UMPG has inked singer-songwriter Dylan Gossett to an exclusive, global publishing deal.
Recently announced as the first signing to Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall’s Big Loud Texas imprint, a JV with Mercury/Republic and Seth England’s Big Loud, the 24-year-old Texan has also dropped his latest single, “Somewhere Between,” the second track off his forthcoming EP, Songs in the Gravel, due 3/22.
The new offering follows Gossett’s critically acclaimed debut EP, No Better Time, which yielded his viral breakout track, “Coal.” To date, the gold-certified song has garnered 150m+ million global streams, is Top 20 Overall Country Streams with 5.5m streams weekly and cracked the Top 5 on Spotify’s Global and U.S., where it’s currently #72.
“Gossett has a natural ability to tell meaningful stories in a unique and poetic way,” said UMPG Nashville’s Director A&R, Roxy King. “He is a star in every sense of the word. I am thrilled to work alongside of Dylan, Range Media Partners, Big Loud Texas, and Mercury Records to help spread Dylan’s words around the world.”
“From my first meeting with Troy Tomlinson, Roxy King, and the UMPG Nashville team, I knew they were the perfect creative partner. They have been passionate supporters of my songs since day one and I could not be more excited to have Roxy and the whole UMPG team in my corner,” added Gossett.
Gossett, co-managed by Range and Homebase Management, is currently on his first headline tour, No Better Time, which is sold out and makes stops in London, Dublin, NY, Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, plus more.
Seen above hoping to throw some coal at us are (l-r) Homebase Management’s Sam Katz, King, Gossett and RMP’s Federico Morris.
Photo credit: Universal Music Publishing Nashville
Range Media Partners is expanding to Nashville with the opening of a new office led by industry vets Shawn McSpadden and Will Lowery, as well as co-founding managing partner Jack Minihan, who has moved to Music City from Los Angeles. Range co-founder Matt Graham and artist manager/head of touring Kyle Wilensky will also split their time between Los Angeles and Nashville.
The new office's latest signing is Country Music Hall of Fame member Tanya Tucker, whose 2019 comeback While I'm Livin' won the Grammy for Best Country Album. Range also represents or has deals with country acts, songwriters and producers such as Midland, Luke Grimes, Russell Dickerson, Geoff Warburton, Hailey Whitters, Brent Cobb and Dylan Gossett.
Range will share the Nashville space with branding and entertainment agency Get Engaged, which has worked with country artists such as Morgan Wallen, Cole Swindell and Kane Brown. It will also serve as home base for Range Sports' head of football Kyle Stronglin, who reps dozens of NFL players including San Francisco 49ers star quarterback Brock Purdy.
Russell Dickerson, along with BMI, SESAC and ASCAP, hosted a triple #1 celebration on 2/26 to honor three of the BMI-repped star’s chart-topping songs.
The event, dubbed Russell Dickerson’s Hat Trick #1 Party, took place at Electric Jane and recognized singles “Every Little Thing,” “Love You Like I Used To” and “God Gave Me a Girl,” his latest and fifth career #1.
The shindig also celebrated co-writers like SESAC's Casey Brown, ASCAP’s Zach Crowell and Ashley Gorley, BMI’s Chase McGill and Parker Welling. Sponsored by Studio Bank, the night included a donation presentation by Kari Barnart on behalf of Dickerson and the songwriters in support of non-profit Cul2vate.
“I always get so pumped with what’s ahead that I have to remind myself to take a minute and reflect on all the exciting things that have already happened,” said Dickerson. "It was so special to recognize everybody that played a role in getting these songs to the top of the charts - I can’t thank everyone enough for their support.”
Additionally, Dickerson hit the road again this weekend, kicking off the extension of his Big Wheels & Back RoadsTour on 2/22 in Milwaukee. The trek continues through the spring with stops in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Ontario, Arizona and more.
Pictured before the whiskey triples are (l-r) Triple Tigers’ Georgi Couri, Mackenzie Cooper, Annie Ortmeier and Blake Nixon; Gorley; Triple Tigers’ Dave Collins, Raffaella Braun; Dickerson; Triple Tigers’ Kevin Herring; McGill; Triple Tigers’ Diane Lockner, Hope Garrison, Julianna Vaughn and Laura Hostelley.
Photo Credit: Thomas Heney
At last week's Premios Los Nuestros, Kane Brown and Carin León debuted their brand new collab, "The One (Pero Yo Como No)" with a special performance. The first collaboration between the two charismatic headliners will be officially released on 2/29.
Pictured above at the PLNs ahead of León's desert run at Coachella and Stagecoach and Brown's AEG-produced U.S. arena and stadium trek: (L-R) Brown, manager Martha Earls, AEG Presents President, Global Touring Rich Schaefer, León manager Jorge Juarez and León.
The closest we've gotten to a country-Latin collab is visiting the combination KFC/Taco Bell on Crenshaw.
Watch the performance from the PLN telecast below.
Warner Music Nashville has promoted Kristen Williams to SVP of radio and commercial partnerships. Williams, who's led the radio division since 2010, will now lead the commercial partnerships team, which encompasses retail, streaming, catalog development and direct to consumer efforts. The goal is to create a "virtuous cycle" and allow the label to make a "greater impact" for artists.
"This set-up positions us to work in a more sophisticated way while continuing to super serve our artist community and partners in this ever-changing, dynamic business environment," WMN Co-Chair/Co-President Ben Kline said. "There is nobody better equipped to lead our efforts than Kristen. She is one of the most respected executives in this industry, and her passion and knowledge will bring a fresh perspective to all of WMN's commercial partnerships, in addition to her radio expertise."
Williams further praised WMN for having the "foresight to anticipate change and take the initiative to meet it head-on.” Under her leadership, the radio department will continue to operate under its two-pronged model of focusing on both individual stations and larger national accounts. We're told she's also looking forward to tuning us out.
What do Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce and Chris Janson all have in common? They all appeared on Dolly Parton's Pet Gala, a two-hour CBS variety special produced by Van Toffler’s Gunpower & Sky.
During the 2/21 broadcast, viewers were not only treated to the latest in pet fashions from the Doggy Parton pet line but also to performances from the country music superstars. Streams for the four acts this week increased by double digits to nearly 35m, driven in part by the show.
Fans also caught a rare performance of “Puppy Love,” Parton's first recorded song, which she wrote with her uncle Bill Owens at just 11 years old.
Parton launched Doggy Parton in 2022. Part of the proceeds go toward Willa B. Farms, a rescue that provides homes to displaced animals of all kinds. The pet gala, a Dolly-inspired, fur-powered fashion show, is simply an extension of her commitment to our furry friends.
Van, meanwhile, was adamant that we couldn't go anywhere near the production until we underwent several weeks of training with a rolled-up newspaper.
Luke Combs landed his 18th #1 hit at U.S. country radio earlier this week with “Where The Wild Things Are,” a song from 2023's Gettin’ Old. It follows his previous chart-topper, "Different 'Round Here" f/Riley Green, and marks the first time this century that an artist has replaced themselves with #1 hits on U.S. country radio.
Willie Nelson accomplished this feat twice—once in 1976 and again in 1982—but that was last century. In May 1982 his duet with Waylon Jennings, “Just To Satisfy You,” replaced Nelson's “Always On My Mind." That reminds us, we often wish we could replace ourselves, too.
The Core Entertainment has bolstered its team with the addition of Dan Dymtrow as GM and Jamie Sudhalter as Senior Director of A&R.
"We are so excited to welcome Dan and Jamie to our team at The Core Entertainment. Their enthusiasm, expertise and passion for discovering and developing talent align perfectly with our vision,” said Chief “Kevin” Zaruk and Simon Tikhman. “We know they will play integral roles in driving our company into the future and we look forward to achieving new heights together."
With more than two decades of experience, Dymtrow—who’s worked with the likes of Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Aerosmith, Taylor Swift, Noah Cyrus and more—will oversee all operations, including artist management, content creation, live events and partnerships. He previously was Executive Manager at Maverick Management and Head of Music at tech startup Curio.
"I’m excited to be in this GM role alongside respected colleagues like Chief Zaruk and Simon Tikhman. I'm inspired by their achievements and eager to collaborate closely with them to advance The Core’s objectives for our team and artists,” added Dymtrow.
Sudhalter arrives at The Core from Mercury Records, where she served as Senior Director of A&R. Boasting nearly a decade of experience in the biz, the Vanderbilt alum has worked across projects for Hailee Steinfeld, AJR, Lyn Lapid and BoyWithUke, among others, and, in partnership with EMI, inked rising U.K. star Mae Stephens.
“Simon and Chief are two of the most humble, innovative, and well-respected people in the industry. I couldn’t be more grateful to them for taking a chance on me and welcoming me with open arms onto the amazing team they have cultivated,” shared Sudhalter.
Photo Credit: Anna Webber/Getty Images (Dymtrow) and Meredith Truax (Sudhalter)
