LOCASH fans are looking forward to June 17, 2016. It’s on that date that the fast-rising duo of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust will release their first full-length album for Reviver Records, titled The Fighters. The album includes “I Know Somebody,” as well as fan favorites “Shipwrecked” and “Drunk, Drunk.” The duo has been featuring much of the new material in their live shows this past winter and early spring. LOCASH has a full slate of dates on their calendar throughout the rest of 2016 – including a June 12 stop at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. Tour dates and more info about The Fighters here
Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris honored with American Eagle Awards
The National Music Council will bring its annual American Eagle Awards presentation to Nashville for a second year in a row on Saturday, June 25, 2016. The highly prestigious Eagle Awards are presented each year in national celebration of an individual’s or an organization’s long term contribution to America’s musical culture and heritage. This year, music legends Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill will be honored, along with the iconic Grand Ole Opry.
Past American Eagle Award recipients include Kris Kristofferson, Quincy Jones, Clive Davis, Benny Goodman, The Oak Ridge Boys, Roberta Peters, Odetta, Sherman Halsey, Sesame Street and Hard Rock Café. This year’s event in Nashville will mark the 33rd year of formal presentations of the Awards.
As someone who is deeply concerned about the ongoing problem of music piracy, I’m delighted to hear the event will also feature the New York Emmy award winning animation created by the NMC and the Music Publishers Association of the United States, as part of a primary school lesson plan that encourages kids to think about the ramifications of taking other people’s creative works without permission. NMC Director David Sanders frames the animated piece as “part of a world-wide effort by creators to change the narrative in terms of fostering an understanding that the online protection of creative works enhances freedom of speech and the marketplace of ideas, rather than encroaching on them.”
Tickets, details, etc at musiccouncil.org
A Preshias Musical Definition
Hold
Noun: An agreement by a music publisher not to exploit or license a song to any other parties when a recording artist, a producer or a record label has indicated they plan to record it. Note that a publisher cannot place a hold on a song that has already been recorded and released commercially but a publisher may still agree not to actively plug a song to other artists for a certain length of time. For new or unreleased songs, a publisher has full discretion whether or not to issue a mechanical license.
Old Dominion on a roll
L to R: Whit Sellers, Brad Tursi, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Geoff Sprung
Old Dominion are still reflecting on their recent win in the Breakthrough Group/Duo of the Year category on the ACC Awards.
“When we started this band, winning awards never crossed our minds,” said frontman Matthew Ramsey. That’s because he and his bandmates have celebrated successes as songwriters before having hit records as a band. “We just wanted to make the best music we could. But winning this award really shows us that the years of work we have put into this are paying off in ways we never dreamed of. We owe so much to our families, our management team, our record label, country radio and our FANS for embracing what we do and making us feel at home in the country music family!”
The win follows on the heels of earlier 2016 award wins at the Academy of Country Music Awards for Best New Vocal Duo/Group of the Year and the Association of Independent Music Publisher Awards (AIMPs) for Artist/Writer of the Year. Additionally, Ramsey, Trevor Rosen and Brad Tursi all individually took home CMA Triple Play Awards presented to top songwriters who have penned more than three No. 1 hits within a one year period in the Country format.
With an estimated 160 dates on the books in 2016—and it being a lighter year than 2015—Old Dominion are already looking to their next studio album, taking advantage of a break in touring to again join GRAMMY-winning producer Shane McAnally, their co-conspirator on Meat and Candy, in the studio to work on their upcoming second album.
More about Old Dominion, including tour dates here.
Rain can’t douse the Flame…
You can schedule a show, you can schedule a tour, but you can’t schedule the weather. Just ask Miranda Lambert whose ‘Keeper of the Flame Tour’ kicked off mid-May at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, Mo., with openers Kip Moore and Brothers Osborne. And a storm rolled in just an hour into Lambert’s set; mother nature’s way of offsetting the heat radiating from the seven-time Female Vocalist of the Year’s first tour stop of the season. The Tour continues at multiple locations through the rest of 2016. Updated tour info and more here
Another Preshias Pointer
As a songwriter, you never sell your songs: you license them. No matter how many times one of your songs gets cut, it’s always yours to keep forever – like a ball that enters the seating area at a major league baseball game!
Women set to rock Music City
Who says women can’t rock? Not me, and not the Women’s International Music Network (WiMN) who have announced the finalists selected to perform at the 2016 She Rocks Summer NAMM Showcase, taking place Thursday, June 23, 2016, from 8:30-11:00 p.m., at The Listening Room Cafe in Nashville, Tenn., during the 2016 Summer NAMM trade show. Tickets are available here.
At that show, the audience will get to see singer-songwriter Ashley Riley, 13-year-old singer Juliana Wilson, jazz vocalist and guitarist Leni Stern, and singer-songwriter Savannah Lynne. The performers were chosen based on their submissions to thewimn.com
“I’ve always wanted to be a songwriter and a storyteller and somebody who conveys a feeling to the listener or the viewer.”
Wes Borland, rock musician, guitarist with Limp Bizkit
Rising stars play for 95.1 The Goober in KY
A great day in Bowling Green, KY – despite the wet weather! I was there Thursday May 26 with five of ‘my’ artists to help WGGC-FM The Goober with their New Faces of Country showcase at the Bowling Green Hot Rods baseball game. Blane Howard, Cameron Lanz, Elvie Shane, Jessie Goergen (Jessie G) and Justin T. Dukes all performed. There was a rain delay during the game and the show moved inside, but everyone had a great time. Thank you everyone at 95.1 The Goober. Follow The Goober on Facebook here.
3 songwriters honored for FGL hits
Three songwriters jointly celebrated their first Number Ones during an afternoon party at ASCAP’s Nashville HQ on May 25, thanks to TWO chart toppers scored by Florida Georgia Line.
Matt Dragstrem and Cole Taylor were recognized for their co-write credits on the cut, “Sippin’ On Fire,” that topped the charts for FGL. Felix McTeigue also scored his first Number One with another FGL hit, “Anything Goes,” co-written with veteran writers Craig Wiseman and Christ Tompkins. The three writers received plaques from ASCAP and awards from the CMA and Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB). Dragstrem, Taylor and McTeigue also received ASCAP-signature guitars, presented by Boulder Creek Guitars, in recognition of their first Number One hits.
Congrats to all three. I know we’ll see you back in the ‘winners’ circle’ before too long!