Lessons from the Heart: Being a Hit Songwriter in Nashville with Sally Barris

Living in Nashville as a songwriter is like being in the heart of the music industry. Just ask Sally Barris, a Nashville-based performing songwriter whose tracks have been covered by Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, and Keith Urban, earning one of her songs a Grammy nomination in 2009. Sally’s journey and experiences offer a glimpse into the unique world of Nashville’s music scene, and her co-writing tips are gold for any aspiring songwriter.

Timestamp:
6:20 - Sally discusses joining the I Heart Songwriting Club and its impact
8:03 - Sally shares her journey to Nashville
26:37 - The Grammy nomination
33:19 - Reflecting on the feedback and categorisation of songs by the publisher
37:19 - The universal appeal of honest songwriting and the importance 
40:59 - Writing regularly with a group
51:48 - The learnings from touring
1:01:45 - Creating songwriting themes, including challenging prompts
1:07:30 - Performance of "Magnify" 

About Sally: Sally Barris is a Nashville based performing songwriter who has had songs covered by such top-level artists as Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, and Lee Ann Womack. Her song “Let The Wind Chase You”, recorded by Trisha Yearwood and Keith Urban, received a Grammy nomination for vocal collaboration in 2009. While her writing credits mightily impress, fans and peers are most captivated by her bright spirit and expressive mountain soprano.  Dirty Linen says “Barris knows how to write lyrics that are as forthright as a stream of clear water and how to support them with melodies that share that quality”. The Minnesota native has performed Mountain Stage,  New Bedford Summer Fest, Wildflower Arts & Music Festival and The Kerrville Folk Festival. In 2021, Sally released her new cd “Grasshopper Mile”. Contact Sally: Website / Facebook / Instagram

Song Credits:
"Grasshopper Mile" - Written by Sally Barris, Sam Gay and Templeton Thompson and Performed by Sally Barris.
"Magnify" - Written and Performed by Sally Barris.

Find out more and contact us at I Heart Songwriting Club & Francesca de Valence.

Check out more incredible music from our members:
Listen to Helen Perris on BANDCAMP
Follow Amanda Thomas via her WEBSITE and INSTAGRAM

Sign up for our Co-writing Course to improve your writing skills with others.

Get your creativity, confidence, and songwriting output flowing. Join The Club and receive the support and structure to write 10 songs in 10 weeks and get feedback from a private peer community. 

Just getting started on your songwriting journey and need more hands-on support? Establish a firm foundation and develop your musical and lyric skills with our Beginner Songwriting Courses. 

Don’t struggle to write your next album - write an album a year with ease! Watch our Free Songwriting Masterclass. 

Get songwriting insights from I Heart Songwriting Club: Instagram / Facebook.css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}