Concord Music Publishing Announces Chris LaCorte as First Signing to Hillary Lindsey Creative Venture, Hang Your Hat Music
23 November 2020 - Press releaseJake Gear Joins Hang Your Hat Music as GM/EVP
Nashville-based Concord Music Publishing has entered into an exclusive, creative venture, to jointly sign and develop a new generation of songwriting talent, with Academy Award nominee, and GRAMMY, CMA, and ACM Award-winning songwriter Hillary Lindsey.
This new venture, Hang Your Hat Music, is the perfect combination of Lindsey’s superstar songwriting talent and collaborative relationships, and Concord’s broad resources, creative services and first-class administration.
Hang Your Hat Music aims to sign writers that the team is passionate about, focused on nurturing talent over following a trend or sticking to a specific genre. This is reflective of Lindsey’s own career philosophy as she has worked with a wide variety of artists across several genres, and over the years has received both commercial and critical success.
When asked about the inspiration for the company name and creative venture with Concord Music Publishing, Hillary says, "I was just brainstorming and trying to come up with a name ... and hang your hat music popped in my head. Then I thought about what that meant as a company name… to me it brought a feeling of inclusivity, of family, of no matter what kind of “hat” you wear as an artist or songwriter you can hang it here. The beautiful thing is that we are a small company, but we are partnered with Concord Music Publishing, who have so many resources to offer here in Nashville, and globally. Brad Kennard and his team here in Nashville are already on top of new songs being turned in and are out there helping make things happen.”
Joining this new venture will be Jake Gear, who previously worked with Lindsey at BMG. He will serve as General Manager and Executive Vice President of Hang Your Hat Music, pitching songs, heading up the creative direction and developing writers, artists, and staff.
Prior to serving as the Senior Creative Director for BMG, Gear was Creative Director for long-time Nashville independent publisher, Sea Gayle Music. Throughout his career, he has helped place hit records with country artists such as Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Jake Owen, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, and Morgan Wallen, among others.
The first songwriter and musician signed to this new project is Chris La Corte, who has most recently worked with Sam Hunt on his album Southside, including his chart climbing single “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s.” La Corte has collaborated with Zach Crowell and Peer Åström for artists such as Sam Hunt, Adam Sanders, Cash Campbell and John Gurney, among others. Jake Gear will be working closely with La Corte to continue his momentum as a premiere songwriter and producer.
“So excited to have Chris La Corte as our first signing. He backs up his dynamic talents as a writer and producer with an incredible work ethic and character." says Gear. “I also look forward to continuing to build relationships across Concord to create opportunities for our writers, artists, and songs.”
“We’re incredibly fired up to work with Hillary and Jake as we all collaborate to develop the next generation of talent, and Chris is a great example of that talent,” says Brad Kennard, SVP A&R at Concord Music Publishing in Nashville. “We’re eager to pool the resources of our team in Nashville and around the globe, combined with Hillary and Jake’s expertise, to bring opportunities to the Hang Your Hat roster, whether it’s country, pop, synch-focused and beyond.”
"I couldn’t be more excited to get to work with a team that I know so well,” said Chris La Corte. “Each player has a crucial role. I’ve gotten to know Jake over the last year--he's respected throughout the writing community as a song guy and a champion for writers. It has been a true pleasure having him create opportunities for my songs, manage my writing calendar, and guide my career. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend some time in a writer’s room with Hillary, and she puts on a humble masterclass in songwriting every single time. The knowledge and opportunities I’ve gained working with her are absolutely priceless, and our newfound friendship I hold even more dearly. Getting to partner with Hillary and Jake as the first signing to their new publishing venture with Concord is better than I could have ever planned or imagined. I've gotten to know Brad and the Concord team in Nashville over the last couple months, and I’m excited to plug in with the creative teams around the world. I know they have my back with their global influence and reach. I also want to shout out Zach Crowell, whose hands-on mentorships has been monumental in my development as a producer and writer and we’ll continue to create great songs together. This ‘dream team,’ as I refer to it, is going to do some really big things, and I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of it!"
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