Haley & Michaels

Country duo Haley & Michaels visited the MusicRow office on Wednesday (Aug. 29) to show off their impressive harmonies and preview new music.

The Californians met in Nashville after their mutual guitar player from their solo projects connected the two. Over coffee at Frothy Monkey, they immediately bonded over their love of country music and realized they had actually grown up three miles from each other in northern California. Not long after meeting, Shannon Haley and Ryan Michaels formed Haley & Michaels.

Haley & Michaels inked a deal just last year with Sony/ATV and its New York-based label imprint Hickory Records, which later partnered with Reviver Records in Nashville. The duo is now gearing up to release their first single to country radio, “Taking Off.”

“We started writing and singing with each other right away and eventually got married,” Haley explains of the single. “We got to chance to write this song with our friends Zach Abend and Corey Crowder, and were talking about the beginnings in our relationship and our career. Everything felt like it was just exploding all at one time. We were going on to new chapters all at once– since we both worked together and were starting a new relationship.”

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s Eric Parker, Haley Crow, Alex Kobrick, Reviver’s Bob Reeves, Ryan Michaels, Shannon Haley, MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson, Jessica Nicholson, and LB Rogers

Another song the pair played, “High Note,” was inspired by a phone conversation between the two while Michaels was leaving Desert Trip, a California music festival featuring Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and more. “I’m leaving on a high note,” Michaels told Haley over the phone, which lead to her reply, “That’s great about the concert but we have to write that!” The track was produced by Zach Abend and Phil Barton and has already seen over a million streams on Spotify.

Haley & Michaels also previewed a song inspired by their mutual love of football, “Hail Mary.” The pair hope to have it out at least by opening day of the upcoming season.

The visit was a full circle moment for the duo. “My dad was a pedal steel player so he was going to Bakersfield and doing all that in California, and my first MusicRow Magazine came from my dad,” Michaels says, “so I’ve actually been reading MusicRow for a long time. It’s cool to be here and meet all you guys.”

Smith & Wesley Sign With Artist Events Nashville

Country duo Smith & Wesley has inked a deal for booking representation with Artist Events Nashville. Smith & Wesley recently announced a national distribution deal with BFD via Orchard to handle all aspects of their current and future releases. As they ready their For Better or For Worse album, their “Hook Line & Sinker” single just cracked the Top 25.

Copperline Music Group Adds Marketing Manager

Copperline Music Group (CMG) continues to grow its team, adding Stephanie Onder as the company’s new Marketing Manager. In this role, Onder will actively manage the digital and promotional campaigns surrounding the label’s artist roster, working day-to-day with Craig Wayne Boyd, Jason Morton and The Chesapeake Sons, Ciera MacKenzie, and James Patrick Morgan.

BMI, Ohio Craft Brewers Association Team For BMI Nashville Songwriters Tour

BMI songwriters Will Bowen and Jason White perform at Grove City Brewing in Grove City, Ohio.

This August, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) proudly partnered with the Ohio Craft Brewers Association for the BMI Nashville Songwriters Tour that brought six Nashville songwriters to breweries in 11 cities and towns across the Buckeye state. The purpose of the tour was to give back to the many breweries in Ohio that support BMI songwriters through the licensing fees they pay, to shine a light on the craft of songwriting and to show the power of live music in driving business. The participating BMI songwriters included Hugh Mitchell, Jason White, Even Stevens, Aaron Barker, Will Bowen and Earl Bud Lee, who collectively have written No. 1 songs for country superstars including Garth Brooks, Eddie Rabbitt, Kenny Rogers, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton and Lonestar.

BMI songwriters Earl Bud Lee and Aaron Barker perform at Railroad Brewing in Avon, Ohio.

NCS To Hold NCS Weekend Intensive For Aspiring Songwriters And Artists

Pictured (L-R): John Chisum (NCS Founder and Managing Partner), John Mays (Centricity Music Director of A&R), and Robert Till (NCS Partner), pictured here at the Summer 2018 NCS Weekend Intensive. (NCS photo)

Nashville Christian Songwriters (NCS), a coaching and resource company, will hold its NCS Weekend Intensive, on Sept. 27-29 in Franklin, Tennessee. The three-day event aims to serve singer-songwriters, aspiring Christian music artists, and songwriters at any stage of their careers. The event will include coaching and speaking from John Chisum (NCS managing partner and formerly Director of Song Development for Integrity), Tom Jackson (producer for Lecrae, Casting Crowns, and more), John Mays (Director, A&R, for Centricity Music), Mike Harland (Director of Lifeway Worship, publisher and writer), and CCM artist Cindy Morgan.

The inaugural Nashville Songwriter Awards has added Kip Moore, Darius Rucker, and Jewel to the lineup of artists performing during the evening dedicated to songwriters.

Previously announced artists performing include Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Jamey Johnson, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Scotty McCreery, Bill Anderson, Chris Janson, LANCO, and Brantley Gilbert.

The Nashville Songwriter Awards will take place on Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ryman Auditorium. Tickets are available for purchase at ryman.com.

Keith Urban And Blair Garner Celebrate “Coming Home”

Keith Urban was interviewed by Blair Garner, Host of “The Blair Garner Show,” for an audience of 20 radio winners flown in to Cumulus Media’s NASH Campus in Nashville from the top 50 Cumulus markets to celebrate Urban’s latest single, “Coming Home,” going to No. 1.

Bluebird Cafe Songwriter Series On Opry City Stage

Pictured (L-R): David Hodges, Liz Rose, Rob Carswell, and Tom Douglas. Photo: Mairéad Duffy

The Bluebird Cafe Songwriter Series had its biggest night yet when hitmakers David Hodges, Liz Rose, and Tom Douglas performed at Times Square’s Opry City Stage on Friday, Aug. 24. All three songwriters shared stories behind the hit songs they have penned for artists like Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, Evanescence, Christina Perri, and Kelly Clarkson.

 

CB30 Guests On Luke Bryan’s Busch Stadium Show

Pictured (L-R): Morgan Wallen, Jon Pardi, Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, CB30’s Christian Clementi, CB30’s Brody Clementi, and DJ Rock.  Photo: Ethan Helms

CB30 made a guest appearance opening for Luke Bryan on his What Makes You Country Tour – XL Stadium Sized this past Saturday at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium. Performing two original songs after Jon Pardi’s opening set, the brothers received resounding applause for their performance, which marks the second time they have joined Bryan on his current stadium tour, as they also played at Mile High Stadium in Denver earlier this month.