‘And The Writer Is…’ Podcast Launches New Live Demo Review Series For Songwriters

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Music podcast “And The Writer Is…” is launching a live demo critique web series, “And The Demo Is…,” to feature up-and-coming songwriters and offer them support. The live series will debut on the “And The Writer Is…” official YouTube channel tomorrow (Dec. 17) at 11 a.m. PT. Songwriters are encouraged to upload their demos here for a chance to be featured on the new show.

“We initially planned on releasing ‘And The Demo Is…’ through Twitch,” said ATWI creator and host Ross Golan. “It came to light however that Twitch refuses to pay songwriters for the use of their songs. They’re simply stealing music and we will never partner with platforms that actively act in bad faith to hurt our community. So, we’re proudly switching to YouTube, who has been successfully reaching out to the music industry to build a bridge between their platform and us.”

The podcast, which just celebrated its 100th episode, has aired for six seasons and can be heard on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, YouTube, and other popular podcast platforms. Highlights from this season include interviews with Peter Frampton, Benny Blanco, Nija Charles, Linda Perry, Lance Bass, Meghan Trainor, Daniel Lanois, and many others.

Subscription Boxes Help Artists Stay Connected With Fans

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With concert touring on hold, Brantley Gilbert and Lauren Alaina are among the artists staying connected with fans through quarterly subscription boxes.

“Lauren Alaina’s surPRIZE Box” features hand-picked, custom products highlighting her passion for fitness, cooking, songwriting and her love of puns. She partnered with BLCK Label, LLC for design and delivery of the boxes which start at $49.99 at LaurenAlainaOfficial.com.

The “Brantley Gilbert’s Selects” box offiers hand-picked and custom-made items such as a Machine Era Brass Pen or a fire-proof blanket. He partnered with BattlBox to launch an at-home experience for the BG Nation. Subscriptions start at $59.99 at BrantleyGilbert.com

This week Gilbert announced plans to close out 2020 with a bang with an exclusive livestream from his home in Georgia on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. CT. Emmy-award winning production company 7 Cinematics will be producing the livestream which will air on nugs.net. Tickets are priced at $14.99 and available at 2nu.gs/Brantley.

Lauren Alaina, Photo Credit: Katie Kauss

John Prine named Artist of the Year at 2020 Americana Awards

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John Prine. Photo: Danny Clinch

John Prine was named Artist of the Year at the 2020 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards on Tuesday (Dec. 15), marking the late legend’s fourth win in the category, following previous recognitions in 2005, 2017 and 2018. Prine is the first artist in Americana Honors & Awards history to be posthumously nominated in the Artist of the Year category.

The accolade continues to celebrate an esteemed career for Prine, whose last recorded song and first No. 1 single, “I Remember Everything,” is nominated in two categories at the 63rd Grammy Awards: Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song. Written by Prine and his longtime collaborator Pat McLaughlin, the song was recorded last year in Prine’s living room with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb and engineer Gena Johnson. Watch the recording here.

Regarded as a premier phrase-turner, Prine is a two-time Grammy-winner, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, a seven-time Americana Music Award-winner, a PEN New England Lyrics Award recipient and member of both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Since his debut in 1971, Prine released over eighteen albums and has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band and many others, while drawing effusive praise from Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Roger Waters, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and more, who knew him as a smiling, shuffling force for good.

Jimmie Allen To Headline Ryman, Perform On New Year’s Rockin’ Eve

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Jimmie Allen. Photo: John Shearer

Jimmie Allen is set to help ring in the New Year along with headliner Jennifer Lopez, Billy Porter, and Cyndi Lauper on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021. The New Year’s Eve celebration nationwide, which features performances of the year’s biggest songs, airs live Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The broadcast event is closed to the public. Jessie James Decker will return as the show’s Powerball correspondent.

Jimmie Allen is also set to headline Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for the first time on Dec. 17. Fans around the world can tune in to the virtual concert experience. Tickets for both the livestream and limited-capacity, in-venue experience are available at ryman.com.

Nashville Entrepreneur Center Expands Project Music to All Realms of Entertainment

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The Nashville Entrepreneur Center (NEC) has launched the expansion of Project Music to Project Music & Entertainment (PM&E), making room for all sectors of the entertainment industry.

The program will focus on accelerating the development of entrepreneurial companies that are taking risks to solve many industry challenges. Through PM&E, companies gain access to the NEC’s entrepreneurial business education and its extensive network of C-Suite executives, successful entrepreneurs, and industry connections to foster innovation, nurture growth, and drive the future of the entertainment industry.

Applications for the 2021 PM&E program are open now through Feb. 7, 2021. Industry sectors for consideration are music, sports, e-sports, gaming, film, media, podcasting, publishing and television. Key consideration will be given to those who have exhibited innovation despite the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to grow while solving problems within the entertainment industry.

“Our objective is to unify the many assets of Nashville’s entertainment industry and increase entrepreneurs’ probability for success. The partnerships we’ve created within the business community, particularly those in music, media, tech and sports, help to meet the needs through our entrepreneurial companies,” said Jane Allen, CEO of the NEC. “We are excited to see PM&E attract all stages of entertainment entrepreneurs to Nashville, because we know our city is the best place to launch and grow businesses focused on this important industry.”

Through the 12-month program, PM&E members have access to shared entrepreneurial curriculum and industry education, community experience with same-sector business leaders facing shared challenges, and exposure to potential customers and investors. The 2021 program will also include the NEC’s partnership with A3E for the Accelerating Entertainment Technology mini-conference series—weaving future-forward research data into panels and speakers focused on the future of entertainment technology.

For more information about the Project Music & Entertainment expansion and how to apply to be part of the 2021 program, please click here.

Rissi Palmer Partners With Rainey Day Fund To Create Color Me Country Artist Fund

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Rissi Palmer. Photo: Chris Charles

Singer-songwriter and Apple Music’s Color Me Country radio host, Rissi Palmer, has partnered with the Rainey Day Fund, helmed by music journalist Kelly McCartney, to create a fund to support underrepresented voices of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) artists in country music. The fund is called The Color Me Country Artist Fund.

McCartney created the Rainey Day Fund, named after legendary blues artist Ma Rainey, in 2018 to assist BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled artists, as well as others who add to the rich fabric of roots music. With a similar mission, Palmer recognized a real problem in the country music industry. The Color Me Country Fund was born to bring the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx histories of country music to the forefront.

“As an artist, I’ve experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. I know what it’s like to have to choose between eating and paying rent, to work a 9-to-5, then pull an all-nighter in the studio to get closer to the dream of being a self-sustaining musician,” says Palmer. “Any success I have achieved has been because of the kindness of others and their belief in me, and I want to pay it forward. The Color Me Country Artist Fund will be an extension of the work I do with my radio show to further the careers of artists of color in the country music space. I don’t want anyone’s dreams deferred because of financial hardships. 100% of the funds will go to artists in need. I thank Kelly McCartney and the Rainey Day Fund for planting the seed.”

“Between our seed funding and a recent donation from Brandi Carlile‘s Looking Out Foundation, we have gifted grants to Yola, Birds of Chicago, Tré Burt, Joy Oladokun, Brittney Spencer, Jontavious Willis, and others, while also creating an Indigenous Music Scholarship with Folk Alliance International,” McCartney says of the Rainey Day Fund. “Seeing the work that Rissi was doing in the country music space, it just made sense to create a specific Color Me Country program to support the artists on those fringes, as well. Together, we’re being the change we wish to see in the music world.”

Palmer’s Color Me Country Apple Music radio show has included guests Miko Marks, Crystal Shawanda, Kamara Thomas, Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker and more. McCartney, who hosts Southern Craft Radio on Apple Music, has featured Brandy Clark, Larkin Poe, Jason Isbell, JOHNNYSWIM, The War and Treaty, Tanya Tucker, and more.

Learn more about The Color Me Country Artist Fund here and The Rainey Day Fund here.

Morgan Wallen Announces Ryman Concert

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Big Loud/Republic Records’ Morgan Wallen will celebrate his sophomore release, Dangerous: The Double Album, with a live performance at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 12, 2021 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. The one-night-only, full-band concert will be livestreamed worldwide on his YouTube and Facebook pages.

Dangerous, due out Jan. 8, is an expansive 30-track collection which is home to his hits “This Bar,” “More Than My Hometown,” “7 Summers,” and “Heartless” (Wallen Album Mix), as well as fan favorites including “Somebody’s Problem” and Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up.”

Rounding out Wallen’s skyrocketing year, he continues to break records, notching a second consecutive week atop Apple Music’s all genre pre-add chart with Dangerous. Meanwhile, his current single “7 Summers” climbs at country radio, likely to add to his current talley of four consecutive chart-toppers.

Wallen is the reigning 2020 CMA New Artist of the Year.

Victoria Shaw’s ‘Songwriters Under The Covers’ Returns For Season 2

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Victoria Shaw

Victoria Shaw‘s Songwriters Under the Covers, is back for season two, with six new episodes premiering Thursdays, Jan. 14 – Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. on the free ALL ARTS app and allarts.org/SUTC, and in the New York metro area on the ALL ARTS TV channel. Season 2 will also premiere Fridays at 11 p.m. beginning Jan. 15 on Nashville Public Television, which is distributing the series to other public TV stations in Tennessee.

With intimate storytelling and acoustic performances from hit songwriters, hosted by award-winning songwriter Shaw, Under the Covers provides rare access to the stories behind some of pop, rock and country music’s top hits. Featured guests include Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Bob DiPiero, Keb’ Mo’, Liz Rose, Jimmie Allen, Tommy Shaw, Shelly Peiken and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Roger Cook.

The Songwriters Under the Covers Holiday Special, which premiered nationwide on Dec. 2, is available to watch now on allarts.org. The holiday special features chart-toppers Jim Brickman and Dave Barnes performing their hits, including “God Gave Me You,” “The Christmas Song” and “Christmas Tonight.” Anita Cochran and Wendy Moten are guests.

“I’m so excited to continue giving people a peek into the intimate behind-the-scenes stories of how and why some of the most famous songs were written,” said Host and Creator Victoria Shaw. “You met a lot of my talented songwriter friends last season, and you’ll get to meet a lot more this season, along with some insanely talented emerging artists.”

Chris Lane’s “Big, Big Plans” Tops The Charts

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Chris Lane has reached the top of the charts with his latest single, “Big, Big Plans” which landed at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay and Country Aircheck/Mediabase Airplay charts, while also reigning atop the Billboard Canada Country Airplay and Mediabase Canada Country charts. “Big, Big Plans” is Lane’s third career chart-topper in the U.S., and his fourth No. 1 in Canada.

The Gold-certified smash which was written by Lane, Jacob Durrett and Ernest Keith Smith, has tallied 149 million on-demand streams and marks Lane’s first No. 1 as a songwriter. Penned ahead of his engagement to now-wife, Lauren, the song was first heard in their heart-warming proposal video. Once released, “Big, Big Plans” inspired more than 20 onstage fan proposals during Lane’s Big, Big Plans Tour, and countless others shared online.

“As an artist the most rewarding thing for me is writing a song and hearing fans sing it back, and make it part of their own story as well,” said Lane. “It’s been so much fun to see the way such a personal song for me has impacted other people over time. From proposing to my wife, to seeing others’ proposals at shows and on social media, to it now hitting No. 1 on country radio is unbelievable. I couldn’t be more excited.”

Virtual Holiday Concerts: Jake Owen, Musicians On Call, MusiCares

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Jake Owen Teams With Outback Steakhouse For Virtual Holiday Concert

Jake Owen. Photo: Robby Klein

Jake Owen has partnered with Outback Steakhouse for a December Facebook Live virtual concert. This holiday concert ‘Made For You’ (the name of Owen’s recent single) will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 16 and was filmed at the newest Outback Steakhouse in Nashville. Back in August, Outback and Owen partnered on their first virtual concert to provide fans with music entertainment during the stay-at-home orders, with the event attracting over 152,000 viewers.

For a limited time, Outback will offer Jake Owen Made For You gift cards and gift box sets with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Jake Owen Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that offers financial support on a national level to children battling cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases through St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also providing assistance to various youth organizations and charities in Owen’s hometown of Vero Beach, Florida and surrounding Indian River County.

 

Musicians On Call Presents Hope For The Holidays Concert

Leslie Odom Jr., Meghan Trainor, Josh Groban, HAIM, JP Saxe and Pentatonix will perform on Hope for the Holidays Presented by Citi, a virtual concert for patients, families and frontline caregivers presented by Musicians On Call. This one-of-a-kind festive concert experience also features holiday messages from artists including Dolly Parton, Kelly Clarkson, Billie Eilish and more. MOC will share the concert with their extensive network of hospitals around the country and they have also teamed up with the American Hospital Association to provide access to 5,000 AHA member hospitals and health systems nationwide.

It will be available on-demand for patients to view throughout the month of December. You can send a musicaleCard, recorded by a Musicians on Call volunteer, to a Healthcare Hero here. For every eCard, Musicians On Call also provides a song for a patient in the hospital.

 

Nashville Artists Give Back To MusiCares With Online Christmas Special

Louis York, Ty Herndon, Maggie Rose, Emily West, Crystal Lewis, The Young Fables, The Shindellas, Meghan Linsey and more are performing in A One Mic Christmas, an independent online holiday special benefiting MusiCares. The show, produced by Hope Tree Entertainment and Cotton Mill Live, will be broadcast online Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. CT. A One Mic Christmas is free to view, but patrons that donate on the website will gain access to un-aired, bonus performances from the star studded line-up.

“With music industry revenues impacted by the pandemic, MusiCares has been a lifesaver to many artists in Music City and around the country. This event is our small way of showing our gratitude,” said producer Patryk Larney of Hope Tree Entertainment.