Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Big Yellow Dog’s Carla Wallace, co-writer Josh Kear, Carrie Underwood, co-writer Chris Tompkins, producer Mark Bright, Big Loud Shirt’s Craig Wiseman and Sony Music Nashville’s Gary Overton
Nashville’s music industry braved chilly, rainy weather on Wednesday (Jan. 16) to help
Carrie Underwood and ASCAP songwriters
Josh Kear and
Chris Tompkins celebrate the No. 1 song, “Blown Away.” Held at the Country Music Association offices, CMA CEO
Steve Moore introduced ASCAP’s
Mike Sistad to kick off the party.
Kear has four songs on Underwood’s current album and penned
Lady Antebellum‘s smash hit “Need You Now,” while Tompkins has penned songs for
Florida Georgia Line,
Tim McGraw and
Blake Shelton. Together, Kear and Tompkins also penned Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and
Luke Bryan‘s “Drunk On You.”
The writers and singer accepted plaques, medallions and congratulations from the CMA’s
Brandi Simms, Big Loud Shirt’s
Craig Wiseman, Country Radio Broadcasters and
Carla Wallace of Big Yellow Dog Music.
“I’m just honored that they write songs and I get to sing them,” said Underwood. “I’m a lucky lady indeed. I’m lucky to know you guys. Whatever way the song get to me, just keep doing what you’re doing. I definitely look forward to more of these in the future. It’s just such a blessing to be able to write songs and hear songs that are amazing and that I know from the first second that I hear them start to play, that I want to sing them.”
“We respect you as an artist and you are such a great singer and we know that with the kind of songs that we write, we can deliver something that at least touches on something that you might want to record,” said Tompkins. He also thanked ASCAP, Sistad, Big Loud Shirt and singer
Caitlin Lynn, who sang the demo for ‘Blown Away.’ “Carrie’s such a strong singer so we needed a strong singer.”
“You changed our lives,” Kear told Underwood, referring to his and Tompkins’ hit “Before He Cheats.” “Everything we’ve had since then, all comes back to that song.”
The gracious singer was quick to reflect the praise back to Kear. “Well then you changed your own life by writing it.”
Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town at CMA Music Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonUnderwood, Kear and Tompkins Celebrate No. 1 "Blown Away"
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Big Yellow Dog’s Carla Wallace, co-writer Josh Kear, Carrie Underwood, co-writer Chris Tompkins, producer Mark Bright, Big Loud Shirt’s Craig Wiseman and Sony Music Nashville’s Gary Overton
Nashville’s music industry braved chilly, rainy weather on Wednesday (Jan. 16) to help Carrie Underwood and ASCAP songwriters Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins celebrate the No. 1 song, “Blown Away.” Held at the Country Music Association offices, CMA CEO Steve Moore introduced ASCAP’s Mike Sistad to kick off the party.
Kear has four songs on Underwood’s current album and penned Lady Antebellum‘s smash hit “Need You Now,” while Tompkins has penned songs for Florida Georgia Line, Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton. Together, Kear and Tompkins also penned Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and Luke Bryan‘s “Drunk On You.”
The writers and singer accepted plaques, medallions and congratulations from the CMA’s Brandi Simms, Big Loud Shirt’s Craig Wiseman, Country Radio Broadcasters and Carla Wallace of Big Yellow Dog Music.
“I’m just honored that they write songs and I get to sing them,” said Underwood. “I’m a lucky lady indeed. I’m lucky to know you guys. Whatever way the song get to me, just keep doing what you’re doing. I definitely look forward to more of these in the future. It’s just such a blessing to be able to write songs and hear songs that are amazing and that I know from the first second that I hear them start to play, that I want to sing them.”
“We respect you as an artist and you are such a great singer and we know that with the kind of songs that we write, we can deliver something that at least touches on something that you might want to record,” said Tompkins. He also thanked ASCAP, Sistad, Big Loud Shirt and singer Caitlin Lynn, who sang the demo for ‘Blown Away.’ “Carrie’s such a strong singer so we needed a strong singer.”
“You changed our lives,” Kear told Underwood, referring to his and Tompkins’ hit “Before He Cheats.” “Everything we’ve had since then, all comes back to that song.”
The gracious singer was quick to reflect the praise back to Kear. “Well then you changed your own life by writing it.”
Chesney Sets Album Release Date
/by Sarah SkatesReleased June 19, that project was his 13th studio album and has yielded hits “El Cerrito Place,” “Come Over,” and “Feel Like A Rock Star,” featuring Tim McGraw. After 30 weeks on the charts, the album has sold over 605,000 copies.
Chesney will kick off his No Shoes Nation Tour on March 16 in Tampa, Fla.
His career has resulted in 24 No. 1 singles and more than 30 million in album sales.
PLA Media Adds Publicist and Marketing Executive
/by Caitlin Rantala“I’m thrilled to be part of Pam Lewis’ legacy and look forward to sharing the experiences and relationships I have had the pleasure to develop over the years,” said Frederick.
Frederick moved to Nashville in 1980 to pursue career as a guitarist and has since recorded and toured US, Canada, and Europe with several nationally acclaimed recording artists. In 1992, he was hired by Clay Walker as band leader. That led to the role of Walker’s tour manager, publicist and then manager. Later, during his tenure at Network Ink Public Relations, Frederick was a key part of the team that coordinated the grand opening of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Most recently and following a stint with SHeDAISY in 2005 and 2006 as manager, Frederick returned to the Clay Walker camp as director of the singer’s charity organization, Band Against MS.
“As we continue to build the PLA team we’re very happy to have Kyle and his background as part of our brain trust,” said Lewis.
Frederick can be reached at 615-327-0100 or kyle.frederick@plamedia.com.
Blake Shelton To Headline Ten Times Crazier Tour
/by MichelleThis is Shelton’s second headlining tour, following last year’s sold out Well Lit & Amplified Tour.
Live Nation’s 2013 Country Megaticket is the first opportunity for fans to purchase tickets by visiting www.Megaticket.com and signing up to receive more information about this year’s Country Megaticket in their city. General public tickets for the tour will go on-sale in March. For more information visit www.blakeshelton.com.
“My fans, country radio, friends, family, you name it – they know I love to perform. With The Voice schedule, I was not able to go out and perform as much as I wanted last year but I plan to make up for it this year,” Shelton says. “This summer is going to be a blast. I want everyone at my shows to leave feeling like they got every penny’s worth of their ticket. I am going to give them every ounce of me on that stage because they deserve it. My fans are die hard country fans, they love to laugh and have a good time and I’m going to join them in what truly will be the Ten Times Crazier Tour.”
Blake Shelton’s upcoming tour dates include:
2013 TEN TIMES CRAZIER TOUR DATES:
7/19 Virginia Beach, Va. Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
7/20 Bristow, Va. Jiffy Lube Live
7/21 Wantagh, N.Y. Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
7/26 St. Louis Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/27 Noblesville, Ind. Klipsch Music Center
7/28 Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center
8/1 Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Blossom Music Center
8/2 Burgettstown, Pa. First Niagara Pavilion
8/3 Tinley Park, Ill. First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8/9 Raleigh, N.C. Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
8/10 Camden, N.J. Susquehanna Bank Center
8/11 Bethel, N.Y. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
8/29 Atlanta Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
8/30 Tampa, Fla. 1-800-ASK GARY Amphitheatre
8/31 West Palm Beach, Fla. Cruzan Amphitheatre
9/5 Holmdel, N.J. PNC Bank Arts Center
9/6 Hartford, Conn. Comcast Theatre
9/7 Mansfield, Mass. Comcast Center
9/12 St. Paul, Minn. Xcel Energy Center
9/13 Milwaukee, Wis. Bradley Center
9/14 Auburn Hills, Mich. The Palace of Auburn Hills
9/19 Charleston, W.V. Charleston Civic Center
9/20 Columbus, Ohio Nationwide Arena
9/21 Lexington, Ky. Rupp Arena
9/26 Charlottesville, Va. John Paul Jones Arena
9/27 Knoxville, Tenn. Thompson-Boling Arena
9/28 Nashville, Tenn. Bridgestone Arena
10/3 Kansas City, Mo. Sprint Center
10/4 Tulsa, Okla. BOK Arena
10/5 Wichita, Kan. INTRUST Bank Arena
Artist News (1/17/13)
/by Jessica NicholsonCarrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood‘s music video for “Two Black Cadillacs” will debut on Entertainment Tonight and VEVO on Wednesday, Jan. 23.
• • •
Gary Allan
Gary Allan is scheduled to perform his smash hit “Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)” on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Jan. 23 and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Feb 11. The single is the lead track off the forthcoming album Set You Free, due in stores on Jan. 22.
• • •
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Photo: David McClister
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell will embark on a series of tour dates this March with co-headliner Richard Thompson Electric Trio. Tickets go on sale starting this week. The tour will launch on March 13 at the House of Blues New Orleans and will run through April 4 in Atlanta. The outing supports Harris and Crowell’s new collaborative album, Old Yellow Moon, out Feb. 26 on Nonesuch Records.
CMT Names 'Next Women of Country'
/by Jessica NicholsonJana Kramer
While the country charts have been dominated by male artists in the past few years, CMT will highlight several of country music’s best up-and-coming female performers (both signed and unsigned) with its year-long ‘Next Women of Country’ initiative.
The campaign launched Wednesday (Jan. 16) and named 10 female powerhouse vocalists and performers who will be promoted across CMT platforms and at Nextwomen.cmt.com. The 10 high-profile ladies include Ashley Monroe, Holly Williams, Jana Kramer, Kacey Musgraves, Brandy Clark, Lauren Alaina, Sarah Darling, Rose Falcon, Rachel Farley and Kelleigh Bannen.
Coverage will include video premieres, performances and more across CMT, CMT.com, CMTEdge.com, CMT Pure, CMT Radio Networks and more than 4 million followers on social media. Videos premiering this month include Kramer’s “Whiskey” and Williams’ “The Highway.”
“Women are the cornerstone of country music,” said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy, CMT. “We want to recognize, support and expose the next wave of authentic female artists, signed or independent, who are writing, recording and making it happen on their own in a crowded, male-dominated format.”
Sony/ATV Negotiates Higher Royalty Rate From Pandora
/by Sarah SkatesIt has been widely reported that as of 2013, Sony/ATV is no longer using ASCAP and BMI to collect digital performance royalties. This change allows the publishing giant to negotiate rates directly with Pandora and similar services.
Payments to songwriters and publishers for online performances have been a hot topic in recent months. In November 2012, NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison and songwriter/NSAI President Lee Miller explained the situation to MusicRow. Giving a specific example of the low payments received by songwriters, Miller explained that five hit songs collectively received 33 million spins on internet radio during the third quarter of 2012, and the songwriters were collectively paid $500 in royalties.
Herbison said, “[Songwriters and publishers] get paid from a share of the ad revenue that is on the free part of Pandora [and there aren’t many ads].”
According to Pandora’s 2012 annual report, it paid 49.7% of its revenue in royalties to SoundExchange, which pays labels and artists, and 4.1% of its revenue in royalties to the US PROs, which in turn pay songwriters and publishers.
Bentley Gives Sneak Peek of Arena Tour
/by Sarah SkatesA major highlight of the arena run will be Bentley’s use of video and lighting effects for the first time. Yesterday, his brief set included “Tip It On Back,” during which the room swam with icy blue lights sure to be impactful in a large space. Bentley said he and his team strove to keep the “raw” feel of his show while mixing in video. “If this was the last tour we were ever going to do, what would we do?” Bentley and company mused while coming up with ideas. One result was a giant new stage he enthusiastically called a “jungle gym for adults.”
Band members huddled close together to perform “Up On The Ridge,” creating a sense of intimacy among the musicians that will translate to the arena audience. On the video screen behind them, a campfire danced under a full moon. Bentley also added personal elements to the videos, with one montage including a photograph of his father.
“’Home’ is one of my favorite songs to sing onstage every night,” he continued. “This song has so many different meanings for me.” He also referenced members of the military and their families in conjunction with the song that will vie for a Grammy at the Feb. 10 awards.
The father of two misses his family when he’s away from home, but said the sacrifice pushes him, his band and crew to make every show completely worthwhile.
After a hectic 2012 on the road, which included legs in the U.S., Canada and Australia—and notching the one millionth mile on his faithful tour bus “Goldie”—Bentley admitted he is looking forward to the consistency of an arena outing.
It’s not the first time Lambert and Bentley have hit the road together. She was one of his supporting acts on the 2006-2007 Locked and Loaded Tour. In upcoming shows, he said, they will team onstage for “some things fans expect, but will also throw in some things they might not expect.” Overall, he summed, he’s just plain excited.
Bentley has dates scheduled through July.
Americana Music Association Appoints Exec. Committee
/by Jessica NicholsonHolly Lowman, artist manager from Ramseur Records has been named President, independent consultant Brad Paul will remain on the Board as Past-President, producer Mark Moffatt will serve as President-Elect and the Grammy Museum’s Lynne Sheridan will serve as Secretary.
The three At-Large Executive Committee members are Amanda Hale (New West Records), John Ingrassia (Vector Management) and Jessie Scott (Music Fog and Hill Country). Kirt Vitolo will continue in his role as Treasurer and his firm, KV Associates, will act as the association’s accounting firm.
These positions are held for one-year terms.
The Board of Directors includes 21 industry representatives elected by the Americana Music Association membership or appointed by the Board. The 2013 Board brings new directors Shauna De Cartier (Six Shooter Records), Ingrassia, Paradigm’s Johnathan Levine and Sheridan. The incoming directors join Ashley Capps (AC Entertainment), Rodney Crowell, SESAC’s Tim Fink, Mary Gauthier, Hale, Nashville attorney Wayne Halper, Voice of America’s Joan Kornblith, Austin City Limits’ Terry Lickona, Buddy Miller, Moffatt, Al Moss, Paul, Scott, Vitolo and Emilee Warner from Crash Avenue.