Knox Peers Into The Future

(L-R): Kevin Lamb and Michael Knox

Producer and music executive Michael Knox has joined peermusic as Senior Creative Director. Following his string of recent successes in the studio, Knox will maintain his role as a producer, in addition to his new publisher duties. For peermusic, he will focus on identifying and signing songwriters, and working closely with other staffers in sourcing and developing talent globally.

Knox’s career includes ten years (1992-2002) at Warner/Chappell publishing where he signed artist/writers John Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Emily West and Jason Aldean. Knox has scored several major hits as a producer for Aldean, and has credits on numerous recent singles: Aldean’s “Crazy Town,” Josh Thompson’s “Way Out Here,” Montgomery Gentry’s “While You’re Still Young,” Trace Adkins’ “This Ain’t No Love Song,” Chuck Wicks’ “Hold That Thought” and Frankie Ballard’s “Tell Me You Get Lonely.”

Peermusic VP Nashville, Kevin Lamb, announced the company’s latest hiring. “We are thrilled to have Michael on board,” he says. “Michael and I have been talking about this for some time.

While he’s enjoying great success as a producer, he’s a publisher at heart; he loves working with writers and developing talent. This plays well into our overall strategy for growth as well as Michael’s vision for artist development. More than ever before, it is taking every piece of the artist puzzle to break an artist, or to get a hit on an established artist.”

Peermusic/Nashville has recently purchased several catalogs including Malaco Music, Route Six Music, GrangeHill Music and James Strouds’ WS Music Publishing. They have been honored with SESAC’s Christian Publisher of the Year award for the past three years and received two Dove Awards. Peer’s Nashville based advertising division, overseen by Craig Currier, has provided music for major campaigns with Lincoln, Chrysler, GE, Guitar Hero and Levi’s. Television advertisements currently airing include Volvo and Tostitos.

“Certainly Michael will be a key piece to this puzzle for us,” adds Lamb. “But just as importantly Michael, Craig and I are hoping to utilize our relationships and past successes in the area of advertising to help put this puzzle together.”

“I truly believe,” says Knox, “that the best music out there is music that normally doesn’t get heard. There’s a generation of brilliant talent out there that’s not sure yet where to go or where they fit. Those are the people I want to work with.”