In anticipation of his full length album, "boom."to be released December 8th, Walker Hayes pays homage to Kenny Chesney and "one of the greatest country songs of all time" through a unique cover of "The Good Stuff".
5 REASONS ‘BODY LIKE A BACK ROAD’ DESERVES TO WIN SONG OF THE YEAR AT THE 2017 CMA AWARDS
Taste of Country explores why Sam Hunt's smash hit "Body Like a Back Road" cowritten with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, should be a contender for the 2017 CMA Awards Song of the Year category after its record-breaking run at #1.
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inducts Five New Members
During the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction, NSAI also named their "10 Songs I Wish I'd Written" for 2017. SMACK's Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne received 4 out of the 10 awards given.
Kane Brown Becomes First Artist To Simultaneously Lead Five Country Charts
SMACK writer Matt McGinn's songs "What Ifs" and "Heaven" have made history as Kane Brown becomes the first artist to simultaneously have the #1 spot on five Billboard Country charts.
Meet Walker Hayes: The Insanely Talented Not-So Newcomer About to Take Country by Storm (Certified Country)
Entertainment Tonight introduces SMACK and Monument Records's Walker Hayes as a fresh new act in country. Walker's full length album, "boom.", will be available everywhere December 8th.
Midland and Co-writers Celebrate Trio’s First Hit, “Drinkin’ Problem”
SMACK's Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne celebrated Midland's 1st number one for "Drinkin' Problem" with Cameron Duddy, Jess Carson, and Mark Wystrach of Midland and co-producer Dann Huff. Midland's debut full length album, On the Rocks, produced by McAnally and Osborne is available now.
Kenny Chesney Scores His 30th Chart-Topping Single
Kenny Chesney's "All the Pretty Girls" takes the #1 spot this week (I'll back date the post) making 13 #1s for SMACK's Josh Osborne.
Walker Hayes isn’t afraid to sing about struggling, and it’s making him a success →
Walker Hayes shows The Washington Post a vulnerable side as he talks about both his personal and professional failures and successes. Hayes finds that singing about his struggles really strikes a nerve with his audience. Hayes says, “They don’t want me to write a song about a Saturday nightunless it’s a Saturday night that actually went down. To me, that makes the music so much better – I think that’s standing out.”
Matthew Ramsey Of Old Dominion On Why Men Should Write About "Girl Power" →
Old Dominion front man, Matt Ramsey, writes a letter to Refinery 29 about the message behind “Be With Me.” Ramsey says, “Between the seven dudes who created this song and video, there are 11 daughters. Hopefully one day they watch this video and see how inspiring they can be, just by being themselves. The women in my life show me that every day. These are women I want to ‘be with me.’” Admittedly, girl power is not something you would expect from an all guy band, but the men of Old Dominion wanted to not only recognize the wonderful women around them, but all women in general.
Click here to read the full article.
Newcomer Brandon Lay’s High School Memories Target Radio ‘Speakers’
In Brandon Lay’s debut single, ”Speakers, Bleachers and Preachers,” Lay collaborates with writer Shane McAnally as they introduce listeners to a bit of the newcomer’s history and get a glimpse of his background. Lay tells Billboard that this song details the three biggest parts of his high school years; music, sports and religion. Brandon says, “Being a brand-new guy that nobody knows, the label was like, ‘[The lead single] needs to be something that tells your story and lets people know what you’re all about and where you come from.’”
Click here to read the full article
Old Dominion Launches “Happy Endings” →
Old Dominion’s new album Happy Endings is produced by GRAMMY Award winning producer and songwriter, Shane McAnally. The new album’s increased use off off-the-beat melodic rhythms mirrors the band’s unique style. Lead singer Matt Ramsey says, “We wanted to have something substantial, but for the most part it was just, ‘Let’s focus on the song.’ We didn’t look for like a bigger, broader statement or anything. We just wanted to make sure that the songs were solid and our performances were good.”
Billboard compliments the bands understanding of their own identity, calling that understanding key.
Click here to read the full article
Kelsea Ballerini Releases "Unapologetically" Track List
Unapologetically track list:
1. “Graveyard” (Ballerini, Forest Glen Whitehead, Shane McAnally; *Produced by Whitehead, Massey, McAnally)
2. “Miss Me More” (Ballerini, David Hodges, Brett McLaughlin)
3. “Get Over Yourself” (Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally)
4. “Roses” (Ballerini, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley)
5. “Machine Heart” (Ballerini, Greg Wells, James Abrahart)
6. “In Between” (Ballerini, Jimmy Robbins, McAnally)
7. “High School” (Ballerini)
8. “End Of The World” (Ballerini, Hillary Lindsey, Lindsay Rimes; *Produced by Lindsay Rimes)
9. “I Hate Love Songs” (Ballerini, Trevor Rosen, McAnally)
10. “Unapologetically” (Ballerini, Whitehead, Hillary Lindsey)
11. “Music” (Ballerini, Robbins, Nicolle Galyon, Jennifer Denmark; *Produced by Whitehead, Massey, Robbins)
12. “Legends” (Ballerini, Whitehead, Lindsey)
Read More: Kelsea Ballerini's "Unapologetically" coming Nov. 3
Midland Releases "On the Rocks" Track List
1. “Lonely for You Only” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Josh Osborne)
2. “Make a Little” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne(
3. “Drinkin’ Problem” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
4. “At Least You Cried” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Jonathan Singleton)
5. “Burn Out” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
6. “Out of Sight” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally)
7. “More Than a Fever” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
8. “Check Cashin’ Country” (Jess Carson)
9. “Nothin’ New Under the Neon” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
10. “This Old Heart” (Jess Carson, Mark Wystrach, David Lee Murphy, Jonathan Singleton)
11. “Altitude Adjustment” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Rodney Clawson)
12. “Electric Rodeo” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
13. “Somewhere on the Wind” (Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rhett Akins, Josh Osborne)
Read More: Midland's Debut Album Coming Sept. 22 |
SMI (Surviving the Music Industry) chats with multi Platinum, GRAMMY Award winning songwriter, Josh Osborne
The SMI Podcast, hosted by Brandon Harrington, featured an interview with 12-time No.1 hit songwriter, Josh Osborne. The 72 minute podcast follows Josh’s journey from signing his first publishing deal to earning his latest No.1s.
Source: https://www.smipodcast.com/josho
The Washington Post: How Sam Hunt’s ‘Body Like a Back Road’ became a top contender for song of the summer
The Washington Post describes the “two-minute-and-45-second earworm” as not only the country song of the summer, but also one of the top songs for 2017 across all genres. With the announcement of its 25th week atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, “Body Like A Back Road” has broken the record as the longest standing No.1 Country song in the chart’s history.
Entertainment Focus: Interview with Country Music Rising Star Jo Smith →
Entertainment Focus talks with Jo Smith about her new EP, upcoming music and UK debut at the Nashville Meets London Festival.
Entertainment Focus says, “Rising star Jo Smith is about to be the next big thing in country music, with her single Old School Groove already getting a great response in the States.”
Smith speaks about her music’s influences, collaborations and even fan reactions.
People Magazine: Five Things to Know About Walker Hayes →
People Country dives into Walker Hayes’ family life, music career and details everything else in between. Hayes speaks about influences such as his six children, ultra-supportive wife and even his background in classical piano.
People describes the artist’s lyrics as “wildly creative” and compares him to great legends. Hayes says that his songs are “really just journal entries from my life. I started writing songs about dollar stores, my kids, experiences with my wife. I just started writing about the truth because really that’s my expertise.”
NPR: Walker Hayes’ Mixtapes Keep Country Conversational: World Cafe Nashville →
"Walker Hayes details his journey in the industry, shares inspiration for his 8Tracks and reveals the story behind his new single, “You Broke Up With Me.” Hayes also speaks about his opportunity for a second chance in music and details how this time is different than the first time around. "I have ultimate freedom to write the truth. To me that's the biggest difference — and I got a haircut,” Hayes says.”
Exclusive Q & A with Jo Smith and Whiskey Riff →
Whiskey Riff describes Jo Smith’s style as a unique blend of contemporary country and classic Motown. Whiskey Riff sits down with Jo Smith to talk about upcoming projects, her journey so far and her single, “Old School Groove.”
Walker Hayes included in The Tennessean’s “5 Buzzworthy Nashville Artists” →
The Tennessean has tapped Walker Hayes as one of Nashville’s hot new artists. Hayes asserts that authenticity is key for new artists to keep in mind. “My stuff is authentic, and it’s 100 percent who I am,” Hayes says. “I don’t think I could have found that avenue to reach people with my music without the people I’ve met in this town.”