Concord Music Publishing, Creative Nation and PULSE Music Group announced the signing of a multi-faceted deal with multi-GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter and artist, Lori McKenna. Concord Music Publishing acquired McKenna’s publishing catalogue and in partnership with Creative Nation and PULSE, will co-publish McKenna going forward. 

McKenna’s impressive resume includes back-to-back GRAMMY and CMA Awards, as well as the coveted title of ACM Songwriter of the Year in 2017. She is lauded as one of the music industry’s most in-demand songwriters and has been awarded three GRAMMY wins as a songwriter for Best Country Song with Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” (2015), Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” (2016), and most recently, The Highwomen’s “Crowded Table” (2020). Her catalogue includes her 12 solo albums, as well as hits by Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Little Big Town, Hunter Hayes, The Highwomen, and many more. In addition to her work in country music, McKenna also co-wrote “Always Remember Us This Way,” which was featured in the Academy Award-winning film, A Star Is Born, starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. 

“I’m thrilled and thankful to keep doing what I love most with my Creative Nation family in Nashville. I’m so excited to add PULSE and Concord in this next chapter and I look forward to what’s to come,” McKenna states. 

Lori McKenna’s artist projects have received high praise over the years. In 2020, Lori McKenna released The Balladeer, which Billboard Magazine considered “one of the most authentic albums” released that year. The release of The Balladeer continues a series of landmark years for McKenna following her 2018 album, The Tree, which was nominated for “Album of the Year” at the 2019 Americana Music Awards and received widespread critical acclaim, also landing on several “Best of 2018” lists. Additionally, McKenna’s 2016 album, The Bird & The Rifle, was nominated for three GRAMMY Awards as well as three Americana Awards. 

This year, McKenna, alongside frequent collaborators Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey, debuted a new radio show on Apple Music Country called ‘Love Junkies Radio.’ The trio share the stories behind the hits they penned together and more. 

Jim Selby, Chief Publishing Executive at Concord says, “As both a songwriter and an artist, Lori McKenna has contributed to some of the most notable and groundbreaking hits in country music and beyond. Concord is honored to be chosen as the home for her catalogue—our creative teams worldwide are looking forward to working closely with Lori, alongside Creative Nation and PULSE, to champion the hits still to come.” 

“Working with Lori McKenna the past 5 years has been a dream come true. Her talent is undeniable and she continues to evolve and write some of the most iconic songs for our generation. We are so excited to continue working with her and to add PULSE and Concord as our publishing partners in this next chapter,” Beth Laird, Co-Founder and CEO of Creative Nation, says. 

Scott Cutler, co-CEO, PULSE Music Group added, “Lori is one of the most authentic and widely respected writers on the planet—she has such a special talent. PULSE has had the honour of being a part of her story through our partnership with Beth and the Creative Nation team. We are so excited to partner with Beth and Concord on this next chapter and to continue to be a part of Lori’s future—this is a music publishing dream team!”