Loading...

PODCAST

Songwriter Soup

Songwriter Soup

Songwriter Soup is a frank discussion about how to make it in the music industry as a songwriter. It takes grit and a lot of patience, but also sound financial advice.Laura Veltz is a Four-time Grammy-nominated songwriter and is teaming up with Tracy Hackney, a seasoned financial advisor for musicians, to bring you the tips and tricks of the industry. Joined by host and producer, Kevin Sokolnicki, the trio has interviews with some of the most prominent and up-and-coming songwriters and

music music commentary

All Episodes

01:30:07

Deric Ruttan: Vulnerability AND Thick Skin - A...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/10/19

Deric Ruttan (“What Was I Thinking” Dierks Bentley, “Mine Would Be You” Blake Shelton, “Any Ol’ Barstool” Jason Aldean) joins the trio this week to unlock the secret to staying in this business for a lifetime. He opens up about the emotional toll of the built in rejection part of this gig, the importance of separating work from identity for his own sanity, and how he manages to stay grounded in this topsy turvy industry. We discuss that magic male energy that can handle very strong women in creative

en

00:59:13

Joybeth Taylor: Managing Astronomical Highs, Off Days...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/10/05

Joybeth Taylor (“Choosin’ Texas” Ella Langley, “I Can’t Love You Anymore” Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen, “Empty Words” Corey Kent) is living through once-in-a-lifetime songwriter success with faith, grace and open hands. JoyBeth’s experience on music row is the quintessential Nashville journey—artist turned songwriter (waiter / nanny / lifeguard / day job / day job / day job…..) to revered addition to the writing room. The moment this story becomes singularly JoyBeth’s is through her long time

en

01:08:00

Publisher Beth Laird: Nurturing Nashville's...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/09/21

This week, we have Nashville’s most considerate publisher, Creative Nation’s Beth Laird on the podcast. Married to a hit songwriter (Soup season 1 alum, Luke Laird), Beth has a front row seat to the hearts, habits and creature comforts of creative minds. We talk about how Beth and Luke went against the publishing company grain when they started Creative Nation and how those decisions remain the core of the company’s ethos. We cover topics like the evolution of women in Nashville music, the emotional

en

01:00:39

Alana Springsteen: Therapy, Reconnecting With “The...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/09/07

This week’s guest, artist and songwriter, Alana Springsteen (“ghost in my guitar”, “Hot Honey” and her latest album I Hope This Helps), discusses the burn out that comes with starting out in the music business at a young age, and the breaking points that led her back to making music for her own soul. Alana and the trio talk about how difficult it is to maintain a sense of genuine purpose in an industry that often props up the optics of monthly listenership and streams, while disregarding the

en

01:05:59

Nell Maynard: Fear vs. Love, Funding The Arts &...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/08/24

In this deeply honest and illuminating episode of Songwriter Soup, Nashville songwriter Nell Maynard (“Opti-MYSTIC” Abbie Callahan, “Blueneck” Chris Housman, “Like A Boy” LEW) joins us for a wide-ranging conversation that challenges traditional music industry norms. From securing a highly unusual publishing deal that grants her 100% ownership of her writing and publishing with zero advance, to opening up about asking her parents for a "values-aligned investment" to replace her $14/hour side jobs,

en

01:13:39

Blake Pendergrass: Morgan Wallen, The Grind & Toxic...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/08/10

Blake Pendergrass (“Just In Case” Morgan Wallen, “Brunette” Tucker Wetmore, “ROCKSTAR” Hardy) is on the Songwriter Soup couch this week breaking down his bizarre entrance into the music industry-an emphatic push from his lawyer parents to skip normal people school and pursue music. Blake walks us thru the typical ten year town songwriter experience of waiting tables, finding community & cowriters doing the same thing, and that first song that gets the ball rolling. We talk “outside”songs (when

en

01:10:42

Ava Suppelsa: Streams vs. AirPlay, Dignity & Service

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/07/27

Hit Songwriter, founder of Hope On The Row, and overall angel, Ava Suppelsa (“Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)” Max McKnown, “Critic” Avery Anna, “Salt, Lime & Tequila” Ryan Griffin) joins the trio on the couch this week. Ava is one of those people that knows how to human. From quitting a cushy record label job to clean up bachelorette 🍆 confetti in order to pursue her songwriter dream, to her first huge hit with Max McKnown, she approaches her journey with a sense of gratitude, humor and

en

01:17:30

Mags Duval: A Weird Kid, Early Luck & “Overnight”...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/07/13

Mags Duval (“Ordinary” Alex Warren, “To Love Someone” Benson Boone, “Flame” Teddy Swims) has one of the most interesting songwriter stories we’ve ever heard on the podcast. Born with singular voice and style, she was meant for this from a very early age. In fact, her one and only song, managed to wow Nick Cannon, and jump start her career at thirteen years old (13!). But with all the luck and talent in the world, as it often does, it still took forever to hit. Mags describes the risks and pay offs

en

01:05:37

Ashley McBryde: An Artist Willing To Listen & Learn...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/06/29

Artist and genuine songwriter advocate, Ashley McBryde (“Girl Goin Nowhere”, “Martha Divine,” “Bible and a .44”) pulls up some couch this week to bring a massive, unfiltered perspective to the pod.We go everywhere in this one—from Ashley's early days running loss prevention at Guitar Center and getting paid in chicken strips for writers' rounds. We discuss the difference between an artist and a star, as well as the multifaceted experience that comes with pandering to the radio... or not. But the

en

01:15:07

Ben Johnson: 10,000 hours, Lawyers & Treating The...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/06/15

Ben Johnson (“All The Way” BigXThaPlug & Bailey Zimmerman, “TRUCK BED” Hardy, “Dying Man” Morgan Wallen) is on the pod this week to discuss family, outliers, finding co-writers and lawyers. Hey Souper fans, we cover some new territory as it pertains to picking lawyers. We have sadly noticed how often the first lawyer you pick is a name you got from the person you actually negotiate against. We’re too trusting, my loves! Find your own lawyer. Ben is such a fabulous guest, writer and

en

01:16:40

Lauren Hungate: AI, COVID & Artist Relationships -...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/06/01

This week, the Songwriter Soup crew interviews Lauren Hungate (“Holy Smokes” Bailey Zimmerman, “Break First” Tucker Wetmore, “The Aftermath” Carter Faith).We jump around from being a mom & songwriter at the same time, the ideal ballad to bop ratio, social media (friend or foe), discovering artists at the ground floor only to watch them end up in fancier rooms and how to handle that with poise. We also go hard on the use of AI in songwriting and its similarity to Covid (remember getting the

en

01:00:29

Q&A: Sending Songs Around, Networking & Songwriter...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/05/18

Laura collected, sifted, and solicited and we have round of listener questions we’ll be addressing this week. We cover the most asked questions like how to get some decent song feedback, and where not to go for that. We discuss being socially awkward while networking, which feels like a curse for... some of us. We also discuss the delicate nature of songwriters existing in other parts of the music industry. Tricky! Anyhoo, enjoy this episode! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and

en

01:06:22

Mike Robinson: Having Fun While Waiting For Proof...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/05/04

Mike Robinson (“For The Rest Of Your Life” - Teddy Swims, “Umbrella” Fitz and The Tantrums, “4runner” Brenn!) joins the SS trio this week to discuss how being a no-brainer hit songwriter still involves a frick load of patience while you wait for the proof (a big ol fat hit) to show up. Mike shares his approach on his career as he makes his way through-continue to show up, kick ass (which he does with ease) and most importantly, have a fantastic time doing the job. We think this is the cocktail that

en

01:09:30

Austin Goodloe: Confidence, Over-Delivery & Casually...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/04/20

The crew is joined by Austin Goodloe (“Dandelion” Ella Langley, “Rocky Mountain Low” Corey Kent & Koe Wetzel, “I Can’t Love You Anymore” Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen) to discuss the difference between confidence and cockiness, obsession with music, and not letting tenure spoil the magic of this crazy career. Austin shares stories about how Jelly Roll helped get him signed to a publishing deal, how Ben Rector’s golf game taught him about career stamina and how being a producer is an advantage

en

01:07:27

David Spencer: Christian Radio, TikTok Smashes & The...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/04/13

Producer and songwriter David Spencer parks it on the Soup couch this week, bringing a massive amount of cross-genre perspective, jumping from Christian radio hits like Katie Nichole’s "In Jesus Name" to producing a viral TikTok pop smash for Neoni, and even helming Jo Dee Messina’s highly anticipated upcoming return album.But before the chaotic six-week period in 2022 where his career exploded all at once, David lived a gruelling double life. He pulls back the curtain on the reality of the

en

01:18:22

Paul DiGiovanni: Taylor Swift, Boys Like Girls &...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/03/30

This week the trio sits down with the tallest man to ever enter the Songwriter Soup lair: producer and songwriter Paul DiGiovanni (“How Not To” Dan + Shay, "The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” Justin Moore, “Lose You” Jordan Davis).Paul’s journey is a masterclass in the winding road of the music industry, traversing from the height of 2000s emo with Boys Like Girls ("The Great Escape”) to the final frontier of guitars in Nashville. He pulls back the curtain on the raw reality of starting over

en

01:08:31

Nicolle Galyon & Rodney Clawson: Money Scripts,...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/03/02

This week we host songwriting couple (each a BMI Songwriters Of The Year of years past), Nicolle Galyon & Rodney Clawson. We cover the importance of acknowledging your “money scripts”—-those things you knew to be true about money when you were a kid that you dragged into your adulthood. We also touch on that moment when success as a songwriter becomes a temptation to delve into different sides of the music industry. We cover how dynamics at home are affected when spouses bring identical work

en

01:18:54

Gabe Simon: Building Economies, Not Empires

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/02/16

Producer and songwriter Gabe Simon (“Stick Season” Noah Kahan, “Blue Banisters” Lana Del Ray, “The Man That Came Back” Jessie Murph) shares his journey from driving Uber while on a publishing deal to producing career-defining records for Noah Kahan, Dermot Kennedy, and Lana Del Rey. This conversation explores the financial realities of the music business, the importance of community over competition, and how to build sustainable creative careers. Gabe and the crew delve into some new topics for

en

00:56:23

REPLAY: Don't Crush The Butterfly

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/02/02

Trio de Songwriter Soup delve into art/business relationships and more on today’s episode. When it comes to a songwriter’s relationship with an artist, what is loyalty exactly? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing?Man, it sure can get tricky as people come and go (and come and go again). Holding too tightly and/or getting one’s feelings hurt can do damage, internally and externally. Let’s talk about it! But wait, are we even talking about songwriting? Totally. Are we talking about EVERYTHING

en

01:34:43

Dave Cohen: Studio Sessions, The Road, The Producer...

Songwriter Soup ·

2026/01/19

Dave Cohen (“Pray Hard”BigXThaPlug & Luke Combs, “Home” BigXThaPlug & Shaboozey, “Good Day For Living” Joe Nichols) is a previously full time touring musician, 5-time Academy of Country Music and 6-time Music Row Award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist who pivoted to songwriting in recent years. There is so much to learn from Dave regarding expanding your toolbox, being a good collaborator and hang, and understanding those subtle hints that are pulling you towards a career path

en

149 results

Similar Podcasts

Music History Today Network

Music History Today Podcast Network

Roots Rednecks and Radicals

Will Houk- Alt Country, Indie, Folk

Classic Metal Show

The Classic Metal Show: Hail and Kill!

Songwriter Soup

Songwriter Soup

FG STORY

RADIO FG