Kane Brown with MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson
In 2014, then-unknown Kane Brown began covering hits by Brantley Gilbert, George Strait, and Chris Young, uploading homemade performance videos to Facebook from his bedroom. His rich country voice quickly caught the attention of fans. A video for his rendition of George Strait’s “Check Yes Or No” garnered over seven million views, while a clip of Brown performing Lonestar’s “Amazed” earned more than 6 million views.
The response from fans emboldened Brown to upload his own original music to social media, a move that ultimately led Brown to write his six-song EP Closer, which he released independently in 2015. Around that time, Brown also began working with marketing exec Jay Frank, and soon after, his current manager Martha Earls.
Fast-forward to early 2016, when Brown signed with Sony Music Nashville’s RCA Nashville imprint, and began working on his debut major EP, Chapter 1, and his full-length, self-titled album. Though Brown co-wrote seven of the 11 tracks for the album, he recalls his first writing session had a less than enthusiastic start.
“Honestly, the first write I had in Nashville—and he’s my boy so I’m not bashing him—was Josh Hoge,” Brown said during a visit to the MusicRow office. “I went in and we were sitting on the couch, and he said, ‘Honestly, I didn’t even want to write with you.’
“He was like, ‘What do you want to write today?’ I had this title ‘Used To Love You Sober,’ so he helped a lot with the imagery. I came up with the lyrics and after that, I put it on Facebook and saw how well it did. He just fell in love with the song. He was like, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to keep writing.’ We wrote like four more songs after that. Kent [Earls, with Universal Music Publishing Group] is good at putting me with people I can relate to.”
Two of those Hoge co-writes, “Used To Love You Sober” and “Thunder In The Rain,” ended up being two of Brown’s most successful singles to date. Hoge also co-wrote “Comeback” for the full-length album. Brown says he hopes to include another of those Hoge co-writes on a future album.
Kane Brown performs during a visit to the MusicRow office.
Another of the standout tracks on Brown’s debut major label project, “Cold Spot,” was penned with Nashville luminaries Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin. Brown recalls the writing process had a distinctly retro, homey feel.
“Everyone I’ve written with are track guys and have the track ready before you go in. With [Tom and Allen], I told them I had this title and he just wrote a story before we had any instrumentals, and then we put it with music. They didn’t use computers. It was cool,” said Brown. “Tom made sandwiches for us during the write.”
Making his music available on social media, and taking the time to engage with his fan base on sites like Facebook have garnered the rising star an ardent following, one that is both supportive and protective of the young singer.
“You got to feed off that energy,” Brown says. “There are a couple of people that hate, but then you’ve got the hundreds of followers that love you,” says Brown, who takes the high road against detractors.
“I’ll either kill them with kindness or I won’t comment,” says Brown. Many times, he doesn’t need to comment. His fanbase has no qualms about responding for him.
“There was one time someone was hating and I was the first comment and I just said, ‘You did it to yourself.’ And then there were like 400 comments from everyone bashing that person. Later, I saw that person changed their name, made their account private, changed their profile picture and deleted the comment. It’s cool. They all have my back.”
Kane Brown with MusicRow staffers.
While Brown has garnered a gold single with “Used To Love You Sober,” his latest single features fellow rising country artist, and Brown’s former choir partner at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Georgia, Lauren Alaina.
Brown co-wrote “What Ifs” with Jordan Schmidt and Matthew McGinn.
“That song took a while to write,” Brown recalls. “Then we needed someone to sing background vocals. I was texting Lauren Alaina that day and asked her to come over. She came in and sang in her workout clothes before she went to workout. She just amplified the song by 10 with her vocals so we went to Universal and asked if we could keep her on there. It was something I always wanted to do, is have her on a song.”
Brown says it is not the first time the two have collaborated musically. “We did ‘I Can Only Imagine’ as a duet. That was before I hit puberty, though,” he said, laughing.
He says Alaina’s success as runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol inspired him to try the reality singing competition route before finding success via social media.
“They told me they didn’t need another Scotty McCreery,” Brown says. “Honestly, seeing her, they brought her back home for a parade, she really inspired me. Our hometown says ‘Home of Lauren Alaina,’ and I’m in a Sharpie beside the name.” he said laughing.
Brown and Alaina are both Academy of Country Music Award nominees this year, nominated for New Male Vocalist of the Year and New Female Vocalist of the Year, respectively.
“It would be awesome if we both won that.”
Sea Gayle Music Extends Deal With Brent Anderson
/by Jessica NicholsonBrent Anderson
Sea Gayle Music has re-signed songwriter Brent Anderson. The Pascagoula, Mississippi native has been a part of Sea Gayle since 2009.
“Sea Gayle is my home. There is no where else I’d rather write. The past seven years have been amazing, and I’m excited for what’s next,” says Anderson.
Anderson’s success can be found in his 18 cuts in 18 months with songs recorded by artists like Brad Paisley, Dustin Lynch and Cadillac Three. His credits also include the No. 1 hit “Lonely Tonight” by Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe and other singles, “Cold Beer With Your Name On It” (Josh Thompson) and “Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely” (Sheryl Crow). He has the current Jackie Lee single, “Gettin’ Over You.” Anderson is also known for producing records including Chris Janson’s #1 hit “Buy Me A Boat” for Warner Brothers, CJ Solar’s debut EP on Sea Gayle Records, as well as fellow Sea Gayle artist Mike Ryan’s album Bad Reputation.
“Brent is overall one of most talented creators I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with. We’re thrilled to be extending our partnership with Brent and can’t wait for the years come,” says Executive Vice President/General Manager, Marc Driskill.
Sea Gayle Music, established in 1999 and co-owned by Chris DuBois and Brad Paisley, is an independent music publisher and artist development company based in Nashville, Tennessee. Sea Gayle has 44 No. 1 songs in its catalog and has earned ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year twice out of the past six years. Sea Gayle Music is also the parent company to Sea Gayle Records.
Pandora Announces Sixth Annual Lineup At SXSW 2017
/by Haley CrowPandora is returning to South by Southwest for the sixth consecutive year and will feature performances by rising artists from across the globe spanning many genres such as hip hop, dance, Latin, rock, country, and Americana.
“South by Southwest is the premier destination for fans to discover new music,” said Nick Bartle, Chief Marketing Officer of Pandora. “We are so excited to welcome this year’s diverse lineup of talent to the Pandora at SXSW stage, and continue helping emerging artists find their fans and grow their careers.”
Top acts performing on the Pandora stage from Mar. 13-16 include:
● Zipper Club
RSVP now for Pandora at SXSW Music: https://pandorasxsw2017.
Cole Swindell’s “Middle Of A Memory” Celebrated In Nashville
/by Troy_StephensonPictured: (L-R): back row: Warner Chappell’s Ryan Beuschel, Warner Music Nashville’s John Esposito, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, KP Entertainment’s Kerri Edwards, Combustion Music’s Chris Farren. Front row: Producer Michael Carter, ASCAP songwriter Ashley Gorley, BMI songwriter/artist Cole Swindell, ASCAP songwriter Zach Crowell, BMI’s MaryAnn Keen.
Warner Music Nashville hosted a celebration at their office for Cole Swindell’s “Middle Of Memory” on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
BMI’s MaryAnn Keen welcomed the crowd on behalf of their partner,Pinnacle Bank, while ASCAP’s Beth Brinker recognized First Tennessee Bank.
Keen boasted about Swindell achieving his sixth consecutive No. 1 song as an artist for the Gold-certified, “Middle Of A Memory.”
As she welcomed Swindell (BMI) and writers Zach Crowell (ASCAP), Ashley Gorley (ASCAP), along with producer Michael Carter to the stage, Keen mentioned that Swindell is also a NSAI Songwriter/Artist of the Year and received a Triple Play award as a songwriter in 2016.
Brinker took to the stage to congratulate Crowell on his sixth No. 1 song and Gorley on his 30th.
Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson also spoke about Swindell and his accomplishments and added that Cole “doesn’t talk about what he’s going to do, he just gets it done.”
Warner Music Nashville’s John Esposito reminded everyone that Swindell’s first single “Chillin’ It” went to No. 1 almost three years ago to the day.
Gorley mentioned that, even though he has been to a lot of these parties, it never gets old. “It always pushes us, as writers, to raise the bar.”
Swindell concluded the party by thanking his team and saying he “moved to town to write songs that make people feel the way I felt when I first started loving country music.”
Also taking the stage during the party were the CMA’s Brandi Simms, Combustion Music’s Chris Farren, and Warner/Chappell’s Ryan Beuschel.
Guests mingled before the party and took photos in front of a Cole Swindell-inspired backdrop that included memory photos of him on the road.
Artist Updates: Thomas Rhett, Brantley Gilbert, Kelsea Ballerini, Colton Swon, Rory Feek
/by Lorie HollabaughThomas Rhett Named Outnumber Hunger Spokesman for 2017
Big Machine Label Group, General Mills and Feeding America have again joined together for the Outnumber Hunger Campaign aimed at fighting hunger in local communities across America.
This year’s campaign spokesperson is Thomas Rhett. Rhett has participated in the Outnumber Hunger campaign every year since its inception, and has held numerous fan events, including his official Fan Club parties, to benefit Feeding America. Since its 2011, Outnumber Hunger has helped secure more than 45 million meals for families.
This year, Rhett will be featured on the front of specially-marked packages of nearly 60 General Mills brands, including Cheerios™, Lucky Charms™, Nature Valley™ and Totino’s™.
Beginning March 1, individuals can purchase specially-marked products, enter the code found on the packaging at Outnumberhunger.com and help Feeding America secure five meals on behalf of their local member food bank.
Brantley Gilbert Adds Summer Leg To Devil Tour
Photo: The Valory Music Co.
Brantley Gilbert’s The Devil Don’t Sleep Tour is gearing up for some summer dates after wrapping the first leg of the tour April 29. The 26-date summer leg of the tour is a mixture of festivals, fairs and amphitheaters, and will kick off June 2 at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater and run through September 23 in Raleigh.
Kelsea Ballerini To Co-Host ‘The Talk’
Kelsea Ballerini is set to co-host on daytime TV’s “The Talk” on March 6 on CBS, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Ballerini will swap stories with hosts Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood.
Colton Swon Finds Love With Fellow ‘Voice’ Contestant
Congratulations to Colton Swon of the Swon Brothers and indie rock singer/songwriter, Caroline Glaser who are engaged. The happy couple met when they both appeared on Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice and have been dating ever since.
Because their favorite hobby is seeing movies, Colton put on a production of his own, working out an elaborate plan and pretending to take Caroline to see a movie Feb. 25. Once in the theater he aired a self-edited movie trailer of highlights of the two of them at a Nashville-area Regal Cinema and popped the question to a surprised Glaser.
Rory Feek To Discuss New Book At Hall of Fame
Rory Feek will appear at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater on March 11 at 2 p.m. to discuss his New York Times best-seller, This Life I Live: One Man’s Extraordinary, Ordinary Life and the Woman Who Changed It Forever.
Feek and his wife Joey captured widespread attention with his blog, This Life I Live, as he told stories of his family’s life and faith and his wife Joey’s fight against cancer. Led by Museum Editor Michael McCall, the program will be illustrated with photos, film footage, and recordings of the Feeks.
Feek and his late wife won a Best Roots Gospel Album Grammy Award for Hymns That Are Important to Us. The interview is included with museum admission and free to museum members. Seating is limited, and passes are required for admittance.
Kane Brown Says Fans ‘Have My Back,’ Talks Collaboration With Lauren Alaina
/by Jessica NicholsonKane Brown with MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson
In 2014, then-unknown Kane Brown began covering hits by Brantley Gilbert, George Strait, and Chris Young, uploading homemade performance videos to Facebook from his bedroom. His rich country voice quickly caught the attention of fans. A video for his rendition of George Strait’s “Check Yes Or No” garnered over seven million views, while a clip of Brown performing Lonestar’s “Amazed” earned more than 6 million views.
The response from fans emboldened Brown to upload his own original music to social media, a move that ultimately led Brown to write his six-song EP Closer, which he released independently in 2015. Around that time, Brown also began working with marketing exec Jay Frank, and soon after, his current manager Martha Earls.
Fast-forward to early 2016, when Brown signed with Sony Music Nashville’s RCA Nashville imprint, and began working on his debut major EP, Chapter 1, and his full-length, self-titled album. Though Brown co-wrote seven of the 11 tracks for the album, he recalls his first writing session had a less than enthusiastic start.
“Honestly, the first write I had in Nashville—and he’s my boy so I’m not bashing him—was Josh Hoge,” Brown said during a visit to the MusicRow office. “I went in and we were sitting on the couch, and he said, ‘Honestly, I didn’t even want to write with you.’
“He was like, ‘What do you want to write today?’ I had this title ‘Used To Love You Sober,’ so he helped a lot with the imagery. I came up with the lyrics and after that, I put it on Facebook and saw how well it did. He just fell in love with the song. He was like, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to keep writing.’ We wrote like four more songs after that. Kent [Earls, with Universal Music Publishing Group] is good at putting me with people I can relate to.”
Two of those Hoge co-writes, “Used To Love You Sober” and “Thunder In The Rain,” ended up being two of Brown’s most successful singles to date. Hoge also co-wrote “Comeback” for the full-length album. Brown says he hopes to include another of those Hoge co-writes on a future album.
Kane Brown performs during a visit to the MusicRow office.
Another of the standout tracks on Brown’s debut major label project, “Cold Spot,” was penned with Nashville luminaries Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin. Brown recalls the writing process had a distinctly retro, homey feel.
“Everyone I’ve written with are track guys and have the track ready before you go in. With [Tom and Allen], I told them I had this title and he just wrote a story before we had any instrumentals, and then we put it with music. They didn’t use computers. It was cool,” said Brown. “Tom made sandwiches for us during the write.”
Making his music available on social media, and taking the time to engage with his fan base on sites like Facebook have garnered the rising star an ardent following, one that is both supportive and protective of the young singer.
“You got to feed off that energy,” Brown says. “There are a couple of people that hate, but then you’ve got the hundreds of followers that love you,” says Brown, who takes the high road against detractors.
“I’ll either kill them with kindness or I won’t comment,” says Brown. Many times, he doesn’t need to comment. His fanbase has no qualms about responding for him.
“There was one time someone was hating and I was the first comment and I just said, ‘You did it to yourself.’ And then there were like 400 comments from everyone bashing that person. Later, I saw that person changed their name, made their account private, changed their profile picture and deleted the comment. It’s cool. They all have my back.”
Kane Brown with MusicRow staffers.
While Brown has garnered a gold single with “Used To Love You Sober,” his latest single features fellow rising country artist, and Brown’s former choir partner at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Georgia, Lauren Alaina.
Brown co-wrote “What Ifs” with Jordan Schmidt and Matthew McGinn.
“That song took a while to write,” Brown recalls. “Then we needed someone to sing background vocals. I was texting Lauren Alaina that day and asked her to come over. She came in and sang in her workout clothes before she went to workout. She just amplified the song by 10 with her vocals so we went to Universal and asked if we could keep her on there. It was something I always wanted to do, is have her on a song.”
Brown says it is not the first time the two have collaborated musically. “We did ‘I Can Only Imagine’ as a duet. That was before I hit puberty, though,” he said, laughing.
He says Alaina’s success as runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol inspired him to try the reality singing competition route before finding success via social media.
“They told me they didn’t need another Scotty McCreery,” Brown says. “Honestly, seeing her, they brought her back home for a parade, she really inspired me. Our hometown says ‘Home of Lauren Alaina,’ and I’m in a Sharpie beside the name.” he said laughing.
Brown and Alaina are both Academy of Country Music Award nominees this year, nominated for New Male Vocalist of the Year and New Female Vocalist of the Year, respectively.
“It would be awesome if we both won that.”
Jameson Peach Jam To Celebrate Georgia Hitmakers On March 21
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Georgia Music Foundation and Jameson® Irish Whiskey have announced the “Jameson Peach Jam,” a celebration of Georgia’s hitmakers at The George Jones Rooftop Bar in Nashville on Tuesday, March 21, beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT.
The “Jameson Peach Jam” is the official kick-off for the “Fourth Annual Jameson Irish Whiskey Presents Georgia On My Mind” benefit concert hosted by the Peach Pickers songwriters (Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins), slated for Tuesday, May 16 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
“Adding a second night of Georgia-bred music in Nashville was a direct result of the popularity and success of ‘Georgia On My Mind,'” said Davidson, who is also a chair of the Georgia Music Foundation. “There’s so much homegrown talent in Georgia that our Ryman show could go all night, but instead we are partnering with our friends at Jameson to create a second event spotlighting Peach State songwriters and one of Jameson’s emerging artists.”
Songwriters participating in the “Jameson Peach Jam” include Pat Alger, Tony Arata, Trea Landon, Jon Langston, Cole Taylor, and special guests.
Tickets for the “Jameson Peach Jam” cost $10 and proceeds benefit the Georgia Music Foundation. Tickets are available now via xorbia.com/events/georgiamusicfoundation/jameson-peach-jam.
Gyrosity Projects Expands Nashville Team
/by Lorie HollabaughDigital marketing company Gyrosity Projects has expanded their Nashville-based office with seven new employees.
Casey Mahlon and Maddie Menendez join the company from Girlilla Marketing and will focus on music, lifestyle and brand marketing as Account Managers along with Appalachian State grad Jonathan Stout. Belmont alum Shelby Wall joins the firm as Creative Director.
Gyrosity’s new web application Crosshair has added Northwestern University grad Curtis McCabe as Client Relations Liaison and Vanderbilt University alum Alessandra Nunez as Influencer Relations Liaison. Additionally, Kennesaw State graduate Will Deisley joins the team as New Business Representative.
“We’re proud to have built a team all under the age of 30 in just 18 months. We’re raising the standard of digital marketing services — from simple social media management to being a primary driver of new growth for artists, businesses and more. In the end, it’s all about achieving goals for our clients,” says Gyrosity Projects CEO Garrison Snell, who graduated from Belmont University in 2015.
CMT Garners Big Ratings Week With ‘Nashville’ and ‘Sun Records’
/by Lorie HollabaughThe highly anticipated premiere of Sun Records also got off to a strong start, giving the network its most watched night of CMT originals in the channel’s history. The premiere attracted nearly 3 million fans for a gross rating of .97 Adults 18-49 across premiere night airings on CMT, TV Land and Nick at Nite. The debut performed well with both adults and women garnering a 1.13 with Adults 25-54 and 1.32 with Women 25-54 and 1.15 with Women 18-49. On CMT, the premiere attracted 1.6 million fans and averaged a strong .52 Adults 18-49 rating. With adults the episode earned a .61 Adults 25-54 and .68 with Women 25-54 and .57 with Women 18-49.
The successful premieres come on the heels of overall ratings growth for the network, with original premieres on CMT pacing up 46 percent among Adults 18-49 and 73 percent among Women 18-49 versus a year ago. Total day ratings are up 27 percent with Adults 18-49 and 31 percent with Women 18-49.
“Our strategy of attracting new, diverse viewers by leaning into music-based storytelling is working,” said Brian Philips, President of CMT. “Not only did we convert Nashville viewers to Sun Records, fans, but we’re seeing a ratings lift across the entire schedule, proof that CMT is becoming a daily destination for new viewers.”
Industry Ink: Wade Hayes, Steve Wariner, Lindi Ortega, Songbirds Museum Shows
/by Lorie HollabaughWade Hayes Hosts ‘Country Hits Back’ Cancer Research Benefit
Wade Hayes will host the 2nd Annual “Country Hits Back” benefit March 7 at the Franklin Theatre which will help raise funds for research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) where Hayes was treated. He was only 42 when he was diagnosed with advanced (Stage IV) colon cancer, which is the No. 2 cancer killer of men and women in the United States. One of Hayes’ VICC physicians was Jordan Berlin, M.D., Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and Co-Leader of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Program at VICC.
Randy Owen and Trace Lawrence will join Hayes on the show. Details and ticket information can be found at franklintheatre.com
Steve Wariner Signs With Live Arts And Attractions
Steve Wariner has joined the roster at Live Arts and Attractions for booking representation. “I couldn’t be more excited to be working with Steve and to represent his newest show.” said agency General Manager, Dan Mann. “I know him to be one of the finest guitar players in the world and a legendary songwriter. Now I get to represent his show that puts all those talents and more on display.”
Wariner recently released a new album, All Over The Map.
Lindi Ortega Makes A SESAC Stop
Songbirds Museum Hosts April Concerts
The Songbirds Guitar Museum in Chattanooga, which houses the world’s largest private collection of rare, vintage guitars, will be hosting several live shows in the newly-opened museum’s performance space. April shows will include the boundless California Guitar Trio, classical guitarist Michael McCallie, and surf music phenomenon guitarist Dick Dale. The museum and event site is located on the campus of the world famous Chattanooga Choo Choo, and general admission tickets are now on sale at SongbirdsGuitars.com.
Nashville Music Startup Dart Music Files For Chapter 11 Reorganization
/by Jessica NicholsonDart, which launched in 2015, was among the startups in the inaugural class for Project Music, an incubator for music technology startups, housed in the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.
Dart is the first automated platform for independent classical musicians to upload and distribute their music directly to iTunes, Spotfy, Amazon, and more. The services allows musicians to pay a low flat fee, upload their music for digital distribution to online stores, and be able to sell their music without paying royalty fees.
Dart’s Board of Directors, which includes McMurtry, Nashville technology entrepreneur Mark Montgomery, and veteran Nashville music industry executive Joe Galante, approved the Chapter 11 reorganization. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP is serving as Dart’s legal advisors in the restructuring.
The process allows Dart to continue normal business operations while restructuring the company’s finances and contractual relationships.
“We worked hard to avoid this step,” said McMurtry. “Over the last several months, we’ve attempted to restructure the obligations on our 6% Convertible Promissory Notes. Despite being presented with a number of attractive scenarios to restructure outside of Chapter 11, certain of those note holders have refused to reach an agreement with the company that would allow it to reach new heights by providing it with the short-term liquidity necessary to achieve its objectives. It’s become clear that this process has reached an impasse and that any further delay would unnecessarily waste valuable resources of the company. Our filing today is a result of our loss of revenue during the past several quarters associated with the normal ebbs and flows experienced by start-up companies, combined with the reality that our negotiating efforts with our note holders shows no apparent prospect of a near term resolution.”
“The company, our employees, partners, creditors, and shareholders will be best served by an orderly, court-supervised restructuring,” McMurtry continued. “We filed with a strong core business and the liquidity resources necessary to carry out our restructuring plan. Our restructuring will maintain Dart as the leading provider of metadata services globally. We believe this action will allow us to restore our company and take it to new heights.”
According to a statement, as Dart Music navigates the Chapter 11 process, the business will continue to provide wages, healthcare and other benefits to its associates, fund its 401(k) contributions, and pay suppliers and vendors for the good sand services it receives throughout the restructuring process.