1975 was a pivotal year for country newcomer and Big Machine Records artist Alex Williams, though he wasn’t even born yet. It was the year Willie Nelson released his iconic album Red Headed Stranger, and Waylon Jennings released Dreaming My Dreams.
Growing up in Pendleton, Indiana, just under an hour away from Indianapolis, Williams drew his early musical leanings from his father’s love of ‘80s hair metal. Then, at 16, Williams discovered those classic Nelson and Jennings albums, borrowed from his grandparents’ vinyl collection.
“I could just hear the fearlessness. I was not really a country fan until I heard those,” Williams tells MusicRow. “Waylon has a really rock influence from Buddy Holly and with Willie, I don’t know what it was about it, but I was really drawn to it from start.”
Williams began writing his own songs, recording what he calls a “terrible” CD of original tunes while still a teenager. “But at least they were original,” he says. “My voice has changed over the years, but I really got into ‘60s and ‘70s country, so I think that influence is there, definitely.”
After moving to Nashville for a stint at Belmont University, he formed the neo-classic country band Williams & Co. with several classmates, releasing an independent album in 2012. Williams ultimately decided to continue his musical education in much the same way as his musical predecessors—by hitting the road and testing his songs out on new audiences. He made his way to Texas, writing songs and performing in dive bars, before returning to Nashville and ultimately signing with BMLG.
On his debut album, Better Than Myself, which releases Friday (Aug. 11), Williams blends a multitude of musical influences with his own staunchly independent take on the world as he sifts through his musings and life experiences, infusing his songs with relatable stories, quirky characters, and unflinching honesty.
The day’s too long and life’s too short/To ride on the wagon, he sings in defense of a taste for alcohol on “Week Without A Drink,” and throws a few comebacks of his own at those he considers hypocrites on “Freak Flag.”
“Old Tattoo” and “Few Short Miles (Bobby’s Song),” Williams’ two solo-penned tracks on the album, are among his most personal. “They took me the longest to write, because I didn’t want to screw them up,” Williams says. “It took maybe a year to write each one.”
On “Few Short Miles (Bobby’s Song),” he pays tribute a Texas fisherman who bravely fought cancer.
“I used to play gigs at a seaside trucker bar my cousin owned that was south of Houston in a little town in Sargent. I was 17 or 18, and I met Bobby at one of the gigs I was playing and he was a really inspiring guy. We became really good friends in a short period of time while I was playing down there. I decided to write a song about it. He had cancer for a while and I didn’t know that until the last few weeks before he passed.”
Williams turns that laser focus inward on tracks like “Better Than Myself,” and “More Than Survival,” which chronicles the struggle between the necessity of making a living and the desire to live life to its fullest potential.
“Over the course of the past few years of playing music I’ve seen a lot of that and it’s like always that fear there. It may sound cliché but it’s just seeing people just surviving rather than really living. They are just trying to get through it. It’s not taking a stab at people. It’s directed at myself in a lot of ways because I worked in warehouses and as a pizza delivery guy and it was like, ‘What the hell am I doing?’”
On the album’s title track, “Better Than Myself,” Williams turns that laser focus inward with stark self-appraisal.
Williams penned the song toward the end of his time as part of his previous band, Williams & Co. The song title was inspired directly by a frank, tense conversation with one of Williams’ former bandmates, who told Williams at the time, “Your songs are better than you are.”
“He probably thinks I’m a complete asshole,” Williams says. “I was like, ‘That sucks to hear, but I’m going to write that down.’ And I did. I ended up starting it in the back room of a venue we were playing when were finishing up a gig. I started it and it became the centerpiece of the whole thing. I don’t see it as stab at anyone, I see it as kind of a new beginning for what I’m doing.”
While his time in Williams & Co. served as a rough, though thorough, training ground for life as a touring musician, Williams’ solo turn was a long time coming.
“I think I was just lying to myself for a long time. I’ve always wanted to do my own thing,” Williams says. “Being in a band that was kind of doing more of a hippie thing, that wasn’t really my path. It was pretty freeing to go out on my own.”
On his solo album, he borrows equal sonic influence from The Black Crowes and The Allman Brothers Band as he does from Nelson or Jennings, and his rough-hewn baritone sounds at home in the mix of steel and electric guitars, harmonicas, drums and dobros.
In Marshall Altman, Williams found a kindred songwriting spirit. The pair collaborated on four of the album’s dozen tracks, including “More Than Survival.”
“He challenges me as a songwriter, just going into his studio at 9 at night and working on songs, it produced a lot of songs on the album. He’s a quirky guy and I dig that. He’s a fearless songwriter. There are no boundaries and he doesn’t try to make something what it’s not.”
He caught the attention of Big Machine Label Group’s Julian Raymond, who has worked as a songwriter and producer on albums from artists including Glen Campbell, Hank Williams, Jr., and Jennifer Nettles. Raymond had Williams make an acoustic demo of a few tracks, including “Better Than Myself,” which he sent to BMLG founder/CEO Scott Borchetta.
“He got the green light to make the album. I didn’t think that was going to happen for a while,” Williams notes. “But they gave me a chance to make an album with substance that I wanted to make. That’s pretty cool coming from a major label. They haven’t given me any boundaries, which is great.”
BETTER THAN MYSELF Track List:
1. “Better Than Myself” | Alex Williams, Greg Becker
2. “Hellbent Hallelujah” | Alex Williams, Neal Coty, Jimmy Melton
3. “More Than Survival” | Alex Williams, Marshall Altman
4. “Freak Flag” | Alex Williams, Marshall Altman
5. “Week Without A Drink” | Alex Williams, Brandon Kinney, Jimmy Yeary
6. “A Little Too Stoned” | Alex Williams, Greg Becker
7. “Old Tattoo” | Alex Williams
8. “Strange Days” | Alex Williams, Marshall Altman
9. “Pay No Mind” | Alex Williams, Greg Becker
10. “Can’t Get Enough Of You” | Alex Williams, Marshall Altman
11. “Few Short Miles (Bobby’s Song)” | Alex Williams
12. “Last Cross” | Alex Williams, Greg Becker
Dustin Lynch Celebrates Double Gold Before Third Album ‘Current Mood,’ Headlining Tour
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (back L-R): L3 Entertainment’s JT Pratt, BBR Music Group’s Chelsey Flick and Scotty O’Brien, Dustin Lynch, BBR Music Group’s Shaina Botwin and Marisa Coffin. (Front L-R): BBR Music Group’s Andrea Knipp and Jennifer Coen, L3 Entertainment’s Neil Vance, BBR Music Group’s Jon Loba, Sara Knabe and Jay Jones, L3 Entertainment’s Peter Hartung and Steve Mekler. Photo: Daniel Vorlet
Tullahoma, Tennessee can boast hometown to at least two: George Dickel Whisky, and Broken Bow Records star Dustin Lynch.
So it was appropriate for busses to trek media and VIP guests some 70 miles from Nashville to the 140-year old distillery on Wednesday (Aug. 9) to the reveal details of Lynch’s third album, Current Mood, and his second headlining outing, The Ride Or Die Tour 2017.
Simultaneously broadcast on social media, the party announced Current Mood‘s release date for less than a month away, Sept. 8. Pre-orders are available immediately with an instant-grat track, “Love Me Or Leave Me Alone,” featuring Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild.
The complete track listing for the 13 new sides will be revealed gradually. But Lynch gave audience members a sneak listen of six new songs, all leaning towards the sultry and bold grooves built from his sophomore effort, Where It’s At. Below, MusicRow compiled all the track and writer we know so far. Additional writers include Josh Osborne, Justin Ebach, Kyle Fishman, Andy Albert, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley and Jimmy Robbins.
Current Mood was produced by Brent Anderson, Mickey Jack Cones, Ross Copperman, Crowell, and Will Weatherly.
“Current Mood came together as a slow process,” Lynch told the crowd. “It’s a huge relief to start playing music for everyone again…One of the reason’s we’re two singles in before we have a new album is I’ve been touring so much, on top of writing and getting the vocal rest needed to record an album. [In the past three years] I’ve written well over 100 plus songs and listened to thousands.”
Lynch and the producers took care with each song, hand selecting specific musicians to capture a certain feel during sessions, rather than cranking a whole album out in a week.
BBR Label Group’s Jon Loba (R) surprises Dustin Lynch (L) with two Gold plaques. Photo: Daniel Vorlet
“Dustin completely consumed himself in this project,” confirmed BBR Label Group’s Exec. VP Jon Loba. “It’s pretty rare to have an album with a No. 1 already baked in, even more rare to have an album with a No. 1 and soon-to-be No. 1—we’re top 5 with ‘Small Town Boy.’ I don’t know of too many albums that before they’re released have two Gold singles. Current Mood has two Gold singles.”
Loba surprised Lynch with two plaques to commemorate the sales feat.
“We wanted to do something special for this reveal because this is where it all started, I grew up probably a mile from here,” continued Lynch. “Tonight we’re celebrating new music. This is a collection over the last three years of all the adventures, travel, hookups, heartbreaks, growth—as a dude and a band. This is a glimpse behind the curtain of a chapter of my life. This is me in the present moment, which is why I decided to call it Current Mood.”
The celebration continued with a toast “from one rising star from Tullahoma to another” with a sample of George Dickel 17 (17 year old whisky). “This is a very special shot glass of whisky,” prefaced Lynch. “It’s my favorite I’ve ever had, and I’ve drank a lot of whisky all over the place.”
Lynch’s 15-date large theater and small stadium tour will stretch from November to December 2017. Special support comes from a variation of Michael Ray, LANCO and Ryan Hurd on select dates (full details below).
“If you’ve been to our shows, you know they are just big parties,” said Lynch. “The most exciting and scary thing for me is we’re going to try to tackle some small arenas on this tour. So there’s a lot of pressure to see how many tickets you can sell. It’s going to be bigger and better than we’ve ever done.”
Presales for The Ride Or Die Tour 2017 begin Aug. 21. DustinLynchMusic.com will offer first chance access for tour tickets with the purchase of exclusive merchandise bundles from his own clothing line Stay Country and pre orders of the new album, Current Mood. Until then, Lynch will continue on the road through September 24 with Brad Paisley’s Weekend Warrior Tour and an appearance on ABC’s CMA Fest: The Music Event of Summer, airing August 16 at 8 p.m. (ET).
Current Mood Track Listing (as we know it so far):
1) I’d Be Jealous Too (Dustin Lynch, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite)
2) Seein’ Red (Tully Kennedy, Kurt Allison, Steve Bogard, Jason Sever)
3) Small Town Boy (Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Kyle Fishman)
4) Why We Call Each Other (Dustin Lynch, Lee Miller, Ross Copperman)
5) —
6) Love Me Or Leave Me Alone [feat. Karen Fairchild] (Dustin Christensen, Chris Gelbuda)
7) Back On It (Brent Anderson, Will Weatherly, Smith Ahnquist)
8) —
9) —
10) Party Song (Brett Tyler, Craig Wiseman, Morgan Wallen)
11) —
12) —
13) —
Confirmed dates for The Ride Or Die Tour 2017:
11/3 – Fayetteville, NC – Crown Coliseum *+
11/4 – Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy Theatre *+
11/10 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom +
11/11 – San Antonio, TX – Cowboys Dancehall +
11/12 – Houston, TX – House of Blues +
12/2 – New York, NY – PlayStation Theater ^
12/3 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore ^
12/7 – Stockton, CA – Bob Hope Theatre ^
12/8 – Los Angeles, CA – The Novo ^
12/10 – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan ^
12/17 – Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live ^
*Michael Ray
+LANCO
^Ryan Hurd
Pictured (L-R): MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson, Dustin Lynch, MusicRow Operations Director Eric T. Parker. Photo: Daniel Vorlet
BMG Partnering With Black Box Music To Expand Reach In Canada
/by Lorie HollabaughThe move demonstrates BMG’s commitment to the burgeoning Canadian music market, which grew by 14.4% in the first half of 2017 compared with the same period in 2016 according to figures from Neilsen. According to The 2017 IFPI Global Music Report, Canada is the world’s sixth biggest global music market.
“Canada has a long history of generating great artists. Canadian people are great music fans. So it is absolutely natural for us to have a strong presence in Canada,” said Katz. “We have made no secret of our goal to build a recordings business as strong as our presence in music publishing. Scaling up in Canada with a trusted and credible partner like Black Box will enable us to further improve our service to artists.”
“In an ever-changing musical landscape that has more than ever before become an industry without borders, it’s exciting to be part of a forward-thinking global music company,” said Murray. “Watching first hand what their team have built in both the publishing and recorded music businesses, in such a short period, is awe inspiring.”
BMG recently signed two of Canada’s biggest stars, singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne and rock band Nickelback. Nickelback’s new album Feed The Machine was released on June 16 and debuted Top 5 in the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Lavigne is currently in the studio finishing work on a new full-length album to be released later this year.
BMG’s publishing roster of Canadian songwriters already features Paul Anka, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings (The Guess Who), WondaGurl (Drake, Rihanna, Travis Scott), electronic musicians Keys N Krates, as well as rising stars NAV (Drake, Travis Scott), Jazzfeezy (Drake, T.I.), Jessie Reyez, and rockers The Glorious Sons.
George Strait Added To Skyville Live Taping Honoring Jerry Lee Lewis
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“This is going to be an over-the-top night of music with the King of Country joining an already amazing lineup honoring living legend Jerry Lee Lewis,” commented Wally Wilson, creator of Skyville Live. “George is a tremendous talent and adding him to the lineup will make the evening even more unforgettable.”
The show will film live in front of a studio audience with streaming details announced at a later date. Previous pairings on the show have included Lady Antebellum, Jason Isbell, Jewel, Brandy Clark and Amanda Shires bringing down the house with Kris Kristofferson, Cam joining Melissa Etheridge on stage, and an impassioned performance of Steve Earle’s “Pilgrim” featuring the acclaimed songwriter alongside Emmylou Harris, Brothers Osborne, Margo Price and Colter Wall.
Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch Earn RIAA Heavy Metal
/by Alex ParryAfter being certified 2x platinum in June, Sam Hunt earned 3x platinum for “Body Like A Back Road” this month. Also certified platinum was “Drunk On Your Love” by Brett Eldredge and “Middle Of A Memory” by Cole Swindell.
Luke Bryan’s Kill The Lights earned 2x platinum marks, while Miranda Lambert’s The Weight Of These Wings receives both platinum and gold credits.
Dustin Lynch and Michael Ray each earned two gold single credits among 10 total singles.
Gold Single:
“Gonna” – Blake Shelton
“Seein’ Red” – Dustin Lynch
“Small Town Boy” – Dustin Lynch
“Way Out Here” – Josh Thompson
“Hometown Girl” – Josh Turner
“What Ifs” – Kane Brown Feat. Lauren Alaina
“80s Mercedes” – Maren Morris
“Kiss You In The Morning” – Michael Ray
“Think A Little Less” – Michael Ray
“Good Morning Beautiful” – Steve Holy
Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Crabb, David “Stringbean” Akeman Named To Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame
/by Jessica NicholsonFlatwoods, Kentucky native Cyrus’ career launched in the early 1990s with“Achy Breaky Heart.” From 2006-2011, his daughter, Miley Cyrus, starred on her own Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana, along with Billy Ray, who played her dad. Cyrus is currently starring in CMT’s Still The King.
Beaver Dam, Kentucky, native Crabb was previously the lead singer for The Crabb Family, until the group’s disbanding in 2007. As a solo artist, Crabb signed with Spring Hill Music Group and released a Grammy-winning project in 2009.
Bradley, born in southeastern Kentucky, has earned the Female Vocalist honor from the International Bluegrass Music Association five times. She has released 10 albums, both as a solo artist and as part of the New Coon Creek Girls.
DeShannon, born in Hazel, Kentucky, is best known as the vocalist for “What The World Needs Now Is Love,” as well as “Put A Little Love In Your Heart.” Also an acclaimed songwriter, she penned songs including the Kim Carnes hit “Bette Davis Eyes,” as well as The Byrds and The Searchers “When You Walk In The Room.”
Akeman, known to fans as “Stringbean,” was a banjo player and member of the Grand Ole Opry. He and his wife were murdered in 1973, after returning to their home after a performance at the Grand Ole Opry.
Hodgenville, Kentucky, native Lewis is a Grand Ole Opry member and charted several songs from the mid-1960s through the ’80s, including “How Long Has It Been.”
Reba Earns First Dove Awards Nomination
/by Lorie HollabaughThe double-disc collection of traditional hymns and contemporary tracks marked Reba’s thirteenth No. 1 album. Fans from both genres have embraced the Oklahoma native’s return to her roots with a modern twist, merging her powerhouse vocals with Christian artist Lauren Daigle for a special collaboration of the song.
Reba will also be honored next month at The 11th Annual ACM Honors celebration with the Mae Boren Axton Service Award for her years of dedication and service to the Academy of Country Music. For more than 30 years she has lent her support to the organization, hosting the ACM Awards for a record 14 times and winning 14 ACM Awards, (seven as Female Vocalist of the Year), in addition to supporting their charitable efforts. The event will be filmed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and broadcast September 15 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS.
And in celebration of her debut at the Grand Ole Opry 40 years ago, Reba will mark the milestone with two performances in the famous circle on September 22. A month later (10/25), she will appear as part of the star-studded All In For The Gambler: Kenny Rogers’ Farewell Concert Celebration taping at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Brickshore Media Signs New Clients
/by Lorie HollabaughKayla Calabrese, Crystal Day, Travis Rice, and Jagertown have all inked with the company for PR representation, and join Brickshore clients Brady Seals (Little Texas), Hope Nation Radio, Nick Hickman, Renegade Radio Nashville, Williams Honor, and others.
Brickshore Media, which launched less than a year ago and is owned and operated by Nicole Zeller, specializes in public relations, digital publicity, social media marketing and event coordination for brands and artists that are looking to create an awareness across multiple platforms within the industry.
IBMA Announces Special And Momentum Award Nominees
/by Lorie HollabaughThe IBMA Special Awards recognize outstanding work in categories including Broadcaster of the Year, Bluegrass Event of the Year, Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project, Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project, Print/Media Person of the Year and Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year. Nominees in each category are selected by a specially appointed committee made up of bluegrass music professionals who possess significant knowledge of that field. The recipient of each award is decided on by the Panel of Electors, an anonymous group of over 200 veteran bluegrass music professionals selected by the IBMA Board of Directors.
The IBMA Momentum Awards recognize both musicians and bluegrass industry professionals who, while in the early stages of their careers, have contributed to, or had an influence on, bluegrass music. The Mentor award, in contrast to the others, recognizes a bluegrass professional who has made a significant impact on the lives and careers of newcomers to the bluegrass industry. Starting with recommendations from the IBMA membership, nominees are chosen by committees through a multi-stage process involving respected musicians and industry leaders in the bluegrass world.
The 2017 IBMA Special Awards nominees are:
Graphic Design:
Casey Campbell and Gina Leslie, Casey Campbell – Mandolin Duets: Volume One, Independent
Jimmy Hole, Noam Pikelny – Universal Favorite, Rounder Records
Lisa Horstman and Karen Key, On Top of Old Smoky: New Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music, Great Smoky Mountains Association
Scott McCormick, The Infamous Stringdusters – Laws of Gravity, Compass Records
Lynn Weathers, Kristin Scott Benson – Stringworks, Mountain Home
Liner Notes:
Peter Cooper, The New Kentucky Colonels – Live in Sweden 1973, Roland White Music
Thomas Goldsmith, The Earls of Leicester – Rattle & Roar, Rounder Records
Matt Glaser, Michael Cleveland – Fiddler’s Dream, Compass Records
Bill Nowlin, J.D. Crowe and the New South – 40th Anniversary Edition, Rounder
Ted Olson, On Top of Old Smoky: New Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music, Great Smoky Mountains Association
Broadcaster:
Cindy Baucom (Knee-Deep in Bluegrass)
Michelle Lee (WOBL 1320AM/107.7FM)
Steve Martin (WSDL 90.7 FM NPR/WOBO 88.7 FM/SSB Radio)
Alan Tompkins (KHYI FM-95.3)
Kris Truelsen (Radio Bristol)
Print Media:
Gordon Castelnero and David Russell (Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon, pub. Rowman & Littlefield)
Derek Halsey (Bluegrass Unlimited, the Mountain Times, the Herald Dispatch, the Columbus Dispatch)
John Lawless (Bluegrass Today)
Ted Lehmann (No Depression/ Bluegrass Today /Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms)
David Morris (Bluegrass Today)
Songwriter:
Larry Cordle
Carl Jackson
Thomm Jutz
Milan Miller
Tim Stafford
Event:
Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival & Chili Cook-Off – Farmers Branch, TX
Bluegrass & Chili Festival – Claremore, OK
Emelin Theatre Bluegrass Concert Series – Mamaroneck, NY
Pickin’ in Parsons – Parsons, WV
25th Bluegrass Music Festival – Ulster American Folk Park, Northern Ireland
Momentum Award nominees are:
Festival/Event/Venue:
Carolina in the Fall Music & Food Festival – Wilkesboro, NC
Farm & Fun Time – Radio Bristol – Bristol, VA
Frankfort Bluegrass Festival on the Green– Frankfort, IL
Jam in the Trees – Black Mountain, NC
Red Wing Roots Music Festival – Mt. Solon, VA
Industry Involvement:
Megan and Adam Chowning (Nashville Acoustic Camps)
Ernie & Debi Evans (Evans Media Source Promoters)
Kris Truelsen (Radio Broadcaster/Radio Station Producer/Host of Farm and Fun Time)
Mentor:
Darin Aldridge (Artist – Darin & Brooke Aldridge)
Anni Beach (JamPak)
Robert Fisher (Laser scientist by day, pro bono mandolin teacher by night)
Lorraine Jordan (Artist)
Laurie Lewis (Artist)
Band:
Bill and the Belles (Johnson City, TN)
Fireside Collective (Asheville, NC)
Mile Twelve (Boston, MA)
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (Sevierville, TN)
The Wooks (Lexington, KY)
Vocalist:
Jacob Greer (Claybank – West Jefferson, NC)
AJ Lee (AJ Lee/ AJ Lee and Blue Summit -Tracy, CA)
Kim Robins (Kim Robins and 40 Years Late – Clear Creek, IN)
Jesse Smathers (Lonesome River Band – NC)
Dan Thrailkill (The Trailblazers – NC)
Instrumentalist [three are chosen in this category]:
Carley Arrowood (Fiddle – Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Union Mills, NC)
David Benedict (Mandolin – Mile Twelve, Boston, MA)
Brandon Bostic (Dobro, Guitar, Mandolin – Blue Moon Rising, East TN)
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Fiddle – Mile Twelve, Boston, MA)
Casey Campbell (Mandolin – Bryan Sutton Band, Nashville, TN)
Ellie Hakanson (Fiddle – Jeff Scroggins & Colorado, Portland, OR)
Garrett Newton (Banjo – the Garrett Newton Band, Washington, DC)
Tristan Scroggins (Mandolin, Guitar, Bass, Banjo – Jeff Scroggins & Colorado/Scroggins & Rose) (Greenwood Village, CO)
Zeb Snyder (Guitar – Snyder Family Band, Lexington, NC)
ASCAP Writer Hunter Phelps Receives Abe Olman Scholarship
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Robert Filhart and Kele Currier, Phelps, and ASCAP’s Mike Sistad
ASCAP songwriter Hunter Phelps recently stopped by the performing rights organization to receive his Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting for 2017 from the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
A native of Niceville, Florida, Phelps was introduced to songwriting by his father, who owned a small recording studio. He began writing songs while attending the University of Florida in Gainesville and joined a band, quickly developing a loyal following. Early in his career he shared the stage with acts like Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Gary Allan, and Michael Ray. Moving to Nashville in 2012, Phelps began playing the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway and sharpened his songwriting skills in the writers’ rooms of Music Row. In 2014, he released his own EP, and signed a joint publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music and songwriter Ashley Gorley’s Tape Room Music. His recent cuts include Florida Georgia Line’s “Wish You Were On It.” Phelps is currently writing and recording for his debut full-length album release.
Abe Olman, for whom the scholarship program is named, was a major figure in the publishing community and an ASCAP writer himself, in addition to being one of the founders of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Abe Olman Scholarships, given out annually since 1990, are made possible by his family in the interest of encouraging and supporting the careers of young songwriters.
Exclusive: Alex Williams Finds Musical Freedom On Outlaw Country-Inspired Debut Album
/by Jessica Nicholson1975 was a pivotal year for country newcomer and Big Machine Records artist Alex Williams, though he wasn’t even born yet. It was the year Willie Nelson released his iconic album Red Headed Stranger, and Waylon Jennings released Dreaming My Dreams.
Growing up in Pendleton, Indiana, just under an hour away from Indianapolis, Williams drew his early musical leanings from his father’s love of ‘80s hair metal. Then, at 16, Williams discovered those classic Nelson and Jennings albums, borrowed from his grandparents’ vinyl collection.
“I could just hear the fearlessness. I was not really a country fan until I heard those,” Williams tells MusicRow. “Waylon has a really rock influence from Buddy Holly and with Willie, I don’t know what it was about it, but I was really drawn to it from start.”
Williams began writing his own songs, recording what he calls a “terrible” CD of original tunes while still a teenager. “But at least they were original,” he says. “My voice has changed over the years, but I really got into ‘60s and ‘70s country, so I think that influence is there, definitely.”
After moving to Nashville for a stint at Belmont University, he formed the neo-classic country band Williams & Co. with several classmates, releasing an independent album in 2012. Williams ultimately decided to continue his musical education in much the same way as his musical predecessors—by hitting the road and testing his songs out on new audiences. He made his way to Texas, writing songs and performing in dive bars, before returning to Nashville and ultimately signing with BMLG.
On his debut album, Better Than Myself, which releases Friday (Aug. 11), Williams blends a multitude of musical influences with his own staunchly independent take on the world as he sifts through his musings and life experiences, infusing his songs with relatable stories, quirky characters, and unflinching honesty.
The day’s too long and life’s too short/To ride on the wagon, he sings in defense of a taste for alcohol on “Week Without A Drink,” and throws a few comebacks of his own at those he considers hypocrites on “Freak Flag.”
“Old Tattoo” and “Few Short Miles (Bobby’s Song),” Williams’ two solo-penned tracks on the album, are among his most personal. “They took me the longest to write, because I didn’t want to screw them up,” Williams says. “It took maybe a year to write each one.”
“I used to play gigs at a seaside trucker bar my cousin owned that was south of Houston in a little town in Sargent. I was 17 or 18, and I met Bobby at one of the gigs I was playing and he was a really inspiring guy. We became really good friends in a short period of time while I was playing down there. I decided to write a song about it. He had cancer for a while and I didn’t know that until the last few weeks before he passed.”
Williams turns that laser focus inward on tracks like “Better Than Myself,” and “More Than Survival,” which chronicles the struggle between the necessity of making a living and the desire to live life to its fullest potential.
“Over the course of the past few years of playing music I’ve seen a lot of that and it’s like always that fear there. It may sound cliché but it’s just seeing people just surviving rather than really living. They are just trying to get through it. It’s not taking a stab at people. It’s directed at myself in a lot of ways because I worked in warehouses and as a pizza delivery guy and it was like, ‘What the hell am I doing?’”
On the album’s title track, “Better Than Myself,” Williams turns that laser focus inward with stark self-appraisal.
Williams penned the song toward the end of his time as part of his previous band, Williams & Co. The song title was inspired directly by a frank, tense conversation with one of Williams’ former bandmates, who told Williams at the time, “Your songs are better than you are.”
“He probably thinks I’m a complete asshole,” Williams says. “I was like, ‘That sucks to hear, but I’m going to write that down.’ And I did. I ended up starting it in the back room of a venue we were playing when were finishing up a gig. I started it and it became the centerpiece of the whole thing. I don’t see it as stab at anyone, I see it as kind of a new beginning for what I’m doing.”
While his time in Williams & Co. served as a rough, though thorough, training ground for life as a touring musician, Williams’ solo turn was a long time coming.
“I think I was just lying to myself for a long time. I’ve always wanted to do my own thing,” Williams says. “Being in a band that was kind of doing more of a hippie thing, that wasn’t really my path. It was pretty freeing to go out on my own.”
On his solo album, he borrows equal sonic influence from The Black Crowes and The Allman Brothers Band as he does from Nelson or Jennings, and his rough-hewn baritone sounds at home in the mix of steel and electric guitars, harmonicas, drums and dobros.
In Marshall Altman, Williams found a kindred songwriting spirit. The pair collaborated on four of the album’s dozen tracks, including “More Than Survival.”
“He challenges me as a songwriter, just going into his studio at 9 at night and working on songs, it produced a lot of songs on the album. He’s a quirky guy and I dig that. He’s a fearless songwriter. There are no boundaries and he doesn’t try to make something what it’s not.”
He caught the attention of Big Machine Label Group’s Julian Raymond, who has worked as a songwriter and producer on albums from artists including Glen Campbell, Hank Williams, Jr., and Jennifer Nettles. Raymond had Williams make an acoustic demo of a few tracks, including “Better Than Myself,” which he sent to BMLG founder/CEO Scott Borchetta.
“He got the green light to make the album. I didn’t think that was going to happen for a while,” Williams notes. “But they gave me a chance to make an album with substance that I wanted to make. That’s pretty cool coming from a major label. They haven’t given me any boundaries, which is great.”
BETTER THAN MYSELF Track List:
1. “Better Than Myself” | Alex Williams, Greg Becker
2. “Hellbent Hallelujah” | Alex Williams, Neal Coty, Jimmy Melton
3. “More Than Survival” | Alex Williams, Marshall Altman
4. “Freak Flag” | Alex Williams, Marshall Altman
5. “Week Without A Drink” | Alex Williams, Brandon Kinney, Jimmy Yeary
6. “A Little Too Stoned” | Alex Williams, Greg Becker
7. “Old Tattoo” | Alex Williams
8. “Strange Days” | Alex Williams, Marshall Altman
9. “Pay No Mind” | Alex Williams, Greg Becker
10. “Can’t Get Enough Of You” | Alex Williams, Marshall Altman
11. “Few Short Miles (Bobby’s Song)” | Alex Williams
12. “Last Cross” | Alex Williams, Greg Becker