Country 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/OnTheRocksD2C.
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.
Rick Ferrell Releases ‘Home For The Weekend’
/by Lorie HollabaughSinger/songwriter Rick Ferrell has released a new album, Home for the Weekend.
“The album has something for everyone who loves country music,” said Ferrell about the new project. “I did a lot of reflecting on my upbringing in Portsmouth Ohio, and I believe you can hear that in my songs.”
Ferrell has had success penning hits for artists like Tim McGraw (“Something Like That”), Martina McBride (“Where Would You Be”), and others including Montgomery Gentry, the Swon Brothers, and Earl Thomas Conley. He was awarded the prestigious five million-air play honor from BMI at the Key West Songwriter’s Festival last year.
Home For The Weekend Track Listing:
1. Home for the Weekend
2. Tom and Huck
3. Good Time Buzz
4. When Those Angels Come For Me
5. Over You Again
6. Houston
7. Broke Down With You
8. Happy People
9. Down on a Beach
10. I Don’t Think She’s Coming Back
11. One More
12. That’s My Dog
CMA Awards Second Round Ballot Voting Opens Today
/by Lorie HollabaughThe second round of voting has begun today (Aug. 14) for the upcoming 51st Annual CMA Awards. Member voting is open now through Aug. 24.
The final nominees in each of the 12 categories will be announced later this summer. Winners of the 51st Annual CMA Awards will be determined in a final round of voting. The third and final ballot will be emailed to Country Music Association members Monday, Oct. 2. Voting for the CMA Awards’ final ballot ends Tuesday, Oct. 24 (6 p.m. CT).
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will return for the 10th consecutive year to host the 51st Annual CMA Awards when it airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Nov. 8.
ASCAP Appoints Tristan Boutros To Chief Technology Officer Post
/by Lorie HollabaughIn his new position, Boutros will lead ASCAP’s evolving technology strategy and execution to scale the global IT systems and infrastructure in support of ASCAP’s business transformation initiatives, encompassing ASCAP’s cloud strategy, including elastic computing and API roadmap.
Boutros joins ASCAP from The New York Times, where he served as Chief of Operations. Prior to the Times, Tristan spent three years as Senior Vice President, Technology and Business Process at Warner Music Group. He has also held senior technology roles at BlackBerry and IAC. In addition to his full time position, he also currently teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University, and is the co-author of several books, including The Basics of Process Improvement with Jennifer Cardella.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tristan to the ASCAP team,” said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. “He brings a unique combination of the understanding of third party technology solutions available in the market as a complement to his technical expertise in building internal solutions. His experience helping top organizations achieve their technology goals make him the perfect person for this role.”
“I am excited to have the chance to create an incredibly robust platform at ASCAP, developing the tools and experiences that further empower our members and licensees; and change the way they work, communicate, and receive payment,” said Boutros. “I look forward to working with the whole team at ASCAP to bring this future to our members, and to unlock new capabilities for all of us.”
Glen Campbell Laid To Rest In Arkansas
/by Jessica NicholsonGlen Campbell. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame
Music superstar Glen Campbell was laid to rest on Wednesday (Aug. 9) during a private ceremony in Delight, Arkansas, according to a statement on his official Facebook page. A private memorial is set to follow.
“The Campbell family would like to thank everyone for their enormous outpouring of love and support,” the statement continued.
News broke earlier this week that the Country Music Hall of Fame member had died at age 81, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He entered a Nashville memory-care facility in 2014.
Campbell’s final television appearance came when he was honored with the 2012 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His final recorded song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” earned a Grammy honor in 2014 for Best Country Song. Campbell’s final album, Adios, was released June 9, and produced by his longtime sideman Carl Jackson.
For Robert K. Oermann’s official MusicRow obit, click here.
Michael W. Smith Teams With The Fuel Music, Releases First New Song In Three Years
/by Jessica NicholsonMichael W. Smith releases his first new song in three years, “A Million Lights,” from Rocketown Records and The Fuel Music.
“A Million Lights” is also the first new song to be revealed from his upcoming, full-length studio album that is in production now. Slated to release early next year, the new album (title to be announced) will release from Smith’s Rocketown Records, as well as through his newly formed marketing and distribution alliance with The Fuel Music.
“I don’t recall being this excited about a single in a long time,” says Smith. “I’m very happy with how ‘A Million Lights’ has turned out and am anxious to get it from my studio out into the world! I believe the message of this song will be inspiring to everyone who hears it.”
In addition to providing marketing and distribution services, The Fuel Music manages clients including Thousand Foot Krutch, Spoken, Daniel Bashta, and more.