Pictured (L-R): Seth England, Big Loud Mountain partner and manager; Joey Moi, Big Loud Mountain partner and producer; Clay Hunnicutt, president of Big Loud Records; Craig Wiseman, Big Loud Mountain partner and award-winning songwriter; Kevin “Chief” Zaruk, Big Loud Mountain partner and veteran manager. Photo: Courtesy of Big Loud Mountain
Big Loud Mountain, the partnership between Craig Wiseman, Seth England, Joey Moi and Kevin “Chief” Zaruk, is planning the launch of new division Big Loud Records.
Radio veteran Clay Hunnicutt will join the label as President. Hunnicutt spent more than 15 years with iHeartMedia, most recently serving as EVP & GM/National Programming Platforms.
Additional Big Loud Records staff members will be announced in the coming months.
“We’ve had a vision to expand a label division for some time now, but knew we needed the right quarterback. We couldn’t have partnered with anyone better than Clay Hunnicutt,” said England. “He has laser vision and leadership abilities that blow us away every time we speak to him. Big Loud Records couldn’t be anymore thrilled that he has chosen us in this new phase of his career.”
“There are not many things in this world that would make me want to leave iHeartMedia after 17 years, but the opportunity to start something new with Big Loud Records and these 4 partners was it,” shared Hunnicutt. “It’s a dream team of knowledge, success, and belief that will help power some great music and break new artists. We will work hard to do the right things for the right reasons with the right people!”
England runs the day-to-day operations of Big Loud Mountain, which has management clients including Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane and Dallas Smith.
Hunnicutt can be reached by email at clay@bigloudrecords.com or by phone at 615.329.1929.
Big Loud Records To Launch With Pres. Clay Hunnicutt
/by Sarah SkatesPictured (L-R): Seth England, Big Loud Mountain partner and manager; Joey Moi, Big Loud Mountain partner and producer; Clay Hunnicutt, president of Big Loud Records; Craig Wiseman, Big Loud Mountain partner and award-winning songwriter; Kevin “Chief” Zaruk, Big Loud Mountain partner and veteran manager. Photo: Courtesy of Big Loud Mountain
Big Loud Mountain, the partnership between Craig Wiseman, Seth England, Joey Moi and Kevin “Chief” Zaruk, is planning the launch of new division Big Loud Records.
Radio veteran Clay Hunnicutt will join the label as President. Hunnicutt spent more than 15 years with iHeartMedia, most recently serving as EVP & GM/National Programming Platforms.
Additional Big Loud Records staff members will be announced in the coming months.
“We’ve had a vision to expand a label division for some time now, but knew we needed the right quarterback. We couldn’t have partnered with anyone better than Clay Hunnicutt,” said England. “He has laser vision and leadership abilities that blow us away every time we speak to him. Big Loud Records couldn’t be anymore thrilled that he has chosen us in this new phase of his career.”
“There are not many things in this world that would make me want to leave iHeartMedia after 17 years, but the opportunity to start something new with Big Loud Records and these 4 partners was it,” shared Hunnicutt. “It’s a dream team of knowledge, success, and belief that will help power some great music and break new artists. We will work hard to do the right things for the right reasons with the right people!”
England runs the day-to-day operations of Big Loud Mountain, which has management clients including Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane and Dallas Smith.
Hunnicutt can be reached by email at clay@bigloudrecords.com or by phone at 615.329.1929.
Forty-Thousand Fans Turn Out for New York City’s First Country Festival
/by Lorie HollabaughThe country extravaganza packed with food and great music was a collaboration between Live Nation and Founder’s Entertainment, and by all accounts in spite of a bit of rain was a raging success, according to Live Nation President/Country Touring, Brian O’Connell.
“This weekend was a dream come true,” said O’Connell. “It really doesn’t get bigger than New York City and the way that the country community here and those who traveled to get here, took a chance on us and embraced FarmBorough in its first year has astounded me. I can’t say it enough how thankful I am to all the fans and the artists who joined in with me on this.”
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the success of FarmBorough’s inaugural year,” added Co-founder/Partner at Founders Entertainment, Jordan Wolowitz. “New York City fully embraced the Country community and FarmBorough proved that it’s here to say. We can’t wait for 2016!”
Randy Houser
Maddie and Tae
Luke Bryan
Dustin Lynch
T.J. Martell Auctions Off Time With Rob Beckham, Scott Hendricks
/by Lorie HollabaughPackages available for bidding include a one-hour lunch with Rob Beckham, co-head and partner at WME; a one-on-one consultation with Scott Hendricks, Executive VP/A&R Warner Music Nashville; and a special meet-and-greet experience with Keb Mo including tickets to his first-ever Schermerhorn Symphony Center show in Nashville Aug. 28, a two-night, two-room stay at Embassy Suites, and a $100 gift card to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant.
Estimated values of the package experiences are $2000 and up, and bidding will close on July 7. More information can be found at charitybuzz.com.
Apple Music Has Launched, Are You On Board?
/by Eric T. ParkeriOS 8.4 upgrades began at 10:00 a.m. CT. Desktop computers will need to upgrade to the newest version of iTunes. A full version is expected for Android this fall.
A free trial is available for three months, before automatic charges of $9.99/mo. apply for individuals. A family account, available for up to six people, will cost $14.99/mo.
The service debuts after much scrutiny about its royalty payments—most publicized was the Taylor Swift tussle resulting in the pop star’s music being added to the Cupertino, Calif.-based service.
In an interview with BuzzFeed after the Swift ordeal, Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue said the royalty rate… “will pay artists on a per stream basis during the free three-month trial. Afterwards, it will pay music owners 71.5 percent of Apple Music’s subscription revenue in the United States. Internationally, the number will fluctuate, but will average out at around 73 percent.”
Features of the subscription streaming service will allow people to freely upload and stream audio, will also offer a global radio station (Beats 1) to kick off at 11:00 p.m. CT, and Siri integration to kickstart listening to “hot songs from 1994” (as an example). The software can scan existing music libraries to add up to 25,000 matches to an iCloud Music Library, providing access on any device where the user is logged in. Offline listening is also key for subway rides or data plan conservation. The app will then let you see what songs have been locally stored.
Officials in Europe and the United States are investigating dealings with music labels for antitrust violations.
Black River Taps Tanya Welch
/by Sarah SkatesTanya Welch
Black River Entertainment CEO Gordon Kerr announced today (June 29) the hiring of music industry veteran Tanya Welch as the Sr. Director of Marketing. She will report to Kerr, and begins her new position today.
“What a season of growth for Black River,” said Kerr. “The addition of Tanya and her proven industry experience provides us the opportunity to take another step towards lasting significance in the music industry.”
In her new position, Welch will focus on music-marketing strategies for Black River Entertainment entities including the Black River artist roster, Black River Publishing, and the studios Sound Stage and Ronnie’s Place.
Welch most recently spent more than 20 years with Sony Music Nashville with labels including Epic, Columbia, RCA, Monument, and BNA.
“I’ve watched Black River achieve success led by passion and sound strategy,” said Welch. “I’m thrilled to join Gordon, Greg, and the team as they grow their footprint in a complex but opportunity-laden music landscape and look forward to representing such an amazing family of artists.”
The announcement comes one week after Black River songwriter and recording artist Kelsea Ballerini’s debut single “Love Me Like You Mean It” topped both the Mediabase and Billboard Country Airplay Charts. Ballerini’s album The First Time made a Top 5 debut on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and the follow up single is coming soon.
Black River Entertainment is home to country music entertainers Craig Morgan, Kellie Pickler, John King, and comedy duo The Raging Idiots.
Welch can be reached at Tanya@blackriverent.com or by phone at 615-780-3070.
Thomas Rhett Sets Sophomore Release, Plans Fan-Voted Cover Art
/by Eric T. ParkerFans can vote for the album cover for Thomas Rhett.
Thomas Rhett announced Sept. 25 will be the release date for his sophomore album Tangled Up (Valory Music Co.).
The cover art has not been released because Rhett has asked fans to help choose the disc’s cover art at ThomasRhett.com. Four designs (above) will be whittled to the final cover revealed in the coming weeks.
“This album is something we’ve been working on for two years and musically, it really pulls from all the things I have been inspired by during that time,” says Rhett. “The title comes from a lyric in one of the new songs, and I think it’s a cool way to point to all the different influences that I have as an artist and a songwriter—from soul and r&b to old school country to rock and everything in between. They are all in this record!”
Rhett is currently out on Florida Georgia Line’s Anything Goes Tour 2015 before joining up with Brett Eldredge for CMT on Tour: Brett Eldredge & Thomas Rhett—Boots & Suits in the fall.
The Valory Music Co.’s lead single, “Crash And Burn,” is climbing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart, landing at No. 12 this week. The TK McKamy-directed music video, filmed in the streets of downtown Nashville with a vintage boombox and classic convertible, tells the story of a love-life on a downward spiral.
Thomas Rhett in the TK McKamy-directed music video for “Crash and Burn.”
Corey Smith Celebrates Release Week ‘While The Gettin’ Is Good’
/by Kelsey_GradyPictured (L-R): Kendall Durkee, The Collective; Cliff O’Sullivan, Rounder Label Group; Ashley Moyer, Rounder Label Group; Cass Scripps, APA Booking; Brinson Strickland, The Collective; Brandi Simms, CMA; Corey Smith; Brenden Oliver, CMA; Megan Bedford, Rounder Label Group; Rachel Cunningham, The Collective; and Carrie Tekautz, CMA.
Sugar Hill Records artist Corey Smith stopped by CMA on Wednesday (June 24) to play a few songs for the staff including his new single “Feet Wet” and songs from his new release, While The Gettin’ Is Good.
Smith has partnered with several outlets to unveil important elements of this release. Rolling Stone Country exclusively announced the album, while Roughstock premiered the album art and track list, and Country Weekly took the exclusive on the “Feet Wet” lyric video.
Smith just wrapped a week of special events in Nashville surrounding the album’s release. He performed a sold-out benefit concert for the Seva Foundation on June 24 at Bluebird Café, and he celebrated release day on the revered Grand Ole Opry stage, complete with an album signing. He will continue his tour throughout the summer with stops in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC and more.
He will perform at the Tin Roof Nashville on Aug. 7.
While The Gettin’ Is Good track listing
1. Don’t Mind
2. Ain’t Going Out Tonight
3. Flip-flop
4. My Kinda Lady
5. Feet Wet
6. Taking the Edge Off
7. Dahlonega
8. Blow Me Away
9. PRIDE
10. The Baseball Song
11. Drinkin’ on My Mind
12. Bend
Artist Pics: Steven Tyler, Kenny Chesney, Dan + Shay With Keith Urban
/by Lorie HollabaughSteven Tyler Debuts Country Video
Steven Tyler is releasing a video for his debut country single, “Love Is Your Name” on July 3. Tyler will give fans a sneak peek of the new clip on ABC’s Good Morning America. The video was directed by Trey Fanjoy and shot just outside of Nashville.
Steven Tyler on the set of his new music video. Photo: Seth Hellman
Kenny Chesney Stops By No Shoes Reefs During Florida Date
Kenny Chesney visited the first two No Shoes Reefs in Jacksonville’s St. John River while in the area for his June 14 Florida Country Superfest show. The man-made reefs, named the Coastal Conservation Association and George Holt Reefs, were designed to promote the aquatic habitat and improve area fishing and were built through the support of Chesney’s ongoing partnership with Costa Del Mar Sunglasses and The Coastal Conservation Association/Building Conservation Trust.
Pictured Front Row (L-R:) Captain Nathan (Seafood Kitchen Boat), Pat Murray (Coastal Conservation Association President), Captain Russell (Seafood Kitchen Boat), Kelleigh Gorski and Brian Gorski (Exec. Dir. CCA Florida). Back Row: Brett Palmer (AbiJack Management, Inc) and Kenny Chesney. Photo Courtesy: Kenny Chesney
Dan + Shay Perform With Keith Urban
Dan + Shay performed with Keith Urban on the song “Tonight I Wanna Cry” at the recent sold-out Soaring Eagle Casino show. The duo also sang with Urban during an encore at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisc. on Friday (June 24). The duo went on to open for Shania Twain on Saturday at Ottawa’s Wesley Clover Park with 20,000 fans in attendance.
Keith Urban (center) with Dan + Shay
JB and the Moonshine Band Offer Up ‘Mixtape’ to Fans
/by Lorie HollabaughThe project is the third for the band, whose 2012 release Beer For Breakfast was named one of the Top 5 Country Albums of the Year by Rolling Stone and who have had three consecutive No. 1s on the Texas chart.
“Although ‘Mixtape’ is the title of one of the songs on the album, it also describes the varied styles on the album,” said frontman JB Patterson of the new collection. “I would say that the album is indeed country, but more specifically, it’s traditional country, outlaw/alternative country, pop country, rock and Americana all at the same time.”
Along with the new CD release, the band is slated to play the 1000th live performance of their career this year and continue to rack up 175 dates per year on the road.
Mixtape Track Listing:
1. Shotgun, Rifle, and a .45 (JB Patterson)
2. You Can’t Take My Backroads (JB Patterson/Kyle Jacobs/Randy Montana)
3. Mixtape (JB Patterson)
4. How Can I Miss You (JB Patterson)
5. Light It Up (JB Patterson/Lex Lipsitz)
6. Close Enough To Heaven (JB Patterson)
7. Wagon (Jeff Middleton / Ben Stennis/JB Patterson)
8. Keep a Couple Beers Cold (Jeff Jones)
9. Good Lord’s Grace (JB Patterson)
10. Mess Outta Me (JB Patterson)
11. Where’s Woody Guthrie (Allen Shamblin/Rob Crosby)
12. Back When We Were Kids (JB Patterson)
13. Shotgun, Rifle, and a .45 (Remix) (JB Patterson)
Industry Pics: John and Jacob Present CMA Grants; WMN Welcomes CRB Board
/by Lorie HollabaughCMA Supports Music Education
Pictured: (front, L-R:) W.O. Smith Camp BackBeat students Gloria Lomax, Kira Wolfe, Christian Balderas, and Javon’Tae Blackmun. (back, l-r) Jonah Rabinowitz, W.O. Smith School Executive Director; John and Jacob’s Jacob Bryant, John Davidson, Austin Smith, Jake Thrasher, and Trevor Davis; Tiffany Kerns, CMA Community Outreach Manager; and John Tumminello, Musicians Corner Executive Director
Photo Credit: Caitlin Harris / CMA
John and Jacob made a special appearance at the Musicians Corner concert series in Nashville Saturday (June 27) to present CMA Foundation grants to the Musicians Corner organizers and the W.O. Smith Music School.
Students from the W.O. Smith Music Camp Backbeat had just finishing performing on the Centennial Park stage when the duo presented them with a check from the CMA. The money will go to fund W.O. Smith camps for low-income students, and enhanced musical experiences in the Kidsville section of Musicians Corner.
Grants from the CMA Foundation are made on behalf of artists like John and Jacob who donate their time and perform for free each year during the CMA Music Festival.
The rising duo returned to Musicians Corner to perform on Sunday.
Warner Hosts CRB Board
Warner Music Nashville hosted an event for the board of Country Radio Broadcasters last week in Nashville. The dinner was held on the patio of the label group’s Nashville offices, and featured performances by William Michael Morgan and Ryan Kinder.
Pictured: Warner Music Nashville executives, CRS Agenda Committee members, CRB Board members and artists William Michael Morgan and Ryan Kinder (seated).