Year End 2024 Print Special by Country Aircheck

Country At Its Best

series of devastating weather events caused untold damage and the loss of lives in parts of the country this year, particularly Hurricane Helene in September and Hurricane Milton two weeks later. While calamitous for so many, these events also brought out the best in the Country radio and music community as stations, artists and businesses found ways to help.

Station staﬀ stayed on the air for days on end, sleeping in the oﬃce and eschewing normal programming to provide news, information, support, comfort and hope. In the aftermath, supply drives and radiothons were held, food was delivered to repair to crews and volunteers helping to clear debris, charging stations were set up, water was distributed and Thanksgiving meals were provided.

“In all of these communities, local radio was literally a lifeline for people,” says North Carolina native Eric Church. “It was their information, communication and support system. This is what local terrestrial radio does at its best; this is speciﬁcally true with Country radio.”

“This was deﬁnitely the most signiﬁcant moment in all of our careers,” says iHeartMedia’s Charlotte-based Dir./Country Programming & Brand Strategy Ashley Wilson of the team involved with the cluster’s wall-to-wall coverage in Asheville. “We were all rocked by what happened.

“That whole team worked for two weeks straight with no breaks, around the clock,” she continues. “Nobody had a day oﬀ, and we’re talking about people who were directly impacted by that storm themselves. Our stations were a lifeline to the community, much of which spent many days without power and access to the internet. We were literally reconnecting people with their families, and assisting in search and rescue. We had people calling in names and addresses, and then complete strangers were going to those addresses to see if those people were okay.

they need to get by. And we did that for weeks.

“As people started to get phone service back, they were thanking us over and over because they had no other contact with the world,” says Thomas. “All they had was getting in their cars and listening to the radio, or plugging radios into generators. So, when you hear people talk about radio being ‘dead,’ this is what kept people alive and going. Literally. If there’s ever been a testimony to radio being important, this was it.”

“I’ve been doing this since 1987, and I don’t think I ever really realized the true power of radio until this happened,” agrees WKSF/Asheville morning host Eddie Foxx. Wife and co-host Amanda Foxx says the couple knew their station was having an impact when they started seeing homemade signs pop up in the community, with listeners advising others to “listen to 99.9 Kiss Country for updates.”

“Helping this community has been the most amazing, most beautiful thing we have ever been a part of,” says Eddie. Adds Amanda, “It’s something that we hope we never have to go through again, but I don’t think anybody in this building would hesitate to step up if we had to. We knew we needed to be here, and we were all completely honored to be.”

“When you hear people talk about radio being ‘dead,’ this is what kept people alive and going. Literally.”

–Nikki Thomas

Wilson goes on: “It was traumatizing in some ways when you’ve got people calling stations and saying they’re afraid they’re going to die. This is stuﬀ that’s going to stick with those broadcasters for a very long time to come.”

Enduring and responding also brought communities together, with radio as the conduit. “You don’t realize what an impact you can have until something like this happens,” Wilson says. “When you get to see this in action, it’s extremely fulﬁlling and rewarding knowing that we do make that diﬀerence.”

WXBQ/Johnson City, TN PD Nikki Thomas still gets emotional recalling the ﬁrst few days. “We had people calling us because they couldn’t ﬁnd family members,” she says, noting one of their engineers was stranded at a tower site for two-and-a-half days. “We were on the air giving shelter information, trying to help people, telling them where they can sleep, eat or buy things

Country artists also stepped up in a big way. Dolly Parton donated $1 million to relief eﬀorts. The Morgan Wallen Foundation collected funds and food, and packed relief boxes for hurricane victims.

Lady A’s charity, LadyAID, made a $50,000 exterior building material donation to rebuild homes. Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation donated $250,000 to help impacted animal shelters.

Most significantly, Luke Combs and Eric Church’s Oct. 26 Concert For Carolina in Charlotte raised more than $24.5 million for relief efforts in the state. “It was an incredible feeling to be able to tell our neighbors in North Carolina that amount of help was on the way immediately,” says Church, who also signed over publishing royalties to his current single, “Darkest Hour,” to the people of North Carolina. And with his share of proceeds from the concert, Church’s Chief Cares nonprofit pledged to build 100 homes for hurricane victims in Avery County, NC. His future plans including creating jobs, rebuilding schools and supporting local businesses.

“I owe everything to the state of North Carolina, both personally and in terms of inspiration for my music,” Church says. “We needed to be there for the state and its people. Usually, in times like this, the next community over comes running to help. With Helene, there was no next community because they were all impacted. So, it was up to us to show up and be that community.”

Country By The Numbers I

Source: Nielsen Audio

(in 000s of $)

(Persons 6+)

Source: Sony/Nashville

COAST ALONE: A Volcanic Disruption

Radio In Retreat

By any measure, radio’s big companies are walking backwards (see Country By The Numbers). Even the messaging is poor. Though admittedly unscientiﬁc, of the revenue stories posted by Country Aircheck over the last 12 months, companies including iHeart, Audacy, Cumulus, Townsquare, Sirius/XM and Beasley recorded down quarters at a four-to-one ratio over increases.

Speaking of iHeart, rank-and-ﬁle eyebrows were raised during its recent and deep reductionin-force when Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman said the following on an earnings call: “We can take talent we have at any location and put them on the air in another location. So it allows us to substantially upgrade the quality of our talent in every single market ... Now unfortunately, what that means is that there’s not a slot for everybody. Just because somebody is willing to live in the market doesn’t assure them that they’re the best person for that slot.”

In fairness to Pittman, iHeart is not alone. Audacy has quietly undertaken a RIF on the sales side, and Cumulus continues to shed experienced and accomplished programmers and personalities. Perhaps most notably, a failure to come to terms with American Country Countdown host Kix Brooks, and the namesake of Nights With Elaina (Smith), in favor of what insiders say are much less expensive options. As one previously displaced personality with decades of experience and a shelf full of awards noted, “Radio companies want to put the best possible talent on in all their markets ... as long as it’s cheap.”

CMAS BRING

theDaily National Personality

The Bobby Bones Show, Bobby Bones, Amy Brown, “Lunchbox” Dan Chappell, Eddie Garcia, Morgan Huelsman, “SZN Raymundo” Ray Slater, “Mike D” Rodriguez, Abby Anderson, “Kick Oﬀ Kevin” O’Connell, Stephen “Scuba Steve” Spradlin (iHeartMedia)

Amy Brown: My date was my 14-year-old son Stevenson, who hadn’t been to anything like this before. Backstage, it wasn’t so much about people he was seeing as it was the unlimited candy and ice cream bar. After he made his ice cream bowl and we went to our seats, he was sitting there in his suit, looking around and really dialed in. As the lights went down and he could tell it was about to start, he looked up at me and said, “I’m living my best life right now.” That was the sweetest moment.

The show opened with Chris Stapleton and Post Malone, who he loves –especially Post. He looked at me with the biggest eyes and goes, “That’s really them in person? This is what people are seeing on TV?” When Shaboozey came out, I thought he was going to lose his mind. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” was the song of the summer around our house and my niece even taught him to play it on guitar. Years from now, hearing that song will instantly transport him back to the summer of 2024, but also to being at the CMAs with mom. He also has the biggest crush on Megan Moroney, so I got to watch him freaking out while knowing he’d probably go to school the next day and tell his friends, “Yeah, I saw Megan Moroney last night. No big deal.”

SHRIMP & COCKTAILS

Weekly National Personality

Lorianne Crook & Charlie Chase, Crook & Chase Countdown (Premiere/Jim Owens Entertainment)

After initially being overwhelmed by the “six pages of instructions” the CMA sent to the broadcast winners about awards night, Crook says the feeling gave way to being “completely impressed that the CMA devotes an entire staff to broadcast winners, and the night went off without a hitch.” Interjects Chase with a laugh, “She’s primarily talking about the shrimp bar.” Crook doesn’t disagree. “The afterparty was fun with Sonic smashburgers and fries,” she notes, “but the two pre-parties were like a five-star restaurant.”

Chase was impressed with the trophy itself, which he says came in a “wonderful, custom-made box with the CMA logo engraved on the top. That’s one you’re proud to display. It’s a great-looking trophy, and will always belong to my family.”

That’s because the trophy comes with a letter from the CMA that details not only how to clean it, but a strict prohibition on being sold. Crook says it adds “reverence” to the award that it comes with lifetime care instructions. “That makes it even more special,” she says. “It’s not like they just shove an award in your face.” Special is also how Chase says the CMA staff made them feel that night, noting “It was just a wonderful event.” Crook agrees that the team pulled off that task “with the most beautiful attitudes, and such efficiency. I just could not be more impressed with what happens behind the scenes.”

WHIRLED TOUR

Major Market Personality

Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey, Frito & Katy, KCYY/San Antonio

TY: We were only there for about 36 hours total, but it was an incredible 36 hours. Getting to see the show live was insane. Never in a thousand years would I think we’d have been in the room to see George Strait honored with a lifetime achievement award. It was surreal. Also, big shout out everyone from the CMA – they were universally incredible. Extra big shout out to Brenden Oliver who hand delivered our awards to us at the hotel Tuesday when our ﬂight got in too late. Lifesaver!

KD: Getting an award that people outside our industry recognize and understand is pretty crazy. Folks all over the airport were trying to ﬁgure out if we were famous artists, and we did nothing to dissuade them. I liked being mistaken for someone with talent.

ally done before the show – also a ﬁrst!

EIGHT IS ENOUGH

Medium Market Personality

Steve Lundy and Gina Melton, Steve & Gina In The Morning, KXKT/Omaha

Celebrating their first win after eight nominations, the KXKT team was impressed by the CMA team, even before the show. When they went to the CMA office to pick up their trophies, Lundy and Melton were surrounded by staffers offering congratulations. “They made a big deal out it,” says Melton. Lundy adds, “They seemed genuinely thrilled for us.” Melton says she kept a tight grip on the award. “All I could think about was Jelly Roll dropping his last year.”

Later, at Bridgestone Arena, “They really rolled out the red carpet,” Melton says. And having so many prior nominations made winning “all the more sweet, because we have been working for it for a while,” she adds.

“We got to sit literally behind all the stars, and it was super cool,” Melton continues. “And we got to meet a lot of cool people in radio.” That included Crook & Chase, who shared an elevator ride selﬁe with the Omaha team, which Lundy orchestrated for his mother-in-law – a “huge fan” of the syndicated duo. Mid-show, Lundy’s wife wanted to collect some confetti for their kids from the Bailey Zimmerman performance, but the ﬂying paper was so abundant

AM: There was a moment during the show when the video of Brothers Osborne telling us we won showed on the big screen. I started to cry because it all set in. This is a childhood dream of mine come true!

where they were seated that “all she had to do was open up her purse,” he laughs. Both got to bring their spouses, marking a ﬁrst visit to Nashville for Lundy’s wife, Terri, and “a thrill for her,” he says. Melton also got to bring her father and sister. Overall, Lundy likens their Nashville experience to a Super Bowl, except with fans “dressed to the nines.”

GENIUS BAR

Major Market Station

WYCD/Detroit

Detroit fans in the audience cemented the third CMA for PD Tim Roberts

In all the excitement leading up to the awards, Roberts missed the memo that winners would give a pre-telecast speech to the Bridgestone Arena crowd. With Station winners up first, he thought, “Oh, here we go. I better

Not so difficult a task for a radio pro, so not only was the speech a “wonderful moment” for Roberts, but immediately afterwards his phone began “blowing up” with messages from industry friends who were already seated

With most of his staff working the red carpet, Roberts ended up going to the pre-show party solo. One highlight was running into presenter Billy Bob Thornton. He didn’t grab a photo, however, because he “didn’t want to be a dork.”

“The coolest thing for me was running into a bunch of fans from Detroit,” Roberts says. “After the show, a bunch of them came up to me and [evening co-host] Holly Hutton, and it reminds you the impact you have on your market.”

Back home after the show, the station hosted a staff celebration. “This win is a credit to the great work they do,” Roberts says. “We are super involved in the community and do so many things for the area all year long. It adds up to great radio, but we touch a lot of people’s lives, Roberts adds that the whole experience was “a wonderful honor and I don’t take it lightly. I’m blessed to have a great staff. That makes me look

DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN

Medium Market Station

WUSY Chattanooga

CMA night brought a range of emotions for PD Justin Cole

Accepting the award with my Market President Nichole Hartman, on behalf of Ken & Daniel, Mo & Styckman, Cowboy Kyle, Katie, Rob & Holly and the rest of the incredible US-101 family, was the pinnacle. The category was stacked with incredible and deserving stations, and to win in such a competitive environment was a humbling and true honor. There were amazing performances, and I enjoyed spending time with friends and colleagues. Asheville, NC is my hometown, and as everyone knows, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina. A few days after the storm, we activated our Operation Good Neighbor, filling five tractor trailers with supplies and collecting nearly $30,000 in donations. I followed those trucks to North Carolina and was on the ground for distribution and relief efforts. While I was there, I spent time with WKSF’s Eddie and Amanda Foxx, and saw the incredible work they did in the community. They were truly a lifeline when there was no other form of communication.

16:

AN INSANO NIGHT

Large Market Station

WQDR Raleigh

PD Mike Biddle shares his favorite moments. This was my second time attending the CMAs, but the first as a station winner. To have our team together to toast and celebrate was a great feeling. Everyone busts their butts day in and day out, so it feels amazing to be recognized by the industry. My favorite moment was the cameo by Captain Insano during Bailey Zimmerman’s performance. Adam Sandler movies were a big part of my 20s, and that was an unexpected moment that made me laugh. I also loved the Brooks & Dunn/Jelly Roll performance. “Believe” is such a powerful song and Jelly is the perfect person to reboot that song. It was an amazing night!

16th

Eddie and I co-hosted a show together for seven years at WKDF/Nashville and were Best Man in each other’s weddings. When Eric Church performed “Darkest Hour,” watching Eddie and Amanda in front of me with tears in their eyes (and in mine), it reminded me of the power and impact of our industry when we work together.

The other highlight was when Morgan Wallen won Entertainer. My daughter was sick so my wife stayed home and, at the last minute, I called Big Loud’s Kelley Bradshaw (formerly part of my morning show) and asked if she wanted to attend. The last time she had been was when Ken, Kelly and Daniel won Personality. It was kind of a full circle moment: Kelley has a CMA as an air talent and now her artist has an Entertainer trophy. She was so excited, smiling, screaming and then some tears.

BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT

Small Market Station

WYCT Pensacola, FL

PD Brent Lane shared the night with his station’s owners.

This year is the 20th anniversary of Cat Country 98.7 signing on, and to cap it off with a CMA award is special. Owners Dave and Mary Hoxeng started this dream in 1986, brought the station to life on Jan. 1, 2004, and were honored as CMA Station of the Year in 2024. While this is our third Station trophy, it represents a milestone of service in Pensacola. Dave and Mary are community servants and work to better the community through leadership at all levels.

Me & My Gang: The Sony Music Nashville staff parties post-show.

CAC

Sweet

Claiming the station’s

CMA Station of the Year trophy are WUSY’s Justin Cole and Nichole Hartman.

Top Cat: Celebrating WYCT’s third Station of the Year award are (l to r) Brent Lane, Mary and Dave Hoxeng and Mel McCrae.

Four The Win: The WQDR staff celebrates the station’s fourth Station of the Year CMA. Pictured (l-r) are Amanda Daughtry, Mike Biddle, Mike Wheless, Gray Barnhill and Abby Leigh.

Tim Roberts and Holly Hutton

ASCAP CONGRATULATES OUR MEMBERS ON 72 SONGS IN COUNTRY AIRCHECK’S

TOP 100 of 2024

AARON ESHUIS

AMY ALLEN

ANDY ALBERT

ASHLEY GORLEY

AUDRA BUTTS

BEN ANDERSON

BEN HAYSLIP

BEN WILLIAMS

BRETT JAMES

BRETT YOUNG

CARLY PEARCE

CHEYENNA

CHRIS STAPLETON

CHRIS TOMPKINS

CONNOR MCDONOUGH

CRAIG WISEMAN

DAN SMYERS

DAN WILSON

DAVE TURNBULL

DAVID BOWIE

DAVID GARCIA

DAVID LEE MURPHY

DEREK GEORGE

DYLAN SCOTT

EMILY REID

EMILY WEISBAND

FRANK ROGERS

GABE FOUST

GABRIEL SIMON

GEORGE BIRGE

HILLARY LINDSEY

HUNTER PHELPS

JACOB DAVIS

JAMES MADDOCKS

JEREMY STOVER

JERRELL JONES

JERRY FLOWERS

JESSI ALEXANDER

JESSIE MURPH

JIMMY ROBBINS

JOE KENT

JOHN OSBORNE

JOHN TAYLOR

JONATHAN SINGLETON

JORDAN DAVIS

JORDAN REYNOLDS

JORDAN SCHMIDT

JOSH SERRATO

KELSEA BALLERINI

KYLE SCHLIENGER

LOUIS BELL

MARC BEESON

MARK TRUSSELL

MARK WILLIAMS

MATT DRAGSTREM

MATT JENKINS

MATTHEW RAMSEY

MATT ROGERS

MATT STELL

MENTOR WILLIAMS

MIKE ELIZONDO

MITCHELL OGLESBY

NATE SMITH

NICHOLAS GALE

NOAH KAHAN

PAUL DIGIOVANNI

PAUL SIKES

PHIL COLLINS

RILEY MCDONOUGH

RYAN CARPENTER

SCOTT STEPAKOFF

SEAN COOK

SETH ENNIS

SHABOOZEY

TOM PETTY

TJ OSBORNE

TONY LANE

TREVOR ROSEN WILL BUNDY

ZACH CROWELL

LABEL OF THE YEAR

SSoutheast

We had Morgan Wallen, Hardy and Ernest in Knoxville for two sold out nights at Neyland Stadium. And while

Midwest & Southwest

that was exciting, Nikki (Big Loud), Chris O’Kelley (WKXC/Augusta), Pete Kelly and I felt like kids on Christmas morning waking up early to go to Dollywood. It was the most magical day! We discovered how truly heinous caricatures make you look, ate all the fall food and took photoshoots at every opportunity.

Northeast

In April, our team was on the road visiting our friends at Country radio to play the upcoming Post Malone and Morgan Wallen song, “I Had Some Help.” Each of us visited almost every one of our stations in person in about a threeand-a-half week period. The schedules were intense to say the least. On one of my travel days, I had to cancel three stations when Mother Nature decided it would be a ﬁne day for an earthquake in New Jersey.

Luckily, I found a small window the following week for two of the stations, but WGTY/York’s Scott Donato was flying out that day. At first I figured we’d schedule a zoom, but then thought, “Hell no – I want this impression in person!” So I asked him what time his flight was and booked a refundable flight that took off a couple hours after Scott’s. We sat down at Zona Cocina in Terminal B and ordered, then I threw headphones on him and hit play. I sat there eating my chips and salsa while watching him dance like he was at a silent disco. When it was over, he took the headphones off and said, simply, “Holy sh*t!” Scott’s flight got delayed, so we were able to have a little more time together before I canceled the flight I never intended to take and left the airport. By the time I got to the car, Scott had posted our photo with a caption describing the lengths I’d gone to, and how I had “restored his faith in modern record promotion.” One of the best compliments I think I’ve ever received.

After the truly awe-inspiring show by Langley, Nate Smith, Jelly Roll and Morgan, we left the venue in a thunderstorm deluge. In the desert. Instead of ﬁnding transport, we found ourselves in the middle of Las Vegas Boulevard in a scene reminiscent of the New York City marathon. More than 72,000 people ﬂooded the streets as Stacy Blythe, Tyler Waugh and I walked down The Strip to our hotel. My watch says I logged 8.2 miles that day. Those kinds of nights, shared with our friends who deliver the music to their audiences, make for the best memories.

VP/Promotion

JD: Hailey Whitters was coming in to play a show for WMAD/Madison, but she, her guitar player Ethan and Kelley Bradshaw got stuck in Chicago, so we agreed to meet halfway in Janesville, WI. Neither of them had their bags and we were pressed for time. The only store we could stop at was Urban Outﬁtters, where Ethan was forced to purchase (and play the show in) a baggy pair of JNCO jeans and an oversized long-sleeve t-shirt. So he played the show looking like me in 11th grade.

KB: The snow storm of Nashville 2024. Hailey played a radio show in Louisville and needed to get to Madison. After many canceled ﬂights, we got to Chicago, then drove to John in Janesville to make the swap. It was like we were divorced parents passing their kids oﬀ on the side of the road.

Another time, I watched Hailey get on a plane in Jackson, MS on her way to the next day’s show on the Dan + Shay tour, then I boarded my flight back to Nashville. Then I got a text that they were deplaning, so I jumped off my flight during boarding. Hailey needed to get to Savannah, GA and there were zero flight options. We got the last rental car, drove nine hours with one bathroom break and arrived 30 minutes before she went onstage. And she crushed her set like a pro!

West Coast

On Aug. 8 in Las Vegas during Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time Tour, I asked my radio friends to meet me at 4pm at the southwest gate. Based on the security walkthrough I’d made sure to arrive early for that morning, we were supposed to immediately walk everyone through a speciﬁc gate – with tickets scanned and credentials on – unimpeded into an elevator and down to the radio room.

Among many incredible milestones that I’m proud we achieved at Big Loud this year, one moment that truly stands out was taking Ashley Cooke’s “Your Place” to No. 1 the week of June 24. Ashley’s first No. 1 is also Big Loud’s first female No. 1. That alone was a huge win, but what made that week additionally unforgettable was having the Nos. 2 and 3 songs on the chart as well: Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen and Morgan’s “Cowgirls” featuring Ernest. Even more personally meaningful was the fact that the last time the top three songs came exclusively from one label was 2003 when my father, Butch Waugh, achieved that with Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” Brooks & Dunn’s “Red Dirt Road” and Brad Paisley’s “Celebrity” at Arista.

everyone was soaked and toasted. Once we were on

The artist teams we work with are the best in the business and make the two miles of venue walking, credentials and security meetings a breeze. But on this day, as everyone gathered outside Allegiant Stadium, we were delayed by stadium staﬀ, who had obviously not been told about us by their chief. In unobstructed sun with no breeze, no misting fans, no movement of any kind, we waited more than 30 minutes until everyone was soaked and toasted. Once we were on the elevator, the attendant dropped us on the wrong ﬂoor. We had to almost circle the stadium before eventually arriving minutes ahead of Ella Langley – the first artist scheduled in the room that night.

EVP/Promotion

Pinpointing just one accomplishment from a year in which our team has consistently exceeded expectations is tough. When [Mercury Pres.] Tyler Arnold brought us the opportunity to work on Post Malone’s country project, we immediately committed to making it a massive launch. Our goal was to break records, and we did just that by closing out the impact date with a bang. The planning, the execution, and the celebration – many Bud Lights were involved! – made the whole experience unforgettable. One of the year’s biggest milestones came when Morgan joined Garth Brooks as the only artists to score ﬁve No. 1 hits in a calendar year. This was a goal we had and, knowing it was within reach, seeing “Lies Lies Lies” top the charts was an exhilarating moment. Another true highlight was welcoming Miranda Lambert to our label. Getting to know her and seeing the impact she has on those around her has been a privilege. We are incredibly proud to be her trusted label home and to help share her art with the world. Her mentorship of younger artists, steadfast commitment to her craft and unwavering generosity are just a few of the things that make her such a remarkable presence in country music. Country radio has been so good to us and we are looking forward to an even bigger 2025! CAC

SESAC CONGRATULATES

OUR ARTISTS, WRITERS, AND PRODUCERS IN COUNTRY AIRCHECK’S

TOP 100 OF 2024

JARED KEIM

“PRETTY

RECORDED

CHRIS LaCORTE

“OUTSKIRTS”

RECORDED

DEREK WELLS

“TRUCK

RECORDED

#10 #4 #2

JOSH JENKINS

RECORDED

P. MALONE f/M. WALLEN P. MALONE F/B. SHELTON

D. MARLOWE

Zeiders

Lainey Wilson

Post Malone

It’s a three-peat for Country radio’s top performer Morgan Wallen, whose 2024 airplay totals are as dominant as any artist in the last 30 years. Last year’s amazing feat – six songs in the top 10 – has been buried under the 2024 mark of eight songs contributing to his airplay totals, seven of which hit No. 1 at some point in their chart life. That includes “Thinkin’ Bout Me” which was No. 1 on the Country Aircheck chart of 10/23/23 and was so strong it ranks No. 6 in the 2024 yearend chart. “Everything I Love” topped the Mediabase chart posted online over the 2023 holiday period and was not part of the charts published by CA. His third 2024 solo eﬀort, “Lies Lies Lies” was the ﬁnal chart topper of this chart year.

Along with being 2024’s most-heard artist, Wallen was also the year’s undisputed collaboration king. His “Man Made A Bar” with Eric Church and “Cowgirls” with Ernest both hit No. 1. Rounding out his 2024 airplay were collabs with Thomas Rhett on the No. 1 “Mamaw’s House” and Post Malone on the three-week No. 1 “I Had Some Help.” And, for those counting along, Wallen’s current Top 10 “Love Somebody” also contributed to his 2024 airplay totals. But wait, there’s more: ﬁve of Wallen’s songs place among the year’s Top 50 songs.

Wallen leads the Overall Performers list that includes four artists who made the list last year, along with ﬁve newcomers. Top 10 repeats are Jelly Roll (7-2), Lainey Wilson (3-4), Luke Combs (2-5) and Kane Brown (8-10). Added to the top 10 are Nate Smith, Chris Stapleton Cody Johnson, Malone and Dustin Lynch Wilson makes it two-in-a-row as Country radio’s Top Female Performer courtesy of a No. 1 with “Wildﬂowers And Wild Horses,” a Top 15 with “Hang Tight Honey” and a twoweek No. 1 as part of Jelly Roll’s “Save Me.” Dan + Shay return to the top of the Duo/ Group category courtesy of No. 1 “Save Me the Trouble” and their current top 10, “Bigger Houses.” While hardly a “new artist,” Malone’s 2024 Country debut earned him the top spot in that category, propelled by a pair of No. 1s – three-week chart-topper “I Had Some Help” and “Pour Me A Drink” with Blake Shelton. Also contributing is his current top 10 with Combs, “Guy For That.”

Charted Songs, Top 15s, No. 1s

TOP

15 FIRST TIMERS

Seventeen artists posted a Top 15 song for the first time in 2024. The last time that happened was, well, never. That more than doubles the average number of acts hitting Top 15 for the first time in the last 18 years. The previous record was 2012’s 12 first-timers. Seven of the 18 had all or part of a No. 1 song.

DREW BALDRIDGE (Lyric Ridge)

CHAYCE BECKHAM (Wheelhouse)

ASHLEY COOKE (Back Blocks/Big Loud)

DASHA (Warner/WMN)

ERNEST (Big Loud)

ELLA LANGLEY (Columbia/NY)

POST MALONE (Big Loud)

DYLAN MARLOWE (Columbia)

MARSHMELLO (RCA/NY)

BRYAN MARTIN (Avg. Joes/New Revolution)

CHASE MATTHEW (Warner/WAR)

SHABOOZEY (Empire/Magnolia)

CONNER SMITH (Valory)

ZACH TOP (Leo 33)

TUCKER WETMORE (Back Blocks/EMI Nashville)

KOE WETZEL (Columbia/NY)

JESSIE MURPH (Records Nashville)

A total of 135 songs reached the Top 50 in 2024, down from last year’s 140. Those 135 songs came from 98 diﬀerent artists – 71 men, 19 women and eight duos or groups. Last year’s 140 songs were represented by 96 artists -- 70 men, 19 women and seven duos or groups. Of the 135 charted songs in 2024, 69 reached the Top 15. They came from 47 men, seven women and two duos or groups.

There were 42 No. 1 songs this year, coming from 34 men, two women and one from a duo. Only one, “I Had Some Help,” stayed on top three weeks. Six songs spent two weeks at No. 1; 35 others claimed the peak for a week.

As always, airplay information appearing anywhere in Country Aircheck comes from our friends and partners at Mediabase 24/7. Chart year statistics include singles that spent at least one week in the Top 50 between Nov. 12, 2023 and Nov. 9, 2024.

WALLEN, WILSON, DAN + SHAY LEAD ’24 AIRPLAY

CHRIS STAPLETON

MEGAN MORONEY

PARMALEE

SHABOOZEY

Good Ride, Goodman

When he retires at the end of this year, Sony Music Nashville Chairman/CEO Randy Goodman will be the third-longest-serving head of RCA/Nashville behind Joe Galante and Chet Atkins. Jerry Bradley is fourth. For an executive known for being keenly focused on the day’s challenges and objectives, he’s also kept an eye on that legacy – at least for the artists, his staff and the company. Assessing his own is a bit of a work in progress.

screwed up by not electing him governor.

You’re a Nashville native, so you’ve seen the full progression.

Oh yeah. I remember as a little kid the Life & Casualty building – the only big building in the city – would light up the L&C logo at the top either blue or pink to indicate the weather. If it was blue, it would be a clear day. If it was going to rain, the letters would fill up pink. That was our weather channel. No doubt the city is straining a bit with all its growth but I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

You had 16 years under Joe Galante at RCA, 13 heading Lyric Street, five years in between when you did management and now nine years at the helm of Sony...

I was only in management about nine months, working with my good friend Clarence Spalding and tormented by Rascal Flatts. I love them and I still say that. I realized I’m a better label guy than manager. Seriously, the Flatts were such a huge part of the success of Lyric Street.

We were a boutique – the epitome of small but mighty. It gave me the chance to build something from scratch. Doug Howard, one of my best friends, joined me to drive A&R. The third Flatts album scanned close to 750,000 albums the first week. That was when albums wholesaled at $10. We were an ATM machine. When Bob Iger came in after Michael Eisner, he decided to do a strategic entrenchment and we were closed.

I spent mos t of those five years working with then Mayor Karl Dean on his Music Council initiative, as well as Steve Buchanan and his team at Gaylord. Early on, Steve brought me into his idea of the TV show Nashville and I got to see him build that from the ground up. Between the two I was in on some amazing projects during a very special time for the city.

The focus of Mayor Dean’s Council was to develop short and long term economic development strategies relative to the entertainment space. Butch Spyridon from the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation and Ralph Schulz with the Chamber were instrumental in making it all work to the

What brought you back?

Once the prospect of leading one of the three majors –and the one that had emerged from the amalgam of labels where it all began for me – sunk in, it was like, “I have to do this.” It was imperative my family was cool with me diving back in – these are all consuming jobs – and once they showed me the door, I was all in. I had some unfinished business considering how Lyric Street ended. Things as a person and leader and ideas I wanted to test and improve. So, coming “back” to Sony gave me an opportunity to be more intentional about a lot of things. I wanted to build a culture based on a respect and awareness of the Sony legacy. It had to be a highly motivated group. I had a clear vision to build on the idea of agile crossdepartmental teams. Our focus had to be breaking new acts that could become Hall of Fame members. To do all that we had to build a solid cultural base. We had a great off-site early on where we collectively defined the attributes of the culture we wanted and they’re still displayed in our lobby. At bottom, this culture could only emerge if everyone believed and made it their daily practice. Our “ethos.”

B eyond country, you were also tasked with overseeing Sony’s Christian music division.

The work we’ve done with Provident over the past nine years has been as disruptive as anything we did at Sony Music Nashville. And that’s saying a lot. Being able to put Holly Zabka into the president’s role was one of my proudest accomplishments. She immediately bought into the new world thinking (she was really already there and just waiting on me), quickly built a world class team and set about

When you took over Sony, you spoke about the company being behind the curve in breaking artists. Was there a moment you realized you’d turned that corner?

Ha! I don’t know that I’ve ever felt a turning of the corner. We’re a frontline label, which means we are manically focused on developing and breaking new artists and then building them into sustainable superstars. Since the pandemic, that whole process has become harder, and the new artist development process seems to have significantly slowed. Plus, in this new world you may have track success or even album success but its no guarantee you’ve broken an act or if its just a moment. So yeah, I’m loathe to say we’ve turned the corner. One metric for addressing that question is to look at market share. One of our early aspirational goals was to become the No. 1 label in country market share. We did that quickly, so that was a big corner turned. But now with “coastal incursion,” market share is a bit murky and so now we look at it compared to all labels –country and pop. Turning that corner is much harder. There are also our internal financial metrics. So, in the spirit of corner-turning, yes, the team has done a great job over these past nine years achieving and exceeding many of those goals. We’ve built a solid, healthy business. But turning the corner, at least for me, is a catch 22. You’re never fully there because there is more competition, more releases, more noise and less tangibles than at any time in my career. You have to constantly be evaluating your team and roster to ensure you’re as competitive as you can be

Joe Galante and Goodman

Rascal Foxx: Goodman with (l-r) Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus, Jamie Foxx, producer Robert Deaton and Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney.

Good Ride, Goodman

executive team engaged with me in all these areas – Taylor Lindsey, Ken Robold, Steve Hodges and now Lauren Thomas, Jen Way, Robert Taylor and Holly Zabka.

When we started it was triage – pulling people out of their foxholes and knocking down silos because there was a great deal of fear and uncertainty at the time. I get it. But we had a lot of work to do. And so I challenged the team day-one with the idea of “changing the Sony storyline.” Let go of the past and get busy; people really needed to hear that. Thankfully the team bought in and responded. Or they left. So, we got busy, got lucky and had some great early success with Maren Morris, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and even Mitchell Tenpenny’s top five debut album in 2019. That early successes gave the team the confidence we needed to continue to do excellent work and change the story.

Continuing on your corner theme is having Sony get back to consistently breaking new artists. As is always the case, we had a lull, but the team has stepped up with Nate and Megan in particular. But again, it never stops. There is always another corner to turn.

You talked about market share and looking at metrics. Have you needed that scoreboard to help you stay motivated?

Yes, of course. I’m very competitive and impatient when the desired results aren’t achieved. Just ask my team. But what really motivates me is a sense of pride. Not ego pride, but wanting to make my team proud of our collective work. I want [Sony Music CEO] Rob Stringer to be proud. I want the whole company to be proud of us. It goes back to that idea of changing a storyline that is almost 150 years old. When the next generation looks back at us, what will the verdict be relative to our stewardship of the Sony legacy? As Waylon would say, “Hoss, you got to believe and care.”

Here’s a Randy Goodman catchphrase you’ve said over the years: “Our goal is unique and compelling songs delivered to critical mass at Country radio.”

That’s not the case anymore?

No it’s not. You still must have unique and compelling artists and songs no matter the market structure. That may be the one constant. But the point of discovery changed, and so we had to change. We had to refocus, restructure, reorganize. Ask questions about ROI. That’s by no means a diss to radio and all my friends there, or the important role Country radio has played in whatever success I’ve had in my career. Radio promotion is and has always been a part of the marketing mix. It’s just that now it sits in a different place on the artist development continuum. Our changes aren’t contrarian or arbitrary, but appropriate in addressing the market as we see it.

How do you determine what portion of the marketing mix is devoted to each media type?

We primarily do that in our goal planning process –specifically album launch plans. Goals ideated, communicated and agreed upon by all partners determine the proper marketing mix as strategies to ensure the goals are met. As a formal document, it also should hold all the stakeholders responsible to do what they said they’d do. And as each artist is unique, each plan should be unique. But inherent to our plans are goals and strategies devised to drive artist development and fiscal returns.

Having artists responsible for fan engagement has led to some discontent from the artist side, right? Growing pains?

Growing pains, yes. I had a conversation with a young artist early on who said they thought being on social media was demeaning. I asked, “Do you think it’s more demeaning than being on a bus for six months setting up your project at radio? Early mornings, late nights and free shows for maybe months if not years on end?” In the new paradigm an artist can directly engage their fans from wherever, whenever they like. One of the big positives we’re seeing due to this direct

Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Kane, Jelly Roll, Jason Aldean and others are playing football, baseball or soccer stadiums. All are partnered with major labels. It’s virtually impossible to build artists to global levels without the support of a venture-minded major label.

Which is suddenly a more viable outlet for country. The world? Yes! Very exciting. Like in the U.S., we were beholden to radio – specifically the BBC – to drive awareness and open the doors. Now all that’s been democratized by social media and DSPs. We’re seeing artists tour U.K. and Europe so much earlier than in prior decades. And with great success. C2C in the U.K., Europe and Australia are providing great opportunities for new and established artists. Kane was just down in Australia playing big arenas. Luke played two sold out nights in London’s O2 arena last December. Artists are building touring bases outside the U.S. in a way that’s never happened before. Country artists are now able to have global tours around releases. Also, because country artists tour all the time, they can let the North American fields lie fallow, if you will, while they tour ex-U.S. And major labels have boots on the ground around the world to support.

No doubt the artists who have an inclination to social media and direct fan engagement – who understand that they are an enterprise and can identify and understand their own value propositions – will be the biggest winners. That’s Taylor Swift. She understands that Taylor Swift is a global enterprise, and she moves markets. Literally. She leaves a huge positive economic development wake everywhere she performs. But that doesn’t demean her as an artist. At the core of her phenomenon is her songs, her art. Think of labels as massive entertainment venture firms and new artists as nascent Ubers or Twitters – young companies/artists who already have a clear vision and mission that fuels their early success and behind whom we put our resources to help build them into major enterprise level companies. In our vernacular, superstars. If labels and artists – and managers, attorneys and business managers – can agree on that paradigm, it could be a gamechanger in how we do business and make deals going forward.

What does that mean for the future of record labels, particularly in a town that has been so focused on developing artist careers?

As “major” labels, we must continually rethink who and what we are – hyperfocus on things that will drive consumption and enterprise building. Let go of or minimize things that don’t. Organize teams accordingly. Agility and curiosity as the ethos. Accept the reality of artist as entrepreneur and, thus, think and act more collaboratively. Communicate with your partners till you vomit. Accept that DIY is just another name for A&R source, that these fledging startups – new artists and their managers – just might be on to something, and that artist development is coming up alongside them to help scale their business on a global level. Labels and artists can view their relationship not as “signees” but as “partners.” Be bold and engaged enough to tell each other hard truths without

You seem to be very of the moment, even when asked to reflect on your career. Is reflection something you find difficult?

I guess it’s the old adage of having your inner coach and your inner critic, and to which I might default. Regardless, you kept pushing me toward being more reflective and so I sat down and kind of stream of consciousness chronicled some things that came to mind. Hopefully in a more integrated way.

Randy Reflects low is the text of an email Goodman sent between the two interviews that comprise this Q&A.

eally can’t remember a time that music wasn’t part of my daily experience. Going through my father’s vinyl. My first drum. Kit. Band. The feeling of covering a hit as a kid in a band with your mates. My first time playing on a stage. Concerts. Many, many concerts. Even now. This very week. A record store gig. Playing dances in a cover band to afford another cymbal for my kit for the fusion band that was my passion. The transcendence of discovering Cream, Crimson, Joni and Miles. And Beyond. Dave Perkins. Guy Clark. The Exit/In. Working with Tom T. Hall. Tandy Rice. Waylon. Dolly. Alabama. The Judds. Whitley. Dave Matthews. Wu Tang. Kenny. Joe [Galante]. The Flatts. SheDaisy. Miranda. Brad. Maren. Kane. Luke. Mitchell. Megan. Morgan. Nate. And so many others. And Rob [Stringer].

It became my work. Never a job. And that’s what most people outside don’t get. Even your family. And so at times it’s a cross. A curse. A struggle. Something that for seasons will take your soul. And for those seasons I offered it. At times giddy with the discovery of “the next big thing.” At others a cynic devastated by failure. Mostly it’s all been a gift. Hopefully in the end I become a small part of the “great song” with which Rilke concludes his poem “Widening Circles.” But for some I know I’m perceived as a vampire. A General of the Machine. And you have to come to terms with that. That weight. Those optics. The chatter. The title. Because at bottom there’s a bottom line. We’re in the business of the Art.

Regardless of my title, I’m just a fan. A very lucky, unlikely kid whose avocation became their vocation and, God willing, in some small ways have helped some artists articulate their vision to the world.

A nd I know, with a deep reverential awe, that I’m here because giants let me stand on their shoulders so that I, eventually, could stand on my own.

Whose shoulders?

My first legit, getting-a-check job was working for Tandy Rice at Top Billing. Tandy’s marketing head Kathy Wright hired me and helped me tremendously. I was a publicist for a year. Worked with Bobby Bare, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark and others who showed a kid who was into other kinds of music that country music is as deep lyrically as Miles Davis is instrumentally.

Then Joe Galante hired me. He was head of marketing at the time. Between Joe and the late Dave Wheeler, they taught me about the business – how all the dots connected to sales. At Disney, I worked for Bob Cavallo, a legendary manager who came over to the record business. Then, working for Rob Stringer and his unique perspective – I learned from all of them. But I also learned and continue to learn daily from all the great people I work with every day. Inside and outside the company, past and present. Learning is everything.

You have stewarded an amazing volume of music that has deep meaning for a lot of people. Part of that is being sound and effective on a business level or there’s no way to pay for more music. How have you balanced that imperative with putting out music that’s meaningful to artists and fans, and stands the test of time?

It’s a big deal. A weighty thing. An honor and a privilege. So much so that it better be humbling.

e moved to our new space, the corporate goal was to have more open work spaces, which led us to a more

Famous Friends: With Chris Young.

Smiles On It: Goodman presents Kane Brown with a bottle on the occasion of his signing to Sony Music Nashville.

For Cert In: Maverick’s Clarence Spalding, Sony’s Taylor Lindsey and Ken Robold, Goodman, Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Maverick’s Marne McLyman and Sony’s Jennifer Way and Steve Hodges.

TALES FROM THE QUIPPED

Good Ride, Goodman

tech company look. Cleaner lines and lighter. And so to ﬁnd a way to honor our legacy without cluttering up the walls, we came up with a wrap idea that became our legacy wall. These huge images or artists from Eddy Arnold to the Chicks, all anchored by a famous Waylon quote that in my mind should anchor our daily ethic. His closing “advice” in this extended quote being, “You got to believe. Believe in the music. Believe in each other. You got to mean it.”

My first day at Sony we took the staff to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Peter Cooper, God rest his soul, gave us an amazing presentation of what it meant to be part of the legacy that created Sony Music Nashville – RCA/Victor to Epic to CBS. We had dinner in the Hall rotunda, and I said to the gathered team, “You’ve heard where we’ve come from. The question now is, when people look back on the group what do we want them to say about us and our contribution to that legacy?” Because it is about the art and the music, but it’s also about the people who work to get that done every day. Those were the aspirational goals beyond the financials. All of our

my nine-plus years: Peter Edge, Sylvia Rhone, Ron Perry, David Massey, Richard Story and others. I’ll miss them and the way they intellectually stimulate me.

I’ll miss the artists. The gift of shepherding young people. Helping them come to see who they can be. And, once realized, seeing them give back to their communities.

I’m also as proud of some of the things we’ve done from the diversity perspective as anything else. Building the team. A great company is one that continues with very

I’m really looking forward to is having ﬂexibility. My kids don’t live in Nashville anymore and there are many things my wife and I had put oﬀ because of the obligations of my job. As a Nashvillian, I want to get involved where needed on a community level in ways that might be helpful to my hometown. We have a little place in the woods in Monteagle, TN. There’s a Triumph motorcycle in the garage and I’m looking forward to spending more time on it.

★ “New music from Bryan Martin, Josh Mirenda and Colt Ford is on the way,” teases SVP/Marketing Andrew Davis. “Martin’s ‘Wolves Cry’ is making waves everywhere right now!”

★ Ernest “Would If I Could,” out now: “Ernest has been delivering great songs to country music fans for years, with 11 No. 1 hits as a songwriter,” says VP/ Radio Promotion Tyler Waugh . “Most recently, he topped the charts as a featured artist on Morgan Wallen’s ‘Cowgirls.’ Now, I’m thrilled to see his debut solo single, ‘Would If I Could,’ currently being supported at Country radio.”

★ Kashus Culpepper “After Me?” out now: “I couldn’t be more excited to introduce radio to Kashus Culpepper,” says VP/Multi-Format Radio Shari Roth. “He is truly the epitome of a multi-format artist.”

★ Charles Wesley Godwin Hailey Whitters and Lauren Alaina, new music soon. “Charles Wesley, Hailey and Lauren have been putting in the work on new music that’s set to make 2025 unforgettable. With a mix of heartfelt ballads, highenergy anthems, and lyrics that stay with you long after the song ends, both longtime fans and new listeners will be hooked.” –EVP/Promotion Stacy Blythe

★ Tim McGraw : Coming off a sold-out tour this year, VP/Promotion & Marketing Erik Powell promises new music in Q1 and a starring role in Netflix’s Ragdoll in 2025.

★ Carly Pearce, “Truck On Fire” from Hummingbird is top 40 and climbing, and the Hummingbird World Tour starts back up in February.

★ Jackson Dean, “Heavens To Betsy” is also top 40 and climbing. “Jackson Dean proves once again that he is just not another country artist but a true master of his craft. –All Country News

★ Rascal Flatts: New music dropping in January to celebrate 25 years of the group, and the Life is a Highway tour kicks oﬀ in February.

★ Chase McDaniel: “Big Machine is proud to introduce Chase McDaniel in Q1 of 2025,” says Powell. “Chase is working with critically acclaimed producer Lindsay Rimes for a Q3 debut album release.”

★ Kelsea Ballerini, “Cowboys Cry Too (with Noah Kahan).” “With string-band ﬁddle and mandolin set amid an arena-country march, Ballerini and Kahan praise vulnerability as a diﬀerent form of toughness, one that’s not encouraged by family or culture.” –New York Times

★ “We welcome Chris Young to the Black River Family,” says VP/National Promotion Bill Macky. “We have amazing new music coming in the ﬁrst quarter.”

★ Jason Aldean:“Whiskey Drink” is climbing the charts as Aldean hits the studio to record his 12th album for BBR. “This song is a programmer favorite with all the elements that have given Jason 28 No. 1 hits.” –VP/ Promotion Lee Adams

★ Lainey Wilson, “4x4xU.” Airplay is growing for the second single from her Grammy-nominated album, Whirlwind. The single is showing big early research and strong streams, according to Adams, who adds, “With picture-painting verses and sweeping choruses (The Tennessean), ‘4x4xU’ is destined to reach the top of the charts.”

★ John Morgan is working on a 2025 album release. “With his hit single, ‘Friends Like That’ featuring Jason Aldean, John’s hard work and great songwriting are anchors for success. Research solidifies it to be a hit!”

★ Dustin Lynch:New music coming soon. “For an artist who has previously earned the accolade of ‘Most Played Song at Country Radio,’ Dustin recently celebrated his milestone 10th No. 1 in a big way with ‘Chevrolet,’ featuring Jelly Roll. Dustin will release new music in early 2025.”

★ Craig Morgan: “With more than 2.5 billion streams and more than 25 charting songs at Country radio throughout his career, Grand Ole Opry member and Army Reserve soldier Craig Morgan will debut a new EP in spring 2025 as he plans to embark on Blake Shelton’s Friends & Heroes Tour.”

★ Jon Pardi:“Friday Night Heartbreaker” is rolling through the 40s with his headlining Honkytonk Hollywood Tour on the way. His new album, produced by Jay Joyce, is expected in Q2.

Mitchell Tenpenny, “Not Today,” out now. “At the chorus, the melody jumped to a higher level as the singer vows to forget his ex, hammering the same note seven straight times as they unlocked the song’s singalong power.” –Billboard

Dylan Scott “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us,” out now. “With two current singles in the top 25, Dylan continues to show us all his skyrocket trajectory. Big headlining tour starting in April and plenty more to come in 2025.” –SVP/Promotion RJ Meacham

★ Kelsey Hart, “Life With You,” out now: “This is why we do what we do. Continuing to see more and more fans out there singing this song back conﬁrms it’s a hit. Kelsey is here to stay.”

★ “Additionally, we are excited and gearing up for some killer new music in 2025 from superstars Lee Brice and Rodney Atkins. Look for more info on both of these guys in Q1.”

★ Carrie Underwood: Her duet with Cody Johnson, “I’m Gonna Love You,” is cruising up the charts and soon to be a “Song of the Year contender,” if VP/Promotion Chris Schuler has anything to say about it.

★ Luke Bryan: Coming oﬀ his 31st No. 1, Bryan is back at it with “Country Song Came On,” a “sure-ﬁre hit for your radio stations.” –Schuler

★ Keith Urban:Top 15 “Messed Up As Me” will be followed by a new single at the top of the year before his High And Alive World Tour kicks oﬀ in May.

★ Schuler teases, “The top of next year will see us return with a brand new single from Dierks Bentley, while also introducing Carter Faith and Timothy Wayne as Capitol’s newest shining stars. Finally, Little Big Town’s ﬁrst holiday project, The Christmas Record, will be a household staple this holiday season.”

★ Dylan Marlowe, “Boys Back Home,” out now. “‘Boys Back Home’ is a jam, and the recorded version with Dylan Scott cranks the dial up to 10.” –Taste of Country

★ Megan Moroney , “Am I Okay?” out now. “It’s a love song, a declaration that maybe, just maybe, this cowgirl who’s always singing the blues may finally be in a healthy relationship and more confident.”

– Associated Press

★ Old Dominion, “Coming Home,” out now. “It’s a rousing, uplifting jam that communicates the joy, enthusiasm and anticipation of a loving homecoming. A hit if I’ve ever heard one.” –MusicRow

Tucker Wetmore:“On a meteoric rise in 2024, ‘Wind Up Missing You’ will go into January in peak health and full speed. Can’t wait to share what’s new in 2025.” –VP/Promotion Jimmy Rector

Tyler Hubbard:“‘Park’ is now in full gear and moving up the chart. The follow-up to three straight, huge researching No. 1s … it’s time to make ‘Park’ No. 1. Time to get into drivetime.”

★ Brad Paisley: “‘Truck Still Works’ is oﬀ to a great start to ﬁnish 2024 and the ‘Truck’ is going to keep running smooth into 2025. It’s time to put one of the format’s most familiar and loved voices back where he belongs.”

★ Also coming: New music from Anne Wilson Eric Church and Brothers Osborne

★ Lucas Hoge Book About Me. “Hoge’s ﬁrst album since his No. 1 Billboard selling Dirty South. The project, inspired by his Midwest upbringing, was co-written entirely by Hoge himself. Hoge Wild continues to gain traction, expanding to three networks with the latest addition of American Country Network.” –Founder/ Partner Laura Lynn

★ “Galaxy will celebrate our ﬁrst birthday by continuing the journey of LoCash’s ‘Hometown Home,’” shares the label’s Skip Bishop. “The plan to have this single top the charts is right on schedule. Also, the upcoming album is ﬁlled with surprises and newly expanded magic from the hit-making duo.”

★ Bishop also teases the announcements of new acts signed to the BMG-distributed label. “We are in talks with some incredible opportunities that will aﬀect Nashville and a global audience as well. These signings will remain true to our commitment to greater shares of rewards for artists and writers.”

Jake Owen, multiple projects in 2025.

Daves Highway, project produced by Old Dominion’s Geoﬀ Sprung slated for early ‘25 release.

GCE-Texas artists Wynn Williams and Hayden Haddock will have new projects, with Haddock’s produced by CMA Album of the Year producer Trent Willmon (Leather). New music from Styles in the new year.

Aaron Goodvin, “Your Time To Stay.” “Doubleplatinum selling Aaron Goodvin has accumulated 106+ million streams and numerous hit singles internationally. He returns to the airwaves with this instantly impactful single from his upcoming new EP. The song is striking a chord with listeners who are thanking Aaron for helping to save their relationships.” –Co-Owner/Managing Partner Nancy Tunick

Due West , “Only Heart I’m Breaking.” “Due West has been busy collaborating with industry icon Dean Dillon, crafting a unique sound, culminating in their latest album Unbroken , which features this upcoming single. They recently performed the song on a Dean Dillon tribute concert in Huntsville with George Strait, Ronnie Dunn, Cody Johnson and Pam Tillis.” –Mgr./Music

Row Promotion Nancy Johnson

Ken Domash, “20 Diﬀerent Routes.” “After his recent chart hits, ‘If I Was A Beer’ and ‘Imagining,’ Ken is excited to start 2025 on a high note, releasing his new album that includes the title track. It is an album inspired by his year of radio touring all around the country.” –VP/Artist Management & Development RJ Jordan Mags, “Our Song.” “Raised on a family farm in Ireland, Mags is thrilled to be releasing a new single in the U.S.

called ‘Our Song!’ She is an eye-catching vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and dancer, and we are excited to have her back!” –Managing Partner Teresa Johnston

★ Chase Rice, even more new music soon. “Poignant, often anthemic country that bridges the gap between his approachable mainstream catalog and his newfound storyfocused style … a more reﬁned, emotionally vulnerable version of what he does best.”

–Rolling Stone

★ Zach Top,“I Never Lie,” Q1: Already well over 100 million streams, the song follow’s Zach’s ﬁrst top 15 country single and “this one is trending like a career record,” says Label Head Katie Dean

★ Dean adds, “Q1 will also bring new music from Ashland Craft Jenna Paulette and the debut album release of critical favorites Jason Scott & The High Heat.”

★ Current singles from Chris Stapleton Josh Ross and Bryce Leatherwood will continue their chart ascent into 2025.

★ “Ross’ ‘Single Again’ feels like a hit and is generating top 10 major market research. He’ll be hitting the road on Jelly Roll’s Beautifully Broken Great Northern tour in Q1.” –UMGN SVPP Damon Moberly

★ “Radio programmers have embraced Bryce’s traditional style, and ‘Hung Up On You’ feels like the perfect ﬁt for your playlist.”

★ “And 15x (as of this writing) CMA Award winner Stapleton’s ‘Think I’m In Love With You’ is approaching Top 10. You can expect another single from the 2024 ACM Album of the Year, Higher.”

★ “Jordan Davis is solidifying himself as a consistent hitmaker with ‘I Ain’t Sayin’’ ﬂying up the charts as one of the fastest moving singles of his career. Expect a new album from Jordan in late summer.” –VP Miranda McDonald

★ “Sam Hunt is coming oﬀ the second biggest No. 1 of his career, ‘Outskirts,’ and hopes to have his 11th No. 1 with his current single, ‘Country House.’ Sam continues to grow his ‘Country House’ with the news that he and wife Hannah are expecting their third baby in the spring!”

2025. “The ﬁrst time I heard this song from Greylan, I knew we had a multigenerational song that could connect and resonate with everyone.”

★ “Noah Hicks and Shaylen will both have new music in the ﬁrst half of 2025, and we are watching them both build incredible fan communities around their music. New Chris Janson music is also in the pipeline.”

24th.” Vincent will be out with Riley Green, Davis and McCollum throughout 2025.

★ “After another amazing year highlighted by winning the ACM New Duo of the Year award, Tigirlily Gold will follow up their most recent top 30 single, ‘I Tried A Ring On,’ with new music at the top of the year and an anticipated radio add date in the middle of Q1.” –GM Katie McCartney

★ “Last year saw Walker Hayes teaming up with Athletic Brewing for a non-alcoholic beer and creating his own clothing line, Duck Buck Co. Coming off his headlining arena tour, you can

Backseat Driver,” out now. “He listens to his adorable daughter babbling about the passing scene from the backseat of his car. He wishes he had her wonder, her curiosity and her innocence. Warmth and love in every note. If you can’t get behind this, you’re , “Fix What You Didn’t Break,” out now. “This song ﬁnds the country singer reaching into his pop/rock inﬂuences to create a unique genre-bending country song that still highlights his signature rasp and : “Kent’s relentless underdog spirit has : “More convinced than ever that he is one of our greatest living country singers.” –MusicRow

: “Seventeen-year-old Austin, TX native is , Jan. 24 on the heels of his ﬁnal track release, ‘Drunk Love’ Jan. 10. Ty tour, which sold out every show, every night. Managed by Narvel Blackstock; 2025 will be a breakout year for Ty.” –EVP/Promotion & following up “Mind On You” and “Cowboy Songs” with new single “It Won’t Be Long” Jan. 17. signed with Records Nashville last fall, and is releasing music for the upcoming year starting : The Oklahoma native will release his “Fresh from opening for Restless Road and Ty Myers, Erin hit virality with ‘Trouble’ from her recent .” That’s a track to keep an eye on.” “Coming oﬀ the viral success of ‘90s Rap Mashup,’ Austin is a new signing slated for new music in 2025.”

★ Chris Lane, new album in the new year. His ﬁrst fulllength project on Red Street features ﬁrst single “If I Die Before You,” impacting radio Jan. 13.

★ Ian Flanigan, “The Man My Mama Raised,” out now. Single “Evergreen” will be released Jan. 10 and The Man My Mama Raised Feb. 14. “Heralded by Blake Shelton as a ‘once-in-a-lifetime vocalist,’ Flanigan went from crisscrossing the country in a Winnebago and performing in dive bars to ﬁnishing third on The Voice and earning

Moriber released her ﬁrst single, “Cry Like A Girl,” independently in 2019 and later signed with Reviver, where she released her self-titled album featuring a duet with Flanigan, “Holy Ground.”

★ Meghan Patrick, “Golden Child.” “Her latest single continues to climb the charts, with the October release of the full album of the same name drawing acclaim from fans and Country radio alike.” –VP/Promotion Jeﬀ Davis

★ Lanco,“We’re Gonna Make It,” pre-order/presave Jan 17. “Lanco is back and their upcoming album promises a powerful mix of resilience and heart, with the pre-order dropping Jan. 17 and a single impacting radio in Q1.”

★ Dillon Carmichael, new music early 2025. “DC has been hard at work in the studio and on the road. Look for a follow-up to his top 25 hit, ‘Drinkin’ Problems,’ on the way.”

★ Lakeview, coming in 2025. “Bringing anthemic energy and a fresh edge to country, Lakeview’s upcoming release is set to make waves in the New Year.”

★ Grant Gilbert, “West Of Fort Worth,” Jan. 25. “After three No. 1s in a row at Texas Country radio, our Texas artist from Santo is back with a theme of love, loss and redemption. From Texarkana to Dallas, the song captures a heartfelt journey of a lover seeking a second chance.” –VP/Promotion & Artist

Development Lance Houston

★ The Kentucky Gentlemen, “Country Hymn,”

★ Reid Haughton, “The Wheel” featuring Drake White, Jan. 24. “These Alabama fellas are teaming up on a track celebrating simplicity and staying true to one’s roots. With authentic lyrics and a traditional vibe, it’s a refreshing return to classic country values, with a nod to Americana.”

★ Hudson Westbrook, “Dressed Down,” Jan. 31. “Hudson’s explosion onto the country scene continues with a romantic track celebrating intimate moments after a night out. Since his debut in April, he’s amassed more than 50 million streams, marking him as one of our format’s next superstars.”

★ Jelly Roll, “Liar.” “The four-time Grammy nominee seeks to continue his streak of six No. 1 singles in Q1. Delivering real music for real people with real problems, Jelly continues to heal with his music as he embarks on his ﬁrst international stadium tour with Post Malone.” –VP/Innovation, Radio & Streaming Adrian Michaels

★ Parmalee, new music in January. “With more than one billion on-demand streams and multiple back-toback No. 1s, Parmalee will hit the road in 2025 on the Fell In Love With A Cowgirl Tour, launching in February following a new release.”

★ Drew Baldridge, “Tough People.” “The newest addition to Stoney Creek’s single resonates with everybody in times like these. On tour with Cody Johnson in 2025, Drew delivers a powerful message of human resilience.”

★ “You can also expect new music from Frank Ray and Lanie Gardner in the new year, and for Madeline Merlo to continue to reach new audiences with her latest EP, One House Down (From The Girl Next Door), which includes ‘Broken Heart Thing’ featuring Dustin Lynch.”

★ Russell Dickerson, “Bones,” Q1. “The title track sets the tone with a warm, acoustic opening that perfectly frames Dickerson’s deep, resonant vocals. It’s an arenasized love song full of big statements and even bigger vocals.” –Entertainment Focus. Adds VP/National Promotion Raﬀaella Braun, “‘Bones’ boasted the biggest add date of Russell’s successful radio streak to

a low simmer.” –Entertainment Tonight. “Scotty remains a consistent hitmaker. This follow up to No. 1 ‘Cab In A Solo is a journey through all the seasons of a love-gone-by.”

★ Jordan Fletcher, Classic EP and “About Jill,” Q1. “‘About Jill’ provides the clearest picture of Fletcher’s vocal sound and artistic sensitivity.” –Billboard

★ Thomas Rhett: On the heels of his 23rd No. 1 “Beautiful As You,” Rhett will start the new year with the second single from his latest studio album, About A Woman. He will be out on his headlining Better In Boots Tour throughout the year.

★ Justin Moore: Following his 13th (and sixth consecutive) No. 1 single, Moore carries his new single, “Time’s Ticking,” into the new year. This is the second single from his latest studio album, This Is My Dirt ★ Brantley Gilbert released his seventh studio album, Tattoos, featuring collaborations with Moore, Struggle Jennings and Demun Jones, in September. The debut single, “Over When We’re Sober,” features Ashley Cooke. ★ Mackenzie Carpenter: Releasing her debut album, Hey Country Queen, in March.

★ Conner Smith: New music coming in 2025.

★ Gavin Adcock is “bringing the outlaw back to country music. His Outbreak Tour continues to sell out 3,000 to 4,000 cap venues across the country, and his full length debut, Actin’ Up Again, has amassed over 300 million streams. You can look forward to hearing Gavin at Country radio in 2025.” –Warner staﬀ “This bluesy, drawling stomper is loaded with sass, aggression and attitude. He sounds like a real country music disrupter.” –Music Row

★ Randall King: “Leading the charge in getting Country radio back to its roots, delivering authentic country music with a modern sound. He’s built a loyal fanbase with a robust touring schedule, playing honky tonks to sold out crowds at hundreds of shows every year. The critically acclaimed Into The Neon features his debut Country radio single, ‘I Could Be That Rain,’ currently climbing the charts with support from some of the most inﬂuential and respected stations in the format.” –WAR staﬄ

★ Chase Matthew “joined the one billion streams club this year with the success of his top 5 debut single, ‘Love You Again,’ and current rising hit ‘Darlin.’ Chase showcased his high-energy performances on the road with major tours this year, including Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. In 2025, Chase will be joining the Keith Urban High and Alive world tour, with more dates to be announced. When you see the crowd engagement on ‘Darlin,’ it’s a no-brainer why programmers are gravitating to that energy for their radio stations.”

★ Dan + Shay, “Bigger Houses,” out now, recently earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Duo/ Group Performance. “Dan + Shay’s newfound optimism is expressed explicitly, and in a format they’ve become modern masters of – the ballad.” –Associated Press

of country music’s top new voices to watch, with fresh music arriving in early 2025.”

★ Bailey Zimmerman, “Holy Smokes,” out now. “One of Nashville’s biggest young stars … is gearing up for his next musical era. Zimmerman has already made a strong showing in Nashville and looks to keep an impressive win streak going into his next full-length project.” –Country Central. “‘Holy Smokes’ is as real as it gets.” – Taste of Country

★ Ian Munsick: “Munsick’s ability to turn his Western upbringing into relatable sentiments is the epitome of what makes him special.” –Grammy.com

★ Kenny Chesney, “Just To Say We Did,” out now: “It’s a soaring anthem about chasing dreams and courageously taking chances to check oﬀ items on one’s bucket list.” –Taste of Country

★ Warren Zeiders: “It’s undeniable that he’s a star –from the compelling grit of his voice and his candidly emotional lyrics, to his onstage swagger.” –Grammy.com

★ Blake Shelton, “Texas,” out now. “After securing the biggest add date in his career, Blake’s Wheelhouse Records debut is oﬀ to a great start. With a new CBS show slated for 2025, a Vegas residency and his Heroes & Friends Tour upcoming, Blake remains one of the biggest stars in the format.” –VP/Promotion Ken Tucker

★ Chayce Beckham, “Everything I Need,” out now. “It’s been a tremendous year. Not only did Chayce score his ﬁrst No. 1 with ‘23,’ but he also toured with Luke Bryan and Parker McCollum, and headlined his own shows. Next year looks even bigger.”

“Better Than You Left Me,” Jan. 27. “Dylan and his music connect with an ever-growing audience. He has built a tremendous following through touring with Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Nate Smith and Mitchell Tenpenny this past year, as well as his own

, “Forever To Me,” currently climbing the charts at Country radio. “Following his Win The Night tour, Swindell is gearing up for an exciting 2025, which includes a tour in Australia alongside Cody Johnson and the release of new music. ‘Forever To Me’ reflects Cole’s personal journey, celebrating his recent marriage and marking a significant chapter in his life and career.” –WMN staff : “‘Love The Leavin’ marks the first release from his debut album, Camouflage Cowboy, which debuted this summer. Following a busy 2024 that included headlining performances and a stadium tour with Luke Combs, Parker is poised for another active year of touring and promotional activities in 2025. As a talented songwriter, he has penned multiple No. 1 hits for artists including Combs and Jake Owen. ‘Love The Leavin’’ is the latest example of Parker’s knack for crafting timeless country music that resonates with listeners.” Leather Deluxe Edition, out now. “Cody Johnson has a knack for recording songs that tend to strike listeners right in the heart, and he does that once again throughout the 13 new tracks on his just-released, .” –Country Now , new music soon. The People’s Choice Country -winning artist is described by Billboard as “confident, fun and flirty” following her debut single New York Times hailed as “one of the signature country songs of the year.” CAC

ASHLEY GORLEY

THE INTERVIEW Okay With Not Being Okay

Saying Ashley Gorley is “arguably the most successful commercial songwriter in history” has one big problem: finding someone willing to take the counterpoint. Having surpassed 80 No. 1 airplay singles this year, extending his record as 11-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year, and with his Tape Room Music roster of writers eclipsing 50 chart-toppers in its own right, it’s tough to frame Gorley’s accomplishments in any meaningful context. And while his impact on country music over the last two decades is incalculable, Gorley is finding it easier to admit he doesn’t have it all figured out.

What does 80 No. 1s mean to you? Do you think about that, or keep your head down and press on? Probably a combination. This time of year I’m big on, “How did we do? What we want to do diﬀerent next year?” Not just as a company, but with my family. What do I need to spend more or less time on? As for the 80 thing, it makes me think I’ve been here longer than it feels.

Eighty was never a goal. My goal has always been not having to get a real job. I’m not one of those who was writing songs when they were five, picking up a guitar or having music in the house. Just a little bit of piano lessons. So it’s surreal, but I try to deflect from the stats whenever I can because, as writers, we have confidence issues. But it does suggest that it’s not a fluke. Maybe I’ve talked enough people into thinking I could bring something to the table, and it feels good to think I’ve hit the bullseye a few times.

If 80 wasn’t a goal will 100 be one?

No. It might be something for people around me to talk about. “One hundred’s right around the corner!” It’s tempting because I like sports and stats, but it would take years to make that happen and I never want music to be about that. I don’t want to cheat a song or spend a day doing something I’m not meant to do just to crank out one more stat. It’s fun to think about and I don’t feel burned out – at least not all the time – but as a goal it would be silly.

Tape Room just passed 50 No. 1s...

That means more to me than whatever number I end up having.

Why?

Because it means I’m pouring into other people’s lives. There’s a bigger sense of satisfaction and accomplishment if you help somebody do something than if you do it yourself. I originally thought I wanted to be a publisher before I considered being a songwriter. Or maybe work at a label or produce records. Then I was like, nope. The worst two grades of my life were for audio engineering and piano. I had to drop piano in college; the professor was like, “Everything you’re doing is wrong.” And producing was too heady, too scientific. But I interned at eight different publishing companies and learned there’s such a thing as staff songwriting where you can get paid enough to not work a job.

At the same time, I’d been good at deejaying dances and parties since middle school. Making playlists. I was just enamored by music and wanted to be around it. I knew what hits sounded like. As an intern, I kept my own notes about demos and whether they would be a good pitch for Tim McGraw or Kenny Chesney or whoever.

So I get a lot of satisfaction from matching songs and artists – bringing people together. With a publishing company, you create relationships. My writers like working together and they’ll go on retreats where they make memories that don’t have anything to do with the song. It’s almost like you’re setting up couples who have dreams that you can help make happen. It’s amazing.

How much time do you spend as a writer versus being a publisher? What’s that balance?

I don’t know if anybody can master the balancing act, but maybe 65/35. I’m kind of doing both at the same time, all the time. Even when I’m writing, I talk to my [Tape Room] team multiple times every day, which probably drives them nuts. I’m continually making sure everybody’s doing what they want to do and growing. And I’m much more comfortable sending out a song one of my writers wrote than one of mine.

There are seasons when I’ll binge write for three days, then come back and take a whole day to catch up on the publishing end. Balancing those with being a husband and a dad, and helping with all the organizations we’re involved with – it’s a lot. Those percentages sometimes get out of whack, so I try to bring them back to where it makes more sense.

What’s a typical day?

Routine and typical don’t go well with the way my brain works. I try not to write in the same place twice in a row. I might write in my studio once every week or two, but I also like to be the session crasher. People will ask if I want to join them and I’ll go in and start yelling stuﬀ out ... see where I can contribute. That’s probably what I’m best at.

Normally, I’d get up at seven and do a Bible study, which is really important because it can aﬀect how I see the day. My wife and I work out together at eight at least four days a week. So I start the day with God and then with my favorite person. Pushing through workouts that aren’t always fun also helps me think, “If I can endure that, surely I can come up with something in the writer room.”

After getting ready, I usually start with business stuﬀ so I can clear it out before getting into the creative space in the 11am-4pm window. I’m almost past the phase where I have to end the day at 2:30pm to coach middle school girls basketball.

People say I write really fast and ask how I developed that skill. Well, I had three hours to crank out a song that should have taken 10 because I wanted to be involved with the kids as much as possible. Then again, if I’m writing with Post Malone, we might start at 10pm.

I love retreats – anytime I’ve got two or three days in a row. Being only a writer for that chunk

THE INTERVIEW

of time makes me very productive. Write from 10am to 2am, get up the next day and do it again. I’ve even had people crash at the studio behind my house like, “We’re not leaving until we get the best songs ever!”

That’s really fun – like being in high school or college on an athletic team. Of course, I go to the house and sleep in my own bed. Haha.

You’ve been described as a bit of an anomaly as a writer/publisher – very hands-on. How and why did you develop that approach?

I don’t know any other way to do it. Might be my control-freak nature, some of which probably isn’t the best. I try to delegate, but it’s hard. We have a great team, but a lot of those writers want feedback from me. They trust me with that and I want to provide it. Best song wins, and I truly want my guys to get the cut, the single and writer of the year over me.

This isn’t a side hustle of trying to make some extra cash. Publishing is not that. You’re better oﬀ doing something else if money is the goal. But I knew I would start a company as soon as I was accomplished enough that writers would want to work with me. Publishing was something I felt I had a gift for – the ability to mentor, nurture and be blunt when I needed to be. Anything to help them grow.

Your fellow songwriter Jesse Frasure said the following to Country Aircheck recently: “It feels a bit like we’re all working on the Titanic and cheering each other on. The last hurrah for songwriters is radio.” He went on to point out that catalogs don’t sell based on streaming numbers, they are valued for their airplay. Do you agree with his statement, and are songwriters undervalued?

Yes. But I will say that Nashville does an incredible job of celebrating and recognizing songwriters. My pop writer friends are like, “What’s a No. 1 party? What are Triple Play awards?” So I don’t agree when writers say we don’t get enough respect. There are, what, six shows a year between BMI, ASCAP, SESAC and other events? You can get songs recorded even if artists have no idea who you are. I’ve had huge artists let me know they’re changing things in my songs to make them ﬁt who they are, but not ask for a writer credit. This is a very unique town, very respectful and I have no complaints about that.

Financially, songwriters are deﬁnitely undervalued. That’s an open fact. Spotify and other platforms pay us as little as they can possibly get away with. It’s tough when you realize a billion-streaming song doesn’t get you very far. So you need airplay. I remember a Luke Bryan album where I had the fourth and sixth singles, but now nobody’s getting that deep on singles other than Morgan Wallen (see page 27). When you pour energy into helping with an album and they only release one single before moving on, it’s tough.

Songwriters also have titles and ideas that name a tour and help sell merch – branding that turns into bars, sweatshirts and everything else. We don’t get anything for that. I don’t know what the solution would be so it’s not even really a complaint, but just another way songwriters are undervalued. When you have a

radio hit, the royalty seems justiﬁable, but it’s so tough to get. I’ve been really fortunate, but so many great songs don’t get radio play.

How much do you pay attention to charts –streaming, airplay?

I love watching charts. It’s funny because I don’t watch my money in the stock market, and I have friends who’ve abandoned charts like they’re getting oﬀ drugs. I can separate it. I know I can’t control it, but it’s fun to root for a song. My writers will ask how their song is doing and I want to be able to get them ﬁred up if it’s doing well, or be honest if it’s not.

“Publishing was something I felt I had a gift for – the ability to mentor, nurture and be blunt when I needed to be.”

A big misconception because of the success we’re having is that I’m working closely with labels and talking to the promo team, but I don’t do any of that. I don’t ask about push date or anything too technical. I don’t want to take the magic away. I’ve learned, and try to teach my writers, that you pour your heart into the session – get the best song you can out of that room. Then, like raising a kid, you gotta let ‘em go. They turn 18 at the end of the day and you can’t help very much after that.

How much do you listen to music outside of your songs and your writers?

Some writers don’t want to know anything that’s going on because they might accidentally chase it. I know how to listen to stuff and not do that. I tend to hear something and think, “Okay, they’ve done that. What’s another turn?” That may be a strength, being able to see something an artist has never done, but it’s not off the spectrum of what they could pull off. Sometimes I turn the music off and

have a little bit of silence, and I don’t play it in the house, but I do love listening.

How do you think country music’s doing right now? Love it. Obviously we’re having success, so I kind of agree with what’s out there. There’s so much variety in the country space; it’s a bigger box than it’s been before – really melodic with a lot of things I loved about the music I grew up listening to – hip-hop, pop, rap, R&B and country. I love to hear Shaboozey followed by Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt and Jordan Davis. I like variety in general, so it plays into my wheelhouse. The melodies can’t be too pop and the lyrics can’t be too country. Lyrics, storytelling and honesty are what makes it country. The rest is fair game.

I had Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” and the next single “Everything I Love.” They couldn’t be more diﬀerent. When that’s possible, it ﬁres me up to be creative in sessions. That keeps the burnout away.

How are we doing with artist and/or songwriter development?

There are amazing writers coming up and lot of companies where creatives are directly involved. Hillary Lindsey, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally and Liz Rose give songwriters access to a writer who’s had success. That can cut the development time. There are also podcasts and seminars where people can learn. I didn’t even know songwriting was a job.

Development is pretty good, but it’s kind of up to the writer. If they think they’ve arrived already, it’s tough. It goes in waves and is on the way up right now. Artist development is sometimes a diﬀerent story. Signing somebody who has numbers on TikTok, or one song that popped oﬀ ... you don’t know what the project looks like. It’s less cohesive. The artist might not know what they want to say. Songwriters are doing a lot of the artist development behind the scenes

It can be discouraging with thousands of songs landing every Friday. There’s less curation, so you have to dig more. Still, my kids have a way of finding stuff. You can almost be your own record label guy – find something different and latch on early to be part of the journey on the way up. That’s fun for a fan.

If I was qualiﬁed for anything, it might be A&R – matching songs with artists and helping them craft a lane. And that seems to be more up to the songwriters and publishers now. Labels are doing what they have to do, and it’s not a bad thing. We still get songs recorded when we pitch to labels, but there are more walls. Some artist projects are controlled by a certain group of writers or producers, but you can usually still get in if you’ve got the right song.

How are we doing as a community?

Nashville is the best place in the world if you want to write songs. There are less islands – more small town – and the lines blur between competition and congratulation. There will always be heartache when you don’t get a single or somebody beats you, but there’s a thread of honesty, too. “Man, he knocked that out of the park.” That’s healthy. And there are a handful of people

THE INTERVIEW

they are when I get a hit. I try to do that for others, as well. Often, the people you work with are the same ones you play pickleball with or watch NBA playoff games or talk about having babies. I can still run into someone and strike up a conversation, maybe about music, but more and more about life in general. In other cities, the publishers don’t have writers rooms. They’re just banks.

What do you see as your role in shaping that?

When you start out, you’re just grinding, trying to make a living and hoping to prove you can do it. The older you get, the more you think about legacy. I’m part of a small group of guys who are all trying to write our own eulogy, literally, which seems like a dark thought. I think about death every day – not how it’s going to happen or anything like that, but just reminding myself it is going to happen and time is super short. I want to be remembered for who I am and not what I have accomplished, if that’s even possible. The more you’ve accomplished, the harder that is.

Not to undervalue the magic of music and how it helps people get through their days, but I’ve been thinking about what I can offer the world that isn’t another song. And that’s coming down to relationships. I want my wife and kids to feel unconditionally loved and supported. I want my friends to know I’m a friend in spite of whether we have a song out together or are even writing together anymore.

Is that idea of legacy why you’re donating royalties from “I Am Not Okay” to help launch Creatives Support Network with Onsite?

I have a lot of things I’m involved in that I really love. We’re hosting a fundraiser for Refuge Foundation, which helps leaders to talk about the issues they face and recharge. There’s an organization called For Others that’s trying to solve the problem of vulnerable children – orphans and foster kids. There are times I think I should quit music and do things like that that are so much more important. But then God reminds me the reason people listen to me is because of what I’m doing in music. That propels me to keep going.

Mental health is something everybody struggles with, including songwriters. Through some conversations, I discovered that I can appear a little robotic in how I work, so I started sharing with and checking in on people. I began learning that all writers have struggles trying to make something happen that may never happen. Failing the majority of the time –even if you’re at the top of the game – it’s tough. Even if you think you have it figured out, you don’t.

You don’t have it figured out?

It starts personally with being honest. I struggle to even fall asleep. My brain has a hard time shutting off. I do think about eternity – life with a wide lens – all the time. Am I doing enough? Did I take the opportunity to pour this into this kid who needs it? I used to think of songs in the middle of the night and now I think about life. I struggle a little bit with anxiety and depressive symptoms. I’ve had family who’ve struggled with that, and we’ve worked through it together.

People are surprised when I say things like, “I am not sure if I’m any good” or “I don’t know if I have anything left in the tank.” I’ll get to a session and sit in the car for five or 10 minutes, or take another lap around because I’m just not ready to be in the mode. Or I’m scared that I don’t know how to do it, even if I did it yesterday. I have a heart for writers and creatives, and the psychological things they face on the way to success. What happens the second that hit comes off the chart? Why is my wellbeing tied to the success of a song? Do people like me for who I am or because I can make them some money, get a song to somebody, or know how to tweak a melody and write a quick line? Are they really my friend, or are we using each other?

Whether they say it out loud or not, all writers ask these questions. If you have 80 No. 1s, three or none,

the pressure is even greater. You get a call, “I know we didn’t check in with you for the last few years, but we’re recording tomorrow and need you to get us a single.” And then you’re expected to deliver. I put pressure on myself to perform at a very high level ... probably in an unhealthy way at times.

Spending eight hours a day trying to make something catchy ... it’s more tedious than it sounds. The amount of auditioning you do in a day – this note, or this note? Decision fatigue. I get home and don’t want to pick where we eat because I made 700 decisions before 5pm. Acknowledging that being creative and getting through life is sometimes a struggle is where the idea for the Jelly Roll song came about.

You’re talking about “I Am Not Okay”? That was the thread that was coming to me as I watched his career – a former rapper in the country space. The first song is “I’m a sinner.” The next one is “I only pray when I need something.” The next is “somebody save me.” Then it was “I don’t know if I’m going to heaven or hell.” These are all No. 1 hits, by the way. I’m like, “What is happening? This is amazing.” So it was a natural progression. Then we went on to write one about the devil being a liar. What I love about country music is that’s all on the table.

I won’t have to worry anymore. I’ll make someone proud.” But it doesn’t stop and can even intensify once you check the box. If you know those feelings are there and you’re not acknowledging it openly, that’s almost wrong. Not that I was hiding it, but I wasn’t doing these things because I’m very shy. I don’t read my own interviews. I can’t look at my own pictures. I have a complex with that stuff and usually run away from it. But it felt like God was nudging me. “If you can help somebody, then do it.” esse Frasure is a really good friend and we’ve had two-hour conversations about vulnerability around these things. I’ve never opened up to someone and had them go, “Really? That’s weird. I sleep great and everything’s fine.” You see the crowd at a Jelly Roll show screaming along to “I Am Not Okay,” and even that confession helps. So now, before we start a song, I try to ask how everyone is doing. Writers are used to throwing their feelings out there and they’ll be honest. That’s uncovered a lot of stuff and created a lot of unity. Text chains on No. 1 songs usually have someone who says, “We did it! Let’s do it again and beat this one!” I’ve started saying, “Whoa ... that one did pretty good. Let’s be satisfied, celebrate and then do whatever’s next. Let’s not set ourselves up to fail.” What happens with the next one isn’t in anyone’s control, so I’m trying to help us all put it in the right place. Let God control what we can’t and let go of the rest.

That circles back around to 80 and 100 not being a goal. So what is the goal, or are you even a goal person? I am. I write them down. Sometimes I want to get a song on a record because it is a good challenge. But they’ve turned more toward, “Can I help this person? Can we get this thing off the ground? Can we contribute to this with our time or money?” I’m doing a monthly seminar at Belmont University. I’ll go on a panel and talk about social media, which I don’t use. I don’t even have a computer. That takes people back a little bit, which gives me a chance to get into why.

It’s not because I’m too cool, it’s because I’m not cool enough. I can’t handle seeing what everyone is doing that I wasn’t included on, or the comment that says something sucks. That one comment wipes out the 100 saying it was awesome. I’m a big proponent of digital fasting, which has been a game changer for a lot of people – not that it’s for everybody. Social media isn’t evil, but knowing you have the option to focus on good relationships can be helpful.

How did music flip from something you love into being a career?

I’m from a factory and farm town, and all I knew was that everybody hated their job. The goal for most people was to delay the real world as long as you could. Play ball, peak in high school, try not to go broke, have some grandkids and hold on.

“All writers have struggles trying to make something happen that may never happen.

Failing the majority of the time – even if you’re at the top of the game – it’s tough.”

Life is tough for everyone. I’ve done Onsite intensives and retreats, so sponsoring others isn’t about, “You need this.” It’s about, “I’ve done it, and it helps.” I’ve watched and prayed with writers through their journey to sobriety and struggles with addictions. I know how hard that is on the heart. There’s normal therapy, sports psychologists and organizations for touring artists, but for the behind the scenes weirdos like me, we just have each other. And none of us know what we’re talking about. If we could set something up to help, what does that look like? That was the motivation: lift up writers and put a light on mental health.

How is this reframing your perspective? There’s a process of coming to terms with it: I don’t know if I’m good. I don’t know what I’m going to do after this. How am I going to transition from being one of the sought-after writers to not being that? Because it happens. I write with people who have made that transition, some who are in the process of making it and people who are years away. They all have struggles. Life is so much bigger than trying to write a song or get a No. 1. “If I could just get there, it will all be okay.

When the MTV countdown came along, I started wondering why some songs are at No. 3 and some are at No. 20. I found a few friends who loved music and we’d turn each other on to songs. I’d record the radio countdowns and analyze them. I wasn’t ever in a band; I’d make rap beats or remix a song. But I also helped on the farm in the summer and did all the small town things we talk about in country songs.

I learned to play guitar at a party in college and, for whatever reason, that came natural. I wasn’t learning riffs to old songs, I made stuff up because I wasn’t good enough to play the riff. I started looking up credits and found out Babyface wrote so many ballads I listened to, but he didn’t sing them. How do you get to be in the parentheses?

I would have been happy to be in the business in any capacity, but I didn’t know what God had in store for me. To be able to work with the caliber of artists I do is still mind blowing. Being able to stand in the pit at a show where nobody knows me – which is great, because that would freak me out – and hear them sing along to my song is the best night of my life. They love the music, and I do too. I get to put a few fingerprints on it, and that’s enough. CAC

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