Pictured (L-R): Combustion Music’s Keithan Melton, Combustion Music’s Falcon, Story House Collective’s Matthew West, AJ Pruis, Combustion Music’s Chris Farren, Combustion Music’s Kelly Lyons and Combustion Music’s Blake Duncan. Photo: Melissa Pruis

AJ Pruis has extended his publishing deal with Combustion Music in partnership with Story House Collective.

Pruis recently notched his eighth No. 1 single as a songwriter with Tasha Layton and Chris Brown’s “Worship Through It.” Pruis works in country, pop and Christian writers’ rooms, with credits on songs from Newsboys, Matthew West, Sanctus Real, Megan Moroney, Max McNown, Corey Kent, Fletcher, Colbie Caillat, Hey Violet and more.

He co-wrote and co-produced several tracks on West’s album Don’t Stop Praying, including his current top 15 single, “Unashamed”. Pruis’ more recent cuts include Kent’s “Break Like That,” Reyna Roberts’ “Justify.” Spencer Crandall’s “The Right One,” Rhett Walker’s “Somebody Say Amen,” Loyals’ “Give To Me,” Olivia Lane’s “Who God Says You Are” and more. Prius has also had songs cut by Ingrid Andress, Jordan Feliz, Alana Springsteen, Casting Crowns, Anne Wilson, Locash, Scotty McCreery and more.

“Couldn’t be happier to extend our partnership with Matthew West and AJ Pruis. AJ continues to excel and win in multiple formats,” says Combustion Music President Chris Farren. “We are so pumped to continue winning together.”

West adds, “It has been such an honor to partner with AJ and to have a front row seat to watch his journey unfold, and I’m excited to announce the continuation of our partnership. He’s writing and producing one great song after another and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s got a bright future ahead of him. The music industry has discovered what a unique talent AJ is and I have no doubt that the best is yet to come.”

“Feeling incredibly blessed to keep working with Story House Collective and Combustion Music,” says Pruis. “They’ve been an amazing team for the past decade, and I can’t wait to see what we do together in the coming years!”

Milana Lewis, Tom Becci & Kristin Graziani. Photo: Erica Hernandez

Concord has acquired Stem Distribution, adding the company to its subsidiary portfolio. Stem will remain a separate division within Concord Label Group, led by CEO Milana Lewis and President Kristin Graziani.

Stem has begun and grown artist careers for rising talent and established acts. With Concord, Stem will now have more capital and resources to gain new technology and develop the infrastructure needed to enhance its portfolio of label services and drive Stem’s global growth. The deal will not impact current staffing or operations.

“The success of the indie community is vital to the long-term growth and health of the music industry,” shares Tom Becci, Chief Executive of Concord Label Group. “Our investment in Stem will equip them with the tools necessary to deliver first-class service across the globe while further modernizing the indie music landscape. Our focus on bolstering independent artists and entrepreneurs has never been clearer.”

“Milana and her team have spent a decade creating a company that provides immense value to both artists and labels.” adds Concord CEO Bob Valentine. “Like Concord, their focus has always been giving artists the tools they need to realize their visions and grow their careers. I am excited to welcome the Stem team to Concord and look forward to witnessing our collective success.”

“From day one, Stem has been hellbent in its mission to provide artists and their teams true autonomy.” says Lewis. “We’ve built a platform that has consistently launched the hottest artists in the world by assembling the right components—discerning taste, cutting-edge financial tools, seamless distribution, bespoke marketing strategies and high-touch creative services. Now, with Concord’s backing, we gain more fuel for the engine and a global team to help us scale. This isn’t an exit—it’s an expansion. We’re doubling down on raising the standard for independent artists and proving what’s possible when they have the right support behind them.”

“Stem and Concord both serve as trusted and successful partners to independent artists,” explains Graziani. “Bob, Tom, Vic and the Concord team have built an incredibly impressive, durable business across multiple facets of the industry and we are honored to be their selected partner as they enter the rapidly growing and sought-after distribution space. We know Concord’s capital, comprehensive global label services and strategic expertise across recorded music will immediately strengthen Stem’s offering, while allowing us to continue to deliver on our promise of empowering independent artists and labels.”

As part of the deal, Tone, the business platform for royalty accounting and other modern financial tools for record labels under Stem, will operate as an independent business, with Concord serving as one of its investors.

Concord’s external legal counsel was provided by Reed Smith, with tax advisory services from KPMG. Stem’s team was led by Raine and featured counsel from Rachel Totten and Natalie Martirossian from Goodwin Procter, Sarah Graham from Gibson Dunn and Laxmi Vijaysankar from Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill.

Chris Blair. Photo: The Listening Room Cafe

The Listening Room Cafe recently celebrated the venue’s 19th anniversary with a full day of music from 15 hit songwriters during several sold-out shows on March 15.

The celebration included performances by Marc Beeson, Craig Campbell, Adam Craig, Brian Davis, Jason Duke, J.T. Harding, Mark Irwin, AJ Kross, Jenn Schott, The Warren Brothers, Keesy Timmer, Eric Van Houten, Ben Williams and The Listening Room’s Founder and Visionary, Chris Blair.

“Nineteen years ago, I set out to create something more than just another venue—I wanted a space that put the song and the songwriter first,” shared Blair. “I moved to town as an artist and fell in love with songwriting, and through that journey, I saw a need for a place that truly honored the craft, with great sound, great food, and a deeper connection to the stories behind the music. The Listening Room was built on that vision, and after all these years, it’s still about the songs, the songwriters, and the community we’ve built together.

“From the incredible rounds to our Sound Good Do Good program, giving back has become part of who we are,” he continued. “Every night, when someone walks out saying they have a new respect for songwriters or can’t wait to come back, that’s what makes it all worth it. Thank you everyone for helping us celebrate 19 years, and here’s to many more ahead.”

Last year, The Listening Room sold over 130,000 tickets to attendees from 40 countries and 48 states. The venue has hosted over 800 shows with over 1,000 songwriters performing on its stages, and its monthly Sound Good Do Good shows have raised over $100,000 throughout the year.

The first round of performers for the landmark 60th Academy of Country Music Awards have been revealed, including Blake Shelton, Eric Church and Lainey Wilson. More will be announced in the coming weeks.

Hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winning entertainment icon Reba McEntire, the 60th ACM Awards will stream live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 7 p.m. CST from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Tickets are now available at SeatGeek.

The show will celebrate six decades of country music. Shelton, a six-time ACM Award recipient and former ACM Awards host, will take the stage as his top 10 single “Texas” continues to rise up the charts. Seven-time ACM Award recipient Church will perform on the heels of his newest album, Evangeline Vs. The Machine, dropping May 2. Reigning Entertainer of the Year and 12-time ACM Award recipient Wilson will return to the ACM Awards stage after winning the Academy’s highest honor in 2024.

Nominations for the 60th ACM Awards will be announced this Thursday (March 27) with additional performers, presenters and ACM Awards week events announced in the coming weeks.

Matthew Miller. Photo: Mick Brodie

Matthew Miller has joined the Nashville-headquartered talent management agency The Familie, bringing with him Texas singer-songwriter William Beckmann and pop-punk riser LEW (a.k.a. Lauren Weintraub) to the company’s growing talent roster.

With over 20 years of industry experience, Miller joins The Familie after beginning his career at WME and later leading A&R at Carnival Music under Grammy Award-winning producer Frank Liddell. At Carnival, he was instrumental in the signing and early songwriting careers of Natalie Hemby, Brent Cobb, Hailey Whitters and Adam Hood as well as the success of the late Troy Jones.

Most recently, Miller worked at Triple 8 Management, after an eight-year stint at Red Light Management working with Enzo DeVincenzo’s 377 Management (Parker McCollum, Lee Ann Womack, Randy Rogers Band).

“I’ve known Matthew for years and cannot tell you how excited I am to finally work with him at The Familie,” shares The Familie’s EVP of Music Royce Risser. “His experience and management style are a perfect fit for this team and he will be a huge part of the culture we are creating.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to join The Familie and be part of a team that not only pushes the industry forward but also values a strong, collaborative culture,” Miller shares. “The energy here is unmatched, and you can feel that everyone is building something special. Steve’s vision for The Familie is truly next level—not just in music, but across the entire agency—and I’m excited to help grow that, especially in the country space. Getting to work with Royce again, who’s a force in this world, just makes it even better.”