David Adam Byrnes came to Nashville from his native Arkansas seeking success as a singer-songwriter. But it wasn’t until he left Nashville that he found success.
That success came to him in Texas where it felt “just like a glove that fit perfectly,” as he said, in an interview with me during Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in March. He found a true connection with the culture and the music in the Lone Star State – and an audience that embraced his genuine love of traditional country music.
In the interview, Byrnes told me that, as a songwriter in Nashville, he seemed to be on the edge of success when five songs he had penned were on hold or about to be released by recording artists. But all those potential cuts evaporated, forcing him to reevaluate his career path.
You can read my full interview with David Adam Byrnes at Center Stage Mag here. He talks about how that potential career-end became a golden opportunity with a string of No. 1 hits in Texas and a new album, Keep Up With a Cowgirl. #DavidAdamByrnes
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a 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@PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
Seasoned road warriors talk about their new single
by Preshias Harris
Southbound 75have been described as “Old Dominion meets Maroon 5” which may be true but does not quite encompass their wildly popular live shows.
As seasoned road warriors – hence the band’s name – they entertain audiences all across the country. They stood still long enough to talk to me in Nashville during Country Radio Seminar (CRS).
We talked about their just-released single, “That Summer” (Brown Lee Ent/Sony Orchard) — an upbeat song about living in the moment — and about their life on the road. They even revealed their “gotta-go-to” eatery when they are burning up the miles between gigs!
Read my full interview with Southbound 75 in the Preshias on the Row section of Center Stage Magazine here.
Preshias Harris is an advocate for songwriters and a 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 @PreshiasHarris #PreshiasHarris
Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates Sam Phillips’ 100th birthday
by Preshias Harris
2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the most influential people in the realms of virtually all popular music – country, blues, R&B, rock n’ roll and pop. Sam Phillips was born January 5, 1923 in Florence, Alabama, but made his indelible mark on music in Memphis, Tennessee.
It was there, in 1950, that he set up the Memphis Recording Service and then Sun Records that would launch the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and many more.
(L to R) Jay McDowell, Jerry Phillips talk at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Preshias Harris
In February, The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum honored the legendary Sam Phillips at a special event marking what would have been his 100th birthday. In attendance was Sam’s son Jerry Phillips who took the podium for an informal Q&A, led by the Museum’s multimedia archivist Jay McDowell.
Read my full story and interview at Center Stage Mag here.
Now it’s really beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Music will always be part of Christmas and certain songs instantly conjure up childhood memories that stay with us throughout our lives. Here’s a roundup of some Christmas music news that might create some new memories for you and your family. Scroll down for info on Opry Country Christmas, O.N.E. The Duo, Mikayla Lane, Craig Campbell, Drew Aldridge, Chris Isaak and Opry NextStage.
Opry Country Christmas returns to Grand Ole Opry House
The Grand Ole Opry® has kicked off Nashville’s newest holiday tradition with the return of Opry Country Christmas at the Grand Ole Opry House. Hosted by Grammy®-winning Opry member Larry Gatlin, Opry Country Christmas will showcase songs of the holiday season, running on select dates through Dec. 22. Each show features Opry members The Gatlin Brothers, Riders In The Sky, Mandy Barnett and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy. Other Opry members, special guests, and spotlight artists will round out the shows made up of artists’ original songs and timeless Christmas favorites. Spotlight Artists for this year’s run include Lauren Alaina (Dec. 1), Scotty McCreery (Dec. 4), Steven Curtis Chapman (Dec. 8); Chris Janson (Dec. 11), Josh Turner and Chris Young (Dec 15), Lorrie Morgan (Dec. 21), and Ricky Skaggs (Dec. 22). Additional artists scheduled for various Opry Country Christmas shows include John Berry, Jason Crabb, Louise Mandrell, Kathy Mattea, Jeannie Seely, and Rhonda Vincent. Tickets are on-sale now here starting at $55.00.
“Happy Holiday With Me” from mom/daughter duo
O.N.E. The Duo
O.N.E The Duo, Music City’s own mother-daughter Country/Americana duo (Tekitha and Prana Supreme), are ringing in the Christmas spirit with “Happy Holiday With Me,” via a new music video out now. Inspired by Mariah Carey’s iconic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” video, the clip is reminiscent of a vintage candid home video. The song can also be found on their new holiday EP O.N.E Very Merry Christmas, available here. “Christmas, and the holiday season in general, is my favorite time of year and that’s really what I wanted to capture for this video. Growing up, my family didn’t really celebrate Christmas in the traditional way, so it was fun to create those moments for this song,” says Prana Supreme — daughter of Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Wu-Tang vocalist Tekitha — who wrote “Happy Holiday With Me” with her mom, Nash Overstreet, and Shane Stevens. Directed by Brandon Vestal, the festive clip features the duo celebrating some of their favorite Christmas traditions like baking apple pie together, while Ron Zamber (Chairman and Founding Partner, Visionary Media Group and Private Equity Group Partner) makes a cameo as Santa Claus. More info here.
Included in Nashville Music Guide’s 2022 Holiday issue
It’s that time again! Where did 2022 go?! Check out the current edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, now posted as part of the 2022 Holiday Guide at Nashville Music Guide. Inside Track on Music Row is the longest continuously-running country music column in America. Read the entire issue and find the column on pages 33 through 39.
In the column you’ll find news items on Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett, Randy Rogers Band, Chris Tomlin, Jason Crabb, Christmas 4 Kids, CMA Country Christmas, Caylee Hammack, Cole Swindell, Flat River Band, Billy Strings, Jacob Bryant, Average Joe’s, Eddie Montgomery, Elvie Shane, Cody Johnson, One Spark Entertainment, Jeannie Seely, Graciela, Allie Colleen, William Lee Golden, Kentucky Headhunters, Mandy Barnett, Luke Combs, Brett Young, Drew Aldridge, Ashley Cooke, Tucker Beathard, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound, Paulina Jayne, Jenny Tolman and more!
Find the 2022 Holiday issue of Nashville Music Guidehere.
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 here. Follow her blog and read her regular ‘Preshias On The Row’ news stories at Center Stage Magazine.
A chilly morning didn’t stop Tracy Lawrenceand around 250 volunteers from cooking up 1,200 turkeys at the seventeenth annual Tracy Lawrence’s Mission:Possible Turkey Fry two days before Thanksgiving.
Volunteers at work with one of the many turkey fryers. Photo: Tracie Moore
Those 1,200 turkeys – the most ever in the annual event’s history – provided 9,600 meals to those in need during the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, the Turkey Fry moved to the Nashville Fairgrounds from its original location at the Nashville Rescue Mission’s parking lot, allowing the team to set up even more fryers.
Tracy told me, “I’m just happy we haven’t set anything on fire today,” when I caught up with him as the first turkeys were coming out of the fryers. He admitted it was a big undertaking, but added, “We’re going to reach hundreds more people in need around the Greater Nashville area this year than we’ve ever been able to do in the past.”
“Wagon Wheel” biggest + “Beers and Sunshine” latest
by Preshias Harris
Darius Rucker reacts to comments from UMG Nashville Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan. Photo credit: Preshias Harris
Darius Rucker was the focus of a triple celebration October 27 as friends and peers joined him for a private party at the Electric Jane in Nashville, hosted by UMG Nashville.
During the event, Darius and record producer Frank Rogers were presented with an RIAA Diamond award for the hit song “Wagon Wheel.” The party also recognized Darius’ achievement of ten Number One singles. Particular focus was on his latest chart topper, “Beers and Sunshine” that he wrote together with Ross Copperman, J.T. Harding and Josh Osborne. Copperman also produced the hit single.
Read the full report, including my Q&A with Darius, under the “Preshias On The Row” tab at Center Stage Magazine here.
“Beers and Sunshine” apparently made history as the first Country No. 1 to have been not only written but also entirely recorded via Zoom. Darius told me that the process was ‘nervy’ for him.
“It was crazy and I love the song and it sounds great, but I never want to do it again!”
Hard to believe it’s October already! Lots of acts have just announced Fall Tours or added dates and you can catch up with them – along with plans for Holiday shows and music – in my column Inside Track on Music Row, the longest continuously-running country music column in the USA. The October edition is ready to read right now here at Nashville Music Guide. Among the many news items…
Conner Smith‘s acoustic version of “Take It Slow” features co-writer Ryan Hurd and gives the song a fresh, intimate vibe…
Ashley McBryde invited some of her favorite collaborators to a week-long songwriting retreat in a rural cabin and the result is her new album, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville…
HARDY says he’s “stoked” to take his Wall To Wall Tour out on the road. Find links to tour dates and ticket info…
Essex County proves country is alive and well in their native England with their new five-song EP…
Newsboys, the Contemporary Christian powerhouse, are serving up Stand (Deluxe), with three new recordings for a total of 14 tracks on the enhanced album, ahead of their tour…
Luke Bryan is inviting fans to join him for his annual concert vacation, Crash My Playa, for four nights in Cancun, January 19 – 22. We have the link for ticket info…
Trisha Yearwood, Easton Corbin and The Oak Ridge Boys are among the stars set for Opry Goes Pink, October 14 to benefit Susan G. Komen in the fight against breast cancer …
Marty Brown, Carly Pearce and Pete Goble are among the 7 inductees set to be honored at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, October 28. Ticket info and details in the column…
News items, tour alerts, new release info on albums and singles, stories about Breland, Tracy Lawrence, Lauren Reno, Jacob Bryant, Kasey Tyndall, Cole Swindell, Gene Watson, Mitchell Tenpenny, Craig Morgan, The War And Treaty and more in the October Inside Track on Music Row.
Read the column in its entirety here at Nashville Music Guide where you can also catch up with columns from previous months.
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 #preshiasharris @preshiasharris
SomewhereBetween The Secret And The Truth buzzes like a neon sign
By Preshias harris
Wade Bowen is back with a new album titled Somewhere Between The Secret And The Truth, with twelve tracks co-written by Wade alongside writers such as Eric Paslay, Lori McKenna, Randy Montana, Heather Morgan and more.
He premiered the album – playing all the tracks with a full band – at a pop-up album release show August 15 at Analog in Nashville’s Hutton Hotel. Before the show, Wade and I sat down to catch up with what’s new in his world and how he dealt with the pandemic that brought his (and everyone else’s) touring to a dead stop.
Wade Bowen on stage during the pop-up album release concert. Photo credit: Preshias Harris
Initially, he told me, the shutdown and the terrible circumstances that surrounded it hit him like “a punch in the gut.” It caused him to go into what he called a writer’s drought.
“I felt I couldn’t write a song because I didn’t know what to say or how to say it or why,” he admitted. “I couldn’t make sense of it all.”
However, he came out of it and says that he started writing a lot. “I think that shutdown helped me to just stop and focus on what matters, and I came out of the other side with a brand new sense of self and a brand new sense of my career and what I wanted to do and what’s important in my life. I think you can hear that in my new stuff, specially with this new record.”
Catch up on all that’s happening in the world of music from Nashville and beyond by checking out the August 2022 edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, now posted and ready to read at Nashville Music Guide here!
Among this month’s news items…
Callista Clark’s debut full-length album, Real to Me: The Way I Feel, to be released Oct 14 on Big Machine…
Kip Moore’s music video for his new track “Fire on Wheels” sees him trying some ‘risky business’ at a bowling alley…
Raucous southern rockers, Six Gun Sally, release “Redneck White and Badass Blue” following up on “Drunk Text” …
Michael Ray expresses pride and gratitude to fans over multi-week No. 1 “Whiskey and Rain” …
Rising songstress Mikayla Lane releases single and music video for cowgirl-themed “Ambush” …
Travis Denning releases six-song EP, Might As Well Be Me and single “Buy A Girl A Drink” …
Legendary Kentucky music duo, The Everly Brothers, honored by Gibson Guitars with limited-run Everly Brothers SJ-200 guitar…
Garth Brooks to be honored by NSAI with Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award at Nashville Songwriter Awards in September…
CJ Solar releases his first full-length album The Future’s Neon with all 9 songs co-written, co-produced by CJ…
Dierks Bentley’s “Gold” is a song about gratitude, presence and the treasures to be found in the moment…
…and more! All in the August 2022 edition of Inside Track on Music Row, America’s longest continuously-running country music column. Find it here at Nashville Music Guide, and share it with your friends!
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
