Music News (6/8/16)

RaeLynn Signs To Warner Bros. Records/Warner Music Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Peter Strickland, EVP/GM, WMN; John Esposito, Chairman & CEO, WMN; Raelynn; Blake Shelton; Scott Hendricks, EVP A&R, WMN

RaeLynn is the latest signing to Warner Bros. Records/Warner Music Nashville.

The singer-songwriter made it official by signing her recording contract at a private party on Tuesday night (June 7) at Aurora Studio in downtown Nashville.

After signing, she performed a few new songs from her upcoming album. Country singles will be worked by the WMN Promotion team.

A former contestant on The Voice, RaeLynn was previously signed to Big Machine Records and earned a gold-certified single for 2014’s “God Made Girls.” Her exit from Big Machine Records was confirmed in May. She is managed by Kerry Hansen at Big Enterprises.

Tim Carroll Signs Publishing Deal With Carlin Nashville

Tim Carroll

Carlin Nashville has signed Nashville rock artist and songwriter Tim Carroll to a worldwide publishing agreement.

Carroll’s songs have been recorded by more than 50 bands and artists, including John Prine, Asleep At The Wheel, BR549, Robbie Fulks, Bobby Bare Jr., Sunny Sweeney, Kasey Chambers and Sonny Burgess.

Carroll began his career in the late ‘70s as the rhythm guitarist for Indiana punk band, The Gizmos. He went on to form alt-country band The Blue Chieftains in NYC in the ‘80s. The band released a vinyl 45 single in 1989, spawning Prine’s cover of the Carroll-penned B side “If I Could, Then I Would.”

Carroll moved to Nashville in 1993 and two years later landed on the cover of Billboard magazine in an article about Nashville’s burgeoning alt-country music scene. He was nominated for a Nashville Music Award for Best Unsigned Artist in 1996 before signing a record deal with Sire Records in 1997. Carroll has since released eight solo albums to wide acclaim.

His recordings have been featured in several major motion films. 1999 cult classics Drop Dead Gorgeous and Election include “A Girl That’s Hip” and “Find a Way to Win,” respectively. “What’ll We Do ’Til Then” appears in the 2011 comedy Peace, Love & Misunderstanding.

Warner/Chappell Music Signs Donovan Woods

Donovan Woods

Warner/Chappell Music has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with songwriter/recording artist Donovan Woods. The Ontario, Canada native has released four solo projects, and has penned songs for Tim McGraw, Charles Kelley, Billy Currington, Alan Doyle and more.

Woods has also announced a string of North American tour dates, including stops in Nashville, New York, and Toronto, in support of his latest album; Hard Settle, Ain’t Troubled will be released in the U.S. this summer.

Bill Anderson Renews Publishing Deal With Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Pictured (L-R): Terry Wakefield, Sr. VP Creative, Sony/ATV; Bill Anderson; Troy Tomlinson, President/CEO, Sony/ATV

Songwriter and country music icon “Whisperin’” Bill Anderson has re-signed once again with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. The six-time Songwriter of the Year award-winner first signed with Tree International, now owned by Sony, in 1958.

Anderson has penned hits for artists including “Whiskey Lullaby,” (Brad Paisley/Alison Krauss), “A Lot Of Things Different,” (Kenny Chesney), “Give It Away,” (George Strait), and “Country,” (Mo Pitney). Other well-known songs include “Still,” “City Lights,” “The Tips Of My Fingers,” “Po’ Folks,” “Mama Sang A Song,” “8X10,” and many more.

With 40 studio albums and seven No. 1 singles to his credit, the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member is set to release an autobiography Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life In Country Music on Sept. 1.

Jordan Davis Earns Songwriters Hall of Fame Scholarship

Jordan Davis

Nashville singer-songwriter Jordan Davis has been selected for a Songwriters Hall of Fame Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting. As the only Nashville songwriter in the group, he joins fellow ASCAP songwriter Miya Folick, BMI’s Tye James & Jon Buscema (KNGDAVD) and Donna Missal, and SESAC’s Zach Wilson.

In 2015, Davis signed with ole and Universal Music Group Nashville. He has opened for Chase Rice, Randy Rogers Band, The Cadillac Three, David Nail and more, and he is in the studio working on his debut album.

Recipients of the Abe Olman scholarships are selected by the PROs. One previous recipient of the honor was John Stephens, whose scholarship money allowed him to finish his first album which went on to win a Grammy. Today, he is known by the name John Legend and received the Hal David Starlight Award in 2007. Olman was one of the founders of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in addition to being a songwriter and a prominent figure in the music publishing field.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame also announced a slew of additional accolades.

The Holly Prize, awarded to a new “all-in-one musician/singer/songwriter,” has been awarded to guitar virtuoso  Shun, who earned the 2015 Boston Music Award for International Artist of the Year.

The NYU Steinhardt Songwriting Scholar Award, presented to a music composition student, has been awarded to Nils Becker, who will spend time co-writing in Nashville in 2016.

Finally, Julian King has been selected as the inaugural recipient for the Curtis Mayfield Scholarship Award, which recognizes a promising singer/songwriter whose work reflects the inspiration, spirit and soul of Curtis Mayfield.