James Stroud Helms Newly-Launched White Mustang Records
Pictured (L-R): Tammy Luker, White Mustang Records; Dewayne Brown, CMG; Pepper Meiler, 9,000 Miles; Craig Campbell, Campbell Entertainment; Michael “Benjy” Cruz, White Mustang Records; James Stroud, White Mustang Records. Photo: Andy Evinger
Music industry veterans James Stroud and Copperline Music Group (CMG)’s Dewayne Brown have launched Nashville-based label White Mustang Records. Stroud will serve as President of the label, which will be distributed by CMG via The Orchard. The label’s first signing will be announced next week.
Pepper Meiler has joined as Head of Marketing, while Michael “Benjy” Cruz has been added to lead Digital Product. Craig Campbell (Campbell Entertainment) will serve as Head of Media for the label and its artists. Stroud’s longtime associate and administrative assistant Tammy Luker also joins the label.
“The staff and myself here at White Mustang could not be more happy with the future of our new label and the soon to be announced roster,” said Stroud. “As we were building this label we looked to partner with the brightest and most forward thinking distribution companies available before deciding that CMG (Copperline Music Group) was the perfect match for us. Dewayne Brown (CMG SVP of A&R) and his staff at CMG work in the trenches everyday and we are so blessed to have them on board as we grow this new venture. “
“I cannot thank James Stroud and his amazing team at White Mustang Records enough for their vote of confidence in our team here at CMG,” said Brown. “James brings his love of the music and the amazing sound back to the country music format that I believe we have all been missing. The team they have assembled at White Mustang speaks volumes for itself. I’m very excited about the upcoming announcement of their roster and our partnership.”
Centricity Publishing Renews Deal With Paul Duncan
Top row (L-R): Justin Nicolet, Creative Director, and Alex Diaz, Publishing Coordinator. Bottom row (L-R): Paul Duncan, Chad Segura, VP, Publishing.
Centricity Publishing, the publishing arm of Centricity Music, has renewed its long-term publishing deal with songwriter Paul Duncan. Duncan was first signed to Centricity in 2016.
The Redondo Beach, CA native is a writer on eight songs recorded by Lauren Daigle, including songs on her current and debut RIAA-certified Platinum albums. Duncan is also a writer on five Jordan Feliz radio singles, including the No. 1 hit “Witness,” as well as “Beloved,” “Changed,” “Faith,” and “Glorify,” and the soon-to-be-released “Jesus Is Coming Back.” He is also a writer on Natalie Grant’s “Face to Face,” Micah Tyler’s “New Today,” and Aaron Cole’s “Only U.”
“The team at Centricity has felt like a true family to me over the time we’ve worked together, and I couldn’t be happier about entering a new season with these friends,” says Duncan. “I’m so grateful for their belief in me and for the music we’ve made together so far. Can’t wait to see what’s next.”
“Paul is one of the most talented writers I’ve ever worked with,” says Chad Segura, Centricity Music, Vice President of Publishing. “Artists love working with him. And his ability to turn a phrase, is truly a rare gift. For all that he’s accomplished so far, I know we’ve only scratched the surface of what he’s capable of…and I’m so glad we get to continue this journey together!”
In addition to penning 15 radio singles and earning numerous ASCAP honors, Duncan has had his work featured on the Ellen Degeneres Show, Stitchers, Crime Watch Daily, Extra, Boston Legal, The Hills, Jersey Shore, and The Real World. He has also penned compositions for T-Mobile, Samsung, Wendy’s, the Criterion Collection, Applegate Farms, Royal Caribbean, and more. He has also served as a guitarist/keyboardist for artists including 98 Degrees, Nick Lachey, Mindy McCready, Mercy Street (RCA) and Sense Field (Nettwerk). He is also a co-founder and co-host of the podcast Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters.
Mimi And Muziqueen, Leaders of Nashville Is Not Just Country Music, Talk Driving a Diverse Scene
Mimi and Muziqueen, leaders of the organization Nashville Is Not Just Country Music.
In June, as the national Black Lives Matter movement surged around the country, industry organization Nashville Is Not Just Country Music released a survey of creators and business executives in the Nashville area, led by the question “Does Music Row Reflect Music City?”.
The majority of those surveyed represented Black/African-Americans (46.2%), and white/caucasian (42.8%), and nearly 40% of participants were artists and singer/songwriters. The survey revealed that 66.2% of those surveyed do not believe the Music Row-area music industry is interested in genres other than country. Nearly half (43.4%) report that they sometimes believe they would have a better career if they left Nashville, while 47.6% believe they have experienced discrimination while working in Nashville’s music industry. 43.4% said they do not feel they have access to resources in the Music Row/Nashville music industry to advance their professional and/or creative careers.
Music industry veterans Jamila McCarley and Thalia Ewing, known as Mimi & Muziqueen, had already been working in Nashville’s music scene for several years. Mimi founded Collab Music Network in 2015, while Muziqueen launched Muziqueen Publishing Administration in 2014. Together, they have more than 20 years’ experience in publishing administration, licensing, and catalog development.
They teamed to build the organization a few years ago to help serve non-country music creators and business executives in the Nashville area, and to help build a networking community and resource hub for Nashville creators and execs in Urban, R&B, pop, hip-hop, rock, and other non-country genres. They began hosting quarterly industry mixers and monthly Urban Writer’s Rounds.
“We saw a need to be a facilitator and advocate for the creators of music that don’t just do country music,” Nashville native Thalia said. “So the Urban Writers Round was birthed out of that. We were very specific when choosing writers, so we wanted to make sure we have someone that represented each genre of music. We wanted to make sure we had equality and gender representation and ethnicity as well, so there was always somebody in the audience who could relate to somebody on the stage regardless of whether it was the music they played or how they looked, or whatever the case may be.” Thalia said.
MusicRow Magazine spoke with Mimi and Muziqueen about the organization’s work to expand opportunities for the non-country music community in Nashville. Click here to read the full interview on musicrow.com.
Carter Faith Signs With Altadena
Rising singer-songwriter Carter Faith has signed an Artist Development deal with Altadena, the multi-faceted music company founded by late hitmaker busbee.
With financial backing and management services from Pound It Out Loud, an entertainment company founded by songwriter and producer Margaret Valentine, the artist development structure will allow Carter to maintain control of her recording and publishing assets while building her career with the Altadena and Pound It Out Loud teams. Carter released her first song, “Leaving Tennessee,” at the end of July, and it has quickly accrued nearly one million on-demand streams. Her follow-up single, “Sinners in a Small Town,” will release Friday, Oct. 16, with a video following later in the month. Both songs were co-written by Faith, Valentine, and Jen Stegall and co-produced by both Stegall and Valentine.
Altadena President Daniel Lee says, “The first time I heard Carter sing, I knew she had a gift. The first time I sat with her, I knew she had a voice. And the first time I saw her perform, I knew she was a star. I’m excited to carry on the incredible legacy busbee built through his work with Maren [Morris] and Carly [Pearce] as we introduce to the world, the next rising female country star.”
A North Carolina native, Carter moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University and pursue her craft in songwriting.