In its first signing, the joint venture between Sony Music Nashville and Riser House brings on singer/songwriter Mitchell Tenpenny to Riser House/Columbia Records.

A Nashville native and grandson of former CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the esteemed Donna Hilley, Tenpenny's been a lifelong devotee to music.

He's already had success as a songwriter, having written a Top 5 hit for Granger Smith ("If the Boot Fits"), and as a performer, opening for a a range of influential acts that include Jake Owen, Brett Young, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dustin Lynch and Jon Langston, among others.

Tenpenny is the flagship artist for Riser House, which is a full-service label, artist management and music publishing company. His EP, Linden Ave, is available now and you can keep up with what's next for him here.

We'd like to point out that ten pennies is also the average salary for a HITS employee.

Seen in the photo above are (L-R, front) Sony Music Nashville SVP Legal & Business Affairs Angie Magill and Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman, Mitchell
Tenpenny, Riser House Records President Jennifer Johnson and GM Stephanie Hudacek, and (L-R back) manager Kristen Ashley, Sony Music Nashville SVP A&R Jim Catino, COO/EVP Ken Robold, EVP Promotion/Artist Development Steve Hodges, EVP Marketing/New Business John Zarling, Tenpenny’s marketing lead Jennifer Way, and Columbia Nashville SVP Promotion Shane Allen.