NashvilleHype!

First, I can’t really say how proud I am of Ashlee Hewitt.  I love all the artist I have here on NashvilleHype! and they, or their families in some cases, have become very good friends over the time.  So when one artist does good, they all do - and there’s a certain amount of pride that comes along with an artist from NashvilleHype! doing good.

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This years Nashville Star has been panned by more commenters, more newspapers, more trade mags - more people - than all the previous years combined (so far as I can tell).  The expectations were very high for the show, and the move to NBC, and the show hasn’t lived up to the expectations many had.  I had never once watched the show more than 30 seconds, so I really had no expectations.

The show itself was wierd to me.  Pop singers, dancers, lighting like Garth Brooks, Billy Ray Cyrus looking like a deer in headlights everytime the camera came on, those stupid ‘dramatic’ pauses that were waste of everyone’s time… so many stupid things that have nothing to do with Nashville, becoming a star, or the business in general.  And the idea that the judges were ‘competing’ was also more than wierd - that’s better left to it’s own show - not trying to find talent.

And what did I think of the ‘talent’ this year?  Not much.

I always want and encourage artist to work hard and great things can happen - I don’t always have to like what they do to realise that they are human, and they are trying.  They have hopes and dreams and goals - and they’re just doing their best.  And when an opportunity opens, they step into it.

But there’s not a one that I would offer to have on NashvilleHype! (sans Ashlee of course)

The simple truth is, Ashlee was the only true artist on the show - she’s the only artist that I sincerely believe Warner Bros, John Rich, Radio, and the industry would’ve liked to see win.  The other ‘contestants’ - yes, in their case that’s what they were - are nice people I’m sure, and I hesitate to write anything too bad about them out of respect to their new-found friendship with Ashlee, because people who are thrown into unique situations like this, usually find themselves having life-long friends.

But despite her friendship with them, and the fact they are all nice, etc. etc. I didn’t find one of them exciting, or talented enough to be placed on NashvilleHype!  I turn down better each and every day it seems (and I turn down much worse).  I also don’t believe that a label would take a serious look at them but for this show.  In other words, there’s not a one I would stake the reputation of NashvilleHype! on and take directly to a label.

That’s not to say they don’t have various talents or abilities.  It doesn’t mean they can’t grow to become what they want.  And it doesn’t mean they can’t work hard and have a great career entertaining people.  As I say often, there’s a whole world out there waiting, wanting to be entertained - artist can make a great living playing for these people.

But only a select few are destined in some form to become a ’star’.  Ashlee Hewitt is one of those artist.  Always has been.

(as an aside, and I’m being completely serious, in the end, the contestants that impressed me the most were Laura and Sophie - actually, when they weren’t performing, they were the most real of the other contestants.  They were themselves, and despite the horrible treatment by the producers - showing the worst parts, the fights, the outbreaks, etc. and poisoning them early to the audience, they remained human - and I appreciated that more than anything.  And truthfully, I thought their last performance was great, I mean, if I was going to leave a show, and I knew it - I’d want to stick it to everyone as well.  They just kicked butt at the wrong time.  oh, and way to go on the eye-roll, even though you didn’t even know you did it…  At the time, I was doing it myself.  No, truthfully I was yelling at the TV -”WHO?!?!?’ are you talking to??!?!? and WHY???!!?!!?  SHUT UP ALREADY!!!”  — yeah, everyone had an axe to grind - but Laura and Sophie handled it better than I would have.)

Do I think the show helped or hurt Ashlee?

Career wise I don’t think it had much impact.  I say that because a great number of people in the industry already knew Ashlee and already had proclaimed her to be a star.  Several personally told me they wanted to work with her should the opportunity arise.  And various labels around town were already seriously looking in her direction.  Do more know her?  Sure.  And that’s a good thing - but it isn’t earth shattering.

On a personal level I think this experience was a great one for Ashlee.  She’s going to have life-long friends as a result of the show - and you can never have too many friends.  Especially one’s that have shared the same experiences in life that you have.

So where does Ashlee go from here?

Most likely on a Nashville Star tour, if I understand correctly.  Afterwards, the sky’s the limit.  She’s going to land on a label and of course be a big star.  You’ll hear her all over the radio and see her all over TV.

If there’s one thing I personally would like to see it would be a ‘Hewitt Sisters Reunion’.  Now that the show is over, and once she gets passed the contractual obligations she has to fulfill, it would be nice for the sisters to once again be a team — all for one and one for all.  That’s more natural to me I suppose.  Together let them sign a deal.  Together tour the world.  Together have hits.  Together.  That would be nice.

But untimately that’s a family decision - and like in the case of Nashville Star, all the options will have to be weighed and what’s best for everyone will have to be taken into consideration.  Ashlee is blessed to have a very close (and large) family.

It’s been a great experience to have Ashlee on Nashville Star — and on NashvilleHype!  I hope you’ve taken the time to get to know some of the other future stars we’ve featured.

Last, thanks again to everyone that’s come over to read about Ashlee, and also took the time to support her by voting for her.  I know she appreciates it very much - as we all do.

This is a small lesson for you artist out there.  Some of you may already know what I’m about to say, but it’s not a bad idea to think about it again.  For those of you who’ve never heard the term ‘making news’ - this is really important to your career and you need to remember it.

Artist who are covered often on this site aren’t just my personal friends.  I know, NashvilleHype! covers certain artist a lot more than we cover others.  And, we haven’t had as many new artist on site as we used to.  That’s because quite frankly, they’re getting harder to find.  And the artist we cover a lot know what ‘making news’ means.  I’ll use Rachel Farley as an example because I have Rachel on a lot and her example is a good one to teach what making GOOD news is.

Rachel is of course an extremely talented young lady.  Rachel has a unique voice, her own styling (she isn’t playing copy cat to another vocalist).  And Rachel is ALWAYS working.

What seperates Rachel from the pack in coverage isn’t these things alone — it’s that Rachel has interesting things happening in her career.

Yes, she tells me if she’s playing a show and where she’ll be.  Ok, that’s not so interesting really because Rachel is playing shows every weekend.  But when she tells me she’s playing a show with my friend Aaron Tippin, that’s interesting, because now 2 friends of NashvilleHype! are involved in something together.  Add in the fact she also played on the same stage as Ashlee Hewitt at the Supercell Benefit and now we have 3 NashvilleHype! artist connected.

When she also tells me she’s writing with Rissi Palmer, and our friend Glenn Sweitzer just shot Rissi’s new video, now we’re talking — a way to tie several NashvilleHype! artist together in one news story.  Rachel has just ‘made news’.

I know, that makes it sound like it’s all about NashvilleHype! and not Rachel, right?  Wrong.

NashvilleHype! is somewhat like an eco-system in that success breeds even more success with NashvilleHype! being the common factor.  It’s not a restricted club, not by any means!  We’re equal opportunity.  If it interest us, it’ll probably interest others.  Maybe not all, but we’ve not been shy about telling everyone who our demographic is and who we write for — first and foremost, the industry professionals who read this page and second, the public who might become a fan.

For instance, Ashlee Hewitt does well on Nashville Star, people google her and find her here - while here reading about Ashlee, people see a write up of Rachel, visit Rachel and become a fan of hers as well.

The industry works in similar ways.  NashvilleHype! is pretty well known by the quality of artist we cover.  And those artist are typically the ones who are working hard and have a few things going in their direction, keep in touch, and make news.

Jaida Dreyer makes news.  One minute she tells me she’s showcasing for a major label, the next time she tells me she’s performing for John Rich, the next minute she tells me she’s signed with Byron Gallimore — all ‘news’ worthy items.  I could write every step she makes, but how boring.  What would be the point?  Would the industry care?  Would you?

You have to make news or have something going on to be interesting - not only to me, to everyone else.  If you don’t have any news and you’re just going through the everyday everyday of being an artist, you need to learn to make news that others would find interesting.  Create it from thin air if you have to, but make it completely truthful.

For instance, if you’re playing your 100th show at some club, that’s boring, and we aren’t writing about that.  But if all the proceeds from your 100th show are going to St. Judes Childrens Research and you’ve got a good draw (not your 5 friends and a dog) - that means you could raise some real money and help some people — there’s a good chance you’re going to make it on if possible.  By making your boring 100th show a benefit for sick children, you’ve just ‘made news’.  Get it?

You’ve got to do something interesting. Something worth writing about. You’ve got to have something going on - all the time.

Here’s another example, Kelly Ray Davis doesn’t have a label - but the Road Hammers, who are signed to Montage Records (who are supposed to be a ‘major indie’) here in Nashville, are opening for HIM!  That’s freakin news!!  When an awesome band like the Road Hammers are your opening act and you’re not even on a label, that’s tearing it up!  No wonder we said, “if given half a chance, Kelly Ray Davis will rule the world”.

NashvilleHype! has to ‘make news’ all the time. We have to constantly have great artist making great news to have an audience. Why read us if we didn’t? Why would anyone in the industry pay attention if we didn’t?

Sure, we’ve written about artist in the past that we don’t hear anything from afterwards — neither them, nor their career. But thankfully, we’ve been really blessed with several great artist making great news.

Make news and receive press.  Receive press and attract fans. Receive NashvilleHype! press and attract the industry and fans.

Bottom line is, If you aren’t interesting, we aren’t interested.

This is a video of Rachel Farley doing Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder and Lead”.  This video was shot during CMA Week at the Cadillac Ranch in downtown Nashville.  The night before, at midnight, she had went down to play with this band. She’d never played with them before (or a true band from what I know), but she was invited, so she went - played a few songs and learned a little of what it means to improvise on stage - even if you aren’t sure what’s going on or what to do next.  The band invited her back, so the next day, she went again.  The place was packed out, and this was Rachel’s first song with the band. Seriously, her FIRST song.

I say this reluctantly but I want to make a point - Rachel is 13.  Admit it, Rachel Farley is AWESOME! Can you even imagine when she starts recording with Keith Thomas??  Forget about it - she’s taking over the world.

Here’s what I wrote about it June 10th, 2008:

Walk around Nashville a little while, look around, and make our way over to the Cadillac Ranch to see Rachel Farley perform

and she COMPLETELY took everyone in the audience by surprize -

cause people, just listen to me please! - Rachel is a STAR!  She absolutely ROCKS!  You wonder why she wins so many awards?  Why she’s working with Grammy winning mega-producers?  Why major record label Presidents show up to a Benefit Concert?  It’s not cause it’s a good cause!  Wonder why I had her on NashvilleHype! before anyone knew a Rachel Farley existed?  Because she KILLS from the stage!  Especially with a band.  I’ve not seen her perform with a band before and oh my… just unbelievable.  She has really grown in stage presence since I first saw her perform.  And her future is only going to get brighter.

After Rachel performed, I got a chance to dispel some good old fashion wisdom in her direction

and she’s a sponge.  Look at those eyes.  I wish every artists would listen to me as intently as Rachel does - things might be better for them.  ahh, cest la vie.

Here’s a bonus video, just to show you what kind of songs she’s writing RIGHT NOW — this is an Original song written solely by Rachel - “Empty Bottle and an Empty Heart”

CD: Two Men with the Blues

Release: July 8, 2008

 
I’m sitting here listening to my new favorite cd!  This album is AWESOME!  I mean, after the last review I had to give Willie for his ill-conceived “Moment of Forever” cd, which was horrible on so many levels, I wasn’t sure I wanted to even crack this one open - but man, am I glad I ever did!

This album was recorded live Jan. 12th and 13th, 2007 at the Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at the Lincoln Center - and it’s a performance that you just WISH you could’ve been there to see live.  This is the only kindof reason to spend any money going to a live show anymore.  If it’s this good.

Wynton is spot on in his playing and Willie sounds interested in what he’s singing.  The players backing them are superb in every way and it’s just FUN to listen to.  It’s SWINGING, Rocking, Jazzy, Country, and Blues at it’s best. 

Standards like “Bright Lights, Big City”, “Caldonia”, and “Georgia on my Mind” are included.  “Caldonia” is ROCKING and I swear I could place it on repeat and listen to it over and over all night.  This is just fantastic music.  The best collaboration in Years!

Congrats to the staff at Blue Note Records for getting this to market.  I hope it’s a HUGE hit and everyone buys it.  Nothing you buy this year is going to compare.  Seriously.  This might be the Record of the Year.

As an aside, several weeks ago I received Willie Nelson’s new novel - A Tale Out Of Luck, which won’t be released until September 2008. So stay tuned to NashvilleHype! as I will be reviewing this book before it’s release.

You hear this kind of report every year, but this year, because NashvilleHype! has a vested interest (we not only want Ashlee Hewitt to win, we want the whole country to know who she is!), we really hate to hear this - and can only hope that things pick up.

According to Media Life Magazine:

The country crooners on NBC’s “Nashville Star” hit an off note in their second outing last night. Though the series continues to improve on its ratings from last year, when it aired on USA, the show saw a substantial decline in its second week of competition.

“Star” averaged a 1.8 adults 18-49 rating last night from 9 to 10:30 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, off 18 percent from an opening-week 2.2. That’s still well ahead of what the show averaged on USA last year.

But “Star” finished fifth in the 9 p.m. hour, behind even Univision’s “Fuego en la Sangre,” and it barely topped ABC bomb “The Mole” during the 10 p.m. half hour, averaging a 1.9 to the latter’s 1.6.

Relaunching a cable show on broadcast is a very difficult undertaking, as those shows tend to be more niche and appeal to a narrower audience. While “Star” certainly will draw in country music fans, it does not have the broad appeal of a show like “American Idol,” which includes a number of different genres.

Of course it didn’t get much help from lead-in “American Gladiators,” which tied for fourth in the 8 p.m. timeslot with Univision’s “Al Diablo con los Guapos,” dropping the network to fourth for the night. 

Maybe NBC can make some changes — as in, change the terrible lead in show.  I mean, doesn’t Hulk Hogan have enough bad press already?