Moon Taxi. Photo: Don VanCleave
When alt-rock band Moon Taxi, which first formed at Nashville’s Belmont University more than a decade ago, returns to perform two headlining shows at the Ryman Auditorium Friday and Saturday (Oct. 27-28), it will be as a newly-signed major label band.
The five-piece group, which includes vocalist/ guitarist Trevor Terndrup, bassist Tommy Putnam, lead guitarist/producer Spencer Thomson, drummer Tyler Ritter, and keyboardist Wes Bailey, has grown to headlining Nashville’s Live On The Green, securing performance slots on Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and performing on The Late Show with David Letterman and Conan.
Along the way, Moon Taxi released four independent albums, the most recent being 2015’s Daybreaker, in addition to live projects such as Live Ride, and New Year’s Eve 2015, recorded from a live show at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium.
On the strength of its recent song “Two High,” the band inked a major label deal with RCA Records. Later this year Moon Taxi will makes its first tour of Europe, including stops in Sweden, Germany, and Norway.
Terndrup spoke with MusicRow about upcoming music, the Nashville music scene, and the success of their single “Two High.”
What does it mean to you to be headlining shows at places like the Ryman Auditorium, 10 years after you started at Belmont University?
We have some awesome and dedicated fans who have been here since we started. Every Nashville show is unique because we know we have old fans and new fans. We try to change up the set list and throw some curve ball sin there and do some throwback songs. Some new stuff too which is what I’m excited about.
How did the deal with RCA Records come about?
The popularity of “Two High” caught the attention of all the major labels. We had no intention of signing a major label deal 10 years in. We thought we were going to be independent artists our whole lives. We like that element of creative control we had and it blindsided us, the success of the song. It changed the conversation a little bit because we have been independent for so long that we wanted to keep a lot of that in house. We found the right label that will let us do that.
“Two High” was written around the time of the women’s marches held earlier this year, Terndrup details the inspiration of the song.
We were doing college shows and I think when the women’s march happened we were at [University of] Notre Dame in Indiana. I just happened upon the women’s march and was inspired.
Really, the concept for “Two High” came about after our keys player was texting somebody. He wrote “too high” and it autocorrected to “two high.” He told me that story, and I was like, ‘Oh, like the peace sign?’ Then the first verse came together really quickly and it was probably the quickest song that we wrote.
And it’s resonated. There is never a bad time for a call for unity.
How close are you to having your first RCA album ready?
We have an album ready in the pipeline, that we recorded in Nashville, like our other records. We have a release date set for early next year, so it’s fortunate that we already had the record done by the time we got to the label deal, so we knocked that out already.
How have you seen Nashville’s rock and pop scene grow over the past 10 years?
It feels like maybe Seattle did in the early ’90s, with indie rock and grunge rock. The rest of the world is talking about Nashville beyond just the country music scene. We have friends in bands here and we go support them. There is a lot happening here, and it’s a great place to call home.
Music Industry Executive Rob Potts Dies
/by Jessica NicholsonRob Potts
Music Industry executive, Rob Potts, has unexpectedly passed away as a result of a motorcycle accident that occurred on Friday, October 27, 2017, in Tasmania, Australia.
Potts was a longtime member of the Country Music Association (CMA) Board of Directors where he was actively involved in Country music’s international efforts. He is a previous chairman of the CMA International Committee and the current chairman of the Australian CMA Advisory Group. This past March, CMA awarded Potts with the Jo Walker Meador International award to recognize his outstanding achievement in advocating and supporting country music’s marketing development in territories outside the United States.
His company Rob Potts Entertainment Edge has been at the forefront of the recent surge of US Country superstars in the Australian market. With Chugg Entertainment, Potts established the CMC Rocks festival brand with the CMC Rocks The Snowys, CMC Rocks The Hunter and now CMC Rocks QLD festivals, which in 2016 became Australia’s first sold-out country music festival in history.
Potts was also the longtime manager to Warner Music Nashville’s Morgan Evans.
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern commented, “The CMA Board and staff as well as the country music community were devastated at the news of Rob’s passing. He was a key driver of our international expansion for the past years and waived the country flag proudly in Australia. On a personal note, my husband Wayne and I have lost a vibrant friend. Rob lived life to its fullest.”
Potts is survived by his son, Jeremy Potts, and ex-wife, Sally. Arrangements are pending at this time.
John McEuen Exits Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
/by Lorie HollabaughJohn McEuen
John McEuen, one of the founding members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, has announced his departure from the group. McEuen exited upon the conclusion of the NGDB 2017 tour marking the end of the band’s 50th year anniversary.
McEuen was instrumental in the NGDB band’s formation in 1966 and has celebrated groundbreaking and historical success alongside his counterparts over the past 50 years. McEuen has recorded more than 30 NGDB albums and created a lasting legacy for his seminal work on the Will The Circle Be Unbroken album, which McEuen initiated in 1971.
Over the course of his career, multi-instrumental “String Wizard” John McEuen has performed more than 9,500 concerts, covering more than three million miles globally with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and as a solo performer. McEuen has recorded over 40 albums (six solo), including four platinum and five gold, that include Grammys, CMA and ACM awards and IBMA Record of the Year honors. He is a member of the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame.
Prescription Songs Signs Emily Haber
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Katie Mitzell Fagan, Emily Haber and Rachel Wein
Prescription Songs has signed Emily Haber to its roster. The New York-raised Haber has resided in Nashville for the past three years. She has penned songs including “Stone Cold Thriller,” recorded by Wolfskind ft. Ashe; “Sneakers,” recorded by Matt Thomas; and recently had the song “Let Go” featured on MTV’s Teen Mom 2. She has upcoming placements with Nashville pop artists including Jordie, Cali Rodi, and Quinn Lewis.
Katie Fagan heads Prescription Songs’ Nashville office, which launched earlier this year.
Cam Releases New Single ‘Diane’ From Sophomore Project Today
/by Lorie HollabaughInspired by the storyline of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene,” the driving track delivers a tale of love, regret and commiseration.
“‘Diane’ is my response to Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene,’ said Cam about the new tune. “It’s the apology so many spouses deserve, but never get. The other woman is coming forward to break the news to the wife about an affair, respecting her enough to have that hard conversation, once she realized he was married. Because everyone should be able to decide their own path in life, based on the truth. Women especially should do this for each other, since our self-worth can still be so wrapped up in our partners. And in true country fashion, I’ve set the whole raw story to upbeat music, so you can dance while you process it all.”
As part of the excitement surrounding the single release, Cam will perform “Diane” and other songs as part of a 30-minute Facebook Live stream event at 11 a.m. CT, on Oct. 31, with the performance originating from an intimate music space in Sony Music Nashville’s office. Cam’s performance can be streamed here.
The busy entertainer is about to launch her Best Coast Tour, headlining nine West Coast dates beginning November 28, and she also co-penned the song “Palace” with Sam Smith and Tyler Johnson on Smith’s forthcoming album, The Thrill of It All, due out Nov. 3. She also contributed background vocals and electric guitar to the track.
CMA Touring Awards Nominees Announced
/by Lorie HollabaughCMA members in the following membership groups are eligible to vote on the 15 categories up for awards: Advertising/Public Relations/Media, Affiliated, Artist, Entertainment Services, Marketing/Digital, Musician, Personal Manager, Record Label, Talent Agent, Talent Buyer/Promoter, Touring and Venue.
“The CMA Touring Awards honor the unseen heroes of country music, the men and women who work behind the scenes to give our fans the best live music experience in entertainment,” said CMA CEO Sarah Trahern. “As you’ll notice, we’ve expanded the number of nominees from three to five in each category to acknowledge the many touring and industry professionals who are working at the highest levels.”
CATEGORY 1 – BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.
Cheryl Harris – O’Neil Hagaman, PLLC
Lou Taylor – Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group
Rob Taylor – Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC
Dwight Wiles – Wiles + Taylor & Co., PC
CATEGORY 2 – COACH/TRUCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
Caleb Garrett – Luke Bryan
Jerry Martin – Darius Rucker
Larry Phye Jr. – Chris Stapleton
Danny Shelnut – Montgomery Gentry
Kavin Spears – Eric Church
Dean Tubbs – Charlie Daniels Band
CATEGORY 3 – FRONT OF HOUSE ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Jared Blumenberg – Florida Georgia Line
Dan Heins – Garth Brooks
Arpad Sayko – Chris Stapleton
Frank Sgambellone – Luke Bryan
Chris Stephens – Jason Aldean
CATEGORY 4- LIGHTING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Dave Butzler – Garth Brooks
Scott Cunningham – Florida Georgia Line
Philip Ealy – Kenny Chesney
Justin Kitchenman – Luke Bryan
Gavin Lake – Eric Church
CATEGORY 5 – MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Bob Doyle – Bob Doyle & Associates
Clint Higham – Morris Higham Management
Jason Owen – Sandbox Entertainment
John Peets – Q Prime South
Clarence Spalding – Maverick
CATEGORY 6 – TOUR MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Todd Bunch – Eric Church
David Farmer – Kenny Chesney
Tracy Greenwood – Garth Brooks
Logan Kornegay – Thomas Rhett
Mark Sizemore – Luke Bryan
CATEGORY 7 – MONITOR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Marc Earp – Eric Church
Juan Gomez – Florida Georgia Line
Ed Janiszewski – Luke Bryan
Phil Robinson – Kenny Chesney
Martin Santos – Garth Brooks
CATEGORY 8 – PRODUCTION MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Drew Brown – Jason Aldean
Gary Chrosniak – Luke Bryan
John Garriott – Chris Stapleton
Todd Ortmeier – Florida Georgia Line
Brian Petree – Garth Brooks
CATEGORY 9 – PUBLICIST OF THE YEAR
Jake Basden – Big Machine Label Group
Tyne Parrish – The GreenRoom
Jesse Schmidt – Schmidt Relations
Nancy Seltzer – Nancy Seltzer & Associates, Inc.
Jensen Sussman – Sweet Talk Publicity
CATEGORY 10 – TALENT AGENT OF THE YEAR
Rob Beckham – WME
Joey Lee – WME
Darin Murphy – CAA
Kevin Neal – WME
Nate Ritches – Dale Morris & Associates
CATEGORY 11 – TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Ben Farrell – Lon Varnell Enterprises
Patrick McDill – Live Nation Nashville
Louis Messina – Messina Touring Group
Brian Traeger – Live Nation
Ed Warm – Joe’s Bar
CATEGORY 12 – TOUR CATERER OF THE YEAR
Concert Kitchens
Dega Catering
HSG Catering
Knoxville Catering
Mike Maxwell + Co. Motion Picture Catering
CATEGORY 13 – TOURING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Nathan Barlowe – Keith Urban (Keyboard)
Wyatt Beard – Kenny Chesney (Keyboard)
John Thomasson – Little Big Town (Bass Guitar)
Lee Hendricks – Eric Church (Bass Guitar)
Jimmy Mattingly – Garth Brooks (Fiddle)
CATEGORY 14 – VENUE OF THE YEAR
Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN
Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
CATEGORY 15 – TOUR VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
John Breslin – Garth Brooks
Houston Creswell – Dierks Bentley
Milojko Dobrijevich – Jason Aldean
William Parisian – Florida Georgia Line
Ryan Rushing – Luke Bryan
Lee Ann Womack Wraps Week Of Exclusive Performances With Album Release
/by Eric T. ParkerLee Ann Womack. Photo: Instagram
Lee Ann Womack wrapped a series of five appearances this week with a show on Thursday, Oct. 26 at Nashville’s Lower Broadway bar Layla’s.
For the past two days, the singer has been on a promotion spree for her latest project, which hit shelves today (Oct. 27). The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone is her first on ATO Records.
Beginning on Sunday, Womack was at the Country Music Hall of Fame, helping induct her friend Alan Jackson by singing his career-launching 1990 chart topper “Here in the Real World.” Monday she made her way to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame event to honor inductee Tim Nichols with the 1990 Keith Whitley-popularized “I’m Over You.” Tuesday the vocalist treated the Inspire Nashville honors, which centered around Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, with a rendition of her “Stubborn (Psalm 151).”
Album promotion began Wednesday with a surprise, pop-up show at Nashville record store Grimey’s. Afterwards she announced her second pop-up album launch show on social media, “Nashville, hate that y’all couldn’t get in at Grimey’s last night so let’s do it again tonight!”
Layla’s was jam-packed by 7 p.m. with fans trying to catch a glimpse of the star through the windows of the bluegrass club. Without much ado, Womack began with her 20 year old “Little Past Little Rock,” one of two throwback titles she offered from her discography. Then, intermixed with Texas swing and country gold, Womack began previewing new music.
Highlights on the record include the heartbreaking ballad “Mama Lost Her Smile,” album title track “The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone” and album standout single “All The Trouble.” Womack also treated the crowd to another memorable title previewed from the album, “Hollywood.”
True to her nature, Womack also toured through country standards including Ray Price’s “My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You,” George Jones’ “When the Grass Grows Over Me,” Bob Wills’ “San Antonio Rose” and Asleep At The Wheel’s “Miles And Miles of Texas.”
Lasting only an hour, Womack let the music do the talking and made a rare introduction to the audience between songs. She did note that another album track, “Talking Behind Your Back,” is a title she has had in her back pocket since her UMG days.
CMA Extends Contract With Executive Producer Robert Deaton
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (Front row, L-R): Robert Deaton, and Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. (Back row, L-R): Brett James, CMA Board member and owner of Cornman Music and Management; Sally Williams, CMA Board Chairman and Opry Entertainment SVP of Programming & Artist Relations; Greg Ham, The MWS Group Manager & Partner and Robert Deaton Manager. Photo: Christian Bottorff / CMA
CMA has inked a five-year contract extension with the creative mind behind its three network television properties, signing Executive Producer Robert Deaton to an extension this week as he makes final preparations for The 51st Annual CMA Awards. The deal will keep Deaton at the helm of the CMA Awards, CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas through 2021 – the length of CMA’s current deal with ABC.
A two-time Emmy Award-winning producer and director, Deaton has overseen the awards since 2007.
The 2017 CMA Awards will air live from Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 8 on ABC. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will co-host for the 10th consecutive year, and Deaton, Paisley and Underwood serve as three-quarters of the show’s writing team.
Deaton singlehandedly created CMA Music Fest’s television special, shooting the four-day event with his own equipment, editing together a sizzle reel and selling it to ABC. In its 14th year in 2017, the special turned in the network’s highest summertime non-sports show ratings in nearly seven years. Deaton also serves as executive producer of the Billboard Music Awards and directed his first feature-length film, Rounding Third, in 2016. He has more than 500 music videos to his credit.
“Robert has been a visionary leader for The CMA Awards, CMA Music Fest and CMA Country Christmas since he first came aboard,” CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said. “He has helped to create three unforgettable network television moments for fans each year, and the tens of millions who tune in annually are a testament to his hard work, dedication and creativity. We look forward to even more over the next half decade from our amazing partnership.”
“My work with the CMA has become a passion for me, something I’m always thinking about,” Deaton said. “We have built an amazing team over the last decade, evolving the show into what it is today. For all these people, the show also is a passion, and I’m beyond excited that we can keep our group together for another five years. Expect something amazing.”
Moon Taxi Talks Ryman Auditorium Shows, First Major Label Album
/by Jessica NicholsonMoon Taxi. Photo: Don VanCleave
When alt-rock band Moon Taxi, which first formed at Nashville’s Belmont University more than a decade ago, returns to perform two headlining shows at the Ryman Auditorium Friday and Saturday (Oct. 27-28), it will be as a newly-signed major label band.
The five-piece group, which includes vocalist/ guitarist Trevor Terndrup, bassist Tommy Putnam, lead guitarist/producer Spencer Thomson, drummer Tyler Ritter, and keyboardist Wes Bailey, has grown to headlining Nashville’s Live On The Green, securing performance slots on Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and performing on The Late Show with David Letterman and Conan.
Along the way, Moon Taxi released four independent albums, the most recent being 2015’s Daybreaker, in addition to live projects such as Live Ride, and New Year’s Eve 2015, recorded from a live show at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium.
On the strength of its recent song “Two High,” the band inked a major label deal with RCA Records. Later this year Moon Taxi will makes its first tour of Europe, including stops in Sweden, Germany, and Norway.
Terndrup spoke with MusicRow about upcoming music, the Nashville music scene, and the success of their single “Two High.”
What does it mean to you to be headlining shows at places like the Ryman Auditorium, 10 years after you started at Belmont University?
We have some awesome and dedicated fans who have been here since we started. Every Nashville show is unique because we know we have old fans and new fans. We try to change up the set list and throw some curve ball sin there and do some throwback songs. Some new stuff too which is what I’m excited about.
How did the deal with RCA Records come about?
The popularity of “Two High” caught the attention of all the major labels. We had no intention of signing a major label deal 10 years in. We thought we were going to be independent artists our whole lives. We like that element of creative control we had and it blindsided us, the success of the song. It changed the conversation a little bit because we have been independent for so long that we wanted to keep a lot of that in house. We found the right label that will let us do that.
“Two High” was written around the time of the women’s marches held earlier this year, Terndrup details the inspiration of the song.
We were doing college shows and I think when the women’s march happened we were at [University of] Notre Dame in Indiana. I just happened upon the women’s march and was inspired.
Really, the concept for “Two High” came about after our keys player was texting somebody. He wrote “too high” and it autocorrected to “two high.” He told me that story, and I was like, ‘Oh, like the peace sign?’ Then the first verse came together really quickly and it was probably the quickest song that we wrote.
And it’s resonated. There is never a bad time for a call for unity.
How close are you to having your first RCA album ready?
We have an album ready in the pipeline, that we recorded in Nashville, like our other records. We have a release date set for early next year, so it’s fortunate that we already had the record done by the time we got to the label deal, so we knocked that out already.
How have you seen Nashville’s rock and pop scene grow over the past 10 years?
It feels like maybe Seattle did in the early ’90s, with indie rock and grunge rock. The rest of the world is talking about Nashville beyond just the country music scene. We have friends in bands here and we go support them. There is a lot happening here, and it’s a great place to call home.
Weekly Chart Report 10/27/17
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Clint Black Developing Christmas Musical
/by Jessica NicholsonClint Black. Photo: Kevin Mazur
Clint Black has a Christmas musical in development. Looking For Christmas will be helmed by director Kent Nicholson, with book by James D. Sasser, and music supervision by Charles Vincent Burwell, of The 959 Group.
The musical takes its name from Black’s 1995 Christmas album of the same name. The show will include several songs from Looking For Christmas, as well as Black’s 2004 holiday album Christmas With You, though he also penned new songs for the show.
The musical is a contemporary family story about a young American veteran, his wife and daughter. After returning home from war, he struggles with PTSD and has to find a way to fit into the family again, as well as rediscover the true meaning of Christmas.
“I had toyed with the idea of writing a musical as I’m always looking for new challenges,” said Black. “When I met James Sasser, he asked if I’d ever considered Broadway. I said, ‘Not as a performer, the work week is too long!’ We decided we’d explore ideas together as writers and I introduced the idea of a Christmas story built around my original Christmas music from Looking for Christmas and Christmas With You.”
He adds, “We developed the story to fit the music and quickly had a very clear sense of the kind of story we wanted to tell. Many of our soldiers come home from war to a new war in their minds. The holidays are always a time of heightened emotions and we knew we would have some very inspiring themes to explore, while telling a contemporary tale that would be relatable to many Americans young and old. One of the new songs is about shopping and the stress of getting ‘just the right gift’. It’s a fun look at that harried part of the holidays.”