In Jennifer Nettles’ new song “I Can Do Hard Things,” she sheds light on the duality of the human experience, asserting that we are made for circumstances both easy and daunting, noting how daily circumstances are rarely solely one or the other.

“I Can Do Hard Things,” with production from Julian Raymond, highlights the ability to forge light, strength and grit through difficult situations, and provides a voice of solidarity and comfort to women around the world who are, daily, overcoming obstacles and inspiring those around them.

“I saw that we are resilient,” Nettles, the 2019 recipient of the Human Rights Campaign Ally for Equality Award, wrote in an essay on medium.com, “That change is hard, and loss is hard, and being a Mom is hard, and living one’s Truth is hard. That Truth became so loud that I had to sing it.”

Nettles knew the video for the vulnerable song had to be just as hard-hitting. The clip, directed by Katie Kauss, edited by Alex Chaloff and produced by BMLG’s Jake Basden, allows a diverse group of women to tell their stories of hardship, struggle, resilience, grit, failures and successes.

Two leaders in Nashville’s music industry are among the women featured in the video.

Ali Harnell, who has spent years in the live touring industry as part of AEG, was recently named President and Chief Strategy Officer at Live Nation, to spearhead the company’s Women Nation initiative. The video highlights her commitment to leadership in the live music industry, and to opening doors for other females who aspire to become part of the industry.

Holly Gleason, an award-winning journalist and author who has also handled PR for Kenny Chesney, shared her struggle in the aftermath of a sexual assault.

Others featured in the video for “I Can Do Hard Things” include photographer Kate Davis, who is also Chief of Staff for an actress and activist, and is in the process of adopting a baby as a single woman; transgender advocate and former business owner and stylist Jaime Combs; artist and writer Caroline Randall Williams, who uses her work to bring light to the stories of women of color; Morgan Leigh Garner, a singer/songwriter, mother and Army wife; Audrey Ynigez-Gutierrez, a graduate research assistant who is also a caregiver to her disabled mother; and Danielle Randolph, an active firefighter and member of the National Guard working to change perceptions of women in male-dominated industries.

The video, which was filmed on a set south of Nashville, features stark black-and-white footage, with intimate snippets revealing pieces of each woman’s story.

“It was not an excessive production but by using creativity, authenticity and a strong vision, they created something that a $100,000 music video couldn’t,” Gleason tells MusicRow.

“I have been very private about my situation for a lot of reasons. Probably three or four people know I’ve really struggled with it, and Jake is one of them. He told me that Jennifer was working on a project to help empower women to stand in their truth and to create a community of strength,” Gleason said. “The whole video happened quickly, in like 10 days.”

Gleason, who serves as Nashville Editor for Hits Daily Double, has forged ahead with new career accomplishments, including the book Woman Walk The Line: How The Women In Country Music Changed Our Lives, which earned the Belmont Book Award last year. She was also inducted into Nashville’s SOURCE Hall of Fame in 2018.

She takes to heart the struggle each woman featured in the video for “I Can Do Hard Things” has endured as they have made their accomplishments.

“Every woman in the piece…those struggles weigh on their soul. People don’t know how it feels to be this amazing science researcher on the rise, but to also have a parent with a chronic illness. Or a single woman adopting a baby.

“Everybody on the set fell into an instant friendship—‘Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do?’ It was like a fellowship. When I filmed my piece, a couple of the women came and sat off-camera, because either they had had a similar experience, or they knew someone who had been through that. So you had that kind of quiet support during the filming, and you knew you weren’t alone. People had a lot of curiosity about each other. You felt like your struggle mattered. But, it was also women eating salads and bagels and laughing. There was a lot of laughter on the set,” Gleason recalls.

The video highlights Harnell’s rise in the touring industry. At AEG, Harnell managed the Southeast region and oversaw national touring activity since 2004. She also programmed and developed AEG Presents’ C2C Festival and served as producer for the All For The Hall benefit concerts. She rose to the role of Sr. VP, AEG Touring Team for AEG Presents, where she oversaw all aspects of bookings and operations, as well as national touring activity for Sugarland, Keith Urban, Little Big Town and others. She has also served as artist co-manager for The Shadowboxers. In 2014, she was named Promoter of the Year by IEBA and made Billboard’s Top 50 Women in Music list. In 2015, she was nominated for CMA Promoter of the Year. Earlier this year, she joined Live Nation’s Women Nation in a new role as President and Chief Strategy Officer.

“Jennifer is a unicorn goddess of a woman and an immense talent,” Harnell tells MusicRow. “We did Sugarland’s first tour when they got back together. We were hanging out in her dressing room, and she played me this song. I was familiar with the book Love Warrior. I knew I had to be part of this—I had a connection to the song and of course to Jennifer.”

When she got a call from director Kauss about the video, she knew it was something she wanted to be part of. Harnell notes that women make up less than 20 percent of top leaders across all industries, and in her new role at Live Nation, she is focused on opening doors for rising female executives.

“Everyone wants to know my blueprint and I’m careful of creating a strategy around it. I acknowledge that I have worked hard and am seen as a leader but we have a long way to go. For me, I try to mentor women, because you can’t be what you don’t see.

“There are a lot of men in control in this space—radio programmers, concert promoters. There is a pipeline issue. How do you create more opportunities, and find ways for men to advance so that it makes room for women? I also think, culturally, women take the lead on family planning and homemaking but the societal norm is on women and that can hinder careers. They want to be doing well from the kitchen table to the boardroom table.”

Harnell commended all of the women who came forward to share their stories with the world through Nettles’ video for “I Can Do Hard Things.”

“That’s how we change things, by telling our stories and changing the narrative.”

Brett Young and Chris Janson are among the performers recently added as part of CMA Fest’s nightly concerts, taking place at Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville this summer. Young will take the stadium stage Saturday night (June 8), while Chris Janson will perform Sunday night (June 9).

Nissan Stadium openers include Marty Stuart on Thursday, Jo Dee Messina on Friday, Billy Ray Cyrus on Saturday and David Lee Murphy on Sunday. Two different student groups from Nashville School of the Arts, a beneficiary of the CMA Foundation, will perform the National Anthem during CMA Fest – the first kicking off the Chevy Riverfront Stage Thursday morning, followed by a second group performing Thursday evening at Nissan Stadium.

Additional artists performing the National Anthem at the stadium include Lindsay Ell on Friday, Runaway June on Saturday, and Jimmie Allen on Sunday. More festival news and lineup additions will be announced in the coming weeks.

Previously announced artists performing during the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

2018’s CMA Fest drew capacity crowds and the largest engagement of fans in the event’s history, with visitors from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 international countries flocking to downtown Nashville. Additional stage lineups, Xfinity Fan Fair X activities and more will be announced in the coming weeks.

Brian Bunn has signed a publishing deal with Curb/Word Music Publishing.

Bunn is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with years of live performance experience to his credit. Before stepping off the road to pursue songwriting full time, Brian was a lead guitarist for artists including Thomas Rhett, Third Day, DecembeRadio, and David Crowder. In 2016, he toured with Thomas Rhett as direct support for Jason Aldean.

Bunn’s songs have been recorded by Lee Brice, Dylan Scott, Kellie Pickler, Parmalee and others and have earned air time on channels like CBS, The Outdoor Channel, and The Discovery Channel.

Many songwriters who have been part of Spotify’s “Secret Genius” program are speaking out against the digital service provider’s appeal of the Copyright Royalty Board’s recent rates determination.

MusicRow has obtained a copy of an open letter to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, which urges Ek and the company to drop its appeal. Several of Nashville’s top writers are among the letter’s signees.

Spotify launched its Secret Genius Awards in 2017 to honor songwriters who contributed to the top-streamed songs on the platform. The service also launched Secret Genius studios in Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta and London. Now many of those writers and creators are speaking against Spotify’s recent appeal (along with Amazon, Google, and Pandora).

“We’re hurt and disappointed. You created a songwriter relations team and ingratiated Spotify into our community,” the open letter reads. “We know that you are not the only DSP appealing the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) rate determination. You are, however, the only provider that made us feel we were working to build a modern music industry together.”

Shortly after the CRB finalized its rate determination in February—a decision which would ultimately raise the pay from digital service providers to songwriters and publishers by 43.8%—most of the leading streaming services appealed the rate determination. Apple Music chose not to appeal.

Numerous industry organizations, including the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Songwriters of North America (SONA), have criticized the digital service providers’ appeal of the CRB rates. Additionally, the NMPA and NSAI are planning a Town Hall Meeting in Nashville for tomorrow (April 10) from 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. CT at 3rd & Lindsley.

Read the full open letter to Spotify’s Daniel Ek below:

 

April 9, 2019
Spotify
c/o: Daniel Ek
4 World Trade Center
150 Greenwich Street, 62nd Floor
New York, NY 10007

RE: An Open Letter to Spotify

Dear Spotify:

We’re hurt and disappointed. You created a songwriter relations team and ingratiated Spotify into our community. We know that you are not the only DSP appealing the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) rate determination. You are, however, the only provider that made us feel we were working to build a modern music industry together.

Now, we can see the real reason for your songwriter outreach. You have used us and tried to divide us but we stand together.

Our fight is for all songwriters: those struggling to build their career, those in the middle class and those few who have reached your Secret Genius level. But none of us are “secret!” WE all create the ONE thing you sell… songs.

Do the right thing and drop your appeal of the Copyright Royalty Board rate determination.

Sincerely,

Not So Secret Geniuses

Alex Hope, Ali Tamposi, Ammar Malik, Amy Allen, Andres Torres & Mauricio Rengifo, Andrew Goldstein, Ashley Gorley, Asia Whiteacre, Babyface, Barry Dean, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, Bibi Bourelly, Billy Steinberg, Brett James, Brian Lee, Brody Brown, busbee, Captain Cuts, Caroline Ailin, Chloe Angelides, Cirkut, Claudia Brant, Cook Classics, Danja, Dave Bassett, David Garcia, David Hodges, David Pramik, Doc McKinney, Ed Drewett, Electric, Emily Warren, Emily Weisband, Evan Bogart, Frank Dukes, Giorgio Tuinfort, Greg Kurstin, Greg Wells, Ian Kirkpatrick, Ilsey Juber, Jason Evigan, Jaycen Joshua, Jesse Frasure, Jin Jin, Joe Kirkland and Jason Dean from Whiskey Water, Johnny Yukon, Jonas Jeberg, Josh Osborne, Jozzy, J.T. Harding, Lori McKenna, Louis Bell, Luke Laird, Ludwig Goransson, Lunch Money Lewis, Madison Love, Marcella Araica, Mike Elizondo, Mike Wise, Mr. Hudson, Murda Beatz, Nasri Atweh, Neil Ormandy, Nic Nac, Nicolle Galyon, Nile Rodgers, Oak Felder, Priscilla Renee, Rob Knox, Rodney Clawson, RØMANS, Ross Copperman, Ross Golan, Ruth Anne Cunningham, Sarah Aarons, Scott Harris, Sebastian Kole, Sebastian Krys, Serban Ghenea, Shane McAnally, Simon Wilcox, Sir Nolan, Starrah, Steve Mac, Teddy Geiger, The Futuristics, The Orphanage Trevor Brown and Zaire Koalo, T-Minus, TMS, Tricky Stewart, Vinylz, Wayne Hector, Western Weiss, Zach Crowell