Pictured (L-R, back row): Kylie Dembek, Ryan Cunningham, Tiffany Dunn (Loeb and Loeb). (L-R, front row): Shelby Kennedy, Dan Smalley, Tim Wipperman. Photo: Alex McGinnis

ONErpm Nashville has signed singer-songwriter Dan Smalley.

The Alaskan-born and Louisiana-raised musician moved to Nashville in 2017 after signing his first publishing deal with Keith Stegall. He then found success as a BMI songwriter, garnering cuts with multiple artists. Now aligned with ONErpm, Smalley is focused on his own artistry.

He plans to release a series of singles leading up to the release of his first self-produced, full-length record, The State of Country Music, in April 2024.

“I didn’t drag my family across the country to let a couple of disappointing deals slow me down. I feel like I spent the last six years learning valuable lessons from the best in the business; now I’m looking toward the future,” he says.

“We are thrilled Dan Smalley has signed with us,” says Tim Wipperman, Managing Director of ONErpm Nashville. “He offers a new brand of country music, infused with the swampy sounds of his roots. Dan will be releasing songs regularly in advance of an album project next year.”

Pictured (L-R): Natalie Osborne (Red Light Management), Nick Barnes (UTA), Marissa Smith (UTA), Fancy Hagood, Brian Hill (UTA), Lolo McClusky (UTA). Photo: Courtesy of UTA

UTA has signed singer-songwriter Fancy Hagood to a worldwide representation deal in all areas.

Hailing from Bentonville, Arkansas, Hagood has found success in the industry by writing hit songs for major acts such as Christina Aguilera, Little Big Town, Anderson East and Rascal Flatts. After the release of his 2021 debut album, Southern Curiosity, Hagood gained recognition through his nomination for Best Country Record at The Liberia Awards and has received praise from legendary artists as an artist to watch from Brandi Carlile and Sir Elton John. In 2022, he released his popular collaboration “Blue Dream Baby” alongside Grammy Award-winning artist Kacey Musgraves.

Hagood has accumulated over 30 million streams across multiple services and is the host of two Apple Radio shows titled Trailblazers, where he celebrates the expansion of country music, and Hallelujah Anyway, where he explores the relationship between spirituality and music.

Hagood is currently opening for Brothers Osborne in their fall tour and has recently released the first single “Southern Sound” from his upcoming sophomore album.

Photo: Claire Schaper

Hit songwriter Nicolle Galyon, known for her nostalgic stories of strength, home and heartbreak, will continue to deepen her identity as artist-songwriter as she pulls back the curtain on her life as a wife with her surprise EP Second Wife, out this Friday (Oct. 13) on her and fellow renowned songwriter Rodney Clawson‘s 16th wedding anniversary.

Written by the couple over a long weekend at their farm outside of Nashville, Second Wife welcomes listeners into their world with what Galyon calls a an “imperfect, honest and kind of irreverent” title, six personal tracks and accompanying videos. The collection was recorded with co-producers Jimmy Robbins and King Henry at the famed Sonic Ranch in Texas, and follows Galyon’s debut project Firstborn.

“Second Wife shows the side of me that is flawed, self-deprecating, understated, silly, and yet unconventionally traditional. The side of me that fell in love at 21. That’s a side of me that I don’t always show—the married one,” shares Galyon. “If Firstborn was a memoir, Second Wife is more of a fun adventure in real time.” She adds, “the thing about Second Wife is even the title itself is imperfect. That’s probably my favorite thing about being one. The illusions (and delusions) I had as a firstborn were gone once I became one.”

The EP opens with a one minute prelude, “Jo.,” which finds Galyon expressing gratitude to her mother-in-law, detailing all of the ways she helped shape Clawson. In the upbeat, tongue-in-cheek “Prenup.,” the husband and wife poke fun at their lack of need for a prenup upon marriage, with Clawson’s vocals carrying the second verse and chorus. The next track “The Grain.” is a piano-driven ballad that reminds listeners how different love stories can look as it nods to Galyon’s home state of Kansas.

The second half starts with “Rooms.,” a vulnerable confession chronicling how walking into rooms together has evolved throughout their relationship. A metaphor for multiple life experiences, Galyon’s anxieties are ultimately overshadowed by her unwavering desire to be with Clawson. “Texas Hold ‘Em.” brings the EP to a crescendo in energy, as she shows her lighthearted side while singing the cheeky, romantic tune. Second Wife then concludes with “Under The Rainbow.,” a foreshadowing of her family’s recent move back to her hometown of Sterling, Kansas—a place that has stayed at the core of her writing over the last two decades.

Second Wife Track Listing:
1. “Jo.” (Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
2. “Prenup.” (Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
3. “The Grain.” (Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
4. “Rooms.” (Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
5. “Texas Hold ‘Em.” (Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
6. “Under The Rainbow.” (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg)