Road to the Arena

Born and raised in America's heartland, Blue Rapids, KS, Gabe's music reflects the down-to-earth charm and genuine warmth of small town living. From energetic anthems to heartfelt ballads, his songs are packed with clever rhymes and a deep love for the country lifestyle. With over 10 years of experience as an entertainer in Nashville, TN and across the United States, Gabe brings a wealth of talent...

They said, move to Nashville, write some hits, and the rest will follow. For CJ Solar, writing Jameson Rodgers’ "Some Girls" and Morgan Wallen's breakout hit "Up Down" featuring Florida Georgia Line set the bar extremely high. Nashville changed the “rules” right when CJ was breaking as a writer, but that hasn’t stopped this Southern Rocker from making his own rules and turning every head on the wa...

Halle Kearns, a rising star, house boat dweller, and native of Columbia, MO, has been making a significant impact in the country music scene since her debut in 2020. She has amassed a following including over 11 million Tik Tok views, 23 million global streams, and 82,000 Instagram followers. Halle’s music has been featured on Spotify’s Hot Country, New Boots, and Wild Country playlists, and she h...

This episode discusses the current affairs of the music industry, most notably Live Nation's stranglehold on the entire touring industry. From venues to ticketing to the bus company and even the managers, Live Nation's 350+ companies own every side of the most lucrative part of the industry. Mike Slade's company built the first Ticketmaster website, and worked very closely with the founder of the...

Daniel Borge is known in Norway for doing what is considered to be almost impossible as an independent Norwegian artist. He has been building a name in Nashville, among well known musicians and songwriters in the American country music industry. The year 2019 marked the beginning of the musical career for the Norwegian country artist. After a Nashville visit, Daniel found himself checked into his...

Michael McCrae, a Nashville-based singer-songwriter originally from Wilmington, NC, discovered his passion for music during his early teens. The catalyst was hearing a fellow student sing a Stevie Wonder song in chorus class, sparking a lifelong dedication to his craft. Despite lacking a manager and industry experience, Michael's drive propelled him to significant achievements by his early twentie...

Hunter Hayes is a self-described music nerd, but this “nerd” is also a multi-platinum singer-songwriter who is an equally brilliant producer and also masterfully plays basically every instrument. While the 2012 mega-hit anthem “Wanted” will live on forever, Hunter’s focus on self-reflection and being present in the creative process is resulting in some of the most inspiring music of his career in...

After you hear Mae Estes' story, you are going to be an instant fan of her self-dubbed genre, “Ugly Country.” Mae got her start at age 7 in the middle of an Arkansas rodeo arena singing the national anthem, and this Hope, Arkansas native hasn’t stopped singing since. Paying dues in Music City for nearly a decade, she has now racked up more than 13 million streams across platforms and over 1M views...

Now this is a wild story! Scott Scovill may have started his adult life failing out of college, but a chance encounter with U2’s tour bus sent him on a trajectory nobody could have predicted. He quite literally snuck on tour with U2 and was quickly put to work. In this episode, you will hear how Scott begged, borrowed, and stole credentials for each stop of the tour all while working for free. Fro...

In this episode of Road to the Arena, Basak talks about how she landed in Nashville from Turkey, her process of launching a fast-growing career in the music business, and her work with Alana Springsteen. She explains what it means to market yourself as an artist, how she met Alana, and her unique approach to networking that has launched Alana into a new caliber of success. Road to the Arena is an...

Tyler Braden began discovering his sound as a teenager in Slapout, AL, where his four-hour cover sets made his grit and skill as an artist clear. He continued to perform part-time between shifts as a firefighter in Montgomery and Nashville before landing a publishing and record deal. His single, “Try Losing One,” hit No. 1 on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown. Braden's latest track, "Devil Y...

Spencer Crandall's Success was "Worth the Wait" | Road To The Arena Podcast Ep. 01 Spencer Crandall has become known for his raw, soul-baring stories, but it was a silly app for tweens that helped him go from one follower on Facebook (his grandma) to nearly 3MM people on TikTock. The Nashville-based artist has spent years combining pop’s untamed energy with the lyricism of Country, opening up terr...

Wendy Hope, Mike Slade, and Drew Russell discuss the difficulty of breaking through the noise of 70,000 daily Spotify uploads without significant financial backing, and ways artists could improve their likelihood of success.

Road to the Arena - Coming Soon! Follow along as Wendy Hope, Drew Russell, and Mike Slade discuss the issues artists face as they navigate the murky waters that are financial transparency (or a lack thereof) in the music industry.