FOCUS on the 615
Nashville's premier entertainment blog including album, song and show reviews and exclusive artist interviews.
In a business of dreams, Rainey Qualley has had several come true in recent months. She signed her first record deal, heard her first single on the radio for the first time and signed with a major booking agency among them. This week, she had two more come true on the same night – or nights, actually. She opened for one of her heroes, Willie Nelson, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the famed Ryman Auditorium.
Pictured left to right: Wade Bowen, Robert Ellis, Rodney Crowell, Charlie Worsham
L to R: Mark Robinson, VP Business Affairs, WMN, Justin Luffman, VP Brand Management, WMN, Ashley Monroe, John Grady, Manager, Crush Management, Tree Paine, SVP Publicity, WMN
Ashley Monroe celebrated her solo record, Like A Rose, debuting Top-10 today on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart while performing at the SXSW music festival in Austin, TX. Monroe performed to an excited crowd at the MTV/VH1/CMT Edge Stage two days ago, where the Los Angeles Times raved that the “gifted country singer from Tennessee…brought an audience…to a respectful hush with her song ‘Used.’” People Magazine also recently gave Like A Rose 3 ½ of 4 stars, naming Monroe their Buzz Artist of the Week and noting that her “thorn-sharp wit – and country traditionalism – also bloom on…Rose,” while the Wall Street Journal compares Monroe to country greats saying, “Monroe’s songs prove as matter-of-factly direct and daring in today’s as Loretta Lynn’s were in the 1960s.” SPIN Magazine also proclaims Ashley Monroe’s Like A Rose as one of its essential new albums, giving it 9 of 10 stars and Paste Magazine truthfully states that “Like A Rose is no fairy tale.”
“I am completely surprised and overwhelmed by the response to my album,” said Ashley when asked of her achievements. “Thank you guys for always sticking by me and never giving up. We did it!!”
Average Joes Entertainment recording artist Colt Ford will be featured at SXSW live on stage at Skype’s Mobile Lounge at the Live Nation House located at The Belmont, W. 6th & Lavaca, Austin, Texas on Saturday, March 16, at 11:40 pm CT.
Credited for being at the forefront of a new genre-blending movement in country music, the stop in Austin follows a month-long sold-out tour opening for Eric Church in Canada. “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to perform at Skype’s Mobile Lounge by Live Nation at SXSW,” states Ford. “I feel right at home amongst my fellow independent artists and couldn’t be more honored to be part of Live Nation Labs’ event.”
This year at SXSW, Skype and Live Nation are creating a one-of-a kind technology-driven music experience. Skype’s Mobile Lounge will feature some of the top up-and-coming artists in the world and will give fans the ability to experience the future of the convergence of music and technology. Fans will use Skype technology in new ways such as opportunities to chat with artists, access to the shows and more. One way fans will be able to get a taste of this in the days leading up to Skype’s Mobile Lounge at SXSW is through Live Nation’s original web series, “The Road to SXSW 2013,” which will feature Colt Ford and other artists video-chatting via Skype with Live Nation’s Music Editor, Breesays.
