Dustin Lynch

“Everybody in this whole journey of an artist becoming bigger is important. And I mean that right from the bars that hold 200 people … to the small theaters to the amphitheatres,” L3 Entertainment’s Peter Hartung, who manages Dustin Lynch with day-to-day manager Neil Vance, told Pollstar.  

“Nobody starts playing in front of 10,000. All those bars and those bar owners are part of the process [as well as] all those theatre owners, all the Live Nations and the AEGs and the independent promoters, all the Variety Attractions and the guys who do all the fairs and the festivals. … And of course without country radio, then we’re really in trouble!”

Hartung notes, “The artist always winds up having to do more work than anybody else.” Luckily for Hartung, he says that Lynch is an easy artist to manage.

“He’s very smart; he’s very focused. He knows what needs to be done and goes and does it. Of course, he’s a great-looking guy, a great singer, a great songwriter … his work ethic is phenomenal. He’s got all the tools. He’s got a great label, which is 100 percent behind him and believes he’s going to be a superstar – which we all do.”

A boost to one’s social media pages doesn’t hurt either.

After getting the opportunity to win over Keith Urban fans by supporting his 2013-2014 tour, Lynch “saw a substantial growth” on social media. 

“I look at social media really as the same as what we used to just call marketing. … I’m sure it relates to ticket sales and album sales. I don’t think that’s ever been 100 percent quantified … but we all know that it works,” Hartung said.  

The country singer/songwriter is also gaining fans via radio thanks to his Top 20 Country tune “Where It’s At (Yep Yep).” The song is the lead single from Where It’s At, which is due out in September as the follow-up to his eponymous debut. The 2012 LP debuted at No. 1 on the country chart.

In June Rolling Stone named Lynch the “best sing-along leader” as part of its round-up of the 37 best things at CMA Music Fest.  

Lynch continues playing fairs and festivals during the next few months.