Stories Behind the Songs

In this week's episode I sit down with, @WalkerHaye s! Walker takes us on his journey from growing up in Alabama to chasing his dreams in Nashville, where a bold moment with @Shane McAnally changed everything. He opens up about the struggles of getting his songs cut, the moment he realized people truly connected with his music, and how “ You Broke Up With Me” started right here at TLR before...

In this episode, I sit down with the founder of Nashville Tour Stop , @Aaron Schilb ! After moving to Nashville in 2017, he played his own shows before realizing his true passion was behind the scenes—curating and supporting artists rather than being on stage himself. We explore how @ Nashville Tour Stop evolved from a small bar gig into a vibrant songwriter community, how losing his hearing at a...

In this episode, I sit down with longtime radio personality and artist manager ⁠ @Kris⁠Rochester ! Kris shares how he landed a job in the radio industry—eventually scoring a gig in San Diego, where he worked alongside some of the biggest names in country music. We talk about his all-time favorite interviews (including a president or two) and what it was like sitting down with legends like @Kenny R...

In this episode, I sit down with award-winning songwriter and publisher @Liz Rose ! Liz Rose didn’t start writing songs until later in her life, but once she did, she never looked back. After working with songwriters through her own publishing company, she eventually started writing alongside them. This led to a publishing deal and a career filled with some of country music’s biggest hits. We dive...

In this special episode, I sit down with the legendary @PamTillis We talk about her incredible career and the 25th anniversary of her Grand Ole Opry membership. Music has surrounded Pam since day one—literally. Her father moved her to Nashville as a baby, and from that moment on, she was immersed in every kind of sound imaginable. Growing up, she explored all genres, experimenting with different s...

In this special episode from the Boots on the Water cruise, I sit down with Lonestar to talk about their legendary hits and decades in country music. I couldn’t think of a better fit to help us celebrate our 2-year Stories Behind The Songs Anniversary! We dive into “Amazed” —a song that says what men struggle to put into words, spending nine weeks at No. 1—and “I’m Already There,” which became an...

In this episode, I sit down with Emily Falvey ! Emily’s journey from Colorado to Nashville was fueled by a love for songwriting and a deep passion for music. After moving to Texas in high school, she set her sights on Belmont, where she quickly realized she was surrounded by incredible talent. An internship at SMACK changed everything—when a mentor asked where she really wanted to go, she knew son...

In this episode, I sit down with @Johnny Clawson ! Johnny’s journey from Northern Virginia to Nashville is anything but typical. After playing in rock and metal bands, he knew he had to leave Virginia to chase music, eventually leading him to quit his corporate job and make the move to Music City. From substitute teaching to bartending, Johnny did whatever it took to stay in Nashville. His big bre...

In this episode, I sit down with Scott Stepakoff ! From fronting his own jam band Turtle Grove to becoming a Nashville songwriter, his journey has been full of twists. After working in TV production, he took a shot at music, leading to a longtime writing partnership with Josh Osborne . Over the years, he’s landed cuts with Kip Moore , Kelsey Hart , and Blake Shelton —but he’s still chasing that fi...

In this episode, I sit down with ⁠@Sarah Buxton⁠ ! From Kansas to Nashville, Sarah’s journey is a testament to her talent and resilience. After moving to Music City in 1998 and attending Belmont University, she quickly found her way into Nashville’s songwriting circles, collaborating with some of the industry’s best. Sarah co-wrote the Grammy-winning hit ⁠“Stupid Boy,”⁠ recorded by Keith Urban, an...

In this episode, I sit down with @Kassi Ashton ! From performing on stage at just four years old to signing her first publishing deal with @Creative Nation , her journey is nothing short of extraordinary. We talk about her debut album, where every song is a piece of her story, from the empowering “Made From the Dirt” to the heartfelt “Juanita,” written in honor of her grandmother. She shares the h...

For our 100th episode, I sit down with ⁠Ward Guenther⁠ , the creator of ⁠Whiskey Jam⁠ and a cornerstone of Nashville’s music scene. Ward’s journey started with a guitar at summer camp and a dream that brought him to Nashville in 2003. Since then, he’s built something truly iconic. We explore how Whiskey Jam grew from an underground writers night into a platform that launched countless careers for...

In this episode, I sit down with Styles !  Styles has made his mark in country music with his song “Country On,” cut by Luke Bryan and performed at the CMAs. He’s had quite the journey, from growing up in Ohio where his dad’s shop hosted a local band, to moving to Nashville in 2018 with just one connection. Along the way, he worked with legends like Rob Snyder and Eric Hur t, and landed his first...

In this episode, I sit down with ⁠ Matt Mulhare ⁠ ! Matt’s journey from New York to Nashville is as unexpected as it is inspiring. While studying at Belmont University, he discovered his voice as a songwriter and performer, eventually collaborating with other songwriters to bring his music to life. His story is proof that no dream is too big—even for an 8-year-old kid with a love for guitar. We di...

In this episode, I sit down with ⁠SJ McDonald⁠ ! Growing up on her family’s turkey and cattle farm in Virginia, SJ’s journey to Nashville started with selling a steer to buy her first guitar. After moving to Music City in 2017 to attend Belmont University, she discovered her passion for songwriting and spent seven years performing on Broadway, where she sharpened her craft. From landing her publis...

In this episode, I sit down with singer-songwriter Jenn Bostic . Jenn Bostic has made a name for herself in country and christian contemporary music as an artist and songwriter, with her heartfelt song “Jealous of the Angels” connecting with listeners around the world. From growing up in a small town in Minnesota, where music became her therapy after losing her dad, to attending Berklee College of...

In this episode, I sit down with singer-songwriter James Slater! James Slater has written songs for Rascal Flatts , Tim McGraw , Jamey Johnson , Keith Urban , Kenny Chesney , Willie Nelson , and Martina McBride . James has pretty much seen it all. From living in places like Miami, the Panama Canal, and Switzerland, he has so many stories to share. After spending years writing in LA and touring Eur...

In this episode, I sit down with Jordan Rowe!  From navigating a music career during a pandemic to building his community of songwriters centered around faith, we dive into a little bit of it all this week. Jordan tells us about his early days playing drums in church, getting his start on the Georgia acoustic circuit, and how his path eventually led him to Nashville in 2019. That same year, he rel...

In this episode, I had the chance to sit down with the incredibly talented Johnny McGuire , who’s had quite the journey in country music. Originally from Dallas, Johnny moved to Nashville in 2012 with the dream of becoming a songwriter. Little did he know, his path would take some unexpected turns, from forming the duo “ Walker McGuire ” with Jordan Walker to carving out a successful solo career....

Chris Ruediger joined me on today’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs to share his incredible journey from growing up in Massachusetts to making his mark in Nashville’s thriving music scene. After moving to Music City in 2017 with a passion for being part of the creative process, Chris quickly found himself immersed in the energy of Nashville’s songwriting and artist community.  In this episode,...

In this week’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs, I’m joined by Russell Sutton !   Russell talks about how he made the move from Texas to Nashville and carved a name for himself in the music industry. He’s the writer behind some of your favorite hits, including “ My Boy ” by Elvie Shane – a song that was Russell’s first #1 and landed him his first publishing deal. We dive into the journey that l...

Joining us on this week's episode of Stories Behind the Songs is Keio Stroud, a drummer whose journey through the music world is deeply rooted in family and faith—and whose career reads like a who's-who of country music icons. In this episode, Keio talks about how his Nashville journey began with a last-minute gig that led him to the city and eventually put him on the stage with some of...

Lauren Hungate joins us on today’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs . Lauren has been writing for some exciting newer artists like MacKenzie Porter , Carter Faith , and Lauren Watkins , as well as household names like Anne Wilson , Carly Pearce , and most recently, Bailey Zimmerman . In this episode, we explore her story, from starting out as an intern with Capitol Christian, navigating Nashvil...

Our guest on Stories Behind the Songs this week is Will Bundy ! From a small town near Bristol, TN, Will has such a cool story that was so much fun to get into. We dive deep into his journey from mowing lawns and farming to producing demos that landed him in writing rooms with some of Nashville’s biggest names right now like Riley Green, Thomas Rhett, and Ella Langley, as well as hit songwriters l...

Jordan Rager joins us this week on Stories Behind the Songs! Jordan landed his very first number one on the charts with a song called “ All Out of Beer ” by none other than Jason Aldean for his 2016 LP, They Don’t Know. We take a look at the stories behind a couple of his songs and get to hear a couple of them. In this episode, Jordan and I also talk about Whiskey Jam and the many nights he “snuck...