Zac Brown launches new label

Brown's label comes out of a devotion to giving talented artists a voice. "I'd like to think there's a movement coming out of Atlanta that's like (Memphis-based soul label) Stax was, back in the '60s," he said in an interview with The Tennessean. "The Wood Brothers are one of the best live bands you'll ever see, and we just got Sonia Leigh's record finished, and I'm super proud of it. There's Blackberry Smoke coming onboard, and Nic Cowan and Levi Lowrey, and all the people that love our music will love their music, too, I feel confident."

Leigh's debut album "1978 December" will be out in September and includes the single My Name is Money and Roaming, co-written by and featuring Brown.

Country and Southern rock quintet Blackberry Smoke are performing 20-plus dates with Zac Brown Band nationwide this summer. They'll begin work on a new album this summer. P>Lowrey, co-writer of ZBB's number one hit Colder Weather, is on a year-long tour in support of his debut album "I Confess I was a Fool," dropping this summer.

Southern Ground Artists has tracks from each artist available for streaming.

The label, which will be widely distributed by RED, has already put out a compilation of 11 tracks from ZBB and 3 of the Southern Ground Artists as part of the "Letters for Lyrics" campaign. Fans who wrote letters to American service members received the compilation at no charge as part of Southern Ground's collaborative effort with RAM Truck Brand and nonprofit organization Soldiers' Angels.

Alan Becker RED Senior Vice President, Product Development said: "I've been lucky to work on behalf of some of my favorite artists and to do it again with Zac Brown and his Southern Ground Artists label feels just right. We believe Zac has tapped a vein again in Atlanta reminiscent of legendary Phil Walden and Capricorn Records, and we just can't wait to get started."