Leigh Nash performs for MusicRow staffers.

Leigh Nash‘s sweet voice is familiar to anyone who grew up on the music of Sixpence None The Richer. As lead singer for the group, Nash’s voice was a staple on pop radio in the late ’90s with songs like “Kiss Me” and “There She Goes.” Now, 16 years after her first radio prominence, Nash has released a batch of songs inspired by her love of traditional country music.

Nash’s first independent country album, The State I’m In, released in September. The 12-track project was produced by The Raconteurs member Brendan Benson.

“I’ve talked about making this record for 20 years. It took every minute of the last 20 years to complete, but it’s worth it,” said the singer. She recalled growing up in Texas, and learning from the music of artists such as Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline.

Nash visited the MusicRow offices to give a three-song acoustic snippet of the album. She offered renditions of “Cool Heart,” “Tell Me Now, Tennessee,” and “Somebody’s Yesterday,” a co-write with longtime radio personality and songwriter Gerry House.

“We wrote this after driving home from Texas. I’ve been here 19 years, and I moved from Texas when I was 19, so I’m at that point where I’ve spent as much time here as I did in Texas,” said Nash, explaining how the drive to Texas to Tennessee inspired the song “Tell Me Now, Tennessee.”

Sixpence parted ways in 2004, after which Nash released a series of solo albums, including 2006’s pop collection Blue on Blue, 2007’s Fauxliage, and 2011’s Hymns and Sacred Songs. Nash will showcase songs from the new project during her show at Nashville’s City Winery on Oct. 14.

Leigh Nash with MusicRow staffers.

Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973. Photo: MusicRowStories.com

Members of the Nashville music industry gathered Wednesday (Oct. 7) at Nashville’s RCA Studio A to hear and discuss findings from a study documenting the historic significance of hundreds of buildings in the Music Row area. The study indicated that 35 properties in the Music Row area have been demolished in the past two years, and that 10 of those buildings were potentially eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

Researched by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the study also found that the proximity of the number of music-related businesses gives Nashville the largest concentration of music-related businesses of any city in the nation, including Los Angeles and New York City.

Members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Music Industry Coalition, The Metro Planning Department and The Music Row Neighborhood Association worked together to present the findings.

“Our research confirms that Music Row is the only place of its kind remaining in the U.S. where an entire music industry is clustered in one area but that significant demolition pressure exists,” said David J. Brown, executive vice president and chief preservation officer at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We believe this study offers strong validation for the thoughtful preservation of Music Row’s heritage and careful planning for its future.”

As the buzz around Nashville continues, the city’s population continues to grow, and the demand for housing, restaurants, hotels, and other amenities rise, so does the value for land in Music City, including the streets that make up Nashville’s famed Music Row area.

The study aimed to determine which buildings hold historical significance in the development of Music Row, including enough significance to warrant inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

Led by Carolyn Brackett, Senior Field Officer for the National Trust of Historic Preservation, the study found that 66 buildings meet the eligibility to be nominated for the National Register of Historic Places, a distinction which demands no design or usage restrictions, but symbolizes the property’s national significance and makes the property eligible for certain federal historic tax credits for rehabilitation costs.

The process consists of two phases: documentation/identification, and planning. She stressed that they are still involved in the documentation/identification phase. The process also included gathering oral histories, defining the boundaries of Music Row and identifying a narrative history of important events and the identities of key people who influenced the last 60 years.

They surveyed nearly 400 buildings, to document time periods of construction, architectural traits and to prepare property descriptions, maps and photographs. They also categorized them into nine property types, including recording studios, broadcast studios, union halls, performance venues, housing, publishing houses, multi-purpose buildings, labels, industry services and media buildings, and more. They pored through numerous documents and took 35 oral histories of the area from members of the industry.

Early SESAC Building. The SESAC building was built in 1970 at 11 Music Circle S. It was renovated for Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group. Photo: MusicRowStories.com

“Music Row Is Still Music Row”

Brackett stated that the survey found there are nearly 200 music-related businesses in the Music Row area, including 49 recording studios, 65 music publishing/media services businesses, four radio broadcast stations, five union halls, nine record label/association headquarters, 11 gathering places/performance venues, 30 professional services offices, and 14 housing facilities.

In January 2015, Music Row (which was originally known as “Record Row”) was named as a National Treasure.

The Plan Going Forward

Doug Sloan,Metro Planning Department deputy director, discussed the next steps in determining the plan for the Music Row area.

Community meetings will be held beginning Oct. 26 at Midtown Precinct from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., to get the Music Row community’s involvement in deciding the future of Music Row. Subsequent meetings will be held Nov. 10, Dec. 2, and Jan. 11. A final revision of the report is slated to be presented to the Tennessee State Review board on April 1, 2016.

More information is available at musicrowstories.com. A draft of the full 100+ page report can be viewed here.

16th Ave. S. in 1910. Photo: MusicRowStories.com

Online strategist Mike Fabio and publicist Jake Lanier have accepted positions with New West Records and will be based at the label’s Nashville office.

As Director of Digital Marketing, Fabio will spearhead all online initiatives, including digital marketing strategy, advertising and the label’s social platforms. In the role of Manager of Media Relations, Lanier will assist with national, regional and online publicity efforts, and work under Senior Director of Media Relations, Tim Plumley, based in the Los Angeles office.

A Minneapolis native, Fabio holds degrees in Music and Media Arts & Science from MIT and comes to New West from Tiny Jetpack, a full-service boutique social media marketing firm he founded in 2011. In addition, he is co-founder of Bandposters, a tool for touring artists to design, print, and ship posters to every gig on a tour in 90 seconds or less.

Lanier was most recently Associate Publicist in the Nashville office of New York-based public relations and marketing firm, Sacks & Co. Lanier was born and raised in Statesboro, Ga. and is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where he obtained a BBA in Marketing from the Terry College of Business and a certificate from the UGA Music Business Program.