Tracy Lawrence Forms Label & Releases Album
The country singer who brought fans such memorable hits as "Sticks and Stones," "Can't Break It to My Heart" and "Time Marches On" ran into a spell of bad luck when his 10-year label, Atlantic Records, decided to shut down its Country division in 2001. From there, Lawrence bounced from label to label—first to Warner Bros, then Dreamworks which also eventually folded. He was on the verge of signing with Sony before deciding that he’d had enough of the Majors and started his own label—Rocky Comfort Records.
And how is he liking the DIY world of independent music? "We're kind of a micro-label right now,” he says in an interview with CMT.com. “I've got a small, barebones staff here in my office. My brother handles day-to-day operations. ... My road manager and I take care of quite a bit of stuff from the road. As we acquire other acts, I'm basically going to have to staff up. Right now, my sales team's outsourced, my promotion staff's outsourced and our art department's outsourced."
The new album,
For the Love, entered Billboard’s country albums chart at No. 6, and the first single “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” hit the Top 30 and is still rising. Lawrence co-produced with Julian King, and guest artists on the album include
Tim McGraw,
Kenny Chesney and
Brad Arnold, lead singer from rock band Three Doors Down.
