By Chris Blair
5
1111 ratings
The podcast currently has 93 episodes available.
Chris Ruediger joined me on today’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs to share his incredible journey from growing up in Massachusetts to making his mark in Nashville’s thriving music scene. After moving to Music City in 2017 with a passion for being part of the creative process, Chris quickly found himself immersed in the energy of Nashville’s songwriting and artist community.
In this episode, we dive into Chris’s story, including his first time at The Listening Room where he witnessed Hardy’s raw, unreleased music. We also talk about his venture into creating 615 House, a collaborative space for songwriters and musicians, born out of the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Chris shares his insights on the importance of branding, navigating the ever-changing world of social media, and how consistency and authenticity in content creation are key to making it in today’s music landscape.
From the excitement of seeing artists hit milestones to the hustle of building a career during a global health crisis, Chris offers a candid look at what it takes to succeed. He also talks about the importance of collaboration, creative freedom, and finding your unique voice and brand as a creative.
This episode is packed with valuable advice for anyone looking to break into the music industry or understand what it really takes to build a lasting career. Chris’s passion for music, marketing, community, and the process will inspire anyone chasing their own creative dreams.
Like this episode? Don’t forget to share it with friends and give us a follow. Because of you,we can continue bringing you the Stories Behind the Songs from the people who are shaping the industry.
SHOW NOTES:
Keep up with Chris Ruediger - HERE
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 - ChrisBlair.com /
The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe
*A special shout out to our sponsors*
Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us
Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/
Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
In this week’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs, I’m
Russell talks about how he made the move from Texas to
In this episode, you’ll hear all about Russell’s early days and
With wisdom from years of writing and building his career,
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with
SHOW NOTES:
Keep up with Russell Sutton - HERE
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 - ChrisBlair.com
The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @ListeningRoomCafe
*A special shout out to our sponsors*
Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us
Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/
Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
Joining us on this week's episode of Stories Behind the Songs is Keio Stroud, a drummer whose journey through the music world is deeply rooted in family and faith—and whose career reads like a who's-who of
Let's dive into his story!
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
Lauren Hungate joins us on today’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs.
Lauren has been writing for some exciting newer artists like MacKenzie Porter, Carter Faith, and Lauren Watkins, as well as household names like Anne Wilson, Carly Pearce, and most recently, Bailey Zimmerman.
In this episode, we explore her story, from starting out as an intern with Capitol Christian, navigating Nashville writers’ rounds, and earning her first publishing deal right before the world shut down in 2020. She shares what it was like to perform alongside Carter Faith at the Opry, join Carly Pearce on stage at Bridgestone, and have her songs cut by rising stars like Anne Wilson and MacKenzie Porter. Her song “Holy Smokes” released by Bailey Zimmerman just went platinum and she recounts the inspiration behind it—a memory with her husband parked by a church, blending the sacred with the everyday.
Tune in as she reflects on balancing faith with ambition, the mentors who helped her succeed, and advice for other young songwriters on how to navigate Nashville and make the most of every writing room. With standout songs like “Greener Pastures” and her latest single, “Coming Home to You (Bigger Houses),” this episode will inspire and entertain anyone passionate about music.
If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going.
SHOW NOTES:
Keep up with Lauren - https://www.instagram.com/lauren_hungate/profilecard/?igsh=MTBtdjFzMnFsZ2R5eA==
Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates:
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/
The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe
*A special shout out to our sponsors*
Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us
Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/
Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/
Our guest on Stories Behind the Songs this week is Will Bundy!
From a small town near Bristol, TN, Will has such a cool story that was so much fun to get into. We dive deep into his journey from mowing lawns and farming to producing demos that landed him in writing rooms with some of Nashville’s biggest names right now like Riley Green, Thomas Rhett, and Ella Langley, as well as hit songwriters like Brett James, Forest Whitehead, and Ashley Gorley.
In this episode, you’ll hear about how he hustled to learn demo production when he couldn’t afford to hire anyone, carving out his niche in the industry as a “track guy”, his bold decision to rent out a studio on Music Row while living in Antioch, and writing his recent cut with Brad Paisley, “Truck Still Works”. He also shares stories about going on the road with Thomas Rhett and Rhett Akins and how that led to one of his career-defining songs, “Half of Me”.
With recent cuts for both Luke Bryan and Brad Paisley, PLUS producing the viral hit “you look like you love me” by Ella Langley, Will Bundy is a great example of how hard work, strong relationships, and sticking with it truly pays off. Make sure to watch to the full episode for some invaluable advice to young songwriters, and a performance of his hit with Thomas Rhett and Riley Green, "Half of Me”.
If you liked this episode, make sure to share it with your friends and give us a follow. It is our mission to bring you the Stories Behind the Songs from the songwriters themselves and it's because of YOU that we get to keep going.
SHOW NOTES:
Keep up with Will Bundy - https://www.instagram.com/willbundy32?igsh=cjk5Zm91Y3pnMmp4
Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates:
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs https://www.tiktok.com/@sbtsongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/
The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe
*A special shout out to our sponsors*
Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us
Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/
Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
Jordan Rager joins us this week on Stories Behind the Songs! Jordan landed his very first number one on the charts with a song called “All Out of Beer” by none other than Jason Aldean for his 2016 LP, They Don’t Know. We take a look at the stories behind a couple of his songs and get to hear a couple of them.
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/
The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe
*A special shout out to our sponsors*
Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us
Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/
Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/
Victoria Banks joins us for this week’s new episode of Stories Behind the Songs!
Victoria is what some people in the music industry would call a “unicorn” - she writes her best stuff completely 100% (meaning all by herself), and she has several accolades to her name including the Canadian Artist and Songwriter of the Year.
Some of Victoria’s cuts include “Saints and Angels” by Sara Evans, “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” by Mickey Guyton, and the one-and-only Reba McEntire’s most recent single, “I Can’t”, and she shares the story behind each one of these songs.
In this episode, we also talk about how her song, “Saints and Angels” was edited and used as a post-9/11 anthem, “daring to suck” in co-writes, building a decade-long collaborative relationship with Mickey Guyton, teaching at Belmont where she can “be there for the beginning” of a student’s songwriting career, and getting that Reba cut with “I Can’t” 18 years after it was put on hold and seeing it debuted on The Voice.
Victoria plays a verse and chorus of “Saints and Angels”, “I Can’t”, and an emotional rendition of “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?”
There’s so much good advice for aspiring songwriters in this one.. Thanks so much to Victoria for sharing some of her wisdom. Let’s get into it!
SHOW NOTES:
Keep up with Victoria Banks - https://www.instagram.com/victoriabanksmusic?igsh=MXRrbHQwcGliMW5yOQ==
Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates:
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair's Website - https://www.chrisblair.com/
The Listening Room's Website - https://www.listeningroomcafe.com/
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe
*A special shout out to our sponsors*
Sennheiser - https://www.sennheiser.com/en-us
Imperfect Aesthetician - https://www.instagram.com/imperfectaesthetician/
Alclair In-Ear Monitors - https://alclair.com/
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
We’ve got a TLR favorite on this week’s episode of Stories Behind the Songs - Adam Craig!
Adam has so many impressive cuts like “Church Pew or Bar Stool” by Jason Aldean, “Close Your Eyes” by Parmalee, and George Strait’s 2024 single from his upcoming album, “MIA Down In MIA”.
We dive into those songs as well as the story behind his unreleased Cody Johnson cut written with Jordan Walker and Matt Rogers that will be on Cody’s next album.
Adam also talks about his past publishing and record deals, moving to Nashville to be an artist, playing the Opry stage, writing for a “viral moment”, and trying to impress the songwriting icon, Dean Dillon.
We also get a verse/chorus of “Church Pew and Barstool” and “MIA Down In MIA”.
Adam is a good friend of mine and a regular on our stage, and I’m so glad we got the opportunity to dig deeper into his story and career and, of course, his songs!
SHOW NOTES:
Keep up with Adam Craig - @adamcraigofficial
Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates:
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com
The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe
A special shout out to our sponsors:
Sennheiser
Imperfect Aesthetician
Alclair In-Ear Monitors
Cody Hibbard joins us for this week’s new episode of Stories Behind the Songs!
Cody is an artist and songwriter to watch here in Music City. Just a month ago, he released his second full length album, Long Ride in a Short Bed, featuring songs like “Rollin’” and “Set In My Ruts”.
We dive into the title track, “Long Ride in a Short Bed” as well as “Had It Been A Boy”, and Cody plays a verse/chorus of both of those incredibly moving songs.
In this episode, we also talk about solo-writing versus co-writing, learning to play on a pawn shop guitar, finding the right group of people here in Nashville who push him as a songwriter, landing a deal with Sony, and being proud of who he is and where he comes from.
So good to dig a bit deeper into Cody’s story - make sure to give a listen to his recent album release and come see him play live here at The Listening Room!
SHOW NOTES:
Keep up with Cody Hibbard - @codyhibbard_
Stay up to date with fresh podcast episodes and Listening Room show dates:
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - https://linktr.ee/sbtsongs
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com
The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe
*A special shout out to our sponsors*
Sennheiser
Imperfect Aesthetician
Alclair In-Ear Monitors
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sbtsongs/support
Craig Campbell joins us this week on Stories Behind the Songs!
Like most of our guests, Craig grew up in a musical family, but he started his career as a correctional officer. He knew music was his passion so he spent a lot of his time playing in bars and bands on Broadway. It’s a good thing he did because he was discovered while playing “The Stage” on Broadway and landed his very first record deal. He shares his journey from performing there to writing his debut single, "Family Man," while starting his own family, and how early hits like "Family Man" and "Fish" shaped his career. He also tells the story of how he wrote "Outskirts of Heaven" with Dave Turnbull in just two hours.
Craig's music has touched many lives, and today he's re-releasing some of his greatest hits in a new project titled “Almost Greatest Hits,” featuring re-records and a few new songs. We also discuss his experience writing for other artists, like Garth Brooks and Trace Adkins.
This week - you’ll get to hear Craig play an unreleased track, discuss the upcoming projects and writes he is working on, and the next steps in his entrepreneurial journey with his restaurant, Grindstone Cowboy.
Make sure to check out Craig’s newest project and keep an eye out for more new releases coming out throughout the fall!
And follow us, Stories Behind the Songs, here:
Listen/Subscribe/Follow - HERE
SBTSongs TikTok - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs Instagram - @SBTSongs
SBTSongs YouTube - @SBTSongs
Chris Blair's Instagram - @ChrisBlairMusic
Chris Blair's Website - ChrisBlair.com
The Listening Room's Website - ListeningRoomCafe.com
TLR's Instagram - @ListeningRoomCafe
TLR’s TikTok - @TheListeningRoomCafe
Shoutout to our sponsors:
Sennheiser
Imperfect Aesthetician
Alclair In-Ear Monitors
The podcast currently has 93 episodes available.
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