This writer has not only been a successful solo artist, with his #1 hit “Don’t Get Me Started” but has also written chart toppers for some of country music’s biggest names. He’s had 28 #1 singles (and counting), was named the #4 Billboard Country Songwriter, and has earned BMI’s Songwriter of the Year award twice. He co-wrote Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee,” which became the highest selling digital debut by a country male solo artist. He’s won six CMA Triple Play Awards (presented to a songwriter who has penned three #1 singles in 12 months) and this year it was announced that he’s had at least one song in the Country Airplay charts every week for the past seven years straight. And The Writer Is… Rhett Akins!
Ep. 29: Thomas Rhett
Kicking off CMA Week, this guest has been breaking charts and blurring genres since the start of his career. Raised on tour with his father and influenced by country, rock and hip-hop, songwriting and performing came naturally to this unstoppable artist. Only eight months into his first publishing deal, he contributed to Jason Aldean's 4x-platinum album 'My Kinda Party' with his song, "I Ain’t Ready To Quit." He went on to pen hits for artists such as Florida Georgia Line, Scotty McCreery, Joe Nichols, and Lee Brice. "Die A Happy Man," the single off of his sophomore album 'Tangled Up' won BMI Country Song of The Year and was nominated for the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Country Song. His latest album 'Life Changes' debuted at #1 on Billboard and features smash hits such as "Unforgettable" and "Craving You feat. Maren Morris." And The Writer Is...Thomas Rhett!
Ep. 28: David Israelite
If you’re currently a professional songwriter or if you’re working to become one, our next episode is required listening. Our guest is unlike any of our previous, in that he’s not a songwriter, but works tirelessly on behalf of ALL songwriters. He’s been the CEO and President of the National Music Publishers’ Association for the past 13 years, where he implemented landmark legal successes for publisher and songwriter royalty rate agreements and continues to work on increasing the value of intellectual property. Named to Billboard’s Power 100 multiple times, this overachiever serves on several boards including the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has previously served in senior positions within the U.S. Government. This honorable guest certainly has a colorful background of proven success no matter where he is and man are we grateful to have him as the backbone standing up for songwriter rights and compensation. And The Writers Is… songwriter advocate and one mean poker player, David Israelite!
Ep. 27: Dan Wilson
This guest is an artist, songwriter, and producer of some of the most iconic pop songs of the last three decades. He’s also the frontman of rock group Semisonic, responsible for the memorable hit "Closing Time." This lyrical genius has released four solo albums and become a highly sought after and diverse collaborator, working with artists such as Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, P!nk, Phantogram, Noah Cyrus, Bishop Briggs, and many others. He's penned top hits including Adele's "Someone Like You,” the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice," and "Home" by Dierks Bentley. He just wrapped his US tour in support of his latest album release ‘Re-Covered,’ a collection of his reinterpretations of songs that he wrote for and with other artists, for which he also wrote and illustrated a deluxe book/CD, including session stories and songwriting tidbits. Ladies and gentleman, And The Writer Is...two time Grammy Award Winner…Dan Wilson!
Recorded in front of a live audience at Youtube Space LA!
Ep. 26: Claude Kelly
Born and raised in New York, New York, this songwriter caught the music bug early on, being introduced to a wide variety of music styles by his Jamaican-born mother at a young age. That passion eventually led him to enroll at Berklee College of Music in Boston where he went on to collaborate with notable artists such Whitney Houston, Faith Evans, Christina Aguilera, and John Legend, proving this icon is truly a source of inspiration for all. He is now a four time Grammy Nominee and has penned chart topping hits throughout the last two decades such as Britney Spears's “Circus," Bruno Mars’s “Grenade,” and Miley Cyrus’s “Party In The U.S.A." And The Writer Is... The Studio Beast himself...Claude Kelly!