The Launch, the competitive Canadian series created by Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta, returned January 30 for its second season premiere on the CTV network. Borchetta recently detailed the show’s unique format and hosted a special screening of The Launch‘s Season 2 premier.
Each episode of The Launch starts and ends with a song. Hit songwriters and producers introduce a demo at the beginning of each episode, and five aspiring artists audition, hoping to be a good fit for the song. Guiding artists through the audition, performing, and recording process are Borchetta and Candian superstar Marie-Mai (Star Académie, La Voix), who join a weekly rotating panel of celebrity mentors and producers. Season 1 featured the likes of OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Shania Twain, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Boy George, producer Dann Huff, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, The Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie, Julia Michaels, producer Ian Kirkpatrick and producer Stephan Moccio as guest mentors.
Once two artists have been chosen to cut the demo, they head straight into the studio to record and then straight into rehearsals to practice their performance. Lastly, they perform their version of the song for the judges and a live audience, and one of them is chosen to be ‘launched.’ That episode’s winner will have their version of the song launched as a single just hours later.
“The whole process happens in 48 hours,” said Borchetta. “We launch the singles at midnight.”
Unlike other talent competitions like American Idol and The Voice, The Launch shows a competitor’s journey from start to finish in a single episode. There are seven episodes in a season—one of which is a recap—and each episode launches one new single, and hopefully, the career of a new artist. The series takes advantage of the platforms of CTV’s parent company Bell Media, including its radio stations, in order to promote its winners
The Launch has proven to be a global success thus far by breaking artists on US radio. Season one, Episode two winners, duo Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, have broken into the Top 40 on pop radio with their launched single, “Ain’t Easy.” The track has amassed over 30 million streams globally.
The Launch‘s Season two premier features a moody electronic song written by Tedder. He along with Borchetta and Marie-Mai chose two competitors out of five female artists, put them to work in the studio and chose a version of the single to launch by the end of the 60-minute episode. The result was a Tedder original, “Better,” performed by 16 year-old Cassiøpeia from Burnaby, BC, featuring Canadian rappers Boi-1da and KILLY.
Borchetta expressed excitement for the selected mentors this season, including Bryan Adams and Bebe Rexha.
“I met Bebe when we did ‘Meant To Be’ with FGL,” he said, grinning. “She is just awesome. And in the studio, she had no filter. She’s great for the contestants.”
Other celebrity mentors and producers tapped for Season two include Sarah McLachlan, producer Nile Rodgers, Jann Arden, the Arkells’ Max Kerman, and more. Season two also introduces a new host, Liz Trinnear, as well as footage of the contestants in the lounge on The Launch set.
“We’ve shown proof of concept,” Borchetta, who got his feet wet as a mentor on Idol, explains of the unique format.
As far as expansion for The Launch, Borchetta detailed that Bell Media had sold international format rights to Sony Pictures Television, and that with the saturation of talent competition shows in the States, they are looking at other global opportunities for future distribution.
Spotify Posts First Operating Profit, Reaches 96 Million Paying Subscribers In Fourth Quarter
/by Jessica NicholsonSpotify revealed that the digital service provider finished 2018 with 96 million paying subscribers, a 25 million increase year-over-year. In 2018’s fourth quarter, Spotify added 9 million subscribers. The company reported it expects to finish the first quarter of 2019 with an estimate of between 97 million and 100 million subscribers globally, with an estimate of 117 million to 127 million by the end of the year. The company estimated it will end 2019 with a monthly active user tally of between 245 million to 265 million.
The company also revealed it made its first operational profit since launching in Sweden in 2008, revealing a profit of 94 million euros ($107 million) in the fourth quarter of 2018, driven by lower operating costs, which declined by 17 percent year over year.
The company’s gross profit margin was 26.7 percent in the 2018 Q4, though this is expected to erode to somewhere between 22.5-24.5 during the first quarter of 2019. The company posted a net profit of 442 million euros during the final quarter of 2018.
As reported earlier, Spotify has also acquired podcast companies Gimlet and Anchor, believing 20 percent of all listening on Spotify will eventually involve something other than music.
Carrie Underwood’s “The Champion” Certified Platinum
/by Lorie HollabaughCarrie Underwood’s event anthem “The Champion” featuring Ludacris has reached Platinum status on the anniversary of the song’s 2018 Super Bowl debut. Underwood co-wrote the tune with fellow songwriters Brett James, Chris DeStefano, and Christopher Bridges (PKA Ludacris), who Underwood asked to collaborate on the song.
The song reached No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in 10 countries including the U.S., where it held the top spot throughout its release week then rose back to the top of the chart for four consecutive days after the Super Bowl LII opening. The song also debuted Top 5 on the all-genre Top 200 Digital Songs chart and reached No. 7 on the Spotify US Viral 50 Chart with over 151 million streams to date. NBC Sports incorporated “The Champion” into its coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
The song’s video, directed by Jimmy Lynch, won CMT’s 2018 Video Music Award for Female Video of the Year. “The Champion” is featured as a bonus track on Underwood’s album Cry Pretty. Released in September 2018, Cry Pretty marked Underwood’s first studio album on Capitol Records Nashville, and debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Album Charts. The album was named the biggest all-genre debut by a female in 2018.
International Bluegrass Music Association Adds Two Staffers
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Paul Schiminger, Amy Beth Hale, Kaitlyn Luce, Abby Lee Hood, Eddie Huffman.
The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has added two full-time staffers.
Abby Lee Hood joins as Communications Director. Hood was previously Social Media Manager for Total Assault in Nashville. Kaitlyn Luce joins as Operations Coordinator. She was most recently an Assistant Artist Manager at Gresham Hill Management, and previously served as Executive Assistant and E-commerce Manager for The Rabbit Room.
They join IBMA’s Executive Director Paul Schiminger, Convention Services Director Eddie Huffman and Member Services Director Amy Beth Hale.
Hood can be reached at abbylee@ibma.org, and Luce can be reached at kaitlyn@ibma.org.
Scott Borchetta Brings Season 2 Of Canadian Series, ‘The Launch’
/by LB CantrellThe Launch, the competitive Canadian series created by Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta, returned January 30 for its second season premiere on the CTV network. Borchetta recently detailed the show’s unique format and hosted a special screening of The Launch‘s Season 2 premier.
Each episode of The Launch starts and ends with a song. Hit songwriters and producers introduce a demo at the beginning of each episode, and five aspiring artists audition, hoping to be a good fit for the song. Guiding artists through the audition, performing, and recording process are Borchetta and Candian superstar Marie-Mai (Star Académie, La Voix), who join a weekly rotating panel of celebrity mentors and producers. Season 1 featured the likes of OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Shania Twain, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles, Boy George, producer Dann Huff, Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx, The Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie, Julia Michaels, producer Ian Kirkpatrick and producer Stephan Moccio as guest mentors.
Once two artists have been chosen to cut the demo, they head straight into the studio to record and then straight into rehearsals to practice their performance. Lastly, they perform their version of the song for the judges and a live audience, and one of them is chosen to be ‘launched.’ That episode’s winner will have their version of the song launched as a single just hours later.
“The whole process happens in 48 hours,” said Borchetta. “We launch the singles at midnight.”
Unlike other talent competitions like American Idol and The Voice, The Launch shows a competitor’s journey from start to finish in a single episode. There are seven episodes in a season—one of which is a recap—and each episode launches one new single, and hopefully, the career of a new artist. The series takes advantage of the platforms of CTV’s parent company Bell Media, including its radio stations, in order to promote its winners
The Launch has proven to be a global success thus far by breaking artists on US radio. Season one, Episode two winners, duo Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine, have broken into the Top 40 on pop radio with their launched single, “Ain’t Easy.” The track has amassed over 30 million streams globally.
The Launch‘s Season two premier features a moody electronic song written by Tedder. He along with Borchetta and Marie-Mai chose two competitors out of five female artists, put them to work in the studio and chose a version of the single to launch by the end of the 60-minute episode. The result was a Tedder original, “Better,” performed by 16 year-old Cassiøpeia from Burnaby, BC, featuring Canadian rappers Boi-1da and KILLY.
Borchetta expressed excitement for the selected mentors this season, including Bryan Adams and Bebe Rexha.
“I met Bebe when we did ‘Meant To Be’ with FGL,” he said, grinning. “She is just awesome. And in the studio, she had no filter. She’s great for the contestants.”
Other celebrity mentors and producers tapped for Season two include Sarah McLachlan, producer Nile Rodgers, Jann Arden, the Arkells’ Max Kerman, and more. Season two also introduces a new host, Liz Trinnear, as well as footage of the contestants in the lounge on The Launch set.
“We’ve shown proof of concept,” Borchetta, who got his feet wet as a mentor on Idol, explains of the unique format.
As far as expansion for The Launch, Borchetta detailed that Bell Media had sold international format rights to Sony Pictures Television, and that with the saturation of talent competition shows in the States, they are looking at other global opportunities for future distribution.
Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon Coming to Downtown Nashville
/by Lorie HollabaughIcon Entertainment’s Bill Miller has revealed plans to open Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon, a 15,000 square foot restaurant and venue, in downtown Nashville.
The new venue will be located at 121 Third Ave. S., in the building originally slated to become the Merle Haggard Museum and Merle’s Meat + 3 Saloon. A representative for Icon Entertainment confirms plans for the Haggard museum and restaurant, which were originally announced in October 2017, are no longer moving forward.
Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon is slated to open in late Spring 2019, and joins the growing number of downtown artist-affiliated entertainment venues by artists like Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson and others.
The restaurant will offer up traditional southern meat and three fare (with a little soul food tossed in for good measure) in collaboration with the Swett family and David Swett, owner of Swett’s famed meat and three in Nashville. Swett provided kitchen and menu design on the project as well as recipes and employee training for the kitchen.
“I’m beyond thrilled to expand our extremely successful relationship with the Cash Estate through this ground-breaking food and beverage concept,” Miller says. “My relationship with the Cash family extends to nearly my entire life, and there’s no greater pleasure for me and my family than continuing our partnership well into the future. The impression Johnny Cash left on Nashville is indelible and this venture further confirms that his presence will be a dominant force here for many years to come.”
“On behalf of the Cash family and estate, I am honored and excited to have this additional alliance with Bill Miller to expand celebrating the lives of John and June Cash,” said Cathy Sullivan, representative of The John R. Cash Trust. “Johnny Cash is still a vibrant force in the Nashville community and beyond. It is a fitting tribute to bring this unique venue where families and friends may gather in a way that brings new life to the Cash family style of entertaining.”
Icon Entertainment, founded by Miller, currently owns and operates the Johnny Cash Museum, the Patsy Cline Museum, Nudie’s Honky Tonk, House of Cards and Skull’s Rainbow Room in Nashville. Icon has also acquired commercial real estate totaling six properties and over 110,000 square feet in downtown Nashville.
In Pictures: Patty Griffin, Brett Young, Lee Ann Womack, Deana Carter At Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe
/by Jessica NicholsonBrett Young performs at Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe. Photo: Erik Philbrook and Fred Hayes
The 21st annual Sundance ASCAP Music Café, held Jan. 25 through Feb. 1 at the Sundance Film Festival, hosted a range of performances from some of today’s best emerging and established songwriters and performers. On Jan. 26, Patty Griffin performed songs from her forthcoming self-titled album.
Jan. 27 featured a guest performance from singer-songwriter Stephen Kellogg. Later in the week, ASCAP, the Bluebird Cafe and the ACademy of Country Music hosted an in-the-round performance featuring Lee Ann Womack, Deana Carter, Carlton Anderson and Jacob Davis.
ASCAP welcomed reigning Country Songwriter-Artist of the Year and BMLG Records artist Brett Young back to the Sundance ASCAP Music Café stage for an encore performance on Feb. 1. Young debuted on the Café stage in 2018.
Patty Griffin performs at Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe. Photo: Erik Philbrook and Fred Hayes.
Pictured (L-R): Carlton Anderson, Lee Ann Womack, Deana Carter and Jacob Davis at the ACM/Bluebird Cafe songwriters round at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café 2019. Photo: Erik Philbrook and Fred Hayes
Pictured (L-R): Recording artist Stephen Kellogg and ASCAP’s Beth Brinker at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café 2019. Photo: Erik Philbrook and Fred Hayes
Pictured (L-R): Lee Ann Womack, Carlton Anderson, Deana Carter and Jacob Davis at the ACM Bluebird Cafe songwriters round at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café 2019. Photo: Erik Philbrook and Fred Hayes
Spotify Acquires Podcast Companies Gimlet And Anchor
/by Lorie HollabaughSpotify has acquired two podcasting companies, Gimlet and Anchor, in a move to expand and become the leading global podcast publisher. Gimlet is home to podcast shows like “Homecoming,” which was recently adapted into a critically acclaimed show on Amazon Prime, and the internet culture hit “Reply All.” Anchor had 15 billion hours of content on the platform during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Based on radio listening data, over time more than 20 percent of all Spotify listening will be non-music content.
“There are endless ways to tell stories that serve to entertain, to educate, to challenge, to inspire, or to bring us together and break down cultural barriers,” said Spotify Founder/CEO Daniel Ek. “The podcast format is really evolving and while podcasting is still a relatively small business today, I see incredible growth potential for the space and for Spotify in particular. In just shy of two years, we have become the second-biggest podcasting platform. And, more importantly, users love having podcasts as a part of their Spotify experience. Our podcast users spend almost twice the time on the platform, and spend even more time listening to music. We have also seen that by having unique programming, people who previously thought Spotify was not right for them will give it a try.
“Just as we’ve done with music, our work in podcasting will focus intensively on the curation and customization that users have come to expect from Spotify. We will offer better discovery, data, and monetization to creators. These acquisitions will meaningfully accelerate our path to becoming the world’s leading audio platform, give users around the world access to the best podcast content, and improve the quality of our listening experience while enhancing the Spotify brand.”
Brandi Carlile Sets 2019 Tour Dates, Headline Show At Madison Square Garden
/by LB CantrellBrandi Carlile will continue her extensive tour through 2019 including a special debut headlining performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Sept. 14. Additional stops include Chicago’s Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, St. Paul’s Minnesota State Fair, Philadelphia’s The Mann and The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley, among others. Tickets for the newly announced shows go on sale this Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. local time.
Carlile will also perform during the live Grammy broadcast this Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS. She is the most nominated female artist at the 61st Grammy Awards with six nominations including Album Of The Year and Best Americana Album for By The Way, I Forgive You, as well as Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, “The Joke”), Song Of The Year, Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance for “The Joke.”
Brandi Carlile Confirmed 2019 Tour Dates:
April 12—Dallas, TX—The Bomb Factory
April 13—Dale, TX—Old Settler’s Music Festival
April 27—Wilkesboro, NC—Merlefest
May 24—Shelburne, VT—Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green
May 25—Shelburne, VT— Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green
May 26—Boston, MA—Harvard University Athletics Complex
June 1—Quincy, WA—The Gorge Amphitheater
June 14—Columbia, MD—Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 16—Manchester, TN—Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
June 20-23—Telluride, CO—Telluride Bluegrass Festival
June 29—Chicago, IL—Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island*
July 25—Floyd, VA—FloydFest
August 23—Troutdale, OR—Edgefield
August 24—Troutdale, OR—Edgefield
August 29—Bayfield, WI—Big Top Chautauqua
August 30—Bayfield, WI—Big Top Chautauqua
August 31—St. Paul, MN—Minnesota State Fair
September 6—Philadelphia, PA—The Mann†
September 14—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden
September 21—Berkeley, CA—The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley
* = with special guest Lucius
† = with special guest Mavis Staples
BOLD = on sale this Friday, February 8 at 10:00 a.m. local time
Justin Moore Sets Release Date For Fifth Studio Album ‘Late Nights And Longnecks’
/by Jessica NicholsonJustin Moore will release his fifth studio album, Late Nights And Longnecks, on April 26 via The Valory Music Co.
On Tuesday, Feb. 5, he debuted the video for the album’s lead single, “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home,” which Moore penned with his longtime producer Jeremy Stover, as well as Paul DiGiovanni and Chase McGill. The writers were reflecting on how tragedies in schools, first-responder situations and military losses affect entire communities.
Directed by Cody Villalobos, a former EMT, the video features real fire fighters and former policemen as actors, and the classroom is a replica from an elementary school in Nevada. Coincidentally, the piece was filmed on Veterans Day 2018, and former military personnel were on set to help with details on how to wear the gear and the use of the equipment.
Country Music Hall Of Fame’s Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum To Honor Bebe Evans And Marcie Allen Van Mol
/by Jessica NicholsonMarcie Allen Van Mol, Bebe Evans
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will honor Bebe Evans and her niece, Marcie Allen Van Mol, at its 12th annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater. The museum annually presents the forum to recognize music industry leaders who continue the legacy of Louise Scruggs, a formidable businesswoman and trailblazer who set new professional standards in artist management.
In an in-depth interview, illustrated with photos, film footage, and recordings, the women will discuss their careers and the importance of maintaining an artist-centered focus while embracing industry change. Evans and Van Mol, the daughter and granddaughter of pioneering WLAC disc jockey Bill “Hoss” Allen, grew up in Nashville’s music industry, and channeled the knowledge they received from Allen into remarkable careers of their own.
Evans has worked for Charlie Daniels for nearly 40 years, and currently serves as his director of touring. She has coordinated numerous international tours and dozens of iterations of Daniels’ Volunteer Jam all-star benefit concert; she has also overseen Daniels’ recording and book projects. Evans was honored at the 2013 SOURCE Awards, recognizing women in Nashville’s music industry.
As president and founder of MAC Presents, Van Mol is a leader in brokering creative, high-profile partnerships between corporate brands such as AT&T, Citi, Verizon, and Southwest Airlines, and recording artists including Kelsea Ballerini, Chance the Rapper, the Rolling Stones, and Keith Urban. Before founding MAC Presents, Van Mol owned MAD Booking and Events, where she produced hundreds of concerts and festivals around the South. She is an adjunct professor at New York University and has been prominently ranked in various Billboard power ratings.
The Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum is co-presented by CMT and First Tennessee, with support provided by the Gibson Foundation. This program is free and open to the public, and will be live streamed.
Louise Scruggs (1927-2006) was married to Country Music Hall of Fame member and banjo great Earl Scruggs. In the mid-1950s, she began booking and managing his bluegrass band, Flatt & Scruggs. She was the first woman in country music to assume these roles, and astutely guided her husband’s career for half a century. The Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum was first presented in 2007; past honorees include, Denise Stiff, Liz Thiels, Mary Martin, Bonnie Garner, Sarah Trahern, Nancy Shapiro, Kay Clary, Jo Walker-Meador, Dixie Hall, Traci Thomas and Cindy Mabe.