Songwriter Soup

Maren Morris ("My Church", "The Bones") parks it on the Soup couch this week for a deep dive on some of the most unexplored topics in the music industry. She unpacks the baffling reality of why producers get points but songwriters don't in the streaming age, spills the tea on how country radio works and the conversations artists are afraid of. She also covers a LOT about navigating major label dea...

Deric Ruttan (“What Was I Thinking” Dierks Bentley, “Mine Would Be You” Blake Shelton, “Any Ol’ Barstool” Jason Aldean) joins the trio this week to unlock the secret to staying in this business for a lifetime. He opens up about the emotional toll of the built in rejection part of this gig, the importance of separating work from identity for his own sanity, and how he manages to stay grounded in th...

Joybeth Taylor (“Choosin’ Texas” Ella Langley, “I Can’t Love You Anymore” Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen, “Empty Words” Corey Kent) is living through once-in-a-lifetime songwriter success with faith, grace and open hands. JoyBeth’s experience on music row is the quintessential Nashville journey—artist turned songwriter (waiter / nanny / lifeguard / day job / day job / day job…..) to revered...

This week, we have Nashville’s most considerate publisher, Creative Nation’s Beth Laird on the podcast. Married to a hit songwriter (Soup season 1 alum, Luke Laird), Beth has a front row seat to the hearts, habits and creature comforts of creative minds. We talk about how Beth and Luke went against the publishing company grain when they started Creative Nation and how those decisions remain the co...

This week’s guest, artist and songwriter, Alana Springsteen (“ghost in my guitar”, “Hot Honey” and her latest album I Hope This Helps), discusses the burn out that comes with starting out in the music business at a young age, and the breaking points that led her back to making music for her own soul. Alana and the trio talk about how difficult it is to maintain a sense of genuine purpose in an ind...

In this deeply honest and illuminating episode of Songwriter Soup, Nashville songwriter Nell Maynard (“Opti-MYSTIC” Abbie Callahan, “Blueneck” Chris Housman, “Like A Boy” LEW) joins us for a wide-ranging conversation that challenges traditional music industry norms.  From securing a highly unusual publishing deal that grants her 100% ownership of her writing and publishing with zero advance,...

Blake Pendergrass (“Just In Case” Morgan Wallen, “Brunette” Tucker Wetmore, “ROCKSTAR” Hardy) is on the Songwriter Soup couch this week breaking down his bizarre entrance into the music industry-an emphatic push from his lawyer parents to skip normal people school and pursue music. Blake walks us thru the typical ten year town songwriter experience of waiting tables, finding community & cowrit...

Hit Songwriter, founder of Hope On The Row, and overall angel, Ava Suppelsa (“Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)” Max McKnown, “Critic” Avery Anna, “Salt, Lime & Tequila” Ryan Griffin) joins the trio on the couch this week. Ava is one of those people that knows how to human. From quitting a cushy record label job to clean up bachelorette confetti in order to pursue her songwriter dream, to her fir...

Mags Duval (“Ordinary” Alex Warren, “To Love Someone” Benson Boone, “Flame” Teddy Swims) has one of the most interesting songwriter stories we’ve ever heard on the podcast. Born with singular voice and style, she was meant for this from a very early age. In fact, her one and only song, managed to wow Nick Cannon, and jump start her career at thirteen years old (13!). But with all the luck and tale...

Artist and genuine songwriter advocate, Ashley McBryde (“Girl Goin Nowhere”, “Martha Divine,” “Bible and a .44”) pulls up some couch this week to bring a massive, unfiltered perspective to the pod. We go everywhere in this one—from Ashley's early days running loss prevention at Guitar Center and getting paid in chicken strips for writers' rounds. We discuss the difference between an artist and a s...

Ben Johnson (“All The Way” BigXThaPlug & Bailey Zimmerman, “TRUCK BED” Hardy, “Dying Man” Morgan Wallen) is on the pod this week to discuss family, outliers, finding co-writers and lawyers. We cover some new territory as it pertains to picking lawyers. We have sadly noticed how often the first lawyer you pick is a name you got from the person you actually negotiate against. We’re too trusting,...

This week, the Songwriter Soup crew interviews Lauren Hungate (“Holy Smokes” Bailey Zimmerman, “Break First” Tucker Wetmore, “The Aftermath” Carter Faith). We jump around from being a mom & songwriter at the same time, the ideal ballad to bop ratio, social media (friend or foe), discovering artists at the ground floor only to watch them end up in fancier rooms and how to handle that with poise...

Laura collected, sifted, and solicited and we have  round of listener questions we’ll be addressing this week. We cover the most asked questions like how to get some decent song feedback, and where not to go for that. We discuss being socially awkward while networking, which feels like a curse for... some of us. We also discuss the delicate nature of songwriters existing in other parts o...

Mike Robinson (“ For The Rest Of Your Life ” - Teddy Swims, “ Umbrella ” Fitz and The Tantrums, “ 4runner ” Brenn!) joins the Songwriter Soup trio this week to discuss how being a no-brainer hit songwriter still involves a load of patience while you wait for the proof (a big ol fat hit) to show up. Mike shares his approach on his career as he makes his way through-continue to show up, kick as...

The crew is joined by Austin Goodloe (“ Dandelion ” Ella Langley, “ Rocky Mountain Low ” Corey Kent & Koe Wetzel, “ I Can’t Love You Anymore" Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen) to discuss the difference between confidence and cockiness, obsession with music, and not letting tenure spoil the magic of this crazy career. Austin shares stories about how Jelly Roll helped get him signed to a publish...

Producer and songwriter David Spencer parks it on the Soup couch this week, bringing a massive amount of cross-genre perspective, jumping from Christian radio hits like Katie Nichole’s " In Jesus Name " to producing a viral TikTok pop smash for Neoni, and even helming Jo Dee Messina’s highly anticipated upcoming return album. But before the chaotic six-week perio...

This week the trio sits down with the tallest man to ever enter the Songwriter Soup lair: producer and songwriter Paul DiGiovanni (“How Not To” Dan + Shay,  "The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” Justin Moore, “Lose You” Jordan Davis). Paul’s journey is a masterclass in the winding road of the music industry, traversing from the height of 2000s emo with Boys Like Girls ("The Great Esca...

This week we host songwriting couple (each a BMI Songwriters Of The Year of years past), Nicolle Galyon & Rodney Clawson. We cover the importance of acknowledging your “money scripts” - those things you knew to be true about money when you were a kid that you dragged into your adulthood. We also touch on that moment when success as a songwriter becomes a temptation to delve into different side...

Producer and songwriter Gabe Simon (“Stick Season” Noah Kahan, “Blue Banisters” Lana Del Ray, “The Man That Came Back” Jessie Murph) shares his journey from driving Uber while on a publishing deal to producing career-defining records for Noah Kahan, Dermot Kennedy, and Lana Del Rey. This conversation explores the financial realities of the music business, the importance of community over competiti...

Trio de Songwriter Soup delve into art/business relationships and more on today’s episode. When it comes to a songwriter’s relationship with an artist, what is loyalty exactly? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Man, it sure can get tricky as people come and go (and come and go again). Holding too tightly and/or getting one’s feelings hurt can do damage, internally and externally. Let’s talk a...

Dave Cohen (“Pray Hard”BigXThaPlug & Luke Combs, “Home” BigXThaPlug & Shaboozey, “Good Day For Living” Joe Nichols) is a previously full time touring musician, 5-time Academy of Country Music and 6-time Music Row Award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist who pivoted to songwriting in recent years. There is so much to learn from Dave regarding expanding your toolbox, being a good col...

This week the crew is joined by ABSOLUTE LEGEND, artist and GRAMMY-winning songwriter Natalie Hemby (Kacey Musgraves "Rainbow", Miranda Lambert "White Liar", Little Big Town "Pontoon"). The crew dives into that [very real] post-number-one depression, choosing family over touring, and getting pigeonholed as a songwriter. Natalie also shares the story of passing up writing "Shallow" with Lady Gaga a...

Alysa Vanderheym (Rolling Up The Welcome Mat & Patterns Kelsea Ballerini, “Lose Somebody” Kygo & OneRepublic, “Hold On Me” Jelly Roll) gets into some big fat topics on the pod this week. The discussion covers craftsmanship, critical acclaim and the risks and advantages of artists who veer away from the radio and towards a finer art. The juiciest part of this episode BY FAR is when the crew...

Matt Dragstrem (“I’ll Name The Dogs” Blake Shelton, “What My World Spins Around” Jordan Davis, “Just To Say We Did” Kenny Chesney) is a guy you’d meet at a party and find out years later, he wrote all of your favorite country songs. Songwriter Soup is proud to platform the least braggy writer in all of music row and discuss his journey from Starbucks to staff writer and how someone without that se...

Tayla Parx (“7 rings” & thank u, next” Ariana Grande, “High Hopes” Panic! At The Disco, “Like JENNIE” JENNIE) joins the crew this week and this episode covers a LOT— the LA style publishing deal compared to a Nashville style deal, how to tailor your business set up to fit your life and lifestyle, and how to approach mentoring with the aim to better the culture and leave something sustainable b...