Kenny Chesney Becomes Flagship Artist for HEY NOW Records

Country Music Hall of Famer Kenny Chesney has been announced as the flagship artist for a brand new record label, HEY NOW Records. 

Announced Tuesday morning, the brand new, boutique label was formed by industry heavyweights Clint Higham, John Esposito and Kris Lamb. The label’s mission is devoted to “recognizing unique talent and identifying the best path of connecting artists with their fans.” HEY NOW Records aims to builds a platform that celebrates each artist’s unique story, crafting tailored marketing strategies that highlight their individual strengths and perspective. Based in Nashville, the label focuses on staying agile, moving quickly, and finding innovative ways to break new talent in today’s fast-evolving music landscape.

“We have always believed in finding the best people for what an artist needs,” Co-Founder Clint Higham, President of Morris Higham Management and CMA Manager of the Year, shared. “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.”

John Esposito who hailed at the Chairman/CEO of Warner Music Nashville for 15 years, agreed. “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. 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!”

Joining Higham and Esposito as Co-Founder and President is Kris Lamb, a seasoned music executive known for building high-performing teams and guiding some of today’s most influential artists to success. With a career spanning radio, music publishing, and label leadership, Lamb’s experience includes time at The Walt Disney Company’s Lyric Street Records and over a decade in executive roles at Big Machine Label Group during a period of unprecedented growth.

“Having the chance to create something from the ground up means the options are wide open,” Lamb stated. “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.”

Chesney is the flagship artist on the label, which is named after the boat he spent countless hours on in the Caribbean and later immortalized in his song “Happy On The Hey Now.”

“When Clint, Espo and Kris came to me with the idea of creating our own team, I was curious,” Chesney said. “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.”

The move could signal new music on the horizon for Kenny Chesney, whose most recent album, Born, came out in 2024.