Pitch List

This week, Chris sits down with Grammy award-winning, absolute legend Jim Ed Norman! From his start in the 70s as a composer, arranger, conductor + player on The Eagles' iconic "Desperado" and "Hotel California" records, to his work as an A&R man / label head at Warner Nashville and Curb Records putting artists like Faith Hill and Randy Travis on the map, Jim Ed's career is one of the most eclectic w...

In a brand new episode of Pitch List, Chris invites Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton on the show! Vanessa’s creative journey has brought her all over the map - from her roots as a ballet dancer, to starring on Broadway, to signing her first publishing deal at 18 years old before her explosive debut single “A Thousand Miles” soared to the top of the Billboard charts. Since then, she’s come into her own as an artist...

Calling in from LA, Chris meets up on Zoom this week with 2x Grammy award-winner Ian Fitchuk! Ian’s what you’d call a triple threat - a boundary-pushing writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. You might recognize him as one of the minds behind Kacey Musgraves’ critically acclaimed album, “Golden Hour”, alongside our S4 alum Daniel Tashian; but Ian’s career stretches far beyond this. He moves flawlessly through a genre-bending r...

This week, Chris sits down in the studio with indie pop singer/songwriter Sasha Alex Sloan. Aside from her wildly successful artist career (she currently clocks in at over 9 million monthly Spotify listeners), she’s also written tunes for Carly Pearce, Meghan Trainor, Katy Perry, P!nk, Charli XCX, and many more! If you’re not familiar, her music is lyrically poignant, confessional, and emotionally stunning all wrapped up in tight p...

To kick off Season 5, we invited the iconic writer/producer Luke Laird to join us on the show. It’s safe to say that Luke is a Music Row powerhouse. Over the last decade, he’s written 24 No. 1 country singles, earned two GRAMMY wins for writing and producing for Kacey Musgraves, and co-founded publishing company Creative Nation with his wife, Beth. You’re going to want to take notes on this one. Get ready for his tips on getting th...

Earlier this year, we had a chance to listen to YOUR songs through our summer song contest on Instagram. Today, we're excited to present a special Pitch List minisode featuring the co-winners of that contest! Check it out to hear from Mike Cali and Daniel Leathersitch on their music journeys so far; plus, we'll take a listen to the winning tunes - "Once Upon a Lime" and "Ball Cap".

Winning Song Credits: "...

In our Season 4 finale, we’re going out with a bang as Chris sits down with 2x Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Natalie Hemby! A self-proclaimed “14-year overnight success”, Natalie gives us an inside look at her music journey - from the early days cutting her teeth as a demo singer and chasing the artist dream, to giving a Grammy acceptance speech for her group “The Highwomen” (while literally riding a roller coaster at Doll...

Welcome to our third and final part for S4’s Music Biz Series! This week, Chris sits down with an old friend and the Executive Director of NSAI (Nashville Songwriters’ Association International). As one of the places Chris recommends to check out first when you’re new in town, NSAI is more than just a place to network and get song feedback. They are songwriter advocates to the core. Listen on to learn how they were formed, what the...

Welcome to part 2 of our Music Biz Series! This week, Chris chats with Kris Ahrend, the CEO of the new MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective). A result of the Music Modernization Act that passed in 2018, this non-profit is paying out mechanical streaming royalties to songwriters and publishers that have gone unmatched for years, as well as committing to getting writers paid correctly from now on. In this episode, you’ll learn how to...

In a brand new episode, Chris sits down with queer singer/songwriter Leland, who’s written some of pop music’s most influential and catchiest releases of the past few years (“Rare” / Selena Gomez, “Bloom” / Troye Sivan, “Hide Away” / Daya, + more). He’s also making waves in the TV/film industry, music producing for Rupaul’s Drag Race and Hulu series “Love, Victor”, as well as picking up a Golden Globe nomination for writing a s...

This week, Chris sits down for a chat with singer/songwriter LP! With 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, giant cuts like “Cheers (Drink to That)” / Rhianna, and her own songs placed in TV/film over 40 times, LP has become something of a global phenomenon over the past several years. She’ll draw you in with her ethereal vocals; you’ll stay for gorgeous storytelling and an endearing personality. Listen on to hear how different f...

Get your notebooks and thinking caps ready for Part 1 of our highly requested Music Biz Special! Today, every listener is a student of our guest Linda Edell Howard, a fantastic entertainment lawyer here in town. Buckle in for a masterclass on what YOU need to know to navigate the music business as a songwriter and/or artist. You’ll learn: what a typical first publishing deal looks like and how to make sure it benefits you, common t...

Today, Chris sits down with writer/artist/musician Charlie Worsham! Since the release of his 2013 debut, “Rubberband”, Charlie has established himself as one of Nashville’s most beloved and well-respected artists. In addition to his own music, he’s a frequent collaborator, with playing and writing credits on records from Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves, and many more. Get ready for a super hones...

This week, Chris talks with rising star Kalie Shorr, the pop/rock/country songstress that’s blurring genre lines and paving her way in the music industry as both a writer and an artist. Her career so far runs the gamut from voice acting to viral TikTok songs to playing the Grand Ole Opry over 20 times. Dive into their chat about finding your voice as an artist, favorite conspiracy theories, and how the truth is almost always more i...

We’re back with a brand new episode of Pitch List, and this week, Chris got to sit down with the incredible Daniel Tashian. This genius mind has won multiple Grammys (including Album of the Year) for his writing and production work on Kacey Musgraves’ “Golden Hour”, made magic with his songwriting idol Burt Bacharach, and has had songs recorded by everyone from Little Big Town to NeedtoBreathe. Get ready to dig in and hear about hi...

This week on Pitch List, Chris chats with Grammy-nominated, Music Row icon Ross Copperman! A truly humble, hardworking, and absolutely deserving talent, you’ll get a peek behind the curtain of this writer/producer/artist who’s penned 30 number one radio hits and produced for countless country acts. In this episode, Ross talks us through his musical journey that began with an abandoned record deal in the UK, a trip to Nashville that...

This week, we’re hanging with HARDY, the CMA and ACM-nominated writer/artist that is dominating the scene with his rowdy redneck chart-toppers! After bursting onto Music Row in 2018 after signing to Big Loud Records, HARDY quickly earned platinum cuts by Chris Lane, Blake Shelton, FGL and many more - not to mention launching his own artist project just a year later. In this episode, we dive into his writing room creative process, t...

This week, Chris chats with the super talented yet humble Nashville singer/songwriter Ben Rector! After gaining traction on his music in local scenes before moving to town, Ben has now written hits for the likes of Lady A + Devin Dawson, not to mention amassing millions of streams on his own seven studio records and headlining tours with Dave Barnes, NeedtoBreathe, and many more. Listen on to learn how Ben brings an unwavering ...

Pitch List fans, buckle in! Chris sat down this week with the fabulous, multi-talented Fred Mollin. Fred is an award-winning Nashville songwriter/producer whose career runs the gamut - from TV/film scores for horror series like Friday the 13th, to Disney’s best-selling children’s lullaby albums and projects for Finding Nemo, Cars + more. (Not to mention his production credits on the Grammy award-winning “Sometimes When We Touch...