Katie Fagan
Though Nashville has been the home of the country music industry since the 1950s, the city has long offered fertile grounds for music artists outside the country sphere.
In the past two years, perhaps emboldened by the success of Nashville-based artists such as Paramore, Kings of Leon, and Moon Taxi, labels and publishing companies such as Interscope, Curb, Atlantic, Capitol, and Sony/ATV have increasingly committed to plumbing the musical depths of Nashville’s non-country artists, hiring A&R and radio promotions to discover and promote artists from Nashville’s rock, pop, and R&B scene.
Among the companies in the forefront of that charge is Dr. Luke’s Prescription Songs, which recently opened an outpost in Nashville’s Music Row area, helmed by Katie Fagan, Head of Prescription Songs Nashville, and her assistant Rachel Wein.
Fagan, who has been with Prescription Songs for nearly seven years, began attending writing trips to Nashville in addition to her own trips to develop relationships with publishers around town.
“About a year ago, I was here on a work trip, and it dawned on me that there weren’t any publishers focusing solely on pop music. I saw that hole and wanted to fill it,” Fagan says.
Prescription Songs Nashville recently announced the signings of Anna Mae and LO, but the roster also includes artist-writer Whissell, producer Cody Clark, alt R&B band Basecamp, country artist-writer Kevin MaC (through a joint venture with Keith Stegall), film/TV producer Oxley and pop producer Kipp Williams.
Fagan’s passion to close that gap also drove her to found The Other Nashville Society, a group aimed at gathering industry members who are involved in the non-country music aspects of Nashville.
“While country is king here, we wanted to start a gathering place for those who write, produce, manage, publish, or promote the other artists in the genres of pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, etc.,” says Fagan.
Fagan spoke with MusicRow about Prescription Songs’ newest signings, the involvement of Dr. Luke, and the cross-pollination between the country and pop landscapes.
– – –
MusicRow: You recently signed Anna Mae and LO to the Nashville roster. How did you first hear of them and what was the process for signing them?
KF: Anna Mae was put on my radar by a past Prescription employee, who went to Belmont University. Anna Mae was getting a lot of love online for a song she had placed in The Voice promo commercials last summer. I loved her voice and wanted to hear more, so we set up a call and found out she was unpublished. Before I moved to Nashville, I came down here to visit in September and we got to meet in person. I absolutely loved her, and had her work with our amazing producer Kipp Williams here in Nashville. They ended up writing four amazing songs that helped her solidify her sound. From there, she came to Los Angeles and we set up a few select writing sessions to see how she worked with some others on our roster. Everyone adored her, and felt she had something special, so we sent her an offer, and the rest is history!
LO was put on my radar about four days into moving to Nashville. I was invited to an event called Pop Goes Nashville, hosted by my friends at Razor & Tie, and LO was one of the performers. Her voice and presence immediately caught my attention. A few weeks later, we were introduced on email by a mutual friend and she came to hang with me at the office. We really hit it off and I got to hear some of her recorded songs that she not only was singing and had written on, but had produced as well. We set up a few writing sessions here in town and they all went really well, so we decided to send her an offer as well. You’ll see a pattern here—we like to get to know someone and then have them work with some other writers within our Prescription family before we send an offer. We have a tight-knit family over here and it’s important that everyone gets along and that it feels like the right fit. Getting along musically is just as important as getting along personally. Since I’m just getting started down here, these two key points are especially important so that we can set a positive precedent of the kind of writers we are looking for.
MR: How involved is Luke in the signing process for new writers for the Nashville division?
KF: Luke has been nothing but supportive through the entire process of moving here. I’d say one of the best parts about working for him is that he does not micro manage anyone and really empowers us to sign things we really believe in. Instead of chart chasing, he encourages us to find things that might only have one play on YouTube. For both Anna Mae & LO, for example, I told him the important cliff notes about them and played him a few songs from each of them. His response both times was “Great—how can I help? What do you want to do? Let’s do it!”
After six years of learning his ways, I’ve learned that we’re always taking risks on the things we sign—and he has taught us that we’re not always going to ‘win’ them all—but he trusts that we’re all going to put in blood, sweat and tears to try and make it happen. A couple years ago, I signed a band called FRENSHIP—they had no manager, no label, no agent—just Prescription. At the time, they only had a few songs completed, but I heard something special there. At the time, Luke thought it might be too early to tell whether or not they could be something, but he told me he trusted me wholeheartedly. I remember that once the deal closed, I wanted to prove myself more than ever because of the faith he had put in me. About a year later, after numerous writing sessions, late night listening hangs, and building their brand, their single “Capsize,” featuring another Prescription writer Emily Warren, became one of Spotify’s biggest success stories. The song now has about 370 million streams and was a Top 20 hit at pop radio. Signings like this are proof of Luke supporting our ears and our tastes, and even with all the success he has had, he continues to trust us to build his roster.
MR: What has the partnership been like between Big Machine Music and Prescription’s Nashville office?
KF: They have been great friends to have as the new girl in town. We’ll always be on the lookout for things that would make sense to work on together. This year in the joint venture, we shared success with RaeLynn’s amazing single “Love Triangle” and last year we shared Christina Aguilera’s song “Change” co-written by Fancy Hagood.
MR: Will Prescription Songs’ Nashville division only sign pop/rock writers, or are they open to signing country writers as well?
KF: For now, we are focusing on pop music. Though I am a fan of country, I am still have a lot to learn within that specific genre and building those relationships. The good thing about working in publishing is that no matter the genre, a good song is a good song, so I think cross-pollination will be inevitable (and is already happening). Being a pop-centric company, we’ll be utilizing our strength of signing things early and being a part of the artist development process. We have had a great success rate with that and it is a foundation that Luke has encouraged from the beginning. The rich songwriting of Nashville has attracted so many diverse and talented artists, songwriters and producers—many who are perfectly suited for our Prescription Songs ethos.
MR: More A&R executives are now in Nashville to discover artists and writers from various genres. Have you seen an increased competition in the A&R sector of the industry when it comes to signing new writers/artists?
KF: It’s pretty incredible to see how many people have moved here. It’s always good to have healthy competition and also to find people who want to work hand in hand, and find ways to work together in harmony. Nashville is the perfect place for that, which is what makes it so special.
Kip Moore Preps Third Album, ‘SLOWHEART’
/by Jessica NicholsonKip Moore
MCA Nashville recording artist Kip Moore is set to release his third album, SLOWHEART, on September 8.
For his third major label outing—which follows the critically acclaimed debut Up All Night (“Mary Was The Marryin’ Kind,” “Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck” “Beer Money” and “Hey Pretty Girl”) and his sophomore album Wild Ones—Moore pours himself into every aspect of the project. He co-wrote 11 of the 13 tracks, was the sole producer for seven tracks, and co-produced five additional tracks. Additionally, his own guitar work can be heard all over the album, and it is Moore providing the majority of the harmony vocals.
“More Girls Like You,” penned by Moore, Steven Lee Olsen, Josh Miller, David Garcia, is the lead single from the project.
SLOWHEART Official Track List:
1. Plead The Fifth (Luke Dick, Josh Kear)
2. Just Another Girl (Kip Moore, Westin Davis, Ben Helson)
3. I’ve Been Around (Kip Moore, Dan Couch)
4. Fast Women (Kip Moore, Blair Daly, Westin Davis and Troy Verges)
5. Bittersweet Company (Kip Moore, Josh Miller, Troy Verges)
6. Sunburn (Kip Moore, David Garcia, Josh Miller, Steven Olsen)
7. More Girls Like You (Kip Moore, Steven Olsen, Josh Miller, David Garcia)
8. The Bull (Jon Randall, Luke Dick)
9. Blonde (Kip Moore, Steven Olsen, Josh Miller, David Garcia)
10. Good Thing (Kip Moore, Josh Miller, Troy Verges)
11. Last Shot (Kip Moore, Dan Couch, David Lee Murphy)
12. Try Again (Kip Moore, David Garcia, Josh Miller)
13. Guitar Man (Kip Moore, Dan Couch, Westin Davis)
Black River Entertainment Launches Americana Imprint, Signs Duo Carolina Story
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Black River’s Gordon Kerr, Attorney Lauren Kilgore, Christian Barker, Carolina Story’s Ben Roberts, Black River’s Rick Froio, Carolina Story’s Emily Roberts, Black River Publishing’s Katie Barolak, and Black River Publishing’s Dave Pacula
Black River Entertainment CEO Gordon Kerr has revealed the label group has launched an Americana imprint, Black River Americana, anchored by first signing Carolina Story. The duo, which includes Ben and Emily Roberts, is signed to both Black River Americana and Black River’s publishing roster. They will return to the studio in July to begin work on their debut project for the new imprint.
Kerr states, “Americana music has a long history of celebrating the authenticity of life lived out through music. We are pleased to begin this journey forward as we celebrate, honor and embrace the art form of American Roots Music. Black River’s vision in establishing the studios, publishing house, management, and country and Christian labels has always been to ‘leave this place better than we found it,’ and adding Black River Americana to our label family is a natural next step in Black River Entertainment’s story.”
Ben and Emily Roberts met at Visible Music College in 2007. In 2009, they were married and set out on their first tour. Since then, they’ve played close to 1,000 shows across 43 states, including their home states of Arkansas and South Dakota.
“Every once in a while, you have that moment in the music industry that moves you more than you thought it could,” says Black River Records EVP Rick Froio. “Meeting Carolina Story, and then hearing them sing, was one of those moments. When Ben and Emily Roberts sing together, life just seems to come into focus. Honestly, it’s inspiring. I’m thankful to Christian Barker for introducing Carolina Story to us. It’s amazing the story that can be told when you keep yourself open to musical experiences you didn’t even know you were looking for.”
“From the moment we walked in the doors at Black River, we felt something different. Something special,” says Ben Roberts. “That initial feeling has only grown stronger since becoming a part of the Black River family. It’s just that. One big family. For years, we have been working extremely hard and searching for the right people to come alongside us and our music. We’re so incredibly glad to have found a true family of people who believe in not just our music, but in us as individuals. Black River is a place where we can truly grow and thrive all while being encouraged to be ourselves. It’s a breath of fresh air to be here.”
Sharing the sentiment, Emily Roberts adds, “Ben and I have been searching for a family like BRE for a very long time, and what’s great about this story is that they found us. Our goal has always been to let doors open ‘naturally and organically’ which we haven’t always been so patient in doing, but BRE has been worth the wait. We are thrilled about this partnership and can’t wait to get started!”
Nashville’s July 4th Celebration Gets New Stage Layout, Chris Young To Headline
/by Jessica NicholsonChris Young. Photo: David McClister
Nashville will celebrate Independence Day in spectacular musical fashion for this year’s Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th presented by Dr Pepper Cherry, and will offer a new layout for its main concert stage.
This year’s headliner, Chris Young, will perform on the main concert stage, which will now be located at Fifth and Broadway, while the Nashville Symphony will perform at Ascend Amphitheater. The new configuration will spread attendees over a larger area, allowing those interested in the concert to congregate closer to the “Broadway Stage” at Fifth and Broadway and those attending for the fireworks show to find spots around Riverfront Park, The Green at Riverfront Park and Ascend Amphitheater. The pyrotechnics are synchronized to a live performance by the Nashville Symphony.
This year’s musical lineup also includes the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, R&B artist Jonny P; and new Sony Music Nashville duo The Sisterhood, featuring Alyssa Bonagura and Ruby Stewart, daughter of rock artist Rod Stewart.
Video screens will be placed on Broadway between Third and Fourth Avenue and at Walk of Fame Park. Audio will be piped to Public Square Park, Walk of Fame Park, Riverfront Park and The Green at Riverfront Park. Those sitting in Ascend Amphitheater will be able to watch the Broadway Stage concert on screens, while those on Broadway and Walk of Fame Park will be able to watch the Nashville Symphony performance on screens.
Nashville’s July 4 celebration is a free, family-friendly event. The event will include a Family Fun Zone at Music City Walk of Fame Park from noon to 4 p.m. Live music on the Broadway Stage will kick off with the National Anthem performed by Jason Eskridge and remarks from Mayor Megan Barry at 5:15 p.m. Young will wrap up on the Broadway Stage at 9:15 p.m., at which time attention will move to Ascend Amphitheater and the Nashville Symphony for the 30-minute fireworks show. This will be the third consecutive year Nashville will host the largest fireworks show in the country, featuring more than 35,000 pounds of explosives, and 150 miles of wire.
“With the kind of year Nashville has had, it is only fitting that we celebrate with our largest fireworks show ever,” said Beth Seigenthaler Courtney, board chair of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and president at DVL Seigenthaler. “A diverse lineup of great music will kick off the night on the Broadway Stage, and we will end it with an appropriate bang.”
Attendees primarily interested in fireworks are encouraged to watch from Ascend Amphitheater, Riverfront Park, The Green at Riverfront Park, Lower Broadway, Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, Public Square Park (with audio) and Walk of Fame Park (with audio).
Artist Updates: Craig Morgan, Jerrod Niemann, Kane Brown, Mark Collie, Ashley McBryde
/by Lorie HollabaughCraig Morgan Heads Back ‘Outdoors’ For Eighth TV Season June 30
Jerrod Niemann Performs at CMHOF Songwriter Session
Pictured (L-R): Chris DuBois (Sea Gayle Music), Tim Teague (guitar), Jerrod Niemann and Abi Tapia (Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)
Jerrod Niemann performed and told stories about his career during the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Songwriter Session at the Ford Theater in Nashville on Saturday (June 17). Niemann performed songs like “My Saving Grace” and “Redneck Side of Me” which he co-wrote for Jamey Johnson, and recounted stories from his 10-plus year career during the event.
Kane Brown’s Self-Titled Debut Gets Vinyl Treatment
Kane Brown is set to release a vinyl version of his self-titled debut album on June 30. Featuring updated cover artwork, the vinyl album contains seven tracks penned by Brown and 11 tracks total, including “What Ifs,” and the autobiographical track, “Learning.” Kane Brown is produced by Matt McVanay and Dann Huff.
Mark Collie Helps Tennessee Inmates Through New Music Therapy Program
Ashley McBryde Makes Opry Debut
Neil Medley Signs With HoriPro Entertainment Group
/by Lorie Hollabaugh(L-R:) Attorney Scott Safford, HoriPro’s Butch Baker and Courtney Crist, Neil Medley, Medley’s wife Robyn, HoriPro’s Keithan Melton and Tim Stehli
Neil Medley has signed an exclusive publishing agreement with HoriPro Entertainment Group.
The Louisville, Kentucky native has had songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Tyler Farr, Josh Abbott Band, Brent Cobb and more.
“Neil is exactly the kind of writer we were looking to add here at HoriPro. His work ethic and songwriting talent, along with the team here at HoriPro, will be a great combination. We are thrilled to be a part of his next chapter,” says Keithan Melton, Sr. Creative Director.
“I couldn’t ask for a more talented, dedicated and hard-working creative team than Butch, Keithan and Courtney,” said Medley. “I am blown away with what they are building at HoriPro and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Rodney Clawson, Sarah Buxton Re-Up With Big Loud Shirt
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Big Loud Shirt’s Kimberly Gleason, Seth England, Craig Wiseman, Sarah Buxton, Matt Turner, Samantha Jervey, Jordan Kolodka and Hannah Wilson
Big Loud Shirt Publishing has re-signed deals with writers Sarah Buxton and Rodney Clawson.
Clawson first joined Big Loud Shirt in 2008 and has since become an in-demand producer. His songwriting credits include 24 No. 1 hits, such as George Strait’s 2008 CMA Single of the Year “I Saw God Today,” Luke Bryan’s “Drunk on You,” Jason Aldean’s “Take a Little Ride,” Kenny Chesney’s “American Kids,” and Florida Georgia Line’s “Dirt,” “Confession,” and “May We All” (featuring Tim McGraw), among others. Clawson is a six-time CMA Triple Play Award winner and two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year. As a producer, he’s scored a No. 1 with Jake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night.”
Buxton first signed with Big Loud Shirt in 2012 after her career as a solo artist, and found success when Keith Urban released “Stupid Boy,” which she co-wrote with Dave Berg and Deanna Bryant. The song won a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 2008, and Buxton has also penned hits like Sara Evans’ “Slow Me Down,” Chris Lane’s “Fix,” and Florida Georgia Line’s “Sun Daze.”
“Rodney has been with Big Loud Shirt for about 10 years now. He is as much a part of our family and story as anyone can be,”says Big Loud partner and award-winning songwriter Craig Wiseman. “He is the ultimate professional and part of the bedrock of Big Loud. So honored to continue on with Rodney. And Sarah has been the perfect addition to the Big Loud family from day one. A dear friend to us all for years. Her first co-write with Chris [Tompkins] and Rodney [Clawson] was a huge hit for The Band Perry and now with back-to-back Chris Lane hits and too many cuts to list, it is so gratifying to watch her enjoy the success she richly deserves. We big loud love us some Sarah!”
“I love my Big Loud fam. There’s no one I’d rather make my memories with!” said Buxton on the re-signing.
“I’m honored to continue working with my Big Loud Shirt family,” added Clawson. “We’ve had nine great years together and I’m looking forward to many more.”
Pictured (L-R): Big Loud Shirt’s Seth England, Kimberly Gleason, Samantha Jervey, Matt Turner,Rodney Clawson, Jordan Kolodka, Craig Wiseman and Hannah Wilson.
Bernie Herms Named Songwriter Of The Year At 2017 BMI Christian Awards
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): BMI’s Mike O’Neill and Leslie Roberts, BMI Christian Awards Songwriter of the Year Bernie Herms and BMI’s Phil Graham and Jody Williams. Photo by Steve Lowry.
BMI songwriter Bernie Herms took the top prize Tuesday evening (June 20), as the performing rights organization named him its Songwriter of the Year during the 2017 BMI Christian Awards, held at BMI’s Nashville office.
The annual event celebrates the songwriters and publishers of the past year’s Top 25 most-performed Christian rock, contemporary Christian, inspirational, southern and urban gospel songs on U.S. Christian radio.
In addition to being honored for penning songs such as “Christ In Me,” “Just Be Held,” “Tell Your Heart To Beat Again” and “Thy Will,” Herms took the stage to perform a rendition of “Thy Will” with co-writer Emily Weisband.
BMI’s Mike O’Neill (President and CEO), Jody Williams (VP, Writer Publisher Relations, Nashville) and Leslie Roberts (Executive Director, Writer/Publisher Relations) served as the evening’s hosts.
“Whether you are collecting your first BMI Award, or adding to your collection of BMI honors, we could not be more proud to honor your artistic contributions,” O’Neill said.
“Each year, when we celebrate the incredible music of BMI’s Christian songwriters and their publishers, I think it can’t possibly get any better than this. And every year it does. I’m so impressed and moved by the uplifting songs we honored tonight,” Roberts said. “We’re privileged to have such a talented group as part of the BMI family.”
Chris Tomlin’s “Good Good Father,” penned by BMI songwriter Tony Brown along with Pat Barrett, was named BMI’s Christian Song of the Year. The song is published by Capitol CMG Paragon and Common Hymnal Digital.
Capitol CMG Publishing (Capitol CMG Paragon, Meaux Mercy Publishing, Songs of Universal, Inc., Sparrow Song, Universal Music-Brentwood Songs, Worship Together Music) took home the Publisher of the Year award. The company had the highest percentage of copyright ownership among the year’s most-performed songs, including the hits “Battle Cry,” “Cast My Cares,” “Christ In Me,” “Even So Come,” “Feel It,” “Forever,” “Good Good Father,” “Great Are You Lord,” “I Am Not Alone,” “Just Be Held,” “Move (Keep Walkin’),” “Tell Your Heart To Beat Again,” “There is Power” and “Thy Will.”
The invitation-only event also featured performances of “Big Enough” by Joseph Habedank, “Fight For You” by husband/wife duo Grayson & Reed and closed with Kari Jobe’s performance of “I Am Not Alone.”
A complete list of the 2017 BMI Christian Awards winners is available at bmi.com/christian.
Sheryl Crow, Spoon, Future Islands Set For Lightning 100’s Live On The Green In Nashville
/by Jessica NicholsonSheryl Crow, Spoon, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, Iron & Wine, and John Butler Trio are a few of the acts slated to lead the Lightning 100’s 1017 Live On The Green Music Festival, slated to run at Nashville’s Public Square Park on Aug. 10, 17 and 24, with a three-day weekend finale to take place over Labor Day weekend on Aug. 31-Sept. 2.
The festival will host more than 30 artists on two stages. Additional artists set to perform include Future Islands, Portugal.The Man, Local Natives, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, Michael Franti & Spearhead, The Lone Bellow, Dispatch, Real Estate, LP, The Record Company, Arkells, The Weeks, Minus The Bear, The Delta Saints, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, SHEL, Elliot Root, Paper Route, Goodbye June, Ron Gallo, Roots of a Rebellion, Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket, The Whistles & The Bells, Jonny P, Guthrie Brown, Cordovas, and the winner of Lightning 100’s Music City Mayhem contest, to be determined July 8, 2017.
All dates remain free and open to the public. The full festival lineup and an interactive schedule are available at liveonthegreen.com.
Chase Rice Signs With BBR Music Group’s Broken Bow Imprint
/by Jessica NicholsonPhoto Back Row L-R: Colton McGee, Director, Legal and Financial Affairs BBR Music Group; Triple 8 Management’s Eddie Kloesel, Bruce Kalmick and George Couri; and CAA’s Meredith Jones. Photo Front Row L-R: Jon Loba, EVP, BBR Music Group; Chase Rice; and Zach Katz, US Repertoire & Marketing, BMG. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Broken Bow Records)
Chase Rice has found a new label home with BBR Music Group/BMG imprint Broken Bow, joining a roster that includes Jason Aldean and Dustin Lynch.
Rice first released the single “Ready Set Roll” via his own Dack Janiels label, and later partnered with Columbia Nashville to further promote the release. In 2014, his debut album for the label, Ignite the Night, earned two Top 5 hits, including “Ready Set Roll” and “Gonna Wanna Tonight.”
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to join the BBR family,” Rice said. “I knew from the moment we began talking that the people here understand where I’m coming from, and I can’t wait to share all the new songs we’re about to make together. In fact, we’re so excited, we promise we’ll have new music for you within a month.”
“Chase has a track record of connecting with fans whether it is socials, concert tickets, singles, or album sales,” said Jon Loba, EVP BBR Music Group. “He knows himself and his audience and has formed a rabid following. We are so excited to have him join our family and can’t wait for everyone to hear some incredible new music.”
Exclusive: Prescription Songs Nashville’s Katie Fagan Talks New Signings And ‘The Other Nashville’
/by Jessica NicholsonKatie Fagan
Though Nashville has been the home of the country music industry since the 1950s, the city has long offered fertile grounds for music artists outside the country sphere.
In the past two years, perhaps emboldened by the success of Nashville-based artists such as Paramore, Kings of Leon, and Moon Taxi, labels and publishing companies such as Interscope, Curb, Atlantic, Capitol, and Sony/ATV have increasingly committed to plumbing the musical depths of Nashville’s non-country artists, hiring A&R and radio promotions to discover and promote artists from Nashville’s rock, pop, and R&B scene.
Among the companies in the forefront of that charge is Dr. Luke’s Prescription Songs, which recently opened an outpost in Nashville’s Music Row area, helmed by Katie Fagan, Head of Prescription Songs Nashville, and her assistant Rachel Wein.
Fagan, who has been with Prescription Songs for nearly seven years, began attending writing trips to Nashville in addition to her own trips to develop relationships with publishers around town.
“About a year ago, I was here on a work trip, and it dawned on me that there weren’t any publishers focusing solely on pop music. I saw that hole and wanted to fill it,” Fagan says.
Prescription Songs Nashville recently announced the signings of Anna Mae and LO, but the roster also includes artist-writer Whissell, producer Cody Clark, alt R&B band Basecamp, country artist-writer Kevin MaC (through a joint venture with Keith Stegall), film/TV producer Oxley and pop producer Kipp Williams.
Fagan’s passion to close that gap also drove her to found The Other Nashville Society, a group aimed at gathering industry members who are involved in the non-country music aspects of Nashville.
“While country is king here, we wanted to start a gathering place for those who write, produce, manage, publish, or promote the other artists in the genres of pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, etc.,” says Fagan.
Fagan spoke with MusicRow about Prescription Songs’ newest signings, the involvement of Dr. Luke, and the cross-pollination between the country and pop landscapes.
– – –
MusicRow: You recently signed Anna Mae and LO to the Nashville roster. How did you first hear of them and what was the process for signing them?
KF: Anna Mae was put on my radar by a past Prescription employee, who went to Belmont University. Anna Mae was getting a lot of love online for a song she had placed in The Voice promo commercials last summer. I loved her voice and wanted to hear more, so we set up a call and found out she was unpublished. Before I moved to Nashville, I came down here to visit in September and we got to meet in person. I absolutely loved her, and had her work with our amazing producer Kipp Williams here in Nashville. They ended up writing four amazing songs that helped her solidify her sound. From there, she came to Los Angeles and we set up a few select writing sessions to see how she worked with some others on our roster. Everyone adored her, and felt she had something special, so we sent her an offer, and the rest is history!
LO was put on my radar about four days into moving to Nashville. I was invited to an event called Pop Goes Nashville, hosted by my friends at Razor & Tie, and LO was one of the performers. Her voice and presence immediately caught my attention. A few weeks later, we were introduced on email by a mutual friend and she came to hang with me at the office. We really hit it off and I got to hear some of her recorded songs that she not only was singing and had written on, but had produced as well. We set up a few writing sessions here in town and they all went really well, so we decided to send her an offer as well. You’ll see a pattern here—we like to get to know someone and then have them work with some other writers within our Prescription family before we send an offer. We have a tight-knit family over here and it’s important that everyone gets along and that it feels like the right fit. Getting along musically is just as important as getting along personally. Since I’m just getting started down here, these two key points are especially important so that we can set a positive precedent of the kind of writers we are looking for.
MR: How involved is Luke in the signing process for new writers for the Nashville division?
KF: Luke has been nothing but supportive through the entire process of moving here. I’d say one of the best parts about working for him is that he does not micro manage anyone and really empowers us to sign things we really believe in. Instead of chart chasing, he encourages us to find things that might only have one play on YouTube. For both Anna Mae & LO, for example, I told him the important cliff notes about them and played him a few songs from each of them. His response both times was “Great—how can I help? What do you want to do? Let’s do it!”
After six years of learning his ways, I’ve learned that we’re always taking risks on the things we sign—and he has taught us that we’re not always going to ‘win’ them all—but he trusts that we’re all going to put in blood, sweat and tears to try and make it happen. A couple years ago, I signed a band called FRENSHIP—they had no manager, no label, no agent—just Prescription. At the time, they only had a few songs completed, but I heard something special there. At the time, Luke thought it might be too early to tell whether or not they could be something, but he told me he trusted me wholeheartedly. I remember that once the deal closed, I wanted to prove myself more than ever because of the faith he had put in me. About a year later, after numerous writing sessions, late night listening hangs, and building their brand, their single “Capsize,” featuring another Prescription writer Emily Warren, became one of Spotify’s biggest success stories. The song now has about 370 million streams and was a Top 20 hit at pop radio. Signings like this are proof of Luke supporting our ears and our tastes, and even with all the success he has had, he continues to trust us to build his roster.
MR: What has the partnership been like between Big Machine Music and Prescription’s Nashville office?
KF: They have been great friends to have as the new girl in town. We’ll always be on the lookout for things that would make sense to work on together. This year in the joint venture, we shared success with RaeLynn’s amazing single “Love Triangle” and last year we shared Christina Aguilera’s song “Change” co-written by Fancy Hagood.
MR: Will Prescription Songs’ Nashville division only sign pop/rock writers, or are they open to signing country writers as well?
KF: For now, we are focusing on pop music. Though I am a fan of country, I am still have a lot to learn within that specific genre and building those relationships. The good thing about working in publishing is that no matter the genre, a good song is a good song, so I think cross-pollination will be inevitable (and is already happening). Being a pop-centric company, we’ll be utilizing our strength of signing things early and being a part of the artist development process. We have had a great success rate with that and it is a foundation that Luke has encouraged from the beginning. The rich songwriting of Nashville has attracted so many diverse and talented artists, songwriters and producers—many who are perfectly suited for our Prescription Songs ethos.
MR: More A&R executives are now in Nashville to discover artists and writers from various genres. Have you seen an increased competition in the A&R sector of the industry when it comes to signing new writers/artists?
KF: It’s pretty incredible to see how many people have moved here. It’s always good to have healthy competition and also to find people who want to work hand in hand, and find ways to work together in harmony. Nashville is the perfect place for that, which is what makes it so special.