CJ Solar on Life After the Publishing Deal and Staying True as an Artist | Ep. 11

CJ Solar joins Bilby & Ella for an honest conversation about navigating independence, creativity, and longevity in today’s music industry.After years of success as a songwriter with cuts by Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Justin Moore, Joe Nichols, and Jerrod Niemann, including the multi week number one hit “Up Down,” CJ opens up about life after stepping away from a major publishing deal and what it means to fully bet on himself as an artist.In this episode, CJ breaks down the tension between writing for others and building a personal catalog, how AI and modern demo tools are reshaping songwriting, and why authenticity and imperfection matter more than ever. He shares hard earned perspective on touring economics, door deals, building sustainable live markets, and the realities of promoting music in an algorithm driven world.CJ also gives an inside look at his upcoming full length album, from choosing live tracking over polish to assembling a lineup of legendary players to capture a more human, timeless sound.Whether you are a songwriter navigating multiple lanes, an independent artist building from the ground up, or a listener curious about what it really takes to sustain a creative life, this episode offers rare clarity, honesty, and long game perspective from someone still very much in the fight.00:00 Snowpocalypse setup, travel, and catching up06:59 Screens, meditation, and protecting creativity09:02 Content pressure and the modern artist’s reality online17:26 AI demos, pitching culture, and what wins now24:10 Authenticity vs perfection (Zach Bryan, mistakes, and “human” records)30:05 CJ’s story: Baton Rouge to Nashville31:58 Early cuts, first wins, and writing “Up Down”32:56 The shift to social-first labels and why CJ stepped away34:54 Touring weekends, building fans, and balancing writer vs artist36:42 The new full-length album: why now and what it represents42:11 Recruiting the band and capturing a more human sounding record47:36 Going fully independent: life after the publishing deal53:49 Touring economics, door deals, and making new markets work01:05:27 Building a touring plan with data, strategy, and songwriter rounds01:11:18 The content creator era, earning “mystery,” and letting fans in01:22:54 Closing thoughts and wrapFollow CJ Solar:InstagramTikTokYouTubeFacebookWebsiteFollow The Bilby + Ella Show:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠Join Our CommunityFollow Hill:⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠Follow Willie:⁠⁠⁠Instagram