“Every few years we have a capital event where we sell some catalog and then I certainly get my payday then,” Farren says. Farren says he’d rather reinvest his salary into the company so that Combustion can flourish more. He and Van Belkom also own East Nashville venue The Basement East, which received its first Academy of Country Music Award for ACM Club of the Year in May. He makes money from outside sources, like his production work and songwriting royalties. He wants all of us to win together.”įarren himself does not take a salary from the company. I want them to win, trust me.”Īdds Duncan: “He's trying to include us in all projects. “I think the beauty of that is it builds comradery, it builds loyalty, it builds energy, and it builds all working towards the same goal,” he says. In addition to Farren giving back to the Hope Town community, he gives back to his Combustion team by making each colleague a profit sharing owner of the company. The money raised from the festival goes to three local charities: Every Child Counts, Friends of the Environment and Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue. MORE FROM FORBES Austin Burke Is Helping Songwriters By Giving 15 Percent Of His Masters By Annie Reuter “My daughter and I started playing these little fundraisers – much smaller than our festival – and then it really brought music to the island and people loved it, so it was easy to connect the dots,” he says. It was through volunteering that he realized there was a greater need. “It’s now raised over $1 million for Hope Town,” Lyons says.įarren has had a home in the Bahamas for the past 20 years and says he wanted to be a part of the culture and community, so he and his children began doing charity work there. Farren launched a charity music festival nearly nine years ago in Hope Town, Bahamas. Lyons credits Combustion’s philanthropic arm for also setting the company apart.
This company is on the forefront, I think, for independent publishers in this town.” Our business has changed from CD's to illegal downloading to now we have the DSPs where we have an outlet, it just doesn't pay like we hope it will one day. “The foundation is the song,” Duncan says of Combustion.Ĭombustion Music GM Keithan Melton Mick BodieĪdds Melton: “We’re constantly evolving, constantly doing what you have to do to stay competitive. The trio’s passion for songwriters as well as their loyalty to Combustion was evident during a recent Zoom call.
Kelly Lyons began as an intern in 2017 and quickly rose to Director of Operations. GM Keithan Melton joined earlier this year while Senior Creative Director, A&R Blake Duncan was hired in 2020. That's what it was built on, that's what got us here and now we’re a publishing company with greater vision and greater scope.”Īs Combustion expands its role within the industry, the company has added to its team. “At our core we're still a publishing company. “We're signing acts and we're doing all the things that do as far as developing and funding,” he says. MORE FROM FORBES After Writing 51 Number One Hits, Ashley Gorley Is Guiding The Careers Of Nashville's Songwriters With Tape Room Music By Annie Reuter Farren says he sees Combustion as two companies: a publishing business and an independent record label. Combustion has since evolved from a publisher into an all-encompassing music company. 1 on the country charts.įarren credits the company’s success and longevity to the team’s vision and ability to take risks to get in front of the industry’s trends. 1 hit “I Don't Know About You” and songs for Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean while his singles, "Some Girls" and "Cold Beer Calling My Name" featuring Luke Combs, both reached No. Rodgers has seen success as a both a songwriter and an artist. Five years later he garnered a recording contract with Sony Music Nashville.
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“As we learned how to become a good publisher, we also noticed a lack of true artist development along the way,” Van Belkom says.Ĭombustion soon began developing artists like Rodgers, who signed with the company in 2014.