Drake White Confirms He Was Dropped by Dot / Big Machine
Back in 2017 when Big Machine Records decided it had bitten off more than it could chew and shuttered their imprint Dot Records, it left the fate of a few important mainstream artists in the air. As more of an offbeat imprint for the mainstream giant that includes Taylor Swift and Florida Georgia Line on its roster, it was a place where developing talent such as Maddie & Tae and Drake White could find a home.
Often when a label shutters or there is a shift in management, the status of the respective artists is updated for the public. But with Dot, the fans of the performers were left to fend for themselves. It was confirmed at the time that Carly Pearce and Tucker Beathard had been moved to other Big Machine divisions in the Dot disillusion. But it wasn’t until later that we learned that Maddie & Tae were left out on the street (eventually to be signed by UMG Nashville).
But this still left the fate of Drake White in question. As a more rootsy and songwriter-based artist on a major label, he became a favorite of many grassroots fans. Though Drake’s four radio singles all did decently, they eventually stalled outside the country radio Top 10, which is a no no for a male in the mainstream. Still with a more substantive sound, he was able to sell nearly 60,000 copies of his debut record Spark.
In a recent interview, Drake White confirms he was dropped by Big Machine, but promises he’s not giving up on either his career, or his sound.
“I’m gonna use this platform that Big Machine and Universal have helped me build over the last six, seven, years as a catapult and I’m gonna find a partner that loves that southern-fried thing that we do,” says White. “We’ve got a lot of interest already. And, I’ve got some music in the studio. I went to work. I went straight to work and started recording all these songs that I had written that for one reason or another the label said, ‘I don’t know if that’ll work at radio. I’m not sure.’ Or, ‘Man I think this is great for radio. I think this is great commercially but, eh.'”
Drake White leans heavily on more of a Muscle Shoals sound that is rarely championed in the mainstream, but is well regarded in Americana and among grassroots fans.
“I’ve always been super convicted about my art and what I wanted to do,” White says. “And the label’s job is to give that art the best chance to win across the board, commercially or whatever it should be. I know exactly who I am and what I want to do for an artistic standpoint. And that is that Muscle Shoal kind of southern-fried, soul, funky country music … It’s fiddles, it’s harmonicas, it’s great bass lines and great songwriting … I’ve always been one of those guys that are left of center. And that’s why I’ve never tried to deny that.”
Though there is no firm plans for the release of new music, Drake White says he’s actively working on new material, and a partner who understands him to help him release it. “I’ve got the confidence now and I’m gonna go out and do exactly what I know what we are great at. And we are great at it, at going out and doing it and having fun with it, serving these fans. And that’s what we’re doing.”
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To little fanfare, Big Machine released a Drake White EP called ‘Pieces’ in May of leftovers from his time at the label.
September 20, 2018 @ 9:07 am
I’m happy to hear that Pieces was a Big Machine release of leftovers. It doesn’t seem to fit with his comments. I’m a big fan of Drake. I saw him open for David Nail probably 8-10 years ago and wore out an EP I bought from him at that show. Making Me Look Good Again should have been a radio hit, but I don’t think Big Machine ever put the effort behind promoting his singles that all of the bros seem to get. I’ll be interested to see what happens going forward.
September 20, 2018 @ 9:10 am
I’ve been wanting to ask you if you knew what his deal was. The more I’ve listened to him over the past couple of years I keep wondering how he isn’t any bigger. I just don’t see how “Makin’ Me Look Good Again” could not be a top 5 song unless the powers that be just refused to play it.
More power to him, hopefully he will be able to release all the stuff the label told him not to – if they didn’t want, then it’s most assuredly pretty good stuff.
September 20, 2018 @ 9:14 am
This is my first time hearing about this guy. Is he country?
September 20, 2018 @ 9:55 am
He’s a mix of country, rock, and soul. Makin’ Me Look Good Again is incredibly soulful, while Waitin’ On the Whiskey to Work is straight-up country.
https://youtu.be/tigB0lFHa7M
September 20, 2018 @ 3:44 pm
If Southern rock was a mainstream genre or genre format (with everything that entails), then I would say he’s Southern rock more than country. But Southern rock and rock more generally has been infused into country for at least the last two or three decades (if not longer, considering that Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Dwight Yoakam — just to name three — all had rock as ingredient to their country sound). And considering that rock and country both emerged from the same place, the South, and often with the same people (Sun Records in fact being very important for both genres), then I’m fine with Southern rock finding a place within the country format.
September 20, 2018 @ 9:48 am
I can’t think of anything better for an artist than to be dropped from Big Machine records.
I also can’t think of anything better for the music industry than for a Big Machine imprint to close down.
Yes, it’s Dot, and Dot caused me great delight in the seventies.
But a Big Machine revival of it is sort of like that scene in the last Harry Potter book in which the deceased are brought back to life as terrible and grotesque husks and not as they once were.
September 20, 2018 @ 9:58 am
He showed a lot of potential on Spark. His new EP was incredibly disappointing though. WTF was he doing letting busbee anywhere near his music?
September 20, 2018 @ 10:06 am
The new EP is the stuff that was left on the cutting house floor from Big Machine. It’s literally the stuff they deemed not worthy of release, until they dropped him and wanted to recoup some of their production money. I would say it’s a poor representation of what Drake White is, either now or when he was on Big Machine. Wouldn’t take anything away from it as far as influence or direction. In fact I would encourage people to just avoid it altogether.
September 20, 2018 @ 10:49 am
Well-written lyrics have no place on mainstream country music radio stations anymore.
If you’re not writing fifth-grade level drivel, it won’t get played.
September 20, 2018 @ 11:11 am
I thought Drake was on Warner Nashville for some reason. He’s super talented, has a killer voice, and Spark was surprisingly solid. I loved Making Me Look Good Again and Story. I’d rather see someone like Drake become a star in the mainstream than someone like Kane Brown. Drake is really unique, and I will continue to support him.
September 20, 2018 @ 11:48 am
Ryan Kinder was on Warner Music Nashville. He was dropped too.
September 20, 2018 @ 3:32 pm
Kinder is very underrated. Not even slightly country but good music is good music.
September 20, 2018 @ 6:12 pm
I second that regarding Aubrie Sellers, Eric Church, The Brothers Osborne, Lauren Alaina, and (guilty pleasure) Maren Morris. None of these are remotely country, but I enjoy their music immensely.
September 20, 2018 @ 11:30 am
Drake White is featured on “The One That Got Away”. One of the songs on the new Terri Clark album Rasing The Bar.
The album is much better than the cheap radio fodder single “Young As We Are Tonight”.
September 20, 2018 @ 1:34 pm
He sang the national anthem at the Packers-Bears game. Did a great job. Always liked the guy, hope he finds his footing.
September 20, 2018 @ 2:01 pm
I preferred this guy when he worked/collabed with Josh Peck and BackHouse Mike back in the mid 2000’s. His first non album single “Found a Way” was great.
September 20, 2018 @ 5:54 pm
I have said for 3-4 years that Drake White is the most underrated artist in Nashville. His live act is really good. Country music NEEDS him.
September 20, 2018 @ 6:14 pm
Eddie Bauer ski lodge country.
Does he ever write about working construction, or is it all sweet nothings for the soccer mom demographic?
September 3, 2019 @ 7:48 pm
Check out heartbeat. Opening track from last album.
Amazing song. Construction/roofing was his job prior to giving music a full go.
My belief, like Sam hunt these guys are all grabbing the get married approach as soon as success finds them. Kills creativity, next will be joy, then of course the soul gets eaten lol
September 20, 2018 @ 7:24 pm
His follow up singles weren’t strong. He just didn’t prove he had what it takes.
Best of luck to him in the future.
September 20, 2018 @ 7:28 pm
The sound he described was perfected on repeat by Mofro nearly two decades ago.
September 20, 2018 @ 11:43 pm
I would not be a bit surprised to see him end up with Triple Tigers. They kinda work with the independent artists but also have a pretty strong foothold on radio (see Scotty McCreery, Russell Dickerson)
September 21, 2018 @ 9:30 am
Im more concerned with whats going on with Gary Allan
September 22, 2018 @ 10:54 am
That sucks. Hopefully he’ll find a label that will give him the freedom and representation that he deserves.
November 7, 2018 @ 5:37 pm
Found Drake White to be a much needed breath of fresh air myself and I agree with the Muscle Shoals references pretty much. If every one had to depend on “country” radio there would not be much diversity available. That said, a good many artists in multiple genres make a fine living doing what they love with out radio.