Podcasts about ascap country songwriter

SUMMARY:We chat with Ashley Gorley who, with more #1 singles than any writer in any genre, is the reigning king of country music songwriters. PART ONE:Paul and Scott discuss the state of contemporary country music, the way the genre has come to dominate the pop chart, and the rapidly-changing nature of what's the most popular song at any given moment.PART TWO:Our in-depth conversation with Ashley GorleyABOUT ASHLEY GORLEY:With an unprecedented track record of nearly 70 chart-topping country hits, Ashley Gorley is perhaps the most commercially successful songwriter in history. He has written more #1 singles than anyone in any genre, and has had over 400 of his songs recorded by artists such as Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Lee Brice, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Bon Jovi, and Weezer. Ashley has been named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year nine times, Billboard Country Songwriter of the Year six times, and NSAI Songwriter of the Year six times. He was then named NSAI Songwriter of the Decade for the period ranging from 2010-2019. Additionally, Ashley was honored as the Top Male Songwriter of 2021—across all genres—by the National Music Publishers Association. In 2023 the NMPA honored him with their icon award for non-performing songwriters. The multiple CMA, ACM, and Grammy nominee has received the CMA's Triple Play Award 20 times in his career, which recognizes songwriters with three or more #1 songs in a single year. In 2016, Ashley became the first songwriter to be honored with three CMA Triple Play Awards in a single year for earning nine chart-topping songs in a 12-month period. He repeated that feat in 2020 and again in 2022. This year, Gorley was announced as ACM Songwriter of the Year, also taking home the Song of the Year award and celebrating three Song of the Year nominations, placing him in rare company with Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard, the only other songwriters to achieve the same feat in a single year. In addition to his decorated career as a songwriter, Ashley launched his own music publishing company, Tape Room Music, with a writer roster that has earned nearly 40 #1 hits. 

 Chris DuBois is a songwriter and music publisher based out of Nashville.  He is co-owner of Sea Gayle Music with business partners Brad Paisley and Frank Rogers. Sea Gayle is one of the most successful independent publishing companies in all of music.  In 2010 and 2011, Sea Gayle was named ASCAP Country Publisher of the Year. It was the first time since 1982 that an independent publishing company had won that award. In 2009, Sea Gayle Music launched Sea Gayle Records as an imprint of Sony Music Nashville.They have some of Nashville's most successful roster of staff writer's one of which was Chris Stapleton.As a songwriter, DuBois has had more than 30 Top 20 singles including 17 songs that have reached No. 1. DuBois has been the recipient of over 30 ASCAP awards and in 2004 was named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year.[3] DuBois was also named NSAI Songwriter of the Year for 2010 and 2011.[4]A few of these songs include:Mud on the Tires: Brad PaisleyYour Man: Josh TurnerBuy me a Boat: Chris JansenYou should probably leave: Chris Stapleton He has had songs recorded by artists such as:Darius Rucker, George strait, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Kenny Chesney, Adele, and Sheryl Crow to name a few.In this episode Chris shares how he finds titles, inspiration, what he looks for in a writer to sign, we talk about revenue for writers, writing techniques, story songs, copywriting your songs and so much more!Take aways:Identify the songs that give you chillsIdentify the moments in the songs that give you chillsThen study what's going on there melodically or lyricallyTry to emulate what you're hearingTry to write a song that sounds like a song you loveTry the title gameWrite from a piece of art with a 500 word narrativeHave an outline for your song Think of a third layerAn exercise on finding song titlesPick a piece of artWrite a written narrative on that pieces of art500 word written narrative

PART ONE:It's mailbag time! What are you saying about us?PART TWO:Scott and Paul's in-depth interview with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Bob MorrisonABOUT BOB MORRISON:After an artist career recording for the Columbia, Barnaby, Capitol, and Monument labels, Bob Morrison hit the #1 spot on the country charts as a songwriter with Kenny Rogers' recording of “You Decorated My Life.” Also a Top 10 Billboard pop hit, the composition earned Morrison a Grammy for Best Country Song. Additionally, he co-wrote “Lookin' for Love,” a #1 country single and a #5 pop hit popularized by Johnny Lee from the soundtrack of the film Urban Cowboy. Other chart-topping selections from Morrison's catalog include Debby Boone's “Are You on the Road to Loving Me Again,” Conway Twitty's “Don't Call Him a Cowboy,” and Highway 101's “Whiskey, If You Were a Woman.” Further highlights from his songbook include Olivia Newton-John's cut of “The River's Too Wide,” Reba McEntire's Top 10 single “(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven,” Kenny Rogers' Top 5 “Love the World Away,” Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn's “I Still Believe in Waltzes,” Gary Morris's “The Love She Found in Me,” George Jones's “Shine On,” and the Dixie Chicks' “Tonight the Heartache's on Me.” Just a few of the many other artists who've recorded Bob's songs are Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Glen Campbell, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Price, John Anderson, Barbara Mandrell, Dottie West, Mel Tillis, The Kendalls, and The Carpenters. He was named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 1978, 1980, 1981, and 1982, as well as NSAI Songwriter of the Year in 1981. In 2016 Bob was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Songcraft chats with Brett James, a two-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year who has earned 25 #1 hits with songs such as “Who I Am” by Jessica Andrews, “Bottoms Up” by Brantley Gilbert, “I Hold On” by Dierks Bentley, and Carrie Underwood's “Jesus Take the Wheel,” which was nominated for ACM and CMA Song of the Year awards and won a Grammy for Best Country Song. In addition to his remarkable career as a behind-the-scenes Nashville songwriter, Brett has a recently-released artist EP called I Am Now.

We last spoke with this guest in Season 2. Since then he has earned 47 No. 1 singles and has had more than 300 songs recorded by artists such as Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, and Darius Rucker. He has been named the ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year 7 times. And the NSAI Songwriter of the Year 4 times. He has been nominated for multiple Grammy, CMA, and ACM Awards and is the most decorated CMA Triple Play Awards recipient with 15 total trophies to his credit. In 2011, he formed Tape Room Music, a publishing company with a focus on artist development. And The Writer Is… Ashley Gorley!Please join us to help keep the music community alive and thriving, giving it as much as it gives us. To donate or to apply for assistance visit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund site: https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/musicares-coronavirus-relief-fund Watch this video interview on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/andthewriteris or on Instagram at @andthewriteris. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

PART ONE Scott and Paul give a shout-out to their latest Patreon supporter before revealing their respective Top 5 favorite live albums of all time - a topic suggested by Songcraft listener Bob Hunt! PART TWO - 15:17 mark Scott and Paul call up Gary (with a slightly wonky phone connection) to get the lowdown on how a chance meeting at a French castle led to writing more than two dozen songs with a Beatle; why he thinks growing up on show tunes made him a better country writer; how attending the Woodstock festival changed his life; the poignant true story of his father's death that unexpectedly became a hit song; how he accidentally got Faith Hill a record deal; the Tim McGraw hit he wrote that got shelved for 7 years because his publisher hated it; why he says all songs are love songs; and how he went from country hitmaker to collaborating with Carole King, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, Desmond Child, and the American Idol team. ABOUT GARY BURR Gary Burr first found songwriting success when Juice Newton scored a Top 10 pop hit with “Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me.” The floodgates soon opened on a remarkable string of Top 5 country hits, including “That’s My Job” for Conway Twitty, “Watch Me” for Lorrie Morgan, “Sure Love” for Hal Ketchum, “One Night a Day” for Garth Brooks, “I Try to Think About Elvis” for Patty Loveless, “Till You Love Me” for Reba McEntire, “Can’t Be Really Gone” for Tim McGraw, “To Be Loved By You” for Wynonna, “On the Side of Angels” for LeeAnn Rimes, “Out of My Bones” for Randy Travis, and many others. Burr eventually returned to his early pop success, scoring a hit with “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely,” which Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera took to the top of the Latin charts. Additionally, he wrote Kelly Clarkson’s first hit, “Before Your Love,” which was the best-selling single the year it was released. He also wrote Clay Aiken’s “This is the Night,” which hit #1 the following year. Burr has collaborated with Carole King, both as a songwriter and as a member of her touring band. Similarly, he has worked as a backing musician with Ringo Starr and has co-written more than two dozen songs with Ringo that have appeared on the former Beatle’s albums in recent years. Burr and his wife, singer/songwriter Georgia Middleman, are currently in a band with Kenny Loggins called Blue Sky Riders. In addition to those mentioned, Burr’s songs have been recorded by Neil Diamond, Billy Ray Cyrus, Don Williams, Ricky Skaggs, Faith Hill, Lisa Loeb, Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, Night Ranger, George Jones, Joe Cocker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lady Antebellum, and others. Gary was twice named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association, has been named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. 

Ashley Gorley has written 37 #1 singles and has had more than 300 songs recorded by artists such as Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean and Darius Rucker. He was named the ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, Billboard Country Songwriter of the Year in 2013, 2016, and 2017, and the NSAI Songwriter of the Year in 2013, 2016 and 2017. Gorley has been nominated for multiple Grammy and CMA and ACM Awards, and has received the CMA’s Triple Play Award eleven times in his career, which recognizes songwriters with three or more #1 songs in one year. In 2016, he became the first songwriter to be honored with three CMA Triple Play Awards in a single year, for earning nine chart-topping songs in a 12-month period. In 2011, Gorley formed Tape Room Music, a publishing company with a focus on artist development. Writers for Tape Room Music have already celebrated twelve #1 songs and eight top ten singles by artists such as Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, and Dustin Lynch. At just 41, Nashville songwriter Ashley Gorley has written a mind-boggling 37 #1 hits. He has writing credits on over 300 recorded songs. Hilary got to sit down with the prolific songwriter, publisher, and producer to learn more about the hitmaker, what his day-to-day life is like, and why he prefers for Carrie Underwood to not do the singing in a writing session. Learn more about Ashley's publishing company, Tape Room Music. Listen to the Spotify playlist of Ashley's #1 songs. Connect with Hilary on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. This episode is sponsored by the Side Hustle Starter Kit.

IN THIS EPISODE: PART ONE Scott and Paul catch up on the latest Songcraft news and chat about some of their favorite songs about Nashville. PART TWO - 16:06 mark  Wanna learn how to be like Mark D. Sanders? You can start with Patreon. The guys tell you where to check it out. PART THREE - 18:13 mark Scott heads over to Mark's house in Nashville to get the inside scoop on how music helped him survive a troubled home life growing up; why he had trouble co-writing with people who had more success than he had; the co-writer who taught him he could have fun and write a song at the same time; his battles with severe depression; the demo singer he credits with boosting his career; the famous song that inspired the chord progression of "I Hope You Dance;" and the ethical reason he decided to walk away from commercial country music culture after decades of success. ABOUT MARK D. SANDERS Southern California native Mark D. Sanders moved to Nashville just before turning 30 and began building a career as a professional songwriter that eventually spawned 25 Top 10 hits, including more than a dozen #1 singles. His list of chart-topping hits includes “Mirror Mirror” by Diamond Rio, “Money in the Bank” by John Anderson, “Daddy’s Money” by Ricochet, “It Matters to Me” by Faith Hill, “No News” by Lonestar, “Heads Carolina, Tails California” by Jo Dee Messina, “Blue Clear Sky” by George Strait, “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” by Trace Adkins, and “That’d Be Alright” by Alan Jackson. Other artists who’ve recorded Mark’s songs include Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Tracey Lawrence, Trisha Yearwood, and Guy Clark.   Sanders was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association in 1995 and 1996, and ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 1997. Lee Ann Womack’s recording of “I Hope You Dance” earned him Song of the Year honors from NSAI, ASCAP, the ACM and the CMA, as well as a Grammy for Best Country Song and a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year across all categories. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.

He's written 35 #1 singles and had more than 300 songs recorded by artists such as Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, and Darius Rucker. He was named the ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, Billboard Country Songwriter of the Year 2013 and 2016, the NSAI Songwriter of the Year 2013 and 2016, and has received the CMA Triple Play Award nine times in his career (presented to a songwriter who has penned three #1 singles in 12 months). In 2011, he partnered with Combustion Music and Warner Chappell Music to begin his own publishing venture, Tape Room Music. And The Writer Is...This Year's ASCAP Country Songwriter of The Year Ashley Gorley! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 music business professional alike. About Rusty Gaston: Rusty knew when he moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University that publishing was where he belonged and his track record has proven him right. He hit the ground runnihng with his first job at SmithHaven Music where he secured artist deals for writer/artists Jeff Bates and Will Hoge. From there he was hired by top producer Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Jodee Messina) to run his publishing company, Song Garden, which thrived under Rusty’s guidance. His next venture was THiS Music, a partnership with songwriting superstars Tim Nichols and Connie Harrington. As managing partner, he has built the company into one of the most successful publishing houses on Music Row. Along with Nichols and Harrington their writer roster includes Grammy-nominated writer Jesse Alexander and two-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year Ben Hayslip. About this podcast: NSAI Coffee Break is a series featuring legendary and modern-day songwriters, artists and music industry executives. Each episode highlights their creative journeys, including the successes and the in-betweens, and where they are headed to next!