Episodit
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The catalog sale saga continues! This week we're joined by Mike Molinar (Big Machine Music president and Laura's publisher) to give a publisher's perspective on catalog sales in 2024. Mike walks us through the terminology used in these negotiations and shares insights into some of the stress-inducing misinformation that permeates songwriter circles.
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Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist & producer, Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves Albums Golden Hour, Star Crossed & Deeper Well) took the long way around to massive success. Like many of us, his musicality was simply way ahead of its time. On purpose or by accident, Daniel managed to stick it out long enough to witness his own Golden Hour and we are all better for it.
Daniel's Songwriter Playlist on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/daniel-tashian-the-songwriters/pl.ec6a5197166b4843b60c23882049dd5d
Written By Daniel Tashian Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EFRijbNtegdy8
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Strap in, y'all. We're diving into the intricate world of the Catalog Sale. While it's tempting to dream about cashing out and buying an island at 27, it's really important to know how these agreements happen, how much they're worth and when you may *actually* be ready for one in the first place. In the first part of our Catalog Sale mini-series, Laura details her experience selling her first catalog including timing, finding the right buyer and the importance of financial independence in the negotiating process.
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Songwriter & lead singer of The Cadillac Three, Jaren Johnston ("5 Foot 9" Tyler Hubbard, "Raise Em Up" Keith Urban feat. Eric Church, "Meanwhile Back At Mama's" Tim McGraw) knows how to pull a heartstring but can not help but put his southern rock energy into his songs. With a rock essence you can clearly sense from his contribution to the country genre, Jaren helps pull our platform somewhere new AND classic at the the same time. This episode covers subjects like how to exude confidence without being an asshole, how to make your demos distinguishable from the many many others that publishers and artists receive, and learning from and emulating the greats.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EFKx58A9dYOFh?si=ac60772c71944cb6
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Big Machine Music general manager (and Lauraâs publisher) Mike Molinar joins the podcast to talk about his philosophy on songwriter-publisher relationships. Mike shares his advice to young songwriters, the nitty-gritty of publishing deals, and how understanding the structure of those deals is the vital to your success.Mike Molinar brings over twenty-five years of experience as a music publisher and advocate for creatives to lead the publishing vertical of HYBE America and the sister company of the Big Machine Label Group.Molinar, who was named one of Billboardâs Country Power Players each of the last three years (â20-â22), oversees all aspects of BMM which was named 2021 Publisher of the Year by the Association of Independent Music Publishers Nashville. BMM has been ranked as a Billboard Top 10 Hot Country Publishing Corp for six years running.With offices in Nashville and Santa Monica, BMMâs roster includes the 2023 nominee for the inaugural Grammy Songwriter of the Year (non-classical) Laura Veltz, as well as hitmakers Jessie Jo Dillon, Geoff Warburton, Ryan Hurd, Matt Dragstrem, Sara Davis, Eric Paslay, Brett Young and Maddie & Tae, among others. The catalog features such global hits as âabcdefuâ, âThe Bonesâ, â10,000 Hours,â âIn Case You Didnât Knowâ and 11 #1 hits co-written and recorded by Luke Combs.Molinar was named one of the 2021 Nashville cohorts for Harvard Business Schoolâs Young American Leaders Program. He is currently serving his 2nd term on the board of the National Music Publisher Association as well as a member of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) board. He also serves as a board member for the Academy of Country Music, Music Health Alliance and sits the Country Music Hall Of Fame Education Council. Molinar was named a Rider Scholar while attending Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1998 where he was inducted into the College of Media and Entertainmentâs Wall of Fame in 2021. He is a graduate of Leadership Music (2015) and a member of the CMA, ACM, AIMP and Recording Academy.Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Molinar is a second generation immigrant of Mexican descent. He and his wife, Amanda, are proud parents of two young boys.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Elizondo ("In da Club" 50 Cent, "The Real Slim Shady" Eminem, "Cowboy Casanova" Carrie Underwood, The Encanto Soundtrack with Lin-Manuel Miranda) is simply synonymous with modern music. The trio sits down with Mike to discuss his studio environment and energy, and how it puts his co-creators at ease, and at what points in his career he had to stand up for his value. This episode also goes into detail about the difference between a track guy and a writer-producer, and how Mike’s desire for a better work/life balance, along with a curiosity for expanding his understanding of songwriting, led him to move to Nashville.
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/mike-elizondo-the-producers/pl.a56f1838e5c34595abb9dc416ecf0a38
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1qjLC064PnRWeyvOAPJH6R?si=8SkL_uGKTsmqhK7TiONR8w&pi=u-xFlICarcRx20
Instagram: @mikeelizondojr
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What’s blocking you? This week, the trio discusses this ironic possibility: it might be that you’re taking this dream job a little too seriously. We all do it! At all stages, in fact. Take breaks, change the subject, nerd out on other people’s hits, or do songwriter exercises— Laura discussed many of her favorite ways to shake her brain loose. This episode also covers whether you need to suffer for your art— many people believe they do. Listen for our take on that and other tips on feeling like a success even when you’re blocked.
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On this week’s episode, Laura, Tracy & Kevin sit down with one of Laura’s best friends, critically acclaimed hit songwriter, Jessie Jo Dillon (“10,000 Hours” Dan & Shay, Justin Beiber, “Halfway To Hell” Jelly Roll, “Lies, Lies, Lies” Morgan Wallen). The group gets candid about shaking off the resistance to following in her legendary dad’s songwriter footsteps, the dangers of not being happy for your peers, and the difference between fomo and jealousy. Jessie Jo is an incredible resource when it comes to knowing what the view looks like from the top, and gracefully finding your way back into the joy of the daily songwriter grind.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EFENnraVV8K2W?si=43f2856f40c64a59
Instagram: @jessiejodillon
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Songwriters always blame themselves (or the song) when something stops the process of it becoming a hit. But does it have anything to do with the song? Most of the time, IT DOES NOT. On this week’s episode, the trio discusses how many people and entities cause those interruptions and all of the millions of ways a perfect song can end up in a proverbial trash can. It feels like injustice! It feels like agony! But in the end, it’s just a part of the songwriter business. This is an important listen for anyone who hates rejection (um…. all of us).
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Laura’s sister and fellow hit songwriter, Allison Veltz Cruz (“Prayed For You” Matt Stell, “Somebody Like That” Tenille Arts, “Let Your Boys Be Country” Jason Aldean) joins the trio for a candid conversation about the sisters’ unique childhood and what lead them to songwriting after their family band broke up. They discuss Allison’s particular brand of hustle, how her personality informed her initial money management style, and what drew her to Nashville.
Listen to Allison’s music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EFSoEuClhQZiW?si=d06a01d209724317
Listen to Allison’s music on Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/allison-veltz-cruz-the-songwriters/pl.6748139a1ef0436a893fada8acf0d4cf
Instagram: @allisonveltzcruz
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Kevin, Laura and Tracy delve into the initial humility that it takes to learn the craft of commercial songwriting by unlearning how you did it before. Ouch! It takes a minute and it feels weird for a bit, but it gets better! After the craft settles in, your uniqueness returns to you and THAT is when the magic happens. The trio discuss the intricate art of communicating to a larger audience, the joy of being behind the scenes, and remaining a student as music evolves.
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Ashley Gorley has a literal bajillion hits. He’s also got a thriving publishing company in Tape Room Music. With so much success it’s easy to overlook the fact that it took Ashley eleven years to score his first hit. But thanks to his deep connection to the community and the key investment from mentors, Ashley was prepared to ride it out. It also helped that his early measures of success consisted of little more than writing “songwriter” on his tax forms and having working air conditioning.
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What is stealing anyway? In the songwriting world, there are a million ways it can happen. Sometimes (but rarely) it’s quite blatant, and sometimes it’s as innocent as forgetting you wrote the same concept in a different room two years ago. The fact is, it happens. There can be big consequences that can tank your reputation and your finances, but all of it is pretty much avoidable if handled right. This week, Laura lays down a few simple rules to keep you out of proverbial songwriter jail and maybe prevent or soften the blow of a costly lawsuit.
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Emily Weisband (“Thy Will” Hillary Scott, “Boy With Luv” BTS, “Can’t Break Up Now” Old Dominion & Megan Moroney) is one of those people who just billows talent. Even though she moved to Nashville to become a songwriter, it didn’t take any time at all before people started trying to convince her that she should do “the artist thing.” This episode covers a topic that plagues so many of us and Emily articulates beautifully how tricky it is to navigate. If you’re a songwriter out there wondering if being an artist is for you, take a listen.
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So, you just scored your first hit song! Time to buy a boat, a big house and that Rolex you’ve been eyeing, right? Not so fast. You can still have fun, but it might be a minute before the next big one comes around so let’s breathe and do some future planning. This week the gang breaks down what a “hit” actually means, how much it might be worth and how to manage the money it makes you properly.
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Joe Ragosta scored his first big hit (“Need A Favor” Jellyroll) just a few weeks before this episode was recorded. Joe brings big energy to the writing room and any other room he walks into. It’s that energy that has propelled Joe through years of slogging it out on the road with bands, commuting to Nashville from Long Island, and securing writes with one of the best bluffs we’ve ever heard. Strap in y'all, this is a fun one.
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Laura, Tracy and Kevin expand on the idea that even if you have a publishing deal, you're still very much the sole proprietor of your own business. Tracy gives a tutorial on how to divide up your income so that when tax day comes, you have all your bases covered. He also lays out some best practices for avoiding debt, systematic saving and maintaining a realistic viewpoint of your financial progress. Laura gives a play by play on how all this money stuff feels in real time from songwriter’s perspective, and how these financial choices can affect your creativity in the short and long run.
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Kelly Archer (“Sleep Without You” Brett Young, “Wild As Her” Corey Kent, “Somebody Else Will” Justin Moore) explains what it’s like to write songs in Nashville before and after becoming a U.S. Citizen. Tricky! Kelly's story is a wild one with high stakes and time limits, making her one of Nashville’s most steadfast and determined songwriters. This episode covers writing songs on work visas and how that intertwines with being signed to publishing deals. Kelly sets a shining example for songwriters to know their own worth, negotiate accordingly, while riding the ups and downs of this fickle career path.
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This episode highlights one of the easiest ways to ruin what could otherwise be a really fun and fulfilling career choice: expectations. The trio talk awards and the impact they can have on your career, finances and mental health.
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