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Weekly Radio Report (5/15/20)

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Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville Signs Ben Hayslip

Ben Hayslip


Ben Hayslip, known for penning hits including Dustin Lynch’s “Small Town Boy” and Luke Bryan’s “Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Everyday,” has inked a global publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Nashville.

Hayslip moved to Nashville in 1994, and soon earned his first publishing deal, penning songs recorded by Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins. In 2006, Hayslip signed with THiS Music, which was co-founded by Rusty Gaston, who now leads Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville.

Hayslip has penned 15 No. 1 singles; among his hits are Blake Shelton’s “I’ll Name The Dogs,” “The Only Way I Know” (Jason Aldean ft. Luke Bryan and Eric Church), and Thomas Rhett’s “Star of the Show.”
He’s earned honors including two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards, as well as ASCAP’s Most Performed Country Song honor, CMA Triple Play honors, ACM Vocal Event of the Year (“The Only Way I Know”) and a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song (for Shelton’s “I Lived It”).

Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Gaston stated, “I’ve had the honor of championing Ben Hayslip’s songs for the past 15 years – his drive, talent and determination are unparalleled. Simply put, country music would not be where it is today without his heartfelt contributions, and I am thrilled to continue working with him in this new chapter at Sony/ATV.”

Hayslip said, “I’m so excited about being a part of this Sony/ATV team. The honest passion for songs that Rusty Gaston brings to work each day is contagious, and he’s surrounded himself with staff who share that same passion. I have no doubt that together, we can add to the rich history of Sony/ATV and leave our own mark on country music.”

 
 

Diane Warren Signs With BMG

Diane Warren. Photo: Emily Schur

Songwriter Diane Warren has signed global publishing and recording deals with BMG, where BMG will administer Warren’s entire songwriting catalog (excluding the United States and Canada) under her Realsongs umbrella. BMG will also release an upcoming album which will feature several artists performing Warren’s latest songs.

Warren, one of music’s most celebrated songwriters, had earned nine No. 1 hits and 32 Top 10 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. She is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an 11-time Academy Award nominee with songs featured in more than 100 motion pictures, and has earned Grammys, Emmys and Golden Globes. She is a five-time ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year honoree, and also earned ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Among the hits Warren has penned include “Because You Loved Me” (Celine Dion), “Can’t Fight The Moonlight” (LeAnn Rimes), “How Do I Live” (by both LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood), “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” (Whitney Houston), “I Learned From The Best” (Whitney Houston), “Love Can Move Mountains” (Celine Dion), “Can’t Take That Away” (Mariah Carey), “Chasin’ The Wind” (Chicago), “Have You Ever” (Brandy), “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” (Aerosmith) and numerous others hits.

Warren said, “I’m thrilled with my new deal at BMG. I love the BMG team. They have hit the ground running! There is so much already happening that I know this year is going to be amazing. To say I’ve never felt so much enthusiasm and excitement is an understatement. It’s great to have a team behind me like this. This is just the beginning of a fantastic journey filled with hits!!”

Thomas Scherer, BMG EVP, Repertoire & Marketing, Los Angeles, said, “Diane is one in a million. She is exactly what a global publisher like BMG wants and needs. Her catalog is full of evergreen titles written 100% by herself, a catalog of beautiful and unreleased treasures, to pitch to artists around the world for synch at film, TV, and commercials. Every day she is writing new smash hit songs. The entire publishing team at BMG is proud and honored to be at service for the one and only Diane Warren.”

John Loeffler, BMG EVP, Repertoire & Marketing, New York, said, “A world-renowned songwriter, with honors in every imaginable category, Diane has never actually placed her own name on the cover of an album before! Featuring a ‘Who’s Who’ of A-list artists collaborating and performing her new songs, this album is the break-through record she so richly deserves. Fans will remember these songs forever and we are thrilled to be part of this historic release.”

Weekly Radio Report (5/8/20)

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Dierks Bentley Discusses His Work With Hot Country Knights On Their Debut Album [Interview]


In what they describe as the “best stuff to come out of Nashville from a man band in several decades,” the Hot Country Knights released their debut album The K Is Silent on Friday (May 1).
The Capitol Records Nashville band, comprised of band leader Douglas (“Doug”) Douglason, lead bass player Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray (“Rayro”) Roburn, keytar/fiddle player Terotej (“Terry”) Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte Montgomery, delivered a 10-track record, produced and co-written by country superstar Dierks Bentley.

The album features hit writers Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Jon Randall, Jon Nite, Chase McGill and more, and ’90s icons Travis Tritt and Terri Clark join the Knights as collaborators on two of the tracks.

Bentley recently talked to MusicRow about his work with the stellar ’90s-influenced band, 30 years in the making.

“My manager realized this is not going to go away,” Bentley said of Red Light Management’s Mary Hilliard Harrington. “She wanted it to go away, but realized this is not going to go anywhere. So, if you can’t beat them, join them. She just leaned in on it. She just put together this crazy writing retreat in Colorado leading into our Seven Peaks festival, which was really fun.

“We wrote some songs with this project in mind and came back to Nashville and the Hot Country Knights went in the studio and cut these songs. I’ve told everyone from very beginning that this is a seriously fun project. It’s fun but it’s serious, and we put a lot of time into the writing and to the musicianship on the record. We really tried to make sure that the production was such that it felt like the ’90s but also felt contemporary. We wanted people that knew ’90s country and the producers in town [to be in on it]. Some of these songs modulate twice, which is funny. It’s just there—little bits and pieces of production where people hear it and think, ‘Oh my God, it’s so funny that those guys added that little piece of production to some of the songs.’ Some fans might not get that but people that live here would, so it’s a little of something for everybody.”

On songs like the sensual duet with Terri Clark on “You Make It Hard” and the ‘cheeky’ ode to road life on “Asphalt,” Bentley says he doesn’t consider them parody songs.

“We didn’t want to write a parody album. It’s gotta be the kind of stuff where my mom back in Phoenix can listen to it and not get the joke. She hears ‘You Make It Hard’ and she just thinks it’s a beautiful love song. She hears ‘Asphalt’ and thinks it’s just a song about the road, which was the goal,” Bentley says with a laugh. “Someone will say to me, ‘Do you think they got the joke?’ And I’m like, ‘No, it’s so great that they didn’t. That’s perfect.’ With songs on the record like ‘Pick Her Up’ with Travis Tritt that are straight forward with no joke on the inside, that just throws people off a little bit more, like ‘What is this?’ I feel like it was kind of like a mission accomplished on that front. I’m excited about that.”

“You Make It Hard” is another byproduct of Harrington, who is credited as a songwriter on the tune.

“I think that’s her first [songwriter credit],” Bentley said. “When we’re making the album, it wasn’t a checklist but there’s certain colors that songwriters in the ’90s used that we don’t use as much on songs today. With ‘Moose Knuckle Shuffle,’ you’ve got your line dance song, we have ‘The USA Begins With US’ because it’s a great patriotic song. ‘Then It Rained’ has a little bit Garth Brooks’ ‘The Thunder Rolls’ [influence], it’s got the drama. We were just really like missing that Tim and Faith thing. We were in the studio listening to the album, and we just wrote it right there. Jim Beavers spearheaded it. We wrote it in the studio in about half an hour.”

The Hot Country Knights had big plans for the release of their debut project, with a 13-city trek tour, including stops at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theater, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and the Talladega Superspeedway. The 2020 One Knight Stand Tour was slated to feature Hannah Dasher, Tenille Townes, Rachel Wammack and Lainey Wilson as openers for the Knights, but has since been postponed.

“We were allotted to play the ACMs with Travis Tritt,” Bentley said. “Four and half minutes with him on there doing a medley of our stuff and his, and then April 29 was our Ryman gig. Mary had a very ambitious, well thought-out game plan lined up and it’s unfortunate we didn’t get a chance to execute it, but it’s been fun regardless.”

The K Is Silent is available for purchase and streaming everywhere now. Read more of the conversation with Bentley in the upcoming MusicRow Artist Roster print issue.

BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Adds Adrian Michaels

Adrian Michaels. Photo: Cody Heckber

BBR Music Group has named Adrian Michaels to Stoney Creek Records staff as Vice President of Innovation, Radio and Streaming, effective June 1. He joins from his previous post as National Director of Radio and Streaming at Warner Music Nashville. He succeeds Byron Kennedy who has exited to follow his lifelong passion for comedy.

Michaels is a 27-year veteran of the Music Row community with stops at RCA, Curb and Warner Music. Over the course of his career he has represented country icons such as Alabama, Clint Black, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes and Kenny Chesney and has played a part in more than 100 No. 1’s. Most recently at Warner, he led the promotion team in launching the careers of Ingrid Andress, Devin Dawson, Michael Ray and Morgan Evans. He also developed two national television shows for HGTV and GAC and is a member of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.

Michaels will oversee the Stoney Creek Records radio promotion for its roster of artists, including chart-toppers Randy Houser, Parmalee, Jimmie Allen and Lindsay Ell, as well as multi-national six-man band King Calaway. Additionally, he will be charged with fostering innovation across the label’s three promotion teams to take advantage of the continually evolving technology and processes which help measure and drive music consumption at the local market level, while continually looking for ways to aid radio in creating even deeper connections with their listeners and BBR Music Group artists.

Michaels will begin effective June 1 following Kennedy’s departure and will report directly to Carson James, SVP Promotion, BBR Music Group.

“Carson and I have talked for years about how much we wanted Adrian to be part of the BBR family and feel like we just signed that MVP who is hitting free agency at the height of his career,” says Jon Loba, EVP BBR Music Group. “I’m still pinching myself. Adrian not only brings with him 25+ years of deep and exceptional industry relationships, but also the curiosity and mind-set of a 25-year-old Silicon Valley whiz kid who is never-satisfied with the status-quo and is always looking to build a better mousetrap. He is going to make us all better and as a result, even better partners for our friends in radio.”

James added, “I had the pleasure to work with Adrian years ago during our time at Curb. He rose from regional to VP in a short time for two reasons… he’s the quintessential promotion person but… more than that, he’s a true record guy. There’s no bigger compliment in this business than to be THAT. I’m honored to be working with him again!”

“I am incredibly excited to join Jon Loba, Carson James and the BBR/BMG family,” said Michaels. “Being given the opportunity to innovate and re-imagine the art of promotion for such a progressive company is an honor. I can’t wait to join the already successful team. Any record man would be humbled to represent the artistry of the roster at Stoney Creek.”

Kennedy will be leaving to pursue opportunities in the comedy world which has long been a personal passion. Loba remarked, “I want to thank Byron for leading the Stoney Creek team to new heights. Under his tenure, they made history by delivering back to back No. 1’s on Jimmie Allen; further cemented Lindsay Ell’s stature as one of the most unique and accomplished females in the genre and was instrumental in introducing King Calaway and showing the world what an accomplished group of musicians and vocalists they are. His closing salvo was starting the early buzz on Blanco Brown and Parmalee’s new single, “Just The Way,” which stations started playing before it was even shipped.”

Loba continued, “While he played such an important role at BBR, I always encourage staff to pursue their passions, even if that means losing someone who means so much. When Byron started having some very real success with open mic nights, I encouraged him to take the leap and dive full-time into something he has dreamed about his entire life. We will be cheering him on all along his journey…and will hold him accountable when he thinks he is too big for meet and greets!”

“I’d like to thank Jon Loba and Carson James for taking a chance on me when I wanted to leave radio and move to the record side, when no one else would,” reminisced Kennedy. “The last four and a half years working in Nashville and for BMG have been some of the most amazing and gratifying years of my life. I think the transition from records to comedy will be an easy one for someone who has spent the last few years being laughed off the phone every time I tried to hand them a hit. It might in fact be why Jon Loba has been so supportive and encouraging me to follow this new path.”

He continued, “As hard as it is to leave an incredible company like BMG it would be even harder to not explore the opportunities that have recently presented themselves. Stay tuned for some exciting news and developments right around the corner!”

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville Signs Gabby Barrett To Global Publishing Deal (Exclusive)

Pictured (Front row, L-R): Rusty Gaston, Gabby Barrett, Dane Schmidt. (Back row, L-R): Tom Luteran, Mya Hansen, Josh Van Valkenburg, Anna Weisband, Katie Kerkhover, Brooke Yancey (Red Light Management), Tom Lord (Manager, Red Light Management)

Singer/songwriter Gabby Barrett’s career trajectory has skyrocketed since she released her debut single “I Hope.” The song, which Barrett also co-wrote, recently became her very first No. 1 single on country radio and has been certified Platinum.

Today, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville announces Barrett has signed with the company for an exclusive global publishing administration deal.

Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston said, “Gabby Barrett is special, and her music reminds us of that with every listen—her willingness to express both strength and vulnerability in her songs is going to take her a long way. On behalf of Sony/ATV Nashville, we are pleased to have her join the team, and we look forward to watching her star rise.”

“When I first met Rusty and the team at Sony/ATV, I just knew in my gut that this would be my songwriting home, and I felt the same thing when I got signed to [Barrett’s label home] Warner Music Nashville,” Barrett tells MusicRow. “It felt like the place I was supposed to be, and it feels the same way here. I could just feel their belief in me and my songs, which meant so much to me as a newer songwriter in the community. They’ve been so supportive and encouraging and I know they will be the best song champions for me.”

“I Hope,” with its R&B-infused vibe and attention-grabbing chorus, driven by Barrett’s powerhouse vocal delivery, became the first solo female debut single to top the country radio charts since 2017. The song has reigned as the No. 1 streamed country single in the United States for three consecutive weeks and also reached No. 16 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart.

“It’s been this amazing roller coaster since we released it, and to get it to No. 1 on country radio has been absolutely a dream come true,” Barrett says. “That’s what I would think of when I was a little girl—‘I want to hear my song played on radio.’ When you write a song, you can’t be completely sure how people are going to react to it and I’m just amazed to see the response.”

Barrett has been singing since age 9, and was performing across the United States by age 11. She was later scouted for ABC’s American Idol, where she became a Top 3 finalist. To date, she has accumulated more than 260 million streams, and has opened concerts for Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Chris Lane, Dustin Lynch, Jake Owen, Bebe Rexha, Cole Swindell, Sugarland, and Carrie Underwood.

On June 19, fans will get to hear the full spectrum of Barrett’s talents as both a songwriter and artist, when she releases her full-length, debut Warner Music Nashville album, titled Goldmine. Barrett has songwriting credits on 12 of the album’s 13 tracks, which was co-produced by Sony/ATV’s Ross Copperman and Zach Kale, with Jimmy Robbins, Sam Martin and Bryan Fowler contributing additional production on certain songs.

“I got to have a lot of creative say on this album, and I’m so grateful for that,” she says of Goldmine. “I wanted this first album to be fully me, and the direction of who I am as an artist. I felt like I achieved that with this album.”

In addition to her chart-topping single “I Hope,” Goldmine also contains the softly romantic “The Good Ones” (inspired by her relationship with husband Cade Foehner), her recent single “Hall of Fame,” and a collaboration with “One Call Away” singer Charlie Puth (on a remixed version of “I Hope”). The collaboration came after Puth had posted a video of Barrett singing “I Hope” on his Instagram Stories, and tagged her in it. When Barrett reached out to thank Puth for sharing the video, he surprised her with the news that he wanted to remix the track.

“I was so excited. I have always been such a fan of his,” Barrett says of Puth. “My sister and I would listen to his music all the time when we were younger. He just has that producer mind where when he has an idea, he gets on it quickly. In two days he sent me a remixed version with his vocals added to it. So our teams got together and now we have the new version of it.”

Barrett, a current ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee, may be known for that crystal clear, ceiling-scraping soprano, but she’s out to show that she is a singer and songwriter in equal measure. Though she is gearing up to release her full-length album, she has plenty more songs stored away to share when the time is right.

“I have been writing for two years, really digging in and getting to know songwriters and getting in those co-writing rooms. So it was fun deciding which songs to include on this project, and which we will hold off on for another album. I wanted to put way more songs on it—I was like, ‘Can we put 20 songs on an album?’” she says, laughing. “But we held off on a few songs for what we have coming next.”

Weekly Radio Report (5/1/20)

Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Radio Report.

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Ryan Hurd, Jackson Michelson, Rachel Wammack, Tyler Braden, And More

Rachel Wammack

Willie Nelson celebrated his 87th birthday yesterday (April 29). We have two tunes this week saluting the Red Headed Stranger. We should all rejoice in his enduring greatness.

Despite the presence of some major country stars, this listening session belongs to the up-and-comers. Vying for Disc of the Day are Ryan Hurd, Jackson Michelson and our winner, Rachel Wammack.

The DISCovery Award belongs to Tyler Braden. I can’t wait to hear more from this extraordinary new voice.

NATHANIEL RATELIFF/Willie’s Birthday Song
Writers: Nathaniel Rateliff; Producers: Patrick Reese/James Barone/Rateliff; Publisher: none listed; Stax
-He had me from the opening lines: “Pass me that joint. It’s Willie’s birthday.” Usually noted as an Americana blue-eyed soulman, Rateliff turns in a straight-ahead country vocal on this sing-along ditty. I still say he’s one of the finest singers around. His great Night Sweats band is along for the ride, as are Willie stalwarts Bobbi Nelson and Mickey Raphael. Proceeds benefit Rateliff’s charity Marigold Project (in this case, FarmAid and StrongHearts Native Helpline).

EDIE BRICKELL & WILLIE NELSON/Sing To Me Willie
Writer: Edie Brickell; Producers: Edie Brickell/Kyle Crusham; Publisher: none listed; Shuffle/Thirty Tigers
– Native Texan Brickell shucks her pop duds for country trappings on this sparely-produced duet with the living legend. He provides his distinctive guitar picking as well as a well-seasoned vocal that offers Lone Star State local color. Proceeds benefit the MusicCares COVID-19 fund.

KANE BROWN/Cool Again
Writers: Kane Brown/Josh Hoge/Matthew McGinn/Lindsay Rimes; Producers: Dann Huff/Lindsay Rimes; Publisher: none listed; RCA
-Very catchy and well sung. There’s not much that’s “country” about it, but it is highly listenable. Besides, he’s on an unstoppable roll.

RACHEL WAMMACK/When I Say Amen
Writers: Rachel Wammack/Matt Maher/Sam Ellis; Producer: Sam Ellis; Publisher: none listed; RCA
– It’s a piano ballad that works as a spiritual balm for a world that has plunged into pandemic darkness. Heartfelt and very, very moving. This lady always rules.

KEITH URBAN/Polaroid
Writers: Steph Jones/Geoff Warburton/Griffen Palmer/Mark Trussell/Sam Fischer; Producers: Joey Moi/Keith Urban; Publisher: none listed; Capitol Nashville
– Bubbling memories of summers gone by. Bopping and endearing.

RYAN HURD/Every Other Memory
Writers: Ryan Hurd/Nathan Spicer/Cole Taylor; Producer: Aaron Eshuis; Publisher: UMPG; RCA
– Nostalgia with a kick-drum backbeat. It rumbles along so beautifully that you’d be a fool not to fall under its spell and roll with it. Ryan’s wife Maren Morris is on harmony vocals.

HIGH VALLEY/River’s Still Running
Writers: Brad Rempel/Randy Montana/Corey Crowder; Producers: Mike “X” O’Conner/Seth Mosley; Publisher: none listed; Warner
– Upbeat and anthemic, this engaging thumper definitely looks on the bright side. The gist of it is, “Everything’s gonna be okay.” The “gang” vocals are particularly rousing.

JACKSON MICHELSON/One Day
Writers: Jackson Michelson/Justin Ebach/Matta Alderman; Producer: Jeff Pardo; Publisher: none listed; Curb
– Charming. It’s about watching your kids grow up. His performance is loaded with sincerity, and the twirling, swirling production around him infuses the whole thing with a warm glow. Absolutely worth your attention. Listen.

WALKER HAYES/Trash My Heart
Writers: Walker Hayes/Josh Jenkins/Josh Osborne/Jimmy Robbins; Producers: Sam Sumser/Sean Small/Shane McAnally; Publisher: none listed; Monument
– Kinda hip-hoppy, lotsa rhythmic. There are so many novelty audio touches in the arrangement and production that you can almost forget the absence of melody. Even without one, he manages to be highly personable throughout.

TYLER BRADEN/Brother
Writers: William Rinehart/Nathaniel Rinehart/Gavin DeGraw; Producer: Randy Montana; Publishers: Bear Lee Breathing Music (BMI), NeedToBreathe Music (BMI), G DeGraw Music Inc. (BMI), All rights administered by Downtown DMP Songs (BMI); Warner
– This stirring tune comes from the rock band NEEDTOBREATHE. Newcomer Braden has a commanding delivery, with power and grit to spare. Hang on when he swings into the choruses with wailing, chesty oomph. I dig this guy.

Mechanical Licensing Collective To Be Headquartered In Nashville

Kris Ahrend.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective has chosen Nashville as the home base for the organization, with plans to add up to 100 full-time employees, with the majority of those to be based in Nashville.
The Mechanical Licensing Collective is still determining a specific office location within Nashville. In January, it was announced the organization would be led by CEO Kris Ahrend.

“Locating The MLC’s headquarters in Nashville further cements the city’s reputation as the national hub for the music industry,” Ahrend said in a statement. “Nashville is an extraordinary city with a strong talent pool and a terrific entrepreneurial spirit, and we’re excited to build a brand new, globally recognized data and technology startup right here in Music City.”

A graduate of Binghamton University and the Washington & Lee School of Law, Ahrend worked as a law clerk for the Western District of the Virginia District Court and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals before joining the Intellectual Property & Litigation Group of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP in New York. Ahrend began his career in the music industry working in the Law Department at Sony Music, where he provided legal services to all of Sony’s US divisions, including its publishing company. He subsequently worked in the business and legal affairs department at Sony BMG Music Entertainment before accepting a senior executive role at Rhino Entertainment.

In 2013, Ahrend left Rhino to assume a senior executive role within Warner Music Group, where he led a large legal, financial, and administrative shared services organization that he helped to create. In 2016, Ahrend was promoted to President of U.S. Shared Services and tapped to lead the development and launch of Warner Music’s new Center of Excellence for Shared Services in Nashville, where he oversaw the operations of 15 different functional teams providing a variety of administrative, financial, and legal services to Warner Music’s U.S.-based publishing teams, record labels, and corporate divisions.

He serves on the boards of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Downtown Partnership, and is a member of the Music City Music Council.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective was designated by the United States Copyright Office, and created by U.S. music publishers and songwriters (backed by the National Music Publishers’ Association, the Nashville Songwriters Association International and the Songwriters of North America), as a new entity to license and administer rights under the Music Modernization Act which was signed into law in 2018. The law ensures that the mechanical rights of songwriters and music publishers are properly licensed and royalties fully paid by digital services, and it improves how those royalty rates are determined. It also establishes a publicly accessible mechanical rights database to ensure accurate, transparent copyright ownership information.