Drew Baldridge. Photo: Lyric Ridge Records
Almost a decade after his first record deal, singer-songwriter Drew Baldridge is currently making a push to be the first artist to ever take a self-released single to No. 1 on the country charts.
The Patoka, Illinois native moved to Nashville 13 years ago to pursue a career in music. Not long after, he was inking a record deal with Cold River and releasing his debut album Dirt on Us. The album and proceeding singles did well enough, but when the label closed in 2019, Baldridge had nowhere to go.
“After that, COVID hit and I didn’t know what to do. I was broke, the publishing company I was with got bought out and I was thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ So, I decided I may as well post on TikTok and Facebook to see if anyone would want a show in their backyard,” explains Baldridge. “I thought I would get five requests at most, but we ended up getting over 20,000.”
Baldridge made good on his offer and spent the next two years of his life traveling the country and playing in over 300 people’s backyards with “just me and a guitar.” During this odyssey, his perspective shifted.
“My music really changed when I was in these people’s backyards, eating barbecue, playing corn hole and gaining weight. It made me realize that these were the people I was making music for. I needed to quit thinking about everything else and focus on the people.”
During his two-year tour across the nation, Baldridge married his now-wife and re-recorded her favorite song of his, “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” so she and her father could dance to it at their wedding. The track was previously recorded in 2019 under Cold River, but wasn’t released as a single due to Tenille Townes’ “Somebody’s Daughter” hitting the radio around the same time.
The re-recorded track was a special, stripped-back version of the original that he titled “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Wedding Version).” After the song was a success at the reception, he decided that he would create a post about it on social media.
“I remember it was a Wednesday night on our honeymoon, and I told my wife that I was going to post a TikTok about it—telling the story of why it had been recorded. When we woke up the next day, it had close to 10 million views on it.”
After fielding calls from labels in Los Angeles, Baldridge waited for Nashville to get on board, but the calls never game. The success of the song was apparent, though, as women began to post TikToks sharing photos of them with their fathers growing up.
Fast forward to 2023, at one of his first concerts back, Baldridge was playing the Fireman’s Picnic just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. When he began singing “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” he realized that everyone in the crowd knew the words by heart.
“I looked at my bass player, who has been with me for a decade, and said, ‘Do you ever remember people singing along?’ and he said, ‘No, but I’ve been waiting for 10 years!’”
It was after that event that Baldridge knew he had to capitalize on this opportunity. He readied a radio-friendly version of the sentimental song, titled “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined),” and began a grassroots promotion push shortly after by calling up old radio friends and asking them their thoughts on the song and advice for moving forward. Today, that team has grown into its own label, Lyric Ridge Records.
Since then, the staff, consisting of Louis Newman, Chele Fassig, Gwen Foster, Brent Battles and his radio mentor, Tim Richards, among others, has been hard at work pushing the track to the top of the charts. This new venture did come with its own set of unique challenges, though.
“Something a lot of artists don’t have to do is be on their own radio promo phone calls,” Baldridge quips. “I’ve had to put on some thick skin because, now, the stations are telling me that they don’t like my song straight to my face. But, for me, I was like, ‘Hurt me! I am putting all of my time, money and effort into this—I want to know how to get to a good end-destination here.’”
All the time, effort and thick skin has paid off. Baldridge’s track has now earned over one billion impressions on TikTok, 58 million listens across all versions on Spotify and sits at No. 8 on both the Mediabase and Billboard Country Airplay charts.
Baldridge makes it very clear that he has not done all of this alone, though, and that he has his fans and supporters to thank for his success.
“They are a part of this just as much as I am. Without them letting me play in their backyards, graduations and weddings, I can’t send the song to radio. Without them being here when no one else was, I don’t have a career,” says Baldridge. “When I post on my socials and I see someone comment, ‘We had you in our backyard a year ago, and now you have a song in the top 10!’ It makes me so happy—I want to win for them. I want us to win together.”
Post Malone Samples New Album At ‘A Night In Nashville’
/by John Nix ArledgePost Malone Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Bud Light
Grammy-nominated artist Post Malone joined forces with Bud Light on Tuesday (July 16) to throw “A Night in Nashville,” where he offered the crowd a sneak peek of his upcoming F-1 Trillion album.
The superstar, rocking a Nashville-appropriate plaid shirt, jeans, boots and camo hat, raised a toast to the crowd and stepped to the mic. “I just want to say thank you so very much for your love and support over these past few years,” he said, before diving into acoustic versions of his smash hits “Rockstar” and “Sunflower.”
Shortly after, Post was inviting up his first guest. “This next gentleman is a good buddy of mine, a really sweet man, and one of the most talented people I’ve had the honor of knowing. Mister Blake Shelton.”
Post Malone Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Bud Light
Shelton took the stage and shared, “It’s a Post Malone world we’re living in,” before the two kicked off their new track, “Pour Me A Drink.” To close out his guest appearance, the duo sang the Shelton fan-favorite, “Some Beach.”
Post kept the guests coming, inviting singer-songwriter Joe Nichols to the stage to perform Nichols’ song “Brokenheartsville,” and Sierra Ferrell to sing both “Never Love You Again” and Johnny and June Carter Cash’s “Jackson.”
The last guest of the night, joining Post in debuting the new song “Would You Hide My Gun,” was Hardy. The two joked about their first meeting in Nashville and their subsequent work on Hixtape Vol. 3: Difftape, which led to their last track together, a cover of the late Joe Diffie’s “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die).”
Post went on to debut another new track titled “Yours”—a heartwarming song inspired by the possibility of his two year old daughter’s future marriage.
The superstar ended with a bang, playing his hits “Congratulations” and current No. 1 track “I Had Some Help.”
“I just want to say thank you to each and every single one of you tonight. Thank you for your love and support over all these years, ladies and gentlemen—it’s been 10 years,” closed Post. “I love you so much and there are so many people that love you. Do whatever you want in this life and express yourself because there is no one else on this planet that is cooler than who you are.”
Wyatt Flores Plots ‘Welcome To The Plains Tour’ For Fall
/by Lorie HollabaughWyatt Flores. Photo: Matt Paskert
Wyatt Flores has plotted his “Welcome To The Plains Tour,” which kicks off this fall.
The trek includes two nights at both Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom in December as well as shows at Boston’s House of Blues, Atlanta’s The Eastern, Chicago’s Vic Theatre, Fort Worth’s Billy Bob’s Texas and more.
Presale tickets are available for presale now, with general sales starting this Friday (July 19). Flores has partnered with PLUS1 so that a dollar per ticket goes to the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Foundation to support its work towards agriculture education and development in the United States. For more information, click here.
In addition to his own headlong dates, the rising artist will support Luke Combs’ two-night stint at Washington State’s Gorge Amphitheatre Shows in October. Flores is currently nominated for Emerging Act of the Year at this year’s Americana Music Association Honors & Awards. He also released his new EP, Half Life, earlier this spring via Island Records, and has amassed more than 325 million streams over the last two years.
JD Clayton Inks With Rounder Records
/by Lorie HollabaughJD Clayton
Arkansas native JD Clayton has signed with Rounder Records.
His debut album, Long Way From Home, was released in early 2023 and landed him touring opportunities alongside Dwight Yoakam, Old Crow Medicine Show and many more.
Clayton’s recently-released single, “High Hopes and Low Expectations” tells the story of a young man searching for a better self and greener pastures, leaving his small town for the glamour of the big city.
“JD drew us in from the start,” says Rounder’s President Stephanie Hudacek. “His determination, talent as a songwriter, powerful live performance, and rich, dynamic vocal range make him an artist we couldn’t be more excited to work with.”
“I’m not sure that I’ve ever been this excited,” says Clayton. “Where I come from in Arkansas, dreams like this are really fairytales that live forever in the back of your mind. I can’t wait to be a part of the Rounder family. It’s going to be a crazy adventure.”
Clayton will take his music on the road on his “Blue Sky Sundays Tour” starting Aug. 30 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The trek will also includes dates in Nashville, New York, Chicago and more.
“Blue Sky Sundays Tour” Dates:
August 30 @ White Water Tavern – Little Rock, AR*
September 6 @ Reflection Plaza – Telluride, CO
September 12 @ Carol’s Pub – Chicago IL *
September 13 @ Old Rock House – St. Louis, MO*
September 14 @ Hi-Fi Indy – Indianapolis, IN*
September 20 @ Pretentious – Knoxville, TN*
September 27 @ Zydeco – Birmingham, AL*
September 28 @ The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC*
October 3 @ Mercury Lounge – Tulsa, OK*
October 5 @ Andy’s Bar – Denton, TX *
October 9 @ Barleycorn’s – Wichita, KS*
October 11 @ Globe Hall – Denver, CO*
October 12 @ Oskar Blues – Colorado Springs, CO*
October 16 @ Mercury Lounge – New York, NY*
October 17 @ Pearl Street Warehouse – Washington, DC*
October 18 @ Club Café – Pittsburgh, PA*
October 19 @ The Foundry – Philadelphia, PA*
October 24 @ The Burl – Lexington, Kentucky*
December 6 @ Exit In – Nashville, TN*
*Leon Majcen opens
On The Row: Country Duo Ryan And Rory Showcase Debut Project
/by John Nix ArledgeRyan Follesé and Rory John Zak
Up-and-coming duo Ryan and Rory recently dropped by the MusicRow office to showcase their self-titled debut EP set to release July 26.
Comprised of Nashville native Ryan Follesé, a double-Platinum singer-songwriter known for his time as the frontman of pop-rock band Hot Chelle Rae, and Rory John Zak, a multi-instrumentalist who became The Carolina Opry’s youngest full-time cast member at only 17, Ryan and Rory are set to make major waves on the country music scene.
Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s Madison Hahnen and LB Cantrell, Ryan Follesé, Rory John Zak, MusicRow’s Sherod Robertson, John Nix Arledge and Liza Anderson
After a chance meeting at a concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, in which Follesé was playing alongside country music duo Locash, the two met and hit it off. Seven years later, a mutual family friend heard that they were both looking to create something new and reacquainted them.
“I guess it was fate. Everything I wasn’t strong in, he was strong in,” explained Follesé. “The first time we got together I was like, ‘How long have we been playing together, again? It feels like forever.’”
Zak echoed his sentiment. “We have a lot of interests and hobbies in common as well. We are going to be on the road a bunch, so we’ll be playing a ton of golf!”
The duo is already turning heads, joining the ranks of artists like Luke Combs, Gabby Barrett, Parker McCollum and others as SiriusXM The Highway’s “Highway Finds,” and further breaking the mold by scoring a record deal with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville with just a few songs to their name. The pair had no social media presence, or any traction beyond what they had penned together, making their “old-fashioned” signing an increasingly impressive feat.
Pictured (L-R): Ryan Follesé, Rory John Zak & MusicRow’s Sherod Robertson
“That was huge for us. Music is the most important thing. You can build a following at any time, but to have a label like them say not to worry about it was really great,” shared Follesé.
Ryan and Rory treated the MusicRow team with several of these tracks including their buzzy single “Pour Decisions,” and unreleased tracks “Drunk And Lonely,” “This Town,” “Cowboy Cry” and “Thanks Mama.”
All six tracks on the upcoming project are co-written by Follesé, son of No. 1 songwriters Adrienne and Keith Follesé, and interwoven with Zak’s perfect-pitch harmonies and robust instrumentation.
Soon after the pair release their debut EP, they will hit the road opening back to back shows for Sam Hunt on Friday, Aug. 23 in Memphis, Tennessee at Radians Amphitheater and Saturday, Aug. 24 in Gary, Indiana at Hard Rock Live.
Morgan Wallen Slates Second Night At Neyland Stadium
/by Madison HahnenMorgan Wallen has slated a second show at the University of Tennessee ‘s Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Friday, Sept. 20. As previously announced, Wallen will also headline the stadium on Sunday, Sept. 22. Hardy and Ernest will support him on both dates.
This makes Wallen the first artist to ever take the Neyland stage for two nights. Over 150,000 fans are expected to attend across both shows. Additionally, this will be the country star’s first time playing in Knoxville since the Tennessee Valley Fair in 2019.
“I’ve had the honor of playing in a lot of college, MLB and NFL stadiums the past two years, but getting to play to my hometown at Neyland Stadium, nothing tops this for a boy from East Tennessee,” shares Wallen.
Tickets for the Sept. 20 show will go on sale this Friday (July 19) at 10 a.m. CT. A portion of every ticket sold will be donated to the Morgan Wallen Foundation. For more information, click here.
BREAKING: Warner Music Nashville Advances Torie Mason
/by Liza AndersonTorie Mason. Photo: Michael Dominic Tedesco
Warner Music Nashville has promoted Torie Mason to Senior Vice President, Marketing & Analytics.
Mason has successfully led the label’s Strategic Marketing & Analytics teams since 2021. In her new role, she will merge and rebrand the Artist Development team into the comprehensive Marketing department. Reporting to Mason, the Marketing team will now encompass Artist Marketing, Digital Marketing, Analytics, Brand Partnerships, Video Strategy and Advertising Strategy, with Interactive Marketing becoming Digital Marketing.
“This new structure will allow us to continue to super-serve our artists and their music with more focus and urgency,” says Ben Kline, Co-Chair & Co-President, Warner Music Nashville. “Torie’s reputation both inside our building and in the community at large makes her one of the most respected and trusted thought leaders in our industry today. She is the right person to lead these efforts for Warner Music Nashville in an ever-changing marketing landscape.”
“I am immensely grateful to Ben and Cris [Lacy] for entrusting me with this opportunity,” adds Mason. “The enthusiasm, energy and expertise that our Nashville marketers demonstrate daily for our incredible roster of artists is truly unmatched. I am thrilled to help chart a course for continued success and innovation alongside this brilliant team!”
Brantley Gilbert Marks Life’s Ups And Downs With New Album ‘Tattoos’
/by Lorie HollabaughFor Brantley Gilbert, his tattoos tell a story just like the songs he writes, so he decided to give a nod to that idea on his seventh studio album, Tattoos, set for release Sept. 13 via The Valory Music Co.
With the announcement, Gilbert shares a taste of the forthcoming project with “Me And My House” featuring Struggle Jennings and Demun Jones, a hand-over-heart declaration of purpose and a defiant tip of the hat to the indie country rap world Gilbert has always admired, with each collaborator writing and performing their own verses.
Featuring 10 songs all co-written by Gilbert with some long-time collaborators, Tattoos mirrors Gilbert’s ink in both striking design and depth of meaning. Through flowing curves and jagged lines, he muses on a life of blue-collar pride and full-throttle rebellion—along with addictive love, abiding faith and blessings beyond what any of us deserve. Other special guests on the project include Justin Moore, Gary LeVox and Ashley Cooke, who appears on lead single “Over When We’re Sober” which is climbing the charts at country radio after being most-added upon its debut.
“All my albums, they capture a chapter of my life,” Gilbert explains. “If somebody wants to know who I am, what I’ve been through and where I stand, they can start at the beginning and listen through, and that’s why it was undeniable that Tattoos should be the title—because my tattoos do the same thing.
“People get ‘em for a lot of reasons, but for most of us, tattoos talk about our victories and losses, our struggles and the whole nine,” he observes. “I was one of those kids who had to learn the hard way. But if I would’ve listened to the advice of others, I don’t know I would have ended up where I am.”
In celebration of his new album Tattoos, Gilbert will headline “Brantley Gilbert’s World’s Largest Album Release Party” on Broadway in downtown Nashville on Sept. 13. The free, multi-artist concert is part of Freedom Friday events kicking off the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix weekend (Sept. 13-15). The fourth annual Freedom Friday concert honors members of the military, police, fire, first responders and frontline heroes. The 160th Special Ops Aviation Regiment will perform a helicopter aerial demonstration and a pre-concert flyover by the 101st Airborne Division.
Tattoos Track List:
1. “Dirty Money” ft. Justin Moore (Brantley Gilbert, Josh Phillips)
2. “Over When We’re Sober” (Brantley Gilbert and Ashley Cooke) (Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Jason DeFord, Justin Wilson)
3. “Tattoos” (Brantley Gilbert, Jake Mitchell, Randy Montana, Cole Taylor)
4. “Gone By Now” (Brantley Gilbert, John Byron, Taylor Phillips, Ryan Vojtesak)
5. “Off The Rails” (Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Brian Davis, Brandon Day, Chase McGill, Josh Phillips, Taylor Phillips, Michael Ray)
6. “The Hell That Raised Us” (Brantley Gilbert, John Byron, Devin Dawson)
7. “Me And My House” ft. Struggle Jennings and Demun Jones (Brantley Gilbert, Struggle Jennings, Matthew David Jones, Brock Berryhill, John Byron, Blake Pendergrass)
8. “God Isn’t Country” ft. Gary LeVox (Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Ned Cameron, Jaxson Free, Jacob Hackworth, Taylor Phillips)
9. “Out Here” (Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Gabe Foust, Jaxson Free, Taylor Phillips)
10. “Miss These Towns” (Brantley Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Jaxson Free, Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips)
Garth Brooks To Be Inducted Into ‘Austin City Limits’ Hall Of Fame In September
/by Lorie HollabaughAustin City Limits (ACL) is kicking off its 50th anniversary celebrations by inducting Garth Brooks into the ACL Hall of Fame.
For the first time in the ACL Hall of Fame’s decade-long history, only one inductee will be honored at the Hall of Fame ceremony, taking place on Sept. 5 at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin, Texas. Additionally, Brooks and his band will perform during the event.
The country star first appeared on television series during season 15 in 1990, and returned for ACL’s 25th anniversary broadcast season with a pair of appearances. In 2021, Brooks contributed to the program’s intimate, non-broadcast events to close Studio 6A on the University of Texas campus, where the series was recorded from 1974–2010. He gave the final performance in the studio before ACL moved to downtown Austin. Brooks performed solo and acoustically for a sold-out audience of 200 fans per night as a fundraiser for Austin PBS, during which he shared stories, took song requests and answered questions from the crowd.
“To be part of anything Austin City Limits is and always has been an honor,” says Brooks. “I am humbled and grateful to not only be a part of the 50th anniversary, but to be inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame.”
“Garth is a special friend—there’s no one else quite like him. He never forgets his roots, or the people who were there for him in those early days,” notes Terry Lickona, ACL Executive Producer. “He hit the ACL stage just as his career was taking off, kicked off our 25th anniversary season, and now almost 25 years later, it’s our turn to honor him.”
The event is open to the public, and will be a phone-free experience. A limited number of tickets will available on Aug. 2. Upon arrival, tickets will be scanned and all phones will be secured via the Yondr program until the end of the ceremony. For more information, click here.
Drew Baldridge Pioneers A New Path To No. 1 [Interview]
/by John Nix ArledgeDrew Baldridge. Photo: Lyric Ridge Records
Almost a decade after his first record deal, singer-songwriter Drew Baldridge is currently making a push to be the first artist to ever take a self-released single to No. 1 on the country charts.
The Patoka, Illinois native moved to Nashville 13 years ago to pursue a career in music. Not long after, he was inking a record deal with Cold River and releasing his debut album Dirt on Us. The album and proceeding singles did well enough, but when the label closed in 2019, Baldridge had nowhere to go.
“After that, COVID hit and I didn’t know what to do. I was broke, the publishing company I was with got bought out and I was thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ So, I decided I may as well post on TikTok and Facebook to see if anyone would want a show in their backyard,” explains Baldridge. “I thought I would get five requests at most, but we ended up getting over 20,000.”
Baldridge made good on his offer and spent the next two years of his life traveling the country and playing in over 300 people’s backyards with “just me and a guitar.” During this odyssey, his perspective shifted.
“My music really changed when I was in these people’s backyards, eating barbecue, playing corn hole and gaining weight. It made me realize that these were the people I was making music for. I needed to quit thinking about everything else and focus on the people.”
During his two-year tour across the nation, Baldridge married his now-wife and re-recorded her favorite song of his, “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” so she and her father could dance to it at their wedding. The track was previously recorded in 2019 under Cold River, but wasn’t released as a single due to Tenille Townes’ “Somebody’s Daughter” hitting the radio around the same time.
The re-recorded track was a special, stripped-back version of the original that he titled “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Wedding Version).” After the song was a success at the reception, he decided that he would create a post about it on social media.
“I remember it was a Wednesday night on our honeymoon, and I told my wife that I was going to post a TikTok about it—telling the story of why it had been recorded. When we woke up the next day, it had close to 10 million views on it.”
After fielding calls from labels in Los Angeles, Baldridge waited for Nashville to get on board, but the calls never game. The success of the song was apparent, though, as women began to post TikToks sharing photos of them with their fathers growing up.
Fast forward to 2023, at one of his first concerts back, Baldridge was playing the Fireman’s Picnic just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. When he began singing “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” he realized that everyone in the crowd knew the words by heart.
“I looked at my bass player, who has been with me for a decade, and said, ‘Do you ever remember people singing along?’ and he said, ‘No, but I’ve been waiting for 10 years!’”
It was after that event that Baldridge knew he had to capitalize on this opportunity. He readied a radio-friendly version of the sentimental song, titled “She’s Somebody’s Daughter (Reimagined),” and began a grassroots promotion push shortly after by calling up old radio friends and asking them their thoughts on the song and advice for moving forward. Today, that team has grown into its own label, Lyric Ridge Records.
Since then, the staff, consisting of Louis Newman, Chele Fassig, Gwen Foster, Brent Battles and his radio mentor, Tim Richards, among others, has been hard at work pushing the track to the top of the charts. This new venture did come with its own set of unique challenges, though.
“Something a lot of artists don’t have to do is be on their own radio promo phone calls,” Baldridge quips. “I’ve had to put on some thick skin because, now, the stations are telling me that they don’t like my song straight to my face. But, for me, I was like, ‘Hurt me! I am putting all of my time, money and effort into this—I want to know how to get to a good end-destination here.’”
All the time, effort and thick skin has paid off. Baldridge’s track has now earned over one billion impressions on TikTok, 58 million listens across all versions on Spotify and sits at No. 8 on both the Mediabase and Billboard Country Airplay charts.
Baldridge makes it very clear that he has not done all of this alone, though, and that he has his fans and supporters to thank for his success.
“They are a part of this just as much as I am. Without them letting me play in their backyards, graduations and weddings, I can’t send the song to radio. Without them being here when no one else was, I don’t have a career,” says Baldridge. “When I post on my socials and I see someone comment, ‘We had you in our backyard a year ago, and now you have a song in the top 10!’ It makes me so happy—I want to win for them. I want us to win together.”
Ashley Gorley Named NMPA Top Gold & Platinum Songwriter For First Quarter
/by Liza AndersonAshley Gorley. Photo: Katie Kauss
The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) Gold & Platinum Program has named Ashley Gorley as the top non-performing songwriter for the first quarter of 2024.
During the first three months of the year, 1,161 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certifications were awarded. Gorley scored eight certifications for songs such as seven-time Platinum “Last Night,” five-time Platinum “Crash My Party” and double-Platinum “Aw Naw.”
“I’m deeply grateful to be recognized by the NMPA,” shares the Sony Music Publishing hitmaker. “I’m especially thankful for their ongoing advocacy for songwriters and publishers, ensuring that our voices and contributions are always celebrated and protected.”
Additionally, fellow Sony Music Publishing writer Usher was recognized as the top artist-songwriter with 20 certifications, including five-time Platinum “U Got It Bad,” quadruple-Platinum “I Don’t Mind” and triple-Platinum “Confessions Part II.”
“Q1 was huge for Sony Music Publishing. Usher’s hits have lasting power, and this proves the enduring popularity of his music. Once again, Ashley Gorley reigns supreme due to his phenomenal country crossover success,” says David Israelite, NMPA President & CEO. “We congratulate both of these exceptional songwriters.”
For NMPA’s full list of Top Gold & Platinum honorees, click here.