Higham, Espo, Lamb, Chesney Launch HEY NOW
• Veteran talent manager Clint Higham, former longtime Warner Music Nashville Chairman John Esposito, Big Machine Records EVP/GM Kris Lamb and Country superstar Kenny Chesney have joined forces to launch HEY NOW Records, described as “a boutique label devoted to recognizing unique talent and identifying the best path of connecting artists with their fans.” Chesney, a recent inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame will serve as HEY NOW’s flagship artist, and the label’s name is a nod to Chesney’s boat, which was memorialized in his song, “Happy On The Hey Now.” Pictured, (l-r): Higham, Esposito, Lamb, & Chesney
“We have always believed in finding the best people for what an artist needs,” says Higham, Chesney’s longtime manager, President of Morris Higham Management and CMA Manager of the Year. “That philosophy has seen us super-serve our clients to create more meaningful opportunities and connections. In today’s flooded marketplace, Espo, Kris Lamb and I looked at this moment and saw an opportunity to super-serve a handful of talented developing and established artists by using that same perspective. By being laser-focused on the music, artists and right next moves, we can accelerate the artist development process through targeted and specific execution.”
“HEY NOW Records was born out of conversations Clint, Kenny and I had about the increasing lack of focus that artists are getting as rosters increase while staffs shrink,” said Esposito. “When Kris joined our conversations, I knew we would be lucky to have him at the helm of our operation. I’m thrilled to be in the role of co-founder, advisor, mentor and cheerleader for Kris as he leads the HEY NOW Records operation!”
“Having the chance to create something from the ground up means the options are wide open,” said Lamb, who will oversee day-to-day operations and drive the label’s overarching vision. “In a world where structure blocks creativity, HEY NOW is a place where whatever we can conceive, we can realize. This is more than a dream; this is a gateway to creating an entirely new form and reality of Artist Development.”
“When Clint, Espo and Kris came to me with the idea of creating our own team, I was curious,” says Chesney. “A label like this can be all-in, lets-make-stuff-happen — and I have always been about making things happen. Creating and exploring what’s possible inspires me, and this is a moment where we can realize ideas in a matter of hours.”
Lamb can be congratulated at Kris.Lamb@heynowrecords.com. [Higham & Lamb Photos: John Shearer • Chesney Photo: Allister Ann • Espo Photo: Courtesy of HEY NOW Records]
