Apr 26, 2014 - Don Williams heads back to the U.K. and Ireland in May of this year, ..... Brody, Serena Ryder, Small Tow
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
Country 2 Country (U.K.)
CMA U.K. Research
A JOLLY OLD SUCCESS
WELL RECEIVED AT LONDON CMA SUMMIT
Over 50,000 fans participated in the C2C (Country To Country) Events at the O2 in London recently. In addition, the event was taken to Dublin for the first time.
CMA presented research about trends on Country music fans at The CMA International Marketing Summit on March 17 in London. A summary of the findings are as follows:
This year’s stellar line up included Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, Chris Young, Zac Brown Band, Dixie Chicks, Dierks Bentley and Martina McBride (London only).
U.K. Country Music Fans are extremely passionate about Country music: Eighty-eight percent are classified as Super Fans using a 10 point rating scale. While 92% would chose Country music as their listening genre if they had to pick only one, they listen to other genres of music as well, mostly Pop and Rock. The key differences by genre can be seen in frequency of listening: 85% listen to Country music on a daily basis compared to less than 20% that listen to either Pop or Rock on a daily basis.
The National UK Media was very receptive to the event with glowing reviews from many areas. Below are some of the reviews: “Thousands of fans traveled hundreds of miles from every corner of the U.K.,” and “you got a real sense that America’s mainstream Country superstars are on the verge of something big in the U.K.” - The Daily Mirror “This was as close to Nashville as London had ever been. In this internet era, Country Music is, for the first time, readily accessible to U.K. fans.” - The Daily Telegraph “With a long weekend of activity…including London and Dublin festivals, the Country Music genre is experiencing the biggest push that it’s had in the U.K. in years.” - U.K. music trade publication Music Week In response to the success of the event: “Country has lived long and prospered because it has never been afraid to evolve.” - London Evening Standard An additional highlight of the event was the participation of over 20 U.K. based country music acts on the side “pop up” stages such as the Shins, Ward Thomas, Emma Jade, Carolynne and Raintown. One of the surprising features of the festival was the overall youthfulness of the audience. It seems that the growing passion for country music by the younger generation stateside has migrated across the Atlantic. All of the acts not only received strong accolades, but many in the audience were in sing-a-long mode knowing the lyrics to many of the songs.
Mobile devices and streaming are driving engagement with Country music as evidenced by 3 in 4 fans listening to the music on a smartphone. Radio is another key platform as well with slightly more than half listening to Country music on a traditional radio. Not surprisingly, today’s top U.S. country artists are quite popular with U.K. fans, and over 90% of fans express interest in music and live performances from this segment of artists. Somewhat more surprising is their interest in U.S. emerging country artists. Despite lower awareness of acts in this artist segment, U.K. fans were equally interested in music and live performances from emerging acts as they reported for today’s top country acts. This research is based on survey research conducted by the CMA among 400 U.K. adults that were identified as Country Music fans based on their responses and selection of music listening habits in a 6 month period. Surveys were conducted online during February of 2014 using an independent research sample provider, Survey Sampling International. Reprinting or publication of these research findings requires prior approval of the Country Music Association, Nashville, TN.
“Seeing firsthand the enthusiastic response from the fans, the interest from our constituents, the overwhelmingly positive media coverage, and the potential for business growth was rewarding and created the foundation for future international initiatives,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. Next year’s festival will take place in London on March 7 and 8, 2015. Dublin will also play host to the festival next year and discussions are in the works to take it to Europe and Scandinavia in the near future. For a photo gallery see page 2. All photo's by Anthony D'Angio / CMA except where noted. A full room of engaged attendees sit and listen during a session at the BBC Marketing Summit In London
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
What is COUNTRY Music? Industry executives discussed how to define Country Music in the international landscape. Pictured L to R: Panel moderator Sarah Trahern (CMA), and panelists Bob Shennan (BBC), Richard Wootton (Richard Wootton Publicity), Judy Seale and Jeff Walker.
BBC broadcasting legend, Bob Harris, interviews Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta during the keynote session at the second annual CMA Marketing Summit.
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern, songwriter Brett James, Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis of Striking Matches, Martina McBride, songwriter Bob DiPiero, and CMA SVP of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships Damon Whiteside at the CMA London Songwriter Series.
Executives discussed ways to engage the Music fanbase – from an international and US domestic perspective. Pictured L to R: Panel moderator Brad Turcotte, and panelists Julie Morgan (SJM Concert), Jeff Smith (BBC), Iain Snodgrass (UMG), Chris Koegen (Vendor Manager) and Rick Murray (Premiere Radio Networks).
Industry leaders discussed the connection between Country music and the live events and the global marketplace. Pictured L to R: John Huie (CAA), Larry Vallon-Moderator (AEG Live), Milly Olykan (O2), Clarence Spalding (Spalding Entertainment), and Bernie Cahill (ROAR)).
Lee Thomas Miller, Brad Paisley, Kelley Lovelace, and Chris Dubois perform at the "Brad Paisley and Friends" taping at the BBC Radio Theatre in London March 17. Photo Credit: Ben Enos
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
CMA REBRANDS AND EXPANDS INTERNATIONAL CONCERT DURING 2014 CMA MUSIC FESTIVAL IN JUNE CMA CEO Sarah Trahern recently announced that CMA will rebrand and expand the annual Global Artist Party during the CMA Music Festival in June. Presented under the “CMA World” global brand, the CMA World GlobaLive concert will be held Monday, June 2 from 6 –11 p.m. CT on a free, outdoor stage on Broadway in downtown Nashville. The concert will be open to the public and feature performances by Country Music artists from territories including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and the U.K. The concert began in 2004 as the Global Artist Party with standing-room-only crowds of enthusiastic fans. “Moving this incredibly popular event from a club setting to a large stage with international food and beverage vendors will enhance the experience for our visiting artists, and create a bigger platform to reach an even broader audience of fans and press from around the world,” Trahern added. “Country Music is not limited by its American roots. Closer than a click, through technology we are reaching a broader audience and developing new fans around the world.”
GLOBAL NEWS BRIEFS Following the September success of Taylor Swift’s Red Tour in North America, Australia, New Zealand and with her run of sold out shows in London and Berlin;; she has announced plans to take the tour to Southeast Asia this year with dates as follows: Jakarta, Indonesia - June 4 - Mata Elang International Stadium (MEIS) Manila, Philippines - June 6 - Mall of Asia Arena Bangkok, Thailand - June 9 - Impact Arena Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - June 11 - Putra Indoor Stadium Singapore - June 12 - Singapore Indoor Stadium She is on the current cover of GIRLS CELEB Magazine in Japan. Dolly Parton keeps adding dates for her Blue Smoke World Tour, which includes stops in England, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden in June and July of this year. Dwight Yoakam is making a few stops in Europe in July 2014. The dates are as follows: Seljord, Norway - July 26 - Countryfestivalen Rattvik, Sweden - July 27 - Dalhalla Gothenburg Sweden - July 28 - Trädgårn *A London show date will be announced soon
CMA Board Member, Jeff Walker, who has served as Executive Producer of the event since its inception, added, “It is exciting to see the event grow the way it has, and I am really excited about the added potential for future growth. Over the past 10 years, we have featured over 150 acts at the global events, and this new venue offers an even greater opportunity to display the talent of some of these very exciting artists.”
Don Williams heads back to the U.K. and Ireland in May of this year, which includes stops at the London Palladium and the Olympic Theater in Dublin.
Mark Moffatt will again serve as music coordinator, and AristoMedia’s Matt Watkins handling musical oversight in conjunction with the CMA staff.
In early February, the Bellamy Brothers performed to sold-out audiences in Mumbai and Goa, India. They then went on to perform to another sold- out venue in Colombo, Sri Lanka. They hold the distinction of being the first and only U.S. based Country music artists to perform in those two countries.
NEWS FROM IRELAND Garth Brooks is returning to Ireland for the first time since 1997 for The Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event. The event includes five show dates at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. All five shows, which totaled 400,000 tickets, sold out within 90 minutes. This is the first time that an artist has sold out five dates at Croke Park. The shows are caught up in a debate between the residents of the surrounding area of Croke Park and the venue owners. If negotiations between the two do not go well, the residents are threatening to stop Garth’s shows. However, if all goes well, The Garth Brooks Comeback Special Event will take place on July 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, 2014 at Croke Park.
Eric Church and The Cadillac Three recently wrapped up a mini U.K./Ireland Tour with shows in Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester and London.
Kellie Pickler, Josh Turner and Ricky Skaggs will headline the Country Night Gstaad in Gstaad, Switzerland on September 13 and 14. Brazilian entertainer Rodrigo Haddad has sent notification of the upcoming Sao Paulo Country Music Festival, which will be held in the world famous soccer stadium on April 26, 2014 and feature 12 local artists, including one from Argentina. While no U.S. acts are performing at the festival, he deems it a major step forward for Brazilian Country Music. The 9th Annual British Country Music Awards (BCMA) will be held on Sunday, November 24, 2014 once again in Heathrow, London. Twenty- five awards, including British, European, International and American, will be handed out. Live performances and a guest star from Nashville will be included in the festivities.
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
NEWS FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER CMC ROCKS THE HUNTER FESTIVAL 2014 The 2014 CMC Rocks the Hunter festival was held March 14 – 16 at the beautiful Hope Estate in the NSW Hunter Valley wine region. This was the festival’s seventh year, and by many measures, it was the most successful to date. Headlined by Toby Keith, the lineup also included Gretchen Wilson, Eli Young Band, Clay Walker, Kellie Pickler, Thompson Square, Lee Kernaghan, Morgan Evans and many more. There were a total of 38 international and local performers during the three days of live music. Headline Country’s Storme Warren returned as host and shot a special Australian themed episode of his show, which will be airing soon. After the festival, Blackjack Billy – who had made their Australian debut at the festival – saw their debut EP ‘Get Some’ and single ‘Booze Cruise’ shoot to the #1 spot on Australian Country iTunes. Academy of Country Music’s CEO Bob Romeo made the trip down to the festival to draw the winners of a special competition for CMC Rocks the Hunter ticket holders. The winners received a trip to the ACM Awards in Las Vegas and the opportunity to take part in the surrounding events. Romeo, with Headline Country’s Storme Warren and Country Music Channel’s Tim Daley, made the presentation to the lucky winners on the main stage just before Toby Keith closed out the festival on Sunday night. Aside from headlining the CMC Rocks the Hunter festival, Toby Keith satisfied the cries of long-term fans who had been requesting he tour for years by performing spectacular arena shows in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, with special guests Eli Young Band and Kellie Pickler. This trip Down Under was Toby Keith’s first ever trip to Australia. Gretchen Wilson returned to Australia for the first time since her promo tour almost a decade ago. As well as headlining the Saturday night show at CMC Rocks the Hunter, Wilson played two rowdy, packed out theatre shows in Brisbane and Melbourne, with special guest Morgan Evans. Australian singer/songwriter Morgan Evans released his debut album at CMC Rocks the Hunter, where he played the main stage on Saturday night and hosted the TV coverage for Australia’s GAC equivalent, the Country Music Channel (CMC). He sold the most CDs of any artist at the festival, smashing the previous sales record. The album debuted at #1 on the Australian Country Chart and #20 on the Australian Pop Chart. Recorded in Nashville with Aussie-native producer, Jedd Hughes, the album comes on the heels of two hit EPs for Evans and features songs co-written by Morgan in Nashville with writers such as Jeffrey Steele and Phil Barton.
CMC AWARDS The fourth CMC Music Awards were held on March 14 at CMC Rocks the Hunter festival. The awards included the following winners:
CMC Oz Artist of the Year - Morgan Evans CMC Male Artist of the Year - Morgan Evans CMC Female Artist of the Year - Jasmine Rae CMC International Artist of the Year - Taylor Swift CMC Australian Video of the Year - Morgan Evens - “Carry On” CMC International Video of the Year - Tim McGraw / Taylor Swift / Keith Urban - “Highway Don’t Care” CMC New Oz Artist of the Year - The Wolfe Brothers
42ND ANNUAL CMAA COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS In early January, Australia’s country music industry celebrated their 42nd Annual CMAA Country Music Awards, with prestigious Golden Guitar trophies awarded at the Tamworth event. Hosted by The McClymonts, the awards provided the audience with a bevy of performances on-stage and backstage throughout the night. Lee Kernaghan scored Male Artist of the Year, CMC Video Clip of the Year, Single of the Year and the Sanity Top Selling Australian Album of the Year, adding another four trophies to his already impressive collection. Luke O’Shea and Drew McAlister collected awards for the Luke O’Shea recording of “Lady Of the Land,” written by both and recorded by Luke O’Shea as a tribute to Slim Dusty’s wife, Joy McKean. Sara Storer’s return after a hiatus was heralded with three Golden Guitars. Taking home the coveted Album of the Year award was the icing on the country cake that also included Female Artist of the Year and Vocal Collaboration of the Year, with John Williamson. First time Golden Guitar winner Ashleigh Dallas was awarded Best New Talent. A Tamworth local and third generation country music artist who was discovered by Kasey Chambers secured the trophy, with the audience showing their support on the night to a surprised Dallas. Below is a partial list of winners for the 42nd CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia: ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Lovegrass – Sara Storer, produced by Matt Fell ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Black Coffee – Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes, MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR - Lee Kernaghan – Flying With The King FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR - Sara Storer – Lovegrass GROUP OR DUO OF THE YEAR - O’Shea – Thank You Angels VOCAL COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR – “Pozie” – Sara Storer & John Williamson TOYOTA HERITAGE SONG OF THE YEAR – “Lady of the Land” – written by Luke O’Shea & Drew McAlister, recorded by Luke O’Shea SINGLE OF THE YEAR – “Flying With The King” – Lee Kernaghan TOP SELLING INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Red – Taylor Swift (Universal Music) SANITY TOP SELLING AUSTRALIAN ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Beautiful Noise – Lee Kernaghan (ABC Music)
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
Photo's From Down Under
CANADIAN COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION DATES The Canadian Country Music Association recently announced the dates for their 2016 CCMA Awards week. Country Music Week will be held in London on Sept. 8-11, 2016 with the awards broadcast being held on Sunday, Sept. 11. Before heading to London, Country Music Week 2014 and this year’s CCMA Awards will be celebrated in Edmonton, Alberta on Sept. 4-7. In 2015, Country Music Week and the CCMA Awards head to Halifax, Nova Scotia from Sept. 10- 13. Registration is now open for this year’s event. Participants can save over $100 if they register before May 30. For more details about the Canadian Country Music Association, Country Music Week and the CCMA Awards, please visit www.ccma.org.
MEET THE CANADIAN NEWBIES One More Girl, the west coast Canadian duo of Britt & Carly McKillip, have shared stages with the likes of Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Jason Aldean, and have been honored with several awards including the Canadian Radio Music Award’s Best New Country Artist, and the Canadian Country Music Association’s Rising Star award.
Backstage at Toby Keith’s final Australian concert, with manager TK Kimbrell, Toby Keith, promoter Rob Potts and agent Curt Motley.
The sisters have undertaken extensive songwriting trips to Nashville and Los Angeles, writing with some of the best in the business from Radney Foster (“Nobody Wins,” “Just Call Me Lonesome”), Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift), to Linda Perry (“Get The Party Started,” “Beautiful”). The result of this work is a rich and varied catalogue of new material, which can be found on duo’s latest EP release, titled THE HARD WAY. (Open Road Recordings/Universal Music Canada)
BRODY AND KISSEL TAKE HOME JUNO'S On stage at CMC Rocks the Hunter 2014, ACM CEO Bob Romeo presents the lucky winners with their trip to Las Vegas prize, with Headline Country’s Storme Warren and CMC Program Director Tim Daley.
The two big winners at this years 2014 Juno Awards in the Country category were Dean Brody for the Country Album of the Year (Crop Circles) and Brett Kissel for Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
Dean Brody
Morgan Evans and Toby Keith backstage at the CMC Rocks the Hunter
Brett Kissel
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
ARISTO Q&A WITH DOBE NEWTON Dobe Newton is a man of many talents with many hats to pair with them… It wasn’t until recently that he added a new one to his collection—that of President of the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA). Dobe’s musical resume includes being the front man of The Bushwackers, where he performs the Lagerphone, Tin Whistle and Bush Percussion. His songwriting credits include the critically acclaimed “I Am Australian,” which he co-wrote with Bruce Woodley of The Seekers and actor in the movies Bush Christmas (1983) and Bigger Than Tina (1999). In recent years, he has become well known in Music City for the endeavors of Sounds Australia during the annual Americana Music Festival. Sounds Australia is Australia’s music market development initiative, established to provide a cohesive and strategic platform to assist the Australian music industry access domestic and international business opportunities. In 2013, he was recognized for his efforts by being awarded the status of honorary “Nashvillian” by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. We managed to corner Dobe for a few minutes to answer some questions.
You recently became president of the CMAA Board - What are your key goals and objectives for the organization. DN: My first goal, in collaboration with my Board colleagues, was to re-establish the reputation and direction of the organization, which has been impacted by a recent heated debate about the ‘Americanization’ of Australian Country music. Debate is always healthy, and, in Australia, all genres of music have periodically had this debate since our radio was ‘invaded’ by US and British artists post World War II.
The timing of this latest iteration of the debate was badly timed, taking place just before our annual Country Music Awards, and gave the media plenty to get excited about. DN: The dust has now settled, and we’re in the process of re-focusing on our core tasks – the domestic and international promotion of our artists and the businesses that support them, the preservation and promotion of our rich Country music heritage and the development, in cooperation with our industry, of the next generation of young practitioners who will ensure the future health of our music. Much of our focus will centre on our unique Academy of Country Music program, which annually involves 40+ young writers and performers in a two-week residential skills development program prior to the annual Tamworth Festival. We’re looking to expand the activities of the Academy nation-wide, and exploring the possibility of taking a number of these youngsters to the US for a Nashville-based Academy.
This last initiative would be a natural outcome of the recent, formal agreement negotiated between the Tamworth Regional Council and Sister Cities of Nashville. On a "growth scale" of 1 to 10 how is the country music scene in Australia? Please explain your rating. DN: About a 7. In recent years, the number of middle-level Country/Americana artists touring in Australia has definitely increased. They have joined the ‘stars’ who have always targeted Australia’s world-renowned live music circuit. Ten years ago, we had two major Country music events – the Tamworth Festival and the Gympie Muster, as well as a host of much smaller genre- specific events. These days, a number of our major music festivals such as the Woodford, the Port Fairy Festivals, Byron Bay Blues and Roots have embraced the worldwide interest in ‘roots’ music and regularly feature overseas and local artists. We also have a brand new major event called CMC Rocks The Hunter which was built on the expansion and success of the Country Music Channel’s cable TV programming. Radio and TV exposure, or the lack thereof, has always been a problem in our major cities. Although that hasn’t substantially changed in terms of commercial broadcasters, our national public broadcaster ABC and it’s youth network Triple J have definitely increased their Country music content and hence the popularity of the genre. There are also significant public radio stations in our major cities. Together with the increasing importance of Internet radio, there’s greater airplay than ever before. Two weeks ago Jon Cleary got a marquee of 3,000 people up and dancing at Port Fairy. Five years ago, I doubt many Australians knew who he was.
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
ARISTO Q&A WITH DOBE NEWTON (CONTINUED) As a performing artist, how do you balance between the business and artistic side of your life? DN: I’m not going to show my wife of 45 years this answer! She’d probably say that as a ‘serial’ volunteer, I’ve never managed to achieve a balance. As the Bushwackers, now in its 43rd year, is taking touring at a much more leisurely pace, I’ve had time to concentrate on other passions – teaching music business at TAFE, working for various government agencies as a music industry advocate, pursuing my passion for lawn bowls as the president of my local club and, most recently, building on the relationship that has now been formalized between the Australian and US industries through Sounds Australia activities. Then, there’s lots of reading to do, making time to follow my beloved Collingwood Football Club and writing the odd song. Not sure there’s much balance, but there IS a lot of fun!
Is the mainstream media a friend to "country music" in Australia or is there some education to be done? DN: No mainstream media could ever be accused of being overly subtle in their reporting. Ours is no different. As an industry, we’ve spent decades trying to overcome their stereotypical portrayal of Australian Country music as the province of ‘hayseeds’ and ‘bumpkins.’ Have a Country music story to report? Grab a few hay bales and put a straw in your mouth! Things ARE getting better, and much of it dates from a decade ago when Kasey Chambers ‘crossed-over’ to the mainstream music charts. Kasey’s ‘Not Pretty Enough’ struck a chord with a young demographic and made Country ‘cool’ for a whole new audience. Many of Australia’s iconic ‘rock’ performers – Paul Kelly, Nick Cave, Tim Rogers, etc. - have produced material based on their love of country. All of this, plus Keith of course, is slowly but surely diluting the stereotype. More work to be done, but there’s definite progress.
Can the Tamworth Festival grow if it doesn't embrace the younger US influenced pop/country fans? DN: Basically, no. The vast majority of country fans in Australia realize that we’ve always drawn influence and inspiration from the world’s largest and most mature popular music market. Our love affair with US Country began in the 40s, and Australia’s country pioneers, Slim Dusty, Tex Morton and Buddy Williams to name a few, developed their writing and playing from what they heard at the time. No event can stand still artistically while its audience ages;; that way lies certain demise. Tamworth is no different, and has been embracing the young and the new for decades. In fact, if the Bushwackers hadn’t been brought in from the folk scene in the early 80s to be part of Tamworth, we wouldn’t have had the long career we’re eternally grateful for. One of the great joys for the tens of thousands who attend the annual Tamworth Festival, and many of our other major music festivals, is discovering new young artists and shaping a brand new tradition.
It has been said that Australian country music lives under one umbrella - do you think many artists are aware that they would be categorized as Americana rather than strictly country in the US? DN: A few years ago, the awareness was fairly minimal. If it did exist, it was likely accompanied by negative perceptions surrounding the word ‘Americana’ itself. Like many countries, we’ve always been sensitive about protecting our popular culture from foreign incursions, and I suspect that many associated ‘Americana’ with some sort of cultural imperialism. That’s certainly changed as we’ve all become familiar with the term and the music styles it embraces, many of them dear to the music community and fans here. I know from my extensive conversations with industry colleagues, that those negatives are fast disappearing and Americana is being embraced and used as a term describing a ‘roots’ music that is increasingly popular here.
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
ARISTO Q&A WITH DOBE NEWTON (CONTINUED) As we’ve always done, we’re busy adding some unique ‘Australiana’ elements.
Do you think more Australian country artists should target the US Americana market rather than the country market when making advances to Nashville? DN: When I first attended the Americana Festival in 2006, following the ill-fated ‘Australian Festival’ we’d gone to play at, it was a musical revelation. I realized straight away that this event and this market would perfectly suit the growing number of country ‘roots music’ (as we called it) artists, rather than the more country pop/rock-oriented CMA festival. My conviction was shared by Sounds Australia, a government/industry partnership established to promote Aussie artists in overseas markets, and we started to build a formal relationship with the AMA and its September event. The increasing interest, response and participation from our artists and music businesses have certainly justified the efforts, and underlined the fact that writers and performers see the Americana Festival as a key target event central to their skills and career development. We began modestly with a group of 6 artists in 2009. The numbers have increased each year, and in 2013 we had 40 artists, managers and music media involved in the festival under the Sounds Australia banner. Our artists are increasingly aware that this event is a great fit for their music, and what better time to visit than during an event where they can showcase to the 1200 decision makers gathered as festival/conference delegates? Not to mention thousands of fans in a city that loves music. Doesn’t get better than that. None of this would have been possible without the active involvement and encouragement of the Americana Music Association and a number of old mates who encouraged us to pursue the relationship.
You are a regular attendee at the Americana Music Festival and spearhead an Australian delegation of talent and industry executives - What are your plans for 2014. DN: When we started to discuss a formal Australian involvement with the AMA, I didn’t realize that I was creating one of world’s great jobs for myself! I didn’t need to be asked twice to be the project manager for Sounds Australia’s involvement. The first couple of years involved a lot of ‘selling’ on my part, as the Americana Festival was only just coming to mainstream attention in the US. Now, we’ve had close to 100 artists and music business people involved. They’ve had overwhelmingly positive experiences, and they are now doing the selling. The great coverage our involvement has received in Australian and US media has helped spread the message. I’m currently assembling another extensive list of those who want to be involved in 2014. We now have four Aussie-specific showcases in the Americana event, and the challenge is to find spots for all who want to be involved. It’s a good problem to have! By the time we arrive, we will have familiar names and many others making their first trip. As one delegate said to me two years ago, “I always look forward most to the Aussie events, because I get to see a whole lot of new, talented artists I didn’t know existed”. That’s a great endorsement of the program, and I’m glad we can bring something to Nashville because all of us certainly go away with wonderful musical gifts from our involvement in a magic week. The one thing I can promise is that there will be lots of us, and we’re all looking forward to sharing music, life and laughs.
The Aristo International Report is published four times per year by The AristoMedia Group, P.O. Box 22765 Nashville, TN, 37202. Publisher: Jeff Walker | Editorial Staff: Jon Walker, Christy Watkins, Matt Watkins, Sharilyn Pettus and Ashley Heyen. Contributors include Jeremy Dylan, Judy Seale, Jimmy Chapin, Roger Ryan, Stephen Krajinovic, Karen Stump (CMA) and the CMA Media Department. Please submit your international Country music news items for consideration to:
[email protected] and visit our website at www.aristomedia.com.
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
Upcoming Canadian Festivals and Key Dates May 23-24 – Nashville Nor’East Country Music Festival Sydney, Nova Scotia The Band Perry, Tim Hicks, Emerson Drive, Eli Young Band
July 18-27 – K-Days Edmonton, Alberta Blake Shelton
June 13-22 – Red River Ex Winnipeg, Manitoba Jason Blaine, George Canyon, Small Town Pistols
July 22-27 – South Shore Exhibition Bridgewater, NS Kira Isabella, Chad Brownlee
June 13-14 – Maritime CountryFest Fredericton, New Brunswick Tim Hicks, Doc Walker, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler, Small Town Pistols, Deric Ruttan, Chad Brownlee
July 31-August 3 – Big Valley Jamboree Camrose, Alberta Miranda Lambert, Dean Brody, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington, Chad Brownlee, Kira Isabell
June 26-29 - Dauphins Countryfest Dauphin, Manitoba Blake Shelton, Tim Hicks, The Band Perry, Rascal Flatts, Lee Brice, Brett Kissel, Deric Ruttan
July 31-August 3 – Boots and Hearts Music Festival Bowmanville, ON Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Hunter Hayes, Lee Brice, Gord Bamford, The Road Hunters, Tim Hicks, Deric Ruttan, Paul Brandt, Tyler Farr, Dan + Shay, Neil McCoy
June 27-29 – Bud Country Fever Grand Prairie, Alberta Big & Rich, Brett Kissel, The Road Hammers, Doc Walker, Mackenzie Porter July 4-13 – Calgary Stampede Calgary, Alberta Reba McEntire, Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Corb Lund, Dean Brody, Serena Ryder, Small Town Pistols, Beverley Mahood, Jason Blaine, Bobby Wills, Dallas Smith, Chad Brownlee, Doc Walker July 4-6 – Cavendish Beach Music Festival Cavendish, PEI Blake Shelton, Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes, Darius Rucker, Gord Bamford, Brett Kissel, Dean Brody, Beverley Mahood July 10-13 – Craven Country Jamboree Craven, SK Keith Urban, George Canyon, Thomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley, The Charlie Daniels Band, Dallas Smith, Tim Hicks, Brett Eldredge, The Road Hammers, Gord Bamford
July 31-August 3 – Sunfest Duncan, British Columbia Tim McGraw, Jake Owen, George Canyon, Aaron Pritchett, Cassadee Pope August 7-10 – Manitoulin Countryfest Little Current, ON Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jaida Dreyer, Patrice Conroy, Doc Walker, Bobby Willis August 14-17 – Havelock Country Jamboree Havelock, ON Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner, Michelle Wright, Lisa Brokop, Doc Walker August 22-23 – Music In The Fields Lucknow, ON Gord Bamford, Dierks Bentley, The Road Hammers, Brett Kissel, Tim Hicks, Lindsay Ell
Promoting Country Music Around the Globe
MARK MOFFATT BECOMES APRA AMCOS NASHVILLE MEMBER RELATIONS REP Mark Moffatt was appointed the inaugural Nashville Member Relations Representative by Australia’s royalty collection society APRA AMCOS. Moffatt, a songwriter and producer himself, will be assisting Australian and New Zealand songwriters, performers and music publishers with their transition to the United States music industry by helping them with performing rights and networking. Moffatt was also recently appointed President of the Americana Music Association, making him the first foreigner to fill this position. “I am thrilled APRA AMCOS recognizes Nashville as worthy of having a permanent representative base,” said Moffatt. “I look forward to working with the Nashville publishing and songwriting community to make the most of potential opportunities and mutual benefits.” APRA AMCOS represents songwriters, composers and music publishers and distributes their performance and mechanical royalties within Australia and New Zealand. They are affiliated with American organizations ASCAP, BMI and SESAC and gather royalties for these organizations within the Australasian region. APRA AMCOS also has International Member Relation Representatives in London and Los Angeles, with operations based in Australia and New Zealand.
SMALL TOWN PISTOLS Small Town Pistols, the Canadian duo made up of Amanda and Tyler Wilkinson, have brought their new music to the States. From their self-titled, debut album, the duo’s first single, “Colour Blind,” is a reminder to see everyone’s unique colors and to enjoy all of life. The duo co-wrote the song with the track’s producer, Joey Moi, who is credited for producing hits by Florida Georgia Line (“Cruise,” “Get Your Shine On,” and “Round Here”) and Jake Owen (“Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” “Days of Gold”). The video for “Colour Blind” is now available on YouTube. The duo continues to garner attention through various nominations, including for two 2014 CCMAs (“Album Of The Year” and “Group of the Year”), a Sirius XM Indie award in the "Country Group or Duo of the Year" category and for a Juno award (equivalent to the American Grammy) in the "Country Group or Duo of the Year" award category. Half heartbreak, half healing, Small Town Pistols’ debut, self-titled album is an honest story of what the duo was going through at the time and what they hoped to find in the future. The brother and sister duo got their start as teenagers in the trio The Wilkinsons, which was made up of themselves and their father, Steve Wilkinson. Together, they produced two consecutive stateside Top 20 singles, “26 Cents” and “Fly (The Angel Song),” were nominated for the Country Music Association's Horizon Award and Vocal Group of the Year and for Single of the Year by the Academy of Country Music Awards. Their second album, Here and Now, won the Canadian Country Music Association award for Best Album and they received nine Canadian Country Music Awards, one Juno Award and two Grammy nominations (both for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group). For more information visit http://www.smalltownpistolsfans.com/ and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
CMT CANADA'S CHEVROLET TOP 20 COUNTDOWN The Chevrolet Top 20 Countdown is Canada’s premiere Country countdown. The chart can make and shape careers in our industry. It is a reflection of success and quite often the engine that can further success. It is simply the most important chart that our format has in Canada. Every week host Paul McGuire counts down the hottest videos in the country. The show has exclusive interviews, world video premieres and news on the biggest artists in the industry. Recent visitors to the show include: Dierks Bentley, Dallas Smith, Florida Georgia Line
Dean Brody, Cassadee Pope and Florida Georgia Line.
Dierks Bentley