Artist & Industry News

Tucker Wetmore dropped his highly-anticipated debut album What Not To today.Produced by Chris LaCorte and featuring 11 tracks co-written by Wetmore, the album showcases his dynamic range and cements his arrival as one of the genre’s most exciting new voices. “This album holds the lessons I have learned, am still learning, and knowing me… a few I’ll need to re-learn...

The Academy of Country Music (ACM) announced additional events for ACM Awards Week, in advance of the 60th ACM Awards, A Country Music celebration 60 years in the making, which is set for May 8 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, TX. Returning for its third year and streaming live on Amazon Music channel on Twitch, the ACM...

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Nashville and Ignition Nashville have signed a global publishing deal with rising singer-songwriter Ethan Escue. With over 100 million streams as a songwriter, Escue has been steadily building his name on Music Row, collaborating with top talent like Chase Matthew, Austin Williams, Hayden Coffman, and Brandt Carmichael, among many others. Escue recently penned five songs on...

Today DeVille Records' singer-songwriter Cody Lohden releases “Tail Light, Porch Light, Miller Lite.” The song is the third installment from the new label's inaugural project Cadillac Sessions, out May 7, following ERNEST's collaboration “Gettin' Gone (feat. Snoop Dogg)” and Rhys Rutherford's clever “Southern Belle.” “As a small-town kid from Kentucky this a dream,” shares Lohden. “When we wrote 'Tail Light,...

The Grand Ole Opry was recognized last week by the Tennessee House of Representatives in a special session held at the Tennessee State Capitol in honor of the Opry’s 100th anniversary. Introduced by Representative Jeremy Faison, the resolution recognized the Opry's century-long impact on American music and Tennessee culture, calling it “the heartbeat of Nashville.” Following the resolution, Opry members...

The Grand Ole Opry, celebrating its 100th anniversary, is scheduled to salute and honor the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary with a return of the red carpet parade and what has become a highlight of the year, the special Salute the Troops Opry performance Tuesday, May 20. Among the artists scheduled to perform are Opry member Craig Morgan, who serves as an Army Reserve Warrant Officer; Opry...

Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Nashville and Southern Pacific Music have signed a global publishing deal with Americana singer-songwriter Ryan Necci. He is the founder and lead singer of alt-country group, Ryan Necci and The Buffalo Gospel, a band that spans genres including country, folk, Americana, and blues. Their 2022 hit “If I Was the Last Man,” written by Necci, has amassed over 600K streams on Spotify and counting. In...

Warner Music Nashville announces two promotions within its Commercial Partnerships Team. Katherine Firsching elevates to Director, Commercial Partnerships, and Blair Poirier rises to Manager, Commercial Partnerships for Warner Music Nashville. Both reporting to Senior Vice President of Radio & Commercial Partnerships, Kristen Williams. “Katherine has an innate ability to foster relationships with partners and artists alike," said Williams. "She has a...

Morgan Wallen has revealed the full tracklist to his robust 37-song upcoming album, I'm The Problem. Featuring collaborations with Post Malone, Tate McRae, Eric Church, ERNEST and HARDY, the project will drop May 16. The album will open with the title track, “I'm The Problem,” a cutting double-edged confession that reveals the complexities of a relationship at its lowest point. It...

The Country Music Association has announced additional programming at this year’s CMA Fest, bringing three nights of live music to Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater Thursday, June 5 through Saturday, June 7, with Country stars and emerging artists lighting up the stage each night. Thursday night kicks off in true Nashville style as CMA joins forces with Whiskey Jam for a high-energy...

Recently announced as one-of-three inaugural signees of DeVille Records, rising singer-songwriter Rhys Rutherford today releases his first-ever offering, the sonically smooth and lyrically clever “Southern Belle.” “I'm proud to release 'Southern Belle' as my first song,” shares Rutherford. “I hope it's a reflection of my influences – from the artists whose country music I grew up on like Tim McGraw and...

Renowned Lost Highway Records enters a bold new era with the full support of Interscope Geffen A&M. Harkening back to its roots, the relaunched Nashville-based label is committed to nurturing the creative vision of each artist and building their global connections with an intuitive, entrepreneurial approach. As plans have developed over the past year, the objective has always been to...

Girlilla Marketing Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jennie Smythe shares her inspiring personal and professional journey with the release of her memoir - Becoming Girlilla: My Journey to Unleashing Good - in Real Life, Online, and in Others, which is out today, April 15, 2025, via Resolve Editions, an imprint of Forefront Books (Simon & Schuster). A digital marketing trailblazer, Jennie’s...

TAMLA Records and Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG) welcomes singer-songwriter Peech. to their artist roster. With a unique blend of heartfelt storytelling, genre-bending production, and a growing global fanbase, Peech. brings a fresh voice to the modern music landscape. “I’m super excited to be joining the Tamla/CCMG team,” said Peech. “Everybody has been incredibly kind and I’m blessed to...

Mitchell Tenpenny was presented with new RIAA certification plaques on Saturday night just ahead of his performance at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville as part of Kane Brown’s “High Road Tour.” Mitchell’s debut single “Drunk Me” has now reached 4x Platinum and “We Got History” is Platinum. Additionally, Mitchell’s new single “Same Moon,” written by Mitchell, Paul DiGiovanni, Derrick Southerland and...

The Ryl Company, the parent company of Ryl Tea, a fast-growing brand reshaping the beverage industry, has secured $15 million in Series B funding. Founded in 2022 by beverage executive Blodin Ukella and well-known partner Morgan Wallen, this investment will accelerate Ryl Tea’s nationwide expansion, enhance marketing efforts, and support product innovation. This round follows a $7.5 million Series A...

Avery Anna announced her sophomore album, let go letters, which will drop May 16. Every song on the record is inspired by real-life situations that Avery’s fans shared with her in a letter series, which has long been a safe place for her listener community to ‘let go’ of experiences that may be troubling them by writing them down and...

HARDY will be releasing a new EP, COUNTRY!, set for release on May 2 via Big Loud. Two new songs from the project, his first new music of 2025, debut tomorrow. “Two new songs—I'm extremely excited,” says HARDY. “Both songs remind me of a very special place, the place where I grew up, the place where I became who I am—my deer camp....

The Association for Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) celebrated the 2025 AIMP Nashville Awards last night at Marathon Music Works. The event paid tribute to independent songwriters and publishers. “What a magical night celebrating the Nashville independent community of writers and publishers. There was an undeniable sense of community in the room,” says Ree Guyer, Wrensong Entertainment. “Thank you to my...

WME has signed singer-songwriter Naomi Johnson for global representation in all areas. Johnson will be represented by multiple departments across the agency, including touring, brand partnerships, TV, film, and digital. The former original member of the chart-topping trio Runaway June, Johnson now embarks on her solo singing career, forging ahead by sharing personal stories of triumph and strength through her...

Multi-platinum country band LANCO has officially signed with UTA for representation across all areas. LANCO consists of Brandon Lancaster (lead vocals), Chandler Baldwin (bass), Tripp Howell (drums), Jared Hampton (keyboard/guitar) and Tim Aven (guitar). Formed nearly a decade ago, LANCO has solidified its place as one of country music’s most dynamic acts. Their latest album, We’re Gonna Make It (Riser...

Drawing acclaim from both critics and fans alike and selling over 72,000 tickets globally in 2024 alone, Platinum-certified singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dylan Gossett reveals he'll hit the road once again this July on The American Trail Tour, which will make stops across the midwest and west in Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. The buzzing artist-to-watch will also...

Amassing nearly 800,000 followers between both Instagram and TikTok, rising singer-songwriter Mary Heather Hickman released her first single of 2025, “Denim on Denim,” earlier this year. The snappy, uptempo track boasts a catchy hook that will stick with you all day. The Arkansas-born, Texas-raised artist has found herself featured on Pandora's AMP Fresh Cuts, Spotify's All New Country and Apple Music's Best New Songs Country and New in Country and her loyal followers...

Noteworthy, emerging country-folk artist Leon Majcen has released “Right Love, Wrong Time," his latest single featuring Sam Stoane, which will be part of his forthcoming eight-track album, Better Days, releasing later this month. Ringing true to his signature sound, the track promptly captivates your attention with its striped down style, pairing simple melodies with heavy, honest lyrics. Produced in Woodstock, NY by Jon Notar,...