Joe Clemmons Inks Publishing Deal With UMPG Nashville
Joe Clemmons. Photo: Nathan Zucker
Universal Music Publishing Nashville has signed Joe Clemmons to an exclusive, worldwide publishing agreement. The songwriter has had cuts with Gabby Barrett, Hardy, Brian Kelley, Ryan Hurd, Kameron Marlowe, Catie Offerman, and Josh Abbott Band.
The east Texas native moved to Nashville in 2008, where he developed his passion for guitar and songwriting while attending Belmont University. He spent several years on the road as a touring musicians with artists Hurd, Hardy, Maren Morris, Steve Moakler, and more, before choosing to focus solely on songwriting in 2017. Clemmons co-wrote “Rose Needs A Jack” on Barrett’s highly acclaimed debut album as well as Hurd’s “Wish For The World,” which earned the writers a 2020 AIMP Nashville Awards Publisher’s Pick nomination.
“A true song crafter and exceptional player, Joe is one of the most exciting talents for his generation of songwriters. We are beyond excited to be representing him at UMPG,” says Senior Director A&R, UMPG Nashville Missy Roberts.
“I have always been such a fan of the UMPG Nashville team. They consistently succeed at developing songwriters and taking them to the next level,” shares Clemmons. “After meeting with Missy and Terry Wakefield, I felt like I found a place where I could really thrive as a songwriter. I have such respect for them and all they have accomplished, and it’s an honor to join the Universal Music Family.”
AIMP To Host State Of The Music Business Post-Pandemic Webinar With John Esposito
AIMP Nashville will be hosting a State of the Music Business Post-Pandemic Webinar this Thursday, June 24 at 2:30 p.m. CST. John Esposito, Chairman & CEO at Warner Music Nashville, will be joining the virtual conversation with moderator and journalist Cindy Watts.
Together, the pair will discuss the current state of the music industry as we begin to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics of discussion will range from the touring resuming, COVID’s impact on radio tours, how the A&R Department is signing new artists, what “back to work” will look like for Warner Music Nashville, streaming vs. radio, and more.
The webinar is free for AIMP members and $5 for non-members. To register for the event, click here.
Jenna Paulette Signs Publishing Deal With Sea Gayle Music
Pictured (Top Row, L-R): Brandon Gregg, JD Groover, and Kim Wiggins (Sea Gayle); (Middle Row, L-R): Helena Capps (Wildrose Projects); Emily Witters (Sea Gayle); MaryAnn Keen (BMI); (Bottom Row. L-R): Marc Driskill (Sea Gayle); Jenna Paulette; Chris DuBois (Sea Gayle)
Jenna Paulette has signed a global publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music. Her new single, “Country In The Girl,” will be released this Friday, June 25, via her independent label, Grit Brand Entertainment. The upcoming track was penned with fellow Sea Gayle writers Jeb Gipson and Smith Ahnquist, and has already achieved viral success prior to its official release, with a preview of the chorus racking up over 2.5 million views.
Born and raised in Dallas, Paulette is a staple of the Song Suffragettes, the weekly female singer-songwriter showcase at Nashville’s Listening Room Café. Her songs have appeared on Apple Music’s “Breaking Country” playlist, Google Play’s “Country’s New Crop” playlist, and Radio Disney. Paulette was named one of CMT’s Discovery Artists, and has also toured with Mason Ramsey, Clay Walker, and Joe Nichols, among others.
“Jenna’s skillset as an artist and a songwriter, paired with her work ethic is undeniable,” says Sea Gayle’s Creative Director Emily Witters. “We couldn’t be more excited to have her join the Sea Gayle family and to support her in this next chapter of her already flourishing career.”
“Viacom/CMT’s Leslie Fram first introduced me to Marc Driskill at Sea Gayle Music,” shares Paulette. “After that initial meeting, Sea Gayle felt like the right place for me. From the writers to each member of their team, including the wonderful Emily Witters, I truly feel I now have so many champions. It’s such a collaborative environment, and I am honored to belong on their roster of writers.”
Acclaimed Nashville Songwriter Ross Copperman Finds Artist Voice Again
Ross Copperman. Photo: Gus Black
With 30 No. 1 country songs to his credit, Ross Copperman is a well-known name on Music Row. He’s been a part of massive country hits with Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker and more. He’s earned numerous songwriter awards, including two CMA Triple Play Awards and an ACM Songwriter of the Year win. Additionally, Copperman’s production work has garnered him several Grammy nominations.
While his work in the country space has no doubt kept him busy, Copperman’s musical story started in 2006 as an artist signed to the UK-based Photogenic Records—where Natasha Bedingfield was signed at the time. While he had success with pop-rock songs “As I Choke” and “All She Wrote,” Copperman felt the pull to something different.
“I did a lot of touring and making records—I did my time in the UK and I got burned out on being an artist when I was younger. I didn’t know what I was doing,” Copperman tells MusicRow.
With a need for a new direction, Copperman returned home to the United States and headed to Music City. “I knew that I was a songwriter first and I knew that Nashville was the Mecca of songwriting. I also knew that the way I wrote songs was in a very Nashville-style way of writing songs. So I came here and was embraced by the community immediately. I found people that loved songwriting as much as I did. I fell in love with it like everyone else that comes here and falls in love with it.”
Now, with nearly 20 years of success as a hit songwriter under his belt, Copperman is returning to the artist spotlight.
“That desire was always there. It never went away, I just buried it for a long time,” Copperman says. “The pandemic happened and I was like, ‘If I’m going to do it, this would be the time to do it.’ It gave me the time to be able to focus on it, and I found a team that believed in me and my music. That was a huge part of it, finding people that actually believed in what I was doing.”