Music News (9/30/26)
Jim Selby Elected To ASCAP Board Of Directors
Jim Selby
ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams has revealed that Jim Selby has been elected to the organization’s Board of Directors as a publisher member. ASCAP is the only U.S. performing rights organization governed by a board elected by its songwriter, composer and publisher members.
“The ASCAP Board cares deeply about making decisions that are in the best interests of the membership as a whole,” says Williams. “As a global publishing leader, Jim has the expertise to tackle the complex issues facing music creators and publishers in today’s market, from both the challenges and opportunities of AI to licensees who want to pay songwriters less. He will be an invaluable voice on the ASCAP Board in our mission to advocate for and protect our more than one million members.”
Selby serves as President, Global Music Publishing at BMG, overseeing the company’s publishing operations worldwide.
He took on the position following the combination of Concord and BMG, helping lead the integration of their global publishing businesses. Selby played a key role in developing the structure and strategy for the combined organization and bringing together teams across North America, the U.K., Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
In his current role at BMG, Selby focuses on expanding the company’s global publishing roster and catalog, developing opportunities for songwriters and composers, and growing its presence in key markets.
Before joining BMG, Selby was Chief Publishing Officer at Concord, where he oversaw the company’s global publishing operations and strategy. During his time at Concord, he also held leadership roles including General Manager of Record Labels, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Revenue Officer. Earlier in his career, Selby served as CEO and General Manager of Naxos of America and held various executive positions across the music industry. His experience spans creative strategy, business operations, technology and commercial development.
Selby previously served as Chairman of the A2IM Board of Directors. He currently sits on the NMPA Executive Board, CMRRA CPC Board and ICMP Board, where he works on issues affecting music publishers and songwriters.
Will Bundy Inks With Back Blocks Music
Pictured (L-R): Kirby Mathews (Back Blocks Music), T.D. Ruth (Ritholz Levy Fields LLP), Will Bundy, Rakiyah Marshall (Back Blocks Music) and Elizabeh Cook (Back Blocks Music)
Award-winning songwriter and producer Will Bundy has signed with Back Blocks Music. The deal includes Bundy’s future works, as well as a selection of songs from his catalog, marking Back Block’s first catalog acquisition.
Bundy has become a notable songwriter and producer in the country music community, with more than 300 songs to his name. As a producer, Bundy worked on Ella Langley’s hungover album, which features No. 1 hits “weren’t for the wind” and “you look like you love me.” His work on the project earned him three ACM Awards and two CMA Awards.
As a songwriter, Bundy has earned three No. 1s with Thomas Rhett and Riley Green’s “Half of Me,” John Morgan’s “Friends Like That (featuring Jason Aldean)” and Justin Moore’s “Time’s Ticking.” He has also worked with Keith Urban, Jon Pardi, Parker McCollum, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Lauren Watkins, Larry Fleet, Graham Barham, Chase Matthew, Cole Swindell, McCoy Moore and others.
“I’ve known Rakiyah [Marshall] for a long time and I’ve always admired what all she has accomplished. When it came time to figure out my next move, she was at the top of the list,” shares Bundy. “I’ve since gotten to know the incredible team she’s built and the way they approach developing careers and I’m really excited to be a part of it. I’m looking forward to writing, producing and creating with a team that believes in the long game.”
“Will is the kind of songwriter and producer we built Back Blocks for,” adds Marshall, Founder of Back Blocks Music. “He has an incredible instinct for songs, he understands records from the ground up and he has already built an impressive career by simply following his curiosity and love for making music. I’m thrilled that we now get to be part of what comes next. I know this is just the beginning for Will and we’re excited to help him continue to grow as a writer, producer and creative.”
Bundy’s musical style was shaped by artists such as John Mayer, Keith Urban, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Steve Miller Band, along with the bluegrass music he heard growing up near the Carter Family Fold. He picked up the guitar at 12 and started a lawn care business to help pay for his music. By 15, he was performing locally and recording songs in his parents’ attic while telling his teacher that music could be a career.
At 19, Bundy moved from his family’s cattle farm in Lebanon, Virginia, to Nashville. He spent his mornings mowing lawns, his days writing and his nights playing rounds. As other writers and artists began hearing his demos, they started asking him to record theirs, giving Bundy the opportunity to develop his skills as a producer. He eventually left lawn care behind to pursue music full time as a songwriter and producer.
Rachael Lampa Inks With Centricity Music
Matt Ewald, John Stokes, Caren Seidle, Rachael Lampa, Camy McArdle and Chad Segura. Photo: Courtesy of Centricity Music
Christian artist Rachael Lampa has signed an exclusive worldwide recording and publishing contract with Centricity Music.
Lampa signed her first record deal at just 14. Her 2000 debut, Live For You, led to appearances on The Tonight Show and The View, features in Billboard, People and Seventeen, Dove Award recognition, and tours with artists including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and TobyMac. After releasing three albums, she stepped away from the spotlight, later performing as a backing vocalist for Jordin Sparks, Lauren Daigle and Hozier. She competed as a member of a cappella vocal group The Collective on NBC’s The Sing-Off. While building a family and co-founding People Loving Nashville, a nonprofit serving the city’s unhoused community, Lampa rediscovered her voice during the pandemic. She returned with “Perfectly Loved,” inspired by women she met through prison ministry. The song became her first No. 1 single in 22 years, and earned a K-LOVE Fan Award.
“Rachael is an artist whose extraordinary voice is matched by the depth, honesty and purpose behind her songs,” says Matt Ewald, Centricity Music Vice President, A&R. “We are honored to welcome her to Centricity and to come alongside her in this meaningful new chapter as both a recording artist and songwriter. ‘Permission’ is a beautiful introduction to music that we believe will meet people with grace, truth and hope.”
“Rachael has entered this season with a clear sense of who she is and what she wants her music to carry into the world,” adds Ashley Munn, Smallbone Management. “Partnering with Centricity is exciting because of their passion for her heart and for what she wants to share with the world. That’s why the first release with ‘Permission’ is such a great start to signify where she is at in her own life as she creates new music.”
Her debut single for the label, “Permission,” is out tomorrow, (Sept. 25). The track, which she penned alongside Andrew Ripp and Ethan Hulse, is written from the perspective of God to His children.
“God’s voice is gentle, accepting and inviting. And I think God has more access to our hearts when we are willing and curious enough to stop hiding and really come to Him just as we are, right where we are,” Lampa says about the single. “I just love when that truth unlocks something that was stuck in us and puts that light back in our eyes when we realize it’s true.”
Ava Liv Mabry Inks With Reservoir [Exclusive]
Photo: Courtesy of Reservoir Media
Folk-pop singer-songwriter Ava Liv Mabry has signed a publishing deal with Reservoir Media. The deal includes her catalog and future works.
Mabry is the youngest-ever recipient of the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Abe Olman Award, which recognizes promising young songwriters. She has released four EPs, most recently 2025’s Magnolia. Her debut album, All American Girl Doll, is set for release next year and includes the previously released singles “For the Records,” “Dreamboat,” “Heather,” “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” and “Audrey.” This fall, she will hit the road with Jenna Raine, Jenna Davis, and Parachute after selling out her first headline show at Nashville’s Cannery Hall in July.
Raised on gospel music in Franklin, Tennessee, Mabry began her career busking around her hometown and released her first song at 13. Her songwriting draws from her own experiences, with themes of relationships, family, faith and home. Her music has also been featured in Netflix’s Calabasas Confidential and several Hallmark movies. Earlier this year, Spotify featured Mabry on its Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Country playlists, following three Apple Music editorial features.
“Ever since I moved to Nashville and started learning the art of songwriting, I have realized just how much companies like Reservoir do for songwriters like me,” says Mabry. “It’s a dream come true partnering with innovators like Greg Gallo and John Ozier at Reservoir! I feel like I get to join a club of people that inspire me most.”
“Ava is an incredible singer-songwriter with a huge amount of well-deserved buzz around her right now,” adds Ozier, Reservoir Executive Vice President of Creative. “She’s the kind of songwriter A&Rs dream of discovering this early in her career. We’re proud to be her publishing home and support her as she launches her debut album, and we can’t wait for the world to hear what’s next.”
She is managed by fellow Reservoir songwriter Sam Tinnesz, and recently signed a record deal with Blue Highway Records.
Category: Music News
