Tyler Childers and The Food Stamps. Photo: Sam Waxman
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Tyler Childers and his longtime band, The Food Stamps, will embark on their global “Mule Pull ’24 Tour” next year. Stops on this tour include New York’s Madison Square Garden, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (two nights), Inglewood’s Kia Forum, Austin’s Moody Center, Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena and London’s Eventim Apollo as well as shows in Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Norway and more.
Special guests on the tour include Medium Build, Hayes Carll, Sylvan Esso, 49 Winchester, John R. Miller and Allison Russell.
The upcoming tour adds to yet another monumental year for Childers, who was just presented with Pandora Radio’s Billionaire Award and is set to release his highly anticipated new album, Rustin’ In The Rain, this Friday, Sept. 8 on Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records. In celebration of the record, Childers hosted a special “Tyler Childers & Friends” show at the Grand Ole Opry last night (Sept. 5), performing alongside S.G. Goodman, Margo Price, Erin Rae and The Travelin’ McCourys, all of whom are also featured on the new album.
“This is a collection of songs I playfully pieced together as if I was pitching a group of songs to Elvis,” says Childers, reflecting on his new album. “Some covers, one co-write, and some I even wrote in my best (terrible) Elvis impersonation, as I worked around the farm and kicked around the house. I hope you enjoy listening to this album as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Continuing to receive widespread attention, Childers recently unveiled breakthrough lead single, “In Your Love,” alongside an official music video, which debuted as YouTube’s No. 1 trending music video. Since then, the song has garnered over 5.9 million video views and 30 million on-demand streams along with critical acclaim from outlets such as NPR Music, Billboard, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Consequence, The Advocate, OUT, LGBTQ Nation and Rolling Stone.
Watch the official music video, written and creative directed by Silas House, and starring Colton Haynes and James Scully here and “The Making of ‘In Your Love’,” a special behind-the-scenes look at the video here.
In addition to “In Your Love,” the record also features new renditions of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and S.G. Goodman’s “Space and Time” as well as special guest vocals from Goodman, Margo Price and Erin Rae (“Luke 2:8-10”) and Ronnie McCoury, Jason Carter and Alan Bartram of the Travelin’ McCourys (“Percheron Mules”).
Tickets for the U.S. dates of the “Mule Pull ’24 Tour” will be available for pre-sale starting next Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. local time through 10 p.m. local time, with general on-sale following Friday, Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. local time. General on-sale for the Knoxville show will begin Sept. 15 at 12 p.m. local time. Registration for pre-sale access is open now via Ticketmaster, full details can be found at www.tylerchildersmusic.com/tour.
To help fans get tickets at the original prices and limit professional reseller activity, the tour will use Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange for resale. If needed, fans will be able to use the Exchange to resell tickets to other fans at the original price paid. Tickets for all shows (excluding New York) will be mobile only and restricted from transfer. In New York, tickets will be transferable, but Face Value Exchange is still encouraged to maintain original pricing.
Curb | Word Music Publishing Announces Staff Promotion & Addition
/by Liza AndersonSarah Schumacher & Calista Miller
Curb | Word Music Publishing has promoted Sarah Schumacher to Senior Creative Director, Country Publishing, and added Calista Miller as Creative Coordinator, Country Publishing.
Schumacher began her publishing career at Disney Music Group, where she served as Catalog Manager and handled day-to-day writer management. In 2019, the California State University, Northridge graduate formed writer management and development company Darkhorse Music Management. Schumacher then joined Curb | Word Music Publishing in October 2021 as Creative Director, Country Publishing.
Reporting to Ciara Shortridge, VP, Country Publishing/A&R and Colt Murski, VP, Country Publishing & Creative, her responsibilities include managing creative operations of the country songwriter roster and catalog. Most recently, Schumacher signed history-making country writer and producer Alex Kline into the Curb | Word Music Publishing family.
Miller officially joined the Curb | Word Music Publishing team upon her graduation from Belmont University’s Mike Curb College Of Entertainment & Music Business in 2022, after working as an intern her senior year.
Reporting to Schumacher, Shortridge and Murski, her primary responsibilities consist of coordinating and facilitating strategic writing sessions for the country songwriter roster, managing social media strategy for the department, and assisting in pitching/placing writer catalog, in addition to catalog administration duties.
Tyler Childers Confirms Global ‘Mule Pull ’24 Tour’
/by Steven BoeroTyler Childers and The Food Stamps. Photo: Sam Waxman
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Tyler Childers and his longtime band, The Food Stamps, will embark on their global “Mule Pull ’24 Tour” next year. Stops on this tour include New York’s Madison Square Garden, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (two nights), Inglewood’s Kia Forum, Austin’s Moody Center, Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena and London’s Eventim Apollo as well as shows in Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Norway and more.
Special guests on the tour include Medium Build, Hayes Carll, Sylvan Esso, 49 Winchester, John R. Miller and Allison Russell.
The upcoming tour adds to yet another monumental year for Childers, who was just presented with Pandora Radio’s Billionaire Award and is set to release his highly anticipated new album, Rustin’ In The Rain, this Friday, Sept. 8 on Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records. In celebration of the record, Childers hosted a special “Tyler Childers & Friends” show at the Grand Ole Opry last night (Sept. 5), performing alongside S.G. Goodman, Margo Price, Erin Rae and The Travelin’ McCourys, all of whom are also featured on the new album.
“This is a collection of songs I playfully pieced together as if I was pitching a group of songs to Elvis,” says Childers, reflecting on his new album. “Some covers, one co-write, and some I even wrote in my best (terrible) Elvis impersonation, as I worked around the farm and kicked around the house. I hope you enjoy listening to this album as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Continuing to receive widespread attention, Childers recently unveiled breakthrough lead single, “In Your Love,” alongside an official music video, which debuted as YouTube’s No. 1 trending music video. Since then, the song has garnered over 5.9 million video views and 30 million on-demand streams along with critical acclaim from outlets such as NPR Music, Billboard, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Consequence, The Advocate, OUT, LGBTQ Nation and Rolling Stone.
Watch the official music video, written and creative directed by Silas House, and starring Colton Haynes and James Scully here and “The Making of ‘In Your Love’,” a special behind-the-scenes look at the video here.
In addition to “In Your Love,” the record also features new renditions of Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and S.G. Goodman’s “Space and Time” as well as special guest vocals from Goodman, Margo Price and Erin Rae (“Luke 2:8-10”) and Ronnie McCoury, Jason Carter and Alan Bartram of the Travelin’ McCourys (“Percheron Mules”).
Tickets for the U.S. dates of the “Mule Pull ’24 Tour” will be available for pre-sale starting next Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. local time through 10 p.m. local time, with general on-sale following Friday, Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. local time. General on-sale for the Knoxville show will begin Sept. 15 at 12 p.m. local time. Registration for pre-sale access is open now via Ticketmaster, full details can be found at www.tylerchildersmusic.com/tour.
To help fans get tickets at the original prices and limit professional reseller activity, the tour will use Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange for resale. If needed, fans will be able to use the Exchange to resell tickets to other fans at the original price paid. Tickets for all shows (excluding New York) will be mobile only and restricted from transfer. In New York, tickets will be transferable, but Face Value Exchange is still encouraged to maintain original pricing.
Leo33 Signs Flagship Artist Zach Top
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R, front row): Leo33’s Meg Goggins and Natalie Osborne, Zach Top, Leo33’s Katie Dean and Daniel Lee; (L-R, back row): Major Bob’s Patrick Belinson, Leo33’s Dusty Cantrell and Tracy Gibson, Major Bob’s Bob Doyle, Mike Doyle and Jensen Sessums. Photo: Cedrick Jones
New Nashville-based independent record label Leo33 has signed its first artist, rising country newcomer Zach Top.
“We are so thrilled to have Zach as our Leo33 flagship artist – his sound is fresh yet familiar, with a voice that is pure country gold,” shares Katie Dean, Head of Leo33. “We’re so grateful he chose us and joined the pack at Leo33.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to be joining forces with the Leo33 team!” says Zach. “They’re all veterans of the industry and some of the best in the business, but starting out on a new venture, they’re just as hungry as I am and eager to show the world the best country music money can buy! I can’t wait to get to work, blow this thing wide open, and bring my brand of country music to fans who are hungry for it all over the world!”
A native of Sunnyside, Washington, Top’s sound embodies the spirit of ’90s country greats such as George Strait, Keith Whitley and Randy Travis. His love of traditional country music began when he would listen to Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs cassette as he tended to livestock on his family’s ranch. When Top was seven, he formed a bluegrass band with his siblings called Top String.
Throughout his teenage years and early twenties, Top honed his craft by playing in various bluegrass bands, including Modern Tradition, a group that won the 2018 SPBGMA International band competition. The band scored a series of hits on bluegrass radio, including the chart-topping single “Like It Ain’t No Thing.”
After moving to Nashville in 2021, Top caught the attention of Bob Doyle’s Major Bob Music, leading him to a publishing deal. Since then, he has been making his mark as an artist to watch, with multiple performances on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Managed by Bob Doyle and Associates with booking representation by Jay Williams at WME, Top has garnered support from fans and critics alike including 10 million views on TikTok and 1 million views on YouTube.
Luke Combs Continues To Make Billboard Chart History
/by Liza AndersonLuke Combs. Photo: Jeremy Cowart
Luke Combs continues to make Billboard chart history this week, as he is the first person to claim the top two slots on the Country Airplay chart without another billed artist since the chart’s launch in 1990.
Combs’ single, “Love You Anyway,” lands atop the chart to mark his 17th consecutive No. 1—another unprecedented feat—while his version of Tracy Chapman‘s Grammy-winning song, “Fast Car,” sits at No. 2, after topping the chart earlier this summer. “Love You Anyway” reaches No. 1 just four weeks after “Fast Car” topped the chart, the fastest return to the top of the chart for an artist with a different song.
“Fast Car” also reached No. 1 on the Hot AC chart, making it the first song by a male solo artist to ever top both the Hot AC and Country charts. The double-Platinum cover is also currently No. 2 on Billboard‘s all-genre Hot 100 chart and has garnered over 512 million global streams to date.
Combs is currently on his headlining “World Tour,” and recently announced 25 stadium dates for his “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour” next year.
Oliver Anthony Climbs To No. 1 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by Caela GriffinOliver Anthony
Oliver Anthony (born Christopher Anthony Lunsford) has climbed to No. 1 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week.
Anthony entered the chart last week at No. 3 with his solely written tunes “Rich Men North of Richmond,” “Ain’t Gotta Dollar” and “I’ve Got To Get Sober.” This week, he adds “I Want To Go Home” to the mix.
Ashley Gorley sits at No. 2 as a co-writer on 10 charting songs. Tracy Chapman holds the No. 3 spot this week with Jordan Schmidt at No. 4 and Taylor Swift at No. 5.
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.
Ernest To Unveil Double-Sided Vinyl, ‘Ernest & The Fellas Unplugged’
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto: Courtesy of Big Loud Records
Ernest is releasing live performance audio from his Salvage Sessions and Circle Sessions in a limited double-sided vinyl, Ernest & The Fellas Unplugged, on Sept. 29.
Releasing both on vinyl and across streaming services, the project features fan favorites “This Fire,” “Miss That Girl,” “Feet Wanna Run” and a cover of John Mayer‘s “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room.” Writers contributing to the project include Dean Dillon, Brian Kelley, Josh Thompson, Charles Kelley and more.
Capping off the musical milestone and Flower Shops chapter, he has added several new additions to his accomplishments with “Flower Shops” the single earning more than 306 million on demand U.S. streams and the album earning over 300,000 album equivalents, reaching No. 2 on Apple Music Country and debuting top 20 all-genre.
“Flower Shops has been such a wild ride,” says the artist. “I can’t put words to how much the love and support for the album and its deluxe means to me. Now that we’re getting ready to be back out on the road headlining this fall, it only felt right that the fellas and I wrap up this chapter with live versions of some of our favorites to play live.”
On the road now as direct support for Morgan Wallen‘s “One Night At A Time World Tour” with upcoming dates in Illinois, Nebraska as well as a trek around Canada, Ernest will kick off his headlining “This Fire Tour” this fall. He launched season four of his Just Being Ernest podcast this summer while on the road, kicking it off with tour-mate Hardy and chatting with friends old and new about music, life and current events.
1. “This Fire (Circle Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Rocky Block, Julian Bunetta, John Ryan)
2. “Wild Wild West (Circle Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Jacob Durrett, Rafe Tenpenny)
3. “What Have I Got To Lose (Circle Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Brian Kelley, Dean Dillon)
4. “Done At A Bar (Circle Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Josh Thompson)
5. “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room (Circle Sessions)” (John Clayton Mayer)
6. “Feet Wanna Run (Salvage Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Chris LaCorte, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
7. “Comfortable When I’m Crazy (Salvage Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Rodney Clawson)
8. “Songs We Used To Sing (Salvage Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Justin Ebach, Charles Kelley)
9. “Miss That Girl (Salvage Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Brad Clawson, Jacob Durrett)
10. “Unhang The Moon (Salvage Sessions)” (Ernest Keith Smith, Grady Block, Brad Clawson, Jacob Durrett)
Weekly Register: Zach Bryan Dominates The Country Charts
/by Liza AndersonZach Bryan has taken over the country charts this week, claiming two of the top five slots on the country albums chart and three of the top five on the country streaming songs chart, according to Luminate data.
Bryan’s self-titled project tops both the country albums chart and all-genre chart with 200K in total consumption (17K album only/230 million song streams).
Elsewhere on the country albums chart, Morgan Wallen‘s One Thing At A Time moves to No. 2 with 83K (2.8K album only/102 million song streams). Taylor Swift‘s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) shifts to No. 3 with 41K (13K album only/37 million song streams). Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album drops to No. 4 with 40K (509 album only/51 million song streams), and Bryan’s American Heartbreak takes No. 5 with 34K (3K album only/40 million song streams).
Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ “I Remember Everything” scores the top slot on the country streaming songs chart with 32 million streams. Additionally, the track enters in the No. 1 position on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Hot Rock Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts simultaneously—becoming the first tune ever to top all three rankings. It also marks only the second occurrence of a shared Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs No. 1 by a male and female artist together, after Kenny Rogers’ and Dolly Parton’s 1983 hit “Islands In The Stream.”
Elsewhere on country streaming songs chart, Wallen’s “Last Night” remains at No. 2 with 20 million new streams, adding to 858 million ATD. Oliver Anthony‘s “Rich Men North Of Richmond” lands at No. 3 with 19 new million streams, adding to 59 million ATD. Bryan and The War And Treaty‘s “Hey Driver” secures No. 4 with 18 million streams, while Bryan’s “East Side of Sorrow” claims No. 5 with 16 million streams.
Lanco To Return With New ‘Run, Run, Baby’ EP
/by Lorie HollabaughLanco will release a new six-track EP, Run, Run, Baby, on Oct. 6 via Riser House Records.
Marking the band’s first project release since 2021, the collection not only offers an all-encompassing introduction to a new musical chapter in Lanco’s career, but also serves as their debut under Riser House Records.
The latest taste of the EP, “Honey I Lost My Job Today,” is out now. Written by Lanco frontman Brandon Lancaster alongside Jeremy Spillman, the vulnerable song drew inspiration from the moment the group elected to walk away from their former label home, entering into a pandemic-stricken world of career uncertainty. Available across all streaming platforms, the track follows in the footsteps of the band’s neon-lit, two-step starter “Lasso” as well as their summertime singalong and first Riser House single, “Sound of a Saturday Night.”
Lanco is set to hit the road this fall on their recently-announced “Run, Run, Baby Tour,” which kicks off in Nashville on Oct. 2, crisscrossing the nation through November with special guests Meghan Patrick and Willie Tate opening on select dates. The band will also make their return to the Grand Ole Opry stage on Oct. 11.
Run, Run, Baby EP Track Listing:
1. “Sound of a Saturday Night” (Brandon Lancaster, Jeremy Spillman, Tate Howell, and Tripp Howell)
2. “Leaving Looks Good on You” (Brandon Lancaster, Chandler Baldwin, Tommy Cecil, and Tripp Howell)
3. “Lasso” (Brandon Lancaster, Chandler Baldwin, Tate Howell, Tripp Howell, and Jay Joyce)
4. “Good With It” (Brandon Lancaster, Dan Fernandez, and Michael Whitworth)
5. “Making More Of” (Brandon Lancaster, Casey Brown, and Jordan Terry Minton)
6. “Honey I Lost My Job Today” (Brandon Lancaster and Jeremy Spillman)
Leo33 Adds Meg Goggins As Senior Director Of Marketing
/by Caela GriffinMeg Goggins
Nashville-based independent record label Leo33 has hired Meg Goggins as Senior Director of Marketing, continuing to bolster their team.
Goggins hails from the east coast and started her career in television production for major networks before transitioning to Los Angeles’ music industry. Prior career stops include CAA, Legendary Entertainment, Big Deal Music, Seeker Music and acclaimed industry podcast And The Writer Is…. She most recently spent time at WMA, a global digital creative and marketing agency.
Throughout her career, Goggins has played a pivotal role from A&R research to unique marketing initiatives such as campaigns with Apple Music and Spotify. She contributed to launching writer-focused programs for Shungudzo, John Ryan, Julian Bunetta and Teddy Geiger. She has also worked on artist and brand marketing for Live Nation, Disney, Gwen Stefani, Leonard Cohen and a roster of emerging artists such as Saleka, Jennie Harluk, Riley Roth, Kaleb Sanders and Carter Faith.
“Meg brings a wealth of experience, innovative ideas, and a can-do attitude, making her a perfect fit for Leo33’s culture,” says Katie Dean, Head of Leo33.
“I am both thrilled and honored to embark on this exciting journey with Leo33,” shares Goggins. “My career has been shaped by a relentless passion for creativity as well as amplifying artists’ voices and I look forward to contributing to Leo33’s vibrant future.”
Reach Goggins at meg@leo33.com.
Encore Luxury Coach Leasing Acquires Nitetrain Coach Company
/by Lorie HollabaughEncore Luxury Coach Leasing team
Encore Luxury Coach Leasing has acquired Nitetrain Coach Company in Whites Creek, Tennessee.
The acquisition brings together the two entertainment coach leasing companies to provide an operational bandwidth with over 145 coaches within their fleet, making Encore one of the largest entertainment coach leasing company in North America.
“Having run a business with 70+ locations within the United States and over 400 employees, I am excited to bring those entrepreneurial skills from my original home base of North Carolina to Tennessee and work with the Nitetrain and Encore teams to create something special in the touring sector of the entertainment business,” says Encore President Amanda Stophel. “I have been building out an innovative business infrastructure that is unparalleled within the coach and entertainment industry and now, with this expansion finalized, I can’t wait to watch all of this unfold and work with the artists, managers, and business managers to deliver this fresh new approach to the touring side of the business.”
In the new deal, Encore’s Leasing operations will have offices in Phoenix, Arizona and Nashville, with over 85,000 square feet of maintenance facilities and over 25 maintenance technicians. The North Carolina conversion group operation will continue serving the company with unmatched custom-built coach interiors.
“I am excited about this new chapter for our company. There are a lot of people who have supported us and helped us achieve this milestone,” says Encore CEO Justin Ward. “We are forever grateful to them for that support and look forward to further strengthening those relationships as our company continues to grow. Encore is serving music with a relentless focus on delivering a premium to the clients we serve. We are excited about the strength this acquisition gives us in that pursuit.”
Encore’s touring clients include WWE, Nickelback, Thomas Rhett, Bailey Zimmerman, Ashley McBryde, Barenaked Ladies, Lauren Daigle, Ben Harper, Barry Manilow, Beck, Phish, Billy Strings, Big Time Rush, Blink 182, and many more.