Episodes

  • Chris Ruediger: "A Good Song Always Wins" - Navigating Media and Marketing

    Chris Ruediger: "A Good Song Always Wins" - Navigating Media and Marketing
    Nov 19 2024
    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, we dive into Chris’s story, including his first time at The Listening Room where he witnessed Hardy’s raw, unreleased music. We also talk about his venture into creating 615 House, a collaborative space for songwriters and musicians, born out of the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Chris shares his insights on the importance of branding, navigating the ever-changing world of social media, and how consistency and authenticity in content creation are key to making it in today’s music landscape. From the excitement of seeing artists hit milestones to the hustle of building a career during a global health crisis, Chris offers a candid look at what it takes to succeed. He also talks about the importance of collaboration, creative freedom, and finding your unique voice and brand as a creative. This episode is packed with valuable advice for anyone looking to break into the music industry or understand what it really takes to build a lasting career. Chris’s passion for music, marketing, community, and the process will inspire anyone chasing their own creative dreams. Like this episode? Don’t forget to share it with friends and give us a follow. Because of you,we can continue bringing you the Stories Behind the Songs from the people who are shaping the industry. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Chris Ruediger - HERE Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com / The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
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    51 mins
  • Russell Sutton: My Boy

    Russell Sutton: My Boy
    Nov 12 2024
    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 led to that breakthrough, and how his next chart-topping hit, “Whiskey on You” by Nate Smith, took things to the next level. In this episode, you’ll hear all about Russell’s early days and how he became the writer he is today. He shares the story of how “My Boy” came to life, the excitement of seeing his songs hit the radio, and the surreal experience of seeing his song performed live on “The Tonight Show.” Russel also opens up about the challenges he’s faced in the industry and offers some invaluable advice for aspiring songwriters. Plus, he talks about the new music he's working on and gives us a glimpse into what’s next. With wisdom from years of writing and building his career, Russell Sutton is a perfect example of how persistence, passion, friendships, and great songwriting can open doors in the industry. This episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and of course, some incredible performances of his biggest hits! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with friends and follow along for more Stories Behind the Songs. Your support is what keeps this podcast going, and we’re excited to bring you more stories from the people who write the songs you love! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Russell Sutton - HERE Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
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    57 mins
  • Keio Stroud: Drumming Up Dreams

    Keio Stroud: Drumming Up Dreams
    Nov 5 2024

    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 the biggest names in country music like Big & Rich and Wade Hayes. From learning to play by ear alongside country radio classics like Brooks & Dunn to the early "music mafia" days in Nashville's legendary Fiddle and Steel Guitar Bar, Keio talks about the community that helped him thrive as a young musician.

    Keio shares stories like the time he met Guy Clark in his underwear, or the hours spent honing his skills on the road. He also offers invaluable advice on listening as an instrument in and of itself. For any aspiring musicians tuning in, Keio’s wisdom and passion are sure to inspire.


    Let's dive into his story!


    SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Keio Stroud - HERE

    Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE

    SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs

    SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs

    SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs

    Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic

    Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com

    The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com

    TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe

    TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe

    *A special shout out to our sponsors*

    Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us

    Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/

    Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/



    Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Lauren Hungate: Holy Smokes

    Lauren Hungate: Holy Smokes
    Oct 29 2024
    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 Nashville writers’ rounds, and earning her first publishing deal right before the world shut down in 2020. She shares what it was like to perform alongside Carter Faith at the Opry, join Carly Pearce on stage at Bridgestone, and have her songs cut by rising stars like Anne Wilson and MacKenzie Porter. Her song “Holy Smokes” released by Bailey Zimmerman just went platinum and she recounts the inspiration behind it—a memory with her husband parked by a church, blending the sacred with the everyday. Tune in as she reflects on balancing faith with ambition, the mentors who helped her succeed, and advice for other young songwriters on how to navigate Nashville and make the most of every writing room. With standout songs like “Greener Pastures” and her latest single, “Coming Home to You (Bigger Houses),” this episode will inspire and entertain anyone passionate about music.If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Lauren ⁠⁠- https://www.instagram.com/lauren_hungate/profilecard/?igsh=MTBtdjFzMnFsZ2R5eA== Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/ TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
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    55 mins
  • Will Bundy: Mowing Lawns to Writing Thomas Rhett's #1s

    Will Bundy: Mowing Lawns to Writing Thomas Rhett's #1s
    Oct 22 2024
    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 like Brett James, Forest Whitehead, and Ashley Gorley. In this episode, you’ll hear about how he hustled to learn demo production when he couldn’t afford to hire anyone, carving out his niche in the industry as a “track guy”, his bold decision to rent out a studio on Music Row while living in Antioch, and writing his recent cut with Brad Paisley, “Truck Still Works”. He also shares stories about going on the road with Thomas Rhett and Rhett Akins and how that led to one of his career-defining songs, “Half of Me”. With recent cuts for both Luke Bryan and Brad Paisley, PLUS producing the viral hit “you look like you love me” by Ella Langley, Will Bundy is a great example of how hard work, strong relationships, and sticking with it truly pays off. Make sure to watch to the full episode for some invaluable advice to young songwriters, and a performance of his hit with Thomas Rhett and Riley Green, "Half of Me”. If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going. SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Will Bundy ⁠⁠- https://www.instagram.com/willbundy32?igsh=cjk5Zm91Y3pnMmp4 Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs https://www.tiktok.com/@sbtsongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/ TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
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    50 mins
  • Jordan Rager: All Out of Beer

    Jordan Rager: All Out of Beer
    Oct 15 2024

    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 in” to meet people in the music industry, growing up with two loves–sports and music, spending 10 years in Nashville, and the process of making his upcoming EP. If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going.

    SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Jordan Rager ⁠⁠- https://www.instagram.com/jordanrager...

    Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates:

    Listen/Subscribe/Follow - ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs

    SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs

    SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs

    SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs

    Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic

    Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/

    The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/

    TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe

    TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe


    *A special shout out to our sponsors*

    Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us

    Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/

    Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Victoria Banks: Saints & Angels

    Victoria Banks: Saints & Angels
    Oct 8 2024
    Victoria Banks joins us for this week’s new episode of Stories Behind the Songs! Victoria is what some people in the music industry would call a “unicorn” - she writes her best stuff completely 100% (meaning all by herself), and she has several accolades to her name including the Canadian Artist and Songwriter of the Year. Some of Victoria’s cuts include “Saints and Angels” by Sara Evans, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” by Mickey Guyton, and the one-and-only Reba McEntire’s most recent single, “I Can’t”, and she shares the story behind each one of these songs. In this episode, we also talk about how her song, “Saints and Angels” was edited and used as a post-9/11 anthem, “daring to suck” in co-writes, building a decade-long collaborative relationship with Mickey Guyton, teaching at Belmont where she can “be there for the beginning” of a student’s songwriting career, and getting that Reba cut with “I Can’t” 18 years after it was put on hold and seeing it debuted on The Voice. Victoria plays a verse and chorus of “Saints and Angels”, “I Can’t”, and an emotional rendition of “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” There’s so much good advice for aspiring songwriters in this one.. Thanks so much to Victoria for sharing some of her wisdom. Let’s get into it! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Victoria Banks ⁠⁠- https://www.instagram.com/victoriabanksmusic?igsh=MXRrbHQwcGliMW5yOQ== Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/ The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/ TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe *A special shout out to our sponsors* Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/ Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/ Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
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    57 mins
  • Adam Craig: Church Pew or Bar Stool

    Adam Craig: Church Pew or Bar Stool
    Oct 1 2024
    We’ve got a TLR favorite on this week’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs - Adam Craig! Adam has so many impressive cuts like “Church Pew or Bar Stool” by Jason Aldean, “Close Your Eyes” by Parmalee, and George Strait’s 2024 single from his upcoming album, “MIA Down In MIA”. We dive into those songs as well as the story behind his unreleased Cody Johnson cut written with Jordan Walker and Matt Rogers that will be on Cody’s next album. Adam also talks about his past publishing and record deals, moving to Nashville to be an artist, playing the Opry stage, writing for a “viral moment”, and trying to impress the songwriting icon, Dean Dillon. We also get a verse/chorus of “Church Pew and Barstool” and “MIA Down In MIA”. Adam is a good friend of mine and a regular on our stage, and I’m so glad we got the opportunity to dig deeper into his story and career and, of course, his songs! SHOW NOTES: Keep up with Adam Craig ⁠⁠- @adamcraigofficial Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates: Listen/Subscribe/Follow - ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe A special shout out to our sponsors: Sennheiser Imperfect Aesthetician Alclair In-Ear Monitors --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
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    52 mins