Made It In Music: Interviews With Artists, Songwriters, And Music Industry Pros

Love & the Outcome, the CCM husband-wife duo, share their story of singing jingles and practicing in the basement, to finally becoming an influential and highly successful band.

Although a spouse duo, Jodi and Chris are very different. Listen as they discuss their individual starts, as well as how Love & the Outcome formed. Jodi explained it as, “U2 meets Amy Grant”. They had to learn how to work together. Having your ego in check is important when it comes to band chemistry.

“Trying to give space for the other person to bring who they are to the table”

One of the ways Jodi made it?

“Just say yes to everything that comes your way… Fake it till you make it.”

What makes Love & the Outcome stand out? They take their destiny into their own hands. They never had to rely on others to do their work for them- they booked their own tours and shows, connected with fans, etc.

“Own your career. Own your platform.”

Listen as Love & the Outcome talk about what they did in their ‘in-between’ times of putting out music. They learned to focus on what they could control in that time and be intentional. With prayer and purpose, they even started their own podcast and doubled their followings!

Jodi also focuses on the importance of respecting yourself and being authentic. When she reaches out to her fans, she never tries to seem perfect and is transparent through her social media.

She documents instead of creates

“When you’re loving people and respecting people, it’s not a pitch. When you know what you’re worth, it’s not a pitch. When you know what you’re called to do, it’s giving value to someone else.”

Follow Love & The Outcome!

Website: https://loveandtheoutcome.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveAndTheOutcome/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/loveandoutcome

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveandtheoutcome/

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Cris Lacy, Executive VP A&R at Warner Chappell, discovered her passion for music at a young age. She remembered listening to a tape of her and her grandfather singing “You Are My Sunshine” and she was correcting him on how to sing it! She has still been helping artists such as Dan + Shay, Kenny Chesney, and many more make it in music.

Cris Lacy was always surrounded by music. She went to Vanderbilt, interned, worked for a publishing company, and eventually became a song plugger for twelve years. Cris reminisces on what it was like to be around writers all the time. She explains her love for when “somebody shows up with something that didn’t exist 5 or 6 hours before.”

“I think it’s the most magical thing. And then...you go and try to find a home for that”.

She describes the difference between roles in publishing versus A&R. She did not want to relinquish control from the songs while in publishing. Moving to A&R allowed her to keep control of the song from start to audience.

What does it look like to find new talent?

1. Great team scouring to look for new songs and live shows. (You go to shows every night of the week and travel on weekends.)
2. Recommendations for artists come from everywhere: writers,, publishers, club owners, agents, etc. (Main question asked from writers, producers or musicians: “Is this worth my time?” If they are spending time with these people- they’re worth it!)
3. Research and analysis team watching for trends on DSP’s.

What does it look like to get signed? Every artist has a different journey.

She explains how she met Cody Johnson and saw him play 8 years ago at a show for 20 people. “His voice was so unique”, she remembered. However, it took him 8 years to sign. Ashley McBryde is another artist she signed. “Incredible vocalist. Great personality self deprecation very funny. Clear perspective in her banter.” They signed Dan + Shay on the spot. Even the time between signing and putting out music is different for every artist.

“We call it fairy dust… even if the songs aren’t perfect, the fans aren’t perfect, the venue isn’t perfect- there’s just something that's intangible with artist.. It's like there is a light emanating from them.”

What does it feel like when you know? Cris explains, “It feels like something in my chest.. It's a very physical specific feeling... It’s a warm & fuzzy feeling.”

A&R’s role? “It’s our job to dive deep on finding new people”. If people are talking about something big that’s happening, A&R has to see who the artist is. “It's finding out what their vision is and trying to figure out if we can add value to that.”

What you really need a label to do is to be “honest and tell you your babies are ugly.”

You don't want everyone to agree- you need someone to tell you the truth.

“An artist needs a label to tell them when their art is ready”

Does an artist need anything in place before being signed?

Biggest thing: Know who you are! It’s good to have a big following, put music out, and play shows, but if you don’t know who you are then it’s going to crumble. All the artists who were successful: they never waited for someone else to do it for them.

“There is no substitute for hard work”

Advice for artist who has been in Nashville for 5 years and has not gotten a deal:

Keep going!! “It can take 10-12 years. It’s like winning the lottery! You’re gambling a lot… but the win is big. I don't think it's a game for anyone who can do anything else.” Also, “Creating. That feeds your soul- find joy in the creation. Put emotion into whatever you're doing. People can hear that.”

“If you can’t imagine doing anything else, that’s probably a good indication you’re on the right track.”

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Rebecca St. James, Australian Christian singer-songwriter, author, and actress, shares her journey of how God has begun relaunching her musical career.

From watching her first concert at 6 weeks old in the Sydney Opera House, parading her 5 year old peers around singing, “The Sound of Music”, to releasing her first worship record at age 16, Rebecca was continuously giving her all to pursue her passion of singing.

However, Rebecca explains the challenges she faced from beginning her career at such a young age.

“I wish I had’ve known at that point... how much self-care and balance in life is important to having something to say and something to give”

One big misconception people have of the music industry is that everyone has it all figured out... But we all struggle and no one actually has it all together!

Discover how Rebecca learned to “pour back into her soul” after years of exhaustion and how she practices self-care and rediscovers her identity in Christ. After a hiatus from performing, being an author, actress, wife, and mom, she brings us back to the moment God told her she was going to sing again and how things began to naturally fall into place from writing new music to signing with Bethel.

“He can bring spring out of a winter season”

Learn as Seth and Rebecca discuss:

• How technology has shaped the music industry
• The music industry 30 years ago compared to now
• The different “genres” of Christian music (CCM vs. Worship)

“I just get so excited about feeling like i could be a part of a song that the church worldwide could sing”

Rebecca shares excellent advice on:

• How to create a great team- especially in Nashville,
• Where to find inspiration in writing,
• How to write songs that last beyond your lifetime,
• The importance of authenticity.

“Pray for God to ordain and lead your adventure in serving him”

Keep up with Rebecca St. James online:

Facebook: RSJames

Twitter: RebeccaStJames

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https://fullcirclemusic.com

Leo Birenberg is a film score composer based out of Santa Monica. He has worked on movies/shows like Kung Fu Panda, Cobra Kai, and Tigtone on adult swim. Leo goes into his upbringing, his projects he’s worked on, and what he has learned from the industry.

Leo studied music theory and composition at New York University and University of Southern California. Leo spent a lot of his time creating short films with his friends in college and he started his first film score for his college roommate’s class project.

Leo tells about working with Christophe Beck, Canadian composer, and the opportunity to work on major pictures like the Hangover movies, the Muppet movies, and Disney’s Frozen. While Leo was learning valuable skills from with with Christophe, he also kept helping his friends from college with their web series and short films.

Leo gives his insight on what it takes to be a composer, the tools he uses to compose, and how to make the most of every opportunity.

Having many opportunities in the composing industry, Leo talks about how it does not matter if you are qualified to do a certain job. He says to say yes to everything, because you will be learning during those opportunities.

Check out Leo’s content or reach out to them at:

Website: www.leobirenberg.com

Twitter: leobirenberg

Instagram: Leobirenberg

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Brandon Harrington is the host of “Surviving the Music Industry” podcast. Always wanting to play gigs, Brandon learned exactly what it took to “survive” the music industry.

“I love the dream…but I will actually do it.”

Brandon started up his own podcast in 2015. He wanted to do something that Nashville didn’t have. He also wanted to help people and found out that he could help people in this way.

He tells about his story and what he did in order to find his way into the music industry. He goes into his upbringing, networking, and how to get yourself out there.

“The most important thing to do is make friends, not connections.”

Brandon goes into detail with how he realized what he wanted to do. He jumped straight into a Christian band playing gigs, traveled to the Philippines for missionary work, and got into music from there.

Learn how Brandon found his way into the industry and how he became who he is today. Brandon tells what actions to take in order to get yourself into the music industry.

“Don’t be a dreamer. There are not enough doers."

Check out Brandon's Podcast, Surviving the Music Industry on:

SmiPodcast.com

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Google Play

YouTube

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

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At her start, Missi Gallimore had little knowledge of how the music industry worked. Today, she is the reason behind some of our favorite songs. She discovered, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”, “Live Like You Were Dying” and many more hits. Listen as this music business genius shares her journey of how she made it in music.

Even though she loved music, Missi had zero knowledge at all of the music industry- her start happened by chance. She began working for Billy Sherril by someone sending him her resume and he invited her over to listen to his song of Charlie Rich. She told him she didn’t like it… he hired her right away!

Missi now works in A&R with clients, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. She also owns several publishing companies, and is a co-founder of Get It Done Entertainment.

How did she find great songs? Hard work, listening to a ton of songs a week, and cultivating relationships with publishers.

She also describes the challenges of her job. Getting artists a record deal seem to be more difficult than ever- but we still need a record label!

Missi also discusses the change she would like to see and where she thinks country music is headed. What’s the most important part of the music business? A great song! She emphasizes the importance and responsibility of publishers and songwriters. She also gives a charge to writers and publishers in Nashville: Stop following the trends!

“They're the ones who make the wheels turn here so they’re going to have to change something.”

She also discusses:

• What she personally looks for in a song,
• To never give up and how to stay true (even Tim McGraw was told he’d never make it!),
• Why radio is still important… for now,
• How to take things slow and be strategic

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Meredith Andrews is a worship leader and an artist from North Carolina. Growing up singing in a small church, she tells us her journey to the music industry. 

She tells us about balancing her personal life with performing and what steps she was able to take in order to do that.

“Being really intentional of what I say yes to.”

Meredith talks about her connections with music and what makes her come alive. Through her experiences she has learned that music is the way people connect to things.

“Music is the vehicle.”

Overcoming your fears in the music industry is a big challenge and Meredith talks about what helped her with pushing through the noise. Meredith goes on to talk about her relationship with God and how she doesn’t want people to see her, but beyond her.

On Meredith’s journey from a performing artist to a worship leader there were lots highs and lows, but the one thing that remained constant was her faith in God.

“I was starting to redefine success in my eyes.”

Find Meredith's latest album and tour dates at MeredithAndrews.com.

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Clay Hunnicutt, who ran Nashville’s WSIX, helped launch The Bull in Atlanta, and is now President of Big Loud Records, takes us through his journey of how he made it in music.

Interning at a radio station in Chattanooga sparked Clay’s love for the music business. Ever since, he has been non-stop using his creativity and taking every opportunity thrown his way to get to where he is now.

“It’s about taking risks… I call it stepping off the edge”

He moved to Cleveland and turned a radio station 10th in the market into 1st. He then moved to Nashville to run WSIX, Nashville’s #1 for New Country hosted by iHeart Radio. Later, he went to Atlanta to help launch The Bull, another #1 for New Country.

“It’s about the creation process- I get bored after 2-3 years. Once you’ve done things, you need to do something different – you need to create and have more energy”

Big Loud records is only four years old and has already had major success and signed several major artists. He currently works with artists such as Morgan Wallen, Chris Lane, and Jake Owen.

“There’s no better feeling than watching even [artists like] Jake Owen sing the songs we worked on with them and having the fans sing it back to them”

What do you think it takes to get a label’s attention?

Clay shares the top things he looks for when signing an artist:

• Their voice
• Their “Star Power”
• Their metrics (following, social media)

Clay also shares tips on how to appropriately pitch yourself. He  advises to get to know as many people as you can – it’s all about who you know. Don’t be afraid to do anything – even taking out the trash. Lastly, work your butt off!

Clay also dives deep into the start of his career at Big Loud Records. He explains how to build a great team, how to think with the future in mind, and what the early season of Big Loud Records looked like.

“There was a vision, there was a belief. People really want to make an impact”

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What exactly is a creative director? What do they do? What are they looking for?

In this podcast, we interview two successful creative directors, Josh Wurzelbacher and Jason Jones, who share their insights on how they got to where they are now, their roles, and helpful advice. 

Josh Wurzelbacher worked at Capitol for three years, and is now creative director for Centricity. Jason Jones co-founded a marketing website which lead him to a creative marketing position at Capitol, and later to where he is now, director of marketing and creative services at Integrity Music.

What exactly is a creative director? 

Jason and Josh describe it as being

“The third leg on the stool… partner with A&R and marketing to make sure there is a compelling visual story that coincides with the sonic story they’re trying to create.”

It’s all about songs and sound in the music industry. Creative directors have to be the “advocates for visual language”.

Biggest difference in creative now:

We live in a single based culture. How should we handle that?

The most important part, especially now with so much content and white noise being put out every day: It has to be authentic. The key to authenticity? First, figure out what the artist likes and does naturally. Second, work hard! They want the artist to be productive, too.

“You can afford to be more raw and authentic now.”

How do they help their artists make the creative process a manageable task?

1. Resource management. How much do we have to make this happen?
2. What can we add to what they’re already good at doing? Maybe they’re good at taking photos, but can’t edit them all- put an editor on the road with them.
3. What do we need to completely supplement? Maybe they have no idea how to do video- put a videographer on the road with them.
4. Help the artists understand how it helps accomplish their mission.

What should independent artists do? Surround yourself with other creatives to collaborate with! Barter services and create great relationships.

Check out Josh and Jason’s content or reach out to them at:

Josh’s Instagram: Wrzl.jpg

Jason’s Email: [email protected]

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