David J To Share ‘Commitment Issues’ With Fans This Month

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David J is set to drop his Sony Music Nashville/Runner Music debut EP, Commitment Issues, on March 22.

The eight-song project features co-writes with Ryan Tedder, Grant Boutin, Danny Majic and more as well as a solo write by the artist, “Lie To Me.” The collection spotlights his ability to blend country storytelling with pop and hip hop elements. The 20-year-old taught himself to sing and play multiple instruments at the age of 15.

“There’s a song for everybody on the EP—it perfectly describes my musical taste, how I grew up listening to country but always liked hip hop. It embodies the music I like to make, and it’s a really good representation of who I am,” he says.

Additionally, the singer-songwriter will hit the road on his headlining “Commitment Issues Tour,” which kicks off April 4.

Commitment Issues Track Listing:

1. “Found A Girl” (David J/Danny Majic/Andrea Rosario/Dave Villa)
2. “Still” (David J/Grant Boutin/Coleton Rubin/Phil Simmonds)
3. “Feels Like You” (David J/Cate Downey/Phil Simmonds/Grey Ziegler)
4. “Boots To The Club” (David J/Emily Falvey/Austin Goodloe)
5. “Once” (David J/Dylan Brady/Michael Whitworth)
6. “After We Broke Up (feat. Frawley)” (David J/Cate Downey/LØLØ/Danny Majic/Lauren Frawley)
7. “Rest Of Your Life” (David J/Andrew DeRoberts/Ryan Tedder/Tyler Spry)
8. “Lie To Me” (David J)

Martina McBride To Speak At Change The Conversation Event

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Martina McBride. Photo: Robby Kline

Change The Conversation has tapped country legend Martina McBride for “A Conversation With Martina” on April 17.

“I was fortunate to have some great women in country who regularly encouraged me, and I remember how much it meant to get that compliment or that support or that feeling of ‘I see you,'” shares McBride. “I have the chance now to do that for a new generation of female musicians.”

Change The Conversation Co-Founder Tracy Gershon will lead the event, which will spotlight McBride’s career thus far.

McBride has also been a national advocate for women in country music and has used her platform to address gender inequities in the industry.

“I decided to speak about the lack of gender equality in country music because there’s still so much room for improvement,” she says. “I really believe that country music is so special because it’s about real life for so many people.  Real emotions, real stories…and it’s important to show more than one gender’s point of view.

“I think of the young women country music fans and think, ‘Where are their stories? Where are the things they can relate to?’ If you look back through country music history, so many of the timeless songs, the songs that made the biggest impact, are from women artists singing about their struggles or their pain or saying things with a sense of humor that other women can relate to.” McBride continues. “I think it’s important that we do whatever we can so that we don’t have a significant part of history that is missing from country music. We need to do whatever we can to rebalance these scales. Things can only get better if we’re all willing to come to the table and talk about the real issues.”

Sponsored by Regions, Media Row and The Change Agent·cy, the event is free and open to the public. For more information, click here.

Randy Rogers Band Takes The Ryman Stage For Back-To-Back Shows

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Randy Rogers Band during their sold-out show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Annelise Sarah

Randy Rogers Band took the historic Ryman Auditorium stage in Nashville for back-to-back headlining shows on Friday (March 1) and Saturday (March 2) as part of the 20th anniversary tribute to their sophomore album, Rollercoaster.

Throughout the weekend, the group treated their audiences to fan-favorite hits and special guests. Friday night featured fellow Texan and collaborator Wade Bowen as the opening act and surprise guest later in the evening.

For Saturday’s sold-out show, collaborator Cody Canada and Stoney LaRue, also from the Lone Star State, set the tone with their opening sets. Additionally, Canada joined the band on stage for their co-penned hit “This Time Around,” and Rollercoaster producer Radney Foster made an appearance for “Kiss Me In The Dark.”

“My Texas Independence weekend was spent with all the bands I love in the most iconic venue in town. Nashville, Ryman Auditorium, thank you for embracing our brand of country music,” expressed Randy Rogers.

Tennessee Songwriters Week Wraps With Showcase Events Across The State

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Meagan Allen

The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development recently wrapped its annual Tennessee Songwriters Week, celebrating the craft of songwriting around the state.

The competition’s sixth year had over 1,200 songwriters participating, performing at qualifying rounds at more than 50 venues, museums, attractions and cafes across the state during February. The showcase events took place last week all over Tennessee, where seven finalists were selected by judges to perform at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. Those finalists include Izzy Arthurs, Jacc Moran, Ned Abernathy, Jeremy Wise, Echoing Sunset, Jack Settle and Meagan Allen.

Alex Hall, Adam Sanders and Tigirlily Gold served as judges for the competition in addition to CMT’s Leslie Fram. Tigirlily Gold also performed their song “I Tried A Ring On” at the showcase event in Portland, Tennessee, and Blake Shelton made a surprise video call to the audience and songwriters at the showcase event at Ole Red in Gatlinburg.

Each of the seven finalists earned the opportunity to perform at The Bluebird Cafe during a private event in March with music industry professionals as well as a branded commemorative Taylor guitar, two-night stay in Nashville, $100 gift card for travel and a one-year membership to Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).

Helmed by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Tennessee Songwriters Week was established in 2019 to support music venues, celebrate songwriters with live performances in all genres of music, drive visitation and inspire travelers to experience the state’s music stories, history, attractions and venues. Since its inception, more than 4,000 songwriters have shared their original music across Tennessee stages during the annual celebration.

Eric Church Expresses Gratitude By Giving Chief’s Building To Fans

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Rendering of Chief’s Exterior. Photo: Courtesy of Chief’s

To thank his longtime supporters, Eric Church has given fans deeds to the individual bricks that form his new restaurant and live music venue in downtown Nashville, Chief’s.

Chief’s Sample Deed

Tens of thousands of people went online to match their personal deeds to the physical framework of the revitalized six-story establishment, making them a part of the new project.

“You’ve helped me build my career brick by brick, and I want the whole world to know that the building is yours,” Church shared with fans. “This is not just another club downtown. This is our house. I’ve been involved in every step of restoring this historic building into a place we can call our own and, because you’ve been with me every step of my career, I’m proud to dedicate a physical brick of the Chief’s building to each and every one of you.”

Fans also received the first of an ongoing series of digital collectibles, including a digital version of their brick that provides access to exclusive content in addition to more new perks like never-before-heard demos, unreleased video footage and priority entry at Chief’s. Other digital collectibles consist of access to a fan first edition vinyl of Church’s entire catalog as well as a copy of every new piece of vinyl released going forward, with all color variants.

Still under construction at 2nd Ave. N. and Broadway, Chief’s will feature a music venue and additional live entertainment throughout the building as well as unique décor including an array of Church’s concert posters. The space will also house a studio for Eric Church Outsiders Radio on SiriusXM and broadcasts by various media partners.

Additionally, rare items will be given away through the new technology. These items include a signed guitar paired with a digital collectible that grants access to content such as a lesson from Church’s guitarist Driver Williams and videos of the superstar’s guitar performances. Other giveaways include year-long subscriptions to SiriusXM and a chance to record a guest DJ set at the Chief’s studio as part of Eric Church Outsiders Radio’s Insiders Hour.

“My songs are mine, until I release them, and then they’re never mine again. And this building’s a lot that way,” reflects Church. “It’s been mine in the building of it, in the cultivating with the stories, the challenges and the successes. But once Chief’s opens, it’s not mine anymore. It belongs to the Choir. It belongs to the fans. It belongs to the patrons. It belongs to the stories they create there. It belongs to the music they listen to there and share from there. So, my story ends where theirs begins and that’s the essence of what you do musically and what we’re trying to do at Chief’s.”

CMT Next Women Of Country Presents Carter Faith As Featured Performer At 2024 Rising Women On The Row

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Presented by CMT Next Women of Country, singer-songwriter Carter Faith will bring her musical talents to MusicRow‘s Rising Women on the Row breakfast on Tuesday, March 19 at 8:30 a.m. at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

The 11th annual celebration will honor the 2024 class of Rising Women on the Row honorees, which include Tiffany Kerns, Taylor Lindsey, Sloane Cavitt Logue, Halie Hampton Mosley, Melissa Spillman and Candice Watkins. Read about the honorees here.

City National Bank, CMT Next Women of Country and Loeb & Loeb are Presenting Sponsors for the 2024 Rising Women on the Row.

As previously announced, music industry veteran Kerri Edwards will be the featured speaker at the event.

Tickets for Rising Women on the Row are now closed. Tickets will not be sold at the door, as the event is sold out.

Carter Faith has quickly made a name for herself in Music City. Whiskey Jam founder Ward Guenther has claimed that Faith is the “future of the next 10 years of Nashville” and Billboard named her Rookie of the Month. In addition to these accolades, Spotify included her on their annual Hot Country Artist To Watch list while also including her in their Fresh Finds program—marking the up-and-comer as the first country artist to ever be a part of this prestigious program.

Originally from Davidson, North Carolina, Faith taught herself how to play guitar and piano, and soon after began crafting lyrics as a way to make sense of the world around her. Faith has performed at numerous venues, including closing out a sold-out show at the legendary Ryman Auditorium as well as the historic Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville. She’s toured nationwide alongside artists like Cole Swindell, Carly Pearce, Luke Grimes, Keith Urban, Old Dominion, Chris Young, Kip Moore, Little Big Town, Maren Morris and Willie Nelson, with many more tour looks expected this year.

The songstress recently signed with Universal Music Publishing Group and over the last two years, she’s garnered more than 60 million streams with her releases “Wild,” “Already Crazy,” “Greener Pasture,” “Cowboys & Dreamers,” “Joyride” and “Easy Pill,” as well as her debut EP Let Be Love. Faith is currently working on her debut album that is expected to be released in 2024.

Tenille Arts Slates ‘To Be Honest’ For May

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Award-winning singer-songwriter Tenille Arts has set the release of her fourth studio album, To Be Honest, for May 3. The 14-track project will be available via Dreamcatcher Entertainment and distributed through STEM.

“To Be Honest is the most important album of my musical journey so far, and I couldn’t be prouder of it,” says Arts. “After celebrating the highest highs of my career, I ended up in a difficult place in my life. As always, I went to music to process what I was going through. These 14 songs share a truly honest take of where I’ve been in the past couple of years. I hope that when people listen they know that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes… and that there’s still so much happy and beautiful even in the hard times. I owe my fans something deeply real and I owe myself something deeply real. Thank you for taking the time to listen!”

YouTube video

Arts co-penned 12 out of the 14 tracks with her frequent collaborators and hit songwriters such as Ross Copperman, Emily Weisband, James McNair, Alex Kline, Allison Veltz Cruz, Jesse Frasure, Jessie Jo Dillon and more. The final song recorded for the record, “So Do I,” was written by music superstar Demi Lovato with King Henry, Sasha Sloan and Laura Veltz. Copperman, Henry, Kline, Frasure and Nathan Chapman all have producer credits on the album.

Track “Wonder Woman” sees the return of a history making team comprised of Arts, Veltz Cruz and Kline, who became the first all-female team to write, record and produce a No. 1 country single with “Somebody Like That” off Arts’ Love, Heartbreak, & Everything In Between album.

To Be Honest also features two collaborations, “Jealous Of Myself” with LeAnn Rimes and “Last Time Last” with Maddie & Tae. 

To Be Honest Track Listing:
1. “To Be Honest” (Ross Copperman, Emily Weisband, James McNair, Tenille Arts). Produced by Ross Copperman
2. “So Do I” (King Henry, Demi Lovato, Sasha Sloan, Laura Veltz). Produced by King Henry
3. “Wonder Woman” (Alex Kline, Tenille Arts, Allison Veltz Cruz). Produced by Alex Kline
4. “Dying To Be Pretty” (Jesse Frasure, Jessi Jo Dillon, Tenille Arts). Produced by Jesse Frasure
5. “Something I Can Cry To” (Jesse Frasure, Jessi Jo Dillon, Tenille Arts). Produced by Jesse Frasure
6. “How Do You Sleep” (Sasha Sloan, Henry Agincourt Allen, Tenille Arts). Produced by King Henry
7. “People Change” (Chris Lacorte, Emily Weisband, Tenille Arts). Produced by Ross Copperman
8. “Want Her Back” (Tenille Arts, Scott Stepakoff, Aaron Eshuis). Produced by Ross Copperman
9. “Next Best Thing”  (Emily Weisband, Ross Copperman, Tenille Arts). Produced by Ross Copperman
10. “Call Me When You Get Home Friends” (Tenille Arts, Alex Kline, Trannie Anderson). Produced by Alex Kline
11. “Mama’s Eyes” (Tenille Arts, Alex Kline, Trannie Anderson). Produced by Alex Kline
12. “Summer Don’t Go” (Allison Veltz Cruz, Jordan Reynolds, Tenille Arts). Produced by Ross Copperman
13. “Jealous of Myself” (feat. LeAnn Rimes) (Emily Weisband, Trevor Rosen, John Byron). Produced by Nathan Chapman
14. “Last Time Last” (feat. Maddie & Tae)  (Tenille Arts, Alex Kline, Allison Veltz Cruz, Trannie Anderson). Produced by Alex Kline

Industry Ink: Carly Sater, Scotty McCreery, Cannery Hall, More

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Carly Sater Rises To Creative Manager At SMACKSongs

Carly Sater. Photo: Ford Fairchild

Carly Sater has been promoted to Creative Manager at SMACKSongs. Since joining the company in 2019, Sater has assisted with SMACK’s roster of 21 songwriters, including running point on both Caroline Watkins and Andrew Beason. Her day-to-day responsibilities include signing and developing writers, booking writing sessions and more.

“Carly has continued to prove herself as a valuable member of our team over the last few years. She is constantly finding new ways to improve SMACK and celebrate our writers,” says Lee Krabel, Sr. VP of Publishing. “Carly has also recently signed a great writer, Andrew Beason, who has been an amazing addition to our roster. We are excited to announce her much deserved promotion!”

“I am so grateful to continue to work with such incredible people and talent. SMACK has created an environment and culture that inspires creativity, and it has been so cool to witness the growth of our team over the years. I can’t wait to see what else our oster will achieve in the years to come, and I feel lucky to be a small part of it,” says Sater.

 

Scotty McCreery & Team Tout New Rise And Fall LP At Boston Show

Pictured (L-R): Annie Ortmeier (Co-President, Triple Tigers Records); Scott Stem (McCreery’s Manager, Triple 8 Management); Scotty McCreery; Allison Bostrom (VP of Marketing, Triple 8 Management); Jordan Stone (social media consultant); Laura Hostelley (VP of Marketing, Triple Tigers Records); Hope Garrison (Marketing Manager, Triple Tigers Records) Photo: Courtesy of Triple Tigers Records

Scotty McCreery and his label and management teams celebrated the announcement of McCreery’s new album Rise And Fall, due out May 10, backstage after the singer’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park performance in Boston. The show was part of his “Cab in a Solo Tour,” produced by LiveNation.

 

Cannery Hall’s First-Ever Pitch Meeting Residency Kicks Off Tonight

Inside Cannery Hall. Photo: Hunter Storch

Cannery Hall is launching its first-ever residency with The Pitch Meeting, a songwriter pitch night. On Tuesdays, rising songwriting talents can showcase their songs with the Pitch Meeting band backing them up.

Cannery Hall’s first residency evening is happening tonight (March 5) and will feature Hunter Hayes. A limited number of reserved tables and seats will be available at each show for $15 per person. Standing room general admission to each show is free with a minimum purchase. Cannery Hall is making special parking rates available for just $1.

 

Billy F. Gibbons & Tim Montana Team To Buy Montana’s Wise River Club

Billy F Gibbons and Tim Montana

Friends Tim Montana and Billy F. Gibbons recently acquired the historic bar and hotel The Wise River Club in Montana that has been in operation for over 100 years. Montana and Gibbons have been making music and trouble together for more than 10 years. Recently, the two created the hot sauce line Whisker Bomb, which includes their Classic and Have Mercy Hot pepper sauces as well as Sweet Heat and Blanco BBQ sauces, plus Scorpion Garlic and Green Machine salsas.

Of the club, Montana shares, “Our aim is to give WRC patrons a true Montana experience with lodging, food, drink and music. It’s a place where guests can let their hair down and enjoy everything the Big Sky Country has to offer.“

“Tim and I have both played in quite a few honkytonks over the years so it’s high time to ensure Wise River Club’s place of history,” says Gibbons. “The entire club is something quite special and now the welcome mat has been definitively deployed. The Wise River vibe is perfect to share with the rest of the world.”

Blackberry Smoke’s Brit Turner Dies Of Brain Cancer

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Brit Turner

Brit Turner, a co-founder and drummer of southern rock band Blackberry Smoke, passed away on Sunday (March 3) after a battle with brain cancer. He was 57.

Turner was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2022. Earlier this week, the band shared on social media that he had passed.

“If you had the privilege of knowing Brit on any level, you know he was the most caring, empathetic, driven and endearing person one could ever hope to meet,” the band shared. “Brit was Blackberry Smoke’s True North, the compass that instituted the ideology that will continue to guide this band.”

 

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Turner, a Michigan native, formed Blackberry Smoke in 2000 alongside his brother Richard Turner (bass, vocals) as well as Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals) and Brandon Still (keyboards) in Atlanta, Georgia. Since their establishment, Preston Holcomb (drums) and Benji Shanks (guitar) have joined the band as well.

Throughout their prolific career, Blackberry Smoke has released seven studio albums including 2021’s You Hear Georgia, which celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band. In addition to their studio albums, they have released several other projects such as their EPs Stoned, The Southern Ground Sessions and Live From Capricorn Studios as well as Homecoming: Live In Atlanta, a live album and concert film.

Blackberry Smoke released their most recent album, Be Right Here, on Feb. 16, featuring Turner’s playing. The project debuted at No. 1 on the Current Country Albums chart,
Americana/Folk Albums chart and Current Rock Albums chart as well as No. 4 on the Best-Selling Current Albums chart.

Since 2000, the band has built a solid reputation for their relentless touring, building a strong and loyal community of fans. Turner continued to play with Blackberry Smoke on tour through December 2023.

Funeral arrangements for Turner are expected to be announced shortly.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Families and Communities Together Relief (FACT), which offers aid to families whose principal bread-winner is struck by a serious illness and will support Turner’s family.

Major Bob Music Signs Songwriter & Producer Colin Healy

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Pictured (L-R): Emily Hasty, Bob Doyle, Colin Healy, Andy Friday and Graham Kothman

Major Bob Music has signed songwriter and producer Colin Healy to a global publishing deal.

The New England native is a Berklee College of Music graduate who has spent more than a decade on the road as Dustin Lynch‘s Music Director and bassist. Healy initially signed a publishing deal with Major Bob Music back in 2019, and has had cuts and syncs with Megan Moroney, Avery Anna, CB30 and Tayler Holder, among others.

“With over 13 years of touring from the club scene to stadiums with us, Colin just gets it,” shares Lynch. “He knows what the country concertgoer wants, needs and will react to. This is a HUGE asset in the creative rooms and his instincts will prove to bring some big live smashes into the world.”

“From personal experience, the road life is a different animal,” says Andy Friday, Head of Publishing, Major Bob Music. “Colin is walking off of the bus with a musical prowess that can’t be taught, it can only be lived and gained from years of experience.”