Jamie Floyd. Photo: Molly Hannula
Jamie Floyd is smiling from the cover of her new EP, Sunshine & Rainbows, but there’s a sly wink in the title.
“Most of these songs were songs my publishers kind of wrote off, and didn’t want me to do, and I wasn’t allowed to demo,” the singer-songwriter explained during a visit to MusicRow offices. “So once I got pull of the reins, I was like, ‘This is what we’re doing. We’re calling it Sunshine & Rainbows.’ I came up with that three years ago, so it’s been really special to see it in real life and have all this happen around it.”
Her reference to “all this” covers a lot of ground. As a co-writer she landed the title cut of Ashley Monroe’s Grammy-nominated album, The Blade. Writing solo, she’s credited with the original music for Lifetime’s 2016 movie, Manson’s Lost Girls. And tonight (March 9), she’s throwing a record release party at 12th & Porter with free admission.
Delivered in a strong, expressive alto, Sunshine & Rainbows isn’t brimming with happy songs but you can hear the professional caliber of songwriting that comes from spending more than a decade in Nashville. Co-writers on the project include Jennifer Hanson and Lucie Silvas (“Casino”), Allen Shamblin and Marc Beeson (“The Blade”) and Lori McKenna (“The People You Knew”). She co-wrote the title track with one of her best friends, Shannon Wright. She performed “Casino,” “The Blade” and “Sunshine & Rainbows” for the MusicRow staff accompanied by sister Kellie Floyd and bandmate Tomi Martin.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Floyd grew up singing in a band with her family, opening shows for artists like Rascal Flatts and James Taylor. When she was 11, she signed a record deal with Epic, but it dissolved around 2001. Deciding to pursue music, she relocated to Nashville in 2003 and has been in the trenches ever since.
Like many songwriters, she’s had a lot of high hopes and dashed dreams. As a counterpoint to her music career, she’s a waitress at Lockeland Table in East Nashville. Although there’s hardly enough time in the day to get everything done, she’s made the effort to keep as much of the related publishing paperwork in-house as possible, including licensing and administration. However, she does get a helping hand from CPA Mike Vaden and publicist Jenny Bohler.
“I lost my publishing deal two and a half years ago and I could have pursued things but I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to do it myself,’” she said. “I had on-and-off publishing deals for years, tons of them. I was just trying to find my people and I had been lucky to be able to work with a bunch of people, but at that time, I thought, ‘Let’s see what happens if I do this myself because I feel like no one’s gonna work harder for me than me,’ at least at that time.”
She noted that her independent status is part of the reason that Hollywood keeps her busy writing songs for films. Another reason is because she’s fast, and capable of turning around a batch of songs overnight.
Floyd got attention from the film world after writing songs for the 2013 Lifetime movie, A Country Christmas Story, starring Dolly Parton. Floyd has since secured an agent in Los Angeles to rustle up more work. She said she never expected to land a career in writing music for film but she’s been having a lot of fun doing it.
In contrast, Floyd was emotionally shattered after writing “The Blade,” which was inspired by a line in a sermon about how sometimes you catch life by the handle, but sometimes you catch it by the blade, and that it’s up to the individual to decide how deal with it.
“We worked for two or three hours trying to figure out what this song was going to be about,” she recalled. “And we finally narrowed it down to love. And by way of that, we got, ‘You caught it by the handle and I caught it by the blade.’ As soon as that hit the room, we were like, ‘Ahh, oh my God, how do we even do this now? How are we going to write a song that can support that message?’
“When we finished the work tape, we thought, ‘Don’t know if anybody wants to hear anything this sad, but it’s definitely what we were trying to say and it was special. We were all crying and exhausted, and then I had to go wait tables!” she added with a hearty laugh.
Floyd is hoping the momentum from “The Blade” and her Sunshine & Rainbows showcase will trigger some interest in the Nashville music community.
“I’ve had some things come at me after ‘The Blade’ happened, and I walked away from some things that people might think I’m crazy walking away from, but a few of those deals weren’t right,” she said. “It didn’t matter that the carrot was dangled: ‘You can quit work for a year!’ I’m going to wait for the right thing. It’s been very hard to do that but I’m hoping the right thing comes along, and it’s all timing.”
Jamie Floyd (center) poses with MusicRow staff.
Dave Barnes To Play Ryman Auditorium, Release Ninth Studio Album
/by Troy_StephensonDave Barnes
Singer-songwriter Dave Barnes will release his ninth studio album Carry On, San Vicente on Friday, March 18. In support of the release, Barnes has announced a national tour that will begin on April 2 in Dallas, Texas. His stops will also include Austin, Charlotte, Denver, Washington D.C., and New York City, as well as a performance at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on July 23.
Barnes has written/co-written songs for artists including Hunter Hayes (“Young & In Love”), Tim McGraw (“Mary & Joseph”), Billy Currington (“Until You”), Terri Clark (“Don’t Start”), Ben Rector (“You and Me”), Kelly Clarkson, Marc Broussard, Matt Wertz, The Josh Abbott Band, Danielle Bradbery and Andrew Ripp. His songs have been featured in movies (Employee of the Month, My Super Ex-Girlfriend) and TV (ABC’s Brothers and Sisters, WB’s Summerland, CW’s Life Unexpected, Disney’s Suite Life On Deck, and Showtime’s Dexter, which also featured part of the music video).
DISClaimer: Chuck Wicks, Jessie G, Tim Elliott, Southern Halo Take Indie Spotlight
/by Robert K OermannChuck Wicks
It’s high time we did some tidying up around here.
Several of these indie acts have been in the to-be-listened-to pile of platters for weeks. They’re usually pushed aside by major-label artists, but today they’re in the spotlight.
The Disc of the Day belongs to Chuck Wicks.
But the real news du jour is in the DisCovery Award department. We have three winners — a female, a male and a group. The female DisCovery is power voiced Jessie G. Our male winner is jaunty Tim Elliott. The group DisCovery is the sister act Southern Halo. Congratulations, one and all.
Southern Halo
DIANA UPTON HILL/Southern Gentlemen
Writers: Georgia Thomas Edgeworth/Robin Grant; Producer: Bryan White: Publishers: Moonlight Through the Pines/Saved By the Belle, ASCAP/BMI; Third Floor
– The drums are slamming in this rocked-out mix. Indeed, she’s almost drowned out by them. Her pert soprano checks off the states of Dixie in the choruses. Which is cute.
CHUCK WICKS/She’s Gone
Writers: Chuck Wicks/Brett Tyler/Jeffery East; Producers: Chuck Wicks/Andy Dodd; Publishers: none listed; Blaster (track)
– I like the open, quiet spaces in the production. They allow his voice to crack in all the right places and draw your attention to the spare, lonely lyric. The rising intensity in the sound is cool, too. Recommended.
WILL CARTER/I Don’t Know Why
Writers: Will Carter/Jude Dyllan; Producer: Jude Dyllan; Publishers: Will Carter/Jude Dyllan, BMI; WC
– He sings well. The song does nothing for me.
SMITH & WESLEY/Sweet Life
Writers: Scott Smith; Producer: Shane Hill; Publishers: Dream Walkin’, ASCAP; Garage Door
– Twin-guitar Southern rock with bro-country lyrics. It conspicuously lacks a melody.
Tim Elliott
CLARE DUNN/Tuxedo
Writers: Clare Dunn/Ben West/Brett James; Producers: Clare Dunn/Ben West; Publishers: BMG Gold/Leer Jet 87/BMG Platinum/For the Kids Platinum/Legitimate Effort/WB/Songs of Brett, BMI/ASCAP; MCA (CDX)
– Country quasi-rap in the verses. Big-voice choruses. The echo on her alto puts her right in your face. Inventive songwriting and innovative production touches.
TIM ELLIOTT/Boom
Writers: Tim Elliott/Bob Moffatt/Clint Moffatt/Chris Womack; Producer: Kent Wells; Publishers: Boggs River/Chase the Music/Reynsong, ASCAP/BMI; BRE (CDX)
– Very clever. He counts down the numbers until the lovin’ starts. The production burbles along at a percolating pace, and his voice has a youthful innocence. Endearing.
KELLEY SALLEE SNEAD/Always A Stranger
Writers: Snead/Frederick/Sallee Snead; Producers: Doak Snead/Tony Garber; Publisher: Doak Snead, BMI; KSS (track)
– Veteran songwriter Doak Snead’s wife has a form of Parkinson’s that has taken away her ability to sing. He and co-producer Tony Garber have compiled the best of her song demos, fully produced masters, work tapes and home recordings to make the album Roses & Tumbleweeds: A Retrospective. She is a fine vocalist, equally at home on ballads and uptempo fare. The CD is available on iTunes, CDBaby and Amazon.
SOUTHERN HALO/Little White Dress
Writers: Natalie Morris/Cat Gravitt/Gerald O’Brien; Producers: Cat Cravitt/Gerald O’Brien; Publishers: Southern Halo/Razor and Tie/Ink Pen Mama, BMI/SESAC; Southern Halo
– This is a trio of singing sisters who harmonize like angels. The song is as catchy as all get out, with a solid backbeat, cool guitars and a wedding-day chorus to die for. Super listening.
Jessie G
JESSIE G/Drop A Line
Writers: Jessie Goergen/Joshua Withenshaw/Davis Branch; Producers: Gretchen Wilson/Jessie G; Publishers: Straight Off the Boat/Home Is a Time Not a Place, ASCAP/BMI; JG (track)
– Gretchen Wilson is behind the board for this minor-key, bluesy stomper. The singer has firepower to spare. A left-field winner.
RODEO GYPSY/Southern Proof
Writers: Bridgette Powell/Dustin Sciaraffo/Jonathan Robinson; Producer: Sam Tate; Publishers: Tuf Monkey, BMI/ASCAP; BAM (track)
– Rodeo Gypsy is a trio comprised of Bridgette Powell, Dustin Sciaraffo and Becca Cummins. Their debut outing is an acoustic ditty with stark bongo-dobro-guitar-bass accompaniment. The harmonies are dandy. The lyric is of the Dixie-proud variety. It might not be the most commercial thing I’ve ever heard, but it certainly is pleasant listening.
Nashville-Based Silverado Records Signs Nick Smith To Roster
/by Jessica NicholsonNick Smith
Nashville-based independent label Silverado Records has signed its first artist, Nick Smith. Smith, originally from Enville, Tennessee, has been playing at local venues and building a solid fan base since 2010.
“Nick has an exciting and authentic sound, which we’re really looking forward to sharing with country music lovers,” said Silverado Records CEO Scott Thomas. “Nick is the real deal, from the country and small town America, but with big ideas and a killer work ethic. Nick was the rock-solid kind of artist we wanted to kick Silverado Records off with, and we can’t wait to get him out there to the fans.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to announce our signing of Nick, Silverado’s first!” said Silverado Records A&R Director Aaron Chesling. “His passion for this genre drives him to write and record songs that not only conveys who he is but what matters and what he truly believes in. There’s an authenticity about Nick you can’t shake once you’ve met him, and that kind of connection is what we’re working to create with country music fans.”
Smith added, “Silverado has given me a great opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream. I couldn’t be more excited to represent country music with the team at Silverado. Let’s do this!”
Silverado Records was founded in late 2015 by Las Vegas-based Exegan Music Group, and is distributed digitally by The Orchard.
Exclusive: Songwriter Jamie Floyd Brings ‘Sunshine & Rainbows’
/by Craig_ShelburneJamie Floyd. Photo: Molly Hannula
Jamie Floyd is smiling from the cover of her new EP, Sunshine & Rainbows, but there’s a sly wink in the title.
“Most of these songs were songs my publishers kind of wrote off, and didn’t want me to do, and I wasn’t allowed to demo,” the singer-songwriter explained during a visit to MusicRow offices. “So once I got pull of the reins, I was like, ‘This is what we’re doing. We’re calling it Sunshine & Rainbows.’ I came up with that three years ago, so it’s been really special to see it in real life and have all this happen around it.”
Her reference to “all this” covers a lot of ground. As a co-writer she landed the title cut of Ashley Monroe’s Grammy-nominated album, The Blade. Writing solo, she’s credited with the original music for Lifetime’s 2016 movie, Manson’s Lost Girls. And tonight (March 9), she’s throwing a record release party at 12th & Porter with free admission.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Floyd grew up singing in a band with her family, opening shows for artists like Rascal Flatts and James Taylor. When she was 11, she signed a record deal with Epic, but it dissolved around 2001. Deciding to pursue music, she relocated to Nashville in 2003 and has been in the trenches ever since.
Like many songwriters, she’s had a lot of high hopes and dashed dreams. As a counterpoint to her music career, she’s a waitress at Lockeland Table in East Nashville. Although there’s hardly enough time in the day to get everything done, she’s made the effort to keep as much of the related publishing paperwork in-house as possible, including licensing and administration. However, she does get a helping hand from CPA Mike Vaden and publicist Jenny Bohler.
“I lost my publishing deal two and a half years ago and I could have pursued things but I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to do it myself,’” she said. “I had on-and-off publishing deals for years, tons of them. I was just trying to find my people and I had been lucky to be able to work with a bunch of people, but at that time, I thought, ‘Let’s see what happens if I do this myself because I feel like no one’s gonna work harder for me than me,’ at least at that time.”
She noted that her independent status is part of the reason that Hollywood keeps her busy writing songs for films. Another reason is because she’s fast, and capable of turning around a batch of songs overnight.
Floyd got attention from the film world after writing songs for the 2013 Lifetime movie, A Country Christmas Story, starring Dolly Parton. Floyd has since secured an agent in Los Angeles to rustle up more work. She said she never expected to land a career in writing music for film but she’s been having a lot of fun doing it.
“We worked for two or three hours trying to figure out what this song was going to be about,” she recalled. “And we finally narrowed it down to love. And by way of that, we got, ‘You caught it by the handle and I caught it by the blade.’ As soon as that hit the room, we were like, ‘Ahh, oh my God, how do we even do this now? How are we going to write a song that can support that message?’
“When we finished the work tape, we thought, ‘Don’t know if anybody wants to hear anything this sad, but it’s definitely what we were trying to say and it was special. We were all crying and exhausted, and then I had to go wait tables!” she added with a hearty laugh.
Floyd is hoping the momentum from “The Blade” and her Sunshine & Rainbows showcase will trigger some interest in the Nashville music community.
“I’ve had some things come at me after ‘The Blade’ happened, and I walked away from some things that people might think I’m crazy walking away from, but a few of those deals weren’t right,” she said. “It didn’t matter that the carrot was dangled: ‘You can quit work for a year!’ I’m going to wait for the right thing. It’s been very hard to do that but I’m hoping the right thing comes along, and it’s all timing.”
Jamie Floyd (center) poses with MusicRow staff.
Country Trio Midland Inks Deal With Big Machine Records
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R, Back Row): Andrew Kautz, BMLG; Jack Purcell, BMR; Allison Jones, BMLG; John Zarling, BMLG; Todd Ramey, Sandbox Entertainment; Jason Owen, Sandbox Entertainment; Matt Graham, BRND MGMT.
(Front Row): Scott Borchetta, BMLG; Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy and Mark Wystrach.
Photo: Seth Hellman
Big Machine Records has signed country trio Midland to its roster. The group is headed by vocalist Mark Wystratch, with lead guitarist Jess Carson and bass player Cameron Duddy. Shane McAnally has signed on to produce the group’s first Big Machine Records project.
Originally formed in Dripping Springs, Texas, the band is rooted in tradition both in sound and style. Midland, who initially garnered attention playing clubs in the Texas region, intentionally nods to the wild west with country music that is reminiscent of the 1970’s and 80’s with a modern-day twist.
“A voice like Mark’s is so rare–it’s one of those voices that you just hope is out there and something we’re always on the lookout for–and when you find it, it literally changes the colors in the room,” said Big Machine President/CEO Scott Borchetta. “Together with Jess and Cam, this is one of the coolest and most interesting, energetic and charismatic bands to burst onto the scene in quite sometime. Expect big things… ”
“The band is very excited to jump in feet first with the Big Machine team. We have been playing honky-tonks around the South and Southwest for the past few years and are anxious to expand our audience,” said Wystrach. “We are a fusion of so many different influences and genres from traditional country to Southern rock, rhythm and blues to soul music, and look forward to collaborating with our Nashville brothers and sisters to make great music for years to come.”
SMACK Adds Josh Jenkins To Songwriter Roster
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R, seated): Shane McAnally, President, SMACK; Josh Jenkins, writer, SMACK/Kobalt. (Standing): Robin Palmer, VP of Creative, SMACK; Robert Carlton, Creative Director, SMACK; Jesse Willoughby, Kobalt; Stephanie Cox, Kobalt; Laura Wright Alexander, Kobalt.
Green River Ordinance’s Josh Jenkins has joined SMACK as its newest songwriter. He joins a roster that includes Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and more.
Jenkins wrote or co-wrote every song on his band’s recent Billboard No. 1 Folk and No. 8 Rock album Fifteen and has a cut titled “Whiskeysippi River” on the forthcoming Randy Houser record, Fired Up.
The SMACK team is currently up for 10 ACM nominations, including Female Vocalist, Video of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Vocal Group, New Vocal Group and others.
Sammy Arriaga Signs With Latium Records
/by Jessica NicholsonSammy Arriaga. Photo: Kris Steer
Latium Entertainment has signed Nashville artist Sammy Arriaga to their Los Angeles-based Latium Records, which is a venture with RCA Records and Sony Music International.
The 23-year-old, Miami-born Cuban singer/songwriter blends bold rhythmic elements of his Latin heritage with infectious melodies in his music. He is managed by Latium Entertainment and represented by publicity agency Sweet Talk Publicity. He is signed to Sony/ATV as a songwriter.
Arriaga co-wrote his latest single “Cold in Miami” with Aaron Scherz and James Slater. Produced by Wondrboy, the track was featured in iHeartCountry’s Digital Integration Program. CMT has also selected Arriaga for its 2016 Artist Discovery campaign.
“We pride ourselves on crossing both worlds of pop and Latin, and have been on the search for the country singer that can live and perform in both worlds,” said Latium Entertainment’s CEO Charles Chavez, whose company was longtime manager for global superstar Pitbull and is also home to MAGIC!, Kat Dahlia and Shy Carter. “One day Sammy Arriaga walked in my office to pitch writing Spanish songs and told me he was a country singer living in Nashville. He played the guitar and sang, and I got on the next plane to Nashville to take him to Sony. Get ready world!”
Five More Performers Added To ACM Awards
/by Jessica NicholsonThey join previously announced performers Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Cam and others. Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan will co-host the event.
McGraw will make the television debut performance of his current single, “Humble and Kind.”
Meanwhile, Stapleton is the awards show’s leading nominee with seven nominations. Rhett has three nominations, while Aldean and Bryan have two nominations each.
The ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
Front Row Insurance Opens Nashville Office Led By Tom Corley
/by Jessica NicholsonTom Corley
Front Row Insurance, which specializes in entertainment insurance brokers, has opened a Nashville office headed by Tom Corley.
Corley’s 25-year career includes work with Ronnie Milsap, Waylon Jennings, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Restless Heart, and many others. As a Producer for AEG Live and TBA Entertainment, Corley handled tours including the CMT Tour featuring Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert and Rascal Flatts, Reba/Kelly Clarkson Tour, and Kenny Chesney’s stadium and New Year’s Eve concerts.
In 2001, Corley assisted and relocated the CMA Music Festival performance stages from the Tennessee State Fairgrounds to the stadium downtown and worked there for the first two years.
“We are delighted to welcome Tom into Front Row,” said David Hamilton, President of Front Row Insurance Brokers. “Tom’s long history as one of the top tour managers in the world gives Front Row a deeper practical understanding of the risks our clients face associated with touring and live events. Tom is a rare expert that can identify the risks of the music industry that should be transferred to the insurance companies: new and existing clients will benefit from Tom’s expertise. Front Row is a specialized entertainment insurance broker: our volume with the insurance companies will allow Tom to offer his clients the best protection at the best possible premiums available in the marketplace. Everyone working in the music industry that seeks Tom out will be better protected and a lot happier after hearing some of his entertaining stories!”
Front Row Insurance also has offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Los Angeles. Corley can be reached at 615-326-4226 or at tom@frontrowinsurance.com.
Pandora Launches Artist-To-Fan Audio Messaging Feature AMPcast
/by Jessica NicholsonPandora has launched AMPcast, a new feature that allows musicians to record and upload audio messages that will directly reach fans between streams of the artist’s music on Pandora.
AMPcast is an extension of Artist Audio Messages, which allowed for studio-created messages. With AMPcast, artists speak the message into a smartphone and assign its placement. The messages are played when a Pandora station streams the artist’s music, though artists can control whether the voice message precedes or follows their track, or it can be used as a pre-roll to the launch of a station based on their music.
The audio messages, which will soon be geo-targeted and demo-targeted, can be accompanied by linkable calls-to-action on the screen such as a local ticket sale, a new single, an album release, or any other information.
However, artists do not control how often the recorded message is inserted. Additionally, Pandora users can opt out of the artist messages.