Lee Ann Womack will make her debut for ATO Records on October 27 with the release of The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone. Produced by husband Frank Liddell, The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone features fourteen tracks, mostly co-written by Womack all mixing her country, soul, gospel and blues influences.
“With this particular record, because of what I wanted to accomplish with the whole country blues vibe, it was important to write, since those songs are not necessarily just laying around everywhere,” Womack told NPR’s Jewly Hight.
NPR first announced the project, with a first listen of “All The Trouble,” co-written with her band mates Adam Wright and Waylon Payne.
The album was mostly recorded at the legendary SugarHill Studios in Houston, TX, excluding some acoustic cuts. Formerly known as Gold Star, the studio is home to early recordings that influenced Womack, including George Jones’ “Take the Devil Out of Me” (1959), which is one of three cover songs on The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone.
“I wanted to get out of Nashville, and tap the deep music and vibe of East Texas,” says Womack. “I wanted to make sure this record had a lot of soul in it, because real country music has soul. I wanted to remind people of that.”
The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone features musicians Glenn Worf (bass), guitarists Wright, Payne and Ethan Ballinger, and Jerry Roe (drums).
“…these guys are reckless players,” Womack continued with Hight. “That’s what Frank wanted, and what I wanted: ‘Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, and we might leave it on there, because that’s what happened in the moment.’ That’s when you’re making music, not when you’re isolating everything, so that you can go back and fix things, go back and perfect and perfect. That’s obviously not what we were after here on this record.
“It was more about capturing a group of musicians who are standing right next to each other, looking in each other’s eyes, going, ‘What are you about to do? Should I lay back here? Should I step up?’ All of that energy and angst is on there, and you can hear that. At least I thought so.”
Womack is on the road with Alan Jackson through November after recently wrapping a seven date tour with Patty Griffin.
The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone Track List:
1. All The Trouble
2. The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone
3. He Called Me Baby
4. Hollywood
5. End of the End of the World
6. Bottom of the Barrel
7. Shine On Rainy Day
8. Mama Lost Her Smile
9. Wicked
10. Long Black Veil
11. Someone Else’s Heartache
12. Sunday
13. Talking Behind Your Back
14. Take The Devil Out Of Me
Lee Ann Womack Upcoming Tour Dates:
Aug. 25 – Ford Center – Evansville, IN*
Aug. 26 – State Farm Center – Champaign, IL*
Aug. 27 – Plaza Theatre – Glasgow, KY
Sept. 8 – The Family Arena – St. Charles, MO*
Sept. 9 – U.S. Cellular Center – Cedar Rapids, IA
Sept. 10 – St. Croix Casino – Turtle Lake, WI
Sept. 14 – AmericanaFest – Nashville, TN
Sept. 22 – Charleston Civic Center – Charleston, WV*
Sept. 23 – Erie Insurance Center – Erie, PA*
Sept. 28 – Trans-Pecos Festival – Marfa, TX
Oct. 7 – Museum of Appalachia – Clinton, TN
Oct. 20 – Music In The Mill – Hickory, NC
Oct. 27 – Resch Center – Green Bay, WI
Oct. 28 – Target Center – Minneapolis, MN*
Oct. 29 – Bridge View Center – Ottumwa, IA
Nov. 3 – Lafayette Cajundome – Lafayette, LA*
Nov. 4 – Bell County Expo – Belton, TX*
Jan. 5 – The MusicFest at Steamboat – Steamboat, CO
Jan. 23 – Kent State Universtiy at Tuscarawas – New Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 4 – Cayamo Cruise – New Orleans, LA
Feb. 16 – Arizona Musicfest – Scottsdale, AZ
* denotes show w. Alan Jackson
Lee Ann Womack To Release ‘The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone’ With ATO Records, October 27
/by Eric T. Parker“With this particular record, because of what I wanted to accomplish with the whole country blues vibe, it was important to write, since those songs are not necessarily just laying around everywhere,” Womack told NPR’s Jewly Hight.
NPR first announced the project, with a first listen of “All The Trouble,” co-written with her band mates Adam Wright and Waylon Payne.
The album was mostly recorded at the legendary SugarHill Studios in Houston, TX, excluding some acoustic cuts. Formerly known as Gold Star, the studio is home to early recordings that influenced Womack, including George Jones’ “Take the Devil Out of Me” (1959), which is one of three cover songs on The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone.
“I wanted to get out of Nashville, and tap the deep music and vibe of East Texas,” says Womack. “I wanted to make sure this record had a lot of soul in it, because real country music has soul. I wanted to remind people of that.”
The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone features musicians Glenn Worf (bass), guitarists Wright, Payne and Ethan Ballinger, and Jerry Roe (drums).
“…these guys are reckless players,” Womack continued with Hight. “That’s what Frank wanted, and what I wanted: ‘Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, and we might leave it on there, because that’s what happened in the moment.’ That’s when you’re making music, not when you’re isolating everything, so that you can go back and fix things, go back and perfect and perfect. That’s obviously not what we were after here on this record.
“It was more about capturing a group of musicians who are standing right next to each other, looking in each other’s eyes, going, ‘What are you about to do? Should I lay back here? Should I step up?’ All of that energy and angst is on there, and you can hear that. At least I thought so.”
Womack is on the road with Alan Jackson through November after recently wrapping a seven date tour with Patty Griffin.
The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone Track List:
1. All The Trouble
2. The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone
3. He Called Me Baby
4. Hollywood
5. End of the End of the World
6. Bottom of the Barrel
7. Shine On Rainy Day
8. Mama Lost Her Smile
9. Wicked
10. Long Black Veil
11. Someone Else’s Heartache
12. Sunday
13. Talking Behind Your Back
14. Take The Devil Out Of Me
Lee Ann Womack Upcoming Tour Dates:
Aug. 25 – Ford Center – Evansville, IN*
Aug. 26 – State Farm Center – Champaign, IL*
Aug. 27 – Plaza Theatre – Glasgow, KY
Sept. 8 – The Family Arena – St. Charles, MO*
Sept. 9 – U.S. Cellular Center – Cedar Rapids, IA
Sept. 10 – St. Croix Casino – Turtle Lake, WI
Sept. 14 – AmericanaFest – Nashville, TN
Sept. 22 – Charleston Civic Center – Charleston, WV*
Sept. 23 – Erie Insurance Center – Erie, PA*
Sept. 28 – Trans-Pecos Festival – Marfa, TX
Oct. 7 – Museum of Appalachia – Clinton, TN
Oct. 20 – Music In The Mill – Hickory, NC
Oct. 27 – Resch Center – Green Bay, WI
Oct. 28 – Target Center – Minneapolis, MN*
Oct. 29 – Bridge View Center – Ottumwa, IA
Nov. 3 – Lafayette Cajundome – Lafayette, LA*
Nov. 4 – Bell County Expo – Belton, TX*
Jan. 5 – The MusicFest at Steamboat – Steamboat, CO
Jan. 23 – Kent State Universtiy at Tuscarawas – New Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 4 – Cayamo Cruise – New Orleans, LA
Feb. 16 – Arizona Musicfest – Scottsdale, AZ
* denotes show w. Alan Jackson
Blake Shelton To Release New Live EP
/by Lorie HollabaughAmong the tracks on the new EP are “Honey Bee,” “Boys ‘Round Here” and “A Guy With A Girl,” from his most recent album If I’m Honest.
BLAKE SHELTON (LIVE) Track Listing:
1. All About Tonight (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip)
2. Honey Bee (Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip)
3. Ol’ Red (James Bohan, Don Goodman, Mark Sherrill)
4. Home (Michael Bublé, Alan Chang, Amy Foster-Gillies)
5. Boys ‘Round Here (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, Craig Wiseman)
6. A Guy With A Girl (Ashley Gorley, Bryan Simpson)
Pandora Names Roger Lynch As CEO/President
/by Jessica NicholsonRoger Lynch
Pandora has named Roger Lynch as CEO and president, and a member of its board of directors, effective Sept. 18, 2017. Naveen Chopra, who has served as Pandora’s interim CEO since June 2017, will continue in his role as chief financial officer. In addition, Pandora announced it has also appointed current Snap Inc. chairman and former Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton to its board of directors.
Lynch’s appointment comes after Pandora co-founder Tim Westergren stepped down from his role as CEO in June.
Pandora’s current chairman, Roger Faxon, said, “After a thorough and thoughtful search process, we are thrilled to have Roger join us as CEO and a member of our board. Roger brings a stellar leadership reputation, a wealth of consumer experience, and a lifelong passion for music to Pandora – all of which are critical ingredients in the continued evolution of our company. We are absolutely confident that Roger is the right leader for Pandora who can create value for shareholders by marrying Pandora’s numerous assets with the opportunities ahead. As I have said before, with ‘digital radio’ at the core of our business, and both ‘Plus’ and ‘Premium’ as new, integral parts of our arsenal, Pandora is now in an ideal position to leverage changing consumer behaviors to further expand and monetize our listening audience. We are very excited to welcome Roger as our CEO as we embark on our next chapter with renewed focus, a strong balance sheet, a strategic partnership with SiriusXM, and an incredible team of loyal and creative employees.”
As the founding CEO of Sling TV, Lynch led the creation, launch and growth of Sling TV to become the No. 1 Live OTT service in the U.S. Prior to Sling TV, Lynch served as executive vice president, Advanced Technologies, for DISH Network and EchoStar Corporations. Lynch also served as chairman and CEO of Video Networks International Ltd., a UK based IPTV provider. Prior to VNIL, Lynch was president and CEO of Chello Broadband in Amsterdam, Netherlands where he pioneered the widespread rollout of consumer broadband services across Europe, eventually creating what was, at the time, the largest broadband provider in Europe. Prior to that, Lynch was a technology investment banker with Morgan Stanley in New York, Silicon Valley, and London. Lynch began his career as a member of the physics technical staff at Hughes Aircraft Company. Lynch holds a Master of Business Administration with Highest Distinction from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Southern California.
“I cannot imagine a more important and exciting time to join Pandora,” said Lynch. “With a massive, diverse and highly engaged audience, a market-leading digital advertising business, a best-in-class product portfolio and an extremely passionate and talented group of people, Pandora is well-positioned to capture an even greater market opportunity. As a lifelong musician and exuberant music fan, this is the perfect opportunity to combine my industry experience with my love for music. I look forward to working with this great team, having a lot of fun, and leading Pandora through its next exciting phase.”
Weekly Register: Brett Eldredge Leads Top Album Sales Chart With Self-Titled Project
/by Lorie HollabaughFollowing Eldredge on the current country albums chart is perennial Chris Stapleton, who continues to sell with his From A Room Vol. 1 at 8.3 K, and his Traveller at 6.6K. Various Artists on Now Country 10 is at No. 4 with 6K, and Tyler Childers’ Purgatory rounds out the Top 5 with 5.5K.
Following last week’s death of music icon Glen Campbell, his 20 Greatest Hits collection comes in at No. 6 on the country albums chart, and tops the country catalog chart, with 5.1K sold.
On the digital side, San Hunt continues his chart domination with his monster smash “Body Like A Back Road,” which logs 37K this week to bring his total to 1.508 million RTD. Rounding out the top five are Kane Brown‘s “What Ifs” with 19K, Dustin Lynch‘s “Small Town Boy” with 16K, Midland‘s “Drinkin’ Problem” at 12K, and Rhett Thomas‘ “Unforgettable” with 12K.
Gregg Allman Album To Be Celebrated With Trio Of September Events, Including Nashville
/by Eric T. ParkerOn Sept. 9, Allman will be posthumously honored with the key to his beloved hometown of Macon, GA by Mayor Robert Reichert, in a celebration declaring Dec. 8 (Allman’s birthday) to be known as “Gregg Allman Day.” A commemorative celebration will then be held at The Allman Brothers Band Museum at The Big House (2321 Vineville Avenue, Macon, GA 31204). In addition, that same evening will see The Big House hosting a Southern Blood: Celebrating Gregg Allman event, featuring again Devon Allman, Lehman, Sharrard in addition to Allman’s closest friend Chank Middleton joined by Chuck Reece, Editor-in-Chief of The Bitter Southerner.
The third and final Southern Blood: Celebrating Gregg Allman event will be presented at the 18th annual AMERICANAFEST: The Americana Music Festival & Conference, set for Sept. 15 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Ford Theater in Nashville, TN. The event will again feature Devon Allman and Lehman, who will share the stage with musicians Buddy Miller, Joan Osborne, Pony Bradshaw, and John Paul White, once again joined by Goldman.
American Express pre-sale ticketing began Aug. 10 for the Los Angeles event; all remaining tickets will be released to the general public on Thursday, Aug. 17 at noon. For more information, visit grammymuseum.org.
Southern Blood hits shelves Friday, Sept. 8, including the new original song, “My Only True Friend,” written by Allman with Sharrard. The track premiered earlier this summer exclusively via NPR Music.
Midland To Release Big Machine Records Debut ‘On The Rocks’ In September
/by Alex ParryCountry music trio Midland have revealed the title, cover, and track list for their Big Machine Records debut, On The Rocks, which releases Sept. 22. All 13 tracks on the album were written or co-written by Midland members Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy, and Jess Carson.
“We’ve poured our hearts and souls into writing and making these songs and are extremely proud of what we’ve been able to create,” said Wystrach.
“On The Rocks is a confluence of our musical tastes and our reverence for classic country,” said Duddy.
“This record is truly a nod to the time period we are influenced by and is an effort to bring that sound and that pageantry back to the forefront,” added Carson.
Produced by Dann Huff, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, On The Rocks gives a blast of vibrant color and texture to today’s country, with “Drinkin’ Problem” leading the charge. The song and its ear-catching vibe has piqued the interest of all who hear it and is among the most searched-for country songs on Shazam. It had been RIAA certified Gold and recently went to No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart. It’s music video is directed by Duddy, who has four 2017 MTV Video Music Awards nominations for directing Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” video.
On The Rocks Tack List:
1. “Lonely For You Only” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Josh Osborne)
2. “Make A Little” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
3. “Drinkin’ Problem” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
4. “At Least You Cried” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Jonathan Singleton)
5. “Burn Out” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
6. “Out Of Sight” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally)
7. “More Than A Fever” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
8. “Check Cashin’ Country” (Jess Carson)
9. “Nothin’ New Under The Neon” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
10. “This Old Heart” (Jess Carson, Mark Wystrach, David Lee Murphy, Jonathan Singleton)
11. “Altitude Adjustment” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Rodney Clawson)
12. “Electric Rodeo” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
13. “Somewhere On The Wind” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Josh Osborne)
The band recently opened for Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and will head out with Jon Pardi on the CMT On Tour this fall.
Fans can begin pre-ordering On The Rocks now in exclusive autographed bundles, available here: http://smarturl.it/
Industry Pics: Bailey Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Alex Williams, LANCO, John Mayer, Ronnie Dunn
/by Haley CrowBailey Bryan At The Grand Ole Opry
Pictured (L-R): Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO John Esposito and Bailey Bryan.
Warner Music Nashville/300 Entertainment artist Bailey Bryan performed onstage at The Grand Ole Opry for the second time last Friday night (Aug. 11). She was presented with a reserved parking sign following her Opry debut this past May.
Florida Georgia Line Hits Grand Slam At Wrigley Field
Pictured: Florida Georgia Line performs at Wrigley Field.
For the first time in their record-breaking career, Florida Georgia Line headlined a trifecta of sold-out stadium shows this summer, culminating with a pinnacle performance at Chicago’s historic Wrigley Field last Saturday night (Aug. 12).
After dominating both Boston’s Fenway Park (July 7) and Minneapolis’ Target Field (July 29), the home of the Chicago Cubs’ baseball team was jam-packed with screaming fans as hip-hop icon Nelly, breakout country star Chris Lane, and pop idols Backstreet Boys joined the duo as part of The Smooth Stadium Tour 2017.
Big Machine Celebrates Alex Williams’ Debut LP
Pictured (L-R): Scott Borchetta, President/CEO, Big Machine Label Group; Alex Williams; and Julian Raymond, VP A&R, Big Machine Label Group
Alex Williams performed to a capacity crowd at Nashville’s The Basement East last Friday (Aug. 11) to celebrate the release of his debut album Better Than Myself, out that same day via Big Machine Records.
LANCO Performs At Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
LANCO signs their Troubadour membership with Museum Director Kyle Young.
LANCO performs in the Hall of Fame Rotunda.
Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum enlisted Sony Music Nashville band LANCO to introduce millennials to its new Troubadour membership program last Wednesday (Aug. 9), recognizing the importance of the band’s Music City origins and their nod to preserving country music.
Museum Director Kyle Young was on-hand as each member of LANCO signed their own membership. The band also performed an acoustic set in the iconic rotunda before lead singer Brandon Lancaster gave a special dedication to the late Glen Campbell, as his Hall of Fame plaque was covered in flowers nearby.
Fans who were unable to attend the event can watch LANCO’s performance here.
Sony Music Nashville Joins John Mayer
Pictured (L-R): Steve Hodges, EVP Promotion, Sony Music Nashville; Shane Allen, VP Promotion, Columbia Nashville; Taylor Lindsey, VP A&R, Sony Music Nashville; Ken Robold, COO, Sony Music Nashville; John Mayer; Randy Goodman, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Nashville; Mark Williams, President of A&R, Columbia Records; and John Zarling, EVP Marketing & New Business, Sony Music Nashville.
Sony Music Nashville executives joined Columbia Records recording artist John Mayer and President of A&R, Mark Williams, last Tuesday night (Aug. 8) for Mayer’s sold-out stop on The Search For Everything Tour at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
Ronnie & Janine Dunn Host Tennessee Riverkeeper Fundraiser
Pictured (L-R): Ana Cristina, John Carter Cash, Janine Dunn, Ronnie Dunn, Cheryl Hines, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., David Whiteside (Tennessee Riverkeeper), Barbara Brooks, Kix Brooks, Reba McEntire, and Tom Heins [click photo to enlarge]
Miranda Lambert’s Raw Honesty In “Vice” Pays Platinum Dividends
/by Lorie HollabaughCredit: Daniela Federici
Miranda Lambert’s award-winning slow-burn ballad “Vice” has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
The tune has already garnered Lambert plenty of honors, including receiving Grammy and ACM nods for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song as well as Single Of The Year, Song Of The Year (artist and songwriter), and Video Of The Year, and was co-written by Lambert with fellow Grammy award-winning songwriters Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.
The track, released in July of 2016, was the leadoff song from Lambert’s sixth studio album The Weight of These Wings, which also recently reached platinum status.
‘American Country Countdown With Kix Brooks’ Switches Ranking Source to Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart
/by Jessica NicholsonWestwood One has announced American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks will begin utilizing Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart as it counts down each week’s top 40 country songs in the United States, beginning the weekend of Sept. 9-10. Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart is based on actual radio play as monitored by Nielsen Music.
American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks had previously used weekly data from Mediabase since 2009, though Nielsen’s data originally served as the chart source for the program, beginning with American Country Countdown‘s inception in 1973 and running through 2009.
“We could not be more excited to have Billboard’s country radio chart back on the air, exclusively with American Country Countdown,” says Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard’s vice president of Charts and Data Development. “Our partnership with Kix Brooks, a chart-topping legend himself, and the Westwood One team, will give country fans everywhere unparalleled insight into the week’s biggest country songs.”
Brooks said, “Having ACC and Billboard back together is long overdue. American Country Countdown was established on the Billboard chart information in 1973, so I’m thrilled that we were able to reestablish that history and relationship.”
Bryan Switzer, Westwood One’s VP/GM Music & Entertainment/Country, added “We’re thrilled to have reunited two iconic brands with American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks and Billboard. Through the years, both have earned the trust and respect of the listening public and the industry. It will be great to hear them together again each and every weekend.”
More Two-Day Passes Released For Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonTier Three Two-Day Passes will be available for $275, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. CT at pilgrimagefestival.com.
Entertainers slated for the festival include Justin Timberlake, Eddie Vedder, Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers, Mavis Staples and more.
“We couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to allow more fans to experience both the city of Franklin and Pilgrimage while at the same time still keeping it a boutique festival for the entire family,” co-founder Brandt Wood said.
The family friendly festival also announced the Vanderbilt Health Lil’ Pilgrim’s Family Stage will feature performances by Ralph’s World, Red Yarn, Steve Elci & Friends, Tom Mason & The Blue Buccaneers, Michael Dardant, Taft Brown (Saturday only), Little Miss Ann (Sunday only), The Texas Gentlemen (Saturday only) and more.
The Pilgrimage Foundation, the festival’s non-profit arm, will donate a portion of each ticket sale to benefit the City of Franklin and Friends of Franklin Parks. Dark Horse Institute is also a charitable beneficiary as the Pilgrimage Foundation is providing scholarships to engineering students to support careers in the music industry as the foundation’s commitment to education in Williamson County. In addition to these local contributions, a portion of ticket sales will also benefit MusiCares, a nonprofit organization that was established by The Recording Academy® to provide a wide range of emergency financial assistance and addiction recovery resources to members of the music community.