Carleen Donovan, Charlotte Burke Bass
Public relations powerhouse Carleen Donovan has had her eyes on Music City for a number of years.
She’s a veteran of music publicity, who, at just 20-years-old, launched her career as Head of PR for influential independent label Mute Records after a series of internships. She went on to hold Senior Executive roles at KSA Publicity and Press Here Publicity, in addition to the post of Executive Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing for Career Artist Management / Live Nation.
In 2015, Donovan founded DPR, which flourished and grew for five years before the 2020 launch of The Oriel Company. With teams in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville, the company represents Grammy Award-winning artists, Academy Award-winning creatives, Fortune 500 companies and global philanthropic organizations. In the music industry, The Oriel Company counts artists Zoe Kravitz, Maroon 5, Questlove, Robyn, André 3000, Phoebe Bridgers, Kelsea Ballerini, Reyna Roberts and Old Dominion as clients, as well as UTA’s Nashville division and Stagecoach Music Festival.
Donovan says that even though people thought her and her partners Chloë Walsh and Jen Appel were crazy starting The Oriel Company during the onslaught of the 2020 pandemic, it was the right time for them.
“I was based in New York and we had expanded to LA in 2018, but I was looking to grow our base there because so much of the music industry is based in LA and Nashville. We represent a lot of actors and we do a lot of corporate consulting in the film and television space, so we just needed a bigger team in LA,” Donovan shares with MusicRow.
Donovan’s wish to expand to LA led her to joining forces with Walsh and Appel. That’s when the firm officially changed names from DPR to The Oriel Company.
Old Dominion. Photo: Mason Allen
“That’s how it all began. We started expanding and growing from there, which led us to Nashville,” she says.
Donovan’s introduction to Music City was through Old Dominion’s 2017 album Happy Endings.
“I’ve always worked with bands and touring musicians, so I’m very familiar with that strategy. That was one of the reasons they approached me, they saw my work with Maroon 5 and The Roots, who really both made their names not only from their albums, but in the touring world.”
To help The Oriel Company grow its Music City presence, Donovan tapped 15-year music publicity veteran Charlotte Burke Bass to become Vice President of Nashville Operations. Bass joined The Oriel Company from Beeline Agency, a public relations and strategic communications firm she founded in 2020. Prior to that, Bass spent over five years at Big Machine Label Group as the Director of Communications, as well as seven years at ID Public Relations in New York City.
Bass said that the highlighted intention by the company to contribute to philanthropy aided her decision in joining the team.
“I was reading Carleen, Jen and Chloe’s backgrounds and all of the work that they do outside of the entertainment space. That was really inspiring to me. I thought, ‘Wow, these are three incredible women who do work not only for their clients, but for their communities.’ That was really important to me,” Bass shares.
Speaking of incredible women, The Oriel Company boasts an entirely female staff.
“It wasn’t intentional. Men are welcome,” Donovan says with a laugh. “But we are all female—female founders and female staff. Everyone works really well together.”
Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Patrick Tracy
The strategy at The Oriel Company is that of a multi-faceted approach. Most of their clients are multi-hyphenate entertainers who operate in different verticals both in and out of entertainment. Country star Ballerini, for example, is an author, a face of CoverGirl, an Aerie Partner and now a voice actor in Dolly Parton’s Run, Rose, Run.
“The work that The Oriel Company does expands beyond straightforward music publicity. A lot of the clients that we work with not only are musicians, but they may have their own fashion line, be actors or directors. You never know what’s going to happen,” Bass says. “We not only work with these artists, but we also work with different corporate clients that touch all different verticals across entertainment. That helps us help our clients when we’re able to have our hands in so many different parts of entertainment.”
As for Donovan and Bass’ goals for the Nashville office, the women are looking at strategic growth and projects.
“We want to continue the work that we’re doing, continue to super-serve our clients in every way that we can and eventually grow our base here,” Bass says.
Donovan says, “We look for projects that we can creatively invest ourselves in. Most of our clients have been with their publicists who are members of our team for 5 to 20 plus years in some cases. It’s really a family atmosphere.”
She sums, “We aren’t siloed as publicists. When you come here, you get the strength of the firm. Our resources and network are shared with the clients across the board. Every project is a priority, so when we find stuff, we look for projects we can all get behind.”
Ben Kline & Cris Lacy Begin New Era Of Leadership At Warner Music Nashville
/by LB CantrellWarner Music Nashville staff. Photo: Alan Poizner
Warner Music Nashville Co-Chairs / Co-Presidents Ben Kline and Cris Lacy ushered in a new era of leadership at the label with the beginning of 2023.
In June of 2022, the music industry veterans were announced as successors to the beloved John Esposito, who remained Chairman & CEO through the remainder of the year. Esposito is now officially Chairman Emeritus, and Lacy and Kline are in charge. The two launched the new year last week (Jan. 11) alongside the full WMN team with a day of culture building and informational programming at a company-wide off-site meeting.
“I’m honored to lead WMN with Cris in what is an exciting time of change and opportunity for this business,” Kline shared of the transition. “We are committed to continuing our leadership position within that change by being laser focused on our incredible artists, their powerful music and their creative visions.”
Lacy added, “Let’s be honest, this is a time of great change in the world at large too. When culture shifts, music ignites, it bridges, it covers, it uncovers. We are here for all of that, and proud to be the Nashville contingent that amplifies those stories to all parts of the globe.”
Kline joined WMN in 2014 as VP of Revenue. In 2017, he was named SVP of Global Revenue & Touring, and was upped to EVP/General Manager years later where he oversaw radio & streaming, artist development, touring, and international. In his three decades in the music industry, Kline’s previous posts have included EVP of Sales & Marketing at Universal Music Group and SVP of Global Sales & Marketing at Ingrooves. He also founded and served as CEO of Brazenhead Entertainment and VP of Sales and Marketing at Rostrum Records.
Lacy joined WMN in 2005, following posts at Tom Collins Music Publishing, Rick Hall/FAME Publishing, Island Bound Music, and WMG’s Warner Chappell Music. At WMN, she was upped to SVP of A&R in 2017 and EVP of A&R two years later. Lacy has been the driving force behind the signing of many of the label’s most prominent artists, including Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, Cole Swindell, Ashley McBryde, Cody Johnson, Chris Janson and Gabby Barrett.
Warner Music Nashville was established in 2009 under the direction of Esposito to expand Warner Music Group’s presence in Music City. Since then, the division’s artists have spent more than 107 weeks at No. 1, earning 74 chart-topping singles and more than 300 Gold and Platinum RIAA certifications, along with Grammy, CMA, ACM, Billboard, AMA, and People’s Choice awards.
Luke Bryan, Elle King, Kane Brown, More Among iHeartCountry Festival 2023 Lineup
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Luke Bryan, Elle King and Kane Brown
Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Elle King, Sam Hunt and more are among the lineup for the upcoming 2023 iHeartCountry Festival, taking place May 13 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
Now in its tenth year and presented by Capital One, the 2023 lineup will also feature performances from Parker McCollum, Justin Moore, Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Bailey Zimmerman and more, and will once again be hosted by iHeartMedia’s nationally-syndicated on-air country personality Bobby Bones.
“We are so excited to celebrate the tenth year of the iHeartCountry Festival with country music fans in the live music capital,” notes Rod Phillips, Executive Vice President of Programming for iHeartCountry. “With this lineup fans are sure to experience a night of unforgettable performances and we are thrilled to be returning to Moody Center in Austin.”
iHeartMedia’s country stations will broadcast the festival live in their local markets and on iHeartRadio.com on May 13 at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Jan. 27 via Ticketmaster.com.
Apple TV+ Unveils Details Behind New Music Competition, ‘My Kind Of Country’
/by Lydia FarthingApple TV+ has announced a new music competition series, My Kind of Country, will premiere globally on the platform on March 24. Featuring Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves, who also serve as executive producers of the series, the show will scour the globe to find talented artists with hopes of breaking country music’s next star.
Reese Witherspoon, Kacey Musgraves
Country singer-songwriters, including Grammy-nominated and 2021’s CMA New Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen, 4x Grammy nominee Mickey Guyton and songwriter, recording artist and activist Orville Peck will serve as scouts throughout My Kind of Country. They will each hand-pick a roster of up-and-coming artists and invite them to Nashville to showcase their unique sound. The competition winner will receive a prize from Apple Music, support and exposure on the platform.
Witherspoon and Musgraves executive produce alongside Hello Sunshine’s Sara Rea and Lauren Neustadter; Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen; Emmy-nominated showrunner Izzie Pick Ibarra; and Done + Dusted’s Katy Mullan. Emmy Award-winning Adam Blackstone serves as music director.
The 8-part series will premiere on Apple TV+ on March 24.
The Neal Agency Taps Adi Sharma As Co-Head & Agent
/by Lydia FarthingAdi Sharma. Photo: Tiia Sparzak
Agent Adi Sharma has joined The Neal Agency (TNA) as co-head and agent, expanding the nine-act company to a dozen clients.
Coupled with the newest staff addition, TNA has also announced the signing of lifestyle brand Stevenson Ranch to extend the brand’s footprint in the live space and help curate and create live events.
Cementing one year in business in December of 2022, TNA has already begun to establish its place as a top talent agency with some of the highest grossing tours in 2022. The company has already earned recognition and nominations by both the 2023 CMA Touring Awards and Pollstar Awards.
Pictured (L-R): Hank Wiehebrink, Simone Chretien, Juliette Edwards, Haley Teske, Evan Kantor, Austin Neal, Andrew Greene, Kelly Sherin, Kolby Vetter, Adi Sharma, Marisa Mineo and Spencer Foote. Photo: Tiia Sparzak
“It’s surreal to think this time last year we only had two employees, other than myself, and no office. Going into 2023, I am able to walk into a full office of twelve each morning–which is both humbling and exciting,” shares Austin Neal, a third generation country music booking agent. “Adding Adi’s leadership to that mix will allow the company and our culture to reach new heights in our sophomore year. We are all so excited to be able to work with one of the brightest young agents in this business who will undoubtedly help lead the company going forward.”
“Austin and I have known each other since I moved to Nashville and we have always had a very like-minded approach to supporting and growing artists’ careers,” adds Sharma. “To see what he and this team have built in the span of a year is inspiring. I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this rapidly growing team, to work with one of the best agents in the business, and to help the company continue to grow into the future.”
TNA’s roster includes Ashland Craft, Ernest, Riley Green, Hardy, John Morgan, Chase Rice, Seaforth, Morgan Wallen and Lauren Watkins. With the addition of Sharma, the company will now add mike., Josh Ross and Bailey Zimmerman to its artist roster.
TNA has a hearty slate of shows on tap for 2023, including Wallen’s “One Night At A Time Tour;” Hardy’s 2023 “The Mockingbird & The Crow Tour,” which is sold-out across 19 cities; and Rice’s “Way Down Yonder Tour,” is set for 36 dates running through the summer. Additionally, Seaforth will embark on their first headlining tour in 2023, while Ernest, who embarked on his first headlining tour last fall, will join Wallen on all dates of his 2023 tour.
Jordan Davis Celebrates Fifth No. 1 With ‘What My World Spins Around’
/by Lorie HollabaughJordan Davis. Photo: Harper Smith
Jordan Davis has achieved his fifth No. 1 this week on the Billboard and MediaBase Country Airplay charts with his latest single, “What My World Spins Around.”
Written by Davis, Ryan Hurd and Matt Dragstrem, “What My World Spins Around” follows Davis’ 2x Platinum, multi-week No. 1 “Buy Dirt,” which he co-wrote along with his brother, Jacob Davis, and brothers Matt and Josh Jenkins–the same writing team behind Davis’ new song “No Time Soon,” out this Friday (Jan. 20).
In addition to the soon-to-be-released track, “What My World Spins Around” and “Buy Dirt,” Davis’ upcoming record, Bluebird Days, features several recently-released tracks, including fan favorites, “Next Thing You Know,” “Midnight Crisis” featuring Danielle Bradbery, “Part of It,” and more. Bluebird Days will be available everywhere Feb. 17.
Davis’ breakout song “Buy Dirt” featuring Luke Bryan racked up wins for NSAI and CMA Song of the Year, in addition to Billboard, AMA, iHeart and ACM award nominations. It was also one of the most streamed songs of the year in 2021 and 2022, with more than 780 million global streams.
The hitmaker will head to the west coast for upcoming sold-out headlining dates in Denver, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Anaheim before heading to C2C in the UK/Europe and touring Australia.
The Oriel Company Grows Presence In Nashville [Interview]
/by LB CantrellCarleen Donovan, Charlotte Burke Bass
Public relations powerhouse Carleen Donovan has had her eyes on Music City for a number of years.
She’s a veteran of music publicity, who, at just 20-years-old, launched her career as Head of PR for influential independent label Mute Records after a series of internships. She went on to hold Senior Executive roles at KSA Publicity and Press Here Publicity, in addition to the post of Executive Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing for Career Artist Management / Live Nation.
In 2015, Donovan founded DPR, which flourished and grew for five years before the 2020 launch of The Oriel Company. With teams in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville, the company represents Grammy Award-winning artists, Academy Award-winning creatives, Fortune 500 companies and global philanthropic organizations. In the music industry, The Oriel Company counts artists Zoe Kravitz, Maroon 5, Questlove, Robyn, André 3000, Phoebe Bridgers, Kelsea Ballerini, Reyna Roberts and Old Dominion as clients, as well as UTA’s Nashville division and Stagecoach Music Festival.
Donovan says that even though people thought her and her partners Chloë Walsh and Jen Appel were crazy starting The Oriel Company during the onslaught of the 2020 pandemic, it was the right time for them.
“I was based in New York and we had expanded to LA in 2018, but I was looking to grow our base there because so much of the music industry is based in LA and Nashville. We represent a lot of actors and we do a lot of corporate consulting in the film and television space, so we just needed a bigger team in LA,” Donovan shares with MusicRow.
Donovan’s wish to expand to LA led her to joining forces with Walsh and Appel. That’s when the firm officially changed names from DPR to The Oriel Company.
Old Dominion. Photo: Mason Allen
“That’s how it all began. We started expanding and growing from there, which led us to Nashville,” she says.
Donovan’s introduction to Music City was through Old Dominion’s 2017 album Happy Endings.
“I’ve always worked with bands and touring musicians, so I’m very familiar with that strategy. That was one of the reasons they approached me, they saw my work with Maroon 5 and The Roots, who really both made their names not only from their albums, but in the touring world.”
To help The Oriel Company grow its Music City presence, Donovan tapped 15-year music publicity veteran Charlotte Burke Bass to become Vice President of Nashville Operations. Bass joined The Oriel Company from Beeline Agency, a public relations and strategic communications firm she founded in 2020. Prior to that, Bass spent over five years at Big Machine Label Group as the Director of Communications, as well as seven years at ID Public Relations in New York City.
Bass said that the highlighted intention by the company to contribute to philanthropy aided her decision in joining the team.
“I was reading Carleen, Jen and Chloe’s backgrounds and all of the work that they do outside of the entertainment space. That was really inspiring to me. I thought, ‘Wow, these are three incredible women who do work not only for their clients, but for their communities.’ That was really important to me,” Bass shares.
Speaking of incredible women, The Oriel Company boasts an entirely female staff.
“It wasn’t intentional. Men are welcome,” Donovan says with a laugh. “But we are all female—female founders and female staff. Everyone works really well together.”
Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Patrick Tracy
The strategy at The Oriel Company is that of a multi-faceted approach. Most of their clients are multi-hyphenate entertainers who operate in different verticals both in and out of entertainment. Country star Ballerini, for example, is an author, a face of CoverGirl, an Aerie Partner and now a voice actor in Dolly Parton’s Run, Rose, Run.
“The work that The Oriel Company does expands beyond straightforward music publicity. A lot of the clients that we work with not only are musicians, but they may have their own fashion line, be actors or directors. You never know what’s going to happen,” Bass says. “We not only work with these artists, but we also work with different corporate clients that touch all different verticals across entertainment. That helps us help our clients when we’re able to have our hands in so many different parts of entertainment.”
As for Donovan and Bass’ goals for the Nashville office, the women are looking at strategic growth and projects.
“We want to continue the work that we’re doing, continue to super-serve our clients in every way that we can and eventually grow our base here,” Bass says.
Donovan says, “We look for projects that we can creatively invest ourselves in. Most of our clients have been with their publicists who are members of our team for 5 to 20 plus years in some cases. It’s really a family atmosphere.”
She sums, “We aren’t siloed as publicists. When you come here, you get the strength of the firm. Our resources and network are shared with the clients across the board. Every project is a priority, so when we find stuff, we look for projects we can all get behind.”
Priscilla Block Releases New Track & Announces Deluxe Edition Of Debut Album
/by Liza AndersonPriscilla Block has released her latest track, “Me Pt. 2,” along with the song’s lyric video. Written by Block, the track will be featured on the expanded version of her debut album, Welcome to the Block Party Deluxe Album, available everywhere on Feb. 10.
The collection will include four of the iHeart Radio Award nominee’s previously unreleased tracks, including “Me Pt. 2.” Her recent hit, “Off The Deep End,” and Platinum-certified single “Just About Over You” will be featured on the record as well.
“This is hands down one of the most honest songs I’ve ever written. It was 2 o’clock in the morning–just me, my guitar and a piece of paper. Sometimes it’s the simplest songs that hit the most and for me ‘Me Pt. 2’ is that,” shares Block. “This past year was really big for me, especially releasing my debut album. When we were selecting songs for Welcome To The Block Party we had so many songs to choose from, which is why I’m super excited for the deluxe album. Four more songs that complete the Block Party era.”
Welcome to the Block Party Deluxe Album Track List:
1. “Welcome To The Block Party”
2. “My Bar”
3. “Heels In Hand”
4. “Like A Boy”
5. “I Know A Girl” ft. Hillary Lindsey
6. “Ever Since You Left”
7. “Thick Thighs – Block Party Version”
8. “I Bet You Wanna Know”
9. “I’ve Gotten Good”
10. “Wish You Were The Whiskey”
11. “Just About Over You”
12. “Peaked In High School”
13. “Getting Even”*
14. “Me Pt. 2″*
15. “Little Bit”*
16. “Off The Deep End”*
*Deluxe Tracks
Alana Springsteen Announces Three-Part Debut Album, ‘Twenty Something’
/by Lydia FarthingAlana Springsteen. Photo: Lily Nelson
Rising singer-songwriter Alana Springsteen has unveiled details behind her debut album, Twenty Something.
Taking shape as a three-part collection documenting the heartache, excitement and transformation of early adulthood, the journey begins with the album’s first installment, Twenty Something: Messing It Up, releasing via Columbia Records NY/Sony Music Nashville on March 24.
To celebrate the announcement, the 19-year-old has released her new single, “You Don’t Deserve A Country Song.” Written by Springsteen, Mitchell Tenpenny, Geoff Warburton, Will Weatherly and Michael Whitworth, the vulnerable anthem channels bouncing back from a painful relationship while also stating her refusal to immortalize her ex in song form. Produced by Chris LaCorte and co-produced by Weatherly, the track’s second verse nods to classic country songs such as Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon.”
“I have a tendency to let my feelings consume me, whether they’re good or bad,” Springsteen explains. “That’s why I ended up becoming a songwriter, so I could have a productive outlet for those emotions and all of that turmoil. This song is my attempt to reclaim my power after my ex took so much of it away from me. It’s about finding my confidence and getting to a place where I could start to trust myself and my judgment again. Most importantly, it’s a reminder to myself about the importance of living in the present and being grateful for all of the ‘once in a lifetime’ moments I’ve been lucky enough to experience recently.”
Made with A-list collaborators, including award-winning songwriter Liz Rose, Twenty Something: Messing It Up explores what Springsteen refers to as “the ways that we get it wrong so we can learn how to get it right,” as she confronts commitment issues, temptation and compartmentalizing difficult emotions. She serves as a co-producer on all but one song on the project and has a writing credit on every track.
Quickly nearing the 100 million career streams milestone, Springsteen will kick off 2023 on Adam Doleac’s “Barstool Whiskey Wonderland Tour,” running through May.
1. “You Don’t Deserve A Country Song”
2. “If You Love Me Now”
3. “Caught Up To Me”
4. “Goodbye Looks Good On You (feat. Mitchell Tenpenny)”
5. “Tennessee Is Mine”
6. “Shoulder To Cry On”
4th Annual ‘For Pete’s Sake’ Benefit Concert Set For Feb. 5 At Nashville’s City Winery
/by Lorie HollabaughPete Huttlinger
The fourth annual “For Pete’s Sake” concert, benefiting The Pete Huttlinger Fund for Adult Congenital Cardiac Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is set for Feb. 5 at City Winery Nashville.
Huttlinger was a renowned guitarist and composer based in Nashville who, throughout his life and career, dealt with rare complications from a congenitally defective heart. He passed away on Jan. 15, 2016 at the age of 54.
On hand to perform and honor their late friend will be John Oates, Jim Messina, John Cowan, John Berry, Guthrie Trapp, Bryan Sutton, Teea Goans, Jim “Moose” Brown, Christie Lenee, Jack Schneider, Mark Sganga and Don Sampson.
The Pete Huttlinger Fund for Adult Congenital Cardiac Research supports the training and research of cardiologists specializing in the care of adults with congenital heart disease. The fund was created by Huttlinger’s wife, Nashville publicist Erin Morris Huttlinger, and his long-time cardiologist, Dr. Frank Fish.
“This fund was launched not long after Pete passed away,” Erin comments. “So many of his fans followed us through several years of health issues and they were always eager to offer of themselves emotionally and financially. I wanted to create a home where those donations could be directed and put to a very specific use.” She continues, “Pete was an incredibly generous guy and often gave of his time and money. I know that he would want to give back to help further research for treatments of an affliction that plagued him since birth.”
Tickets for the event are available here.
Parker McCollum Adds More Dates To His Busy 2023 Touring Schedule
/by Lydia FarthingParker McCollum. Photo: Jim Wright
After already announcing a slew of dates for 2023, MCA Nashville’s Parker McCollum has added a new wave of tour stops for this spring and summer.
The reigning ACM New Male Artist of the Year has been steadily rolling out tour dates for 2023. With this newest batch, he adds 14 more shows around the southeast and more. McCollum will visit Rogers, Arkansas; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Corpus Christi, Texas; Modesto, California; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Knoxville, Tennessee; and more.
Pre-sale tickets for the new shows will be available beginning Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. local time. Public on-sale will begin Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. local time, with the exception of Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, which will go on sale Jan. 27. For a full list of McCollum’s upcoming dates, click here.
McCollum will kick off RodeoHouston’s 2023 season on Feb. 28 as the famed event hosts its opening day festivities. He will also spend part of 2023 as support on various dates of Morgan Wallen’s “One Night At A Time World Tour.”
The Texas native had his breakout year in 2022, landing two No. 1 singles, a RIAA Platinum certification, his first ACM and CMT Awards, his RodeoHouston debut, a performance at Austin City Limits and more.