Singer/Songwriter Adam Hood knows the dual life of living in small town America while traveling as a singer/songwriter. “Somewhere In Between” is an ode to the people, the pace and what it means to leave a small town for a different life than what you know. The Alabama native’s album was recorded at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studios and was produced by Oran Thornton who also produced Miranda Lambert 'Revolution,' Eric Church 'Caught In The Act: Live,' and Angaleena Presley 'Wrangled’. Hood is m...
Dec 27, 2018•29 min
Laura Veltz was an artist first and found songwriting to be the real enjoyment of her place in the industry. She penned three chart-topping hits: Maren Morris’ “I Could Use A Love Song,” which was also a 2018 NSAI 10 Songs I wish I’d Written, Chris Young’s “Lonely Eyes” and Eli Young Band’s “Drunk Last Night.” She also a writer on the song, “Rich” for Maren Morris which is #2 on the charts and Ryan Hurd’s (“Diamonds or Twine” & “To A T”). Veltz’s extensive catalog includes cuts by Reba McEnt...
Dec 21, 2018•29 min
Trent Dabbs has written several songs you know like “Girls Chase Boys” for Ingrid Michaelson, “High Horse,” for Kacey Musgraves’ CMA award winning album, Golden Hour, “Growing Pains” for COIN, “Deep Water,” by American Authors, he even wrote a couple songs for Natalie Hemby’s 2017 album release, "Puxico." He just released his 11th solo album "Positano" which features a collection of songs he’s written throughout his artist career including the ballad “Come Home Safe” released a year ago this wee...
Dec 14, 2018•34 min
Our latest NSAI Coffee Break guest has placed almost every "Artists to Watch" list, made her late-night television debut earlier this year with a performance of “Reasons” on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. This past fall she released a followup to her 2017 EP release “Side A” with six-track EP, “Side B.” Songwriter/Artist, Jillian Jacqueline is one of those artists that can perform in almost any genre. We talk about her pop and country collaborations (Mat Kearney and Vince Gill to name a few)...
Nov 30, 2018•30 min
Our next guest celebrating her first #1 for Break Up In the End for Cole Swindell, written with Jon Nite and Chase McGill. She received a 2017 AIMP Publisher’s Pick Award for penning “Rich” alongside Maren Morris and Laura Veltz and is also celebrating the song reaching the top 10 on the charts. I recently visited Big Machine to chat with songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon about writing retreats, stories behind a few of her cuts, why English class inspired our future creative jobs and so much more. Jes...
Nov 09, 2018•29 min
Today's new episode features songwriter/artist Ryan Hurd! Ryan recently celebrated a #1 with Luke Bryan for “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” in addition to his first No. 1 single as a songwriter with the GRAMMY & CMA-nominated duet “Lonely Tonight,” recorded by Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe. He’s written songs for Dierks Bentley, Jake Owen, Brothers Osborne, Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts and of course his wife and country star Maren Morris. In this episode he shares the story ...
Oct 26, 2018•18 min
In this episode we talk songwriting and the production process with cinematic producer, composer and songwriter, Tommee Profitt. Originally from Michigan, Tommee started his music career early on as an artist and came into his own as a producer, gaining several sync placements in shows like the Good Doctor, The Handmaid’s Tale, Quantico, NCIS, as well as several movie trailers, video games and NFL sports advertisements. Tommee made the move to Franklin, TN, with this family a little over a year ...
Oct 12, 2018•33 min
Songwriter/artist Adam Hambrick has written several songs for recording artists like Miranda Lambert and Eli Young Band. He celebrated two number 1’s in 2017, “How Not To” (Dan & Shay) and “Somebody Else Will” (Justin Moore). He has shared the stage with a diverse group of artists including LANCO, Josh Abbott Band, Steve Moakler, Chris Lane, Carly Pearce and others. Today we’ll be talking about his upcoming solo album set to be released soon. He released a brand new single, “Rockin’ All Nigh...
Sep 28, 2018•19 min
If you’ve ever seen shows like Parenthood, This Is Us, and Grey’s Anatomy, you have likely heard music written and performed by our guest today. Songwriter/Recording Artist, Amy Stroup has had several sync placements in TV, film and advertising. Outside her work in sync she is one half of the duo Sugar and the Hi Lows, in which she partners with prolific songwriter Trent Dabbs. Amy’s latest solo project “Helen of Memphis,” is her third studio album inspired by empowerment, confidence and the...
Sep 14, 2018•33 min
Today’s guests are known for their harmony and blend of country and rock influences. Trey Smith and Jennifer Fielder of country duo Smithfield, share their long road to discovering their place in the industry and how that’s influenced the message in their music. They released their single, "Hey Whiskey" this past summer and it has already reached over 1 million digital streams and made it in the top 10 on Sirius XM The Highway’s Weekend Countdown. They share the story behind that one and all the...
Aug 24, 2018•22 min
Songwriter and recording artist Phil Wickham is our guest on today’s episode. His new album “Living Hope” was just released a week ago and if you have not yet heard it, it's absolutely beautiful! While he was in Nashville we had the pleasure of welcoming him to NSAI to talk about the songwriting process of the new project. Phil co-wrote the title track with Brian Johnson of Bethel Music, and collaborated with Hollyn, Chris Tomlin, Kristian Stanfill and several others for the vision of this proje...
Aug 10, 2018•34 min
Today’s guest, songwriter/producer/artist Gavin Slate is with us. Originally from Toronto, he moved to Nashville a few months ago to work closely with the music scene here. Gavin has scored placements on NBC’s Rookie Blue, the 2016 NHL All-Star Game and writes frequently with Donovan Woods, Todd Clark, Adam Hamrick, Emily Reid and others . He has an extensive background in production for his own music as well as that of other artists in the Canadian Country Market including the James Barker Band...
Jul 26, 2018•53 min
The guests in this episode are the writers and performers behind Passion, the worship team that leads Passion Conference. This faith-based event stemmed out of Passion City Church in Atlanta over 20 years ago and has brought together more than 32,000 students from 700 universities and 35 countries. Kristian Stanfill, Melodie Malone and Brett Younker share their perspectives on writing worship music with inspiration from their faith and why business comes second to the mission of creating engagin...
Jun 22, 2018•20 min
Today's guest has spent time curating his songwriting craft from the likes of Country, Blues and Americana influences such as Merle Haggard, Ray Charles and Darrell Scott. Ben Danaher is Texas native and comes from a musical family, specifically his father who spent time touring as a singer/songwriter and greatly impacted Ben’s decision to pursue that same career for himself. We chat about his musical background, moving to Nashville and performing alongside his peers Steve Moakler, Sean McConnel...
Jun 07, 2018•39 min
In this episode you’ll have the pleasure of hearing confessions of serial, #1, award-winning songwriter, Shelly Peiken. She and Meredith Brooks took a risk with their '90s pop anthem “Bitch,” which ended up topping the charts, receiving a Grammy nomination and several tv/film placements. Shelly received her first #1 hit with Christina Aguilera for “What A Girl Wants” followed by “Come On Over Baby.” In our interview we chat about her songwriting career, and her most recent tour series, "Living R...
May 25, 2018•34 min
Our guest today is Nashville native and one of Capitol CMG’s breakthrough artists, Riley Clemmons! Riley quickly climbed the charts with her debut single “Broken Prayers” a song born out of the soulful singer’s journey to finding her own voice. We talk about the gospel and pop influences that have contributed to her writing style as well as the group of industry songwriters she has worked with to produce her upcoming album. For a list of upcoming tour dates and news about her upcoming album, vis...
Apr 27, 2018•16 min
Our guest today is country music up and comer, Jenna Paulette. Jenna’s music is a blend of rooted Texas country and modern big city glam, a style she calls the New West. Jenna first made waves in the country/pop genre with her debut single, “Coolest Girl In The World” co-written with Jordan Reynolds and Sydney Cubit. The single made it in the U.S. Top 100 Charts for iTunes and has been featured on CMT, The boot.com and more. Jenna also wrote and recorded the song “Studio 1A” for the interactive ...
Apr 02, 2018•35 min
About this episode: Today’s guest is platinum selling country star, RaeLynn! We recently enjoyed coffee at the Kimpton Aertson Hotel to get the backstory on her latest single “Queens Don’t” an empowerment anthem that encourages self-love to anyone and everyone who hears it. Additionally RaeLynn tells us about her songwriting inspirations, creative community and the process of discovering her voice in songs like “Love Triangle,” “Wildhorse” and “Lonely Call.” 2018 has started off strong for this ...
Mar 19, 2018•21 min
About this episode: We’re featuring a Facebook LIVE interview from this past week with country songwriter/artist, Carly Pearce! Since the day she convinced her father to let her quit highschool and pursue a job performing at Dollywood, Carly has paved her own way to becoming the highest charting solo female debut since July 2015. With years of hard work and perseverance she’s taken the world by a storm with her debut album, “Every Little Thing;” The title track, written by Pearce, busbee and Emi...
Mar 16, 2018•17 min
About this episode: Today’s guest is a Nashville-native and one of the most talented piano musicians of our time. Songwriter/artist Gabe Dixon, began playing music at age 7, with exposure to household names like Elton John, The Allman Brothers and Paul Simon. Natural talent and interest in music, led him to pursue a career writing songs and performing alongside names like: Gavin DeGraw, Alison Krauss and Union Station, OAR, Supertramp and many others. Early in his career he picked up a gig playi...
Mar 02, 2018•46 min
About this episode: Award winning Christian Songwriter/Artist Matthew West joins us for Episode 1 of Season 2 to talk about his new album “All In,” which rests on the theme of what it means to fully invest in the most important areas of our lives. He also shares advice about songwriting and producing that he’s learned throughout his career that I think you’ll enjoy. Matthew West has more than 130 songwriting credits to his name, including cuts by Rascal Flatts, Scotty McCreery, Casting Crowns, M...
Feb 09, 2018•49 min
About this episode: Steve Seskin is one of the most successful writers in Nashville today, with a boatload of songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Neal McCoy, John Michael Montgomery, Kenny Chesney, Collin Raye, Peter Frampton, Waylon Jennings, Alabama, Mark Wills, and Peter Paul and Mary. On today’s podcast, he talks about his journey as a songwriter and why life is something "you learn as you go." About this podcast: Welcome to NSAI Coffee Break podcast, a series featuring legendary and modern-day so...
Jul 10, 2017•34 min
About this episode: After teaching privately in Tallahassee, Fl. for eight years, songwriter and educator, Steve Leslie moved to Nashville in 1992. He was signed to a staff songwriting position at EMI Music Publishing shortly thereafter, where he had songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Mark Chesnutt, George Strait, Darryl Worley, Rhonda Vincent, and Neal McCoy, to name a few. Steve earned a Grammy Certificate for the title cut to Ricky Skaggs' 2004 "Brand New Strings" which won a Grammy Award for Be...
Jul 10, 2017•38 min
About this episode: There's no shortage of guitar teachers in Music City USA...they don't call Nashville "Guitar Town" for nothing. But Dave Isaacs has earned a reputation as one of the best: not simply a guitar and piano teacher but as a musical mentor to performing artists, songwriters, and performers as well as beginners, weekend warriors, and perpetual beginners. Dave's approach to teaching develops not only guitar playing but the whole musician, building real skills, confidence, and musical...
Jul 10, 2017•36 min
About this episode: In 2011, Luke and Beth Laird decided it was time to take a fresh business approach to publishing and artist management. In this episode of Coffee Break, I chat with the couple about their careers in both the business and songwriting sectors of the industry and advice they’d give to individuals seeking growth in their craft. Creative Nation is home to a variety of songwriters and artists including: Barry Dean, Kassi Ashton, Lori McKenna, Luke Laird, Mags Duval, Muscadine Blood...
Jun 22, 2017•38 min
About this episode: THiS Music publisher Rusty Gaston shares why hard work prevails over talent when it comes to writing great songs. In the early beginnings of his career, he discovered his knack for recognizing the next radio hit was in a fact a job. This realization led him to put his song sensibility to the test in music publishing. Rusty has an extensive background in working both label and publishing sides in the industry and our conversation is sure to motivate the songwriter, artist and ...
Jun 19, 2017•38 min
About this episode: To Tim Hunze, dedication to your songwriting craft and building your network are two very important factors in pursuing a career in the music industry. In 2011, Tim opened the doors of Parallel Music Nashville in partnership with JP Williams. Tim’s day to day includes managing a roster of songwriters and artists including Jon Mabe, Jesse Lee, Lance Carpenter, Zella Day, Alex Hall, Blake Chaffin, Ryan Beaver, Jenn Schott and more. In our conversation we touch on Tim’s early be...
Jun 14, 2017•38 min
About this episode: From performing to working in artist development and now publishing, Katie Jelen has experienced it all. At a young age, she played music at coffeehouses in her hometown of Philadelphia, including an Open Mic that was frequented by the likes of Amos Lee and Norah Jones. In this episode we discuss why work ethic in any area of the industry is essential to career growth, the artist branding strategies she learned while working for Ingrid Michaelson’s team and some of the best c...
May 25, 2017•27 min
About John Tumminello: Entrepreneur and music industry leader John Tumminello shares how his passion for supporting emerging artists led him to leave his banking job in New York, move to Nashville and start up one of the leading free music events in town. In 2007 he co-founded Music City Unsigned, a program dedicated to helping up&coming artists grow their following. This initiative then led to Musicians Corner, an outdoor “gathering space for music-lovers and creators alike.” It has grown t...
May 15, 2017•37 min
About Jimmy & Sarah Robbins: Jimmy is a songwriter/producer at Roundhill Music. His catalog of #1 hits include, Blake Shelton’s “Sure Be Cool If You Did”, “It Goes Like This” for Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert’s duet “We Were Us,” “Whatever She’s Got” by David Nail and “Beachin’” by Jake Owen. Jimmy latest project involved producing RaeLynn’s debut album, Wildhorse, alongside songwriter Nicolle Galyon. Sarah is a music publisher who's worked with both Big Machine and Big Yello...
May 09, 2017•30 min
