Porchlight Music Signs Singer-Songwriter & Producer Chris Sligh

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Chris Sligh. Photo: Courtesy of Porchlight Music

Porchlight Music has signed award-winning artist and producer Chris Sligh to a publishing deal.

Sligh was a top 10 American Idol finalist in 2007, which led to a thriving artist career with a string of Billboard chart hits including “Empty Me,” which received a 2010 Dove Award nomination for Song of the Year as well as the BMI Christian Song of the Year award. In 2009, he scored his first No. 1 with Rascal Flatts‘ “Here Comes Goodbye,” a song that earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals the following year.

In 2019, the multi-instrumentalist began writing with country artist Nate Smith and has since had 78 cuts, including tunes recorded by Smith, Bailey Zimmerman and Josh Ross. Last week, Smith’s “Wreckage,” co-written by Sligh, Smith, Mary Kutter and Paul Wrock was certified Gold by the RIAA.

“Chris is a guy that has had success as an artist coming off the heels of American Idol to having major success as a songwriter and track guy. But in addition to that, he’s someone that we all love being around. He will be a great addition to our offense,” says Tim Medlin, Partner/Co-Founder, Porchlight Music.

Industry Ink: Tim McGraw, Sawyer Brown, Jimmy Carter, More

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Tim McGraw Performs At City Parks Foundation Benefit

Tim McGraw. Photo: Sylvester Zawadzki

Tim McGraw and Train performed recently at the City Parks Foundation’s 2023 benefit fundraiser in Central Park at the flagship SummerStage venue. This year’s event honored Tom Poleman with the SummerStage Icon Award and Devon Eisenberg with the People & Parks Award.

The event raised over $1.3 million in donations, making it their most successful benefit to date, and all funds raised will support City Parks Foundation’s free arts, sports, environmental education and community-building programs produced each year in New York City public parks.

 

Sawyer Brown Celebrates Documentary At Nashville Film Festival

Pictured (L-R): Duncan Cameron, Shayne Hill, Mark Miller, Gregg “Hobie” Hubbard, Joe Smyth, Bobby Randall. Photo: Michael Gomez

Sawyer Brown kicked off its 40th Anniversary celebrations at the Nashville Film Festival with the premiere of its career-spanning, Blake Shelton-produced documentary Get Me To The Stage On Time.

Following the film premiere, Sawyer Brown took the stage for a special acoustic performance of some hits, including “Some Girls Do,” “The Walk,” “Thank God For You” and more that made the band a country music staple in the ’80s and ’90s. The band also debuted the title track from its upcoming record Desperado Troubadours for the audience.

 

Opry Honors Former President Jimmy Carter’s 99th Birthday

Opry member Charlie McCoy Honors Pres. Carter with Performance of “Georgia On My Mind.” Photo: Chris Hollo

The Grand Ole Opry honored President Jimmy Carter on the eve of his 99th birthday Saturday night (Sept. 30) as Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie McCoy dedicated his performance of “Georgia On My Mind” to the former president. The tune is the official state song of Carter’s home state.

The 39th President of the United States visited the Opry before his presidency, during his time as Chief Executive, and in the 42 years since he left office. Carter’s most recent visit to the stage was the capstone of his week in Nashville with Habitat for Humanity in 2019, when more than 20 homes were built for people in need of affordable housing.

“All of us at the Grand Ole Opry are always thankful and humbled to learn when famed personalities from all walks of life are fans of the Opry, perhaps no more so than with a man who has truly dedicated his life to service not only to our country, but to the world,” said show host Mike Terry.

 

HunterGirl Helps Isaiah 117 House At Hometown Video Viewing Event

HunterGirl

HunterGirl recently gave her hometown a special, private viewing of the video for her debut single “Ain’t About You” at the Oldham Theater in Winchester, Tennessee. Along with a private, acoustic performance, the sold-out event raised over $6,000 for the Isaiah 117 House, a local charity that provides foster children awaiting placement a loving and safe home.

“The private viewing of my first official music video for my debut radio single, ‘Ain’t About You,’ was a night I’ll never forget,” says HunterGirl. “I’m so thankful to my hometown for showing me so much love and support! I am happy to say that we raised over $6,000 for the Isaiah 117 House, and we are able to give back to the children in the community. Having the viewing at the Oldham Theater in Winchester, Tennessee, was a full circle moment. Every Sunday night, they hosted American Idol watch parties and cheered me on throughout the competition. I will never forget how much their support pushed me to do my best, so I could make my hometown proud.”

 

BMI Wraps 9th Annual Island Hopper Songwriter Festival

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Dan Spears, City Tavern Assistant General Manager Meghan Fitzmaurice, BMI songwriter Charlie Worsham, iHeart Media Vice President of Events & Client Activation Adam Bauer.

The 9th annual Island Hopper Songwriter Festival wrapped recently with BMI, iHeart Media and the Lee County Visitors and Convention Bureau partnering at the event to help boost the economies of Captiva Island, Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach, communities hit hard by Hurricane Ian last year.

75 BMI songwriters made their way to southwest Florida to help provide support to the business owners who have faced a challenging 12 months, as the local restaurants, bars and hotels worked hard to rebuild their properties to be open in time for this year’s festival. Thousands of fans flocked to the area to connect with the songwriters at the festival, which concluded at the Pink Shell Resort in Fort Myers Beach with a high energy performance by BMI songwriter Chris Janson in front of a record-breaking crowd.

Greyson Chance & Heather Russell Sign With Prescription Songs

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Greyson Chance & Heather Russell

Prescription Songs has signed publishing deals with singer-songwriter and pianist Greyson Chance and singer-songwriter and producer Heather Russell.

Pictured (L-R): Prescription Songs’ Kelly White, Prescription Songs’ Rachel Wein, Greyson Chance, Prescription Songs’ Brooke Webster, Cultiv8’s Alex Ziabko and Prescription Songs’ Katie Fagan

Chance, an Oklahoma-born artist, emerged as a viral sensation at age 12. He introduced himself with his 2011 debut album Hold On ‘til the Night, and realized the power of his voice with 2019’s Portraits, which includes the single “Shut Up” that generated over 95 million Spotify streams and counting, followed by “Yours” with 12 million Spotify streams. Chance recently released the deluxe edition Palladium.

“Working with Greyson is an A&R’s dream; he is unapologetic in his creative vision, yet open to feedback and never afraid to venture into new territory,” says Prescription Songs’ Rachel Wein and Brooke Webster. “As longtime fans, we are thrilled to welcome Greyson into the Prescription Songs family and look forward to building together.”

“I am so grateful and honored to now be alongside the many talented artists, producers and writers at Prescription,” Chance shares. “For me, it was the Prescription team themselves who made me want to pursue my first publishing deal. I feel at home and understood by each and every person in their building, and that’s a special thing to experience in the music industry.”

Pictured (L-R): Brent Burns, Heather Russell and Prescription Songs’ Chris Martignago

Originally from Toronto, 23-year-old Russell’s songs have a vintage, theatrical feel. She has been navigating the industry since signing a major record deal at the age of nine. Her music is inspired by a love of film noir and pop culture. Russell’s upcoming debut Knock, the first of a three-part album, was just released via Kick Kick Snare/42 Records.

“Heather’s voice is one of a kind and she lights up every creative room she’s in,” adds Prescription Songs’ Chris Martignago. “I’m excited to be a part of her journey and to be teaming up with Brent again in a new capacity. We’ve got work to do and I’m excited for us to be in business together to make it happen.”

“Prescription Songs immediately felt like home. My manager, Brent Burns, and Chris Martignago have known each other for over a decade. I’m so grateful to them both, and to everyone in the building for believing in me and welcoming me with open arms,” says Russell. “They are all matched in their professional capacities only by the awesomeness of their personalities! Side effects will absolutely include winning.”

Amazon Music Kicks Off Country Music Month With New Playlist & Programming

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Amazon Music kicked off Country Music Month, a celebration of music and entertainment, by introducing their new Neon Stars playlist, as well as an array of exclusive programming that features the genre’s biggest stars and rising up-and-comers.

Throughout October, fans can listen to Neon Stars, which notably highlights artists whose careers launched on social media and showcases the future voices of country music. The playlist is updated weekly and curated by expert tastemakers.

“Neon Stars brings together artists who have made impressive imprints on both social media and culture,” says Emily Cohen Belote, Principal Music Curator, Amazon Music. “The playlist is designed to go even bigger with both the country genre and a younger demographic. We’re thrilled to continue highlighting the artists that emerge from these spaces and super-serve their fans.”

Country has been a top performing genre on Amazon Music for a while now. The Country Heat playlist emerged as the genre’s flagship for Amazon Music, reaching millions of listeners around the world, and has proven to be a trendsetter for the service. Listeners can expect new Country Heat Weekly podcast episodes, co-hosted by Amber Anderson and Kelly Sutton, with wide-ranging interviews and commentary throughout the month. The podcast recently kicked off its fourth season with special guest Tim McGraw, with upcoming episodes to feature Darius Rucker (Oct. 5), Riley Green (Oct. 12), Restless Road (Oct. 19) and Ingrid Andress (Oct. 26).

Additionally, Amazon Music will present a “City Sessions” livestream with Bailey Zimmerman on Oct. 13, and Green will star in the “Breakthrough Live Takeover” livestream on Oct. 17 via the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.

Flatland Cavalry Partners With Interscope Records For New Album

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Flatland Cavalry. Photo: Fernando Garcia

Flatland Cavalry will release their next album, Wandering Star, on Oct. 27 via Interscope Records—their first release in partnership with the label.

Ahead of the album release, the new song, “Mornings With You” featuring Kaitlin Butts has been released. Written by lead singer Cleto Cordero with Ashley Monroe and Nick Walsh, the song is available now on all platforms.

“Last June, I got to write with a couple great songwriters in town, Ashley Monroe and Nick Walsh,” says Cordero. “The three of us got along effortlessly—I think our collective experiences with the strenuous journey that is dream-chasing and being highwaymen (and women) lent towards us writing a song that is the antithesis of the hustle and bustle of living the Night Life; a song about the beauty of cherishing the start of a new day, basking in the peace and stillness, with the one you love most.

“The song came to life in the studio, expanding its energy and emotion, as the band added their signature touch,” Cordero continues. “It is the great honor and privilege of my life to get to wake up next to my wife, Kaitlin Butts, so including her voice on the song added an element that makes for a truly beautiful and powerful recording. Like the rising sun bursting from the dark horizon, she and our bass player’s wife, Sydney Saenz, crafted a luminous angel choir outro that takes the song to heavenly places and makes for one of my favorites records we’ve ever made.”

YouTube video

Produced by Dwight A. Baker (Josh Abbott Band, Pat Green), Wandering Star is a collection of country anthems and thoughtful ballads that further elevate the band’s signature musicianship and vivid storytelling. Across these 13 tracks, including previously released songs “Last American Summer” and “Oughta See You (The Way I Do),” the band reflects on authentic day-to-day experiences, while celebrating the simple joys of life.

In celebration of the new music, Flatland Cavalry will continue to tour through this winter, including headline shows at Austin’s Moody Theater, Fort Worth’s Billy Bob’s (two nights), Tucson’s Rialto Theatre, Athens’ Georgia Theatre (two nights), Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and New York’s Irving Plaza, among many others. They will also join Parker McCollum for select dates this fall.

Wandering Star Track List:
1. The Provider
2. The Best Days
3. Only Thing At All
4. Last American Summer
5. Mornings With You (feat. Kaitlin Butts)
6. Let It Roll
7. Spinnin’
8. Don’t Have To Do This Like That
9. New American Dream
10. Oughta See You (The Way I Do)
11. A Thousand Miles An Hour
12. Burned Out Flame
13. Forgotten

Heavy Metal: Cole Swindell, Nate Smith, Morgan Evans

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Cole Swindell Surprised With RIAA Plaques

Pictured (L-R): KP Entertainment’s Kerri Edwards, Warner Music Nashville’s Kristen Williams, Cole Swindell and Warner Music Nashville’s Cris Lacy. Photo: Alan Poizner

Cole Swindell was surprised with RIAA plaques recognizing his Gold-certified album Stereotype and triple-Platinum hit “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” on Friday afternoon (Sept. 29) prior to his performance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the first of Thomas Rhett’s “Home Team Tour 23” shows at the venue.

This continues be a big year for the artist, as he recently received a CMA Awards nomination for Musical Event of the Year for “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” with Jo Dee Messina. In addition to taking home three ACM Awards for Single of the Year and Song of the Year as songwriter and artist in May, he released his deluxe album Stereotype Broken. Swindell also won Country Song of the Year for “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” at the iHeartRadio Music Awards and earned a pair of nominations at the 2023 CMT Music Awards

His most recent top 10 single “Drinkaby” follows three Platinum-certified, multi-week No. 1 singles from Stereotype: “Never Say Never” with Lainey Wilson, “Single Saturday Night” and “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” which remained in the top five for 23 consecutive weeks.

Swindell just wrapped touring with Rhett, his friend and co-writer on “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” and will launch his own headlining “Twelve Tour” on Oct. 12 in Fargo, North Dakota.

 

Nate Smith Strikes Gold With ‘Wreckage’ & ‘Under My Skin’

Nate Smith with Sony Music Nashville and The Core Entertainment team members. Photo: Chris Ashlee

Nate Smith recently struck RIAA Gold with his songs “Wreckage” and “Under My Skin.” Some of his Sony Music Nashville and The Core Entertainment teams surprised him with plaques to celebrate the successes backstage at Bridgestone Arena on Friday night (Sept. 29) before he opened for Thomas Rhett‘s first sold-out “Home Team Tour 23” stop in Nashville. He was also gifted a YouTube’s 100K Subscribers Award plaque.

Following his Platinum-certified, multi-week No. 1 “Whiskey On You,” Smith’s current single “World On Fire” has reached the top 25 at country radio with over 70 million global streams to date.

Last week, the singer announced that he will join Morgan Wallen next year for his “One Night At A Time 2024 Tour.” Smith will serve as support in stadiums across the country, including stops in Arlington, Charlotte, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Nashville, Oxford and Tampa. The singer spent the summer touring with Rhett and will join Cole Swindell on his “Twelve Tour” this fall. He will also return to Stagecoach next year after his debut appearance at the festival this year.

 

Morgan Evans Earns Plaque For Over A Million ARIA-Certified Single Sales

Morgan Evans receives plaque for over one million ARIA-certified single sales

While in his home country of Australia, Morgan Evans received a plaque for garnering over one million ARIA-certified single sales, which he earned with songs including his No. 1 debut “Kiss Somebody” and latest hit “Over For You,” among others.

Evans recently returned to Australia for his “Life Upside Down Tour.” He sold out dates in Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and two shows at the famous Sydney Opera House, making him the seventh country artist to play at the iconic venue. Evans will continue the “Life Upside Down Tour” in the states, starting this Thursday (Oct. 5).

ASCAP’s 45th Annual Christian Music Awards Honors Brandon Lake, Matthew West, More

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Pictured (L-R): ASCAP Vice President of Nashville Membership Mike Sistad; ASCAP Nashville Assistant Vice President, Strategic Services Kele Currier; ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams; Capitol CMG VP Administration and Operations Kent Draughon; ASCAP Golden Note honoree Matthew West; writer of the ASCAP Christian Music Song of the Year, David Spencer; Capitol CMG EVP Casey McGinty; Capitol SVP A&R Karrie Dawley; Capitol CMG Director of Publishing Lindsey O’Halloran; Capitol CMG Director of Publishing Ryan Grady. Photo: Larry McCormack for ASCAP

Brandon Lake took home top honors Monday night (Oct. 2) at ASCAP’s Christian Music Awards in Nashville, which honors the songwriters and publishers of Christian music’s 25 most-performed songs of the past year.

Pictured (L-R): Actor, singer and songwriter Dennis Quaid; ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams; ASCAP Golden Note honoree Matthew West. Photo: Larry McCormack for ASCAP

The award marks Lake’s first Songwriter of the Year honor. He is a co-writer on five of the most-performed Christian songs of the year, including “Ain’t Nobody,” “Gratitude,” “Honey in the Rock,” “Same God” and “This Is Our God.” A Grammy Award-winning artist for his work with Maverick City Music, Lake leads the upcoming Dove Awards nominations with 11 nominations including Artist of the Year, three Song of the Year nominations and four Worship Recorded Song of the Year nominations. Gospel Music Association President and Executive Director Jackie Patillo congratulated Lake as part of a video tribute at the party.

Other big winners of the night included Matthew West, who received  the ASCAP Golden Note Award. After personal remarks from film star Dennis Quaid, who recently released Fallen: A Gospel Record for Sinners, ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams presented West with the award, a special honor for songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. West has notched 30 No. 1 songs as an artist and/or songwriter and has had cuts by Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant, among others. Grant, Smith, Anne Wilson, Casting Crowns vocalist Mark Hall, A.J. Pruis and Tim Tebow offered recorded messages of congratulations to mark the occasion.

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP Vice President of Nashville Membership Mike Sistad; Capitol CMG VP Administration and Operations Kent Draughon; Capitol CMG EVP Casey McGinty;
Capitol CMG SVP A&R Karrie Dawley; ASCAP Nashville Assistant Vice President, Strategic Services Kele Currier. Photo: Larry McCormack for ASCAP

Christian Music Song of the Year honors went to the track “In Jesus Name (God of Possible),” from David Spencer, David Spencer Songs and Essential Music Publishing LLC. As a songwriter and producer, Spencer has amassed over a quarter billion streams and has occupied the top spots on the Billboard and iTunes charts across multiple genres. Recorded and released by Katy Nichole, “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” was a No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs and Christian Airplay charts. Spencer and Jamie Rodgers, Vice President of Essential Music Publishing, accepted the award.

The ASCAP Christian Music Publisher of the Year Award was given to Capitol CMG Publishing for a remarkable 21st consecutive year, with 10 award-winning titles, including “Build a Boat” (performed by Colton Dixon), “New Creation” (Mac Powell), “Same God” (Elevation Worship feat. Jonsal Barrientes), “See Me Through It” (Brandon Heath) and “Sunday Sermons” (Anne Wilson). Capitol CMG Executive Vice President Casey McGinty, VP Administration and Operations Kent Draughon and SVP A&R Karrie Dawley accepted the award for their team.

A complete list of ASCAP Christian Music Award winners can be found at ascap.com/christianawards23.

Weekly Register: Zach Bryan Scores Top Country Album Debut

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Photo: Courtesy of Bryan Family Archives

Zach Bryan‘s Boys Of Faith EP claims the top country album debut this week, securing the artist another top five slot on the country albums chart as it lands at No. 3 with 44K in total consumption (4.2K album only/50 million song streams) according to Luminate data.

Morgan Wallen‘s One Thing At A Time returns to No. 1 this week with 73K (1.8K album only/91 million song streams), and Bryan’s self-titled project falls to No. 2 with 66K (1.1K album only/83 million song streams). Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album shifts to No. 4 with 37K (391 album only/47 million song streams), while Bryan’s American Heartbreak remains at No. 5 with 31K (1.7K album only/38 million song streams).

On the country streaming songs chart, Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ “I Remember Everything” stays at No. 1 with 22 million streams, adding to 134 million ATD. Wallen’s “Last Night” rests at No. 2 with 17 million new streams, adding to 934 million ATD. Bryan and Noah Kahan‘s “Sarah’s Place” rises to No. 3 with 15 million new streams, as “Something In The Orange” sits at No. 4 with 14 million streams, adding to 974 million ATD. Luke Combs‘ cover of “Fast Car” slides to No. 5 14 million new streams, adding to 433 million ATD.

Oliver Anthony Re-Enters Top 5 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Oliver Anthony

Oliver Anthony has re-entered the top 5 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week. Sitting at No. 5, Anthony earns his rank with his solo-penned song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” that has been a steady presence on the charts.

Zach Bryan holds the No. 1 spot for the fourth week in a row. 15 of Bryan’s songs are charting this week, and he is listed as the sole writer on most of them. Ashley Gorley is at No. 2 this week with cuts from Morgan Wallen, Dan + Shay, Parmalee and more. Luke Combs’ “Fast Car” has Tracy Chapman at No. 3 and Ryan Vojtesak is at No. 4 with three Wallen tracks.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Parmalee Notches 4th No. 1 Single With ‘Girl In Mine’

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Parmalee. Photo: Alysse Gafkjen

Parmalee continues their streak of consecutive No. 1 singles with “Girl In Mine,” which topped the Country Aircheck/Mediabase radio chart this week.

“It’s a beautiful thing when fans start to really connect with a song, and you feel the energy every night when they’re singing it back to you,” says lead singer Matt Thomas. “Every No. 1 is special, but this one is for the fans.”

“Girl In Mine,” written by Matt Thomas, David Fanning, Ashley Gorley, Casey Brown and Travis Wood, follows their 2022 No. 1 record-setting, “Take My Name,” which was Billboard’s Most Played Country Song of 2022, as well as the No. 1 Platinum hit “Just The Way” with Blanco Brown. The band first topped the charts with a song inspired by their home state, “Carolina.”

Parmalee recently released their extended album For You 2, which features five new songs including “Girl In Mine.” The other new tracks on the 18-song collection include “Gonna Love You,” “Is It Just Me,” “Boyfriend” and “Wish You Never Loved Me.”

The band recently wrapped a 19-city tour with Grammy Award-winning group Train. With a full slate of shows to finish out 2023, Parmalee will soon turn their attention to 2024’s “In The Air Tour” with Kane Brown.