Music Industry Weekly spoke with Hollywood R&B/Hip-Hop record producer, James Worthy, known for his work with artists including Fetty Wap. 6lack, T-Pain, Truth Hurts, Robin S, and Tony Terry.
Beginning his musical career at seventeen years old, Worthy began producing hip-hop/R&B music with more of a “soulful twist.”
“I’ve always been a fan of percussion, basslines, and drums,” Worthy recalled. “What I found to be missing at the time, was the lack of production to go along with my writing. That’s when I began studying other music producers for arrangement techniques.”
Andrew Rossow: How would you define the role of a “record producer?”James Worthy: A record producer is involved with the creation of musical composition, the mixing process, the mastering process, and songwriting. The entire objective is to create and produce the entire record from top-to-bottom.
AR: What are ‘arrangement techniques?’JW: First and foremost, learning about the melody structure. From there, you’re learning to distinguish chorus from verse and bridge. Lastly, knowing where harmony and melodies should come into play in any melody.
AR: You mentioned you started your career at just 17-years-old. What struck your initial interest in the entertainment industry?JW: Born and raised in New York, I was exposed to all genres of music, which birthed the love for music. As time went on, I became interested in songwriting, which eventually turned into production.
AR: What does an average day look like for you?JW: My days can and almost always change. Usually, my days consist of early morning business meetings, conference calls, studio sessions, and workout sessions. I like to balance everything I need to in a day, if possible.
AR: What has been the most exciting part of your journey?JW: Having the opportunity to live out my dreams, as well as having the privilege of working with individuals I’ve looked up to over the years, including, but not limited to Whodini, Robin S, CeCe Peniston, Ceelo Green, and many others.
AR: What specific challenges have you encountered in your career, and how have you overcome those?JW: Understanding patience and business structure. We’ve all had those times in life where things weren’t moving fast enough but understanding the essence of timing is most important. Business is just what makes the engine continue to move.
AR: If you could describe your business model/structure, how would you lay it out in an entrepreneurial pitch to a prospective client?JW: The business model changes quite a bit, so myself understanding how music is being consumed, distributed, & marketed, I am able to provide key points as to the direction an artist or musician should go in. Streaming is very much a vital avenue in gaining exposure, but not so much of revenue which forces them to enter Merchandise, Touring, & Publishing which is your ownership.
AR: How has social media and technology affected your career/ability to grow/expand?JW: Social media has helped me tremendously because I’ve been able to touch demographics that I would have never been able to reach. Years ago, when I entered the business there were no high-level social media outlets available. The most accessible was Myspace & Twitter. Now there are multiple outlets for you to reach so many different types of people in many demographics. You can also see who is not only watching you, but where, how, and why they do. This helps me because that shows who I would need to target in regard to touring, merchandise, and promotional campaigns. It also has taught me how to balance information I want to remain private versus what I choose to disclose to the public.
AR: What tips do you have for aspiring record producers and/or artists in the space?JW: You need to know exactly who you want to be in this business. To do this, you must understand the business, so I would suggest studying musicians within your genre. But at the end of the day, you need to love the craft and love what you do.
Adding a new member to the #TeamGavin squad, YouTube star, Gavin Magnus teamed up with his new duo partner and YouTube star, Coco Quinn, for their brand-new cover of Shawn Mendes’ and Camila Cabello’s ‘Seniorita.’
In just 24-hours, the YouTube video has grown to over 1 million views, adding Magnus and Quinn’s own take to the song. You can’t help but feel a tug at the heart as these two kids redefine the meaning of young love and magic.
Magnus, 12, recently signed with Capitol Records, taking his portfolio to the next level. Back in June, the young YouTube star teased a new project with rapper, Ludacris, with little known details about the project at this time.
Over the past few months, Magnus has had a round of support from fans, with his campaign of spreading love and positivity throughout the community.
In an interview with Pop Culture, Magnus has experienced the dark side of social media, sharing his firsthand account with bullying, and has taken the high road in ensuring that he continues to do what he loves with the people he cares about by his side.
He recently participated in my anti-cyberbullying movement, #CYBERBYTE, which has attracted national attention by many of Hollywood’s stars, most recently Jason Faunt of Power Rangers: Time Force.
Quinn, 11, is also a fan-favorite on YouTube and Instagram, having been a member of the mini-elite competition team, Molly’s Monsters. Just last year, Quinn began appearing in the web series, Mani.
Music Industry Weekly – Gavin Magnus
With over 400,000 followers on her Instagram, Quinn has been seen in recent collaborative projects with Magnus.
We can only hope that this duo continues to bend the bounds of pre-teen music and the fandom surrounding today’s child star arena.
If you haven’t heard the duo’s new cover of ‘Seniorita,’ definitely check it out—it’s not your average video and vocal performance.
JBACH is a rising singer-songwriter who continues to break his way into the music industry. Finding his potential on The Voice to spending a few years behind the scenes writing songs for other artists, it’s now time for JBACH to breakout as a pop artist on his own. Releasing his second single and debut video with “Taste,” JBACH shows his personality in a vibrant dessert-filled dream.
“Taste” tells the story of restraining yourself in front of the one you love, waiting for the right moment. With clever wordplay and sensual delivery, JBACH captures the eagerness of young love.
We sat down with the extremely talented and inspirational JBACH to learn more about the journey from his television debut on The Voice to the release of his latest project.
MIW:Fans of The Voice will recognize you from the memorable audition where you caught the immediate attention of Pharrell. What was it like to be on “Team Pharrell” and work with such a legendary artist?JBACH: OMG. So incredible. You have to remember that I was a 19-year-old kid in scrubs when I got the call that I made it to the next round. To have a huge celebrity tell a small town Chaldean boy that I was talented and worth mentoring completely blew my mind.MIW: What was the most valuable lesson you learned from being on The Voice?JBACH: Honestly, the entire experience just validated my art and gave me such a boost of confidence that no other experience could have ever given me. Hearing what these incredible coaches thought about me and my music, and seeing Pharrell stop production just to encourage me to keep going and never stop after I was eliminated fueled me and is something I think about all the time. Before I left I told him I’d work with him again, and he told me he can’t wait. 🙂 JBACH – Music Industry WeeklyMIW: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced breaking into the music industry?JBACH: Learning the music industry from scratch has been a super interesting learning curve. I thought I was so smart and cool and well dressed, then all of the sudden everything I knew about like medicine didn’t matter and everyone is cooler and more stylish than I am and knows how to write songs and network. It took me a solid year of being really lame in sessions before I got the hang of it and started to understand like who JBACH is. MIW:If you could choose any other career besides being a songwriter and artist, what would it be?JBACH: It’s funny because people used to ask me if I could choose any other career than medicine, what would I choose, and I mean at this point we all know my answer. MIW:Tell us about your new single “Taste” and the concept behind the video. JBACH: Taste is literally one of my favorite songs that I’ve ever written and the video turned out even better than I ever imagined it would. It was shot over two days, 20+ hours in a garage with a table and a green screen. I saw the cover art for the Tayla Parx album We Need To Talk and thought it would be super dope to have like these photo satin gloves doing choreo and serving food. A bunch of friends volunteered so much time and energy into being there. The director Milli2nd had to deal with my cranky self for 14+ hour days and is the reason that the video looks as incredible as it does. I have so many people to thank that made this video happen, it was super important to me that I featured them and I made sure to make the credits part of the video with the B Roll shots.JBACH – Music Industry WeeklyMIW:Do you have any other hidden hobbies or talents outside of music?JBACH: I don’t mean to brag but I don’t think anyone knows their way around those Instagram videos where people play with slime quite as much as I do.MIW:What is your favorite part about the music industry? Why?JBACH: I’m constantly in awe of my music friends. It’s so cool to see people that I know and love and work with go off and do their own thing, thrive and be awesome. Coming into a session, doing the most vulnerable thing you can do with a stranger makes a weird instant bond with that person that you always remember. It’s something you don’t really see in any other line of work. Creating with dope people and becoming fans of my collaborators is my favorite thing about this industry.MIW:What advice would you give someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?JBACH: You can do anything you want to do if you’re willing to give it your all, I’m not even kidding. Spend 12 hours a day writing, and you’ll become an amazing writer, no matter what. Very early on in my career, a cousin of mine told me I should be treating every day like a workday, even when I was just starting off. I knew I had a lot of catching up to do, everyone else around me had been making music forever, and so I devoted myself to just perfecting my writing and singing. I figured that if the odds of me having a hit song were one in a million, that I would just write a million songs. Also, don’t be surprised if people aren’t fully supportive right away. That’s normal. Remember that you need to be so confident in yourself that it relinquishes any doubt that people around you may have. No one will believe something that you don’t believe yourself. It’s a big scary decision and people just want the best for you, and honestly, if people weren’t skeptical of me at first then I wouldn’t have the work ethic that I have today. MIW:What can our readers and your existing fanbase expect to see from you musically in the near future? JBACH: My new single When The Dark Comes comes out in September, with a music video on the way! Also, my mom just bought me a really cool outfit so everyone be on the lookout. JBACH – Music Industry WeeklyMIW:Where will you be performing next?JBACH: I’m so excited to be performing again after a two-year break, and I’m playing a super dope artist showcase on September 5th at Hotel Cafe 🙂MIW:How can our readers connect with you on social media, learn more about you, or stream/download your music and/or videos?JBACH: Yes omg please follow me on Spotify and check the songs out! JBACH on Spotify, and @JBACH on twitter and Instagram. I used to have a Vine but like RIP…
instagram.com/jbach
twitter.com/jbach
“A woman’s life ain’t just a list of worst things she has done,” Tanya Tucker sings on the opening track to her new album, “While I’m Livin’.
Seventeen years later, original female outlaw and ‘Delta Dawn’ country legend, Tanya Tucker is back making history with the release of her highly anticipated new album, “While I’m Livin,’”, comprised of songs written by Brandi Carlile, Shooter Jennings, and the twins, Tim and Phil Hanseroth.
“It’s a musical biography of sorts,” said Carlile, “about Tanya’s real life and the places she’s seen, and it’s narrated by the greatest country and western singer this side of Johnny Cash.”
According to The New Yorker, “While I’m Livin’ ” might be the best record of Tucker’s career; it is certainly one of the albums of the year.
“She hasn’t been given the respect she deserves because she was a child star,” Carlile explained in an interview with Rolling Stone.
“As she grew up and fell on hard times, I don’t think she was given the same grace an artist like Waylon and Willie and Cash were given for the times that they maybe didn’t live up to their own standards of healthfulness. She should be lauded in the same way that so many of these amazing outlaw men are.”
Tucker definitely lived the outlaw life, similar to her country idols such as Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash. She never married, but dated plenty, connecting with legends such as Merle Haggard, Don Johnson, and most famously, Glen Campbell when she was 22 years old and he was 44.
The record should help remind people why Tucker has, over the years, inspired so many rebellious country women—from the Dixie Chicks to Miranda Lambert and Gretchen Wilson, who, on her signature tune, “Redneck Woman,” sings, “I know all the words to every Tanya Tucker song.”
But Tucker doesn’t want listeners thinking this is her “comeback,” –it’s a ‘relaunch,’ which she shared with The Associated Press.
Her rejection of the term ‘comeback’ is not hard to understand. Why? She’s already been there and done that. Now, it’s about empowering other female artists in a time where many in the country feel shut out and stifled from freely expressing themselves.
In celebration of the release, Tucker is playing special select shows this fall. She kicked off the performances last night at Exit/In in Nashville and is at the Grand Ole Opry tonight.
Additional dates include September 17 at The Bowery Ballroom (presented by SiriusXM) in New York, and October 16 at The Troubadour in Los Angeles—with a second show added on October 17 (presented by 88.5FM).
Tucker will also join Brandi Carlile at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on December 6, tickets and VIP packages are available here.
Even after her passing, Sancy Shaw of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, continues to shine on. Last week, the immense music talent duo, Lost Hollow, comprised of Tommy and Lorrie Harden, released their first single, “Shine On,” as a tribute to Shaw, whose life was tragically taken by a repeat drunk driver.
Sancy Shaw inspired people with the way she lived her life, with the way she loved her family, and with the way she touched the communities in both Clark and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Her story inspired Nashville-based band, Lost Hollow, to release a fitting tribute to her, as their first single.
Lorrie said the couple has followed the Shaw’s heartbreaking story through the Facebook posts from longtime friend Greg Peterson, who still lives in South Routt. Peterson reached out to the Hardens hoping the band could help him pay tribute to Sancy, who was killed in a car crash on Interstate 70 near Genesee on Christmas Eve.
“When they called me and told me about it, I was blown away, and I was touched that they were doing it in honor of Sancy,” Brett Shaw, Sancy’s husband, said of the effort to produce the song. “It’s a memorial type song for Sancy that has been created by my friend Greg Peterson and Tom and Lorrie Harden from the band Lost Hollow. This song has blessed our lives.”
“Shine On” tells the gripping and heartbreaking story of Sancy Shaw, an adored wife and mother of four, tragically taken soon by a drunk driver. On Christmas Eve last year, Sancy was on her way home from the clinic with her six-year-old daughter, Charlee, when they were struck by another vehicle. The driver with four prior DUI offenses was once again found to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The drunk driver and Sancy were killed, but Charlee survived, sustaining severe injuries.
The single’s accompanying video, newly released, has had over 3,000 shares and well over 400,000 views.
“I called them with an idea as part of a crowdfunding effort,” Peterson said in an interview with Steamboat Pilot. “So I called and told them that I want to write a song, but it’s going to be uplifting, and it’s going to be about Sancy … The talent was clearly Lost Hollow. I was the point-the-finger guy.”
Lorrie and Tommy, who have six children of their own, said the Shaws’ story struck a chord. Peterson provided the couple with some ideas and background on Sancy.
“I wanted to bring awareness in a positive light,” Lorrie said. “She was such a beautiful, strong, spiritual woman that the community embraced and loved. It was important for me — that even though she is gone — that her light is going to shine on through everybody else that was able to get in touch with her.”
Lorrie Harden grew up in the Yampa Valley and graduated from Steamboat Springs High School in 1981.
Her husband, Tommie Harden, a Nashville “A” team studio musician, moved to the music city in ’91 and during his time there, has played an estimated 10,000 recording sessions, with artists such as Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson, Reba, Waylon Jennings, Lo Cash Cowboys, Jessica Simpson, Big & Rich, John Anderson, George Jones, and countless others. He played on the No. 1 song, “I Drive Your Truck” among many more.
Tommy has found himself on stages at the White House, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The View, Ellen, Oprah, Regis & Kelly, Tonight Show, David Letterman, and even has a screen credit in the film, “Muscle Shoals.”
As Nashville songwriters, Tommy and Lorrie got two cuts on Reba’s double platinum album, “Duets.” Fun fact—they even had a song they wrote performed at the Kennedy Center with Reba and Carole King in front of the President and entire nation on NBC, making it out to be the only outside cut to ever get on a Carole King project that she herself didn’t write.
The single, written by both Tommy and Lorrie, will be available on the upcoming August 26 release Looking for Happy album. The single can be downloaded here with 100% of the donations going to the Live Like Sancy –The Sancy Shaw Scholarship Fund.
Nashville, TENN—It’s that time of year again as the GMA Dove Awards returns October 15 for its 50th Anniversary to Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville. You can most definitely expect a lot of live music, including performances from Christian music’s biggest stars.
TobyMac, Hillsong Worship, and Kirk Franklin were the first confirmed performers for the 50th annual awards show. Nominees will be announced this Monday ahead of the award ceremony.
The Doves sets a new precedent when it comes to talent—the top overall nominee isn’t an artist, it’s a behind-the-scenes talent.
Over the years, all genres and walks of life have come together to perform on the Dove’s stage. This “golden year” celebration is going to be spectacular, honoring the outstanding achievements and excellence in Christian music since 1969.
Additionally, performances representing modern rock, rap/hip-hop, pop/contemporary, inspirational, southern gospel, bluegrass, worship, and more will make up an evening honoring the rich musical diversity from the past, present, and future of gospel and Christian music.
Lauren Daigle (Photo Credit: Ashley Wright)
Since 2014, mind-blowing wins from legends such as Steven Curtis Chapman (58), Michael W. Smith (52), TobyMac (39), Amy Grant (23), Jason Crabb (22), Chris Tomlin (24), Sandi Patti (38), and Bill Gaither (27) are legends to continue watching out for.
Last year, contemporary Christian superstar and two-time GRAMMY winner, Lauren Daigle, 27, made Billboard history by topping five charts simultaneously. You can bet your bottom dollar that she will be making a huge presence at this year’s show. Daigle’s album, Look Up Child, sets the record for the biggest Christian album of 2018, biggest traditional sales frame for any Christian album in nine years, and the biggest sales week for a Christian female artist in over twenty years.
Preparing for October’s 50th Annual DOVE Awards
Over the years, artists such as the late Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Tauren Wells, Tori Kelly, and Gaither Vocal Band have all set the stage for the inspiration music can bring to listeners across the world.
The DOVE Awards will air for its 4th straight year on Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) globally with Christian and Worship music being some of the most played songs around the world. The show will be taped and will air on TBN at 7 p.m. CT Sunday, October 20.
For more information or to purchase tickets to the show, visit www.doveawards.com
Dayton, OH—Meet Dayton’s hottest new band, Street Limes, who are all University of Cincinnati students. With an alternative punk music style, Street Limes draws inspiration from the great artists of the ’90s and early 2000s while adding their own flavor of suburban punk.
Last Friday, the Limes were invited to perform at The Dublin Pub, Dayton Ohio’s famous Irish pub, as a tribute to the families and victims of the tragic Oregon District shooting that took place just a few doors down from the Pub.
The bands’ members—Michael Gantt (drums), Tom Kessler (guitar), Carl Jakubowski (guitar) and Nick Grismer (bass), are all students attending the University of Cincinnati, who provide a youthful spin on the oldies and millennial hits.
Dayton has certainly been hurting the past six months—from the KKK rally in May, then days later, twelve ferocious tornadoes destroying the lives of hundreds of Dayton residents, and now, the Ned Peppers shooting in the Oregon District. But, in times of mourning, nothing unites people more than the healing power of music.
“It’s the least we could do, and we want to do anything we can to help,” said Michael Gantt, the band’s drummer, and only member originally from Dayton, in an interview with Dayton’s WHIO7 News.
“The decision to give back was made almost immediately among us.”
Music Industry Weekly – Michael Gantt – WHIO7 News
Notable attendees included former Dayton Judge, Erik Blaine and his wife, Sasha, Sandra Brasington, the Western Ohio Regional Liaison to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Routsong Funeral Home & Cremation Services owner, Tommy Routsong, and Gregory Gantt, father to the band’s Michael Gantt and local attorney and Special Counsel to the Ohio Attorney General, David Yost.
Music Industry Weekly
The following night, singer and songwriter, Trevor Hall, performed at The Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, also collecting money from concert attendees to donate in full to the Fund, as well as Dayton native, John Legend, making a surprise appearance to the Oregon District on Sunday, performing for the community.
The Dublin Pub has always been front and center when it comes to showing love and support to the Dayton community, especially following these recent events.
The Street Limes donated all the funds collected that night to The Oregon District Tragedy Fund, following organizations such as Esther Price candy shop, which raised more than $85,000 Thursday, announcing that it would be donating 100% of its profits from online and in-store sales, and the Cincinnati Bengals which donated $75,000 to the Fund.
The Dublin Pub matched up to $5,000.00 of all funds collected Friday night. Proceeds from its on-going sale of #DaytonStrong t-shirts will also help support this cause.
The Street Limes are the finalist in 2019 Cincinnati’s 96 Rock WFTK FM neXt2rock competition, beating out 20 other bands to reach the finals. The group just released their latest single, “See Tomorrow,” last week, now available for streaming and download on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other music platforms.
Please continue to share the love for Dayton by using #DaytonStrong on social media.
The Lumineers will be releasing their new album III September 13, 2019 via Decca Records. They will be taking the album all across North America in 2020 on tour which you can see tour dates and locations below:
Feb 1 — Asheville, NC — U.S. Cellular Center
Feb 4 — Columbus, OH — Schottenstein Arena*
Feb 5 — St. Louis, MO — Enterprise Center*
Feb 7 — Detroit, MI — Little Caesars Arena*
Feb 8 — Cleveland, OH — Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse*
Feb 11 — Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena*
Feb 13 — Brooklyn, NY — Barclays Center*
Feb 16 — Charlottesville, VA — John Paul Jones Arena*
Feb 18 — Indianapolis, IN — Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Feb 19 — Nashville, TN — Bridgestone Arena*
Feb 22 — Chicago, IL — Allstate Arena
Feb 25 — Pittsburgh, PA — PPG Paints Arena
Feb 26 — Buffalo, NY — Key Bank Center*
Feb 28 — Washington DC — Capital One Arena
Feb 29 — Uncasville, CT — Mohegan Sun Arena*
Mar 4 — Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena*
Mar 7 — Ottawa, ON — Canadian Tire Centre*
May 15 — Woodlands, TX — Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
May 16 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion
May 19 — Jacksonville, FL — Daily’s Place
May 22 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
May 23 — West Palm Beach, FL — Coral Sky Amphitheatre
May 27 — Virginia Beach, VA — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
May 29 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion
May 30 — Atlanta, GA — Cellairis Amphitheater at Lakewood
Jun 2 — Raleigh, NC — Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Jun 5 — Camden, NJ — BB&T Pavilion
Jun 6 — Saratoga Springs, NY — Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Jun 10 — Gilford, NH — Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
Jun 12 — Mansfield, MA — Xfinity Center
*w/ Mt. Joy
If you want more info on tickets click here. The band is, once again, partnering with CID Entertainment for the purpose of giving fans special privileges which will be available August 12th at 10am local time.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Tomorrow (August 7) @ 8PM MT, the band is going LIVE for the grand opening of Mission Ballroom in Denver, Colorado (join here). This is a special event you do NOT want to miss!
After amassing over 20 million streams with her last EP, award-winning pop artist, SHELITA, just released her highly-anticipated self-titled album, SHELITA, and it’s one you won’t want to miss. Shelita’s rise to popularity and stardom has been inspirational, to say the least. Her unique vocal delivery and eccentric sense of style and beauty proves that she is today’s modern-day ‘Beyonce’, transforming the bounds of where music falls on the grand spectrum.
Born in Los Angeles, yet raised in Seattle, Shelita left for Europe to pursue her music career. She has independently toured the world with over 150 shows across Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as a myriad of performances throughout the U.S.
I was fortunate to connect with her and her manager, Michael Drexler back in May at Music Biz 2019 in Nashville. Our shared interest and passion for cybersecurity, data conservation, and blockchain technology, led to over two-hours of fruitful and insightful conversation.
Since, I have followed her career closely with extreme interest.
Following the massive success of her last EP, Special, reaching #24 on Billboard, Shelita brings listeners on a 29-minute journey of her life experiences through what can only be described as “pop music history.” Each song, uniquely crafted and written, transforms the artist’s life narrative into a piece of music history for the ears. Having listened to the new album, I was able to really connect spiritually with the words and rhythms laid out in the nine-track R&B album.
Produced by Bellringer and mastered by multi-Grammy award winner, Chris Athens (Drake, Usher), this seems to be the pop-artist’s most exciting project to date. The album opens with fan-favorite, Religion!, in which Shelita vocalizes how the man she’s romantically involved with, notice one another, and how their love and support for one another is like a religion.
The potential commercial-hit then transitions into another fan-favorite, Libations!, where the artist shares how she feels about her romantic partner.
Ahead of her new album release, I reached out again to Shelita and Drexler, about the new album release.
Andrew Rossow: Describe the emotional journey of putting this together?Shelita: Each song on the album was led in the writing process by emotion. Channeling an emotion came before any word, note or instrument was chosen. I decided I was going to dig deep inside of myself and pull the parts out that connected to the universal parts of humanity in a raw, unapologetic way. My emotions were like my colors being painted with brushes into each song in which the canvases were the songs. It takes a community and a devoted team to put out an album. There were many challenges I had to overcome before putting out the album. Choosing the medium of an “album” was not my first choice. I used to think that the album was an outdated format and I can proudly say that now I am eating those words. These songs are well suited for the album format in a way that is hard to describe with human words and when you listen to it from the original sequence from start to finish, it will make more sense to “why”.
AR: What do you want fans to take away from this album?Shelita: Every single song connects to different parts of humanity. Everyone depending where they are in this human journey will connect differently in a different way to each song. It depends on what part of the life journey each person is on. My records are different. When you hear my records, especially this album, it activates all other senses, beyond the normal 5 senses. There are just levels and levels of senses that human beings can experience. It is beyond sound. Most people think of music as a sound, as audio for the ears, but for me, I think of sounds as all that and more, with visuals. It’s not just sound, you can see things, smell things, and visualize things when you hear music. It is a whole spectrum of the senses in one.
You can download and stream SHELITA on Spotify, Apple Music, and other leading digital platforms:
Genre: Pop
Assets: 9 Singles total
Album Sequence:
“A singer or an entertainer is valuable for as long as the public wants to buy tickets to their show. And there’s going to be all different variations of that in their career. Once you write that song, it’s permanent and there forever—with your name on it. It will outlive you. Things that interest me, that I’m involved with, are things that will outlive me.”
–John Rich, Big & Rich
Last week, in my lively discussion with country music artist, John Rich, of Big & Rich, his statement about an artist’s legacy and brand development was electrifying.
With over 33,000 downloads, “Shut Up About Politics,” will certainly outlive Rich and all of us for that matter. These are four words that we all are thinking but just haven’t had the courage to say—until country music artist, John Rich, of Big & Rich, took a stand—literally.
“Shut Up About Politics” is Rich’s latest hit song, in collaboration with Fox News’, Greg Gutfield, one of the hosts of “The Five.”
Today, it seems as if a person is judged solely on their political beliefs, rather than their work ethic and heart. According to Rich, America’s bread and butter is built upon the blood, sweat, and tears of the everyday working-class American.
Sit Down. Have Whiskey. And Shut Up About Politics.
John Rich – Music Industry Weekly’s Featured Interview with Andrew Rossow
In an interview with Grit Daily News, Rich went boots deep into how he created his ‘Redneck Riviera’ brand—from acquiring the legal trademark to the phrase and implementing it into the apparel and boots market to selling ‘Redneck Riviera’ American-Blended whiskey and extending it into the Granny Rich Reserve line.
What stemmed from his unique branding, was the hit single—a risky piece of work, which had never been attempted before, hoping to unite a divided America in one area we all cringe upon hearing—politics.
As I continued my conversation with John about his new hit single, I also shared my confusion about why people today are more concerned about having you on their friends list or being seen with you in public, rather than asking you to have a drink with them and explain why you believe in the political regime you do—on either end of the spectrum.
“It just wears me out, and I’m tired of it,” Rich stressed to me about how people treat one another with respect to political beliefs.
“I think we should have places as Americans where we can still go and be friends. After we get through from being friends for a while, and we want to argue about politics, so be it.”
Andrew Rossow: How does this song resonate with you?John Rich: What I love about whiskey, particularly my brand, and Granny Rich, is that people work hard. There’s no politics to it—no democrat, republican, or independent. It’s simply ‘work hard, play hard.’ That’s it. I love that about this brand because it’s a unifier for a lot of people. I’m seeing that sentiment grow and grow, which led to me writing “Shut Up About Politics.”
AR: Let’s go behind the song. What do you want America to take away from this?JR: It doesn’t mean ‘don’t ever talk about politics,’ rather, it means, ‘hey guys, at some point, we need to be able to go to a ball game or watch an awards show, attend a concert, and hang out together’—and not be inundated with someone’s political message—on either side of the aisle. At the end of the day, we should always remember that we are all Americans and have a lot in common.
AR: John, I just don’t understand people today. Why has it gotten this bad with respect to the level of judgment and sensitivity, where people cannot express themselves freely?JR: Unfortunately, it’s due to how media works these days. I can’t speak for other artists, but in my opinion, the media has convinced people that if someone disagrees with you on a political matter, that you’re automatically a ‘bad,’ ‘evil,’ and ‘morally corrupt’ individual, and not worth spending any time with. The mindset is, ‘hey, actually, I’d rather scream at you and run you out of the building, rather than sit down with you and have a cocktail, sharing with one another why we believe what we believe.’ That’s where we are right now, and it’s very unhealthy.
An Appetite For A Unifying Attitude
L to R: Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Rich, Greg Gutfeld and Donna BrazileAR: What was it like being in the room at Fox News, watching everyone join in together?JR: When I wrote the song, watching everyone singing the background vocals—from Dana Perino to Donna Brazile, all in the same room where you have absolutely diabolical opposites joining in on the same song, all high-fiving and shouting, ‘SHUT UP ABOUT POLITICS,’ with a big smile on their face, was an absolute sense of accomplishment. We really accomplished something here. I take a lot of pride in this, and without a record label or radio support, the song goes to the number one spot on the sales chart of country music, and number two in all genres. If that doesn’t tell you there’s an appetite for that attitude, it should.
AR: What would you say to politicians on a grand scale if you could have them all in one room together?JR: I wish politicians would just say this more. If someone has the exact opposite opinion as you have, and they are passionate about their reason, the best thing you can do, is sit down for a minute, and ask them why they think what they do, because I guarantee you, it has to do with a personal experience(s) in their life, how they were raised, how they were taught, and/or where they grew up. There will be real reasons behind that level of passion, regardless of the side of the spectrum they fall on. You have to respect that opinion, regardless if you agree with them or not. We should still be able to sit down, drink some Redneck Riviera, and talk about anything we want to talk about. It can be done. And that’s what this song does.
A Message to Every Hard-Working American Out There
Redneck Riviera Whiskey – Music Industry Weekly
As our conversation ended, Rich left me with some powerful wisdom, both as a millennial, but also as a hard-working American:
“Even our Founding Fathers disagreed to such a level—so much so, that they were bringing pistols to the meetings. You’re talking about some rough dudes coming in there, on both sides of the aisle, totally disagreeing on gigantic subjects. Yet, although they disagreed, just as hard as we do nowadays, they still had the capacity to meet in the middle, eventually signing the Declaration of Independence and agree on formulating our United States Constitution. This behavior goes all the way back to the beginning.”
AR: John, what are your final thoughts to us millennials out there?JR: To people thirty and under—you’re the hardworking crowd. They are out there with big dreams, and with many having trouble earning that kind of money; but that’s okay, you’ll eventually be there. Remember, I started in a trailer down in Texas, and now, we’re punchin’ and kickin’ and movin’ forward. Redneck Riviera stands for that attitude.
You can download and stream ‘Shut Up About Politics’ on Spotify and Apple Music.
