Zac Brown Band Teams With Elektra, WAR For New Project

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Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band has aligned with Elektra for the release of its upcoming album, MusicRow has confirmed. Welcome Home, the band’s fifth major label project, will release May 12 via Southern Ground/Elektra.

Warner Music Nashville’s WAR team will be working the project’s first single, “My Old Man,” to country radio.

Zac Brown Band’s previous project, 2015’s Jekyll + Hyde, released via Southern Ground/John Varvatos Records/Big Machine Label Group/Republic Records. The band’s 2012 release, Uncaged, was released via Atlantic/Southern Ground.

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill Reveal Opening Acts For 2017 Soul2Soul Tour

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Tim McGraw and Faith Hill‘s 2017 Soul2Soul Tour will have something unique to offer fans. They will bring 26 opening acts for the tour, with each opening act being “hand selected” by the superstar couple to appear at a handful of shows.

During a Facebook Live event on Tuesday (Jan. 31), McGraw and Hill revealed that the opening acts will include Brothers Osborne, NeedToBreathe, Seth Ennis, the Shadowboxers, Jon Pardi, Chris Lane, Joseph, Midland, Caitlyn Smith, High Valley, Charlie Worsham, Lori McKenna, Rachel Platten, Rhiannon Giddens, Devon Dawson, Maggie Rose, Natalie Hemby, Ben Rector, Brent Cobb, Eric Paslay, Brandy Clark, Cam, Chris Janson, Steve Moakler, LoCash and Margo Price.

Notably, no opening acts have been announced for the tour’s two Nashville shows, slated for Aug. 4-5 at Bridgestone Arena.

“We’ve had some great artists open up Soul2Soul in the past, so the bar was pretty high when we put this group together,” said Hill.

Added McGraw “These artists represent a combination of some of the most exciting new acts from all genres out there, as well as some that we have been fans of for the past few years. We are honored to have them all with us, and look forward to seeing them live.”

Soul2Soul 2017 Tour Dates (w/openers):

April 7: New Orleans, LA; Smoothie King Center-Brothers Osborne
April 9: Tupelo, MS; BancorpSouth Arena-Brothers Osborne
April 20: N. Charleston, SC; N Charleston Coliseum-NEEDTOBREATHE
April 21: Birmingham, AL; Legacy Arena at the BJCC-NEEDTOBREATHE
April 22: Atlanta, GA; Philips Arena-NEEDTOBREATHE
April 27: St. Louis, MO; Scottrade Center-Seth Ennis
April 28: Louisville, KY; KFC Yum! Center-Seth Ennis
April 29: Indianapolis, IN*; Bankers Life Fieldhouse-Seth Ennis
May 4:Newark, NJ; Prudential Center-The Shadowboxers
May 5: Uncasville, CT; Mohegan Sun-The Shadowboxers
May 6: Uncasville, CT; Mohegan Sun-The Shadowboxers
May 11: Tulsa, OK; BOK Center-Jon Pardi
May 12: Lincoln, NE; Pinnacle Bank Arena-Jon Pardi
May 13: Oklahoma City, OK; Chesapeake Energy Arena-Jon Pardi
May 18: Spokane, WA; Spokane Arena-Chris Lane
May 19: Bozeman, MT; Brick Breeden Fieldhouse-Chris Lane
May 20: Bozeman, MT; Brick Breeden Fieldhouse-Chris Lane
May 25: Boise, ID; Taco Bell Arena-Joseph
May 26: Portland, OR; Moda Center-Joseph
May 27: Tacoma, WA; Tacoma Dome-Joseph
May 31: Vancouver, BC; Rogers Arena-Midland
June 2: Calgary, AB; Scotiabank Saddledome-Midland
June 3: Edmonton, AB; Rogers Place-Midland
June 4: Saskatoon, SK; SaskTel Centre-Midland
June 7: Winnipeg, MB; MTS Centre-Caitlyn Smith
June 9: Sioux Falls, SD; Denny Sanford Premier Center-Caitlyn Smith
June 10: Des Moines, IA; Wells Fargo Arena-Caitlyn Smith
June 15: Grand Rapids, MI; Van Andel Arena-High Valley
June 16: Milwaukee, WI; BMO Bradley Harris Arena-High Valley
June 17: Moline, IL; iwireless Center-High Valley
June 22: Ottawa, ON; Canadian Tire Centre-Charlie Worsham
June 23: Toronto, ON; Air Canada Centre-Charlie Worsham
June 24: Toronto, ON; Air Canada Centre-Charlie Worsham
July 7: Boston, MA; TD Garden-Lori McKenna
July 8: Boston, MA; TD Garden-Lori McKenna
July 13: Las Vegas, NV; T-Mobile Arena-Rachael Platten
July 14: Los Angeles, CA; STAPLES Center-Rachael Platten
July 15: Los Angeles, CA; STAPLES Center-Rachael Platten
July 21: Glendale, AZ; Gila River Arena-Rhiannon Giddens
July 22: Ontario, CA; Citizens Business Bank Arena-Rhiannon Giddens
July 23: San Diego, CA; Valley View Casino Center-Rhiannon Giddens
July 28: Sacramento, CA; Golden 1 Center-Devin Dawson
July 29: San Jose, CA; SAP Center-Devin Dawson
July 31: Denver, CO; Pepsi Center-Devin Dawson
Aug 1: Denver, CO; Pepsi Center-Devin Dawson
Aug 3: Little Rock, AR; Verizon Arena-Devin Dawson
Aug 4: Nashville TN; Bridgestone Arena-TBD
Aug 5: Nashville, TN; Bridgestone Arena-TBD
Aug 17: Cleveland, OH; Quicken Loans Arena-Maggie Rose
Aug 18: Philadelphia, PA; Wells Fargo Center-Maggie Rose
Aug 24: Fargo, ND; Fargodome-Natalie Hemby
Aug 25: St. Paul, MN; Xcel Energy Center-Natalie Hemby
Aug 26: St. Paul, MN; Xcel Energy Center-Natalie Hemby
Aug 31: Chicago, IL; Allstate Arena-Ben Rector
Sept 1: Chicago, IL; Allstate Arena-Ben Rector
Sept 2: Cincinnati, OH; US Bank Arena-Ben Rector
Sept 7: Columbus, OH; Nationwide Arena-Brent Cobb
Sept 8: Detroit, MI; The Palace-Brent Cobb
Sept 9: Ft. Wayne, IN; War Memorial-Brent Cobb
Sept 14: Knoxville, TN; Thompson Boling Arena-Eric Paslay
Sept 15: Greenville, SC; Bon Secours Wellness Arena-Eric Paslay
Sept 16: Jacksonville, FL; Veterans Memorial Arena-Eric Paslay
Sept 21: Wichita, KS; INTRUST Bank Arena-Brandy Clark
Sept 22: Omaha, NE; CenturyLink Center-Brandy Clark
Sept 23: Kansas City, MO; Sprint Center-Brandy Clark
Sept 27: Salt Lake City, UT; Vivint Smart Home Arena-Cam
Sept 29: Fresno, CA; Save Mart Center-Cam
Sept 30: Bakersfield, CA; Rabobank Arena-Cam
Oct 5: San Antonio, TX; AT & T Center-Chris Janson
Oct 6: Houston, TX; Toyota Center-Chris Janson
Oct 7: Dallas, TX; American Airlines Center-Chris Janson
Oct 12: Pittsburgh, PA; PPG Paints Arena-Steve Moakler
Oct 13: Washington, DC; Verizon Center-Steve Moakler
Oct 14: Greensboro, NC; Greensboro Coliseum-Steve Moakler
Oct 19: Sunrise, FL; BB&T Center-LOCASH
Oct 20: Tampa, FL; Amalie Arena-LOCASH
Oct 21: Orlando, FL; Amway Center-LOCASH
Oct 26: Buffalo, NY; KeyBank Center-Margo Price
Oct 27: Brooklyn, NY;Barclays Center-Margo Price

ASCAP Celebrates William Michael Morgan’s First No. 1 Single

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Pictured (Front row, L-R): SmackSongs’ Robin Palmer, Shane McAnally, William Michael Morgan, Trevor Rosen, Warner Music Nashville’s John Esposito, SmackSongs’ Robert Carlton. (Back row, L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Old Gringo Music’s Chris Hunter, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, producer Scott Hendricks, Rehits/Wrensong’s Ree Guyer, Universal Music’s Kent Earls and producer Jimmy Ritchey. Photo: Ed Rode for ASCAP. [Click photo to enlarge]

ASCAP celebrated the No. 1 status of Warner Bros. recording artist William Michael Morgan’s debut single, “I Met A Girl” at Nashville bar South on Monday, Jan. 30.

Released on Morgan’s November 2016 debut album, Vinyl, the single was written by Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen. Although Hunt was not in attendance, the PRO’s event host Mike Sistad offered a statement about the MCA recording artist and ASCAP songwriter.

Pictured (L-R): Shane McAnally, William Michael Morgan, Trevor Rosen. Photo: Ed Rode for ASCAP.

ASCAP’s Beth Brinker offered lively remarks on behalf of Rosen, who has six No. 1s (seven if you count Canada), and the now GMR-represented McAnally, who has written and produced over 25 No. 1s. Brinker continued in her remarks for the artist, Morgan.

Hunt’s original publisher, Chris Hunter of Old Gringo Music, joined on stage but left remarks to UMPG’s Kent Earls, who extended sentements to Morgan, co-writers, Warner Music Nashville and song producers Scott Hendricks and Jimmy Ritchey.

“We’re honored to co-publish [“I Met A Girl”] with Chris Hunter,” said Earls. “Sam has penned four No. 1s as an artist and three for other artists. We look forward to giving him his trophy when we see him soon.”

Smack Songs Sr. VP, Project Development, Robert Carlton, spoke on behalf of McAnally.

“Those 25 No. 1s that Shane has been a part of have all happened in the last six years,” noted Carlton. “It’s hard for me to believe I’m saying it…I’d hate to see where this genre was without [him].”

“Putting out this song was against all odds in our format, unfortunately,” said McAnally. “[The producers] made a country record, and it resonated. I think we’re in for a big turn, and I think it’s because of William Michael Morgan. I’m really proud of this song because I wrote it with two of my best friends in the days we all had a lot of time to do that. I love this song and love [William Michael’s] record.”

Rosen’s co-publishers, Ree Guyer of Rehits and Robin Palmer of Smack Songs, also thanked the label and producers.

“We wanted to single out Kristen Williams and Katie Bright on the Warner Bros. promotions team,” remarked Palmer. “It’s unbelievable—but we would look at the ads once a week—it would be like one add a week. Everybody at the label kept telling us to hang in there, we’re going to get it.”

“52 weeks to get to No. 1,” recalls Guyer. “Trevor, Shane and Sam, congratulations. Your song endured. We’re so excited about this next year. Hopefully the No. 1s won’t take as long…”

“…Hopefully they will,” quipped Rosen. “Believe it or not, the song was on the charts long enough [that both of my publishers will] make a little bit of money off it.

“I remember emailing Scott and Espo to say, ‘Wow, Top 15. Thanks so much,'” continued Rosen. “He emailed back and said: ‘We’re not done yet!’ So thank you guys for your hard work. Being in a band now, I get to see the curtain pulled back and it really is amazing to see how much work goes into [a No. 1]. When they brought me in to hear the song for the first time I was surprised at how country it was, and how I loved it even more than the demo. It’s so nice to be a songwriter in this community. Thank you!”

Pictured (Front row, L-R): Warner Music Nashville’s Katie Bright (National Director, Radio & Streaming) and Lisa Ray (VP, Head of Brand Management), William Michael Morgan, Warner Music Nashville’s John Esposito (Chairman & CEO) and Cris Lacy (VP A&R), Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen; (Back row, L-R): Warner Music Nashville’s Chris Palmer (VP Radio & Streaming), Peter Strickland (CMO), Scott Hendricks (EVP A&R), Chad Schultz (VP, Original Content & Radio Marketing) and Mallory Opheim (Mgr., Regional Radio & Streaming). Ed Rode for ASCAP. [Click photo to enlarge]

Morgan introduced his newborn daughter, Presley, for her first trip to Nashville during his turn at the mic.

“I’m a grown man and feel like I’m about to tear up here,” confessed Morgan. “Thank you to my management Joe Carter and Mike Taliaferro. They were the first people besides my parents to believe in me, and support me in this crazy dream of mine.

“Thank you to my fiancé, Jennifer Wayne. It’s been a crazy ride so far and she’s been with me for a good bit of it….Thank you lord. If you keep on leading me, I’ll keep following.”

President/CEO of Warner Music Nashville, John Esposito remarked, “This was a particularly interesting ride—58 freaking weeks. Well, it says here 49 weeks at MediaBase. To Kristen and Katie and the entire promo team, you never wavered one second—it was worth the effort. Besides the fact that song had a birthday…total airplay audience is 1.01 billion!”

Also taking mic time to honor the achievement was Lon Helton of Country Aircheck, Bill Mayne of CRS, and Brandi Simms of the CMA.

Warner Music Nashville Launches “Sound In The Round” Series

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Pictured (L-R): Megan Joyce, Lisa Ray, Peter Strickland, Stephanie Davenport, Jordan Lawson, Cassandra Lawson, Jonathan Lawson, John Esposito, Matt Signore, Kristen Williams, Chad Schultz, Chris Palmer

Warner Music Nashville’s popular summer series “Pickin’ On The Patio” now has a winter companion. The label launched the “Warner Sound In The Round” concert series last week, aimed at bringing together industry members and artists to take a first look at Warner Nashville’s newest signings and upcoming singles.

Warner Bros./Warner Music Nashville trio The Railers, which includes Jordan, Jonathan and Cassandra Lawson, launched the first performance in the monthly series. The trio’s latest single, “11:59 (Central Standard Time)” is a taste of what is to come for their debut LP, set for release later this year.

“It is our continued mission to bring music back to the row as we have for years with our summer series, ‘Pickin’ On The Patio,’ and Blake Shelton’s Music Row concert bash,” said Warner Music Nashville CMO Peter Strickland. “I am pleased to introduce our winter monthly series, ‘Warner Sound In The Round.’ We love having these opportunities to showcase our recent roster signings and then some, as we have so much to be proud of.”

Warner Music Nashville’s “Sound In The Round” event sponsors included Budweiser, The Slider House and Mighty Swell Sparkling Cocktails.

Artist Updates: Kane Brown, Ned LeDoux, Brandy Clark, Ty Herndon, Maggie Rose, Post Monroe

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Kane Brown Appears in Super Bowl Commercial Special

Kane Brown

Kane Brown makes his prime-time TV debut on CBS’ Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2017 on Jan. 31. Entertainment Tonight co-host Kevin Frazier will report from Brown’s concert at The House of Blues in Houston, Texas, while Brown and his band perform three songs featured on his debut CD during the special, including his newest single, “What Ifs.” Brown recently made his late-night TV debut on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers on Jan. 23.

The appearance will air at 8 p.m. CT on CBS.

 

Ned LeDoux Honors Father at Ryman Debut

Pictured (L-R:) Mark Sissel/TKO Management & founding member Western Underground; Opry member Ricky Skaggs, Ned LeDoux, Opry member Craig Morgan. Photo: Chris Hollo

Chris LeDoux‘s son Ned made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the Ryman Auditorium last Friday night (Jan. 27). LeDoux performed his new single “Brother Highway” from his EP Forever a Cowboy. The song was co-written with Mark Sissel, a founding member and guitar player in his father’s band Western Underground.

Sissel played guitar for LeDoux as he performed “Brother Highway,” and Ned closed his Opry debut with a stunning acoustic performance of “The Hawk,” a song he wrote as a tribute to his Dad. Forever a Cowboy was produced by Mac McAnally and includes “We Ain’t Got It All,” a brand new song Chris LeDoux had started that was finished for the project by Ned and McAnally.

 

Brandy Clark, Ty Herndon Receive GLAAD Nominations

Brandy Clark

GLAAD’s Media Awards nominees were announced Tuesday (Jan. 31), and among the nominees in the Outstanding Music Artist category for their albums released in the past year are Ty Herndon‘s House on Fire, and Brandy Clark‘s Big Day in a Small Town. For the first time, the Outstanding Music Artist category has expanded from five nominees to 10 overall, reflecting growing inclusion in music, according to GLADD.

 

Lauren Alaina, Maggie Rose, Post Monroe Join Martina Tour

Maggie Rose and Post Monroe will join Martina McBride on her Love Unleashed Tour in 2017, along with special guest Lauren Alaina. Alaina, Rose and Post Monroe were selected among CMT’s “Next Women of Country” roster, which will cross the country for its third annual tour in partnership with Martina’s 2017 “Love Unleashed” tour.

Faster Horses Announces Fifth Season Lineup

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The Faster Horses Festival will celebrate its fifth anniversary on July 21-23 with a star-studded lineup including Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Charlie Daniels Band, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Old Dominion, Darius Rucker, Cole Swindell and more.

Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks for the Brooklyn, Michigan, festival. Passes for the three-day, two-stage camping festival will go on sale on Feb. 27 at fasterhorsesfestival.com.

Sirius XM, Live Nation Launch Highway Finds Tour With Moakler, Baldridge, Smithfield

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SiriusXM and Live Nation are joining forces to present The Highway Finds Tour, which will feature Steve Moakler, Drew Baldridge and Smithfield. The 26-city tour, curated by SiriusXM’s The Highway channel, will kick off March 16. The tour will hit Dallas, Denver, Boston, Chicago, and other markets across the country, and The Highway will present special on-air updates featuring check-ins from the artists and more throughout the tour.

The Highway Finds spotlight on SiriusXM is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to discovering new artists. Past Highway Finds breakthrough artists include Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell, Maren Morris, William Michael Morgan, and Chase Rice.

“We are excited to collaborate with Live Nation to take our latest Highway Finds from the SiriusXM airwaves to 26 cities across America. SiriusXM’s commitment to breaking new artists is unparalleled and we’re thrilled to support these three rising country stars,” said Steve Blatter, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Music Programming, SiriusXM.

The tour includes a Nashville date on Thursday, May 18 at Cannery Ballroom. For a full list of shows, visit ticketmaster.com.

‘Billboard’ Adds Pandora Streaming To Its Charts

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Billboard and Pandora have announced that data from streaming service Pandora has been incorporated into data currently used to determine chart positions for songs on Billboard‘s Hot 100. The Hot 100 ranks the week’s most popular songs across all genres, determined by a formula blending track sales, radio airplay, and streaming, measured by Nielsen Music.

In addition, Pandora will also impact various streaming-based charts, and Hot 100 formula-based genre rankings such as Hot Country Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Latin Songs, Hot Rock Songs and Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, among others.

Pandora data will be incorporated into the Billboard charts and revealed on Billboard.com on Tuesday, January 31 (for charts dated February 11).

The Billboard charts already reflect data from on-demand streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon and SoundCloud, as well as video on-demand platforms such as YouTube (including Vevo on YouTube), and streamed programming including Slacker, Google Radio, Napster and AOL Radio.

“Billboard’s unrivaled charts are the definitive source for ranking music popularity. For decades, the charts have acted as a place where both artists measure success and fans discover music,” says John Amato, co-president of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group. “Close to 80 million music lovers listen to Pandora every month and we look forward to bringing our brands together to incorporate Pandora’s data into our charts.”

Pandora Founder and CEO Tim Westergren, said, “Over the last few years, Pandora has shared more and more data with the music industry. We started with artists and managers, then direct deal label partners, and now Billboard for inclusion in the iconic Hot 100 chart. With each step along the way our partners have been shocked by the sheer size of Pandora’s audience. Pandora is now the #1 radio station in 87 U.S. markets and represents roughly 10 percent of all radio listening. With the inclusion of Pandora data, the Billboard charts that have guided listeners and been so central to the music industry for decades now reflect a truer measure of a song’s popularity today. I’m thrilled that the ‘Pandora effect’ will now be formally recognized in the industry’s gold standard for measurement.”

Maren Morris and Alicia Keys to Perform on Grammys

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Alicia Keys (left) and Maren Morris collaborate for CMT Crossroads. / Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

Following their CMT Crossroads matchup, Maren Morris and 15-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys will team up again for a performance on the upcoming 59th Annual Grammy Awards Feb. 12. Morris is nominated for four Grammys this year, including Best New Artist, Best Country Album for Hero, Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance for “My Church.”

Other onstage collaborations just announced for this year’s show include Best New Artist contender Anderson .Paak, who will join legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest and Dave Grohl, and The Weeknd, who will perform with Daft Punk.

Previously announced artists who will perform on this year’s telecast include John Legend, Bruno Mars, Metallica, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS-TV beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Performers Announced For MusicRow’s 15th Annual Country Radio Meet & Greet And CountryBreakout Awards

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Pictured (L-R): Alex Smith (courtesy of artist), Rachael Turner (photo: Erik Xydis).

MusicRow, Nashville’s leading music industry publication, is proud to reveal rising country newcomers Rachael Turner (Rustic Records) and Alex Smith (Lila Records) as performers for the 2017 MusicRow Country Radio Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards.

The invitation-only event will be held in February for subscribed members of MusicRow magazine, affiliates and country radio broadcasters just shortly ahead of the 2017 Country Radio Seminar.

“The MusicRow reporting panel represents some of the best stations in secondary markets and it is a privilege to shine a spotlight on the most-played artists from the CountryBreakout chart for the previous year, in addition to honoring an exemplary MusicRow chart reporter and giving nods to the songwriter with the most No. 1s,” says MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson. “We are excited to showcase two performances at the meet & greet with new artists also making waves on our chart, Alex Smith and Rachael Turner.”

The gathering will also reveal the winners of 2017 CountryBreakout Awards, tallied from their chart performances on the MusicRow chart in 2016. Those categories include Male Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Group/Duo of the Year, Breakout Artist of the Year, Independent Artist of the Year, Label of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and the selected Reporter of the Year honor.

In addition to exclusive editorial, each winner will be profiled in MusicRow‘s Country Radio print issue, which will debut at the Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards. Complementary issues of MusicRow‘s Country Radio issue will be available at the CountryBreakout event and throughout the Country Radio Seminar. Subscribers will receive their print copies by mail. Additional issues will be available for purchase at musicrow.com or at the publication’s 17th Avenue headquarters in Nashville.

To receive your invite to the 2017 MusicRow Country Radio Meet & Greet and CountryBreakout Awards, subscribe today at musicrow.com.

About the 2017 MusicRow Country Radio Meet & Greet And CountryBreakout Performers:

Rachael Turner (Rustic Records): Rachael Turner’s vocals and unique spin on traditional and modern country have brought a breath of fresh air to the genre. Originally from Sugar Land, Texas, Rachael now resides in Nashville and is signed to long-standing independent record label, Rustic Records. Her first two singles peaked at No. 22 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart, including Turner’s “Aftershock,” which showcases her ability to blend classic country with modern influences. No stranger to the stage, Turner has almost 15 years of singing experience since her first solo performance at the ripe age of 11. As a performer throughout her teen years, Turner decided to take her experience and talents to Belmont University. It was there that she harnessed her skills with degrees in vocal performance and music business, and made the decision to pursue not only music, but country music. Turner’s passion for country music bloomed after falling in love with artists such as Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Jo Dee Messina and Faith Hill. Turner kicks off the New Year with the mid-tempo story-like song “Hurts Don’t It.” The new and current release showcases Turner’s range and flexibility while capturing the emotional turmoil involved in finding the strength to leave a toxic romance. For more information, contact Rustic Records, Inc. at [email protected].

Alex Smith (Lila Records): A baseball pitcher during high school in Alexandria, Louisiana, Alex Smith decided to pursue hits of a different kind after graduation. The personable 23-year-old commands attention, whether on stage, in music videos or on social media. Smith’s live-for-the-moment first single, “Load It Up,” has even climbed to No. 32 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart. Smith comes from two generations of musicians, with his father and grandfather’s influence. It wasn’t until his early teens that Smith decided to follow the same path his father had as a working musician. After playing the video game Guitar Hero, the youngster—who later regretted quitting piano lessons—became self-taught on the Taylor guitar his father gave him by watching YouTube instructional videos. While still in college in Lafayette, Louisiana, Smith took note of friends making good money from just a few hours of “work” while performing music around town. Smith landed a one-hour gig at a local daiquiri shop, which eventually led to playing enough venues to pay his way through school. The singer-songwriter began making trips to Nashville, and has since opened shows for Brett Eldredge and Uncle Kracker. He starts touring extensively in 2017 with his new band of Nashville musicians. Smith recorded his debut EP, Fear of Missing Out, at Blackbird Studios with producer Ryan Sutton. The project is available on his website and iTunes.