Cover art for LBT’s new album.
Today (Aug. 25)
Little Big Town announced an upcoming tour and revealed the cover of their new album, due out Oct. 21.
The Pain Killer Tour, with special guests
Brett Eldredge and
Brothers Osborne, will launch Nov. 8, 2014 in Youngstown, OH. The journey will wrap Dec. 13 in Rockford, IL, with all dates except Mt. Pleasant, MI being produced by AEG LIVE/The Messina Group. For the first time, the band is offering a VIP experience including meet and greets, pre-show soundcheck, exclusive merchandise, and more. For details on VIP packages and pre-sale tickets visit
www.littlebigtown.com.
The foursome also unveiled the cover of their sixth studio album
Pain Killer on their
Instagram page.
Pain Killer includes current hit single, “Day Drinking.”
The Pain Killer Tour
11/8 Youngstown, OH, Covelli Centre
11/9 Cincinnati, OH, Bank of Kentucky Center
11/13 Roanoke, VA, Salem Civic Center
11/14 Knoxville, TN, Knoxville Civic Coliseum
11/15 Atlanta, GA, Fox Theatre
11/20 Denver, CO, 1st Bank Center
11/21 Wichita, KS, Hartman Arena
11/22 Dallas, TX, Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
12/4 Detroit, MI, Masonic Temple Detroit
12/5 Chicago, IL, Rosemont Theatre
12/6 Mt. Pleasant, MI, Soaring Eagle (Brett Eldredge Only)
12/12 Rochester, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena
12/13 Rockford, IL, BMO Harris Bank Center
Industry Ink: Vector Management, Integrity Music, Nashville Entertainment Law Symposium
/by Jessica Nicholson• • •
Stu G and Mike Murray, Creative Director at Integrity Music Publishing
Integrity Music Publishing has signed Stu G as an exclusive songwriter. He is a member of One Sonic Society and a founder of worship band Delirious?. Integrity Music is home to songwriters including Lincoln Brewster, Paul Baloche, Israel Houghton and more.
Stu G’s songwriting credits include “The Greatness of Our God” (Natalie Grant/One Sonic Society), “Majesty” (Delirious?), and more.
• • •
Speakers will include Nashville Forum Committee members Jeffrey Brabec (Beverly Hills), Todd Brabec (Los Angeles), Henry Root (Los Angeles) Kirt Schroder (Richmond, Va.), Judy Tint (New York), Michael Milom (Nashville), James Zumwalt (Nashville), as well as Nashville guests John Beiter, Stephanie Taylor, John Strohm, Nicolas Beaudoing, Kent Marcus, Denise Stevens, Jeremy Brook, JD Connell, Megan Joyce and others.
To register, visit eventbrite.com. Registration deadline is Aug. 29.
Merle Haggard Taps Chris Janson For Ryman Concerts
/by Sarah SkatesChris Janson performs at the Bud Light Stage at Bridgestone Arena Plaza during the 2014 CMA Music Festival.
Merle Haggard is performing at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium tonight (Aug. 25) and tomorrow (Aug. 26), with Chris Janson set to open both sold-out dates.
“It’s an incredible honor to play on this show and I’m humbled. It’s hard to even find words to describe…this is a career milestone for me and I’m beyond grateful,” shares Janson. “It’s just a few shorts steps from the back door of Tootsie’s where I had my first gig and a lot of hard work later to make it to the Ryman with Merle. A dream come true!”
Janson, who played more than 100 shows last year, has opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Florida Georgia Line, and Hank Williams Jr. This summer he played at major festivals Country Thunder, We Fest and Creekfest. Since Janson’s Grand Ole Opry debut last year, he has been asked to perform on the coveted stage over 50 times.
The talented songwriter began writing at 18-years-old, and has scored cuts by Tim McGraw (“Truck Yeah”), Justin Moore (“Off The Beaten Path”) and Parmalee (“Back In The Day”).
Merle Haggard will play the Ryman tonight.
Warner/Chappell Extends Pub Deal With James, Cornman Music
/by Jessica NicholsonBen Vaughn, Executive Vice President, Warner/Chappell Music Nashville, said, “Whether it’s the writing room, the office, the studio, or the board room, Brett James operates at the highest level as a songwriter, producer, talent developer, and publisher. It’s a real pleasure for Warner/Chappell to represent Brett and work with his team of Nate Lowery and Shea Fowler at Cornman Music. There is so much great music coming from Brett and Cornman—watch out world.”
James added, “Warner/Chappell is the perfect partner for me and my Cornman Music family. They combine a peerless creative culture with a worldwide administrative juggernaut to provide us with an amazing platform for success. I truly enjoy working and playing with them on a daily basis and am thrilled to continue our relationship.”
James has had over four hundred of his songs recorded, 17 of which were No. 1 hits, and has worked on albums with combined sales of more than 100 million copies.
Florida Georgia Line To Headline Tailgate Concert
/by Troy_StephensonPictured (L-R): Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley
Florida Georgia Line has teamed up with Coors Light to headline the “Anything Goes Tailgate” concert at the Shipyards in Jacksonville, Fla. on Oct. 31, 2014.
The event will kick off the Georgia-Florida Weekend where the University of Georgia and University of Florida will play on Saturday Nov. 1, 2014. The event serves double-duty as a release party for their new album Anything Goes, which will be released on Oct. 14.
“How can you get any more relevant than Florida Georgia Line at the Georgia Florida game?” said Billy Catlin, Principal of Orange Peel Entertainment. “Eight bands with FGL headlining on a forty-four acre riverfront property … it can’t get much better than this for locals, as well as Florida and Georgia fans.”
The event sponsored by Your Southern Chevy Dealers, Monster Energy Drink and Costa Sunglasses will also feature openers Cole Swindell, The Cadillac Three, Clare Dunn, John King, Michael Ray and more.
Fans can get a ticket to the concert and an exclusive t-shirt with a digital copy of the new album by visiting www.jaxtailgate.com. Ticket bundles start at $23 (plus applicable fees) and go on-sale Saturday Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. ET.
Second Annual ASCAP Music City Retreat
/by Kelsey_GradyPictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Evan Trindl, Dan+Shay’s Dan Smyers, Brett James, Dan+Shay’s Shay Mooney, Robopop and Warner/Chappell Music Publishing’s Ryan Beuschel
Photo: Ed Rode
ASCAP’s Nashville office recently hosted the second annual ASCAP Music City Retreat three-day songwriting event, held at Blackbird Studios in Berry Hill. The retreat served to highlight the unique talents of the ASCAP songwriting community in country and pop music, and combined some of the hottest ASCAP songwriters and songwriter-artists based in Nashville, New York, Los Angeles and across the country, hand-selected by ASCAP membership staff representing each genre.
The purpose of the event is to provide an intimate and focused setting for hit songs to be created, and ultimately recorded and released while developing long-lasting relationships between the songwriters involved for future collaborations.
Songwriter-artist participants included Dan+Shay, Tom and Mike Gossin of Gloriana, Jaren Johnston of The Cadillac Three, Love and Theft, Mickey G, Priscilla and David Nail. Country music songwriter participants included Jessi Alexander, JT Harding, Brett James, Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins, as well as songwriter-producers Chris DeStefano and Jimmy Robbins. Pop songwriters and producers who participated in the retreat included AC, DJ Whiteshadow, Robopop and Kyle Shearer.
Their combined songwriting and production credits include huge hits recorded by a diverse list of artists such as Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Lady Gaga, Florida Georgia Line, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Chesney, Kesha, Lady Antebellum, Lana Del Ray, Luke Bryan, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus, Miranda Lambert, Pitbull, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and more.
Pictured (L-R): Jimmy Robbins and Gloriana’s Tom Gossin. Photo: Ed Rode
Pictured (L-R): Jessi Alexander, Kyle Shearer and Gloriana’s Mike Gossin. Photo: Ed Rode
Pictured (L-R): Chris Tompkins, Priscilla and Jaren Johnston. Photo: Ed Rode
Pictured (L-R): Josh Kear, Jimmy Robbins, Love and Theft’s Eric Gunderson, AC, (front row) ASCAP Nashville Creative Department co-head LeAnn Phelan and ASCAP Los Angeles Creative Director Evan Trindl. Photo: Ed Rode
Artist Updates: Stephen Barker Liles, Luke Bryan, Emily West
/by Jessica NicholsonLove and Theft’s Stephen Barker Liles
Love and Theft’s Stephen Barker Liles married Jenna Michelle Kennedy on Sunday (Aug. 24) at Ruby Nashville. The ceremony included a dedication for their son Jett Barker Liles.
Among the guests were Liles’ fellow Love and Theft member Eric Gunderson, his wife Emily and their son Camden.
• • •
Luke Bryan
Luke Bryan has been added to the all-star lineup for Fashion Rocks, which airs from Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Sept 9.
Bryan will join Afrojack, Duran Duran, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, KISS, MAGIC!, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Nico & Vinz, Pitbull, Rita Ora, and Usher. Ryan Seacrest will host the event.
• • •
Country music made a great showing on Saturday, Aug. 23, prior to the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, as drivers walked out to the music of hand-picked songs. Kevin Harvick chose Jake Owen‘s “Pass A Beer,” Casey Mears walked out to Kenny Chesney‘s “American Kids,” Jeff Gordon chose pal Brad Paisley‘s “Moonshine In The Trunk,” Martin Truex, Jr. selected Eric Church‘s “The Outsiders.” David Stremme hand-picked the appropriate “Ready Set Roll” from Chase Rice.
Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and David Gilliland all opted for songs featuring Justin Moore, choosing “Let The Night Roll,” “Outlaws Like Me,” and “Small Town Throwdown” (Brantley Gilbert, featuring Moore and Thomas Rhett), respectively.
• • •
Emily West from America’s Got Talent dropped by singer-songwriter Risa Binder‘s album release party for her Nashville EP on Aug. 5 at Nashville restaurant Cabana.
Pictured (L-R): Emily West, Risa Binder
Little Big Town Reveals Tour Dates, Album Cover
/by Sarah SkatesCover art for LBT’s new album.
Today (Aug. 25) Little Big Town announced an upcoming tour and revealed the cover of their new album, due out Oct. 21.
The Pain Killer Tour, with special guests Brett Eldredge and Brothers Osborne, will launch Nov. 8, 2014 in Youngstown, OH. The journey will wrap Dec. 13 in Rockford, IL, with all dates except Mt. Pleasant, MI being produced by AEG LIVE/The Messina Group. For the first time, the band is offering a VIP experience including meet and greets, pre-show soundcheck, exclusive merchandise, and more. For details on VIP packages and pre-sale tickets visit www.littlebigtown.com.
The foursome also unveiled the cover of their sixth studio album Pain Killer on their Instagram page. Pain Killer includes current hit single, “Day Drinking.”
The Pain Killer Tour
11/8 Youngstown, OH, Covelli Centre
11/9 Cincinnati, OH, Bank of Kentucky Center
11/13 Roanoke, VA, Salem Civic Center
11/14 Knoxville, TN, Knoxville Civic Coliseum
11/15 Atlanta, GA, Fox Theatre
11/20 Denver, CO, 1st Bank Center
11/21 Wichita, KS, Hartman Arena
11/22 Dallas, TX, Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
12/4 Detroit, MI, Masonic Temple Detroit
12/5 Chicago, IL, Rosemont Theatre
12/6 Mt. Pleasant, MI, Soaring Eagle (Brett Eldredge Only)
12/12 Rochester, MN, Mayo Civic Center Arena
12/13 Rockford, IL, BMO Harris Bank Center
Underwood, Crouse, Morgan, Hunt Lead Star-Packed Opry Evening
/by Jessica NicholsonJoel Crouse. Photo: Chris Hollo for the Grand Ole Opry.
Joel Crouse celebrated the release of his album Even The River Runs with a Tuesday night (Aug. 19) performance at the Grand Ole Opry. He performed “Don’t Tell Me” and “Summer Love,” and also signed autographs for attendees before the show. For fans who couldn’t make it to the Opry, Crouse offered a YouTube chat from his backstage dressing room.
Among the performers at the Opry that evening were Carrie Underwood, Craig Morgan and Sam Hunt.
During his performance, Morgan, the national celebrity spokesperson for The Spirit of Blue Foundation, recognized law enforcement officers in the audience. Members of the Franklin, Tennessee Police Department took the Opry stage to accept a safety equipment grant from Morgan and the Spirit of Blue Board of Directors that will be used purchase 17 new helmets for their SWAT team.
Pictured (L-R): Cindy Mabe, President, UMG Nashville; Sam Hunt; Bill Cody, Opry Announcer. Photo: Chris Hollo
Pictured (L-R): Joel Crouse and Carrie Underwood. Photo: Chris Hollo.
Craig Morgan and members of the Franklin Police Department.
MusicRow Challenge Coin: Danielle Bradbery
/by Kelsey_GradyDanielle Bradbery visited the MusicRow office recently, where she was honored with a MusicRow Challenge Coin for her debut single, “The Heart of Dixie.” The song topped the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart on Feb. 20, 2014. The song was penned by Brett James, Caitlyn Smith, and Troy Verges.
Publishers on the song include Music of Stage Three, Songs of Cornman, Stage Three Music Inc., BMG Chrysalis Music, WB Music Corp., Songs of Brett, External Combustion Music, Songs of Universal Inc., and Songs From The Engine Room.
Danielle Bradbery receives her MusicRow Challenge Coin.
Danielle Bradbery with the MusicRow staff.
Danielle Bradbery with MusicRow staff, Virginia Davis of G Major Management, and Jake Basden of Big Machine Label Group.
Industry Pics: Leadership Music's 25th Anniversary Bash
/by Jessica NicholsonLeadership Music celebrated its 25th anniversary with a grand soiree at Nashville’s The Rosewall event space on Thursday (Aug. 21). The music industry organization has graduated more than 1,000 individuals. 500 individuals RSVP’d for the event, which featured members across the full spectrum of the industry, including label, touring, publishing, education, media, publicity, management and more.
Click here for Bobby Karl‘s full review of the event.
All photos courtesy of Bev Moser/Moments By Moser.