June 2014

Warner Music UK has launched a Spotify app, under the company’s brand PlaylistMe, that invites people to listen to playlists based on the line-ups of key festivals in the UK and beyond. Created to help people navigate the abundance of music events on offer, fans can use the app to discover festivals based on their location, preferred genre or favourite artists. With festival season well underway, now is the perfect time to locate your perfect festival playlist. The playlists feature songs by a selection of the acts appearing at each festival and are updated throughout the season. The app is intended to create a fun and interesting tool for fans who find it difficult to keep on top of who is playing where, and whose interests vary from headliners to up-and-coming artists of different genres. Festivals highlighted vary from the big names of Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds to the more niche such as Slam Dunk and Bloodstock. There is also a ‘Past’ tab that celebrates a selection of classic festivals from years gone by, including Live Aid 1985, Monsters Of Rock 1988 and Isle Of Wight 1970. The app will drive awareness for all the artists featured, who are also invited to share playlists they feature in to boost excitement throughout the season. There is also an opportunity for festivals and their promoters to get involved thanks to the ‘Featured’ section for key partners to share bespoke branded playlists. Reading & Leeds promoters Festival Republic are already on board: “PlaylistMe offers a great way for us to reach Reading & Leeds fans with songs by artists on the Festival line up. The app gives those already holding tickets a chance to discover bands as they’re added the bill, and also allows us to reach a new audience based on their music preferences.” Melvin Benn, MD of Festival Republic.

Rosanne Cash – GRAMMY® and Americana Award winning singer-songwriter/artist testified before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday, June 25 in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the Americana Music Association. The hearings, titled “Music Licensing Under Title 17 Part Two,” is Congress’s chance to hear from those directly impacted by their decisions. “I am honoured to have been asked by the Americana Music Association to represent musicians, songwriters and recording artists in these hearings. As a singer/songwriter who has been in the music business for 35 years, I look forward to sharing with Washington leaders some of the deep concerns all musicians share in the new digital economy. Creative people deserve fair compensation when their work is used by others.” “Rosanne is speaking for our creative community when she takes the stand this week. We hope her testimony will help Congress understand the impact of its decisions for those who make a living through music,” adds Jed Hilly Executive Director of the Americana Music Association, who will accompany Ms. Cash to Capitol Hill. Cash’s father, the late Johnny Cash, testified in 1997 before the same committee regarding the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

British singer-songwriter Sam Hollyman debuted his eclectic style and showcased his song-writing talent at Nashville’s annual CMA Music Festival. The 18 year old performed a full-band set on the Samsung Galaxy Stage which attracted enthusiastic supporters and gained a buzzing interest from new fans. Sam delivered a milestone performance of his young career with a mix of country and Americana styles. The only visiting British artist to be featured at CMA Festival this year, Sam also performed two sets at the Bridgestone Arena Glass Tower Stage as part of the CMR Nashville International Showcases. Hollyman is excited to be a part of country music’s increasing international success and he has recently completed a radio tour in Ireland which included an appearance on the country’s largest radio broadcaster RTE1. His new single ‘One Minute More’ has just been released to UK radio where it has received a great reception from program directors. The song has already smashed its way to number 5 on the UK and Irish Country Charts. Sam’s new album ‘The Red Reel Sessions’ was recorded across the UK and US and is already generating a buzz among fans and industry in both markets. Sam’s inspirations include Hunter Hayes, Alison Krauss and Taylor Swift. This multi-talented teenager has mastered an impressive list of instrument skills including drums, violin, guitar, keyboard and ukulele. A highlight of his young career includes an onstage performance with Canadian crooner Michael Buble which has gained almost 8 million YouTube views. Hollyman also appeared as a contestant on the second season of The Voice UK which further increased his star profile. Hollyman resumes his UK Radio tour now back from Nashville, until mid-July being interviewed and live sessions at various FM and AM stations around the country.

June 24 marked the launch of the seventh annual UK Music Video Awards, almost 50 years since the release of the film which is considered the forerunner to the music video: Richard Lester’s ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ on July 6th 1964. Last year, some of the UK’s most exciting young directing talent picked up awards for outstanding music videos including Rudimental’s Not Giving In, London Grammar’s Wasting My Young Years, and Naughty Boy’s La La La featuring Sam Smith. International winners included the video for Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Sacrilege, and French techno artist and DJ, Gesaffelstein’s, video for the track Pursuit (which has since collected the D&AD video award), while video of the year went to Flying Lotus for Until The Quiet Comes which includes a performance by street dancer, Storyboard P. Awards were also presented last year to Led Zeppelin’s Celebration Day for Best Live Coverage, and legendary film, documentary and music video director Julien Temple was honoured with the Icon Award receiving it from The Kinks’ Ray Davies. This year’s UK Music Video Awards, which is set to return to the Southbank Centre in London on Monday November 10, offers more opportunities than ever for individual directors, producers, and commissioners of music videos to gain recognition for an impressive body of film work over the past 12 months. Entries are now open. There will also be a brand new award for the Best Video Artist for a band or individual artist who has delivered an outstanding set of 3 or more videos in the past year. The UK Music Video Awards editorial director, David Knight, says, “This year’s UK Music Video Awards will celebrate the gamut of music video creativity over the past year, and show how music video continues to nurture new talent in every department of filmmaking. The 50th anniversary of A Hard Day’s Night highlights how the art of music film and video in Britain has a fantastic heritage, which the MVAs does more than anyone to recognise.” The UK Music Video Awards 2014 is now open and accepting entries in over 30 separate categories, including genre-led awards, as well as specific technical and craft awards. Entries can be made via the MVA website www.ukmva.com and the deadline is August 6.

Taking a page from classic western film sagas like‘Tombstone’ and ‘Arizona’, chart-topping country star Randy Houser’s new music video for his single, ‘Like A Cowboy’ is as visually epic as Houser’s vocal performance is powerful. The project was helmed by the acclaimed Film Director, Dustin Rikert. Houser spent a week shooting at multiple locations in Tucson, Ariz., including famed Old Tucson Studios, where many major western films have been shot including ‘Arizona’, ‘McLintock!’, ‘Three Amigos’,’ Tombstone’ and more. Under Rikert’s direction, a cast and crew of more than 75 people (including William Shockley of ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’ fame and Tim Murphy from ‘Sons of Anarchy’) and 50 head of cattle came together for the multi-day shoot, bringing the 1800s period piece to life with ‘Like A Cowboy’ as its soundtrack. You can watch the “Like A Cowboy” video trailer now at http://smarturl.it/likeacowboytrailer. “I really wanted to give [fans] as much as I could possibly give them for a music video and I feel like this song really leant itself to do something unique and special, something that looks just a little beyond where we’ve been,” said Houser. ‘Like A Cowboy’ is the fourth single from Houser’s Stoney Creek Records album HOW COUNTRY FEELS, which has yielded three consecutive number one smashes with the title track, ‘Runnin’ Outta Moonlight’ and ‘Goodnight Kiss.’ Houser is currently touring with Brad Paisley on the ‘Country Nation World Tour’ and continues to perform his own headlining dates across the country.

Dolly Parton, has received, yet, another accolade for RIAA gold, platinum, and multi-platinum career sales of more than 100 million albums worldwide. While attending the historic Glastonbury Music Festival, Dolly took time to speak to journalists before hitting the Pyramid stage in front of a crowd exceeding 100,000 music loving fans. During Dolly’s press event, BBC2 Radio’s Lauren Laverne introduced CTK Management CEO and Dolly Records President Danny Nozell and Glastonbury owner Michael Eavis who made the special plaque presentation which commemorated her sales of 100 million albums worldwide. “I’ve been so busy making records for the past several decades, I didn’t realise I had racked up so many sales. What a great honour to know that I have so many fans that have supported me through the years. Thanks to the RIAA for the acknowledgment and the plaque I feel very honoured and proud,” says Dolly Parton. 2014 has continued to bring Dolly career milestones as her 42nd studio album, BLUE SMOKE , is her highest charting solo album ever in both the United States (landing at number 6 on Billboard Top 200) and in the United Kingdom (landing at number 6 on the UK official chart). Parton’s chart history on the Top Country Albums chart is more befitting of her living-legend status: She’s notched 42 top 10 albums, with six of them going to number one. On the Hot Country Songs chart, she holds the record for the most number among women, with 25.

The Americana Music Association is excited to announce its return to The Maverick Festival on Friday July 4, 2014 for its second annual,day-long conference at Easton Park Farm, situated in the beautiful Suffolk countryside presenting a rich and varied programme of panels, discussions and live music showcases. The day will include a keynote speech from the award winning American folk singer Mary Gauthier plus contributions from the one and only BBC Radio 2 DJ Bob Harris and legendary musician and songwriter Benny Gallagher. We are also excited to welcome top Americana writer Brian Hinton (honoured with an MBE in 2006 for service to the arts), all will be available to share their experiences and expertise on the day. In addition, there will be live performances from blues guitarist Adam Sweet, Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin (winners of the BBC Folk award for best duo) and acclaimed Norwich based singer Jess Morgan. The AMA-UK will also curate the evening programme on The Peacock Stage for the opening night of this year’s festival. The conference provides an exciting opportunity for all those involved with Americana music as musicians, writers, promoters, agents and managers come together under one roof and establish networking opportunities and mutually beneficial, creative solutions to some of the challenges involved with working with Americana music in the UK and beyond. The Americana Music Association UK was formed a year ago with a very clear mission – to encourage an appreciation of Americana music, in all its glorious forms, to improve the public and professional profile of this expansive musical genre and strengthen its ties with the Americana Music Association in the USA, the pioneering body founded in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The AMA-UK membership has grown significantly throughout the year. It has held successful live music events such as its Thanksgiving party at The Old Queens Head in Islington and the three-day series of sell out showcases at Kings Place in February with plans well advanced for more in other parts of the UK.

Jersey’s Frankie Davies has released her first official single ‘Superman’. ‘Superman’ is a tribute, a song full of hope, written by a Daughter for her Father as he battled through cancer treatment, and was released on Father’s Day June 15, 2014. Both heart-wrenching & inspiring at the same time, through the lyrics of this song Frankie turns the tables on her Dad reminding him of how he inspired & encouraged her growing up, asking him now to believe in himself & his own ability to heal, which, miraculously is exactly what he did. Frankie performed the track live with her full band in London at St Pancras Old Church on Thursday June 12 ahead of performances at the Isle of Wight Festival, Barn On The Farm Festival & Fort San Antone, Country Music Festival. ‘Superman’ will be distributed on all digital platforms. A promo video filmed at The Jersey Opera House has been launched on Vevo UK. Fast becoming a favourite amongst UK based country & folk singers, Frankie was born in Jersey but has travelled the length and breadth of the UK and more recently, to LA, San Fransisco and Nashville, to let the world know about her particular brand of original Folk & Country music. With thoughtful lyrics, diverse melodies and a humble, perhaps slightly ditsy stage presence, Frankie woos her audience with beautiful ballads and upbeat dance tunes, all with their origins clearly rooted in the great tradition of Nashville and the South.

Black River Entertainment has announced the release of a limited edition vinyl version of country music singer/songwriter Kellie Pickler’s critically-acclaimed current album THE WOMAN I AM. This is the first vinyl album for Kellie Pickler, and it features exclusive cover art, different from the CD version. “I grew up listening to the vinyl albums of my music heroes…Dolly, Tammy, Loretta, Patsy, and I still do to this day,” said Pickler. “When I think ‘album’ I picture a vinyl LP. I am so excited to have one of my own and to be able to offer it to my fans.” Featuring photography by Robert Ascroft, every image used in the vinyl packaging was captured inside the “Motown Suite” a part of United Record Pressing – where the vinyl was physically pressed. Fans can order an autographed limited edition vinyl copy of THE WOMAN I AM now at KelliePickler.com to be shipped out on June 27. Fans got a first look at the vinyl album when Pickler met them for an exclusive SOLD OUT signing party at Ernest Tubb Record Shop during CMA Music Festival in Nashville earlier this month.

80 of 160 artists announced, include: Amy Ray, Angaleena Presley, Carlene Carter, Ethan Johns, Gregory Alan Isakov, Hayes Carll, Jamestown Revival, Joe Henry, Joe Purdy, Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive, Lee Ann Womack, Marty Stuart, Parker Millsap, Quebe Sisters Band, Rhett Miller, Rodney Crowell, Ruthie Foster, Sarah Jarosz, Shakey Graves, Todd Snider & Friends, Trigger Hippy and Willie Watson. The Americana Music Association expands its festival and conference in its 15th year by announcing its most ambitious and eclectic line-up to date. Anchored by its 13th annual Honours & Awards show on Wednesday, September 17 at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, the Association also adds three-time Americana Group of the Year winners, The Avett Brothers, to a headlining slot at Riverfront Park on Saturday, September 20. Admission to the Riverfront show will be included in Americana Festival & Conference registrations for the September 17-21 event. Individual tickets for The Avett Brothers Riverfront show will go on sale to the general public for $52.50 on Friday, June 27. The Avett Brothers Fan Club members will have a special pre-sale opportunity starting on Tuesday, June 24. All new fan club members must sign up at www.theavettbrothers.com before Monday, June 23 in order to be eligible. Throughout the festival and conference – highlighted by Travel + Leisure as a fine-tuned music destination in its June print issue – a total of 160 artists will perform in 11 venues including 3rd & Lindsley, The Basement, City Winery, High Watt, Cannery, Mercy Lounge, The Rutledge, Station Inn, Music City Roots, Downtown Presbyterian Church and Musicians Corner. The growth of Americana as a genre – curated and cultivated by the Americana Music Association – is evidenced by recent partnerships with cultural epicentre Lincoln Center for ‘Americana NYC’ on August 6-10 and a new GRAMMY category created for the American Roots Field announced in early June: “Best American Roots Performance.” This category is the genre’s third and the only new category created by the Academy this year.