Little Big Town Extends Breakers Tour Into Canada

/by

Little Big Town will put those parkas to good use since they are extending their Breakers Tour into Canada in February and March. The ten-city Northern run kicks off Feb. 14 in London, Ontario and will run through March 2 in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The tour, which follows on the heels of their 20-plus city, sold-out U.S. tour, features special guests Midland and Ashley McBryde.

Tickets for The Breakers Canada Tour go on-sale Friday, Oct. 12. Pre-sale tickets and a special VIP package launch now at littlebigtown.com (password: BETTERMAN). The VIP experience, offered throughout the tour, will include a private, pre-show acoustic performance from the band, limited edition merchandise, and more. 

The Breakers Canada Tour Dates:
Feb. 14: London, Ontario
Feb. 15: Oshawa, Ontario
Feb. 19: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Feb. 20: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Feb. 21: Regina, Saskatchewan
Feb. 23: Calgary, Alberta
Feb. 24: Edmonton, Alberta
Feb. 26: Lethbridge, Alberta
March 1: Penticton, British Columbia
March 2: Abbotsford, British Columbia

Industry Ink: Eastside Sounds, Kenny Smoov Show, UTA, Nashville School Of Law

/by

Taylor Noelle And Briston Maroney Rock BMI’s Eastside Sounds

Pictured (L-R): Alt 97.5’s Gabby Sanderson, BMI’s Branden Bosler, Taylor Noelle, BMI’s Nina Carter and Briston Maroney (Photo: Bridgette Aikens)

BMI and Alt 97.5 hosted the latest installation of the Eastside Sounds showcase series at the Basement East. Designed to promote the best of Nashville’s rising alt-rock scene, the night kicked off with powerhouse vocalist Taylor Noelle followed by an energetic set from alt-rocker Briston Maroney. Each night offers free admission, a “happy half-hour” open bar sponsored by Bulleit Bourbon before the show, and two up-and-coming acts from Nashville’s emerging alternative scene. The series is slated to continue on Oct. 23.

 

Kenny Smoov Show Debut Set For Oct. 11

Pictured (L-R): C-Dub (Producer & Social Media Director), Sissy Brown (Co-Host), Kenny Smoov (Host)

92Q/WQQK-FM is debuting a new live and local morning show, “The Kenny Smoov Morning Show”, October 11 featuring longtime Nashville air talent and The Tennessean’s 2017 Favorite Radio Personality of the Year, Kenny Smoov. “The Kenny Smoov Morning Show” will air weekdays from 5am-10am on 92Q. Smoov, a veteran radio programmer and air talent, will continue to serve 92Q as Program Director, in addition to his new role as Morning Show Host.

A well-respected club and concert DJ, Smoov has also served as Red Carpet/Backstage talent for the Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and The Grammys and is also the Afternoon Host for Westwood One’s nationwide The Touch Format. Sissy Brown will join Smoov on the show and will bring “The Get Down”, hourly entertainment and gossip updates, and “Sissy’s Inbox” to the show. 92Q Evening Host, C-Dub, will round out the morning team as Producer and Social Media Director.

 

UTA Hosts Digital Summit At Belmont

United Talent Agency has partnered with Belmont University to present The Digital Summit for students Oct. 18 at Belmont’s Large Theater in the Milton and Denice Johnson Center. The summit will include discussions with UTA executives including Nick Barnes, Digital Strategy Agent, Kendall Ostrow, Head of IQ Strategy, Oren Rosenbaum, Digital Agent/Emerging Platforms and Spotify’s Director, Head of Originals, Jesse Burton. The event is not open to the public.

 

Sexual Harassment Legal Education Seminar

The Sports and Entertainment Law Society and the Nashville School of Law are holding “A Call to Action: Sexual Harassment No More!”, Oct. 9 at the Nashville School Of Law. The continuing legal education class will address the recent surge of high-profile sexual harassment allegations and discuss development of effective policy to help prevent it. Panelists include Sen. Yarbro, Rep. Gilmore, Denise Nichols (entertainment law attorney & NSL grad) and Ree Guyer (Wrensong). The panel will be moderated by entertainment attorney and NSL faculty member Ramona P. DeSalvo. 

A bill by state Senator Jeff Yarbro and Representative Brenda Gilmore would allow a person providing services pursuant to a contract to bring a sexual harassment action in certain situations against the entity with which the person contracted. This proposed law is important in the entertainment industry where many are not employees, but rather are independent contractors such as songwriters, artists, producers, engineers, and others.

BBR Music Group Adds Director, A&R

/by

Chris Poole

Nashville label BBR Music Group has added a Director of A&R to its staff lineup, reporting to VP, A&R Sara Knabe.

Chris Poole joins BBR Music Group in the new Director role, having previously served as Creative Manager for CTM/Writer’s Ink. He began his career as an artist manager with Paravel Management, which he co-founded in 2013. While at Paravel, their roster included artists Seth Ennis, KB, Branan Murphy, For All Seasons, Kid Politics, Alec Bailey, and others. During his time at CTM/Writer’s Ink, he worked in an artist development role with songwriters and artists including Scott Stevens, Faren Rachels, Jimi Bell, Trannie Stevens and others.

In addition to his work in artist management and music publishing, Poole started his music career as a drummer in college bands during his time at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia.

“I am so excited to have Chris on my team. I’ve never met a more voracious music consumer. He lives to listen and discover new talent, across genres. This will bring a unique diversity to the ear of our creative team. He has a heart for artist development. His personality wins in every situation. Buy this guy a beer, talk music and I promise you’ll walk away excited and inspired. I can’t wait to dig in with him,” says Knabe.

“I am so thankful for the opportunity to join the BBR/BMG family,” adds Poole. “I am excited for the chance to work with and cultivate an incredible roster of unique artists while being led by a visionary leadership team that aims to continue building one of the most innovative record labels in Nashville.”

Poole is already on the job and reports directly to Knabe. Poole can be reached at chris.poole@bbrmusicgroup.com and 615-610-2120.

Weekly Chart Report (10/5/18)

/by

Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

Tim McGraw Returns With “Neon Church,” Preps New Album For 2019

/by

Tim McGraw released his first new solo music in two years on Thursday (Oct. 4), with the unveiling of “Neon Church,” via Columbia Nashville/McGraw Music. “Neon Church” was penned by Ben Goldsmith, Ross Ellis Lipsey and Ben Stennis and co-produced by McGraw with Byron Gallimore, and marks the lead single from McGraw’s upcoming album, set for release in 2019.

“There’s not a misplaced word in ‘Neon Church,’” explained McGraw in a release from the label.

McGraw has also released a second track, “Thought About You,” penned by The Warren Brothers and Lee Miller, and co-produced by McGraw with Gallimore.

“I love that there are no rules anymore and I can give fans more music at once. I really felt that both these songs were ready to be heard and will absolutely give a sense of where I’m going with my next project. They’re meaningful to me and show the diversity of what I’ve been working on musically,” said McGraw who has most recently spent two years touring with his wife Faith Hill on the Soul2Soul Tour in support of their first-ever album together, The Rest Of Our Life.

“Tim had such a vision for the sound and shape of this new music. ‘Neon Church’ is an anthem from the first note and is so unique sonically,” said Gallimore.  Together as co-producers, McGraw and Gallimore have sold over 50 million records.

McGraw also stopped by SiriusXM’s The Highway to discuss the new music with Storme Warren.

“This album, we had so much fun in the studio and we had such great songs and such great tones and sounds, and we had such an idea of what we wanted to do when we went in there that I would say 98 percent of these vocals were tracking-day vocals. We went in, cut them and just kept everything that we recorded while we were singing… I spent a lot of time learning the songs, I really wanted to have a-what’s the word I’m looking for?-first approach passion to it. That’s what I really wanted, and boy we got it. I flew in from the road a couple of times and flew in from the road one time and went in the studio, slept on the couch for three or four days and cut these records. Gosh, we really were excited when we got through with it. I mean you can even hear on my vocal, you can hear the snare drum sound bleeding through my vocals sometimes because we were writing all in the studio. I think it makes an even bigger sound, we wanted it to be a big wave coming at you.” -Tim McGraw in an interview airing Friday, October 5 at 7:30 a.m. ET on SiriusXM channel 56.

YouTube video
 
YouTube video
 
YouTube video

Pete Good Signs Co-Venture With SMACKSongs And King Pen Music

/by

Pictured (L-R): Josh Osborne, Kelly King, Pete Good, Shane McAnally, Robin Palmer, Stephanie Cox, Lee Krabel

Songwriter/producer Pete Good has signed a worldwide music publishing deal with SMACKSongs and King Pen Music, administered exclusively by Kobalt.

Good grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and moved to Nashville in 2009 to immerse himself in Nashville’s songwriting community. In 2013, he signed with King Pen Music/Garda Entertainment and has since had songs recorded by artists such as Tim McGraw, Darius Rucker, Walker Hayes, Rascal Flatts, Jerrod Niemann, LOCASH, Jason Michael Carroll, Michael Tyler, Trea Landon and more.

Recently, Good has been working with Shane McAnally to co-produce Monument Records recording artist Brandon Ratcliff’s forthcoming LP. He also co-wrote the debut single, “Rockin’ All Night Long,” from Capitol Records Nashville / Buena Vista Records artist Adam Hambrick, which is at country radio now.

“I am thrilled to begin this co-venture with SMACK, King Pen and Kobalt,” said Good. “I have so much respect for everyone that is a part of this team. They have a way of making anything feel possible, and to say that I am motivated is an understatement.”

“We are very excited to have Pete join the roster of incredible writers here at SMACK,” said SMACKSongs CEO Shane McAnally. “I have enjoyed working with him as a songwriter and a producer, and I look forward to many collaborations in the future.”

“Pete is beyond talented, and he is one of the most tenacious, hard-working writers that I have ever worked with,” said King Pen’s Kelly King. “It is an honor to be on his team, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Jason Aldean Concludes High Noon Neon Tour With Annual “Concert For The Cure” Nashville Show

/by

Pictured (L-R): Susan G. Komen Central Tennessee Executive Director Dawn Eaton, survivor Dena Anderson, Jason Aldean, ET Correspondent/Concert For The Cure Host Brooke Anderson, survivor Diane Joyner. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

After wrapping his 2018 High Noon Neon Tour this past weekend, current three-time CMA nominee Jason Aldean celebrated his annual Concert For The Cure at his Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar in Nashville consummating more than $4.1 million for Susan G. Komen chapters across the country.

Last night, Susan G. Komen Central Tennessee received a check for $459,509, which was raised by a portion of ticket sales from his 2018 tour. Survivors and fans alike were treated to an intimate performance by Aldean with personal stories about his history and commitment to helping beat the disease.

“All year long on the road, we hear stories from fans about how they’ve been affected by breast cancer,” said Aldean. “It’s crazy how just about everyone is close to someone who is, or has fought this horrible disease. Thank you to the fans, Omaze and the TC Restaurant Group for their support last night and we’re going to keep doing our part in hopes that we never have to lose someone to breast cancer again.”

Ticketmaster Taps Tawn Albright To Oversee Specialized Ticketing Solutions For Clubs, DIY Events

/by

Tawn Albright

Tawn Albright will join Ticketmaster as Executive Vice President. In this Nashville-based role, Albright will lead the growth and expansion of Ticketmaster’s specialized platforms including TicketWeb, which focuses on ticketing clubs and small venues, and Universe, Ticketmaster’s DIY ticketing platform. He will report to Jared Smith, President of Ticketmaster in Los Angeles.

Albright will oversee ticketing solutions for indie music clubs, attractions and branded events, fairs and festivals, organized DIY events and more.

Albright joins Ticketmaster from Leaf Group, a publicly traded diversified media and marketplace company where he was part of the executive team that led the company’s turnaround with a focus on corporate and business development. Prior to Leaf Group, Albright was co-founder and CEO of the award-winning digital agency Rockhouse Partners, which was an early pioneer in providing digital marketing solutions for live entertainment venues and was acquired by eTix in 2014. Prior to Rockhouse, he ran Corporate Development for Ticketmaster and held development and growth roles with companies such as Cox Communications and The Coca-Cola Company.

“Tawn is another unique addition to our leadership team. He has a fantastic background with a proven record of leveraging technology to bring fresh product and service solutions to market in both ecommerce and enterprise software. There’s no doubt he will help us accelerate an area of our business that is already growing at an impressive rate,” said Smith.

“As we all keep hearing, we now live in an experiential economy where people are yearning for live events. Concerts, comedy shows, cultural fairs, festivals and attractions are more popular than ever before,” said Albright. “Our unique ability to complement our portfolio of specialized tools and software with the unparalleled scale and expertise of Ticketmaster is what excites me the most about joining the team.”

Industry Pics: Emmylou Harris, Music For Mike, Lee Brice, TobyMac, Brandon Lay

/by

Emmylou Harris Celebrates Exhibit Opening At Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum

Pictured (L-R): Kyle Young, Steve Turner, Emmylou Harris, Brenda Colladay, Ken Levitan and Kevin Spellman. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Country Music Hall of Fame member Emmylou Harris celebrated the opening of her exhibit “Emmylou Harris: Songbird’s Flight” at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum on Tuesday night (Oct. 2). To honor the newest exhibition, the museum hosted a private reception, which included performances by Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin.

“Emmylou Harris: Songbird’s Flight” officially opens to the public Friday, Oct. 5, and continues through Aug. 4, 2019.

 

Music For Mike Benefit Concert Raises $100K

Country music icons BlackHawk, Brooks & Dunn’s Kix Brooks, Diamond Rio, Foster & Lloyd, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Lee Roy Parnell, Pam Tillis, Phil Vassar and Steve Wariner, all backed by the band Sixwire, met up for a one-night-only event last Tuesday (Sept. 25), donating their time to raise money for the family of one of their former champions—Arista/Nashville and Sea Gayle Music’s Mike Owens.

The organizers of the event, friends and family of Mike Owens, wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in making the sold-out concert a success bringing in more than $100,000 for the Mike Owens Family Trust.

 

Lee Brice And Friends Honor Route 91 Survivors In Special Show

Pictured (back row, L-R): WME’s Risha Rodgers, SiriusXM host Buzz Brainard, Drake White, Lee Brice and Tyler Reeve; (front row, L-R): Red Light Management’s Haley McLemore, #LOVEWINS founders Katrina and Greg Phelps, and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch and Lydia Schultz.

Lee Brice hosted the final of his three-show “Lee Brice Presents: The Analog Series” with friends Drake White, Tyler Reeve and special guests Rob Hatch and Lewis Brice. The evening was emceed by SiriusXM’s Buzz Brainard and proceeds benefitted #LOVEWINS—a nonprofit represented by Greg Phelps (treasurer of the 501 c3) and his wife Katrina. The organization was created to serve survivors of last year’s Route 91 tragedy.

 

TobyMac Celebrates Sixth Consecutive RIAA Gold Certification

Pictured: TobyMac with Capitol CMG’s Steve Blair, Brad O’Donnell, Hudson Plachy, David Sylvester and Peter York. Photo: Trent Nicholson

TobyMac was honored with the RIAA certification for his sixth solo Gold record, the Grammy-winning This Is Not A Test, in his hometown of Nashville recently. The honor came two weeks before the artist drops The Elements on Oct. 12, which is available for pre-order now with an instant gratis of the new single “Scars.”

 

Brandon Lay Celebrates Grand Ole Opry Debut

Pictured (L-R): Morris Higham’s Kyle Quigley, Brandon Lay, UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe, and Grand Ole Opry Director Marketing and Program Development Dan Rogers. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry LLC

Brandon Lay celebrated his Grand Ole Opry debut this past Saturday (Sept. 29). Introduced by long-standing Opry member Bill Anderson, Lay performed his current single “Yada Yada Yada,” as well as his autobiographical debut single “Speakers, Bleachers and Preachers.” To make the celebration even sweeter, immediately following his Opry debut, Lay headed to the hospital to pick up his wife and newborn son Ryder Knox Lay who was born on Sept. 27.

Pictured (L-R): Brandon Lay and Bill Anderson. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry LLC

Warner Music Nashville’s WAR Team Names James Marsh As National Director

/by

James Marsh

Warner Music Nashville has named James Marsh as the National Director of the WAR team, effective Oct. 22. He will report to VP Radio & Streaming Tom Martens, who recently vacated the role.

“I know that James will be a perfect addition to our Warner Music Nashville family and culture,” said Martens. “I’m confident that he will keep the WAR team’s momentum going strong and will add his own valuable insights and perspective.”

Marsh will oversee the radio and streaming efforts for the WAR roster, which currently includes Ashley McBryde, Bailey Bryan, Chris Janson, Dan + Shay and Frankie Ballard. The team boasts notable growth and milestone successes over the past few years, including multiple CMA nominations and chart-topping singles for Janson and Dan + Shay.

“James has an amazing energy for the job and a passion for living life that is perfect for leading the already incredible staff and roster of artists on the WAR team,” said SVP Radio & Streaming Kristen Williams. “It was insanely important to us that we find someone who was both capable of leading this rockstar group of regionals and could also fit perfectly with our driven and creative culture at Warner Music Nashville. James is the perfect complement to both, and we’re thrilled to announce his position!”

A Texas native, Marsh began his music career as an artist development rep at Universal Music Group in 2000. The following year he became a promotions manager at Island Def Jam, where he remained until 2006, and then transitioned to a Pop / Rock southwest regional role at Atlantic Records. He then spent four years as a National Director at Roadrunner before returning to regional positions at Warner Bros. Records and, most recently, Big Machine Label Group.

“I wasn’t actively looking for an opportunity for a National role, but I felt very special hearing from Kristen Williams, Tom Martens and Espo about how much they believe in me and my ability to step into this role,” said Marsh. “Special enough that, for the first time in my life, I am actually moving from Texas. It took a lot, but they really made it feel like this is the place I needed to be. I’ve always found support in the Warner family. Mike Easterlin, Julie Greenwald and Lyor Cohen – those three threw me into the fire 19 years ago and have had my back since then. For me it’s about getting back with old friends to continue something great.”

Added Marsh, “I want to help the veteran artists who have already established themselves and hope we can learn from each other. I also love being on the forefront of breaking artists, putting them in the best light and using all the tools that we have in our belts. I can’t wait to be a part of this powerhouse that is the Warner family.”