Lee Brice has a lot to celebrate at the moment. He is nominated for Best New Artist at the 46th Annual CMA Awards, his single “Hard to Love” is on the cusp of hitting No. 1, and he’s got big plans for 2013.
The South Carolina-born artist has been regarded as a consummate Nashville songwriter for some time, landing award-winning monster hits for Eli Young Band (“Crazy Girl”), Garth Brooks (“More Than a Memory”), and even himself (“Love Like Crazy”). So it’s interesting to note that he had no hand in writing his No. 1 hit “A Woman Like You” or “Hard to Love,” both of which appear on his Curb Records sophomore album Hard 2 Love. That’s okay, Brice says, because what matters most is that he identifies with the material.
“If I’m going to record a song I didn’t write, I have to connect with it as if I wrote it,” he explains. “So when I’m singing it, I’m selling it and living it as much as I would if I wrote it.”
“Hard to Love” has its origin in a writers retreat Brice took with friends. Brice and two of his buddies were writing outside, and three others (Billy Montana, John Ozier, Ben Glover) were inside doing the same. When Brice came in for a snack, he heard the group working through the song.
“It felt like I was in the room writing it,” he recalls. “I knew even then [before it was finished], it was something I wanted to record.”
It has been a gradual evolution for Brice, from hit tunesmith to hit artist. While he wants people to remember his songwriting contributions, his goal since arriving in Nashville has been the less-traveled road of artist singer/songwriter.
“I started writing songs when I was 10 because I wanted to sing and I needed something to sing,” Brice says. “I have been really fortunate to have [my] songs recorded, but I’ve been looking forward to this and this is what I’ve been working for. There’s been a transition but it’s been moving forward to get to this point. It’s where I’ve always wanted to be.”
2012 has been all about moving forward for Brice. “A Woman Like You” hit No. 1, then went on to Gold and Platinum sales designations; Brice toured nonstop, playing shows with Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and more; and he just recently returned from the Blake Shelton cruise.
With the busy touring schedule Brice keeps, it only makes sense that he occasionally drops some of his hits for others into the mix at his shows. “More Than a Memory” pops up on occasion, but a newer hit really gets the crowds going.
“I do ‘Crazy Girl’ almost every night,” he says. “[That] was one I wanted to release myself. I wasn’t able to do that and the next best thing is, Eli Young Band makes it a big ol’ smash and changes my life. I appreciate that and now I still get to sing it. It gets a big reaction every night.”
Brice recently had a unique opportunity to put his writing talents to the test. A longtime fan and former player for Clemson University’s football team, Brice was selected by the school to create a game day fight song for the Tigers as they take the field. The result was “Orange Empire,” an AC/DC-esque crunchy rock anthem that will play in the stadium at home games. Brice will get to experience it for himself during Rivalry Weekend, when he hosts a pre-game concert Nov. 23 at Littlejohn Coliseum. The following day, the Clemson Tigers will take on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
Before that happens, Brice will experience a whirlwind CMA Awards week. He’s scheduled to perform at the SESAC Awards Oct. 28, and he will be accompanied by his fiancee Sara to the CMA Awards Nov. 1 to see if he wins the Best New Artist honor. Somewhere in between, he will find time to go trick-or-treating with his son Takoda on Halloween. It is a tricky process to balance family and work, but Brice says he is figuring it out.
“It’s difficult but I kind of thrive on challenges,” he says. “It’s an everyday process, learning how to do it. I have to say no sometimes. It’s not as important as doing stuff like trick-or-treating.”
Once the CMA Awards are over, Brice will focus his attention on 2013. He has plans to begin recording his third album (which he says could be titled “I Don’t Dance”) in January, and will embark on a tour with an unspecified male artist. After that, he’s setting a course for the moon.
“Sometimes maybe I reach too far, but my goal is after I get off this tour at the end of next October, by 2014, I want be able to go do arenas,” he says. “If I get to that, I don’t know. But that’s how I live my life, just shooting high.”
Above all, Brice is grateful for everything that has happened in the last year. The hit songs are happening, fans are coming to shows, and he’s got a loving family waiting for him at home.
“I am at one of the best times of my life,” he says. “I’m happy in my personal life, family, and career. It’s one of the high points.”
CMA Awards Street Closures
/by FreemanSaturday, Oct. 27: Demonbreun will close between 4th Ave. S. and 5th Ave. S.
Monday, Oct. 29: 5th and 6th Ave. S. will close from Broadway to Demonbreun, and Demonbreun will close from 4th Ave. S. to 7th Ave. S.
Thursday, Nov. 1: Demonbreun will close from 4th Ave. S. to 8th Ave. S. Seventh Ave. S. will close from Demonbreun to Broadway. The right lane of 4th Ave. S. will close between the Downtown Hilton and Korean Veterans Blvd.
Demonbreun will be reopened between 4th and 7th, and 5th and 6th Avenues will be reopened no later than Noon on Saturday, Nov. 3. All other roads will be open no later than 2 am/CT Friday, Nov. 2.
Lee Brice: Singing It, Selling It, Living It
/by FreemanThe South Carolina-born artist has been regarded as a consummate Nashville songwriter for some time, landing award-winning monster hits for Eli Young Band (“Crazy Girl”), Garth Brooks (“More Than a Memory”), and even himself (“Love Like Crazy”). So it’s interesting to note that he had no hand in writing his No. 1 hit “A Woman Like You” or “Hard to Love,” both of which appear on his Curb Records sophomore album Hard 2 Love. That’s okay, Brice says, because what matters most is that he identifies with the material.
“If I’m going to record a song I didn’t write, I have to connect with it as if I wrote it,” he explains. “So when I’m singing it, I’m selling it and living it as much as I would if I wrote it.”
“Hard to Love” has its origin in a writers retreat Brice took with friends. Brice and two of his buddies were writing outside, and three others (Billy Montana, John Ozier, Ben Glover) were inside doing the same. When Brice came in for a snack, he heard the group working through the song.
“It felt like I was in the room writing it,” he recalls. “I knew even then [before it was finished], it was something I wanted to record.”
It has been a gradual evolution for Brice, from hit tunesmith to hit artist. While he wants people to remember his songwriting contributions, his goal since arriving in Nashville has been the less-traveled road of artist singer/songwriter.
“I started writing songs when I was 10 because I wanted to sing and I needed something to sing,” Brice says. “I have been really fortunate to have [my] songs recorded, but I’ve been looking forward to this and this is what I’ve been working for. There’s been a transition but it’s been moving forward to get to this point. It’s where I’ve always wanted to be.”
2012 has been all about moving forward for Brice. “A Woman Like You” hit No. 1, then went on to Gold and Platinum sales designations; Brice toured nonstop, playing shows with Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and more; and he just recently returned from the Blake Shelton cruise.
With the busy touring schedule Brice keeps, it only makes sense that he occasionally drops some of his hits for others into the mix at his shows. “More Than a Memory” pops up on occasion, but a newer hit really gets the crowds going.
“I do ‘Crazy Girl’ almost every night,” he says. “[That] was one I wanted to release myself. I wasn’t able to do that and the next best thing is, Eli Young Band makes it a big ol’ smash and changes my life. I appreciate that and now I still get to sing it. It gets a big reaction every night.”
Brice recently had a unique opportunity to put his writing talents to the test. A longtime fan and former player for Clemson University’s football team, Brice was selected by the school to create a game day fight song for the Tigers as they take the field. The result was “Orange Empire,” an AC/DC-esque crunchy rock anthem that will play in the stadium at home games. Brice will get to experience it for himself during Rivalry Weekend, when he hosts a pre-game concert Nov. 23 at Littlejohn Coliseum. The following day, the Clemson Tigers will take on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
Before that happens, Brice will experience a whirlwind CMA Awards week. He’s scheduled to perform at the SESAC Awards Oct. 28, and he will be accompanied by his fiancee Sara to the CMA Awards Nov. 1 to see if he wins the Best New Artist honor. Somewhere in between, he will find time to go trick-or-treating with his son Takoda on Halloween. It is a tricky process to balance family and work, but Brice says he is figuring it out.
“It’s difficult but I kind of thrive on challenges,” he says. “It’s an everyday process, learning how to do it. I have to say no sometimes. It’s not as important as doing stuff like trick-or-treating.”
Once the CMA Awards are over, Brice will focus his attention on 2013. He has plans to begin recording his third album (which he says could be titled “I Don’t Dance”) in January, and will embark on a tour with an unspecified male artist. After that, he’s setting a course for the moon.
“Sometimes maybe I reach too far, but my goal is after I get off this tour at the end of next October, by 2014, I want be able to go do arenas,” he says. “If I get to that, I don’t know. But that’s how I live my life, just shooting high.”
Above all, Brice is grateful for everything that has happened in the last year. The hit songs are happening, fans are coming to shows, and he’s got a loving family waiting for him at home.
“I am at one of the best times of my life,” he says. “I’m happy in my personal life, family, and career. It’s one of the high points.”
Snapshots (10/26/12)
/by MichelleCreative Nation songwriters Luke Laird and Barry Dean were joined recently by eleven of Nashville’s finest songwriters to unveil ten new uncut songs at The Basement in Nashville. The crowd was treated to performances by Laird, Dean and their co-writers Trent Dabbs, Tom Douglas, Ashley Gorley, JT Harding, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Steve Moakler, Josh Osborne, Caitlyn Smith, and The Brothers Osborne.
Three-time CMA Award nominee and Platinum-selling super group Little Big Town performed its current single, “Tornado” on LIVE with Kelly and Michael recently. Afterwards, host Kelly Ripa gushed about the “incredible” performance and said LBT was “definitely the coolest band we have ever seen here on this stage, I’m not kidding!” “Tornado” is the band’s fastest rising single to date.
(L-R): Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman, Kelly Ripa, Karen Fairchild, Michael Strahan, and Phillip Sweet
• • •
Sarah Darling stopped by GAC recently to deliver her new music video for “Home To Me” as it officially impacts radio. The single has sold over 23,500 units and the music video will be available soon.
(L-R): Black River's Katie McCartney; GAC's Shanna Strassberg, Sarah Darling; GAC's Tony Trovato and Black River's John Alexander
Charlie Cook On Air: CMA Awards
/by contributorAs a quick aside, it is pretty incredible that both the ACM and CMA have been able to tap into hosts for their programs that turn out to be naturals at the job. Earlier this year Reba and Blake were fabulous and if you’re anything like me you too look forward all year to the show opening in Nashville with Brad and Carrie.
That naturalness and professionalism of these superstars, in what is a tough job out of their comfort zones, points to the incredible shape the format is in as we approach the Awards show this year.
Country music has the best stable of artists today. Yeah, some of the other formats have bigger, better selling stars but our bench is deeper and country acts are going to enjoy longer careers than the other contemporary format’s artists.
At the stations I work with we identify the top nine artists and assure that we’re playing a superstar every quarter hour. This gives the station a bigness that guarantees that the listeners are hearing the big stars every time they turn the station on. It is becoming harder and harder to get that list down to just nine acts.
When your brand is strong enough that you can be identified by just your first name, you have made it. Pop acts start with just one name. Rihanna, Beyonce, Pink, Adele, Ke$ha and Usher for example.
Country acts morph into one name. Brad, Carrie, Toby, Kenny and Taylor for example. Country acts earn their one name.
All kidding aside, the format is so strong today and yet there are new acts breaking into the top tier. Eric Church, Luke Bryan, and Easton Corbin, are all right on the edge of becoming superstars. Still there are new acts like Kip Moore, Dustin Lynch, and Jana Kramer finding room on radio stations.
On this topic I reached out to my “go to lady” in the record business: Lesly Tyson, Vice President of Promotion for Arista Nashville. Lesly has always helped me see the whole picture.
“We are in such an incredible place overall in the format,” Lesly told me last week. “There are new artists breaking through with big hits – 8 new acts actually made a huge impact with singles in the Top 5 in the last 9 months – that’s awesome. We have brought in younger listeners and they are responding to new, fresh music.”
That’s the beauty of the country music. The biggest selling act in our format is 22 years old. The two biggest ticket sellers are a couple of 45 year olds. (Kenny…I just went and added a year to your age. You’ll forgive me.)
The one area where the format is troubled is with female performers. A few weeks back I wrote here that only four female artists are in the top 30 played songs for 2012. Music Row and radio need to do a better job here.
Lesly agrees, “Our format is still very tough on females and we do not have to be. Look at CHR, Hot AC and the other current formats and how they embrace female artists – 10 to 15 female acts in the Top 30 at any given time. There is room at Country to open up a few spots to more female voices. Of those 8 new artists with singles that have broken though this year – only 1 was a female solo act. If given a shot, I truly believe more female artists would turn into core artists in Country, too.”
With the exception of this one issue I would not trade the excitement and potential that country music has today with any other format on the radio.
The show next week will win the TV ratings night, as it always does. Hopefully it will also be a springboard to bigger and better successes for not only the superstars like Brad, Taylor, Blake, Kenny and Jason (all nominated for Entertainer of the Year), but also for the New Artist of the Year Nominees Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, Hunter Hayes, Love and Theft and Thompson Square.
There is one thing we can all get behind. Good luck to all of the nominees.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow)
Weekly Chart Report (10/26/12)
/by FreemanTaylor Swift sat down with After MidNite host Blair Garner to talk about all things "Red."
SPIN ZONE
It’s new No. 1 song time, with Eric Church’s latest “Creepin’” into the MusicRow Chart’s top spot after a 17 week journey. Church is chased by a trifecta of Big Machine artists, including Rascal Flatts’ “Come Wake Me Up” at No. 2, Greg Bates’ “Did It For the Girl” at No. 3, and Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” at No. 4. Lee Brice’s “Hard to Love” is a few steps behind at No. 5. Only Darius Rucker’s “True Believers” is allowed entrance to the top 10 this week.
CMA Female Vocalist nominee Carrie Underwood brought her “Blown Away Tour” to Los Angeles last week, where she caught up with KKGO PD, Tonya Campos
Already knocking on the door of the top 10 are Kenny Chesney’s “El Cerrito Place” at No. 11 and Brad Paisley’s “Southern Comfort Zone” at No. 12. Both songs are under 10 weeks old. Also hot and new in the top 20 are Zac Brown Band’s “Goodbye in Her Eyes” at No. 14, Taylor Swift’s “Begin Again” at No. 16, and Little Big Town’s “Tornado” at No. 19. Expect to see Kacey Musgraves’ “Merry Go Round” and Gary Allan’s “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” joining them very soon.
Hunter Hayes is also red hot right now and his latest single “Somebody’s Heartbreak” scored the most adds this week, jumping 75-54 with a 275 spin gain. Chris Young’s “I Can Take It From There” is also off to a great start, hitting No. 45 in its second week. New entries to the chart this week include Brantley Gilbert’s “More Than Miles” at No. 63, Josh Turner’s “Find Me a Baby” at No. 70, Randy Rogers Band’s “One More Sad Song” at No. 76, Eric Lee Beddingfield’s “That Ol Outlaw Song” at No. 79 and Sarah Darling’s “Home to Me” at No. 80.
Frozen Playlists:KICR, WBKR, WOWF
Upcoming Singles
October 29
Thompson Square/If I Didn’t Have You/Stoney Creek
Jerrod Niemann/Only God Could Love You More/Sea Gayle-Arista
Hayden Panettiere/Telescope/Big Machine
October 30
Tracy Lawrence/Stop Drop and Roll/LMG
November 5
Jana Kramer/Whiskey/Elektra Nashville-W.A.R.
Livewire/Lies/Way Out West
Love and Theft/Runnin’ Out Of Air/RCA
Hunter Hayes recently visited with KRTY/San Jose GM Nate Deaton and GSM Tina Ferguson. Pictured (L-R): WMN’s West Coast rep Rick Young, Hayes, Ferguson, Deaton.
• • • • •
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Brantley Gilbert/More Than Miles/Valory – 63
Josh Turner/Find Me A Baby/MCA – 70
Randy Rogers Band/One More Sad Song/MCA Nashville – 76
Eric Lee Beddingfield/That Ol’ Outlaw Song/Rebel Dawg – 79
Sarah Darling/Home To Me/Black River – 80
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Brad Paisley/Southern Comfort Zone/Arista Nashville – 286
Hunter Hayes/Somebody’s Heartbreak/Atlantic-WMN – 275
Little Big Town/Tornado/Capitol – 270
Taylor Swift/Begin Again/Big Machine – 261
Zac Brown Band/Goodbye In Her Eyes/Southern Ground-Atlantic – 248
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Hunter Hayes/Somebody’s Heartbreak/Atlantic-WMN – 21
Chris Young/I Can Take It From There/RCA Nashville – 17
Montgomery Gentry/I’ll Keep The Kids/Average Joes – 14
Brantley Gilbert/More Than Miles/Valory – 11
Josh Turner/Find Me A Baby/MCA – 11
Thompson Square/If I Didn’t Have You/Stoney Creek – 9
Faith Hill/American Heart/Warner Bros. – 9
Sarah Darling/Home To Me/Black River – 8
Jerrod Niemann/Only God Could Love You More/Sea Gayle Records-Arista Nashville – 8
Eric Lee Beddingfield/That Ol’ Outlaw Song/Rebel Dawg – 8
Tracy Lawrence/Stop, Drop, & Roll/Lawrence Music Group – 8
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Jerrod Niemann/Only God Could Love You More/Sea Gayle-Arista Nashville – 182
Thompson Square/If I Didn’t Have You/Stoney Creek – 180
Love and Theft/Running Out Of Air/RCA Nashville – 179
Lost Trailers/American Beauty/Stokes Tunes – 173
Craig Campbell/Outta My Head/Bigger Picture – 171
Scotty McCreery recently co-hosted KXKS/Shreveports's morning show, “Turner & McCoy,” before his concert date with Brad Paisley. Pictured (L-R): Gary McCoy (PD and morning show host), McCreery, Tracy Turner (MD and morning show host)
WGLR/Platteville, WI recently held the Ford Fiesta Car Giveaway Party with Render Records’ artist Lisa Torres. Contestant Sada Ruch made it to the end of the competition winning a 2013 Ford Fiesta, and Torres entertained the crowd with her single “Car That Runs.” (L-R): Torres, contest winner Ruch’s husband, WGLR’s Rob Spangler, winner Sada Ruch, WGLR Ryan McCall.
Performers, Presenters Added to CMA Awards
/by Eric T. ParkerThe CMA also revealed the first round of artists presenting trophies during the three-hour event will include Martina McBride, Kellie Pickler, Sugarland, and The Band Perry. Additional presenters include Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere, Jake Owen, Jana Kramer, Kimberly Williams Paisley, Lisa Marie Presley, Reba McEntire, and Tim Allen.
Previously announced performers include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Clarkson, Eli Young Band, Brantley Gilbert, Faith Hill, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Carrie Underwood, and Zac Brown Band.
The 46th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, Thursday, Nov. 1, 7 pm/CT on ABC. Further details are available at CMAawards.com.
Will Hoge Inks Publishing Deal
/by Sarah SkatesFront Row (L-R): Will Hoge, BMG Chrysalis Creative Dir. Daniel Lee; Back Row (L-R): Manager Jordan Powell of Relationship Music; Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy's Duane Clark, Flood Bumstead McCready & McCarthy's Jaidam Kirpich
Average Joe’s Adds Publicist Claire Cook
/by Eric T. ParkerClaire Cook
Claire Cook will join Average Joe’s Entertainment to handle publicity and artist development, combining forces with the newly hired Kristin Palmer.
“I’ve known and worked with Claire for several years,” says Tony Morreale, VP of Marketing and Promotion at Average Joe’s Entertainment. “I’m extremely pleased to announce that she’s coming on board. Together, [Claire and Kristin will] be unstoppable in breaking new ground for the label and our artists.”
Most recently, Cook was Senior Director, Publicity, at Webster & Associates and had previously served as an independent publicist at her own Cook Media & Marketing firm. She has experience working in the industry at Dreamcatcher Entertainment; Magnatone Records; Windsor Publications and Capitol/EMI America in Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from CSU, Northridge.
Cook’s first official day on the job will be Tuesday, Oct. 30. Congratulate Cook by email or phone at 615-733-9983.
Michaels to Helm Blaster Records Promotion
/by Freeman“With the challenges faced today in our genre and the fighting for radio airplay, hiring a great team to support our current and future roster is vital,” says Blaster CEO Tom Porter. “Gator has an outstanding reputation and we are proud to add him into our growing Blaster family.”
Michaels is a veteran promotion executive whose previous experience includes a decade in country radio, as well as eight years leading the promotion department at Warner Bros. Nashville. He also served as VP of Promotion for Dreamcatcher Entertainment, helping take Kenny Rogers’ “Buy Me a Rose” to No. 1.
Rounding out Blaster’s in-house staff will be Glenn Noblit, National Director (glenn@blasterentertainment.com); Dave Collins, Regional Director (dave@blasterentertainment.com); Weslea Neas, Regional Director (weslea@blasterentertainment.com); Luke Jensen, Regional Director (luke@blasterentertainment.com); and Mallory Opheim, Coordinator (mallory@blasterentertainment.com). The label’s physical address is 20 Music Sq. E., Nashville, TN 37203.
Primetime “Nashville”: Episode 103
/by Sarah SkatesEpisode 103: “Someday You’ll Call My Name” (a Hank Williams song)
Directed by Michael Engler
Family drama fueled last night’s (10/24) episode of Nashville. Juliette’s junkie mom showed up in town, and Rayna continued to battle with her father Lamar. Meanwhile, musician Deacon balanced the tightrope between the two women before finally making a decision about who to tour with. Ratings stayed steady compared to last week with about 6.6 million viewers, according to Zap2it.com.
But before we get to the recap, let’s talk about the new music. Scarlett and Gunnar debuted the songs “Fade Into You” (writers: Matt Jenkins, Trevor Rosen, Shane McAnally) and “I Will Fall” (Kate York, Tyler James). Scarlett—played by Australian Clare Bowen and sporting the show’s least convincing Southern accent—choked during her demo session with co-writer/potential love interest Gunnar. Watty White was producing the session at Ben’s Studio, previously known as RCA Studio A. Scarlett finally rallied with the help of alt-country boyfriend Avery and was a studio success. But supporting Scarlett isn’t his only intention, with songwriter ambitions of his own he’s making sure Watty knows his name. On a side note, last week Rayna referred to him as “Uncle Watty” but we still don’t know that relationship, perhaps her late mother’s brother?
Juliette, who is on a mission to be taken more seriously as an artist, enticed Deacon to join her at Starstruck Studios to record their co-write “Undermine.” She reserves her softer side for him—manager Glenn isn’t so lucky—and she confides to Deacon that part of the song is about her mom.
Then the mama drama begins. Juliette’s mom Jolene-The-Junkie showed up at the record label, then tracked down her daughter on Demonbreun, and then found her the way to the gates of Juliette’s neighborhood, Hill Place. Try as she might, Juliette couldn’t get mom to go back to ‘Bama, so she reluctantly took her in following an arrest at the bus station to avoid public humiliation. As the episode closed, we saw Juliette shoplifting a bottle of nail polish (likely named Ironic Red) while teenagers caught the act on cell phone video. Looks like this will come back to bite her next week.
While both have parental issues, the contrast between Juliette’s and Rayna’s upbringings becomes more clear each week. Rayna and husband Teddy are still “cash poor” so Daddy Lamar sent over a $500,000 check, but the “loan” is saddled with stipulations designed to halt her music career.
It’s hard to believe $500K would make a dent in the debt that Rayna seems to be facing. Check out the real-life listing for the $19.5 million estate which is used for Rayna’s residence. (It’s the Page Rd. home of Sylvia Roberts. After shooting on location, the Nashville crew re-created the kitchen and master suite on a soundstage.) Rayna turned down the money and had her requisite weekly fight with her dad. Then her sister Tandy revealed that Lamar hates Rayna’s singing career because their mother was having an affair with a musician before she died.
Because Teddy is largely to blame for their financial ruin, he sucked up his pride and headed to the Music City Credit Union (aka the Roundabout Building) for a line of credit. While there, he found out the Feds are auditing the bank. This could be a major problem for Teds, whose shady dealings might be discovered just as his mayoral campaign gears up.
And Rayna’s own daughters unknowingly stirred up drama by singing Juliette’s hit “Telescope” at the school talent show. Mom cheered through the tears for her girls, played by real-life sisters Lennon & Maisy Stella, ages 13 and 8.
Torn between Juliette’s rocking arena tour and Rayna’s smaller bus-sharing tour, Deacon decided to stay loyal to Rayna. Their scenes are often the most honest, such as the one at Percy Warner Park, when she told him, “You and music—there’s no difference. I feel like I’m holding these hearts in my hands, and I’m trying real hard not break ‘em, but my heart’s in pieces.”
In future episodes, look for appearances by Wyclef Jean and Kimberly Williams Paisley.