The Zak Kuhn Show

Former saddle bronc rider Chancey Williams is on the podcast this week. Now he is more known for being a country artist.  He and fellow Wyoming artist and rodeo cowboy Chris LeDoux are the only two individuals to compete in the rodeo and perform on the main stage of Cheyenne Frontier. You're going to love this conversation! 

Host of popular YouTube channel Ask Zac, Zac Childs is who the guitar legends call when they need something. He's a wealth on information. Learn the secrets to buying a vintage guitar in this episode and much more.

Brad Paisley needs no introduction. This was recorded live in Brad's home studio. Watch the video interview on YouTube.

Shawn Askinosie is the Indiana Jones of making chocolate. His company Askinosie Chocolate makes some of the best, highest quality chocolate today. We talk all about the chocolate making process. But it's not about the chocolate. Shawn uses his business to help his local community, as well as the farmers around the world that he sources his beans from. You'll be inspired by Shawn's story. 

Jerry Flowers is the bass player and musical director for Keith Urban. He's been playing with him for over 30 years. Flowers is also a No. 1 Songwriter and has written hits for Sam Hunt, Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris, Jason Aldean and Billy Currington, among others. Jerry is a Nashville lifer! It's in his blood. And he spills it all in this conversation. You're going to love it! - Zak

Nashville guitar ace Guthrie Trapp returns to the podcast this week. We discuss his new record with Tom Bukovac and so much more. Guthrie is one of a kind. You're going to love his musical knowledge and insight.  

If you don't know, my company Nashville Briefing is releasing our debut print issue today! This conversation with Bobby Bones was for a Q&A that appears in the print issue. The audio here was never meant to be listened to but I decided we should put it out anyway. Have fun!

Sony/Monument recording duo Tigirlily Gold is on the podcast this week! We talk about them being on the cover for Nashville Briefing's debut print issue, their current radio single "I Tried A Ring On", and so much more. I even harmonize with them live on the air. These girls are blowing up! Listen to our convo now

Grace Bowers has emerged as a guitar phenomenon out of Nashville. She's been sought after by everyone from Lainey Wilson, Devon Allman, Margo Price, Tyler Childers, Kingfish, Susan Tedeshi, and others. Grace mastered her abilities via YouTube tutorials and lessons. In the midst of the COVID lockdown, she built an audience by regularly livestreaming solo jam sessions on Reddit, while her Instagram reels often achieved viral impact. Along the way, she landed a coveted Gibson endorsement at the age of 14. At the current age of 17, Grace is one of the most interesting guitarists in the scene right now. We talk about her rise, her approach on the instrument and so much more. 

Rising country star Alexandra Kay joins The Zak Kuhn Show this week to open up about her debut album, divorce and live on the road. The independent artist sold over 50,00 tickets last year on her headlining tour and has already earned millions of streams.

Colbie Caillat burst onto the music scene with Coco in 2007. She has since sold millions of albums and has earned over 15 billion streams and two Grammys. You know the hits. Her debut country album Along The Way is out now.

This week, the podcast is back at Berklee College of Music. In front of a live audience of students, Zak sat down with Double Elvis co-founder and CEO Brady Sadler to talk about what it takes to build the most successful music podcasts in the world. Brady has helped create and produce shows like Disgraceland, Badlands and 27 Club, all hosted by his partner and co-founder Jake Brennan. He also recently produced Shred With Shifty, which is hosted by Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett.  Bradys podcasts have received hundreds of millions of downloads around the world. You'll love his insight.

In this special bonus episode, Zak is live on the red carpet during St. Jude's Country Cares weekend. This episode features interview snippets with Brothers Osborne, Chase Matthew, Catie Offerman, Tigirlily Gold, Alex Hall and several others. 

Matthew Ramsey is the lead singer of country band Old Dominion. You know all about the band, but you’ll learn a lot about Matthew from this conversation. Don’t miss it! Old Dominion’s new album Memory Lane is out this Friday.

Best selling author Seth Godin returns to the podcast this week to talk about his new book The Song of Significance. A conversation with Seth never disappoints. He covers so much ground in this episode. You can't miss it.

Elliot Greer delivers unfiltered truth with grizzled, yet warm intonation accompanied by acoustic guitar. Growing up in Scotland, he attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York city. Armed with a basic $100 microphone purchased by his girlfriend, he wrote, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered his independent debut,Handcrafted, in the bathroom of his apartment. Simultaneously, he gigged as often as he could, joined Ashley McBryde and John Osborne for a performance onThe Tonight Show at Jimmy Fallon, and even supported himself by busking in Central Park. In 2022, he launched a TikTok account and broke through with the single "Bleed." A video of Elliot with an acoustic guitar singing his soul out caught fire, reeling in 8 million views on Instagram and 5 million on TikTok. Now, the Scotland-born and New York-based artist forges a lasting connection on a series of 2023 singles for Arista Records and much more to come. Elliot is a modern troubadour. You're going to love his story! 

Arista recording artist Rosie just wrapped her first ever headline tour the same week she released her new EP "5 Songs For Healing". You need to listen. She first blew up on TikTok, but she is so much more than just a "TikTok artist". You're going to love how real and honest Rosie is in this conversation. Find out what it's like to be an artist who is on the rise today!

Columbia Records and Sony Music Nashville artist Ella Langley is on the rise. The singer just released her debut EP Excuse The Mess, which is a must listen. In this conversation, Ella dishes the real info on what it's like to make it Nashville but we also talk about hunting, playing the college bar scene and so much. This episode will make you a fan.

This week I caught up with Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. We talk about his solo career, recording with Nashville's A-Team and so much more. You're going to love his stories from the road, his knowledge of music and of course guitars. Of course we talk about the Foos as well. Chris is an actual real life rock star! Don't sleep on this conversation! Listen to his new song "Dead And Gone" out now. 

John Oates needs very little introduction. As one half of the iconic group Daryl Hall and John Oates, he has sold more records then any other duo in history. You know the hits. We dive into the stores behind them and so much more. You'll be blown away by how down to earth and normal Oates comes across in this conversation. You're going to love it.

Jonnie Forster emerged as a music entrepreneur after graduating with a Bachelor of Sciences in Marketing from San Diego State University. He joined A&M/Tuff Break Records implementing marketing plans for their hip-hop roster before moving to Capitol Records. As a marketing executive, he was instrumental in campaigns for the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, The Beach Boys, Tina Turner, Pink Floyd, and a host of others. In 2020, Forster’s entertainment company rebranded to The PENTHOUSE, inspired by its one-of-a-kind creative hub. The Penthouse includes recording studios, offices for film & TV, management companies, plus a legendary 2,500 sq. foot patio overlooking the Hollywood Hills where all are invited to collaborate & celebrate. Today, Forster manages country acts Willie Jones and RVSHVD. He is also perhaps the most connected man in Nashville, who doesn't live in Nashville. You need to know about him.

On the final stop of the podcast tour, Zak is live in Chicago at the Museum of Post Punk & Industrial Music. His guests are legendary punk rocker Martin Atkins, co-founder/owner of Chicago based vinyl pressing plant Smashed Plastic John Lombardo and Dark Matter Coffee founder Jesse Diaz. These three entrepreneurs are impacting culture in the Windy City. Don’t miss these conversations.

For the third stop of the podcast tour, Zak sits down with country music journalist, critic and educator Grady Smith. Perhaps best known for his incredibly popular YouTube channel, that has over two hundred thousand subscribers, Smith is an important voice in the world of Nashville. You’ll be blown away by his story and knowledge of the genre. This honest conversation will make you a fan and give you a whole new perspective on what it takes to make it as a professional YouTuber. Don’t miss it!

The podcast tour continues! This live episode was recorded during a panel last week at SXSW. Zak is joined by Spotify Nashville Head of Editorial Rachel Whitney, Universal Nashville Director of Streaming Vipin Reddy and Riveter Management Founder Charlene Bryant. We cover it all. Don't miss this conversation!

We are live from Berklee College of Music. This week's guest, and season 3 opener, is Jim Lucchese, the CEO of Sofar Sounds. Prior, Jim was the CEO of The Echo Nest, which was acquired by Spotify in 2014. That technology and team went on to develop tools like Spotify's algorithmic playlists. Jim was also very involved in creating Spotify for Artists. Today, Jim is focused on continuing to grow Sofar  around the world. You’re going to be inspired by this conversation and love Jim’s passion for what he does. Don't miss the student questions at the end of the episode!

Born in Chattanooga TN, raised in Dallas TX and currently living in Nashville, Shaylen has done it all. After 10 years of living in Los Angeles, Shaylen has accumulated tens of millions of streams as a major label pop artist. Now, she's gone country. If you're on TikTok, you probably know her song "What If I Don't" and her recently released track "Do It Right The First Time", which was featured on the The Kelly Clarkson Show. She's making a name for herself here in Nashville. Don't sleep on it! 

Em Beihold is a rising star. You probably know her song "Numb Little Bug", which went viral on TikTok last year and went to #1 on Hot AC. What you might not know is that Beihold started out fencing, long before it was featured on the Netflix showWednesday. She has performed on Jimmy Fallon, James Corden, opened up for the Jonas Brothers and has a brand new song coming out this Friday titled “Roller Coasters Make Me Sad”. This episode is a window into how you take a viral moment and turn it into a career. Don't miss it! 
 

Ron Fair is an American A&R executive, record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. In his epic career, Fair has worked with artists that include Christina Aguilera, Vanessa Carlton, Keyshia Cole, The Black Eyed Peas and so many more. We talk about his move to Nashville, how he got started in the biz, his involvement in recording the Rocky theme song and so much more. Ron is a true record man living here in Nashville. You'll be inspired by this conversation.

It's our season 3 premier! Christian Barker has been named one of Billboard's "Top Music Lawyers" and is an Equity Partner in the Nashville office of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP. Barker has signed his songwriter and producer clients to nearly every publishing company in Nashville and beyond and brokered deals for his clients totaling 8-figures+ this past year alone. Barker thinks outside of the box and puts his own creative spin on the practice of law. You're going to love this conversation, and I can't think of a better guest to kick off our third season!

25-year-old Kameron Marlowe is a force to be reckoned with. His debut album "We Were Cowboys" is available now via Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville and was produced by ACM/CMA winner Dann Huff and GRAMMY-nominated Brad Hill. He is about to wrap up his headlining "We Were Cowboys Tour", which kicked off in September with a sold-out show at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl. Marlowe has also played to capacity crowds in New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, Birmingham, Chesapeake, VA, Charlotte (his hometown), and more. You probably know his song “Giving You Up", which he wrote entirely by himself, but you might not know why he wrote the song or what made him break into country music. You'll learn a lot in this conversation. Don't miss it.

Spencer Crandall is one of country’s most progressive new talents. You probably know him from social media, but do you know that he is selling out shows across the country as an independent artist? We talk about his new album "Western" and how he built his massive fanbase. But that's just the surface in this conversation. Spencer's relatability will make you think you have what it takes to become a massive country artist. Make no mistake, it's harder than it looks. Spencer is at the top of his game. If you know, you know.

If you're following country artists on the rise, you know Ashley Cooke. Still early in her journey, she's had chart climbing hits like “Never Til Now” with Brett Young, national TV appearances on ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” and has toured with Cole Swindell, Jordan Davis and is about to go on tour with Brett Young. Cooke is the co-founder of The 615 House and is a TikTok star. You need to follow her. Ashley makes it look easy, even though it's anything but. This conversation will make you want to be her best friend. Want to know what it takes to make it as a country superstar in Nashville? This episode is for you?

Per Sundin became the CEO of Pophouse in 2019. Before that, he was the President of Universal Music Nordic Region and the Managing Director of Universal Music Sweden for more than a decade. In that role, he signed and broke EDM superstar Avicii. We talk all about it. Per was also the first label executive to partner with Spotify, driving the industry shift to a streaming revenue model. He is portrayed in the recent Netflix series The Playlist, which shows the creation of Spotify. You need to watch it! Per has had a massive impact on the modern music industry and you might not even know it. You'll be fascinated by this conversation.

Adam Doleac is weeks away from his wedding and he still managed to find time to come onto the show. He just released his debut album "Barstool Whiskey Wonderland" and it's big! 18 songs big! You need to listen. He is getting ready to getting head out on his first headlining tour and we talk all about it. Adam has been grinding in Nashville for a long time. Now he has the music, the team, the label deal and the fans. This is his moment! You're going to be inspired by this conversation.

If you're in Nashville, you know Lauren Weintraub. But you might not know the story of how she signed her first publishing deal with Big Machine Music and dropped out of college. If you're not in Nashville, Lauren should be on your radar, if she isn't already. She has over 450K followers on TikTok, recently signed with Virgin Music and has a brand new EP titled "This Is Your Brain On Love" coming out on Friday. You're going to love Lauren and this conversation.

Dan Smyers is a producer, songwriter, performer and one half of the duo Dan + Shay. You know the group. But do you know how they started? Or how Dan records Shay's flawless vocals? We cover it all. Dan is sharp and knows the business. This conversation gives you a glimpse into what it takes to be one of the biggest acts in all of music. Don't miss it.

If you're a country music fan, you know about Lindsay Ell and how great of a guitar player she is. You might not know that she was recently featured on a PBS series called American Anthems. Each episode of the show follows a different country star as they meet a local hero. The show has received wide critical praise, and the song "Let the Words Come Out”, which Lindsay wrote in the episode, is now being submitted for a Grammy. On top of that we talk about Lindsay's practice routine, returning to host Canada's Got Talent, and she even shares tips on how to slide into someone's DMs. You'll learn a lot in this episode. Don't miss it.

Chris Martin is the 6th generation owner of Martin Guitars. He has been at the helm of his family's business for the last 35 years and during his time has overseen massive growth of the guitar company. We talk about the family history, the pressure of keeping the legacy of Martin Guitars alive, how the guitars evolved through out the years, and so much more. Chris is well spoken and is a great storyteller. He is going to get you excited about acoustic guitars. If you're a guitar player, or interested in what it takes to run a business with a giant legacy, you're going to love this conversion.

Mitchell Tenpenny has more than 1.3 billion global streams and recently made chart history with his #1 single “Truth About You.” The gold-selling song’s top of the chart success is the shortest span between #1 songs in the modern chart era with just three weeks since his last chart topper, Chris Young's "At The End Of The Bar". Mitchell is not afraid to say it like it is. You going to love his honesty and learning about his story. His new album This Is The Heavy is out now and we talk all about it. Don't miss this episode!

 

Singer/songwriter Avery Anna is the talk of Nashville. She has over 1.5 million followers on TikTok and if you look at her content, you'll understand why. She was discovered after her song "Narcissist" went viral, but Avery's career is setting itself up to be so much more than just a TikTok moment. Her new EP "Mood Swings" drops October 7th. Avery is young but wise beyond her years. This episode will make you a fan.

BRELAND is in the studio this week to talk about his brand new album Cross Country. We talk about collaborating with A list artists like Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley and Pharrell Williams but we also talk about how BRELAND is creating his own path in the genre of country music. You're going to love this conversation and be inspired by BRELAND's confidence. In short, he is changing the game. Listen now! 

Alana Springsteen is a rising artist in Nashville. If you're in the industry, you know what she is about. She moved to town at the age of 14 and has been here for almost a decade. Yet, she is just getting started. This is her moment. Ever think that if only you learned music earlier in life, you would have become a superstar? Well Alana did just that. She is on the path.

Her newest project "History of Breaking Up part 1 & 2" are out now. 

Cooper Alan is on track to become one of the biggest artists in the country format. Don't believe me? Just ask one of his 7.4 million followers on TikTok. In this conversation, you'll realize that the Cooper effect is not a gimmick or shtick that's just for TikTok. Cooper is the real deal and he knows music. He is self aware and open about his journey. This is the episode that will make you wish you were on track to becoming a country superstar. Cooper is on the path.

Guthrie Trapp is one of Nashville's first call guitar players. He's played with everyone including Garth Brooks, John Oates, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, Dolly Parton, Jerry Douglas and many others. Trapp's process is as unique as his playing and any myths you think you know about learning guitar get cleared up here. Listening to Trapp, you will think the guitar is easy, but make no mistake, few have the chops that he does. 

Brian Kelley of Florida George Line is on the podcast this week, along with wife Brittney Kelley and business partner Bryan Bulte. The trio talk about their new NFT project Chill Cowboy Country Club, BK's solo career, and what's around the corner. Everyone in this episode is incredibly well spoken and knowledgeable about the world of crypto. If you're an outsider, this conversation will make you want to get involved. But it goes deeper than that. You'll want to be in the friend group after listening.

Tyler Dial first started developing his chops as a performer in Austin while studying at the University of Texas, playing UT parties and bars on Sixth Street. He is now signed to Make Wake Management and just released a new EP with the help of Virgin Music. You need to listen. Especially to the song "Damn Denver", which Tyler had been holding onto for years. He was waiting for the right moment to put it out and we talk all about it. Tyler is someone who is not going away. He is fighting his way to the top. You'll be inspired.

David Morris might have the biggest song in the world today. His track “Carrying Your Love” is number 2 on the TikTok viral sounds chart and climbing. Almost a million people have used the sound, including JoJo Siwa, and Tana Mongeau. If you’re on TikTok, you probably know it. What you probably don’t know is that David is from West Virgina and has been grinding in this business for a long time. He knows the game and how to play it. If you’re a fan of the track, this will give you context. If you’re a hater, this interview might make you give David a second listen.

New artist alert! Cecilia Castleman might be the best artist you haven't heard yet. Her debut single Lonely Nights was produced by Don Was and it's out now on Glassnote Records. You need to listen. At just 21 years old, Castleman is managed by Paul McCartney's manager Scott Rodger and is signed to Big Yellow Dog. The insiders know about her. So should you.

Zach Beeken, Garret Nichols, and Colton Pack make up Restless Road. The group just finished their sold out headline "Bar Friends Tour" and their current single "Growing Old With You" is at country radio right now. We talk about how the group came together, connected with Kane Brown, built a following on social media and so much more. If you want to know what it takes to make it as a country band in Nashville, this episode will answer all your questions.

Bobby Bones needs no introduction. This is episode #100. We are officially a real podcast. 

Ray Fulcher is one of Nashville's hottest songwriters. But he is also an artist on the rise. As an artist, Fulcher has been streamed over 40 million times and almost 21 million of those streams are derived from “Anything Like You Dance", his current radio single. We talk about his relationship with Eric Church, meeting Luke Combs, how we broke into the biz and so much more. This episode will make you want to write with Ray. But more importantly, this episode will make you a fan. You'll want to listen.

Chris Ruediger is the founder & CEO of The 615 House. The house is changing the way artists break in Nashville. And it's working! We talk about building the house from the ground up, the new crop of artists coming in, recording in Reba's old mansion and so much more. Chris knows social media better than anyone in Nashville. If you're an artist, this episode will make you want to join the house and be in Chris' orbit.

Jared Gutstadt is the CEO and founder of Audio Up, one of the most talked about music companies today. As a music producer and song writer, Jared has collaborated with Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley Bob Dylan, Lil Wayne, Steven Tyler, Machine Gun Kelly, 24kGoldn, T Bone Burnett and DJ Khaled. He is a two time Emmy nominee, 3 time Cannes Lions winner, and is one of ASCAP’s most synched TV composers of all time. Jared created Audio Up as an ecosystem of premium entertainment content within the music and audio space. If you know about the company or are hearing about it for the first time, you will learn something in this episode. Don't be fooled by the cowboy hat and laid back demeanor. Jared in a genius and is taking audio to the next level. You'll want to be on his team after listening.

Kylie Morgan is the quintessential Nashville artist. Signed to Universal Music Group Nashville, she is getting ready to release a new EP titled P.S. and is about to take a brand new song to country radio. We talk about opening for Jason Derulo, performing her first stadium show, writing songs with Walker Hayes and so much more. Kylie's energy is infectious. She'll make you wish you were a country star. Bibi joins as guest host.

By the age of nine, Jessi Alexander had taught herself how to play Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” by ear on her grandparent’s piano. By the time she was 11 years old, she was already writing her own songs. Alexander first gained prominence thanks to her work on Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb.” Throughout her career, she’s collaborated with multiple artists including Luke Combs, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Midland, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Trisha Yearwood, Celine Dion, Ashley Monroe and Midland. Additionally, she’s earned an NSAI Song of the Year honor, as well as ACM and CMA awards for Song of the Year with Lee Brice’s “I Drive Your Truck.” Listening to Jessi, you'll wish you were a songwriter.

Signed to Warner Music Nashville and Disney Music Groups’s Buena Vista Records, band members Dawson Anderson and Emma Salute boast stage credits worldwide, from Stagecoach Festival in their home state of California to C2C: Country to Country Festival in London. The duo just got off the road with Gary LeVox and are currently in the studio recording new music with Nashville legend Dann Huff. Want to know what's bubbling under the surface here in Nashville? This episode is for you.

Kevin "Chief" Zaruk and Simon Tikhman are the co-founders of The Core Entertainment. They were introduced by their lawyer and Michael Rapino suggested they team up. We get the story and talk about their unique approach to artist management. These two will make you wish you worked in the music biz. If you're already in the biz, this episode will make you wish you had a partnership as great as this one.

Kim Taylor is the director of Real Sound Money Fest, the first bitcoin music festival. She booked the lineup and put the whole event together, which is happening in Miami April 9th. It is closing out the Bitcoin 2022 conference which starts April 6th. Use the code "MOON22" to get 10% off passes for the event. 

Mike Errico is a New York-based recording artist, writer and teaches songwriting at universities including Yale, Wesleyan, The New School, and NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. He has a new book out called Music, Lyrics, and Life: A Field Guide for the Advancing Songwriter. We talk about his day to day in the classroom, what makes a modern pop hit, why songwriters should study wheel makers and so much more. You're going to love Mike. And he might convince you that you could have a career as a songwriter.

Cody Alan is one of country music's biggest radio personalities. Keith Urban says he "makes Ryan Seacrest look like a slacker". As host and executive producer of CMT Radio, millions of listeners hear Cody daily on more than 200 radio stations. On CMT's flagship music show, Hot 20 Countdown, his face can also be seen in 90 million homes. He has interviewed everyone from Taylor Swift to Blake Shelton, and Bradley Cooper to Dolly Parton. Cody has a brand new book out titled Hear's The Thing and we talk all about it. If you know Cody, you will love this conversation. If you don't know him, this episode will make you a fan.

Panos Panay is the Co-President of The Recording Academy. Prior to his current role he served as the Senior Vice President for Global Strategy & Innovation at Berklee College of Music. A serial entrepreneur, he is the founder of Sonicbids; the founder of Berklee's Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship; and co-founder of the Open Music Initiative. His first book “Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation” (co-authored with IDEO partner Michael Hendrix) was selected by The Financial Times as a business book of the month in April 2021 and featured in Harvard Business Review’s IdeaCast. He is one of the great minds in the music industry. 

Legendary ZZ Top guitarist Billy F. Gibbons is on the podcast this week and he has a new solo album, "Hardware." We discuss the early days of ZZ Top, what is was like opening for Jimi Hendrix, what inspires him today and where he likes to eat in Nashville. Here is a man who doesn't need much of an introduction.

Marshall Sandman is the Managing Partner of Animal Capital, a venture firm that was co-founded with manager Michael Gruen and some of the biggest influencers on the planet. With the help of fellow co-founders Josh Richards, Griffin Johnson and Noah Beck, Animal Capital has access to over 100 million consumers across the world and is investing in some of the most innovative companies today. We talk about the portfolio, what Sandman looks for in founders, why the stigma around influencers is over and so much more. You're going to love Marshall!

Kristian Bush is a singer, songwriter, record producer and one half of the country music duo Sugarland. In this episode we talk about how Kristian prepared for his TED Talk, how he wrote the opening lines to Sugarland's biggest hits, why he recently started writing musicals and so much more. I guarantee you'll learn something from Kristian.

For over twenty years Bruce Pomahac was the Director of Music for The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization in New York City, where he helmed the restorations and supervised new editions of OKLAHOMA!, CAROUSEL, ALLEGRO, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING & I, PIPE DREAM, CINDERELLA, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN and many others. He is currently Musical Consultant for Concord Music (Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart and Kern & Hammerstein), The Irving Berlin Music Company, and the estates of Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner. In this episode we talk about how he got the gig, what it takes to restore an iconic show and how he kept the music relevant for new generations. We also dive deep into the history of Annie Get Your Gun, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

Dustin Boyer is a partner at Venture Music, one of the top digital marketing firms in Nashville. We talk about how to grow a fanbase, TikTok strategy, what most artists get wrong when it comes to marketing and so much more. Dustin is all about the analytics and he is one of the sharpest guys in the biz. This episode is going to make you grateful that there are people as knowledgeable as Dustin working in music .

Carter Faith is a Nashville songwriter and artist on the rise. We discuss her path as an artist, why she moved to Nashville and her songwriting process. For Carter, it's all about the song but she loves being on the stage and she recently opened up for The Avett Brothers. In Nashville, Carter constantly comes up in conversation. The industry is rallying behind her and she has been featured on playlist covers for Fresh Finds and Today's Country. Learn about her now, before she blows up.

Pete Ganbarg is a true record man. He is a 2-time Grammy winning executive who is the President of A&R at Atlantic Records. He learned the business from Clive Davis and over the past 30+ years has played a major role in the careers of some of the most influential artists in the world. We talk about his involvement with Santana, Train, Hamilton, BRELAND and so much. We also talk about his podcast Rock & Roll High School and how the show came together. You're going to love Pete. This episode will remind you why you got into the music business.

Charlie Davis is the founder of Preffy, a brand new marketing platform that was recently acquired by Nashville based company Songfluencer. Preffy is changing the way artists engage with fans by allowing them to host competitions to see who can get the most likes on a social media video, that features their song. We talk about how Charlie built the platform, the future on influencer marketing, why Songfluencer CEO Johnny Cloherty was willing to bet big on Preffy and so much more. If you work in the fan engagement business, this episode is for you. 

Ted Chapin is the former president of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. He has lead Broadway productions and revivals, including “South Pacific” Broadway revival, “The King and I,” “Oklahoma!” and “Carousel.” He also approved television productions such as “The Sound of Music Live!” on NBC and “Cinderella,” starring Whitney Houston and Brandy, on ABC. We talk about how he got the job, the importance of these shows today, how Ariana Grande's "7 Rings" came together and so much more. We also talk about "Annie Get You Gun" which is celebrating its 75th anniversary and how Rodgers & Hammerstein were involved in the iconic show.

BEXAR (pronounced ‘bear’) is comprised of Chris Ryan (lead vocals/guitar) and Logan Turner (vocals/banjo/guitar). The band self-released their debut EP in 2018 and have accumulated over 25 million streams to date. Now signed to Warner Music Nashville, BEXAR has been in the studio working on a new EP with producers Ross Copperman and Luke Laird. The project will be released September 3rd. The group is also getting ready to open a string of dates for Keith Urban. These guys are going to make you wish you were in a band.

All the way from Boston, Lori McKenna is one of Nashville’s most in demand songwriters. From Girl Crush to Humble & Kind to Always Remember Us This Way, Lori has written some of country’s biggest hits. Not only do we talk about her guitars and songwriting process, but we get into how she wrote the hits, why she loves living in Boston and what you need if you want to invite her to your show. Lori McKenna is magical and it’s contagious. This episode will make you wish you were a hit songwriter.

Mary Rahmani is Triller’s global head of partnerships and TikTok’s first U.S. music executive. Most recently she launched Moon Projects, a new agency specializing in creator curation; content strategy for short-form, vertical platforms; and a label imprint in partnership with Republic Records. Not only does Mary talk about the current landscape of platforms like Triller and TikTok, she also goes into how she got her start in the industry, what she looks for in clients, how to grow your social numbers and so much more. Mary is amazing. You'll love her story.

Brian Benson is the Vice President of Booking at AC Entertainment. He has been with the company for over 20 years and is perhaps best known for booking Bonnaroo. We talk about how he builds the lineup, discovers new bands, booked Paul McCartney and so much more.

Seaforth are a musical duo consisting of Tom Jordan and Mitch Thompson. They are signed to Sony Nashville and are one of the most talked about rising acts in Music City. Their current radio single is called "Breakups" which they co-wrote with Liz Rose and Cameron Bedell. We talk about moving from Australia to Nashville, how the duo signed their label deal, the worst foods they have ever eaten and so much more. 

Emily Oberman is a New York-based multidisciplinary designer and a partner at design studio Pentagram. She is responsible for the recent rebrand of Warner Chappell and Warner Records. Emily is also the creator of the SNL opening credits, the current DC Comics logo, the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon logo, and so many more. We talk about her process, what goes into building a brand, how to get the most out of a graphic designer and so much more. 

Tenille Townes is doing country music her way. The rising star is getting ready to release new music and hit the road with Brothers Osborne. We talk about her new single "Girl Who Didn't Care", the one year anniversary of her album The Lemonade Stand, how she shared a stage with Shania Twain at 9 years old and so much more. 

On episode 72, Kevin Griffin and Brandt Wood talk with Zak about how they created the iconic Tennessee music festival Pilgrimage. We also get into what fans can expect from the upcoming 2021 event, why the VIP package is worth it, Kevin Griffin's secret smoothies recipe and so much more. 

Jennifer Turner is the CEO of the Tennessee Performing Art Center (TPAC). We talk about how she got the gig, what goes into organizing the season, the future of theater in Nashville and so much more. The 2021 - 2022 season has already been announced and tickets are going fast!

Robyn Ottolini describes herself as the Eminem of country music. No joke. In 2020, Ottolini's career took off with the viral TikTok hit “F-150”. Since then, she signed with Warner Music Nashville, recently announced a brand new tour and has been releasing music non stop. Despite recently making her debut trip to Music City, she is one of Nashville most talked about rising artists.

John Marks has been the Global Head of Country at Spotify since 2015. He moved to Nashville in 2010 to work at SiriusXM, where he became Head of Country Music Programming. During his tenure at SiriusXM, he brought The Highway to prominence and helped bring artists like Florida Georgia Line, Old Dominion, Kelsea Ballerini, Chase Rice, and Russell Dickerson to a national audience. Marks recently decided to step away from his powerful position on Spotify to launch new endeavors, including a brand new website: https://www.johnmarks.me

Steve Lassiter got his start in the music business as a production assistant at Sound Seventy Productions in 1977 at the age of 19. He went on to have a 20 year career at APA where he became Partner / Sr VP and then Co-Head of Worldwide Music, representing artists like Travis Tritt, The Charlie Daniels Band, Crystal Gayle, Lee Greenwood, Little Texas, Kansas, Jackyl, The Gatlin Brothers, and many others. Today, Lassiter is launching a brand new agency, Reliant Talent. We talk all about it.

Kelleigh Bannen is the host of The Kelleigh Bannen Show and Today's Country on Apple Music Radio. She is also a longtime artist herself. We talk about what goes into creating her radio shows, how she preps for interviews, when she is coming out with new music and so much more. 

Tracy Gershon is a leader in the entertainment industry and music business. She has worked with and signed Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, The Mavericks, Brandi Carlile and many others. We talk about her rise in the industry, her brand new publishing company, the best country music albums and so much more.

Adam Lowenberg is the Chief Marketing Officer at Primary Wave. He is responsible for some of the most compelling and unique marketing concepts within the modern music industry. Prior to being at Primary Wave, Lowenberg was Sr. VP of Marketing for Island Def Jam and served as Sr. VP of Marketing at Virgin Records. We talk about his rise in the industry, the 15th anniversary of Primary Wave, how he creates national holidays for his clients and so much more. 

Adam C. Sansiveri is Head of the Nashville Private Client Group at AllianceBernstein. He is also a Broadway producer, film financier, tech entrepreneur, philanthropist, restaurateur and a renewable energy investor Adam started his career as a classical vocalist and has performed at the Verbier Festival, the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and Tanglewood. We talk about the growth of Nashville,  NFTs, selling song catalogs and so much more. 

Seth Godin is an institution. He is a teacher, author, entrepreneur and you will have a hard time finding a modern business book that does not reference his work at least once. We go on a wild ride hearing Seth's thoughts on music, building a fan base, how to pick yourself, and so much more. Seth's newest book The Practice is out now.

Ian Munsick is that guy. He one of Nashville most buzzed about artists and signed with Warner Nashville in 2020. Munsick is co-managed by his wife and legendary manager of George Strait, Erv Woolsey. We talk about his rise in the industry, his musical upbringing, where to get the best western shirts and so much more. His new album Coyote Cry is out now. 

Kurt Deutsch is the Senior Vice President for Theatrical & Catalog Development at Warner/Chappell. He is also the President and founder of Sh-K-Boom and Ghostlight Records. Kurt has worked on some of the most iconic cast albums from the last 20 years including: In The Heights, Book of Mormon, The Last Five Years, Pippin, 13 and many more. Kurt is an entrepreneur, a pioneer and a leader in the Broadway community and the music industry.

Sarah Trahern is the CEO of the Country Music Association (CMA). We dive deep into her journey to Music City, how the CMA is innovating around the world today, the recovery of the music industry and so much more. This episode is simply a must listen. 

Joseph Hudak is the senior editor at Rolling Stone's Nashville office, which covers the country and Americana genres. Prior to joining the iconic title in 2014, he was the managing editor of Country Weekly magazine and spent 12 years at TV Guide magazine as an editor, dissecting and writing about television programming. Joseph is a pioneer in country music journalism and we talk all about it. 

Ken Davenport is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer whose credits include Once On This Island (Tony Award), The Play that Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Tony Award), 13 The Musical and so much more. We talk about the return of live events, what makes a perfect logo, how he knew Ariana Grande would become a massive star and so much more.

Jordan Burger is the head of Madison House Nashville. He has worked with artists such as Oasis, Squeeze, Kid Rock, Kevin Costner, Southern Avenue, Sugar Ray, Los Lonely Boys, Rob Zombie, Marc Cohn, American Idol Winners [David Cook, Nick Fradiani, and Kris Allen] and many more. We talk about the current booking landscape, why so many music industry legends come out of Emory University, the secret to the perfect New York bagel and so much more. 

Michael Barra & Stephen Snedden are the lead producers behind the Florida Georgia Line inspired musical "May We All". The show plans on making its debut in June of 2022 and will be part of the upcoming Broadway at TPAC series in Nashville. We talk about the show, the upcoming national tour, the future of Broadway and so much more.

David Kells is the the Executive Vice President at Bridgestone Arena and the Nashville Predators. He oversees operations for the entire venue and has been named twice to Billboard's Country Power Player list. We talk about how the venue is reopening, the best place to watch a show, why the venue community is so collaborative and so much more. Kells even mentions the best Bridgestone snack! Tune in to find out what it is.

Jody Williams might as well be a Nashville institution. Born and raised in Nashville, he started his career in the mail room at BMI. He then climbed the ranks to work at publishing companies like Charlie Daniels’ Hat Band Music, Screen-Gems Music, Chappell Music, Tree Publishing and MCA. Williams has championed talent such as Alison Krauss, Brooks & Dunn, Maren Morris, Eric Church, Natalie Hemby, Jeffrey Steele, Carrie Underwood, and many more. Last year, Williams launched a brand new venture, Jody Williams Songs. we talk about it all.  

Martha Earls is the longtime manager of country superstar Kane Brown. Prior to that, she had careers at companies like Warner Chappell, BMG and co-founded the Company that would eventually become Big Machine Music. 

Chris Swanson is the co-founder of Secretly Group, which includes independent record labels Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar, The Numero Group and Secretly Canadian, as well as music publisher Secretly Publishing. Secretly Group artists include Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers, The War On Drugs, Mitski and many more. He is also one of hollywoods top music supervisors, most recently working on Motley Crue's biopic, The Dirt.

Mike Deestro is the head writer for The Bobby Bones Show. He has been with Bobby since the very beginning and has been part of his incredible rise in Country Radio. In addition, Mike is a movie/Hollywood expert. We talk about it all! 

Mat Devine is the head of Music Partnerships for Cameo. Prior to that he created and fronted the alternative rock band Kill Hannah, which was signed to Atlantic Records. He also starred in the Spider-Man Musical on Broadway. We talk all about it! 

Ben Vaughn is the President/CEO of Warner/Chappell Nashville. Prior to that, he was the youngest executive to head a major publisher in Nashville, as EVP & GM at EMI. Vaughn started out running an independent music publishing company at the age of 20. Today, he works with some of the biggest songwriters and artists in music including Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Jesse Frasure, Nicolle Galyon, Liz Rose, Dan + Shay and many more. 

The Nashville Briefing

Alex Hall is one of Nashville's fastest rising guitar slingers. He new EP is titled 6 Strings and features some of Country music's biggest artists like Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, John Osborne, Tenille Townes and others. Hall is signed to Shane McAnally's Monument Records.

Check out Alex's new project here.

Check out the Armchair Expert podcast with Keith Urban here.

Read more about Alex's new project here.

Andrew Stone is the Head of Chugg Music, the Management, Publishing, and Record Label arm of Chugg Entertainment. He manages Australian superstars like Sheppard, Lime Cordiale and Mia Rodriguez. Andrew is also head and founder of City Pop Records. When industry leaders like Scooter Braun or Dre London need to team up with a manager from Australia, they team up with Andrew Stone.

Listen to Andrew's acts Sheppard, Lime Cordiale and Mia Rodriguez on Spotify. Click to learn more about Chugg Music and City Pop Record. 

Clarence Spalding is a partner in Maverick and the founder of Spalding Entertainment. He manages country megastars like Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn, Reba & Darius Rucker. When it comes to Country managers, few compete with Clarence.

Lee Greenwood, the myth, the legend, the patriot. This was a fun one! We talk about his biggest hits, how his song ends up in presidential campaigns and so much more.

R.J. Romeo is the president of Romeo Entertainment Group, one of the leading independent talent buyers in the US. Brian Bauer is the founder and president of Bauer Entertainment Marketing, one of the leading event marketing firms in Nashville. These guys share a ton of insight on the future and recovery of the live music industry and so much more.

Spencer Crandall is one of Nashville's most talked about rising artists. With over 1 million followers on TikTok and over 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, he has built a massive fanbase, completely independently. On this episode, Spencer is joined by his manager Jeff Cherry and we talk all about what it takes to make it in the music business.

Pete Griffin is the CEO of Musicians On Call. For more than 20 years, the national organization has brought live and recorded music to patients, doctors and nurses in hospitals nationwide. To date MOC has performed for more than 850,000 people in hospitals. During a global pandemic, MOC has had their biggest year yet.

On our 40th episode special, we are pulling out all the stops! Leslie Fram is the senior VP of music strategy for CMT. Matt Pinfield is the legendary host of MTV's 120 Minutes. What do Leslie and Matt have in common? They once hosted a radio show together! We dive deep into stories of them being on the air and talk about how with minimal resources, they were able to pull off iconic stunts. Hearing the excitement that Matt & Leslie still have for music is exhilarating and I guarantee their stories will blow you away.

Stephen Day's music makes me feel good. He is one of Nashville most talked about rising stars and has over 32 million streams to his name. Before Covid, he was getting ready to headline his very first sold out tour across the country. His brand new project is titled "Original Songs And Sound". Learn about Stephen now.

A Thousand Horses are one of the few bands rocking in Country music today. These guys have been through it all and have come out on top. "A Song To Remember" is their brand new single, produced by Dave Cobb, that's out on Country radio right now.

Teddy Robb's brand new single "Heaven On Dirt" is out on Country radio right now. He is signed to Shane McAnally's Monument Records and is one of the nicest rising stars in Nashville.

Adam Paul is the Emmy Winning CEO of production company 7 Cinematics. Together with his team, Paul is the go to guy for many of the most iconic acts in music like Machine Gun Kelly, Greta Van Fleet, Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown Band, The Avett Brothers and many more. He also shot the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the first concert ever in front of the great pyramids in Egypt. We talk about production techniques, what makes a great live stream, how his company has adapted during the pandemic and so much more.

Troy Cartwright is getting ready for his first major-label single “Hung Up On You”, to impact country radio on 11/16. He is signed to Warner Nashville and came up playing shows across Texas. This is his moment.

David Dufresne is a partner at Panache Ventures, one of the most active and best performing Canadian venture capital funds. Prior to that, he was the Head of Strategy & Growth at Bandcamp. Prior to that, he was the CEO of popular website building service Bandzoogle.

Ashley Cooke & Chris Ruediger are the co-creators of The 615 House. The group of rising country artists have recently been going viral on TikTok, collectively reaching over one million viewers each week. These acts are building their careers completely independently and it's working! Tune in to hear how the group came together, the secrets of great content, the strangest DMs they have ever received and so much more.

Dan Rogers is the Executive Producer of The Grand Ole Opry. He started with the show as an intern over 20 years ago. Today, he is leading one of America's great treasures into the modern age. Tune in to hear Opry secrets, history, how the show gets put together and so much more.

Tom Chapin is a three time Grammy winning singer-songwriter. He is the brother of legendary artist Harry Chapin. Above all, he is the first artist I ever fell in love with, at 5 years old. Tune in to hear how Harry wrote his legendary hit Taxi, how Tom made a career out of singing family music, the secrets of winning over an audience and so much more.

Matt Graham is the manager of country superstars Midland. He is a co-founder of Range Media and grew up in the business promoting college shows with Scooter Braun. He was one of the first managers to break artists using social media and remains on the cutting edge of technology and talent today.

Fresh off his #1 single Prayed For You, Matt Stell is releasing a brand new EP titled "Better Than That". He is one of the nicest guys in country music, and his amazing career is just getting started.

Beth Laird is the founder of Creative Nation, a Nashville-based music company home to some of the industry’s top songwriters, producers and artists. If you want insight into what it takes to run a first class publishing company in Nashville, then this episode is for you.

Ingrid Andress is one of Nashville's fastest rising country stars. The deluxe version of her debut album Lady Like is out now.

Will Tenney is the head of streaming strategy & promotion at Crush Music, where he oversees data & record consumption for Lorde, Sia, Alec Benjamin, and Green Day, among others. Listen to hear how a kid who grew up playing guitar in bands, hustled his way into the music business.

Filmore is one of Nashville's buzziest rising superstars. He is signed to Curb Records and has earned over 147 million total on-demand streams. His debut album "State I'm In" is out now. Hear how a kid from Missouri hustled to make it in the music business.

Charlie Starr is the lead vocalist and guitarist of Blackberry Smoke. Hear about the bands drive-in shows, Charlie's musical influences, the group’s new album produced by Dave Cobb, and so much more. If you want to know what it takes to be a rockstar in the 21st center, then this episode is for you.

Becky Gardenhire is the co-head of WME’s Nashville office. She has been with the company for over 20 years, and works directly with many of the top acts in country music like Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Tenille Townes, Ingrid Andress, Jordan Davis, Sara Evans, and Trisha Yearwood. This episode takes you to the front lines of the music industry during COVID, and so much more.

Stephanie Wright is the Senior Vice President of A&R at Universal Music Nashville. She has been with the company for over 20 years and worked closely with some of the most iconic acts in modern Country Music like Kacey Musgraves, Sam Hunt and Maddie & Tae.

John Esposito is Chairman and CEO of Warner Music Nashville.  He has been running the label for over a decade and has signed acts like Dan + Shay, Kenny Chesney, Brett Eldredge, Ingrid Andress, Gabby Barrett and so many more. 

This week on the podcast, we sat down with Warner Music Nashville Recording artist Ryan Griffin. We talk about life growing up in Florida, moving to Nashville, working with Busbee and so much more. Ryan is a new artist, who is rising fast. Learn his story now!

Steven Galanis is the CEO and co-founder of the popular video-sharing website Cameo. We talk about how Steven bootstrapped the company while still working at LinkedIn, how the platform is changing the game for celebrities across the world and so much more. If you are an artist, a manager or an entrepreneur, then this episode is for you!

Chris Kappy is the manager of country superstar Luke Combs. He is also the founder of Make Wake Artists, which oversees the careers of Hailey Whitters, Niko Moon and Ashland Craft, among others. If you work in artist management, or if your dream is to work in artist management, then this episode is for you. Hear how Kappy went from working with artists on cruise ships, to managing some of the most important acts in country music.

Sherod Robertson is the President and Owner of Music Row Magazine. Prior to running Music Row, Robertson served as Director of Finance at Arista Records after beginning his career as Vice President of Finance and CFO at Reunion Records. If you want to know what it takes to run a major music publication, then this episode is for you!

In this live webinar about data in the music industry, Zak is joined by Alex White (founder of Next Big Sound and current VP, Content & Programming at Pandora), Britnee Foreman (Data analyst at Tempo Music) and Jason Joven (Content and Insights manager at Chartmetric).

Erik Nelson & Gian Pergini are the founders of FanFlex, a mobile app that helps venues and artists books shows in a brand new way. As venues start to open back up, FanFlex is going to be critical for this process. Tune in to see how two old friends, teamed up to change the live music space.

Graeme Winder is an entrepreneur, music educator and founder of Keys & Kingdoms, a video game platform that is changing the way kids learn music. Having struggled himself learning music, Graeme is on a mission to teach kids in a way that is best for them. Oh, and the founder of Guitar Hero is coming along for the journey!

Ralph Jaccodine is a professor of Music Business at Berklee College Of Music. Ralph began his career as a concert promoter working with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Kiss, Rush, Hall and Oates, and the Doobie Brothers. After running his own commercial real estate company in Boston for 12 years, he joined Mike Dreese, the cofounder of Newbury Comics and started Black Wolf Records, an independent record label. Ralph is the cofounder of the Boston Management Group, a professional organization he started 25+ years ago with Tim Collins, the longtime manager of Aerosmith. In addition to being a full-time professor, Ralph also manages the careers of Livingston Taylor, Shun Ng, Rebecca Loebe, and others.

Alex Goodman is the head of digital at Riser House Records. He also manages the career of major label recording artist Dylan Brady. Alex is one of the fastest rising executives on Music Row. If you want to know how to make it in the modern music business, then this episode is for you.

This podcast is presented by The Nashville Briefing

Morgan Hayduk & Andrew Batey are the co-founders and CEOs of Beatdapp, a startup solving a 4 billion dollar problem in the Music industry. Every year 15% of streams on DSPs go unaccounted for; Beatdapp is helping labels find these missing royalties. The company has been written about extensively in publications like Billboard, Music Business Worldwide and Music Row. It also has an A-list advisory board with industry legends like Joe Galante, Bryan Turner, Benji Rogers and the former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Beatdapp is a company of the future. Learn about it now.

This podcast is from The Nashville Briefing

Will Farrell-Green is the head of Music Content at Twitch. This episode was recorded live as an industry webinar. We talk about best streaming strategies, if your artists should be on Twitch, how to get them on, and so much more! If you have even considered putting your art on Twitch, this episode is for you!

This podcast is from The Nashville Briefing

Del Bryant is the President and CEO emeritus of BMI. He is also the son of legendary songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who are considered the first professional songwriters in Nashville. Together, his parents sold over half a billion records and wrote hits for artists like The Everly Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Buddy Holly. Today, Del is one of the most respected and influential leaders in the music industry, and spends a lot of his time focusing on preserving his parents legacy. There are few people as closely tied to the foundation of Music City as Del.

Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer behind the CMA Awards, as well as the Billboard Music Awards. He also producers the CMA Country Christmas Special, and the CMA Fest Special, which he created. He started his career producing music videos for some of the most iconic artist of all time like Dolly Parton, Rascal Flatts, Martina McBride, and so many more. Today, Robert also manages one of the fastest rising acts in Nashville, King Calaway. Listen to how a kid from North Carolina grew up to become one of top content creators in the Music Industry.

RJ Curtis is the Executive Director of Country Radio Seminar (CRS). RJ spent the first half of his career working in radio stations on the West Coast. He then moved to Nashville to work in journalism, and would become the Nashville Editor for the All Access Music Group. As the current head of CRS, RJ oversees every aspect of the conference. We talk about what it takes to pull it off, RJ's rise in the industry, the history and future of radio and so much more.

Steve Schnur is the Worldwide Executive of Music for Electronic Arts, the largest video game producer in the world. Not a piece of music makes it into an EA game without his approval. We talk about how he builds some of the most influential playlists in games like Madden, how the music and gaming industry will continue to collide, why Nashville is important to him and so much more. The Gaming industry today is bigger than the film and music industry combined. Tune in to find out why.

Jon Cohen is the co-founder of Vagrant Records. Throughout his legendary career as a label head, Cohen signed bands like The 1975, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Dashboard Confessional, Alkaline Trio and so many more. Now Cohen has created a brand new company called Big Noise Music and recently signed Nashville star Travis Tritt. If you want to know how to build a label from the ground up, from someone who has done it twice, then this episode is for you!

Craig Balsam is the co-founder of Razor & Tie. Originally a lawyer with a love for music, Craig went from creating compilation CDs in an apartment, to building one of the most successful indie label brands of the modern music industry. Hear about the company in the early days, how Kidz Bop was created, his current career as a Tony Award winning Broadway Producer, and so much more!

Joe Galante ran RCA Records and Sony Music Nashville. In his legendary career, he worked with and signed acts like Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, and so many more. Listen to how a guy from Astoria New York became a power player in Nashville Tennessee.

Thomas O'Keefe is the current tour manager for Weezer. Before that, he was out with Train, Ryan Adams, Third Eye Blind, and Sia. Thomas talks about life on the road, how he got his start with Ryan Adams, and how a punk rocker from Connecticut ended up touring with some of the biggest acts in the world.

David Ross is the founder of Music Row, one of the most prolific trade magazines in Country Music. Hear Ross' story about creating the publication, running it for over 30 years, meeting a young Taylor Swift, and ultimately selling the company to get back to his original passion, writing songs.