Stories Behind the Songs

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

Hey friends! We are back with another episode of Stories Behind the Songs and this week we sit down with Chris DeStefano! Chris has written songs for so many amazing artists like Luke Bryan, Chase Rice, Dan and Shay, Carrie Underwood, Chris Young, Morgan Evans, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett, Jason Mraz – JUST to name a few... I mean the list goes on and on. Chris is not only an incredible writer, but he is an amazing guitar player and has a great voice... If you’ve never seen him live or play at the Listening Room, you are going to hear exactly what I mean later in this episode when he plays a couple of his songs... Chris came to Nashville from New Jersey back in 2013 and started to hit the ground running with his first write in town turning into a cut for Eli Young Band. Chris has been dedicated to his music since the beginning spending 10 – 12 hours a day learning guitar and traveling with his choir group growing up... Moving to Nashville was a no brainer for him. We cover topics like the difference between the songwriting community in Nashville and LA, a deep dive into several of his cuts including “Something in the Water” and “Good Girl” for Carrie Underwood, “I Feel Like Dancing” for Jason Mraz, “Rewind” for Rascal Flatts, and his cut for Chris Young - “End of a Bar”. Chris takes us into the writer’s room with Carrie Underwood and Chris Young – you’re going to feel like you were there with them that day – these are incredible stories. We also touch on his publishing company “Winsongs” and Chris discusses how he started it and how it has taken off since, with writers like Emily Shackleton, Jason Duke, and Eric Van Houten on the roster – and all of them have found their way on this podcast. Give Chris a follow in the liner notes below to stay up to date and give us a follow if you enjoyed the episode – we are able to sit down with amazing songwriters and artists thanks to your support! 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! Alright lets get to it – here is my buddy Chris DeStefano! SHOW NOTES: Chris' #1 songs include Carrie Underwood ("Good Girl”, “Little Toy Guns”, “Smoke Break”, “Something in the Water”, Super Bowl LII and 2018 Olympic Games Theme Song “The Champion"), Dan + Shay (“From the Ground Up”, “Nothin’ Like You"), Jason Aldean (“Just Gettin’ Started”), Billy Currington (“Hey Girl”), Brett Eldredge (“Don’t Ya”), Luke Bryan (“That’s My Kind of Night”, “Kick the Dust Up"), Miranda Lambert (“Somethin’ Bad” [w-Carrie Underwood]), Chris Young (“Losing Sleep”, "At the End of a Bar" feat. Mitchell Tenpenny), Morgan Evans (“Kiss Somebody”) and Rascal Flatts (“Rewind”), Tyler Rich “Leave Her Wild” (XM The Highway #1) and Chase Rice ("Eyes On You"), “I Feel Like Dancing” (Jason Mraz) Some of Chris' Awards include 2022 ACM Album of the Year Nominee - Chris Young (Famous Friends) Producer, 3x CMA Triple Play Award winner, 3x Grammy Award Winning - Carrie Underwood - “Something in the Water”, “Somethin’ Bad”(w/Miranda Lambert) and Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” Album, FBI Citizens Academy Graduate 2018, MCEF (Marine Corpse Executive Forum) Graduate 2021, Depart of Defense JCOC (Joint Civilian Orientation Conference) Graduate 2022 and has been an active Emergency Backup Goaltender for the National Hockey League - Nashville Predators! Follow Chris on Instagram - @ChrisDeStefano 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 --- Support this...

Here we are with another episode of Stories Behind the Songs and we are sitting down with my good buddy Josh Melton this week! Josh has an incredible story that is extremely inspiring. If you are an aspiring musician or songwriter thinking about moving to Nashville, this episode is for you. He shares some truly wild stories about his initial arrival in Nashville and all the hardships he had to through chasing the dream. Originally from Ohio, Josh takes us through the many ups and downs he experienced when he first moved to Nashville, how he got his first publishing deal, met his wife playing bars on Broadway, and everything else that led to his first number 1 with Dylan Scott’s “Can’t Have Mine”. He’s going to take us into the writer’s room with this one and discusses what it was like hearing that song go number one while on Thanksgiving with his family – this was such a cool story. Apart from being a songwriter, Josh releases music of his own and plays a portion of his song “Empty Bottles” for us. I remember being at The Listening Room the first time he played that - or at least the first time I heard it - and as a dad myself I just loved the song immediately. Josh has more music coming out in the coming months, with plans to tour at festivals all through the summer. Josh has an incredible voice and tells stories through his songs in a really unique way – give him a listen anywhere you stream music and check him out! You can also find all his information in the liner notes below to stay up to date with his new projects. 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! Lets get to it – this is Josh Melton. Show Notes: Josh's TikTok - Josh's Instagram - @JoshMeltonMusic Josh's YouTube - @JoshMeltonMusic 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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

Hey Guys - Chris Blair here and I am SO excited for this episode because today marks one year of Stories Behind the Songs! We have loved getting to sit down with so many incredible songwriters, artists, and industry icons. We can't wait to see what this next year holds... Today, to help celebrate our 1 year anniversary, we’ve got Hannah Ellis with us! Hannah started songwriting after she listened to Taylor Swift, looked up the song credits, and learned that she writes her own music. Inspired to pick up the pen herself, Hannah quickly found out that she had that passion for songwriting and eventually made the move to Nashville from Campbellsville, Kentucky. Hannah’s first big cut was “Would You Love Me” on Russell Dickerson’s 2017 record, Yours. Since this cut, Hannah has toured with Carly Pearce, Gavin DeGraw, and Brett Young, performed at the Opry 8 times, and achieved her first top 50 single in 2023 with “Wine Country.” That Girl, Hannah’s 2024 release through Curb Records, is her first full-length album, and it has already racked up millions of Spotify streams. She talks about how playing on The Listening Room stage (which she first visited back in her college days) helped her choose the songs for that very album. Her hope for this record is that it introduces listeners to the authentic Hannah Ellis and that they walk away feeling like old friends. It has been such a joy to witness the growth of Hannah’s career here on the TLR stage, and it is even more fitting that she is the guest on our one year anniversary release! If you enjoyed this episode, give us a follow and check out Hannah’s socials to see what she’s got coming up and stream "That Girl" anywhere you find your music. 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! Let's get to it, here is Hannah Ellis! Podcast Show Notes: Hannah's Website - HannahEllisMusic.com Hannah's TikTok - @HannahGreyEllis Hannah's Instagram - @HannahGreyEllis Hannah's YouTube - @HannahGreyEllis Hannah's Upcoming Shows - 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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

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 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support