Fall/Winter 2013

FALL/WINTER 2013

PHOTO BY KRISTIN BARLOWE

Florida Georgia Line

COUNTRY’S HOTTEST DUO ON THEIR METEORIC RISE

INTERVIEW WITH BMI ICON TM

valuing music since 1939.

BMI NASHVILLE | FALL/WINTER 2013

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COUNTRY’S HOTTEST DUO

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

INTERVIEW WITH BMI ICON

DEAN DILLON

BMI EVENTS

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JAKE OWEN BLOCK PARY

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#1 PARTIES

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2013 BMI COUNTRY AWARDS WINNERS

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W

hen a career explodes the way it has this year for BMI’s Tyler

fervor for melodies and a rhythmic drive that are core elements of both

Hubbard and Brian Kelley, better known as the chart-topping

gospel and country music. They both migrated to Nashville’s Belmont

Florida Georgia Line, chances are it’s the result of a fuse that was lit

University, a hotbed of musical higher education in country’s capital city

years ago.

where Kelley majored in music industry studies and Hubbard pursued

a music business degree. After being introduced by a mutual friend, the

For Hubbard and Kelley, that fuse was first sparked in the early 2000s,

two started co-writing and that fuse began to burn bright.

when the two were teenagers and Kelley was hooked on Garth Brooks

and Hubbard was listening to Christian artists like Shane & Shane and

“From the very first song we co-wrote, we knew there was something

Chris Tomlin. Although they grew up more than 400 miles apart —

special,” says Kelley. “We felt we were better writers doing it together.”

Hubbard in Monroe, Georgia, and Kelley in Ormond Beach, Florida

Hubbard adds, “We also loved singing together, and we became best

— they followed similar paths. Both picked up the guitar and joined

friends. It started then, and to this day we are still absolutely having the

church bands, where they got an early education in singing harmony, a

time of our lives.”

4 | BMI NASHVILLE

FALL/WINTER 2013

Florida Georgia Line

COUNTRY’S HOTTEST DUO ON THEIR METEORIC RISE BY TED DROZDOWSKI

But the astonishing success of Florida Georgia Line is more than a matter

Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year trophies. Most recently, the

of chemistry. Hard work, mentoring, perseverance and vision have all been

two were nominated for an impressive four CMA Awards including Vocal

part of the equation that’s propelled the duo into the stratosphere. Their

Duo of the Year, New Artist of the Year, Single of the Year for “Cruise”

first three singles — “Cruise,” “Get Your Shine On” and “Round Here” —

and Musical Event of the Year for their remix of “Cruise,” featuring hip

from their full-length debut album, Here’s to the Good Times, all reached

hop superstar Nelly. In addition to these accolades, in 2013 Hubbard and

number one on the country charts and remained there for multiple weeks,

Kelley won the praises of superstars Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Ed

a feat not accomplished by a debut album since Brooks & Dunn’s Brand

Sheeran and joined Swift’s record-breaking Red tour as openers.

New Man in 1991.

“This time last year we were touring in a van,” Hubbard explained when

Riding this wave of success, Florida Georgia Line won the 2013 Academy

BMI connected by phone with Florida Georgia Line during a stop in

of Country Music’s New Artist of the Year and New Vocal Duo or Group

Brookings, South Dakota — part of their own sold-out string of fall

of the Year awards, and the 2013 CMT Music Award’s Duo Video of the

headlining dates. “Now we’ve got three tour buses and three trailers,

BMI.COM

BMI NASHVILLE | 5

and believe me, it’s easier to get some rest and

In 2012, BMI gave Florida Georgia Line a

and signed a publishing deal with GRAMMY

write songs on a tour bus than it is in a van …

crucial opportunity: a slot on the BMI stage at

winning-songwriter

or in the Chevy Tahoe with a trailer we toured

the CMA Music Festival. Florida Georgia line

Loud Shirt Industries. England, Wiseman, Big

in before that.”

drew the largest crowd of the entire weekend,

Loud Shirt writer/producer Joey Moi and artist

with well over 1,000 fans in attendance for

manager Kevin “Chief” Zaruk put together

their set at the inaugural stage.

a label, Big Loud Mountain, specifically to

Every one of the hundreds of thousands of miles

Craig

Wiseman’s

Big

Hubbard and Kelley spent taking turns at the

release It’z Just What We Do, produced by

wheel before they signed their first publishing

Moi, who would repeat that role for the smash

deal attests to the hard-working, self-reliant nature that’s at the core of their success. Even when they were still students, they crammed writing time in-between classes and played tipjar gigs in songwriters’ bars after school. Upon graduation, they hit the road, putting together a band and booking themselves into roadhouses wherever southern accents, twangy guitars and close harmonies were welcome. BMI became part of Florida Georgia Line’s story early on and would play a pivotal role in their graduation to the hot arena lights.

BMI, FOR COUNTRY SONGWRITERS AND ARTISTS, IS THE BEST FIT IN NASHVILLE. THEY KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN NASHVILLE AND ON THE ROAD. THEY GAVE US TOOLS TO GET BETTER… GETTING US INTO WRITERS’ ROOMS, NETWORKING… THEY GAVE US THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM THAT WE NEEDED.

Here’s to the Good Times. With a team in place, two successful EP’s and a grassroots fan base aided by Buddy Lee Attractions’ Kevin Neal, everything was lining up by the time Florida Georgia Line hit the first note outside LP Field. “We took a chance putting them on the bill, but we looked like we were brilliant,” BMI Assistant

Vice

President,

Writer/Publisher

Relations Clay Bradley recalls. “But that’s what we want. We want to have a stage where we can risk something and see if it pays off.”

“We joined BMI before we were signed to

“That event put us in front of a lot of people,”

management,” Kelley relates. “We both felt BMI, for country songwriters and artists, is the

Music industry executives in the VIP section

says Kelley, “and a lot of record labels came to

best fit in Nashville. They know what’s going on

were shocked to see many of those fans singing

see us. The fans were going crazy. And that’s

in Nashville and on the road. They gave us tools

the words to the songs on Florida Georgia

where Scott Borchetta saw us for the first time.

to get better… getting us into writers’ rooms,

Line’s first two ground-laying EPs, the high-

When I think that was just 18 months ago, I’m

networking… They gave us the encouragement

spirited Anything Like Me and It’z Just What

blown away.”

and constructive criticism that we needed.”

We Do. The first was made by the duo with the

help of friends and was released independently

Capturing the attention of Borchetta, the

Hubbard and Kelley cite BMI Nashville’s

in 2010, providing a springboard for their

Big Machine Records founder known for

Writer/Publisher

including

initial touring and airplay. The second was

discovering Taylor Swift, added rocket fuel to

Clay Bradley, Mark Mason, David Preston and

issued a month before the Festival, after they

their trajectory. He signed the band and they

Leslie Roberts as early mentors and champions.

began working with manager Seth England

began recording Here’s to the Good Times

Relations

team

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MONACO

PHOTO BY KRISTIN BARLOWE

Be you, try to find your own sound — and if you’re trying to write what’s on the radio, you’re already two steps behind. with Moi in the studio on the bottom floor of

we’ve written that doesn’t measure up if we’ve

heart/And I felt that from the start” — then

Big Loud Shirt on Music Row.

got a song by another writer that beats it. Our

“heart” and “start” have to be sung the exact

fans don’t deserve that. And these guys are

same way. It’s all about symmetry. You don’t

Teamwork and collaboration has played a

among the best out there. We consider them

think about things like that until someone like

major role in Florida Georgia Line’s success,

among our biggest influences. They’re huge

Joey enlightens you.”

both on and off the road. The two have had

songwriters and they’ve become our buddies

the same road band since day one, so when

and we’ve learned a lot from them.”

Now, with Florida Georgia Line riding high on the charts and selling out amphitheaters on their

making their album, they adopted this same model for success. Hubbard and Kelley relied

Kelley and Hubbard credit Moi with schooling

own star power, Hubbard and Kelley are in turn

on fellow Big Loud Shirt songwriters Wiseman,

them in studio craft. “Recording new music

becoming gurus to a new generation of budding

Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins and Moi

is so much easier for us now because we’ve

songwriters and performers. Their advice:

for help in penning the tracks “Get Your Shine

learned and developed so much, and Joey’s

On” and “Cruise,” and Clawson, Tompkins

been a big part of that,” Kelley says. “He has

“Be you, try to find your own sound — and if

and singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett penned

all kinds of insights on how to tighten up songs

you’re trying to write what’s on the radio, you’re

“Round Here.” For Florida Georgia Line’s

and what makes choruses and hooks work.”

already two steps behind,” Hubbard suggests.

some lyrics and changed the arrangement of

He also coached the group on improving their

Kelley adds, “Really challenge yourself to find

the song originally recorded and written by the

already exceptional vocal prowess. “Early in

your own sound. And if you’re trying to write

Kentucky band Black Stone Cherry.

the sessions, when I was having trouble singing

better than Craig Wiseman, you’re going to

a line or hitting a note, he would tell me to

lose every time because he’s Craig Wiseman.

“From day one when we started FGL, we

smile when I was singing, and it would just

We just try to write like Florida Georgia Line

said that if there’s some outside songs and we

come out,” Hubbard adds. “He’s also real big

and it’s working for us. So be unique, chase

feel like we could have been in the room the

on laying back on the beat and placing the

your dream, play big and play loud.” 

day they were written, we’re gonna cut ’em,”

emphasis on words where it needs to be. If

Hubbard relates. “We won’t record a song that

there are two lines that go, “I feel you in my

just-released fourth single, “Stay,” Moi added

BMI.COM

BMI NASHVILLE | 7

B

roadcast Music, Inc. hosted its biggest #1 party ever August 19, 2013, celebrating country star Jake Owen’s

hit “Anywhere With You,” written by BMI songwriter Jimmy Yeary along with Ben Hayslip and David Lee Murphy. The free Summer Block Party was held in BMI Nashville’s back lot, with a gathering of more than 20,000 fans who traveled from all over the country and began lining up around the perimeter of the BMI building hours before the gates opened at 6:30 p.m. Kicking off the event was Big Machine Label Group's new trio the Cadillac Three. Owen, who started his set with the #1 song, was joined onstage later by some of country’s finest, including Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett and Dee Jay Silver, and proceeded to push the envelope on Nashville’s 11 p.m. sound curfew for public events. Rock on, Jake.

JAKE OWEN SUMMER BLOCK PARTY ALL PHOTOS BY RICK DIAMOND

THOMAS RHETT

8 | BMI NASHVILLE JAKE OWEN AND DIERKS BENTLEY

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

JAKE OWEN ROCKS THE CROWD AT THE JAKE OWEN SUMMER BLOCK PARTY AT BMI.

FALL/WINTER 2013

AWARDS & SIGNINGS

B

roadcast Music, Inc. recently honored country superstar Carrie Underwood with multiple BMI

"Million-Air" Awards at the Country Music Hall of Fame. BMI’s Associate Director of Writer/Publisher Relations Leslie Roberts joined Underwood onstage to present the PHOTO BY CHRIS HOLLO

certificates, honoring the prolific performances of songs "Mama's Song" and "Good Girl," with one million performances each, and "All-American Girl," with two million to date. Underwood’s catalog now boasts more than 13 million performances.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD WITH BMI’S ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF WRITER/PUBLISHER RELATIONS LESLIE ROBERTS.

PHOTO BY ERIKA GOLDRING

THE DUCK DYNASTY ROBERTSON FAMILY SIGNS WITH BMI

he Robertsons of A&E’s Duck Dynasty and the Duck Commander Sporting Empire recently signed with BMI in Nashville during the CMA Music Festival. Later this

year, Universal Records will release Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas.

PHOTO BY SANDY L. STEVENS, COURTESY OF CITY OF AUSTIN AVIATION

T

Pictured are (back row, l-r): BMI’s Clay Bradley, John Luke Robertson, Sadie Robertson, Si Robertson, Kay Robertson, Missy Robertson, Jep Robertson and BMI’s Jody Williams; (front row, l-r): attorney Jess Rosen of Greenberg Traurig, Missy Robertson, Willie Robertson, Jase Robertson and Jessica Robertson.

BMI.COM

RAY BENSON AND BMI’S MARK MASON AT THE AUSTINBERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

BMI NASHVILLE | 9

GEORGE STRAIT’S GO-TO SONGWRITER ON HIS BMI ICON DESIGNATION

10 | BMI NASHVILLE

FALL/WINTER 2013

SONGWRITING HAS BEEN MY LIFE. IT EMBODIES WHO I AM AND WHAT I AM… MY RELATIONSHIP WITH BMI HAS BEEN, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, AMAZING. THE WAY THAT BMI HAS TAKEN CARE OF US – THE SONGWRITERS’ COMMUNITY – THEY HELP US OUT IN GOOD TIMES, AND THEY HELP US OUT IN BAD TIMES… THEY’RE IN YOUR CORNER. IF YOU’RE A SONGWRITER, YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND. BMI.COM

D

ean Dillon lives like a country song

In the end, his debut, Strait Country, included

sounds. He always has. Have a talk

six of Dillon’s songs.

with the legendary songwriter, and you’ll understand just how this came to be his

“After that, every time Strait went to the studio

line of work. He talks slow, low and easy --

he never failed to call me,” says Dillon. “He

keeping the pace measured and deliberate,

never forgot me. He never forgot that I went out

never breaking into so much as a canter. Of

on a limb and pitched my stuff to him.”

course, that’s not the case at his ranch in Gunnison, Colorado, where Dillon, 58, rides

When asked if he cares to name a song or two

horses all summer and writes songs furiously

that he’s most proud of, Dillon doesn’t hesitate

all winter. His life’s work — which includes

long. “The Chair,” a song he co-wrote with

crafting hit song after hit song for George

Hank Cochran, tops his list, and for good

Strait, in addition to “everybody else and his

reason. It’s a swaggering, slow-moving, sweet

brother” (for example, George Jones, Kenny

song that turned out to be an instant classic for

Chesney, Lee Ann Womack and Toby Keith)

Strait in 1985. Another of his favorites is “A

— is being honored at the 61st annual BMI

Lot of Things Different,” co-written with Bill

Country Awards, where Dillon will receive the

Anderson and recorded by Kenny Chesney in

designation of BMI Icon.

2002, after Dillon got sober.

Dillon got news of the award from BMI

That was also a time during which Dillon had

President Del Bryant -- a friend and supporter

to learn, over a period of several years, how to

of Dillon’s for close to 40 years. Says Dillon,

write songs without alcohol as a collaborator.

“Del called me from New York and told me

“It wasn’t an easy process,” he says, “You

about it. ’Course I started crying, ’cause you’ve

know, like the song says: I would have done a

got to understand: songwriting has been my

lot of things different, but it is what it is, and it

life. It embodies who I am and what I am …

happened the way it happened. You know, it’s

My relationship with BMI has been, for lack of

part of my legacy. It’s just part of who I am.”

a better word, amazing. The way that BMI has taken care of us — the songwriters’ community

Other

— they help us out in good times, and they help

legendary late songwriters Frank Dycus and

us out in bad times... They’re in your corner. If

Hank Cochran, who he paired with time and

you’re a songwriter, you’ve got a friend.”

again during the ’70s and ’80s and who he

collaborators

of

Dillon’s

included

credits with helping take his songwriting to a Dillon’s life has been the stuff of country songs —

“whole other level.”

hard living, hard-earned, bootstrapping, bootwearing. He grew up poor in East Tennessee,

As for the next crop of aspiring country

and just out of high school, hitchhiked to

writers: “The best advice I can give is to find

Nashville in 1973. “I weighed 135 lbs. soaking

someone who’s been in this business awhile, a

wet; I was 18 years old, but I knew Nashville

songwriter that’s been around the block,” says

was where it was at, and I wanted to be a part

Dillon. “Hook up and learn. I always found

of it,” says Dillon.

myself paired up with people older than me — Frank Dycus, Hank Cochran. Both of those

Dillon wanted to be a part of it, sure, but he

guys taught me so much about songwriting...

also stood apart. “Back in those days, if you

The young songwriters today write in such

had a great song, you really wouldn’t pitch it to

a box. That’s all well and good, because you

an unknown,” explains Dillon. “You wanted a

write what you know, but at some point you’re

Haggard, or a Jones or a Cash or somebody …

gonna have to write what you don’t know.

I was just always a rebel, and I didn’t pay much

Everybody knows about trucks, and everybody

attention to that. I just wanted to find someone

knows about beer, and everybody knows about

who I would enjoy listening to sing my songs.”

dating, but you’ve gotta open your mind. That’s gonna separate the men from the boys -- when

That someone turned out to be Strait, who

you write what you don’t know, and you write

was first presented to Dillon in 1979 as an

something great.” 

unknown, a “young gunslinger from Texas.”

BY ELLEN MALLERNEE BARNES

BMI NASHVILLE | 11

ALL PHOTOS BY RICK DIAMOND

MIRANDA LAMBERT GRACIOUSLY THANKS WRITERS KACEY MUSGRAVES, SHANE MCANALLY AND BRANDY CLARK FOR LETTING HER RECORD “MAMA’S BROKEN HEART.”

BRETT WARREN TAKES HIS TURN SINGING A VERSE OF “LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING” ALONGSIDE HIS CO-WRITERS AND THE SONG’S PRODUCER, WITH THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE AS A SCENIC BACKDROP.

BMI CELEBRATES THE NO. 1 SONG “WAGON WHEEL.” OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW POSES WITH WSM MICROPHONES ON THE HISTORIC RYMAN STAGE ON THE EVE OF THEIR GRAND OLE OPRY INDUCTION.

BMI’S JODY WILLIAMS, CO-WRITER DAVID HODGES, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, CO-WRITER HILLARY LINDSEY AND EMI’S JOSH VAN VALKENBURG ONSTAGE AT THE CELEBRATION FOR “SEE YOU AGAIN.”

TROY VERGES, HUNTER HAYES AND LORI MCKENNA PERFORM AT THE “I WANT CRAZY” NO. 1 PARTY.

BIG MACHINE LABEL GROUP’S SCOTT BORCHETTA, CO-WRITERS BRETT AND BRAD WARREN, TIM MCGRAW, SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING’S TROY TOMLINSON, KEITH URBAN, BMI’S JODY WILLIAMS, CO-WRITER MARK IRWIN AND PRODUCER 12 | BMI NASHVILLE BYRON GALLIMORE ONSTAGE AT THE CELEBRATION FOR “HIGHWAY DON’T CARE.”

PICTURED AT THE “TORNADO” NO. 1 PARTY ON MONDAY, MAY 6, ARE BACK ROW: LITTLE FALL/WINTER 2013 BIG TOWN AND FRONT ROW: CO-WRITERS DELTA MAID AND NATALIE HEMBY.

You march to the

beat

of a different drummer.

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BMI EVENTS

2013 PHOTOS BY ERIKA GOLDRING


THE ANNUAL BMI STAGE AT THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL.

CHARLES BRADLEY PERFORMS AT THE DAPTONE RECORDS SUPER SOUL REVUE DURING SXSW AT ACL LIVE ON MARCH 15, 2013, IN AUSTIN, TX. PHOTO BY ERIKA GOLDRING

ROAD TO BONNAROO WINNER RI¢HIE PERFORMS AT THE 2013 BONNAROO MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL.

CHERUB PERFORMS ON THE ANNUAL BMI STAGE AT THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL.

PHOTOS BY CAITLIN MEYER

NASHVILLE DANCE ROCK STAPLES WILD CUB CELEBRATE A RECORD DEAL WITH AN ENERGETIC PERFORMANCE ON THE BMI LOUFEST STAGE.

14 | BMI NASHVILLE

A MASSIVE CROWD DANCES AND SINGS ALONG WITH WILD BELLE.

FALL/WINTER 2013

BMI EVENTS PHOTOS BY NICK DOLL

CROWDS GATHER FOR THE MAIN STAGE SHOWS DURING THE 18TH ANNUAL KEY WEST SONGWRITER’S FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY, MAY 4.

GARY CLARK, JR. PERFORMS AT THE 18TH ANNUAL KEY WEST SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL.


THE WEEKS PERFORM ON THE BMI STAGE AT HANGOUT MUSIC FEST ON FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013, IN GULF SHORES, AL.

FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND MORE PHOTOS, VISIT BMI.COM

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KEITH URBAN

PAUL JENKINS JOHNNY BULFORD

PHIL BARTON (APRA)

JAKE OWEN

TULLY KENNEDY

BRETT WARREN & BRAD WARREN

CARRIE UNDERWOOD

NEIL PERRY, KIMBERLY PERRY & REID PERRY BLAKE SHELTON

KACEY MUSGRAVES

CHASE RICE

LUKE BRYAN

DALLAS DAVIDSON

JIM MCCORMICK AL ANDERSON

SEAN MCCONNELL

LEE THOMAS MILLER

JIMMY RITCHEY BRYAN SIMPSON

JEFF STEVENS

BRANTLEY GILBERT

DUSTIN LYNCH DELTA MAID (PRS) JOSH LEO CHARLES KELLEY JEFF HYDE

JAMES OTTO

DYLAN ALTMAN ROSS COPPERMAN

JOHN HOPKINS

VICKY MCGEHEE

WENDELL MOBLEY

JT HARDING DAVE HAYWOOD

BARRY DEAN GREG BATES

ANDREW DORFF

JIM BEAVERS

MARV GREEN

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR RODNEY CLAWSON

TOBY KEITH

ERIC CHURCH

MIRANDA LAMBERT

TYLER HUBBARD & BRIAN KELLEY

LUKE LAIRD

“DID IT FOR THE GIRL” “DRINK ON IT” “DRUNK ON YOU” “ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS” “TAKE A LITTLE RIDE” “WHERE I COME FROM”

SONG OF THE YEAR “WANTED” HUNTER HAYES TROY VERGES HAPPY LITTLE MAN PUBLISHING SONGS FROM THE ENGINE ROOM SONGS OF UNIVERSAL, INC.

BRETT BEAVERS RYAN TYNDELL

TAYLOR SWIFT

JON RANDALL

GARY ALLAN

JESSE RICE

SONIA LEIGH

WILL HOGE

BOBBY PINSON

MARK NESLER

JOHN OZIER

KIP MOORE

BOB DIPIERO

TOM SHAPIRO KARA DIOGUARDI

JUSTIN MOORE

ICON DEAN DILLON

TIM NICHOLS

DAN COUCH

BILLY MONTANA DAVID ELLIOTT JOHNSON

WYATT DURRETTE

JOEY MOI (SOCAN)

BLAIR DALY

NATALIE HEMBY ZAC BROWN

TONY MARTIN

JEFF COHEN

PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING NASHVILLE