BREAKING: Candice Watkins Exits Big Loud

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Candice Watkins

Candice Watkins has resigned from her post as SVP, Marketing at Big Loud Records after more than six years with the label.

Watkins led the label’s marketing efforts across its many ventures and partnerships, executing creative strategy and bold, cross-platform campaigns for artists such as Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Hailey Whitters, Stephen Wilson Jr., Charles Wesley Godwin and more. She spurred introductory campaigns for Jake Worthington, Lauren Watkins, Ashley Cooke and Dylan Gossett, among others, while embarking on major campaign efforts for heavy hitters Lauren Alaina, Ernest, Larry Fleet and more.

Prior to joining Big Loud in 2018, Watkins served as Sr. Director of Marketing & Artist Development at UMG Nashville and preceded with stops at Red Light Management, Mozes Inc., Borman Entertainment and Martingale Entertainment.

Watkins is currently talking through new opportunities.

Kiley Donohoe Launches Greenhouse Management

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Kiley Donohoe

Kiley Donohoe has launched an independent management company, Greenhouse Management.

The roster includes current ACM-nominated multi-hyphenate Ernest, burgeoning multi-instrumentalist-turned-singer-songwriter Chandler Walters, as well as rising artist-writers Cody Lohden and Rhys Rutherford.

“A greenhouse is transparent — it lets the sun shine through on what it’s growing,” Donohoe shares. “It’s important to me that Greenhouse Management is a place where artists, employees, and anyone in our business feels safe and supported in their personal and professional growth. I’m honored to help foster this environment and grow something different here in Nashville.”

Reach Donohoe at kiley@greenhouse-mgmt.com.

Anne Wilson Releases ‘Apple Music Nashville Sessions’ EP

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Anne Wilson has partnered with Apple Music for an exclusive EP, Apple Music Nashville Sessions, available now.

The four song project offers new renditions on some of Wilson’s biggest tracks, including current radio hit “The Cross,” “Graves Into Graves,” “What A Beautiful Name” and “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” with Gabby Barrett.

Wilson recently wrapped a 38-city run on the “Winter Jam 2025 Tour,” including a show sold-out show at Bridgestone Arena. She’ll join Morgan Wallen’s “I’m The Problem Tour” on select dates later this year.

Apple Music Nashville Sessions Track List:
1. “The Cross” (Apple Music Session)
2. “Graves Into Graves” (Apple Music Session)
3. “What A Beautiful Name” (Apple Music Session)
4. “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” (Apple Music Session) with Gabby Barrett

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Cody Johnson & Carín León Team For Disc Of The Day

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Today, we visit with old friends in DISClaimer.

Jeannie Seely, Tracy Byrd, Billy Ray Cyrus and Trace Adkins all dropped by with new sounds. Brett Eldredge and Chris Young are entering new phases of their careers.

Vying for the Disc of the Day prize are Eldredge, Old Dominion and our winner, the bi-lingual Cody Johnson & Carín León duet.

Taking home a DISCovery Award is Caroline Jones.

ALEX MILLER & TRACY BYRD / “The Byrd”
Writers: Alex Miller/Jerry Salley; Producer: Jerry Salley; Label: Billy Jam Records
– A boatload of fun. Dropping Byrd’s hit titles into the lyric of this rockabilly romp was a good place to start. A zippy production and pluperfect honky tonk vocals from both men are dandy additions. Loved it.

BRETT ELDREDGE / “Lonestar Lovers”
Writers: Brett Eldredge/Heather Morgan/Jon Green/Jordan Lehning; Producer: Jon Green; Label: Warm and Cozy Records
– Awesome. His voice has never sounded more lustrous, romantic and heartfelt. With synth strings soaring above him, Eldredge takes total mastery of this superb love ballad. I’ve always been a fan, and this just makes me even fonder of him. An artist at the peak of his powers.

ASHLEY COOKE / “The F Word”
Writers: Emily Weisband/Lori McKenna/Gordie Sampson; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: Big Loud Records
– Nominated as New Female Artist of the Year by the ACM, Cooke warbles this cute ditty like a songbird. The lilting ballad shifts between airy soprano sighing, whispered intimacy, honeyed romance and open-throated devotion. Highly listenable.

OLD DOMINION / “Me Most Nights”
Writers: Brad Tursi/Matthew Ramsey/Ross Copperman/Trevor Rosen; Producers: Old Dominion, Shane McAnally; Label: Sony Music Nashville
– Audio brilliance, as usual. The interplay between the guitars, the voices and the beats is just delicious. This ensemble just might be the most talented band in country music.

BOOMTOWN SAINTS / “This Side of the Dirt”
Writers: Adrienne Follese/Ben Chism/Chris Ramos/Keith Follese; Producers: Gary Kraen, Noah Gordon; Label: 8 Track Entertainment
– Stirring and uplifting. In this power ballad, they sing of living life to the fullest and cherishing adventure as we make our way through our time on earth. Ramos and Chism have carved out a special niche as one of our stellar indie duos. Keep singing, fellas—you’re coming in loud and clear.

CHRIS YOUNG / “Til the Last One Dies”
Writers: Ben Hayslip/Jordan Walker/Seth Mosley; Producers: Andy Sheridan, Chris Young; Label: Black River Entertainment
– He’s really, really good at this romance-music stuff. His baritone is so warm and inviting, it’s impossible to resist.

JEANNIE SEELY & MADELINE EDWARDS / “Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)”
Writers: Jeannie Seely/Judith Arbuckle/Pat Sheeran/Randy Newman; Producers: Madeline Edwards, Rob McNelley; Label: Sony Music Publishing
– This is one sultry dose of ‘60s southern soul. This was Seely’s first success as a songwriter when Irma Thomas introduced it in 1964. The tune has since been recorded by Seal, Ruby Amanfu, Boyz II Men, The Ballroom Thieves and several others. Edwards and Seely bring it back in a languid, steamy duet arrangement. It’s part of a Women’s History Month initiative by Sony Publishing that re-imagines Seely’s songs for a new generation.

CODY JOHNSON & CARÍN LEÓN / “She Hurts Like Tequila”
Writers: Cody Johnson/Johan Sotelo/Orlando Aispuro Meneses/Oscar Armando Diaz de Leon Huez/Trent Willmon; Producer: Trent Willmon; Label: CoJo Music/Warner Music Nashville
– Cojo embraces his Lone Star State’s Hispanic heritage with this sublimely country waltz that blends Mexicali guitar, accordion and steel guitar. Latin superstar Carín León alternates with Spanish verses. A bi-lingual triumph. In a word, gracias.

CAROLINE JONES / “No Tellin’”
Writers: Caroline Jones/Clara Park/Lauren McLamb; Producers: Caroline Jones, Julian Raymond, Ric Wake; Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment
– Jones steps out from her membership in the Zac Brown Band with this snappy, bluegrassy stomper that rocks from start to finish. She’s vowing to spill the beans on her no-good ex so that he can’t hurt the next gal who falls for him. Tempo pleasure.

TRACE ADKINS / “That Someday”
Writers: Casey Beathard/Trace Adkins; Producer: Mickey Jack Cones; Label: Verge Records Nashville
– You can hear this dark revenge ballad during the closing credits of the new action film Day of Reckoning in which Adkins appears. Dramatic and doomy.

KASHUS CULPEPPER / “Southern Man”
Writers: Bear Rinehart/Kashus Culpepper; Producer: Brian Elmquist; Label: Big Loud Records/Mercury Records
– The slippery slide guitar work of Marcus King sizzles throughout this single. Culpepper’s Alabama-proud vocal struts his stuff while King answers every chorus instrumentally. Southern rock lives, but I liked Culpepper better when he was honky-tonkin.’

BILLY RAY CYRUS / “Ask”
Writers: Ben Burgess/Billy Ray Cyrus/Brandon Manley/Yung Lan; Producers: Brandon Manley, Eric Hurt, Yung Lan; Label: Roam Man Productions
– Eerie sounding. Cyrus speaks the lines in a dusty, deep baritone while guitars doodle in an echo chamber and a soprano wordlessly ooh’s off in the distance. Weird and strange.

MADDIE & TAE / “Drunk Girls in Bathrooms”
Writers: Jamie Moore/Maddie Font/Ryan Beaver/Taylor Kerr; Producer: Josh Kerr; Label: Mercury Nashville
– Now here’s a topic you don’t find addressed in songs every day. In this one, the Women’s Room is a merry place where ladies share confidences, makeup and love. They pick you up when you’re down and hold your hair when you puke. Best of all, this is all sung with a saucy, ultra-fun, joyful, upbeat production. A single with a built-in smile.

Big Daddy Weave To Release First Album In Six Years

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Big Daddy Weave will release their first new album in six years, Let It Begin, on May 23 via Curb Records. To celebrate the announcement, the band has released “I’ve Just Seen Too Much,” a story of walking by faith and not by sight.

The group welcomes themes of personal healing on Let It Begin, the follow-up to 2019’s When The Light Comes. The 15 track project tells the story of a God who met them in their darkest moments and carried them through life’s valleys, offering messages of unshakable hope, including hits “Heaven Changes Everything,” “God Is In This Story (feat. Katy Nichole)” and the title track. Let It Begin, their first album since the passing of founding member Jay Weaver, also includes the poignant tribute, “Jaybird.”

Giving fans a deeper understanding of the stories behind the songs that make up Let It Begin, the group has introduced a new video series, “Cabin Conversations.” In this series, Weaver joins co-writers and friends to share the life experiences and lessons that influenced each song.

YouTube video

Big Daddy Weave will head out on their “Let It Begin Tour” this spring with special guests Ben Fuller and Megan Woods. Stops will include cities in Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota and more.

The band has notched multiple No. 1s, including “Heaven Changes Everything,” “God Is In This Story” (with Katy Nichole), “I Know,” “Alive,” “Love Come To Life,” “Redeemed,” “The Only Name (Yours Will Be),” “Overwhelmed,” and “My Story.” RIAA Platinum-certified “Redeemed” spent 11 weeks at No. 1, and their follow-up hit, “The Lion and The Lamb,” has become one of the genre’s most-streamed songs. They have amassed more than one billion career streams and have received numerous honors, including a Dove Award, ASCAP and BMI Awards, and the prestigious Rich Mullins Artist Impact Award, among others.

Let It Begin Track List:
1. “Let It Begin”
2. “My Hope Is Jesus”
3. “I’ve Just Seen Too Much”
4. “Stranger No More (feat. Zach Williams)”
5. “Heaven Changes Everything”
6. “Louder Than The Lies”
7. “Constantly”
8. “Lions and Eagles”
9. “Have Your Way”
10. “Free”
11. “God Is In This Story (feat. Katy Nichole)”
12. “Good Grief (feat. Jason Gray)”
13. “Jaybird”
14. “This Is Not The End”
15. “Let It Begin (feat. Ben Fuller & Megan Woods)”

Zac Brown Band Delivers An Epic Night At The Pinnacle

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Zac Brown Band. Photo: Nathan Zucker

On a night filled with country charm, soul-soothing melodies and infectious energy, Zac Brown Band took the stage at The Pinnacle in Nashville last night (April 3) for their second of two shows.

Zac Brown Band. Photo: Nathan Zucker

After an energetic opening set from Irish band Gaelic Storm, the band opened with the feel-good anthem “Toes,” setting the tone for what would be a night of seamless musical transitions. As the crowd sang along, the energy was palpable. Every person, from the front row to the back, swayed to the rhythm of the band’s irresistible tunes. “Homegrown” followed, with its laid-back vibe creating a sense of togetherness and nostalgia.

One of the evening’s most notable moments came when they performed the iconic “Devil Went Down to Georgia.” The fiery fiddle solo was met with wild applause, with fans completely immersed in the spirited performance. Next, the band transitioned into “My Kinda Medicine,” bringing a high-energy rock-infused sound to the stage, and then mellowed things out with the heartfelt “Sweet Annie,” showcasing the depth of their musical versatility.

Next, the band invited Drake White to the stage to join them for the song “As She’s Walking Away.” As the night continued, the hits kept coming with “Same Boat,” “Keep Me in Mind” and “My Old Man,” which Brown dedicated to all the dads. The Nashville crowd sang and swayed in unison, proving Zac Brown Band’s ability to connect with their fans. The energy reached new heights during “Knee Deep,” with videos of Jimmy Buffett singing in the background.

Zac Brown Band. Photo: Nathan Zucker

After a quick intermission, the band began their acoustic set, offering a more intimate experience. The soft strums of “The Wind” began, and a wave of serenity washed over the room. The stripped-back sound allowed every word to resonate, drawing listeners into the raw emotion of the music, followed by “Wild Palomino” and “Out In The Middle.”

The second half of the night saw Zac Brown Band deliver more crowd-pleasers. “Jump Right In” and “Island Song” brought a tropical feel, with fans enthusiastically singing every word. The playful “Two Blue Chairs & You” followed.

Another great moment came when the band covered Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” transforming the classic into a unique Zac Brown Band rendition that had the crowd roaring with appreciation. This was followed by the hauntingly beautiful “Someone I Used to Know.”  

Zac Brown Band. Photo: Nathan Zucker

The evening took a tender turn with “Loving You Easy,” a song that had fans swaying and holding their loved ones close. The show’s emotional highs continued with Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet,” with band member Caroline Jones taking the spotlight for a stunning solo performance that captivated the audience.

As the night neared its end, the group brought things full circle with the soulful “Goodbye In Her Eyes” and the reflective “Tomorrow Never Comes.” But it was the mashup of “Colder Weather” and the Eagles’ “Take It to the Limit” that truly left fans awestruck.

And of course, no Zac Brown Band concert would be complete without the crowd-favorite “Chicken Fried.” As the final song of the night, the song’s infectious joy filled the venue one last time, bringing the night to a close with everyone singing in unison.

ASCAP Elects New Board Of Directors

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ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams has announced the new members of the Board of Directors who have been elected to serve for a two-year term beginning April 1, 2025.

Newly elected to the Board as a writer member is songwriter Claudia Brant. In addition to Paul Williams, the writer members who were re-elected in the at-large field are: composer/songwriter Jon Batiste; songwriter/producer Desmond Child; composer Sharon Farber; Writer Vice Chair composer Dan Foliart; songwriter/composer Michelle Lewis; songwriter/producer Terry Lewis; composer/producer Marcus Miller; songwriter Jimmy Webb; and composer Doug Wood. Composer Alex Shapiro was re-elected in the Symphonic and Concert field.

The publisher directors re-elected in the at-large field are: Peter Brodsky, Sony Music Publishing; Bob Bruderman, Kobalt; Marti Cuevas, Mayimba Music; Ree Guyer, Wrensong Publishing, Keith Hauprich, BMG US; Dean Kay, Lichelle Music Company; Evan Lamberg, Universal Music Publishing Group; Leeds Levy, Leeds Music; Publisher Vice Chair Irwin Z. Robinson, Cromwell Music, Inc.; Paul Robinson, Warner Chappell Music; and Jon Singer, Spirit Music.  James M. Kendrick, European American Music, was re-elected in the Symphonic and Concert field.

“It is both a privilege and a responsibility to be elected to the ASCAP Board by our songwriter, composer and publisher peers,” says Williams. “The ASCAP Board takes seriously our commitment to advocating for and protecting the value of our more than one million members’ music and upholding our principles of fairness and efficiency to maximize distributions to our members. We welcome our newly elected songwriter Claudia Brant to join us in this mission, which puts the needs of our music creators and publishers first.”

ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization that operates as a not-for-profit and the only one with a Board of Directors of songwriters, composers and music publishers, elected by and from the membership every two years.

Franni Cash Reemerges With New Team & New Solo Project

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Franni Cash with Capitol CMG team. Photo: Brian Brister

Franni Cash of We The Kingdom has returned after stepping away from the band with a new solo project, a new tour and a brand-new team.

Cash is a two-time Grammy-nominated, three-time Dove award-winner, performer and songwriter who co-wrote two of We The Kingdom’s No. 1 hits and was named one of the top 20 breakout artists across all genres. Growing up in Nashville with a producer-songwriter dad, music has always been a part of Cash’s DNA, and her authentic, honest and whimsical songwriting and gift for the stage has always endeared her to her fans. As she pursues her solo career, Cash has signed with Capitol CMG, WME and Round Table Management for representation.

“We are so happy to be Franni Cash’s partner for this next chapter of her career as a solo artist,” says CCMG’s President Brad O’Donnell. “She’s a special person with an incredible voice and we can’t wait to see the impact her music will have on the world.”

“Franni is bringing fresh energy, talent and heart everywhere she goes,” says Mark Claassen, Partner, WME. “We can feel the excitement around this new season. We are happy to be part of her team to expand her platform and tell her story to the rest of the world.”

“I speak for the entire Round Table Management team when I say that we are beyond excited to partner with Franni as she steps into this new season of her career,” adds Round Table Artist Manager Hannah Gifford. “Franni is an authentic artist and songwriter, who pours honesty, depth, and pure rock and roll into everything she creates. There is so much ahead!”

Applications Now Open For CRS 2026 Agenda Committee

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Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc has opened applications for the CRS 2026 Agenda Committee. The committee will be key in planning the educational programming for CRS 2026, taking place March 18-20, 2026.

Shelley Hargis (BMG/BBR Music Group) will serve as committee Chair, while Krista Hayes-Pruitt (BMG/BBR Music Group) and Kevin Callahan (Pamal Broadcasting) will serve as Co-Vice Chairs.

The Agenda Committee is made up of country radio, streaming and music industry volunteers.

Applications are due April 18, 2025, and applicants must be able to attend in-person planning sessions at the Virgin Hotel in Nashville July 21-23, 2025 and attend CRS 2026. The CRS 2026 registration fee is waived for all committee members.

Live In The Vineyard Goes Country Expands 2025 Lineup

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Live In The Vineyard Goes Country has added to its 2025 lineup for the April 22-24 event in Napa Valley, California.

Jordan Davis, Laci Kaye Booth, Chloé Caroline, Preston Cooper, Bradley Gaskin, Erin Grand, Greylan James, and Timmy McKeever have all joined the lineup for the one-of-a-kind experience that brings together talent, industry professionals, and the beauty of wine country for a fusion of music, wine and culinary excellence. Invite-only attendees, including music supervisors, radio programmers, DSP curators, label execs, VIPs and corporate hospitality groups get a first listen to new music from today’s biggest stars and rising talent in an intimate, hand-curated setting.

The newly added artists join the roster of 2025 performers that includes Brett Young, RaeLynn, Katharine McPhee, Roman Alexander, Annie Bosko, Allie Colleen, Kashus Culpepper, Carter Faith, Lanie Gardner, Harper Grace, James Barker Band, Caroline Jones, Alexandra Kay, Max McNown, Morgan Myles, Shane Stevens, Thelma & James, and many more, with more artists soon to be revealed.