Industry Ink: Lainey Wilson, Louisiana Grandstand, Bryan Sutton, More

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CMHOFM Hosts Panel Discussion With Lainey Wilson & Collaborators on Style and Branding

Pictured (L-R): Museum writer-editor Jon Freeman, CeCe Dawson, Lainey Wilson and Raina Gir at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photos: Mary Caroline Russell for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a panel discussion with Lainey Wilson and two of her main creative collaborators, CeCe Dawson and Raina Gir, over the weekend. The program explored how Wilson’s style and branding have evolved as her profile has grown. The program was offered in support of the museum’s exhibition Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails. The exhibit will run until June 2026.

 

Inaugural Louisiana Grandstand Artist Ambassador Program Taps Jordan Davis & Kix Brooks

Jordan Davis & Kix Brooks

The inaugural Louisiana Grandstand Artist Ambassador Program has tapped Shreveport natives Jordan Davis and Kix Brooks as its 2025 mentors. Launched this past August, the program will pair one established talent mentor with one rising local artist mentee for one calendar year. Mentees will be chosen by a board of advisors of music industry professionals.

“I’m honored to be part of the Louisiana Grandstand Ambassador Program’s inaugural year, and proud to play a part in ushering in the next generation of musical talent from my home state,” says Davis.

“I, more than most, understand the importance that local venues like The Louisiana Grandstand have in supporting homegrown talent. As a Bossier/Shreveport native, I’m honored to join fellow native Jordan Davis in the first year of the Artist Ambassador Program,” adds Brooks.

 

Bryan Sutton Partners With Mountain Home, Readies ‘From Roots To Branches’

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Bryan Sutton is set to release his first recordings in nearly a decade, From Roots to Branches, via Mountain Home Music Company. The new series of duets features Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Jake Workman, Chris Eldridge, Cody Kilby, Trey Hensley, Joe Bonamassa, Tommy Emmanuel, Doc Watson and Tony Rice.

“It’s been fun to dive back into this idea of who I wanted to record with, what we would record, how we would do it,” Sutton shares.

 

The Women Of Country To Celebrate 10th Anniversary At 3rd & Lindsley


The Women of Country will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Sept. 18 3rd & Lindsley. The show will be hosted by founder Nicole Marchesi and iHeartRadio’s Brooke Taylor, and feature Alli Walker, Kaylee Rose, Jenna Davis, Sophia Scott, Hailey Verhaalen, Jacquie Roar, Sarah Morey and Tezza.

“When I started The Women of Country in 2015, I never imagined the impact it would have. 10 years later, I’m filled with gratitude for the support we’ve received and the incredible community of women who continue to break barriers in country music,” shares Marchesi, Founder of The Women of Country.

Tickets are available now. 

 

Pedigree Foundation To Host Annual ‘Dogtober’ Writers Round


The Pedigree Foundation will host its annual “Dogtober” Writers Round on Oct. 1 at 3rd & Lindsley. Sponsored by Hillman Group and Pinnacle Financial Partners, the event will be emceed by Danielle Breezy (WKRN’s Chief Meteorologist) and Joe Breezy (Mix 92.9) and feature hit songwriters Jamie O’Neal, Jamie Floyd and Carolyn Dawn Johnson.

All proceeds will benefit Pedigree Foundation’s disaster relief efforts. Tickets are available now.

“We’re proud to host our annual Dogtober Writers Round once again this year,” said Deb Fair, Executive Director of Pedigree Foundation. “This event is more than a night of music – it’s a lifeline for pets in need. Through the support this event generates, Pedigree Foundation Disaster Relief Grants give shelters and rescues the ability to mobilize quickly with food, medical care and safe shelter for dogs impacted by disasters. Acting fast is what saves lives when every moment counts.”

 

Soundstripe Adds Jelena Grozdanich As Sync Director

Jelena Grozdanich.

Soundstripe has added Jelena Grozdanich as its Sync Director.

“Soundstripe is building one of the most inspiring music libraries by empowering independent artists and fueling authentic storytelling across all visual media,” Grozdanich says. “I’m excited to champion a community where real artistry drives creative opportunities and helps musicians thrive.”

Over the course of her career, Grozdanich has worked with a wide range of artists including Beyoncé, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Harry Styles, Hozier, Tyler, The Creator and Miley Cyrus. She has placed music in TV shows (The Bear, Love Island, Euphoria, and Ted Lasso), films (John Wick: Chapter 4), video games (Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto), as well as advertisements and promos (Apple TV+, HBO Max, ESPN, and TikTok).

‘American Idol’ To Host Production At Belmont University

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American Idol will shoot part of its 24th season on Belmont University’s campus. With the filming, special auditions will be offered to Belmont artists. The auditions will be taped at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

Belmont has served as a pipeline to American Idol talent in the past, with alumni Walker Burroughs making it to top eight on Season 17, Melinda Doolittle becoming a third-place finalist on Season six, and Kimberly Locke finishing third on Season two. Last year, six current Belmont students were represented in the show’s Hollywood Week round.

“We’re proud to partner with Belmont University, a school that shares our passion for discovering and celebrating musical talent.” says American Idol Exec Producer/Showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick. “With so many Belmont auditions through the years, this collaboration feels like a natural fit.”

“We’re honored to welcome American Idol to Belmont and showcase the Fisher Center, which we consider the largest classroom on campus,” adds University President Dr. Greg Jones. “This opportunity is a reflection of our reputation as a place where talent thrives, and our students have access to once-in-a-lifetime moments like this in which the classroom and real-world experience intersect.”

Alongside the auditions, students will also be able to participate in select tapings as a live audience member.

“We’re thrilled to be part of the upcoming season of American Idol, to provide excellent Nashville hospitality and to have a front-row seat to the action,” shares Fisher Center Managing Director Gage Baxter. “The Fisher Center is home to a variety of events and productions — both student-led and internationally renowned. It was a natural fit to connect an esteemed talent search show with a place known for hosting and fostering amazing talent.”

American Idol is now accepting “Idol Across America” virtual auditions through mid-September here.

Lauren Watkins To Showcase ‘Perfect World’ This October

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Lauren Watkins will release her sophomore album, In A Perfect World, on Oct. 10 via Big Loud Records/Songs & Daughters.

The 10 track project will feature stories of Watkins balancing life between touring and quiet nights at home with her husband. The album features already released tracks “I’ll Get Through It,” “Marlboro Man,” “Average Joe and Plain Jane” and “Lose My Cool,” with the final pre-release “Slippery Slope” feat. John Morgan dropping Sept. 19.

“I am so beyond proud of this music,” shares Watkins. “I’ve lived so much life in the past couple years, from playing shows all over the world and spending half of my time on the road, to building a sweet little life in a farmhouse with my husband. It’s made me appreciate so many parts of all of it. I’ve started embracing the simple things just as much as the chaos. And that’s what inspired these 10 songs. It paints a good picture of what my world looks like these days, but I really hope people can see their own world within it too.”

The project was produced by Watkin’s husband Will Bundy, with additional co-production from Joey Moi. Watkins co-penned all 10 tracks on the collection, with additional writing credits from Trannie Anderson, Rodney Clawson, Natalie Hemby, Mark Trussell and more.

In A Perfect World Track List:
1. “In A Perfect World” (Lauren Watkins, Mia Mantia, Caroline Watkins)
2. “Love Is Tough” (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, Mark Trussell, Lydia Vaughan)
3. “I’ll Get Through It” (Lauren Watkins, Trannie Anderson, Will Bundy)
4. “Marlboro Man” (Lauren Watkins, Natalie Hemby, Jeremy Spillman)
5. “Slippery Slope (feat. John Morgan)” (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, Mark Trussell, Lydia Vaughan)
6. “Average Joe and Plain Jane” (Lauren Watkins, Lauren Hungate, Luke Laird, Caroline Watkins)
7. “Britches” (Lauren Watkins, Trannie Anderson, Will Bundy, Mia Mantia)
8. “Lose My Cool” (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
9. “I Was Fine Before I Met You” (Lauren Watkins, Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird)
10. “Pretty Please” (Lauren Watkins, Lauren Hungate, Luke Laird)

Runaway June Celebrate Good Times & Girl Power On Sophomore LP ‘New Kind Of Emotion’

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The sophomore album from Runaway June, New Kind of Emotion, is set for release Sept. 19 via Quartz Hill Records.

Runaway June band members Jennifer Wayne (vocals, rhythm guitar), Natalie Stovall (vocals, fiddle, mandolin) and Stevie Woodward (lead vocals and guitar, harmonica) co-wrote 11 tracks on the new project, which was produced by Kristian Bush, Ron Fair, Mickey Jack Cones, Stone Aielli and Austin Moody and is a modern country celebration of good times and girl power, friendship and independence, and romantic love.

A focus track from the album, “Drink Champagne” is a Latin-flavored celebration that makes the case that champagne shouldn’t only be for special occasions. The song reflects Wayne and Woodward’s Latin heritage, and Runaway June’s backstage pre-show tradition of popping open a bottle of bubbly.

“We were actually in a management meeting when we wrote that song,” recalls Wayne. “One of us started singing the hook, and then all three of us dove in and just had a blast writing it and we had to cancel our management meeting! I think that’s kind of the theme of the whole album – we’ve just been having so much fun together.”

Unreleased album highlights also include “Stars on the Ceiling,” a blissful mid-tempo escape from a world of grown-up troubles to the magical universe of a childhood bedroom with stars on the ceiling. “Sad Girl” is an instant pick-me-up, while “Come Home to Me” is an Irish-inspired blessing, promising someone you love that they can always return home if life gets too hard. Previously released album highlights include current radio single “New Kind of Emotion,” a feel-good ode to falling in love, “He Ain’t My Problem” a sassy and revealing breakup anthem, and “To Be Yours” a beguiling love song inspired by Woodward’s recent engagement.

“I want people to know that this album is authentically Runaway June,” says Stovall. “It’s us searching for who we are, and you’ll hear some different influences because it spans a three-year period for us. We were trying different things and we were in different stages of life, so the album really puts a stamp on that moment in time for us.”

New Kind of Emotion Track List: 
1. “Real Good Night” (Natalie Stovall, Emma-Lee, Jessica Cayne, Eric Arjes)
2. “Drink Champagne” (Stevie Woodward, Jennifer Wayne, Natalie Stovall)
3. “New Kind of Emotion” (Jennifer Wayne, Natalie Stovall, Paul Sikes, Stevie Woodward)
4. “Stars on the Ceiling” (Kylie Sackley, Grant Vogelfanger, Stevie Woodward)
5. “To Be Yours” (Aaron Eshuis, Jennifer Wayne, Natalie Stovall, Stevie Woodward, Ron Fair)
6. “Done With Me Yet” (Trannie Anderson, Stevie Woodward, Natalie Stovall, Jennifer Wayne, Paul Sikes)
7. “Miss Me” (Ben Stennis, Blake Bollinger, Jessica Mitchell)
8. “He Ain’t My Problem” (Jennifer Wayne, Natalie Stovall, Stevie Woodward)
9. “Make Me Wanna Smoke” (Bobby Hamrick, Ella Langley, Jason Sellers)
10. “Fine Wine” (Stevie Woodward, Jennifer Wayne, Paul Sikes, Natalie Stovall)
11. “Come Home to Me” (Stevie Woodward, Natalie Stovall, Kylie Sackley, Stone Aielli)
12. “Sad Girl” (Jennifer Wayne, Stevie Woodward, Natalie Stovall, Gavin Slate, Jaden Michaels)
13. “Fine Wine” (Duke’s Version) (Stevie Woodward, Jennifer Wayne, Paul Sikes, Natalie Stovall)

Nashville Film Festival Announces New ‘Widelitz Music In Film Award’

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Stacy Widelitz

The Nashville Film Festival has announced the addition of the new “Widelitz Music In Film Award” in honor of longtime NashFilm supporter and former board member Stacy Widelitz.

NashFilm’s inaugural Widelitz Music In Film Award at the 56th Nashville Film Festival celebrates the power of music in film in honor of songwriter and composer Widelitz. The award recognizes outstanding music in film that elevates storytelling through unforgettable sounds, melodies and emotion, and spotlights the artists whose original music brings heart, soul and resonance to the big screen.

Over the course of his career, Widelitz composed music for feature films and more than 20 made-for-TV movies, and was nominated for an Emmy for his work on ABC’s World of Discovery. His song, “She’s Like the Wind,” co-written with his friend Patrick Swayze for the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1988, driving the success of the film’s soundtrack. Widelitz passed away on June 17, 2025.

The Widelitz Music In Film Award has been added to the competitive jury-determined categories for the 56th Nashville Film Festival and the winner will be announced at the official awards ceremony, taking place Sunday, Sept. 21 at the Nashville Hilton Green Hills.

CMHOFM To Open ‘Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising’ Exhibit In November

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will open its newest exhibit, “Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising,” on Nov. 14 for a nearly three-year run. The more than 5,000-square-foot exhibit will survey the emergence of Muscle Shoals as a recording epicenter in the 1960s and 1970s and spotlight its enduring cultural impact.

“In Muscle Shoals, American music crossed lines that weren’t supposed to be breached,” says Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “The Tennessee River flowed through this place, and instead of drawing a boundary, somehow forces came together. Black and white sounds, R&B, blues, soul and country met between the banks. A new rhythm rose and recording studios sprouted to nourish that rhythm. This exhibit takes an expansive look at the sound that forever changed popular music and continues to nurture a rich musical scene in northwest Alabama.”

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A selection of artifacts featured in the Muscle Shoals exhibit will include an Aretha Franklin piano, Duane Allman electric guitar, Wilson Picket stage wear, Mac Davis song manuscript, Pops Staples electric guitar, Dan Penn jacket, Mac McAnally acoustic guitar, Candi Staton outfit, Roger Hawkins drum, Rick Hall fiddle, Patterson Hood acoustic guitar and more.

An illustrated and in-depth exhibition catalog will supplement the gallery presentation, with a foreword by Jason Isbell and main essays by exhibit co-curator RJ Smith. The catalog, available on Nov. 14, will feature historical photographs and artifacts from the exhibit, as well as supporting essays by Ericka Blount, Rob Bowman, Warren Denney, Stephen Deusner, Michael Gonzales, Marlin Greene, Patterson Hood and Francesca Royster. In support of the exhibit’s debut, the museum will host a concert celebration and variety of public programs during opening weekend.

Schmitty Signs With The Neal Agency

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Pictured (L-R): Ryan Beuschel (TNA), Jessi Stevenson (Warner Chappell), Schmitty, Jake Moore (TNA) and Dylan McGraw (Fusion Music). Photo: Kelly Littlefield

Warner Chappell Music singer-songwriter Schmitty has signed with The Neal Agency (TNA) for booking. The news comes ahead of the release of his debut six-song EP, Office With A View, available on Friday (Sept. 12).

“I couldn’t think of a better home for my booking than The Neal Agency. Jake [Moore], Ryan [Beuschel], and the team feel like family and share the same values I grew up with back home in the Midwest,” shares Schmitty. “With a roster that looks like my playlist and a winning culture all around, it’s a dream come true. Let’s get to work!”

TNA agent Jake Moore adds, “We are thrilled to welcome Schmitty to our roster. His mix of raw talent and storytelling instantly stood out.”

Office With A View finds Schmitty blending his wild child spirit and the down-home morals that shaped him during his years growing up and working on his family farm in Washburn, North Dakota. Inspired early on by stories of his paternal grandpa’s Hall of Fame barbershop quartet, The Schmitt Brothers, he was taught his first guitar chords at 13 by a bluegrass-picking neighbor.

Now, as a music-maker in Nashville, Schmitty’s heartfelt lyrics and candid honesty have elevated his social media presence, leading to his discovery. He has begun to build a fanbase with previously-released songs like “Cadillac,” “This Side of the Porchlight” and debut album title track “Office With A View.”

Schmitty is represented by Warner Chappell’s Jessi Stevenson for publishing and Fusion Music’s Dylan McGraw and Daniel Miller for management. Office With A View will be distributed by Cmd Shft.

Chase McDaniel Finds His Voice On ‘Lost Ones’ [Interview]

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Chase McDaniel. Photo: Robby Stevens

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, and Chase McDaniel’s debut album Lost Ones (out Sept. 19 via Big Machine Records) feels especially timely. Blending country storytelling with a rock-and-roll edge, the 12-track project leans into themes of survival, hope and connection—all grounded in a life story McDaniel has to tell.

Raised in the small town of Greensburg, Kentucky, McDaniel grew up surrounded by gospel music, bluegrass harmonies and the unwavering support of his grandparents, who took him in when his parents were struggling. “My papaw sang bass in a gospel quartet,” he says. “I fell in love with the low male voice. He was my hero.” Music and family became constants in a childhood marked by hardship, including the eventual loss of his father to addiction.

But when McDaniel began struggling with mental health as a teenager, he found little understanding in the world around him.

“I started remembering having obsessive thoughts, compulsions… I’d have these horrible intrusive thoughts, and I’d go to a closet and pray 300 times a day,” he says. “I grew up in a place where you don’t talk about that kind of stuff. I didn’t know what depression was or any kind of mental illness. I thought that only happened to crazy people. So if it was me, I must be crazy.”

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Sports provided a temporary escape until an accident ended his weightlifting career in college. Around the same time, his father overdosed, grief overtook his family and McDaniel found himself spiraling into depression and anxiety with no language for what he was experiencing. “It was a mixed bag of absolute hell,” he says. “Wake up in hell, spend all day in hell, go to sleep in hell. And I did that for years without telling anybody.”

The breaking point came late one night on a bridge in Louisville. “I felt these two long arms scoop me up from under both of my shoulders and pull me horizontally back over the concrete ledge,” he recalls. “That told me that I had to keep fighting. It didn’t stop after the bridge moment. I had to sign up for living, and whatever that meant.”

That experience, and the long road that followed, slowly led McDaniel toward writing the kind of music he once needed. Therapy helped, as did his growing determination to put his story into words when so few people around him seemed to understand.

“I was literally blazing a trail for myself,” he says. “I got tired of blank stares. I got tired of telling somebody and them feeling like I was a threat to myself. My obsession with understanding it led to my comfortability in talking about it.”

When he moved to Nashville at 21, McDaniel chased the same commercial dream most young artists do. At first, he wrote the radio-ready songs he thought people expected of him. But something felt false. “Do I want to go on stage every night pretending to be somebody else when I’m 40? When I’m 50?” he asks. “I had to figure out who I was and what I wanted my art to say.”

With Lost Ones, produced by Lindsay Rimes, he found the sound and the story he had been looking for: a mix of country roots and the rock music his dad loved during his sober summers. He smiles, cheekily, when describing the sonic fusion of the album as “between Randy Travis and Creed.”

Every track on Lost Ones was co-written by McDaniel, weaving together the personal and the universal. Songs like “What I Didn’t Have,” written as a tribute to the grandparents who raised him, bring warmth and gratitude to a project often circling loss and perseverance.

The title track anchors the record both musically and thematically, with its waltz-like tempo and haunting steel guitar capturing the loneliness—and hope—behind the Lost Ones name. “I think my taking a step forward lets other people feel safe enough to be vulnerable about some things they don’t talk about,” McDaniel says.

That connection has already shown up in real time. Earlier releases like “Your Daughter,” written about his sister and their father’s addiction, and “Somebody Like Me,” about struggling with mental health in a small town, have drawn powerful responses from fans. “The response was overwhelming,” he says. “It showed me there are people out there who need music that tells the truth.”

The album’s first single, “Burned Down Heaven,” is now climbing at country radio, while “Risk It All” and “Made It This Far” have found early streaming audiences. For McDaniel, those moments prove the music can stand on its own even as it carries deeply personal weight.

“I always just led message first,” he says. “There will be songs about heartbreak, about love, but if I don’t tell my own story, how are you gonna connect with me?”

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 or use the chat via 988lifeline.org.

The Turtles Co-Founder Mark Volman Passes At 78

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Mark Volman, a founding member of the 1960’s pop group The Turtles, passed away in Nashville on Friday (Sept. 5) after a brief illness. He was 78.

Best known for their chart-topping evergreen smash “Happy Together,” the Turtles also released songs like “She’d Rather Be with Me,” “You Know What I Mean,” “She’s My Girl” and “Elenore” throughout their career. The group disbanded in 1970 but Volman and friend/co-founder Howard Kaylan continued to tour and record as the comedic duo Flo & Eddie. The duo toured with Alice Cooper, offered vocals on T. Rex’s album Electric Warrior, and were recruited to sing on Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart,” according to the L.A. Times.

Mark Volman (middle) is recognized at Belmont University in 2019

In his 40’s Volman graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a masters in screenwriting and in 2018 was on the faculty of Belmont University’s music business department, but two years later learned he had Lewy body dementia, according to People. He nevertheless went on to release his memoir Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures with the Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More” in 2023, and returned to the road on a music festival tour that same year.

He is survived by his daughters Sarina Marie and Hallie Rae Volman and his brother, Phil Volman.

Shaboozey Launches American Dogwood Record Label

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Shaboozey. Photo: Daniel Prakopcyk

Shaboozey has established his own record label, American Dogwood, in collaboration with his label home EMPIRE. American Dogwood will spotlight genre-bending and boundary-pushing artists similar to Shaboozey himself.

Shaboozey, Jared Cotter and Abas Pauti. Photo: Daniel Prakopcyk

Shaboozey will lead the label by discovering and mentoring artists alongside longtime collaborators Jared Cotter and Abas Pauti. EMPIRE will support the label’s global infrastructure.

“American Dogwood is a tribute to where we come from, and to the artists, storytellers, and creators who make this life remarkable,” shares Shaboozey. “Our mission is to nurture the next generation of voices and to give them a place to grow, connect, and create. This is the beginning of a new chapter – one I hope always feels like home.”

The first act signed to the label is Kevin Powers, a Nashville based artist originally hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina. He first made his mark in Music City with viral co-penned hits “Walked In” and “How You Been?” He also c0-wrote the Shaboozey & Jelly Roll collaboration “Amen.” Powers sound is often described as “Southern Pop,” blending pop, country and hip-hop.

The first single off the new label will be a collaboration between Shaboozey and Powers titled “Move On,” dropping Sept. 19.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the American Dogwood family,” adds Powers. “My first release, “Move On” featuring Shaboozey, is about what happens when a relationship ends – how some people can let go, while others hold on longer than they should. It’s a story I think a lot of people will connect with, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to begin this journey than sharing it with Shaboozey by my side.”