INDIE MUSIC NEWS:
Like her hero, Roger Miller—widely known for his novelty songs with clever lyrics—Jenny Tolman, loves poking fun in rhyme and doesn’t shy away from sensitive subjects. This time it’s the social media community Tolman is targeting when her latest single, “Invent A T-Shirt” drops Friday, Oct. 2. Tolman, who the Tennessean named “Artist to Watch in 2020” and Rolling Stone included her debut in “40 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2019” (#24), wrote ‘Invent a T-Shirt’ with Dave Brainard and Bill Whyte. “We wrote this because I think we all need to stick a pin in our tension balloons and take a second to laugh at ourselves.” Tolman pauses, “I’ve never gotten too into politics as I like to take the WWDD (What Would Dolly Do) approach, and I still hold that true, but I felt like someone needed to come out and say, ‘HOLD UP! We have all gone a little crazy, and that’s OK, but let’s just acknowledge it and stop being jerks to each other, please!’” More at https://www.jennytolman.com/
Lukas Nelson wants to make a ‘Desert Island’ record. In an interview with the Tennessean, Lukas – son of Willie Nelson – says he has spent much of the self-quarantining time going through his collection of 200+ unpublished songs he has written over the past ten years. The objective: find the songs that are the best of the batch and good enough to go on an album you’d want to take with you on a desert island. He and his team reduced the hundreds down to 25 and finally 15 – “the cream of the crop,” he says – as he prepares to go into a studio to record the project. Lukas told The Tennessean’s Matthew Leimkueler: “It’s still humbling knowing there are many things I’m terrible at. There are a couple things I’m pretty damn good at. And one of ’em (is) songwriting.” Find the full interview at https://www.tennessean.com/ under the ‘Music’ sub-head.
INDUSTRY NEWS:
Congrats to Mac Wiseman and all at Big Loud Records who celebrated their 5th anniversary as a record label. As Billboard noted in a feature story by Tom Roland about Big Loud, the company has grown from a small ‘DIY’ outfit to a business with a staff of 23 including CEO Seth England who caught Wiseman’s attention when he was an intern at the publishing company. The label’s roster includes 11 homegrown artists such as HARDY, Morgan Wallen and Chris Lane in addition to hitmaker Jake Owen and several emerging artists. In July, Big Loud launched the HiXTAPE lifestyle brand, inspired by HARDY’s HiXTAPE collaborations. The brand will feature T-shirts and other apparel. Big Loud’s first single release was Chris Lane’s “Fix” that topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart in August 2016. More on Big Loud Records at https://bigloudrecords.com/
LABEL NEWS:
(REBEL RECORDS)
Rebel Records have released “Love Bug,” the debut single from their newest artists The Kody Norris Show, a colorful, entertaining bluegrass band in the style of Jimmy Martin. In addition, Rebel Records are highlighting some of the many talented female artists who have recorded for the label through the years. Ever since the dawn of bluegrass, women have been an integral part of the label’s mix. Many of the leading female bluegrass performers of the last half century have found a supportive home at Rebel Records. Chief among them is Wilma Lee Cooper who was one of the earliest female bluegrass performers. After the passing of her husband/partner Stoney in the middle 1970s, Wilma Lee enjoyed a successful solo career that included the album A Daisy A Day. More about Rebel Records and their catalog at https://rebelrecords.com and info about The Kody Norris Show at https://thekodynorrisshow.com/home.
(SHOWDOG NASHVILLE)
Multiplatinum selling country singer and recently signed Show Dog Nashville recording artist Clay Walker released “Need A Bar Sometimes,” his debut single for the label, in August. Produced by Michael Knox (Jason Aldean) and Jaron Boyer and co-written by Walker alongside Boyer, Josh Mirenda and George Birge, the neo-traditional track is framed by a future-forward steel guitar lick and airy musical bed, finding Walker’s celebrated vocals going down as smooth as a cold beer on a hot day. With four platinum albums and a dozen No. 1 hits to his credit, Walker has been embracing the evolution of the genre and working with many of country music’s top songwriters. No slouch in that department himself, the native Texan has written or co-written many of his biggest hits including “Live Until I Die,” “Rumor Has It” and “I Can’t Sleep.” Walker signed with TKO Artist Management last year, and with Toby Keith’s Show Dog Nashville record label this month. With new creative and business teams, Walker readies for his 12th studio album. More info at https://www.claywalker.com
LEGEND NEWS:
Charlie Daniels Jr., son of the late Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member legend Charlie Daniels, has announced a new direction for his father’s legacy. As of September 1, Daniels’ longtime company, CDB, Inc., will transition into Charlie Daniels Brand, Inc. The venture will focus on product branding and licensing, various Charlie Daniels legacy projects, as well as official CDB merchandise. “My mom and I were devastated over the passing of my father,” Daniels Jr. explains. “As the dust settles, we want to keep his legacy alive and extend it for future generations. So, we have established a new company to do just that. We’re excited for what the future holds.” “I was blessed to have been a small part of an incredible journey that lasted almost 50 years,” notes Daniels’ longtime manager David Corlew. “I’m glad to see that Hazel and Charlie Jr. are committed to extending the legacy of my friend, patriot and gifted artist, Charlie Daniels.” More information at https://www.charliedaniels.com/
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