Nashville’s Beautiful Prison Makes Artists Expendable
Jaron Lowenstein
“I’m not in the prediction business,” says Jaron Lowenstein, aka Jaron And The Long Road To Love. “I don’t care what I think. I can listen to a song and go ‘That’s really good,’ but I would never put a dollar behind that gut feeling. A business that operates on the one-out-of-ten rule is not a good model, but that’s the artist development traditional philosophy that Nashville record companies use most. In Nashville, we still just find an artist and sign them and spend upwards of a million dollars tweaking the music and sending them on a radio tour. And all this happens before the audience, who the music industry works for, has decided if they like the product. That’s pretty ego driven, with everything riding on someone’s opinion.
“A guy like Universal Republic Records head Monte Lipman, approaches the task with a seed of honesty saying, ‘I know what I like, but I’m a 45-year old man. I don’t know what a 16-year old kid wants. So I’m not going to sit up here in an ivory tower and try to tell them what to like.’ He works backwards. They’ll find something that is already working and then expand it.”
Lowenstein continues, “You simply can’t break acts by trying to jam them up the radio charts. Oh wait, I’m sorry. In Nashville you actually can do that because the talent pool simply doesn’t match up with the pop world. It’s night and day and I include myself in that. As far as showmanship and well rounded talents you can’t put someone from Nashville up against say Pink for example. Pink, is a rock star. Pink, Beyonce and others, these are mega, world stars for a reason. They are visionaries who continually push the envelope. Pop music says, ‘I don’t give a crap who you are, what you look like, the color of your skin, or what your name is, nothing. All I want is to find the best 3 minute musical experience.’ Take Nashville’s biggest star, Taylor Swift who really is a pop star. She is better than anyone else in this town as far as star quality, and a great writer, but the competition and the level of the pop playing field is incredible. And country radio is the opposite of pop. It’s all about ‘Who’s your buddy?’ Play the game and then you are in. The top 15 or 20 slots on country radio are always reserved for the same people, always. And that’s why country music is ten years behind pop music.
“How do I know that country music is ten years behind? Because everyone gives me credit for coming to Nashville and reinventing myself. However, if you listen to my record ‘Pray For You’ you’ll see it’s identical to the pop music I was making in 2000. I didn’t do anything different. And by the way, there are a lot of pop songwriters in Nashville now and some of the songs on the radio are really their sound, only performed by guys who are willing to shake hands and play the game and be someone’s buddy. Program directors don’t pick the best songs, they pick the songs from their friends. That’s just how it is. Once in a while something will break through. Like me, I was an exception to the rule. I didn’t know anyone and they didn’t know me. “Pray For You” became the fifth best selling song of the year, but never went Top 10. They were reluctant to play it, but had to because it was a novelty song.
“And incidentally, that song was one of several that I experimented with online. I did my research. I didn’t go ask executives on Music Row, because frankly I don’t care what they think. They don’t know anything. I’m not knocking Music Row, I’m saying me too. I’m not the consumer, I’m 37 years old, outside the 18-34 coveted demo zone. Opinions, including my own, mean nothing to me. What business puts out $500k-$1 million to buy someone’s opinion? Some executive sitting in an office on the Row says, ‘Yeah that kid’s great lets go.’ And that’s it? To me that’s insane.”
Lowenstein says that in Nashville relationships can drive success and offers Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta who he worked with on his recent Universal Republic hit as an example. “I have a great relationship with Big Machine,” he says. “I love those guys. I’m using them as an example, but really talking about the whole industry. I’m just saying what everyone already knows. Scott is great at what he does. He’s a charismatic guy, a winner and a hard worker. He has very good taste, but that doesn’t mean that, like the rest of us, he is never wrong. He’s also very efficient and can jam a bad act up the charts better than anybody. He wields so much power now that no one wants to tell him, ‘No.’”
“Do you think that anyone in this town would ever write a disparaging review on Taylor Swift or another of their big acts? No. Everything in Nashville is all buddy buddy, friend friend, love you love you. Save the shit for behind closed doors. And that is great, but it doesn’t help everybody. There is nothing provocative in Nashville. No one has an opinion. And nobody picks a wall. Everyone plays it right down the middle. Because if you do step outside that zone, who’s going to buy the ads? And that’s what happened to me. I took myself out of play because I didn’t want to paint the same picture twice. I didn’t want to have to go to dinner and make buddy buddy with someone I didn’t want to spend time with. Whether you can make me the biggest star or not, I don’t give a shit.”
Part Two–The Beautiful Prison
Conventional wisdom in Nashville says that country artists have the most loyal fans on the planet. But Lowenstein, says that simply isn’t true, they are loyal to the genre, the artists are expendable. “This is a mind blowing realization, I just came to a few weeks ago,” he says. “Country music is the only genre in which the fans don’t care about the artist. They are loyal to the genre. It is very weird. Yes, that seems to fly in the face of what everyone in this town says, but it’s true. Artists get up at the awards and say, “I’d like to thank country music…and I’m country.” Nobody ever gets up at any awards and says I love alternative music, I love pop music. Kids don’t say, ‘I like pop music,’ for example. They may say ‘I love a band, or a local radio station,’ but they don’t love the genre. Country music did a brilliant job of branding itself, unlike any other genre and has held onto the monopoly. So people say, ‘I love Country.’ If country radio doesn’t accept you, then who else doesn’t? The country fans. Once an act is out of radio’s good graces they are done and the country fans are on to the next one.
“How do I know people love country music, but don’t care who’s up there, because Vince Gill has over 36 CMA, ACM and Grammy awards. How come he’s not selling the same numbers a George Strait? How come he’s not playing arenas? Probably because he’s not in country radio’s good graces. Whether he chose to take himself out or not, I don’t know. But, for example, even successful artists like Brad Paisley, if they stop having country radio hits, then 3-5 years later they’ll be back to playing small clubs. Even Jewel, can’t get arrested here. The country fans won’t buy her records, but she still goes out and does big ticket sales because of her pop following. And there’s lots of examples. In fact, the only exception I’ve found is Garth Brooks.”
But doesn’t this same thing happen to pop music stars who have faded out of the airplay spotlight?
“No it doesn’t,” Lowenstein responds. “Look at James Taylor. When is the last time he had a damn hit? Springsteen, Buffett, the Avett Brothers and many others, all still have large followings.
“Everyone at country radio is interchangeable and therein lies the reason I call it the beautiful prison. Talented artists, that make the same record every time out. Do you think they really want to? No, they’re in the beautiful prison. They’re afforded this great life, but somewhere that artistic soul inside has to be miserable. Or it’s asleep. Picasso never painted the same picture twice. Henry Ford said something to the effect of, ‘If I had listened to my customers I would have given them more horses.’ True visionaries don’t do the same thing twice. It’s our job to see things other people don’t see and push.
At any given time on country radio, there are probably no more than 5 good current songs. The rest was paid for one way or another. That is the reality. You can black ball me all you want, I’m still going to tell the truth.”
• • •
About Jaron Lowenstein: His sarcastic single “Pray For You” (Jaron And The Long Road To Love) which he co-wrote, went Top 20 on country radio last year and sold over one million downloads. The album sold about 150,000 units. Lowenstein was also one half of Evan and Jaron a duo with his identical twin that had the multi-platinum selling song “Crazy For This Girl” in the late ‘90s. He is an active student of social media and fan engagement. On Facebook JATLRTL has over 160,000 likes. His Twitter feed has over 9,000 followers. His YouTube channel, Jaronwoodvideo has close to 13 million views. He has recently been touring as part of the Cordovas. (http://jaronatlrtl.com/)
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I agree Jaron this has deffinentally been an eye opener and I stand by you whole heartedly! Your an amazing singer and seems like to me a pretty freaking awesome person<3 haters gonna hate haha keep standing up for what you believe in I will most deffinentally stand with you:D
I’ve never lived in Nashville. I’ve followed country music throughout my life, yet never exclusively and can’t say with confidence that I’m a committed fan. I did grow up in the south and could understand Jaron’s comments from a pure ‘cultural’, philosophical standpoint, and one I’ve personally experienced on the business side.
My two cents may not be worth much here, so take this as a fan of music and as an observer of the mechanics of the ‘indusrty’. There are two points present: I could dissect this for hours, so I’ll spare you!
One, whenever money is involved, I believe the waters get murky and intentions certainly shift. The balance of supporting talent, exposing artists in their essence while ‘selling’ them to a large audience for profits seems to always come with sacrifice on either side of the pendulum.
It happens in most arenas and corners of the world. Pop, country, etc.
With that thought there are environments more flexible to allow artists to shift and grow as they innately wish to and the business follows with a microscope for the audience to enjoy that transition. How much of that is honest and not refined? Few will truly ever know. How much of that growth is truly supported without an analysis of profitability in the background? I’m banking (no punn intended) on most of the time and my idealistic side hopes its not the only truth.
Then there’s the fans. As with any consumer, whether the industry caters without giving their customer an option to choose or gives them no responsibility in having a voice for themselves, it is typically those masses whose opinions end up on marketing results. Some people like to be fed and catered to with shiny packaging, year after year. It’s comforting. Change and out of the box thinking can be scary for folks. From my experiences, I’ve seen this more prevelant in the south, where tradition is a religion. It can be beautiful.
It can also leave you stagnat and unable to see the greatness in possibility. Artists (whether public figures or not) evolve through movement forward. Seeing the world through various perspectives. Shedding skin and being open to possibilities not yet known. If the environment isn’t conducive to that for the artist, are we not doing a disservice as fans and supporters of the business? Aren’t we in turn limiting that potential to enjoy a visionary’s evolution? And our own…?
Everyone is responsible for their own decisions. I choose honesty every time. Authenticity in art, in relationships, in work…they all lead to much more valuable results than any shiny package I purchase.
It’s the voice I have as a fan. It’s the missing spot on the marketing results. And hey, in this economy, maybe my two cents are worth something!
I have been saying this for years. Thanks for being so vocal, Jaron Country music artist are so interchangeable and there are new artist slapping you in the face every time you turn on the radio or try to watch a video. I have completely stopped listening to the radio and completely rely on my iPod for my musical tastes. I have a deep love for the beloved artist from the past such as Dolly, Meryl, and Johnny Cash. However I like the artists that have proven themselves over the sat several years. Seems to me that there are so many ‘newbies’ out there that it’s hard to invest in any time with them. Usually if I have never heard of them, I move on. Not because they suck- but because I figure they will be gone after their first song and never heard from again.
I have several songs of Jaron’s on my iPod that I listen to- and enjoy, but even when I was listening to the radio- his music was never played- no matter how many time people would call in and request it… And that’s sad for country radio.
They won’t play what is requested by fans- but give them a dollar and they will play the music that the industry shoves their way. How long has it been since you heard Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, George Jones, Vince or even Garth on the radio, my friends?
It’s been a LONG time. And several fans, myself included, are tired of having crap shoved down our throats and told it was good music. We just don’t buy it. Sorry.
I came across this article because I am a Jaron fan, have been since 2000.
I am as far removed from the Nashville scene as anyone can get, I live in Darwin Australia and have no musical talent what so ever, but as a fan of country music, I feel I have somewhat of an opinion.
Firstly, I have ears, since when is Taylor Swift talented? So far, all of her radio hits sound the same to me, you could interchange the lyrics with any of her songs and not even realise it, but I suppose she was dating that kid with the sixpack from the vampire movie, so I guess she’s important!
I love my old school country, like Reba (Fancy is propbably my most favourite song in the whole world, still gives me shivers when I hear it), I still have Garth on heavy rotation on my iPod. I still follow bands like Rascall Flats (My first dance with my new husband was to “God Bless The Broken Road”), even though they dared to duet with Justin Beiber.
But then I like the new, and what I call new maybe old to you guys, but its only just making air waves here. Laura Bell Bundy and her little clip for Giddy On Up, one would be mistaken for thinking it was a pop song with all the dancing in it, yet it is so classical country with the heavy twang of her voice and the “wo is me, my man left me” lyrics.
Adam Brand, never heard of him, Im not surprised, he’s a big Aussie country Act, currently signed to a major label over in Nashville, but I am very doubtful that he has the same friends as Keith does.
Jaron, you may have shit where you eat, as some would say, by making the comments you made, but in the end, who gives a fly fruitcake, you have your loyal fans that you know will have your back no matter what, and as one of those fans, I know that if you had not have made those comments, you would not have been true to yourself, or the true artist you are.
Love your work man
Jason, Country music is the BEST!!!! And as far as Carrie Underwood goes…she is GREAT..The BEST out there…And if you don’t think so…then YOU have a problem…(or alot of wax in your ears!!!)
This is the first time I’ve ever submitted feedback like this, but I came across this article quite by chance, and I was intrigued by the seeming irreverence of the artist, Jaron. There is a definite foolhardiness to these comments, as I am certain that the country music good ole boys club can’t possibly appreciate the stance. But, I felt as though, here is someone who is actually quite brave in taking a stance that may in effect find that club ousting him solely on comments that smack of disrespect. I found the artist’s perceptions of the country music genre to be genuine and valid. I don’t see the proverbial chip on this artist’s shoulder. As a consumer of music, (not just country music) and a listener of country music radio, I feel as though country music radio dishonors its listeners with a heavy hand. The country music pool is so vast and deep, and yet the choices that country music radio serves up are so bland and shallow. How can boredom not set in when the same songs are recycled every 60- 90 minutes? I see artists like Allison Krause receiving awards and have yet to hear her on country radio. I enjoy the music of Vince Gill and Colin Raye, but when was the last time they were played in the radio station’s rotation? When is the last time Darryl Worley received airtime? Certainly, these and many more artists have their fans and following, but I do agree with Jaron, that artists on radio are interchangeable – NOT that they are forgotten, but that they are simply interchangeable. Were this not true, wouldn’t there be more fan outcry? Wouldn’t there be more fans demanding that their favorite artists be played? This is not the case. Pop/Rock stars have been made on the sheer force of fans who have demanded that radio play the music they want to hear. I am not taking a jab at the loyal fans these country artists have, as I am sure that somewhere they are probably grieving their favorite artists’ lack of radio play time. Maybe it’s the listeners who are lax in their acceptance of the country music radio diet they’re fed, or maybe it’s the moguls who have cultivated this mindset. Certainly, money is what determines that 90-minute rotation. However, I give kudos to Jaron, who has the boldness to call things the way he sees them …without regard to what it will do to his wallet. Change begins with one person who demands that the status quo take a critical, realistic, and self-reflective look at what is really there. Here’s hoping others will start to courageously step away from their “beautiful prison.”
Ann you are right about the fans accepting what radio is feeding them. The country fan seems to just accept what country radio gives them. Me I stopped listening to country radio a few years ago because they don’t play the music I like. Fans, stop listening to your country radio play. Turn off the radio and listen to what you want on your Ipod or phone or whatever you have. It is not neccessary to listen to this garbage.
@ checkin in I’ll second that motion. My first trip to nash-vegas was one of the more humbling experiences in my life. I was blown away by the amount of talent I saw on broadway. Even the cats out playing on the street corners were great. I was thinking, why are these guys not on the charts? Why are they still out here playing for peanuts?
Jaron I appreciate your honesty, it is enlightening yet discouraging at the same time. As an out of town writer it makes my chances of ever getting a decent cut seem that much smaller. I’ve met with producers and publishers who all say the same things. “Yeah man you’re good we should work together, I’ll call you next week and we’ll talk some more!”…. then nothing.
I’m no fool, I understand that to “make it” in any career you have to be prepared for rejections and I accept that. But at the same time it has become obvious that talent alone will get you nowhere in nashville. I write mostly pop, rock and contemporary christian and for a while I thought it was just because none of my songs were about drinking beer or growing up in a small town with dirt roads. But I know that isn’t it, I just don’t have enough “friends”.
The reality of is that people like me have two choices, either keep writing or quit. I for one will keep writing simply because it’s part of who I am, not who I’m trying to become.
Apologies if i took this slightly off subject. Your article just inspired me to share a bit of my own stuggle with “the machine”.
if you’ve heard one George Strait album, you’ve heard ‘em all. 10 years behind? I’d say 30. the only musical innovation to come out of Nashville since the 80s is ripping off the sound of 70s southern rock. and doing it with cheesy songs. Nashville has the best studios and players in the world but is enslaved to a system that poops out McSongs on an endless co-write, buddy network conveyor belt. it’s a damned shame because it’s the only form of American music now that isn’t just a bunch of morons singing over machines. There’s a huge vacuum and someone real is bound to fill it. whether that person/band will come out of Nashville is doubtful. they’d have to overcome a gauntlet of producers and publishers trying to force them into a cage of blandness.
It’s hard to listen to the Billboard Top 10 and not think that Jaron is right. Sure there are some very talented and deserving artists, Taylor, Miranda, Kimberly Perry etc. who are not afraid to try new things, but I’d say that a year from now nobody will remember most of these songs. I sense things are getting more creative of late, but there are still plenty of the same tired old formula songs being cranked out. Now they have more contemporary instrumentation, hip-hop rhythms and Taylor Swift-style repetitive phrasing, but not much else. How some of these mediocre songs get recorded I understand (written with the artist) but I have to think that for these songs to get into the top ten there has to be some good-buddy manipulation going on.
You’re spot on Jaron. You’ve totally confirmed my speculation on the state of the industry. I write with several major label signed artists who are so clearly caught in this sick cycle…cutting songs that they hate All I know for sure is music listeners will not settle on the force-feeding of ever-increasing crap music forever…we need to continue to create GREAT music.
Andrew as a writer myself I unfortunately disagree with you. Listeners only listen to what they are exposed to. If they are given crap to listen to that is exactly what they will listen to because they are not given the opportunity to hear the alternatives. Maybe they will choose to listen to the best of the crap, but its still just crap. I myself have had several songs reviewed by NSAI and others. One of those songs was loved by all, it was said to be so well written. It made them laugh out loud, but “no one will ever sing it because it may offend someone”. I guess I will go and try to write some crap, and if it turns out too good, I will just scrap it and try harder. And Jaron, if you need another contreversial tune that everyone loves except for the country music execs, I may just have one for you!
I think you’re dead on. The “Big Machine” that makes stars out of mediocre performers is a powerful network of good ol’ boys making deals. Walk down Broadway some night and take a listen to the singers playing the honky tonks in Nashville. Most of them are far better performers than the ones created and enhanced to fit the country format of today. It’s sickening.
There are a lot of interesting thoughts here; some I agree with, some I don’t so much, and some that made me think, which is a good thing.
I’m not sure about pop having a talent pool that’s so much deeper than country’s, or how much certain artists really push the envelope. There are a lot of pop acts that I’m really not all that impressed by. I guess it really depends on whether you’re talking simply about the music itself, or the whole package. As an example, everyone talks about Lady Gaga’s latest stunt, but outside of going to the deli for her wardrobe she isn’t doing anything Madonna didn’t do 25 years ago. If we’re talking about the music itself, I think it’s cyclical. You’ll have periods like the late 90s where pop is dominated by teen pop groups just like it was at various points in the late 80s, the late 70s, etc, and then you’ll have someone come along at a random time that brings something new to the table. But I think with country that’s an apples to oranges comparison because there’s a large portion of the audience (me included) that wants artists that don’t stray too far from traditional roots. If an artist does something that’s too far out there we’ll reject it. I don’t see that as a bad thing. What I would like to see are more Vince Gills: artists who can have “When I Call Your Name” and “These Days” in the same catalog.
I do think radio and the top 40 limit artistry in country, and I think that affects fan bases. Consider Dierks Bentley’s Up On the Ridge Album. The two singles off that album are Dierks’ only two that didn’t crack the top 20. I’m sure the overall sales figures for that album pale in comparison to his others. As another example, the sales figures for Brad Paisley’s Play album don’t match up to his other albums, largely because it had one single. In both cases, the artists stated it was somewhat of a surprise to them that the labels wanted to put out those albums because they weren’t considered to be commercially viable. Based on the sales figures, I’d be surprised if their labels let them pursue such projects again.
When I first read that country fans are loyal to the genre and not the artists, I immediately rejected it. And then I thought about it, and I now have mixed emotions on it. I’ve been to two concerts in the past five months that featured prominent hit makers from the 90s/early 00s. They were both in small venues that didn’t sell out. But based on the people there, it’s obvious that both acts still have devoted fans because it took a little work to find out that the shows were going on. Unless you paid attention to the artists’ web sites or social media, you wouldn’t have known about them. But I also think there’s some validity to the idea that people are loyal to the genre and not the artist, and that’s because one of the acts I saw remarked on how often he’s asked, “What happened to you? You dropped off the face of the earth.” He didn’t disappear. Radio quit playing his tunes. To me that screams, “I’m your fan as long as you’re right in front of me, but out of sight, out of mind.”
I’m glad I ran across this article. Good food for thought.
Excellent points Justin. I really appreciated reading your feedback. Great honesty and insight.
All I can say is that I feel you are cutting your own throat here. Maybe you don’t care but your wallet will. As far as the ins and outs of the business, I can’t speak for that but I can totally disagree with the fan part. If you don’t think that the fans are loyal to an artist, why don’t you ask Jennifer Nettles or Kristian Bush who they give credit to for helping them through their tragedy this year. It is their loyal fans.They push the envelope BIG TIME, they appear on many “non-country” stages and it has done nothing but grow their popularity. I don’t feel they are shunned in Nashville and if they are, they don’t let it bother them because they love making music. They don’t sit around and complain about it. As we say when someone complains about the region they live in, ” why don’t you move?”
Gena, I appreciate you taking the time to share your view, but I think you missed my position a bit.
Every act has loyal fans, but the majority of a country act’s fans are tied to their current radio success. It’s like that in all genres but more so in country. I specifically targeted country music because it has done an exceptional job of branding itself. CMA music fest is packed every year with people who come for country music. They buy their tickets far in advance before they know who will be there. Think about it.
I also disagree that fans are loyal to the genre not the artists. I happen to dislike a lot of country music, but I am fiercely loyal to several country artists. Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Joey & Rory, Carrie Underwood, Diamond Rio, and a few others…I buy the albums religiously without having to hear a note. I don’t care if they crossover to pop or sing with a country twang. Also, as an avid follower of The Oak Ridge Boys, I can attest that there are very loyal fans who will continue to buy records and sell out concerts years after a group has stopped making main stream music. The Oaks consistently sell out venues that they play years after they have stopped having number one hits. Fans still compete to sit in the front row and scream and throw things on stage…And it’s not the country music we’re following…It’s the artists, the group.
This comment is so far off base:
“Country music is the only genre in which the fans don’t care about the artist. They are loyal to the genre. It is very weird.”
Go to a Ronnie McDowell or Exile concert. When was the last time either had a hit on country radio?? Yet they sell out shows. I’m sure there are several other country artists who have been without a hit for many years, heck decades, and the audience is SO LOYAL to them.
I am 43-year-old country music fan, and I travel to see my favorite artists. I just got off the web site for both Ronnie and Exile as I, like many others, have traveled many miles to see them. We went to a George Jones concert recently – a sold out concert. We have tickets to see Loretta Lynn. Again, artists that the country audience is not only loyal too, but close to worshipping!
Yeah, that comment is way off base and two words prove it: Kenny Chesney
As far as the talent level….(of MOST current artists)…
I am a regional touring artist.
I have played shows with several of the popular artists out today. Frankly, I am totally unimpressed with the “talent” level that the labels are shoving down everyone’s throats. It is obvious that Music Row is a pay-to-play game. 98% of the current headliners couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. Put them up against world-class artists in a room with no mic and no pitch-correction and you will hear the difference.
Follow daddy’s money to see the next big star. Can’t sing? Doesn’t matter-here’s $4 million, make it happen.
Then, Music Row is hand fed all of the “stand-in-line to be the next big star, via a TV show” artists, and they have no interest in doing real A&R work anymore. Once there has been slight TV exposure, they are surely signed up and promoted. When the second record doesn’t achieve, they are soon forgotten. There was never a real fan base there to start with anyway.
It doesn’t really matter to the discerning consumer becasue they are musically ignorant and don’t even know the difference.
I understand that it isn’t all vocal quality that makes an artist, but come on, have a listen…how many of the current artists can stand up to a Vince, Garth, Tom Jones, or Elvis Presley?
I’m posting this article to my blog, http://www.mrnashvilletalks.com (self promotion). I love Nashville. I agree with a lot of what this article says. I don’t think the town is thriving the way it could be because of some of the strong holds. Sometimes talent takes a back seat for youth, good looks, and originality seems to have left. Acts like Dolly Parton were original. Taylor Swift an original. Reba McEntire an original. But we’re not turning out much of that type of talent now.
Well I don’t agree with most of what you said. . . I DO Love country music! But I also LOVE the artists! I by their CD’s and I listen and learn as many of their songs as I can. And I do like other kinds of music other than just country. And maybe Country music is 10 years behind pop music because there is no problem with the way that they have been doing things for the past years! I Love Johny Cash just as much as I love Lady A or Collin Raye, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, and I could make a long list of artists who I think are the best, even if they just have one song that I like. And I believe that country music is very accepting of differing music types. I’ve heard music that could be classified as pop, rock, and even rap on country music stations. So I don’t totally agree with some of the things that you have said. . .
I agree with Jaron’s observations, but not his conclusions. I think country music’s loyal fan base is what allows so many new artists to be signed, because they don’t have to be fashionable to be liked or played. Because so many new acts are signed it is inevitable that some have a short shelf life- but they are able to have the chance of having their music out in the public domain, rather than waiting for that big break.
Especially in the UK and Europe one can see how artists who don’t get much/any radio play are still able to fill venues-primarily due to that country brand.
Myself I am a big JATLRTL fan from the UK. As I have never heard any of his music on UK TV or radio, the only way I came across his music is under that Beautiful Prison headline.
Country has a loyal fan base that is for sure. And the reason there are so many new signs? The execs are wanting to get as much cash out of that fan base as possible. When Kenny, Tim, Miranda, Taylor et al, crap on the floor they get 30+ spins a week just because of who they are.
I think your missing my point slightly though. I dont pretend to know the US music Market, and the European Market isn’t nearly so large-so not really worth artists putting the effort into. But, without any radio play in the UK, fans here still discover new artists, and that I’d down to their loyalty to the country brand.
Purely an observation that the beautiful prison is not quite as dibilitating as the article may make out.
Just as an aside I always find it amusing at concerts over here that artists always comment that they like the fact they can play whatever they want from an album, not just singles or tracks with good radio play- because we don’t get any radio play, great songs last longer in fans memories rather than just wanting to hear the last couple of hits. A slightly geekier fan base maybe?
You know what’s hard to take seriously?? Cowards who hide behind fake names because they’re afraid to be held accountable for what they say. And as for moving the needle or not, I’m not sure I know where it is if selling a million singles in a year in this era isn’t “moving the needle.”
And “Pinky” I agree, Nashville is a thriving music city in all the aspects you described. I incorrectly used “Nashville” when meaning to speak of the Country music genre. Country music, more often than not, rewards friendships and artistic safety over exploration.
-Jaron Lowenstein (not hiding)
Feel free to google my name, Jaron. I may be a jackass, but a coward, I am not. And I stand by my comments as they relate to the Country genre, just as I do the city in which it thrives.
For a guy who “doesn’t care” what other people think, you sure are cranky about it.
Pinky,
I do care what other people think. I don’t care to control what other people think but I have feelings too. And why does engaging in a good debate make me cranky? I love having these conversations. I don’t think you’re a jackass because you disagree with me. I like to read the feedback because I want to learn from others as well.
I amended my comment after reading what you said about Nashville. That’s a good thing right?
And I apologize for assuming Pinky Gonzales was not a real name. Take it as a compliment. It sounded too cool to me.
And lastly, please stand by your comment. It’s a discussion and your view is just as important as mine.
It’s not the first time I’ve been accused of impersonating the legendary Pinky Gonzales.
I’ll bet that you’re a swell guy to share a beer with man, but a direct attack on how far behind country is compared to pop rings very hollow. I meant it literally when I said that I shared this opinion when I moved to Nashville in 2000, but anyone who has survived in this town for more than a couple of years (artists or business types) has seen an endless stream of people coming in from other places believing that Nashville is behind, only to learn that we’re out-pacing almost every other genre, by every metric.
But all the politics of who knows who and how which artist get what aside, if you want to talk about the way country SOUNDS, I’ll say two things:
1.) There is not one country “sound.” Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and the Band Perry are all enjoying phenomenal, legitimate, cross-over pop success right now and I would put Carrie Underwood up against any female vocalist in any genre at any time in modern music history.
2.) For others? SURE! Some country songs definitely have a simple, traditional foundation. It’s the heritage and history of the genre. It’s why the Grand Old Opry is the longest running radio show in history. It’s what makes country, “country.” But there is a big difference between “traditional” and “behind.” If your pop stuff from 10 years ago fits into that category, so be it, but don’t blame the game, playa. You’re the one playing it.
Your op-ed here paints a picture of the business eating its own in the name of lining the coffers of the all-powerful executives at both the record labels and radio. They *wish* it was so easy. Fans need new music, they need new artists, and news flash: country isn’t the only genre they’re listening to. When country can’t compete, it won’t. But for now, simply put, it does.
In summary, the only way any artist can participate in the evolution of the genre is to make new things that people want to hear more of, just as Taylor Swift, Lady A and others are doing with flying colors. Ranting about how corrupt and self-serving the industry is will only alienate you and improve your odds of having one novelty hit to show for your career in the genere. But hey… there’s always classic rock.
I believe I’m a swell guy too! Thanks Pinky. And I like beer!
I’ve been coming to Nashville since the early 90′s and love it here. So while it may seem like an attack I’m really attempting to improve the place that I adore so much.
I’m not speaking of the metrics or success of the Country genre. That’s for another conversation over a beer.
I have lots to say to your well thought out and articulated comments, but I got Step-Brothers in the Netflix queue and I wanna laugh right now.
So I’ll make these quick points and maybe we can continue this over beers sometime.
1) Taylor is experiencing phenomenal and legitimate cross-over success. Lady A and TBP each have one pop hit. They both have had follow up Country hits that have not crossed over. So the jury is still out as to whether either will ever have sustained cross-over success.
2) You’re bringing up examples that are in my opinion exceptions to the rule. Yes, Country music has a wonderful heritage and there are wonderful acts out there who champion that.
Pistol Annies and Jamey Johnson are examples of wonderful acts that celebrate Country’s heritage, but you probably won’t hear them on the radio. And both of those acts are not 10 years behind at all! They’re cutting edge (whatever the hell that means anymore).
Pinky, if you’ve been here 10 years than surely you know that my broad stroke paint brush doesn’t cover everyone in the Country genre. But surely you have seen loads of talent in the genre that just aren’t talented.
Yes Carrie can sing great. But is she a five-tooled star? Carrie and Beyonce in the same sentence? I dunno. Not for me. One’s a visionary, the other is a vocalist. Both words start with a “v” but I think that’s where the similarities end.
For every genuinely talented Lee Brice in the Country genre, there are so many that can’t sit down in a room with an instrument and play you a song start to finish. While there is no determined barrier for entry to musical success (nor would I like there to be one) I think a little 101 skill should be requisite.
Hard to take any of this seriously from someone who barely moved the needle on either of his attempts at making music. As for loving the genre over the bands, I don’t buy it for a second. I feel like all this is coming from the ivory tower. A very low-to-the-ground, one story ivory tower.
“How do I know that country music is ten years behind? Because everyone gives me credit for coming to Nashville and reinventing myself. However, if you listen to my record ‘Pray For You’ you’ll see it’s identical to the pop music I was making in 2000.”
If we were to believe that Nashville is 10 years behind on the merit of a self-admittedly stagnant artist being complimented for his “reinvention” here, I suppose we would be as “back woods” as Lowenstein would like us to believe.
I moved to Nashville in 2000 with the same opinion, but after being directly involved with artists of all genres, from Kanye West to Kelly Clarkson, The Oak Ridge Boys to Korn, I would like to be on record for saying that Nashville is not only directly in line with the overall industry curve, it is leading it by nearly every standard. In sales, in number radio stations supporting the format, in sponsorship dollars and ticket sales. And while it is true that our “living legends” dominate the charts, the current Top 10 pop chart TODAY includes such “fresh new talent” Usher, Maroon 5, Gym Class Heroes and Rihanna. I would invite Lowenstein to browse their individual Wikipedia profiles for a little history lesson on when each of them released their first singles.
Nashville is not without it’s problems, but 10 years behind, it is not. From our PROs to publishing houses, recording studios to marketing & technology teams, Nashville is one of the world’s greatest music communities in which to be involved. I suspect that the chip on our dear artist’s shoulder would be a little less sharp if he was enjoying the same commercial success as our latest crop of breakout acts, including The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert and Thompson Square.