Music News (2/25/26)

ASCAP To Relocate Nashville Office To New Building

ASCAP will relocate its Nashville office from its current location on Music Row to a new building in the Wedgewood Houston neighborhood. The new office is scheduled to open in the fall of this year.

ASCAP has spent more than 30 years in its current space. In addition to a more modern workspace and technology capabilities for the ASCAP membership and licensing teams in Nashville, the newly constructed ASCAP office will include upgraded writers’ rooms and an event space for member gatherings and performances.

“We have loved our time on Music Row, but as our office needs have evolved, we are excited to move into a space that will better serve our community of members and employees in an area of Nashville bustling with creative energy,” says ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews.

“We are really looking forward to welcoming ASCAP members to our new Nashville home,” adds ASCAP VP of Nashville Membership Mike Sistad. “Music City is constantly expanding, and ASCAP’s new space will offer our members more opportunities to gather as a community.”

ASCAP recently completed the sale of the Music Row building to new owners but will remain in its current offices until May. After that, the team will move to temporary office space until the new space is complete.

Hit Country Songwriter Brett Jones Passes

Brett Jones

Nashville songwriter Brett Jones has died at age 69.

Jones earned 10 BMI Awards for co-writing country hits. Among his big songs are “You Won’t Ever Be Lonely” (Andy Griggs), “Crazy Town” (Jason Aldean) and “Cover You in Kisses” (John Michael Montgomery). He provided hits to such stars as Montgomery Gentry with “What Do You Think About That,” Blue County with “Good Little Girls,” Tracy Lawrence with “Better Man, Better Off,” and his co-writer Bobby Pinson with “Don’t Ask Me How I Know.”

Among his biggest chart toppers were 2009’s “That’s How Country Boys Roll,” sung by Billy Currington and 2011’s “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away,” sung by Justin Moore.

During his 25-year career on Music Row, Brett Jones was responsible for more than 300 recorded songs, 14 top-10 hits and seven No. 1 successes. He provided songs to such artists as Chris LeDoux, Darryl Worley, Ricky Van Shelton, Jeff Carson, Darius Rucker, Reba McEntire, Colt Ford, Lorrie Morgan and Tracy Byrd, among dozens of others. Trace Adkins recorded six of his works; Logan Mize recorded five. Jones’ “old school” country style was particularly favored by Canadian country stars such as Gord Bamford, George Canyon and Paul Brandt.

Read Jones’ full obit here.

George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Don Cook & Keith Gattis Inducted Into Texas Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Pictured (L-R): Parker McCullom, Bubba Strait, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Jamey Johnson, Dean Dillon, Ashley Monroe and Penny Gattis. Photo: Tyler Conrad

On Saturday evening (Feb. 21), the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association inducted George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Don Cook and Keith Gattis into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The ceremony, emceed by Ronnie Dunn, took place at ACL Live in Austin, Texas with performances from Brooks & Dunn, Jamey Johnson, Parker McCollum, Randy Houser, Natalie Hemby, Ashley Monroe, Dean Dillon, Waylon Payne, Bubba Strait, and more, along with special appearances by inductees Lambert and Strait.

The evening also honored owners and founders of Arlyn Studios, Lisa and Freddy Fletcher, with the Darrell K Royal Texas Music Legend Award.

Gattis was honored with performances of “Reconsider,” “El Cerrito Place” and “I Got A Car.”

Brooks & Dunn, delivered heartfelt renditions of “Brand New Man,” “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” and “That Ain’t No Way to Go” to honor Cook, who has amassed 20 No. 1 hits.

McCollum, Hemby and Monroe took the stage to honor Lambert with renditions of “Famous in a Small Town,” “Bluebird” and “Heart Like Mine.” She took the stage alongside Jack Ingram and Jon Randall for “Tin Man.”

Johnson and Dillon each took the stage for “Kicked Out of Country” and “Drinkin’ Man” respectively. The celebration culminated with a special performance of “Here for a Good Time,” featuring Strait alongside his son Bubba.

Shaboozey Inks Publishing Deal With EMPIRE

Shaboozey. Photo: Daniel Prakopcyk

Shaboozey has signed a publishing deal with EMPIRE Publishing, the publishing arm of independent record company EMPIRE.

EMPIRE and Shaboozey have already shared massive successes with each other on the label side, including RIAA Diamond-certified hit single “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and RIAA Gold album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going. The publishing team is helmed by President Vinny Kumar, who helped secure the deal alongside EMPIRE Publishing SVP A&R, Eric Hurt, who signed Shaboozey to EMPIRE’s label in 2021.

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Shaboozey in this publishing deal,” says Hurt. “As great of an artist as Shaboozey is, he’s equally as talented as a songwriter; constantly striving to write the most compelling, story-driven songs that reach a broad and diverse audience. EMPIRE looks forward to supporting the publishing interests of a global artist who knows it always has to start with great songs”.

“The creative foundation of Shaboozey’s success is his writing, which sits at the center of one of the most significant chart achievements in recent memory,” shares Kumar. “We’re proud to partner with him on the publishing side as he continues to make history.”

“We couldn’t be happier to double down on the mutual commitment between Shaboozey and EMPIRE,” adds Shaboozey’s co-manager and Range Media Partners Managing Partner, Jared Cotter. “They have been integral partners in Shaboozey’s success on the record side and I have no doubt we will say the same in the publishing business as well.”

Shaboozey recently launched his own label American Dogwood, in partnership with EMPIRE. He also released an expanded version of Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, including “Amen” featuring Jelly Roll, which is currently top 10 at country radio, and a 2026 Grammy-winning song. He also slotted the official opening track of Prime Sport’s Thursday Night Football “Let ‘Em Know,” and his “Took a Walk” collaboration with Stephen Wilson Jr. was written for the end titles of The Long Walk.

 

BMI Spark Welcomes Four New Partners

BMI has announced an expansion of its BMI Spark program through new partnerships with Musiversal, Songstats, Sound Credit and Sweetwater. The program, available through BMI’s online service portal, provides special discounts on music creation tools, career insights, educational resources and more.

These new offers include access to Musiversal, where creators can skip the waitlist and receive 50% off their first month of recording sessions with session musicians, songwriters and producers. Members will receive 15% off any Songstats subscription plan with real-time data tracking across various platforms. Finally, the program features three free months of the collaborative suite Sound Credit Pro, alongside discounts and specialized BMI bundles from Sweetwater covering music production, guitar accessories and more.

More information about Spark is available here.

 

Sony Music Publishing & Kane Brown’s Verse 2 Music Sign Jonny Capeci

Pictured (back row): Rusty Gaston, (CEO Sony Music Publishing Nashville); (middle row, L-R): Kent Earls (Partner Verse 2 Music), Nikki Boon (Manager, Neon Coast); (front row, L-R): Kane Brown and Jonny Capeci. Photo: Riley Mays

Sony Music Publishing Nashville, in partnership with Kane Brown and industry veteran Kent Earls’ Verse 2 Music, have signed singer-songwriter Jonny Capeci to a global publishing agreement.

Lead singer of the Nashville-based alternative-pop band Nightly, Capeci’s vocals and introspective, experience-driven lyrics have defined Nightly’s unique sound, with the band amassing over 400 million streams worldwide and performing with artists like Brown, NF, The Midnight, Andy Grammer and Imagine Dragons.

As a songwriter, Capeci has worked alongside artists including Kane Brown, 24kGoldn, G Herbo, Carin León, Jake Miller, Ayokay and Valley. His recent songwriting credits include “Body Talk” by Kane and Katelyn Brown, which broke into Mediabase’s US Hot AC Radio charts, and Carin León’s “The One (Pero No Como Yo),” which was featured on the Grammy award-winning album Boca Chueca, Vol. 1.

His work has also landed prominent sync placements including Brown’s “Country Classic” from the Grammy-nominated Twisters soundtrack, as well as “My City” by 24kGoldn and Brown featuring G Herbo, which appeared on the Fast X soundtrack.

“I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the Verse 2, Sony family. Kane, Kent, Rusty and the rest of the team are the best of the best and I’m grateful for their support in my music,” Capeci says.

“At Verse 2 we’ve built an incredible company of songwriters who consistently push musical boundaries while achieving remarkable commercial success,” shares Earls, Partner, Verse 2 Music. “Jonny has such a broad talent and can seamlessly move between genres and musical styles. We are so honored to add him to the Verse 2 roster and look forward to the success that we will build together.”

Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston says, “Songwriters like Jonny are what make Nashville the special and thriving creative community it is. He’s an electric artist himself, while at the same time he’s a compelling and trusted songwriter for other artists. Jonny is built for a supportive and encouraging environment like Verse 2 and we couldn’t be prouder to be both of their partners.”

 

Matt McCartney Inks With Big Loud Publishing

Pictured (L-R): Sara Knabe (SVP of A&R, Big Loud Records), Kimberly Gleason (SVP, Big Loud Publishing), Katie Flynn (Big Loud Publishing, Creative Director), Matt McCartney, Mike Giangreco (VP of A&R, Big Loud Publishing), Sydney Burdette (Creative Manager, Big Loud Publishing)

Matt McCartney has inked with Big Loud Publishing.

The Toronto native relocated to Nashville in 2023. Influenced by the sounds of Paul McCartney, John Prine, Max Martin, Thomas Wesley and more, McCartney began his career as personnel in Big Loud Co-Founder/Partner Joey Moi‘s studio.

“This whole journey started with the Big Loud Beauties hockey team which eventually led me to signing with Big Loud Publishing,” shares McCartney. “This is a dream come true for me, and I feel grateful to be surrounded by a team that truly champions creators. I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead!”

“When Joey introduced our publishing team to Matt, working with him felt like a natural fit. Matt has a unique perspective and great songwriting instincts,” says Mike Giangreco, VP of A&R, Big Loud Publishing. “We’re thrilled to add him to our publishing roster and excited for what’s ahead for him at Big Loud.”

Regan Rousseau Inks With Sony Music Publishing

Pictured (Back Row, L-R): Chelsea Kent (SMP), Cam Caldwell (SMP) and Rusty Gaston (SMP). (Front Row, L-R): Jeff Skaggs (Milk & Honey) and Regan Rousseau