When Neil Mason isn’t playing shows and recording as part of BMLG band The Cadillac Three (known for their Gold-certified single “The South”), he is helping other artists and songwriters build their own careers via his own company Badlands Management.
Among the artists and writers on the Badlands Management roster are Austin Jenckes, who released the single “If You Grew Up Like I Did” and has played supporting slots for Brothers Osborne, and Ashley McBryde, as well as Josh Dunne, who co-wrote the Brantley Gilbert/Lindsay Ell hit “What Happens In A Small Town,” and Stephen Carey.
Also on the roster is hit songwriter and newcomer artist Ray Fulcher, well known for co-writing eight tracks on Luke Combs’ record-breaking No. 1 album This One’s For You, including the Triple-Platinum certified single “When It Rains It Pours.” Fulcher is a co-writer on three of the five songs on Combs’ new EP, The Prequel and is on Combs’ “Beer Never Broke My Heart” summer tour, before he launches his own headlining tour this fall.
On May 24, Fulcher and Badlands independently released the six-song EP, Somebody Like Me, which has since earned more than 10 million streams on the various DSPs. Spearheading the project has been the infectious track “Anything Like You Dance,” which has gained more than 6 million streams.
“It’s a really exciting time to be an independent artist,” Mason says. “I think streaming is changing the game and fixing a lot of the game for major labels, but it can be such a big thing for an independent artist to get of the ground. The DSPs have all been really good partners for us and they were willing to meet and listen to music really early on. They were great about discussing programs they are developing in each of the companies and what the opportunities are to plug in with each of them. It’s just kind of the Wild West right now, in a good way.”
Neil and Ray talked with MusicRow about the release of Somebody Like Me, the launch of Badlands Management, and centering an artist’s early career on streaming and touring.
Neil, how did Badlands Management start?
Mason: With Austin Jenckes. I had been his publisher for a few years. When that came to an end, he was having a baby and was looking to make a record. We had a really good thing with the publishing thing was just running its course.
We used to be roommates and I was his first co-write when he moved to Nashville; we had a long history of knowing each other. I said I wouldn’t mind taking a shot at management. So, that was where it started. I’ve developed artists more on the musical side, like producing and writing side and then Ray came along this past year. He had a lot of his EP already close to done and Jonathan Singleton was producing it. We got into that at the end of last year.
You wear a lot of hats being in a band, learn the touring side, meet a lot of promoters, dealing with booking agents, typically having a manager yourself, seeing the inner workings of their company and dealing with labels. This is my third band and third record deal so I’ve seen a lot of pieces of those puzzles, and I think that it just happened as a natural progression. The other thing is, I just find there is a lot of downtime on the road and we work from our phones most of the time anyway. I’m in Nashville a few times a week and most of the time that ends up being enough.
Why was this the right management fit for both of you?
Fulcher: After the first couple of times we met, I felt like our vision was in line and it was worth exploring. [The Cadillac Three] has done a great job building a fanbase. So I knew it would be someone I can lean on for that. But he also knew a lot of things about the business that I didn’t. For me, more than anything, I knew he was a guy who would speak for me and it would come across the way I wanted it to. And he treats people well in this town and not everyone is that way.
Mason: The thing I really saw was that Ray has a really strong work ethic and a good vision for what he’s about as a songwriter, as an artist and as a storyteller. He understands that getting this thing off the ground, it’s not necessarily about whether you have a record deal or waiting for that. When you are ready to go and you have the music…when Ray and I met he almost had the EP to a place where it was ready.
Neil Mason
What was it about these songs that made you feel like they were songs you wanted to sing as an artist?
Fulcher: For me, the challenge was by the time I put it out these songs, it had been three years, and in the meantime, I’m blessed to have that success with Luke. But at the time, Luke didn’t have a record deal when we wrote those songs, and those could have easily just been my songs, but they weren’t so I had to figure out how to write songs that spoke in the same language but didn’t sonically sound like that. After that, the question was just “What do I want these six songs to be?’”I wanted each song to be a different layer of who I am as a writer and an artist. We wanted to use those songs as a template for what the music looks like going forward.
Did you want to be an artist when you came to town?
Fulcher: I came to town wanting to be an artist, but I had no idea of how it worked. The songwriting thing was just something I started when I got here because I have a passion for writing but that’s also just what you do—everybody writes, everybody plays. I started writing, and I had done like five or six songs in my life, but luckily it was something that came kind of natural. So it just happened that songwriting came first, which I’m thankful for.
Neil, The Cadillac Three started early in building an international fanbase. Is that something you are looking at even now as you build Ray’s career as an artist?
Mason: There is an opportunity in Canada and in the UK and Europe. They are each kind of their own animal. The UK is in a unique spot right now because the country scene as a whole is growing. The fans are gravitating towards it, so there is a real opportunity there. Also, geographically, it’s just a smaller country so it’s easier to navigate than Canada or even the United States for that matter.
The idea was to get this EP out and then look at going overseas in 2020. [The Cadillac Three] didn’t have a huge fan base here when we started over in the UK, but the first show we put on sale over in the UK, it was a 100-person club and it sold out. We may as well have thought we sold out an arena, you know? The biggest thing I’ve seen with that fanbase is consistency. If you are loyal to them, they are loyal back.
In the conversations Ray and I had early on before we started working together, I realized he had that drive to keep going back. If you play that 100-person club this time, you want to play a 300-person venue the next time. We were very like minded in that approach, so we’ve been approaching all the headlining touring in the states, too. The financial investment is the hardest part about jumping into that whole thing. You are not only putting that money down on that one trip, you are saying you are going to put that money down three or four times next year and the year after. It can take 10 times before you are actually making money on that investment, but I think the payoff is in the fans and the loyalty. The fans over there are more than just singles-based fans. They know the whole record.
Are you guys shopping for a label deal?
Mason: It’s a constant conversation. I think what we are looking for is a partner who understands who Ray is, what he’s about and the stories he wants to tell as an artist. As we continue to build off of the streaming numbers and touring, we’ll continue to get closer to figuring out who a right partner might be.
Ray, what have you learned from Luke Combs, just from being in the writing rooms and being out on the road?
One thing that he’s always said is, and I think you see that it’s worked for him, is “Never operate out of fear.” If there is something you want to try and you believe in it, and your team believes in it don’t let the fear of how it is going to be received control what you do. I think he’s led his career like that and it’s worked.
We’ve had conversations about the decisions we all have to make, like about record labels and publishing and management. He’s like, “It doesn’t matter what sign is on the front of the building, as long as that person believes in you and is your champion.” You could go some other place that could be more sexy or whatever, but if you’re just a number, it doesn’t matter.
Songwriter Ray Fulcher Jumpstarts Artist Career With Badlands Management’s Neil Mason [Interview]
/by Jessica NicholsonWhen Neil Mason isn’t playing shows and recording as part of BMLG band The Cadillac Three (known for their Gold-certified single “The South”), he is helping other artists and songwriters build their own careers via his own company Badlands Management.
Among the artists and writers on the Badlands Management roster are Austin Jenckes, who released the single “If You Grew Up Like I Did” and has played supporting slots for Brothers Osborne, and Ashley McBryde, as well as Josh Dunne, who co-wrote the Brantley Gilbert/Lindsay Ell hit “What Happens In A Small Town,” and Stephen Carey.
Also on the roster is hit songwriter and newcomer artist Ray Fulcher, well known for co-writing eight tracks on Luke Combs’ record-breaking No. 1 album This One’s For You, including the Triple-Platinum certified single “When It Rains It Pours.” Fulcher is a co-writer on three of the five songs on Combs’ new EP, The Prequel and is on Combs’ “Beer Never Broke My Heart” summer tour, before he launches his own headlining tour this fall.
On May 24, Fulcher and Badlands independently released the six-song EP, Somebody Like Me, which has since earned more than 10 million streams on the various DSPs. Spearheading the project has been the infectious track “Anything Like You Dance,” which has gained more than 6 million streams.
“It’s a really exciting time to be an independent artist,” Mason says. “I think streaming is changing the game and fixing a lot of the game for major labels, but it can be such a big thing for an independent artist to get of the ground. The DSPs have all been really good partners for us and they were willing to meet and listen to music really early on. They were great about discussing programs they are developing in each of the companies and what the opportunities are to plug in with each of them. It’s just kind of the Wild West right now, in a good way.”
Neil and Ray talked with MusicRow about the release of Somebody Like Me, the launch of Badlands Management, and centering an artist’s early career on streaming and touring.
Neil, how did Badlands Management start?
Mason: With Austin Jenckes. I had been his publisher for a few years. When that came to an end, he was having a baby and was looking to make a record. We had a really good thing with the publishing thing was just running its course.
We used to be roommates and I was his first co-write when he moved to Nashville; we had a long history of knowing each other. I said I wouldn’t mind taking a shot at management. So, that was where it started. I’ve developed artists more on the musical side, like producing and writing side and then Ray came along this past year. He had a lot of his EP already close to done and Jonathan Singleton was producing it. We got into that at the end of last year.
You wear a lot of hats being in a band, learn the touring side, meet a lot of promoters, dealing with booking agents, typically having a manager yourself, seeing the inner workings of their company and dealing with labels. This is my third band and third record deal so I’ve seen a lot of pieces of those puzzles, and I think that it just happened as a natural progression. The other thing is, I just find there is a lot of downtime on the road and we work from our phones most of the time anyway. I’m in Nashville a few times a week and most of the time that ends up being enough.
Why was this the right management fit for both of you?
Fulcher: After the first couple of times we met, I felt like our vision was in line and it was worth exploring. [The Cadillac Three] has done a great job building a fanbase. So I knew it would be someone I can lean on for that. But he also knew a lot of things about the business that I didn’t. For me, more than anything, I knew he was a guy who would speak for me and it would come across the way I wanted it to. And he treats people well in this town and not everyone is that way.
Mason: The thing I really saw was that Ray has a really strong work ethic and a good vision for what he’s about as a songwriter, as an artist and as a storyteller. He understands that getting this thing off the ground, it’s not necessarily about whether you have a record deal or waiting for that. When you are ready to go and you have the music…when Ray and I met he almost had the EP to a place where it was ready.
Neil Mason
What was it about these songs that made you feel like they were songs you wanted to sing as an artist?
Fulcher: For me, the challenge was by the time I put it out these songs, it had been three years, and in the meantime, I’m blessed to have that success with Luke. But at the time, Luke didn’t have a record deal when we wrote those songs, and those could have easily just been my songs, but they weren’t so I had to figure out how to write songs that spoke in the same language but didn’t sonically sound like that. After that, the question was just “What do I want these six songs to be?’”I wanted each song to be a different layer of who I am as a writer and an artist. We wanted to use those songs as a template for what the music looks like going forward.
Did you want to be an artist when you came to town?
Fulcher: I came to town wanting to be an artist, but I had no idea of how it worked. The songwriting thing was just something I started when I got here because I have a passion for writing but that’s also just what you do—everybody writes, everybody plays. I started writing, and I had done like five or six songs in my life, but luckily it was something that came kind of natural. So it just happened that songwriting came first, which I’m thankful for.
Neil, The Cadillac Three started early in building an international fanbase. Is that something you are looking at even now as you build Ray’s career as an artist?
Mason: There is an opportunity in Canada and in the UK and Europe. They are each kind of their own animal. The UK is in a unique spot right now because the country scene as a whole is growing. The fans are gravitating towards it, so there is a real opportunity there. Also, geographically, it’s just a smaller country so it’s easier to navigate than Canada or even the United States for that matter.
The idea was to get this EP out and then look at going overseas in 2020. [The Cadillac Three] didn’t have a huge fan base here when we started over in the UK, but the first show we put on sale over in the UK, it was a 100-person club and it sold out. We may as well have thought we sold out an arena, you know? The biggest thing I’ve seen with that fanbase is consistency. If you are loyal to them, they are loyal back.
In the conversations Ray and I had early on before we started working together, I realized he had that drive to keep going back. If you play that 100-person club this time, you want to play a 300-person venue the next time. We were very like minded in that approach, so we’ve been approaching all the headlining touring in the states, too. The financial investment is the hardest part about jumping into that whole thing. You are not only putting that money down on that one trip, you are saying you are going to put that money down three or four times next year and the year after. It can take 10 times before you are actually making money on that investment, but I think the payoff is in the fans and the loyalty. The fans over there are more than just singles-based fans. They know the whole record.
Are you guys shopping for a label deal?
Mason: It’s a constant conversation. I think what we are looking for is a partner who understands who Ray is, what he’s about and the stories he wants to tell as an artist. As we continue to build off of the streaming numbers and touring, we’ll continue to get closer to figuring out who a right partner might be.
Ray, what have you learned from Luke Combs, just from being in the writing rooms and being out on the road?
One thing that he’s always said is, and I think you see that it’s worked for him, is “Never operate out of fear.” If there is something you want to try and you believe in it, and your team believes in it don’t let the fear of how it is going to be received control what you do. I think he’s led his career like that and it’s worked.
We’ve had conversations about the decisions we all have to make, like about record labels and publishing and management. He’s like, “It doesn’t matter what sign is on the front of the building, as long as that person believes in you and is your champion.” You could go some other place that could be more sexy or whatever, but if you’re just a number, it doesn’t matter.
Better Than Ezra’s Kevin Griffin To Release First Solo Effort In October
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto Credit: Alysse Gafkjen
Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin is veering off on his own with his very first full-length solo album Anywhere You Go, set for release Oct. 4, via BMG. The album will tie into his Fall tour and is on sale now.
Over the past year, Griffin (who splits his time between Nashville and Los Angeles) started toying with ideas for the songs that would eventually comprise the new record. He reacquainted himself with classics such as Neil Young’s Harvest and Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks as well as devouring music from the likes of Dawes, Father John Misty, and Mac DeMarco, as he embarked on the solo journey.
“My guiding rule was to do something different; to just do the opposite of my first instinct,” said Griffin. “I wanted to bring all the music that I’m moved by into a collection of songs that didn’t pull from my usual bag of tricks. I started with no expectations, considerations, or concessions other than just wanting to make music that I loved, and I think because of that the whole process has been a joy. I wanted to make a collection of the music that inspires me—from when I was a kid in the seventies to the songs I hear on Spotify playlists now. The title speaks to that. Sonically, the songs go in a lot of different places.”
As a songwriter, Griffin is a a five-time BMI Pop Award winner and ARIAA Award winner. He has also landed multiple No. ones, including Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue” and Howie Day’s “Collide” and has had cuts for Christina Perri, Train, The Struts, Barenaked Ladies, Blondie, James Blunt, Moon Taxi, and many more, with his cumulative tally of album and song sales exceeding 30 million copies.
Griffin also co-founded and remains a partner in the popular Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival now in its fifth year. Past performers have included Justin Timberlake, Foo Fighters, and many more.
ANYWHERE YOU GO Tour Dates:
Oct. 3 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Oct. 4 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Oct. 8 Chicago, IL @ City Winery
Oct. 9 Chicago, IL @ City Winery
Oct. 12 Dallas, TX @ Kessler Theater
Oct. 13 Houston, TX @ Heights Theater
Oct. 24 Franklin, TN @ Franklin Theater
Oct. 25 Atlanta, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
Oct. 26 Atlanta, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
Nov. 3 Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café
Nov. 6 Denver, CO @ Soiled Dove
Nov. 7 Denver, CO @ Soiled Dove
Nov. 15 Philadelphia, PA @ City Winery **
Nov. 16 Pawling, NY @ Daryl’s House Club
Nov. 18 Boston, MA @ City Winery
Nov. 19 Washington D.C. @ City Winery **
Nov. 20 Annapolis, MD @ Ram’s Head *
Dec. 3-8 BMI Maui Event
* on sale August 6
**on sale August 9
Gone West, Ryan Hurd To Lead Island Hopper Songwriter Fest
/by Jessica NicholsonThe 10-day festival launches on Captiva Island Sept. 20-22, then moves to downtown Fort Myers, Sept. 23-26, and wraps up on Fort Myers Beach, Sept. 27-29. Island Hopper is the largest songwriter festival in Southwest Florida. This year, more than 70 singer-songwriters from around the country will perform more than 100 shows.
Gone West and Hurd will headline a show at Pinchers at The Marina at Edison Ford in Fort Myers on Sept. 25.
Songwriter Clint Daniels, who co-wrote the current hit, “Some of It” (performed by Eric Church), will perform on Captiva Island, along with Sam Williams, grandson of country legend Hank Williams, and Sawyer Fredericks, the season 8 winner of NBC’s The Voice. On Sept. 22, Florida Repertory Theatre in downtown Fort Myers will set the stage for a collaborative performance by Kristian Bush, half of the multi-Platinum selling duo Sugarland, and Gulf Coast Symphony, celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Island Hopper is produced by BMI, the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, iHeartMedia, and Cat Country 107.1.
Lauren Daigle’s “You Say” Makes Chart History
/by Jessica NicholsonLauren Daigle
Lauren Daigle‘s “You Say” has earned the singer-songwriter her first chart-topping single on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary Chart. Last year, the track spent 17 weeks atop the Billboard Christian Airplay chart, making it the first song to top both charts.
Daigle’s RIAA Gold-certified album Look Up Child is also the longest-running No. 1 album on the Top Christian Albums chart, having held the No. 1 spot for 42 weeks. The project took home Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at February’s Grammy Awards, while “You Say,” penned by Daigle alongside Jason Ingram and Paul Mabury, earned Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
Daigle recently played Lollapalooza and will take her Look Up Child World Tour overseas this fall, with dates in Barcelona, Madrid, London, Berlin, and more. She also recently released the video clip for “Rescue.”
Steven Curtis Chapman Celebrates Success Of ‘Deeper Roots’ With No. 1 Party
/by Lorie Hollabaugh(L-R:) Mark Mattingly (The Stable Collective), Steven Curtis Chapman, John Huie (CAA), Bryan Myers (CAA), Brent Milligan (Producer), Jeanie Kaserman (Vision Business Management), Makenzie Clayburg (Adkins Publicity)
Steven Curtis Chapman recently celebrated his chart-topping album, Deeper Roots: Where the Bluegrass Grows, at a No. 1 party in Nashville. The project earned the multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter his first No. 1 on the iTunes Country Albums chart, his second No. 1 Billboard Bluegrass Album, and 49th No. 1 single with “Dive” featuring Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame member Ricky Skaggs.
Deeper Roots, released via Chapman’s SCSEE Music Label, serves as the sequel to Chapman’s 2013 Billboard No. 1 Bluegrass Album Deep Roots, released exclusively with Cracker Barrel. Along with Skaggs, Chapman was also joined by Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts on the album for a collaboration on “‘Til The Blue,” penned by Chapman, Lori McKenna and Barry Dean.
The homage to Chapman’s rural Kentucky roots includes a mixture of familiar hymns like “Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad” and “I’ll Fly Away,” fan-favorite hits including “Cinderella” and brand-new songs such as “‘Til The Blue” and “Where The Bluegrass Grows.”
Rhett Walker, Jordan St. Cyr, Stillman, Joshua Micah Sign With First Company Management
/by Lorie HollabaughRhett Walker, Jordan St. Cyr, Stillman, and Joshua Micah have all joined the First Company Management roster.
“Our First Company team is honored to partner with these incredible artists who are already making such an impact in the industry,” said First Company general manager Mike McCloskey. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to walk alongside Rhett, Jordan, Stillman and Joshua to help steward each of their unique artistic endeavors.”
Nominated for a 2013 Grammy for the Rhett Walker Band hit single “When Mercy Found Me,” Walker is also a three-time GMA Dove Award nominee. The Rhett Walker Band released two full-length albums, while Walker’s self-titled debut EP bowed last year from Provident Label Group. Walker has toured with the Newsboys and MercyMe, among others.
Jordan St. Cyr is a 2019 recipient of five GMA Canada Covenant Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year and Song of the Year for his Canadian chart topper “In My Lifetime.” St. Cyr, who began his career leading worship, is currently at work on a new project, as well as touring throughout the US and Canada.
Singer/songwriter, worship leader and Little Rock native Jacob Stillman recently signed with The Creak Music (Integrity Music), a Nashville-based indie label founded by the production team of David Leonard, Seth Talley and Brad King. Known simply as Stillman, his single “Keep Movin’ On” has been streamed more than a million times across Spotify and Apple Music.
Rising to prominence via the social media app Vine, Joshua Micah has captured the attention of more than 750,000 fans and clocked over 130 million views on Vine and other social platforms. Signed to Chicago-based Hatch Music and booked by CAA, Micah’s singles “Parachute” and “Who Says?” both hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Hot AC/CHR chart in 2017.
First Company Management was established in 1995 by Christian music visionary Wes Campbell. Under the guidance of Campbell and Dave Wagner, the firm’s roster includes Newsboys, Ryan Stevenson, Martin Smith, 7eventh Time Down, Adam Agee, Stephen Christian, Cochren & Co., London Gatch and Conrad Johnson, Tasha Layton, and Jordan Lee Dooley. In addition, First Company played a significant role in the development of “God’s Not Dead,” one of the most successful faith-based film franchises of all time.
BMI To Honor John Hiatt With Troubadour Award
/by Jessica NicholsonJohn Hiatt
John Hiatt will receive BMI’s Troubadour Award at an upcoming private dinner held at BMI’s Nashville office on Sept. 9. The honor has only been previously given twice, to John Prine and Robert Earl Keen.
“John Hiatt is one of the most prolific songwriters of our time. The range of emotions his songs deliver is staggering and when he sings them you know you are hearing the truth,” says Jody Williams, VP, Creative, Nashville. “He is the quintessential singer-songwriter who has created a body of work that has attracted legends and new artists for decades. John’s one of the greatest American songwriters whose music knows no boundaries. We are thrilled to honor him with our Troubadour Award.”
Hiatt’s songs have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Emmylou Harris, Iggy Pop, Rosanne Cash, and the cartoon bear band of Disney’s film, The Country Bears. He earned a Grammy nomination for his 2001 album Crossing Muddy Waters, and shared a Grammy with B.B. King and Eric Clapton for their album Riding With The King (Hiatt wrote the title track). He has recorded 24 studio albums and earned nine total Grammy nominations. His latest album, The Eclipse Sessions, was released in 2018.
Hiatt was honored with the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting in 2008, and is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as Nashville’s Walk of Fame.
The private event will feature tribute performances and guest speakers, while The Troubadour Awards are sponsored by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey and FirstBank.
Billy Ray Cyrus, Dallas Smith To Co-Host 2019 CCMA Awards
/by Lorie HollabaughReigning CCMA Male Artist of the Year Dallas Smith and Billy Ray Cyrus are set to co-host the 2019 CCMA Awards presented by TD, which will air live on Global from Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome on Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. EST/PST.
This is the first time that Cyrus will be hosting an awards show and his first time taking the CCMA Awards stage. Cyrus has been making headlines since his 1992 breakout single “Achy Breaky Heart” and his recent country-rap, hybrid collaboration with Lil Nas X continues to break chart-topping records, hitting 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts making it the longest-running No. 1 single in history.
Ahead of the 2019 CCMA Awards, Dallas Smith and Billy Ray Cyrus each sat down with ET Canada‘s Cheryl Hickey to talk new music, hosting the award show, and more.
“I’m thrilled to be co-hosting this year’s CCMA Awards with Billy Ray Cyrus – he’s a legend!” shared Smith. “This is going to be a great time and I can’t wait to celebrate country’s biggest night with everyone.”
“This is really a full circle moment for me because I received my first ever platinum record plaque while I was in Canada in the ’90s. We also shot the series ‘Doc’ in Toronto, so it feels like coming home every time I’m in Canada. I’m really looking forward to co-hosting the show with Dallas,” said Cyrus.
Tickets to the 2019 CCMA Awards are available for purchase at ticketmaster.ca. For each ticket sold, $1 will go directly to the MusicCounts in support of their year-round music initiatives.
ABC’s ‘CMA Fest’ Brings In 4.69 Million Viewers
/by Jessica NicholsonABC’s CMA Fest led Sunday night (Aug. 4) in total viewers, with 4.69 million viewers tuning in across the show’s three-hour span, according to zap2it.com. CMA Fest earned the second-highest rating on the night, with a .8 rating in adults 18-49. The numbers were down slightly from the .9 rating and the 4.72 million that tuned in last year (in 2018, the show aired on a Wednesday).
This year’s show was hosted again by Thomas Rhett and Kelsea Ballerini, and featured an array of performances, including Carrie Underwood with Joan Jett, as well as a performance of “Old Town Road” from Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Keith Urban.
Nashville’s Music Industry Companies Take Part In “The Smitty” Corporate Band Challenge
/by Alex ParryW.O. Smith Music School is hosting “The Smitty Corporate Band Challenge” on Aug. 12, 13 and 20, 2019. Multiple corporate bands, comprised of a minimum 50% of a company’s employees, will compete to be crowned the most musically talented business in Nashville.
The preliminaries will be held Aug. 12 and 13; awards will be handed out at the finals on Aug. 20. Bands competing include employees from WME, CAA, Paradigm, Red Light Management, Warner Music, First Tennessee Bank, Advance Financial and Service Solutions. Judges include artists and industry experts. The event is sponsored by Warner Music, Jackson National Life Insurance, Curb Records, City National Bank, Enterprise Solutions and Advance Financial.
Ticket prices are $15 each night or $35 for all three nights. Tickets can be purchased here.