Warner Chappell has announced that VP of A&R Katy Wolaver will broaden her current role to now include Nashville. Wolaver, who joined the company in 2016, is responsible for signing and developing new and established songwriters and producers from the publisher’s downtown L.A. headquarters.
Wolaver currently manages a broad array of notable pop and country talent, including Ava Max, Michael Pollack (Maroon 5), Tayla Parx (Ariana Grande, Kesha, Panic! At The Disco), Jesse Frasure (Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum), Sasha Sloan (Camila Cabello, John Legend) and Devin Dawson (Blake Shelton, King Calaway). Working between L.A. and Nashville, she will help to foster even more collaborations between the cities’ robust rosters of songwriters and producers.
Warner Chappell Nashville President & CEO Ben Vaughn said: “Nashville is home to some of the best songwriters in the world, and we’re looking forward to working with Katy to expand opportunities for the incredible talent in this city. As music genres continue to evolve, it’s our responsibility to create a space for more songwriters to make music together.”
Warner Chappell President of A&R U.S. Ryan Press said: “Katy has spent more than a decade working with pop and country songwriters, and is in a unique position to bring talent from both genres closer together. Her strong relationships will enable us to create bold new pairings, and I can’t wait to see what will come of this new role.”
Wolaver added: “This decision says a lot about Warner Chappell and our commitment to songwriters. It’s so important that we encourage innovation by empowering our writers and producers to experiment with different artists and new styles. I’m proud to be part of a team that is willing to do things differently to get our songwriters heard.”
Wolaver got her start in music in 2006 while working for Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi at Arthouse Entertainment, supporting writers and producers like Jon Bellion, Mitch Allan and Ari Levine of The Smeezingtons. She went on to serve as Director of A&R at SONGS Music Publishing. Throughout her career, Wolaver has been behind numerous hits, such as “Club Can’t Handle Me” by Flo Rida, “Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato, “Never Be The Same” by Camila Cabello, and “Fight” by Florida Georgia Line and Tayla Parx.
