Most recently Randall released a collaborative project called The Marfa Tapes with Miranda Lambert and Jack Ingram. Marfa, Texas is a particularly special place for these writers, allowing them to decompress and write vulnerably together, a perfect example being their ACM Song of the Year “Tin Man.” This record is a collection of songs the trio wrote together over various trips to Marfa, encapsulated in raw and honest live recordings. In conversation, Randall shares what he thinks when attacking a project as a songwriter versus a producer. His challenges with the business as label deals that looked so good on paper have fallen through. Amazing, one-of-a-kind stories that include Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, Jerry Rice, Guy Clark, Vince Gill, and so much more from his 4-decade career. 

Alex Kline is one of Nashville's newest hitmakers but is one of the few women to sit in the producer's chair. Originally from Minneapolis, moving to the Bay area, to eventually making her way to Boston at Berkely. It was a spring break trip and Nashville chord chart that would eventually change the course of her life. With her first and only experience of Nashville in her college years. She quit school and risked it all to move to Music City to become a songwriter/producer. After trial and error with some bands and collaborations in her new hometown. The gamble paid off with song credits with Ronnie Dunn, Gary Allen, Terri Clark, Mitchell Tenpenny, Erin Enderlin, and much more. Fast forward to the now seasoned producer, Kline Alex recently made history as the first female to solely produce a No. 1 country radio hit on the Mediabase chart. Tenille Arts' “Somebody Like That” is also the first No. 1 country radio single to be written, performed, and produced by an all-female team.

Most stories start one way for country music artists but for others like Raleigh Keegan. It's a story of redemption, joy, and sacrifice. Keegan was born in jail to a brave, selfless single mother and placed for adoption. He shares the power of forgiveness and the joy that was shared once he reunited with his mother. Even though this context might shape his identity, he affirms that he's more than just a story. Raleigh shares how he's using his music and his artistry to reshape his narrative. Songwriting is all about relatability. So how does one draw inspiration from your life story but keep the mystery so that most will feel related to your songs? Keegan shares some of the insight behind, "Long Line Of Lovers," "Easy On The Trigger," and his latest release "Drink For That."

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@raleighkeegan

Proud Texan, Jim Beavers sits across a computer screen with host Brandon Harrington to talk about his journey from disbanded Son's Of The Desert frontman to the hit songwriter that he is today. Jim confesses that he's always been a songwriter but running a record label was the vocation of choice. It's hard to imagine that the pen behind hit songs like Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup," Gary Allan's "Watching Airplanes," Luke Bryan's "Drink A Beer," and Dierks Bentley's "5-1-5-0," "How Am I Doin," "Sideways", and "Am I The Only One" never thought the life of a songwriter would be for him. Jim working for Capitol in its prime with Garth Brooks has seen a few things and decided that after being "kicked around" he would much rather get knocked around as a songwriter. The history and stories that Jim tells are hilarious with the truth behind them. In this episode, Jim shares the history and reason why country music and most bands don't do well, the stories and irony behind some of his hits, comedy and its place in music or even lack of it in today's country music, and the power of brain sharing the mundane to create the extraordinary.