‘Never Regret’ is the newest 12-song release from country artist Craig Campbell.  It is produced by Keith Stegall & Matt Rovey with Campbell co-writing 6 out the 12 songs on this album.

Craig’s smooth baritone voice is strong and undeniably country in the vein of artists like Chris Young and Jason Michael Carroll.

His style is that of a more traditional country sound that a lot of country fans yearn for.  Make no mistake, fans of traditional AND contemporary country alike will enjoy this new cd.  Well-structured songs that are easy to listen to with meaningful lyrics flow throughout this release.

My absolute favorite off this album is the mid-tempo “Outta My Head” in which he sings “I wish I could close my eyes and get you outta my head” about a former love that he can’t seem to get out of his head–something that all of us can relate to after a love is lost.  I was very moved by the soft piano-driven ballad that he co-wrote “When She Grows Up”, which gave me chill bumps throughout as he sings about the love that he has for his daughter –”what she sees in me, that’s what I want to be when she grows up”.  Another stand out for me is the title mid-tempo song “Never Regret” with its playful lyrics “before you make me do something I’ll never regret” as he sings about a possible new love and the sparks that could easily fly.

The whole album is solid and as I review it, I’m on my 3rd listen of the whole album.  It’s one of the strongest releases that I have heard in a while, and comes highly-recommended.

Rated 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Want to know more about the album and Craig Campbell?  Listen to the interview we had with Craig right HERE!

“Any Day Is A Good Day” sung by Amber Hayes and written by Amber Hayes, Bill DiLuigi and JP Williams is a soft, traditional country ballad.  Hayes’ strong, controlled vocals combined with the thoughtful lyrics and the scaled-back production create a very pleasing song to the listener.  I especially enjoyed the infusion of the steel guitar throughout the song–sadly you don’t hear it quite enough for my taste in many country songs any more. 

I enjoyed the overall message of this song that serves as a reminder to appreciate the little things in life, and any day that you are alive to enjoy life “is a good day”.  Considering what we seem to be exposed to on the news on an everyday basis, it’s a great reminder for troubled times.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars.

Fast Company names Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta one of the “100 Most Creative People In Business 2013”  in its June issue. The revolutionary entrepreneur is the only record label executive featured on the elite magazine’s annual list of global leaders from companies such as Apple, Google, Nike, American Express and Ford.

With an inquisitive nature, strong instincts and a skies-the-limit approach, it’s no wonder that Borchetta has turned his 2005 indie record company with a 15-year-old female artist (aka International Superstar Taylor Swift) into the successful brand and multi-tiered organization, housing three imprints (Big Machine Records, The Valory Music Co., Republic Nashville) and a publishing company (Big Machine Music), it is today.

As Fast Company agrees, saying, “Borchetta has a reputation as a fierce advocate for his artists, a creative problem-solver who can get things done when nobody else can, and a titan who holds Nashville’s future in his hands.” Those qualities, coupled with remarkable work ethic, have lead to paralleled prosperity for both the label and its roster.

For Borchetta it’s about innovation and great music, noting, “that’s where I think I do my best work – if I push my whole team to the edge.” And he has, enlisting a vibrant staff that has pushed the bounds with A-list artists like Swift, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts; hot breakthrough acts The Band Perry and Florida Georgia Line as well as newcomer Cassadee Pope (winner of NBC’s The Voice, Season 3).

Further blurring the traditional music business boundaries, BMLG has:

• Partnered with General Mills and Feeding America for the national Outnumber Hunger campaign, which helps to secure meals for the 1 in 6 Americans struggling in local communities. This spring, 90 million products will feature BMLG artists showing the simple ways consumers can help
• Forayed into the racing world, becoming the first and only record company to create a festival-like environment during NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, and a multi-year sponsor of Indy 500 winners
• Joined forces with ABC to release two soundtracks from the hit drama Nashville, selling over 2 million tracks to date
• Made history with Clear Channel, Entercom and Beasley Broadcasting through groundbreaking performance royalty rights agreements
• Produced and marketed the Special Olympics 25th anniversary edition of A Very Special Christmas.
• Uniquely partnered Big Machine Music with Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald’s Prescription Songs last month in a deal that will create harmony between Nashville and LA-based Pop and Country writers

Just last year Digital Music News named the mogul as one of the “10 People That Totally Changed the Industry in 2012” and under Borchetta’s leadership, Big Machine Records had the biggest album debut in over a decade with Taylor Swift’s RED. Billboard also designated BMLG as the #1 Country label for 2012.

For Fast Company’s full list, visit fastcompany.com/3009227/most-creative-people-2013/the-100-most-creative-people-in-business-2013.

The massive hallway featuring the custom “sound wave” carpet

Perhaps you’ve noticed there has been some construction going on in downtown Nashville… That will all come to fruition next week as the extravagant Music City Center opens its doors. Upon touring this massive, yet beautifully artistic Nashville centerpiece, one can’t help but frequently gaze around in awe.

Mayor Karl Dean gave a sneak peek of the new convention center to the media on Wednesday, noticeably proud of the biggest municipal project in Tennessee history. From the 6,000-person Grand Ballroom modeled after the inside of a guitar to the $2 million art budget, the Music City Center is sure to impress and deliver grand results for the city.

A point emphasized on Mayor Dean’s tour was that this building has not been built with an “if you build it, they will come” frame of mind. To the contrary, this was a necessary step, because they’re already coming.

“Nashville – before this center opens – has been setting hotel records for occupancy,” cited the Mayor. “People want to come to this city. We’re not asking this building to suddenly make Nashville a popular place to come to; it already is!”

But was it worth the $585 million price tag? The Mayor seems to think so:

“We’re fine,” he assured everyone. “We’re ahead of schedule [with bookings] already… this is going to be a big success.”

The Grand Ballroom 360

A couple fun facts about the building:

• The exhibit hall can fit four 747 jets inside… and still have leftover space.
• There are 52 total pieces of art throughout, 48 of which are from Tennessee artists. Thirty-two of those artists are from Davidson Country.
• The lower level is home to the new Songwriters Hall of Fame. Although it doesn’t take up a lot of real estate, the Hall features touch screen catalogues of all the writers which you can use to listen to their songs.
• The green roof, designed after the rolling hills of Tennessee, is four acres with 14 different varieties of grass. Rainwater collects from the roof into a 360,000-gallon tank below ground, which will subsequently help flush the toilets and irrigate the outdoor landscaping.
• The roof also contains a solar panel system made up of 845 panels, and can sustain winds equivalent to an F2 tornado.
• The Grand Ballroom’s massive far-side wall opens up to reveal the stage.
• The kitchen can feed up to 20,000 people per day if necessary, and buys a good portion of its food locally.
• Kitchen equipment includes 11,000 dinner plates, 35,000 pieces of china and more than 40,000 glasses.

Those are some notables… here are some more staggering facts (via nashvillemusiccitycenter.com)

• 

  Mayor Karl Dean stands before the four acre green roof.

  The total land area of the site is 16 acres and features a 65-foot difference in elevation from the northwest corner of the site to the southeast corner.

• The total square footage of the facility, including parking, is 2.1 million square feet. The actual building is 1.2 million square feet.
• The Music City Center is working to achieve LEED Silver – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
• The building is using 110,000 cubic yards of concrete – almost twice as much as the 56,000 cubic yards of concrete used to build LP Field.
• The building will contain 11,000 tons of steel and 12,000 tons of rebar.
• At its tallest point, the corner of 5th Avenue and Demonbreun Street, the building will be approximately 15 stories tall and will overlook the Country Music Hall of Fame.
• The building will have 13,500 light fixtures with 21,000 linear feet of track lighting, 1,100 doors, and more than a mile of operable partitions.
• Visitors can access different levels through 22 elevators and escalators.
• The Grand Ballroom will be approximately 57,500 square feet – the largest in the city – and the Junior Ballroom will be approximately 18,000 square feet.
• 60 meeting Rooms will occupy 90,000 square feet total.
• The project will include a three-level parking structure for about 1,800 cars.
• Semi-trucks will access the 32 loading docks from a spiral ramp off the extended Korean Veterans Boulevard.
• Sixth Avenue will be routed underneath the Music City Center.
• There will be 5,000 square feet of retail space available.
• The multifunction Exhibit Hall will be 350,000 square feet, or approximately eight acres.
• The exhibit hall will include utility boxes every 30 feet, providing water, compressed air, and telecommunication equipment for state of the art services to exhibitors.
• More than 30 hang points descending from the ceiling of the exhibit hall will each allow a one-ton exhibit to be hung, all at the same time.

Impressed yet? You can see it for yourself this Sunday, May 19 and Monday, May 20. Activities on Sunday will include a walk with the Mayor around the Music City Center, free open house and live music. Monday activities will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Grand Opening Concert. Additionally, Mayor Dean will present his State of Metro address Monday at 10 a.m. at the Music City Center.

Performances will include Phil Vassar, The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill, Mikky Ekko, Fisk Jubilee Singers and Sheryl Crow. See you there!

Fun video featuring some behind-the-scenes footage as Gloriana travels across the US. Enjoy!

The seven-time GRAMMY winning trio Lady Antebellum scores their third consecutive debut this week atop Billboard’s all-genre Top 200 Chart with their fourth studio album GOLDEN, which sold more than 167,000 copies in its first week.

“It’s been so fun to get feedback from our fans,” said Hillary Scott. “There are so many ways for us to hear from them and I love finding out how people are relating to different songs. We’re really proud of this album and thankful for all the fans and to Country Radio for supporting both ‘Downtown’ and now ‘Goodbye Town’ this week!”

“Lady Antebellum shine on their new album, GOLDEN, offering up a bittersweet batch of bright, rich tracks that often hide a deeper layer…”  – Rolling Stone

“Lady A continues to experiment and grow while sounding like no one else in contemporary country music.”  – Associated Press

“…GOLDEN, the band’s fourth and finest album.”  – Washington Post

“Imparting honest lyrics with spot-on harmonies swathed in infectious melodies, GOLDEN is ultimately a shining example of what Lady Antebellum does best. With it seamless mingling of poignant ballads and upbeat tunes, it’s a stone cold winner from country music’s top trio.”    – American Songwriter

This Sunday, Lady A will appear on a special edition of ABC’s 20/20 and perform their new single “Goodbye Town” on ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night on CBS.  Since their 2006 inception, Lady A has risen quickly to become Country Music’s most influential current group. The group has won the “Vocal Group of the Year” honor from both the CMA and from the ACM’s three times in a row, earned seven GRAMMY awards and sold 11 million albums worldwide. Nine of the band’s singles are certified Gold, with four surpassing the Platinum mark. For a full list of upcoming performances and for more info on new music, visit www.ladyantebellum.com

Celebrating the success of Big Loud Shirt Industries, company founder and esteemed songwriter Craig Wiseman hosted a spirited party Thursday evening (5/9) in the parking lot of the Big Loud Shirt office building in Nashville, TN, marking the 7th annual event. Staff, friends and music industry insiders all gathered to reveal with Craig and his accomplished team of writers and artists, including, Rodney Clawson, FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, Joey Moi and Chris Tompkins. Thanks to Fireball/Firefly and Gigi’s Cupcakes, the guests toasted cocktails and enjoyed an array of delectable snacks while rocking out to Dee Jay Silver’s choice playlist.

“The party was GREAT! We had the whole Big Loud family out to put on balloon hats and celebrate an amazing year,” exclaims Craig Wiseman.  “And being the same week that Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Shine On’ went #1 made it even better. This celebration is a big deal for the Big Loud crowd and we appreciate everybody stopping by. Always great to see all of our old friends and meet a few new ones!”

With 23 #1 hit singles, over 60 singles and countless awards, Big Loud Shirt has become one of the most successful and creative independent music publishing companies, ranking as one of the nation’s top ten publishing companies based on radio airplay this year according to Billboard. Established in 2003 by multiple award winning songwriter and producer, Craig Wiseman, the company has earned Grammy awards for Country Song of the Year with Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying,” Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and “Blown Away,” while also garnering three other Grammy nominations including George Strait’s “I Saw God Today.” To date BLS writers have won 14 ASCAP performance awards, a BMI performance award, ASCAP Song of the Year awards, People’s Choice Best Country Song, NSAI “Songs I Wish I’d Written” and ACM, CMA and IMBA Song of the Year awards.  Wiseman has been named ASCAP Songwriter of the Year on three separate occasions.

Visit www.bigloudshirt.com for additional information.

Pictured (back row, L-R): Big Loud Shirt writers Tyler Hubbard and Rodney Clawson, Big Loud Bucks’ Steven McMillian, Craig Wiseman, Big Loud Bucks’ Heather Buresh, Big Loud Shirt/Big Loud Mountain’s Seth England and Joey Moi, Big Loud Shirt writer Brian Kelley
(front row, L-R): Big Loud Shirt writer Chris Tompkins, Big Loud Mountain’s Kevin Noble, Big Loud Shirt’s Amy Allmand and Kimberly Gleason 
Not Pictured: Big Loud Shirt writer Sarah Buxton
Photo Credit: Justin Mrusek for Big Loud Shirt

The 2013 JDRF Golf Classic is set for Monday, May 13, 2013 at the prestigious Vanderbilt Legends Club. Co-emcees Joe Dubin, popular co-host of “The Sports Revolution” on 102.5 The Game, and Erin Como, member of the Fox17 team, will join celebrity guest players EMI Records Nashville artist Eric Paslay, RCA Nashville duo Love and Theft, and others. Shotgun start is at 1:00 p.m.

The tournament includes a four-man scramble with lots of twists. Exciting prizes, including hole-in-one contests for cash & trips and more provided by Tournament Promotions and sponsored by Advantage Home Improvement, will be available. Vertek Solutions will sponsor an exciting putting contest, and players can take home part of the tournament with some fabulous gifts and a golfer goodie bag.

Complimentary lunch from DeSano Pizza, dinner from Nero’s Grill, beer from AJAX Turner, spirits from Pearl Vodka, and tasting stations from Nucci’s Gelato & Fresh Market, plus cigars from Puro Sabor and UPtown’s Smoke Shop will be distributed throughout the course. In-kind sponsors include Walgreens and DET Distributing, and Academy Sports is the exclusive gift card sponsor. Swiftwick will also sponsor a tent providing socks for every golfer playing in the tournament.

About Love and Theft
(Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson) are an ACM, ACA, CMA and CMT-nominated duo who released their self-titled album on RCA Nashville in July 2012. A true duo, Eric and Stephen share lead vocals throughout their album, which was produced by Josh Leo (Alabama, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). Their LOVE AND THEFT cd includes the Gold-Certified, #1 hit “Angel Eyes,” and their next single, “If You Ever Get Lonely.” They’ve toured with Brad Paisley, Jake Owen, are currently on the road with Tim McGraw. Eric Gunderson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 13 years old. Visit: www.LoveandTheft.com.Follow: @loveandtheft

About Eric Paslay
All it takes is seeing Eric Paslay perform once to become hooked on his music and his infectious personality. Also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, honesty has been a powerful magnet that always draws an eager audience, and it has proven to be a potent tool in Eric creative arsenal. The Texas native co-wrote his new single “Friday Night” with Rose Falcon and Rob Crosby, and it was produced by Marshall Altman. In addition to his three #1 singles (“Even If It Breaks Your Heart” performed by the Eli Young Band, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” performed by Jake Owen” and “Angel Eyes” performed by Love & Theft), Paslay has been nominated for multiple awards for his songwriting including GRAMMY Best Country Song, ACM Song of the Year and CMA Song of the Year. He was awarded the ASCAP 2012 County Music Song of the Year for his hit “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and the CMA Triple Play Award for writing three No. one songs in one year. Visit: www.ericpaslay.com Follow: @ericpaslay

For any questions please contact Alexandra Barker at the JDRF office by calling 615-383-6781 or through email at abarker@jdrf.org.

About JDRF
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is now the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF research is to improve the lives of all people affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners who share this goal.

Since its founding in 1970, JDRF has awarded more than $1.6 billion to diabetes research. Past JDRF efforts have helped to significantly advance the care of people with this disease, and have expanded the critical scientific understanding of T1D. JDRF will not rest until T1D is fully conquered. More than 80 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education.

Julie Roberts has announced her 8th Annual Fan Appreciation Party set for Saturday, June 8 during the 2013 CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tenn.

The fun-filled event will take place from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at The Rutledge (410 4th Avenue South) where the singer will be making some huge announcements fans won’t want to miss!

“This year’s party is going to be so special and FUN!! There will be lots of music, food, prize give-aways,” Roberts said. “Come celebrate with me to hear the big news first! I’m so excited to tell you what’s happening that I’m counting down the days to the party!”

Tickets are $30 and are on sale now at a special Splash That event page created just for the party! Click here to purchase tickets. Tickets include a live show from Julie and lunch, followed by a meet and greet with Julie after the show.

To make the event interactive, the special Splash That page will gather fans tweets, photos and more from Twitter and Instagram. Fans can also post to the event page through the built-in Facebook wall. From now until the party starts, tweet or instagram your favorite pictures and memories from Julie’s previous Fan Appreciation Parties. Be sure to use the hashtag #JulieRobertsParty in your posts so that they are added to the event page!

During the event on June 8, use that same hashtag #JulieRobertsParty in your Twitter and Instagram posts and your photos and messages will be added to the live gallery where you’ll be able to look back and see all of the highlights from the party!

Stay tuned to JulieRoberts.com for details on how you can request songs for the party, as well as info on where Julie will be appearing during the CMA Music Festival!