Stories Behind the Songs (Chris Blair)
Explorez tous les épisodes de Stories Behind the Songs
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Feb 2025 | Emily Falvey: Made In The USA | 00:54:09 | |
In this episode, I sit down with Emily Falvey! Emily’s journey from Colorado to Nashville was fueled by a love for songwriting and a deep passion for music. After moving to Texas in high school, she set her sights on Belmont, where she quickly realized she was surrounded by incredible talent. An internship at SMACK changed everything—when a mentor asked where she really wanted to go, she knew songwriting was the answer. Since then, she’s written for artists like Cody Johnson, Walker Hayes, MacKenzie Porter, and more. And recently, she’s even stepped into a teaching role at Belmont University. We talk about the future of songwriting, why Nashville is worth taking a chance on, and the pivotal moments that have shaped her career. This one’s packed with insight and inspiration—don’t miss it! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @Emily Falvey Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow -HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram -@sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser -https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors -https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 27 Jun 2023 | Tigirlily Gold: Shoot Tequila with Kendra & Krista! | 00:50:20 | |
Welcome, Tigerlilly Gold! Sisters, Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh, formed their due back in their hometown of North Dakota. In this episode I sit down with these incredible ladies and hear how they got started, how they ended up making the move to Nashville and how they went from playing honkytonks like Dierk's Bentley's Whiskey Row on Broadway to being invited to play the incredible and iconic Grand Ole Opry stage. We will talk about the stories behind their latest single, Shoot Tequila and all that is happening with Tigirlily Gold. Please note, this is the first episode where we have had an issue with a mic cable input and found out afterwards. There are a few spots where the audio cuts out for a second and we apologize for the technical difficulty. We did still want to post because it was such a great episode and Kendra and Krista's story is just something we feel like everyone should hear! Show Notes: Tigirlily Gold Instagram: @Tigirlily Tigirlily Gold TikTok: @Tigirlilygold Tigirlily Gold Website: https://www.tigirlily.com/ And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website: ChrisBlair.com | |||
| 28 Feb 2023 | Matt Rogers: Grammy winning Songwriter | 00:30:53 | |
Welcome to Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will listen, follow, like and rate us here on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts! In this episode I sit down with my buddy and incredible songwriter, Matt Rogers. Matt has songs recorded by Randy Houser, Brett Eldridge, Jimmie Allen, Brad Paisley, Justin Moore, Luke Bryan, Dustin Lynch, Chris Young, Dylan Scott, Gary Allan, Mitchell Tenpenny and many more. So far he's had four #1 hits in the US and 5 #1's in Canada along with many other top charting songs. Just after we recorded this podcast, he also won his first Grammy on Feb 5, 2023 for the smash hit "Till You Can't" that he wrote for Cody Johnson. In this episode we will talk about the stories behind that song as well as the stories behind "We Went" by Randy Houser and "The Long Way" by Brett Eldridge. We will talk about how he got into songwriting in the first place and was writing 2-3 songs a day and just more advice given by an incredible songwriter and great guy. Liner Notes/Links: Matt's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mtthwrgrs/ And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: SBTSongs Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sbtsongs/ Chris Blair Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrisblairmusic/ SBTSongs YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk5TknHB-10bk4VKktiO8Lw Chris Blair Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ We hope you you'll share this podcast with your friends, give us 5 stars, follow - all the things! We appreciate the support and can't wait to keep bringing great guests and stories to you every week. Thanks for listening! And also a HUGE thank you to our sponsors of this episode: Sennheiser - https://en-us.sennheiser.com/ Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics - http://brittskinbeauty.com/ Copyright and Produced by Emerge Nashville, LLC - EmergeNashville.com | |||
| 10 Sep 2024 | Danny Myrick: "She's Country" - From Mississippi to Music Row | 00:44:22 | |
This week, Danny Myrick and I sit down in the beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. We're here for our very first TLR on the Road show and I just had to get some time with Danny to dive into the stories behind some iconic songs he has written.. Danny has some classic cuts like “International Harvester” by Craig Morgan and “She’s Country” by Jason Aldean, and we dive into both stories on this week’s episode. We also talk about his friendship and collaboration with the late, great Leslie Jordan, and how, together, they were able to get Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile, and Chris Stapleton on the same album - Company’s Comin’. Through this project, Danny also developed a friendship with Eddie Vedder (no big deal), and he shares how he unintentionally convinced Eddie that “Maybe there is a God?” In this episode, Danny also shares what he’s got going on right now - writing with some exciting up-and-comers and bigger artists, and we talk about the changing landscape of the industry, coming up with original guitar licks, and how his great success has come since being 40. So good to catch up with Danny here in Coeur D’Alene… Let's get into it! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Danny Myrick HERE Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates - Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* | |||
| 04 Feb 2025 | Scott Stepakoff: The Road To Success | 00:35:41 | |
In this episode, I sit down with Scott Stepakoff! From fronting his own jam band Turtle Grove to becoming a Nashville songwriter, his journey has been full of twists. After working in TV production, he took a shot at music, leading to a longtime writing partnership with Josh Osborne. Over the years, he’s landed cuts with Kip Moore, Kelsey Hart, and Blake Shelton—but he’s still chasing that first No. 1. We talk about the ups and downs of the industry, the stories behind his biggest songs, and the one he released himself that hits closest to home. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @ScottStepakoff Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 24 Dec 2024 | SJ McDonald: Good Ol' Gals | 00:51:59 | |
In this episode, I sit down with SJ McDonald! Growing up on her family’s turkey and cattle farm in Virginia, SJ’s journey to Nashville started with selling a steer to buy her first guitar. After moving to Music City in 2017 to attend Belmont University, she discovered her passion for songwriting and spent seven years performing on Broadway, where she sharpened her craft. From landing her publishing deal at the Key West Songwriters Festival to creating heartfelt songs like “Right Hand Man” and “Good Ol’ Boys,” released by Mae Estes. SJ’s music is rooted in her upbringing and personal experiences. We dive into her inspiring story, her advice for navigating the Broadway music scene, and the moments that have shaped her career so far. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @SJMcDonaldMusic Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 28 Mar 2023 | The Woods: Worlds On Fire & how the band started | 00:39:19 | |
Welcome to Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will listen, follow, like and rate us here on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts!
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| 31 Oct 2023 | Bonner Black: I'm Not Your Girl (Special Halloween Edition) | 00:49:29 | |
Welcome to a very special Halloween episode of Stories Behind the Songs where Chris Blair is dressed up as Hannah Montana and the incredibly talented, indie pop singer/songwriter, Bonner Black is dressed up as Billy Ray Cyrus! On this week’s episode, we're about to uncover the fascinating story behind Bonner's musical journey. Bonner grew up thinking she would have a career in dance as a ballerina, but quickly developed a passion for songwriting and making her own music. During her high school years, she would take trips to and from Nashville to play shows, ended up dropping out of high school, and moving to Nashville at just 17 years old! Bonner writes music with emotional lyrics while still incorporating an up- beat, dance like sound. in this episode, we talk about Bonner’s songwriting process, what inspires her, and how she stays motivated to keep hustling. With all the challenges that come with the music industry, Bonner never takes herself too seriously and stays true to her art through her music and online presence – I mean seriously you should check out her instagram – it will make you laugh. Bonner’s most recent releases - “Catch 22” and “I’m Not Your Girl” show case her southern styled melodic choices mixed with that pop, upbeat production. They’re very catchy and are available to stream and download everywhere! With a new album set to release at the beginning of next year, Bonner will be releasing another single on November 28th entitled - “17” and there is a good chance you’ll hear a sneak peak of that song in this episode. It was a blast sitting down with Billy Rae Cyrus – aka BONNER BLACK – in this week’s episode. As always, remember to subscribe/follow/like, and support this podcast by hitting all of those like buttons wherever you listen and spreading the word to your friends! We love sitting down with new songwriters and artists - and everyone else involved in the music business - to hear their stories and the support from you all is what allows us to keep going. So, thanks! Show Notes: Bonner's TikTok - @BonnerBlack Bonner's Intagram - @BonnerBlack Bonner's Spotify Link - here Bonner's Apple Music Link - here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast... SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com #SBTSongs And thanks to our sponsors Alclair In-ear monitors, Sennheiser microphones and Britt Skin Beauty! | |||
| 06 Jun 2023 | Jet Harvey: Rock and a Hard Place (Bailey Zimmerman) | 00:55:03 | |
In this episode you will hear the story behind "A Rock And A Hard Place" that Jet Harvey wrote for Bailey Zimmerman. You'll hear how we was on a trip to Boston and got in a fight with his girlfriend - now his wife - and how he ordered red wine, watched tears roll down her face and walked out the door...and how the entire song is basically exactly what happened to him in Boston - later changed to Austin by Bailey. We talk about how he got his start as a Christian artist and traveled all over, got a label deal and then how his band broke up at the table signing that deal. But then how that moved him to Nashville to focus on songwriting, how he met The Warren Brothers by introducing himself to Brett Warren at the YMCA and how that led to a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. Jet is such a great guy and an incredible musician/artist/songwriter. We had a ton of fun with this episode and I hope you enjoy it! As always, thanks for listening and supporting Stories Behind the Songs! We hope you will continue to share this with your friends so we can spread the word about @SBTSongs on all platforms and make sure you hit that subscribe, follow or like button! Show/Liner Notes: Jet's Instagram - @JetHarvey_ And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: Instagram - @SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com Thanks also to our sponsors - Sennheiser microphones and Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics! #SBTSongs | |||
| 30 Jul 2024 | Rachel Thibodeau: Billy Currington's "Good Directions" with Luke Bryan! | 00:50:36 | |
Rachel Thibodeau is this week’s guest on Stories Behind the Songs! Rachel has not only written for some of the biggest names in country music but is also working with some of the most exciting up-and-coming talent in Nashville. You may know her from her long-time collaborative relationship with Luke Bryan with whom she wrote Billy Currington’s massive hit, “Good Directions” on his 2005 album, Doin’ Somethin’ Right. She also has several cuts with Martina McBride and is working to develop the incredible new artist, Styles Haury. Rachel plays a verse/chorus of “Good Directions” and a sneak peak of Styles’ unreleased next single. In this episode, we also talk about the one-on-one co-writing process with Luke Bryan, starting a publishing company with John and Martina McBride (just because she had the guts to ask!), recording at the legendary Blackbird Studios, mentoring young, female writers, and seeing her first #1 sign on Music Row for “Good Directions”. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It’s because of listeners like you that we are able to continue sharing the Stories Behind the Songs. We hope you enjoy this episode and follow Rachel Thibodeau! Podcast Show Notes: Rachel's Instagram - @RachelThibodeauMusic Rachel's Website - Here Rachel's LinkTree - Here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe And thanks to our sponsors! Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 13 Aug 2024 | Carly Pearce: Every Little Thing (THROWBACK!) | 00:31:23 | |
Today marks exactly 1-1/2 years since we re-launched the Stories Behind the Songs Podcast. So, we thought we'd take you back to our very first episode with the amazing and beautiful Carly Pearce! Carly has been a very good friend for many years and when I originally had this idea to do this podcast, Carly was my very first guest and she had just put her first single out to radio. This was February of 2017! It’s funny to see how far we have come with video quality since then and I had a lot less gray hair (haha) but since we have been doing this for 78 weeks in a row now, I thought I would dive into the archives and share this beautiful story from Carly. She talks about how she got started from being listed in Rolling Stone as a top 10 artist to watch, her first single with the Josh Abbot Band “wasn’t that drunk” and when we recorded this episode it was a week after her debut single Every Little Thing. Since then she has obviously come so far and I feel like I’m constantly sending her texts about how proud I am of her. I hope you enjoy this special throwback episode, hearing more of Carly’s story from the beginning, hearing her talk about Busbee who was her producer and just an industry icon that unfortunately passed away back in September 2019, and the story behind every little thing and more. Carly, I’m so proud of you and you’re absolutely crushing it. I hope everyone out there loves this and continues to support us here on the podcast, share it with all of your friends and make sure to go see Carly in concert and support her incredible career! And maybe we will get her in here again soon to talk about everything going on now and how the last 7 years has been. Here is my dear friend on this special throwback episode, Carly Pearce. Podcast Show Notes: Carly's website - CarlyPearce.com Carly's Instagram - @CarlyPearce Carly's TikTok - @CarlyPearce Carly's YouTube - @CarlyPearce And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe And thanks to our amazing sponsors! Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 03 Oct 2023 | Dylan Altman: HITS for Tim McGraw, Jake Owen, Jason Aldean + more! | 00:55:10 | |
On this week’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs, I had the pleasure of sitting down with none other than Dylan Altman. With a blues and rock-heavy background, Dylan tells us all about his instant draw to the industry after watching the music video for “Jump” by Van Halen. From that moment on, Dylan knew that music was what he needed to do, so he started a band and has been playing and writing ever since. Dylan has written many songs throughout the course of his career with number ones for Tim McGraw, Jake Owen, and Jason Aldean. He has even more cuts in the bag for Eli Young Band, Trace Adkins, JT Hodges, Eric Paslay, Jonathan Jackson, and more. You’ll hear the full story behind his number one, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” with Jake Owen, his journey in the music industry and struggles with sobriety, and how he is now 4 years sober and doing better than ever. Dylan is now booking and playing shows with his blues band and is about to release his very own show with his daughter where they cook with songwriters and special guests and play music afterwards. We are very excited for that show to come out and will let you know when it does – as a songwriter and foodie myself, I can’t wait to see it. We loved having Dylan on this week. Give him a follow to stay up to date with what is next for him and catch his new show when that releases as well! Please help us by spreading the word of this podcast. As we continue to grow, we appreciate the support – so send it to a friend, hit that like/subscribe/follow button wherever you’re listening and we can’t thank you enough! Show Notes: Dylan's Instagram: @DylanAltmanMusic And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website: ChrisBlair.com SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs #SBTSongs If you struggle with alcohol addiction, please reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association for free, confidential help at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). | |||
| 16 Jan 2024 | Blake Pendergrass: SEVERAL hits for Morgan Wallen + more! | 00:43:57 | |
Welcome to another episode of Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! This week we are sitting down with Blake Pendergrass. From North Carolina, Blake has been in Nashville since 2013 with a very productive 10 years of experience built up. Blake talks about his first connections here in Nashville leading to him getting his first cut in town for Morgan Wallen... His breakthrough came with “865”, track 5 on Morgan Wallen's “Dangerous” album, which he co-wrote on Zoom during COVID with John Byron. You’re gonna hear Blake talk about that song catching Morgan's attention which would lead him to a publishing deal and 8 more cuts for Morgan. Blake’s writing style resonates with artists like Morgan Wallen, Dustin Lynch, Jake Owen, Chase Rice, and Chris Lane. You’ll hear the stories behind several of his Morgan Wallen cuts, “Key West and Colorado”, a cut he has with Chase Rice, and an unreleased song called “One of the Ways”. Coming up on three years since his first publishing deal, Blake discusses the challenges of songwriting in a competitive industry and the dynamics between Nashville's community-oriented culture compared to LA's strategic approach. We had a great time sitting down with Blake Pendergrass this week and learned a ton about where the industry is going and changing. Give Blake a follow in the liner notes below to stay up to date! We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alciar In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Alright, let’s GO – this is Blake Pendergrass. Show Notes: Blake's Instagram - @BlakeMcCoyPendergrass And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe | |||
| 25 Jul 2023 | Mark Irwin: Alan Jackson's first #1 Hit, Tyler Farr, Tim McGraw & Taylor Swift... | 00:54:45 | |
In this episode you'll hear the stories behind the songs written by Mark Irwin. Mark has been in Nashville for over 25 years and was the writer of Alan Jackson's first #1 hit "Here In The Real World." He also wrote "Redneck Crazy" for Tyler Farr, "Highway Don't Care" for Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift along with other great songs written for Jimmy Buffett, Lainey Wilson, Blake Shelton, Randy Travis and more. He also talks about how he got a check for $5,000 from Garth Brooks because Garth decided to not record his song...only to later record it anyway. And how after this many years in Nashville he gets inspired by new young artists and writers and has worked heavily with guys like AJ Kross, Davis Loose and Cam Newby. Show notes/links: Mark's Instagram - @MarkIrwin62 And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs Podcast - here: SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com And thanks to YOU for listening and supporting. We hope you love these episodes and will continue to share them with your friends, hit that like/subscribe/follow button and keep listening! | |||
| 29 Aug 2023 | Ryan Larkins: Cody Johnson, Bill Anderson & Dolly Parton | 00:45:55 | |
In this episode, Chris Blair sat down with Ryan Larkins. Born and raised in Nashville, TN, you'll hear about how he started writing songs at a young age and ended up on the CMT show "Can You Duet?" where he placed in the top three. You'll hear the story behind his #1 song that he wrote for Bill Anderson & Dolly Parton, "Someday It'll All Make Sense" that led to his first Grammy nomination. He also talks about another song he wrote that just got released with Cody Johnson along with what happened when he opened up for Willie Nelson just a week before we recorded this episode. Ryan also has a new EP coming out on October 13 this year so make sure you go look that up and support him. Two of his songs are out already - called "Man That Holds The Beer" and "She's The Tough One." This was such a great episode and we know big things are happening for Ryan Larkins. We hope you enjoy listening! As always, remember to subscribe/follow/like and support this podcast by hitting all of those buttons where you listen and spreading the word to your friends so others can hear it! We love sitting down with new songwriters and artists - and everyone else involved in the music business - to hear their stories and the support from you all is what allows us to keep going. So, thanks! Liner Notes: Ryan Larkins Website - RyanLarkins.com Ryan Larkins Instagram - @Ryan.Larkins Ryan Larkins TikTok - @Ryan.Larkins And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: #SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair Website - ChrisBlair.com Chris Blair Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Thanks to our sponsors: Sennheiser microphones and Britt Skin Beauty Aestiticians. | |||
| 08 Apr 2025 | Matt Warren: Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain) | 00:56:38 | |
In this episode, I sit down with @Matt Warren! From frat parties in a Chevy van to selling T-shirts for @Gary Allan, Matt’s Nashville come-up is anything but boring. He was waiting tables at Chili’s when a chance encounter with George Strait’s guitar techs kickstarted his songwriting journey—and he’s been chasing it ever since. We talk about writing hits like “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” and “Learning How to Bend,” getting fired (in a positive way), and the tough battle with addiction that almost took it all. Now 24 years in, Matt reflects on the wild ride, the heartbreak, and the songs that changed everything. You’re gonna want to hear this one. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 24 Sep 2024 | Cody Hibbard: What Does It Mean To Be Country? | 00:44:54 | |
Cody Hibbard joins us for this week’s new episode of Stories Behind the Songs! Cody is an artist and songwriter to watch here in Music City. Just a month ago, he released his second full length album, Long Ride in a Short Bed, featuring songs like “Rollin’” and “Set In My Ruts”. We dive into the title track, “Long Ride in a Short Bed” as well as “Had It Been A Boy”, and Cody plays a verse/chorus of both of those incredibly moving songs. In this episode, we also talk about solo-writing versus co-writing, learning to play on a pawn shop guitar, finding the right group of people here in Nashville who push him as a songwriter, landing a deal with Sony, and being proud of who he is and where he comes from. So good to dig a bit deeper into Cody’s story - make sure to give a listen to his recent album release and come see him play live here at The Listening Room! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Cody Hibbard - @codyhibbard_ Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support | |||
| 22 Aug 2023 | Clay Mills: Diamond Rio, Darius Rucker & SongTown! | 00:58:13 | |
In this episode, Chris Blair sits down with Clay Mills. Clay is from the Mississippi Delta and he talks about how he worked the soybean fields with his family and how working those fields is where he really found his love of music. You'll hear the story behind how he moved to New York at the age of 19 to write TV jingles from classical to hip hop, got over 1500 jingles placed in commercials and shows, and then ended up moving to Nashville to become a songwriter. He talks about the stories behind the hits he has written like "Beautiful Mess" for Diamond Rio, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" for Darius Rucker and more. Clay has over 200 songs that have been recorded, 16 ASCAP Music Awards, a couple Grammy nominations, member of the Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame and more. And not only does Clay have huge songwriting success, but he also pours into new and established songwriters, along with his business partner Marty Dodson, in their songwriting training courses with SongTown.com. This is another great episode sharing the stories behind the songs and we hope you enjoy it! Please share, follow, subscribe and like these episodes wherever you're listening to your podcasts. We truly love sitting down with new songwriters, artists and everyone else behind the scenes in the music world and by helping us spread the word we can keep doing that! Show Notes/Links: Clay Mills Instagram - @ClayMills2 Clay Mills Songwriting Business - SongTown.com Clay Mills Book - Buy on Amazon Clay Mills Website - ClayMills.com And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs #SBTSongs | |||
| 09 Jul 2024 | Keesy Timmer: Yeah Boy! (Kelsea Ballerini) | 00:53:50 | |
We’ve got my buddy Keesy Timmer on this week’s new episode of Stories Behind the Songs! Podcast Show Notes: Keesy's Instagram - @KeesyTimmer And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 18 Jul 2023 | Justin Wilson: HITS for Mitchell Tenpenny, Randy Houser, Dustin Lynch, Michael Ray & more! | 01:13:02 | |
Justin Wilson, originally from north Georgia, has around 80 songs recorded and over 20 songs that have been radio singles. In this episode you'll hear how he followed his path to Nashville and stories behind some of his hits like "Drunk Me" for Mitchell Tenpenny, "We Went" for Randy Houser, "Momma's House" for Dustin Lynch and "Kiss You In The Morning" for Michael Ray. He's also written songs for Blake Shelton, Lee Brice, Granger Smith, Morgan Wallen, Craig Campbell, Tyler Farr, Swon Brothers and more. He credits guys like Bobby Pinson and Brett James for helping him along the way. I have known Justin for many years and he's also a guy that loves to put a smile on people's face. You'll also hear more about that and how I shaved his head during a festival in Florida a few years ago to raise $10,000 for charity. This is Justin Wilson. Liner/Show Notes: Justin's Instagram: @JustinWilsonMusic And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs podcast, here: SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website: ChrisBlair.com #SBTSongs #SBTSongsPodcast And thanks to our sponsors - Sennheiser and Britt Skin Beauty for believing in this podcast and helping out. | |||
| 30 May 2023 | AJ Kross: NEW ARTIST TO WATCH & voice of SEC Football 2023 | 01:06:55 | |
EPISODE 15 - We are still very new to the podcast world but we started this 15 weeks ago and I can't thank you all enough for the support. I hope you continue to listen, share, subscribe and follow wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @SBTSongs and I promise to continue to sit down with friends in the music industry to bring you great stories behind the songs! In this episode I sit down with long time friend, AJ Kross. We talk about how he traveled in a gospel band with his parents in Oregon and then through his musical inspirations like Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton, he made the move to Nashville. We talk about how many songs he wrote in the first two years of being in town, stories behind songs like "Hearts Don't Really Break" and "You" (wedding song of the year) and about the new project he is working on in the studio right now. He has been working behind the scenes and is about to start releasing new songs in the next 1-2 months. AJ Kross is one of the best singer/songwriters I have ever known. He plays multiple instruments extremely well, he is an incredible lyricist and songwriter and his vocals are better than many I hear on the radio right now. We highlighted AJ as one of our Unsigned Artists of the Month back in 2022 and I can't wait to see what is about to happen with his career. I hope you enjoy this episode and become as big of a fan as I am - go follow AJ Kross and watch for his new music coming soon! Show/Liner Links: AJ's Website - AJKross.com AJ's Instagram - @AJKrossAJKross AJ's TikTok - @AJKross AJ's music on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube And follow up - Stories Behind The Songs - here: Instagram - @SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com And as always, thanks for the support on this podcast! We appreciate you hitting the like, follow and subscribe buttons - it helps a ton and allows us to keep creating content for you! And thanks to our sponsors Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics and Sennheiser microphones! #SBTSongs | |||
| 27 Feb 2024 | Gina Venier: Nora Jane & new artist to watch! | 00:36:40 | |
This week we have Gina Venier with us! Gina is actually our January 2024 Listening Room Unsigned Artist of the Month and we are so excited we get to spotlight her this week and dive deeper into her career and stories. Gina moved to Nashville about 10 years ago and from the start has been putting in the work networking, co-writing, and building her community. You’re going to hear the story behind her most recent release “Nora Jane” as we break down some of the lyrics. She’s also going to play a portion of it – if you enjoyed it, give it a stream. It’s a good one and her ability to tell her own story with this one is just incredible. Gina also talks what it was like being invited by ASCAP to play a writer’s round and having tons of people resonate with her story, playing pride fest in Nashville, an Alicia Keys cover she recently released, and some new music she has coming out in March... You also may hear a sneak peak of “Don’t Come To My Show”, an unreleased song that will be coming out very soon. Gina’s music has that country sound, but with more of an upbeat pop twist to it. She’s got several great songs already out including “50 Bucks” and “Good For You” available to stream anywhere you find your music! We had a blast sitting down with Gina this week – if you enjoyed what you heard – give Gina a follow or check her out during a show at the Listening Room! We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alclair In Ears – if you’re looking for a great set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Alright lets do it! This is Gina Venier Show Notes: Gina's Instagram - @GinaVenier Gina's TikTok - @GinaVenier Gina's Spotify Page - @GinaVenier And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 27 Aug 2024 | Faren Rachels: Bell Bottom Country & The Rug | 00:30:01 | |
Faren Rachels joins us for this week’s new episode of Stories Behind the Songs! Faren has been a longtime friend and co-writer of Lainey Wilson and has several cuts with her including “Weak-End” and “This One’s Gonna Cost Me” off of her 2022 breakout album, Bell Bottom Country. In this week's episode, Faren also talks about some of the songs that she’s released herself like her powerful 2023 single, “The Rug” written with Austin Goodloe and Lydia Vaughan. She shares about not wanting to be a part of the “artist rat race”, getting a FaceTime call from Lainey right after winning a Grammy while sitting on the sofa in a facemask, going on tour with Luke Combs where she played with Brantley Gilbert and Willie Nelson, playing arena shows in a writers’ round format, and developing her very own Nashville songwriters’ girls club. Don’t miss Faren’s upcoming September shows at The Listening Room Cafe in Nashville, TN to hear her amazing songs like “The Rug” and the stories behind them. Podcast Show Notes: Faren's TikTok - @FarenRachels Faren's Intagram - @FarenRachels Faren's YouTube - @FarenRachels Faren's music on Spotify - here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs And thanks, as always, to our sponsors! We appreciate the support from Sennheiser, Imperfect Aesthetician & Alclair In-Ear Monitors | |||
| 14 May 2024 | Brice Long: Heartache on the Dance Floor (Jon Pardi) & more! | 00:59:37 | |
We’ve got Brice Long with us on the podcast this week. Brice has enjoyed a successful 25+ year music career. As a songwriter he has had over 100 of his songs cut with artists such as Garth Brooks, George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Hank Williams Jr, Randy Houser, Josh Turner, Reba McEntire, Gary Allan, Cody Johnson, Chris Young, Jon Pardi, Easton Corbin, Lainey Wilson, Casey James, Darryl Worley, Randy Travis, Gretchen Wilson, John Michael Montgomery, Porter Wagoner and many more. Brice has tons of wisdom to share when it comes to getting a start in music city. This is a guy who started off struggling to pay his bills and has come full circle with several hits for major artists and his own foundation which he created to give back to the community. This week, we focus on the stories behind "Nothing On But the Radio" by Gary Allan, "Heartache on the Dance Floor" by Jon Pardi, and "Like A Cowboy" by Randy Houser. Brice had a record deal with RCA and got dropped, but secured a #1 with Gary Allen that same year. He talks about his collaboration with Jon Pardi on several songs, emphasizing hard work and the importance of jumping on a good opportunity. On this episode, we also cover his work with Randy Houser, including the CMA-nominated "Like A Cowboy," opening many doors and his foundation, "Back to Back," helping over 150 families in the community. Brice is extremely humble and throughout the episode, consistently credits God mixed with hard work for his success. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a follow and check out our Stories Behind the Songs playlist to hear more of the songs Brice has written throughout his career. We also want to shout-out our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alclair In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of 10% off by placing an order at alclair.com/sbtsongs! Alright, let’s get to it - here is Brice Long.
Brice's Instagram - @BriceLongSongs Brice's Website - BriceLongMusic.com And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe | |||
| 05 Dec 2023 | Randy Davis: Tim McGraw's Dance Hall Doctors (Tim's Drummer) | 00:33:55 | |
Welcome to another episode of Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! In this week's episode, we took a trip to my home state of Missouri close to where I grew up to sit down with Randy Davis! Randy was Tim McGraw's first drummer and spent years on the road playing for some iconic artists. He talks about stories from the road, the downsides and best parts of touring, and how he now operates his dad’s business “Genes Country Club” where songwriters and artists can come to play located in Pevely, MO. Randy also owns a production company of his own, writes songs, and continues to show his passion for music through his business and connection to the industry. This little club was a blast to experience and it was so cool to hear Randy’s stories living in Nashville and his take on how the country music scene has changed throughout the years. Thanks Randy for sharing a different perspective of the stories behind the songs this week - from the side of a band leader and drummer. Thanks to everyone who continues to listen each week! We say it every week, but please share this with your followers on socials etc to help us grow this podcast! Don’t forget to give us a follow on Spotify, Apple Music, Google, etc and click that notification button so you can stay up to date with new episodes. And thanks to our sponsors: Alclair In-Ear Systems, Sennheiser Microphones and The Imperfect Aesthetician. Follow us on socials! SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com #SBTSongs | |||
| 20 Jun 2023 | Blessing Offor: From going blind to having hits like BELIEVE | 00:46:42 | |
In this episode I sit down with my brother Blessing Offor who was born blind in his left eye and later became fully blind because if an accident with a Super Soaker water gun. He talks about how going through that accident got his obsessed with piano and writing. We talk about his song “Tin Roof” that he wrote with Natalie Hemby and released with Chris Tomlin & friends along with his top 20 Billboard smash “Brighter Days” and more. Make sure you go follow Blessing and let us know what you think! As always, thanks for listening and supporting Stories Behind the Songs! We hope you will continue to share this with your friends so we can spread the word about @SBTSongs on all platforms and make sure you hit that subscribe, follow or like button! Show/Liner Notes: Blessing’s Instagram - @BlessingOffor Blessing’s TikTok - @BlessingOfforMusic Blessing’s website - BlessingOffor.com And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: Instagram - @SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com Thanks also to our sponsors - Sennheiser microphones and Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics! #SBTSongs | |||
| 03 Dec 2024 | Jordan Rowe: "Mama Ain't Jesus" and Music Row Ministries | 00:50:11 | |
In this episode, I sit down with Jordan Rowe! From navigating a music career during a pandemic to building his community of songwriters centered around faith, we dive into a little bit of it all this week. Jordan tells us about his early days playing drums in church, getting his start on the Georgia acoustic circuit, and how his path eventually led him to Nashville in 2019. That same year, he released his first EP while touring with Chris Janson. Throughout our conversation, Jordan shares the stories behind some of his most notable songs, like “Mama Ain’t Jesus,” a track inspired by a phone call with Lainey Wilson, and “Good News Sold,” written as a message for anyone facing difficult times. Also discussed in this episode: how Jordan launched Music Row Ministries, a weekly bible study held on Music Row, which was created to build community among artists and songwriters in a faith-driven way. He reflects on how prayer has shaped his career, including the turning point he experienced after a three-day prayer fast that led to unexpected opportunities… This one is filled with inspiring stories as we explore what it really means to stay true to your passion. Jordan plays a couple of his own songs too and opens up about how faith, perseverance, and community have shaped both his music and life. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Jordan Rowe - @jordanrowemusic Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 14 Nov 2023 | Rusty Gaston: CEO of Sony Music Publishing | 00:53:19 | |
Welcome to Stories Behind the Songs podcast! This week, Chris Blair sat down in "the listening room" at Sony Music Publishing with president and CEO, Rusty Gaston. They have a "listening room" at Sony where they meet daily to listen to every song their writers wrote the previous day - it was very cool! You’ve probably heard our other guest mention their publishers in previous episodes. With several years of experience working in publishing, Rusty gives us the scoop on what a music publisher does and what his role consists of as the president of Sony Music Publishing. If you are an aspiring songwriter, established artist, or just someone who loves music this episode is for you. You will get to hear exclusive, behind-the-scenes stories from the writers’ rooms, interactions between country stars and icons, how the hits are formed, and everything in between. Rusty believes in championing and encouraging artists. You can feel how much he cares for these artists and songwriters just by sitting in the same room with him. You could even say that without Rusty, we wouldn’t have as many number-one hits out there... And what he's doing it working! He's been the recipient of many awards including 2023 Country Power Players Executive of the Year along with many of his writers/artists scooping up awards year after year like Cole SwindelI, Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney, Ashley Gorley and countless more! Here's a full list of Sony Music Publishers songwriters. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did and like hearing a little spin on what we usually do this week when sitting down with a publisher instead of a songwriter or artist directly! Let us know what you thought of this episode and subscribe on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts. Show Notes: Sony Music Publishing Instagram: @SonyMusicPub Sony Music Publishing Spotify: @SonyATVOfficial Sony Music Publishing Webiste: here Rusty Gaston's Instagram: @RustyGaston And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website: ChrisBlair.com And thanks to our sponsors! We just got a brand new sponsor with Alclair In-Ear Monitor systems and we LOVE THEM! They have the most clear, amazing sound and we are pumped to have them on as a sponsor also giving 10% off to any of our listeners! Reach out for a special code or check out our SBTSongs Instagram page for the link/QR code. And a big thanks to our other sponsors, Sennheiser Microphones and The Imperfect Aesthetician. #SBTSongs | |||
| 18 Jun 2024 | Brian White: Watchin' You (Rodney Atkins), Jason Aldean & more! | 01:01:37 | |
I’m so excited to have my good buddy Brian White on this week’s episode of the Stories Behind the Songs podcast! Brian White’s career in music has spanned over many decades and many genres - he got his start in Christian and gospel music and toured for about 15 years doing that. He eventually fell in love with the storytelling of country music and has become a true legend here in Music City. Brian not only has plenty of hits to his name, but he’s written more than a few country classics as well. Some of my personal favorite cuts of his that we cover in this episode are “Watching You” released by Rodney Atkins, “Blame It On You” by Jason Aldean and “Roll On Mississippi” by Charley Pride. He also has cuts with Rascal Flatts, Trace Adkins, and Gary Allan and Christian cuts like “Holding Out Hope To You” released by Michael English and “The Promise” by The Martins. In this episode, Brian and I also talk about the difference between CCM and country songwriting, starting out as a youth pastor following God’s calling for his life, and, as usual, the stories behind the songs! I’ve wanted to have Brian on the podcast for a longtime - in a lot of ways, he is a big reason that The Listening Room is where it is today. He was the one who organized the fundraiser in the early days when we were struggling that was a turning point for us and in turn also played a role in inspiring our "Sound Good. Do Good." program that gives back to non-profits every month. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It’s our mission to share the Stories Behind the Songs and highlight the songwriters behind the stories, and it’s because of listeners like YOU that we are able to do it. Alright, here’s my good friend, Brian White! Podcast Show Notes: Brian's Website - HERE Brian's NSAI page - HERE Brian's Instagram - @BWTunes And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe And thanks to our sponsors! Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 20 Aug 2024 | Sammy Arriaga: Miami Music & the COUNTRY SIDE | 00:53:44 | |
We’ve got Sammy Arriaga on this week’s brand new episode of Stories Behind the Songs! I’ve known Sammy for over 10 years, and it was such a good time to catch up with him today. Sammy and I talk about his 2021 album release, Boots x Beats, which features songs like “COUNTRY SIDE” and “take my phone.” Sammy goes into how the Miami music scene he was raised in with heavy R&B and EDM influences meshed with the storytelling of country music to create the unique sound he has today. We dive into his recent single, “The Boat”, which he shares the story behind and plays a verse/ chorus of. Sammy plays several other songs including “COUNTRY SIDE,” one of his popular Spanish covers, and a fan-favorite unreleased track. In this week’s episode, we also discuss 615 House, his recent tour of the U.K. with fellow rising country artist, Gareth, how to maintain artistic integrity while also writing for sound bites and short attention spans (using the example of Ella Langley and Riley Green’s smash hit, “you look like you love me”), how the title of his 2016 EP, Banjos ‘n’ Bongos, doubles as his motto as an artist, and the amazing advice he would give to his younger self - to lead with humanity over ambition as a songwriter. If you enjoyed this week’s episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It’s our passion to share the Stories Behind the Songs, and it’s because of listeners like you that we are able to continue doing it. It was great sitting down with Sammy - enjoy! Podcast Show Notes: Sammy's TikTok - @SammyArriaga Sammy's Instagram - @SammyArriaga Sammy's YouTube - @SammyArriaga Sammy's Website - SammyArriaga.com And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe And thanks to our sponsors! Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ #SBTSongs | |||
| 16 Apr 2024 | Jenn Schott: Tim McGraw, Mickey Guyton & NSAI | 00:32:41 | |
Jenn Schott joins us today on the Listening Room stage for this week's episode of Stories Behind the Songs! Jenn is a true TLR OG, she's been playing our stage since the Franklin and 2nd Avenue days. She’s a seasoned songwriter here in Nashville, and it was so cool to hear more about her journey to where she is now and her many incredible accomplishments - cuts with Tim McGraw and Mickey Guyton, playing the Ryman stage, and a placement on NSAI’s “Top 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” list, to name a few. She recently got a cut on Rascal Flatts’ most recent album release, How They Remember You, with “Feel It In The Morning.” It was awesome to hear how Jenn went from handing out resumes on Music Row to being the VP on the board of NSAI. In this episode, she offers up some excellent advice for aspiring songwriters that was passed down from one of her journalism professors at Mizzou. Here’s the takeaway - don’t wait to make the move to Nashville; follow your gut and do it now. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a follow and check out Jenn’s socials to keep up with what she’s got going on. We also want to shout-out our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alclair In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of 10% off by placing an order at alclair.com/sbtsongs! Alright, let’s go - here’s Jenn Schott. Podcast Show Notes: Jenn's Instagram - @JennSchott Jenn's Website - JennSchott.com And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 16 May 2023 | Victoria Shaw: Songwriter for Garth, Lady A, Ricky Martin & more! | 00:41:20 | |
In this episode you meet the one and only - Victoria Shaw. From New York to LA to Nashville, Victoria has written songs for Garth Brooks, Lady A, John Michael Montgomery, Ricky Martin, Doug Stone, Jim Brickman and more. She is so incredibly talented and through that talent has won herself an ACM Award for Song of the Year, two daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Original Song, 4 Emmy nominations and several ASCAP and SESAC Awards. She's going to talk about how she met Garth Brooks, the story behind the song she wrote with him "The River" and how she ended up opening up for him in Central Park. You'll get to hear about how she moved to Nashville and got into songwriting in the first place and what this journey has been like for her. This was such a fun episode and it's just an honor to call Vic my friend and share these stories with you all. I hope you enjoy it! Make sure you hit that share, like and follow button on this podcast - wherever you're listening - it truly does help us a ton! Show/Liner Notes: Victoria's Instagram: @VictoriaShawMusic And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs Podcast - and the links below! SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic And as always, thanks to our sponsors for helping us launch this podcast. And thank YOU - the listeners - for spreading the word and sharing it. We are still brand new but we are getting hundreds of listeners per episode and it continues to grow and I know that's because you all are enjoying it and sharing it with others. So, thank you! I started this as a passion project to share the stories behind the songs, the industry, the artists, the studios, etc that I have been hearing for years and I wanted to share with you. And the longer you keep listening and sharing, the longer we will do this and keep bringing great interviews to you. Until next time...thanks for listening! Chris Blair | |||
| 11 Jun 2024 | Rocky Block: Man Made A Bar (Morgan Wallen & Eric Church) | 00:48:50 | |
We’ve got Rocky Block with us for this week’s new episode of Stories Behind the Songs! I have known Rocky for years because I was close friends with his father and it’s been so cool to watch his career take off, from playing bass on a cruise line to having several top 40 hits, all within just a few years. It seems like Rocky has a writing credit on every hit single and #1 album lately. He’s collaborated with some of the biggest names in country music and has too many great cuts to list, but a few highlights include: “Can’t Help Myself” by Dean Brody, “Man Made a Bar” by Morgan Wallen and Eric Church, “Cowgirls” by Morgan Wallen and Ernest, “Broadway Girls” by Morgan and Lil Durk, “Whiskey Bent” by Cody Johnson and Jelly Roll and other cuts such as “Hammer to the Heart” with Teddy Swims who he says is not only a “generational talent” but also just a super nice guy. In this episode, we also cover his collaborations with Larry Fleet and Ashley Gorley, signing with Big Loud Publishing, writing “Jupiter” with Georgia Webster, being a fan of the artists he’s in the writer’s rooms with, and finding inspiration with new co-writers. He also gives us a quick performance of “Cowgirls”, and as always, we get to hear the story behind it - the idea for this one came from the TV show, Yellowstone! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. We are passionate about sharing the Stories Behind the Songs and getting to know the songwriters behind the stories, and it’s because of listeners like YOU that we are able to continue doing it. And thanks to our sponsors for all that you do for us! We appreciate you! More on our sponsors and other links below... Podcast Show Notes: Rocky's Instagram - @RockyBlock Rocky's Apple Music Playlist - click here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe Our Sponsors: Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 21 May 2024 | Emily Landis: The Good Ones (Gabby Barrett) | 00:42:09 | |
Emily Landis is here with us this week on Stories Behind the Songs! It was so good to have her onstage with us. Emily is killing it right now after being in Nashville for 12 years - she has recent cuts with artists like Tiera Kennedy, Dylan Scott and Gabby Barrett. She got her first #1 hit with Gabby Barrett’s “The Good Ones” written back in 2018 which ended up getting multiple CMA noms for Song and Single of the Year. You’ll hear how this song started with just a title and was almost trashed - we’re very glad she didn't do that! We also go over “Stuck In My Ways” - one she wrote for Lauren Watkins who is the current opener for Morgan Wallen. This song’s writing process began similarly to “The Good Ones” and has an awesome story behind it. While sitting together this week, we also discussed Emily losing her first pub deal with Big Machine which motivated her to make more contacts, play more rounds and get her name around Music Row. We cover the story behind “Chasin’ Tornados” - written with Jamie Moore and Lainey Wilson, and Emily answered the question - melody or lyric first when she's writing songs? And, as always, Emily performs a couple of her songs for us - “The Good Ones” and “Chasin’ Tornados.” If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going. Let’s jump in - here’s Emily Landis. Podcast Show Notes: Emily's TikTok - @emily_landis Emily's Instagram - @emily_landis Emily's Apple Music Playlist - here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe And thanks to our sponsors! We couldn't do it without the support of Sennheiser, Imperfect Aesthetician & Alclair In-Ear Monitors | |||
| 21 Jan 2025 | Kassi Ashton: Made From The Dirt | 00:53:36 | |
In this episode, I sit down with @Kassi Ashton! From performing on stage at just four years old to signing her first publishing deal with @Creative Nation, her journey is nothing short of extraordinary. We talk about her debut album, where every song is a piece of her story, from the empowering “Made From the Dirt” to the heartfelt “Juanita,” written in honor of her grandmother. She shares the highs of touring with artists like @Maren Morris and @Jamey Johnson, the challenges of starting over during the pandemic, and the advice that’s shaped her artistry: to trust yourself and be real. With new music on the horizon and a packed tour schedule, Kassi is just getting started. This is an episode you won’t want to miss! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @KassiAshton Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 25 Mar 2025 | Aaron Schilb: Nashville Tour Stop | 00:47:04 | |
In this episode, I sit down with the founder of Nashville Tour Stop, @Aaron Schilb! After moving to Nashville in 2017, he played his own shows before realizing his true passion was behind the scenes—curating and supporting artists rather than being on stage himself. We explore how @Nashville Tour Stop evolved from a small bar gig into a vibrant songwriter community, how losing his hearing at a young age influenced his path, and the challenges of managing a growing music platform. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @AaronSchilb & @NashvilleTourStop Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 26 Sep 2023 | Cameron Bedell: Songs for Jimmie Allen (Down Home) + more! | 00:40:19 | |
On this week's episode, Chris Blair sits down with one of his good friends, Cameron Bedell. Cameron came to Nashville from Wichita, Kansas to attend Belmont University. He grew up surrounded by music with experience singing in show choirs and barbershop quartets. You'll hear about how he started his career after graduating working at a restaurant serving hit songwriters and country artists, where some of those relationships led to him signing his publishing deal with Liz Rose Music four years later. You'll hear the story and meaning of the #1 song "Down Home" that he wrote for Jimmie Allen and how culture was a big influence for that song. He also touches on his experience working as a producer for Tiera Kennedy, a song he wrote for Hailey Whitters and many ways he stays busy and connected to the music industry. It was a pleasure having Cameron on and talking about his stories. You can listen to this episode of Stories Behind the Songs anywhere you find your podcasts, and please help us by spreading the word! If you are enjoying these episodes please give us a like, follow, subscribe and share with your friends! We appreciate the support so much and thank you for listening! Show Notes: Cameron's Instagram - @CameronBedell Cameron's TikTok - @CameronBedell Cameron on Apple Music - here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's website - ChrisBlair.com SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Thanks again for listening! #SBTSongs | |||
| 02 May 2023 | Kent Blazy: Songs for Garth Brooks, Chris Young & more! | 00:50:00 | |
If Tomorrow Never Comes, Ain't Going Down and more for Garth Brooks. Getting You Home (The Black Dress Song) for Chris Young. These are just a couple songs that the amazing Kent Blazy has written, as well as singles for Gary Morris, Diamond Rio, Patty Loveless and others. He's had a total of 7 #1 hits so far and they're just going to keep on coming. I have had the honor and pleasure of knowing Kent and calling him a friend for about 17 years now. He's as humble and kind as he is talented and I absolutely loved sitting down with him on this episode. Hear more about the hits he's written, how he met Garth in the first place and the stories behind his songs! Let us know what you think, and PLEASE share, like and follow! Show Notes/Links: Kent's Instagram - @KentBlazy Kent's Website - https://www.kentblazy.com/ And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube Video - @SBTSongs Chris Blair Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair Website - ChrisBlair.com Thanks for listening and supporting Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will hit subscribe, follow, like and rate us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, Stitcher, Castbox, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts! Copyright and Produced by Emerge Nashville, LLC And thanks to our sponsors: Sennheiser and Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics | |||
| 01 Aug 2023 | Kelly Archer: HITS for Brett Young, Justin Moore, Chris Lane & more! | 00:55:26 | |
In this week's episode I sit down with the amazing Kelly Archer! Kelly is originally from Vancouver, British Columbia. Her songs have been recorded by Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Eli Young Band, Montgomery Gentry, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Cassadee Pope, and many more. In this podcast you'll hear the story of how she grew up and how she dipped her toe into songwriting at an early age by re-writing another popular song; but how that made her begin to follow that path. She had a very eclectic taste in music and that also helped open her mind to a lot of different ways to write. Her dedication to do this in Nashville is so inspiring. You’ll hear about the over 20,000 miles she drove back and forth from Canada to work and save money to come back To nashville and do this. That dedication has definitely paid off and although she was just about to head back home for good, you’ll hear the story of how she got talked into staying and shortly after that she had her first #1 with Brett Young’s “Sleep Without You.” You'll hear the story about that song along with her song “Somebody Else Will” for Justin Moore and “For Her” for Chris Lane. Hear the lessons she learned along the way and some great advice that she shares. It was a pleasure having her on and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it! Show/Liner Notes: Kelly's Instagram: @KellyArcherMusic And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website: ChrisBlair.com | |||
| 26 Mar 2024 | Twinnie: 2024 CMT Next Women of Country | 00:46:08 | |
We’ve got UK artist Twinnie with us this week on the podcast! Twinnie is from England and made the move to Nashville just last year to pursue a career in country music. She comes from a long background of performing from growing up on stages in musical theatre to acting in movies and backup dancing for iconic artists like Robin Thicke and Pharell Williams. Twinnie is going to dive into how she started her career in Nashville, making connections wherever she could – Jamey Johnson being one of those connections – and takes us into the stories behind her songs, The Way I Loved You, her EP Just Like Earle (based off of Goodbye Earle by the Chicks), and her most recent release Take a Break. We talk about the importance of relationships and how they have formed her into who she is today... Twinnie was also just named 2024 Next Women of Country – she takes us to the moment when she found out about it, how she thought she was being asked to just play a show, but was pleasantly surprised that it would be much more than that... If you’re not sure what it is, CMT’s Next Women of Country highlights a lineup of women who are making great music and accomplishing awesome things in the industry. They highlight women across all of the CMT screens, providing them with several other opportunities throughout the year... Twinnie is more than deserving of this honor – keep an eye out for her! Apart from touring and writing music, Twinnie has started her own non-profit called “I Know A Woman” designed to connect female artists to opportunities in the industry. It was a joy sitting down with Twinnie and we can’t wait to see what she has coming up next. Make sure to stream Twinnie wherever you find your music and give us a follow if you enjoyed this episode. We want to know your feedback! If there are any stories, questions, or artists you’d like to see on the podcast, let us know! Shoot us a DM on instagram or tik tok @sbtsongs and we will do our best to incorporate your suggestions! We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alciar In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Let’s get to it – this is Twinnie! Show Notes: Twinnie's TikTok - @TwinnieOfficial Twinnie's Instagram - @TwinnieOfficial Twinnie's Other Links - Here! And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 09 Jan 2024 | Adam Sanders: Songs for Dierks Bentley, Scotty McCreery, Dustin Lynch, Blake Shelton, and more | 00:45:36 | |
Hi everyone! Chris Blair here with another episode of Stories Behind the Songs. My guest this week is the amazing Adam Sanders. Adam has played the Listening Room stage quite a bit throughout the years, has written tons of songs for some great artists, and makes music of his own with an EP entitled “Like It’s Your Last” out now and a full album being released on February 2nd.
Like most of our guests, Adam is a songwriter here in Nashville with cuts for Cole Swindell, Dierks Bentley, Scotty McCreery, Dustin Lynch, Blake Shelton, and more. He was one of the writers on Cole Swindell’s “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey” which became his first number one. We’re going to talk about how he got his start in Nashville writing with Cole Swindell and Josh Martin before any of them made it big and takes us into the writers room when he wrote “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey”. You’ll also hear about the process of that song going to radio on the same week as “Hell of a Night” cut by Dustin Lynch.
Apart from his successes as a songwriter, Adam talks about writing meaningful songs that tell a story and what his goals are in the industry going forward – both with writing songs for artists and making his own music.
Keep an eye out for Adam’s new album out next month and give him a follow to stay up to date. If you enjoyed this episode of Stories Behind the Songs, please give us a follow and check that notification button so you can stay up to date with brand new episodes.
We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alciar In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off!
Show Notes:
Adam's Website - AdamSandersMusic.com
Adam's TikTok - @AdamSandersMusic
Adam's Instgram - @AdamSanders
And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here:
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com
The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe
#SBTSongs
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| 06 Feb 2024 | Julia Cole: This Ring, CMT Next Woman of Country + Grand Ole Opry Debut | 01:10:13 | |
We’ve got Julia Cole on the podcast this week! From singing for sports events growing up in Houston and winning singing competitions to moving to Nashville cutting demos and learning how to write music, Julia takes us through the highs and lows of her music career. We’re going to talk about her Grand Ole Opry debut, navigating a breakup publicly, and how she was able to transform those feelings and emotions into an amazing project. With two songs already out, “This Ring” and “Bulletproof”, Julia takes us through the process of writing that album and explains the inspiration and story behind each song. We also cover what her experience was like with CMT, being named Next Woman of Country, touring in Dubai, co-writing with other songwriters, and how she markets herself in the industry without any major label – making her own graphics and music videos and building her brand on her own. Keep an eye out for Julia’s new project set to come out in the beginning of April and give her a follow to stay up to date with everything she has going on.. We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alciar In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Podcast Show Notes: Julia's Website - JuliaColeMusic.com Julia's Instagram - @JuliaColeMusic Julia's TikTok - @JuliaColeMusic And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe | |||
| 10 Oct 2023 | Arlis Albritton: Songs for Luke Bryan, Jamey Johnson + more and St. Augustine Songwriters Festival | 00:31:49 | |
In this episode, Chris Blair sat down with long time friend Arlis Albritton. Arlis is originally from Florida and has had a lot of success as as songwriter himself, writing songs for Diamond Rio, Jamey Johnson, Luke Bryan, Parmalee, Josh Thompson, Keith Anderson, Halfway to Hazard, John Michael Montgomery and many more. Outside of songwriting, he has also been on the management side of the music industry managing acts like Jamey Johnson and Kenny G along with founding and running the St. Augustine Songwriters Festival. Chris sat down with Arlis in St. Augustine at the end of September where Chris hosts the main stage every year. They talked about what all it takes behind the scenes to start and grow a festival, stories about being on the road as a manger and more. It was great to hear a little about songwriting but more on some other areas of the industry that we don't always get to see or talk about. We hope you enjoy this episode and continue to spread the word about the Stories Behind the Songs Podcast! Show Notes: Arlis' Instagram: @ArlisAlbritton Arlis' Website: ArlisAlbritton.com St. Augustine Songwriters Festival Instagram: @StAugustineSongwritersFestival St. Augustine Songwriters Festival Website: StAugustineSongwritersFestival.com And follow us, the SBTS Podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Website: ChrisBlair.com Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic | |||
| 31 Dec 2024 | Matt Mulhare: Things I'm Going Through | 00:44:46 | |
In this episode, I sit down with Matt Mulhare! Matt’s journey from New York to Nashville is as unexpected as it is inspiring. While studying at Belmont University, he discovered his voice as a songwriter and performer, eventually collaborating with other songwriters to bring his music to life. His story is proof that no dream is too big—even for an 8-year-old kid with a love for guitar. We dive into the story behind “Things I’m Going Through,” one he co-wrote with Jordan Dozzi which later found its way to Travis Denning. Matt also shares the whirlwind journey of writing Chase Matthew’s single “Fine By Me” and reflects on why chemistry with co-writers is so important. Throughout our conversation, Matt opens up about finding his community, the lessons he’s learned from collaboration, and how he’s grown into his voice as a lyricist. His story highlights the power of dedication and dreaming big, paired with the support of those around him. To top it off, Matt plays a couple of his hit songs and offers a behind-the-scenes look at his artistry. This is an episode you won’t want to miss! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @MattMulhare Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 15 Oct 2024 | Jordan Rager: All Out of Beer | 01:03:58 | |
Jordan Rager joins us this week on Stories Behind the Songs! Jordan landed his very first number one on the charts with a song called “All Out of Beer” by none other than Jason Aldean for his 2016 LP, They Don’t Know. We take a look at the stories behind a couple of his songs and get to hear a couple of them. In this episode, Jordan and I also talk about Whiskey Jam and the many nights he “snuck in” to meet people in the music industry, growing up with two loves–sports and music, spending 10 years in Nashville, and the process of making his upcoming EP. If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Jordan Rager - https://www.instagram.com/jordanrager... Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/ TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 18 Apr 2023 | Phil Barton: A Woman Like You (Lee Brice), Thomas the Train & many more! | 00:44:02 | |
I was in the room when he got his first #1 award and I'll never forget it. In this episode I have the privilege of sharing the story behind the songs written by Phil Barton. Phil came to Nashville from Australia where he already has some major success with a children's band called "Glower Pot Gang" that has sold over 400,000 records. He's done almost 90 kids records including some huge success for things like Bob the Builder and Thomas the Train. Once he moved to Nashville Phil was known to write two songs pretty much every day and I don't know that I ever saw anyone work harder for it than he did. He'd write a couple songs a day and then go play shows at night - pretty much every night. His first #1 was a song called "A Woman Like You" that he wrote with Jon Stone and Johnny Bulford for Lee Brice. It was all of their first #1's together and that day at the ceremony was a blast. He's going to talk about that song along with everything else he's had happen after that. I have known Phil for years and he's just a great writer, hard worker and genuinely a great guy. Liner Notes/Links: Phil's Instagram - @PhilBarton222 And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube Video - @SBTSongs Chris Blair Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair Website - ChrisBlair.com Thanks for listening and supporting Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will hit subscribe, follow, like and rate us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts!
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| 13 Jun 2023 | James McNair: Luke Combs #1 Lovin' On You | 00:38:26 | |
In this episode I sat down with my buddy James McNair who wrote the #1 song for Luke Combs, Lovin’ On You. We met in St. Augustine where I host The St. Augustine Songwriters Festival every year and have been friends ever since. He is an incredible songwriter and artist. In this episode he talks about the story behind that song, Lovin’ On You, along with other songs he’s written. He talks about how he got to Nashville and then ended up getting a publishing deal after getting an email from Brian Kelley from Florida Georgia Line when they were starting Tree Vibez Music and how he got that deal from a lot of help with BMI and Sony. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we did making it. Make sure you go follow James and let us know what you think! As always, thanks for listening and supporting Stories Behind the Songs! We hope you will continue to share this with your friends so we can spread the word about @SBTSongs on all platforms and make sure you hit that subscribe, follow or like button! Show/Liner Notes: Jame's Instagram - @JamesMcNairMusic Jame's on Spotify - here And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: Instagram - @SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com Thanks also to our sponsors - Sennheiser microphones and Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics! #SBTSongs | |||
| 30 Apr 2024 | Chris Blair: The story of The Listening Room | 00:43:30 | |
Well this week took a turn! As I was sitting down ready to interview Davis Loose (who I did end up interviewing and his episode comes out next week!) my staff had tricked me and he took over the interview! It was a surprise and I wasn't sure how it would go, but we had a lot of fun. So on this episode, you get to hear more about me...Chris Blair. You'll hear how I got into music, what moved me to Nashville and how I ended up starting The Listening Room. You'll hear the struggles I went through in the beginning and what I did to overcome those. It's a little of the story behind me and TLR - so I hope you enjoy it! As always, a big shoutout to our sponsors: Sennheiser Microphones, Imperfect Aesthetician and Alclair In-ears. We have a new discount for Alclair, so if you need a great set of in-ear monitors check out Alclair.com/sbtsongs. And follow us (and me), here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #sbtsongs | |||
| 23 Jul 2024 | Lexie Hayden: Countin' Rainbows | 00:41:47 | |
For this week’s new Stories Behind the Songs, we’ve got Lexie Hayden here with us! Lexie has some hilarious stories about getting her start here in Nashville - like when she was put on the spot as an intern to sing live on the Bobby Bones radio show. We talk about her 2020 release, You Heard Right and why she’s excited to be putting out her first full length album soon, not during a pandemic. We also talk about her collaborative relationship with Priscilla Block (who she met as a server here at TLR) and the co-writing process behind Priscilla’s hit single “My Bar”. Lexie gives us a performance of "My Bar” as well as an unreleased song off of her upcoming project, “Call It A Crush”. On that note, be sure to stay tuned for her full-length album that’s coming out this August, as well as her album release show that will take place here on the 29th! If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and give us a follow. It’s our passion to share the Stories Behind the Songs, and it’s because of listeners like YOU that we are able to continue doing it. And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe Sponsors: | |||
| 02 Apr 2024 | Michael Lotten: Momma's House (Dustin Lynch), Morgan Wallen & more! | 00:30:14 | |
This week we’ve got Michael Lotten with us on Stories Behind the Songs. Michael moved to Nashville when he was around 22 from Missouri and started off working in restaurants and playing in cover bands. He’s going to talk about the song that got him his first publishing deal in town “Alcohol You Later” by Mitchel Tenpenny, writing with Tenpenny before either of them had deals, and the many cuts that followed. You’ll hear the stories behind “Mommas House” for Dustin Lynch, “Money on Me” and “Last Drive Down Main” for Morgan Wallen, and “Mistake” for Chris Lane. We dig into the meaning behind Mistake and look closer at the lyrics – this one was so cool to take apart and dissect. Michael also talks about his most recent cut which was just released on March 1. We take a deep dive into this one too looking at some of the lyrics that took this song from the writer’s room to Keith Urban... Check out Michael Lotten in the liner notes below and give us a follow if you enjoyed this episode and tell your friends! It’s because of your support that we are able to sit down on the Listening Room stage and dive deeper into the stories that make up some of country music’s best songs. We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alclair In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Let’s get to it – this is Michael Lotten. Podcast Show Notes: Michael's Intagram - @MichaelLotten And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 29 Oct 2024 | Lauren Hungate: Holy Smokes | 00:55:25 | |
Lauren Hungate joins us on today’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs. Lauren has been writing for some exciting newer artists like MacKenzie Porter, Carter Faith, and Lauren Watkins, as well as household names like Anne Wilson, Carly Pearce, and most recently, Bailey Zimmerman. In this episode, we explore her story, from starting out as an intern with Capitol Christian, navigating Nashville writers’ rounds, and earning her first publishing deal right before the world shut down in 2020. She shares what it was like to perform alongside Carter Faith at the Opry, join Carly Pearce on stage at Bridgestone, and have her songs cut by rising stars like Anne Wilson and MacKenzie Porter. Her song “Holy Smokes” released by Bailey Zimmerman just went platinum and she recounts the inspiration behind it—a memory with her husband parked by a church, blending the sacred with the everyday. Tune in as she reflects on balancing faith with ambition, the mentors who helped her succeed, and advice for other young songwriters on how to navigate Nashville and make the most of every writing room. With standout songs like “Greener Pastures” and her latest single, “Coming Home to You (Bigger Houses),” this episode will inspire and entertain anyone passionate about music. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Lauren - https://www.instagram.com/lauren_hungate/profilecard/?igsh=MTBtdjFzMnFsZ2R5eA== Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/ TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 11 Mar 2025 | Liz Rose: From Pitching Songs to Writing Hits | 00:55:01 | |
In this episode, I sit down with award-winning songwriter and publisher @Liz Rose! Liz Rose didn’t start writing songs until later in her life, but once she did, she never looked back. After working with songwriters through her own publishing company, she eventually started writing alongside them. This led to a publishing deal and a career filled with some of country music’s biggest hits. We dive into her partnership with Taylor Swift, and how their chemistry lead to her co-writing 16 of her biggest hits, like "Fearless." Liz also opens up about co-writing the Grammy and CMA Song of the Year, “Girl Crush,” released by Little Big Town, as well as recent hits like Parker McCollum’s “Burn It Down.” We also discuss the biggest challenges in the industry today, and the importance of songwriter education. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @Liz Rose Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 01 Oct 2024 | Adam Craig: Church Pew or Bar Stool | 00:52:18 | |
We’ve got a TLR favorite on this week’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs - Adam Craig! Adam has so many impressive cuts like “Church Pew or Bar Stool” by Jason Aldean, “Close Your Eyes” by Parmalee, and George Strait’s 2024 single from his upcoming album, “MIA Down In MIA”. We dive into those songs as well as the story behind his unreleased Cody Johnson cut written with Jordan Walker and Matt Rogers that will be on Cody’s next album. Adam also talks about his past publishing and record deals, moving to Nashville to be an artist, playing the Opry stage, writing for a “viral moment”, and trying to impress the songwriting icon, Dean Dillon. We also get a verse/chorus of “Church Pew and Barstool” and “MIA Down In MIA”. Adam is a good friend of mine and a regular on our stage, and I’m so glad we got the opportunity to dig deeper into his story and career and, of course, his songs!
Keep up with Adam Craig - @adamcraigofficial Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe A special shout out to our sponsors: | |||
| 05 Nov 2024 | Keio Stroud: Drumming Up Dreams | 01:05:43 | |
Joining us on this week's episode of Stories Behind the Songs is Keio Stroud, a drummer whose journey through the music world is deeply rooted in family and faith—and whose career reads like a who's-who of country music icons. In this episode, Keio talks about how his Nashville journey began with a last-minute gig that led him to the city and eventually put him on the stage with some of the biggest names in country music like Big & Rich and Wade Hayes. From learning to play by ear alongside country radio classics like Brooks & Dunn to the early "music mafia" days in Nashville's legendary Fiddle and Steel Guitar Bar, Keio talks about the community that helped him thrive as a young musician. Keio shares stories like the time he met Guy Clark in his underwear, or the hours spent honing his skills on the road. He also offers invaluable advice on listening as an instrument in and of itself. For any aspiring musicians tuning in, Keio’s wisdom and passion are sure to inspire. Let's dive into his story! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Keio Stroud - HERE Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support | |||
| 19 Mar 2024 | Josh Phillips: Dirt Cheap (Cody Johnson), Angels Workin' Overtime (Luke Combs) & more! | 00:36:54 | |
We’ve got Josh Phililips with us on the Listening Room stage for this week’s brand new episode of Stories Behind the Songs. Josh's journey began listening to the artists that he now has regular cuts with including Jason Aldean and Brantley Gilbert. His career began singing at biker bars in North Carolina until he landed a spot playing local gigs with Luke Combs. What would soon become a collaborative duo, Josh and Luke started taking monthly trips to Nashville where they frequently played at some of Nashville’s bars like Winners and Losers. Josh talks about how outside of Winner's bar Luke said to him, “Man, our angels are working overtime.” Co-written by Josh Phillips, Luke Combs, and Josh Thompson, “Angels Workin’ Overtime” now has over 35 million streams on Spotify. Josh and I talk about this song in our conversation, as well as how this was a pivotal moment in his career. After flipping an early 20th century farmhouse with his wife, Josh wrote “Dirt Cheap,” and we discuss how this song went from a frustrating indefinite hold to becoming a Cody Johnson (and TLR!) favorite. (If you love “Dirt Cheap,” thank Josh’s wife, Jordan - it was her idea to send the song to Cody in the first place!) In this episode, Josh and I also go through the exciting process of his first publishing deal at Warner/Chappell Music, co-signed with Brantley Gilbert. We wrap it up with some hard-earned advice from Josh to aspiring writers - keep doing what you’re doing - and to himself - keep playing that guitar. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a follow and check out Josh’s socials to stay current with what he’s got in the works. We also want to shout-out our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alclair In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Show Notes: Josh's Instagram - @imjoshphillips Josh's Spotify Link - here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs https://www.tiktok.com/@sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs https://www.instagram.com/sbtsongs/ SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs https://www.youtube.com/@SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic https://www.instagram.com/chrisblairmusic/ Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/ TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe https://www.instagram.com/listeningroomcafe/ TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe https://www.tiktok.com/@listeningroomcafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 21 Nov 2023 | Taylor Austin Dye: "Ride or Dye" Out of These Hills | 00:35:03 | |
Hey everybody – welcome to another episode of Stories Behind the Songs. This week, Chris Blair sits down with the one, the only Taylor Austin Dye. From East Kentucky, Taylor moved to Nashville in 2018. Starting off as a homebody and a solo writer, Taylor has grown immensely across the board with her socials, streams, and fan base the 'Ride or Dye's.' Taylor just released her debut album “Out of These Hills” this past September and has been keeping herself busy touring and writing with some new releases set to come out before the end of the year. You can find Taylor on Instagram @tayloraustindye and make sure you check out her most recent radio single “Rest in Peace” and “Bible Belt” from her newest album anywhere you listen to music. Don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends. We love getting to sit down with artists, songwriters, and everyone in between - to hear their stories is what keeps us going. We appreciate your support and thanks for Listening. Show Notes: TAD's TikTok - @TaylorAustinDye TAD's Instagram - @TaylorAustinDye TAD's Website - TaylorAustinDye.com And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com And thanks to our sponsors - especially our newest sponsor - ALCLAIR IN-EAR SYSTEMS! We are so excited to have Alclair on board and you can receive 10% off your next set of in-ear monitors by using our code: SBTSongs And as always, a big thank you to our other sponsors Sennheiser and The Imperfect Aesthetician for all of your support. #SBTSongs | |||
| 12 Sep 2023 | Ryan Griffin: Dibs, Phases & Red Street Records | 00:49:50 | |
In this episode of Stories Behind the Songs, Chris sits down with Ryan Griffin. Born and raised in Florida, Ryan moved to Nashville when he was just 18 to pursue writing his own music. Starting his career as Jason Aldean’s tour manager, he decided to step into the songwriting world. Ryan will take us through his musical journey, highlighting the story behind co-writing with Kelsea Ballerini, Josh Kerr and Jason Duke from his perspective. He also talks about his experience getting signed to labels, tasting the highs of the music industry, and the tough moments of being dropped. You’ll also hear how he crossed paths with Jay Demarcus, who you might know from Rascal Flatts. Jay saw something special in Ryan and brought him onto his Christian label, "Red Street Records," which ended up being a perfect fit for country artists like Ryan Griffin. Ryan also talks his newest EP, "Phases," which showcases his evolution as an artist and dedication to his craft. We also dive into Ryan's latest single, "Heart to Break” and you’ll even hear Ryan play a portion of it! We look forward to seeing what is next for Ryan Griffin and we hope you enjoy this week’s episode. As always, please help us by spreading the word of this podcast. As we continue to grow, we appreciate the support – so send it to a friend, hit that like/subscribe/follow button wherever you’re listening and we can’t thank you enough! Show liner notes/links: Ryan's TikTok - @RyanGriffinOfficial Ryan's Instagram - @RyanGriffinLive Ryan's Website - RyanGriffin.com And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs podcast, here: Chris Blair's website - ChrisBlair.com Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs #SBTSongs #SBTSongsPodcast As always, thanks to our sponsors - Sennheieser microphones and Britt Skin Beauty Aestheticians. If you're interested in more information or becoming a sponsor, reach out to us at: savannah@emergenashville.com. | |||
| 09 Apr 2024 | Justin Ebach: #1 writer for Brett Young, Luke Bryan, Dustin Lunch, Jordan Davis and more! | 00:42:27 | |
Justin Ebach is this week’s guest on Stories Behind the Songs. Justin has done so much so far in his songwriting career – he was named SESAC songwriter of the year TWICE and won the CMA Triple Play Award in 2019. If you’re not sure what that is, a CMA Triple Play Award is given to songwriters who have secured three #1 hits within a 12-month period. This is insanely impressive and not easy to accomplish. We are going to dive into those three number ones and more on this week’s episode! Justin has so many cuts and a good handful of those made it to number one – a few of his number one hits include “Here Tonight” by Brett Young, “Down to One” by Luke Bryan, “Good Girl” by Dustin Lynch, “Singles You Up” by Jordan Davis, and “When I Pray For You” by Dan and Shay. Justin takes us behind the scenes of so many cool stories in this episode and we can’t wait for you to hear them. Give us a follow to stay up to date when new episodes drop with some of Nashville’s greatest and let us know what you think! If there are any specific stories, artists, or songwriters you’d like to hear – shoot us a DM! We love connecting you with the Stories Behind the Songs. We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alciar In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Alright – let's get into it... This is Justin Ebach! Podcast Show Notes: Justin's Instagram - @EbachMusic And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 12 Nov 2024 | Russell Sutton: My Boy | 00:57:13 | |
In this week’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs, I’m joined by Russell Sutton!
Russell talks about how he made the move from Texas to Nashville and carved a name for himself in the music industry. He’s the writer behind some of your favorite hits, including “My Boy” by Elvie Shane – a song that was Russell’s first #1 and landed him his first publishing deal. We dive into the journey that led to that breakthrough, and how his next chart-topping hit, “Whiskey on You” by Nate Smith, took things to the next level.
In this episode, you’ll hear all about Russell’s early days and how he became the writer he is today. He shares the story of how “My Boy” came to life, the excitement of seeing his songs hit the radio, and the surreal experience of seeing his song performed live on “The Tonight Show.” Russel also opens up about the challenges he’s faced in the industry and offers some invaluable advice for aspiring songwriters. Plus, he talks about the new music he's working on and gives us a glimpse into what’s next.
With wisdom from years of writing and building his career, Russell Sutton is a perfect example of how persistence, passion, friendships, and great songwriting can open doors in the industry. This episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and of course, some incredible performances of his biggest hits!
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with friends and follow along for more Stories Behind the Songs. Your support is what keeps this podcast going, and we’re excited to bring you more stories from the people who write the songs you love! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Russell Sutton - HERE Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support | |||
| 15 Apr 2025 | Andy Albert: Thinking 'Bout You | 00:44:35 | |
This week I got to sit down with legendary songwriter, @AndyAlbert! From a small-town Georgia kid in an alt-rock band to writing country hits in Nashville, Andy’s journey is full of heart, hustle, and some wild stories—like the time he and Marc Beeson emailed Blake Shelton a demo after a Christmas party (it worked). We talk about “She’s Got a Way With Words,” “Thinking ‘Bout You,” and “Bigger Houses,” plus what it means to be the glue in the writing room and build a life from nothing. This one’s got laughs, honesty, and some serious songwriting gold. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @Andy Albert Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 04 Jun 2024 | Jordan Feliz: Valet job to The River | 01:14:29 | |
Jordan Feliz, GMA Dove Awards Winner and Platinum selling Christian artist, joins us for this week’s Stories Behind the Songs! Jordan has definitely come a long way in the industry. He started his career in Nashville working as a valet to make ends meet and living paycheck to paycheck. We actually met for the first time while he was doing the valet here at The Listening Room. Jordan talks about how this exposed him to meeting so many other talented musicians that worked here and played the stage. Jordan’s first ever release, “The River,” was also his first #1 song - crazy! He’s gonna talk about how the song idea came from a verse-of-the-day notification on his Bible app and how he wrote it with Colby Wedgeworth, Jeff Pardo, and Joe Silverberg. In the co-write, they talked about the Bible verse for hours but once they started writing, the song came together in just 45 minutes. “The River” spent 15 weeks at #1 on Christian charts which is so impressive and very difficult to pull off - especially in Christian music - and this just goes to show what a great song it is and how much it speaks to its listeners. In this episode, we also cover Jordan’s calling to Christian music, starting out leading worship at youth group, the complexities of Christian radio, writing a song for The Chosen Christmas movie, life on the road as an artist, having features with legendary Christian artists like Lecrae and Toby Mac, and his upcoming single “Praise God for That.” Which is coming out In just a couple weeks on June 21! If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It’s because of listeners like YOU that we are able to continue bringing the Stories Behind the Songs from legends in the industry. Quick shoutout to Sennheiser, Imperfect Aesthetician and Alclair In Ears for sponsoring us. We appreciate your love and support! It was so good to have him here - he’s a favorite in my family so I’m extra excited to share this one with y’all - here’s my friend, Jordan Feliz. Podcast Show Notes: Jordan's Facebook - @JordanFelizMusic Jordan's Instagram - @JordanFeliz Jordan's Website - JordanFeliz.com Jordan's Music on Spotify - here Jordan's Music on Apple - here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 30 Jan 2024 | Marla Cannon-Goodman: Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo | 00:38:12 | |
On this week's episode of Stories Behind the Songs, we have the incredibly talented songwriter, Marla Cannon-Goodman. Marla is more than a seasoned songwriter as she has had a very productive career that began with her first cut for Sammy Kershaw in 1996. She grew up in the industry, writing poems since she was young, and learning from her dad - Buddy Cannon - who is also an iconic songwriter/producer. She’s written “The Fool”, Lee Ann Womack’s #1 hit, “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo” by Tracy Byrd, and “Cleaning This Gun” by Rodney Atkins. She tells us the full stories behind these songs while also touching on her cut with Blake Shelton, "Don’t Make Me.” She’s going to take us through writing "Unfair Weather Friend" for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, how those two were going back and forth on who would get to cut the song, and how the song ended up staying with both of them on their "Django and Jimmie" duet album. Over the last year, Marla has played and told some of these stories at the Listening Room quite a few times and we loved getting to dive even deeper today. She also shares unique insights into the evolution of music and reflects on being the daughter of someone like Buddy Cannon and how that affected her journey. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a follow and check out Marla’s socials to stay up to date with what she’s working on. We also want to shout-out our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alciar In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Alright – let's get into it – this is Marla Cannon - Goodman! Podcast Show Notes: Follow Marla on Spotify - here Marla's Instagram - @MarlaCGoodmanSongs Marla's Facebook - @MarlaCannonGoodman And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 28 Nov 2023 | Halfway To Hazard: Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Daisy & more! | 01:00:06 | |
Welcome to another episode of Stories Behind the Songs. This week we are joined by Chad Warrix and David Tolliver of Halfway to Hazard. Man – this episode was a blast to film. These guys are legends in the music industry. They kicked off their career touring with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, and more. You’re going to hear all sorts of their stories from being on the road with Tim McGraw, their first number one with their debut single - “Daisy”, the many ways they continue to give back to their communities, and so much more. They also play a small piece of their song “Daisy” and wow their harmonies are some of the best in the business. Now – they are both continuing to stay active in the industry playing shows and writing songs. Keep an eye out for them on the Listening Room stage – if you enjoyed the stories in this episode or if it made you laugh as much as we did, share it with a friend! Your support is what keeps us going and we appreciate all of you. PLEASE follow us on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts! With that said – here is Halfway to Hazard. Show Notes: H2H's Instagram: @HalfwayToHazard H2H's TikTok - @HalfwayToHazard H2H's Facebook - @HalfwayToHazard David's Instagram - @DavidTolliverMusic Chad's Instagram - @ChadWarrix And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic And to our sponsors, Alclair In-Ear Monitors, Sennheiser Microphones & The Imperfect Aesthetician - THANK YOU! #SBTSongs | |||
| 07 May 2024 | Davis Loose: John Deere Tractor Beer | 00:32:24 | |
Davis Loose joins us today and man I have loved getting to know him these past couple years. I met Davis when he was just 16 at the St Augustine’s songwriter’s festival. I host this festival every year out in Florida and the year I met Davis I was genuinely surprised by how talented he was. He is a fantastic songwriter and performer so when I heard he was thinking about making the move to Nashville, I told him he'd have a job at the Listening Room. Davis has been in town for just 2 years now and during that time he has - grown his network to writing with guys like Mark Irwin, went from serving tables here at the Listening Room to playing our main stage, writing a song that made its way to American Idol, and puts in the work writing 5 days a week. Davis has one single out so far titled - John Deere Tractor Beer and tells the story behind this one and plays a piece of it for us. Davis is young and fresh in Music City and has a lot of great work left to do. Right now, he has the opening slot on Randy Houser’s upcoming tour, is continuing to play songwriters festivals, and continues to write and build his camp with some iconic songwriters here in town. We had a lot of fun during this one and are so excited to introduce you to one of Nashville’s up-and-comers. You can find Davis on Instagram @davisloose and be sure to check out his recent release “John Deere Tractor Beer” anywhere you get your music. It's a great one. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a follow and click that notification button to stay up to date when new episodes are released. We also want to shout-out our sponsors Sennheiser, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alclair In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of 10% off by placing an order at alclair.com/sbtsongs! Alright, let’s go - here is Davis Loose! Podcast Show Notes: Davis' Instagram - @DavisLoose Davis' YouTube - @davisloose And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 23 Jan 2024 | Adam James: Knowing You (Kenny Chesney) + more! | 01:06:10 | |
Welcome to another episode of Stories Behind the Songs. This week, we're joined by Adam James. Adam has been in Nashville since 2009 and shares some of his experiences in the industry with us, including co-writing Kenny Chesney's #1 hit "Knowing You" with Brett James and Kat Higgins. Adam takes us into the writing room, discusses the process of coming up with the concept, and reflects on everything that unfolded after hearing the news this one would be cut by Kenny Chesney. Adam also has notable cuts on Cody Johnson's new album, "Leather," with the songs "Double Down" and "Whiskey Bent". He talks about the excitement of hearing Cody cut these songs and dives into how Jelly Roll chose “Whiskey Bent” to feature on because he resonated with the material from the song. We also take a closer look at some of the lyrics from this song and Adam plays a small portion of it for us. Adam has been consistently writing with a cut coming out on Randall King’s upcoming album, “Into the Neon” titled “Burns Like Her”. Give Adam a follow in the liner notes below to stay up to date with what he’s working on and, if you enjoyed the stories from this episode, give us a follow. We release brand new episodes every Tuesday. We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alciar In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Podcast Show Notes: Adam's Instagram - @_adamjames_ And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe | |||
| 06 Aug 2024 | Jenna LaMaster: Drunk Thoughts | 00:53:59 | |
Jenna LaMaster is a talented up-and-coming singer-songwriter here in Nashville and if you haven’t heard of her yet, you definitely will soon. We loved having her on as this week's guest on Stories Behind the Songs Podcast! She started out in Nashville working 14 hour days at a ranch outside of town before signing a publishing deal at Shelter Music - which she signed mid-pandemic! She has several cuts with Ashland Craft including “Your Momma Still Does”, written with Jonathan Singleton and released by Ashland back in 2021. Jenna also shares the story behind her own 2023 release, “Drunk Thoughts” which was written with Lee Star and Whitney Duncan. In this episode, we also talk about growing up in a competing rodeo family in Northern California, building her camp here in Music City with other female writers like Lainey Wilson and Faren Rachels, and learning how to decide which songs to keep for herself and which to offer up to other artists. Jenna also plays a verse/chorus of “Your Momma Still Does” and “Drunk Thoughts”. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and give us a follow. It’s our passion to share the Stories Behind the Songs, and it’s because of listeners like YOU that we are able to continue doing it. I loved getting to hear a bit more of Jenna’s story and can’t wait for y’all to hear it as well! Podcast Show Notes: Jenna's TikTok - @HeyItsJennaLaMaster Jenna's Instagram - @JennaLaMaster Jenna's Website - JennaLaMaster.com Drunk Thoughts on Spotify, Apple Music & More And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs And thanks to our sponsors! Sennheiser Microphones, Alclair In-Ear monitors and Imperfect Aesthetician - we appreciate all of the support! | |||
| 22 Apr 2025 | Big & Rich: Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy | 01:07:44 | |
In this episode, I sit down with the legendary duo @BigandRich— and their story is just as wild as their songs. From touring with @Lonestar right out of high school to accidentally becoming a duo after nonstop writing sessions, Big & Rich carved their own lane in country music. What started as a running joke — being called “Big & Rich” everywhere they went — became a name that would define a movement. We dive into the stories behind hits like “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” — a song no one wanted them to release — and “8th of November,” inspired by a real-life vet’s story. They share how @Jason Aldean got his start with their songs, why country music needs humor, and how the best songs often come from the craziest real-life moments. With advice on staying grounded, betting on your songs, and shaping the future of country music, this episode is packed with heart, laughs, and a whole lot of truth. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @BigandRichOfficial Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 08 Oct 2024 | Victoria Banks: Saints & Angels | 00:56:36 | |
Victoria Banks joins us for this week’s new episode of Stories Behind the Songs! Victoria is what some people in the music industry would call a “unicorn” - she writes her best stuff completely 100% (meaning all by herself), and she has several accolades to her name including the Canadian Artist and Songwriter of the Year. Some of Victoria’s cuts include “Saints and Angels” by Sara Evans, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” by Mickey Guyton, and the one-and-only Reba McEntire’s most recent single, “I Can’t”, and she shares the story behind each one of these songs. In this episode, we also talk about how her song, “Saints and Angels” was edited and used as a post-9/11 anthem, “daring to suck” in co-writes, building a decade-long collaborative relationship with Mickey Guyton, teaching at Belmont where she can “be there for the beginning” of a student’s songwriting career, and getting that Reba cut with “I Can’t” 18 years after it was put on hold and seeing it debuted on The Voice. Victoria plays a verse and chorus of “Saints and Angels”, “I Can’t”, and an emotional rendition of “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” There’s so much good advice for aspiring songwriters in this one.. Thanks so much to Victoria for sharing some of her wisdom. Let’s get into it! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Victoria Banks - https://www.instagram.com/victoriabanksmusic?igsh=MXRrbHQwcGliMW5yOQ== Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/ TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support | |||
| 07 Feb 2023 | TRAILER: Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair | 00:01:00 | |
Welcome to Stories Behind the Songs. This is a weekly podcast hosted by Chris Blair in Nashville, TN. In these podcasts, CB sits down with a bunch of his friends in the music industry. Nothing is off limits. You’ll hear stories behind hits you know on radio from the songwriters who wrote them. You’ll hear from new artists that you may never of hear of, but you’ll be introduced to their incredible music. You’ll be inspired. You’ll laugh. You’ll learn. And hopefully, you’ll enjoy and share this podcast with others! Chris Blair is a singer/songwriter himself that has lived in Nashville for over 20 years now. He is the owner of the most popular visited singer/songwriter venue in Nashville and Pigeon Forge, TN - The Listening Room. Through the years he has become friends with some of the biggest names in country music, the writers behind the hits and other music industry leaders. This podcast was started to share their stories. The stories behind the songs. Whether you have a dream of being in the music industry or you’re just a fan of great music, this podcast is for you! We hope you love it as much as we loved creating it, and that you’ll share it, give it 5 stars and help it grow so we can continue to bring great content to you each week! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at @SBTSongs or visit ChrisBlair.com for more details. Produced by Emerge Nashville.
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| 10 Dec 2024 | James Slater: The High Cost Of Living | 00:51:05 | |
In this episode, I sit down with singer-songwriter James Slater! James Slater has written songs for Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Jamey Johnson, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, and Martina McBride. James has pretty much seen it all. From living in places like Miami, the Panama Canal, and Switzerland, he has so many stories to share. After spending years writing in LA and touring Europe with guys like Huey Lewis and Bruce Hornsby, he ended up settling in Nashville with one really specific goal: to be this city’s “piano man”. We’re going to dive into his story where we learn how he wrote High Cost of Living (nominated for song of the year) with Jamey Johnson, and In My Daughter's Eyes, released by Martina McBride. He shares many more stories, like how he once ran into Garth Brooks at Pancake Pantry and that time he had three legends—Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and Rodney Crowell—cut his song, Open Season On My Heart. We discussed his remarkable career, working with country legends, and how authenticity has shaped his success. He performed a few hits and shared how perseverance and community have influenced his journey with music. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with James Slater- @Jamesslatermusic Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 17 Dec 2024 | Jenn Bostic: Jealous of the Angels | 00:56:23 | |
In this episode, I sit down with singer-songwriter Jenn Bostic. Jenn Bostic has made a name for herself in country and christian contemporary music as an artist and songwriter, with her heartfelt song “Jealous of the Angels” connecting with listeners around the world. From growing up in a small town in Minnesota, where music became her therapy after losing her dad, to attending Berklee College of Music, Jenn’s journey to Nashville has been one of heart and passion. We dive into her story, including her 2022 album You Find a Way, her journey navigating the music industry, and how her faith has carried her through challenges. Jenn also opens up about her dreams to share her music on some of the world's biggest stages and the power of vulnerability in her songwriting. We discuss her incredible journey, the power of faith, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Jenn Bostic- @Jennbostic Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 07 Jan 2025 | Styles: God's Grocery Store | 00:42:23 | |
In this episode, I sit down with Styles! Styles has made his mark in country music with his song “Country On,” cut by Luke Bryan and performed at the CMAs. He’s had quite the journey, from growing up in Ohio where his dad’s shop hosted a local band, to moving to Nashville in 2018 with just one connection. Along the way, he worked with legends like Rob Snyder and Eric Hurt, and landed his first publishing deal. We dive into his story, including how he went from playing local bars to writing hit songs, and how his passion for the outdoors led to his YouTube channel, God’s Grocery Store. He talks about his new EP, hunting adventures, and the lessons he’s learned from mentors in both music and the outdoors. We discuss his incredible journey, the power of perseverance, and the importance of soaking up the moments that matter most.
Keep up with Guest- @Styles Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 21 Feb 2023 | Emily Brooke: Sidetracked, American Idol and Amazing | 00:24:18 | |
Welcome to Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! This has been a project we have been working on for awhile and we are so glad to finally be launching. I'm even more excited to introduce to you our first guest, Emily Brooke. Emily was one of my "Unsigned Artists of the Month" last year. What does that mean? I own a music venue in Nashville and Pigeon Forge, TN called The Listening Room, and through that venue I see the absolute best singer/songwriters before anyone else really knows them. I have watched so many friends who were regulars on our stage launch their careers to stardom. I started highlighting different artists last year that I thought were on their way, and Emily is one of those. You need to know her music! In this episode Emily will share her story behind her latest single, Sidetracked. She will talk about her journey to American Idol and what she learned being on that show. She will talk about how she got into music in the first place. She's an amazing singer/songwriter, a great person and I know she's got some big things coming. Go buy her music, follow her on Spotify and all music platforms/socials and support her. Let us know what you think and I hope you enjoy this first episode! Liner Notes/Links: Emily's Website - https://www.emilybrookemusic.com/ Emily's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emilybrooke/ Emily's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@emilybrookemusic?lang=en Emily's Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/4dfyNWkaqn6t6MEUOOgMDl And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: SBTSongs Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sbtsongs/ Chris Blair Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrisblairmusic/ SBTSongs YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk5TknHB-10bk4VKktiO8Lw Chris Blair Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ We hope you you'll share this podcast with your friends, give us 5 stars, follow - all the things! We appreciate the support and can't wait to keep bringing great guests and stories to you every week. Thanks for listening! And also a HUGE thank you to our sponsors of this episode: Sennheiser - https://en-us.sennheiser.com/ Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics - http://brittskinbeauty.com/ Copyright and Produced by Emerge Nashville, LLC - EmergeNashville.com | |||
| 15 Aug 2023 | Neil Medley: Luke Bryan, Josh Abbott Band, Kid Rock & more PLUS his own new project. | 01:01:48 | |
Neil Medley is one of the very first guys I met when I moved to Nashville about 20 years ago. Originally from Louisville, KY, he started his career in marketing but about 13 years ago he decided to go full time into songwriting. In this episode you're going to hear about that transition and how that move led him quickly to his first album cut with Luke Bryan. You'll hear about the songs he wrote after that like "Wasn't That Drunk" for the Josh Abbott Band that featured Carly Pearce as her first radio release. You'll hear about other songs he wrote for Kid Rock, Lindsay Ell, Jason Aldean and Tyler Farr along with his first #1 "Made For You" that he wrote with Benjy Davis and Joey Hyde for Jake Owen. Other than his songwriting success, I remember sitting in his back music room when I first moved to town and we would pass the guitar around. His voice was always really unique and special to me and I'm so excited about a new project he has coming up! He sent me a sneak peak of a new album he has written for himself, with him on vocals, just before we recorded this episode. It's so good and it's such a special album to Neil. Be looking for that album, called "South End Kid" coming out on September 29, 2023. Neil says he doesn't want to be blown away by the speakers, he wants to be pulled into them and that's exactly what this record was like for me. By the way, if you're around the Nashville, TN area at the end of September, Neil will be playing and promoting that record at The Listening Room on September 28. You'll hear more about the making of that project, his take on male/female ratio on radio and more in this episode. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did capturing a little bit of his story for you all. Let us know! Liner Notes: Neil's Instagram: @NeilMedley Neil's Songwriting Playlist: On Apple And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website: ChrisBlair.com And as always, thanks for listening, sharing and subscribing! It means the world to us and we hope you'll keep listening! ~ Chris Blair | |||
| 28 Jan 2025 | Sarah Buxton: Stupid Boy | 01:04:51 | |
In this episode, I sit down with @Sarah Buxton! From Kansas to Nashville, Sarah’s journey is a testament to her talent and resilience. After moving to Music City in 1998 and attending Belmont University, she quickly found her way into Nashville’s songwriting circles, collaborating with some of the industry’s best. Sarah co-wrote the Grammy-winning hit “Stupid Boy,” recorded by Keith Urban, and Chris Lane’s first No. 1 single, “Fix.” She shares how these songs came to life, the collaborative magic of the writing room, and what it feels like to hear her work resonate with millions. Now thriving at SMACK publishing, Sarah reflects on her journey from aspiring artist to celebrated songwriter, balancing creativity with community, and finding joy in the process. This is a conversation full of inspiration and behind-the-scenes stories you won’t want to miss! Keep up with Guest- @Sarahbuxton Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 11 Jul 2023 | Jordan Walker: Walker McGuire to When It Rains It Pours (Luke Combs) | 01:05:16 | |
Jordan Walker, from Texas, has been around music his whole life. In this episode we are going to talk about how he got kicked out of his high school choir his senior year and how his favorite number is 2 so he moved to Nashville on 2/22/2012 to pursue music. He met Johnny McGuire and they formed the duo Walker McGuire - we talk about how that started and the story behind their hit "Till Tomorrow." He is a regular at The Listening Room with a great group of guys he writes with including Mitchell Tenpenny, Adam Doleac, Devin Dawson, Andy Albert and more. Hear the story behind how he met Luke Combs in a bar when he was driving a car that wouldn't even start and how that friendship led them to write the hit song "When It Rains It Pours" that went #1 on his birthday, October 29, 2017. You'll also hear the story behind a favorite of mine that has not been released yet and is available for any artists out there looking for their next hit! The song, "Backseat Driver," is a song about what kids will say in the backseat and as a dad myself, it's a song that I absolutely love. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did recording it. Here's Jordan Walker!
Liner/Show Notes:
Jordan's Instagram: @JordanWalker2
And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs podcast, here:
SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs
SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Website: ChrisBlair.com
Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic
And as always, thanks for listening. We would LOVE it if you'd share this podcast with your friends, hit the subscribe/like/follow button wherever you're listening or watching and keep supporting. We appreciate it more than you know and it will allow us to keep sitting down with amazing songwriters, artists and everyone in between to talk about the stories behind the songs.
~ CB
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| 26 Nov 2024 | Johnny McGuire: Chevys, Fords, and Twisters | 00:45:34 | |
In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with the incredibly talented Johnny McGuire, who’s had quite the journey in country music. Originally from Dallas, Johnny moved to Nashville in 2012 with the dream of becoming a songwriter. Little did he know, his path would take some unexpected turns, from forming the duo “Walker McGuire” with Jordan Walker to carving out a successful solo career. We dive into his early days in Nashville and how everything changed when he found himself sitting next to Jordan Walker at the Commodore Grille—just a few days after arriving in town. We also talk about Johnny’s creative process, his experience writing for other artists, and his collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus on “Chevys and Fords.” Plus, Johnny shares the story behind his latest hit, "Already Had It," which was featured in the 2024 movie “Twisters,” and what it was like to hear it on the big screen for the first time. We even dive into his thoughts on country music’s evolution, advice for aspiring artists, and how he’s been staying true to himself while navigating the industry. Our conversation is packed with insights, laughs, and, of course, some great tunes. Johnny also plays a couple of his own songs and opens up about his creative journey and what keeps him inspired. If you’re looking for some real, honest advice from someone who’s been through it all, Johnny’s got plenty to share. SHOW NOTES: Other songs from Johnny mentioned in this episode - Catch a Break, They Call Me Doc, Shop Radio CreatiVets - HERE Operation Song - HERE Keep up with Johnny McGuire - HERE Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe *A special shoutout to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support | |||
| 21 Mar 2023 | Chrissy Metz: NBC's "This Is Us" to music to #1 book author! | 01:02:52 | |
Welcome to Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will listen, follow, like and rate us here on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts! In this episode I sit down with the multi-talented and amazing Chrissy Metz! You probably know Chrissy from her starring role as Kate in the award-winning NBC hit series "This Is Us." She is an Emmy and two-time Golden Globe nominee and the show was the winner of the 2018 and 2019 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensembe in a Drama Series and People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Drama." She has also starred as Joyce Smith in the hit 20th Century Fox faith-based film, "Breakthrough," where she performed the song "I'm Standing With You" on their Breakthrough soundtrack, which was written by 10 time Academy Award nominee Diane Warren. Chrissy got to perform that song during the 2019 ACM Awards. She has been in other roles such as "The Last OG" and the NBC hit series "Superstore." Before her role in "This Is Us," she was also best known for her roles in American Horror Story: Freak Show, Sierra Burgess is a Loser, My Name Is Earl, Entourage and many more. But aside from her incredible acting accolades, she is also an amazing singer-songwriter and now a #1 NYTimes best selling author! In this episode you're going to hear the story about how she learned to carry a crown before she could wear one, about her journey on how she became Kate Pearson in that hit show "This Is Us," her musical journey as a singer/songwriter and what she has coming up soon along with great life lessons. Her brand new book that's only been out for about a month or so now is incredible! I got the opportunity to attend one of her book-signings and it was literally a line through the bookstore to meet her and her co-author Bradley Collins who has also been a great friend of mine for years. Go buy their book "When I Talk To God, I Talk About You" anywhere you buy books. Or, here's an easy link to purchase it now on Amazon! Liner Notes/Links: Chrissy's Instagram - @ChrissyMetz Chrissy's TikTok - @ChrissyMetz And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs Chris Blair Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic SBTSongs YouTube Video - @SBTSongs Chris Blair Website - ChrisBlair.com We hope you you'll share this podcast with your friends, give us 5 stars, follow - all the things! We appreciate the support and can't wait to keep bringing great guests and stories to you every week. Thanks for listening! And also a HUGE thank you to our sponsors of this episode: Sennheiser - https://en-us.sennheiser.com/ Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics - http://brittskinbeauty.com/ Copyright and Produced by Emerge Nashville, LLC | |||
| 11 Feb 2025 | Johnny Clawson: Chasing Songs | 00:42:39 | |
In this episode, I sit down with @Johnny Clawson! Johnny’s journey from Northern Virginia to Nashville is anything but typical. After playing in rock and metal bands, he knew he had to leave Virginia to chase music, eventually leading him to quit his corporate job and make the move to Music City. From substitute teaching to bartending, Johnny did whatever it took to stay in Nashville. His big break came in 2022—he took a life-changing call from SMACK while bartending and found out he was getting signed. We dive into the full-circle moment of landing Chris Young’s “Getting Older”, the unexpected journey behind Blake Shelton’s “Texas”, and writing “weren’t for the wind” with Ella Langley on a bus in Wyoming. Johnny shares the highs, the grind, and the friendships that have shaped his career. This is one you won’t want to miss! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @JohnnyClawson Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 07 Mar 2023 | Elise Hayes: Human Heart, Carly Pearce and Grey's Anatomy | 00:29:15 | |
Welcome to Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will listen, follow, like and rate us here on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts! In this episode I sit down with the incredible Elise Hayes. Elise was one of my picks for unsigned artist of the month in 2022 and I have been blessed to call her a friend for over 10 years now. In this episode we talk about how she went from concerts on her porch to her neighbors to the Nashville singer/songwriter pop artist that she is today, what she experienced and learned at Berkley College of Music, how it was being on the road with Carly Pearce, the story behind her song "Human Heart", stories behind her film and tv success with songs she has had on Grey's Anatomy, Good Trouble, Charmed, MTV reality shows, Beauty & the Beast and more. She's an incredibly talented musician and friend and I really hope you love this episode and find yourself a new fan of Elise Hayes. Liner Notes/Links: Elise's Website - https://www.elisehayes.com/ Elise's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/elisehayes/ Elise's TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@elisehayesmusic And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: SBTSongs Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sbtsongs/ Chris Blair Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrisblairmusic/ SBTSongs YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk5TknHB-10bk4VKktiO8Lw Chris Blair Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ We hope you you'll share this podcast with your friends, give us 5 stars, follow - all the things! We appreciate the support and can't wait to keep bringing great guests and stories to you every week. Thanks for listening! And also a HUGE thank you to our sponsors of this episode: Sennheiser - https://en-us.sennheiser.com/ Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetics - http://brittskinbeauty.com/ Copyright and Produced by Emerge Nashville, LLC - EmergeNashville.com | |||
| 02 Jan 2024 | Mae Estes: Thinkin' Bout Cheatin' (New artist to watch!) | 01:00:44 | |
Happy new year everyone! And welcome to another episode of Stories Behind the Songs. We are really excited to kick off 2024 with Mae Estes! Mae was one of our Listening Room Unsigned Artists of the Month and since that time just several months ago, she’s now got a record deal with Big Machine. You’re gonna hear the full story of Mae’s journey in Nashville and how she went from writing with her first crew of songwriters to getting signed and now starting her very first tour at the top of next year. Coming up on 9 years in music city, Mae is extremely hard working and writes her songs authentically. You’ll hear the stories behind her songs “Thinkin Bout Cheatin”, “Town Left Me” and the very first song she wrote when she moved here entitled “Thriftstore Heart” – unreleased but still so good. Mae has gained tons of wisdom from living in Nashville and has a special talent of knowing herself and what she brings to the table... We hope you enjoy this episode with Mae Estes as much as we did. We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alciar In Ears – btw if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitior make sure to use code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! AND if you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and click that notification button so you can stay up to date when new episodes are released. Make sure to check out Mae Estes’ recycled versions of her most recent songs “Thinkin Bout Cheatin” and “Town Left Me” anywhere you listen to music. Let’s get into it – this is Mae Estes. Show Notes: Mae's Website - MaeEstes.com Mae's TikTok - @MaeEstes Mae's Instagram - @MaeEstes And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com CB's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic #SBTSongs | |||
| 24 Oct 2023 | Emily Shackelton: Hits for Carly Pearce, Reba, Jana Kramer & more | 00:47:52 | |
The first single that Carly Pearce put out to radio as a solo artist was also her first #1 hit. That song, Every Little Thing, was written by this week's guest - the amazing and talented Emily Shackelton! In this episode, you'll hear how Emily grew up in a very small town in Minnesota surrounded by music. She was encouraged from a young age to pursue what she loves and quickly found out that it was songwriting. Emily tells us stories about how she doubted her career in Nashville many times but every time she did, she turned to her faith and the right doors were opened for her. After first moving to Nashville, Emily entered into a BMI songwriting competition and won! Emily also talks about the stories behind writing songs for ABC’s hit television show “Nashville”, starting a professional relationship with Liz Rose, and writing many other songs for Carly Pearce. She has also written songs for Reba McEntire, Jennifer Nettles, Sara Evans, Jana Kramer, Cassadee Pope, Lauren Alaina, Mickey Guyton, David Cook, Seth Ennis and more. When I asked Emily what advice she would give her 8-year-old self, knowing what she knows now, she said “keep going and trust god”. So cool and so true. Emily has a lot of exciting things happening now with two brand new songs of her own released - “Beloved” and “Our God Sustains”. You gotta check those out – they’re amazing. She also has many shows coming up and lots more cuts to keep an eye out for! As always, remember to subscribe/follow/like and support this podcast by hitting all of those buttons where you listen and spreading the word to your friends so others can hear it! We love sitting down with new songwriters and artists - and everyone else involved in the music business - to hear their stories and the support from you all is what allows us to keep going. So, thanks! Show Notes: Follow Emily and her music here... Emily's Instagram - @EmilyShackelton Emily's Spotify Page - here Emily's Apple Music Page - here And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here... SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room - ListeningRoomCafe.com #SBTSongs Thanks again for listening and for all the support! And thanks to our sponsors, Sennheiser Microphones and Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetician | |||
| 16 Jul 2024 | Bryan White: God Gave Me You | 00:57:27 | |
We have 90's country star, Bryan White, with us on this week's episode of Stories Behind the Songs! I’ve known Bryan for years - even before I met him, I was learning to play his songs on guitar to impress the girls in my college dorm. In this episode, we discuss some of his biggest songs including “Someone Else’s Star” and “Rebecca Lynn” as well as the songs he’s written for other big artists like Diamond Rio. We also talk about the challenge of writing uptempo when you’re used to writing sad songs, crafting unlikely chord progressions and key changes, having a hit outside of the U.S., and duetting with the legend herself, Shania Twain. Bryan performs a snippet of his song, “Sittin’ on Go” as well his personal favorite, “Dustbowl Dreams” which he wrote with Alan Shamblin, and he shares how this one reconnected him with his Oklahoma roots. If you enjoyed this episode of Stories Behind the Songs, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. We are passionate about uplifting songwriters and their stories, and it’s because of listeners like YOU that we are able to continue doing it. And, as always, a big shoutout to our sponsors! Thanks to Sennheiser microphones, Alclair in-ear monitors, and Imperfect Aesthetician for all the love! And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe Sponsors: | |||
| 26 Dec 2023 | Gordie Sampson: Carrie Underwood's Jesus Take The Wheel + more! | 00:48:58 | |
Hey guys – Chris Blair here with another episode of Stories Behind the Songs and this week hit songwriter Gordie Sampson is joining us. From Nova Scotia, Canada, Gordie started as a producer and singer-songwriter. Within a year of moving to Nashville, Gordie wrote a song you might have heard before... And that song is “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood. You’re going to hear the full story behind that one and a couple others including “Knockin Boots” by Luke Bryan and “My Favorite Picture of You” a cut he has for Willie Nelson. Gordie also has cuts for Keith Urban, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and many more. Gordie also talks about writing with his camp of co-writers, building up the newer songwriters, and finding ways to give back.
If you enjoy this episode, please give us a follow, click that notification button so you can stay up to date with new episodes, and tell your friends about us. We love getting to bring you the stories behind the songs – this is Gordie Sampson
Show Notes:
Godie's Instagram - @GordieSampson
And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here:
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
STBSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
And thanks to our sponors! Sennheiser Microphones, Alclair In-Ear Monitors and Imperfect Aesthetician
#SBTSongs
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| 14 Jan 2025 | Ward Guenther: Our 100th Episode!! - Whiskey Jam and the Nashville Music Scene | 01:15:59 | |
For our 100th episode, I sit down with Ward Guenther, the creator of Whiskey Jam and a cornerstone of Nashville’s music scene. Ward’s journey started with a guitar at summer camp and a dream that brought him to Nashville in 2003. Since then, he’s built something truly iconic. We explore how Whiskey Jam grew from an underground writers night into a platform that launched countless careers for many stars we know and love. Ward shares behind-the-scenes stories, from unforgettable performances to the challenges of keeping the show fresh and exciting. As the perfect guest for this milestone episode, Ward reflects on the magic of live music, the community he’s built, and the joy of helping others chase their dreams. Don’t miss this celebration of 100 episodes and the love of music that brought us here! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Guest- @WardGuenther Whiskey Jam - @WhiskeyJam Apple Music Country Ward Guenther Show - HERE! Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 12 Dec 2023 | Eric Van Houten: Lucky Me (New artist to watch) | 00:37:51 | |
Welcome to another episode of Stories Behind the Songs! This week we are with singer/songwriter Eric Van Houten. From Buffalo, NY, Eric makes songs with a country-rock sound and writes from a place of passion and authenticity. He has several singles out on Spotify and gives us the story behind “Lucky Me” off of his debut album “Dreamers”. Eric has been playing at the Listening Room for some time now, if you’ve been to a show there’s a good chance you’ve seen him play. We also got to talk about what it takes to be successful in this town, making connections with icons like Chase Rice and Chris Destefano, and the key to connecting with fans through the music. Eric has been in Nashville for about 10 years with an album in the works set to release next year. Keep an eye out for Eric on the Listening Room stage and listen to his music – you won’t be disappointed! If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and let us know what you thought! We appreciate all of your continued support and couldn’t be here without you! Let’s get to it! This is Eric Van Houten. Show Notes: Eric's TikTok - @EricVanHouten Eric's Instagram - @EricVanHouten Eric's Facebook - @EricVanHoutenMusic And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com And to our sponsors, thanks! We appreciate you so much! #SBTSongs | |||
| 05 Sep 2023 | Trannie Anderson: HITS for Lainey Wilson, Reba, Gabby Barrett & more! | 00:46:43 | |
In this episode Chris Blair sits down with Trannie Anderson, who has written songs for Lainey Wilson, Reba McEntire, Gabby Barrett, Adam Doleac, Walker County and more. Trannie grew up in Waco, Texas and has been playing piano and writing songs since she was six years old. After graduating from Baylor University she moved to Nashville and connected with Lainey Wilson and started playing shows at The Listening Room in November of 2015. You'll hear the stories about the songs she has written and what it was like to go out on the road with Lainey and hear her song "Heart Like A Truck" being sung by a stadium full of fans and some inside stories of some songs she has coming out soon with Dan + Shay and more. This was such a fun episode and we hope you enjoy it! As always, please help us by spreading the word of this podcast. As we continue to grow we appreciate the support - so send it to a friend, hit that like/subscribe/follow button wherever you're listening and we can't thank you enough! Show Notes: Trannie's Instagram: @TrannieAnderson Trannie's TikTok: @TrannieAnderson And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: Chris Blair's website: ChrisBlair.com Chris Blair's Intagram: @ChrisBlairMusic SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs #SBTSongs Thanks to our sponsors: Sennheieser Microphones and Britt Skin Beauty Aestheticians. | |||
| 19 Sep 2023 | Kristian Bush: How he started Sugarland, his writing/producing + more! | 01:14:17 | |
On this week’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs, we are joined by Kristian Bush. You may know Kristian from the band Sugarland, his production skills on Lindsey Ell’s records, or maybe you’ve listened to his solo work. This week you’ll learn it all as we dive into the life and career of one of music's most versatile and talented artists. From his early days raised in music on the Suzuki method to his adventures in rock, country, and beyond, Kristian Bush has stories that are as diverse as his music. You’re going to hear all about Kristian’s first record deal at the age of 22, how he managed to keep a record deal throughout the entirety of his music career, his introduction to Jennifer Nettles and the origins of Sugarland, the work he has done producing other artists, and the musical adventures he found himself in throughout the years. You’ll hear the stories behind “All I Want To Do”, “Baby Girl”, and “Babe” as well as the twists and turns of Kristian’s career both within and outside of Sugarland. Kristian is such an icon in the music industry but also manages to be an extremely kind and humble guy. He is now doing some work with “Jawaiin” music – which you will hear all about in this week’s episode – and is continuing to broaden his experience and learn as much as he can from others. We hope you enjoyed this episode as much as we did! Please help us by spreading the word of this podcast. As we continue to grow, we appreciate the support – so send it to a friend, hit that like/subscribe/follow button wherever you’re listening and we can’t thank you enough! Show Notes: Kristian's Instagram - @KristianBush Kristian's TikTok - @KristianBushMusic Sugarland's Website - SugarlandMusic.com Sugarland's Instagram - @Sugarland And follow us, The Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: Chris Blair's website - ChrisBlair.com Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs #SBTSongs | |||
| 04 Apr 2023 | J.T. Harding: Songwriter for Keith Urban, Uncle Kracker, Kenny Chesney and more! | 00:49:59 | |
Welcome to Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will listen, follow, like and rate us here on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts! In the episode he talks about how Lincoln Park helped him get a songwriting deal. He'll talk about the stories behind songs he wrote like "Somewhere With You" for Kenny Chesney, "Smile" for Uncle Kracker, "Alone With You" for Jake Owen, meeting Keith Urban in a bathroom at an awards show and how that led to "Somewhere In My Car," along with other stories behind his songs, great advice for new songwriters and more.
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| 17 Sep 2024 | Craig Campbell: Living on the Outskirts of Heaven | 00:52:22 | |
Craig Campbell joins us this week on Stories Behind the Songs! Like most of our guests, Craig grew up in a musical family, but he started his career as a correctional officer. He knew music was his passion so he spent a lot of his time playing in bars and bands on Broadway. It’s a good thing he did because he was discovered while playing “The Stage” on Broadway and landed his very first record deal. He shares his journey from performing there to writing his debut single, "Family Man," while starting his own family, and how early hits like "Family Man" and "Fish" shaped his career. He also tells the story of how he wrote "Outskirts of Heaven" with Dave Turnbull in just two hours. Craig's music has touched many lives, and today he's re-releasing some of his greatest hits in a new project titled “Almost Greatest Hits,” featuring re-records and a few new songs. We also discuss his experience writing for other artists, like Garth Brooks and Trace Adkins. This week - you’ll get to hear Craig play an unreleased track, discuss the upcoming projects and writes he is working on, and the next steps in his entrepreneurial journey with his restaurant, Grindstone Cowboy. Make sure to check out Craig’s newest project and keep an eye out for more new releases coming out throughout the fall!
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe Shoutout to our sponsors: | |||
| 08 Aug 2023 | Jason Duke: Kelsea Ballerini's Dibs & Keith Urban! | 00:38:28 | |
This week's episode is with Jason Duke, who's a local guy that grew up just outside of Nashville. He was a wrestler back in the day, but then turned songwriter and ended up writing Kelsea Ballerini's smash hit, Dibs. Hear the story about how he walked out of a college class three years in to change his major, how he started in the music industry as a song plugger (someone who takes songs that people have written to artists or labels in hopes to get them recorded) and how he balanced writing, bartending and family life. You'll hear the story behind that song, Dibs, along with other songs he has written for artists like Keith Urban and more. Thanks as always for listening and we hope you enjoy this episode! Please share/follow/subscribe wherever it is that you're listening or watching your podcasts. We appreciate you sharing with others so we can continue to grow! Show Notes: Jason Duke's Instagram - @JasonDuke Jason Duke Songs - @SoundCloud And follow up, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com #SBTSongs #Podcast Thanks to our sponsors Sennheiser microphones and Britt Skin Beauty Aesthetician - we love y'all! | |||
| 28 May 2024 | Brian Fuller: I Could Be That Rain | 01:11:45 | |
Singer/Songwriter Brian Fuller joins us on Stories Behind the Songs this week! Brian moved to Nashville young and hungry in 2021 and has been all over town since then. He was one of Chris Blair's Unsigned Artist of the Month back in October 2023 and since then has landed a major cut with “I Could Be That Rain” for Randall King and a pub deal with Sony Music Publishing. Side note, if you haven't heard the behind the scenes from a publisher's input, check out our episode we did with Rusty Gaston, President/CEO of Sony Music Publishing. Brian recently released the song “Blue Skies Beautiful,” written with Brandon Kinney, and he just released a song on May 24th that he wrote with Joey Hyde and Justin Wilson called “That Girl Can Drive.” Definitely give that song a listen anywhere you find your music - it's a great one… At The Listening Room, we’re all about supporting the songwriters behind the songs our favorite artists are putting out, but it’s always fun talking to someone like Brian who is killing it at both songwriting AND artistry. In this episode, we’ll also take a dive into Brian’s favorite lyrics from his song - “Blue Skies Beautiful,” his love/ hate relationship with the “oversaturated” music industry, and figuring out how to say something that’s been said a thousand times in a new way when he's writing a song. As usual, we also get to hear Brian play some of “I Could Be That Rain” and “Blue Skies Beautiful.” Make sure to check out Brian’s single that just came out, and if you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends, give us a follow, and check out our SBTS Spotify playlist - highlighting the songs written by our podcast guests. We are passionate about sharing the stories behind the songs and highlighting the writers with those stories, and we need your support to keep going! A big shout out to our sponsors as well! Sennheiser Microphones, Bose, Imperfect Aesthetician & Alclair In Ears - we appreciate your support! Make sure to use our code SBTSongs for 10% off at checkout! Let’s get to it - this is Brian Fuller. Podcast Show Notes: Brian's Instagram - @BrianFullerMusic Brian's TikTok - @BrianFullerMusic Brian's New Single "That Girl Can Drive" - Available HERE And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 13 Feb 2024 | Ben Williams: Tennessee Orange (Morgan Wallen) | 00:40:09 | |
Alright everyone, here's another episode of Stories Behind the Songs and this week Chris Blair sits down with singer/songwriter Ben Williams! Ben has played at The Listening Room in Nashville, TN quite a bit in the last couple months where he has shared some of the stories behind his songs, but today we are going to dive even deeper into those stories – taking a look at some of his hits for Megan Moroney and Avery Anna. Ben started out in Nashville 7 years ago attending Belmont, before landing co-writes with smaller up-and-coming artist, Avery Anna. They ended up writing “Narcissist” which was his first cut AND first song to go to radio. Ben tells the story behind this one as well as how he met Megan Moroney... You’ll hear the story behind his first co-write with Megan and the many writes that followed. Ben has 7 cuts off of Megan’s debut album which went #1 on Rolling Stone... He takes us into the writer’s room when they wrote “Tennessee Orange” and “I’m Not Pretty”. Ben also walks us through “Tennessee Orange” going #1 and the buzz that came from that – winning several awards, a CMA nomination, and how the song was going viral before it even came out – this was a very cool story to hear. Ben also plays an unreleased track for us that he usually plays during his shows here at the listening room – this one is so good and has still not been cut yet – let us know what you thought in the comments and keep an eye out for Ben during a show here at the Listening Room. If you enjoyed this episode, give us a follow and click the notification bell so you can stay up to date when we sit down with new songwriters! We also want to give a special shout-out to our sponsors Sennhesier, Imperfect Aesthetician, and Alclair In Ears – if you’re looking for a good set of in-ear monitor make sure to take advantage of our code “SBTSONGS” at checkout for 10% off! Let’s get into it – this is Ben Williams. SHOW NOTES: Ben's Instagram - @Ben.Williams.Music Ben's TikTok - @Ben.Williams.Music Ben's Publisher - Major Bob And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs | |||
| 25 Apr 2023 | Jim Peterik: Eye Of The Tiger, Vehicle (Rock & Roll LEGEND) | 00:48:26 | |
I got to fly to Chicago to sit down with the legend himself, Jim Peterik. I met Jim over 15 years ago and we have been close friends ever since. In this episode you’re going to hear the stories behind the phone call from Sylvester Stallone that changed his life and led to him writing the song “Eye Of The Tiger” for the movie Rocky. You’ll hear about how he created the bands Ides Of March and Survivor. You’ll hear the story behind the song “Vehicle” and more. We sat down in Jim's home studio and had the best conversation. Here's Jimbo Peterik!
Liner Notes/Links:
Jim's Instagram - @JimPeterikRocks
Jim's Website - https://jimpeterik.com/
And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here:
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube Video - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair Website - ChrisBlair.com
Thanks for listening and supporting Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will hit subscribe, follow, like and rate us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts!Copyright and Produced by Emerge Nashville, LLC
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| 02 Sep 2024 | Rebecca Lynn Howard: Forgive and The Loving Mary Band | 00:41:51 | |
Rebecca Lynn Howard is today’s guest on Stories Behind the Songs! Rebecca is an artist and songwriter who has cuts with artists like Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, and John Michael Montgomery. Her 2002 single, Forgive, is a crowd-favorite here at The Listening Room, so we dive into the story behind that song – including how Faith Hill almost cut it until Rebecca played it for her own A&R guy and knew it was meant for her. In this episode, we also discuss her clever 2024 single, "Hoedown” written with Nathan and Stephanie Chapman, her longtime friendship and collaborative relationship with Lee Brice, being influenced by all-time great vocalist, Trisha Yearwood, and playing bass in her band, The Loving Mary Band, which was featured on Steven Tyler’s 2016 country album, We’re All Somebody From Somewhere. Rebecca also performs a killer verse/chorus of “Forgive” and “Hoedown”. With an album coming out in the next year and continuing to tour on-and-off with Lee Brice, make sure to stay tuned with all that Rebecca has going on! Podcast Show Notes: Rebecca's Instagram: @RebeccaLynnHoward Rebecca Lynn Howard on Spotify: HERE The Loving Mary Band's Instagram: @LovingMaryBand The Loving Mary Band on Spotify: HERE And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow: HERE SBTSongs TikTok: @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram: @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube: @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram: @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's website: ChrisBlair.com TLR's Instagram: @ListeningRoomCafe TLR's TikTok: @ListeningRoomCafe TLR's website: ListeningRoomCafe.com #SBTSongs And thanks, as always, to our sponsors! We appreciate the support from Sennheiser, Imperfect Aesthetician & Alclair In-Ear Monitors
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| 04 Mar 2025 | Pam Tillis: A Lifetime In Music | 00:59:13 | |
In this special episode, I sit down with the legendary @PamTillis We talk about her incredible career and the 25th anniversary of her Grand Ole Opry membership. Music has surrounded Pam since day one—literally. Her father moved her to Nashville as a baby, and from that moment on, she was immersed in every kind of sound imaginable. Growing up, she explored all genres, experimenting with different styles in high school before finding her own voice in country music. We talk about the songs that shaped her journey, from “Don’t Tell Me What to Do”—which hit No. 1 on Cashbox—to “Maybe It Was Memphis,” the song that earned her a Grammy nomination and solidified her as one of country’s most distinctive voices. Pam also shares how she knows when a song is meant for her and when it's meant for someone else, plus why “write what you know” is advice she still stands by today. With a career spanning decades, Pam Tillis has proved that authenticity and storytelling never go out of style. Keep up with Guest- @PamTillis Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @sbtsongs SBTSongs YouTube - @sbtsongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @chrisblairmusic Chris Blair's Website - HERE The Listening Room's Website - HERE TLR's Instagram - @listeningroomcafe TLR’s TikTok - @thelisteningroomcafe A special shout out to our sponsors Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ | |||
| 11 Apr 2023 | Lost Saints: Hookup to a good time! | 00:43:32 | |
There was some mastermind thought that went into how the Lost Saints became a trio! In this episode, we meet this new up-and-coming artists/trio and hear how each of them made their way to Nashville, how they met and how one of the members somewhat kidnapped the others to trick them into seeing how they all sounded together - and that was a good move! Their harmonies blend so well and I have loved Chris, Afton and Derek since I first heard them in 2019 in St. Augustine, Florida. You're going to hear the story behind their song "Hook Up," how their hard work has paid off and just more about what's coming up. As we release this episode, they have a brand new single coming out that you can go pre-save "Catching Fire" or by the time you listen to this, it's probably already out so go check it out! Liner Notes/Links: Lost Saints Instagram - @LostSaintsMusic Lost Saints TikTok - @LostSaintsMusic Lost Saints Website - LostSaintsMusic.com And follow us - Stories Behind the Songs - here: SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube Video - @SBTSongs Chris Blair Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair Website - ChrisBlair.com Thanks for listening and supporting Stories Behind the Songs with Chris Blair! We hope you enjoy this podcast and will hit subscribe, follow, like and rate us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google, iHeart, YouTube or anywhere you listen to podcasts!
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| 22 Oct 2024 | Will Bundy: Mowing Lawns to Writing Thomas Rhett's #1s | 00:49:33 | |
Our guest on Stories Behind the Songs this week is Will Bundy! From a small town near Bristol, TN, Will has such a cool story that was so much fun to get into. We dive deep into his journey from mowing lawns and farming to producing demos that landed him in writing rooms with some of Nashville’s biggest names right now like Riley Green, Thomas Rhett, and Ella Langley, as well as hit songwriters like Brett James, Forest Whitehead, and Ashley Gorley. In this episode, you’ll hear about how he hustled to learn demo production when he couldn’t afford to hire anyone, carving out his niche in the industry as a “track guy”, his bold decision to rent out a studio on Music Row while living in Antioch, and writing his recent cut with Brad Paisley, “Truck Still Works”. He also shares stories about going on the road with Thomas Rhett and Rhett Akins and how that led to one of his career-defining songs, “Half of Me”. With recent cuts for both Luke Bryan and Brad Paisley, PLUS producing the viral hit “you look like you love me” by Ella Langley, Will Bundy is a great example of how hard work, strong relationships, and sticking with it truly pays off. Make sure to watch to the full episode for some invaluable advice to young songwriters, and a performance of his hit with Thomas Rhett and Riley Green, "Half of Me”. If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Will Bundy - https://www.instagram.com/willbundy32?igsh=cjk5Zm91Y3pnMmp4 Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs https://www.tiktok.com/@sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/ TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support | |||
| 23 Apr 2024 | Jordan Dozzi: Man Made A Bar (Morgan Wallen) | 00:42:28 | |
Jordan Dozzi joins us this week on Stories Behind the Songs! Jordan landed his very first number one on the charts ~ just this week actually ~ with Morgan Wallen! “Man Made A Bar” - written by Jordan Dozzi, Larry Fleet, Rocky Block, and Brett Tyler - was originally meant to be released by Larry Fleet. In this episode, we learn how Morgan heard it, loved it, and RELEASED it himself - sending it up the charts to number 1. Jordan’s catalog of songs includes - “Things I Take For Granted” for Larry Fleet, “Get The Girl” for Seaforth, “Fine By Me” for Chase Matthews, “It Don't, He Won't, You Do” for Jake Owen, and a song for Nelly - which was his very first cut ever - CRAZY! We take a look at the stories behind all of these songs and as always - we get to hear Jordan play a couple of them. Also discussed in this episode: Jordan’s upbringing in Australia, the logistics of pursuing music as an Australian citizen in the US, making music signed under Big Loud and the type of community that comes with that, and he came in with Ernests’s guitar because his girlfriend stole his. It was a Cole Clark and I definitely had to give it a play before he left… If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going. Let’s get to it - this is Jordan Dozzi. Podcast Show Notes: Jordan's Apple Playlist - here Jordan's Instagram - @JordanDozzi And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe #SBTSongs And thanks to our sponsors! Sennheiser Microphones, Imperfect Aesthetician & Alclair In-Ear Monitors! Check out Alclair.com/SBTSongs to get 10% off your order! | |||
| 19 Dec 2023 | Marv Green: Hit writer for Lonestar, Morgan Wallen, Bon Jovi & MANY more! | 00:44:08 | |
Welcome to another episode of Stories Behind the Songs! This week we sat down with Marv Green – Marv has cuts for pretty much anyone you can think of - LoneStar, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, George Strait, Brooks and Dunn, Sara Evans, Morgan Wallen, Bon Jovi, Blake Shelton, Dustin Lynch, Chris Young, Lee Brice, Dierks Bentley. And this doesn’t even come close to the full list. Marv moved out to Nashville in ‘93 from California – it took him 5 months to get signed and then had his first number one after only 5 years in town. In this episode we talk about tons of stories behind songs he’s written for Morgan Wallen, George Strait, and Bon Jovi (just to name a few), the difference between Nashville in the 90's and Nashville today, tips for writing with great songwriters, how to build connections in the city and so much more. Marv has been working in the industry for a while now and is still actively writing and putting out hits. If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a follow and let us know what you thought! As always, we appreciate all of your support and couldn’t be here without it – we hope you enjoy this episode – let’s get it this is Marv Green. Show Notes/Links: Marv's Instagram - @MarvoGreeno Marv's Website - MarvGreen.com And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs Podcast, here: SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's website - ChrisBlair.com Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic The Listening Room's website - ListeningRoomCafe.com The Listening Room's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe And thanks to our sponsors - Alclair In-Ear Monitors, Sennheiser microphones and The Imperfect Aesthetician. #SBTSongs | |||