PATCH CULBERTSON Helped Develop Talent Like Aminé, SoMo, Florida Georgia Line, The Naked & Famous, and More
Nashville, Tenn. (October 19, 2017) – BIG LOUD adds another key component to its growing team today (10/19), announcing PATCH CULBERTSON as the new Vice President of A&R for its record label division. Effective immediately, Culbertson will report to both label President Clay Hunnicutt and company Partner Seth England, and can be reached by email at patch@bigloud.com.
The addition of Culbertson will serve to supercharge Big Loud’s ability to identify and develop new talent, as the music-industry hybrid continues to build itself into a one-stop hit-making shop like Country music has never seen. He comes onboard with a wealth of experience and a drive to discover the best of what’s next.
“Patch’s intuition, ability and analytics are second to none,” Hunnicutt says. “He has proven that in every organization he’s worked in, and in the roster of talent he has discovered and helped make into stars. He is a game changer, and he is exactly the kind of team member we wanted to work with when we started Big Loud two years ago. Patch is a key person we’ve wanted for a long time to continue our evolution.”
Culbertson joins Big Loud after eight years at Republic Records, most recently serving as Director of A&R in their New York headquarters. His extensive track record includes the signing and development of several multi-platinum artists, including Aminé, SoMo, Florida Georgia Line (via Republic Nashville), and The Naked & Famous.
Over the course of his highly respected career, Culbertson has also overseen releases from Colbie Caillat, Mat Kearney, and The Lonely Island, among others, as well as a number of soundtrack projects such as Ted and Snow White & the Huntsman. In addition to his role as an A&R ace, he has also developed new research strategies for sourcing talent in the digital era – which is exactly the kind of outside-the-box thinking Big Loud was created to harness.
“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Craig, Seth, Chief, Joey, Clay and the Big Loud team for the better part of a decade,” Culbertson says. “I couldn’t be more excited to join such an innovative, dedicated, and forward-thinking group of people as they continue to change the game in the music industry.”
Big Loud was founded as a partnership between Craig Wiseman, Seth England, Kevin “Chief” Zaruk, and Joey Moi, four industry veterans with a vision to bring song publishing, artist development, management, production, and promotion under one roof. The organization scored its first win when it helped launch the career of Florida Georgia Line – one of the most successful Country duos in history – and in 2015 the partners expanded their firm with the creation of Big Loud Records, led by Hunnicutt.
After helping Florida Georgia Line achieve superstardom, Big Loud has gone on to introduce breakout country star Chris Lane, a high-flying vocalist with a smooth-R&B vibe who’s debut single, “Fix,” proved a runaway hit. The song became a GOLD-certified #1 success in 2015, and marked an unlikely feat for Big Loud – scoring their first chart topper with the label’s very first release. Big Loud has since added to its talented roster with artists like Morgan Wallen and Jillian Jacqueline.