UMPG Nashville Promotes Missy Roberts To Vice President, A&R
Missy Roberts
Universal Music Publishing Nashville has promoted Missy Roberts to Vice President, A&R. She will continue reporting to Troy Tomlinson, chairman/CEO of the company’s Nashville division.
An 18-year industry veteran, Roberts represents notable UMPG songwriters including Ingrid Andress, Justin Ebach, Paul DiGiovanni, Brandi Carlile, Derrick Southerland, Cole Taylor, Caitlyn Smith, Shane Minor, Jamie Paulin and Jeff Middleton. She joined the company in 2012 and previously served as Senior Director, A&R.
Prior to joining UMPG, Roberts held A&R roles at Sony Music Nashville, Disney Music Publishing Nashville, Stage Three Music and EMI Music Publishing.
Tomlinson says, “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Missy and watching her grow as a leader over a number of years. Her thoughtful approach when signing songwriters and setting up collaborations make her an absolutely excellent example of what A&R should look like. Missy’s voice on our team and within the Music Row community position her well for this leadership role.”
“Universal Music Publishing is home to the absolute best-in-class creators, leadership and culture. Everything we do is designed to make sure songwriters are always first. None of us succeed or grow without belief. Universal Music’s belief in me is inspiring and humbling at the same time, and I want thank Troy for this opportunity,” says Roberts.
Roberts is part of the 2020 class of MusicRow Magazine’s Rising Women on the Row.
On The Row: Bexar Combines Avicii & The Avett Brothers On Warner Music Nashville Debut
Bexar’s Logan Turner and Chris Ryan with guitar player Alex Burleson. Photo: Haley Crow
Rising country band Bexar are bringing a unique mix of influences to country music, drawing musical inspiration from Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers and Avicii. Their blend of country, which reintroduces the genre to the pop potential of wooden instruments and organic soul, is on full display on their forthcoming EP Pronounced Bear, out Sept. 3 on Warner Music Nashville.
Band-mates Chris Ryan (lead vocals/guitar) and Logan Turner (vocals/banjo/guitar) recently stopped by the MusicRow office to show off their unique sound.
Bexar is pronounced like “Bear,” hence the tongue-in-cheek name of the EP. The band derived its name from Bexar County, Texas, where Ryan spent much of his childhood. “Warren wasn’t as good as Bexar,” Turner jokes about his hometown.
Since their 2018 self-released EP, the band has accumulated nearly 40 million streams to date. “That first EP was a collection of songs we wrote separately from each other. For this EP, [the songs were written] once we got our heads together and decided that we wanted to be a band and what our sound and vision would be for the Bexar band,” Ryan says.
The upcoming EP was produced by award-winning producers Ross Copperman and Luke Laird and features six tracks. The lively “Key To Life,” co-written by Laird, Ryan and Barry Dean, takes a wise look at what really matters in life.
Click here to read the entire interview on musicrow.com.
CJ Solar Signs With Edgehill Music Publishing As Flagship Writer
Pictured (L-R): Matthew Jafari, Edgehill Music Publishing VP of Operations; Craig Campbell, Campbell Entertainment; Kent Wells, Edgehill Music Publishing Creative Director; CJ Solar; Josh Joseph, Big Plan Holdings/Edgehill Music Publishing Co-Founder & CEO; Spencer Rabin, Edgehill Music Publishing writer/producer; Tara Joseph, Big Plan Holdings/Edgehill Music Publishing Co-Founder.
Photo: Katie Larson
CJ Solar has signed an exclusive publishing deal with Edgehill Music Publishing.
A native of Baton Rouge and a Belmont University graduate, Solar has penned No. 1 hits with Morgan Wallen’s “Up Down” and Jameson Rodgers’ “Some Girls.” “Up Down” earned him awards from ASCAP and the Nashville Songwriters Association International. He also co-wrote Jason Aldean’s “I Don’t Drink Anymore,” Justin Moore’s “Between You & Me,” Jerrod Niemann’s “The Regulars,” and more. He hit No. 1 on the Texas Chart with Mike Ryan’s “Damn Good Goodbye” and Kyle Park’s “What the Heaven.”
As an artist, Solar has released three EPs including the singles “American Girls” and “Airplane” and the Top 10 “Coming My Way.” He received the MusicRow Independent Artist of the Year Award in 2019, and tours coast-to-coast headlining his own dates and opening for artists including Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, Gary Allan, Chris Janson, Hank Jr, Aaron Watson, and others.
“We’ve been keeping an eye on CJ just waiting for the day he became a free agent,” says Edgehill co-founder Josh Joseph. “He’s an amazing talent, and we are honored to have him as the flagship writer at Edgehill Music Publishing.”
“Edgehill is an amazing company with people who thrive on creativity and connection,” Solar shares. “It’s the perfect place for me both as a songwriter and an artist, and I can’t wait to see what the coming years bring.”
Tigirlily Signs With SMACKSongs/Kobalt
Pictured (L-R): Lee Krabel, Kendra Slaubaugh, Krista Slaubaugh, Stephanie Cox, Jesse Willoughby. Photo: Molly Bouchon
Country duo Tigirlily has signed a worldwide publishing deal with SMACKSongs and Kobalt.
Made up of sisters Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh, Tigirlily signed with Shane McAnally and Jason Owen’s record label Monument Records last year. This partnership with SMACKSongs extends the band’s relationship with McAnally.
“From the first time I saw Tigirlily play downtown, I’ve been a big fan. I am so excited SMACK gets to be a part of Kendra and Krista’s songwriting journey,” says Lee Krabel, VP of Publishing, SMACK. “We can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.”
Originally from North Dakota, Tigirlily has been touring across the mid-west since they were young teens. The duo has opened for artists including LeAnn Rimes, Kane Brown, Lee Brice, and more.
Tigirlily released their debut self-titled EP on Monument Records this year, including their song “Somebody Does,” which made it to the top of both the iTunes Country Songs chart and the iTunes All Genre songs chart upon release.
“We are so excited to find our publishing home with SMACK/Kobalt,” says Krista. “We felt like this fit was perfect for our vision as writers, artists, and creatives.”
“Over the last year we have been working with Shane McAnally on the production/label side as well as working with several writers on the SMACK roster on the first project we released with Monument Records,” continues Kendra. “SMACK feels like a family that truly believes in your vision, so we’re very thankful to be working with a team like theirs.”
GM/SVP of Creative at Kobalt, Stephanie Cox adds, “Kobalt is excited to welcome Kendra and Krista to the family and work alongside our incredible partners at SMACK on Tigirlily’s songwriting and artistic journey.”