All photographs in this story copyright (c) 2024 Tori Perry.
It is the one night a year when songwriters step into the spotlight to be recognized by their peers and the music industry for the amazing songs they create that can literally change the lives of so many people. It’s a sad fact that many of those people have no idea who wrote the songs they hear, performed by the recording artists they love.
On September 24, the 7th Annual Nashville Songwriter Awards, produced by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and presented by City National Bank, took over the stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium.
Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins and Ryan Larkins (holding their awards) prepare to sing “The Painter” the Number One hit recorded by Cody Johnson. Photo: Tori Perry
Read my full report, including red carpet interviews, full details about the award winners and all eleven (!) of the ‘Ten Songs I Wish I’d Written’ at Center Stage Mag here.
The prestigious ‘Song of the Year’ Award went to “The Painter” penned by Benny Davis, Kat Higgins and Ryan Larkins, recorded by Cody Johnson, topping the Billboard Country Airplay charts.
Ashley Gorley makes his acceptance remarks after receiving ‘Songwriter of the Year’ Award for the eighth time. Photo: Tori Perry
Songwriter phenom Ashley Gorley received the Songwriter of the Year Award for a record-setting eighth time. Ashley, who is overdue for inclusion in the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame (just sayin’!), has scored at least seventy-nine Number One hits in a career that is still going strong.
Denise Jackson reacts to hubby Alan Jackson’s remarks during the ceremony. Photo: Tori Perry
Alan Jackson was honored with the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award (four days before the sad news of the passing of Kristofferson himself).
Longest continuously-running country music column in the USA, ready to read now!
by Preshias Harris
QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “You always have to work to become a better singer, songwriter and performer.” – Luke Bryan
BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16
There is SO much news to catch up on in this month’s column! New singles from Caylee Hammack, Dylan Scott, Megan Moroney, Zach Top and Jeremy Parsons, long-awaited Ryman debut for Terri Clark, the latest music video from Chris Stapleton, albums from Thomas Rhett, Joe Nichols, Wyatt Flores and the Cactus Blossoms, Russell Dickerson drops a new EP, Jake Worthington brings Texas to The Cannery, plus much more including a really cute baby! Scroll down to catch it all…
ADVANCE ALBUM NEWS: Rising country artist Wyatt Flores released his new single, “Don’t Wanna Say Goodnight,” on August 30, alongside an official music video. Listen to the song here and watch the video here. The single is the first unveiled from Flores’ highly anticipated full-length debut album, Welcome To The Plains, which will be released October 18 via Island Records and is now available to pre-save/pre-order here.
The album takes listeners to the corner of the world that this 23-year-old country-folk singer-songwriter knows best – Oklahoma. “Welcome To The Plains is all about my fight to come home,” said Flores. “The struggle of coming from home – the little towns – and going out in the real world. Just being lost in it all.”
A 14-song trek through tales of fiery love, small-town truths and lighthearted mortality, Welcome To The Plains captures the grounded, sincere storytelling forged by Flores in-part during formative years in his hometown, Stillwater, Oklahoma. He was raised on time-tested rock ‘n’ roll, like the Eagles and John Mellencamp. At age 12, his sister passed him a copy of Turnpike Troubadours’ sophomore album, Diamonds & Gasoline, unlocking a love for roots music that later extended to artists like Jason Isbell, 49 Winchester and Sturgill Simpson.
The record will also be available on special limited-edition vinyl, which includes photos from the studio, exclusive original art and much more. More about Flores on Facebook. #WyattFlores
ADVANCE ALBUM NEWS PART 2: Three-time Grammy-nominated, multi-Platinum selling artist Joe Nichols’ 11th career studio album, Honky Tonks and Country Songs, will be released on Friday, October 25. The official pre-save/pre-add for Nichols’ Honky Tonks and Country Songs will be live on Thursday, September 6, across all digital streaming and retailer partners.
Produced by Mickey Jack Cones (Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett) and Derek George (Randy Houser), the album highlights Nichols’ steadfast commitment to country music that has made him one of Nashville’s most honest and versatile voices, regarded for his warm and distinctly country tone by everyone from Dolly Parton to Post Malone — he’s sung with both.
Scroll down to read a LOT of news about HARDY, Reba McEntire, Megan Moroney, Jake Owen, Opry Country Christmas, Chris Tomlin, Nu-Blu, Lauren Watkins, Bobby Marquez, Ashley McBride, Alex Miller, Morgan Wallen, Allie Colleen, Justin Moore and much more!
QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “I’ve ended up as a songwriter. This is my job. How did I get this lucky? What a great job!” – Paul McCartney, in an interview with Annie Clark (St. Vincent) on Instagram Live. [reported in American Songwriter, April 16, 2021]
BIBLE VERSE OF THE MONTH: Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! – Psalm 100: 1-2
ALBUM NEWS: Acclaimed singer-songwriter Amos Lee will release his eagerly awaited new album, Transmissions, available Friday, August 9 on his own Hoagiemouth Records via Thirty Tigers. Lee’s 11th studio album and first new collection of original songs in more than two years, Transmissions is heralded by the premiere of the graceful first single, “Hold On Tight,” available everywhere now. Listen now at Play MPE and watch the official video here.
Transmissions sees Amos Lee continuing to expand his sonic range while sharpening his closely observed lyrics that squarely address death, aging, and love. Self-produced by Lee for only the second time in his chart-topping, RIAA Gold-certified career (following 2013’s Spirit), the Philadelphia, PA-based artist returned to an old-school style of recording, working with his longtime band in a studio in rural Marlboro, NY, built by drummer Lee Falco and his dad out of reclaimed wood from an old church. Playing live on the floor for long hours in close quarters, Lee and his fellow musicians were able to capture the album’s twelve songs in less than a week. Lee augmented his band’s soulful, folk-funk sound with arrangements that extend the scope of songs, from autobiographical to upbeat and jam-powered. Music, tour dates and more at Amos Lee’s website. Pre-order Amos Lee’s Transmissions here. #AmosLee
Megan Moroney
ALBUM NEWS Part Two: Megan Moroney’s Am I Okay? debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 — the definitive all-genre chart for U.S. album sales. Released on July 12 to widespread acclaim, the Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records singer/songwriter’s sophomore LP also shot to the No. 3 spot on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart — a feat that makes Am I Okay? the fifth-biggest Country debut of 2024 and the year’s third-biggest debut from a female Country artist (after Beyoncé and Kacey Musgraves). Go here to stream/downloadAm I Okay? now. With nearly 43K in consumption units in its first week — including 37.6 million streams — Am I Okay? has earned massive praise from many of the music world’s leading publications, including Rolling Stone, Variety, The Tennessean and the print editions of American Songwriterand The New York Times.
Also lauded by Billboard, MusicRow, and more, Am I Okay? turned up on coveted lists like “New Music Friday: The best albums out July 12” from NPR’s All Songs Considered. In addition, Associated Press declared that “[y]ou’d be hard-pressed to find a more relatable voice in contemporary country music for young women” and hailed Am I Okay? as “a heartbreak-filled rollercoaster ride of a sophomore album, filled with quotable kiss-offs and evolved compositions.” Moroney has earned nearly 1.5 billion total global streams to date. More at Megan Moroney’s website and on social media. #MeganMoroney
AMERICANA NEWS: The Americana Music Association has announced its performers for the 23rd annual Americana Honors & Awards, taking place in Nashville on Sept. 18 at the famed Ryman Auditorium. This year’s Honors & Awards will deliver performances from award-winning legends, buzzworthy new artists, and longtime fan favorites including Blind Boys of Alabama, Brandy Clark with SistaStrings, Charles Wesley Godwin, Dave Alvin, Dwight Yoakam, Fantastic Negrito, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Jobi Riccio, Kaitlin Butts, Larkin Poe, The Milk Carton Kids, Noah Kahan, Sarah Jarosz, Shelby Lynne, Sierra Ferrell, Turnpike Troubadours, The War And Treaty, Waxahatchee with MJ Lenderman, and Wyatt Flores.
In addition to the annual “Of the Year” awards presented during the program (view the nominees here), the 2024 Honors & Awards will include this year’s Lifetime Achievement Honorees: Blind Boys of Alabama, Dave Alvin, Don Was, Dwight Yoakam, Rev. Gary Davis, and Shelby Lynne. Rev. Gary Davis (honored posthumously) will receive the Legacy Award in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music and will be recognized with a performance by Fantastic Negrito. Additionally, the program will be filmed for broadcast on PBS in the Austin City Limits time slot in November. Tickets to the Americana Honors & Awards are on sale now here. For more information on the association or to purchase passes to AMERICANAFEST, visit www.americanamusic.org.
ICYMI: The May ’24 edition of my monthly music column, Inside Track on Music Row, is now posted and ready to read. The longest continuously-running country music column in America is posted at Nashville Music Guidehere.
Among the news items in this month’s column:
Elvie Shane took a test-drive in a hybrid Corvette E-Ray and talked to Rolling Stone magazine about his widely-praised new 13-track album Damascus…
Sturgill Simpson’s landmark 2014 album, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music, will be reissued May 10 celebrating its 10th anniversary ahead of his headlining slot at Outside Lands fest Aug 9-11…
Johnny Cash‘s album, Songwriter, will be released June 28, consisting of previously-unreleased, newly rediscovered tracks from some 30 years ago…
Terri Clark: Take Two is the title of an 8-song project from Country icon Terri Clark, arriving May 31, featuring duets with Lauren Alaina, Lainey Wilson, Ashley McBride and more…
ERNEST has released Nashville, Tennessee, a 26-track tribute to his hometown, following his 2021 debut Flower Shops (The Album) building on his billion+ on-demand streams…
T. Graham Brown will release a new studio album August 2 titled From Memphis to Muscle Shoals, featuring duets with icons such as Eddie Floyd, Bettye Layette, Little Anthony, Tanya Tucker, Dwight Yoakam and more…
Lacy J Dalton has released “What Don’t Kill Ya,” from her album, For the Black Sheep, set to drop June 21. Outlaw country icon Dalton will join the Country Music Cruise Jan 19-25, 2025…
Clay Walker is now a Pandora Billionaire: in addition to 11 No. 1 singles, 6 Platinum and Gold albums, Clay received the award marking his music being streamed over 1 billion times on Pandora…
“Hometown Home,” the new single from LOCASH on their new label, Galaxy Label Group, will impact Country radio May 13 as they announce a bunch of new tour dates, a mix of festivals and standalone dates…
Brantley Gilbert is extending his Off the Rails Tour into the fall, announcing 15+ additional dates where he will be joined by Adam Calhoun and Demun Jones…
Moe Bandy is celebrating the 45th anniversary of “Just Good Ol’ Boys,” his hit single with Joe Stampley as he talks about his current album, Thank You Lord, featuring special guests…
Plus many more news items including: Chris Stapleton‘s track on the the new Tom Petty tribute album… “The World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,” Mötley Crüe signs with Big Machine Records… Chart Toppers is an album of No. 1 songs recorded live at The Wildhorse Saloon… shows celebrating the late John Prine set for October… K-Love Fan Awards weekend set for May 24-26… news about Rick Monroe & The Hitmen, Molly Lovette, Chris Lane, Maddie Tree, Ashley Cooke, Colton Dixon, Randall King, Sam Grow and more.
Find the entire May 2024 edition (and previous editions) of my monthly column Inside Track on Music Row at Nashville Music Guide here.
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com. Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com. @PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
One more round of top Indie talent before the Grand finale
by Preshias Harris
The competition is heating up! It’s time for Week Three of the Indie Country Showdown. Round Three is set for March 7, 2024 at 7:00 pm at Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom, Nashville, Tenn.
Presented by O’Reilly’s Amish Furniture and Center Stage Magazine, the Indie Country Showdown is unlike any live performance shows ever presented in this area: Nashville’s finest undiscovered independent artists will perform for industry judges, and three finalists will make it into the Grand Finale on Thursday, March 14th.
Congratulations to Kayla Wass, Week One Winner and CJ Garton, the winner of the Week Two competition. They will join the winner of Week Three in the Grand Finale.
The artists competing in Week Three are: Allie Lamb, Brooke Spencer, Lexi Lew, Seth Alexander, Andy Pursell, John Haywood and Charlie McNeal. There will also be guest performances by Abby Leigh Anderson, Boomtown Saints and Keith Burns.
Congratulations to Kayla Wass, winner of Week One of the Indie Country Showdown presented by O’Reilly’s Amish Furniture! Kayla will go on to compete against the winners of the Week 2 and 3 rounds in the Grand Finale to be held March 14 at Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom.
But now, get ready for Week Two, set for Thursday, February 22, 7:00 p.m. at Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom, located at 5724 River Road Nashville, TN 37209, just 14 minutes (8.5 miles) from downtown Nashville via I-40. Find tickets for all Indie Country Showdown shows here.
Competing in the Week Two show on Feb 22: Doug Miolen, Kendra Neece, Mia Brown, Ethan Vincil, Jon Statham, CJ Garton and Chad Wilson. There will be guest star performances by Rick Monroe & the Hitmen, Keith Burns and Abby Leigh Anderson.
Standard tickets with reserved seating are $25.00. VIP tickets at $65.00 are also available with reserved seating closer to the stage. VIP tickets also include Meet & Greet with the performers plus a surprise goodie bag of items from the Showdown artists. Tickets and details here.
Showcasing up-and-coming country talent + special guest stars
By Preshias Harris
An exciting new talent contest, The Indie Country Showdown (presented by O’Reilly’s Amish Furniture and Center Stage Magazine) is happening in Nashville, and you can be in the audience to see the rise of the next generation of country stars. There will also be guest stars performing on stage at every show (see below).
You will see and hear some of the most talented indie country artists compete in three rounds to earn a spot as one of the three finalists facing off in the grand finale! All three rounds and the Finale will be held at Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom. Tickets for all shows are now available here. Here are the show dates for the Indie Country Showdown:
Week One: Thursday, February 15, 7:00 p.m.
Week Two: Thursday, February 22, 7:00 p.m.
Week Three: Thursday, March 7, 7:00 p.m.
Grand Finale: Thursday, March 14, 7:00 p.m.
Standard tickets with reserved seating are $25.00. VIP tickets at $65.00 are also available with reserved seating closer to the stage. VIP tickets also include Meet & Greet with the performers plus a surprise goodie bag of items from the Showdown artists.
Week One Contestants and Guest Performances
The contestants for Week One on Feb 15 are: Eric Burgett, Corey Davis, Jay Jones, Brooklyn Summer, Kayla Wass and Charlotte Morris. The star guest performers are Keith Burns (founding member of Trick Pony), Donovan Chapman, Bryan Martin and Abby Leigh Anderson from The Bobby Bones Show who will debut her brand new single during the show. Get tickets here.
The February 2024 edition of my column Inside Track on Music Row is ready to read right now here at NashvilleMusicGuide.com! It’s the longest continuously-running country music column in the USA, thanks to readers like you!
Among the 40+ music news stories you can read in this month’s column:
Chris Young is readying his upcoming album for release March 22 and you can pre-save now from a link in the story…
Tracy Lawrence, David Adam Byrnes and Rodney Carrington are encouraging you to let loose and take chances with their new single, “Kick A Little,” from their upcoming Little Texas tribute album…
John Michael Montgomery is giving fans advance notice of his upcoming retirement from touring after 30+ years on the road, 16 million albums and seven No. 1 hits…
BRELAND will return to the Ryman Auditorium for a third time with his BRELAND & Friends 2024 concert in March 2024. Tickets are available now…
Brooks & Dunn, the best-selling duo of all time, have announce the dates for their upcoming REBOOT 2024 Tour and we have a link to the tour and ticket info…
Moe Bandy is celebrating the 45th anniversary of his hit single “It’s A Cheating Situation,” a duet with Janie Fricke, released in January 1979…
John Berry has re-released three of his most popular albums in partnership with StarVista Music, saying, “This will give some of my favorite songs a breath of new life”…
Springer Mountain Farms “Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman” is returning to Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium for its 30th year and tickets are available now…
Cody Johnson is now out on the road on The Leather Tour with a string of dates through September while his current single “The Painter” has scored more than 95 million global streams…
Plus much more, including news about new singles from Spencer Crandall, Lacy J. Dalton, Waylon Hanel, Jessie G, Walker Montgomery, Mitchell Tenpenny, HARDY, and more…
Find the February 2024 Inside Track on Music Row column at Nashville Music Guide here.
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available here Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com @PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
Here’s some great news about an upcoming talent contest to focus on emerging country artists.
Scroll down for info on how to register as a contestant and tickets to attend the live shows.
Center Stage Live has announced the Indie Country Showdown talent show to be held at the Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom in West Nashville with a portion of the proceeds supporting Folds of Honor. Four straight weeks of intense competition as Center Stage Live presents the Top 15 Rising Indie Country Artists in the greater Nashville region chosen by a mix of fan vote and Nashville music industry professionals. Highlights from each show and special live-stream segments with the contestants will be featured on Center Stage Magazine’s website and to the tens of millions of viewers that engage with Center Stage Magazine’s social media properties each year.
You can also follow the Indie Country Showdown weekly from Oct. 15th on The Big Country 98 and on iHeart Digital Media with Wayne D and Tay on Big Country 98 who will be interviewing contestants on air from Oct 15 to Nov 16. An expert panel of celebrity judges and music industry professionals will determine the winner over the intense four-week competition.
Tickets can be purchased by those wishing to attend the shows at Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom in person and are available now here.
Fans relate to his blue-collar, hard-working background
By Preshias Harris
Bryan Martin came up working hard for everything he has achieved. Along the way, he has faced almost overwhelming challenges – many of which, he admits, have been what he calls “self-inflicted.”
During CMA Fest, Bryan and I sat down to talk about his recent album, Poets & Old Souls, and the connection between his hard life and his music.
Just days after CMA Fest, Bryan released his latest single titled “Goin’ For Broke” (Average Joes Entertainment), available on all major digital platforms. Listen to “Goin’ For Broke” here and watch the gritty B&W music video (directed Julian Mendoza)here.
Bryan Martin’s hardscrabble music is obviously resonating with his fans. Poets & Old Souls has already garnered over sixty million worldwide streams, and one of the album tracks, “We Ride” recently broke the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
