David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney
Nashville’s ACME Feed & Seed on Lower Broadway was infused with tropical vibes on Wednesday (Aug. 8), as members of the industry gathered to celebrate David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney‘s No. 1 success.
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” recorded by Murphy and Chesney, was penned by Murphy, Jimmy Yeary and Chris Stevens. The single is the first release from Murphy’s Reviver Records album No Zip Code.
Following his string of hits in the ’90s (including “Dust On The Bottle” and “Party Crowd”), Murphy has penned numerous country hits for others, with songs recorded by Chesney, Jason Aldean, Dan+Shay, Midland, and Thomas Rhett. This collaboration with Chesney marks Murphy’s first return to No. 1 on the country charts as an artist in more than two decades.
“First, I wanna thank Chris and Jimmy. We knew the day we wrote it, this was a hit even if nobody played it,” said Murphy. He gave credit to the Reviver Records staff for their hard work and perseverance. “They were tough as can be, and we had a long haul. They’ve worked really hard on this record. We knew it was going to be a fight, but every regional got in there and gave it their all. We said you can run, but you can’t outrun us.”
Pictured (L-R): Jimmy Yeary, David Lee Murphy, Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stevens. Photo: Allister Ann
Among those celebrating were “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” co-producer Buddy Cannon, Joe Galante, ASCAP’s Michael Martin, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, THiS Music’s Rusty Gaston, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, Reviver Records’ Gator Michaels and David Ross, MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson, as well as the Country Music Association’s Sarah Trahern and Brandi Simms. Capitol CMG Publishing is also a publisher on the song, but could not be in attendance.
Chris Stevens has earned several Grammys and BMI Christian Awards for his work on Contemporary Christian songs including TobyMac’s “Steal My Show,” but “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” marks his very first country No. 1 song.
Yeary commented, “I love being a songwriter. I love to feel, so you can feel it…. If you feel, we connect. If we connect, we form a bond. If we form a bond, you’ll listen to me. And that gives us the opportunity to say things like ‘everything’s gonna be alright.’”
Pictured (Back row, L-R): Doug Casmus, Reviver’s Bob Reeves, Will Robinson, David Ross; David Lee Murphy; Buddy Cannon, Reviver’s Gator Michaels; Kenny Chesney; Reviver’s Hayley Cowoski, Clay Henderson, Ben Bieri; songwriters Chris Stevens, Jimmy Yeary. (Front row, L-R): Reviver’s Rick Hughes, Suzanne Durham, Dave Collins and Paul Williams. Photo: Allister Ann
Replicas of Chesney’s signature old blue chair were placed strategically around the room. The walls were decorated with backdrop-sized photos of Chesney and Murphy, which chronicled their years as both friends and songwriters. The room was filled with good spirits–both from the glow of celebrations, and from the signature Blue Chair Bay Rum cocktail created just for the event – an Everything’s Gonna Be Alright Mojito, which contained high proof white rum, mint, lime and a bit of sugar.
“This all started three, four years ago, because David Lee would send me all these songs–demos that sounded like records–and he was singing so great,” Chesney told the crowd. “I remember thinking, ‘I’d love to hear that on the radio.’ It seemed to me that there were a lotta people who aren’t being sung to, and David Lee could be one of those people who could do that.”
Chesney, who co-produced Murphy’s album, was a champion for Murphy and for the song, and said he feels that same passion in return each time he joins in singing the song for fans on his Trip Around The Sun tour.
“To stand up there in front of 50,000 people every Saturday night, and see a song truly move people, to really feel it is something. This song made me believe in that all over again, because to experience that is really, really beautiful.” Chesney said.
The celebration is another high-mark this week for Chesney, whose own album Songs For The Saints, currently reigns atop the country albums chart. Chesney will bring his Trip Around The Sun Tour to Nashville this weekend.
The War And Treaty’s ‘Healing Tide’ Rolls In Today
/by Lorie HollabaughThe 11 songs on Healing Tide were written solely by Michael and feature Tanya (vocals), Michael (vocals, piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes) and Miller (guitars, banjo) as well as Brady Blade (drums), Adam Chaffins (bass), Jim Hoke (organ, saxophone, autoharp, harmonica), Russ Pahl (pedal steel, banjo), Sam Bush (fiddle), Bill Huber (trombone), Matt Slocum (cello) and special guest vocalist Emmylou Harris on “Here Is Where the Loving Is At.”
The duo will tour throughout 2018 including upcoming festival stops at Fayetteville Roots Festival, Moon River Music Festival and a triumphant return to AmericanaFest in Nashville, where the two first made headlines after a breakthrough performance at the 2017 Americana Music Festival & Conference when they stepped in to fill in for an ill Buddy Miller.
Centricity Music’s Caitie Hurst Releases Debut EP
/by Jessica NicholsonCentricity Music artist Caitie Hurst releases her first EP today (Aug. 10), How Could I Be Silent. Each of the project’s seven tracks were written or co-written by Hurst.
Hurst worked with several producers and writers including Cody Fry (Ben Rector), Ground Control (Apollo LTD), Colby Wedgeworth (Jordan Feliz, Zach Williams), Justin Morgan (Audio Adrenaline), and Riley Friesen (Brandon Heath, Matt Hammitt). The title track has made its way to the No. 2 spot on the CHR Indicator chart, and currently stands at No. 4 on the Hot AC chart.
Hurst will go on tours this fall with both NewSong and Unspoken, followed by a slot on For King and Country at Christmastime’s tour.
How Could I Be Silent Track Listing:
1. How Could I Be Silent
2. Walkin’ On The Water
3. Nothing To Hide
4. Answers
5. Lights
6. Wanderer
7. Signs
Tri Star To Host American Red Cross Blood Drive August 21
/by Lorie HollabaughBlood donations are currently being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in, and more donations are needed now to help prevent the suffering a blood shortage can cause, so Tri Star is encouraging members of the Nashville music community to come on over to their offices at 11 Music Circle South and help. The goal for this year’s drive is to fill 33 slots and gather 27 units of blood.
The Red Cross Blood Drive truck will be located in the back parking lot of the Tri Star offices, and a schedule sign-up sheet with appointment times is available here. Food will be served during the drive as well, and industry members are encouraged to come by and participate. For any questions, contact Morgan Nellis at morgan@team-tristar.com or (615) 513-0712.
Industry Ink: PLA Media, FBMM, Copperline Music Group
/by Jessica NicholsonPLA Media Signings
They join PLA Media’s additional clients, which include Johnny Cash Museum, Patsy Cline Museum and Tina Turner Museum, Jesse Rice, and actor/musician Tim Williams.
Promotions At FBMM
Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy has promoted Emma DeWeese and Jana Horvath to account executive, and Brianna Joyce and Ashley Kennedy to senior account assistant.
“Emma, Jana, Brianna and Ashley have mastered the ins and outs of the music industry. Their drive to accommodate our clients’ personal financial needs is invaluable,” said Jamie Cheek, president of FBMM. “We are fortunate to have such bright, motivated individuals on our team, and we look forward to seeing them continue to grow in their careers at FBMM.”
DeWeese began working at FBMM in 2016 and is now an account executive. Before working for FBMM, she served as an intern for The Agency Group, CEG Presents, Urban Expositions and Foundations Artist Management. Horvath joined the FBMM team in 2014 and has been promoted to account executive. She served as an office manager and bookkeeper at Marking Impressions Corp. prior to her time at FBMM.
Joyce also has been with FBMM since 2016 and is now a senior account assistant. Her previous work experience includes serving as an accounts payable specialist at Endless Edge and finance specialist at Fox Chapel Yacht Club. Kennedy came to FBMM in 2016 and is now a senior account assistant. She has nine years of professional experience in the music industry. Before her time at FBMM, she worked at Vector Management as an executive assistant and helped manage day-to-day operations for artists.
Copperline Music Group Signs Ciera Mackenzie
Ciera Mackenzie
Copperline Music Group has signed up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ciera Mackenzie to a label deal.
“Working with Ciera has been quite inspirational,” says Copperline Music Group’s Rusty Harmon. “She embodies all of the elements of success: talent, determination, maturity, and work ethic. We are anxious to get this started!”
The singer-songwriter has opened for established acts Big & Rich, Trick Pony, Tracy Lawrence, Joe Diffie, and Mark Chesnutt, and has headlined events such as NAMM, Nashville Rising Star, and the Airborne Annual Convention. Previously featured on Radio Disney, the Oklahoman will release a new self-penned single later this year.
Weekly Chart Report (8/10/18)
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Music Expo Announces Panelists For Inaugural Nashville Conference
/by Jessica NicholsonMusic Expo Nashville’s programming will include a combination of keynote presentations, live demos, panels and educational workshops with tracks covering business, technology and creative.
Highlights thus far include:
“The Singers Ultimate Challenge: Developing Your Vocal Identity” – Producer and Owner of Decapo Music, Jonell Polansky will share tips on how to demystify the vocal recording session. Working with artists to develop their “vocal identity” is Polansky’s specialty, and she will discuss how to empower a great vocal performance in the studio, develop a ‘vocal vocabulary,’ and work with a variety of personalities.
“The Changing Business & Craft of Nashville Songwriting” Presented by Song Assembly – Grammy award-winning songwriter Steve Leslie will lead a panel to discuss hot button issues; writing with the artist, publishers as A&R, track guys and union demos, how technology affects the craft and country radio singles and the album cut. The panel will consist of professional songwriters from the glory days of the 1990’s and the new young guns.
“Making The Most With Minimal Gear” – Producer/Engineer Hayley McLean will demonstrate, with a live track, how to build a professional sounding recording with limited resources and edit with a basic interface, Wave plugins and basic software synths. Her trial and error process of creative software manipulation is a skill she’s put to work on many projects with award-winning Producers and Engineers.
“Breaking Into The Music Business and Staying There” – MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson will moderate a Q&A with Grammy Award-winning Recording Engineer Zach Allen to discuss how to prepare for a recording session, how to speed up workflow in the studio, the Do’s and Don’ts in the recording studio, and how to use technical problems as opportunities.
“Making Your Mix Standout” – Award-winning Producer/Engineer and Songwriter Robert Venable (Kelly Clarkson, Twenty One Pilots, Megadeth) will discuss his proven techniques to take a mix to the next level and make it stand out, applicable to any independent artist.
“The Craft of Writing a Country Song: How To Tell a Story with Words & Music” Presented by Song Assembly – Songwriter Steve Leslie will discuss how to develop a story-song that connects with listeners and provide an overview of the principles covered in his online songwriting course at www.songassembly.co. As a hitmaker in Nashville for 25+ years, will share tips on storytelling from his perspective, working and living in Music City – a place that’s famous for songwriting.
“Brand Your Band to Get More Fans” – Brian Bauer (Bauer Entertainment Marketing) will moderate the discussion with brand experts Logan Crowell (Record Realization/HOME), artist/producer/label owner Vian Izak (Vohnic Music LLC), and alt-Rock duo Ariel Bloomer and Shawn Jump (Icon for Hire).
David Lee Murphy, Kenny Chesney Celebrate Spirit-Lifting, Chart-Topping Hit
/by Jessica NicholsonDavid Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney
Nashville’s ACME Feed & Seed on Lower Broadway was infused with tropical vibes on Wednesday (Aug. 8), as members of the industry gathered to celebrate David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney‘s No. 1 success.
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” recorded by Murphy and Chesney, was penned by Murphy, Jimmy Yeary and Chris Stevens. The single is the first release from Murphy’s Reviver Records album No Zip Code.
Following his string of hits in the ’90s (including “Dust On The Bottle” and “Party Crowd”), Murphy has penned numerous country hits for others, with songs recorded by Chesney, Jason Aldean, Dan+Shay, Midland, and Thomas Rhett. This collaboration with Chesney marks Murphy’s first return to No. 1 on the country charts as an artist in more than two decades.
“First, I wanna thank Chris and Jimmy. We knew the day we wrote it, this was a hit even if nobody played it,” said Murphy. He gave credit to the Reviver Records staff for their hard work and perseverance. “They were tough as can be, and we had a long haul. They’ve worked really hard on this record. We knew it was going to be a fight, but every regional got in there and gave it their all. We said you can run, but you can’t outrun us.”
Pictured (L-R): Jimmy Yeary, David Lee Murphy, Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stevens. Photo: Allister Ann
Among those celebrating were “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” co-producer Buddy Cannon, Joe Galante, ASCAP’s Michael Martin, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, THiS Music’s Rusty Gaston, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, Reviver Records’ Gator Michaels and David Ross, MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson, as well as the Country Music Association’s Sarah Trahern and Brandi Simms. Capitol CMG Publishing is also a publisher on the song, but could not be in attendance.
Chris Stevens has earned several Grammys and BMI Christian Awards for his work on Contemporary Christian songs including TobyMac’s “Steal My Show,” but “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” marks his very first country No. 1 song.
Yeary commented, “I love being a songwriter. I love to feel, so you can feel it…. If you feel, we connect. If we connect, we form a bond. If we form a bond, you’ll listen to me. And that gives us the opportunity to say things like ‘everything’s gonna be alright.’”
Pictured (Back row, L-R): Doug Casmus, Reviver’s Bob Reeves, Will Robinson, David Ross; David Lee Murphy; Buddy Cannon, Reviver’s Gator Michaels; Kenny Chesney; Reviver’s Hayley Cowoski, Clay Henderson, Ben Bieri; songwriters Chris Stevens, Jimmy Yeary. (Front row, L-R): Reviver’s Rick Hughes, Suzanne Durham, Dave Collins and Paul Williams. Photo: Allister Ann
Replicas of Chesney’s signature old blue chair were placed strategically around the room. The walls were decorated with backdrop-sized photos of Chesney and Murphy, which chronicled their years as both friends and songwriters. The room was filled with good spirits–both from the glow of celebrations, and from the signature Blue Chair Bay Rum cocktail created just for the event – an Everything’s Gonna Be Alright Mojito, which contained high proof white rum, mint, lime and a bit of sugar.
“This all started three, four years ago, because David Lee would send me all these songs–demos that sounded like records–and he was singing so great,” Chesney told the crowd. “I remember thinking, ‘I’d love to hear that on the radio.’ It seemed to me that there were a lotta people who aren’t being sung to, and David Lee could be one of those people who could do that.”
Chesney, who co-produced Murphy’s album, was a champion for Murphy and for the song, and said he feels that same passion in return each time he joins in singing the song for fans on his Trip Around The Sun tour.
“To stand up there in front of 50,000 people every Saturday night, and see a song truly move people, to really feel it is something. This song made me believe in that all over again, because to experience that is really, really beautiful.” Chesney said.
The celebration is another high-mark this week for Chesney, whose own album Songs For The Saints, currently reigns atop the country albums chart. Chesney will bring his Trip Around The Sun Tour to Nashville this weekend.
Citi Report Reveals Music Artists Receive 12 Percent Of Industry Revenue
/by Eric T. ParkerA recent report from investment bank Citi revealed music artists receive around 12 percent of music industry revenue.
This 12 percent figure is up five percentage points from 2000, when just 7 percent of industry revenue reached artists.
Industry analyst Glenn Peoples believes this 12 percent figure is misleading as it includes revenue that cannot be “reasonably captured” by artists, but relatively on par with what an artist would earn if they independently contracted services to market their music themselves.
“I think AM/FM radio ad revenue needs to be taken out,” said Peoples. “It’s off the table for most labels/performers…So don’t put that ad revenue in the denominator. Labels/artists don’t get some performance royalties available to publishers. Music played in grocery stores, GAP outlets, and minor league ballparks pay a blanket license that provides royalties to publishers/songwriters. Just as labels/artists (mostly) don’t have access to AM/FM ad revenue, they don’t get to tap into grocery store revenues. Surely some small part of the retail experience is driven by music. My point is public performance royalties from AM/FM radio is tricky. Music provides value, but how much value? And if labels don’t have a performance right, and can’t get that ad revenue, I don’t think those ad revenues should be included in this study…But what if all/most artists go DIY? They’d own their rights and either build their own team (promo, marketing, product management, etc) or hire a label services/distro [sic] company. And they might need to make separate deals for other territories. And after all expenses are paid, and after managers/agents get their cut, an artist could be left with something like a 12 percent operating profit.”
Peoples goes on to estimate an artist could capture as high as a 19 percent of revenue if “reasonably captured” revenue had been calculated.
“Citi should have taken into account revenue that could reasonably be captured by labels/artists. So, remove AM/FM radio, and remove what publishing money comes from it, and the artist’s share of revenue jumps to about 19% (if my math is correct). Of course, you could say, ‘Well, it’s still just 19 percent. That’s not much for working artists.’ And I’d say, ’19 percent might not be great, but it’s a helluva lot better than 12 percent.'”
The Citi report also details possible adaptions likely to change the music industry in future years, including:
Read the full report at ir.citi.com.
City National Bank Expands In Nashville, Adds Staffers
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (clockwise from top left): Carla Brown, Adam Geist, Christopher Wyller, Josh Harris.
City National Bank has hired four professionals to add to its growing team in Nashville and Atlanta.
“We are so pleased to have these new talented bankers join City National here in Nashville and we know they will help us better serve the entertainment industry as well as reach out to so many new professionals and business owners in the region,” said Diane Pearson, senior vice president and team leader. “We’ve tripled the number of colleagues here in just a short period of time.”
Carla Brown joins City National in Nashville as a vice president and senior relationship manager. Brown provides banking, lending and investment expertise to business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals, as well as wealthy families. With more than 20 years of experience, Brown partners with the bank’s team of experts to deliver a full range of services.
Chris Wyller joins City National as a vice president with Datafaction, the bank’s specialized accounting solutions subsidiary. Datafaction is a comprehensive accounting solution for business managers and accountants. Wyller, with more than 10 years of experience, will work closely with City National’s team of experts to provide solutions to the family office, sports management, business management and entertainment industries in Nashville, Atlanta and Florida.
Adam Geist joins City National in Nashville as a vice president and relationship manager. Geist provides City National’s full range of financial services to entrepreneurs, their families and their businesses in the region. He has more than a decade of wealth management, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets experience.
Josh Harris joined City National in Atlanta as a senior vice president with the bank’s Entertainment Banking team. He provides City National’s full complement of services to entertainment, commercial and middle-market companies in the region. Harris has nearly two decades of diverse financial services experience and has served in a variety of roles including retail, credit administration and corporate banking, among others.
Genevieve Thompson To Lead Mick Management’s Nashville Office
/by Jessica NicholsonGenevieve Thompson
Genevieve Thompson has joined Mick Management to head the firm’s newly-opened Nashville office. She will collaborate with Mick founder, Michael McDonald and his partner in leading the firm, Jonathan Eshak. Genevieve will be supported in Nashville by day-to-day manager Jessica Swan.
Following Thompson to Mick Management are clients Lennon Stella (who will release music this year on RECORDS/Columbia Records) and Maisy Stella. The girls are known for their roles on the television series Nashville. Under Thompson’s leadership, the sisters have earned over 100 million views and 800K subscribers on their YouTube channel, have partnered on a furniture line with Pottery Barn Teen, released a book with HarperCollins and more.
“Genevieve’s history speaks for itself and we’re thrilled to have a true Music City player on our team,” says McDonald. “We represent career artists who are, first and foremost, songwriters who have toured, recorded, and often lived in Nashville. Having a talented manager on the ground who shares our passion for excellent music and has worked across genre lines makes her a perfect fit as we expand.”
Prior to Back 40 Entertainment, Genevieve opened the Nashville division of The Collective, and worked at Borman Entertainment assisting Keith Urban in achieving his first No. 1 album on the Billboard Top 200, helping Michael Franti achieve the biggest hit of his career with “Say Hey, I Love You,” and working with Lady Antebellum from pre-label signing through their 5x Platinum designation and Grammy wins with their album, Need You Now.
Mick Management’s New York clients also include Walk The Moon, Leon Bridges, Phillip Phillips and more.
Thompson can be reached at GT@mickmgmt.com.