Josh Turner previews music from his forthcoming album. Photo: Eric Adkins
MCA Nashville artist
Josh Turner aims to bring a slightly more traditional sound back to Country radio with his latest single, “Lay Low,” which hit airwaves in September. Turner, gearing up to release his sixth studio album next year, offered a private preview of the new material to industry members last week at Nashville rehearsal facility SoundCheck.
Turner recalled how, upon first listen, he instantly related to “Lay Low,” with its lyrics about escaping everyday life for a cabin in the woods. “It painted a picture of getting away and decompressing,” said Turner. “It struck a chord with me, because I actually have a cabin in the woods. It was the unanimous pick for the first single for me and everyone at my label.”
“This is a guy our format needs right now,” said UMG labelhead
Mike Dungan. “There is so much sameness out here it is sickening.”
“This room is where we come out to put our shows together, put together our set lists, and lighting,” said Turner to the room of industry executives and journalists. “But we never have nice rugs and tables in here when we do it,” he quipped.
Indeed, Turner’s team lifted the cavernous room’s ambiance a notch or two with couches, candles, catering, and various libations (including Cheerwine soda from his native Carolinas). Prior to the performance, guests mingled as classic Randy Travis tunes played—a fitting choice, as Turner is the heir apparent to Travis’ rumbling bass tones.
He previewed each song from center stage, backed by his full band, video and lighting rig. The uptempo “Bench Seat,” penned by
Craig Wiseman, was passed along to Turner by his brother, Big Loud Shirt Creative Director
Matt Turner. “It turned out great, the cut made his boss happy and his brother happy,” quipped the singer.
He followed with another radio-friendly tune, “Where The Girls Are,” and “Wonder,” a solemn ballad that ponders the current life of a former love. “These songs are very new. We don’t even have video content worked up yet for one of them,” said Turner.
Though he says the yet-untitled project is “a session or two away from being done,” the new tunes settled in well alongside the string of hit songs he performed to close the brief set, including “Will You Go With Me,” “Time Is Love,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance.”
Meghan Trainor Announces 'That Bass Tour' Dates
/by Kelsey_GradyMeghan’s hotly anticipated full-length debut, Title, hits shelves on Jan. 13 just prior to the launch of her tour. Her six-times platinum anthem “All About That Bass” clinched the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight straight weeks, making her the longest No. 1 by a female artist this year. The video has been viewed over 200,000,000 times and counting. Meghan will perform “All About That Bass” with Miranda Lambert at the CMAs on Nov. 5.
Trainor, who is signed as a writer to Nashville’s Big Yellow Dog Music Publishing, recently celebrated the chart-topping success of “All About That Bass” with a party in Nashville.
That Bass Tour Dates
All dates, cities and venues below subject to change.
Feb. 11 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre
Feb. 13 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
Feb. 14 Seattle, WA Neptune Theatre
Feb. 16 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Feb. 18 San Diego, CA House of Blues
Feb. 21 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
Feb. 25 Houston, TX House of Blues
Feb. 27 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
March 1 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
March 2 Detroit, MI St. Andrew’s Hall
March 4 Chicago, IL House of Blues
March 6 Toronto, ON The Phoenix
March 8 Washington, DC The Fillmore Silver Spring
March 11 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
March 13 New York, NY Irving Plaza
March 17 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
March 20 Nashville, TN The Cannery
Additional dates to be announced.
Investor Purchases Music Row Area Property For $3.55 Million
/by Jessica NicholsonSAE Institute of Technology occupies the entire building, and still has seven years left in its lease, as well as a renewal option to extend the lease. The building was purchased as a single tenant cash flowing investment.
OakPoint Real Estate’s Rob Gage, who represented the sellers in the transaction, tells MusicRow that redevelopment of the site could be a consideration in the future, but for now, the purchaser intends to hold it as an investment.
SAE Institute Nashville offers education in audio technology and music business. SAE was established in 1976, and has 53 campuses in 27 countries, including seven U.S. campuses in Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco.
Mark Your Calendar – November 2014
/by Eric T. ParkerNovember 3
Dustin Lynch/Hell Of A Night/Broken Bow
Cole Swindell/Ain’t Worth The Whiskey/Warner Bros.
The Swon Brothers/Pray For You/Arista Nashville
Dylan Scott/Lay It On Me/Sidewalk Records
Dallas Smith/Wastin’ Gas/Big Loud Mountain
November 10
Brantley Gilbert/One Hell Of An Amen/Valory
Chase Rice/Gonna Wanna Tonight/Columbia Nashville
Owen Howell/Backyard Party/Salazar Harper Records
The Stickers/Country Proud/Wodarek Music LLC
November 17
Rodney Atkins/Eat Sleep Love You Repeat/Curb
Kristy Lee Cook/Lookin’ For A Cowgirl/Broken Bow
Brandon Alan/Through The Cracks/Creative Arts Group
Vish/I Was Born To Love You/Karma One Records LLC
Haley & Michaels/Just Another Love Song/H&M Music, LLC
Brushville/Baby’s Got Her Boots On/Brushville, LLC.
November 24
Tate Stevens/Better At Night/RPM Entertainment
James Otto/Somewhere Tonight/Ottopilot Records
November 3
Neal McCoy/Pride: A Tribute To Charley Pride: Deluxe Edition/Cracker Barrel Old Country Store
November 4
Various (Doobie Brothers)/Southbound/Arista Nashville
Ronnie Milsap/The RCA Albums Collection/Legacy Recordings
Maddie & Tae/Maddie & Tae [EP]/Dot Records
Amber Hayes/Running Out Of Memories [EP]/GMV Nashville, A-OK Entertainment
Various/Christmas With Nashville/BMLG
November 10
Zac Brown Band/Greatest Hits So Far…/Southern Ground-Atlantic Records
George Strait/The Cowboy Rides Away: Live from AT&T Stadium [Deluxe Edition]/ MCA Nashville
November 11
Garth Brooks/Man Against Machine/Pearl-RCA Nashville
November 17
Trisha Yearwood/PrizeFighter: Hit after Hit/RCA Nashville-Gwendolyn Records
Sara Evans/At Christmas/RCA Nashville
Cole Swindell/Down Home Sessions [EP]/Warner Bros. Records
November 1
No Shave November launches, benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
November 2
2014 SESAC Nashville Music Awards at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (invitation-only)
November 3
52nd annual ASCAP Country Music Awards at Nashville’s Music City Center (invitation-only)
November 4
62nd annual BMI Country Awards at BMI’s Music Row offices (invitation-only)
November 5
November 7
CMA Country Christmas tapes in front of a live audience 7:30 PM/CT at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., ABC-TV air date, TBD
November 11
4th annual NATD Honors Gala at the Hermitage Hotel
November 12
8th annual Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum at the Ford Theater
November 15
Tanya Tucker: Strong Enough To Bend opens at the CMHoF
November 17
November 19-20
Billboard Touring Conference in New York City
November 23
The American Music Awards will air live from Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre at 8 p.m. ET
Brad Paisley Extends Country Nation World Tour
/by Troy_StephensonBrad Paisley
Brad Paisley has announced the extension of his Country Nation World Tour presented by KRAFT Cheese through March 2015. The final leg of the tour will kick off on Jan. 17, 2015 in Morgantown, W.Va., which is Paisley’s home state. Tickets will go on sale Friday, Nov. 7.
Special guests on the tour will be Stoney Creek Records’ Parmalee and Arista Nashville recording duo The Swon Brothers.
2015 Country Nation World Tour presented by KRAFT Cheese dates are as follows:
Jan. 17| WVU Coliseum | Morgantown, W. Va.
Jan. 22 | Landers Center | Southaven, Miss.
Jan. 23 | Pensacola Civic Center | Pensacola, Fla.
Jan. 24 | Germaine Arena | Estero, Fla.
Jan. 29 | Resch Center | Green Bay, Wis.
Jan. 30 | U.S. Cellular Center | Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Jan. 31 | Swiftel Center | Brookings, S.D.
Feb. 5 | Northeastern Illinois Univ. | DeKalb, Ill.
Feb. 6 | JQH Arena | Springfield, Mo.
Feb. 7 | The Covelli Center | Youngstown, Ohio
March 5 | Colorado Springs World Arena | Colorado Springs, Colo.
March 6 | Pan American Center | Las Cruces, N.M.
March 7 | United Supermarkets Arena | Lubbock, Texas
Beats Music, Southwest Team For In-flight Music Streaming
/by Jessica NicholsonThe listening experience is customizable thanks to The Sentence, which offers a continuous playlist customized to users’ responses to four questions regarding, location, activity, surroundings and musical preference.
The entertainment service was introduced during a live demonstration today (Nov. 3) on-board the official Beats Music-decaled 737 aircraft. The service will be compatible with mobile devices and operating systems, including iOS and Android, as well as most web browsers.
The service provided on the Southwest entertainment portal will be compatible with major mobile devices and operating systems, including iOS and Android, as well as most web browsers, and is designed to ensure a seamless and superior quality playback.
“Southwest connects our Customers to what is important in their lives, and in this case, it’s music,” said Kevin Krone, Southwest Airlines Chief Marketing Officer. “We continue to enhance our on-board offerings to remain current as our Customers’ needs evolve, and with the addition of Beats Music on our entertainment portal, we’re doing just that.”
Hill Entertainment Group Adds Jeri Cooper As Head of Radio, Marketing
/by Jessica NicholsonJeri Cooper
Nashville-based management, entertainment and solutions company Hill Entertainment Group has appointed Jeri Cooper as head of radio and marketing for the growing company.
Cooper previously worked as National Promotion Director at Sony Music.
Hill Entertainment Group was launched in 2013 by CEO and founder Greg Hill and is home to artists including Rodney Atkins, Jana Kramer, The Swon Brothers and Naomi Judd.
“I’d like to thank Gary Overton and Lesly Simon for welcoming me back to the Sony Nashville family last year. Under their leadership and direction, the past 18 months have been a time of personal and professional growth for me,” says Cooper. “Now I feel blessed with a similar chance to reunite with someone I admire and respect, Greg Hill. I’m excited to combine my passion for radio, artists and experience in promotion to help maximize opportunities for the roster at Hill Entertainment Group.”
Cooper can be reached at jeri@hillentgroup.com.
Swift Surpasses 1 Million in Sales for '1989,' Strips Music from Spotify
/by Eric T. ParkerThis news comes as Swift’s music has been removed from the digital music service, Spotify. The streaming service is now pleading with the international superstar to make her catalog available, as it has been streamed 16 million times in the last 30 days, and appeared on 19 million playlists. 1989 has never been available on Spotify in its entirety, although the lead single “Shake It Off” was withheld but eventually released. In 2012, Red was withheld until the following year. Now none of her music is available.
– – –
(MusicRow) – [Update, 2:50 p.m. CT] Scott Borchetta tells All Access: “We are not for sale.” [Previous story continued]: The New York Post reports Swift’s Big Machine recording contract is up after one more album (and greatest hits package with new music), prompting Billboard to address rumors that Scott Borchetta and his attorney Joel Katz are eyeing the sale of BMLG, most likely to Universal or Sony. The label group’s distribution deal with Universal Music Group may be up for renewal in 2014.
– – –
One more record-shattering ceiling stands in Swift’s way once the final numbers are in: if revised industry forecasts are correct, 1989 could become the highest one-week sales for an album by a woman, currently held by Britney Spears‘ Y2k release, Oops! … I Did It Again (1.319 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan). Swift’s Red fell just shy of that record, at 1.208 million.
The Big Machine pop collection, 1989, not only breaks 2013-14 records, but makes Swift the only artist in music history to have three albums hit the 1 million-plus mark for first-week sales. For Swift those stats include 2010’s Speak Now, 2012’s RED and 2014’s 1989. The latter has topped iTunes’ sales charts in 95 countries during this current release week.
Although marketing efforts—including five variations of photo packages within physical albums, a Target deluxe with six additional tracks, and a meet-and-greet drawing for albums registered during first week of sales—have contributed to 1989‘s success, some predict this will be the last album ever to sell Platinum as consumers shift to streaming services.
Swift’s career record sales have exceeded 30 million albums and almost 80 million song downloads worldwide.
For Country, Eric Church’s The Outsiders holds the 2014 record for sales, with 288K upon release in February. Jason Aldean’s Old Boots, New Dirt comes in second with 278K, while Brantley Gilbert’s Just As I Am sold 211K units during its debut week in May. All genre, 2013 debuts clocked Justin Timberlake at the highest position for the year when 20/20 Experience sold 968K its first week.
Stay tuned with MusicRow on Wednesday (Nov. 5) for Swift’s official sales numbers.
BMLG Promotes George Briner
/by Sarah SkatesGeorge Briner
The Big Machine Label Group has promoted George Briner to Sr. VP, Promotion for The Valory Music Co. The imprint under his leadership is home to Justin Moore, Brantley Gilbert, RaeLynn, The Mavericks, Levi Hummon and Thomas Rhett, who will vie for CMA New Artist of the Year at Wednesday night’s (Nov. 5) ceremony. Briner previously held the title of VP, Promotion.
The Valory Music Co., which is celebrating its seventh anniversary, has a promotion team made up of Shari Roth, Amy Staley, Brad Howell, Ashley Sidoti and Ellen Mundy.
“I tasked George with a complete rebuilding and re-engineering of The Valory Music Company promotion department two years ago and he has rebuilt the team into an absolute power house!” said BMLG President & CEO Scott Borchetta. “Valory will have its best year ever and that is in big part to George. He is a relentless promotion executive who is still as passionate as ever about his artists and their music and the results attached to those artists and music. GB—it’s a long way from Billy Hill! Congrats pal—so proud of you and all you’ve done and continue to do. This promotion is so well deserved.”
“It’s been a privilege to be a part of The Valory Music Company since delivering our first single to country radio seven years ago,” commented Briner. “Being named Senior Vice President Promotion for Valory is an honor that I embrace. In this business, you are only as good as the music you represent, the team that you have around you and the passion that burns inside you. I am blessed to be surrounded by some of the best in the business. Thank you to Scott Borchetta for giving me the opportunity and to everyone within the BMLG family who has supported me.”
Briner can be reached at (615) 324-7782 or george.briner@valorymail.com.
Fount Lynch To Join Sony Music Nashville As VP, Media
/by Jessica NicholsonFount Lynch
Fount Lynch has been appointed VP, Media at Sony Music Nashville. Reporting to Sr. VP, Marketing Paul Barnabee, Lynch will begin his new role Nov. 10. Lynch was previously Director, Media Marketing for Universal Music Group Nashville, and arrives at Sony after 14 years with UMG, where he began his career as an intern in the label’s marketing/PR department in January 2001.
Lynch will be the label publicist responsible for working with Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Chris Young, Tyler Farr, and Josh Dorr.
The Fosterville, Tenn., native and Lipscomb University graduate has directed media campaigns for Lady Antebellum, Eric Church, Gary Allan, Kacey Musgraves, Easton Corbin, David Nail and others.
“Every team wants the best and the brightest, and in Fount, we’ve found one of the sharpest, most respected media and marketing minds on Music Row,” said Barnabee. “It’s my privilege to welcome him to the Sony family.”
Of his new role, Lynch offered, “First and foremost, I am a music lover! I am completely drawn to it. Knowing that I get to work with such an incredibly talented roster of artists, not to mention joining the team of a rock-star label group, is extremely exciting and gratifying for me. I am proud to call Sony Music Nashville my new home.”
Beginning Nov. 10, he can be reached at fount.lynch@sonymusic.com.
Josh Turner Previews Upcoming Studio Album
/by Jessica NicholsonJosh Turner previews music from his forthcoming album. Photo: Eric Adkins
MCA Nashville artist Josh Turner aims to bring a slightly more traditional sound back to Country radio with his latest single, “Lay Low,” which hit airwaves in September. Turner, gearing up to release his sixth studio album next year, offered a private preview of the new material to industry members last week at Nashville rehearsal facility SoundCheck.
Turner recalled how, upon first listen, he instantly related to “Lay Low,” with its lyrics about escaping everyday life for a cabin in the woods. “It painted a picture of getting away and decompressing,” said Turner. “It struck a chord with me, because I actually have a cabin in the woods. It was the unanimous pick for the first single for me and everyone at my label.”
“This is a guy our format needs right now,” said UMG labelhead Mike Dungan. “There is so much sameness out here it is sickening.”
“This room is where we come out to put our shows together, put together our set lists, and lighting,” said Turner to the room of industry executives and journalists. “But we never have nice rugs and tables in here when we do it,” he quipped.
Indeed, Turner’s team lifted the cavernous room’s ambiance a notch or two with couches, candles, catering, and various libations (including Cheerwine soda from his native Carolinas). Prior to the performance, guests mingled as classic Randy Travis tunes played—a fitting choice, as Turner is the heir apparent to Travis’ rumbling bass tones.
He previewed each song from center stage, backed by his full band, video and lighting rig. The uptempo “Bench Seat,” penned by Craig Wiseman, was passed along to Turner by his brother, Big Loud Shirt Creative Director Matt Turner. “It turned out great, the cut made his boss happy and his brother happy,” quipped the singer.
He followed with another radio-friendly tune, “Where The Girls Are,” and “Wonder,” a solemn ballad that ponders the current life of a former love. “These songs are very new. We don’t even have video content worked up yet for one of them,” said Turner.
Though he says the yet-untitled project is “a session or two away from being done,” the new tunes settled in well alongside the string of hit songs he performed to close the brief set, including “Will You Go With Me,” “Time Is Love,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance.”