Luke Combs. Photo: Jim Wright
In four years, Luke Combs has ascended from releasing the indie projects The Way She Rides and Can I Get An Outlaw, to watching as his River House Artists/Columbia Records major label debut, This One’s For You, earned an RIAA Platinum certification and deluxe version after its 2017 release. Earlier this year, Combs sold out two headlining shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and when he announced his upcoming Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour, over 80 percent of shows sold out in the first weekend tickets went on sale.
Initially, Combs independently released what would become his breakthrough hit, “Hurricane,” penned with Thomas Archer and Taylor Phillips. The song’s visceral lyrics and angsty production caught the attention of streaming services and the ear of both Sony Music Nashville and River House Artists execs, catapulting him into the leagues of major label artists.
Since its release This One’s For You has earned earned more than 1 billion streams, and has produced three consecutive No. 1 singles, including the 3x Platinum “Hurricane,” 2x Platinum “When It Rains It Pours,” and the Platinum “One Number Away.” Another track, “Beautiful Crazy,” which was not released as a radio single, has also garnered gold status. His current single, “She Got The Best Of Me,” is in the Top 5 on the country song sales chart, with 207K to date.
Last month, Combs was among the final round nominees for the Country Music Awards’ New Artist of the Year (a category he was also nominated for in 2017) and the coveted Male Vocalist of the Year categories–adding two more additions to an already lengthy list of accolades. But for Combs, just the chance to attend the awards show has him in awe.
“I didn’t think I would ever get to go to something like that,” he tells MusicRow Magazine. “It’s just crazy to watch the show with my mom years ago and now to get my parents to go with me and see that is pretty cool.”
On record and onstage, Combs’ raspy voice delivers his self-constructed storylines with the same gut-punching intensity. That’s by design.
“I used to go to a lot of concerts when I was younger and sometimes I would feel a little bit let down by the translation from the album to the live show,” he says. “It really felt like things weren’t translating the way I wanted them to, as a fan. I wanted our experience to be different.”
As a kid, Combs absorbed late-’90s country music before leaning in to punk rock and grunge bands such as Nirvana. “Then I found Eric Church’s music, which bridged the gap for me, from that to getting back into country music,” he says.
Combs was a careful student of the way artists such as Church and rockers Dave Matthews Band have fought to place fans first. “They’ve always done things kind of different and did special things for fans. That resonated with me,” he continues.
Though Combs grew up singing and loving music, he didn’t officially pursue music as a career until after he picked up a guitar at age 21.
“My goal was just to not have to work for anybody else,” he says. “I was working two jobs that I didn’t enjoy and I was in college, and I just decided I didn’t want to work for anybody else. All of this other stuff is just a really nice cherry on top.”
Perhaps similar to his musical heroes, Combs considers the craft of songwriting and its influence on his artist career of equal importance.
“For me at least there was never any other option,” he says of his commitment to the craft of songwriting. “I always wanted to write my own stuff so I just lumped it together. In my eyes, being a successful artist is being a successful songwriter, for yourself.”
Luke Combs. Photo: Preston Leatherman
Along the way, Combs has given several aspiring songwriters their very first No. 1 songs, and he says fans can expect further collaborations with those writers on his follow-up album.
“There are people I started writing with recently that we just folded into the same circle of folks from the first album,” he says. “There are so many people that have proved themselves on this first album, so I wanted to keep writing with those guys. We did alright so I kept it the same.”
Though his debut album This One’s For You has been a runaway sales hit, Combs isn’t feeling pressure when it comes to its follow-up.
“I’ve written probably at least 50 songs already,” he estimates. “We have a lot of stuff already done that I’m confident in, so I don’t really feel the pressure because we have so much stuff locked and loaded.”
He brings that ‘no pressure’ mentality into the writing room. “I definitely want the song to be right, and I’m very meticulous about making sure it sounds the way we want it to,” he says, “but if we don’t write anything for five days, or if we write three songs in a day, that’s fine, too. The ‘no pressure’ environment is a cool way to write. And, I’m not like, ‘Man, we don’t have this type of song for the album’ or ‘We need this certain type of track.’ I’ve never really bought into that. If we just put out the best 12 or 14 songs we have, then I think we win either way.”
Luke Combs and his co-writers and label celebrate his third No. 1 song, “One Number Away.” Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville’s Steve Hodges, Sony Music Nashville’s Shane Allen, MakeWake’s Zebb Luster, Big Machine’s Mike Molinar, River House’s Lynn Oliver-Cline, BMI songwriter Robert Williford, songwriter/50 Egg’s Jonathan Singleton, Luke Combs, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, ASCAP songwriter/producer Steven Battey, SESAC songwriter Sammy Mitchell, SESAC’s ET Brown, Concord Music Publishing’s Brad Kennard, and BMI’s Leslie Roberts
Weekly Chart Report (10/5/18)
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Tim McGraw Returns With “Neon Church,” Preps New Album For 2019
/by Jessica NicholsonTim 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.
Pete Good Signs Co-Venture With SMACKSongs And King Pen Music
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (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 Jessica NicholsonPictured (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 Jessica NicholsonTawn 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 Haley CrowEmmylou 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
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 Jessica NicholsonJames 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.”
Exclusive: Luke Combs On His “Beautiful Crazy” Career Rise, Plans For Next Album
/by Jessica NicholsonLuke Combs. Photo: Jim Wright
In four years, Luke Combs has ascended from releasing the indie projects The Way She Rides and Can I Get An Outlaw, to watching as his River House Artists/Columbia Records major label debut, This One’s For You, earned an RIAA Platinum certification and deluxe version after its 2017 release. Earlier this year, Combs sold out two headlining shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and when he announced his upcoming Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour, over 80 percent of shows sold out in the first weekend tickets went on sale.
Initially, Combs independently released what would become his breakthrough hit, “Hurricane,” penned with Thomas Archer and Taylor Phillips. The song’s visceral lyrics and angsty production caught the attention of streaming services and the ear of both Sony Music Nashville and River House Artists execs, catapulting him into the leagues of major label artists.
Since its release This One’s For You has earned earned more than 1 billion streams, and has produced three consecutive No. 1 singles, including the 3x Platinum “Hurricane,” 2x Platinum “When It Rains It Pours,” and the Platinum “One Number Away.” Another track, “Beautiful Crazy,” which was not released as a radio single, has also garnered gold status. His current single, “She Got The Best Of Me,” is in the Top 5 on the country song sales chart, with 207K to date.
Last month, Combs was among the final round nominees for the Country Music Awards’ New Artist of the Year (a category he was also nominated for in 2017) and the coveted Male Vocalist of the Year categories–adding two more additions to an already lengthy list of accolades. But for Combs, just the chance to attend the awards show has him in awe.
“I didn’t think I would ever get to go to something like that,” he tells MusicRow Magazine. “It’s just crazy to watch the show with my mom years ago and now to get my parents to go with me and see that is pretty cool.”
On record and onstage, Combs’ raspy voice delivers his self-constructed storylines with the same gut-punching intensity. That’s by design.
“I used to go to a lot of concerts when I was younger and sometimes I would feel a little bit let down by the translation from the album to the live show,” he says. “It really felt like things weren’t translating the way I wanted them to, as a fan. I wanted our experience to be different.”
As a kid, Combs absorbed late-’90s country music before leaning in to punk rock and grunge bands such as Nirvana. “Then I found Eric Church’s music, which bridged the gap for me, from that to getting back into country music,” he says.
Combs was a careful student of the way artists such as Church and rockers Dave Matthews Band have fought to place fans first. “They’ve always done things kind of different and did special things for fans. That resonated with me,” he continues.
Though Combs grew up singing and loving music, he didn’t officially pursue music as a career until after he picked up a guitar at age 21.
“My goal was just to not have to work for anybody else,” he says. “I was working two jobs that I didn’t enjoy and I was in college, and I just decided I didn’t want to work for anybody else. All of this other stuff is just a really nice cherry on top.”
Perhaps similar to his musical heroes, Combs considers the craft of songwriting and its influence on his artist career of equal importance.
“For me at least there was never any other option,” he says of his commitment to the craft of songwriting. “I always wanted to write my own stuff so I just lumped it together. In my eyes, being a successful artist is being a successful songwriter, for yourself.”
Luke Combs. Photo: Preston Leatherman
Along the way, Combs has given several aspiring songwriters their very first No. 1 songs, and he says fans can expect further collaborations with those writers on his follow-up album.
“There are people I started writing with recently that we just folded into the same circle of folks from the first album,” he says. “There are so many people that have proved themselves on this first album, so I wanted to keep writing with those guys. We did alright so I kept it the same.”
Though his debut album This One’s For You has been a runaway sales hit, Combs isn’t feeling pressure when it comes to its follow-up.
“I’ve written probably at least 50 songs already,” he estimates. “We have a lot of stuff already done that I’m confident in, so I don’t really feel the pressure because we have so much stuff locked and loaded.”
He brings that ‘no pressure’ mentality into the writing room. “I definitely want the song to be right, and I’m very meticulous about making sure it sounds the way we want it to,” he says, “but if we don’t write anything for five days, or if we write three songs in a day, that’s fine, too. The ‘no pressure’ environment is a cool way to write. And, I’m not like, ‘Man, we don’t have this type of song for the album’ or ‘We need this certain type of track.’ I’ve never really bought into that. If we just put out the best 12 or 14 songs we have, then I think we win either way.”
Luke Combs and his co-writers and label celebrate his third No. 1 song, “One Number Away.” Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville’s Steve Hodges, Sony Music Nashville’s Shane Allen, MakeWake’s Zebb Luster, Big Machine’s Mike Molinar, River House’s Lynn Oliver-Cline, BMI songwriter Robert Williford, songwriter/50 Egg’s Jonathan Singleton, Luke Combs, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, ASCAP songwriter/producer Steven Battey, SESAC songwriter Sammy Mitchell, SESAC’s ET Brown, Concord Music Publishing’s Brad Kennard, and BMI’s Leslie Roberts
Kobalt Inks Worldwide Agreement With Get It Done Entertainment
/by Lorie HollabaughGet It Done Music Entertainment is a newly-formed joint venture company with Borman Entertainment, started by Gary Borman and Missi Gallimore, focusing on artist development, management and music publishing. Borman, who currently manages Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton, expressed an interest in forming Get It Done after working with Gallimore on A&R for Urban on his last two records. She also handles A&R for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, as well as runs the publishing companies, XOMG and Amped 11.
Following in the footsteps of his legendary family, Sam Williams, the son of Hank Williams Jr., is the spitting image of his grandfather, Hank Williams. Since beginning his musical journey in 2015, Williams has collaborated with writers Lori McKenna, Shawn Camp, Dan Tyminski, and Mary Gauthier, among others.
Abbey Cone is a 20 year-old Fort Worth, Texas native who has written with some of Nashville’s most talented songwriters for the last four years. Though songwriting is a passion, her greatest dream is to one day be able to perform and share her own music with the world.
“We’re excited to partner with Gary and Missi on their new venture,” said Jesse Willoughby, General Manager at Kobalt. “As two people who have continually found amazing talent over the years, we’re thrilled to be partnering with them on Abbey and Sam, two artists that have an incredible future ahead of them.”
“We honestly couldn’t ask for better partners for this project than the Kobalt team here in Nashville,” said Gallimore. “Their creative team is unmatched and they are on the leading edge of everything happening in music today. Gary and I are so excited to see what we can all create together.”
‘MusicRow’ Magazine Signs On As Presenting Sponsor For Music Row Storytellers Event Honoring Robert K. Oermann
/by Sherod RobertsonRobert K. Oermann
MusicRow magazine is confirmed as the presenting sponsor of the third annual Music Row Storytellers event on October 29 honoring music industry journalist and historian Robert K. Oermann.
“MusicRow is extremely excited to be the presenting sponsor of this year’s Music Row Storytellers featuring Robert K. Oermann,” says MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson. “The importance and impact of Oermann’s contribution to our community is simply immeasurable. He is the original ‘influencer’ of our industry, and there is simply no one that has a more interesting perspective and voice than our very own Bobby Karl. This event will be an evening to truly cherish and assuredly, a night not to miss.”
Additionally, Big Machine Label Group is supporting the event by sponsoring the bar and providing libations in the form of Big Machine Platinum Filtered Premium Vodka. Media personality Storme Warren, heard mornings on SiriusXM’s The Highway, returns for a second year as event emcee and host.
Music Row Storytellers, benefiting Music Health Alliance, is an event designed to honor people who stand the test of time in telling the stories that make the music industry so fascinating – the journalists, interviewers, reporters, show hosts and others who’ve lived, breathed and witnessed these moments alongside the music and decision makers of Music Row.
The third annual event will be held Monday, October 29 at the Wellspire Center (907 Gleaves St., Nashville TN 37203). Valet parking will be provided.
Tickets are available for purchase here for $75.00.
A 6 p.m. cocktail reception will be followed by a 6:30 p.m. program filled with laughs and stories from Oermann and surprise guests who’ve been part of his career.
Few people have witnessed as many of Music Row’s stories – and have as many to tell – as Robert K. Oermann. Since arriving in Nashville 40 years ago, “Bobby Karl” has documented, chronicled and helped tell countless tales of the people, places and events that give Music City its moniker. He has been contributing to MusicRow magazine since its inception in 1981.