[Updated April 21] More panelists added to Beyond The Sync Fee and Music Makes Movies panels.

The Nashville Film Festival, which opens today (April 16), is offering four panels about music opportunities in film, TV, ads, trailers and games.

• Shoot and Score: Music in Video Games will feature Steve Schnur (EA Games) and moderator Jim Scherer (Whizbang) at Grand Victor Sound (Historic RCA Studio A), Wed., April 22 at 2 p.m.

• Music Makes Movies: Song Placement in 2015 will feature John Houlihan (Houlihan Film Music), Oliver Hild (NBC), Paul Logan (CMT), Anastasia Brown (Format Ent.), Robert Jordan (Fox Sports) and moderator Randall Foster (ole). This event will be at Warner Bros. Records Thurs., April 23 at 1:30 p.m.

• Bands and Brands: Generating Dollars and Exposure For Music in the Ad World will feature panelists Jessica Dierauer (Able Baker), Aaron Mercer (Wool & Tusk), Patrick Buchanan (Ignition Creative), Craig Currier (Peer Music) and moderator Jim Scherer. This panel will be at Warner Bros. Records on Thurs., April 23 at 3 p.m.

• Beyond the Sync Fee, featuring Shelby Kennedy (Tunecore), Brandy Campbell (Rhapsody), Charles Alexander (Out of the Box), Craig Currier (Peer Music) and moderator Devon DeVries, will be held at ASCAP, Fri., April 24 at 3 p.m.

Details on the panels at www.nashvillefilmfestival.org.

There are numerous music films showing at the film festival. A few highlights include:

• Country: Portraits of an American Sound, The history and culture of country music through the lens of the photographers Les Leverett, Leigh Weiner, Henry Horenstein, Henry Diltz, Raeanne Rubenstein, David McAlister and Michael Wilson. Cast: Rosanne Cash, Roy Clark, Merle Haggard, Lyle Lovett, Charley Pride, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny Rogers, Tanya Tucker, The Band Perry, Keith Urban. World Premiere.

• Heartworn Highways Revisited, A new community of singer-songwriters whose work is heavily influenced by the “Outlaw” artists is presented in the 1976 documentary Heartworn Highways. Cast: David Allan Coe, Guy Clark, Bobby Bare Jr. Shelly Colvin, Andrew Combs.

• Revival: The Sam Bush Story. Cast: Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Chris Thile, The Avett Brothers, Bela Fleck, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, John Oates. World Premiere

See a complete list of music films here.

Bridgestone Free Film Day is Monday, April 20 at the Nashville Film Festival. Tickets must be reserved at www.nashvillefilmfestival.org or at the festival box office at Green Hills while supplies last.

Lady Antebellum‘s trip to Dallas for this weekend’s Academy of Country Music Awards caught a snag when the bus carrying Lady A vocalist Hillary Scott, her husband Chris Tyrell, the band’s tour manager, and driver caught fire this morning. Fellow Lady Antebellum members Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood were not on board the bus.

Scott posted a photo of the charred bus to social media, along with a note reassuring fans that they are fine.

“Hey guys, we had a crazy morning on the way to Dallas today. Our bus tire caught on fire and we had to evacuate very quickly. EVERYONE IS SAFE AND SOUND. It was me, my husband, our tour manager, and driver. Thanking God for our safety and the safety of all of those who helped put this fire out and keep us safe. Love you all!!!! ~hillary”

According to the local Garland CBS affiliate, the bus driver stopped after a rear tire blew out, and everyone evacuated. The bus then burst into flames. No other cars were involved in the event.

 

Legacy Recordings will release Django and Jimmie, a new studio collaboration from Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, on June 2.

Helmed by Nelson’s longtime producer, Buddy Cannon, Django and Jimmie premieres 14 new studio recordings (full list below) including “Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash,” an homage to country music’s original Man in Black, featuring guest vocals from Bobby Bare. The title track is a tribute to jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and Jimmie Rodgers.

Cannon helped pen five album tracks, including four co-writes with Nelson. There is an equal number of Haggard solo-writes. Additional tracks include an interpretation of Bob Dylan‘s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”; and the future outlaw country classic “Unfair Weather Friend,” written by Marla Cannon-Goodman (Buddy Cannon’s daughter) and Ward Davis.

Nelson and Haggard each pay musical tribute to the other through solo performances: Willie singing Merle’s “Somewhere Between” and Merle covering Willie’s “Family Bible.”

According to Haggard, there’s “new songs, a couple of classics and Willie sang like he was a teenager.”

Nelson sums up the duo’s new collaboration simply saying, “It’s good music, I got a good feeling about it.”

In 1983, the pair’s Pancho & Lefty became a honky-tonk blockbuster and No. 1 country album following its January release. The success opened the doors for a number of follow-up projects including ’87’s Seashores Of Old Mexico album, 2007’s double album Last Of The Breed with Ray Price, and the Merle Haggard-penned “A Horse Called Music” (the lead track on 2012’s Heroes, Nelson’s first album for Legacy).

Django and Jimmie Track Listing: 

1. Django and Jimmie (Jimmy Melton/Jeff Prince)
2. It’s All Going To Pot (Buddy Cannon/Jamey Johnson/Larry Shell)
3. Unfair Weather Friend (Marla Cannon-Goodman/Ward Davis)
4. Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash –feat. Bobby Bare (Haggard)
5. Live This Long (Shawn Camp/Marv Green)
6. Alice In Hulaland (Willie Nelson and Buddy Cannon)
7. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (Bob Dylan)
8. Family Bible (Walter M. Breeland/Paul F. Buskirk/Claude Gray)
9. It’s Only Money (Nelson/Buddy Cannon)
10. Swinging Doors (Haggard)
11. Where Dreams Come To Die (Nelson/Buddy Cannon)
12. Somewhere Between (Haggard)
13. Driving The Herd (Nelson/Buddy Cannon)
14. The Only Man Wilder Than Me (Haggard)

Producer Dave Cobb, known for his work with artists including Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, Jamey Johnson, Shooter Jennings, and others, has now launched his own label imprint, Low Country Sound, with Elektra Records (subsidiary of Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group).

The label, which is based in Nashville, is supported by Brightman Music’s Andrew Brightman, as well as executives from Elektra and Atlantic in New York and Los Angeles.

R&B/pop musician Anderson East is the first artist signed to the imprint.

“As Dave’s manager for the past 10 years I am extremely excited about the partnership with Elektra and Low Country Sound,” Brightman said. “Dave has always been a champion of great music and real artists that dare to defy conformity. This partnership validates music fan’s interest in southern grown artists like Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, Anderson East and others Dave has had the honor to work with.”

Singer-songwriter Rainey Qualley may have entertaining in her blood, but don’t expect her to follow in the footsteps of her mother, actress Andie MacDowell. Instead, Qualley is forging her own creative path in country music.

Qualley grew up in Asheville, N.C., raised on the music of classic country entertainers including Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. Over the years, the 25-year-old has called Montana, Los Angeles, and Nashville home.

During her MusicRow visit, Qualley offered a three-song acoustic performance of songs from her Turn Down The Lights EP. Qualley co-wrote every track on the EP, with co-writers including Ramey, Jeffrey Easy, Adam Smith, and Roxie Dean. THe project was produced by Russ Zavitson and John Ramey.

Qualley ran through tracks including the power ballad “Never Mine,” “Dead and Gone,” and “Me and Johnny Cash.” She says the song, a quirky tune about turning to booze and The Man in Black to get over a breakup, was inspired by personal experience. “I was venting to [co-writer Ramey] in the car about an ex-boyfriend, and we came into the office and wrote the song.”

“I was in L.A. and I was coming back and forth from Nashville regularly for songwriting trips,” said Qualley of her introduction to Music City. “I’ve always loved songwriting, and Russ knew I had a lot of room to grow. He started setting me up with co-writers, and I began going back and forth to Nashville and Los Angeles. After my first trip to Nashville, I was begging Russ, ‘Hey, when can I move here?'” She has now been living in Nashville for nearly a year.

The multi-talented entertainer has dabbled in acting, scoring roles in the movies Falcon Song (2014), Mighty Fine (2012), and Pink & Baby Blue. Just before making the move to Nashville, Hollywood came calling again, in the form of a role on popular series Mad Men. “I auditioned for the role and ended up getting it. It only took like four hours to shoot, so I thought, ‘Why not?'”

Still, Qualley says her goals for the future center around her upcoming full-length album and burgeoning music career. “Music is really my focus and where my heart is.”