Already a 14-time Grammy winner, Dan Tyminski possesses a vocal instrument refined enough to offer harmonies alongside the equally ethereal voices of his Alison Krauss and Union Station bandmates in addition to unvarnished and earnest to portray the singing voice of George Clooney’s character in O Brother Where Art Thou.
In 2014, Tyminski’s voice proved it was capable of piercing through frenzied EDM beats to provide weathered wisdom on Swedish producer and DJ Avicii’s “Hey Brother.” The chart topper made history in 18 countries, earning 5.3 million downloads and more than 1.1 billion streams globally.
Perhaps more than those sales stats, Tyminski’s crossover success emboldened the belief that his voice could reach outside the ever-widening borders of bluegrass.
“I think the whole Hey Brother experience probably gave me a little courage to step out of the box,” he tells MusicRow. “I look back on my career and every time I’ve done something outside of the box like that, it’s always been rewarding. I think I gained courage from doing something so different and having it feel so natural.”
With his new album on UMG Nashville, Southern Gothic (out today), Tyminski (he goes by his last name for the project) is a study in blending seemingly opposite characteristics, from reconciling the struggles between good and and evil, to mixing acoustic and electronic music styles. Helping Tyminski blend those musical demarcations is Jesse Frasure, a Nashville songwriter/producer/DJ known for his R&B and pop-leaning productions for artists including Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, TobyMac, Lauren Alaina, and Meghan Trainor.
The album’s origins are as organic as they are improbable. At the time, Tyminski intended for most of the songs to be recorded by other artists, until he found himself with a set of songs he felt passionate about. One of those would be the album’s haunting, soul-searching title track, which Tyminski penned with Frasure and Josh Kear.
“Southern Gothic” brings to life a town of “God-fearin’” people rattled by sin and spiritual guilt, where every house has got a bible and a loaded gun, and where dogs and deadbolts guard the night, a line Tyminski remembers contributing.
“It was a very personal thing because that’s how I saw this town,” Tyminski says. “I saw a two-sided town where people are very nice to you during the day—they are your best friends and your neighbors—but when you go to bed you make sure the dog is near the door and the deadbolts are locked.”
Near the conclusion of an unfruitful writing session, Frasure had suggested they listen to one more track, to see if it would spark a song idea. He offered the sparse groove that would be come the song’s bedrock. “It made one of us say, ‘Wow, that’s kind of creepy, kind of gothic.’ And I remember Jesse said, ‘Well if we are going to write gothic, it should be southern gothic.’ And we knew we had to write and record it.”
And they did–quickly.
“Southern Gothic” was written and recorded, including harmonies and all instrumentation, in three hours. “We did nothing to that track after [the demo], literally, except mix it,” recalls Tyminski. “It was the first song I remember driving home and being jealous because I wanted to keep it for myself. I thought I was going to have to give it away.”
That universal struggle between abiding by, or abandoning, one’s own moral code runs throughout the album, seeping through tracks like “Breathing Fire” and “Hollow Hallelujah,” though Tyminski says that wasn’t intentional.
“I think it’s probably just a theme that runs through my life. It’s one of those things that everyone struggles with. Everyone knows what that pull is. I’m not telling people what to do. More than anything I’m holding up a mirror to society as I see it and letting people draw their own conclusions.”
Other tracks find Tyminski leaning toward the light, fighting off fleeting advances in “Temporary Love,” being a pillar of strength in “Wailing Wall,” and reminiscing on his inherited love of music on “Bloodline.”
After UMG Nashville’s Cindy Mabe, Mike Dungan, and other execs heard a few early tracks including “Southern Gothic,” and “Perfect Poison,” they signed Tyminski to a multi-album deal.
“We had complete say on what we wanted to do, lyrically and musically,” Tyminski says. “They were so gracious to let us do what we wanted to with this record. Right now, thankfully, I think the margins within each genre of music are pretty wide so we were able to step outside the box a little bit. I’m so thankful that Universal would allow that.”
Universal Music Group’s Cindy Mabe says the music in those early demos for Southern Gothic was moving and simply unforgettable.
“The more we lived with these songs, we couldn’t stop listening,” she says. “He is one of the most gifted, intelligent, unique, world class talents we’ve ever worked with. He has a very strong vision for how this music should be played and heard and he’s just the embodiment of musical integrity. He knew what he wanted to say and how the songs fit together and beyond making them fit an album, he knew how he wanted them to sound in a live music environment. The uniqueness of Dan Tyminski is not simply in his incredible talent but in the series of risks he’s taken in his career which have led him to defy the odds and simply connect with an audience. But most of all we bet on him because he moves us and we believe that will translate to wider audiences.”
Universal set an ambitious plan in place, one that included a splashy album preview for industry members back in July, and includes visual content to support every track on Southern Gothic.
“It’s just so amazing to see how much care and time they put into this. “It was obvious that the label sees this as a special project, and they are willing to go the extra mile,” he says of the preview party in Nashville. “For me, walking into that event, and seeing the care they gave that, it just felt like being cradled in someone’s arms, like they really care.
“From the get-go when we sat down and starting talking about how to present this music, we decided it was so visually-oriented that it was important to have a visual aspect to everything we did,” Tyminski says. “This will be the first record, I believe, that Universal Nashville has put out where they are able to include 100 percent visual content for the entire record.”
Another much talked-about aspect of that plan is the move for Tyminski to go solely by his last name for the album, a move he says primarily has to do with streaming.
“That was proposed by the label,” Tyminski says. “And I understand why, for streaming purposes, to be able to draw a clear line to this new music, because I have a very long career with a lot of different directions. For my whole life, people have called me by my last name. I’ve gone by it so much it seemed natural. Though when I was introduced for the first time, and they said, ‘Please make welcome Tyminski,’ and I thought, ‘Oh, that is a little strange.’ But I think it is appropriate.”
In the studio, Tyminski gave Frasure free reign to assemble the cast of players that could craft the acoustic, and pop-driven, genre-bending sounds on Southern Gothic—even though that meant Tyminski didn’t play a single guitar lick on the album.
“I wanted Jesse to have the freedom to create without any preconceived thoughts of what I might do or not want to do,” Tyminski says. “He has a strong Motown and electronic background. I think that was part of what makes it work. He was able to take such a fresh approach to what is a roots sound and style. It was finding that ground where those two things converge, and that’s where the magic happened.”
Tyminski hopes that magic that occurs with the right blend of music, voice and message continues with his next project.
“I hope so badly to be able to follow this record up. I feel so strongly about this and I’m not going into the studio anytime soon to try to top this but I would love to be able to go back in and finish the rest of this thought.”
Southern Gothic Album Track List:
1. Southern Gothic (Dan Tyminski, Jesse Frasure, Josh Kear)
2. Breathing Fire (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Will Weatherly)
3. Gone (Dan Tyminski, Kyle Fishman, Nick Bailey)
4. Temporary Love (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
5. Perfect Poison (Dan Tyminski, Jesse Frasure)
6. Devil Is Downtown (Dan Tyminski, Ashley Monroe, Paul Moak)
7. Hollow Hallelujah (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Jesse Frasure, Amy Wadge)
8. Good For Your Soul (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Jesse Frasure)
9. Wailing Wall (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Tofer Brown)
10. Haunted Heart (Dan Tyminski, Andrew Dorff, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
11. Bloodline (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
12. Wanted (Dan Tyminski, Brad Rempel, Seth Mosley)
13. Numb (Dan Tyminski, Kyle Fishman, Nick Bailey, Ryan Ogren)
Whisperin’ Bill Anderson Sits Down With MusicRow For ‘Unprecedented’ Interview
/by Sherod RobertsonWhisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music is an autobiography that offers an intimate peek inside the life of Bill Anderson, one of the most prolific songwriters in country music history. Anderson’s songs have been recorded by Ray Price, Roy Clark, Eddy Arnold, Steve Wariner, Connie Smith, Lefty Frizzell, Wanda Jackson, Lynn Anderson, Jim Reeves, Conway Twitty, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, George Strait and many, many others. He has also released more than 40 studio albums and has reached the No. 1 spot on the country charts seven times.
MusicRow recently sat down with the iconic tunesmith to talk about his career, his current book, and how at age 79, he is still chasing his childhood dream.
MusicRow: Your first autobiography, Whisperin’ Bill was published in 1989. What was the inspiration behind writing another autobiography?
Bill Anderson: A lot of things happened in my life and in my career between 1989 and 2016. The original book was written following a really turbulent time in my personal life. My wife had been in a terrible automobile accident and she nearly died. She had very serious brain injuries. It was a traumatic time for me. We had a six-year-old son and I was trying to keep my life, my career, and my marriage together. It was very therapeutic to write that book.
I felt like this time, if I was going to write a book, it needed to focus more on the business side and more on the second career that I had been fortunate enough to have. Peter Cooper had a tremendous vision for the new book. I’m not sure that I could’ve done it without him. I was totally shocked when he wanted to do it. Betty Hofer, who was doing PR for me at the time, reached out to Peter. I said, “Betty, don’t waste your time. He ain’t got time to do that.” And low and behold, he jumped at it. When he did that and I saw the excitement and perspective he brought, I thought, “Yeah, this is something I want to do.”
What was it like working with Peter Cooper on this book? What impact did he have on the process?
Well he’s so demanding and he’s so hard to get along with [laughs]. Seriously, Peter is such a great guy! We have so much in common. I was born in South Carolina and he’s from South Carolina. We both love sports, baseball and country music. And we have a really good relationship and friendship, over and apart from the business. He was so accommodating. He would come out to my office and bring his laptop and we’d sit there and talk. I would email him what I had written and he would get back to me on it.
He also gave me the title of the book. I don’t think I would have ever said my career was unprecedented. He saw it from that perspective with me getting away from songwriting and the music business, in general, for a period of almost 10 years. And then coming back and having as much or more success the second time around at an advanced age.
Country artist and singer-songwriter Bill Anderson shares stories of his book, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music, with MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson. Photo: Haley Crow
What was your experience recording the audio for this book?
First, I had no idea how hard it was and how long it was gonna take. Man, you can go in and cut a record and you’re in there for three minutes. For the book, you’re in there for three weeks. Peter knew Thomm Jutz who has a studio at his house out near where I live. Peter had worked on updating Tom T. Hall’s autobiography and had done the audio book. He worked with a lady who produces audio books named Andi Arndt from up in Virginia. And Andi came down and she knew exactly how to do an audio book. I thought, “Well, if I don’t say the word exactly the way I’ve got it written it won’t matter,” but oh yes it did! I would hear, “Oops, you didn’t say that exactly the way you wrote it.”
So the recording of the book has to be verbatim?
Yes, it has to be verbatim which surprised me. And it inhibited me a little bit in the beginning because I’d want to ad lib. But there’s a reason for that. Some people listen to the audio recording and read the book and listen at the same time. And for that reason, you have to do it exactly the same.
The digital recording is so much easier to do than it would’ve been years ago. I produced a series of comedy albums back in the ’80s on Lewis Grizzard. Lewis was a southern humorist; not a comedian. His work was very much in demand. And this was in the days before you could do it all digitally. We were down on the floor splicing tape together, and every time Lewis would say, “Uhh..,” we had to cut that out. So you physically have to cut the tape and tape it back together.
It’s no surprise your book is filled with fascinating stories about your life. You recount how, on your very first tour, you made such little money you couldn’t afford breakfast or gas. And at the same time, you were informed you no longer had enough college credits to graduate. How did you not let something like that derail your dreams?
I probably owe that to my mom and dad because the only thing my mom and dad ever asked me to do, was to graduate from college. They let me run around when I was in high school, play music all hours of the night. They never tried to push me away from a career in music, but at the same time they said, “Whatever you do, please get that education.” It would’ve broken my mom and dad’s heart [if I didn’t graduate].
I was only five credit hours short. And so I found a summer school in Atlanta at a little college called Oglethorpe University, which oddly my dad had attended when he was young. They had the shortest summer school I could find so I left Nashville and packed it up and went back to Atlanta and lived at mom and dad’s. Oddly enough, during those five weeks living at their house, I wrote some songs, some that got recorded– so it wasn’t a total waste of time. [laughs]
And perhaps I didn’t get discouraged because on that very first tour, we laughed so much that we didn’t notice how hungry we were. When you’ve got Bill Anderson, Roger Miller and Donny Young, who later became Johnny Paycheck, all riding in a car driving through Arizona, it’s hard to get too depressed.
Although you had achieved tremendous success, you experienced some tough times both in your career and financially in the early 1980s. In the book, you are very candid about this experience. Why did you want to share such a personal part of your life?
I don’t know. I think I probably thought if I was reading a book about somebody, I’d want to know as much about them as I could find out. I wasn’t ashamed of anything that happened. I was lucky enough to come out on the other side of it. Maybe by sharing it, I could inspire somebody else along the way. It was tough. I feel very fortunate and very blessed that I was able to work through it. It never occurred to me not to share it.
What was the biggest impetus that pulled you out of that, to keep you going with the second half of your career?
It’s when Steve Warner recorded and had a number one record with “The Tips of my Fingers,” a song I had written 32 years before. That was a wake-up call. I thought the music business had passed me by. I thought I had nothing left to say, nothing left to offer. And here’s this song that I wrote 32 years ago that goes to No. 1. One day it just dawned on me, “You know, I could write another song like that.”
And we didn’t have No. 1 parties when I first came along in the music business. And my goodness gracious, I had no idea how the numbers had changed, how much more money you could make from a song in 1992 than you could in 1962. That’s when I really begin to think about getting back in and trying to write. I had really been away from it. Everybody was co-writing and the music was changing. I’m thinking, “I don’t know these people and they don’t know me.” I called Vince Gill and I said, “Wait a minute, maybe I can do this.” And so Vince was such an inspiration and a big help to me.
On the other side of the coin, you’ve interviewed almost everyone in this business. What was one of your most memorable interviews you’ve ever conducted with an artist?
I was interviewing Merle Haggard one time when I did the “Bill Anderson Visits With The Legends” on XM Radio. I didn’t know Merle all that well but I did know him because we worked the occasional date together. And I was sitting there having a good time with him. He’s opening up to me and we’re talking about all kinds of things. Somewhere off the top of my head I said, “Merle, I’ve never told you this. I’ve never had the chance to. But I want to say this to you while I’m looking at you face-to-face.” I said, “You’re my favorite country singer.” And he just stared at me for minute, and he didn’t speak. I looked over there and a tear started running down his face.
It absolutely got to him. And I said, “Man, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m just trying to pay you a compliment.” He was very gracious and said it just meant a lot to him for me to say that to him. That was very memorable.
I enjoy being on the other side. I think being on both sides of the microphone has helped me. I think as an interviewer, having been the interviewee so many times, I think I know a little bit more about what to ask somebody, and maybe what not to ask them.
Last question: You wrote your first song at age 10. You started your first band at 15 and began chasing your dreams of a career in music. Is there part of you still chasing those dreams?
It’s sorta like the dog that chasing cars all of his life. He finally catches one and doesn’t know what to do with it.
If I ever caught my dream, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. The fun is in the chase.
The related audio CD of the book, Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music, is also available and is up for Grammy consideration for Best Spoken Word Recording.
Justin Timberlake Makes Super Bowl LII Half Time Show Performance Official
/by Jessica NicholsonJustin Timberlake. Photo: Tom Munro / RCA Records
Justin Timberlake will perform the Super Bowl LII half time show, it was officially announced Sunday (Oct. 22). Timberlake made the announcement via a video with pal Jimmy Fallon.
Super Bowl LII will take place Feb. 4, 2018, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Tennessee native Timberlake, who has a home just outside of Nashville, previously performed during the Super Bowl in 2001 and in 2004. In 2001, he performed as part of ‘N Sync alongside Aerosmith and Britney Spears in Tampa, Florida. In 2004, the halftime show at Houston, Texas’ Reliant Stadium included Timberlake, Jessica Simpson, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock, and Janet Jackson. Timberlake’s performance of “Rock Your Body” with Jackson included a controversial incident (later termed a “wardrobe malfunction”), in which Timberlake ripped off a portion of Jackson’s costume.
Earlier this year, Timberlake headlined the third annual Pilgrimage Festival in Franklin, Tennessee, which included a surprise appearance from Chris Stapleton.
Tyminski Blends Acoustic, Electronic Sounds On ‘Southern Gothic’
/by Jessica NicholsonIn 2014, Tyminski’s voice proved it was capable of piercing through frenzied EDM beats to provide weathered wisdom on Swedish producer and DJ Avicii’s “Hey Brother.” The chart topper made history in 18 countries, earning 5.3 million downloads and more than 1.1 billion streams globally.
Perhaps more than those sales stats, Tyminski’s crossover success emboldened the belief that his voice could reach outside the ever-widening borders of bluegrass.
“I think the whole Hey Brother experience probably gave me a little courage to step out of the box,” he tells MusicRow. “I look back on my career and every time I’ve done something outside of the box like that, it’s always been rewarding. I think I gained courage from doing something so different and having it feel so natural.”
With his new album on UMG Nashville, Southern Gothic (out today), Tyminski (he goes by his last name for the project) is a study in blending seemingly opposite characteristics, from reconciling the struggles between good and and evil, to mixing acoustic and electronic music styles. Helping Tyminski blend those musical demarcations is Jesse Frasure, a Nashville songwriter/producer/DJ known for his R&B and pop-leaning productions for artists including Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, TobyMac, Lauren Alaina, and Meghan Trainor.
The album’s origins are as organic as they are improbable. At the time, Tyminski intended for most of the songs to be recorded by other artists, until he found himself with a set of songs he felt passionate about. One of those would be the album’s haunting, soul-searching title track, which Tyminski penned with Frasure and Josh Kear.
“Southern Gothic” brings to life a town of “God-fearin’” people rattled by sin and spiritual guilt, where every house has got a bible and a loaded gun, and where dogs and deadbolts guard the night, a line Tyminski remembers contributing.
“It was a very personal thing because that’s how I saw this town,” Tyminski says. “I saw a two-sided town where people are very nice to you during the day—they are your best friends and your neighbors—but when you go to bed you make sure the dog is near the door and the deadbolts are locked.”
Near the conclusion of an unfruitful writing session, Frasure had suggested they listen to one more track, to see if it would spark a song idea. He offered the sparse groove that would be come the song’s bedrock. “It made one of us say, ‘Wow, that’s kind of creepy, kind of gothic.’ And I remember Jesse said, ‘Well if we are going to write gothic, it should be southern gothic.’ And we knew we had to write and record it.”
And they did–quickly.
“Southern Gothic” was written and recorded, including harmonies and all instrumentation, in three hours. “We did nothing to that track after [the demo], literally, except mix it,” recalls Tyminski. “It was the first song I remember driving home and being jealous because I wanted to keep it for myself. I thought I was going to have to give it away.”
That universal struggle between abiding by, or abandoning, one’s own moral code runs throughout the album, seeping through tracks like “Breathing Fire” and “Hollow Hallelujah,” though Tyminski says that wasn’t intentional.
“I think it’s probably just a theme that runs through my life. It’s one of those things that everyone struggles with. Everyone knows what that pull is. I’m not telling people what to do. More than anything I’m holding up a mirror to society as I see it and letting people draw their own conclusions.”
Other tracks find Tyminski leaning toward the light, fighting off fleeting advances in “Temporary Love,” being a pillar of strength in “Wailing Wall,” and reminiscing on his inherited love of music on “Bloodline.”
After UMG Nashville’s Cindy Mabe, Mike Dungan, and other execs heard a few early tracks including “Southern Gothic,” and “Perfect Poison,” they signed Tyminski to a multi-album deal.
“We had complete say on what we wanted to do, lyrically and musically,” Tyminski says. “They were so gracious to let us do what we wanted to with this record. Right now, thankfully, I think the margins within each genre of music are pretty wide so we were able to step outside the box a little bit. I’m so thankful that Universal would allow that.”
Universal Music Group’s Cindy Mabe says the music in those early demos for Southern Gothic was moving and simply unforgettable.
“The more we lived with these songs, we couldn’t stop listening,” she says. “He is one of the most gifted, intelligent, unique, world class talents we’ve ever worked with. He has a very strong vision for how this music should be played and heard and he’s just the embodiment of musical integrity. He knew what he wanted to say and how the songs fit together and beyond making them fit an album, he knew how he wanted them to sound in a live music environment. The uniqueness of Dan Tyminski is not simply in his incredible talent but in the series of risks he’s taken in his career which have led him to defy the odds and simply connect with an audience. But most of all we bet on him because he moves us and we believe that will translate to wider audiences.”
Universal set an ambitious plan in place, one that included a splashy album preview for industry members back in July, and includes visual content to support every track on Southern Gothic.
“It’s just so amazing to see how much care and time they put into this. “It was obvious that the label sees this as a special project, and they are willing to go the extra mile,” he says of the preview party in Nashville. “For me, walking into that event, and seeing the care they gave that, it just felt like being cradled in someone’s arms, like they really care.
“From the get-go when we sat down and starting talking about how to present this music, we decided it was so visually-oriented that it was important to have a visual aspect to everything we did,” Tyminski says. “This will be the first record, I believe, that Universal Nashville has put out where they are able to include 100 percent visual content for the entire record.”
Another much talked-about aspect of that plan is the move for Tyminski to go solely by his last name for the album, a move he says primarily has to do with streaming.
“That was proposed by the label,” Tyminski says. “And I understand why, for streaming purposes, to be able to draw a clear line to this new music, because I have a very long career with a lot of different directions. For my whole life, people have called me by my last name. I’ve gone by it so much it seemed natural. Though when I was introduced for the first time, and they said, ‘Please make welcome Tyminski,’ and I thought, ‘Oh, that is a little strange.’ But I think it is appropriate.”
In the studio, Tyminski gave Frasure free reign to assemble the cast of players that could craft the acoustic, and pop-driven, genre-bending sounds on Southern Gothic—even though that meant Tyminski didn’t play a single guitar lick on the album.
“I wanted Jesse to have the freedom to create without any preconceived thoughts of what I might do or not want to do,” Tyminski says. “He has a strong Motown and electronic background. I think that was part of what makes it work. He was able to take such a fresh approach to what is a roots sound and style. It was finding that ground where those two things converge, and that’s where the magic happened.”
Tyminski hopes that magic that occurs with the right blend of music, voice and message continues with his next project.
“I hope so badly to be able to follow this record up. I feel so strongly about this and I’m not going into the studio anytime soon to try to top this but I would love to be able to go back in and finish the rest of this thought.”
Southern Gothic Album Track List:
1. Southern Gothic (Dan Tyminski, Jesse Frasure, Josh Kear)
2. Breathing Fire (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Will Weatherly)
3. Gone (Dan Tyminski, Kyle Fishman, Nick Bailey)
4. Temporary Love (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
5. Perfect Poison (Dan Tyminski, Jesse Frasure)
6. Devil Is Downtown (Dan Tyminski, Ashley Monroe, Paul Moak)
7. Hollow Hallelujah (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Jesse Frasure, Amy Wadge)
8. Good For Your Soul (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Jesse Frasure)
9. Wailing Wall (Dan Tyminski, Sarah Buxton, Tofer Brown)
10. Haunted Heart (Dan Tyminski, Andrew Dorff, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
11. Bloodline (Dan Tyminski, Cary Barlowe, Jesse Frasure)
12. Wanted (Dan Tyminski, Brad Rempel, Seth Mosley)
13. Numb (Dan Tyminski, Kyle Fishman, Nick Bailey, Ryan Ogren)
NMPA Celebrates Nashville Songwriters With Gold & Platinum Gala
/by Jessica NicholsonNMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
Thursday (Oct. 19), Nashville’s top songwriters and publishers from the last year gathered to receive their Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum honors from NMPA. The NMPA Gold & Platinum program launched in October 2007 and identifies and honors the songwriters of RIAA-certified hit songs.
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite kicked off the event with help from RIAA President Mitch Glazier who detailed the partnership between the two organizations. In attendance were approximately 50 songwriters including multi-Platinum honorees like Shane McAnally, Zach Crowell, Dallas Davidson, Sean Douglas, Jerry Flowers, Rob Hatch, Jim Collins, David Lee Murphy, Joseph Spargur, and many more.
In addition to awarding the 17 Gold, 18 Platinum and 9 Multi-Platinum songwriters, NMPA announced three top annual honors: Top Song, Top Songwriter and Top Publisher. The Top Song award was a tie between “Body Like a Back Road” written by Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, and “H.O.L.Y” written by busbee, Nate Cyphert and William Larsen, both certified 3x multi-Platinum and with 3 million certified units.
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
The top two songwriters of the year were Shane McAnally with 4 multi-platinum, 3 platinum, and 2 Gold certifications and Ashley Gorley with 1 multi-platinum, 4 Platinum, and 9 Gold certifications.
The Top Publisher was awarded to Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Nashville’s President and CEO Troy Tomlinson attended to accept the award.
“On behalf of all of us at Sony/ATV and in particular our songwriters who made this all possible, we are honored to be the NMPA’s first ever Publisher of the Year. What a great event and we’ll be back here next year, hopefully with the same result,” said the Chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing Martin Bandier.
“Since our program’s inception 10 years ago, NMPA has awarded 8,817 total certifications, and that number rises with each hit song. We are thrilled to recognize the top songwriters of the past year – and look forward to honoring the best in the business each year at our annual gala,” said Israelite. “When a song goes Gold – or beyond – the songwriter should receive recognition just like the performer of that song – and some shiny hardware too.”
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
NMPA 10.19.17 @Moments By Moser Photography
Casting Crowns Celebrates More Than 10 Million Albums Sold
/by Haley CrowPictured (L-R): Juan DeVevo; Terry Hemmings, President/CEO, Provident Music Group; Chris Huffman; Mark Hall; Megan Garrett; Josh Mix; Melodee DeVevo; Brian Scooggin; and Jason McArthur, Vice President A&R, Provident Label Group.
Provident Label Group’s Casting Crowns, along with members of their label, legal, and management teams recently gathered to celebrate the group selling more than 10 million albums since their debut album released in 2003. The group earned its most recent Dove Award earlier this week, for Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year.
The group’s most recent album was 2016’s The Very Next Thing.
Pictured (L-R): Megan Garrett, Mark Hall, Josh Mix, Juan DeVevo, Melodee DeVevo, Brian Scooggin, and Chris Huffman.
Casting Crown’s Mark Hall takes a selfie with the rest of the band.
Pictured (L-R): Chris Huffman, Brian Scooggin, Melodee DeVevo, Juan DeVevo, Mark Hall, Josh Mix, and Megan Garrett.
Spotify Debuts RISE Program, Predicts Russell Dickerson To Break
/by Eric T. ParkerWith 140+million users, Spotify will use a combination of multi-tiered marketing and editorial programming on its platform, including social promotion, mixed-media, playlists and one-of-a-kind experiential events in the coming months. Delta Air Lines will feature artists on aircraft seatbacks through their Delta Artist Spotlight program. Launching in the U.S, Canada and the U.K.
Country singer Russell Dickerson will be among the debut artists, in addition to pop-sensation Kim Petras; pop/rock artist Lauv; and hip hop artist Trippie Redd. The program will add four new artists every few months, supporting a total of 16 emerging artists per year.
“Spotify is committed to supporting the careers of artists of every level, including the next generation of global superstars” said Troy Carter, Spotify’s Global Head of Creator Services. “RISE is a powerful platform and an investment towards the future of emerging artists and the fans who discovered them first.”
Specifically, Dickerson’s smash single “Yours,” has earned over 33 million streams to date on Spotify, where he’s been on the Hot Country, Country Gold Playlists and more for over a year.
Morgan Evans Loops In Country, Rock Influences On New Album
/by Jessica NicholsonMorgan Evans. Photo: MusicRow/Haley Crow
One listen to Warner Music Nashville artist Morgan Evans and it’s clear why he’s already drawing comparisons to Keith Urban: the stellar guitar work, songwriting that blends elements of rootsy country with arena rock and catchy pop hooks, the easygoing personality and boyish energy he exudes onstage. And, yes, he is Australian.
Just don’t call him a newcomer. Though fresh to the American country scene, Evans was previously signed with Warner Australia, and released two EPs and a full-length album. For the past decade, he’s split his time between Nashville and Australia in pursuit of his career.
“I grew up listening to American music. All the music I created sounded like it came from here,” Evans says. Evans includes Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Garth Brooks among his influences. But Evans was quick to point to a Keith Urban concert in Evans’ hometown of New Castle, Australia as a pivotal moment in his own musical evolution.
“He had just released Golden Road here and he was playing ‘Somebody Like You’ and I was like, ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever seen.’ That was the first I’d ever seen all that rock n’ roll stuff and the old country stuff I grew up listening to, all put together. Keith was one of the first guys that did that in a way that just made sense to me, so it made sense to come here.”
Three years ago, Evans made the decision to move to Nashville full-time, after having made the intercontinental round trip nine times in a single year. “I made that flight 18 times, which means I was basically spending about a month on a plane. That made the decision pretty easy.”
Morgan Evans. Photo: MusicRow/Haley Crow
Eventually, Warner Australia released Evans to be signed by its American country counterpart, Warner Nashville.
During a preview performance at the MusicRow offices, Evans brought several tracks, including “Everything Changes,” and his debut single, “Kiss Somebody.”
Though the track officially goes to country radio in less than two weeks, the track has already garnered 7.5 million streams on Spotify.
Armed with a guitar and a Loop Station that he dubbed his “American Band,” Evans built a swirl of beats, snaps, and guitar rhythms, instantly recording and playing back layers of vocal harmonies to cradle his own.
The Loop Station also serves as a talking point to invite fans deeper into his musical approach during live shows.
“When I go see a show, and I don’t know who the opening act is, I sometimes feel like they are playing music at me, because I’m trying to talk to someone and I’m yelling. Now, I’m playing to a lot of people who’ve never heard me before so I can introduce myself and make music a conversation.”
Morgan Evans with MusicRow Magazine owner/publisher Sherod Robertson. Photo: MusicRow/Haley Crow
“I’ve been writing a lot of love songs lately,” said Evans, who is engaged to Black River Entertainment’s Kelsea Ballerini. The two singer-songwriters met when they were paired to co-host Australia’s CMC Music Awards in March 2016. “We are getting married in a couple of months so [that show] worked out really well for me. Hopefully, for her, too.” he quipped.
With that, he previewed “I Do,” penned with Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley. DeStefano has signed on to produce Evans’ upcoming album.
Though soon to be married to another talented songwriter, Evans says he and Ballerini tend to keep their writing separate.
“We were stuck in an airport the other day and we rewrote Sam Hunt’s ‘Body Like A Back Road,’ for skinny girls. We called it ‘Body Like A Side Street.’” He said jokingly. “Most of the time, we try to keep our writing as separate as possible so when we are home, we are home.”
He closed with “Young Again,” is a sing-a-long ready song filled jangly, shimmering fretwork, and seemingly perfectly ready for performance in an Irish pub, and definitely appropriate for America’s fun-loving country crowds. “The American country crowd is a pretty hardcore party crowd,” he summed.
Evans is managed by Fitzgerald Hartley in Nashville, and Rob Potts Entertainment Edge in Australia.
Morgan Evans with MusicRow staffers.
Dierks Bentley, Ryan Tedder Help Nashville’s Hutton Hotel Create New Songwriters’ Rooms
/by Haley CrowIn December, Nashville’s Hutton Hotel will debut a new set of writers’ rooms–aptly named The Gibson and The Martin–after extensive renovations to its 1808 West End Ave. location.
Dierks Bentley and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder both contributed designs to the rooms, in conjunction with Studio 11 design.
The Martin, inspired by Bentley’s Arizona Roots, uses Saltillo tile and Navajo area rugs, and includes custom Martin guitars as well as a vocal booth.
“The design for the room was created around my home state out west,” Bentley said via a statement. “I wanted recreate a southwestern vibe that I find to be both inspiring and calming. Hopefully when writers walk in there is that feeling of, ‘Wow this is different,’” I really want them to be excited…and write a big hit!”
The Gibson, incorporating Tedder’s creative input, uses natural materials inspired by urban industrial lofts, and includes Gibson guitars and a piano.
The rooms will be available for booking by both hotel guests and non-guests. Room rates and booking details were not available at press time.
Bentley also chimed in on the importance of writers rooms on the Nashville community.
“When I had my first publishing deal, we wrote in the old firehouse next door,” he recalls. “There was nothing in there except a couple of rooms with metal folding chairs and a table..and it was cold! But there definitely was some magic in there. It’s not so much about how nice the room is. It’s more important about the energy of the room. Hopefully there will be great energy in my room at the Hutton.”
The Martin Room [Click photo to enlarge]
The Gibson Room [Click photo to enlarge]
In Pictures: Stranger Friends, SESAC, BMI, Academy Of Country Music
/by Haley CrowStranger Friends Unveil EP at Nashville Event
Pictured (L-R): John Martin; Bart Herbison, Executive Director, NSAI; Jamie Floyd; Jimmy Metts, manager, Torque Management; and Tim Fink, VP, Production, SESAC. Photo: Joshua Black Wilkins
Stranger Friends, the duo comprised of Nashville songwriters John Martin and Jamie Floyd, unveiled music from their self-titled EP at an industry showcase at The Back Corner on Wednesday night (Oct. 18). The duo’s EP was released today (Oct. 20).
The band will headline the Broken Wheel Concert Series in Nolensville, Tennessee, on Saturday (Oct. 21). In addition, Floyd and Martin will participate in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Songwriter Session on Dec. 23.
SESAC Celebrates Margo Price Album Release
Pictured (L-R): Jeremy Ivey, SESAC Mgr. of Creative Services ET Brown, and Margo Price.
SESAC affiliates Jeremy Ivey and Margo Price and SESAC Manager of Creative Services ET Brown celebrated Price’s upcoming album All American Made at an album pre-release show at Grimey’s in Nashville on Tuesday (Oct. 17). The new album was released today (Oct. 20).
SESAC Team Members Attend Dove Awards
Pictured (L-R): Greggory Smith, Jimi Cravity, and Cristina Wheeler.
SESAC affiliate Jimi Cravity and SESAC Creative Services team members Greggory Smith and Cristina Wheeler attended the 48th Annual Dove Awards on Tuesday night (Oct. 17) in Nashville.
BMI Hosts Dove Awards After Party
Pictured (L-R): Provident’s Holly Zabka, New Artist of the Year winner Zach Williams, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, and Gospel Music Association’s President & Executive Director Jackie Patillo.
BMI and the Gospel Music Association celebrated another successful year of Christian music with an after party following the 48th Annual Dove Awards on Tuesday night (Oct. 17). The BMI lobby was packed with industry insiders and Dove award winners and nominees, including New Artist of the Year winner Zach Williams.
BMI, Wrangler Kick Off Weekend Two of ACL Fest
Walker Lukens performs at BMI’s Howdy Texas Party in Austin, TX on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. Photo: Courtesy of BMI by Erika Goldring
Liz Cooper and the Stampede perform at BMI’s Howdy Texas Party in Austin, TX on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. Photo: Courtesy of BMI by Erika Goldring
Last week, BMI and Wrangler kicked off weekend two of the Austin City Limits Music Festival with a celebration of music and fashion. The well-attended Howdy Texas party was held at the Yeti Flagship Store and featured performances by BMI’s Walker Lukens and Liz Cooper & the Stampede. The bands were outfitted in a variety of vintage-inspired Wrangler collections and guests were given the opportunity to take home free limited edition merchandise custom stitched by Fort Lonesome.
Academy of Country Music Welcomes Lee Brice, Levon
Pictured (L-R): Jacob Knight, Red Light Management; Lee Brice; Pete Fisher, ACM CEO; and Enzo DeVincenzo, Red Light Management. Photo: Brandon Campbell/Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music welcomed Curb Records recording artist Lee Brice to the office while he was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Brice performed his new single, “Boy,” and previewed songs from his upcoming self-titled album out Nov. 3, Lee Brice.
Pictured (L-R): Pete Fisher, ACM CEO; Jamie Houston, Levon’s producer and co-writer; Levon; and Liz Cost, Sony Music Nashville. Photo: Michel Bourquard/Academy of Country Music
Columbia Nashville/Epic Records recording group Levon also visited the Los Angeles office and performed their current single, “Ms. Marianne,” and other songs from their self-titled EP, Levon.
Click here to watch a video from Levon’s visit featuring an exclusive interview and clips from their performance.
BMI, YouTube Reveal First Speed Dating For Songwriters In Nashville
/by Lorie HollabaughBMI’s Leslie Roberts and YouTube’s Lindsay Rothschild pose before the performances. Photo: Steve Lowry/BMI
BMI and YouTube joined forces last night to bring BMI’s Speed Dating for Songwriters™ to Nashville after hosting other successful events in New York and Los Angeles.
Eight weeks ago, twelve songwriters (four topliners, four artists and four track producers) took advantage of the unique opportunity to mingle and collaborate. Each writer spent exactly seven minutes with each of the other writers, listening to their music, providing feedback and getting to know each other. At the end of the night, they were paired off into four groups and tasked with writing a song within the next six to eight weeks. Last night, friends, family and industry VIPs met at BMI to hear the results.
Top Row (L-R): Nick Wayne, Danielle Blakey, Cameron Montgomery, Jordan Minton, Johnny Dibb, Mikey Reaves, Joey Crouse. Bottom Row (L-R): BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Caroline Watkins, Emily Landis, Tia Scola, Parker Welling, YouTube’s Lindsay Rothschild. Photo: Allen Ralph/YouTube)