Melissa Etheridge, Maggie Rose, Amos Lee, The Jayhawks, The Devon Allman Project and The Secret Sisters are set to headline the upcoming 30A Songwriters Festival, taking place Jan. 16–20 in over 25 venues along Highway 30A in South Walton, Florida.
Now in its 16th year, the festival will also welcome first-timers Charlie Starr and Benji Shanks of Blackberry Smoke, Natalie Hemby, Brandy Clark, Chuck Prophet & His Cumbia Shoes, Lindsay Lou, Brett Dennan, The Stews, Langhorne Slim, Chris Knight, Josh Joplin Group, Willi Carlisle, Bee Taylor, Jontavious Willis, Josh Rouse, Paul McDonald & The Mourning Doves, Tyler Ramsey, Andrea Von Kampen, Jill Sobule, Burris, Kyle Davis, Jada Cato, Beth Bombara, Mallory Johnson, Jessica Sharman, David Borné and Anna Grace.
“The Songwriters Festival stands apart in South Walton as the sole cultural event that brings most of the South Walton communities together, in harmony, to produce a four-day, around-the-clock presentation of extraordinary music,” says Jennifer Steele, Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County President & CEO/30A Songwriters Festival Co-Producer. “From Thursday, Jan. 16 through Monday, Jan. 20, the 30A corridor will be full of music fans enjoying wall-to-wall music venues, world-class musicians and fabulous food and wine. If you haven’t experienced this immersive melodic experience, join us in 2025.”
Returning to perform two shows each throughout the weekend will be Darrell Scott, Livingston Taylor, Will Kimbrough, Ellis Paul, Shawn Mullins, Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill, John Paul White, Tommy Prine, Ruthie Foster, Hayes Carll, Holly Williams, John Fullbright, Black Opry Revue, Lilly Hiatt, Susan Werner, Chuck Cannon, Jeff Black, Dan Bern, Griffin House, Charlie Mars, Randall Bramblett, Jeffrey Steele, Steve Poltz, Kelly Willis, Bob Schneider, Mary Gauthier, Certainly So, David Ryan Harris, Chris Stills, Emerson Hart, John Driskell Hopkins, Adam Hood, Abe Partridge, Chastity Brown, Cousin Curtis, Will Hoge, Ryanhood and more.
Others set to take the various stages include Sarah Clanton, Jack Barksdale, Eliot Bronson, Mike Kinnebrew, Liz Longley, Grayson Capps, Cat Ridgeway, Lilly Winwood, Caitlin Cannon, Bradley Cole Smith & Nelson Nolan, Jennifer Lynn Simpson, Sara Hells and the Sand Ole Opry With Mike Whitty, among others.
Additional acts will announced soon. Passes and ticket packages are available now. For more information, click here.
Spotify For Artists Launches ‘Get Ready For 2024 Wrapped’ Landing Page
/by Liza AndersonSpotify for Artists has launched the “Get Ready for 2024 Wrapped” landing page, which aims to guide artists in preparing for and maximizing the annual Wrapped campaign with resources to help them stand out and further connect with fans as well as drive profile visits and streams.
The page details how artists can create custom Clips by Nov. 20 to be featured in their top fans’ 2024 Wrapped experience and update their Artist Profile with links to merchandise, a fan support link or 2024 playlists. They can also generate buzz for 2025 by highlighting their upcoming shows or creating a Countdown Page for a forthcoming release.
Last year, 225 million listeners and 170 markets engaged with Wrapped content, marking a 40% increase in engagement from the 2022 campaign.
Save The Music’s 2024 ‘Hometown To Hometown’ Event Raises $300K For Music Education
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Maren Morris, Ali Harnell, Brittney Spencer attend Save The Music fifth annual “Hometown to Hometown” event at City Winery Nashville. Photo: Catherine Powell/Getty Images for Save The Music
Save The Music’s fifth annual “Hometown to Hometown” event wrapped Tuesday night (Oct. 15) in Nashville, raising over $300k in funds for music education programs in under-resourced public high schools.
Ali Harnell and Leslie Fram speak onstage at the Save The Music fifth annual “Hometown to Hometown” event. Photo: Catherine Powell/Getty Images for Save The Music
Co-hosted by Leslie Fram and Angie K, the evening honored female powerhouses Maren Morris, Brittney Spencer and Live Nation Women’s Ali Harnell as the 2024 Champions of the Year for their contributions to the music industry and their passion for music education.
Throughout the event, honorees, performers and speakers, including musical artists Angie K, Brandy Clark, Abbey Cone, Allison Russell with Ruby Amanfu, Joy Oladokun, Dean of MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment Beverly Keel and Maren’s mother Kellie Morris spoke passionately about the bonds shared by women throughout all career stages, and the importance of lifting up and supporting each other’s careers.
Event highlights include Cone performing “If You Were A Song,” and Spencer delivering the evening’s first standing ovation with her song “Bigger Than The Song.” Keel later presented Spencer with the Champion of the Year award. Harnell and Fram shared a thoughtful conversation around Harnell’s career trajectory, and Russell and Amanfu delivered a soul-stirring rendition of “A Beautiful Noise.” Clark presented Harnell with her award, reflecting on her companionship and collaboration during her trailblazing career.
Pictured (L-R): Maren Morris, Ali Harnell and Brittney Spencer attend Save The Music fifth annual “Hometown to Hometown” event at City Winery Nashville. Photo: Catherine Powell/Getty Images for Save The Music
Oladokun resumed performances with “What Would This World Do,” bringing the audience to their feet and teeing up the final performance of the evening by honoree Morris. Following her performance of “The Bones,” Maren’s mother Kellie took the stage to present her daughter with her 2024 Champion of The Year award.
Save The Music grant recipient school James Lawson High School in Nashville brought home the night when educator Tyler Meredith and his two star students Jay J Roberts and Jailynn Boone recounted the impact the music technology grant has had on their school with Jay J inspiring the audience with her career aspirations inspired by the Save The Music Music Technology grant.
Funds raised from the event will go towards developing music technology programs in Nashville as well as the honoree’s respective hometowns in Dallas (Morris) and Baltimore (Spencer). Since its inception in 2019, “Hometown to Hometown,” hosted by Save The Music and SongFarm.org, has raised a million dollars, empowering 15 high schools with essential music technology equipment and valuable resources.
Melissa Etheridge, Maggie Rose, More To Headline 2025 30A Songwriters Festival
/by Liza AndersonMelissa Etheridge, Maggie Rose, Amos Lee, The Jayhawks, The Devon Allman Project and The Secret Sisters are set to headline the upcoming 30A Songwriters Festival, taking place Jan. 16–20 in over 25 venues along Highway 30A in South Walton, Florida.
Now in its 16th year, the festival will also welcome first-timers Charlie Starr and Benji Shanks of Blackberry Smoke, Natalie Hemby, Brandy Clark, Chuck Prophet & His Cumbia Shoes, Lindsay Lou, Brett Dennan, The Stews, Langhorne Slim, Chris Knight, Josh Joplin Group, Willi Carlisle, Bee Taylor, Jontavious Willis, Josh Rouse, Paul McDonald & The Mourning Doves, Tyler Ramsey, Andrea Von Kampen, Jill Sobule, Burris, Kyle Davis, Jada Cato, Beth Bombara, Mallory Johnson, Jessica Sharman, David Borné and Anna Grace.
“The Songwriters Festival stands apart in South Walton as the sole cultural event that brings most of the South Walton communities together, in harmony, to produce a four-day, around-the-clock presentation of extraordinary music,” says Jennifer Steele, Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County President & CEO/30A Songwriters Festival Co-Producer. “From Thursday, Jan. 16 through Monday, Jan. 20, the 30A corridor will be full of music fans enjoying wall-to-wall music venues, world-class musicians and fabulous food and wine. If you haven’t experienced this immersive melodic experience, join us in 2025.”
Returning to perform two shows each throughout the weekend will be Darrell Scott, Livingston Taylor, Will Kimbrough, Ellis Paul, Shawn Mullins, Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill, John Paul White, Tommy Prine, Ruthie Foster, Hayes Carll, Holly Williams, John Fullbright, Black Opry Revue, Lilly Hiatt, Susan Werner, Chuck Cannon, Jeff Black, Dan Bern, Griffin House, Charlie Mars, Randall Bramblett, Jeffrey Steele, Steve Poltz, Kelly Willis, Bob Schneider, Mary Gauthier, Certainly So, David Ryan Harris, Chris Stills, Emerson Hart, John Driskell Hopkins, Adam Hood, Abe Partridge, Chastity Brown, Cousin Curtis, Will Hoge, Ryanhood and more.
Others set to take the various stages include Sarah Clanton, Jack Barksdale, Eliot Bronson, Mike Kinnebrew, Liz Longley, Grayson Capps, Cat Ridgeway, Lilly Winwood, Caitlin Cannon, Bradley Cole Smith & Nelson Nolan, Jennifer Lynn Simpson, Sara Hells and the Sand Ole Opry With Mike Whitty, among others.
Additional acts will announced soon. Passes and ticket packages are available now. For more information, click here.
Old Crow Medicine Show Announces Firebird Partnership, Drops New Election Single
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Ketch Secor, Cory Younts, Dante’ Pope, Mike Harris, PJ George and Morgan Jahning. Photo: Chris Wood
Old Crow Medicine Show has regained ownership of the masters of their first three albums, O.C.M.S., Tennessee Pusher and Carry Me Back, and entered a partnership with Firebird for their distribution. To celebrate, they’ve also released a new single, “Donkey & Elephant.”
“Old Crow is extremely proud about our new partnership with Firebird,” says Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor. “For an old time string band that started on street corners to sign with one of the most innovative and forward-minded leaders in today’s music business says a lot about both of us. Firebird stands foremost for the artists it serves, and I’m mighty grateful we’ve circled the wagons with ‘em.”
“Firebird Label Services is excited to partner with Old Crow Medicine Show as they take back ownership of three of the most exciting and beloved catalog albums from their 25 years making music—including the groundbreaking O.C.M.S. on its 20th anniversary,” says Kenny Weagly, VP and Head of Artist & Label Services at Firebird. “We welcome the opportunity to support the band on new releases such as ‘Donkey & Elephant,’ empowering them with our resources and unique support system as they move forward in the next chapter of their illustrious career.”
The band is urging music fans of all stripes to exercise their right to vote with the new song “Donkey & Elephant,” a bipartisan metaphor about the current election climate.
“Old Crow is proud to join artists across all genres in urging our fans to vote,” explains Secor. “We wrote this song because when your heroes are Johnny, Willie, and Kristofferson you’ve got to sing about what’s going on, and this election is a pretty huge deal coast to coast and around the globe. We decided to take a middle of the road approach. Instead of preaching about one candidate or another, we used this song to talk about our frustration with the current crop of Donkeys and Elephants out there. We don’t really care who you vote for, as long as your hearts are in it. Just get out there and exercise your right and if you care about causes like we do, voting is the way to see it through.”
The Grammy-winning band is in the midst of their 2024 “Jubilee Tour,” which celebrates their 25-year anniversary. OCMS founding member Willie Watson, Jaime Wyatt and Hannah Dasher will join on select dates, wrapping with the group’s annual New Year’s Eve shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Dec. 30-31.
Dan + Shay Release First-Ever Holiday Album
/by John Nix ArledgeIn spirit of the upcoming holiday season, Dan + Shay have released their first-ever holiday album titled It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album via Warner Music Nashville.
Cris Lacy (Co-Chair/Co-President, Warner Music Nashville) with Dan + Shay. Photo: David Bradley
Out today (Oct. 18), the project features a total of 21 tracks, with Disc 1 offering 10 Christmas classics and Disc 2 featuring 11 original songs, all written or co-written by Dan + Shay. The album was produced by the duo’s own Dan Smyers, alongside Scott Hendricks.
“We are so excited to announce our very first Christmas album, and surprise, IT’S A DOUBLE ALBUM. This project has been a decade in the making, and we are so proud of every single note. We truly leaned into our love for the holiday season and think we found some magic in these songs,” shares Dan + Shay.
The duo adds, “Our hope is that you are able to enjoy + share that same magic with your loved ones for years to come. As always, thank you for continuing to believe in us and allowing us to live our dream. We’re grateful for you, and we’re grateful for Christmas!”
Additionally, ahead of today’s release, Dan + Shay’s tracks “Take Me Home for Christmas” and “Pick Out a Christmas Tree” have already achieved RIAA Gold certification. The announcement came as a surprise from Warner Music Nashville’s Co-Chair/Co-President Cris Lacy, who shared the news with the duo at their Nashville office.
It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album Track List:
DISC 1
1. “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” [written by Eddie Pola, George Wyle]
2. “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” [written by Johnny Marks]
3. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” [written by Haven Gillespie, Fred J Coots]
4. “Let It Snow” [written by Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn]
5. “The Christmas Song” [written by Mel Torme, Robert Wells]
6. “Winter Wonderland” [written by Jeremy Stuart Smith]
7. “Jingle Bell Rock” [written by Jim Boothe, Joseph Carleton Beal]
8. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” (written by Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) [written by Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin]
9. “Christmas” (Baby Please Come Home) [written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phillip Spector]
10. “Silent Night” [public domain song]
DISC 2
1. “Officially Christmas” [written by Dan Smyers, Dave Barnes, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds]
2. “Take Me Home For Christmas” [written by Dan Smyers, Andy Albert, Jordan Reynolds, Jordan Schmidt, Mitchell Tenpenny]
3. “Save The Snowman” [written by Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney]
4. “Holiday Party” [written by Dan Smyers, Andy Albert, Jordan Reynolds]
5. “The Cozy Song” [written by Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds]
6. “Pick Out A Christmas Tree” [written by Dan Smyers, Dave Barnes, Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds]
7. “Parson Brown” [written by Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds]
8.”Christmas Isn’t Christmas” [written by Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert, Jordan Reynolds]
9. “Blame It On Santa” [written by Dan Smyers]
Prescription Songs Elevates Rachel Wein
/by LB CantrellRachel Wein
Prescription Songs has promoted Rachel Wein to Senior Director of A&R.
With over seven years at the company, Wein has grown the roster to include over 30 Nashville-based songwriters, artists and producers, totaling over 150 acts within the entire company. Under her guidance, Grammy-nominated songwriter Morgan Nagler has had recent releases with Mxmtoon, Astrid S, Stephen Dawes, Misterwives, Maddie Zahm, Willie Watson of Old Crow Medicine Show and more.
Wein has also excelled in artist development, playing an essential role in emerging acts like Maddie Zahm, Jordy, Greyson Chance and Parson James. Other key clients include James Droll and Tim Gent. Additionally, she oversees producers Sean Small, JT Daly, Jon Santana and Spellz, among others.
“It’s been an honor to watch Rachel grow into the executive she has become today,” says Katie Fagan, Prescription Songs’ Head of A&R, Nashville. “She has been an integral part of our growth as a team here in Nashville and I’m looking forward to seeing her win big in the coming years.”
“The company culture and clientele at Prescription is simply unmatched,” shares Wein. “We are encouraged to take risks and focus on quality, innovative art that pushes the boundaries. I look forward to many more years of working alongside the best in the business!”
A graduate of Boston University with a degree in Sociology & Special Education, Wein joined Prescription Songs in 2017 as the first hire in their Nashville office. She serves on leadership boards for Family Alliance in Music (FAM) and Salt Lick Incubator, and was recently invited to be on the steering committee for Belmont’s Center for Mental Health in Entertainment.
Anne Wilson Goes Home For ‘Rebel (Live From Lexington)’
/by Lorie HollabaughAnne Wilson will release new live album recorded in her hometown, Rebel (Live From Lexington), next Friday (Oct. 25).
The 10-track live album recorded in June at the Lexington Opera House features standouts from her genre-blending album Rebel, as well as her breakout hit “My Jesus.” The announcement of the record comes weeks after Wilson took home top honors with Rebel at the 55th annual GMA Dove Awards for Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year and performed to a sold-out audience during her Ryman Auditorium headlining debut as part of “The Rebel Tour.”
Upon its release on April 19, Rebel secured the No. 1, 2 and 3 spots on the Christian, country and all-genre charts, respectively, and also hit No. 10 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and notched more than 10.3 million total global streams in its first week. The album includes collaborations with some of Christian and country’s biggest names, enlisting Lainey Wilson for “Praying Woman,” Chris Tomlin for “The Cross,” and Jordan Davis on “Country Gold.” Rebel also earned Wilson her first CMT Music Award nomination for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year for “Rain In The Rearview.”
To date, the Spotify Hot Country Artist to Watch has garnered over a billion career streams. Last month, Wilson released the first taste of new music with “Stand.” She will continue her nearly sold-out 28-stop “The Rebel Tour” with special guest Jordan Rowe throughout the fall.
Rebel (Live From Lexington) Track Listing:
Ashley Gorley Inducted Into TICUA Hall Of Fame
/by Madison HahnenAshley Gorley. Photo: Katie Kauss
Award-winning songwriter Ashley Gorley has been honored as a Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) 2024 Hall of Fame inductee. The TICUA Hall of Fame recognizes alumni from its 34 member institutions, highlighting their contributions to the state, nation and world.
“As we welcome this new class of honorees, it’s inspiring to see the diverse ways TICUA institution alumni are shaping the world,” says TICUA President Dr. Cameron Conn. “Each inductee’s story underscores the profound impact private higher education can have, not only on personal success, but also on shaping communities and industries.”
Since graduating from Belmont University with a B.B.A. in music business in 1999, Gorley has become a legend in the music industry. His songwriting career spans more than two decades, resulting in a record-breaking 75+ No. 1 radio singles and over 400 songs recorded by artists across multiple genres.
His numerous accolades include NSAI’s Songwriter of the Decade for 2010–2019, 24 CMA Triple Play Awards, ACM Songwriter of the Year, Variety’s 2023 Songwriter of the Year (all-genre), among many others. His Grammy-nominated hit “Last Night” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking 16 weeks in 2023, while Wallen’s collaboration with Post Malone, “I Had Some Help,” reigned for six weeks in 2024.
Gorley has also shaped new talent through his publishing and artist development company, Tape Room Music. The company has produced more than 50 No. 1 songs, including the 2018 ASCAP Country Song of the Year, “Body Like a Back Road” and 2021 ASCAP, BMI and SESAC Country Song of the Year, “One of Them Girls.”
His allegiance to the music industry is a direct pathway to his advocacy for songwriters’ rights. He has promoted legislation such as the Music Modernization Act, meeting with senators and the Library of Congress to advocate for fair compensation and intellectual property protection in the digital age.
At Belmont, Gorley continues to teach the next generation of music industry professionals, regularly returning to campus to mentor students and lead seminars.
He is among 22 other inductees in the 2024 TICUA Hall of Fame class, representing a plethora of professions and demonstrating the impact of Tennessee’s private institutions on forming global leaders.
Ringo Starr To Release New Country Project ‘Look Up’
/by Lorie HollabaughRingo Starr has teamed with T Bone Burnett on a brand new country album, Look Up, due out Jan. 10 via UMG Nashville. A track from the project, “Time On My Hands,” is available to stream today (Oct. 18.)
T Bone Burnett and Ringo Starr. Photo: Dan Winters
The collection features 11 new originals, recorded this year in Nashville and L.A. Nine songs on Look Up were written or co-written by Burnett, one by Billy Swan and the other co-written by Starr and Bruce Sugar. Starr sang and played drums on all the tracks and co-wrote the album’s closer, “Thankful,” featuring Alison Krauss. Other talent contributing to the album include Billy Strings, Larkin Poe, Lucius and Molly Tuttle. Daniel Tashian is a co-producer on the album along with Sugar and Burnett.
Starr has had a lifelong love of country music and has celebrated it throughout his career, including during his years with the Beatles where he performed and wrote numerous country-tinged songs like “Act Naturally,” “What Goes On” and “Don’t Pass Me By,” as well as with the earlier Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. He also recorded a country album, Beaucoups of Blues, in 1970 as his second solo album. His love of country and the blues led him to try and emigrate from London to Texas while still a teen, after reading that Lightnin’ Hopkins lived in Houston.
The artist’s new album came out of a chance meeting with Burnett at an event in Los Angeles in 2022 (the two had first met in the 1970s), where Starr asked Burnett to write a song for an EP he was recording. Burnett returned with nine songs, which put Starr on the path to record Look Up, his first full-length project since 2019.
“I’ve always loved country music. And when I asked T Bone to write me a song, I didn’t even think at the time that it would be a country song—but of course it was, and it was so beautiful,” Ringo recalls. “I had been making EPs at the time and so I thought we would do a country EP—but when he brought me nine songs I knew we had to make an album! And I am so glad we did. I want to thank, and send Peace & Love, to T Bone and all the great musicians who helped make this record. It was a joy making it and I hope it is a joy to listen to.”
“I have loved Ringo Starr and his playing and his singing and his aesthetic for as long as I can (or care to) remember,” says Burnett. “He changed the way every drummer after him played, with his inventive approach to the instrument. And, he has always sung killer rockabilly, as well as being a heartbreaking ballad singer. To get to make this music with him was something like the realization of a 60-year dream I’ve been living. None of the work that I have done through a long life in music would have happened if not for him and his band. Among other things, this album is a way I can say thank you for all he has given me and us.”
Starr will bring the new music to Nashville when he headlines two Ryman shows Jan. 14-15. Starr and Burnett will also be featured on an episode of TalkShopLive on Oct. 22 at 7 pm ET.
Look Up Track List:
1. “Breathless” (featuring Billy Strings) (T Bone Burnett)
2. “Look Up” (featuring Molly Tuttle) (Daniel Tashian, T Bone Burnett)
3. “Time On My Hands” (Paul Kennerly, Daniel Tashian, T Bone Burnett)
4. “Never Let Me Go” (featuring Billy Strings) (T Bone Burnett)
5. “I Live For Your Love” (featuring Molly Tuttle) (Billy Swan, T Bone Burnett)
6. “Come Back” (featuring Lucius) (T Bone Burnett)
7. “Can You Hear Me Call” (featuring Molly Tuttle) (T Bone Burnett)
8. “Rosetta” (featuring Billy Strings and Larkin Poe) (T Bone Burnett)
9. “You Want Some” (Billy Swan)
10. “String Theory” (featuring Molly Tuttle) (Daniel Tashian, T Bone Burnett)
11. “Thankful” (featuring Alison Krauss) (Richard Starkey, Bruce Sugar)
Liz Rose Music To Host Live Song Pitch Round
/by Madison HahnenLiz Rose Music will host “Liz Rose Music & Friends Live Song Pitch” on Oct. 24 at The Listening Room Cafe in Nashville.
The round will feature hit songwriters Phil Barton, Joe Fox, Adam Sanders, Lauren McLamb, Eric Paslay and Joe Ragosta. During the event, each writer will play uncut songs in front of A&R and industry professionals, in addition to fans in the audience. The show will pull back the curtain on the Nashville songwriting scene, giving listeners the unique opportunity to hear a potential hit before its release.
Tickets to the event are available now.