Position Music Names Chandler Thurston As 1st Creative A&R In Their New Nashville Location

Tyler Bacon, President and CEO of Position Music, has announced that Chandler Thurston has joined the company as a new member of the A&R team. Thurston is the first A&R hire for the independent publisher and label’s new Nashville location.

Before joining Position Music, Thurston served as Senior Creative Director at Anthem Entertainment, the publishing home of MCA Nashville artist Jordan Davis. Throughout his tenure, he was responsible for a roster of talent that included Jamie Paulin (Kenny Chesney, Jordan Davis), Luke Preston (Dillon James, The Lone Bellow), Joey Hyde (Jake Owen, Ryan Hurd), and artists Shane Profitt and Meghan Patrick. Prior to Anthem, Chandler worked as an A&R at Major Bob Music where he played a significant role in signing and developing writers Alysa Vanderheym, Ben Williams (Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange”), and Andy Sheridan. His work contributed to the success of the #1 song “Cold Beer Calling My Name” by Jameson Rodgers featuring Luke Combs and the top 10 hit “Talk You Out of It” by Florida Georgia Line, both penned by Vanderheym.

Thurston will be working out of Position Music’s Nashville office on Music Row, which is currently under construction and projected to open Q3 of 2025. The location includes eight offices and two studios.

“I am incredibly excited to be in this new role and am looking forward to helping Position Music establish itself in Nashville. Tyler and Mark have created a business model that truly values creatives and it’s an honor to be a part of this innovative team as we prepare to make our mark on Music Row. Can’t wait to get to work!” says Thurston.

"Over the past year and a half, Tyler Bacon (President/CEO) and myself have made several trips to Nashville looking for the right creative executive to launch our new office,” says Mark Chipello, Partner and Head of A&R at Position Music. “We have built Position Music for over 25 years now and Tyler started his career in Nashville before that, so it’s incredibly important to us to enter the Nashville writing and publishing ecosystem in a way that truly brings value and service to the community. As I met with people and explained what we are looking to accomplish, I began to hear one name recommended over and over - Chandler Thurston. Chandler is an immensely respected publisher who deeply cares about songwriters and their craft. We are excited to see how Chandler has already impacted our existing roster of writers while also working hard on developing a roster of new signings. I have the utmost confidence in Chandler and love how aligned our vision is for how we want to build the future together.”