HEY NOW Records Launches in Nashville

A new player has entered the Music City landscape as industry veterans Clint Higham, John Esposito and Kris Lamb officially announce the launch of HEY NOW Records, a boutique label built around creativity, individuality and a highly focused approach to artist development.

Based in Nashville, HEY NOW Records is designed to operate lean and move quickly, creating customized strategies for each artist while navigating today’s fast-changing music industry. The label’s mission centers on connecting artists with fans through tailored marketing plans that reflect each artist’s unique voice and vision.

Co-founder Clint Higham, President of Morris Higham Management and CMA Manager of the Year, brings a long-standing philosophy of pairing artists with the right teams to maximize opportunity. That same mindset is at the core of HEY NOW’s approach, with a focus on developing both emerging and established talent through targeted execution and hands-on support.

Joining Higham is co-founder John Esposito, the former Chairman/CEO of Warner Music Nashville, who will serve in an advisory role. Esposito’s extensive experience in artist development and label leadership helps shape the vision behind HEY NOW, particularly in response to an industry landscape where artist rosters are growing while resources are often stretched thin.

Leading day-to-day operations as Co-Founder and President is Kris Lamb, a veteran executive whose career spans radio, publishing and label leadership, including key roles at Big Machine Label Group and Lyric Street Records under The Walt Disney Company. Over the course of his career, Lamb has contributed to more than 80 No. 1 hits and numerous Gold, Platinum and Diamond-certified records, along with multiple major industry awards.

HEY NOW Records launches with a major flagship artist in Kenny Chesney, the recent Country Music Hall of Fameinductee and one of the most successful touring artists of the modern era. Known for consistently putting fans first, Chesney partnered in the creation of the label to help build a space where music leads the way and artists are free to operate outside traditional boundaries.

Named after the boat that inspired Chesney’s song “Happy On The Hey Now,” the label will feature a streamlined team across promotion, streaming, marketing and A&R. The goal is simple: create a boutique environment where artists receive dedicated attention from the ground up while allowing creativity and flexibility to drive the process.

With a leadership team rooted in experience and a philosophy centered on artist-first development, HEY NOW Records aims to carve out a fresh lane in Nashville’s ever-evolving music industry.