MerleFest has announced the initial lineup for its 36th annual event, which will take place April 25-28 on the Wilkes Community College campus in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Old Crow Medicine Show, Turnpike Troubadours, The Teskey Brothers, Nickel Creek, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, The Earls Of Leicester and more are set to appear, with additional artists to be announced in the coming weeks.

MerleFest 2024 will also welcome Steep Canyon Rangers, Shinyribs, Peter Rowan, Scythian, Donna The Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Chatham County Line, John McEuen, Willi Carlisle, Adeem the Artist, The Waybacks, Alexa Rose, Ashes & Arrows, B. Townes, Buffalo Nichols, Charles Welch, Flattop, Goldpine, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Joe Smothers, Josh Goforth, Kyshona, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Nefesh Mountain, Palmyra, Pete & Joan Wernick, Presley Barker, T. Michael Coleman, Them Coulee Boys, Tony Williamson, Wayne Henderson and more.

MerleFest commemorated founding legend Doc Watson’s 100th birthday last year, and continues pay equal homage to pioneers of the folk movement alongside emerging voices. MerleFest 2024 tickets are available now. For more information, click here.

Pictured (L-R, front row): Joey Moi (Partner/Producer/President of A&R, Big Loud), Seth England (CEO/Partner, Big Loud), Miranda Lambert (Partner, Big Loud Texas), Dylan Gossett, Jon Randall (President of A&R, Big Loud Texas), Tyler Arnold (President, Mercury Records) and Alex Coslov (EVP, Republic Marketing Strategy/Head of Marketing, Mercury Records); (L-R, back row): Candice Watkins (SVP of Marketing, Big Loud Records), Austen Adams (COO, Big Loud), Sara Knabe (SVP of A&R, Big Loud Records), Patch Culbertson (SVP/GM, Big Loud Records), Stacy Blythe (SVP of Radio Promotion, Big Loud Records), Matt Buser (Entertainment Attorney, Buser Legal), Federico Morris (Director A&R, Range Media Partners), Matt Graham (Managing Partner, Range Media Partners), Sam Katz (Manager, Homebase Management), Shawn McSpadden (Managing Partner, Range Media Partners Nashville), Jake Levensohn (Manager A&R, Mercury Records) and Lucy Bartozzi (VP of Marketing, Big Loud Records). Photo: Brayln Kelly

Texas singer-songwriter Dylan Gossett has signed with Big Loud Texas/Mercury Records in collaboration with Range Media Partners.

The announcement follows the recent release of his debut EP No Better Time last month, and the release of his single “Coal,” which has gathered over 50 million streams to date. “Coal” recently climbed to No. 35 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and No. 24 on Billboard‘s Country Digital Song Sales chart, cracked the top 5 on Spotify’s Global and U.S. Viral 50 Charts, and peaked at No. 14 on the iTunes Country Chart and No. 36 on the All Genres Chart shortly after its release.

Written, recorded, produced and mixed by Gossett himself in his bedroom, No Better Time showcases the breadth of the Austin native’s talents. It debuted at No. 7 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart this week, and also features fan favorites “Beneath Oak Trees” and “Flip A Coin.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Dylan into the Mercury family,” says Tyler Arnold, President of Mercury Records. “He’s an incredible artist and songwriter, and it’s been a really memorable process getting to know him over the last few months. We truly believe he’s going to be a game changing artist for this generation.”

Miranda Lambert, Partner, Big Loud Texas says, “When I first heard Dylan’s song ‘Coal,’ I played it a few times because I wanted to catch all the ways he was sharing his life with us. To write and deliver something that is complex yet elegant lyrically and to also make it vulnerable is an art. After Jon [Randall] and I spent time with Dylan, we both agreed he is an artist Big Loud Texas was created to champion and support.”

“Dylan’s the kind of artist we are passionate about developing and investing in at Big Loud—a songwriter’s songwriter and incredible vocal talent who’s got something compelling to say through his music,” says Seth England, CEO/ Partner, Big Loud. “Thrilled to have him as the flagship artist launching our newest venture, Big Loud Texas, and honored to be part of telling his story.”

“After releasing ‘Coal,’ Sam Katz, Federico Morris and I quickly realized we wanted to find the right kind of partner to jump in and help amplify the velocity of the song and clear a path for a unique artist who clearly draws his inspiration from his Texas country roots, but showed a clear desire to cross genres and have global appeal,” says Matt Graham, Managing Partner, Range Media Partners. “Mercury and Big Loud have both shown an ability to do this with their clients. The idea really appealed to Dylan, particularly when the opportunity to be the first artist on Big Loud Texas was put forward as a possibility. We couldn’t be happier with how it’s come together, and look forward to a tremendous partnership on a genre breaking artist.”

Gossett grew up in Austin and taught himself guitar in middle school. In between listening to classics from Alan Jackson, George Strait, Journey, The Eagles, Scorpions and Boston, he immersed himself in the records by Turnpike Troubadours, Flatland Cavalry and Cody Johnson. Throughout this college days at Texas A&M University, he never stopped playing and singing. In spring 2023, Gossett began posting his music online, eventually gaining traction with a cover of Flatland Cavalry. He first caught fire with his debut single “To Be Free,” which exploded on TikTok and amassed nearly six million Spotify streams to date.

Zach Bryan. Photo: Trevor Pavlik

Zach Bryan has partnered with Bud Light and will headline the brand’s concert event during Super Bowl LVIII weekend on Feb. 9 at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

“Anheuser-Busch and our brands have brought unparalleled experiences to football fans and to country music lovers for decades. We could not be more excited to partner with Zach Bryan and to showcase his all-star talent during Super Bowl LVIII weekend,” says Brendan Whitworth, CEO, Anheuser-Busch. “All of us at Anheuser-Busch are thrilled to work alongside Zach to bring positive experiences to country music fans and to local communities nationwide.”

Bud Light will also kick off the second year of their “Bud Light Backyard Tour” with “The Bud Light Backyard Tour Presents Zach Bryan.” Additional partnership initiatives will include promotional giveaways and an integration with Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that provides educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled service members and first responders.

“I’ve been drinking Bud Light since I was old enough to drink and partnering with them now after all the songs I’ve written while swigging them is full circle for me,” says Bryan. “When Bud Light asked if I would be involved, I didn’t hesitate after I learned the immense amount of support going into Folds of Honor, fallen service members, first responders’ families and loved ones. It is a privilege and honor to provide help in any way to veterans and all the people who make this country as great as it can possibly be.”

Growing up in a military household, Bryan went on to serve in the U.S. Navy for eight years before pursuing a career in music and accruing over three billion global streams and counting. His self-titled album landed in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart earlier this year.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective has released a comprehensive toolkit from The MLC’s Educational Partnerships team, tailored to assist legal advisors and members of the music publishing community in finding answers to their frequently asked questions pertaining to The MLC.

The MLC’s Lawyer Toolkit brings together helpful information and organizes it in a way to provide legal advisors with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate the world of mechanical licensing and royalties efficiently.

Key features of The MLC’s Lawyer Toolkit include:

• Becoming a Member of The MLC: A guide for legal advisors and their clients on who should become a Member of The MLC and how to become a member.
• Royalty Distribution Timeline: A timeline that details The MLC’s royalty distribution process, ensuring legal advisors can advise their clients on when to expect royalties.
• Catalog Transfers: Information about how to access the procedures for catalog transfers, streamlining the process for legal advisors and their clients.
• Member Tools: An overview of the comprehensive tools available to members of The MLC, enabling legal advisors to help their clients maximize their benefits.

The purpose of the materials is to offer general information about The MLC and is not intended to provide legal advice, and nothing contained within the materials should be construed as legal advice. The toolkit can be accessed here.