In a podcast crossover, hit songwriter Marty Dodson from the SongTown on Songwriting podcast and the songwriter behind Kenny Chesney’s “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven”, Billy Currington’s “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” and “Let Me Down Easy” joins Surviving the Music Industry with Brandon Harrington podcast to talk about redemption and even the path of his songs, from the writing room to the top of the charts. Dodson also shares his early years of deals, lessons learned from legendary songwriters, and even the intentions behind SongTown.
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Dodson is what some would consider a unicorn because he is one of the few people living in Nashville to call it his hometown. Calling Nashville your hometown is special but for Dodson, it’s just been home. After his father left the Air Force, the family settled in Nashville with no aspirations of entertainment. “It was a blessing and a curse growing up here [Nashville],” Dodson says, reflecting on the impact of growing up in Music City. “Into high school, I would have loved to have been a songwriter, but I didn’t know anyone. I saw all the people not making it and that was really intimidating.” Writing songs for fun and even through college, Marty confesses that he went through an early mid-life crisis while 10 years into a ministry career. After reading a pivotal book, Dodson took a leap of faith and figured out songwriting and the business to sustain his family.
Looking at the songs from Dodson’s catalog like Kenny Chesney’s “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven”, Billy Currington’s “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” and “Let Me Down Easy”, and more, you rarely think about the journey to solid gold records.
In this episode of Surviving the Music Industry with Brandon Harrington, Dodson shares traumatic experiences from his youth with his father addicted to prescription drugs and the beauty behind redemption, his lessons learned from fellow songwriter and publisher Kim Williams (“Ain’t Coming Down The Sun Comes Up”) and what his first early deals looked like. The fickle business of how songs are cut and then climb the charts are tapped into within the conversation. Using the hit’s from Dodson’s catalog, he walks through the journey of how artists and the business of songs make it to completion and how the power of one person can change your direct income, writing in multiple genres, scams, and also the origins of SongTown.
SongTown on Songwriting podcast is also on the American Songwriters Podcast Network and you can listen to their episodes to get better insight into the art and business of songwriting. You can also visit www.songtown.com to join their community and gain educational resources for songwriting. You can visit www.smipodcast.com for additional links and content. You can also listen, follow, and subscribe to the podcast here.
