The inspirational story of Joey+Rory’s Joey Feek will come to the big screen for one night only on Sept. 20, via the documentary To Joey, With Love. Joey died in March at age 40 after battling stage IV cervical cancer.

The project was written, filmed and directed by Rory Lee Feek and produced by Aaron Carnahan. Ben Howard of Provident Films served as executive director.  The documentary being is distributed by Provident Films.

The documentary will chronicle 2 1/2 years of their lives together, from the birth of Joey+Rory’s daughter Indiana, who was born with Down Syndrome, through Joey’s struggle with and ultimate surrender to cancer at age 40.

“Joey didn’t live to see her 41st birthday, but this September, just a week or so after her birthday on the 9th… my wife will get the chance to live again,” said Rory Feek. “On a movie screen, her heart will start beating and her story will come to life once more and it will be my gift to her. And to our girls. And to our friends and family and all who loved her.

“I have had lots of time these last few months to think about what anniversary gift I wanted to give to my wife this year — what act of service I could do, that would matter to her — if she were here. So with the help of some friends, I am going to try to give her a gift that is pretty much impossible … To live on, even after she’s gone.”

Watch the trailer for To Joey, With Love below:

Nestled in the cozy Sound Emporium studios, the historic recording complex once helmed by Jack Clement, a small group of industry members gathered for an early hearing of Creative Nation songwriter Lori McKenna’s latest project, The Bird & The Rifle.

McKenna and producer Dave Cobb were front and center to discuss tracks from the project, in a conversation moderated by NPR Music music critic and author Ann Powers. Among those present were John Marks, Creative Nation’s Luke and Beth Laird, Creative Nation songwriter Barry Dean, and more.

Recorded live over 10 days at Cobb’s home studio in Nashville this past winter, The Bird & The Rifle is elegantly sparse, with instrumental backing strategically spaced to highlight the project’s introspective lyrics.

“Going in, I usually know the five core songs that I’m going to have that are me, right now and then we pick the other ones from there. I have to be able to sing, by myself and play it. Maybe not that good… I’m pretty good at compartmentalizing a bit. I like sitting in the room and writing and not being the artist and watching the artist and trying to figure out what they need.”

McKenna notes that her vocals on the project are authentic, if not perfect. In some ways, that allows for her signature approach to writing songs. “If I could sing like Carrie Underwood, I wouldn’t write like I do. I’d write a lot differently, that’s for sure.”

It was that combination of a raw, honest vocal and insightful lyrics that drew Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell) to the project.

“Beth Laird sent me the demos, and when I heard the demos…[Lori] is able to paint such a visceral picture with everything she writes lyrically. I’m always attracted to that,” said Cobb. “I’m a terrible writer and lyricist. I admire people who are really strong with a pen. I heard her Massachusetts [2013] record, which I adored. I think that’s the first thing I said to Beth, ‘I love her voice. I’m in. It was a no brainer for me.’”

“Wreck You,” written with Felix McTeigue, is about eight years old. “It was one of those songs that wouldn’t die,” says McKenna. “If a song is going to last eight years in my brain, it’s a good sign. I was texting back and forth the other day with Brandy Clark and we were talking about traveling and being away from home and your husband or wife or kids, and that’s always been my biggest burden as far as being blessed enough to have this job. That’s really where it came from, ‘What am I doing to all these people?’ I told her I wrote the song eight years ago and I still feel the same way. It’s that still-lingering emotion.”

The album’s title track, a metaphor for love, insecurity, and freedom, takes its title from an episode of Modern Family.

“I was folding laundry and a re-run was on TV,” McKenna recalled. “They start talking about tattoos they get and [a character] mentions ‘The Bird and The Rifle.’ Troy Verges and Caitlyn Smith were at my house writing that week. I knew [the song] would be [about] a woman and a man… I ended up with the spreading of the wings brings out the rifle in him. It presented itself that way. It’s love but how dangerous is it or how accepting is it?”

The Bird & The Rifle includes McKenna’s version of “Humble & Kind,” which Tim McGraw took to the pinnacle of the country charts—the first penned by a solo writer since Taylor Swift’s “Ours” in 2012. The song is a gentle reminder to listeners to work hard, but to be encouraging to those around them, without being preachy.

“I got my answer ready in case there was a press thing and somebody did say, there was this big headline that says, ‘You’re being preachy,’” says McKenna. “I was going to say, ‘Screw you, I have five kids, I can be preachy. I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to these five.’ Honestly, in this song, every line, I can tell you, like, what kid…I think I was lucky that it didn’t end up preachy because it could have.”

“I find it really uplifting in every possible way. I had this very encouraging spirit to it,” said Cobb.

Though McKenna regularly writes with country music’s top songwriters and artists, she says her children, who range in age from 12 to 27, are not impressed by their mother’s career.

“I’ve been doing this a while now so the littlest ones have grown up in this world,” she says.

Her career has brought some interesting experiences, however, such as when Swift was co-writing at McKenna’s home in Massachusetts.

“Neighbors called the police because there were bodyguards in Escalades around the neighborhood,” she recalls. “So they thought their kids were going to get kidnapped and called the police. Someone called me, and I was like, ‘No, it’s just Taylor Swift.’”

The Bird & The Rifle, out July 29 on CN Records, via Thirty Tigers, is McKenna’s 10th studio album and follows 2014’s acclaimed Numbered Doors.

Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) hosted a networking mixer at BMI on Wednesday night (June 15). Over the course of the night, the event drew 800 professionals at every level of the industry.

Chicago White Sox To Host Chase Bryant And Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry will take its replica Opry Circle to Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field on July 8 when country singer Chase Bryant entertains prior to the White Sox and Atlanta Braves game at a 7:10 p.m.

The White Sox will celebrate country music before the game with a live radio broadcast with US99*5 at U.S. Cellular Field from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. and throughout the game. There will also be a first pitch from US99*5 afternoon on-air talent Kasper, a Country Music Night Party Shop in Section 159, country music giveaways and country music played throughout the ballpark. The night will conclude with a post-game fireworks show accompanied by video footage from the Opry stage. More information and tickets at whitesox.com.

 

The Bass Brothers Perform During CMA Fest

London, England’s The Bass Brothers, who are currently finishing their project with Dann and David Huff producing, stopped by the Radio Disney Stage at CMA Music Fest to meet Phil Guerini, VP of Music Strategy Disney Channels Worldwide.

 

Rizzi Myers Signs with Phivestarr/AVJ Records

Pop singer/songwriter Rizzi Myers has signed to Nashville-based Phivestarr/AVJ Records (a division of Average Joes Entertainment). “Closer to Closure,” Myers’ debut single for the label, is available on iTunes.

The 26-year old’s YouTube channel virtually exploded when her viral video, “1 Woman, 15 Voices,” went from 1,300 views to 4 million in just four weeks. The video highlights Rizzi impersonating 15 different female vocalists ranging from Adele to Marilyn Monroe to Amy Winehouse.

Myers will be featured on labelmate DJ KO’s debut EP, High Gravity, set for release this summer.