Country Update
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Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS JULY 22, 2019 | PAGE 1 OF 21 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE [email protected] Eric Church Earns ‘Some’ Success Big Loud, Nicolle Galyon Partner For >page 4 All-Female Label Imprint Songs & Daughters Highwomen, Strait Albums Due As women artists continue facing an uphill battle at country radio, the studio with Joey Moi (Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane). >page 10 Nashville-based independent label Big Loud is launching Songs & Her debut song, “First Last Name,” will be officially released Daughters, an imprint devoted solely to signing female acts. on July 26 to digital streaming partners, with more new music Songwriter-producer Nicolle Galyon (“Tequila,” to follow. “Automatic”) will run the label as president. Settling into a couch “That song, that’s meant for poignant moments, you-can-hear- Sally Williams at the Alabaster Collective event space in Nashville’s historic a-pin-drop moments,” says Watkins. “So we’re going to pursue Leaves Opry Germantown section, she details the evolution of Songs & elements that fit that vibe.” >page 10 Daughters with Big Loud The initial idea for the vp marketing Candice imprint started as a joke. Watkins and first signee Big Loud partner Seth Madison Kozak. England invited Galyon Alabama, Wariner Since it has been nearly to a showcase for Kozak Head To Hall nine months since the in hopes of setting up co- >page 11 idea took shape, Galyon writes for the budding jokes that they’re birthing songwriter. As Kozak a baby. performed “First Last Makin’ Tracks: “It’s been nine months Name,” a ballad she Kane Brown’s of keeping a secret and penned for her dad for basically speaking in code Father’s Day, England ‘Homesick’ GALYON KOZAK Road Tale about this idea,” Galyon saw tears streaming down >page 16 tells Billboard. “Songs & Galyon’s face. Following Daughters is a female-focused record label, but even bigger than the performance, he introduced the two to each other. that, what [we are] building is a brand: a music house for female “I said, ‘Hi, I’m Nicolle Galyon, and I just started a record creatives. It’s a way for me to use my platform and pass the baton label in my car on the way over here if you want to talk,’ ” recalls Country Coda: on to the next generation of songwriters and artists. I want to Galyon with a laugh. “Basically, it was kind of backhanded Alan Jackson Sings create something that didn’t exist when I came to Nashville 17 complimenting her: ‘Look, you are the real deal, and everybody’s The ‘Blues’ years ago.” looking at you right now.’ ” >page 21 Songs & Daughters held its launch party on July 22 in Nashville, Over dinner one month later, England told Galyon she should introducing Kozak — who signed with Big Loud’s publishing arm, seriously consider having her own label. “I really didn’t have Big Loud Shirt, in 2018 — to the industry. Kozak, 22, has been in to push the idea on her,” says England. “She was ready. This is GAFKJEN ALYSSE KOZAK: THOMAS. BLYTHE GALYON: BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JULY 22, 2019 | PAGE 2 OF 21 Nicolle’s venture. This is her vision. Big Loud is there to support her” with radio promotion and other needs. While Songs & Daughters is the first label of its kind in Nashville, it isn’t the first all-female label. In the early 1970s, several women founded Olivia Records in Washington, D.C., to highlight female artists and market music specifically to lesbians. The label distributed over 40 albums and sold nearly 1 million records, including ones from co-founder Cris Williamson, Meg Christian and June Millington. More recently, in 2018, hip-hop act TT the Artist launched Club Queen Records in which all the employees and the artists are females, with a focus on women of color in hip-hop, dance and R&B. While the lack of women on country radio is an ongoing conversation, England Luke Combs joined the Grand Ole Opry during the July 16 edition of the says he’s not concerned about it. He hopes the new imprint will be a statement WSM-AM Nashville show. He’s flanked by River House founder Lynn that shows female artists are just as compelling as male ones. “This is just a way Oliver-Cline (left) and Opry GM Sally Williams. to do our part,” he says. “We now have this opportunity, and for anyone that was thinking certain things weren’t possible before, we want to help change that narrative. I refuse to believe we’re going to get held up if we do our jobs right.” Galyon, meanwhile, says she wants to be deliberate with Songs & Daughters. “The mission is that we nurture both the art, which is the song, and the artist, which is the daughter. The person is just as important to me as the product,” she adds. “I want to work with Madison specifically because she already has her lane. She knows who she is. I’m not really here to develop someone.” While there are no set plans to go to radio just yet, the team will be researching what songs are connecting with Kozak’s audience ahead of booking a radio tour. Kozak, who is signed to Creative Artists Agency for representation, already has tour dates lined up with Willie Nelson, Morgan Wallen, Midland and Billy Riser House/Columbia artist Mitchell Tenpenny played three straight Currington throughout the fall. nights in Nashville clubs for charity. From left at the Listening Room Having grown up in Canada the second-youngest of eight children,Kozak are songwriter Brad Clawson (“Up Down”), Tenpenny, Curb artist convinced her parents to let her move to Nashville as a teenager. At Songs & Filmore and songwriter Justin Wilson (“Drunk Me”). Daughters, she’ll now be the oldest child of a growing roster. “It feels full circle with my background to come from a big family, small town, and then to connect with Nicolle, who has the same upbringing,” she says. “It feels like a very natural step to take with Big Loud. They have been watching from a distance the past year, letting me grow on my own with their help. I’m so grateful for their support and that it’s such a natural flow.” Galyon hopes Songs & Daughters changes the mind-set at radio and the genre’s narrative by proving that there is more room for female acts. “When I moved to Nashville, no one said it out loud, but it was kind of implied that there’s room for [just one] girl,” she recalls before shifting to address Kozak. “You aren’t the girl; you will be one of so many down the road as we build this. Madison is our first daughter.” The mother of two adds, “To me, on a heart level, this is an extension of mothering. I want to help and grow these things that I love. It just comes natural High Valley gave a July 16 performance at the WXCY Havre de Grace, as I grow in age, too, to just see people that remind me of where I was and to go, Md., studio. From left: High Valley’s Curtis Rempel, Warner Music ‘Come on, come with me. Let’s go do this,’ because I didn’t feel that way when Nashville manager of Midwest and Northeast radio and streaming I moved to Nashville.” Shari Roth, Delmarva corporate director of programming Brad Austin —Written by country correspondent Annie Reuter. and High Valley’s Brad Rempel. POIZNER ALAN TENPENNY: HOLLO. CHRIS COMBS: DECISIVE INTELLIGENCE. DELIVERED DIGITALLY. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DELIVERY DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JULY 22, 2019 | PAGE 4 OF 21 ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER [email protected] That’s ‘Some’ Feat: Eric Church Achieves Eighth Country Airplay No. 1; Miranda Lambert ‘Comes’ Back To The Top 20 Eric Church rolls up his eighth No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as (Vanner/RCA Nashville), the first single from her upcoming album, blasts onto “Some of It” (EMI Nashville) ascends 2-1 on the tally dated July 27. The song Country Airplay at No. 19 with 11.2 million impressions. The track — penned reigns with a 9% increase to 41.1 million audience impressions in the week by Lambert, Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose — opens at No. 36 ending July 21, according to Nielsen Music. on Hot Country Songs. On Hot Country Songs, which is powered “Wash” marks Lambert’s second-best by airplay, streaming and sales data, the track Country Airplay debut among 31 entries, after anchors at its No. 7 high. “Vice,” which arrived at No. 18 in August 2016. Written by Church, Jeff Hyde, Clint She boasts five No. 1s and 12 top 10s. She last Daniels and Bobby Pinson, “Some” is the topped the tally when she appeared on Jason second single from Church’s sixth studio LP, Aldean’s “Drowns the Whiskey,” which ruled Desperate Man. It debuted at No. 1 on Top for two weeks starting in August 2018. Country Albums on the Oct. 20, 2018, chart with 116,000 equivalent album units. It has NEW TOP 10s Jason Aldean adds his 31st earned 413,000 units to date. Its title-track Hot Country Songs top 10 as “Rearview lead single peaked at No. 8 on Hot Country Town” (Macon/Broken Bow) lifts 11-10. Songs last October after reaching No. 13 on On Country Airplay, it rises 8-5, up 12% to Country Airplay. 31.6 million audience impressions.