Desure
A tour manager does whatever it takes to help an artist put on a good show. In the case of Desure (full name Josh Desure), that meant becoming a performer himself.
Desure recently wrapped a series of dates opening shows for BMLG trio Midland, including a stop at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville—but before he was opening shows for the band, he was their tour manager as the band made their way through the Texas honkytonk circuit and beyond. During one performance at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California, Desure filled in as an opening act.
“I think it was [Midland’s Mark Wystrach] who said, ‘Do you want to just get up and play some songs?’ They knew I had been writing songs and singing for a while, so I got up and played and they were like, ‘Yeah, you should probably sing instead.’” Desure recalls with a laugh. “The manager of the place said it reminded him of like in the ‘70s when bands would put their tour manager onstage to open for them, like a family affair.”
Desure has known the members of Midland for over 15 years, meeting Jess Carson, and later Mark Wystrach, through playing in Los Angeles bands. Desure grew up a childhood friend of Harper Smith, who later wed Midland’s Cameron Duddy. Desure had been working in photography and production in Los Angeles, until the guys in Midland asked him to try his hand at tour management.
“I quit my job and packed my car in like five minutes,” he recalls. “I drove to Texas the next day, got on the tour bus and left with them. Just left all my stuff baking in the car.”
Having no prior experience with tour management, Desure said the new gig came with some memorable learning curves.
“I rented an RV for us to travel in. An RV is meant to go from A to B and stay there. We were going all over the place in it. Everything was breaking, all the paneling was coming off, but we were playing smaller, more intimate shows and we were just having the best time.”
By the time he got onstage at the Crystal Palace, Desure may have been short on tour management experience, but he was more than ready to take his place on the other side of the mic. He had grown up listening to records by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, which proved a potent influence on Desure’s confessional style of songwriting. By his early teens, he was playing guitar and singing in bands of varying musical styles.
“I’ve tried to count how many bands I was in during high school,” he says. “I was in punk bands and rock ‘n’ roll bands; we did a lot of Black Sabbath songs. Black Sabbath is everything, I love that band so much. I think rock and country, they go hand-in-hand a bit; [Bob] Seger has that rasp; he could sing for a punk band.”
Now, Desure is signed with BRND MGMT (which also co-manages Midland in conjunction with Sandbox Entertainment) and has folded those country, rock and punk influences into his debut, self-titled EP, which released earlier this month on MEGA/Tuxedo Records.
One of the album’s most gut-wrenching songs, “Los Angeles,” reflects on Desure’s move to Texas and his need to retreat from the L.A. environment.
“I was partying a lot and had no sense—I was just crazy. I had to leave Los Angeles. I needed to get out and just wake up.”
Desure penned all the songs on the album by himself, with the exception of a lone cover of Bob Seger’s “Sailing Nights.”
“Songs are therapy through and through. If I don’t write for a few days, I start to feel odd and I have to get it out. I think it’s important. Sometimes people will come up after shows and let me know how they relate to what I write, and that means everything to me.”
Earlier this month, Desure opened two shows for Willie Nelson and is currently opening concerts for Dwight Yoakam.
“I still don’t believe it. Opening for Midland, even though these concerts are huge and sold out, these are still my best friends. But opening for Willie and Dwight, that’s just good affirmation for me and it’s also just unbelievable.”
Capitol CMG Publishing Hosts CCM Industry-Wide Female Songwriter Event
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured: Jovaun Woods, Hope Darst, Jamie MacDonald, Brittney Spencer, Carrie Karpinen, Ellie Holcomb, Kari Jobe, Elyssa Smith, Mia Fieldes, Lauren Strahm, Daniella Mason, Melody Noel, Meredith Andrews, Rita Springer, Mandisa Hundley, Hannah Hobbs, Lindsey Sweat, Jessica Bakken, Lauren Smith, Kenzie Walker, Melodie Malone, Krissy Nordhoff, Jerrica Matrone, Emily Franklin, Adaeze Noelle, Sydney Wilson, Janice Gaines, Tara Cruz, Allison Cruz, Emily Wyant, Brooke Figueroa, Lindy Cofer (Conant), Kirby Kaple, Nicole Serrano, Cammie Avers, Jessie Early, Calah Mikal, Jillian Edwards, Terrian Woods, Rhyan Shirley, Olivia Yokubonis, Leslie Jordan, Audrey Assad. Credit: Jordan Merrigan
Capitol CMG Publishing hosted 45 influential female songwriters, producers, and worship artists in Nashville on May 13-14, as a celebration of women who use their music to spread hope to the world. The inaugural “Women Who Worship Writing Camp” was used both as a time to connect and worship together, but also a time for songwriting collaboration. Among those who united for the two-day event including Audrey Assad, Bethel Music’s Lindy Conant-Cofer, Ellie Holcomb, Hillsong’s Hannah Hobbs, Jessie Early, Kari Jobe, Mandisa, Mia Fieldes, Passion’s Melodie Malone, Mia Fieldes, Rita Springer and Steffany Gretzinger.
“This vision of this writing camp came from the idea of wanting to create a space where these women could come together to support and encourage one another,” said Karrie Dawley, Vice President and Creative Director of Capitol CMG Publishing. “God took this idea and turned it into something way bigger than any of us could have imagined. These two days truly felt like the start of something bigger and we feel called to continue to find ways to support this movement and these amazing women who God is using to spread His truth around the world through the universal language of music.”
Pastor and author Alex Seeley alongside artist, worship leader and writer Rita Springer were among the contributors of the two-day event. Premier Productions, Multitracks, Worship Together, CCLI, ASCAP, Compassion, BMI, UMPG, WORD/CURB, SESAC, NSAI and sozo playlists served as sponsors and partners.
CD Baby Announces Partnership With Mastering Service CloudBounce
/by LB CantrellCD Baby is announcing a partnership with automated mastering platform CloudBounce to assist their artists in the mastering process. The service costs only $4.90 per track.
CloudBounce’s algorithm-driven mastering service includes uploading a high-res file onto a separate server and then, within minutes, the mastering process is complete. Artists can then accept the final cut or tinker with a number of settings to tweak the results.
“A large segment of the indie artist community is drastically changing how they release music. There is definitely a shift to releasing songs as soon as they are finished instead of the traditional album release,” said Kevin Breuner, VP of Marketing at CD Baby. “As artists release more and more singles, this gives them mastering options that fit within their budget and workflow. CloudBounce ensures these artists’ master recordings have the final touches needed to sound totally pro.”
“Mastering engineers can do amazing work, but aren’t always accessible to all artists or right for all projects. Automated mastering is a perfect solution for self-managed and emerging artists,” said CloudBounce CEO Anssi Uimonen. “A mastered recording simply sounds more professional, giving it that polish that makes it far more likely to get it onto a high-trafficked playlist. It should be the standard for all artists.”
CD Baby Announces Partnership With Mastering Service CloudBounce
/by LB CantrellCD Baby is announcing a partnership with automated mastering platform CloudBounce to assist their artists in the mastering process. The service costs only $4.90 per track.
CloudBounce’s algorithm-driven mastering service includes uploading a high-res file onto a separate server and then, within minutes, the mastering process is complete. Artists can then accept the final cut or tinker with a number of settings to tweak the results.
“A large segment of the indie artist community is drastically changing how they release music. There is definitely a shift to releasing songs as soon as they are finished instead of the traditional album release,” said Kevin Breuner, VP of Marketing at CD Baby. “As artists release more and more singles, this gives them mastering options that fit within their budget and workflow. CloudBounce ensures these artists’ master recordings have the final touches needed to sound totally pro.”
“Mastering engineers can do amazing work, but aren’t always accessible to all artists or right for all projects. Automated mastering is a perfect solution for self-managed and emerging artists,” said CloudBounce CEO Anssi Uimonen. “A mastered recording simply sounds more professional, giving it that polish that makes it far more likely to get it onto a high-trafficked playlist. It should be the standard for all artists.”
Industry Ink: Scooter Braun, MTSU, Altadena, Three Hounds Music
/by Jessica NicholsonScooter Braun Visits With MTSU Students
MTSU students Thomas Reid, Natalie Madigan, Chloe Kimes, Victoria Haft, and Dustin Neely; Scooter Braun, MTSU students Austin Sawyer, Jordyn Stoddard, Abby Gibson, Josh Morton, Tatyana Carter, Daniel Rowland, Faith Cotto; MTSU Professor Matthew O’Brien
Students from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) visited the SB Projects offices in Santa Monica, California recently. Artist manager and SB Projects founder Scooter Braun opened up his office to the students, and participated in an hour-long Q&A session.
Altadena Adds Creative Coordinator
Julia Keefe
Belmont University graduate Julia Keefe has joined Altadena as Creative Coordinator.
Altadena, a publishing, label and artist development company formed by songwriter/producer busbee, is partnered with Warner Chappell Music Publishing, Warner Bros. Records, and Red Light Entertainment.
“Julia has brought significant value to Altadena and our diverse roster during the course of her internship. We’re thrilled to have her officially onboard and to work alongside her as we build Altadena together,” busbee says.
Three Hounds Music Expands Roster
Pictured: (Seated) Songwriter/Artist Max Flinn; (Standing, L-R): Tom Harrison, President Three Hounds Music and Al Staehely, entertainment attorney.
Three Hounds Music has entered into an exclusive publishing agreement with singer/songwriter Max Flinn. Flinn, a Houston native, recently released a single “Anywhere But Austin” and is on a radio promotion tour throughout Texas.
“I’m thrilled to have Max Flinn join our family,” said Tom Harrison, President, Three Hounds Music. “Max is an exceptionally gifted singer/songwriter and, as a fellow Houstonian, I’ve enjoyed watching his talent grow across the state of Texas as well as Nashville. We can’t wait to see what is next for Max.”
“I’m excited to be working with Tom Harrison and the entire Three Hounds team in this new phase of my career,” said Flinn. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the future will bring with them.”
The Three Hounds roster also includes Bobby Terry, David Tolliver and Sarah Beth Terry. The company, formed by Houston-based publisher and musician Tom Harrison, has offices in Houston and Nashville.
Industry Ink: Scooter Braun, MTSU, Altadena, Three Hounds Music
/by Jessica NicholsonScooter Braun Visits With MTSU Students
MTSU students Thomas Reid, Natalie Madigan, Chloe Kimes, Victoria Haft, and Dustin Neely; Scooter Braun, MTSU students Austin Sawyer, Jordyn Stoddard, Abby Gibson, Josh Morton, Tatyana Carter, Daniel Rowland, Faith Cotto; MTSU Professor Matthew O’Brien
Students from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) visited the SB Projects offices in Santa Monica, California recently. Artist manager and SB Projects founder Scooter Braun opened up his office to the students, and participated in an hour-long Q&A session.
Altadena Adds Creative Coordinator
Julia Keefe
Belmont University graduate Julia Keefe has joined Altadena as Creative Coordinator.
Altadena, a publishing, label and artist development company formed by songwriter/producer busbee, is partnered with Warner Chappell Music Publishing, Warner Bros. Records, and Red Light Entertainment.
“Julia has brought significant value to Altadena and our diverse roster during the course of her internship. We’re thrilled to have her officially onboard and to work alongside her as we build Altadena together,” busbee says.
Three Hounds Music Expands Roster
Pictured: (Seated) Songwriter/Artist Max Flinn; (Standing, L-R): Tom Harrison, President Three Hounds Music and Al Staehely, entertainment attorney.
Three Hounds Music has entered into an exclusive publishing agreement with singer/songwriter Max Flinn. Flinn, a Houston native, recently released a single “Anywhere But Austin” and is on a radio promotion tour throughout Texas.
“I’m thrilled to have Max Flinn join our family,” said Tom Harrison, President, Three Hounds Music. “Max is an exceptionally gifted singer/songwriter and, as a fellow Houstonian, I’ve enjoyed watching his talent grow across the state of Texas as well as Nashville. We can’t wait to see what is next for Max.”
“I’m excited to be working with Tom Harrison and the entire Three Hounds team in this new phase of my career,” said Flinn. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the future will bring with them.”
The Three Hounds roster also includes Bobby Terry, David Tolliver and Sarah Beth Terry. The company, formed by Houston-based publisher and musician Tom Harrison, has offices in Houston and Nashville.
BBR Music Group Adds Elvie Shane To Roster
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (Front row, L-R): Jon Loba (EVP, BBR Music Group), Elvie Shane, Chris Poole (Director A&R, BBR Music Group). (Back row, L-R): Sara Knabe (VP A&R, BBR Music Group), Carson James (SVP Promotion, BBR Music Group), Colton McGee (Director of Business and Legal Affairs, BBR Music Group), Caleb Tooker (UTA), Travis James (UTA), Lisa Johnson (Rome Phrey Publishing), R.J. Romeo (Rome Phrey Publishing), Lance Roberts (UTA). Photo: Cody Heckber
BBR Music Group has signed Kentucky native Elvie Shane, whose song and video for “My Boy,” a song he wrote for his stepson, gained traction in 2018. Music fans may also know Shane from his stint on American Idol in 2016.
Shane is booked by United Talent Agency and is signed to Nashville-based Rome Phrey Publishing.
“The second that I walked into BBR, I became dead set on becoming a part of their team. There was such a sense of respect and camaraderie between the team and I could tell that we share the same type of values—it just immediately felt like home,” said Shane. “BBR and BMG always strive to find iconic artists and I feel so blessed to now be a part of their incredible roster. It’s a dream come true.”
“The first time I heard ‘My Boy’ it had me and our SVP of Promotion, Carson James in tears and it garnered the same reaction from many people throughout the building. As we dug in deeper from there, we got to know Elvie as an accomplished writer and storyteller,” said Jon Loba, EVP BBR Music Group. “Seeing our director of A&R, Chris Poole’s passionate belief in Elvie and his unique sound made us even more confident that Elvie needed to be a part of the BBR family.”
Shane will be performing on the Broadway Stage during CMA Fest, as well as at the inaugural Twin Cities Summer Jam on July 19.
BBR Music Group Adds Elvie Shane To Roster
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (Front row, L-R): Jon Loba (EVP, BBR Music Group), Elvie Shane, Chris Poole (Director A&R, BBR Music Group). (Back row, L-R): Sara Knabe (VP A&R, BBR Music Group), Carson James (SVP Promotion, BBR Music Group), Colton McGee (Director of Business and Legal Affairs, BBR Music Group), Caleb Tooker (UTA), Travis James (UTA), Lisa Johnson (Rome Phrey Publishing), R.J. Romeo (Rome Phrey Publishing), Lance Roberts (UTA). Photo: Cody Heckber
BBR Music Group has signed Kentucky native Elvie Shane, whose song and video for “My Boy,” a song he wrote for his stepson, gained traction in 2018. Music fans may also know Shane from his stint on American Idol in 2016.
Shane is booked by United Talent Agency and is signed to Nashville-based Rome Phrey Publishing.
“The second that I walked into BBR, I became dead set on becoming a part of their team. There was such a sense of respect and camaraderie between the team and I could tell that we share the same type of values—it just immediately felt like home,” said Shane. “BBR and BMG always strive to find iconic artists and I feel so blessed to now be a part of their incredible roster. It’s a dream come true.”
“The first time I heard ‘My Boy’ it had me and our SVP of Promotion, Carson James in tears and it garnered the same reaction from many people throughout the building. As we dug in deeper from there, we got to know Elvie as an accomplished writer and storyteller,” said Jon Loba, EVP BBR Music Group. “Seeing our director of A&R, Chris Poole’s passionate belief in Elvie and his unique sound made us even more confident that Elvie needed to be a part of the BBR family.”
Shane will be performing on the Broadway Stage during CMA Fest, as well as at the inaugural Twin Cities Summer Jam on July 19.
Newcomer Desure Talks Journey From Midland’s Tour Manager To Opening Act [Interview]
/by Jessica NicholsonDesure
A tour manager does whatever it takes to help an artist put on a good show. In the case of Desure (full name Josh Desure), that meant becoming a performer himself.
Desure recently wrapped a series of dates opening shows for BMLG trio Midland, including a stop at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville—but before he was opening shows for the band, he was their tour manager as the band made their way through the Texas honkytonk circuit and beyond. During one performance at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California, Desure filled in as an opening act.
“I think it was [Midland’s Mark Wystrach] who said, ‘Do you want to just get up and play some songs?’ They knew I had been writing songs and singing for a while, so I got up and played and they were like, ‘Yeah, you should probably sing instead.’” Desure recalls with a laugh. “The manager of the place said it reminded him of like in the ‘70s when bands would put their tour manager onstage to open for them, like a family affair.”
Desure has known the members of Midland for over 15 years, meeting Jess Carson, and later Mark Wystrach, through playing in Los Angeles bands. Desure grew up a childhood friend of Harper Smith, who later wed Midland’s Cameron Duddy. Desure had been working in photography and production in Los Angeles, until the guys in Midland asked him to try his hand at tour management.
“I quit my job and packed my car in like five minutes,” he recalls. “I drove to Texas the next day, got on the tour bus and left with them. Just left all my stuff baking in the car.”
Having no prior experience with tour management, Desure said the new gig came with some memorable learning curves.
“I rented an RV for us to travel in. An RV is meant to go from A to B and stay there. We were going all over the place in it. Everything was breaking, all the paneling was coming off, but we were playing smaller, more intimate shows and we were just having the best time.”
By the time he got onstage at the Crystal Palace, Desure may have been short on tour management experience, but he was more than ready to take his place on the other side of the mic. He had grown up listening to records by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, which proved a potent influence on Desure’s confessional style of songwriting. By his early teens, he was playing guitar and singing in bands of varying musical styles.
“I’ve tried to count how many bands I was in during high school,” he says. “I was in punk bands and rock ‘n’ roll bands; we did a lot of Black Sabbath songs. Black Sabbath is everything, I love that band so much. I think rock and country, they go hand-in-hand a bit; [Bob] Seger has that rasp; he could sing for a punk band.”
Now, Desure is signed with BRND MGMT (which also co-manages Midland in conjunction with Sandbox Entertainment) and has folded those country, rock and punk influences into his debut, self-titled EP, which released earlier this month on MEGA/Tuxedo Records.
One of the album’s most gut-wrenching songs, “Los Angeles,” reflects on Desure’s move to Texas and his need to retreat from the L.A. environment.
“I was partying a lot and had no sense—I was just crazy. I had to leave Los Angeles. I needed to get out and just wake up.”
Desure penned all the songs on the album by himself, with the exception of a lone cover of Bob Seger’s “Sailing Nights.”
“Songs are therapy through and through. If I don’t write for a few days, I start to feel odd and I have to get it out. I think it’s important. Sometimes people will come up after shows and let me know how they relate to what I write, and that means everything to me.”
Earlier this month, Desure opened two shows for Willie Nelson and is currently opening concerts for Dwight Yoakam.
“I still don’t believe it. Opening for Midland, even though these concerts are huge and sold out, these are still my best friends. But opening for Willie and Dwight, that’s just good affirmation for me and it’s also just unbelievable.”
Newcomer Desure Talks Journey From Midland’s Tour Manager To Opening Act [Interview]
/by Jessica NicholsonDesure
A tour manager does whatever it takes to help an artist put on a good show. In the case of Desure (full name Josh Desure), that meant becoming a performer himself.
Desure recently wrapped a series of dates opening shows for BMLG trio Midland, including a stop at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville—but before he was opening shows for the band, he was their tour manager as the band made their way through the Texas honkytonk circuit and beyond. During one performance at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California, Desure filled in as an opening act.
“I think it was [Midland’s Mark Wystrach] who said, ‘Do you want to just get up and play some songs?’ They knew I had been writing songs and singing for a while, so I got up and played and they were like, ‘Yeah, you should probably sing instead.’” Desure recalls with a laugh. “The manager of the place said it reminded him of like in the ‘70s when bands would put their tour manager onstage to open for them, like a family affair.”
Desure has known the members of Midland for over 15 years, meeting Jess Carson, and later Mark Wystrach, through playing in Los Angeles bands. Desure grew up a childhood friend of Harper Smith, who later wed Midland’s Cameron Duddy. Desure had been working in photography and production in Los Angeles, until the guys in Midland asked him to try his hand at tour management.
“I quit my job and packed my car in like five minutes,” he recalls. “I drove to Texas the next day, got on the tour bus and left with them. Just left all my stuff baking in the car.”
Having no prior experience with tour management, Desure said the new gig came with some memorable learning curves.
“I rented an RV for us to travel in. An RV is meant to go from A to B and stay there. We were going all over the place in it. Everything was breaking, all the paneling was coming off, but we were playing smaller, more intimate shows and we were just having the best time.”
By the time he got onstage at the Crystal Palace, Desure may have been short on tour management experience, but he was more than ready to take his place on the other side of the mic. He had grown up listening to records by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, which proved a potent influence on Desure’s confessional style of songwriting. By his early teens, he was playing guitar and singing in bands of varying musical styles.
“I’ve tried to count how many bands I was in during high school,” he says. “I was in punk bands and rock ‘n’ roll bands; we did a lot of Black Sabbath songs. Black Sabbath is everything, I love that band so much. I think rock and country, they go hand-in-hand a bit; [Bob] Seger has that rasp; he could sing for a punk band.”
Now, Desure is signed with BRND MGMT (which also co-manages Midland in conjunction with Sandbox Entertainment) and has folded those country, rock and punk influences into his debut, self-titled EP, which released earlier this month on MEGA/Tuxedo Records.
One of the album’s most gut-wrenching songs, “Los Angeles,” reflects on Desure’s move to Texas and his need to retreat from the L.A. environment.
“I was partying a lot and had no sense—I was just crazy. I had to leave Los Angeles. I needed to get out and just wake up.”
Desure penned all the songs on the album by himself, with the exception of a lone cover of Bob Seger’s “Sailing Nights.”
“Songs are therapy through and through. If I don’t write for a few days, I start to feel odd and I have to get it out. I think it’s important. Sometimes people will come up after shows and let me know how they relate to what I write, and that means everything to me.”
Earlier this month, Desure opened two shows for Willie Nelson and is currently opening concerts for Dwight Yoakam.
“I still don’t believe it. Opening for Midland, even though these concerts are huge and sold out, these are still my best friends. But opening for Willie and Dwight, that’s just good affirmation for me and it’s also just unbelievable.”
Pandora Teams With Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris For “Sound Of Summer” Campaign
/by Jessica NicholsonPandora has teamed with artists including Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris for the summer release of its “Sound On” brand campaign, which features personalized playlists tailored to individual users, songs of summer predictions, and live experiences/activations around the country.
“As the temperature heats up, so does the speculation over what will become this year’s song of summer,” said Brad Minor, VP of brand marketing & communications at Pandora. “The reality is, everyone’s song of summer is different and is revealed over time. At Pandora, we want to create inspiring experiences on our platform – and out in the world – to empower our listeners to discover the unique summer soundtrack that helps them live their lives at full volume.”
Pandora is teaming up with DJ Khaled for a “Sound of Summer” kick-off party on May 22—the first in a series of events popping up across the country. The series will culminate with a surprise performance featuring one of the biggest names in music, who Pandora predicts will be a fixture on summer playlists. Additional activations will roll out at Hangout Fest, Electric Forest, Firefly Music Festival, Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, CMA Fest and WorldPride.
This summer’s rollout marks the third iteration of Pandora’s seasonal “Sound On” campaign, which first launched in November 2018 with a winter theme focused on shared holiday moments. In March 2019, Pandora extended the campaign with a large-scale spring installment, amplifying the emotional hallmarks of the season: renewal, inspiration and discovery.