In this episode, I sit down with singer-songwriter James Slater!

James Slater has written songs for Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Jamey Johnson, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, and Martina McBride. James has pretty much seen it all. From living in places like Miami, the Panama Canal, and Switzerland, he has so many stories to share. After spending years writing in LA and touring Europe with guys like Huey Lewis and Bruce Hornsby, he ended up settling in Nashville with one really specific goal: to be this city’s “piano man”.

We’re going to dive into his story where we learn how he wrote High Cost of Living (nominated for song of the year) with Jamey Johnson, and In My Daughter's Eyes, released by Martina McBride. He shares many more stories, like how he once ran into Garth Brooks at Pancake Pantry and that time he had three legends—Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and Rodney Crowell—cut his song, Open Season On My Heart.

We discussed his remarkable career, working with country legends, and how authenticity has shaped his success. He performed a few hits and shared how perseverance and community have influenced his journey with music.

SHOW NOTES:

Keep up with James Slater- @Jamesslatermusic

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 -   ⁠HERE⁠

The Listening Room's Website - ⁠HERE⁠

TLR's Instagram - ⁠@listeningroomcafe⁠

TLR’s TikTok - ⁠@thelisteningroomcafe⁠

A special shout out to our sponsors

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

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