Music News (8/20/14)

Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show, perhaps best-known for their signature tune “Wagon Wheel,” has inked a worldwide publishing agreement with Downtown Music Publishing. According to Downtown Nashville’s A&R VP Steve Markland, the agreement covers all five of the band’s studio albums, including their latest, Remedy, which launched on July 1 on ATO Records.

“We are very proud to be representing Old Crow Medicine Show and their entire body of work,” said Markland. “The band’s level of excitement surrounding the release of their new album Remedy feels like an all-time high.”

• • •

Pictured (L-R): John Allen (BMG Chrysalis), Marc Driskill (AIMP Exec. Director/Sea Gayle), Kari Barnhart (5/3 Bank), Brian Brasher (Panelist), Lindsey Williams (Panelist), Randy Wachtler (Panlist), Brad Peterson (5/3 Bank), Hunter Williams (Production Music Association), Tim Fink (SESAC), Michael Martin (ASCAP), Paul Jones (Panelist). Photo: Misha Tristan

The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville and Fifth Third Bank hosted the Production Music Association for a sold out Production Music 101 panel on Aug. 6 at ASCAP’s Connie Bradley Board Room. The event offered insight from panelists Randy Wachtler (Warner/Chappell Production), Brian Brasher (Pitch Hammer Music), Paul Jones (Auralation Music) and Lindsey Williams (Composer/Really Big Bison Music) and moderated by Hunter Williams (PMA).

• • •

BMI hosted a songwriter mixer on Aug. 12 which took place at their Nashville offices in their Writer/Publisher lobby. More than 75 writers attended the event and enjoyed dinner and drinks while networking with other songwriters and setting up future collaborations.

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Perry Howard, songwriter Matt Chase, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, songwriter James McNair.

• • •

Ashley Gorley

Ashley Gorley is the only Nashville songwriter in Billboard’s Top 10 Songwriters list, based on airplay in the second quarter. During that time period Gorley scored as a co-writer on Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again,” Joe Nichols’ “Yeah,” and Rascal Flatts’ “Rewind.”

Sony/ATV ranked as the top overall publisher on the Publishers Quarterly chart, propelled largely by Country hits including Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic.” Overall, the publishing powerhouse which holds the EMI catalog, had a 32.2 percent share of the top 100 radio songs. Sony/ATV’s Country share grew from 26.9 in the first quarter, to 34.8 percent in the second quarter.

Warner Chappell landed at No. 2 Country with a 19.8 percent share in the second quarter. WC is No. 3 overall with 14.3 percent.

Nashville indie Big Loud Bucks ranked in the Top 10 overall with 1.6 percent.

Rounding out the overall Top 5 are UMPG at No. 2 with 15.2 percent, followed by Kobalt (9.8%) and BMG Chrysalis (6.5%).

• • •

Station Inn’s J.T. Gray

While developers and investors continue to roll out plans for more upscale, stylish condominiums, trendy eateries, and sleek office buildings in and around Nashville’s Gulch area, music venue Station Inn— a one-story stone building with boarded up windows—provides a no-frills musical harbor amid a glossy sea of modern structures.

Inside, wooden walls along with a bare-bones assortment of tables and chairs, greet visitors, and lights are focused on a modestly sized stage. A wooden bar offers an array of snacks and drinks. “I’ve always said it’s more of a listening room than a nightclub,” says Station Inn owner and operator J.T. Gray. “It’s the hardwood floors and the wooden walls. It’s not a flashy place. People come in here and try to start getting rowdy, they find out fast it’s not that kind of place.” Instead, it’s one of Nashville’s premier venues where music aficionados flock to revere and to become immersed in the music and history within its walls.

Read more at MusicRow.com.

• • •

MusicRow is compiling its annual Publisher Issue, currently accepting applications for inclusion until Friday, August 22. A new submission form is available here.