More updates from April’s Inside Track on Music Row
My column, Inside Track on Music Row, has been a mainstay of the Nashville Music Guide for more than twenty five years, and is now read by country music fans around the world via the Internet.
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- Idol alum Alexandria Corn “Cheated Better” with new single
- Becky Buller passes “The Barber’s Fiddle” down through generations
- Brandy Clark’s new album, Your Life Is A Record
- Young Fables release ‘homemade’ EP
- Street named to honor Conway Twitty
- Joe Hanson moves on with “Part of Me”
- scroll down to read these stories…
Alexandria Corn’s ex could have “Cheated Better”
Rising country artist AND American Idol alumna Alexandria Corn is a scorned woman in her newest single “Cheated Better” in which she laments the lackluster cheating of an ex-boyfriend. She advises that he could have been smarter by anything from bringing a change of clothes to making sure to come up with an alibi. With her detailed lyrics placed over a pop-influenced melody, “Cheated Better” is a force to be reckoned with. Written by Corn with Khiana Meyer and Mandy McMillan and produced by Sam Grow, listen to the single here.
Since moving to Nashville, after making it through to the Hollywood round of American Idol, Corn has made quite the name for herself as a truly independent artist. She’s already racked up over 115,000 Spotify streams in under three months on her last single with just her own drive and passion. The New York native has also opened for Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Deana Carter, Jake Owen, Chris Janson, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Dan and Shay, Cam among others. More at https://alexandriacornmusic.com/
“The Barber’s Fiddle” passed on through generations
Becky Buller has released “The Barber’s Fiddle,” the first single from Becky’s latest album, Distance And Time, slated for release July 17, 2020. The album will be her third release from Dark Shadow Recording. The song tells a story of bluegrass music being passed on throughout generations. Becky says that this single is rooted in the tradition of fiddle playing in barbershops and based on the true story of a young man picking up a fiddle for the first time, discovering the magic of bluegrass music for himself.
Becky wrote the song with Lynda Dawson, and there are 18 award-winning fiddlers featured on this track, including Shawn Camp, Jason Carter, Laurie Lewis, Kati Penn, and Sam Bush on vocals and fiddles, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Warren, Stuart Duncan, Deanie Richardson, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jason Barie, Fred Carpenter, Tyler Andal, Nate Lee, Dan Boner, Brian Christianson, Laura Orshaw and, of course, two-time Grammy award-winning songwriter Becky. More here.
Brandy Clark says Your Life is a Record with new album
Grammy-nominated and CMA Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Brandy Clark’s highly anticipated new album, Your Life is a Record, is now out on Warner Records. Produced by award winning producer Jay Joyce, the album features Clark’s most personal songwriting to date and is already receiving widespread critical acclaim.
Created after the dissolution of a long-term relationship, the 11-track album was recorded largely as an intimate acoustic four-piece—featuring Clark, Joyce, Giles Reaves and Jedd Hughes—with subsequent Memphis strings and horns layered in with arrangements by Lester Snell. It also features special guest appearances from Randy Newman (“Bigger Boat”) and guitarist John Osborne (“Bad Car”). Listen/buy the album here. Note tour dates may be postponed or canceled due to virus concerns. Check Brandy’s website for updates.
Young Fables ‘homemade’ EP helps Habitat for Humanity
Wes and Laurel, the Young Fables duo, have released a homemade EP. “We have a hard time sitting still so we decided to create something ourselves for y’all,” said Wes. “Since we’ve had a lot of time on our hands, Laurel came up with the idea of releasing an Old Songs EP. I learned how to work Logic (home studio software) and we did the best we could with the equipment we had in our apartment. We created something special, intimate and familiar for you guys. We hope this brings a little sunshine to your day because your love and encouragement in this time brings a lot to ours.”
Laurel added, “The EP starts at $10 but you can donate as much as you want because 10% of each sale will go towards Habitat for Humanity Blount County (where Wes and I are from). I am very passionate about this organization and all they do for our community. I’m really excited to give back and can’t do it without your help.” Find it here.
Conway Twitty honored with street name
It’s NOT only make-believe: There is now a street named after Conway Twitty. In March, family members and Hendersonville, TN, city officials gathered in Drake’s Creek Park for a ceremony to unveil the sign for Conway Twitty Lane. Twitty found success with songs that scored on the pop, rockabilly and R&B charts as well as Country. Born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, after high school he was offered the chance to play pro-baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies organization but was drafted into the US Army where he began to write and sing rock & roll songs.
He allegedly chose his stage name after looking at a road map and seeing Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas. He was a long-time resident of Hendersonville and fans flocked to ‘Twitty City’ particularly during the Christmas season.
Full disclosure: I wrote the liner notes for the album Timeless, Conway Twitty’s first album release in 26 years. You can find the album here.
“Part of Me” break-up song from Joe Hanson
Anyone who has ever been through a breakup needs to hear “Part of Me,” the new single from country newcomer Joe Hanson. Set to an uptempo, pop-influenced melody, Hanson sings about how half of him is ready to move on, while the other half can’t. Throughout the song, the Naperville, Ill. native reflects on an emotional push and pull, in the end concluding in the hook that “part of me can’t be apart from you.”
Written by Hanson with Victoria Banks and Justin Morgan and produced by Austin Shawn, listen to the song here. “As a songwriter and artist, it’s important to me that every song I sing I can relate to it, that’s what allows it to be most authentic. ‘Part of Me’ was certainly a song that I lived and got inspiration from when dealing with a very difficult breakup not too long ago.” said Hanson. This year, Hanson is focused on an EP, creating content and adding shows to his calendar. More information about Hanson here.
Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com