Warner Music Nashville
Ten-time Grammy Award nominee Jamey Johnson has signed a label deal with Warner Music Nashville, and is set to release a new song, “Someday When I’m Old,” on Oct. 4 through Warner Music Nashville and his own label Big Gassed Records.
“Someday When I’m Old,” written by Chris Lindsey, Aimee Mayo and Troy Verges, has continued to resonate with Johnson since he first sang the song’s demo in 2004.
“It was the last demo I sang before I started working with BNA Records,” Johnson said. “Aimee called me back then and she wanted to be able to say she hired me to sing my last demo. When I heard the song, I thought, ‘Wow! That is a great song!’”
Trending on Billboard
The song follows a slate of new music from Johnson in recent months, including “21 Guns,” “Sober,” “What a View” and Trudy.”
In a statement, Johnson named WMN co-chair and co-president Cris Lacy as a key factor in his signing. “The reason I signed with Warner Music Nashville is Cris Lacy. She is one of my longest-term friends I’ve had in the music business. We started our careers around the same time. She has been a friend to me and has only ever tried to help,” Johnson said.
He added, “She cares about me being able to put out music. She cares that I’m able to participate in my own career. Our conversations are unlike any other conversations I have had with any other label person.”
“For 14 years, those of us in the industry, and fans outside of it, have been begging Jamey Johnson to release another solo studio album,” Lacy said. “From day one, we heard the voice of a man driven by conviction, not commerciality. We saw in him our heroes like Johnny, Waylon and Merle. Warner Music Nashville has the great honor of reintroducing this incomparable artist to a worldwide audience…on his terms…proof that great things are worth waiting for!”
Johnson, a Grand Ole Opry member, is also known for his exemplary talent as a songwriter, having won song of the year accolades from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association in the same year. Johnson earned song of the year from the ACM and CMA for “Give It Away” in 2007 and “In Color” in 2009.
Warner Music Group mainstay Gregg Nadel has been appointed co-chair and co-president of Warner Music Nashville and will work alongside Cris Lacy, who’s been co-head of WMN for the past two years. Nadel succeeds Ben Kline, who is stepping down following a decade with the company.
The changes follow the recent move to bring Warner Music Nashville under the Warner Records umbrella.
Based in Nashville, Nadel and Lacy will report to Warner Records CEO & co-chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck and COO & co-chairman Tom Corson, who report direct to WMG CEO Robert Kyncl, effective Oct. 1. Lacy, Nadel, and their team will continue to work with Nashville artists co-signed with Atlantic Music Group.
Trending on Billboard
Over the course of nearly three decades, Nadel, who most recently served as president of Elektra Entertainment, has signed and/or championed artists including Zac Brown Band, Brandi Carlile, The Highwomen, Sturgill Simpson, Bailey Zimmerman and Brittney Spencer, as well as many other artists across multiple genres.
Prior to being named president of Elektra Entertainment in 2017, Nadel served as general manager of Elektra Records and before that was senior vp of A&R and marketing for Atlantic Records. A 27-year veteran of WMG, Nadel joined Atlantic directly out of college in 1997. He has led campaigns for global artists such as Ed Sheeran, who he’s worked with since the early days of Sheeran’s career. Nadel has been named to Billboard’s Power 100 list multiple times, and, this year, was honored as a Country Power Player.
Bay-Schuck and Corson said in a statement, “Gregg grew up at WMG, and over the past three decades, he’s brought his impeccable taste, wisdom, and guidance to an exceptional array of original, powerful voices. He’s an ambidextrous A&R and marketing expert with a global perspective, which will be a tremendous asset at a time when Nashville artists are crossing boundaries and reaching the world stage like never before. Like Gregg, Cris has expanded from her roots as an A&R force into a true multi-dimensional leader, and together, they’ll be a phenomenal team to take Warner Music Nashville into a dynamic future.”
Bay-Schuck and Corson added, “We’d also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ben Kline. Over his past decade with WMN, his tireless passion for the label’s artists and team has set the company up for continued, expanding success. He leaves with our deepest admiration and best wishes for his next chapter.”
Nadel said, “I’ve had the honor of working with incredibly talented artists across many sounds and styles, and through it all, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the heartfelt music that comes from Nashville’s rich creative culture. I’m excited to be diving deeper into this brilliant community of musicians and storytellers, and I’m especially excited about working alongside Cris Lacy and the entire team. Thank you to Tom and Aaron for this incredible opportunity.”
Lacy noted, “Thanks to WMG’s cross-label and cross-genre philosophy, Gregg and I have been collaborating within the company for over a decade. We’re both rooted in a deep love of the music that comes into and out of Nashville. Gregg brings a unique, wide-ranging perspective to what will be a fantastic partnership. He has long invested in the culture and the community of this town, and together, we are fiercely committed to amplifying what makes its music so special. My heartfelt thanks and admiration go out to Ben. It’s been a great ride, and his expertise, leadership, and friendship have made it all the more gratifying. I wish him the very best in all things to come.”
Kline said, “Together, we’ve grown Warner Music Nashville to new heights and played vital roles in the development of so many artists. Thanks to WMG leadership for all of the opportunities, faith, and guidance along the way. And thank you to Cris Lacy for her never-wavering support for the artists and their musical visions. I’m excited for the next adventure.”
Blake Shelton and his longtime label home of two decades, Warner Music Nashville, have parted ways. Beginning with his 2001 debut, five-week No. 1 Country Airplay single “Austin,” Oklahoma native Shelton has gone on to notch 28 No. 1 Country Airplay hits, including “All About Tonight,” “Honey Bee” and “Some Beach.” He’s won 10 CMA […]
Welcome to yet another edition of Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. While you’re here, we also have a weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive and a regularly updated gallery honoring many of the industry figures we’ve lost throughout the year.
Victoria (Torie) Mason was elevated to oversee Warner Music Nashville‘s newly rebranded marketing and digital departments, but misplace your reading glasses and you may not spot the change in the WMG veteran’s title. The Nashville-based home of Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay, Ingrid Andress and Randy Travis promoted Mason from senior vp of strategic marketing and analysis to senior vp of marketing and analytics — a subtle tweak but it now means Mason will oversee an expanded marketing division that encompasses artist marketing, digital marketing, analytics, brand partnerships, video strategy and advertising strategy. As part of the changes, the label’s Artist Development team will merge into the wider Marketing department, while the Interactive Marketing team will now be called Digital Marketing. “This new structure will allow us to continue to super-serve our artists and their music with more focus and urgency,” explained WMN co-chair and co-president Ben Kline. Mason joined Warner in late 2011 as director of research and analytics and worked her way up to svp by August 2021.
Trending on Billboard
Elsewhere at WMN, Mary Catherine Rebrovick was promoted from senior director of publicity to vice president of publicity. Rebrovick joined the label in July 2012 as an assistant for then-vp of publicity Tree Paine, who has gone on to work exclusively with someone named Taylor Swift. “Little did either one of us know that 12 years later, I’d be taking that title myself (and she’d be taking the mega title of legendary publicist to the current Queen of Pop),” said Rebrovick on social media, according to Music Row. “Happy full circle anniversary to me.”
More Warner, you say? Tat Tong joined Warner Chappell Music as vice president of A&R and creative, Asia Pacific. The industry veteran joins WCM from Sony Music, where he was A&R director for RCA Records Greater China. In his new role, Tong will lead all things creative in the region and oversee the signing and development of new talent and music-related projects. Tong is also an accomplished producer and songwriter, with credits on tracks by Luis Fonsi, Troye Sivan and CNCO, among others, and he’s currently working on a musical stage adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians. “The APAC music scene is rapidly growing and evolving, and I’m excited to join the Warner Chappell Music team in this role,” said Tong. “I’m eager to leverage my expertise and knowledge of the regional markets to discover and develop exceptional songwriting talent.”
Meanwhile…
Virgin Music Group wants you to know that Justin Bumper Reeve is their senior vp of global sync, overseeing licensing opportunities for VMG artists and labels across film, television, video games, advertising and more. Technically speaking, Bumper has been grinding at Virgin since August 2023, following a highly successful 16-year stretch as founder and head of sync at his boutique sync licensing firm Hidden Tracks, where he negotiated thousands of placements for a roster including Courtney Barnett, Haim, Major Lazer and others. Since joining Virgin last year, Reeve’s sync wins include BTS’s “Dynamite” in the latest Despicable Me movie and bbno$’s “edamame (feat. Rich Brian)” for a Mountain Dew Super Bowl ad, among others. “Bumper is one of the most successful and respected creative sync executives in the business,” said Jeremy Kramer, executive vp of global marketing at Virgin. “He is already proving to be invaluable for our label and artists clients around the world, having already secured syncs with global blue chip brands and some of the most commercially successful films and television shows.”
Kenny Ochoa
Courtesy of Splice
Kenny Ochoa is Splice‘s new senior vp of content, overseeing the music tech platform’s build-out of its catalog of royalty-free, human-made samples. Based in Los Angeles and reporting to Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava, Ochoa’s remit also includes industry outreach and partnerships with artists. Ochoa joins Splice from Snap, where he served as head of music curation and licensing. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at Warner Music, Sony Music and Sanctuary. “This is a critical time in our industry, so it was vital that we found someone with the relationships, taste and passion to help us build and prepare for the future of music creation” said Srivastava.
Alison Finley, a veteran music lawyer and label executive, joined tech-driven law firm Pierson Ferdinand, LLP as a partner in the corporate department. Finley is fresh off a seven-year tenure at Universal Music Group, where she rose from senior vp to executive vp from mid-2017 to March of this year, with a 20-month stint as the COO of Motown in the middle. At UMG, she oversaw strategy and negotiations for the company including for label ventures, record deals, label distribution, merchandise, vendors and brand partners. At Motown, she oversaw the iconic R&B and hip-hop label’s day-to-day operations. Finley has also served as general counsel at Ultra Music and on the board of trustees of the TJ Martell Foundation. “I have known and admired Alison Finley essentially my entire career, having been on the opposite side of deals from her for more than two decades,” said Steve Sidman, co-chair of PierFerd’s Global Media, Entertainment & Sports practice group. “I much prefer being on the same team as Alison, so the minute I learned of her free agency, I leaped at the opportunity to ask her to join us.”
300 Entertainment promoted Az Cohen to vp of A&R and research, Janelle Gibbs to vp of publicity, and Tashana Ventura to vp of marketing. In their new roles, Cohen will continue to sign and develop new acts, while Gibbs will help those artists with media messaging and storytelling, and Ventura will work with them on partnerships and release strategy. Cohen joined 300 in 2014 and has been instrumental in shaping the company’s A&R structure. Gibbs was hired in 2022 as a senior director and has worked with Gunna, HUNXHO and Tee Grizzley, among others. Ventura joined in 2018 as director of marketing and was promoted to senior director in 2020, also working closely with HUNXHO. “Az, Janelle, and Tashana embody the spirit of 300 Entertainment,” said 300 co-presidents Rayna Bass and Selim Bouab. “They live and breathe music, devoting themselves to their artists and tirelessly supporting their fellow team members. With their respective skillsets, diehard passion, and bold ideas, they truly represent a new vanguard of music industry executives.”
Mallary Birdsong
Universal Music Group‘s merch and brand management arm, Bravado, appointed industry veteran Mallary Birdsong as senior director of brand management. Birdsong will be based in Bravado’s Nashville office and represent their country roster while reporting to Brian Schechter, senior vp and head of brand management, artist relations. She joins Bravado from Make Wake Artists, where she worked with Luke Combs, Josh Abbott Band, Dillon Carmichael and more. Prior to MWA, she held managerial roles at Dallas Fan Fares and BV3. “Mallary’s multifaceted industry experience is exactly what we look for to help bring our artist’s vision to life,” said Schechter. “I couldn’t be happier to welcome her to the team as we continue to build out our presence in Nashville.”
Berklee has found its next president in Jim Lucchese, the former Echo Nest CEO and founding global head of Creator at Spotify. Lucchese, a longtime drummer based in Boston, was most recently CEO of concert curation and artist services company Sofar Sounds. He begins his role as Berklee’s fifth president on New Year’s Day, 2025. Until then, Berklee’s provost, David Bogen, will continue serving as interim president, and Betsy Newman, senior vp of student enrollment and engagement, will remain as interim executive vp. “It is an immense honor to become a part of the Berklee community, an institution that means so much to me personally and has been a singularly positive force for creativity around the world,” said Lucchese.
NASHVILLE NOTES: Big Loud Records added Lisa Smoot as director, secondary promotion. Smoot joins Big Loud following a nearly two-decade tenure with Jerry Duncan Promotions, where she rose from promotions coordinator to vice president. In her new role at Big Loud, Smoot will oversee secondary promotion across the label’s roster of country singles … Bassist-educator David Abdo joined PLA Media as a publicist … Cox Media Group named Brad Smith CFO on a permanent basis after operating for six months as interim co-CFO.
International production company 1stAveMachine appointed music video director Emil Nava, director/founder of Ammolite Studios, to lead its music division for global commercials and music content. Along with his appointment, Nava has also partnered with 1stAve on Ammolite Machine, a new music and culture venture. According to a press release, Ammolite Machine will bring Nava’s “years of expertise” to the “evolving landscape” of music visuals, boasting “a 360 degree creative offering, which supports music artists and brands to connect with culture, technology and creative storytelling.” Nava has worked with Calvin Harris, Rihanna, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Post Malone, among many others. –Chris Eggertsen
Activist Artists Management welcomed Karly Brecher as an artist manager. Based in Los Angeles, Brecher works closely with The Pretty Reckless and other artists on the Activist roster. The Syracuse grad has nearly a decade of management experience, most recently from a two-and-a-half year stretch at SB Projects and HYBE America, where she worked with Scooter Braun and a roster headlined by Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande. Earlier in her career, Brecher spent several years at Laffitte Management Group. “Karly brings a decade of experience and a proven track record handling day-to-day responsibilities and branding for an eclectic group of global artists,” said Activist founding partner Bernie Cahill.
Opry Entertainment Group added Samantha Kane as artist relations manager and Ariana Cubillos Voegler as artist relations coordinator. Kane and Voegler will both contribute to the development of artist and industry relations at the Grand Ole Opry and at Opry Entertainment Group. Kane and Voegler will report to Jordan Pettit, director of artist relations & programming strategy, and join Jenn Tressler, artist & label strategy senior manager, on the team. –Jessica Nicholson
The Chamber Group promoted Cassandre Souvenir and Desmond Sam to PR manager at the boutique PR and marketing agency. Souvenir’s career path has included stints at Yelp and BET, plus time as a flight attendant, while Sam’s CV includes sales and styling experience at Patricia Field and time as a community director at VFiles. Both are based in NYC and report to CEO Chris Chambers, who said “Desmond and Cassandre have worked very hard for this promotion, strengthened their relationships and continue to find new ways to deliver for our clients.”
RADIO, RADIO: Southern California Public Radio hired Alejandra Santamaria as its new president and CEO. The executive, who recently served as interim president, general manager and VP, director of sales for Univision Los Angeles, succeeds Herb Scannell in the role (THR) … David Kantor announced he’ll be retiring as Radio One‘s CEO at the end of the year.
ICYMI:
Eddie Rosenblatt
Longtime Geffen Records president Eddie Rosenblatt passed away at age 89 … Miles Beard and David Wolter are the new co-heads of A&R at Republic Records … Sony Music U.K. and Ireland chairman/CEO Jason Iley has been announced as this year’s recipient of the U.K.’s Music Industry Trusts Award (MITS) in recognition of his contribution to the record business … and Livelihood Music Co. added hit-makers Jacob “JKash” Kasher Hindlin and Michael Pollack to its team as principals.
Last Week’s Turntable: Big Loud Promotes a ‘Day-One Believer’
Warner Music Nashville has appointed Stephanie Wright as senior vp of A&R, reporting to label co-chair/co-president Cris Lacy. Wright joined the company as a consultant in October. Wright has spent more than 23 years in A&R at Universal Music Group in Nashville, beginning as an assistant at Capitol Records and rising through the ranks to […]
Four months after stepping down as chairman/CEO of Warner Music Nashville (WMN) and assuming the role of chairman emeritus, John “Espo” Esposito is resigning the emeritus title effective immediately.
In an email to the WMN staff Wednesday (April 19), Esposito wrote, “It’s that time of year when I head off to Nantucket to relax and reflect. This summer though, I will be reflecting on my next adventures, as I am stepping down as the Chairman Emeritus of Warner Music Nashville today. I’m so proud of what you’re all achieving as a team. I will always be the biggest champion of this team and the artists we signed and developed together. Keep rocking! See you in the fall.”
Esposito gave no reason for the move. However, when reached by Billboard, he said the change would give him more time to work with the T.J. Martell Foundation for Cancer Research as well as “travels and a chance to see the forest for the trees by taking some time.” In March, Esposito was named the chairman of the board of trustees of Nashville-based T.J. Martell, which is rebounding after an embezzlement scandal. “We got the double whammy of the COVID pandemic and somebody being a bad actor,” said Esposito of T.J. Martell in March. “I felt qualified with my knowledge of the organization and passion for them to do what I could to help get us back on track.”
Last June, when Esposito’s retirement as WMN CEO/chairman was announced, longtime WMN executives Cris Lacy and Ben Kline were elevated to co-presidents in preparation for Esposito transitioning to chairman emeritus status at the start of 2023. In early January, Lacy and Kline were promoted to co-chair/co-presidents.
Under Esposito, who had been at WMN’s helm since 2009 after coming over from WEA Corp. as president/CEO, the division’s market share quadrupled, according to parent company Warner Music Group. The label also said its artists have earned more than 300 gold and platinum RIAA certifications.
When Esposito’s shift to emeritus was announced, Warner Recorded Music CEO Max Lousada said in a statement: “Under Espo’s brilliant guidance over the past 13 years, our Nashville team has built superstar careers, attracted original new voices, innovated in the digital world, and championed the creative community.”
Warner Music Nashville (WMN) leaders Cris Lacy and Ben Kline have been elevated to co-chair/co-president titles, following their promotion to co-presidents of the label in June 2022. Kline and Lacy launched the new year with a company-wide, off-site day of culture building and programming last week.
“I’m honored to lead WMN with Cris in what is an exciting time of change and opportunity for this business,” Kline said in a statement. “We are committed to continuing our leadership position within that change by being laser focused on our incredible artists, their powerful music and their creative visions.”
Lacy added, “Let’s be honest, this is a time of great change in the world at large too. When culture shifts, music ignites, it bridges, it covers, it uncovers. We are here for all of that, and proud to be the Nashville contingent that amplifies those stories to all parts of the globe.”
Lacy and Kline were promoted following the announcement of John Esposito‘s transition to chairman emeritus at the beginning of the year. Billboard broke the news of the pending leadership transition in April 2022. Lacy has been with WMN since 2005, while Kline joined in 2014.
During an interview with Billboard back in 2019, Esposito noted that Kline and Lacy were already being prepped to take over greater leadership roles: “I’m putting all sorts of weight on their shoulders. And the great news is since we did that promotion, they both have risen to an even higher level,” he said. “I’m happy knowing I can give them so much to do so they can become as much the face of the label as me. And that has taken a weight off of me. If I walk in the room, [people] assume I can make the final decision. Now they know that either of them can make a decision [too].”
When Ben Kline and Cris Lacy took over Warner Music Nashville (WMN) as co-presidents in June, they let the staff know that their disagreements would be hashed out in the open.
“I want the kids to see Mom and Dad fighting,” jokes Kline, but then adds, “These are two people that are in the middle of [problem] solving, and hopefully, everyone learns from it and sees how we get to a decision.”
The hope is that airing out conflicts in public “empowers the staff to disagree with us,” says Lacy. When the pair took the reins from WMN chairman/CEO John “Espo” Esposito, who will ascend to chairman emeritus in January after 13 years, the last thing they wanted was “people sitting in the room just going along with whatever we throw out there. We need everybody to come in with the big ideas and be disruptors.”
Disruption is already happening at the artist level as the executives begin to put their stamp on the label: One of the first signings was Giovannie & The Hired Guns, the Texas-based band led by Mexican-American frontman Giovannie Yanez, whose breakout single, “Ramon Ayala,” spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart. They are also seeing huge streaming numbers with nascent country rockers Bailey Zimmerman, who is co-signed with Elektra, and Zach Bryan, who is signed to Warner Records but co-works with WMN.
Kline and Lacy, who were unofficially touted as Esposito’s successors for many months, have been preparing for the changeover. “We both have coaches, and we’re working at this relationship because we know that it’s not as simple as, ‘Well, we love each other now, and it’s all great,’ ” Lacy says.
Kline’s parents gave him this Boston baseball, which he says is a reminder of his roots and love of the sport. “This is the one item that has sat on every desk I’ve occupied.”
Emily Dorio
“We had each done some executive coaching individually, but as this came about, we leaned in and the company was great, and they have offered solutions,” says Kline. “As new challenges and situations arise, it’s very reassuring to know that we have that type of resource. It’s an evolution, and what it is today probably isn’t what it looks like in six months.”
Kline, who was most recently executive vp/GM, started at WMN in 2014 as vp of revenue before becoming senior vp of global revenue and touring. Lacy joined in 2005 after stints at several publishing companies. She was most recently executive vp of A&R and has been responsible for bringing acts such as Kenny Chesney, Cole Swindell, Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde and Gabby Barrett to the label. WMN, which ranked third on Billboard‘s 2022 year-end list of top country labels, also counts Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay and Ingrid Andress among its roster.
In their first joint interview since taking over WMN, the executives, who report to Warner Music Group CEO of recorded music Max Lousada, talked about their vision for the company, what they admire about each other, ongoing challenges at radio and what keeps them up at night. What do you admire the most about the other?
Ben Kline: Cris is incredibly inclusive as a manager, at soliciting everyone’s opinion and coming to a conclusion. Her ears and her heart go into our signings and 25-plus years of relationships that are drawn upon on a daily basis. I cannot tell you the level of safety I feel knowing that’s what my partner brings.
Cris Lacy: Ben is very decisive. I have so much respect for how laser focused he is in a meeting. That inspires a lot of confidence. The other is his business acumen. That makes me feel confident to go out to be creative — to jump off a cliff knowing that he’ll help me pull the parachute.
A print from the 1986 photo shoot for Dwight Yoakam’s Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., which fueled country’s neo-traditional movement. “The picture captures the spirit of Dwight,” says Kline.
Emily Dorio
In February, Robert Kyncl will replace Stephen Cooper as Warner Music Group’s CEO. What interactions have you had with him so far? And since he is from YouTube, do you expect a greater emphasis on technology?
Kline: Yes. Cris and I have had a chance to meet Robert virtually. It’s hard not to get excited when you look at the companies that he has helped build.
Giovannie & The Hired Guns’ new album, Tejano Punk Boys, leans more rock than country. What drove the signing?
Lacy: What we heard felt like the spirit of the outlaw movement: rebellious, visceral, urgent and honest. Toby Keith is one of Gio’s influences. Toby has said things that pushed the boundaries. Gio is pushing the boundary a little further into rock musically. We also heard unreleased music that is more classic country in its structure. As a label, we have to look past what is probable in the current moment and ahead to what is possible. We believe in what Gio is doing right now, but we also believe in his vision to release different music down the road to the country, rock and Latin audiences.
Emily Dorio
That signing was in partnership with Warner Music Latina and Warner Records. Is the country market ripe for a Latin explosion?
Lacy: Yes! There’s a lot of opportunity, especially for our genre: the storytelling, the cadence of the music, the swagger. When we speak with our partners in that space, it feels like a natural fit for us. There will be more.
Your other initial signings were Madeline Edwards and singer-songwriter Chase Matthew. What does that reveal about your A&R philosophy, and how is it different than it was under Esposito?
Lacy: I was here for all of Espo, so I would say the A&R philosophy has always been consistent, which is: It’s storytellers. What Madeline and Chase and Gio say when you put them all together is there’s no boundary for us. We don’t sit in a room and say, “We need one of those.” The artist that we want is an artist that we don’t know exists yet.
Kline: The marketplace has also evolved, so how we judge success, how we’re able to amplify artists and get their music heard has changed. As important as [radio] is for critical mass, we are seeing incredible breakout success for artists in our genre through avenues that weren’t available.
How does that change A&R if you aren’t as reliant on radio?
Lacy: Honestly, it feels like freedom because it was so frustrating to know that when an artist came to a country major record label, what they were saying was they wanted radio. So if, as an A&R person, you loved the music but you realize it can’t go to radio, then you cannot ethically say, “I’ll sign you.” You ended up passing on artists that you truly loved. Now there are all these other ways to develop stories and break artists. The handcuffs are off.
“I try to start every day in gratitude,” says Lacy. “The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo puts everything in perspective. The cross came from a meditation journey, and the candle is from this amazing artist counseling nonprofit, Friends of Porter’s Call, where I serve on the board.”
Emily Dorio
Are you rethinking the costs of radio? It can take a year to get a song up the chart and six months before you know if you’ve got a hit.
Kline: I don’t think we’d be doing our jobs if we weren’t rethinking how we spend every dollar. For a really long time, your marketing efforts began the day you went to radio with your first single on a new artist. That was when the clock started. If you’re doing that in 2023, I don’t know if that’s a recipe for success. There has never been more ways to do it.
It used to be you were only competing against your fellow Nashville labels for acts. Now you’re competing with the coastal labels as well. How do you deal with that?
Lacy: The last artist that we looked at had, according to Billboard, 18 labels interested. The New York- and Los Angeles-based labels are seeing something very exciting in this genre, so that’s good for the business. As much as we joke about, “Gosh, I wish they’d just leave us alone to do our thing,” it means that our music is traveling in a way that it hasn’t before. We have really good lines of communication with our sister labels, and we talk openly about, what is the native genre for this act? Having very good relationships is important to Max Lousada and to the philosophy of the company.
Is the increased competition driving up signing costs?
Lacy: Signing costs are going up because you have data that is predictive. If you map out the next five years of an act who is streaming X, there’s no sense in offering them less than they’re going to be able to make if they never signed a deal. What we didn’t have before was a way to measure where something would be in five years.
Kline: There has never been more data available around unsigned artists, and everyone has access to generally the same data. The rosters in this town were [previously] built out of people going to clubs in cities where the only A&R person was from a label in Nashville. It’s a different ballgame now, and it puts added pressure on — and we’re up to the task — to prove why we add value for the artists that we’re talking to.
What keeps you up at night?
Kline: The weight of the responsibility for 80 people that work at our company and the impact that the decisions Cris and I make have on their lives.
Lacy: And also the inability to break an artist that chose to sign with you — if we still can’t make them a superstar after they’ve made all these sacrifices and worked their ass off. When someone signs to a record label, they’re really giving you the thing they value the most. And it keeps me up when I can’t help them fulfill that in the way that they always wanted.
“This is a photo of my mom, Andrea Cris Lacy — who was ahead of her time in a male-dominated industry — directing and producing a PBS documentary about a death row inmate,” Lacy says. “She also made the dress she’s wearing. She did it all. The belt buckle is a gift from Cody Johnson.”
Emily Dorio
-
Pages