'Pageant Material' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Charts

Nashville singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves’ critically acclaimed sophomore album Pageant Material debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart with 54,752 units sold.  Pageant Material is the follow-up to her Grammy, ACM and CMA award winning debut album Same Trailer Different Park which also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart.  Kacey co-wrote all of the tracks on Pageant Material as well as co-produced with Shane McAnally and Luke Laird.

Pageant Material has received critical acclaim including:

“From beginning to end, it’s an absolute charmer. Every pretty melody, every sweet tart lyric, every vocal and instrumental flourish…they definitely earn her… a 4.0”

American Songwriter – 4 out of 5 stars

“Musgraves confirms her emergence as one of Nashville’s boldest, most effective artists.”

Associated Press

“This is an even better album than her last, with more consistency and variety.”

Billboard – 4.5 out of 5 stars

“…excellent new album…”

No Depression

“Somebody find a tiara: Country has an edgy new queen.”

People

“… more calculated and confident, intent on both courting and bending the mainstream with wit and timeless arrangements.”

Rolling Stone – 45 Best Albums of 2015 So Far

“…Pageant Material, her understated sophomore masterpiece.”

Spin – 9 out of 10 stars

Kacey’s performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series will air on August 17. On August 27, she will kick off The Kacey Musgraves Country & Western Rhinestone Revue in Atlanta, Georgia.  For a full list of tour dates visit www.kaceymusgraves.com.

Read more at http://www.umgnashville.com/news/kacey-musgraves-pageant-material-debuts-no-1-on-billboard-country-albums-chart/

No. 1 Party: ‘Say You Do’

No. 1 Party: ‘Say You Do’

Article by Sarah Skates at Music Row Magazine

CMA Music Fest may be over, but the industry keeps on partying. Yesterday (June 15) ASCAPhosted a No. 1 party for Dierks Bentley’s “Say You Do.” Immediately afterward, his UMG Nashville labelmate Kacey Musgraves celebrated her new album with a listening party at Play, but that’s another story.

“Say You Do” is Bentley’s 13th career No. 1, and the first one he didn’t write. Accordingly, he thanked his label team and album executive producer Arturo Buenahora for conducting an extensive song search for Riser. This is the third No. 1 from the project. The title track and follow-up single went to radio yesterday.

“Say You Do” was written by Shane McAnally, Trevor Rosen and Matthew Ramsey. All three thanked Bentley for his devotion to the craft of songwriting and for being open to cutting outside songs when he is such a talented writer himself.

While McAnally was marking his eleventh No. 1 at the party, he was also basking in a twelfth charttopper—as a co-writer on Kenny Chesney’s “Wild Child” which hit No. 1 yesterday.

Old Dominion bandmates Ramsey and Rosen were toasting their first and second No. 1s, respectively. In concert, the band performs “Say You Do” and have loved the thrill of fans singing it back to them.

Rosen thanked McAnally for floating him with a monthly draw when he was between publishing deals. The no-strings-attached deal evolved into their publishing relationship. “I can’t even believe I get to be a part of this,” said Rosen.

ASCAP’s Mike Sistad led the ceremony. Publishers Music Of RPM, Rehits Music, SMACKSongs, Sonic Geo Music and Universal Music Publishing were on hand to congratulate the group. “I stand in awe of your talent,” saluted Rehits’ Ree Guyer Buchanan. UMPG’s Cyndi Forman recalled loving the song so much she played the work tape over and over. Mike Dungan represented UMG Nashville. Charlie Monk spoke on behalf of the CRB. Riser producer Ross Coppermanwas there to celebrate as well.

Ramsey recalled Sistad’s support early in his career. “Mike heard a glimmer in there,” he said. The PRO rep gave him some valuable advice which he took to heart: “Nobody works harder at this than you—except your wife.”

Ramsey also received words of wisdom from his grandfather before he moved to Nashville, who told him “to get lost on purpose.” In Ramsey’s early days he would drive around exploring the city.

He’s still following that advice, but in a more metaphorical way. When McAnally showed up to write what would become “Say You Do,” he was working with the lines “Say you might/ For tonight,” but didn’t know where the lyrics were going. They decided to get lost on purpose and find out. Turns out it led straight to No. 1.


Read more at http://www.musicrow.com/2015/06/no-1-party-say-you-do-writers-find-hit-by-getting-lost/

Josh Osborne Signs With SMACKSongs As Partner

SMACKSongs President and CEO Shane McAnally announced the signing of songwriter Josh Osborne as a full partner of the music publisher today (June 8).

Osborne’s No. 1 songs include Kenny Chesney’s “Come Over,” Billy Currington’s “We Are Tonight,” Eli Young Band’s “Drunk Last Night” and Blake Shelton’s “My Eyes.” He is a frequent collaborator of Sam Hunt (co-writing his No. 1s “Leave the Night On” and “Take Your Time”) and Kacey Musgraves (co-writing the GRAMMY-winning “Merry Go Round”). Osborne currently has three songs on the charts: Chesney’s “Wild Child,” Jake Owen’s “Real Life” and Shelton’s “Sangria.”

Kobalt, an independent music publishing and global music rights management services company, will serve as the exclusive worldwide administrator for SMACKSongs.

“Since the first time working with Josh, we always knew we wanted to someday build a partnership beyond just writing songs together,” said McAnally. “This partnership marks a new beginning for SMACKSongs and we are excited to welcome him to the SMACK family.”

“Becoming a partner at SMACK is an incredible opportunity,” said Osborne. “To get to be a part of so many projects I believe in professionally, and so many people that I believe in personally, is more than anyone in our business could ask for.”

“The addition of Josh Osborne to the SMACKSongs family further solidifies its position as one of the hottest indie publishers on Music Row,” said Kobalt Senior Vice President of Creative (Nashville), Whitney Daane. “Kobalt is proud and privileged to be a part of the team!”

Founded in 2012 by McAnally, SMACKSongs represents the songwriting catalogs of McAnally, Osborne, Matthew McGinn and Jo Smith. It also represents the works of Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen, members of Sony/RCA’s Old Dominion. The creative team consists of music publishing veterans Robin Palmer and Robert Carlton, with Michael Baum in business affairs and Tiffany Young running operations. SMACKSongs currently has 10 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Osborne was previously signed to Black River Publishing, which he joined in 2010.

Article from Music Row Magazine. http://www.musicrow.com/2015/06/hit-writer-josh-osborne-signs-with-smacksongs-as-partner/

Rolling Stone Songwriter Spotlight: Shane McAnally

Article by Sarah Rodman, Rolling Stone Country

When he was a kid, after school Shane McAnally used to wander around the parking lot outside the clothing store his mother and grandmother owned and entertain himself by making up songs. "I must've looked like a little weirdo," says the Texas native with a laugh, thinking back on his 9-year-old self, happily composing among the cars.

That little weirdo was on to something, however. McAnally grew up to be a Grammy, CMA and ACM award-winning songwriter who has had a hand in writing dozens of hit songs for artists like Miranda Lambert ("Mama's Broken Heart"), Kenny Chesney ("American Kids," "Somewhere With You," "Come Over"), the Band Perry ("Better Dig Two"), Sam Hunt ("Leave the Night On"), Lady Antebellum ("Downtown") and Kacey Musgraves ("Follow Your Arrow," "Merry Go Round").

Although his family was not musical, McAnally says, "I weirdly, innately understood how to do a verse, how to do a chorus." He even recalls one of the songs he wrote, a play on words called "Holly Would." "It was about a girl named Holly who 'would,' like 'Holly would make you crazy, Holly would make you cry.' The fact that I knew to do that, at 12 years old, I just feel like I was made to do this."

But McAnally didn't realize being a songwriter was a job, and as someone who admittedly enjoys being the center of attention, he pursued a career as an artist. He played clubs every weekend from the age of 12, appeared on Star Search at 14 singing Dan Hill's very adult "Sometimes When We Touch" ("Again, what was I doing? Why was I so serious? I did not win," he quips) and moving to Branson, Missouri, for a time at 15.

He landed in Nashville at 19 and tenaciously knocked on doors until he got a record deal, releasing his debut album in 2000 to the resounding sound of crickets. After a six-year stint in Hollywood, McAnally returned to Music City, this time as a songwriter, scoring the 2008 Lee Ann Womack cut "Last Call," and establishing his name in town in a new way. "When Kenny cut 'Somewhere With You,' I felt like somebody kicked the door down and then everything I was doing seemed to make sense," he says. Six years, and many hits, later he was crowned ACM Songwriter of the Year.

McAnally himself can scarcely believe his second-act luck. "I was songwriter who had a record deal that failed and who left town and came back," he says. "To me that seemed like a bigger mountain to climb than if I had just showed up when I was 33 and started brand new, because I had all this baggage of 'Oh, we've heard him, we know him, we've seen him.' It was a complete reinvention of what I was."

That luck extends from his professional life to his personal life where he has amassed a strong group of friends in the Nashville songwriting community including Josh Osborne, Musgraves, Hunt and Brandy Clark — with whom he is composing the music for an adaptation of Hee Haw.

"This sounds so cheesy but, I swear, sometimes I think, how did all of these songwriters end up being people that I would want to be related to?" McAnally says. "Thank God they all do the same thing so that we crossed paths. But it's much more than writing songs together, we're a family."

Rolling Stone Country asked the 10-time chart topper to tell the stories behind some of his most notable hits.

"American Kids," Kenny Chesney (Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, McAnally)
"Rodney and Luke and I sat down and they are the two biggest songwriters in town, and I thought if we can't write a hit in this room, I just don't know," says McAnally of his co-writers who have dozens of Number One hits between them. "None of us had a hook or anything to go on. We sat there for two hours listening to grooves and I came across a page of titles way down in my notes and I started reading them off all together: 'Trailer Park, Truck Stop, Map Dots.' The guys had similar things and we all started digging through our notes for titles that went with that and that is why it feels like snapshots, because there wasn't a linear idea. It was more about feeling like you were watching a slide show."

McAnally says he sent the demo to Chesney in an e-mail but didn't hear back. In the interim, Little Big Town began working up the song. "I was in St. John with Kenny writing 'Wild Child' and on the plane home, he said, 'I feel like we have a lot of good songs, but we don't have a first single.' And he was looking through his e-mails and he was like, 'Oh, here's a song that you sent me a while back that I never listened to.'" McAnally says his heart sank. "He didn't get to the first chorus, he pulled his headphones off and said, 'This is the song, it's going to be the single, this is the song.'" McAnally nervously went to Little Big Town and, he says, "They were very gracious and said you have to let him have it."

"Leave the Night On," Sam Hunt (Hunt, McAnally and Josh Osborne) 
"It was a hook that Sam told me on the phone one day," he says of his most recent Number One. "I was like, you wrote a song called 'Leave the Night On Without Me'? I can't believe you would offer that hook to somebody else. I was being funny but I was mad," he admits. "He said, 'No, no I haven't written it; I just have an idea.' And I was like, 'Oh my God, thank you because I think that's the best lyric I've ever heard.' So we got with Josh Osborne and that was just a typical writing day. We were hashing it out and trying to find the phrasing and it went through some different phases, but that song is pretty close to the way it was written the day we wrote it."

"Merry Go Round," Kacey Musgraves (McAnally, Musgraves, Osborne)
"We were doing a writing trip in Texas for Kacey's first album and Josh and I went out early. My family lives close to where we were going and we were there for July 4th at my mom's house," McAnally says. "Her neighbor had a bunch of cars in the driveway that were blocking the way. And Josh asked my mom, 'What are all those cars next door?' And my mom said, 'I don’t know, Josh, they're selling Mary Kay or Mary Jane or something.' We were in the car trying to come up with every 'Mary' metaphor possible. But when we told Kacey we thought it was going to be a funny song she heard it differently and said, 'It feels like to me you're just talking about the routine of these small towns and how Mary represents everybody.' And that was where that song started."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/songwriter-spotlight-shane-mcanally-tells-stories-behind-the-hits-20150219#ixzz3fnvuhdIE 

Old Dominion Electrify at Sold-Out Nashville Concert

By Annie Reuter January 15, 2016 12:00 PM

A year can change everything, and this fact is not lost on Old Dominion.

The quintet celebrated their first No. 1 as a band Thursday night (Jan. 14) with “Break Up With Him” at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works, and shortly after played to a sold-out crowd. It was a night Old Dominion — made up of songwriters Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers, Geoff Sprung and Brad Tursi — will likely never forget.

“So far 2016 is pretty damn cool,” frontman Ramsey said several songs in. “The first show we played in 2015 there were maybe 25 people there, so this is a welcomed sight.”

The band’s set included 20 songs, both their own and several No. 1 hits that members of the the band wrote for other artists, further showcasing their talents in the country genre. Their current single — the energetic “Snapback” — kicked off their performance and had the crowd dancing along before they segued effortlessly into slower jam “Shut Me Up.”

While their blend of country songwriting, rock guitar riffs and hip-hop beats kept the audience engaged, it was the sheer magnitude of hits they have written that at times was hard to fathom. Members of Old Dominion had a hand in writing Tyler Farr’s “A Guy Walks Into a Bar,” Kenny Chesney’s “Save It for a Rainy Day,” Dierks Bentley’s “Say You Do,” Blake Shelton’s “Sangria,” Sam Hunt’s “Ex to See” and Craig Morgan’s “Wake Up Lovin’ You,” all of which they played while putting their own signature sound on each track.

A band of friends, throughout their set each member was all smiles, frequently leaning up against each other for guitar interludes or sharing animated facial expressions in between each song. Their hometown show was even more special thanks to the fact that the crowd was filled with family and friends.

“Tonight’s a special night,” Ramsey said. “Not only are we in Nashville. Not only did we have a No. 1 party for one of our songs. But tonight, I believe is the first night that every single one of our mothers is in the crowd. Our mamas, we’ve been telling them that people show up when we play and they don’t believe us. So thanks for proving us right.”

While the nostalgic “Nowhere Fast” and “We Got It Right” showcased Old Dominion’s sensitive sides, their playfulness was shown throughout the evening, too. Tracks like the sexy “Wrong Turns” and “Dirt on a Road” amped up the crowd with catchy beats and bass parts alongside sweeping guitar interludes, while the island-esque “Said Nobody” and laid-back “Crazy Beautiful Sexy” continued to show their versatility. It was on their No. 1 single “Break Up with Him,” though, that had the entire venue singing along word for word. Their breakout hit and first No. 1 as a band, which was celebrated in that very room earlier that evening, no doubt held special meaning for Old Dominion.

“This has been a hell of a way to kickoff the year y’all,” Ramsey concluded. “Thanks for coming out.”

Maren Morris opened the night and impressed with songs off her self-titled EP. Tracks like the catchy “Drunk Girls Don’t Cry,” which tells a friend to say goodbye to a terrible guy, caught the audience’s attention while her earworm of a song, “80’s Mercedes” showcased Morris’ staying power. Tapped for Keith Urban‘s upcoming Ripcord Tour, Morris’ command of the stage was impressive. Meanwhile, her powerful storytelling came through with the incredibly honest “I Wish I Was” before her ethereal debut single “My Church” converted the packed venue into a church choir singalong.

Read More: Old Dominion Electrify at Sold-Out Nashville Concert | http://tasteofcountry.com/old-dominion-nashville-concert-2016/?trackback=tsmclip 

Kobalt Music Publishing Inks New Deal with Shane McAnally

Kobalt Music Publishing has welcomed ACM Songwriter of the Year 2014 Shane McAnally back to its fold in a new worldwide admin and creative services deal.

Covering all new works from July 2014, the deal also finds Kobalt retaining works from 2009-2012, which have been with the company from the start through an earlier admin deal). Additionally, the agreement covers all works from McAnally’s publishing company SMACKSongs, which represents writers including Jo Smith, Matt McGinn, and Matthew Ramsey.

McAnally said of the deal: “Kobalt’s model is one that is often imitated, but has yet to be perfected by anyone else. The combination of their incredible creative team along with the accuracy and reach of their collection methods, make them an undeniable perfect partner for me and the Smack family. We are all very excited to be working together again!”

Kobalt Senior VP, Creative (Nashville) Whitney Daane added: “The opportunity to work with Shane McAnally again, as well as to partner with the team at SMACKSongs, is fantastic. We started this journey with Shane in 2009, and to be a part of the profound impact he has had on contemporary country music and help him continue to expand his career as both a writer and producer is thrilling. His talent and passion for music are inspirational.”

Read more at http://www.musicrow.com/2015/01/kobalt-music-publishing-inks-new-deal-with-shane-mcanally/ 

SMACK Celebrates 3 Grammy Nominations

The nominees have been announced for the 2015 Grammy Awards that will take place February 8, 2015. The nominations include:

Best New Artist - Brandy Clark
Best Country Song - "American Kids" Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird & Shane McAnally
Best Country Album - "12 Stories" Brandy Clark

Spotify Honors Shane McAnally

On November 2nd, Spotify took over The Rosewall in Nashville for a special night to honor the craft of songwriting. Over 150 industry and influencer guests came out to celebrate Spotify and kick off CMA Week. The night was curated by Shane McAnally and included a live show with conversation about song’s Shane has written. The timing could not have been more perfect with Shane’s current success on the charts! 

Shane was introduced by Cody Allen from CMT followed by live performances by Shane & Josh Osborne, Jake Owen, Kacey Musgraves and Dierks Bentley. 

But why stop there?  Spotify has released a playlist of Shane’s backstories, anecdotes, demos and personal commentary from the featured artists along with their own hit tracks.  Spotify has called it “SongCraft”, and hope it becomes the first of many episodes honoring the art of the song.

To get Shane’s Inspirations Playlist as well, text “SpotifyCMA” to 444999.

Read more at http://spotify.tumblr.com/post/101765705872/on-november-2nd-spotify-took-over-the-rosewall-in 

Kenny Chesney Returns With "American Kids"

Lead Single from Upcoming Project Celebrates How We Live

Kenny Chesney knew - when he took a year off - when he came back, he wanted his music to hit a whole new level; but he also wanted to make sure he was speaking to the people who have always invested their lives in his music. The result? "American Kids," a multi-tempo celebration of the spirit of young America that packs not one, but two hooks and an innovative lyrical scan. 

"When I heard it, I knew I was gonna cut it," says the man whose won 4 consecutive Academy of Country Music and 4 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Awards. "It was unlike anything I'd ever heard - and I listen to a lot of songs. The rhythms, the images, the way the melody moved... It just grabs you and holds on, but even more importantly, it feels really good." 

Written by Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird and Shane McAnally, Chesney heard the song on a writing trip with McAnally, whose also written Chesney's #1s "Come Over" and "Somewhere With You." While evoking iconics of a certain generation, the song also embraces the in-the-moment lifestyle of today's teens and 20-somethings with complete abandon. And with a chorus that contains the line - "we're all a little messed up, but we're all alright" -- Chesney once again brings the indomitability of the human spirit to the forefront. 

"Hey, life is hard," Chesney says. "People work long hours, have all kinds of stuff going on in their personal lives. But if there's one thing I've seen over the last ten years, looking out at the faces in the crowd: you can't keep my fans down. These are people who no matter what are in love with life, and they're gonna find the good times no matter what. 

"It's not a perfect world. We are all a little screwed up, but we're all okay. I love the idea of the screw up as part of it, because honestly it makes the parts that're great, that much better. You appreciate those things that much more." 

Again co-producing with Buddy Cannon, Chesney is putting the finishing touches on his 16th studio release. With an emphasis on great songs, pushing the boundaries without betraying who he is, the man deemed "The King of the Road" by The Wall Street Journal is looking forward to playing a lot of the new songs on the road in 2015. 

SMACKSongs Signs Matthew Ramsey

Shane McAnally‘s publishing company, SMACKSongs, has signed ASCAP songwriter and artist Matthew Ramsey. Ramsey is the lead singer of the Nashville-based band Old Dominion.

He has penned songs for The Band Perry (“Chainsaw”), Craig Morgan (“Wake Up Lovin’ You”), Dierks Bentley (“Say You Do”), Kenny Chesney and Luke Bryan. Old Dominion’s recently released single, “Shut Me Up,” co-written by Ramsey, has exceeded one million streams on Spotify.