Surviving The Music Industry

Waylon Payne is the son of country artist Sammie Smith ("Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Then You Walk In," Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again") and Jody Payne (Willie Nelson's long-time guitarist). It's safe to say that Waylon's childhood looks a little different than most. Living with his Aunt and Uncle at the age of 2 months till adulthood would be a foundation that would set the tone for religion, hard drugs, sexual abuse, but probably more important is understanding who he is. Now out on the road with Willie Nelson and the family, he learns acceptance. But until Hollywood became his next destination that would launch his career into film (Walk The Line, Crazy, Turnabout), introductions to Keith Gattis, Lucinda Williams, and more set the stage for country music in Los Angeles. Even though Blue Eyes, the Harlot, the Queer, the Pusher & Me is his most personal project yet, are there still things left unsaid? Waylon now is in recovery and celebrates sobriety by putting more of himself

Eloise Alterman is one of the freshest voices from Big Yellow Dog Music (Maren Morris, Tenille Townes, Meghan Trainor, to name a few). Originally hailing from Detroit, Eloise made the journey to Nashville with the intention of an artist's career. Something that many don't do from her home town, she went against the grain and instead of college. She opted for loneliness. Such a scary emotion that many wouldn't think to turn to as a strength. After not knowing anybody from Music City, her loneliness became something to embrace and not to run away from anymore. Eloise shares the cultural dynamic of Michigan and family, using her emotional past to write music, and then what it's like to revisit old scars to keep feeling those raw emotions. The Other Side wrestles internally with feelings of fear, danger, unreciprocated love in a relationship. Is it worth revisiting these emotions for the sake of art?  American Songwriter Podcast Network

Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe are singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist sisters creating their brand of Roots Rock 'n' Roll: gritty, soulful, and flavored by their southern heritage. Originally from Atlanta and currently living in Nashville, they are descendants of tortured artist and creative genius Edgar Allan Poe. Starting as a trio of sisters playing the folk and bluegrass circles, Rebecca and Megan share the beginnings of their music, path, and even how they've become who they are today. Larkin Poe in recent years started their own Tricki-Woo Records and has received Grammy nods which would confirm that they are, "self-made wo-men."  Blues and rock have a history of irony and speaking for the disenfranchised, so why would their music be any different? We discuss the insidiousness of the issues that the band put under a microscope in their songs from their newest album Self Made Man, and how they're flipping the script of how the disenfranchised characters that have been a staple in media are

Born and bred in Texas, Thomas Csorba has a knack of writing songs like how Walt Whitman writes poetry. Only at 23 he's able to write with earnest intent with characters that carry strong emotions. No doubt the degree in English Literature from Baylor plays in that but his musical heroes play a big role in that as well (Townes Van Zandt, Woodie Guthrie, Tom Waits). His self-titled debut album is set to be released September 25th and this episode we go through his influences and the emotions leading up to creating his music. Obviously, 2020 has its ups and downs for Thomas (he and his fiance changed and planned a different kind of wedding about 11 times now) but there's also the emotional rollercoaster of your debut album being released and the hurdles to share with people. We go through the different "worlds" of Texas, the pressures of legacy, the songs from his debut album, and songs that are so good that it's impossible to mess up. American Songwriter Podcast Network

A dash of punk with a cup of B-movie Tarantino vibes, and mixed with attitude might describe Blackout Balter's debut LP Animal. As for Phil Cohen though (the MIT grad, former military and pro hockey player, lead singer of the band) we learn that their fan's interactions and reactions make up what Blackout Balter's mantra may be. To enjoy life. Through conversation, we learn the value of education and how that intertwines with Phil's writing for the band. Artistically and lyrically speaking, the band strives to push the boundaries or even perception of rock and roll by calling their personal style, "smart rock and roll". Common themes from Animal include more of an emotional rollercoaster rather than narrative-driven stories that can leave you thinking more and finding something new every time you listen back. You should pay extra attention to the bridges of their songs, by the way. Phil shares their genesis story of the band being discovered by The Killers, how his time in the military in Afghanistan was a li

Daughter of a screen and Civil-Rights writer and housewife Gretchen Peters fully admits to having a childhood like the AMC hit MADMEN, automatically should set the pace to living an internal artist life like songwriting. A sudden life shift brought Gretchen to Boulder, Colorado, and thus began a love of country, Mickey Newbury, jam bands, and the freaks and misfits alike. In conversation, Gretchen shares the truth behind Martina McBride's, "Independence Day," and the inspirations behind the major characters from her biggest songs. The threads that make a Peters song, and what got her songs cut during a pivotal moment for women in country music.  American Songwriter Podcast Network

"I hit my 'fuck it' point," says Hailey Whitters. You only hear that when someone has nothing else left to lose. Most might know Hailey as the songwriter behind cuts from Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, and Little Big Town. Others might remember when her track, "Ten Year Town" made an impact on country radio and became the song to give birth to her latest album The Dream. In conversation, we go through the cycles of life that lead up to The Dream. Timing, death, self-discovery, struggle, and then what ultimately makes Hailey accept happiness. We take a journey through the early stages of Hailey's career as she (no pun intended) pursues the dream of a country music artist. Then we learn about the complexities of reality while staying optimistic and how that affected the record. From the memories of making the record to the high-low points in Hailey's life. The Dream is more than music, it is a reflection of a person that has nothing left to lose.  American Songwriter Podcast Network

After moving to Nashville from his hometown, Anacortes, Washington, in 2017, Joey Hendricks quickly made a name for himself in the songwriting community as a talented lyricist and gifted musician. He signed a publishing deal with Parallel Entertainment (now absorbed by Anthem Entertainment), whose head, Tim Hunze, encouraged him to make the leap into solo artistry by cutting a few of his own songs. Heavily inspired by Neil Young and John Mayer, it was the stories of country music that lead Joey down the road to country music.  Joey touches on anxiety and depression and how that even played into his "one-shot" with American Idol. Luckily with all the one-shots that Joey has taken, the constant has been his love with music and songwriting.  American Songwriter Podcast Network

Brandy Clark is a songwriter and artist with a background that includes six Grammy-nominations and songs recorded by Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kacey Musgraves. When we first met Brandy on the show (Episode: 86) we get to know her and dig in a little bit in her writing style. This time around starts with an apology from our last meeting. Finding the humor in the situation, we move on and step on the toes of today's current climate. Brandy self admits that she's not a "political" person, but shares that in a world of extremes. What's wrong with the middle, and that's not to be confused with apathy. Extremely passionate about human rights, we talk about the BLM and LGTBQ+ comments from both sides and what that even means for music. Fears of going back into closets, the feeling of being the "others" and exclusion in community and society. Then the conversation of Brandy's early decision to stay true to who she is and acceptance l

Mac McAnally is a singer-songwriter, session musician, and record producer that spans a career of over six decades. His career includes chart-topping singles as an artist from an impressive catalog. Including his most recent release Once and A Lifetime. He's had songs recorded by Kenny Chesney, Alabama, Sawyer Brown, David Allen Coe, Steve Wariner, Shenandoah, and more. Session credits that include Roy Orbison, Thelma Houston, Hank Williams Jr., Jerry Reed, Toby Keith, and Keith Whitley are worth mentioning. Then also a long time member of Jimmy Buffett and The Coral Reefers. You might think with a career like Mac's he would be someone that walks with confidence in any situation. But self admits he's still as shy as he was at his first bar gig where chicken wire protected the band and chain saws used as applause. We highlight some pretty big moments in Mac's vast career, but reflection and wisdom should be some pretty key takeaways. One might even be surprised by the pearls and surprises in conversation that

Growing up in St. Louis, Chris Bandi knew that he had a music legacy to fulfill. The legendary Duck Room, Chuck Berry, Nelly-pretty big shoes to fill. From an early age, music was a goal. College was more than an education and frat life came to be something taken advantage of by Chris when a show was booked he brought the venue to a packed house. Confessing Ole Miss to be a place to cut his teeth for his eventual career, he also put his marketing degree to work. The move to Nashville was bound to happen, and his first glimpse of success would follow suit. Chris released "Man Enough Now" in 2017 and an immediate reaction garnered just over 5,000 streams on its first day. By the end of the week, they had 25,000 organic streams. Soon 1 million weekly streams of the mentioned song would set up Chris with his publishing and record deal. Today he's followed up with his recent Chris Bandi EP that already includes viral Tik Tok traction solidifying that you can still have a hit in midst of Covid-19 America. Vulnerabi

Guitarist and songwriter Mark Erelli is always pursuing what's artistically fruitful in his music. That's not to say optimism is easy or natural but with his latest project, Blindsided. Hope and that things need to be fixed socially and politically are still relative and worth writing about. To have a conversation with a scientist about social and political trials and what that means in music takes evaluating one's assumptions. Oh did I mention that he is an Evolutionary Biologist? In between writing his material you can catch him playing guitar with songstress, Lori McKenna ("Humble & Kind", "Girl Crush", "Cry Pretty"). Mark's latest offering from Blindsided not only analyses his assumptions but also reflects the conversation to the listener. In conversation we take a look at Mark's writing style and when is it the time to speak up or write a song.  American Songwriter Podcast Network

Nikki Yanofsky's career I'm sure would have blossomed into what it would eventually be just because of the sheer talent, but it was one slot that she secured at the Montreal International Jazz Festival that would exponentially set her up as a major artist. There and soon after she would be rubbing shoulders and capturing the attention of Quincy Jones, Phil Ramone (Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder), Herbie Hancock, Rod Temperton (“Thriller,” “Rock With You,” “Boogie Nights”), and many others. We go through the years of feeling like a black sheep and acceptance being the key to dust off the negative stereotypes that follow with a label. Even fear acting as a calibrator to share your innermost feelings as an artist and when to use that fear in your art. Rod Temperton being a personal friend and mentor in Nikki's life, Nikki shares some of Rod's writing styles of Prosody and what made the quality of such songs like Michael Jackson's, "Thriller", what they are. Taking these lessons from Rod, mentors, producer

Will Hoge is the artist and songwriter behind hits like "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," "Need You Now," and "Another Song Nobody Will Hear." But before all that Will was a Tennessee local kid that discovered music through his father and uncles band, which inspired further steps to discover more of what is out there in the land of country and rock'n'roll. Major record deals and flops, political and stances in albums in music, and a life or death situation has solidified Will as a staple in American music. For two decades, Will has carried the torch for American rock & roll, carving out his blue-collar sound rooted in amplified guitars, melodic hooks, southern soul, and rootsy stomp. In conversation we cover a lot of ground including big money from record labels, writing polarizing music, and being ok with pissing people off as you learn how to draw the line in the sand for yourself. But more importantly, holding on to a dream even when it breaks your heart. American Songwriter Podcast Network

Bright Light Bright Light is Welsh-born, NYC living artist Rod Thomas. Rod makes pop music influenced heavily by cinema, with nods to the 80s and 90s, his formative decades, in its colorful, effervescent presentation. BLBL not only made history by performing on the Graham Norton Show in 2016 with Sir Elton John but also showed the world how much he has achieved as an independent musician. On the hem of "Sensation" featuring Scissor Sisters own Jake Shears already released, he is also gearing up for his newest album out on September 18th, 2020, Fun City. He calls the album, a “mid-apocalyptic disco record that is a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community, steeped in its history but also very much focused on its present and future.” In conversation Rod shares that the frustrations of presumptions in business and even in art, the challenges of the LGBTQ+ community in music and out, and the firefight of smiling through the abuse of yourself pursuing music as a career. American Songwriter Podcast Network

Tenille Townes made her first trip to Nashville when she was 14 and knew pretty quickly this was going to be the "X" on her road map of life. Born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, she officially moved to Nashville in 2013. It only took a few years to win over Music Row and Big Yellow Dog Publishing co-owner, Carla Wallace, before signing her record deal with Columbia Nashville. The Lemonade Stand, Tenille's highly anticipated debut album releasing on June 26th, shares some of her favorite moments up to the creation of the record. Produced by Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town), The Lemonade Stand includes songs like, “The Most Beautiful Things,” “Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking),” and her platinum-certified track, “Somebody’s Daughter.” We take a look at Tenille's observational style of writing and those hints of personal touches that make her songs hers. From religion to the people that encounter her life that share a piece of their story, Tenille shares a beacon of hope through song.  A

Jim Lauderdale is a 2-time Grammy-winning Americana icon, an A-list singer-songwriter with 30 plus albums, and a staple of the Americana genre that he has helped define. Jim now celebrating his latest release, When Carolina Comes Home Again, shares the full scope of the project which eventually leads to a lot of beginnings for him. Including his growing up in the Carolina's, his early record deals, working with John Leventhal, Buddy Miller, Pete Anderson (just to name a few), and not to mention his record cuts. Those include, "Where the Sidewalk Ends," "You Don’t Seem to Miss Me," "Hole in My Head," "Halfway Down," "We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This," and, "The King Of Broken Hearts,". Humility, grace, and jokes that only Jim can deliver are ever-flowing through our conversation but Jim still affirms that, "There is still more work to be done." American Songwriter Podcast Network

A life of twists and turns has led Matt Stell in more than a few directions, but on the heels of his impressive breakthrough year with his hit "Prayed For You." He's keeping his eyes forward with his next song, "If I Was A Bar." At one time, Matt was a collegiate basketball star playing the bars and clubs of Missouri and Arkansas under the name Paul Wayne Walker because his coaches frowned upon his late-night activities. It came down to a decision to move to Nashville to pursue a songwriter's career or his next step in a pre-medical program at Harvard extension school. But luckily, Matt made the right choice and the accolades to prove it. “Prayed For You,” is the ONLY debut artist single to top the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2019. In addition to holding No.1 for two consecutive weeks on Billboard, Stell’s hit topped the Country Aircheck/MediabaseAirplay chart. He fully admits there is no pressure to come up with a hit though. He's more concerned for his musicians and team during this trying time, and

A memoir in the Huffingpost titled, "Cookies and Milk," set's the prologue to this conversation with activist, bluesman Reverend Shawn Amos. Growing up in Hollywood in the '70s, post-civil rights movement, and the age of sexual freedom. Shawn takes us through what childhood was like in the home of Wally Amos, founder of Famous Amos, and a mother that suffered from schizoaffective disorder. Then placing anger, rage, angst, and even courage to transfer into his music. Shawn Amos recognizes that these are challenging times where we can take one step forward and another back in light of the murder of George Floyd. Recognizing Shawn's music makes a statement that stands the test of time but self-admittingly is pursuing something bigger than himself, while not BS'ing himself. Blue Sky, the latest record, is out now. American Songwriter Podcast Network

The daughter of a submarine captain might know a thing or two when it comes to life's changes or finding a place to call home. It's also not lost on Michaela Anne that her early exposure to diversity has solidified a core principle in her that diversity is to be celebrated. Michaela talks about the key moments in her life that have led her to the release of her acclaimed album Desert Dove, and the chance encounter of a dancer that one could call the muse of the project. Reexamining gender roles, yearning for connection, and analyzing the pain that we choose to live with are constant threads in conversation and as well as the music. American Songwriter Podcast Network