Nashville songwriter Liz Rose, who helped Taylor Swift craft many of her early hits, and who co-wrote Little Big Town’s Grammy-winning and CMA 2015 Song and Single of the Year “Girl Crush,” will soon release her own stories for the world to hear.
Rose’s first solo album, Swimming Alone, is essentially her autobiography in song. The album, produced by Nashville luminary Mac McAnally, will release May 12 via Liz Rose Records.
“First I never thought I would do it,” Rose says. “All these ideas started coming to me and I think ‘Swimming Alone’ was the first title. I also had ‘Grocery Money’ and ‘Yellow Room.’ I thought, ‘These are such good titles, but they are really my story,’ and I just don’t think I could use those titles and write about anything but me.”
Each title is intriguing, a gateway into a vignette from Rose’s coming-of-age in small-town Texas, a patchwork of love, pain, devotion, and yes, some rebellion and regret.
Rose welcomed a who’s-who of her closest songwriting friends, including Lori McKenna, Stephony Smith, Caitlyn Smith, Natalie Hemby, Lisa Carver, and more, to help her bring her intimate stories into song.
“Sacred Ground,” which Rose co-wrote with her Love Junkies cohorts McKenna and Hillary Lindsey, recollects the yellow brick house where Rose grew up, with the backyard where her sister married.
Originally, the trio intended to pitch the song to other artists, but Rose fought to keep the song centered on her own childhood story.
Rose says, “Really, these songs are all so personal, so everyone was really patient with me, to be able to say, ‘I need to write this, but we are not going to pitch it, because if we try to make it pitchable, it won’t be my song anymore.’ Everyone was really amazing to hang in there and do that with me.”
Several tracks trace Rose’s childhood, from the dreamy, innocent “Five & Dime,” and the wistful “Woodstock,” to the coming-of-age track “Tulsa,” with its line about being a California dreamer in a hot Texas town.
“I was a wild kid,” Rose says. “I wanted to run away and be a hippie. I was 13 and I got a wild hair, got mad at my parents, got scared that my best friend was running away and I thought, ‘I have to go and take care of her.’ With Corey [Crowder] and Lisa [Carver], we drank wine and beer one night and they were like, ‘Tell that story of Tulsa.’ So I got some nerve up and told the story.”
“Letters From Prison” details a teenage relationship with an ex-boyfriend who ended up in prison. “I was 14 or 15 and we were going to run away and get married,” Rose recalls. “He was a sweet guy, but he ended up in prison. He would write letters and send them here to the office.”
“Ex-Husbands,” a light-hearted take on her own marriage history, is at once unflinchingly honest and hilarious, with the punch line: I don’t have ex-boyfriends, just ex-husbands to my name.
“That tends to be the song everybody gravitates toward,” says Rose. “My husband and I hang out with one of my ex-husbands and we are very close. My current husband and my ex-husband think it is hysterical.”
“Yellow Room” began as an ode to a simple room, and ended up a tribute to Rose’s late father.
Rose credits collaborators Stephony Smith and Lisa Carver with kickstarting the recording process. “They made me go into the studio and begin recording. Stephony was the first person to make me get in front of a mic. She said, ‘Just sing.’” BMI’s Jody Williams also encouraged Rose to be the one to sing the songs to life.
Those instructions were no easy thing to accomplish in Nashville, which Rose calls “a songwriter’s town, but it’s also a singer’s town, and I’m not a singer.”
Smith, who stopped by Rose’s office during MusicRow’s recent interview, countered the notion: “I thought that you kind of sold yourself short and you had a sweet, innocent sound that’s kind of heart wrenching.”
Today Rose says she is at peace with where her life’s path has taken her; though in her stunning album closer, “My Apology,” she apologizes to anyone she may have hurt along the way, including herself.
“You go through those years where you go, ‘Oh, I can’t believe I did that. What are people thinking of me?’ Now it’s like, ‘That’s how I got here. I haven’t killed anybody. I hope I haven’t hurt anybody. And I hope I’m a good person, and truly, it’s my truth.
“I’m not going to lie about it now. I have to laugh at myself, and if my kids aren’t mad at me, I’m ok. All my brothers and sisters and my mom are talking to me. All my exes that are living don’t despise me.”
As for the prospect of more solo albums, Rose says, “This may be it. I feel like I’ve told my story. After I wrote ‘My Apology,’ I never thought, ‘I wish I could write this other song and put it on there.’ I feel like it’s finished and it tells a story. I’m good with it for now.
“I’m not trying to get cuts, and I don’t want anyone to think I’m trying to get a record deal or be a touring artist. I just had to do this for me, and I’m lucky enough to have the best songwriters, producers, musicians and friends around me. I just want to get it out and see what happens. I want people to discover it.”
Rose will celebrate the album’s release with a party at Nashville venue The Country on May 17 at 6 p.m. She also has hopes to perform some one-woman shows to share her songs and stories.
Rose’s willingness and fearlessness to spontaneously try new ideas seems to encompass her approach to most things, be it writing songs, starting publishing company Liz Rose Music, or opening her clothing and accessories outpost Castilleja, in Nashville’s Edgehill area.
“Everything I do, it’s like, ‘Oh that sounds like a good idea, let’s figure out how we do that.’ Just the fact that [Swimming Alone is released on] Liz Rose Records…if I had a plan, I would have thought of cooler names.”
In Pictures: Jerrod Niemann, Devin Dawson, Levon, SOLID, Steven Curtis Chapman
/by Haley CrowJerrod Niemann Attends The 143rd Kentucky Derby
Pictured (L-R): Jerrod Niemann and Morgan Petek Niemann. Photo: Courtesy Jerrod Niemann
Jerrod Niemann and wife Morgan Petek Niemann attended the 143rd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday, May 6.
Devin Dawson Makes Opry Debut
Pictured (L-R): Adrian Michaels, National Dir., Radio & Streaming, WMN; Megan Joyce, Sr. VP, Business & Legal Affairs, WMN; Lisa Ray VP, Brand Management, WMN; Cris Lacy, VP, A&R, WMN; Nick DiMaria (guitar); Devin Dawson; Austin Smith (guitar); Sally Williams, GM, Grand Ole Opry; Todd Ramey, Sandbox Entertainment; Wyatt Thomas, Sandbox Entertainment; Ashlee McDonald, Sr. Dir., Brand Management, WMN. Photo: Courtesy WMN
On the heels of his Late Night with Seth Meyers national television debut, Devin Dawson made another important debut Friday night (May 5) singing for a packed house at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Dawson opened with his single “All On Me” followed by a moving performance of his new song “Dark Horse.”
Dawson will perform tonight at the Association of Independent Music Publishers Awards where he is nominated as a Rising Independent Artist-Writer of the Year. The awards will be held at the Ryman Auditorium.
Levon Rocks In Cleveland
Pictured (L-R): Columbia Nashville’s Cliff Blake, Bob Wheatley, WDSY’s Wookie, Sony Music Nashville’s Lauren Thomas, WQMX’s Jody Wheatley, WDSY’s Mark Anderson, Levon’s Ryan Holladay and Michael David Hall, WUBE’s Grover Collins, WQHK PD Dave Michaels and wife Peg, WUBE’s Ron James, iHeart Cleveland’s Keith Abrams and wife Betty, Columbia Nashville’s Shane Allen, Levon’s Jake Singleton, Janet Connolly and husband, WGAR’s Charley Connolly, and WOGI’s Dave Anthony and wife Kathie. Photo: Courtesy Sony Music Nashville [click photo to enlarge]
SOLID Holds First Music Industry Publicity Panel
Pictured (back row, L-R): SOLID Education Co-Chair Matt Pramstaller, Jewly Hight, Joe Hudak, Ann Powers, Ebie McFarland and SOLID President Basak Kizilisik; (front row, L-R): SOLID Secretary Emma Tur, SOLID Communications Chair Elise Anderson and SOLID Education Co-Chair Sarah D’Hilly. Photo: Sarah Comardelle
Nashville’s Society of Leaders in Development (SOLID) held Press & Publicity: The Art of the Pitch, an hour-long panel hosted by Nashville publicist and owner of Essential Broadcast Media, LLC Ebie McFarland, Thursday (May 4) at Main Street Gallery in East Nashville.
The panelists included NPR Music’s critic and correspondent, Ann Powers, music critic and journalist, Jewly Hight, and senior editor of Rolling Stone Country, Joseph Hudak.
McFarland, a SOLID alumni herself, led panelists through several topics including what to do versus what not to do in a pitch, timing for a pitch, what to include in a pitch and what connects them with an up-and-coming artist.
Press & Publicity: The Art of the Pitch was the first publicity panel SOLID has held in their series of music-industry related panels for members.
Find out more about SOLID here.
Steven Curtis Chapman Performs At The White House
Pictured: Steven Curtis Chapman. Photo: Courtesy The White House
Steven Curtis Chapman performed at the 66th Annual National Day Of Prayer ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, May 4. Appearing before many faith leaders from around the U.S., Chapman performed two songs, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and “The Lord’s Prayer.” The ceremony was held in the Rose Garden at the White House.
“I’m humbled and grateful every time I’m invited somewhere to sing about the love and grace of God,” Chapman shared. “Sometimes it’s in a prison or an orphanage, sometimes it’s in Carnegie Hall, and sometimes it might even be in our nation’s capital at the White House. It’s always and only for His glory.”
Exclusive: Liz Rose Offers Her Life In Song On Upcoming Solo Album
/by Jessica NicholsonNashville songwriter Liz Rose, who helped Taylor Swift craft many of her early hits, and who co-wrote Little Big Town’s Grammy-winning and CMA 2015 Song and Single of the Year “Girl Crush,” will soon release her own stories for the world to hear.
Rose’s first solo album, Swimming Alone, is essentially her autobiography in song. The album, produced by Nashville luminary Mac McAnally, will release May 12 via Liz Rose Records.
“First I never thought I would do it,” Rose says. “All these ideas started coming to me and I think ‘Swimming Alone’ was the first title. I also had ‘Grocery Money’ and ‘Yellow Room.’ I thought, ‘These are such good titles, but they are really my story,’ and I just don’t think I could use those titles and write about anything but me.”
Each title is intriguing, a gateway into a vignette from Rose’s coming-of-age in small-town Texas, a patchwork of love, pain, devotion, and yes, some rebellion and regret.
Rose welcomed a who’s-who of her closest songwriting friends, including Lori McKenna, Stephony Smith, Caitlyn Smith, Natalie Hemby, Lisa Carver, and more, to help her bring her intimate stories into song.
“Sacred Ground,” which Rose co-wrote with her Love Junkies cohorts McKenna and Hillary Lindsey, recollects the yellow brick house where Rose grew up, with the backyard where her sister married.
Originally, the trio intended to pitch the song to other artists, but Rose fought to keep the song centered on her own childhood story.
Rose says, “Really, these songs are all so personal, so everyone was really patient with me, to be able to say, ‘I need to write this, but we are not going to pitch it, because if we try to make it pitchable, it won’t be my song anymore.’ Everyone was really amazing to hang in there and do that with me.”
Several tracks trace Rose’s childhood, from the dreamy, innocent “Five & Dime,” and the wistful “Woodstock,” to the coming-of-age track “Tulsa,” with its line about being a California dreamer in a hot Texas town.
“I was a wild kid,” Rose says. “I wanted to run away and be a hippie. I was 13 and I got a wild hair, got mad at my parents, got scared that my best friend was running away and I thought, ‘I have to go and take care of her.’ With Corey [Crowder] and Lisa [Carver], we drank wine and beer one night and they were like, ‘Tell that story of Tulsa.’ So I got some nerve up and told the story.”
“Letters From Prison” details a teenage relationship with an ex-boyfriend who ended up in prison. “I was 14 or 15 and we were going to run away and get married,” Rose recalls. “He was a sweet guy, but he ended up in prison. He would write letters and send them here to the office.”
“Ex-Husbands,” a light-hearted take on her own marriage history, is at once unflinchingly honest and hilarious, with the punch line: I don’t have ex-boyfriends, just ex-husbands to my name.
“That tends to be the song everybody gravitates toward,” says Rose. “My husband and I hang out with one of my ex-husbands and we are very close. My current husband and my ex-husband think it is hysterical.”
“Yellow Room” began as an ode to a simple room, and ended up a tribute to Rose’s late father.
Rose credits collaborators Stephony Smith and Lisa Carver with kickstarting the recording process. “They made me go into the studio and begin recording. Stephony was the first person to make me get in front of a mic. She said, ‘Just sing.’” BMI’s Jody Williams also encouraged Rose to be the one to sing the songs to life.
Those instructions were no easy thing to accomplish in Nashville, which Rose calls “a songwriter’s town, but it’s also a singer’s town, and I’m not a singer.”
Smith, who stopped by Rose’s office during MusicRow’s recent interview, countered the notion: “I thought that you kind of sold yourself short and you had a sweet, innocent sound that’s kind of heart wrenching.”
Today Rose says she is at peace with where her life’s path has taken her; though in her stunning album closer, “My Apology,” she apologizes to anyone she may have hurt along the way, including herself.
“You go through those years where you go, ‘Oh, I can’t believe I did that. What are people thinking of me?’ Now it’s like, ‘That’s how I got here. I haven’t killed anybody. I hope I haven’t hurt anybody. And I hope I’m a good person, and truly, it’s my truth.
“I’m not going to lie about it now. I have to laugh at myself, and if my kids aren’t mad at me, I’m ok. All my brothers and sisters and my mom are talking to me. All my exes that are living don’t despise me.”
As for the prospect of more solo albums, Rose says, “This may be it. I feel like I’ve told my story. After I wrote ‘My Apology,’ I never thought, ‘I wish I could write this other song and put it on there.’ I feel like it’s finished and it tells a story. I’m good with it for now.
“I’m not trying to get cuts, and I don’t want anyone to think I’m trying to get a record deal or be a touring artist. I just had to do this for me, and I’m lucky enough to have the best songwriters, producers, musicians and friends around me. I just want to get it out and see what happens. I want people to discover it.”
Rose will celebrate the album’s release with a party at Nashville venue The Country on May 17 at 6 p.m. She also has hopes to perform some one-woman shows to share her songs and stories.
Rose’s willingness and fearlessness to spontaneously try new ideas seems to encompass her approach to most things, be it writing songs, starting publishing company Liz Rose Music, or opening her clothing and accessories outpost Castilleja, in Nashville’s Edgehill area.
“Everything I do, it’s like, ‘Oh that sounds like a good idea, let’s figure out how we do that.’ Just the fact that [Swimming Alone is released on] Liz Rose Records…if I had a plan, I would have thought of cooler names.”
Lexi Sutherland Named Creative Director/Publishing At Riser House
/by Lorie HollabaughLexi Sutherland has joined Riser House Entertainment as Creative Director of Publishing. Sutherland will work alongside VP, Creative Kristen Ashley. The Georgia native recently graduated from Belmont University, and has interned in A&R for Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, as well as Warner/Chappell.
“Everyone who knows Lexi loves her, so I can’t wait for everyone on the row to meet her. She has a great ear, and I am thankful we have her on our team. Today is her first day and we are heading to Key West; I’d say she has it pretty good,” says Ashley.
“Words can’t describe how excited and thankful I am to be apart of this amazing team here at Riser House. I can’t wait to see what the future hold for this company and I’m thrilled to be apart of the journey,” says Sutherland.
Sutherland can be reached at lexi.sutherland@riserhouse.com.
Jennifer Johnson launched Riser House in 2016. Riser House Records artists include Mitchell Tenpenny, while Riser House Publishing writers include Michael Whitworth, Dallas Wilson, and Rob Crosby.
2017 Elliston Place Street Festival Lineup Released
/by Dan_StrassbergExit/In, Lightning 100 and Indie Nash announce the return of the Elliston Place Street Fest on Saturday, July 22. This event, which first took place on Nashville’s Elliston Place in the late ’70s and early ’80s and returned in 2016 for the 45th anniversary of the venue, will feature live performances all along ‘The Rock Block’ both inside The End and the legendary Exit/In and on one, large outdoor stage.
Gates will open at 3 p.m. with music beginning at 5 p.m. Individual stage lineups can be found at ellistonplacestreetfest.com.
Tickets are $20 and go on sale on Friday, May 12 at 10 a.m. at ellistonplacestreetrest.com. VIP Tickets are also available for $55 and will include private access to the ‘Tito’s Hurry Back Experience’ where specialty Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails will be available in addition to a Hurry Back-curated selection of brews in the air-conditioned venue with private restrooms and patio access.
Also available are sElf vinyl package tickets which include a signed copy of the never before released album Ornament and Crime plus a signed copy of the Porno, Mint & Grime vinyl double album.
Proceeds will benefit Nashville Independent Business Alliance, a nonprofit made up of locally-owned, independent businesses working to keep Nashville’s independent spirit thriving.
Luke Bryan Kicks Off Huntin’, Fishin’, & Lovin’ Every Day Tour For Sold-Out Crowd At Bridgestone Arena
/by Dan_StrassbergFriday, May 5 marked the inaugural concert of Luke Bryan’s Huntin’, Fishin’& Lovin’ Every Day Tour. Luke kicked the tour off in style playing the first of two shows in Nashville in front of a sold-out crowd at Bridgestone arena. As expected, the crowd went wild when the curtain dropped and Luke emerged between flames shooting from the floor to start the show. Luke charmed the crowd with hit singles, a surprise collaboration, and some well-known cover songs.
Bryan thanked openers Adam Craig and Brett Eldredge, as well as giving a special salute to all of the troops in the United States Armed Forces, security guards, teachers, and fire fighters. Bryan then took part in some friendly banter with a local teacher in the audience. This was the first of many interactive moments with the crowd, some light-hearted, and some more seriously expressing deep gratitude for selling out the arena, and making his dreams come true as an artist.
Sentimental moments and photo slide shows became more common as the show went on. While performing “Fast,” the jumbotron displayed images from Luke’s childhood. “All My Friends Say” was also accompanied by a photo slideshow of Luke and friends. Another emotional moment in the show was when Luke had the crowd sing along to “Drink a Beer” in remembrance of friends and family they had lost.
Half way through “Play It Again” a piano surfaced from under the stage, and Luke used it to finish the song. The band accompanied Bryan at center stage to cover “Mountain Music” by Alabama, and “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond.
Towards the end of the show Luke brought out special guest Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town. The two played their duet “Home Alone Tonight.” In the spirit of the duet, and Cinco De Mayo, Luke and Karen took shots of tequila on stage between songs. After the shots, they played Grammy-nominated “Girl Crush.”
Staying consistent with the theme of the tour, and a great night, Bryan finished his set with, “Huntin, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day,” “I Don’t Want This Night To End,” and finally “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).” Bryan closed the show with more theatrics and fan interaction, signing hats and throwing them into the crowd. In addition to passing out memorabilia, Bryan also cracked a few cold ones, and passed out half drank beers into the crowd before exiting the stage.
Jeffrey Steele Plans All-Star Album For Sons Of The Palomino Debut
/by Jessica NicholsonSinger-songwriter Jeffrey Steele has teamed with a string of fellow all-star musicians, including steel guitar legend Paul Franklin, fiddle player Larry Franklin, Jerry Roe on drums, pianist Tony Harrell, guitar player James Mitchell, and bassist Brad Albin.
The band’s debut album is set to release June 30 via 3 Ring Circus. The project includes duets with Emmylou Harris, John Anderson, Gretchen Wilson, Vince Gill and Jamey Johnson. Steele wrote or co-wrote all the tracks on the album, which honors the classic country sounds that The Palomino Club championed.
Sons of the Palomino’s new single, “Countryholic,” was penned by Steele, Ira Dean and Shane Minor.
“’Countryholic’ is a 100 proof honky tonk song that will make you want to holler yehaw!” said Steele. “That song is icing on the cake of a project 3 years in the making with an all-star cast of musicians and guests who are all helping to capture an era in music that seems to have vanished. I’m so humbled by everyone who signed on to help and cannot wait to get this record out there.”
Watch the video, which also features John Rich, below:
Big Machine Label Group Names VP, Revenue & Sales
/by Jessica NicholsonNicole Csabai
Big Machine Label Group has added Nicole Csabai as Vice President, Revenue & Sales, effective immediately. Csabai will report to BMLG CMO Mike Rittberg and be responsible for physical and digital sales strategies for Big Machine Records, The Valory Music Co., BMLG Records and Nash Icon Records.
“I’m thrilled to have Nicole join the Big Machine Family,” shared Rittberg. “She’s the right person to help lead the charge taking our physical and digital sales and revenue to the next level.”
Csabai most recently served as Director of Revenue for Interscope Records where she oversaw accounts including Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco and more for the label and its various sub-labels.
“I’m very excited to be joining the team at Big Machine and I’m grateful to Scott Borchetta, Andrew Kautz and Mike for this tremendous opportunity,” said Csabai. “Big Machine has an amazing roster of artists and I’m looking forward to working with everyone.”
Csabai graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.
Csabai can be reached at nicole.csabai@bmlg.net and 615-324-7786.
Tin Pan South 2018 Dates Announced
/by Lorie Hollabaugh(L-R): ASCAP’s Michael Martin, Frank Rogers, Kellie Pickler, Kyle Jacobs, Ben Glover, Dave Baker, and ASCAP’s Suzanne Lee, Robert Filhart and Kele Currier at Tin Pan South 2017
Tin Pan South 2017 has just wrapped, but those eager to get in on next year’s fun can make their plans and mark their calendars with the dates for next year’s festival, which will take place April 3-7, 2018.
The songwriters festival recently celebrated its 25th birthday, and continues to grow at a record pace, with the 2017 festival hosting more than 100 shows and more than 400 writers for the event at 10 music venues around the city. Among those performing at this year’s special anniversary festival were Keith Urban, Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally, Rodney Clawson, Rhett Akins, Jonathan Singleton, Lori McKenna, Keb’ Mo’, Jeffrey Steele, Bobby Braddock, and many more.
Grand Ole Opry Celebrates Latest Accolade As TripAdvisor’s Top Attraction
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto: Chris Hollo for the Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is often the scene of artist events and celebrations, but it recently held its own No. 1 party to celebrate its latest achievement — being named travel planning and booking site TripAdvisor’s top U.S. attraction for Spring 2017. The celebration, held last Tuesday night (May 2), included Rascal Flatts and other artists on the night’s show and other guests including fans taking Opry House Backstage Tours.
Loretta Lynn Hospitalized After Stroke
/by Sarah SkatesThe 85-year-old music legend has been advised by her doctors to stay off the road while she is recuperating. Therefore, upcoming scheduled shows will be postponed.
Lynn is prepping the release of a new album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, via Legacy Recordings on Friday, Aug. 18.
The project is comprised entirely of songs written, or co-written, by Lynn and was recorded at the Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tenn., with producers Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash.
The album debuts new songs including “Ruby’s Stool,” “Ain’t No Time To Go,” and “I’m Dying For Someone To Live For,” alongside newly recorded renditions of immortal classics “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind).”