Picture (L-R): Will McDonald, Shawn Cohen
Elektra Music Group, the newly formed stand-alone music company set to launch on Oct. 1, has announced two appointments to its A&R team. Will McDonald has joined the label as Vice President, A&R and Marketing, based in Nashville. Shawn Cohen has been named Senior Director, A&R, based in Los Angeles. McDonald and Cohen report to New York-based Elektra Music Group Co-Presidents Mike Easterlin and Gregg Nadel.
McDonald has spent the past decade with Dualtone Music Group, the Nashville-based independent label, most recently serving as Senior Director of A&R and Marketing. He was instrumental in signing much of the company’s roster, including multi-Platinum, Grammy-nominated folk rock band the Lumineers, as well as Shovels & Rope, Shakey Graves, Mt. Joy, and many others. Alongside his A&R duties, McDonald was involved in the marketing and product management of all of the label’s releases.
Elektra Music Group will include Elektra, Fueled By Ramen (FBR), Roadrunner, Low Country Sound, and Black Cement Records – which will be nurtured as unique, independent label brands. Co-Presidents Easterlin and Nadel will report to Atlantic Records Group Chairman & CEO Craig Kallman and Chairman & COO Julie Greenwald. The Elektra Music Group roster will include notable artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Sturgill Simpson, Zac Brown Band, Brandi Carlile, Fitz and the Tantrums, Paramore, Slipknot, Panic! At The Disco, Coheed and Cambria, Kaleo, Gojira, and others.
At launch, Elektra Music Group will boast a 60-plus member team embracing all key music company functions, including A&R, Artist Development, Business & Legal Affairs, International, Marketing, Promotion, Publicity, Sales & Streaming, and Video. The departments will be led and staffed by a combination of current members of the Atlantic, Elektra, FBR, and Roadrunner teams, as well as new hires.
Cohen most recently served as an A&R consultant, and is responsible for signing The Revivalists, who scored with the No. 1, RIAA Gold single, “Wish I Knew You.” He has worked with artists such as Jillette Johnson, Allday, and SPEAK. He previously spent six years at Wind-up Records, from 2010 until 2016, rising to Senior Director of A&R. He has also worked with artists such as the Griswolds, Citizen Zero, Crobot, Young Guns, and Filter, and spearheaded the formation of Eclypse Records with Feenixpawl.
“As we said when we announced the launch of Elektra Music Group, we’re going to be passionately devoted to long-term artist development,” said Easterlin and Nadel. “Signing and nurturing authentic artists will be at the core of everything we do, so it’s only fitting that our first staff announcement is about two of the most creative, independent-thinking young A&R people in the business. Will and Shawn come to us with great experience in discovering and working with original, compelling artists. And with Will in Nashville and Shawn in LA, we’ll solidify our cross-country A&R presence, which will enable us to build a dynamic roster of world-class talent.”
Redeye Signs Distribution Deal with New West Records
/by Jessica NicholsonBased in Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia, New West Records’ roster includes Aaron Lee Tasjan, American Aquarium, JD McPherson, Shovels & Rope, and many more. Forthcoming albums from Richard Thompson, Ron Gallo, John Hiatt and All Them Witches will be released under the new agreement with Redeye.
“I remember being at SXSW in 1998,” says Glenn Dicker, co-founder of Redeye, “when New West first kicked it off and was extremely impressed to see a massive billboard celebrating their artists! I’ve been a big fan since the get-go with artists like Vic Chesnutt and Drive-By Truckers, to their current roster including Richard Thompson and John Hiatt to the Live From Austin, TX series….great catalog with massive integrity throughout. We’re very proud to be representing this important independent label to the physical and digital music retail community and look forward to a great relationship for years to come!”
“I’ve known and respected Glenn Dicker for well over a decade, starting when I was at Bug Music Publishing where we worked with many of the same artists,” says John Allen, President of New West Records. “In the current changing distribution landscape, Redeye’s knowledgeable, experienced staff and streamlined, efficient distribution system is a perfect fit for New West’s growing catalog. Redeye are one of us and I look forward to many successful album releases with their stellar team.”
Frye Taps Margo Price And Lukas Nelson To Honor Americana Roots
/by LB CantrellThe Frye Company is honoring their Americana roots this fall with the help of Margo Price and Lukas Nelson. Their fall 2018 campaign, appropriately named “The Original, The Authentic, The Only,” is meant to underscore the common ground between the brand’s authenticity and the original sound of both artists.
Lukas Nelson of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real has built a devoted following carving out a distinctive style in Americana music. Nelson most recently produced and co-wrote some of the music on Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s new film, A Star Is Born.
Margo Price is no stranger to Americana, herself. Her 2017 album All American Made garnered her three nominations for Best Song, Best Album and Best Artist at next week’s Americana Music Awards.
Price is set to perform at Frye’s Nashville location in the Gulch on Oct. 2.
“I’ve traveled many miles in Frye boots,” said Price, “I wear them on stage for shows, when I’m in Tennessee working on the farm or when I’m walking a million miles in New York City. There’s nothing like a perfectly worn pair of Fryes.”
Nashville Band The Vegabonds Sign With Blue Élan Records
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Vegabonds
Blue Élan Records has signed Nashville-based band The Vegabonds. Their new album, V, symbolizing their fifth release, is set for in January 2019. The band will celebrate their new album at the Blue Élan AmericanaFest showcase in Nashville on Sept. 14 at The Filming Station.
The quintet joins Los Angeles-based Blue Élan Records for the first label deal of their career. Explains lead singer Danny Allen, “We’ve put in 10 years of hard work on the road and in the studio to get to this point and we’re ready to work even harder now to achieve our new goals with the label!”
The album V was produced by Tom Tapley, known for his production work with Kristian Bush and Larkin Poe, and engineering work on projects for Sugarland, Bruce Springsteen, Destiny’s Child, and Elton John. The work follows previous Vegabonds albums including What We’re Made Of, Southern Sons, and Dear Revolution.
The Vegabonds, which includes Daniel Allen (vocalist/writer), Richard Forehand (lead guitar/vocals), Paul Bruens (bass), Beau Cooper (keys/vocals), and Bryan Harris (drums), launched in 2009, playing college campuses across the Southeastern United States.
Track Listing for V:
1. Partyin’ With Strangers
2. Generation Of Happiness
3. I Ain’t Having It
4. When The Smoke Clears Up
5. Everything I Need
6. Best I Can
7. Traveling Man
8. Help Is On The Way
New Music From Drummer Fred Eltringham Features Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves
/by Sarah SkatesAccording to a press release, the covers band “re-imagines pre-existing songs with an edgy, lo-fi swagger…focusing on deep cuts over big hits.”
The album opens with Eltringham and Crow singing unison on the 1973 funk classic, “Yes We Can Can.” The vibe increases as Kacey Musgraves steps in for a psychedelic rendition of John Prine‘s “Pretty Good.”
As a professional drummer for more than 20 years, Eltringham has also backed Ben Kweller, the Wallflowers, The Dixie Chicks, kd lang, and countless Nashville sessions.
Take Cover tracklist
1. Yes We Can Can (feat. Sheryl Crow)
Written by Allen Toussaint, made famous by The Pointer Sisters
2. Pretty Good (feat. Kacey Musgraves)
Written by John Prine, made famous by John Prine
3. Stick By Me (feat. Ben Kweller)
Written by John Holt, made famous by John Holt
4. Into Your Arms
Written by Robyn St. Clare, made famous by The Lemonheads
5. Without Her (feat. Bryan Carter)
Written by Harry Nilsson, made famous by Harry Nilsson
6. Life Is A Problem
Written by J. Spaceman, made famous by Spiritualized
7. Lonely Girls
Written by Lucinda Williams, made famous by Lucinda Williams
8. Looking Glass
Written by Lee Mavers, made famous by The La’s
9. Always
Written by Irving Berlin, made famous by Frank Sinatra
Larry Gatlin Set For Songwriter Session At Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum
/by Jessica NicholsonCountry music singer-songwriter Larry Gatlin is set to be spotlighted by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum during a special Songwriter Session. Gatlin’s Songwriter Session will be held in the museum’s Ford Theater this Saturday, Sept. 8 at 11:30 a.m.. During the 45 minute program, Gatlin will perform several of his hit songs and will discuss his 60+ year career as a singer and songwriter.
Immediately following the program, items purchased in the museum store will be available for Gatlin to autograph.
The program is free with museum admission or museum membership. For more information on obtaining a program pass or members-only advance reservation, visit countrymusichalloffame.org.
Thomas Rhett Earns 11th No. 1, Plans Deluxe ‘Life Changes’
/by Sarah SkatesAfter a run of sell-outs this year, Thomas Rhett continues his headlining Life Changes Tour, kicking off the fall leg Sept. 13 in Bangor, Maine, with special guests Brett Young and Midland.
Life Changes debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, marking the first country release to take the top spot last year. The release also drew a 2018 Grammy nomination for Best Country Album and has been streamed more than 850 million times. Thomas Rhett is currently nominated for three CMA Awards.
Life Changes Deluxe Track List:
1. Craving You (featuring Maren Morris)
2. Unforgettable
3. Sixteen
4. Drink A Little Beer (featuring Rhett Akins)
5. Marry Me
6. Leave Right Now
7. Smooth Like The Summer
8. Life Changes
9. When You Look Like That
10. Sweetheart
11. Kiss Me Like A Stranger
12. Renegades
13. Gateway Love
14. Grave
15. Country Gold
16. Cardboard Heart
17. When We’re 80
18. Life Changes – Radio Edit**
19. Leave Right Now Martin Jensen**
20. Leave Right Now Nashville Mix**
21. Leave Right Now Radio Edit**
**Digital Version Only
Dolly Parton To Be Honored as 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year
/by Sarah SkatesDolly Parton. Photo credit: Kii Arens
Dolly Parton is the first artist from the Nashville music community to be named MusiCares Person of the Year, the most prestigious honor presented by the charity founded by the Recording Academy.
Parton will be celebrated at the 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year tribute on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, as part of Grammy week and two nights prior to the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. The gala dinner will include a tribute concert and live and silent auctions. Proceeds from the 29th annual benefit gala will provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical, and personal need.
Parton, an eight-time Grammy winner, is being recognized for her considerable creative accomplishments and her longtime support of a number of causes through her Dollywood Foundation, including the Imagination Library, which since 1996 has provided more than 100 million books to children from birth to 5 years of age in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the U.K.
“Dolly Parton has always been and continues to be a courageous trailblazer and indomitable inspiration for creators and artists—so for us to have the opportunity to honor her at our annual MusiCares Person of the Year gala is to pay tribute to a true pillar of strength and someone who we all look up to and cherish,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of MusiCares and the Recording Academy. “With her legendary talent, she has forged a career that spans decades, and her gifts as a performer resound on both stage and screen. Dolly also knows the power of philanthropy and she has used her stardom to contribute to a wide range of causes from natural disasters to education and literacy programs.”
“I am so excited and humbled to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year,” said Parton. “It’s even more special knowing the gala benefits music people in need. I can’t wait to hear all of the great artists singing my music.”
The celebration culminates with the 61st Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. The telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Elektra Music Group Makes A&R Appointments In Nashville, Los Angeles
/by Jessica NicholsonPicture (L-R): Will McDonald, Shawn Cohen
Elektra Music Group, the newly formed stand-alone music company set to launch on Oct. 1, has announced two appointments to its A&R team. Will McDonald has joined the label as Vice President, A&R and Marketing, based in Nashville. Shawn Cohen has been named Senior Director, A&R, based in Los Angeles. McDonald and Cohen report to New York-based Elektra Music Group Co-Presidents Mike Easterlin and Gregg Nadel.
McDonald has spent the past decade with Dualtone Music Group, the Nashville-based independent label, most recently serving as Senior Director of A&R and Marketing. He was instrumental in signing much of the company’s roster, including multi-Platinum, Grammy-nominated folk rock band the Lumineers, as well as Shovels & Rope, Shakey Graves, Mt. Joy, and many others. Alongside his A&R duties, McDonald was involved in the marketing and product management of all of the label’s releases.
Elektra Music Group will include Elektra, Fueled By Ramen (FBR), Roadrunner, Low Country Sound, and Black Cement Records – which will be nurtured as unique, independent label brands. Co-Presidents Easterlin and Nadel will report to Atlantic Records Group Chairman & CEO Craig Kallman and Chairman & COO Julie Greenwald. The Elektra Music Group roster will include notable artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Sturgill Simpson, Zac Brown Band, Brandi Carlile, Fitz and the Tantrums, Paramore, Slipknot, Panic! At The Disco, Coheed and Cambria, Kaleo, Gojira, and others.
At launch, Elektra Music Group will boast a 60-plus member team embracing all key music company functions, including A&R, Artist Development, Business & Legal Affairs, International, Marketing, Promotion, Publicity, Sales & Streaming, and Video. The departments will be led and staffed by a combination of current members of the Atlantic, Elektra, FBR, and Roadrunner teams, as well as new hires.
Cohen most recently served as an A&R consultant, and is responsible for signing The Revivalists, who scored with the No. 1, RIAA Gold single, “Wish I Knew You.” He has worked with artists such as Jillette Johnson, Allday, and SPEAK. He previously spent six years at Wind-up Records, from 2010 until 2016, rising to Senior Director of A&R. He has also worked with artists such as the Griswolds, Citizen Zero, Crobot, Young Guns, and Filter, and spearheaded the formation of Eclypse Records with Feenixpawl.
“As we said when we announced the launch of Elektra Music Group, we’re going to be passionately devoted to long-term artist development,” said Easterlin and Nadel. “Signing and nurturing authentic artists will be at the core of everything we do, so it’s only fitting that our first staff announcement is about two of the most creative, independent-thinking young A&R people in the business. Will and Shawn come to us with great experience in discovering and working with original, compelling artists. And with Will in Nashville and Shawn in LA, we’ll solidify our cross-country A&R presence, which will enable us to build a dynamic roster of world-class talent.”
Tom Martens Promoted At Warner Music Nashville
/by Jessica NicholsonTom Martens
Warner Music Nashville’s Tom Martens has been promoted to the newly-created role of VP, Radio & Streaming. Martens will continue to report to Sr. VP, Radio & Streaming Kristen Williams.
“Tom is the perfect executive to bring Warner Music Nashville’s Radio & Streaming team into the future,” says Williams. “His relationships with our artists and staff are unparalleled, and I am thrilled to have someone with his expertise and passion leading our teams. With Tom in his new role and Tim Foisset continuing to lead our streaming department, we are able to further our resolve to strengthen all partnerships while also devoting more attention to our artists and their growth across all platforms.”
In his Vice President role, Martens will oversee the three radio promotions teams, including WMN and WEA, led by National Directors Katie Bright and Adrian Michaels respectively.
“I am very grateful to John Esposito and Kristen Williams for providing me an incredible opportunity within the Warner Music Nashville family,” said Martens. “I am so fortunate to work with a staff that is so dedicated to our amazing artists and partners, and I look forward to continuing the incredible growth that our Radio & Streaming team has seen over the past few years.”
In his four years as the WAR National Director, Martens has steered his roster of artists to unprecedented success at country radio and beyond. In 2018 alone he drove Dan + Shay’s Platinum-certified “Tequila” to a multi-week No. 1, which lead to three CMA nominations as a duo, and helped notch another triple nod for Chris Janson and his current Top 10 single “Drunk Girl.”
Martens’ previous role as WAR National Director will be filled in coming weeks; Warner Music Nashville will bolster the team with a manager of streaming role, which it is currently looking to fill.
Lady Antebellum Signs With BMLG Records
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): BMLGR’s Matthew Hargis, BMLG’s Sandi Spika Borchetta, BMLGR’s Jimmy Harnen, Lady A’s Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott, BMLG’s Scott Borchetta, Lady A’s Dave Haywood, BMLG’s Andrew Kautz, Allison Jones and Mike Rittberg
Lady Antebellum have signed with Big Machine Label Group’s BMLG Records. A reconnection of sorts for the trio whose success has taken them around the globe, the deal finds Lady A once again crossing paths with BMLG President/CEO Scott Borchetta and BMLGR President Jimmy Harnen.
“We have been truly blessed throughout our career to work with some of the brightest people in music,” said Lady A’s Hillary Scott. “We’ve watched BMLG become the powerhouse they are from the sidelines and couldn’t be more excited to become part of their family. We hope to honor all the people who have been part of our story over the last 10 years – can’t wait to work with some old friends again and are excited for where it takes us all together!”
“Lady Antebellum is the consummate vocal group,” Borchetta says. “Hillary, Charles and Dave have a special chemistry that only the greatest bands of all time have and what you see is what they sing – and it’s the sort of thing no label can create, only magnify. I am delighted that we get to assist them in writing the next chapter in their extraordinary career.”
With nine No. 1 Country hits, two AC chart-toppers, a No. 2 spot on the Hot 100, Lady A hits critical mass with the American public over and over again. Their musically forward, fresh and uplifting sound has sold over 18 million albums. Their songs reflect youth, romance and an ideal of how people hope to live. They have appeared on nearly every TV show imaginable including being the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
“Our extreme belief in Lady A, admiration of their amazing career and the greatness they have yet to achieve, as well as being their biggest fans,” begins Harnen, “makes this the thrill of a lifetime.”
“It is also the grand reuniting of a large musical family,” Harnen continues. “Scott Borchetta and I worked with Linda Davis, Hillary’s mom (as well as her father Lang Scott) when we were both at DreamWorks. Michelle Tigard Kammerer worked closely with Lady A when they signed to CAA, and Matthew Hargis and I helped break the band at radio on their debut album. The long associations, close ties and the group’s always incredible music is literally why we do this.”
With seven GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2011 overall Record and Song of the Year awards for “Need You Now,” six Country Music Association Awards, including back-to-back Single of the Year nods for “I Run To You” and “Need You Now,” seven Academy of Country Music Awards, including three Top Vocal Group and Album of the Year trophies, and four straight American Music Awards for Favorite Country Group, the undeniable quality of the trio’s music defines them.
With 2017’s Heart Break receiving both GRAMMY® and Country Music Association Award nominations, after well-received solo albums from Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott, Lady A is currently writing and recording new music that is poised to be the best music of their careers.