more songs than they normally might over the course of a 30-minute pitch meeting.”
Jessi Vaughn, Manager, A&R, Warner Chappell Music Nashville, says few country artists are pushing back album release schedules, which means the hunt for solid song material for future releases has been as strong as ever.
“In our conversations with the labels, they are tweaking things by maybe a few weeks, but it seems like everything coming out of Nashville is sticking to schedule,” Vaughn says.
Overton says one potential upside to the shift to working from home and the corresponding influx of virtual meetings and conference calls is that managers, label A&R teams and others are listening to more outside cuts—songs being considered for an artist’s project that are not co-written by the artist.
“A lot of artists are writing for their own projects and there are not as many opportunities for outside cuts. In the course of a normal busy day as an A&R person at a label, pitch meetings can get squeezed into 15 or 20 minutes, or get bumped to another day, so it’s been kind of refreshing for us to know when we send songs, people are digging in and listening to the links and meetings are not being moved around as much as they might in the course of a normal week.
“It feels like there has been a renewed focus or importance placed on listening to the music. When we come out of this quarantine period, artists are going to be ready to go. All the recording sessions that have gotten pushed back, it’s all going to happen at once, it feels like. Everybody needs great songs so they need to stock up on them now so that whenever we go back to normal, they are ready to go.”
The shift from in-person meetings to virtual pitch sessions hasn’t been without a few hiccups.
“The first couple of weeks were a transition,” Overton says. “At my first Zoom pitch meeting, the A&R person didn’t realize we couldn’t hear the music they were pitching, so we all felt like we were in a silent disco we didn’t get invited to. That was pretty funny.”
From a co-writing session standpoint, one challenge has been deciding whether to reschedule previously booked co-writing sessions, or keep the co-writing dates and shift to virtual sessions.
“With songwriters, we live in a two-to-three months out calendar at all times, so it’s figuring out do we make it a Zoom call or whatever platform you want to use, or do you reschedule it for an in-person and if so, when is the right time to reschedule it when you might have to reschedule it again?
“We’ve never, in our generation, seen anything like this, so there’s not a right way to handle the situation. Also, a lot of songwriters are parents and some are not creatively inspired right now and that’s okay. We don’t expect everyone to be cranking out five songs a week. That’s not the goal here,” Says Jessi.
Last week, Mayor John Cooper announced a four-phase reopening plan for Nashville, which at best, will take several weeks before business employees can return to working in offices. Both Overton and Vaughn predict that virtual song pitch sessions and co-writing sessions could become part of the Nashville music publishing and songwriting community’s “new normal” once businesses fully reopen.
“Especially for songwriters that have established relationships and who don’t have to go out there and network every night, I think there is room for them to connect and continue writing great songs with people in an online format,” Overton says. “A few writers I’ve talked with have a commute that is an hour or more each way, so they love virtual writing so they don’t have the long commute and can spend more time with family and get more things done. Depending on the writer, we could see more virtual writing continue once the quarantine period is over.
“I think virtual pitching could stick around, too, depending on an A&R person’s schedule, instead of postponing or canceling meetings we can do a Zoom meeting,” says Overton.
“People react to it differently. I’ve had writers who really hate writing virtually and they are relying on writing songs on their own, which I love because it strengthens you as a writer, as long as they are maintaining those relationships with co-writers,” Vaughn says.
While song pitching has moved to the virtual space, so has songwriting, with most songwriters holding co-writing sessions on virtual platforms. Mickey Guyton, who is signed with Universal Music Group Nashville as a recording artist and with Warner Chappell Music Publishing as a songwriter, is one of the many songwriters who are trying out virtual songwriting for the first time as she continues work on an upcoming album.
“I’ve tried FaceTime and Zoom, and Zoom seems to be the best one,” she says.
In February, before people began self-isolating in their homes, Guyton created a buzz when she performed “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” in front of a crowd of country radio programmers at UMG Nashville’s annual luncheon during this year’s Country Radio Seminar. Guyton’s soaring, impassioned voice, paired with lyrics that challenge the contradicting messages society sends to young girls and to women, earned Guyton the only standing ovation during the luncheon.
One of her early virtual songwriting sessions was with Karen Kosowski, Victoria Banks and Emma-Lee, who penned “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?”
“We were able to connect and I think part of that is being comfortable with the people you are writing with. Writing with people you’ve never written with before might be a little challenging to try to figure out, but if they are people you know, you’re just comfortable. Now that I’m comfortable doing co-writing sessions virtually, I think it will be a balance of both going forward,” says Guyton, who also notes that doing more virtual co-writing sessions would allow her to spend more time with her husband Grant Savoy, who lives in Los Angeles.
“These situations force you to grow, for the better or for the worse. And I think we’ll see that in the music that comes out in the next 18 to 24 months,” Vaughn says.
Guyton agrees.
“The quarantine is giving us time to get more songs, more material, but in everyday life, we’re so busy and we’re not dialed in. I’m sure so many greater songs are going to come out of this because we do have that time.”
Luke Combs, Miller Lite Join Forces To Support Bartenders Nationwide
/by Lorie HollabaughLuke Combs and Miller Lite are giving a boost to out-of-work bartenders nationwide this Friday (May 1) with a special livestream concert. Fans can tune in to Combs’ socials at 7 p.m. CT on Friday for the special show.
Having previously planned on collaborating together during Luke’s “What You See Is What You Get” tour, the two are instead coming together virtually for a good cause. As part of the Miller Lite #VirtualTipJar campaign, fans are encouraged to show support by visiting virtual-tips.org. Miller Lite recently launched the #VirtualTipJar campaign to support the bartenders and waitstaff nationwide that are affected by the pandemic through the United States Bartender’s Guild National Charity Foundation and its Bartender Emergency Assistance Program. Last month, the brand made the first “tip” for one million dollars.
“The bars and small clubs are where I got my start, so it hurts to see them and everyone else having to struggle the way they are,” Combs said. “I’m excited to partner with Miller Lite to raise some money for them, sing a few songs, and spread the love for my favorite beer with my fans!”
In Nashville’s Music Publishing Community, Song Pitching Goes Remote
/by Jessica NicholsonMickey Guyton, Jessi Vaughn, Will Overton.
There is no segment of the music industry that hasn’t been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic on some way over the past several weeks. Music tours have ground to a halt as venues large and small have shuttered in response to state ordinances, touring agencies have furloughed workers, and artist managers have scrambled to revamp promotional plans for their artists’ album releases.
For Nashville’s close-knit songwriting and music publishing community, the stay-at-home ordinances have meant songwriters and music publishers alike have been sheltering in place at their homes. The sudden shift has led music publishers and songwriters to turn to digital platforms to keep their businesses moving forward.
Song pitching has shifted from physical meetings to virtual meetings and conference calls, with publishers often sending label A&R reps the music beforehand.
“When you’re pitching songs to people, you get to know them very well and you can kind of feel out the vibe in the room and how they are reacting to certain songs,” Warner Chappell Nashville Director, A&R, Will Overton tells MusicRow. “You can play a different song if you think they might not like a certain type of song. It’s been a shift to putting [songs] on a playlist and sending them to the person to listen to; there is not as much flexibility as far as song choice. But all that said, the [label] A&R people we regularly pitch to have been very open and receptive. They want to hear music and they usually listen to more songs than they normally might over the course of a 30-minute pitch meeting.”
Jessi Vaughn, Manager, A&R, Warner Chappell Music Nashville, says few country artists are pushing back album release schedules, which means the hunt for solid song material for future releases has been as strong as ever.
“In our conversations with the labels, they are tweaking things by maybe a few weeks, but it seems like everything coming out of Nashville is sticking to schedule,” Vaughn says.
Overton says one potential upside to the shift to working from home and the corresponding influx of virtual meetings and conference calls is that managers, label A&R teams and others are listening to more outside cuts—songs being considered for an artist’s project that are not co-written by the artist.
“A lot of artists are writing for their own projects and there are not as many opportunities for outside cuts. In the course of a normal busy day as an A&R person at a label, pitch meetings can get squeezed into 15 or 20 minutes, or get bumped to another day, so it’s been kind of refreshing for us to know when we send songs, people are digging in and listening to the links and meetings are not being moved around as much as they might in the course of a normal week.
“It feels like there has been a renewed focus or importance placed on listening to the music. When we come out of this quarantine period, artists are going to be ready to go. All the recording sessions that have gotten pushed back, it’s all going to happen at once, it feels like. Everybody needs great songs so they need to stock up on them now so that whenever we go back to normal, they are ready to go.”
The shift from in-person meetings to virtual pitch sessions hasn’t been without a few hiccups.
“The first couple of weeks were a transition,” Overton says. “At my first Zoom pitch meeting, the A&R person didn’t realize we couldn’t hear the music they were pitching, so we all felt like we were in a silent disco we didn’t get invited to. That was pretty funny.”
From a co-writing session standpoint, one challenge has been deciding whether to reschedule previously booked co-writing sessions, or keep the co-writing dates and shift to virtual sessions.
“With songwriters, we live in a two-to-three months out calendar at all times, so it’s figuring out do we make it a Zoom call or whatever platform you want to use, or do you reschedule it for an in-person and if so, when is the right time to reschedule it when you might have to reschedule it again?
“We’ve never, in our generation, seen anything like this, so there’s not a right way to handle the situation. Also, a lot of songwriters are parents and some are not creatively inspired right now and that’s okay. We don’t expect everyone to be cranking out five songs a week. That’s not the goal here,” Says Jessi.
Last week, Mayor John Cooper announced a four-phase reopening plan for Nashville, which at best, will take several weeks before business employees can return to working in offices. Both Overton and Vaughn predict that virtual song pitch sessions and co-writing sessions could become part of the Nashville music publishing and songwriting community’s “new normal” once businesses fully reopen.
“Especially for songwriters that have established relationships and who don’t have to go out there and network every night, I think there is room for them to connect and continue writing great songs with people in an online format,” Overton says. “A few writers I’ve talked with have a commute that is an hour or more each way, so they love virtual writing so they don’t have the long commute and can spend more time with family and get more things done. Depending on the writer, we could see more virtual writing continue once the quarantine period is over.
“I think virtual pitching could stick around, too, depending on an A&R person’s schedule, instead of postponing or canceling meetings we can do a Zoom meeting,” says Overton.
“People react to it differently. I’ve had writers who really hate writing virtually and they are relying on writing songs on their own, which I love because it strengthens you as a writer, as long as they are maintaining those relationships with co-writers,” Vaughn says.
While song pitching has moved to the virtual space, so has songwriting, with most songwriters holding co-writing sessions on virtual platforms. Mickey Guyton, who is signed with Universal Music Group Nashville as a recording artist and with Warner Chappell Music Publishing as a songwriter, is one of the many songwriters who are trying out virtual songwriting for the first time as she continues work on an upcoming album.
“I’ve tried FaceTime and Zoom, and Zoom seems to be the best one,” she says.
In February, before people began self-isolating in their homes, Guyton created a buzz when she performed “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” in front of a crowd of country radio programmers at UMG Nashville’s annual luncheon during this year’s Country Radio Seminar. Guyton’s soaring, impassioned voice, paired with lyrics that challenge the contradicting messages society sends to young girls and to women, earned Guyton the only standing ovation during the luncheon.
One of her early virtual songwriting sessions was with Karen Kosowski, Victoria Banks and Emma-Lee, who penned “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?”
“We were able to connect and I think part of that is being comfortable with the people you are writing with. Writing with people you’ve never written with before might be a little challenging to try to figure out, but if they are people you know, you’re just comfortable. Now that I’m comfortable doing co-writing sessions virtually, I think it will be a balance of both going forward,” says Guyton, who also notes that doing more virtual co-writing sessions would allow her to spend more time with her husband Grant Savoy, who lives in Los Angeles.
“These situations force you to grow, for the better or for the worse. And I think we’ll see that in the music that comes out in the next 18 to 24 months,” Vaughn says.
Guyton agrees.
“The quarantine is giving us time to get more songs, more material, but in everyday life, we’re so busy and we’re not dialed in. I’m sure so many greater songs are going to come out of this because we do have that time.”
ONErpm Adds Seven Staff Members
/by Lorie HollabaughONErpm has added key staff members in seven locations: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and New York in the U.S., as well as Madrid, Moscow and Lagos, Nigeria. One of the fastest-growing music business companies in the global marketplace, ONErpm is headquartered in Nashville.
Atlanta: Orlando McGhee, Head of Urban; Erica Bowen, Project Manager Urban
Los Angeles: Joseph Aldulaimi, A&R; Alex Shahparnia, Partner Relations
Miami: Adam Mehl, Head of U.S. Latin; Jordyn Reese, Director, Global Advertising & Audience Development; Mariana Franco Borrero, Partner Relations U.S. Latin; Julian Duque, Marketing Director U.S. Latin
New York: Will Sword, Associate Director of Artist & Audience Development
Madrid, Spain: Eva Bautista, Marketing Manager; Eduardo Fauquie, Country Manager; Ramiro McTersse, A&R
Moscow, Russia: Nadezhda Boychevski, Business Development/Head of A&R; Gleb Lisichkin, Marketing Director; Andrey Begtin, Marketing Coordinator
Lagos, Nigeria: Osagie Osarenz, Country Manager
“We’re excited to add these dynamic professionals to the ONErpm team. They will be a perfect fit for our growing international operation, which we are continuing to expand,” states Ken Madson, GM for ONErpm Nashville.
LBK Entertainment Signs Emma Brooke To Publishing Deal (Exclusive)
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Carl Kornmeyer, Emma Brooke, Mariah Topel, Tim DuBois
LBK Entertainment has signed singer/songwriter Emma Brooke to an exclusive worldwide publishing deal.
Creative Director of LBK Entertainment, Mariah Topel says, “Emma has such a gift. Her ability to convey emotions and experiences through her songwriting is really special. We’re so happy to have her as a part of the LBK family.”
LBK Creative Services Team Member Tim DuBois adds, “Emma is a natural story teller with a great sense for melodies. I’m excited to have a front row seat for this.”
Brooke adds, “My wonderful team at LBK Entertainment values authenticity, encourages my vision, and has a deep appreciation of songwriters overall. I’m so thrilled to be signed with them.”
At the age of 3, Brooke fell in love with Dolly Parton from a TV commercial. Over time that led to singing solos at school, to songwriting, and to vocal coach Zuke Smith. Smith not only helped Brooke with her vocal technique but built her confidence as a singer and a person. This began a journey that carried her into the craft of songwriting and understanding how an ear that has perfect pitch could be used to absorb the structure of music by influences ranging from Parton, Lee Ann Womack, Rihanna, Kacey Musgraves, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift. That raw talent and authenticity have earned her a collaborative place in rooms with award-winning songwriters including: Brett James, Marcus Hummon and Steve Bogard, just to name a few.
LBK Entertainment was founded by Carl Kornmeyer, a former 28-year leader at Gaylord Entertainment who led the company’s entertainment operations. Also on the team are former Arista Nashville and Universal South label head Tim DuBois and Topel, who previously worked at BE Music and Entertainment.
LBK’s roster also includes Marcus Hummon and Kev Kelly.
Colin Healy Inks With Major Bob Music
/by Lorie HollabaughColin Healy has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Major Bob Music. A New England native, Healy currently tours with Dustin Lynch as his Music Director and bass player.
“I’m thrilled to work with Colin. He is such a talented writer/producer, his energy and work ethic make him an amazing addition to our Major Bob roster,” said Tina Crawford, VP/Major Bob Music.
Healy said, “I am so grateful for Bob and Tina for believing in me and supporting me through this new chapter in my career. Their team felt like home from the very beginning. Stoked to see what the future holds!”
BREAKING: ACM Awards To Be Held In Nashville
/by Jessica NicholsonFor the first time in Academy of Country Music Awards history, the show will be held in Nashville.
ACM CEO Damon Whiteside made the announcement during a press conference in Nashville on Monday (April 27).
The ACM Awards will air on CBS on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. CT, from three of Nashville’s most revered venues, including The Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium and Bluebird Cafe. Whiteside said that it is yet to be determined whether the show’s venues will include a live audience.
Keith Urban will host the show, which was originally slated to air Sunday, April 5.
“While we were disappointed to postpone our April show in Las Vegas, we couldn’t be more thrilled to host the rescheduled 55th ACM Awards in the home of Country Music for the first time in the Academy’s history,” said Whiteside. “First and foremost, we want to ensure the safety of our artists and industry, and to ease the burdens of traveling large teams; therefore, we decided to bring the ACM Awards to them this September in Nashville. Now, more than ever, is the time to bring our community together to honor the best in our genre, and there is no more special place to do that than three of the most revered venues in Country Music – The Grand Ole Opry House, The Ryman Auditorium and The Bluebird Cafe. A huge thank you to these historic venues and to the state of Tennessee and city of Nashville for all of the support in making this a reality!”
“Tennessee is honored to be a part of this historic event,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “Showcasing the talent and musical heritage of our state is always a source of pride, and it couldn’t be more valuable than this year. On behalf of all Tennesseans, I want to thank the Academy of Country Music for bringing this event home.”
“Country music has been our voice and our companion through so many difficult times and now it is our comfort as we confront and defeat the coronavirus,” said Nashville Mayor John Cooper. “I’m excited to join country music fans worldwide to celebrate with the Academy of Country Music and artists that uplift and inspire us all in these extraordinary times. And I look forward to the day when we can safely welcome visitors back to enjoy all that Music City has to offer, including over 160 live entertainment venues with the best country music shows in the world.”
“We are delighted to host the 55th ACM Awards and make history alongside the Academy of Country Music as the show comes to Nashville for the first time,” said Scott Bailey, President of Opry Entertainment Group. “We look forward to sharing this moment with our friends at The Bluebird Cafe and are pleased that fans will have the opportunity to experience the most famous stages in country music in such a unique way.”
Whiteside also announced that the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Relief Fund has to date offered $1.4 million in emergency relief funds to country music industry professionals, including musicians, songwriters, touring personnel.
Statler Brother Harold Reid Passes At 80
/by Robert K OermannThe Statler Brothers member Harold Reid speaks on behalf of the group as The Statler Brothers accept Vocal Group of the Year from Dottie West and Lacy J. Dalton at “The 14th Annual CMA Awards” on Oct. 13, 1980, at the Grand Ole Opry House, live telecast on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Courtesy CMA
Bass singer, songwriter and humorist Harold Reid of The Statler Brothers died Friday (April 24) at age 80 of kidney failure.
Reid and the other members of his quartet were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. The Statler Brothers were the CMA Vocal Group of the Year every year from 1972 to 1977, then again in 1979, 1980 and 1984. The act hosted its own TNN cable TV series in 1991-98. It was the network’s top-rated program.
Don Reid was the group’s chief songwriter, but his brother Harold collaborated with him on a number of the act’s biggest hits of the 1970s, including “Do You Remember These” (1972), the Grammy Award-winning “Class of ‘57” (1972), “Carry Me Back” (1973), “Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott” (1973), “Some I Wrote” (1978), “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine” (1978), “The Official Historian on Shirley Jean Burrell” (1978) and “How to Be a Country Star” (1979).
In the 1980s, the brothers also co-wrote the top hits “Better Than I Did Then” (1980), “Don’t Wait on Me” (1981), “Whatever” (1982), “Guilty” (1983), “Sweeter and Sweeter” (1986) and “Let’s Get Started If We’re Gonna Break My Heart” (1988). On his own, Harold Reid contributed 1970’s “Bed of Rose’s” to the group’s hit repertoire.
The Statler Brothers performed Tuesday, June 6 in the Mercury Nashville during the 24th Annual Fan Fair 1995, The World’s Biggest Country Music Festival in Downtown Nashville.
Harold Reid was also the foundation of the Statlers’ comedic alter ego, Roadhog Moran & The Cadillac Cowboys. He was the parody act’s leader, Lester “Roadhog” Moran.
Bass harmony vocalist Reid founded The Four-Star Quartet in 1948. The gospel act also performed as The Kingsmen. After Harold’s lead singing younger brother Don Reid joined, the quartet became known as The Statler Brothers in 1955. In addition to the Reids, the founding members were baritone Phil Balsley and tenor Lew DeWitt (1938-1990). When DeWitt’s health failed, Jimmy Fortune replaced him in the Statlers in 1983.
Based in Virginia, the group took its name from a box of Statler facial tissues. After working on the gospel-quartet circuit, the group was discovered by Johnny Cash. He made the Statlers part of his roadshow in 1964-71. They were also featured on Cash’s national television series in 1969-71.
DeWitt’s “Flowers on the Wall” launched the act’s string of hits in 1965. The record crossed over to the pop hit parade and earned the group its first Grammy Award.
The Statler Brothers in their seats at “The 18th Annual CMA Awards” on Oct. 8, 1984, at the Grand Ole Opry House, live telecast on the CBS Television Network. Pictured (L-R): Don Reid, Phil Balsley, Jimmy Fortune, Harold Reid. Photo: Courtesy CMA
A switch from Columbia Records to the Mercury label coincided with an explosion of popularity for The Statler Brothers. The group recorded more than 50 albums, garnering 13 Gold Records and eight Platinum ones. In addition to its nine CMA trophies, the quartet collected 48 Music City News Awards.
During its 1965-90 heyday as hit makers, The Statlers placed 66 titles on the country charts. Of these, 33 became top-10 hits. The act was a mainstay on the country concert circuit for decades. The Statlers toured for several years with Brenda Lee. Among the quartet’s opening acts who later became superstars were Reba McEntire and Garth Brooks.
The Statler Brothers remained in Staunton, VA throughout their career. Beginning in 1970, the act staged annual July 4th celebrations in Staunton. These “Happy Birthday U.S.A.” events lasted for 25 years and eventually attracted crowds approaching 100,000.
A huge fireworks display always capped the festivities. These fountains of explosion were launched near Harold Reid’s home, Boxley Farm. The city of Staunton dedicated a monument to the group in 2002.
That was the year that The Statler Brothers announced their retirement and went on a farewell tour. Balsley and the Reid brothers remained in Staunton. Fortune relocated to Nashville and launched a solo career.
The Statler Brothers were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Don and Harold Reid co-authored a history of the group titled Random Memories, published in 2008.
The bluegrass group Dailey & Vincent often perform Statler Brothers songs in their shows and have long cited the quartet as an influence. Harold’s son Wil and Don’s son Langdon perform as Wilson Fairchild and have recorded the tribute tune “The Statler Brothers Song.” (They were previously billed as Grandstaff). Harold’s daughters Kim and Karmen have also performed as a country duo.
Kyle Young, CEO for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, stated, “Harold Reid was a driving force in one of country music’s greatest quartets, the Statler Brothers. He helped steer the group to stupendous successes, and his stirring bass was the underpinning of dozens of classic hits. He was also a tremendous entertainer, and one of the world’s funniest people. For decades, he made us laugh and made us cry. As his alter ego, Lester ‘Roadhog’ Moran, would say, his contributions were ‘mighty fine.’ We mourn his loss while we celebrate a life well-lived.”
Funeral arrangements for Reid have not been announced.
Will Hoge Sets ‘Tiny Little Movies’ Release For June
/by Jessica NicholsonWill Hoge will release his new self-produced project, Tiny Little Movies, on June 26 via Thirty Tigers. The album follows 2013’s Never Give In.
In light of current shelter in place orders across the nation, Hoge will launch a series of webcasts from his Nashville home. His My House To Your House Tour launches at 5:00 p.m. CT, with new webcasts to be held every other Friday.
My House To Your House Tour Schedule:
April 24 – 5 pm
May 8 – 2 pm
May 22 – 5 pm
June 12 – 5 pm
June 26 – 5 pm
(all shows CDT)
Tiny Little Movies Tracklisting:
Midway Motel
The Overthrow
Maybe This Is Ok
Is This All That You Wanted Me For
Even The River Runs Out Of This Town
My Worst
That’s How You Lose Her
Con Man Blues
Likes Of You
The Curse
All The Pretty Horses
New Clint Black Album Coming In June
/by Lorie HollabaughClint Black is set to release his latest album, Out of Sane, on June 19. The album is his 23rd career project, and ahead of the album’s full release this summer, he has released the first single, “America (Still in Love With You)” which is now available on all digital streaming platforms.
“I wrote ‘America’ with my buddy, Steve Wariner, right before the shutdown and had intended it to be a song about unity for our country during a heated election season,” says Black. “It has taken on new meaning in light of the pandemic.”
The self-produced project features Black’s signature lead guitar and slide guitar work that has kept him one of country’s truest traditionalists. It follows his 2019 album, Still Killin’ Time, that celebrated his 30th career anniversary and featured eight live recordings of his hits and two studio songs, “This Old House” a tribute to the Ryman Auditorium, and “No One Here For Me.” Both tracks were originally written for his 1989 debut album, Killin’ Time.
”Out of Sane is made up of all original songs, except for one cover. I recorded it with a varied collection of musicians; some from my band and some with session players. I believe it’s one of my best albums ever and I think my fans will love it. They’ve been asking for new music for a while and I’m thrilled to finally be able to deliver after five years since the last studio album,” said Black.
In tandem with the single release, Clint’s webstore will launch brand new, album-focused merchandise that will be available for pre-sale along with autographed copies of the album. Pre-sale CDs, Vinyl, and other Out of Sane items are available at clintblack.com/store.
New Frontier Touring To Relocate To Nashville’s The Nations Area
/by Jessica NicholsonNew Frontier Touring President Paul Lohr will soon move the rock and Americana-oriented booking agency to a newly- purchased .37-acre property at 5101 Kentucky Avenue in Nashville’s The Nations area, reports the Nashville Post. New Frontier Touring is currently located at 900 South Street in Nashville’s Edgehill area, where they have been for nearly the past four years.
The Kentucky Avenue property includes a building that was previously a warehouse, totaling approximately 8,000 square feet of space, that Lohr plans to renovate into office spaces. According to the Nashville Post, New Frontier Touring’s 12 employees will move into one of the three office spaces later this year, and will seek a tenant to lease the other half.
”My wife and I were looking for a larger space and love how vibrant a neighborhood The Nations has become, and were fortunate to find a building on the main artery,” Lohr said. “We wanted a shell of a building that was basically a blank canvas so that we could build out half of the space exactly like we want for our booking agency, and the other half can be tailored to a potential renter.”
The property’s seller, Cannonball Property LLC, paid $1.5 million for the property in December 2018.
New Frontier’s roster includes The Avett Brothers, Amy Helms, Rodney Crowell, Will Hoge, The McCrary Sisters, The Secret Sisters and more.