In his distinctive voice, Knoxville-based singer-songwriter Brian Paddock delivers eleven incredibly honest, acoustic heavy story songs on his latest outing, Under New Management. Here, Paddock speaks about the album, the importance of having thick skin, John Prine, and more.

Please share the story behind your album’s artwork.
-The main image on the cover of the album is a photo of me as a kid taken by my Dad at a castle in England. He was stationed in Europe at the time and we had taken a brief sight seeing trip with some family who had come to visit. At some point, my parents had bought me a plastic sword and in the photo, I am challenging the knight to “do battle”. It’s a funny story, but most of the time I still feel like that kid with the plastic sword.

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?
-The vast majority of my songs are from direct personal experience. I do mix in some observations and may alter some details, but I try my best to make sure the content of the songs is real and honest. There may be better or more interesting stories to tell, but these are mine.

Choose one song and tell the story behind it.
-The title track of my record is “Under New Management”. I woke up one morning and made the mistake of turning on the news. They were showing members of Congress discussing a new tax bill and asking questions about the things one would receive tax breaks on. The author of the bill admitted teachers could no longer write off the supplies they purchased out of pocket for classrooms, adoption fees would no longer be a write off (among other things), but corporate jets and the costs associated with moving production to a cheaper, foreign location would be write offs.  I’m no financial expert, but those things seemed to me to be the opposite of what should be in our tax laws, so I sat down and wrote out my frustrations. This was one of the few songs I’ve written that isn’t actually about me or someone in my life, but I think it turned out pretty well.In 2010, when he was 30 years 

Pete Berwick is a professional actor and entertainer with over forty years experience in live performance, film, television, music production, comedy, character acting and improvisation. He has also written four novels, recorded and produced six albums of critically acclaimed music, and has been credited for being an early pioneer of the musical genre, "Cowpunk." Berwick recently released his new album, Island and here thoughtfully answered his e8 where he spoke in depth about the project and songwriting, shared advice from Charlie Daniels, and more.

Please choose one song and tell the story behind it.
"I Am Not Afraid" is a very big song on my new album "Island." I basically wrote it one night in self defense as the demons of doubt and accusation were creeping in from out of the shadows. My wife was upstairs asleep, and I sat in the darkness staring at the walls, my mind engulfed with anguish and confusion over the problems of the day that were doing their best to crush my soul and spirit. I reached for my guitar and the song basically poured out of my heart, one of the fastest songs I ever penned. Though in reality, I suppose the song had been manifesting in my soul for quite some time. I think this is how great songs are truly born. You have been carrying them around like a mother her unborn baby, and one day, or on a night such as this one, it makes its entrance on its own, the writer merely being the unwilling vessel, as Mary was to the Son of God. Most of the time I hate writing songs, because the song doesn't want to be written, much less born, and when you struggle with it and try to force it, this simply means there is nothing there to begin with, so maybe it's best to walk away and mow the grass instead. This would be why so much modern pop music is empty schlock, because in truth,  there is nothing there, nothing that had been living in the soul, nothing that  spoke the truth. It's just forced garbage used in the selling of advertising. 

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
I came to the title "Island" pretty naturally. I was considering alternate titles, but I kept coming back to that one, because it best summed up the essence of the songs. Whereas many might see the title and pan it as trop-rock or Margaritaville, they could not be more wrong. One reason the album cover is a stark and eerie black and white photo (compliments of photographer Michelle Shalloo Gadeikis) of a desolate piece of rock at sea, is because this is what each of these songs are, individual pieces of life and love and happiness and sadness. We are all islands,  regardless of what anyone says about no man being one. We are born alone and we die alone, and in-between how we live and whether we sink or swim is all up to us. 

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
I can't say the choice was mine, but of the songs that demanded to be born, as I described earlier. My songwriting process for all of my albums, including this one, is a process that evolves over years. Each album I have ever recorded contained songs I had drafted as long ago as decades, and I would revisit them and flesh them out, time and life and experience now enabling me to do so. The reason they had sat as drafts was because they were not willing to yet be born, as I had not yet earned the right to deliver them from the womb. Much falls at the wayside as I pen songs over the years, and the
good songs impregnate my soul, and though the last thing I may want to do is go back into the studio and record another record, and no exception to this one, I am given no choice, because the great songs impregnating me demand to be born. I become a victim of my work. I can't say I ever
wrote one song with the idea of actually recording it, but six alums later from 1991 to today, the songs had other ideas regarding that. And all of my albums ended up having a theme, and again, this was not deliberate, but the songs sorting it all out on their own. Songs are like children that grow  up, and they often behave as such, going off on their own and becoming what they will, regardless what you think or say to them otherwise.

Ted Hajnasiewicz has been writing songs since before he knew how to play a note.  His 30 year career has spanned many genres, reaching, as he writes, "tens - maybe even dozens - of listeners."  ​The singer-songwriter recently released a new song, "This Town Is Not For Me" and here, answered his e8 where he spoke about the song, his new album, Ozzy, Bon Jovi, and more.
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Please share the story behind "This Town Is Not For Me."
“This Town Is Not For Me” – This song is not about a PLACE, more a state of mind, “I don’t belong here”, or “I don’t fit in”. 

The song started innocently with the title, as I was flying into Nashville.  Laughing to myself, I was thinking, “I’m not cool enough for this town – this town is not for me”.  But as I started to write the song, it sort of took on its own life – something I never expected.  From feeling like I was never cool enough in my younger days to be in the “it” band, or have a hit song – to today, as I’ve aged (I’m 48), and feel like my own silly fears have caused me to miss the boat a bit.  Those feelings, while describing a musician’s journey, go much deeper – that “I’m not cool” feeling, is what I would struggle with at family gatherings, parties, work functions – even with people in my church family.  All of this, by no fault of the other.  All of this, due to believing a lie that I’m not good enough.

I figured, this feeling, “I don’t belong here”, is something most everyone struggles with, to some extent – I’d bet even the cool kids struggle with this.  So my hope is, while the song is incredibly sad, anyone could relate to that feeling and maybe find comfort in the fact that they are not alone.
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Is there a story behind your album’s title?
“This Is What I Do” – this record is a collection of my favorite work over the past 8 years or so.  It’s sort of a “greatest hits”, from a guy who never had a hit.  ?  So, instead of calling it “Greatest Hits” (which could have been kinda funny), I came up with “This Is What I Do”.  This is who I am.  I’m a songwriter, who is moved by music and wants to move others with his songs.  I’m a husband who loves his wife greatly.  I’m a father who loves his children greatly.  I’m a person who fails, but is forgiven.  I’m loved, even when I don’t feel it.  I’m no different, really, than anyone else. 

I’m planning a fun little campaign, shortly after the release, “This Is Who I Am” – where I’ll set up some cool shows, tell my story, get everyone to know “Ted”.  I am hoping the songs will be a nice intro, a sort of “resume”, or portfolio – not as much of my work (though a recorded offering is portfolio of my work, as well), as hopefully of who I am as a person.

Raised at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Holly Renee Allen is the embodiment of Red Dirt and Appalachian music. Born and bred from generations of country and bluegrass musicians and raised on The Beatles, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, and Bob Dylan, Allen is currently readying the release of her fifth studio album, Appalachian Piece Meal, where she pulls from her greatest influences and the sounds of the valley that made her the woman she is today.

The first single, “Picture”, is a honky-tonk heartbreak song one can imagine having crossed the air-waves fifty years ago - a country break-up song with just the right amount of sass to keep things interesting that pays homage to the proverbial other woman and how sometimes trading pain for freedom is the greatest thing we can do for ourselves. In advance of the album's 2019 release, Allen answers her e8 where she speaks of musical mentors, songwriting, and Appalachian Piece Meal.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
I have so many it would be hard to name them all! It started with my Dad. He played in a country band as a fiddle player the whole time I was growing up. He could pretty much play anything and lots of styles, but Bluegrass was his first love. He taught me to play the mandolin first and then when my hands were big enough he taught me to play guitar. My hippie sisters influenced my musical tastes; they brought all the sounds of the 60’s and 70’s into our living room and I fell for Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt. My mom pretty much always let me wail into a microphone with the stereo turned way up. Music has always been a family thing for me.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
“Miss Christine” from my previous Red Dirt Soul album wrote itself. It spilled it out onto a napkin in the car on the way to Tallapoosa from Atlanta and then onto the notebook without a moment’s hesitation. I think those are the whispers of angels telling us something that needs saying.

Upon leaving a decade behind as a minister, Stuart Smith recently released his debut album, War Horse. Drawing inspiration from life within the religious world and the hardened stories of those around him, he set out to write a lyrically honest and musically diverse album chronicling his transition into a new world. Written over a three month period, War Horse, while firmly rooted in the Americana genre, displays a musical diversity reflective of Smith’s background. The mandolin and banjo flourishes harken to his deep family roots in the bluegrass regions of Appalachia, while resonator, harmonica, and electric guitar lines display his affinity and immersion into blues music. The gospel influences of his life as a minister are present in the piano and organ sounds and even more unfamiliar sounds like the guitarviol and sitar are rooted in his past of world music and studying Indian classical music with Hindu monks as a teenager. These sounds, anchored by pedal steel, intricate guitar work, and tour de force drums ground a mosaic of sound all his own. Here, Smith thoughtfully answers his e8 where he speaks about the album and developing his own voice, musical mentors, being a minister and father, and more.

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
The entire album was pretty much wrote in a period of three months last fall. It was a time that I was transitioning out of a decade spent as a minister, so I was examining everything about my life, relationships, faith, and love. I wasn’t sure where I was going or what I was doing, but I just knew where I had been. While I was deconstructing much of my life, I was writing a lot as a way to sort through some of that. A lot of people’s stories weaved their way into my own and these songs, which allowed me to be really honest without seeming too exposed at the moment. I didn't really know at first that I was going to make music for a living. I was just writing and immediately heading into the studio to record them. Somewhere along the way, it became clear that there was an album developing that had this lyrical and sonic vein running through it. By the end of the year, I knew that this was heading into a direction towards a full-blown album.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Anything that generates that “hum” inside of me. It can be a conversation or just a phrase that catches my attention and is a new way of saying something familiar. It can be a melody that falls in my hand that begins to give way to lyrics, phrases, or a concept. Parts of my life and background, especially religious imagery, find their way into my songs, but I don’t gravitate towards writing about myself too much. Other people’s stories and perspectives are always far more interesting to me. Writing from someone else’s vantage point also allows me to be a little more vulnerable and honest about my own thoughts and feelings. If I can weave my own fabric into someone else’s when writing, I don't feel the microscope as zoomed in on me. Maybe that’s a cowardly way of writing, but it works for me and gives me some freedom in how I approach songwriting.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
Writing this album was very much an exercise in developing my own voice. By the end of the album, I felt like I had the power over the songs. Like I was writing them instead of them writing me. The breakthrough moment for me came about halfway through when I wrote “Burn For You”. It was the first song I didn't try to complete in the first sitting. I would stop when the well ran dry and come back to it as the ideas came and then I’d edit and revise it to make sure each line communicated what I wanted with an economy of words. Musically and lyrically, I felt I hit the mark I was aiming for. That process I learned was so important to me moving forward. I learned that it’s ok to take my time and scrutinize my own work. At the end of the day, it isn’t precious and I need to be objective about my own writing to make sure I’m communicating the way I want to. It really changed how I write and helped me put an economy on lyrics and to utilize each word the best I can without being synthetic or mechanical. It was also a moment where I paired the chord changes, feel, and overall arrangement to amplify the mood of the lyrics. When it was done, the process was so natural that I knew my writing was changing. Since we were recording the album as I wrote, I only wish that I had struck that chord sooner.

Doctor by day, singer at sundown, James Robert Webb’s passion has always been to help others and enrich their lives. Whether that be in his medical practice performing ground breaking procedures to help his patients or on the stage performing his latest single “Now We’re Gettin’ Somewhere” produced by the legendary Buddy Cannon. Here, the singer-songwriter answered his e8 where he spoke about musical mentors, songwriting, dream collabs, and his surprising musical guilty pleasure.

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
That’s an interesting question, because I’ve been lucky to have a number of musical mentors in my life.  My first was probably my band teacher, Ken Nelson.  He wasn’t from Kellyville, so he brought in this cosmopolitan collection of influences into the students in our little farm town band.  That really opened my eyes to other things that were out there.  Eventually that led me full circle to discover this amazing hotbed of music known as the Tulsa Sound that has really spanned across a century now.  

I didn’t grow up knowing any famous musicians, so I’ve come to use what I call ‘virtual mentors.’  I’ll study songwriters and artists if I draw inspiration from their music.  I try to learn from them.  Like, how does Kris Kristofferson come up with these incredibly complex structures that seem so natural?  How did Willie Nelson or the Beatles or Kurt Cobain write melodies?  What does Garth Brooks do that keeps an audience in the palm of his hand?

The first writers that I really started analyzing their songs, how they put words together, how they approach stories and melodies, that was probably Leon Russell and Ronnie Dunn.  All of those Brooks and Dunn records, there’s just so much great—truly great—writing on those albums.  If you can set aside for a moment and forget that Ronnie Dunn is one of the greatest country vocalists of our lifetimes.  If you do that, you can see that he’s just a truly great writer.   I think he’s under appreciated in that aspect. 

I think having this incredible pool of legendary writers and artists from Tulsa—Ronnie Dunn, Mel McDaniels, Bob Wills, Garth Brooks, Leon Russell, Charlie Wilson, Ryan Tedder—those are some big shoes to fill.  It’s extremely inspiring for me, but at the same time, I also feel like there’s a responsibility—almost an obligation to my hometown to rise to that level as a writer.  Like grandpa would say, if you’re going to do it, do it big.

Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination?  
Really, I think it has to be all of the above.  As a songwriter, you’re always observing and looking for different ways to view the world.  I’ve been watching Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.  I think it’s interesting that comedians are always looking for ‘bits’ in the same way that songwriters are always looking for ‘hooks’ in a song.  Basically looking at the world and things people say from an unusual perspective.  And sometimes, just coming up with a ridiculous idea or a fantasy that would never happen can lead your imagination to amazing places—like Hotel California or One Piece At A Time.

I’ve found that to make a song come from the heart, there has to be some personal experience tied to it someway.  It may not always come out in the song, but it’s in that process of writing, what they call ‘subtext.’ The part of the story that’s not actually told.  

So, one writing technique that has worked for me is taking a story that’s happened to me.  It can also be someone else’s story—a friend, a lady on the news, a hero in a movie, or a character in a meme.  The important part is to internalize it and focusing more on the feelings and senses it brings up in me.  That way it feels like anyone can relate to it if you can break it down to a level we’ve all felt.  The characters in a song have to seem authentic, real and have to be relatable to people.  

Then you can add back specific, vivid details, but I’ve found that keeping it a little hazy helps.  Writers just starting out tend to get stuck on the details. I’ve found that if you keep the details hazy, the listener fills those blank spaces in with their own experiences.  That way it becomes more personal to them.  A song definitely needs specifics—like a 98 Buick or a blood orange sky—but if you make it too specific a lot of times other folks can’t relate as well.  It’s a fine line.

Who would you love to collaborate with?  
I think there are two guys in country music that I would love to write with—Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks.  Not only do they have two of the best catalogs in country music history, in my opinion, they’re two of the best writers alive in any genre.  They seem 100% comfortable in who they are as writers and that’s what it seems to take to write great songs.  

They are the reason I got into songwriting in the first place.   Plus either of those guys, you know that in a writing session you’re just gonna have a lot of fun or write something that has you crying.

Hailing from the West Coast, Maddie Leigh grew up listening to country music and was particularly drawn to the dynamic sounds of yodeling in songs like Cowboy Sweetheart and Little Lady Who. So when she began formal voice lessons, her teacher wisely incorporated her love of yodeling into her warm-up exercises. Years later, Maddie Leigh is not only a world class yodeler, but also one of country music’s hottest rising stars. Maddie’s unique and powerful sound, which nods to both the past and the future of country music, can be heard on her latest single, the delightfully relatable “Boys Aren’t Like That Anymore." Here the singer answers her Essential 8 where she talks songwriting, the road, the Ryman, and more.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
I find inspiration in daily life whether it be through my own personal experiences or the experiences of others. There is just something so special about being able to set your story to music and share it with others.

Whats the best advice to give to a musician just starting out?
I know this is something everyone says but I would say to just never give up. There might be times where things will get difficult but if this is truly something you love, you can and will accomplish your dreams. Just keep going!

What do you love most about being on the road?
I love waking up in a new place almost every morning and getting to meet fans from all over the country. Also, when we have time, I love to go sight seeing.
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What is your dream venue and why?
The Grand Ole Opry and The Ryman. These two venues are the homes of country music. They are the places where all of the greats have performed and it would be an honor to be up there with them one day.

2017 Academy of Western Artists' Western Swing Female Vocalist of the Year Cheryl Deserée isn't your cookie cutter female singer-songwriter. The sultry, cigar smoking, pink haired songstress may embody a calendar girl but this pinup's heart belongs to fiddle & steel, horns & the gentle sway of the palm trees. The California native and now Nashville resident recently released her latest album, Dreamy, a melodic thirteen track collection that is filled with wit, grit, & honesty.  Here, Cheryl graciously answers her Essential 8 where she talks about the album, her dream collabs, and more.

​Is there a story behind your album’s title?
“Dreamy”, of course, is for the two versions we recorded of the song, but also because the word really encompasses what we captured on this project.  My first record was decidedly darker so I wanted this sophomore effort to be romantic, playful, fun, and lush, with just a touch of classic melancholy. While each song’s style differs quite a bit from the one before it, I feel like we really built a cohesive, ethereal romance, or “dreamy” feel overall.
 
Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
In this case, the egg came before the chicken. I had a vibe and sound in my heart and I wrote with the intention of coloring that soundscape. I felt a great sense of urgency to say something on the first record. Those stories needed to get out right then. While I’m very proud of the lyrical content on “Dreamy”, the melodies were paramount for me this go around. If I play any small part in this great music I adore, it is to help show that Western Swing can be fresh and original without losing the best and strongest of it’s roots. 

Please choose one song and tell the story behind it.
“Half White Trash, Half Black Sheep” is one of those songs whose lyrics came rushing out of me in about 15 minutes. It was one of those magical, stream-of-consciousness moments that I feel kind of funny claiming as being my own writing. Some songs feel like they are gifted directly to you by the universe. This story deals with some childhood abuse I suffered, and while I knew it had to be included on this album, I wanted to give it an upbeat spin. Sometimes, if I’m too close to the story of a song, I struggle to find it’s melodic voice. I enlisted fellow Piscean and Californian, David Norris, who immediately heard what I was hearing and we quickly settled into this assertive gypsy jazz groove. We work well together and also wrote the title track.

After stepping away from performing with Southern California band, American Bloomers to focus on raising her son, lifelong Angeleno Jane Sheldon returns with a Christmas tune that is both timely and timeless. “One for Mrs. Claus” is an ode to the oft-forgotten better half of the North Pole’s most famous family; a lighthearted yet powerful reminder that behind Mr. Claus is a woman making sure things get done correctly each holiday season. Santa might get all the mainstream praise, but this is a celebration of the matriarch who is long-overdue for recognition--”the CEO of the North Pole” as Sheldon puts it.  Here, Sheldon answers her Essential 8 where she talks about the song, being creative in the morning hours, a fave gift from a fan, and more!

Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you?
My older brother, Jonathan Sheldon. He's still my favorite songwriter around. He bought me my first guitar and taught me the "G" chord.

With "One For Mrs Claus", was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
I wrote "One For Mrs Claus" rather quickly. It was kind of sitting there, wanting to unfurl. Sometimes you get lucky and the song is right there; others can take a while to hatch.

What’s the story behind your album’s title?
I knew I wanted to write a Christmas song this year, so I started to think about what I wanted to say. Well, there's about 5,000 songs about Santa, but there's really not much about Mrs. Claus. She doesn't even have a first name! I wanted to give her some representation, so I wrote her a song. We all know she's the real hero behind Christmas, anyhow; the one making this whole operation happen. It was time for her to have a proper song. ​

Sophie Sanders was born in Nashville the youngest child of a teacher and a songwriter. Despite growing up around the business though, her path to songwriting was a slow one.
She never tried picking up one of the guitars around the house and the self-admittedly shy child had no plans to sing.  She did, however, love writing - poems, prose, and even a book.

In 2011, she graduated from the University of North Carolina with a B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology, and a pending Peace Corps assignment. The next week, she had her wisdom teeth removed; it was then that she picked up one of Dad’s guitars - and the obsession came immediately. While she served as an English Education volunteer in the Peace Corps in Indonesia from 2012-2013, she practiced the guitar in the afternoon after teaching. Soon, she was putting words to music and realized that 10,000 miles of distance had convinced her that she really belonged back home, in Music City. In November, Sophie released her first album, Steep and Shining Spaces, and here she answers her Essential 8 where she shares the story behind the album's title and artwork, discusses writing "horizontal," the humility of heroes, and more.

Is there a story behind your album’s title?
For several months, I was going to call the album Still Waters. It’s the lead track and seemed to fit the overall feeling of the project. When I was living with and listening through the songs though, I was struck by the line in “The Things That Give Me Wings” that says “the steep and shining spaces that the song is sure to reach.”
I wrote that song after two weeks away from writing. I had that all too common sinking feeling that I was devoid of ideas and had probably forgotten how to write a song. Somehow though, I ended up on that melody and the thought that I rise up on the things that give me wings came out. It’s true. Songs give me wings. I can’t reach every steep and shining space, but music can. It’s weightless. It floats. And maybe, if I’m lucky, it will carry me with it. So I thought, what better title for my first collection of songs than Steep and Shining Spaces? Also, I’m a sucker for alliteration, so Sophie Sanders paired with Steep and Shining Spaces makes me extra happy.

Please share the story behind your album’s artwork.
I’m not a big fan of real photo shoots, seeing as they’re expensive and require all this energy and makeup and styling and, honestly, I just feel silly. I’m a writer at heart, not some model, or artist, or public figure who needs to be participating in a photo shoot, so I had known I needed a cover photo for a while but hadn’t planned anything for it. Then one morning when I was about to go for a run, I noticed there was very pretty light coming in through the sliding glass door in my apartment. I literally stood in the light, un-showered, in my long sleeve exercise shirt that I was about to go run in, stuck out my arm and took a few selfies. I took the one with the best light and most fitting expression and played with the saturation and such, and, voila! An album cover.

When and where do you do your best writing?
I like to tell people that I get my best ideas when I’m horizontal. My Dad (a songwriter as well) has always had a habit of lying back down in bed after breakfast. For years I thought it was strange, then I started writing and I realized that it allows all those early morning thoughts to settle. Oftentimes in the settling, I find a song idea. There’s something about that relaxed, just before drifting back to sleep state that lets little light bulbs go off in the mind. I also find that if I’m in the middle of a song it can be useful to lie down and let the lines roll around in my head. Sometimes I’ll write the rest of the song just lying there!