Pittsburgh band gets record deal with Rust

The band's first single, 'Hillbilly Way,' will be released in March.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Povertyneck Hillbillies continued its rapid rise Thursday, signing a five-album record deal with Cleveland-based Rust Records, an imprint of the Universal Music Group. The signing took place at Cumulus Broadcasting's headquarters on Simon Road.
The Pittsburgh-based country band has become a favorite in the region in a relatively short time.
Rust Records President Ken Cooper, a Youngstown native, said he became aware of the PNH phenomenon after being contacted by Dave Steele, program director of country radio station K105. The band recently sold out the Chevrolet Amphitheater in Pittsburgh and boasts over 20,000 in regional record sales.
National recognition
The Country Music Association (CMA) recently recognized the Povertyneck Hillbillies as one of the top independent groups of 2005.
Ed Mascolo, head of radio for Rust Records, has booked the band for the 2006 Country Radio convention in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 15, where PNH will perform for the industry's top program directors.
Rust Records will release the band's first single, "Hillbilly Way," in March and also re-release the band's second LP, "Don't Look Back."
New direction
The Hillbillies will then return to the studio to record the band's first full-length record on the Rust/Universal label under the direction of Bob Corbin.
With a newly remixed single and a DVD from the band's recent performance at the WQED-TV studios in Pittsburgh last year, fans will see and hear a new side of PNH. The concert film will go into national syndication on the PBS network in April.
PNH, the third country band to sign with Rust, joins label mates Shane Owens and multi-platinum recording artists BlackHawk.