NSAI, SunTrust Bank Celebrate Nashville’s Chart-Topping Songwriters

On Monday (April 29), Analog at Hutton Hotel was filled with writers and industry members as they joined NSAI and SunTrust Bank to celebrate all Nashville-associated songwriters who earned a chart-topping hit on Billboard Airplay, Digital, Hot and/or Mediabase charts between November 2018-February 2019.

Songwriters in attendance were presented their awards by NSAI President, Steve Bogard, and NSAI Executive Director, Bart Herbison, as well as Ashleigh Overly of SunTrust Bank, the official sponsor of the party.

Songs and Writers Recognized
“She Got The Best of Me” – Luke Combs, Rob Snyder, Channing Wilson
“Hangin’ On” – Corey Crowder, Josh Hoge, Chris Young
“Best Shot” – Jimmie Allen, Josh London, J.P. Williams
“Lose It” – Kane Brown, Chase McGill, Will Weatherly
“Drunk Me” – Jordan Schmidt, Mitchell Tenpenny, Justin Wilson
“Speechless” – Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers, Laura Veltz
“Known” – Ethan Hulse, Jordan Sapp, Tauren Wells
“Good Girl” – Andy Albert, Justin Ebach, Dustin Lynch
“Burning Man” – Luke Dick, Bobby Pinson
“Girl Like You” – Jaron Boyer, Josh Mirenda, Michael Tyler
“Only Jesus” – Mark Hall, Bernie Herms, Matthew West
“This Is It” – Aaron Eshuis, Scotty McCreery, Frank Rogers
“What Makes You Country” – Luke Bryan, Dallas Davison, Ashley Gorley

Spotify Adds Three To Nashville Team

Spotify has added three to its Nashville team, MusicRow has confirmed.

Alison Junker, James Clauer and Jen Hoogerhyde have all joined the Spotify’s Nashville operation.

Junker has been named Manager, Artist & Label Marketing, Nashville, where she sits at the center of artists’ and labels’ relationships and campaigns with Spotify. She joins from Warner/Chappell’s A&R team. This role was previously held by Laura Ohls, who recently moved to Spotify’s Music Culture & Editorial team as a Senior Editor, focused on American music.

Clauer joins as Creative Producer to develop creative content, and direct Hot Country editorial and live performances. James was previously at CMT.

Hoogerhyde will serve as Creative Manager, Country, working cross-functionally across the development and implementation of creative content in the country genre. She also joins from CMT, and will work alongside Spotify’s Paul Logan, who has been promoted to Lead, Content Experiences.

Hootie & The Blowfish Add UK, Ireland Dates To Group Therapy Tour

Hootie & the Blowfish will play seven dates throughout the UK and Ireland this October following their 47-date U.S. and Canada run of shows.

The band will celebrate the soon-to-begin tour as part of National Concert Week with a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this Wednesday, May 1.

“I had the incredible opportunity to play the Royal Albert Hall in London last year, which was a bucket list night for me,” explained frontman Darius Rucker. “The fans there and everywhere else we played in Europe were so special. In talking with all of the guys about how special this year’s tour is going to be, we knew it wouldn’t be complete without a trip back across the pond to see our amazing fans there.”

Pre-sale for Hootie & the Blowfish email subscribers begins Wednesday, May 1 at 9 a.m., as does the O2 Priority pre-sale, with a C2C pre-sale to follow on May 2 at 9 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, May 3.

October 4          Dublin, Ireland | 3Arena*
October 6          Bristol, England | O2 Academy*
October 7          Leeds, England | O2 Academy*
October 9          Glasgow, Scotland | Barrowland*
October 12        London, England | Eventim Apollo*
October 15        Manchester, England | O2 Apollo*
October 16        Birmingham, England | O2 Academy*

RECORDS, Sony Music Nashville Announce New Partnership Deal With Matt Stell

Pictured (seated, L-R): Wide Open Music’s Ash Bowers, Matt Stell, RECORDS’ Barry Weiss, Sony Music Nashville’s COO/EVP Ken Robold. Standing (L-R): SMN’s EVP A&R Jim Catino, RECORDS’ Sara Gil, Wide Open Music’s Brendan Rich, Good Company Entertainment’s Jamice Jennings, SMN’s VP Sales & Streaming Caryl Atwood and EVP, Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges, Arista Nashville VP Promotion Josh Easler, Good Company Entertainment’s Keith Gale, RECORDS’ David Enriquez, and Matt Stell SMN marketing lead Liz Cost.

RECORDS, a joint venture between Barry Weiss and Sony Music Entertainment, and Sony Music Nashville have announced a new partnership surrounding singer-songwriter Matt Stell. Arista Nashville’s promotion and Sony Music Nashville’s marketing and media teams will become actively involved with promoting Stell’s music.

Arista Nashville will re-ship Stell’s debut single, “Prayed For You,” on May 6, with its official impact date set for May 28, continuing to work alongside Keith Gale and his Good Company Entertainment team. Making his debut Saturday on the Grand Ole Opry stage, Stell performed this song, which he co-penned with Ash Bowers and Allison Veltz. “Prayed For You” has already garnered over 44 million on-demand audio streams and over 374,000 consumption units.

Stell was brought to RECORDS by Ash Bowers and his Wide Open Music management team. Stell, a 6’7″ Arkansas native, played college basketball for Drury University for four years, and was later accepted into Harvard University’s Extension School Pre-Med program. Instead, he followed his passion for music, teaching himself to sing and play guitar. He moved to Nashville in 2014, and inked a publishing deal with Wide Open Music and a record deal with Weiss’ RECORDS/Sony Music Entertainment.

“Whiskey Glasses” Co-Writers Move Into Top 10 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

Ashley Gorley maintains the No. 1 position this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for the fourth consecutive week with seven titles propelling him. Michael Hardy moves into the No. 2 slot this week, while Shane McAnally shifts into the No. 3 position.

“Whiskey Glasses” co-writers, Ben Burgess and Kevin Kadish, move into the top 10 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week with momentum from their charting Morgan Wallen hit.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Metro Planning Officials Release “Music Row Vision Plan” Draft

Metro planning officials have released a draft version of an 87-page “Music Row Vision Plan,” which aims to offer both preservation for the buildings and character that make the Music Row area of Nashville, as well as opportunities for furthering development in the area, reports the Nashville Business Journal.

The plan notes that 9.7 billion dollars in estimated annual value comes from the music industry located in Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro in Tennessee. An estimated 200 businesses operate in the area that identify the majority of their operations being music-related, with 1,839 people employed by music-related businesses on Music Row.

The draft offers a “Music Row Character Area Map,” which establishes a framework for the desired characteristics of land use, development pattern, etc. The plan outlines four character areas, including “Music Row Center” (which serves as a gateway to the Gulch, Midtown, and Downtown Nashville), “Music Row Core” (north of Grand Avenue, primarily along 18th and 19th avenue south, and extending west to include Warner Music, BMI and Best Western Plus), “Music Row Village” (Primarily between Horton and Grand Avenues) and “Music Row Neighborhood” (Primarily located between Horton and Wedgewood Avenues).

The plan notes that 12 different multi-family residential developments have been built in the Music Row area since 2010, with 3,274 residential units added to Music Row between 2010-2019.

There has been an 176% increase in property values on Music Row between 2010 and 2019, nearly two-and-a-half times that of Davidson County as a whole, and just trailing Downtown Nashville at 228% increase in property value. The plan notes that consequently, Berry Hill has emerged as a secondary music industry node in Nashville, due to the smaller-scale built environment being more conducive to the creative process, while property values are eight times less per acre.

Approximately 53 buildings were demolished on Music Row between 2008 and 2018, the plan notes. Nearly 70% of those demolitions took place north of Grand Avenue and west of Music Square East. According to National Trust, 43 music-related buildings were demolished within that 10-year period.

Among the plan’s recommendations for the area are to create a private business association to represent local interests, manage tourism in the area and promote affordability. The plan also recommends implementing a Transfer of Development Rights program to incentivize preservation and to designate Nashville’s Music Row area as a cultural industry district.

A final draft is slated to be released on June 3, before recommendations are to be presented at Metro Planning Commission’s June 13 meeting.

Jennifer Nettles To Sing National Anthem At Kentucky Derby

Jennifer Nettles. Photo: Churchill Downs Racetrack

Jennifer Nettles will sing the national anthem at the 145th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday (May 4). Nettle’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” will be broadcast live on NBC and take place in the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle immediately prior to the historic race in front of approximately 160,000 fans attending the Derby.

Nettles will also be a guest of the world-famous Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala.

“Jennifer Nettles is a country music and vocal powerhouse,” said Kevin Flanery, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “We are excited and honored for her to perform our national anthem for the millions of viewers and fans around the world who tune in on Derby day.”

Nettles is the eleventh artist to perform the national anthem since Churchill Downs began the tradition in 2009. Notable artists who have performed the national anthem at the Kentucky Derby include Pentatonix (2018), Harry Connick, Jr. (2017), Lady Antebellum (2016), Josh Groban (2015), Jo Dee Messina (2014), Martina McBride (2013), Mary J. Blige (2012), Jordin Sparks (2011), Rascal Flatts (2010) and Lee Ann Rimes (2009).

Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour Adds Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne, Alison Krauss

Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne, Alison Krauss and more will join the lineup for the second leg of Willie Nelson‘s Outlaw Music Festival Tour 2019. The additional tour dates kick off in Gilford, New Hampshire, on Sept. 6 and wrap Sept. 22 in Cincinnati, with additional dates and cities to be added.

The lineup includes Willie Nelson & Family, Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters, Luke Combs, Bonnie Raitt, The Avett Brothers, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Alison Krauss, Gov’t Mule, Brothers Osborne, and Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, May 3, and VIP packages will be available. Citi is the official pre-sale credit card of the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, and Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning April 30th until May 2nd through Citi EntertainmentSM.

“Family. That’s what this touring group of artists, fans, and friends are when we come together for our annual Outlaw Music Festival Tour. We are thrilled to announce the second leg with Willie and this extraordinary group of artists” says Keith Wortman, CEO of Blackbird Presents.

Last year, the Outlaw Tour hosted more than 200,000 fans in amphitheaters and arenas all over the country.

September 6
GILFORD, NH – BANK OF NEW HAMPSHIRE PAVILION
Willie Nelson & Family, Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Brothers Osborne, Artists TBA

September 11
QUEENS, NY – FOREST HILLS STADIUM
Willie Nelson & Family, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Alison Krauss, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real

September 13
PHILADELPHIA, PA – THE MANN CENTER
Willie Nelson & Family, Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Gov’t Mule, Artists TBA

September 14
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – VETERANS UNITED HOME LOANS AMPHITHEATER
Willie Nelson & Family, Bonnie Raitt, The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, Artists TBA

September 15
RALEIGH, NC – COASTAL CREDIT UNION MUSIC PARK AT WALNUT CREEK
Willie Nelson & Family, Bonnie Raitt, Alison Krauss, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real, Artists TBA

September 20
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – RUOFF HOME MORTGAGE MUSIC CENTER
Willie Nelson & Family, Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters, Alison Krauss, Brothers Osborne, Artists TBA

September 22
CINCINNATI, OH – RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER
Willie Nelson & Family, Luke Combs, Bonnie Raitt, Brothers Osborne, Artists TBA

Gavin DeGraw To Launch Summer Tour In August

Gavin DeGraw. Photo: Alberto Vasari

Gavin DeGraw will launch his 2019 summer tour on Aug. 1 in York, Pennsylvania. The trek will run through Sept. 2 in Syracuse, New York. Prior to the start of the tour, DeGraw will be returning to the CMA Fest Riverfront stage on June 7th for the second year in Nashville. DeGraw recently toured across the US on the RAW TOUR, where he presented his songs in their truest live form, performing his entire catalogue as a trio for the first time.

The full list of dates:
Aug. 1: York, PA – Appell Center for the Performing Arts
Aug. 2: Solomons, MD – Calvert Marine Museum’s PNC Waterside Pavilion
Aug. 3: Selbyville, DE – The Freeman Stage
Aug. 4: Morristown, NJ – Mayo Performing Arts Center
Aug. 6: Huntington, NY – The Paramount
Aug. 8: Port Chester, NY – Capitol Theatre
Aug. 9: Lowell, MA – Lowell Summer Music Series – Boarding House Park
Aug. 10: Webster, MA – Indian Ranch
Aug. 14: Durham, NC – Carolina Theatre
Aug. 15: Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
Aug. 16: Biloxi, MS – IP Casino Resort and Hotel
Aug. 17: Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
Aug. 20: Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
Aug. 22: Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company
Aug. 24: Pittsburgh, PA – Rock, Reggae and Relief
Aug. 31: Freeport, ME – Discovery Park – L.L. Bean Summer in the Park
Sept. 2: Syracuse, NY – New York State Fair

Tunecore Artists Hit Record Revenue Mark

TuneCore artists earned $83 million in the first quarter of 2019, the company just announced. The total marks a 21% increase over the first quarter of 2018, and brings total distribution revenue to $1.5 billion, all of which was paid to TuneCore artists. Distribution income for artists reached $308 million in 2018, marking a 28% year-over-year increase.

Publishing administration royalties collected for TuneCore artists also grew 42% in 2018 as well as YouTube Monetization, which delivered significant new income for TuneCore artists, growing 48% over 2017.

The platform enables artists to distribute their music to over 150 digital stores and streaming services worldwide including iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer, and Google Play and that reach helped make TuneCore independent artists a major factor influencing the growth of genres, markets and geographies.

Total streams and downloads of music by TuneCore’s 250,000 worldwide artists hit 199.3 billion in the past year, an 83% increase over 2017.

In 2018, the fastest-growing genres worldwide were:

  • Heavy metal – 154% increase
  • J-Pop – 133% increase
  • R&B/Soul – 68% increase
  • K-Pop – 58% increase
  • World music – 57% increase
  • Instrumental – 42% increase

In 2018, streaming growth varied worldwide:

  • Africa – 146% growth
  • Asia – 52% growth
  • Oceania – 38% growth
  • Europe – 35% growth
  • South America – 32% growth
  • North America – 31% growth