Are Music Revenue Streams Drying Up?

2011 has been an eventful year for the music industry and its consumers. Apple’s “big dog” online music retailer, iTunes, remained the king of market share, but as the months rolled on music consumers welcomed a slew of new arrivals.

Amazon’s download store, although not new, benefited by offering ultra low sale prices. For example, it elicited oohs and ahhs from consumers and groans from the industry when it offered Lady Gaga’s newest album for 99¢.

The music space also got a great deal more congested with the arrival of Spotify and its subscription/access model. Instead of buying albums or tracks and owning the files, Spotify says, “Pay us one monthly subscription fee and we’ll give you access to all the music, you don’t need to own it.”

Online streaming radio giant Pandora and others such as Slacker, iHeart and Last.FM also gained momentum with their subscription hybrids as smartphone penetration continued to escalate and automobile manufacturers announced systems that would allow consumers to listen to online streaming radio while driving.

In the midst of these choices, cloud services appeared from Apple, Amazon and Google. (Google also just took the wraps off its new MP3 store tied to the cloud and G+.) These offerings differed as to terms and functions, but basically gave users the ability to upload both previously and newly purchased tracks and then stream them over mobile and desktop computer units.

And to keep observers from becoming complacent about the overall music landscape, Facebook and Google Plus ushered in a new era of social media music sharing, finding ways for users of many of the above named companies to show friends, followers and circles what sounds they were enjoying.

While consumers were trying to take advantage of some of these new functionalities and discover which ones best fit their lifestyles, record labels and DIY artists were also studying the field, feeling perhaps like students getting ready for an exam where the content keeps changing. While it’s exciting to write about and experience a new buffet of choices for enjoying music, to record labels and artists it is a confusing new landscape. What is the best way for music-makers to navigate these seas of change? What should they expect going forward and most importantly, are music’s traditional revenue streams drying up?

Jay Frank

“The largest growth area is going to come to the masters company that thinks more like a publishing company,” says DigSin record label Founder/CEO and author of Futurehit.DNA Jay Frank as he deftly renames record labels into masters companies. “With growth in digital radio, cloud lockers and subscription services, the revenue sources diversify. As a result, the money made from masters will come from those who can successfully place, market and collect from the most places. It’s not just a dollar business going to a penny business as we are seeing in the small royalties from digital airplay. It’s that there will be numerous penny businesses to collect from that will form a sizable whole. Publishers have been doing this for years, and now labels will have to adapt to that way of thinking.”

Frank continues, “From any one pure source, the largest revenue growth in the next five years will come from YouTube. Very quietly, YouTube has become the No. 2 or No. 3 digital revenue source for many indie labels and musicians. They have made great strides fingerprinting and matching, which allows for greater attribution of content. With that, you can also monetize any video that the artist can think up, even if there’s no music involved. People are going to start to figure out how to maximize that stream next year. It will provide sizable revenue gains in 2013 and beyond.”

Pinky Gonzales

Pinky Gonzales, VP West Coast Operations for Bubble Up Interactive thinks, “The biggest move will be toward streamed services, whether you call that ‘the Cloud’ or use individual company names like Pandora or Spotify. And now Google and Apple are getting into the mix. With the Cloud, you upload your own songs and have access to them from any device. With Pandora, Spotify, and others like them, they provide the music and/or let you access their catalogs in addition to your own. On a side note, MyPlay.com, a Web 1.0 “music locker” service led by David Pakman, did exactly this back in 1999. The world just wasn’t ready for it. The real question here is, ‘What does this mean for the artists?’”

Gonzales continues, “Streaming revenues are dramatically lower than revenues from sales of digital music, and especially physical product,” Gonzales continues. “The major labels have been pacified for the moment, but once these contracts are up for renewal, it will be interesting to see what kind of profit there is to show for all these advancements in technology and bandwidth availability.”

Somewhat ominously, Gonzales questions the future of music sales for musicians. “What YouTube did for the music video may well be on its way to happening in the music streaming space,” he says. “High viewership and ubiquitous availability, but very few dollars in exchange. A copyright holder currently receives about $1,000 for every million video plays on a sponsored channel, meaning that to generate a million dollars in gross revenue, one BILLION views are required. Now split that money between your label, manager, bandmates and so-on, and suddenly the whole streaming model looks pretty bleak. That said, there will always be demand for new music, people willing to make it at any cost, and a lucky few that will make enough money to make a real career out of it. As long as there are tickets, t-shirts and tour sponsorships out there to pay the bills, the industry will find a way to support itself.”

David Gales

David Gales, Founder, The Gales Network agrees that lately the industry and technology supporting it have been spinning like an out of control carousel.

“Brands face a marketplace that is running at hyper-speed and morphing constantly,” he says. “I wonder if the lending model that is rolling out in the book space will have traction in the music industry. We have purchase, we have subscription, but not institutionalized lending. Music margins have eroded so much in the last several years. Already there isn’t very much room between 99 cents and free, so I don’t know if a viable paid lending model can be constructed. But anything that gets consumers to pay something is better than paying nothing for music. Also hopefully we will begin to see micro-payments for using music in user-generated content, which continues to be a huge and growing market. Would anyone have a problem with paying 5 cents to use a song on a video of their cat dancing? I personally wouldn’t buy the song ‘Feelings,’ but I might use it in my dancing cat video. Of course publishing reform would have to make this viable. Can’t get 9 cents on a 5 cent payment.”

DISClaimer Single Reviews (11/30/11)

It’s all stars, no waiting, this week as everyone from Princess Taylor Swift to King George Strait and his fellow Hall of Famers Bill Anderson and Dolly Parton are on deck.

Because everyone here is a known quantity, there is no DisCovery Award this week.

One of the most difficult things about this gig is that you’re always comparing apples to oranges. For that reason, there are two Disc of the Day prizes. Craig Campbell is dealing with humor, so he gets the apple. Brantley Gilbert is dealing with heartache, so he gets the orange.

CHRIS CAGLE/Got My Country On
Writer: Kelly Archer/Justin Weaver/Danny Myrick; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publisher: Internal Combustion/Southside Independent/Year9/Music of Stage Three/Songs of Cornman/BMG Chyrsalis/Root 49/Danny Myrick, BMI; Bigger Picture
—Hasn’t this song been written, like, a hundred times during the past few years?

TAYLOR SWIFT/Ours
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Big Machine (track)
—The lyric is one of her better efforts, but the melody isn’t all that memorable. Still, we could use a ballad on our playlists these days.

BILL ANDERSON & DOLLY PARTON/If It’s All The Same To You
Writer: Bill Anderson; Producer: Bill Anderson; Publisher: none listed; Bear Family (track)
—This ultra rare 1963 demo featuring these two Hall of Famers can only be had by getting Bill’s new, deluxe, four-CD boxed set covering the first decade of his stellar career. The then-unknown Dolly sings a duet harmony part that is mixed as hot as Bill’s lead, and the result is pretty dang cool. The song later surfaced as a 1970 chart-topper for Bill and his real duet partner, Jan Howard.

STEVE HOLY/Until The Rain Stops
Writer: Matt Ramsey/Trevor Rosen/Matt Jenkins; Producer: Lee Miller; Publisher: Music of RPM/Sonic Geo/Unfair Entertainment/Songs of BMP/Kobalt, ASCAP; Curb
—Languid and sensuous, with a nifty guitar groove. The production is a little bottom-heavy, but this is a winner.

CRAIG CAMPBELL/When I Get It
Writer: Craig Campbell/Jason Matthews/Jim McCormick; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publisher: Melodies of Bigger Picture/Acoustic Peanut/Steel Wheels/Big Loud Bucks/Matthews Millions/Warner-Tamerlane/Jim McCormick, SESAC/BMI; Bigger Picture
—His answer to the bill collector is, “When I get it, you’ll get it.” His answer to his ex-wife’s demand for money is the same. When he tries to collect a $50 bet from a buddy, the tables are turned. An extremely likable, hard-times, sing-along tune.

GEORGE STRAIT/Love’s Gonna Make It Alright
Writer: Al Anderson/Chris Stapleton; Producer: Tony Brown & George Strait; Publisher: International Dog/Big Yellow Dog/Bucked Up/House of Sea Gayle/Small Fish, BMI/ASCAP; MCA (CDX)
—This lopes along with a steady, gently swaying pace. His burnished baritone is answered by steel licks that pop up throughout the track. In a word, classy.

THE OAK RIDGE BOYS/What’cha Gonna Do
Writer: Steven J. Williams/Will Nance/Sherrie Austin; Producer: Michael Sykes & Duane Allen; Publisher: Magic Mustang/Big Loud Bucks/Smokin’ Grapes/Bilangray/Lil’ Geezer/Rockin’ the Delta/Starboard Left, BMI/SESAC; ORB (CDX)
—Bass man Richard Sterban’s stuttering delivery of the title lines of this bopper is priceless. The rest of the boys are still harmonizing flawlessly. The song is as catchy as all get out.

.38 SPECIAL/Help Somebody
Writer: Kip Raines/Jeffrey Steele; Producer: Danny Chauncey; Publisher: 3 Ring Circus/Songs of Windswept Pacific, ASCAP; .38 Special (CDX)
—These veteran Southern rockers have a true blue-collar lyric here. Despite that and the mid-tempo rhythm, there’s no getting around the “rock” attitude in the performance.

JASON MICHAEL CARROLL/Meet Me In The Barn
Writer: Jason Michael Carroll/Dallas Davidson/Patrick Davis; Producer: Patrick Davis Music; Publisher: Universal-Careers/More Than Rhymes/EMI Blackwood/String Stretcher, BMI; Stray (CDX)
—The cute country girl sure knows how to get his attention when she whispers sweet nothings in his ear. Especially when it’s the title of this romper that she’s whispering.

BRANTLEY GILBERT/You Don’t Know Her Like I Do
Writer: Brantley Gilbert/Jim McCormick; Producer: Dann Huff; Publisher: Warner-Tamerlane/Indiana Angel/Jim McCormick, BMI; Valory (track)
—Sung with pained sincerity, this is easily his most powerful performance to date. Plus, the songwriting and production are both first rate. Hang on for the hushed, anguished vocal passage near the finale.

Morgans Media Group Hires Roger Murrah

Morgans Media Group has named songwriter and publishing veteran Roger Murrah to the post of Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, it was announced today by MMG President/CEO Geoff Owens. In this new role, Murrah’s responsibilities will include directing overall objectives of MMG, initially focusing on the development of the company’s national Honky Tonk TV | Your Country television program.

“We’re delighted to find someone with Roger’s experience and reputation to lead our Nashville operation,” said Owens.

“Roger has both the creative and business skill set that we feel will complement our company very well,” added Morgans’ Chief Operating Officer, Chris James. “Establishing our presence in Nashville has been important to us and with Roger’s help, we can keep moving forward with our plans to pursue some really creative opportunities.”

Most recently Sr. VP of Bug Music Nashville, Murrah is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and a former chairman of its foundation. He has won Songwriter of the Year and Songwriter of the Decade honors from BMI. He also founded his own Murrah Music Corporation in 1990, which won Billboard’s Independent Publisher of the Year honor.

Murrah will represent MMG from the company’s new Nashville offices in MetroCenter. “I’m thrilled to be a part of Morgans Media’s innovative vision for promoting Country music in new and exciting ways and I look forward to working closely with Chris and the whole professional and creative team,” he said of his hiring. Congratulate him here.

CMA Songwriters Series Expands Overseas

Clint Black and Bill Anderson will join the CMA Songwriters Series for its first European dates.

The Country Music Association’s popular CMA Songwriters Series is taking its first ever European vacation February 22-25, 2012 with performances scheduled for London, Belfast, and Dublin. BMI has joined as a partner on the event, which will be dubbed CMA & BMI Present the CMA Songwriter Series.

“The CMA Songwriter Series began in 2005 in New York and has expanded to cities across the United States including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Washington D.C.,” said CMA CEO Steve Moore. “The popularity of our music overseas and the appreciation the audience in the U.K. has for our songwriters made this a good fit and an opportune time to travel the series abroad. And it is terrific to have BMI as a partner in this exciting initiative.”

As usual, Bob DiPiero will host the proceedings and perform. Additional songwriter performers include country artist/songwriter favorites Bill Anderson and Clint Black.

“I think it’s great,” noted Anderson. “I’ve toured there several times as an artist, and have always been amazed at the fans’ depth of knowledge concerning Country Music. This will be my first time appearing as a writer. I have a feeling that I’ll find great interest in how the songs are created, as well as performed.”

Facebook Eyes Record Setting IPO

Facebook is planning an initial public offering, likely to take place between April and June 2012, reports today’s Wall Street Journal. The IPO could value the social media giant at more than $100 billion, and would raise about $10 billion for the business.

According to WSJ, only three US companies have had a $10 billion or more IPO: Visa/$19.7 billion/2008; GM/$18.1 billion/2010; and AT&T Wireless/$10.6 billion/2000.

Facebook continues to grow at a monstrous pace, currently claiming 800 million users. The outfit’s worldwide ad revenue is expected to hit $3.8 billion this year, up from $1.86 billion a year earlier, according to data compiled by eMarketer.

Singled Out (11/29/11)

Let's have a party!

Just in case you weren’t already playing it like crazy, Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup” is now “officially” a single. The viral video sensation, also featured on Keith’s album Clancy’s Tavern, is already at No. 18 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart after six weeks of airplay. And as further proof of its cultural phenomenon status, the beloved Fox show Glee will feature the song in its Dec. 6 episode—which will undoubtedly sound better than my relatives and I trying to reprise it over Thanksgiving dinner.

• • •

Another new track that does not discourage the consumption of alcoholic beverages among responsible (or otherwise) adults is Tim Dugger’s “Way Past My Beer Time” (Curb Records). A devoted NASCAR fan, the Alabama native has built a live following around the racing circuit and endeared himself to many of the sport’s drivers and crews. “Beer Time” goes for adds Dec. 12.

• • •

Curb is also releasing Steve Holy’s “Until The Rain Stops,” which goes for adds on Dec. 5. Written by Matt Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, and Matt Jenkins, “Until The Rain Stops” is the second single from Holy’s third studio album Love Don’t Run.

• • •

Following his recent No. 1 “Country Must Be Country Wide,” Brantley Gilbert’s new single to radio will be “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do.” Gilbert will join forces with Eric Church in 2012 on the Blood, Sweat & Beers Tour, which is slated to hit over 50 US cities.

• • •

The Farm: Nick Hoffman, Krista Marie, Damien Horne

Meanwhile, back at The Farm… Elektra Nashville is releasing “Home Sweet Home,” The Farm’s debut single to country radio. The new trio features Nick Hoffman (vocals, fiddle), Damien Horne (vocals, keyboard, guitar) and Krista Marie (vocals, guitar) and grew out of an impromptu songwriting session. Hoffman co-produced the band’s forthcoming debut album, which is due out in 2012.

• • •

Joplin, Missouri-based band LiveWire has released its song “Miracle of the Human Spirit” (Way Out West Records) on the six-month anniversary of the deadly tornado that struck the city in May 2011. Scenes from the video were filmed in the ruins of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Joplin. All proceeds from sales of the song on iTunes will go to the Joplin Tornado First Response Fund c/o Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri.

• • •

Joplin has also been getting much-needed support from Nashville songwriter (and Joplin native) Kenny Foster, whose song “Hometown” was written in the aftermath of the storm and is currently making the rounds at radio and video. The video can be streamed here, and proceeds from the sale of the song will benefit the United Way of Southwest Missouri and Southeastern Kansas for tornado relief.

Session Great Tom Roady Passes

Noted Nashville percussionist Tom Roady died on Sunday, Nov. 27 at age 62.

He had been battling cancer, and passed away in his sleep from heart failure. At the time, he was traveling to a show date on the “Skaggs Family Christmas Tour,” headlined by Ricky Skaggs and The Whites.

Noted for his inventive use of many kinds of drums and percussion instruments, as well as his upbeat personality, Tom Roady can be heard on albums by Emmylou Harris, Kenny Chesney, the Dixie Chicks, Tom T. Hall, Joan Baez, Art Garfunkel, Bob Seger and many others.

A native of the St. Louis area, he toured with Phil Driscoll in 1972-73. He moved to Muscle Shoals and began his recording-session career there. In 1978, he moved to Los Angeles and performed with Paul Anka and The Fifth Dimension. Tom Roady has also toured with John Denver and James Taylor.

He joined the Nashville musicians union in 1983. His recording-session credits since then include jazz, bluegrass, r&b, folk and rock, as well as country records. He estimated that he had performed on more than 1,000 albums.

Tom Roady recorded soul sessions for Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, James Brown, Bobby Womack, Etta James and Mavis Staples. His pop credits include discs by Michael McDonald, Pure Prairie League, The Sanford Townsend Band, Delbert McClinton, Tom Jones, Donovan, Roy Orbison, Dr. Hook, Tony Orlando and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Tom Roady in June 1983. Photo: Alan Mayor

Bluegrass stars The Grascals, New Grass Revival, Larry Cordle, Ronnie Bowman, Sam Bush and Rhonda Vincent have had him on their sessions. Leading folk artists such as Maura O’Connell, Darrell Scott and Robert Lee Castleman also featured him on their records.

In the contemporary Christian field, Tom Roady worked with Russ Taff, The Isaacs, Mark Lowry and others. He has also backed Bela Fleck, Billy Joe Walker Jr. and others from the world of jazz.

He is on records by a who’s-who of country stars: Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, Martina McBride, Pam Tillis, K.T. Oslin, Hank Williams Jr., Lee Ann Womack, Crystal Gayle, Clay Walker, Steve Wariner, Lonestar, Tanya Tucker, Alabama, Wynonna, Brooks & Dunn, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kathy Mattea, Ronnie Milsap, Tammy Wynette, Sara Evans, Jamey Johnson and Dan Seals among them.

Tom Roady recorded a solo CD titled Zendrum: One Tribe. His music has been heard on the Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel, Animal Planet, Oxygen, Playboy and many other cable TV outlets. He joined We the People Folk Group in 2010. Tom Roady also taught numerous percussion clinics and master classes.

He is survived by his wife Melanie. Funeral services will be held on Sun., Dec. 4, at 3:00 p.m. at Highland Park Church. Visitation will precede the funeral from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

 

Music Service MOG Growing Rapidly

Music streaming service MOG is gaining droves of users in recent months, spurred largely by the September debuts of a free listening component, and Facebook integration. Recently MOG reported that its monthly average users have reached 160,000, up 264% for the month of October. Like its competitors, MOG offers both free and paid subscriptions of its 13 million song catalog.

MOG entices users to spread the word about the service. The free ad-supported version gives listeners the opportunity to continually earn song plays through a refillable tank called FreePlay. It is built upon sophisticated game mechanics that enable users to earn free music by listening, creating and sharing playlists, exploring the site, and referring friends to MOG. Another way to fill the virtual music tank is by interacting with advertisers, for example watching a movie trailer.

The paid Primo account is $10 per month and gets the user unlimited on-demand streaming. For audiophiles, MOG offers high quality streaming at 320kbps. MOG Primo includes ad-free music, and access to MOG via mobile and handheld devices. Users can download songs to play back on their devices even when internet access isn’t available.

MOG is the first company to offer integration of an on-demand music service in the car. In the US, MOG is available on select 2011 BMW and MINI vehicles. In order to activate MOG, the user must have a Primo account. Skeptics have questioned a driver’s ability to safely operate MOG’s in-car system while driving, but the company maintains that the system is easy to control through the vehicle’s existing infotainment center and steering wheel buttons.

Jennifer Nettles’ Wedding; Keith Urban’s Vocal Surgery

Jennifer Nettles and Justin Miller

Jennifer Nettles married longtime beau Justin Miller over the Thanksgiving weekend. The couple exchanged vows in an intimate sunset ceremony Saturday (11/26), at a chapel in the Smoky Mountains. Nettles chose a gown by designer Alexander McQueen for the occasion. Bandmate Kristian Bush was among the guests. Miller, a former model, appeared in the video for the country duo’s 2006 single “Want To.”

• • • •

Keith Urban’s vocal surgery was a success. He underwent the procedure Tuesday (11/22) to remove a polyp from his vocal cord. According to reports, he is on full vocal rest and was ordered by doctors not to speak for three weeks. Prior to the surgery, he thanked fans for a great year in the video below.

 

Jason Boland: No Compromises

Since forming in 1998, Jason Boland & the Stragglers have built a steady musical career around touring and releasing a series of studio albums and live recordings. The group’s sixth album Rancho Alto (Thirty Tigers/APEX Nashville) bowed in October 2011 and aims to welcome some new fans to Boland’s world.

“The mission’s always been to take it as far as we can without having to compromise what we set out to do, which was make something we’re proud of, live free doing it, and make it under our rules,” says Boland, who stopped by MusicRow’s offices the day before he and the Stragglers played Nashville’s Exit/In earlier in November.

Boland and the Stragglers have long been a fixture in the Texas/Oklahoma Red Dirt country scene, and one of the goals for Rancho Alto’s release was to expand on his audience without having to resort to gimmickry. His label tapped Thirty Tigers for marketing, social media, and distribution to hopefully attract fans of Americana music, many of whom still carry a torch for the band’s classic country sound.

“That’s one of the big imperatives on this record, to grow Jason’s career outside of the more regional base he’s had,” says Thirty Tigers President David Macias. “Over here we feel like he’s Merle Haggard. A lot of the choices that were made on this album were to connect fans who care about country music and Gram Parsons, like Jason does, with his music. A lot of those fans are just starting to find out about him.”

It’s early yet, but the strategy appears to be working. Rancho Alto debuted inside Billboard’s Top 200 all-genre albums chart its opening week, and still continues to receive airplay on the Americana Music Association’s radio chart. Country stations who play Texas music pushed the single “Mary Ellen’s Greenhouse” to No. 1 on the Texas Music Chart. The band also has a full dance card (save for a few days around Christmas) of tour dates through the year’s end and beyond.

And as the Exit/In stop showed, the band’s live show does not disappoint. Boland and The Stragglers (Brad Rice, Roger Ray, Grant Tracy, plus fiddler Randy Crouch) ably shift gears between honky-tonk shuffles, classic weepy waltzes, and muscular rock’n’roll, as audience members pump their fists and sing along. The set includes plenty of older songs like “Ponies” and the title track from 2001‘s Pearl Snaps, mixed with newer tracks like the wistful road song “Comal County Blue” and Rancho Alto’s “False Accuser’s Lament.” There’s also a cover of the Don Williams smash “Tulsa Time,” which was included on the 2010 live album High In the Rockies.

There’s a strategy to be learned from Boland and his compatriots in the Texas/Oklahoma Red Dirt country scene about grassroots fan engagement. You probably aren’t going to be hearing many of its practitioners on mainstream country radio anytime soon and yet that hasn’t deterred enthusiastic fans from coming out to shows and buying records.

Access is certainly a component of their success. Playing a new city means the potential to make new fans, and Boland’s band plays 200-plus dates any given year, from Texas and Oklahama and points beyond.

“You might be bouncing back and forth to the places you’re in demand, like the I-35 corridor,” explains Boland. “When we started going to the coast it was a hit. We’d go home and start saving money so we could go play Seattle down to San Diego, come home through Arizona, and start over trying to make payroll for the next month.”

Another part of the appeal likely also has to do with the uncompromising attitude of the scene’s artists—people who just want to play music that speaks some kind of truth. It’s reminiscent of the outlaw stance made by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, but guys like Boland wear the clothes well.

“To even try to compromise musically something you didn’t want, to get on the radio; that isn’t a slippery slope. It’s a ledge you drop off,” adds Boland.

After all, his band has been working independently of the major label system in Nashville for some time. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Boland sometimes finds himself at odds with Music City’s pop music flirtation and occasional sacrifice of substance for sales. Especially because Nashville is supposed to be the holy grail for any country singer.

“You always felt Nashville would come and find you, but not in the terms that everybody was afraid of,” says Boland. “You still felt hope that there was something that was going to teach you. A lot of us are finding out the teacher is the road, and just going back in the studio.”

Which brings us back to Rancho Alto. Produced by Lloyd Maines (who also produced Boland’s Comal County Blue), it’s steeped in the sound of classic country but more than mere throwback. It’s gritty and raw in an enjoyable way, but it wouldn’t sound completely out of place next to Jamey Johnson or George Strait in an iTunes playlist. The songs are thought-provoking, like the loose-limbed, funky “Pushing Luck,” about a farmer who unrepentantly resorts to illegal means to put food on the table. Or “Farmer’s Luck,” a seven-and-a-half minute exploration of the casualties of eminent domain in the name of “progress.” Not your typical life-is-swell country radio fare, to be sure. But Boland has faith in listeners’ ability to dig a little deeper.

“You hit a point where you realize you want to be part of an awakening rather than a distraction,” he reasons. “We still have fun songs, we always have, but that’s not all there is. When I grew up and listened to the people who inspired me, they were talking about things. Somehow they weren’t preachy about it. They didn’t beat you over the head. It was in the song.”

And Nashville, being a songwriting town, ought to appreciate that. Boland stresses that the city is still the critical point of connection for country music, but encourages artists to reflect on what they hope to achieve before signing the dotted line. Because after 13 years of doing it his way, he’s still bringing fans out to shows and recording the albums he wants to make.

“This is the hub where all the train tracks are,” he says. “Which train you get on is still your choice.”