Mike McClure has just released his tenth album entitled Looking Up. Mike got his start in Stillwater, Oklahoma at the notorious “Farm” where he became a founding member of The Great Divide and a producer of the Oklahama Red Dirt music scene favorites Cross Canadian Ragweed, Turnpike Troubadours and others. His song "I’d Rather Have Nothing" was recorded by Garth Brooks and released on The Lost Sessions and has sold over 2 million copies. He joins us on Backstory Song to talk about those experiences and songs from his new album, Looking Up.

Stephanie Lambring began performing as a teenager and released her first record when she was 22. She soon signed to a music publishing contract with BMG Chrysalis and later Carnival Music and spent 5 years on Music Row writing songs. After a long break, Stephanie rediscovered her songwriting muse again, this time on her own terms, and has released a critically acclaimed album, Autonomy. Her new album features songs with serious themes that force the listener to confront “uncomfortable truths.” She shares the backstory of this album and its songs with us including “Daddy’s Disappointment,” “Mr. Wonderful,” “Joy of Jesus,” “Pretty,” “Birdsong Hollow” and “Fine.”

China and Seth Kent are the wife and husband who lead the band Alright Alright out of Denver, Colorado. Their marriage has produced a unique musical alchemy. China plays keys and Seth plays guitar and they are complemented by lush instrumental arrangements created by China. They share songwriting duties and write songs both individually and collaboratively. On their new album, Crucible, produced by Ben Wysocki drummer for the band The Fray, they write very personal songs inspired by autobiographical episodes.

Buzz Cason has led an incredibly storied musical life. A Rockabilly Hall of Fame Member from his 1950s work with the Casuals, Buzz has written hits for Jan and Dean and others in the 60s and then formed the first recording studio in the Berry Hill Nashville neighborhood where he continued to write and record music. He helped start and co-write the songs on Jimmy Buffett’s first two albums there. Buzz shares the story of his musical life with the songs “My Love Song For You,” “Tennessee,” “Popsicle,” “Everlasting Love,” “Soldier Of Love,” “Love’s The Only House,” “Timeless And True Love,” “A Million Old Goodbyes,” “High Cumberland Jubilee,” “Montana,” and “Why.”

Nashville Hall of Fame Songwriter Roger Murrah, writer of 10 #1 hit songs, discusses High Cotton and I’m In A Hurry And Don’t Know Why by Alabama, Were In This Love Together by Al Jarreau, Life’s Highway by Steve Wariner, Don’t Rock The Jukebox by Alan Jackson, If I Could Make A Living by Clay Walker, Goodbye Time by Blake Shelton, and Ozark Mountain Jubilee by The Oak Ridge Boys.

Preston Creed is the lead singer, guitarist frontman and songwriter for the country rock band, Jagertown. Preston writes songs that are both drawn from personal experiences and observations of the life on the road in a non-stop touring band. Preston talks to Back Story about “Rearview,” “Blame It On The Wine,” “Old Flame,” and “Falling On The Blacktop.”

James Bourne is a founding member and main songwriter for the bands Busted, Son of Dork and McBusted, all of which have achieved gold and multi-platinum status. He is the winner of three BRIT Awards, eight #1 singles and 1.5 million concert tickets sold and his songs are on albums that have sold over 20 million copies. He discusses “The Great Escape,” “The Year 3000,” and “What I Go To School For.”

Nashville Hall of Fame Songwriter, Byron Hill’s songs have been on over 700 recordings earning 96 Gold and Platinum Awards, 10 ASCAP Awards, 34 U.S. and Canadian Top 10 Hits. He reached the Number 1 Country Chart position with “Fool Hearted Memory (George Strait), Born Country (Alabama), and “Nothing On But The Radio” (Gary Allan). His other hits include "Out Of Your Mind", (Joe Sun), "Pickin’ Up Strangers” (Johnny Lee), "The Pages Of My Mind" (Ray Charles, “Nights” (Ed Bruce), “Alright Already” (Larry Stewart), “Lifestyles Of The Not So Rich And Famous” (Tracy Byrd), “High-Tech Redneck” (George Jones), “Over You” (Anne Murray), “If I Was A Drinkin’ Man” (Neal McCoy), “Politics, Religion And Her” (Sammy Kershaw, “The Strong One” (Mila Mason), “Size Matters” (Joe Nichols).

Robyn Cage’s powerhouse vocals and impassioned live performances have enthralled audiences nationwide. Robyn discusses with Back Story “Born In The Desert,” “Fallout” and “Theatre Noir.”

Rain Phoenix and longtime collaborator, Kirk Hellie, created her 2019 solo debut, River, a musical exploration of homage to her late brother, River. On the 25th anniversary of his death in October 2018, she made the decision to release the Time Gone, boasting two unreleased tracks from Aleka’s Attic - “Where I’d Gone” and “Scales & Fishnails” - alongside her first-ever solo composition “Time is the Killer” featuring Michael Stipe of R.E.M. River flowed out of this.

Peter Chanman Chandler a fixture at The Jackson Hole music scene discusses his work with Back Story Song.

Abby Brown’s debut EP Gypsy Soul generated a strong following on Spotify and combined with her compelling live performances, she attracted the attention of label A&R and she signed to the Pure Music Nashville Label. She discusses the release of her second EP, Heart on Fire, and the songs “Gypsy Soul,” “Every Day Of My Life,” “Perfect Vision,” “Love Release Me,” and “Blue.”

Grammy winning songwriter Tammy Rogers of The Steeldrivers dives into the stories behind When A Heart Breaks, The Falling Man, I Choose You and Innocent Man from the album Bad For You, and Hell On Wheels from the album Hammer Down, and River Runs Red from The Muscle Shoals Recordings, and Never Far Away from her album Tammy Rogers.

Ron Artis II dives deep into the back story of his songs Broken, To Dad, Before You Go, and Searching For Answers from his albums Love Is Love and What Music Means To Me with his Voice runner-up brother Thunderstorm Artis.

Phil Barker is the lead songwriter and mandolin player for the bluegrass band, Town Mountain. Town Mountain combines a raw soulfulness with plenty of swagger to create a completely unique, contemporary modern sound rooted in bluegrass traditions. Phil shares the back story on “Law Dog,” “Diggin On The Mountain Side,” “Ruination Line,” “North of Cheyenne,” “You Can’t Win Em All,” and “Daydream Quarantina.”

John Wayne Schulz, a true American Cowboy and Patriot, raised deep in the heart of Texas. He tried out and was selected to compete on American Idol in 2010 where he made it to the Top 40. In 2016, American Idol invited him back and once again he made the Top 40. John shares his stories on “Beautiful Water,” “I Don’t Know Jack,” “Let’s Just Be Single,” “The Jukebox Is Broke,” and “Hard To Keep A Good Man Down.”

Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer, Jim McBride has written 18 Top 40 Country singles, 10 Top Ten Country singles and 6 Number Ones over 30 years on over 100 albums. His Alan Jackson recorded song, “Chattahoochee” received the Song of the Year award from from The Country Music Association. Jim discusses “A Bridge That Just Won’t Burn,” “Dixie Boy,” “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” “Chattahoochee” and “Rose In Paradise.”

Dickey Lee began his career in the 1950s in Memphis at the legendary Sam Phillips’ Sun Studios. He went on to induction in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In this episode Dickey discusses his hit songs “She Thinks I Still Care,” “Dream Boy,” “Patches,” “I Saw Linda Yesterday,” “Ruby Baby,” “Memphis Beat,” “I’ve Been Around Enough To Know,” “In A Different Light,” “You’re The First Time I’ve Thought About Leaving,” “I’ll Be Leaving Alone,” “The Door Is Always Open,” and “Keeper Of The Stars.”

Dave Pahanish has co-written the No. 1 Billboard singles “Do You Believe Me Now” by Jimmy Wayne, “American Ride” by Toby Keith, and “Without You” by Keith Urban. Dave discusses “Honey, Honey,” “The One That Got Away,” and “Without You.”

Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer, Layng Martine, has written 15 Top 40 Country hits including two Number 1 songs: Billy Crash Craddock’s “Rub It In” and Elvis Presley’s final Number 1 hit, “Way Down”. His songs have been recorded by music legends Jerry Lee Lewis, The Pointer Sisters, Ray Stevens, Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire. His song, “The Greatest Man I Never Knew,” recorded by Reba was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Song in 1992. The Pointer Sisters’ “Should I Do It” crossed over into the pop charts Top 20 for Layng in 1981. His memoir, Permission To Fly, is available on Amazon.