One of Music City’s ace songwriters, BMG writer Hillary Lindsey has penned a string of hits recorded by Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town, plus Taylor Swift (“Fearless”), Sara Evans (“A Little Bit Stronger”), Lady Antebellum (“American Honey” and “Lookin’ For A Good Time”), Gary Allan (“Every Storm Runs Out of Rain)” and more.
Lindsey, an ASCAP writer, has written for Underwood since the singer won American Idol in 2005; Lindsey co-wrote Underwood’s debut single, “Jesus Take The Wheel,” and has gone on to co-write numerous hits for (and often with) the Grammy winner, including “Wasted,” “Just A Dream,” “See You Again,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” and “So Small,” as well as “Smoke Break,” the first single from Underwood’s upcoming Storyteller project.
Lindsey’s collaborations with fellow co-writers Liz Rose and Lori McKenna (the group’s informal name is The Love Junkies) have resulted in one of the most successful and most talked about songs of 2015, Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” which has garnered several nominations for the upcoming CMA Awards, including Single of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music Video of the Year.
Lindsey spoke with MusicRow as part of a Writer’s Notes series for its annual Publisher issue (released today, Oct. 13). For the full interview, check out the annual MusicRow Publisher Issue.
On Her Start in Nashville:
I came to Nashville in 1994, and attended Belmont [University]. I majored in Music Business, because I thought when I tried to get a record deal, that I wouldn’t get screwed because I knew the business side of it. My roommate interned at a record label. She took one of my tapes and played it. The tape got sent around to different publishers, and Famous Music signed me. Then I signed with Epic out of Los Angeles, but that deal lasted about three months. John Polk, who signed me, told me he quit and that they were dropping me and two other acts he had most recently signed. I hadn’t recorded anything, and didn’t even step into the studio. It was a pretty low time. Then I stopped feeling sorry for myself and began writing with Gordie Sampson, Brett James, Troy Verges, and others. We began getting cuts, and I thought, ‘This isn’t bad, either.’
On Her First Co-Write With Liz Rose:
Liz Rose and I had written one song together, but we were actually not in the same room when we wrote it. That track was “Fearless,” the title track of Taylor Swift’s album. Obviously Taylor and Liz wrote a lot together. I had a writing date with Taylor, and she came to my home. She came in like a fireball. She was young, but she knew exactly what she wanted. She had been working on the song with Liz, but wanted to finish it with me. When the song was cut for Taylor’s album I didn’t really know Liz, but that was our first cut together.
On Writing Sessions With The Love Junkies:
Lori [who lives in Stoughton, Mass.] will fly to Nashville, and we will hole up at Liz’s house for a few days. Liz is the queen bee. She whips us into shape. We will write three or four songs in a day. You can almost not turn off the writing juices. We will write all day, then it’s wine time and then you write more and eventually make it into your pajamas. They get up before me and they are already down there. They’ve been tweaking lines from the song the night before or have been working on new ideas.
On Songwriting Dry Spells:
I’ve been very lucky and blessed. It’s been a good run recently. But I hit dry spells all the time. I get so frustrated, and want to throw my guitar against the wall or move away, it’s so dramatic. Some writers can take a [long] break, and come back super-refreshed. For me, it’s a muscle that I like to keep working out. But in the same breath, it’s healthy. I couldn’t do all those songs by myself. Those songs are because of my co-writers as well. We lean on each other very heavily.
On The State Of Female Artists and Songwriters At Country Radio:
A year or so ago, I would have been more sad about it, but I really feel like that tide is turning. You can see certain artists like Maren Morris doing well. I feel like there is a real change about to come. There is so much talent among the female writers, and they are here busting their butts every day. Natalie Hemby, Nicolle Galyon, Heather Morgan, Caitlyn Smith — there are so many I can’t name them all. Kelsea Ballerini just broke through, and we’re seeing Mickey Guyton. We need a few more to break through. It’s all cyclical.
Cam’s “Burning House” Certified as Gold Single
/by Craig_ShelburnePictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman; Sr. VP Marketing Paul Barnabee; Executive VP & COO Ken Robold; Cam; Sony Music Nashville Executive VP, Promotion & Artist Development Steve Hodges; VP A&R Jim Catino; Arista Nashville VP Promotion Lesly Simon; manager Lindsay Marias; and co-producer and “Burning House” co-writer Tyler Johnson.
Singer-songwriter Cam received a plaque for her first gold single on Tuesday (Oct. 13) at the offices of Sony Music Nashville. The music video will premiere today on Entertainment Tonight and ETonline.com. It was shot by ACM and CMA Award-winning director Trey Fanjoy and produced by Trent Hardville for Big Feather Films.
The Arista Nashville/RCA Records newcomer’s current EP, Welcome to Cam Country, and upcoming full-length album are produced by Grammy-winner Jeff Bhasker (Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, FUN., The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift) and Tyler Johnson (Ed Sheeran, OneRepublic, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Mikky Ekko.) “Burning House” was co-written by Cam, Bhasker, and Johnson.
Cam celebrates her gold-certified single for “Burning House” with members of her team and the Sony Music Nashville staff.
IEBA Unveils Masterminds Behind Kelsea Ballerini Breakout
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): John Huie, Fletcher Foster, Kelsea Ballerini, Ray Waddell.
On the final day of the 45th Annual International Entertainment Buyers Association’s (IEBA) three-day conference at Nashville’s Omni Hotel, Black River artist Kelsea Ballerini was joined by her manager Fletcher Foster (Iconic Entertainment) and agent John Huie (CAA). The three were led by Billboard‘s Ray Waddell on the stage of the CMA Theater today, Oct. 13 to give a sneak peek into breaking a new artist in today’s market.
“Kelsea was signed as a writer before she had an artist deal,” noted Huie of the importance of a song. “That’s where Nashville is going, even for someone who has the entire package. For years, this town was about finding people who had the package and then for songs. Kelsea had over 100 songs in her catalog before she ever got a record deal.”
“I feel like being naive has been my biggest asset so far because I don’t know what I’m not supposed to do,” confessed Ballerini who was introduced to Nashville by a producer her mother hired in Knoxville, Tenn., to commemorate the songwriting her 14-year-old daughter had achieved. That producer introduced the now 22-year-old star to Nashville during future visits to Music City.
Huie and Foster met Ballerini because of this songwriting–Huie at an ASCAP writer showcase when the singer was 15 and Foster through Black River Publishing’s Celia Froehlig.
“There’s this illusion that women can’t sell tickets,” said Huie of a misperception he has challenged with Ballerini. “Some people think you have to have hits before you go work because you’re not suppose to put women in clubs.
“Kelsea said she was going to be a touring act and wanted to work, so we grabbed everything. Now that she has a hit, we can direct the boat a little better but her dedication and attitude is what makes her additionally special and makes you want to fight even harder for.”
“I counted almost 190 dates on the calendar last year for Kelsea,” emphasized Foster of Ballerini’s busy year. “That doesn’t include press, rehearsal, or travel. I’m talking about a performance on each of those dates for radio, paid, or free dates.”
“One of the biggest blessings I’ve had in my life is being a hardcore country music fan,” explained Ballerini of her drive. “I remember coming to CMA Fest standing in line for hours to meet Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, and Justin Moore. Being on this side of it now, I know how to make the 45 seconds you get with someone count. I would save my money to get nosebleed seats at arenas to see my favorite artist. Being in the back row taught me how to make people in the very back feel like you see them. Being a fan really taught me how to be an artist.”
In Pictures: Cassadee Pope on ‘Today,’ APA Artists at IEBA, The Cadillac Three
/by Jessica NicholsonCassadee Pope Brings ‘Invincible’ Performance to ‘Today’
Cassadee Pope performed her empowering new single “I Am Invincible” this morning on the Today show. She gave fans a behind-the-scenes look throughout the morning as she took over People magazine’s Instagram.
Watch the performance at Today.com.
Cassadee Pope on Today. Photo: BMLG
APA at IEBA
APA Celebrated its artists, including Dailey & Vincent and Maggie Rose, during the 2015 IEBA Conference in Nashville.
Pictured (L-R): APA Agency’s Cass Scripps, Steve Lassiter and Frank Wing, Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent of Dailey & Vincent, Maggie Rose and APA’s Jim Gosnell and Chris Looney.
The Cadillac Three Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Nashville natives The Cadillac Three traveled to Orlando, Fla. Thursday evening (Oct. 8) for a benefit performance during AJ & Ashley’s Survivor Celebration hosted by K92.3. The edgy trio slowed it down for an intimate acoustic performance including their current single, “White Lighting.”
Watch a snippet of their performance at k923orlando.com:
The Cadillac Three hang with breast cancer survivors and guests of the Survivor Celebration. Photo: BMLG
MusicRowLife: RaeLynn Engaged, Sarah Buxton Expecting
/by Jessica NicholsonRaeLynn Engaged To Longtime Boyfriend
Photo: RaeLynn/Twitter.
Singer-songwriter RaeLynn accepted a proposal from longtime boyfriend Josh Davis on Monday (Oct. 12) at Nashville’s Belmont University campus.
“OMG I’m getting married!” RaeLynn told Us Magazine. “My life has been so crazy with my singing career and traveling and being 21, but you can’t plan when you’re gonna meet ‘the one.’ When it’s right, you just have to go with it.”
Sarah Buxton, Tom Bukovac Expecting Second Child
Sarah Buxton
Singer-songwriter Sarah Buxton and her husband, musician Tom Bukovac, are expecting their second child. The couple welcomed their first child, son Marshall, in 2012.
Nashville Entertainment Lawyers Honored In ‘Best Lawyers’ Rankings
/by Jessica NicholsonSeveral Nashville entertainment lawyers were honored in the recently-released Best Lawyers rankings.
A few were selected to receive the Best Lawyers’ Lawyer of the Year designation, including: Linda Edell Howard, Christian A. Horsnell, D. Page Kelley, and W. Michael Milom.
Among those named to the Best Lawyers’ rankings:
Karl Braun (Hall Booth Smith P.C.)
Derek C. Crownover(Dickenson Wright PLLC)
Linda Edell Howard (Adams and Reese LLP)
Philip M. Kirkpatrick (Adams and Reese LLP)
Samuel D. Lipshie (Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP)
Lynn Morrow (Adams and Reese LLP)
Stephanie R. Taylor (Stites and Harbison PLLC)
Orville Almon, Jr. (Almon and McPike PLLC)
John C. Beiter (Shackelford, Bowen, Zumwalt & Hayes, LLP)
David Crow (Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC)
Kevin M. Doherty (Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP)
Tiffany A. Dunn (Loeb & Loeb LLP)
R Horton Frank III (Watkins & McNeilly, PLLC)
James H. Harris III (Harris Martin Jones P.A.)
Christian A. Horsnell (Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC)
D Page Kelley (Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC)
W. Michael Milom (Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC)
Jonathan Motley (Safford Motley PLC)
Howell O’Rear (McInteer & O’Rear PLC)
Scott Safford (Safford Motley PLC)
Denise M. Stevens (Loeb & Loeb LLP)
Chris L. Vlahos (Riley Warnock & Jacobson, PLC)
Timothy L. Warnock (Riley Warnock & Jacobson, PLC)
Seven Shows Added to ‘Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas’
/by Troy_StephensonTickets for all seven shows go on sale this Friday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. PT. and may be purchased in person at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace Box Office, by calling 866-320-9763 or online at thecolosseum.com or axs.com.
Since opening in June 2015, Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas has performed nine consecutive sold-out shows to 38,000 fans. The trio returns to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace with another sold-out run Dec. 1 – 12.
Industry Ink: Bobby Bones, The Pen Fund, Tortuga Music Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonCharles Kelley Visits ‘Bobby Bones Show’
Capitol Records Nashville’s Charles Kelley recently stopped by the Bobby Bones Show to discuss his upcoming solo project. During the interview, which aired earlier this morning, Kelley revealed the motivation behind the endeavor as well as details regarding the 22-city The Driver Tour starting Nov. 28. While “The Driver” serves as the lead single, Kelley performed an acoustic version of an another new track, “Leaving Nashville”, which he also hopes to include as part of the solo venture. Kelley, along with special guests Dierks Bentley and Eric Paslay, will perform “The Driver” tonight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Bobby Bones and Charles Kelley.
Writers Take Part In The Pen Fund Songwriters Round
Matraca Berg, Marla Cannon-Goodman, Kalisa Ewing, Erin Enderlin and other guests will take part in The Pen Fund: Inspired By Hank Cochran Presents Songwriters 4 Songwriters-Ladies’ Night, on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley, to support The Pen Fund. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $20 online or $25 day of show.
For tickets, visit thepenfund.org.
Rock The Ocean Tortuga Festival Reveals 2016 Lineup
Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley will headline the upcoming Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival. The three-day concert is slated for April 15-17, 2016 on the sands of Fort Lauderdale Beach Park in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Additional performers include Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, Billy Currington, Kip Moore, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Randy Houser, Joe Nichols, Chris Janson, A Thousand Horses, Chase Bryant, Old Dominion, Cam, and more.
Advance sale tickets go on sale Oct. 16. For more information, visit tortugamusicfestival.com.
Artist Action: Kellie Pickler, Brad Paisley, Scotty McCreery, Josh Thompson
/by Craig_ShelburneKellie Pickler Visits The Rachael Ray Show
Kellie Pickler appeared as a guest on The Rachael Ray Show today (Oct. 13). Adding to her list of TV credits (American Idol, Dancing With the Stars), Pickler and her husband, songwriter Kyle Jacobs, will star in the upcoming CMT series, I Love Kellie Pickler, premiering Nov. 5.
Kellie Pickler and Rachael Ray
Brad Paisley Completing College Tour This Week
Brad Paisley will wrap up a series of free shows at college campuses this week. His nine-stop Country Nation College Tour presented by Zaxby’s will visit the University of Georgia in Athens on Thursday (Oct. 15) and conclude at the University of South Carolina in Columbia on Friday.
The final show will support and honor area residents heavily impacted by recent flooding. Many first responders and their families will be in attendance as special guests.
Brad Paisley’s Country Nation College Tour
Scotty McCreery Greets Gov. Pat. McCrory
Scotty McCreery returned to his hometown of Garner, N.C., on Monday (Oct. 12) to welcome North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, who was in the community to announce the modernization of the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. McCreery presented the governor with a Garner T-shirt.
Scotty McCreery and North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory
Josh Thompson Releases Change: The Lost Record, Volume 1
Josh Thompson has issued a six-song EP titled Change: The Lost Record exclusively on iTunes. Thompson recorded the project while signed to RCA in 2011.
He co-wrote all of the songs on the album. A second volume is expected next year.
As a recording artist, Thompson’s singles include “Way Out Here,” “Beer on the Table,” and “Won’t Be Lonely Long.” In addition to his own music, he has written songs recorded by Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Gary Allan, Darius Rucker and Joe Nichols.
Josh Thompson
The Writer’s Room: Hillary Lindsey
/by Jessica NicholsonLindsey, an ASCAP writer, has written for Underwood since the singer won American Idol in 2005; Lindsey co-wrote Underwood’s debut single, “Jesus Take The Wheel,” and has gone on to co-write numerous hits for (and often with) the Grammy winner, including “Wasted,” “Just A Dream,” “See You Again,” “Two Black Cadillacs,” and “So Small,” as well as “Smoke Break,” the first single from Underwood’s upcoming Storyteller project.
Lindsey’s collaborations with fellow co-writers Liz Rose and Lori McKenna (the group’s informal name is The Love Junkies) have resulted in one of the most successful and most talked about songs of 2015, Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush,” which has garnered several nominations for the upcoming CMA Awards, including Single of the Year, Song of the Year, and Music Video of the Year.
Lindsey spoke with MusicRow as part of a Writer’s Notes series for its annual Publisher issue (released today, Oct. 13). For the full interview, check out the annual MusicRow Publisher Issue.
On Her Start in Nashville:
I came to Nashville in 1994, and attended Belmont [University]. I majored in Music Business, because I thought when I tried to get a record deal, that I wouldn’t get screwed because I knew the business side of it. My roommate interned at a record label. She took one of my tapes and played it. The tape got sent around to different publishers, and Famous Music signed me. Then I signed with Epic out of Los Angeles, but that deal lasted about three months. John Polk, who signed me, told me he quit and that they were dropping me and two other acts he had most recently signed. I hadn’t recorded anything, and didn’t even step into the studio. It was a pretty low time. Then I stopped feeling sorry for myself and began writing with Gordie Sampson, Brett James, Troy Verges, and others. We began getting cuts, and I thought, ‘This isn’t bad, either.’
On Her First Co-Write With Liz Rose:
Liz Rose and I had written one song together, but we were actually not in the same room when we wrote it. That track was “Fearless,” the title track of Taylor Swift’s album. Obviously Taylor and Liz wrote a lot together. I had a writing date with Taylor, and she came to my home. She came in like a fireball. She was young, but she knew exactly what she wanted. She had been working on the song with Liz, but wanted to finish it with me. When the song was cut for Taylor’s album I didn’t really know Liz, but that was our first cut together.
On Writing Sessions With The Love Junkies:
Lori [who lives in Stoughton, Mass.] will fly to Nashville, and we will hole up at Liz’s house for a few days. Liz is the queen bee. She whips us into shape. We will write three or four songs in a day. You can almost not turn off the writing juices. We will write all day, then it’s wine time and then you write more and eventually make it into your pajamas. They get up before me and they are already down there. They’ve been tweaking lines from the song the night before or have been working on new ideas.
On Songwriting Dry Spells:
I’ve been very lucky and blessed. It’s been a good run recently. But I hit dry spells all the time. I get so frustrated, and want to throw my guitar against the wall or move away, it’s so dramatic. Some writers can take a [long] break, and come back super-refreshed. For me, it’s a muscle that I like to keep working out. But in the same breath, it’s healthy. I couldn’t do all those songs by myself. Those songs are because of my co-writers as well. We lean on each other very heavily.
On The State Of Female Artists and Songwriters At Country Radio:
A year or so ago, I would have been more sad about it, but I really feel like that tide is turning. You can see certain artists like Maren Morris doing well. I feel like there is a real change about to come. There is so much talent among the female writers, and they are here busting their butts every day. Natalie Hemby, Nicolle Galyon, Heather Morgan, Caitlyn Smith — there are so many I can’t name them all. Kelsea Ballerini just broke through, and we’re seeing Mickey Guyton. We need a few more to break through. It’s all cyclical.
Hunter Hayes To Release Three-Disc Set, ‘The 21 Project’
/by Troy_StephensonAtlantic/Warner Music Nashville artist Hunter Hayes will release The 21 Project on Friday, Nov. 6. The three-disc set includes one acoustic album, one studio album, and one live album. Each one will feature the same seven songs with the different variations.
“This project has been a lot of fun for me, because it really brings the focus back to the music and shows how a song grows from its original form into something we play on stage,” said Hayes, who co-produced The 21 Project with Dann Huff. “We’re making our fall tour all about the music and connecting with fans in a closer setting, and just enjoying music together.”
The 21 Project is available for pre-order now by clicking here.
Track Listing:
1. “21” (Dallas Davidson, Kelley Lovelace, Ashley Gorley, Hayes)
2. “Young And In Love” (Hayes, Dan Omelio, Dave Barnes)
3. “Saint Or A Sinner” (Hayes, Lori McKenna, Barry Dean)
4. “Where It All Begins (feat. Lady Antebellum)” (Hayes, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott)
5. “Suitcase” (Hayes, Gorley, Ross Copperman)
6. “The Trouble With Love” (McKenna, Hayes)
7. “I Mean You” (Hayes, Jimmy Robbins, Gorley)
Hayes will embark on his 21 Tour on Oct. 22. Current dates include:
Thursday, Oct. 22 – Western Carolina University – Cullowhee, N.C.
Friday, Oct. 23 – Kent State University – Kent, Ohio
Saturday, Oct. 24 – West Point Eisenhower Hall Theater – Highland Falls, N.Y.
Thursday, Oct. 29 – Purdue University – West Lafayette, Ind.
Friday, Oct. 30 – Aebersold Recreation Center at Slippery Rock University – Slippery Rock, Pa.
Thursday, Nov. 5 – Western Kentucky University – Bowling Green, Ky.
Friday, Nov. 6 – Notre Dame University – Notre Dame, Ind.
Saturday, Nov. 7 – Illinois State University – Normal, Ill.
Saturday, Nov. 14 – University of Oklahoma – Norman, Okla.