TuneHatch Podcast

Special guests Madison Hughes and ZG Smith joined the pod this week. Madison Hughes joins the show to talk about finding her voice as an artist, from shy early performances in Florida to getting a confidence boost on The Voice in 2022. Madison and ZG Smith dig into the unglamorous realities of gigging and touring, bad coffeehouse shows, weird venues and how booking agents and relationships can change everything. We also get real about modern music marketing, TikTok “lottery” moments, and the balance between chasing trends and staying authentic while putting work out before it feels perfect. The episode closes with Nashville venue talk, onstage banter tips, and a tease of a new collaboration song (“Worth the Feeling”) coming soon.

Singer-songwriter Tera Lynne joins Nathan Youssef and co-host Blaine Holcomb to talk about her path from Missouri to Nashville, cutting her teeth in the honky-tonk circuit, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable music career today. We get into her early “baptism by fire” years downtown, the long and expensive road to making a true debut album, why streaming pays so poorly, and how touring + merch keep artists afloat. Tera Lynne breaks down her releases (including Flowers From the Ground and its string-only companion Flowers Reimagined), her shift toward a single-by-single strategy, and her goals for 2026: more ticketed shows and more full-band dates. The convo also dives into TuneHatch’s new artist tools for tour routing and gig opportunities, and Tera Lynne shares details on her single “Big Picture” (out Feb 20) and the philosophy behind it.

Special guests Guthrie Brown and Reed join the show to talk about their journeys to Nashville, from Guthrie leaving high school early to chase music full-time to Reed’s path through Belmont and live sound. They share wild road stories, early career risks, and the realities of performing versus working behind the scenes. The conversation covers their new project “Wrapped Up,” collaborating with Avi Kaplan (ex-Pentatonix), and gearing up for a U.S. and Europe tour. Plus, a surprise remix, trivia game, and fan gift stories (including a gallon of sauerkraut).

This week’s episode features Todd Cassetty (@toddcassetty), the visionary behind Song Suffragettes — the all-female singer/songwriter round on a mission to champion women in Nashville.Back in 2013, only 8% of country radio airplay featured female artists. Todd saw the challenge and decided to do something about it. In 2014, he launched Song Suffragettes — not just to showcase women’s songwriting talents, but to give them a real opportunity to be heard in an industry that had historically overlooked them.From working in TV and record promotion to managing artists like Scotty McCreery, Todd’s career has touched every corner of the country music world. And over 50 Song Suffragettes have gone on to land a record deal with notable alumnae including Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, Megan Moroney and more. Tune in as we talk about building a movement, breaking barriers for women in country, and what’s next for Song Suffragettes in year 11.

Musician Jabe Burgess returns as the first repeat guest on the podcast, discussing his journey over the past year and the evolution of his alter ego, "The Bad Hombre." He shares insights into his songwriting process, testing new material on Broadway before recording, and the challenges of mixing and refining his upcoming album. We get into some personal topics, including anxiety and panic attacks, and how those experiences have shaped his music. Jabe's new album is set for release today, March 7th. Give it a listen!

Special guest Sheyna Gee joins the show to talk about the Broadway music scene, the realities of making it in the industry, and the power of TikTok in building a fanbase. Sheyna shares her journey from California to Nashville, her experiences navigating record deals, and how she turned a 2019 song into a viral hit. We also dive into the challenges of recording, finding the right producer, and the unfiltered truth about life as a working musician. Plus, some hilarious insights into Broadway nightlife and social media success.

Special guests Laura and Connor of the band Skout join the show. They share their journey from a Craigslist connection in NYC to touring and viral success on Spotify. They discuss the highs and lows of indie music, reconnecting with their acoustic roots, and teasing an exciting ten-year anniversary project. Watch it on the TuneHatch Youtube channel to see Skout perform in the podcast's first live recording!

Special Guest Zack Smith joins the show. Known for his work in the band Smooth Hound Smith and his solo project, ZG Smith, he's garnered airplay and attention from musical curators including include Minneapolis’s The Current, NPR’s World Cafe, Nashville’s Lightning 100, PopMatters, The Bluegrass Situation, NashvilleSCENE, UnderTheRadar, and more. Zack shares his journey from playing upright bass in Los Angeles to moving to Nashville, where he started writing his own songs and navigating the music industry. He discusses the highs and lows of touring, the challenges of performing in front of friends versus strangers, and the creative freedom he's found in his recent solo work and collaborations.

🎙️ In this episode, we sit down with songwriter Garrett Thorn, whose music channels the rustic vibes of his northern Wisconsin roots. 🌲 Blending 60s and 70s rock ‘n roll, soul, folk, and a dash of Nashville country, his sound is both nostalgic and fresh. 🌾🎶Garrett’s approach to his career is just as calculated as it is soulful—he’s got a passion for psychology, a bit of an obsession with numbers, and so much more. Tune in to hear all about it!#GarrettThorn #Podcast #RootsMusic #Nashville #RockNRoll #CreativeJourney #PsychologyAndMusic

Special guest Grant Edwards joins the show. founder of Studio Rats, sound engineer, music producer, DJ, and songwriter. Grant is a true jack-of-all trades in the music industry and works tirelessly to help artists succeed. If you're in Nashville, he's definitely someone you need to know.

Special Guest Christopher Kessenich joins the show. Lead singer/founder of the band, Arts Fishing Club, named one of NPR's 10 Nashville Bands to Add to Your Playlist. Christopher was also one of the "walking guys" on four and half month walking tour from Portland, Maine down to Atlanta, Georgia. We talk about taking the plunge into music from a small town, touring stories, playing overseas, the origin of the band and much more.

Special Guest Will Overman joins the show. Will, born in Virginia Beach, is a singer-songwriter based out of Nashville. We talk about touring with intention, how to build an audience, defining progression and success in music and much more.

Special guest Allie Colleen joins the show. Allie is a country artist, singer and songwriter based out of Nashville who was recently slated to be the opener for Jelly Roll's Beautifully Broken Tour. We talk about songwriting school, horses, building a safe space to write in, social media strategies, having the courage to release content and much more.

Special guest Hayes Peebles joins the show. Hayes is a country/americana artist Rolling Stone Country described as a "a distinct new voice in Americana songwriting." We talk about the progression of music style through time, playing to the wrong crowd, packaging vs product in music, content creation and much more.

Special guest Kyle Cox joins the show. Kyle is a singer/songwriter and musician originally from Texas and now lives in Nashville. We talk about gatekeeping among artists, his philosophies in life, creating a collaborative environment, how chasing interest over instinct influenced his direction in sound, and much more.

Special guests Manny Blu and Wes Snyder of the band Her Leather Jacket join the show. The rock duo talk about forming a band, finding their sound, going viral on Tik Tok, working with labels and much more.

Special guest Tori Allen joins the show. Tori is a songwriter, recording artist and multi-instrumentalist. Most recently she played with The Killers on a world tour singing backup vocals and playing violin. We talk about the experience of playing with a world class band in front of massive, packed arenas, starting out playing on Broadway in Nashville, her upcoming music, and much more.

Special guest Nikki Sanz joins the show. Founder and CEO of Giggs, Nikki is streamlining the gigging process. Known as the Linkedin of the touring industry, Giggs provides a way to connect artists, producers, engineers, and more, on a centralized platform. Nikki talks about the grind of creating a startup, issues in the gigging industry she intends to solve, running a business, and more.

Special guest Sam Wilson joins the show. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, and co-founder of the band Sons of Bill, a band that received praise from The Rolling Stone and The Guardian, Sam talks about playing with Grammy winning bands, his experience playing in a family band, growing their fan base, dealing with labels and the philosophical side of coming up in the music industry.

Special Guest Jabe Burgess joins the show. A singer/songwriter from Arkansas who moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. Jabe talks about his experience being on a college football team, dealing with hustlers trying to scam artists, his experience playing live gigs and much more.

Special guest Mike Godwin, singer-songwriter, joins the show. Mike, Will and Blaine reminisce about their time in the Singing Saints. Mike talks about moving to Nashville and his experience starting out on Broadway, releasing music, playing in a band, and much more.

Nathan learns about hunting. Will hints at upcoming music. Blaine talks about the singing Britney Spears on Broadway and the tracking process for his new ep.

First episode of the series. Get to know Nathan, Blaine, Will and Cory. Blaine and Will talk about their journey though Nashville's music scene and offer some insight to new artists coming to the area.