Today's Country Magazine

I would have to say my step dad is the reason I got involved in the music business. He knew the Grammy Award winning Jim Malloy. I started with Deb-Dave Music when I was 16 years old – I was the “coffee maker”. A Publisher is responsible for a lot of things such as: pitching the songs, setting up co-writes, meeting with new writers, buying/selling catalogs, meeting with A&R and Managers, I believe nowadays in this new model that part of a good publishers’ job is to develop artist/writers and be instrumental in helping them secure a record deal if that’s what they’re striving for. A publisher is like a baseball coach, you must recognize each player’s (writers) strength, and know where and how to position them to make the most of their talent.

I believe being well rounded is a must – it puts you on a different level. You learn how and what the record companies are thinking and looking at from the creative and business side. It helped me in my song plugging, because I was able to work hand in hand with the promotion staff and the marketing staff, so I’ve gotten a multi-faceted education from record label point of view.

I knew Paul from when I was working for Eddie Rabbit & David Malloy at Deb-Dave Music - he played on most of our demos. Over the years he has recorded a lot of songs for me. Paul has been and continues to be a huge influence in my career, and to be able to work with him in the studio was amazing. He lets you be you in the studio – he listens to your creative ideas and enhances them. Paul is a great “song guy” and a passionate, genuine, true producer - he listens to the artist and makes them feels safe.

The first, and most important thing I look for in a writer is if I believe them or not. For some reason that has always worked for me. It seems like the songs from those writers have a longer shelf life. I believe writing a song is one of the hardest and at the same time the most innocent things you can do. I have a very wide musical taste so I always listen with an open mind. After listening to a song I want to think “Man I wish I wrote that”. I want to be able to know what’s going on with a writer through their music. I believe a writer should write about who they are and what they know. This produces a product that is absolutely unique and those are the songs that get an artist’s attention. Songwriters are artists if you think about it and their songs are their business card.

“The Song Remembers When” because it broke the mold of the typical country hit song. It had no chorus and a lot of industry folks thought it should have one. The entire song was written around a single moment and I love that. It’s hard to do. Kathy Mattea recorded it first and they didn’t use it. I remember when Prestwood asked me about the idea we were driving down 16^th ave. and he and his wife were getting ready to leave the next day on vacation to the Rockies. He said “Todd have you ever heard a song on the radio that made you think about a past flame”, I said “Yes, for sure” and he said “I think I’ll write a song about that soon”. Well I guess he did.

The other song would be “Politically Uncorrect” by Gretchen Wilson/Merle Haggard. It was co-written by Lelsie Satcher and Billy Henderson, I remembered it from a catalog I previously worked. It was 13 years old and never been recorded. I spoke with Gretchen right after she got her record deal and told her about the song. She said “Get me a copy asap”, so I did, but they didn’t cut it on the first record and she was disappointed, as I was, but she said “If I get the chance to make a second record I’ll cut it”. A year and a half is a long time to wait so of course I was thinking “Right, let them hold it for that long, they’ll cut it - I’ve heard that story a hundred times. During that time Sara Evans came very close to recording it, but I was ethically committed to Gretchen. 1 1/2 years later she recorded it and I will never forget that day. She stood by her word and cut it, to me that is a true artist. I remember calling the writers (Billy Henderson wasn’t even writing anymore). I asked him if he was sitting down and he said “yes” as I told him G. Wilson just recorded your song and I thought he was going to drop the phone. That’s a great memory…

No. But I did pass on the song “Heads Carolina, Tails California”. (laughs) I can’t even listen to that song when it comes on the radio, I am still upset about missing that one…

Winning BMI Publisher of the Year for BMG Music Publishing.

I can say this, if it was easy everyone would be doing it and I would be living in Hawaii. I believe now that more and more artists are writing their own material and that makes things a little more difficult, because there is less room on the record for outside songs. Also there is more time between albums being released, so it makes it tougher. We email MP3’s now instead setting up meetings. Which is great and very productive, but I can attest that relationships and one on one meetings with A&R, artists, and producers are still important and valuable. I still believe that the power of the song is what matters and it always will. A hit song is a hit regardless of anything…..

Well, you have to be talented - you have to have vocal ability – they have that and then some. What will hopefully set them apart from everyone else is their individuality - they both have a unique and genuine vocal sound and style. They aren’t “more of the same”.

Be a sponge. Listen. I have learned more by listening than talking. The music business is fundamentally no different really from any other business…you have to show up and be ready to answer the door when opportunity knocks. Know your weaknesses and strengthen them. Go with your gut instinct...surround yourself with people that you want to be like…and never give up as Henry Ford said “If you think you can, you can, and if you think you can’t, you’re right”.