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Today’s guest is Steve Mackey! Steve has been holding down the low end as a mainstay session player for over two decades. He comfortably floats between genres having supported artists like Luke Combs, Indie Aria, Lucinda Williams, The Wallflowers, Delbert McClinton, and Dolly Parton. Mackey is an ACM Bass Player of the year nominee, and has been featured in the house bands for Bonnaroo Super Jam, CMA Fest, and The NSAI Songwriter hall of fame.
 
Steve is the bass playing version of a champion race horse. He discovered his passion, put blinders on and played one note in front of the other through an amazing journey to the metaphorical finish line of success in the recording industry.

In this episode we unpack the twists and turns of navigating the roller coaster ride of a music career. Mackey breaks down his creative mindset when approaching a session and dives deep into developing the skill sets that can keep a musicians name at the top of a producers call list. He believes being a great session player means having the instincts to get the job done, while bringing something fresh to the table, and I can say he absolutely nailed that in our conversation as well. Without further ramblings, lets get to the show!

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Today's guest is Adam Shoenfeld! Adam’s double decade, career journey has had stops in every landmark of the industry. As a first call session guitar player, touring sideman, hit songwriter, and producer, Adam has been tapped by artists like Big & Rich, Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Jimmie Allen, and countless others.

Adam is a 7 time ACM guitar player of the year nominee. His playing can be heard on over 45 #1 songs, and he has co-written songs for Jason Aldean, Big & Rich, and Faith Hill. If all that hasn’t kept him busy enough, Adam has kept his creative exploration fresh with his bands Digital Brains and SunKat, as well as his most recent solo record entitled All The Birds Sing.

Adam made the pilgrimage from New Jersey to Nashville after graduating high school, and landed a gig at the legendary Woodland Studios. It was here that he honed the nuanced craft of making records by utilizing the studio after hours, and was eventually brought on as a house musician for demo sessions. As the story often goes, one gig led to another and eventually, Adam was on the top of the list for session and tours at the highest level.

Someone once said, “Nashville is full of good musicians, but there’s always room for one more great one.” Adam’s story is a testament to the opportunities that await those who put in the work and stay the course. We are honored to have the opportunity to explore Adam’s incredible career and share the lessons he’s learned along the way. Here we go!

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Nir has circled the globe in his journey to becoming one of the industry's most in demand session drummers. Beginning his career in his home country of Israel, continuing on to New York City, and then finally landing in his current home base of Nashville. 

Throughout his musical expedition, he has collaborated with countless iconic artists including Genesis, John Mayer, Chris Cornell, Carrie Underwood, and Blake Shelton. Nir’s impressive versatility and passion for perfecting the intricacies of the recording process have allowed him to remain a first call drummer for over four decades and counting.

Nir has an incredible home studio which he has optimized for being able to quickly navigate a variety of drum sound approaches with a unique combination of microphone configurations. His sounds are so highly sought after that companies such as ToonTrack and That Sound have called on him to create some of the most acclaimed drum sample collections in the industry.

This conversation dives deep into the early stages of finding your creative tribe, discovering opportunity organically, developing a deep musical toolbox, and unpacking unique recording techniques to execute a stand out sound and performance. We are grateful for the opportunity to welcome our friend Nir Z to the podcast. Let's go!

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Today’s guest is Derek Wells!

We’d typically start this episode intro with a description of our guests occupation, but there isn’t a box big enough to fit Derek’s career into. He’s literally checked all of them. As a first call session guitar player, bandleader, record producer, publishing executive, and board member of pretty much every industry organization, Derek has masterfully navigated every corner of the music industry.

Derek’s playing can be heard on over 50 #1 records. His pickin can be heard an artists such as Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett, and Carrie Underwood. As a producer he’s led the charge for artists like Maddie and Tae, Scotty McCreery and Granger Smith. He’s earned awards for ACM musician of the year and Music Row guitar player of the year; as well as a Grammy Nomination for Maren Morris’ album “HERO” Most recently, Derek took on the position of Vice President of A&R/Production at Spirit Music Group in Nashville.

Through all of Derek’s astounding success he has remained a humble, kind, and compassionate leader in the recording industry community. In this conversation we explore the journey that led Derek to where he is today, unpack his creative approach in the studio, and discuss the perspectives that have helped Derek remain grounded and focused on the opportunities that each day brings while staying patient and persistent in the process. And with that I am honored to welcome Derek Well’s, a legend who clearly did not need this introduction.

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John is a first call guitarist, songwriter, and producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Raised in Louisiana, John found his calling for guitar picking at an early age, and after discovering the roll of studio musicians, he traveled to LA to train at the Guitar institute of technology. 

After making fast friends with his instructors, John earned opportunities to see first hand how records were made. His next step was Muscle Shoals, where he honed his craft, and caught the ear of famed record producer David Briggs, who urged him to take the leap to Nashville. Through a 20/20 vision of purpose, and blind faith to trust the process, John has dominated the guitar player chair for over four decades. 

John’s playing can be heard on records ranging from Alabama and Willie Nelson, to Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift, to India Arie and Jewel. If that wasn’t enough, John has also honed his craft as a songwriter, producer, and studio owner. 

Through continuing to expand his skill sets and creative approach, John has crafted the roadmap for long term success in an ever-evolving industry. The stories we unpack in this episode cover lessons that could easily be the one stop manual for success and fulfillment as a studio musician. Grab a pen, because you’re going to want to take notes!

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Today’s guest is Mark Hill, Mark is at the top of the list for holding down the bottom end on recording sessions in Nashville. Clocking in for over 600 session dates a year, he’s well past the 10,000 hours mark of mastering his craft over the past 32 years in the industry. 

Mark’s head turning tone and deep pocket has earned him five nominations for ACM Bass player of the year. He’s toured with artists like Reba, Martina McBride, and Steven Curtis Chapman. He held down the band leader roll for Keith Urban, and has collaborated on records with artists like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, and pretty much everyone else. 

Mark’s focus on delivering a mix ready tone is arguably at the top of his undisputed calling card for Nashville’s top producers. However, he lays out so many golden examples of the skills beyond the instrument that go into becoming, and remaining a first call session musician. We’re honored to have Mark on the show, and stoked to have you here to learn from his journey.   Here we go! 

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Today's guest is Alex Wright!

Alex has quickly become one of Nashville’s first call Keyboard players. 

After graduating from Berkley College of Music and moving to Nashville in pursuit of a career on the business side of music, Alex found himself on a unique road that landed him on the stage and in the studio with artists like Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Kane Brown, and countless others.

Solidifying the truth that there are countless ways to arrive at one’s purpose, Alex got his start providing overdubs for emerging producers and songwriters from his home studio. As those relationships grew, his parts made their way on to several chart topping singles, and opened the coveted doors to the top of the studio musician mountain.

Alex is a relentless student of his craft. He spent countless hours exploring sound design with a goal of discovering the pathways to head turning sounds and parts, then used those skills to refine a fresh approach that would help him discover his own unique identity within commercial music.

Alex’s journey is packed with lessons that will offer hope, inspiration, and knowledge to anyone who is navigating the path to career fulfillment. Alex is a shining example of the future of studio musician legends and we couldn’t be more excited to share his story with you!

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Today's guest is Pat McGrath.

Pat is a first call acoustic, utility player who has lended his playing to countless hits for over 30 years.

Starting his career gigging on the west coast, Pat felt called to the set out on a path to session playing in Nashville and never looked back. After landing in Nashville, Pat began building relationships at local jam nights and touring gigs which led to referrals for a foot in the door opportunities on demo sessions, and eventually into the studio with artists like Luke Bryan, Parmalee, Lori McKenna, Jim Lauderdale, and countless others.

Whether he was on a fast paced demo factory session or a high pressure, major record, Pat understood the importance of always maintaining a clear focus and setting high bar of execution, knowing that every session is an opportunity to solidify the next one.

Pat is in tune with both his instrument and his mindset every time. His presence has been a blessing every time we’ve worked together and the experiences he shares in this conversation are no exception. Let’s dive in!

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Today’s guest is Rachel Loy. Rachel is a first call bass player, producer, and songwriter. She has performed on stage with artists Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill and many more. 

In the studio she has played Bass on records for Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Brett Eldredge, and Charlie Worsham to name a few. 

As a producer Rachel is one of two solo female producers to land a record in the top 20 Country charts.

Led by her internal creative compass, Rachel has masterfully balanced a diverse range of occupations by following her inspired instincts to carefully dedicate her talent towards the projects that bring the most creative fulfillment.

Rachel's career journey thus far has been an unforgettable trip around the world of the music industry. With career making opportunities found at dive bar 2 for 1's, backing some of the most iconic artists in the industry, and making the journey the priority to the destination. 

This conversation is a masterclass in career navigation, and I am so excited to share it with you. Here we go!

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Today's guest is Sol Littlefield. Sol is a first call session guitar player, based in Nashville, TN. His playing can be heard on records from artists like Tim McGraw, Sam Hunt, and Kelsea Ballerini. He’s participated in a catalog of recordings which have been streamed nearly 10 billion times.

Sol’s journey from recording his garage bands in small town England to solidifying himself among the top of the Nashville studio musician hierarchy is nothing short of a PHD thesis on leveraging curiosity, early adoption, and the power of mentorship to overcome the odds and discover a path to success.

Sol’s ticket to Nashville was stamped by mentor’s he connected with in the early days of online forums and YouTube. His departure was made possible by his unwavering belief in his purpose as he dropped out of high school and packed his visa for the states. His final destination is still to be determined, but in this interview we’ll cover the highlight reel of the incredible stops he’s made on the journey so far.

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