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19 Apr 2023

Foo Fighters Announce ‘Brutally Honest’ 11th Album ‘But Here We Are’

“It came in a flash/ It came out of nowhere/ It happened so fast/ And then it was over/ Are you thinking what I’m thinking?/ Is this happening now?” Those are the opening lines to “Rescued,” the raw, let it bleed first single from the Foo Fighters‘ upcoming 11th album, But Here We Are, their first since the shocking death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last March.

The rager propelled by the band’s signature mix of Dave Grohl’s primal scream emotion and lyrical elegance — including a section where he howls “rescue me tonight” over rolling drums — will be featured on the 10 song But Here We Are, due out on June 2 on Roswell Records/RCA Records.

“We’re all free to some degree to dance under the lights/ I’m just waiting to be rescued/ Bring me back to life,” Grohl sings wistfully on the song’s chorus.

Produced by frequent collaborator Greg Kurstin and the band, the collection is described in a press release as “the first chapter of the band’s new life.” The initial single from the group whose resting pulse is keep-on-keepin’-on is the first new music we’ve heard from the Foos since the unimaginable loss of their literal and emotional heartbeat. The release dubs the album, “a brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year… a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family. Courageous, damaged and unflinchingly authentic.”

It promises that “Rescued” is just one piece of a tracklist that runs the emotional gamut from “rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between,” while tapping into the naiveté of the band’s 1995 debut, but also informed by nearly three decades of maturity and depth.

“But Here We Are is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life,” it promises.

To date, the Foos have announced 25 U.S. and European festival and headliner dates for this summer and fall, but have not said who will replace the energetic, beloved timekeeper whose death at 50 while on tour in South America devastated the group and their fans. It was unclear at press time who plays drums on the track and who will sit behind the kit for live shows; a spokesperson for the group had not returned requests for comment at press time on who performs on the song and who will play with them on tour.

Listen to “Rescued” and see the But Here We Are tracklist below.

But Here We Are tracklist:

“Rescued” 
“Under You”
“Hearing Voices”
“But Here We Are” 
“The Glass”
“Nothing At All” 
“Show Me How” 
“Beyond Me”
“The Teacher”
“Rest”

19 Apr 2023

WMX Launches New Visual Podcast Series ‘Iconic Records’

A visual podcast series spotlighting iconic albums in pop culture is being launched this month by WMX, the next-generation artist services, media and creative content division of Warner Music Group. In conjunction with the celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the debut season of Iconic Records will explore The Notorious B.I.G.’s legendary final album – 1997’s Life After Death — with host and Radio Hall of Famer Angie Martinez. 

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In “25 interviews over five nights” as the series’ trailer notes, Martinez delves into the making of the 11x platinum double-album, its enduring cultural impact and Biggie’s pioneering legacy with a host of hip-hop notables. Among those sitting down with Martinez to reminisce and share never-heard stories are Lil Cease, Fat Joe, Pusha T, Rick Ross and Too $hort in addition to surprise guests.  

The eight-episode Iconic Records: Life After Death will premiere on the new WMX Hip-Hop channel on The Roku Channel (Ch. 1137) on April 29 (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT). Viewers can also watch the visual podcast on The Notorious B.I.G’s YouTube Channel, while listeners can stream across all major audio podcast platforms starting May 1. 

View the exclusive premiere of the series’ official trailer:

Calling it an “honor” to host the first season of Iconic Records,” Martinez also noted in the series’ announcement release that “Biggie was, and still is, one of the most important artists of our lifetime and Life After Death is a masterpiece! To collaborate with WMX on this series has been an incredible experience. It’s especially meaningful as we also pay homage to 50 years of hip- hop and how it’s changed the course of history.”

“The Notorious B.I.G. is a once-in-a-lifetime talent,” said Wayne Barrow, manager of The Notorious B.I.G. “His work has been examined and reviewed before, but this series provides new stories and firsthand accounts by the people that were there. It’s something special.” 

Added WMX’s Ben Blank, president, media & creative content, “We’re excited to be able to share stories about the albums that have shaped entire generations so profoundly – beginning with Biggie’s Life After Death,” “The launch of Iconic Records embraces the huge appetite and need for unique content tailored for genre-specific audiences. WMX lives at a crossroads where artists, content and experiences converge to reach music fans where they are, and this exciting series is the first of many forums in which we will continue to tell the stories about the art that shapes and inspires our culture.”  

Iconic Records: Life After Death is executive produced by Martinez and Kevin Hofman (WMX) and directed by Bonsu Thompson in collaboration with the Estate of Christopher Wallace. For additional information about Iconic Records click here.

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Check out a preview clip below.

19 Apr 2023

Erika Jayne Is Ready to Bet It All on Blonde With Las Vegas Residency: Exclusive

Erika Jayne’s love affair with Las Vegas started with a playbill. When she was just a child, the future reality star’s mother and stepfather took a weekend getaway to Sin City and brought back a program for Lido de Paris, the famous revue boasting topless showgirls that ran for decades at the now-demolished Stardust Resort and Casino, as a souvenir.

“I fell in love with this program,” Erika tells Billboard from her home in Los Angeles. “So much so that when I did my book report, we had to pick a city and I picked Las Vegas.” 

Bringing her beloved program filled with topless performers didn’t exactly go over well in her Georgia classroom, but the then-elementary schooler flooded her class with dice and other Vegas-themed paraphernalia instead, only to learn after she gave her report that the glitzy metropolis wasn’t actually the capital of Nevada. (For the record, that’s Carson City.) But the point remained: Erika officially had her sights set on Vegas.

This summer, that longstanding dream of seeing her name in the lights of Sin City will be fully realized as Erika launches Bet It All on Blonde, her very own residency at House of Blues Las Vegas inside the Mandalay Bay. 

“It just feels right. It is right. It’s over the top like Erika Jayne,” the blonde bombshell said of bringing her act to the famous Strip starting Aug. 25 for a run of 11 dates over five weekends through Dec. 2. “Fantasy, love, escape, glitz, glamour and fun — that’s what we’re gonna bring to you and I’m so f—ing excited.”

Erika Jayne

Erika Jayne

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Those six individual keywords make up what the singer refers to as the guiding “ethos” of her stage persona, whom many fans first met when she joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast back in 2015. Erika Jayne became an instant fan favorite upon her introduction to the Bravosphere, and in her seven seasons and counting, Bravoholics have watched the dance-club diva perform in gay clubs in San Diego, Chicago and New York City, to far-flung locales like Mykonos. In season 9, she even headlined her very own tour, which included a sold-out show at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles attended by her fellow Housewives.

But even before she was living out her fantasies in front of Bravo’s cameras, Erika had already gained a passionate, mainly LGBTQ+ fanbase and a string of dance-driven chart hits — including nine No. 1s on Billboard‘s Dance Club Songs chart. It’s an undeniable accomplishment she notes hasn’t fully translated in the minds of Housewives fans, even as they’ve watched her record music, hold auditions, cast dancers and film music videos for singles like “How Many F–ks” (her most recent No. 1) and “Xxpensive” on the show. 

“They’re all special,” the self-described “musical theater kid” says of her nine chart-toppers, the number of which actually rivals the likes of Christina Aguilera (10), Britney Spears (11), Kylie Minogue (14) and Lady Gaga (15). (Madonna, meanwhile, holds the unparalleled record on the chart, as revisited on Her Madgesty’s excellent 2022 compilation Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones.)

“Like, think about ‘Roller Coaster,’ which was in 2007 or 2008 or whenever it was,” Erika continued. “You know, it was my first record out. And I just remember creating in the beginning with such freedom and making music that I liked to dance to. … As I think here, there are so many [songs] that I wish had a bigger look. But now they will, ’cause they’ll be back in the show.”

As she prepares for her residency, the RHOBH star has no qualms about taking a cue from recent smash engagements like Spears’ Piece of Me, Aguilera’s The Xperience or Gwen Stefani’s Just a Girl to find inspiration for what makes a Vegas show sparkle. “Obviously, it’s going to be Erika Jayne,” she says. “But let’s be honest: Everybody’s looking at Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez. Those women have done a great job. And I’m gonna do a great job too.”

It’s also a safe bet to expect Erika’s preparations for Vegas won’t simply stay in Vegas, either. Expect to watch the process play out on season 13 of RHOBH, which is currently in production, and possibly beyond the Bravo franchise too, into a spin-off of its own. “I remember watching Blonde Ambition and being so fascinated by the inner-workings of a tour,” she says, referencing Madonna: Truth or Dare, the 1991 documentary directed by Alek Keshishian that brought fans behind the scenes of Madonna’s now-iconic, boundary-breaking Blonde Ambition Tour. “I want to give the fans a different look at my artistry, putting a show together, where I am in my life, outside of Housewives. 

“Because it has its own life,” she continues. “You know, the show, the residency, everything that goes into it. The personalities around it, the pressure. Making the show is fascinating to a lot of people. It certainly is to me. And I think that that needs to be captured.”

Along with past cuts like “Give Me Everything,” “Stars” and “Painkillr,” the Pretty Mess author promises her residency will also include new music filled with “big, anthemic, fun moments,” which she’s currently hard at work recording in the studio, as well as covers of some of her favorite songs by other artists. “It’s a new era of Erika Jayne,” she teases. “And I think that’s important because the journey continues on as a musician, as an artist. Things have changed, but I will never not be happy onstage. Does that make sense? I will never not celebrate onstage, I will always have a good time and always bring the party. But it’s just a new party.”

What’s changed exactly? Well, first the pandemic ravaged the world, bringing Erika’s thriving performing career to an abrupt and devastating halt just weeks after she’d made her celebrated Broadway debut playing Roxie Hart in Chicago. (“I think that anyone that calls themselves a performer should have to go to Broadway. … Every night I stood onstage, I just was honored to be there.”)

Then, as anyone who’s followed the drama on RHOBH or read the news in the past two years knows, her personal life imploded as she was caught in the legal riptide of her estranged husband Tom Girardi’s very public fall from grace. The onetime powerhouse of the L.A. legal and political worlds, who earned his reputation winning high-profile cases like 1993’s Anderson et. al. v. Pacific Gas & Electric — which inspired the movie Erin Brockovich — stands accused of misappropriating at least $2 million in funds meant for the families of victims of a 2018 airplane crash in Indonesia, funneling more than $20 million in additional victim compensation to the LLC created for Erika’s entertainment career and various other financial crimes. He has since been disbarred, placed in a legal conservatorship, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and lives permanently in a memory care facility.

Erika, meanwhile, has maintained she had no knowledge of Girardi’s misdeeds — a controversial plot point that has fueled much of the can’t-miss drama on the past two seasons of RHOBH. Last fall, she won a decisive victory in a $5 million lawsuit filed against her for allegedly “aiding and abetting” her husband, with the judge finding no evidence of “wrongdoing” on her part, per the L.A. Times.

Determined to come out on the other side of her world being upended, Erika says the title of Bet It All on Blonde symbolizes not only the next chapter of Erika Jayne, but also her hard-fought independence and steadfast commitment to herself.

“Look, I think it’s no secret what I’ve been going through these last couple years,” she says. “And you do, in life, have to bet on yourself. Especially in this business. You have to be willing to take risks, and Vegas is a betting town, so I bet it all on myself. I rolled the dice and I’m cashing in.”

Tickets for Erika Jayne’s Bet It All on Blonde residency go on sale Monday (April 24) at 10 a.m. PT via the House of Blues Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay or Ticketmaster, or by calling (702) 632-7600. A special fan presale will begin Thursday (April 20) at 10 a.m. PT with additional presales for members of MGM Rewards, MGM Resorts’ loyalty rewards program, as well as House of Blues, Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will start one day later on Friday (April 21) at 10 a.m. PT. All presales will end Sunday (April 23) at 10 p.m. PT before the general on-sale.

19 Apr 2023

Tiwa Savage Is Safe After Being Allegedly Kidnapped In Nigeria

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The culture just got another reminder of keeping good company around you. Tiwa Savage is now safe after being allegedly kidnapped in Nigeria.

As spotted on Blavity the Nigerian talent is lucky to be a free woman. According to The Guardian she reportedly fell victim to a kidnapping plot on Thursday, April 13. While all the details of the scheme are not known at this time it is alleged that her staff had a hand in setting her up. Hot New Hip-Hop reports that her domestic staff had access to her private information, and apparently her location, and provided that sensitive intel to the culprits.

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Thankfully the crime was not a success and she found her way back into the arms of loved ones. Naturally the news of the incident spread very quickly prompting her family to acknowledge the situation via Tiwa Savage’s official Instagram account. “Following recent reports online, we can confirm that on Thursday 13 April 2023, there was a major security breach at the residence of musician Tiwa Savage,” the visual read. “A number of suspects were caught and are currently being held under investigation at Alagbon Police Station, Ikoyi.”

Nigerian Police Force Criminal Investigation Department spokesperson Oluniyi Ogundeyi confirmed with the media that they have apprehended individuals responsible for the plot. “Yes, we have some suspects. They are in our custody, they are about four,” the official said.

19 Apr 2023

BLACKPINK Reveal Their Spice Girl Alter Egos, Cover TLC, Sing The Hits For ‘Carpool Karaoke’

BLACKPINK wasted no time bringing the pop straight to your dome on Tuesday night’s (April 18) “Carpool Karaoke” ride on The Late Late Show. In what might be the series’ last commuter sing-along before host James Corden signs off next week, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rosé dove straight into “Pink Venom,” bouncing in their seats after getting assurances that Corden is a decent driver, and, as it turns out, a superfan who impressed Lisa by grabbing a bit of the song’s rap break.

They also described the rigorous band training camp they survived as teens before blowing up, including lessons in popping and Krumping, with Jisoo displaying the “big hands” and “angry face” gestures needed to pull off the latter dance move. In a testament to their sweet natures, though, all four broke into smiles and laughs as they tried to prove their tough Krump face bona fides.

When Corden showed off his Krump moves, ending his arm flourish with a pair of middle fingers, a giggly Rosé said that was “too much!” They quickly slipped into another fan favorite, “DDU DU DDU DU,” with Rosé crooning into an imaginary microphone as they bounced down the road. As trainees, the quartet said the adored TLC for their singing/rapping style, which, naturally, led to a smooth-as-silk cover of the beloved hip-hop-soul trio’s 1999 hit “No Scrubs.”

Corden ticked off a long list of world records the group has lodged, including most-streamed girl group on Spotify, most-subscribed YouTube artist channel globally and first K-pop group to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts. So, of course, James challenged them to set some new Guinness world records, including the fastest time to assemble a Mr. Potato Head, the most hand claps in a minute and the most Jenga blocks removed in a minute.

Spoiler: they failed every one.

The failure didn’t last long as they busted into “How You Like That,” featuring Lisa’s swaggering rap and some backseat choreo from Jenny and Jisoo. The ride ended with the quartet fangirling over another generation’s No. 1 girl group: The Spice Girls, with Lisa saying she was obsessed with the British “Wannabe” singers as a kid and Jenny adding that she loved how they each had their own unique characters.

Corden couldn’t resist asking the women to come up with their own Spicy nicknames, with Rosé quickly dubbed “Aussie Pink,” Lisa named “Boss Pink,” Jenny taking “Shy Pink” and Jisoo rounding out with “Nail Pink.” They ended with a fun run through “Wannabe,” with Rosé throwing up hand hearts and all four going hard on the chorus.

On Saturday (April 15), BLACKPINK became the first Korean act to headline Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, after making history as the first K-pop girl group to perform at the legendary fest in 2019. . “So… let me start off with, four years ago we were invited to perform here for you at Coachella at the Sahara tent and that made a mark in all of our hearts,” Rosé told the crowd last weekend. ”I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you.”

Corden’s final Late Late Show will air on April 27.

Watch BLACKPINK’s “Carpool” ride below.

19 Apr 2023

Ana Gabriel, Emilia, Evaluna, Goyo & Thalia to Perform at First Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música

The first edition of Mujeres Latinas en la Música will feature performances by Thalia, Ana Gabriel, Evaluna, Goyo and Emilia, who will all be honored at the ceremony, Billboard and Telemundo announced Wednesday (April 19).

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Argentine urban pop star Emilia will receive the Rising Star award; Venezuelan singer, actress and video director Evaluna will be recognized with the Tradition and Future award; while Afro-Colombian singer and rapper Goyo will be honored as Agent of Change; and Mexican superstar Thalia as Global Powerhouse. As previously announced, Mexican singer-songwriter Ana Gabriel will be recognized as a Living Legend.

“We are excited to recognize a wide range of exceptional artists who reflect the astounding depth of talent to be found among women in Latin music,” said Leila Cobo, Billboard’s chief content officer for Latin/Español. “All these artists bring something exceptional to the table and we are honored to celebrate them.”

“This year’s renowned group of honorees represents the breadth of our Latino culture, each bringing a taste of their individual heritage to their respective musical genres,” said Ronald Day, President of Entertainment and Content Strategy for Telemundo. “It is a pleasure to recognize their endless talents and contributions to the industry.”

Mujeres Latinas en la Música — celebrating Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry — will take place at Watsco Center in Miami on Saturday, May 6, and air on Sunday, May 7, at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Telemundo. Tickets are already on sale and can be purchased here.

In its inaugural edition, the two-hour special will be co-hosted by reggaeton superstar Ivy Queen — who received this year’s Icon Award at Billboard‘s 2023 Women in Music — and television personality Jacky Bracamontes.

19 Apr 2023

Giles Martin Talks Legacy of The Beatles: They ‘Were Less Successful When I Was Growing Up’

Giles Martin is a chip off the old block, a real rarity in the behind-closed-doors world that is the studio profession. The multiple Grammy Award-winning British producer, composer and arranger learned his way around the desk, initially as a sidekick to his late father, Sir George Martin, one of most famous producers of them all.

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Every career has its sliding doors moment. Martin, like many who make a career in music, had youthful dreams of playing in a rock band, and pursued rugby union (cracking reserve grade, just behind the sport’s elite league).

When health problems hit his father, and threatened to end his career prematurely, the son stepped up.

George Martin, so-often called the “fifth Beatle” for his extensive work with the Fab Four, endured debilitating hearing loss later on, a product of long-term exposure to loud noise.

“I just learned it from him? You know, actually, I didn’t want to do what he did. I didn’t want to be a producer,” Giles tells Billboard. “I was a songwriter and I was in bands. He was incredibly discouraging of me doing that.”

When Martin was a teen, his father’s condition began affecting his work. “He didn’t want to tell anyone because he needed to carry on working. He wasn’t a very wealthy man, my dad. He was worried about not being able to work. So I’d be his ears on sessions with Ultravox or, you know, these ‘80s bands, and then moving on. And most people just thought it was a pain in the ass and didn’t realize what I was actually doing.”

The Martins made a great team. “I would know what notes he couldn’t hear anymore,” he explains. “I’d know when the notes were running out for him. I could read them. And I learned a lot.”

Hearing loss, sadly, comes with the turf. George’s ears were ruined by speakers cranked, over many years. “He used to say Jeff Beck and the White Album killed them,” Giles explains. “There’s no rock star that I know that hasn’t got some sort of bad hearing loss.”

When George Martin died in 2016, at the age of 90, he held the record as the producer with the most No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with 23.

Giles has continued to learn and create. His list of credits grows by the day, and includes classic Beatles special editions, from Revolver, to Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Let It Be and others, all of which dropped with great fanfare in recent years, plus The Chemical Brothers’ latest cut “No Reason,” and catalog releases with INXS, The Rolling Stones and many more.

As the studio work mounts up, Giles has become a wanted man in the music industry. He’s been tapped by Universal Music Group to serve as head of audio & sound, based at Abbey Road Studios; as executive music director for INXS and Petrol Records; and as Sonos Sound Experience lead.

But it’s his work with the Beatles catalog that makes most of the noise, with fans at least. “The Beatles were less successful when I was growing up. Yeah, way less successful,” he recounts. The revival has had many chefs, from Oasis, to DSPs, and “suddenly, the Beatles became cool.”

Working on those historic recordings, “I generally don’t take for granted ever,” he admits. “But I have a sort of momentum with the fans and with the Beatles themselves where they kind of look forward to me doing stuff as opposed to dreading it. Yeah. So that helps.”

Martin, meanwhile, is championing spatial audio, a way of creating and mixing sound in 360 degrees around a listener. It’s the future, and it’s here.

Speaking from Sonos headquarters in Santa Barbara, CA, Martin has been closely involved in the development of the Era 300 (US$749), the audio specialist’s new in-the-house spatial audio speaker, part of a rollout that includes the Era 100 (US$399), an upgrade of the best-selling Sonos One.

“I’m so excited about that speaker not in a sort of marketing PR way,” he says. “I just really really like what it does to music. I think we made something here that makes sense.” The product completes the experience that begins with those works mixed in the studio, “there is an openness to it. There’s an immersion to it. It’s really exciting,” he says.

Long days, and even longer nights in the studio aren’t for everyone. “My obvious avenue to this was so privileged and accessible because my dad lost his hearing, and I had to listen for him,” he notes.

The entry level for a studio career typically begins with “an audio engineering place, but argue and challenge and go to lots of gigs or go and find artists. Go and find singers and be proactive, and make good music. And then on top of that, is the key thing that I learned, which completely changed my career around more everything else, is that you have to be fully accountable for everything you do. No one gives a shit about the process. They want the result the end of it.” That end result must be nothing short of outstanding. “That’s what I’d say to any kid now — there’s no excuse.”

19 Apr 2023

Spotify Chief Daniel Ek Is Lobbying Washington Against ‘Apple’s Stranglehold’ on App Stores

Spotify founder/CEO Daniel Ek is meeting with members of the United States Congress and the Biden administration this week in Washington, D.C., to urge them to pass legislation that would rein in the “stranglehold” companies like Apple have over the competition on their app stores. The executive revealed in a Wednesday (April 19) post on Spotify’s For the Record blog after teasing in a tweet on Sunday that he was headed to the U.S. capital.

The Open App Markets Act — which was introduced in August 2021 and which Ek has previously lobbied for — would bar Apple, Google and other app stores with more than 50 million users from forcing app developers to use their payment systems as a condition of distribution. It would also block app store owners from punishing app developers if they extend deals to customers or offer their app for lower prices elsewhere.

While the bill was advanced by a Senate committee last year, no further action was taken. With this trip, Ek is looking to train a renewed spotlight on the bill, which he hopes will be resurrected for a wider vote by the new Congress.

Apple has lobbied against the bill, arguing that it could lead to consumers loading apps onto their smartphones from places outside of its centralized app store, introducing potential privacy risks.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Ek has argued that Apple and others act as anti-competitive gatekeepers because the terms required for inclusion in their app stores prevent Spotify and others from telling consumers about new products or deal offers.

“Apple prohibits competition by not allowing developers to discuss new products, features, and deals with their own users,” Ek wrote in an editorial posted to Spotify’s blog on Wednesday (April 19). “For instance, Apple promotes deals for Apple Music to Spotify customers, but denies us the same privilege.”

Read Ek’s full editorial on Spotify’s For The Record blog here.

19 Apr 2023

Global Rights Management Expert Claire McAuley Upped at Warner Chappell Music

Claire McAuley lands a promotion at Warner Chappell Music (WCM), where she’s named executive vice president, global rights management, a new position.

McAuley’s expanded role reflects the changes in the way rights management is handled at the major music publisher, and should step up payments to writers worldwide.

What was previously seen as “a largely administrative function is now a proactive division seeking to maximize songwriters’ revenue, working with international partners in the global music economy,” reads a statement announcing McAuley’s elevation.

Based in London, McAuley reports to Carianne Marshall, co-chair and COO of WCM. “Claire is an incredibly talented executive who has significantly moved the needle for our songwriters,” Marshall explains. “She’s taken a proactive approach to tapping new revenue streams and is constantly looking for ways to streamline our processes to ensure that our writers are paid what they deserve.” Her “global, long-term approach continues to be exactly what we need as we thoughtfully grow our business.” 

Following stints with BMG Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing, the U.K. Music Publishers Association (MPA) and elsewhere, McAuley joined WCM in 2018 as VP, operations. The following year, she promoted to senior VP, global administration.

In that time, McAuley has spearheaded strategic upgrades to WCM’s systems to speed up payments to writers. Also, reads a statement, she’s helped launch platforms designed to recover missing royalties, secure additional revenue for writers in emerging markets, and better track the global use of songwriters’ music across digital music platforms, as well as in film and TV production.

“We’ve made considerable investments in our people and our systems over the past few years, and our songwriters are already noticing the benefits of these changes,” she explains in a statement. “But there’s even more we can do as the music ecosystem continues to evolve.”

Currently, she’s a member of the board of directors of the MPA and the Mechanical Licensing Collective.

WCM came in third (with 15.73% share) among publisher radio airplay rankings, Billboard reports in its Publishers Quarterly for the last quarter of 2022.

For the same period, the WMC came ranked third (with 18.59% share) for publisher Hot 100 rankings.

18 Apr 2023

Staind Tease ‘Many Surprises’ on New Album ‘Confessions of the Fallen’


“I don’t know if there was ever a right time or a wrong time,” says Staind frontman Aaron Lewis of bringing the band back to active duty with a new album. “It just felt like it was finally time to do it.”

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The heavy rock quartet from Massachusetts just released “Lowest in Me,” its first new single since 2012 and the lead track from Confessions of the Fallen, Staind’s first new studio album in 12 years. The 10-track set, produced by Erik Ron (Godsmack, Panic! at the Disco, Black Veil Brides) is expected out this fall on Alchemy Recordings/BMG, following Staind’s summer tour with Godsmack.

“I always hoped we would be able to do this,” guitarist Mike Mushok tells Billboard in a separate interview. “I’m really happy that we’re playing again and making music. We started back in ’94. It was so consuming of my life, up until it stopped. We were always writing or on the road or working, and I loved it. So it’s nice to have that back.”

During its initial run, Staind scored four platinum-or-better albums and notched 13 top 10 Mainstream Rock Airplay hits — including the No. 1s “It’s Been Awhile,” “So Far Away,” “Right Here” and “Not Again.” The band went on hiatus during the summer of 2012 but promised that it was not breaking up. Lewis began a successful solo career in country music, while Mushok formed another group, the still-active Saint Asonia, and played in former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted’s group.

After some occasional reunions, Staind went on tour again during 2019, which spawned the 2021 release Live: It’s Been Awhile, which it followed with another tour last year. “It’s taken me a long time to be ready to do another Staind record,” says Lewis, acknowledging that the personal angst that populated the band’s music took a toll on him. “I got really burnt out on digging into the dark corners of my psyche every night to deliver those very deep, dark songs in a manner that was believable and authentic. I needed to step away from it for awhile and do something different. It just came back together naturally.”

The hard-rocking “Lowest in Me” is hardly sweetness and light, of course. Though he contends that “I never know what the f–k the songs are about unless it’s blatantly obvious to me,” Lewis says the single has both personal and universal meanings. “Everybody has got people in their lives that don’t bring out the good in somebody,” he explains. “Just with what’s going on in the world right now, there’s so many things, so many people that are like, ‘You bring out the lowest in me.’ There’s a lot of factors out there that could fall under the ‘you’ category.”

Mushok says he came up with the riff for “Lowest in Me” during the 2019 tour. “Every day I would set up a little ProTools rig on the bus,” he recalls. “I had a laptop and an interface, and I’d just sit there and play and find something I liked. And that was one I came up with.” Lewis adds that when Staind decided to move forward on another album, Mushok presented him with “an entire work tape full of ideas, there must’ve been 30 ideas there. I found stuff I liked and chopped ’em up and put ’em back together and made songs out of them.” “Lowest in Me” and Confessions of the Fallen was created with the members working mostly apart from each other during the pandemic lockdown, and the band made greater use of electronic sonic textures and enhancements than it ever had before.

“I guess it inspired me a little bit to be doing something different than what Staind would normally have done,” Lewis acknowledges. “To work with programmed beats and ethereal, spacey sections…. It just was a very different approach than how it would’ve been before.”

And that was fine by Mushok. “There were many surprises,” the guitarist notes. “That was part of the conversation. That was something Aaron wanted to bring into the band. He’d listen, I think, to a lot of the more modern rock bands and embraced what they were doing with (electronics) and stuff like that. Some of the parts are the same parts that we wrote, they just might not be played on an instrument we normally would have played them on, which gives it a little bit of a different feel. And that’s fine. I’m always cool with whatever changes are made.”

Staind will find out what fans think of those new directions as more songs from Confessions of the Fallen roll out. In the meantime, the band — which also includes bassist Johnny April and drummer Sal Giancarelli — is gearing up for the road, starting the co-headlining dates with Godsmack on July 18 in St. Louis and playing 25 dates through Aug. 31 in Austin, Texas.

“I think it’ll be a great tour,” Lewis predicts. “I’m looking forward to touring with some of my friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. My paths don’t really cross with them anymore ’cause I’m playing shows in a completely different genre, so I don’t see them like I would in the past. I think everybody will be happy.”