Laminate Entertainment is the consulting agency you didn’t know existed but might be rolling out some of the biggest musical talents Nashville has ever seen.
The founders, a husband and wife team, were able to step back from their respective recording careers to focus on the business-side of the industry and create an agency to help yet-unknown artists make their mark on Music City.
Meet the Talent
Every great story has moments of magic. Those remarkable plot twists everyone talks about. Marc “Butter” Fortney co-founded the country group, Trailer Choir, in 2006. What was supposed to be a fun side-gig for local clubs and frat parties happened to get the notice of Toby Keith in 2007. He asked the trio to meet at the office of his then-label, Show Dog Records. After getting signed to the label on Tuesday, the group hopped on a tour bus on Thursday as part of Toby Keith’s The Big Dog Daddy Dog Tour that summer.
At the same time, Emily Robertson and her two sisters, Carter’s Chord, had been signed in late 2006 by Keith’s label and were also part of the 2007 tour.
As Emily recalls that auspicious summer, “We fell in love on a Prevost!”
Backstage Pass
Laminate Entertainment’s name comes from the idea of an all access stage pass. “It’s exclusive. Butter has kept every laminate he’s ever had. He has like 1000 of them in our office!” Emily says.
It’s the power of the people backstage -figuratively and literally - to help the talent shine. Emily describes their company as one that wears many hats, doing whatever it takes to help their artists to the next level. A short list of the services they offer include:
Planning
Consulting
Recording
PR
Branding
“So many artists come to Nashville to pursue music and then they don’t know where to start or how to keep it rolling. Through our years of experience and contacts we have, we are able to take these artists and help guide them towards a path of success,” Emily writes.
After more than two decades combined in their respective careers, the list of relationships and contacts Emily and Butter have access to undoubtedly roll out longer than Broadway and 21st Avenue South together. Not only were each signed to Toby Keith’s label, Emily’s parents are Barny and Carter Roberston. Both played for Waylon Jennings’ road band, The Waylor’s in the 1970s as well as several years before Waylon passed away.
Let the Stars Shine
Over the next year, one artist a month currently represented by Laminate Entertainment will be featured here on Live Laugh Love Nashville. The first on stage will be Alexis Taylor, on January 14th. You won't want to miss it. She is a force to be reckoned with.
*** When you talk to Emily or Butter, the passion they feel for their work is palpable. They take their knack for the music business to help those new artists become the very best. The music industry is fiercely competitive, but these two know how to navigate an artist to the top. They are not only well-connected, they also know how the value hard-work. They want nothing more than to give each artist his or her own magical plot twist.
To contact Laminate Entertainment, email Laminate.ent@gmail.com. Also find them on Facebook to keep up with all the happenings.
