Kobalt Signs Global Publishing Deal with GRAMMY and CMA Nominated songwriter Derrick Southerland
Nashville, TN – July 10, 2025 – Kobalt, the world’s leading independent music publisher, announced today that they have signed a global publishing deal with GRAMMY and CMA nominated songwriter Derrick Southerland. As part of the deal, Kobalt has acquired a portion of Southerland’s extensive song catalog.
A NSAI and MusicRow Song of the Year winner with a diverse discography that’s garnered over a billion streams, Southerland has scored success across multiple radio formats domestically and internationally. Additionally he has secured TV & film placements with ABC, Netflix and Hallmark, among others. His resonant lyrics and songwriting acumen are displayed across multiple critically acclaimed co-penned singles for Ingrid Andress including her No. 1, double platinum, Grammy, ACM and CMA nominated debut, “More Hearts Than Mine”, the certified gold follow up “Lady Like”, Hot AC standout “Seeing Someone Else”, and the emotionally evocative track “Yearbook” which was named one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Songs of 2022.
“Derrick is one of the most gifted, prolific songwriters working in Nashville today,” said Stephanie Cox, General Manager/Senior Vice President of Creative at Kobalt Nashville. “He has the incredibly unique ability to write across genres which makes him a perfect fit for Kobalt’s global ecosystem.”
Kevin Lane, Senior Creative Director at Kobalt also commented: “Derrick and I had the opportunity to work together early in our careers, and I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to work with him again. His ability to craft songs that permeate the Nashville community while having multi-genre impact is rare. Combine that with his relentless work ethic, and you have a true creative force to be reckoned with. The sky's the limit for what we can accomplish together, and I’m so excited to see where this partnership takes us.”
Southerland’s versatility has led to collaborations with country powerhouses and global stars alike. His robust repertoire includes co-writing tracks for Carrie Underwood, Jordan Davis, Vince Gill, Fletcher, Laci Kaye Booth, Hunter Hayes, Breland, Charlotte Sands, High Valley, Charles Kelley, Muscadine Bloodline, Tanner Adell, Blair Davie, Dallas Smith and many others. Additionally, he has worked on Kane Brown’s Hot 100 certified gold single “Like A Rodeo” and Joshua Bassett’s “Crisis,” which made NPR’s Top 10 Songs of 2021. Southerland’s recent cut, “Same Moon” by Mitchell Tenpenny is currently working its way up the country radio chart.
“I’m so excited to be partnering with Kobalt,” says Southerland. “When I met with Laurent Hubert, Jeannette Perez, Stephanie Cox, Rani Hancock, Kenny McGoff and so many others of the creative team, I knew this was where I needed to be. Their enthusiasm not only about my writing and songs, but my dreams and vision for the future made this the perfect partnership to help me accomplish my goals. Huge thanks to Kevin, who was with me for my first major label outside cut and brought me to this amazing team. I’m looking forward to what’s coming in this next chapter of our careers.”