Nashville resident, Maine native and literate songwriter Rod Picott will celebrate his new cd, Welding Burns, with a special early, holiday show at The Bluebird Cafe (July 3rd).
It seems fitting that during this time when the common working man is under attack, one of our best songwriters tapped into the trials and tribulations of the everyday, is set to release a new batch of songs filled with characters possessing a dignified humanity with lives of heartache, desperation and joy. Maine native Rod Picott’s new Welding Burns is another beautiful, gritty and sorrowful collection of songs about the small beauties and privations of life.
An Amazon review describes Rod’s music as ‘barbed wire lyrics wrapped around whiskey & gravel vocals.”
Often described with the same brush as Springsteen, Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams, Rod has lived the blue collar life. The son of a welder and former Marine, Rod worked as a sheet rocker until the release of his first cd, Tiger Tom Dixon’s Blues a decade ago. A childhood friend and co-writer with the Austin-based Slaid Cleaves, Slaid’s version of their song “Broke Down” became the most played song on Americana radio and was awarded the song of the year at the Austin Music Awards.
The new Welding Burns is worth a listen and should push him out of the cult status he currently enjoys and make him one of the best songwriters you know. Rod will be touring throughout the US, Canada and the UK for the remainder of the year.
His show at the Bluebird (4104 Hillsboro Rd) will be from 6:30 – 7:30 PM. For more info and reservations call 615-383-1461.
Since coming to Nashville in the early 1980s, Dave Gibson has been a respected songwriter and musician. His songs have been cut by some of country music’s greatest, including Tanya Tucker, Alabama, Montgomery Gentry and Joe Diffie. His business skills began to shine as he and his wife, Daisy Dern, worked to create their own music label and publishing company, Savannah Music Group, which they named after their daughter, Savannah. The company now also includes singer-songwriters Nolan Neal, The Mulch Brothers, Kevin Grant and Jack Williams. Dave is able to use his talent and expertise in the industry to help other artists fulfill their dreams.
Nash: How did you become a songwriter?
Dave: I started writing songs, probably in my twenties. A guy asked me to write a melody for a poem he had, and I did, and I really liked the process. Then I wrote my first song by myself, this was a while ago, back in the seventies (laughs). When I ended up moving here in 1982 I brought the song with me and I met a guy named Tony Brown. He loved the song. It had actually already been cut by Reba McEntire. It was the first song I had ever written by myself so I was very fortunate. Then Tony cut it of me, trying to get me a record deal with that song and another one I had written. I was just very, very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.
Nash: Do you have a favorite song that you’ve written?
Dave: “Ships That Don’t Come In.” That’s probably my most favorite song. I co-wrote it with Paul Nelson. That was, I guess, 1988 or 1989 that we wrote that. It was a No. 1 song for Joe Diffie.
Nash: Who are some of your songwriting influences?
Dave: Um, Kris Kristofferson was a big influence. Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard, Paul Simon, James Taylor. I like real rootsy kind of writers, you know, people who are really great lyricists and also melody writers.
Nash: What’s your favorite instrument to write on?
Dave: Guitar, that’s what I like to write on mainly, but I’ve written a couple songs on the piano that I’ve gotten cut.
Nash: Where do you usually get the inspirations for your songs?
Dave: Ya know, there’s no rule. Sometimes personal things. Sometimes things that people say, I call it speaking in titles. Some people just say things that are different so you just kind of pick up on that and stow it away.
Nash: Do you prefer writing by yourself or with someone else?
Dave: I like both. If I can come up with a song by myself, that’s great, but I love co-writing, too. I never co-wrote til I moved to Nashville and it’s been a great experience for me. You always learn something from your co-writers.
Nash: What made you decide to develop your own label and publishing company?
Dave: I just felt like it was time for me to do that. I’ve been in all parts of the music business. I’d had my own publishing company but I never had a situation where I signed writers. I have my own office and also an independent record label that we’re gearing up. And to be on the other side of the fence, ya know, the business side of it, it was like ‘Okay, do I really want to do this?’ But it’s been great. It’s been a real experience (laughs).
Nash: When you first started Savannah Music Group, what expectations did you have for it?
Dave: I wanted to be able to develop writer-artists. Mainly the writers that we’ve signed have been writer-artists. I’ve got a project on two guys called the Mulch Brothers that write for us, cut an EP on them. That was the goal, to be able to write for the projects. Everything is so “inside” now in Nashville. It’s hard to get songs cut unless you’re writing with a producer, an artist, a manager or whatever.
Nash: Do you have any advice for beginning songwriters?
Dave: Go home (laughs). No, I’m kidding. Network and go to shows. Listen to great writers. Listen to all the songs that you hear on the radio then analyze the songs and figure out how these writers are writing them. Read a lot. Networking is really, really important though. —Tessa Prince
Ashton Shepherd gives a sneak peak of her upcoming album, Where Country Grows, by sharing this acoustic performance of “I’m Just a Woman” for you, your website and audience in honor of Mother’s Day.
“I’m Just a Woman” focuses on the challenges and unique perspective of females. Some have already said that it is reminiscent of Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” but with a modern feel and a powerful exploration of the female point of view. Shepherd is a working mother – she has a son, James, who is five and is due with her second child in September.
“I wrote that one by myself,” Shepherd says. “I opened my diary, and I got to an entry where I was writing about feeling kind of bad, empty and sad. Right after that, I’d written, ‘Well, I guess I’m just being a woman.’ When I read that, I underlined it.
“The song doesn’t bash the man,” she says. “It’s kind of saying, ‘Buddy, I understand you pretty much 99 percent of the time. I need you to understand me, too, sometimes because I know I can be hard to deal with. I need you to work with me, here, because I feel like I work with you.’ I think it gives women a lot of credit. I think about our mommas, and it makes me get chill bumps. Because I feel like I’ve written an anthem for them.”
Where Country Grows will be released July 12. Its debut single, the sassy “Look It Up,” is currently a Top 20 hit and rising.
What do Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, Duane Eddy, Bobby Bare, and Lloyd Green have in common? They’re Tom T. Hall fans, and this new record proves it.
Just in time for Tom T. Hall’s 75th birthday, producers Peter Cooper and have assembled a perfect cast to pay tribute to country music’s greatest storytelling songwriter. Gathered in the recording studio at Tom T.’s Fox Hollow farm just south of Nashville, the group put their own spin on the Country Music Hall of Famer’s most beloved work, his 1974 children’s album, Songs of Fox Hollow.
Indie label Red Beet Records has joined with the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMF Records to release what is destined to be a new children’s classic, I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow.
When it came out in 1974, Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow produced two No. 1 hits, “I Love” and “I Care,” and the album entered the consciousness of a generation. Peter Cooper grew up with the record and had the idea of recording the album for a new generation, and he enlisted his duo partner and fellow Tom T. fan Eric Brace as co-producer. “Peter and I spent quite a few of our hours on the road making a wish list of singers and players for this album. We wanted to work with folks who loved Tom T.’s songs as much as we did.”
Grammy Award winners Patty Griffin, Bobby Bare, Jim Lauderdale, and Mike Bub joined in the fray. Americana Music Association Artist of the Year Buddy Miller paired up with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Duane Eddy on “Sneaky Snake.” You’ll hear Tommy Cash, Elizabeth Cook & Tim Carroll, Gary Bennett, Jon Byrd, Mark & Mike, and Fayssoux Starling McLean. Peter Cooper sings “Everybody Loves to Hear a Bird Sing,” and Eric Brace & Last Train Home perform “The Mysterious Fox of Fox Hollow.” Tom T. Hall himself sings on a new tune he and Dixie Hall wrote just for the occasion.
Eric Brace, Tom T. Hall and Peter Cooper
The band includes Lloyd Green, a Pedal Steel Hall of Famer and frequent collaborator with Brace and Cooper, and Jen Gunderman, who has recorded lately with John Prine, Emmylou Harris, and Lyle Lovett, among others. Grammy winner Mike Bub plays acoustic bass, and Mark Horn, a former member of the Derailers, plays drums. He also sings a song about a one-legged chicken.
Check out this video about the making of the album. Information, photos, and songs are at www.songsoffoxhollow.com.
The album release date is May 23. You can pre-order your copy at redbeetrecords.com/songs-of-fox-hollow. The CD includes a 16-page lyric booklet with original linoleum-cut artwork by East Nashville artist Julie Sola.
On April 15, four of Nashville’s top country music songwriters — Jim Collins, Phil O’Donnell, David Lee, and Joel Shewmake — will perform as part of the “Jammin’ for Jack Johnson” benefit at Sodium at 7 p.m.
The four, who have hits from artists such as Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Montgomery Gentry, Craig Morgan, Jason Aldean, LeeAnn Womack, Lady Antebellum, & Craig Campbell in addition to three current “top 20” songs on the country charts, are donating their time to help the young Centennial High School freshman.
All proceeds from the benefit will go directly to Ben, Jill, Jack and Benny Johnson who not only were victims of the historic May 2010 flood but have also been battling Jack’s malignant tumor, which was discovered in his brain last June, one month after the flood. Jack attended Poplar Grove School from pre-K through eighth grade, and he is currently enrolled at Centennial High School as a freshman although he has not been able to attend classes this year due to his treatments. Jack is unique in that he is a child living with autism. While autism makes Jack endearing, it makes battling cancer that much more challenging.
The show will be from 7-10 p.m. at Sodium, 1725 (Suite 100) Columbia Ave. Franklin. The cost is $15 per adult and $10 for students and children 18 & under with a $50 maximum per family. In addition to live music, Jet’s Pizza will have pizza, Costco will be providing desserts, and Sodium will have a full-service coffee bar and non-alcoholic beverages for sale. A portion of the food and drink sales will be contributed to the benefit fund.
As if that’s not enough, there will also be a silent auction with items ranging from concert tickets to autographed items to original painting to services such as family photography and salon makeovers. Sodium also provides an atmosphere welcoming to the little ones. There will be childcare available for the cost of a ticket.
Tickets will go on sale April 4 at Poplar Grove School, Franklin Special Schools central office, Centennial High School & Sodium. Tickets will be available April 3 at Franklin First United Methodist Church. Tickets will also be available at the door.
For monetary contributions, contact Fifth Third Bank regarding the Jammin’ for Jack Johnson Benefit Fund.
Mac McAnally is one of the most recognized names in country music … by his peers. He may not be a household name to the general public, but he certainly should be. He’s a singer/songwriter/musician/producer who has had his hand on the pulse of many household, superstar names in country music by lending his talents to their body of work. The thing is, he feels like the luckiest guy on the planet to be in the company of so many great country superstars, having written No. 1 songs for so many (as a songwriter) and having played in their bands (as a musician), most notably with Jimmy Buffett for over 15 years.
His songwriting was his calling card, and it was Jimmy Buffett who was the first one out of the blocks to recognize his talent. Eventually, his songs would be recorded not only by Jimmy, but by the likes of Hank Williams, Jr., Alabama (took his “Old Flame” to No. 1 in 1981), Reba, Shenandoah, Ricky Van Shelton, Charley Pride, Randy Travis, Kenny Chesney, and, well, the list just goes on and on.
Mac’s songwriting talents have been recognized by the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, and has been named Musician of the year by the Country Music Association.
The release of his recent self-penned album “Down By the River” is his 11th CD as an artist. To order it, go to http://www.macmcanally.com and enjoy! In the meantime, we wanted to pick Mac’s brain about his life behind the scenes in the dynamic world of country music.
You’ve been a songwriter for decades penning hits for a number of prominent artists. When did you decide to write and record your new album “Down By the River” and why?
Recording myself as an artist is not often on my mind since I am blessed to stay so busy in the endeavors of playing and singing and writing and producing. I love it all and don’t want to give up any because I’m musically greedy I guess. But when I accumulate enough songs that represent what I’ve learned about life over a period of years, I start thinking about putting them together on an album. “Down By the River” is just that. And I write and record the majority of my songs down by the river in Muscle Shoals.
How’d you get the record deal with Toby Keith’s label? And is he a good boss?
Toby’s the ideal boss because he’s a great writer and has spent more time wearing the hat of an artist than any of his other jobs. He’s therefore very considerate of what you need to get the job done. I think the record deal came about because of him and his staff hearing a couple of songs in particular but also because we’re old friends who share the same management. I’ve got a lot of respect for Toby that goes way beyond any deal.
You still perform with Jimmy Buffett, but do you have your own band now?
I can’t imagine not playing with Jimmy as long as he has a use for me. I mainly perform my shows as a solo but I did put together a bit of an all-star band made up of some fellow Coral Reefers and some of my best studio buddies from Nashville and Muscle Shoals to record a live CD last fall. It will be called “Live from Muscle Shoals” and was recorded at the W.C. Handy Festival down in Alabama.
What are your favorite songs that you’ve written for other artists and why do you like these songs?
Well, once again, I’ve really been blessed in that area but I’ll single out a few. “All These Years” by Sawyer Brown; “Back Where I Come From” and “Down the Road” by Kenny Chesney; “It’s My Job” by Jimmy Buffett and the one that started it for me “Old Flame” by Alabama. These are favorites because in addition to being successful they represent the best I can do. Sometimes a writer’s best work is not what ends up representing them in the charts. These were satisfying, both ways.
When you write a song like, “Down the Road” for Kenny Chesney, what part of you wishes you could have cut that record and had a No. 1 hit for yourself?
No part of me. I was born without the ambition to be the guy in the middle of the stage. The times I’ve ended up there in my life have usually been freaks of nature. I’m bashful by nature and if there’s anybody else on a stage I’ll instinctively start backing them. In the case of “Down the Road” I get to draft off of Kenny’s presence and career as a duet partner who happened to write the song. That would be the best of both worlds.
How do songwriters get breaks today?
You hear every day about how much the music biz has changed and that is certainly true. You see the veterans worrying about having to change their ways and the new guys trying to guess which hoop to jump through. But for all of the changing I believe one thing will never change. A good song will always have a place. Songwriters may have to be lighter on their feet than ever before but their main job should be to write songs that demand to be heard.
Do you think “pure” country music is as popular as it was 10 years ago, or do you think the genre is changing to pop/country?
I think there’s a cycle of popularity for all kinds of music but it’s more obvious in country because the fans of pure country music have a great deal of pride and sense of connection with the music. There’s a lot of heart and real life in there and that’s one of its main appeals. When it also becomes “fashionable” from a hit movie or a crossover hit song it brings in more people. Then corporate minded folks might get a little greedy and try to add aspects of other successful music to get even more people and eventually they offend the core fans and do a little damage. But about that time somebody like Randy Travis or Ricky Skaggs will come along and remind folks why they called it Country in the first place. I myself root for everybody, and I like when more people come to check us out. But I’ll still be here whether they stay or go.
How does touring affect your personal life? Are you married or single? Do your kids go on tour with you in the summertime still?
I’m sure touring affects all who do it. I’m a divorced Dad and although the touring life is not to blame it certainly strains the best of relationships. I have three wonderful daughters who are always welcome to hit the road with me and our touring family is just that so they love to come out.
What do you do when you’re in a bad mood and you have to perform?
I’m kind of devoid of bad moods. I’m a pretty even-keeled guy. I’ve played so many sawdust floor, honky-tonks as a kid, nothing that’s occurred in the last 20 years seems like a bad day to me. (Laughs) I pretty much enjoy my work. I blew out a couple of vertebrae one time – we played almost a three-hour show – and I was having a numb right leg by the end of the show. That’s not a bad mood but it’s hard to deal with comparatively.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about the music business?
To enjoy it. It’s music. It should be enjoyed. I think people can hear whether you’re having a good time or not. And that’s contagious. Having a good time is contagious and not having a good time is also contagious. I’ve learned it from one of the best, from Jimmy [Buffett]. The secret to him when he was playing frat parties and keg parties as a young man, he enjoyed the heck out of it. I don’t think he enjoyed it any less or more than now. He’s always enjoyed playing music. I think it’s important to do that. How many people in the world don’t have even an opportunity to something they like?
What do you do between tours?
I still play and sing and produce in the studio when I’m off the road and carry a recording rig out on tour as well so I don’t ever stop playing music. It’s my favorite pastime as well as my job. I’m as lucky a guy as I know. —Pat Gallagher
Our condolences go out to the family of songwriter Harley Allen who passed away early this morning. He had recently been diagnosed with stage four cancer. The son of bluegrass legend Red Allen, Harley was a three-time Grammy winner and wrote hits “The Baby,” “Tough Little Boys,” “High Sierra,” “The Little Girl” and many more. He penned songs for the likes of George Jones, Alison Krauss, Linda Ronstadt, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Hal Ketchem, Rhonda Vincent, Joe Nichols, Dierks Bentley and John Michael Montgomery. Harley also released an excellent solo CD called Another River in 1996. He will be sorely missed by the Nashville community and his many fans.
You can’t throw a rock in Nashville without hitting a songwriter, but every once in a while you find a writer who’s destined for greatness. Nashville.com was lucky enough to run across Morristown native, Morry Trent, who’s been on a roll this year and he’s one of those writers. Trent is as passionate about the business of songwriting as he is songwriting itself and wants to educate the public on illegal downloading.
Nash: How did you become a songwriter? Morry: When I was 17 and had been playing guitar for about 9 months, my Dad saw that I was going to stick with it and gave me a left-handed Gibson guitar. After the first month, a song just came to me. I didn’t consider myself a songwriter until I joined a bar band in my hometown. In addition to cover tunes, we worked up some of my original songs. When people started requesting those songs, I felt like I was an official songwriter. The guys in the band were always open to having some original material and that is all it took for me to become hooked on writing.
Nash: Tell us about your first cut. Morry: When I worked at Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) here in Nashville, I met a guy named Wayne Perry. He wrote “Not a Moment Too Soon” and “What Part of No Don’t You Understand.” He and I only wrote two songs together and one of them got cut on a little indy thing by Daron Norwood. Daron was doing an outreach program in the schools in the Southeast to speak out against alcohol, drugs and violence in the schools. Wayne and I had written a song called shooting stars shortly after the Colombine shooting tragedy in Colorado. It was a first for me and it was obviously for a very great cause. The name of the outreach program was called “Keep it Straight.”
Nash: What were you doing the first time you heard one of your songs on the radio? Morry: I was headed to a writer friend’s birthday celebration. As I turned onto South Street here in Nashville, I heard “The Famous Lefty Flynn’s” come on Satellite Radio. I just pulled over on the side of the road and savored every minute of it.
Nash: What is your favorite instrument to write on? Morry: I always write on guitar. It is the only instrument I play so it’s a natural thing. Some days when I co-write, if the other writer has the melody, I stay out of his/her way until I hear a chord change that the the other writer isn’t hearing and I pick it up and try something I’m hearing in my head.
Nash: Do you have any tips for beginning songwriters? Morry: Yes, the first thing I suggest is to go back and study the greats in any style of music you want to write. Know the history, read their lyrics and listen and learn. Have fun with it but write at every opportunity. When I started getting disciplined about writing songs, my writing got better by leaps and bounds.
Nash: What’s the difference in writing a country song and a Bluegrass song? Morry: Melodically, these days country music is more flexible and lyrically, bluegrass music is broader. There is not much difference on how I approach them. I just try to come out with the best song I can get on any given day. I let the finished song dictate what it turns out to be stylistically. I keep an open mind.
Nash: Who are some of your songwriting influences? Morry: There are a slew of them but Lennon and McCartney, Jagger and Richards influenced me from the rock perspective. Hank , Sr., Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Leon Russell, Jerry Jeff Walker and Dylan all were probably my biggest influences.
Nash: What is your favorite song that you’ve written, cut or uncut? Morry: Probably a song I wrote by myself called “The Streets of Tupelo.” It hasn’t been cut yet but I know it will be. It’s just got this haunting signature lick in it and it’s a love song that has a lot of emotion in it. People seem to connect with it. Johnny Reid, who is a monster of a singer, did the demo on it and he just nailed it.
Nash: How is downloading affecting songwriters and the music business? Morry: As of this writing, it is having a very negative effect. Professional songwriters don’t have a problem with their songs being downloaded but, according to statistics I heard from the Secretary of Commerce when he spoke at Belmont University a few months ago, 19 out of 20 song downloads are illegal. There are tons of illegal free downloading sites and the songs aren’t being licensed. The site operators sell ads and memberships but the copyright owner in most cases isn’t getting paid for the song he legally owns. It is like profiting from hot merchandise. We need a lot more education for the consumers and strict criminal laws worldwide to convict the site operators. Otherwise, nobody can afford to be a songwriter. Most of us struggle to make ends meet. For just a minute, imagine the world without the songs that we all grew up with. There would be a huge void there. I love the internet too but, without a handle on free downloading, it is killing a true art form.
Morry also suggested everyone watch what Kid Rock had to say about illegal downloading below.
Pictured at the marker on the Mississippi Country Music Trail (l-r) are: Alex Thomas, Mississippi Development of Tourism & Music; J.P. Wileman, Mississippi State Senate; Mac McAnally; Malcolm White, Executive Director of the Mississippi Arts Commission.
Mac McAnally was honored last week with two prestigious acknowledgements, both presented by his home state of Mississippi. First during a ceremony in Jackson, and emceed by Marty Stuart, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Arts Commission presented McAnally with the 2011 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. A bronze cast statue designed by artist Bill Dunlap represents the distinction.
The next day, McAnally became only the sixth artist to be recognized with a marker on the Mississippi Country Music Trail. The marker was unveiled at the same city park in Belmont, MS where Mac once played as a child. He joins such music luminaries as Jimmie Rodgers and Marty Stuart.
“This is an amazing honor for me to be acknowledged in such a way by the state I grew up in and was inspired by,” McAnally said. “Music is a vital part of life in Mississippi—from the Delta blues to country to Southern rock. It seeps into your very soul. I am proud to have grown up in a state so rich in culture and with such an amazing and deep musical heritage.”
Music was a direct path for young Lyman “Mac” McAnally. Born in Red Bay Alabama and raised in Belmont, Mississippi, he was a guitar and piano prodigy performing in clubs at 13, writing songs at 15 and a Muscle Shoals studio mainstay by 18. He scored his own record deal by the age of 17 and was later touring as a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, a position he holds to this day. As a songwriter, McAnally has scored numerous #1 hits, including Kenny Chesney’s 2009 #1 “Down The Road.”
Nashville singer/songwriter Josh Kelley co-wrote the theme song to the popular new CBS sitcom Mike & Molly, which is just one of many of his compositions featured in TV shows and movies.
Josh, named by The Tennessean as one of “11 Artists to Watch in 2011,” will release his debut country album, Georgia Clay, on March 22. Georgia Clay is Josh’s most autobiographical album to date and powerfully describes the most important moments of his life, including his marriage to actress Katherine Heigl, their adoption of daughter Naleigh and the family’s move to Utah.
Josh co-wrote “I See Love” with Keb’ Mo’, who sings the song in the version selected as the Mike & Molly theme.
“The Mike & Molly theme song came around sort of randomly,” Josh says. “In 2004, I called up Keb’ Mo’ and said, ‘I’d really love to write a song with you.’ He called me back and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I drove up to his house and we sat around for a while and we wrote this song called ‘I See Love.’ He put it on his album.
“Probably six months ago, he called me and said, ‘There’s a TV show called Mike and Molly that wants to use the song because they came to my live show and heard it. The creators of the show loved it.’ I didn’t think much about it.
“The next thing you know, he’s calling me and saying that they took it. It’s funny because now I’m a really big fan of the show and every time I watch it, I get to hear this cool song.”
He is considering recording a country version of “I See Love” on his next album. “The lyrics tell a story and I think they are country lyrics. I definitely think it can be a country song for sure.
“It’s like the guy has been around the world and done all of these little things and it’s in his journey that he learns how to actually see love for what it is,” he says of the song. “It’s traveling that makes it possible for his brain to see love the way he should be seeing it and love that has been right in front of his face his whole life.”
Josh’s music has been a steady presence in TV and films over the last few years. He is known for the Top 5 hit “Amazing,” and his music has been featured in MTV’s The Hills, ABC’s Brothers and Sisters and What About Brian and the CW’s Smallville, as well as movies including Sweet Home Alabama and The Prince and Me.
“A fulfilling part of my life is being able to write songs for film and television and also write songs for other artists,” he says.
“Georgia Clay,” the debut single from his upcoming album, is a Top 25 hit and climbing. He co-wrote the song with his brother, Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley, and his producer Clint Lagerberg.
Lady Antebellum recently recorded his song “Like I Do” for possible inclusion on their upcoming album, and Warner Bros. artist Jason Jones is releasing Kelley’s song “Ferris Wheel” as his first single. “It’s a good time,” Josh says. “I feel like I’m still at the bottom of the ladder but climbing up steady-eddy for sure right now. I’ve got a long way to go, but I love the journey.”
Josh is always thrilled when he learns that one of his songs has been chosen by a director or music supervisor, but sometimes he is surprised by which song was selected.
“They always pick the songs that I think could never be in film and television,” he says. “The ones that I try to write for film and TV never get picked because I think it comes down to the cliché of trying too hard. When you are just doing it because you love it and aren’t trying hard, it seems like everything falls into place.
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Nashville resident, Maine native and literate songwriter Rod Picott will celebrate his new cd, Welding Burns, with a special early, holiday show at The Bluebird Cafe (July 3rd).
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