Trisha Yearwood has spent much of the past 12 years vastly expanding her multi-faceted business empire, as an author of three New York Times bestselling cookbooks, and curator and namesake for lines of cookware, furniture, home accessories, food products and cocktail mixes. September will see the 15th season premiere of her Emmy-winning cooking show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen on Food Network.
She spent the last few years on tour with husband and superstar Garth Brooks, and along the way, the pair recorded the holiday album Christmas Together. Earlier this year, she demonstrated her love of big band classics with Let’s Be Frank, a collection of Sinatra covers, as well as the original “For The Last Time” (a co-write with Brooks).
But on Friday (Aug. 30), Yearwood returns to her musical roots—a gifted vocalist performing gorgeous music—with Every Girl, her long awaited, first full-length country solo album since 2007’s Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love.
“It was pure joy making this album. I hear it in my voice,” says the three-time Grammy winner.
In some ways, the album’s title track, ‘Every Girl In This Town,” harkens back to the fearlessness and breezy hopefulness of “She’s In Love With The Boy,” the 1991 song that helped Yearwood establish both her fanbase and musical identity. However, this time around that fearlessness is born of a life well lived and learned from, rather than simply the naiveté of youth.
Throughout her 30-year career, Yearwood has earned acclaim for possessing one of country music’s most sterling voices and has etched a reputation as a song’s—and songwriter’s—best friend. She’s a singer with a deep understanding of musical nuance, a keen discernment for moments that call for nearly whispered restraint, or require her to lean into her voice’s power (see her unbridled performance on the new album’s “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” with harmony vocals from fellow powerhouse Kelly Clarkson). She’s somber yet uplifting on “I’ll Carry You Home,” romantic and sensual on “What Gave It Away,” (featuring Brooks).
She’s also uncompromising in her musical selections, something she learned from longtime producer Garth Fundis, whom she reunited with for Every Girl.
“He taught me how to really be tough on songs. You can make a good record if you listen to 200, 300 songs. You can find 10 that are good. But if you have to listen to over 1,000 songs, you really just have to not settle.”
Two of the albums most engaging songs are also the most unexpected, coming from Yearwood.
A horn section lends gravitas to the Latin-tinged “Matador,” an aching tale of a woman in love with a matador–not unlike the rest of the adoring throng present in the arena. The song comes courtesy of Gretchen Peters, the writer behind several Yearwood classics such as “On A Bus To St. Cloud.”
“It’s so dark and so interesting,” Yearwood says. “To me the matador in the arena and the crowd, that is so Garth [Brooks]. Lines like He’s not alive without the thrill/without the dance, without the kill…we have to do this to survive. This is who we are. I totally feel it’s about Garth.”
Meanwhile, “Find A Way,” written by Lucie Silvas and Julian Emery, is a fun slice of retro-inspired pop, with a lightness in the song’s tightly wound harmonies.
“Lucie did a real acoustic, really energetic version that I fell in love with. It was so much fun. We started rehearsing and I’m getting a chance to sing it live and I’m like, ‘I can’t wait!’”
The album’s stellar closing song, “Love You Anyway,” is a quieter piano/vocal moment that draws on the vivid lyrics of songwriter Mike Reid, who also wrote the Bonnie Raitt classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and Ronnie Milsap’s “Stranger in my House.”
“He wrote the song for his wife and they’ve been married for over 40 years,” Yearwood says. “I asked him about that first line in the song—You’re the light that wounds the eye. What woman wouldn’t fall in love with a man that writes that line? He said he walked into a restaurant and saw her and he was like, ‘I just knew I was done for when I saw her. I knew it.’ That’s how I feel in my relationship, so it was a no-brainer.”
Providing harmonies on the track is longtime collaborator and Eagles member Don Henley, who first appeared on Yearwood’s 1992 songs “Walkaway Joe” and “Hearts In Armor.” Henley joined her on a 2000 cover of the Bryan Adams/Gretchen Peters song “Inside Out.” She returned the favor, performing several tracks on Henley’s 2015 album Cass County.
“When I kept hearing his voice on this song, I just shot him an email saying, ‘Can I send you this song?’ He’s been the kind of friend to me over the years, that I’ve been careful with that friendship because he will say ‘Yes.’ I don’t want to ever abuse that friendship. I’ll only ever go to him if it’s something I think is really special, and I think this song is so special.”
With the release of “Every Girl In This Town,” Yearwood earned the highest radio add day of her career—a feat in itself when few female artists can be found on the upper echelons of the country radio charts. Maren Morris recently earned a No. 1 single at country radio, the first female solo artist to do so in 17 months.
“I want to see country radio really embrace these female artists that are working really hard,” Yearwood says. “There’s not an argument that holds water, there’s no truth to the whole ‘You can’t play to women back to back because people will change the station.’ Show me the research—there’s no basis for it so just play it and let people decide. I didn’t expect to get played on the radio, so to have a song open well on the charts is crazy. It’s nice because with the conversation we’re having now out loud about females and radio, it gives me a chance to be a cheerleader for that and be a supporter for these younger female artists.”
One of those artists is Ashley McBryde. On the new project, Yearwood offers her own rendition of “Bible and a .44,” a deeply personal song McBryde wrote about her father and previously included on her own debut project.
“Ashley’s dad was a musician and there’s a line at the beginning that says ‘Every song he sang was my favorite sound.’ I asked if I could change it because my dad was not a musician, but he had a very distinct southern drawl and it’s what I remember most about him. But that’s the mark of a great songwriter, someone who can have their own story that is so personal to them and yet so relatable to others. And that’s the whole point of this, isn’t it? To be true to yourself and to be an artist.
“It’s so easy in music, if something is successful, to just jump on the bandwagon and then everything [sounds] the same. But it’s the artists who come out of left field that are special, and that’s why you get an Ashley McBryde or a Chris Stapleton or Brandi Carlile, things that come at you from a different angle.”
Yearwood says she was nervous to set about finding quality songs for the album, another reason she reunited with Fundis.
“Most of the artists cutting songs now are in their 20s and I’m 54. Are there going to be songs for me? I needed a guy in my corner who gets it and is going to help fight to get great songs.
“I realized one great thing about being older is this second generation of song pluggers, they grew up on my music. I thought they would be like, ‘Hmmm, I don’t really care about getting a Trisha Yearwood cut,’ but they were all like, ‘I grew up on ‘She’s In Love With the Boy’ and I want to get a cut on your record.’ They really did work hard so I have to give it up to the song pluggers and publishing companies who dug deep to find these songs.”
On Oct. 3, she embarks on her first solo tour in five years, the 20-date “Every Girl On Tour.” The tour will launch with three shows at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
“For Schermerhorn, we are going to let it rip. We are going to do a lot of Sinatra stuff and then have an intermission and do a lot of Trisha stuff.”
Clearly a champion for every song on her new project, Yearwood says fans can expect to hear all of the songs from the new album throughout the tour.
“In the past, I’ve usually told the band, ‘Just learn the new single,’ but for this album, I said, ‘I want you to learn all 14 songs.’ I won’t sing all 14 songs every night, but I like to have something like ‘Find A Way’ in my back pocket to bring out on the nights where it feels good. I want to be able to do a couple of things from the new album and change it up every night.”
Monument Records Adds Alex Hall To Roster
/by Jessica NicholsonAlex Hall. Photo: Matthew Berinato
Country singer/songwriter Alex Hall has signed with Monument Records and released his first track, “Half Past You.”
The Georgia native was performing while still in high school and averaged more than 125 shows a year before he turned 17. He wrote and produced “Half Past You,” along with Shane McAnally, Pete Good and AJ Babcock.
“Alex Hall’s musicianship, style, songs, and voice blow me away. He’s the total package.” said Monument Co-President Jason Owen.
“When he came in to meet with Jason, Katie & I, we offered him the deal on the spot. Working with him in the months since has done nothing but deepen our love and passion for he and his music.” adds Monument Co-President Shane McAnally.
Pictured (L-R): Jason Owen, Katie McCartney, Alex Hall, Autumn House Tallant, Shane McAnally
Matt Koziol, Megan Redmond Join Prescription Songs Roster
/by Lorie Hollabaugh(L-R): Luke Gottwald, Rachel Wein, Matt Koziol, Katie Fagan, Leah Hodgkiss
Matt Koziol and Megan Redmond have signed publishing deals with Prescription Songs.
Koziol has released his own solo project in addition to playing guitar for Bre Kennedy. He and Kennedy also have a joint project together, Koziol Kennedy.
“I’m so proud to have seen Matt’s growth over the last several years as a writer, artist, performer and human being. He is a caring, hard-working, and passionate person who brings those qualities into his songwriting. The RX team always has an eclectic yet focused vision and it is going to be so much fun to see how much we can all accomplish together,” said Ryan Kravontka, Koziol’s manager.
“I am very excited to be starting a new musical chapter with RX songs,” said Koziol. “I am thankful to the team for their drive and enthusiasm. I am looking forward to collaborating with the team and their writers to help me build out a catalog, of what we hope to be unforgettable music.”
Redmond moved to Nashville by herself at 15 to pursue songwriting and has been writing songs for nearly 10 years.
“It’s a dream come true to be joining the Rx family! I feel so lucky to be working with Katie, Rachel, and the rest of the incredible team at Prescription every day,” said Redmond. “I’ve been writing songs in Nashville for almost ten years and have waited to find a publishing home like this. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!”
Prescription Songs launched its Nashville office in 2017.
(L-R): Leah Hodgkiss, Rachel Wein, Megan Redmond, Katie Fagan, Cam Caldwell (attorney)
Weekly Radio Report (8/30/19)
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Trisha Yearwood Returns With Powerful Songs, All-Star Collaborations On New Album ‘Every Girl’ [Interview]
/by Jessica NicholsonTrisha Yearwood has spent much of the past 12 years vastly expanding her multi-faceted business empire, as an author of three New York Times bestselling cookbooks, and curator and namesake for lines of cookware, furniture, home accessories, food products and cocktail mixes. September will see the 15th season premiere of her Emmy-winning cooking show Trisha’s Southern Kitchen on Food Network.
She spent the last few years on tour with husband and superstar Garth Brooks, and along the way, the pair recorded the holiday album Christmas Together. Earlier this year, she demonstrated her love of big band classics with Let’s Be Frank, a collection of Sinatra covers, as well as the original “For The Last Time” (a co-write with Brooks).
But on Friday (Aug. 30), Yearwood returns to her musical roots—a gifted vocalist performing gorgeous music—with Every Girl, her long awaited, first full-length country solo album since 2007’s Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love.
“It was pure joy making this album. I hear it in my voice,” says the three-time Grammy winner.
In some ways, the album’s title track, ‘Every Girl In This Town,” harkens back to the fearlessness and breezy hopefulness of “She’s In Love With The Boy,” the 1991 song that helped Yearwood establish both her fanbase and musical identity. However, this time around that fearlessness is born of a life well lived and learned from, rather than simply the naiveté of youth.
Throughout her 30-year career, Yearwood has earned acclaim for possessing one of country music’s most sterling voices and has etched a reputation as a song’s—and songwriter’s—best friend. She’s a singer with a deep understanding of musical nuance, a keen discernment for moments that call for nearly whispered restraint, or require her to lean into her voice’s power (see her unbridled performance on the new album’s “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know,” with harmony vocals from fellow powerhouse Kelly Clarkson). She’s somber yet uplifting on “I’ll Carry You Home,” romantic and sensual on “What Gave It Away,” (featuring Brooks).
She’s also uncompromising in her musical selections, something she learned from longtime producer Garth Fundis, whom she reunited with for Every Girl.
“He taught me how to really be tough on songs. You can make a good record if you listen to 200, 300 songs. You can find 10 that are good. But if you have to listen to over 1,000 songs, you really just have to not settle.”
Two of the albums most engaging songs are also the most unexpected, coming from Yearwood.
A horn section lends gravitas to the Latin-tinged “Matador,” an aching tale of a woman in love with a matador–not unlike the rest of the adoring throng present in the arena. The song comes courtesy of Gretchen Peters, the writer behind several Yearwood classics such as “On A Bus To St. Cloud.”
“It’s so dark and so interesting,” Yearwood says. “To me the matador in the arena and the crowd, that is so Garth [Brooks]. Lines like He’s not alive without the thrill/without the dance, without the kill…we have to do this to survive. This is who we are. I totally feel it’s about Garth.”
Meanwhile, “Find A Way,” written by Lucie Silvas and Julian Emery, is a fun slice of retro-inspired pop, with a lightness in the song’s tightly wound harmonies.
“Lucie did a real acoustic, really energetic version that I fell in love with. It was so much fun. We started rehearsing and I’m getting a chance to sing it live and I’m like, ‘I can’t wait!’”
The album’s stellar closing song, “Love You Anyway,” is a quieter piano/vocal moment that draws on the vivid lyrics of songwriter Mike Reid, who also wrote the Bonnie Raitt classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and Ronnie Milsap’s “Stranger in my House.”
“He wrote the song for his wife and they’ve been married for over 40 years,” Yearwood says. “I asked him about that first line in the song—You’re the light that wounds the eye. What woman wouldn’t fall in love with a man that writes that line? He said he walked into a restaurant and saw her and he was like, ‘I just knew I was done for when I saw her. I knew it.’ That’s how I feel in my relationship, so it was a no-brainer.”
Providing harmonies on the track is longtime collaborator and Eagles member Don Henley, who first appeared on Yearwood’s 1992 songs “Walkaway Joe” and “Hearts In Armor.” Henley joined her on a 2000 cover of the Bryan Adams/Gretchen Peters song “Inside Out.” She returned the favor, performing several tracks on Henley’s 2015 album Cass County.
“When I kept hearing his voice on this song, I just shot him an email saying, ‘Can I send you this song?’ He’s been the kind of friend to me over the years, that I’ve been careful with that friendship because he will say ‘Yes.’ I don’t want to ever abuse that friendship. I’ll only ever go to him if it’s something I think is really special, and I think this song is so special.”
With the release of “Every Girl In This Town,” Yearwood earned the highest radio add day of her career—a feat in itself when few female artists can be found on the upper echelons of the country radio charts. Maren Morris recently earned a No. 1 single at country radio, the first female solo artist to do so in 17 months.
“I want to see country radio really embrace these female artists that are working really hard,” Yearwood says. “There’s not an argument that holds water, there’s no truth to the whole ‘You can’t play to women back to back because people will change the station.’ Show me the research—there’s no basis for it so just play it and let people decide. I didn’t expect to get played on the radio, so to have a song open well on the charts is crazy. It’s nice because with the conversation we’re having now out loud about females and radio, it gives me a chance to be a cheerleader for that and be a supporter for these younger female artists.”
One of those artists is Ashley McBryde. On the new project, Yearwood offers her own rendition of “Bible and a .44,” a deeply personal song McBryde wrote about her father and previously included on her own debut project.
“Ashley’s dad was a musician and there’s a line at the beginning that says ‘Every song he sang was my favorite sound.’ I asked if I could change it because my dad was not a musician, but he had a very distinct southern drawl and it’s what I remember most about him. But that’s the mark of a great songwriter, someone who can have their own story that is so personal to them and yet so relatable to others. And that’s the whole point of this, isn’t it? To be true to yourself and to be an artist.
“It’s so easy in music, if something is successful, to just jump on the bandwagon and then everything [sounds] the same. But it’s the artists who come out of left field that are special, and that’s why you get an Ashley McBryde or a Chris Stapleton or Brandi Carlile, things that come at you from a different angle.”
Yearwood says she was nervous to set about finding quality songs for the album, another reason she reunited with Fundis.
“Most of the artists cutting songs now are in their 20s and I’m 54. Are there going to be songs for me? I needed a guy in my corner who gets it and is going to help fight to get great songs.
“I realized one great thing about being older is this second generation of song pluggers, they grew up on my music. I thought they would be like, ‘Hmmm, I don’t really care about getting a Trisha Yearwood cut,’ but they were all like, ‘I grew up on ‘She’s In Love With the Boy’ and I want to get a cut on your record.’ They really did work hard so I have to give it up to the song pluggers and publishing companies who dug deep to find these songs.”
On Oct. 3, she embarks on her first solo tour in five years, the 20-date “Every Girl On Tour.” The tour will launch with three shows at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
“For Schermerhorn, we are going to let it rip. We are going to do a lot of Sinatra stuff and then have an intermission and do a lot of Trisha stuff.”
Clearly a champion for every song on her new project, Yearwood says fans can expect to hear all of the songs from the new album throughout the tour.
“In the past, I’ve usually told the band, ‘Just learn the new single,’ but for this album, I said, ‘I want you to learn all 14 songs.’ I won’t sing all 14 songs every night, but I like to have something like ‘Find A Way’ in my back pocket to bring out on the nights where it feels good. I want to be able to do a couple of things from the new album and change it up every night.”
Americanafest Adds 56 Performers To Lineup
/by Jessica NicholsonAmericanafest, which will be held Sept. 10-15 in Nashville, has revealed an additional 56 performers on its lineup. The new additions round out a total of over 300 showcasing acts during the event, culminating with the Americana Honors & Awards, to be held at the Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 11.
Additional Artists & Bands Playing AMERICANAFEST 2019:
Banditos
Ben Danaher
Beth Nielsen Chapman
Bette Smith
Brandy Zdan
Chance McCoy
Danny Burns
David Luning
Eric Bolander
Erin Enderlin
Flying Buffaloes
Folk Family Revival
Gary Nicholson
Goodnight, Texas
Grant-Lee Phillips
Hackensaw Boys
Hayes Carll
Jaime Wyatt
Jamie Lin Wilson
Jared Deck
Jason Eady
Jason Hawk Harris
Jess Jocoy
Jesse Dayton
Julian Taylor Band
Kate Rhudy
Kellen of Troy
The Kernal
Kevin Gordon
King Corduroy
Kyle Daniel
L.A. Edwards
Locust Honey
Martha Spencer
Michael Logen
Miss Tess & The Talkbacks
Nathaniel Rateliff and Friends
Nefesh Mountain
Nicole Atkins
North Mississippi Allstars
Oliver Hazard
Ordinary Elephant
Paul Burch
Pony Bradshaw
Roanoke
Rob Baird
Royal Jelly Jive
Ruston Kelly
Sawyer Fredericks
Sean Ardoin
Sierra Ferrell
Stevie Redstone
Travers Brothership
Vandoliers
The Vegabonds
The Way Down Wanderers
Brothers Osborne, Steve Earle, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band To Play ‘Bluegrass Underground’
/by Alex ParryProducers of the 16-time, Emmy award-winning public television series Bluegrass Underground announced today (Aug. 29) the national PBS premiere of Season IX will be on Sept. 4, 2019 with an episode featuring one of the most accomplished bands in American roots music, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Taped in The Caverns in Tennessee’s Cumberland Mountains, Bluegrass Underground is a musical adventure series showcasing a broad spectrum of music from the heart of the American experience. Produced by Todd Squared Productions (Todd Mayo and Todd Jarrell) and presented on PBS by WCTE Upper Cumberland PBS, Season IX is jam-packed to the stalactites with revered living legends, groundbreaking musical innovators, and future household names.
Each week for 12 weeks Bluegrass Underground offers a new episode. In addition to The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Season IX artists include musical legends Keb’ Mo’ and Steve Earle; Platinum-selling country rockers Brothers Osborne; Americana Music Association’s Emerging Artist of 2017, Amanda Shires; Josh Ritter, one of Paste Magazine’s “100 Greatest Living Songwriters”; Memphis-based country-punk trailblazers Lucero; South African-born, indie-folk artist Gregory Alan Isakov; Oscar and Tony award-winning, Irish songwriter Glen Hansard; folk-rock power trio The Devil Makes Three; lyrically talented Americana newcomer Lauren Morrow; and Nashville musical treasure and song stylist Mandy Barnett. Air dates will vary.
Underwriters of this PBS television series include the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Grundy County Tennessee.
The complete Bluegrass Underground Season IX artist line-up:
1. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2. Amanda Shires
3. Keb’ Mo’
4. Josh Ritter
5. Lucero
6. Brothers Osborne
7. Gregory Alan Isakov
8. Steve Earle
9. Lauren Morrow
10. Glen Hansard
11. The Devil Makes Three
12. Mandy Barnett
Industry Pics: NMAAM, Tucker Beathard, Hayden Haddock
/by Haley CrowNMAAM Takes Possession Of Space At Fifth + Broadway
Pictured (L-R): Mayor David Briley and NMAAM President and CEO H. Beecher Hicks III.
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) President and CEO H. Beecher Hicks III and Mayor David Briley today (Aug. 29) signed the lease that officially gives the museum control over the space the museum will occupy at Fifth + Broadway.
The lease document solidifies the agreement between the museum and the city of Nashville for NMAAM to occupy the 56,000-square-foot space within the Fifth + Broadway development. Now that the lease has been signed, the exhibit build-out can begin with the expectation of opening in the summer of 2020.
“I’d like to thank Mayor Briley for his continued support of the museum throughout the fundraising and construction process,” Hicks said. “This is an important moment for our museum and this city, when we take the next step in fulfilling a musical legacy that began centuries ago. Today marks the day the long-held dream of NMAAM begins to become a reality, and now we can begin to build what will be a jewel in the crown for Music City. The work starts today.”
“With this lease, Nashville demonstrates its commitment to this museum and lets the world know that, when we say ‘Music City,’ we mean all kinds of music,” Briley said. “NMAAM will be an incredible attraction and will tell the important story of African American music in our city and beyond. This is the culmination of years of organization, hard work and planning from city and business leaders alike. I’m honored to have played a role in helping make this a reality for our city, and I can’t wait for all Nashvillians to experience it.”
Tucker Beathard Rocks Stage at Pickin’ on the Patio
Pictured (L-R): Shane Tarleton (SVP Artist Development, WMN), Tucker Beathard, Cris Lacy (EVP A&R, WMN), and Ben Kline (EVP/GM, WMN). Photo: Kirsten Balani
Warner Music Nashville’s Tucker Beathard closed the Pickin’ on the Patio season last night (Aug. 28) with a rocking finale. The singer-songwriter plugged in for a full-band show that included songs from the first installment of his debut double album, Nobody’s Everything, and more.
Hayden Haddock Joins CMA
Pictured (L-R): CMA’s Brenden Oliver, Hayden Haddock, and CMA’s Angela Strader.
Red dirt singer-songwriter Hayden Haddock recently joined the CMA as a new member. The 20-year-old, college junior performs 100+ dates per year in Texas and surrounding states and has amassed more than 300K streams on Spotify.
Haddock is currently working with Trent Willmon (Cody Johnson’s producer/hit songwriter) on his sophomore project due out late this year.
SESAC, Victoria Shaw’s Fabulicious Music And AvaRu Production Sign Cooper Alan
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (back row, L-R): SESAC President & COO Kelli Turner, SESAC VP Creative Services Shannan Hatch, SESAC songwriter Victoria Shaw. Front: Cooper Alan
Rising singer-songwriter Cooper Alan recently signed with SESAC, as well as Fabulicious Music Publishing, and AvaRu Production company, owned by award-winning songwriter, producer and fellow SESAC affiliate Victoria Shaw. Alan’s new single, “Climate Change,” co-written with Shaw and fellow SESAC affiliate Seth Mosley, will be available on all digital platforms on Friday, Aug. 30.
“The first time I saw Cooper perform and heard that incredible voice, I knew then and there that I wanted to sign him,” says Shaw. “I am excited that we are releasing his first single and can’t wait for everyone to hear!”
for King & Country, Dolly Parton Team For New Version Of “God Only Knows”
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“When I first heard ‘God Only Knows’ I thought it was one of the best songs I’d ever heard. I came from a very spiritual background, and I love anything to do with inspirational songs that lift people up,” said Parton. “I feel that this is a good song for right now, and it’s so well written. I know that it touched me at a time when I needed to be lifted up.”
Dolly is featured in the powerful new music video for “God Only Knows,” as she and the Smallbone brothers struggle to find themselves before resigning to faith and belief. The full-length video was shot in Nashville, produced by Patrick Tohill and directed by Benjamin Smallbone. It will premiere tonight (Aug. 29) on YouTube at 11 p.m. CT.
“Hearing Dolly sing that chorus and those words was an out of body experience for us as writers and artists,” says Joel Smallbone, one half of for KING & COUNTRY. “As soon as we heard her vocals on the track, we immediately realized that this song was meant for her voice.”
“God Only Knows” held the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Christian Songs chart for 11 weeks, recently took home Song of the Year honors at the K-LOVE awards, and received a Dove Award nom for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year. Additionally, the song hit Top 30 on Mediabase and Billboard’s Hot AC charts while garnering 330 million radio impressions and over 65 million streams across all digital platforms.
Austen Adams Named Chief Operating Officer Of Big Loud
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto Credit: Amy Allmand
Austen Adams has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of Big Loud Records and its publishing divisions. He’ll start in his new role Sept. 15.
Adams, a Louisiana native, built a respected Nashville entertainment law practice and has represented artists and behind-the-scenes players within the industry for more than 15 years, structuring and negotiating everything from recording and publishing deals to joint ventures. Well-versed in the fields of digital distribution and intellectual-property protection, he’s also spent time as a day-to-day artist manager. Adams was named to the Leadership Music Class of 2018, and maintains membership in a wide range of legal professional and music business associations.
“Austen is coming to Big Loud at an exciting time,” said Big Loud’s Seth England. “We’ve worked with him for many years and have watched him become a leader in this industry. Admired for his strong character and high moral standards, Austen’s reputation is second to none. These traits align perfectly with our company’s culture and we couldn’t be prouder to have him on board. With an amazing roster of artists, innovative executive team, and a family-oriented atmosphere, the future is even more bright at Big Loud.”
“I have been lucky enough to work closely with Big Loud’s founding partners for many years and can’t wait to join the incredible teams they have put together,” said Adams. “I have always admired their talent, drive, and the cutting-edge approach they have taken in building such amazing companies. I couldn’t be more excited to become a member of the Big Loud family.”