Country4Denver News

Just like Trace Adkins on NBC-TV's "The Celebrity Apprentice," the People Country Special magazines, sold periodically on newsstands nationwide, make it clear that Country Music is rising higher into mainstream consciousness than ever before.

People, which has reported on popular culture for nearly four decades, has included Country Music in its editorial mix. Two years ago, the magazine tested the waters for extended and more specialized coverage with a trial issue of its People Country Special . Consumer feedback was so strong and sales numbers so robust that the magazine scheduled four issues for 2008 with a possible increase in the future.

"People, at its core DNA, is all about being a cultural force," explained Paul Caine, President, Time Inc., Entertainment Group. "It's about defining celebrity. It's about driving conversation and inspiring action. When you think about that core essence, then you know that can work not only for the weekly magazine but also everywhere else people are living and connecting with other people in very specific ways. So Country was one of those opportunities that really spoke to us, because there is a core reader or consumer that lives the Country life. It's the people they admire, the celebrities, the way they talk about their life and the people they admire most, and it's the ways they get involved. And it all adds up to a culture we can be a potential force in."

Caine noted that People's interest in providing greater focus on Country Music was piqued in large part by the CMA Awards being held at New York City's Madison Square Garden in 2005. But in the years since then, "American Idol" also played a significant role in drawing media attention to the Country genre. Recognizing that, People placed "Idol" winner Carrie Underwood on the cover of the first People Country Special issue for 2008 - and that issue sold nearly 400,000 copies through newsstand distribution alone. And since "Idol" alumni Bucky Covington, Josh Gracin, Kellie Pickler and Phil Stacey have captured their share of the spotlight, the timing seems perfect for a crossover Country Music publication.

"In People Country, we are able to include more news about Country stars, from weddings and babies to new books and movies they may be working on," said Cynthia Sanz, Assistant Managing Editor, People . "We cover big industry events in a more timely, in-depth way and pack the issues with what the fans are talking about right at this moment. We've also added features like fashion and beauty and home and entertaining, which show readers how they can bring elements of the Country lifestyle into their lives. It's all about who's hot now, who people want to know more about and what fans are buzzing about."

From a Brad Paisley at-home cover with baby son Huck (William Huckleberry) and wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley to the stars' favorite rides, each issue provides an up-close and personal glimpse into the lives of Country artists. And according to Caine, they've been more than happy to open their lives to the public through the magazine.

"The artists have been fantastic," he said. "We've gotten great cooperation. It almost seems like they've been lending themselves in order to see the success of this, so we've been very, very happy with that. We've had reachouts from the top, top tiers of the Country world, giving us access to their homes, their closets, their lives and their talent, and that's been a phenomenal experience. We get that kind of permission because of the core franchise: They see what we do and they feel comfortable with the credibility on the weekly version and the digital version [of People 's flagship magazine]."

The magazine has responded to this level of cooperation by exploring multiple avenues of involvement, including the recent "People Country Special on CMT," a half-hour program hosted by Allison DeMarcus of "CMT Insider." They are also sponsoring concerts with Country artists throughout the year and maintaining a presence at special events, including distributing magazines at the truTV Fan Fair Hall during CMA Music Festival.

"With the CMT Music Awards, we did all sorts of integrated marketing," Caine said. "We did bleacher seat sampling and sponsored the after-party along with CMT. We did a photo booth on site in the green room, with photos that you'll see in the core issues as well as the Country issues moving forward. We also did online programs with some behind-the-scenes footage. And we will do a number of music launches in all formats. We did one on May 15 with Jewel in Chicago, where we invited consumers, tastemakers and other VIPs to this incredible acoustic performance. We're also developing retail programs as well as other live events programs to tie in with other Country events, festivals and concert tours."

"I am so happy to have another viable national media outlet that promotes Country Music," said Vanessa Davis, President/Owner, Splash! Public Relations. "People magazine has garnered a large subscription and newsstand readership over the years, so they can offer Country a built-in consumer base. I'm especially pleased that People Country Special gives our new artists a platform for exposure, not only in the magazine but also by the downloads offered on its Web site. This gives readers a chance to learn more about the artists and also hear their music, and that's a great promotional tool. I've placed several of my 'baby' acts in the publication, with wonderful results."

People's incursions into Country Music have also awakened new groups of advertisers to the potential of marketing toward its fans. "Advertising response has been phenomenal," said Caine. "People are very interested, but if anything I think we're educating more of them to be interested in this market. When I launched Teen People , that was one of the biggest wakeup calls in that while many people were marketing to teens at that time, we were able to wake up two to three times that many marketers to the market based on the success they were having. The same thing is happening here with Country. We're bringing new marketers to this world that are waking up and deciding that this is a market to focus on."

With indicators in place that People Country Special will continue to succeed, Caine hopes to draw even more advertisers into the fold and possibly increase the number of issues published per year.

"Part of our incubation strategy at People is that we try to keep our fingers on the pulse of what people are talking about and what they want to read now, and so we constantly debate frequency on the specials and the number we produce," he said. "It's a fluid concept. We want to stay connected to the customer to make sure we're not over-delivering or under-delivering the information. It's a two-way communication. So with Country, we've gone from one time to four times a year. We're listening to the consumer, and if there is an interest in increasing our frequency beyond that, we will."

It's not just the immediate public response that prompts Caine to consider bumping People Country Special to a busier publishing schedule; just as important is the genre's enduring appeal. "Country has maintained its popularity for a very long time," he said. "It's not a trend. Other genres of music wax and wane in terms of relevance or lifestyle elements. You see it with pop and hip-hop and R&B: The market changes over time. But Country is unique. It's been around for a long time and it will be around for a long time to come."

The Band of Heathens came together more or less by happenstance at Momo's, in the heart of Austin's Sixth Street entertainment district. As regulars at the venue's weekly songwriter night, Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist moved eventually from doing individual sets to getting together onstage as a group - unrehearsed, unpredictable, but a group nonetheless.

With Seth Whitney onboard as their bassist, they adopted a name and recorded a couple of these shows for a regional live album. The following year, 2007, they added drummer John Chipman, won "Best New Band" honors at the Austin Music Awards, appeared on a locally-produced DVD and took their show on the road. They also began work on their studio debut album, which fully captures the polish of their writing and the infectious energy of their performance.

Produced by Ray Wylie Hubbard, released on their BOH imprint and distributed nationally by Burnside, The Band of Heathens features 11 original tracks as well as guest contributions from Hubbard, Stephen Bruton, Patty Griffin and Gurf Morlix. Over the rocky ramble of their rhythm, vocals range from conversational to ecstatic, with an appealing roughness that suggests being worn by gospel shouts or whiskey shots, depending on the lyric. The instrumentation is unpretentious and evocative. Their spirit draws from The Band, early Neil Young and the mystique of Austin, brought to a peak of expression by this somewhat accidental yet enormously promising quintet.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

CD IN YOUR STEREO
"The Great Ride by Chris Brecht, Post- War by M. Ward and Coltrane Plays the Blues by John Coltrane."

BOOK ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND
"Across the Great Divide: The Band and America , by Barney Hoskyns."

FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
"Soul Train or levitation."

ACTOR TO PORTRAY YOU IN A BIOPIC
"Sean Penn for Colin Brooks, Christopher Walken for John Chipman, Orlando Bloom for Ed Jurdi, Johnny Depp for Gordy Quist and Jack Black for Seth Whitney - or the entire band could be portrayed by Jack Nicholson."

(Answers provided by Quist on behalf of The Band of Heathens.)

On the web: bandofheathens.com