On her first full-length album, Open Book, which released Sept. 27, Kalie Shorr sprinkles in song titles such as “Gatsby” and “Alice in Wonderland.”
A self-professed “literary nerd,” Shorr co-wrote each of the album’s 13 tracks (and co-produced the project, alongside Skip Black). Like her literary heroes, Shorr digs deep on her new project, all forward, fiery, and transparently frank, as she accepts her own foibles and complicated relationships, whether they be familial, romantic, or with herself.
I’m an open book with an opening ending, she sings on the album’s introduction, “Too Much To Say.”
“That song is like me saying, ‘Ok, here’s what you are in for, here’s what you are going to get and if you are not emotionally ready to process, you don’t have to listen and this is your warning.
“I definitely thought about the album like an essay of what my last year was like,” she says. “I thought well if I was writing this like an essay of what my last year was like, ‘Too much to say’ is the thesis statement, ‘Escape’ is my background and my childhood and then the breakup happens and you see how that all plays out, and then ‘The World Keeps Spinning” brings me back into the family stuff and ‘Angry Butterfly’ is like the concluding paragraph.”
She penned “Too Much To Say” after doggedly attempting—and finally failing—to keep up appearances in the wake of the loss of her older half-sister Ashley, who died from a heroin overdose in January.
“I was at the Red Door in Nashville. It was right after my sister had passed away, which was in all the tabloids, and Nashville’s a small town. There were a lot of well-intentioned people coming up to me to talk about it at 3 a.m. when I was drunk and didn’t want to talk about it. I don’t fault anyone for that—it’s always tricky knowing how to navigate those things, but I had an acquaintance come up and ask ‘How are you feeling?’ I was so tired of saying ‘good’ because I wasn’t, and that’s ok to not be good. I was like, ‘I’m pretty f*ckin’ awful, how are you?’ I didn’t have the energy to keep up this pretense that I had it all together.
“I had to talk to my family about it because it’s a really personal song. It’s my story of what happened, but it’s other people’s story, too—and my dad said, ‘You know Kalie, it’s what happened. It’s absolutely true and if it helps someone else, then I want it to be out there.’ Him having that perspective on everything, it’s been nice to have that support.”
The unflinchingly transparent tune was a turning point in the album’s creation; she wrote the rest of the album in two weeks, through intense writing sessions with close friends and co-writers, including Savannah Keyes, Carpenter, and Robyn Collins.
“I’m so proud that song suffragettes has brought me that. It’s changed my life and it’s made me a better artist and woman,” Shorr says.
In “Escape,” which she co-wrote with fellow Song Suffragette member Candi Carpenter, she delves further into her childhood, outlining her family’s various coping mechanisms, from religion to smoking and alcohol, before turning the light on herself, claiming that escaping was her way of coping.
“I grew up surrounded by a lot of addiction and there are a lot of things people use to escape in healthy ways and I wanted to break that cycle. Me getting to Nashville—I needed to change my life in so many ways but that was me actively choosing not to fall into the patterns I’ve seen and grown up watching.”
The specificity in her writing, and her airy, frothy vocals are reminiscent of the blend of pop-country that Taylor Swift crafted during her earlier Nashville days—if she’d embraced an emo or punk ethos, as Shorr does on “Vices,” the on-the-nose “F U Forever,” and album closer “Angry Butterfly” revel in a devil-may-care attitude.
“I’m a big ‘90s rock person and the people who pioneered pop-punk like The Cure and Third Eye Blind, and Lit. I ended up writing with them and that was so cool. Alanis Morissette and Jagged Little Pill, I just wore that out. It got me through my first high school breakup and I love how outspoken women can be at such a young age and you see it in people like Alanis and Billie Eilish, and Avril [Lavigne]. It’s so unfiltered and I think it’s because they don’t know how to be anything other than who they are yet. I wanted to kind of reclaim some of that youthful angst in a way because it’s who you are before the world tells you who to be. I try to go back to my younger self. I still run around acting like an emo kid so it’s not that hard.”
But she also finds room on Open Book for a song like “Big Houses,” penned with Keyes and Skip Black, which tributes her champions, like her mother, who would drive from their lower-class neighborhood to look at homes in higher-income neighborhoods, as a way of showing her daughter there was a world outside of the life they were living.
Though the album’s 13 tracks plumb the emotional wreckage Shorr has survived over the past few years, there has also been some moves toward healing. On “Gatsby,” she ponders her seemingly effortless ability to mask her true emotional pain, and her penchant for dating unworthy suitors because of a dysfunctional relationship with her father. Shorr says there have been some steps toward mending the paternal relationship.
“When I went home for the funeral, I hadn’t seen my dad in six years, since my high school graduation. We talked a little bit, like Christmas and birthdays, but we hadn’t really worked on our relationship. Something like that will really bring you back together. It’s bittersweet, I really wish he had been there for me through my teenage years, but reconnecting with him has been really healing. I’ll probably get into that on the next album.”
In November, Shorr will showcase some of her music as an opener for LeAnn Rimes’ You And Me And Christmas Tour, which launches in Waterloo, New York, and wraps Dec. 15 in Jacksonville, Florida.
“She is lovely and her whole team is amazing. I look up to her so much. Her audience really understands me in a way I wasn’t expecting, but it makes sense. She’s such an incredible vocalist—there’s this calm, soulful energy about her and I’m so happy to get to tour with her.”
Kalie Shorr Gets Raw On First Full-Length Project ‘Open Book’ [Interview]
/by Jessica NicholsonOn her first full-length album, Open Book, which released Sept. 27, Kalie Shorr sprinkles in song titles such as “Gatsby” and “Alice in Wonderland.”
A self-professed “literary nerd,” Shorr co-wrote each of the album’s 13 tracks (and co-produced the project, alongside Skip Black). Like her literary heroes, Shorr digs deep on her new project, all forward, fiery, and transparently frank, as she accepts her own foibles and complicated relationships, whether they be familial, romantic, or with herself.
I’m an open book with an opening ending, she sings on the album’s introduction, “Too Much To Say.”
“That song is like me saying, ‘Ok, here’s what you are in for, here’s what you are going to get and if you are not emotionally ready to process, you don’t have to listen and this is your warning.
“I definitely thought about the album like an essay of what my last year was like,” she says. “I thought well if I was writing this like an essay of what my last year was like, ‘Too much to say’ is the thesis statement, ‘Escape’ is my background and my childhood and then the breakup happens and you see how that all plays out, and then ‘The World Keeps Spinning” brings me back into the family stuff and ‘Angry Butterfly’ is like the concluding paragraph.”
She penned “Too Much To Say” after doggedly attempting—and finally failing—to keep up appearances in the wake of the loss of her older half-sister Ashley, who died from a heroin overdose in January.
“I was at the Red Door in Nashville. It was right after my sister had passed away, which was in all the tabloids, and Nashville’s a small town. There were a lot of well-intentioned people coming up to me to talk about it at 3 a.m. when I was drunk and didn’t want to talk about it. I don’t fault anyone for that—it’s always tricky knowing how to navigate those things, but I had an acquaintance come up and ask ‘How are you feeling?’ I was so tired of saying ‘good’ because I wasn’t, and that’s ok to not be good. I was like, ‘I’m pretty f*ckin’ awful, how are you?’ I didn’t have the energy to keep up this pretense that I had it all together.
“I had to talk to my family about it because it’s a really personal song. It’s my story of what happened, but it’s other people’s story, too—and my dad said, ‘You know Kalie, it’s what happened. It’s absolutely true and if it helps someone else, then I want it to be out there.’ Him having that perspective on everything, it’s been nice to have that support.”
The unflinchingly transparent tune was a turning point in the album’s creation; she wrote the rest of the album in two weeks, through intense writing sessions with close friends and co-writers, including Savannah Keyes, Carpenter, and Robyn Collins.
“I’m so proud that song suffragettes has brought me that. It’s changed my life and it’s made me a better artist and woman,” Shorr says.
In “Escape,” which she co-wrote with fellow Song Suffragette member Candi Carpenter, she delves further into her childhood, outlining her family’s various coping mechanisms, from religion to smoking and alcohol, before turning the light on herself, claiming that escaping was her way of coping.
“I grew up surrounded by a lot of addiction and there are a lot of things people use to escape in healthy ways and I wanted to break that cycle. Me getting to Nashville—I needed to change my life in so many ways but that was me actively choosing not to fall into the patterns I’ve seen and grown up watching.”
The specificity in her writing, and her airy, frothy vocals are reminiscent of the blend of pop-country that Taylor Swift crafted during her earlier Nashville days—if she’d embraced an emo or punk ethos, as Shorr does on “Vices,” the on-the-nose “F U Forever,” and album closer “Angry Butterfly” revel in a devil-may-care attitude.
“I’m a big ‘90s rock person and the people who pioneered pop-punk like The Cure and Third Eye Blind, and Lit. I ended up writing with them and that was so cool. Alanis Morissette and Jagged Little Pill, I just wore that out. It got me through my first high school breakup and I love how outspoken women can be at such a young age and you see it in people like Alanis and Billie Eilish, and Avril [Lavigne]. It’s so unfiltered and I think it’s because they don’t know how to be anything other than who they are yet. I wanted to kind of reclaim some of that youthful angst in a way because it’s who you are before the world tells you who to be. I try to go back to my younger self. I still run around acting like an emo kid so it’s not that hard.”
But she also finds room on Open Book for a song like “Big Houses,” penned with Keyes and Skip Black, which tributes her champions, like her mother, who would drive from their lower-class neighborhood to look at homes in higher-income neighborhoods, as a way of showing her daughter there was a world outside of the life they were living.
Though the album’s 13 tracks plumb the emotional wreckage Shorr has survived over the past few years, there has also been some moves toward healing. On “Gatsby,” she ponders her seemingly effortless ability to mask her true emotional pain, and her penchant for dating unworthy suitors because of a dysfunctional relationship with her father. Shorr says there have been some steps toward mending the paternal relationship.
“When I went home for the funeral, I hadn’t seen my dad in six years, since my high school graduation. We talked a little bit, like Christmas and birthdays, but we hadn’t really worked on our relationship. Something like that will really bring you back together. It’s bittersweet, I really wish he had been there for me through my teenage years, but reconnecting with him has been really healing. I’ll probably get into that on the next album.”
In November, Shorr will showcase some of her music as an opener for LeAnn Rimes’ You And Me And Christmas Tour, which launches in Waterloo, New York, and wraps Dec. 15 in Jacksonville, Florida.
“She is lovely and her whole team is amazing. I look up to her so much. Her audience really understands me in a way I wasn’t expecting, but it makes sense. She’s such an incredible vocalist—there’s this calm, soulful energy about her and I’m so happy to get to tour with her.”
Garth Brooks To Receive Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song
/by Jessica NicholsonGarth Brooks will be the next recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, making Brooks the youngest recipient of the honor.
“Garth Brooks’ appeal as a performer, songwriter and humanitarian has brought many new fans into the world of country music,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “During his career, Brooks has set countless records, earned numerous awards and elevated country music into a national anthem of the American people.”
Bestowed in recognition of the songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin, the Gershwin Prize recognizes a living musical artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding. Previous recipients are Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and the late Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett and Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
“An award is only as good as the names on it,” said Brooks. “First off, for any musician, the name Gershwin says it all. Add to Ira’s and George’s names the names of the past recipients, and you have an award of the highest honor. I am truly humbled.”
Brooks will receive the prize at an all-star tribute concert in Washington, D.C., in March 2020. Garth Brooks: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song will air on PBS stations nationwide later that spring. The program also will be broadcast via the American Forces Network to U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.
Since his first chart-topper, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” came in 1989, Brooks’ songwriting has often addressed timely topics. In 1993, Brooks earned a GLADD Media Award for “We Shall Be Free,” which addressed homophobia, homelessness, and racism.
YouTube Originals Releases Trailer For Upcoming Johnny Cash Documentary
/by Lorie HollabaughJohnny Cash fans are in for a treat when The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, a new documentary from director Thom Zimny, premieres on YouTube Originals on Nov. 11. The film, which was created with the full cooperation of the Cash estate and is rich in recently-discovered archival materials, brings Cash the man out from behind the legend.
Taking the remarkable Folsom Prison recording as a central motif and featuring interviews with family and celebrated collaborators, the 90-minute documentary explores the artistic victories, the personal tragedies, the struggles with addiction, and the spiritual pursuits that colored Johnny Cash’s life.
The documentary originally made its debut in March at the SXSW Film Festival and also screened recently at the Telluride Film Festival as part of the event’s Backlot Series. The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash is also set to screen at the 50th Annual Nashville Film Festival on Monday, October 7th.
Ashley McBryde To Receive CMT’s Breakout Artist Of The Year Award
/by Lorie HollabaughAshley McBryde will receive the CMT Artists of the Year Breakout Artist of the Year award and perform at this year’s 10th annual Artists of the Year celebration. This marks the third time in the history of the event the honor will be bestowed, with McBryde joining the ranks of previous honorees Chris Stapleton (2015) and Kelsea Ballerini (2016). The awards show will air live from Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on CMT.
McBryde’s career has continued to skyrocket to new heights this past year, earning her a first-time Grammy nomination for Best Country Album, a win for “Breakthrough Video of the Year” at this year’s 2019 CMT Music Awards, recognition as the Academy of Country Music’s “New Female Artist of the Year” and most recently, a 2019 CMA Awards nomination for “New Artist of the Year.”
McBryde was also named Breakthrough Artist of the Year in June as part of MusicRow Magazine’s MusicRow Awards. Her breakthrough single, “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” was named Song of the Year.
Her new single, “One Night Standards,” marks the first offering off her forthcoming 2020 sophomore album following her smash debut Girl Going Nowhere.
“I’m so excited to share the same stage as this fantastic group of artists and am honored to be there to celebrate alongside them!” shared McBryde.
This year’s 90-minute live music event marks a significant milestone for the franchise as it celebrates its decade-long anniversary. From once-in-a-lifetime performances to unexpected tributes and unforgettable toasts, the biggest stars in entertainment today will gather for the annual special to celebrate the five artists that have earned the right to be called “CMT Artists of the Year”: Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett. Country icon Reba McEntire will receive the prestigious “Artist of a Lifetime” award as well during the special. Additional performers, presenters, and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
Industry Pics: AIMP, WMBA, Jameson Rodgers, Morgan Wallen
/by Jessica NicholsonAIMP Nashville Chapter Hosts Songwriter Series For 2019 Class
Pictured (L-R): Chris Van Belkom (Combustion Music), Kari Barnhart (Regions Bank), Michael Martin (Endurance Music Group), Dale Bobo (Big Deal Music Group), Jimmy Robbins, Ben Goldsmith, Dave Pittenger, Ree Guyer (AIMP Nashville VP; Wrensong), Emily Falvey, Claire Douglas, Griffen Palmer, Jake Rose, John Ozier (AIMP Nashville President; Reservoir), Deric Ruttan, Brad Peterson (Regions Bank).
The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville chapter hosted its fifth annual AIMP Nashville Songwriter Series on Monday (Sept. 30) at Analog at Hutton Hotel. Jimmy Robbins and Deric Ruttan hosted two songwriters rounds, featuring rising songwriters. The 2019 class includes Claire Douglas (Riser House Publishing), Emily Falvey (SMACKSongs), Ben Goldsmith (Big Deal Music Group), Griffen Palmer (Big Loud Publishing), Dave Pittenger (Big Yellow Dog Music), and Jake Rose (Endurance Music Group).
The class included six emerging writers who have not had a song charting higher than a Top 20 on the Billboard or Mediabase country charts, and were selected by a committee made of industry professionals, based on submissions from current AIMP Nashville members.
WMBA Features Live Nation/Women Nation’s Ali Harnell
Pictured (L-R): Mary Larimer, Emily Bukowski, Ali Harnell, Mallory Allgood, Lauren Simon
The Women’s Music Business Association (WMBA) held its September Membership Meeting at ASCAP this past week, featuring guest speaker Ali Harnell (President and Chief Strategy Officer of Women Nation, a newly-created division of Live Nation). Prior to her work at Live Nation, Harnell spent 15 years as Sr. VP of AEG Presents, where she co-founded the international country music festival Country2Country.
Harnell emphasized the importance of being confident in your decisions, personally and professionally, and speaking up for what you believe in. She encouraged members to manifest their dreams by sharing examples from her own journey.
Jameson Rodgers Makes Opry Debut
Jameson Rodgers. Photo: Alan Poizner
Columbia Nashville/River House Artists’ Jameson Rodgers made his debut at the historic Grand Ole Opry Wednesday (Sept. 25), surrounded by friends, family and extended team. He performed his debut single “Some Girls,” as well as “Missing One” and the unreleased ballad “Desert.” Rodgers co-wrote Chris Lane’s hit “I Don’t Know About You” and has been opening shows for Luke Combs’ Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour.
Morgan Wallen Celebrates RIAA Heavy Metal
Pictured (L-R): Seth England (Partner, Big Loud), Morgan Wallen, Kevin “Chief” Zaruk (Partner, Big Loud), Jackie Jones (VP Artist & Industry Relations, RIAA), Troy “Tracker” Johnson (Manager, Big Loud/Maverick)
Big Loud Records’ Morgan Wallen wrapped his summer run with Florida Georgia Line’s Can’t Say I Ain’t Country Tour this weekend in Irvine, California, and had something extra special to celebrate. He was surprised with four plaques, commemorating the Gold certified “The Way I Talk,” Platinum No. 1 single “Up Down” (ft. FGL), the Platinum-certified, multi-week No. 1 “Whiskey Glasses,” and the Gold debut album If I Know Me.
ACM New Membership Application And Renewals Open
/by LB CantrellThe Academy of Country Music announced today (Oct. 1) that the ACM Membership application and renewal process is now open, along with updates to membership criteria, including category name changes, newly added categories and the removal of categories; as well as, the submissions and ballot timeline for membership voting for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards. The 55th Academy of Country Music Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. ET/delayed PT on CBS.
This year, the Membership Committee presented systematic changes to the Board for ratification that include an updated membership definition as well as membership category name changes and criteria. Member eligibility is limited to individuals and industry business organizations whose primary professional engagement is in the creation, production, promotion and distribution of country music. Membership approval is subject to the complete discretion of the Board.
“To further evolve the ACM membership, the Board thought it was important that there be updated language and criteria that govern membership to ensure that the most knowledgeable members of the country music community are voting in the awards process,” said Nick Di Fruscia, ACM VP, Awards & Membership. “It has been a pleasure working with both the Membership Committee and Board to create a new administering process for renewals and new applicants. The intention is that the sum result of this new member review process will positively impact the results of our awards.”
The submissions eligibility period for the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards is January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Key dates for Academy professional members for the 2020 ACM Awards cycle are as follows:
New Membership/Membership Renewals Opens: October 1, 2019
DEADLINE for New Membership/Renewals Closing: November 29, 2019
Submissions Period Opens: December 2, 2019
Submissions Period Closes: January 3, 2020
First Round Voting: January 21, 2020 – January 27, 2020
Second Round Voting: February 4, 2020 – February 10, 2020
Final Round Voting: March 3, 2020 – March 9, 2020
New membership applications and existing membership renewals open today October 1, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. CT with a deadline to apply by Friday, November 29, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. CT for members to be eligible to vote during the 2020 Awards cycle. To apply online for a membership with the Academy of Country Music, please visit the ACM Membership platform at: www.acmcountry.com/membership.
ACM membership categories and updated name changes below:
Affiliated – No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must be professionally engaged in the country music industry whose activities are undefined in one of the below membership categories.
Producer/Engineer/Studio Manager *SUB Category – REMOVE
Artist/Entertainer/Musician/Instrumentalist – Updated to Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer
Criteria: To qualify, members must have contributed to no fewer than (10) commercially released country performances.
Club/Casino/Venue – Updated to Venue
Criteria: To qualify, members whose principal responsibilities are directly related to the music operation of an establishment that presents no fewer than (4) four country music acts per calendar year.
Composer – Updated to Songwriter
Criteria: To qualify, members must have written no fewer than one (1) country song published, commercially released and must be a member of a nationally recognized performing rights organization.
Digital Marketing/Distribution – NEW CATEGORY
Criteria: To qualify, members must work for a digital service provider or work in digital marketing, digital content, or social media marketing.
Artist Manager – Updated to Manager
Criteria: To qualify, members must represent no fewer than one (1) artist who qualifies for ACM Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer membership through personal or business management.
Media/Public Relations – No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must represent no fewer than one (1) artist who qualifies for ACM Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer membership or be employed by a commercial publication or media outlet who actively promotes country music.
Music Publisher/PRO – No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must be employed by a company in a creative capacity that has no fewer than ten (10) country songs published and commercially released.
On Air Personality – REMOVE
Radio – No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must be actively involved in or employed by country a music radio station.
Record Company – No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must be employed by a record company that has no fewer than one (1) artist signed to their company roster that meets the Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer membership criteria.
Talent Agent – No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must represent at least one (1) artist that meets the Artist/Musician/Producer/Engineer membership criteria and secures no fewer than fifteen (15) dates per year.
Talent Buyer/Promoter – No Change
Criteria: To qualify, members must actively buy and/or promote no fewer than ten (10) country shows or acts per year.
TV/Motion Picture – Updated to Visual Content
Criteria: To qualify, members must be actively engaged in the production, packaging, selling or distribution of country music in visual media.
On The Cover: ‘MusicRow’ Features Carrie Underwood on October/November Issue
/by Haley CrowMusicRow has released its 2019 Publisher Issue, with Carrie Underwood gracing the cover.
Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, and film. A seven-time Grammy Award winner, she has sold 64 million records worldwide and recorded 26 No. 1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote. Underwood is currently nominated for three CMA Awards, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year honor, as well as Album of the Year (Cry Pretty) and Female Vocalist of the Year. Underwood will host the upcoming CMA Awards on Nov. 13 in Nashville, along with guest hosts Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton.
Last fall, she released the Gold-certified studio album Cry Pretty, her first on Capitol Records Nashville, marking the first time she has co-produced her own album. The title track and lead single, co-produced and co-written by Underwood, topped the iTunes Top Songs charts in 12 countries. The second leg of her Cry Pretty Tour 360 launched in San Diego, California in September, and has included stops at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and Los Angeles’ Staples Center. The tour will wrap Oct. 31 in Detroit, Michigan.
In 2018, she released the hit event anthem she co-wrote, “The Champion” featuring Ludacris, which opened NBC’s Super Bowl LII. The song was also incorporated into the network’s coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Also in 2018, Underwood celebrated her 10th anniversary as a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry. This year, Underwood returns for her seventh season as the voice of primetime television’s No. 1 program, NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
The 2019 Publisher print issue includes the 2019 Publisher Directory and features interviews with new UMPG Nashville President/CEO Troy Tomlinson, Spirit Music Nashville CEO Frank Rogers, and SESAC Holding’s President and Chief Operating Officer Kelli Turner.
John Ozier discusses his new role and vision as head of Reservoir Media Management’s Nashville office, while Warner Chappell Music Nashville President/CEO Ben Vaughn, Specialist insurer Beazley’s Focus Group Leader Angela Weaver, and Anderson Benson Partner Brent Daughrity discuss protection against copyright infringement. This issue also details the challenges and opportunities song pluggers face, as told by Janine Appleton-Ebach, Creative Nation’s Shaina Botwin, Sea Gayle’s Kim Wiggins, and Downtown Music Nashville’s Natalie Osborne. Concord Music executive and Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) Board member Evelyn Paglinawan offers an update on the MLC’s work to ensure songwriters are compensated fairly for their creative works.
This issue also highlights the work and careers of some of Nashville’s most impactful tunesmiths, including Relative Music Group’s HARDY, StudioBeast/BMG’s Claude Kelly, BMG’s Hillary Lindsey, Sony/ATV’s Lindsay Rimes, and Big Machine Music’s Laura Veltz.
Single copies of MusicRow’s Publisher Issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $45, and are included with yearly memberships.
Weekly Register: Zac Brown Band’s ‘The Owl’ Tops New Releases
/by Jessica NicholsonZac Brown Band’s latest album, The Owl (BMG) debuts at No. 1 on the country albums chart, according to Nielsen Soundscan. The album moved 106K in total consumption (99K album-only and 6.5 million song streams). Luke Combs‘ This One’s For You is at No. 2, with 19.5K in total consumption (2K in album-only sales/22.4 million song streams).
Dan + Shay’s self-titled album is at No. 3 with 13K (651 album-only/16 million song streams), while Morgan Wallen‘s If I Know Me is at No. 4 with 12K (855 album only/14 million song streams). Luke Combs‘ The Prequel EP rounds out the Top 5, with 12K in total consumption (60 album-only/13.4 million song streams).
Other album debuts include indie artist-rapper Upchurch‘s Parachute at No. 6, released on his own Redneck Nation Records. The album moved 11K (10K album-only, and 523K song streams).
Meanwhile Riley Green‘s Different ‘Round Here (BMLG) debuts at No. 11 with 8.2K in total consumption (2.2K album-only and 6.5 million song streams).
Blanco Brown’s “The Git Up” continues to hold the top slot on the Top 100 Country On-Demand streaming chart, with 17.4 million streams this week (315 million to date).
Wallen and Combs appear on the rest of this week’s Top 5. Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses” is at No. 2 with 7.9 million streams, followed by Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy” at No. 3 with 7.6 million streams. Combs also holds the No. 4 spot with “Beer Never Broke My Heart” moving 7.6 million streams. Wallen appears again in the No. 5 spot, featured on Diplo‘s track “Heartless,” which earned 7.2 million streams this week.
Lady Antebellum, Chet Atkins, Clint Black, Mac McAnally, DeFord Bailey To Receive Walk Of Fame Stars
/by Lorie HollabaughThey will receive the 85th, 86th, 87th, 88th and 89th stars on the Music City Walk of Fame. Inductees are recognized for their significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song or other industry collaboration.
“This class of inductees truly represents the diversity and heritage of the Music City brand,” Mayor John Cooper said. “I’m glad to see greats like DeFord Bailey and Chet Atkins are being recognized and that the Music City Walk of Fame is inducting the extraordinary talents of Mac McAnally, Clint Black and Lady Antebellum. This wonderful park — a place that both visitors and Nashvillians can enjoy — represents the best of Music City.”
The Music City Walk of Fame was created in 2006 on Nashville’s Music Mile, a roughly one-mile stretch that connects downtown to Music Row. Permanent sidewalk medallions with the names of the inductees are displayed in a star-and-guitar design.
Rissi Palmer Shares Cover, Track Listing For New Album ‘Revival’
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“This album is one of the most personal I’ve ever written and recorded,” says Palmer. “Everything I write is personal, but I feel like I’m in a place of being really honest and transparent with people because that’s what I like in an artist. That’s what I look for; those are the people I’m interested in, and I want to do that same thing for others.”
Recorded in Durham, NC, where Palmer currently resides, REVIVAL marks the first full-length album she has created outside of Nashville. It features eight original songs co-written by Palmer with soulful melodies and themes ranging from deeply personal to political and everything in between. Brian Owens served as producer on most of the album, with the exception of “Seeds” and “You Were Here,” which were produced by Grammy Award-winning Shannon Sanders and Palmer, respectively.
The project includes the powerful and deeply personal “You Were Here,” which Palmer penned after her miscarriage and deems one of the most challenging songs she’s ever written. The rest of the project reflects Palmer’s engagement with a world clearly in need of inspiration and uplifting, with songs like “Breathe In,” “Speak On It,” “Revival” and “Little Black Boy, Little Black Girl,” a song of hope and compassion she co-wrote with Owens.