Issue 561 All Roads Lead Back
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July 31, 2017, Issue 561 All Roads Lead Back ... To Radio Steve Pleshe’s first run at KSKS/Fresno started in 1994, and he eventually rose to PD. In 2008 he made the jump to the label side and, after nearly 10 years on the road with RCA, Stream- sound and Black River doing West Coast promotion, he returned to the station as PD in May (CAT 5/2). Though not unheard of, the majority of migrations are radio to records, so Pleshe is able to bring an uncommon perspec- tive to his new old role. Understandably, there’s a high degree of familiarity, most of it welcome. MD/morning show co-host Jody Jo is still there. Her co-host Gnarley Charley also remains, though he was in nights a decade ago. “The GM, sales man- ager and regional sales manager are also still Steve Pleshe here,” says Pleshe. “The craziest thing for me is that the equipment in the studio is all the same,” he adds. “When the station was built in 1997, it was all cutting edge. Now we’re about to get all new gear. We just had Got The G And The B: Pearl’s Garth Brooks and Gwendolyn’s an engineer from corporate telling us about it.” Trisha Yearwood backstage with KSNI/Santa Maria, CA’s Jay Seeing airplay from the record label side has given him new Turner and Jessica Chavez (l-r). appreciation for the power of radio. “I love having the ability to help artists achieve their dreams by playing their songs,” he says. “That’s the reason I fell in love with radio. We just had Midland, Wiseman: Loud And Proud Canaan Smith and Tucker Beathard sell out a 3,500 seat venue With tomorrow’s (8/1) re-branding of the Big Loud companies here.” The transformational power of “being able to put on a (see page 3) and the two-year anniversary of Big Loud Records, show like that” carries more weight. Owner/ Managing Partner Craig Wiseman Light The Corners Of My Mind: Those kinds of growth reflects on how he went from hit songwriter to moments also drove his passion for label work. “I don’t hear this running an asylum, and why he’s proud to be from a lot of reps, but I loved the radio tours,” admits Pleshe. “I in the trenches with Country radio. was with Kelsea Ballerini on the first day of her radio tour. From By 2003 Wiseman had been a staff song- the moment she got off the plane to our first visit at KNTY/Sacra- writer for companies including Almo/Irving and mento, you could tell there was something special. Seeing the fans BMG, with No. 1s by Tracy Lawrence (“If The discover her – that was it.” Good Die Young”), Tim McGraw (“Everywhere”) and Kenny Chesney (“She’s Got It All”), to name There are other aspects of promotion he’ll remember well, too. Craig Wiseman And not all of it fondly. For instance, “Getting yelled at when your a few. But a late-night call from then-new song- artist does something for the station across the street, especially writer Luke Laird convinced him to strike out on his own. when you offered it to that station first.” “He and I were writing and we got a Kenny Chesney hold,” (continued on page 7) says Wiseman. “It was his first. He’d had a few beers and was so ©2017 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 31, 2017 Page 3 fired up over a hold. It was cool to get swept back up in that and be MY TUNES: MUSIC THAT SHAPED MY LIFE reminded of what a blessing that really is. That crystallized it for me. I loved being around kids and watching their dreams come true. It Black River’s Jacob Davis discusses his most was so rewarding. I thought, ‘I want to be a publisher.’” influential music: Million Dollar Baby: Wiseman took a leap of faith – and 1. John Anderson, Municipal a very large withdrawal – to open publishing company Big Loud Auditorium, Shreveport: It was the first Shirt Industries in the fall of 2003. “I literally took a million concert I ever saw. I remember we were dollars out of my bank account and put it into a business check- sitting on the first or second row. I love that ing account,” he recalls. “I could have played it simple and sold song “Seminole Wind.” my catalog a few more times and been set for life. I was in my 2. Eric Church, Varsity Theatre, Baton mid-30s and was like, ‘What am I going to do – just sit around Jacob Davis Rouge: I saw him when I was in college at and put money in the bank and that’s it?’ I would’ve felt like an LSU. I looked at him onstage and told my asshole. I got all of this through music; it seemed like I should be buddy who went with me, “I have to figure out how to do that. doing something with it.” For the rest of my life, I want to play music.” Songwriters signed to BLSI in its early days included Chris 3. Garth Brooks, Calgary, Alberta: There’s a reason he Tompkins (Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats”) and Rodney is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. It was one of the Clawson (Blake Shelton’s “Sure Be Cool If You Did”). “By 2012, best shows I’ve ever seen. with Rodney and Chris doing well, that’s when we thought, ‘Wow 4. The Avett Brothers: I saw them at this little theatre in man, this thing is really hitting,” he says. “We had seven or eight Baton Rouge. There were probably 300 people in the room. No. 1s that year and 25 singles. And we’d [signed a management One of the brothers was playing guitar and a kick drum with deal with] Florida Georgia Line. Everything was really starting to his foot, and the other was playing a banjo and a high-hat come together.” cymbal with his foot. They had us all captivated. Creative Control: Wiseman admits the company’s success 5. James Taylor, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville: To see didn’t happen without a few learning curve moments, including somebody who’s getting older and still be able to play guitar parting ways with some business-oriented employees. “From that like that ... I was blown away. His voice still sounded great. He point forward, the inmates were going to run the asylum. Only the was funny. I sang every word to every song. creative people [were] going to be in this building, period. • Highly regarded music you’ve actually never “I literally fired everybody, looked at this intern kid [now-part- heard: Big Star. There was a Netflix documentary about them, ner Seth England] and said, ‘Alright man, me and you – let’s go and some of my co-writers were talking about this band. But I do this.’ He had great ears and a great work ethic. If you have couldn’t tell you one song of theirs. great creative people who work hard and they’re smart, you can • “Important” music you just don’t get: I’m probably make enough money to survive the mistakes and learn from them. going to get crucified within the music community for And the inmates have been running the asylum ever since.” this. I totally respect him, but I never was drawn to Bruce Brand Name: Fourteen years later, the company has expand- Springsteen. I’m reading his book right now, though. I told one ed into production, management, and a record label, Big Loud of my radio reps I didn’t “get” Springsteen and they got me the Records, which celebrated its two-year anniversary earlier this book and told me to read it. summer. What’s next? The re-branding, which becomes official • An album you listened to incessantly: James Taylor’s tomorrow (8/1). “We started off as Big Loud Shirt,” explains Wise- Greatest Hits. man. “Then we had Big Loud Productions and Big Loud Mountain • An obscure or non-country song everyone should – but everybody was just calling us Big Loud anyway. And there listen to right now: John Mayer’s “In The Blood.” It’s are still those entities within that. But we decided it’s all just ‘Big inspirational. Loud.’ [The rebrand includes all emails changing to @BigLoud. • Music you’d rather not admit to enjoying: My band gives com and a new website.] me a hard time because I love the Iggy Azalea song “Fancy.” “This doesn’t change anything as far as staff and what we’re doing,” he adds. “The record label is doing so great with [Pres.] ©2017 Country Aircheck™ — All rights reserved. Sign up free at www.countryaircheck.com. Send news to [email protected] July 31, 2017 Page 5 Clay Hunnicutt and [Natl. Dir./Promotion] Stacey Blythe and OFF THE RECORD: LEVON’S MICHAEL DAVID HALL everybody over there. It could not be better. It was, ‘Let’s do this re-branding now, because things are really starting to take off. Michael David Hall of Columbia's Levon We’ll be busier a year from now, so we should just do this now.’” puts an industry spin on the artist interview: Gently Down The Stream: Looking at the broader land- We were in our shaky van on the way scape, Wiseman acknowledges the current legislative struggles back to Nashville after a show the first time songwriters are facing.