Mark Wayne Glasmire has a voice that could have easily found him as a member of the Eagles if he’d been around a few decades ago. Not that he sounds old-style. Simply that he projects an easy, laid-back vibe that comes across most vividly in “I’ve Got A Feeling,” the first track on his new album, Can’t Be Denied.
Glasmire doesn’t fit the standard Nashville mold. In fact, he had made the move to Nashville but found he wasn’t a writer who could churn out hits on demand. “But I found out pretty quick that you won’t find success until you’re true to who you are,” Glasmire has said. “Don’t try to be somebody else. If you’re constantly trying to be what somebody else wants you to be, you’re in trouble.” He moved to Arlington, Texas, and found a new energy as both a songwriter and as an artist.
“Those Nights” is a heart-warming mid-tempo about the secure feeling that comes from knowing the one you love loves you too. Similarly, the title track, “Can’t Be Denied,” is sparked by that moment you know you were truly meant to be with someone. That feeling of instant connection continues in the jog-along ballad “Alysia,” inspired by a chance encounter and a single day on a Southern California beach. Love stays a little longer (but once again in a ‘love at first sight’ song) with “Deep Inside My Heart,” a joyous romp about anticipating the happy ever after. Yes, Glasmire is definitely a romantic. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Continue reading “‘Can’t Be Denied’ – new album from Mark Wayne Glasmire”
This is an album that has a message that is very close to my heart and my own approach to coping with major issues such as cancer.
Jimmy Charles ‘Hard Way To Go’
Jimmy Charles first came to national attention when American Idol sent him to Hollywood. Now comes a seven-song collection titled HARD WAY TO GO. Produced by Paul David (CeCe Winans, Andre Crouch, Jonny Lang), the EP is a showcase for Charles’ musical range from soulful ballads to guitar-shredding rockers.
Charles spirit on this album demonstrates that he is more than just a strong and confident vocalist. The EP kicks off in high gear with the guitar-driven “Blue Spaces,” made for happy-go-lucky beach listening. Charles sings: Hey shotgun pilot / the coast is clear / let’s sail out of dodge / like two beach ballin’ buccaneers. It’s a fun ear-worm that gets the listener in the mood for next summer’s sand-between-the-toes seashore fun.
Anthem of hope and strength
“I Am Not Alone” (also his current single) tells the story of dealing with cancer from the perspective of a teenager, a married man, a young mother and a senior citizen. The song becomes an anthem of hope and strength as each person in turn finds the determination to carry on. (On that subject, please read my personal note, at the foot of this review.)Continue reading “Jimmy Charles finds ‘Hard Way To Go’”
“Now We’re Gettin’ Somewhere” new single from upcoming album
When you meet most singer-songwriters, you discover they have a ‘day job,’ at least at the start of their music careers. Maybe they are restaurant servers or they are delivering pizzas. James Robert Webb has a day job and he has no intention of giving that up. He is a doctor with a medical practice in his home state of Oklahoma, as well as a blossoming recording career and a new album being produced in Nashville. As he told me during our interview (below), “I can’t abandon my patients.” His hashtags say it clearly: #DoctorByDay #SingerAtSundown
James Robert Webb
The upcoming album and the first single from the album, ‘Now We’re Gettin’ Somewhere,’ are under the direction of Grammy-winning producer Buddy Cannon. The single is now available everywhere on digital platforms. I recently met up with James Robert Webb to talk about his life and music.
Preshias Harris: OK, tell us the secret of how you balance a successful medical practice and a successful music career.
James Robert Webb: Sometimes I wonder how well I balance it. The other thing is, I’m a father, too. I’ve got my wife and three kids. The hardest thing for me is to make sure I’m spending enough time with the family, with all the travel and everything. But I don’t do a lot outside of music. My hobbies are all replaced by songwriting.
PH: So, no golf?
Keeping priorities straight
JRW: Exactly! Classically, as a doctor I’m not out playing golf. I’m not going out to Africa and shooting trophy lions or anything like that! [laughs] Most of my free time involves playing somewhere. But for me, it really comes down to having to keep the priorities straight. It might sound egotistical and greedy, but my number one priority is my health and me. Because if I crumble then everything else crumbles after that. Then it has to be my family, and third is my medical practice, because I always have to have that, and I can’t abandon my patients. And after that it’s music. That sounds like a lot of things to do, but you just get up every day and you’ve got to do those things in order.
“My goal is not to go out and be a star and play on stage for fame and glory or whatever. My goal is to create the best music. Music that can stand the test of time. To do the best I can with the gift I’ve been given.” – James Robert Webb
PH: What is one of the hardest things that you have to face in your dual careers?
JRW: It’s being away from my family, away from my kids. We would have moved here to Nashville, but we have a lot of family roots, both sides of the family, back home in Tulsa and Texas. So there’s a lot of support structure there, there’s a lot of people. Plus, my kids are in the age range of fourteen down to eight, so I don’t want to uproot them. But the good this is we have FaceTime, things like that we didn’t have ten or twenty years ago, to see people face to face.
PH: Your single, “Now We’re Getting’ Somewhere,” was released last month. Can you give me some “media tidbits” for what we can expect for your album?
JRW: A media tidbit… well, I’ve got a song I’m cutting by Bob McDill that has never been recorded. I love Bob McDill, he’s in the Hall of Fame. He’s been retired for a number of years.
Darius Rucker, Derek George and Scooter Carusoe were honoured at a Number One party, hosted by ASCAP and First Tennessee Bank held at ASCAP’s Nashville office. ‘For the First Time,’ Rucker’s ninth Number One, produced by Ross Cooperman, is the second single from the album, ‘When Was the Last Time’ (Capitol Nashville).
‘For The First Time’ is the third Number One for Derek George as a writer. For Scooter Carusoe, the song is his fifth as a songwriter and his fifteenth as a publisher.
Before the award ceremony, Darius, Derek and Scooter sat down to take questions from music industry journalists.
L to R: Derek George, Darius Rucker, Scooter Carusoe. Photo credit: Preshias Harris
Darius recalled the writing session during which ‘For The First Time’ was written. “For me, we started out with just that first line, I mean, I didn’t even need to hear the chorus. I’m like, that’s cool,” he said. “It was one of those songs; I was just writing about me again, once we started writing. It’s a song that, at this point in my career, it was a really cool song to write. To have so much fun as I’ve had, thinking about all the things I said I was going to do when I was a kid, if I would ever make it, and now, everything in that song came from my bucket list.”
‘That never, ever get’s old’
Asked what it felt like when he heard that the song had reached Number One, Darius said with a chuckle that he found out when he was on the road. “I want to say something that Charles Kelly said to me that will always stand the test of time. He said, ‘that never gets old.’ And I was like, yeah, that never, ever gets old. It’s always awesome.” Continue reading “Darius Rucker celebrates Number One ‘For the First Time’”
It was party time at Nashville Underground Wednesday afternoon. A mix of friends, family and Nashville music biz execs were on hand to mark Brett Young’s Number One hit, ‘Mercy.’ The song, co-written by Young and Sean McConnell, was the fourth consecutive Number One from Young’s debut self-titled album.
Chalking up four Number Ones is an achievement for any artist. When those four are also consecutive chart-toppers AND all from an artist’s debut studio album, that achievement puts Young up there where the air is rare. Additionally, all four have been certified Platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).
It says so on the shirt!
(L-R): BMLG Records’ Madeline Farr, Michelle Kammerer, Jimmy Harnen, Andrew Thoen, Brett Young, Matthew Hargis, Cherylynne Nader, Producer Dann Huff
To mark that remarkable feat, Brett Young’s label team at BMLG (Big Machine Label Group) and producer Dann Huff surprised Young with a special ‘uniform.’ They came onstage wearing tee-shirts with the number ‘4’ across the front. Young put on his own ‘4’ shirt and posed for photos as he was presented with a unique ‘4 #1s’ plaque.
Those ‘uniforms’ might have reminded Young of what could have been a different career path. A stand-out high school pitcher, he was scouted by both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Minnesota Twins. But following an elbow injury, he focused on a career in music. Baseball’s loss is country music’s gain.
Sean McConnell (left) and Brett Young field media questions. Photo credit: Preshias Harris
Before the presentation of the awards, Young and co-writer McConnell took questions from music industry media. Young was asked if having a Platinum-certified album and four Platinum singles added to the pressure or took the pressure off. Young said, “It makes me feel responsible now to achieve growth.”
Success with ‘relatable’ songs
Responding to a question about ‘In Case You Didn’t Know,’ Young said that the song wasn’t meant to be about any specific relationship. Rather, he saw it as reflecting the way that everybody feels when they are in a relationship, and so they can relate to the song. Similarly, he said that ‘Mercy’ was a song he knew he could sing with feeling. “It’s so relatable,” he added.
Sean McConnell has numerous cuts including songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Meat Loaf, Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Brothers Osborne, Brad Paisley and more. His songs have also been heard on the TV show Nashville.
New album due December 7
(L-R): Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar, BMLG’s Laurel Kittleson, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Producer Dann Huff, Sean McConnell, Warner Chappell’s BJ Hill, Brett Young, ASCAP’s Michael Martin, BMLG Records’ Jimmy Harnen. Photo credit: Preshias Harris
Young’s four consecutive Number Ones are: ‘Sleep Without You,’ ‘In Case You Didn’t Know,’ ‘Like I loved You’ and ‘Mercy.’ His next album, ‘Ticket to L.A.,’ is scheduled for release by BMLG on December 7, 2018. Young has said that the album’s title was inspired by his frequent trips back to his home in California before he moved to Nashville four years ago.
Once again, Dann Huff was tapped to produce. The first single from the album, ‘Here Tonight,’ dropped September 14.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and 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
The writers of the Simpsons apparently know a thing or two about the music business. Or at least the challenges faced by songwriters in the current climate.
In a recent episode, Lisa asks Bart to write a song for her…
Bart: “What will you do for me if I write the song?”
Lisa: “I might make brownies later.”
Bart: “Wow! That’s the best deal any songwriter ever got! And that’s true even if I don’t get the brownies!”
Bart and Lisa. Image copyright Twentieth Century Fox
Hard to believe that the Simpsons have just started their thirtieth season. Over the years, the show has featured a lot of music, both original and pre-existing songs for which the production company had to get clearance prior to use with a synch license.
Fees for a network show such as The Simpsons could be in the $6,000 to $10,000 range for an ‘all television’ synchronization license. Even if Bart doesn’t get the brownies, quite a number of songwriters and music publishers have pocketed some nice change over the years thanks to that animated family.
For a full list of every song ever featured in the Simpsons, by season and episode, visit this Tunefind website. Each listing include the composition’s title, the composer and/or recording artist and links to Spotify, Apple Music, etc. Season 28 was particularly tuneful with eighty-eight songs.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and 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
“I used to think I knew what I was doing 40 years ago, but now I have no idea how songwriting works.” – John Prine
So, take heart, aspiring songwriters! John Prine – one of America’s most respected singer/songwriters has confessed his lack of understanding. Now you have permission to ‘fess up. You can honestly (sort of) say that you know as much about songwriting as John Prine does.
John Prine. Photo credit: Danny Lynch
That quote was taken from an interview in the May 2018 edition of American Songwriter. And so was this one:
“I was waiting and waiting until the song knocked on my door, but I had to put some sort of effort into it, finally. You’ve got to get in there at some point and pull the tooth out.” – John Prine
Songwriting, like any other endeavor, takes a combination of dedication, focus and perseverance. Sitting around waiting for inspiration to strike you isn’t going to cut it.
Keep your hook book handy
Sure, sometimes an idea does suddenly pop up, seemingly from out of nowhere. That’s why you have a hook book, to keep all the words and phrases that come to you when you least expect them. Maybe it’s something you saw on the TV news or a snatch of overheard conversation at Starbucks.
But it’s in the writers’ room when you and your co-writers take those vague ideas, words and phrases and work at turning them into songs. It’s one percent inspiration and ninety-one percent perspiration. Get in there and pull the tooth out.
John Prine’s ‘Tree of Forgiveness’
As for the amazing Mr. Prine, earlier this year he released his first album of new songs in thirteen years. Titled ‘Tree of Forgiveness,’ it was produced by Dave Cobb and released on Prine’s own label, Oh Boy Records.
Read more about John Prine, his music and his upcoming tour dates (most of which sell out fast) at his website.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and 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
Tuesday was a celebration of music milestones for Luke Brian and co-writers Sammy Mitchell, Steven Battey and Robert Williford. ‘One Number Away’ was the reason for the celebrations, and for the standing-room-only crowd at the Number One party at the Sutler Basement in Nashville. ‘One Number Away’ is Luke’s third Number One and the third cut from his debut full-length album, ‘This One’s For You.’ The party was hosted jointly by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville’s Steve Hodges, Sony Music Nashville’s Shane Allen, MakeWake’s Zebb Luster, Big Machine’s Mike Molinar, River House’s Lynn Oliver-Cline, BMI songwriter Robert Williford, 50 Egg’s Jonathan Singleton, Luke Combs, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, ASCAP songwriter/producer Steven Battey, SESAC songwriter Sammy Mitchell, SESAC’s ET Brown, Concord Music Publishing’s Brad Kennard, and BMI’s Leslie Roberts. Photo: Peyton Hoge
In a previous interview Luke said, “We aren’t supposed to be here yet.” Hmmmm… let’s check out the stats. In the last 30 days: Recognized the success of Luke’s three number one singles. Debut single ‘Hurricane’ has been certified 3x Platinum while the next follow-up, ‘When It Rains It Pours’ was certified 2x Platinum. Meanwhile, ‘One Number Away’ was certified Platinum and album track ‘Beautiful Crazy’ was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Artists and bands who value the concept of ‘old school’ recording are finding what they need at a unique studio in Huntsville, Alabama. It’s the new home of both Muscle Shoals Sound Studios (MSSS) and Chess Records, and its owner Noel Webster.
See previous post here for more about the history of MSSS and the unique, historic, recording equipment still in use there today.
Artists who come here to record say they achieve a unique tone; a sound they have not been able to find anywhere else. Noel will tell you that comes from the equipment that he rescued and restored back to its peak performance. Consoles, microphones, amps, speakers and control boards from the Hit Factory, Abbey Road, Capitol Records and Motown.
Noel Webster with Bobby Whitlock’s Hammond organ. Check out the lush woodland through the window! Photo: Preshias Harris
But much of that unique tone must be due to the man at the controls, Noel Webster. A musician himself, he put in twelve years on the road as the ‘sound man’ for acts like the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd at major venues from arenas to stadiums. He developed the skill of making an act sound great at live gigs. He fleshed out that skill with his next venture when he bought and renovated the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studios.
“The music is always going to change, but it all still comes down to the song and the singer. If we can capture them in the most realistic way, the results are astounding.” – Noel Webster
‘It changed their lives’
The refurbished processing effects rack, now up and running in Noel Webster’s Huntsville studio
Thinking back to those days, Noel said, “It started to develop where people would come in and record, but it changed their lives in the way they made records because we didn’t edit everybody in. Such as put a drum and bass down then have everybody build on top of it. We wanted everybody, at the same time, playing together, a core. Then you build on that.”
As we walked through Noel’s studio in Huntsville, his passion for the music and the craft of recording was evident in his voice.
“When we record these [artists], we like to record them ‘live’ on the floor,” he said. “We get as much as we can on those passes. The techniques that we use are based on history. We’ve got our twists and our tools, what we call tradecraft. The little things we like to do.
Microphone, formerly at Abbey Road Studios
“At the end of the day, I’m not out to replicate what was done in the past. I just like to keep it alive. The techniques, the way that people record. The music is always going to change, but it all still comes down to the song and the singer. If we can capture them in the most realistic way, the results are astounding.”
Artists who come to this studio will find a refreshing change from many producers they have previously worked with who might have wanted to retain a financial interest in the recordings.
‘Singles You Up’ goes Platinum; tops 200 million streams
Jordan Davis and his co-writers got together with music industry colleagues and friends to celebrate a Number One. But it was a unique celebration in more ways than one. ‘Singles You Up’ topped Billboard’s Country Airplay charts in April, triggering the Number One party. The bash, co-hosted by ASCAP and SESAC, was held Monday, July 30, at Nashville’s Fat Bottom Brewery.
[L to R]: Steven Dale Jones, Jordan Davis, Justin Ebach. Photo credit: Catrina EngelbyAdditionally, Davis was presented with a plaque marking RIAA’s certification of the song’s Platinum status. During the ceremony, it was also noted that ‘Singles You Up’ has already chalked up more than 200 million streams. Adding a cherry to that sundae, Country Aircheck stated that ‘Singles You Up’ was the ‘most played’ track on country radio for the first half of 2018.
Jordan Davis
Remarkably, this was his first single release, making all the song’s achievements even more unique.
Davis was joined by his co-writers, Justin Ebach and Steven Dale Jones, during a press session prior to the presentation. I asked all three of them if they had left the writers’ room knowing they had a hit with ‘Singles You Up.’ And could they have imagined scoring 200 million streams?
‘You know you’ve got something’
“When I had my first hit, they didn’t have streams,” said Steven. “I remember loving it [‘Singles You Up’]. I remember getting the demo and playing it for my wife, and that’s usually the key. I play her five songs a year and I write a hundred and fifty. So that’s when you know you’ve got something.”
Justin had a similar story. “I think I was telling my wife last week,” he said. “I wrote ‘Sleep Without You’ for Brett Young which was a big hit and, once again, a first single on a new artist. And I literally told her last week – I was playing a [writers’] round – and I was like, ‘Singles You Up’ is bigger than ‘Sleep Without You.’ I mean both are great, I’m grateful for both of them. But this song has just taken on a crazy life. The speed of it and just how much people are holding on to it… So, no, I don’t think I imagined this! [laughs] You asked if it had happened before and I’m like, kinda, but not like this.”
“I was nervous. I was up early. I was trying to come up with something to bring to the room and show that I’m not just in there for him to write me a song.” – Jordan Davis
‘I didn’t want to screw it up’
[L to R]: Steven Dale Jones, Jordan Davis, Justin Ebach. Photo credit: Peyton HogeJordan had vivid memories of the writing session. “That day, that write was, A., getting to see Justin again, because we’ve written before. And B., trying not to have [Steven] notwrite with me again. I didn’t want to screw it up,” he recalled.
“I knew the name Steven Dale jones and I was nervous. I was up early. I was trying to come up with something to bring to the room and show that I’m not just in there for him to write me a song. I’ve never told him this, but that was the goal of that write. And what came out of it was ten times more than me just walking in and being, like, ‘all right dude, show Steven Dale Jones that you can write a song. Please, just do that.’ So definitely, it exceeded my expectations.”
Justin noted that he writes with a lot of artists but it’s great to work with artists who know their phrasing, they know their lyrics they want to say. “Not every artist can do that, and that’s just a testament to him,” said Justin. “As much as ‘Singles You Up’ was a collective and a group thing and may not be totally always the lyric he would say, it’s definitely come out that, looking across the album, his phrasing is in there. His melodies are in there, his lyric is in there. That doesn’t happen for a lot of artists.”
‘Take It From Me’ climbing charts
Home State, Jordan Davis’ debut album
The follow-up single, ‘Take It From Me,’ is already charting. (#38 for the week of August 4, Billboard Country Airplay chart.) Jordan recalled that there was a lot of discussion about which song would be his first single: ‘Singles You Up’ or ‘Take It From Me.’
“I’ve said this from day one, I fought pretty hard for ‘Take It From Me,’” said Jordan. “That’s why we have people that we trust in our corner. I’ve got people that I trust like crazy and they were a hundred percent right. I think ‘Take It From Me’ is a little bit more ‘me’ lyrically, and I think you can see a few more of my influences on some of those lyrics.”
“The artist thing was something that came along, I think, after struggling to get a publishing deal.” – Jordan Davis
Songwriter first, then artist
This may be Jordan’s first Number One, but it is no overnight success. He came to Nashville to be a songwriter and spent several years co-writing and honing his craft. “The artist thing was something that came along, I think, after struggling to get a publishing deal to be honest with you,” he admitted. “I felt that I had a specific way that I wrote songs and a unique way that I delivered them. It just so happens that I found some people that wanted to take a chance on me and make a record.”
Both ‘Singles You Up’ and ‘Take It From Me’ are taken from Jordan Davis’ debut album, ‘Home State (MCA Nashville). The album, produced by Paul DiGiovanni, was released in March 2018. Jordan co-wrote all twelve tracks. Music and more at Jordan’s website. See the official ‘Singles You Up’ video at YouTube here.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and 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
Glasmire doesn’t fit the standard Nashville mold. In fact, he had made the move to Nashville but found he wasn’t a writer who could churn out hits on demand. “But I found out pretty quick that you won’t find success until you’re true to who you are,” Glasmire has said. “Don’t try to be somebody else. If you’re constantly trying to be what somebody else wants you to be, you’re in trouble.” He moved to Arlington, Texas, and found a new energy as both a songwriter and as an artist.
Tuesday was a celebration of music milestones for Luke Brian and co-writers Sammy Mitchell, Steven Battey and Robert Williford. ‘One Number Away’ was the reason for the celebrations, and for the standing-room-only crowd at the Number One party at the Sutler Basement in Nashville. ‘One Number Away’ is Luke’s third Number One and the third cut from his debut full-length album, ‘
