Stories Behind the Songs

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Chris Blair

14 episodes

3 days ago

What if your songwriting school was a sold-out room and your tuition was a bar shift? We sit down with Luke Stevens to trace a path from Oklahoma fields to Nashville stages, where classic 70s storytellers like James Taylor and Jackson Browne shaped a pen built for honest lines and clean hooks. Luke shares the spark behind Second Thoughts First, a title he caught in the wild and turned into a chorus about overthinking until the right person makes life simple. Then the script flips with Since Y...

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Music Interviews

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Episodes (14/14)

Stories Behind the Songs

From Oklahoma Roots To Nashville Stages: Luke Stevens On Craft, Community, And Sobriety

5 days ago

52 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

From RV Breakdowns To Platinum Hits: Jeff Middleton On Songwriting, AI, And The Long Road In Nashville

Some songs take the long way home. Jeff Middleton joins us to map that winding route—Jersey kid to Nashville lifer—through a Warner deal with The Dirt Drifters, a thousand-dollar RV that literally went up in flames, and the four-year journey of Drowns The Whiskey from a bus write to a multi-week No. 1 with Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert. It’s a story of grit, timing, and how a better demo can change fate. We dig into the changing economics of songwriting—how streaming thinned the middle cl...

1 week ago

54 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

From “Gonna Love You” to “Devil Don’t Go There”: Abram Dean on hits, hustle, and the doors that opened

What if the song that changes your life starts with a brief, a laugh, and a note you weren’t sure you could sing? We sit down with songwriter Abram Dean and trace the unlikely trail from church costumes and a middle-school talent win to LA’s genre-blend grind, a Warner publishing deal, and a move to Nashville that felt less like strategy and more like calling. We unpack the room where “Gonna Love You” took shape for Parmalee—a “power ballad” request that turned into a simple, soaring promise...

2 weeks ago

35 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

From Parkville Bars to Viral Breakthroughs: Roman Alexander’s Roadmap to an Independent Country Career

A guitar from his uncle’s country band, open mics before he could legally walk into the bar, and a stubborn ear that learned by listening—Roman Alexander’s road to Nashville wasn’t polished, it was practiced. We sit down to unpack the exact moves that turned a Missouri kid into a touring artist and a credible songwriter: washing cars at an Audi dealership to meet gatekeepers, selling merch on a midnight bus to learn tour life, and sending a bold “manager” email that led to a hard no—then a fu...

3 weeks ago

1 hour 3 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

Remembering Brett James: A Musical Legacy Cut Short

Some losses leave us searching for words where there are none. The sudden passing of Brett James Cornelius, along with his wife and her daughter, in a plane crash on September 18, 2025, has left Nashville's music community reeling in grief. This special episode stands as a raw, heartfelt tribute to a songwriter whose pen crafted some of country music's most enduring hits, and whose heart crafted friendships that defined the Nashville community. Brett James wasn't just a Grammy-winning songwr...

1 month ago

18 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

The Art of Vulnerability: Colbie Caillat's Musical Evolution

Grammy-winning artist Colbie Caillat sits down for an intimate conversation about the winding road from MySpace sensation to seasoned songwriter. With her trademark warmth and authenticity, she reveals how music was always coursing through her veins—singing at the top of her lungs every morning as a child and eventually being guided toward songwriting by her father's wisdom that it would "be more meaningful." The conversation takes us through the unexpected explosion of "Bubbly" that catapul...

1 month ago

40 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

Finding Your Voice: Abbie Callahan's Journey Through Music and Self-Discovery

The first time Abbie Callahan heard Dolly Parton perform live, something clicked. At just 14 years old, watching from the audience with her mother and grandmother, Abbie experienced what she describes as an epiphany: "I saw that and I was like, 'oh, that's what I want to do.'" That moment set her on a path from Iowa City to Nashville, where she's now carving out a distinctive space with what she calls "Kaleidoscope Country." Abbie's debut EP "Grossly Aware" showcases her remarkable ability t...

1 month ago

39 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

Blake Pendergrass: Faith, Perseverance, and 15 Morgan Wallen Cuts

What does it take to go from waiting tables to writing chart-topping hits for country music's biggest stars? In this compelling conversation, songwriter Blake Pendergrass opens up about his remarkable year since his last appearance on the podcast – a year that's seen him secure 15 cuts on Morgan Wallen's latest album (including his first #1 hit), pen songs for Jelly Roll, Tucker Wetmore, and Post Malone, and have eight singles charting simultaneously on country radio. Behind these impressive...

2 months ago

50 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

From Scotland to Nashville: Callum Kerr's Musical Journey

From the rolling hills of Scotland to the hallowed circle of the Grand Ole Opry, Callum Kerr's musical journey defies conventional paths. Our conversation reveals the beautiful synchronicity of events that led this actor-turned-country artist to find his true calling. Callum shares how his musical awakening happened at 17 when a Texas sports camp job unexpectedly introduced him to country music. "I was just blown away," he recalls of hearing artists like Dierks Bentley and Zac Brown Band for...

2 months ago

54 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

From Georgia to Nashville: Cole Taylor's Journey to Hit Songwriting

Cole Taylor's journey from small-town Georgia to Nashville success story perfectly captures the dreams that bring so many songwriters to Music City. Within just nine months of arriving in Nashville, Taylor landed a publishing deal that would launch a career filled with chart-topping hits for country music's biggest stars. Growing up immersed in a rich musical tapestry—from Alan Jackson's storytelling to Lynyrd Skynyrd's southern rock—Taylor developed a versatile songwriting approach that mak...

2 months ago

44 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

Cattywampus: How a Word Nobody Wanted Became a Hit with Braden Jamison

Braden Jamison's voice hits you immediately – authentic, rooted in tradition, yet distinctly his own. The Oklahoma native's path to Nashville wasn't straight, having grown up playing four sports simultaneously before making the pivotal decision to quit basketball his junior year to pursue music. That choice led to an unforgettable opportunity: opening for Toby Keith after just one band rehearsal. After moving to Nashville in 2020 to attend Belmont University, Braden embraced the songwriter's...

2 months ago

30 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

Beau Bailey: How He Crafted Hits for Artists like Blake Shelton and Hardy

What does it take to go from a small Louisiana town to writing chart-topping hits for country music's biggest stars in just a few years? Beau Bailey's songwriting journey is as unexpected as it is inspiring. In this captivating conversation, Beau reveals how a dislocated shoulder from an impromptu boxing match at age 15 led him to pick up guitar and accidentally discover his songwriting gift. His path to Nashville began with a pop-rock band and a Universal Records deal that launched right be...

2 months ago

49 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

Ashland Craft: Dive Bar Beauty Queen

This week I sit down with @ashlandcraft ! From growing up in small-town South Carolina to sharing stages with country icons, Ashland Craft’s journey is as raw and real as her voice. We talk about her time on The Voice, what it taught her about trusting her gut, and how it led her to pack up everything and take a leap of faith in Nashville. Ashland opens up about the early grind—bar gigs, long nights, and finding her sound in a town full of noise. She shares stories behind her favorite son...

3 months ago

46 minutes

Stories Behind the Songs

The Swon Brothers: Songs That Said It All

In this episode, I sit down with @TheSwonBrothers! From their Oklahoma roots to writing songs with @BlakeShelton and touring with @CarrieUnderwood, Zach and Colton share the highs, lows, and full-circle moments of their journey in country music. We dive into the story behind their latest cut with Blake, the emotional writing of “Mamas,” and the crowd reaction that made them believe in their new song “Diamond Rio.” They talk about the ups and downs of the road, the beauty of writing as bro...

3 months ago

1 hour 3 minutes