One of Andrew Breitbart’s lasting legacies is a simple yet powerful quote: Politics is downstream of cultureEvery day we see liberal ideas seep into every aspect of our culture: movies, television, music, children’s programming, and more. But there is one cultural Alamo where artists continue to defend and fight for the ideals we hold dear: faith, family, and freedom. That Alamo is country music, and famous Nashville songwriter Jeffrey Steele He points out that it is “the last bastion of freedom of speech.”
Breitbart News and SiriusXM have brought together three of Nashville’s best songwriters for a one-hour special. Breitbart News Daily Host Mike Slater Jeffrey Steele, Neil Thrasherand Michael Farren They deliver incredible live performances. But what makes the Nashville songwriter special is not just their musical talent, but their ability to tell stories and give listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how their songs were born – the struggles, the backlash and the ultimate triumph. Add to that their lively discussions on a wide range of topics, including politics, family, faith and prayer, and you have a thriving career on Breitbart News and SiriusXM. American Songwriter SpecialI hope you enjoy this first of many to come, and that it will help you believe that there actually are artists out there using their talents to address the culture wars conservatives need to fight: They’re Nashville songwriters.
…And those are good hangings.
Round 1
Michael Farren “Check In” Screenplay: Michael Farren, Kenneth Hart, Garrett Jacobs
Neil Thrasher “Try it in a small town“ Writers: Neil Thrasher, Tully Kennedy, Kelly Lovelace, Kurt Allison
Jeffrey SteeleIs it just me?“ Writers: Jeffrey Steele, Aaron Lewis, Ira Dean
Round 2
Michael FarrenJericho“ Writer: Michael Farren
Neil Thrasher “Jumping states“ Writers: Neil Thrasher, Michael Dulaney
Jeffrey SteeleMy Town“ Writers: Jeffrey Steele, Reed Nielsen
A member of the Nashville Songwriting Hall of Fame and a good friend of Breitbart, Steele’s career is difficult to summarize. He has written for artists such as Eric Church, Tim McGraw, Miley Cyrus, Rascal Flatts, Montgomery Gentry, Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, and many others. Steele is a multiple Grammy nominee, a Golden Globe nominee, and was named one of Billboard’s top five writers for eight consecutive years. Over the course of eight years, he has had over 500 songs cut by over 100 artists and released over 100 singles. He has written over 75 gold and platinum records.
Breitbart gave heavy coverage to two recent political songs, Aaron Lewis’ “Am I the Only One” and John Rich’s “Progress,” which both reached No. 1 despite never receiving radio play.
check out: Steele recently re-recorded his smash hit “What Hurts the Most” as a duet with Rascal Flatts frontman Gary Revox. here.
Alabama native Neal Thrasher is one of Nashville’s finest songwriters, having written songs for some of country’s most successful artists, including Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, Ronnie Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Montgomery Gentry and Lee Brice. His songs have sold over 50 million copies and spent 25 weeks at No. 1. He has won 20 ASCAP Country Music Awards, including being named Country Songwriter of the Year.
Most recently, Jason Aldean’s hit song “Try that in a Small Town,” co-written with Kelly Lovelace, Kurt Allison, and Tully Kennedy, has shaken up the politically correct world and been featured extensively here on Breitbart.com.
check out: Give it a try with Small Town Podcaststis a podcast hosted by Thrasher and co-authors Lovelace, Allison, and Kennedy that aims to “reinforce the traditional principles that have historically shaped our country.”
Neil Thrash @neilthrash
Two-time Grammy-nominated and four-time Dove Award-winning songwriter Michael Farren moved to Nashville from Texas 20 years ago, and it’s been a fruitful move for the pastor’s son. Michael has written hundreds of songs across a variety of genres, from Lauren Daigle’s Grammy-nominated, platinum single “Trust in You” to Reba McEntire’s Grammy-winning album title track “Sing It Now.”
His first commercial cut was the global worship anthem “Let It Rain” on Michael W. Smith’s RIAA certified double platinum album “Worship.” He has written songs for Zach Williams, Reba McEntire and Corey Asbury. His latest song, “Checking in,” was cut as a collaboration by Lee Brice and For King + Country on Curb Records.
Coming soon: Michael’s very own version of “Checking In.”
Michael Farren @michaelfarren
