
Rendering of ‘The BMG Building.’ Photo: Courtesy BMG
Jason Aldean, Hillary Lindsey and Dustin Lynch are set for a new home on Music Row as BMG announces it has concluded a deal to begin development of a new full-service music facility. The new space will consolidate the publishing and recording teams from BMG’s two local Nashville offices with the newly-acquired BBR Music Group.
The location is a soon-to-be-constructed state-of-the-art, 120,000-square-foot building to be named ‘The BMG Building’ on the one-acre lot of 1 Music Circle South, site of the former CMA building.
Zach Katz, BMG U.S. President, Repertoire & Marketing, said, “Nashville has a history of reinventing itself, and we are very proud to bring BMG’s new artist-friendly approach to the business to the heart of Music Row.”
The announcement comes four months after BMG acquired BBR Music Group, along with its imprints Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Red Bow Records and Wheelhouse Records.
BMG’s 80-strong team in Nashville includes A&R, Accounting, Administration, Income Tracking, Marketing, Publicity, Radio Promotions, Royalties, and Sync Licensing. The proposed BMG office space will include songwriter/recording rooms and performance spaces, a collaborative floor plan, A/V meeting spaces and conference rooms, as well as a large communal outside area and terrace to be utilized for live events.
Jon Loba, EVP BBR Music Group, said, “The importance of staying on Music Row and honoring the ideal of a supportive, tight knit and collaborative community was a priority to us all. Reflective of our shared philosophy and approach, this will maximize our team’s and our partners’ connectivity.”
“Music publishing and recording have traditionally been viewed and operated as separate businesses, in separate offices, often in separate cities,” added Kos Weaver, EVP BMG Nashville. “The value of having the entire BMG Nashville staff in one locale is immeasurable and enables us to utilize the expertise across all our departments, with open lines of communication, creating a distinct edge for our artists and songwriters.”
The new BMG launched in 2008, in the same week as Spotify with a commitment to create the world’s first digital-age music company. BMG’s initial team of three people shared an office. By early 2017 that team had grown to more than 600 employees across 14 offices in 12 countries. In the first eight years BMG concluded more than 100 major acquisitions and signed more than 1,000 clients directly. In the process BMG has become fourth-largest player in the industry.
BMG’s diverse recording roster includes blink-182, Fergie, Andy Grammer, Danny Gokey, PVRIS, Alabama, Nickelback and LP, with a global team having delivered No. 1 chart success around the world for artists including Janet Jackson, You Me At Six, Rick Astley, and blink-182. Recent signings include 311, A Perfect Circle, AJR, Avril Lavigne, Blondie, and Nickelback alongside a burgeoning catalog producing releases by iconic artists such as Iron Maiden, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and The Kinks among others.
Founded in 1997, BBR Music Group grew from a fledgling independent label into one of the largest independent country label groups, with imprints including Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Red Bow Records and Wheelhouse Records.
Broken Bow Records, BBR Music Group’s original imprint, features a roster of artists including Jason Aldean and Dustin Lynch. Stoney Creek Records’ roster includes Thompson Square, Randy Houser, Parmalee, Lindsay Ell and Adam Craig. Red Bow Records’ artist roster boasts Joe Nichols, Craig Campbell, Chase Bryant and Brooke Eden. Wheelhouse Records is BBR Music Group’s newest imprint, anchored by Trace Adkins, Granger Smith, Kristian Bush, Runaway June and Walker McGuire.
Donovan Woods Releases New Single “All Mine”
/by Alex ParryDonovan Woods
Award-winning singer-songwriter Donovan Woods has released his new single, “All Mine.” Woods is an acclaimed songwriter who has written songs for artists such as Tim McGraw, Charlie Worsham, Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum, and Billy Currington while amassing a catalog of rousing and well-received music of his own. Woods’ “All Mine” is currently a standalone single and available worldwide through all digital platforms.
“‘All Mine’ is about the feeling of suddenly emerging from something that’s been weighing you down,” Woods explained. “Sometimes it’s that first day of good health after an illness, sometimes it’s after a breakup, sometimes it’s just the first day of spring. I think one of the only purely good human feelings is relief – When something difficult ends or when something bad could have happened but didn’t. That feeling is what I’m trying to capture here, that moment of realization that time is on your side again. You dodged a bullet and for a moment you feel free, clear-eyed, and ready to turn that passing hardship into something beautiful.”
Woods’ “Leaving Nashville,” co-written with Abe Stoklasa and recorded by Charles Kelley, is nominated for Song of the Year as part of the 29th annual MusicRow Awards.
Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, Lori McKenna Set For Ryman Auditorium Sam’s Place Series
/by Jessica NicholsonSteven Curtis Chapman returns to host the Ryman Auditorium’s 2017 Sam’s Place: Music For The Spirit series, which will feature performances from Lori McKenna, Brandon Heath, Amy Grant, Jonny Diaz, The SteelDrivers, Rodney Atkins and more.
Vocal supporters of adoption, Chapman and his wife Mary Beth founded Show Hope in 2003, a nonprofit organization which helps restore the hope of a family to orphans in distress. A portion of the proceeds from all Sam’s Place ticket sales will go to support Show Hope.
Upcoming shows and performers include:
July 16: Zach Williams & The McCrary Sisters
Aug. 6: Sierra Hull & The Issacs
Aug. 27: Rodney Atkins, Brandon Heath, Lori McKenna, Shenandoah
Sept. 17: Amy Grant, Scotty McCreery, Jonny Diaz, The SteelDrivers, Ryan Stevenson
For more, visit ryman.com.
The Cadillac Three Taking ‘Long Hair’ Back To Europe In November
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Cadillac Three. Photo: Joseph Llanes
The Cadillac Three are heading to Europe on their Long Hair Don’t Care Tour, beginning Nov. 1 in Berlin. Joining the raucous trio on the 16-date tour will be Brothers Osborne and Broken Witt Rebels. This is the fourth European tour for the three, who will play nine dates in the UK, including a highly-anticipated show in the capital at O2 Kentish Town Forum.
“It’s really cool to see European crowds embrace The Cadillac Three’s sound and hear our influences fuel each show. We cut our teeth on everything from the greats at The Opry to Widespread Panic because we love lyrics with depth just as much as shredding guitars, epic anthems and those for your lady,” shared TC3 frontman Jaren Johnston. “We keep coming back and they keep showing up for us … it’s a really special thing for us to sing along together with our pals across the pond!”
Before they head overseas, the Cadillac Three will headline their first show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium August 31. TC3 is taking “Dang If We Didn’t” and “American Slang” to radio as official singles for the US (July 10) and UK (impacting now) respectively. The songs lead the arrival of their new album Legacy, due Aug. 25 on Big Machine Records.
LONG HAIR DON’T CARE TOUR: Europe Dates
Nov. 1 – Berlin, Germany | Columbia Theater*
Nov. 2 – Hamburg, Germany | Uebel & Gefaehrlich*
Nov. 3 – Cologne, Germany | Luxor*
Nov. 4 – Munich, Germany | Technikum*
Nov. 6 – Amsterdam, Netherlands | Melkweg Sugarfactory*
Nov. 7 – Paris, France | Les Etoiles*
Nov. 9 – Belfast, United Kingdom | Mandela Hall*
Nov. 10 – Dublin, Ireland | Whelans*
Nov. 12 – Cardiff, United Kingdom | Y Plas
Nov. 13 – Nottingham, United Kingdom | Rock City**
Nov. 14 – London, United Kingdom | O2 Kentish Town Forum**
Nov. 15 – Norwich, United Kingdom | UEA**
Nov. 17 – Birmingham, United Kingdom | O2 Academy**
Nov. 18 – Manchester, United Kingdom | O2 Academy**
Nov. 19 – Newcastle, United Kingdom | O2 Academy**
Nov. 20 – Glasgow, United Kingdom | O2 ABC**
*With Broken Witt Rebels
** With Brothers Osborne
Connor James Thuotte Signs With Big Yellow Dog Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Kerry O’Neil, co-owner; Devon Devries, VP of Film & TV; Alex Stefano, Film & TV Music Manager; Connor James Thuotte; Jamie Martin, Creative Coordinator of Film & TV Music; Matt Lindsey, VP Creative; Lauren Funk, Creative Manager; Carla Wallace, co-owner
Big Yellow Dog Music has signed Connor James Thuotte to its roster. A singer-songwriter/producer originally from upstate New York, Thuotte has had recent Toyota and CMT sync placements and writing and production credits across multiple genres, including indie, country, rock and pop.
“The BYD Sync team is excited to have Connor Thuotte on our roster,” says Big Yellow Dog Music VP of Film & TV, Devon Devries. “His sense of edgy, alternative frontline pop, unique sounds and story arc are the tools we work with best! We are excited for great things ahead.”
Chris Tomlin Announces Good Good Father Tour
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“It’s incredible to see how the song “Good Good Father” has impacted people around the world. Every night as we begin to sing the song, there’s no doubt of what it means to so many people,” said Tomlin. “That is why I am excited to announce the Good Good Father tour with my good [good] friend Matt Maher. I can’t wait for these unforgettable nights of music and worship.”
The tour will hit 16 cities through mid-November, including St. Paul, Baltimore, and Tampa. Tickets for the shows go on sale June 16, and can be purchased at christomlin.com.
Oct. 13 – St. Paul, MN
Oct. 15 – Des Moines, IA
Oct. 19 – Reading, PA
Oct. 20 – Lowell, MA
Oct. 21 – Baltimore, MD
Oct. 22 – Cary, NC
Oct. 26 – Tyler, TX (on sale June 23rd)
Oct. 27 – Corpus Christi, TX
Nov. 02 – N. Charleston, SC
Nov. 03 – Gainesville, FL
Nov. 04 – Tampa, FL
Nov. 05 – Ozark, AL
Nov. 09 – Savannah, GA
Nov. 10 – Augusta, GA
Nov. 11 – Johnson City, TN
Nov. 12 – Greenville, SC
CMHoF Reveals New Details For Shania Twain Exhibit
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has revealed new details on its latest exhibit, Shania Twain: Rock This Country, which opens June 30.
The exhibit chronicles Twain’s life and career, from singing in Canadian bars through her 2017 performance at Stagecoach Festival. The singer-songwriter became one of music’s superstars, on the strength of albums including Come On Over, which is the top-selling album in history by a female country artist, and Twain’s third diamond-selling album.
Walking through the exhibit, fans will see the hooded leather coat and fur-trimmed boots from the cover of Twain’s 1993 self-titled debut album. Marc Bouwer-created outfits from Twain’s Come On Over Tour (1998-1999) and her Super Bowl XXXVII halftime performance in 2003 will be included, as well as her complete ensemble, including top hat, from her 1999 “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” music video.
Twain’s Best Country Song Grammy honors for “Come On Over” and “You’re Still The One,” as well as her Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” will also be on display.
On Sept. 29, Twain will release Now, her fifth full-length album on Mercury Nashville, and her first since 2002.
“Shania Twain’s impact on country music is undeniable,” said museum CEO Kyle Young. “Her message of female empowerment and dynamic pop sound electrified country music. Her continued influence is evidenced by artists like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Kelsea Ballerini. We are pleased to feature Ms. Twain in this career-spanning exhibit.”
Weekly Chart Report 6/16/17
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
AXS, Spotify To Offer Tailored Event Recommendations Via Mobile And Desktop Apps
/by Lorie HollabaughDirectly integrated through the AXS API for a real time user experience, Spotify’s Concerts Section now surfaces personalized events and events will also appear on the Artist Pages under the Concert tabs on Desktop, the Artist Pages on mobile under On Tour, and in the concert recommendation emails Spotify sends out on a bi-weekly basis.
“This integration enables a direct connection between the 100 Million Spotify users and seeing their favorite bands live,” said Dean DeWulf, SVP, Music for AXS. “Fans, Artists, promoters and our venue clients all benefit from this aligned technology — it’s a natural fit that extends the reach of the AXS platform into the Spotify ecosystem.”
Venues including the Staples Center, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Sprint Center, Target Center, Verizon Theatre, Forest Hills Stadium and Infinite Energy Center in the US, and The O2, the SSE Arena Wembley and Hyde Park in the UK are all included in the new partnership.
BMG To Open Full-Service Music Facility In Former CMA Location
/by Jessica NicholsonRendering of ‘The BMG Building.’ Photo: Courtesy BMG
Jason Aldean, Hillary Lindsey and Dustin Lynch are set for a new home on Music Row as BMG announces it has concluded a deal to begin development of a new full-service music facility. The new space will consolidate the publishing and recording teams from BMG’s two local Nashville offices with the newly-acquired BBR Music Group.
The location is a soon-to-be-constructed state-of-the-art, 120,000-square-foot building to be named ‘The BMG Building’ on the one-acre lot of 1 Music Circle South, site of the former CMA building.
Zach Katz, BMG U.S. President, Repertoire & Marketing, said, “Nashville has a history of reinventing itself, and we are very proud to bring BMG’s new artist-friendly approach to the business to the heart of Music Row.”
The announcement comes four months after BMG acquired BBR Music Group, along with its imprints Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Red Bow Records and Wheelhouse Records.
BMG’s 80-strong team in Nashville includes A&R, Accounting, Administration, Income Tracking, Marketing, Publicity, Radio Promotions, Royalties, and Sync Licensing. The proposed BMG office space will include songwriter/recording rooms and performance spaces, a collaborative floor plan, A/V meeting spaces and conference rooms, as well as a large communal outside area and terrace to be utilized for live events.
Jon Loba, EVP BBR Music Group, said, “The importance of staying on Music Row and honoring the ideal of a supportive, tight knit and collaborative community was a priority to us all. Reflective of our shared philosophy and approach, this will maximize our team’s and our partners’ connectivity.”
“Music publishing and recording have traditionally been viewed and operated as separate businesses, in separate offices, often in separate cities,” added Kos Weaver, EVP BMG Nashville. “The value of having the entire BMG Nashville staff in one locale is immeasurable and enables us to utilize the expertise across all our departments, with open lines of communication, creating a distinct edge for our artists and songwriters.”
The new BMG launched in 2008, in the same week as Spotify with a commitment to create the world’s first digital-age music company. BMG’s initial team of three people shared an office. By early 2017 that team had grown to more than 600 employees across 14 offices in 12 countries. In the first eight years BMG concluded more than 100 major acquisitions and signed more than 1,000 clients directly. In the process BMG has become fourth-largest player in the industry.
BMG’s diverse recording roster includes blink-182, Fergie, Andy Grammer, Danny Gokey, PVRIS, Alabama, Nickelback and LP, with a global team having delivered No. 1 chart success around the world for artists including Janet Jackson, You Me At Six, Rick Astley, and blink-182. Recent signings include 311, A Perfect Circle, AJR, Avril Lavigne, Blondie, and Nickelback alongside a burgeoning catalog producing releases by iconic artists such as Iron Maiden, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and The Kinks among others.
Founded in 1997, BBR Music Group grew from a fledgling independent label into one of the largest independent country label groups, with imprints including Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Red Bow Records and Wheelhouse Records.
Broken Bow Records, BBR Music Group’s original imprint, features a roster of artists including Jason Aldean and Dustin Lynch. Stoney Creek Records’ roster includes Thompson Square, Randy Houser, Parmalee, Lindsay Ell and Adam Craig. Red Bow Records’ artist roster boasts Joe Nichols, Craig Campbell, Chase Bryant and Brooke Eden. Wheelhouse Records is BBR Music Group’s newest imprint, anchored by Trace Adkins, Granger Smith, Kristian Bush, Runaway June and Walker McGuire.
Franklin Theatre’s ‘The Second Story’ Reimagines Traditional Songwriter Rounds
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Ruby Amanfu, Peter Cooper, Bob DiPiero, Dennis Matkosky
A musical event at the Franklin Theatre will put a new spin on the traditional songwriter rounds popular in Nashville. New series “The Second Story” will showcase not only songwriters’ creative works, but incorporate the works of other types of writers, including poets, authors and playwrights, into the show. The evening opens in a more traditional “songwriter round” style.
“The Second Story is a writer’s night ‘reimagined,'” says Franklin Theatre executive director Dan Hays. “We invite an author to take at least one song from the three featured songwriters that evening and to reimagine the music and words and weave the song from each of them into an entirely new short story. In short, they come up with a ‘second’ story inspired by the songs. The author then tells that story – on stage – and the selected songs are performed and woven into the presentation for the audience.”
The third presentation in this series will take place Friday, July 21, with Ruby Amanfu, Bob DiPiero, Dennis Matkosky and Peter Cooper. Cooper, who has spent time as an author, journalist, songwriter and musician throughout his career, will be the storyteller for the evening, presenting an original story inspired by songs performed by the songwriters.
“Our first two presentations of this concept have been magical evenings. The music has been stellar from the songwriters and the stories created by the authors have mesmerized audiences with wonderful tales and laughter and some wonderful unexpected twists,” says Hays.