Two-and-a-half months after the first COVID-19 dominoes began falling, states are slowly reopening. Many companies will
resume operations with fewer employees. Concerts – the summertime engine driving radio promotions, music decisions, artist marketing plans and more – remain a long way off. Assessment, adaptation and continual creativity seem to be the stages-of-grief-like progression radio and industry pros surveyed for this story have experienced. Their thoughts – and a roundup of interesting ideas and executions – are below. Indoor Summer: The first step for most programmers was accepting the new reality. “We lost a lot of marketing opportunities from preshow parties and having staff in front of 20,000 people,” says WUBE PD Grover Collins. Not to mention the “on-air ticket giveaways and social media marketing – including custom Snapchat filters for each show.”Working remotely forced recently departed WIL/St. Louis’ Bud & Broadway to assess their communication. “Once we split up for the lockdown, we realized how dependent we are on visual cues,” says Jerry Broadway. “We had to see each other.” Big Loud Partner Seth England offers a tangible effect the loss of concerts has on artist teams. “We lose the ability to track artist analytics the three or four days around a show to see if an artist in development hits in a touring market,” he explains.
Buck Owens’ KUZZ/Bakersfield PD Brent Michaels and the broader team feel the impact directly.
(continued on page 9)
May 18, 2020, Issue 705
Mic Check: Studio Biz Adapts Like the rest of the world, Nashville’s music-making machinery ground to a halt in mid-March. Forced to wait and adapt, record companies, studios, producers and musicians are now entering a landscape that looks much different. And those changes may have an effect on the core product that drives labels, radio, touring and more. Before the pandemic, business was robust at Sound Emporium Studios – a four-room facility that’s welcomed scores of top artists from all genres. “We were 98% booked and lost close to $100,000 in business,” says President/COO/GM Juanita Copeland. “Everything came to a screeching halt.” Meanwhile, the trend toward remote production work got a hard shove even further in that direction. Guitarist and producer Derek Wells did his last in-studio session March 17 but has
She’s Country: Avenue Beat’s Sam Backoff, Savana Santos and Sami Bearden (l-r) join KWJJ/Portland’s Nick Steele and Kristen Flowers, with Lilly, (inset) for the station’s Women Of New Country Quarantine Concert. Watch here.
continued co-producing a Hardy album with Big Loud’s Joey Moi. “We’ve systematically tracked seven songs via Zoom and an audio plugin called Audiomovers,” Wells says. “You can listen in high quality and work one person at a time. We track drums to rough tracks, then we Zoom with the bass player. I can play guitars at my house, then augment it with keyboards. It’s a little slower than being in one room and throwing ideas back and forth, but it can be done.” Wells adds, “I miss the camaraderie and energy of being in the room.” “I got lucky,” says producer and Warner Music Nashville EVP Scott Hendricks. “My recording schedule aligned so that I didn’t have any sessions planned. I have done some mixing, but that’s no different than before. The mix engineer does it at his house, sends me the files and we communicate about it in various ways.” As Wells illustrated, recording in isolation had already found proponents. “A lot of recording is done by one guy playing all the instruments and parts,” Hendricks says. “We may see more of that – and programmers, too. A lot of singers can do vocals at their house. Files get sent around, and no one sees anyone else.” Nevertheless, the traditional tracking session remains fast, efficient and, perhaps, creatively favored. So, as Nashville reopens, studios are, too. “Especially in our A room, social distancing is not an issue,” Copeland says. “Musicians aren’t on top of each other. And we’ve ordered GermGuardian air filters that use UV light as an extra step. “We’re trying to book at 50% capacity – two of our rooms at a time – to ease into it,” she continues. “There really wasn’t any [city or state] guidance regarding studios. We talked to other studio managers, and we’re all doing pretty much the same thing.” Following Metro Nashville guidance, Sound Emporium has posted prominent signage about mandatory masks. “Everyone has to wear one,” Copeland says. “All staff are wearing masks, and I had a bunch made in case people come in and don’t have them. We’re wearing gloves and cleaning everything. We have UV wands, because some surfaces can’t be sprayed with any sort of liquid. And we’ve switched from cloth to mesh pop-filters on mics. They’re easier to disinfect.”
Derek WellsDerek Wells
Scott HendricksScott Hendricks
As musicians look to spending long hours in enclosed spaces, questions are being asked. “What’s the spacing?” Wells notes. “Can we limit how many people are in the control room at one time? Can we limit auxiliary personnel? A lot of sessions have a revolving door of digital content people, managers, label staff – there may have to be some hard conversations about what is essential as we try to protect players, engineers and artists.” As might be expected, comfort levels vary. “On the far end are guys who are very cautious,” Wells says. “I have a four-month-old baby and worry about her immune system and what I might bring home. On the other side is a percentage who aren’t worried, have a different opinion about how serious it is and are itching to get back to work. Then there’s a big group in the middle who don’t want to rock the boat, think it might be early to go back, but need the work and definitely don’t want sessions happening without them.” Conflicted as some may be, there are a lot of blessings being counted, too. “We are lucky compared to touring musicians,” Hendricks says. “Those are the ones I really feel bad for. It’s one thing for Kenny Chesney to postpone his tour. It’s another for these guys playing on Broadway or for smaller acts. They’re the ones I worry about.” –Chuck Aly
Chart Chat Congratulations to Morgan Wallen, Stacy Blythe, Ali Matkosky and the Big Loud promotion team on landing at No. 1 with “Chasin’ You.” The song is the fourth single from Wallen’s debut studio album, If I Know M, and is his third career No. 1. Songwriters are Jamie Moore, Craig Wiseman and Wallen. And kudos to Jimmy Rector and the EMI Nashville crew on notching 31 adds for Brothers Osborne’s “All Night” topping this week’s board.
News & Notes Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation exceeded its $75,000 fundraising goal for Tennessee tornado and pandemic efforts. Texas-based singer Chris Colston has signed with The AMG for exclusive management representation.
A day in the self-isolated life of Barrett, Fox & Berry’s Bill Barrett: I’m working from home with a cool studio setup. I FaceTime with Tim [Fox], and the logs are up on my laptop. Tracy [Berry] emails batches of the top stories, Tim and I grab our services and we are ready to go at 5:30am. The hard part is not being in the same room after years of working together face-to-face. We’ve had to do much more detailed planning: Who is going to start the set, punching buttons, getting us out, I have a punch line … no, I’ve got it. We are down to about three train wrecks a morning. I’m enjoying my :30 commute to work. We have five kids still at home, so the grocery bills are commensurate with the size of the kids. I’m thinking of selling a kidney. Thank God Costco delivers. I am enjoying having the kids with us — they are grown and in school or will be looking for work when things settle down. We’re cooking together and trying all kinds of new things. Photography has been
a great distraction. I have been prowling the Willamette Valley on weekends shooting pictures of historic barns and farms. We live in a beautiful and historic part of Oregon. I’ve also been watching Stanley Tucci mixologist videos. Cocktail hour has become something I look forward to. Nothing better than a Quarantucci to settle the nerves. (Learn how to make one here.) Huge credit goes to Tracy. She has been amazing through this crazy time. She’s kept our listeners well-informed with the best, most detailed reports, online posts and a weekend news special report. She is dedicated to our audience and their well-being. Tracy should win a Nobel Peace Prize for her extraordinary effort. Tim goes into the station to run the show. Not only does he keep 15 balls in the air, but he also answers the phones, runs the board, reminds me what day it is and keeps us on track, always with a sense of humor. Every day, we thank the
good Lord and our owner, John Tilson, that we have jobs and can be of service to our great listeners. Reach him here.
WITH ... BILL BARRETT
The Week’s Top Stories Full coverage at countryaircheck.com.• The impact of streaming on the industry and job search best practices are discussed in last week’s (5/11) Country Aircheck Weekly. •Mark Bright parted ways with Foundry Records. (CAT 5/15)•Entercom reported Q1 2020 net revenues. (CAT 5/14)
•KUBL/Salt Lake City was among the 10 2020 Crystal Radio Awards honorees. (CAT 5/13)•Cumulus’ John Dimick was elevated to SVP/Programming Operations. (CAT 5/12)•Emmis/Indianapolis’ David Wood was elevated to VP/Programming for the cluster. (CAT 5/11)•Steve Pleshe joined Monument as Dir./Regional Promotion. (CAT 5/11)
“We not only own the Crystal Palace, we do so many events in that space for the radio station.”
New Standards: Adapting proven techniques to new platforms is step one in preparing for a distanced summer. “The tools we have to stay connected aren’t new – and don’t underestimate how fans can be moved by what we do online,” says Monument Dir./Digital Strategy Sarah D’Hilly, whose artists roster includes Walker Hayes, Teddy Robb, Brandon Radcliff and Caitlyn Smith. “Responding to messages or retweeting is the equivalent of an artist reaching out from the stage to touch your hand.” WWKA/Orlando PD Steve Stewart is still hopeful for touring and is looking at every possible angle to see a live show. “Conference room shows and small performances on Zoom will certainly be part of the future, but does the live event become something at a drive-in movie theater? Do five people pay $5000 each to see a live show? We’re waiting on restrictions to loosen and [to see] what the comfort level of the artists will be.” And adaptation begets more adaptation. BBRMG/BMG VP/Marketing JoJamie Hahr points to the living room couch concert giving way to new ideas. “We’re securing venue space for our artists to hold safe, full-band livestream events, radio tours and content gathers,” she says. “It brings a more normal feeling for both the artist and viewer.” COVID budget cuts can also be where necessity and invention meet, as Broadway explains of his show’s departure from WIL. “Once the initial shock wore off, we realized they can take the station away, but they can’t take the show,” he says. “We’re still on every morning from 6am to 8:30am. We’re using Facebook Live and
YouTube to keep ourselves from getting rusty while we look for the next opportunity.” Getting Creative: Finding ways to use new platforms in new modes can keep a long hot summer from getting stale. “Connecting gives artists a purpose in a world where they can’t step on stage,” D’Hilly says, noting Walker Hayes has enlisted his children to help conquer TikTok with videos like this. The approach works for radio personalities, too. “Online and social engagement will continue to be a large point of emphasis for us, including daily Facebook lives with the morning show and special ‘Show & Tell Editions’ like this one with Fiona from the Cincinnati Zoo,” says Collins. “Our morning co-host Ashley – who can’t cook – like a lot of us is learning with the increased time spent at home.” An idea that will continue for Michaels and KUZZ is the virtual meet-and-greet. “With no performance, there are no tech issues,” he says. “A station staffer makes the winner-artist introductions and, when it’s done, we screenshot the call and deliver the photo to the winner.” Hahr loves TikTok’s possibilities for any brand. “It can take your artist’s music to a whole new audience with the duet feature,” she says, noting Kody Antle’s use of Parmalee and Blanco Brown’s “Just the Way God Made You” exposed the song to 13.9 million followers. In short, video is here to stay for artists and radio. “As restrictions loosen, we’ll look at investment in new methods of discovery for our artists, including more video,” England says. Even without the benefit of a broadcast signal, streaming is powerful. “We’re not getting Kardashian numbers by any stretch,” Broadway says, “but we’re bringing our A-game every morning, and the show has logged nearly 20,000 hours of viewing time since May 3.” Finally, here’s a collection of ideas that are rising above the noise: • Trying out a new platform can be fun for the audience, as in Kelsea Ballerini’s introduction to TikTok here. • If you’re not under shelter in place orders, be like Top 40 WXKB/Ft. Myers and join the parade. • Slices and Six-Strings? Sausage and Songs? Paul “PT” Thomas of KMNB/Minneapolis delivers the closest thing to a concert I’ve seen. • Keep bored sports fans engaged like Hardy and Morgan Wallen did teaming up with Barstool Sports. • Without the usual release-week media tour, Kenny Chesney introduced us to the new album Here and Now on Facebook. • Anything by Luke Combs. A concert or this interview with SEC Network.
• Attacking listener disruption with a reason to tune-in: WKLB/Boston’s SuperStar Mini-Concerts. • The members of King Callaway are spread all over the world, but manage to compile fun covers with their House Band Series (utilizing Zoom post-production). This episode features Sara Evans and Lindsey Stirling.
• Hot AC WTMX/Chicago takes the local business shout-out concept and turns them into events. • Catalog all the artist performances in one easy spot like WWKA/Orlando does. Reach Kenny Jay on LinkedIn and socials @kennyjayradio, or via text at 612-704-9780. CAC
A day in the self-isolated life of Stoney Creek’s Jimmie Allen: On the positive side, I’m getting to spend a lot of time with my newborn daughter and fiancée [Alexis]. Adversely, we haven’t been able to tour. Even though I might be financially okay, my business manager and I have been looking for grants to cover payroll for my band and crew. Those guys are my family, and I won’t have peace of mind until I know they are taken care of. I don’t really have a routine. Even when things were “normal,” I just played each day as it came. I’m in the house with my newborn, fiancée and her parents and sister. The house is pretty spacious, so we can see each other if we want … or stay away if we need time apart. I found my father-in-law outside in the truck listening to music and pretending to drive. Safe to say, he’s lost a few screws! I haven’t picked up any new hobbies — just trying games I haven’t played, and I’m building a studio in my house. Let’s see how this turns out … Alexis is nervous.
Quarantine has hindered my creative energy. I’m a person that needs to be on the move, live and be around other people. That’s how I get inspired to write. When writing, I need to be in the same room. I tried to write a couple times on FaceTime and Zoom, but I just can’t catch a vibe. I’m not a fan of it … it’s weird for me. Going live is cool and is something I’ve been doing for a while, long before this quarantine thing. I’m watching Peaky Blinders — Darius Rucker told me about that show — Ozark, Money Heist and all of the Home Alone and The Santa Clause movies. Starting tonight, I’m going to watch the entire Marvel Universe to date in chronological order. They actually have a website that puts it all in order, movies and TV shows. The silver lining has been getting time with my daughter that I didn’t think I’d get. Right after she was born, I left for Germany and wasn’t supposed to come
back for three weeks. Then I was going to be home two days and gone again. It’s nice to get that time and be here to help Alexis. This has also given me time to really sit back and plan my next year or so and how I would like to see my career evolve.
Zimmer KCLR/Columbia, MO is looking for an APD/on-air talent. Send résumés and airchecks here. Federated/Fort Wayne, IN COO Brad Williams is searching for a Market Mgr. for its six-station cluster, including Country WQHK. Complete posting and applications here; résumés to Williams here. Summit KFDI/Wichita OM Justin Case is searching for a morning co-host. See the complete posting here; send résumés and airchecks to Case here. American Media KKOW/Pittsburg, KS PD Steve “Shotgun” Kelly is seeking a “Jill of all Trades” to handle an air shift, production and live broadcasts. Send résumés, airchecks, production samples, personality websites and social links to him here. MacDonald/Saginaw, MI is seeking an OM & Country WKCQ PD. Interested parties should send résumés, airchecks and economic expectations here. Brewer WQLK/Richmond, IN PD Jim Callahan is searching for a morning co-host to join Sean Lamb. Send résumés, airchecks and production samples to him here. Hooiser AM/FM Country WCJC/Marion, IN OM Vanessa Miller is seeking an afternoon personality with cluster-wide Dir./Promotions and weekend on-air responsibilities. See the complete job description here, and send résumé and airchecks to Miller here. Hubbard WIL/St. Louis OM Tommy Mattern is looking for an MD/afternoon personality with a minimum of two years on-air experience, demonstrable ratings success stories and impeccable references. See the complete posting and apply here.
NORTHEAST
Townsquare/Augusta, ME OM Cooper Fox is looking for a morning host to join Country WEBB. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. Forever WFGI/Johnstown, PA is seeking a full-time morning co-host. Send résumés, airchecks and salary requirements here. WVRC WKKW/Morgantown, WV PD Mike Vincent is seeking part-time on-air talent for weekend and fill-in positions. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. Seven Mountains VP/Programming JC Burton
is seeking a Country PD to join the Stroudsburg, PA cluster. Interested candidates should send résumés, airchecks and social media examples to him here. Entercom WBEE/Rochester, NY OM Bob Barnett is searching for a morning personality to join an ensemble cast on The Bee Morning Coffee Club. Send résumés and airchecks to Barnett here.
SOUTHEAST
Gulf South Classic Country WDJR & Country WTVY/Dothan, AL is seeking a PD for both stations. Send résumés and airchecks here. Summit VP/Programming Beverlee Brannigan is searching for a PD to join WCYQ/Knoxville. Send résumés and airchecks to her here. Entercom WPAW/Greensboro, NC PD Clay Walker is seeking a morning co-host to succeed Amy Reed. Send résumés and airchecks to Walker here. Cumulus WKAK/Albany, GA PD Bill Dollar is looking for an afternoon personality/Production Dir. Apply here. Blakeney WBBN/Laurel-Hattiesburg, MS is seeking a morning co-host and midday personality. Résumés and airchecks can be sent here. Alpha/Fredericksburg, VA is looking for a Market Mgr. for the cluster, which includes Country WFLS. Interested candidates can see a complete job description and apply here.
SOUTHWEST
Townsquare/Killeen, TX Market Pres. David B. Smith is looking for an OM/PD/on-air talent for the cluster, which includes Country KUSJ. Send résumés and airchecks to Smith here.
WEST COAST
Momentum KJUG/Visalia, CA PD Rik McNeil is looking for a morning co-host. See the complete job posting here; résumés and airchecks to McNeil here. RMG KOLC/Reno, NV VP/GM Tricia Gallenbeck is seeking a PD/on-air talent. Send résumés and airchecks to her here.
Stephens KXDD/Yakima, WA OM/PD Justin Henriksen is seeking an afternoon personality. Send résumés, airchecks, imaging samples and social media links to him here. Badlands/Rapid City, SD is searching for a GM/DOS who can build, train and motivate a team for the cluster that includes Country KRKI. Interested parties can send résumés and references here. Cameron KFLG/Big River, CA is looking for a morning personality with five-plus years of on-air experience. See the complete posting here. Ruby Radio/Elko, NV VP/Programming Tom Chase is seeking on-air talent for the cluster that includes Country KBGZ and Classic Country translator K263BD. Applicants can send cover letters, résumés and airchecks to Chase here.
OTHER
Consultant Joel Raab is looking an on-air PD for a reporting station in a Top 100 market. Send materials here. RWPC Co-President and consultant Scott Huskey is on the hunt for a Country PD/on-air talent in a medium market in the South. Send résumés and airchecks to him here. RWPC Pres. JJ Jobe is seeking a GM for a small market radio cluster in the South. Interested parties can send a résumé with references to him here. Summit National PD John Olsen is looking for on-air talent. The company’s Country stations include WZZK/Birmingham; WQNU/Louisville; WKHK/Richmond, VA; and WCYQ/Knoxville, TN. Send résumés and airchecks to Olsen here. Cherry Creek Media Group PD Mark Elliott is searching for experienced OMs and PDs for future openings. The company’s Country properties include KAAR/Butte, MT; KCIN & KIYK/St. George, UT; KMON/Great Falls, MT; KGGL/Missoula, MT; KKXK/Montrose, MT; KWCD/Sierra Vista, AZ; KYSN/Wenatchee, WA; KYYZ/Williston, ND; and Classic Country KMON-AM/Great Falls, MT. Candidates with a minimum of three-to-five years of experience and a background in programming multiple formats in small to medium sized markets can send résumés, airchecks and programming philosophies to Elliott here.
Check out The Brondeau Show demo featuring Bryan Shine and Ariel here.Adam RondeauAdam Rondeau
“What we bring to a station is a show. Not just any show – a genuine show where listeners can relate to us, because we are just like them. We open up about our personal lives, keep our screw ups to create content and actively work to be unlike other shows. We’re personality driven, and between the three players, we bring extensive on-air experience, voice tracking, audio and video editing and production, remote broadcast abilities, emcee experience, social media expertise, podcast abilities, extensive Music Master knowledge, Promotion Director and Program Director experience and other valuable stuff that will make you love us.”
Country radio shares were up 13.5 points (3.8%) compared to last month and up 10 points (2.81%) on a station-to-station, month-to-month comparison basis. Of the 88 stations listed, 43 saw share increases, 36 decreased, six were flat and three were new returners to the panel. Overall cume was down 7,173,500 (26.27%) compared to last month and down 7,352,700 (26.93%) on a station-to-station, month-to-month comparison basis. The cume leader was Cumulus’ KPLX/Dallas with 643,600. Mt. Wilson’s KKGO/Los Angeles was second with 607,700.
April 2020 PPM Scoreboard
Station/City MarchCumeRankApril 6+
ShareRankMarch 6+Share
April Cume Station/City March
CumeAprilCumeRankApril 6+
ShareRankMarch 6+Share
Compared to April 2019 PPMs, radio shares were up 9.9 points (2.76%) year-over-year from last year’s 359.2 shares. Cume decreased from 33,421,400 to 20,129,700 (39.77%) year-over-year. Note that the dates for April 2020 PPM were March 26-April 22, with the majority of states under coronavirus-related quarantines and shelter-in-place orders beginning mid- to late-March. Look for more in-depth coverage of Country cume decreases in upcoming issues of Country Aircheck Weekly. Legend: A “+” indicates a Classic Country outlet; a “^” designates co-owned Country stations in the metro; a “t” indicates a tie; and a “*” indicates a station that is a recent subscriber for which ratings were not previously available. Ranks are among subscribers.
49 LADY ANTEBELLUM/Champagne Night (BMLGR) 2250 53 737 43 2.915 0.657 70 6
49 50 LINDSAY ELL/I Don't Love You (Stoney Creek) 2209 -69 775 -29 2.176 -0.07 90 0
LW TW Artist/Title (Label) Total Points +/- Points Total Plays +/- Plays Audience +/- Aud Stations ADDS
Debut
Debut
May 18, 2020
Country Aircheck Top Spin GainersLUKE BRYAN/One Margarita (Capitol) 618
KENNY CHESNEY/Here And Now (Blue Chair/Warner/WEA) 539
LUKE COMBS f/E. CHURCH/Does To Me (River House/Columbia) 530
MORGAN WALLEN/Chasin' You (Big Loud) 485
KANE BROWN/Cool Again (RCA) 403
FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE/I Love My Country (BMLGR) 374
C. PEARCE & L. BRICE/I Hope You're... (Big Machine/Curb) 350
SAM HUNT/Hard To Forget (MCA) 340
SCOTTY MCCREERY/In Between (Triple Tigers) 249
LOCASH/One Big Country Song (Wheelhouse) 243
Country Aircheck Top Point GainersLUKE COMBS f/E. CHURCH/Does To Me (River House/Columbia) 1964 ✔LUKE BRYAN/One Margarita (Capitol) 1892 ✔KENNY CHESNEY/Here And Now (Blue Chair/Warner/WEA) 1701 ✔MORGAN WALLEN/Chasin' You (Big Loud) 1484 ✔KANE BROWN/Cool Again (RCA) 1326 ✔SAM HUNT/Hard To Forget (MCA) 1282
SCOTTY MCCREERY/In Between (Triple Tigers) 1275
FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE/I Love My Country (BMLGR) 1257
C. PEARCE & L. BRICE/I Hope You’re... (Big Machine/Curb) 1243
LOCASH/One Big Country Song (Wheelhouse) 981
Activator Top Spin GainersKENNY CHESNEY/Here And Now (Blue Chair/Warner/WEA) 181
KANE BROWN/Cool Again (RCA) 176
LUKE BRYAN/One Margarita (Capitol) 174
L. COMBS f/E. CHURCH/Does To Me (River House/Columbia) 169
TIM MCGRAW/I Called Mama (Big Machine) 126
C. PEARCE & L. BRICE/I Hope You're... (Big Machine/Curb) 123
FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE/I Love My Country (BMLGR) 103
TRAVIS DENNING/After A Few (Mercury) 100
JASON ALDEAN/Got What I Got (Macon Music/Broken Bow) 93
SAM HUNT/Hard To Forget (MCA) 90
Activator Top Point GainersKENNY CHESNEY/Here And Now (Blue Chair/Warner/WEA) 1020 ✔
KANE BROWN/Cool Again (RCA) 835 ✔
LUKE BRYAN/One Margarita (Capitol) 800 ✔
TIM MCGRAW/I Called Mama (Big Machine) 667 ✔
L. COMBS f/E. CHURCH/Does To Me (River House/Columbia) 582 ✔
TRAVIS DENNING/After A Few (Mercury) 571
C. PEARCE & L. BRICE/I Hope You're... (Big Machine/Curb) 537
FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE/I Love My Country (BMLGR) 505
SAM HUNT/Hard To Forget (MCA) 485
JASON ALDEAN/Got What I Got (Macon Music/Broken Bow) 482
Country Aircheck Top Recurrents Points
GABBY BARRETT/I Hope (Warner/WAR) 17618
MAREN MORRIS/The Bones (Columbia) 13781
SAM HUNT/Kinfolks (MCA) 11461
BRETT YOUNG/Catch (BMLGR) 11046
JAKE OWEN/Homemade (Big Loud) 10253
OLD DOMINION/One Man Band (RCA) 9432
INGRID ANDRESS/More Hearts Than Mine (Warner/WEA) 9182
LUKE COMBS/Even Though I'm Leaving (River House/Columbia) 9032
DUSTIN LYNCH/Ridin' Roads (Broken Bow) 8738
KANE BROWN/Homesick (RCA) 7924
Country Aircheck Add Leaders AddsBROTHERS OSBORNE/All Night (EMI Nashville) 31JAKE OWEN/Made For You (Big Loud) 29PARKER MCCOLLUM/Pretty Heart (MCA) 27RYAN HURD/Every Other Memory (RCA) 17BRETT ELDREDGE/Gabrielle (Warner/WMN) 13GRANGER SMITH/That's Why I Love Dirt Roads (Wheelhouse) 13BRAD PAISLEY/No I In Beer (Arista) 11KANE BROWN/Cool Again (RCA) 11PARMALEE f/B. BROWN/Just The Way (Stoney Creek) 11BRETT YOUNG/Lady (BMLGR) 8CAROLINE JONES/All Of The Boys (Mailboat) 8JASON ALDEAN/Got What I Got (Macon Music/Broken Bow) 8
Craig Morgan God, Family, Country (Broken Bow)The project combines five new songs – including a tribute to his son Jerry, “The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost,” Gavin DeGraw’s “Soldier” and “Sippin’
On The Simple Life,” written alongside active duty Army Airborne Rangers Justin Wright and Andrew Yacovone – with remastered versions of tracks he recorded for Broken Bow from 2002 to 2008.
Jordan Davis Jordan Davis (MCA)Produced by Paul DiGiovanni, the self-titled EP features six tracks, including the Davis, Hillary Lindsey and Jesse Frasure co-penned first single, “Almost Maybes,” a collaboration with Julia Michaels on “Cool Anymore” and
tour title-track “Trouble Town.”
High Valley Grew Up On That (Warner/WEA)The follow-up to 2016’s debut album, Dear Life, boasts co-writing credits from the duo’s Brad Rempel on five of the six songs in addition to Randy Montana and Corey Crowder (“River’s Still Running”), Ben West,
Josh Miller, Troy Verges and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard (“Your Mama”) and Ben Stennis and Jaron Boyer (title track).
Various, Love Lives On (Roots American Music Society)Artists including Vince Gill, Billy Ray Cyrus, John Rich, Lonestar and the Gatlin Brothers contributed to the compilation spotlighting 10 original songs that honor the lives and
dedication of servicemen and women. Proceeds benefit Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and the fight against COVID-19.
A D D DAT E SMay 26JORDAN DAVIS/Almost Maybes (MCA)THE HIGHWOMEN/Crowded Table (Warner/WMG)
June 1BOBBY MCCLENDON/Maybe Tonight (Star Farm)INGRID ANDRESS/The Stranger (Warner/WEA)ERIC CHESSER/Date Night (Big Big)WATERLOO REVIVAL/Something You Ain’t Ever Had (Show Dog)LITTLE BIG TOWN/Wine, Beer, Whiskey (Capitol)
