Scotty McCreery has scored his seventh No. 1 hit this week with “Bottle Rockets,” his collaboration with Hootie & The Blowfish. The tune sits at the top spot on both the Billboard and Mediabase Country Airplay Charts. Since release, the song has averaged six million weekly streams.

“Any time your song hits No. 1, it feels great,” says McCreery. “To be able to hit No.1 with a song featuring a band you have loved your whole life is beyond amazing! Thanks to Hootie & The Blowfish for joining me on this song, thanks to Triple Tigers Records and Triple 8 Management for all their hard work, thanks to country radio and the streaming services, and thanks to the fans who have supported me from day one.”

The song was penned by McCreery, Brent Anderson, Derek George, Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Frank Rogers, Bobby Hamrick, Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber and Jim Sonefeld, with production by Rogers.

“We’re blessed that ‘Hold My Hand’ has lived a rather long life, and Scotty’s ‘Bottle Rockets’ has certainly given it a new one,” shares Sonefeld. “Thrilled to be part of this special rebirth!”

“All we had to do was light the fuse! Country radio took ‘Bottle Rockets’ and permanently imprinted it on the summer of 2025,” adds Kevin Herring, Co-President, Triple Tigers Records.

Zach Bryan. Photo: Clay Gibson

Zach Bryan performed the first-ever show at Michigan Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 27) for an audience of 112,408. The event marked the largest ever ticketed show in U.S history, and also set the merchandise sales record with $5 million. The show featured special guest John Mayer and support from Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen and Joshua Slone.

Bryan kicked off the show with “Overtime” and mixed many fan favorites into the 26 song set list including “Something in the Orange,” “Dawns,” “Oklahoma Smokeshow” and “Pink Skies,” among others. Mayer joined him for a cover of “Friend of the Devil” and a duet of “Better Days.” Bryan brought out The War and Treaty for “Hey Driver.” He ended the night with a nearly 30 minute performance of “Revival” during the encore.

Photo: Michigan Photography

Pictured (L-R): Jen Bontusa (SVP, Label Management, Virgin Music Group); Jordon Isbell (Director, Marketing, Virgin Music Group); Morgan Evans; John Mayer (Sr. Director, National Promotion and Streaming, Virgin Music Group) and René Symonds (Artist Manager, TaP Music).

Morgan Evans will partner with Virgin Music Group on his upcoming new music. Evans will drop his first track under the new partnership, “Beer Back Home,” on Oct. 10, with a full length album slated for early 2026.

“I’m stoked to partner with Virgin Music Group on this record,” says Evans. “They’ve built a global team that gets Nashville, Europe, Australia, and they get me. The industry’s changing fast, but their model keeps artists in control, especially creatively. I couldn’t be prouder of this new music or more excited to share it with the world alongside the legends at VMG. Let’s go!”

Hailing from Australia, Evans released his debut self-titled album in 2014, marking his burst into the country music scene. Over the course of his career, he has garnered more than 800 million streams. The new single “Beer Back Home” was recorded in Nashville, and co-produced by Evans and Todd Clark.

“Morgan is an artist dedicated to the continued growth of his loyal fanbase and country music around the world,” shares Jen Bontusa, SVP of Label Management for Virgin Music Group. “The Virgin Music Group global team will play an important role in helping to expand that fanbase with an incredible collection of new music. We can’t wait to get started.”

Evan’s next show will be a return to his hometown of Newcastle on Feb. 14 at Howlin’ Country Music Festival.

Ian Harrison.

Ian Harrison has been named CEO of A2IM, effective Oct. 1.

Harrison brings more than 20 years of leadership in the independent music sector. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Hopeless Records, guiding campaigns for more than 300 releases, selling over 15 million copies and earning over 20 Gold and Platinum certifications as well as securing No. 1 records in both the U.S. and the U.K. His work as part of the Hopeless Foundation (Sub City) has raised over 3.5 million dollars for a variety of music and mental health charities. He has been actively involved with A2IM since 2012 as an Indie Week committee member, five-time speaker, and mentor. He also serves on the Worldwide Independent Network’s board and has previously held a board seat with the Music Business Association. He has earned recognition on Billboard’s Indie Power Players list in 2024 and 2025, as well as the 30 Under 30 list earlier in his career.

“The independent community is stronger and more dynamic than ever, yet also facing accelerating challenges that will test our resilience and adaptability. A2IM exists to ensure our members can grow independently in the face of these changes and thrive on their own terms,” shares Harrison. “I am grateful to the A2IM Board for their trust as I step into the CEO role at such a pivotal moment. I take on this responsibility with a deep commitment to serving our community. I am especially grateful to Dr. Richard James Burgess for a decade of exceptional leadership that established A2IM as a vital voice in our industry, and to Lisa Hresko and the entire A2IM team whose dedication makes our work so impactful. This includes remembering our colleague Alex Machurov, whose contributions and spirit will remain part of A2IM’s legacy. I also want to thank Louis Posen and my colleagues at Hopeless Records, where I spent the past two decades, for shaping me as a leader and deepening my commitment to this community. Independent music has been my life’s work, and I am excited to serve in this new capacity. I look forward to working closely with our members, the global trade organization community, commercial partners, and policymakers to ensure independent voices remain at the center of the music industry’s future.”

Harrison succeeds Dr. Richard James Burgess, who will step down at the end of this year following a decade of service. Burgess built Indie Week and the Libera Awards into the world’s largest independent conference and award show, respectively and has spent his career lobbying for the rights of independent artists and labels in Washington, D.C., and globally.

“I am honored to have served this extraordinary community for the past decade, and I could not be more pleased to welcome Ian Harrison as A2IM’s next CEO,” adds Burgess. “Ian’s deep experience, and lifelong commitment to independent music position him perfectly to guide A2IM into its next chapter. I look forward to supporting a seamless transition and to watching him take the organization, and the indie community it represents, to new heights.”