Johnny & Brent welcome songwriter, Nicole Croteau, to the show and they cook up 5-6 different creative angles for writing a song titled, "Bad Idea For A Good Time," sent in by CLIMBer, Tracie Lipp. If you want to write like a pro, you need to think like a pro. And these episodes help you do that! Connect With Nicole Croteau: Facebook: @NicoleCrotea…

CLIMBers! What could you learn from a former 2-time major label artist who has now moved on to be an indie artist like you? Does that sound exciting? Well, we're bringing it to you with an interview with the killer artist, Craig Campbell! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters, indie artists and industry pros "Create Lever…

Kent Blazy is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His credits include several singles for Garth Brooks, as well as singles by Gary Morris, Diamond Rio, Patty Loveless and Chris Young. He has a total of seven number one hits to his credit. In 1982, Gary Morris took "Headed for a Heartache" to number 5 on the charts. In the years that…

CLIMBer, what does an A&R Manager do at a publishing company? What keeps them busy all day working for songwriters? How do they interact with songwriters? What are some dos and don'ts of reaching out to a publisher? We're going to talk about all that today with a killer interview, we can't wait to share it with you. Look up Demolition Music Publish…

Johnny & Brent welcome rising country duo and Wide Open Music writers, Joe Hanson and Chris Ray from 2 Lane Summer, to the show where they work out 5-6 different conceptual ideas for writing a song titled, "Horsepower To Heaven," sent in by CLIMBer, Joe Bigalke. If you want to write like a pro, you need to think like a pro. And these episodes help …

CLIMBers, I (Johnny) wish pain and suffering upon all of you...and I mean that in the very best way! Learn why I am such an a-hole in today's episode! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters, indie artists and industry pros "Create Leverage In The Music Business." We want you to win! About the hosts: Brent Baxter is an awar…

Hear the behind-the-scenes story of a hit songwriter's biggest cut... and biggest bruises! Larry Cordle, an Eastern Kentucky native and member of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, is both an awarded artist and songwriter. He’s had songs recorded by Garth Brooks, Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEnti…

CLIMBers, there's a song climbing the charts right now in country music that is both a rule-breaker AND shows you where the bar is set if you want to get a cut yourself. We're going to talk about that killer song today. What song is it? Well, we'll tell you in a bit... The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters, indie artists …

Taylor Austin Dye is an indie artist who is currently blowing up! She has over 1 million followers across all social media platforms and over 25 million streams! Johnny and Brent welcome Taylor to the show and they craft 5-6 different conceptual angles for writing a song titled, "Sinner's Heart," sent in by CLIMBer, Randy Maynor. Connect With Taylo…

CLIMBers, if you have been working hard and being a good CLIMBer, and you have been consistently releasing quality content on Tiktok, you're freaking out right about now. If you haven't heard the news, then you're about to freak out because Tiktok is on the chopping block here. What does that mean to you? That's what we're gonna pull apart today in…

Hear the behind-the-scenes story of a hit songwriter's biggest cut... and biggest bruise! Phillip Lammonds is a songwriter and instrumentalist from the musically rich mountains of North Carolina. He was a founder of The Blue Dogs, a critically acclaimed bluegrass and rock inspired jam band. He then started his family in Pawley’s Island, South Carol…

CLIMBer, it's not enough to write your song. You need to resolve your song, or it's never going to get heard. What's that mean, and why is it hugely important for your songwriting career? We're going to tell you today on The CLIMB, so listen up! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters, indie artists and industry pros "Creat…

Johnny & Brent welcome hit songwriter and founding member of the multi-award winning bluegrass group, The Grascals, Jamie Johnson, to the show where they cook up 5-6 different conceptual ideas for writing a song titled, "Exit 161". Connect with our guest: https://grascals.com Instagram Facebook TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho…

CLIMBers, think of the last time you moved, it was tiring, right? At the end of 1 single moving day, are you motivated to go to work or be creative now? At best, you're exhausted and overwhelmed, at worst, you're flustered and irritable. Disrupting your life groove is incredibly debilitating! This is similar to what happens in our minds when we swi…

We want you to win, and that’s why we host The C.L.I.M.B. Show. And here’s a chance for YOU to help US win! The C.L.I.M.B. Show has been nominated for an Arkansas Country Music Award in the "Best Publication/Blog/Podcast" category, and we would really appreciate your vote. The voting window is from March 1 to 15th - so that’s RIGHT NOW - and you ca…

If you've been listening to the CLIMB for a while and wondering how you can thank us... here's your chance! The CLIMB Show has been nominated for an Arkansas Country Music Award in the Best Publication/Blog/Podcast category! Please click this link and VOTE FOR THE CLIMB! https://arkansasmusic.org/vote PS: If you want to vote for the other categorie…

Brent & Johnny welcome Canadian recording artist and Anthem Music Publishing writer, Chris Buck, to the show to dream up 5-6 different conceptual angles to writing the song titled, "You'll Never Know Why," sent in by CLIMBer, Bobby Johnston. You can check out Chris' upcoming "Boots 'n Boats Singer/Songwriter Fest" at https://BootsNBoats.com We want…

CLIMBers, an artist's job is to be vulnerable and the 1 thing artists are most afraid of is being vulnerable! So, it's no wonder that of all the people on the planet who have to deal with haters, artists are the absolute worst at dealing with it. So today, we're going to give you some tools and break this down a little bit psychologically to help y…

Brent sits down with hit songwriter, Jim McCormick (Jason Aldean, Gabby Barrett, Brantley Gilbert & more) to discuss his cuts... and bruises. This is an excerpt from "The Hang." If you'd like to watch the full episode, just log in to the Songwriting Pro Member Area. If you're not yet a Songwriting Pro member, NOW is a great time to start your 14-da…

CLIMBers, prompted by the recent passing of country superstar, Toby Keith, I'm going to dive into a few valuable lessons I've learned from his songs and his career. I hope this honors him and I hope it helps you on your songwriting C.L.I.M.B. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

Brent & Johnny welcome today's guest who has had success not only as a songwriter, landing cuts by Luke Bryan and Cole Swindell, but this Alberta-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter has notched several Country hit singles in his native Canada, including "Lonely Drum Boy Like Me", "Lucky Stars" and more. Aaron Goodvin's Current single "Country D…

CLIMBers! Are you feeling like you're well into your artist's journey, but you've hit a ceiling and your growth is restricted? It may be because you're paying more attention to the work and not enough attention to the business. Can you fix this? Find out on this episode! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters, indie artist…

Baxter sits down for "The Hang" with Tammy Rogers - a successful singer, songwriter and founding member of Grammy-winning bluegrass group, The Steeldrivers. They discus songwriting - including the value of NOT having a publishing deal! Hmmm... This is an excerpt from "The Hang." If you'd like to watch the full episode, just log in to the Songwritin…

CLIMBer, when you have a meeting with a music publisher, what are they looking for? What do they like and not like in songs? Well, I've helped some of the SongwritingPro community get in front of legit publishers and I'm here to drop some knowledge on you. If you want to have a successful publisher meeting, this one is for you! Learn more about you…

Here's a great CLIMB CLASSIC Song Title Challenge with the newly signed, and incomparable, Tigirlily Gold. Brent, Johnny, and Tigirlily Gold work out 5-6 different conceptual angles on how to write a song titled, "Stuck Between Hell and Highwater". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

CLIMBers, today we unpack part two of the book The E-Myth Revisited helping you further understand that you are an entrepreneur and you must embrace this to create the leverage you want. Stick around, because I'm going to have a few actionable items for you at the end of the episode. So listen up! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers…

Brent sits down with hit songwriter & producer, Jeff Pardo (Lady A, Mandisa, Francesca Battistelli, Zach Williams, Ben Rector, Micah Tyler, Danny Gokey, Tauren Wells, Matthew West, Jesus Culture, Rhett Walker Band, Travis Cottrell, Brandon Heath & more) to discuss his cuts... and bruises. This is an excerpt from "The Hang." If you'd like to watch t…

CLIMBer! If things are always going sideways for you in your music career, it might not be just bad luck. There's a possibility that you are a chaos addict. It's sneaky and it can kill your career before it even really gets started. So we're going to help you identify 5 ways that Chaos Addiction might be showing up and sabotaging you and your caree…

Johnny and Brent welcome hit songwriter, with over 400 cuts, 16 #1's, Brian White, to the show! Together, they craft 5-6 different conceptual ideas for writing a song titled, "Dirty Valentine," sent in by CLIMBer, Johnny Matt! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters, indie artists and industry pros "Create Leverage In The M…

CLIMBers! What I'm about to say is an immutable law of business... "Having a jaw-dropping, phenomenally valuable talent and knowing how to run a business are two entirely different skill sets. Possessing both of these skills is critical and therefore required to create financial success of any kind." So today, we're going to discuss some fundamenta…

The late, great Jim Femino was a pro songwriter with cuts and hits by Toby Keith, John Michael Montgomery, James Otto ("Just Got Started Loving You") & more. I had the pleasure and blessing of sitting down with him a few years ago for this episode, where he shares the inside story of one of his biggest cuts… and one of his biggest Music City bruise…

CLIMBers! Are you a fan of 90's country songwriting and wish it would make a comeback? Or are you a younger songwriter who figures the 90's are good for name-dropping folks in your lyrics but not relevant to how you write your songs today? Well, you're both going to be surprised and hopefully encouraged by today's episode featuring hit songwriter a…

Brent & Johnny welcome emerging Canadian artist (with over 4 million streams), Parker Graye, to Song Title Challenge! Together, they cook up 5-6 different conceptual angles to write a song titled, "But What If She Says No?" If you want to write like a pro, you need to think like a pro. And listening to this episode will help you do that! The C.L.I.…

CLIMBers, the numbers don't lie because the numbers can't talk. In this C.L.I.M.B. CLASSIC, Johnny reveals how many artists generated at least $50,000 of revenue from Spotify streaming. And guess what? Many are indie artists like you! It's encouraging, and it's worth another listen! (We'll be back next week with all brand-new episodes!) The C.L.I.M…

Brian Davis is a pro songwriter with cuts and hits by Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert & more. Today, he shares the inside story of one of his biggest cuts… and of one of his biggest Music City bruises! Full episodes of “The Hang” are available exclusively in the SongwritingPro.com Member Area. If you’re a member, log in to watch this and …

CLIMBers, this CLIMB CLASSIC has so many value bombs, we thought it's worth another listen! “You have a better chance of booking a second co-write with an artist if you have a ‘good song’ and a GREAT time than with a ‘great song’ and a BAD time.” Brent discloses a situation where he was NOT asked back to write because he didn’t win over the artist …

Connect with our guest, Tyler Reeve, here: Facebook: @tylerreeve Twitter: @tylerreeve Instagram: @tylerreeve Website: https://tylerreeve.com The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters and indie artist "Create Leverage In The Music Business." We want you to win! About the hosts: Brent Baxter is an award-winning hit songwriter w…

CLIMBers, this interview with legendary hit songwriter, Tim Nichols, is soooooo good that we think it's worth another listen! Tim wrote "Live Like You Were Dying" for Tim McGraw and "Heads Carolina, Tails California" for Jo De Messina to name a few! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters and indie artist "Create Leverage I…

This is an excerpt from "The Hang." If you'd like to watch the full episode, just log in to the Songwriting Pro Member Area. If you're not yet a Songwriting Pro member, NOW is a great time to start your 14-day FREE trail at SongwritingPro.com! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters and indie artist "Create Leverage In The …

CLIMBer, are your songwriting goals leading you toward failure? Is your goal of having a #1 hit song actually hurting your chances of getting that #1 hit song? There is a better way to achieve more songwriting success and we're going to talk about it today on The CLIMB. So listen up! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters …

Johnny & Brent welcome hit songwriter, Rachel Thibodeau ("Good Directions" - Billy Currington, Luke Bryan, Martina McBride) to Song Title Challenge! Together, they hammer out 5-6 different angles for writing the song title, "Loose Ends," sent in by CLIMBer, Marla Rubenstein! If you're a songwriter who wants to get cuts and hits, Song Title Challeng…

CLIMBers, the market share of major label artists has gradually shrunk over the years since social media decentralized marketing and streaming decentralized distribution. Currently, indie artists are responsible for a whopping 30 to 35% of all streams on Spotify and growing! Now, Spotify is changing the payouts...what does this mean to you? We're d…

Do you have to be great at all areas of songwriting (lyrics, melody, instrumentation, production, singing, etc.)? Or can you turn pro while just having ONE major strength? Here's the truth! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters and indie artist "Create Leverage In The Music Business." We want you to win! About the hosts: …

CLIMBer, how do you get better at writing lyrics faster when you write with another songwriter? How do you keep from feeling like you're running in slow motion while they're running at warp speed? We're gonna help you out with that today. So listen up! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters and indie artist "Create Leverag…

Johnny and Brent welcome 2-time Grammy Nominated, 3-time GMA Dove Award Winner, and 6-time Fan-Voted Soloist of the year, Joe Habedank to STC where they work up 5-6 different conceptual angles to writing the song-title, "End Up Town". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesAv Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter

CLIMBers, you're about to meet the poster child for everything that you should be doing to promote your music, your brand, your everything! This episode started out as a video content challenge episode...and there were SO many value bombs we're like this needs to be a regular episode. So, here you go! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho…

Do you HAVE to move to Nashville if you hope to make it as a songwriter? Is success impossible if you DON'T move? If success guaranteed if you DO make the move? Here's the truth, so listen up! About the hosts: Brent Baxter is an award-winning songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson (“Monday Morning Church”), Randy Travis, Lady A, Joe Nichols, Ray Stev…

CLIMBers, today we reveal 3 things you must do if you want to turn pro. And we discuss what they mean for YOU if you want to write songs for a living. Or even if you just want to get that ONE bucket list cut. The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters and indie artist "Create Leverage In The Music Business." We want you to win…

Brent & Johnny welcome hit songwriter Sonny LeMaire from the band, Exile! Together, they flesh out 5-6 different conceptual angles to writing a song titled, "Snake Charmer," sent in my CLIMBer, Penelope Laird. If you want to write like a pro, you need to think like a pro. And Song Title Challenge helps you do that! Learn more about your ad choices.…

CLIMBers, our good friend, our fearless leader, Brent Baxter, was out on a ledge...despondent, down, DOWN in the dumps...and who saved him? I saved him! You're going to want to know how I talked him off that ledge. That's what we're going to talk about on this episode...right here! The C.L.I.M.B. Show is dedicated to helping singers, songwriters an…