CountryLine Songwriter Series

'The CountryLine Songwriter Series', is where you'll hear from some of the most successful artists and songwriters working in Nashville today. Country music is all about storytelling and this is where you'll discover the stories from the people themselves of how they managed to find their way into such a competitive industry and rise to the top. What motivates and inspires them and what they've learnt along the way.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Jordan Davis was surrounded by music from a young age as both of his parents played instruments and he sang in his church choir. The middle of three children, he learned to play guitar around the age of 12 in between baseball and football games. Jordan's uncle, Stan Paul Davis, was a professional songwriter who composed two hits for Tracy Lawrence 1992's "Today's Lonely Fool", and 1997's number two hit "Better Man, Better Off". After graduating Louisiana State University with an Environmental Science degree, Jordan moved to Nashville in 2012, and secured a recording contract with Universal Music Group Nashville in 2016.

Davis's debut single, "Singles You Up", came out in mid-2017. It hit number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in April 2018. His debut album, “Home State”, was released around the same time and the second single "Take It from Me", reached number two on the Country Airplay chart in March 2019. The album's third single, "Slow Dance in a Parking Lot", also topped the Country Airplay chart.

Another new single called "Almost Maybes", wound up climbing into the Country Airplay Top Ten in 2020, it featured on a self-titled EP that appeared in May of that year. A second EP, “Buy Dirt”, arrived in May of 2021 featuring the title-track duet with Luke Bryan; the single hit number one on the Hot Country Songs Chart. "Buy Dirt", also went on to be named Song of the Year at the 2022 CMA Awards.

Davis reached number one again in 2022 with "What My World Spins Around”, the first single from his second album, “Bluebird Days”. It arrived in February 2023, and the following month Jordan chatted with Stuart Banford at C2C Dublin.

CountryLine brings country music to the world through our radio stations, a TV show that reaches 90 million homes, countless interviews with massive stars and great live sessions. Download the CountryLine app to experience all this in one place:

· Live shows from the biggest names in country

· Interviews with our favourite artists

· News and gossip direct from music city itself

· Movies; TV shows

· Access to country music’s legends and the stars of tomorrow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'The CountryLine Songwriter Series', is where you'll hear from some of the most successful artists and songwriters working in Nashville today. Country music is all about storytelling and this is where you'll discover the stories from the people themselves of how they managed to find their way into such a competitive industry and rise to the top. What motivates and inspires them and what they've learnt along the way.

Hailing from Macon, Georgia, Jason Aldean fell under the spell of country music and first sang in public when he was 14 years old. He began pursuing a music career on a full-time basis following his graduation from high school and, with his father as a booking agent, was soon gigging in college towns throughout the Southeast and up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

Aldean independently financed an eight-song CD during this period to sell at shows, recording it in Nashville in 1996. Michael Knox spotted Aldean at an Atlanta showcase a year or two later and signed the singer to a songwriting contract with Warner-Chapell Publishing, which allowed Aldean to move to Nashville in 1998. When a couple of recording deals fell through and his songwriting contract was about to expire, Aldean was on the verge of giving up on the music business when he attracted the attention of the independent label Broken Bow Records, which released his debut album, simply called “Jason Aldean”, in 2005. Aldean returned to the studio in January 2007 to work on his follow-up release, “Relentless”.

“Wide Open”, followed in 2009 and produced three number one singles. Aldean upped the ante with 2010's “My Kinda Party”, an album that was even bigger than its predecessor thanks to the number one singles "Don't You Wanna Stay", "Dirt Road Anthem”, and "Fly Over States”, plus "Tattoos on This Town", and "My Kinda Party”, both of which peaked at number two.

All of this raised expectations for “Night Train”, Aldean's fifth album, which arrived in the fall of 2012. Featuring the hit singles "Take a Little Ride", "Night Train”, and "When She Says Baby”, “Night Train”, was another number one hit for Aldean. He followed it up in 2014 with “Old Boots, New Dirt”, which partially due to the momentum of the hit single "Burnin' It Down”, also generated three other Top Ten hits -- "Just Gettin' Started”, "Tonight Looks Good on You”, and "Gonna Know We Were Here" -- that kept it on the charts into 2015. The next year, he delivered his seventh studio album, “They Don't Know”.

In October 2017, while Aldean was on-stage performing at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on the Las Vegas Strip, a gunman began firing on the assembled crowd, resulting in the deadly mass shooting that took the lives of many of the singer's fans. The following weekend on Saturday Night Live he performed a cover of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down”. In January 2018 he released "You Make It Easy”, the lead single from his “Rearview Town”, album. Completed prior to the Vegas tragedy, “Rearview Town”, appeared in April 2018, and spawned four Country Airplay Number Ones -- that kept the album on the airwaves into 2019. In November of that year, Aldean returned with his ninth album, “9”, and just before its release he chatted with Stuart Banford.

CountryLine brings country music to the world through our radio stations, a TV show that reaches 90 million homes, countless interviews with massive stars and great live sessions. Download the CountryLine app to experience all this in one place:

· Live shows from the biggest names in country

· Interviews with our favourite artists

· News and gossip direct from music city itself

· Movies; TV shows

· Access to country music’s legends and the stars of tomorrow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'The CountryLine Songwriter Series', is where you'll hear from some of the most successful artists and songwriters working in Nashville today. Country music is all about storytelling and this is where you'll discover the stories from the people themselves of how they managed to find their way into such a competitive industry and rise to the top. What motivates and inspires them and what they've learnt along the way.

A native of Alabama, Riley Green grew up with an equal interest in sports and music. Since first releasing his self-titled EP in 2018. His songs like the No. 1 hit “There Was This Girl”, the heart-tugger “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” and his chart-topping collaboration with Thomas Rhett, “Half of Me”, have made Riley synonymous with what Country music does best: making listeners feel something with his no-gimmick, relatable writing, and classic feel.

Riley is riding a wave of success after being named the Academy of Country Music’s 2020 New Male Artist of the Year, and serving as direct support for both Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs, the latter joins Riley on his current single “Different ‘Round Here”. His new album “Ain’t My Last Rodeo”, produced by Dann Huff, is more of the signature sound Riley Green’s fan have come to know and love from the good ol’ boy who still lives in his hometown of Jacksonville. The new project is heavily influenced by the rural, small town and slower way of life at home and time spent with his family.

CountryLine brings country music to the world through our radio stations, a TV show that reaches 90 million homes, countless interviews with massive stars and great live sessions. Download the CountryLine app to experience all this in one place:

· Live shows from the biggest names in country

· Interviews with our favourite artists

· News and gossip direct from music city itself

· Movies; TV shows

· Access to country music’s legends and the stars of tomorrow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'The CountryLine Songwriter Series', is where you'll hear from some of the most successful artists and songwriters working in Nashville today. Country music is all about storytelling and this is where you'll discover the stories from the people themselves of how they managed to find their way into such a competitive industry and rise to the top. What motivates and inspires them and what they've learnt along the way.

Brad Paisley was born on October 28th, 1972, in Glen Dale, West Virginia. His passion for music began at age 8, when his grandfather gave him his first guitar. By the age of 12, the young musician was singing in church and playing in his first band. Paisley eventually secured a regular slot on Jamboree USA, a popular country music radio show. He was so popular with listeners that he was invited to join the program as a full-time musician, opening for acts such as The Judds and Roy Clark.

After two years at West Virginia's West Liberty State College, Paisley transferred to Belmont University in Nashville. At Belmont, he studied under the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers scholarship and met Frank Rogers and Kelley Lovelace, both of whom would help Paisley later in his career. A week after graduation, Paisley signed with EMI Records as a songwriter.

He made his debut as a solo artist after signing with Arista. He released his first album, “Who Needs Pictures”, in 1999. The record produced the No. 1 hits "He Didn't Have to Be", and "We Danced”. The album sold more than 1 million copies and catapulted Paisley to fame. The next year, the Academy of Country Music (ACM) named him the Best New Male Vocalist, and the Country Music Association (CMA) granted him their prestigious Horizon Award.

In February 2001, Paisley was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Several months later, he received his first Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist. He also released his second album, Part II (2001), which featured his unforgettable No. 1 single "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishing Song)”.

Paisley's next album, “Mud on the Tires” (2003), was also highly successful, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard chart and featured an acclaimed duet with Alison Krauss, called "Whiskey Lullaby”.

Paisley's 2005 effort, “Time Well Wasted”, included a collaboration with Dolly Parton "When I Get Where I'm Going”. which won the CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year in 2006. The album also scored Paisley both ACM and CMA Awards for Best Album. That same year, Paisley embarked on a successful tour, with rising star Carrie Underwood serving as his opening act.

His next release, “5th Gear” (2007). Reaching the top spot on the country album charts, the album featured several No. 1 hit singles, including "Online”, "Letter to Me" and "I'm Still a Guy”. Paisley also took home several major awards that same year, winning the ACM Award for Top Male Vocalist and the CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year. He also won his first Grammy Award for the instrumental track "Throttleneck”.

In October of 2019 he returned to Ireland to play Dublin’s 3Arena and chatted with Stuart Banford.

CountryLine brings country music to the world through our radio stations, a TV show that reaches 90 million homes, countless interviews with massive stars and great live sessions. Download the CountryLine app to experience all this in one place:

· Live shows from the biggest names in country

· Interviews with our favourite artists

· News and gossip direct from music city itself

· Movies; TV shows

· Access to country music’s legends and the stars of tomorrow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'The CountryLine Songwriter Series', is where you'll hear from some of the most successful artists and songwriters working in Nashville today. Country music is all about storytelling and this is where you'll discover the stories from the people themselves of how they managed to find their way into such a competitive industry and rise to the top. What motivates and inspires them and what they've learnt along the way.

Colbie Caillat's childhood was spent in Malibu and Ventura County with her father, Ken, who famously produced the landmark Fleetwood Mac albums Rumours and Tusk. She took piano lessons as a child but lacked significant inspiration until she turned 11 and became enthralled with Lauryn Hill's performance in Sister Act 2. Immediately realizing that she wanted to be a singer, she started taking vocal lessons and soon met Mikal Blue, a producer who had previously worked with Five for Fighting and Carrie Underwood.

As the collaboration thickened, Jason Reeves entered the picture and lent his artistic know-how to the songwriter's developing skills. She posted several of her finished songs on MySpace, although little response was generated until Caillat uploaded a breezy, hook-laden track named "Bubbly”. As word of mouth spread, Rolling Stone highlighted her as one of the top female artists on the networking site. For four months, Caillat was MySpace's number one unsigned artist, garnering over 14 million plays in the process. With such an appealing statistic on her résumé, record labels began courting her, and she signed to Universal Republic.

In July 2007, Caillat made her major-label debut with “Coco”, a summertime record suitable for both the coffeehouse and the beach. "Bubbly", topped the singles charts in several formats, transforming the singer from an Internet sensation to a mainstream presence. Caillat celebrated her star success by duetting with Jason Mraz, touring with John Mayer, and collaborating with Taylor Swift. Two years after “Coco's”, release, she returned with a second record, “Breakthrough”. The album went gold and was followed two years later by “All of You”, another summery collection of pop songs written with the likes of Ryan Tedder, Toby Gad, and "Bubbly" co-writer Jason Reeves.

Caillat began work on her next album in 2013, with the first fruit of her labour, "Hold On”, appearing in November 2013. An EP called “Gypsy Heart (Side A)”, showed up in June 2014 and, as that title suggests, it was the first half of a full-length album called “Gypsy Heart”, which was released in September 2014. Produced in part by Babyface, the album was a conscious shift to popular, radio-friendly material. The album debuted at 17 on Billboard's Top 200 and its biggest single, "Try," peaked at six on their adult contemporary chart.

Caillat parted ways with Republic Records after “Gypsy Heart”, and formed her own label, PlummyLou, with the intent of releasing “The Malibu Sessions”. Recorded prior to “Gypsy Heart”, but rejected by Republic, “The Malibu Sessions”, reconnected Caillat to her beachy sound, and saw release in October of 2016. Caillat started another label, Blue Jean Baby, for “Along the Way”, her 2023 album of contemporary country songs.

CountryLine brings country music to the world through our radio stations, a TV show that reaches 90 million homes, countless interviews with massive stars and great live sessions. Download the CountryLine app to experience all this in one place:

· Live shows from the biggest names in country

· Interviews with our favourite artists

· News and gossip direct from music city itself

· Movies; TV shows

· Access to country music’s legends and the stars of tomorrow

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.