Some of Dylan Scott‘s earliest childhood memories include riding in the car with his father, and listening to music from the late Keith Whitley. Today, Scott released An Old Memory—A Tribute To Keith Whitley, a project that finds Scott paying homage to Whitley’s influence by covering seven of his signature hits, such as “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” and “I’m Over You.”
Though country fans know Scott for the more pop-country oriented sounds of his chart-topping hit “My Girl,” he comes by his love of classic country music honestly. Not only did his father regularly listen to country traditionalists such as Whitley, he was also a guitarist for country artists including Freddie Hart and Freddy Fender.
When Scott signed his recording contract with Curb Records, it was his cover of Whitley’s “Between an Old Memory and Me” that caught the label’s attention.
“When I first came to Nashville, I met a guy named Charlie Craig, and I had no idea who he was,” Scott says. “I started writing with him only to soon discover that he was a co-writer on ‘Between an Old Memory and Me.’ Shortly thereafter, I recorded a demo of that song which eventually led to my record deal. From there, it wasn’t long before I had my Opry debut where I was honored to perform the song. To have this tribute record called An Old Memory, is a dream come true and completes the full circle.”
Scott recorded the EP at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio, the same studio where Whitley originally recorded many of the songs 30 years earlier. He also worked with several of Whitley’s original session musicians. Produced by Jim Ed Norman, Matt Alderman, and Curt Gibbs, the album features legendary and award-winning musicians, Mac McAnally, Eddie Bayers, Larry Paxton, Biff Watson, and Carl Jackson. Scott’s father, Scotty, joins on guitar for “When You Say Nothing At All.”
The EP also features both Whitley’s son, Jesse Keith Whitley, lending his voice to “I’m Over You.” Lorrie Morgan, Whitley’s wife at the time of his passing, joins Scott on “Tell Lorrie I Love Her.”
Scott will perform some of the songs from the EP, as well as tracks from his earlier EP release Nothing To Do Town, on the Grand Ole Opry on Aug. 27.
Industry Ink: NSAI, Gina Putman, Gospel Music Association
/by Haley CrowNSAI Honors Songwriter Beckie Foster
Pictured (L-R): Beckie Foster and Steve Bogard.
At the August Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) board meeting, President Steve Bogard presented songwriter Beckie Foster with a special unanimously-voted resolution from the NSAI Board thanking her for 35 years of service. Foster retired from the board earlier this year.
Celebration of Life Set for Gina Putman
A Celebration of Life for industry veteran Gina Putman has been set for Wednesday, Aug. 21 at 5:30 pm at Cabana in Nashville. Putman passed away on Monday, Aug. 5. She worked at Sony Tree for 14 years and Safford Motley PLC for two years before becoming a hair and makeup artist at BBC Salon in Nashville. Putman was the granddaughter of legendary songwriter Curly Putman. All are welcome to attend.
2019 GMA Summit
The 2019 Gospel Music Association Summit will be held Monday, Oct. 14 at Mockingbird Theater in Franklin, Tennessee. The second annual event will explore the impact of Latin CCM, Contemporary Music in the Catholic Church, the rise of voice-enabled technology and more. Speakers will include recording artist/author Erica Campbell; recording artist Evan Craft; Alex Davila, CEO/Public Relations Manager, Adarga Entertainment Group; Chris Nolin, VP Sales & Resource Development, WorshipNOW Publishing; Nate Sheets, CEO/Chief Steward, Nature Nate’s; and Julie Craig Ulmer, Senior Marketing Manager, Cracker Barrel. For more details click here.
Dylan Scott Pays Tribute To Keith Whitley On ‘An Old Memory’ EP
/by Jessica NicholsonSome of Dylan Scott‘s earliest childhood memories include riding in the car with his father, and listening to music from the late Keith Whitley. Today, Scott released An Old Memory—A Tribute To Keith Whitley, a project that finds Scott paying homage to Whitley’s influence by covering seven of his signature hits, such as “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” and “I’m Over You.”
Though country fans know Scott for the more pop-country oriented sounds of his chart-topping hit “My Girl,” he comes by his love of classic country music honestly. Not only did his father regularly listen to country traditionalists such as Whitley, he was also a guitarist for country artists including Freddie Hart and Freddy Fender.
When Scott signed his recording contract with Curb Records, it was his cover of Whitley’s “Between an Old Memory and Me” that caught the label’s attention.
“When I first came to Nashville, I met a guy named Charlie Craig, and I had no idea who he was,” Scott says. “I started writing with him only to soon discover that he was a co-writer on ‘Between an Old Memory and Me.’ Shortly thereafter, I recorded a demo of that song which eventually led to my record deal. From there, it wasn’t long before I had my Opry debut where I was honored to perform the song. To have this tribute record called An Old Memory, is a dream come true and completes the full circle.”
Scott recorded the EP at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio, the same studio where Whitley originally recorded many of the songs 30 years earlier. He also worked with several of Whitley’s original session musicians. Produced by Jim Ed Norman, Matt Alderman, and Curt Gibbs, the album features legendary and award-winning musicians, Mac McAnally, Eddie Bayers, Larry Paxton, Biff Watson, and Carl Jackson. Scott’s father, Scotty, joins on guitar for “When You Say Nothing At All.”
The EP also features both Whitley’s son, Jesse Keith Whitley, lending his voice to “I’m Over You.” Lorrie Morgan, Whitley’s wife at the time of his passing, joins Scott on “Tell Lorrie I Love Her.”
Scott will perform some of the songs from the EP, as well as tracks from his earlier EP release Nothing To Do Town, on the Grand Ole Opry on Aug. 27.
Bandzoogle to Host Artist Websites for CD Baby’s HostBaby
/by Lorie HollabaughHostBaby and Bandzoogle have joined forces, and Bandzoogle will be taking over hosting for artist websites powered by HostBaby, as CD Baby winds the service down.
Artists will keep the same domain, inbox, and other assets, as well as all hosting time purchased and all deals with CD Baby, and will also gain access to Bandzoogle features like highly customizable mobile-friendly templates, direct-to-fan eCommerce to sell music, merch, and tickets, as well as run crowdfunding and fan subscriptions, and integrations with popular platforms like Bandsintown and YouTube.
They expect to start migrating sites around the end of 2019 and HostBaby sites will eventually be migrated over to the Bandzoogle platform and will gain access to Bandzoogle’s amazing suite of tools.
New Tracks: Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Old Dominion, Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, Jon Pardi
/by Jessica NicholsonBlake Shelton and Trace Adkins have reunited following their 2010 hit “Hillbilly Bone,” and the new song, “Hell Right,” is every bit as rollicking and righteous as one would expect. The track was penned by David Garcia, Brett Tyler, and Michael Hardy (who also goes by HARDY as a solo artist).
Tanya Tucker takes on mortality in her new track, “Bring My Flowers Now,” the closing track on her upcoming album While I’m Livin’. The track is co-written by Tucker, Brandi Carlile and the twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth, and advises friends and family to invest in loved ones while they are still living with lyrics like, Don’t spend time, tears or money on my old breathless body/if your heart is in them flowers, bring ’em on.
Vince Gill drew from his own personal experience with an attempted sexual assault for “Forever Changed,” from his upcoming OKIE album. In 2018, Gill performed the song at the Ryman Auditorium as part of the UMG Nashville artist showcase during Country Radio Seminar.
“I knew it was important for people to hear—it’s a real thing and you can’t sweep it under the rug,” Gill says, “It’s a story about sexual abuse and grew out of an incident that happened to me in junior high school—I was lucky and I escaped, but who knows how my life could have been different had I not gotten away.”
Old Dominion released a second track from their upcoming album, following the recent track “One Man Band.” The new track, “My Heart is a Bar,” was written by OD band members Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi, alongside Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.
Ramsey said of the song, “’My Heart is a Bar’ might be the loneliest sing-a-long of all time. It’s a song about feeling alone and used and pissed off at love to the point of throwing up your hands and saying ‘screw this!’ That’s a feeling a lot of people can identify with. It’s lonely and liberating at the same time. That’s why we decided to treat this like a big bar-room-sing-along so we can all sing and say ‘screw this!’ together!”
Brett Young continues revealing songs from his upcoming album The Acoustic Sessions (out Sept. 13 on BMLG Records), with an acoustic take on the autobiographical song “Chapters.” The song reunites Young with co-writer Gavin DeGraw, as they recorded the stripped-down version of the song at Blackbird Studios in Nashville.
Tenille Townes‘ latest release “Jersey on the Wall,” is inspired by meeting a group of high school students in Grand Manan, Canada. Townes met the students after a group of five students had been in a tragic accident, where one of the students, Danielle, passed away.
Townes returned to the school’s graduation ceremony the following year, watching as Danielle’s parents were given her honorary scholarship. Townes noticed Danielle’s jersey on the wall. Swirling with emotions and questions about loss and spirituality, Townes went in a writing session with Gordie Sampson and Tina Parole months later, where she penned “Jersey on the Wall.”
Jon Pardi released another track from his upcoming album, Heartache Medication (Capitol Nashville), due Sept. 27. “Tequila Little Time” begins with a bright horn section, followed by Pardi’s tongue-in-cheek proposition to spend more time with potential lover.
Tracy Lawrence Celebrates The American Spirit With New Album ‘Made In America’
/by Lorie HollabaughMade In America pays homage to the hard-working men and women of America and their pride and never-failing work ethic, and the album features a mix of authentic country and some rock and blues. Lawrence penned eight of the 12 tracks himself, with writers like Carson Chamberlain, Rick Huckaby, and Mark Nesler, and the project includes a Chris Stapleton/Shawn Camp cut, “Givin’ Momma Reasons To Pray,” as well.
“This is my most personal album I’ve ever made. It’s something I’m very proud of and celebrates the American worker and everything that’s good about our country,” said Lawrence. “I co-wrote a number of the songs, pouring my heart and soul in each of them. I feel it will resonate with my fans and country music lovers across this nation.”
Lawrence will be joining fellow Arkansas native, Justin Moore, as a co-headliner on his “Late Nights And Longnecks Tour” kicking off in January 2020.
Made In America Track Listing:
Made In America (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby, Paul Nelson)
Forgive Yourself (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby)
Running Out of People To Blame (Tracy Lawrence, Carson Chamberlain, Mark Nesler)
When The Cowboy’s Gone (Tracy Lawrence, Carson Chamerlain, Wyatt McCubbin)
Nothin’ Burns Like You (Tracy Lawrence, Carson Chamberlain, Mark Nesler)
First Step To Leaving (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby, Mark Nesler)
It Ain’t You (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby, Paul Nelson)
Givin’ Momma Reasons To Pray (Shawn Camp, Chris Stapleton)
Work On My Willie (Tracy Lawrence, Rick Huckaby, Flip Anderson)
Chicken Wire (Rick Huckaby, Monty Criswell)
Just The South Coming Out (Rick Huckaby, Wade Kirby)
Stay Back A Hundred Feet (Rick Huckaby, Money Criswell)
Industry Ink: ASCAP Master Class, Gotee Records, Big Loud
/by Lorie HollabaughASCAP Aids Writers In Summer Master Classes
(L-R): (front) ASCAP’s Kele Currier (far left), Mark Irwin (second from left), Rusty Gaston (second from right), ASCAP’s Holly Chester (far right) with June ASCAP Master Class participants
Summer installments of ASCAP’s newly-launched songwriter development series, ASCAP Master Class, were recently hosted at ASCAP’s Nashville offices by Assistant Vice President Kele Currier and Membership Manager Holly Chester. Each month, ASCAP Master Class provides a small group of promising new songwriters the opportunity to hear firsthand from a hit writer and receive song feedback from a publisher. The series is designed to equip writers with the knowledge to help hone their craft and expand their writing network. In June, hit songwriter Mark Irwin shared his expertise with the class alongside This Music’s Rusty Gaston. July’s Master Class installment featured hitmaker Byron Hill, while Endurance Music Group’s Josh Saxe provided the song feedback.
(L-R): ASCAP’s Holly Chester (far left), Byron Hill (second from left), Josh Saxe (center, front), ASCAP’s Kele Currier (far right) with July ASCAP Master Class participants
Courtnie Ramirez Joins Gotee Records Roster
Sean Stemaly Signs With Big Loud Records
(L-R): Lex Lipsitz (Artist Manager, Maverick), Kevin “Chief” Zaruk (Partner, Big Loud), Seth England (Partner, Big Loud), Sean Stemaly, Joey Moi (Partner, Big Loud)
Sean Stemaly has joined the Big Loud Records roster. He is releasing a new single, “Back On A Backroad,” today to all digital service providers. He’s currently working with Joey Moi on his Big Loud debut. Stemaly has penned more than 100 songs since his arrival in Nashville two years ago, including the standout “Georgia,” which has already garnered more than 1 million Spotify streams in the six months since its release.
“Sean Stemaly is a really great kid. When we first heard his indie-released “Georgia,” we knew he was unique. After meeting him, we had no doubt he could be a huge star,” says Big Loud partner Seth England. “Thank you Sean for trusting Big Loud with your bright future.”
YouTube To Stop Allowing Manual Copyright Claims On Short Music Clips
/by Jessica NicholsonBeginning in mid-September, YouTube will stop allowing copyright holders to make manual claims to monetize creator videos that include very short music clips or “unintentional” music.
“One concerning trend we’ve seen is aggressive manual claiming of very short music clips used in monetized videos,” YouTube said in a blog post. “These claims can feel particularly unfair, as they transfer all revenue from the creator to the claimant, regardless of the amount of music claimed.”
However, copyright holders can continue to block or disable monetization for videos, including those with short music clips, with the manual claiming tool. The change only affects claims made by the manual claiming tool, which requires copyright holders to review each video; the majority of claims are made using YouTube’s Content ID matching system.
“We acknowledge that these changes may result in more blocked content in the near-term, but we feel this is an important step toward striking the right balance over the long-term,” the company said via a statement. “Our goal is to unlock new value for everyone by powering creative reuse and content mashups, while fairly compensating all rightsholders.”
Sara Evans And The Barker Family Band To Release Live Album
/by Lorie HollabaughSara Evans, her daughter Olivia Barker (16) and son Avery Barker (19) are releasing a live album, Live From City Winery Nashville, on Aug. 30.
The 16-song collection chronicles the family band live in concert and showcases the tight family harmonies of Sara and Olivia on original songs and covers including Beyonce’s “XO” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” California trio Fairground Saints also guest on the closing track, Evans’ signature smash, “Born To Fly.”
Those pre-ordering the project now will instantly receive “A Little Bit Stronger” (8/16) and “Tennessee Whiskey” (8/23) ahead of the record’s release.
Live From City Winery Nashville Track Listing:
“Southern Cross”
“Four-Thirty”
“XO” featuring Olivia Barker
“Why Not Me”
“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
“Dreams”
“A Little Bit Stronger” featuring Sara Evans and Olivia Barker
“Otis Redding”
“Suds In The Bucket”
“So Far Away” featuring Olivia Barker
“Long Ride Home”
“Long Way Down”
“Not Over You”
“As” featuring Olivia Barker
“Tennessee Whiskey” featuring Olivia Barker
“Born To Fly” with special guests, Fairground Saints
Weekly Chart Report (8/16/19)
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
AMERICANAFEST Outlines Panel Offerings For 2019
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Americana Music Association has revealed the lineup for its 20th annual AMERICANAFEST conference, slated for The Westin Nashville on Sept. 11-13. This year’s keynote will include an interview with Brandi Carlile and Change the Conversation’s Tracy Gershon, as well as an artist development panel with NPR Music’s Bob Boilen as well as Jade Bird and Daniel Glass. The conference will include more than 60 panels and workshops and will bring more than 200 music industry members to discuss current issues with conference registrants.
The conference will also include: