NashvilleHype!

Companies to Jointly Develop ‘The Next GAC Star’ Winner

(ed. note:  This is really interesting not only because it’s two very large and successful companies teaming up, but it goes to show where a lot of the talent that’s being found is being found - reality shows.  There’s simply nothing that can beat a built in audience from being on television, good or bad, and it seems more and more this is where the ‘development’ is happening — right before our eyes.  Also interested is the sentence highlighted — I’ve tried to tell every aspiring artist to watch what they do, publicly and privately, and at all times, make sure you have complete control over what is seen — that includes anything from MySpace pictures, down to what your friends put out there as well.) 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (July 28, 2008) - Television network Great American Country (GAC) and artist development company Music Nation, partners in The Next GAC Star national country music talent search, today announced a new agreement which extends the relationship between the two companies with a joint investment in the development of The Next GAC Star winner.  Already underway, The Next GAC Star offers independent country artists national television exposure and the chance to win a record deal with Music Nation’s development arm/label Original Signal Recordings.
 
The agreement marks Original Signal’s next step in its new model of artist development and its first move into country music as well as GAC’s foray into artist development, working as a powerful platform for breaking new artists with Original Signal.
 
The relationship will kick into high gear when the winner of The Next GAC Star is announced during a live televised finale on September 10 on GAC, providing a key, high-profile launch for the winning artist’s career. GAC will continue to directly support the artist through its TV, radio and website media platforms and events.
 
“Music Nation and Original Signal have built an excellent reputation among unsigned artists for their successful artist development initiatives,” says Ed Hardy, president of GAC. “We felt they were a great partner for GAC as we become more directly involved in this portion of the music business, which is an exciting step and a natural extension for a country music network that is know as ‘the leader in country music entertainment.’”
 
Original Signal will develop the winner through an artist-friendly joint venture deal via a new Nashville-based label dedicated to country artists.  Adopting Original Signal’s focus on developing artists as brands, the Nashville label will cultivate The Next GAC Star winner through digital and traditional marketing, radio promotion, and publicity, in addition to more non-traditional channels.  The artist will also benefit from Original Signal’s distribution through Sony/RED.  The new Nashville label will begin building its roster outside of The Next GAC Star in the coming months.  Original Signal is best known for its work with breakout indie pop songstress Ingrid Michaelson.
 
“Country music, with its passionate, dedicated fanbase, is an exciting new world for us and we see many opportunities on both the digital and traditional fronts,” said Daniel Klaus, CEO of Music Nation and Original Signal Recordings.  “GAC is committed to artists and has a proven track record of breaking young, unknown acts, making GAC the perfect partner for us in this new venture.”

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About Great American Country
Great American Country is the leader in country music entertainment. GAC delivers to viewers the widest variety of country music, its artists and the lifestyles they influence. GAC broadcasts original country music programming, country music performance specials, live concerts, music videos, and is the exclusive television home of the Grand Ole Opry. GAC is available in more than 54 million households and online at http://www.GACTV.com.
 
About Music Nation
Engineered to navigate the changing landscape of the music business, Music Nation is a next generation music company designed to discover, develop, and build artist brands. The company employs both its expanding online music community, which acts as a digital A&R source, and traditional methods to sign artists to its label Original Signal Recordings. Through custom deals that are equitable, artist-friendly partnerships, the company is able to focus on developing new revenue streams around artists to create career sustainability.
 
Launched in 2006, the company is the brainchild of Daniel Klaus (CEO), Lucas Mann (Co-founder), Kevin P. Ryan (Chairman), and Peter Read (Managing Director, UK and Europe); their combined expertise crosses the e-commerce, digital media, and music industry divides.
 
About Original Signal Recordings
Original Signal Recordings merges the services of a traditional record label with a pioneering approach to long-term artist growth. By offering a new breed of equitable, joint venture deals that function on multiple platforms, Original Signal presents a unique value to new and established artists. Embracing technology rather than shying away from it, the company employs new media and other channels to generate sustainability for its artists. Their roster includes Ingrid Michaelson, David Ford, and The Modern Society, among others.

Nashville, TN – July 24, 2008 –Taylor Swift’s star continues to rise this week as she becomes the only artist this decade to hold down both the #1 and #2 positions atop Billboard’s Country CD Sales chart.

Beautiful Eyes, a Wal-Mart exclusive CD/ DVD combo, debuted this week at #1, with sales of 44,652. Taylor’s self-titled debut CD, released in the Fall of 2006, continues its amazing momentum, moving from the #1 to the #2 slot with sales this week of 34,622. To date, Taylor Swift has spent an incredible 24 weeks at #1 on the Country CD Sales Chart.

 
 
The 2-disc CD/DVD set Beautiful Eyes CD features two songs not previously available for purchase by the public – the title track, “Beautiful Eyes,” plus “I Heart ?”, and includes an alternate version of Taylor’s current hit “Should’ve Said No,” and an acoustic version of the cross-over hit “Teardrops on My Guitar.” 

The exclusive DVD includes music videos for each of Taylor’s five hit singles – including her live show-stopping performance of “Should’ve Said No” from the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards - plus a brand new video for the song “Beautiful Eyes.”  The DVD also features Taylor’s GAC ACM Showcase interview, The Making of the “Picture to Burn” Video, and the music video for “I’m Only Me When I’m With You,” which features home video footage of Taylor edited by the superstar herself. The package was released to coincide with the launch of the l.e.i. jeans Back-to-School 2008 campaign, “This is l.e.i. Country.”

Taylor is the face of this year’s campaign, and the l.e.i. brand is sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.
Also this week, MTV and Us Weekly named Taylor as the “T” in their Summer 2008 “Us Weekly and MTV Presents Hot List A to Z”, their picks for what’s sizzling this summer. The list is featured in the August 4th issue of Us, on newsstands this weekend, and airs as an MTV special on July 26th. Taylor is the only country artist on the list.
 
To hear Taylor’s current Top 5 single, “Should’ve Said No,” log on to: www.taylorswift.com or www.myspace.com/taylorswift.

This is a great video and a fun song - it comes from Trailer Choir, a trio signed to Toby Keith’s Show Dog label.  The song is the lead track from Toby’s new movie, “Beer For My Horses“, which looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun as well.  Nashvillehype! will be talking to Trailer Choir soon we hope, so be on the lookout.

My favorite quote from the bio below: “Toby said get your stuff, get a band, just get out there introduce yourselves and play,” Butter says. “He told us, ‘I don’t have a plan for this; nobody has a plan. You guys have to make it work.’” - that’s old school!

Popular music occasionally yields songs that capture an idea on the cusp of cultural consciousness. “How Do You Like Me Now?!” “Walk This Way.” “Hey Good Lookin’.” These catchphrase concepts immediately become part of the American lexicon or, perhaps, already were and are just graced with better publicity.

Chicken-or-egg conundrum aside, it’s a rare convergence and one that seems to be a special gift of new Show Dog Nashville trio Trailer Choir.

The band’s debut single “Off The Hillbilly Hook” not only contributed to lead Show Dog Toby Keith’s decision to sign them to his label, but has become the lead single for the soundtrack for Keith’s upcoming feature film Beer For My Horses. And there are more where that comes from. “Rockin’ The Beer Gut” gives definition to the growing and curious cultural phenomenon of tiny-tees and tubby tummies. “My Next 5 Beers” gives voice to anyone looking for a respite from life’s long term responsibilities.

Quotable lines and good time songs only touch on the Trailer Choir experience, however. Full effects can only be felt live and in-person, where we find master of ceremonies, comic ringleader and front man Butter, smooth and soulful Louisiana girl Crystal and worm popping small town big boy Big Vinny. Because you just haven’t lived until you’ve seen a 400-pound man do the pop worm in the middle of a country show. Hey, when a band’s list of influences includes Garth, Tammy, Oprah, David Lee Roth, Elvis and the Sonic Drive-in, expect the unexpected.

Trailer Choir started as a loose association of musicians and singers, usually including Butter and Big Vinny, traveling the Southeast playing private parties and frat houses. They’d cover everything from “Dust On The Bottle” to “Friends In Low Places” and, when Crystal joined them, “I Will Survive.” Over time, they added a few originals.

“We started playing songs we could slip in during these parties that would fit in and keep people listening and dancing,” Butter says. “That’s why so much of the writing takes the tone that it does. It’s not wrong to play your own stuff at a cover show, unless you start losing the crowd. And we never wanted to do that.”

So Butter and Big Vinny figured they were on to something good, but never really equated it with their ultimate ambitions. In fact, Trailer Choir wasn’t originally intended to be their Nashville play. It was their let’s-make-money, let’s-find-gigs, let’s-have-fun play. And a funny thing happened on the way to the next paying gig: They had so much fun that folks started to notice. Most notably a man who understands better than most that being what Nashville wants you to be doesn’t exactly translate to success in the heartland – Toby Keith.

“We decided to put together an in-town show that was four to six songs long,” Butter says of the decision to pull the covers from the show when playing Music City. Local Nashville music promoter Billy Block gave the band a platform for their original set, and word spread quickly. One of their earliest fans made an unusual demand.

“I jumped on stage with them one night,” Crystal says. “I was getting frustrated because one of their songs really needed a female harmony so I just took over a microphone.” “Once Crystal locked in with us, it was clear,” Butter says. “She brought everything to the table. She looked great, she sang great. You know, she…” “She looked great, she sang great,” Big Vinny smiles.

“At that point we started counting on her and she started counting on us,” Butter adds. “We even started rehearsing,” Crystal laughs.

“I’m not sure we’ve rehearsed three times since we started this thing,” Butter says, explaining the band’s fun-first mantra. “We like to rehearse it in front of people.” “Butter always changes things when we get on stage anyway,” Big Vinny says. “What’s the point?”

Their lineup solidified, momentum began to build for Trailer Choir. One night after a show, Toby Keith introduced himself to the band. That meeting led to another planned showcase for Keith and Show Dog Nashville staff in the spring of 2007. They were offered a deal on the spot.

Within days, the band was on a tour bus headed out on Toby’s Big Dog Daddy tour, where they played side stages, beer stands, parking lots – anywhere they could find fans to listen. “Toby said get your stuff, get a band, just get out there introduce yourselves and play,” Butter says. “He told us, ‘I don’t have a plan for this; nobody has a plan. You guys have to make it work.’”

“That was a great time for us, because we relished being in the parking lot,” Big Vinny says. “They let us in the door and we hustled like you’d expect someone to. I was averaging 50 pop worms a day.”

“It was the three of us in a golf cart riding around with a PA system Butter rigged to run off the battery he took out of his car when we left for the tour,” Crystal says. “That was a blessing for us, because it put us in the environment we’re built for,” Butter adds. “We got to meet hundreds of thousands of people because we were walking around with an acoustic guitar, eating hamburgers and drinking beer with them.”

The tour was an education, in more ways than one. “We realized a little too late that if you need a golf cart from the venue, send Crystal,” Big Vinny admits. “Me or Butter walk out there like, ‘Hey, can we get a golf cart?’ And they’re all, ‘Naw, we ain’t got any.’ Send Crystal and it’s, ‘We have three carts. You need a driver?’”

Still touring regularly with Keith, Trailer Choir are also working on their debut album, which Toby is producing. They’re applying everything they’ve learned about moving an audience to the project and, most importantly, having fun.

“We’re very serious about our songwriting, even though our songs are about having a good time,” Butter says. “And there will come a time when a deeper side of what we do will come out. But the way this band started and the world this music came out of was the mindset you feel when you’re tailgating. You can pile all your stress up somewhere else for an hour and come hang with us.” And you just might pick up a few one-liners in the process.

“Back in my Life” launched to 350 national country radio stations with new video to be launched on Digital Rodeo soon!
 
CINCINNATI, Ohio – July 7th, 2008 – Rising country performer Dan Varner along with WiseSmith Management today announced that Dan Varner has released his brand new single “Back In My Life”.

Playing at 4th Street Live in Louisville, Kentucky and other major national music festivals, Dan just completed a successful four- year regional tour, opening for such artists as Blake Shelton, Craig Morgan, Josh Gracin, John Michael Montgomery, Little Texas, Taylor Swift, Tracy Lawrence and Jason Michael Carroll. In 2007 Dan’s fan base grew dramatically, as did his recognition in the country music industry, providing the ideal time to put out his first single.

The new EP “From Within” co-produced with Dan’s Manager/Producer Doc Smith and engineered by Tyler Morrison (Liquid Sound Studios) is proving to bring out the very best in Dan’s amazing vocals and song writing abilities.

Dan has been in the studio since July 2007 in between tour dates working on seven original tracks for his EP. Dan’s rich baritone vocals are highlighted in every track from the up tempo single “Back Into My Life,” which starts out slow, ballad-like but takes you into a wonderful Austin City groove with acoustic guitar and fiddle leading the way.

“Four Vices” is one of those “music row, country, up-tempo, party-time fever” songs that offers a traditional fiddle sound with a contemporary edge. He also shows off his blues side with “12 Beer Honey.” Rounding out the up-tempo numbers are three, powerful ballads of love, heart-ache and hope.

“It takes time, patience, and perseverance in this industry. The competition is steep, the right deals are few, and radio airplay is competitive. This project shows Dan’s entire persona for today’s radio, staying true to his musical convictions, yet delivering it with a unique style, and passion,” says Doc Smith, Dan Varner’s Manager/Producer.

“I’m so proud to offer my first single and EP to the country music community. The band and I worked many hours in the studio and on stage to create, what we feel, is a new, defining sound in country music. We can’t wait to share it live with our fans. We’ve been so fortunate to have their support from the beginning,” said Dan Varner.

If you would are interested in more information or if you would like to set up an interview with Dan please contact Doc Smith (WiseSmith Management) at 502-480-7169 or docsmith@wsmmusiclounge.biz.
 
Dan’s public sites below

WiseSmith Management Group, Inc
docsmith@wsmmusiclounge.biz
(502) 618-5160
(502) 480-7169 *Nashville
Check out our Artist in the Lounge below
www.wsmmusiclounge.biz
www.digitalrodeo.com/WiseSmithManagement
www.myspace.com/chamberflow Video Release
www.danvarner.com
www.digitalrodeo.com/danvarner
New Single Release/Video Coming soon on Digital Rodeo!