Pictured (L-R): Narvel Blackstock (Starstruck Management), Tiffany Dunn (Loeb & Loeb LLP), Alexa Stallings (Prescription Songs), JD Groover (Sea Gayle Music), Brandon Gregg (Sea Gayle Music), Marc Driskill (Sea Gayle Music), Austin Marshall (Starstruck Management), Maggie Rose, Katie Mitzell Fagan (Prescription Songs), Christina Wiltshire (Sea Gayle Music), Jake Gear (Sea Gayle Music), Rachel Wein (Prescriptions Songs), Jody Williams (BMI)
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Maggie Rose has inked a joint-venture publishing agreement with Sea Gayle Music and Prescription Songs.
The deal marks the first joint venture between country powerhouse publisher Sea Gayle and the Nashville office of pop publishing company Prescription Songs. Sea Gayle was launched in 1999 by Brad Paisley, Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois. The company earned ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011 and is known for country hits including Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”
Prescription Songs earned ASCAP’s Indie Publisher of the Year title from 2013-2015, with a catalog that includes Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” “ET,” and “Dark Horse,” as well as Maroon 5’s “Sugar” and “Don’t Wanna Know,” among others.
“The forward thinking of two very different, but reputable publishing companies and their willingness to partner together on my behalf has afforded me the absolute best fit I could ever find as a writer,” Rose says. “To me, it simply mirrors the exciting evolution of both my artistry and of Nashville as a whole. I’m grateful to be in an environment where my versatility as a songwriter is valued.”
Rose is managed by Narvel Blackstock and Austin Marshall at Starstruck Entertainment and is signed to CAA Nashville.
“Maggie is such an incredible talent! It’s impossible not to fall in love with her music and her artistry. We are ecstatic to be part of her team and, along with Prescription, to put our collective creative resources to work with her,” says Executive VP / GM of Sea Gayle Marc Driskill.
“Though pop music has been our main focus in Nashville, it has been so exciting starting to work with a writer like Maggie who can be put into any room we need her to be in. She is a perfect example of the evolving music scene occurring in Nashville. Getting to partner with a company like Sea Gayle, we feel our resources will be capitalized to the fullest for a writer like Maggie and we are so excited to have her as part of the family,” says Head of Prescription Nashville Katie Fagan.
“We’re very excited about this unique partnership as it will allow Maggie to continue to blur the lines between genres and push creative boundaries as a writer,” says Blackstock.
Lynn Anderson Rose Garden Opens In Nashville
/by Jessica NicholsonThe late Lynn Anderson, known for her signature 1970 song “Rose Garden,” was honored with the unveiling of the Lynn Anderson Rose Garden at Nashville’s Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home and Memorial Park on Friday (June 15), Lynn Anderson Day in the state of Tennessee.
This garden at Lynn Anderson’s final resting place features 114 Lynn Anderson Hybrid Tea Roses and is open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset. Anderson died in 2015.
In a private ceremony attended by Country Music Hall of Fame Member Brenda Lee, Lynn Anderson’s daughters Lisa Sutton and Melissa Hempel and her father Casey Anderson were joined by representatives from the American Rose Society, Weeks Roses and Woodlawn’s executive team for a standing room only dedication and ribbon cutting.
Lynn’s daughter Lisa Sutton, Woodlawn’s Jeff Duffer & Lynn’s daughter Melissa Hempel. Photo: Randy Dorman
In a two-year initiative that was led by the Weeks Roses horticultural team, the Lynn Anderson Tea Rose was re-grown for a limited run for family and friends and to create this impressive collection of the singer’s namesake rose in a memorial that will pay tribute to her songs and to roses for years to come. Lynn’s daughter Lisa Sutton spearheaded the effort to create the garden in 2016 and once they broke ground on May 2, 2018 the build out only took just a little over a month.
“We are honored to unveil a permanent memorial to mom here in Nashville at Woodlawn,” says Sutton. “The beauty of this project is that we also brought back the rose, which has been out of commission for almost two decades. Rose Garden changed my mom’s life and it also changed the face and sound of country music. We are happy to share these 114 Lynn Anderson Hybrid Tea Roses, the largest collection ever of the rose, with the community.
Front Row (L-R): American Rose Society Presidential Candidate Chris VanCleve, Weeks Roses David Johnson & Lynn Anderson’s father Casey Anderson. Middle Row (L-R) American Rose Society Former President Marilyn Wellan, American Rose Society’s Laura Seabaugh, Lynn Anderson’ daughter Melissa Hempel. Back Row (L-R) Lynn Anderson’s daughter Lisa Sutton andWoodlawn’s Jeffrey Duffer. Photo: Randy Dorman
Liz Cooper & The Stampede’s ‘Window Flowers’ Set For August Release
/by Lorie HollabaughRecorded at Welcome to 1979 in Nashville with co-producer TJ Elias, Window Flowers is the culmination of a year-long dedication in which Cooper pushed herself to spend every single day creating in at least one medium and saying “yes” to everything she was asked to do. “Our first time working with an outside producer and our first time in a proper recording studio was when we recorded Window Flowers,” said Cooper. “TJ Elias’ mad scientist ideas, an abundance of hot dogs, and lack of sunlight pushed us outside of our comfort zones to work more cohesively as a unit than we ever had before.”
Cooper grew up in Baltimore and attended Towson University on a full athletic scholarship for golf, but left after her freshmen year to pursue a musician’s path in Nashville. In Music City she she discovered her sound and singular voice through a new creative community which includes the likes of Ron Gallo, Rayland Baxter, Okey Dokey, Erin Rae, Cage the Elephant, The Weeks, The Wild Feathers, Jamestown Revival, Desert Noises, Future Thieves and Caroline Rose.
In celebration of the release, the band is currently on tour including several dates supporting Houndmouth, select headline performances and summer festival sets at Wildwood MusicFest and LouFest.
WINDOW FLOWERS Track List:
1. Sleepyhead
2. The Night
3. Outer Space
4. Mountain Main
5. Kaleidoscope Eyes
6. Dalai Lama
7. Motions
8. Fondly & Forever
9. Lights
10. Hey Man
11. Walls of White
Green River Ordinance’s Josh Jenkins Preps Solo Album
/by Jessica NicholsonSinger-songwriter Josh Jenkins, who has spent the last 17 years with Green River Ordinance, releases his solo single Friday (June 22). “Perfect Mess,” produced by Eric Massee, is the first release from Jenkins’ upcoming solo project, which will be released via Jonestown Records.
“In writing for this record I wanted to remove any boxes of where I could go and give myself permission to create for me,” said Jenkins. “‘Perfect Mess’ is the first chapter of that.”
Born and raised in Ft. Worth, Texas, Jenkins moved to Nashville in 2012 where he signed a publishing deal with SMACKSongs to focus on a career as a songwriter. Since then, he has penned songs recorded by Jordan Davis, Walker Hayes, Randy Houser and more.
Ben Rector Releases ‘Magic’
/by Jessica NicholsonNashville-based pop singer-songwriter Ben Rector releases his album Magic via OK Kid Recordings/AWAL Recordings today (June 22).
Rector teamed with producers Tony Hoffer (Beck), and John Fields (Pink, Demi Lovato) to create the synth-fueled album.
Rector’s previous project, Brand New, debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, and earned a radio hit with the title track. “Brand New” earned more than 43 million Spotify streams, and more than 40 film and TV placements. He had an opening slot on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul World Tour last year, and has penned songs for projects by Lady Antebellum, Steve Moakler, Dave Barnes and others.
Rector will launch his 28-date ‘Magic: The Tour’ on Sept. 19 at Memphis’ Orpheum Theatre. The headlining trek continues into November, with stops in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Austin, as well as a two-night hometown stand at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
Rector is represented by Activist Artists Management, Creative Artists Agency, Shore Fire Media and Philip James Agency.
Magic Track List:
1. Extraordinary Magic
2. I Will Always Be Yours
3. Drive
4. Old Friends
5. Duo
6. Kids
7. Green
8. Sometimes
9. Wherever You Are
10. Over and Over
11. Boxes
12. Peace
13. Love Like This
Prescription Songs, Sea Gayle Music Ink Joint Venture With Maggie Rose
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Narvel Blackstock (Starstruck Management), Tiffany Dunn (Loeb & Loeb LLP), Alexa Stallings (Prescription Songs), JD Groover (Sea Gayle Music), Brandon Gregg (Sea Gayle Music), Marc Driskill (Sea Gayle Music), Austin Marshall (Starstruck Management), Maggie Rose, Katie Mitzell Fagan (Prescription Songs), Christina Wiltshire (Sea Gayle Music), Jake Gear (Sea Gayle Music), Rachel Wein (Prescriptions Songs), Jody Williams (BMI)
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Maggie Rose has inked a joint-venture publishing agreement with Sea Gayle Music and Prescription Songs.
The deal marks the first joint venture between country powerhouse publisher Sea Gayle and the Nashville office of pop publishing company Prescription Songs. Sea Gayle was launched in 1999 by Brad Paisley, Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois. The company earned ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011 and is known for country hits including Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”
Prescription Songs earned ASCAP’s Indie Publisher of the Year title from 2013-2015, with a catalog that includes Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” “ET,” and “Dark Horse,” as well as Maroon 5’s “Sugar” and “Don’t Wanna Know,” among others.
“The forward thinking of two very different, but reputable publishing companies and their willingness to partner together on my behalf has afforded me the absolute best fit I could ever find as a writer,” Rose says. “To me, it simply mirrors the exciting evolution of both my artistry and of Nashville as a whole. I’m grateful to be in an environment where my versatility as a songwriter is valued.”
Rose is managed by Narvel Blackstock and Austin Marshall at Starstruck Entertainment and is signed to CAA Nashville.
“Maggie is such an incredible talent! It’s impossible not to fall in love with her music and her artistry. We are ecstatic to be part of her team and, along with Prescription, to put our collective creative resources to work with her,” says Executive VP / GM of Sea Gayle Marc Driskill.
“Though pop music has been our main focus in Nashville, it has been so exciting starting to work with a writer like Maggie who can be put into any room we need her to be in. She is a perfect example of the evolving music scene occurring in Nashville. Getting to partner with a company like Sea Gayle, we feel our resources will be capitalized to the fullest for a writer like Maggie and we are so excited to have her as part of the family,” says Head of Prescription Nashville Katie Fagan.
“We’re very excited about this unique partnership as it will allow Maggie to continue to blur the lines between genres and push creative boundaries as a writer,” says Blackstock.
Ruston Kelly Announces New Album, Tour For Fall
/by Lorie HollabaughRuston Kelly’s debut album, Dying Star, will be released Sept. 7 on Rounder Records, with the album’s lead track, “Jericho,” premiering today.
Dying Star was co-produced by Kelly and Jarrad K (Kate Nash, Weezer) and recorded at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, Texas. It includes 14 songs written/co-written by Kelly and features Jarrad K, Tim Kelly, Ian Fitchuk, Eli Beaird and Kyle Ryan, as well as backing vocals from Jon Green, Natalie Hemby, Kacey Musgraves, Kate York, Abby Sevigny and Joy Williams.
“A lot of my music is focused on suffering, or trying to understand the human condition through the lens of suffering…which probably sounds totally depressing, but it’s actually the flipside of that,” admits Kelly. “Sometimes you’ve gotta go into that darkness—you need to get lost and then figure out for yourself how to find your way back. That’s the only way we can find pure joy, and really be thankful for the life we’ve been given.”
In support of the new project, Kelly will embark on a headline tour this fall with stops in New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and more.
DYING STAR Track List:
1. Cover My Tracks (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K)
2. Mockingbird (written by Ruston Kelly)
3. Son Of A Highway Daughter (written by Ruston Kelly)
4. Paratrooper’s Battle Cry (written by Ruston Kelly)
5. Faceplant (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Brendan Benson)
6. Blackout (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Joy Williams)
7. Big Brown Bus (written by Ruston Kelly)
8. Mercury (written by Ruston Kelly)
9. Anchors (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K)
10. Just For The Record (written by Ruston Kelly, Jarrad K, Lucie Silvas)
11. Trying To Let Her (written by Ruston Kelly, Joe Leathers, Kyle Jacobs)
12. Jericho (written by Ruston Kelly, Joy Williams, Natalie Hemby)
13. Dying Star (written by Ruston Kelly)
14. Brightly Burst Into The Air (written by Ruston Kelly)
Weekly Chart Report (6/22/18)
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Jimmy Eat World, X Ambassadors Lead 2018 Live On The Green Lineup
/by Jessica NicholsonLightning 100 has revealed the artist lineup for the 2018 Live On The Green Music Festival. This year’s festival is scheduled to run Thursdays, Aug. 9, 16 and 23 at Public Square Park in Nashville, with the three-day weekend finale to take place over Labor Day weekend, Aug. 30-Sept. 1. All dates are free and open to the public, though VIP tickets and packages are on sale at liveonthegreen.com.
The festival will feature a mix of local and national talent, including X Ambassadors, Jimmy Eat World, Cold War Kids, Trampled By Turtles, Dispatch, Dr. Dog, The Wild Feathers, Matt And Kim, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and more.
Also performing this year are Car Seat Headrest, The Wood Brothers, Elliot Root, Rival Sons, Rayland Baxter, Lissie, Mt. Joy, Colony House, Parquet Courts, Mikky Ekko, Natalie Prass, Larkin Poe, *repeat repeat, Roots Of A Rebellion, Alanna Royale, Republican Hair, The Foxies, LUTHI, Savannah Conley, The New Respects, Arlie, Paul McDonald, Waker, Roscoe & Etta and the winner of Lightning 100’s Music City Mayhem battle of the bands contest, to be determined July 6, 2018.
Industry Pics: ASCAP Foundation, BMI Rooftop On The Row, ACM Lifting Lives
/by Jessica NicholsonASCAP Foundation’s Garth Brooks Country Songwriters Workshop
Pictured (L-R): Kali J., Chase Wright, Manon Ward, Chris Housman, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Bailey Callahan, Mark Irwin, Regan Stewart, Chelsey Carter and Quint Robins. [Click photo to enlarge]
Conducted this year by longtime ASCAP member and veteran hit songwriter Mark Irwin (“Here in the Real World,” “Highway Don’t Care,” “Neon Light”), the sessions provided hands-on advice on the art and craft of songwriting as well as information on important business-related topics including A&R and music publishing.
BMI Rooftop On The Row
Pictured: BMI’s David Preston, Riley Green, Travis Denning and BMI CEO Mike O’Neill gather backstage at BMI’s Rooftop On The Row. Photo: Nathan Zucker
Hillary Scott, Craig Morgan Join ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp
Pictured (L-R): Callie Cunningham, Tommy Moore, Elizabeth Roof, Producer Ross Copperman, Singer-songwriter Hillary Scott, Lorie Lytle and Stuart Dill attend ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp Recording Studio Day on June 18, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Academy of Country Music
The 9th Annual ACM Lifting Lives® Music Camp was in session in Nashville with campers from around the country participating in a week of activities and excursions around Music City. Closing out the last few days of Music Camp, the campers enjoyed an unforgettable experience with Hillary Scott, producer Ross Copperman, and a huge grand finale performance with Craig Morgan at the Grand Ole Opry.
Pictured: Melita Rippy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Associate, Office of Engagement; Dan Rogers, Grand Ole Opry / Director Marketing, Communication and Artist Initiatives; Elizabeth Roof, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Senior Research Specialist; Dr. Elisabeth Dykens, Associate Director of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development; Lorie Lytle, ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp founder; Tommy Moore, Academy of Country Music and ACM Lifting Lives Secretary; Craig Morgan; Paul Barnabee, ACM Lifting Lives Vice President; Pete Fisher, Academy of Country Music CEO; Duane Clark, Academy of Country Music President. Photo: 2018 Grand Ole Opry, photos by Chris Hollo. [Click photo to enlarge]
Tenth Avenue North Launches New Label Imprint
/by Jessica NicholsonReunion Records band Tenth Avenue North’s Mike Donehey and Jeff Owen have launched a new label imprint, Remade Records. Provident Label Group will handle distribution and marketing for the new imprint.
The first band signed to Remade is Land of Color, in conjunction with Provident Label Group. Land of Color launched after South Africa native Gary Rea met Colorado-born Thomas Ewing in Montana in 2015. The band blends harmonies with pop/rock melodies and African rhythms. The duo is managed by Nashville-based Gresham Hill Management.
Tenth Avenue North debuted with Over and Underneath in 2008, and released hits including “By Your Side,” which earned a Dove Award for Song of the Year in 2010. The band’s most recent studio album, Followers, released in 2016, followed by the Christmas project Decades The Hall in 2017.