Write You A Song Podcast

When you think country music and Australia, the first person who comes to mind is that guy married to Nicole Kidman. But he wasn’t the first. He was beaten to the states by a then teenage girl, who arrived here in the 1980s with her parents. But her first job wasn’t singing, or writing. It was as a character on an iconic 1980s TV show. If you remember The Facts of Life, think back to the final season and a character named Pippa McKenna. Pippa was played by Sherri Austin...who would do a little more acting in LA before moving to Nashville in the mid 1990s. In 1997, she signed a recording deal and got some airplay on country radio, including a sad but beautiful ballad called Streets of Heaven that, in 2003, became her biggest hit. But her first love- more than acting, more than singing, was writing, which she continued to do even as she left Nashville for a time in 2005 to sing on the stage in New York city. Returning to Nashville in 2011, she released another album, Circus Girl, which displayed her full talent as a singer/songwriter. But, as Austin will explain, she was drawn more towards writing and performing, and since then has become one of country music’s most respected writers. 

If the name Johnny Bulford sounds vaguely familiar, then maybe you used to watch the Colgate Country showdown, a country music talent show sponsored by the toothpaste company. In 2008, he won it and was given a $100,000 check by the evening’s host, Leanne Rimes.  But here's the thing: The Showdown was a singing competition...and as much as Johnny loves to sing- and is good at it – his real passion is in songwriting. A passion he got from listening to the songs of his country music idol, Garth Brooks. And his songs do have a certain “Garthiness” that he’ll explain. So, rather than pursue a singing career, Johnny went to Nashville and started his journey as a songwriter - thanks in no small part to the security a check for $100,000 will give a guy. The result? Radio smashes like Lonely Eyes for Chris Young and Woman Like You for Lee Brice, and keen insight into the creative process that he shares on this month's episode

Tracking down songwriters for this podcast can be challenging. Publishing companies don’t return your email. A songwriter doesn’t return your email.  Publishing companies really don't return your emails. But, just when you think it’s time to hang it up, the universe throws you a bone and you get a random email from a podcast listener named Keith, hooking you up with the writer of one of country music’s greatest songs of all time. And a few other hits too. Thanks, Keith! The Dance is one of those rare songs that transcends its era. It’s one of those songs that, even if you’re hearing it for the ten thousandth time, its simple yet elegant production and lyrics still pack an emotional wallop. BUT...that song and Tony Arata’s whole legendary career –which includes being a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame-might never have happened had it not been for the one single he released as a brief country solo artist in 1986. The song didn’t even chart...but there was this new-to-Nashville guy named Garth who heard it. And liked it. And, well, Tony was already in the middle of spinning the story when I remembered to hit record and he will take it from there. Enjoy!

The goal of most performers is to be so good, their audience is captivated. A captive audience. But ...what if your audience has no choice because they're literally captive?  This episode’s guest isn’t really Country. He’s more folk, or Americana, or whatever you want to call it. I just think he's amazingly talented, with a fascinating story to tell. I heard about Matt Butler one morning when I heard an interview with him on – full credit here – NPR. They were talking to him about his music, and also his one man show, Reckless Son, which is based on his experiences performing to the incarcerated, first in upstate new york and now, at prisons all over the country. His story drew me in. His songwriting and singing hooked me. His catalogue isn’t large. He’s never had a "hit" record. But his story is unique and perfectly illustrates the power that music, and art, can have when used for something more than just putting gold records on a wall.   Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But that’s not what matt chooses to chase. He is one of those artists who is inspired by something else, something deeper and seemingly less tangible. and I was curious to find out why. And how.   I hope you are too. See our website for privacy information.

A drummer? On a podcast about songwriting? What is this abomination?? Truth is, it's not an abomination at all! An aberration, maybe but a cool one. Or at least, I think it is. I hope you do too. No, the format of Write You a Song isn't changing. I simply had the opportunity to interview a professional Nashville drummer named Will Johnston, whom I got to know a bit last summer when the artist he tours with, Elvie Shane, did a small show for our radio station. Will and I were talking about the recording process, and we started thinking that some music fans might find it interesting to hear from someone who helps create the finished product that starts when a writer puts pen to paper (or, more likely these days, cursor to screen). Since it's not technically an episode about writing, I'm dropping it as a surprise, bonus episode. First one I've done but, if you like it, it may not be the last.  So if you've ever wondered about the musicians who play on the songs that become a part of a lives well, here's one of 'em. And I hope you enjoy :)See our website for privacy information.

Ray Fulcher had no plans on ever becoming a songwriter or a singer. Teaching and coaching. THOSE were his plan. But they got set aside one fateful night Ray went to a club in his college town and saw a young country artist named Eric Church. Seeing and hearing Eric lyrics lit something inside Ray, and that flame was helped along by a second incident of fate the day he met a fellow couch surfer in a friend's Nashville house named Luke Combs. It’s one of the more improbable songwriter success stories we’ve had on this podcast which makes it all the more relatable. Who hasn’t had the notion to put everything aside and bet on yourself? Ray’s bet paid off. And it still isSee our website for privacy information.

Florida native Jordan Fletcher was a drummer. Is a drummer. Still. But, his hands are usually busy with an acoustic guitar these days.  Jordan came to Nashville to play drums but somewhere along the way, he discovered he was pretty good at writing songs. And singing them. And thanks to what he calls some “stupid optimism”, he decided to go all in as a singer/songwriter.  Nashville though can be a brutal place, even for the talented. And without much happening, Jordan was just about ready to put an end to his music dreams and figure out a new way to support his wife and new child. But then the pandemic hit...and things changed for Jordan and his career. For the better. His career is still very much in the "just getting started" phase, but thanks to a bit of pandemic-inspired inspiration that ended up at cut on a Riley Green album, and a critically-acclaimed EP released last year, Jordan can stay all in on following his Nashville dream.See our website for privacy information.

It’s truly amazing how one simple, polite gesture can utterly change a person’s life.   As a teenager, songwriter Luke Laird took a family vacation to Nashville. And even though he was already deeply interested in music, he had no idea somebody like him, a young man from Pennsylvania, could do it for a living...until the writer of one of country music’s most iconic songs spent a few moments talking to him following a show the family attended at the legendary Bluebird Café. Without that simple gesture of accessibility, which that writer has probably given a thousand times, Eric Church might never have had songs like Give Me Back My Hometown, Talladega or Drink in My Hand. Carrie Underwood might never have recorded So Small, or Thomas Rhett, T-shirt, Jon Pardi, Head over Boots. Kacey Musgraves might never have won a Grammy for her album Same Trailer, Different Park. And the Nashville songwriting community might never have had one of its most collaborative, creative and encouraging members.   But thankfully, That writer did. Who was it? And what's the rest of Luke's story? Give this month's episode a listenSee our website for privacy information.

Starting in the mid-80s, Jeff Stevens has written some monster country hits, including songs that could fairly be called classics- Carrying Your Love With Me from George Strait, for example. But, as his career has gone on, he hasn’t just gone back to the same well again and again and as such, some of his more recent stuff has actually gotten blowback for not being country enough. If you listen to this podcast at all, you’ll know a few other veteran songwriters have faced the same challenge- and charge. But in a business where you’re only as relevant as your last hit, staying in the writer’s room requires never closing the door on suggestions or ideas, even if it's a suggestion to, say, write with and produce a new artist named Luke Bryan.  See our website for privacy information.

The podcast is back after a three month hiatus and what a great guest to return with. Kent Blazy was a young songwriter in Nashville but didn't have enough hits to quite make ends meet. So he opened a recording studio and recruited a stable of demo singers who would go on to become some of the biggest stars of 1990s country music and beyond: Joe Diffie, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Billy Dean...and some guy named Garth Brooks, including If Tomorrow Never Comes which was a song idea Garth had that had already been turned down 25 times before he brought it to Kent. It was the first song they wrote together, but it would not be the last. See our website for privacy information.

If you’re at all familiar with the ocean, you’ll know that while most swells on a given day will be roughly the same size, every once in a while that pattern gets upset when, out of nowhere, a wave twice the size of the others, or even greater, suddenly appears. They’re called rogue waves and while they don’t happen very often, and they can’t be predicted, they cannot be ignored. Our guest this month? He helped write the musical equivalent of a rogue wave last year. Josh Jenkins is relatively new to mainstream country, but he isn’t new to music. Since they first formed around 2003 in Ft Worth Texas, Josh and his band, Green River Ordinance, has carved out a critically acclaimed spot for themselves in pop-rock and Americana- even touring with big rock acts like Collective Soul, Train and the Goo Goo Dolls. In 2016, they became among the first artists to release an album fully funded by loyal fans, via Kickstarter.  But while he and his bandmates still very much get together to perform, Josh has taken his passion for songcraft and settled into the Nashville songwriting community, where just this last year, he finally scored his first two hit singles. One went #1 the last week of January 2022 and the other was a musical rogue wave. See our website for privacy information.

  If you listen to this podcast at all, then you’ve heard Walker Hayes' name dropped by a few other writers who’ve collaborated with him- Nicolle Galyon, Josh Jenkins, to name two. There’s a lot of respect in Nashville for him, especially since he’s been there since the early 2000s. But all this time he’s been mostly under the radar. Heck, at one point, he was working at a Costco.  Things started to change when in 2017 when he had a modest hit with You Broke Up With Me and then last year, he crushed it. Fancy Like wasn’t just a hit, it became nothing less than a sensation, with a viral dance, TV commercials.  It also sparked some grumbling: country purists didn’t like that Fancy Like was country-rap. And if I’m honest, I started off as one of them. The first few times I listened I thought, aw, what’s this. But then, it sort of sucked me in. Look, spoken word hits are nothing new in country music: Charlie Daniels Uneasy Rider and Devil Went Down to Georgia. CW McCall, Convoy. Big John, Jimmy Dean. Toby Keith, I Wanna Talk About Me, Hank Jr, Born to Boogie. Dirt Road Anthem, Jason Aldean. And that’s how I started to look at Fancy Like. Sure, it isn’t an exact comparison-the rhythm is more urban that backwoods, but the lyrics? They’re as country as -to paraphrase a line from an old Hank Jr song -a 2-job working family, which is basically what Walker and his wife Lanie still were, until the song took off. And..? It’s just fun. Is that such a crime? Most of all, if you listen closely, you'll realize it's a very honest song, which, I’ve since come to find out- and you’re about to- is the only bullseye Walker aims for.    See our website for privacy information.

This month’s guest has wasted little time making the most of his growing career. It hasn’t been that long since he was literally living out of his car on the streets of Nashville. His debut single shot to #1 in November 2018. His 2nd single also went to number 1 and as I put together this podcast, his 3rd single has cracked the top 10. He’s also won awards (2021 CMA New Male Artist). Done TV shows (Dancing With The Stars). Written a children’s book (My Voice Is a Trumpet). Had a couple kids (Naomi and Aayden). Sang with Elton John (The Lockdown Sessions). Started a production company (JAB Entertainment). All while reminding anyone who brings it up that country music isn’t, never has been nor ever should be a space reserved for white artists only. The lengths it took to set up this interview is a good way to introduce you to Jimmie Allen. It took almost six months before we were able to connect. Once, I managed to pin him down while he was en route to a concert right the day after one of his appearances on Dancing With The Stars. And it was going great until he hit a bad cell service area, and our next chance didn’t come along for another month. That he never gave up on doing this interview- which is such a minor thing in his life – says a lot about who he is.  And that drive, that thing that keeps him daring to dream some really big, challenging dreams while still making sure to connect with some schlep DJ with a podcast...?  I think it can all be traced back to challenges he first had to face as a young kid, and the people who helped him overcome them. You put that kind experience together with real talent as a singer and a songwriter, and you’ve got something special.  See our website for privacy information.

This month's guest didn't set out to write some of country music's most romantic ballads. But then...Clint Eastwood called.  There is no doubt Steve Dorff is talented beyond measure. But how he found country music - or rather, how country music found him- is a tale all to itself.  Sit back and enjoy the incredible story of an incredible artist: composer, arranger, director, lyricist...he can-and has- done it all. And that's not even counting the theme song to "Growing Pains."  See our website for privacy information.

If you were to take just the number 1 country songs Ashley Gorley has written and, supposing their average length is, say, 3:30... played them back to back to back... you’re gonna be listening for just over 3 hours.  With his current tally of #1 songs at a ridiculous 51, Gorley seems to have a gear nobody else has. The awards he’s won and honors he’s received alone take up 16 lines on his Wikipedia page.  Even more remarkable, Ashley didn’t really grow up singing or even playing instruments much. He’s never been in a band. He never sought stardom as an artist. He WAS into music though- MTV, DJ-ing, and studying how songs, melodies and beats are put together. And maybe even more remarkable than all of that..? He’s still humble- still quick to deflect credit to co-writers and artists. And he still loves what he does. See our website for privacy information.

This month’s guest, Matraca Berg, grew up in a musical family. Her mother Icee Berg (yep, real name!) was a songwriter and session singer who at first wasn't crazy that her daughter wanted a career in country music but later became her best teacher. Her stepfather, Dave Kirby, was a songwriter whose credits include the Gene Watson classic I’ve Got Memories to Burn and Charlie Pride’s Is Anybody Goin to San Antone. The family lived in Nashville and often hosted parties featuring writers and singers. So, it stands to reason that being around that kind of environment would kinda rub off on a person. But in Matraca’s case, it was more than just a smudge; she was gifted the talent- and the drive- to have over 50 of her songs recorded, including several that helped female artists to dominate country music in the 1990s like they have never before... or since. She is a CMA and ACM-winning 2008 Nashville Songwriting Hall of Fame inductee who’s quick to give credit to her co-writers, she’s married to Jeff Hanna of the legendary Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and she’s a pretty great solo artist too. See our website for privacy information.

Over 30 years in ANY business is impressive but in the world of songwriting, it's especially notable....even more so when that writer is still very much at the top of their game.Tommy Lee James was the "bigshot songwriter" our last guest, Ross Copperman, talked about. Ross grew up in the same town as Tommy Lee, and drew inspiration from his success as Ross embarked on his own music career. But where Ross's country songwriting career has been largely over the last 8 years or so, Tommy Lee's got started back in the late 1980s. And since then, he's written hits for the likes of Brooks and Dunn, Reba,  Tim McGraw, and (*checks notes*) One Direction? Yep. He's not only consistent, he's versatile- not at all just staying in a country music lane. And he's got one of 5 new cuts on the latest Taylor Swift album- a song that was lost for 16 years.In this episode, Tommy Lee James gives a master class in not just achieving, but sustaining success... as well as the importance of proper song labeling when writing with future superstars.See our website for privacy information.

30 number one singles as a writer and a producer...six of which he wrote in 2015 alone. He’s been nominated for and won multiple BMI, CMA and ACM songwriter awards He works with the biggest names in Nashville, including songwriters like Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, and artists like Dierks Bentley, Brett Eldredge, Jake Owen and Darius Rucker. He just released an EP of solo material that includes a co-write with Ed Sheeran. And, he used to party with The Who.  Ross Copperman is this month's guest on Write You a SongSee our website for privacy information.

Singer/songwriter Niko Moon has one foot in the country, and one in the city. He can write as traditional a country hit as anyone (Zac Brown Band's "Homegrown", for example), and he'll show off his Atlanta hip-hop influences on his solo hits, like "Good Time". And while traditionalists may cluck at his more progressive tendencies, Niko himself makes a good case as to why it may not be so much about tradition anymore as it is authenticity, and being true to one's self. A smart, insightful conversation with a smart, insightful artist (who also happens to have a million-watt smile)See our website for privacy information.

Sometimes in life, you have to find out what you don’t want to do, before you figure out what you do wanna do. And that’s definitely part Nicolle Galyon's story. Originally planning for a career in artist management, Galyon moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University. But, she took an interest in the artist/creative side after attending a few songwriter open mic nights, which led to an eventual appearance on NBC’s The Voice in 2012, where she was selected for Adam Levine's team. And during that stint, she says she realized that she didn’t really like being onstage. A lover of writing from early on, The Voice helped her realize that her creative focus should locked in totally and completely on songwriting. It also introduced her to an artist named Miranda Lambert, with whom she would form a friendship and working relationship with. From there, Nicolle Galyon knew what she wanted to do.    See our website for privacy information.