Country Music Made Me

A final goodbye from Country Music Made Me!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of the amazing artists who have joined me and to all of you who have followed along on this amazing adventure. I hope to see you all again in the future!

If you or anyone you know is looking for a podcast host please reach out to me at [email protected].

Chris Blair is the owner of the popular Nashville venue The Listening Room Café. Chris joins Country Music Made Me to discuss his music inspired youth growing up in St. Louis, how singing at his Grandpa's funeral as a teenager helped guide him towards a career in music, and the memories he has of his early band days during High School and College. Chris and Brendan talk about his move to Nashville and diving into the songwriting community where he discovered a lack of quality venues that were helping showcase songwriters, and how that turned into the creation of The Listening Room. Finally, Chris explains how he's navigated the ups and downs of his journey within the world of music and business, the joy he finds in watching artists grow within the venue, and how he manages the stress of everyday life by following his passion through music but also focusing on the more businesses minded and analytical paths towards success.

Katelyn Clampett is a Nashville based singer, songwriter and producer. Katelyn joins Country Music Made Me to discuss her punny nature and comedic, lighthearted approach to life, the many fun memories she carries with her from growing up in a fun-loving and musical family, and how that musical backdrop helped inspire her love of music and the desire to create it on her own. Katelyn and Brendan talk about her move from small town North Carolina to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, the events that led to chasing a career in Los Angeles after graduation, and what she learned about herself as a backing musician for Selena Gomez and Victoria Justice. Finally, Katelyn explains why she moved to Nashville, what she's learned about herself since diving into the Country Music genre, and what's next as she works to create a solo career in Country Music.

Anna Vaus in an up-and-coming Nashville based singer/songwriter. Anna joins Country Music Made Me to discuss the influence her Dad, Grammy-winning children's Country artist Steve Vaus who is known by his stage name Buck Howdy, had on her journey, how her artistic focused youth helped propel her towards a career in music, and the inspiration she's taken from the songwriting of Taylor Swift. Anna and Brendan talk about her journey to Nashville to study songwriting at Belmont University, what some key moments meant for preparing her for a career after graduation, and what it was like to have the world shut-down in 2020 shortly after opening for Willie Nelson and right before she was set to hit the studio with her dream producer Luke Laird. Finally, Anna talks about her journey out of the pandemic and towards her newest EP "Younger Version of Myself" which was once again produced by Luke.

Kasey Tyndall is an up-and-coming artist based in Nashville. Kasey joins Country Music Made Me to discuss her early love of music while watching the Grand Ole Opry Broadcast with her Grandma, how living within a divorced family inspired her love of both Rock and Country music, and how she developed her love of performing at local shows like the Colgate Country Showdown. Kasey and Brendan talk about how singing a duet with Keith Urban at a show in Raleigh, North Carolina inspired her journey towards a career in Country Music, the events that led to her dropping out of school and moving to Nashville, and what the first few years were like after her debut music didn't hit as well as she had hoped. Finally, Kasey explains what it was like to see the success of her single "Middle Man" in 2021, which she wrote with Lainey Wilson, how it felt to finally release her fan favorite track "Jesus and Joan Jett", and how she balances her time between being an artist and a songwriter after singing with River House/Sony Music Publishing.

Five Roses in a Canadian Country Music duo made up of Jade-Savannah Godin and Zachary Ouimet. The duo joins Country Music Made Me to discuss their new EP JukeBox Vibrations, what is was like working with producer Danick Dupelle, and how their music has evolved since forming in 2016. Jade, Zachary and Brendan talk about their journeys towards music which included artistic and musical parents as well as interesting travels through Figure Skating, Law and Pop/Punk, how quickly they clicked after jamming in Zachary's parents basement, and what they see as the roadmap to becoming a successful male/female duo in Country Music. Finally Jade and Zachary explain what it's been like playing bucket list shows like lasso Montreal and Boots and Hearts with Shania Twain, and their focus on creating a lasting career with Five Roses while also enjoying other exciting adventures within their lives.

Jennifer Hart burst onto the Country Music scene in 2020 with the release of her viral hit "Half the Man", a song dedicated to her Dad. Jennifer joins Country Music Made Me to discuss the musical moments that inspired her from a young age, like her Dad singing "The Dance" by Garth Brooks at bedtime and fighting with her sister over who would get to use the toy microphone. Jennifer and Brendan talk about her struggles with Tourette's Syndrome, OCD and Social Anxiety, the moments that helped her overcome the struggles and rebuild her confidence, and what is was like competing in and becoming Miss Arizona. Finally, Jennifer talks about beginning her career in Nashville, becoming more comfortable opening her heart in the writers room, what it was like when "Half the Man" went viral, and how her new EP "1992" came together to help tell a personal story about her own journey.

Katie Rox is the Banjo player and vocalist with all female Country Music group Nice Horse. Katie joins Country Music Made Me to discuss how her country inspired upbringing in the rural community of Airdrie Alberta helped lead her towards a career in Country Music, how playing guitar and singing took a backseat to her love of performing at a young age, and how poems about her beloved pony Jenny were early signs of songwriting. Katie and Brendan talk about the importance of College and hearing someone else other than her parents tell her she was good at music, what it was like getting a job at the world famous Warehouse Studios in Vancouver only a few months after moving there, and what it was like when Dave Ogilvie approached her and asked if she'd like to front the Indie pop/rock group Jakalope. Finally, Katie explains how a trip to Hawaii with a group of like minded female artists led to the formation of Nice Horse, how being surrounded by three other Type A musicians helped drive the group to places they had never expected, and what it's like to receive CCMA nominations and play big summer festivals after navigating their way through the pandemic.

Rachel Wammack is a singer/songwriter signed to RCA Records Nashville. Rachel joins Country Music Made Me to discuss her early musical memories while growing up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the importance that local musician Harvey Thompson Jr. had on her musical journey when starting to play local shows in high school, and how one of the very first songs she wrote dedicated to Ramen Noodles made it on her debut album. Rachel and Brendan talk about the moment she was approach by the Executive Vice President of A&R with Sony Music Nashville after a local show at the age of 17, why she decided to attend university rather than move to Nashville after High School, and what she learned about inner beauty after becoming Miss UNA at the University of North Alabama. Finally, Rachel talks about the no-pressure meeting when she officially signed with Sony in 2018, what she re-learned about herself after taking a break from social media in 2021, and how those events inspired her new music including her most recent single "Like Me".

Noah Hicks is an up-and-coming artist in Nashville who is set to release his debut "Tripping Over My Boots". Noah joins Country Music Made Me to discuss his stereotypical country upbringing on a 100 acre chicken farm in rural Georgia, how a game with his best friend of "who can learn it faster" helped him discover his love of music and performing, and how everything changed after getting up to sing for the first time when he was 17. Noah and Brendan talk about how a performance of Luke Combs "Hurricane" when opening for Riley Green at the Back 40 Bash cemented his path towards a career in Country Music, what it was like when he began working with hit producers and songwriters in Nashville, and the amazing full circle moments he's already experienced, like singing "Cruise" on stage with Chase Rice and playing the tailgate party at Luke Combs stadium show in Seattle. Finally, Noah explains the process of writing for his new EP "Tripping Over My Boots", the hard work approach he brings to his career as he works towards selling out arenas across the country, and what it's been like to experience so many amazing moments, like signing his first record deal with RED Creative, so early in his career.